Hey, all! Sorry for having disappeared for so long! Sometimes I wander around in life, searching for pastimes, before realizing that one thing that always bring me joy ever since years ago was this story. The frequency of updates should speed back up.
I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and am very eager to write the following ones. I hope you can enjoy it, and the chapters to come.
The hot breath of the Garchomp lingers on my neck. His two claw-spikes anchor firmly into the ground, pinning my arms above me. The rough scales slide firmly against my front as he shifts, swishing his tail around in excitement.
"…What are you doing?" I finally ask him.
"What does it look like I'm doing, hmm?" He raises his head and grins at me. "Seems like I win the battle."
There is no way I'll escape out of his claws with strength alone. The earth is also unmovable without my arms. I prepare to breathe a pulse, but a firm headbutt to my face knocks my concentration away. I feel the breath fizzle and a painful burn is left in my throat.
"Argh! This isn't fair!" My arms struggle to move in his grasp. "You ambushed me!"
"And you should've expected a battle, dear Flygon." His smooth voice begins to get on my nerves and I scrunch my eyes shut, trying to teleport away, but another harsh headbutt obliterates my will.
"Let me go!" I yell with a blunt pain in my nose, trying to lash out even more violently, but to no avail.
"But do you surrender?"
"Yes! I surrender!" At this point, I no longer care for my pride. As soon as the weight leaves my body, I levitate myself up into the air and clutch my face to soothe the ache.
"So you couldn't beat me with your powers after all," the Garchomp says from below. "I thought Nova the psychic Flygon would be more of a challenge."
"That's because you used underhanded tactics!" I open my eyes to see that annoying face.
"Simply part of the battle, hun." He crosses his arms. "And do you know my name?"
I levitate back down, the pain in my face less pronounced than before. "How would I know?" I ask, keeping my arms ready to deflect any possible attack.
He simply chuckles. "You could've gotten it easily if you asked around. Name's Jet, by the way." He waves his arm downward, a gesture to dismiss my defenses. "C'mon, no need to be all wary! I'm not gonna attack you randomly."
After hesitating for a moment, I retract my arms back to my sides. Jet still holds that smirk, which infuriates me more and more by the minute. "If this is all, then I'm leaving."
"Why? 'Cause you can't handle a loss?" He tilts his head and raises a brow. "I'd've thought the psychic Flygon would handle his pride better."
I'm tempted to ignore him and just fly away, but that would prove him right. "The battle is over, and that's what I came here for," I say, trying to find an excuse to return to familiar company.
"But shouldn't I get a prize for winning?" He steps forward, and moves his head closer.
I pause and eye his eager face, almost taking a step back myself. "I'm not going to grant any special teleporting or mind-reading favours."
"Ha!" Jet raises his paw-spike, beaming. "You think the strongest Garchomp of this land needs any help like that?"
"Strongest Garchomp of the land, huh?" I roll my eyes at the statement. "That's a bold claim."
"It's true!" He takes a step closer. "How else d'ya think I get to be here? You know all those Charizard would've burned me to a crisp if I couldn't fend for myself!"
His accent is quite befitting of his rowdiness. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. I came here with a Salamence."
"Well, Blight's quite the remarkable Salamence too! Quite befitting to be your dad, don't you think?"
I stiffen and raise my arms defensively. "What? Who told you that!"
Jet grins and takes a step back. "Oh honey, I have my sources. But no worries! The secret's safe with me." He beats his chest with an arm, as if in a silly show of loyalty.
I remain in silence for a while longer before I drop my arms with a sigh. "The other Garchomp don't know about it, right?" I voice my foremost concern.
"'Course not! Those bloodthirsty 'Chomps ought to find something better to do." He takes a step back and turns toward the setting sun, his long, stretched shadow following him. "The sunset's great, innit?"
"…Yeah. It's a nice view," I concur, not expecting that from him.
"Rules were made to be broken, ya know? I didn't want to be a killer like the rest of them. So when I realized I was strong enough, I just left." He turns back to me, the evening sun lighting up half of his face. "Sometimes you just gotta appreciate the better things in life. Like battles! Or dragons like you." His grin expands at that, revealing the sharp teeth beneath, a stark contrast to his friendly smile.
I find my gaze faltering, unsure what to say or feel. "Thank… you?"
"You're welcome!" He gives me a quick pat on the side with the side of his paw-spike. "I see you're acquainted with the Haxorus, too. Been through many travels, right?"
"Yeah, I've been to quite some places," I answer honestly. "I haven't explored all of this land, though."
"I could take you to the Garchomp's place, if you'd like," he says and offers his spike out. I stare at it, wondering if I'm supposed to grab it.
"We have a Charizard festival first, don't we?" I ask, ambivalent about his offer. "Maybe later."
"Right." The fading light cut across his navy scales, and the dragon narrowed his eyes at the peaks in the horizon. "We better head back to where the Charizard are, then. Is it your first time here?" he asks.
I give him a short nod.
"Well, then let me tell ya, the sight of all those Charizard tails after nightfall is a fancy one."
The flight back barely gives me enough time to form an opinion about this feisty yet friendly Garchomp. As the sky darkens, the crowd of Charizard tails each becomes a small torch, lighting the area around it. The few dragons of other species, previously so noticeable, become inconspicuous in the sea of tail-fire. When Jet dives down, I follow suit, and find that we land next to a familiar Haxorus.
"Nova? …Why are you with him?" She looks between the two of us and frowns, as if still annoyed at her prior loss to him.
"Is there a problem?" Jet answers in my place, standing ahead of me.
Rue ignores him and turns to me. "Forget about that. Have you seen your brother?"
That gets my attention, and makes me dash around the Garchomp to face Rue directly. "What happened to him? Is he lost?"
"Well…" Rue eyes Jet for a moment.
"He knows about my dad and his name," I explain curtly, caring about my brother far more than secrecy. "Go on, what was that about Fly?"
Rue nods and continues, "Your father scolded him in their own language, so I don't know what it was about, but he got upset and flew off into the crowd."
"And where is that Salamence?" I ask. How could he do that again? "He better be looking for my brother."
"…Actually, Blight is watching the show." She gestured behind her, where a group of Charizard were on a terrace against a hill, performing something theatrical. "He said that-"
"Novaaa!" The voice makes me turn around immediately as the Dragonair dashes onto me and wraps himself tightly around my waist and arm. He doesn't make any noise after that.
Relieved, I take a deep breath. "Are you all right?" I ask him, giving him a small pat on the scruff.
"Yeah. Papa was mean, so I got mad," he admits, and curls his neck into mine.
"I'll talk to him." I raise my head to the Garchomp and Haxorus watching us intently. "Rue, where is he?"
"Here," she gestures with a finger. "Just don't make a scene," she says and turns around.
As I trail behind her, Jet gives me a nudge. "Nice family you-"
Shut up. I stop in my tracks and give him a glare. Did you forget that we're in public? I shouldn't even be letting you come along.
"Sorry." He retracts his arm and remains silent, though he clearly still has much to say judging by his uneven pace and wandering gaze. Spirit gives a curious prod, perhaps inciting me to telepathically communicate with him, but I just shake my head in response.
There is a little space in the crowd around the Salamence, the only one of his species. "Spire?" Rue calls my father's fake name – what a silly one – and he turn his head back curiously. Instantly, his gaze narrows as he shifts his entire body around to face me. "Flygon, we need to talk. Alone."
"We've done enough of that earlier," I answer. "Maybe we should bring the Dragonair with us this time? It will be more valuable of an conversation with him present."
"Fine." He stomps one of his forelegs, raising a little dust, and then walks right past me. "Follow me."
Rue and Jet both stand there silently. I give them a nod before I turn around with my brother wrapped around me. As I follow Father out of the crowd on foot, Fly constricts my waist lightly to get my attention again. This time, I do enter his mind, only to realize he has no coherent thoughts. Don't worry, I'll talk to him, is the comfort I offer.
As Father travels further from the main square, the Charizard light on his behind declines to a mere glow. Soon, far out of earshot of the crowd and at the base of a hill, Father stops and turns around, his tail slapping the ground with a resounding thud.
"Get off him," are his first words to the Dragonair. "If you want to be treated like an adult, then act like one."
"I don't see the problem," I say in a pacifying tone, feeling Spirit's shivers. "Phendrene clings onto me all the time, and you don't say anything."
Blight's dissatisfied stare turns towards me. "Ignoring her gender and her… disposition towards you," – he says, rolling his eyes for a moment – "she still is able to hunt and live by herself. Do you think Rue or her father held her paw as she went out and connected with all the local Charizard?" He frowns and bares his teeth, expression far less civil than during our last conversation.
"But-"
"Your brother has far greater issues! He refuses to learn how to hunt. He refuses to try and make Charmander friends no matter how many times I tell him to. And now, when I try to scold him, he runs away." Father's tone becomes more and more irate as he goes on. "Utter disresp-"
"Stop!" I stretch my arm out and put a paw in his face to silence him before his anger can build up. "Let's talk it out calmly," I say, eyeing the Salamence carefully. "Are those the only problems you have with him?"
"No, but he's not going to admit to even these." A quick gust of air escapes from his nose as he sits down. "Why don't you ask him?"
The Dragonair, wrapped around my limbs and torso, has not made a single sound so far. So I give him an encouraging pet and ask, "Spirit, do you think you should try and hunt and make more friends?"
A moment passes before he dares to speak, his high-pitched voice a stark contrast to Father's and mine. "I- I mean, Brother doesn't hunt, either, right…?"
"See, here's the problem," Blight begins again with a loud thud from his tail hitting the ground restlessly. "He thinks just because you don't hunt, and disappear for weeks on end randomly, that it's okay to be irresponsible." Father stands back up and takes a few steps forward, and raises his head to glare at me. "If you're going to try and be a guardian figure to him, you better start being a better role model."
Nonplussed at the sudden blame on me, I take a few seconds to regain my composure. "Uh… I thought we were talking about him?" is what I manage to say.
"I asked to talk to you. Not him. You insisted on bringing him." Father turns around and begins pacing in a circle. "You're my son, too, aren't you? So I have a duty to correct-"
"I thought we were over that!" I call out, his words bringing back memories of that fateful rainy day. "It's not as if this time I wanted Latias to keep me there."
"Oh, you think those are all your problems? How about your insistent refusal to learn how to hunt? Or how you neglect that poor Charizard girl?" He gives a smirk and glare, and that combined with the last comment pushes me over the edge.
"You're accusing me of neglecting Phendrene?" I shoot back, raising my voice and no longer caring about being civil. "How dare you accuse me of that, when we're not even mates, let alone have children! What about you leaving my mother-"
A low, guttural growl emanates from my father's throat, silencing me. "Watch. Your. Tongue." His voice is deep as his gaze is spiteful. Though his teeth are no longer bared, I somehow feel his gaze of fury is far more serious than before. "How dare you say that, after I confided the truth to you."
The Dragonair's tightness becomes unbearable, no doubt provoked by our father's rage. I, too, take a step back, my own anger dissolving into anxiety.
He paces around, keeping his eye on us the entire time. "If I don't educate my children, you think I am irresponsible. If I try to educate them, you think I am tyrannical." His words are slow as he spits them out. "You will get your way, Nova. I will leave directly for my mate after tonight. Before I return, you may do whatever you please with your brother." He stops in his tracks, and turns away to the crowd. "Goodbye."
His footsteps kick up minimal dust as he disappears around the crowd. There is a tiny voice in my mind that tells me to go after him, but it is completely overshadowed by the other emotion. What exactly is it? Fear? Sadness? Guilt? I cannot tell. Father does not usually get angry. I shouldn't have said that…
It is a small while before Spirit nudges me. "Big brother?" he mumbles. "Sorry. I shouldn't have ran away."
I just shake my head softly and begin trudging back towards the edge of the crowd, unable to form coherent words to explain to my brother. I couldn't, anyway. I insulted him for the one thing I should not have.
"Nova? What happened?" Rue's concerned voice rouses my attention, but not by much. Feeling her strong grip on my arm, I look up at her, tusks smothering half of her face in darkness, but only manage to shake my head again. "Why did Blight just walk over to the other side?" she continues, giving me an odd look.
"It's clear he doesn't want to talk about it." The Garchomp defends me, instead of joining Rue in probing. "Let's just enjoy the festival."
I give him a nod of thanks as Rue lets go, but there's still something else on me. I give Spirit a small tug and tell him, Can you get off me? I'm tired.
Okay. He is surprisingly compliant as he releases my body and floats into the air beside me. I flex my wings to stretch them, having kept them still with my brother on me.
Jet prods me in the side and I look up to see him pointing at the stage, a small elevated terrace on the side of a hill. There are two Charizard, a Charmander, and a Sceptile on it, who are acting out some sort of play. The crowd is silent, no doubt absorbed in the performance, and though I can hear their words I find that I have no interest in it. I take a step back and levitate myself onto the slope, sitting down.
None of the three notice my absence, all of them engrossed in the play. I stretch out my limbs and look up towards the starlit sky.
How did my father anger me for me to respond that way? Was it because of his comment on Phendrene? Ever since I've returned, everyone seems to have more comments about Phendrene and me. I do understand where they are coming from, since if any other two dragons acted the way we did, they would be considered mates. The remarks must have been spurred on by the presence of Septus.
If so, then why do I care so much when they talk about Phendrene? I like to think the relationship between the Charizard and me is a healthy one. We take care of each other, watch out for each other, and incite joy in each other. Ever since the Trapinch and Charmander lost a mother together, we had something special between only us.
That must be why I feel an animosity towards Septus. I have taken for granted all the affection and care that Phendrene had shown for me, something she would undoubtedly have to withdraw if she were to take a mate.
They must think I'm jealous of him.
I close my eyes and bring up the image of Phendrene in my head. Her warm smile, soothing voice, smooth scales, they are all something I have become very familiar with over the years. And if they were to go away, for the desires of some male Charizard I barely know… I would not be happy.
It is difficult, repulsive even, to envision a male doing that to Phendrene, let alone having her bear his children. But Nova, you know that is something all dragons desire. So it's futile to think about it.
… Why did I think that it would be another male dragon, anyway?
"Nova? Why are you not paying attention?" Rue's irritating voice completely severs my thought process. I look down and rise at her words. "They just announced that the choir is singing next!"
"Phendrene's choir?" I ask, having levitated myself back upright. Turning my head toward the stage, I spot an announcer Charizard introducing the next group as a dozen or so Charizard file on stage, neatly lined up in a semicircle. As the announcer takes her leave, the crowd cheers as a lone, older Charizard walks up and bows to the crowd.
"The fourth one to the left! That's Phendrene!" I hear Rue's hushed voice, and sure enough, amidst the Charizard is slim and soft-featured Phendrene. Two dragons across her, I also spot the larger Septus, his brow bone clearly distinguished, even compared to the other males. Despite the differences between them, the way they curve their tail around their left and leaving their flame in front of them is transfixing.
"Thank you for having us today," the Charizard standing in front says. "We will be singing one song today, one I'm sure you all will recognize immediately once you hear it."
He bows his slightly paunchy face and turns around, leaving his lit tail behind him. With a few movements of his hand begins the sound of the humming, which is followed by a steady rhythm created by some of the low-voiced males opposite of Phendrene and Septus.
I quickly lose track of the dynamics as the Charizard begin their singing proper.
From whence do you come oh dear guardian of the night
And how are your powers so great and so bright
To stand strong and relieve us from all the world's troubles and plights
And then guide us through these dark times
Oh where do you hail from dear guardian of the night
Be the flame that shines like the sun ever so bright
Please protect us children of fire and be our guiding light
Burn away and take flight
They pause briefly and go back into humming, and I take the moment to glance sideways at Rue, wanting to ask her if she heard Phendrene. But the Haxorus's eyes are completely focused on the choir, so I decide to let her enjoy the moment.
In truth, it was difficult to catch Phendrene's voice among all of the others, particularly with quite a few other female voices. I stare at the familiar Charizard from this distance, noting that her eyes are not entirely focused on her conductor, but instead scouring the crowd.
Their voices begin shortly, as I lean forward and really try to hear Phendrene's voice.
So hence lead us on and let us set the night sky ablaze
As we hasten through all the grim darkness and haze
In our hearts we keep memories of the lost and bygone days
No matter the danger we face
Oh we will power through and may our enemies pray
That we are misguided and then led astray
But through fire and might we will press on forward, they will pay
Fine cinders they'll make
As the last line is uttered, still leaving me wondering if I could hear Phendrene's voice, she steps out of the line without a pause and continues the song alone.
From whence do you come oh dear guardian of the night
And why are your powers so great and so bright
You stood strong and relieved us from all the world's troubles and plights
But it has been the end of your times
I find her staring back at me, her eyes finally having found what it was looking for, and she lets out a small smile as she breaks into song once again with the rest of the group.
Oh where will you pass to dear keeper of the flame
How shall we hail you so your loss was not in vain
Be the starlight that shines in the sky and guide us on our way
May the fire never fade
Trust in you, in dear Nova we pray
Their voices fade as the conductor's movements come to a halt. The silence is brief as the crowd erupts with cheers. The conductor turns around and takes a bow, and gestures towards the singers who follow in suit. They then fly up in front of the stage, some in pairs, and land within the crowd, as the announcer returns to stage.
Phendrene is the last to land as she finds us with ease, pressing her side against me immediately. "Nova! How was it?"
"It was beautiful," I answer with a smile. "You weren't nervous for the solo part?"
"Oh, of course I was," she says with a small giggle. "But it had to be someone from my section, and the other girl didn't want to do it, so…"
"Hey, don't worry, you were great," Rue joins us on the other side of Phendrene and gives her a good pat on the shoulder. "Perfect execution of the song, Guardian of the Night."
"Wait, the song was about her?" I exclaim, remembering the book I was reading prior to the festival.
Rue narrows her eyes. "What other Charizard Nova do you know?"
"So Nova dies at the end? I didn't know! This spoils the story!" I clench my fists, but Phendrene subtly gripping onto my wrist calms me.
"Everyone knows that story, even a Garchomp like me. You really oughta known," Jet comments from aside. As Phendrene turns to him, he smiles and extends his arm out. "Name's Jet. I'm acquainted with your friends over here. It was real nice singing you did out there."
"Phendrene." I'm glad to see that Phendrene is able to let out a genuine smile at the stranger Garchomp, and even know to grab his paw-spike and shake it. "It's nice to meet you."
A gust of wind comes down as I turn to find Fen landing abruptly before us. He glances at Jet for a moment, but says nothing as he folds his wings in and grabs his daughter by the paws. "Phendrene… you did amazing. Your mother would have been proud."
The younger Charizard's wings twitch as she looks down. Rue reaches an arm around her, as if to comfort her, but Phendrene gives a small shake of her head. "I hope so. She must have listened to it from the stars tonight, too."
Fen gives her a small nod. "I have to go change shift with your aunt now. Have fun, my darling."
"Are you sure, Father?" Phendrene holds on tight to her father's paws. "Maybe I should take this shift so you and aunt can enjoy the last few shows together."
He closes his eyes and smiles as he shakes his head slowly. "There is only one show left. And… you should have some fun with your friends after it ends." There is something bittersweet in his voice, something other than their discussion about Phendrene's mother. As he lets go of Phendrene's paws, he turns towards me. "Please take care of my daughter, Nova."
"… Of course," I try and answer with conviction. Fen gives a nod before turning and heading into the night sky, his tail fire vanishing over the hill within moments. With him gone, I turn to the others, hoping they would bring up Fen's strange comment, but all three of them don't have anything to say.
I look up to my brother, who had also been floating alongside us this entire time. He tentatively reaches his tail in my direction, but I tell him, No tangling onto me! to which he seems a little unhappy, but accepts it and turns his attention towards the show instead.
As Phendrene's grip on my wrist tightens, her other arm wraps around until she has the whole limb in her grasp. I let her, considering she might be a bit emotional from the conversation, but I look around warily to see that no other Charizard notice. Luckily, only Jet spares a glance, and does not at all seem bothered by it. Even Rue is staring intently at the announcer, who finishes off her sentence as the crowd cheers even louder than before.
"What is this last event?" I whisper to Phendrene. "I didn't hear her."
"It's a fighting competition that only non-Charizard can participate in," she explains. "It's to attract dragons of other species so we have more diversity at the festival."
"Oh!" The prospect of competing physically excites me so much that I tug my arm from Phendrene's grasp. "I gotta go participate! What's the prize?"
"No." Rue says, still facing away, her backdrop darkened from all the Charizard tails in front of us. "I'll be the one to win this for you, since you can't use your psychic powers. Don't worry about it." Without turning around, she begins to make her way through the crowd.
"Wait, for me? And what is the prize?" I ask as Rue disappears in the crowd of Charizard.
"Wine." My gaze goes to Jet, who has his arms crossed. "The dragon who wins gets wine as a prize. Do you know what wine is?"
I shake my head, never having heard of it before.
"It is an alcoholic beverage that must undergo very specific treatment to be made the way it is," Jet says, his eyes turning towards the stage. The light on him flickers with the source of the illumination, as the crowd begins to thin somewhat. "I hear the Flygon in Lyrl manage to manufacture it, but supply is rather limited. That Sceptile up there won the last year's prize. Two bottles of fine wine." I follow his claw and see the crowd making way for the beaming Sceptile on the stage.
The Sceptile seems rather excited, waving at the noisy crowd as he jumps off the stage and into the clearing the crowd had once occupied. I spot a Flygon flying from the air, charging directly at the Sceptile, but he dodges swiftly and sends a barrage of leaves into the Flygon assailant.
"Wait, so they just start fighting immediately like this?" I ask, confused. "And how come you're not the champion last year. If you couldn't beat the Sceptile, how can Rue?"
"Ah, I could definitely beat the Sceptile. Just… I was a bit busy at the time of the competition last year," he explains with a grin, scratching his left fin with his right claw. "It wasn't unlike your current predicament with your Charizard over here."
I follow his gaze to Phendrene, who is even leaning her head on my neck on top of hugging my arm. "Wait, Phendrene. Can you be a bit more mindful in public?"
"No one's watching, mate," the Garchomp comments as he gestures to the middle of the clearing, where another Flygon and a Dragonite have joined the fight. "You really are a thick one, aren't ya."
I have no time to process his comment as a particular hard punch from the Dragonite draws a loud cheer from the crowd, putting one of the Flygon out of commission. A few Charizard swoop in and lift her body away as the three left continue with the brawl.
"None of those three are gonna make it out," Jet continues to commentate on the fight. "The rules were written such that the last one standing alone wins the grand prize. The smart ones would all wait until these early members have tired themselves out before trying to join. As would an intelligent fighter like Rue."
"…Aren't you gonna join?" I comment, perplexed by Jet's behaviour. From what I've seen of him before, he'd definitely join the fight, or at least prepare to. But judging from his tone and demeanour, he intends to stay out of this one completely.
"Nuh-uh. I made a deal with Rue about not contesting the prize from her. Of course, if she ain't able to claim it, then I'll join, but before then I'll just watch here with you two."
"Deal?" The Garchomp has not moved his eyes off of the three of them brawling in the middle a single time whilst speaking. "Hey, Jet, what was this deal? What does Rue need the wine for?"
"Why don't you ask her yourself? I'm not sure it's my place to say." He continues to watch the scuffle, unaffected by my words or questioning.
The Sceptile manages to knock out both the Dragonite and the Flygon with a huge storm of leaves coupled with a few physical swipes at both. The Charizard cleanup crew is swift in retrieving the Dragonite, though the Flygon declines their help and limps to the side on his own.
"Anyone else?" the Sceptile shouts at the crowd. Turning around, he sees Jet standing near the front, and gestures him to come over. "What are you waiting for, Garchomp? You already got a huge advantage now."
I notice Jet roll his eyes as a large, golden figure charges from the opposite direction and leaps at the Sceptile. He barely manages to dodge her and her tusks as he growls and swipes at Rue with his wrist-leaves. Rue takes a slash to her armoured chest but manages to get the Sceptile's arm. The Sceptile leaves a trail of blood as he jumps backward, clutching his arm injury. The crowd makes a loud hiss, almost as if feeling the pain for the Sceptile.
Rue smiles confidently as a small trail of blood emits from her chest. "You won't be able to fight any further opponents with that injury. It'd be best to surrender."
The Sceptile roars as he leaps towards Rue, but she just leaps and headbutts him right in the chest, knocking him down prone. Before he can react, she sits on his back and presses his arms against the dirt ground. Lowering her blade on the back of his neck, she says, "Now, you must surrender."
"Fine! I surrender!" With those words, Rue gets off the Sceptile and wipes the blood off her tusks. "If I didn't start fighting from the beginning…"
"You surrendered, now get off the battlefield," Rue says in response to the Sceptile's moaning, to which he gives her a dirty look but says nothing as he walks away, clutching his bleeding arm. A few Charizard come to attend to his wounds but he ignores them as he walks away from the crowd.
Rue is silent as she stands there, glancing around as if she is expecting an assailant any second. A short silence passes, and it looks as if there are no one else left to contest her.
The Charizard announcer begins speaking with that loud and bright voice of hers from the clearing. "So! If there are no other challengers, it looks like we have our champion! Please-"
A dark figure zooms past her and lands in front of the stage before Rue. The announcer quickly amends her statement, but all I do is focus on the newcomer. I've never seen any dragon like them. Black scales, purple underbelly, white mane… Green wing membranes and tail, red brows, and most notably, large circular discs for ears above the head. Unlike all of the other fliers, the newcomer sports only four limbs like a Sceptile, with wing membranes extending beneath the arms like a bird. Yet, with all these differences, I have no doubts that the creature before me is a dragon.
"What is it, huh? Are you just gonna stand there?" Rue shouts from across the clearing. "Why didn't you ambush me?"
The newcomer takes a step forward. "I would advise that you surrender to avoid further injuries." Her voice rings through the air, clear and confident. The posture she has when she tucks her arms and wings in is graceful and controlled, in great contrast to the scarred, huffing Haxorus opposite of her.
In response, Rue clenches her teeth and lets out a growl and immediately charges forward. The newcomer leaps up and soars into the air with ease before turning around and shooting a slash of wind at Rue's backside. The Haxorus grunts in pain as she turns around, only to find the challenger has already landed. "You will not be able to defeat me. Give up. I do not wish to harm you."
The crowd is silent, much to my surprise. Even Phendrene's grip has loosened, her attention on the current predicament. "What dragon is she?" I whisper to Jet.
He shakes his head slowly, staring at the new female dragon. "I have never seen her species before."
"Hey, is she even a dragon?" some voice from calls out, and the crowd murmurs at this question.
She smirks and turns to glance around, but before she can speak, Rue shouts first, pointing her claw at her opponent. "She is a dragon! But… what is a Noivern doing here! You shouldn't exist here!"
"I could ask the same of you, Haxorus." She tucks in her wings, as if the battle has ended. "Your species is not native to this continent, either."
"No, there are other Pokémon native to Unova. I've known a Snivy from my childhood for years! But you… you're from Kalos! There are absolutely no Kalos Pokémon on this island!"
"We can talk about this another time," the Noivern says and looks towards Jet, who flinches at her gaze. "I have to take care of other challengers first."
Rue closes her eyes for a moment, before sighing and relaxing her body. She walks over to us, a defeated look on her face. "Jet, can you win this for me?" she says without raising her eyes off of the ground.
"But if I win it for myself, why would the deal still hold?"
"Come on!" She clenches her fist and looks up at him. "You know why we need it. It's…"
"Fine, fine, fine! I'll do it." He waves his claw with a roll of his eyes as he steps forward. "So, you think you can beat me too, eh?"
The edge of the Noivern's mouth rises ever so slightly. "I don't 'think' I can defeat you. I know I can. Well then, are you ready?"
"Ha! A cocky one. I like you." Jet crosses his arms and tilts his head. "How about you make the first move? I'd hate to charge into empty air like the Haxorus."
"As you wish." She leaps to the sky, keeping her distance as she conjures up a turbulent whirlwind that tails around her as she swoops across the night sky. Jet tenses his muscles as his head goes round and round, trying to keep an eye on the gliding Noivern. There is a sudden gust of air that she sends down, and Jet leaps forward to evade it… only to have the full force of a dragon pulse sent into his behind.
Before I realize it, the Noivern has landed, barely having kicked up any dust. Jet's breath is heavy as he pushes himself upright and meets eyes with his opponent. His tail slaps the dirt with a harsh quake, but the Noivern does not even flinch as I feel the ground vibrate briefly beneath my feet.
"I hope that's enough to convince you to surrender as well," the Noivern says as she gives her mane a light scratch. "That dragon pulse hurt, didn't it?"
Jet fails to answer and springs off the ground at lightning speed. In an instant, he twists his body around in the air and winds up a tail slap, one that surely covers every angle of the Noivern's escape. Just as I think she is going to take the brunt of the Garchomp's tail, she bends down and scuttles beneath him, as if she knew his plan all along. With a quick turn of her neck, she fires another pulse straight at the airborne Garchomp. Surprise writes itself all over Jet's face before it is obscured by the Noivern's bright pulse, and his tail flails around aimlessly as he crashes into the ground with a pained grunt, fin crushed under his own back.
The Noivern steadies her breath before standing back up in that graceful posture of hers. In then ensuing seconds as Jet struggles to push himself off the ground, there are many murmurs in the crowd, but the black and purple dragon pays them no mind as she watches the Garchomp in silence.
I feel Phendrene's grip on my paw tighten as Rue curses. "Fuck! How can she even beat Jet so easily?" She turns over to us. "Nova, you - no, you can't fight in front of these people - we need to get your dad!"
"Why? To get him to win your prize, now?" I writhe my arm free of Phendrene's grip and cross my arms. "Maybe the Noivern deserves it. She is winning after all."
"H-How can you say that? Are you on our side or not?" Rue yells at me. "Just go get your dad!"
I don't understand why she is so angry. "Our side? Since when were there sides?" I look over to Jet, who is now sitting on the ground, panting heavily. "Anyways, I'm not on speaking terms with my father. Go get him yourself if you must."
"Argh! You're so unhelpful," Rue says before she turns around and heads to the other side of the crowd.
"Why does she want to win so much? I don't even know what wine is, so why am I supposed to fight for it?"
Phendrene is silent as I voice my thoughts out loud, staring at the ground. Instead of pondering about Rue's abnormal investment, I look over to the Noivern. I'm not sure if my father would be able to defeat her, either. She made Rue and Jet seem like absolute amateurs when it comes to battling. And the speed of her movement and responses… they would almost surpass mine, even if I were utilizing my psychic powers. Just who is she and how is she so powerful?
As Jet staggers back towards us, I spot a Salamence entering the centre stage, though his face tells me he doesn't really want to be here. "There are more of you, huh? I wonder if you should set a limit, hosts?"
"Uhh…" The Charizard announcer seems tense at getting the sudden question. "The rules are the last person standing, so there isn't a limit…" It is as if her tenseness is caused by fear of the Noivern. I don't blame her.
The Noivern sighs. "Very well. So, next up is a Salamence. Do you have anything to say before we begin?"
A small shake of head from my father tells the Noivern what she needs to know, and she says with a nod, "Very well. I am ready when you are."
Blight wastes no time firing a direct pulse at the Noivern, but she evades it with a mere sidestep. She sends a strange dark lump in return, and Blight takes the hit effortlessly as he takes to the air and dives at her. Leaping to the side, the Noivern fires a flamethrower at Blight, and he simply ignores the hit on his scales as he turns his wings to glide after her. Showing no indication of surprise, she zooms through the air with Blight on her tail, whilst managing to avoid all the ranged attacks of the Salamence.
The superior manoeuvrability of the Noivern puts her well ahead of the Salamence, but she barely gets the opportunity to use more ranged attacks since Blight is right on her tail. For the first time today, I spot a frown on her face, as she suddenly dives down and swoops back upward in one swift motion. As Blight rises to greet her, she summons another whirlwind and glides right back at the Salamence. He raises his claws, but the Noivern has already zoomed past him, and he only slices air as a trail of blood drips from his flank and down onto his underbelly.
Snarling, the Salamence turns immediately and fires a breath at the descending Noivern. She yelps as it singes her wings and ears, and in response she makes a U-turn, charging an orange energy in her mouth. I feel a shiver down my spine when I realize where I have seen it before.
"Stop!" I yell reflexively, but there's no way either of them can hear me up there. The bright orange orb leaves the Noivern's mouth and splits in the sky. Everyone is basked in a bright light and for a moment I can barely make out their figures in the sky. A few seconds later, Blight lands roughly into the ground, leaving a cloud of dust behind him. The damage doesn't seem too bad; he must have managed to glide down after being hit.
There is only silence as the Noivern lands before Blight, her mane finally becoming messy. "Not bad at all," she says to the Salamence lying prone on the ground. "You managed to stay conscious through my draco meteor. I commend you, Salamence."
It is only then when Blight opens his eyes and I realize he has not been knocked out. "If you told me you were going to use that, I would have surrendered."
"My apologies. You were not a trivial opponent, and so I did not hesitate."
As the crowd begins to fill with chatter at the events, the Garchomp beside me makes a loud snorting voice. "If even he can't beat her, Rue and I shouldn't have even tried," Jet says. "Guess we can't get the prize, eh?"
"Fuck," Rue swears again, sitting against on the floor with her arms crossed. "If only she weren't here…"
"Why do you want it so much?" I ask, finally getting the opportunity to speak to Rue.
"Why do you think, idiot? To drink it! And of course, also give some to Fen to repay his hospitality."
"Wait, everyone," Phendrene interrupts the two defeated contestants. "Where's Fly? He's been missing for a while."
At the mention of my brother's name, I turn and look around, to find no Dragonair in sight. "Oh, he doesn't like watching battles," I explain nonchalantly. "It shouldn't be too hard to find him, with all the dragons around us. Just look in streams and rivers and call him from ashore."
"Let me go find him," Phendrene says and hurriedly runs off towards the stream on our way here.
"Are you really making her look for your brother?" Rue comments with a sardonic expression as Phendrene turns the corner.
"Think of what you promised." The Salamence's voice sounds from behind, making me turn around with a frown. "At this rate of neglect, he's going to get lost, or worse, killed."
I frown at his accusation. "We're at a festival. It's not dangerous. Plus, I have to-"
"So!" The Charizard announcer's voice rings across above the crowd's chattering. "I am happy to present the winner of this year's dragon brawl! Please come onto-"
"Wait! Wait!" I yell as I dash forward and glide over to the Noivern, who had yet to get onto the terrace. "I- I challenge her!"
The crowd is filled with murmurs as I can hear a Haxorus yell "What the hell!" back at the other end of the clearing. I try to stay calm and ask myself why I came forward. I can tell the others I didn't want to miss the chance to win Fen some wine, but the real reason is that I need to know more about this Noivern. No one recognized her despite her being leagues more powerful than anyone else, so if I don't snatch this opportunity she may very well disappear after receiving the prize. There is only one other dragon I've ever seen use that attack… I need to ask her about it.
"Are you sure?" the Noivern turns to me, the edge of her mouth rising as it did before. "You've seen what I did to those other dragons."
I only smile in return, knowing that it is a bluff. She is rather weakened from using the meteor, I can tell – I remember learning from Latias that it drains the power from your next few attacks to concentrate your power in that one. "And I am not one of those other dragons," is my answer.
She gives a loud sigh. "Haxorus, Garchomp, Salamence, then Flygon. I'm running through a dragon gauntlet today." She chuckles at her own comment. "Fine. But don't expect me to hold back this time."
"Of course." I grin and take a step back. "Shall we begin, then?"
"Idiot!" Now that the crowd has quieted down, Rue's shout is much more clear. "You're not allowed to fight!"
"And why not?" I turn to answer her. "You know that I'm at the very least on par with the Salamence."
"You-" Before she can say any more, a paw from Blight stops her. He mutters something, making Rue stop her words.
They're talking maintaining secrecy for my powers, of course. But this matters to me far more than that. Regardless of the concerns, I believe I am adept at disguising my telekinetic evasions as swift movement, so it should be easy for the matter to be kept secret. It should be long enough for me to engage this Noivern.
"Done talking with your friends?" She shoots me a grin and tilts her head.
"Y-yeah," I answer and keep my eyes on her. She looks rather amused at the situation.
"Well, here I come." As she finishes her voice, she lets out a pulse, which I sidestep easily before breaking into flight. She follows up with another pulse before joining me in the air.
As swift as her projectiles are, there is no difficulty for me in avoiding them by altering my flight path. Patiently gliding around ahead of her, I wait until she fires her third pulse before turning around and firing one in her face.
She glides to the side immediately, but still lets out a yelp as the pulse grazes her mane and wing. Diving down, I swoop around and meet eyes with her. Noting her frustrated expression, I let out a small grin of my own.
She gives a huff and whips up another gust of tailwind, and before I know it she has dived down next to me. Furiously flapping my wings to gain altitude, she still manages to catch my leg with a swipe – not enough to draw blood, but enough to know that I've been careless.
Her speed having increased dramatically, I now have to expend noticeable energy to keep ahead of her and her attacks. When one of her pulses hits my tail, I decide that enough is enough and enter her mind.
The first emotion I sense is a strong conviction to defeat the pesky Flygon, but it disappears in an instant. I know you're here, she thinks to me with a glare, startling me enough for me to forget to dodge the incoming pulse. The multi-coloured projectile blasts me square in the chest, shocking me into tensing my entire body.
The burn is not the worst, but my discovery still leaves me in a daze as I reflexively land on the ground. The Noivern, however, does not take this opportunity to follow up with another attack, but instead lands opposite me with an expectant look on her face.
You're not a Flygon, is the next thing she thinks to me. I can tell nothing of her emotions but the surface thoughts she lets me read. Tell me. What are you?
I am a Flygon! I bring my paw to my chest to ease the pain. And you, how did you know I was reading your mind?
I'll tell you if you tell me what you are first. She narrows her eyes and tucks her arms in defensively. A Zoroark cannot imitate to this degree. A Ditto does not possess psychic powers. You're a Mew, aren't you?
Mew? That Legendary? No way! I'm a Flygon in blood and flesh.
Prove it to me.
How? And why should I? Worried that she may be distracting me to land another attack, I pace around the battlefield carefully. You're not telling me anything about yourself! Not about how you detected me, nor about why you are so strong…
Hmph. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. All right, let me make you a deal. You tell me all about your psychic powers, and I will tell you about myself.
That sounds agreeable enough. What of the competition, though? I look around at the crowd. They are starting to whisper, surely wondering why the contest has downgraded into a staring one.
I have a good proposal. You forfeit, and once I receive the prize we can share it. Then we can fulfil the ends of our deal to each other.
Really? And what of the crowd?
We aren't contracted for an entertainment show. I'm just here to win myself some fine wine. She tilts her head, smirk crawling onto her face again. I thought that perhaps we could get to our arrangement and spare the pain of fighting each other.
I instinctively clutch my chest, the memory of her pulse fresh in my mind. All right. But how do I know you won't fly off after you receive the win?
She blinks and holds her head up, pulling one paw to her chest. I swear it on my honour as a Noivern.
I pause, watching her regal mane flutter in the wind, and know it to be true. Taking a deep breath, I turn around and announce to the Charizard host, "I forfeit."
"Oh!" She seems rather perplexed by the turn of events, and there are some boos heard in the dissatisfied crowd. But when neither the Noivern nor I react further, she says, "In that case, I am glad to present the prize to our champion!"
I stand my ground as the Noivern flies over to the stage, ignoring some obnoxious Haxorus voice in the background. The Charizard hands over the sack to the wyvern, who accepts it graciously with a nod. The crowd lets out a half-cheer, one that is definitely not as enthusiastic as it would have been if not for the interruption.
I look up to her as she looks down to me, as the announcer says a few more words marking the end of the festival.
Do you need help with carrying it? I ask out of courtesy.
Of course not. I would have thought it is obvious that there is no need to show chivalry to me. I can take care of myself.
All right, all right. Now, shall we find another place to discuss the matters we agreed upon?
My residence would be a suitable location. I know only you are able to keep up with my flight speed, so we will be able to have privacy and confidentiality. I expect the same from you.
Of course, I will keep you secrets as you do mine. And yes, my flight skills are unparalleled, if I may say so myself.
Quite confident, aren't we? she answers with a smirk. She moves her gaze from me to the crowd as some members begin approaching us, the Charizard announcer having finished her speech. Shall we depart, then?
Right behind you.
As soon as my telepathic message is over, she crouches and leaps into the air in one smooth motion, her bag tied to her back. Even with the bindings restricting her wings, she is far faster than anyone could hope to catch up to. That is, anyone except me.
With a spring, I take to the air, and in mere seconds catch up to her. Soon, the sea of Charizard tails is a distant dot of lights behind us.
However much she insisted before, I can tell the bag is taking a toll on her flight skills. Unlike us, her wings are bound to her arms, and as such the rucksack can never be fitted comfortably.
Sorry, if I may ask… I believe it would be more suitable for us six-limbed dragons to carry such a bag.
She gives me a sideways glance as her wings twitch in discomfort, the membrane stretched taut by the belt. Fine, she responds and begins her descent.
As we land to transfer the sack from her to me, she opens her mouth and speaks in her real voice. It is much softer in private than in front of the crowd. "By the way, Flygon, I never managed to catch your name."
"I'm Nova," I answer as I strap the bag tightly onto my back. "And what is yours?"
"My name is Sylvia," she answers with a smile. Our gazes meet and linger for a few more moments before she turns to face our path ahead. With a few strong beats of her now-freed wings, she takes off ahead of me. I find myself staring at her fluttering mane and lithe figure until she turns her head back at me. Blinking, I collect myself and take off to follow her.