Moonlight filtered through the window and illuminated the dark sea. Flareon Light stared at the gentle, silvery rays of light as they made small dust particles visible in the air. The TV was turned on along with string lights hanging along the walls, but the moonlight was calmest of them all.
"Light."
Light turned his blue and white eyes back to Sky-Forme Shaymin Ariel as she sat next to him on a small couch. Her gaze was still on the TV screen on the wall in front of them.
"Why do you keep saying my name?" Light asked.
"I just like saying it."
Ariel reached her arm around Light's back. Light tensed on reaction, but he made himself loosen up and leaned back against her. She was soft, but Light could feel the muscle rippling under the surface. Ariel leaned her face over his.
"So," Ariel said. "want to watch a few battles?"
"Yah," Light said.
Light nuzzled against her side. Her deep voice's vibrations rumbled through the fur on his head. Ariel's eyes glowed a bit brighter. She used Psychic, pushing a button on the TV on the wall and changing the color of the whole room.
On the screen, a Lilligant and Zoroark were fighting in an arena with short grass on the floor and packed, colorful crowds watching from the stands above. They were both locked in close quarters combat, the Lilligant moving in a smooth pattern to avoid her opponents' claws.
"Hey, Airy," Light said.
"Yeah?"
"Why is it I barely see status effect moves or strats in competitions?"
"They don't really work. As a pokemon's energy gets stronger as they train, they can keep its pattern the same so it doesn't really affect them. Or it takes more effort than it's worth."
"Oh..."
"Are you still thinking about that whole love potion thing...?" Ariel asked quietly.
Light groaned to himself.
"Don't be hard on yourself cause it affected you. I'd be affected by it too."
Light's eyes snapped up to Ariel's. "Really?"
"Well, it works differently," Ariel explained. "It affects mental condition more than the body. And if you already like someone, well... You're hard enough to resist already."
Light purred and nuzzled a little closer. Most of his weight was on her side, but she didn't lose any balance from it. Her ears folded around the sides of his head, still letting him watch the TV. The pressure on Light's side bringing him closer to her increased a little.
"Oh yeah," Ariel said. "Did you open that black box that Vaporeon gave you?"
Light had been waiting for that question. He wanted to get it off his chest.
"I did," Light said. "It was a set of silver engagement chains."
"Engagement chains?"
"Yah... I think... she gave them to me since she missed out on using them herself."
"Oh. Wow..."
"I wish she chose someone else..."
"Why?" Ariel asked. "I mean, if she had no family to give them to, why not accept them?"
"She gave them to a thief."
Light's voice fell under his breath. Ariel kept looking at the TV.
"She gave them to someone she didn't know, but trusted. And she's not the only one who feels that way. Maybe it's some instinct that you feel other people shouldn't trust you, but it's just something to get over. It's not real."
"How do you know it's not real?" Light asked quietly. "It could've just been a fluke."
"The way you look at me."
Light looked at her. The way she smiled made him wonder and take a mental picture on how he was holding his own face. His jaw was tense. His nose was scrunched up a little, and his eyes were just a little wider than usual.
Ariel turned her body in front of him, reaching around his other side with her other arm. Unlike every other time, energy didn't shoot through Light's body like lightning. The only feeling was nervous joy, soothed to perfection from the strong look in her eyes.
For the first time, Light didn't hack up fire when she brought her lips close to his. The kiss was short and soft, but Light found himself pulling forward just a few hairs when it was over. Ariel smirked.
"Your lips taste sweet," Ariel said.
Light didn't have a reply, but something still felt different that silenced him further.
He felt like someone else was here. He turned his head towards the door to Ariel's room. Slowking Chad stood in the doorway with an awkward, electric expression. Ariel traced Light's eyes and looked at Chad with him.
"Sorry," Chad said. "You know I wouldn't bother you two if it wasn't urgent. But there's something the whole Guild needs to talk about. I, uhm, told you two first."
A short, uneasy silence fell before Light spoke. "Thanks, we'll be up."
Chad nodded and closed the door. Light felt Ariel tense a little, breathing at a different pace than before.
"He seemed freaked out," Ariel said.
"Yah," Light said. "I didn't like his face just now."
"Let's go."
A dense silence hung in the air. The chandelier overhead forced Light's eyes to flex, but it helped him stay awake. As urgent as Chad looked, it felt late.
Ariel's arm hooked around Light's back. They sat side by side on the same cushion while other pokemon started to gather. Most of them seemed just as tired, except for Manaphy Jewel as she darted in the room and took a seat with her head swaying in a circle.
Slowking Chad followed behind her. His eyes scanned the table up and down before he took a seat himself.
"Alright," Chad said, clearing his throat. "We received a rather concerning message from Empress Chingyang."
Light braced for news about Reshiram. Others around the table fell even quieter to listen with clear ears.
"She's sent Light a marriage proposal."
Light blinked, then blinked again. There wasn't anyone else he knew named Light.
"Uhhh," Drizzile Kenta said, "she's like, in her mid twenties. Light's fifteen."
"Yes," Chad said. "Yes, she is."
Light turned his head to see Ariel's reaction. She stared up and away, her eyes moving a bit in random directions.
"I don't get it," Manaphy Jewel interjected. "Why is this, like, a bad thing? I mean, we can just kinda keep doing what we've been doing."
"Empress Chingyang is a crude dictator," Chad explained. "The entire nation of Lao Shen wouldn't like if we just ignored her."
"Wait," Light said. He looked up from the length of the table towards Chad. "I don't get it. Marriage? This seems so random."
"Light," Ariel said. "You're mega famous, have a bunch of one-of-a-kind colors, are beautiful, heroic, and you smell like vanilla extract. Lao Shen has been wanting to have a better look, and you look like some kind of patron saint."
"That just makes it worse," Chad said. "The message she sent was very... aggressive."
"How so?" Roserade Storm asked. "She's not usually aggressive, from what I hear. This seems out of character."
"I won't go into details, but she's very descriptiveabout what she wants. It may sound a bit strange for something like this to cause an emergency meeting, but this is a legitimate problem…"
"How much time do we have to make a plan?" Light asked. "We're meeting in... a week? Week and a half?"
"Well, it's a summons. It's an order from the Empress of Lao Shen. We'd do best to leave and answer tonight."
"Tonight? Seriously?"
"Yes," Chad said. "That's if we're answering it. But if we don't, I'm not sure what would happen."
Silence fell onto Light's head. He wanted to ignore it more than anything else.
No. Empress Chingyang had access to a whole nation's wealth. Reshiram was extremely weak last time. He didn't even know how strong it really was. She didn't just have money and weapons that they could create by themselves, she was bound to have strategists ways to make progress happen. And the Sacred Treasure Pangu.
"We have to," Light said. "Moving through Lao Shen might become a problem we can't afford to deal with. And like Kenta said earlier, she has one of the Seven Sacred Treasures. It doesn't make sense not to go."
"I don't think we should."
Light turned his head up to Sky-Forme Shaymin Ariel. She shifted a little.
"She probably knows mind games, Light. This is what she wants, and it's harder to protect you going to her."
"I don't need to be protected all the time..."
"It's not about that," Ariel said. "Look, Kaigan's close to Lao Shen. When Empress Chingyang wanted things from Kaigan, she got them. She's dangerous."
"I think we should go."
Light turned his gaze to Mienfoo Robin's voice. She stared down and nodded at the floor.
"It doesn't make sense not to go. We can play the game and win, so we should. Empress Chingyang's much more simple to work with than, say, her parents were. She's not some mass manipulator or dictator. Lao Shen's much more peaceful than before."
"Light."
Ariel's voice cut into Light's chest. She didn't want to go badly, but he didn't understand why. Everyone else was giving tired signs of agreement except for her.
"Let's talk, Airy," Light said. "We'll leave in an hour in case anyone forgot anything here. Sound good?"
When Light turned to Ariel, she had on a neutral expression that he hated. He couldn't read it or get anything from it. She seemed lost in thought.
"Who does she think she is!? There's no way she doesn't know about us. Literally everyone knows about us!"
This was news to Light, but he didn't really have much to offer but silent agreement. He sat on the couch in her room, but alone as Sky-Forme Shaymin Ariel paced back and forth, touching random objects and looking in random directions.
"Why did you agree to go?" Ariel asked.
"It's logical," Light said.
"How!?"
"It's not about the offer. She has assets, and things money can't buy that we could use as help in Lao Shen."
"She has assets..." Ariel repeated. "Yeah. No kidding."
"Airy, what's wrong?"
Ariel paused in place facing away from him. Light just sighed, loud enough for her to hear.
"I don't like getting hit on by a ruler that's years older with multiple husbands already."
"O-kay?" Ariel said.
"Are you comparing yourself to her?" Light asked. "I just don't get it cause you're not telling me anything."
Ariel huffed and moved her head from side to side. She walked forward and hopped on the couch next to him, turning her head up to the TV screen.
"I'm not comparing myself to her. I... just think she's a piece of shit for this," Ariel muttered.
"Language..." Light chirped.
"What!? Oh, please. You've still taught Jewel more bad words than me."
"I'll make you eat soap..."
"Pft, kay dude."
Light brushed his gray tail against the bottom half of Ariel's face. Her face followed the trail he left in the air ever so slightly. Ariel blinked and stared, then smirked.
"Are you being a flirt?" Ariel asked.
"No," Light said.
Ariel creeped closer. Her arms rested on the back of the couch and bottom edge. She smiled a little more as she got closer.
"Nope," Light said. "You need soap."
"I'm clean," Ariel said.
"You said a bad word. I must keep pure."
"But you're a pervert."
Light met her eyes and pulled his head back. "What!? Hey! No, I am not."
"Yes you are. You stare at my legs all the time. Literally since day one."
"No. You're a pervert."
"You don't complain," Ariel said quietly.
"I'm just being polite," Light said. "it's not nice to call someone a pervert."
"Not nice to call someone a foul mouth. Especially when you are one."
"And you're also a foul mouth."
"Mmmm... Eh," Light grunted. "Not as bad as yours."
Ariel placed her fingers under Light's wrists and pushed his body up against the back of the couch. She traced up to the center of his paws and wiggled a few of his fingers. Light hid the bottom of his face in his huge gray mane of fur.
"I stare at your paws," Ariel said. "They're all soft and nice. You better keep them that way."
Ariel nuzzled the side of Light's face and pulled back. His face warmed.
"Chingyang's dangerous," Ariel whispered. "That's why I didn't want us to go. Everyone's just thinking about what we could get out of it, you included. But what about the risks? I mean, you're the one on the front lines of this, not them. It should be your decision to go turn her down in person."
"I'm more worried about you," Light said. "I could tell you were thinking about something else."
"It wasn't anything important."
Light frowned, but started to giggle. She tugged on his arm and ran her paw around to the back of his shoulder.
"Here's the plan," Ariel said. "She won't take it to heart if you just say it's because of the age difference, and considering that it's very legit... So one of the first things you should do is just come out and say it."
"Yah."
A glimmer shot behind Ariel's green eyes.
"What?" Light asked. "Airy, what's wrong?"
"Nothing's... wrong."
"Then what is it?"
Ariel's forehead was just above Light's, but she started to look off to the side. Light waited for her to gather what she wanted to say.
"I can keep secrets," Light said gently. "If you want me to."
Ariel's head swayed from side to side, then settled. "Well... I wasn't... born in Kaigan," she said slowly. "I was born in Lao Shen. I, uh, moved to Kaigan when I was young." Ariel nodded to herself.
"You moved...? So, you were born in Lao Shen?"
"Yeah."
"Where?"
Ariel fell quiet again. Looking up at her eyes, Light could tell she didn't want to answer.
"Do Robin and Nadia know about whatever it is?" Light asked.
"No. They don't."
"You think it might be better to get it off your chest with at least someone?"
Ariel groaned. "It doesn't really matter. Everyone will figure it out. It's not going to be very hard."
"You could tell me first."
Ariel smiled. She traced her paw down the side of Light's head, tilting her head and cracking her back.
"You looked tired," Ariel said. "How about you go get some sleep, okay? We can do stuff tomorrow."
"Alright."
Ariel pulled Light forward and helped him get all of his limbs back under him. He hopped down from the couch and grunted when he landed. His limbs crumbled under him before they got stable again.
"Yah," Light said. "A little tired."
Ariel chuckled and gave Light a last pat on the back as he walked towards the door. He pushed it open, but turned back to her one last time before heading out.
"Good night," Light said.
"Sweet dreams, angel cake."
Light stared at her. She smiled and shrugged. He copied her smile and closed the door.
