Silence

Silence, something both equally claiming and terrifying given the circumstances. Right now, it was terrifying.
Patience opened her eyes and noticed that she was dense forest, sunlight shining partly through the trees and foliage.
Just like last time...
This wasn't the first time she had experienced this dream before, although the previous times she could only look around her surrounding before waking up, but for some reason, it always made her nervous when she woke up, her heart beating considerably fast, she didn't know why.
This time, she had control of her body, she could move around.
How was I aware that this was a dream? She thought to herself. She remembered her pops telling that there was a word to describe someone being able to have control of their dreams. "Lucid" was the word used.
Patience started walking, no specific direction in mind, just wherever she felt was the right way, there weren't any roads or signs that could point her to a place. The forest was quiet, too quiet. No birds chirping, no leaves rustling, only the sound of her own heartbeat.
What is this place anyway? Why am I here? She wondered, but all it did was lead to even more questions with no answers.
Just then, out in the distance, Patience noticed something. The blue figure stood out among the green background, it had orange looking fins on its cheeks.
Wait a minute... Ian?
She broke into a dash, catching up to her best friend, hoping he'd know what was going on. When she reached Ian, she reached her hand out to try to get his attention.
But her hand went right through him, Ian disappeared right before her eyes, shocking her.
"Patience..." An echo voice said, it wasn't from anyone she was familiar with. Scared, she started running forward, she didn't know where she was going, but she had to run from wherever that voice came from.
"You cannot run from the past, Patience," Another voice said, a female one this time. "the cycle will go on forever unless it is stopped."
"It? What are you talking about?! Who are you?!" She yelled into the empty forest.
"Tenebrosam Materia..."
"What?" Patience didn't know what it meant, nor did she even know what language she was speaking, more questions raced through her head, but there were no answers. She continued running for what seemed like hours, until she saw something again.
It was Ian again, he was down on his knees, laying next to what seemed like a statue of the Expedition Society emblem, there was one thing that made the whole thing unsettling to Patience.
Ian was crying.
Confused and reluctant, Patience continued forward, knowing she had no other choice, no matter how dreadful the scene may be. He reached out to the crying Ian, but was greeted with the same result, her hand went right through the mudfish Pokemon. Patience noticed that there was something on the base of the statue, it was a sign albeit rather dusty. She placed her hand on the sign, to her surprise it was solid and wasn't an illusion, she brushed the dust of the sign to read what was written on it, what she discovered made every hair on her body stand up.
"In memory of Patience, who lost her life doing what she loved. She may no longer be with us physically, but she will always be in our hearts.
Rest in peace."
Patience fell to her knees in disbelief, the around world her shattered, like it was her own psyche that was breaking. She couldn't be dead, she CAN'T be dead. This was just a dream! Or is it...? Nothing made sense to her, she couldn't accept this.
I am not dead! I am NOT DEAD!
"Your fate has already been determined," A voice said. "you cannot change it."
"No no no no no no!" Patience yelled, clasping her head. "This is just a dream! This is just a dream!"
Patience watched as the forest grew closer and closer to her, she felt claustrophobic, as if she was going to be crushed. She closed her eyes as tightly as she could, hoping, praying as she repeated the words over and over again.
"It is just a dream... It is just a dream..."
----Patience jolted out of her bed, gasping for air, her heart beating faster than ever. She looked around her, she was still in their room in the Expedition Society.
"Are you alright? You got up in quite a shock."
Patience turned around and saw Ian, eyes partially opened. Patience tried replying, but no words came out of her mouth, she was shaking and Ian noticed that as well.
"Relax, inhale, count to three and exhale. Can you do that?"
Patience nodded and did as instructed. She inhaled and counted to three.
One... Two... Three...
She exhaled, she repeated the process again, until she finally felt calm.
"All better?" Ian asked.
"Yeah... I feel better now, thanks." Patience said.
Ian wrapped his hand around Patience, comfortably patting the fire fox Pokemon.
"It was just a dream, everything's all right now." Ian said, he didn't know why, but he was reminded of when Nuzleaf came to him when he had awoken from a terrible nightmare as well back in Serene Village.
Patience wanted to tell Ian about what she saw, everything, but decided not to. She knew it was only a dream, she does not have to get worked up about it. But she still felt uncomfortable going back to sleep again, in fear that the nightmare would come back again.
"C-can I sleep closer to you Ian?" She asked.
"If that's what you want sure." Ian replied, he didn't mind Patience sleeping next to him again, he was too tired to object anyway.
The two Pokemon got back into their beds, Patience moving hers closer to Ian's.
"Get some sleep." Ian said. "It's a going a be long day ahead for us."
Patience agreed, it was their first days as members of the Expedition Society. Wouldn't want to give a bad image by sleep walking through the halls. She closed her eyes and started to fall asleep, she was at first nervous of going back to sleep, to be greeted with the nightmare again, but she no longer did, there was someone close by he could lean on, someone who protected her even when he wasn't aware of it.
She fell into a deep sleep and all was peaceful again, as a new day awaits.