BlizzardBricks
Bug Catcher
- Pronouns
- He/Him
A Blinding Reunion
Centuries ago, Necrozma Nexus was betrayed, shattered by the organization he served for eons.Arceus, unaware of this half of Nexus’s life, blamed himself for his disappearance. But when Giratina, recently reconnected with her family, senses a familiar energy in Alola, she rushes to her father.
Can Arceus help Nexus recover, and perhaps, gather the courage to say the words he wanted to for millennia? And can Nexus look past his shattered exterior to believe himself worthy of love?
Sequel to A Father's Regret
Arceus could barely keep his nervousness contained. He could feel his heart pounding a million miles an hour as he thought through the words for the thousandth time.
“Will Nexus accept? What if he says no? Oh, Creation, I’m not sure what will happen if he rejects it,” Arceus fretted. How he wished Dialga or Palkia were here to help calm his nerves. But his sons had ignored his calls, and he didn’t want to barge into their pocket dimensions just like that.
Arceus sighed. His relationship with his children was… strained. Yeah, that was the best way he could put it. It was his fault, though. Each blamed the other for their sister’s banishment, and Arceus, too, caught up in his own grief over losing Giratina, had failed to help them. By the time the Creator had reconnected to the universe around him, it was too late. The twins were too set in their ways.
Sure, Arceus had tried to help. But he could only take so many verbal lashings and shouting matches before he eventually gave up. He knew that made him a poor father, but the Creator didn’t know what he could do.
“You could release Giratina,” a traitorous thought replied. He shuddered. Oh, how he so desperately wished to do that. But he was afraid, truth be told. Afraid that his daughter would despise him, and she had every right to. He didn’t even know if the ‘Reverse World’, as some had taken to calling it, was safe for Giratina. Would she even be…
“Sup Arceus! It’s been a while,” a voice behind the god replied. Oh shit!
Arceus gulped as he turned around. Floating before him was the majestic form of his best friend, Necrozma Nexus. The golden dragon emitted a soft light that filled the region of space, warming Arceus instantly. He couldn’t help but bask in the feeling, as his eyes traced the contours of Nexus’s body. From the crystalline ridges on his face, to the slender curves of his wings…
The God of Creation snapped out of what he had been doing, and he could feel blood rushing to his face. “This was a bad idea, this was a bad idea,” replayed over and over in his mind.
Somehow, he managed to respond to Nexus, “Yeah, it has… Listen, I wanted to ask you something. You know how I’ve given aspects of my power to others, right? Dialga has my control over time, Palkia possesses power over space, that sort of thing.”
A smirk had appeared on Nexus’s beautiful face, but disappeared as Arceus spoke. The Necrozma raised an eye ridge, as if unsure where the conversation was going. He said, “Yeah. What’s going on, Arc?”
The blood rushed back into Arceus’s face when Nexus said that nickname. For the love of all that is holy, he is the Lord of Creation! How is he getting undone so easily!
Arceus managed to speak again. “Well, I uh… wanted to ask if… youwouldtakemylightpower?” As soon as he spoke, Arceus regretted it. If Dialga were here, he would tell his son to rewind time immediately. Oh Creation…
Arceus shut his eyes, cringing at how he imagined Nexus looking at him. He was this close to tearing open a portal and hiding in the nearest black hole. Sure, it’d hurt, but it’d be less painful than this!
“Huh? Could you say that again? Wasn’t able to catch that, something about light?” Arceus continued to back away, but he felt the warmth increase, and something grabbed onto the ring around his body. He opened his eyes and saw Nexus had approached him, looking into his eyes with concern.
“Arc, what’s wrong?” he asked. Arceus could get lost in his multicolored eyes, but he managed to speak. “Would you… Take my power… and become the God of Light?”
Nexus’s eyes filled with orange light, and so did the tips of his wings and head spikes. He sputtered for a moment in surprise, but then his eyes filled with a mixture of pink and blue. “Arceus, I’d be honored.”
A massive weight came off of Arceus’s chest when Nexus said that. “G-great! Thank you! I can work on the transfer-” He was cut off by Nexus.
“Arceus, that’s not the only thing you wanted to say, is it?” Wait, why was Nexus drawing closer? Arceus's eyes widened as Nexus began to close the distance between them. Nexus paused inches away from Arceus and whispered,
“Wake up.”
“Wake up!” a feminine voice cried out, startling Arceus from his sleep. He cried out in shock, only to fall from his resting place and collapse onto the stardust floor below.
“Ow! Who dares!” he yelled, only to stop once he recognized the figure before him. Giratina was glaring at him, her front right foot angrily tapping away at the floor. “Finally,” she said in irritation.
“Tina, what are you doing here?” he asked. Normally, his daughter stayed in the Distortion World. Very rarely did she visit the normal side of the universe, and when she did, she normally remained around Earth, Sinnoh in particular.
Arceus believed she wanted to keep a close eye on Akari; no, she went by Dawn in this time period. Arceus believed Giratina wanted to remain close to Dawn, no matter how much she denied it.
“I sensed him!” she cried out. “Sensed who?” Arceus asked. His daughter rolled her eyes and yelled.
“Nexus!”
What!? “Start from the beginning,” he told Giratina. She huffed but obliged. “I was over in Sinnoh watching one of Dawn’s concerts-shut it!” Giratina said, waving a wing at her father. “When I felt Nexus’s energy surge over in Alola. Though it felt a bit corrupted,” she admitted.
Arceus’s heart rate surged. Nexus, here! The last time he had felt his friend was when his anguished cry shattered his mental barriers before suddenly ceasing entirely. The god had tried desperately to find his friend, but the multiverse was so vast that it was like trying to find a single grain of sand in the ocean.
“Are you sure?” he asked, his own voice cracking from nervousness and anxiety. “Don’t… don’t give me hope, Giratina.”
Giratina’s eyes filled with sympathy. “You know I wouldn’t come here if I weren’t certain, Dad.” Hearing Giratina refer to him as such filled him with both love for his daughter and conviction that she was correct.
“Alright, let's go-”
Suddenly, Arceus felt a surge of energy burst forward in Alola. It felt… it felt like Nexus! Heedless of the risk, Arceus tore open a rift in space and flew forward, ignoring Giratina’s irritated shout.
Seconds later, Arceus emerged, hovering over the Alola region. It was nighttime, and he could see the faint lights of the various cities across the islands begin to turn on. He had always liked Alola. Although he would always hold Sinnoh close to his heart, Alola meant a lot to him. It was Nexus’s favorite place, and Arceus had fallen in love with the island mindset.
Though the regional legendaries certainly got on his nerves quite a bit. Why Zygarde let their children be so competitive and lax in their duties was something he needed to bring up to them at some point.
Arceus extended his senses to try to detect the energy source again, as a rift opened nearby. Giratina emerged from the Distortion World, her form rippling with shadow. The shadows consumed her body until they were flung off, revealing his daughter in her Altered state.
“Sense anything?” she asked. Arceus had to shake his head no. Giratina let out a sigh, but continued to look around. Suddenly, she perked up. “There!” She pointed towards the largest island, Ula’ula, if Arceus remembered correctly.
“Near the peak of the tallest mountain!” Arceus followed her and cast his senses out. He concentrated, and his Psychic plate clicked into place, boosting his senses. She was right! It was faint, but Arceus could indeed sense energy similar to Nexus’s at Lanakila’s peak.
He disconnected his Psychic plate, activating his Flying one. As soon as the connection was made, Arceus burst forward, tearing through the air. Distantly, he heard a boom and realized he had accidentally broken the sound barrier.
“Oops,” he thought. Hopefully, that hadn’t disturbed anyone, but Giratina was likely going to be angry at him. “Well, more angry than usual.”
It took him longer than he wanted, but Arceus reached the mountain. He glanced around for Nexus, but all he could see was a strange lump of black crystal lying on the ground, with a young woman standing nearby.
The woman was staring at him in shock, and as he watched, a young man ran out of the nearby cave, calling out to the woman. “Selene, wait up! Hold on, is that… Necrozma?”
Wait, what? Arceus looked back at the crystal, and to his shock and growing horror, he could see it. The blackened arms were a perfect match for Nexus’s legs, the legs belonged to Nexus’s wings. For the love of Creation, his body was Nexus’s head!
Swallowing the bile that rose in his throat, Arceus descended and knelt beside Nexus. The crystal groaned as a solitary eye peered up at the deity. Multicolored. Just like Nexus.
“Um, sir?” A quiet voice said, and Arceus looked over to see the two humans staring at him. It was the woman who spoke. Arceus was struck by how similar the two appeared, siblings most likely.
“What happened?” he asked. The two took a step back involuntarily, probably in shock. He could speak?! The brother recovered first and said, “Uh, well, Selene and I had been undergoing our Island Trial this past year. We got wrapped up in some stuff involving the Aether Foundation, and Lusamine, their leader, unknowingly freed Necrozma. They began to rampage across Alola before taking off into Ultra Space. The two of us followed.”
What. The. Actual. HELL!
At this point, Giratina had caught up to her father and gasped as she saw Nexus. This drew the attention of the two humans, who looked increasingly fearful. Arceus held up a hoof, holding off any questions from his daughter.
“Please, my daughter and I mean you no harm. We just want to know what happened to our friend. Please, continue,” he said.
Selene nodded and took up the story for her brother. “Right. Elio and I pursued Necrozma. They had absorbed Nebby, er, a Lunala, a friend of ours had been taking care of. The Ultra Recon Squad helped us track down Necrozma to Ultra Megalopolis, a weird pocket world.
“Necrozma had absorbed all of Nebby’s light, using it to transform into a gigantic golden dragon. We had to fight them and nearly lost. They nearly…” Selene trailed off. She wiped her eyes but looked back at the two Legendaries, and Arceus was shocked by the look in them, a look of fierce determination.
“After we beat Necrozma, they fell into an Ultra Wormhole and gave us back Nebby. As Elio and I were climbing the mountain to get to the League, Necrozma fell from the sky.”
Arceus assumed that was what made the crater they were currently standing inside. He asked, “Is that all?”
Selene shook her head. “I was nervous, but they… they just seemed to be in so much pain. And they seemed to react positively to Z Moves, so I… gave them some of the energy from my Z Ring.”
Selene spoke the truth. The strange bracelet around her wrist, and around her brother’s, Arceus realized, held a similar energy signature to Nexus’. He filed that tidbit away for later and turned to look the two in the eyes.
“Thank you,” he said. “Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Nexus… he means so much to me, and I’m sorry he ever posed a threat to you and your friends. If there is anything I can do, please let me know.”
The siblings appeared stunned. Arceus mused that it wasn’t every day that you were applauded by the God of Creation. “Uh, yeah. We’ll… keep that in mind?” Elio responded. “What are you going to do with Necrozma?” he asked Arceus.
Giratina turned to look at her father, curious as well. She said, “I don’t think it’s wise to bring him to your pocket dimension. That much light might prove fatal.”
He winced. His daughter was likely correct. But where else could he… the Hall of Origin! He hadn’t visited the temple in quite some time, but it should provide a safe place for Nexus to recover. Carefully, he manifested a circle of energy beneath the injured Pokémon and raised him into the air.
“I’ll take him somewhere safe, somewhere where he can recover, I hope.” The last part was a whisper, but the two humans seemed to understand anyway. As Arceus rose into the air, he overheard the two whispering to each other.
A new portal was opened, this one much more carefully crafted than the first one Arceus had torn open. He flew inside, the shell of Nexus following in his wake.
As quickly as he entered, he exited and hovered over the dust-strewn floor of the Hall of Origin. His daughter exited behind him.
The Hall, well, there was no other word for it. It was a disaster. Dust littered the floor, columns were toppled over, and the air tasted stale. Giratina snickered before quipping, “Damn bitch, you live like this?”
He glared at his daughter, but she was right. This was no place to live. Gently, he set Nexus down on the nearest habitable surface and manifested a few of his hands. He busied himself clearing the nearby area. His attention was drawn as Giratina spoke. She hovered near Nexus and was looking down at him.
“It looks like he’s fallen asleep. The turmoil of the past few days likely tired him out,” she said softly. Arceus floated over and looked down. His daughter was right. Nexus’s energy had evened out, and his body had shifted to cover the strange core Arceus had spotted earlier.
Giratina sighed. “I have to head out soon. Let me know if anything changes, alright?” Arceus nodded. He watched as a rift opened in the floor, and his daughter entered. Her form drowned in the shadowy abyss, shifting into her normal state as she departed.
Giratina now gone, Arceus looked down at Nexus once more. His heart ached for his injured friend, and he resolved to do whatever he could to help him recover. He would not lose him again.
It had taken quite a bit of work and ‘elbow grease’ on his part, though Arceus mused if that expression could apply due to his lack of elbows. Regardless, he managed to rebuild the Hall of Origin, enough so that it resembled a livable place once more.
During this time, Nexus had not stirred once. With each passing day, Arceus’s worry grew. He’d even contemplated summoning Xerneas and Yveltal to help monitor Nexus’s health, and even he knew how messy their divorce had been!
But Nexus refused to wake, and Arceus was forced to bite the bullet. Channeling his energy, he opened two portals, one at Nebel Plateau and the other in Lumiose City. He waited a moment until the Goddess of Life and the God of Destruction emerged from the rifts.
Xerneas, majestic as always, cast her eyes around the room. An eyebrow rose as she saw Nexus lying on the nearby bed, but she froze when she saw Yveltal. Her antlers blossomed to life, casting multicolored lights around the room.
Yveltal had frozen the second he entered, likely sensing the familiar presence of his former mate. The two Pokémon had locked eyes, stuck in an eternal staring contest. Xerneas refused to look away, and Yveltal was too scared to avert his gaze.
Arceus cleared his throat, finally breaking the contest between the two. “If you two could please hold this off for another time…” Thankfully, both Pokémon seemed abashed and looked away.
“Why have you called us here?” Xerneas asked. Arceus had never really been close with the rest of the Legendaries. Not like he had been with his children. Sure, he had created them to manage Earth, but they were not his children. And they did not view him as their father. So he had always felt somewhat uncomfortable around them, never truly knowing how to meet their expectations of him.
“I asked you here to help me with Nexus.” As Arceus spoke, he shifted to stand beside Nexus’s quiet form. The other two Legendary Pokémon followed him and looked down at the crystal.
“Is this…” Yveltal asked. Arceus nodded. “Yes, this is Necrozma Nexus. The one who helped my children and me stop the Giants from running rampant across the universe in its earliest days.”
Xerneas closed her eyes for a moment. “His aura is weak but stable. It just seems he’s entered a long stasis, much like the ones,” here she paused, as if she was having trouble continuing. After a few seconds, she sighed and continued speaking. “Much like the ones… Yveltal and I enter”
“Is there anything I can do-” he was cut off by Yveltal. “Arceus, I… understand how stressful this can be. But he just needs time.”
Time? Was that all Arceus could do? Wait around and pray that Nexus would recover. “What can I do for him then? To make him more comfortable?”
The two deities exchanged looks, and Xerneas stepped forward. “When I am in my dormant form, I still retain some sense of the outside world. It could be the same for Nexus. I’d say be patient and try not to worry. He might pick up on that.”
Arceus let out a sigh. “Alright, thank you for the advice.” The two nodded and made their exit. He caught Yveltal sending Xerneas a longing glance, but the cervine gave the avian no mind.
Be patient and wait. Could he do that? Arceus finally had his friend back, the Pokémon he cared for more than any other, aside from his children. But he couldn’t help him?
Well, if all he could do was wait, Arceus could at least make sure the Hall of Origin was a nice place to live.
So Arceus did as much. Over the next few weeks, he tidied up the place. Broken columns were restored, and the dust was banished to the Distortion World. Giratina wouldn’t mind, he rationalized to himself. He even found himself looking up home decor guides on the human internet, strangely enough.
He would open small rifts to Earth that would let music play through the hall. Arceus listened to more music in those few weeks than he had for the last several millennia. He found he really enjoyed the soft orchestra music Sinnoh musicians would play, but he held a secret admiration for heavy metal.
Giratina must never know.
He also found himself just… talking to Nexus as he worked. Arceus commented on random things at first, the weather, and current events in Sinnoh. But Arceus quite enjoyed just talking. He spoke of his history. How he reunited with Giratina. His friendship with Dawn, and before that, Damos.
He talked for hours about how he created the world, one he and Necrozma had dreamed of so often when they were younger. He spoke of things that surprised even himself.
But Arceus never managed to gather the courage to tell Nexus how he felt about the slumbering dragon. It’d be so easy, a practice round even, for when he finally confessed.
He supposed… he was still too much a coward.
Pulling his hands back into his body, Arceus observed the Hall of Origin. It was night and day compared to how it looked when Arceus arrived. Everything broken had been repaired or replaced. It was lit in magnificent colors, shining down onto the sleeping Nexus.
The bed Nexus lay on had been replaced with the finest Kalosian silk Arceus could acquire. But… the dragon still had yet to wake.
He sighed and floated over to the crystal. It looked the same as it always had. Arceus turned away, defeated.
A noise rang out through the quiet hall, and Arceus whirled around. It couldn’t possibly be…
Slowly, Nexus’s body shifted, his core becoming visible once more. Multicolored lights across the prism, as two eyes appeared below the helmet. The eyes darted around the area, but widened as they met Arceus’s own.
A raspy voice spoke, cracking from disuse and injury. “A-arceus?” Slowly, Nexus sat up, pushing himself to the edge of the bed.
Arceus nodded, unable to hold back his emotion any longer. “Yes, Nexus, it’s me. You’re safe here, I promise.”
Nexus stiffened as he listened to Arceus’s words. He seemed unwilling, or perhaps unable, to believe the Creator. Slowly, Arceus placed a hoof on the prism. When Nexus didn’t react, Arceus pulled him close. Their foreheads touched, allowing Arceus to stare into his beautiful eyes for the first time in ages.
“You’re finally back,” Arceus said, emotion filling his voice. “I’m so glad you’re back.”
Nexus stood before a mirror, glaring at his damaged and fragmented body. Not for the first time, he cursed the Ultra Recon Network. Was it not enough that they forced him to work for them? No, apparently, they had to steal his light as well.
Somehow, they managed to detect the change in his aura brought about when he accepted Arceus’s power into him, becoming the God of Light. One of his clawed fists clenched in anger, but it immediately vanished.
No matter what happened, he could never hate Arceus. The Pokémon had been the one shining light amidst an ever-darkening world. Whenever Nexus felt insanity press against his mind, he buried himself in memories of Arceus.
Their battle against the Giants, saving the universe from entropy incarnate. Meeting Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina for the first time. Becoming a second father figure to the three. He cherished every second he spent with them.
Nexus even grew to cherish the bad times he had with Arceus. Their dreadful falling out after Giratina had been banished. Their refusal to talk to each other for centuries afterward.
The memory he protected the most, however, was when Arceus asked him to become the God of Light. If he could have gathered the courage, he would have confessed his love for the deity there and then.
“Nexus, is everything alright?”
A deep voice pulled the Necrozma away from his anguish and melancholy. Arceus floated outside the room, peering in at him. Nexus took a moment to stare longingly at the Pokémon. The light gleamed off the ring Arceus permanently wore, and his billowing tail waved in a nonexistent wind. Arceus cut an imposing figure, and Nexus found him tracing every curve, every powerful muscle that rippled under his form.
Wait, he had been asked a question. “Yeah. Just… fine.”
If Nexus still had a mouth, he would have grimaced at how his voice sounded. The screechiness and static that now filled his voice irritated him to no end. Just another thing that had been stolen from him.
But Arceus somehow didn’t appear bothered. Instead, he approached the shattered prism and held out a hoof. “C’mon. Giratina’s been anxious to meet you ever since you woke up.”
Nexus felt a small sliver of excitement in his core, but it was drowned out by severe anxiety. How would the dragon react to how he was now? He had missed so much of the child’s life, and now he was but a fragment of what he once was.
Somehow, despite his nervousness, he managed to take Arceus’s outstretched hoof in a claw, and together, the two Pokémon left the darkened room. As the two entered the main hall, Nexus was able to see Giratina for the first time in eons.
He was shocked at how much she had grown. The next thing he registered was that she was different. Instead of a serpentine appearance, she looked similar to her brothers. The spikes that adorned her sides had been replaced by legs, her tendrils replaced with full wings.
The dragoness had been looking down at the planet below them, but she perked up when she heard her father and Nexus enter. Her eyes widened as she saw Nexus, and he unconsciously shrank back, ashamed of his appearance.
Giratina slowly walked forward, and to his surprise, knelt and wrapped her wings around Nexus. “I’m so happy you’re okay, Uncle,” she said.
Tremors rang through his core, and he desperately wished he could still cry. The most he could do now was shed a few motes of light from his prism. He raised his claws and wrapped them as much as he could around her.
The two Pokémon remained like that for a moment, and Nexus lost himself in the warmth Giratina radiated. It had been so long since he’d experienced anything like it. Even his forceful takeover of Lunala had been poisoned by the fact that it was wrong. He knew what he had been doing was wrong, but he couldn’t stand the emptiness anymore.
Eventually, Giratina withdrew from Nexus’s embrace. He tried to speak, tried to ask his niece how she’d been, but all that came out was a staticy shriek. Shame filled Nexus as the two Pokémon looked over at him. He tried again and managed to find his voice. Still, he could barely speak. “Tina…how…youAUGH!”
He trailed off into another static-filled yell, his voice dying. To his sweet relief, the Lady of Antimatter didn’t address it. Instead, she replied, “Oh, been exploring the world after everything that happened. Maybe you could do something similar? I’m sure Father would love to show you around.”
Arceus stiffened next to Nexus. Spend time… with Arceus… alone!? His prism flashed a pale red. Nexus fought with himself over the idea. He’d love nothing more than to spend time with the Pokémon he’d fallen in love with after so long apart. However, traitorous thoughts in his mind spoke of much darker ideas. “Like a being such as he could ever love you. You’re broken, shattered. He’d never love you.”
Deep in his own turmoil, Nexus missed that when Arceus froze, he shifted to his Fire Plate accidentally, a brilliant flush taking over his face. The god glared at his daughter, who returned the glare with one of her own.
Giratina looked at Arceus, then to Nexus, miming to her father. Arceus appeared puzzled for a moment, but things clicked into place. Nexus was brought out of his despair when he heard Arceus speak, saying something he’d never thought he’d hear.
“I’d love that! Nexus, are you well enough for some easy sightseeing?”
Huh? Arceus wanted to spend time with him? His prism flashed faster, and he wrung his clawed hands together. Oh gods, was this actually happening? Sure, Nexus hung out with Arceus before, but that was eons ago, before he…
He felt something poke his mental barriers. Hesitantly, he lowered them just enough for the presence to enter, and Giratina’s voice echoed in his mind. “Say yes, dude!”
His doubt must have echoed across the connection, as Giratina rolled her eyes. “Nexus, trust me. Dad wants this. He wouldn’t ask otherwise. I swear on the grounds of banishment.” Giratina spoke with such belief that it shocked Nexus. He clenched a clawed hand, but turned to look his friend in the eyes.
“I…love…to.”
Nexus fell in love all over again as Arceus beamed at him.
The two Pokémon departed the Hall of Origin and emerged into the Hisuian sky. Nexus paused, trying to recall what Arceus said as he slept. Something about Hisui being renamed?
Wait, what happened to the Temple of Sinnoh? Nexus looked around. The glorious temple that the ancient people of this land had constructed in reverence to their creator had fallen into ruin.
Shattered columns stabbed high into the sky. The rooms where the priests would pray had crumbled and toppled over. The lovely statues featuring the wardens had been crushed, little more than dust now.
Nexus turned to look at Arceus and asked, “What… happened?”
The Pokémon blinked, a look of confusion sweeping over his handsome face. Arceus was silent until the confusion disappeared and a look of remorse appeared in its place.
“Oh, the temple you mean.” He sighed, floating down to stand amidst the ruins. Nexus followed, and together, the two gazed forward at the destruction. “Another of my mistakes, I suppose. Giratina had grown vengeful at my continued neglect, and when a stranger offered her a chance to get back at me, she took it.
“She tore open a rift in spacetime, connecting Dialga and Palkia’s pocket dimensions. They fought, destabilizing the fabric of reality. To quell them, I summoned Dawn, the human I mentioned previously, to the past. She had prior experience with my sons, and so she worked to calm them.
“Eventually, Dawn made her way to the Temple and calmed Palkia. But Dialga chased after his brother, and in his anger, channeled his power and destroyed the temple.”
Nexus felt there was a lot more to the story, but Arceus’s shoulders slumped as he spoke. His heart ached for his friend. To see his family tear itself apart…
“You…okay?” he tried to ask. His voice was again stricken by static and unevenness, but his question seemed to get through. Arceus began to nod his head, but he paused. The god’s adorable green and red eyes looked deep into Nexus’s own, and he admitted, “No. I’ve made so many mistakes in my life. It’s a miracle my children still care for me.”
He sat down, staring out to the horizon. Nexus followed him. The sun was setting on the western horizon, setting the sky ablaze in brilliant crimson, shining yellow, and luminescent orange. Nexus basked in the light that reflected off his prism, absorbing as much as he could.
Arceus spoke again. “I know I’m blessed. To have this power, this freedom. But no one ever thinks about the downsides. Am I doing the right thing, letting humanity and Pokémon coexist side by side? It seems there’s a world-ending calamity every other year nowadays.”
Nexus slowly moved his claw and took Arceus’s hoof in it. The god glanced over at him, and Nexus hoped the gesture was appreciated and not too forward of him. Arceus didn’t draw away. He sighed and continued, “I just… there’s no manual for this, you know? I just woke up in this universe, nothing but instincts to guide me. The same instincts that nearly killed my daughter.”
Nexus let out a harsh laugh at that. “I… opposite… problem. Squad… so many… regulations. Do this… not that. Envy you…wish freedom… me. But now… broken.” He was forced to stop as a violent cough racked his body. Motes of light scattered across the ruins, and he trembled afterwards.
Arceus looked as if he wanted to protest, but Nexus pushed himself to his claws. “Cmon… don’t want… ruin this.” He held out a claw, and Arceus extended a hoof. Nexus took it and pulled Arceus to his hooves. They stood like that for a moment, just gazing into each other’s eyes.
Arceus’s ring and hooves shimmered, shifting to a burning crimson that cast shadows across the temple. The gray stripes that Nexus loved so much burned away, becoming a lovely shade of burgundy. The green in his eyes lightened to an adorable orange, accenting his red irises that Nexus found himself lost in.
Nexus could feel his prism burning as well. In the corner of his eye, he could see red light flashing upon the ground. As he watched, it began to lighten to pink, just as Arceus appeared to shift as well. His wheel was turning pink as well, as the two remained locked in each other’s eyes.
“Broken… you’re BROKEN!”
The thought screamed through Nexus’s mind, and he pushed away from Arceus. He failed to notice Arceus’s shocked look, too caught up in his own anguish. The floating prism grabbed his head with his claws. He tried to bury those traitorous thoughts, but they refused. How could Arceus love him?
He was…
Suddenly, he felt Arceus place a hoof on his shoulder. The god softly spoke, his voice breaking through the turmoil in the Necrozma’s mind. “It’s all right, Nexus. You’re safe here. Nothing could ever push me away.”
Oh, how he wished he could believe Arceus. Nexus slumped over, sitting down once more in the ruins. “Sorry… strength… not enough.” If only he could express himself. He had once been annoyed at how easily he could be read by others. His draconic body changed colors depending on his emotions, so others could easily tell his mood. But now, he could barely speak, barely emote beyond stiff movements.
Nexus’s heart swelled with love and admiration as Arceus nodded. “Of course. You’re still recovering. Tomorrow then?” he asked. Nexus nodded as well. “Would… love… to. Stay?” he asked nervously, gesturing for the primarch to sit beside him. Arceus did so, and the two looked up towards the heavens, as stars blinked and twinkled far ahead.
“Beautiful,” Nexus’s voice cracked as he spoke. He heard Arceus agree, but with his eyes pointed up, he failed to notice that Arceus was looking at him when he spoke.
Over the next few weeks, Nexus and Arceus toured the planet. The prismatic Pokémon was stunned to see how far humanity had come. No longer were they living in primitive villages and towns, fearful of the wild Pokémon that hunted outside their walls.
Instead, humans and Pokémon got along, lived side by side with each other. They were partners, friends, and family members. He especially loved watching new Trainers set off on their adventure, their young Pokémon eager to learn and grow.
But Nexus would enjoy anything, even the most banal of tasks, as long as it meant he could be next to Arceus. The god had energy abound, never seeming to tire. He could be talking about how lichen grew differently depending on the side of Mt. Silver it grew on, and Nexus would be enraptured.
Somehow, Arceus never grew irritated at Nexus. Whenever his strength flagged or he needed more light, Arceus wouldn’t mind. Why, Nexus continued to ask himself. Arceus could do anything he wanted, so why was he spending time with a broken shell?
No. Nexus decided that he couldn’t waste this chance. He feared Arceus was only humoring him, wanting to spend time with his old friend. At some point, he’d grow tired of Nexus and shift his attention elsewhere. He needed to confess his feelings to the deity, let Arceus know just how much he meant to the Necrozma.
Nexus had to cut his days with Arceus shorter than he wanted, but it allowed him to conserve the light inside of him. If he gathered enough, perhaps he could regain his draconic form. He prayed to the heavens above that it’d be enough, give him enough time to speak to Arceus.
To prove to the Pokémon he loved that he was still worthy, despite being broken.
Finally, Nexus felt he had gathered enough light inside his core to sustain a transformation. He floated in a nebula, the dust and gases casting a beautiful backdrop. He telepathically messaged Arceus, asking the deity to meet him. Then, he waited, constantly reviewing the words in his head.
A gentle rift opened, spilling out wonderful golden light that Nexus basked in. Arceus stepped out. The God of Creation looked around for a second before he found Nexus. He flew over to the prism and asked, “Nexus, is something wrong? Why did you ask me to come all this way?” Concern etched his voice.
Gathering his courage and strength, Nexus replied, “Arc… do you know… where we are?” He fought to keep his voice even, but static could still be heard. He clenched a fist in anger.
Arceus looked around some more, his eyes filling with recognition. He said in awe, “This is where we fought the Giants. It’s…”
“... where we met,” Nexus finished for him. He had to try, damn the consequences. The Necrozma concentrated, concentrated on all the light he had absorbed. His core glowed with golden energy as he willed the golden dragon to emerge once again.
Pain surged through his core suddenly, and Nexus had to stop. He hunched over, the glow coming to an end. Disbelief flooded through his mind. “No, no no no no no! This can’t be!” The disbelief quickly turned to anger and hatred.
Anger towards Arceus, anger towards the Ultra Recon Squad, anger towards everything that had wronged him!
Most of all, anger towards himself.
“Damnit… damnit… damnit!” he screamed, no longer caring if and how Arceus reacted. Motes of light streamed from his eyes. Nexus then began to laugh uncontrollably. This was it, he mused. Insanity had finally won. Of course, he was fighting against the inevitable. How pitiable he must look, to lose his mind as his unrequited love watched.
“Hehehe… still broken… after all,” Nexus said, “why would you… Ever love me?”
Arceus froze as he processed what Nexus said. His concern for his friend had been growing over the past couple of days. He kept cutting their trips short and would mutter to himself when he thought Arceus wouldn’t be listening. He tried to give his friend some privacy, but the growing frequency frightened the deity.
Now, his best friend was beside himself. “Enough is enough!” Arceus cried in his mind. He needed to stop being a coward. Nexus was falling to pieces, and if Arceus could provide him comfort, then damn him to Hell itself if he refused to try.
“Nexus!” he cried out, placing his front hooves on the prism’s shoulders. Nexus continued to be wracked by pain and laughter, not realizing Arceus was in front of him.
Arceus grew frantic. He swapped to his Psychic Plate and focused on his friend. Pulses ran down his hooves and into the Necrozma, running down his form. Arceus continued to cast Heal Pulse until Nexus stopped seizing uncontrollably. Seconds dragged by like hours, until finally, Nexus opened his eyes and looked at Arceus.
“...Arc,” he said, but Arceus held a hoof to his core.
“No, Nexus, please. Let me say what I’ve wanted to say for eons. Ever since I first asked you to become the God of Light, I’ve been wanting to say this.”
Arceus drew in a deep breath. Oh, Creation, he was shaking. He closed his eyes and steeled his nerves, accidentally inserting his Steel Plate. He ejected it and replaced it with his Fairy Plate. He needed all the emotional awareness he could muster.
“Necrozma Nexus, I love you.”
Nexus froze, and Arceus continued. “I’ve always loved you. First, as an ally, someone who saved my life from certain death. Then, as we grew closer, you became a friend, someone I could depend on. But as the millennia passed, that love blossomed into something more. I wanted you to be my mate.”
“You’ve always been there for me. A shoulder to cry on, a wall to vent to. But my feelings grew more and more with each passing day. I realized that I loved you. I wanted to be by your side for eternity. When I’m with you, even the worst days are bearable.
“I’m not sure I could have survived losing Tina if not for you. Even when we fought and grew apart, I was able to continue, knowing you were out there. When you agreed to take on my power, well,” Arceus paused for a moment. His heart was beating faster than it ever had before. His Fairy Plate was threatening to eject itself from the emotions running through the deity, and he knew he must be a blushing mess.
“It made me the happiest Pokémon in the multiverse, Necrozma Nexus. So I ask you, will you be my soulmate?”
Nexus couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Arceus… loved him? Why? What could he possibly see in a broken Pokémon like him? But as he continued listening, he started to understand.
Had he really been all that to Arceus? To Nexus, Arceus had been his savior. To learn that his love was returned filled the Necrozma with joy. The emotion filled his core, mixing with and bolstering the light that was contained inside.
Nexus channeled his emotions and attempted to Ultra Burst once more. To his everlasting happiness, it worked! His core glowed with prismatic energy, and his shattered body fell away.
His clawed hands returned to their rightful place as legs. His twisted feet became wings, as his body righted itself into his head. Golden light filled the gaps in between. A long tail burst outwards, as an 8-pointed star bloomed on his head once more.
At long last, Nexus felt whole once more. His multicolored eyes opened and filled with pink light as he gazed at Arceus.
“Arc, thank you,” he said, his voice finally rid of the static. Said Arceus’s eyes had widened at his friend’s transformation, but he stepped forward and felt Nexus’s light run over him. It felt amazing.
“Arceus, I love you too. You were the one who saved me. You gave me a home, a place I knew I could always return to when the Squad was growing too irritating and restrictive.
“I have had a crush on you ever since I met you. At first, I was worried you hated me, given how you reacted when we first met. But as we grew closer, you brought me into your circle. You trusted me with your children, and I grew to love them as if they were my own.”
“Hearing you say that you love me, even though I’m broken-” he was cut off by Arceus, who scowled at Nexus. The creator pointed a hoof at the Necrozma and stated, with no room for confusion, “No. You are not broken, my love. You are injured, different even, than you were before. But broken, no. I will hear no argument on the matter. Even if you don’t look the same, or cannot sustain your golden form like you could before, you are still Necrozma Nexus.”
Tears pricked Nexus’s eyes as he listened to Arceus. He drew Arceus into a hug, wrapping both sets of wings around the Pokémon. He shuddered, the tears falling freely now. “Thank you,” he whispered.
Nexus had to release the hug eventually. He could feel the strain on his core increasing with each passing moment. He was burning through his reserves of light. But there was one more thing he wanted to do.
He swallowed. Slowly, he unfurled his upper wings and took Arceus’s forehooves in them. He gazed into his partner’s red and pink eyes, filled with love and happiness. “I love you, Arceus. I’d be honored to be your mate.”
Arceus’s eyes widened as Nexus spoke. With only seconds remaining in this form, Nexus brought Arceus close and pressed his beak to Arceus’s muzzle, kissing him.
Arceus brought a hoof up to caress Nexus’s cheek, and Nexus did the same with a wing. Emotion ran through Nexus, giving him enough energy and willpower to sustain his form. It felt like as long as he was with Arceus, nothing else mattered.
The two Pokémon continued to exchange kisses, lost in each other’s embrace. Seconds, minutes, or years could have passed, and they would not notice. The pleasure of finally confessing their feelings, the feeling of the kiss, getting to see each other once more, it all blended together. Finally, his light ran out, and Nexus was forced to revert to his crystalline form.
He had thought that’d be the end, but Arceus brought him back into his embrace. Arceus kissed Nexus’s core, and Nexus was surprised at how enjoyable the sensation felt. He placed his clawed hands against Arceus’s face and held him there.
Eventually, the two Pokémon separated and looked into each other’s eyes. Neither wanted this to end. Arceus opened a rift, which sent golden light spilling out into the nebula. He approached it, but looked back at Nexus.
He asked nervously, “So, how much energy do you need to transform?” Nexus took a moment to try and quantify it. He replied, “Around… 10 times… solar luminosity…per hour.”
Arceus grinned. He held a hoof up and summoned a small, brilliant star. The energy streaming off the sphere made Nexus salivate. “Child’s play,” he said. “So 100 solar luminosity should give us…”
“10 hours,” Nexus said. Arceus drew his mate in close and whispered, “We’re not done yet.” A shiver ran through the prism. Together, the two Pokémon flew through the portal, where it shut behind them, leaving the nebula silent once more.
Notes:
Hey everyone, here's another one-shot of mine. I posted it a few months ago on AO3, but I wanted to make it available on TR too. I hope you all enjoyed this story. This marks my first attempt at writing a romantic relationship.
Regarding Nexus - I didn’t want to have Arceus try to heal Nexus. I felt that could come across like Nexus needed to be fixed, which is why I had Arceus tell Nexus that he isn’t broken. To Arceus, Nexus isn’t broken. He’s still the Pokémon Arceus fell in love with, just suffered some unfortunate circumstances that greatly affected his life. Yes, Arceus can give Nexus some of his energy, but this isn’t fixing him. Nexus will still eventually revert to his base form, but Arceus doesn’t mind that. He loves Nexus, regardless of the form he takes.