Chapter Eight - The Shattered Fortress
The day after Aria's birthday, Serena was slow to wake, her eyes and her mind still heavy from the events of the previous evening. As she gradually came back to consciousness, the light pouring in through the bedroom window assaulted her eyes. She squinted as she sat upright, then dug through her bag to check the time on her tablet. It was later than she usually rose, already mid-morning. Across the room, Aria still lay in her bed, motionless. In the near-silence, Serena heard Aria's deep, steady breaths. Despite the hour, she remained sound asleep.
Elsewhere in the room, however, there was already activity. Or rather, something resembling it. Serena tilted her head at the sight. In the far corner of the room, both her Delphox and Aria's sat opposite each other, eyes closed, seemingly in meditation. Between the two of them sat two objects, two random parts taken from the shrinking, yet still present mountains of boxes that filled the room.
Deep in her gut, Serena sensed something, like a spark about to ignite. She stopped halfway through drawing a breath and held it, waiting.
Moments later, her Delphox opened her eyes. They shone indigo. A sheath of identically-colored light encircled the part on the floor in front of her. Steadily, it rose into the air, stopping when it reached Delphox's eye level.
Serena felt her heart beating inside her chest as she waited to take another breath. She knew there was something else coming, but she wasn't sure what.
She did not have to wait long to find out. Aria's Delphox opened her eyes. They were not aglow. They did not shine with that same serene, ethereal light. Instead, they looked entirely normal, so painfully, frustratingly normal. Her expression contorted, the pain and frustration in her eyes creeping onto the rest of her face. Her teeth bared, she quivered as if straining herself.
The part on the floor in front of her did not move. All at once, Serena understood.
The light in Serena's Delphox's eyes dimmed. As it dissipated, the part she suspended in the air sank gently down to the floor, making a soft tap upon contact. In the silence, the sound was deafening, loud enough to puncture eardrums and shatter glass. As Serena's Delphox released her hold on the spare part, Aria's Delphox lost her hold on everything.
A growl rose in Aria's Delphox's throat. Unconsciously, Serena's lips parted ever so slightly, and her eyes opened a bit wider. She saw movement on the windowsill, behind the curtains. She saw the silhouette of Ribombee rise, apparently stirred from sleep.
The growl grew louder. Serena's eyes darted over to Aria's bed, certain that she would be awoken. Before she could determine if Aria was still asleep, Ribombee slipped out from behind the curtains and took to the air, adding her buzzing to the cacophony. Her teeth clenched, Aria's Delphox shook more and more with each passing second, as if struggling to lift some unimaginably heavy weight.
Ribombee hovered above. She chirped excitedly. Without moving anything other than her eyes, Serena's Delphox shot Ribombee a momentary glare from below, fierce enough to immediately silence her. Ribombee promptly landed atop a nearby box. As soon as she touched down, something flickered.
It was a mere instant, but it was unmistakable, that indigo light. For an instant, it flickered in Aria's Delphox's eyes, and then it was gone. Her growl crescendoed, then abruptly came to an end. With a grunt of frustration, she swept the part aside with her hand, slamming it into a tower of boxes with a thunderous crash.
Serena saw Aria jump at the sound.
Already halfway to her feet, Aria's Delphox only stopped when she caught sight of what would happen next. The tower of boxes leaned, then began to tip over.
In a single, blindingly swift motion, Serena's Delphox drew her wand from her tail and halted the boxes in midair, freezing them in place. Aria's Delphox hesitated at the sight for only a moment before making a huff of disgust and turning away. As she stalked her way across the room to the door, Serena's Delphox gently righted the tower again, then tucked her wand away.
Her eyes droopy and heavy with the remnants of sleep, Aria sat upright to the sight of her Delphox hurrying out the bedroom door.
"...what happened?" she said, groggily looking from the door to Serena and back again. "What was that?"
Serena was sure she knew the answer to Aria's question, but the answer left her with even more questions.
"It was... nothing, really," she said.
"It doesn't seem like it's nothing," Aria said, looking out the open door.
As if to compound the obviousness of Serena's lie, Ribombee took off and went zooming out the door, chittering as if in great distress.
"It's- ...everything's fine, really," said Serena. As she said it, she stood and rose from her bed. "You can go back to sleep if you want."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course!"
Of course, Serena was not sure at all, and she was certain that Aria was aware of that as she passed by her bed on her way out the door. As she exited, the last things she saw were Aria's look of sleepy confusion, and her own Delphox still seated on the floor, her head bowed.
Out in the hallway, there was no sign of anyone. Aria's Delphox was nowhere to be found, but there was only one logical option for where she had gone. Serena descended the stairs in pursuit. As she reached the lower floor, two things became clear to her – she had absolutely no idea what she was going to do or say when she found Aria's Delphox, and her head hurt.
She did not have to search for long. Audible from the bottom of the stairs and visible with only a few more steps toward the kitchen, Aria's Delphox had gone directly to Lucario. Serena didn't have a prayer of understanding what was being said, but Delphox's body language said everything she needed to know. She was venting. Up above, Ribombee perched on a lampshade, gazing intently at the two of them.
Serena hesitated, figuring it would be better not to interrupt. Before she truly had the chance to make up her mind about what to do, she jumped in surprise.
"Well, well!"
Serena turned and saw Bonnie seated alone at the kitchen table. With her elbows on the table, Bonnie tented her fingers and rested her chin atop them. She gave Serena a sly look.
"Bonnie?"
"You're really messing up my shipping charts, you know."
For a few seconds, Serena utterly failed to comprehend Bonnie's words. Her brain was only able to fit everything into place once her eyes landed upon the notebook which lay strewn open on the table in front of Bonnie, a pencil resting atop it.
"Your... what?"
"My shipping charts!" said Bonnie. "It's a lot of work keeping track of all this stuff, you know!"
Instantly, Serena's mind flooded with implications, and heat washed over her face. In only a few steps, she stormed over to the kitchen table. Before Bonnie had the time to react, Serena snatched the notebook away.
"Hey!" said Bonnie.
Serena stepped away from the table and held the open notebook up at arm's length, far out of Bonnie's reach. Bonnie left her seat tried to jump to grab the notebook, but it was no use. While Bonnie struggled, Serena read. She struggled to understand.
The page before her contained dozens of circles, each with a name inside of it. Serena found not only her own name but the names of nearly every person and Pokémon she had encountered in the last several months, all the way back to before the trip to Monego City. In fact, the only name that came to mind that Serena couldn't find was Bonnie's.
An elaborate, almost incomprehensible web of arrows connected the names. Some of the arrows connecting the names pointed in both directions, such as the one connecting Clemont and Korrina. Others pointed only one way, such as the one connecting Tierno to her. There were others still that were notated in various ways. Some were dashed lines instead of solid. Some had question marks attached to them. Amusingly, there was a dashed arrow pointing from every single girl's name to Clemont, including her own. Korrina's arrow was the only one that was neither dashed nor had a question mark next to it.
But among the chaos, Serena's eyes honed in on something. She located the network of arrows connecting her name with Ash and Aria. Eraser marks were smudged all around their names.
"Bonnie, I-"
Serena's heart froze. Her eyes traced the line between her name and Ash.
It was dashed. It only pointed one direction.
From Ash, to her.
"Give it back!" said Bonnie, jumping again in a futile attempt to reach it. "It's mine!"
"What-"
Serena's darted over the page, following more arrows. There was another dashed arrow extending from Ash's name. It connected him to Lillie. It pointed both ways. There was a question mark next to it.
"What does this mean?"
"Oh, come on!" said Bonnie. "I know you know what it means! You're not a big dummy about this stuff like Clemont is!"
Once more, Serena's eyes landed on her own name. There was a solid arrow attached to it, one she had not yet followed. She traced its path. When she reached the end, her heart skipped a beat. Another wave of heat washed over her face.
The solid arrow connected her name to Aria. It pointed both ways.
Indignant, Serena gripped the notebook with one hand and pointed at her name with the other.
"What is this supposed to mean?" she said. "Ash is still my boyfriend!"
Bonnie folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at Serena.
"Oh yeah?"
"Yes! That hasn't changed! Nothing has changed!"
"You coulda fooled me."
For a split-second, Serena prepared to fire back a retort. Before it could leave her lips or even so much as form in her throat, she slumped her shoulders. What was the point? It was no use.
Without another word, she handed the notebook back to Bonnie and walked away.
Monday came. Serena was all too glad to leave the house, put her thoughts aside, and lose herself in her work. For a few hours, that was precisely what she did, eager to ignore everyone and everything, happy to disengage her mind and reduce herself to a mere device for sorting parts.
But that came to an end when mid-morning she heard a rare event. Meyer turned up the volume on the perpetually on, perpetually muted giant old TV.
Serena turned to look and saw a news anchor speaking, a message crawling across the bottom of the screen beneath her. Meyer approached the TV, narrowing his eyes.
"No…"
It was nothing more than a whisper. That alone was all Serena needed to hear to make her heart drop into her stomach and run over to the TV. Under normal circumstances, Meyer never spoke so softly.
Serena went cold as she read the message crawling across the screen.
LUMIOSE AND SHALOUR CITY GYMS SUSPENDED BY LEAGUE AFTER DISCOVERING BOTH GYMS BEING RUN BY ROBOTS, GYM LEADERS IN RELATIONSHIP
It took Meyer a matter of minutes to close down the shop for the day. Meyer recalled Ampharos to his ball, another rare event. Serena took Ampharos' usual place on the back seat of Meyer's motorbike. Together, they swerved through traffic, weaving between cars as Meyer flew home, not even stopping to park the bike before running up the front steps. Serena lagged behind him, forced to figure out how to use the bike's kickstand on her own.
When she entered the house, she found everyone gathered in the living room in front of the TV. Clemont sat in the middle of the couch, chin in hand. Bonnie sat beside him, unusually close. Korrina paced around the room with her arms folded. Aria sat in a chair on the far side of the room, her eyes glued to the screen.
"Clemont!" said Meyer. "What in the world is going on? What happened?"
"According to what we've seen here so far, someone complained to the league about our gyms," said Clemont. "The press got word of this, and the league took action."
"And they didn't even tell us!" said Korrina. She stopped pacing for a moment to place her hands on her hips and turn to face Meyer. "We found out when the police showed up to kick us out of the gym!"
"What?!" said Meyer. "How could the league not contact you first? This is an outrage!"
"It's a conspiracy, that's what it is!" said Korrina. "We know exactly who did this."
"Who?" said Meyer.
"It was that annoying guy from a few weeks ago who lost to Clembot and flipped his lid!" said Korrina.
"We don't have any proof, though," said Clemont. "It could have been anyone who challenged our gyms and was dissatisfied."
"I'd bet anything it was him!" said Korrina.
Serena's eyes lingered on Aria. Aria took notice. Their eyes met. Serena knew immediately.
"What if it was Palermo?" said Serena.
A hush came over the room. Everyone turned to look at her.
"I'm not confident about that," said Clemont. He scratched his cheek while he looked upward, pondering. "That seems a bit far-fetched to me. It's too many logical leaps at once."
Serena scrunched up her face in confusion.
"...not really?" she said. "It seems kind of obvious to me."
"We don't have any evidence, though," said Clemont. "Not to mention the lack of a clear motive."
"Palermo's motives are never clear," said Aria.
Again, all heads in the room turned, this time toward Aria. Seated stiffly in her chair, she crossed both her legs and arms before continuing.
"Regardless of what we have seen, it's practically guaranteed that she knows I am here and that you all are guarding me. This could be an attempt to rattle you all, to encourage you to turn me over to her."
"We would never do that!" said Bonnie.
"Never is a very long time when you're dealing with someone as conniving as her," said Aria. "She's perfectly content to meddle from afar and wait for others to make the first move. I've seen it time and time again."
"Even if she is trying to get us to give you to her, how did she know about our robots?" said Korrina. "And how did she know about the two of us being together?"
"It's not that difficult to figure out," said Aria. "Palermo has a massive network of people working for her. How many people do you think have seen you two together in public recently? You're public figures, after all."
Clemont and Korrina looked at each other. They exchanged an uncertain glance.
"Plus, it doesn't even matter if the relationship part of the accusation is true or not, even though we all know it is," said Aria. "Palermo has the media in her back pocket and can say anything she wants. The public adores her too much to care. The truth is immaterial to the situation."
"The truth very much is material to the situation," said Clemont, "because it would be much easier for us to refute all this if we could prove that any of it was false. Unfortunately, it's all true. That leads me to believe she uncovered it somehow, but it strains the mind as to how she did it."
"You underestimate her," said Aria.
There was a tense silence. As if stepping in to defuse an argument, Meyer stepped forward and spoke.
"Regardless of motive or perpetrator, I have to say that I'm relieved to see you all here," he said. "I'm so glad you're not at the gym trying to sort out this mess, or worse, trying to find whoever started this."
"I'd love to find whoever started this, believe me," said Korrina.
"I know you would," said Meyer. "So that's why I say to all of you, please, stay here for now. Don't go out and do anything rash. We don't need anyone to be a hero right now."
"The only thing I wish I could do is retrieve Clembot and Korrinabot," said Clemont. "I deactivated them remotely, and I was able to retrieve the Pokémon from my gym. I'm afraid I can't say the same for Korrina, though."
"If anyone touches Machoke or Mienfoo, I swear…"
Korrina trailed off, shaking her head.
"Your grandpa can get them, right?" said Bonnie.
"Not if the police locked up my gym, too," said Korrina. As she finished her sentence, she clenched her fists even tighter and grunted, seething with anger.
"Now is definitely a time to wait for cooler heads to prevail," said Clemont. "Perhaps we should turn off the TV and try to remove ourselves from the situation for a while."
"That's easier said than done, but I wholeheartedly agree," said Meyer.
Korrina tightly folded her arms again. She resumed pacing.
"I can't just sit here!" she said. "I have to do something!"
"Why not call your grandfather?" said Clemont.
"You know why," said Korrina.
The afternoon dragged on. Serena was unsure what to do or say to anyone. Clemont appeared more than content to retreat to his computer and bury himself within walls of code. Korrina was unable to sit still, bouncing between rooms endlessly, incapable of resting for more than a few seconds before bursting into activity again. She sat with Clemont for a while, then with Serena and Aria, then went back and forth again. In between, Serena caught her doing sit-ups and push-ups in the hall. Caught in the middle of all of it and unable to help, Bonnie became overwhelmed and ran off to her dad on the verge of tears.
Night fell. Meyer ordered a pizza rather than bother to cook anything. The restlessness and unease continued all evening. Serena had almost drifted off to sleep when she was awoken by shouting.
She sat up in bed and looked to Aria, who sat by the window with her book. Their eyes met, and then they both ran out of the room and down the hall to Clemont's room.
"-knew it was her! She knew it! We've got to do some-"
"You need to calm down!"
"How can I be calm?! We have proof!"
"We can't do anything! We have to wait!"
"She's-"
Serena and Aria burst into the room, and the argument ceased.
"What's going on?" said Serena.
"Look!" said Korrina, pointing at Clemont's computer screen. "It was her!"
An article was displayed on the screen. Serena leaned closer and read.
Two Gym Leaders Suspended as Scandal Engulfs Kalos League
LUMIOSE CITY - Crowds gathered outside Prism Tower this afternoon in excess of even the typical tourist rush as news broke of the suspension of Lumiose City gym leader Clemont by the Kalos Pokémon League. The suspension was announced by league officials coming on the heels of a report which surfaced this morning claiming that the Lumiose City and Shalour City gyms have been operated by robots for months while their leaders conducted a romantic relationship in secret.
Two hundred miles to the northwest, a similar crowd gathered outside of the Shalour City gym as local law enforcement closed public access to the facility. Shalour City gym leader Korrina, who was last reported to be in Shalour City more than two months ago, was also suspended by the league this morning. According to numerous public reports, Korrina has been seen in Clemont's company in Lumiose City on a regular basis during that time.
This is not the first time the Lumiose City gym has faced scrutiny for its use of a robotic leader. Dating back to almost two years ago, complaints surfaced that the robotic gym leader constructed by Clemont, known as "Clembot," had seized control of the gym from its proper leader and engaged in the practice of turning away trainers with fewer than four badges, sometimes discouraging entry via electric shock. These complaints ceased after Clemont released a patch for Clembot that addressed these issues.
Discontent has returned en masse. Clemont has been seen alongside Clembot in the Lumiose City gym for the last few months, having Clembot battle in his stead under the pretense of collecting data. However, the appearance of his sudden closeness with Korrina during her simultaneous absence from her gym has led to public outcry. According to reports filed with the league by dissatisfied trainers, some view the situation at the Lumiose and Shalour City gyms as "an obvious setup for [Clemont and Korrina] to take a permanent vacation together and still get paid."
In particular, trainers have been dissatisfied with the robot serving as the Shalour City gym leader, known as "Korrinabot." While trainers and league officials were willing to accept a robotic gym leader at the electric-type Lumiose gym, a robot has been considered by many to be badly out of place in Shalour's fighting-type gym. Korrinabot also leaves no doubt as to her origins. When asked, she states that she was created by Clemont on behalf of Korrina.
While no current league rules or bylaws prohibit the use of a robotic gym leader, league officials stated today that the circumstances at the Lumiose and Shalour City gyms were "blatantly against the spirit and intent of competition put forth by the league" and a "serious misuse of power and authority by two of the league's most visible figures."
Speaking at a press conference this afternoon, Kalos League champion Diantha stated that she first became aware of the accusations in a recent conversation with her close friend and former mentor Palermo. Palermo herself had heard rumors of discontent with the Lumiose City gym and wished to express her concern, which prompted an investigation.
"While I know for a fact that both Clemont and Korrina are fine young people with strong hearts and outstanding character, the league believes that this is a clear ethical conflict of interest and dereliction of duties," Diantha stated. "We believe that the best option both for the league and for the trainers partaking in league competition is to suspend both of them until the situation can be resolved. I consider both Clemont and Korrina to be valuable members of the league and hope to see both of them back in their positions as soon as possible."
When reached for comment, Palermo stated that she was "terribly concerned for the league in the aftermath of the disaster with Team Flare" and was "troubled to see a full one-quarter of Kalos' gyms being operated in absentia for the sole benefit of their leaders."
Serena stopped reading. A cold, dreadful feeling settled into her stomach. She looked at Aria.
"It really was her, wasn't it?" she said. "This is her next move, isn't it?"
"I wish I could draw a different conclusion from this, but I can't," said Aria. "I told you. This is how she works."
"So she's after you by getting to us?" said Korrina.
"I regret to say it, but I'm almost certain that's the case," said Aria.
Korrina stalked away to the corner of the room, her fists clenched. She turned around and stalked back to the computer. Her teeth were bared.
Serena noticed Aria back away as Korrina approached. Korrina raised a hand, enraged. For a brief, terrible moment, Serena feared that Korrina would strike Aria.
Instead, Korrina pointed viciously at the screen.
"That's it! I've had it! No more sitting around doing nothing! I don't care what you all want to do, I am not going to sit here any longer and let this evil woman ruin our lives!"
Clemont raised a hand, trying to urge her to back down.
"Korrina-"
"Don't try to stop me! I'm so sick of this! We're all trying to do our best and live our lives and she decided that we don't get to do that because she wants something! I am not going to let her take anything from me!"
"Korrina, please!" said Clemont. "Please calm down! Anger isn't going to solve anything!"
"Sitting here forever and hoping for the best until we lose everything is what isn't going to solve anything!"
"Perhaps inaction won't solve this, but what do you intend to do? You mustn't attempt to fight Palermo on your own! Serena and Aria have made it perfectly clear how foolish that would be!"
"I won't have to do it alone if I could get anyone here to stop being afraid and fight with me!"
"Even if we all fought together, I have no reason to believe that we would be able to defeat Palermo," said Aria. "She always has something up her sleeve. She's never alone. If you try to fight her on your own, it's hopeless!"
"How can you not want to fight her after everything she's done to you?!" said Korrina.
"Because I know her better than any of you, and I know what she's capable of!" said Aria. "If I could have stopped her on my own, I would have done it already, trust me! The only person she has manipulated who had enough power to stop her was Diantha, and she was smart enough to see the threat Diantha posed to her and cultivated their relationship into a useful friendship instead. You're not going to beat her, even at your best."
"I'm still going to try!" said Korrina. "Trying and failing is better than doing nothing and failing anyway!"
Clemont stood and placed his hand around Korrina's wrist.
"Please, I implore you, think about this!" said Clemont. "What do you realistically hope to achieve if you go through with this course of action?"
Korrina easily ripped her wrist out of Clemont's grip.
"More than anyone here has achieved in this fight against her," said Korrina. "I'm not a coward. I won't take this sitting down!"
Korrina pointed at Aria.
"She lives in that ugly gated mansion by the river, doesn't she?" Korrina asked. "I know you know."
Aria froze. Her hesitation was all the answer Korrina needed.
"Knew it," said Korrina. She took a few long strides toward the door. "Anyone who wants to come with me, this is your last chance."
"Korrina, stop this!" said Clemont.
"Stop me yourself, then!"
Clemont reached toward his pocket, the shape of a Poké Ball visible from inside it. He stopped halfway.
"Please don't do this," he said.
Korrina's expression hardened for a moment, and she turned and ran out the door.
Footsteps thundered down the hall. Clemont slumped into his chair and covered his face with both hands. Serena looked at Aria, and Aria at her. Their eyes met for a moment.
Serena ran.
"I've got to stop her!"
Serena descended the stairs as fast as her feet would allow. When she reached the bottom, she saw Korrina already slipping out the front door. Bonnie was curled up asleep on the couch, light from the TV flickering on her face. Meyer, his eyes heavy with sleep, staggered into the front hall.
"What's all the noise?" he asked Serena as she ran past him. "Where are you all going?"
"There's no time to explain!" said Serena. She threw the door open and dashed down the front steps.
Korrina had deployed her inline skates. She was already at the end of the block.
"Korrina, stop!" Serena shouted, chasing after her. "Come back!"
Korrina did not come back. She didn't even turn around and look. Instead, she made a sharp turn at the intersection and disappeared from Serena's line of sight. By the time Serena made it to the intersection, Korrina was nowhere to be seen.
Minutes passed as Serena ran through deserted street after deserted street. It was late. The river drew ever closer. She did not know her destination, but it was easy enough to guess.
In the distance, even among the many lavish properties along the river, one stood out as the most overbearing and ostentatious of them all. A five-story mansion built from white stone, surrounded on all sides by a wrought iron gate and towering hedges. The ethereal color seemed to shine like a beacon in the night.
As Serena approached, she squinted in the darkness, trying to discern any sign of Korrina. She saw nothing. Perhaps Korrina had climbed the fence. Perhaps she was even inside.
That notion was dispelled as a sudden source of light appeared, accompanied by the roar of an engine. A white limousine pulled up to the gate on the inside and stopped. Its headlights illuminated the silhouette of Korrina, standing in front of the gate with her arms held out wide, blocking the way.
Realizing that she herself was cast in the light, Serena ducked behind a mailbox and hid. She peeked out from behind it and watched.
A massive floodlight turned on, illuminating the entire area around the gate. Serena squinted and shielded her eyes with one hand. One of the limousine's doors opened. A figure emerged from it.
It was Monsieur Pierre. He strolled up to the gate.
"Stand aside, mademoiselle," he said.
"I know she's in there!" said Korrina. "I'm here for her, not you!"
"Mademoiselle, I assure you that it is in your best interest not to waste Madame Palermo's time with such foolishness."
"Foolish?! This isn't foolish! I'm completely serious, and I want to see her right now!"
"Mademoiselle, I implore you, please, cease this at once. I do not wish to be forced to move you myself."
Korrina grabbed two of the bars on the gate.
"I'd like to see you try!"
"I do not wish to do this, but I am afraid you leave me no other choice, mademoiselle."
A solemn expression on his face, Monsieur Pierre reached into his coat. Before he could remove a Poké Ball from it, another door opened.
Palermo emerged from it. A smirk on her face, she stepped past Monsieur Pierre and held an open hand up to him, waving him off.
"Thank you, but your intervention is not yet necessary," Palermo said to Pierre. She turned her attention to Korrina. "Well, I must say, this is neither an entirely unexpected development nor a pleasant one! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company tonight?"
Palermo approached Korrina with her arms folded, stopping noticeably short of the gate. Serena was certain it was to prevent Korrina from reaching through the bars and grabbing her.
"You know exactly why I'm here!" said Korrina.
"I'm afraid that's not the case," said Palermo.
"I know you did it!" said Korrina. "Don't try to hide it!"
"I have no illusions of hiding any such thing," said Palermo. "I assumed that what was reported by the press would make that perfectly clear, but I suppose it wasn't worded simply enough for you to understand. Pity, really."
"I understood it well enough to know that I need to stop you!" said Korrina.
"Yes, naturally. You see, therein lies the problem. I know what motivated you to come here, but I am utterly at a loss as to what you hope to achieve from this."
"I'm here to beat you and put a stop to your crimes once and for all!"
"How trite."
"Fight me!" said Korrina. "Or are you really such a spineless coward that you would have your chauffeur do it for you?"
Behind Palermo, Monsieur Pierre stiffened.
"I assure you that spinelessness and cowardice are both misgivings of which I have been accused before, and disproven repeatedly on both counts," said Palermo.
"Then prove it!" said Korrina. "Battle with me! One on one! No tricks! Just you and me!"
Palermo unfolded her arms. She turned to Monsieur Pierre.
"Open the gate."
"Yes, madame."
Monsieur Pierre stepped aside, disappearing for a moment behind a brick facade. When he reappeared with his arms folded behind his back, there was a creaking, metallic sound, and the gate began to part.
Palermo stepped forward. Korrina did not budge. She stood over Palermo, several inches taller, glaring at her.
"I don't typically take house calls from street urchins, but I'm feeling magnanimous tonight," said Palermo.
Korrina visibly struggled to restrain herself from striking Palermo. Monsieur Pierre prepared to take a step forward until Korrina barred her teeth and looked aside.
"So, you're not as reckless as I thought, then," said Palermo. A wicked grin crossed her face.
"You would deserve it," said Korrina.
"Just as would you deserve the resulting prison sentence," said Palermo. "But let's be civilized, shall we? You want a one-on-one battle, correct?"
"Yes. Just you, me, and our Pokémon. No one else."
"You're very confident in yourself, aren't you?" said Palermo.
"I have every reason to be," said Korrina.
"Likewise."
Continuing to hide behind the mailbox, Serena held her breath. If she was going to stop this, it was now or never. Trying to make as little noise as possible, she reached for her bag. Without so much as touching it, she felt Delphox's ball. Even though it remained motionless in the bag, it seemed to quiver with energy.
Palermo stepped past Korrina and turned her back to her. She walked a few paces before speaking, her hands folded behind her back.
"So, you want a fair fight, yes?" she said.
"That's right," said Korrina. "No tricks. No help from anyone else."
"I may be able to agree to that," said Palermo. She walked a few more paces, then stopped and turned around. "However, as with any negotiation I make, I want to make the terms perfectly clear first."
"What's not clear about what I said?" said Korrina.
"Surely you don't expect me to believe you came here alone."
"Well, I did!" said Korrina. "What's so hard to believe about that?"
"Really now?" said Palermo, her voice aching with mock skepticism. "Not one of your friends came here to fight alongside you?"
Serena shrunk further into the shadow of the mailbox. A cold shiver crept down her spine. She could still feel the energy coming from Delphox's ball. Hoping against all hope, she prayed that Delphox somehow understood that now was not the time to burst out without command.
A moment later, like a shade drawn over a light, the energy seemed to dim.
"It's just me!" said Korrina. "Are you going to battle with me or not?"
"Oh, I will have a battle with you, rest assured," said Palermo. "I'm merely surprised that your little band of intrepid heroes is apparently intelligent enough not to attempt something so spectacularly short-sighted and futile."
"They're afraid of you, but I'm not! They think you're too strong to beat, but they don't know how strong Lucario and I are! It doesn't matter how strong you are, you're not unbeatable, and the only way to do it is to try!"
"My, how courageous you must think you are."
"I have more courage than you could ever imagine!"
Palermo reached into her coat pocket. She gripped a Poké Ball.
"You painfully naïve child," said Palermo. She pulled the ball from her pocket. "I will show you the difference between courage and idiocy."
"I'll show you what real strength is!"
Korrina threw Lucario's Poké Ball. He emerged onto the pavement, standing between Korrina and Palermo. Opposite him, Palermo merely pressed the button on her ball. With no fanfare whatsoever, Florges appeared beside her.
"Lucario, get ready!" said Korrina. "This is going to be our toughest battle yet!"
Korrina touched her fingers to the gemstone on the back of her glove. In unison, both she and Lucario bowed their heads. Polychromatic light encircled Lucario, intensifying until he shone like the sun. Serena shielded her eyes from the light once again. When she uncovered them, the light had faded and Lucario stood there transformed.
Florges yawned.
"Very impressive, yes," said Palermo. "But before we begin, let's make one thing clear. So long as no one assists you, I will not allow anyone to assist me. We can have the battle you seek, so long as you adhere to the rules yourself. If any of your friends show up to assist you, I will not hesitate to have Pierre dispose of you. Is that understood?"
"Loud and clear!" said Korrina.
Standing in the center of the open gate, Monsieur Pierre gave a single, curt nod of acknowledgment.
"Very well," said Palermo. Still holding onto Florges' Poké Ball, she folded her arms behind her back. She smirked. "Have at me, then."
"Lucario, Aura Sphere!"
"Moonblast."
Lucario charged a sphere of brilliant energy between his hands and fired. Opposite him, Florges lazily did the same. The two attacks met, and there was a blinding flash accompanied by a crackling sound. The Moonblast vaporized the Aura Sphere and continued toward its target.
"Dodge!" called Korrina.
Lucario jumped, and Florges' Moonblast shot through the air where he had stood a moment before, scattering on the ground. A charred, faintly glowing trail remained. Up above, Lucario prepared another attack.
"Bullet Punch!"
Lucario vanished. An instant later, he reappeared as he drove a glowing fist into Florges' stomach. Florges let out a short, sharp cry and went reeling backward. She remained upright.
"Close Combat!"
"Grass Knot."
Lucario moved to charge Florges again, but as soon as he did, a vine burst through a crack in the pavement and wrapped around his foot. He slammed to the ground.
"Moonblast."
Lucario was already on his feet again when Korrina called her next move.
"Bullet Punch! Dodge it!"
Lucario vanished once again and reappeared in front of Florges, ready to deliver another blow. Serena supposed the idea was to sneak Lucario in beneath Florges' attack, or maybe to bait Florges into firing first. Neither happened.
Instead, in a single swift, deliberate motion, Florges brought the blast down from above her head to in front of her body. Lucario's fist struck the blast. It exploded.
Lucario went flying through the air, thrown by the blast. Florges did not move.
"Lucario!" Korrina cried.
Lucario pulled in his limbs, preparing to roll through the air and land.
He did not succeed. Instead, his limbs abruptly snapped back out to their full extent, and he came to an immediate halt, frozen in midair.
Serena bit her lip. She knew what was to come next.
Florges' eyes flared with indigo light. An aura of the same color enveloped Lucario.
"Fight it, Lucario! I know you can break free!"
Lucario growled. His clenched teeth exposed, he shook and shuddered in midair, struggling against the psychic hold.
"In the interest of fairness," said Palermo, "allow me to give you an opportunity to bow out of this battle now."
"No way! We're not giving up that easily!"
"I would prefer this not become violent," said Palermo. "In the interest of both you and your Pokémon, I want to offer you the chance to forfeit now. You can simply walk away, and we can both ignore this unfortunate encounter."
"Not happening!" said Korrina. "We're just getting started, aren't we?"
Lucario growled again. Still, he struggled to move. Korrina grimaced.
"Focus, Lucario!" she said. "You can do it!"
"No, he cannot," said Palermo.
"Ignore her! That's what she wants you to think!"
"I think it is time you stopped ignoring me," said Palermo.
Indigo light flooded the area. Florges rose into the air, wreathed in the same aura. She drew level with Lucario.
"You can stop her, Lucario! She can't use two attacks at once! Focus! Try an Aura Sphere!"
"Au contraire."
Lucario remained frozen in midair, restrained by Psychic. Florges continued to hover, level with him, aglow with energy. And as she did so, she raised her hands above her head and began to charge an attack.
"Moonblast."
"Lucario!"
Florges conjured the blast. She held it between her hands, the shimmering light causing shadows to dance all over the surroundings. She lowered her hands, bringing the blast to rest directly in front of Lucario's face. Squirming, eyes open wide, Lucario howled.
"Fight it!"
"Fire."
At point-blank range, Florges fired. Lucario did not move, still held in place. Serena covered her eyes. There was a flash, a rush of air, and then silence.
When Serena looked again, Lucario remained in the air, completely still. His entire upper body was charred, eerily stained with a faint, sickly, silvery glow.
"Lucario!"
Lucario did not respond to Korrina's call. Instead, he remained deathly still as the afterglow from the blast faded.
"Say something!"
Lucario did not say anything. A terrible feeling of dread settled into Serena's stomach.
"Would you care to revisit my prior offer for surrender?" said Palermo. "It's not too late. I truly deplore having blood on my hands. It would be a shame for this to come to that."
Korrina's head snapped in Palermo's direction, aghast.
"You wouldn't dare!"
"I most certainly would."
"You… you-"
Korrina looked back and forth between Lucario and Palermo, panic visible in her eyes.
Palermo took a few casual steps toward Korrina, her hands still behind her back.
"Since it would appear you are only capable of learning things the hard way, allow me to make a few things perfectly clear to you," she said, a dry smile on her face.
"Let Lucario go!"
"That's up to you. Simply forfeit, and Lucario will be freed."
Korrina clenched her jaw. She looked up at Lucario. Lucario remained motionless. Florges looked around at the ground below, appearing uninterested in the proceedings. Korrina swallowed. She shut her eyes tight.
"There is always a greater power," said Palermo. "It would be in your best interests to recognize that. There are challenges that you cannot overcome no matter how hard you try. Ignoring that truth does not mean you are brave. It means you are a fool."
Her fists and teeth both clenched, Korrina shook with anger.
"I won't let you take Lucario from me! I won't let you take anything else!"
"I have no interest in taking anything else from you, but if that's what it takes to make my point, I will."
"I won't let you!"
Korrina's voice cracked. Her face twisted into something desperate. It matched her voice.
"Then cease your pitiful resistance," said Palermo. "You are playing in the affairs of powers far greater than you. If you think I have already taken everything I can from you, allow me to disabuse you of that misconception."
Palermo held up her fingers, ready to snap them.
"There is always something more to take."
Korrina shook, but it was not anger that shook her. Serena heard an ugly sound, one she never expected Korrina to make.
It was a sob. Korrina sank first to her knees, then to all fours. Her head hanging low, she balled her fists on the ground.
Palermo continued to hold her fingers high, ready to snap.
"Do you understand?"
"Stop this! Please!"
"I'll offer you an exchange," said Palermo. "A simple trade. You surrender this battle, and thus your pitiful dignity, to me. I have Florges relinquish Lucario."
"I-"
Korrina's attempted reply was cut short by a sob.
"Now or never. I don't have all night."
"I- I… surrender…"
Korrina's words came out as a wheeze. As soon as they left her mouth, she let out a grating, wretched cry. Utterly broken, she beat her fist on the pavement.
"Very good," said Palermo. She lowered her hand. "Florges, that will do. Let Lucario down now."
The only indication Florges gave of hearing Palermo was complying with the command. Otherwise, her attention did not appear to be on the battle at all. Without looking, Serena knew precisely where Florges' gaze was fixed. It was on the mailbox behind which she cowered. She knew she was a fool to think she could hide. It was obvious. If she could somehow sense Delphox's presence, Delphox was like a beacon to Florges.
Serena expected that at any moment, the mailbox would be torn from the ground, exposing her. What she feared did not come to pass. Instead, the auras surrounding both Florges and Lucario dimmed, and both of them slowly descended to the ground.
When the light faded from Florges' eyes, Lucario instantly collapsed. Korrina scrambled over to him and threw her arms around him, checking him for signs of life. As casually as ever, Palermo pressed the button on Florges' Poké Ball and returned her to her coat pocket.
Palermo turned and began to walk back to the limousine. Monsieur Pierre waited for her, holding the door. Halfway there, she stopped. She looked back at Korrina.
"Do not attempt to meddle in my affairs again, child."
Korrina looked up from Lucario and glared at Palermo, her face red and stained with tears. She said nothing.
Palermo turned away.
"Foolish."
She stepped past Pierre and reentered the limousine. Pierre shut the door behind her. For a moment, he gave Korrina a doleful look. Then, he entered the limousine on the opposite side.
Moments later, the limousine pulled out of the gate, passing Korrina and Lucario on the ground as it pulled away. Alone, the two of them huddled there as the gate closed behind them.
As soon as Serena was certain the coast was clear, she ran out from behind the mailbox and crossed the empty street.
"Is Lucario okay?" she called.
Korrina gasped and looked up at her.
"Serena!"
Serena ran up beside Korrina and knelt down next to Lucario.
"Is he…?"
Serena didn't want to finish the sentence. Korrina did not make her do it.
"He's breathing," she said. She paused for a moment, then swallowed hard. "I… I thought I had lost him for a moment."
"I did, too."
"You saw that?"
Korrina looked horrified. Serena nodded.
"I saw everything. I'm so sorry I didn't help! I wanted to, but I thought… I thought she was going to do something awful if I did!"
Korrina covered her face with both hands.
"You saw that…" she said.
"I'm so sorry!" said Serena. "I should have done something! I was… too afraid, honestly."
"You saw me do that…"
"I really, really should have helped," said Serena. "I'm so sorry I didn't!"
"You watched me surrender to her!"
"I… did."
Korrina shook as more tears came.
"You saw me fail! You saw me give up!"
Serena bit her lip. She could barely believe what she was about to say.
"Sometimes, giving up is the right thing to do."
Serena's heart jolted like an icepick went through it as the words left her mouth. For a fleeting moment, she remembered Ash finding her in the woods and telling her never to give up. The memory felt quaint in comparison to her present circumstances.
"I didn't want to!" said Korrina.
"She made you do it!" said Serena. "She was… going to kill Lucario if you didn't."
"I should have listened to you and Aria. I'm so stupid…"
"You're not stupid."
"I couldn't let her take Lucario from me! I can't lose him! I can't lose anyone else!"
"Anyone else?"
"Not now that I finally have a family for the first time in my life!"
Unsure what to say, Serena just watched Korrina, astonished. Korrina sank to all fours again and buried her face into Lucario's chest.
"She can't take me away from here! I won't leave! I can't leave Clemont and Bonnie! I can't lose them! I can't lose any of you!"
Korrina remained in that position for a while, then slowly sat upright. She wiped her nose with her forearm. She looked upward, toward the sky.
"My whole life, I've lost people because I wasn't what they wanted me to be. My parents wanted me to be… anything other than what I am. They sent me to live with my grandpa, but he always wanted me to take my title and my duties more seriously. Being the successor to Mega Evolution was like life and death to him. I could never live up to what he wanted."
Korrina sighed, her breath shaking. She sniffled, then wiped her nose again.
"But then I met Clemont, and Bonnie, and Meyer. All of you, really. None of you wanted me to be anything other than me. I was with people who actually wanted me for the first time. How can I not fight to defend that when someone threatens it?"
Serena frowned and gazed at the ground.
"So now I'm here crying about it like a big baby," said Korrina. "All because I didn't listen and I picked a fight with someone I couldn't beat. I'm so stupid…"
"No, you're not," said Serena.
Korrina looked at Serena. Their eyes met. Serena shook her head.
"I don't care what Palermo said," said Serena. "She's a liar. You're not a fool, and you're one of the bravest people I know."
Korrina looked away.
"I don't feel like it."
"I know how you feel," said Serena.
After having Ribombee use Pollen Puff to get Lucario on his feet again, Delphox led the way as Serena escorted Korrina and Lucario to the Pokémon Center. Unwilling to leave Lucario's side while he recovered, Korrina left Serena with the unenviable task of going home alone and explaining what happened to everyone by herself.
Fortunately, it was very late when Serena returned. She opened the door to find the house in darkness, only a dim light coming from the kitchen. After she shut the door and locked it, she paused and listened. She heard something. A vague sound of music drifted from somewhere unknown.
Serena took a few steps forward and saw Bonnie still asleep on the sofa, now with a blanket covering her. On the opposite side of the hall, she saw a figure seated at the kitchen table.
It was Meyer. He sat low in the chair, tapping his finger on the table in time with the music. The music came from an old portable radio that sat on top of the table. Next to it were a wine bottle and a book, both open.
Serena stepped toward him.
"Meyer?"
Meyer seemed to awaken from a trance. He turned his head and noticed Serena, then immediately straightened his posture.
"Oh! I didn't notice you come in," he said. "I'm glad you're back. Where's Korrina, though? What happened? Did you find her?"
"She's at the Pokémon Center with Lucario. She battled Palermo. Sh-"
"Palermo?!"
"Yes. She lost. Korrrina, I mean. She's fine, though!"
Serena approached the table. She soon realized that Meyer was not alone. Ampharos was in the kitchen, standing on the tips of his toes in order to reach the countertop with his tiny arms. He tended to a brewing pot of coffee.
Meyer leaned his head back and released an exasperated breath.
"She's too impulsive," he said. He shook his head. "She'll get in real trouble one day if she doesn't watch herself."
Meyer looked up and away. He seemed to be preoccupied with shaking his head as if in conversation with someone unseen. Serena glanced at the wine bottle. It was empty. Her eyes lingered on it for a moment until something else caught her attention, something she had failed to notice before.
There were two Poké Balls on the table. One was open. The other was closed. Serena was certain she knew the resident of the open ball. Before she could even begin to speculate about the closed one, Meyer gave her an aside glance.
"She's been great for Clemont, though. Bonnie, too."
Avoiding Meyer's eyes, Serena redirected her gaze at the book which sat open on the table. Its glossy pages were filled with photos. Her heart jolted when she realized she recognized some of the faces. She saw Clemont as a child, and Meyer as a younger man.
She was ready to excuse herself when Meyer spoke again.
"I'd offer you some, but it's all gone," he said, holding up the bottle for a moment and then clumsily placing it back down. The bottle rocked as it righted itself. "That, and it's illegal."
Serena backed away a step and held her hands up in refusal.
"No thank you," she said. "I wouldn't want any, really."
"Eh, you're not missing much," said Meyer. "I do this once or twice a year thinking that it'll be a good idea. Every time, I forget how dumb it all is, you know?"
"I... kind of do, actually."
Meyer took a second or so before he registered the response. Yet again, he looked up and shook his head.
"Oh, what am I doing?" he said. "I can't be talking to you like this. What kind of dad am I?"
Serena knew how she wanted to answer Meyer's rhetorical question, but she kept her mouth shut.
"I'm not a role model," he said. "I'm an overgrown boy who likes to collect broken toys. I'm a walking disaster. I don't know how to be a dad. I don't even know how to be an adult."
Uncertain if she should say anything, Serena shrugged and ventured a reply.
"My mom says that no one does," she said.
"Hah! Isn't that the truth!" said Meyer. "Your mom knows a thing or two, I'd say. It would be great to talk to her again, it really would."
There was something about Meyer's wistful tone of voice and bittersweet expression that made Serena cringe.
"I have to tell you," Meyer said, continuing in a suddenly louder voice, "it's been…"
He stopped to shake his head some more.
"It's been great, having you and Korrina around. It really has."
Meyer stopped again, and he looked at a photo in the album. Serena saw him adjust its position beneath the glossy plastic holding it in place.
It was taken in a hospital room. Meyer was there, thinner than he was today. By his side was Clemont, much younger, but unmistakable. The two of them stood beside a bed, in which rested a blonde-haired woman clad in a surgical gown. She cradled a newborn in her arms. Though she looked exhausted, she beamed with happiness. So did Meyer.
"Ever since their mom passed, things just haven't been the same around here," said Meyer. "It's… it's really great for Bonnie to have someone to look up to. I can't thank you enough for that. And Korrina. Even Aria, too. The poor girl."
Yet again, Meyer shook his head. Serena backed away another step. She was very much ready to leave. Once again, Meyer spoke before she could escape.
"It's good to see the house so full of people again," he said. "I've tried so hard to make it feel less empty, but nothing worked until you all showed up. It was hard, when they were gone, coming home to an empty house every night. It didn't feel worth coming home to, you know? But now with you all here, it feels… Well, it feels like a family again."
Expressionless, Serena blinked a few times. There was no way this was happening twice in one night. She excused herself.
"Well, thank you," she said. "I think I need to head to bed, though."
"Oh, of course, of course," said Meyer. "Sorry to keep you for so long. You must be tired."
"I am," said Serena. "Goodn-"
"Oh! Before you go!"
Meyer rose from the table and stumbled over to the kitchen counter. Exasperated, Ampharos scurried over to him and prepared to prop him upright in the event that he fell. Meyer remained on his feet, though. He picked up an envelope and handed it to Serena.
"Mail for you."
Serena read the large red letters stamped on the envelope, and her heart stopped.
RETURN TO SENDER
It was her letter to Ash.
Serena stopped in front of the bathroom with one hand on the door. Her plan was to take the letter inside, open it, have a good cry, then eventually crawl back to bed and try to get some sleep. But while her fingers lingered on the door, she reconsidered.
What was the point? Why bother grieving it? What use was there in grieving something that never was? Ash never got the letter. He never received her instructions to stop writing to her home address. He just stopped. He gave up. Why shouldn't she give up, too?
She took a glance at the letter. Her entire body ached to look at it. It was too much, the final straw, the bridge too far. She couldn't go through the pain yet again. She was far too tired for it. She was tired of everything.
So instead, Serena tucked the letter into her bag and entered the bedroom.
Aria lay sound asleep in her bed. Moving as silently as she could in the darkness, Serena attempted to cross to the other side of the room. A creaky floorboard betrayed her.
"Wh-"
Aria stirred. Serena froze.
"...Serena?"
Serena turned back to look at Aria. Aria pushed herself up and sat halfway upright on her bed. Her eyes heavy with sleep, she squinted wearily in the darkness.
"It's me," said Serena.
Propping herself up with one arm, Aria rubbed her eyes with her spare hand.
"Thank goodness you're back. I was... worried."
"I'm sorry I worried you," said Serena.
"Is everything okay?" said Aria.
"Yes."
It was as obvious a lie as Serena had ever told. It wasn't entirely false, but it was laughably far from the truth. As soon as she heard the way the word left her lips, Serena knew that Aria would see right through it, even in the dark.
"Are you okay?" said Aria. She sat further upright.
The answer was no. Serena knew that Aria knew it. Despite that, there was no way that she could tell her why. At least, not the most pertinent reason. It was too much.
Serena sighed.
"Korrina battled Palermo," she said.
"She did? What happened?"
"She lost. Badly."
"I tried to warn her."
"There was nothing you could do," said Serena. "That's just how Korrina does things."
"I just wish I could have done something."
"It wouldn't have mattered. There was nothing Korrina could do, either. Even with she and Lucario using mega evolution, Palermo and Florges..."
Serena trailed off for a moment. She swallowed.
"They almost killed Lucario," she said.
Aria's lips parted, but she said nothing.
"Palermo threatened to kill Lucario if Korrina didn't surrender. It was..."
Serena covered her face with both hands and breathed deeply into them. She shook her head.
"It was awful," she said.
"I'm sure it was," said Aria.
"It was... really scary, honestly."
"I'm sorry you had to see that."
Serena uncovered her face. She looked at Aria.
"I didn't have to," she said. "It just felt like the right thing to do. It felt like the only thing I could do. But I didn't even help! I couldn't! I was... too scared to do it."
Serena hung her head again. Several seconds passed in silence.
"You're a good friend, you know that?" said Aria.
Serena scoffed.
"I hid while Palermo humiliated Korrina. What kind of friend does that?"
"One who has the courage to go after her."
"I didn't do anything!"
"You did more than anyone else here. No one else went after her. Not even Clemont."
"Clemont knew better," said Serena.
"Clemont was afraid, too," said Aria. "You went after her, though. You did your best to help."
"I really didn't."
"You really did."
Serena slumped her shoulders.
"Just let me feel like a failure, okay?" she said.
"No."
Serena opened her mouth to fire off a scathing retort, but it got caught in her throat as Aria swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat on the edge, leaning over to pick up her bag. Aria reached into it, then pulled something from it.
"I had intended to save this for a more suitable time, but I'm not certain a better opportunity is going to present itself," said Aria.
"Huh?"
Aria held something in her lap, hidden from sight behind her bag, which rested atop her knees. There was an uncertain expression on her face.
"I... have something for you, actually," said Aria.
The tightness in Serena's face slackened.
"You do?"
Aria nodded.
"I thought you might find it useful, perhaps now more so than ever. Here."
Aria removed her bag from her knees and placed it on the floor again. Then, with both hands, she held up an unidentifiable, lumpy-looking object.
Serena stepped forward. In the darkness, she could only faintly trace the outline of the object, unable to discern its form.
One thing was clear, though. It was a brilliant shade of red, a vibrant crimson. She extended a hand toward it.
"What is it?"
"Take it, and you'll see."
Serena gripped the object with one hand. She felt soft, bulky fabric beneath her fingertips. She pulled away and found that much of the object did not move with her. She held only one segment of it. She reached with her other hand and soon discovered that she held a long, flowing ribbon of fabric, lengths of it dangling to the floor from both hands.
It was a scarf.
Astonished, Serena ran the lengths of it through her hands, trying in vain to examine it closer in the darkness. Her eyes wide, she shook her head as she struggled to form words.
"Aria, I- ...what is this? How?"
"You got cold while we were out on our walk the other night," said Aria. "I saw this in one of the stores we visited. I called and ordered it for you. Korrina picked it up for me."
"But... how did you afford this? I can't let you spend money on me! Not in the position you're in!"
"I'm not completely broke," said Aria. "Not anymore, anyway. Meyer pays me, you know."
"But that money is supposed to be to help you escape this mess!"
"That's exactly what I spent it on."
Serena looked up and stared at Aria, agape.
"In a manner of speaking, anyway," Aria added.
Serena glanced at the scarf again. Without any conscious thought to do it, she lifted it above her head and slipped it around the back of her neck like it was the most obvious thing in the world, operating on pure instinct. Slowly, she wrapped the ends of it around her neck once each, leaving two lengths of it dangling, one on each side.
She wasn't certain if she was warm because of the scarf itself, or because her face was steadily turning the same color as the scarf.
"Aria..."
"Do you like it?" Aria said, looking bashfully up at her.
All Serena could do was nod. Her eyes remained fixed on the scarf even as she slowly approached Aria's bed.
With Serena standing directly in front of her, Aria froze.
"What are you doing?"
Serena let her bag down from her shoulder and placed it on the floor. Then, prying the heels off with her toes, she slipped off her shoes.
"Something I should have done a long time ago."
In a single, fluid motion, Serena turned around, sat on the edge of the bed beside Aria, and wrapped her arms around her. Leaning into her, Serena closed her eyes and tucked her head up against Aria's shoulder. Aria gasped upon contact. Serena felt Aria freeze beneath her touch, going rigid. It felt almost as if she were trying to pull away, yet stopped herself.
"Serena-!"
"Shh."
Serena quietly shushed Aria, shaking her head with her forehead against Aria's shoulder, nuzzling closer in the process. She felt Aria's trembling hand rise to meet her back.
"Are... you-?"
"I'm cuddling with you."
As if a wave of electricity surged through Aria's body, Serena felt her spasm, the tension releasing all at once. Aria flung her arms around Serena, and the two of them both nuzzled up against each other, closing all the distance between them.
A few seconds later, their balance upset by the sudden shift of weight, they slumped backward together onto the bed. Startled, they separated slightly, enough to see each other's faces. Serena was surprised to see fear in Aria's eyes.
"Serena, I-"
Aria couldn't finish her sentence. She just halted, her eyes wide, cheeks red, lips parted, unable to say any more. Even from a distance, Serena could feel the heat rising on Aria's face, and the racing of her heart. As her own heart skipped a beat, she smiled in reassurance.
"I need this," said Serena. "I need you."
Aria made an unintelligible sound, something that was meant to be a word of exclamation but instead turned into a stifled cry, muted as she buried her face into Serena's shoulder once again. Shaking, Aria's breathing was heavy and ragged, unsteady as she tried to catch her breath but seemingly could not. All the while, Serena slowly ran her hand up and down Aria's back, smoothing over the fabric of her shirt.
Silence took hold. Serena felt as though she should say something, but nothing worth saying came to mind. After a while, she perished the thought and instead leaned her head in closer, burying her nose in Aria's hair.
She smelled nice.
Together, they remained that way for longer than Serena could be certain. As time passed, Serena became aware of the gradual slowing of Aria's breathing. Her body became heavier against her, and very still. Sleep took hold.
Once Serena was certain Aria was asleep, she slowly, methodically pulled away, extracting her trapped limbs from beneath her. When she rose from the bed, Aria did not stir, nor did she when Serena pulled the sheets back over her.
"Goodnight," Serena whispered.
For a moment longer, Serena lingered over Aria. With her eyes focused on Aria's cheek, the thought of a goodnight kiss crossed Serena's mind. She hesitated.
In the end, the moment passed. Serena turned and went to her own bed alone, leaving Aria behind her in the darkness.
