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Description
Chapter 2

"HEEEELP!!!"

That bloodcurdling cry still echoed through the forest with no sign of stopping. Shedinjas weren't particularly speedy Pokemon, but that was irrelevant as Void sped through the trees as fast as he could. He couldn't comprehend why this was happening to him! He's done nothing wrong and actively goes out of his way to be kind and helpful. In fact, he was just relaxing in his favorite open field whilst he waited for Aura to return, overall minding his own business. He eventually spotted movement in his peripheral vision and turned, expecting to see the young Abra or perhaps even his brother. But instead, he saw a Houndoom and Gliscor, both of whom wasted little time in launching completely unprovoked attacks on him.

He's been fleeing for his life for the past few moments now, although to him, it felt like an eternity.

Whimpering, the small Pokemon barely managed to dodge a stream of fire surging for him and he tried even harder to go faster, pushing his spiritual energy to its limit. He didn't even know where he was going anymore, as all he could focus on was escape.

But even that was being denied to him as he forced himself to come to a stop, staring up in horror as a cliff loomed over him, effectively trapped with no way out. Turning around, he saw his attackers blocking his last retreat. He knew that if he had a heart, it would be racing painfully in his terror. Forcing his way past it as best he could, he managed to let out a defensive growl at the Houndoom and Gliscor, both of whom were smirking with their own snarls. They knew their target was trapped, and now they can carry on with business.

"Stay back! I'm warning you!" Void shrieked as he spotted embers of flame coming from their jaws. Practically shivering, he knew his threat was falling on deaf ears and that he only had one way out of this situation. His very life depended on it! "This is your last warning! Retreat now, before I retaliate!"

"Try it, insect," the Houndoom snickered pompously, knowing full well that the Bug/Ghost was at a severe disadvantage against them both. "What can a weakling like you possibly do?"

"V... Very w-well..." the Shedinja stuttered in as best a firm tone as he could muster. "I-I hate to come to this, but you left me no choice." He was NOT gonna allow himself to be beaten and possibly killed like this. It was either their lives or his... A purple haze began to envelope around him before he turned around completely.

"Hey!" The Gliscor snapped. "Don't turn your back o-" The bat-scorpion Pokemon cut himself off, staring at the hole on the Shedinja's back, unable to look away. The Houndoom watched his companion in confusion and was about to speak out to him when the purple mist quickly shot out to engulf the Gliscor, linking him to the Shedinja before the glider suddenly collapsed on the ground. Almost immediately, the mysterious energy dissipitated as if it was never there.

Snapping out of his shocked state at what just happened, the demon-dog quickly padded over to his comrade and nudged him with his snout.

"Kite! Kite, get up!" But there was no response. Giving a desperate snarl, the Fire/Dark-type barked out his words in a commanding voice. "As leader, I demand you to get off your lazy ass!" That didn't work either and he tried something guaranteed to be full-proof. "Kite, your name is stupid and sissy, and I can think of a million other better names when I'm drunk!" That usually got to the Poison-type, but again there was nothing.

Lowering his ear to his friend's chest, he listened intently for any signs of life. Nothing.

Eyes and mouth wide, he stared at the body at his feet, hardly comprehending what had happened. Kite was just fine a moment ago and then-

Glaring harshly at the Shedinja, he saw the bug had turned back to them and a mournful whistle came from the hollow shell, along with apologetic words. "I'm sorry, but I gave you warning. Please, take heed this time and leave. Now."

"YOU KILLED HIM, YOU BASTARD!!!" the Houndoom practically roared before unleashing an extremely violent burst of flame. The panicked Shedinja barely threw himself out of the way in time and was about to repeat his defensive soul-stealing when he was tackled to the ground by the severely pissed off hound, crying out in pain as he was pinned mercilessly. The canine made no hesitation in clamping his jaws into the ghostly husk, almost crushing the brittle shell altogether. Giving a savage shake, he threw the smaller Pokemon aside to crash into the ground.

Void had fallen unconscious already, his Wonder Guard useless against the Crunch. There really wasn't a need to continue; the mission at hand had been completed. But the Houndoom had vengeance in his mind and he rushed over to repeat the brutal attack, Void nearly in shreds as he was thrown into a tree. Dashing over to the fallen Pokemon, he switched tactics and clamped down on one of the Shedinja's wings, beginning to tear even further into him. So absorbed he was in this that he failed to notice the rustle of the tree tops until a shrill voice called out.

"STOP KILLING MY BROTHER!!!"

Seemingly out of nowhere, an invisible force slammed itself into the larger Pokemon, becoming visible upon impact to reveal the Ninjask. Without allowing any time for the hound to recover, the insect charged again, lashing out with his claws repeatedly in a Fury Cutter attack. And the move's namesake was an accurate term as Gizmo was practically shrieking with rage. Pausing for just an instant as his claws began to glow from red to green, he vanished as Houndoom tried to retaliate with Flamethrower, appearing behind him and lashing out with an endless barrage of X-Scissor.

Under this merciless assault from the practically invisible ninja, it wasn't long before the Houndoom was lying on the floor unconscious, the Ninjask panting heavily as he glared at his opponent. Feeling his rage slowly began to ease off, he looked towards the other two motionless bodies nearby.

He didn't catch the whole battle, having arrived just as Houndoom tackled his brother to the ground, the Gliscor seemingly fainted from a previous battle session he missed out on. At first, Gizmo was planning to stay hidden to enjoy the show when he saw the continued, unnecessary violence and heard that dreaded ripping noise. Yes, he made the request to have some Rogues attack his brother, but he only wanted it to be a minor thing with no more damage than if Void simply lost a regular battle. Gizmo was a trouble-maker, but despite his words of bluster spoken earlier, he was no cold-blooded murderer. Especially not of his own brother, no matter how pompous he thought he was.

A flash of movement appeared in the midst of the former battle scene, and Aura looked about with an expression of horror. She tried to get herself to speak, her voice being nothing but a broken whisper and her exhaustion from the previous battle having nothing to do with the soft tone. "Wha... What h-happened...?"

She didn't get a response as Gizmo flew over to his brother hurriedly and landed in a stumble. He reached out an uncertain claw and nudged the crumpled hollow shell. He didn't get a response and he scanned his sibling's body, his red eyes widening in horror. Void's entire body was riddled with tears and cracks, and his right wing was almost entirely ripped from his body. If the Shedinja had blood, there would be no doubt that it would be pouring into a large pool beneath him.

Feeling his eyes sting with tears, Gizmo gave his brother another nudge before looking up as Aura in turn hurried over. For once, he held no animosity for anyone and it was as if he was a completely different Pokemon altogether. Practically whimpering, he was on the verge of breaking down into sobs and his voice was a mournful choke. "I...I-I think he's...he's... dead..."

"We don't know that," Aura reassured shakily, gently running her paw over the motionless body. "Shedinjas don't have vital signs, so how can we...?" She swallowed a bit, her eyes taking note of a small detail. "His halo's still glowing... I think that's a good sign..." True, said halo was barely giving off light, but it was something at least. Looking to the Ninjask, she tried to keep back her own tears as she sniffled. "He's unconscious, but alive... We just need to wait for him to wake up, is all..."

"O... Okay..." Gizmo replied with a clearing of his throat, his pride refusing to let him break down in front of the Abra. Unfortunately, what Aura wasn't telling him was her true thoughts of Void's fate, as she felt horrible having the break the news. It was obvious that it'll only make the distress even worse.

A few moments of silence passed, with Gizmo fidgeting restlessly almost every few seconds and nudging his brother just as constantly. Aura gently rebuked the Ninjask's impatience, but she knew he couldn't be entirely at fault for his worry.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a small movement occurred from the fallen husk as if he was trying to hover, only to collapse back down. Instantly, the Ninjask bounced up and scooted closer to the Shedinja's side, relieved chirps coming from the living insect as he gathered his sibling in his arms.

"Bro! You're awake! You're okay! Oh man, I'm so glad you're alive! I thought you were a goner!" he exclaimed so fast that the words might as well have melded together. No further movement came from the shell, whose vision slowly began to return to see a blurry gold-and-black blob staring at him. The blurriness only subsided for a second, but it was enough for his pain-filled mind to recognize the other Pokemon.

"G... Giz... mo...?"

"Yeah!" Gizmo practically shouted in his excitement, his eyes showing that he was smiling despite the tears still easing down his cheeks. "Yeah, it's me!" His elation was only getting stronger that his brother could recognize him, as if he wasn't aware of how weak sounding his sibling's voice was. However, he had to be blind to ignore the horrible physical state the husk was in and to say he was crestfallen was an extreme understatement. "Void... I..."

He swallowed a bit, having never voiced these words for as long as he could remember. "I'm... so very, very sorry..." Finally feeling his body wretch and shudder, he threw his pride to the wind and buried his face into Void's torn body, his tears now completely unhindered. "I'm sorry... Everything was my fault! I... I didn't mean for it to come this far! I... I just wanted... I... I'M SORRY!!!"

There was silence, except for the sobbing from Gizmo, and it lasted for a few moments before Void's soft voice sounded with great effort. "You... You did... W...Why...?" The broken Pokemon couldn't understand his brother's involvement in this. Gizmo couldn't have heard about the plan to banish him in time to set this chain of events in action. The only logical explanation was that this was made in advance, and even that made little sense. But the ghostly insect wasn't in the dark for too long before the Ninjask answered shamefully.

"I... I hired them to... hurt you... I-I didn't think that..." He choked a bit on his words, taking a deep shaky breath as he pulled his face from the torn shell. Unable to make eye contact, however, he looked off to the side as he continued. "I... was frustrated and wasn't thinking..." Another breath and Gizmo felt his body fill with both anger and self-loathing. "I was getting tired of your stupid know-it-all attitude! And your stupid 'I'm-so-better-than-you' stupid Wonder Guard stuff... and... and stupid... stupid!"

He wasn't even making sense anymore...

Rubbing his eyes with his claw, he forced himself to calm down so that he could explain more clearly. "Nowadays, every time we meet, it's like... It's like you're always chiding me for something, like you're always looking down at me. Always trying to tell me what to do and stuff... I... I got sick of it so... I only wanted them to rough you up a bit... And to show you that you're not all that... But..." He sighed with a shake of his head. "But it went horribly wrong... and I'm sorry..."

This time, the silence was almost too palpable to bear, and it took everything the Ninjask had to keep his composure. Finally, the strained voice of his brother spoke up. "... G... Gizmo..."

Immediately, the other bug cried out once more. "PLEASE, YOU HAVE TO FORGIVE ME! I'M SORRY! I'M SOR-!"

"Gizmo," Void interrupted, succeeding in getting his brother to fall silent. Shuddering heavily, the empty husk tried to gather his thoughts through his agony and to force his voice to work. "I... I'm... sorry... myself..."

"For what?" Gizmo piped up in confusion, not knowing why his brother would apologize for anything!

"I'm sorry... for making you feel that way. I... never intended..." His halo dimmed a bit before flashing, as if the Shedinja was making a point of not leaving this world without a fight. "I... never thought that I was better than you... Never has that th-thought even cross my mind... Simply because it's not true..." Finally, eye-contact was made with the other insect. "Gizmo... You're a strong bug... A fast bug... I'm just your empty shell... There's no comparison..." Judging from his voice, he would be smiling if he could, wishing to reassure his sibling. "If anything... I should be jealous of you..."

Eyes wide, Gizmo stared back at his sibling's empty eyes before lowering his gaze. All this time, he's been misinterpreting everything his brother said and done. The vibe of superiority was never there and it was just in his mind... and now his brother was paying the price. Void seemed to have noticed the Ninjask's inner guilt and forced his voice to work again.

"Gizmo... I'm only trying to do what's best... Your past behavior has been... troublesome... and the village has been..." He decided not to finish that sentence and instead carried on with his explanation. "I was trying to... help you... protect you... I'm sorry it came off as trying to control you... Know that that wasn't my intention..." Pausing to gather his strength once more and allowing his words to sink in, he continued in a whisper. "And even my... rash decision to have you banished... was, in the end, for your own good..."

"B... Banished...?" Gizmo muttered back in shock. He was self-aware of his actions, of his rebellious, unruly, and obnoxious behavior. But he didn't think he was worthy of banishment. That meant... Gizmo looked to Aura. "That's why you were after me..."

Aura pinned her ears down and looked away, fiddling with her paws as she spoke. "I didn't wanna have to come to that. I was hoping to talk to you and get you to understand, without having you ever know the fate in store for you otherwise."

"I sent her," Void carried on. "because I d-didn't want... to have to do it... myself. I... didn't want you... to know that it was my plan..." The Ghost/Bug would shake his head if he could. "I apologize..."

More silence as this information began to sink in. A strong flash of resentment rose in the cicada, but he quickly squandered that. Despite his anger, he told himself that his brother was looking out for him. Though he couldn't help but wonder what the village was planning to do if banishment seemed like the more favorable action... A shudder went through his shell, his drooping wings droning a bit before going silent. Seeing this, Void knew what was going through his sibling's mind and when he spoke again, it was in a pleading tone.

"Please, brother... You have to stop causing such trouble... Terrible things will happen... if you don't... Things your speed can't defend you from," A soft whimper came from his torn throat. "Please, Gizmo... If not for me, then for yourself... Think about what you're doing... before you do it... Please... I don't want you... getting hurt..."

Another moment of silence as Gizmo stared at his brother. He knew that if this had been under normal circumstances, he would've told his brother to take his words and stick it up hard. But this time, he knew he couldn't be so dismissive. And so, with a gentle smile, he gave a nod and he practically felt the relief radiating from his brother's body.

"I will," he added soft verbal assurance before feeling a painful stab at his heart. Choking a bit on his tears again, he spoke with a pleading tone quite unlike himself. "And you will be right by me the whole way through! You're going to be there to tell me how good I'm doing! Or yell at me for doing something wrong, and then I'll get pissed and try to Fury Cutter you, and you will have that stupid Wonder Guard, and then we'll both fume for the rest of the day only to try again the next morning!" He grinned as his eyes glistened with even more tears. "Just like we always do, except I'll actually listen! ... Eventually... Sometimes... Maybe!"

This little joke succeeded in getting a pained chuckle from his brother and it lifted Gizmo's spirits a bit. "I will watch over you, even if... even when I lose all further use for this physical form..."

"Wha...?" Gizmo trailed in confusion, glancing at Aura in a panic before gulping down the lump growing in his throat. "What're you talking about?" He didn't get a response, Void simply staring at him calmly. The Ninjask's mind putting the pieces together, he felt his heart skip a beat and he shook his head desperately. "No... NO! You can't leave me, bro! You can't! You..." His brain scrambled for some kind of rational reassurance and he made no hesitation in voicing it when he found one. "You're a Ghost-type! Ghost-type Pokemon can't die!"

A flash of uncertainty caused him to look to the Abra across from him. "Can they...?"

Aura made no response, not knowing the answer herself as she's never had experience in anything regarding the topic. Luckily, Void found the strength to explain. "Ghosts or not... we're still Pokemon... We're still mortal... Just a different kind of mortal..." Seeing the distressed confusion deepen in Gizmo's eyes, he attempted to hover shakily, only to collapse right back down into his sibling's arms. Whimpering, the Ninjask shifted his grip on Void, eyes quickly scanning for any further damage before returning his attention to the Shedinja's hollow eyes. "This body is too broken... and my control of it is too weak... I can't carry on, and soon... I'll have to depart from this world."

"No..." Gizmo denied, his eyes pouring more tears that dripped onto the shell's torn body. "No! I won't let you! I can fix this! We can take you back to the village and they can fix you up! They can..." Trailing off as Aura placed a paw on his shoulder, he saw her shake her head in a clear message. Void was beyond help with such severe damage as this. Shaking his head even more as he began to sob, his words become even more irrational. "Then I'll shed again! I'll give you a new body! And then you can stay and never leave! Please, Void! PLEASE!"

"Gizmo..."

Said Ninjask opened his eyes, barely able to see his brother through his tears. But that hindrance didn't matter as he can still feel the gentle vibe radiating from Void's body, and he couldn't help but calm just a little bit. Silence blanketed over them, broken only by the occasional sniffs and hiccups from Gizmo, and after a few moments, Void's halo began to flicker.

"Brother..." he whispered so softly that it was barely audible. "I... I love you..."

Gizmo felt stunned at those words, words never spoken to him from the Shedinja... or anyone else for that matter... Wiping his eyes as dry as he could manage, the ninja bug took a deep shaky breath and offered the most caring smile his face could pull off. "I-I love you too, bro..."

The Shedinja shifted a bit despite the pain, and Gizmo alone recognized the movement as a calm, affectionate nod. Nodding back, Gizmo could do nothing but watch as that tell-tale halo blinked on and off, each flash of light getting noticeably weaker. Finally, after a long moment, the halo dimmed out completely and Gizmo whimpered as he lifted a claw and tapped the floating crescent. A small flash responded to the tap before that too died off. The dulled halo then fell to the ground with a soft thump.

"V-Void?" Gizmo muttered uncertainly, not getting any response whatsoever. Gently shaking the other insect, he knew that it was useless and for the first time in his life, he felt completely alone and unsure of what to do. Just staring at the creature in his arms, he realized that with the absence of the halo and without that subtle spark of life, it looked as though he was cradling a regular empty husk. Sure the husk has seen better days, but it never truly hit him until now just how fragile his brother's existence was, being nothing more than a brittle shell against a harsh and cruel world.

For once, he didn't find that Wonder Guard ability quite so stupid anymore...

"I love you too, bro..." Gizmo whispered, everything around him disappearing into the very corners of his mind as he nuzzled his tear-soaked face into his brother's hollow corpse. "I l-love you too..."

Description
Chapter 2

"HEEEELP!!!"

That bloodcurdling cry still echoed through the forest with no sign of stopping. Shedinjas weren't particularly speedy Pokemon, but that was irrelevant as Void sped through the trees as fast as he could. He couldn't comprehend why this was happening to him! He's done nothing wrong and actively goes out of his way to be kind and helpful. In fact, he was just relaxing in his favorite open field whilst he waited for Aura to return, overall minding his own business. He eventually spotted movement in his peripheral vision and turned, expecting to see the young Abra or perhaps even his brother. But instead, he saw a Houndoom and Gliscor, both of whom wasted little time in launching completely unprovoked attacks on him.

He's been fleeing for his life for the past few moments now, although to him, it felt like an eternity.

Whimpering, the small Pokemon barely managed to dodge a stream of fire surging for him and he tried even harder to go faster, pushing his spiritual energy to its limit. He didn't even know where he was going anymore, as all he could focus on was escape.

But even that was being denied to him as he forced himself to come to a stop, staring up in horror as a cliff loomed over him, effectively trapped with no way out. Turning around, he saw his attackers blocking his last retreat. He knew that if he had a heart, it would be racing painfully in his terror. Forcing his way past it as best he could, he managed to let out a defensive growl at the Houndoom and Gliscor, both of whom were smirking with their own snarls. They knew their target was trapped, and now they can carry on with business.

"Stay back! I'm warning you!" Void shrieked as he spotted embers of flame coming from their jaws. Practically shivering, he knew his threat was falling on deaf ears and that he only had one way out of this situation. His very life depended on it! "This is your last warning! Retreat now, before I retaliate!"

"Try it, insect," the Houndoom snickered pompously, knowing full well that the Bug/Ghost was at a severe disadvantage against them both. "What can a weakling like you possibly do?"

"V... Very w-well..." the Shedinja stuttered in as best a firm tone as he could muster. "I-I hate to come to this, but you left me no choice." He was NOT gonna allow himself to be beaten and possibly killed like this. It was either their lives or his... A purple haze began to envelope around him before he turned around completely.

"Hey!" The Gliscor snapped. "Don't turn your back o-" The bat-scorpion Pokemon cut himself off, staring at the hole on the Shedinja's back, unable to look away. The Houndoom watched his companion in confusion and was about to speak out to him when the purple mist quickly shot out to engulf the Gliscor, linking him to the Shedinja before the glider suddenly collapsed on the ground. Almost immediately, the mysterious energy dissipitated as if it was never there.

Snapping out of his shocked state at what just happened, the demon-dog quickly padded over to his comrade and nudged him with his snout.

"Kite! Kite, get up!" But there was no response. Giving a desperate snarl, the Fire/Dark-type barked out his words in a commanding voice. "As leader, I demand you to get off your lazy ass!" That didn't work either and he tried something guaranteed to be full-proof. "Kite, your name is stupid and sissy, and I can think of a million other better names when I'm drunk!" That usually got to the Poison-type, but again there was nothing.

Lowering his ear to his friend's chest, he listened intently for any signs of life. Nothing.

Eyes and mouth wide, he stared at the body at his feet, hardly comprehending what had happened. Kite was just fine a moment ago and then-

Glaring harshly at the Shedinja, he saw the bug had turned back to them and a mournful whistle came from the hollow shell, along with apologetic words. "I'm sorry, but I gave you warning. Please, take heed this time and leave. Now."

"YOU KILLED HIM, YOU BASTARD!!!" the Houndoom practically roared before unleashing an extremely violent burst of flame. The panicked Shedinja barely threw himself out of the way in time and was about to repeat his defensive soul-stealing when he was tackled to the ground by the severely pissed off hound, crying out in pain as he was pinned mercilessly. The canine made no hesitation in clamping his jaws into the ghostly husk, almost crushing the brittle shell altogether. Giving a savage shake, he threw the smaller Pokemon aside to crash into the ground.

Void had fallen unconscious already, his Wonder Guard useless against the Crunch. There really wasn't a need to continue; the mission at hand had been completed. But the Houndoom had vengeance in his mind and he rushed over to repeat the brutal attack, Void nearly in shreds as he was thrown into a tree. Dashing over to the fallen Pokemon, he switched tactics and clamped down on one of the Shedinja's wings, beginning to tear even further into him. So absorbed he was in this that he failed to notice the rustle of the tree tops until a shrill voice called out.

"STOP KILLING MY BROTHER!!!"

Seemingly out of nowhere, an invisible force slammed itself into the larger Pokemon, becoming visible upon impact to reveal the Ninjask. Without allowing any time for the hound to recover, the insect charged again, lashing out with his claws repeatedly in a Fury Cutter attack. And the move's namesake was an accurate term as Gizmo was practically shrieking with rage. Pausing for just an instant as his claws began to glow from red to green, he vanished as Houndoom tried to retaliate with Flamethrower, appearing behind him and lashing out with an endless barrage of X-Scissor.

Under this merciless assault from the practically invisible ninja, it wasn't long before the Houndoom was lying on the floor unconscious, the Ninjask panting heavily as he glared at his opponent. Feeling his rage slowly began to ease off, he looked towards the other two motionless bodies nearby.

He didn't catch the whole battle, having arrived just as Houndoom tackled his brother to the ground, the Gliscor seemingly fainted from a previous battle session he missed out on. At first, Gizmo was planning to stay hidden to enjoy the show when he saw the continued, unnecessary violence and heard that dreaded ripping noise. Yes, he made the request to have some Rogues attack his brother, but he only wanted it to be a minor thing with no more damage than if Void simply lost a regular battle. Gizmo was a trouble-maker, but despite his words of bluster spoken earlier, he was no cold-blooded murderer. Especially not of his own brother, no matter how pompous he thought he was.

A flash of movement appeared in the midst of the former battle scene, and Aura looked about with an expression of horror. She tried to get herself to speak, her voice being nothing but a broken whisper and her exhaustion from the previous battle having nothing to do with the soft tone. "Wha... What h-happened...?"

She didn't get a response as Gizmo flew over to his brother hurriedly and landed in a stumble. He reached out an uncertain claw and nudged the crumpled hollow shell. He didn't get a response and he scanned his sibling's body, his red eyes widening in horror. Void's entire body was riddled with tears and cracks, and his right wing was almost entirely ripped from his body. If the Shedinja had blood, there would be no doubt that it would be pouring into a large pool beneath him.

Feeling his eyes sting with tears, Gizmo gave his brother another nudge before looking up as Aura in turn hurried over. For once, he held no animosity for anyone and it was as if he was a completely different Pokemon altogether. Practically whimpering, he was on the verge of breaking down into sobs and his voice was a mournful choke. "I...I-I think he's...he's... dead..."

"We don't know that," Aura reassured shakily, gently running her paw over the motionless body. "Shedinjas don't have vital signs, so how can we...?" She swallowed a bit, her eyes taking note of a small detail. "His halo's still glowing... I think that's a good sign..." True, said halo was barely giving off light, but it was something at least. Looking to the Ninjask, she tried to keep back her own tears as she sniffled. "He's unconscious, but alive... We just need to wait for him to wake up, is all..."

"O... Okay..." Gizmo replied with a clearing of his throat, his pride refusing to let him break down in front of the Abra. Unfortunately, what Aura wasn't telling him was her true thoughts of Void's fate, as she felt horrible having the break the news. It was obvious that it'll only make the distress even worse.

A few moments of silence passed, with Gizmo fidgeting restlessly almost every few seconds and nudging his brother just as constantly. Aura gently rebuked the Ninjask's impatience, but she knew he couldn't be entirely at fault for his worry.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a small movement occurred from the fallen husk as if he was trying to hover, only to collapse back down. Instantly, the Ninjask bounced up and scooted closer to the Shedinja's side, relieved chirps coming from the living insect as he gathered his sibling in his arms.

"Bro! You're awake! You're okay! Oh man, I'm so glad you're alive! I thought you were a goner!" he exclaimed so fast that the words might as well have melded together. No further movement came from the shell, whose vision slowly began to return to see a blurry gold-and-black blob staring at him. The blurriness only subsided for a second, but it was enough for his pain-filled mind to recognize the other Pokemon.

"G... Giz... mo...?"

"Yeah!" Gizmo practically shouted in his excitement, his eyes showing that he was smiling despite the tears still easing down his cheeks. "Yeah, it's me!" His elation was only getting stronger that his brother could recognize him, as if he wasn't aware of how weak sounding his sibling's voice was. However, he had to be blind to ignore the horrible physical state the husk was in and to say he was crestfallen was an extreme understatement. "Void... I..."

He swallowed a bit, having never voiced these words for as long as he could remember. "I'm... so very, very sorry..." Finally feeling his body wretch and shudder, he threw his pride to the wind and buried his face into Void's torn body, his tears now completely unhindered. "I'm sorry... Everything was my fault! I... I didn't mean for it to come this far! I... I just wanted... I... I'M SORRY!!!"

There was silence, except for the sobbing from Gizmo, and it lasted for a few moments before Void's soft voice sounded with great effort. "You... You did... W...Why...?" The broken Pokemon couldn't understand his brother's involvement in this. Gizmo couldn't have heard about the plan to banish him in time to set this chain of events in action. The only logical explanation was that this was made in advance, and even that made little sense. But the ghostly insect wasn't in the dark for too long before the Ninjask answered shamefully.

"I... I hired them to... hurt you... I-I didn't think that..." He choked a bit on his words, taking a deep shaky breath as he pulled his face from the torn shell. Unable to make eye contact, however, he looked off to the side as he continued. "I... was frustrated and wasn't thinking..." Another breath and Gizmo felt his body fill with both anger and self-loathing. "I was getting tired of your stupid know-it-all attitude! And your stupid 'I'm-so-better-than-you' stupid Wonder Guard stuff... and... and stupid... stupid!"

He wasn't even making sense anymore...

Rubbing his eyes with his claw, he forced himself to calm down so that he could explain more clearly. "Nowadays, every time we meet, it's like... It's like you're always chiding me for something, like you're always looking down at me. Always trying to tell me what to do and stuff... I... I got sick of it so... I only wanted them to rough you up a bit... And to show you that you're not all that... But..." He sighed with a shake of his head. "But it went horribly wrong... and I'm sorry..."

This time, the silence was almost too palpable to bear, and it took everything the Ninjask had to keep his composure. Finally, the strained voice of his brother spoke up. "... G... Gizmo..."

Immediately, the other bug cried out once more. "PLEASE, YOU HAVE TO FORGIVE ME! I'M SORRY! I'M SOR-!"

"Gizmo," Void interrupted, succeeding in getting his brother to fall silent. Shuddering heavily, the empty husk tried to gather his thoughts through his agony and to force his voice to work. "I... I'm... sorry... myself..."

"For what?" Gizmo piped up in confusion, not knowing why his brother would apologize for anything!

"I'm sorry... for making you feel that way. I... never intended..." His halo dimmed a bit before flashing, as if the Shedinja was making a point of not leaving this world without a fight. "I... never thought that I was better than you... Never has that th-thought even cross my mind... Simply because it's not true..." Finally, eye-contact was made with the other insect. "Gizmo... You're a strong bug... A fast bug... I'm just your empty shell... There's no comparison..." Judging from his voice, he would be smiling if he could, wishing to reassure his sibling. "If anything... I should be jealous of you..."

Eyes wide, Gizmo stared back at his sibling's empty eyes before lowering his gaze. All this time, he's been misinterpreting everything his brother said and done. The vibe of superiority was never there and it was just in his mind... and now his brother was paying the price. Void seemed to have noticed the Ninjask's inner guilt and forced his voice to work again.

"Gizmo... I'm only trying to do what's best... Your past behavior has been... troublesome... and the village has been..." He decided not to finish that sentence and instead carried on with his explanation. "I was trying to... help you... protect you... I'm sorry it came off as trying to control you... Know that that wasn't my intention..." Pausing to gather his strength once more and allowing his words to sink in, he continued in a whisper. "And even my... rash decision to have you banished... was, in the end, for your own good..."

"B... Banished...?" Gizmo muttered back in shock. He was self-aware of his actions, of his rebellious, unruly, and obnoxious behavior. But he didn't think he was worthy of banishment. That meant... Gizmo looked to Aura. "That's why you were after me..."

Aura pinned her ears down and looked away, fiddling with her paws as she spoke. "I didn't wanna have to come to that. I was hoping to talk to you and get you to understand, without having you ever know the fate in store for you otherwise."

"I sent her," Void carried on. "because I d-didn't want... to have to do it... myself. I... didn't want you... to know that it was my plan..." The Ghost/Bug would shake his head if he could. "I apologize..."

More silence as this information began to sink in. A strong flash of resentment rose in the cicada, but he quickly squandered that. Despite his anger, he told himself that his brother was looking out for him. Though he couldn't help but wonder what the village was planning to do if banishment seemed like the more favorable action... A shudder went through his shell, his drooping wings droning a bit before going silent. Seeing this, Void knew what was going through his sibling's mind and when he spoke again, it was in a pleading tone.

"Please, brother... You have to stop causing such trouble... Terrible things will happen... if you don't... Things your speed can't defend you from," A soft whimper came from his torn throat. "Please, Gizmo... If not for me, then for yourself... Think about what you're doing... before you do it... Please... I don't want you... getting hurt..."

Another moment of silence as Gizmo stared at his brother. He knew that if this had been under normal circumstances, he would've told his brother to take his words and stick it up hard. But this time, he knew he couldn't be so dismissive. And so, with a gentle smile, he gave a nod and he practically felt the relief radiating from his brother's body.

"I will," he added soft verbal assurance before feeling a painful stab at his heart. Choking a bit on his tears again, he spoke with a pleading tone quite unlike himself. "And you will be right by me the whole way through! You're going to be there to tell me how good I'm doing! Or yell at me for doing something wrong, and then I'll get pissed and try to Fury Cutter you, and you will have that stupid Wonder Guard, and then we'll both fume for the rest of the day only to try again the next morning!" He grinned as his eyes glistened with even more tears. "Just like we always do, except I'll actually listen! ... Eventually... Sometimes... Maybe!"

This little joke succeeded in getting a pained chuckle from his brother and it lifted Gizmo's spirits a bit. "I will watch over you, even if... even when I lose all further use for this physical form..."

"Wha...?" Gizmo trailed in confusion, glancing at Aura in a panic before gulping down the lump growing in his throat. "What're you talking about?" He didn't get a response, Void simply staring at him calmly. The Ninjask's mind putting the pieces together, he felt his heart skip a beat and he shook his head desperately. "No... NO! You can't leave me, bro! You can't! You..." His brain scrambled for some kind of rational reassurance and he made no hesitation in voicing it when he found one. "You're a Ghost-type! Ghost-type Pokemon can't die!"

A flash of uncertainty caused him to look to the Abra across from him. "Can they...?"

Aura made no response, not knowing the answer herself as she's never had experience in anything regarding the topic. Luckily, Void found the strength to explain. "Ghosts or not... we're still Pokemon... We're still mortal... Just a different kind of mortal..." Seeing the distressed confusion deepen in Gizmo's eyes, he attempted to hover shakily, only to collapse right back down into his sibling's arms. Whimpering, the Ninjask shifted his grip on Void, eyes quickly scanning for any further damage before returning his attention to the Shedinja's hollow eyes. "This body is too broken... and my control of it is too weak... I can't carry on, and soon... I'll have to depart from this world."

"No..." Gizmo denied, his eyes pouring more tears that dripped onto the shell's torn body. "No! I won't let you! I can fix this! We can take you back to the village and they can fix you up! They can..." Trailing off as Aura placed a paw on his shoulder, he saw her shake her head in a clear message. Void was beyond help with such severe damage as this. Shaking his head even more as he began to sob, his words become even more irrational. "Then I'll shed again! I'll give you a new body! And then you can stay and never leave! Please, Void! PLEASE!"

"Gizmo..."

Said Ninjask opened his eyes, barely able to see his brother through his tears. But that hindrance didn't matter as he can still feel the gentle vibe radiating from Void's body, and he couldn't help but calm just a little bit. Silence blanketed over them, broken only by the occasional sniffs and hiccups from Gizmo, and after a few moments, Void's halo began to flicker.

"Brother..." he whispered so softly that it was barely audible. "I... I love you..."

Gizmo felt stunned at those words, words never spoken to him from the Shedinja... or anyone else for that matter... Wiping his eyes as dry as he could manage, the ninja bug took a deep shaky breath and offered the most caring smile his face could pull off. "I-I love you too, bro..."

The Shedinja shifted a bit despite the pain, and Gizmo alone recognized the movement as a calm, affectionate nod. Nodding back, Gizmo could do nothing but watch as that tell-tale halo blinked on and off, each flash of light getting noticeably weaker. Finally, after a long moment, the halo dimmed out completely and Gizmo whimpered as he lifted a claw and tapped the floating crescent. A small flash responded to the tap before that too died off. The dulled halo then fell to the ground with a soft thump.

"V-Void?" Gizmo muttered uncertainly, not getting any response whatsoever. Gently shaking the other insect, he knew that it was useless and for the first time in his life, he felt completely alone and unsure of what to do. Just staring at the creature in his arms, he realized that with the absence of the halo and without that subtle spark of life, it looked as though he was cradling a regular empty husk. Sure the husk has seen better days, but it never truly hit him until now just how fragile his brother's existence was, being nothing more than a brittle shell against a harsh and cruel world.

For once, he didn't find that Wonder Guard ability quite so stupid anymore...

"I love you too, bro..." Gizmo whispered, everything around him disappearing into the very corners of his mind as he nuzzled his tear-soaked face into his brother's hollow corpse. "I l-love you too..."