A harsh, chilly wind whipped across the trail, blowing in from the distant ocean and sending frothing waves crashing against the jagged rocks far below, roaring past my ears and buffeting my tail and aura tassels. I hunched forward and narrowed my eyes against the cold winter gales, tightening my grip on the pair of piping-hot – or piping-warm, at this point – wooden cups that I was carrying, their heat sinking into the fur on my torso and warming my blunted chestspike. The moon and stars shined through the blanket of clouds lingering up above, helping to brighten the night sky, and I hurried towards the outskirts of Treasure Town, footpaws plodding soundlessly on the dirt road.
"Lucky for me it hasn't started to snow yet," I muttered to myself, perking up when I saw, and heard, Sharpedo Bluff's telltale flag ruffling noisily. A smile curled its way onto my muzzle as I ambled past the trees and into the grass, stopping when I reached the wooden trapdoor nestled in the ground. Reaching a leg out, I gave the metal knocker a quick poke, then awkwardly dug my tiptoes into the dirt, trying to scoop the planks out from the soil to open the door. It didn't work, and after a few seconds, I sighed in defeat, calling out over the din of the impending snowstorm. "Hey, Rose! I'm back!"
At first, I didn't get an answer. Moments later, however, the worn metal ring shook a little, and then the trapdoor burst open, its icy hinges squeaking; I stumbled back a couple steps at the sudden motion, my tail wagging sharply as I tried to keep my balance. A cream-furred fox poked her head out from underneath the wooden boards, her blue scarf blustering against her neckfur as she wiggled her way out into the open air, staring blankly at me.
"Bill?" She said quietly, and I nodded, inching back over to my partner and kneeling down, reaching out and jabbing one of my pawspikes into the door, propping it open for the Ninetales. She blinked, taking a couple quick glances at the cups I was carrying, and then she smiled warmly, her ruby red eyes sparkling as curiosity replaced confusion. "I was just getting ready to meet up with you at Spinda's cafe. Are those...?"
"Yup. He said it was alright if I went home with these, as long as we wash them and bring them back tomorrow." I nodded, grinning as I offered the fire type Pokemon one of the drinks, the wind carrying its sweet, chocolate scent and wafting it right into her face. The fox instinctively licked her lips at the smell, her ears pointing straight up. "He also said 'happy new year'."
"Ohh... heheh, that's sweet of him," Rose replied, and she nudged the trapdoor with her nose a couple times before walking back down the stairs, her tiny claws scrabbling on the stone steps, her nine fluffy tails curling and waving slightly, as if beckoning me to follow her. Slowly, carefully, I did just that, easing my way into the tunnel, holding the cups close to my chest all the while. "C'mon, Bill, come in and warm up. I've still got the fire going, and there's some of Cyan's berrycake left over, too."
"Huh. Really?" I said, a pleasant, surprised twitch running through my nerves, and I scooted forward a bit, the trapdoor swinging shut behind me. I peered towards the bottom of the stairs, making a beeline for the bright, orange firelight that flickered on the stone wall, shining in from the rest of the bluff. "How'd you keep him and Erin from gobbling it all?"
"Shh, shh-!" The cream-furred fox hastily shushed me, dropping her voice to a low whisper, and I tensed, clamping my jaws shut when I reached the end of the tunnel. I cautiously sidled my way inside... and let go of the breath I was holding, unable to keep myself from smiling.
Rose was looking at me from the middle of the room, nudging a small plate of cake pieces off of the ring of stones and away from the crackling campfire, and a Samurott and Mienshao rested on one of the beds at the opposite wall, their soft snoring mixing with the sound of the wellspring nearby. Cyan lay on his belly, his shell armor sitting near his hiking pack, and Erin lay on the sea lion's back, her arms and fur sleeves sweetly wrapped around her friend. The pink mink fidgeted in her sleep, cuddling and nuzzling Cyan's neck, and the water type Pokemon mumbled something incoherent in response, his mustache ruffling from the wind.
"Heh, that answers that question," I quipped airily, walking over to the firepit and sitting next to my partner, sighing in relief when the heat of the campfire – and the heat of Rose's inner fire – sank into my fur. Rose smiled at my remark, scooting closer to me and curling a couple of her tails behind my back, and after setting the cups of hot cocoa down on the floor, I stretched my arms and legs, my tail wagging as I relaxed. "They couldn't quite make it to midnight, huh?"
"Mm-mm..." Rose grunted and shook her head, then shook her head a little harder when a few strands of her headfur fell in front of her eyes. I grinned cheekily, letting one of my paws fall onto her head so I could affectionately tousle the Ninetales' ponytail, and she jolted, then leaned into my touch, her ears flicking. "Cyan didn't even want to try, and Erin finally ran out of energy a few minutes ago."
"Oh well." I shrugged, turning my head to peer out at the horizon, brushing my aura tassels behind my shoulders while I watched the dark, wintery world outside; the overcast weather and lack of moonlight made it almost impossible to see past the bluff's jagged, sandstone teeth. The scent of our drinks drew my attention back to our late-night snack, and I looked at the plate of berrycake, plucking one of the remaining pieces and winking at Rose. "I guess we'll just have to eat this up for them."
The Ninetales barked out a chuckle, then ducked her head into her blue scarf to stifle her laughter, swatting at my knee with one of her front paws in the meantime. My grin widened at her happiness, and I popped the piece of berrycake into my mouth afterward. It was soft, warm, and rich, packed with chopped cheris, sliced sitruses and roasted nuts, and I shivered, my mouth starting to water almost instantly at the sharp, spiced sweetness. I took a sip of hot cocoa as I chewed, the exceedingly decadent chocolate helping to wash the bite of the cake away.
Gulping down the snack, I licked the lingering stickiness from my pawpads, and Rose took the opportunity to take a piece of berrycake for herself, gingerly raising her head to keep the pastry from crumbling between her teeth. After a moment's hesitation, she chomped down fully, humming happily at the taste of the fruit-stuffed treat, her tails waving back and forth and brushing against my shoulders. Her inner fire flared when she swallowed the food, staving off the chill in the air, and I smiled, leaning ever-so-slightly against the fire type Pokemon while she lapped up a few sips of her own cup of cocoa.
"Today makes five years," She said as she sat back up, a note of wistfulness suddenly playing in her soft voice. My tail wagged once, and I tilted my head, slowly dropping my paws to my lap, still holding onto my drink.
"Five years of what?" I asked, bending my knees and curling up a little bit, licking my lips and furrowing my brow, thinking hard as I tried to figure out what my partner meant.
"Huh? Oh... Bill, you mean you didn't realize?" The fox replied, blinking and shaking her head, as if she was breaking out of a trance, and she turned her head to look at me, a modest smile on her muzzle. "Tomorrow... this next year will be the fifth year since our first adventure."
My eyes widened at the answer, and I reared back just a tad, thinking even harder. Putting my cup of hot cocoa back on the ground, I tapped my paws together, starting from one and counting up. Cyan and Erin had joined the team this year, then there was last year, the one before that was when we had fought Darkrai, so that meant... "You're right, Rose... huh. Yeah, I hadn't realized that at all."
Rose let out a quiet 'mmhm' of affirmation, leaning over to lick my muzzle, and I closed my eyes and licked her right back; her lips still tasted faintly of hot cocoa, and I reached an arm around to pull her close. Her fluffy tails waved a bit before curling all around and wrapping around our fronts instead, forming a loose, ticklish blanket over our bodies, and we sat there for a few minutes, feeling content to cuddle and enjoy each other's company.
"What do you think we were doing, way back five years ago...?" She murmured thoughtfully, nuzzling her head into the crook of my neck and staring over at the bluff's teeth, narrowing her eyes slightly as a particularly strong gust blew into our faces. The bluster chilled us a little, overpowering even the fire type Pokemon's body heat for the briefest of moments, and it caught the wisps of steam billowing from our drinks, carrying them over to us even as they evaporated.
"...probably sitting in Spinda's cafe and drinking hot cocoa," I said dryly, the thought of the drink helping a few fuzzy memories bubble to the surface, thoughts of escaping from the snow and sharing a large mug of the chocolatey liquid coming to mind. Rose prodded my chin with her nose, and I furrowed my brow, shaking my head after another second or two. "Well, no, that'd be four years ago. We're still a few hours away from five years, hah!"
"Heheheh, yeah, you're right," Rose chuckled in reply, pulling away for a moment and sticking her mouth into her own cup, lapping up another couple sips – though they were more like hefty slurps. The fox seemed to realize her thirst before too long, slowing her pace down and eyeing our two sleeping teammates out of the corner of her vision. "Four years, five years, it's kind of confusing."
"Maybe we could go visit Dialga sometime and ask him to clarify." I punctuated the end of my statement by taking the last slice of berrycake. I paused for a moment when I realized the plate was empty, then brought my other paw over and used my pawspike to cut the treat in half, quickly eating the smaller part and offering the thicker half to my partner. "And ask him if he's heard any news of Darkrai."
"Mmm..." She hummed gently and nibbled at her share of the berrycake, and I cleaned my pawspike on one of the patches of thin grass growing through the floor. The Ninetales next to me, however, scooted even closer, lifting her front paws and resting them in my lap, her scruff of neckfur tickling the fur around my blunted chestspike as she playfully nosed at my aura tassels. "That'd be nice."
Her closeness sent a happy ripple down my spine, and I relaxed, listening to the sounds of the crackling campfire in front of us and the bubbling wellspring behind us, a tranquil atmosphere settling over Sharpedo Bluff. Not even the frigid, wintry wind, still blustering over the world outside, could stifle the cozy mood, and I gazed idly at the campfire, watching the flames eat away at the pile of logs, twigs and tinder. With a gulp, I finished off the last of my snack; bits and crumbs of the sticky cake clung to the roof of my mouth, tickling the back of my throat, and I glanced at the ceiling and coughed.
"Sheesh-" I started to say, then coughed again, grunting while I reached for my cup of hot cocoa. Rose blinked as I shifted around, digging her front paws a little harder into my legs, and her nine fluffy tails slowly slid off of us, exposing my torso to the open air. I snatched up my drink, downing the rest of its contents in a single, swift chug, then letting out a refreshed exhale. "Sorry about that, Rose."
"Are you okay?" She asked promptly, and I looked over at the cream-furred fox, concern evident in her face, her ruby red eyes having widened to the size of saucers. Her tails were curling and uncurling nervously, steadily hanging in the air, their orange tips twitching this way and that.
"Don't worry, I'm fine." I smiled sheepishly, giving my partner a reassuring tousle of her headfur. The gesture cut through her tension like a blade through a berry, and she leaned forward a little, shaking her head slightly. My tail wagged, kicking up tiny puffs of dust each time it thumped on the ground, and I couldn't help but chuckle. "Heh, it's good, but it's so darn rich, too."
"Ohh," Rose replied, understanding dawning on her face. It quickly morphed into a coy smile, and she stuck her tongue out at me, her expression brightening. "Wait... do you mean the berrycake, or the hot cocoa?"
It took a moment for her words to register, but when they did, a cheeky grin wriggled its way onto my muzzle, my tail wagging faster. "The berrycake, actually. Cyan definitely knows his stuff."
My throat tickled again as I answered, getting another grunt out of me, and I scrunched my face up, lightly thumping my palm against my neck in a meager attempt to clear my throat. Rose whipped her head around, the end of her headfur brushing against my cheek as she turned her attention towards her own cup of cocoa, steam still rising from the dark brown liquid. "You're still coughing, though... here, Bill, we can share mine."
She awkwardly clamped her front paws on her drink and dragged it over to me, the wooden cup scraping against the smooth stones underfoot all the while. Both my ears and hers flicked, pressing against our skulls at the irritating noise, and I hastily snatched the drink up as soon as it was within reach, its contents sloshing a bit from the force. Bringing my partner's drink to my mouth – being extra-careful not to spill anything as I stared at the small ripples waving in the cocoa – I took a mild sip and swallowed, feeling the weird sensation in my windpipe vanish.
"There we go," I muttered under my breath, letting my arms fall slightly until I was holding Rose's cup of hot cocoa against my blunted chestspike, the sweet-smelling steam wafting past my nose. I stole a glimpse of Cyan and Erin in the meantime – somehow, the two younger Pokemon had managed to sleep through my coughing. "Thanks, Rose-"
Before I even finished speaking, though, the fire type Pokemon padded up onto my lap again, poking her muzzle into her drink and audibly lapping up a sip for herself – I flinched a bit at her sudden movement, fidgeting a little as I felt a couple of her tails wrap around mine. When she looked up and gave my lips a loving lick, I smiled, putting our shared cup of hot cocoa down and reaching up to place a paw on her cheek. She looked down at my lap for a moment, briefly turning bashful, but looked back up just as quick, an affectionate blush rising to her face.
"G'night, Bill," She whispered, hunching forward ever-so-slightly until she bumped my nose with hers. The cream-furred fox's eyes fluttered shut, and I pulled her into a tight hug, eliciting a purr from her in the process. "Let's make this next year another great year."
My heart skipped a beat at her encouraging remark, and I rested my head between her ears, nuzzling her warm, silky fur in return. I peered off into the distance again when the wind ruffled my torso's fur, and blinked. Snowflakes were drifting through the air at last, and I traced lines between as many of them as I could. "Yeah... we'll do it together, like always."
Far away, another Pokemon stirred, the winter gales rousting him from unconsciousness and sending a shiver down his spine. With a strained movement, he lifted his head out of the grass and gazed blearily into the dark, cold night, the starry pattern on his robe winking and sparkling, casting a faint light all the while. With a deep breath, the dark type curled his fingers, clutching at a few taller clumps of plants to try and push himself up, but a sharp ache surged through his back and shoulders, sending the wounded Pokemon back to the dirt.
He groaned softly, his head pounding from the pain in his nerves, and he reached forward, fumbling around until he felt a smooth, bulbous root poking out from the soil. The wood was even chillier than the weather, making him flinch, and he wormed his palm away, opting to follow the root with his fingertips instead. With another gulp of air, he opened his icy blue eyes, and weakly, carefully, he crawled over to the base of the tree, stopping when he bumped his forehead into a thick trunk.
The legendary Pokemon rolled onto his side, bending his knees and curling up into a small, forlorn ball underneath the tree, his blurring vision and the clouds drifting in front of the moon hiding even the leaves above from view. Pain and exertion gave way to exhaustion, and he fidgeted uncomfortably when his robe clung to his back, feeling damp from the cold. Bringing his arm around, he ran a hand over his shoulder to pry the starry fabric off.
His breath caught in his throat when he grazed over a scab, and then another, and another, feeling the fresh scars he had received from... whoever had attacked him before he had cried out and fainted.
A gust blew over Darkrai, making him shudder again, and he pulled his robe taut again, tears leaking from his eyes even as he fell unconscious again.
A/N: Today marks the fifth anniversary since I started posting PMD work. The first Pokemon Mystery Dungeon-themed story I published was A Cup of Hot Cocoa, back on December 6th, 2010 (on DA; I posted it here on Christmas Eve). So I figured I'd write a spiritual sequel-successor to it... and as luck would have it, I wrote a New Years' themed thing and I'm posting it now. Whoops! :V
As a small message to anyone out there reading this, or reading my other work, or whatnot - thank you. Thank you for reading my stories, enjoying my stories, critiquing or reviewing my stories, and thank you for being patient with me. Life may get in my way sometimes, but I won't ever give up on the things I have here.