You know, I feel like I'm being a little slow. Maybe I should speed up my writing! But still, I just want to say a thank you to all my readers who have stuck by for so long!

"It's noon already."

I frown and swat away the arm prodding me as I force my eyes open to focus on the source of the voice. Not yet awake enough to form a coherent response, I simply glare at the Haxorus.

"I know you need lots of sleep, but this much is ridiculous," she says and she grabs onto my arm, pulling me up.

I use levitation to quickly orient myself upright. "Okay, I get it," I say dismissively and look around the empty room. "Where's Phendrene?"

"She went to singing rehearsal for tonight's performance," Rue explains with her arms crossed. "Ain't gonna have any Charizard picking out good parts for you today!"

I ignore that comment and reach for the leftovers, before sitting down to eat. "Also, where are Father and Brother?"

"Hey, why did you ask for Phendrene first?" Rue teases and crouches next to me. "She got picked up by Septus, ya know. Aren't you jealous?"

I perk up at the name. "Why did he come to pick her up?"

She pauses for a moment, as if about to make a snide comment, but decides against it and gives a straight answer. "Nothing special, their choir needed to rehearse before tonight's performance. He came to pick her up, that's all."

"Does he pick all members up, or is it just for Phendrene?" I continue to ask in an attempt to decipher the situation.

"Seriously?" Rue snorts and rolls her eyes. "It takes nearly an hour to fly to and back from Novaria. For those other winged dragons that aren't you. Septus didn't come here because it was convenient or because it was his job – he clearly just wants to spend time with Phendrene."

I feel I should have some negative reaction, much like the same way Rue does, but find that I am not awake enough. "Good for him. I mean, we already talked about this with her." Yawning loudly, I finish off the piece of meat that was left for me.

"Aren't you worried about him taking your Phendrene?" Rue edges closer and asks.

"What do you mean by my Phendrene?" I shoot back. "More like your Phendrene. You're the one bringing it up all the time."

Rue is silent and just huffs. Shaking my head at her antics, I restate my earlier question. "So where are Father and Spir?"

"Spir- Spire? Are you awake? Did you mean Fly?" Rue answers with a frown, and I realize my mistake.

"Oh, yeah," I quickly answer levitate myself upright. "So where are they?"

In her crouching position, Rue stares at me blankly for a few moments before she rises to match me. "They're out downstream at the river now, since Fly's not gonna get any water at the festival." She raises her arms and puts them behind her head lazily. "You guys all have so much stuff to do, and here I am just reading Fen's books over and over again."

It doesn't sound like I can find any of the others too easily, so I suppose I'll stick with this Haxorus for now. "Hey, we could battle!" I suggest, only to have Rue gaze blankly at me again. "You know, you seem to be staring at me a lot today."

She shakes her head and puts her arms down. "That's 'cause you're saying things all over the place! This is like the, what, second time you've offered to battle in your life?" Her gaze only grows more sceptical. "You're trying to trick me into it."

I give a huge sigh and roll my eyes. "Talking with you is so tiring," I let out, and head towards the door.

"Hey, wait!" I feel her latch onto my arm with a firm grip. "Fine, I'll battle with you! No shenanigans though, because if you-"

"I'm just suggesting something for you to do since you were bored!" I interrupt, becoming frustrated. "It's not as if I want to battle desperately." I take a breath to calm myself, and say, "Why don't you tell me about the festival instead, then?"

Her eyes light up at the comment. "Sure!" She drags me towards the beds as I sit and she goes to grab a book from her bedside shelf. "There was actually this whole book on Charizard culture…"

Rue begins to go on about all the things she learned about the Charizard. As a species born with fire, they are very sensitive to seasonal changes in temperature. Winter is the time where elderly Charizard are more likely to pass on (if they do live long enough to die from old age), and so a tradition began to form, one that would celebrate the passing of every winter. Such is also the reason why many Charizard count age by how many winters has passed.

Despite its morbid origins, the festival nowadays is more of a general celebration of Charizard culture. There are many festive activities, from performances like song and dance, to the display of many different types of food which no one bothers procuring at other times, and most importantly of all, spending time with one's family. Charizard who live in other regions will congregate back in the land known as Novaria, and other dragons are welcome to join.

"Last time this year, we were still in the forest," she says. "This last year almost feels longer than the five in the forest."

"Of course, so much has happened," I concur, my mind thinking about the past events. "Well, I suppose this is a good way to round up our year. Flygon don't really celebrate much."

"Neither do Haxorus. To my knowledge, at least." She stands up with a huff. "This is such a large gathering. Someone's bound to have seen another Haxorus somewhere," she says to herself, a look of determination in her eyes. "Anyways, we should be leaving soon, so don't get too relaxed."

"Already?" I frown as I stretch my arms out. "It's barely past noon."

"Not everyone flies as fast as you!" Rue says with a dismissive gaze. "We're gonna have to bring the children, too, so best set off early."

"I'm not sure I trust others flying with the children," I tell her.

"Right, I think Fen was planning for you to teleport them. Hold on." She stands up and knocks on Fen's door briefly before opening it. "Nova is teleporting the children, right?"

"Wait for me to answer next time," Fen grumbles as he appears in the doorway. "But yes, he is," he answers and looks to me. "Just a reminder: given the number of dragons there, it will not be a safe place, and people may not take kindly to seeing the two species. In particular, people will think they are half-bloods, and it may cause a commotion. We're going to keep them in my sister's residence for the duration, and take turns watching them. We can sort out the details when we arrive. Understood?"

"Sure," I respond, nodding.

"I will depart soon, and meet Phendrene and your family at my sister's place. Rue can't get there anytime soon without you, so you'll have to teleport her with you – and she will show you the way," Fen says and looks toward the Haxorus.

"You've been there before?" I ask Rue, not remembering a time where I've brought her over.

"Yeah, the journey by foot took half a day," Rue says, annoyed. "But yes, I know the way."

Fen gives a simple nod. "In that case, I'll prepare to leave now. You two should arrive in an hour or so," he tells us and steps back into his room.

"I'm not watching the children," Rue says with her arms crossed. "I'm there to experience the festival, not babysit."

"That's rather selfish," I answer. "There are six of us, if his sister babysits. You still get the majority of the time going around at the festival."

"So? The Charizard experience it every year. Maybe they can miss out a bit this year," she argues.

Is this Haxorus serious? "It's even more important to them, since it's their festival!" I shout back, getting sick of Rue's immaturity. "Can't you be responsible for once?"

She pauses for a moment. "Fine," she says and sighs. "Just let me bring a book to read while watching them."

The sound of Fen's door opening startles both of us as he walks out, with no indication of reacting to our argument. A small bag hangs from his waist, held by a strap that goes across above his chest to his other arm. He takes a glance at both of us. "I'll be going, then. Nova, you can just teleport to the Varia Hills; Rue knows her way from there."

I flinch at the unknown name. "Varia Hills?"

"Right… I'm sure you'll find it if you ask around. Charizard are usually friendly enough," he concludes as he steps forward. "I'll go meet up your family and fly over now. Don't forget to teleport the children, and be on time!"

"All right, see you in a bit," I answer.

"Later gramps," Rue follows up.

Fen stares at her for a moment, but simply shakes his head and sighs as he exits the room.

The sound of a few powerful wingbeats later, I'm back to sitting on the bed. "What now?" I ask the Haxorus.

"You could try reading some books. An hour is still a while," she says and hands me one. "I'll go look after the children now."

"Wait!" At the mention of the children, I start. "I can do it."

I expect a happy response from her that she can get away from being lazy, but she only seems to roll her eyes. "Having you try to tend to them will only make it worse for me later. You don't know how to deal with their shit. Figuratively and literally. Now, just let me handle it," she says harshly and heads towards the room.

The mental image she constructed in my mind was enough for me to stay obediently silent as the door closes behind her. Maybe I shouldn't have shouted at her. Rue can be immature, but when it comes to things that matter, she does seem to take responsibility.

Ah, best not worry too much – I will have to admit to myself that they must know more about taking care of the babies than I do. So I turn around and crawl onto the bed, opening the book in front of me.

The first page says that the book is based off of a true story. It would make sense for Rue to give me a tale rather than a boring encyclopaedia. In retrospect, the title of the book, Guardian of the Night, should have given that away.

It is within the first page of prose that I find the name Nova, and memories come flooding back. I remember when I was younger, when Phendrene first sang me that song – it was then I first heard of this female Charizard hero named Nova. I even remember it being then that I thought my father would be a Charizard. But no, my name was a mere coincidence – or was it? I never asked Father why he told Mother he wanted such a name for his children. Maybe he was a fan of this legend, even if he were not a Charizard.

I shake my head and focus my eyes back down to the page. This has always been my main problem in reading – my thoughts tend to wander and I get no reading done. Since this tale is one that interests me, I may as well make an attempt to read it.

Before I get too far into the story, I can already tell that it is only a loose retelling due to all the supernatural elements. Funny that a psychic Flygon should say that, but all the details in the story are too much. The Nova in the story (as well as certain other Charizard) are able to channel their inner "fire spirit" to perform extraordinary feats, which to my knowledge are not achievable by real Charizard. Despite this, I'm still rather interested in the story, especially as it gets to how Nova got her title as the Guardian of the Night, by battling the evil Dark-types.

"Nova?" My attention is distracted by the Haxorus's voice. "It's about time to go."

A little frustrated that I have to hold off reading, I put the book down and get up. She is peeking her head out of the door. "So what did you do inside?"

"I have books inside, idiot," she shoots back as I enter the room. "Anyways, I can carry them both, one in each arm," – she gestures to the two children, who seem to be awake but docile – "but just in case you should keep an eye out for them and catch them if they fall. With your powers, of course," she adds at the end. "Anyways, get ready to teleport."

Rue stands up and carefully puts her arm around the Bagon, who leans in obediently. She is much more careful with the Gible, who almost seems to try and bite her, but Rue does manage to get her arm around the infant in a way such that she is not at risk of being bitten. "Yeah, Nocturne has a bit of a rough temperament. Melody is easier to take care of," she mumbles before looking up. "What are you doing staring at them! Hurry up already."

"Oh, sorry," I move out of my stupor and next to the Haxorus. Putting an arm around her neck, I bring into my mind the rocky base of a certain hill, and sure enough we reappear there. There is little noticeable change in temperature or humidity, nor a headache. Nocturne the Gible makes a noise at the change, but stays put in Rue's hold. "So, do you recognize this place?" I ask her.

She looks around for a few more moments. "I think it's that way," she says and starts walking away from the hill. I stroll behind her at a leisurely pace, glancing around at the few Charizard that fly to and fro. Few of them pay attention to us.

"There," Rue says as we near a relatively small cave entrance. It is larger than Fen's (because there is no door) but quite a bit smaller than the caves back at the Shallows. "Hey, we're here!" she shouts into it.

I notice a shift in lighting from inside until a vaguely familiar Charizard emerges from it. "Come inside," she says, and I recognize the voice as Fen's sister.

Rue has to bend her head down slightly to enter. I don't, but my antennae brushes against the ceiling of the cave. Quite a few turns in, I find myself standing before a moderately sized chamber, only illuminated thanks to the presence of the three Charizard along with the one Charmeleon.

Phendrene immediately comes up and takes Nocturne from Rue's arms. The Gible seems much calmer at the Charizard touch. "Hey, Nova. Sorry I couldn't be there this morning, I-"

"It's fine," I cut her off quickly and sit down at the edge. "Where are they?" I turn to ask Fen, noting the absence of my family members.

"Your father went to the river with your brother," he answers from aside as both Phendrene and Rue sit down with a child each. "Anyways, this is Talon," he says and gestures to the Charmeleon. "I believe you've met."

"You're the one that called me a Magikarp!" Talon exclaims and points to the Haxorus. "And you're the one that Phendrene was with," he says and points to me.

"Yep," I answer, noticing that Rue is a bit occupied with Melody fidgeting. "What have you been up to?" I ask.

"Um… just battling and training," he says like it is nothing special. "Ma said there was a psychic Flygon. Are you the one?"

I pause for a moment to look at Cel, and she returns a confused gaze briefly before realizing something and turning to the Charmeleon. "Talerin, you need to remember to not say that out loud. We don't want people knowing he is the psychic Flygon, or they might cause trouble for him."

"Okay…"

Phendrene leans her head close to mine and explains in a quiet voice, "Blight talked with them to make sure your identity stays secret."

"He's not wrong," Fen follows up. "There are going to be other Flygon here, so given what happened at Lyrl, you should keep a low profile. In addition, it's not good to advertise your special powers, anyway – you might get unwanted attention."

"Yeah," I answer, not wanting to rethink the arguments that both Latias and Father have repeated to me many times. "I'll make sure to act normal."

"Your father also reminded to not show that you three are related," Fen continues. "You two are simply friends, helping taking care of a Dragonite friend's child. Though Charizard are somewhat accepting of half-bloods, it's still best to keep it private."

I nod at his words. "Anything else?"

"In a similar vein, Blight has also created an alias for himself in order to not be recognized. For this evening, you will refer to him as Spire."

"What?" Rue and I say simultaneously. "You serious?" the Haxorus continues.

"He reasoned that since that one worked, it would be better than inventing an entirely new name," Fen concludes and looks around with a clap. "I think that's all. You all can go and prepare to enjoy the festival now. Cel and I will stay for a while longer."

"What about the children?" I ask immediately.

"Fen and I will take care of them." To my surprise, it's Cel that answers. "You two will not be able to see in this cave without a lit tail," she says, gesturing to Rue and me, "and Phendrene has a performance. So don't worry about it."

I realize that though she may have left left me a worse impression of her character during our first meeting than her actual one. "Very well," I answer and stand up. "I suppose Phendrene knows her way around."

"I do, too!" Talon shouts, startling both children. "Let's go!"

"He's coming with us?" Rue moans as she puts Melody on the floor.

"He can take care of himself," Celsius answers as nudges Talon forward. "He's as old as Phendrene, even though he hasn't evolved."

Talon looks back. "Thanks, Ma," he says before darting out. "Come on, you three, follow me!"

Rue sighs and follows quickly. "Wait for me, you punk!" I wait until Phendrene hands Nocturne to Fen and then head out with her together.

"So, how was rehearsal?" I ask as the two of us stroll leisurely.

"As usual," she says, before pointing to the Haxorus chasing the Charmeleon in circles. "Are they okay?"

"They'll run out of energy," I respond dismissively. "So what are you going to perform? Are you the lead singer?"

"We're a choir; there is no lead singer," she explains calmly as we start walking in what I presume the general direction of the festival. Rue and Talon are all over the place but they are always near enough, so I stop paying attention to them. "There are some songs in which some of us have a solo, but not the ones we are performing today," Phendrene explains. "I actually prefer it this way, since there isn't too much attention on me."

"Septus is in too, right?"

She pauses her footsteps for a moment. "Why are you asking about him?" she says with a sideways glance towards me.

"Rue told me he came to pick you up," I answer, curious about her reaction. I didn't think she would mind the question this much.

"He's a good friend," she says as she returns to walking, perhaps at a brisker pace than before. "That's all…"

"Really? But from what it sounds like, he-"

"Nova, I said that there's nothing romantic between us," she interrupts me and looks me straight in the eye. "Don't you trust me?"

"Yeah," I answer curtly and avoid her gaze, and our discussion fizzles into a brief silence.

"Help!" Talon yelps as he runs in front of Phendrene and grabs onto her leg.

Rue appears from the side in a moment and taps on his horn. "Hey, I caught you."

"Did not! I'm at the safe zone!"

"How the hell is Phendrene a safe zone?"

"All right, cut it out," I say with a wave of my arms. "If you want to be treated like adults, then act like it. Or Phendrene and I are going to leave you two behind."

"And how are you gonna do that?" Rue yells back. "You're not allowed to teleport, remember! You're just a normal weak Flygon today!"

I smirk and cross my arms. "You might have forgotten that I have wings, as does Phendrene."

Rue's grin turns into a pout as she, too, crosses her arms. "Fine, be that way!" she shoots back, and starts walking ahead, but not enough to outpace us. Talon, upon losing the threat of the Haxorus, also starts heading along beside us.

"So, what attractions should we go to first?" I ask to the two native to this area, welcoming the diversion from my previous topic with Phendrene.

"We could get an afternoon snack!" Talon suggests as he skips along. "Charizard don't usually eating anything other than fresh meat, but for this occasion we import a bunch of stuff from other dragons to make meals that humans make!"

"Maybe we should go to that later. I don't think anyone's that hungry yet," I say and look around. Rue and Phendrene both give me a nod.

"In that case, maybe we should go to the competitions?" Talon suggests.

"Ah, like fire-breathing?" Rue says from ahead.

Talon shakes his head. "Nuh-uh. That's at night. There are some speed races going on soon, though."

"Hey, you could join that one, right Nova?" Phendrene grins and suggests with a nudge of her arm.

"Nope, remember what Father said?" I answer, rubbing the spot where she touched me. "Since when do you nudge people, anyway?"

"Well, she has to develop some social skills from joining that choir," Rue gibes from ahead, not looking back.

"I mean… am I not allowed to nudge you?" Phendrene says, a little mischievously as she grabs onto my arm and shifts her weight onto me.

"Woah!" I stop and shake Phendrene's arm off, to which she seems surprised and a bit disappointed. "Not in front of everyone today. We can't even pass off as being brother and sister, either, since that would imply some half-blood thing going on," I try and explain to her. "Just behave yourself for today, all right?"

"Okay… but don't talk to me like that, I'm not a child," she says, a little upset, and walks on ahead to Rue.

"What is up with her?" I mumble.

"I dunno." To my surprise, the Charmeleon hears me. "From what I've heard from Ma, she's always been a bit clingy."

I snort. "Your mother isn't wrong," I answer and trail behind the two females. "Talon, how old are you anyway?"

"This will be my fifteenth winter. So, one year behind Phendrene, I think," he answers. "What about you?"

I pause to think for a moment. "If we want to count by winters, this is my eighteenth, I think?"

"You're like her older brother, right?" he says without missing a beat.

I'm a bit taken aback at his forwardness. "Uhh, I guess? But don't say that in front of strangers, because-"

"I know, I heard what Ma said! I'm just wondering." His attitude is better than I remember, but he's still rather childish. "You know, from what I've seen, she seems pretty popular with the males."

That gets my attention. "Hmm? What do you mean?"

Talon grins. "You know what I mean! A bunch of male Charizard seem to fancy her."

Unease grows within me; I don't feel like Talon is lying. "I suppose I'll find out today," is all I say.

The Charmeleon raises an eye, amused. "You know, I don't see her latching onto arms of any of those Charizard."

My unease turns into frustration as I glare at Talon. "So now even the younger ones are teasing us? I've had enough from your mother. Shut your mouth."

"Woah, calm down!" he says as he is taken aback. "I'm just saying what I see, is all," he says with a grin.

I roll my eyes and look ahead, to find that Phendrene and Rue have stopped to talk to another Charizard. As we catch up, I notice that there seem to be more Charizard flying around. We must be in a more populous area.

"…friends I made at the forest," Phendrene explains to the newcomer. "Ah, Nova, this is Riel, a friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you," a cheerful female voice greets me as she gives a small wave. "I've seen a few Flygon before, but this is the first time I've seen Haxorus!"

"Yeah, well, there aren't many of us," Rue says with a shrug. "It's annoying."

"Where you heading?" Talon chimes in, seemingly acquainted with Riel already.

"Oh, I have to help deliver some of the ingredients for some of the food," she explains and gestures forward. "You guys?"

"We're actually just heading to the river," Phendrene explains, and only then do I remember that we need to pick Father and Brother up. "You can head off if you need to."

"It's all right, I'll tag along," Riel answers. "It's not every day you get to chat with a Flygon and a Haxorus."

"You said you saw Flygon already?" I ask as we move along.

"Oh, I saw a few yesterday, but they weren't here for the festival, I think," she says as she makes a face that shows she is thinking. "Last year, on the festival day I saw a few, but I didn't approach them. Felt like it could be rude."

"It is a Charizard festival, after all," Rue says as she gives me a not-so-subtle elbow, and I'm about to shout at her before I realize what she means, and so I enter her mind.

If there are any Lyrl Flygon, they will recognize you as psychic.

I can just avoid them, I return. They won't recognize me from afar.

Just be cautious, she returns the thought dismissively.

As it turns out, we spot a river in the distance rather soon, and Riel parts with us as she promises to seek us out later in the evening. Though she seems rather friendly, I'm not sure I'd like her around. It's difficult to act natural with outsiders around.

"That's your father, right?" Talon shouts and points to a blue figure in the distance, on the other side of the river. I note that though it is rather wide, wider than the one I swam in with my brother, the flow of water is milder. I've seen it from afar on my previous excursions, but I've always flown past it.

"Father?" I say as I approach him from the air. "We're heading to the racing competitions. Are you two gonna join us?"

He doesn't respond and looks around for a moment. "I'm not sure who you're mistaking me for, but my name is Spire," he says in a serious tone.

I sigh. There aren't even any Charizard in earshot. "Fine, Spire, do you want to go with us?"

He gives me a small smile. "Sure thing," he says and paws at the water.

Soon enough, my brother comes up. "Oh, you're here!" he says and wraps himself around my neck. He's done it before, but not many times, so I'm still a bit surprised.

"All right, let's go!"

After carrying Rue and Talon across the river, I take a minute to appreciate the scenery around me as the others chat. Though the land is bare with few blades of grass, there are quite a few trees growing across the barren hills. Many Charizard fly overhead or aside, sometimes hidden by the rocky hills, and though some pay us attention, none dare bother this mixed group of dragons. The festive atmosphere I expected is nowhere to be found. Perhaps the time is still too early.

We arrive shortly at the site of the race. There is a small crowd of predominantly Charizard below the track, so our group naturally gets quite a few looks. A few of the Charizard and a Charmeleon initiate conversation with Phendrene and Talon, and they give the same answer as Phendrene did to Riel about us.

As I observe a few Charizard zooming past, I notice that the race consists of flying around a few obstacles, with the starting and finishing line between two steep hills which act like the sides of a pseudo-valley. Taking care to not get in the way of the zooming Charizard, I fly to the top of a hill with my brother and perch there, preferring to view the race from above.

"I could fly so much faster than them," I tell him quietly.

"You should go beat them, then!"

I shake my head with a smile. "It would be unfair. It's the Charizard's competition, after all."

"Okay."

Though it is exciting initially as the crowd cheers for their favourites, I lose interest rather quickly. Sure, they are finessed in winged flight, but to me it is nothing interesting. Every time the crowd gets heated up about a certain manoeuvre or simply two Charizard cutting it close, all I can think about is how I can do better. Perhaps that's a little arrogant, but I can't help it.

"This is kind of boring," I admit to my brother.

"Papa says the performances will be the best part," he says from my neck. "They'll be at night, though, so we just have to wait."

"I suppose."

My attention turning to the audience, it's easy to spot the Haxorus and Salamence among them, and only from there can I find our two other companions. Otherwise, there are far too many Charmeleon and Charizard to distinguish them. Admittedly, the only dragons I can tell apart well in a crowd is Flygon, but that's because I used to live among them.

However, we aren't the only outsiders. Among the crowd I also see a pair of Flygon and a Dragonite. They don't seem to notice me and seem to be making small talk with the Charizard around them. I almost want to fly down to approach them before I remember that they could be from Lyrl.

"Hey," a voice startles me as I look behind me to see a Charizard has landed beside me. "Good view from here, huh?"

I'm not sure what he wants, but I try to act natural. "Yeah, it is." He looks quite young and hearty, and I have no idea if I'd seen him on a previous journey. "Don't see why everyone wants to stay on the low ground."

"Part of the fun is being below the racetrack – you get a nice view of the competitors," he says with a wink. "Though, I'd guess you're not interested in Charizard, eh?"

"Huh?" It takes me a few moments to realize he is talking about ogling the dragons' undersides. "Oh… uh, I actually didn't think of it that way! Yeah, nah, it's not for me," I try and answer naturally, but I can't help but feel a little uncomfortable.

"Hah, sorry for bringing that up. Anyways, I'm Garus. What's your name?"

"Nov- Nova." I hesitate for a moment before uttering my real name. "We're just here to see the festival. I don't know, do we need to have a better reason?"

Garus chuckles. "No, not at all, I was just asking. Hey, what about your name?" He points to the Dragonair on my neck.

"Fly," Spir answers curtly. "Hello."

"He doesn't talk much," I try and speak in my brother's place. "It's-"

A loud cheer interrupts me as I look over to realize that the race has a victor. The leading Charizard glides down to the ground as the crowd swarms to him, leaving behind the less invested audience members, including all of the non-Charizard. Phendrene glances around for a few moments before noticing me. I give a small wave.

"Oh, are those your companions?" Garus says and points to the two Flygon.

"Actually, I'm with the Salamence and Haxorus," I correct him as I watch Phendrene fly around the track and up. "Also that Charizard that's coming over."

"Oh, you came with a Charizard?" Garus says as she closes in on us. "What's their name?"

"Phendrene. Do you know her?" I ask in return.

"Swore I've heard it somewhere before," he answers as Phendrene lands in front of us. "Hey there. Name's Garus."

"Hello," Phendrene answers politely as she glances between us. "Did I interrupt anything?"

"Oh, no, I was just talking to Nova. Don't see many Flygon around," he says with a smile. "Sorry to ask, but I don't suppose you have a dance partner this evening?"

Phendrene pauses and takes a breath. "I do," she answers calmly. "We're actually going to see him now, so I'm afraid I'll have to drag Nova away."

"Ah, understandable," he answers with a nod. "I'll see you around, then," he says and takes off to glide down to the crowd.

"I didn't know we were gonna visit someone," I turn to Phendrene and say. "But it's good you found a Charizard to dance with!"

Phendrene makes a funny face. "Actually… I made that up."

"What?" I frown. "But why?"

"It felt like he was trying to ask me to dance with him," she explains as she glances down to where Garus landed below. "I'd rather not dance with strangers. I mean, how do I even know if they would dance well?"

"You could have just told him the truth," Spirit suddenly says from my neck, startling the both of us. "Papa says you should be honest."

"Yeah, but…" Phendrene pauses and turns around, spreading her wings. "It can be hard to reject people." With that, she leaps off and glides down to where the others are waiting.

"It can be hard to say no to people," I tell my brother with a soft pat on his head. "It might not a problem for us, but for someone as sensitive as Phendrene, it can be difficult."

"Okay."

"Hold on tight – gonna take off now."

I feel him coil more tightly onto my neck as I too spread my wings and begin my descent. Briefly I wonder why I bothered to warn my brother – he can fly, after all.

"Took you long enough!" Rue's shout interrupts my thoughts as I land behind Phendrene. "Did you guys seriously think bringing me to a flying race was a good idea?"

By Rue's angry huffs, it looks like I'm not the only one who would have preferred another event. "There's not much on at this hour," Phendrene explains. "Perhaps we could go get some food."

"Hey, I saw you talking with a Charizard up there," Rue points at me accusingly. "What was that about?"

I frown at the Haxorus who is getting more and more obnoxious. "He just came over and talked with me. It's not any of your business, anyway." I cross my arms. "You're not my mother. My mother–"

I shut my mouth and feel a pang of regret, and I think I notice Phendrene and Father both flinch slightly. Rue doesn't seem to notice and huffs. "Fine. Let's hurry up and go find some food, then," she says and runs off. "Wait, where are we going?"

Talon chuckles and runs to the Haxorus, pointing away from the racetrack. "This way!"

"Sorry," I mutter to Phendrene and Father as the two rowdy ones walk ahead.

"It's been long enough," Father utters as he walks by. "One should not live in the past."

"What's wrong?" Spirit asks from my neck yet again. "What happened? Was Rue that rude?"

"Don't worry about it," I say and nudge him. "Go with Father for a while, all right?"

He turns his head to stare at me for a moment, confused, but then he obeys and untangles himself and levitates himself towards Father, who is right behind the Haxorus and Charmeleon.

"I wish they were here," Phendrene murmurs and leans onto me.

"Me too." I put an arm around her and give her a pat. "It's all right."

She nuzzles further into my neck for a brief moment, before pausing and detaching herself from me. "I'm fine. Let's go," she says as she glances around, as if she is worried she had been seen.

The two of us trail behind the rest of the group. We keep our distance to Rue and Talon, as they make by far the most noise in the front. I take the opportunity to look around and observe the Charizard's habitat. The terrain is rocky and uneven with little plant life, and there seem to be quite some caves scattered around the outcrops. Occasionally I can see a few Charmander or Charmeleon watching us with curious eyes, but most of the time it is Charizard that I spot. I notice there are much fewer of them than there were before on my previous expeditions.

The reason becomes apparent as the sound of ambient chatter grows and we near a large clearing, absolutely full of Charizard. The edge is lined with stalls, appearing to serve many different types of food. Rue quickly garners the attention of a few Charizard as she proudly boasts to them while presenting her tusks.

"Phendrene!" I hear a familiar voice shout as we turn to see Fen gliding down from the air, his pouch still on his waist. "You forgot to bring this," he says and takes off the pouch.

"Oh, right!" Phendrene answers and takes it over and straps it across her shoulder the same way her father did. "Thanks, Dad."

"I'll have to go back to Cel now. If you're gonna split up, remember to give everyone a bit. Have fun!" he says before turning around and taking to the air.

"What is it?" I ask, curious.

"Money for the food, of course!" Phendrene explains and shakes her head. "I can't believe I forgot."

"Oh, we have to pay?" I ask, a little disappointed.

"Of course! The food here costs a lot to prepare." She walks forward and taps Father on the side. "Blight, just in case we split up, do you wanna take some money?"

"Does it look like I can take it?" he answers with a chuckle, raising his forepaw slightly.

"Right. So, uh…" Phendrene looks into the crowd of orange and trails off.

"I will just wait here," Father says as he sits onto the floor, with my brother floating to me. "Just bring me some food when it's convenient. I'm not hungry yet, so feel free to take your time."

"What about them?" I point to the Haxorus who has already somehow started a duel with a Charizard, as Talon watches on by excitedly.

"They'll be occupied enough. Just remember to get them some food as well," Father says and looks toward the crowd.

"Got it," Phendrene answers and heads toward the clearing. "Fly, Nova – if you lose me, just stay still. It's much easier for me to find you than it is for you to find me."

"Okay," Fly answers with a nod as he flies forward.

You sure about that? I send to her mind, which brings her to a sharp stop.

She turns to glare at me. You know I don't like it when you do that!

Ah, come on, it'll come in handy here.

No. She is very firm in her answer. Just talk to me out loud, Nova.

"Fine," I concede and step forward, following her into the gathering.

Though there are many Charizard, there is still enough space to pass through comfortably. I do note a few more Flygon, Dragonite, and even one Sceptile (who appears quite wary of the Charizard tails), but they aren't given nearly as much attention as Rue.

"I'll have eight skewers combos," Phendrene says to a Charizard behind a stall.

"That'll be twenty-four drags," he answers swiftly. As Phendrene gives him the coins, he hands her what I presume to be the skewers, which looks like small pieces of cooked meat on a long wooden stick.

"How is that gonna feed all of us?" I ask her as she stuffs it in her bag.

"Don't worry, there's still more!" she says as she navigates further through. "Dad went through what to get with me."

"I haven't heard you call him by that before," I comment as I follow closely behind her.

"It's another way of saying 'Papa', right?" Spirit asks from above.

"Yeah, 'Father' becomes a bit of a mouthful," Phendrene answers without turning around. "Ah, there's the sushi…"

A short while later, we exit the crowded clearing and find my father relaxing in the sunlight with his eyes closed. Rue and Talon are nowhere to be seen.

"Blight!" Phendrene calls as she nears him. "Have you seen Rue and Talon?"

Father opens an eye lazily. "I'm afraid not. I think I heard Rue get challenged by someone, though."

Phendrene gives a deep sigh. "Nova, can you go find her? I need to go deliver some of the food to my father and aunt. And Fly, just stay here with your dad."

I give her a nod, and turn around, leaping to the air immediately. Though there are a few other Charizard in the air, it certainly is much more free space than the ground. Almost instantly, I notice a Haxorus a small distance away from the main clearing, tussling with a Charizard as a group gathers around to watch.

That Haxorus's bloodlust just can't be sated, can it? I glide down swiftly to above the scene, and almost want to separate them using my powers before remembering that I am forbidden to do so.

"Rue, you seriously got into a fight this quickly?" I shout as I land in front of the crowd, ignoring a few calls of annoyance. "Phendrene bought some food for you. Come."

She ignores me completely and dives to the side out of the way of the Charizard's flame. The Charizard turns and anticipates her leap, parrying her claw and dodging her tusks, to which she takes a step back, attention completely focused on her opponent.

Frustrated, I raise a piece of earth to trip Rue over, and she falls over on top of the Charizard. "Listen to me! We were navigating through a crowd to get everyone food, and you're just wasting your time here?"

She slowly pushes herself up, and gives me a furious stare. I expect her to say something, until she slowly points a finger to her temple, and I get the memo.

What the hell was that? If you need me just tell me through telepathy! Are you retarded?

Phendrene didn't want me to, so-

And I'm not Phendrene! I have nothing to hide from you. And now, you really needed to embarrass me in front of-

"Excuse me?" The Charizard whom Rue had just been battling steps between us as he dusts off his backside. "Is something the issue, Flygon? We were having a battle here." Though his voice is mostly calm, I can sense a gleam of annoyance.

Rue gives me a dismissive wave. I'm not even hungry! Just let me do what I want! Come on! I don't get to battle Charizard often. Her tone of thoughts has changed from anger to pleading, and I give a reluctant sigh.

…Fine. With that, I leap to the air swiftly. With a few wing flaps, I am already high up in the air. I glance back down the two already seem to be back at it, already captivating the attention of the dozen or so Charizard gathered around. In the corner, I spot two Charmeleon, one of which is probably Talon.

I find Father's figure quickly and swoop down. "Where's Phendrene?" I ask the two of them, noting her absence. "Right, she went to get some food for Fen and Cel…"

"She was going to leave us some skewers, but it would have been difficult for either of us to hold them," Father explains with a grin at his younger son, who looks a little troubled.

"I don't want to eat the pointy ones," the Dragonair confesses. "They're kind of scary."

"I suppose skewers were designed for flexible forelimbs in mind…" I concede and sit down next to them. "Don't worry, Brother can help you eat it!" I say with a pat to his head.

He floats over and circles himself once around my neck. "I think I'll just have the other ones…"

"That just means more skewers for us," Father answers. "I'm not complaining."

I pause at his words. "…That doesn't sound like something you would say."

"It's a holiday, not a battle! You have to let people decide what works best for them, and for Fly's case, it's to avoid skewers." He yawns as he finishes as he lays his head down. I feel my brother nod quickly following Father's words.

"You sure you don't want to try one? I'll make sure it doesn't hurt you," I try and reassure him.

He shakes his head. "I think I would enjoy the sushi more, anyway."

"All right."

I lean back and lie onto the slope of the hill, my head ending up next to my father's. My brother, finding the position a little uncomfortable, uncurls himself from my neck and instead stretches himself out alongside his two elders. I simply stare at the blue sky and the few clouds in the company of my family.

"I'm bored!" Spirit announces suddenly, startling both of us. "This is boring!"

"No, this is fine," Father answers. "This life is much better than one of strife and death."

"Our father is right, Spirit," I feel the need to chime in. "I'm not sure how much Papa told you about the times I was away, but those were not good times."

My brother doesn't respond. Instead, Father picks up on something. "…Did you just call him Spirit?"

"Oh, right, he told me about his name." I turn my head to glance at the two of them. "It seemed less generic than Fly, so I took to calling him it. What of it?"

"It's not very suitable for a boy, is it?" Father says.

I'm about to retort when Spirit shouts something in a different language at Father. Father shouts something back rather aggressively, silencing the Dragonair.

I sit up, worried about the sudden tension. "What are you two saying? And don't yell at him like that!"

Father, too, pushes himself up. "He's my child. I can talk to him like that," he states, unabashed.

"What did he say to you?" I opt to ask the Dragonair.

Spirit glances worriedly at Father, and when Father simply looks away, he says, "Papa said… I should be more brave and manly."

"Seriously?" I turn and frown at my father. "Just let him be called what he wants. Is it really such big of a deal?"

"No, but the implications are." Father gives me a stern look, before tapping Spirit and speaking to him in the other language again. The Dragonair pauses for a moment before levitating himself into the air and floats away.

"What was that for?" I cross my arms and frown.

"It's about time we had a talk about how to raise him," Father rests back down onto his belly. "I appreciate the fact that you share a great bond with your brother, but we need to talk about something."

"But you-"

"Just let me finish, and then it'll be your turn to talk," he speaks firmly. I consider protesting but decide against it and lie back down against the hill.

"I think it's clear that we both love him and want the best for him," he utters without the slightest hesitation or embarrassment at the words. "And I know that the name itself is not an important issue, but rather it brings out his attitude, which is an issue.

"You haven't around long enough to know things that most parents would. I have seen, far too many times, where the youngest child of a family gets so pampered such that they don't know how to take care of themselves, in a similar way that Spire was pampered as the prince. But Spire at least tries, to some degree, to be independent. Fly? Never once have I seen him show interest in hunting or battling, nor an interest to grow and rely on himself. How will he take care of himself if, one day, we are not here for him?

"The truth is not only about his gender, as you may have been led to believe. All dragons should be able to fend and feed themselves. This is not an attack on you, for I know you would be able to procure food if it was necessary. But your brother? Leave him out in the wild and he'd sooner starve to death than attempt hunting. It can be difficult, sometimes – I'm sure you remember when I wanted him to practice flying, but he ended up taking a ride on my neck, because he simply couldn't keep up. And you, out of all people, should understand that it can be a difficult thing to begin. So for now, I'm still working on the little things, trying to keep him physically active, and maintaining a masculine self-image, which is why I gave him the less feminine name in the common language, out of the two concepts his Dragonite name was composed of.

"And if you were dissatisfied with my scolding, you must understand this: sometimes, children don't understand what is better for them, so I must use my authority instead of reason. However, you are old and mature enough to be treated as an adult, so feel free to speak your thoughts openly. That is all I have to say," he finishes, keeping his gaze on me.

I find it difficult to respond to his monologue. It sounds as if it was something he has been meaning to say for a long time. Feeling rushed by the expectant eyes on me, I answer, "Thanks for thinking of me as an adult, I guess."

"Don't bother with the pleasantries," he replies swiftly. "We are both trying to take care of Fly the best we can. I value your judgment. Tell me what you think about what I said."

"I'm not sure," I answer honestly. "I see where you're coming from, but I'm not sure the name is such a big issue amidst all this."

"I will admit that the name is not a big deal. If he truly wishes to be referred to as Spirit, then he shall." Father moves his head to rest it on his other paw. "The problem is how we will get him to be more independent."

"Is it really right to yell at children, though?" I bring up the next thing at the forefront of my mind. "Maybe if you told him nicely, he would listen?"

"Do you think I haven't tried?" Father says, now pushing himself up into a strange sitting position for quadrupeds, such that only his paws and rump are touching the ground. "Children may not always listen to what is right. If there was a child that would rather play games all day instead of eat, and refused to listen when being told to eat, what choice do you have but to force him to? Just like when I had to attack you for stealing the eggs – sometimes, there is no other way."

The mention of the event combined with his philosophy jolts my mind back to those times. The way he imposes his will over a child is not unlike the way I imposed my will on Spire's children…

…Or Latias imposed her will on me…

Before the memories affect me too much, Father continues. "And though some may disagree with me, I do think it is more important for a male to take responsibility. It is easier for a female to find a male who is willing to feed her, than a male to find a female."

"But my brother and I do have females to feed us right now," I answer, not entirely agreeing with his statement.

"Of course, but it may not last. And by females was referring to potential mates, not… whatever the arrangement is with Phendrene and Rue," he finishes somewhat hurriedly as he looks to the sky. I turn and find Phendrene gliding down with her bag, briefly covering us.

"So did you find Rue? And where did Fly go?" she asks, completely oblivious to the discussion we were having.

"I'll go get them. If Rue won't listen to Nova, she'll listen to me," Father says quickly, and gives me a glance before lifting off. I'm not sure if he means for me to keep the issue silent to Phendrene or if he means something else, but I feel it would be wise to finish the discussion with him sometime later.

"Well, let's start eating!" Phendrene responds as she reaches into her bag, getting two skewers and handing one over to me. "Try it!"

I hold it carefully along my mouth and try to bite the piece of meat off the pointy end. As soon my tongue touches it, I notice that it is much more savoury than the meat from our hunts, though the taste of blood is missing.

"It's pretty good," I say as I swallow it. "I'm not sure I'd be able to stand the flavouring if I were to eat this every day, though."

Phendrene chuckles. "That's why we're only eating it on the festival day," she says and begins eating, too. "Let's sit down."

Soon, I spot Father walking back towards us with the three others trailing behind him. To my surprise, Rue seems completely compliant as she walks over and takes over the food.

Spirit quickly wraps himself around me once more, and I make sure to take the other types of food and feed him with my forepaws. Father seems a little at a loss as he fumbles and drops a skewer with his clumsy forepaw, and I'm about to help him when Phendrene holds a skewer to his mouth. He says a quick thanks and begins biting the meat off, while Phendrene patiently holds it for him until he finishes the meat. Almost as if they are…

"Brother?" The Dragonair's call distracts me from my thoughts. "Is there any more sushi?"

I shake my head to clear my mind, only to realize that would send the wrong signal. "Yeah, sorry. Phendrene, do you have any more sushi?"

"Just one more after this," she says as she stuffs a piece into Father's mouth. "Here you go."

"You know what, just let me take care of feeding Father," I tell her as I take the sushi.

"Why? You already have Fly," Phendrene answers as she turns her head around.

"He's jealous!" Rue snickers as she throws a used skewer to a pile in the middle.

"No, it's less about her and more about him," I answer flatly, remembering taking issue when Father's sister nuzzled him.

Rue frowns. "You're jealous of your father?"

"No! Just- let me handle it," I extend my arm out to Phendrene.

She is about to hand me it when Father puts a paw in front of us. "No, I decline Nova's help." He then looks to me. "I would rather be fed by Phendrene."

The Charizard glances between us, confused. "What's going on?"

"You can't forbid me to interact with females simply because you're my son," Father states and gives me an irritated stare.

"Forget it," I say as I shake my head and put the sushi to my brother's mouth, and I remember how Father is going to leave to Fly's mother after the festival, and my mood only worsens. "Do you want more sushi?" I ask the Dragonair, trying to find an excuse to leave.

As he nods his head fervently, I stand up with him still tangled around my neck. "Phendrene, give me some money, I'm going to buy some more sushi for Fly."

"I could just pick the meat off the skewer for him," she suggests as she looks up to me.

"Just give me it," I repeat, patience waning.

"…Okay." Phendrene digs into her bag to find a smaller pouch, and hands it to me.

Just as I'm about to take flight, Father begins speaking. "You're going to have to pay her back."

"No, it's fine-"

"It's not," Father interrupts Phendrene. "Sushi is one of the more costly delicacies, and you're just spoiling Fly with this treatment. If you want to buy him sushi, you'll have to pay for it yourself."

"Okay, I will!" I reply in frustration as I simply leap to the air and spread my wings, not wanting to entertain any further conversation.

It's only a few more seconds as I land in the middle of the clearing, noticing that it's a little less crowded than before. Spotting the sushi stand, I head over to the short line.

"Oh, a Flygon! How may I help you?" a female voice sounds as the Charizard ahead of me finishes his purchase. I look up to see a slightly chubby Charizard wearing what seems to be an apron.

"I'll have two sushi, please," I answer and reach into the bag of coins.

"There's no need for that!" she stops me as she stacks two sushi on top of each other and hands them over. "Small purchases like this are free for you outsiders," she explains with a smile.

"Oh. Thank you so much!" I say and return the smile.

"You're welcome. Be sure to come again next year!" she says as I step aside, allowing her to greet the next customer. I hold up the sushi to Fly's mouth, and he straight up gobbles up both of them.

"Woah! Don't choke on it!" I scold him lightly and give him a small pat on the neck.

He chews for a while more before swallowing it. "That was good! I think I'm full now."

"Great." I briefly pondering taking him elsewhere, until I realize there's not much to do. Although I am still vexed by my father's remarks, I still head back.

"So, how much did it cost?" Father asks the instant we land.

"Nothing. She gave me it for free," I answer with a smirk. "Guess I won't have to pay it back, after all," I say as I hand Phendrene the pouch of coins back.

"Are you sure?" Father raises a brow.

The doubt on his face is so infuriating. "…Do you really think I would steal from Phendrene? What is the deal with you!"

"Nova!" Phendrene herself stands up and grabs onto my arms with each of hers. "Let's all be happy. It's the festival day!"

"Why are you siding with him?" I retract my arm and take a step back, away from the Charizard. "You know what, I'm just going to bring my brother swimming."

"No, stop! It's a holiday for spending time with each other!" Phendrene continues, beginning to become desperate. "Please… I'm going to have to go rehearse soon… Just stay with us until then…"

I'm about to retort and say how we spend enough time together in our day-to-day lives, but something forlorn on Phendrene's contorted face makes me hesitate. "All right."

Taking a deep breath, I sit down. Signalling my brother with a tug, he untangles himself. "Wait, where'd Rue and Talon go?" I ask.

"A Charizard came and told her a Garchomp wanted to battle with her," Phendrene explains, glancing behind her. "Of course they went."

"Wait, a Garchomp? I haven't seen one around!" I exclaim.

"They don't usually let Garchomp or Salamence around," Father explains from aside. "For my presence, Fen had to formally declare it so all the Charizard would know and expect a non-hostile Salamence. As for this Garchomp, I heard he's been a regular to these festivals, so it's not really a surprise."

"Why, though? That seems quite discriminatory," I comment, remembering Vie's disposition.

Father sighs. "It's a natural consequence when those species are the ones that attack your territory frequently. Don't you remember when Phendrene's stomach was slashed in a skirmish?" At that, Phendrene involuntarily clutches her stomach for a moment.

I nod in response. "Right. But I haven't seen them attack again after that. Have they?"

"I believe there was some conflict between the Charizard and the Garchomp, but nothing too serious," Father answered, trying to recall. "Still, it makes sense for them to not let their guard down."

"I want to go check out that Garchomp, actually," I tell them. "It's not like we're doing much here anyway."

"Sure," Phendrene responds and looks to Father and Brother. "Are you two coming?"

"We'll rest here," Blight answers.

I lead Phendrene over to the area where I had previously seen Rue fight. From afar, I spot the new dark blue figure in the makeshift dirt arena duelling with Rue, now surrounded with even more Charizard and a Dragonite.

It becomes apparent that I won't get a good view on the ground, so I take to the air, and I feel Phendrene follow me. There are a few other Charizard in the air with similar intentions as mine, but none notice me since they are too transfixed on the fight.

I look below and find myself most interested in the newcomer. Rue's moves and attacks are all very familiar, so the way the Garchomp manages to parry and slash at her at such a swift speed is more intriguing. That must be why so many Charizard are interested in the battle between this pair.

A close swing of Rue's axes barely misses his shoulder. Swiftly he lunges at Rue's feet and flips her over, leaving the Haxorus tusk stuck in the ground. Before Rue can attempt to free herself, he jumps onto her back and puts one of his claws against her neck.

The cheer from the crowd seems to declare the Garchomp as the winner. A little worried for Rue's pride and physical well-being, I glide down as he gets off the Haxorus.

"You okay?" I ask as she wriggles her tusk out of the ground, her face full of dirt.

"Ooh, a Flygon! You wanna battle, too?" I hear the Garchomp's suave voice before Rue can say anything. He extends an arm over, an inviting gesture if not for the spike protruding from the end of his arm. "Perhaps you'll be more fun than the other Flygon… maybe as fun as her." His voices oozes of a sensual tone that makes me feel somewhat uncomfortable.

"Hey, do it!" Rue pushes herself upright and dusts off her tusk with a paw. "He'll be more fun than me," she says with a smirk to the Garchomp.

"Wait, I didn't agree to this-"

"Just consider it doing me a favour," Rue says quietly and pats me on the shoulder before walking next to me to whisper in my ear. "He's strong, but he'll be easy for you."

"Come on, you heard her!" A voice in the crowd shouts. "Are that much of a coward?"

"Yeah, you can beat him!" This time I recognize it as Talon's voice, and I shoot him a glare.

"Well then, are you ready, Flygon?" The Garchomp calls again as Rue steps aside, seeming content despite my predicament. Perhaps she forgot that I can't use my psychic powers, but maybe it's time I try without. There are some things that all Flygon are capable of…

I look up and around, eyeing the energetic Garchomp as well as the rowdy crowd. "Sure. Your move first."

He doesn't seem to know how to respond to that, and stays still for a moment. I watch him carefully for movement, prepared to respond to so much as an errant twitch. The instance he lunges, teeth bared, is the instant I leap to the air. In one smooth motion turn around with a single flap of my wings, and fire a pulse to his backside.

The cheer of the crowd over his gasps and coughs gives me a feeling of satisfaction. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all. I swerve around, making sure to use my wings, and dive down. As I land, I make sure to kick up copious amounts of dust.

One of the techniques I learned from Latias is how to start a sandstorm. While it is undoubtedly an easier feat in the desert, it's also feasible in an area where dirt is readily available. The presence of one, however short lasting, can secure me an advantage simply by virtue of being able to see.

So I begin to push and pull at the fragments in the air, imbuing them with such power that they begin to vibrate and scatter. With a few more flaps of my wings to facilitate the sandstorm, the crowd begins to yelp in alarm at all the sand in the air. I take this opportunity to gather earth and manipulate it so that it sinks the Garchomp into the ground.

I am surprised when he breaks loose easily and lunges yet again. Sending up a barrier made from rock, I leap to the air again and let out a pulse. Only this time he too shoots one in return, hitting me straight in the chest. The acute pain at my front makes me grunt and recoil as I instinctually fly even higher up.

When I turn back around, however, I find the Garchomp rushing up to greet me. Suppressing an urge to teleport away, I raise my arms to parry a hit. But instead, nothing came.

"Maybe we should do this some other time," I hear him tell me in a more normal voice than before. I lower my arms to see his grin. "After all, it would be unfair if you couldn't give it your all," he adds with a wink.

"What are you…" I trail off, seeing that there is no point in hiding. "Maybe. …But I was only here to pick up my Haxorus friend."

With the dust storm fading, the Charizard have begun to notice our disappearance from the ground, and have begun to rush up. "Meet me at the entrance of the Novaria caverns at sundown," he says quickly in response. "Make sure to come alone." With that, he turns around, and glides away at an alarming speed.

I'm tempted to follow him until a particular Charizard catches my attention. "Nova, don't do that!" Phendrene yells as she flies up towards me. "It's dangerous."

I'm about to answer her when I see another Charizard on her tail. "Who's this?" I ask, making sure to keep my wings flapping to avoid lapsing into levitation.

"This is Septus," she answers and turns around. "We should talk on the ground, though."

Septus and I glance at each other as we begin our descent. I note that he is quite built, many muscles honed from battling and hunting, along with that permanent Charizard frown that a lot of male Charizard have.

After declining far too many invitations to chat or to fight from the other members of the crowd, I manage to get some peace and quiet on the other side of the hill. "What was going on between you and him?" Rue asks, clearly unhappy with the result. "You weren't fighting towards the end! And how could he just leave like that?"

I ponder the Garchomp's final words to me, and decide it's best to keep them a secret. "I just told him I didn't want to fight," I answer.

"That was quite the performance out there, Nova," I hear Septus's rather deep voice sound as we arrive back at where my father is resting. "I've heard a lot about Phendrene about your battling prowess."

"Likewise," I answer automatically, only to realize I haven't. "So, you are in the choir, too?" I try to divert the topic.

"Yes, we are going to sing tonight," he answers with a polite nod. "You will be able to hear us. On another note… would you like to honor me with a battle?"

Even though his words are pleasant, I can feel some tension in the air, especially considering everyone is silent around us. "Perhaps, but not today," I answer, walking over to Spirit. "I have to tend to this Dragonair."

He raises a brow in suspicion. "Is that so? That's unfortunate. Come, Phendrene, let's go." He turns and gestures to the Charizard who had been quiet all this time. She looks toward me for a moment before taking Septus's hand and walking off.

"Is something wrong?" Talon asks, oblivious to the situation.

"Don't worry about it," Rue says and sits down. "Nova and Septus haven't met before."

I look up to the sky and note that the sun's gone quite far from the peak it had been at earlier. It wasn't long before its edge would touch the mountain peaks to the west. Usually this meant that it was time to head home, but with this many Charizard here, we would have no problem navigating after sundown.

"What do you think, Nova?" Father's voice catches my attention, and I turn my head down to respond.

"Of what?"

"Septus. You think he would be good for Phendrene?" he clarifies and paces around.

"I don't know. I just met him," I answer, vexed at the question. "Why are you asking me this? I thought you said there's nothing romantic going on?"

"Perhaps not on Phendrene's side, but quite certainly on his side," he answers, swinging his tail around. "Fen asked me to watch out for her, and here I am simply asking for your opinion."

"I said, I just met him," I respond flatly. "Plus, if Phendrene's not interested, what's going to happen?"

"A loner like you wouldn't know about peer pressure," Rue continues with her arms crossed. "Even I've heard her friends gossip about it with her."

"Okay, okay. What do you want me to do about that?" I ask in return.

"Just keep an eye out for her. That's all," Father says as he stops in his steps and looks over to the crowded square. "The performance will begin in a while. We should get there early to secure good viewing spots."

"All right," Talon speaks up and begins heading towards the square.

"Wait, when is Phendrene's performance?" I ask, making them stop in their tracks. "I don't want to stay in the crowd for that long."

"This thing happens once a year, and you want to miss it?" Rue responds with disdain in her eyes.

"Hush," Father tells the Haxorus and turns to me. "Her performance is one of the last, so you have plenty of free time."

"Right. I just want to flex my wings a bit," I say as I take a step back. "See you guys soon."

My brother has a sad look on his face, but explaining to him would defeat the point of my Father's diversion. With a spring, I rise up and spread my wings as I begin gliding east towards the cavern entrance. My eyes are transfixed on the long shadow I leave on the rocky grounds, with no Charizard around to see. They must all be at the festival.

The gaping black space seems somewhat ominous with the lonely atmosphere. I begin to feel a little worried. That Garchomp was quite powerful, perhaps on the same level as Father; what if he had an ulterior motive for calling me here? I dive down onto the ground, making sure to stay alert of my surroundings. He doesn't appear to have arrived yet, so I try to relax. From the flat ground outside to the shadow I cast onto the wall in the entrance, there is nowhere he can surprise me from. If he wants a friendly battle, he'll have to ask for it, fair and square.

I turn to gaze at the dim sun, now touching the tip of the tallest mountain. The sunset is a rather mesmerizing view, painting the snowy peaks orange.

Serenity is broken by a sudden cracking sound from above. Not prepared to dodge, I can only look up to see the Garchomp having just emerged from the cave ceiling lunging downwards with that trademark grin of his.