- 33 -

                                    

                                          
Gladion awakes early the next morning. Carefully, he creeps out of the tent, leaving Moon to sleep in.
                          
He shivers as he enters the brisk, dawn air. The sun is rising on the horizon behind the large monument, casting a long, dark shadow over the alter. He tip-toes barefoot across the cold stones to the edge of the perimeter, far out of earshot.
                          
The sound of Lillie's phone ringing plays softly through the speaker as he brings the phone to his ear.
                          
"It's 5 a.m., this better be important."
                          
"Did you get the flute?"
                          
"Yeah, I guess we forgot to call each other yesterday. Did you guys find the alter?"
                          
"Yup, I should be able to find it on Charizard from now on. Which would be preferable, it's not an easy journey by foot."
                          
"Gladion, I'm worried! Have you been following the news reports?"
                          
"I'm trying not to think about it..."
                          
"Well, you should be! You're going to have to put your big boy pants on soon or thousands of people will lose their jobs. You've told her, haven't you?"
                          
"Not yet, and before you-"
                          
"Damn it Gladion! She needs to know, stop playing with her!"
                          
"Needs to know whaaa?" Hau stammers in the background as Lillie wakes him with her yelling.
                          
"Has anybody ever considered that maybe, just maybe, I don't want to be president?"
                          
Lillie goes quiet.
                          
"I don't want this! I didn't choose for any of this to happen, I thought I made that clear by running away. But again, I'm not free to choose my destiny!"
                          
"Gladion, I-"
                          
"It's easy for you to talk Lillie, but what do you have to do? Nothing! Sure, everyone hopes you'll follow in father's footsteps. But not once, has anyone, ever told you what to do with your life. Enjoy following your dreams Lillie, the sky's the limit!"
                          
Gladion abruptly ends the call.
                          
Leaning far over the outer wall of the monument, Gladion stares down at the water, far, far below him. He squints to see a lone Fearow, flying over the distant water below.
                          
For a split second, he considers joining it.
                          
_______________________________________
                          
You have the charisma of a mole!" Lusamine barks, her eyes glisten with tears of rage as she knocks a stack of papers from the podium.
                          
Gladion shudders as the papers fall around his feet.
                          
"You're a disgrace to this family!" she screams wildly, "Your father would be so disappointed..."
                          
She grabs the young teenager roughly by the chin, her fingernails dig deep into his cheeks.
                          
"You will do nothing until you perfect it. How are you supposed to follow in my footsteps if you can't even memorize a simple speech?!"
                          
Gladion stoops to pick up the papers, he winces in pain as his fingers are crushed under the toe of his mother's shoe.
                          
"You won't be needing these now, will you?" she croons with an insidious smile on her face.
                          
"Again!" she barks.
                          
The boy opens his mouth, stuttering over the opening words as he cowers in front of her. As pain begins to consume him, Gladion clutches his wrist, staring down at his twisted, broken fingers.