Chapter VIII - Petrichor
Celestine gasped as she jolted awake in a cold sweat. Her chest held a tightness that restricted her breathing, and she was left shaky. She glanced around herself, only to find that she was still within her room.
Calming her breaths, Celestine looked around. A... a nightmare? I guess so...
She shifted her focus to the vacant hole in the ceiling. Still dark... what time is it?
Celestine let her body go limp as she fell back to the bed, and she let out a sigh.
Arceus... I'm so tired... She rubbed her eyes. That nightmare was... reminds me of... Panni...
The Espeon clenched her teeth as her eyes began to water. Why... we were right there, and we still failed...
Celestine was seething, and she slammed a paw into the bed as hard as she could, not wincing at the slight pain it caused.
"I tried... so hard... and yet..." face-down, she clenched her paws tightly. What's it matter? Why do I work so hard when I know the end result will be the same...?
Soon Celestine's mood had shifted from overwhelmingly angry, to helplessly sad.
She tried her best to hold back sobs, but her efforts lasted no more than a few seconds. An empty-hearted "Why?" was all she could utter before breaking into tears, and it wasn't long until she cried the night away...
When Pathos woke up, he found himself in a rather uncomfortable position, and he was surprised he managed to sleep well.
He got up and stretched, only to plop back down onto the cushiony bed, giving a heartless sigh.
What a day yesterday was... It was terrible, but we somehow made it through. I just hope Celestine is doing better now...
The Absol lay in bed awhile, staring at the bright hole in the ceiling. He got up, this time leaping off the bed and stretching before exiting the room.
In the hub, it was quiet, and there was no sight of Celestine. He figured she was still asleep, and made his way over to the door leading to her room.
Pathos paused when he arrived. Wouldn't it be rude for him to barge in and wake her up?
He bit his lip, but slowly pushed the door open, bracing for what could happen next.
Except nothing did.
Pathos, confused, carefully slid out of the doorway and into the room. He looked around, but found no sign of his partner. She... already left? Did she perhaps forget about me?
No, he figured, she didn't. But if she didn't forget about him, then what would her reasoning be for leaving him behind...?
Could it be that she... abandoned me here? That she just up and left The Invictus? He lingered on the thought for a moment before shaking his head, realizing how stupid the idea sounded. No, I don't think she would have done that. The events that happened during our mission were devastating, but there's no way they've affected her like that. And besides, why she left doesn't matter right now. What matters is where she went.
The Absol left the bedroom, and went to where he left the bag last night. The team bag was already gone, confirming Celestine's departure.
Disregarding the bag's empty status, Pathos picked up the bag, slung it around his neck, and shoved open the doors leading into the hallway.
The light tubes illuminated the halls with a blissful glow, the light semi-brightly reflecting off the Absol's stained fur.
Pathos squinted when he emerged out of the hall and into the hub room. There weren't nearly as many Pokémon about as there were before they left on their mission, but it was still packed.
The Absol sucked in a heavy breath, and climbed down the steps to the main floor. He paid no attention to the stores and groups of Pokémon that surrounded him, though the idea of stopping to listen to the flowing water crossed his mind.
He deftly wiggled through crowds towards the mess hall. Pathos had thought that Celestine would have headed there first in the morning—that's what he'd have done.
But after he entered and looked around, she wasn't immediately spotted. He wandered around and searched for her, but his efforts yielded naught. He considered stopping to eat, but he decided his search for Celestine was a higher priority.
Having cleared the possibility of his partner being in the mess hall, he made way for the mission room, figuring her eagerness to work, coupled with the prior day's events, may have brought her there. When he arrived, there was a group of Pokémon in the room, bearing a variety of unusual Pokémon. Some were chatting, some were minding their own business, and lots of others were taking in all the different mission options they had to choose from. But after a few minutes of searching, not a single one turned out to be Celestine.
Getting frustrated, Pathos made an about-face and aimed for the exit. If she was not at either of the two places she was most likely to be, surely he'd find her outside in Fort Securitas. If anything, it allowed him the chance to finally explore his setting—as well as moving around and taking his time, without the worries of a job.
Pathos weaved through crowds and galloped through corridors until he reached the staircase leading to the entrance lobby. He climbed them and exited into the lobby. Iris didn't seem to be present, and there was a line of people patiently waiting for her to get back.
The Absol curved around the line and pushed open the massive doors leading outside. He was nearly blinded by the great rays of sunlight that rained upon his eyes from above.
Squinting, Pathos gazed out upon his surroundings. The last time he'd been in Fort Securitas, it was nearly pitch-black, his path only being brightened by lamps scattered pathetically about, leaving him unable to make out any details. Now, with all this light, he could see many of the town's features. There were tons of narrow streets, the buildings on either side stacked high, some taller or shorter than others. Said buildings were actually carved out of the ground, rather than built, which surprised Pathos.
Out in the streets, tons of Pokémon were up and about. Plenty of noise was being generated by the residents of the city, quite the contrast to the last time Pathos was out here. He hled a vantage point that allowed him to absorb the actual size of the city. Closer to his position, buildings and streets seemed more exotic and well-designed, while those farther out presented themselves less so.
Not wanting to let himself get distracted by the breathtaking sights of the city, the Absol trotted down the stairs, and walked down the street in front of him with no idea where he should go next.
In a city this large, there must be so many things to do, so many places to look for Celestine... Where do I even start?!
Pathos absentmindedly sauntered through the various roads until he came upon a wide junction that harbored multiple paths and a few stores like the ones back in The Invictus, though less showy and interesting.
One of the paths caught Pathos' attention due to the fact that it led away from the heart of the city, and at its end, there was a large, jagged wall with a corridor dug through it. Despite the temptation to explore more of the city, something about the mysterious path egged him on until he reluctantly chose to take the path.
Down the path he walked, buildings becoming scarcer the further he went, and the wall appearing to grow larger the closer he got. It was also made apparent that the corridor that had been cut through the rock was far larger than he imagined.
He ignored it at first, but the more he walked, Pathos realized a fresh, enlightening smell overtook his nose, much like the smell that hung in the air the first time he walked into The Invictus' hub room. Wait, then that means... The Absol staggered as he sped up his pace, eager to find out what lay on the other side of the wall.
When he entered the corridor, he found it was lit up with the same kind of magical fires that were used throughout the city. The crisp scent was vented through the tunnel, making the smell particularly strong within.
Pathos breathed in through his nose, letting the blissful smell control him as he emerged at the end of the tunnel, his eyes overwhelmed with a breathtaking sight. Pathos stood aloft a platform that overlooked a massive, gorgeous, oblong lake that reflected the light that shined from above. It was surrounded by a rocky shoreline that receded to a more level design the further from the edge of the lake he looked. Lamps were placed not far from the edge of the lake, all the way around. There were other points of interest at various points around the lake, but it seemed that the biggest of them all was on the far side of the huge body of water, where there was a wide variety of small shacks and stands, all enveloped in a thick sea of Pokémon.
He knew of the lake from Edur, but the sheer size and splendor was far more than he expected, its beauty nearly outshining that of the spot up on the mountain that overlooked the massive prairie.
Pathos stared in awe as various Pokémon brushed past him. So this... This is Lake Dorothea? It's no wonder Fort Securitas is so large! This is probably the single largest body of water in the whole desert, so it's only natural people would live here.
Making a mental note to stop and take in the lake's grandeur after finding Celestine, he shifted focus to the stairs to his right that gave way to the ground below, and walked down them, further capturing the grand scope of the whole scene.
Pathos looked around once more, and noticed that this half of Fort Securitas seemed to be far more natural, at least the cavern part of it did. The wide dome roof and the rutted walls were more intricate and fascinating than those surrounding the city part. Stalactites protruded down sparsely, too. Embedded in the roof were many holes that gave way to light, the rays spreading enough to sufficiently light the whole cavern, their trails sometimes being outlined by clouds of dust.
The Absol began to walk around the lake. Despite his hardest efforts, he could not remove his gaze from the lake, and he even found himself inching ever closer. The scent it gave off was enticing, but he resisted the urge to stop and stare.
As Pathos closed the distance between him and the mass of Pokémon, he had to take a moment to comprehend the sudden realization of how hard it would be for him to find his teammate within the dense blanket of people, if she was to be found here. He bit his lip, mulling over any options that would be far easier than simply squeezing through and hoping to find Celestine.
One possibility was him going around to various shopkeepers and passersby, asking if they'd seen the Espeon anywhere. Another option was to simply retreat back to the team base and wait for her to return. Yet another would be discarding the possibility that Celestine had found herself in this mess, walking back to the city, and looking around there.
And yet, the Dark-type couldn't help but choose to shove his way through the swarm in desperate pursuit. Pathos vehemently sucked in a breath, and stepped forward, determined to find his partner.
The diversity of the Pokémon in the conglomeration was staggering. Nearly each one Pathos passed by was a different species than the last. Different colors, dialects, sizes, and shapes; he was beginning to regret this decision. He was constantly being pushed into other people, and he was deafened by all the sounds that combined together into dissatisfying reverberations.
The Absol winced, but pressed forward. I have to be thorough, he thought, honing his sights. A simple discouragement didn't need to be the end of his search.
Pathos had soon lost his track of time after a few minutes, still with no sight of Celestine. Getting banged around was starting to take its toll, and he was fairly sure his ears would be ringing should he go somewhere quiet.
He shouldered his way past someone into a clearing, and the Absol sat and lifted his head, sighing. He found himself in what appeared to be a plaza of sorts. He didn't take the time to notice much more, for the only thing in his mind was getting away from all those Pokémon and letting his ears catch a break after withstanding so much noise.
I've only been sifting through here for a few minutes or so, and I'm already having to stop to breathe. Maybe it's just the close proximity to all these people, but perhaps it still would have been better to wait back at the base...
Pathos clenched his teeth, and rose from the ground. He stretched, and then looked around, deciding on what to do next, when he spotted something. Glancing to his right, he could see that there was a lavender blur looking for a way through the crowd. He shrugged it off at first, figuring due to the sheer amount of Pokémon there, that there was a good chance of there being other Pokémon of the same color as Celestine. But then he noticed a golden smear painted on the pink creature's neck, as well as a small bag hanging from their neck.
Pathos was fully convinced—it was Celestine! He half-chuckled and sighed as he walked on over, relieved to have found her. Trying to catch her attention, he shouted "Hey, Celestine!"
Celestine jumped at the mention of her name, spinning to be greeted by Pathos. "Oh, hey..." she said dejectedly, turning her head. Her solemn expression did all the more to catch Pathos' concern.
Pathos slightly frowned in response. "I... when I woke up, I noticed you were gone, so I decided to come look for you. I would've waited for you, but... I just wanted to make sure things were okay. Thank Arceus I managed to find you when I did. I was about to give up on looking for you here. Where have you been?"
The Espeon bit her lip. "W-well, I woke up rather early today, and I couldn't get back to sleep, so I decided to just go around and... wander. I would've liked to buy something at one of the stores, but... well, you know."
"Yeah," the Absol said, turning to look at the lake, only to remember he was in the middle of a large group of Pokémon, hindering his view of the lake. He looked back at his partner. "I couldn't help but stare at the lake on my way over here. It's so mystical to see something like a lake in the desert. I mean, we're underground and all, but still!"
"It really is wonderful, isn't it...?" Celestine uttered, clutching her bag and looking down, a heavy sigh escaping her.
"Celestine... is everything alright...?" Pathos asked, getting closer and putting a paw on her back.
She nodded, not making eye contact with the Absol, her expression turning gray. "Well... yeah, I'm fine, just a little... troubled."
Keeping his paw on her back, Pathos tried looking her in the eye. "Hey, what's wrong? I haven't known you for the longest time, but I can at least tell when something's bothering you. Because, to me, you look a little more than troubled."
The Espeon shrugged his paw off, and she gave him the cold shoulder. "Look, it's fine. I'm sorry if I'm worrying you, but I'll be okay."
She began to walk off, but after she got about four steps away, Pathos spoke up. "Celestine, I... I trust your word, but... just let me know if there's anything I can do to help, alright?"
"I already told you, it's fine, okay? Let's just go back to the base and get ourselves a mission... while there's still time..."
With a heavy sigh, Pathos said, "Celestine, you can't do this to yourself. You know you had nothing to do with Panni's death. We did the best we could." Pathos walked over to her and gave a sympathetic nod. "Celestine, with how our first mission went, I don't want you to go out when you're like this. Why don't we just take the day off and—"
"And let down yet another person?! No! I refuse to let that happen again! We are not sitting this one out Pathos, I'm not going to let that happen!"
Pathos stepped back, as if the Espeon's anger was radiating like heat from a fire. "I know... I'm not suggesting we let that happen. But there's plenty of people who can help rescue other than us. We don't have to be up and about at all times, especially not when we're like... this.
"I don't want you to push yourself right now, Celestine. It hurt to see you broken after what happened, and I can't stand to see it happen again."
Celestine looked back and hissed. "Look, it's not going to stop hurting until we get out there, and, you know, actually rescue someone instead of letting them die! You want to help me forget about it? Good, then let's go, and actually do something right for once."
Pathos stomped, kicking dust into the air. "Celestine, it's going to happen again, unless you take a rest and clear your mind! You can't just pretend you're up to the task—"
"Not up to the task?! I don't seem to remember you being able to do anything about it either! So what are you saying, then? You just want to quit this whole thing? You want to give up just because we failed?"
"That's not what I'm saying at all!" Pathos retorted. "I'm saying that you're not thinking straight. You're not going to perform well if you head out the way you are, further ruining what could already go bad!"
"As if you know anything about me!" Celestine responded in a shout. "I said I'm fine, you should simply take it and leave it there! Just... why can't you listen to me and forget about it?"
"Because you're the only friend I've ever had, so I'll be damned if I don't make sure you're alright. We nearly died four times in the dungeon, yet you seemed to pay no attention to the danger! I'm trying to protect you, not harm you! What's so hard to understand about that?"
Pathos huffed guiltily as he cleared his throat. "Celestine... I don't want you to do anything irrational, just because of some desire you have to save people. I owe you for what you've done for me. I'm not against saving people at all. As a matter of fact, I'm here, trying to save you."
The Espeon clenched her teeth and said, "What's my life matter in comparison to that of tens of hundreds of others? Pathos, I can't stand by as people suffer every day, it makes me sick doing so! Is that what you want? For me to sit back and be tortured as I watch countless people fall to this world?"
"Celestine, you need to stop this, please...! I don't want you mad at me! I'm just doing what's best for you!"
"Best for me?!" Celestine shouted, stomping over and poking a claw into Pathos' chest, causing him to stagger. "So you really think you have my best interests in mind? You know, when you accepted my invitation to the team, I thought you'd be a help. I thought you'd be reliable. But now, I'm not so sure. Because you're here, preventing me from achieving everything I joined The Invictus for!"
The Psychic-type got into a stance, and her eyes brightened to an ethereal cyan, the same color dimly outlining Celestine's body. Before Pathos even had the time to comprehend what she was doing, he felt something heavy collide with the left side of his head, knocking him to the ground, his vision leaving him for a moment.
Groggily, the Absol slowly rose, trying to rub the side of his head, a headache emerging from the depths of his mind. He heard gasps and yelling all around him, but he couldn't focus. He then glanced to his left, where a small wooden chair clattered when it hit the ground. Looking back at his partner, Pathos said, "Celestine, what are you...?"
A light sob escaped Celestine's mouth, her face contorted in anger. "I trusted you, Pathos! I cared for you, even brought you here! What happened to repaying me for what I've done? Did you just throw that out the window, like you have everything else?!"
The Espeon's sudden comment took him by surprise. He hadn't expected something so hurtful to come from her, he almost didn't want to believe what she said.
A quivering Pathos steadied himself and stepped closer to the Psychic-type. "Celestine, you... You don't—"
"Oh, what is it now? Are you going to come up with another bullshit reason?" She bared her teeth. "I've spent day in, day out, trying to be of help to someone, anyone! Now I'm here, one step closer to achieving my goal." She straightened her posture. "I helped you in that damn desert, but you don't even seem thankful for it! Maybe you are just another stepping stone!"
That one hurt him. He felt the hostility in her words, and it hurt him and his pride. There was just no way she could mean them, surely?
"Celestine, you're out of your mind! You don't mean any of that! I—" Pathos stammered, at a loss for words. What should he do? How on earth could he calm her down? He'd never seen her angry, let alone furious!
Celestine's fur bristled. "Look, I'm done with you! I gave you your chance, and you blew it! Get out of my sight before I make you wish you were!"
But Pathos held his ground, determined to bring the Espeon to her senses. "Celestine, I beg you, just listen to me! Please, just let's go ba—"
Once again Pathos was slammed with the wooden chair, a sharp edge digging into his head. The sudden blow disrupted his balance, and he could feel himself becoming wobbly.
The chair fell to the ground again, and Pathos failed to notice the steadily growing patch of red fur on his head. "Celestine, please..."
The Espeon bit the corner of her lip and raised her head. With a force and tone Pathos never knew she was capable of, Celestine said, "I should have just left you to die."
The Absol's words were caught in his throat. He was astonished that she would have said such a thing. He refused to believe it was true, but his shock prevented him from saying anything. She... Why?
The throbbing pain in Pathos' head drove him to the ground, where he craned his neck to watch as his teammate turned and glanced back at him with a disheartened stare. Not more than a second later, she walked off, shoving herself through the sea of Pokémon, disappearing from his sight, slowly but surely.
Pathos was only now realizing what had just happened. He grabbed the side of his head with his paw, feeling the moist fur. What have I done...
"There we are. That should help stunt the bleeding. It was a minor cut, but it's a good thing you came here."
Pathos heartlessly sighed, feeling the bandage wrapped around his head. It was made of a soft cloth, but its presence was irritating.
After his fight with Celestine, Pathos sought the help of a passerby to make it here, a clinic of sorts within The Invictus. He had troubles navigating his way through the corridors, having to constantly focus on the cut on his head. Apparently he'd passed out once he arrived, and when he woke up, he found himself perched upon a bed. The room was quite large, and had a wide variety of supplies, like herbs, some boxes in a corner, as well as a collection of medical utensils. There were at least ten other beds around the room as well.
A large, grey and white metallic being carefully stepped away from the Absol, admiring their work. "Well, that should do it for anything physical. I can't do much more for your headache besides giving you some herbs, and maybe some berry juice," the Aggron said in a soft but firm voice.
He waved her off. "It's okay, Maea. This'll do just fine. It's not like I'm going on any missions soon. I can just rest up and I should be okay"
She nodded. "Alright, then. May I help you down, Pathos?" she said, tiptoeing closer.
Pathos nodded, unsteadily getting to his feet, Maea's clawed hands hovering just above and below him, in case he fell. The Absol tensed up, and half-jumped off the bed, grunting as he contacted with the ground.
"If I may ask," the Aggron said, bending down to make it easier for Pathos to see her, "how did you find yourself in this condition? You never did tell me what happened."
The Dark-type looked away abashedly. "It's... rather personal. A stupid mistake on my part. I'm still in disbelief..."
Maea stayed quiet for a bit, seeming to take the information in. "Ah, okay. I apologize for asking... How do you feel?"
Pathos wasn't sure he felt anything. He was still shocked at Celestine's last words to him. There's no way she would have said such a thing, but the tone in her voice...
Just when he thought his guilt trip was over, it all came crashing down on him. His heart sank, and his argument with the Espeon replayed over and over in his head.
The Aggron gently knelt down, placing a hand on Pathos' back. "You don't seem to be doing that well. Why don't you head back to your place and get some rest? I'm sure you need it."
The Absol barely nodded, but he hesitated to start heading back. What would become of him now? How could he ever face Celestine again, knowing full well that he had truly gone too far?
He couldn't stand to think about what had happened. It came as too big of a surprise, he had no way of reacting to the results.
Pathos quietly set off, leaving through a rocky doorway on the other side of the room. He exited out into the corridor not far from the mission room. He was surprised to notice that there was barely any light shimmering through the holes above him. Had he really spent that much time in the clinic?
He stopped, his head pulsating again. When it stopped, he resumed his solemn gait. What had started as a simple search ended up avalanching into an absolute mess.
Arceus damnit, look at me... what on earth was I thinking...? Why did I think it was okay to say those things?
Pathos sighed. It was done, and there was nothing he could do about it—or was there? The Absol realized there was a chance that Celestine had returned back to their base.
This resolution put an extra kick into his step, and he jogged his way back, praying that his teammate had simply went back there. Pathos completely brushed off everything around him. He only wanted to return to the team base and have Celestine greet him there.
When he reached the door to the base, he paused, a sliver of doubt flashing in front of him, but he held his head high, and pushed open the door.
Where he expected to be approached by the Espeon he had grown to know, there was nobody.
His unfounded faith finally catching up to him, Pathos looked around, with no sign of his companion.
The Absol slumped to his side, coming face to face with the truth. Celestine was gone.
He clenched his teeth, angry at himself for letting this happen. He'd let his own emotions overtake him during their argument. He was blind.
So now this is reality. What do I do? The team leader's gone, hell, this isn't even a team anymore... Pathos wanted so badly to clutch his head, kicking and screaming. But he suppressed those feelings.
No, I can't handle this right now. Maybe I should just go outside... to relax...
Pathos ignored Maea's suggestion and turned a cold shoulder to the room, and started to walk. To where, he did not know. At this point, all he desired was to forget about what had happened. He couldn't believe it. His one and only friend, now exiled from his life.
His headache was still nagging at him, but it paled in comparison to what else he was currently feeling. His head bandage no longer bothered him, either. Right now, it were as if he was a shell of his former self.
The many doors and Pokémon he walked past were blurs in his peripheral vision. He didn't have anything on his mind, just where he was going.
After everything she did for me, and I still... The Absol sniffed. Celestine was right. She should have left me for dead. That would have been an act of pity on her part.
Pathos wasn't sure what he felt. Fear? Sadness? Guilt? Anger? It was all there, and it all wasn't. It disoriented him.
It wasn't for twenty (Or was it thirty? Pathos didn't try and keep track of time) minutes that Pathos emerged at the top of the steps to the lobby. The line of Pokémon that was there earlier was now gone, and Iris was still nowhere to be seen.
He pushed open the doors, and stared out upon the dimly lit city in front of him. He shrugged and continued his stride.
Through the cobblestone streets and alleys he sauntered, unsure where to go. The lake was a no-go, so the only way left was up. At the very least, he could admire the city's beauty from afar, as if it would help.
He took his time walking through the city, sometimes stopping to look at signs or stare at the lamps. When he found the pathway that led back up to the lookout point, he wasted no time getting over to it. The dim, amber-colored lamps brought back nostalgic memories of the first time he saw Fort Securitas. Memories of her...
Pathos peered through the dark at the city and the large pillar. The one other time he was up here, he had finally gained a hope. A hope that he could find purpose. A hope that had just been snuffed out.
Pathos still did not wish to return to the team base (he couldn't help calling it that), and so he made an about-face, and marched up the stairs. He wasn't sure why he wanted to go out and look at the inside of the fortress walls, but he didn't mind.
When the Absol reached the top of the stairs, he heard a light pitter-patter resounding from past the doors. Curious, he pushed open the doors, and was taken aback.
Outside, for the first time in his life, it was raining. The sky, from end to end, painted with grey rainclouds unleashing their aqueous payload. An almost deafening amount of sound raided his senses, and he didn't know what to do. His fur quickly became sopping wet, as did his bandage, but he didn't even care. It was rain, something unheard of in the desert.
He should have been happy, grateful, even, for the storm. But he wasn't. The gloominess did nothing but remind him of his fight with Celestine, at the lakeside.
He couldn't help it; he fell to the ground and began sobbing. Everything had finally caught up with him. The pain hit him all at once. It hurt, because he finally understood what losing Celestine meant. It meant losing the most important thing in the world. She was all he had since he woke up in Vadimas' tent. He had nothing other than her, and now she was gone. And it was all his fault.
The grave realization made him cry. He cried, and cried, and cried. Because he didn't just ruin a friendship. He lost the only thing in the world he cared about.
End of Chapter VIII