Cadenceheart117: Hey everybody! This is me announcing that, after over 6 months, I am back and better than ever! I've three chapters for this story so far, all done while I was away. Trust me, I didn't have much else to do ;)

Alongside this, I have several little ideas I'm working on, some of which will be posted. That said, I hope you all enjoy the latest fic:

Travels and Troubles

-!-

Brandt sighed, grunting with effort as he tugged with all his might at the harness around his neck. The Luxio's muscles seemed to bulge under his fur from the strain, but try as he might, the plow behind him would not move.

Panting now, Brandt stopped trying to pull the plow and instead backed up, slowly slipping it off. He shook gently, fluffing his matted, dirt-riddled mane back up as best as he could. "Now what..." he grumbled lowly, looking back and turning to face the mound of dirt where the head of the plow lie buried.

He inched forwards, taking his time as he traversed the short distance to the mound. As his paw began to sift through the clods of dirt, Brandt quickly found the source of his problem. A tree root. And a rather large one at that. His head lulled back, a groan of frustration erupting from his maw. "Gods be damned!" he growled, electricity sparking in the air around him.

Looking back down, he grit his teeth, raising a paw. Before he could bring it down though, he heard a woman cough to his left. Turning, the anger slowly faded from his eyes as he watched a Gardevoir float towards him.

She bore an amused look, the glint of laughter present in her eyes, backed by the small grin that stretched her already thin lips. Seeing this, it proved impossible for a grin not to alight itself on Brandt's muzzle. "Hello Grace." he called, nodding his head in a mock bow, though he kept his gaze on her.

She scoffed, chuckling slightly as she floated to a stop next to him. "I believe I've told you not to be so damn proper around me. Her eyes refocused on his still raised paw, staring pointedly at it. "And you do know that Priscilla will murder you if she finds out you damaged one of her oak trees, right?" She gestured with a hand to the tree that sat barely seven feet away.

Now it was Brandt's turn to scoff. He knew that fact well enough. On his first day working the farm, Priscilla had beaten another worker within an inch of their life. The Venusaur may have been old, but even with her size, she was surprisingly quick. Needless to say, the worker hadn't returned to work there again.

"Hey now, it's not my fault that the overseer wanted an extra ten rows for the Figi berries. Especially when this side of the path was only meant to hold around thirty rows."

She just shrugged at that, raising her hands as she began to concentrate. "The point remains." She said, a strain in her voice as a pink glow enveloped the plow. Slowly, it floated free, landing not far away in the shade of the oak. Her hands dropped and she seemed to waver slightly, but she didn't touch the ground.

Shaking her head as if to clear it, she turned to face him once more. "Do you want me to talk to Jacob about it? He and I both know you work as hard as you can day to day. A couple of rows shouldn't matter."

Brandt seemed to consider it for a moment, but eventually just shook his head. "Thanks, but no. I did my best. He'll see that. Besides, I could just..." He began to trail off, his eyes catching onto someone in the distance. He couldn't make out exactly who or what it was, but the black furred figure was limping and definitely seemed hurt.

He began to turn back to Grace once more, to pick up the conversation again, but something told him to keep his gaze on the figure. Looking back, he was glad he did.

This time, the figure stumbled, and Brandt's eyes widened as it collapsed. Wordlessly, he brushed past the confused Grace, a low hum coming from her as she watched his movements. He had had to run across fields before, so he was both quick when he tread the neat rows that he had spent most of the day plowing.

Soon, he neared the fallen creature, and the blur that it was became clearer. He caught sight of a pair of fluttering red eyes, a short cylindrical tail, and some pale, barely glowing rings along the length of its body. It was an Umbreon. Stepping closer, he began to pick out even more details. It was a male, and aside from the pain he was very clearly experiencing, he looked rough. His fur, normally flat for his species, was disheveled, and in some places patches were even missing. His body was marred by the occasional cut, like he had just escaped a bad fight.

Quickly, he nudged the Umbreon, looking him over to judge a reaction. Nothing. He chuffed worriedly, and picked him up in his maw like a young kit, settling him on his back. He planned to carry the Umbreon into the village where he was staying; perhaps there he would find some help. It wasn't very far away, and generally speaking, the people and other pokémon were hardworking, if a little set in their ways.

Before he could begin to move, he felt someone press against his side, and turned his head slightly. A pang of guilt shot through him when he saw Grace, a look of concern in her eyes as she pressed her hand to him. He still had another three hours of work, at least. She held his gaze for a moment, then slowly nodded. "Go. I'll handle things here. Just find our new friend some help."

He felt another pang of guilt shoot through him, but swallowed it as he smiled his thanks. Then, he took off, moving as fast as he could safely. Even with the Umbreon on his back, he may have been stable, but if he fell, there was a likelihood that his wounds would become worse than they already were.

"Thanks!" he called back to her loudly. "I owe you!" Behind him, the Umbreon stirred, panting in short breaths against Brandts' neck as he groaned in pain. In response, Brandt sped up, leaning into his sprint. He had to hurry.

-!-

In the local tavern, Belle worked silently. She enjoyed days like this. Often, they were just as quiet as her. Two men sat at a table in the far corner, intently staring at a set of Dominoes between then. By the look of the man on the left, he was in trouble. Not any of her business though, and certainly not anything to worry about.

Her eyes shifted back down to the shot glass in her hand. She nodded to herself, running a small rag around the interior with her other hand, all the while counting the few hours left until she could go to bed for the day. She couldn't wait to head upstairs. To the warmth of her bed, and to that ridiculously oversized pillow her mother had gotten her…

BANG!

She blinked once, looking up to see Brandt, a frequent visitor of the tavern, stride in. He was panting hard, as if he had just sprinted a marathon. The door behind him, though it was thick and made of sturdy wood, actually bore a large crack down its center. That… would have to be replaced.

Anger began to bubble in Belle, and she glared at him, a cry of indignation rising in her throat. Then she noticed the Umbreon balanced precariously on his back. More specifically, she noticed how injured he was. The door now forgotten, her cry died in her throat, and she raised a hand, pointing towards the staircase.

"Second door on the right." She called. "That room is unoccupied. I'll be there in a second."

Brandt nodded his thanks once more and turned, moving up the stairs as quickly and carefully as he could. The small hallway was dark, and very dimly lit. Looking over his shoulder to the Umbreon, he watched the rings flicker for a moment. Were they dimmer than before? That couldn't be good.

He soon reached the next landing, and counted the doors as he passed, stopping in front of the second door. Slowly, he pushed it open, glancing briefly around the small room. True to her word, the room was empty. Good.

He crossed the room in two quick strides, slowly lowering the Umbreon onto the small cot that sat against the far wall. Like the hallway, the room was dark. There was a window, but it faced an alleyway, so not much light filtered into the room. Past that, the room was largely unadorned.

His eyes flicked back down to the Umbreon. The dark type had fallen completely silent halfway through the ten minute run to the tavern, and was breathing in short, labored pants. Brandt wanted to help, to do something for him… But until Belle came up, there was nothing to do but hope the Umbreon's injuries were less than they appeared to be.

'Why do I want to help him so much..?' he questioned himself. 'I don't even know his name…' Still, even as he said this, he could feel the urge in his heart; he wanted to be there for this creature.

Brandt, fortunately, did not have to wait much longer for Belle to show. The door to the room slowly creaked open, pulling his attention from the Umbreon as he stepped defensively in front of the cot. Belle peeked in, watching him for a moment as he visibly relaxed, then pushed the rest of the way into the room.

In one hand, she held a small brown bottle and a rag. In the other, she held a tray with two bowls of water. She made her way over to them, setting the items down on the edge of the cot beside the Umbreon. The, she reached out, patting the side of Brandt's head in an attempt to reassure him. It was awkward, at best. Her skills lied with drinks, and she generally avoided talking with patrons and tenants past such. Still, it did its job, and seemed to calm Brandt somewhat.

"Is he going to be alright?" asked Brandt, his voice also surprisingly level. Belle said nothing at first, studying the Umbreon. She ran her hands briefly along his side, then nodded slightly. "I'm not a doctor, but I think he's just unconscious, like he collapsed from exhaustion. It's as if he's been going nonstop for a couple of days."

This confused Brandt a little. "Why would he have done that? It's not like the roads here are dangerous. And what about his wounds?"

She shrugged, glancing at them as she dipped a rag into one of the bowls, using it to begin cleaning the Umbreon's fur. He didn't so much as flinch, though his breathing had deepened, indicating what she had said to be true. It seemed he had fallen into a deep sleep.

"They're minor. And… if you ask me," she began, pausing to glance at him out of the corner of her eye, "He didn't stick to the roads. He looks like he came straight from the forest, running as fast as he could either to, or from, something. But, you'll have to ask him once he wakes up. What's your friend's name anyways?"

At that, he drew a blank mentally, and was silent for a long moment. "Uh… he's not my friend… At least, I don't think he is. He collapsed on the road while I was working the fields."

This piqued her curiosity somewhat, and she raised an eyebrow. "Then why help him? What reason do you have to do anything for him?"

Again, he drew a blank. Brandt knew Belle was a very practical person. He telling her that he just felt drawn to protect the Umbreon would have just raised more questions he was sure he didn't want to answer. Instead, Brandt shrugged, looking away and dipping his head slightly. "I guess I just didn't want to see him suffer."

Belle could easily tell, though she wouldn't voice her opinions, that there was more to it than that. But she didn't press the issue. Instead, she gripped the rag in her hands tightly, squeezing the water it held back into the same bowl. It was now a murky brown; a clear testament to how dirty the Umbreon had been. Then, setting the rag aside, she picked up the brown bottle, pulling off the stopper. Immediately, a sharp, woody smell wafted into the room, causing Brandt's nose to scrunch up.

"Is that… whiskey?" asked Brandt, not even bothering to mask the distaste in his voice. Belle wasn't dissuaded. She nodded in confirmation, tilting the bottle and letting the brown liquid in it drip onto the few cuts on the Umbreon's body. "In my opinion, it's better than water. Keeps infection out. And," she added with a wink, "It smells good."

With that, she straightened up, nodding again to herself. "I think he'll be fine for now. Like I said, he just seems exhausted. A little rest, and he should be good as new."

Brandt sighed, a weight he didn't know was there lifting off of his shoulders. Glancing over the Umbreon, he nudged Belle, purring lightly. "Thanks Belle… You're a good friend." She shrugged nonchalantly, a slight pink tinge turning her cheeks. "Don't worry about it, I guess. But, this is a business establishment too. I won't charge you for the first three nights while he recovers, but past that, it's five coppers a day. Got it?"

Brandt nodded in agreement, smiling again as he nosed her side. She was showing him a lot of kindness; the normal rate was eight coppers. She pat his head once more, placing the clean bowl of water on the little table beside the cot. "When he wakes up, make sure he drinks this, and slowly. If you need more, just bring me the bowl."

He began to reply, but his head snapped back to the Umbreon, watching as he mumbled something unintelligible, his tail thumping the bed beneath him. Then, he was still once more. This actually brought a smile to Brandt's muzzle; he was more than a little relieved. If the Umbreon had the strength to toss and turn in his sleep, then he must have been feeling at least a little better. By the time he managed to look away, Belle had left, and he was alone with the Umbreon.

"Well… I guess I'll find out more when you wake up, hmm?" he said to the Umbreon quietly, though he knew he couldn't hear him. The Umbreon seemed to shiver almost imperceptibly. Was he cold?

Briefly, Brandt considered climbing onto the bed next to him, but the thought didn't last. It would make for a really awkward situation if he happened to wake up. Instead, he elected to pull the wool blanket at the foot of the cot up and over the Umbreon, leaving his head uncovered to give him room to breathe. Then he curled up on the floor, closing his eyes as he settled in.

-!-

As it turned out, he wouldn't have to wait long for the Umbreon to rouse. Every ten minutes or so, he would make a noise, move, or even whimper slightly, all of which drew Brandt's attention. All in all, the poor creature had only managed about four hours of sleep before he shot up, a hoarse cry coming from his throat. Brandt sat up with him, unsure what to say as he watched the Umbreon's eyes dart around the room. He was panicked, and it only seemed to worsen when his eyes settled on Brandt.

"Hey, hey, don't freak out…" he called, keeping his voice quiet as he backed up to give the Umbreon some space. When his demeanor didn't change, he quickly added, "You're safe… You collapsed on the road, so I brought you here. You remember that?"

Though his breathing was still hitched, he remained silent, and shook his head. "I-I don't remember anything. J-just woods. Who are you? A-and where am I?"

Well, he had him talking. Now he just had to calm him down. "One thing at a time… Just breathe. I'm not going to hurt you, and I'm not going to let anyone else hurt you." He reached up onto the small table, pulling down the small bowl of water and setting it at the edge of the bed, careful not to move too quickly. He didn't want to frighten him. He backed up, settling down on his rear near the door. "If you want to leave in a bit, I won't stop you. But at least let me help you this far."

The Umbreon's eyes never left Brandt, but he ducked his head, cautiously sniffing the water. Finding no danger, he began to lap at it, relaxing only just as he let out a slight sigh. As soon as the bowl was empty, he nosed it away, and settled back down on the cot. His breathing had evened out, and now he studied Brandt more out of curiosity than trepidation. After a moment, he called again. "Who are you?"

Brandt smiled slightly, dipping his head. "I'm Brandt. And you are?"

"Darius."

That seemed to be all the Umbreon would say, and Brandt wasn't going to pressure him to say anything more. "Well, it's nice to meet you, I guess. You're in the Starr Tavern. As nice a place as any other."

"And you brought me here?" Again, Brandt nodded. "Yep. I was working the field where you collapsed, so I carried you here." Darius's mouth began to open, but Brandt waved him off with a grin. "Yes, I know I'm an electric type. Dark type too. But the man who owns the farm was the only person willing to hire me around here. You do what you have to do to make it another day."

The Umbreon's muzzle wrinkled in confusion. "Dark type? I thought Luxios and the like were just electric types?"

Brandt shrugged, smiling dimly. "I thought so too. But when you screw up a windmill with a dark pulse, it becomes kind of apparent."

The explanation satisfied Darius, so he switched over to another topic. "Why did you carry me here though? Most other people and pokémon would have just left me to the Vullabies."

Before Brandt could answer, Darius yawned slightly, blinking. He looked like he might pass out again.

"Why don't you just take another nap?" suggested Brandt. "We'll have time to answer your questions in the morning. It's about eight at night, and I don't have to work tomorrow, so I can help you with whatever you need."

Surprisingly, Darius shook his head. "I don't want to sleep… I'll just wake up again in a couple of hours, panicking all over again. But you can go, if you want. I'm sure you've got a f-family to get back to."

Now it was Darius's turn to be surprised. Brandt noted how he stuttered on "family," but didn't say anything. If Darius wanted to talk about it, he would on his own time. Instead, Brandt shook his head, looking down. "I'm as much a stranger in this town as you. Lived here for most of my life, but my family died early on, so I've never been welcomed by most. No mate, and definitely no kits either." Then he looked up to him, shrugging. "So… I'll stick with you. You're the first bit of excitement to pass through in a while." he said, cracking a light joke.

Darius didn't reply. Instead, he perked his ears, letting out a near silent "Eep!" as his belly rumbled with hunger. Quickly, he dived back under the blanket, hiding his head in embarrassment. Brandt didn't just chuckle; he let out a full belly laugh, his body quivering with each breath. The whole thing certainly lightened the mood. "Hehe, well, if you're not sleepy, then you're definitely hungry."

He straightened up, his laugh leading off as he padded closer, nudging the lump in the blanket with a grin. "Want to come with me downstairs to eat, or do you want me to bring something back up for you?"

The lump moved slightly, and a muzzle poked out from under the edge, followed by Darius's red eyes. "It's not funny…" he said, his eyes narrowed haughtily. This only caused Brandt to grin wider, and he reached out a paw, tapping the Umbreon's nose and bringing a sneeze out of the eeveelution. "It is to me. Now, you wait here, and I'll bring you up something to eat and drink." 'After all…' he thought, 'something tells me we have a lot to talk about…'

With that, he turned, walking out of the room with the little bowl and tray in his maw. His star-shaped tail edged the door slightly, leaving it cracked. It was an invitation for Darius to follow, or even leave if he wished. But, he didn't. Instead, he let out a light huff, and reburied himself within the wool blanket. He was tired, to be sure, but he didn't want to sleep for a while. Brandt appeared a bit of a mystery to him. Not many pokémon would bring another to safety unless it benefited them. But, Brandt just seemed to do it because he cared.

True to his word, Brandt returned about ten minutes later, clutching the same tray. It was laden with a few Lum berries, an unidentified meat, and a slightly larger bowl of water. While Darius didn't move at first, the enticing scent of the berries and meat soon drew him out, the blanket sliding down his back as he scooted to the edge of the cot.

Brandt grinned behind the tray, setting it down and sliding it over with a paw. "Enjoy." he said, laying his head on his paws and curling slightly to watch the Umbreon eat. Darius's mouth practically watered at the food. Holding one of the berries between his forepaws, he dipped his head, biting into the fruit. As soon as he finished one, he immediately dove into another. Only halfway through that one did he slow down enough to look up at Brandt. The Luxio watched on in amusement and slight concern, saying nothing.

"Here." he said, pushing the last berry over to Brandt. "I couldn't eat all this if I tried."

"Alright, if you say so. You're a little small, so I should've guessed." Brandt replied, stopping the rolling fruit with a paw and nipping at it gingerly.

"Hey… I'm not that small… And, no, that's not why I can't." Darius swallowed the last of the berry, looking at the meat. "What kind of meat is this?"

"It's just Linoone. Cheap, but tasty. Anything you want to talk about?"

Darius paused, then bit into the meat, tearing off a small chunk. "It's… not anything for me to be proud of. When I was younger, my parents… well, we didn't have a lot of food." He looked down, silent for a long moment. He was shaking slightly, enough to cause Brandt concern. "Hey… Don't worry about it if you're not ready to talk about it, yeah? I know how hard it can get sometimes."

Darius mumbled something he couldn't hear and tore into the meat again, chewing roughly. "I'm sorry?" prompted Brandt, his ears pricking up. "What'd you say?"

This time, Darius grunted and stood up, staring at him with a look of anger. "I said I don't need your pity. You don't know what it's like, day after day, wondering when your next meal is going to be."

Concerned, Brandt opened his mouth to apologize, but Darius raised a paw, cutting him off before he could even begin. "You didn't have to see your parents go hungry, and eventually starve to death because they were more concerned about you than themselves! You didn't feel helpless, unable to give them a proper burial! Your sister didn't leave you alone to die in the middle of fucking WINTER! So… Don't talk to me about how "hard" it can get. You don't know trouble. You don't know hardship."

By the time he stopped, he was panting hard, a fierce fire burning in his eyes as he stared at Brandt. But whether he was pushing for anger from the Luxio, or he was just ranting, he didn't expect Brandt to just drop, or let out a slight whimper. "You're right Darius. I don't know what that's like, any of that."

His eyes raised to meet the Umbreon's, the pain in them a match for the anger in Darius's. "I told you my family died early on, but not how." He began to tense up, quivering slightly. "My mother, father, and brother were all killed fighting Bandits. They attacked us as we were travelling through the Doxah Mountains. They told me to run, but I couldn't. It was too dark for me to see anything but the torchlight of the Bandits. So, I hid. I stayed in the hollow of a fallen log, and watched as they all died. I was a Shinx, a kit..! I was helpless. When it was all over, and the Bandits had left, I crawled out, and sat by their bodies for days. The Bandits had killed them for their tails… They took the lives of my entire family for what? Something worth a few pieces of gold?"

"I may not know what it's like to be abandoned, Darius. I was loved, Arceus himself knows that. But I know what it's like to feel helpless. To feel like the entire world is against you, like you're all alone, and if you died, no one would be the wiser." He looked back down, steeling himself, then looked right back at him with an intensity that would be hard to beat.

"But y'know what? I'll be damned if I let the actions of others keep me from my happiness. I may not have a place to call my own, but I have friends. And they're all I need."

Brandt teared up at the memory and hid his face, curling away from Darius. That was the first time he had told anyone what had really happened, and why he was alone. It hurt his heart to recall it; there was nothing to be done though. All was silent for a moment. Neither of them said a word, though Brandt whimpered slightly at the pain of it all.

He heard light paw steps slowly making their way toward him, and instinctively curled up tighter. Though he couldn't see him, he felt Darius gently nose his side and press against him. "Hey… T-that was wrong of me…" he said, any hint of his prior anger completely gone from his voice. "I shouldn't have gone off on you like that… You've done nothing but try and help me since you met me. I shouldn't have assumed…-"

He couldn't finish, his voice breaking as he shook his head. "I'm just going to go…" He backed away from Brandt and stepped around him, moving towards the door. Before he could open it though, Brandt reached out with a paw, placing it on the Umbreon's flank. Darius paused, looking back at him with wide, tear-filled eyes. "Brandt..?"

Brandt said nothing, straightening up and stepping over to press his head against the Umbreon's in a silent nuzzle. Nothing was spoken, but they both knew that the silence spoke volumes; all was forgiven. Backing up slightly, Brandt smiled at the Umbreon, albeit pained. "I think we both could use a drink."

He began to agree with Brandt, but again a yawn overtook him. This time, it spread, Brandt yawning as well. "I… think we could both use some sleep, actually." said Darius, tilting his head towards the bed with a slight nod. He turned, padding towards the cot and curling up directly in the middle of the mess of blanket. His eyes remained on Brandt, who stared back at him in confusion. His eyes rolled slightly and he tucked his head in. "Come on, Brandt. You want to sleep or not?"

It didn't take long for the Luxio to come up with his answer. He padded over towards the bed, unable to meet Darius's gaze as he clambered onto the cot behind him, not quite resting against the Umbreon. Darius rolled his eyes and slid back slightly, pressing against the Luxio's chest as his eyes slid shut.

Brandt let out a slight "Eep!" of his own, pulling a giggle from Darius. One small victory for the Umbreon. It was tense for Brandt at first, but he soon relaxed, the temptation of warmth reaching him as he began to press back against Darius. Together, they fell asleep, joining everyone else in the village in slumber. And not once, for the rest of the night, did Darius stir.

-!-