Author's notes:

Aiee, months and months without an update! I am so sorry!

Some vital characters are making a comeback in this chapter. (I presume some of you are wondering what the hell is happening on Ashikase's side.) Thanks to everyone who gave feedback on the previous chapter; I'll admit that I myself rather enjoyed making Kousei angry.

The character Kouseikei and the gijinka (humanized) forms are my creations, but the Salamence species and Pokémon in general are all the property of Satoshi Tajiri.

…o0o…

Part II: Healing the Wings

Chapter V: Crystal, Wind, and Water

"Well, what's this?" Mesprit chuckled upon seeing a branch of blossoms in full bloom nestled within her Temporal brother's arms. "You never told us you had such a liking for pretty flowers, Big Brother!"

Uxie and Azelf tittered, apparently sharing their sister's sentiments. Dialga glared at them, annoyed and embarrassed by the statement.

"These aren't mine, you imp," he answered back, blushing slightly. "I received them from Palkia early this morning, along with instructions to transplant it near her lotus pond in the garden."

"Oooh, where do you think she got this… this… what is it?" Azelf said, stepping close to Dialga so as to inspect the flowering branch.

"It's a bough from a magnolia tree," Uxie said automatically, effortlessly retrieving that information from the wide array of knowledge that came naturally to her.

"Whatever it is, it's quite pretty isn't it?" Mesprit remarked, sniffing at the blossoms with added relish. Then she began to giggle.

"What on earth is the matter with you?" Dialga asked, frowning at the Goddess of Emotion.

Mesprit was able to suppress her giggling long enough to give a coherent reply.

"Do you think Big Sister has an admirer, and he gave this to her as a gift?" she whispered. Her mischievous aura was clearly tangible within the little gathering of the children of Arceus.

"Don't be ridiculous," Dialga answered. Although he tried to be calm, it was plain that he was horrified at the thought of a man attempting to pay court to his older sister. "No one would dare trifle with the Goddess of Space."

"On the contrary," Mesprit said in rebuttal, "no would dare trifle with the Goddess of Space's brother."

"True," Azelf added as an affirmative. "If I don't know any better, Dialga practically sent all of Palkia's potential suitors running for the door the moment he realized their intentions."

"Dialga is more protective of her than Father is," Uxie said, causing her sisters to laugh.

"Now that's enough," the God of Time snapped. "You'd better find Shaymin and see to it that this branch is properly planted before it dries up. Don't forget, Palkia is fearsome when angered. Just remember how she nearly flayed us after we accidentally drained her lotus pond eons ago…"

…o0o…

It was with a considerably lighter heart that Kouseikei left the Eagle's Nest with his immortal guide. Palkia had accompanied him as he offered his apologies to Setsu, who had clasped the young Salamence's hand as proof of their peace. And even better, the other inhabitants of the Eagle's Nest now regarded Kouseikei more cordially. He suspected that it was not only for having apologized to their fellow villager, but also because he was back on good terms with Palkia, who had incurred their sympathy during the fracas in the public square the day before.

"That girl, Peony, is all eyes for you again, isn't she?" the purple-haired deity remarked once they were back on the road.

"My Lady…" Kouseikei said with what sounded like an audible groan of despair. Maji, who sat on his shoulder, let out a worried chirp. Her concern was echoed by Palkia.

"I am sorry, Kousei," the female deity hastily replied. "I was just…"

However, Kouseikei immediately dispelled the feelings of dread that had come upon his companions. After stroking Maji's glossy feathers, he came into eye contact with Palkia, who was greatly relieved to see that he was smiling.

"I know you meant no ill, my Lady," he assured her. Then, in an unusual show of humor, he added, "Besides, you have far more admirers among them than I do."

Palkia chuckled, but the whisper that left her lips was serious, "I would prefer your company more than theirs, my friend."

The unexpected statement caught Kouseikei off guard, but he managed to blurt out a thank you before turning away. He just hoped Palkia didn't notice that he was blushing slightly. Maji did, apparently, because she was wearing the same smug look that she carried when she showed him the magnolia grove.

"Oh, and one more thing, Kousei," the goddess said, changing the topic. "Do you… do you know how to swim?"

"Eh?" the young Salamence replied automatically, puzzled by the nature of the question.

"I just remembered that we need to do a little bit of diving to reach the chamber housing the second cairn," Palkia explained apologetically.

Kouseikei wondered why they needed such swimming skills in a region where it's very unlikely to find a substantial body of water. Although there was still plenty of vegetation where they were, he couldn't see how they were to dive underwater. Surely not while they were standing on craggy mountains…

"The truth is, my Lady," he replied, nervously tugging at a teal lock of hair that framed his face, "I just swam like any member of the Salamence line, which is to say… hardly at all. Although we live near the Meteor Falls, it isn't exactly the sort of place to practice diving in."

Palkia had to chuckle at Kouseikei's choice of words.

"I understand," she said. "But we need to take to the water if we are to progress in our journey. Let us hurry to the place first, and then I'll see what we can do about our situation from there."

…o0o…

Kouseikei observed the crack on the rock face. It was hidden by a tangle of vines that grew over the entrance like a woven door, and he wouldn't have known it was there if Palkia hadn't pushed the thick plant growth aside to reveal the narrow entrance.

"The passage is quite dark, but it isn't too long," Palkia remarked, poking her head into the large crack.

"I doubt Maji would like to stay in such a place for a long time," Kouseikei said. Coaxing the Swellow to his forearm, he then addressed her. "Go and fly, Maji. You are free to go wherever you wish until we get back."

"Just make sure to check the entrance once in a while," Palkia added. She afterwards patted the Swellow on the head.

Maji gave an affirmative cheep, and Kouseikei launched her to the air. The avian promptly spread her wings and disappeared behind a curve of a rock formation. Once she was gone, Palkia and Kouseikei turned their attentions to the tunnel.

"It really is dark in there," he observed, his ebony eyes squinting at the passage.

"Worry not; I have light." At her words, there appeared in her right hand a nebulous-looking substance which quickly formed into a perfect sphere of pure brightness.

"Is that a…" Kouseikei muttered in recognition, his ebony eyes fixed on the light.

"A star, yes," she replied, reading his thoughts. "It is but a tiny echo of its siblings that dance in the heavens, but it cannot be dimmed by Water like Fire can. I have given it enough light to last only a few hours, so let us not dally."

Palkia let the tiny star hover close to them as they navigated the pitch-black passage. They cleared the tunnel in a few minutes, and it wasn't long before they were standing in a spacious cave. The star then floated to its center, revealing a large pool of water that one wouldn't think could exist in a mere mountain crevasse.

"Now on to our little dilemma," Palkia said. She crouched near the edge of the water and touched her fingertips to it. The resulting ripples caught the glow of the star, kindling silvery glimmers on the previously motionless liquid.

"Regardless of the depth," Kouseikei remarked, crouching beside her, "the water is remarkably clear. With the starlight, one can see to the bottom without much effort."

"Yes. And Jirachi's cairn could be reached through the underwater gate over there." She motioned towards the farthest end, where Kouseikei made out an opening in the cave wall positioned right at the very bottom of the pool.

"My Lady… the cairn is underwater?" he asked, dread rising in his heart. Even if he was the best non Water-type swimmer in the world, the young Salamence was pretty sure he could not hold his breath long enough to activate the cairn if that was so.

"No, no," Palkia said with a smile, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It is merely the passage that is underwater. When we get to the other side, you will see that it is on firm ground."

That information calmed Kouseikei slightly. He became so engrossed in trying to mentally recall what meager swimming skills he had learned from his Bagon days; he was only half-listening to Palkia when she said her next statements.

"…this rock shelf is just beyond the water's reach. We could place our clothes here while we..."

Immediately driving his daydreams away, Kouseikei turned to give Palkia his undivided attention. His jaw dropped before he could help it, for there was Palkia, standing with her back to him, untying her sash and letting her outer garments fall from her shoulders.

"Lady Palkia…"

"Kousei?" she said, looking over her shoulder and raising an eyebrow at him. "Remember, we have to get into the water."

Kouseikei merely took a few steps back, stumbling over several rocks as he did so. His facial expression was a priceless mix of horror, shock, and embarrassment, and made him look quite silly to Palkia.

"I… I can't…" he stammered, hiding his face in his hands. By now, she was clad only in the innermost layer of her ensemble, which was an undecorated sleeveless robe tied shut at the waist and reaching halfway down her thighs.

"Of course you can. You need to. It's only a swim."

"It's not that, my Lady…"

"Kouseikei, I am not going to steal your clothes," she said, crossing her hands over her chest. The young Salamence gaped at her, lowering his hands from his face. Palkia blinked a few times, no doubt as surprised as Kouseikei that she had said those words. Then, after a few awkward moments of silence, they simultaneously burst into genuine laughter, wiping a few drops of good-natured tears from their eyes.

Kouseikei slowly regained his composure. Although remnants of an embarrassed flush remained in his face, he was grinning.

"I guess it's just the right payback considering the circumstances of our first encounter," he replied, standing up unsteadily. "Your clothes are safe from me, my Lady," he added as an afterthought, a little guiltily.

Palkia snorted and waved at him to move on, walking back to the pool's edge at the same time. Following her example, Kouseikei discarded his tunic and folded it neatly beside her own pile. Leaving only his trousers on, he set aside his headgear and freed his hair from its low ponytail. The dark teal mane with its somewhat wavy tips fell freely down his shoulders, but even they could not soften the harsh-looking scars that marred his otherwise well-formed physique. Running a hand over the rough lines on his left cheek, Kouseikei sighed sadly. They were badges of dishonor in the eyes of his kinsmen.

"Are you all right?" Palkia called out softly, concerned by her mortal charge's silence. Kouseikei blinked and went up to her, apologizing for making her wait.

The Goddess of Space squeezed his hand in assurance before she took the first tentative steps into the pool. She splashed some water on to herself before entering the clear liquid. The young Salamence took a deep breath before he followed suit, but too late he discovered that the pool was deeper than any he had ever swum in. He splashed about like a clumsy Magikarp before Palkia rushed up to him, holding the struggling dragon steady so he could catch his breath. Kouseikei clutched at her at once, panic overwhelming his senses.

"Kousei… I'm choking!" Palkia gasped. Kouseikei's clutch was so tight; it was enough to constrict much of her respiration.

"I… I'm sorry, my Lady!" he said in a trembling tone. He longed to loosen his grip a little to accede to her wishes, but his fear refused to relinquish its hold on his motor systems.

Realizing his situation, Palkia soothingly rubbed slow circles on to his back. Gradually, the panicked spasms ceased, and they were both able to breathe normally. Kouseikei rested his head against her shoulder, immensely grateful for her support.

"I presume this means a crash course in swimming, don't you think?" she whispered once he was completely calm. Kouseikei was heavier than her, but she managed to keep their heads above the water thanks to her affinity with the element.

Kouseikei could only nod in silence, privately cursing himself for his lack of skill. He felt like a dragonling again, hanging on to Palkia for dear life in this hidden mountain pool. The Salamence was barely conscious of anything but his attempts to keep himself from drowning. Nothing, but nothing, could deter him from leaving the comfort zone within her arms. Never mind the fact that their bodies, clad only in a few scant pieces of clothing, were pressed so daringly close to each other as they embraced in the water.

"Water and Wind are not as different as you might think, Kousei," Palkia said gently. "Now follow my lead…"

It was rather scary at first, he had to admit. For a while, Kouseikei was reluctant to let go of his death grip on Palkia. She was patient, however. After a few tries and encouragements from his immortal teacher, he finally managed to tread the water sufficiently without her support. But the greater challenge, they both knew, was how to dive.

"Do you really think I could do it, Lady Palkia?" Kouseikei inquired uncertainly. They were once more at the banks of the pool, for Palkia had insisted that he rest for a while before embarking on the more difficult lesson.

"You are doing just fine, Kousei," Palkia replied. "If you have managed to fly once before, you would be able to do this too."

Kouseikei tried to point out that he hardly remembered how to fly anymore, but Palkia had returned to the water. She swam a few circuits around the pool before she signaled to him. Gathering his courage, the young Salamence got off from the rock to join her. Palkia then held his hands in preparation for the next step.

"Now we will go underwater," she explained. "No real diving yet; we have to make sure that you are comfortable with being completely submerged in the element so you can stay submerged."

They carried on with the little drill several times. Hand in hand, they would disappear underwater and remain there, stationary for a few moments. The water, Kouseikei found out, was unexpectedly gentle to the eyes. It was unnecessary to blink while he was completely in the water's grasp, and after surfacing for the fifth time, he felt considerably more at home in Palkia's main element.

"I guess you are ready," Palkia decided finally. "Kousei, I want you to take the deepest breath that you can. Descend down with me, and stay in place just as I have shown you. I will demonstrate how to dive, so watch closely."

The mortal dragon nodded, and on the count of three, he filled his lungs with air just as she had instructed. He descended with her to the depths, and while he was temporarily alarmed when she let go of his hands, Kouseikei found himself unable to tear his gaze from the goddess as she swam. Palkia was already quite graceful on land, but her movements attained a different allure when performed underwater. With her long hair trailing behind her like a veil, she lithely traversed the watery dimension with serpentine flexibility. Palkia took a sharp dive that brought her quickly to the rocks littering the bottom of the pool. After lingering there for a few moments, she returned to him, motioning for them to return to the surface.

Kouseikei did not expect himself to come close to equaling Palkia's fluid actions, so he was rather surprised when he found it easy to imitate her demonstration when he tried it himself. Although he couldn't quite stay so long underwater as she could, he soon found himself performing cartwheels in such an unexpected place. Palkia joyfully swam around the young dragon with the undulating motions of an otter, and when they resurfaced, they were laughing with delight. She was correct; Water and Wind are not so different after all. At that point in time, Palkia and Kouseikei were but two carefree spirits linked together in friendship.

They frolicked in the pool for some time, but the purpose of their practice returned to them soon enough. And so, after a few minutes of rest, they dove together once more, their destination being the submerged passage. The tiny star that Palkia had conjured for them was unaffected by the water, and followed them at her bidding. With its light, they found it easy to swim through the submarine hole and enter the cavern on the other side of the wall. When they broke the surface of the water, Kouseikei temporarily forgot to breathe. The walls of the new cavern were completely encrusted with large turquoise-colored crystals, which, once illuminated by their star, gave off an iridescent glow that bathed everything in a blue-green hue. The cairn itself stood on an island at the center, looking very humble in comparison to the cavern housing it.

Palkia and Kouseikei paddled to the island and pulled themselves up from the pool. Taking a stone that he had retrieved from the bottom of the cave, they immediately proceeded with the ritual of activating the cairn. Once Palkia had finished with her part, Kouseikei reverently placed the stone along with the blessed others. Even then, they did not leave; the Space Dragoness also showed the inclination to stay and admire the beauty of the crystal cave for a little longer.

"It reminds me of a stone I had found when I was still a Shelgon," Kouseikei reminisced fondly. He and Palkia sat at the edge of the island, gazing at the shimmering crystals side by side. "It looked like just another ordinary rock on the outside, but when Master Gyokuei split it in half for me, it turned out to be filled with purple crystals. Amethyst, he called them. I imagine that if the geode was as large as this cave, it would be just as wonderful to behold."

"Yes, it would be," Palkia said, nodding. She pulled her bare legs close to her body, resting her chin on her knees. Their hair and clothes clung to their bodies like a second layer of skin, but neither of them minded. "Caves like these are very rare. Water would have to carry the minerals to the rock so they could form these crystals, and you can imagine how long it would take. This chamber is the fruit of many, many years' worth of nature's labor."

Kouseikei looked around the chamber, appreciating the natural wonder anew. Upon seeing the cairn again, a sudden thought struck him.

"Lady Palkia," he said, "how exactly are wishes granted?"

Palkia looked at him with thoughtful ruby eyes. When she spoke again, her tone was softer, and had a mystical quality to it.

"Mortals have Spirit," she replied. "Will, Emotion, and Knowledge… extensions of the powers of my little sisters, the Lake Guardians. Spirit, in turn, gives a person the capacity to wish…"

Kouseikei found himself being drawn to Palkia's voice, and her words made their way into his consciousness like never before.

"Wishes greatly rely on a person's Spirit; his willpower, in particular." She then reached out and touched his heart. "With willpower, and the corresponding action on the mortal's part, he can make his wishes a reality. It is the same when the gods lend aid to those who call upon our names for help. We use the strength of the mortal's will to gauge how much power we can offer him, as a means to make the wish come true."

"Does it mean, my Lady, that the chance of a wish being realized is very much dependent on the willpower of the wisher?" Kouseikei asked.

"I cannot stress that enough. But that is not all. We deities could not simply lend out our powers at a whim. First of all, we have learned to withhold aid if it was foreseen that interceding would only do more harm than good. Warfare, for example, was first brought upon this world by two deities who had unwittingly sided with two opposing factions." Palkia then paused, raising her gaze to the ceiling. By the look in her eyes, Kouseikei knew that she was looking beyond the mere confines of the crystal-laden wall.

"Nonetheless," she continued, "even if the wish was deemed to be safe, our powers also have limitations. If the wish does not match the nature of our abilities, we could do very little to help. To tell you the truth, Kouseikei, I could not do much for your wing with what powers that I have."

"Space and dimensions," he whispered, understanding her point.

"Yes," she agreed. "The powers the great Arceus had given me were geared towards the formation of matter. Although it would eventually lead towards life, it cannot account for life itself, or its healing and regeneration. Do you have an idea about how I sense things, Kousei?"

Kouseikei shook his head. He wondered if he could even grasp what she was about to explain.

"Apart from the usual five senses," Palkia explained, "I could literally feel the bends and twists of the fabric of space. Every movement, every sound, could not escape reverberating through the fabric without me feeling it. It is especially useful during battles, because it enables me to sense opponents' attacks like no other person can."

"As long as they keep moving," Kouseikei remarked.

"Correct," she answered, beaming slightly. "And you are a perceptive warrior, Kouseikei, to have discerned my weakness so easily. More often than not, I have to wait for the enemy to make the first move. But even sensing movement alone could be tricky. Is that a falling leaf, or a fluttering insect wing? A friend's footsteps, or an enemy preparing for ambush? It is not so simple. Even though I have learned to harness Aura offensively, I could not use it to detect living beings like the Lucario line can. You may be wondering why I wasn't able to sense you when you stole my clothes. Now you know the answer."

Kouseikei simply smiled. Palkia was comfortable enough with him to reveal her limitations, and he was very honored by the privilege. He thought about telling the goddess that he would gladly cover her weakness with his Wind-sense throughout their journey, but he suddenly remembered that his Wind-sense was dulled, and would probably not be of much help.

"Jirachi, on the other hand," Palkia said, returning to the topic, "has the unique ability to turn wishes into reality regardless of their nature."

'That's why we needed Jirachi…' Kouseikei thought, seeing things through a new light.

"But in the end," she whispered, taking his hand in her own, "your willpower will decide everything. Even a god's abilities will not take effect if your will isn't strong enough, or if your wish has the slightest fragment of doubt."

Kouseikei understood that. Palkia had been stressing the importance of believing in one's self ever since the beginning of their journey, and now he realized why.

"I believe in you, Kouseikei," the Space Dragoness said, her voice full of trust.

"I believe in you too, Lady Palkia."

Ruby eyes met ebony. For a split second, Kouseikei thought that he saw a flicker of some intense emotion pass through her piercing gaze, but it was gone so quickly that he had no time to discern what it was. What he did notice, however, was that her cheeks were a tad rosier than usual.

"Thank you, my friend," she said in gratitude. When she spoke again, her tone was more cheerful. "And… you swim quite well, you know."

Kouseikei's eyes widened, and nervously he began to tug at a lock of hair again. Try as he might, though, he couldn't wipe the grin from his face.

"Oh, it's nothing," he said, feeling unusually elated by the compliment. "I… I have to give you much of the credit for that, my Lady. You looked really beautiful, too. I mean…" Kouseikei broke off, inwardly aghast that he had said more than what he intended to.

Palkia opened her mouth as though to reply, but apparently she couldn't form the right words on her lips. Instead, she began to twist her dark purple hair over her shoulder, looking oddly self-conscious as she did so. Silence stood between them for several minutes, with the only sounds being the occasional soft plop of water falling into the pool. Kouseikei mentally slapped himself for having caused the uncomfortable moment.

"We… we should get back," Palkia spoke up finally. "Maji is waiting for us, and…" Giving him an anxious look, she said, "You are already shivering. I will draw the water away from us later, so we will have ourselves dry again in no time."

Kouseikei quickly agreed, but not because of the cold that he was already feeling. Belatedly, he remembered that he and Palkia were wearing only a few bare essentials to hide their nakedness. His torso was completely unclothed, and she wasn't exactly wearing a long robe either. No one must know that the Goddess of Space had been alone with a man for quite some time in such a… confidential setting. As if the fact that he had let his tongue slip wasn't bad enough.

For the final time, they disappeared into the water with the star following them, letting the darkness reclaim the secrets of the crystal cave from whence they came.

…o0o…

Ashikase watched the Swellow carefully, knowing that from its actions, he would know when he would have to begin tailing his rival once again. He had caught up with Palkia and Kouseikei in the Eagle's Nest, but wisely he chose to observe them from afar, taking refuge in a small cave nearby. Hidden, he had seen how Kouseikei verbally lashed out at the goddess, and how she had withdrawn into the small pine forest near the village so she could shed tears without anyone seeing her.

'You portray yourself as level-headed, Kousei. But in the end, you are just like any other Salamence… fearful in temper, using fists instead of words to negotiate…'

…o0o…

"Kousei!" Ashikase called out to the other Shelgon, clearly relieved to find him there.

Kouseikei waved back, and gratefully he took the training weapon that his friend handed him. It was fashioned after the typical Salamence halberd, but it had blunt wood in the place of a sharp blade.

"Sorry for being a little late, Ashi," Kouseikei said, assuming battle stance. "I got so engrossed with my work; Master Gyokuei had to remind me that I would miss the mandatory military training if I did not leave."

Ashikase snorted, but dutifully he took the same battle stance as Kouseikei. He executed the first move, but Kouseikei skillfully parried the blow, causing it to fall harmlessly on the training halberd where the shock was neutralized.

"You are spending more and more time in the stonecarving den," Ashikase said, his tone accusing.

"I couldn't help it, Ashi. You know how I enjoy working with the dragon-scale stone."

Ashikase knew of Kouseikei's passion. Even he had admired the bits of handiwork that Kouseikei had shown him, but it was not enough to convince Ashikase that stonecarving could be any better than training to be a warrior.

"But either way," Ashikase replied, a little jealously, "you are still better than me when it comes to fighting. I honestly wonder how you managed to do it!"

Kouseikei smirked, and he changed his stance from defensive to offensive.

"Magic," he answered tauntingly. Ashikase felt his hand jar as Kouseikei's weapon came into contact with his own, causing him to falter momentarily. The other Shelgon was quick to deliver a disarming maneuver, and in just a few seconds, Ashikase found himself lying sprawled on the ground, his weapon now in his training partner's hands.

"I could almost believe it," Ashikase said, grinning as Kouseikei helped him up from the ground. The two of them took the time to exchange encouraging pats on the back before resuming their exercises, laughing occasionally in good-hearted fun.

…o0o…

A splash of white caught Ashikase's eye. Frowning slightly, he focused his vision and found out that it was a plain ribbon, entangled in the branches of the tree where he was sitting. Moving stealthily, he retrieved it, and was surprised to catch a most ethereal scent from the white band.

The scent of the lotus.

Palkia's scent.

Ashikase pressed the cloth against his nose and breathed in the fragrance deeply. He knew that it was hers. He had recognized from the very beginning that the goddess radiated a subtle perfume that could only be detected by Wind-sense.

A fact that Kouseikei had yet to realize.

After a few moments' hesitation, Ashikase folded up the ribbon and tucked it inside his tunic, careful to place it right over where his heart lay.