"You'll thank me for this later!" Arashi cried, what looked like a dozen sharp watery stars forming between his fingers.
"No!" Astrid protested back, letting her arrow fly.
As quick as her arrow was, her partner was faster. In one swift move, he sidestepped her Spirit Shackle and filled the air with a flurry of Water Shurikens that, even if she resisted, Astrid was taking the defensive so as not to get overwhelmed. One of her wings became cloaked in a steely glow that she held up to shield herself, but she still couldn't cover herself entirely and winced at one sharp star slicing a gash into one leg. Thankfully they dissipated into smallish puddles after hitting, otherwise the Decidueye would've been left with some uncomfortable objects jabbed into the back of her wing. She was swift, but it was painfully obvious that Arashi was swifter… and while she was down on her energy and trying to guard Raijin, that didn't bode particularly well. She couldn't let her guard down for even a second.
"Urgh, Raijin, can you hear me?!" the Decidueye cried, flapping her wings and sending a Razor Leaf.
More watery blades glinted into being at Arashi's fingertips, and most of her own leafy blades were intercepted and shredded midair. She hissed in frustration.
"Astrid…? I can hear your voice, but… it's not quite registering…" the Xurkitree replied, still sounding slightly distorted.
Arashi chuckled, a dark aura shrouding him while he pointed a single finger at Astrid. "Oh, c'mon, don't worry about the traitor," he said nonchalantly. "If he hadn't gotten in Salem's way, we would've been happy a long time ago!"
Astrid shook her head in pure stupor at what he was saying and nocked another arrow. If she could lock him down, that would make things so much easier, but the Greninja obviously wasn't going to let her do it so easily. She jerked herself aside and let a Dark Pulse fly past her, and Arashi too swerved aside and let her arrow fly off someplace else. She was quick to send another Razor Leaf, but Arashi was even faster in avoiding it when he leaped up onto a tree limb and let it sail underneath him while icy blue energy gathered at one fingertip that he aimed down at her.
"If it wasn't the poison talking, I'd call you a blithering idiot," the Decidueye remarked, yanking her comrade along with her as she leaped aside.
Still she winced and hissed in discomfort as the side of one wing was grazed by Arashi's Ice Beam, but thankfully, it was the ground that was frozen solid and not her. Another flurry of Water Shurikens threatened to overwhelm her, but it was her turn to nullify an attack thrown at her when she returned with a Razor Leaf that made most of the stars dissipate. Just as fast, though, she found herself with another Dark Pulse aimed at her, and avoiding it in time was looking like a difficult task. For just a second she turned loose of Raijin and phased into the ground before emerging hardly even a meter away, but Arashi wasn't wasting time either and darted down closer with an Ice Beam ready at his fingertips. She would've tried for another Spirit Shackle, but Arashi simply moved faster as she went to hold her vine up and nock an arrow. Her attempts at a Spirit Shackle were quickly abandoned when her hand as well as part of her vine and the arrow itself was frozen, the coldness of the ice making her expression contort in discomfort. Try as she might to move her feather fingers, they weren't listening.
"Oh, come on," she croaked, going for another Razor Leaf with the other wing instead.
"As much as I don't wanna hurt my best friend, it's better me than the others!" Arashi cried, swerving aside to avoid her leaf barrage and aiming another Ice Beam.
"Oh, stop it!" Astrid fussed back, as if somehow protesting might snap her friend out of his trance. She jumped aside with a flap of her wings, sending another Razor Leaf as she did. "You fool, neither of us wants this!"
It was to no avail. Arashi dropped into a low crouch against the ground to let the leaves sail harmlessly overhead, shooting off another Ice Beam as he did so. Astrid managed to narrowly avoid it, but the Water Shuriken that followed next had her on the defensive again. She held up a Steel Wing as a shield, but Arashi apparently had anticipated as much too, for very few of the watery stars clanged against the metallic glow. Rather, Astrid was squawking in discomfort again when she felt sharp jabs into the joints on her legs and her shoulders, which caused her to stumble and her defensive stance to falter.
"Keep it together, Astrid…!" the feathered ghost breathed to herself, eyes narrowing and twitching as if they wanted to drift closed.
As hard as it might have been to pull off with a frozen hand, she still knew her best bet was to get off a Spirit Shackle and lock the Greninja in place before keeping up the fight, seeing as her only super effective move was getting countered. Getting close for a Steel Wing or Pluck would've been nice, but she doubted that she'd be able to for as quick as her partner was moving. With her non-frozen hand, she shakily plucked another arrow loose, but evidently Arashi could tell that she was quickly getting worn down. It seemed as though, in the mere moment it took her to blink, her partner turned into a blur and reappeared directly in front of her. Of course, a Quick Attack wouldn't do a thing against a ghost, but that wasn't what Arashi was aiming for. No, he was simply getting close while an icy glow took form at one fingertip again, his other hand grabbing Astrid's shoulder… She couldn't possibly hope to escape it, and her eyes went wide at the realization.
Crackle!
… However, when a few sparks crackled along Raijin's still-limp form, the Greninja couldn't help but to jump in fright, and that was all the time that Astrid needed. She didn't want to do it by any means, but there was a perfectly fine healer waiting for them back at the base, so surely she couldn't do any permanent harm…
The arrow in her hand rammed straight into Arashi's chest, her partner's eyes going wide at both the literal stab wound and the spectral pinprick feeling that accompanied it. A short, pained gasp escaped his mouth, but not much else, and ghostly stitches on his shadow held him in place.
Astrid cast her Beast comrade a glance, and he was starting to stir fairly quickly.
"Astrid! What's going on?!" the Xurkitree exclaimed, jumping up. However, on noticing Arashi, he twitched and cried, "A-ah, what's-!"
Astrid wasn't wasting the moment. "Discharge!" she hollered.
Raijin didn't question her, perhaps too caught off guard to do so. Arashi got an utterly perturbed look on his face and his mouth fell slightly open in fright, while Astrid phased back into the ground. She could quickly feel the buzzing of her comrade's energy, then a thud of something- her partner's body, to be sure- hitting the ground not too far away, and she almost wanted to shrink up in fright herself. She resisted Raijin's electricity but it still felt awful to take whenever she did… and Arashi was weak to it. Things didn't bode well about that, not at all…
Almost as fast as she'd disappeared beneath the ground, she was jumping back out with wide eyes, and if Raijin had possessed visible ones, he would've been wearing the same expression.
"Ah…!" the Xurkitree exclaimed with a distorted voice, shrinking up in hesitance. "A-Arashi…!"
The Greninja was limp on the ground with his eyes rolled back in his head and at least half a dozen jagged burn marks on his skin. A smallish pool of red trickled from the arrow jabbed into his chest, the shaft of which was partially snapped in half from where he'd hit the ground. Astrid's eyes turned to little pinpricks and she stifled a shriek by clapping her non-frozen hand over her beak, but her eyes nonetheless went misty at the sight of her partner in such a horrendous state.
She was yet again scrambling to think of what to do when a small golden glow shined through the satchel he carried, but she shortly ripped the Reviver Seed out of his bag and tossed it as far away into the brush as she could. As much as she wanted to give Arashi some relief, it wasn't something they could risk.
Raijin darted over, but froze when he got close as if afraid to touch the fainted one. "Oh, heavens, I…! I was freaked out and-…! H-he's weak to every single one of my moves now, isn't he?! A-ah, w-what if I…!"
He didn't finish that thought, but Astrid could tell where it was going fine enough, and she didn't particularly want to hear a possibility of them having killed her partner verbalized. "He's got a fainted Cosmog, that seed, and several potions in that bag. He was so close to doing me in, then both of us would've been gone," she said faintly but solemnly.
Her comrade twitched, saying nothing with his gaze still locked on the Greninja.
However, a familiar ethereal voice from afar quickly graced their minds. *Hey, don't panic for what I'm about to do!* Lunala advised.
They weren't quite sure what that meant, but when the ground beneath them cracked with white light, they figured it out fairly quickly. Still, Astrid couldn't help it when her heart skipped a beat and she gasped in uncertainty when a wormhole opened, but one of Raijin's arms wrapping around her calmed her nerves just a bit. The three of them dropped down in the Coalition base's front room, where they were quickly met by Lunala herself, Adnea, Rush, and Rozen, the latter of which was jumping into action in healing Arashi almost as soon as he laid eyes on the unconscious figure.
"Gods have mercy, this is going to take some effort," the Audino declared, one hand glowing with a Heal Pulse while the other gently felt of the area around the arrow jabbing out of Arashi's chest. He reached up and grabbed one of the feelers on his ear, unfurling it and carefully touching it to the Greninja. "He's got a heartbeat, but it's almost too faint to detect."
As awful as that was, Astrid let out a sigh of relief, looking up at the ceiling and then shutting her eyes. He was alive, and that was all she wanted to know.
A loud thump just outside the door caught their attention, and very shortly a certain Salamence was peeking in with concerned eyes. "Is it true?" Dren inquired quickly, and on catching a glimpse of the fainted figure, "Gods above-…!"
"Join the fuckin' club, Dren," Rush replied, waving the dragon over. "It's him, alright, just a li'l different and a lot more fucked up."
Dren too joined their circle, scurrying over as quick as he could with a slightly gaping maw.
Astrid winced. "Under normal circumstances, I'd never do this…" her voice trailed off.
"M-me too…" Raijin said, shrinking up some more hesitance. "Oh, Arashi, forgive me…"
The feeling of Dren's tail reaching up and giving them both a comforting pat was something that they welcomed.
Raijin looked to Astrid. "Just what happened?"
The Decidueye shook her head, letting out another sigh and staring at the ground. "He told me that he hit you first with a Slumber Wand and a Confuse Wand because he knew we'd be skeptical and he didn't want to inadvertently take a Discharge. The way he said it at first sounded reasonable, like he'd somehow managed to steal a Cosmog and run away, then he started trying to talk me into giving up and joining Void… Let's just say, it went south really quick."
"I'll have to show you two his memories," Lunala piped up. "There's… a lot to unpack."
"I can only imagine," Astrid replied dismally.
"Hey, you're all fucked up too," Rush noted, giving the feathered ghost a glance while carefully sliding Arashi's satchel off. "Go get you a few berries and whatever else ya might need. This one ain't gonna go anywhere."
"Fish me out a Heal Ribbon or two while you're down there," Rozen added. "That'll serve him better than a simple bandage."
She nodded, albeit with her gaze lingering on the unconscious one for a few more moments before she practically forced herself to turn for the stairs. Raijin trailed close behind her, albeit casting Arashi a glance backwards too.
"Arceus above, I don't even know what to say about that," Astrid mused flatly. "I feel like my heart is about to rip out of my chest."
"I feel like all my current is just going to explode," Raijin corroborated. "Don't take this the wrong way, but… I'm glad you dealt with the brunt of that ordeal and not me."
She shook her head again. "I don't blame you for feeling that way. Not one bit."
Scarfing down an Oran berry definitely made her feel better, and biting a chunk out of an Aspear berry quickly alleviated the effects she felt on her frozen hand, while Raijin located a Heal Ribbon among their stash for Rozen to use. The gashes from her partner's sharp water stars still tinged Astrid's feathers with red, but they'd heal eventually and she could at least ignore them fine enough. The two of them were quick to scurry back upstairs, where Rozen was very carefully removing the arrow from Arashi's chest and Rush held the limp figure in such a way that Adnea could carefully make the satchel slip off with telekinesis (since surely, her careful touch was the next best among them seeing as Rozen's delicate hands were occupied). Astrid wanted nothing more than to swoop the Greninja up in her grasp until he woke up, and Raijin looked as though he too wanted to wrap his arms around him but hesitated to do so.
"This poor creature is in about the same state as Arashi is currently," Adnea noted, removing the glowing vessel from the satchel. "I would've picked up on them sooner had there been any thoughts to read, but a presence like this is about as weak as it gets."
"Looks like Void was anticipating that," Lunala noted. "If I hadn't been concerning myself with matters thousands of light years away, I would've noticed myself. We can worry about the little nebula later."
Indeed, the little nebula definitely wasn't their main concern. Astrid couldn't help being just a bit curious as to what memories the fainted one in the vessel might be carrying, but she was far more focused on what was happening to her partner. Rozen managed to fish the arrow out of his chest, and she winced just a bit knowing that she'd been the one to put it there.
"Rush, put some pressure on that puncture, will you?" Rozen directed, placing the Heal Ribbon over the stab wound, then with a facetious glance, "Just don't break anything."
"You got it," the Scrafty replied, doing just that and shooting the healer a small smirk.
The ribbon was still stained with red from the injury, but at least it wasn't pooling and trickling out without anything to staunch it. The Audino was definitely concentrating as he ran a gentle hand along some of the jagged burn marks, which gradually started looking less gnarly, and Lunala too appeared to be concentrating, albeit on the Greninja's mind.
"What're you seeing…?" Raijin inquired of the starry-winged one. "How bad is it…?"
"Well, 'bad' is an understatement," Lunala relayed. "I may as well just show you, and if it's too much, I'll erase your recollection afterwards."
And at that, they quickly figured out what Lunala meant when the fainted one's memories up to blacking out after Remi's laughing onslaught were on full display in their minds. The only other one not particularly fazed was Adnea, but Rush's free hand clenched into a tight fist while his face contorted into an expression of pure rage, Rozen's hands twitched for a second while his eyes went huge, and Dren too got wide-eyed while baring his fangs at no one in particular. Astrid and Raijin, though, looked like they might faint right then and there, Astrid's beak falling open and her blood running cold while the Xurkitree dropped into a drooping, trembling kneel.
"You've gotta be kidding me…" Astrid's voice trailed off, hardly above a whisper. "So that's what… A-ah…!"
"Forgive me…!" Raijin exclaimed pitifully, his voice almost akin to static for how distorted it came out.
Again Dren's tail patted the two of them, and Astrid crouched down on the floor next to her comrade with one wing around him while her eyes were still firmly locked on Arashi. The Xurkitree curled one arm around her too, albeit still staying drooped.
"Hey," Astrid said softly. "We said we'd get him back. We've got the important part under control and we can deal with things from here."
"R-right…" Raijin replied, albeit rather subdued. "All that matters is that we never get broken up again."
"Pffft, if anything's gettin' broken up, it's that Pheromosa's pretty fucking face when my fist smashes into it," Rush remarked, borderline snarling. "That smirking jackass, that huge blockhead, and that bitch Salem- I don't give a fuck who I get after first, but dammit all if I'm gonna let 'em get by with that shit. I'll drag Void straight to hell too if I get ahold of 'er."
"If I was the type to throw hands with anyone, I'd have some fairly aggressive tendencies towards them as well," Rozen concurred, nonetheless sounding far calmer.
"You all know how I normally am, but I'm feeling something akin to Mega-fueled rage," Dren mused.
Astrid didn't voice it, but she definitely didn't disagree with the sentiments. Seeing what her partner had been put through was like having a blade jabbed straight into her heart, and while it was definitely painful, she could tell that, if Salem or Remi or Knox suddenly appeared in front of them all, she'd go absolutely ballistic in attacking them. As much as she didn't like them already, it turned into pure loathing.
"That's the faction for you…" Raijin's voice trailed off. "If you go against them, they aren't forgiving…"
"Pffft, fuck that- I won't be forgiving to them," Rush remarked, shaking his head. "This bullshit's gotta stop."
At that moment, though, the curtain door flew open and two familiar figures, a Fletchinder and Azumarill, came tumbling in with speed that a Ninjask would kill for while crying a cacophony of "Oh my gods, is it true?!" and "What the fuck happened?!" in several variations.
"Get your asses over here and see for yourselves!" Rush called back, waving them over too.
"We were talking with Delphi and Shar, and Delphi told us that we should go back to base as quick as possible!" Lazuli exclaimed, darting over. "I thought she was lying when she told us why!"
"Pffft, I didn't doubt her for a second, but I am surprised!" Cinder corroborated, close behind. "Gods above, he's really here! What took him so long?! N-not that I was worried or anything! Tch!"
"Quit lying while you're ahead, Cinder," Adnea flatly chimed in.
The fiery avian fluffed up for a second, but he shut his beak. He too looked like he wanted to wrap his wings around the fainted one, and Lazuli looked as though she wanted to give Arashi a pat on the head as well, but they both knew better than to touch someone in such a terrible state.
The Azumarill, though, trotted closer to Astrid and Raijin and gave them both a little pat, softly saying, "Well, I bet this is a huge relief to you two."
Two silent nods were the answer.
Lazuli chuckled. "Well, now we can go on escapades or edit encyclopedias with Arashi's input too.~"
Astrid smiled just a bit at the idea, and Raijin reached out to give Lazuli a hug. If the Azumarill was good at anything, it was keeping them in good spirits.
It took an hour or so before the Greninja showed any signs of stirring at all, and even then, his eyes stayed closed and he stayed unresponsive while making faint gasps or groans. The rest of the Coalition stayed close by, Rozen's careful hands tracing along his burns or the stab wound, and the two psychics occasionally seemed to be having a non-verbal conversation. The unconscious one was stable, at least, though he still displayed some concerning signs when occasionally his hands would tense up for just a second and a very faint "No…" would leave his mouth. At that point, Astrid edged closer and gently touched one hand to the side of his face, which strangely enough, seemed to make him ease up. She wanted to ask Lunala what was going on in his mind, but at the same time, she was almost suspecting that the ethereal Beast wouldn't give her an honest answer. There was her partner, the first friend she'd made in her new world, but because of the goddess' trio, Astrid knew she'd have to tell him goodbye sometime in the near future… and that resentment simply wouldn't leave no matter how hard she tried to reconcile Lunala's reasoning.
Her eyes started getting misty, as much as she tried to hide it by averting her gaze and pulling her hood closed just a bit… The tears flowed anyway.
"Hey!" Lazuli cried, quickly noticing and darting closer again. "You okay? You need anything?"
"Oh, heavens, she got into a violent altercation with her neurotoxin-controlled best friend; I'd cry too," Dren piped up, patting her with his tail.
"If I had eyes, I'd have done the same a while ago," Raijin said softly.
She rubbed her eyes, shaking as the tears streaked down her face. "I-I'm just… s-so happy to see him back again…!" she stammered out, technically not telling a lie. "S-sorry, I just…! I was so damned worried…!"
"Ain't nobody blamin' ya, Li'l-li'l Green," Rush said, giving her a knowing smirk. "If that'd been Rozen instead of Arashi, I'd be a sniveling li'l bitch too!"
She wasn't so sure about being a 'sniveling little bitch,' but she was definitely crying. Lunala definitely took notice, giving her a few pitying glances, but to an observant onlooker, the ethereal Beast's expression was outwardly perturbed. Had a set of bony fingers tried to give the Decidueye a pat like what may have happened in any other circumstance, Astrid might've tried to jab an arrow into Lunala's chest too. The two of them knew it, as did Adnea, but not a single one of them said a thing.
Astrid and Raijin stayed closer than anyone while their other teammate was recovering, and though the base still buzzed a bit with talk of what stash of Reviver Seeds would go in which bag or the like, the others of the Coalition kept an eye on Arashi too as they went about their business. Dren in particular stuck by with his tail gently curled around the Greninja, both as a comforting gesture and just in case someone needed to hold him down when he awoke for the frazzled state he'd likely be in. Lunala definitely stuck around for the most part, but Astrid wouldn't so much as look at her, which everyone else could easily take as the Decidueye merely being concerned for her best friend's well-being.
However, after about three hours, things started looking a little different. The slight stirring every so often hadn't stopped, but…
"Ngh… Ah… W-what…" were the soft words leaving Arashi's mouth. They sounded different, a bit more forceful.
Astrid gently touched his face again. "Arashi…?" she asked, hardly above a whisper.
Both Dren and Raijin studied the unconscious figure, but Lunala in particular perked up fairly quickly.
"Hey, he's coming to," the lunar Beast noted. "His memories are fuzzy and he's back in the mindset he was in when Remi was attacking him."
"Oh, that's gonna be ugly…" Raijin mused, backing away a few steps.
"Well, I've got Wide Guard if it is," was the not-so-fazed reply. "Just don't be surprised if he starts throwing attacks."
Astrid didn't think too much of it. She couldn't blame him if he did, and she held one wing slightly in front of her just in case. Dren didn't seem to mind so much either, but then again, it was probably hard to startle a hulking figure like him in the first place.
And all at once, the Greninja's eyes shot open and six shurikens formed in his fingers while a look of pure fear that none of them had ever seen on him crossed his face. "NO! Leave me alone, you devil!" he screeched, flinging the watery stars in every direction.
A Wide Guard went up from Lunala around everyone but the frazzled one and Dren, and though Arashi jumped up quick as lightning with more shurikens ready to go, the dragon's tail quickly curled around him and pinned his arms to his sides. Another yell of protest escaped the Greninja, and he looked very uncharacteristically like he was intent on killing someone, but just as quick, he seemed to notice who the tail belonged to… and more importantly, the two comrades standing in front of him. He paused just as quick as he'd sprang back to life, the shurikens dissipating into nothing.
Astrid blinked just a few times and Raijin froze, but after a moment or two, the Decidueye gently piped up, "… Hey."
Arashi too blinked, his expression shifting around for a bit before going right back to his usual grin. "… Hey!"
He tried to run over and throw his arms around the feathered ghost, but Dren's tail was still in the way which made him stumble and trip instead. Lunala's shield was in the way too, but that dissipated fairly quickly.
"Go on and let go; he's fine," the ethereal goddess noted.
Dren did as she said, a grin gracing his maw as well. Astrid's beak curled up at the edges too and she again threw her wings out, which her partner practically dove into while laughing happily.
"Youuuuuuu~!" the Greninja cooed, throwing his arms around her shoulders. He glanced to the side just a bit, catching sight of the Xurkitree too. "And you!"
At that, Raijin too threw his arms around them both, and Arashi gave a little squeal of glee.
"Y-you're our Arashi, right…?!" Raijin inquired, a bit distorted as though he'd cry if he were capable.
"As long as you two are still my Astrid and my Raijin!" the Greninja exclaimed gleefully. "There's only one Arashi and he belongs to Team Starstorm, aha!"
Astrid couldn't help chuckling, her eyes getting misty all over again. There wasn't any mistaking it- this was their Arashi. Even if she didn't trust Lunala, it was easy enough to tell that the ethereal goddess hadn't done anything to her partner's mind aside from getting rid of the poison. It was just like things were supposed to be- Team Starstorm was a triad again of an aquatic social butterfly with a perpetual smile, a timid avian that analyzed everything, and a docile but hard-hitting creature from another world watching their backs. She couldn't have been happier, and for a second, she almost forgot that it was all temporary… but she tried not to dwell on that aspect.
"Arceus above, I have never been so happy to see anyone in my entire life!" Arashi exclaimed. "Seriously! Like, this has to be a new record!"
"Well, that's quite a feat coming from you!" Raijin exclaimed.
"I know, right~?!" the Greninja cried with bliss, laughing. "The last creature I remember seeing is Remi, and let me tell you, I was not happy to see them at all!"
"Lunala showed us your memories while you were out," Astrid said, sniveling a bit. "I'm just glad you're in one piece!"
Her partner laughed, then turned loose of her with a slightly funny look. "Wait, Lunala? But I thought she was-…!"
All at once, he seemed to notice the starry-winged one in their midst and gasped as though he were a strict air-breather that had been on the verge of drowning moments before. He looked as though he might faint and his knees shook a bit, but Dren's tail kept him from collapsing again, the dragon looking amused. Lunala herself chuckled and gave a playful wave with one bony hand, and the Greninja's mouth gaped open.
"Arceus above, I'm in the presence of a goddess and she just acknowledged me," he breathed. He dropped onto his knees with his hands clasped together. "Am I truly worthy to bask in Her Majesty's magnificent presence, O Great Lunala?!"
Astrid pressed her beak together in an effort to stifle her laughter, but apparently she was doing a far better job of such than the others, for a few buzzing sounds came from Raijin that he too shrunk up at making, Dren didn't even try to hide his amusement, and Lunala outright burst into a giggling fit. Arashi didn't even seem to pay it any mind, more entranced by her than anything.
"Hey, now, you are worthy and you can just call me Lunala!" the ethereal Beast said, grinning. "No need to be so formal, we're all comrades here!"
Arashi eased up, getting back to his feet. "Well, nice to meet you, Lunala! I knew you weren't fused with Necrozma anymore, but I didn't expect to see you so soon… or you to be so pretty!"
More giggling and chuckling followed. Astrid tried to hold her beak shut with one hand, but it was difficult. This was their Arashi, alright- only he would say something like that to one of Ultra Space's highest beings.
"Well, if Ultra Space wasn't safe anymore, then I figured I'd go see our emissary up close and personal for the first time in ages," Lunala brushed it off, giving the Xurkitree a little pat on the head. "Not to mention see our chosen one too! And now I get to see this 'Team Starstorm' unit that Raijin has been so fond of for what it really is!"
"That's right!" Arashi exclaimed, pumping one fist in the air. "We're back together, baby! Today is a goooood day!"
Astrid grinned at her partner's antics, not even protesting the seemingly cursed assertion that it was a good day. She almost wanted to pipe up and say 'And that same goddess is saying we're gonna get ripped apart soon,' but she refrained, still pushing the thought off. Her partner was back, and back to normal… She could be happy about that, at least. She had to make sure that the world he wanted to have adventures in was still safe to explore even after she left… and she'd be damned if she didn't at least give him that.
The commotion apparently attracted the attention of the other Coalition members, for they didn't stay alone for very long. Lazuli and Cinder came skittering in through the front door, the Azumarill and Greninja instantly exchanging some spirited greetings while Cinder temporarily lamented being the smallest member again, and Rush and Rozen likewise came to see what was going on. Arashi and the Scrafty exchanged fist bumps, which Astrid still couldn't help but to grin at, and Arashi knelt down to give Rozen a big hug. Even though Adnea was her usual stoic self when she too left her books alone for a few minutes, there was at least a happy tone to her voice. It was as though nothing had ever been amiss, and while the base wasn't necessarily loud, it definitely wasn't as quiet as it had been before. It was a good day, all things considered.
Nonetheless, as much as the Greninja was practically bouncing off the walls at seeing everyone again, the Starstorm trio nonetheless ended up retreating back to their cozy spot in the basement with Lunala tagging along too, whom Arashi still seemed to be utterly in awe of. He was definitely happy to see the cozy, familiar surroundings again and threw his arms out to the side before playfully collapsing onto the rug in a grinning heap.
"This is where I'm supposed to be," he said with a grin, staring up at the ceiling. "Or at least, wherever you two are!"
"It's been too quiet without you," Astrid gently noted.
"We have some catching up to do, don't we?" Raijin inquired. "There are things on this world that you haven't seen, and I'd be shocked if there was nothing on Ultra Space that isn't new."
Arashi gave the Xurkitree a knowing look. "Oh, I've seen some things, alright," he affirmed. "Really, I should get Adnea to record them, too! Things are wild over at Megalo Tower, or at least, what I can remember clearly! If I'm being honest, everything after that ordeal with Remi is a little fuzzy, like I was running on pure instinct without thinking things through myself, and… Hey, that's the sort of thing that Team Sweetheart said after we fought them at Starry Peak!"
A look of hesitance crossed his face, and Astrid too got a hesitant look while Raijin silently tapped his fingers together. Arashi bolted up, shooting an inquisitive look between his two teammates.
"You guys… what did I do?" he asked uncertainly, grinning awkwardly. "I… I got poisoned too, didn't I? I mean, I know I did, I was trying to fight it, but…! I wasn't successful, was I?"
"Here, let me show you," Lunala said, getting his gaze again.
And at that, a whirlwind of emotions quickly flashed on the Greninja's face, starting with awkward amusement and ending in horrified shock. He gasped, clapping his hands over his mouth with eyes like little pinpricks. Astrid strolled over to his side and softly wrapped one wing around him, and all at once, he was grabbing her by her shoulders with a despairingly perturbed look on his face.
"I attacked you!" he cried in dismay. "I was totally about to do you in, and…! Oh, Arceus above, we would've been through!"
She was surprised yet not surprised to see her partner's eyes get misty, but she didn't say a word and instead wrapped her other wing around him an embrace. He clung to her, trembling just a bit.
"I'm so sorry, Astrid…! You know I would never, right…?!" Arashi's voice faintly trailed off. "You're my best friend…! I wouldn't do that to you, I swear…!"
"I know you wouldn't," she said softly. "That was Void, not you. I'd still trust you with my life any day."
He clutched her tighter for just a second, then turned loose and turned to Raijin. "And I wouldn't attack you, either! If not because you're my friend too, then because I'd lose spectacularly!"
"You don't have to explain yourself, Arashi- I totally understand," the Xurkitree replied. "I used to be poisoned too. Astrid's right- it wasn't you acting like that. And to be technical, you didn't actually attack me, just put me in a daze."
The Greninja breathed a sigh of relief, slumping down onto a cushion with his hands behind his head. "Don't believe a word I said back there. If Void's giving us glory, then I don't want it, and I'm not gonna sell Astrid out to her either. That remark I made about Raijin getting in Salem's way is something that Rush oughtta bust me over the head for."
"I'm not entirely sure what you said, but whatever it was, I'm not holding it against you," Raijin brushed it off.
"Good, because it was really bad!" Arashi awkwardly exclaimed. "All of that was really bad! Sheesh, can we forget that ever happened?!"
"I'd like that too," Astrid concurred, hopping onto her perch. "It was your body, voice, and gestures, but it sure as hell wasn't you."
"We'll never speak of it again," Raijin agreed.
Another sigh of relief escaped the Greninja, a relaxed smile spreading over his face. "Well, we have some catching up to do, don't we? Maybe Lunala's already shown you my memories, but I don't know what's going on down here at all!"
"Astrid would rather hear it from you first," Lunala chimed in again. "I can help you with the fuzziness and I can show them what happened after you evolved, but you oughtta tell them."
"I wanna hear it from you too," Raijin added. "I'm sure you've got a lot to say."
"Oh, I do," Arashi affirmed, getting an awkward grin again. "Believe me, I do!"
Astrid definitely wanted to hear every piece, and her partner definitely wasn't shy about telling them, either.
