Chapter Nine

A soft knock at the door roused Arric from his sleep. He had not realized when he had finally fallen back asleep and he lifted his head from his curled state to see Hannah pop her head through the door. She frowned, not finding Arric in his bed, a concerned look crossed her face when she spotted Arric still curled up in the corner of his room. His hair was ragged, his facial fur sticky from past tears and the bags under his eyes looked like he had not slept in months. Closing the door behind her, Hannah hurried over to Arric, swiping a blanket from his bed and wrapped it around his shoulders, taking him in her arms as she crouched next to him.

"Arric what happened?"

The concern in her eyes made Arric want to pour his heart out to her, to tell her everything that had been happening. From the first nightmare to the deep secrets that the tribe leaders were keeping from them all. He felt as if telling Hannah would end all his problems and everything would be fine again yet deep down Arric knew that was not true. He could not tell her. She would only call him crazy like everyone else had in the Flareon village. Vesper had only grown angry whenever he mentioned the nightmares and Lea would only pat his head and tell him they would go away on their own soon enough.

"Just a nightmare." Arric turned away from her.

Hannah shook her head and rocked him gently. He felt warm in her embrace and Arric leant his head against her, closing his eyes, willing the memories of his dreams to fade away. They sat there in silence for a while before Arric cleared his throat and moved to stand. He stretched, feeling his whole body protest to getting up when all he wanted to do was climb back into bed and sleep. Arric shuddered at the thought; he had enough of sleep and nightmares for now.

Arric held out his hand to Hannah and she took it with a small smile, pulling herself to her feet. She waited for him to wash his face and fix up his hair until he looked like his normal self again. She twiddled with a piece of hair as he was slicking down a patch of hair that did not want to stay in place.

"You know you can talk to me Arric. About anything." Hannah said quietly.

Arric looked over at her and saw the hurt in her eyes and his heart sunk in his chest. He did not mean to distrust her, she meant well and he was sure she would believe him in time when he had proof. He grabbed her shoulders slightly and forced a smile.

"I'm fine Hannah but thanks. It's good to know you care."

Hannah nodded softly trying to hide the hurt on her face. Arric followed her out of the room where he found a Glaceon waiting to take them to the kitchens for breakfast. When they made it to the kitchens and found the others, Quin had already made a bowl for Arric, sliding it over to him as he sat next to Hannah. Arric pushed the food around his bowl with his spoon before he realized that Quin was watching him with a worried look. Arric laughed nervously before scooping a spoonful and began his meal, ignoring Hannah's glare.

"It's about time you got up Arric. We sent Hannah to get you before you slept the day away!" Grace folded her hands under her chin, "I overheard Master Bowen say there is a festival tonight and everyone is preparing for it! There will be dancing and singing and something about the night sky filled with lights!"

She spread her arms out to emphasize her point a broad smile on her lips. Arric finished his meal and washed up, joining the others waiting for him. A Glaceon lead them through the winding tunnels up towards the surface. It was full of life unlike the day before. Glaceon spanned across the entrance of the tunnel setting up tables and seats, while others sat at a few of the tables busy creating buntings, flags and streamers all the colours of the rainbow. On one side of the tunnel, Glaceon were carefully setting up a boundary on the frozen lake, some were skating in pairs, laughing as they stumbled over each other, gaining a few glares from the Glaceon trying to set up.

A shout caught Arric's attention and he managed to jump out of the way as two sleds laden with Glaceon sped past, one calling out an apology as they disappeared around a mound of snow. Arric could not help but grin at the bustling Glaceon around him, the last lingering thoughts of his ordeal last night melting away. Grace nudged him and pointed to the group of Glaceon who were now pulling their sleds up the hill.

"Come on Arric, let's go."

The two of them raced off up the hill, waving a greeting to the Glaceon who were prepping for another slide down the hill. One of them smiled brightly at them as they approached, her light grey hair wound tightly into a bun at the top of her head, and her pale fur was speckled with snow.

"Hey there." She motioned towards the sled in front of her, "Want to have a go?"

Grace nodded and hopped on the sled with the Glaceon climbing on behind her. Her squeals of delight followed her down the hill and faded as they rounded a corner.

"How about you?"

A dark blue Glaceon stepped up to Arric, pointing over at his sled. Arric took a spot up front, settling in and holding on tightly as the Glaceon climbed behind him. He leant forward, wrapping his arms around the rail in front of Arric.

"Hold tight, lean with me and we should be fine."

Arric gulped as the Glaceon pushed the sled forward towards the edge of the hill, letting it fall forward. Arric felt his stomach rise to his throat as they sped down the hill, kicking up the snow behind them. He felt the Glaceon lean to the right and he followed, feeling the sled move swiftly to the left to follow the path that Grace had taken. The trees and snow mounds sped past them, the thrill of the ride bubbling inside of Arric until his cheeks grew sore from smiling so much. They reached Grace and her sled partner at the end of the track, Grace's face beaming.

"That was amazing!" She screamed in delight.

The two of them helped pull the sleds back up the hill and left the pair to others who waited for their turn, some other Glaceon started pulling up their own sleds. Arric and Grace made their way down the hill towards the Glaceon who were creating the decorations. Hannah and Quin were carefully constructing their own, chatting with the Glaceon at the table. Hannah finished placing the finished touches on her bunting as Arric sat next to her. She held up the cloth bunting up at him, it was red and blue in colour with snowflakes and geometric shapes painted onto the cloth.

"What do you think?"

"Very nice." Arric grinned at her.

A blush crept over her face and she stood, excusing herself as she looked for somewhere to hang the bunting. Arric turned to Quin and Grace, the two of them chuckling over Graces attempt of a snowflake, which looked more like a mangled tree. Puffing out her cheeks, she feigned annoyance at Quin as he doubled over laughing as she tried to fix the painting, which only made it worse. Arric joined in, nudging her shoulder with his,

"Perhaps stick to the sleds Grace."

Grace stuck out her tongue, looking down at her painting and bursting out laughing herself, "It really is bad isn't it!"

Arric collected a few pieces of cloth himself and a paintbrush. Carefully he painted along the edges of the banner creating a swirling border. He placed a strip of cloth in the center, stitching the two pieces together before painting small snowflakes over the center piece. Nodding his satisfaction, he passed it to the Glaceon at the head of the table who carried it away to hang it up. Arric stretched, rubbing the back of his neck. He spotted Avice and Bowen walking through the festival grounds, inspecting the work of each of the Glaceon. Avice strode with purpose while Bowen ambled slowly beside her; warmly smiling and chatting easily with the Glaceon they walked by.

"Those two a definitely polar opposites." Bree nodded to the leaders as she sat across Arric.

Arric nodded in agreement, watching as Avice looked up at some of the hanging decorations, giving them a critical eye, "I expected Glaceon to be cold but Master Bowen is quite welcoming."

Bree leaned over lowering her voice, "Tak told me that Madame Avice is Madame Lycia's and Madame Nia's sister. They are triplets!"

Arric's brow shot up in surprise. The three sisters took different evolution paths? It would have been before the revolution took place how were they not pushed to be pure?

Arric shook his head, leaning back in his seat, "How would Tak know this?"

Bree squirmed in her seat suddenly looking uncomfortable. Her hands wrung together as she looked over her shoulder. Glancing back at Arric she opened her mouth but then snapped it shut shaking her head.

"Tak made me promise not to say. He said he wasn't even supposed to tell me but I guess he saw he could trust me. Madame Nia is his aunt after all, so it makes sense that he would know."

Her cheeks burned a bright red. Arric leaned towards her a sly smile on his lips, "Do you have a thing for Tak?"

Bree's eyes widened in shock, bolting upright to her feet, "I uh, Hannah I'm coming!"

The Eevee raced off towards her sister and Arric grinned after her. It was sweet that Bree had a crush but on Tak of all Pokemon? Arric frowned as he remembered his conversation with Tak yesterday. What other things did Tak know and why did he have such insider information. Lycia could not trust a simple Eevee so easily even if he was her nephew. Arric decided the only way to find out for himself was to ask Tak. Arric rose from the table and made his way across the snow towards the lake where the Glaceon were setting up the skating rink. He found Tak tying a piece of rope to a thick stick buried into the ice. Tak looked up as Arric approached, handing him the other end of the rope and pointed to the other stick of the fence. Arric nodded and the two made quick work of their side of the fence, making sure that each piece would unravel if someone bumped into it. Tak checked over their handiwork, grunting his approval. Arric saw his chance.

"Tak how is it that Madame Lycia has so much trust in you? Is it because she's your aunt?"

Tak shrugged, "Umbreon don't normally keep secrets that aren't really worth keeping. I asked and Madame Lycia gave me enough of an answer to be satisfied. If there was anything else that she didn't want to tell me, well, she wouldn't and no matter how much I prodded or pried, she wouldn't budge."

Arric nodded. He knew he was not going to get anything else out of him and it looked as if the festivals preparations had been finished. Glaceon headed for the entrance where Avice and Bowen stood. Tak and Arric followed, joining up with Quin, Hannah, Bree and Grace in the crowd. The sun had begun to set, the sky casting a display of oranges and purples across the snow.

"Glaceon and guests!" Avice called out to the crowd, "Tonight we celebrate the Light Festival. A time to remember the beauty and power we have all accomplished as a family. Enjoy yourselves and remember to grab a seat for when the night lights up the sky!"

A cheer rose through the crowd and began to disperse. A group of Glaceon pushing carts scurried over to the tables, placing dish after dish until six of the tables were covered in all sorts of delicious food. Arric collected a small plate and grabbed some of the fish and fruit he found on one table, before moving to the next, grabbing bits of different dishes until he was satisfied. He sat with Quin and Hannah who were already eating their own collection. The food melted in his mouth and he remembered how hungry he was. Wolfing down what remained on his plate; he placed the dish in a wash bin and took a stroll through the festival. He spied Bree and Tak slowly making their way around the skating rink, lost in conversation. He chuckled to himself at how cute they looked together. He found Grace with the sleds, loudly announcing her victory against another Glaceon, willing anyone else to give her another race. She spotted Arric and called out to him.

"Hey Arric! Think you can beat me?"

Arric held his hands up in defeat, "We already know who the champion here is Grace."

She pouted before turning to a Glaceon beside her. Arric shook his head smiling to himself as he settled on one of the seats that were place for viewing the lights. The moon above lit the whole grounds around him and Arric could not imagine what these lights were that a whole festival was dedicated to them.

"Not partaking in the festivities Arric?"

Arric whirled around to find Bowen sitting across from him. The Glaceon smiled warmly at him and Arric sank back down in his seat.

"Not really in the celebrating mood." Arric confessed.

"Your friends mentioned you were having bad dreams."

Arric bristled. So they did talk about him behind his back and worse they noticed him having bad dreams and they were all talking about it. Arric looked to the ground at a loss on what to say. What else were his friends talking about him behind his back? Did they all think he was crazy, weak?

"They were merely concerned for you." Bowen answered as if he could sense Arric's thoughts, "They wanted to know if Avice and I knew of anything about dreams and the Evolution Ritual. Tak especially."

Arric looked up at the Glaceon. His eyes searched his for any sign that the Glaceon was not trying to trick him that his friends really did think he was crazy but found none. His heart filled with comfort and with guilt. His friends were only trying to help.

"What did you tell them?"

Bowen leant back in his seat, watching the Glaceon that surrounded them, "I told them we were not the right people to talk to."

Arric huffed. Of course, they were not. Nothing was ever easy. Bowen hummed a sound of delight at the Eevee's annoyance, "Madame Estella would the best to see about dreams."

Ah yes of course. Estella was a psychic Pokemon and she could eat dreams, which would help decipher them. The only problem was that they would not be visiting the Espeon territory until last.

"Madame Estella has been known to visit the other territories from time to time. She especially enjoys visiting the Umbreon and Leafeon territories." Bowen continued, his eyes now followed his mate as she made her way to the head of the viewing area. He stood, looking over at Arric with a sad look in his eyes, "I only wish for these nightmares to get better. Try not to let them get to you, who knows, perhaps they are trying to tell you about something deeper."

The Glaceon moved over to Avice, leaving Arric to ponder over his words. Would Estella really be able to help him decipher his dreams or would it lead to only more questions than answers? Frustration bubbled inside him, why was this only happening to him? Avice's voice caught his attention, the Glaceon stood tall as she addressed the crowd before her, Bowen standing next to her.

"The lights will soon come to grace us. I thank you all for sharing this moment with us."

Avice's tail and ears began to glow as she gathered a small ball of white in her hands. Above lights began to waver across the night sky in all the colours of the rainbow. Reds and greens danced with blues and yellows, the light dancing across the night sky, hiding the stars. Avice lifted her hands to the sky and a bright beam shot out into the dark, bursting like a firework sending snowflakes to slowly drift down over the festival and frozen lake. Arric held out his hands and, letting a few land in his palm. They felt cool to the touch, melting to his warmth. Around him, Glaceon looked up at the sky, enjoying the view above them as Avice sent wave after wave of snowflakes down upon them. The lights reflected off the snowflakes and soon it looked like the skylights had drifted down to surround them. Arric had never seen anything so beautiful.

Eventually the festival began to wind down. Glaceon packed up what they could, leaving the decorations for tomorrow while some stayed to watch the lingering lights in the sky late into the night. Arric joined his friends to be lead back to the sleeping chamber by a Glaceon. Grace and Quin talked over each other about the lights, their excitement sent into overdrive. Tak and Bree followed ahead with Bowen asking questions on how the Glaceon find their way through the tunnels and what events did they hold in the main hall chamber. Hannah walked beside Arric in a comfortable silence. The pair watched their friends in front of them before Hannah yawned, holding up a hand to cover her mouth.

"I never thought I'd be so happy for bed." She laughed but caught herself, "I'm sorry Arric."

Arric yawned and gave her a lopsided grin, "You're not the only one."

"Do the nightmares come every night?" Hannah's voice was just above a whisper.

Arric shook his head, "No. I never know and otherwise I don't dream at all."

Hannah fell silent, her eyes locked straight ahead, as she mulled over the information. She sighed heavily stopping at Arric's door facing him, "For what it's worth, we only have a few weeks left until the Evolution Ritual."

Arric winced. He still had no idea who he was going to pledge for. The other territories had all been marvelous in their own way but none called to him.

"That's true." He gave Hannah a quick hug, "Good night Hannah."

Hannah left him to his room, Arric closing the door behind him and slumping down on the bed. Exhaustion began to set him and he looked down at the bed, his stomach tying itself into knots just at the thought of sleep. He rested his back against the wall and stared into the darkness. Images of the volcano, tree and waterfall flashed through his mind, settling onto the swirling eyes of the beast. The scraping claws still echoed through his ears and he felt himself begin to tremble. Steeling himself, he pushed the thoughts aside and concentrated on the Evolution Ritual. The Flareon were never going to be a choice, he adored Lea but the way Vesper had treated him growing up left a bad taste in his mouth. The Vaporeon were fighting a feud, which he could not understand, the Leafeon were kind but held so many secrets. Arric went through his thoughts over and over late into the night before he realized he had finally fallen asleep.