Warrior’s Heart: Another Story

If he was capable of doing so, Magnum would have been smiling. This
year's class had proven itself to be one of the most attentive ones
he'd had in years. Today's class had been no exception thus far. He
poured himself a cup of hot tea; it was time for THE story.

"There is a legend that has always been very dear to my heart growing
up," the professor started. "Out of all the tales I have told you, or
will tell after today, this one has always struck a chord with me."

He took a sip from his glass, closing his eye as he remembered to his
younger days. "Long before the world was as we know it today, before
technology, back in a simpler time; the world was a vast expanse for
exploration and discovery. Nature's beauty and mystery lay around
every corner, just waiting for someone to come along and find it. So,
four brothers did just that. They set out into the world, to discover
all that they could. It was their hearts' desire to see all that the
world had to offer. A warrior's heart is not just for fighting, you
see. Sometimes, the 'warrior' aspect is simply metaphorical."

"That sounds like it could be kind of fun to do, Prof," a wobbuffet by
the name of Will Busker said. "Though that'd be kind of hard to do
today, I bet."

"You'd be surprised," Magnum replied. "There are so many things in
this world that remain undiscovered. So many things that are hidden to
the eye." He looked toward an empty corner of the room. "For instance,
I'm sure none of you ever noticed an interloper in our classes these
past few weeks, silently listening in to our discussions."

The class looked in confusion toward the corner. "I don't see anyone
there," Riki Kipling, a female zangoose said.

"She's very good at blending in. It's alright, you know. My class is
always open to those who wish to learn," Magnum said encouragingly.

The air rippled, changing colors as the Porygon girl, CeeGee Binaros
returned to her normal state. She looked a bit embarrassed from getting
caught, especially with the entire class now staring at her in
surprise. "Sorry, Professor..."

"No need to be. Take a seat. It'll be far more comfortable than
standing the entire class," Magnum said with a bit of a chuckle. "Now,
where was I? Ah, yes! It was during their journeys that the brothers
came across a battle greater than could ever be imagined. Two titans
of incalculable power, locked in an eternal struggle for dominance. So
lost in battle, they never noticed that their fighting was destroying
all they came in contact with. Mountains reduced to craters, forests
to ash, valleys erased from existence, and those who were there to
witness the struggle... lost forever..."

Magnum began to pace the front of the room, gesturing for emphasis,
"The brothers were enraged by what they saw. Such disregard for
nature, for life itself, but what could they do? They were so small,
and so insignificant to the titans. Their cries to stop the fighting
were ignored, lost in the sounds of rending claws and primal roars."

Zap Pikans, the raichu, raised his hand and spoke up, "So, what did
they do, Professor? Run?"

"They wanted to, oh how they wanted to just run, but they couldn't,"
Magnum replied. "If the titans weren't stopped, their struggle would
one day consume the entire world. With no other ideas on what to do,
the youngest brother took it upon himself to try and stop the
senseless combat. You see, he had the ability to replicate techniques
that he saw, to mimic it, if you will. Summoning all the courage he
could, the youngest brother got between the two titans and turned
their attacks against them.

"It was a deafening roar that warped the very fabric of reality around
him. So much power coursing through his body, more than he was ever
meant to handle." Some of the students shifted in their seats, looking
rather uncomfortable, having figured out what was going to happen
next. "The power... destroyed him," Magnum stated. He paused, his mind
reflecting on the events he just talked about. "His sacrifice was not
in vain, though. The titans temporarily stopped fighting long enough
to finally see the destruction and pain they had caused the world."

"Wait, wait, did you say he gave his life and it only managed to put
the fight on pause?" CeeGee asked.

Magnum nodded, "As I said, the fight between the titans was eternal."

CeeGee looked annoyed, "So they didn't learn anything at all?"

"Oh no, I never said that." Magnum replied. "You see, it was within
the abilities of the titans to restore the young brother, so they did.
They felt that a heart brave enough to give everything to stop them
did not deserve to die so easily. That day, the titans made two
promises. The first was that they would take their fight to another
plane of existence, where the only ones who could be hurt would be
themselves. The second... was to the youngest brother. The titans
swore to him that he would never again be harmed by the realms of time
and space."

"Time and space?" Riki asked.

"Dialga and Palkia..." CeeGee said softly.

"Indeed," Magnum said. He glanced over at a clock on the wall. "We
shall continue our discussion on this one next week. Have a safe
weekend." He watched as the students began packing up and heading for
the door. As they cleared out, he looked to CeeGee, who had stayed
behind.

"Professor, excuse me for asking, but where exactly did you hear this
legend?" the digital pokemorph asked curiously. "I'd never heard of it
before."

"Not surprised, it isn't one that’s very well known," Magnum replied.
"Probably one of the reasons it's so special to me."

"What happened to the brother after that?" she asked.

Magnum looked at her for a moment, pondering his response. "The
stories say... that he and his brothers returned to their adventures
and explorations. Over time, they discovered that the promise that
Palkia and Dialga made was quite literal. While his older brothers
grew and aged, he remained the same as he was on the fateful day. He
watched as all that he knew and loved grew old, withered, and died."

CeeGee frowned, "The blessing turned out to be a curse then."

"The thought had crossed his minds, in those moments of weakness we
all have. He realized though that in the end, it was merely another
change in life. Like the song says, 'everything has got to change.'
That included himself. Though his outward appearance would never
change, he was still capable of change on a level here," Magnum put a
hand over where his heart should be. "So he pressed on, his mind
growing when his body could not. As the world changed, he found ways
to change with it. Much like the battle between Palkia and Dialga, his
quest for knowledge was eternal." He looked at CeeGee and chuckled a
bit to himself, "You remind me a lot of him, really."

"Me?" CeeGee asked, caught off guard by the comment.

Magnum nodded, "You search for knowledge in the art of fighting much
in the same way he searched for knowledge of the world. It's a good
trait to have. It's rare to see such passion for exploring the unknown
these days. Never let anyone discourage it, CeeGee." He picked up his
hat and umbrella. "Now, you'll have to excuse me. I've got a training
session with Team Nightmare to coach."

Magnum's awesome. :D

I share Kae's sentiment :D

Gee, I wonder why it's such a special story to him. XP

Actually quite touching. Wonder if anyone's catching on as a result. XD

......wwwoooaaahhh...that's deep...seriously.

Nice. :)