That was a terribly long break! But I am back and settled in. Posting may be erratic for a while longer so I won't be promising anything too soon. So a lot happened last chapter and not all of it can be explained right now, so sit tight. Major changes are happening in Serena's life and she's gonna have to roll with the punches. Thanks for sticking around!
The next morning Serena woke up feeling as though yesterday's events were a terrible nightmare cooked up before her first day of school. For a moment, she believed that notion. Maybe it was a dream, and today was her real chance to go to school and be normal.
However, the faint ache of her head said otherwise. Yesterday was in fact real.
Serena would never be normal. Maybe her parents were going to send her somewhere to fix her or to protect themselves. Her eyes burned with the sight of Mrs. Ishihara's frightened face seared into her mind. An adult woman completely terrified of her student, when just that morning, she had been so kind to Serena.
Laying in bed, Serena stared at the ceiling, wondering whether she should get up or not. She was dressed in sweats and a large t-shirt, everything else in her regular sized room was the same as before, from her paintings coating the walls down to her bean bag chair tossed into a corner with a pile of books atop it. It was as if she had never left homeschool.
Maybe she should have let her mother continue teaching her.
The thought made Serena's grip on her blanket tighten. What if she had hurt her mother somehow? She would rather go through yesterday over and over than bring harm to her mother.
Two soft raps on the door startled Serena from those thoughts. The door swung open a bit to reveal her mother peering in with a smile. A smile of all things. Serena expected a worried look, or even fear. Instead, Rowan entered the room as if it were any other day, striding across the carpeted floors to sit next to Serena's sprawled body with a glass of water in hand and some pain pills in the other.
"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Rowan spoke in a gentle tone, her voice warming Serena as she sat up.
"Tired... and scared," she admitted the last part after a short silence. Talking with her mother had never been a problem for her. Rowan rarely lectured Serena about her choices or mistakes. She listened and responded to treat Serena almost as an adult, and Serena liked that.
"It's going to be okay, you're going to be okay," Rowan passed her the water and pills. "The Nastume's are trustworthy and excellent in handling psychic energies."
"Is that what that guy did to me?" Serena questioned after gulping down the water and taking the pills.
"Kind of. He slowed down the energy being funneled into your brain, now you can handle your increasing powers," her mother explained, taking back the cup and touching her daughter's cheek. "You're safe now, the worst of it is over."
"Yeah..." Serena muttered, leaning into her mother's hand. "Why did that happen to me?"
At this, Rowan frowned, puckering her lips. She couldn't withhold the truth from her daughter. She'd figure it out pretty quickly, telepathy or not. Instead, Rowan adjusted to pull Serena onto her lap. Her light blue eyes gazed into her daughter's darker blue ones with patience and love as she spoke in an even tone. "We don't know. Your father and I have our ideas, but we don't have proof. But we also have ideas to keep you safe and, on that, we are absolutely sure about. You remember Grandma and Grandpa, right? It's been years since we last saw them."
"Yes!" Serena instantly perked at the news. She remembered every tale of dragons in old legends that they told her with every visit they made. It made her proud of her clan's heritage.
"You know they live over in Blackthorn, right? Well, we will be moving to live in the house there," Rowan stated with a controlled expression on her face.
Beneath it all, Serena could vaguely sense the turmoil hidden beneath the sentence. Being young, she didn't completely understand her mother's reluctance to move back, and instantly worried if it was because of her.
"You don't want to go," she stated, her upper body deflating like an untied balloon.
"I do want to go, but only if you are okay with it. It's a big move, and you know my standing with the rest of the clan. It's going to be difficult for the other children to accept you because of what happened."
"Because you fell in love with Dad," Serena cooed at her mother before bursting into a fit of giggles.
She knew that the other families in the Blackthorn Clan did not want to keep Rowan within their ranks as she had married someone that didn't meet their standard. Serena didn't quite understand what that meant, but she mainly adored the romantic side of it. Her parents were forbidden from marrying, but they did anyway and ran away together.
It's her favorite story so far.
"Yes, and you know that it was a bad thing to do in their eyes," Rowan grinned at her daughter. "It's going to be tough for you."
Serena considered the choices for merely a second before nodding her head. "I want to. Anything to get away from here."
Anything to get away from Ishihara's face haunting her memories.
Rowan gaugeD her daughter's expression, searching for anything that might suggest otherwise, before releasing a small exhale. Her smile continued to shine as she nodded her head at Serena. "Okay, I'll start packing up most of your stuff today. You need to relax and let your mind settle. Yesterday was stressful, and it needs rest."
"Okay, Mom," Serena sighed.
"Here are my two favorite women in the entire world!" Aaron burst into the room then, his arms swaying excitedly and his face the complete opposite from the day before.
Serena's face lit up and she greeted her father with a surprised yelp. "Dad!"
"Hey, Sunshine," he stepped over and gathered the two of them in his arms to kiss both their heads. "How are you feeling?"
"Good," Serena leaned on her father's chest and sighed. She always felt safe with him around.
"That's good, you were so brave yesterday, calling your mother and waiting for her in the office. You did great," he patted her head and set her on the edge of her bed. The both of them got up and glanced at each other before grinning down at Serena. She shifted under their gazes but stared at them questioningly. Aaron clapped his hands before speaking, a wide grin still plastered on his face. "So, your mother and I talked, and we talked with Dr. Sato, and we came to this agreement. You need something around to keep you happy, safe, and even warm. But you're young, so it has to be small too."
"Okay?" Serena glanced between the two of them. She was used to their antics but this time was strange.
"So, your father and I pulled some strings and got you... a pokemon," Rowan announced with her own grin growing.
"What?" Serena squeaked out, her heart racing with excitement. "A real one?"
Her parents burst into laughter, her father nodding at his daughter happily. "Yes, a real one. I have him with me right now."
"Where!?" Serena leaped off the bed, wrapping her arms around his waist to find the pokeball on his belt.
Aaron laughed again, picking her up and plopping her back onto the bed. He knelt down beside her and pulled out a brand new, shining pokeball. It was tiny in his hand as he passed it to her. He pushed the button and it grew to its larger size. Serena held it between both hands to keep it balanced in her grip.
"Remember how to open it? Like I showed you," he urged her.
Rowan and Aaron looked on as their daughter pressed her right ring finger to the white button on the center of the pokeball. Immediately, the ball popped open, and a white light splashed out onto the floor in front of her. It took on a small roundish looking form before the white dissipated to reveal a Cyndaquil.
"Aww, he's so cute!" Serena dropped the pokeball on the bed and knelt on the ground next to the small fire type. "Where did you get him?"
"I called a friend," Aaron shrugged, sitting on the ground, his back against her bed to watch the two interact. "He's all yours, but I will train him with the dragon types so that he can get used to them."
"They'll be mean to him, he's only a baby!" Serena defended the pokemon.
The Cyndaquil glanced up and sniffed at her curiously. His small eyes remained closed as he continued to investigate his new owner. She giggled as his delicate nose tickled her arms as he did a thorough sweep of her. Finally, Cyndaquil settled down in front of her, and she reached out to pet him. He allowed it, and even cooed as she scratched his chin and behind his ears.
"He's going to grow older, and he's going to have to toughen up," Aaron chuckled, leaning forward to point at the four heat spots on his back. "Don't touch these areas when he's riled up, they'll burn you. When he's relaxed, it's fine, they won't set anything on fire. Just when he's scared, angry or stressed in anyway."
"Okay, okay," Serena replied coaxing Cyndaquil to sit on her lap. The pokemon easily settled down on her legs and curled up with his face in her stomach. She let out a giddy giggle as he released a sigh.
"Are you going to give him a nickname?" Rowan watched her daughter with a smile.
Serena glanced between her parents for a moment. This Cyndaquil was going to be her friend, her partner for who knew how long. In her mind, she hoped for forever. His name would also only get longer. His evolution, Typhlosion, would be larger than he was then, and it would be too much of a mouthful to yell in battle. But then again, he would be a Typhlosion, and pokemon responded just the same to their species name rather than nicknames, didn't they?
She hadn't covered classes that dealt with caring for pokemon yet, so she didn't know for sure. What if he grew out of it? She couldn't call him something silly like Fluffy, because what if he didn't stay fluffy? It wouldn't make sense. No, she'd have to name him something that she could see him as whether or not he stayed as a Cyndaquil.
After a long moment, Serena stood to her full height, not too tall for a nine year old, with Cyndaquil in her arms. She looked determined as she nodded to herself, regarding her parents with a proud smile.
"I'll name him Ty."
XxXxXxX
A week or so after she got her pokemon, Serena was packed up, and all preparations for the move had been set into motion. Her parents had her things and their things sent ahead of time, and all their furniture would be staying, for the new house would have some. Serena took Ty around the apartment, telling him stories that may have happened in that specific area.
The morning of departure, she stood in the doorway, Ty snuggled in her arms, while watching her parents get some last minute things done. Her heart pounded in her chest. This was the first time Serena had had to deal with a move like this. The last time, she was too young to remember when they left the clan to live in Celadon. It was the only city she had come to know as home. Would Blackthorn be good enough to replace it?
"Cynda?" Cyndaquil squeaked, nudging Serena's chest with his long nose.
"It's nothing, I'm just...nervous," she reassured him, cradling him closer to share in his warmth.
The pokemon let out a small squeal before burrowing into her stomach excitedly. Clearly, he was ready for this new adventure. Serena wondered if he even understood what was going on and decided to brush it off. She should be acting just like him, this was a new start in a new place where no one would know about what she did.
At that thought, panic struck Serena.
"Mom!" she rushed into the kitchen to see her parents going over some papers.
Rowan glanced up and rushed over to her daughter, her eyes searching for any injuries she may have had. "What's wrong honey?"
"Mom, am I going to public school in Blackthorn? I don't think I should, what if I hurt someone? What if I can't be around people? I'm scared!" Serena babbled and admitted the last part without meaning to. Her face became hot with embarrassment, and she dropped her chin to her chest. Cyndaquil reached his tiny paw upwards to try and comfort his trainer.
"Oh, honey," Rowan clicked her tongue and cupped her daughter's face in her hand, pulling her head up to look into her eyes. "You are not going to hurt anybody. Remember those exercises we've been doing? Those help keep your abilities under control, and you're so good at it! I promise you'll be safe."
"How can you be sure? You don't even know what's wrong with me," Serena blubbered, tears burning her eyes. She started out excited for the move, but now that it was actually happening, all the things she had done crashed down on her like a tidal wave.
Rowan glanced back at her husband, asking him to support her as she pulled her daughter in for a hug. "Shhh, honey, it's okay. There's nothing wrong with you, you are powerful and that's nothing to be ashamed of."
"She's right, Rena," Aaron patted his daughter's head and tapped her chin. "The kids you meet, some of them anyway, will be like you. Remember, you get your powers from your mother's side, and she passed it from the clan. Even if you weren't different, it doesn't matter, because your abilities only define a part of who you are, and you are one great girl."
Aaron pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her tears as she huffed and puffed. In her arms, Ty rubbed his face into her body, humming with comfort and care. Their words were enough to calm her, but she tucked her fears away as she accepted the cloth and dabbed at the last of her tears. Her parents kissed her temples before gathering the last of their things.
"Oh, and one more thing," Aaron paused in the doorway. "Tomorrow, I'm meeting up with a good friend of mine, a really good friend of mine. He's going to bring his son and niece along so you'll have friends. How does that sound, huh?"
Serena considered it, shifting on her feet. She knew it would make it easier, but what if they didn't like her? She was different, and they're going to know, she was sure of it. But it was a new place, and her parents were doing something big for her. She didn't want to waste it. If she was going to go through with this decision, she was going to have to try for her parents' sake.
A frown creased her forehead, who was this person and why hadn't she met them? She couldn't remember if her father had ever mentioned him. If she agreed, she also would get to solve this mystery of this mysterious "good friend" of her father's.
With a tentative nod, she accepted the invitation. He grinned and patted her back, reassuring her that it would be okay.
Once outside of their condo, he released his Salamence for the family to pile onto and hitch a ride to Johto. With no direct system taking them from Kanto to Johto, this was the easiest way. Serena didn't mind flying, but it would be a few hours of being in the sky on their way over and then more hours of work to get settled in.
Ty got sucked back into his pokeball for the ride while Serena squeezed in between her parents' bodies on the large dragon type. The lift into the sky was the hardest part. Serena kept strong against the pressure building against her, pressing her into the hard, scaly back of the pokemon beneath her. Once they reached a high enough elevation, the city looked much smaller below them as Salamence began moving forward.
Being in the sky didn't faze Serena as much as it did the first time her father took her for a ride. She just wished the wind wasn't so cold, or blew in her face so much as they dipped or rose through the air.
They landed in Blackthorn during the late afternoon, its tall, dark colored houses rising up through the uneven land of the dragon clan city. Serena always compared Blackthorn to a medieval place with stone houses, tall gates, and dirt roads. It wasn't too far off, as the city was placed within a mountainous area.
Upon arrival, Rowan's grandparents welcomed their daughter with open arms and bright smiles. As Aaron and Serena walked up, however, those feelings toned down until Rowan cleared her throat and shot her parents a scathing look that got them excited to see their granddaughter. Serena accepted their hugs, oblivious to the fact that, to the clan, she was the product of a broken rule, and therefore, an outcast as well. Aaron greeted the two with a bow and a head nod, custom when meeting two ranking officials within the clan.
"Good to see you are well, Kai. You too, Amaya," Aaron spoke to them in a warm tone and with a fake smile.
"Glad to see you are taking care of our daughter," Kai returned with squinting eyes. His raspy voice gave no hint of warmth, as if he expected the opposite of Aaron. Serena heard it and flinched away from her grandfather.
"This needs to stop," Rowan stepped past her parents and gathered her daughter in her arms. "My husband, daughter, and I will be living here within the clan just like you wanted all those years ago. Now that you have it, you must accept them."
Amaya stepped in before Kai could speak any more harsh words, her face was open as she regarded the newcomers. Rowan always knew she could count on her mother to be the voice of reason despite her opposing stance in her life choices. "Of course, dear. This is all just so new. We have yet to make adjustments."
"I wanna go home," Serena whispered in a shaky voice, clutching to her mother's clothes as if she might fall.
Rowan shot her parents a heated look before smoothing her daughter's hair and bending over to kiss the top of her head. "Don't worry, sweetie. It'll get better."
"Your mother is right," Amaya animated so suddenly, Rowan and Aaron forgot for just a moment that there was any problem mere seconds ago. The older woman stepped forward, her dark blue dress sweeping across the ground as she held out a hand for Serena. "Your home is right here, let me show you."
Serena's parents held their breaths as they watched their daughter contemplate taking her grandmother's hand. The cold air held still as the young girl weighed her options. Once again, thinking of her parents, Serena swallowed her fear and raised her smaller hand into her grandmother's aged one.
Her grip was surprisingly tight, and it pulled Serena past the metal gate and up the winding path to the front of the house.
Much like the other houses, their house was a dark coal gray along the outer shell with a stone front porch. It looked tough and intimidating to Serena as they approached. What she did like were the windows. There were four large windows on the front, two beside the entryway, and two above it. Inside the lights were on, and in the bottom two windows, golden light seeped out and shone on the front porch. She felt welcomed as they made it up the stone steps and to the dark front door.
Amaya allowed Serena to push open the door to reveal a tall foyer, open to the floors above. To her left sat a full living room with new furniture, waiting to be decorated by her and her mother. To her right sat a dining room, a long, elegant black table sat in the middle flanked by six tall chairs. Along the walls sat expensive and shiny looking pottery with ancient designs and faded colors.
"Wow, it's so big!" Serena twisted around as she stepped further into the foyer, her shoes squeaked against the marble floors as she approached the winding staircase to the second floor. "It's so bright, too."
Contrary to the outside color scheme, the walls within were some form of cream and light browns. With the lights on, everything had a dreamy golden glow to it. Serena felt as though this all were a dream, that it was too good to be true, but it was real, and she didn't know how to feel about that.
"It's yours now," Amaya beamed at her granddaughter. "This clan is your home now. It's up to you to do your best."
"I will," Serena promised. She wasn't sure what she had to do her best for, but if it would make the fighting stop, then so be it.
She would do anything to keep her family happy, even if that meant leaving them.
