Here's chapter thirty - eight. Thank you Blue-Eyed Cat, Antex-The Legendary Zoroark, Kauris Azurai, a guest, KrazyKoldKyurem613, jordanobx, and ColdGoldLazarus for reviewing last chapter!
Chapter Thirty - Eight: Free
Drasna smiled. "Thank you, dear," she said, resting a hand on Giselle.
The altaria cooed, then stepped away.
Wikstrom recalled Excalibur. "We shall be taking her back to Lumiose. Thank you, good sirs, for your assistance." He hoisted the girl onto his shoulders, dipping his head.
One of the men shifted awkwardly, coughing. "Well, yeah. No problem."
Another asked, "But this is really the girl?"
Wikstrom nodded. "We believe her to be."
Drasna released a noivern. "I suppose we need to take her back to Lysandre now."
Wikstrom nodded. Distaste crossed his face a moment, then he rearranged his features. He bowed, apologizing, "We are sorry for any distress this may have caused you." He climbed onto the noivern's back. Drasna boarded Giselle, and they soared away.
Drasna sighed.
Giselle trilled a question.
"It's alright, dear." She patted the altaria's neck. "The poor girl, though. So young." She shook her head. "And Wikstrom doesn't trust Lysandre. He's skeptical of the man's motives." Drasna chuckled. "Then again, I suppose I am, too."
Giselle cooed skeptically.
"But it will be alright. So long as the region is safe." She kept to herself the thought, At least, I pray the region will be safe.
-Taylor left the pokemon center. "Absol." He tossed the pokeball.
Absol appeared, shaking his head. He growled, fur ruffling in agitation. Suddenly he paused. His head tilted and his eyes widened.
"Listen," Taylor said, bending down. "Eris-the girl who's Marked-is supposed to be here. Can you find her? You can sense disasters, so-"
Absol turned, running off abruptly.
"Wait!" Taylor protested. He raced after him, huffing.
Absol stopped. He glanced back, looking agitated.
"Let me. Keep up," Taylor panted.
Absol rolled his eyes. He started away, looking strained.
"I know it's not that exciting. But I am your trainer."
Absol sat abruptly. His claws dug into the snow. The pokemon's white fur fluttered over the pink scars.
"You could be a little grateful. I saved your life."
Absol growled, quietly.
Taylor held up his hands. "The only way to do so was to capture you, you know. I couldn't carry you."
Absol shook himself, standing, moving stiff-legged away.
Taylor sighed in defeat. "Eve. Go with him."
"Pin?"
Absol hesitated.
"He'll be able to move faster with only you on his back. I'll catch up, I suppose."
Eve nodded, still looking uncertain, then jumped down and hurried to Absol. She leapt onto his back, her paws winding into tufts of his fur.
Absol eyed Taylor curiously.
Taylor waved him off.
Absol grinned, very faintly, then bounded away.
Taylor sighed wearily and followed at a slower pace.
-Malva waited impatiently. Sycamore stood just behind her, his apprentice shifting warily. Really, Malva thought irritably, how long does it take someone to collect a little girl? She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.
Two specks appeared in the sky. They slowly gained definition, materializing as a noivern and altaria. "Finally," Malva muttered.
The two pokemon landed in front of them, wings creating great gusts of wind and stirring up dust. Drasna slid from the altaria, saying, "Thank you, dear. Take a rest." She returned the altaria to its pokeball and moved to the noivern, crooning similar sentiments.
Wikstrom dismounted, a girl and a Doublade in his arms. "They pokemon was startled," he claimed. "It didn't have time to latch tightly to the girl."
"I see," Malva said. "Well, I'd better take both of them to Lysandre, just in case."
Wikstrom bristled.
"You seem upset."
"That man seems to be up to something. He is far to wily for his own good."
"And you'd prefer a stupid brute leading the rescue effort, so long as he was moral?"
Wikstrom spluttered, anger flaring in his eyes.
Drasna stepped between them. "Now, now. Does it matter, so long as everything works out for the better. Wikstrom, we don't know what to do with the girl. And Malva, you shouldn't slander good upbringing."
Malva smiled. "Perhaps." She extended her hand. "Truce."
Wikstrom seemed to know she meant no real truce, but also seemed to know he couldn't back down. He begrudgingly accepted her hand.
"Talonflame." Malva released the avian, then ordered, "Carry the Doublade. I'll handle the girl."
-Eris's eyes snapped open. She groaned, sitting up. Where am I? She sat on a couch in a dark room.
Her Mark burned.
Suddenly she realized a familiar weight was missing. "Doublade?"
"Blade." The sword pokemon rested in a corner, just starting to awake.
A deep male voice said, "You are free."
For a moment, she almost believed Yveltal had been the one to find them. Then Lysandre stepped from the shadows, hands folded behind his back, an odd look in his eyes.
Eris stood, stumbling and catching herself on the couch's arm. "Wh-what do you mean?"
"The pokemon." Lysandre nodded towards Doublade.
"And?"
"You are here." Lysandre shrugged. "You do not have to serve that monster if you no longer wish."
"Yveltal's not a monster!" Eris quickly clapped her hands over her mouth.
Lysandre suddenly seemed to stare more intently. He asked quietly, "You would say that about a creature that can cause only destruction?"
"W-well." She faltered.
Lysandre pulled up a chair and sat in front of her. "You don't have any obligation to him. Why continue to support him?"
Eris looked away. "He's not so bad. And, I guess, I feel bad for him." She shrugged and smiled wryly. "Besides, I made a promise to him." She gestured to Doublade, who came over. "Where am I?"
"In Team Flare headquarters."
"Oh." Doublade wrapped itself around her. "Does that make me a prisoner?"
Lysandre said nothing.
"Um, say something, please."
Lysandre stood. "We will continue to look for Xerneas. You need not worry."
"Wait!" Eris didn't make it to the door before it closed. She ran into it, slamming hard against it. She tried the door and found it locked, then sighed and pushed herself back. "Well, that's great."
"Blade."
Eris sank onto the couch. "So, if Lysandre's going to try and find Xerneas, too, what's he going to do with Yveltal?"
Doublade didn't answer.
Eris ruffled her hair. "How many times are we going to get captured? I don't like being a prisoner." She lowered her hands. "And I don't want someone to have to save me all the time. I mean, I have a sword."
"Doublade."
"Right. Sorry."
Her Mark still burned.
She eyed it, then touched it speculatively. It was warm beneath her fingertips, pulsing slightly. She frowned. I wonder. She took a deep breath and stood. "Doublade. I'm going to need both your swords."
Doublade unsheathed itself, wrapping a tassel around her right arm.
"Use swords dance until your attack can't get any higher."
Doublade obeyed, glowing and spinning her in circles until she felt sick. She steadied herself.
Doublade's glowing edge illuminated the room faintly.
"Okay. Can one of your swords use shadow sneak to get underneath the door?"
Doublade hesitated. Then the sword holding the sheath released it and sank into the shadows.
When Eris heard something on the other side she called, "Now use slash!" She swung, allowing Doublade to pull her. The blades cut deeply into the wood from both sides. Eris grinned. "Alright, keep going!" They reached opposite sides on the second cut, and work on widening the hole. Doublade, apparently, realized it would be easier to cut out a space rather than slash randomly until they made one, and guided Eris's swipes so they did so. A chunk of wood fell away, leaving a hole big enough for Eris to crawl through.
Doublade's second sword entered the hole and retrieved its sheath, reattaching itself to Eris. "Alright," she breathed, "let's go." She scrambled out the hole and hurried down a hallway.
-"Lysandre!" someone cried.
Lysandre turned to the grunt. "Yes?"
"Well, now that your back, Malva can leave, right?"
The woman snorted. "You really are a nuisance, aren't you?"
Lysandre lifted a hand. "Peace. We share a common goal. It would do for both of you to remember that."
Malva smiled smugly.
The grunt glared, then grumbled, "So long as I get rich."
Malva laughed. "Oh, you poor dear."
"What?"
Malva simply continued laughing.
"Malva," Lysandre warned.
Malva stifled her chuckles, still looking greatly amused.
Alarms blared. "Intruders?" the grunt exclaimed.
"No," Malva said. "Those were the alarms I installed on Lysandre's room."
"Without permissions?" the grunt barked.
"I figured he could use some security."
Lysandre swallowed. Eris. Why couldn't you just stay put? "Find her, and bring her to me."
And that'd be the end of chapter thirty - eight. Review responses:
Blue-Eyed Cat: No, he's really not. He knows that, for the most part, but he doesn't realize that that's extending to taking care of his pokemon, especially emotionally. But, hey, Absol got a chance to appear this chapter. Thank you! Yeah, Giselle is a name from Enchanted (though, admittedly, I didn't think of that when naming her.) I have an altaria on a nuzlocke that I'm doing right now, and he's been pretty useful, so I know what you mean. And thank you again!
Antex-The Legendary Zoroark: Yep, you got it. Aha, I guess you got their names this chapter.
Kauris Azurai: Maybe~. Yeah, Yveltal does kind of have a Darkrai thing going on for him. Yeah. At least the readers realize that. And it's fine; I like getting more detailed responses. Thank you!
Guest: Um…yes it is? I'm guessing that there was supposed to be an adjective with that second 'story'…?
KrazyKoldKyurem613: Yes, indeed.
jordanobx: I wonder…
ColdGoldLazarus: I'm glad you liked it! Excalibur may or may not make more appearances; not sure yet, so we'll see how the story goes. Indeed, it is. Aha, thanks; I was actually kind of amused by that line, too, so I'm glad you liked it.
Anything you'd like to say about the story? Drop a review and let me know!