Tipping the Scale
Deep in the reaches of Turnback Cave, Giratina was hard at work deciding if the recent souls of the dead should rest, stay on earth or suffer. Looking after the departed souls of humans and pokemon was a tiring job and had to be a 24/7 commitment...no sleep, no breaks, no rest whatsoever. It had its easy moments...it never took long to check a human's life and see if they were good or if they fucked up majorly. If they were good, they were granted rest. If they had regrets, they stayed on earth. But if they fucked up majorly (this was Giratina's favourite part of the job), she would smite them in the worst ways possible. Sometimes by burning, sometimes by imprisoning them for eternity and making them watch each and every sin they committed forever. But Giratina loved erasing souls from existence the most. It just seemed like so much less of a hassle and would never have to worry about them ever again.
Of course, that damn bastard up in his glorious hall with his children and brothers beside him called all the shots. She was only the second most powerful being in existence and didn't stand a chance against Arceus...so instead of being respected, she was hated and feared. And forced to take out the trash. Humans feared her and did their best to avoid her. Pokemon tried to be good so they would all go to 'heaven'. Those who lived with trainers were obedient, protective and friendly towards everyone.
Bunch of dumbasses didn't know that it didn't matter what happened when you did die...there was no heaven, only Giratina's waiting room that either lead to rest, regret or hell.
Tonight, there seemed to be less souls who just died. Giratina had hurried up with her work and sighed with relief when she saw there was nothing left to judge. Breaks like this only came once a century and Giratina could finally have some time to relax. She realized it was night time - the perfect time of day when humans were asleep and she could go outside without being seen or captured by feeble humans. The renegade pokemon floated through the walls and flew up to the very top of the cave, just outside the entrance.
"The moon is full..." Giratina noted with a hint of satisfaction. There was nothing quite like the eerie, white glow that seemed to make inanimate objects boggle to life under the darkness. This was what country humans had nicknamed the midnight sun. It certainly did add light everywhere. And she loved it.
"Finally playing hooky, Giratina?"
Giratina didn't need to turn around to know who was speaking to her. She knew him by voice. "Not hooky, merely resting and waiting for the next batch of souls, Darkrai."
"I see..." the nightmare pokemon floated up beside her with his arms folded. Giratina looked his way, noting that he looked quite tired as well. Or just bored. With Darkrai, it was hard to tell. "I'm finished my own job as well. It's pitifully easy giving nightmares. The only problem is getting around those stupid dream catchers blessed by Cresselia," Darkrai added.
Giratina managed a smile. Darkrai had a bitter relationship with his counterpart and sister and he never passed up the opportunity to show it. She gazed back up at the moon, feeling grateful for the company.
"So Darkrai...are you happy with your work as the nightmare pokemon?"
"Sure, why not?" Darkrai said, stretching. "I get to torment humans and pokemon in the one place they can't reach me...their dreams. It's easy, it's amusing and it has its own rewards."
"You delightful sadist," Giratina thought. "You enjoy the emotional pain." It wasn't a question.
"That's one part of it," Darkrai shrugged. "But I also get to see their deepest and darkest fears. I can tell you that pretty much everyone has one common fear, and that's you."
Giratina rolled her eyes. "Gee, am I really such a bad pokemon that people have to be afraid of me before they even know what my real job is? Humans have more of a reason to be afraid of you, and that's saying a lot...considering you only give nightmares. You don't even stalk them in the dead of the night, rip flesh from bones and leave blood splatters across walls...you just make them wake up shivering in the dead of the night."
Darkrai chuckled. "I suppose that's life. And destiny."
"That's unlike you, Darkrai," Giratina mused. "You don't accept a lot of things, but you accept that?"
"No use in trying to change it, is there?" was Darkrai's reply. "I'm not accepted in the world of humans and pokemon any more than you are. My looks alone make me a menace and a reject. I'd rather stay in the shadows. At least in darkness, there's nothing to judge you."
"I see..." Giratina knew, deep down in her heart, that Darkrai was right. There was no place for either of them beyond the darkness. Arceus had made that quite clear. He said that he had to keep a balance in the world and Giratina and Darkrai's jobs were a major part of that balance.
"Why do you think we're meant to give the humans fears and stay in darkness, Giratina?"
The question took the renegade pokemon by surprise. Darkrai noticed her recoiled reaction and stared at her. "I'm...serious. I wouldn't mind a life like the other legendary pokemon. A chance to live like they do. A chance to...well..." he looked away. Giratina studied the side of his face and realized why he never finished his sentence.
"Think of it this way, Darkrai. The world is like a scale. On one side of the scale is Arceus and all the other legends who bring benefits for humans. They tip the scale one way, and that causes an inbalance. Now you and I, on the other hand...we are on the other side of the scale. Our jobs cause this scale to tip and even the weight out. Just by existing, we cause fear and we keep humans from believing they can overpower Arceus himself. Those foolish mortals will get themselves in trouble if they had no taste of fear in their lives." Giratina felt proud of her analogy. Who would have thought the 'evil' pokemon could be such a philosopher?
Darkrai seemed satisfied with her answer, though. He nodded silently, thinking over exactly what she said. "So...it's going back to the whole idea of 'wherever there is light, there is shadow'..."
"Neither of them can exist without each other," Giratina said. "In a way, those who live in the light should be grateful for beings like us who exist only in the dark. We make this world what it is."
"I can accept that, too. I should take more pride in giving nightmares out, then," Darkrai said, a grin spreading on his face. He got up from where he was sitting and floated downward. "Hey Giratina..."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for talking to me. For a long time I thought Arceus put me on this job for no reason at all. Now I have a true reason to enjoy this job."
Giratina laughed. "Good for you, Darkrai." She reached a golden tentacle around and patted his head affectionately. Darkrai frowned, apparently not used to this sign of affection. "You need anymore encouragement to spread fear, you can come and see me."
"Thanks..." Darkrai muttered. But he turned away fast enough so Giratina wouldn't see him smile. The nightmare pokemon floated back down into the shadows of the trees and disappeared.
The goddess of the dark gate smiled and turned her gaze back up to the moon. Darkrai's visit had lifted some of her own contemplations off her mind and she felt better about herself. Even though her analogy was just suppose to satisfy Darkrai's curiosity, she couldn't help but feel some comfort from her own words. And Darkrai was really the only other pokemon in the whole world who understood how she felt.
Arceus had his children, so she was allowed to have hers. To her, Darkrai felt like a son who would ask her questions and expect only the honest answers to help him learn. This explained why she felt such a great kinship towards the nightmare pokemon.
Another departed soul arrived into the reaches of Turnback Cave. With a long sigh, Giratina flew back into her home and went back to doing her long job of judging departed souls.
But this time, she was in a much better state of mind. This time, she could take more pride in her work, in the things humans whispered about her and even the fear she spread by doing absolutely nothing. It felt oddly sadistic but very satisfying.
That Arceus thought she would suffer. He was right, but she wasn't alone. She began looking into the life of the newly departed with a huge smile on her face.
Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other.
-Princess Zelda, Twilight Princess
Of course, that damn bastard up in his glorious hall with his children and brothers beside him called all the shots. She was only the second most powerful being in existence and didn't stand a chance against Arceus...so instead of being respected, she was hated and feared. And forced to take out the trash. Humans feared her and did their best to avoid her. Pokemon tried to be good so they would all go to 'heaven'. Those who lived with trainers were obedient, protective and friendly towards everyone.
Bunch of dumbasses didn't know that it didn't matter what happened when you did die...there was no heaven, only Giratina's waiting room that either lead to rest, regret or hell.
Tonight, there seemed to be less souls who just died. Giratina had hurried up with her work and sighed with relief when she saw there was nothing left to judge. Breaks like this only came once a century and Giratina could finally have some time to relax. She realized it was night time - the perfect time of day when humans were asleep and she could go outside without being seen or captured by feeble humans. The renegade pokemon floated through the walls and flew up to the very top of the cave, just outside the entrance.
"The moon is full..." Giratina noted with a hint of satisfaction. There was nothing quite like the eerie, white glow that seemed to make inanimate objects boggle to life under the darkness. This was what country humans had nicknamed the midnight sun. It certainly did add light everywhere. And she loved it.
"Finally playing hooky, Giratina?"
Giratina didn't need to turn around to know who was speaking to her. She knew him by voice. "Not hooky, merely resting and waiting for the next batch of souls, Darkrai."
"I see..." the nightmare pokemon floated up beside her with his arms folded. Giratina looked his way, noting that he looked quite tired as well. Or just bored. With Darkrai, it was hard to tell. "I'm finished my own job as well. It's pitifully easy giving nightmares. The only problem is getting around those stupid dream catchers blessed by Cresselia," Darkrai added.
Giratina managed a smile. Darkrai had a bitter relationship with his counterpart and sister and he never passed up the opportunity to show it. She gazed back up at the moon, feeling grateful for the company.
"So Darkrai...are you happy with your work as the nightmare pokemon?"
"Sure, why not?" Darkrai said, stretching. "I get to torment humans and pokemon in the one place they can't reach me...their dreams. It's easy, it's amusing and it has its own rewards."
"You delightful sadist," Giratina thought. "You enjoy the emotional pain." It wasn't a question.
"That's one part of it," Darkrai shrugged. "But I also get to see their deepest and darkest fears. I can tell you that pretty much everyone has one common fear, and that's you."
Giratina rolled her eyes. "Gee, am I really such a bad pokemon that people have to be afraid of me before they even know what my real job is? Humans have more of a reason to be afraid of you, and that's saying a lot...considering you only give nightmares. You don't even stalk them in the dead of the night, rip flesh from bones and leave blood splatters across walls...you just make them wake up shivering in the dead of the night."
Darkrai chuckled. "I suppose that's life. And destiny."
"That's unlike you, Darkrai," Giratina mused. "You don't accept a lot of things, but you accept that?"
"No use in trying to change it, is there?" was Darkrai's reply. "I'm not accepted in the world of humans and pokemon any more than you are. My looks alone make me a menace and a reject. I'd rather stay in the shadows. At least in darkness, there's nothing to judge you."
"I see..." Giratina knew, deep down in her heart, that Darkrai was right. There was no place for either of them beyond the darkness. Arceus had made that quite clear. He said that he had to keep a balance in the world and Giratina and Darkrai's jobs were a major part of that balance.
"Why do you think we're meant to give the humans fears and stay in darkness, Giratina?"
The question took the renegade pokemon by surprise. Darkrai noticed her recoiled reaction and stared at her. "I'm...serious. I wouldn't mind a life like the other legendary pokemon. A chance to live like they do. A chance to...well..." he looked away. Giratina studied the side of his face and realized why he never finished his sentence.
"Think of it this way, Darkrai. The world is like a scale. On one side of the scale is Arceus and all the other legends who bring benefits for humans. They tip the scale one way, and that causes an inbalance. Now you and I, on the other hand...we are on the other side of the scale. Our jobs cause this scale to tip and even the weight out. Just by existing, we cause fear and we keep humans from believing they can overpower Arceus himself. Those foolish mortals will get themselves in trouble if they had no taste of fear in their lives." Giratina felt proud of her analogy. Who would have thought the 'evil' pokemon could be such a philosopher?
Darkrai seemed satisfied with her answer, though. He nodded silently, thinking over exactly what she said. "So...it's going back to the whole idea of 'wherever there is light, there is shadow'..."
"Neither of them can exist without each other," Giratina said. "In a way, those who live in the light should be grateful for beings like us who exist only in the dark. We make this world what it is."
"I can accept that, too. I should take more pride in giving nightmares out, then," Darkrai said, a grin spreading on his face. He got up from where he was sitting and floated downward. "Hey Giratina..."
"Yeah?"
"Thanks for talking to me. For a long time I thought Arceus put me on this job for no reason at all. Now I have a true reason to enjoy this job."
Giratina laughed. "Good for you, Darkrai." She reached a golden tentacle around and patted his head affectionately. Darkrai frowned, apparently not used to this sign of affection. "You need anymore encouragement to spread fear, you can come and see me."
"Thanks..." Darkrai muttered. But he turned away fast enough so Giratina wouldn't see him smile. The nightmare pokemon floated back down into the shadows of the trees and disappeared.
The goddess of the dark gate smiled and turned her gaze back up to the moon. Darkrai's visit had lifted some of her own contemplations off her mind and she felt better about herself. Even though her analogy was just suppose to satisfy Darkrai's curiosity, she couldn't help but feel some comfort from her own words. And Darkrai was really the only other pokemon in the whole world who understood how she felt.
Arceus had his children, so she was allowed to have hers. To her, Darkrai felt like a son who would ask her questions and expect only the honest answers to help him learn. This explained why she felt such a great kinship towards the nightmare pokemon.
Another departed soul arrived into the reaches of Turnback Cave. With a long sigh, Giratina flew back into her home and went back to doing her long job of judging departed souls.
But this time, she was in a much better state of mind. This time, she could take more pride in her work, in the things humans whispered about her and even the fear she spread by doing absolutely nothing. It felt oddly sadistic but very satisfying.
That Arceus thought she would suffer. He was right, but she wasn't alone. She began looking into the life of the newly departed with a huge smile on her face.
Shadow and light are two sides of the same coin. One cannot exist without the other.
-Princess Zelda, Twilight Princess
