A/N - This chapter contains a couple of scenes new to this re-write. One of them is in answer to questions raised about the main event in the following chapter. Readers were right, and it was definitely needed. So I hope you enjoy =D
Thanks for all reads, reviews, faves and follows!
47 - Wagons
A loud yawn cut through the grey dawn as Spark emerged from the bush. Her tiny form sank in the snow and she hopped up onto the crusty surface, catching Cleo's eye.
"S'dawn already?" said the dedenne, yawning again. "Why didn't you wake me?"
Cleo said nothing, staring off over the barren, white landscape. She'd taken over from Faith and, unable to sleep, had decided to leave Spark dozing in Harlequin's warm fur.
"I was thinking," Cleo explained.
"Wow, that's a dangerous game."
Cleo let out a sigh.
"Whoa. Not even a twitch of a smile?" Spark sat down beside her, sinking in the soft snow up to her chest. "You're thinkin' about Mischief, aren't you?"
Cleo sighed again and raised her paws in a weak shrug. "He's out there all alone, Spark. Should we… should we look for him? I mean, where do we even start?"
"That honchkrow was takin' him back to Hydreigon, Cleo. There's no way we can catch up with them now."
"That's not necessarily true." Harlequin stood in the mouth of the bush, her ears trained on the two pokemon.
Cleo looked back at the zorua who sensed her unvoiced question.
Harlequin sat down beside Spark, with Faith in tow. "Those murkrow couldn't have flown far in that blizzard. They were too weak for one thing. Even a strong flier would have struggled in that storm."
"So Mischief might not be too far?" Spark asked.
Cleo grimaced and looked away. Mischief might have been stronger than those murkrow, but he was still a grass-type. The dire thought had been tumbling around in Cleo's head all night. If he had managed to escape the murkrow and find shelter he would have survived, but he might be weak from the cold. If the entire flock had managed to shelter, then they'd be on their way to the Shadow Lands again.
"I don't even know where to begin looking," said Cleo.
"Yeah," said Harlequin. "It would be like searching for a trevenant in a forest."
Spark fired a glare at the zorua, electricity sparking over her orange fur. Harlequin flinched back from it and raised a paw.
"What?" she scoffed. "If you'd said it, it would have been funny."
"Sense the mood," Spark scolded.
"No, Harlequin's right," said Cleo. "It would be impossible. We have to find this fire-type as well. Would it really be right to delay that by looking for Mischief? He's… he's probably…" A lump formed in her throat, choking off her words.
Faith placed a paw on her shoulder. "Mischief wouldn't want you to sacrifice Xerneas' request to go looking for him, Cleo. We need to find this fire-type, you're right. And maybe we'll find Mischief on the way. Who knows?"
Cleo took in a trembling breath and nodded. "You're right. We need to get a move on."
As Cleo pushed herself to her feet, Spark fired another glare at Harlequin.
"See?" said the dedenne. "That's how you sense the mood."
Harlequin rolled her eyes and stood up. "Yeah, whatever." She shook the snow from her fur and adjusted her bag over her back. "While you guys go looking for that fire-type, I'm gonna go look for Harbinger."
Cleo jerked her head around, ready to reel the zorua in. Her wrist felt light and she absently rubbed where the bracelet had once been. She met the zorua's cool gaze, no longer icy and unyielding. It suddenly struck Cleo that she was no longer looking at an enemy. She was meeting the eyes of a friend.
A friend who had just declared she was about to leave them.
Cleo swallowed around the lump in her throat. "You're leaving?"
Harlequin nodded. "I need to get this mega stone to Harbinger."
"But… I thought you were helpin' us," said Spark.
"I am," Harlequin explained. "We're still fighting on the same side, right? If Harbinger's going to join us in this battle then I can't be side-tracked. We'd just be slowing each other down otherwise, and it's valuable time we can't waste."
The group stood in silence, and Harlequin shifted with unease.
"You guys have done a lot for me." Harlequin lowered her eyes and trailed a paw through the snow. "This isn't as easy as you might think."
"It's not easy for us either," said Cleo. "But you do have a point. You're… you're free to go."
Harlequin looked up at the meowstic and Cleo bit her tongue. The way she'd worded it had made it sound like Harlequin was still a prisoner.
"Thank you." The zorua's words took Cleo by surprise.
A smile formed on the meowstic's face which Harlequin returned.
"We're really going to miss you, Harlequin," said Faith. She placed a paw between the zorua's ears. Harlequin flinched slightly, but her fur fell flat as she relaxed. "You take care out there, okay? And once you've found Harbinger, try to find us too."
Harlequin nodded and Faith stood back, tucking her paws behind her back. The zorua made to leave, but froze and looked back over her shoulder.
"I'll keep an eye open for Mischief, too," she said. "You never know, our paths might cross."
Cleo's shoulders relaxed so much she almost slumped into the snow. "That would be a huge relief, thank you, Harlequin."
The zorua nodded. "If I find him, I'll help him find a poison to kill that parasite. He's not the only one suffering with it after all."
Before Cleo could say anything more, Harlequin skipped off over the snow. Cleo watched her small, dark form vanish over the side of the hill.
"And then there were three," said Spark sadly.
Cleo tried to swallow away the stubborn lump then turned to head in the opposite direction.
Spark clambered over her fur to land on her shoulder. "Does anyone even know where we're goin'?"
"East," said Cleo, catching Faith's eye. "Right?"
Faith nodded and looked to the sky. "Although it's easy to lose our way in this snow. I can barely see the sun. But I think we're going the right way."
Without the blizzard they could see further. The spiny ridge of the mountain rose up on their right, while far to their left they could make out the forest, the bare branches of the trees weighed down under heaps of snow. Cleo's map was useless, however. Once again they were in territory she'd not mapped. The mountain gave her a vague idea of which way to go, but it was still a treacherous endeavour.
The three pokemon fought their way through the snow, climbing up and down over the hilly landscape. Without Mischief's springy gait at her side, or Harlequin trudging along behind them, things just didn't feel the same. It left a heavy weight hanging around Cleo's heart, and she did her best to try to take her mind off it. Spark joked on her shoulder, trying to lighten the mood. Before long, the sun began to poke from the clouds, reflecting off the snow with a blinding intensity.
At least with the sun they could find their way onto the right path. But even with the sun behind them the snow was blindingly white. Cleo ventured a glance back to see how far they'd come. A trail of paw prints lead back over the hills, vanishing into the whiteness.
With a shudder, Cleo pressed on. Faith rubbed at her arms with her paws.
"Do you know if there are any towns nearby?" she asked. "I think we could do with warming up a bit."
Cleo shook her head. "I'm sorry. This place is as alien to me as it is to you."
"Hang on." Spark stood up straight on Cleo's shoulder and pointed a claw. "What's that?"
"What's what?" Cleo squinted in the direction Spark was pointing.
"That there, movin' over the hills." Spark looked between Cleo and Faith. "Can either of you see it?"
Faith narrowed her eyes and raised a paw to shield them from the sun. "I… I can! What on earth is that?"
Cleo strained her eyes to try to spot what had caught her friends' attention. Something was moving over the hills in a line, almost serpentine. But the longer she looked the more clear it became. It wasn't a single entity. It was a group of pokemon, towing wagons.
"Travelling Outcasts," she said, her heart beginning to rise. "Travelling Outcasts!"
Faith clapped her paws. "Oh my! Do you think they'll let us join them for a bit?"
"Possibly." Cleo moved over the snow with a renewed vigour. "We can only ask!"
...
The storm had been merciless. Mischief had spent hours searching for somewhere warm, only to find it once the blizzard had settled. He stood in the middle of the white landscape, rubbing at his arms with such vigour he feared he might rub the fur clean away. The shelter had been little more than a shrub dangling over him, keeping the worst of the snow at bay. He'd not expected the world to look as white as it did once he'd woken from a fitful sleep.
Everything was so white. He'd never seen anything like it. Or had he? He couldn't remember.
One thing was for sure though. He couldn't see Cleo or his other friends anywhere. Were they okay? Or had they been buried under the cold wet stuff soaking through his feet?
He fought the urge to go digging for them. Cleo was strong. She'd be okay, and so would Spark. All he needed was a better vantage point to try and spot them. Cleo would be harder to spot, being so white. But Harlequin would be easy.
The whimsicott pushed himself through the snow, gritting his teeth against its biting fury. Soon his paws found rocks as he carried himself up a steep slope. Trees hugged the incline, huddling together as if for warmth. Mischief gravitated towards them, finding relief as his paws found ground free from snow. After what felt like an eternity, the grass-type stood on a precipice looking out over the vast landscape.
So white. Everything was so white.
A tremble ran through his frozen body. He took in a deep breath and cupped his paws around his mouth.
"Cleo!" he cried. "Spark!"
All that came back was a faint echo of his own voice.
Empty.
White.
Mischief hugged his arms around himself as an unusual feeling washed over him. Alone. Alone and cold. He closed his eyes, fighting back tears.
He had to find them.
No. He would find them.
He turned from the precipice to follow the rocky path along the white landscape.
...
The rattling of wheels and marching feet were muffled by the snow, but the noise was like a blessing to Cleo's ears. The sun symbol emblazoned on the carts felt like a beacon inspiring hope in her chest. The carts were teeming with pokemon huddled together for warmth. What supplies they carried were hidden from view under heavy grey sheets smattered with snow. Cleo kept her eyes on the oncoming pokemon as she raced as fast as she could over the soft snow, her breath burning with cold in her lungs. Faith kept pace at her side, waving a paw to catch the lead pokemon's attention.
It didn't take long for the Outcasts to see them. The tauros leading the group slowed to a halt and stamped his hoof. His breath puffed from his nostrils in twin clouds of mist and he lowered his horns.
"Stop right there." His deep voice rumbled in the air with an unmistakable authority that forced Cleo to skid to a stop.
The other carts rattled to a halt as pokemon of all shapes and colours leapt from them to intersect Cleo and her friends. The snow melted away around a heatmor as he landed among them, a long tongue of flame flicking from his narrow mouth as he stared down the meowstic.
Cleo obliged and raised her paws. "Don't worry." She motioned to the badge pinned to her bag strap. "We're with the Guild."
The travellers relaxed, all but the tauros who kept his horns lowered.
"Well I'll be!" The voice came from the cart above the bull's head. An old kecleon leaned on a gnarled cane as he peered over the front of the cart. "So you are! And a psychic-type too! I thought you were all gone!"
Cleo smiled up at him. "Not all of us. Where are you heading in this weather?"
"Anywhere," said the kecleon. "We keep on the move to avoid detection from the Darkness, stopping at whatever towns we can find every now and then. Although there is better weather to travel in, I won't deny."
"Exactly." The tauros looked back at the pokemon still gathered in the snow. "So are you gettin' back on board so we can move, or what?"
The travellers clambered back onto the cart as the kecleon chuckled.
"Now now, Rido," he told the tauros. "Let's have some patience! We've not seen a friendly face in days." He turned his attention back onto Cleo, and the corners of his eyes wrinkled in a smile. "My name is Old Red. I'm the leader of this rabble." He chortled and waved to the carts gathered around them. Cleo counted five in total, each towed by a pokemon.
"Red?" Spark asked, her eyes widening. "But… you're green!"
The kecleon spotted Spark for the first time and his eyes widened. "Well I'll be! There's three of ya!" A fond chuckle left his throat. "Aren't you tiny!"
Spark's whiskers crackled, making Cleo's fur tingle. "Oi! I might be small, but I'm mighty!"
The kecleon laughed and waved a paw. "I didn't mean bad by it, my dear. My, I myself am a foot smaller than your average kecleon! They say the best things come in the smallest packages. That makes you a gem among dedenne."
Spark's electricity fizzled out and she sank slightly in Cleo's fur. "Well… yeah, I guess I am pretty awesome." The tone of her voice suggested her entire face had turned red.
Cleo shook her head, stifling a laugh. "I'm Cleo," she said. "And this is Spark and Faith."
"Why are you called Red if you don't mind me asking?" Faith asked.
The tauros rolled his eyes and snorted loudly.
"Because I used to be!" Old Red flashed her a grin. "When I hatched I was bright red! But as you can see, I've taken the normal kecleon colour over the years." He paused as he looked at each in turn. "Where are you girls heading? We can offer you a ride if you'd like."
"We're actually heading in the opposite way to you," Cleo explained. "We're going east to Fire Island."
"Fire Island?" The kecleon's gasp was echoed across the carts. "That sounds like a dangerous journey, friends. What takes a trio of Outcasts like yourselves in that direction? There's no Guild Hall there."
Cleo opened her mouth to reply, but Faith beat her to it.
"We're not sent by the Guild," Faith explained. "Cleo and Spark here are with the Guild, but I'm from the Fairy Garden. We're on a quest from Xerneas to find someone to help us defeat the Wildfires."
A ripple of voices spread across the wagons, and many more eyes were sent Cleo's way. Another cart pulled up beside the kecleon's as a rampardos moved forwards, his eyes fixed on Faith.
"Defeat the Wildfires, huh?" The kecleon scratched his cheek with a claw. "That sounds like a frightful mission."
A cold chill ran through Cleo, and not from the cold. She hugged her arms around herself and felt Spark tremble on her shoulder.
"We're not really lookin' forward to it ourselves," said the dedenne.
"I can imagine. A journey across that nightmare of a sea, and a battle with Hydreigon's pack of blazing hounds?" The kecleon shook his head sadly. "I don't envy you that at all!"
"Sounds like a suicide mission," said the rampardos. "But I can't imagine you've been sent on that mission to die. Xerneas must know what he's talking about."
Faith looked up at the large dinosaur with a start. "You've heard of Xerneas?"
"I've heard stories," he said. "I never believed them to be true however. You're actually from the Fairy Garden?"
"I am," said Faith, almost speechless.
Old Red looked back at Faith. "You mentioned this Fairy Garden earlier. But I can't say I've heard of that myself."
Faith huddled into her fur. "Sadly I'm finding that's a common statement these days. If you'd like I can tell you about it?"
The rampardos' eyes lit up with glee and he looked up at Old Red. "I don't mind changing course for a bit if you're happy to offer them a lift?"
"That's a great idea, Stompy," said Old Red. "It's not like we have a destination in mind!"
"Oh good." Rido rolled his eyes. "Can we hurry it up before we all turn to ice?"
The kecleon flushed and stood back from his perch. "Oh of course! Of course! Friends, would you like to join us? We're happy to head east and cut some time off your journey, how does that sound?"
The tauros snorted and thrashed his three tails. "Do any of us actually have a say in that?"
"Be nice, Rido." The kecleon motioned for Cleo and her friends to climb aboard. "Join us! You're more than welcome."
Cleo cast a wary glance at Rido as she passed him. "Are you sure you don't mind?"
"Ignore Rido, he's a grump." Old Red offered a paw to help Cleo onto the cart. "But a heart of gold once you get to know him!"
The tauros snorted and diverted his gaze.
Once on board, the trio settled themselves down against the tarp. The heatmor she'd spotted earlier was settled against the wood with most of the cart's occupants sitting close to him to absorb his warmth. Despite his heat, two snivy twins huddled against him trembling. They were surprisingly young, and there was no mother in sight. An old meowth shifted to allow Cleo and her frozen friends to sit closer to the fire-type.
"All right, Rido!" Old Red instructed. "Head east!"
With a grunt the tauros turned and dragged the cart off its course towards the mountains. The rampardos kept pace beside them, while the other three carts followed behind. They were towed by a pair of rapidash and a gogoat who seemed unfazed by the cold. Cleo couldn't get over how many pokemon filled the carts. It was nothing compared to New City, which she guessed Old Red and his group had not yet heard of. But there was certainly a lot to have survived travelling out in the open with the Darkness hunting them down. Pokemon of all ages gathered around them, trying to get close from their respective carts. Cleo spotted a little skidoo peering over the edge of Stompy's cart.
Cleo found herself wondering if they'd need to head east after all. There was every chance one of the fire-types in this group was the one they were looking for. Her eye wandered to the heatmor who was entertaining the snivy hatchlings with his flames, creating patterns in the frozen air.
"So!" Old Red settled down with Cleo beside the heatmor. "Would you mind, Faith, telling us some stories about the Fairy Garden?"
"Yeah, what's it like there?" Stompy called over the side of the cart.
"Watch where you're going!" Rido warned, keeping the rampardos on track.
Stompy apologised and steadied his cart before it collided with Rido's, gaining a 'whoop!' from the skidoo.
Faith chuckled behind her paw. "Oh, where do I start!" She thought for a moment, then her face lit up. "Well, it's very bright! There are so many colours and flowers. And there's no division, like you have here. Pokemon aren't split into groups. But sadly there were no dark-types, until recently…"
...
Gentle flakes of snow drifted down as soft as feathers, dotting Harlequin's shaggy black coat. The wind whipped up, stirring the fresh snowfall into tiny blizzards. Harlequin skipped through them, barely feeling the cold. Her footsteps were muffled as she followed the rocky winding path towards the mountain peaks, keeping the Glen behind her.
The climb was steep, and the thick snow hid the ground beneath. Thankfully it wasn't hiding a slippery trap. The ground was untrodden, making the climb easier than it had been to wade over the flat ground. Harlequin spotted an outcrop a few feet away. She made it in three bounds, but her hind paws slipped over it. Scrabbling, she pulled herself up and stopped to catch her breath. It misted before her face and she shook her head, trying to see past it.
The landscape unfolded before her in a lumpy ocean of white. From this height they almost resembled clouds. She knew she wouldn't be able to spot her friends this high up, but she found herself looking for them anyway. She shook her head again and muttered to herself. She couldn't afford a delay. She had a job to do. She pulled herself away from the scene and pressed on, following the incline along the mountain slope. She pulled her ears back as the wind picked up and lowered her head so it wouldn't slow her down. She hugged the rocky face as the path narrowed out, and after a while she was pushed from it to leap over a crevice onto a wider path. It remained flat for a good while before narrowing out as it winded up the mountain. It was a gentle incline that lead the way towards the top. The snow hid rugged steps and Harlequin wondered if there had been pokemon living in these mountains at one point. If there had been, there was no other sign of them. Her heart sank as she realised her search for Harbinger would not be an easy one.
The snow became thicker and thicker the higher Harlequin climbed, almost coming up to her chest. Each leap was exhausting. Her sapphire gaze fell on a precipice on her left, its rocky mass rising from the snow. It still held its own coating, but the rocks were more visible. She could climb that to reach the peak faster and try to gather her bearings.
She leapt towards it, grabbing the slippery rocks in her claws. With a grunt she dragged herself up the steep slope, taking care to place her paws on steady footholds. The climb was hard but the top was in sight. She reached for it with her right fore-paw, stretching as far as she could reach. Her claws brushed the sharp top and she moved her hind paws forwards. Her left slipped as she missed the foothold and her breath was snatched from her throat. She dug her claws into the rocks, finding soft mud between them. She clung on as her left foot found a secure perch and she sucked in freezing air. Her heart was racing. With a deep breath she pulled herself up onto the peak and lay flat on her stomach, head spinning.
She pushed herself back to her feet and took in a deep, steadying breath. The wind snatched at her fur, stirring the branches of a mountain ash beside her. Flurries of snow drifted down from it and she turned her head towards them. A familiar scent tickled her nose but it was snatched away in an instant. Occa berries? She shrugged it off and turned her back on the tree, plodding along the mountain's peak. She found a path that wound along it, offering a fantastic view of the hills. She picked up her pace and trotted towards an outcrop. The snow lay smooth upon it, as undisturbed as the rest of the mountain. She stepped onto it carefully, her gaze wandering to the drop below her. She jerked her head back up, trying not to focus on how far down the world seemed. Instead, she gazed out at the rolling hills. Cutting through them was a river, winding its way like a streak of blue in a cloudy sky. It was lost beyond the mountains, following its course out to the ocean.
Cleo and her friends would be heading that way.
Far in the distance stood the Shadow Lands, unseen even from this height. It made her realise just how big the world was. Just how small and insignificant she was in comparison.
The wind whipped past her muzzle, snatching her breath away. She pulled back from it, adjusting her footing so her face wasn't in the wind's direct path. There was a sound like crumbling earth. Then the ground gave way beneath her paws. Loose snow cascaded down towards the mountain, taking the zorua with it. Her cry was silenced before it could leave her throat. Pain shot through her neck and she cried out again as her body jerked to a halt.
She looked up, following a grey arm towards a pair of crimson eyes.
"Enigma!" she gasped.
The banette's face softened slightly as his mouth curled in a smile. "I don't think you're quite cut out for mountain travel."
Enigma perched on a branch that stuck out several feet beneath the outcrop. Snow still rained down from it in small flurries, smattering Harlequin's face. Her eyes slowly widened as she realised how much smaller her chosen platform had been than she'd first perceived. Enigma steadied himself against it with his free paw while Harlequin swung by the scruff from his other one. Enigma eyed her for a moment, his expression calculating.
"I'm gonna pull you up," he explained. "You grab this branch and we'll take it from there."
He waited for Harlequin to give a small nod before dragging her up towards him. The branch bent beneath their combined weight, but it was rooted well beneath the mountain's stony carapace. Harlequin reached out with her fore-paws and grabbed hold of the branch. Enigma didn't release her until she'd got a secure hold. Then he vanished into thin air to appear on the outcrop above her.
Harlequin clung to the branch for dear life, her entire body trembling so much what little snow remained on the branch trickled away. She screwed her eyes shut, hugging the branch against her chest.
"You're safe," Enigma told her. "I won't let you fall. Just climb up here."
Harlequin looked up at him, her eyes wide. Their gazes met for a moment, and despite his calm demeanour Harlequin noticed his fear. His pupils had dilated so much each eye looked like an eclipse of a red moon.
"You can do it. Just climb up the wall, there's enough foot-holds." He reached a paw down towards her. It seemed miles away. "Come on."
Harlequin looked from Enigma to the wall and back. Sure, the cliff face was rough with enough cracks to dig her paws in. But she was a quadruped. She wasn't built for climbing a wall.
"Harlequin, come on!" Enigma growled. "That branch probably won't hold your weight for much longer."
That was enough to get her tail in gear. She placed one paw on the wall, then another. Then she hoisted her back legs off the branch. One paw after the next she dragged herself towards Enigma's helping paw.
His claws fastened once again in her scruff and with a grunt he dragged her over the edge of the outcrop. Harlequin slumped to her stomach in the snow, gasping for breath. Enigma's heavy breathing joined her own and they sat in silence for a while as they both recovered from the shock.
"Thank you," Harlequin finally gasped out.
Enigma shook his head and avoided her gaze. "Don't mention it. You've saved my hide enough times." He laughed and dragged a paw over his face. "Good grief, Harle. You do get into some scrapes."
Harlequin snorted, sending a flurry of snow into the air. She pushed herself up and shook her fur dry.
"What are you doing up here anyway?" Enigma asked. "You look like you're searching for something."
"I'm looking for Harbinger," she explained. "I need to give him something."
"That absol?" Enigma scoffed.
"Yes."
"But… didn't you think he was dead?"
"'Was'?" Harlequin narrowed her eyes at the banette.
Enigma pushed himself to his feet and dusted snow from his fur and scarf. "Yeah. I mean, if you're looking for him then you obviously know he's alive."
Harlequin followed him with her eyes. "Did you know he's alive?"
"Only recently." Enigma shrugged. He met Harlequin's cold gaze and chuckled. "I would've told you, Harle. But you were busy with them Outcasts."
Harlequin shook her head and leapt to her feet, trotting past him.
"Did they let you go then?" Enigma asked as he followed her. "Or did you escape?"
"If you've been following me then you'll already know." Harlequin looked back at him over her shoulder. Her ears drooped slightly and she sighed. "I know you've been following me."
Enigma gave a dramatic shrug and closed his eyes. "Can't fool your nose, can I?"
"Or my ears," said Harlequin. "You've been showing up at night to talk to Faith."
Enigma's expression became unreadable. He stared back at Harlequin for a moment, then turned his back to walk past her.
"Let's find this absol friend of yours then," he said, folding his paws behind his head.
Harlequin didn't follow. "Were you ever going to tell me you have pokerus?"
Enigma froze, keeping his back to her.
"I know how stubborn you can be, Enigma." Harlequin sighed and padded towards him. "I'm helping Mischief find a cure, so if you want to help, you can. You're not the only two who-"
"Forget it, Harle," he said. "You have more important things to do. I can find a cure on my own."
Harlequin's ears drooped and she flinched at his words. Was this because she'd befriended Outcasts and turned her back on Hydreigon? Did Enigma feel betrayed?
Then why save her?
Whatever it was, she'd never been able to read him. Enigma was a closed book.
With a sigh she shook her head and walked past him. "Fine. Do what you want."
The snow crunched behind her as Enigma trailed after her. She stifled a sigh and twitched an ear his way.
"I guess that means you want to follow me?" she asked.
"I said I'd help you find your friend didn't I?"
A smile tugged at Harlequin's mouth and she cast a glance back at the banette. "Either that or you're lonely."
Enigma scoffed and glanced away from her. "No. I'm just bored."
...
Harbinger crouched beyond the rocky crag, keeping downwind to avoid detection from the two assassins. He watched the zorua skip on ahead of the banette, their voices fading as they vanished down the mountain slope.
Harbinger's heart was pounding. He'd been so close. He'd watched Harlequin fall. He'd been timing his attack. One razor wind and the rock would have crumbled. But the snow had done all the work for him.
Then Enigma showed up.
That banette. The thorn in his side.
"What do we do now?" Scratch asked.
Harbinger glanced at the two pawniard crouching beside him. Their wide eyes were on the spot the two assassins had vanished. Claw shuffled, rubbing his blades over his shell as if the cold bothered him.
"We follow them," said Harbinger. A smirk tugged at his muzzle and he felt his racing heart slow as an idea crept into his mind. "If they pass through the woods, then it will be too perfect."
...
Reshiram neatly popped the returned books onto the bookshelf. The library was empty as the pokemon flocked to the dining halls for their evening meal. Reshiram wouldn't be long behind them, but first he had to make sure the library was in tip top shape for the following day.
NyukNyuk scurried back and forth, tidying the smaller shelves with as much care as Reshiram showed. Occasionally the little ghost-type would vanish into the floor and pop up somewhere else out of sight, but his chattering voice never faltered.
Reshiram chuckled and shook his head. "Is that so? Well, perhaps you should ask for extra honey next time?"
"Nyuk!" Another stream of chatter followed that was incomprehensible to most pokemon, but not Reshiram.
The feathered dragon rumbled laughter and shook his head. He beat his wing-claws together out of habit, since the library was spotless, and rolled the trolley towards the back of the room.
NyukNyuk suddenly fell silent, and Reshiram's ear feathers twitched at the gentle sound of hooves echoing over the wooden floor. The white dragon craned his head back, spotting Xerneas' elegant form strolling towards him. The stag's antlers radiated light that scattered rainbows across the walls like stained glass.
Reshiram ducked his head in respect and looked back up at Xerneas. "I thought you'd be at Heart Abbey! What brings you here at this hour?"
"I need to speak to you, Reshiram," Xerneas answered.
NyukNyuk popped up at Reshiram's feet and gurgled with delight. Xerneas smiled down at the mimikyu then turned his gaze back onto the dragon.
"Cleo and her friends have encountered a group of pokemon in the Rolling Hills," Xerneas explained. "They have been very welcoming to our friends. Faith has told them about me, and they've accepted her stories quite warmly."
"That's fantastic news," said Reshiram.
Xerneas gave a slight nod. "I expect them to be joining us in the future. They are also due to lead Cleo towards Fire Island."
Reshiram blinked. "Just… just Cleo?"
"This is why I am here," said Xerneas. "The seas between the mainland and Fire Island are treacherous. In them lies a dead coral bed filled with vengeful pokemon."
"The Sinister Seas!" Reshiram gasped, clapping a wing to his face. "Of course!"
"If our friends attempt to cross the sea alone, reaching the fire-type will be left to Cleo, and she will not make it back from Fire Island. I would like you to carry them across the sea to save them encountering those that dwell within it."
Reshiram stared back at Xerneas, almost rendered speechless. "Of course I can do this, Xerneas. But don't those pokemon need someone to tell them of the Fairy Garden? Of you?"
"Yes," said Xerneas. "But Cleo's party is not the one for that duty."
Reshiram nodded again. "Very well. I shall take them." He looked down at NyukNyuk. "I trust you to look after the library while I'm gone, little friend."
NyukNyuk gave a chatter of protest and huddled closer to Reshiram's leg.
Reshiram placed a wing talon on the mimikyu's stuffed head. "I know you want to come on an adventure, but someone needs to look after the library while I'm away. You're the perfect pokemon for that task."
NyukNyuk's tiny eyes sparkled in the torso of his disguise and he closed them with a squeak of glee.
"So you'll do this for me?" Reshiram asked.
"Nyuk! Nyuk-nyuk!" The mimikyu raised a spectral arm in salute.
Xerneas looked between the two then turned to pace towards the window. Reshiram watched the stag for a moment as he gazed out at the meadows of the Fairy Garden. Joyful voices came from outside as a group of pokemon flocked past on their way back from Heart Abbey.
"Forgive me, Xerneas," said Reshiram. "But you seem troubled."
"Yveltal has awoken."
Those words sent an arrow of dread through Reshiram's heart. A strangled gasp left his throat and he grunted to try and clear it.
"Already?" he choked out.
Xerneas glanced back at him over his shoulder. "I knew this was coming, but even so it is still dreadful. The world groans, and I can feel it."
Reshiram's head feathers drooped and he exchanged a worried glance with NyukNyuk. He looked up at Xerneas who had returned to gazing out of the window.
"Then I shall make haste," said the dragon. "Once the Wildfires are dealt with, we'll be one step closer to victory."
"Thank you, Reshiram." Xerneas turned to face him. "I want to limit the lives lost. If Yveltal is given so much as an inch, he will strive to consume the entire world. This cannot be allowed." He took in a deep breath. "The war is now reaching its climax. All that is left for us is to win it."
...
Thanks for reading! Please R&R! =D
