Leaf's excitement was almost palpable as the three Eons ventured into what Frost suspected was the deepest section of the forest. The trees were becoming so thick that light was even more scarce, and the Glaceon was struggling to make out details of their surroundings. He was really beginning to envy Shadow's exceptional night vision, for the Espeon seemed to be having no difficulty at all.
"Don't go too far ahead, Leaf," Shadow reminded the Leafeon. It was almost a pointless warning, for Leaf's pace was starting to slow naturally due to the reduced lighting, and more than once, the Leafeon stumbled over a tree root, or a stray twig, or some deep indentation in the earth that he hadn't spotted until he had already stepped into it. On the plus side, Frost's eyes were adjusting rather quickly - as expected of most Ice-types. Although their nocturnal vision was hardly expectional, most Ice-types lived within cold caves or snowy conditions, so their eyesight was designed to be able to spot prey or enemies within such conditions, without the aid of sunlight.
"What makes you think your friend is even this way?" Frost asked. There was definitely more activity buzzing all around them, and he could almost sense the numerous eyes upon them, but his eyesight had not yet adjusted to include the Pokemon lurking within the branches of the infinitely dense trees on either side.
"I can hear her buzzing," Leaf explained.
Shadow and Frost exchanged glances. "Um...Leaf, how can you tell if it's her specifically, instead of another Beedrill?" Shadow asked wearily. "You didn't even know her that long."
"You knew her less!" Leaf argued, sounding genuinely indignant that Shadow doubted his ability to recognize his friend's buzzing from a distance of well over a hundred meters. Had it not been for Frost's ever-growing experience with the two brothers and their tendency to launch into bizarrely petulant arguments with one another, he might have considered this a strange retort. As it was, he just rolled his eyes and waited for them to stop.
Being an only child, Frost didn't have much experience with sibling banter. The isolation of the mountains had served its purpose in beginning his journey of strength and his admiration for the power that ice and snow represented. However, it left other areas of his life somewhat lacking. He hadn't had many Pokemon around his age to even latch onto in terms of a sibling-like relationship. From his observations of Leaf and Shadow, he understood that they didn't really take their arguments very seriously. There never seemed to be hurt feelings or genuine resentment towards the other, and it usually left them both amused and happy afterwards.
Perhaps it was a method of showing affection towards one another, but Frost couldn't really say so from his own experiences. Raze was probably the closest person in his life that could be considered something of a sibling figure, but minus the fond affection and devotion that Leaf and Shadow shared for each other. Blizzard was the next closest option, but Frost was opposed to giving such a label to someone he had a romantic relationship with.
Then again, maybe it was this type of playful banter that enabled them to remain close without negativity or stress overwhelming them in the process. With the new information Shadow had provided, Frost had a lot more to go off of when it came to analyzing the two, but that process would take more time and effort, and he couldn't really ignore the possible danger that Shadow had warned about.
Then there was the far more concerning tidbit. If Lin really was associated with a diabolical being intent on causing harm to Shadow, then it was likely that their paths would cross again, with far greater stakes. This did not bode well for him.
Loathe as the Glaceon was to admit he was outmatched in battle, the fact was that if his opponent was Lin, then he had no hope of winning, and neither would Shadow or Leaf. This wasn't even taking the other potential allies of the Spiritomb into account. Cecilia had proven to be an extremely formidable battler back at the Ruins, and even if the Riolu turned out to be an utter pushover, it still meant that at least two enemy Pokemon whose skill and power could surpass Frost's.
"You lack purpose...you fight only for your ego and pride, and you are satisfied with your strength so long as you keep winning. As it is...that is why you'll never beat me."
Lin's words echoed in the Glaceon's mind once more, and he scowled to himself. Purpose...for what purpose did he seek strength? He had offered the same question to Shadow in the hopes of inspiring him to seek his own path, and maybe Shadow had come across an answer when he visited his old home or wherever. And maybe not. Regardless, it was a question that Frost had still not found an answer for. He couldn't bear the thought of facing Lin again until he had, for she would definitely ask him about it. He was unworthy of standing before her, either as a student or an opponent, until he could satisfy that inquiry.
"HA!" Leaf burst out triumphantly, whirling around to face Shadow, wearing the cockiest smirk Frost had ever witnessed on the Leafeon's face. "Told you!"
It was at that moment that Frost spotted the yellow and black striped hornet hovering at the front of the group. However, identifying an insect Pokemon's gender was...nigh impossible for him. The books and verbal lessons provided by his parents had not included a course on labeling Bug-type Pokemon anatomy or genders. It was probably better that way, because he couldn't envision a realistically practical application for that knowledge, and it seemed like the type of thing he'd never want to try to justify knowing if he DID miraculously find a use for it.
The ebony Espeon sighed slightly. "I didn't say it wasn't her, I said...never mind."
Frost took this opportunity to study the hornet Pokemon. It had two viciously sharp stingers on its forelegs, with two more ordinary legs lower on its body. Its abdomen ended with yet another stinger, and its wings buzzed with a constant drone that the Glaceon suspected was familiar enough to many to strike the desired terror into their heart. Even its eyes appeared vicious, a vibrant red color that seemed to glare at everything at all times.
"Hi Bee-Bee!" Leaf said brightly, turning back to the Beedrill. The hornet made some small gestures with its foreleg stingers, its wings buzzing loudly. "I'm doing good, thanks!"
Shadow fidgeted with noticeable frustration, his ears twitching and his eyes darting about the trees, as if desperate to find something to focus upon. More buzzing from the Beedrill followed Leaf's response, yet the Leafeon seemed to have no problem understanding it, for his head bobbed attentively, and his leaf-like tail was flicking cheerfully.
"Yeah...we left for a while," Leaf said finally. "Came back to visit, though! How've you been?"
"Ahem," Frost cleared his throat, and Leaf flinched, turning back towards the Glaceon. "Forgive my interruption, but I seem to be having a bit of difficulty deciphering her words."
"Likewise," Shadow deadpanned. "I don't get how you understand her."
"It's not that hard if you just listen closely," Leaf said, all but rolling his eyes, but he still turned back towards the Beedrill. "Sorry, Bee-Bee, could you try to speak a little slower for those two? Ooh, you haven't actually met Frost, yet!"
The Leafeon darted towards Frost and nudged him with his head, guiding the Glaceon closer to the hovering hornet Pokemon. Frost was too startled by the action to resist, and soon found himself sitting in front of the Beedrill.
"I could have just walked, Leaf," the Glaceon pointed out dryly, absently flicking one of his head dangles from his face and focusing on the hornet. "I'm Frost, seeing as Leaf insists on an introduction. I'm a Glaceon, and a recent acquaintance of theirs, claiming credit for-"
The Beedrill interrupted with an odd tittering sound that Frost could have sworn was a giggle of some sort. He broke off, frowning slightly and giving her an inquisitive look. The Beedrill made a series of buzzing sounds that somewhat sounded like it could have been a sentence, but they went by too quickly for Frost to process the words.
"Didn't catch that," he said blandly.
"She said 'wow, you're super arrogant, but that's kind of adorable'," Leaf provided, speaking slightly faster than usual, but at least Frost was able to understand him.
"I choose to take that as a compliment," Frost said idly. The Beedrill tittered again.
"It's just the way you flicked your little head thing," the Beedrill said, this time buzzing slowly enough for individual words to be heard, but still at a quicker pace than most speakers. Shadow blinked, and Frost raised an eyebrow, neither of them expecting to have understood the hornet.
"I think they understood you that time, Bee-Bee," Leaf said cheerfully, stepping back up to the Beedrill, his tail flicking. "How are you?"
"Doing okay," Bee-Bee answered after a short pause. If Frost had to guess, she was taking care to speak at a pace that the elder Eons would be able to understand without relying on Leaf's translation. "The forest's been kind of crazy."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Leaf asked, looking around in confusion. "It's been super quiet today, and nothing attacked us."
"Not exactly anything to be proud of," Shadow admitted. Frost smirked briefly, but he turned his dark eyes towards the trees. He still couldn't shake the feeling that a large number of Bug-type Pokemon were lurking just out of sight, and if there were so many lying in wait, why had this one specific Beedrill made her presence known?
Bee-Bee's response was too rapid for the words to be fully understood, although Frost was able to catch bits of the sentences. Leaf looked a little troubled once the Beedrill had stopped speaking.
"Okay, I missed most of that," Frost said seriously. He raised his paw when Bee-Bee looked over at him. "I'll just have Leaf repeat the gist."
"...the what?" Leaf asked, confused.
"The gist. The main point," Frost explained. "Repeat the important bit, but don't quote her verbatim."
"...Shadow, make Frost talk normal!" the Leafeon whined.
Shadow smirked a little bit and shook his head, his forked tail twitching in amusement. "Leaf, just tell us what's going on."
"There are some mean bugs fighting with her hive thing," Leaf answered, his troubled expression returning. "It happens sometimes, but worse than normal lately."
Frost raised an eyebrow. "Does that have anything to do with the large number of Bug-types lurking within the trees?" he asked, gesturing towards the shadows concealed by the densely knit treeline.
"Defense scouts," Bee-Bee replied, once again speaking at a pace that made her words comprehensible. "You're getting too close to the hive. I had to hurry over before you got mobbed."
"Oh...we're sorry," Leaf said, his ears drooping a little. "I just wanted to come visit you, and maybe say a real good-bye before we leave again."
The Beedrill's response was lost amid a rapid flurry of gestures and buzzing, but whatever was said seemed to have been effective, for the Leafeon smiled and his ears perked back up. However, before anything further could be said, there was an abrupt crashing sound in the distance, as though several large branches had broken off of one of the trees elsewhere in the forest. Bee-Bee swiveled swiftly, her wings buzzing angrily, and she made two quick, forceful gestures with her forelegs. Immediately, two more Beedrill emerged from the trees on either side of the Eons, and took off towards the distant sounds.
Leaf and Shadow exchanged confused looks, whereas Frost frowned, his ears twitching in the hopes of catching more sounds that would indicate what the source of the noise had been. Unfortunately, the heightened volume of Beedrill wings made this task almost impossible.
"Maybe we should head back, and try again at a later time," Shadow suggested uncertainly. Ever since they had gotten into the forest, the Espeon had been obviously on-edge, distracted only by the conversations they shared during the walk.
"But I just found Bee-Bee," Leaf complained, pointing towards the bee Pokemon still hovering before them.
"Only until things may have settled down more," Shadow explained. "We're not leaving the area right away, and we can still visit our old home in the meantime. I just worry that we're going to get in the way here, and that it's not safe."
"I guess that makes sense," Leaf sighed. "Is it okay if we come by later?" he asked the Beedrill. She tittered a little, and replied with her usual fast-paced buzzing. "Promise?" the Leafeon asked, his tail flicking. Frost didn't even need a translator to hear the affirmative response in Bee-Bee's reply.
"I can escort you out, if you want," the Beedrill suggested, already moving to take the lead. Leaf glanced at Shadow and received a shrug in response, which evidently translated to assent in Leaf's book, because he promptly began to follow after Bee-Bee. Frost hid a smirk of amusement, and likewise followed suit.
It was immediately clear that Bee-Bee was far more familiar with the forest's layout than they were, as she was able to weave through the trees and pathways without pause, lingering only to ensure that she didn't leave them too far behind. All the while, Leaf was happily chatting away, filling in his friend about the progress he had made with battle training since she had last seen him.
The group abruptly came to a halt, and Frost nearly collided with Leaf before realizing that everyone else had stopped. Even Shadow, who had been walking alongside the Glaceon, had noticed, but mercifully it seemed that no one had noticed Frost's error.
"Why did we stop?" Frost asked, not even bothering to hide the weariness from his voice. That particular question seemed to get asked a lot among their group, more often directed to him rather than voiced by him, but it was still a little grating to note that whenever they stopped, at least one person was always oblivious to the reason.
Bee-Bee's reply was, of course, incomprehensible. Silence followed her buzzing, and Frost had to fight to keep from rolling his eyes. There was almost no way that Shadow caught the answer, yet it was definitely going to fall to Frost to ask for a translation this time, and he didn't relish looking like he was slow to grasp the situation.
"I didn't catch that," the ice Eon sighed.
"Just look in front of us," Shadow said impatiently, and Frost felt an invisible force tugging on one of his head dangles. The Glaceon winced, stepping forward quickly to relieve the sensation, and nonchalantly smacked Shadow in the face with his tail as he passed, pretending not to have noticed doing so.
Now that he was standing off the center of the path, so that Leaf was no longer obstructing his line of sight, Frost could just barely make out the shape of another Pokemon, but it was too far away yet, and the forest too dark, to get any clear-cut details of its appearance. Its movements and body shape made him fairly confident that it was a quadruped Pokemon, and as it drew nearer, he found that this assessment was accurate.
The Glaceon glanced over at the others, judging their overall demeanor. Bee-Bee was watching the other Pokemon with a piercing, unwavering gaze, whereas Leaf's expression was curious, although a little cautious. As the Pokemon continued to approach, stray beams of light that had infiltrated the branches were able to cast a moment's glow over its features, and Frost noted that it had snow-white fur, but its face seemed veiled in shadow, save for two bright orbs where its eyes were located. It paused abruptly, cocking its head to the side and gazing in their direction, and it was during this movement that Frost noticed the strange scythe-like horn adorning one side of its head.
Shadow inhaled sharply, drawing Frost's attention back to the Espeon, but Shadow appeared oblivious to the inquisitive glance. In a move that caught Frost by surprise, Shadow stepped forward, towards the other quadruped.
"Noticed you!" he called out to the other Pokemon, his forked tail flicking as if delighting in some private joke.
"Nuh-uh," came the reply, a distinctly feminine tone. "If you saw me first, you have to ambush me to win. Noticing me only counts if I'm actively hunting you."
"Now you're just changing the rules," Shadow argued. Frost raised an eyebrow. Judging by the blank expression on Leaf's face, he was not the only one completely baffled by this interaction.
"You don't even know the rules!" the female quadruped protested, but she was grinning as she approached. "Got to give you some credit, though, you blend in with the shadows like a shiny Greninja."
Everybody looked at the newcomer with a blank expression, which only seemed to entertain her further. From this distance, Frost could see that she had bright green eyes, her facial features either black or a dark shade of blue. He also noted the lethal claws at the ends of each of her paws, all but confirming a predatory nature.
"So, how about some quick introductions?" the white predator remarked, her jagged black tail flicking almost playfully. "I know Shadow already, but what about the rest of you?"
"Depends. Who are we meeting?" Frost retorted idly. The other Pokemon blinked at him.
"Oh, that's right, I'm the stranger to the group, so I introduce myself first," she said, stifling a giggle. "Where are my manners? My name's Astrid, I'm an Absol."
Bee-Bee visibly twitched at the mention of the species name, which did not go unnoticed by the newcomer. However, she did not appear offended by the reaction, because she simply shrugged.
"I've gotten worse receptions," Astrid said nonchalantly, and her green eyes flicked to meet the Beedrill's gaze. "What's your name?"
"Bee-Bee," the Beedrill replied simply.
"Very pretty," Astrid remarked, turning her eyes to Leaf next. The Leafeon twitched, seemingly unnerved by the focused attention.
"Uh, I'm Leaf!" he answered, recovering some of his composure and offering the Absol a friendly smile.
"Ooh, Echo's youngest," Astrid commented, flashing a toothy grin at the Leafeon. "You are the most adorable little guy I've ever seen, you know that?"
"Oh, trust me, he knows," Shadow deadpanned. Leaf just grinned, his tail almost wagging, blatantly basking in the compliment and attention.
"Second most, in my book," Frost remarked. This comment earned him a weird look from the Espeon, and Frost mentally cursed himself for speaking without thinking. To distract from his slip, Frost waved his paw dismissively, stepping forward and gesturing to himself. "I'm Frost. A pleasure to meet you. I imagine you feel likewise."
"Eh, sure. Why not?" Astrid teased.
Bee-Bee tittered, but the Glaceon ignored her, his dark eyes focusing on the Absol. He had heard tales of her species, but this was his first time actually seeing one. Even the old stories about Absol had not included any pictures, and the stories themselves were akin to urban legends rather than factual accounts. There was said to be some members of the species living within Mt. Coronet, but supposedly closer to the summit than Frost's home had been located.
"What are you doing here?" Shadow wondered, drawing the Absol's attention back to him.
"Ooh, truth be told, I've been sensing something coming from the forest lately. It's why I've been hanging near the area, you know?" Astrid answered casually. "This morning, I started to get a REALLY strong feeling, so I decided to go check it out, maybe actually do something or whatever."
Bee-Bee buzzed in response, and made several quick gestures with her barbed forelegs. Astrid cocked her head to the side, regarding the Beedrill with interest. Shadow sighed quietly, a sentiment that Frost agreed with. There was no end to the frustration experienced by being almost unable to understand anything the hornet Pokemon said.
"Huh, that's not nearly as bad as I thought it'd be," Astrid said nonchalantly, as soon as Bee-Bee had finished speaking. Judging by the indignant buzzing that followed, this was not a sentiment that Bee-Bee agreed with. "Whoa, whoa," Astrid interjected hastily, flashing an apologetic smile. "I'm not saying it's not serious, I just expected something worse."
"That's not helping," Shadow noted wryly. Bee-Bee was giving the Absol a silent death glare. Even Frost had to privately admit that he didn't envy the Absol for being on the receiving end of such a look. It was possibly one of the most terrifying expressions he had ever seen.
"Okay, I need to get someone else to talk for me," Astrid sighed. "Can someone tactfully inform Bee-Bee here on my behalf that I came expecting the worst, and it's...not that bad?"
"Why, so that we get glared at instead?" Frost asked sarcastically. "When I try to be tactful, the first thing I do is-"
"Talk with really big, confusing words?" Leaf wondered innocently. Shadow stifled a snort of laughter, and Frost frowned.
Bee-Bee made a sound that could have passed for an annoyed sigh. "I'm going to leave you to sort things out here. I need to get back to sort things out there. See you later, Leaf!"
Without waiting for an answer, the Beedrill turned and disappeared back into the forest depths, leaving the four quadrupeds alone.
"Well, that probably could have gone better," Astrid said, shrugging. Shadow shook his head slowly, but Frost quickly seized the opening to ask something that had flashed through his thoughts earlier.
"How do you two know each other?" he asked, nodding between Shadow and Astrid. There had been a vague degree of familiarity exchanged, but it had lacked the awkward chemistry that Shadow had shared with Cecilia, which ironically confused Frost more.
"We met yesterday," Shadow supplied. Frost would have questioned that answer if not for the fact there really was only one window of time that he could have met her without the Glaceon knowing about it.
"I just find it weird that you're also in the forest area," Astrid said brightly, her tail flicking playfully. "Though I'm starting to worry you like...attract disasters or something."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Leaf asked, looking alarmed. Astrid looked over at the young Leafeon and smiled fondly.
"No, no, I'm just teasing him about how my disaster sense keeps bringing me near h-" the Absol froze mid-sentence, as if she abruptly just realized that the subject of some juicy gossip she was sharing had entered the area when her back was turned. She coughed awkwardly before hastily concluding, "Near the forest area."
Shadow rolled his eyes at the unconvincing cover-up. Leaf looked more troubled than ever, casting a look behind him in the direction that Bee-Bee had disappeared.
"We were just on our way out," Shadow said, clearly attempting to divert the conversation away from whatever Astrid had been in the process of saying before thinking better of it. "So if you'll excuse us..."
"We could help," Leaf said, almost too quietly to even be heard, yet everyone turned their heads towards him. As if aware he had gotten their attention, Leaf turned, facing the deeper section of the forest. "I don't like just running away after hearing there's a problem," he said, still speaking at a bizarrely soft tone, although Frost noted a sense of resolve behind his words that the Leafeon rarely carried.
"I don't like the idea of putting ourselves in danger for no reason," Shadow argued seriously.
"Not for no reason!" Leaf insisted, turning to glare at his brother. "To help them with their problem. To be a good friend. Bee-Bee saved you, remember? Are you just going to run away when she might need help?"
Shadow flinched a little, and averted his eyes briefly. "That was...completely different. That Beedrill thought we were harassing Kakuna."
"She still saved you," Leaf argued, more firmly than ever. "What if a mean bug hurts her, and you could have saved her? Why should I lose my friend because you're too scared to help? What's the point of training if we don't ever do anything?!"
"Leaf..." Shadow murmured quietly.
"I just don't like it," Leaf grumbled. "I know it's not safe, or whatever...but I don't like running and hiding when I could help out. It's just...not right."
"He's got a point," Astrid noted brightly, earning an annoyed glare from Shadow. "Not trying to interfere or whatever," she explained with a shrug. "But it's not like you'd be alone, since I'm going through to see what's up, anyway."
"Oh?" Frost raised an eyebrow with interest. "And are you a competent battler?" he wondered.
Astrid giggled, her tail wagging playfully. "You'll just have to wait and see how I compare to you," she replied, flashing the Glaceon a grin. Frost smirked.
"That sounds like a challenge," he noted, flicking one of his head flaps aside with an exaggerated air of nonchalance. Astrid raised her eyebrow at the gesture, and her grin widened briefly.
Shadow sighed. "I can see where this is going," he muttered, but he fixed Leaf with a serious look. "Fine, we'll go and see what we can do...but if it's too much for us to handle, then we need to get out of there, deal?"
"Deal!" Leaf answered, slapping Shadow's paw to seal the agreement. Relieved, Shadow nodded, gazing towards the deeper section of the forest.
"Okay...let's do this, then."
