Okay, I finally have the motivation to start writing this again! When did I last upload?

...A HUNDRED AND THIRTEEN DAYS AGO?!

Well geez, I guess I'm throwing the intro out of the window, I need to get this done!

Chapter 21: A Tale of Eternal Winter

Oh god, it's so cold… I can feel my entire body shivering… It feels like my blood itself is ice… Can't move… can't breathe… can't feel anything but the cold…

….ake…. ….ak… up…..

Huh? What is that noise…?

I ..ai… ake u….

Wait, I think I can hear it now…

I said wake up!

Flareon's eyes shot open as he jolted upwards, looking around to gauge his surroundings. "I'm… in my soul room…"

"Yeah, that's right. Nice little stunt you had there, almost killing us both and all. Honestly, what were you thinking?!" Melvin walked up to Flareon with an angered expression on his face.

Flareon sighed and got up, not even looking at Melvin as he brushed himself off. "I already told you, Melvin. Sometimes you have to be able to put everything on the line if you want to save your friends."

"You…" Melvin sighed and groaned. "Ugh, whatever, just don't do that again! This is my body too you know…"

"You never cease to remind me…" Flareon turned around, a bit confused. "So how did I even end up here anyways? I didn't purposefully try to come here…"

Melvin sneered. "Yeah, um, did you forget the part where I said "You almost killed us both"? You're in a coma, jackass. And because you are, your subconscious comes here to preserve itself. I'd say that's pretty simple to understand."

Flareon nodded and turned back to him. "So, it's just you and me for a little while until my body recovers?"

"Yup, that sounds about right. It's a shame, too. Your friends must be worried sick." Melvin smirked as he said that, a feeling of pride surging through his body.

Flareon, however, was less than pleased. He walked over to Melvin and sat down in front of him. "Melvin, we need to talk. We've needed to talk for a long time, but I suppose now is as good a time as any."

Melvin sighed and sat down with him, looking a bit annoyed. "Alright, fine. What've you got to say?

Back in reality, Flareon's shivering body was under a mountain of blankets. A Froslass pulled one more over his body before turning to the group, who were standing near him with concerned expressions. "It's a good thing you brought him here when you did. Any later and he might've died from hypothermia… But since you did, I expect that he'll make a full recovery."

Glaceon smiled and let out a sigh of relief. "Oh Arceus, I'm so glad… I don't know what could've happened to him…"

Sylveon moved her feelers over to Glaceon's back and rubbed it in a reassuring manner. "It's okay, sweetie. Flareon's survived much worse than this, he should have no problem~"

Vaporeon walked up to the two. "Sorry, I don't mean to interrupt this lovely little moment… But this also means we don't have a leader, and we still have some Green Orb shards to find!"

Jolteon scratched his head. "Actually, about that. Why is Flareon even the leader in the first place? Most of the time he's in a coma and when he isn't he's being taken over by Melvin. Personally, I think I should be the leader of the group!"

Sylveon smacked Jolteon on the back of the head. "The only way you're gonna end up being the leader is when the rest of us are dead!"

Jolteon flinched and angrily turned to Sylveon. "Are you kidding me? I could lead 10 times better than you!"

"I could lead better than you while I was blindfolded!" Sylveon pushed her forehead up against Jolteon's.

"You couldn't lead your way out of a plastic bag, you floozy!"

"Don't you dare call me a floozy!"

"Okay, then how about BITCH?!"

"Arrogant dick!"

"Spoiled rotten!"

"Fuck you!"

"Fuck you!"

"FUCK YOU!"

"FUCK! YOU!"

Leafeon had had enough, and she stepped in between the two, pushing them away from each other to try and calm them down. "Alright, that's enough out of you guys!"

Vaporeon groaned and rolled her eyes. "Ugh, would you two just fuck already? Sheesh!"

Jolteon and Sylveon angrily glared at Vaporeon while the rest of them just laughed. Espeon, however, coughed to try and get the group's attention. "In all seriousness though, I personally think that Sylveon should lead the group from here on out. She's practically the Mom of the group anyways, and I think she'd make some smart decisions."

Jolteon looked shocked as he stepped towards. "W-Wait! B-But what about you? Why can't you lead us?"

Espeon shook her head. "Sorry guys, but I think I'm gonna stay here with Flareon. I learned a bit about illness from my time studying with Alakazam, and it'd be best if I stayed here and helped Flareon recover. Besides, Glaceon is the only one who can resist the storm well, so as much as she'd love to come stay with him, she can't be her nurse this time~"

Espeon winked at Glaceon who just blushed like crazy and started getting all defensive. "Wh-What?! Hey, did you read my mind?! I told you not to-" She stopped and turned to everyone else, who were all making smug looks on their faces. "...do that…"

Leafeon walked up to Glaceon and patted her on the back. "Well, I tried keeping it a secret sis… Not that it was really much of one anyways. You're reaaaaally bad at hi-"

"Yes Leafeon, I know. I'm aware of that." Glaceon sighed and her ears drooped down.

Umbreon, meanwhile, walked up to Espeon and tapped her shoulder to try and get her attention as well. Espeon, I think I'd like to stay here as well.

What? Umbreon, no, we can't separate our group this much.

Espeon, I believe that they will be fine on their own. We've become a lot stronger since we started out. Besides, this would be a good opportunity to start studying Melvin and how he's affecting Flareon's body.

Espeon turned away. That… is a fair point… But I still don't feel good about it. That group of 5 people looks incredibly dysfunctional without SOMEBODY being the mediator.

And you think the mute one is gonna be able to help? Espeon, I'm staying here and that's final.

Espeon sighed and smiled at him. Y'know, you don't really bring out your forceful side that much… Ever since we were kids, you were always just following me around, serving that part of my mind that wanted to be a leader. And yet, here you are, yelling at me to stay against my wishes.

Umbreon looked a little nervous and stepped back. O-Oh, well, I uh… I didn't mean-

No no, it's fine. I like it. It's… kinda cute.

Umbreon's nervousness quickly turned into embarrassment, as he blushed and turned away. O-Oh…

Espeon smiled before turning back to the group. "Alright guys, Umbreon just told me that he wants to stay here and help me out, so it looks like it's just you 5 for now. Sylveon, take care of them."

Sylveon nodded and smiled at her. "Don't worry, sweetheart~ We'll go get that Orb Shard and be back before you know it~"

Jolteon started grumbling under his breath. "Well… I should've… been the leader… Hmph…"

Froslass hovered over to the group. "Do you folks even know where you're going? It's not safe to just wander around in the snow, you know."

Sylveon turned to everyone in the group before shaking her head. "No, I'm afraid not."

Froslass closed her eyes and hovered towards her window, pointing out of it. "You see that castle-type area, out in the distance? That is the royal castle, the home of the current King. He has a seer with him, and if anyone will be able to help you, it's the King. He is one of the nicest people you will meet, and I'm sure he'd be willing to help you if you asked."

Sylveon nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. Thank you for all the help you've given to us!~"

Froslass bowed. "It's my pleasure, sweetheart. An old lady such as myself is always willing to help."

Sylveon smiled before turning to the rest of the group and nodding, heading out the door and into the snowy landscape.

"So, Fire Boy, what seems to be the problem? Why're you so serious all of a sudden?"

"Melvin, I think I just need to sit you down and really explain why I care so much about my friends."

Melvin groaned and leaned back. "Ugh, you have got to be kidding me… I'm not in the mood to hear another one of your speeches about how much you love your friends! I get it, you're popular and everyone loves you, stop rubbing it in my face!"

"Melvin… When I first washed up on that beach so long ago, I was so confused… I had no idea what was going on. I was suddenly a Pokemon of all things, and I had no idea what was happening! It was all so weird… But then this group found me washed up on a beach. They… legitimately cared about me. They took me in, treated me as though I've known them for almost my entire life… It was odd, but it almost felt like it was the first time I've felt like that in a long while…"

Melvin closed his eyes. "...And is that why you're so attracted to Glaceon? Because of all the time she spent helping you?"

Flareon nodded. "Well, at least partially. I do think she's really cute… And she's super fun to be around. She just… makes me happy, I suppose. In a way that nobody else really does."

Melvin chuckled. "I dunno man… That Vaporeon chick has a pretty sweet ass~"

Flareon looked shocked and growled at Melvin. "Dude, what is wrong with you?!"

Melvin chuckled. "Hey, come on, I'm just giving me opinion here! If I was you, I'd definitely go for her."

Flareon narrowed his eyes. "Well, you're not, so we're not going for her."

"Well I mean, technically I am you, so…"

Flareon groaned. "Look, can we get back on topic?"

Melvin leaned back, a serious expression plastered on his face. "No worries, Floofer. I understand where you're coming from. You built up these attachments and you wanna keep em safe, I get that. I won't interfere in the future, but what you have to understand is that we share this body, and I'd like to keep on living, so if you could refrain from risking your life like that again, that'd be nice…"

Flareon smiled and nodded. "Alright, fine, you've got yourself a deal."

Melvin turned back towards the doors to each of their respective minds. "Y'know… I've been meaning to tell you. Your room has started glowing recently, and I'm not exactly sure what that means."

Flareon looked confused and got up, walking towards his room. "Huh, you're right… That's weird."

Melvin got up and walked next to him. "Y'know, maybe the room is starting to reveal some of your past memories."

Flareon cringed as he heard that, looking down and closing his eyes.

Melvin looked confused. "Huh? What's with that look? Are you not happy with learning what happened to you?"

"No… I mean yes… I mean… Look, it's just hard, okay? I've built up this life here and now I might be learning what my past is all about. It's a bit… conflicting."

Melvin nodded and turned back towards the door. "Well, in my opinion, it's at least better to know than to not. Look, let's just go in there and see what we can find, okay?"

Flareon nodded and swallowed, opening the door and beginning his search for some memories.

"I can't believe that she honestly expects me to follow orders from you." Jolteon sneered on that last word as looked right ahead at Sylveon, who was currently leading the group towards the castle in the distance.

Sylveon looked back at him with an equally displeased expression. "Jolteon, sweetie, if you have a problem with me leading the group, you can turn around and head back to the others. We, however, are going to continue on."

Vaporeon groaned and shook her head. "And here goes the married couple, continuing their bickering over who wears the pants in the relationship…"

"Vaporeon, for the last time, we are not dating, and we never will! Now, if you all don't mind, we're about to reach the castle, so I'd appreciate if you could please just focus!" Sylveon huffed and turned forward.

Jolteon sighed and frowned, looking legitimately upset at what she just said. "Y-Yeah, whatever. N-Not like… I care…"

Glaceon and Leafeon noticed this and started to get sad. Leafeon was the first to comment on it. "Poor Jolteon… He just got rejected in such a harsh way…"

Glaceon nodded in agreement. "Poor guy just wants to be noticed by Sylveon… Even if he said some mean things, I still feel a little bad…"

Sylveon frowned and looked down at her feet as she marched forward. Mm… Maybe I was a bit too harsh on him… I'm sure he didn't mean what he said before… But he's just so rude! Why can't he just acknowledge the fact that I'm just as good of a leader as he is? Ooo, I'm getting angry again just thinking about it!

The group trudged forward towards the castle, the building getting closer and closer with every step.

Meanwhile, Espeon was working on some tea for Flareon. With the assistance of Umbreon and Froslass, she was able to make the perfect drink for Flareon to sip up.

"Aaaand done! Alright, this should be great for Flareon's hypothermia…" She handed Umbreon the drink, who quickly brought it over to Flareon. Froslass thanked him and picked up the cup, helping Flareon drink it down.

So, do you really trust Sylveon with leading the group? I mean, you saw what happened with her and Jolteon… seemed to be a lot of tension there.

Oh, don't worry Umbreon, that's just how they show that they care about each other.

That… is a very weird way of saying "I love you". Sylveon doesn't really strike me as the type to be like that.

Well, you know how it is… Everyone's so embarrassed to say that they love each other nowadays… It's honestly kinda sad when you think about it. They really should just come out and say it at this point.

I suppose, but… I still can't shake off the feeling.

Espeon walked up to him and put a paw on his shoulder. Umbreon, it's fine. I know she was always the flirtatious one when we were younger, but I think spending all this time with Jolteon has really let her change. She feels more like a mother now than a flirty girl.

Mm… I suppose you're right. We'll just have to wait and see how it goes.

"So… Um… Apologies for… interrupting? You two have been staring at each other for a while, is there something I'm missing?" Froslass hovered over to the two, looking awfully confused.

Espeon blushed a bit as she stepped forward to explain. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot to explain… You see, Umbreon here is mute, and so he can't communicate with other people… So the way he and I communicate is that I read his mind and then project my own thoughts into his head so we can speak. It's actually pretty nifty."

Froslass seems to have understood it and nodded her head. "Ah, I see… That is pretty convenient."

Espeon nodded and looked behind Froslass to the Fluff Ball himself, who was now sleeping much more peacefully. "So… Is Flareon doing alright?"

Froslass nodded. "He should be. He's not shaking anymore, and his breathing has returned mostly to normal, though he's still going to need lots of rest."

Espeon smiled. "That's… good to hear. He really did give us quite the scare…"

Froslass turned back to her with an inquisitive look on her face. "That… reminds me… How did he even get into this position in the first place? There really aren't that many experienced fighters out here… We're mostly isolated so there's no reason to train."

Espeon bit her lip. "Well… We ended up running into an Articuno on the way in. Flareon here ended up taking it down, but he took the full force of Articuno's Blizzard as he did."

Froslass's eyes widened as she heard that little story. "What?! Why in blazes were you fighting our land's guardian?!"

Espeon's expression dropped. "Guard… i…. An…?"

Froslass frowned. "Yes, our guardian. Articuno has protected this land for many a generation! If he attacked you, then…" Froslass thought on it before her pupils shrunk. "Oh… Oh no…"

Espeon started to freak out a little. "Um… Ma'am? Ma'am, what's wrong? Why're you acting like that?"

Froslass turned to Espeon with a grim expression on her face. "I… I should tell you something. The current king of this land right now is Vanilluxe. And I am his Grandmother. Every time something important happens, I am one of the first to know about it."

Espeon looked at her in surprise. "Wow… Someone of royal blood…"

Froslass nodded. "Indeed. My line has been on top of the Ice Kingdom for many a generation… But there is one other family that has served along with us: another family of Froslasses who are like seers. They predict the future and use that knowledge to help keep the outside world away. Recently, a terrifying omen was given to us… That a powerful group of strangers would come and threaten to overthrow our government and send it into turmoil… And so, the warning was passed to all the important figures. Myself, and most likely Articuno as well."

Espeon came to a realization. "Articuno must've thought that we were the evil group… That must be why it attacked us."

"I believe you are correct, Espeon. However, that also provides an even more pressing problem… If you all defeated Articuno, that must mean that he's still injured… And that there's no one protecting the border."

"Heh! Not so high and mighty, are you birdy?!" Weavile stomped his foot on Articuno's head, grinding it in a little bit.

"Weavile, Articuno is already passed out. Why're you stomping on its head?" Bisharp gave his partner a confused expression.

"This little fucker thinks he's soooo great, being a legendary ice type and all… But he got beat up but that dumb little Eevee squad!" Weavile looked smug as he crossed his arms.

Bisharp, meanwhile, was less than impressed. "Look, I hate to bring this up, but our track record against them isn't amazing either."

Weavile turned to Bisharp as if he was hurt. "Whaaaaat? Come ooooon, we've done great so far!"

Bisharp sighed and turned to him. "We lost to them at the abandoned town, y'know, before they had even absorbed any power from the Green Orb Shards. Then we lost to them again when we invaded, even with that reanimated Arcanine on our side. And then we fought them again, but this time it was just 2 on 2, and we still lost."

Weavile huffed and turned away. "Have it your way, party pooper… Sheesh."

Bisharp sighed and shook his head. "You're unbelievable. Let's just focus on our mission, okay?"

Weavile shrugged and kept walking. "Ugh, fine, whatever. Do you even know where we're going?"

Bisharp looked confused as he turned to Weavile. "What're you talking about? This is your home kingdom. You're the one who should be leading the way."

"Dude, it's been like… 5 years since I've last been here, I dunno where everything is…"

Bisharp's eye started to twitch as he felt rage build up inside of him. "You told me you knew this place like the back of your hand! The only reason I brought you here was for that exact reason!"

Weavile stuck his tongue out and put his hands behind the back of his head. "Well, guess I just lied to you then~ But don't get all upset, I'm sure if we just follow the Green Orb Shard readings, we'll be able to find them."

Bisharp sighed and shook his head. "Y'know what? Fine. Just follow the readings."

Weavile nodded and started heading forward.

"So you're saying that this entire land is open to invasion? Then we have to warn somebody!"

"I agree, but we don't know how much time we have. Besides, someone has to stay here and take care of Flareon."

Espeon grimaced as she looked back at Flareon, but shook her head and looked back at Froslass. "Flareon is fine here, but the people at the castle might not be. We should all go and prepare for the worst."

Froslass wanted to protest but gave up and sighed. "I suppose we don't have any time to argue this. Come on, you two. We need to hurry."

Espeon and Umbreon nodded as they ran out of the hut, going as quickly as they could towards the castle.

As the Eevee Pack walked up to the castle, two Alolan Sandslashes blocked the entrance. "Halt. Who is it that tries to enter the Castle of the Ice Kingdom?"

Sylveon cleared her throat and stepped up to the guards. "My name is Sylveon, and these are my friends. We need some help, and we'd like to request an audience with your King."

The right guard shook his head. "Sorry miss, but only people with royal permission are allowed to have an audience with the King."

Sylveon looked shocked. "Wh-What? But sir, the fate of the world depends on-"

The other guard shook his head. "And now you're just being over dramatic. Now, please run along, or else we'll start having to use force…"

"No, I demand that you let us in. Our audience with the king is important." The group turned back to see Froslass, Umbreon, and Espeon walk up.

The Sandslashes immediately tensed up. "L-Lady Froslass! W-We didn't expect you to come so soon! Please, enter."

The Sandslashes pulled open the doors, motioning for the Group to enter as they trotted in. The other Eevees turned back to Espeon and Umbreon, but Vaporeon was the first to speak up. "Why are you guys here? And who is helping Flareon?"

Espeon was about to answer, but Froslass shushed her and shook her head. "We will tell you in a moment. We have to go talk to the King first, but we will tell you everything in due time."

After a little bit of walking, the Group was shown into the royal chamber, as a Vanilluxe hovered over the throne. The Vanilluxe smiled as he saw Froslass, hovering down to her with a happy expression. "Grandmother, how nice it is to see you once more! We were not expecting you, especially on such short notice." The two heads of the Vanilluxe talked in unison.

Froslass, however, merely shook her head. "I'm sorry, my grandson, but unfortunately I cannot afford to share such pleasantries with you. The Ice Kingdom is in dire straits, and I've come to warn you."

Vanilluxe was a bit surprised at her words. "You've come to warn us? But have we not served well as King? We were under the impression that the Ice Kingdom was in great condition."

"It's not about your status as King, it's about the omen. Articuno mistook this group of Eeveelutions for the evil group mentioned in the prophecy, and was defeated in battle. Now I fear that the true evildoers will be on our ground in very little time…"

After she said that, a guard quickly rushed into the room. "Y-Your Majesty, pardon the interruption, but there's a large army marching down the hill as we speak!"

The Eevee Pack looked shocked at that news, but Vanilluxe's expression hardened. "Go gather the army, and anyone who can fight." The guard nodded and ran off as Vanilluxe started hovering to the door. "Grandma, take the Eeveelutions down and prepare them for battle."

Froslass floated towards him. "B-But Vanilluxe, how-"

"Our days of solitude are over, Grandma. I believe it's time we finally show the world what we're capable of. If they're expecting an easy battle, they are sorely mistaken!"

End of Chapter 21

Whoo! That was quite a bit of work, but I hoped you all enjoyed it! I've recently been diagnosed with depression, and so it's been a long while to try and get on track with that. Luckily, I'm currently taking medication, so I should be good to go with this story! Anyways, if you liked the story, make sure to Follow/Favorite it, and leave a Review if there's anything you wanna tell me! That's all for now, catch you later!