The Bells
To: DeliriousAbsolIt's so cold.
You would think a Mawile like me wouldn't be able to feel cold. That's a lie. Sure, the expression "cold as steel" carries some truth to it, but just because Steel-types are made of metal doesn't mean that they are completely unaffected by cold. It's not like we're Ice-types, and I'm pretty sure that even Ice-types have their limits. Even if they don't when it comes to surviving in low temperatures, I know that everyone, Ice-types included, was impacted by the Freeze.
I've run into a few Ice-types after the Freeze happened a good ten years ago. Some of them had friends who were humans, or Pokémon not hardy enough to survive the drastically low temperatures the world had been plunged into. They're all gone now, the humans, the animals, most of the Pokémon. All that's left are some survivors scattered far and wide, mostly Ice-, Ghost-, and Steel-type Pokémon like me.
Lucky me, I think bitterly as I blink the sleep from my eyes. What a world I'm left to live in.
I guess it's another day of walking around looking for food in this abandoned human town. Truth to be told, food isn't all that scarce even though everything's frozen over - after all, the humans left plenty of things for the survivors, and Mawile like me can eat pretty much anything. I'm not even all that hungry right now.
I guess I'll think of something - anything to make my life in this frozen wasteland worth living.
*~*~*~*
Around midday, I hear something. It takes me forever to pinpoint exactly what it is, because I haven't heard it for at least ten years.
Music.
What the heck?
In our world, I rank music somewhere between hair ribbons and rainbows in terms of usefulness. At least rainbows tell you that the world isn't awful, weather-wise. Still, I'm morbidly curious so I walk towards the source of the singing and… jingling. Yes, that's the right word, because I hear bells. That's right, bells.
Either I'm crazy, or someone very close to me is. What I mean is, either there's something wrong with my head to the point that I'm hearing sounds that aren't there, or someone nearby is being insane by engaging in the extremely pointless activity of making music.
I end up in front of a human shop called Allegro Music. The interior is neatly decorated with… things. It takes me a while to figure out the names of them. A bow of a… violin, a dented… flute, and a… piano that probably doesn't serve its purpose because of the cold. And bells. Lots and lots of bells of all shapes and sizes.
A Mawile - a male around my age - stands in the center of the shop, singing and shaking a chain of bells. I stand just outside the door, hoping that this weird guy doesn't notice me. My curiosity about the source of the music is satisfied and I'll be on my way soon anyways.
The male Mawile stops singing and looks in my direction. "It's been a while since I've talked to someone," he says with two sets of grins, one with his talking mouth and one with his feeding mouth. "Hey, don't be shy! What's your name? I'm Mendelssohn."
Great, he spotted me, and now I'm going to have to engage in conversation with this weirdo.
Unless…
"I didn't mean to interrupt you," I say, even though my curiosity betrays me and I'm looking around Mendelssohn's camp, if you can call it that. "I'll be on my way."
"No worries, I'd love to share my music with someone, even better if that someone is of my own species," Mendelssohn chirps, seemingly oblivious to my discomfort. He tilts his head to the side quizzically. "Aren't you happy that you've found another Mawile? Wow, it's been forever since I saw someone of our species. But then again, I don't ever wander too far from home so that may explain why I hardly get any visitors. What brings you here?"
"I was just passing through," I say. "Shouldn't you be looking for food? I mean, no offense, but why are you making… music when the world is the way it is?"
"Food isn't all that hard to come by," Mendelssohn says. "I mean, you should know, you don't look all that skinny. And once you've eaten your fill, you're free to spend the rest of your energy doing things that make life a little more worth living." He shakes the belt of bells he's carrying and smiles again. "For me, that's music."
"I know, but why?" I ask, absentmindedly poking at a bell hung on the wall next to me. "What's the point of making music in our world?"
"Well, for one, it brings me joy, and happiness is just as important as food," the cheerful Mawile answers. His two mouths twist slowly into frowns. "Don't you do things that make you happy? I mean, after you've eaten your fill, of course."
"I…" I have to think for a bit. "I've been trying to find something in this world that isn't pointless, but everything seems to have no meaning so I kind of just get by, traveling and feeding myself."
"Oh," Mendelssohn says quietly, putting his string of bells on the ground with a slight clatter.
"Yeah, that's how it is," I say with a nonchalant shrug. "I guess I'll be off, then."
"Do you want me to help you?" Mendelssohn asks suddenly.
"Help me with what?"
"Finding something in this world that isn't pointless."
I take a deep breath, my eyes scanning the room. "But why?" I ask. "It's pointless to help me."
Mendelssohn's mouths smile slightly. "I don't think it is," he says.
I'm silent for a while as I think about what this Mawile said. Everything seems so pointless. But maybe Mendelssohn doesn't think this way. Maybe, to him, there are things to do in this world besides survive. Maybe his worldview suits him just fine, and maybe it'll come to suit me too.
If anything, I'm curious about what it'd be like to see life through his eyes.
"Alright," I say slowly. "Help me find something in this world that isn't pointless."
Mendelssohn's face lights up. "I will," he says forcefully. "I promise."
I wonder what I've gotten myself into, but maybe what I've gotten myself into is a good thing.