It was a miracle the villagers didn't hear our rambunctious horde of ghosts approaching as we moved through the woods. The whole motley crew were brimming with excitement at our approaching terror spree.
Seam muttered to herself eagerly as she walked, periodically stabbing a needle into the Delibird toy she had brought along. Havoc couldn't stop giggling as he recounted to Sen all of his devious plans. Even Silver seemed in good spirits, humming a dreary tune to herself as we loomed towards the unsuspecting village.
The dusk-lit woods were as empty and silent as the tundra apart from our group. I suppose the wilds could sense that we were trouble and steered far clear of us. In this empty world with no sound but my friends' cheerfulness it should have been easy for me to join in their enthusiasm. But instead I felt worried again...
I had been expecting a party or some kind of initiation ritual or something. I never would have guessed they'd want me to come help them scare the villagers... and I wasn't really sure I wanted to. Scratch said I was supposed to enjoy it, but... I guess I didn't want to enjoy it. If I enjoyed it, what if I started trying to scare people for fun? What if I became a monster?
I dunno... I was probably just overthinking stuff again. Scratch must have noticed my turmoil, because he placed his claw on my shoulder and gave me a smile.
"Hey, no need to look so worried. You're not the one getting spooked tonight," he grinned.
"Sorry," I said half-heartedly. "I've just never been much of a prankster. I'm not sure this is for me."
"That's exactly why we've gotta do it. You've gotta get in touch with your ghost side now! Besides, Havoc told me about the iced stone the other night. That's a good one," he snickered.
I conceded a small smile. "I guess I have been feeling a bit more... mischievous lately. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to feel it out a bit... as long as you're sure it's safe. But isn't this a bit much?" I gestured to the whole group.
"It's been a long time since most of us have had some fun in town. This seemed like a good opportunity for us all to get our fix in."
"And what about... Probo? The nose golem?"
Havoc snapped back to us in an instant, making me jump. "Well! You happen to have the world's great Probo hunter right here!" he proclaimed, cackling at my surprise. "I have so graciously agreed to keep old Probo... occupied... while we all have our fun."
Scratch gave a sarcastic sigh and smiled. "Havoc lands one good hit on the guy while he's distracted and suddenly thinks he's invincible. Very well Havoc, but I'm not busting you out if you lose a fight with him."
"I'm hurt you would say such a thing!" he feigned indignance. "As if I'd ever give old Probo a fair fight! Kekekek!"
"Well Aurora, as you can see, there's nothing to be worried about. Besides maybe Havoc's overconfidence. This is going to be a night of fun and discovery. We're all doing this for you, so try to enjoy it." Scratch tried to cheer me up.
"Alright. But I need you to show me how to do this. I don't even know where to begin."
"Well, you begin with a target. Anyone you know in town that seems particularly tempting to spook?"
"Uhm... not really..." I mumbled. Last I had thought about the villagers was wanting to be their friend, not terrify them for fun...
"I know a kid that's worth a real laugh. Top tier scaredy-cat: even you could spook them!" Havoc offered gleefully.
"You talking about that Eevee girl you used to prank?" Scratch asked.
"Yeah that's the one! Back before they ran us out of town I swear I'd spend every other night cloaked and laughing while she was trying to sleep. Just laughing, and she'd be trembling!" he gloated.
"Havoc... I thought I told you not to harass people nonstop like that," Scratch glared at him disapprovingly.
"Yeah, yeah. You tell me a lot of things," Havoc glanced away.
"Anyways," Scratch grumbled, "While I do agree she'd be an easy first target for Aurora... I had another idea. Why not go haunt that Beartic? He's the one who chased you out of town after all. Seems like if anyone has earned a scaring from you, it's him."
The baker... thinking back on him, I didn't really feel any resentment. I didn't feel any desire to get back at him. I just felt... sad. And kind of ashamed. Seeing his hatred for me where he had once shown me kindness had made me really hate what I had become. I had felt like I was a monster.
But now I wasn't so sure. It's true I was on my way to go scare people, but... it was all just a prank, right? And it was in my nature now. We weren't going to hurt anyone, just play a harmless joke. Just like icing Havoc's rock.
I gave myself a shake. Yeah, of course it was. I was getting so caught up in my head again, overanalyzing every little thing we were doing.
I might not feel any resentment towards the baker, but Scratch had a point. It was his fault I ended up going through everything I did. If anyone had earned it, it was him.
"Let's do it," I said with resolve. Two wide grins met me in return.
"I think that's the most eager she's ever been for anything!" Havoc cheered.
"That's settled then! We'll head to the bakery," Scratch said.
"What about everyone else?" I asked. Overhearing me, Seam cast me a wide and malignant grin as she held up the Delibird doll and jammed her needle straight through its heart.
I really hoped that was just a metaphor.
"They'll find their own victims to haunt. All seven of us can't haunt one Pokémon."
He raised his voice loud enough for the whole group to hear before continuing, "And don't worry. We're just here to play some pranks. No one will be going overboard, or hurting anyone, or stealing stuff, or anything like that."
Most of the group glanced away from him, trying to avoid his gaze as he uttered his clear reminder of the rules.
It was kind of weird to see all of the ghosts in one place. Usually they were all doing their own thing, in different parts of the manor. Guess their instincts to scare were the one thing that could bring them all together.
Of course, this wasn't all of the ghosts. Maybe it was our distance from the manor, or maybe just my growing confidence, but something inspired me to ask.
"So uhm... Faceless didn't want to come?"
Scratch paused a moment, clearly caught off-guard by the question. "No, I didn't mention it to him. We wanted you to have a fun night. And he can be a bit of a.. uh... mood-killer," he recovered from his momentary surprise.
"Can I ask why everyone is so uh... weird about him? It seems like everyone's afraid to even acknowledge he exists..."
"It's not that anyone's afraid of him," he said, looking away and with his cheer evaporated. "He's just kind of... judgmental. He's super rude and disrespectful. Nobody wants to talk about him because it reminds us of that drama."
"Oh... I'm sorry for bringing it up then..."
"Nah, it's fine. You still haven't met him, have you?"
I shook my head.
"You should go down and meet him sometime. He's a pain in the ass, but you should still at least meet him if you're gonna live in the same house."
There it was. I couldn't stop myself from sighing audibly. "Alright, I'll try to meet him sometime..."
I had managed to avoid it for a good while, but I guess it was just time. And I suppose just being disrespectful was better than all of the things my head had conjured up to worry about.
I partook in small talk with the other ghosts for the remainder of the trek, letting them tell me stories of their prior hauntings so that I could have some idea what I was getting into. They all seemed so excited about it. In spite of my worries, I reminded myself that this would be fun.
As the town's dim lights grew in the distance, our band's chatter dulled. I guess they didn't want to risk being found out before the... "haunting" began. By the time we had gathered on the tree line before the village streets, a frigid silence had fallen over us all.
The town looked so peaceful at night. A warm orange glow emitted from every window and every den, and from the sparse few lamps which lined the streets. The firelight and the gentle snow gave the whole place a cozy atmosphere, and with my new nocturnal eyes the darkness only contributed.
I never had much appreciation for snow. It's dirty, and ugly, and of course so cold. It was different here, though. I don't know how they did it, but the village managed to keep the snow clean. The banks piled on the sides of the road were a pristine white. Here, the snow looked beautiful.
Somehow the villagers managed to take even the parts of the north I hated and make them something comfortable. Even knowing that they hated me, I still couldn't help but lament that this couldn't be my home.
But I guess that was why we were going to haunt the baker, anyways. Maybe that would make me feel better...
"Alright, it's about time for the festivities to begin," Scratch addressed the group eagerly. "Havoc will go first and make sure Probo is fully occupied. After a few minutes, we can start."
"That's my cue!" Havoc grinned. "If I start screeching like a maniac, that's the signal that Probo is loose. Should probably bail then, 'less you want some face-to-face time with that old bother."
With that Havoc cloaked himself and hovered into the village, disappearing between the buildings. I didn't know what exactly he was going to do to Probo, but he seemed confident in it.
"As for everyone else, have fun! Havoc will let us know when it's time to go."
He was met with an array of wide smiles and eager nods. Even I was feeling a bit eager. Their excitement was infectious. I still didn't know what to do, but surely Scratch would help me out.
We waited in an impatient silence for just a few minutes, the anxiousness visible on Scratch's face. Eventually, it seemed to overtake him.
"It's time." he whispered with reverence. And the swarm advanced.
Everyone who could cloaked as we flew into lamp-lit streets. Everyone seemed to have their own target prepared.
Seam didn't hesitate to charge straight for a modest home near the edge of town, phasing right through the door. Sen stopped and stared indecisively at me, before deciding to hobble after her. Candel flew down an adjacent street, trying desperately to keep his flames dimmed in spite of his excitement. Silver was by far the calmest of the bunch, floating slowly down the path and scanning each home in calculation.
And I of course followed close behind Scratch as we floated hurriedly towards the bakery. My heart was aflutter the whole way with conflict between the anxiety and the excitement. Some part of me still thought this might be wrong, but another hoped that it would let me finally feel at peace with what I now was. It all hinged on this.
The bakery was exactly how it was the last time, smoke pouring from the chimney and all. I wasn't happy about the promise of the fire inside, but in the excitement I brushed it off. The heat was just in my head anyways.
"I'll open the door for you, I guess. Just stay invisible and follow my lead," Scratch instructed. I nodded.
He hovered through the wall, and just a moment later the door creaked ajar for me. I slid through the crack, careful to leave the door open for a quick escape. And besides that, the winter chill it let in was nice for fighting back the awful warmth of the hearth.
The dining room was dark and empty, as was the kitchen behind it. But the glow of the fire murmured out from a final door in the back. Scratch gave me a smile and beckoned for me to follow him as he quietly slid the bedroom door open.
Beartic lay curled up on a bed-mat inside, a gentle fire crackling in the fireplace on the other side of the room. His room was simple and small with little to see besides his bed-mat, the hearth, and a large chest tucked in the corner. It was a pretty different sight to the lavish bedrooms I had grown used to in the manor, but I guess it makes sense that most Pokémon wouldn't have big rooms like those.
The baker himself was an intimidating sight, even in rest. His sleep didn't change his hulking size, nor his huge claws or his gruff face. Had he always looked this terrifying? He had never seemed that way was when I was younger.
Scratch hovered over to Beartic's side with a massive grin on his face. He cast me one last glance to make sure I was watching and began his games.
Scratch began to emit a low, ominous hum. It was somewhere between a tune and an empty wail. It was... unsettling. But nonetheless Beartic slept through it.
His sound grew louder, Scratch backing up in the process. Beartic's face twitched as the sound began to register.
Scratch continued, until it was a vocal wailing. At this point he had backed up to the edges of the room. And it was quickly obvious why.
Beartic awoke suddenly and unleashed a snarl as his droopy eyes shot around him. His expression was a strange hybrid of fear and rage. Scratch's grin grew wide at this reaction, as he struggled to avoid breaking his wail with a giggle.
Beartic dragged himself to his feet, assuming a defensive stance. "Get the hell out of my home," he grumbled, still scanning the room.
In response Scratch hovered up behind Beartic and scraped his claws gently down the behemoth's back, making him shiver. Scratch darted back just in time to avoid the frantic swipe of claws in his direction, letting out a childlike giggle in the process.
Beartic's eyes were wide and filled with so much anger... all for a swing that didn't come anywhere near its target, and nearly threw him off his balance in the process. It was so... ridiculous.
Maybe it was Scratch's humor rubbing off, but I couldn't help but giggle too. The last time I had seen Scratch doing this I was so worried about how angry Beartic was, but this time... well, what was the baker so mad about anyways? It was just a joke, and when we were done here he'd go back to sleep with nothing changed.
And maybe a part of me also felt like he deserved it now. After all he had yelled at me and hurt me and... I was so eager to blame myself for what he did. But it wasn't my fault he treated me that way: it was his.
I suppose it wasn't good to be vengeful... but at the very least it was hard to feel too bad about pranking him.
Beartic suddenly made for the door. "Fine, play this game you damned coward. But you can play fair with Probopass," he growled.
Scratch flew ahead of him, and slammed the door shut. "Probo is a bit... occupied at the moment. You'll have to play in his place," he whispered ominously in a deep and raspy voice. It would have been super creepy, but knowing how hard he was trying to make his voice sound like that only made me laugh more.
Beartic paused, caught off guard by the reply. Scratch motioned for me to join in before he could regain his focus.
Well, here we go.
I hovered closer to Beartic and tried to mimic the wailing Scratch had made. It almost sounded like singing with my higher pitch, which probably just sounded stupid. But in the euphoria of it all, I tried anyways.
I narrowly dodged another wild swipe as I made the mistake of getting too close. A laugh broke my hideous song, and Scratch was nearly on the floor giggling. I didn't know if he was laughing at the haunting or at my wailing, though...
"You're all sick!" Beartic roared and threw the bedroom door open. He stormed out into dining room while I tried to regain my composure.
Scratch was right, this was fun! To think just a few weeks ago I had been worried about the ghosts doing this, and now it had me nearly rolling on the floor in laughter. Yet again when I tried to make my own conclusions, I had made the wrong ones. This whole "listening to people" thing was starting to work out well for me.
I had thought we were done with Beartic, but to my surprise Scratch followed him into the dining room gleefully.
I went to follow, but he motioned for me to hold on and extended a claw out towards the fire still blazing in the bedroom. I wasn't sure what that meant until he crushed his claw together with a smile.
Oh, that was one thing I'd happily do.
The heat of the fire, miserable as it was, was no match for the chill of my breath. The fire fell dead, bathing the whole place in total darkness. And, of course, in blissful cold.
Before I could revel too much in the chill, I heard something slam in the other room. It looked like Scratch had slammed a bolt shut on the door just as Beartic had attempted to open it up.
I guess we weren't done yet.
Beartic scowled at the latched door and fumbled to claw it back open again.
Scratch mouthed "watch this" to me, with the most sinister grin I had seen yet.
In the back corner of the room, a new flame ignited. This one a ghastly unnatural blue, and thankfully not producing any real heat. Then another appeared. Then another, and another. Soon a dozen spectral flames hovered throughout the edges of the room, providing a light that was more eerie than the darkness had been.
In this strange light the fear on Beartic's face seemed to win out over the anger, and his panic became clear.
"You're the only one laughing!" he grumbled with cracking composure as he struggled to pull the latch open with his trembling claws. Scratch wasn't bothering to hold back his maniacal cackle at this point, trying his best to hold the latch closed. He was lucky Beartic seemed too frantic to take swipes at his voice.
In spite of Scratch's growing excitement, mine was starting to fade. Even after everything, seeing Beartic look so vulnerable while he was trying so hard to stay strong... something felt off about it to me...
Scratch's phantom flames began to bob forward at a horrifically slow pace, hovering from each corner of the room towards Beartic. With every inch they gained Beartic's facade cracked further and further. And the more he panicked the less dexterous his fumbling with the latch became. As the flames hovered within a few feet he surrendered that hope entirely and backed himself against the wall with claws out in front of him.
His stance was ready to defend himself, but his expression wasn't. There was no semblance of bravery left. All that was left was a terrified Pokémon, wondering if this was the day these crazy ghosts were gonna kill him.
Of course, I knew they wouldn't. I had thought the same thing for a week before I finally got it through my head that they were my friends and wouldn't hurt me. And they weren't even actively trying to scare me!
But I guess it just hit a bit too close to home... I couldn't find any joy in this. Maybe I was just too sensitive about it all. After all, it was my own fault I was terrified all that time anyways.
"Scratch..." I mumbled apprehensively.
But Scratch wasn't listening at this point. With Beartic no longer making an effort to escape, he had let go of the latch.
Instead he hovered up in front of Beartic, alongside the wisps of flame closing in on his face. I could see him counting down on one claw to his grand finale.
When his claws hit zero the flames all rushed towards Beartic's face at once. At the same moment, he finally revealed himself, distorting his face into a stretched, unnatural abomination and shrieking all the while. If I wasn't already invisible, I definitely would have been after witnessing it. I wasn't even the target and it shook me to my core.
As his unholy scream subsided he and his flames all faded away at once, leaving Beartic cowering on the floor. I think he might have been crying.
This... this wasn't fun at all. Beartic was completely unharmed, but I guess seeing someone so afraid of nothing just made me think about myself being so afraid of nothing, or something...
And I guess something in my said "maybe he deserves it" because of the way he'd treated me last time. But I also remember the baker from before that. The kind Pokémon that had always given me treats. And for some reason that was the Pokémon I saw crying on the floor before me. Not the bully that had told me I wasn't welcome here.
I heard the door creak behind me, as Scratch pulled it ajar for me before floating through it himself with a proud smile. I guess the game was over.
We slipped back out into the snowy streets together in radically different moods.
"Well, how was that!" Scratch beamed, seemingly certain I'd share his enthusiasm.
"I uhm... Scratch..." I mumbled hesitantly. I needed to find a way to explain this that he'd understand. "You said we shouldn't go too far with anything... and I guess I don't really understand what too far looks like... That seemed like a lot." I said, averting my gaze from him.
That seemed to kill his cheer near instantly. "Too far? He's totally fine. Didn't leave a scratch on him. It's all just for show," he said defensively. "Too far is like... hurting someone or stealing stuff."
Well, he wasn't wrong. It was just a show. But I couldn't shake the feeling that we'd done some damage.
"I don't know... he just seemed so scared by the end. What if that like... messes him up? What if he's always afraid because he's worried we'll come back, or something like that..."
"Aurora, we can't control other peoples' reactions," Scratch nearly cut me off. "We've spooked the villagers half a dozen times each now and almost no one's ended up hurt by it. If we wanted to hurt anyone why would we put out the lights and put on creepy shows instead of attacking them? It's so obviously all just a joke."
"He didn't seem to think that..." I muttered, almost beneath my breath.
"Again, we can't control their reactions. Should you be accountable if you do something totally benign and someone else flips out over it? You don't make them overreact. They chose to do that."
Am I just crazy? I've learned time and time again to just listen to Scratch. He's always been right. And I thought I finally got that through. But again that voice in my head was telling me that something wasn't right.
And the crazy part of me was that I still wasn't sure I should ignore it.
"Listen, I know this is your first time doing anything like this," he said agitated. "So if you're not comfortable with something then just let me know? We can take it slow, but I'm a ghost not a psychic Aurora."
"Alright..." I relented. I really needed to enjoy this so that I could get along with everyone going forward. I needed to just let it go.
The village was no longer half as quiet as it was when we had entered. I could hear shouting from a few places elsewhere, doubtlessly the work of the other ghosts. And as a result, a few of the villagers were starting to emerge to see what was happening.
"What do you say we go find Havoc, and have some fun along the way then? We don't have to go too hard on anyone. Just a little bit here and there. Betcha you can send a few people back into their homes just by putting out the lamps," he said with his excitement rekindling.
I nodded agreement and set to work putting out the few lamps on the street. I don't know if Scratch realized it, but asking me to put out fires was the perfect way to cheer me up. The flames I had once loved had become my worst enemy, and I was past our falling out at this point. The sudden return of the freezing air when I extinguished one was as nice as cozying up to the fire as a Snorunt had ever been.
The first extinguished lamp drew glares from all of the villagers peeking out their doors or stumbling out onto the streets. The second one, as Scratch predicted, resulted in doors being slammed and a few of the Pokémon who had left their homes rushing back to their sense of safety.
Of course, their homes didn't offer that much protection anyways... Phasing and all...
Meanwhile Scratch was bothering the citizens who were brave enough to keep trekking towards the sources of the shouting and chaos. As I diligently extinguished the lamps one-by-one, Scratch would hover up to the Pokémon and whisper in their ear or gently touch their backs or something else creepy like that.
This brought a range of reactions. Usually Pokémon who were alone would freak out and run home, leaving Scratch barely able to contain his laughter. Those just made me uncomfortable, like with Beartic. But a lot of Pokémon had the sense to start grouping up, and those Pokémon would usually just jump a bit and huddle closer together.
Those were kind of funny I have to admit. They were scared, but they didn't look like they were about to have a breakdown. Even I couldn't stop myself from cackling when he prodded a Sneasel, causing it to leap onto the back of the bewildered Aurorus beside it. The Aurorus swiftly bucked the Sneasel off, who fell onto the street and stared up at the Aurorus in betrayal. Seeing both of them look at the other like they were crazy was really funny, and no one seemed too upset.
The chaos in the village only grew louder as Scratch bothered more Pokémon on the streets like this, and the shouting elsewhere continued to grow as well. Hovering up by the lanterns I had a good enough vantage to see a few streets over.
Most of the adult Pokémon living in the dens in the center of town seemed to have emerged, alert and ready to defend their open homes from intruders. A street over I could see the source of some of the screaming: A few Pokémon pursuing Seam as she chased a frantic Delibird through the streets, stabbing her doll of him maniacally and screeching as she did. On another street I could see the eerie blue glow of Candel's flames through a window, probably another source of the screaming...
It was... chaos. Complete and utter madness.
Seven ghosts had accomplished this. And I had barely done but put out lamps!
To have caused this much mayhem... it was enthralling.
No. No! It was horrifying!
It was both, I guess. I really was going insane, to be as excited as I was by the chaos around me.
"Hey! Stop gawkin' and start spookin' trooper!" a familiar voice snickered below me. I glanced down to see Havoc beaming up at me, reveling in the insanity.
I fell down to the street level to meet him. "Aren't you... supposed to be with Probo?" I asked nervously. I sure didn't want to run into Probo under these circumstances...
"I couldn't believe it! Probo, grand mighty protector of Everrime Town, sent down by Arceus himself, was taking a nap! Sleeping right through the town's time of need!" Havoc shouted with dripping theatrics.
The growing mob of Pokémon on the street all turned to look at the source of the yelling. I instinctually shrank back a bit. I knew they couldn't see us, but the Pokémon were starting to form into a large enough group that I was getting nervous.
Scratch hovered over to join us, looking eager as always. "There you are! We've been looking for you. Probo sleeping?"
"Like a baby! No promises of pleasant dreams though. How's Aurora liking the festivities?"
"I'm uh... it's definitely exciting," I said truthfully.
Scratch scowled. "All she wants to do is put out street lights, and she got super uncomfortable with me 'going too hard' haunting that baker. I've been trying to figure out how to help her have some fun."
"I told you guys: you gotta start easy. Course you gotta go hard to haunt the baker; he tries so hard to act tough. Gotta start with someone who cracks easy."
"And you want to recommend that Eevee girl again," Scratch finished for him.
"Bingo! Don't have to go hard at all. Just say 'boo' and she'll crack. Aurora can do it all by herself. Eh?"
"Not a bad idea. Maybe she'll have more fun doing it herself than just watching me. Sound good, Aurora?"
I really wasn't sure scaring a child was going to make that feeling in my gut any better. But what choice did I have? If I didn't at least make an effort to enjoy this Scratch would be disappointed.
"Okay... We can give it a try," I said flatly.
"A bit of enthusiasm wouldn't hurt Aurora. We're out here for you after all," Scratch grumbled.
"Don't worry, the enthusiasm will be pouring afterwards!" Havoc said cheerfully. "Now follow along, it's near the back."
The two of them guided me all the way to the very edge of town, away from the growing unrest in the center. That was slightly reassuring, since it meant we were getting away from the forming mob. By the time we got there, the shouting was only muffled cries in the distance. Hopefully that meant the Pokémon here were still sleeping...
Scratch and Havoc led me eagerly up to a small cabin, fire flickering through the window.
"Okay, we'll open the door and the rest is on you," Scratch whispered. "You'll want to make sure she doesn't scream and wake her parents, though. Tell her to stay quiet and she usually will. Kids get real scared like that."
That feeling in my gut redoubled.
As promised, they slipped through the wall and the door creaked open for me. Creeping through, I found the kid right away. A small Eevee kit slept curled up right in front of the hearth, so close it was a miracle some ember didn't catch her fur.
The room was empty besides the fireplace and the bedding she slept on, with two doorways to more dark rooms in the back. She must have dragged her bedding from her own room in here to sleep by the fire...
I sighed and hovered over to the sleeping child. She looked... so sad. She was cold. That was something I could always recognize. The way she clung to the fire, the way she scrunched her body up so tight. The fire felt like it was going to melt me away, but she was still freezing right next to it.
I really didn't want to do this. But Scratch and Havoc watched expectantly from the edge of the room with ravenous expressions, hungry for fright.
My plan had been to put out the fire first, so I could focus. But after seeing her like this I couldn't bring myself to. I just had to do enough to satisfy the brothers.
"Don't scream," I whispered in the kit's sleeping ear, trying to make my voice sound cold and harsh. It felt dirty.
The young Eevee's eyes shot wide open and her muscles tensed, but she stayed frozen in place. I could see her begin to tremble.
I won't deny that the moment of shock when I spoke to her felt... energizing.
"W-who's there?" she mumbled with a familiar anxiousness.
"I'm uh... a ghoooooost," I whispered lamely. Then thinking on it, I ran my hand down her back as well like I had seen Scratch do. She shot upright at my touch.
"G-go away... I'm... I'm not scared of you..." she muttered in an obvious lie and pulled herself to her feet.
I looked back to Scratch and Havoc, hoping I'd done enough and we could go. But their encouraging nods made it clear I had to go further.
Okay... I had whispered into her ear and touched her... What else could I do? I blew a bit of my icy breath on her, just enough to create a ghostly chill. I saw her shudder and shiver more, but that was her only reaction.
What was I even doing?
I looked back at the brothers pitifully for an explanation of what they wanted. All I got in return was more nods and gesturing to continue.
What they wanted was clear. They expected me to leave this poor kit the way Scratch had left Beartic.
I looked back at her again. She was on her feet now and was trying her absolute hardest to look brave. But by her trembling and her terrified expression she was clearly on the verge of falling to the ground and cowering. And of course, she still hadn't shouted for her parents, just because I told her not to.
Honestly, she was strong. Given her obvious terror and her young age, it was noble that she was even trying to stand her ground. Maybe if I had ever been like that, I wouldn't have ended up nearly dying in the snow. I guess that strength was why she lived here in the village and I didn't.
I could break that strength. Easily. It was so bizarre to think. That me, weak and pathetic, could break her. Like Havoc said, a single loud shout would probably shatter that fragile facade.
You know, I think that was why I had the feeling I did in my gut. What right did I have to mess with these Pokémon's heads? I was weak, and cold, and afraid. How did I have any right to make these Pokémon who had been kind and strong become as pitiful as me?
Maybe this was just more of my own stupid ideas in my head. But at this point, I was beyond salvation. That thought was in my head and it wasn't going to leave.
I couldn't do this.
I turned and went back to the brothers shaking my head with shame. Though I really didn't know the source of it at this point.
"I'm done... Let's just go," I mumbled. They'd probably never get past me giving up here.
"Come on Aurora, that's all you want to do?" Scratch whispered disappointed.
"I-I... I'm done Scratch. I'm not enjoying this."
Something flashed in Scratch's eyes. Frustration? Resentment? I couldn't be sure what. But he was clearly upset.
"Fine," he grumbled shortly.
"To hell with that!" Havoc chimed in. "If Aurora won't finish her meal, I'll take the leftovers!"
Without waiting for a response he hovered over to the kit, who's shiver was still almost audible. His claws gripped around her front paws.
"What's the matter child? Cat got your tongue?" he growled, trying desperately to make his high-pitched voice raspy.
I winced. Something in me pushed me to try and stop him. But I was too afraid.
The kit flailed, trying desperately to pull her paws free. But my threat still kept her from shouting, in spite of her obvious fear.
"You sure like this fire, eh? Feeling cold?" he taunted.
The kit didn't reply, tears forming in her eyes as she quivered.
"Shame you lost your fancy rock, kid. Could have been warm all the time. But I have another idea," he said, finally revealing himself to her just so that she could see his twisted smile.
It finally clicked. Silver stole the Fire Stone from someone in Everrime Town. I didn't listen to a lot of what I was told, but I was fairly sure Eevee evolved with stones... I guess I had no way to know for sure, but in that instant I was certain.
That little helpless kit spending every single day miserable and cold... I understood exactly what she felt. And now I knew, she felt that way because of Silver.
In spite of all of the parts of my head trying desperately to justify Silver's actions, my doubts were finally cleared. Whether I wanted to or not, I knew the truth: she was a monster.
"Havoc..." I muttered. This had to stop.
"Here, I know a way you can be real warm!" he cackled. Then he began slowly dragging the kit closer to the fire.
The kit began to panic outright now. Havoc's threat overrode mine, and she began crying out for help. And she wasn't the only one.
"Havoc!" I shouted angrily. "That's enough!"
Everyone in the room froze with shock, myself included. Even with everything I'd done to shake myself of that fear, I felt an impending certainty Havoc would kill me.
He didn't attack me, but his sudden irritation was evident. "Oh for the earth below Aurora!" he roared angrily. "I'm not actually going to put her in the fire. I don't give a damn if you don't want to have any fun, but don't ruin my-"
Before Havoc could finish his angry rambling a chunk ice flew into him, slamming him into the wall alongside the fireplace. The freed kit frantically scrambled over to her father, who had emerged to find the intruder. She cowered behind the Glaceon, who trembled almost as much, but stood strong between the two of them.
Havoc got up, looking angry. He and Scratch seemed ready to fight, until they noticed the orange fur creeping out behind the Glaceon. The more even numbers made their nerves waver, especially knowing that the Flareon would melt me like snow.
"Run," Scratch yelled to each of us. Havoc vanished into the wall behind him, just in time to avoid the sheet of ice that encased it a moment later. Me and Scratch fled out the door quickly, still having the advantage of invisibility.
I thought it might be over when we hit the streets. But the Glaceon wasn't content with us fleeing. He rushed out the door behind us and began yelling out an alarm.
"Help! The ghosts are here! Someone call Probo!" he screamed out to the open air, praying someone heard him.
"Fat chance," I heard Scratch grumble angrily from beside me as we both rushed down the street, trying to gain distance from the commotion we had made.
But I guess he chose his words poorly. Because a moment later we saw Probo rushing down the street towards us, Beartic trailing behind.
"Shit!" Scratch grunted beneath his breath and grabbed my shoulder, pulling me into an alley between two homes. I had no idea what alerted him, but as we darted between the homes I saw Probo's eyes go wide, and his orbiters launch away from him.
They were after us.
We darted as fast as we could towards the next street over, my heart beating a thousand times a second. I just knew any second now that awful shock would be running through me again. And then I'd fall unconscious, and then they'd take me, and they'd lock me up forever.
And I'd deserve it. That was the worst part.
But it never came. We crossed over to the next street without hearing those orbiters grow even an inch closer. Instead, it was another scream we heard.
An awful, high pitched shriek. One that sounded familiar, but different... Because this time the shrieking wasn't joyful.
"Havoc!" Scratch shouted, genuine fear in his voice. Without a moment's hesitation he doubled back and flew towards where we saw Probo.
Before I knew it I was following after him, cursing my instinct to follow him everywhere. I could have just left.
We rounded the corner again to find Havoc trapped between Probo's orbiters, an electrical cage draining the life out of him as he cried in pain.
I knew from experience that it wasn't pleasant.
And just like Havoc had done for me when I was on the receiving end of it, I saw Scratch forming that power between his claws. Ready to strike out and break Probo's hold. Ready to set Havoc free so that he could run home.
So that Havoc could come back another night. So he could do this all over again.
The abject horror on the kit's face kept flashing in my head. The strength and bravery fading from her face as she fully believed that she was going to die. The weeping as she cowered behind her father, maybe never to feel brave again.
Again a dangerous thought had forced itself through to my conscience, and I just couldn't get rid of it.
Havoc was a monster. Havoc deserved this.
So acting on my stupid ideas before I thought them through, I grabbed Scratch's claw and interrupted his attack.
Scratch was stunned as he stared at me frozen with a look of pure betrayal as we heard Havoc's screams suddenly stop, and the dull thud as his body hit the snow unconscious.
Whatever happened to him from here on, I was responsible for it.
I could see a thousand thoughts racing through Scratch's head at once, his body twitching as he debated what to do. Whether to try and save his brother, or to flee and warn the others. And whether to kill me right here and now, I imagine...
Probo's return to vigilance as Beartic collected Havoc's unconscious body seemed to break his will to mount a rescue, and Scratch took off towards the center of the village without another word to me.
I debated just running away right then and there. They'd surely all kill me when they found out.
But... maybe I deserved whatever I got. In the same position Havoc had saved me. And when it was my turn to help him, I betrayed him. But something in me still thought that I did what I had to.
I knew what my own judgement was worth, anyways. So I'd let them all judge me instead.
I hurried after Scratch. We bolted straight for the center of the village, where the chaos had last been unfolding. The screams had quieted and had been replaced with the bustling voices of the villagers, formed together into a huge mob of Pokémon.
Most of the ghosts were already gathered around the crowd, hiding in their invisibility. Seam peeked down from one of the rooftops, staring intently at the Delibird she so hated, who cowered near the center of the crowd. Silver and Sen waited cloaked in one of the alleys, approaching as we came near. Silver was carrying an old teapot with her.
Stolen, definitely. But I was in no position to say anything.
"Where in the world have you been? The mob has gotten too big. We need to go. Where the hell is Havoc?" Silver demanded.
"Gone." Scratch said lifelessly, hovering towards the woods without waiting for anyone's response.
The two looked at him in surprise, and then glanced at me for an explanation. But I didn't have the capacity to speak at the moment. So I followed wordlessly as well.
With a few angry glares from Silver finally convincing Seam to drop her quarry, we returned to the woods.
The eerie light of Candel's flames guided us to his hiding place, where he had fled when things got too hot. I guess not being able to turn invisible made this a bit trickier for him.
I was surprised we met up this close to the village still, though. The light and commotion of the villagers were still present in the distance. I suppose they had no way to know we had left, after all...
I had followed along silently, except maybe for the frantic beating of my heart. This was it. After all of this time, worrying about when the ghosts would do something terrible to me, it was finally going to happen. And maybe I still didn't know if Havoc might have deserved it... but either way I knew that whatever happened to me next was the consequence of my choices. My awful, awful choices.
"So, do you want to tell us what happened now?" Silver snapped at Scratch as we reconvened. In spite of her irritation, she still muffled her voice. She held the teapot between the cloth-like drapes of her arms. Seeing her cradle her stolen prize gave me a flicker of hypocritical disgust.
Scratch continued to stare into space with glazed eyes. "Probo caught Havoc," he mumbled.
Seam gasped, and I saw Candel wince a bit. Silver's cold snarl sharpened, and even Sen's eye seemed to widen a bit.
"Let's just go back before they see Candel's flames. We can talk about it later," he muttered still without meeting anyone's gaze.
Everyone stared at each other in a stunned silence. The other ghosts because of Havoc's capture, I imagine. But I was just surprised Scratch didn't give me up.
At least, not yet.
I had to wonder... why not? Did he forgive me? Could he maybe even think that I did what was right? Maybe even he thought Havoc was going too far, tormenting that child.
I was doing it again, wasn't I? Convincing myself they were all villains that I had to be afraid of? Scratch was my friend, and he'd put up with a lot of my mistakes already. He had to understand how I felt... We'd figure something out for Havoc.
We might have all stood there gawking at eachother forever if Scratch didn't wordlessly begin floating back towards home, not bothering to wait for anyone else.
Even though the darkness was home to us all, it still held a somber fittingness to the anxious atmosphere of our trip. Scratch's silence wasn't shared by the rest of the group however, and they all murmured and gossiped the whole trek back as he floated alone ahead of us.
"Havoc was sooo confident. What do you think happened?" Seam whined to Candel, who stared ahead pensively. This was the first time all night I had seen Seam turn her attention away from abusing her doll.
"Havoc intended to disable Probo with a hypnotic technique, followed by a unique ability of his species to produce nightmares," Candel mumbled distantly. "However, someone as inexperienced with it as him would struggle to reliably produce long-lasting nightmares. He likely overestimated the duration his ability would be in effect for."
"Havoc did always overestimate his abilities..." Sen added, even his stoic voice leaking sadness.
Rather than add her opinion, Silver simply cast a cold and accusatory glare at me as I watched them. That was enough to spin my head straight forward again in an instant. But I could still feel her gaze boring into me from behind...
"You were with Scratch." Silver's icy voice suddenly hissed into my ear from behind. "So you can tell us what happened, right?"
The question froze me in place faster than any of her abilities could have.
Just a few minutes ago I was telling myself it was perfectly okay to trust them all. So why was every instinct I had screaming at me not to tell her the truth?
Suddenly the crunching of snow and the murmuring of the ghosts stopped, as they all noticed I had stood still. The three of them turned to see what was going on between me and Silver.
Just what I needed: more attention.
"I... uhm. I was- " I started choking out. It was now or never. I either listened to my head and told them the truth or listened to my gut and lied.
But even if I lied, wouldn't Scratch just tell them anyways when he found out?
No, he would protect me, right? He wouldn't let them-
But they were my friends too, weren't they? What did I need to be protected from?
And if I didn't need to be protected, then would it matter if I lied? Wouldn't they understand I was scared and upset?
And if they didn't... wouldn't it have been better to lie anyways?
Why did I have two contradictory images of them in my head still?
"Why so silent?" Silver snarled. "Shouldn't be a hard question. Were you with them?"
"Uh- y-yes," I spat out nervously, "Our uhm... our haunting went bad and the... Glaceon and the uhm... Flareon chased us out. And while we were running we ran into Probo and uhm... he caught Havoc."
"And you two ran away?" Silver asked in an accusatory tone.
"N-no... Scratch tried to save him. But I uh-"
I really did mean to tell the truth, but at the moment of truth my compulsion overwhelmed me and my instincts spoke for me.
"But he c-couldn't... And when Havoc got knocked out we had to run," I concluded. I was sure I looked as guilty as I felt.
Silver's frigid glare only sharpened. "And what did you do, Aurora?"
Did... did she know? How could she possibly? Was my lie that obvious? Was it just always clear to her how craven and treacherous I was?
"I... I didn't do anything!" I claimed defensively. I was committed to the lie now.
To my surprise, her rigid look collapsed to one of disgust. "Of course you didn't," she muttered as she turned away. "Useless, as always."
The rest of our party gave me their own judgmental glances as they also began moving again, hurrying to catch up with Scratch.
Silver didn't realize I had condemned Havoc. She was just mad I didn't do anything to help him.
I hadn't even thought of that. What did that say about me? I hadn't considered for a second that maybe more was expected of me than just not making the situation worse for a friend...
I guess something was just wrong with me.
I hurried to catch up with them. Right or wrong, my lie had shielded me for now. But we were almost home.
As soon as we had crowded back into the foyer of our decaying home, Scratch tried to float off into the ceiling. But Seam's cries demanded he return.
"What are we going to do about Havoc?" she demanded. "They have him, and I want him back," she stomped her feet like a petulant child.
Scratch let out a massive sigh. "I don't know, alright? I don't know what we're going to do," he shouted, his depressive silence suddenly igniting into a fit of frustration. "Probo will almost definitely hand him off to some bounty hunters in the morning to escort him to a bigger city, and then he's gone for good. So you want to know what we're gonna to do? Nothing. There's nothing we can do."
Seam recoiled at his outburst and began whimpering with a pout. This was an anger I'd never seen out of Scratch. Not his usual disappointment, but the frustration of pure despair.
"We could attempt to intercept their transfer, or perhaps jump whoever is escorting him en route?" Candel suggested. "I have centuries of experience, and the five of you behind me. I'm certain we could handle a simple bount-"
"No." Scratch cut him off. "We can't take a team of bounty hunters. We'd all just end up arrested ourselves. It's over."
"And besides, you mean four of us," Silver added. "We've well established tonight that Aurora is useless."
"Worse than useless," Scratch muttered.
That stung. I guess it was really stupid to think he wouldn't hold it against me after I cost him his brother.
But his comment wasn't lost on Silver, and I saw the glimmer of insight in her eyes. Eyes which, for the first time, I noticed were as deep and sunken as my own.
"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked coolly.
Scratch paused, a guilty look on his face. As though he said something he shouldn't have.
That moment of hesitation was all I needed to know the truth. My gut had been right all along. They would not forgive me, and they would not understand me. And Scratch clearly knew that.
But he dropped the guillotine on my head all the same.
"Aurora stopped me from breaking Probo's hold on him," he muttered guiltily, drained once more of his energy. "I might have been able to save him, but she panicked and interrupted me."
He knew he was condemning me.
A blast of cold hit me a moment later. Not the pleasant chill of a winter night. The cold I had always known: cruel, draining, slow death.
The blast of ice sent me flying backwards, slamming onto the floor before I could stabilize my hover. I stared up in horror to see Silver preparing another one.
"WHOA, WHOA, WHOA!" Scratch scrambled frantically to try and stop her. "What are you doing?!"
Her malevolent gaze shifted to him.
"What?" she snapped at Scratch. "We let her evolve, bring her into our home, put up with her pathetic antics... And she turns around and betrays us?" She turned wildly to the other ghosts for affirmation. "If Havoc is gone, then why should she still be around?"
Scratch's eyes widened as he took his claws off of her and backed away, horrified.
"K-kill her? Seriously?" he stuttered in shock.
But the other ghosts didn't seem so appalled. Sen's single eye was resolute, and Seam leaned in eagerly at the prospect.
"It seems rather barbaric... " Candel muttered hesitantly.
"I-I'm sorry!" I cried out desperately, trying to scramble away from the murderous Froslass hovering above me.
But Seam's approval only seemed to validate her, and another ray of ice slammed into my body. As the penetrating cold subsided I tried to flee. But it was too late for that now. My lower body was entirely stuck to the floor by a thick sheet of ice.
"I didn't mean to do it! I panicked!" I begged. I couldn't die now... not after all of this!
"SILVER! Please!" Scratch yelled, breaking her focus as she prepared another attack. "We can't just murder her!" he pleaded.
"And why not?" she spat, turning her attention fully from me to him. "Didn't she basically kill Havoc?"
"I- She- She didn't kill Havoc Silver. He's still alive. And she was just scared, and... She clearly didn't mean it." he defended me. "And besides, she lives here too now. We can't fall apart like this. We need to get along, no matter what she did."
She glared at him with contempt. "That's where we disagree. I see no need to 'get along' with her. And I was fine with that. Literally all she needed to do was stay out of my way. But clearly she's a danger to have around. I won't live here waiting until the day her idiocy or her cowardice gets me hurt. So what's more important to you, Scratch? Getting along with me, or getting along with the traitor?"
Scratch's claws went limp as he admitted defeat. His gaze seemed to stare far past Silver into the distance as he hovered lifelessly like this for a few moments.
"You're right," he muttered my death sentence as if it was his own.
The moments after he condemned me to death felt like an eternity.
So this was how I died, huh? Suddenly it all made sense. This was all a prank. The universe knew I'd be so stupid as to think I had been spared. Just so it could toy with me for a few more weeks, and then kill me off for real.
Ha. Hahaha. Maybe it was just those crazy ghost instincts in my head, but I had to admit... It got me good. Of course, I was very easy to trick.
But Scratch's voice spoke up again and broke me from my stupor.
"But... Havoc is still alive. I agree we should punish her, but we don't have to kill her," he said with a hint of desperation.
"But why nooooot?" Seam whined. Silver glared at him angrily, awaiting an explanation.
"She still can't phase. If Havoc is going to be imprisoned, then let's do the same to her," he suggested, motioning towards me with monstrous claws as I feebly tried to pull myself free from my icy tomb. "Throw her down in the cellar and let her stay there forever."
"I'd rather just kill her," Seam pouted with puffed cheeks.
"I... actually prefer that suggestion," Candel spoke up again, still looking perturbed. "It seems far more civilized, and dare I say far more... poetic. And besides, with her current level of competence it is unlikely she will ever learn to phase without an experienced teacher."
Scratch looked desperately to Silver for her approval. She glared in return. But to Scratch's credit, he didn't flinch.
After an awkward moment, Silver turn to Sen. "Sen, what is your vote?"
"I do not care. It's pointless to argue over the details. Either way she's dealt with." he replied apathetically.
Silver let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. I don't really care," she said, turning away from me. "As long as I never have to see her again, the details don't matter." And with that she began to float away, off to ferry her newest ill-gotten gain to her hoard of stolen treasure.
I also let out a sigh. It was stupid to be so relieved I wouldn't die when I was about to be locked up. Probably forever. But I guess that's just survival instinct.
I didn't have a lot of time to rejoice though.
"We are decided then?" I heard Candel ask.
Scratch stared down at me with a strange mix of guilt, pity, and resentment. He sighed and turned away.
"Yeah. Go ahead."
I saw the blackness forming in Candel's glass torso. I struggled to break free from the ice as I realized what was about to happen, but my panicked squirming was far from enough. A moment later the wave of black slammed into me and I lost consciousness.