After Ho-oh had finished instructing me, he rose into the sky and the light danced off his seven coloured wings, leaving a rainbow trail behind him as he disappeared from sight. "I don't believe it, the Ho-oh have returned." Morty whispered as I sank down to my knees, suddenly feeling exhausted.
"Ruby?" I heard Jett speak my name softly but I was too tired to answer. Would it hurt to get some sleep now? Behind me I heard a chuckle and warm arms engulfed me, lifting me off the ground.
"You can sleep now, my brave little girl." Sam whispered to me as he easily carried me in his arms. "There is nothing more that you need to worry about, just sleep."
"Okay." I mumbled softly with a yawn then curled up a little, tucking myself in to my daddy's arms as he carried me away to rest. When I next awoke, I had all my Pokémon crowded around my bed, or at least, everyone who could fit. Outside were Charizard, Pidgeot, Gyarados and Dragonair. Integrated into the masses of Pokémon, I saw the smiling faces of all my friends and I smiled back, still a little sleepy.
Ash, Gary, Jett, May, Max, Katrina, Brock, Misty and Dawn. They were all here. "Pikachu." And yes, of course Pikachu was as well. Can't forget my favourite yellow static fluffball now, can I? Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder and scampered up the bed to my stomach where he sat, nose twitching as he flopped his head to the side cutely and I giggled before reaching out and rubbing his cheek in just the perfect spot, making him squeal. "Chuuuu!"
"Hey Ruby, you sure scared us a while there." Ash said to me, using his thumb to tip back his hat. "We came as fast as we could when we got your message."
"Yeah, we were all so worried." Katrina said as she stood close to Max's side, making the squirt blush slightly but smile all the same. "But the battle was amazing, I'm so glad I got to be a part of helping save the world."
"Glad you had fun Katrina." I said to her with a smile as I sat up.
"Ivysaur." My green friend said and his vines wrapped around my arm so I reached over and rubbed his head as Vaporeon jumped up and lay her head on my lap, rolling onto her back adorably as she beamed up at me.
"Vapor…Vaporeon…"
"You've been unconscious for two days." May told me in a soft voice with a smile to match. "The doctor's were worried about you being malnourished and all, but you pulled through, as always."
"Yeah, we need you fighting fit for the Grand Festival, I totally expect us three to be the ones to reach the semi finals." Dawn agreed as she beamed, holding Piplup in her arms. "But no need to worry, you'll be completely better by then!"
"Piplup Pip!"
"Thanks guys, I couldn't have done it without you." I told them, smiling as I hugged Vaporeon and Shieldon as Ivysaur helped him up onto the bed and my Pokémon all crowded closer, showering me in affections and hugs as I giggled. "So what happened whilst I was out?"
"We got news from Hoenn, the other aura guardians have been rescued and all are on the mend as well as their Lucario. Kianna and her grunts have all been locked away for a very long time. In fact, I'm pretty sure they'll never see freedom again." Max said before pouting. "Let's see how she likes having her liberty taken away."
"Oh Max, quit being so upset over it." May told her little brother. "It's all over now, so there's nothing to worry about. We all saved the day. Us and our Pokémon. We should do something to celebrate."
"Yeah! Like a picnic!" Misty said, Togetic floating beside her but held onto her shoulder with one little hand. She looked so cute, and all grown up too. "A huge banquet to thank the Pokémon for their hard work."
"I agree, that'll be awesome. I'll get to work on that right away." Brock nodded his head, turning to me. "I'm glad you're alright Ruby, I'll see you soon."
"You bet Brock, I'll come down and help you in a second." I said but Gary shook his head, placing his hand against my shoulder as I tried to sit up.
"Oh I don't think so Rubes, you're staying right there until you're completely recovered. You had a traumatic experienced and you still look pale." He fussed but I brushed it off and sat up again anyway.
"I'll be fine, don't worry about me loser face." He cracked a grin at me.
"At least your head is still intact. Mostly." In answer I stuck out my tongue at him, still grinning.
"Man, all I can think about now is all that food Brock's cooking! Let's go Pikachu, maybe we can be the taste testers!" Ash said and Pikachu instantly pricked up his ears.
"Pika Pika!" He cheered, racing towards Ash as he ran for the door but Pikachu stopped, paused then ran back to me. "Pikachu Pika Pika Pikachu Pi." He told me and then nuzzled my face, making me smile again.
"Aw thanks Pikachu, that's so sweet of you." I answered him and he beamed before scampering after Ash, calling out for him to wait up.
"I'll go help too, come on Kat! See you later Ruby, make sure you take it easy, okay?" Max called, grabbing Katrina by the hand and the two of them hurried after Ash. May was quick to follow at the thought of food and Dawn went after them to help Brock with the cooking, leaving me with Jett and Gary. The latter glanced between us before exhaling.
"Okay, I'll give you guys some space to talk. Make sure she doesn't try doing anything stupid." Gary said to Jett who nodded his head in answer. Gary left, pausing slightly to glance back at me so I gave him a smile which he returned before closing the door. Finally, Jett relaxed and all my Pokémon settled down as he sat on the edge of the bed, Espeon jumping up into his lap, purring at him and rubbing her head against his chest.
"I see you two are getting along famously now." I noted and Jett gave a grin.
"Sure, she even let me capture her. I've called her Princess, because she actually has a thing going on with Prince. The two seem to really like one another." Jett revealed and I chuckled as Princess settled down.
"It suits her, good name choice Jett." I told him and he gave me a smile of thanks as he began to stroke her fur. "So, I have a few questions."
"Sure, shoot."
"What are we exactly? Am I older than you or younger?" I questioned and Jett thought about it.
"You're younger, but only by about three minutes. We're twins." My jaw dropped open and all my Pokémon lifted their heads in surprise. Wasn't quite expecting that one. "You see, mom and dad had met and married, but when mom started to go all crazy, dad knew that he had to try and set things right. When we were born, mom wanted the power of aura on her side, so she kidnapped me, thinking I was going to be the one with the power but…well it didn't turn out so well." He gave a little shrug. "Dad and I have been bonding whilst you were asleep, he's spent all this time looking for me and now I guess we can be a proper if slightly dysfunctional family." I gave him a grin.
"Sounds good to me." I looked around and noticed that there was someone missing from the ranks. Aurora wasn't here. "Where's Aurora?" Jett shifted slightly, looking a little crestfallen.
"Well you see, she feels guilty for what she did. She hasn't eaten or spoken to anyone in days, not even dad can get through to her. She's been standing up on the hill overlooking the valley ever since we brought you here." He said to me and instantly I was moving to get up. "Wait, what're you doing?"
"I have to go see her."
"Rubes, you're still not well." Jett said but I gave him an icy look which told him not to dare mess with me. I got myself out of bed and Gardevoir helped me to find my balance as everyone else gave me space. "Okay, guess I can't stop you." Jett sighed so helped me outside. Ivysaur wrapped his vines around my waist, helping to support me as all the Pokémon followed us to the hill where I could see Aurora standing on her own with her head bowed.
"Guys? Could you give us a minute? I think it'll be best if I talk to Aurora alone." I turned to them and they all nodded their heads, stepping back as Ivysaur let me go and I climbed up the hill myself. Aurora's tendrils twitched when she noticed me coming then turned her head further away from me with a gruff sound. "Aurora, talk to me." I told her softly, stopping just behind her. "What's wrong?"
She gave a quiet sound in reply and I sighed. "That's not true, you did the right thing in the end. I know Kianna made it sound all appealing and righteous, but that's just who she is. She manipulates everyone and everything. Don't blame yourself for what nearly happened." I reached out to touch her shoulder but she pulled it away from me with a short growl. "Please? I forgive you Aurora, it doesn't matter anymore. I'm just glad you're safe."
But Aurora still wouldn't listen. With a sigh I walked around to face her though she still refused to look me in the eye. I sat down on the ground and began to meditate, my aura enhancing slightly as I focused and slowly, Aurora looked down at me. I waited until she too sat down and began to meditate before our minds began to slip towards each other, naturally seeking one another out. "We are stronger together than we will ever be alone." I said in a quiet voice, eyes closed in meditation. "So long as we stand together from now and forever, nothing can stand in our way of doing what is right. You must push away all your anger, Aurora, and your shame. Let it go."
Aurora gave a deep sigh, pushing away all the negative feelings within her and she became peaceful within. "Focus on all our good times together, let that fill you instead of the rage. Remember Aurora, remember when we first met?" Instantly I was seeing through Aurora's eyes, looking up from my arms to my face of shock before I beamed down at her, a rosy halo of light surrounding me from the sunset. A montage of memories began to play through our minds as we each remembered our best times together and our worst, where we comforted one another then trained harder.
I sensed the tranquillity and small happiness well up inside of Aurora and a tear slipped down her cheek as together we watched a memory of me swinging her around before tossing her up into the air in one of her old favourite games. When the memories began to fade, Aurora and I opened our eyes and looked at each other.
Tears began to streak down her face and she crumbled, letting everything go as she flung herself into my arms and began to sob as I caught her and held her close, rubbing my hand over the back of her head as I began to hum to her softly, singing her old lullaby which I hadn't sung in a long time.
One by one my Pokémon all gathered around, laying their heads against Aurora to comfort her as we all helped her through this difficult stage in her life, the crossroads where she could either put her past behind her or let it haunt her for the rest of her life. They were all quiet as I moved from humming to singing gently, my well-practiced voice having improved drastically over the years.
Aurora fell asleep against me, finally resting after two days without any nightmares and I continued to hold her in my arms even as the sun began to set. "Picnic's ready!" Ash yelled and if I could, I would have smacked him on the back of the head. However it seems I didn't need to, as Jigglypuff leaped up and smacked him instead. "Yow!"
"Jiggly Jigglypuff!" She scolded as I grinned.
"Quiet genius, can't you see Aurora is sleeping?" He blinked then rubbed the back of his head guiltily.
"Sorry, I got all excited." He answered as everyone climbed up the hill, carrying all the food and drinks with them. "There's a lake nearby, Misty thinks it's a great spot for all the Pokémon to have some fun, what do you say?"
"I say let's go!" I cheered and everyone leaped to their feet, calling out excitedly. We all called out our Pokémon then ran to the lake, Aurora feeling refreshed and energised from her nap and she skipped along like a little Riolu, making me smile as I raced alongside Jett who was grinning broadly.
The moment we reached the lake the two Gyarados plunged into the deep waters then began to playfully wrestle with one another until Misty yelled out at them. "You two be careful! There are young swimmers in those waters too!" They both blinked at her before looking a little guilty as the other Pokémon splashed around in the shallower end. Even Psyduck got into the water, but not without his Golduck inflatable rubber ring. "You've raised some awesome water Pokémon Misty, they must be very strong now." I said as Corsola went speeding past and sprayed us both, making us giggle.
"Yup, sure are. Next time you're in Kanto and passing through Cerulean City, drop in for a battle. I'd love to have a match against you." She told me and I nodded my hand, taking her outstretched hand and shook it firmly.
"I accept your offer, I'll be there very soon." I promised but then Misty's eyes sparkled.
"Oh! Is that a water type? It's so cute! Can I hold it? Please?" She leaped past me and over to Dawn who was holding Piplup in her arms and the two of them blinked before smiling at her.
"Sure, Piplup is my partner, he was my starter Pokémon in Sinnoh." Misty's eyes sparkled brightly as she cuddled Piplup, who looked a little overwhelmed by the water lover fanatic. I giggled before helping Brock set up everything whereby we all dug into a wonderful spread of food and desserts. The cheesecake didn't last long, not between Ash, May and I.
The Pokémon all stuffed their faces too and once we'd finished eating, I called over Aurora and Espeon, whispered in their ears before they both nodded their heads and sprung back. Cupping my fingers to my lips I gave a sharp whistle and everyone stopped talking and turned to look. "Hey guys! The Pokémon are going to put on a display!" I called out then Aurora began to shoot Aura Spheres into the sky, where Espeon then used Signal Beam to strike them and they exploded into a firework display upon impact, shimmering different colours brightly against the now inky sky. Everyone oohed in awe as Aurora then created tiny little bubbles of glowing spheres with her aura and let them dance around the picnic as lanterns, giving us more light as Espeon controlled them with her mind.
Looking over towards the glade, I saw Gallade pick a flower from the earth before he presented it to Gardevoir, who blinked in surprise then blushed as she took it, smiling softly at Gallade who bowed his head to her. I could feel his deep, unwavering love for her and it was beautiful. He'd loved Gardevoir ever since I'd met them and now, I was starting to sense Gardevoir falling for him too. She'd always viewed him as 'the little one', like a little brother but I think now she was beginning to realise that he wasn't a little Ralts anymore.
Smiling to myself, I began to hatch a plan in my mind. After Aurora and Espeon, Dawn gave a show with her own Pokémon, using Togekiss and Piplup to perform as Mamoswine trumpeted loudly in appreciation, stomping his feet which made everyone laugh when we fell down. After that May gave her own performance, then Misty entertained us with a complete water display that had all of us entranced.
It was a wonderful evening and I relaxed with all my friends, though when Gary reached over and brushed my hair out of my face, I blushed a little and felt my skin tingle as he gave me his signature smirk before pulling back. Jett talked most of the evening with Brock, asking about his work as a Pokémon doctor and the two made arrangements that Jett would go with Brock and start his own training, which made my brother the happiest guy in the world.
My brother. I'm still getting used to that. At one point in the evening, we were joined by all the adults who brought even more food and even music to enjoy and dance to, Professor Oak surprising us with his great saxophone playing whilst my dad played guitar and mom danced like a madwoman, making me smack a hand to my face in embarrassment.
Somewhere I could sense Sam watching us from a distance, his Lucario at his side but he didn't intrude. I was beginning to understand that that was the kind of guy he was. He preferred to be separated from people where he could watch more observantly, and not risk the chance of becoming too attached to those that may in turn hurt him. I guess what mom did to him still affected him, but I knew that he loved me, and that he loved Jett too. He'd always be our dad, even when he wasn't there with us.
"Come on Rubes, let's show them how it's done!" Gary suddenly called, grabbing my hand and yanked me to my feet as I yelped.
"Gary! That is not how a gentleman asks a lady to dance with him!" I scolded as he pulled me away from the picnic blanket and joined the other couples that were dancing. Misty and Ash, May and Dawn, Katrina and Max.
"Who ever said I was a gentleman? Or that you were a lady?" He retorted and I rolled my eyes. Guess he was right. Gary expertly guided me in a twirl and I couldn't fight my smile as we began to dance together. The shining orbs surrounded us as we danced the American smooth, my feet quickly finding their place as Gary carted me around though I was grinning broadly.
Suddenly I looked to my left and saw Gallade slowly dancing with Gardevoir, who was gazing up at him before she blushed and looked away, the two of them swaying together. My eyes widened slightly as I looked around me at the fairy like lights, the gentle mist that was settling over the lake as the peaceful music set the mood, creating an atmospheric scene that looked as if it had leaped right out of a fairy tale book. "Rubes? You okay?" Gary asked me with concern and I blinked before looking at him.
"Sure." I answered before smirking. "I've just got an amazing idea for my double performance at the Grand Festival."