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Splash and Thunder sat across from each other, the light of dusk streaming in from the window. It had been a long day, getting jumped by what was debatably not the guild had done a number on them.
But the number they did was higher.
While they couldn’t evolve (Splash hadn’t had the heart to tell Thunder he couldn’t evolve anyway without a lightning stone), the day was a resounding success.
And their prize: getting kicked out. Well, not exactly. They had graduated from the guild, but all that really meant was moving out. Sure, they had a bigger bag and bragging rights. But they saved all of time and beaten a god into submission, they already had plenty.
Also the guild still taking a cut was BS.
Neither spoke of it, though. They both understood what the other was thinking. But they hoped they didn’t. Splash didn’t want Thunder to know what he thought as he gazed at him up and down, and Thunder didn’t want Splash to know what he did in his absence.
But Splash did know.
It first happened the night he came back. He couldn’t sleep, killing time by watching over his partner, the one who helped him when he had no memory. The one who followed his every step, in the past and in the future. The first sight he saw when he first awoke, the last when he died, and first when he came back. His…
Soulmate.
Thunder had started shaking, crying in his sleep. Splash had reached out to smooth out his staticky fur in an attempt to comfort, when he was hit with a dimensional scream.
Thunder was sitting in their room. Alone. Staring at the empty nest. The entrance was barricaded. The guild members banging on the door. Knocking on the door. Scratching at the door.
They were yelling orders. They were begging entrance. They were whispering comforts.
But none of their voices hit his ears. None of their voices were Splash’s.
That wasn’t the last vision. It seemed he had a dimensional scream for each time Thunder screamed in his absence.
He saw the empty chairs at dinner.
He saw Loudred’s pleas to get up.
He saw Chatot’s threat’s to fire him from the guild.
He saw the talking to Chatot got from everyone in return.
And then he got better. But he didn’t.
He got up one day, but took his time eating while everyone chowed down, didn’t chant the morning motto, didn’t say anything to Chatot’s commands, didn’t respond to the member’s concerns.
And he started smiling again. That got most of them off his back, except Chimecho, Sunflora and Bidoof. You couldn’t get a single tear past those three.
He took the jobs again. All of them. Until he got a talking to for “hogging them”, so he left some behind. He wouldn’t come back after leaving an area, though. He slowly took care of each and every task he took, coming back sometimes a week later.
Splash felt guilty about the blush on his cheeks when he stared at the rugged scars on Thunder he had gotten on his solo missions.
Until that got the others worrying again.
It seemed even mid mission he’d grieve. Shuffling the endless halls with sunken eyes, and bashing any unlucky outlaw with all the rage he felt.
Many had to be rushed to first aid before getting arrested.
So he was talked down to again.
So he just. Stopped his grief. He acted like it was all normal. But it was oh, so uncanny.
The fellow members would stare uncomfortably as pantomimed joy after months of grief. As he downed his food in one gulp, as if rushing before a team mate could snatch a berry from his plate, as he made room during guild assembly for a team mate, as he glanced to an empty nest for his team mate.
A team mate that’s long gone.
A team mate who’s existence was a crime.
A team mate who’s only sin was saving time.
But he was still so angry, but he couldn’t do a thing. He didn’t want to cause a scene.
The plaque on the entrance to their room said “Team Current”, but it was laughable to call him a team at that time.
But time passed. Passed into an unknown future, one where Splash shouldn’t have existed. But he did.
And as crashed down into the sand, life crashed back into Thunder. They cried, they grieved, they confessed, they were… A team. Partner’s.
And no paradox could split them apart again.
The duo formed into a cornerstone of the timeline.
And here they were, in what was no longer their room. Picking up mementos of their time together.
“Splash? Are you having another vision?” Thunder’s electric voice striking through Splash’s soul, pulling him out of thought.
“Oh, sorry, I was just thinking.” Splash explained.
“About where we should set the nest when we’re back? Because I’ve been trying to ask you for 3 minutes.” Thunder teased with a silly expression.
Splash hadn’t told him he knew. He doesn’t think he ever will. They’re here, together.
“I don’t see why’d you ask me, it is your home.” Splash stated, carefully folding up their scarves into a bag.
“Our home,” Thunder corrected, “Unless you somehow have a house hidden somewhere.”
“Keep teasing me and I might.” Splash returned. It made Thunder smile. Totodile’s were usually the jolly type, so seeing so little emotion from his partner concerned him.
Thunder turned his attention down to the nests. They had finished clearing them of any loose fur or odds and ends. He just had to fix them back up.
It took a bit for him to do so, as they never made their nests before. They were too busy making sure their ears weren’t bleeding when they woke up to Loudred’s alarm, and were too tired to do so when they came back.
Their nests were always the messiest, but that’s not the only reason. One night they couldn’t sleep, so they merged their nests to snuggle. Oh, the talking to they got from Chatot after that. Since then they had gotten more sneakier with cuddle time. Quickly separating their nests to cover their tracks in the morning. That explains why so much of Thunder’s fur was in Splash’s nest as well.
When they had finished, it looked like they were never there in the first place. Thunder’s smile flickered for a moment, remembering watching Splash being torn from existence. He glances to his partner and everything’s alright again.
They knew even if it wasn’t “Their room” anymore, it would always be theirs in the guild’s hearts. They both carried half their bags, Splash carrying the plaque under his arm. Thunder looked at Loudred’s long lasting note to “WAKE UP ALREADY!” and faintly grinned, ignoring the scribbled out “please” addendum added during his depression. Thunder carefully removed the pin and took the note. It was oddly inspirational.
As they left they were met with the whole guild waiting outside.
“Need help with your bags?” Bidoof offered.
“Ohmygosh, we’ll miss you so much!” Sunflora promised with tears in her eyes.
“You can always stop by for company” Chimecho stated.
“Hey, HEY! Don’t think you’re all high and mighty just cuz’ you graduated!” Corphish teased.
“Heh… I can’t wait for you to visit” Croagunk said in his… Usual tone.
“PHEW! My job’ll A LOT easier without you two” Loudred’s teased, punching Splash’s arm with one fist and wiping his wet eyes with the other.
“Please come by sometime soon! You can always help with sentry!” Diglet requested.
“Yes, yes… It was a pleasure having you here, Team Current!” Chatot stated.
“Doh, drop the act, Chatot!” A pink paw rests on the flying type’s head as a joyous voice rang out, “We’re all so proud of you! You are an inspiration to us all!”
“Yes, what The Guildmaster said…” Chatot conceded.
“Aw, guys! You don’t have to be like this! It’s not like we’re moving region, we’ll just be at Sharpedo Bluff!” Thunder said bashfully.
Dugtrio just grunted in return. They weren’t exactly pleased to learn their ocean lookout spot ended up basically being Thunder’s front lawn.
Splash and Thunder made their leave with smiles and waves, leaving to their new home, paw in claw.
Kangaskhan was waiting outside. She had insisted on helping them move after learning about their graduation.
They made their way through town, greeting and getting congratulated by everyone along the way. By the time they got to Sharpedo Bluff, the sun had set and the moon had risen.
Kangaskhan had set their bags onto the ground before going up the stairs with a wave goodbye. What a sweetheart.
Thunder had taken to Nest making while Splash sorted clothes into a box. A closet, he called it. A human thing, “Yet it’s usually larger with a door on the front, so this is more of a clothes chest.” He explained.
Thunder grinned, he loved all the little human eccentricities Splash had. It was always a mini adventure whenever he went off on some human topic Thunder had never heard of before. His favourite was kissing, however. He chuckled remembering how awkward that day had been.
Thunder had moved on to setting up their food storage while Splash started to set up small decorations. Thunder was surprised, he never pinned him as the “decorating” type.
When they were finished, they sat next to each other in their shared nest, looking out at the sea between the giant rocky jaws of their home.
Their home.
They had fought time during every moment of it, and they won.
They had managed to carve out their own little haven in it’s flesh together.
Together.
Never to be parted again.