Dark 5.2: The Living Blizzard
Pixie
The humans have an almost mountain-sized bowl ringed with places to sit, all looking down at a patch of grass. You don't fully understand why they do this. Maybe they built this place so lots of humans can all witness a nine-tails at once without taking up too much of her time? Openliver is standing at one side of the grass, babbling on about how pokémon are only allowed to know four moves. Which is wrong! You know more than four and you don't care what he believes about it. Mother probably knows all of the moves. Every single one. Except fire. Because who would want to control fire? Or sand. Or poison. It's beneath you.
Openliver finally stops talking and moves to the side of the grass. Kalani told you she was going to battle today. You want to see just what she can do when she stops holding back. Get a reminder of why you're obviously the best. Openliver's mate is providing an adequate pillow as you sit and watch. One of the creepy human-like pokémon with big paws starts waving around and pink barriers slide up around the field. Like they could keep Kalani in. No. They're probably just there to stop her prey from escaping. Very considerate.
Openliver presses a button on Kalani's ball and she appears on the field. She glances around, flicks a tail, and raises up a paw to lick it clean. The other human sends out… a giant ball? Half of it is white and half of it is red. Like a pokéball. Just bigger. And with eyes. Kalani broke your pokéball so this one shouldn't be a problem.
"Thunder wave!" The ball's human shouts. The ball spits out a small line of static that dissolves as Mother's wispy hex shield shimmers into place. Huh. You've never seen it used like that. Those shields are just for keeping other vulpix from putting you to sleep or confusing you. A counter to tricks. Don't know how it blocks lightning.
Mother is still licking her paw, barely giving her opponent a glance.
"Bolts! Blasting!"
"Storm!"
Kalani reluctantly looks towards the ball and dives to the side, narrowly avoiding a much bigger blast of lightning. You can see some of her fur get puffed up as a result. She growls menacingly before looking to the sky and howling. Another bolt hits her dead on as the winds pick up and snow begins to fall. The next blast strikes a glowing aurora in front of her. As the winds grow ever stronger and the field becomes consumed by snow and hail, she slips inside the storm and becomes perfectly hidden. Soon you can only faintly see the red half of the stupid ball as it keeps blindly firing into the storm.
"Fine. Explosion!"
The ball begins to glow. Intensely. A beam of pink light races from the storm and strikes it dead on. The ball glows brighter and brighter as it rolls back towards the walls.
"Close your eyes," Openliver's mate says.
Even through your eyelids you can see the white glow of whatever happens next. The roar hits you a moment later. She should have put paws over your ears, too.
When you finally blink the light from your eyes you see Kalani standing in the middle of the storm with a few singed hairs. She's gently licking her flank to try and get them out. Good priorities.
The other human withdraws his ball to a smaller ball in a pulse of red light. At least its weak. Now you don't even need to learn what it is.
A strange floating… pink… bird… thing? appears. The lines are too smooth. Almost lifeless. And it doesn't flap or squirm through the air as it moves. It just floats forward. Every limb seems to be rotating independently. You don't know what this is but you don't like it. Hopefully Mother kills it.
"Lock on," other human calls out. Kalani eyes the bird quizzically, probably also realizing the need to murder it. Openliver and Mother both wait as the bird rotates and stutters, horrifyingly thrusting its head away from its body before pulling itself back together.
"Encore," Openliver says with calm confidence. Kalani's eyes flash as she follows the command, pulling on what she wants from the bird and making it do it again and again.
The bird's head separates from its body again before coming back together.
Openliver reaches to his belt and pulls out something before putting it on his wrist. Oh. The combination moves. Like Skysong did. Will he faint? Everyone but Skysong always acted like that was strange. She kept doing it anyway. Because…
You don't know if she cared for you in her own way. Kalani says she did not. And she failed. A lot of times. Didn't understand you. Couldn't understand you. Couldn't give you a home. Not like Mother can.
Openliver finishes his dance and the air grows colder, even outside the barriers. The winds pick up to a degree that not even you can see anything through the flying snow. Something cracks inside. And cracks again. The barriers themselves start frosting over.
And then the cold stops. The ice against the barriers cracks and falls down. When you can finally see the field again the storm has all but stopped. In the middle there's a solid boulder of clear ice almost nine times as tall as Kalani is and nine of her body lengths across. The bird is frozen solid, unmoving, in the middle. Hopefully dead.
That's the most ice you've ever seen anything create at once. You knew Kalani was strong and that the nine-tails had been gifted by the strongest spirits in Alola. Seeing it like that is something else. Your parents never wanted to waste the energy—no. No, they couldn't do that. You have a better mother than Avalanche now. Kalani would be the strongest nine-tails on the mountain. Stronger than any of them. Maybe the strongest ever. And you're her daughter. That means you're strong, too.
The ice cracks and a full body size splits off and falls to the ground. It shatters on impact. Then more and more cracks and falls apart until giant, jagged shards of ice cover the entire field. The bird finally collapses to the ground and is sucked up by red light. For the best. It wouldn't have been safe to eat because it was obviously sick. And now you won't have to look at it.
The humans do a flurry of pointless things. Talking to each other, pointing at the field, finally saying in a big voice something about excessive force. Which it wasn't. It's good to be sure something is dead when you're putting it out of its misery.
In the end they make Kalani go back into her ball. For doing what she was told and doing it well.
Humans. Why do you bother with them?
Rockfur finishes off a floating food-heating box but you can't bring yourself to care.
Mother shakes herself off when she reappears in the grass. She glances at you before looking at her singed fur, carefully using her sharpest teeth to cut off the burnt ends and leave what can still be salvaged. It's horrible that the stupid ball managed to hurt her fur like that. Just one paw's worth of her fur is more valuable than it will ever be.
"I'm not doing this because I'm a reject," she hisses between bites and licks. "I don't care what that eevee says. I'm strong and beautiful. The strongest and most beautiful. And everyone should know it."
She sounds angry. Like she does care what the eevee said. You don't want to point that out. Especially when she's angry. And so, so strong. She could have frozen Skysong so thoroughly she'd never thaw. Could freeze you, even. But she wouldn't. You don't need to think of that. Even when she's angry.
You'll try not to think about that.
"I've never seen anyone as strong as you."
She looks up at you with a satisfied gleam in her eye. "The humans call me the living blizzard," she says. "I like it. The other nine-tails do not have that title."
You hear the clack of Rockfur's nails approaching.
"Are you hurt?" he asks Mother.
She huffs. What a silly question. Nothing could hurt her.
"They were angry at Openliver about how I beat my prey. That is why I let you hunt. I only had three or four paws worth of fur singed."
She doesn't ask Rockfur if he was hurt. He wasn't from what little you paid attention to. And he seems fine now. It wouldn't be worth asking. And nine-tails don't ask meaningless questions. They're too smart.
Mother isn't allowed inside Openliver's room anymore. Neither is Eggshell. You curl up in your bed with a huff and glare at Rockfur. Why is he still allowed out? He attacked Mother when she fought Eggshell. Betrayal should be punished more than avenging a slight from an eevee.
Someone knocks on the door and Openliver's mate opens it up. Poisonhair walks in with her horrible cold eevee alongside her. "Hey," she says. "Glacons wanted to talk to your lycanroc. I don't expect problems, but." She glances at the hole Kalani made in the wall. "I get it if you'd rather not."
"Come in. Basalt's better behaved than Kalani." She pauses. "And I'm so sorry about what happened the other day. She's been getting more unruly lately, but I didn't think she'd stoop to that."
"More unruly? Eggshell calmed down when she had her kits."
"I'm afraid so." Openliver's mate glances at you before quickly and deliberately looking away. "She's cursed multiple people in the last few months. Including Hala and Selene. Selene. She's lucky Nebby didn't kill her."
She did curse the bird's human, then. Good. He deserved it. And… Mother says she could fight The Moon. You told on her. If she died because of it, would that have been your fault? Maybe you did deserve to get sent under the house because of that. Even if they already knew before you told them. Even if you had to choose between her and a goddess.
"Was that around her getting the vulpix?"
"Around the time she stole a vulpix, yes."
She didn't! You made a choice. Why are they talking about her like this. Like you aren't here. Like you won't just tell Mother what they said.
"Oh?"
Openliver's mate sighs. "A trainer came by the lab with a vulpix. Kalani attacked her, cursed her, kidnapped the vulpix, and refused to let her go. The trainer was nice enough about the whole thing. Actually, um." This time she looks at you and holds her gaze. She sucks in some air and speaks to you in the high pitch voice humans use towards pokémon. "We might need to visit her when we get back to Alola, if you're okay with that. Some things happened and I think it would do her good to see you for a bit. I'll give you more details later."
Things happened? What things? Why does she want to see you again? Is she going to try and steal you? Is this when Kalani is going to curse her for real? Why can't she just tell you what happened?
"Actually, can we talk about this in your room, Sina? Give the pokémon some space?"
"If you're sure they can be trusted…"
You can be trusted. You won't give the eevee anything worse than what it deserves.
Openliver's mate puts a white pokéball down on the floor. "Basalt, feel free to withdraw Pixie is she misbehaves."
Rude!
You need his ball to watch him. Not the other way around.
You see why Mother has never bothered to name this human, despite seeing her almost every day.
The humans leave and the eevee settles down in a heap like he owns the place.
"I'm sorry for Kalani," Rockfur says.
"And I for Eggshell."
They both glance at the still-frozen-over hole in the wall from when Mother tried to kill the eevee and his tainted kits.
The eevee looks over to you. "I don't understand you. As a species. You're beautiful, strong, and powerful. It's obvious to anyone who meets you. But you're rarely kind. Not to others. Not to yourselves."
How dare an eevee criticize you?
"We are very kind to those who deserve it." You run cold air through your fur to puff it up. "The kindest, even."
"Didn't Kalani kick you out of the house for a week?" Rockfur asks.
You huff. It happened one time and was probably a mistake. Had to have been a mistake. On your end or hers. You'll be better now and it won't happen ever again.
Rockfur doesn't break eye contact. It's rude. Like he's challenging you. Like he thinks he's better than you. He's not.
"What does she love about you?"
"I'm the best. Behind her. Obviously."
His eyes don't move away. You raise your tails in challenge but he ignores it. "She didn't bother getting to know you before claiming you as her own. Who you are didn't matter. Just what you are to her. Is that kind?"
You growl, steady and low. The eevee takes a step towards your ball and you snap at her before lunging and sitting on top of it. There. Now no one can withdraw you.
"And why do you need to prove yourself to others?" the eevee asks. "If you're so much better than them can't you just let them see it over time? It's almost like you're afraid they are better."
The air temperature plummets until the moisture around you falls in a thin layer of snow. They've gone too far. Way too far.
"Sometimes people make mistakes. We must correct them."
Hummy made a mistake when she didn't see how great you are. And Rocktosser. And Lightfur. And Lowgrowl.
And Avalanche.
They were all wrong.
You're worth more than your siblings.
More than nothing.
You are.
You are!
It was all just a mistake.
You have a new mother. She wouldn't have chosen you if you were worth less than your siblings. Worth less than nothing.
She loves you. Whatever Rockfur says. She has to.
She has to.
She's too perfect to make the same mistake as everyone else.
No one will ever leave you behind again.
"You have the empty look," the eevee says. "The one Eggshell gets after she's been angry."
You grunt something meaningless. The eevee doesn't know anything about you. Or his mate. Or any nine-tails or vulpix. You're far, far beyond him.
"She usually wants cuddled when she's like this. Do you?"
You screech and flair your tails. "Don't touch me!"
(Even if it would be really nice to be wrapped up in Kalani's tails right now, the eevee is very ugly and you don't want him giving his ugliness to you.)
The door opens and the humans step in.
"Pixie!" Openliver's mate reprimands. "Get off your ball!"
You huff and reluctantly step off of it. Not because she's making you. It was just uncomfortable lying on top of it. That's why.
Mother shakes herself off and looks around the grass. You hate that she's only let out long enough to eat and mark her territory. Beneath her dignity. The humans have no right to treat a nine-tails like that.
She turns around and faces you. "Are you hurt?" Mother leans in and sniffs. Then she growls. "You smell like the eevee."
"I'm not hurt. It just talked to me with Rockfur."
Mother tenses. "He should not have let it speak."
No. He shouldn't have. Shouldn't have agreed with it, either.
"What did it say to make you so upset?"
It's wrong to say it. Because it's not true. And saying it almost makes it sound like you agree with it. But not saying it would make her think you have something to hide. So you should.
"They said you didn't love me. You just wanted a child."
Her eyes narrow and her tails rise above the ground. "Rockfur said it, too?"
"Yes."
The air chills and the wind picks up.
"I will have to punish him. He does not interfere with my child."
Your heart swells. She does love you!
"What do you love about me?"
She growls and turns on you. "Don't tell me you believe them."
"No!" You don't! "I just want to know what you love about me."
Her eyes narrow and she stalks over. Her tails stay still above the ground. Like she's hunting prey. You can't help but back up.
"It sounds like you believe an eevee over your mother."
"I don't!" You would never. You just want to know what she loves about you. Why she'll never leave you.
She holds her gaze for a long time. Her lips are pulled the slightest bit back, exposing the sharp tips of her teeth.
"Good," she says, before turning around and walking away.
You relax so quickly that you lose your balance and fall into a heap.
She loves you. She says she loves you.
But she never answered your question.
Rockfur has stayed far away from you and Mother ever since you got back. He's still scared of being trapped in a block of ice while ghostly flames burn his soul. As he should be. Mother is strong. So, so strong. You can't get the memory of her stalking you out of her head. Because… because she's that strong! And she'd never really hurt you. That was just. An act. That's what it was. Joking. She learned that from the humans.
Openliver sits you down two days after you returned.
"We need to talk about Cuicatl," he says.
Mother hisses. "No, we don't." She doesn't want to leave you alone after the eevee. She's here to make sure no one attacks you when she isn't looking.
Gillwailer starts translating but Openliver starts talking over her. Like he doesn't even care what Kalani said. "She got hurt recently. I don't know how hurt yet, but it sounds like it could've been pretty bad. Do you want to see her? I think she'd appreciate it."
"She didn't visit you when you were hurt."
Gillwailer babbles and Openliver shakes his head.
"She offered to visit if you wanted. Just wasn't sure if you would."
What? You thought that was a cruel joke. She wouldn't want to see you after you… failed. She really did? The tips of your tails perk up involuntarily.
"No." Mother growls. "Firstborn is mine now. She will not go back."
"I don't think that's your choice to make."
"It is my choice. She is mine."
Openliver sighs and rubs his forehead. "Pixie?"
You do not dare betray your mother. Not again. Not after last time.
Even if you want to make sure that Skysong meant what she said. That… that someone didn't leave you.
Mother takes you out to practice at night.
"Light beams are strong," she says. "But I can teach you to be stronger. The trick to making a pure beam of cold is to narrow it down. Use the same power in less space."
You can do that! You take a deep breath and hold it, feeling cold and light swirl in your throat. Then you blow it out to make—a light beam that seems even wider than before.
Kalani snarls. "Again."
Make it smaller. How do you make it smaller? She doesn't look like she wants to explain. And if she did want to explain she would have done it. Maybe. If taking a deep breath made it too big? You take a shallow breath and spit it out. A flurry of slightly glowing snowflakes streams into the air. It looks like a much bigger version of what the humans call a 'powder snow.'
"Not cold enough. More powerful."
Shallow and powerful? Okay… You take a few deep breaths to steady yourself before taking a shallow one and spitting it right out with a mouthful of energy. A single shot of clumped ice forms in the air before breaking apart immediately.
"Longer."
You can try? You take a shallow breath, charge it with energy, and spit it out. And keep blowing. And blowing. There's no air left but you keep your mouth open and try to blow. The ball of ice had a trail behind it this time but now it has all but run dry. You finally take a greedy breath and collapse on to the ground to recover.
"Stronger."
What? But…
Okay.
You take a shallow breath and launch it out as hard as you can. And keep going. And going. The initial ice ball was bigger and the trail is longer. Progress! This time it takes you far longer to catch your breath when you collapse. Progress?
"More breath."
"It just did the light beam when I had more breath," you protest between gasps for air.
The air freezes and a bolt of ice wider than you are sails past you before shattering apart in midflight.
"I am the one who knows how to fight. You are hear to listen."
You try again with more air. It's just the same as the first try.
When morning comes you can barely stand and you've only made a thin beam.
"Barely passable. For a three-tails," Mother says.
Mother has to have a 'health check' in the morning. You're barely awake and Openliver insists that you get some sleep rather than going along. As Openliver's mate takes Kalani's ball to the healing place, he springs his trap.
"I guess I should explain what happened to Cuicatl."
Your ears perk up despite everything. You had been wondering ever since his mate told you just enough to worry but not enough to know what to worry about.
"She, uh, well you know Genesis, right? Her old traveling partner."
"Growlsleeper."
Gillwailer translates.
"Uh, yeah. Her. Anyway. She got attacked by her parents when they wanted to change her mind into someone else. Cuicatl stepped in but got hurt. She's said that you can visit her. Now or whenever you want in the future. I just wanted to give you the option away from Kalani. I know that she's…" He trails off and scratches the back of his head. "She usually isn't this bad. Don't know what happened. If I'd known she'd be like this I would have just sent you on your way at the start."
He tried that. Mother returned for you. "She isn't bad." And if she was it wouldn't be his place to judge her.
"You can barely stand right now."
"She isn't bad." She's your mother. This is just… just part of being as strong as her.
"We can talk about that later. Do you want to visit Cuicatl? And Kalani doesn't have to know. I can just tell her that I took you even though you fought me the whole way."
You shouldn't defy her. She'll find out. She'll be angry with you. And you don't want her to be angry at you. You have to slowly, hesitantly shake your head from side to side.
"I understand."
He withdraws you.
There's something different on the wind. Something familiar. You turn around in place and see the mountain looming in the distance. It seems closer now than it did on the beach with Skysong. Why did he take you here? You aren't strong enough to go back yet. Not strong enough to show everyone they made a mistake. Another sniff of the air gives you the reason.
Skysong is nearby. With her human friends. And Eggbreath. And Eyerock. You narrow your eyes. You will show both of them who is the strongest. That she—well, Skysong didn't leave you. But you need to show that you're better than them because.
Um.
You don't need her to take you back. She didn't decide either of them were stronger than you. There might not even be a reason they have to know you're stronger than them.
This is strange.
You aren't sure how to deal with former servants who didn't abandon you.
Kalani is going to be mad when she finds out you're here. But you didn't want to go. You asked not to. You didn't betray her. And Openliver might not take you back until you talk to Skysong. Really, this just gets you home faster. She should like that.
You turn towards Openliver and see a building rising off the beach behind him. Bigger than his home. It smells like other pokémon. Strong pokémon are nearby. It's just a feeling you get. The fur on the back of your neck rising up. The instinct to run or hide or get ready for the fight of your life.
Openliver walks towards the door and you trot after him. A strange woman with bright hair answers. Is she related to Growlsleeper? No. They don't smell like they would be related. There's a strange dog on two legs behind her. He smells like metal.
"Glad to see you, Rory."
Rory? Is Openliver 'Rory?' Or is that you? She may have heard how good your roars are.
The woman turns towards you. "Ah. Well met, Pixie. Cuicatl is upstairs."
Your name is Firstborn of Kalani now. You protest but she doesn't seem to understand. Then the dog nods its head and the woman blinks.
"Oh. I will use that in the future, then."
Very respectful. If only all humans were like that.
The humans start talking so you follow Skysong's scent trail through the home. You can feel the dog's attention on you the whole way. There's also a ghost nearby. The strongest ghost you've ever felt. You do your best to ignore it. Hopefully it ignores you, too.
Once you hear her breath (and Growlsleeper's) behind a door you scream a little. Just so she knows you're there. The door swings open but no one is behind it. Deeper in the room Skysong has her front paws up on a platform while Growlsleeper puts a bad-smelling liquid on them.
"Hi, Pixie," Skysong says in a quieter voice than usual
The door swings shut and Eyerock floats out from behind it. There's also a weird bird-mammal-thing with a vaguely human build sitting on the floor. It keeps an eye on you but doesn't move.
"Firstborn of Kalani," you announce. "New name."
"And your—Kalani gave you that?"
"Yes."
She nods as Growlsleeper blows air (?) onto Skysong's paws.
"Good. Pixie, it was very you, but being named by your own kind must mean a lot, right?"
Yes. And it is a sign that she loves you. Loves you enough to make you her own.
"All done with the color," Growlsleeper declares. "But maybe don't pet Pixie? Or at least wash it off with acetone if you do. I can find a bottle. We can always redo it later."
"Thank you."
"No pr—" She locks up entirely for a moment before moving again just as suddenly. "—oblem. I'll give you some privacy?"
"I would like that."
Growlsleeper flashes her teeth before walking out. The duck… thing follows her along with her stupid cloud you hadn't even noticed and… Eyerock?
"Did Eyerock abandon you?"
"No. She's just helping out Gen." She opens her mouth and closes it twice again before she finally speaks. "I'd pet you, if you wanted, but," she flashes her paw. Her claws are colored white now. And they stink.
"I don't want that on me."
"I thought so." She lowers her paw back down. "Are you okay? Dr. Kukui told me you had healed but I was so worried."
A phantom ache runs through your abdomen. It's fine. It doesn't bleed. You can even move it fully. "It hurt. I healed."
"Good, I. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to do the last two trials. It was wrong but I didn't want to let you go. You didn't need to prove yourself. You're soft, willful, and clever. Clever enough to help beat that big water totem with one trick. Then you helped me when I was hurting and. You're good enough. Anyone should have seen that. You didn't need to do that and I. I messed up. And you got hurt. I'm sorry."
By the end it was coming out in a barely understandable rush of words. Without her mind powers you probably wouldn't have caught it all.
"You didn't hurt me."
"I put you in a place where you got hurt. I…"
"Didn't do anything."
She looks away from you. "It's not that simple."
"Like your brother?"
Skysong flinches like you dug into her with your claws. Always the brother. She's sometimes smart, for a human, and then he comes up and she starts thinking like a one-tail.
"Yes. Like him."
"You didn't kill him."
"I-I think I know that. I just don't want to say it."
You flick a tail. Humans. Never making sense.
"Because…" She takes a deep breath, opens her mouth, closes her mouth. And shakes her head. "Fine. I didn't kill him. Happy?"
It's a good start. She should really listen to you more. It would help her not believe stupid things.
"They said you were hurt. I do not smell blood."
"You wouldn't. I just hurt my brain. Big headache. Nothing else. Don't worry."
Sometimes she denies she is hurt, even when she is bleeding. Or denies she is hungry when her stomach is roaring. You should make sure. "The humans were worried."
"A really big headache," she admits. "I'm better now. Just slept for a few days. Now I just take some pills and don't even notice it that much."
That sounds like how you felt when Kalani finally got to take you home. Just a body ache instead of a headache.
You were not healed. She is not, either.
"Are you resting enough? That's how humans heal."
You heard one of their healers tell her that once. It makes sense; the sprays and machines that make it faster for you won't work for her. There must be some way for them to heal.
"I am resting. I just stay here or go to walk with Coco and Leo on the beach."
"Leo?" Your replacement. You've been replaced. She… didn't kick you off for him, but you still don't like the idea.
"A giant bug. I got him when he was a little bug and afraid of everything. Now he's bigger. Still afraid of everything."
He should be. Bugs are easy to kill.
Something headbutts the door. And does it again. Eggbreath growls from the other side. Skysong gets up and delicately opens the door without letting her claws touch it. The bird rushes in, sees you, and promptly tackles you to the ground. You scream and start chilling the winds as she bites. Hard. Well, hard enough to hurt. Not hard enough to bleed much. And then her teeth get hot. You'd forgotten she could do that. You take as deep a breath as you can with her jaws clamped down and scream alongside the ice. A blast of cold shoots out of your mouth and down her side causing her to drop you in shock. Was that—did you do an ice beam?
"Coco! Bad. Stop!"
There are bite marks running down your side and—even worse—some of your fur is burnt. But you did it! Mother will be so proud.
"She left you and made you sad!" Eggbreath whines. "Hurt you. I'll hurt her."
"No, she didn't." Skysong's voice is hard. Unyielding as a glacier. Angry. You haven't seen her like this very often. "I was failing her and she did something about it. That's all that happened. My fault, not hers."
You were the one who could not defeat the bird. Who left her behind without really thinking about it. Is that how… No. You had good reasons. The others had bad ones. And she says you did nothing wrong so you didn't.
The bird smacks her tail on to the ground. She's gotten very big. Bigger than you. Almost so her head is bigger than your torso. You don't like it at all. "She could have had two mothers! Like me."
"She didn't want that. Her choice. And if you ever want to live with Earthshaker I'll let you go without a fight."
Two mothers? What happened while you were gone?
{It's a long story. Tell you later.} Skysong turns her gaze back to you. "I'm so sorry about this. Are you hurt?"
"A little."
She growls. It's very strange from a human. "Dr. Karashina's Lucario knows heal pulse. He can probably fix you if it isn't too bad. And I'm sorry."
She keeps apologizing for this. For the bird. And yet. "You didn't hurt me."
"I should have known better."
Just when you thought she'd given up blaming herself for stuff other people did…
"Like your brother."
Skysong tenses up again.
"Brother? More family?" Eggbreath asks. Her anger seems to have already turned to excitement.
"He's dead."
Both of them sit still and silent. You're glad you don't have to stay and see all of this play out. Still. Maybe you did this? Maybe you should try to make up for it. You walk over to Skysong and graciously wrap your tails around her leg.
"Is his killer dead?" Eggbreath asks.
You half-expect Skysong to say 'no' because even if she tells you something is a lie she might keep believing it herself. Humans are like that.
"No one killed him," she finally says. "It was an accident."
The door slowly swings open and the metal dog walks in.
{I heard I was needed.}
"You've been listening, then?" Your former trainer sounds so tired. Like she'd stayed up all night practicing ice beams.
{I have good ears.}
The dog's fists glow and a soothing breeze washes over you. The wounds on your side sting for a breath's time and then disappear.
"Can you not tell Dr. Karashina? It's… I don't like talking about it."
The dog leaves without promising anything. Or closing the door.
"Shit."
"Should I go?" Eggbreath asks quietly. Weird. She never asks anything quietly?
"I love you. And we will talk about this. Just…"
"Not now?"
"If that's okay."
The bird turns around and walks out the door. Without shutting it.
Fine. It falls to you. Even if you can't reach the handle so you have to shove it shut. Someday you will be able to open locked doors with your mind like Mother can. When you get back to Skysong you jump into her lap without really thinking about it. She smiles. Toothlessly. The good smile. She curls her claws upward and reaches down with the flat part of her paw to stroke your back.
"Would you have come when I was hurt if I asked?"
You've gotten good at reading her scents and breaths and heartbeats. You'd think you'd know if she was outright lying. Distorting the truth like light through ice… she does that a lot. It's harder to spot. Sometimes you don't think she knows she's doing it.
"I would have. And if you ever want me to come in the future I will as soon as I can."
She sounds certain of that. She did want to see you, then. Even after you lost. That's…
She was able to name a few things she liked about you earlier. Answered a question you didn't ask.
"Do you want to see me again? I'm not trying to take you back. I just like seeing you. But if you ever did want to come back, I would make room for you. No matter how full the team is. Promise."
"I'm not coming back." She doesn't even deflate. Strange. Does she not want you back after all?
"I'm glad you're happy where you are."
It doesn't even sound like she's lying. How strange.
"I would like to see you again," you decide. Even if Openliver will have to steal you away in your ball.
"Once a moon? More? Less?"
"Once a moon is a good time."
She moves a paw to press back your ears and kneed your head. You purr despite the weird scent floating near your nose. You've never met someone after they abandoned you. Or you abandoned them. It's a new feeling.
One you would like to feel again.
Openliver lets you ride beside him in the car with the windows down. Winds carry smells past your nose at high speeds. It's still too hot outside but the wind reminds you of The Mountain. You can't wait to tell Mother that you did an ice beam. You can already imagine her sweeping you up in her tails and licking your fur down. Her cold will blast into you from all directions and you will feel so much love.
Rockfur is waiting outside the door.
"There's a problem," he barks to Openliver. He doesn't have Gillwailer out. Doesn't understand. Just pets his head, opens the door, and walks inside.
Kalani is there on her mat. On your bed. And there's another heartbeat inside of her tails. When she sees you she flashes her teeth for an instant before unraveling her tails. There's another vulpix there. A female four-tails.
"Firstborn, meet Secondborn. She isn't going to see humans while I'm not looking."