It was the second day this entire winter that the sun managed to shine through the clouds and cast its rays over Paradise. Only just, though. Ephemeral glimpses of light came and went every few minutes for spans of mere seconds at a time. Still, at least it was something.
The train station was far from bustling. It reminded Vallion of the day they visited Noe Port's station. Quiet and lonely, with only a few faces shuffling about while the train was prepared for its next tiny set of passengers. Everyone that planned to flee Paradise already had by this point. A week after the city nearly burned, travel seemed to slow to a halt, and probably would remain that way until spring came around.
"Come oooon!" Panne whined beside him, reclining over the heavy trunk of gold Alexander had shoved at them before they left. "Honestly! What makes it take so long? What are they doing in there that's so important that we have to sit out here for twenty more minutes?"
Vallion shrugged out his vines. "Could be trading out staff and conductors. Pokemon that work on trains need a break too, you know."
"Break?! Conductors go in a straight line all day and lean back in their big comfy seats! What kind of breaks are they taking?! I mean, I guess the engine room guys count, but geez!"
It wasn't much longer before things got moving again. Her impatience was rewarded when one of the officials started to usher passengers onto cars at the far end of the station. Panne hoisted up the chest with her telekinesis and the both of them went on their way. They had real tickets this time-nothing like the writ on the back of Alexander's letter. The Snorunt that beckoned for them to board took them for any other passenger, speaking aloud in a bored, official tone.
They came to the same barren cabins as before, built with minimal thought spared to comfort or luxury. Metal floors and uninspired upholstery and unpolished wooden surfaces. The two found a spot similar to where they sat last time, only with a chest full of gold across from them rather than the Master of Law himself. Panne simply refused to let it out of her sight, much less place it into an actual luggage compartment. With as few pokemon as were getting on, the space it took up didn't matter so much.
Another wait came as the train started to run through the process of preparing to depart, and perhaps hesitating for any latecomers. It was much warmer inside than it was out in the station itself, so there was little reason to fuss this time. The occasional sunbeam passed over the window that Vallion stared out of, showing him illuminated glimpses of his reflection. Exposure to months of harsh weather and stress clearly dropped his scales down a few hues closer to yellow. The huge healing bruise on the side of his face wasn't too flattering, either.
Panne grumbled as she shifted in the Serperior's coils. "God, can this take any longer? I just wanna go home already. I've spent way too long in this dump."
"Did you tell Floatzel we were coming back?"
She hummed in the negative. "Ampharos."
"...Did you tell Floatzel where we were at all?"
"Yeah, once a few months ago. I haven't called him at all since then, though. Just Ampharos. Except I called to say that we were gonna come back soon, and that was before the whole..." She waved her finger in a circle in the air. "You know. Before everything that happened. Since then I didn't really get a chance to call him back. So once news travels down there, I'm kinda expecting a very worried call."
"You know Ampharos still hates being the mediator between you and Floatzel, right? And did you really not think to call and tell them we survived Paradise nearly collapsing?"
"Well you coulda done it, too! You have your gadget back!" The Delphox threw her hands in the air. "I just don't like calling people is all, and especially now when I gotta be all reassuring that I'm not dead! Whatever, it's fine! We'll handle it when we get back!"
The Serperior sighed. "Oh, we're going to be handling something when we get back, alright. You just know Floatzel's gonna swamp us for the next six months over this."
"Psh!" Panne kicked at the trunk across from them with her good leg. "As if! We're coming with a year's worth of fucking profits or something! Or somewhere close to that, I guess. I've never really paid attention to that part. How much did he say this was all worth again?"
"I'm not sure. It's probably comparable to the crewed vessel he's sending us home on."
"Mm, I don't think- What?!" She whipped her head upwards to stare at him. "He didn't tell me anything about that! What the fuck?! Didn't you say you gave up your reward or something?!"
"Mhm. I did. That gold's the reward for the mission. The crewed ship was for saving his city. Alex managed to convince Master Flygon to give one up, since everything under Rusty Mountain Guild's name defaulted to him after all that paperwork got torched."
She leaned back into him. "Well shit! I mean, I'm not gonna say no to that! Even Pelipper's gonna be getting something out of this! Is he sure about all that? Doesn't he have a huge chunk of the city he should be saving up to rebuild?"
"I don't know," Vallion said, staring at the blue that peeked through a hole in the clouds. "I'm pretty sure Alexander's just clearing up his own conscience so that he can shoo us away and never have to see or think about us ever again."
"Hmph! Well good riddance, then!" Panne stuck her nose in the air. "Frankly, you'd have to pay me this much to ever get me to come back to this miserable shithole in the middle of winter ever again. Or make a damn good life-threatening argument."
A shuddering groan traveled through the framework of the train. A whistling hung in the air for several long seconds before tapering off into another short quake. Iron creaked and loose fixings jingled. The world started to lurch forward, and the city of Paradise inched by at a quicker and quicker pace. The station would soon disappear behind them for a sea of rooftops.
Vallion felt like he really ought to put the image out the window to memory. "You should be careful what you say, dear. You're going to jinx us. With all the talk of destiny that goes on around here, you should know how much it loves irony."
"...Ah damn. You're right. Maybe should have kept that one quiet, huh? Oh well. There's probably never gonna be a reason to come back, anyway. I'd certainly be content living the rest of my life and never getting involved in stupid, petty gang wars again."
"Panne."
"...FUCK! I did it again!"
He chuckled and nudged his cheek over the top of her head. She obliged his touch, but crossed her arms and started to pout all the same.
"Don't worry, I'm sure they'll cancel each other out." Vallion glanced out the window at the passing city before he closed his eyes and let the rhythmic vibrations of the car take hold.
...
Post District was a ghost of its former self. This was supposed to be the crown jewel of the city-the liveliest, most pleasant part of town all year round. Now, very few pokemon walked its streets for pleasure, and it would likely take months to heal the damage that Shardurr caused. For some, the pain would never go away. What's been taken can't be given back. There are pieces of Paradise that will never be replaced.
Still, it could maybe get better, with a little hope.
Linoone beckoned to her three children with an expectant hum and hurried to catch up with the knight who was assigned to escort them. The Excadrill had one arm in a sling, a singed cape on their back, and wasn't particularly talkative in the slightest. It wasn't hard to imagine why. Still, it made the silent walk through this depressed neighborhood that much more uncomfortable, and the kids were clearly starting to get antsy.
Another few minutes passed by before the Excadrill finally found the right place.
"Ah. Just up here," the knight said, peering at a distant street sign before continuing down a paved walkway.
"Why do we have to move?!" the youngest Zigzagoon started to complain. "I don't wanna! Did we run out of money again?"
"I wanna go to my room! I don't want a new room!"
"Ssh!" Linoone tried to gather the three children up, hushing them all the while. "Now, now. Don't make a fuss. We have to go, alright?"
The oldest child frowned and scuttled to the side. "I don't want to. I don't want to!"
"We have to." The mother tried to put on her best reassuring smile, but it felt flat even to her. The hardest part was having to hide her own feelings, and it was almost too difficult to bear. Almost. "Come on. Let's just see it, okay? Just for today. Then we can go home and I'll make lunch for us all. How does that sound?"
It took another half a minute of coaxing to get the three Zigzagoon to follow along. She muttered a brief apology to the Excadrill, who looked like they couldn't care less about how they spent the morning either way. They traveled further down that paved path and found themselves on some sprawling property, surrounded on both sides by the kinds of houses she had never even dreamed of living in. Ones she still didn't dream of. The nervous pinch in her gut was more than telling of that.
The Excadrill found a branch in the path and started down it. They came to a smaller house, but still one far from the word 'modest'. It was clearly built for a small species of pokemon to inhabit, yet unlike their previous residence, the objective wasn't to cram as many pokemon into as small a space as possible to maximize profits. It was practically a manor compared to that.
"Uh-" Linoone started to say as they approached the low front door. "Excadrill, sir. Um. I don't know what this relocation is all about, but I think there must have been some mistake. There's no way I can afford this place, even monthly. I'm out of a job until the spring at least, and we don't have a breadwinner anymore, and…"
"Miss Linoone, you misunderstand," the Excadrill cut in. "There won't be any further payments. The deed to this house is yours from this day on. If you like, you can go down to the property offices and see the paperwork for yourself. Master Alexander signed them yesterday morning."
"He- he what?"
"Why don't we just step inside, Miss Linoone?" The knight beckoned to her and pulled out a key from around their neck to unlock the door.
She still hadn't fully absorbed what had just been said as she followed along. A polished hardwood entryway led into plush grey carpeting as everything opened up on the inside. The luxury of the place was immediately apparent, even just in seeing the particular way the walls were painted, or that everything was painted at all. A set of stairs off on the side of the open space before the kitchen led up to a second floor.
"I know it seems a bit barren now," the Excadrill went on to say, seemingly unimpressed with the space. "We'll get some moving crews going to bring your belongings from your old house up to here. It should only take until tomorrow, but you know how things are right now."
"Look!" One of the Zigzagoon shouted, running off past them towards the stairs. "It's so…Tall!"
"Wait wait wait let me see!"
"Me too!"
Before Linoone could so much as gather her breath, the three Zigzagoon went barrelling up the stairs and disappeared up a floor, their rapid footsteps like rain above their heads. The dull echo of their laughter traveled through the house. It was a sound she hadn't heard since...
"There has to be something I'm not getting," Linoone breathlessly added. "I- Even if this place belongs to me, how are we supposed to afford living here in Post District? There are taxes! Food prices here are even worse! And I still don't have a job until- until-!"
The Excadrill cleared their throat. "From what I understand, Miss Linoone, you're set to receive regular welfare payments each month. You'll have to forgive me, I don't know why it is you're getting this treatment, only that you are. Oh, that reminds me. I'm supposed to tell you about the local school, aren't I?"
"Th…"
"Ah, what was that all, again? What an awful laundry list to dump on me." They scratched their head with their only non-broken arm. "I believe this package deal came with your kids being enrolled in Post District's institution, but I didn't get any more details than that. You'll have to speak to the supervisor of education about it. You got until spring before classes start up again, so you have plenty of time to sort that out. Now, was there anything else I was forgetting? Hmm."
She was at a loss for words. The letter she'd been sent a few days earlier didn't say anything about any of this. The Linoone just stood there, eyes slowly panning around the room, utterly stunned at everything that was happening. The disbelief couldn't have run deeper. And yet, this wasn't a dream. This nightmare she felt like she's been trapped in for so long had twisted into something so sickly sweet that it felt even less real.
"...Nope, I think that was it."
The Excadrill adjusted their cape with a huff and started towards the door, shooting a brief wave behind themselves. "Well anyway, I've done my part already. There's a thousand other things waiting for me today. Contact the office if you need anything more, won't you? It's a bit down right now, but feel free to explore your new neighborhood as you please. Oh, and watch for the movers."
Hanging the key up by the door, they left and shut it behind them, shuffling away until their footsteps faded into the silence. This was real, right?
The cacophony of three giggling Zigzagoon tripping over themselves and crashing down the carpeted stairs filled the void. The eldest came right up bearing the first grin Linoone had seen on his face since his father died.
"Mama! You should see upstairs! It's so tall, and- and they got enough rooms that I can have my own! Can I have the one with the blue walls? Can I? Can I?"
"Hey, I wanted that one! You can't have it!"
"Mama! Mama! I saw a heater up there! We have a heater now!"
It struck her all at once. The floodgates behind her eyelids were practically blasted open after keeping them barred for so long. Against the protests of the three Zigzagoon, she gathered them up and tried to embrace them, struggling not to break out into an ugly sobbing. Only the youngest actually obliged in the hug, but she didn't care anymore. It was as though a haze was finally parting, and a light was shining down on them all.
Oh, my dear. Oh, honey. If only you knew how much it mattered. If only you were here.
...
The king of Paradise trudged down a snow-covered path. The sunken impressions of past footfall were all that gave away that there was a path there in the first place. On the outsides of the footprints were lines drawn from wagon wheels that had passed through not more than a few hours prior. Just ahead and around the corner, Reinhardt could see large tents erected in the courtyard in front of the medical ward.
The two honor guards he passed on his way into the first tent shot him a pair of hurried salutes. Rows of cots lined a makeshift canvas floor, filled with the pokemon who overflowed from the hospital proper. He was struck with a savory smell right away. Must've been lunch time already.
Right on the money, Lilligant was across the way, passing a steaming bowl of soup to a bedridden Machop. It wouldn't be until the queen was halfway back to the pot before she noticed her spouse had walked in. She gave a hurried wave to him before she shuffled over to the pot and exchanged a flurry of hushed words with the Quilava that was keeping the fire that kept the soup warm. After that, she rushed back over to him.
"That Audino keeping you busy?" Reinhardt said.
"There's always more to do," Lilligant sighed, her eyes at least smiling. "But it feels good to be doing something, anyway. I don't think I could stand being cooped up in that palace any longer. And besides, I still owe Moony my life."
"Most of his followers do." He scratched at his beard. "Where's our little monster at, anyway? Terrorizing Alex during his appointment, I imagine?"
"He makes a good babysitter, you know. Come on. I know you came to check up on the both of them. I have a few minutes I can spare, too."
After Reinhardt delivered the briefest of kisses to her forehead, they made their way out the heavy flaps of the tent and were met with another few salutes. Their destination was further down the row of makeshift clinics nearer to where the many wagons of the caravan were parked and unloaded. Most of the tents themselves were made of contrasting materials or were shaped differently from one another, but the one at the very end was clearly the most important. It looked like something out of a storybook, with tall spires of tapering fabric like a makeshift castle.
The mood inside was a whole different story. Tall barriers woven of reeds were unfolded throughout the entire area, forming the impression of hallways and individual rooms despite the open ceiling above. It was exceptionally busy between the dividers, the two of them having to slip past much of the traffic as a low chatter filled the air. He tried to remember which one Alexander was supposed to be in, but it still took some asking around after all.
The Serperior was stowed away behind one of the reed walls. A small table in the corner held a glass of water, a few sheets of paper with a dozen intelligible scribbles, and a single lonely candle. Alexander was coiled up beside a wadded-up blanket, extending a vine downwards for a young Chespin to chase after.
Reinhardt felt a smile crawl across his face. "Now that's a good look. Feeling better there, uncle Alex?"
Alexander immediately withdrew his vine and mustered up his composure. The Chespin didn't care much, stumbling off in the direction of his waiting mother instead.
"Rein, please. You know I hate it when you call me that."
Lilli giggled as she scooped the child into her arms. "Oh, don't pretend like it doesn't fit. You two get along so nicely."
He rolled his eyes. "He's the only child I've seen that doesn't look at my scars and thinks I'm some sort of ragged monster. That's all."
"The little one's a good judge of character," Reinhardt said, running his huge palm over the Chespin's head. "He'll come to need it, that's for sure. What's the verdict, Alex? Everything healing nicely?"
The Serperior drew his right vine and frowned, the new flesh especially thin and pale. "Well. The vine is coming along acceptably, anyway. But those always do. Moony didn't seem too pleased with the rest of me. He had to leave for another patient before he could scold me on it."
"It's a busy time for all of us," Lilligant said with a shake of her head. "I have to get back to my work. I can't be gone for too long. Here. Stay safe, love." She handed off the Chespin to Reinhardt in an impromptu embrace, waving the both of them off as she hurried out of sight.
The child stirred and whined in the absence of his mother. Reinhardt tried his best to calm his son, but it seemed that his arms just weren't the same. The Chespin eventually wiggled free and ran off to hang from Alexander's vines some more.
A few minutes later, an Audino walked into the makeshift hospital room. They dusted off their winter coat and gave an exhausted sigh, regarding the Chesnaught with a slight smile. Hanging from their neck was a strange mechanical amulet that held a circular stone in its clockwork center, the gem gleaming an array of pastel pinks in the candlelight.
"Good afternoon, Reinhardt," Moony at least tried to put a positive inflection in his voice. The effort was certainly there. "You're looking a bit worse for wear since I last saw you. Lilli told me you were doing fine, though. Your son's certainly the bill of health."
The Chesnaught nodded. "Thank goodness for that. We did worry a great deal about him growing in this climate, and with him being born so close to winter, too. I'm relieved to hear everything's going okay."
"Well…" the Audino's already soft-spoken voice was nearly unintelligible. "Your son is fine, yes. Alexander, I hate to say, has done no favors for himself since we last met. And not just from the fighting! I can tell you haven't been taking care of yourself day-to-day, either!"
"I've been running a kingdom," Alexander replied, letting the Chespin wander off towards the edge of the mat he was laying on. "Healthier lifestyles don't tend to lend themselves towards a country's longevity. I don't have time to worry about-"
"Hush now!" Moony raised a finger. "That excuse has never worked on me. A mighty oak is only as lively as its roots. I understand that crooked vertebrae pinch at your nerves and cause you to be sick in the mornings, but that is no excuse for eating so little! You're practically scales and bones! And that's not to mention your sleep schedule!"
"Oh, not again."
"Yes again!" the Audino huffed. "You didn't listen to my advice at all! Cresselia's wings, Alex! I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but with the way you've been living, there was a reasonable chance you could've died of a heart attack before anything else last week. And that's not to mention your actual injuries. It's a miracle you made it through the kind of ordeal you did with the state you were in."
Reinhardt bit his lip. "But he made it, right? We're past the worst of it?"
A sad expression passed over Moony's face. "I'd love to say you have, but I just don't know that yet. We can be optimistic, but I know this for certain: if you continue living the way you were, Alexander, you will be gone before you see next winter."
"...Hm." Alexander glanced off towards the prince.
"We can work with that, at least!" said Reinhardt. "There are plenty of ways to lessen the load he has to bear. He doesn't have nearly enough assistants to help with his work, for one. And the council of judges could easily handle some extra responsibility. Maybe I could-I don't know-move some things around in the power structure? Is the legislation young enough to do that still?"
The Serperior just shook his head to it all. "Rein. You know I appreciate it, but we both know that's not how it would work. You've been trying to do all that for years now. What's the earliest you can find a replacement for the Master of Law position?"
"Oh Alex. Come on. Don't even joke about that. If it ever came to something so drastic, I would physically tie you down to stop you from working."
"I'm being very serious, Reinhardt. I need you to find a replacement as soon as possible. I'm formally retiring."
"You're reti..?" Realization slowly dawned on the Chesnaught's face, from realization to disbelief, all the way up until a huge, goofy grin covered most of his expression. No amount of bandage wounds or broken bones could stop him from closing in and bringing the Serperior into a hug.
"Hey hey hey! Watch the- Ow! Rein, knock it off!"
"Oooh, thank Kyurem! I knew you'd come around!" The Chesnaught reluctantly pulled back, but kept kneeling to stay at eye-level. "That's what I've been saying you should do all this time! Hollow knows you've worked enough for three lifetimes already!"
He averted his gaze to the corner of the room. "Two lifetimes if you wanted to be literal."
"However many! I know you'll hate having so much free time, but hopefully you'll get used to it and finally start to relax, huh? And I'm sure the little one's going to love your company. I would join you, but it's certainly going to be a while before the sprout gives me my turn, huh?"
The Chespin had gotten bored of tumbling around in the wad of blankets and seemed more interested in what his father was so excited about. Reinhardt picked him up and let him hang from his fingers, the child demonstrating a surprisingly strong grip. It was clear where he'd got it from.
Alexander gazed on, tongue idly rolling in his mouth. It still didn't seem to feel right saying it. "Frankly, it would've been much easier just to work myself to death. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself, or how to stop worrying about Paradise."
The Audino took one last glance at the papers on the little table and sniffed. "It's certainly for the best, Alexander. Don't try to compress the rest of the time you have. It's a beautiful world. Even a life as long as yours must seem too short, but don't worry about the work you're leaving behind! I'm certain you can still make the most out of every second if you try!"
He blinked at the Chespin with wide, crimson eyes, attempting to wrestle with what he was trying to save so much time for in the first place. The Chespin blinked back and smiled.
"Maybe," Alexander finally came to say. "I suppose we'll just have to see, won't we?"
...
West District was done for. Every able-bodied and willing guard that remained after the battle for Paradise came down on it with every ounce of impunity and wrath the Order could muster. With the revolution doused and the people slammed back into their place, there was little resistance left to meet them. Fragments of the once-massive gang were swiftly snuffed out or betrayed by former allies.
It was clear as the blue that poked through the clouds. Shardurr was no more. Paradise had waken to see the next morning, having fought off its fever.
Very few shady pokemon dared to walk West District's streets nowadays. There was little else they could do in the fallout of their leader's defeat but hide away and wait for their time to come again. No petty theft too bold to get away with. No brawl or conflict worth staying in when the guards arrive. It wasn't clean, but it was calmer. Quieter. For now.
A Hypno refused to make eye contact with a pair of knights as they dragged off some hapless official who was once someone important in Shardurr's hierarchy. The psychic type refused to so much as glance at anybody for that matter, their heightened pace barely below a jog. They made their way into a part of town that was much forgotten even by the criminals who inhabited it. A corpse of a neighborhood left by the city's rapid expansion.
The Hypno came to a decrepit bell-tower and glanced around to make sure no one was watching. They leapt up and scaled the side of the wall with ease, their limbs moving in far more flexible ways than should be possible. They made the second ascent up the tower itself with a similar dexterity, as if it was something they had done dozens and dozens of times before, all up until they came to the bell's housing at the top. A shimmering surrounded them, and like a shroud falling away, the Zoroark shed his illusion.
"Fucking bastards. They got another one while I was walking back."
Beyond the rusted bell and sitting on the opposite ledge was a Swellow with peculiar green feathers, who responded with a clack of his beak. "It figures. There's not much we can do other than wait for the worst of it to pass. Any news?"
The Zoroark took the bag that was slung over their shoulder, previously hidden beneath their illusion, and threw it in the corner with the rest of the pilfered goods. "They're releasing a bunch of pokemon that were thrown into jail before the attack. I think they're making room for all the ones they're catching that were actually involved in it all."
"Hmph. Well, at least not all the news you bring me is bad."
"I'd hardly call a bunch of idiots with dust bunnies rattling around in their skulls getting shoved back out into the streets 'good news'." Zoroark put his arms behind his head and spat off down the derelict stairwell, wandering over to the ledge that the Swellow sat and leaning out over the view. "We're down shit creek, Freak. This really ain't good. It don't matter if we're the new leaders of a gang if that gang doesn't exist anymore."
Freak ruffled his feathers, plucking a few more loose ones to add to the dozens that littered the ground behind him. "Oh, there's more than enough infrastructure left, Z. All the underworld has just collapsed under its own weight, but it hasn't simply disappeared like the airheads in the tower might believe. It's just empty. The Family. Shardurr. Rusty Mountain. They're all gone, and that leaves us a very convenient place to slide in without any fuss."
"Yeah right. Easier said than done," the dark type scoffed.
"Well it won't happen overnight."
"I'm just trying to survive this, man! How many nights do we got before the city figures out how to crack down on us! And we wouldn't even be in a situation like this if you hadn't done the whole 'crossroads' thing and let the one pokemon that could stop Chenza free! Is this really supposed to be our reward for doing Kyurem's work?"
The Swellow gave a low chuckle and settled even deeper into his perch. "Do you not believe that it's a good one?"
Zoroark groaned. "It's a fucking mess is what it is! You actually buy that this is a good thing? We were this close to literally ruling the city, and this is supposed to be the better outcome?"
"And rule we shall," Freak nearly sang the words. "But not from the summit of the mountain. Fate wasn't mine to control in the first place, but now that we're here in tomorrow, there are plenty of blessings waiting for the faithful. Now, the future is open to us. It's a fresh start. A chance to rebuild what Chenza rendered broken."
"Uh-huh." The Zoroark's face slid even further down closer to the wall. "And how do you intend on starting any of it? You're starting to sound like you've finally thought of a game plan or something."
He shook his head. "I wouldn't go as far as to claim that, though I've certainly been thinking. Vallion did spare three of my brothers after all, didn't he? There's a low chance they might show me the respect I deserve now that mother is out of the picture. Perhaps The Family will rise again, hm? Do you think The Patriarch has the same ring to it?"
"Oh fuck off. I'm not calling you that."
Another half-silent chuckle disappeared into the wind. "Just a thought, Z. Just a thought. We just need patience for now. The Hollow rewards those who believe in their fate. One day you'll see."
...
Thud
The last folder to drop into the metal bin was the heaviest yet. A mess of papers shook loose from the impact and slid halfway out of the folder, covering the rest of what was at the bottom. Nibby wheezed from the exertion as he stared down into the trash can from the edge of his desk with the slightest apprehension in his stomach. Then, he took in a deep breath, and bathed the contents in a steady stream of blue flame.
He could only keep it up for a few seconds before sputtering out into a terrible coughing fit. A sharp pain wracked his lungs, but he looked down and saw that the papers had easily caught, bright blues shimmering off only the tips of the flames and returning to a steady yellow near the bottom. Still recovering, he watched the history shrivel up and turn to ash, wisps of smoke floating up and curling on his ceiling.
Even that note turned black. The jagged 'S' disappeared underneath the dancing lights, soon becoming nothing but a memory to fade into the back of his mind forever. Nibby kept watching until the embers died out and the smoke faded away, as if afraid that the process would revert itself if he so much as looked away.
Now, he was clean.
The Noibat blinked at the bottom of the bin for a few minutes longer than he needed to. Then, shuddering out his wings, he took to the air and made way for the door. Smoke escaped out the top of the frame as he exited and perched on the railing. A bit of sun poked through the clouds and egged him on. With a sigh and a hollow feeling in his chest, he took flight over East District.
He did feel lighter, in a way. The action of flying itself certainly wasn't any easier with his lungs the way they were right now, but maybe it just wasn't as bad to be in the air. It didn't matter who saw him up here anymore. He could fly over any rooftop he wanted, or visit anywhere in the city he pleased. Not right now, though. He had somewhere to be right now.
Over the wrought-iron fence of the cemetery the Noibat went. The air became heavy the very moment he started to pass over graves, as in the distance he noticed new expansions being dug out of the frozen ground. Funerals to be had, funerals in progress, and funerals already recently passed. Shardurr had taken so many lives. Still, these were only the ones lucky and wealthy enough to be buried somewhere nice. There were still so many more gone than this.
Nibby landed on Lucario's grave with that thought stuck in his head. He brushed off the snow and found a decent spot to settle though, huffing from even a flight as short as that. There he sat for a while, just waiting for his breath to return. Or waiting for the spirit of his company to notice him. If she was even here at all.
"Hey," Nibby spoke aloud to the wind. "I thought I'd stop by for a visit. Sorry, I know it's been a while. A lot's happened in the last few weeks. I suppose you probably know about it, even from where you are, huh? You always were pretty sensitive about spiritual things. I'm sure you felt when it hit. When Shardurr died trying to break the city."
A whistling breeze answered him, wafting through the rows of graves and tombs.
"I'm fine. I made it out easy. Way too easy, I'd say, but somebody told me not to take it for granted. You've already met her-that Delphox I brought here. I still think you'd like her. I shudder to imagine the kinds of trouble the two of you stir up that you'd drag me into." Nibby exhaled slowly and waited for the silence to roll by.
"We saved a lot of pokemon that night. Well, she did, anyway. I was doing much less saving and much more pointing out people that needed saving. I guess heroism was always something a little too rich for my blood. I'm no savior. I'm just a Noibat with an oversized office. I like to think that you would've been proud of me, at least."
He glanced down at the headstone. The inverted text carved into the rock stared back at him. The snow was low enough that he could see the passage today.
"Can you believe it's over?" he said. "Paradise is a fate-forsaken mess, but it's freer than it's ever been. It's also half-empty, since a good deal of the pokemon that fled during the fighting probably aren't coming back. They say it'll all fill back up in the summer, though. I'll have plenty of work for sure."
Nibby stretched his neck up towards the sky and frowned. "The king offered me a knighthood for what I did that night. I turned him down."
He waited, almost expecting a shout of disbelief to travel through his ears. Of course, nothing happened.
"Don't get mad. I know you would be if you were here. I just didn't want to leave behind what I had, you know? Whatever land Reinhardt could give me just wouldn't be the same as our dingy little office. And besides, I know I'm supposed to be trying to not take this outcome for granted, but I definitely can't accept something like that! I'm not even close to deserving it. Maybe someday I'll consider it, I suppose, but for now…"
Another hole in the clouds shined down on him. It was only there for a few seconds before another shadow passed over him, but he still felt the warmth that briefly soaked into his scales. And even after it passed, he still saw the bright blue of the sky just beyond it.
"I guess I just want something like we had. I don't know. I've been in the business long enough. Maybe I'll take up an apprentice now that there's not a dagger at my throat. I'm not saying I could ever hope to replace you, but who knows? I'm not so defenseless or clueless anymore. I should be pretty close to maturing into a Noivern any day now. My tail's started coming in already."
Talking to someone who wasn't there was pretty tiring, apparently. Holding the conversation was enough to make the Noibat feel winded. He stepped back onto the center of the stone and found a comfortable enough spot on the curve to settle down. Bold of him to assume that she was listening in the first place. The dead are the dead.
"I don't know."
The branches of nearby trees rustled and scratched together in the breeze. By the time spring rolled around, they'd be green with new leaves and bustling with sound. The flowers would bloom for a few weeks just before summer hit and cover half the cemetery in dozens of colored petals. Just the thought that those times were always going to come back around made the gloom of winter seem a little more bearable.
"I'm looking forward to the future," he muttered in a hushed tone, as if whispering a secret into a friend's ear. "It's kinda strange. I don't think I've felt this way in a long time. I'm almost scared to get my hopes up at all. Maybe I'll try it, though. Just this one time."
Nibby closed his eyes and let the next sunspot wash over him.