"Welcome!" a pair of kecleon called from behind the store desk.
A small bell rang over the trio's head as they entered the shop, a feeling of familiarity filling Crystal's tiny body as she saw the aisles of various items, the rows of fresh berries, the chilly ice box filled with cool drinks and treats. She had a suspicion that this general store was quite similar to the stores from her own world. It was surprising how advanced the building was considering there were no humans around. But, she supposed, there were plenty of pokemon with intelligence on par, if not better than, human intelligence. She still couldn't help feeling impressed.
"Hey Lily, Emi…" a kecleon greeted his shop's visitors, taking pause when he noticed a new face among the group. "Oh! Who's your friend there?"
"This is Crystal!" Lillian wrapped a flipper around the golden fox's neck, pulling her closer so the twin pair could get a better look at her, "Emi found her and is taking care of her while she's adjusting to things here." Crystal looked between Lillian's beaming expression and the kecleons' curious gazes, smiling sheepishly as she waved a paw at them.
"Well, nice to meet you, Crystal! I'm Tim and this is my sister, Kim." he nodded towards the second kecleon behind the counter, her hand giving the fennekin a little wave as her brother introduced her.
"Our family's been running this store since the goddess Xerneas first blessed this village." Kim took the chance to give the information, her voice filled with pride at the accomplishment, "We've really grown and expanded since then. We used to just sell items we found in the nearby dungeons, but now, we connect with partners around the world to improve our shop's variety and stock!"
"Kim here is a whiz at finding what you need!" Tim exclaimed, pressing his hands onto his sister's shoulders and rocking her in his enthusiasm. "Even if we don't have it, she can find someone who does!"
"Well, I do what I can," his sister laughed, it wasn't every day they had a new pokemon who they could sell their services to.
Crystal, personally, wasn't really in the market for anything specifically. She didn't even know if there was anything she needed in the first place, but it all sounded rather exciting to know that any needs she did have were taken care of. She gave a nod of acknowledgment before hearing her name being called.
"Could you c'mere for a second?" Emizella asked, her shopping taking her to the other side of the store.
"Coming!" Crystal called back, squeezing out from Lillian's hold before trotting over to Emizella who was browsing through the berries and produce. "What was it you needed?" she asked as she joined by the riolu's side.
"I was just wondering if you had any taste preferences. Like is there anything that you won't eat of something you like?" she turned her head towards the fox, her hands debating between two very ripe looking pecha berries.
Spicy, a voice told Crystal instantly to give her an answer to the question. "I really like spicy foods,"
Emizella smirked as she raised an eyebrow at the fennekin, "Like mild spice or burn your tongue off spice?"
"More like 'I live for the challenge' spice."
The riolu laughed, her teeth clamping together to turn its volume into a snicker. "My kind of gal!" she said as she regained her composure, "Alright, I'll make something really good for dinner tonight. You can head back to Lily, thanks."
Crystal nodded her head, regarding the chuckling Emizella for a moment longer before walking back to Lillian, overhearing them in the middle of their own conversation while she was away.
"Oh, you're back." Time greeted Crystal upon her return, Lillian's attention turning from the counter to shine her smile at the small fox.
"What did Emi want?" she asked, too curious not to.
"She just wanted to ask about dinner." Crystal answered, standing next to Lillian by the twin's store desk.
"Aw, isn't that nice? Lily was just telling us how Emi helped you out when you arrived here. You've really had a rough start out there, huh?" the brother asked, a sympathetic look glistening in his eyes as he spoke.
Crystal wasn't really sure how to respond to that. Yes, it was true, but how appropriate was it to spread it around? Maybe that's just how close everyone was, or how friendly Lillian was with everyone around her. Her sunset eyes looked towards the brionne, raising a brow at her as if to silently ask why she was talking about it.
"Sorry," she pressed her flippers together in apology, "I promise I'm not actually a blabbermouth, I just got so excited about Emi's generosity that it slipped."
The twins looked worried, fearing that they might've said something they shouldn't have or that they might've gotten their friend into a tight spot with the new face.
"Please, don't be too upset with Lily." Kim spoke first, her brother nodding along with her, "We were actually talking about Emi and how hard she's been working to be an adventurer."
"That's right!" her brother jumped in, the two smiling as they reminiscence about the conversation, "We were talking about how much of an adventurer's head she was growing helping pokemon in need without thinking about it."
"Oh," Crystal looked to the kecleon twins, registering their explanation. She supposed it was only natural that she would come up in a conversation like that, being Emizella's latest rescue case. "So, does everyone know about her ambition of becoming an adventurer?"
"Oh yes! It's all she's ever wanted to do since she was little. And with her brother taking on the profession, she's become more like our village's pride." Tim laughed, thinking back to the younger days.
"You guys talking about how great I am?" Emizella brought the items up front, placing them on the twin's store desk.
"How did you guess?" Tim laughed, starting to calculate how much was owed for the inventory of items.
"You know you can't hide things like that from me." she grinned, tapping at the feelers draped behind her head. Crystal's eyes looked towards the drooping appendages, wondering how true that actually was or if she was just teasing.
"Oh! Why don't you kids take one of these?" Kim exclaimed, calling their attention towards her as she walked into the staff room in the back. She took a minute before emerging from the employee space with three wrapped pastries drizzled with powder sugar and honey. "We just got these in from the southern islands, a local treat they call malasadas." she explained as she added one to Emizella's items and gave the other two to Lillian and Crystal. "Think of it as a free sample." she said with a wink.
"Thank you…" Crystal said in a soft voice, opening the wrapper and taking a bite out of it. Instantly, her mouth was filled with the sweet flavors of the berry custard stuffed inside. Complimented with the toppings of the dough and Crystal felt like she was eating festival food without the excitable setting, making her feel unbelievably warm inside.
"It tastes amazing!" Lillian put the feeling into words, enjoying the treat along with her. "Are you guys going to get in different flavors too?"
"Well, if this batch sells as good as we hope, then of course!" Kim grinned widely, happy for such a positive reception.
"Trust me, they will." Lillian commented as she stuffed her face with the pastry, getting a bit of the sugar and custard on her face as she wolfed it down.
Crystal giggled softly as she spotted the mess, "You got a bit on your face there." she pointed out with her paw.
"Where?" the brionne tried to get it, but her flippers couldn't quite locate where the mess could be.
Crystal shook her head slightly, amused by the failed efforts, "Here, let me get it," she offered, extending the limb to sweep the substance off the brionne's face. It got her face clean but now her own paw was dirty with it. Thinking of no other way to get it off, she began licking her fur clean, her own mind assuming nothing of it. Her other two companions, however, held a different opinion.
Lillian's eyes glistened, staring speechlessly at the small fox while Emizella's lips pursed to hold in a giggle, letting the scene play out before the sound of her laughter could ruin the moment.
"What?" Crystal looked between the two, a curious brow raised at their strange reactions.
"Nothing," they both answered practically at the same time, although one of them sounded more panicked than the other. The fennekin couldn't distinguish which belonged to whom.
Tim chuckled softly at the trio, finishing up with placing Emizella's things into a strapped basket before fixing the lid on top. "You're all set, Emi." he gave the riolu the distraction she needed to avoid bursting at the seams.
"Thanks," Emizella cleared her throat, turning to face the store clerk. She handed him a few silver coins from the pouch she kept on the side of her body before taking the basket and the wrapped malasada, keeping the treat contained in its packaging.
"Aren't you going to try yours?" Crystal asked, licking her lips of the lingering sweet remnants as she finished her own pastry.
"Yeah, just saving it for when I get back," the blue canine answered, adjusting the basket onto her back and fitting the straps over her shoulder. With how much Tim had packed away in there, Crystal would have figured the load would be too heavy for her to handle alone, but she took on the burdensome weight like a champ, making the bundle look like it weighed nothing.
She turned her attention towards the two, "All set,"
"Great!" Lillian exclaimed before waving at the two kecleon, "We'll see you around then, and thanks for the malasadas!"
"Any time, Lily!" Kim nodded her head, the friendly expression fixed firm to her face, "And Crystal?" The fennekin's ears perked up, her eyes turning to meet their beaming gazes. "We hope to see you again soon!"
Crystal's smile spread across her muzzle, nodding her head with an affirmative hum before trotting out with Lillian and Emizella. Maybe it was the sweetness of the malasada or maybe it was the kindness of the customer service pokemon that held great pride in what they do. Actually, perhaps it was more accurate to say it was a combination of both that put the pep in the fennekin's step.
"Alright, I'll be heading back first," Emizella jumped the basket hanging off of her shoulders slightly, adjusting the bulking mass to sit just right on her body. She turned to look at Crystal, careful of the added space her body took up with its added baggage and patted the fox's head, smushing one of her ears down with the pet. "I'll swing back around later to pick you up."
"Why do you sound like a mom leaving their kid with a sitter?" Lillian asked with a raised brow.
"I do not!" Emizella said, quickly denying the accusation and removing her hand just as fast as she directed a pout towards the brionne.
Crystal didn't seem to mind it, however, feeling a little disappointed to have her pets cut off so soon. She honestly didn't take much notice of it either, the riolu was just one who liked to take care of others as far as she knew. Nothing to fret over or feel embarrassed about. But she was sure saying as much wouldn't make Emizella feel any better about it, not at this moment at least.
"Whatever," Emizella huffed, turning her head away from the seal's giggles.
She may not be receptive to accepting her doting tone, but the least the fennekin could do was offer her a goodbye. "I'll see you soon, Emizella."
That got a more positive look on the riolu's face, placing the smile back on her lips. She nodded her head towards the fox and pointed two digits between her eyes and Lillian's.
Lillian chuckled softly, lifting a flipper and waving goodbye towards the riolu, watching her walk away towards the village's arch before turning her attention back towards Crystal. "Okay! Let's get this show on the road." she announced, feeling eager and energetic about showing the fennekin around her home.
As they walked down the village's beaten path, Crystal couldn't help but notice the surplus of greetings Lillian was receiving as she led her charge towards the next mark in her tour. Some were quick hellos, tiny salutations to show she had been seen and noticed. Others went for longer, asking how her day had been, little updates on how life had been treating them and occasionally asking if she could catch up with them again later after her initial business as tour guide was done.
Crystal watched a roserade continue down his path, smiling at the fennekin in a brief greeting before passing her. "You're pretty popular, aren't you?" she said in a frank, flat tone, merely speaking matter-of-factly about her observations.
The brionne's head turned, a bashful hue coloring her face as a flipper rubbed at the back of her head, "Maybe a bit," She didn't deny it. "I'm a priestess of Xerneas so there's that too."
There was that name again, the goddess of life, Xerneas. Crystal had begun to figure the celestial pokemon was a big part of this village's history and sustainability. It got her feeling a little curious if the pokemon actually blessed this land or if it was just a legend twisted and changed with time.
"Anyway, here we are!" Lillian intruded into Crystal's thoughts with the declaration, stopping in front of a shop whose sign read "Rhyme & Reason."
The window display sported a few accessories including a red plaid bandana wrapped around a furfrou mannequin head's neck with red-framed shades resting atop its forehead. Another mannequin head, a delcatty, Crystal noted, wore a jeweled collar with a sky blue, crystalline gem seated in a center slot with clamped earrings snapped to its ears to match.
"A clothing store?" the fennekin asked with a raised brow.
"Not just a clothing store," Lillian giggled at Crystal's puzzlement, "Their clothes and accessories actually have added effects to them. Coats that nullify sleep, rings that boost special attacks, bands that pack an extra punch, you name it!" she gave the air in front of her a few punches to add some extra emphasis but her excitement was enough emphasis enough. "They make really high-quality gear, so if you're ever in the market for stat-boosting accessories, this is the place to shop."
Okay, well at least Crystal knew that the brionne didn't bring her here without any rhyme or reason herself. The fox pokemon gave a short nod of acknowledgment. Lillian bounced happily at the signal, opening the door and slipping inside.
"Hello, hello, beautifuls!" an effeminate voice called from a room off to the side of the main sales floor, "Just a minute and I'll be right with you."
Sunset eyes ran across the floor, eyeing the mannequins of different body types and shapes. From the largest tyrannitar to the teeny, tiniest joltix, it got Crystal wondering where the shop owner got these and who made them. They were dressed in jackets and shirts; dresses and skirts with the displayed fashion items kept respectively close along the wall with two rows of hanging clothing articles. It was all kept in order by the color spectrum with a lovely gradient that felt pleasing to the eye. It would be a real shame to put anything out of place.
"Sorry for the wait!" the voice called out as a natural cut furfrou walked out of the room with a leavanny tailing close behind with a box cradled in its arms. "Oh! Bless my stars, if it isn't our little star! Here to pick out a new dress? Because I've got just the perfect style!" His way of speaking was as quick as a vine whip and as melodic as a song. Like honeydew and syrup, his voice felt as luscious as his fur.
Lillian let out an excited gasp, "Really?" she asked, momentarily blinded before remembering her true purpose. She cleared her throat, "I'll have to come back for it later. Right now, I'm showing Crystal around the village. She's new in town."
"Crystal, huh?" the furfrou turned his attention to the fennekin with a raised, curious brow, never losing the smirk on his excited face, "What an absolutely lovely name."
"Thank you," Crystal responded softly, feeling a little warm under such a pokemon with an eye for beauty and fashion.
"And such a sweetie too. Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Crystal. I'm Damien, I own this store with my wife. And over there is Beau." he nodded her head to the leavanny who nodded and smiled back to the fennekin politely, but mostly focused on his own work of straightening up the shop.
"My wife should be upstairs at the moment… Hang on one sugar sec, I'll go call her down." he said, already beginning to advance towards the stairs that would lead up to his living quarters.
"Oh, you don't have to." the golden fox tried to stop him before he could trouble himself.
Damien laughed, "But I must. She'll be upset with me if I don't." he told her before looking upward, "Janice, darling! Come meet Crystal!" she heard his voice as he ascended, completely disappearing from her sight.
Crystal's head tilted to the side, wondering what he could have meant by that before she caught Lillian's eyes glancing and searching around the store area, turning her head left and right before sighing.
"I guess Lilac is playing with Luna today," she muttered with a bit of dejection in her tone.
"Who?"
"Oh, Lilac is their youngest daughter. They have another, but she's grown and living in the city."
It took Crystal a moment to realize the implication behind the statement. The way her newfound knowledge worked was that the concept had to be introduced to her first before any basic information on the topic could be fed into her conscious thinking. So, when Lillian explained how the shop owners' eldest daughter was way in the city, the information that triggered for her referred to the country's capital—a large city bursting with creativity and innovation. It's a marvel to behold but only the most talented and resourceful could make a living for themselves in that cut-throat environment. To hear that their daughter was living there and, assumingly, carving out a life for herself with some level of success was, well, inspiring to say the least.
"That's…amazing." Crystal whispered with her awestruck gaze.
"I know! I hear she has her own boutique now! She's gotten pretty busy but she likes to visit home from time to time. Maybe you'll get to meet her the next time she swings by." Lillian said, smiling brightly her golden companion to match the sparkling gleam she saw in the other's eyes.
Crystal gave a soft nod of her head before her ears rotated back towards the steps, hearing the descending pitter-patter of several feet. She turned her head to see Damien making his way down first while a delcatty followed close behind, her fur looking as plush and radiant as her husband's.
The second her deep, brilliant eyes fell on the fennekin's figure, her expression lit up in enthusiasm, her body trotting forward to meet the new face. "Well hello, you must be Crystal. It's a pleasure to meet you." she said, her voice sounding so refined and polished that it made Crystal wondering if it was truly her natural way of speaking. "I'm Damien's wife and business partner, Janice. I'm usually upstairs making our new designs, but you're more than welcome to visit me any time."
Crystal nodded her head in a polite yet reserved manner while feeling Lillian's reassuring flipper rest on her back. "She'll be staying with Emi for a while out in her base." the brionne stated.
"Oh? How is Emi doing these days?" Janice asked, directing the question towards the fennekin as her tail swayed with intrigue behind her body.
"She's alright," Crystal willed herself to speak, "She went back after doing some shopping but she'll be back to walk me home."
"Oh!" Damien exclaimed, "That reminds me!" He dug through the area behind the counter, the sounds of shifting items and materials filling the quiet pause her incited. When he reemerged again, he was balancing a yellow headband on the back of his paw. "Crystal, sweetheart, I know we've only just met, but would you mind taking this with you to give to Emi when you see her?" he asked, offering the headband over for Crystal to take. "It's the order she had us commission a while ago."
"You still have that?" Janice asked, raising an eyebrow at her husband.
"You know how busy we've been, I haven't had the chance to have it delivered." he answered, defending his misstep before turning his attention back to the fennekin, "Pretty please? You'd be doing me such a huge favor." he pleaded, taking a seat as he pressed his front paws together.
Crystal's eyes fell to the band before looking back up to Damien's eyes, "Sure. It's no problem at all."
"Oh, thank you! You're such a doll!" he exclaimed, happily handing over the band and ringing it around one of her ears.
It slipped and slid over one of Crystal's eyes, the young fox making an adjustment with her paw to move it out of her face. "It's really no trouble." Crystal insisted, testing the balance of the accessory before lowering her paw.
"That may be so but it still doesn't paint the best first impression to be asking favors right off the bat. I ought to give you something for the assist…" she said, his voice trailing off as he pressed a paw to the side of his face in contemplation.
"Oh! Darling, why don't we make her a new bag?" Janice suggested, the lightbulb going off behind her eyes and making them shine brilliantly with inspiration.
"Ooo, excellent idea!" Damien clapped his paws together, clasping them in his burst of creative excitement, "How's about it? A little token for your service?"
"You really don't have to." Crystal tried to refuse out of modesty, not wanting to burden them with anything unnecessary.
"Nonsense! This here is our bread and butter. Fashioning a new bag is child's play. If anything, it'd be a fun little in-between project." the delcatty stated with a smile spreading wide on her face.
"Well, I…" Crystal spoke hesitantly, her eyes flashing back to Lillian and seeing that gracious beaming smile that held her hand- or, well, paw in this case. "A bag would be helpful, I suppose. And, I don't have one so… if it really is no trouble…"
"No trouble at all! We'll have it done in a flash." Damien exclaimed with joy, "Beau! Could you- Oh," he turned to meet the leavanny only to see his silent assistant standing behind him with shades of amethysts and violets that would complement the gold of the fennekin's fur. "Excellent choice! Have these placed in the workroom, would you, doll?"
Beau nodded his head at the request, carrying the selections into the side room.
"I'll go ahead and start on the design." Janice stated, smiling down at Crystal and nodding her head towards the fennekin in parting, "It was lovely meeting you, Crystal. I hope you'll enjoy yourself while you call our humble town home."
And with that, she continued her happy trot up the stairs back towards her workroom. Crystal followed the sound of her bubbly steps through the second story of the shop, ears turning like radars until she noticed the furfrou's light chuckle filling the space with a soft, refreshing air.
"I best get back to work too," he mused, taking a glance towards the two, "We'll have it delivered once it's finished." he winked, a silent promise that this one would be delivered in a timely fashion for sure.
"Thanks again!" Crystal called out of his departing figure, watching him give a short nod of acknowledgment before vanishing back into his work.
~uwu~
The further along in their tour they went, the more comfortable Crystal felt about this place. Even though she was a new face to this small village dynamic, everyone seemed so nice and welcoming to her new presence. Even given her mysterious background, they were still kind, willing to give her every benefit of the doubt in their small greeting and uplifting exchanges. Maybe it was because of Lillian's vouching for her to the locals. Or maybe it was because she was staying with someone as reliable as Emizella. Regardless of the reason, it filled the fennekin's tiny body with a feeling of responsibility—a responsibility to live up to their good word and demonstrate that their trust wasn't misplaced.
"So, what do you think?" Lillian asked, turning her head back as she led them to their final destination.
"Huh?" Crystal pulled herself out of her thoughts, the question repeating itself in her head a second time to register the words. She smiled when it finally clicked, nodding her head, "It's a very pleasant village and the pokemon here are awfully sweet." she answered.
Lillian laughed, "Yeah, I'm trying to keep the troublemakers away so you can see the village at its very best."
"Troublemakers?"
"Oh, don't worry. It's nothing too bad. Just a couple of pranksters and the like, but they're harmless." Lillian said, waving off Crystal's concern with a laugh, "Anyway, we're up to our last stop, the Tree of-"
"Nope," just then, the young brionne found herself walking into the large paw of a luxray that towered over the two girls and stared at them with his golden, piercing gaze.
Lillian was taken back by the sudden halt, a nervous look flashing over her face as she turned to meet the luxray's scolding gaze. "Hey, Zeke… you're on duty today?" she asked with a nervous laugh.
"Leona couldn't take her shift, said her kid came down with a cold last night."
"Jaime's sick?!" Lillian exclaimed, distracted for a moment with a sympathetic look crossing her solemn eyes before it dawned on her that this probably wasn't good for her and her tour either. "That's too bad… Say, could you let us through then?"
His eyes just narrowed, daring her to try and ask such a ridiculous question again.
"C'mon!"
"You know the rules, no outsiders permitted on holy ground. Not until they've become a full citizen of the village." he explained, his gaze turning towards Crystal and sending shivers down her spine that bade her to be quiet. "And someone who's only been here for a day is certainly not allowed even a step closer."
"But surely you can make an exception." Lillian's voice gave Crystal something else to pay attention to, something less imposing and frightening than a luxray's glare, "She's with me, doesn't that count for something?"
"Rules are rules, Lillian. I can't go bending them just to satisfy your little game."
"But you could," the brionne argued back but was immediately met with a growl for her efforts that sent a cold sweat racing down her back. "Fine, fine, twist my fins, why don't you?" she yielded, escorting Crystal along the perimeter of flowers and around the grassy hill to find them a better look at the massively grand, old tree.
Crystal's eyes looked back towards the luxray, seeing him still staring towards her body with a skeptic look engraved deep into his spiraling irises. She felt her heart sink into the bottom of her stomach, her fears and anxieties manifesting in this one pokemon's intimidating stare.
"Don't mind him," Lillian brought her back, pulling her sunset eyes forward, "Zeke may be a bit of a grump but he's just a grump that takes his job seriously. Not really your fault he has to be suspicious of every new face in town… even though hardly anything happens in this place…" she muttered past her pursed lips and puffed cheeks.
The fennekin stared at her for a moment, debating whether she should speak the question lingering on the tip of her tongue before she tentatively let the words flow from her lips. "What… is his job?"
The brionne looked back at her, regarding her face for a moment before smiling softly, "He's the leading officer for the tree's guard, the ones who protect the Tree of Being's sacred land and Xerneas's crystal."
A flipper gestured for Crystal's eyes to land upon the village's sacred tree, her vision scaling up its immense height and taking in its lengthy girth. Its trunk shot high into the sky, bare branches and thin twigs licking towards the vast, blue opening and spreading its protections over the village's area. Despite the warm weather, despite the sea of green that blanketed the canopy, not a single bud or blossom colored the grey bark, but she couldn't see the tree as dead. No, there was still life in its systems, embedded deep inside that kept it going. Then was it asleep? Was she asleep?
There was a throbbing sensation that pierced Crystal's head, the world going on mute as everything muffled out. Her teeth clenched at the second strike, her eyes looking towards the tree and seeing a radiant cerulean glow coming from its base.
"So it's you,"
The light of the glow flickered, the voice in her head weighing on her like a painful migraine.
"You're the one they sent this time?"
Her vision became blurry, her legs growing weak until she couldn't bear it any longer. Her body fell to the ground, the world darkening just as a blue and white shadow came into her periphery.
"I see…"
Her senses dulled, numbing while the pain slowly began to subside, leaving her with an unbearable exhaustion that dragged her into a dreamless sleep.
"Let us hope… that you will be the last."
~uwu~
When Crystal came back into the world of the living, she was no longer outside on the beaten walkway surrounding the sacred tree, the dirt and sunken pebbles replaced with a cushy bed and thin sheets. She couldn't sense the sun on her back anymore, its warm touch long gone by now.
As her awareness slowly returned to her, she could faintly make out Emizella's familiar voice in the distant background of her mind, her usual confidence and upbeat tone drowned out under a sea of nerves and concerns that almost sounded scared.
"I really don't know what happened!" Lillian insisted, her own voice strained and scratchy with fear, "We were talking. Everything seemed fine. But then, she started to look like she was in pain, and she passed out before she could say anything was wrong."
Crystal blinked her eyes open once and then again, letting herself adjust to the light of the room and its brightness bombarding her pupils. She let out a soft groan, raising her head slowly in an attempt to lift her body and mind out of sleep.
"Crystal!" Lillian called her name, the shout immediately shushed by a hatterene on duty but she didn't give the warning too much attention as she pulled the fennekin into a hug. "You had me so worried, why didn't you tell me you weren't feeling well?" she asked with a soft whimper.
"I…" Crystal stopped, wondering how she would even explain what had happened. That voice, she considered for a moment, could that have been…? "Sorry, I was enjoying myself so much, I didn't want to cut things short." she said. Probably not the best idea to tell them I'm hearing voices.
Lillian held her at arms-length, staring into her with a chastising scowl pressed firmly into her brows, "Don't be ridiculous, we could have continued at any time! But your health is way more important."
Her orange eyes looked between Lillian and Emizella, seeing that the riolu wanted to further emphasize Lillian's point but chose to let the brionne's words speak for the both of them with a silent nod of agreement.
"I'm… I'm sorry." Crystal could do nothing but apologize, her ears draping over her face in remorse, "I didn't mean to worry you both."
Lillian held the expression for a second longer before breathing it away with a relaxing sigh, "It's fine, just… don't go scaring me like that again, okay?" she asked, smiling sweetly at the fennekin.
Crystal nodded her head, "Yeah… Sorry again." her eyes went over to Emizella, "To you too."
The canine watched her for a moment before lowering her head and rubbing at the back of her head slightly, "S'fine. As long as you get it and you're okay." she said, her crimson eyes peeking up to see Crystal still looking at her, pondering something behind those clear, sunset orange orbs. She took the hint and made her way closer to the bed, "Well, we better start heading home. It's gotten pretty late."
"Huh?" Crystal's gaze flashed over to the dusk-filled sky, seeing the dark orange falling while the violet and indigo hues moved in to take its place. "How long have I been out?"
"A few hours, from what I heard." Emizella answered.
"Hours?" her body shot up quickly before going right back down again, finally noticing the headache that was lingering from her episode.
The riolu shook her head with a light chuckle, "Don't worry about it. Now c'mon, we have dinner waiting for us at home." she said, turning her back towards the curling fox and beckoning her to climb on with a gentle jerk of her head.
Crystal didn't argue with the offer, crawling her way onto Emizella's backside and clinging to her shoulders. She felt herself being held to her body firmly before she was lifted with ease. She wondered if she weighed anything to her being held up like she was nothing.
"We'll have to get together again sometime." Lillian said as she watched the two settle into a comfortable position for their journey home. "Don't be a stranger and don't let Jesse turn you away either, okay?"
Crystal smiled and nodded her head slightly, "Of course. I'll see you around." she raised a paw off Emizella's shoulders and waved to the brionne, watcher her wave back while the riolu led them out of the medical center.
The two traveled in silence through the darkening forest, letting the nighttime hues drape over them with their cool, midnight colors and shades. The nocturnal residents began to fill the air with their gentle chirpings and soft calls. It didn't make the woodland any more frightening than it could be in the day, Crystal noted, just new and calm.
"You want to tell me what actually happened?" Emizella's voice broke the silent spell, drawing the fox's eyes to regard the back of her head when she sat up slightly to answer.
Well, she wanted to answer, but she wasn't sure how. Obviously, the riolu wasn't ready to buy into the idea that Crystal was just pushing herself too hard today. So, how much was she willing to accept as the truth?
"Of course," she spoke up again, "you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I get that you have your own secrets to keep, I think everyone does, but if I could learn just a little bit more about you… it'd really help me to help you, y'know? At least where I can." Emizella looked back towards Crystal, craning her head to show the grin that filled her lips with nurturing support and kindness.
Crystal's lips pursed, guilt and shame overwhelming her heart before the riolu's smile. Of all the pokemon that could have found her, of all the pokemon that could have rushed to her aid and reached out their hand to her, she found someone so willing to work with her despite her limited knowledge and social prowess. She wondered if she deserved this; if she had done well enough in her past life to deserve such a friend looking out for her.
"I…" she still struggled with the right words to say, but decided to try, "I'm not so sure what happened myself. One minute, Lillian was telling me about the sacred tree, and the next thing I knew, there was a splitting headache and everything went black." It wasn't everything, Crystal choosing to restrain from mentioning the disembodied voice, but it was something.
Emizella hummed softly, acknowledging her explanation and pondering it at the same time.
"I'm sorry, Emizella. I wish I could tell you more, but I can't." Crystal's voice came in a soft whisper, her ears falling to the sides of her face in her depression.
"Hey, hey, there's no need to apologize." the riolu insisted, shaking her head slowly to avoid hitting her passenger with her black feelers. "It's fine, really. I'm just happy you told me anything." She laughed softly, nudging at the little fox with a gentle jump. "But… there is one thing I'd like to say." she drew Crystal's attention, the fennekin shifting to capture the other's words, "You don't have to keep calling me Emizella. We're friends, aren't we? Just call me Emi."
Crystal stared at her for a moment, letting the nickname sink in and allowing the words to echo between her ears. The smile was on her face before she even felt the muscles pulling on her lips. Her muzzle nestled into the crook of Emizella's neck, feeling a momentary stiffness fill the riolu's body as she buried her nose into her warmth and scent.
Strange…has she always had this earthy smell, she pondered for a moment before dismissing the thought
"Thank you," she whispered, her mind going numb and her body focusing solely on the gentle rocking of Emizella carrying her home.