A/N - Thanks so much for all reads, reviews, faves and follows! Today's chapter is a long one. Please enjoy! =D
43 - Bad News
Hydreigon's castle was littered with bodies. Noibat, murkrow and sneasel lay strewn across the floor, forming a path from the dragon's throne room to the main door. Corpses were scattered down the stairs towards the courtyard where they were trampled by deino. Hydreigon didn't give them a second thought. He sat back, frowning at the cocoon. A deep, red glow emanated from it, but it caused no shadows. The light pulsed like a heartbeat, thrumming in the air like static.
"It's grown more intense with each sacrifice," Hydreigon scoffed. "How much more does it want?!"
"I have no idea, my lord," said Yurlik. "But I implore you, we cannot afford to sacrifice any more of your troops. Our armies are small enough as it is."
"Then get more from the breeding pens."
"We've already halved them-"
Hydreigon turned one of his pincers towards the honchkrow, and narrowed his eyes over its head as it mouthed his words. "That was an order, Yurlik!"
The pincer trembled with barely contained rage. Yurlik stammered as he strutted backwards from it. "B-but what about your harem?"
Hydreigon pulled his pincer back and raised his head, dwarfing the quaking bird.
"W-we need the pens," Yurlik went on. "Once this cocoon has hatched, then we'll need to increase our forces. Even doubled, with this on our side we'd be a force to be reckoned with! So why not… spare some of the zweilous instead?"
Hydreigon gave a thoughtful growl and looked back at the cocoon. "That… might be an option. If it's strength this thing wants, then puny little half-baked weeds aren't going to satisfy it. Yes, my zweilous might do nicely. Go and get three of them."
Hydreigon watched the honchkrow skitter from his throne room, then turned back to the cocoon. Beyond the light was a shadowy form, curled up tight like a foetus. The dragon raised his head above it as he examined it from all angles.
"What more do you want?" he muttered. "Why won't you hatch?"
It wasn't long before Yurlik returned with three zweilous in tow. Immediately the throne-room broke out into chaos as the first zweilous tripped over a sneasel. The dominant head berated its twin, met with a harsh curse. The dominant one locked its jaws around its second head. The zweilous at the back was almost pulled in two as the more timid of its heads took one look at the bodies littering the throne room and tried to drag itself back down the corridor. The only zweilous not arguing with itself looked up from the massacre to fix both Yurlik and Hydreigon with twin frowns.
"What do you want?" She asked, her second head casting a wary look at the cocoon. "Why do you want three of us?"
A low purr rose in Hydreigon's throat. The zweilous had no idea what his plans were. He had no desire to tell them, they were just females producing deino. Only the females evolved, since they didn't try to overthrow him. Any males were swiftly dealt with before they became a problem. The females didn't fight. They weren't raised to be soldiers. Their obliviousness to his plans would go strongly in Hydreigon's favour.
"I need all of you to help hatch this." He waved a pincer at the cocoon.
"Why?" The zweilous frowned, suspicion narrowing her eyes. "None of us laid it. And you never call us out for anything unless you want more eggs."
"This is an egg." Hydreigon shrugged. "I can't hatch it. And it's too big for just one of you to hatch."
The zweilous huffed and nodded her submissive head at Yurlik. "And too heavy for him to bring it too us, I guess?"
"It's too precious to move," Yurlik explained. "If it were dropped then the poor thing inside might never hatch."
"And what's with all the bodies?" The zweilous asked, causing her sisters to look up at Hydreigon. They'd been thinking the same thing. "Were you trying to fashion some kind of blanket?"
"They were trying to hatch it," Hydreigon explained. "They weren't strong enough."
The zweilous' face creased with confusion and she stuttered.
"I find that very hard to believe," muttered the zweilous beside her.
The one by the door stopped arguing with herself and stared, quaking, at the cocoon. "It's glowing."
"And it's weakening," Hydreigon growled. "The longer you leave it uncovered the weaker it gets! Hurry up and sit on it!"
The zweilous didn't move. They stared at Hydreigon, the bolder of them challenging him.
Hydreigon let out a dangerous growl. "If you don't, I'll make sure none of you see moon high."
The bolder zweilous sighed and nodded to her sisters, ushering them towards the cocoon. The timid one remained by the door, watching as her sisters moved towards the cocoon.
Hydreigon raised a pincer and dragonfire leaked from its jaws. The timid zweilous gulped and skittered towards the cocoon, reaching it first. As her side brushed against it her entire body stiffened. The other two zweilous froze, their eyes fixed on her. But the second didn't stop in time. She skidded across the tiles and collided with the cocoon. Both zweilous fell limp to the floor.
The bolder one took a step back and snapped her dominant head towards Hydreigon. "What is this thing?! What have you done?!"
Hydreigon barely heard her. The cocoon pulsed faster and faster, its glow radiating off its body and washing over the surrounding pokemon in crimson waves. The shadow inside uncurled and a pair of red eyes flashed from within the crystal surface. The shadow threw its wings out to the side, and the cocoon shattered, raining shards onto the tiled floor like hail. Hydreigon lowered his head and flinched as they bounced off his scales.
The shadow stood, back arched, as it turned its head to take in its surroundings. Its black feathers were oily, shimmering in the low light like the hide of a hatchling fresh from its egg. Its eyes were no longer red, but an icy blue. Perhaps it had been a trick of the cocoon? Its beak opened in surprise, revealing two sharp canines.
"Where am I?" Its voice was hoarse and it licked its beak, then its eyes fell on Hydreigon. "Is this the Shadow Lands?"
"Yes, and this is my castle." Hydreigon waved at the walls. "I am ruler of the Shadow Lands and soon all of Estellis."
"Ruler?" The bird sounded like it was tasting the word, trying to work out what it meant.
Hydreigon straightened, then lowered his head in what he hoped the bird would take as respect. "Are you Yveltal?"
The bird was silent for a long moment, tracing his blue eyes over Hydreigon's body. "Yes."
Hydreigon's words came out in a breathy, "Finally."
"And I am hungry."
Hydreigon met the bird's eyes. Something about that look told him Yveltal wouldn't settle for dried meat from the food stores. He waved a pincer at the remaining zweilous. She looked between the dragon and Yveltal then staggered backwards towards the door.
"Be my guest," said Hydreigon. "I think you'll find she's quite strong."
Yveltal snapped his head around towards the zweilous.
"No!" She turned and bolted from the room.
Yveltal opened his beak wide. A crimson beam shot from his throat and struck the zweilous, freezing her mid-leap. All colour left her body, turning her scales into grey stone. She landed with a clatter on the floor of the throne room, crushing the soft bodies of sneasel and noibat beneath her.
Yveltal straightened and stretched his wings. Crimson splotches decorated his chest and spread out along his wings like freckles. He gave a contented sigh and tucked his wings back against his sides.
"That was very much needed." He locked his gaze onto Hydreigon and a smirk spread across his beak. "Now… tell me more about your rule over Estellis. I wish to know what has changed since I last flew in these skies."
...
Cleo lay on her back in the cool hay, her eyes fixed on the dark sky. She hadn't closed the door to the hut. It was only her and Harlequin in there. She'd barely noticed the zorua following her as she'd returned to their makeshift den behind the Guild. Tiredness had taken over Cleo as she helped deliver medicinal berries to the wounded pokemon filling the ward. There weren't even enough nests to deal with the amount of pokemon suffering near-fatal wounds from the attack. Cleo found herself traipsing back, her mind elsewhere, with no idea what time it was. The moon was hidden behind thick, heavy clouds and the streets were wet with fresh puddles. It was impossible to see them with the whole village in a blackout. No light, not even a single star to guide their way, would hamper the Darkness almost as much as it hampered Cleo and the rest of the Outcasts.
Guards stood on every corner, and she could hear their voices from by the Guild as they expressed their fears of another attack. Cleo could still see the look in the honchkrow's eye as she lead her flock out of the square. That expression of triumph, not even a hint of fear. It made Cleo wonder if the Outcasts had truly won, or if they'd lost. What if an even bigger attack followed? Did Stonehaven have to throw in the towel and move away from their mountain home?
Cleo closed her eyes and sighed. She felt defeated herself. She hadn't even had the stamina to keep helping, leaving Faith, Spark and Mischief to assist Meredith and the others as they cleaned up the square. Faith had been the one to encourage Cleo to go and get some rest. Her head was still aching from the strike she'd taken from the murkrow, but it didn't take much encouragement to accept Faith's advice. As for Mischief, he'd wanted to stay and help out to make up for 'being useless', as he'd put it.
Useless…
Cleo cringed. It was her who'd made him feel like that. She'd been unreasonably cold with him. She knew exactly why he'd not wanted to fight, and she'd attacked him for it. If he'd joined in and snapped then there would be even more casualties to deal with.
A loud yawn jerked Cleo out of her spiralling thoughts and she propped up on her elbow to see Spark stretching as she waddled into the hut, followed by Faith and Mischief. Spark's electricity lit up the hut for a moment as she tried to navigate, then cut out, plunging them into darkness.
"Boy am I tired." The dedenne flopped onto the hay beside Cleo. "It must be nearly dawn, right?"
"Hard to say." Faith cast a glance at the dark sky.
A brisk wind whisked through the door, causing Cleo to huddle into herself.
"You still look exhausted," Faith said as she turned back to Cleo. "Have you had any rest? How's your head?"
"Better, thanks." Cleo rubbed the back of her ears. "I've just not managed to get any sleep yet, that's all."
"I don't think many pokemon here will be getting much sleep," said Faith. "There's been talk of moving."
Cleo clenched her teeth in a grimace. She'd been fearing that.
"The guards will be on watch all night," Faith went on. "So you can get some rest. I'll help them and keep an eye out."
"I'll do it," said Mischief. He shuffled his paws as Faith turned to look at him. "It's the least I can do since I didn't help in the fight."
"Nonsense!" Faith exclaimed. "You've done a lot. Get some rest."
"You've done more," Mischief scoffed, diverting his gaze.
"Well I've already said I'll do it." Faith placed a paw on his shoulder and tried to catch his eye with a smile. "Go on. Get some rest."
Mischief stared at her, almost challenging Faith's instruction. Then he let out a defeated sigh and waved a paw as he slumped over to the hay. He did look exhausted, but it was probably more to do with him battling his guilt all night. The whimsicott fell down onto his back heavily and his arm flopped across his face.
Faith's smile fell as she watched him, and she turned her back to sit in the open doorway. In the low lighting the mawile's form was like a shadow against the thick darkness.
"Mischief?" Cleo said softly.
He opened one eye to look at her.
"I'm sorry." Cleo paused, then added quickly, "For getting upset with you."
He closed his eye again. "You had every reason to be upset."
"No I didn't. I know how you feel about battling and I shouldn't be annoyed with you for wanting to avoid accidentally hurting anyone. It was chaos out there." She took in a sharp breath through her teeth. "I was scared, and I lashed out at you. I shouldn't have done that."
"So was I." Mischief let his arm fall onto the hay beside him and he stared up at the ceiling. "I need you to understand me, Cleo."
Cleo gave a soft sigh. "I thought I was."
"I don't want to hurt anyone, you're right there," he explained. "But I also don't like seeing others get hurt, and those murkrow were everywhere."
"Yeah, that happens," said Spark before Cleo could respond. "This is a war after all."
"I'm aware of that," said Mischief. "Tonight has made me think. And… next time this happens, I'm going to protect you."
Cleo's heart leapt into her throat and she turned her head to look at him.
"But you have to promise me something," he said.
"Go on?" Cleo ventured.
"Promise me you'll run," he said. "Run, and don't come back for me unless you know for certain I've passed out."
Cleo didn't know what to say. All she could do was stare at his fuzzy dark shadow lying sprawled on the hay. She could see where he was coming from. If he was to deliberately risk a burst of madness to protect his friends then it only made sense for them to run. But she wasn't sure if even Mischief could stand up against a flock of murkrow. He was still a grass-type, pokerus or not. What if the tables turned and he needed the help of his friends but they weren't around to give it because they'd fled?
The thought stabbed at her heart. She closed her eyes and rolled onto her back.
"Cleo?" Mischief pressed.
"Okay," she said reluctantly. "I promise we'll run."
There was a long pause as silence filled the little hut. Cleo didn't know how anyone else felt about the situation. Spark was clearly awake, listening in, but she said nothing. There was one thing that didn't settle well with Cleo at all, and she took a deep breath as she voiced it.
"But I'll never abandon you." She heard Mischief shift in the hay and could almost feel his eyes on her. "You want us to run, sure, but if I think you need my help then I'll stay and fight beside you."
"Cleo…"
She turned her head, meeting his orange eyes glinting against what little light leaked through the door. His voice trailed off and he let out a small sigh. He'd known her long enough to know it was pointless to argue. She would never abandon her friends and he knew it. If he was willing to risk his life to protect her then he should expect the same in return.
Another chilled breeze drifted through the hut and Cleo huddled further into the hay. Faith shifted in the doorway and held out a paw.
"Heh!" she said. "It's raining again! I should come inside."
The mawile retreated into the hut and perched near Cleo's feet. She kept her large violet eyes on the world outside and hugged her knees to her chest.
"It's suddenly really cold, too," she said. "If it keeps up like this then we might even get some frost!"
"You're not wrong." Cleo wrapped her tails around herself. "I want to close the door, but…"
Faith gave Cleo an understanding glance. "I think we'll be okay to close it."
"Should we ask Tinker to let us in?" asked Spark.
Harlequin scoffed at that. "So long as I'm with you, I doubt Tinker would let us inside if there was a blizzard, let alone a little chill."
"Harlequin's right," said Cleo, trying to stifle her growing irritation at Tinker. "We'll just have to huddle together for warmth."
"Great," said Spark. "It's about to get real cozy."
The dedenne clambered onto Cleo's shoulder and snuggled down into her neck fur. Faith and Mischief gathered the hay against the wall away from the door, but the draft still managed to find them. The wind picked up blowing the rain sideways. It pelted against the wooden hut until it sounded like someone was throwing gravel at the walls. The door slammed repeatedly on its weak hinges, and Faith tried in vain to keep it shut. The lock was so thick with rust it wouldn't budge.
The mawile gave up and joined her friends on the hay, keeping a watchful eye as the pokemon tried and failed to summon sleep. The threat of another attack, and the rattling wood and freezing drafts were too much for all of them.
Cleo felt a tug at her arm and she looked back at Mischief. The whimsicott was trembling and he moved closer to her, looping his arm around her waist. Cleo's heart did a flip and she looked away, letting him huddle into her back. The wind began to howl and rattle the wooden walls. Harlequin raised their head to look over their shoulder, ears pricked as they frowned at the draft whistling through the wood behind them. They stood up reluctantly and plodded over to Cleo until her bracelet jerked. The zorua stopped a mere inch from Cleo and lowered themselves onto the hay. A shiver wracked the zorua's small body and they curled up into a tight ball. The wind whisked its way through the door, bringing a flurry of slushy rain with it. Harlequin let out a low whine and edged closer to the wall.
Mischief rose to clamber over Cleo, eliciting a yelp of surprise from the meowstic. He nudged her back and flopped down between her and Harlequin. The zorua's head jerked up in surprise, and they watched as Mischief settled onto his back in the hay. Cleo eyed him curiously, but turned as Faith settled herself at Cleo's back. Harlequin gave a loud yawn and lowered their head back onto their paws. With a nod of understanding, Cleo lay back down and huddled into Mischief's creamy fur. A small smile tugged at her lips as the scent of pollen filled her senses. The shivers soon left her body and she found herself drifting into a light sleep.
...
Enigma sat under a tree, its sparse branches doing little to shelter him from the sudden downpour. His fur was soaked through, and he huddled in his sodden scarf as the wind whisked around him, carrying flurries of freezing, slushy rain. He ventured a glance back towards the village, but it was barely visible anymore. He thought for a moment he could make out the silhouettes of the little houses against the mountain, but that was impossible. The entire village was surrounded by stone walls. Not far from Stonehaven, Enigma could just make out the lake. Its surface was inky black and deadly to anyone who would be unfortunate enough to venture out in the storm. It lay like a hidden death-trap, protecting the village from unsuspecting Darkness.
Enigma tore his eyes away and tugged his scarf around himself. The rain was getting heavier. All he had to do was wait it out. He'd been sitting beneath that tree for long enough. Each blast from the wind seemed to chill him to the bone, and he grit his teeth against it.
So this was it. The cold season had officially started, and Enigma had nowhere to go. The wind howled, only echoing the emptiness he now felt inside. It was a stark contrast to the laughter that had filled the air only earlier that night, making the mountain feel eerie and unwelcoming.
Nowhere to go…
No one would want him anyway. Enigma didn't belong anywhere. He'd tarnished the ghost-type's already suspicious name the second Hydreigon had appointed him as one of his aces. A monstrous assassin. A ruthless killer. Yet that mawile had called him a friend.
The memory made Enigma chuckle. Why would anyone consider him a friend? Perhaps Harlequin, but they were also a killer. Assassins didn't have 'friends'. So why did Harlequin's change of heart hurt so much?
The longer Enigma stewed on it the more obvious it became. Harlequin had stuck by him during Enigma's darkest moments, they'd laughed at his jokes, they'd assisted him on missions and even saved his life, and now they'd left him.
Faith was right. Harlequin was the only thing tying Enigma to the Shadow Lands. Enigma had given up long ago, and Harlequin had dragged him through it. Prior to that, Enigma had wanted to leave. He'd had it all planned out and it had fallen through with the ferocity of a landslide. If Harlequin had known about his escape plan, they'd never said anything. And Enigma had kept quiet. Telling Harlequin would have risked both of their lives, if the zorua hadn't turned on him for being a traitor. Fleeing was impossible anyway. Yurlik's watchful eyes spread beyond the Border Woods, keeping an eye out for rebel activity and outlaws. Those who were found never survived for much longer.
The only way to survive was to obey. So Enigma had kept killing, following orders, gathering information, each time returning back to the Shadow Lands. It had become a way of life, a nasty habit. The only way to keep surviving. No… the only way to keep existing.
Fear and vengeance had corrupted his mind. He could see that now.
Now Harlequin was no longer a part of the Darkness, what reason did Engima have to go back? None. None whatsoever.
He was free now. Freedom… Something he thought would feel fantastic, yet it just felt empty and tasted bitter.
Another strong gust washed over him, coating his already sodden fur with a layer of freezing slush. Enigma huddled into himself, his entire body shivering. The branches of the towering trees around him swayed back and forth, spraying droplets from their bare, skeletal branches. The wind howled over the empty mountain peaks, barely visible in the dark sky. It made Enigma realise how small and insignificant he really was. One lone banette in a world that hated him.
Enigma didn't know how long he sat there with the cold, wet wind washing over him. But after a while it began to ease off, becoming nothing more than damp air. He opened his eyes, wondering for a moment if he'd actually been asleep. The mountain peaks were rimmed with the golden light of dawn, yet the sky was still black above him.
Enigma sat shivering as he looked around him, trying to get one last glimpse of Stonehaven. It was still impossible to make out in the low light. Yet it wouldn't be long before the village woke up. Enigma wouldn't be surprised if the Guild sent out a patrol after that attack. As Enigma tried to move, his entire body protested at the effort and each breath came in shuddering bursts. It was as if his limbs were no longer his own. He rubbed at his arms, numbed from the cold. He really needed to get a move on before someone spotted him.
He pushed himself to his feet, grimacing at the stiffness in his muscles. He flexed his shoulders a few times then raised his paws above his head, stretching his spine. Water cascaded down from his scarf and mane and he grabbed the end of his scarf and twisted it to wring the water out. It was completely sodden. He'd have to remove the whole thing to strain it, otherwise it would take forever to dry.
Paws splashed over the wet grass and Enigma froze, raising his head and bracing himself for any threat. Crimson eyes burned with hatred from a face of dark, almost black fur. The pokemon's white body was tense, his long fur plastered over his muscular frame. Twin pawniard flanked him on either side, their yellow eyes wide and wary. Yet Enigma was pretty certain they could do a great deal of damage if they desired. Their companion, however…
Enigma's heart broke into a gallop. He knew what that pokemon was. An absol. A bringer of disaster. A walking curse. He'd not seen one in many years, but he knew nothing good ever followed an absol. His only memory of them was of them being driven from the Shadow Lands as he watched from a gap in his window blind. He could still remember the pack leader's red eyes seemingly locked onto him in an accusatory glare. Yet it must have been all in his head, there was no way she could have seen him. But if that was the case, how else could one explain the events that had followed him since that day?
Enigma dug his claws into his scarf as he met the absol's seething leer. The absol's black claws cleaved into the soggy earth and his breath fogged before his muzzle in a low growl. Enigma wasn't stupid. He knew a fight he couldn't win when he saw it. Three dark types against one ghost? With a snort, Enigma warped into the branches above him just as the absol swung his head forwards. Where Enigma had been stood, the ground exploded into a mist of dark energy. Wet soil splattered around the base of the tree, and the absol swore loudly as he turned his head to spot Enigma. The banette warped again, and in two more bounds he was behind the absol, high up in the tangled branches of a mountain ash. His heart raced as he stared at the ruined earth. A split second later and that would have been him.
The absol muttered something to his companions and the twin pawniard took off in opposite directions, leaving the absol to search the bare canopy. Great, now they were looking for him.
Enigma dropped his density and clutched onto the trunk of the tree, silently hoping the absol wouldn't be able to track him by scent. It didn't take long before the absol gave up and moved on, barking a command to the pawniard. As Enigma watched him go, he couldn't help wondering if the absol was the same one Harlequin had spoken of. The zorua had believed him to be dead, murdered by Yurlik's murkrow flock.
There was absolutely no doubt about it. Like Enigma, absol had been driven to near extinction by Hydreigon. If one was still alive, then it had to be Harlequin's missing 'friend', Harbinger. Enigma made a mental note to keep a close eye on the absol before he brought disaster onto Harlequin. That was if he hadn't cursed the zorua already.
...
Cleo twitched her nose as something tickled it. She wafted it away with her paw, but to no avail. When it didn't relent, she rolled onto her back, swiping out with her claws.
"Hey!"
Her eyes snapped open, spotting a rather cross Spark standing on the hay beside her. The dedenne clutched her long tail in both tiny paws and twitched her whiskers with irritation. Faith sat behind Spark, chuckling.
"Sorry," Cleo mumbled, rubbing her bleary eyes.
"I was only tryin' to wake you!" Spark dropped her tail and raised her paws in a shrug. "I know a mouse shouldn't taunt a sleeping cat, but I didn't have much choice! I don't wanna miss breakfast again!"
"You could have gone without me," said Cleo.
"Yeah I know but I didn't wanna be impolite so I decided to wait." She paused, then added, "Impatiently."
Cleo smiled at Spark's tapping foot, then looked up as Mischief stirred. Harlequin lay with their head resting across his chest, fast asleep. A jolt of surprise filled Cleo's chest, and she caught an amused twitch of the whiskers from Spark.
"Should we wake them?" Faith asked.
"Yes," said Spark.
"We don't have much choice anyway." Cleo raised a paw to show Spark the bracelet. "It's either that, or you go on ahead."
"Nah, I've waited this long. I say we wake them." She cleared her throat. "Oi, Mischief!"
"Hmm?" The whimsicott's eyes fluttered open and he rubbed a paw across his face, blinking the sleep from his eyes. "Why are you staring at me?" He turned his head slightly as he spotted the sleeping zorua and his mouth opened, but no words came out. Just a strangled squeak of confusion.
Harlequin's sapphire eyes snapped open and fixed on his. A brief moment past as realisation dawned on the zorua. Then with a yell, Harlequin leapt backwards across the hay. The collar jolted, keeping their head ahead of their feet, and they landed face-first in the hay.
Spark burst into fits of laughter, tears streaming down her face. She pointed a claw at Harlequin as she keeled over, clutching her stomach. Every word she tried to gasp out was interrupted by her uncontrollable laughter.
Harlequin sat up and glared at her. "It's not funny!"
"Ih-!" Spark took a deep breath and managed to gasp out, "It is!" before rolling onto her back in the hay.
"Oh my!" Faith covered her muzzle with a paw and chuckled. "I think we need to get Spark some food fast! She's going delirious with hunger."
Harlequin's eyes snapped to Faith then back to the writhing dedenne. "It's not funny! It meant nothing!" They cast a glance at Mischief and looked away, their face flushing with embarrassment. "Don't read anything into it. I was cold! That's all!"
Spark sat up and looked at Harlequin. "Oh I wasn't laughing at that! I was laughing at you fallin' flat on your face! But now you mention it, yeah, it is pretty funny." She paused and spurted laughter through her lips. "Did he make a comfy pillow?" The dedenne rolled onto the hay as she exploded into hysterical giggles once more.
Harlequin's neck bristled and they rose to their feet.
"Come on!" Cleo scooped up Spark and carried her through the door. "Let's get you some breakfast."
The others followed her outside, and Harlequin grumbled as they exited the hut last.
"You lot are getting much too comfortable around me," they growled.
"I'd say you're the one getting comfortable," Spark jibed from Cleo's shoulder.
"Spark…" Cleo warned.
Harlequin's eyes widened and they looked away, muttering, "You let your guard down once and suddenly you're going soft."
"I think you need to lay off her now," said Faith. "Besides, it's nice that she's feeling happier around us."
Harlequin looked up at the mawile and flashed a canine. "Happy?!"
Faith smiled down at her and tucked her paws behind her back, keeping pace with the zorua.
When they reached the door to the Guild, the mienshao guards hailed them from the door.
"Tinker wants a word with you," one of them said. "He asked you to meet him outside."
Cleo nodded at them, then turned to her friends. "You lot go inside, I'll wait out here with Harlequin."
"But… what about your breakfast?" Spark asked as she hopped onto Faith's shoulder.
"Bring me something," said Cleo. "I can wait while you have breakfast. I don't mind eating on the go."
"You're really sure?" Mischief asked.
"Of course!" said Cleo. "Just… please also collect the supplies Meredith promised us?"
"Will do!" Spark gave her a wave as Faith ascended the stairs. "I'll try to eat fast!"
"Oh don't give yourself indigestion!" Faith's voice faded as she went inside the Guild.
Cleo turned from the stairs and sat down with her back against the Guild's wall to wait for Tinker. Harlequin sat down heavily beside her and looked away.
"You could have just removed your bracelet and fastened me somewhere," they said. "It's not as if I could have done anything about it."
Cleo looked from the zorua to the street. Pokemon were milling about it as if nothing had happened the night before. She could even smell the pastries baking only a few feet away. Her eye wandered to the rail running along the stairs to the Guild, a convenient place to fasten Harlequin in plain sight of the soldiers. But it was too risky. Not because she believed Harlequin posed a risk to Stonehaven, but because she didn't want to be accused of causing a risk. Some pokemon in Stonehaven might have accepted Harlequin wasn't a danger to them, but other pokemon were much harder to convince. She could already hear Tinker's voice berating her for such a 'foolish move'.
"Cleo!"
Cleo let out a hiss and tried to force her fur flat. Her yellow gaze searched out the riolu.
Tinker trotted down the stairs towards her, trailed by Meredith. The riolu looked rather happy, contrasting the bitterness that clouded Meredith's face. Cleo attuned that to the events of the previous night. Things looked to be getting to normal, sure, but an unexpected attack like that would have left some scars. Cleo had felt the shadows lift herself with Spark's playful jibes, and seeing Meredith brought it all back down on her.
"Here." Tinker dropped a coin pouch onto Cleo's lap. "Your payment, as promised."
Cleo looked down at it with an air of suspicion. "I doubt this is what you wanted me for? Besides, I thought you wanted me to come back with you before you paid us?"
"I only asked for you to report back to me," said Tinker. "Since I'm already here, you've done just that. Technically. I mean, you were rather late."
"Getting attacked wasn't my fault, Tinker."
"Which is why I've not docked your pay." He flashed her a smile. "Everything is there."
"Thank you." Cleo couldn't hide the fact the words were forced, and if Tinker noticed he didn't say anything.
Meredith placed a paw on Tinker's shoulder, silencing anything he was about to say. "I wanted to thank you again for last night, Cleo," said the delphox. "I've never seen those attacks you and your friends used before, or that unusual form-change Faith went through. Whatever they were, they worked very well against the murkrow flock. I don't think we would have survived such an attack without your help." He scratched behind his large ears as he looked down at Harlequin. "I do fear they were after you, however."
"They were after all of us," Cleo explained. "Unfortunately, my friends and I have a price on our heads. We'll be out of here soon, and hopefully another attack won't happen here again." She looked up at Meredith and folded her paws. "How are the injured?"
"Recovering," Meredith answered. "Thankfully we've not lost anyone else, and those we feared wouldn't make it until morning are now stable."
Cleo let out a sigh of relief.
"I do have questions for you," Meredith went on. "I really want to know more about those strange attacks of yours, and that form-change. They were quite amazing."
Cleo gave him a smile. "The best pokemon to ask about all that would be Faith. She knows a lot more than I do. She's in the dining hall." She nodded her head towards the Guild door.
"Then I'll certainly join her! I've not had breakfast yet." Meredith released Tinker's shoulder with a friendly squeeze. "You chose the right pokemon for the job, Tinker."
Before the riolu could answer, Meredith headed back into the Guild. Tinker watched him go then turned back to Cleo and Harlequin.
"I have some news for you, Cleo," he said.
So that's what he wanted? Cleo sat back against the wall. "And what's that?"
"I've decided to take Sandpaw and Scout back with me," he said.
Cleo's tails swished and she gave him a questioning look. "Already? You think they're safe?"
"Without a doubt." Tinker turned to lean against the wall beside her. "Those pokemon they worked for weren't actually Heretics. They'd broken away from their beliefs and were working against the Darkness, while keeping up the facade that they were doing it all for Hydreigon. What they were really doing was finding that new fairy-type - which they'd codenamed Type18 - and were afflicting those pokemon with the new strain of pokerus. Their plan was to send an army of fairy-types into the Shadow Lands to wipe out Hydreigon and his followers."
Harlequin snorted out a laugh. "That sounds like it would have worked."
"Oh, it may have done." Tinker rubbed his muzzle and sighed. "But their plan was not very well thought out. Their leader was impulsive and didn't look at the bigger picture."
"It does sound rather flawed," said Cleo. "All those pokemon would have uncontrollable bouts like Mischief, surely?"
"Oh, it goes well beyond that, Cleo." Tinker took a deep breath and toyed with his everstone. "That pokerus has a very nasty side-effect. After a certain length of time it takes over the host entirely, rendering them completely insane."
Cleo's jaw dropped and she stuttered, unable to find the right words.
"I'm rather concerned about Mischief," Tinker went on. "If that means he might be susceptible to this, then your safety will be compromised."
Cleo said nothing. What could she say? She stared down at her paws and wound them together.
Harlequin looked at Tinker out of the corner of their eye. "There's no cure to this pokerus, is there? Rio didn't manufacture one?"
"We've never had a need for one," said Tinker. "And Rio didn't see a need for one either. So unfortunately, unless a cure suddenly crops up in the very near future, there is no hope for those who he's infected with this pokerus. What makes me even more worried is the amount of infected pokemon that have fled his laboratory and are now hiding out in the Moorlands Forest. They may have spread even further than that, but it's not for you to be concerned about, Cleo. I'll send out a couple of groups to round them up and we'll try to help them as best we can."
"Then that makes finding a cure a big priority," said Harlequin. "Estellis could be in danger from this."
"The pokerus isn't contagious, so I don't fear for Estellis." Tinker looked down at the zorua. "But a cure might be in your best interest, personally. Rio's biggest mistake might be your biggest setback."
Harlequin's muzzle creased and they flashed a canine. "What do you mean by that?"
"Rio's latest - and last - victim to be infected with this pokerus is your friend Enigma."
Harlequin's jaw dropped and they let out a single cry. Their eyes widened with despair, and their ears pulled back flat against their head.
Cleo pushed herself back from the wall, fixing Tinker with a look of alarm.
"What?!" Harlequin cried.
Tinker shrugged and returned to toying with his everstone. "Either you find a cure, or Enigma will have to be destroyed."
"You can't-!"
"He's a threat to the Guild," said Tinker. "He's also a threat to you. And so long as you are tied to Cleo, that puts all of you at risk. I can't have that."
Harlequin leapt to their feet. "Then let me go! I'll find something! A cure that can help all of you!" They met Tinker's doubtful stare and took a step towards him. "You've seen you can trust me! I helped cure all of Stonehaven! I helped you during the murkrow attack! So… so let me go and I'll help."
Tinker stared down at the assassin's pleading face, his expression calculating.
Cleo sighed and rolled her head back against the wall. "It wouldn't change anything, anyway, Harlequin. Enigma has been sent after us. He'd still be on our tails whether or not you are with us. He's still a huge risk, even more-so now he's infected."
Harlequin snapped their head towards Cleo. "And that ticking time-bomb we're travelling with isn't?!"
Cleo's fur bristled and she fixed her glare right onto Harlequin's blazing eyes. But Tinker spoke before she had the chance to bite back.
"That ticking time-bomb is tied to the same fate," he explained. "If he shows any sign of worsening then… well… we'll have to wait and see. If there's no cure found in time then it will be unfair to him and to the rest of you to keep him alive."
Cleo felt icy claws fasten around her heart. The fire in Harlequin's eyes went out and the pair sank under a cloud of misery. Is this what that pokerus did? Was it really nothing more than a slow death-sentence? It slowly took over the infected pokemon, bending them to its will and consuming them with madness until they were nothing more than a walking husk controlled by a murderous parasite. It wasn't fair. What were those Heretics doing? Did they really believe it was okay?
"I'm sorry, Cleo." Tinker's voice was oddly soft. "I'm going to get as many pokemon as I can to look for a cure. Once we find it, Mischief will be our top priority. And Enigma, too."
"You're offering to help the Darkness now?" Harlequin scoffed.
"Harlequin, I am offering to help Estellis. That has always been my job." Tinker kicked himself back from the wall. "Enigma will only be more dangerous with this infection." He paused and gave one last glance towards the meowstic. "Do take care, Cleo."
She watched him head back up the stairs until Harlequin's voice drew her eye away.
"I'm sorry." The zorua stared blankly at the walls of the houses opposite them. "I know you care about Mischief. There's got to be a cure somewhere." Harlequin shook their head sharply. "There's a cure for every poison."
"It's not a poison," said Cleo bluntly. "It's a parasite."
Harlequin licked their lips in thought. "Then… then we poison the parasite." The zorua's sapphire eyes widened and their voice rose with a hint of hope. "We poison the parasite!" They turned to look at Cleo, eyes sparkling. "We just need to find one that won't poison the host!"
"That's… brilliant!" Cleo leant forwards on her knees. "Do you know of one? Does it exist?"
"I don't know." Harlequin's shoulders slumped slightly. "It might take a while to find one. But there has to be one! Some pokemon can eat certain fungi that would kill another. If we can find something that wont harm Mischief then we can rid him of pokerus. Enigma too. And all the others." Harlequin paused and bit their lip. "The only problem is grass-types are susceptible to most poisons."
Cleo's heart sank again. Was it really going to be this difficult?
"There you are!" A happy squeal drew their eyes back to the Guild.
Sandpaw streamed down the stairs with Scout bounding along ahead of her. Mischief followed, with Spark perched on his shoulder. He looked oddly happy compared to the previous night, and Cleo found herself wondering what had happened in the Guild to cheer him up so much. Each of them carried a tray stacked with berries and breakfast pastries.
"We couldn't leave you out here alone," said Spark. "So we brought breakfast to you!" She elbowed Mischief in the jaw. "It was actually his idea."
Mischief rubbed the back of his fluffy head. "Well… you're all alone, so…"
As Cleo stared up at his happy face a pang shot through her chest and her eyes filled with tears. She had to restrain herself from leaping to her feet and throwing her arms around his neck to sob into his shoulder.
"Is something wrong?" he asked her.
Cleo shook her head. "No." She forced a smile and tapped the floor beside her. "Sit down and join me, will you?"
"All right!" Mischief handed her his tray and flopped down beside her. "I got enough for both of us!"
Sandpaw popped another tray onto the floor before Harlequin, and Spark leapt from Mischief to land on its other side.
"For me?" Harlequin asked with surprise.
Sandpaw nodded, and Scout puffed out his chest.
"Yup!" said the little sentret. "I thought we could share?"
A smile spread across Harlequin's face and they let out a laugh. "Thank you." The zorua looked up at the furret. "Where's Faith?"
"She's still inside," Sandpaw explained.
"Yeah, she got talking to Meredith." Spark took a huge bite of a sitrus berry. "She said she'll catch up with us in a bit."
Cleo smiled at that news, glad that Meredith had managed to catch the mawile before they left.
"Harlequin?" Sandpaw's voice stopped the zorua before they could take a bite out of a piece of fish. "I wanted to thank you again for saving Scout last night." The furret edged closer and pulled something from their bag. "I want you to have this."
Harlequin sniffed the pink scarf. "Is it woven with pecha berries?"
"It is! I thought it would help you, since you work with poisons."
Sandpaw leaned towards the zorua to fasten the scarf around their neck. It rested against Harlequin's thick, black ruff. The edge was trimmed with white spots, and it perfectly hid the collar they'd been forced to wear.
"It suits you, actually," said Sandpaw.
"I dunno, I would have gone with blue," said Spark.
Cleo cuffed the dedenne playfully across the ear, causing her to drop her berry.
Harlequin wasn't paying attention. They stared down at the scarf, their eyes wide. "Th-thank you."
"I told Mum you'd be better off with a cape," said Scout. "But she said it would look silly."
"I agree with your mum," said Spark as she dusted down her berry.
Scout threw his arms wide. "But heroes are meant to wear capes!"
Sandpaw scooped up her son and laughed as she rose to her feet. "This is where we part ways."
"But Mum, I've not finished my breakfast with Harlequin!"
"We need to get back inside to get ready," Sandpaw told him. She turned back to Cleo and her friends. "Tinker is taking us back with him, so it'll be the last we'll see of you for a while." A fond smile spread across her muzzle and she dipped her head in a bow. "Thank you so much for helping us! Who knows where we would be now if we hadn't run into you."
Cleo returned her smile and lowered the strip of fish she'd been nibbling on. "It's nothing, really. I'm just glad we found you. You two take care, okay?"
Mischief waved a paw and beamed. "If he's taking you back, then we'll definitely see you again! I look forward to it!"
Sandpaw's smile faltered as she forced to maintain it. "Yes. Hopefully."
The furret retreated towards the stairs and bade them farewell once more. Scout waved both paws with such enthusiasm Sandpaw struggled to hold onto him. His voice rang out across the street, "Bye! See you again soon!"
Cleo's heart sank and she stared down at her half-eaten fish. Mischief continued his breakfast beside her, exchanging banter with Spark. A chill ran down Cleo's spine and she glanced back towards the stairs. From Sandpaw's reaction it was obvious that she knew about Mischief. Was it possible that once they'd finished their quest they'd be returning to New City without him?
The Guild door opened and Cleo heard Meredith's voice as he muttered an apology to Sandpaw. The delphox sidestepped to let her past and descended the stairs with Faith and Mulch in tow.
"I have to say, Faith, what you've told me is absolutely fascinating!" Meredith closed his eyes in a smile, which was reflected in Faith's dainty face. "If I hadn't seen your form-change for myself I might have struggled to believe you!"
"I'm so glad I could help!" Faith clapped her paws together. "It's wonderful that you got to see mega evolution in action!"
Meredith laughed heartily. "Well the second time wasn't a disappointment either!"
"Ahh, that is wasn't!" said Mulch. "It was a delight to see it with no murkrow to disrupt us. I can't believe we'd never heard of all this until now."
Faith placed her paws on the rail beside the stairs. Her eyes sparkled with glee. "That murkrow attack was absolutely terrible, but it seems something good has come from it! Everyone seemed so much more brighter after our little talk this morning."
Meredith steered her down the stairs and nodded. "I feel so too, Faith."
"Perhaps if you need to leave here," said Faith, "you will all be able to find the Fairy Garden?"
"I do hope so. I only wish I could hear more about it." The delphox stopped at the foot of the stairs and placed a paw on Faith's shoulder. "Honestly, I could talk to you for hours. If you could stay a little longer, I'd be delighted. But I understand you need to be on your way." He turned to Cleo and her friends and tucked his paws behind his back. "Faith tells me you're on a mission to find a fire-type pokemon? I'm just sorry I'm not the one you're looking for."
"So are we," said Cleo. "You're a talented fighter, Meredith. It's been an honour to fight alongside you."
"Why thank you, Cleo!" Meredith chortled. "As much as I regret I can't go with you, my heart remains here in Stonehaven. But I can do my best to help you! Long ago, my grandfather told me of a place called Fire Island. It was the home to many ground- and fire-type pokemon. I believe it's barren now. Most of the fire-types you'll have met descended from its inhabitants once they migrated to the mainland. But there's rumour that some remained. You might find who you're looking for there, or perhaps in the desert not far from it?"
"Fire Island, eh?" Mulch rubbed the back of his head and gazed up a the sky. "I've heard of that myself. I'd always believed it to be a legend."
Cleo and Spark exchanged puzzled glances.
"It's worth a start," said the dedenne. "I mean, we don't exactly know where we're going so why not start there?"
"Looking for somewhere that might not exist?" Cleo stared down at her half-eaten fish. "I don't know…"
"I've heard of it." Faith's voice took Cleo by surprise. "I was also of the belief it was barren, so it never occurred to me to mention it. It's an old volcanic isle to the east, miles away from the mainland's coast. It suffered a massive eruption that even the most tough of fire-types would have struggled to withstand. But if some have survived, then it is definitely worth a look!"
Cleo's ears pricked with surprise and her eyes widened. "If they managed to escape the eruption then they could have eluded the Darkness!"
Faith's muzzle split into a beaming smile and she nodded rapidly. The mawile turned to Meredith, a bounce in her step. "You may have helped us out more than you realise! Thank you!"
"Don't thank me yet." Meredith shook his head and placed a paw on her shoulder. "Not unless you find your fire-type helper. Like I said, it's only a rumour."
"Well it's a start," said Spark. "So we go east?" The dedenne turned and pointed towards the north gate.
Cleo picked her up and turned her so she was pointing the right way.
Mulch doubled over with laughter. "Ahh, you younguns. Well, I need to be on my way. Got cleanin' duty with little Fussy. I look forward to the day we meet again."
He looped his long arms around Faith and pulled her into a crushing hug, which the mawile returned gratefully. Once they'd parted, he waved to Cleo and her friends and shuffled away down the cobbled street.
"I'll be leaving as well, I'm afraid," said Meredith. "I need to check in on the ward. I honestly can't thank you enough, you've been such a huge help to Stonehaven. I can't help but think you came here at just the right time." He glanced to Faith and the mawile gave him a small smile. "Take any supplies you need. It's the least I can do."
"Thank you, Meredith," said Cleo.
The delphox smiled warmly and, with a nod to Harlequin, he returned to the Guild.
"Well!" Faith twirled to face Cleo and her friends. "We get to look for a potentially lost culture? How exciting!"
"It is pretty exciting," said Spark. "I mean, imagine if we found them? How huge would that be?"
"Potentially devastating if Hydreigon found out." Harlequin's words made Spark visibly sink. "We have to keep hush-hush about this. If they are there, then we need to find them first. Don't we?"
"She has a point," said Cleo before Spark could retort. "If there is a fire-type there who is key to defeating the Wildfires then we absolutely must keep any hint of them secret."
Spark nodded and took a huge bite out of an oran berry.
Cleo looked over at each of her friends as they broke out into conversation. She settled back against the wall beside Mischief, but the conversation blurred as her mind wandered over both Tinker's words. How long would it take them to find this fire-type? Would they need to prioritise finding a cure for Mischief first? Her friends were oblivious to the true nature of Mischief's condition, save for Harlequin. She desperately wanted to tell them, but if she told Mischief about his potential fate then how would he take it? The last time she'd held something back from him, he'd been devastated. But this? It would crush him.
Her paw tightened around the strip of dry fish, causing it to crumble against her pads.
'We poison the parasite… We just need to find one that won't poison the host.'
Cleo looked up at Mischief, his face lit up in a smile as he discussed their next course of action with his friends. Cleo bit her lip and turned her head towards the sun as it traced its path towards the west.
They needed to find that cure. But a poison that wouldn't harm the host? Did such a thing exist?
Cleo hoped desperately that, for Mischief's sake… for the sake of Estellis… that it did.
...
Thanks for reading! Please R&R! =D
