Character: Ariel Chingyang
Species: Shaymin
Age: 17
Nickname: White Knight
Year of character creation: 2014
Story: Twin sister to Mei Chingyang, acting Empress of Lao Shen. She fled her home life to pursue her dreams of being an explorer in the neighboring island country of Kaigan. Because of Rayquaza's power, she remains in Sky-Forme day or night. Rayquaza attempted to convince her to imprison Light on Mount Ài with the use of her powers as a Wizard Scion, but something strange happened… Now, she's very considerate of her precious gummy wummy boo-bear.
The carriage rumbled over a rocky surface. Flareon Light hadn't checked their position in a while. He'd been distracted.
Covered in mud, he recounted what happened in the rainforest over a phone call with the rest of the Guild, who were in other carriages in the same line. Although dried mud coated his fur, it coated Sky Shaymin Ariel's too. She kept an arm around him as he told the story.
"And then I passed out," he said. "I don't remember anything after that." He turned his eyes up. "What happened, Airy?"
"I found you by the waterfall with the sword in pieces," she said. "Then I took you back."
"She's lying," Reshiram said. "But… It doesn't matter. There's enough to think about."
"She'll talk when she's ready."
"She didn't even tell you she was Chingyang until Mei slapped it in all of your faces. I get the sense something very similar will happen here. But this time, you'll be hurt because of it."
"I can handle it."
"No, you can't. Light, you need to talk to her about what happened. You need to talk to her about Galahad. If you wait much longer, it will be too late."
"Ariel deserves to have secrets about herself."
"These are secrets about you. This is different. Look at her eyes. You don't need Candor to see."
Slowly, Light turned his head and looked up. Ariel was already looking back at him. Her emerald green eyes seemed dim.
"She's constantly trying to live in a fantasy because she can't handle reality. Be more aware. When was the last time she looked like this?"
"Right before Mei-"
"Light?" Ariel asked. "Something up?"
Light put a paw up to ask her to wait, and then turned back to the phone in his other. "I'll talk to you all again before we enter Zulu."
"Copy, chief," Kenta's voice came through the phone. "Be seeing you."
"See you."
Light closed the call. He made sure to do so before he set the phone down.
"Airy…" he mumbled. "The Acuitan blessing can't be… replicated by some illusion. I need to know what Jonathan talked to you about."
"Light, he really didn't know anything."
Light pulled out from under Ariel's arm. He shifted and turned himself around to face her. He made eye contact.
"Whatever it is," he said, "it will be a lot easier to hear from you than to find out later. And depending on what it is, I'm not sure I'll handle it well any other way." His eyes fell. "I know it's hard for you to open up sometimes, but… Maybe, you could try it one step at a time?"
"I don't know if I'm the one to tell you…" she said. "I think it's best that Jonathan tells you when we reach Zulu."
"Okay."
Silence loomed over them.
"I just want you to know that I trust you," he said. "And I get that you prefer to keep things secret, but, it'll come back to bite us if something happens and I'm not prepared."
Light's blood boiled as he looked at a red line running along Ariel's right arm. She continued to play it off, but he knew she only got that in the rainforest.
"It's too much," he said. "When you didn't tell me about your family, that was fair. But, it's so close to home now because… We're partners, right?"
Ariel's eyes faded off in a different direction. "I'll talk to Jonathan while we're in Zulu, and you'll know tonight. Get some sleep, okay?
"Okay. And thanks."
Light had been researching the Zulu ever since it got put on their list. They were an underground kingdom of their own, one that merged together from different tribes some three-hundred years ago. They believed in spirits; the spirits of their ancestors, whom they communicated with during marriage or other events, and that angry spirits caused any and all misfortunes like disease and bad luck. They offered animal sacrifices to appease them.
Most of their food was vegetarian, though. They slayed oxen on special occasions, and portioned out meat for other meals based on their age and social status. There were a dozen other things he needed to memorize, hopefully before they arrived. Tribe heads and royalty wore leopard skin, beadwork on their headbands and bracelets represented marital status and a dozen other things based on shape and color…
One thing Light could remember with ease: Sacred Treasure Gungnir originated from Zulu. Marciel must have had close ties with them. It'd help their case in getting their paws on that rare metal Charlotte needed. He didn't know what kind of welcome to expect. Every place they had gone to so far seemed to like him, at least.
In time, the inside of the carriage darkened. Flareon Light thought little of it, considering his eyes were closed, but the air cooled as well. He noticed the once rickety ride turned into a smooth downward slope. The tilt of the carriage pushed him against Sky Shaymin Ariel's side. She stretched and yawned. Her yawn spread to him.
"Aaaare we there yet?" Ariel croaked out.
"I dunno," he said. "It got a smidge darker."
"We're probably entering right now. Do I look okay?"
"We're covered in mud," he said, holding up his brown and white arm. "We look awful."
"That was sarcasm."
"Oh. Well, I think you look beautiful anyway."
"I know. You're doing the googly eyes."
Light blinked. He realized he hadn't for a while.
The carriage slowed to a crawl. The eerie silence around them, save for other carriages behind them, sent his mind in a flurry. He had no idea what an underground city would look like, but the silence gnawed at him. They were expected, he knew that.
The carriage hung a few turns. The sounds of the other carriages disappeared in the background. If Light remembered correctly, Sky Shaymin Mei decided to drive for them. Maybe they were heading somewhere different than the rest of the Guild.
The carriage continued like this for a few minutes, then stopped. A double knock hit the roof. As Ariel and Light stood up, the back doors opened.
A Nickit stood on cold, light soil. His eyes didn't change, as if he expected to see them covered in mud.
"Lady Chingyang, Lord Acuity," Nickit said. "It is an honor. We heard you had some encounter in the rainforest and made arrangements. Queen Nobuhle has invited you, both of your immediate family members, and Marciel to stay in her home during your time in Zulu. My name is Lungelo, and I will be your guide."
"Thank you," Ariel said. "We appreciate and accept your gesture."
"Of course. I'll guide you to your rooms. Follow me."
Nickit Lungelo turned to the side and waited. Light hopped out after Ariel.
Sunlight hit his eyes? He looked up.
A rock ceiling like a dome stood tall over their heads, wide and grand enough to dizzy him. Hanging from that ceiling, some kind of lantern? The light forced him to turn his eyes back down before he could get a look.
"That's one of our four artificial suns," Lungelo said. "Zulu is separated into four large caverns, which were all carved and cleaned by our ancestors. We initially used other artificial sources of light, but it became a problem with our eyes adjusting to natural sunlight once we left. Those machines emulate sunlight using technologies that make use of metals found here. The Queen's home is in the first cavern, closest to surface level."
"This might be a… dumb question…" Light muttered.
"No such thing, Lord Acuity. What is it?"
"Why did you all settle underground?"
"Our ancestors were a proud people who prioritized the size of our lands rather than the location. The land we ended up with borders some of the world's largest deserts. So in short, it's cooler down here. There are areas in the city where the ceiling was cut out for sunlight so we can farm, but most are located elsewhere. Most visitors aren't too keen on the dark atmosphere."
It was definitely dark.
All of the buildings had two floors, at most. The ceiling towered over them, but there were no taller buildings in sight. Shadows drifted everywhere across colorless buildings, which were more or less evenly spaced from each other. With all the dull signs and darkness, it made it difficult to make out restaurants and homes from businesses. They walked on a short walkway made out of solid rock, carved.
"I'm actually quite fond of it."
Sky Shaymin Mei swooped down next to Ariel, who flinched. Mei flashed a weird look.
At the end of the walkway, a quiet mansion sat idle. It looked more rustic than he expected with dull gray walls and a flat roof he couldn't see. As they drew near, the ends of it seemed to stretch on until the full scope revealed itself. It was a long building; he couldn't see its ends.
"Milady didn't want to pressure you with her presence straight away," Lungelo said. "She will meet you all at a cordial dinner tonight. Please, follow me. You each have your own quarters, and you all of your own area of the mansion to yourselves. We ask that you refrain from entering past the marked signs, as that's where Milady and her daughter are staying during your time here."
"Of course," Light said. "Thank you very much. Are there any more special rules for us to follow?"
"Only see to it that you get cleaned before too much mud gets on the carpeting. Lord Amadeus provided us with a list of your usual accommodations, and they have already been set. Let me know if anything's not to your satisfaction."
"This is very kind of you," Ariel said. "Thank you."
"You're most welcome."
A short, stone archway led up to a pair of heavy-looking wood doors, complete with a slot for paper messages. Nickit Lungelo pulled open the door and stood off to the side as they walked through.
A red carpet had been rolled out for them, literally. Light bit his lip thinking about his muddy paws. Sky Shaymins Ariel and Mei floated over, which Lungelo seemed to appreciate with a smile.
"Ah, this way, please."
Light gawked. Three out of four walls were wooden and plain, but one was stone. On it, old paintings were layered across its entirety. In between them, different bracelets and beadworks hung off the wall. As they hung a sharp left and walked through a tall archway, the wall continued.
The room must've been a kitchen. Light saw boxes formed out of some type of clay with wood sticking out underneath. All of their kitchen utensils seemed to be made of wood.
"Uh, just wondering, do you guys have internet here?" Ariel asked.
"It's a whole system," Lungelo said, "but we have every commodity as a modern city with all their fancy skyscrapers, including the internet."
"So… The, uh, stoves are…"
"No, we are not a poor people."
"I held no assumptions. I merely failed to understand your lifestyle."
"We are bound to the ways of our ancestors, or more specifically, the royal family is. I'm sure you understand the true nature of tradition, Lady Chingyang."
Light shared a glance with Ariel. Curious, he reached out with Candor.
Yeah, she understood it; it meant the possibility of making the same mistakes over and over again. Light thought she should calm down. He didn't see any harm in it, if they wanted to. But that was the point. Who'd want to live like this in this day and age?
Lungelo continued to lead them through the kitchen, up a spiral rampway to the second floor. Light kept his paws on a straight line to make the light trail of dirt he left on the red carpet easier to clean later. His tail swished closer to lit torches on the wall (with holes in the ceiling over them, presumably for the fumes) to pick up their heat for himself.
"Your rooms are here," Lungelo said. His tail gestured to two doors with golden, floral patterns along their edges, facing opposite of each other. "One for both of you, Lady Chingyangs, and one for Lord Acuity."
Ariel and Mei glared at each other. Lungelo glanced up between them.
"Is something the matter?" he asked.
"The last time I shared a room with this ingrate," said Mei, "she broke my toys into splinters in a temper tantrum."
"I was five you fat bi-"
"Airyyyy," Light hummed.
Ariel cut herself off.
"Right…" Lungelo said. "I only have two rooms for you three. We didn't have enough rooms for you all to have your own."
"Me and Light can have a room together," Ariel suggested. "Assuming you have, uh… Multiple… beds…"
"Your business is your own, Lady Chingyang."
"T-that's not t-"
"This room has two beds," Lungelo said, flicking his tail at one. "And the other has one. We won't intrude on this side of the mansion. Please, make yourselves at home."
"T-thanks," Ariel squeaked.
As Nickit Lungelo walked away, he followed Light's trail, and his tail swept the dirt right off the carpet. Light grimaced. He imagined he did that to fit with how they lived here. No machinery meant using their bodies for tasks like that more often. He'd hate living here.
Mei opened the door to the room with one bed.
"Looks like they have a hot spring," Mei said.
Light's eyes popped open. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
"I'm going to go wash up," said Mei.
"Wait," Light said, "I wanted to ask, do you know anything about the Zulu that might help?"
"Not particularly," she said, facing away. "Most of Abuja didn't like Lao Shen after we, you know," she dipped her tilted head, "planned to invade? But after my parents' deaths, their opinions reset back to neutral. So no, I don't have a way to help you get that metal."
"So, you don't know them at all?"
"Queen Nobuhle divorced her husband some ten years ago. I don't know what she could be like anymore. Just put on a smiling face. No one's said no to that bullcrap yet. Make sure you look decent."
With that, Mei shut the door behind her. Light stared at it while Ariel opened the door behind them.
"Holy crap…" she uttered. "Light, check this out!"
Light turned around. He squeezed past Ariel to look inside.
It had to be the best room they'd ever been to.
The room was spacious, as big as two curled up Onix, if he had to guess. Strange stones with wires attached to them hung from the ceiling and gave off soothing orange light. Two beds sat side by side in the corner, covered in a tapestry of blankets. A huge water pit swallowed the center, complete with the largest TV he had ever seen on the wall. His feet hit soft red carpeting with every step further inside.
On the corner of the water pit, Light saw a mass of bottles he used for his fur, including one of pure honey. He needed to thank whoever set that up for him, desperately. Some of his clothes and jewelry were laid out on his bed, too.
"Did some of our Guild get here before us?" Light asked.
"Yeah," Ariel said." You were asleep, but, we waited outside for a little while."
"Oh."
Before anything else, Sky Shaymin Ariel floated about the water pit and turned on the hot water for all the faucets. Flareon Light stayed in place. As steam spread through the room, he walked forward to the pit and dipped under.
He sighed in relief. He finally got past the rainforest. He endured it long enough. He floated away on his back and enjoyed the heat. Ariel splashed around on the other side of the pit, after she shut off all the faucets.
"You know how to swim?" Ariel asked.
"Always did," he said. "How about you?"
"I just fly. I barely even know how to walk in Land Forme."
'Do you want to?"
"No. I hate being in Land Forme… Never doing that again."
"Maybe you should just try it again under more… calming circumstances."
"Maybe." Ariel leaned her head in different directions and checked over herself. "Hey, could you help me with my fur? I, uh… Yeah."
"Like, cleaning?" he asked.
"It's all tangled and stuff. I hate this crap. This is why I keep it short, but I haven't had time to cut it. I was going to ask you for Courtain, but… That sounds kinda dumb when I say it out loud."
Light flipped and paddled over. Ariel's long legs reached the bottom of the pit, even at max depth. As he swam over, she walked over to the edge of the pit. As he closed in, he saw what she meant.
Her fur got tangled up in place. She needed some conditioner to soften and loosen it. Ariel smiled with grit teeth as he looked.
"You'll be fine," he said. "Here."
Light reached for the bottles and searched through them.
"Hey Light," Ariel said.
"Yah?" he asked with his eyes on the bottles.
"Do you still keep a diary?"
"No. I just sort of tell you everything, I guess."
"Yeah. I haven't written much you don't know about."
"So, about Kaleb and that Diggersby?"
"Yeah, sorry about Kaleb… And the Diggersby is the doctor I mentioned. His name's Ibo."
Light plucked his conditioner of choice and turned back to Ariel. His eyes drifted down to a thin, red mark on her forearm.
"Did he say whether or not you'd have a scar on your arm?" he asked.
"I won't have a scar," she said, "or at least, a noticeable one."
"How?" he breathed.
"I pushed the chi from the sword all over my body to balance the load. That's the only reason I was able to do something like that. Practicing with you helped me do it."
"Oh."
Light handed her the bottle. He stared down at the water while Ariel patted herself down with it.
"Why 'oh'?" Ariel asked quietly.
"It's just… That sounds risky," he said.
"The risk of a scar was high, but the rewards were worth it. I just wish that Riolu didn't break it so we could study it."
"A Riolu?"
Panic flashed across her face. An ember lit in Light's throat.
"Airy," Light growled. "Come on!" he complained. "We can't afford to have only you know this stuff…"
"I'm trying to balance your load, too," she whispered.
Light's shoulders fell. "You need to tell me what Jonathan said tonight, okay?"
"I will, or he will. After we meet with Queen Nobuhle. I promise."
Light didn't remember much after getting slammed into a tree. He saw neither hide nor hair of any Riolu. She had a point, one thing at a time, but how big could what Jonathan had said even be?
Once Ariel soaked a bit, Light sat on the edge of the pit and untangled the green mass of fur on her head. He extended his claws and ran through it as it turned silky smooth.
"Ha hahah…"
While Ariel laughed to herself, Light figured out what to do with her fur. It had grown a lot. He couldn't remember the last time he heard of her cutting it. At its longest point, it reached down to her forearm. Once he decided on a style, he got to work.
Light parted her fur down the middle into two equal sections. He took a small section of fur from the outside of the right strand, crossed it over, and added it to the larger left strand. He repeated the process on the left side. He pinched the point where the fur crossed and continued to pick out hair, cross it over, and add it to the opposite strand.
He continued all the way down. When he reached the end of her fur, he tied it off with an elastic (which he luckily had along with the bottles).
With that, he finished a fishtail braid. He pulled on the edges to fluff it out.
Ariel snored away like an engine. Light quietly retreated his paws. He retrieved a mirror, set it down next to her, and paddled to the center of the water pit. He floated on his back, folded his paws under his head, and closed his eyes.
"Liiiiiiiight."
Flareon Light woke up to the hum of his name. He flipped upright in the cooling water.
Ariel stood on the edge of the pit, dried off, with her white cape on. With her fur untangled and in a braid hanging down on her side, he could see more of her rounded face.
She was positively glowing.
"We're having dinner with Queen Nobuhle," Ariel said. "We're going to talk to her about whatever the heck metal your aunt needs. I probably should've bothered to learn the name."
"Same," he groaned.
"Can you wear that cute little sweater and-"
Ariel rattled off. She lost track of her point, given that Light didn't have nearly everything she listed. He had to ask three times for her to pick an actual outfit for him to wear: that cute white sweater along with black leggings.
Once they were both ready, they walked out of the hotel room together.
Sky Shaymin Mei stood out in the hallway. She rolled her eyes up from the floor. They got stuck on Ariel. Her mouth fumbled over words.
"What?" Ariel asked.
"Uh, nothing," she said. "Just didn't recognize you for a second."
Ariel's eyes lit up. "Huh?"
"With the uh." Mei gestured to her own head. "Braid."
"Uh, is that a good or bad thing?"
"It's… whatever."
Mei refused further eye contact.
"Where are the others?" Light asked.
"A hotel," Mei said. "Your family is in the dining room already. It's a public affair, so try to not to do anything stupid."
"When have I done something stupid in public?"
Mei lifted up her right paw and struck a dainty pose. "Oh Airy, you're soooo stroooooooooong," she mocked.
Light's face burned. Thin trails of stream rose from his mane.
"Don't get it," Ariel said. "That wasn't embarrassing. It was the hottest thing I've ever seen in my life."
"Don't look stupid," she finished. "I don't feel the need to remind you that Alisha and Roxanne were changed for life. We need that glass. If you both want to protect each other, take this seriously."
"I remember," Light said. "We'll handle it."
"Good."
Light followed Mei, since it seemed like she learnt her way around. She guided them through hallways galore. Along the way, they passed a few more butlers, with the exact same mannerisms as Lungelo. Light let Mei handle all the talking.
They came to a dining room, unlike anything he could expect.
The entire room was carved out of dark gray stone; the floors, the walls, with no exceptions, even for the tables. Wooden plates, bowls, and utensils all spread out across their surfaces. The same rocks in their room hung from the ceiling here, too.
In the front of the room, a throne chair, made of stone, sat idle, covered by zebra skin. At the base of it, a carpet made of leopard skin overlaid a single stair up. On each side of the throne, two pots held flowers. The left held flowers with petals shaped like orange bananas; in the right, flowers with a spongy, snowy white cylinder shape with a lisp, and long, dark green leaves shaped like arrowheads. More animal hides and artwork layered the walls. Outside square-cut windows, night fell.
It gave Light an opportunity. Ariel and Mei greeted Leafeon Charlotte, Umbreon Amadeus, Haxorus Gareth, and Butterfree Marciel. Light walked off to the window for a moment.
He could see their machine in their sky, round and small. The combination made it appear like the sun in the sky, or the moon, more like. It hung from the ceiling by a horde of metal chains. Glistening points on the ceiling looked like stars, but he knew from his research they were tiny holes for fresh air.
"That up there was a major inspiration for me."
Light turned and waited for Leafeon Charlotte's explanation. She smiled.
"When I was young, it was still a major technological achievement to use the energy of pokemon to power machinery. I'm glad I got to come see it in person."
"Very inspiring, miss Evergreen," Marciel said, quietly, as he sat next to her.
Gareth sat with his arms crossed at a table alone with Amadeus, while Ariel and Mei sat side-by-side next to Charlotte. He glanced between the two tables.
His comfort would be to sit next to Ariel, like usual. Gareth kind of intimidated him with how he could probably rip his head off with two fingers, and he could never guess what Amadeus thought about at all. He almost felt more comfortable next to strangers.
Ariel dipped her head in their direction, to prompt him to sit with Gareth and Amadeus. When he glanced between them, she did it again. He stalked over towards them. As he did, Haxorus Gareth stood up and moved over from his seat to put a space in between them. Light sat down with stiff muscles.
Umbreon Amadeus patted him on his back. Light glanced his way, but he looked away from him and retreated his paw.
Gareth patted his head, and stared up at the ceiling.
"You are all very bad at this," Reshiram said.
Before Light replied, he flinched.
Umbreon Amadeus and Haxorus Gareth stood up. When Light saw the rest stand up at the other table, he copied them.
From the same hallway they entered from, a Garchomp and Flygon walked side-by-side. Both of them wore identical scarves made of leopard skin; royalty. Garchomp seemed much older than Flygon. He guessed they were the mother and daughter.
Garchomp's mouth curled into a cordial, enthusiastic smile. Her eyes shone. "Welcome."
"Lady Nobuhle," Marciel said, "as splendid as ever to see you. How long has it been?"
"It's been seven years since you quelled the Zygarde, and now I see you're at it again."
Quelled?
Light hadn't paid much thought to Marciel since he joined, but he seemed young, around his age. He needed to ask about that.
"And I could certainly use your help," Marciel said. "Like last time."
"Whether or not I help is no longer up to me. As per tradition, my daughter Zanele makes these decisions now. I'm merely a spectator."
"I understand." He turned to the Flygon. "It's very nice to meet you, Zanele."
Flygon Zanele said nothing. She looked him up and down and walked towards the throne. Garchomp Nobuhle's face darkened.
"Mei mentioned Nobuhle divorced her husband, her father, presumably," Reshiram hummed. "This will not go well."
Zanele gazed up at the throne. She slowed as she drew near. She glanced back and sat down. The rest of the room sat down with her. Nobuhle sat down next to the throne on a velvet cushion two times too small for her. It had to be a recent change, if they hadn't even changed cushions yet. Zanele also seemed young, not much older than Ariel, if at all.
"Service?" Zanele asked.
"Dinner will be ready in a minute," Nobuhle said quietly.
"Right."
Zanele hunched forward and folded hcr claws together. She rested her chin on top of them.
"What brings you all to Zulu?" she asked. "I hear that most suspect Glass Reshiram to be beyond the desert in the safari."
"If you speak, play it cool," Reshiram said. "Don't let her know how much you need that metal."
"A pit stop," Marciel said. "We plan to take up different positions to scout for Glass Reshiram and prepare for its reappearance."
"I see," Zanele said. "I suppose I can offer supplies. You all are the reason we haven't mobilized our military yet for our own hunt. It would only be fair."
"Could be worse," Light said to Reshiram.
"We also could use a favor with a little engineering project for our hunt," Ariel said. "We need a few materials to help make sure we can stop it."
"You already possess Sacred Treasure Gungnir, and powerful company. What more do you need?"
"A certain metal," Charlotte said. "Or, set of metals."
"From our mines?" she asked. "That falls outside the realm of equivalent exchange. You want to hunt Reshiram, we'll give you supplies to do that because it has come near our homeland. However, we need more from you to make it worthwhile to trade our most valuable natural resource."
Zanele flashed Nobuhle a glare, filled to bursting with hate. Nobuhle looked down.
"What can we offer?" Charlotte asked.
"I will think on it," Zanele said. "Please, let's eat first."
A small horde of pokemon with plates of food rushed in from the hallway. They swirled around the tables and set down food.
A Vigoroth, Phantump, and Pidove all set things down at Light's table. He tried to thank them all, but they moved as if they were sprinting.
Sweets galore piled up in front of him; cupcakes, cookies, and double chocolate cake. He had to hold his paws down. Now that he knew he needed sweets, he felt less guilty about tearing up the entire cake and then some…
Zanele didn't have anything brought for her to eat; neither did Nobuhle. They watched on, silent. Their eyes put an invisible barrier between Light and his precious sugar. He needed some kind of conversation to lighten the mood.
"I have a question," he struggled to raise his voice against the heavy tension. "What happened with the Zygarde?"
Garchomp Nobuhle and Flygon Zanele shared looks.
"Our farmsteads aren't within the city, for obvious reasons," Nobuhle said. "Seven years ago, our farmers came to us in a panic over a mirage, and so little food was grown it could've caused a small famine. We sent the proper authorities to investigate, but only Marciel was brave enough to step forward. He spoke with Zygarde, soothed its rage, and became it's Scion henceforth."
"So, you all know what Scions are?" Sky Shaymin Mei asked cordially.
"Through Marciel, we learnt this information. Zygarde was the first record of a Legendary species existing, and being of ill mind."
Light nodded, and stored that information away for later. He glanced across at Butterfry Marciel. He didn't seem like he had much… personality before. He stayed quiet most of the time. Maybe he just acted that way.
"What is this 'engineering project'?" Zanele asked, after a pause.
Light couldn't warn them all not to say anything in time.
"To create glass weaponry and defenses," Charlotte said.
Zanele straightened out. A glint shone in her eyes. "Really?" she asked. "Reshiram's same glass?"
"Yes. It would save lives."
"Dammit," Reshiram hissed. "I seriously doubt she's thinking about saving lives. Booksmart, but not streetsmart, like you. Stupid stupid stupid…"
"Then an equal exchange would be some of the spoils," Zanele said. "After all, we'd be providing some of the tools necessary to make it."
"I can't allow that," Marciel said. "All of these weapons will be destroyed after the hunt is over."
Zanele's eyes hardened. "Pity."
Light shivered. He glanced around for what to do.
Haxorus Gareth and Umbreon Amadeus ate some sort of beef dishes from wooden bowls without as much as a look up. Maybe they were used to stakes this high.
To calm himself down, Flareon Light took a wooden fork, a slice of cake, and ate. He squeaked. It was warm, with the perfect spongy texture and everything. His tail bobbed back and forth.
Flygon Zanele leaned back. "I'm afraid little else would make this a fair exchange. The unique metal in our mines is part of the heart and soul of the Zulu. The only fair trade left would be part of yours."
"What exactly would that be?" Ariel asked curiously.
"A piece of your White Star."
Light's face shot up. He scratched chocolate off the side of his lip. Zanele looked at him with a strange sort of focus. Her face relaxed.
"How do you Valorians say it… To spear the white whale?" Zanele asked.
"Uhm?"
"If you don't know it, I don't either," Reshiram said.
Zanele traced a claw on the side of her head. Her eyes drifted down. "To… thread the needle?"
Light looked around. Marciel shrugged. Ariel shared a look with Mei. Gareth and Amadeus both shook their heads. Leafeon Charlotte reenacted threading a needle with her paws, but couldn't understand.
"P-passing the gravy?"
A small, wood cup of gravy floated over in front of Zanele. She waved her hand and it returned to Ariel's table.
"Parallel parking?" Zanele asked with a tilted head.
Light creased his eyes.
"Are you feeling well?" Mei asked.
"I'm trying to put it politely."
"There's no need for that. What is it you want to trade for?"
"His paw in marriage."
Light jumped.
Gareth's wooden utensil splintered in his hand. His meal fell to the table. Light's head whipped around to see Ariel started choking and pounding on her own chest. Mei reached around her stomach, squeezed, and yanked upwards. Ariel grunted and breathed deep. Next to him, the yellow rings across Amadeus' body flickered like lightbulbs with a short as he reeled back in his seat. Marciel's face blanked out in a way he'd never seen before.
On the floor Nobuhle's eyes widened. She stayed silent.
Ariel rose to her feet. "You FUCKING #$ !%-"
Light's brain failed to comprehend Ariel's M-rated rant. He could only tell by how many words she used that he'd never heard of before in his life, and by Gareth grabbing his ears and folding them down. Mei shot up and grappled Ariel's shoulders to keep her from walking any closer to Zanele, who watched with a shivering mouth.
At the end of a very long thirty seconds, Ariel gasped for breath. Silence fell, the unsteady kind.
"So," Zanele said, "I'll leave you to eat and discuss your options."
Ariel growled, "What options?"
"Zanele," Nobuhle said, turning her head back.
"There's nothing to talk about," she said. "If I give them what they want for free, then what? Am I supposed to get a warm feeling inside that makes it all worth it? If I can't get much out of this, I might as well get what I can and enjoy myself. All you've ever done is give give give and look where that got you."
Zanele's rant silenced the room again, with no quarter left. She sighed.
"Mother, let's take our leave," she said.
"Yes," she said.
Together, Flygon Zanele and Garchomp Nobuhle stood and left. The room waited for them to leave earshot.
"I don't think we're getting that metal," Mei said. "There's no choice. We have to look at other options."
"Why the hell does she want my boo-bear, anyway?" hissed Ariel.
"Wasn't he voted to be one of the most beautiful pokemon in the world by some magazine?"
"Uh, s-so?"
Light blinked. His fur puffed up from heat. "I was?"
"Of course you were!" Her eyes glazed over. "You're… so beautiful… Aha…"
"And now that's a problem," Mei said. "This was supposed to be easy. What do we do now?"
"There's nothing to do." Butterfree Marciel leaned his head over the table and stared down. "I was friends with Lady Nobuhle for many years. I imagined the small amount of materials we needed would have come simply, but, apparently not. We'll have to make do without."
"Maybe it's for the best," Amadeus grumbled. "Think of everything our kind would do if those weapons existed. Think of what they might do if they caught wind." He looked around the room. "This might be the best option."
As everyone slowly got back to eating, even sweets didn't drown out Light's racing thoughts.
He couldn't just sacrifice himself like he usually did. Everyone in the room and more would stop him by force, if necessary, and frankly, he didn't want any of that. And who were "they"?
He looked at Ariel.
The long, red line faded away on her forearm. Soon, she said, it'd be gone forever, without even a scar. The same wouldn't happen with Reshiram's glass.
A memory. Emolga Alisha's face flashed in front of his eyes; her covered eye and cut ear. She was half-blind, and nearly died.
A small trail of steam rose from his fur.
They needed that glass. If they couldn't get it by option one, or two, there had to be a third, one of their own making. For this, he'd need Jonathan's backup.
"Eeeeeeeh, screw that."
Flareon Light glared.
Heliolisk Jonathan stood outside his door. He forced down his bubbling anger since Ariel ate herself into a coma in the room.
"Listen, good thieving is all about low stakes," Jonathan explained. "If we even get seen, which is pretty damn easy with how noticeable you are now, it'll be bad."
"I know," he said. "All my life, you've taught me how to survive, lie, cheat, and steal. And now that one of those skills is worth anything, you decide not to be there? Like you always do?"
"This is about keeping you safe." He folded his arms and glowered down at him. "And just like every time, you prioritize other people's safety over your own, the same people trying to protect you."
"That's my choice to make. Why won't you let me make it?"
"You can't always be the hero to solve all the problems. If Ariel's this important to you, do you really think she'd want you to do this?"
Jonathan leaned down. Light challenged himself to meet his gaze.
"You hate stealing," Jonathan stated, voice blunt. "You're embarrassed by it. It makes you feel dirty and rotten inside, you've told me. You lose a part of yourself every time. It might not be your life this time, but it's the same deal. That glass isn't a cure-all. We're all putting our lives on the line either way. It's not a worthy trade."
Light stared him down. Jonathan rolled around.
"Sorry."
Jonathan walked off. Light turned his head around the corner.
"Wait," Light said. "Ariel said you had something you needed to tell me. About those look-alikes."
Jonathan stopped. "Tell her she has my permission to tell you, whenever she thinks is right."
Jonathan walked away on the red carpet. Light pulled his head back, then the door.
He didn't need Jonathan's permission.
"I have to say, this sounds and feels like a rage-induced temper tantrum," Reshiram said. "Compared to Sacred Treasures, the glass isn't all that. You're the one who saved Alisha's life in the first place. Just train and do it again. Besides, if it was made-"
"Shut it," he ordered. "You've made fun of every decision I've made, but you act like you're not the source of every single problem."
"Then talk to Ariel."
"I already was going to.."
Light turned around. He stalked closer to Ariel as she slept. He hopped on the mattress and located her drooling face from inside a mountain of pillows. He brushed the tip of his tail on her cheek.
Ariel woke up, slowly. She reached up and dragged him down into a soft, warm hug out of habit.
"Are you having bad dreams again?" she asked. Her words slurred together.
"You're the one who had bad dreams, though," he said.
"Oh yeah…"
"Airy, I need to ask you something."
"Of course I'll marry you… Ahahaha…"
"Actually, I wanted to ask you if I should… Take the metal."
Ariel's eyes widened.
"Hell no."
"Not that way," he said. "I could go steal it."
Ariel sat up.
"I want to know what you think," he said.
"What do you think?" she asked.
"I think I could use what I have to offer to help protect everyone."
"Then you should do what you feel is right," she said, smiling. "I mean, if you always left it up to me, I would've kept you on Mount Ài, like I was told to. There's a balance between being selfless and selfish that I think you should find. If this is that balance, then I'll support your decision. So, what's the reason you want to steal that metal and make the glass?"
"To protect you."
"And what are you sacrificing to make it happen?"
"A piece of my… dignity. When I steal, I feel… Like I'm less than a person because I don't have the means to do something myself. It makes me feel icky and dirty, and I hate it, but… I… you…."
Light fiddled his paws.
"Is that extra safety for me worth the price?"
"Yes," he resolved. "Of course. For you, I'd…" He glanced down.
"Then do it. Besides," she smiled, "if you get caught, I'll just… You know."
"Know what?"
Ariel smiled. "I've been dabbling with making people forget things. Being a Wizard Scion has its perks."
"You have?"
"Yeah. You just don't remember."
"W-what!?"
"Yeah. We've had like, six practice sessions where my goal is to make you forget that we had a practice session. We had three on the trip here."
"It's true," Reshiram said. "You can use Candor on yourself and undo the spell, if you want."
Light went ahead and did that.
Sure enough, six repeats of the same conversation popped into his head. He agreed to be Ariel's guinea pig so she could improve as a Scion. He never would've guessed she could do that.
"But if you do decide to go," she said, "I'll come with. You can use me as a stun gun."
"Okay."
"Gimme some sugar."
She kissed his cheek. Light exhaled a puff of steam. He'd pay just about any price for her.
"You're strong enough to carry me, right?" she asked.
"I think?"
Ariel released him from her hug and stood up. She floated over his back and plopped down.
Light's lungs crumpled. His chin pushed against the mattress.
"This might be easier if you're in Land Forme," he said.
"Are you calling me fat?" she asked quietly.
"My forearms can't handle your giant, beautiful body. Forgive me."
Ariel leaned down and purred. Light waited patiently as yellow light cast a shadow across his face. When it faded, the weight eased up. He found himself able to stand without expending any energy.
Light wondered what'd happen to her braid when she transformed into Land Forme. Now that he looked at her, he saw that the green fur on her back stayed as a fishtail braid. Huh… Well go figure.
"The mines are in the fourth cavern," Ariel said. "We'll have to cover a good bit of ground, or, uh… underground. Do we even know what we're looking for?"
"I saw a picture Charlotte showed me," said Light. "And I remember it. We just have to make sure no one sees. We'll talk with Candor. If we do get spotted, could you, uh… work your magic?
"Nice pun. I can. Let's do this. Together, partner."
Light walked out into the hallway with a sense of security and warmth wrapped around on his back. Even though his objective remained the same, he didn't feel lesser, at least not yet. He was still trying to do what's right.
"Lord Acuity. Lady Chingyang."
Light whipped around.
Nickit Lungelo stood out in the hallway. His steady eyes met Light's.
"Out for a midnight stroll?" he asked.
"Oh, yes, we're-"
"No need for formalities. Lady Nobuhle instructed me to help you achieve your ends." Lungelo stepped forward. "Every hour, on the hour, the guards switch at each of the gates so that they stay sharp. There's about a thirty second window for you to sneak through to the next major cavern. The metal is located in a warehouse in the fourth cavern. It's the largest building, and has large, metal doors."
"Uh… thanks," Light said, at a loss for words.
"If you're discovered, there is a chance Lady Nobuhle will be blamed and charged. Please don't let her down."
"We won't!" Ariel proclaimed. "You've got yourself the right professional for the job. One moment, he's looking at you with the innocence of a kitten and then bam! Or, uh, swoosh."
"I'm concerned," said Lungelo. "You two don't strike me as… Forgive me, the most competent pair for this kind of work."
"We can handle it," Light said.
"Right… Well, good luck, and please, do your best."
"We will. Thanks."
Lungelo turned and walked the other way.
Light and Ariel continued on the same path Lungelo first showed them. Ariel nestled her face into his sweater.
Outside, he could hardly see past his own paws. Trails of small lights, scattered across buildings, offered two main directions to travel in. When Light squinted his eyes, he could see a slope upwards in one direction, and downwards in another. He followed the lonely stone path down on the edge of the lights. He kept Candor active with Ariel.
Where was everyone?
Probably just asleep, like normal people. Not every city partied all night like Valor. It did seem awfully creepy, though. Hardly any lights shone from inside buildings, and the ones that did were dim. A good portion of buildings being made out of rock didn't help, either. As they went to the deeper, smaller caverns, it'd get claustrophobic.
The gate was easy to spot; it drowned in light, with enough contrast from everything else that it left a bright yellow imprint on the dome of dark rock surrounding the city. A good chunk of their time would be waiting for their chance to slip-through. They needed a good lookout post.
Light slunk between buildings (a thief's best friend), and dug his claws into the side of one to hoist him and Ariel up the side of a building. He avoided windows on his way up.
At the end, his arms groaned at him from Ariel's weight, not that she was fat or anything. He stalked over to the edge of the rooftop.
A Seismitoad and Volbeat stood guard. Ariel crawled off Light's back and poked her nose out next to his face.
"How long do we have to wait?" Ariel asked.
"Maybe forty minutes?" he guessed. "Why?"
"Well… I thought stealing would be more… exciting."
"Exciting?"
"Yeah, like, using that weird spray can to see alarm lasers and then doing acrobat stuff. And unlocking a vault with a laser. And, like, running away as a timer strikes its last seconds and we share passionate last words as we think we'll explode?"
"It's mostly this," he said.
"But this sucks…"
"It's not so bad when you're with someone…"
A small amount of pink flowers bloomed in Ariel's braid. She giggled.
"And you get to listen in on their conversations," Light said. "Which is, uh, kinda fun. Most of the time."
They both fell silent and leaned in. Neither the Volbeat or Seismitoad said a word. The pair stared out with glazed over eyes.
To burn the time, Light set his arm over Ariel and held her close. Her breathing slowed. He checked to make sure she stayed awake for when the opportunity came.
"Why are you so unhappy about the skills you have?" Ariel asked. "I mean, anyone can get buff. But you do all this acrobat stuff, and you make good plans, and you look good in anything."
"I don't think that last one's a skill… But, compared to raw power, how much are those worth against Reshiram?"
"Well, if we pull this off, it'll be worth more than any one Wayfarer could bring."
"We'll pull it off. They don't have much security. This is as simple as it gets."
"I wish I looked good in leggings…"
"Do you like your fishtail braid?"
"Is that what it's called… And of course I do. You made me feel beautiful."
"Then maybe there's more out there you don't know about yet that'll make you feel the same."
Ariel's eyes popped.
The Seismitoad and Volbeat walked and floated off, to the side on a path next to the dome. The gate, about as large as two Snorlax, sat dormant.
Ariel gripped around Light's mane. He hopped off the rooftop and sprinted.
His blood boiled. With every pound of his paws, he readied a course of action if he heard some callout. He had to, in case it happened. He looked left, right, left and right, over and over again until he cleared the gate and reached the shadows on the other side of the archway.
The rock sky looked the same, with a key difference: it only stood halfway as tall, and as long. The buildings all bumped into each other. They surrounded and overshadowed every walkway, and yellow lights from windows blocked all of them.
Luckily, it also provided an easy solution.
Light drew near a dark building, right by the edge of the dome. He looked up and saw the black gate of a small balcony. He revved himself up and jumped. He snagged the edge of the cold, metal bar and pulled himself and Ariel up.
"By the way," Light breathed out as he hoisted them up, "Jonathan said you can explain to me whatever that thing was."
"O-oh," she said. "Well, that's good."
"So, what is it?" He turned his head back.
"Uh, maybe it can wait until after we're done stealing and stuff. It might distract you."
"We have a whole hour till the gate opens up. We have time."
"An hour isn't nearly enough time."
"Then tell me part of it."
"Okay…"
Light hopped between rooftops. He made no sound. He worked out a path to the next light bloated area on the other side of the dome. It wouldn't take more than a few minutes to get there,
"Jonathan was in the Acuitan Royal Guard, back when he was… Well, younger. What is he, like, in his forties?"
"Really?" Light asked. "The Acuitan guard…"
Light pieced it together, and it made sense.
Jonathan kicked major ass. The Acuitan guard had some of the fiercest training in the world. Come to think of it, they'd be pretty helpful right about now…
"Why isn't the rest of the guard helping with Reshiram?" Light asked.
"Oh, they think we're insane idiots on a suicide mission," Ariel said. "But, anyway… It all started with your father."
Light hopped over another edge. He faceplanted.
Ariel grunted. "You good?"
Light's head popped. "My father, father? As in… My actual dad?"
"Yeah, uh… He wanted the crown, but, your grandfather wasn't willing to pass it on. So, he pulled a few Mufasa moves."
"He pulled what?"
"You know, like, the Lion King?"
"Oh… Uh, go on…"
Light hopped over another ledge. He hit a smooth landing this time.
He'd avoided everything to do with his father, whether it be on the internet or asking about him. He was dead. Knowing about him would widen the hole. But if it mattered today, he had no choice.
"I can't lie to you," Ariel said, "some parts of what happened are unbelievable, as in, I don't think any of us can believe it until we see it for ourselves. Light, your father has done things no one has ever thought of before. If what Jonathan said is true, I… I don't think our world will ever be the same again."
"This is a bit more than what I was expecting already," he said. "But, it sounds like Reshiram to me. Something that changes everyone's perception. I've handled it once before, I can do it again."
"There's really no easy way to say this," Ariel said quietly. "I've just gotta do it."
"Go on."
"Your father wanted to make some new type of Scion. No one knows where he learned about them, but he created a process. He took his firstborn's DNA… You, uh, know what that is, right?"
"Uh… Yes."
He hopped over to another, longer rooftop.
"He took his firstborn's DNA and experimented crossing it with Reshiram's. He made a process of trial and error, with-"
Clones. Until one of the genetic combinations happened to work.
Him?
His thoughts turned to static. It didn't add up.
No way. Impossible. Stupid.
Memories poured in, almost as if to spite him.
"I am One, as in, the first of many."
First of many?
"Airy…" he mumbled. "The Acuitan blessing can't be… replicated by some illusion. I need to know what Jonathan talked to you about."
The Acuitan blessing, replicated.
Static.
"Well c'mon then! Show me how special you are!"
He wasn't a trick? Not some Zoroark's illusion? No fur dye or voice changer or contact lenses?
"I was supposed to be the one with Candor! The one that Reshiram chose! Out of all the hundreds, I still had a reason to live, you bastard! Look at yourself! If I killed you, would you even care, huh!?
His voice matched Light's; soft, monotone, though deeper, and older than his.
Ariel leaned forward on Light's back. "H-hey?"
Had he realized it this entire time? Was he grasping at straws to make sense of it; to bring it out of relation to himself? Is that what it really meant to have the Acuitan blessing?
"Hey," Light heaved. His right leg crossed over his left. He stumbled and realigned it. "There's no such thing as clones. That's too far of a scientific leap for where we are today."
"Light, you saw them…"
"I know. Was it always this hot in here…?"
"Light…?"
Light ran out of breath. He hunched over on the stone floor. He swallowed. "Yeah?" he said finally.
"Are you okay?"
"What makes you say…" He breathed in. "That?"
"I think you should sit down for a second.," she said quietly. "Focus on breathing…"
"So, when you say clones," he said, "do you mean, like, Star Wars. Like, stormtroopers? I'm a stormtrooper?"
"Well, when you put it like that…"
"I need a minute."
"Oh. Okay…"
Light collapsed.
Flareon Light cried on and off for about half an hour. He whipped between being perfectly fine and needing Ariel to pull himself back from slamming his head into a rock wall at least six times. The estimated five minutes of rooftop hopping turned into a fifty minute brawl, and at the end, it left him with red, dry eyes, fur stuck out in places, and lingering distraction.
From another rooftop, albeit much closer, Light and Land Shaymin Ariel watched a solid stone gate from above. They carefully oriented themselves so their shadows wouldn't show on the wall.
"Airy," Light whispered. "Is my life meaningless?"
"No," she said firmly. "None of this makes you any less of a person, or any less unique."
"I really don't see the unique part…"
"I do. All the time."
Ariel traced a paw down her braided fur. As Light stared, he noticed movement in the corner of his eye.
The gate lifted open. A Vaporeon's tail swung back and forth and out of sight, which left it empty. Ariel gripped on his back as he stood up. He leaped down.
Light's arms and legs almost gave way. He struggled to will himself forward. With every step on the cold, hard ground, he doubted the reason for it in the first place.
Would his clones be doing the same thing as him right now? What did they want?
"Light," Ariel hissed.
He slowed down by accident. The footsteps of the replacement guards approached from the darkness.
He didn't have enough time or speed to break past them. In desperation, he used a classic.
Light ran to the corner and covered him and Ariel up with his tail. They sat silent.
The guards, a Druddigon and Archeops, edged closer. The Archeops recoiled back when it saw them.
"Dude," he groaned. "I swear, one of those days, these dust bunnies are gonna grow legs and walk. I mean, shit, dude."
"I ain't cleaning it," said Druddigon. "Outside my job description."
"Those janitors need to pick up their slack before we all catch something."
The gate rumbled. Massive, metal chains lowered it closed. Light checked, and both Archeops and Druddigon turned their attention away from them to the roads and homes. He uncoiled and dashed for the gate.
It closed faster than he realized. He slunk low and made it. On the other side of the rock wall, he leaned his ear against it to listen for noise.
"Holy shit,"Archeops said. "Where'd it go!?"
"Uhhhhhh…"
"Oh hell no. That's it. Grab a mop. We're gonna fuckin die."
"How did that work?" Ariel whispered.
"I don't question it anymore," he whispered back. "Let's… go?"
Light untensed.
The buildings turned short; very short, and a lot of rooftops turned into tents. Shredded plastic bags and old carpets laid around in piles. Some of them formed to make small houses and huts. The ceiling stretched on for about as long as the previous cavern, but he could see further out due to the lack of walls. It seemed to stretch on and on…
"What the hell is this?" Ariel asked.
"Probably where all the mine workers live," Light said.
"People… live here?"
From what he knew, Lao Shen didn't have nearly as much economic turmoil as other nations. Mei probably protected Ariel from seeing anything like this.
"But aren't the ores Zulu's main export?" she asked.
"Guess Zanele doesn't know anything about equivalent exchange after all," he said. "There's no way we can just sneak through here. We'll have to talk to them directly and ask."
"Why can't we sneak around?"
"Some already saw us.
Little sounds gave it away; they were spotted right as they came through the gate. The makeshift homes were barely spaced apart from each other. They probably walked into a close-knit community.
"Isn't this kinda dangerous?" she asked.
"They're not anymore dangerous than other people."
"I didn't mean-"
"Relax. It's alright."
"Right."
Ariel still clenched onto his fur a touch tighter. As Light walked forward, a few metallic pops and rustling blankets made his fur stand up. He didn't know how they'd react at all; he just told Ariel to relax so that panic wouldn't bounce back and forth between them. He looked left and right on repeat.
Trinkets and mining tools hung on every standing wall. A handful of those walls were stone, but not many. He had to wonder how they wouldn't have enough rock down here. Then again, maybe they didn't have the tools or people to cut it.
His head snapped to the right.
From a small pile of blankets, a young Rattata scurried out straight in front of them. She stopped and huddled her paws together. Her nose bobbed up and down as she studied them.
"H-hi," Light said.
Rattata stalked up closer and sniffed his forearm. He bent down to her level.
Out of the scrap, more pokemon showed themselves, only they were all older. Rattata turned back around and walked back to a Sandslash, who caught her in her arms.
They way they all kept silent gave him the creeps. He took steps back away from them, but more popped up from behind.
"U-uh, hi?" Light said.
No one moved.
All-in-all, him and Ariel were surrounded by about twenty pokemon, including a Zubat as it floated over a hill of blankets, a Bidoof that watched from on top of a stone wall, and a Durant with a suspicious glare.
"Chief? Over here."
A young voice emanated from behind two small tents. An older Manectric sauntered onto the scene, next to a young Flaaffy. Manectric's eyes wrinkled up as he laid eyes on them.
"Oh," Manectric said. "Our guests are here."
"These are our guests?" Flaaffy asked.
"Lungelo didn't want to name names, just in case. Let them through, everyone, to the fourth cavern. The Wayfarers need a hand."
"There are royal guards taking watch in the fourth cavern tonight," Flaaffy said.
"Oh…"
"Uh-uhm, excuse me," Light said quietly. "You know Lungelo?"
"Of course," Manectric said. "In case you didn't notice, there's a bit of a divide between those still loyal to Lady Nobuhle and those who follow Zanele. The metal you're looking for is in the warehouse, I'm sure you know. But Zanele sent soldiers to guard it for her personally tonight."
"Is there a way around?"
"Yes, there is. The air ducts here are larger than usual. You two are small enough to sneak straight into the warehouse from the ducts. But I have to ask, what did Zanele say?"
Glances shot across them. Manectric's question piqued their curiosity.
"She said that for it to be an equal exchange that, uh…" Light hunched. "I'd have to marry her."
Manectric grunted. "We mine the stuff, it belongs to us. And frankly, we just have… so much of it. It's really just sitting there. It should be cut into little blocks about, say…" He glanced down. "The size of your paw. Should also be dusty. From what I hear, you only even need one of those blocks. After that, just go back the way you came in."
"Thank you very much," he said. "We won't take it for granted."
"Good," he barked. "Be careful you don't get spotted. It'd be a problem for all of us."
"We will."
"This way," Flaaffy said. "Quickly."
Light jogged forward. As he followed Flaaffy, the circle that formed around them lingered as they walked further away. Different species popped their heads up, swung low overhead, or watched from their perches, Some waved. He made sure to wave back.
"Zanele's a real piece of work, isn't she?" Flaaffy asked. "I imagine little miss Chingyang over here didn't like her?"
"I didn't really understand most of what Ariel said to her after," Light admitted.
"That bad, huh?"
"S-so where's the entrance to this duct?" Ariel asked.
"It's close."
Flaaffy veered off the path. Light raised his legs high to step over broken glass and metal pieces. She approached a white, metal box with a grate on top of it. She walked around and unscrewed it. As Flaaffy lifted up the grate, Light studied its size. A claustrophobic tingle shot down his spine just looking at it.
But more importantly…
"Alright, thanks for this," Ariel said. "I'll go in first."
Shaymin Ariel hopped off Flareon Light's back and up onto the edge. She leaned over and fell in.
Her face got stuck inside. Her limbs wiggled around. Flaaffy pulled her back out.
Ariel's face turned red. As her feet hit the ground, she sulked with her head against the metal.
"I'm so fat," she loathed.
"Uh, but you're not?" Flaaffy said.
"You're not, Airy," Light said. "I'll be alright. What's the path to the warehouse?"
"It's right right left up down right straight left right down up straight down right left down down down up straight down left down."
"Okay. Got it."
He'd just cheat with Candor.
"And Airy," he said. "Seriously, you're not fat."
"It feels like I'm fat."
"Trust me, you're not. I'll be back soon, okay?"
"Okay…"
He didn't delay. Light hopped up on the edge and pulled himself in.
Right right left up down right straight left right down up straight down right left down down down up straight down left down.
Light had to use Candor on himself enough times to start a small headache. He found his reward in the shape of a light at the end of the tunnel, literally.
He looked below at the top of a metal warehouse shelf. A few wavy flashlights passed over it.
"Stay alert," a deep voice boomed.
"I'm sorry sir, I really just…. I'm not feeling too great," a low voice said.
"Then trade posts with me. Some of those Wayfarers are experienced thieves."
"I know, sir."
"Then hold out, alright?"
"Yes, sir…"
The warehouse floor swarmed with guards. Right below Light, a Lilligant and Omanyte sulked around idly. If he ever wanted to make it out, he needed to find his goal, a path to it, and a path back. He couldn't see the metal from this angle.
Light hooked himself with his feet and hung down. Rays of light covered the warehouse floor. With how reflective his fur was, it'd be curtains if any of it caught on him. On the shelves, lots of metal tools sat in the darkness. From wands to knives, drills to shovels, all of it seemed to be here. When he looked over the shelves at the warehouse walls, he realized how big it was, about as long and wide as four or five Gyarados. It gave him some wiggle room, at least, but it made the metal harder to pick out. It'd probably be the most guarded area. He traced the rays of light to their sources.
Yup.
A Poliwhirl, Ursaring, and Mankey stood close together around a small mine cart, out in the open, away from the shelves. They faced three different directions. He just needed one block of metal from inside. They wouldn't be able to notice if he took one, he only couldn't be seen. If he had his Grappler, this would be a snap. Instead, he had to make some distraction that would be enough for them to abandon post, but also believable enough that they wouldn't suspect anything.
Lucky for him, he saw an Electabuzz leaning against a shelf. Light would knock some stuff down on top of him, the guards would run over, and they would chew him out for being a clumsy mess while Light left nice and easy.
With his plan set, Light unhooked his feet and dropped down on top of a shelf. A small noise echoed, but no one reacted. Good. Looks like they weren't taking it seriously. That'd help.
Light hopped between shelves with ease. They didn't put much of anything on the top, probably since not a single species in there was tall enough to reach up here. He hopped on the shelf Electabuzz leaned on and walked over his head. Layer by layer, he crawled down.
On the way, he came across a small box of shovels teetering on the edge; perfect. He crept behind it and readied himself. Once it hit, he had to make a break for it. He took in a breath and pushed. He didn't wait for the metal avalanche and shouts to hit his ears. He reached for the cold metal shelves over his head and pulled himself up.
"Hey!" Ursaring barked. "The hell was that?"
The Electabuzz, probably seeing stars, didn't say anything. It added the panic Light needed for them to run and gather together. As they ran under him, he jumped off the shelf and sprinted. The rays of light retreated from that side of the warehouse.
As deeper darkness fell, he reached the cart. He reached up and set his front paws on the edge.
Sure enough, blocks of metal sat inside. He snatched one up. Dust coated his paw.
Zanele didn't even use it for anything other than leverage over him, and she didn't even own it through anything other than using the mine workers. Unlike almost every other time, he didn't have a guilty fire in his chest.
She had this coming.
Light turned and ran back. Every guard in the warehouse rushed over to the Electabuzz to see what happened. While they dug him out of a pile of shovels and replaced it with a pile of questions, Light reached another shelf and climbed back up, layer by layer. When he reached the top, he jumped between them and reached the air duct again.
He leapt up and escaped, scot-free.
And so, Eevee Two had a lot of explaining to do, not that she minded.
She stared down at the sky, underneath the seven pillars. It was clear enough to see the surface today. The ocean looked more terrifying in scope from above.
One by one, her comrades joined her on each of the pillars and took their seats. Four and Three arrived last, but she didn't bat an eye. Both of them always had tired looks on their faces when they were late; probably from overwork. Once all of the white Eevees gathered, the meeting officially started.
"I thought we were going to stop them before they reached Zulu," Five said, breaking the silence.
"We were," Two said, "until we learned what their intentions were. To create glass weapons to slay Reshiram."
"You all took a very long time to figure that one out," Four scoffed.
"Either way, we need Reshiram to fall for Candor to reach its fullest potential."
"Then why don't we do it ourselves?" Five huffed.
"It's too powerful for us to do it safely, and our Scions are currently busy. Moreover, I want those glass weapons for ourselves."
"Rather ambitious," said Four. "Surely we could've figured out how to do it on our own."
"I wouldn't be so sure," said Three. "Charlotte Evergreen is behind this. There's no guarantee that we could even match her expertise… Even mother failed to match her in some areas."
"There is no reason for such greed," said Seven. "None of those weapons will make any difference against the Peacekeeper."
"There are potential optimizations for pegasi wings," Two said, "among many others. Father told me to wait himself when I gave him this information."
"What a surprise," said Six sarcastically.
"So, when are we going to actually do something?" Four asked.
"Soon," Two said. "We'll steal the machine while they're out in the wilderness, when they leave Zulu. It will be a bonus. Each of you will take positions in pairs. Three, you'll be on your own. Rest now while you can."
"Right," she said.
"The rest of you do the same and prepare."
"And what are you up to, Two?" Eight asked curiously.
"Preparing a raid, in case we fail."
"A raid!?" Three asked. "But that's-"
"That's right. Don't fail."
She could see it in their eyes; her warning rung true.
