Sylvia snuggles into my neck as I stir and open my eyes. Instinctively I try to wrap an arm around her but she pushes it away.

"It's time to wake up, you lazy Flygon." It is only then I notice she is already out of the blankets with her eyes wide open. A bright ray of sunlight comes in from a window and lights up a patch of the wall. Sylvia's tail twitches excitedly as she watches me expectantly.

"Sorry, I get tired from the psychic powers, so I tend to sleep a lot," I try to explain.

"Don't worry." She leaps off of the bed and leans over the ledge. "I've got a surprise for you. Come down!" With that, she spreads her wings and glides down and out of sight.

Tossing the blankets to my side, I feel the cool morning air on my scales, a refreshing contrast to the warmth during the night. I levitate myself down to the ground floor and spot Sylvia sitting in her chair with two wooden bowls on the table. I rush over to the empty seat and note that there is steam coming from the bowls.

"You know, it's interesting how you just levitate. I wonder what it would be like if you levitate with me on your back." Sylvia rests her elbow on the table as she mumbles. "Anyways, I made you breakfast! I would have brought it up to the bed, but I can't carry things and fly at the same time. Why don't you give it a taste?" She leans forward again, looking expectantly at me.

"You… made breakfast while I was sleeping?" I say and stare at the purple liquid. "What- I'm sorry, I should have-"

"Nova, it's just berry soup. Nothing special," she grins and pushes the bowl a bit closer to me. "Why don't you give it a try and tell me how it tastes?"

"I… Alright." I look down and smell something savoury in the meal. Holding the edge of the bowl, I raise it to my head and give it a small sip. The liquid is still too hot to give me a definitive taste, but the warmth which courses through my body after I swallow is rather relaxing.

"And…?" I'm about to take another sip before Sylvia reminds me.

"It's…" I'm about to tell her how it needs another taste before I can comment, but I realize that it doesn't matter. "It's delicious," I say, thinking of how much effort she had to go through to make this. "Thank you, Sylvia."

"Hehe, you're welcome!" She gushes and returns to her normal position. "It's no big deal, really! I make it for myself a lot. You just gather the berries, put some meat in if you want, then stew it over a fire. I'm glad you enjoy it!"

Taking another sip of the soup, I notice it has a mild sweet yet savoury flavour, not quite unlike the food at the Charizard festival. A small chunk of meat comes into my mouth and I realize it is cooked. The fresh taste of blood isn't there, but it doesn't matter, since Sylvia woke up early and took all that time preparing it just for me.

"When did you learn it?" I ask her as she too begins sipping at her bowl.

"There were lots of recipes online – I mean, available to me back in Kalos," she explains as she stirs the bowl. "There were different versions, some spicy, some sour, but I thought you'd like the sweet one the most."

"That's… very considerate of you," I answer, amazed at the amount of thought she put into such a simple meal. "I'm afraid I don't know how to pay you back…"

"Don't say that! You already paid me back with all the cuddles last night," she says with a grin.

I give a small smile in return as I resume drinking, wondering what in the world I did to deserve such a lovely Noivern.

"But if you really don't mind, um…" Sylvia perks up as I finish my bowl and chew up the berry fragments, "you could stay with me for a bit longer."

"I… I would love to. But… I really don't want my friends to get worried," I tell her directly, thinking of the state I left them in last night. "There were a few other times where I left without warning, and I think they deserve to know where I am."

"I understand," Sylvia answers, though considerably less enthusiastic. "So… you'll be leaving soon?"

"Yeah, I'm afraid so. But I'll come back! Or you could visit me!" I make sure to propose. "It's not that long of a flight home. I'm sure it won't be a hassle to spend more time."

"How about a date to the desert?" she suggests, excited. "You could show me around the Flygon settlements! And your friend Zeta, he sounds like a really interesting person!"

"That's actually a pretty good idea," I answer, though at the mention of Zeta's name I think of something. "But we'll have to be careful, the water at his place will make you infertile if you drink it."

"Oh, no." She puts a paw to her mouth. "We can't have that happening! Then, well… we won't be able to have children."

I realize I'm the one that talked myself into this topic so I just stay silent and stare at my bowl, feeling flustered. "Um… I never really thought about it?" I answer. "We've… well, I'd like to know you a bit better before…"

"Hey, I'm not saying we're having children right now, just in the future," Sylvia clarifies, cocking her head. "And you brought it up."

"True." Feeling my embarrassment die down a little, I look up to her. "I really don't think I should be thinking about children right now, though."

"Why? Is anything the matter?"

"I'm quite young… only eighteen years or so. And I've never imagined how to deal with children…"

"Ah." She seems a little disappointed, but tries to keep a smile up. "I'm three or four years older than you, so…" She pauses and refocuses her gaze on me. "That, and as I have mentioned, I seen what it's like at the breeder's place. I think it's a topic we should bring up if we, you know… plan to be together. "

"You-you're not wrong," I say as I fidget in my seat. "I guess I'm just… unused to thinking that I would father children. I thought you didn't like going to the breeder's place?"

"Right." Sylvia places a paw on mine. "But we aren't at the breeder's place, are we? As long as it would be with someone I love and is willing to raise a child with me, I would do it. Or are you saying… you wouldn't raise a child?"

"No, I wasn't trying to say that… but I would have to think about it more," I admit. "I'm sorry."

"I understand." She stands up and walks around to my seat, and puts her wings around me. "I'm not trying to flirt here, but… you know that people can't really be mates without making eggs, right? Maybe you've never been with another dragon before, but it's part of having a mate. I… I would prefer a mate who would stay with me for that."

I bring a paw up to grab hers as I feel her body rise and fall with the steady rhythm of her breaths. "I'll be honest… I've never thought about this. I think I would be fine with children, but… I really just need more time."

"That's all right," Sylvia says and nuzzles the base of my antenna.

We stay in this position for a little while as I try to relax in her embrace. Sylvia is right. If you are considering someone as a potential mate, a conversation about potential children is more than necessary. But at this moment, the topic only causes more anxiety…

"Well, I can't keep you forever." She stands up after a while and removes her arms from me. "The quicker you leave, the quicker you return."

"You'll probably have to give me a day or two," I tell her upfront. "My father is out for a while, so I have to take care of my brother. He's a Dragonair, and the others can't swim, so I spend by far the most time with him, and I don't want him to get lonely."

"So when would you come back?" she asks, seeming a little disappointed. "Three days?"

"That sounds like enough time. I'll meet you here three days later in the morning." I stand up and turn around. "Oh, and, um… I think I should bring back the unopened bottle of wine for them. If that's okay…"

"I was planning on drinking it with you, but if you don't drink it… I suppose so."

"Sorry about that." I pick up the bottle of wine and head towards the door. "I'll be heading off, then?"

I wonder what to say for my goodbyes before I realize she has followed me. "I'll see you off," she explains to me, before opening the door.

After flying up to the top of the wooden wall, she remains perched there. "So… I guess this is it. Thank you for listening to my troubles, Nova," Sylvia says, back in that graceful posture of hers with her arms tucked in. "See you in three days."

"Thank you, Sylvia," I say, trying to find something to thank her for. "For everything," is what I ended up saying. "I… I lo… Um…"

"No need to say anything you aren't prepared for," she says and leans in to give me a peck on the cheek. "We can see how we feel the next time we meet."

"Of course," I answer. She is far more mature than me about this. "I'll head off, then."

"Bye."

I take flight in the general westward direction, knowing it will lead me back home. I steal glances backward as I move farther and farther away from Sylvia, but she remains perched there, watching me, and even giving me a wave when I look back.

Do I love her? The only thing stopping me from saying I do is how recently we have met, as if something is wrong with proclaiming your love for someone you've spent so little time with. But with every moment I spend with her, my affection for her grows, and I am all the ever more glad for steeling up the courage to go up to her last night.

I wonder what others will think concerning my development. Father would probably be ecstatic, even though he wouldn't show it, since I know he would love grandchildren. Brother would be just as happy, even if it was just for my sake. Rue might be less supportive, if only due to her twisted worldview about romance, but I'm sure she'll come around. Phendrene… she'll be happy for me too, right? She has always wanted the best for me, hasn't she? …Will we able to still hug and cuddle the same way? Do I want to?...

The morning wind chills my body as I zoom through the plains, and I find myself preferring to deal with the thoughts when I get there. The looming mountains in the distance are the ideal landmark for me to find my way back home, having followed them countless times in the past, but the majestic sight of them never gets old to stare at.

The long shadow of myself ahead of me suddenly makes me aware of how tired I am. After all that had transpired last night, including the battle, wine, and other stuff, I certainly didn't get enough sleep. If I had such a habit, I might be inclined to take a nap, but I suppose I will just go to sleep early today. That's also the reason why I chose not to teleport, lest I faint before I am able to explain to everyone what happened.

It is not long before the barren cliff comes into view, the patches of green dotting the ground withered in the cold winter. Seeing the steam coming from my mouth in the cold air worsens the chill I have as I glide down to foot of the cliff… only to find a Salamence prowling around.

Giving myself a moment to steady my gaze, I quickly realize this one is smaller than my Father. In fact, it seems to be a she, who is trying to search the walls for something…

"What are you doing?" I yell out and put the glass of wine down to free my arms, in case she proves hostile. The only female Salamence I would recognize is Father's sister, and the last time we met I had knocked her out… Indeed, as she turns around, the shape of her snout is that of Night's.

"Aack! What are you doing here!" Her wings stiffen as she backs up against the wall. "Where's Blight?"

"I'm heading back home," I answer with a roll of my eyes. "Now, what are you doing here? Spire isn't here, you know."

"Yeah, but… but I can't find him anywhere!" she shouts back, anxiety in her eyes. "I've already searched the mountains and the plains. I need Blight to help me with the desert and forest! It's too dangerous for me to go alone." She fidgets her paws as she looks away. "So just tell me where he is, and I'll leave!"

"I never told you to leave," I answer. Feeling that she is unlikely to attack, I levitate the bottle of wine back into my hand and head over to the cave entrance. "However, Blight is currently visiting his mate at the Dragonite's place. He said it'd take a month, so if your search is urgent, you better go find him there."

"Hey! Why don't you care?" Night dashes over to me and prods me with the tip of her wing. "You were friends with him, right? Shouldn't you want to find him, too?"

I look sideways at Night's worried face. "Huh… Spire? I wonder what you see in him?" I lift the vines covering the cliff surface and push the door open, heading into the familiar cave. "If he wants to leave of his own volition, why search for him?"

"Look who's talking. Blight told me you-"

"Shut up!" I glare at the Salamence who followed me inside. "You know nothing about what happened!"

Night rests with a defensive glare at the entrance to the room. Indeed, both of those times, Latias had manipulated me into leaving. I would never abandon Phendrene and the others…

With the thought of her, I turn around and realize that the room is empty. The blankets of the beds are messy, and there is a faint smell of the two of them. Stepping inward to the inner door, I give it a knock.

"Coming!" Phendrene calls from within as she opens the door. She stares at me for a moment, before opening her mouth. "Nova? W-where did you fly off to last night!"

"Oh, well, Sylvia agreed- sorry, the Noivern agreed to split the prize if I went back to her place. Here!" I hold the wine out. "Didn't you guys want this?"

Phendrene looks down at the wine, but doesn't take it over. "You went back to her place…?" she mutters, unmoving.

"That's why you smell weird!" Night says from behind. "There's a female smell-"

"Why are you still here?" I turn and scowl at the pesky Salamence. "I thought you wanted to find my father? I told you, he went to find his mate!"

"I can ask the others to help me find Scourge too, you know," she says, unapologetic. "The Haxorus could be willing to help."

"Suit yourself," I say, not wanting to deal with her. Giving Phendrene a nudge forward, I enter the room and close the door behind me. "Sorry, I found her asking for my father," I tell Phendrene about the unexpected visitor.

Phendrene just stares down at the wine, unwilling to meet my gaze. Behind her, I spot the two children, fast asleep. Slowly, she lowers her head down to my chest, and takes a sniff.

"What are you-" I realize what she is doing mid-sentence, and before I have time to speak, she takes a step back and sits down onto the bed, her wings sinking against her arms.

"Nova, why did you stay the night?" she asks, still not looking at me. "What did you do with her?"

"I just- we just talked to each other. She wanted to ask me about my psychic powers! Um, and…" I know I can't lie about the smell, so I simply sigh and say, "It was pretty cold, so we slept next to each other. But I knew I would worry you, so I came back the first thing!"

"I see." Phendrene's voice is far too quiet for her to be okay. I take a step forward and reach for her arm, but she pushes it away. "Sorry, Nova, can you watch the children for a bit? I need some… I need to go out." Before I am able to ask her what's wrong, she has already left the room and slammed the door shut.

I look down at my own body, and lean down to give it a sniff. There is an unmistakable scent of Sylvia lingering on me, one that both Night and Phendrene must have caught.

"Wait!" I rush towards the door and open it. "Phendrene, I didn't-" I stop myself as I realize Night is the only one in the room.

"Wow," the Salamence scoffs, a disappointed expression on her face. "I knew something was wrong with you when you tried to take Scourge's eggs. But I didn't know you would be unfaithful to your mate as well."

I just stare at her flatly for a moment. "I don't have a mate?"

"Then why is Phendrene crying?" Night shoots back, her tail swooping to the entrance. "Did you really think coming home with the scent of another female on you was a good idea? At least wash up if you're going to fuck someone else-"

"I didn't! Do that thing you just said. With someone else." My words come out in short bursts as I try to make sense of the situation. "And Phendrene isn't my mate! Why would she be crying? …"

Night rolls her eyes and gives me a sarcastic look. "Are you pretending, or are you really that dumb?"

I pause for a moment, thinking of how Phendrene had just acted. At first, I thought maybe she didn't want me to grow up and get a mate, just so she could be clingy and childish forever. But upon reflection, I realize her demeanour with others is far from childish. How she took care of the children, how she handled buying food for everyone, how she took initiative to search for my brother for me… But then, if she were so mature, why would she latch onto my body at every opportunity available?

The door bursts open, interrupting my thought process. Rue walks in with a furious look on her face. As her eyes turn to me, she prepares to yell before she notices the Salamence in the corner, and instead asks her, "Why are you here?"

"I was going to ask you to help search for Scourge, but it seems you have something more important to deal with." The Salamence gives a sigh and turns to leave. "I'll come back later."

As the Salamence disappears through the door and Rue turns back to me immediately. "Nova," she calls in a flat tone. "We need to talk."

"Where's Phendrene?" I ask, worried about my Charizard. "And why are you so angry?"

"Hah!" Rue gives a loud laugh. "You're asking me why I'm angry? Do you know what you did yesterday?"

"I mean, I got the wine back," I explain and point back to the inner room. "It's in-"

"I don't give a shit about the wine," Rue says and takes a step forward, grabbing onto my arm. "It was the Charizard New Year's Eve. How dare you fly off with some female? What were you thinking?"

I stay silent, trying to pull my arm out of her grasp, but it the grip is tight and borderline painful. "She said that we could split the prize if I go back with her and tell her about my psychic powers," I answer. "So I did. What's the problem here?"

"The problem is." Rue doesn't finish her sentence before she interrupts herself with her breathing. "Why don't you take a seat first." She tugs on my arm roughly and shoves me onto my bed. Or rather, the two beds that Phendrene and I combined together. Rue stands in front of me, her fists clenched.

"Okay. Now, do you seriously see nothing wrong with what you did? Nothing at all?"

"Maybe I should have told you all I was leaving," I say as I recall the events. "But Sylvia wanted to leave immediately, so…"

"So you did? You went with some girl instead of us?" Rue gives a sigh and shakes her head. "You do know that the answer would have been a resounding no, right?"

"The answer to what? I don't think I need your permission to spend the night elsewhere."

"Does that brain of yours even remember anything after all the psychic nonsense?" Rue spits back. "The festival is about spending time with family, especially for Charizard. You just left Phendrene while she was doing your job, searching for Fly! How dare you treat her like shit after all she does for you!"

"…I don't treat her like shit. She needs to grow up." I raise my head to look Rue directly in the eyes. "You can't forbid me to try and… court female dragons so that she can continue to cling to me as a child."

Though the words come out, I sense something wrong with them, almost like I am saying something I know is false. But what exactly is it…? Rue takes a moment and tilts her head, also deep in thought.

"So you admit to chasing that Noivern… You really don't realize it?" Rue asks, the fury in her voice fading. "What Phendrene feels?"

My mind turns to Phendrene, and all my memories of her. I've always told myself that we were just close from childhood, and that was the reason that she would give me preferential treatment over others. Perhaps it has occurred to me that she favoured me for a different reason, but I never dwelled on the though. Instead, I chose to believe that was just a product of my over-imaginative mind, and that she meant nothing more than she did when she did the same thing as a Charmander. But… If she would cry upon smelling another female scent on me, that could only mean…

"Phendrene loves you," the Haxorus voices the conclusion. "Not just like a sister, or friend, whatever excuse you would like to give to delude yourself. She loves you as a mate."

I stare down at the bed that we slept on together for so many nights. All the times she tugged me closer, put her snout against my neck… The same way Sylvia did to me last night. To outsiders it might seem as clear as day, but she had been doing the same thing since we were children… Does that excuse me for being blind to it?

"So now, imagine this," Rue continues, interrupting my reverie. "The Flygon whose brother you have just found for him has disappeared. He suddenly flew off with a strange Noivern. You were planning to confess to him after having a bit of wine to drink. Another male Charizard offers to bring you home, but you decide to trust the Flygon and wait for him to return home. But when he does the next morning, he smells of a strange female, no doubt having engaged in some intimate activity with her." Rue stretches her arms forward as she finishes the narration. "What is Phendrene supposed to do! Put up a happy façade for you and wish you good luck with your relationship?"

I am silent as Rue describes the events of last night, not knowing what I should say in response.

"And don't you dare blame her for not being obvious enough," Rue continues. "Blight, Fen, me… all of us knew. It was so obvious. You know the dance she wanted to do with you? It's a nuptial dance for the Charizard. She loved you so much she was willing to dance in front of the whole Charizard community with a Flygon. Do you know what types of looks she would get? What types of names they'd call her? And yet, she still wanted to show the world she loved you."

My mind goes back to all the times we've danced above the cliff. Did it really mean that to you, Phendrene? What if I stayed? What if we danced that evening?

What if I realized what it meant earlier? Would we have…

"So, what is it?" Rue persists. "Are you going to go and apologize to Phendrene and make her feel better? Or are you going to desert us for the Noivern?"

A million things fly through my mind as once again I open my mouth to find no words coming out. I don't even know what everything means anymore. If Phendrene really loves me that way, does that mean she would also kiss me? …Want my children? If I were to go on that date with Sylvia, can I still live here? Will I be able to face Phendrene every day?

"I… I don't know, Phendrene… she… where is she?" Those are the first words that manage to escape from me.

"I told her to stay outside," Rue huffs and crosses her arms. "She's been hurt enough by you, not just from last night, but also from you running off and being with that other Flygon. Either way, you don't deserve to see her."

I try to envision what would happen if the Charizard were here right now. Would she look away and avoid my gaze? Or would she rush over and pull me into a hug? Somehow, I wish she was here and doing the latter. I could use a warm Charizard embrace to ease my tense heart…

Would Sylvia have a problem with that? What am I allowed to do with other dragons if I have a mate? Whose embrace do I prefer? Why do I have to pick one!

"Calm down," Rue sees my scowl and puts a paw on my arm. "I'll try and help you think it through. What is the situation with the Noivern right now? I hope you two aren't mates after just one night."

"No, of course not! I… we just planned a date three days later. See, I set time aside for you guys. …"

"Huh. I guess I'm supposed to thank you for not abandoning us." Rue leans back towards her bed and sighs. "So, you still plan on going on the date with her, right?"

"I… I would definitely go see her, but…"

"But you might cancel it, telling her that you have a Charizard now?" Rue suggests.

'I have a Charizard now', I imagine saying to Sylvia. It hurts to think about how she would react to that. Yet, haven't I put Phendrene through the same thing several times? I don't know…

"This isn't helping," I state flatly and stand up. "I… Give me some time alone. Where's my brother?" I ask, trying to find someone who wouldn't shove this issue in my face.

"He's at the river. But Phendrene's there too, so-"

"Let me get him and leave," I say and turn to leave.

"Don't tell me you're seriously considering staying with that Noivern! She hasn't done half of what Phendrene-"

"Just shut up," I snap and leap out into the open air. Rushing towards the river, I spot my brother playing along in the water… and a Charizard watching on the bank.

"Spirit!" I call out as I land across the bank from the Charizard, as both of them turn to me. "Let's go swimming!" I force out a cheerful voice.

"Okay!" The Dragonair is oblivious and happily surfaces and curls himself around me, his scales still dripping with water. "Where are we going?"

"Where do you want to go?" I say as I pet him on the head. "Beach? Forest? Mountains?"

"Let's go to the mountains, we haven't been there before!"

"Okay."

As I prepare to take off, I find that I can't avoid the forlorn gaze of the Charizard across the stream anymore. "Phendrene…" I call out her name as I stare at the mountains. "I'm sorry."

"Did… did Rue tell you everything?" she asks, her voice brittle and a vacant look in her eyes.

"I… I'll talk to you later. I'm sorry," I repeat, as I close my eyes and force myself to launch off.

Phendrene makes no effort to stop me as the sound of the wind fills my ears, and I desperately try to chase the world I had yesterday. But I know deep down that from now on, nothing will ever be the same.