I
Crippled Liaison
A fine layer of silt and dust covered everything within view. The darkness crept forward, extending it's lengthy fingers into the eyes of anyone who dared tread this deep into the earth. Water dripped continuously at the pace of a steady heartbeat, keeping the cavernous aura alive. A puddle formed, undisturbed and still. A perfect reflecting pool if natural light could make the treacherous journey below ground.
As if to test the still water's promise, a warmth filled the bitter grotto. A lovely pink aura creepingly fought back the grasp of darkness, growing more luminous with each passing second. The radiance reflected off of the diamond encrusted eyes of a Sableye, who scattered deeper into the cave at the sight of three silhouettes approaching.
"Are… are you sure this is the way?" asked the smallest figure meekly. It was an ungendered voice that was spoken softly, but who's echo bellowed throughout the cavern, reverberating off of every stalactite and rock face.
The medium-sized silhouette knelt, feeling the ground with a darkened undistinguished appendage. A crass but feminine voice whispered in a tone that could easily be mistaken for an intended bellow.
"Yeah, just as sure as I was 40 seconds ago, Plusle. I'm still tracking those thugs, ya' know."
The brilliant gleam infected the still water, just inches from the medium figure's genuflect, revealing a sight she had not expected from this expedition; herself. A Sneasel, petite in frame with red eyes that scorched full of passion. A rustic satchel hung from her shoulder, resting on the dusted sediment as she knelt. Perhaps the most unique quality about the bipedal Pokemon were the adornments worn over her left ear. Ornamentally, she wore three faded feathers, one blue, one yellow, one red. The faux feathers concealed her true one red Sneasel feather which remained obstructed behind the trimming of assorted fakes. Her ruby eyes were entangled in their reflection mere moments before retreating to a leer of intense displeasure. A single droplet plummeted from above, striking the mirrored puddle and rippled the image of the young Dark type. The Sneasel struck at her duo, launching the soiled water with her filed claws.
"You shall reunite with your companion soon, Plusle." A verbal silk wrapped around the craggy interior of the illuminated space. The source of the dazzling gleam and the harp-like voice was the largest in stature of the three figures. As the pale light touched the walls around them, she stepped into view. She moved with a majesty and grace of only a refined creature, a Gardevoir, to be sure. She was rarely seen without her dresslike pattern flowing behind her even in these few seconds of still air deep under the surface. Utilizing her cognitive psychic abilities, she was able to produce the soft glow that lit their path with ease. She drifted beyond the small electric Pokemon and stood over her Sneasel companion.
"Feathers, shall we continue?" asked the Gardevoir warmly. She touched the knelt Sneasel's shoulder cautiously, as if to comfort her with apprehension. Feathers ignored her.
"Not far now. Abi, would you shut that dang light off? I can see in the dark just fine ya' know?" She shook off the Gardevoir's rested mitt and stood. At her full height she was a few inches below three feet, and roughly two and a half feet underneath the Gardevoir's gaze.
Tilting her head in dismay as the trio began trudging on once again, the Gardevoir responded. "Yes, but that is not a skill the rest of this party possesses." Scampering behind the two, Plusle shuttered.
"Y-yeah! I can't see in the dark and I really wouldn't wanna get lost in here, M-miss Feathers." His static charged cheeks sparked up in an almost crying-like action, which caught the attention of the Gardevoir, who once again spoke softly to the tailgating youngster.
"There's no cause for upset, Plusle. I won't let such a thing befall you." Her words as regal as her appearance, she lifted the frightened Pokemon to her shoulders and thoughtfully allowed him to grapple there, resting his legs as they trailed closely behind Sneasel.
"T-thank you, Miss Abilene!" sniffled Plusle. The pair were suddenly halted by a sharp shushing and, looking towards Feathers, Abilene could tell trouble was beginning to brew. Feathers held her body as still as the stagnant rocks which formed the walls surrounding the trio, one claw was raised at roughly her eye level to signal Abilene, her Gardevoir, to halt and silence herself.
"Abilene. Kill the light." the Sneasel whispered, her lips barely cracking apart to form words.
"But Feathers, Plusle and I…"
"Abilene you need to trust me right now and turn off the light." Silence grew to plaster it's way into their ears. Occasionally a drop of water would strike a puddle in the humid chamber. Before long and before Sneasel had so much as moved a muscle, a damp slithering pushed aside some soil up ahead. "The light. Now!"
Plusle whimpered and chimed in as the sound of sedimentary movement along the route ahead grew louder. "It's okay, Miss Abilene. We better do what Miss Feathers says! I'll be brave."
Slowly, Feather's head turned until she shot a gaze directly through the Gardevoir. Her paw hadn't dropped from it's place and her body remained still as Abilene sighed affirmatively. She placed a firm hold on Plusle and closed her eyes. The illuminated cavern returned once again to it's natural foreboding state of shadowed murkiness. The lack of sight amplified the audio as what seemed like the sound of flesh being dragged through mud and gravel suddenly permeated throughout. With no visual confirmation from the Sneasel, Abilene could only trust in her partner as she risked her and the young Plusle's safety.
Irrefutably, Feathers trusted in herself. A partial dark type, she was able to visualize her surroundings with little effort in darkened environments. Relying on the shroud of darkness to conceal herself, she dropped to the ground in a kneeling position as a biped would if preparing to dash forward at great speed. Once more, the sound of an artificial raindrop propelling into the pool of shallow water echoed off the jagged stone innards. At this que, she leapt forward into nothingness.
Abilene knelt in a curtsy fashion and held the juvenile Plusle against her bosom when action crept through the dim room. Oblivious to the events taking place just inches in front of her own nose, the Gardevoir provided sympathy and compassion for the electric creature.
Feathers confidence only grew with each striking blow she landed on her victim. Three tubular beings sloshed around aimlessly thrown off by the sudden lack of light. The snake-like gang of thugs were helplessly thrashing about in an attempt to catch Feathers off guard. They did not. The agile Sneasel lunged off the dusted floor, using the slimy head of her attacker to propel herself upward. Seizing at a jagged outcropping of rock above the room, she hung for a mere moment observing her targets with scrutinizing detail in a flash of time.
"Don't worry, young one. How brave you must be to truly go to these lengths to find your comrade." Abilene attempted to reassure her youthful protectorate through the sound of struck bodies, splashing water and an obvious struggle no more than twelve feet from the pair. Plusle was shaking, nervous and unsure, his cheeks began sparking to life. This brought about the issue of a yellow incandescent light which forfeited their previously undisclosed location to the attackers, who revealed themselves in this shining glare.
From above, Feathers watched the crackling light burn through the darkness, and the trio of snake Pokemon lunge for it. "Abi, watch yourself!" Without thinking, the Sneasel performed an emergency aerial attack, striking the thugs with an Icicle Crash that was executed near flawlessly. The yellow gem on Feathers gently furred head flashed with bright gleam as the ice formed, momentarily revealing herself and her elevated position. This new blaze attracted the attention of two attackers, who were unprepared for the steady stream of freshly spawned ice that struck them down. "Abi the light! Its-" before she could finish her warning, Feathers was pummeled to the grungy mud-lined ground by a thick weight of purple ooze, a Sludge Bomb that left her dizzy and in agony.
Viewing the situation as if it were a slideshow, with an occasional glimpse every few seconds due to the unpredictable sparking of Plusle's tears, Abilene was unable to comprehend the situation in its entirety. She saw the Sneasel suspended in midair for a brief moment, followed by the silhouettes of three large serpent creatures, one of which was growing closer with each flash of electricity. Without a word and in a serene panic, the Gardevoir closed her eyes and once again from her mind allowed the chasm to be filled with a luminous gleam.
Wiping away sizzling tears and fluid from her eyes, Feathers now laid on her back, distraught and befouled by the toxic sludge. When the pale light began to fill her vision once again, she considered it a disgraceful besting by these unseen foes and it angered her, causing her to simmer both outside and in. Her dazzling ruby eyes fixed on her attacker as he hovered over his prey.
"Sss-eviper." a slimy voice said, slithering into Feather's ears from behind the towering figure, which craned it's hose-like neck around to face the source. "It-sss the other kid. Tha' one from the fore-ssst."
Plusle had stopped his static wailing when the light returned. Instead, he was paralyzed with fear as the lumbering Ekans slithered across the muddy surface to him. Deepening himself in Abilene's smooth arms, he hid his head from the snake.
"Don't come near him!" Abilene pleaded. "He is but a child!"
"Hand him over!" The Ekans struck at Gardevoir with his tail, whipping at her attenuated legs. She retreated, still in a sitting fetal position she backed as far as she could to avoid being struck by the attacks.
While her companions drew the heat off of Sneasel, she regained her comprehension. A bubbling aura felt as though it was burning through her. Her head fell to the side, her eyes glaring open to spy the third of the crew, a smaller, more feeble Ekans, rummaging through her satchel that she had left behind during the brawl. Remaining on the ground, submerged partially in a thick goop of mud, Feathers summoned her strength to reach for the thief. As she exasperatedly stretched for the smallest of the group, the towering Seviper slammed his behemoth tail down on her thin arm, stopping the reach. Sneasel grunted and shot an intense glare through the Seviper's reptilian eyes. The adversaries exchanged this look of turmoil for several moments as the water from the cavernous roof dripped onto Feather's chest repeatedly.
Backed into a wall of stalactites and sharpened earth, Abilene cradled the young Plusle against her red breast fin. The Gardevoir's fists were clenching and she tightened her muscles. A boiling rush of heat flew through her mind and she could feel it's tingle down in every fingertip. "You will not harm him!" She bellowed, suddenly rising, suspended just fractions of an inch above the ground. She floated weightless, her white flowing body waved as a flag in the wind and her eyes, whites and pupils alike, shone with a scintillating pure fire.
One arm pinned, Feathers had not yet given up hope. Her icy body was being eaten by the poison that seeped into her, leading to her easy overpower by the Seviper, who chortled and gloated over her. As Abilene's graceful demeanor fled and she caused her ruckus with the Ekans in defense of Plusle, Seviper quit his bellowed laughter and twisted his sickening head towards the events. Feathers saw this as her opportunity and callously flung her free claws into the Seviper's rigid body. He shrieked and flung himself flailing directly into his cohort, who was knocked away from the Sneasel's belongings. As Feathers staggered to stand, she dug her feet into the soil, planting herself in a readied offense while the Seviper and his cohorts' heads spun in a dizzy disarray. Feathers had pushed them to their limits, and she herself was struggling with the inner urge to give in and blackout.
In the confusion, Plusle freed himself from Abilene's protective embrace and scampered out of vision, immersed into the black throat of the cavern. As weightless as his attacker, the Ekans was forcibly levitated into the surreal air. A gentle pink illumination perforated the damp air surrounding him. "H-hey! W-woah!" Without so much as a sound, Abilene fiercely shot her arm upwards and the Ekans followed, slicing through the air like a knife until he found himself a dizzied mess atop his comrades, who didn't appreciate his impactful landing. The three serpents fell limp simultaneously, slipping away from consciousness.
Panting sharp breathes, Feathers shot her gaze towards Abilene, the ferocity remaining in her gaze. Abilene gently fluttered down from her elevation, the flowing gown she wore formed into a standstill drape. She opened her eyes softly and was alarmed by the Sneasel's condition, let alone the savagery in her countenance. Feathers squinted towards her partner, before her eyes shot open with a shriek; "The kid!" Abilene's fragile heart shattered in dismay as Feathers shot around 180 degrees and began to dart down the pitch-black corridor. Her efforts were immediately without triumph, as she shrieked again, this time a sharp dagger of a sound as she clutched her side and crashed into the ground, moaning gently with each exhale.
Within seconds, the Gardevoir was by her wounded side kneeling fluidly. "Feathers, dear, you've been poisoned." She extended her smooth arm towards her companion, placing her hand-like paws on the ice-type's generally frozen head. Sneasels had a body temperature of below freezing, which made feeling one's body an arduous task. An illness was easy to identify in them, as their temperature will begin to feel more comfortable to the untrained hand. Feathers' wincing forehead felt as warm as Abilene's loving gesture, indicating an immediate danger to her.
Out of stubborn disposition, the feathered Sneasel swatted Abilene's hand, refusing to be caressed. "I'm fine. Get the kid." Feathers coughed and wheezed in her nasally accent, struggling to find the words she felt fit the situation.
Ignoring her headstrong partner, the Gardevoir reached to cradle Feathers in her arms, presumably to bring her to safety. "I'll find him momentarily, but you need my help."
"The heck I do!" She must've used all the remaining energy she had just to force Abilene's hands away like that. She rasped and choked on her words. "You never listen… If you hadn't lit up the cave, I wouldn't be so banged up." She was obstinate and irate, full of as much bad blood as poison. This indignant position took her Gardevoir off guard, as she nearly stumbled back after being pushed.
"Plusle was frightened. Had I not illuminated the cave, his sparks surely would have." Her voice faltered from it's typical posh and ladylike tone. Abilene was refined, of a high class. She only ever fell from this status in two circumstances; when a child is in danger, or when Feathers was being a pest. The current situation called for both.
"The kid got scared! So what? That's what kids do!" Feathers had unanimously decided that arguing her stance was a worthy use for her remaining strength. She couldn't keep it up for long, she was fading fast. Her enhanced night-vision began failing her as blackness crept forth from the far end of the room. "Kids and cowards," ,she coughed, struggling to breathe through her harsh words.
"You insufferable creature!" Abilene rose swiftly, her flowing gown unfurling like a dropped banner. "If you are referring to the Shoreline Grotto incident, I'll hear no more of your insults!" The Gardevoir took a deep, dignified breathe and collected herself.
"Shoreline Grotto, the Dunsparce Job, Mia's Job…" Feathers clawed and dragged herself through the soil towards her fallen satchel. It hung open slightly from the curious Ekans' inspections. "Take your pick…"
Abilene's jaw flew open, her heart unable to keep up with the cruelty of Sneasel's slander. She eyed the pouch that Feathers scuffled towards. Revealing a single dainty leg from under her elegant torso, the flustered Gardevoir kicked at the satchel. The brown shoulder bag hopped up and skipped a few feet before landing on Sneasel's dug-in paw. To Abilene's astonishment, the unsecured pouch flung an assortment of glittering gemstones into the dust-touched air of the damp cavern. Glancing weakly towards the stones that shone under Abilene's luminous power, the Sneasel let her head slump down and her feathered tail twitched in embarrassment before falling limp as well.
"Aren't we one to judge another's actions?" Abilene's rhythmic voice taunted her Sneasel companion. "Thievery matches cowardice."
Silence creeped in between the two, and for a moment Abilene considered that Feathers had fainted and succumbed to her injuries. The intense moment was serenaded by the dripping water which acted as a metronome to count the beats of each second where nothing was said and all was still.
"Go home, princess." Feathers finally spoke through the dirt that blew out from under her mouth as she spoke. "Royalty should stay outta this."
"I am not royalty."
"You're right. You were afraid of that too."
The silence returned. Nothing was said to refute or argue after that point as tensions were left to sit high above the submerged cavern. Feathers treated her wounds with pecha oil from her bag, which helped to restore her from her poison. She gathered up the assortment of gems, reds, blues, greens, all were stuffed back into their cluttered space in her satchel. Abilene didn't dare speak. The light in the cave was dimmer now than it had been. She hadn't been able to concentrate on maintaining the level of visibility. She feared greatly for Plusle's safety, but dared not venture ahead without Feathers. As much as she hated to admit it, the Gardevoir wasn't much in the way of a talented combatant. She was alerted to an incoming sound when she noticed Feathers' ear shoot up and tail twitch. Normally at this point, her Sneasel would be sharing the details of the approaching Pokemon, how far they were, estimated species, how many there were. She remained as silent and still as the air around the pair.
To Abilene's consolation, two meager creatures appeared from the black curtains at the edge of the chamber. "Feathers! Abilene! I found him! I found Minun!" It was their young contractor himself, Plusle. In the heat of battle, the adolescent heard his friend's cry deeper in the cave and rushed to his aid whilst the pair battled on his behalf. Minun was in identical stature to Plusle, with blue accents being his distinguishing trait in the murky pink light. The Gardevoir lowered her head and exhaled softly, removing herself mentally from Feather's hostile company. She said nothing, but knelt to better rest at the small mice-like creatures' heights.
Feathers paid no attention to them, to anyone but herself, as she treated her injuries. With a light tumble and a firm hop, Plusle was on top of a rock that acted as a stage for the Pokemon. "Minun! These are them! The ones I told you about! This is Abilene and that's Feathers!" The giddy young creature pointed with his whole paw towards the two when he assigned their names to his newly rescued friend. Feathers turned her entire body away. "They're the greatest rescue team in the whole village! No no no, in the whole world!"
A warm blush of modesty filled Abilene's cheeks and it only grew when Minun spoke. "Wow. A real life rescue team came to help me! What's your team called?" In his excitement, the youth forgot to reassure them that he was okay or even thank them. Abilene's eyes shot open and her regal head listed gently to the side. Feathers' scoff bounced off the earthy interior in an echo that shook the Gardevoir to her core.
They had no name. They couldn't mutually decide on any moniker that summed them up, so the unlikely pair elected to go without one. It caused for a lot of confusion and made it a hassle to explain. Feathers thought it was unimportant to have a title, that their actions would speak for them, but Abilene found it improper to not have some form of name, especially now when asked to provide one.
"Queenly", the word cascaded from the Gardevoir's lips like a gentle fountain of crystal water. "We are Team Queenly."
