A/N:

Another fast update, and a relatively small chapter this time around. Of course, these couple of small chapters just so happen to be the ones that a lot of you have been waiting for. Hope you enjoy!

Thanks to Orthros for beta-reading this chapter.

"…" - Spoken dialogue

Italics - Character thoughts

'Italics' - Telepathic dialogue

. . . . . - Time skip

/\/\/\ - Lemon Scene

Chapter 15

— — — — —

Selina

— — — — —

The only thing that was running through her mind as she slowly came to was the chill that ran through the tent. It crept through the blanket, brushing across her stomach, and the umbreon was reminded of just one of the reasons why she didn't like this little hiking expedition that Liam insisted on each year. The sooner they packed up and got this whole thing over with, the sooner she could leave this cursed mountain behind. At least in the chaos of the Hidden Land's lower elevation, she wasn't freezing her tail off. Well, at the moment, her tail was one of the only things that wasn't currently cold. That and the rest of her backside. She pushed back into the source of the warmth, but stopped when she felt the spike through his blanket.

Arceus! She rolled over as fast as she could, flinging her blanket off in the process. Her breathing became rapid and terrified, seeing as to what had happened in her sleep. And she couldn't even fault the lucario for it, as much as she wanted to evade the blame. Liam had remained still the entire night, and was on his side of the bedroll - it was her that had moved over in the night. Why can't I just get away from this?! she thought to herself. It seemed as though she were running into some situation like this constantly, and it was beginning to become unbearable. Fortunately he didn't seem to wake despite her quick movement. She couldn't even imagine trying to explain her way out of that one.

The gentle, yet frigid breeze made her hairs stand on end, and she couldn't figure out how much more she'd be able this to take before losing it. She simply couldn't do something to jeopardize her bond with Liam. Speaking of which, the lucario had woken, working on folding up the two blankets and bedroll. He tied them shut and slipped the pack over his shoulders."Good morning," he said with a yawn. "Have you eaten yet?"

"I'm not really hungry," she said.

"You're starting to get me concerned, ya know. You hardly ate anything last night."

"I know," she said quietly. "I'll probably eat a good bit for lunch, but I'm not really feeling it right now." The lucario shrugged and took a small piece of smoked meat from within the pouch, popping it into his mouth before going about disassembling the small tent. Once he was done, she walked over beside him, and he gently fixed it onto her back.

"And we're off!" he said in a joking, yet excited, tone. "Now is my faithful companion in need of conversation?"

"I guess," she said.

"Aw come on, what do you wanna talk about?"

"I dunno… maybe the whole Capim thing?

"Ah, this again?"

"Well you asked me what I wanted to talk about," she said.

"Fair enough. What do you wanna know?" To think that he would go through such great lengths to keep everything secretive, yet all she had to do was ask. Maybe Flora was right after all… No… she couldn't have been right about everything…

"Why are you doing this? Why do you continue to hide your actions from us?" she asked.

"Honestly, I don't even know much at this point. Eleanor is gonna give me hell when she finds out - and she will. She always seems to. So I just seem to be digging myself into a deeper hole to be honest. But I guess if I were to come up with an answer, it'd just be that it was the right thing to do. I mean we had to act fast in a situation like that, right?"

"Yeah, but—."

"Well I got everything taken care of, didn't I?"

"I'm not opposed to you going out and doing stuff like this," she stated. "You're a wonderful person, Liam. But can't you just tell the others? Don't you think they deserve to know when you're trying to… I don't know… create a small country?"

"I suppose you're right. I guess I just didn't see why it's any of their business what causes I donate my own money to, especially when they're all good."

"They're your family too, Liam. You know that Eleanor cares for you a lot. She just doesn't want you to get into trouble, that's all. So could you please just promise to let us know what's going on? I mean for good this time?"

"Alright, fine. I promise. Are you happy now?" he asked.

"Absolutely."

By noon, they were nearing the peak, and a light flurry was falling around the duo. The temperature and the path ahead were the only things registering to her as she tried to keep her mind numb. But each and every time he made a sound, or if she even happened to see him, then those thoughts would come rushing right back.

She knew that she was going to need to put an end to this before long, and doing such could only lead to one of two different outcomes. One she hated, and the other she was uncertain about. Did she really feel that way? Did he for that matter? The lucario was known to be a difficult one to fully comprehend. But what he said that night… did he really mean it? Flora sure seemed to think so, and from what she had said, apparently everyone else thought so, too. Selina sighed to herself, ready to stop fighting this mental war with herself. Yet she didn't know how to resolve it.

If only she could manage to even think straight for a minute. Each time she tried to devote more than a few moment's worth of consideration to the matter at hand, though, she would go off on a tangent. Selina had already been tired of it once she had left for the trip; now she was downright exhausted. And she didn't seem to be helping herself, either. Waking up and finding herself pressed against him for warmth, knowing that it had been her that had done it… She shook her head, only imagining what Flora would have said had she found them in such a position. No doubt she'd never let the poor umbreon hear the end of it. Get a grip on yourself, she thought. I accidentally did that because it was cold. But then that part of her mind would speak up. After all, he didn't react to her at all. Maybe he had liked it, or maybe even… he could've woken before her. He often did. That thought alone made her feel faint. And she had done similar things in the past by mistake, like that time when they fell asleep on the beach. Arceus… I did it then, too. Her cheeks flushed at the thought of her resting on his chest, listening to his gentle heartbeat.

Please… please stop, she begged herself. "Selina… your feelings are off again. Is everything okay?" Liam asked.

"Yes… please just… just ignore it, alright?" she asked, trying not to sound half as desperate for relief as she was.

"It's kinda hard for me to ignore it," he said. "You're beatin' yourself up over something. I can't tell what it is, but…"

"I said just ignore it," she said quietly. She didn't mean to come across as hostile, but she was scared that he would perhaps ask the right question. He could partially feel her emotions, and if he just so happened to voice his reception of one of the dozens flooding through her, then she didn't know how she would react.

"As you wish," Liam stated. "But I do not like seeing you in such a state."

The two of them reached a small, level section of the mountain a few hours later, and the short grass was covered by a thin layer of snow. By this point, her legs were beginning to feel sore from the constant incline, but even pain was a better feeling than what was ongoing in her head.

"What do you say we rest here?"

"We don't need to stop," Selina said.

"Well no, it's not something we have to do. But we're on vacation. We don't have some pressing concern ahead of us this time around. Why not take it a bit easier?"

"Fine," she muttered. "Guess it wouldn't hurt to eat while we're here, either." Liam began to rummage through the satchel, then distributed some berries and smoked meat to each of them. She quietly ate from the small slab that had been provided, keeping to herself the entire time. She didn't want to engage in conversation at the moment, yet she knew that the lucario wouldn't let that be a reality. And she couldn't blame him - that had always been the norm between the two of them. They had practically been glued to the hip ever since they'd created the team. But right now she wanted nothing more than peace and quiet. That and to delay the inevitable.

"So," he said, swallowing his last bite, "I've been thinking…"

"Of course you have…"

"Well, about the beach," he continued. "I think that at the rate they're going, they might try to put some property around there before long."

"Probably," she replied.

"What do you say to me buying it? Maybe turn it into a place where the team can hang out. Could put up a little shack or something, but leave the rest of the beach alone."

"That sounds good," she said.

"Come on now. Please don't act like that. I'm trying to make conversation here."

"Well maybe I'm not in a conversational mood," Selina replied. His ears dropped slightly, and she sighed. "Look, I'm sorry Liam. I'm not trying to be short with you or anything. I'm just having a hard time right now…"

"I understand," the lucario said. "Wish I could help, but…"

"There's nothing you can do," she murmured.

"Is this the way things are gonna be from now on?" he asked.

"I… hope not, Liam…"

"Because I'm trying with everything in me to make this right. I can't do that if I don't know what I did." She hated withholding this from him, knowing that it was putting a strain in the very bond that she was scared of losing in the first place. There seemed to be no simple way out, and for that, Selina was terrified. He eventually dismissed the topic altogether, going as silent as she was when it was time for them to leave once again.

— — — — —

Aidan

— — — — —

The deal had been settled, and already, more negotiations would be in place. Not with Capim, nor with Roseview, but from a source that nobody had expected: Desert Village. They had apparently wanted to join Valmor, though for what reason Aidan was not fully aware. But their own town elders had already arranged for a meeting with Tristan soon after he had finished his business in Roseview. Perhaps they had seen the economic benefit to such a coalition of towns. He didn't quite know what they would be bringing to the table, but Tristan would likely think of something.

There was another concern, however. Yes, he seemed to be focusing heavily on the construction of roads to each of the towns within Valmor, but with four individual settlements being a part of the state, the need for some actually defined borders was becoming apparent. That happened to be what he was on the way to speak with Tristan about now. Though at the moment, a change that he would really appreciate would be a more appropriately located center of operations. This mountain was getting tiresome to traverse just about every day, although his leg strength had improved because of it. He chuckled upon recalling his mate's comments, as Faye had physically noticed it a few nights ago. But the lopunny seemed all too pleased with it, so he couldn't have had too much to complain about.

Once he'd finally reached the top, he found Tristan to be resting within the large tent that they had been using as a station for all the calculations and cost estimates. Papers surrounded him, and his head was on the table. He looked to be passed out. Oh no… should I wake him? He didn't want to, and yet he'd come all the way up here at their agreed upon time to discuss the matter at hand. Aidan wasn't quite sure what to do, until the luxray spoke up.

"Forgive me for my appearance," he stated.

"N-no, sir. There is nothing to forgive. Are you feeling alright?"

"Of course, I am just exhausted," Tristan said. "But it is all paying off. Even a few weeks ago, I would never have imagined any of this. We are accomplishing great things here. I just didn't know it would come at the expense of nearly all of my sleep."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Advisor," Aidan said.

"Please don't call me that," he said, mustering a slight laugh. "You're my friend. No need for formalities. Honestly, I'd rather everyone call me by my name. It seems far more natural."

"Okay… but if you would like to discuss this at another time—."

"No, go ahead. You have my attention," Tristan said, raising his head.

"Well, I've been thinking a lot lately about the lack of proper borders for Valmor. Don't you think that this is something that we should address? We'll have tax money next month, and from what you said, Liam has that bi-weekly fund set up for us, so we could tap into that as well. I would think that we'd have the money to make such a move if desired. What do you say?"

"If we continue to expand, though, would we not be expanding these borders as well? And wouldn't that defeat the purpose of making them this early?" the electric-type asked.

"While that is true, it is still necessary if you would like for this state to be recognized among other nations. I could not see it being a detriment to what we're trying to accomplish here," Aiden replied.

"Alright, but what about the wilderness-dwellers?" Tristan questioned. "We could not claim their land as within our borders…"

"I wouldn't look at it that way. I mean, they generally do not care about the politics outside of their woods. And I guarantee you that most of them wouldn't give much of a damn about being counted as within a certain territory. And besides, you know there's an increasing population moving to the cities now. These small enclaves might just end up becoming members anyways," Aidan said. "Just so long as we don't march into their places and just make ourselves at home, I don't see what would be the issue."

"That is true," Tristan said tiredly. "Have you spoken with anyone else about this? Or have you thought about these distinct borders yourself?"

"Yes," the typhlosion replied, "as a matter of fact, I have." He rummaged through his satchel, and pulled out the folded-up, drawn map. It was a copy that had been purchased at the Kecleon Shop, but it was enough to serve its purpose in this case. Dotting the Grass Continent's several geographical features was every town, city, or settlement that had a specific name. There were at least a couple hundred individual dots, though the majority of them were very small and without a name. No doubt they wouldn't even be aware of what was happening outside of their community. But for the towns that had populations greater than a thousand or so, it'd probably be best to ask for annexation rather than to just assume that they would be okay with it.

"So far, we are three settlements in size, about to be four. Now you can make a nice little triangle with Treasure Town, Capim, and Roseview. Everything in there we can more or less count as ours, as far as a boundary is concerned. Desert Village, though, being all the way out there… we'll probably have to touch bases with the dozen or so small towns in between so that we can extend the border out to Desert Village."

"Well what if they don't have any organized leadership?" Tristan asked the typhlosion.

"I guess that means they're about to get one," Aidan joked. "But in all reality, if they aren't led by someone, then give them the option to opt out of the taxes. If they do decide to pay, though, then they get access to our resources."

"And if they don't use money?"

"Barter I guess? I don't have all the answers. Clearly we're gonna need to work a lot more of this stuff out. But I think this is a good start." He pulled out the slim piece of charcoal that he had made earlier, and wrote the current unofficial boundary on the map. "Of course, it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and extend the road from Capim Town to Desert Village. It'll take a lot longer to construct, but we're getting more and more people, so that should help."

"Alright. How about you go and show this to the elders? I will discuss it with them later. Right now, though, I'm gonna rest for another hour or two." The typhlosion was concerned for his friend, but he didn't seem like he was about to change his workload anytime soon.

"Tristan… how long has it been since you've slept? And not passed out at work - I mean actually slept?"

"Two days," the luxray stated. "But there's no need to fret over me. I am fine, though I greatly appreciate your concern."

"Okay. Just please try to take it easy every once in awhile, alright?" Tristan nodded, and gently put his head back on the table. Aidan couldn't imagine it being comfortable, but he supposed that once a certain level of exhaustion had been reached, it didn't matter. The typhlosion left the confines of the tent, more than a little concerned for the Advisor. He was undoubtedly devoting everything within him to making sure that Treasure Town prospered, but he couldn't help but worry over him. The luxray had even lost a little weight ever since starting the job - a result of him skipping several meals.

But there was also no doubt in anyone's mind that he had been, so far, the most successful leader the town had ever had. His approval rating was above ninety percent, and everyone seemed to know of his dedication to improving the lives of the Treasure Town's inhabitants. Aidan felt that he had done just that and more. Yet that didn't eliminate his concern, and he hoped that eventually Tristan would be able to hire enough people below him so that he wouldn't have to work as much. He didn't see that changing in the upcoming months, though. At least, not while there was this much to be done.

Looking back just a few months ago, Aidan wouldn't have seen himself doing something on such a magnitude as this. If new settlements kept joining at this rate, they would soon be spanning over the Grass Continent, and civilization would become the preferred way of life for countless people out there. And he was glad that he could be a part of it.

— — — — —

Selina

— — — — —

The peak of the mountain was in sight, and finally their hike had neared its halfway point. Of course, it was only but a small fraction of their total trip, but it was still a checkpoint of some sort that had been reached. She had gotten to the point where every hour that passed without her losing her mind was an accomplishment. Liam had seemingly decided that silence was the best course of action on his part, which was completely unlike him around her. But then again, she had been anything but a pleasure to deal with as of lately. Each and every time he had tried talking with her, it ended up in some minor argument, or they would arrive at the same, unspeakable point. She couldn't let him know, but yet she needed to. The anticipation and uncertainty of what to do was eating away at her sanity.

That and the frigid, ice-covered stone that was underfoot. All that was ahead of them now was that one incline that was far too steep to climb, so they would need to use the narrow ledge beside it to access the more bearable slope, and one they could actually use to get to the very peak. Why it was so important that they did this, Selina still had no clue, but he enjoyed it, and they had done it ever since they began visiting the island without any dire need.

"Okay," Liam said. "Ready for this?"

"Not at all. I hate heights…"

"Aww, you never complain about the view from up here. And besides, it's nearly three feet wide. We've done this several times before, so I don't know what the sudden fear is about."

"Well then let's just get it over with." She slowly stepped forward, holding her breath as she did so, all while trying to avert her gaze away from the far-away ground. The trees below could barely be made out, and it made her jittery each year. The umbreon swore to address this with Liam after this time. She had nearly made it halfway across before Liam joined her on the ledge, sidestepping carefully.

She reached the end of the ledge, crossing over onto more secure ground, and none too soon. Selina sat down, the chill from her spine not due to the temperature for once during this hike. Liam was facing the steep incline, the pack on his back working against him as it hung over the edge. The sight alone made her nauseous, and she was ready for him to join her. "Hurry up now," she said. "I don't like seeing you that close to the edge!"

"You're kidding, right? I'm fine." He looked up from the task at hand, making eye contact with her. A playful grin stretched out on his face - something that she had missed ever since things had started getting awkward between the two of them. And he was fine, as he had said. That is, until his foot slipped. Time slowed to a crawl as she watched her worst fear come to life, and despite his agility, he was unable to react in time. He fell, his body disappearing over the edge.

"Liam!" she yelled, paralyzed in fear from what she had just witnessed. Within a few seconds, she managed to ignore all other feelings and rushed to the edge, looking desperately for any signs of her partner. "Liam!" she screamed again, and the tears began to fall uncontrollably. She cried out his name over and over again, but no response came. The umbreon collapsed onto the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, her very heart shattered beyond repair. "Li-aaaam!" she wailed.

But this time, it was worse. She cried and cried, but unlike last time, Dialga wouldn't be able to bring him back. I did this! she thought to herself. I was mean to him! I treated him like… like crap! And now he's gone! After all this, and to lose him when everything was as it should be? It was worse than when she had lost him the first time. Her stomach knotted, and the sorrow and regret made her look over once more. My… fault… she thought to herself, the dark thoughts from years before rushing into the front of her mind.

A cling sounded from below, and she hurriedly looked over the edge. Liam was dangling from beneath, more than terrified, but hanging on. "Liam!" she yelled. He looked up at her, his breathing as frantic as her own. He firmly gripped an iron thorn with his right paw, and swiftly stabbed the one within his left a little bit higher, using them as picks to scale the cliffside. "Don't you dare let go!" she hollered, tears still clouding her eyes. She prayed that Arceus give him the strength necessary for the crucial task, and if she were granted this, then she would be content never asking for anything else ever again.

For what seemed like hours, the lucario scaled the cliff, slowly and with great effort. Even with the Space Globe empowering him, it was clear that he was nearing his limit. "You're almost there!" She stretched down, reaching for him. Though she was uncertain as to if she'd be able to really help him that much, she refused not to try.

Eventually he neared the edge, using the little remaining strength he had to hoist himself up. As soon as he was safe and secure - albeit a panting mess on the ground - she rushed into him. "Don't you ever do that again to me!" she ordered, still crying. "You hear me?!" All he could do was respond with a slight nod as he continued catching his breath, and she released her emotions into his chest. "I thought I lost you!" she wailed.

"I-I'm okay," he gasped. "Can't… say the same… for the bed…" She had noticed that the pack with the bedroll and blankets had not come back up with him, but it was the least of her concerns. She nuzzled him heavily, unknowingly streaking her tears through his fur. She was a mess, but she was an overjoyed mess.

"We aren't ever coming up here again! Alright?!"

"Y-you said it…"

"Good…" She had about regained her composure after several minutes of letting it all out. But right now, she wouldn't have it any other way. She nuzzled his cheek, and, without thinking, gave him a swift lick.

"S…Selina?"

"Come on now," she said. "We are getting off this mountain now. Not in a few minutes - now." Liam slowly picked himself off of the ground, dazed in more ways than one. She led the way this time, intent on finding the fastest non-fatal path to the ground. It hadn't registered to her what she had just done until they were descending, with the sun nearing the horizon. But rather than succumb to the tension, she was beginning to embrace it. No longer would she be beating herself up over feelings that she now finally understood - feelings that she had had for a long time. She refused to ignore the truth any longer.

She was in love with Liam.

Took long enough to figure that out, right? Anyways, next chapter will be out very soon.