A/N - Thanks so much for all reads, reviews, faves and follows! =D

Chapter 30 - Priorities

Faith flopped onto her back on the hay mattress. "Oh, this is a cozy little den!"

"Yup! Nothing like a good sleep after a good meal!" Spark copied her, lying splayed out in a small nest beside Cleo. "I'm bushed! I could sleep for the entire Cold Season!"

"Don't hibernate," said Cleo. "We've got a job to do."

"I'm not a bewear, Cleo," said Spark.

"Well you eat like one."

A dried grass seed bounced off Cleo's ear and Spark turned her back on her, but not without catching the meowstic's playful smile.

"You certainly do have a big appetite," said Faith. "I guess generating electricity burns up a lot of energy?"

Spark yawned widely. "Don't you know it."

Faith gave her a wide smile, which faltered quickly. "Do you think Mischief will be okay? Since he's on his own?"

"He'll be fine." Cleo couldn't deny she had her own doubts. Mischief had taken his talk with Tinker quite badly. "We'll see him first thing in the morning, anyway. I know which room he's in, so I'll sweep buy when I wake up."

"And meet us in the dining hall, right?" Spark asked. "Because… yanno… sometimes you do make us miss breakfast, and I don't want that."

"I was actually planning on skipping it, if I'm honest," said Cleo. "I don't want to run into Tinker before we leave. I fear he'll only try to hamper our plans."

"Seriously?" Spark groaned and flopped an arm over her face. "You're gonna starve me because of that?"

"Don't worry. I gathered supplies while you were finishing up your dinner. You can eat on the way."

Spark peered at her through one eye. "Apples?"

"And dried cheri berries."

"Yes!" The dedenne fist-pumped the air. "Okay, I totally forgive you."

Faith sat up to address Cleo. "So what is the plan tomorrow? Do you have a destination in mind?"

Cleo sat back on her paws as she thought over the mawile's question. "I actually don't. To be honest, I've no idea where we're meant to be going. Xerneas told us to fight fire with fire, but… I don't know. It confuses me."

"How?" Faith asked.

"Well… the Wildfires are fire-types."

"Huh!" Spark wiped a paw across her nose. "That's a good point. It sounds to me like he wants us to find a fire-type pokemon to fight them. But wouldn't that be really ineffective?"

Faith mused on that for a moment, rubbing the base of her horn. "You're right, Spark. I was thinking the same thing. But I trust Xerneas, and if he says there's a fire-type that can help you be rid of the Wildfires, then we should look for one."

Cleo made a thoughtful noise and closed her eyes. "Being rid of the Wildfires does sound good. But I really don't want to come face to face with them again."

"Again?" Faith asked.

Cleo grimaced and shook her head. "Sorry, Faith. I don't want to re-live it."

Faith nodded. "That's understandable." She shifted on her bed, rustling the hay. "I won't pry."

They fell into silence for a moment, and Faith flopped onto her back again. Cleo settled into her mattress, gazing up at the ceiling. Erratic shadows danced across them from the torches on the walls, dragging dark memories from Cleo's mind. A forest consumed by flames as howling shadows raced through them. She screwed her eyes shut to block them out. Perhaps she should extinguish them? But the ones in the hallway needed to remain lit in case of emergencies.

She sighed, focusing her mind on their current assignment. A fire-type… They needed to find a fire-type. There were some in New City. Perhaps the pokemon they needed was right nearby, and all they'd need to do was convince them to join them.

"How about the growlithe brothers?" Spark suggested.

Cleo started slightly. "The guards? It's worth asking them."

"Hmm, I don't know," said Faith. "Xerneas said you'll know when you meet them, and you've had to think about this."

"Good point." Spark let her arm fall across her face again and sighed. "Why do I feel like this is gonna be really hard?"

Cleo nodded stiffly. "I guess we need to travel away from New City. But where?"

"There's always the desert?" Faith suggested. "We could travel south?"

"South?" Cleo clicked her tongue. Somehow, she felt that wasn't the way to go, but she couldn't put her claw on 'why'. "I'm not sure. Settlements down there fall under attack from Hydreigon's admirers. There are a lot of desert dragon-types, and the only town I know is still standing is Windflower."

"At least we hope it's still standing," said Spark. "I've not heard any different, but we've not really been around much to pick up updates."

Cleo wanted to add that she was sure Tinker would have told her after her recent dealings with that town, but bit it back. Tinker often chided her at times, and could come across as spiteful, but she knew he wouldn't go that far.

"We may need to just travel and see who we meet?" Cleo shrugged.

"But there are no Outcast towns around for miles," said Spark, waving a paw at the walls. "They've all migrated here."

"Then we'll just move out further," said Cleo.

"Oh great." Spark groaned and dragged her claws down her face. "We're gonna be on the road for days, aren't we?"

"Not unless we find a faster means to travel," suggested Faith.

"What? Like hire a flying-type?" Spark asked. "'Cos I don't think there are any big enough to carry all five of us. Not everyone gets as big as Reshiram."

Faith laughed at that. "I wasn't thinking a flying-type."

"Some Outcasts do use waggons." Cleo scratched her muzzle in thought. "That's always an option. But like Spark said, there are no settlements for miles, and all the waggons New City took in were broken down into fuel years ago during that terrible freeze."

Faith's violet eyes widened. "You burned fires underground?"

"The market is actually pretty well ventilated," Cleo explained. "Chutes run up through the trees, creating a good air flow."

"Wow. I'm surprised you weren't spotted."

"There were no murkrow patrols at the time," said Cleo. "It was much too cold for them, and the blizzards were terrible." She rubbed her face with a paw. If waggons were out of the question… She suddenly sat upright, taking Faith and Spark by surprise. "How about a boat?"

"A boat?" Spark raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. The river is running again. If we were to find a boat to carry us along it we could cover ground much faster, and reach the next settlement in no time!" Cleo whipped her map from her bag and spread it out on the mattress. Spark and Faith immediately shuffled in around her for a better look. Cleo jabbed a claw at an area outside the Moorland's Forest to the south, right beside the river. It was a huge stretch of blank grassland that blended into the desert the further south it went. "This is an area of Estellis I've not explored yet. What if there's an Outcast town here? We might find the pokemon we're looking for, or even clues to point us in the right direction!"

Faith clapped her paws together. "I'm all for meeting new pokemon! If you can get the boat, then let's do it!"

Cleo's heart was soaring. It certainly sounded like the best idea. The problem was…

"Where are we gonna get a boat?" Spark had voiced her question perfectly.

Cleo folded her map back up and slotted it back into her bag. "I guess the best pokemon to ask would be Skipper."

"That makes perfect sense," said Spark. "If anyone's gonna know how to get or build a boat, it's gonna be a water-type."

"I'll try to catch him tomorrow before breakfast," said Cleo. "Who knows, maybe New City actually has one we can borrow?"

"And what if you run into Tinker?"

Cleo bit her lip and glanced from Spark's smirking face to Faith's concerned one. "I guess I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."

...

Mint stood beside Rio, her eyes on the chaos before her. She muttered incoherently as she watched Rio's workers put the cage together. Heavy duty iron mesh was being used for the walls. Thunder the raichu and Razorclaw held a piece each, the edge meeting as a heliolisk named Ray fused them together with his electricity. Tantrum moseyed back and forth, observing their efforts and making sure everything was fit together efficiently.

Curious eyes peered out from the cells around the edge of the room. The small number of test subjects Rio had managed to reclaim had gained confidence since their escape. They'd been separated into smaller numbers to stop them from retaliating whenever anyone approached the cells. Rio hadn't yet got around to removing all of their memories, and with Project C taking top priority it would have to wait a little while longer.

Rio scribbled on a scrap of paper pinned to his clipboard, a crude doodle of the cage's work in progress.

"I still can't believe you're doing this," Mint said before trailing off into her nervous muttering once more.

Rio didn't look up from his notes. "You've been saying that all night."

"It's Enigma!" Mint let out a sigh and dragged her paw down her face. "He's a trained assassin! He'll find a way out of this and kill us all."

"I've already explained my plan to you," Rio told her. "A ghost will have a hard time slipping through an electrically charged cage. Thunder and Ray between them will be watching his every move, keeping him contained. Why are you having such a hard time processing this? I thought you were a scientist."

Mint groaned and clawed at her muzzle. She said something under her breath, and Rio lowered his clipboard to look at her.

"What was that?" he asked.

"I said I may have to leave this place after all."

Rio flicked his twin tails from side to side and narrowed a glare at her. The grovyle's eyes flicked from left to right and she shifted uneasily.

"I can't allow that." There was a hint of danger in the meowstic's voice.

She snapped her head around towards him. "What?"

"If you want out," he said slowly, "then you'll be watching from behind those bars with the other test subjects. I haven't got the time to erase your memories."

"My memories?" Mint squeaked. "What are you talking about? Rio, we're friends!"

Rio returned to his sketch. "If you leave here, you're a security risk. I can't allow that."

Mint hugged her arms around herself as she looked round the room. The curious eyes of Rio's captives were glued to the construction going on before them.

"Then I guess I have no choice," she said. "I'll stay here and help you. But I'm not happy about this."

"You've made that very clear already," said Rio. "But I can assure you we'll be perfectly safe. I've thought this through."

Mint let out a nervous laugh. "I hope so, Rio. Because I dread to think what he'll do when he sees me."

Rio looked up again and raised an eyebrow. "Why? I can't imagine he'd have some personal vendetta towards you."

"I don't know. He visited me while he was searching for information on Boomer." She nodded at Rio's surprise and licked her lips. "I had no choice but to forward him to you. But he made it very clear if he saw me again he'd…" Her scales turned a pale lime and she slumped to the floor, hugging her knees to her chest.

Rio watched her, a cold fury welling up inside him. "Did you tell him about pokerus?"

"Of course not!" she gasped.

"Good." Rio turned his attention back to his clipboard and idly flicked through each sheet. "Then it will be a nice little surprise for him."

Mint muttered to herself again, then added, "Yes. And he'll find out we've both been keeping something from him."

Rio shrugged. "Oh, I wouldn't worry about that, Mint. Whether or not he puts the pieces together-"

"Which he will."

Rio sucked in air through his teeth. "Whether or not, it doesn't matter. No one here needs to fear him anymore. He'll be completely at our mercy during this project, and by the time we're through with it, he won't even remember who we are."

...

"Enigma! Enigma!"

The heavy black fog that had been hanging over the banette parted, and a dull ache spread through his body. He groaned, removing his paw from his face.

"Enigma!" Harlequin hissed.

Enigma cracked an eye open, catching a fleeting glimpse of sapphire as Harlequin, ears pricked, turned to glance back out through the bars.

"Someone's coming," the zorua whispered.

"What?" Enigma mumbled, pushing himself up against the wall.

"Quick, hide!" Harlequin pleaded. "Before they find you!"

The banette sighed, pushing himself reluctantly to his feet. His body complained at the effort, and he felt something shift in his side. He grimaced and flopped against the wall with a loud jingle that made Harlequin flinch. Enigma shook his head at his own carelessness, slowly turning translucent.

And not a moment too soon. The door opened, letting in a cacophony of raucous voices. But the figure that entered looked as threatening as a newly-hatched caterpie.

The audino shuffled into the room, clutching a plate of berries and dried meat in one paw. She nudged the door closed with her hip and beamed at the zorua staring back at her. Harlequin didn't smile, but they didn't bare their canines either. The zorua kept a close eye on the audino as she approached the cell and slipped the plate through a hatch beneath the door.

"I thought you'd like some supper," she said.

Harlequin sniffed at the plate cautiously, either checking for poisons or merely to satisfy the audino. Enigma wondered if it were the latter, since a huge smile spread across the pink pokemon's face.

"You're looking more rested than the last time I saw you," she said. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Fine," Harlequin muttered, trying not to glance in Enigma's direction.

The audino inclined her head one one side. "You do seem a little anxious."

Harlequin said nothing, instead snapping up a piece of dried meat from the plate.

The audino nodded and stepped back from the cell. "Well, I'll see you at breakfast." She paused by the door. "Good night."

Harlequin watched her leave then let out a huge sigh, ears drooping. They looked back towards Enigma as he rematerialised and slid down the wall.

"You need to leave."

Those words stabbed at Enigma's chest, but he waved a dismissive paw. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Are you planning something?" Harlequin asked. "Because I hardly think you can launch a sneak attack on Cleo in your condition."

Enigma stared at the zorua with narrowed eyes, absently clutching the right side of his chest. Harlequin stared back with as much ice as Enigma felt forming inside him.

"If I'm leaving, you're coming with me," he said.

"Then you'll have to fight me," replied Harlequin. "Because I'm not going back to the Shadow Lands."

Enigma spat air. "So you actually want to stay here? In this cell?"

"I won't be in this cell for much longer," Harlequin told him. "But after everything I've learned, I'd sooner stay in this cell."

"Why?" Enigma scoffed. "You said yourself you didn't know what you wanted. I'm here to help you!"

"You came here to kill me," Harlequin reminded him. "And you're right, I don't know what I want. But I know I don't want to go back to the Shadow Lands. If what we've been living is a lie… if the world really can be like the Fairy Garden, then…" Harlequin screwed their eyes shut and dug their claws into the floor. "Then… I want to help Estellis see that."

"So you're giving up to follow a fantasy?"

Harlequin looked up at him. "If Hydreigon hadn't burned that book with the library, then I'd suggest you read it again. Perhaps it might make you realise it's not some made-up fantasy?"

"Hydreigon never burned that book."

Harlequin's ears pricked upright. "What… you kept it?"

Enigma shrugged and looked away from Harlequin.

"When?" Harlequin asked. "You never mentioned anything about it to me."

"I hid it, okay?" Enigma snapped. "And I forgot it even existed until you brought it up."

Harlequin's shoulders slumped and they shook their head.

"But perhaps you're right. Perhaps I do need to read it again," said Enigma. "That way I can get some kind of understanding for what's going on inside your head! Because I never thought I'd see the day when you would decide to live in fear with the Outcasts."

"I'm not living in fear," Harlequin told him. "Not anymore. Because I now know a world exists where I don't need to live in fear of the future, or the past!" The zorua's voice cracked with those last three words.

Enigma tightened his jaw as Harlequin screwed their eyes shut, digging their claws into the floor.

"I don't need to fear it anymore," the zorua went on. "None of it. Not anymore."

Enigma chuckled bitterly and dragged himself to his feet. "Sometimes I think you're the one who's the enigma."

Harlequin licked their lips and relaxed slightly. "You don't have to go back either."

"I'm not joining the Outcasts, Harle."

"Neither am I," said Harlequin.

"You're suggesting I become an outlaw?" Enigma spat. "Because that sounds like an even worse deal."

Harlequin shrugged and stared down at the plate of berries at their feet.

"Forget it," said Enigma. "You're a lost cause. I'm not wasting any more time here, I've got stuff to do."

"Then here." Harlequin snatched a piece of meat in their jaws and tossed it towards Enigma. The banette caught it on impulse, a look of surprise crossing his face. "At least eat something before you leave."

Enigma tutted and frowned at it.

"Just… remember this." Tears sparkled in Harlequin's eyes and they turned their face away from him. "If you insist on working for that dragon, then we're now enemies."

Enigma felt that awful wave of loneliness surge through him again, spreading with it a coating of ice. Why did the Outcasts keep doing this to him? No… this was exactly why assassins didn't form attachments. They were a weakness. Harlequin had got under his skin, and now the Outcasts had turned them against him. He should have killed the zorua when he had the chance.

Icy spikes stabbed him in the chest, and he grit his teeth, clenching his fist around the strip of meat. Harlequin wouldn't even look at him. Enigma shook his head and slipped from the cell, reducing himself to a translucent stream of mist. As he slipped through the door, the dried meat fell from his paws and hit the floor with a slap, breaking the bitter silence.

Within no time he was back outside the tree. The world seemed a lot larger, each shadow threatening. That pang of loneliness manifested into a wave of despair, and he stumbled into the nettles, reaching out to steady himself against the cold bark of the nearest tree. He stood there for a moment, catching his breath as he searched the bare canopy. Tears pricked his eyes, blurring the scenery, but not so much as a leaf stirred in the trees. His heart clenched, but he didn't look back. Instead he resigned himself to staggering through the unforgiving nettles, his bell echoing in the hollow silence.

...

Skipper rubbed the back of his head with a flipper and sighed. "I'm sorry, Cleo. I canne 'elp ye wi' thissun."

Cleo's heart sank into her gut, and she sat down heavily on the stool opposite him. Starshine chittered from his desk and dropped a berry at its edge. He caught Cleo's eye and nudged the berry again with his beak.

"Berry," he said.

Cleo took it politely and held it in both paws as she stared into her lap. "So… you don't know where we can get a boat?"

"It's not that I dinnae ken where ye can get one," Skipper explained. "But th'guild ain't used river boats for as long as I can remember. Mountain rivers'r too rough. Fallin' trees an' rocks are a real hazard, an' wi'th speed o'river ye'd get a reet good skelpin'. Ye'd be smashed t'bits, boat 'n' all, sure enough."

Cleo continued to stare into her lap. She'd not considered all that. Of course a boat traversing the rapids down the mountain slope was a death sentence. With the fallen tree the 'peaceful pokemon' had used as a bridge… They'd be heading straight for it.

She sighed and stood back up. "Well, thank you for your time, Skipper. I guess we'll just have to find another way to cover ground quickly."

"Aye, I sure 'ope ye can find somethin'. Ah well, if ye wanna avoid Tink, I suggest ye get a wiggle on."

She nodded and forced a smile. "Thank you, Skipper. We'll see you when we get back."

Skipper returned her smile and Cleo turned from the office. The door opened before she could reach it, and she found herself almost nose to nose with Tinker. The riolu blinked with surprise, flushing slightly. He cleared his throat and motioned her aside so he could enter.

"Great timing, Cleo," he said. "I was hoping to catch you this morning."

Cleo's blood turned to ice and she clenched her jaw. Great. Exactly what she wasn't wanting to hear.

"I have a task for you," Tinker explained. "I need you to take-"

"No." The firmness in Cleo's voice took her by surprise, and it was reflected in Tinker's good eye.

"I beg your pardon?" he gasped.

"We already have a mission," Cleo told him, her voice wavering. "A very important one."

"And what might that be?"

"We've been tasked to find a fire-type pokemon."

"There are plenty in the Guild," Tinker told her. "Take one of them."

"They aren't in the Guild," Cleo replied. "At least, not this one." She paused. "In fact, we've no idea where they are. So this might take us a while."

"I don't have a while, Cleo. This is urgent, and I need you to take a medicine package to Stonehaven."

Stonehaven? Cleo hadn't heard of it.

"It's just beyond the Glen," Tinker explained, as if he'd managed to somehow read her thoughts. His back was to her as he rummaged through his desk drawer. "They've been hit by the river poison, and are in desperate need of medicinal berries and herbs. I have the package right here. Just take it and be on your way. And don't forget your hostage, either."

"I can take it, but we won't be coming back," said Cleo. "Not straight away, anyway."

Tinker gave her an exasperated look and held out a large brown sack. "Cleo… your Guild duties should take priority. You are to report straight back to New City after this mission, without fail."

"Why? Otherwise you won't pay me?"

"Precisely."

Cleo took the sack in one paw, not taking her eyes off Tinker's. "Then so be it."

She turned to leave the office, but Tinker's voice froze her by the door.

"I don't want to fire you, Cleo."

"Listen, Tinker." She looked back at him over her shoulder. "I am willing to fulfil this request, but our search for this fire-type pokemon takes full priority. Who knows? We might even find them in Stonehaven. But I don't need you blackmailing me with payment or my job. It isn't a very professional approach, is it?"

Tinker's jaw flapped open silently.

Cleo glanced past him, noticing Starshine peering around the riolu's hip to watch her.

"You know, Tinker," she said. "You can't keep him locked up in your office forever like one of your inventions. He's a living thing. It isn't exactly fair."

With that, she slipped from his office, closing the door behind her. She paused against the wall, her heart racing. It wasn't the first time she'd stood up to Tinker, but she'd never done so with her job on the line. She looked down at the sack, which was somewhat slack, bulging at the bottom with whatever contents Tinker had given her. She tossed it over her shoulder then pushed herself from the wall, making her way back towards the nest rooms.

She found Faith and Spark about half way along, with Mischief in tow. The whimsicott looked like he'd not slept a wink all night, and yawned when he saw her. Spark fluffed herself up on Faith's shoulder and groaned.

"I was hopin' to sneak some breakfast while you were busy," she said.

"Sorry," said Cleo. "Things didn't exactly go as I'd hoped either."

"You didn't get the boat?" Faith asked.

"Nope. I got an assignment instead." Cleo turned to lead the group into the tunnel that lead towards the cells, all the while explaining what had happened that morning.

"I can't believe he'd threaten you with your job," Spark scoffed around a mouthful of apple. "That's a new low."

"So what's the plan?" Mischief asked. "We're still looking for the fire-type, right?"

"Of course we are. We'll get Harlequin as ordered and start our search." Cleo paused to unlock the stone slab at the end of the tunnel. "We're just going to run this errand, and if we don't find the fire-type in Stonehaven, we'll continue on our way."

"So you're obeying Tinker anyway?" Mischief asked. "After what he's said?"

"I'm not doing this for Tinker, I'm doing this for the pokemon that need it." Cleo glanced back at her friends as the stone rolled to the side. "It also gives us a starting point, and a direction to head in."

Faith beamed, and followed Cleo up through the exit. "That's great, Cleo! Let's help those pokemon. We might even find our fire-type!"

...

Review Replies:

Jusmove - Tinker definitely has got a lot of frustrations with the war. I'm glad you like Xerneas' charge, it does sow some hope for some of the antagonists going forwards! Who will step into the light? =D

Adamfics - As much as I feel sorry for Mischief, and would have loved for him to live in peace, he's needed. He's got a lot of problems, but he's also been tasked with a job to do. That's why his friends encouraged him. Cleo, and even Faith, aren't perfect. They didn't handle it well, just like any real-life person they can make mistakes. But they meant well. To address the issue with Xerneas, he works through those who work for him. That's why he's given them this power to use. The time hasn't yet come for him to 'end the war'. If he did, hundreds - even thousands - of pokemon who have been mislead would be killed. They need to see the light first. I mean, if he'd just ended it, Harlequin wouldn't have been saved! Look how far our little fox-friend has come! There's got to be more, right?
Harlequin's gender pronouns are confusing, yes. Estellis' native language (written here in English) doesn't have nongender pronouns so everyone refers to Harlequin as they personally see them. The original narrative used the pronoun for that character's perspective (Enigma would have 'he', Cleo would have 'she') but this was commented on as being insensitive so I altered it. It doesn't go on forever, Harlequin's sub-plot is on the horizon although I've not re-written it yet.

Thanks, everyone, for reading!

Please R&R! =D