I wake up with a shiver and out of breath. I sit up and open my eyes wide, staring at the dimly lit walls of the room in the early morning sun. It was a nightmare of some sort, and the only thing I remember is that it is related to the illusion. But this is something better forgotten.
My breathing slows as my attention turns to the two sleeping beside me. Phendrene lies neatly on her side, her tail off the edge of the bed. Rue is scrambled across her bed, but at least she isn't snoring. The sight of those two calms me and turns my focus to this world.
I shuffle my legs off the bed and glance at the window. There's a speck of the sun over the horizon already, so I suppose it's pointless to try to sleep again. Sighing, I stand up and wonder if I should head outside for a morning flight to occupy myself. Somehow, for the first time, I find myself not really feeling like it.
Turning around, I note the door to Fen's room and remember that I haven't seen him yet. Though they may have told him of my return, I should still greet him. I approach the door, but before I knock I hesitate. The hour is rather early. What if he hasn't woken up yet? It would be rude to wake him up, considering that he doesn't like me a lot.
"Don't move."
There is a sudden grip from behind on my arms. It takes a moment to notice that it is Rue's voice, and that she has her tusk against my neck.
I tell myself to stay calm and assess the situation. What is it that she wants? Did she lose her memory again, and find a stranger when she woke up? Perhaps. But I can't risk her attacking and injuring me. So I close my eyes and with a light concentration, try to teleport outside…
However, she seems to sense it and her grip tightens, making me unable to separate us. "Aha! So you are back to steal the children. Good thing I'm a light sleeper."
My heart quickens as I lose my cool. "What? No, why would I do that?" I stay completely still, afraid of her sharp tusk. "Let me go!"
"What is it?" Phendrene's sleepy voice sounds. "Rue – why are you holding Nova like that? Stop it!"
I hear the Charizard's footsteps approach, but Rue immediately returns, "Phendrene, stay out of this. Did you forget what he did last time?"
A silence ensues, and I take the opportunity to wriggle an arm out of Rue's grasp and immediately force her away from me, pushing her back as she falls over with a yelp. Out of breath, I stand with my back against the door and my arm outstretched as she sits up and glares at me.
"I will not hesitate to injure you if you try to take the children," she spits and pushes herself upright. Phendrene is just at the side, looking away.
"Why do you think I am trying to take the children?" I return, trying to remember my motive for doing it in the first place. But thinking of having children brings back the memory of the illusion. "I don't even want children anymore," I say without thinking.
"What? Why?" Phendrene's attention turns to me as she walks over. I don't gather the will to push her away and she places her paw on mine. "Are you all right, Nova? You seem upset."
"I'm going flying," I say defensively and shake Phendrene off, and then speed towards the door.
Neither of them stop me and I manage to escape and spring up into the sky. The familiar exhilarating breezes flow past my skin as I close my eyes and savour the freedom. Yes, these are the feelings that I once enjoyed about flying, and they are the same. But I gradually realize what it was that made me less interested in flying. Somehow, after feeling the euphoria of romantic love, these other feelings that I once treasured don't feel valuable as they once were.
You are so silly, Nova. Remember when Rue was still a Fraxure? You and her were standing right here, above this cliff, affirming each other's notions that we should never fall in love. Oh, how times have changed…
"Nova!" I'm surprised that it is Rue who came out to find me. I'd have expected it to be the Charizard. She waves a fist at me. "Get down here. We need to talk."
I obey her orders and land next to her carelessly, sending a gust of dust up. "What is it?" I say in a neutral tone. "Are you going to warn me to never return?"
"What's with the attitude?" She crosses her arms and leans on the door. "You're the one that tried to steal them in the first place."
"And I don't want to anymore," I say and close my eyes. "I'm done with wanting to be a parent."
I sense Rue about to give some fanciful retort when someone knocks on the door from inside. "I need to talk to Nova."
"Zeta, we're in the middle of something," Rue answers. "Can't it wait?"
"I'm afraid not," the other Flygon answers calmly.
I expect Rue to retort with a sarcastic insult or something, but she simply moves out of the way and lets Zeta out. As he opens the door, he asks me, "I suppose you'd rather talk about it in private?"
"Yes," I answer swiftly. "And I need to show you something, too. Come." I turn and present my back to him.
As Zeta climbs onto me, Rue's mouth twitches, as if she wishes to comment on how stupid it is that he needs to be carried as a Flygon, but ultimately doesn't.
With a surge of speed, I lift off and within moments I am on the rock that she used to smother the illusion. As my shoulders relax, Zeta gets the hint and jumps off without a word.
"I assume that's her blood?" Zeta begins as he points to a patch of red on the edge.
"If by her you mean the legendary, you would be correct." I try to remain impartial in my wording and tone. "I thought I saw the Flygon's blood under the rock… but it was not real."
"Ah, the illusion," he answers with an understanding smile. "The legendary crushed the illusion under this rock." He pauses for a moment and takes my silence as a confirmation that he is right. "And then you attacked her for toying with your emotions."
"You're quite perceptive."
"I'm certain many others could figure out what had happened from the information you had provided," he responds and turns towards the cliff. "I suppose you would like to keep this secret from the others?"
"It is less that I wish to hide, and more that I do not want to relive it again," I answer and breathe in deeply to keep my emotions in check.
"I would have believed the psychic Flygon would be more or less immune to such feelings," he says with a small, almost disdainful smile.
Upon hearing his words, I turn around and look away, unsure what to say. I feel a mix of embarrassment and annoyance as I grit my teeth. This is why I want to hide it.
He taps my back with a blunt claw. "Regardless of what you feel, I do need to return to Lyrl. I did help you figure out what was going on with her, right?"
I turn around to his calm face. This was our agreement, but… "Actually, I was hoping you'd stay." Even though he can be insensitive.
He pauses for a moment. "Perhaps sometime later," he answers in that neutral tone. "I'd rather not have my parents worry, and I still need to monitor the state of Lyrl. After all, my goal was not to harm their health."
If he leaves, I won't have anyone to discuss Latias with anymore. I know I would not be this comfortable discussing these matters with someone less objective. But I can't force him to stay.
"Fair enough," I concede. "I'll teleport you over there. It will be quick."
He gives a grateful nod. "I hope it won't be too taxing on you."
"I don't expect to use my powers much in the following days anyway. It's the least I could in return for your help." With that, we hold our paws together, and a few seconds of concentration is all it takes for us to appear back in Zeta's room.
"Wow, it's much warmer," he comments and looks around. "I'm still amazed at how your psychic abilities really work."
I watch him as he sits down in his chair and starts his device. "So, is there anyone for me to contact you from my side?" he asks as his fingers begin working on what he called a keyboard.
I mull over the possibilities, but there seem to be none. "I don't think so. How about I come to visit you every week or so? There's another place I'd like to bring you," I tell him, thinking of Porygon-Z. I've wanted to introduce them to each other ever since I was a child, but circumstance robbed me of any opportunity.
"Hm, I'm not sure I can disappear weekly – but even if I can't, you're welcome to stay here," he answers as he continues typing. I'm surprised he can multitask this well. "I'm always alone, and my parents never come to my room, so it's safe to teleport here."
"Okay," I answer, a bit bothered by his lack of attention on me. "I'll leave you to your work, then?"
"Sure," he says as he turns his head back momentarily. "I'll see you, then."
I give him a nod. "Bye," I utter before closing my eyes and concentrating on the return teleport. Within moments a gust of cold wind hits me as I stand outside the familiar cave.
"We thought you disappeared again," Rue's voice sounds from behind, and I turn around to find her standing with Phendrene, who seems out of breath.
"What are you two doing out here?" I ask. "It's awfully cold."
"To you, maybe," Rue snorts. "I was trying to convince her to not go looking for you again. That problem solved itself quickly," she says dismissively before marching back into the room.
Phendrene is silent as she follows me inside and we close the doors shut. Rue is already sitting on her bed, reading a book, not even eyeing us as we shut the door. Yes, that's the Rue I know all right.
But I look back and gaze at the Charizard who has been acting unlike herself. She senses my gaze and avoids it, almost as if she is shrinking back. I remember her words of comfort last night, and feel that I have an obligation to her. So I approach her and take her by the hand. "Are you okay, Phendrene? You seem a little anxious."
She tenses a little at my touch. "Sorry, I just…" she trails off as she lets out a sigh. "Sometimes I feel that you don't care, Nova. That you just keep on leaving without a word." Immediately as she finishes, she seems to regret speaking out as she shakes her head and runs over to her bed and leaps onto it, burying her face downwards into a pillow. "Forget about it."
"Hey, it's all right," I tell her as I sit down next to her. "I'm sorry that I made you worry so much, Phendrene. It's just that there's been a lot of things happening… and sometimes I don't think straight."
"When do you think straight anymore?" Rue loudly takes over before Phendrene can react. "I swear ever since Vie" – she stops herself with a breath – "ever since Hale left you've been super secretive. You don't tell us anything and keep to yourself." She raises her head from the book to give me a serious look. "It's not nice, you know."
I'm unsure of how to respond as Phendrene lies there. "Vie did entrust the eggs to me," I answer slowly, trying to avoid aggravating her further.
"And you think she would have wanted to kept them from their father, too?" Rue yells as she slams her book shut and stands up. "Don't you realize? It's because of you that Spire ran away! And now… there's only the three of us left of the six." Her voice suddenly becomes a lot quieter. "You made it two for a while."
I stand up to match Rue. "How do you know I was the one that made Spire leave?" I ask back, opting to ignore her later statements. "And you didn't even really know him! Why do you care?"
"Please… Stop it," Phendrene cries as she tugs on my arm. "I shouldn't have said anything, it's my fault, don't be angry…"
"When will you grow a spine?" Rue shouts in response and swats her arm off mine. "He's treated us like dirt for months and you still are going to act like this?" The Haxorus crosses her arm with a disdainful look. "You-"
"Enough." A voice sounds, and we turn to see Fen finally has emerged from his room. He eyes me in particular briefly, and though I expected perhaps some outburst at seeing me, there is none. "I understand that there are some unresolved problems, but we're not having a fight in my cave."
Fen's presence manages to silence Rue. The moment lasts a short while before Fen speaks again. "That being said, I don't like Nova's behaviour. You rely on these people for food – the least you could do is to notify them if you leave. Also, you're not allowed in this room for your past actions. Is that clear?"
I find it somewhat comedic that I let Fen berate me. I can forage for myself if it really came down to it. And none of these dragons stand a chance against me in a fight. The only one that could possibly defeat me is my father, but with the training I've undergone I'm sure I could overpower him, too, and then I could have my way with whatever I want.
…But if I did that, then I would really be the monster they think I am.
"These past few weeks, I was taken away, instead of leaving of my own volition," I begin to explain. "I was manipulated into not returning by a higher being. That is all I will say," I finish. As Rue immediately tries to follow up I add, "No, I'm not talking about it. I have the right to privacy."
The Haxorus stares at me for a few more moments before grunting in frustration. "Fine! But if you start acting weird we reserve the right to stop feeding you and kick you out until you stop," she shoots back.
"Suit yourself." Not wanting to talk further, I lie back down on my bed, a little tired from the rapid teleports. "If that is all, I'd like you to stop bothering me."
Fahrenheit seems content with my answer and retreats back into his room. Rue glares at Phendrene and me for a few more moments before heaving a sigh and leaving the room. The female Charizard left with me alone shifts next to me. "Nova… you should be nicer to them," she begins.
"Why would I? I don't owe them anything," I say with a huff, but regret my attitude as I look at Phendrene's face. This dragon has supported me nearly unconditionally. "I mean, they're not as nice to me as you are. So I don't need to be nice to them."
"I know…" she says and leans on me. "But then they might let you see the children."
The children. Thinking about them summons my sense of duty, and along with it nostalgia. How could I forget about Vie's children, when I had fought so hard for them? Yes, it's true, I want to see the children. I need to.
Looking down and meeting Phendrene's tender gaze, I cave with a loud sigh. "You're right," I say and lean back into her, feeling tired from everyone else's accusations. "I really just wanted the best for them…"
"It's okay, I know you did." The Charizard reaches her arms around me and pulls me into a hug, her warm neck soothing my anxiety. "Just please… stay here. Don't make us worry anymore."
There is a strange desperation in her voice, and from that I can tell that she must have been rather distressed at my disappearance. "All right, Phendrene. I promise I'll tell you if I need to leave for any reason. Okay?" I try to comfort her with a pat on her back.
Her wings twitch at my touch as her grip tightens. "But what reason would there be for you to leave? Can't you let me come with you?"
My feeling of gratitude for her begins to wane and is replaced by irritation. "I told you, I still have some of my own things to sort out."
I shift in her grasp and she reluctantly yields and lets me go, though not with disappointment. "But Nova, what is it that you won't tell me? I don't keep any secrets from you."
"There are some things that I don't want to talk about," I answer simply and look away.
"It's not that female again, is it?" she asks.
I turn to her and frown. This is the exact thing I wanted to avoid. "No. Stop talking about it," I hiss and move away.
"Okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She grabs onto my arm. "Let's talk about how we can convince them to let you see the children again!"
I pause and stare at her attempt at a pacifying smile. It doesn't really appease me, but I answer her anyway. "You don't need to worry about that. I'll sort it out."
A look of disappointment flashes across her face, but it is gone quickly. "I'll put in a good word to my father."
I give her a nod, and ask, "By the way, is Fly still inside? Or has Father brought him out already?"
She pauses a moment. "They should still be inside, unless they came out before we woke up. Why?"
"I need to talk to them," I answer curtly before standing and heading towards the inner rooms. I turn around and notice Phendrene standing up, too. "It's going to be a private conversation," I add before closing the door behind me and heaving a sigh of relief. Phendrene sure is attentive and caring, but sometimes too much so. I wish she would mature a bit, or maybe find some male Charizard to expend all her energy on. She sure would love the attention. I can't spend all of mine on her. There are other people that I have in my life.
Checking the rooms one by one, I come across the Salamence and Dragonair, the latter curled around the former with his serpentine body, seemingly asleep.
Father glances at me as I enter and nudges the Dragonair, who stirs and looks up. I sense a glimpse of hostility in Fly's eyes, but he hides it quickly as he untangles himself from our father's body and repositions himself such that the front portion of his length upright from the floor, with his tail as a circular base. "Hello, brother."
"Just call him by his name," Father grunts and turns to face me. "So you've come to talk to us, huh?"
"More or less," I admit and take a seat opposite them on a stone ledge, fiddling my claws anxiously as I try to find the right words. "I just wanted to start by saying… I'm sorry for what I did to you on that day, Father."
Ever since Fly's distant response yesterday, I've felt a dissonance in my mind as I recall the details of the fight. The injuries I inflicted on my father simply to take the eggs away… only in hindsight did I realize how violent my actions had been. And to my own father, no less.
"It wasn't that heavy a cost to teach my son a lesson," Father answers with a small smile. "Nothing that won't heal in a few more weeks."
I nod gratefully at his words, but my attention is still mainly on my younger brother, who is still silent and is in what I assume to be a formal poise for Dragonair. I wonder how I can reconcile our relationship after what I've done to our father. Noticing that he's silent, I begin with a question. "How have you two been these weeks I've been gone?
"Since I'm still recovering, relatively peaceful," Father answers. "Night quickly went to follow Scourge's trail as soon as she regained consciousness, and the rest of us were busy trying to make sure the two infants are fed and cared for, especially since Fen seems more busy nowadays. But Fly here did manage to evolve in one of the friendlier battles with Rue," he finishes and looks over to the Dragonair. "How different is it?" Father prompts, seemingly having gouged my intention.
"I don't need water as much, and I can fly around," he says in that staggered accent of his, and turns to look at Father. "Can I go outside now?"
"Come on, your brother's here," Father pats a paw on Fly's head. The Dragonair doesn't react, appearing used to this type of antics from my Father. "Why don't you talk with him a bit more?"
"But…" Fly glances over to me for a moment and back to our father.
I take the opportunity to move over and offer my hand. "Do you want to go to the beach? I can take you there," I say with my best smile.
"Oh, um… sure?" He shifts his tail around uncomfortably, as I realize that offering my hand to a serpentine creature doesn't exactly work. "Father, will you come with us?"
"Do you want me to?" Father asks in a sweeter tone that I imagined he was capable of. "You'll be swimming in the water with your brother anyway."
"But…"
"Fine, I'll come," Father concedes and nudges Fly, who wraps his tail around the Salamence's neck. "Nova, let's fly down south," Father turns to me and says in a more normal tone. "It will be more temperate and you won't have to expend energy. Plus, I want him to practice flight."
"All right. Shouldn't we eat breakfast first, though?"
"We can hunt something on the way."
With a nod, I turn and lead them out, ready to depart, only to bump into an angry Haxorus as we exit the cave. She flings some carcass at me which I dodge, but it hits Father in the face.
Before we can talk, she starts shouting. "What's the big deal! Nova comes back and none of you bother to hunt with me? Wait, where's Phendrene? And where are you going? If Nova's coming it sure as hell ain't hunting. I don't have time to hunt for you all! …"
"I'll take care of Nova's food for the day," Father says and he swipes a bit of blood off his cheek. "You don't need to-"
The sound of the inner door opening stops him as we look back to see Phendrene exiting her father's room. "What's going on? Where are you going?" she asks worriedly and runs over, grabbing onto my arm.
Frowning at the two females' antics, I let out a huge sigh. "My father and I are just bringing Fly to the beach. Can't you two calm down?"
"Oh. Can I come too?" Phendrene asks immediately and holds on tighter. I'm about to shake my head but she tightens her grip and looks at me with a pleading gaze. "Pleeeaase?"
"Hey, if she's going I am too," the Haxorus says with her arms crossed. "I'm not staying here with just that old Charizard."
Father and I look at each other, and I see that he is about as irritated as I am. "Fine, fine," I say out loud, "but I'm going to swim with Fly, so you better find yourself something to do."
"Of course," Rue answers impatiently. "Let's go then."
"What about this?" Phendrene asks and picks up the game Rue had gotten.
"Oh, I'll just eat it on Nova's back," Rue says as she snatches it over.
"Don't drop any blood on me," I mutter as I step out into the open and present my back.
"I already drained the blood," she says as I feel her climb onto me.
As Rue secures her legs on my side, I see Father nudging Fly (who has been awkwardly silent all this time). He reluctantly untangles himself and levitates out into the air, the small wings on his fluttering. With that, I too take flight and lead them in this southward journey, as I hear the sound of two more wings join me.
If I were by myself, this journey wouldn't take very long at all, but having to slow myself down for the others lengthens the journey to a good chunk of the morning. But in a few minutes, my backward glances realize that even this pace is too fast for the youngest member. Father seems to feel sorry for him and lets the Dragonair wrap around his neck again. I have the feeling Father is babying Fly perhaps a bit too much. Though I'm not complaining – waiting for slow members in a flight is one of my least favourite things to do.
Nevertheless, the familiar sight of creeks and streams becoming rivers remind me of the time I had been searching for prince. Though it was not that long ago, the memory of having such a simple minded goal makes me feel nostalgic. After all that has happened, I'm not sure where my life is headed now. Surely I could help raise the children, but I doubt I would contribute much. And my unique position as a psychic would surely mean that I bring danger with me…
Rue taps on my neck and I look back to realize my Father has landed near the bank of a river. Phendrene looks worried and has slowed down. With a swift swerve, I turn around and glide down to the Salamence.
The region supports more plant life than back at the cliff, and there are quite a few trees growing around, but not dense enough to be called a forest. Fly has already dived into the river as Father breathes at a brisk pace, somewhat tired from the flight. "Father, are you all right?"
"Nova, you need to pay attention to others when flying in a group," he scolds with a serious look. "We agreed to hunt on the way, remember? It's easy to check on your companions with your telepathy too."
Rue hops off my back and looks curiously at us. Feeling embarrassed, I shoot back, "You could have just caught up to me, you know."
"But that would require significant effort. Fly was hungry, and I knew one of the two others would have noticed. But you need to pay more attention, understand?"
Frustration builds up within my heart. How is it that he has so many things to lecture to me, whereas Fly just gets pampered? Before I can talk back, Phendrene's landing breaks me out of it. I wouldn't want her to see me complaining about something as petty as this.
"All right, Father. I suppose you'll go hunt now?" I ask and sit down at the bank, putting my legs in the river.
He steps beside me. "I'll be teaching the girls how to hunt here. It'd be a good opportunity for you to learn, too."
"Nah." With that, I push myself forward and dive beneath the surface. The coolness envelops my body and I blink a few times. The river's deeper than I am tall, but not by too much, and though it's wide enough to provide comfortable swimming space, I can easily reach the other bank in a few seconds.
I see a blue figure in the background of brown dirt and rock, and propel myself toward it by springing myself off the wall. Isn't the water better here? I ask him.
"Yeah," he answers underwater with a muffled voice. "Papa has brought me here before, though. I miss the sea. Only you brought me there." He swims around toward me, appearing much more at home in the water. He comes to a stop and stares at me. "But if you're going to hurt Papa again, I don't want to go with you."
I avert my gaze. I know. I shouldn't have done that to Papa. Swimming forward, I bring my arms around his body and hold it close. I feel his body tense at my sudden action, perhaps embarrassed. I would too, if that Charizard had not hugged me overly many times. I'm sorry, little brother. I really am. Please forgive me.
I feel his tail move as it touches mine. "It's all right. …I forgive you, big brother." Even though the sound is distorted, I can tell that he's genuine.
Before I feel too embarrassed, the urge to breath interrupts this moment as I let go of him. It's the first time I see him smiling at me as a Dragonair. "Just be nice to Papa, okay?"
I give him a nod as I levitate myself upwards and into the open air, inhaling the fresh air as I surface. Looking around, I find the three of them have dispersed already into the sparse trees. Looks like I'll be with my brother for a while.
Diving back down, I find him waiting right below me. We're waiting for Papa and the others to hunt. Let's swim some more.
"But Nova needs to breathe. We should not be under water."
All right then. Come up!
His head pops up shortly after I reach the surface. The river's flow is not overwhelmingly rapid, so we simply tread water and float along. "Do you like this river?" I ask him.
"It is much better than that stream. But I like the lake or ocean more. There is more space to move around." Now hearing his voice more distinctly, I notice he speaks our language much better now. "After I evolved, though, being in air is fine."
"I'd imagine being able to levitate yourself would be a big boost to your freedom," I say as I lie on the surface, looking up at the morning sky. "I don't know how you dealt with living in that stream for months."
I feel him swim around the surface, his body sometimes sliding against my submerged tail or wings. "It was very boring. Father would come and talk to me a lot, but it was much better with the friends back at the Moon Lake."
The Moon Lake. I've heard about it a few times, but never in detail. "How was it back there? I remember you played games with friends. You must have liked it a lot more with others who stayed underwater."
"Yes, but it's a lot better now. Dragonair back home would also spend much less time in the lake. I can spend more time with the others now that I have evolved! It's good," he says with excitement.
I shift myself back to treading water to see him again. "That's great! So you spent time with Rue and Phendrene?"
"Yeah. They were different from my friends at the lake but they are both nice. Papa told me to try attacking them, though, and I didn't like it…" he says with a slight sorrowful expression. "I don't like hurting others, even if they agree…"
"Hey, don't worry. You don't need to learn how to fight. Big brother will protect you!" I say with a reassuring grin. "Papa is also one of the strongest warriors in dragonkind. Don't you worry."
He blinks and stares at me for a second. "I know. Papa says I should be proud to have a strong brother like you."
I pause at his statement. Did my father really say that about me? I avert my gaze self-consciously, as a feeling of contentment envelops me. "Thanks for telling me, Fly."
"By the way, did you know Fly is not my full name?" he says as if he is oblivious to how much I valued Father's compliment. "My name in Dragonite means Flying Spirit, or something similar. But Father just shortens it to Fly when we speak with the rest of you."
"Oh, really?" I pedal around the water softly, finding the revelation rather surprising. "Do you want me to call you Spirit, then?"
"I think it sounds pretty," he answers.
I turn to him and look him in the eye, to find that he is serious. "Oh, so I really should call you that? Should I tell the others too?"
"No-no-no-no." He giggles for a bit, clearly embarrassed. "I didn't even tell Father. He doesn't think I should have that name in this language, because I am a boy…"
"It can be our secret, then," I tell him as I give him a reassuring pat. "Spirit."
He gives another giggle and dives under the water. I just smile as I watch him dart around.
"Nova. I've gotten something for you two." Father's voice sounds from behind and I turn to see him place a dead Buizel on the shore, its throat ripped open.
"Ew!" I turn back and close my eyes. "Can't you skin it first?"
"I didn't have time for that," Father answers flatly. "You need to learn to deal with unskinned prey, too. There's no difference – the creature is dying either way. Going for the neck ends their struggling and suffering the quickest."
I don't answer and try and focus on the feel of the water currents flowing past my skin. Father gives a loud sigh. "Fine, I'll keep it in mind for the future," he says and I hear the sound of Salamence wingbeats.
I dive down to try and locate the Dragonair. Spirit? I call out and find that he has surfaced a short distance upstream, and I follow him. "Spir!" I call as I reach the air. "How do you like me calling you Spir? Spirit is a mouthful."
"Is it like how they call Phendrene Phen?" he asks. "I'm not used to people calling me Spirit anyway…"
"Spir it is then," I say with a grin.
It's not long before the three hunters come back, and I spring out of the water and beckon my brother to come with me. Phendrene seems a bit wary as I shake myself to rid the excess water, but she still comes over and hands me a piece of meat. Just like usual.
"So!" Rue announces with a clap. "This is our first proper meal with Nova back, actually. So why don't we catch up!" she says with a grin far too large for my comfort.
"I told you, I'm not talking about it," I answer flatly. "Not because I want hide anything, but because recalling it makes me upset. There, I admitted it."
I hear Rue sigh as I bite into the meat that Phendrene handed me. "Of course, but… I heard something about a Legendary Pokémon." She gestures with a finger. "You got to tell what species it was, at least?"
"Latias," I answer swiftly, and instantly regret my answer as I see all four pairs of eyes turn toward me instantly.
"Papa, isn't Latias…?"
"The psychic eon Pokémon," Father answers my brother. "That's peculiar – so your psychic powers come from her? And what of Latios?"
I'm used to Phendrene deflecting questions for me, but this time even she appears curious enough to listen. Curse that Haxorus for getting the species out of me.
"The only thing she told me was that there were very few psychics so she sought me out. But she also tried to keep me from coming back, and so I cut her off. There was no Latios." I finish my long monologue in a neutral tone, hoping it can stop their questions. I'm certainly not telling them of the illusion. "That is all. Anything else?"
"Wow! Was she strong?" Rue asks, an excitedness gleaming from her eyes. "And was she nice to you? Or indifferent?"
"She would be no match for you," I answer with certainty, and she gives a big huff. Only then do I remember than they have actually fought before, with Latias under a certain guise…
The image of the false Flygon reappears in my mind and I begin to feel sorrowful again. This is why you don't talk about it, Nova!
"But was she nice?"
This time it's Phendrene, and somehow coming from her it makes me even more put off. "I just want to forget about all that. Can you guys stop?"
The Charizard gives a nod and turns to the others. "That's enough for now," she says, finally helping me avoid the questions again.
But… "For now? There's very little else to talk about," I answer, trying to dispel their curiosity once and for all. "She just fed me and…"
This time, it's not the image of the Flygon, but the image of the caring Latias that springs to mind, and mixed with the taste of blood in my mouth and the memory of hurting her, makes me sick as I reflexively cover my mouth.
"That's enough," Father announces having seen my reaction. "No more questioning Nova. Let's talk about what we've been up to instead," he suggests and gestures to the two girls.
Rue gives him an annoyed glance as she picks another piece of meat off the floor. "Not much," she says loudly as she bits a piece of meat off violently. "The eggs hatched and Fen flew to get a few Charizard to come check them. Pretty sure Phendrene fancied one of them," she finishes with a sly gaze towards Phendrene.
"What?" The Charizard exclaims with a high and surprised squawk. "What, no! He was just a member of a singing group, that's all!"
"Reeaaally?" Rue narrows her eyes. "Is that why you accepted his invite to stay over?" she says with a grin.
"Nooo! That's not it! Father agreed to it and I slept over at my aunt's!" She swats Rue in the side, but with such small strength that the Haxorus doesn't even flinch. "He just brought me to the choir, that's all!"
I find myself listening very attentively to what they have to say. From the sounds of it, Rue seems to be stirring up drama, though it's not out the question that the male Charizard has an interest in her.
"How old is this Charizard?" I interject.
"Nova, you too?" Phendrene turns around, still hysterical. "I'm telling you-"
"I only asked how old he was," I answer calmly.
She pauses a moment before saying, "He's almost twenty winters." That's almost Rue's age, which is pretty young given that dragons can live for more than a century.
Her phrasing piques my curiosity, though. "Winters?"
"Oh, um, Charizard say that. We count how many winters we've been through," Phendrene answers as she fiddles with her claws anxiously. "There's going to be a celebration when this winter passes, too," she finishes softly.
"The Charizard's New Year. We could go if you two are interested," Father interjects as he turns to face my brother and me.
"We're getting off-topic. What was his name again?" Rue asks Phendrene as she leans forward. "I remember it sounded like Sceptile or something."
The Charizard waits until she swallows her mouthful of food. "His name is Septus."
"Okay, real talk though," Rue begins as she puts an arm around Phendrene, as if they're buddies – and I'm surprised to see that Phendrene doesn't flinch at all, almost as if she's used to it. "I'm actually pretty sure he's into you. I mean, why else would he bother to take the time to fly over to our place? I mean I'd only do that for another Haxorus but that's only because there aren't any. He's surrounded by Charizard," the Haxorus finishes and motions towards us. "I mean look at the five of us, we're five different species. He's used to Charizard all his life, why'd he just come looking for you, eh?"
Phendrene doesn't respond in the previous indignant way. Rather, she answers, "Maybe, but he hasn't said anything."
"You're too young for a mate regardless." To my surprise, it's Father who comments on her this time. "I would advise you to reject his advances, if any."
The Charizard nods slowly at the older Salamence's words, and after that we lapse into silence, the only sounds being that of our meal. Before this, I would not have expected Father to interject in Phendrene's issues – he's mostly stayed impartial to those who are unrelated to him, other than maybe the occasional scolding of Rue. But I realize that given the dwindling number of people living together, they must have gotten more used to living with each other. Even Phendrene and Blight, two dragons that are polar opposite in personality and demeanor, must have bonded at some point.
"Bah!" Rue interrupts us as she throws a finished bone at the ground. "That was the most interesting thing to happen in a while. Now it's all boring again."
"You could find a mate yourself," Father quips as he gives Fly a bone to pick clean. "Nova and Phendrene here are in their mid-teens. You're over twenty years old."
"Maybe if I find another Haxorus," Rue says with her arms crossed. "But that'd only be for the continuation of my species. Otherwise, I'll pass."
"If you insist," Father says again, and only then do I realize that he's the only one here that has taken a mate – two, in fact. I suppose I had one, too… or so I thought…
I close my eyes and shut out the thought. Don't think about it.
"At least Nova is here, so it won't be that boring," Rue says as she stretches, waiting for the rest of us to finish eating. "We could go back down south, or to the forest, or to the des–" she pauses abruptly, almost as if she thought of something. "By the way, guys… don't you suppose it's been enough time for Hale to calm down?"
The mention of that name startles all of us. "What, no! He attacked Nova!" Phendrene blurts out. "What if he does it again?"
"I'm against it," Father echoes flatly. Fly – or Spirit, rather, just looks at Father worriedly to which the older Salamence whispers something in response.
"Oh come on, it can't hurt to see how he's doing. Nova can teleport to him directly," she says and swishes her tail impatiently. "And plus, I've fought him before. If Nova's aware, Hale stands no chance."
"Fly and I are not going," Father says as he holds Spirit by the neck gently. "You children are free to do whatever you want."
"Nova, what do you say?" Rue gestures towards me.
"I'll think about it," I defer my answer.
We continue on the journey as I try my best to stay silent. Saying Latias's species out loud resulted in a barrage of questions that brought back unpleasant memories. What of my experiences with Hale? I'm not explaining to them of the strange area frozen in time that was caused by Silex.
To be fair, Rue's proposition is not ridiculous. It is unlikely that Hale would hold a grudge after so many months, and if he did then it would suffice to ignore him thereon. But the truth is that he had been stuck in the Deadlands…
I don't think it's a good idea, I send to the Haxorus on my back. Particularly with Vie's children here.
Huh? Oh, I mean, we can just not mention it, she thinks to me as she holds onto my neck.
The risk is too high, especially if he acts friendly at first to coax it out of us. In a worst case scenario, we may even have to relocate the children. Perhaps we can visit him when they're a bit older.
I suppose so…
I am mentally relieved that I managed to convince the stubborn Rue out of it. Even so, the topics of conversation were not good for my state of mind. Even simply the idea of having a mate is something that I need to tread carefully with.
The idea of a male Charizard interested in Phendrene also doesn't give me the best feeling for some reason. I know that I previously wanted her to find one so that she could direct her attention elsewhere, but now that I know there's an actual person… I'm not too entirely content with the idea. At least it appears that Phendrene is truly not interested, or I might have had to intervene.
The river flows turns as flows away as I continue southward, this time making sure that the two other fliers behind me can keep up. Despite the biome feeling a little colder, the greener grass and the late morning sun give a sense of refreshment, and the distant sight the azure sea in the horizon renews my vigor.
Despite all the pain and heartbreak from before, it really feels like I am back home. Gone are the days of being manipulated and controlled. Now I'm back with my family and friends, just like old times. Vie's eggs have safely hatched, and along with my younger brother, I have returned to my old goal of protecting and raising these children the best I can. Even if they can raise the children already, an extra psychic Flygon won't hurt.
As I approach the ocean, I realize that there is no beach. Instead, the land simply disappears. I fly past it and turn to see that it's simply a rocky cliff that falls straight down into the water.
"Hey!" Rue yells as I hover over the water. "You overshot the land!"
I feel a mild annoyance at her shouts, but as Father flies over and Spirit untangles himself and drops straight down into the ocean with a plop, I get a devious idea.
"Are you even listening?" the Haxorus nudges my antennae.
"Rue, do you know how to swim?" I turn my head and ask.
"What?" she says reflexively and frowns, before widening her eyes. "No, don't you dare-"
Before she can finish her sentence, I nosedive straight down with a screaming Haxorus on my back. As I go underneath, I feel the grip on me tighten before I shoot back up out of the water.
Spirit surfaces and sees the shivering dragon behind me and breaks out into a fit of laughter. I do, too, until I feel someone punch me in the back. "What the fuck was that, you stupid bug?"
Hearing her use the slur for Flygon that I haven't heard in ages is merely comical. I land on the cliffside with a concerned Charizard and an amused Salamence, and the Haxorus jumps off. I levitate myself off the cliff before she starts. "What the fucking hell did you think you were doing you piece of shit! Don't just-"
"Language!" Father shouts with a bellow. "We have children here!"
"Fuck you, gramps, Nova's the asshole that-"
I see a rage flare in Father's eyes as he stomps on the ground. The Haxorus stops and takes a step back, but Father walks straight up until she is at the edge of the cliff.
"Shut your mouth," the Salamence orders with a glare, and Rue can only nod and step out of the way, running over to and hiding behind Phendrene.
I hear laughter from behind me, and I turn to see that my brother, too, has floated out of the water to watch this debacle. The mildly amusing situation somehow becomes so much more funny as I watch the Dragonair convulse and laugh, and I too am infected. The three dragons watch us from the cliff in disdain and amusement. I grow tired of their prying eyes and pull my brother back down into the ocean where we can laugh in peace. Or simply get saltwater all in my mouth. He laughs even harder at that.