And here is Chapter 4! This gave me some issues, won't lie. It can be difficult for me to describe an action and movement scene but I've definitely gotten much better so I'm glad! It worked out pretty well, so I hope y'all like it!

The musical inspiration for this chapter was a myriad tbh lol. But I finished it to Clown by Mariah Carey. There's something about a diss song that helps get the vibes going.

Fairy Tail's Moonlight

Chapter 4: Moonlit Snowflakes

Run, Kamari recited in his mind repeatedly. The echoing chorus unleashed a wildfire of adrenaline through his veins, burning away the painful knives of exhaustion stabbing at his muscles. Running was all Kamari knew. Not the cramps in his legs or the cold nipping at his feet through his thin boots. Nor the pressure of his beg pressed hard against his chest while the amulet sat in his palm, safe inside the grip that nearly drained him of his pigmentation.

Running was all that matter.

It drowned out the vicious squawks plaguing him since he ran from that room. Even now, they echoed through his ears like the howling winds. Calling to him with a clarity he hoped to ignore. Desperate, perhaps. He blamed the fatigue. It performed illusions on him, like conjuring those blue sparkles to sprinkle down overhead.

Yet another needless distraction.

Akin to the mounds of snow at his feet. Soft snow, he knew. Special nights spent sneaking out with Aquilo confirmed it. They made amazing snow angels together. Laughing while the snow urged him to sleep. Maybe now—

No! His mind roared in protest, refueling the adrenaline to burn through his body. Sleep could wait. At least until he found somewhere safe. Hopefully, the sun finished setting by then and he would find comfort in the moon. For now, he ran. Running—

—made him trip over a rock. He cried out as he tumbled down the mountain, banging his head against the rough ground and skidding down on his back. Pain ripped across his body and he shivered. Without the adrenaline pumping through him, Kamari surrendered to the cold swarm.

Get up, his mind demanded. The clearest thought inside his whirling psyche. Yet his body refused the command. His arms, locked around the bag against his chest, rejected the impulses, trembling lighting in cold. He still had his vision at least. Even if it blurred and berated him with those cursed sparkles of blue light dancing in the air.

The wind howled, but Kamari did not feel the shove of cold. Only dancing blue feathers admits the sparkling blue lights. His eyes fluttered, fighting to stay awake. However, he lost the will to fight. Even as something blue descended upon from the parting gray clouds. The wind howled and finally, Kamari gave into sleep's embrace.

#

Sleep had never been easy for Kamari. One of the many pieces of peace he had not been afforded. Sleep lead to chaotic dreams that quickly morphed into monstrous nightmares. But were they just dreams? Kamari was not too certain anymore. Perhaps they spawned from bad memories of his. Trauma he swept away in hopes of the wind taking it off his chest. A shame, things never worked out that way.

This sleep led him to a strange dream. Why he almost mistook it for a nightmare! There he was, lost in a frosty cavern. Littered with scrapes and bruises underneath his winter clothes. Pain flared through him as he dropped to his knees. Panting with sweat beading his forehead as strange creatures did battle before him. One a silhouette that moved with blurring speeds. It darted around the other—a lizard-like figure with a feminine figure—with arms poised to right him! But the lizard blocked its path. Hissing a silky purr as flames licked its—her? Yeah, that felt right—lips.

She protected him. In his exhaustion, he had not noticed the other creature's plan. Now, she barred its path with a wave of her tail.

"Thanks, Salamari," he thanked her in the youthful voice from his last dream. She winked at him and resumed her combat. He interjected here and there, spewing quick commands. She complied without question. For some reason, she trusted him. Regardless of the magic she wielded, she believed in his judgment and the thought filled him with warmth. Happiness, he realized. Having someone who believed in him brought it.

"Finish this, Salamari! Flamethrower!"

She enacted the spell with a hiss, breathing a gout of flames onto the silhouette. The creature cried out and when the flames died down, it collapsed.

His lizard—Salamari? Odd name, yet it flowed so nicely off his tongue—sauntered over and nuzzled his chest. He giggled and rubbed her. With whispered thanks, he finally succumbed to his exhaustion and fell forward.

When he woke up, he found Salamari guarding him. Her stance tense and ridged as flames danced along her spine. She acted with the training of any well-meaning soldier. However, her emotions told a different story. He felt them in waves, drawing him up to comfort her. He circled her and enveloped her in a tight hug.

She was afraid. And his hug, while shocking, eased the stress in her heart. Slowly, the flames died down and her silky purr returned.

"Thank you, Salamari." He bestowed her with a quick kiss to the forehead and grinned. "I love and appreciate you, dearly."

Salamari returned the flavor with a lick. He giggled. The two of them continued their path, sharing laughs. It didn't matter what challenged them on the way. Kamari trusted in Salamari and she to him. They bested everyone who came their way. Burned through the competition and forged a path to the top. They passed with the mouth together and entered the outside world. The howling wind sent his hair dancing. Yet it did nothing but empower him further.

"This is it, Salamari." He cheered, pumping his fists. "We did it!"

Together, they overcame the traitorous cold. Maybe he was not new to these struggles. Everything he has been through prepared him for this. If he had faith, anything was possible.

#

When Kamari opened his eyes, he felt the confidence kindling in his heart. It fueled him with a strength he couldn't understand. Almost as if a hundred hands lifted him. Offered him their strength for his pleasure. This strength—ancient and mysterious—settled in his heart and let its flaming vines slithering through his body until it became aflame. The nipping cold didn't matter to him anymore.

He sat up and took in his surroundings. A cavern of some kind. Pretty with the dangling crystals. They emitted a multi-colored light to caress his skin. He smiled. Crystals possessed powerful magic. One of the many things the monks detested. Yet, he always felt drawn to them whether he read about them.

Nevertheless, the crystals weren't the only thing that caught his eyes. For starters, he had a blanket over him. A heated quilt designed with snowflakes. Strange. Kamari narrowed his eyes. Nobody appeared to be around currently. Perhaps a mountain rescue team? He shrugged.

So long as it wasn't monks, he had no qualms.

His bag sat beside him. Free of snow and with his amulet clipped to the bottom. Part of him wondered where it would go.

(So you're awake?) A frosty voice whispered. Kamari flinched and glanced towards the mouth. At the mouth of the cavern, a strange creature floated over. A spirit of some kind. Pure white as the snow across the mountain with a red obi tied around its waist. Icy crystals protruded from its head like buns while its arm hung low from her cheeks. She regarded him with icy eyes that reflected a strange sadness.

(I feared you wouldn't make it, Kamari Agrinya.)

Kamari tensed up and, oddly enough, his hand dipped to his waist. "How do you—"

(Relax human. I wish you no harm.) She paused a few inches from him and pressed her hand to his forehead. Kamari expected it to be cold. However, it did little more than have him shiver. (I am a froslass. My Mistress found you out in the snow.)

"Your mistress? Who—"

(Can you walk?)

Kamari blinked. Froslass repeated her question with ease. She spoke in a frosty monotone that felt easy to follow. Even if it pricked him a few times.

Nonetheless, he nodded. She graced with a smile that glowed against her skin. (Follow me.) She floated towards the mouth of the cave. Pausing only to add in one more command. (Bring your bag but leave the blanket.)

Kamari followed without question. He folded up the blanket and put his bag over him. His robes were still on, but they were dried and heated. Whoever this mistress was had to be the cause. Though did that mean—

Blushing, Kamari buried the thought and scrambled after Froslass. That wasn't a thought to dwell on for now.

Kamari emerged from the cavern and blinked. The outside was different than he remembered. Vast mounds of snow still coated the land, but they were thinner. The cold was less abrasive against his skin. A pleasant surprise, especially when the wind kissed his cheeks before carrying on. Whoever this mistress was, she took him further than the mountain. The only explanation that made sense.

Froslass turned to him and giggled. A soft sound like cracking ice. (My Mistress sought it best to bring you further down.) Then, it smiled. And Kamari became reminded of snowflakes drifting in the wind. (She's truly gracious.)

"I'd like to thank her. Where is she?"

Froslass didn't respond at first. Instead, she chose to take in the sounds of the howling wind. A wind Kamari didn't feel. And brought with it those strange sparkles of blue light. He frowned. He assumed those were a consequence of his exhaustion. Yet here they were, and he felt fine.

(She's here.)

The howling wind sharpened and clouds—greyed in anticipation of snowflakes—parted ever so lightly. From its mouth, something blue descended upon them. A bird of some kind. Gigantic and coated in beautiful blue feathers that shined like icicles. Its tailfeathers danced behind it in rippling waves, releasing more of those blue sparkles. Its short beak opened, and the sounds of howling winds became its squawks.

Froslass clasped her hands together and whispered, (My Mistress.)

Kamari blinked. He hadn't expected a bird to hold that title. Though he supposed it made sense. The monks proclaimed the power and divinity of birds. Maybe they were onto something.

The bird landed with grace, digging her talons into the snow and folding her wings.

She regarded Froslass before settling her powerful gaze onto Kamari. And he wasn't ashamed to say he flinched. Those eyes were a bloody red, yet they pricked at his will better than sharpened ice!

{Kamari Agrinya,} Her voice echoed through his mind. Even there it sounded like howling winds. {A pleasure to see you again.}

Again? Kamari frowned. Meeting a gigantic bird—a telepathic one, no less! —should have stuck with him. Or at least he hoped. Wistful thinking, he supposed. The memory loss must have happened after he met the creature. Perhaps soon after. Her voice prickled in the back of his mind and letters danced through his mind. A name he never heard of formed. And it left his lips with ease.

"Articuno."

She nodded and her gaze softened. {Do you remember me?}

Kamari shook his head. "I'm sorry. I dunno how I knew your name!"

{I feared as much. Your arrival in this world caused you great trauma. My apologies.}

"This world? Whaddya—"

{Of course, of course. You must be confused.} Articuno amended. She dipped her head to the ground and nodded. {Please, get comfortable. This will take some time.} Kamari complied and sat in the snow. To his surprise, it wasn't cold! {You—like Froslass and I—hail from a different world. A world filled with creatures called Pokémon.}

Articuno recited a grand tale of this supposed world. Of its history and lore and provided vivid images in his mind for him to follow. A bizarre tale, truly. Kamari wanted to debate. To deny her accusations and assert that he wasn't some alien. Yet, he couldn't. Something in his mind resonated with this story and accepted it as the gospel truth.

Froslass pitched in, confirming her mistress's words. Although, Kamari didn't know how he felt about believing a ghostly creature. A creature that…matched the two companions in his dreams.

"Let's say I believe this," Kamari began, fists clenched in his lap as he fought to steady his breathing. "Why am I here?"

(You were chosen by The Supreme One.) Froslass answered. Her eyes fell and something sparkled in them. (You are to collect the lost Plates in this world.)

{The Plates are the sources of The Supreme One's grand power.} Articuno took over, thanking her subject with a softened gaze. {Without it, they can't restore balance nor save themself from their illness. You are needed to collect the lost seventeen plates to save their life.}

"And I refuse?"

Froslass didn't appreciate that question. Her voice spiked up and the air around Kamari chilled.

(You selfish human! How could you—)

{—Hold, Froslass, please.} Articuno interjected swiftly. {This is expected. In his situation, he doesn't understand the severity.}

Froslass seemed to accept this. She apologized for her outburst but regarded Kamari with a frigid glare. In her eyes, he lost centuries of pain bubbling up into crystallized tears. His heart trembled in his chest. He hadn't meant to disrespect her, Articuno or this so-called Supreme One! However, he only wanted to find his memories and get home to his family. Certainly, they missed him!

Still, that didn't excuse his question. Perhaps he should have worded things better. With a sigh, he apologized to Froslass. It lessened the tears, but she hadn't truly heard him yet. Deserved, he decided.

{Kamari Agrinya.} Articuno took over, unfurling her wings and spreading more of those blue sparkles of light. Close, those beautiful wings looked more like ice sculptures. {Our enemy seeks the death of free will and all those who oppose them. Should you refuse your mission, then you condemn our world—and this one—to ruin. If The Supreme One does not regain her strength, then all this life shall perish.}

Condemn… Kamari felt his blood run cold. Breathing became harder as his heart pounded like a drumline in his chest. To ruin?

Kamari stammered, fighting to express the wild thoughts stampeding through his mind. "But how—I'm just a teen!" Words spilled from his lips in a strange order that made no sense to him. And, by the bewildered look of wide eyes on her face, neither to Articuno. However, she let him continue until he found the proper words. "How can I stop this?"

{Through the power of the plates.} Articuno answered swiftly. {The plates represent the essence of every pokémon in existence. We can use them to amplify our strength. The Supreme One, however, brings out their true potential. With their ability, Multitype, The Supreme One can change her type at will when holding a plate. This ability has been bestowed onto you, Kamari Agrinya. Through Multitype, you shall harness the power of the plates to combat this darkness.}

Multitype? The name felt familiar. It spurred a memory to surface. There he floated in space before a Being cloaked in a golden light. This Being—The Supreme One? —spoke to him with a pure voice, devoid of emotion except for the undertones of pain prickling their tongue.

"I grant you Multitype," They said. A strange warmth filled Kamari's body. With it came the strength and voices of many strange creatures. All of them, however, welcomed him into their world and gave him their power with a single kiss. "With it, I bestow upon you the powers of the Insect and Basic Plate. Use it well."

A lime green light shined across his skin before faded into a familiar soft brown from the night prior.

Kamari gasped and he left the vision. A jumble of words cartwheeled in his mind, but slowly he made sense of them. They were spells—moves, truly. However, to the average mage, they would be spells.

{Kamari Agrinya,} Articuno started up with a strange gleam in her eyes. Almost as if she knew what he saw. {Do you accept your mission?}

Had this been days ago, Kamari knew he would decline. Selfish or not, it wasn't the job for a teenager.

Today was different. Today, those memories called out to him and begged him to reconsider. Today, he found his purpose for being at the temple. Today, he uncovered a piece of mystery.

"I accept."

Each step from today would be harder. However, if he genuinely wanted his memories and his family, then had to complete his mission first. Only then would they be accessible for him.

Kamari Agrinya:
Status: 2(?) Plates
Location: Outside Tengu Temple