AN: A Latias/Rayquaza story I've been wanting to write for a while. The title comes from a song by We The Kings, which I do not own, along with other things. Enjoy the read!

Latias looked at Raikou.

The thunder tiger sat with his counterparts, Entei and Suicune.

She looked at Groudon.

The land rex talked to his opposite, Kyogre.

She looked at Zapdos.

The loner hawk spoke with his own bird allies, Articuno and Moltres. Lugia and his counterpart, Ho-oh, had also joined in on the collage of conversations.

The red and white dragon, Latias, sighed. She brought her eyes to rest upon the golden floor tiles of the Hall of Legends – a place in the heavens where earthly matters were discussed between the legendaries, the gods of the world whose natural balance they guarded. She didn't pay any attention to Arceus when the Original One swept by her to speak with Giratina. Instead, she ignored the words that flowed through the air - conversations in which every syllable that reached her ears somehow brought the lump in her throat to expand. She felt as if her entire neck braced itself to explode, definitely when tears traced the edges of her eyes.

Today was just supposed to be a daily meeting between the legendaries. After the required words had been said and heard, though, the legendaries didn't disperse for the planet, but decided to stay behind and spend some time in the cool air of the Hall to discuss new plans with their counterparts - perhaps suggestions for whatever orders Arceus had given them. Latias didn't receive any commands; rather, she was to stick to the one mission she had followed ever since her settlement into the water-based town of Alto Mare:

Protect the Soul Dew.

A magical item that kept the town alive, the Soul Dew thrived in the power and life it gave to Alto Mare. It shined even when light was nowhere to be seen, and it drove those who gazed upon it to lust for its power or just stare in amazement at its petite shape and size. It was cherished among the inhabitants of Alto Mare. Since it had been a gift from the original eon pokemon to help keep the town on its feet, they considered it a valuable treasure to be guarded by only members of the same bloodline.

Latias and her brother – her counterpart – Latios, had been given the duty of protecting the Soul Dew. When members of an evil organization broke into the town and stole the Soul Dew, apocalyptic mayhem spread throughout the streets. Phantoms of ancient pokemon were brought back to life to stomp around like hungry colossi, while the two humans who had taken the Soul Dew used it to drive Alto Mare to the verge of collapse – such collapse that Latios sacrificed himself to save it from being destroyed.

Latias remembered the look in her brother's eyes when he passed. It was something she didn't want to see again; death scared her and contradicted the way of life she had lived before. She had never been bothered by depressing things. She always found the bright side of it all – the hidden reasons to smile amongst the dark times. However, her own words had backtracked on her, and they found no liberation from her brother's unfortunate conclusion. Though Alto Mare had been saved with the help of human trainers, Latias saw no comfort with the capture of the villains and the return of the Soul Dew. In fact, with her brother gone, she felt more hurt than healed, more lost than comforted, and more alone than happy.

Every legendary had a counterpart – someone to talk to, someone to spend time with, and someone to love. Latias remembered that Raikou and Suicune were now together. Their times as counterparts had added to the love they grew for one another, and now Raikou seemed happier than ever. Latias was certain he had never felt alone in his life, because, if not for Suicune, the father figure of Entei had always been there to watch out for Raikou and hear him out when he needed someone to express his thoughts to. To Latias, Raikou was one of the luckiest pokemon in the world.

Speaking of which, he wasn't the only one.

Regice had her counterparts; Registeel, Regirock, and Regigigas.

Dialga had Palkia.

Darkrai was one with Cresselia.

Manaphy was seen as part of a team that included Jirachi and Celebi.

Azelf, Mesprit, and Uxie were a bundle.

Mew saw a cloned counterpart in Mewtwo, in which the said manmade legendary also considered Deoxys as a possible partner due to the affection between them.

Heatran had even found a friend in the flower hedgehog, Shaymin.

Due to the death of her brother – her counterpart – Latias was alone. She had no one to turn to when she needed advice or support. She had no one to say goodnight to whenever it was time to go to bed - someone to lay awake from and stare at the moon to the sound of their snores. When she went to sleep at night, she heard nothing, because she had no one to converse with when she suffered insomnia.

No…she had no one.

Everyone tended to be nice to her when she revealed that she was bothered by this. She had been told that her brother would always watch over her - that she shouldn't dwell on the past and be filled with regret. Even with their words she felt no comfort, though, as memories of Latios always returned and caused anguish to resurrect itself in the pit of her soul. It would come back because she knew she would always be alone, that she would never have someone who would cradle her in their arms and tell her that she would be alright.

"Never say never," she would always tell the other legendaries when they were down.

But, this time, her own philosophy failed to comfort her, because she had no one to help prove it to her.

Rayquaza snorted. He narrowed his eyes at the meeting room of the Hall of Legends, where the daily session between the legendaries had taken place not too long ago. He was thankful that it was finally over. It allowed him to relax without worrying over a disaster that plagued the human and pokemon populations back on the mortal world. Although he kept the opinion to himself half the time, he sometimes wished both humanity and pokemonkind could take care of themselves for once.

He didn't like being depended on, despite the praise that came when he helped inhabitants on the mortal world. It tired him, stressed him out and had made him feel as if the 'glory' he gained from it all wasn't worth the obstacles associated with the crimes of Team Rocket, Team Galactic, or any other 'evil' organization. He was sick of being chased down and he was sick of being asked to do things just because he was stronger than any regular pokemon. He had even come to consider mortals lazy, in which they asked their gods to do their work for them because they couldn't do it themselves.

He grunted as he eyed the counterparts who spoke with one another throughout the room. Their voices came to form a big mesh of mixed conversations - and all about things he didn't care about.

He was always alone, because he lacked a counterpart. Arceus had told him that he was meant to be grouped with Groudon and Kyogre. Rayquaza never got along well with Groudon. The only times Rayquaza talked to both him and Kyogre was when he would ensure they didn't destroy the world during one of their heated arguments. He failed to see himself as a member of the so-called 'weather trio'. He saw himself as a loner, the one being among the council who didn't really have a large socialization zone. He didn't care about it. He didn't mind that he was on his own, that the only communication he had with most legendaries were a few spoken words of encouragement or anger, or perhaps a reminder of what Arceus had said during a prior meeting. He was used to being isolated, to having to take care of himself instead of looking out for a counterpart, or having a counterpart look out for him.

And he preferred it this way.

He believed that teamwork added weight to his shoulders. With such an advantage came the cost of having to look out for hides other than his own. He never felt in need for company, nor was he ever jealous of the other legendaries. He didn't will to do anything for someone else, or risk his life to save them if required.

Although…

His eyes flickered to the ground.

He did sometimes wonder what it felt like to have a counterpart - to have someone to talk to, instead of a simple ally that he could exchange words with when passing them by in the Hall. Even if he didn't need it, he still couldn't help but feel curiosity toward what it was possibly like...

Rayquaza growled to himself and shook the thought away. He was a loner and he was perfectly fine with that! He didn't need anyone. He didn't want anyone. There was him and only him.

The green dragon snorted again before his eyes wandered over the room. When they fell upon the figure of Latias in the corner of the quarters, he couldn't help but tilt his head at the sight of her depressed countenance. Her eyes, big as ever, faced the ground, narrowed and dark. He hummed in bewilderment, as well as annoyance. He knew very well why the red and white dragon was sad.

She had thought of Latios…again.

He knew that tragedies were hard to deal with, but he also knew that it had been a few years since Latias had lost her brother. She wasted her time lingering with the casualty - and although no one else did, Rayquaza noticed her lack of contribution to grouped projects among the council because of it. Even he, the being whose philosophy was to take care of his own hide, worked together with others when required, so her failure to do so couldn't help but disappoint him.

And not only that but…he didn't like seeing her sad.

He couldn't explain why. When the death of Latios was still recent, most of the legendaries had been hurt tremendously by it. They all comforted Latias while Rayquaza watched from afar. She was alone…like him, counterpart-less. He felt somewhat sympathetic for her, since he knew that she wasn't used to such a lifestyle. When Latios was still alive, she and her brother were together. Always.

Like counterparts.

Perhaps it was the fact that he always lacked a counterpart did his sadness toward the event remain undefined. He didn't know the feeling of having one, as she didn't with not having one.

Rayquaza blinked when he saw her make her way to the exit in a sluggish manner. She disappeared behind the golden doors that broke off into the meeting room and the halls behind it. A frown crossed his snout, his brow quirked. When he looked around, it surprised him to see no other legendary follow her. No one else noticed her departure. As he thought more about it, though, it actually wasn't that shocking, because all of the legendaries had been too busy talking to their counterparts to notice.

Rayquaza grunted at the idea. At the same time, that small sensation of sympathy grew inside of him. He even knew that talking to someone was the best way to release bottled aches and pains, and if no one was going to push some sense into Latias this time...

He got up and followed her path. He didn't know why he was going after her to talk. Perhaps it was the implication that no one else was going to do so. If no one comforted her, then it guaranteed her lack of contribution on the next grouped mission.

Arceus forbid if anyone didn't do their responsibilities in his presence, after all.

Besides, he thought, this moment seemed like the perfect time for him to provide her with his own advice...

Rayquaza left the voice-filled meeting room behind and emerged into the back hallways. His eyes searched for the petite form of Latias as he floated down the golden walls that made up the Legend Temple. He kept his ears open for any shifts of movement – anything to help pinpoint her location. He hoped for a second that she hadn't returned to Alto Mare.

The echo of a sniff expanded outward across the hollow air. Rayquaza looked around for the source. There was an intersection not too far down, where the cries that followed seemed to come from behind the corner. He grunted with recognition and approached the corner.

As he coiled his snakelike body to turn, Latias' figure came into view. She sat on the ground with her back against the wall. Her humanlike arms hid her wet eyes. The rest of her posture leaked with depression – so much that Rayquaza had to swallow a lump that formed in his throat at the sight. He floated closer until Latias let out a startled squeak. She turned her eyes to him, in which redness painted them into dark seas, and he had an unexplainable urge to frown.

"Hey…Ray," she said, using the childishness nickname she had made for him long ago – the one that made him cringe with annoyance.

He would've lectured her then and there and told her what he wanted to tell her - about how lingering with her brother's death didn't help the other legendaries or herself. But, at the sight of her, he suddenly felt as if his choice of words wouldn't help the situation, either. His claims that she looked 'weak' and needed to toughen up didn't seem like good advice. He wanted her to stop crying, not add another piece of wood to her bonfire of depression.

"Thinking about Latios again?" was all he could bring himself to say. His tone didn't match 'angry' or 'disappointed.' But, emotionless, as if open to any emotion Latias needed it to be.

The red and white dragon turned away. Aware of how many times pokemon had told her that she had to move on, it surprised her that Rayquaza, of all legendaries, was the one who had gone after her this time. He had never done so before; not to mention it seemed abnormal for the large, draconic snake.

She didn't answer because she didn't know what to say. She didn't want to sound pitiful or weak, but she knew she couldn't hold it in forever.

"You can tell me, you know."

Latias blinked. She turned to eye Rayquaza and watched as his gaze narrowed, his tiny claws crossed against his armored chest. He already knew that she thought of Latios. She confirmed it with a weary nod and a mumble of his name and prepared herself to face a lecture or a snort of arrogance. Rayquaza was the type of pokemon to do such a thing, after all. Everyone could predict him because he had grown to be so predictable.

But, he sighed and floated downward, until he leaned against the same wall and sat right beside her. He didn't turn his eyes to her; instead, he kept them directed toward the corridor ahead.

"Listen…" he said, tone quiet. "You can't dwell on the past, Latias. Yes, Latios died, but…crying for him…it ain't gonna bring him back."

Latias turned her head away and took his words into mind. She had heard advice of similar qualities, but the sole fact that it came from Rayquaza made it feel different.

"I know what it feels like to be alone…" he added. "I know what it feels like to not have a counterpart and I know you're not used to this lifestyle yet, but you will get used to it. I mean, I have…"

"I just…" she said. Her voice hinted fresh tears, although she held them in like she had taught herself to do. "I feel so alone, Ray…I would do anything to have…someone…again…for even just a few days."

Rayquaza turned to her, his mouth slightly gaped. Her words had come out with such meaning as if he could really relate. When he returned to his earlier thoughts, he could no longer deny that he wouldn't mind having someone as well, even if it was just temporary and he had learned to stand alone. He wanted to know what it felt like to have a counterpart, because it wouldn't hurt to experience it.

"What if…I were to be your counterpart…?"

As if frantically correcting a phrase that would cause worldwide mayhem if uttered, Rayquaza slapped his claws over his mouth. Why did he say that? Why did he say that? He mentally damned his vocal cords to the fiery pits of Hell.

He reluctantly turned to face Latias. He grimaced at her expression, now full of realization – as if the idea answered her prayers.

He shouldn't have said that.

He shouldn't have said that.

"Ray…you would really do that?" she asked.

Rayquaza knew he couldn't escape this one without hassle. If he declined it, he would hurt her more and wouldn't really help either of them.

But, if he accepted…

The green dragon's eyes lowered to the ground as he pondered on the advantages of such an experiment. He would be able to see what it felt like to have a counterpart. Latias would have a temporary companion to help diminish her lonesome self.

Perhaps it wouldn't hurt to give it a try.

He turned to her and opened his mouth. Latias widened her grin, and he quickly said, "A week! One week! Okay? I'll help you for one week. One. Week. And then this temporary counterpart nonsense is over with!" He frowned and crossed his arms again.

Latias squealed. "Thank you so much, Ray!"

She jumped for joy. Rayquaza rolled his eyes and somewhat regretted what he had just agreed to do.

However, when Latias rushed forward and hugged his face, his scales warmed up. He thought of one thing and one thing only:

I sure hope having a counterpart is worth it.

A cold sensation shot up his spine; Latias' feathers felt so soft.

And I sure as hell hope no one's around to see this…