The group had fully regathered within the hour. Astrid had returned from her hunting with some meat, and Renard had collected a small pile of fish, the two of them working in tandem to divide the portions for each of the territory's "guests". Shadow and Leaf had taken the longest to return from their visit to the small forest on opposite side of the territory. Both seemed to be content and relaxed, more so than usual if that was possible.
As for Frost, his nap had been just long enough to re-energize him, but in exchange, hunger was gnawing at his stomach instead. For that reason, he chose to withhold questions or commentary until he had eaten.
"Just don't go nuts now," Astrid reminded them, as she and Renard passed food over to them. "This is more of a light meal, not a feast, okay?"
This comment caused Leaf to hesitate, and he glanced around uncomfortably, as if silently judging whether someone was in greater need of his portion than he was. Shadow was quick to notice the sudden reluctance, and he whispered what must have been a reassurance, because the Leafeon began eating soon afterwards, his leaf-like tail flicking.
Very little conversation was held as they ate. Frost was grateful for this, because it gave him the chance to further observe Renard and Astrid, without the distraction of conversation. One little detail he noted was that while he personally preferred fish to the meat option, Shadow was the opposite, as he was eating some of the meat with noticeable enthusiasm, akin to that of a more predatory species. This was only noteworthy because in the time that Frost had known Shadow, he had never indicated a preference for meat, and had always been content with fruit and the occasional fish.
Astrid was displaying a likewise preference for meat, which might have explained why she was the one tasked with obtaining some. There was a slightly uncomfortable disconnect between the idea of Shadow and Leaf's parents perishing in this area, and Astrid outright hunting for food and bringing it to said area, but maybe Frost was thinking too deeply into the matter. Neither Leaf nor Shadow seemed to be bothered by the implications of hunting prey and the recent loss of family members, but admittedly, the circumstances were very different.
In between bites, Frost allowed his gaze to wander, keeping his focus casual, even as he turned his attention towards Renard. He hadn't had much time to study the multi-tailed fox, and he was disappointed to find that Renard's demeanor was exceptionally difficult to read. The majority of his body was loose and casual, his tails fluttering as if fanned by a passing breeze, and he often expressed little emotions with his face, such as a fond or gentle smile, a stern frown, or a curious tilt of his head. His eyes were the exact opposite. They gleamed with an almost unnerving red tint, yet they did not follow the pattern of the rest of his face or demeanor. They were mesmerizing, yet unfeeling, offering a sense of numbness that Frost had never seen with other Pokemon. If eyes were said to be the window to the soul, then Renard kept the shades drawn over his windows.
Age and battle experience were nearly impossible to determine. Renard had labeled himself as being over two hundred years old, and that definitely did not show. If Frost were to guess, Renard was still easily within the prime of his life, with no indication of depreciating in the near future. And two hundred years or more was a ridiculous amount of time that could have been spent improving his battle capabilities. Renard's body appeared strong, yet sleek.
He was probably a lot more mobile than the bulk of his tails made him seem, and the vaguely solemn manner he carried himself with gave Frost the impression that the Ninetales was not to be taken lightly. It was a demeanor typical of an alpha figure. An individual so strong, both physically and mentally, that there was no need to showboat or brag. Effortlessly capable of seizing the respect of others, and dissuading conflict simply by their involvement.
The fact that Frost felt awkward in his presence further indicated this trait. The Glaceon felt foolish with his usual mannerisms, similar to how he felt around Blizzard. Neither Renard nor Blizzard seemed to need to play up their strength, authority, or intellect in order for it to be recognized by others. Even Lin carried herself in a way so that there was never any question that she surpassed Frost in all those areas.
What did they have that Frost lacked? Why did he feel so inadequate when compared to them?
Now that Frost had spent the better part of the day in Astrid's presence, the contrast between her and Renard was particularly obvious. The Absol carried herself with that peculiarly nonchalant attitude bordering on playfulness, and although Frost had yet to witness her battle skill directly, he considered it credible that she was very capable. Predators typically were.
Then again...the conversation they had in the wake of leaving Eterna Forest had all but confirmed that Astrid had been trainer-owned at some point. She hadn't explicitly said so, but she had mentioned that Thresher had been 'caught' as a Scyther, and unless that had meant something completely different from its usual implications, then her inclusion on a team with him indicated a human trainer's involvement.
Renard cleared his throat, and Frost swiftly refocused on the present. Almost all the food had been eaten by now, and what little remained was being polished off before his eyes. The Ninetales waited until all eyes had turned to him, even briefly, before speaking.
"As agreed, I will address your questions now that our lunch has concluded," the golden fox stated, his red eyes passing over each of them in turn. "As I had been saying before, I am familiar with Diablos, or at least his name, but it has been almost two centuries, if not longer, since he last surfaced. That is to the best of my knowledge, anyway."
Shadow gave a slow nod in response, sitting up and considering Renard seriously. "I was told he was unsealed recently. I don't know how he got sealed in the first place, or for how long."
The Ninetales offered a thoughtful frown, mulling this over for a few seconds in silence. "That is an interesting detail to note, but I can only theorize on that front. In any event, I suspect we each know information the other is unaware of and much of it may not even be important. Are there any specific questions or concerns you would like addressed? I cannot guarantee that I know the answers, but it seems like a better starting point than me droning on about my life story."
Frost's ears perked up at this suggestion. Renard probably had a very good point - there was no guarantee that Renard's information or familiarity with Diablos would prove fruitful for their purposes, so listening to a prolonged explanation without a specific direction might be little more than a waste of time. There were several questions whirling around in his mind when it came to this enemy, and although he had only learned of Diablos' existence from Shadow earlier that morning, he had already taken a great interest in learning about this potentially persistent foe.
However, it was only fair for Shadow's questions to take priority, and Frost exchanged a meaningful look with the Espeon, silently giving him the 'go ahead' to ask whatever concern was weighing most heavily on his mind. Shadow flashed Frost a grateful smile and then took a moment to gather his thoughts.
Not that any of this really mattered. Frost already had a hunch on what Shadow might ask about, and conveniently enough, it was the same matter that Frost was most intrigued by. After witnessing Leaf's battle against the possessed Riolu, and hearing bits of Diablos' enigmatic words, he was more fascinated than ever as to what the concept of 'inner darkness' could possibly entail. Was it truly a means to get stronger? Or was it actually something detrimental to one's growth? Furthermore, Renard had recognized the phrase as a clue that Diablos was a familiar entity, so he almost certainly knew something about the concept as a whole.
"Every time I've faced Diablos, he's mentioned something about darkness," Shadow said, and Frost smirked privately, delighted that his prediction had been spot-on. The Espeon frowned, his forked tail flicking slowly. "I don't know what that really means, or what he wants from me."
From the corner of his eye, Frost saw Astrid cast a troubled look in Renard's direction, but when he shifted his gaze to look towards her directly, the expression had vanished. All eyes soon settled on the multi-tailed fox as he silently gazed at Shadow, each of his tails fluttering behind his body.
"So you want me to elaborate on the concept of darkness?" Renard wondered. Shadow nodded seriously. The Ninetales frowned to himself, practically sighing before settling into a more comfortable sitting position. "All right. However, I want you to understand that my knowledge of the subject is likely to be imperfect."
Leaf looked confused, prompting Frost to sidle closer and whisper from the corner of his mouth, "That means not perfect."
Leaf muttered something that sounded suspiciously like a complaint that Renard hadn't simply said what he meant, and Frost rolled his eyes without comment, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
Renard smiled gently at Leaf, which may have gone unnoticed by the grass Eon, and took a deep breath, his red eyes again passing over each of the other Pokemon in turn, although his attention lingered the longest on Shadow.
"The concept of darkness is one that has always existed, but due to its rather abstract nature and variation, it is not always recognized as such," Renard stated solemnly. Leaf growled under his breath, and Frost reached over to rub one of his ears, startling the Leafeon, but the touch soon eased some of the tension from his body.
"You don't have to pay attention if you're getting frustrated," Frost murmured from the corner of his mouth, so that only Leaf could hear him, while keeping his eyes on Renard to indicate that he was still paying attention. "I can translate the information for you later."
Renard glanced in Leaf's direction again, his expression becoming mildly apologetic, but he evidently considered it better manners to continue on, rather than interrupt himself to openly acknowledge the Leafeon's irritation.
"At its core, inner darkness is the aspect of a person that drives their deepest ambitions. It reflects the nature that resides in the deepest recesses of your heart and soul," Renard said, his gaze roaming to each of them as he spoke. "Every person is different, and because of this variety, it is difficult to label consistent qualities within darkness."
There was a brief pause as the Ninetales observed them, as if confirming that they all fully understand the current extent of his explanation. Shadow was frowning slightly, but he made no attempt to interrupt or object, so Renard bowed his head and continued.
"Despite its name and connotations, darkness is neither inherently destructive, nor malevolent," Renard stated softly. "It is a drive that has evolved within a person's heart to drive them onwards in the face of adversity. In times of great need, darkness provides the power and motivation to overcome and endure situations that might otherwise threaten their lives or their values. However, it is crucial to know that it carries great risk to those who may utilize this newfound power haphazardly."
"Risk?" Frost blurted, his dark eyes widening with a mixture of surprise and fascination. They were already touching upon one facet of the subject that the Glaceon was most interested in discovering. If there really was a method of gaining strength and willpower in times of struggle, then that could be part of what Lin had been referring to in the wake of their battle.
Renard nodded solemnly, his expression deadly serious. "All forms of power contain a risk. Darkness was evolved from a need to overcome the most desperate of struggles, and its power represents a willingness to go beyond your usual limitations, but at a cost. It may require you to embrace the aspect of yourself you find most despicable. That is one common detail found within many examples of darkness - those who know of their darkness fear and loathe this aspect of themselves, but they find their hesitation fades away when no other options exist."
Shadow's eyes widened, an expression that Frost might not have noticed if Leaf hadn't done a double-take so severe that his ear smacked against one of Frost's head dangles. The Glaceon winced and tenderly stroked the hanging flap. Despite appearing to be a completely superfluous flap of fur framing each side of a Glaceon's face, the fact of the matter was the dangling flaps were extremely sensitive, designed to detect vibrations in deep snow. Such a trait was useful for hunting, but also for navigation in severe weather, among other uses. Not as useful outside of a snowy habitat, but that didn't change the fact that rough contact was unappreciated.
"So a person's darkness gives strength and willpower to act?" Shadow wondered. "How does that work, exactly? If everyone has this ability, then how is it special?"
Renard took a longer time to reply, his red eyes unfocused, as if he was viewing something beyond the range of the audience before him.
The Ninetales eventually sighed softly, and for a moment he seemed a little tired. "The substance and strength of a person's inner darkness varies drastically. Everyone has darkness within their hearts, but all darkness is not equal. There are so many factors that make up an individual's personality that the majority, human and Pokemon alike, are not consciously aware of their darkness, and many live long and peaceful lives, never needing to draw upon the power that sleeps within their hearts. Those who are aware of their darkness view it as a stain they wish they could wash away, but is eternal. Darkness shapes you into the person you are, but only because you instinctively resist it, and want no one else to know it even exists."
"Why?" Shadow pressed, his eyes wide with curiosity. "If darkness is beneficial, and meant to help you survive threatening situations, why would you instinctively resist it? If it drives your goals and ambitions, why is it seen as a BAD thing?"
Renard began to reply, but then paused, his frown deepening.
"Power can be abused, and one's desires twisted," Renard stated finally, and as he spoke, each word seemed heavier than the last, as if they were being dragged up from the deepest ravine.
Shadow blinked, and Frost glanced around, noting that the shift in the Ninetales' tone had not gone unnoticed by any of the others. No one dared speak, as if the weight of the words kept them in a state of silent paralysis.
The Ninetales focused his gaze intently upon Shadow. "To use such power in a time of need, when stakes are high, is acceptable. But what you may be driven to do in such dire circumstances is where the danger lies. To save your own life, or the lives of others, what is your true limit? Darkness gives you the power to surpass these limits, but by what means this power is awakened within you can be taxing to your very soul."
Shadow fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable beneath the intensity of Renard's gaze.
"Do not forget what I warned you about last time, Shadow," Renard said, speaking more softly, yet it was easy to hear every word, for no one else dared to make a sound. "Anger and sorrow are natural emotions in the wake of loss, but you'd be surprised by how quickly they can consume you, and turn your passion to a destructive agenda, under the guise of justice. Darkness can be the same way."
The Ninetales looked around at each of them, nodding solemnly.
"To use such power may be necessary in certain situations. However, by unsealing the power you once viewed as forbidden, you open yourself to the possibility that someday, you may need that power again. Then, the next time you face a threat, you may be quicker to turn to that power kept in reserve, without exhausting all your other options like you may have the first time. Every subsequent use makes you more comfortable with it, and you eventually forget or abandon your original intentions, for they become meaningless. This is how darkness can corrupt its user. The tiny stain on the painting, that once gave character and charm, spreads until so much has been contaminated that few will consider it salvageable."
"I have a question," Leaf interjected abruptly. Practically as one, all eyes turned to the Leafeon. "Okay, that was kind of cool," Leaf noted, his tail flicking briefly, but he continued on without missing a beat. "How does that help?"
"I beg your pardon?" Renard wondered politely.
Leaf gestured impatiently. "How does any of this HELP Diablos?" he asked, his soft eyes narrowed in poorly concealed annoyance. "He keeps attacking Shadow because of darkness this, darkness that, and makes fun of Shadow and me for not having enough of it or something dumb. But if we did, wouldn't that make us stronger, and hurt him more? How does this help him?"
Frost stared at Leaf in disbelief. It wasn't just because Leaf had communicated his point clearly and more seriously than he normally acted, but more importantly, the young Leafeon had a legitimately good point, one that Frost had completely overlooked up to now. Even with Shadow's vague comment this morning about Diablos wanting to 'nourish' inner darkness, combined with the comments Diablos had made during his fight against Leaf, it had never dawned on the Glaceon that the mysterious Spiritomb's goal was peculiarly counterproductive. None of them had understood what darkness was at the time, but now...it really did seem bizarre.
Shadow was regarding Leaf with a similar expression of stunned surprise, and Astrid was raising an eyebrow incredulously. It was Renard's reaction that really floored Frost, though. The Ninetales' body had tensed, almost identically to how he had reacted when Diablos' name was first spoken in his presence.
Renard remained silent for what felt like an agonizingly long time.
"Do any of you know the history behind a Spiritomb's existence?" Renard asked quietly. Everyone shook their heads, practically in unison. Renard sighed softly. "I thought not. Much of the information was lost over time."
"Is that important?" Shadow wondered, his tail twitching.
"Possibly," Renard noted. "You've said Diablos is a Spiritomb, correct?"
Shadow nodded slowly. "That's what I've been told, but I've only ever seen him when he's been possessing Force."
Renard frowned thoughtfully. "That's much the same as my own experience with him. I've only ever seen him in one form, and never as a Spiritomb. However, if he is a Spiritomb, it explains a great deal."
This statement was met by a chorus of blank looks, and the Ninetales sighed softly.
"My mother taught me a great respect for Sinnoh's history. She felt it unlikely that the humans would be able to preserve the ancient relics, or recall the languages that documented and labeled many of the historical sites scattered across the globe. To ensure that this information would not be permanently lost to the flow of time, she made a point to teach me what is considered by modern civilization to be a dead tongue."
"Eww," Leaf said, wrinkling his nose.
"That means a language no one uses or learns anymore," Frost said, rolling his eyes. Renard seemed slightly amused by this response, but didn't let it distract him from his point.
"When Diablos approached me originally, he wished to know my knowledge of history, despite my young age. I did not personally know the history he desired to know, but I could read the runes and replicate them."
"Not sure where you're going with this or whatever," Astrid said brightly. Frost and Shadow nodded in mutual agreement, whereas Leaf just looked blank.
Renard chuckled quietly, inexplicably amused by Astrid's tone. His expression sobered soon after, and his nine tails fanned out behind him.
"That is why I questioned if you were familiar with the lore. Much of the information has been lost, and the surviving murals that depicted the process required the knowledge of some very particular runic symbols," Renard explained.
There was an uneasy silence following this statement, and Astrid's green eyes widened slightly, her expression becoming alarmed. Frost and Shadow exchanged uncertain glances, but said nothing, unwilling to interrupt the Ninetales.
"According to the historical lore, a Spiritomb is a collection of malevolent souls that have been imprisoned within a special stone known as an Odd Keystone," Renard continued. "The original Keystones, home to the most malevolent souls in creation, were inscribed with a spell to keep its power sealed. As the knowledge to create a Spiritomb was lost, these spells were no longer placed on Keystones, and instead the prisons containing a Spiritomb are often fractured, so that the Spiritomb could not take form unless the pieces were united. I do not know how this discovery was made; its origin has not been recorded to my knowledge."
"Is this actually answering my question?" Leaf asked, looking a little distraught. "I asked why this helps Diablos, but I think you changed the subject..."
Renard chuckled, offering the young Leafeon a kind smile before answering, his tone gradually becoming more serious as he spoke. "Absorbing souls containing darkness would theoretically be a great increase in power for a Spiritomb, which is literally a collection of souls so filled with corruption that they were sealed away."
After a long silence, where everyone wordlessly digested the information they had been told, Shadow finally spoke up again.
"So his goal is to have our inner darkness corrupt us, so that our strength benefits him?"
To this, Renard gave a shrug. "I don't really know. Diablos was never one to share all his secrets, even during the time I knew him. And by the time his project back then was nearing completion, I broke association with him."
It seemed as though everyone simultaneously opened their mouth to question this, but Renard answered with a wordless, yet incredible intense stare. When the mesmerizing red eyes were directed towards Frost, he felt as if his tongue was being ordered to roll up to the back of his throat, effectively demolishing any attempt at forming a coherent sentence.
"That would be a story for another time, if at all," the Ninetales said solemnly, once everyone had resigned themselves to the fact that they weren't going to be allowed to delve into that aspect of the Ninetales' life. Admittedly, it was from two centuries ago, so the information was probably not immediately relevant, but it still felt awkward to have conversation cut off in such a manner.
"Wow, this is a ton to take in," Astrid noted, mercifully breaking the awkward silence that had settled over the group. The Absol sat up straighter before stretching out her forelegs, as if she had been getting up for the first time in hours, the movement drawing attention away from Renard, if only for a few moments. It was in that time that Frost finally managed to get a clear look at the small anklet around one of her forelegs, which he had initially suspected to be a training weight of some sort, although he quickly determined this to be a nonsensical suspicion, for there was no practical purpose to only wearing a single weight at a time.
"Perhaps we could adjourn this discussion, to allow you time to mentally organize the information," Renard suggested. "Afterwards, we could touch upon any further-"
"Hold up," Frost interrupted, and the Ninetales blinked at him, more surprised than annoyed at being cut off. The Glaceon's dark eyes remained fixed upon the anklet on Astrid's leg, specifically drawn to the white, semi-transparent crystal imbedded in the center of the metal loop. It matched the color of Astrid's fur so well that it was difficult to notice without a clear vantage point, even with the light blue cats-eye sigil contained in the center. Having been the one to carry the stone from the Solaceon Ruins, he was quick to recall its appearance and recognize a stone with similar markings.
"Yes?" Astrid asked sweetly, but judging by the swishing of her tail, she was well aware of what he had noticed, and she was making no attempt to hide it. With a giggle, she shifted her weight to her other leg so that she could extend that foreleg forward, offering them an even better view of the crystal.
"Is that at all related to the one Force had?" the Glaceon inquired.
"Wait, were you always carrying that around, or did you just get that?" Shadow asked, his eyes wide and bewildered. Frost rolled his eyes. Clearly, Shadow's observation skills were limited in some areas. Although Frost had been oblivious to the existence of the crystal, he at least had noticed the Absol had a bracer of some sort when they were back at the forest.
"I've had it for ages, and yeah," Astrid said, nodding to Frost and looking amused. "I was speaking from experience when I was warning him about the stone, you know."
"I wasn't there," Frost reminded her in a deadpan. The only warning he had witnessed was when the Absol had first realized Force had the stone at all, and that was before they had gotten separated. The situation had drastically changed by the time he met up with them again.
Astrid's only reply to this comment was a nonchalant shrug, and she glanced towards Renard. Recognizing that their brief exchange had already concluded, the Ninetales cleared his throat.
"In any case, did you have any plans before coming here?" he asked, giving each of them a few moments of attention, just to indicate that he was addressing all of them at once. "Unless Shadow's stance on the matter has changed, I will continue looking after this territory, and you are always welcome to come and go as you see fit. I cannot guarantee that I will always be physically present, but the area will always be secure."
"How does that actually work?" Shadow asked, frowning slightly. "I haven't seen or heard any other Pokemon come in and out of the area, but we were able to come here with no issue," he explained, gesturing to the small group as a whole.
Renard offered Shadow a gentle smile. "I said before that I have access to many abilities, honed through decades of practice. It is often said that when two people become friends, an invisible thread is drawn between them, a representation of their bond. The protective ward I have placed upon this territory operates on a similar principle."
"It operates on bonds?" Frost asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically. Renard gave a simple nod in the Glaceon's direction, his tone becoming more solemn as he continued to address Shadow.
"I regret to say such a ward did not exist prior to the incident, for Echo and your mother were overall warm, welcoming people, who disliked the notion of strangers being rejected merely for being strangers. They felt, justifiably so, that the isolated area and their own presence would be enough to preserve the place."
"Echo was always accommodating," Astrid agreed fondly. "Patient and loyal, but so fierce if you got him mad."
Renard smiled as well, his tails fluttering with a touch more life and energy than before. He shook himself to refocus upon the ebony Espeon, but the smile still lingered. "When I made the decision to oversee the territory in the hopes you or your brother may return here, the only protection I placed was to preserve the area from the elements. My presence, as well as Astrid's sporadic visits, were enough to dissuade most passerby from lingering."
"That doesn't answer how you're protecting it now," Shadow argued. Renard actually chuckled at this response, his tails fluttering again. Leaf moved closer to his brother, resting against the Espeon's side, momentarily distracting the Espeon, and receiving an affectionate lick in response.
"When we last spoke," Renard began, drawing the Espeon's attention back to him. "I placed the protective ward upon the territory, using you as the origin point, so to speak. It operates on the bonds you have forged with others, allowing access for those you trust, and redirecting those you don't."
"Uh huh," Frost said, his tone almost consumed by skepticism. "And how, pray tell, does this update its definitions of whether Shadow trusts a person or not, especially if he's not physically present?"
Renard chuckled, his red eyes glittering with amusement, one of the first real signs of emotion that they ever communicated. It was actually even more unnerving to see than the previous numbness.
"One thing you should understand is although a Ninetales is primarily a Fire-type, we are exceptionally long-lived Pokemon that can spend much of their lives continuously honing and practicing a variety of abilities," Renard said, his tail flicking behind him. "And as stereotypically vengeful beings, it should come as little surprise that many Ninetales can be rather...creative...with their usage, particularly when their arsenal includes a few Psychic, Ghost, or even Dark-type abilities."
Frost frowned. "That was an exceptionally thorough non-answer," he mused.
"Kind of gets the point across, though," Astrid remarked, her tail wagging. "I mean, he can already do crazy stuff with illusions, mental manipulation, curses, and the like. Have you ever seen some of the scary things that defend ancient ruins and stuff? It's like everything a Ninetales can do, but worse."
"Tch. Fine, let's move on," Frost grumbled. "As it so happens, I do have somewhere I need to be in the near future."
"You do?" Astrid asked, raising an eyebrow curiously. Even Shadow and Leaf cast the Glaceon a curious look, although Frost assumed it had more to do with him not sharing the details, because he had definitely mentioned his deadline at least once within the last week or so.
"Up north," Frost said, jerking his head in the direction of Mt. Coronet. Although their vantage point was presently unable to see much of the mountain, it was easily the most prominent landmark in Sinnoh, so the vagueness wasn't going to mess with comprehension.
"Yeah?" the Absol pressed, her tail swishing curiously. Frost bit back a scowl.
"I'm stopping in for a visit. It's by appointment, so I'm expected."
"Oh? Got family or friends up there?" Astrid asked.
Frost shot the disaster Pokemon an aggravated look, hoping with every fiber of his body that she would pick up on the fact that he didn't want to go into detail. He realized immediately afterwards that he was dealing with an Absol who had already indicated several times that she was lacking in the social cues and tact department.
"I was born and raised there," the Glaceon replied stiffly.
"Really? Cool, I lived up there for a while, too," Astrid replied, smiling, and her tail wagged faster than ever. "I could escort you."
Frost paused, his expression contorting until it looked like he had been sucking on a lemon. "Do you need to?" he asked, not even trying to hide how much he didn't relish the idea.
Astrid grinned playfully. "The better question to ask is whether you can stop me. I should probably pay a visit up there anyway."
"Can I come?" Leaf asked, his eyes widening hopefully. Frost flinched, reluctantly turning his gaze to the young Leafeon.
"It's...not a good idea," he told Leaf seriously. "It's terribly cold and harsh up there. You wouldn't be able to handle it. Shadow probably can't either."
"Oh..." Leaf's ears drooped, but he nodded, unhappily accepting the answer. Shadow gave the Leafeon a light nudge with his head.
"That's fine," Renard said seriously, looking over at the brothers. "You're welcome to remain here for a few days or so. I no longer battle seriously, but I can offer some training and advice in the meantime, and answer any other concerns or questions either of you might have."
"Thank you," Shadow said, managing a weak smile towards the Ninetales.
Frost smirked at the Espeon. "I don't plan to be gone THAT long, anyway," he said, allowing a trace of his more arrogant tone to slip back into his words, if only because the expression of cockiness would probably reassure Shadow. "Longer than my last visit, but I'm going on foot this time."
It took a little longer for Frost to get the good-byes out of the way. As in, he was halfway out of the clearing before Leaf tackled him and scolded him profusely for not saying goodbye properly, complaining that 'they had talked about this', and overall acting like Frost had disappointed him.
All of which was said while clinging to the Glaceon so tightly that Frost was convinced Leaf was trying to smother his ribs. Astrid looked on with an unabashed look of amusement, looking for a moment like a kit wanting to join in a playful wrestling match. Once Frost managed to dislodge the Leafeon from him, he made a point of saying bye to Shadow, if only to keep Leaf from scolding him again.
"Just wait until you get back," Astrid teased.
"Speaking from experience?" Frost asked blandly. The Absol paused thoughtfully, then shook her head.
"No, can't say many are ever happy to see me," she mused. Frost winced.
The words on their own were bad enough, but they sounded so much worse when spoken in such a casual tone.
Sheesh, this chapter was rough to write. In other news, I've been working on SoC for over a year now! *balloons and confetti*
