I've never been in a forest before, but going off of books and movies and stuff, I always thought they'd be sort of noisy, with all the bugs and things. But aside from the wind and a creek, there wasn't much noise in this one. ...Aside from Aurora. She just doesn't. Shut. Up. I stopped listening to her a while back, so now I'm trying to focus on everything else. ANYTHING but her.

I guess this is as good a time as any to get used to being a... fox... Ugh, that still sounds ridiculous. How did I even end up like this? Let me think...

It was pretty late, I was going home. The weather definitely sucked, so I went under as many overhangs and awnings as I could. I don't really remember where I was going from, probably something stupid, like a party I didn't want to attend. I don't remember pointless things like that. And then... There was a light, yeah. Not like a streetlight, this was some weird ghost story stuff. I think I tried to check it out, and...

...Nope, that's it. Can't remember what came next. Guess that light's why I'm stuck in this crazy place with this crazy fox.

Looks like we're pretty much out of the forest. I thought there'd be more... I dunno, danger. Aurora was pretty sure she'd need to protect me with her 'frost' or whatever. Not that I mind, I'm not exactly a fan of getting mauled to death, but I was expecting more weird stuff.

"And here we are." Aurora pulls on a hood as she goes into the sunlight. "Argenheim is but a trot away, Sir Victor."

I've given up on getting her to stop calling me 'Sir'. Or 'Victor'. It's better than 'oh star'. Don't get me wrong, she's still super pretentious. Just, like, marginal benefit, or something. ...Look, I'm walking down a dirt road, there isn't much stimulation other than the crazy 'princess', so I'm going to focus on dumb things to tune her out.

Huh? I think I saw something... A black shape, hiding behind bushes and whatever. "Hey," I whisper, tugging Aurora's cape.

She jumps a little, like I just pulled her... fur, I guess. "P-please don't touch my cape, Sir Victor," she says quickly as she turns around. " 'tis very dear to me."

"Sure, whatever." I roll my eyes. "Look, something's following us."

"...Are you certain?" She looks around. "I've seen naught but the land and sky."

Because you're too busy waxing poetic to notice... "Positive," I say through my teeth, trying not to freak her out with another minor insult. Then, I look at the last place I saw the shape. "Hey! Whatever you are, I know you're there!"

"...Heh." A black blur shoots out of the bush, and lands behind me. "Perceptive little fox, aren't ya?" I turn to see it: A two-legged thing standing three times my height, with a red ear and, more importantly, giant white talons for hands. It smirks at me. "Perceptive people aren't good for my business, y'know. So, I'll cut to the chase." It brandishes its claws to accent the word 'cut'. "You're coming with me, little foxy. We can do this the way that doesn't hurt too much, or the way that hurts a lot, for both of you," it cackles.

I'm crouched down, growling and ready to pounce. I didn't even think, I just sort of... did. Instinct, I guess. I'll take it. I'm not going wherever this FREAK wants to take me.

"Leave this creature to me, Sir Victor," Aurora says as she steps in front of me. ...Er, what?

The freak laughs at us. "Oh, ain't this romantic? The one fox wants to save her little boyfriend!" It goes back to smirking. "Heh... I don't mind. Two's worth more than one, right?"

Two's worth... Is it going to kill us, or sell us!? Or... both!? Okay, I'm officially done with this crazy world.

Aurora doesn't look scared, though. Probably 'cause she doesn't know how to be. "You foul beast. You would dare to harm the princess of frost and the fallen star, measure them as mere things to be sold? You are deplorable, nay, diabolical! And I shan't allow your villainy to continue!" ...Okay, she's actually sort of cool. In a totally stupid way. ...Don't judge me, she's literally standing between me and a few lacerations.

The thing yawns. "Nice speech, frosty. Glad you're making this interesting for me."

"Ha... You fool. You truly know not the wrath you have wrought. For you see, while I am a maiden of ice... My Father is a being of flame, and his flame burns bright within my soul! Now, begone!"

And then she spits fire. Right at the thing attacking us. And it runs away screaming.

She turns around, and smiles. "Fear not, Sir Victor. That Sneasel ruffian has gone, and we are safe." She seems a bit out of breath. Probably from the fire-breathing thing.

"...You can breathe fire," I say redundantly.

"That I can," she replies. " 'tis a blessing from the gods, surely. Vulpix are born of either fire or ice, yet I may command both." She stumbles a bit, and her words slur a little. "Although, I take more after my Mother... Ice and flame are hardly agreeable..."

I'm worried. Why am I worried? She's obnoxious and pretentious and probably insane. But... she did sort of save my life. That's a pretty nice thing, especially since I probably would've run away once that freak started tearing into her. "Are you alright?"

"I am fine, do not worry." She shakes her head, and turns back down the path. "Argenheim is nigh, I... I can make it."

I... guess I'll take her word for it. I can see the town, so yeah, we can make it. And if Aurora can't, I can probably drag her. But we do make it. Aurora didn't say anything for the rest of the walk, though. She's definitely not okay.

"Here we are..." She walks in some direction. "I'm staying at the library, over here..." And then she collapses.

"Shit. Aurora!" I dash over to her. "Aurora, you idiot! You are NOT dying out here, got it!?" I look around. There aren't a whole lot of... Pokemon... out here, but the few I see are staring. Of course, I go and make a scene... Might as well make the most of it. "Hey!" I shout at a blue thing with some black on it. "You! You know where a library is?"

The thing points in some direction. I'm probably freaking it out. Eh, whatever gets a response. I drag Aurora over that way, until I find a building that looks impressively boring enough to be a library, and head inside.

"Welcome to Argenheim Library," says a bored-looking thing with white skin and green hair. "How can I- oh, shit." She runs over once she sees me pulling Aurora behind me. Then, some kind of pink energy swirls around, and lifts her up. It only surprises me for a second. It's probably the green thing. "Dammit, girl, I told you to lay low..."

"Hey." I don't like too much attention, but I hate being outright ignored. "Could you tell me what's wrong with her?"

"Once I'm sure she's not going to freaking self-destruct, sure," the creature replies bluntly.