Phew, finally got this one done to my liking.
Hope everyone had a good holiday, and a great New Year!
Blaze had never felt so happy in his entire life.
Unfortunately, that really wasn't an exaggeration, considering how much his life sucked up until now, so he felt entirely justified in basking in the moment. His heart was racing, but for once, it wasn't caused by fear and anxiety. His legs were shaking so badly he thought for sure he was about to collapse where he stood, but despite these physical ailments, Blaze's face was beaming, his tail was wagging, and he felt ridiculously giddy.
Normally, he might have insisted that the Glaceon acknowledge losing before letting him up, but in his current mood, he honestly wouldn't even have cared if the Glaceon had griped about the win being a fluke and refused to accept the loss. There were witnesses present, so the Sylveon wasn't even worried about Frost attacking him once his back was turned.
Nothing in the former Eevee's life had ever made him feel so fulfilled and accomplished as much as winning this fight did. Maybe it wasn't even the win itself that was to blame, but the fact he had evolved in the process. Choosing to stick to his guns, even in the face of certain defeat, had paid off in a way that Blaze had never expected.
Right now, the only concern on his mind was wanting to see what his evolved body looked like. He knew he hadn't touched a Fire, Water, or Thunder Stone, and he doubted there was a Moss or Ice Rock in the immediate vicinity, so that logically left him evolving into either an Espeon or an Umbreon, and since it was daylight, he should have become the former. That said, he had never heard of either species having these curious feeler ribbons, or even the pink paw pads, so he must have evolved into something else.
Frost rose to his feet, the motion drawing Blaze's attention. The Ice-type had a sour expression, but Blaze could see in his eyes that he was trying to regain composure and appear dignified. After a short pause, the Glaceon gave a curt nod of acknowledgement.
"Congrats, you won," he said, and then winced, leading Blaze to suspect the Glaceon had literally bitten his own tongue to keep from adding a comment undermining the victory.
"Thanks!" Blaze squealed, his tail wagging with renewed enthusiasm. He felt like his heart was going to burst from happiness. Every inch of his body felt warm and fuzzy, and he wanted nothing more than to share this incredible feeling with everyone around him...even if that desire made no sense at all.
"And you evolved, so congratulations for that," Frost continued, his tone sounding infinitely more sincere now that he was no longer praising Blaze for besting him in a sparring match. Blaze wasn't even sure why losing would upset the Glaceon so much, considering Frost had made a point of giving him a handicap. It wasn't like he had actually outsmarted or overpowered the Ice-type. Still, he couldn't deny that knowing Frost's ego had taken a blow gave him a warm feeling of vindictive satisfaction.
"Thanks," Blaze said again, looking himself over the best he could. Most of his body was covered in thin, cream-colored fur, a little paler than the fluffy collar he had as an Eevee, yet it still seemed just as soft. The ends of his paws and his tails were pink, and the feeler ribbons matched the rest of his fur, except for three stripes of pink, blue, and a lighter shade of blue at the tips. "Just one question...what exactly am I?"
"Sylveon," an unfamiliar male voice answered, and Blaze jumped, turning towards the speaker. Even after seeing who it was, the Fairy-type had to blink several times to confirm that he wasn't just seeing things.
A feline Pokemon was approaching the small group, its entire body covered in jet-black fur, like an Umbreon, but there was no mistaking its sleek figure, dainty paws, and forked tail, nor the glittering gemstone upon its forehead, as belonging to anything other than an Espeon.
Blaze glanced around at the rest of the group, wordlessly judging their reactions. The young Leafeon's ears had perked up at the sight of the ebony feline, whereas Frost spared it a glance, seemingly unfazed by its atypical appearance. Aureia was blinking at the new arrival in evident confusion, but Blaze couldn't help but notice her attention was lingering a little more than he would have liked, and he had to bite back a growl of annoyance before shaking himself and taking a soothing breath. The Vaporeon was not likely to shift interest so quickly after starting to warm up to him. He had no reason to feel defensive or jealous.
"Sylveon?" Blaze repeated, his tail wagging again, delighted to receive such a prompt answer. From the way that Frost, Aureia, and the young Leafeon had been looking at him, he had started wondering whether he was an undiscovered evolution of Eevee. Doubtful, but not impossible. There were probably several evolutions where the conditions simply hadn't been discovered yet, or that could only occur in a different part of the world.
"Ah, just as I thought," Frost mused. "I have never seen one myself, but I have heard of its existence. The Fairy-type evolution, if I'm not mistaken."
"Something like that, yeah," the Espeon confirmed, drawing level with Frost and sitting down, his forked tail flicking with lively energy. Blaze was mostly just relieved that the Psychic-type didn't act as condescendingly formal as his Glaceon companion did, nor did he speak with the same eternal deadpan that Aureia used. "They evolve by having a trusting, affectionate bond with others."
There was a brief pause, during which Blaze glanced towards Aureia again, relieved to see that she was no longer staring at the black-furred Espeon. One of the reasons he had originally thought he was going to evolve into an Espeon was because she had made it clear, without outright saying so, that she liked him. She had been willing to take his place in the spar, when Frost had refused to accept a draw, yet stood down when the Eevee had insisted on continuing on his own. Although he still wanted to know why she seemed completely indifferent to learning he had lied about having a past trainer, it had really touched him to know she had such sincere concern about his well-being.
"Okay, Shadow, I'll bite. How on earth did you know that?" Frost demanded, bemused. "Knowing the species existing is one thing, but I've never seen one, nor have I been able to do any research on the subject. Meanwhile, you had literally no idea how Psychic abilities work, yet you know how a Sylveon evolves?"
"Maybe I've seen a Sylveon before," Shadow retorted, with all the air of a child stubbornly arguing that he knows something, while at the same time being unable to explain it.
"Really?" Frost said, raising his eyebrows skeptically. "Who, and when?"
"You never met her. It's complicated," the Espeon insisted.
"You guys are setting a bad example for us," Leaf complained. Glacia squeaked in evident agreement, prompting the arguing adult Eeveelutions to give the kits incredulous looks.
"Why are we still here?" Aureia deadpanned, speaking more to Blaze than anyone else. The Vaporeon had walked over to the Sylveon, and was presently looking him over. While Blaze privately wanted to believe she was checking him out, he sincerely doubted she would do so openly, especially not with others nearby. Then again, Aureia seemed fond of claiming plausible deniability, and it would be easy to say she was merely interested in seeing what his evolved form looked like, especially since she probably hadn't seen other Sylveon before.
"Uh..." Blaze hesitated, trying to recall whether there was a specific reason for them lingering in the area now that the spar had concluded, apart from his curiosity regarding his evolution. "Oh! Because Frost still has to pay up on our wager!" he recalled brightly, looking towards the Glaceon expectantly.
The Ice-type's expression soured, but he made no effort to renege on their agreement, instead stepping towards Blaze with quiet dignity. It did not escape the former Eevee's notice that even Frost's approach seemed careful and deliberate, neither too fast, nor too slow. It was confident, yet humble.
"I hold to my word, as I said," Frost stated plainly, once he was standing before the Sylveon. With clear reluctance, he lowered his head and placed a single kiss upon each of the Fairy-type's forepaws, and retreated afterwards, keeping his head lower than Blaze's until he was several paces away, and only then did he raise his head to full height. There was obvious distaste concealed behind the Ice-type's dark eyes as he made eye contact with Blaze, but the rest of his face revealed little of the thoughts or feelings the Glaceon was experiencing. "Satisfied?"
"Shouldn't you have to do all four?" Blaze wondered teasingly.
"No," Frost answered bluntly, and the Sylveon grinned, his tail wagging briefly. "Although, Shadow, I can't help but wonder what brings you out here," the Glaceon mused, turning back to the rest of the group.
The Espeon shrugged in response. "Just a weird vibe," he answered, his silver eyes darting around the clearing, as if he expected to see something amiss around them. "It was brief, and it's gone now."
"Hm, very well," Frost murmured, evidently used to such vague answers, because his expression showed obvious disinterest when he turned his attention back to Blaze and Aureia. "I'm still going to insist you depart, but before that, I'm curious as to the extent of your battle training. Your movements were astonishingly uncoordinated and-"
"I don't have any formal battle training," Blaze interjected bluntly, unwilling to listen to the Glaceon prattle on about the flaws in his form or whatnot. He was only taught the absolute basics for self-defense back at the clan, and it had never seen much use when he had lived there. Any efforts to fight back against his tormentors usually involved him outnumbered or outmatched, so there hadn't been much opportunity to get practice or useful feedback. He got more 'practice' in the past few months than he had in the two or so years he had lived among his peers, and even that was because he was constantly being pit against rival scavengers. The greatest skill he had learned was how to lose a fight in a way that made him seem unworthy of further attention afterwards.
"Ah, beginner's luck, then," Frost murmured with a smirk.
"I'll bite you," Blaze warned, baring his teeth threateningly. Earlier, he had flicked his tongue around in his mouth when trying to figure what he had evolved into, and he had noticed the fangs set in his upper jaw, a sure indication that Sylveon could be capable hunters.
"Trust me, he totally will," Aureia noted blandly, but her tail twitched in amusement. Frost glanced her way.
"And what's the extent of your training, if any?" he wondered.
Aureia returned the Ice-type's gaze with dull, unfeeling eyes. "I'm far stronger than I look," she answered simply.
"Is that so?" Frost mused with a chuckle. "Forgive my wandering gaze, I merely wish to try and gauge your aptitude-"
"No," Aureia said firmly, and the Glaceon blinked.
"Beg your pardon?"
"No," Aureia repeated, her tone as icy as the Glaceon's fur. "I will not permit you to study or examine my figure."
Frost's eyes darted from side to side, bewilderment written across his face. He chuckled awkwardly, as if convinced that the Water-type was joking. "I assure you, there is nothing untoward about my-"
"I don't give a damn," Aureia snapped, and Blaze shivered. It was rare that the Vaporeon ever lost her temper enough to sound angry, and one of the few times Blaze had ever witnessed it had been the time she had lashed out at him during their first meeting. It had nearly driven him to tears back then, and even now, a couple months later, her snappish tone foretold danger whenever he heard it.
Frost furrowed his brow, yet seemed to recognize the severity of the situation, because he averted his eyes from the Vaporeon. "I apologize...but it perplexes me that you claim to be stronger than you look, but you won't allow someone to simply look at you?"
"I don't have to indulge you," Aureia hissed through clenched teeth. "Who the hell do you think you are? I don't owe you the privilege of examining my body, regardless of your intentions. I told you I didn't want you to study my figure, and you actually had the gall to try and argue with me. You're a despicable, self-centered, egotistical piece of slime that views the world through the lens that strength and confidence are the only desirable traits in the world, and take every opportunity to shove that viewpoint in the faces of those who don't abide by your standards. Shut up! I don't want to hear another word from you. Do you understand?"
Frost looked deeply shaken by the unexpected tongue-lashing, and Blaze was cringing. Even though he was not on the receiving end of the outburst, he felt his eyes stinging with tears. Aureia was truly scary and vicious when she got worked up like this, and she pulled no punches with her insults. What often made it even more shocking and hurtful was how rarely she spoke like this. She kept such a tight leash on her emotions that she usually expressed annoyance and dissatisfaction with sarcastic comments and blunt criticisms. Even though the Sylveon agreed with most of what she said about Frost, he felt an intense pang of sympathy for the Ice-type.
"Yes...I understand," Frost said, speaking clearly and hesitantly, understandably concerned that he was about to set the Vaporeon off again by speaking right after being told not to speak. "I'm sorry."
"Aureia," Blaze whispered. He inched closer to her, terrified that even the slightest contact might set her off on him instead, but as he tentatively moved one of his ribbon feelers closer to the Vaporeon's shoulder, the aggression seemed to slowly leave her body, although her eyes continued to glare coldly at the Ice-type. "Aureia!" Blaze repeated, more urgently.
"What, Blaze?" she demanded, and he flinched. A flicker of guilt passed across her muzzle, and she sighed quietly. "What?" she repeated, this time looking over at the Sylveon.
"Um...w-we should go," he said, glancing nervously at the other Pokemon. The ebony Espeon had tensed, taking a defensive stance in front of the young Leafeon, who in turn had taken a defensive stance before the young Eevee. Frost, meanwhile, was refusing to meet anyone's gaze.
Aureia turned on her heel so swiftly that her tail whipped around and knocked Blaze's hind legs out from under him. The Sylveon let out a startled yelp, struggling to recover his footing, but he had not yet adjusted to his evolved form's center of gravity, and his efforts only ensured that he toppled over in an undignified heap. Whining quietly, Blaze started to push himself back up, only to tense when he felt teeth nipping at the scruff of his neck.
"Ow, ow, that hurts!" he complained, swatting at the offending source with one of his ribbons. It was almost amusing how quickly he had adjusted to using the peculiar appendages as a substitute for a paw, although they seemed far too frail to have any combat potential. They certainly seemed ineffective here, because he was soon lifted up by the scruff of his neck enough to regain his footing, although he massaged the back of his neck with a ribbon the moment he was released from the bite, and he fixed Aureia an indignant look. "That really hurt," he whined.
"Suck it up, I was trying to help," Aureia retorted, already starting to walk back towards Solaceon Town, and the Sylveon hastened to keep pace. "Besides, I didn't want you to think I knocked you over deliberately."
"I know you didn't knock me over on purpose," Blaze protested, wincing as he stumbled over his own feet. "Um...can we walk slower?"
To his surprise, Aureia immediately slowed her pace, and even moved a little nearer, so that he could lean against her as a crutch if necessary. The sudden show of charity was a little disconcerting, but it wasn't the top priority on Blaze's mind.
"Is everything okay?" he ventured nervously. "You got pretty riled up back there..."
"I hate hypocrites," Aureia growled quietly, and her tail lashed in agitation. Blaze looked over at her in surprise. He had actually expected a response more in line with a clipped 'I'm fine' or other evasive response downplaying her loss of temper, so hearing her confirm the foul mood was a twist in itself.
"Um...do you want to talk about it?" the Sylveon wondered, his mouth twitching to present a nervous smile. Aureia cast him a deadpan look, and he raised his ribbons placatingly. "I'm just asking!" he hastily added.
"Why would I want to talk about something that makes me angry?" Aureia asked, her tone thankfully more incredulous than anything else.
"Because bottling up your emotions all the time doesn't make them go away," Blaze explained earnestly. "They just get stronger inside you, so having the opportunity to vent to someone you trust can do wonders for you. And...well, I'm willing to listen."
"I know how venting works," Aureia grumbled, her eyes flicking around restlessly as they passed through the Solaceon Town gate, taking note of every human and Pokemon in the vicinity. "I've been close to Ember for ages, and she vents to me."
"Do you vent to her?" Blaze wondered, but the Vaporeon shrugged, a definite indication that no, the Water-type rarely confided her emotions to the Charmander. "You could try it...see if it helps at all," the Fairy-type suggested gently, knowing that if he continued pushing the issue for much longer, the Vaporeon would close up entirely.
"Ember doesn't need to be weighed down by my thoughts," Aureia said, with a definite edge in her voice, a signal that she wanted to drop the conversation.
"Uh, I was, er...suggesting you vent to me," Blaze reminded her, fumbling his words a little as he tried to correct her interpretation without pressing the matter too far.
"No, you suggested someone I trust," Aureia said, placing blatant emphasis on the last word, and Blaze blinked, feeling like he had just received a slap in the face, his ears drooping.
"Y-you don't trust me?" he asked, unable to keep the hurt out of his voice. The Vaporeon winced a little, and the flicker of a guilty expression passed across her muzzle, before it was once again concealed by her unfeeling demeanor. "But, I thought y-you..." he stammered, before biting his lip to keep it from trembling, his eyes stinging with tears.
"What are you doing to me?" Aureia demanded, squinting at the Sylveon warily. The abruptness of the question, coupled with the Water-type's demeanor, sent a spark of bewilderment through Blaze's mind, distracting him from his dispiriting thoughts.
"I'm not doing anything," he insisted.
"You might be messing with my emotions somehow, and just not realize it," Aureia muttered, stopping and turning to face the Sylveon properly. "I don't know anything about your evolution or its abilities," she admitted, her gaze running over the Fairy-type's form.
Sudden anxiety and anger clutched at the Sylveon's heart, and Blaze hissed in response to the attention, his ribbons coiling around his own body, as if he was hugging himself, and he flashed Aureia a glimpse of his species' rather impressive teeth. Aureia blinked at his reaction, genuinely perturbed.
"I don't want you studying my body like that," he growled, his pupils dilating.
"What?" the Vaporeon blurted blankly, and she frowned. "Are you serious?"
"You just said you don't trust me," Blaze snapped back. "So why would I trust you?"
Aureia rolled her eyes, and Blaze responded by darting closer and immediately biting her foreleg, prompting her to yelp and recoil from him, her eyes widening in stunned disbelief.
"Ow, what the-! Blaze, I was just being a bitch, okay?!" she cried, wincing and examining her bitten leg. She almost immediately shifted into a defensive battle stance, indicating that, at the very least, she was taking his aggression more seriously than back in Johto.
"No, it's not okay!" the Sylveon snapped. "You can't just emotionally or physically slap me in the face, and then brush it off as you just being passive-aggressive, or moody, or whatever! Things like that hurt...and I'm sick of being hurt!"
Tears rolled down his cheeks, but he did nothing to stop or hide them. He just glared into her eyes, letting all his negative thoughts pass through his mind. He had evolved now...so he was never again going to put up with the abuse and bullying he had suffered all his life as an Eevee. It didn't matter who inflicted such pain upon him, whether it be his peers at a clan, or his sister, or some random Glaceon, or even the female he cared about the most. He was fed up with being mistreated. From now on, he would stand up against it, every time, even if it meant fighting a battle he was doomed to lose, or creating tensions between him and Aureia.
"I'm sorry," Aureia muttered, averting her gaze.
"No, you're not," Blaze growled.
"What?" she demanded, lifting her head and glaring at him. Her stance was more rigid now. She was withdrawing emotionally, whether in anticipation of a fight breaking out, or just in response to his hostility.
"You're not sorry. You just feel guilty," Blaze said bluntly. "What are you sorry for?"
Aureia stared at him for a moment. "This is childish," she sighed, but took a moment to compose herself before saying, "I'm sorry for acting like a bitch."
"And that's how I know you're not sorry," Blaze sighed, sitting down.
"What did I do wrong?" Aureia demanded, slapping her tail against the ground in frustration. "I was completely sincere!"
"You don't get it," Blaze whispered, moisture leaking from the corners of his eyes. "An apology is to show you regret something you've done wrong. But all you're doing is self-depreciation. It's not remorse, it's just guilt."
"Blaze. Please spell this out for me, I don't get it," Aureia said, massaging her forehead with one paw.
"I'm sorry for being mean," Blaze replied. Aureia stared at him blankly. "I'm sorry for being rude. I'm sorry I'm a jerk. I'm sorry I'm useless. I'm sorry for whatever trait I have that upsets you."
"This isn't explaining anything," Aureia said seriously.
"Those are examples," Blaze insisted. "They're all 'apologies' that do nothing for the person that was wronged, because it just criticizes the person making it, rather than acknowledging WHAT they did. It's easy to self-depreciate because it justifies you continuing to act that way, because you view it as a flaw YOU have, rather than thinking about how the behavior hurts someone else."
"Fine, now give me an example of a real apology," Aureia deadpanned.
"I'm sorry I lied to you about having a trainer before we met," Blaze whispered. Aureia blinked, visibly taken aback. "I was trying to bury my past so that no one would ask about it. I understand if you're mad at me..."
"Blaze, I..." Aureia shifted, visibly flustered.
"That's the difference between apologies," Blaze stated, wiping his eyes with his paw. "I did something to wrong you, and I acknowledged that those actions were hurtful. Forgiveness is up to you."
There was an awkward pause as Aureia digested the Sylveon's words, only to numbly nod in response. Blaze continued to wait in silence, until at last it clicked with the Vaporeon that a verbal answer was needed.
"I can forgive you, because I know you didn't mean any harm," she mumbled, but then lifted her head to make eye contact with him. "But you can't expect an apology to just undo the damage," she pointed out.
"I don't, but that's not the point," Blaze insisted. "I'm willing to try to fix the damage, and sincerely apologizing is the first step."
"So now I have to apologize for being upset that you lied to me?" Aureia deadpanned.
"Are you being serious right now?" Blaze demanded, his fur bristling. "Because I will bite you again."
"Blaze...I don't understand what I did wrong," Aureia sighed. "I mean, I know what it was, but I can't explain why it was wrong. I said I didn't trust you...why is that something I have to apologize for?"
The Sylveon stared at her for several seconds, too dumbfounded to even be angry. It was incredible just how little the Vaporeon seemed to grasp how her words, behavior, or attitude affected those around her.
"Aureia...why did you say that?" he asked. The Vaporeon shrugged weakly, and he growled. "No, actually think about it before answering! Why did you tell me you don't trust me?"
"I...don't know," Aureia stammered, her cheeks flushing, and she draped her tail closer around herself, her eyes darting around the area, as if concerned that passerby were watching them. "I was being passive-aggressive and..."
"And...?" Blaze prompted, twirling one of his feelers to gesture for her to fill in the blank.
"...trying to be a bitch," Aureia muttered.
"Okay...now explain what that means," Blaze asked, biting back a sigh of exasperation. Now it was just astonishing how she could get right into the heart of the matter, yet still miss the point.
"Um..." Aureia faltered, scrunching up her face in thought. "I was trying to be harsh?"
Blaze slapped his forehead with his ribbon feeler. "We're going to be here all day," he sighed. "Aureia...listen closely...you were trying to hurt me. That was your goal. You wanted to hurt me. You wanted to upset me. You wanted me to be insulted, because I was annoying you when you were upset. The problem wasn't that you were being passive-aggressive or rude. The problem is that you deliberately tried to hurt me. And I'm not okay with that."
Aureia cringed slightly, and Blaze could read in her eyes that she had finally grasped the underlying problem. "I'm sorry," she mumbled.
"I accept the apology," Blaze said flatly, before fixing her with a serious look. "But it doesn't fix everything. You still need to put in some effort, just like I do."
"I know," Aureia muttered. They sat in awkward silence for a few moments, before Blaze managed a small smile.
"That'll take a little time, so no need to stress out about it now," Blaze reminded her, his pink tail wagging a little. "So long as we made up, right?"
"Mm," Aureia murmured, then glanced at her foreleg. "You bit me, though."
"Yeah, we had a little fight, but we're done fighting now, and we're not keeping score," Blaze insisted. "Let's just kiss and make up. Er...cuddle and make up?"
Aureia rolled her eyes and heaved a small sigh. "Fine," she stated, after a lengthy pause.
"Which one?" Blaze asked playfully, getting up and carefully walking over to the Vaporeon, mindful of his unsteady legs. She answered by leaning forward and giving him a brief peck on the cheek. The gesture was just as awkwardly executed as all her other little shows of affection, but the Sylveon wouldn't have minded even if she had bumped noses with him. He just stared at her with a wide grin, his tail wagging so hard it was a pink blur. He reached up with one of his feeler ribbons and absently touched the warm spot of his face where her mouth had rested. Aureia's cheeks flushed crimson, the Vaporeon uncomfortably aware of his dreamy gaze.
"You're too cute," she muttered.
"Thanks," Blaze murmured. Although consciously aware of his heart pounding in his chest, urging him to return her gesture, his head was still in charge, and he doubted she'd be particularly open to the idea. Instead, he brought his ribbon feeler to his mouth and kissed it gently before extending the ribbon and placing the indirect kiss upon Aureia's cheek. Her cheeks flared up so intensely her skin looked more purple than blue, and she shifted her weight self-consciously, her gaze never leaving his face.
The Fairy-type then slunk nearer to the Water Eon, nuzzling against her shoulder and neck, privately delighting in the fact his evolved form was tall enough to easily reach her upper body, because it also lent access to her neck or ear if he ever desired to lick or nip those areas. To do so now would probably be coming on too strong, however, so he simply cuddled close and rested his head on her shoulder, and absently coiled one of his ribbons around the Vaporeon's foreleg, as if to wordlessly apologize for the earlier bite.
A sense of weariness and fatigue was settling over his body, and he closed his eyes, savoring the warmth of the Vaporeon cuddled against him, the sound of her breathing, and unless his ears were deceiving him, the rapid thumping of her heart, though it might have been his own, the line was kind of blurred at this point.
"...you're falling asleep on me, aren't you?" Aureia deadpanned, but Blaze didn't answer. She sighed in his ear. "Of course you are. Well, I guess you did just evolve..."
The last thing the Sylveon became aware of before drifting into blissful unconsciousness was the feeling of the Vaporeon's tail loosely draping around him.
