Well this one took a while. Sorry about that, but hey we are here now. Who is ready to find out at least some of the answers (while also finding a dozen new questions)?
This should be fun...
Hobey-ho, let's go!
Silence followed his words. I was frozen, my mind spinning. My Grandfather had died when I was just a kid. I hardly remembered him. The only things I knew about the man were the few stories that my father had shared with me and the faintest glow of a memory. The faintest glimpse of his face. "How do you know my Grandfather, and what does he have to do with the Dreamstone?"
"At one time, I was the one who knew him best. We grew up together, fought alongside one another. We were brothers in all but blood." Phoenix paused, as if deciding how best to move forward. "For a story like this it is best to start at the beginning.
"When I was a kid, I lived in the Village at the base of this Mountain. My father was a good man, but we were never truly close. The other children didn't really like me either, now that I think about it. I was just a foolish child with one goal. More than anything, I wanted to join the Expedition Society and see the world.
"When I was thirteen another boy came to the village, seeming to appear out of nowhere. I saw him enter the village, trailing behind ol' Nuzleaf, and I couldn't help but feel a connection to him. When we met, that was when things started changing for the better." Phoenix grinned at those words. "Well, when I say I met him, I really mean that I scared him out of his house and immediately kidnapped him to go on an adventure. It also doesn't help that Gabite nearly killed us for trying to steal his treasure. To be fair, we only wanted to look." The old Lucario smiled, chuckling at some long passed joke. "I'm amazed Slink even talked to me after that."
I flinched as he said the name, for I knew he wasn't addressing me. I'd known already that I had been named after my grandfather, but hearing someone else being called "Slink" felt a little surreal. "What was he like? My grandfather?" We shared a name, but I knew almost nothing about the man himself.
The Lucario gave me a sympathetic smile. "We had a rocky start, I will admit, but he was the greatest Pokemon I ever met. He was brave and oh so stubborn, I don't think I ever saw him give up on anything or anyone. I remember one night we snuck out in order to investigate some ghosts that were terrorizing the town. We came across a bunch of Litwick who had disguised themselves as Giratina. While the rest of us kids ran and hid, your grandfather marched right up to the legendary and told him to knock it off and leave the townspeople alone." Phoenix chuckled to himself. "Actually, I think that was also the night he earned his nickname."
I raised an eyebrow at that. "He had a nickname?"
"You didn't know. Your grandfather's given name was actually John. But all those times we snuck out at night to go on adventures I would always make fun of the way he crawled through the shadows. One time when we were out with the other kids from school I called him 'a little slink'. The name just kinda stuck after that. When we started at the Expedition Society, he even introduced himself as Slink. I still always called him John. Old habits die hard I guess."
He smiled wistfully. "You look just like him, Slink. When you walked in here, I was suddenly a kid again sitting here with my best friend. I can't even put into words how much he meant to me. I'd never really had a friend before, and more than that I'd never had anyone who believed in me like John did. That is why later that year, in the middle of the night, we ran away and joined the Expedition Society."
Eve suddenly jumped in. "Wait, you said you were thirteen? But the Society won't let you join until you are of age! What gives?" She actually sounded more than a little annoyed.
Phoenix nodded. "I guess you could say that John and I were both the exception and reason for that particular rule. We'd already met with the Society's leader earlier that year, and had braved a dangerous Dungeon to return a precious object to him. Later, when we turned up on his doorstep, he gladly welcomed us to the Society. It was only a while later when...things started happening that he reinstated his age requirement, and even raised it." He frowned. "Even then I thought he was making a mistake. Of course I didn't want to put any more children in danger, but I also know that I needed the Society as an escape."
"You're not the only one," Eve muttered to herself staring down at her feet.
Whether Phoenix heard her or not he continued on. "We quickly rose through the ranks, traveling to other continents and meeting their own similar guilds. Your grandfather in particular became very familiar with The Paradise over on the Mist Continent. He always had a special relationship with them. I preferred this Continent. I personally gathered most of the Nexus' information on the Water Continent. Well, with John's help of course. We were members of the society and held seats on the administrative council up until the day your grandfather died. I'm technically retired, but I still hold my seat on the council."
I didn't want to be rude, but while this was interesting I wasn't learning anything. What did any of this have to do with my grandfather? What did it have to do with the Dreamstone? Before I could say a single word though, Lucy got there first. "Why am I here? What does this have to do with me? And what the heck even is this Dreamstone? Did I miss something?"
Honestly I was curious about that too. We all were waiting for Phoenix's response. "I promise, all will be explained. As for you granddaughter, you are here because this is your history as much as it is Slink's. I feel you deserve to know. Besides, if you are to succeed me some day you will need to know these things. As for the Dreamstone, well in order to understand that you need to know more about John and I." He paused for a moment. "Perhaps we should start at the Dark Matter disaster. Have any of you heard of that?"
Lucy shook her head, I shrugged noncommittally, but Eve was nodding. I raised an eyebrow at her and she shrugged. "I looked through some history books in our search. I wondered if any of the big disasters were connected to the Dreamstone. The stories were...interesting, but I didn't think any of them were actually connected to the Dreamstone. Were you there for it?" She aimed the question at Phoenix who gave her a slight smile.
"Yes I was there. John and I were the ones who fought it."
His words seemed to echo through the garden, or perhaps they were simply repeating within my head. "Not many know what we accomplished," the Lucario admitted, "in fact the only ones who do are you three, Lucy's father, and Ampharos. We never wanted credit for it, we were simply doing what we had to. I'd like to think that anyone would have done the same in our place.
"You need to understand what happened with Dark Matter. It was so long ago, probably eighty years...or wait, was it eighty-six? Hmmm, either way the Society started receiving reports of Pokemon being turned to stone. Most of them were regular Pokemon, often ones who lived alone or near Dungeons. Reports came from around the world, but there was an abnormally large concentration here on the Water Continent. At first the Societies tried to keep things quiet so as not to cause a panic, but as more and more Pokemon kept disappearing it became impossible to keep that under wraps. Even the Legendaries were beginning to panic as it seemed that they weren't safe either. Celebi and Dialga were the first to fall. Dark Matter apparently didn't want anyone messing with time. Latios and Latias were the next to be turned. I know because I witnessed it." Despite the grim subject, Phoenix wore a slight wistful grin. "Your grandfather was so excited to see them when they flew overhead. As a kid seeing a legendary was always exciting, and seeing two at a time was almost unheard of. It was a shock, for everyone I think, when we later found them in the woods encased in stone.
"That was when Ampharos got serious about finding the source. It took several months and a few false leads before we eventually figured out what was happening. Unfortunately Dark Matter knew our plans. It nearly killed John and I right where you are standing." Eve and I flinched back as he pointed. Both of us shivering as a cloud crept over the quickly sinking sun. "We learned the truth right here, from a worn stone tablet that had been half-swallowed by the grass. This water, dubbed Luminous Water by some ancient Pokemon, was supposed to be a defense mechanism. It was the planet's natural response to the Dark Matter. A single drop could restore any Pokemon turned to stone. Unfortunately, Dark Matter discovered this spring at the same time we did. It forced other Pokemon to drain the water from it. Once it had accomplished that, there was nothing to stop it from destroying the world."
"What is- er- what was the Dark Matter?" I asked nervously, my tail flicking behind me.
"I still don't really know. I don't think anyone does. It once told me that it was the collective negativity of all Pokemon in this world. The embodiment of all of our darkest emotions. Anger, disgust, fear… hate." He shook his head. "But I think there is more to it. I think Dark Matter was a result of us repressing all of those emotions. Refusing to acknowledge them. Slink, you know as well as I do that there is nothing wrong with fear or anger. Those emotions can bring out both the best or the worst in any of us. They are both a part of life. The problem comes when we refuse to acknowledge them. When we refuse to feel them. When we keep them all bottled up inside instead of facing them and learning from these feelings. That, I think is what Dark Matter was."
"How do you destroy something like that?" Eve said, almost to herself.
"We almost didn't," the old Lucario admitted. "We were seconds away from oblivion, and I had lost all hope." He turned to look at me, a frown across his muzzle. "But John, he never lost hope. He was seriously injured, one of his legs was broken along with several of his ribs. He had a gash in his side that had dyed all of his fur red. He could barely stand straight, but he still fought. That bravery, that stubborn determination to keep going, managed to crack Dark Matter's shell. That was the moment when I finally realized how we could beat Dark Matter.
"I called out to it, and for a moment at least it paused. John had collapsed only moments before, finally passing out from his injuries. It was only me and the darkness. I was scared out of my mind, but I knew that this was the moment. I gave the Dark Matter the one thing it had never experienced. I gave it my acceptance, my understanding. I gave it what it could never get from the twisted emotions within it no matter how long it waited. Finally, I had acknowledged what I had been suppressing for so long, and what it had been feeding on. It shouldn't have worked. It was simply a desperate ploy from a terrified child. Somehow though that moment of acceptance was just enough to cut off its connection with the negativity that the Pokemon of the world were supplying it with. Just for a moment. And a moment was all that I needed. Dark Matter was weak, and I used all of the strength I had left. I don't think I destroyed Dark Matter, I don't think anything on this planet could do that, but I shattered its consciousness. It was spread so thin that I am certain it could never become sentient again."
The three of us were silent as we processed his words. My mind was spinning at this information. My father had talked about his father from time to time, but he had never mentioned my grandfather being a hero, much less one that had saved the world. When I looked over, I saw the same look on Lucy's face. She was trying to process this new image of her grandfather same as me. I felt a surge of kinship towards the Riolu.
"Once it was defeated, all of the Pokemon that had been turned to stone were restored. Order was returned to the planet and, although we were...separated for a while, your grandfather and I returned to our lives. We worked hard, rising through the society as a team. We reached our Master ranks within eight years and were invited to become a part of the Society administration. Life was great, things were looking up for both of us, but I know that we both felt something was missing. There was something that kept eating at me the longer we explored. I couldn't help but think of how close the planet had come to oblivion and what could have happened if John and I hadn't been able to stop it. I knew that we both still had nightmares about Dark Matter."
Lucy glanced at Eve and I, as if checking our reactions, before she turned to Phoenix. "You said you had eliminated Dark Matter. Why were you worried?"
"You are right. We both knew that Dark Matter was gone and wouldn't be able to threaten the planet anymore. But we started doing research, and we discovered that calamities threatened the world every few centuries. First there was the great meteor, then the Time Disaster, the Bittercold, and finally the Dark Matter. Each and every time, the world was almost destroyed. We were also told that this wasn't the first time Pokemon had been forced to fight Dark Matter. The two of us were simply astonished. How had nobody taken any precautions for when the next disaster inevitably came? That is why we resolved to change that. We disagreed on how to try and prevent another catastrophe, but we had finally found something to work for."
He turned to Lucy smiling at her. "My idea was to create this village and this stronghold around the Revelation Spring. The Pokémon of Serene village were originally in charge of guarding this sacred place. However, not many of the villagers knew exactly what they were guarding. By the time anyone figured out what this water could do, most of the world was already stone. That is why I created this village. I requested that the Expedition Society classify it as a forbidden Dungeon so that Pokemon could only enter with the Society's permission. We don't try to keep it a secret, that didn't work the last time after all, but we also don't want the wrong Pokemon knowing about us." My mind immediately flashed to the Hatred, but then again why would they want to attack this village? I looked over at Lucy. Well, there was at least one reason.
Lucy must have been thinking along the same lines as me. "But Grandfather, if Dark Matter is gone why would this water ever be needed again? What else could turn Pokemon to stone?"
Phoenix nodded. "That is what I wondered at first. But the more I thought about it, the more I was certain this water needed to be protected. Not even the Legendaries know what threats this world might face in the future. Pokémon smarter than me have spent their whole lives studying the great calamities and still don't know what might come next. Maybe sometime in the future we could be faced with a threat that can be averted with this water. And maybe this spring can do more than just reverse Pokemon being turned to stone. I have spent years sitting here, surrounded by it, attuned to its aura, and I still don't know all of its secrets. Someday, I know that protecting this spring will save the world. I have to believe that."
"And what did my grandfather do?" I aksed, a grain of desperation entering my voice. "Was he looking for the Dreamstone too?"
"Looking for it? No. He didn't have to look. He created the Dreamstone!"
I froze, my stomach tingling. My grandfather had… my brain refused to even process the words. I was swarmed with questions once again. Did my dad know about this? Why didn't he ever tell me? Did this mean that Phoenix would know where it was? He had to, right? "Please, tell me. Where is it? What are these crystals? Please."
"Hold on a moment Slink. I know some things, but not everything. John never kept secrets from me, except when it came to the Dreamstone. I know that it is on the Mist Continent but I don't know any more than that." He paused for a moment. "You mentioned crystals? Do you have them with you? May I see them?"
I nodded, shrugging the bag off of my shoulder so that I could more easily dig into it. Behind me, I heard a soft whump as Eve did the same. After we had figured out that the Hatred was also after the crystals and the Dreamstone, neither of us were really comfortable carrying all of them. Eve carried the first crystal, the one we had received from Leo, while I carried the pair we had received from the Hatred base. That way, at least theoretically, if the Hatred caught me again, they wouldn't have all three of the crystals.
A small bolt of nervous energy filled my stomach as I watched Eve dig through her bag out of the corner of my eye. I could only hope that Eve wouldn't notice Vix's theft. Or perhaps the Vulpix hadn't stolen anything yet. Either way I tried to act natural as I eventually extracted the two shards from my bag, setting them on the ground as close to the pool as I could. Eve produced hers only a few moments later.
Phoenix had to stand in order to see them. I felt a little awkward, but Psychic didn't work on the crystals so it wasn't like I could levitate them so that he could see better. "Three," the Lucario said simply. "Excellent. That makes things much easier. Listen carefully, all of you. John created a powerful artefact and hid it within a Dungeon. However, he didn't trust any Society to protect the secret of what he had made. He put...other security measures in place. Namely, he made four crystal keys that you would need to leave the Dungeon as well as access the Dreamstone."
Four keys. "Where is the last one then? How are we supposed to find it?"
"Calm down Slink. John gave the keys to very specific people, those he trusted." I could only watch breathlessly as he reached around to the side of his throne, pulling a cloth-wrapped bundle from a natural crevice in the stone. He unwrapped it carefully before revealing a perfectly-clear, perfectly-smooth, piece of crystal. "I hold the final key. Lucy, would you please give this to Slink for me?"
With a single quick bound, the golden Riolu leapt across the pond, landing gracefully on the arm of the stone chair. Phoenix carefully tipped the crystal into Lucy's paw. A shudder ran through her body the instant it touched her. I remembered the pulse of energy I felt every time I touched one of the keys for the first time. I was not excited for that.
Lucy took off again, this time landing only a few feet from me. She took a few measured steps towards me, weighing the crystal in her hand. Before she reached me, she stopped. She pinched the crystal between two of her toes and held it up so the sun caught it. The clear shard seemed to glow from within with a warm, golden light. "This is supposed to be a key? I don't see it. Whatever lock this has must be pretty strange?"
Phoenix laughed. "The shape isn't that important, the power within is the true key. Of course the shape isn't so odd. Just ask Slink."
I flinched. What the heck was he talking about? I only found out they were keys twenty seconds ago. How was I supposed to know what their shape ment? Lucy seemed just as baffled, but she passed me the final crystal regardless.
The instant it touched my paw, the familiar electric jolt of energy coursed through me. Instead of the tiny zap I was used to though, this was a constant stream of energy that exploded off of the key and forced itself into me. I felt the other keys too in that moment. They were like a Psychic presence, I could feel energy streaming off of them and joining with the energy of the crystal in my paw.
For the briefest moment, an image exploded within my mind's eye. It was a temple perched atop a seaside cliff. Waves crashed against the rock walls, spray shooting up even higher than the clifftops. The temple was cut from pale red stone, the entire thing covered in plant life. Nature doing its best to reclaim the unnatural structure. Two trees, a towering pine, and a skinny aspen guarded the entrance. The stone arch was wreathed with ivy, shoots of grass forcing their way through the cobbled stones that made up the exterior courtyard. The place was gorgeous, but something stood out. Something that distracted from the natural beauty of the place. A shape, a symbol carved into the stone above the arch. A… familiar shape.
I gasped as the vision faded, my muscles finally relaxing after having been tense as a wire for what had seemed like hours. My knees buckled, the key dropping from my paw, landing right next to its siblings. Where it belongs a voice whispered in the back of my mind.
"Slink?" Eve's face was lined with worry. "Are-are you okay? What happened?"
"I...the shock...it was different this time. More powerful. I...I saw…" My tongue seemed too large in my mouth, and even if I could speak, I had no idea how to describe what I had experienced.
It was then I realized that, for the first time since we had entered the room, Phoenix was no longer on the throne. He was standing behind Lucy, off to the side. He looked concerned, but there was a deeper, almost desperate look in his eyes. "What did you see?" He whispered.
"A… a cliff. By the sea. And a... a temple…" I rubbed a paw between my ears as I tried to sort through everything I had seen. "And… and…"
That symbol. Suddenly it clicked, all of the pieces finally coming together. How had I missed it before? "Eve, I need the crystals. All of them."
She eyed me warily. "Slink are you sure? What if-?"
"I've already touched all of them. None of them should jolt me anymore. Please Eve, this is important."
We locked eyes, her gem flickering for just a moment before she pushed all four of the crystal shards towards me. I'd only ever looked at them individually, so I never truly noticed or appreciated how similar they all were. Two of them, Leo's and one from the Hatred's base, were smooth along one side and spiked across the other. The other two were perfectly smooth all around. All of them shared the same general characteristics though. All had an elliptical cross section, the shape narrowing and curving like a Tauros horn along its length. I'd never thought of putting them together, especially not in the shape I'd seen on the temple.
Carefully I arranged them, the pieces fitting together to form what was almost a circle. The left half was perfectly smooth with a sharp, square tip. The right's jagged protrusions resembled a flame. Eve's eyes widened as I assembled the hauntingly familiar shape.
Our team symbol.
"Phoenix...how…?" I just couldn't figure it out. How in the hell….
The Lucario grimaced. "He knew. Your grandfather knew that someday the one who would need the Dreamstone would carry this symbol, so he chose this symbol as well. Have you ever stared into the Flames, Slink?"
I shook my head. "Only Delphox can do that. I've never had the chance...yet." My dad told me all the time about staring into our flames. With a lot of concentration a Delphox could use Psychic to reach through their flames and view glimpses of the future. Since this process involved both incredible power and a small amount of enchanting, there was no chance I could do it. At least not as a Fennekin.
"John was particularly gifted, or should I say cursed, with that ability. I cannot remember how many times while we were traveling I would wake up to find him slumped over beside a still-crackling campfire. He saw something Slink, something bad, but he refused to tell me about it. It scared him though. More than even the Dark Matter had.
"Something changed in him that day. That rock-solid determination I had admired in him seemed to block everything else out. He only ever told me that something bad was coming, but he knew how to fix it.
"At first we traveled, searching for Legends. Why? I had no idea. John insisted though that what he needed could only come from a Legendary. Because of what we had accomplished during the Dark Matter disaster, most of them at least granted us an audience. John often asked them for a private word, but from what I gathered they all refused to help."
"Why would that be?" Lucy asked incredulously. "After Slink's grandpa explained about whatever he was concerned about, wouldn't they want to help him?"
The old Lucario chuckled. "I've spent more time in the presence of Legendaries than most other Pokemon. I guess you could say that I have a unique perspective on them. The thing is that the Legends do care what happens in this world, but they really cannot do anything to help it. They have phenomenal power, but they can only use it to defend themselves or to maintain their domain. If I had to guess, I'd say this was Arceus trying to avoid infighting amongst his children and an attempt to prevent them from abusing their power. Of course in that case, I have no idea why Arceus is also bound by these rules. The legendaries also have great responsibility. They must constantly maintain the world order. If they get too distracted, even worse disasters than the Dark Matter would follow. They cannot afford to become distracted with what are, comparatively, trivial matters. That is why they only ever intervene when things threaten them or if the planet will truly collapse without their intervention. They also cannot directly battle other Legendaries. For the most part they let us mere mortals settle things ourselves.
"Anyway, we visited every continent, found every Legendary, but none of them were willing to help him. John became more dejected and worried with every one that turned us away. I was concerned for him, but despite everything we had been through he refused to confide in me. There was one thing he did ask me for though. He asked to speak to my other half."
"Your other hal - you mean your mate?" Eve asked. "Why would he speak to her, but not to you?"
"No not my mate. I actually hadn't met her when John approached me about this. I truly do mean my other half." The Lucario paused, twisting one of his tassels between his fingers. "This will probably take a bit of explaining, so perhaps it would be easier show you." He muttered to himself. He pressed his paws together, bowing his head and closing his eyes.
"Grandfather?" I jumped at Lucy's voice. Her tone telling me immediately that this wasn't normal. Phoenix didn't even look up as she spoke. His aura sensors had lifted off of the nape of his neck, but no aura had appeared around him. I could sense it though, building within him. The air around his paws began to shimmer, flickers of color sparking off of his spikes . Suddenly blue flames exploded along his arms and across the back of his neck.
The aura spread quickly, up his arms, down his back, consuming his legs and tail. Slowly the power rose up to surround his neck, inching to cover his head like a hood. Just before he was fully consumed his eyes flew open, his red irises blazing. The aura continued to grow, becoming so thick that the blue color completely fused with his fur. I couldn't tell where one began, and the other ended. Soon he was simply a glowing mass of blue.
The energy started to swirl, the cloud that used to be a Lucario churning as it pulled closer into a column. The three of us were frozen in shock, unsure what to do. The aura condensed, pulling into a point about four feet from the ground. It also started to shift color. Purple, maroon, red, pink. From deep within the cloud of aura a pair of eyes blinked open. They weren't Phoenix's. They were now a bright sky blue, like Phoenix's fur had been. Slowly the rest of the creature formed.
A pair of pointed ears solidified atop a rounded head. Two stubby arms were relaxed over its chest while its powerful hind legs were curled to its belly. A long whip-like tail lashed behind it as it hovered, nearly twice the length of its body. It was a Pokemon only spoken of in legends. The three of us never expected to see her for ourselves, yet there she was. Mew.
As soon as she appeared though, Mew fell, landing sprawled on her back in the grass. A small oof escaped her mouth as the air was forced from her lungs. The legend blinked softly, seeming to be gaining her bearings. Her small blue eyes finally focused on us, slowly blinking closed. "Sorry about this," she said softly, "transforming takes a lot out of us."
"Us?" Lucy asked through gritted teeth. Her paws were clenched, small blue sparks dancing across the metal plates on the backs of them.
"Yes, us." Mew replied. Her voice softer than I had imagined and oh, so soothing. It had an echoing quality to it, sounding like raindrops dripping one by one into a puddle. "Lucy, Sunshine, please calm down. There is nothing to fear." Lucy flinched at the use of the term of endearment. The thing was though, it felt perfectly natural coming out of Mew's mouth. It was like she had said it a thousand times before.
Mew sat up, but not by much. She just curled herself in the reclined position that seemed like a natural pose for her. Eve and I both shivered as a wave of potent Psychic energy burst from her as she began to float. "Apologies for the shock, especially you Granddaughter, but I agree this was the best way to explain our nature to you." She gave a small smile, but then froze as her entire form flickered, her outline becoming fuzzy for a moment The Psychic power that had filled the room vanished for a moment, leaving the air feeling dead and still. "We must hurry," she gasped as soon as she had reformed, "Phoenix cannot hold this form for long."
We? Our? "Are you Phoenix? Or is he you?" I couldn't think of anything else to ask. I was far too focused on who, or more accurately what, this creature was?
"I am Phoenix, and he is me. We are both distinct, and yet he cannot exist without me. Allow me to explain. I fought Dark Matter several thousand years ago, the first time. And despite the best efforts of myself, a human, and several other tenacious Pokemon, we nearly lost. All we were able to do was force the Darkness back to sleep. When I felt it awakening again, I knew that we wouldn't be able to pacify it. It had been gaining power for centuries. It would be do or die this time. We needed a better plan. I summoned the human that had helped me before, but I knew I couldn't help him as a Legendary. Phoenix told you of the limitations my kind face. I couldn't use my full power against Dark Matter as a Legendary. So I came up with a plan.
"I crafted a mortal vessel, an infant Riolu, and fused with him to provide him life. At that point he was nothing more than my mindless puppet. A body without a soul, simply piloted by me. As he grew though, I found that he was doing things without me controlling him. It started small. A step there, a word there. I'd find him playing with toys I hadn't desired, going places I hadn't wanted. Worse, the more control he gained, the less of myself I could find. As the years went by, Mew slowly faded to be replaced almost fully by Phoenix. He retained something of myself, my knowledge of ancient languages, and a… gravitation to John. When Dark Matter had been defeated, Lady Xerneas woke me up. I returned to myself, casting away the form I had created. But, I could still sense Phoenix within me.
"John, bless him, sought me out. He spent a year of his life searching for me, for a way to get his friend, his brother, back. I had thought Phoenix was gone, but just seeing John again seemed to wake him up within me. My vessel had developed his own soul, something that I alone could never create or destroy. John, Phoenix, and I struck a deal. I would return to Phoenix and restore him so that he may live a full, mortal life. In return, I would retain my sense of self and gain an in-depth look at ordinary life."
Mew opened her mouth to keep speaking, but froze, her face twisting into a grimace. Her outline flickered, growing fuzzy. The tips of her ears, tail, and toes all dissolved back into pink aura. She growled deep in her throat, and despite her soothing voice it was a primal sound full of power. Her image snapped back together instantly, but she dipped in the air slightly, losing altitude. "Phoenix can't hold this form much longer. I have to change back soon."
"Wait, what did my grandfather need from you?"
Mew nodded. "Yes. He needed my help with the Dreamstone. He… asked for some of my energy and… bound it into a… physical form. He needed something that could do… anything. He figured if I could… create… Phoenix or… bring him to this… world… I was the only one… who could help." She grimaced. "Sorry, but I can't-"
Before she could get out another word, her whole body dissolved back into aura. The whole process reversed itself, the now blue cloud of aura condensing into a taller figure. Phoenix let out a gasp as he solidified before collapsing to his knees.
This time, Lucy ran to her grandfather's aid, her paw glowing with a pulsing pink light, but before she could reach him, Phoenix held up a paw. "Thank you Lucy, but I am fine. Just drained. I'll be okay in a moment. Just let me catch my breath." He forced himself to focus on me. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I could have sworn that there were a few more grey hairs dotted around his muzzle. "Where were we? Oh right, Mew was telling you about your grandfather's request. The first step on his journey."
My heart leapt into my throat. The old Lucario looked like he was about to pass out, and he was in this state now just because he had answered my question. "Phoenix, please. We don't have to do this now if you aren't feeling up to it. Don't...wear yourself out on my account."
The Lucario smiled weakly and shook his head. "John asked me to give you this information. That means I'd do anything to fulfill it. But I also have my own personal stake in all of this. I'm fine Slink. Now let's move on.
"Once he had Mew's power bound into the stone, he then needed a place to keep it. A place where it wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. He found his haven in the wilderness of the Mist Continent, on a tall cliff by the shore. It is completely inaccessible except by the Dungeon that guards it. Even Flying Types can't reach it. But your grandfather never intended for the place to remain a secret. That was when he eventually told me another part of his vision. He knew that one day a Fennekin would desperately need the stone, so he developed a plan that would ensure that he would be able to grant that Fennekin access. He built a village, only a few houses and shops to start with, and would distribute his keys to any Delphox, Briaxen, or Fennekin whom he could trust. I guess he assumed that one of their descendants would be the one to use the Dreamstone." Phoenix shot me an impish grin. "I guess, in a way, he was right.
"The first key he gave to a Delphox on the sand continent. The Pokemon had guided him when he was searching for me or, rather, Mew. For years, John would swear that this Delphox was the only reason why he had ever found me again. That is why he had entrusted him with one of his precious keys. The second he gave to a Delphox he had met during the Decicentennial Council, a representative of The Paradise over on the Mist Continent. I'm almost certain they were involved for a time, but eventually she returned to the Mist Continent." I had to take a step back at that point. The more I listened to the story, the more I felt a strange tingle in my stomach. Familiarity? Had I heard something like this before?
Eve bumped my shoulder with her tail. "Slink you don't think… Xen?" My stomach seemed to jump.
"But didn't Xen say that the Delphox from the Water Continent was her…" I was at a loss for words. Were Xen and Ash my...cousins? Second cousins? Half-second cousins? Did I still have living family? Phoenix didn't allow me too much time to dwell on this. He continued on quickly.
"The third, of course, he kept for himself and his family. He eventually passed it onto your father when he moved to the Fire Continent."
"Wait," Eve interrupted, "we found all of the keys. How come none of the owners were in that village? And why doesn't anyone know where it is?"
Phoenix nodded. "Unfortunately John's dream never came true. Nobody ever lived in that village. All that is left is a crumbling ruin I'm afraid. Things all started to fall apart while John was searching for a home for the final key. He was visiting your father at the time when the Expedition Society discovered the body of a Delphox just outside of a Dungeon south of Festive Town. He had undoubtedly been murdered, which is alarming enough, but then John found out that this was the Delphox who had held the first key. Nobody could actually find the key either, although John suspected he had desperately tossed it into the Dungeon with his dying breath."
"South of Festive Town? Was it at the base of the Scale Mountains?" Phoenix nodded. I glanced at Eve and I knew we were both on the same page. That must be the key that Leo had found.
"The Society never found out who had killed the Delphox, but John was certain that he had been trying to find him when he had been killed. The Delphox had known about the village and the secret it held, so John could only assume that whoever had killed him now knew about the village too. Thankfully nobody other than your grandfather knew the exact location, so even if they got a single key they wouldn't be able to find the Dreamstone. Still, he didn't want to put anyone else in danger by sending them to the hidden village. John died just a couple of months later in Festive Town. At least he got to spend his final days with his son. Before that though, John traveled to the Mist Continent and warned his other family, telling them to keep the key safe and secret until a Fennekin eventually came to claim it. Finally he came to me and passed the final key into my care. He said that he knew he could trust me to keep it safe. He was certain that if someone came looking, I would be able to explain everything to them."
We were all silent for a moment, each of us trying to process the story now that it had, finally, come full circle. "You said that finding the Dreamstone was the only way to save my grandfather. What did you mean by that?"
Phoenix shook his head. "That would be my personal stake in this matter. Your grandfather's soul was brought to this world from another by Mew and implanted into the body of a Fennekin. He chose to remain in this world for the rest of his life, but in order for him to… move on… he would have to pass back into the world he came from auras are so inextricably linked that I felt it when he finally passed from this world, and I felt it as his soul passed back to his own. What I didn't expect was for John's soul to get stuck in the in between. That stubborn determination of his still follows him even in death. He refuses to move on until his mission is complete, until what he saw comes to pass. He'll remain in limbo there for eternity if that is what it takes. He was a hero, and my best friend. Please Slink, I beg of you. Find the Dreamstone so that he can finally be free."
By this point the sun had long dipped beneath the walls of the fortress, but it was still just as bright within the garden. Light spilled from the pool same as water, it looked as if golden dust had been diffused into the pool. Luminous Water, Phoenix had called it. "I think that is enough for tonight." He finally said, his legs wobbling slightly as he stood up. "I can't imagine your father has started on dinner yet Lucy, but we shouldn't make Seth or our other guests wait any longer." He tried to take a step, but his legs buckled beneath him. He caught himself, landing on all fours.
"Grandfather!" Lucy rushed forward, but once again Phoenix held up a paw to stop her.
"I am fine Sunshine. Truly I am. I just need a few minutes to rest. Why don't you go ahead? Let your father know that I'll be along in a while."
The Riolu looked uncertain more than anything. "But...are you sure you'd be able to make it home by yourself?"
"I'll stay with him." I nodded to the older Lucario. "He can guide me to where we need to go, and I'll make sure he gets there."
Lucy stared at me, looking as though she desperately wanted to say no, but couldn't think of a reason. "So I guess Eve and I-"
"Actually, I think I'll stay with Slink." Eve smiled reassuringly at Lucy. "We'll be right behind you, just as soon as Phoenix gets back on his feet. I promise."
The Riolu still seemed reluctant, but she nodded. "Okay. See you in a few minutes then." With that, she took off into the trees, vanishing quickly in the shadows.
Phoenix started laughing. "I love that child, but she seems to think that she is my Wonder Guardian. Whenever something happens, she's there. Thinks I can't run this village without her. Of course, that is why I chose her to be my heir."
"She seems sweet," Eve began, a small smile on her face. "Say, how did the rest of the village react when she was born? I mean, having a shiny around…?"
Phoenix raised an eyebrow at that. "What does the color of her fur have to do with anything? The village celebrated the birth of my grandaughter the way they would any other birth." He sighed. "I do understand why you ask though. I'm not completely blind to what is happening on the Fire Continent. I understand we are far more… isolated here, but that doesn't mean we haven't seen the predjudice that the rest of the world has. There have been some guests in this village that haven't been invited back."
"I wish that was how everyone treated shinies," Eve muttered to herself. "Sorry for asking, but after watching Abby face that kind of predjudice, I'd hate to see it happen to another sweet girl. You know, I hope she and Vix don't spend too much time together. They'll either be best friends, or they'd tear eachother apart." I laughed along with Eve, but it didn't take us too long to realize that Phoenix wasn't. He wasn't even smiling.
"Actually, that is what I'd like to talk to you about." The Lucario said softly. He stood quickly, faster than the stumble before would have led me to believe. "Lucy is nearly fourteen years old. She's only ever left the village for short errands, and even then she has only ever been down in Serene Village. Once she went with me to Lively Town, but that was years ago. I want my granddaughter to see more of this world before she comes back here and runs this village for the rest of her life."
"What are you asking?" I said. I had a feeling I knew what was coming, but I wanted to be sure.
"She's expressed interest in the Expedition Society in the past, and you guys are the only team I trust with my grandaughter. Would you be willing to take her onto your team? At least for a year or so? Understand that I don't want to pressure you into anything. This is entirely your decision."
I glanced back at Eve. I didn't want to say anything without her opinion. Honestly, I thought that Lucy would be a fantastic addition to the team, but I wasn't the only team leader.
"Would...would she be going back with us this trip?" Eve asked, weighing each word carefully. "Because if so I'm not sure we can."
Phoenix cocked his head. "Why do you say that? Is it the Lapras? A money problem?"
"No, not at all." Eve frowned. "There are two things sir, first… you know that the Hatred has attacked us several times? With intent to capture or kill? Lucy could get seriously hurt if she's with us. Are you sure we are the right team?"
"Sorry to answer a question with a question, but is your team still together despite these attacks?"
"Well… yes, but-"
"Then yes, you are the perfect team for her. Despite the attacks you have kept one-another safe."
"Earlier this year, Slink and Eve got kidnapped! We barely got them out in time? We haven't kept each other safe. Not enough!"
"But you did save them. Kegan told me about how well your assault on the Hatred base worked Eve. Besides, if you have Lucy with you, you should have an easier job of keeping away from them. I'm not worried about her. I know the danger, but as long as she is with you I know you will keep her safe. Now what was the second reason? Maybe I can ease your worries there as well."
Eve bit her lip, blushing a bit through her fur. "It's just...I'm not sure we have the room for her. Our apartment is pretty much packed to capacity. It isn't fair to make Lucy sleep on the couch, but we don't have any place else for her."
Phoenix raised an eyebrow grinning. "Is that all? Well, I have a solution for that as well. He walked back to the spring, hopping across like he was simply stepping over a puddle. He leaned down and reached into another cavern that had been carved into his throne. He quickly withdrew an aged scroll and a small gold key. Just as easily he leapt back across and handed the page to me.
"What is this?" I said. I would've unrolled the paper, but it felt so brittle that I was afraid it would crumble if I did much to it.
"A deed," Phoenix said simply, "to an estate just south of Festive Town. When the Fire Continent was first discovered, John and I quickly commissioned a home to be our base on that Continent. You have to realize that the Expedition Society HQ took a few years to build while this house was built in a month. I held onto this for your father along with the keys. He gave it to me thirteen years ago, asking that I give it to you if you ever found your way here."
"Thirteen years ago?" I echoed. "I remember us moving when I was a kid. Is that where we lived? Did my dad ever tell you why we moved?"
"When he came to me with the deed, he told me that he wanted to get out of the city." He spread his hands wide, gesturing towards the building around us. "I couldn't blame him. Plus it was just after John's death. I'm sure your father wanted to get away as well. Either way, I will never leave this village, so I won't be using it. Slink and Lucy have every right to the house, and they are the ones who need it. Otherwise it will probably just stay empty." The Lucario grinned at me. "Consider it twenty years of birthday presents, from the uncle who was never there." He stretched, raising his arms over his head. "If that is settled, let's head home. Seth is a fantastic cook. We don't want to keep anyone waiting."
We spent a few more days in Revelation Village. Lucy and Phoenix both seemed equally excited to show us around. While there wasn't much to see within the village, the villagers themselves were very accommodating even when Eve and I took a walk without either of them. I'm sure that in a single day we received a dozen offers to come in for tea.
The village children were fascinated by Vix and Abby. It was probably the novelty of having new playmates. We hardly saw them since they were always away with the other kids. Sierra was especially happy to see them go, simply because no child had ever talked about Abby being shiny. I'm sure that at least part of Sierra wanted to stay if only for that reason.
Eventually though, we had to go back home. We'd spent five days in the village, not counting the day we had arrived. The night before, Phoenix had explained to Lucy that we wanted her to join our team. To say she was excited was an understatement. "Really, you mean it!" She said to us with an enormous grin on her face. "I always wanted to join the Expedition Society like grandfather did." She grinned at me. "And better yet I get to go with you guys. What do you say cousin… er Slink?"
I smiled back. "Slink is fine, and we'd be glad to have you. Really." I didn't know yet if I was comfortable with her calling me "cousin", but that was something we could figure out later.
The time came, and it seemed that everyone in the village came to see us (or more likely to see Lucy) off. They gathered outside their houses, waving the whole way between Phoenix's house and the gates to the village. The Lucario himself as well as Lucy's parents walked with us, stopping just outside the gates for a final goodbye. Lucy's parents were tearful as they bid their daughter goodbye, while she seemed more excited than sad. I had a feeling that she would get homesick at some point, but for right now she looked like she was about to run down the mountain whether we were with her or not.
"Slink," Phoenix said, pulling me to the side. "I have one more thing that I'd like to give you. " From around his neck he pulled a phial suspended on a thin gold chain. The small bottle had been corked and sealed with wax, the liquid inside appearing to be water. Still, even in the shadow of his hand, a faint glow emanated from the liquid. "This is my emergency stash of Luminous Water. It may look like very little, but if anything happens I am sure it will be invaluable to you. I hope you will never need it, but I can't let you go without taking any."
I stared at the bottle nervously. "Do… do you think I'll encounter Dark Matter?" Why else would he be giving me it?
"Not necessarily, but like I said I have no idea what this water is capable of. Call me paranoid, but I'd rather you have it. Just in case."
He pressed the tiny bottle into my paw letting the fine chain cascade into my paw. I carefully packed it into the secret pocket within my bag. "Thank you Phoenix. I hope I get to see you again some day."
Instead of responding, Phoenix got down on his knees and pulled me into a hug. I was tense at first, but there was something familiar about the embrace that forced me to relax into it. It reminded me of my dad's hugs. I missed that.
Eventually though goodbyes were done, and the six of started off down the mountain. We were headed home.
It took us three days to reach Lively Town again where our Lapras and ship were waiting for us. We set sail at sunset. I stood at the back of the ship next to Lucy, both of us watching the Continent slowly sink below the horizon. We had spent so little time there, and yet just like her I couldn't help but feel as though I was leaving home. I stayed there watching until eventually it was lost from sight.
The others had already gone to sleep other than Lucy who was still standing by the back rail, and Eve who was waiting for me. I settled down next to her, but I didn't feel tired yet. From the looks of things, she didn't either. For the last couple days we hadn't had much time to talk to one another, especially regarding what Phoenix had told us about the Dreamstone.
Eve didn't seem to want to talk about that either though. As I set down next to her she simply stared up at the stars. "It really is beautiful tonight."
"Yeah," I agreed, but I wasn't looking at the stars. "So calm, and much warmer than it was last week. Almost comfortable without any Fire."
She laughed. "A little heat wouldn't hurt. More excuse to snuggle up, right?" I laughed as well, but I scooted a little closer to her, pushing a little heat to my skin as I did so.
"Perfect," she hummed, leaning back so she was resting more of her weight on me. We were quiet for a while, listening to the smooth crash of the water. For a while, I thought she had fallen asleep, but eventually she spoke.
"Slink, I've been thinking…"
"That could be dangerous," I joked, nudging her playfully. She smiled, but didn't laugh.
"Back there… you stood up for me. You trusted me to listen to some of your biggest secrets. I'm just… I really appreciate it Slink. Thank you."
"You're my partner," I said with a shrug. "I love you, why wouldn't I trust you with that."
"It was your choice, and I'm honored." She paused, and I could feel her mind whirring through our connection. "Slink, last week you asked me about Sam's letter. I told you that I would explain to you when we got back home, but I want to tell you about it now."
"You don't have to-" I tried to argue, but Eve cut me off.
"-No, I want to. You trusted me, so it's my turn to trust you. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, but… honestly I was embarrassed with what it said. And more than a little scared of what your reaction would be." I wasn't sure what to say. I had no idea what I was expecting, but that certainly wasn't it.
"What the hell do you have to be embarrassed about? Eve, I met your sister. I know what to expect." I didn't dare ask what could make Eve afraid of me.
"That's not it," she said, rubbing her leg with her tail. "Perhaps it would be easier to just let you read it yourself." She sat up, her tail snaking over towards her bag.
My heart started pounding in my chest, so hard that I had to lean away from Eve so that she didn't feel it. Vix had delivered what I had asked for our second day in the village. What would I do if she found out it was missing?
I held my breath as her tail snaked its way into her bag. She felt around for a moment before withdrawing, two letters clamped between her tail-prongs. She regarded them for a moment, before shoving one back into the bag. "Here it is," she announced as I sagged in relief. "Slink, are you okay?"
"Yes," I said, perhaps a little too quickly. I was simply relieved that she hadn't noticed Vix's theft. "Eve, you don't have to do this if you don't want to. I don't need to know."
"But I want to tell you. Please." She shoved the letter towards me, unfolding it as she went. With one final glance at the Espeon, I bent over the page and started to read.
Dear Eve,
Hello sister, how are you? I hope this letter finds you well. Considering it's been several months since we've heard from you, I thought I should write you so I could find out how you are doing. You may not know, but stories about Team MindFire have reached over here. I've heard so many Pokemon talk about what your team has done for them. I simply wanted to hear those stories from you. I also wanted to let you know how proud I am of you.
Of course, I didn't only write this letter to check up on you. There are a few other things I wanted to talk about. First, I wanted to apologize again for what I said last time we saw each other and how I treated your team. I was completely out of line, and I still feel terrible about it. Some things have happened recently that made me see things much differently. I'm glad you have found a place where you are happy with people who make you happy.
I glanced up at Eve, raising an eyebrow. So far, this didn't seem that strange or worthy of embarrassment or fear. Eve simply gestured for me to keep reading, a slight grimace on her face.
But probably the biggest reason I am writing this letter is because I need your advice on something. My entire life, I've done what mom and dad asked of me. I made friends with whomever they wanted, I spent time with those they pointed me towards. But you, you were always the rebellious one. You know that I still dislike Shane, but I have to admire your friendship with him. You were friends because you wanted to be, not because dad said so.
Look Eve, I'll be honest. Recently I met someone, and I am scared to death to tell mom and dad about it.
Things were finally starting to make sense, but I still couldn't figure out why Eve was so terrified. My only option was to keep reading.
The problem is, he's not an Eevee or Eeveelution, and I have no idea how dad will react to that. I've seen how he reacted when he found out that you and Shane were partners. After I visited you, I mentioned to him how close you and Slink were getting (how is that going by the way?) and he just laughed, dismissing it. I'm scared Eve. I have nowhere else to go if he freaks out over it.
I've been keeping things slow for the moment, but I think that this could become something special if I let it. But it's unfair to him to start anything until I tell mom and dad. I need help Eve, and I figured that since you and Slink are getting pretty serious you had potentially thought through how you were going to do it.
I know we've had our differences as of late, but at one time you loved me enough to evolve. I hope that at least hasn't changed. I love you sis, and I hope that you can help me.
All my love,
Samantha
I stared at the words after I had finished, going over them in my head. Eve wouldn't look at me. She had her paws on her head, and she seemed to be shivering. "Eve, come on. This is what you were embarrassed to show me. You told me before that your parents wouldn't approve of me. This is just… taking it up a notch. Why are you afraid of my reaction?"
She shook her head. "Yeah, but you don't know how bad it can get!"
"Then tell me." Eve didn't move, her head still beneath her paws. "What did Sam mean about having nowhere else to go? Why would your dad freak out?"
The Espeon shifted, lifting her head from underneath her paws. "What I didn't tell you about my village is that traditionally legacies don't get to choose their mates. That is why my parents were always so controlling about my friends. The parents arrange partnerships for their children. When the village was first founded, it was mostly to avoid inbreeding. There were only eighteen of them total after all. When other Pokemon joined the town, it became more political. For a legacy family, maintaining the line is the number one priority, but they also want to keep their bloodlines as solid as possible. I will say that the trend is dying, more than half of the legacies have died out, but that only means that those who survive are more determined to keep it that way.
"If you are the legacy in the family, you have absolutely no choice. When my brother evolves into a Leafeon, he'll become 'partners' with the daughter of the Vaporeon legacy. Once she evolves they will become mates. If either of them refuse they will be seen as an embarrassment to their families and will probably get disowned and banished from the town. To be fair, you don't have to be partnered with someone from the town, my mother is from the Sand Continent after all. But if your family tells you to become mates, you do it."
"What if you aren't the legacy?" I breathed. Finally, I understood why she was so upset by this letter.
"You have a bit more of a choice. There are more surviving male legacy lines in the village than female. My dad probably hoped that Sam and I would become mates with some of them to help strengthen their lines. Before I met Shane, dad was considering having me partner with Jolt. I think Sam was supposed to partner with one of the sons of the Espeon legacy. If we reject the match...well that really is up to our parents. Like I said, they have a lot of power in our village so they can basically do whatever they want. Some are fine with only a little disappointment that the deal didn't go through, others have been banished or disowned. I don't think my dad would do that to us, we mean too much to him for him to do it. Really, what Sam said was about him dismissing you."
"Why?"
"Slink, he thought it was ridiculous when I became friends with Shane. When he found out we were partners, he was actually surprised. He's never actually asked us what we want out of friends or who we are interested in. Then when we chose against those he wanted...well the only time I did it, he didn't really take it well. I honestly have no idea what he'll do."
"And so… when Sam brought it up-"
"I was terrified. I honestly always was. Somewhere in the back of my head, I knew that this would be a problem, but I tired not to dwell on it. Sam just reminded me of the problem I'd been ignoring. This is why I didn't want to tell my family about you. I'm sorry Slink. And now Sam is in the same situation, and I have no idea what to tell her." She blushed. "I mean, I offered to let her come stay with us if it comes to that. I hope you don't mind."
"Of course you did. That's fine Eve, I don't mind. She's your sister. We're here if she needs us." I paused for a moment. "If you are that scared, why tell them at all?"
She glared at me. "No, Sam was right about that much. Slink, we are getting to be pretty serious, but it isn't fair to you if I can't tell my parents about us. And besides, I do miss them. Sure they are wrong about a few things, but they still love me. Really this is the only thing where we don't get along. I don't want to cut them out of my life!" Tears glistened in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. "But I also don't want to give you up. I didn't want you to think that I had to choose."
"Eve, trust me I understand. I really do. But you don't have to worry. You won't lose any of us, no matter what." I gave her a sideways grin. "Come on Eve, like you ever gave me a choice in this relationship." I bumped her again, just to be sure she knew I was kidding.
"Oh, hush." Eve laughed slapping my side playfully with her tail. "Thanks Slink, and I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. I just… there isn't much that scares me. I wasn't scared any of the times the Hatred came after us. I wasn't scared to leave home alone, but the idea of losing you, of losing any of you scares me to death."
"I promise you Eve, you will never have to worry about that." A warm feeling bloomed in my chest as she laid back against me. If I had tried in that moment, I was certain that I could have wielded both Fire and Psychic. Still, there was a nagging feeling deep within my gut. Was I forgetting something?
The Soothe Bell chimed pleasantly as Vix shouldered open the door. The front room of the shop was empty as we entered, but the bell's chirp quickly summoned the Sableye owner to the front counter.
"Ah, the Fennekin. Back from the Water Continent I see. Did you freeze up there?" He chuckled.
"It was touch and go for a while there, I must say." I smiled back at him. "Is the order ready?"
"Yes, yes. It's waiting in the back. I'll go collect it, and if everything is in order we can then discuss payment. Sound fair?"
I nodded, but I'm not sure he actually noticed. He had already turned and was shuffling towards the curtain that lead deeper into the shop. Vix and I were left alone in the shop. I sat down to wait, while she wandered around looking at all of the shiny objects. "So why'd you insist on coming?"
I jumped as Vix spoke. She hadn't even paused in her perusal to regard me as she talked. "Last time we were here, I ordered a...surprise for Eve. It would ruin it if she saw it now, wouldn't it?"
"Yeah, but you were a bit too excited Slink. Besides, I thought you would want to be at the house. What if some of your grandfather's stuff was still there?" She had me there. We'd landed back on the Fire Continent only a couple of hours ago. After meeting Kegan at HQ to tell him we had arrived home and how the trip had gone, we'd originally planned on going to the new house to see what we would need to bring over from our apartment, or even if it was possible for us to move in right away. Eve though had remembered Dazzling Gleam and Vix's bracelet. Now that we were back where the Hatred could reach us, we figured we should retrieve the bracelet as soon as possible.
"And, now that we are alone, why did you have me steal from Eve's bag? Slink, what is going on?"
I didn't answer. Somewhat because I didn't want to, mostly because the Sableye had returned carrying two boxes. For the moment, I ignored Vix. She would find her answers soon enough. "Here is the repaired bracelet," the Sableye said as he lifted the piece from the smaller of the two boxes. I quickly examined it. The design was slightly different from before, but otherwise it seemed like a perfect replacement. I wordlessly handed the bracelet to Vix who hesitated for just a second too long before taking it and slipping it on. It fit perfectly, the new Fire Stone pressed reassuringly against her fur.
"Will it work?" I asked the Vulpix. She nodded, swishing her tail experimentally behind her to make sure it wouldn't slip off by accident.
"And here is your other order." He opened the other box, carefully lifting Eve's blue scarf so that I could see it. Once again I kicked myself for not buying it last time, before we had gone to the Water Continent. However it was quickly set aside as he picked up the second object from the box. "Now, did you ever decide on the kind of setting you want with this piece?"
"Yes, I brought something specific. I just hope it fits." I met eyes with Vix before I reached into my bag and pulled out Eve's Dark Stone. Vix watched curiously as I handed it over to the Sableye who examined it thoroughly.
"What is this? I don't believe I've ever seen a specimen quite like it before. Would I be correct in assuming you have no interest in selling it to me?" I gave him a slight smile as I shook my head. "I thought not. Anyway, we built it to your specifications, so it should slot right in." He carefully slid the Dark Stone into its slot, using his diamond hard claws to press the gold tight against it. "There we are. What do you think?"
I stared wordlessly at the jewel he had presented me. Its shape mirrored that of a normal Expedition badge, but was twice the size. Its coloring was similar to the administrator badges we'd seen with a gold-outlined body and delicate silver wings. The wings themselves seemed to glow from within. Their silver frames reflecting the slight light emitted by the expertly cut halves of Vix's old Fire Stone. Eve's Dark Stone was framed in gold, contrasting perfectly with the pitch black color of the gem. Our team symbol, also expertly sculpted from gold, sat embossed atop the stone. It was perfect, and I knew Eve would love it.
I nodded happily to the Sableye, unable to form words due to my growing excitement. Vix watched silently as I paid the shopkeeper, and didn't even comment as I tucked the badge into my bag's secret pocket (quite the squeeze with everything it was already holding). It was only while we were out on the street that Vix finally found her voice.
"What is that Slink? What are you planning?" From the tone of her voice, it was obvious that she already knew the significance of the token.
Eve had said that things were starting to get serious. She had no idea how right she was.