What's that? More long chapters? Well, if you insist!
Apparently, I'm now competing with myself to outdo my own records. Whoops. Honestly, I wasn't trying to make this one long. But then, character development happened, so I kept going. Anyway, set some time aside and enjoy!
...
[Chesnaught]
Sunlight shined through the window into Greninja's bedroom. Slowly, I pushed myself up from the bed and stretched. Within a few minutes, I rummaged around the room, readying myself for the day. I paused for a moment and turned back to the bed, watching Greninja as he continued to sleep.
If we didn't have anywhere to go, I might have left him there. Slowly, I leaned back onto the bed and kissed his head gently. "Greninja, come on," I whispered.
"Ugh…can't we just stay here and pretend the day never started?"
"Unfortunately, no," I chuckled and gently shook him. "Up, we need to get ready."
"Everything hurts…" Greninja groaned.
"Well, the sooner you get up and rolling, the less time you'll spend thinking about what hurts."
"You have a terrible bedside manner."
"Good thing I'm not a doctor." I rubbed his back gently as he softly moaned. "Huh, I thought I was doing terrible."
"Your manners are terrible, but your treatments are the best," clarified Greninja.
"Ah." I laughed and kissed him again. "All right, seriously, we do need to get going."
"Ok, ok." He pushed himself and shook his head. "Go ahead and start gathering supplies. I'll catch up."
"I haven't even washed off yet."
Without warning, Greninja bounced from the bed and tackled me to the ground. He ran two cool balls of water across my body, smiling as he did so. Within another few minutes, he hopped off and threw a towel on me.
"Done. Now you're, oh, how did they put it?" He cleared his throat, and imitated the clothes shopkeepers, "Marvelous darling! Simply marvelous! Naturally, of course."
We burst out laughing as I pushed myself up from the floor and dried off. Greninja washed himself off as I finished putting my clothes and armor on. "You know, we could have gone somewhere else to keep the room dry."
"What for? We're not staying here anymore and they'll need to clean it anyway." Greninja finished up as I walked to the door. "Besides, there wasn't a rug here, so it'll dry up easily."
Shrugging, I nodded and walked out the door, off to collect weapons for our journey. Greninja already had a few that he would take with him, and I'm sure that the Empire would supply us with more, but I wanted at least a few to take for the road.
The walk to the armory was quiet, with the other knights already outside for practice by this time. Making my way downstairs, I walked into the armory and checked on the weapons.
First, I picked up a silver shield that would be a good fit for Greninja; unlike Delphox and I, he couldn't create his own barrier and I wanted to make sure he had something as a last resort.
Tucking the shield under my arm, I glanced at my options. For a moment, I eyed a bow and its quiver, but decided against it; Delphox and Greninja would be able to attack anything from a distance instantaneously, so using one would only slow us down and leave us vulnerable to close range attacks.
Instead, I moved to the swords. Right away, I took a broadsword and slung it around my back. Along with that, I added a stiletto and a dagger to my belt.
"Three blades and a shield?"
Jumping, I spun around and stared at the doorway, where Samurott had waited. His arms were folded and he cast a scowl in my direction.
"Well, I'm still deciding," I explained. "These are just my go-to choices. And the shield is for Greninja."
"He won't want it. Greninja relies on speed and that would only slow him down."
"Then I'll carry it, but I want him to have something to fall back on, in case of an emergency."
Samurott relaxed his gaze, smiled, and nodded. "In that case, it's a good idea." He walked over and around the wall to his cabinet of weapons. "Come here."
For a few seconds, I hesitated, but sucked in some air and went around. The samurai stood in front of his open cabinet and held up his hand.
"Take a few things."
"What? But this is your supply." I shook my head. "We won't be able to get these back to you—"
"Doesn't matter. You need to stock up." He paused and shrugged. "I'll never use all of those weapons at any one given time as it is."
Nodding, I walked over to it and gazed at the weapons inside. Glancing at the shelves, I carefully slid a slightly decorated ono out and studied it for a bit. Shaking my head, I put it back.
"Too fancy for you?" Samurott teased.
"A little," I chuckled. "You don't have many of those here though. We've got hatchets around the other side, and we can buy another supply if we run out." I glanced back at him. "You can't exactly run home and grab your weapons anytime soon."
"No, but I could send for them."
"Either way, I'll leave those for you." Instead, I took out two sets of shuriken for Greninja and myself. Staring at the naginata and bō staffs, I turned to Samurott. "Do you think Delphox will need anything?"
"The mages hardly ever use weapons." Samurott chuckled. "I remember Gardevoir running around with a sword once, trying to slice at Typhlosion over a rude comment. She held it the complete wrong way, so he knocked it away easily." He shook his head. "She still blasted him away for it though."
"Right, I remember." Still, I took two bō staffs down. "We might be able to practice with these though." Samurott took down the slings for them and I added them around my back with the sword. "I think these will be more than enough. Thank you, Samurott!"
"You're welcome." He smiled for a minute, but then focused and frowned. "Just keep a good eye on Greninja."
Closing the cabinet, I raised an eyebrow. With a slight laugh, I let out, "I usually do."
"No, seriously, watch out for him."
"Ok, I've got it. You don't need to worry; he's my boyfriend."
"Yeah, but he's my friend. Honestly, he's probably the closest friend I have, and I won't be around, so…" Samurott let out a heavy sigh. "Never mind, it's—"
"Don't worry." I rested my hand on his shoulder and smiled. "I promise I'll take extra care of him." To remind him, I patted the shield, to which he nodded and smirked.
"Yes, you're already thinking ahead." His shoulders slumped down. "Sorry, I just, it's weird to have my friends leaving me." Samurott glanced at the cabinet. "I was used to working on my own more often, not fitting in. You remember, I'm sure. Though I get along with the other knights now, it's…I don't know, not the same." He turned back to me. "Take care of yourself as well, please. And Delphox. Gardevoir is going to be a mess without him here."
"She's strong, she'll manage."
"All the same—"
"You have my word." I scratched the side of my head and laughed. "Always wanted to use that one."
Samurott grinned. "It's fun, right?" He cleared his throat and put on a more solemn face again. "Good luck."
With that, Samurott walked out and left me alone in the armory once again. It dawned on me that I forgot to ask him about the ball last night.
"I'm sure Greninja can tell me. They did dance together."
Slowly, I stopped back around by the other weapons and thought back to what Gallade had brought up yesterday. My heart raced a little faster as I thought of the two together.
"N-No. Samurott's my friend." I shook my head. Even if he was stern around me, we still did manage to befriend one another, more so after Greninja grew close with him though. "Doesn't matter. They're just friends."
"Who are we talking about here?"
Again, I jumped up and pivoted to the doorway. Typhlosion wasted no time strolling into the room, with a smirk already on his face.
"It's…no one."
"Didn't sound like no one to me."
"Well, I'm not telling you any more than that. Sorry." I tried to busy myself and checked to see if I could take any more weapons. Remembering the hatchets, I walked over and took a pair for my belt.
"No need to be touchy," laughed Typhlosion. He leaned against the nearest wall and watched me as I checked my supplies. "What's with the shield? You make your own."
"It's for Greninja, as a back-up."
"Ah, right." Something about his tone seemed to…drop a little. "Too bad you're stuck with Delphox. Otherwise, you and your sweetheart could have the trip all to yourselves."
"Delphox will make good company," I argued, though part of me agreed.
"Don't see how. Mages are just nasty little plotters waiting to hex the lot of us."
Turning to him, I waited for a snicker or a follow-up joke. Surprisingly, Typhlosion was straight-faced and folded his arms.
"What's with you and the mages?"
"It's not them, really." He paused for a moment. "Well, not just them. It's anyone that can cast spells." He scratched at his arm and looked down. "Had a friend that got messed up pretty badly by a high ranking mage, when I was younger. I went to complain about it, but he got away with it. I don't know if it was just a rank issue or if the guards I complained to genuinely feared him, and magic users like him."
Typhlosion looked back up at me as my mouth hung open. "Why have you never told that story before?"
"It's stupid, that's why." His smirk went right back onto his face. "I'm not a fan of mages and think they're a little too free in a lot of aspects, but I can work with them. More over, telling people why I feel that way would—"
"Get them to understand you?" He blinked at my interjection.
"…Might be one way to look at it."
"All this time, you could have been friends with Gardevoir and Delphox sooner, if you just explained that."
"Maybe. Wasn't the only time mages rubbed me the wrong way." He shook his head. "Now's not really the time for that though." He picked up a spear and spun it around. "Just here for another of these. Broke one while practicing."
"Right."
Waiting for him to leave, I observed a few other weapons that might be useful to bring, though I think I was all set. Typhlosion, however, didn't walk out right away. After a minute, I turned to him.
"Do…you still need something?"
"Me? Nah. You want a kiss for good luck?" I glared at him as he snickered. "Sorry, ninja frog kisses only, I forgot."
"You know, if you stopped cracking jokes at the expense of others, and actually tried to level with people, you'd make more friends."
"…Sorry." He sighed and stared at the pole weapons on the wall. "I really am going to miss you, honestly."
"Why me?"
"Probably because you're the one that puts up with my crap the most, save maybe Armaldo." He snickered again. "But, really, I guess…I don't know, you're probably the nicest one to have around here. Most…I don't know, easygoing. And even if you hate me like everyone else, at least…I guess you hate me the least."
"I don't hate you. I don't think anyone hates you." His expression softened as he looked into my eyes. "Really, just…ease up and try to be friendly around people. When you're honest, you're not a bad knight Typhlosion. A bit lazy, but not bad."
For a minute, he stayed quiet. Suddenly, he threw his arms around me and hugged tightly. "This is exactly why I'm going to miss you." His voice broke a bit and he quickly turned away from me. "You three just…take care or whatever. And come back, if they let you." Before I could think of anything else, he rushed away.
With a heavy sigh, I stared at the armory and decided to run through the weapons one last time, just in case anything else stood out as useful.
[Greninja]
Almost finished packing, I checked on my tools and weapons. The rope, grappling hook, kunai, and lock picks were stowed on one side, with my kusarigama and shuriken wrapped on the other side. Tying the set together, I lifted the pack over my back and started for the door, but stopped short.
Moving back inside, I looked around before I spotted the tachi blade that Samurott had given me two months ago. He had given it back to me after cleaning it, and let me keep it for future use.
Thinking of the samurai again, more specifically with last night in mind, made me shiver. Still, I carried the blade around, along with my pack, heading out the door soon after.
Before I could make my way down the hall, however, I stopped short to find Samurott making his way over to me. He looked up and jumped a bit as I walked over.
"Hey Greninja." He smiled and waved. "Need a hand with that?"
"No thanks, it's not too heavy." Though, I would have liked the help.
"Ok." Noticing the sheathed blade around my arm, his grin broadened. "Taking that with you?"
"Did you want it back?"
"Not at all, I'm happy you'll have it with you!"
With a heavy sigh, I nodded. Looking at his deep red eyes, I murmured, "Samurott, we need to talk."
He smirked. "Well, good, I was hoping you wouldn't leave without a real goodbye."
"It's not going to be a simple farewell." With a sigh, I placed my pack down.
His smile dropped quickly. "Is this going to more emotionally involved? I'm not sure I'm in the mood for tears."
"Depends on where this conversation goes." I leaned up against the wall and folded my arms, studying him. Samurott raised a brow and tilted his head, trying to get a read on me as well.
"Uh…whenever you're ready?"
"R-Right." I shook my head a little, and then fixed my attention back onto him. "Did you have a date at the dance last night?"
"Yes, didn't you see me ask her out at the Bridge Ceremony?"
"Not exactly, as I was a little preoccupied," I admitted. "But I would have expected to have you introduce her to me, somewhere within the two months of this ball."
The samurai swallowed hard. "You're right, I should have. Honestly, I…I didn't think of it. She didn't meet anyone from the castle, really." His eyes dropped to the floor and he scoffed at himself. "And yet I wondered why she didn't quite take to me."
"That's not what I'm focusing on." Samurott gazed back up at me while I shifted my legs. "Samurott, you've been a really nice friend since I've been here."
"Well, I do try to be." He smiled. "Glad you appreciate it."
"I do, I really, really do." I smiled with him for a moment, but frowned before he could interrupt. "But that's the thing. You've been…too nice."
"Too nice?" He repeated with confusion.
"Samurott, there's a difference between paying your friend compliments and…well, flirting."
"W-What?" His face lit up a bit as he forced a disgusted look. "Look, Greninja, you're sweet, and I'm happy that I can flatter you, but—"
"Come on, Samurott." His head jolted back. "Nice words, once in a while, I get. But last night, at the ball…" I sighed. "That dance went a little past friendly."
"What, because we bumped legs?" He shook his head. "I think you're taking that out of proportion."
"Thighs," I corrected. "We had our thighs brush against one another. Repeatedly. And you weren't put off by that all."
"We were just dancing," Samurott insisted.
"Fine, so I'm just going to leave with you lying to me?" His head jerked up as we locked eyes for a moment.
"I'm not…" He looked away, thinking for a moment. "…That obvious?"
"Everyone isn't kidding when they tell you that you suck at keeping secrets." I laughed to ease the tension a bit, but Samurott only smiled. When I stopped, he sighed and we grew quiet again.
"All right, I…I'm bisexual, which pretty much no one knows about, because I hardly flirt or discuss dating around…well, anyone." He sighed. "Lately, though, I've been more interested in males than females." I nodded, but Samurott stared sadly at me. "More specifically, I've been…interested in you."
"Me? For how—?"
"Since we met." I tilted my head while he shook his. "No, I didn't fall for you right away, but I just…I don't know, thought you were cute. But I…I stalled, I didn't want to ask you out right away. And it didn't take long for me to catch on that you had a crush on Chesnaught, so I figured that I could wait until you found out that he wouldn't be interested in you. Then, we wouldn't have anyone else in the way." Samurott shook his head and laughed softly. "Imagine my surprise when I started to notice that he liked you too. After you revealed your crush to me, I realized that I'd taken too long and decided to leave you two to one another."
"That…that happened over a few days, at first," I cut in. "Why didn't you just tell me before I went to go see Chesnaught?"
"Because unlike me, Chesnaught actually is gay. And in all of the time that I've been here, I never once noticed him go out with anyone." Samurott sighed heavily. "When we were walking in the forest, Delphox insisted that I let the two of you talk alone together. And, when we checked on you two, I could tell Chesnaught wanted to open up to you more. So, with you already interested in him…I knew where it was going." He looked up to the ceiling, avoiding eye contact. "So, I decided that I'd support you two together after Chesnaught recovered. It seemed like the honorable decision. And…I thought it would be over after that."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, after the bridge ceremony, I imagined that I'd get over you, leave the two of you in peace and move on." He returned his attention to me and I noted the sorrow in his eyes. "But I didn't. Every day we spent together after, even just the little moments, I kept…thinking about you. The reason I chose my date was to have her distract me, and any time I wasn't with everyone, I went to her." Samurott lowered his head. "It was pointless. For these past couple of months, I couldn't get over you, in spite of knowing that you were happy. It was foolish and still coming after you, like at the dance, that was…I just couldn't control myself."
For a minute or two, I couldn't think of anything else to pry from him. My heart raced and my face was on fire. What made it worse was that, had I not been so adamant over Chesnaught, had the others not pushed me to him…I might have caught on to Samurott's feelings.
Taking a deep breath in and out, I asked, "What about now? Right now, even?"
Samurott tilted his head back up a little, still unsure of looking at me. "Once you leave, I'll figure out how to move on; it'll be easier when you're gone, I suppose." He paused and bit his lip. "If I'm being completely honest, I'm doing everything I can right now to not kiss you." I fidgeted in my position as he gazed back up at me, face flushed.
"That's…flattering, actually." He sucked in air and his shoulders grew rigid. "And I've never had anyone confess their feelings to me quite like that, so it's…you know." I swallowed the word "romantic," or anything near it, to which he nodded. "But…I can't really…I'm happy with Chesnaught, like you've assessed. So, I don't want to break up with him."
"And I don't want you to." Samurott dropped his shoulders. "It's not just some honor code thing, I understand that you and Chesnaught go really well together. So…I can't…I wouldn't want you two to break up." He let out a heavy breath of air. "Aside from that, I'm happy being your friend. You're one of the closest ones I've ever made, and it's not just because of a crush. Getting to know you these past months, I've really come to enjoy…well, you."
He forced a smile up and I did the same. "Thank you."
We walked to each other and embraced, a little tighter than I meant to. It would be the last time that we'd be together though, possibly for good.
But…what if we weren't? Would we ever be able to be together, as friends, if Chesnaught and I came back? Could I even consider holding Samurott again after this?
Slowly, we let go and backed away from one another, his hands lingering as they left me. Our eyes met and I could tell he wanted to go against everything he confessed. Something in there just gave a vibe that was filled with desire for me.
Instead of making another move, he smiled at me. "Keep Chesnaught alive out there, please. I already asked him to do the same for you." Blinking, I nodded. "And both of you watch out for Delphox, ok? He may be strong, but…well, I don't know what you'll run into, so all three of you better be extra careful." Again, I nodded. "Good. Uh, well, I…I'll see you in a bit, I suppose. See you off, one last time." And with that, he turned away, walking back out from the hall.
A good few minutes went by, as I stood there, silently, unable to fully process what had just happened. Shakily, I reached down and picked my pack back up. Calming myself, I walked to the door, only to have it open before I could grab it.
Typhlosion hurried in, noticed me, and quickly shut the door behind him. I placed my pack back down and sat against the wall as he walked to me.
"Getting comfy?"
"Well, you wouldn't have shut the door if this wasn't going to take a little while."
"Um…ok, yeah." Typhlosion plopped down in front of me and waited for a minute. "Uh, you have the time, right?"
"Not exactly, but this could be your last chance to…to…what do you need, exactly?"
"Let's start with me being curious about your relationship with Chesnaught!" Two months later and this is still the hot topic for the castle, possibly even the kingdom. "Now, I get that you two started after Chesnaught recovered from that bandit attack, but how'd you get him so interested in you?"
"Get him interested?" I scoffed. "You make it sound like I controlled his mind or manipulated his emotions to do it."
"In a manner of speaking…" Typhlosion grinned.
"We've barely started and I'm already annoyed with where this is going." I shook my head. "Is that your play Typhlosion? If so, should I bring up how we first met?"
"Flashy splashy tricks only work well so many times. But I digress." He straightened up and relaxed his shoulders. "Let's try this another way. Chesnaught wasn't initially interested in you, right?"
"Well—"
"Romantically, at least."
"I…suppose not."
"Ok, so…how did you get him to that level?" Confused, I tilted my head. "Oh, come on, Greninja. He wouldn't have fallen for you after a single rescue attempt."
"As far as I know, he did. Or…well, it helped."
"But you had to have caught his interest beforehand." Typhlosion scratched one arm with the other, studying me carefully. "You had done something to build that interest."
"If sparring counts, then I did that. We talked a few times beforehand." I sighed. "It was fast moving, it took us about a week, and then we were together."
"A week? That's it?"
"To get started, yes. We're still dating now." I folded my arms and glared. "If you're going to judge this from start to finish—"
"Wait, wait, I'm not…" Typhlosion waved his hands, but gradually let them fall. "Look, I just want to understand how you two have worked out so well thus far."
"Why?"
"Call me curious."
"Don't give me that." I stood up. "Either you tell the truth, or we're done here."
"Seriously?" Glaring, I reached down for my pack. Typhlosion dove on top of it to keep me from lifting it. "Ok, ok, ok! Just wait, I…uh…I wanted advice from you."
"Advice?"
Typhlosion stood up, but kept a foot on my pack. "Yeah. I was going to ask Chesnaught, but I…it's easier to ask you, or you'd explain it better, I guess."
"What kind of advice are you looking for, exactly?" He lowered his eyes and gave me an exasperated look. "Dating?"
"Duh."
"Weren't you the one to just point out how short of a time it's been that I've been dating?"
"Chesnaught's not your first though. And you're not his, right?"
"…No, but—"
"Then you've got experience!"
"And you don't?"
"Oh, I do, but…nothing quite…" He looked away, scratching his neck. "Nothing ongoing."
"Again, I'm not the best choice to ask." I paused and thought for a moment. "Personally, I think your best option would be either Escavalier or Accelgor."
"Uh, no, they're not." I gave him a perplexed face and he shrugged. "I'm not looking for experts on long distance."
"They've been married for four years, and dating possibly longer!" I threw my arms up in frustration. "If they're not a good pick, then no one is!" I paused and pondered that again. "Unless you'd like to try Nidoking and Rhydon."
"Right, the general who kept his feelings locked in since he was young and the king that was oblivious to them until after…" Even Typhlosion couldn't finish the last part. "They're no good either."
"I beg to differ."
"Fine, they might have helped you two, but I'm looking for…well…I don't know, someone who's dating, I guess…more recently, how about that?" He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, that's it! Someone from a couple where you're both on even ground and you've been in love and dating about the same amount of time, and you're both around one another constantly!"
"Typhlosion, there are all kinds of couples out there." I shook my head. "You can't create perimeters to measure love, or follow any singular example."
He stood quietly, and then nodded. His foot slid away from my pack and I lifted it up.
"Honestly, I can't give you good advice yet." I shook my head. "I'm still trying to keep my relationship developing."
"Yeah, I get it," he murmured. "But I just…how do you get someone to notice you, when they're not even thinking about you?"
"Well, don't force yourself onto them, but try to get closer." Typhlosion stared as I shifted my pack around. "Nidoking pushed me into getting to know Chesnaught more, and helped me recognize that it was beneficial to stay around him, to keep trying." A smiled worked its way onto my face. "Eventually, Chesnaught and I just spent enough time to…well, recognize each other, I suppose."
Looking up, Typhlosion smiled at me. But, it wasn't one of his usual ones, the toothy and mischievous grins; it was simpler, genuine.
"Did…does that help?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry." He lightly chuckled and knocked on his head. "That's…it was a sweet story. But, yes, that's helpful, and possibly what I'm looking for."
Shifting my pack again, I watched Typhlosion nod and move to the door, opening it for me. Hesitating, I walked over to it and nearly out it, but stopped.
"That can't be all."
"No, I'll try asking the general for his advice as well." He shrugged. "Maybe I'll learn something new from him, in time."
"You really might." I paused. "Oh, but I do strongly advise against burning dresses."
He winced. "It was a sneeze that got out of control." Typhlosion shook his head. "At least I won't be dealing with her again."
"Isn't this about Lopunny?"
"Not even close!"
Blinking, my eyes wandered as I thought about what we had discussed. "Then who?"
"It's a secret, for now." He winked. "You'll know, some day. After all, we need to have something to bring you back here."
I smiled back to him and walked out, as Typhlosion followed me. He stopped for a minute, and then hurried off, shouting about something else he needed to take care of. Shrugging, I turned and went downstairs.
[Chesnaught]
Staring at a portrait of past rulers, I spun about once I heard faint footsteps from the stairs. I hurried over to watch Greninja stroll down with a pack of supplies on his back. Quickly, I went to him and lifted it from him, just as he finished climbing down the stairs.
"Hey, thanks!" Greninja smiled and rolled his arms. "I did have it handled, though."
Weighing the pack, I shook my head. "This isn't that light. Why didn't you call for me?"
"You were getting weapons." He lifted his tachi blade and slipped it onto his back, eyeing everything that I had grabbed. "A good number of weapons, I see."
"Yep! Better safe than sorry, right?"
"Well…I suppose, as long as they don't slow us down much."
"Compared to you and Delphox, I'm slow enough on my own." Realizing that, my shoulders dropped. "Guess I'll be slowing you down either way."
"Nonsense." Greninja leaned up and kissed my cheek. "We'll be fine."
Glass shattered in another room. Greninja and I looked at one another before moving across the hall to the door on the left. He opened it and we peered in at the filled bookshelves as various aromas poured from the room.
We jumped aside as Delphox ran out, carrying his own bag of supplies. Gardevoir stormed out after him, firing a pink ball of light at him. He blocked it with a glowing barrier, which took the brunt of her attack.
"Why would you be such an imbecile and try to take all of those potions at once?!" Gardevoir's eyes were lit up, still furious.
"Sorry, I told you I was sorry!" Delphox gripped his staff tightly.
"That spell took weeks of preparation!" She rocketed another blast at him, which he blocked once again. "The last thing I needed was to be set back to square one!"
"I wanted to help you, ok?!" Delphox barked. "Damn it, Gardevoir, could you relax?!"
"No!"
"It's not like you'll have to deal with me for much longer—"
"Shut up!" She lashed out with a stronger attack, shattering Delphox's screen and throwing him back across the hall. "You don't get to use that against me! Don't you think that leaving me is ever going to help you, understand?! I will—"
"Gardevoir, easy." I tried to walk over to soothe her, but she froze my body in place.
"Don't you dare try to defend him!" She snapped. "All three of you are leaving me! Not one of you deserves any kind of—"
"Mercy?" Gardevoir jolted up at Greninja's voice. She spun about as he approached her. "Are we enemies now?"
Still angry, she shook her head and released me, but tightened her fists.
"This will be our last time together for a while," I added. "You're not going to let Delphox leave on a bitter note, are you?"
"Why shouldn't I?!" Her voice broke and she shivered. "I don't need any of you around. I'm the best spell caster that this Kingdom has ever known!"
"We didn't insinuate that you needed us," Greninja put in.
"Then why?!" Gardevoir cried out. More softly, she added, "Why can't I think of being here without any of you?"
No one answered her as she sank to the floor and pounded it with a fist. Greninja and I glanced at one another, unsure of what to do next.
"Gar." We turned to see that Delphox had walked back over and leaned down by his fellow mage.
"You…you do not get to use nicknames." She glared at him, teeth tightened. "From the first day we met, I offered to use those, and not once did you ever want to! No, you're not using it now!" She hit his chest once, and then again. Delphox flinched, but remained beside her. With a wail, Gardevoir flung her arms around him and sobbed into his shoulder. "I hate you! I hate you so much! And you better pray that we never have to meet and fight…because…because…"
"Because you'll kill me?" Again, she punched him, but he laughed. "Too soon?"
"How am I supposed to even think of that?!" Gardevoir wailed. "What happens if this goes south? What happens if they execute the three of you, or-or if they make you fight us? W-What do I do? I can't…I can't…"
Tears lined up in my eyes and I brushed them away. Greninja came over and pulled me to Gardevoir and Delphox, as the latter rubbed her back.
"It won't come to that," Delphox soothed.
"You can't promise me that!" Gardevoir cried.
"No, but I'll do what I can to avert it." He pulled back from her and smiled. "They're not our enemies yet. And once we're there, we won't become your enemies."
"And what if I never see you again?"
"If we become allies, you will."
They stared at one another and she slumped down. "You're not allowed to be the optimistic one. That's my role."
"You're right. So quit crying." She glanced up at his firmer voice. "If you're meant to see the best of things, then look for them. And you leave the worst of it to me, got it?"
Sniffling, Gardevoir nodded. Forcing herself up, she pulled the three of us in for a tight hug.
"What am I supposed to do without my friends?" She murmured.
"Keep the memories you have of us close?" I offered.
"He's right." Greninja smiled. "We might not be here, but the time we've spent together helped us all grow. So, keep us in mind."
Nodding, Gardevoir released us and waved a glowing hand before her eyes. The tears on her face floated away, but the ones in her eyes still welled up. Slowly, she exhaled and recomposed herself.
"That doesn't solve me being lonely around here." Gardevoir pouted. "Earl Gallade isn't always around."
"No, but we'll still be here."
We turned to see Samurott and Typhlosion walk over. Samurott placed his arm on Gardevoir's shoulder, while Typhlosion folded his arms.
"Though we don't know you like Delphox does, we'll still do our best to spend time with you." Samurott smiled. "And maybe you can teach us spells, or we could come up with something to help you."
"Make ourselves into warrior mages?" Gardevoir grinned, excited by the idea.
"Sure, and I can provide all of the fun comments that Delphox used to bring." Typhlosion snickered.
"Please, you'll never live up to my standards," Delphox huffed.
"He'll do." She smiled to Typhlosion, who turned away, but with a smirk on his face as well. "Now, we'll just search the Kingdom for a Grass type, and I'll have my trio back within my ranks."
Everyone laughed together as the doors from the Throne Room opened. General Rhydon stepped out, with King Nidoking in tow. We quieted down and bowed to them as they entered.
"Bah, none of that now," grumbled Nidoking, beckoning us to rise up again. "So—"
"The engagement bracelet!" Gardevoir jumped over to the General. "Let me see it!"
"Oh, s-sure."
General Rhydon blushed and held up his hand, with a golden bracelet secured around his wrist. Diamonds and emeralds were engraved into it. We moved in as Gardevoir examined it and bounced up and down excitedly.
"Aw, it looks beautiful!" She threw her arms around both of them. "Congratulations!"
"Thank you," the King and the General answered simultaneously.
"Is the wedding going to be soon? Please say yes!" Gardevoir pleaded.
"Um…w-well, we're still deciding," mumbled General Rhydon. Nidoking nodded in agreement.
"Ok." Gardevoir sighed and placed her hands on her hips.
"In a hurry to marry us off?" Nidoking laughed.
"Not exactly," she glanced quickly back at us.
"Ah, we'll invite them back, of course." Nidoking smiled at us. "In fact, as soon as you get invitations, you'd better clear up your schedules and be back here on the date!"
"Yes, sir," we responded together.
"Very good." His smiled faded and he exhaled deeply. "Well, thanks to that mage visitor from the ball, they'll be expecting you soon, so you'll need to get going."
Upon being reminded of him, my hand rubbed the top of my head. Solemnly, the three of us nodded and we all walked out the front door. No one was in the courtyard; presumably, they were either in the back or out training elsewhere. The three of us turned back once again. Nidoking and Rhydon sadly watched us, with the others behind them.
"So…goodbye?" Delphox waved slightly.
At first, no one responded. Then, General Rhydon walked over and pulled me into a big hug. Nidoking followed and pulled Greninja in with us. The others grabbed on as well, and we sat quietly for a few minutes, huddled together.
"If there were any other way…" Nidoking murmured.
Slowly, everyone let go and backed away. I exchanged looks with Greninja, then Delphox, and we nodded to them. Again, we turned away, and walked off from the castle grounds.
[Greninja]
Two hours passed since we had left Grass Fields Castle and beyond Eventide Forest. The trail led us along the open meadows of the kingdom, with the grass blowing in the occasional breezes that went by. Sun shined against fields of flowers and trees shifted as the wind went by. For a good portion of the trip, we had a clear view of the sky, which started at a lush bright blue with white clouds, but they began to fade into orange and purple colors.
With a contented sigh, I smiled. "It's beautiful out here, huh?"
"If you can concentrate on it, sure," murmured Delphox.
"Come on, Delphox, Greninja's trying to keep our spirits up." Chesnaught shot me a grateful smile and winked, to which I blushed.
"Sure, happy couple enjoying their new getaway," Delphox muttered.
"That's not fair, Delphox." Chesnaught folded his arms.
"No, you want to know what's not fair? Me being sent out here to play the third wheel." He tightly gripped his stick and glared at it.
"We're sorry for you, Delphox." I reached out and pat his back. The mage flinched at first, but relaxed after the first touch. "It's good to have you, though. Chesnaught and I would be doomed without any kind of magic."
"Yes…I suppose that's true." Delphox sighed and nodded as we continued along.
The further north we went, the colder the climate became. Soon, we reached a spot where the grass began to fade away, leaving only dirt. Far off in the distance, I thought I could see snow.
Chesnaught shivered and tried to hold his arms together. "Ooh, they d-didn't tell us that-that w-we'd hit the cold b-b-by nightfall."
"A little sooner, actually." Delphox lightly laughed, but then sneezed. He wiggled his nose and scoffed. "Stupid chill."
"With the two of you like this, we'd better find somewhere to stay for the night." I gazed around and spotted a fortress in the distance. "That could work as a nice spot."
"What? No way." Delphox shook his head. "If we go in there, we'll get attacked for certain."
"If we keep walking, we'll freeze one-by-one." Delphox raised an eyebrow at me. "Yes, I know we have to get used to the cold conditions, but not at night. That's a bad idea, and we're just as likely to get attacked, if not more so because of our weaker state. We don't know who resides on the outskirts of the empire."
Delphox huffed as Chesnaught nodded in agreement. "All right, we'll stay there."
"T-Then let's go already!" Chesnaught shuffled toward the stronghold, and we followed him.
It wasn't far and we made our way inside of the old structure. While there were some holes throughout the place, we managed to find a room on the second floor that was still enclosed, with a sturdy door and enough space to spread out a bit. Chesnaught placed our pack down while Delphox set down his bag.
With a whip of his wand, he was able to take out the blankets and cushions from his bag. I opened our pack and pulled the tools away as Delphox did the same for us, with a few of our clothes spilling out. Unfortunately for me, this included our swimsuits. Chesnaught grinned as I blushed, while Delphox quietly stared at them.
"…Seriously?" The mage shook his head and stared at me.
"H-Hey, there's likely to be water around the ice," I defended. "You never know."
"Sure, if you want your boyfriend to freeze to death, that's completely fine." I glared at him while he shrugged and laughed quietly.
"Speaking of, do you think we should get firewood?" Chesnaught rubbed his shoulders and stared at us. "It's still pretty cold, and considering the stones used to build this place, I don't think we'll burn it down too easily."
"True. All right, leave that to me." Delphox walked toward the door and opened it. "While I'm at it, I'll set up some incantations and protection spells, which should keep us safe for the night." He turned back to us and thought for a moment. "You two organize things." He pointed at the scattered clothes with his staff, and then walked off.
"Well, he's already a bundle of joy to travel with," muttered Chesnaught.
"He's just sour about being sent away from home." I sighed. "We all miss it, already."
Quietly, Chesnaught nodded and we moved around the room to put the clothes back into the pack. Playfully, Chesnaught grabbed my red swimsuit and twirled it around his hand, grinning at me. Rolling my eyes, I blushed and continued to put the clothes back into our pack. He helped me finish and we rearranged our blankets and pillows, pushing ours closer together and making sure we had distance from Delphox's, as well as enough space in the middle for our fire.
"There. Now he won't complain if we want to whisper to one another." Chesnaught kissed my cheek and I giggled.
With Delphox still out, we explored the fortress a little, venturing to nearby rooms. It wasn't a very large stronghold, and most rooms had wrecked shelves, chests, and dressers. Otherwise, the fort was deserted, and had been for a while. Each end of the building had a tower for the corners, and we gazed out the windows at an old hut in the distance.
Eventually, we returned to our sleeping quarters to wait for Delphox's return. I picked at the walls and sighed, while Chesnaught knocked on the stones, testing their durability.
"So, the ball was a lot of fun." Chesnaught laughed as he broke the silence.
I nodded and turned back to him. "Yes, it was a lot of fun. We need to go dancing again sometime."
"Hopefully the empire enjoys their festivities as much as we enjoyed ours."
After mulling it over, I nodded again. "Yeah. I'm sure they do."
Quietly, we waited for Delphox to walk through, but he didn't come. Waiting alone with Chesnaught was fine, but I didn't want Delphox to walk in on anything.
"Ah, how was Samurott?"
My eyes widened and I bit my tongue. Slowly, I stared at Chesnaught, who turned to face me. He looked a little confused, probably based on my reaction.
"Sorry, I assumed that he visited you before we left." Chesnaught shrugged. "He came by and made it clear that I needed to protect you." He chuckled. "As if I wouldn't do that."
Dread poured over me and I froze over what I would do next. Do I tell him the truth? About what Samurott had confessed to me, everything, do I…tell Chesnaught?
Part of me wanted to keep it buried, and to never admit that anything happened. It was my problem, and I could face it on my own. But…what if Chesnaught ever found out? If I tried to keep it from him, and then one day, somehow, he just learned of it…what then?
"Samurott and I talked actually."
"Oh? What about?"
"He…he confessed that he's, um…been harboring feelings for me." There wasn't a chance in the four kingdoms that I could keep this from Chesnaught, and I might as well tell my boyfriend myself. "He's, uh…actually felt that way almost as long as you have, minus the…the more satisfying results."
"So, he does love you." The tone in Chesnaught's voice held no surprise. "And you?"
"It was flattering to hear, but I…well, I turned him down. He was ok with it, I think, but he knew that we were happy together and…well, he wanted us together too." Chesnaught nodded, but looked horribly unconvinced. "By this point, he didn't have a chance, so it was…hard, but easier than I expected. I mean, I expected him to do something to me, but he…told me to look after you, and wanted me to be happy with you." Though that seemed to lighten Chesnaught's expression, he still seemed bothered by the information. "So…h-how do you feel?"
"A bit annoyed that I ever walked away from you, during the ball."
"Chesnaught—"
"I know, that's selfish, but I…well, Gallade made me think about it, and I guess…I guess Samurott makes me jealous." He shifted in his spot and glanced away from me.
"But…he doesn't have…I chose you." My head dropped and I suddenly regretted telling him anything. Somehow, I think he picked up on that and lifted my head back up.
"You're right. You did." He smiled. "And, past my own insecurities and…well, those are silly feelings to get hung up over. I'm really happy that you told me all of that. You didn't have to."
"It would've eaten me up if I didn't."
"Maybe, or maybe I would have been blissfully ignorant for years." He caressed my face. "So…picking me, after learning all of that…it's really strong of you. And thanking you doesn't seem like it would be enough." His hand slid around my face and he leaned a little closer.
"Wait." Chesnaught paused and I stepped back, whipping my tongue from my neck and letting it slip back into my mouth. "Ok, there."
"But…that's…you don't usually—"
"I don't. But, for you…I like to."
His beam made my heart pound as I went back into him and our lips pressed together. Chesnaught wrapped one arm around my waist and the other behind my neck. I slipped one between his back and his shell, with the other hand pulling his head into mine. Something about his lips against my bare ones made a kiss feel different, and I think it was special to him.
Briefly, barely, we parted to take a breath of air in. Quickly, we closed the gap again. This time, Chesnaught pressed his tongue against my lips and I parted them. He leaned into me and his tongue entered my mouth, rubbing against mine. I groaned as he pulled it over to his mouth, allowing my tongue inside. He moaned as let my tongue poke at his lips, still pressing against mine, and then his cheeks. Too soon, we pulled away from one another, gasping for air.
My eyes met his as I listened to our hearts hammer. Chesnaught rubbed my waist and kissed my face gently, repeatedly, as he fought between doing so and breathing.
"Relax," I giggled. "I'm not going anywhere else tonight."
"Doesn't. Matter." He pressed a kiss to my lips and lingered, but pulled away to let me breathe. "I just want you."
"You already have me." I laughed again as he rubbed his face against mine.
"Yeah, but I'll always want you." And I don't know if he was hung up over those words, but they resonated with me. "I love you, Greninja. I really love you."
"I love you too, Chesnaught. I do."
We moved closer to kiss again, but jumped as the door slammed. We turned to stare at Delphox, who leaned against the fort's nearest wall. His eyes lowered as Chesnaught and I slowly untangled from one another, blushing furiously.
"No, please, do go on." Delphox rolled his eyes as he walked back in and I did my best not to look at him.
Chesnaught, however, spoke up. "Look, Delphox—"
"Don't bother." He rolled his eyes, dropped the wood that he carried in, and set it ablaze. "Like you two could ever stay off of each other."
"Delphox—"
"It's fine, you're dating." He waved us off and flopped over on his bedspread. "Nidoking basically wanted you two to enjoy yourselves."
Silently, we walked over to our blankets and lied down together. Minutes flew by as Delphox grew quiet and we listened to the crackling fire. I sighed as I shifted my head against my pillow.
"Hey…I was thinking…" Chesnaught moved into me, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Maybe, once he's asleep…you and I could—"
"Oh, no, none of that." Delphox shot up and glared at us. "If I so much as hear you two make any moans or groans or…whatever else I shouldn't hear in the middle of the night, I'm going to burn you both to bits." He paused before he added, "And I don't care what type advantages Greninja has, I will find a way to make you pay."
Chesnaught and I exchanged bewildered expressions, both of us amazed that Delphox had heard us. Grinning, Chesnaught called out, "…So, if we're really quiet about it—"
"NO."
Delphox scowled until Chesnaught slid his body a little away from mine, but not completely. Satisfied, Delphox rolled over and went back to sleep. I turned around and wrapped my arms around Chesnaught.
"Next time, I suppose."
We laughed quietly and kissed each other again, as we held one another and drifted to sleep.
...
Phew, still hanging in there? Cool! (Pun intended.)
But yes, that'll be the end of the Grass Fields Kingdom, at least for now. They'll be back later though, so don't worry much about the folks over there. Instead, worry about the Kalos trio and their new adventure that's unfolding!
Still, a good number of readers wanted more from Samurott and a resolution to his relationship with Greninja. Bad news: it's not resolved. Good news: for now, it's under control. Also, love triangles are fun, but I wanted to address the whole "secret affair" idea and shove that out the window. Because really, how often does an affair ruin a couple's relationship in stories solely because it started simply and escalated into something ridiculous? It seemed really common to me, so I wanted to have a situation where the one who has a chance for an affair not only refuses, but actually admits to the instance to their beloved, in this case, Greninja to Chesnaught. Not to say that their relationship is all nice and safe, but…well, it's going to be a little harder. Plus, Samurott's not that crass. Anyway, that's all from the NinjaraiShipping (Greninja/Samurott), at least for the time being.
Along with that, I did want to develop Typhlosion's character just a bit, so now he has his back story fledged out more. See? He's not a total bully, once you get to know him better. And…poor Gardevoir, lost a bunch of her closest friends. (She's not good at long-term separations.) And still, Nidoking and Rhydon are not happy about sending their second favorite couple away. Oh, and Delphox. Sucks for him too. Yep. …Wait a minute. My DrillShipping! It's…gone. No! …Oh well, at least they're engaged.
But enough of that. Fortress and journey stuff! Actual, physical progress, yay! Now Sneakpast and Delphox are off and out in the world, on their way to the Iceberg Empire. What new things await them? And just how much more are Greninja and Chesnaught going to make out? (Spoilers: More, much more. Mwahaha! …This should please you, if you've read this far.) More fun to come from the next chapter, which will probably be shorter, but no promises.
That's all here. Comments and criticisms are welcomed, via review or message. Feedback gives me power to grant you this ship. Just saying. And since this is literally rivaling the last chapter, let me end it here. Can you believe that these chapters might actually be the same length? Because they really might be, which makes them both the longest. Thank you again for reading everything!