RSK: Is this... Gasp! Could it be?! YES! It's one of those fabled Updates! An Update for A Work of Magic! Deepest apologies, my lovely readers and reviewers. Life has been a chaotic mess of transition lately, and this story has certainly taken a backseat to Unforeseen and Unforesaken, and the DDD climax, when I DO have time to write. But our adventure returns, with a chapter I've been planning for years (literally, YEARS - since before that last update in December 2008). I hope our adventure's return is at least SOMEWHAT worth the wait.
Read and review,
~Raven's secret-keeper
A Work of Magic
Chapter 7: Taking Wing
"If men had wings and bore black feathers, few would be clever enough to be a crow."
– Reverend Henry, 1600s
"You okay back there?" Jess asked, a little worriedly. "Mistress" was lagging a few feet behind the group, as usual… but this time she seemed distant, lost in thought.
The ghost nodded absentmindedly.
Jess couldn't help wondering if she was lonely back there… The Misdreavus in her arms, almost sensing her trainer's concern, muttered a soft note of consolation.
"Okay," Jess replied, smiling at her affectionately. And then she poked the Misdreavus's back, gently as ever – and the ghost giggled.
Jess's smile deepened - if she wasn't in pain, she was healed! And so she finally let her into the air.
Missie nodded appreciatively, and then the little ghost hovered right to the Mismagius's side, nuzzling her just once.
"Magi," the larger ghost smiled, wrapping one of her tendril-arms around her friend and speeding up just enough to loom in front of her. She glanced over her shoulder with a glint of mischief in her eyes –
Missie squealed excitedly and pounced on the Mismagius, and Jess turned and laughed as they began playing, chasing each other through the air and emitting sounds of joy.
It was the perfect way to start on their brand new journey.
"This way's North, there's East… That's South… and that's West," Jess explained, nodding her head towards each direction as she shook the excess water from the last few dishes and carefully placed them in the bag. She couldn't help smiling as she went on, her tone light and contented; besides loving the topic of outdoor travel and enjoying the chance to share some of her knowledge with someone who was actually listening (and not just pretending like so many people had), the genuine eagerness in the Misdreavus' eyes was incredibly refreshing. "I have most of this part of the region memorized. I'm actually not going to need the map until we get around Twinleaf Town… and for the next few days we're just going to head straight South."
The Misdreavus looked up at the sky, reluctantly letting herself blink. She nodded her head towards one of the directions with a questioning note, and she read Jess's expression before the trainer spoke.
"That's right!" Jess replied with two congratulatory claps. "You'll be a quick learner, I can tell." She thought she should add something else, but Missie had already seen her pride shining in her eyes and was now beaming right back.
While they conversed, Mistress just stared into the fire, hovering on the side of the flames opposite the trainer. She let the cool winds caress her, listening to the sounds of the forest, breathing the fresh forest air, and feeling herself ease back into the state of relaxation as she tilted her head up to the sky - the lightening in the sky… Oh. Dawn was coming. She felt a strange longing pull at her as she realized that they had been traveling while the moon glowed overhead all night, and she hadn't been able to watch the stars…
Jess remained oblivious to her musings and nodded in satisfaction before yawning with a delicate stretch. "Okay, time for bed."
Ninetales found the softest grass in the clearing and curled up, one of his tails covering his nose. The birds fluttered off to separate trees, and as Murky inched closer to the trunk, Missie snuggled in next to Jess. Mistress lay her head down and closed her eyes, all too eagerly drifting to sleep. Everyone fell asleep almost instantly; they had been up almost all day and traveled all night, and they were well overdue for this time of rest.
The noontime sun glistened off the drying dew on the leaves and grasses, renewed after the thunderstorm and seeming thrice as bright. All was quiet in the forest, save the cries of the wild Pokémon that lived there emerging to enjoy the sunshine. Budew that perched in the grass of the clearing to absorb the rays, the cry of a distant Burmy, and a pair of Buneary chasing each other through the trees all passed the sleeping travelers without much notice. But the placid feeling wouldn't hold for long.
A soft mumbling was joining the chorus of forestsong, distant and soft yet all too close to the group.
A certain recently-evolved Mismagius was sleep-talking.
And as her chants met his sleeping ears, Murky murmured in his sleep… The dream became impossibly vivid…
It was fog. Not the thin white mist of Eterna Forest, but a thick, heavy, shifting blue fog…
He felt so peaceful here. He was sitting on a branch above some kind of forest, the fog adding to the stars' glow and casting a soft white light upon everything in sight. The sound of trickling water resounded gently in every direction, the moss under his feet was wet, and the air smelled of moist wood and saturated earth – it must have rained…
A small *plip* joined the silence. He turned to its source, eyes calm and curious – his gaze lighted upon a large white shape. It was solid, stable, not shifting in the fog as everything else seemed to do here.
He wondered why it was different.
A gentle hop brought him to the vine hanging off his previous perch; it swayed ever so slightly as he squinted down…
The fog shifted again and Murky could finally give it a name – the graceful form of a Rapidash – but the fire wasn't the usual orange and red, it was… BLUE.
Another note of water displaced. The Rapidash turned to the source – Murky followed her gaze and tilted his head in wonder. A tiny, sheepish whinny sounded, its voice cushioned by the dense atmosphere. Rapidash looked down, nuzzled the form; a tiny Ponyta stood there – and its flame was the common orange. They touched noses.
Murkrow purred at the tender moment.
Both fire-horses looked into each others' eyes – and then they took off, the fog seeming to slow their motions and let their grace shimmer in temporary eternity. The glowing tails extended, twirled around each other and melded into a white flame, glittering like his trainer said all oddly-colored Pokémon did. The fire softened and nearly melded with the fog, becoming a misty form – then it lashed out towards the Murkrow like a whip. And it froze at his beak, twirling softly. Murky didn't know how to react. It seemed to be… somehow observing him.
Then it struck.
The lullaby-given-form of a dream became a blinding stream of whitehot current, held him hostage, he couldn't move – couldn't flap, fly, escape – He was trapped. The current carried him with it, dazzling speed and wind whistling past, the ground was fast approaching –
Blackness slammed into him inches from death.
He squawked and fluttered to his feet – no pain, he expected pain – He forced his eyes open and they were overwhelmed with blinding sunlight – he jolted and fluttered to the safety of the ground with every feather raised in erect warning.
A startled Mothim cried out and fluttered away.
And he suddenly realized his entire traveling company was staring his way.
Jess shoved her hair from her face and asked, "What happened, are you okay?"
He scanned the trees warily, his stance still defensive, but he seemed to be calming down…
She crawled over and stroked his back. A yawn hindered her voice, but she was able to say, "Murky, I think it was just a dream…"
He glanced around and shrugged. That didn't feel like a dream…
The Mismagius looked stunned – then she bowed her head, ashamed of what was so obviously her slip-up. She had only been with them for a day, and already she was becoming a problem...
Jess nearly sensed her ill ease and looked her way. Mistress was watching the Murkrow apologetically…
Why is she so…? And it hit her before she had to ask, toting gentle sympathy in its wake. Mismagius were known to cause nightmares… It can't have been on purpose if she looked so ashamed. "It's okay, Mistress. I guess it's just going to take a little time for you to get used to travelling with company."
But the next day, Jess woke up with a pulsing pain locked in her skull. It was treated easily enough with some massage and a little help from a berry-leaf tea. But curiosity wasn't so quickly remedied. "Did you have anything to do with that?"
Mistress shook her head; she was still caught off-guard.
"Are you sure?"
And the Mismagius blinked uncertainly, and shrugged. She couldn't be sure; she had been asleep until Jess groaned…
The trainer lay a finger on her chin as she thought about this in yesterday's context… and as far as she knew, headaches could come from the ghost's chanting. Speech. "Sleep-talking's actually pretty common. You're not the only one, trust me. My parents said that I used to sleep like a Chatot, babbling nonsense for an hour at a time. And even now my sister says that she hears me talking to people in my dreams." She offered a reassuring smile – tiredly, but she was one of the few people who could act amiable in the early hours.
Her offer carried little weight. The ghost was still ashamed; it wasn't like the trainer's words could hurt anyone…
"I'm fine, Mistress, don't worry." She reached out her arms and held a satisfying stretch-session. Then she added, "I recovered easily – you didn't do any damage. It's a little slip, that's all." She grinned up at the ghost, placid and sincere. "These things happen. Your job is to learn to stop it, and no lesson comes immediately… and my job is to do everything I can to help."
The Mismagius turned her head, eyes growing distant as she wondered… It was nice what this human was trying to do. But maybe if she knew how difficult it had always been for this particular ghost, the trainer wouldn't be so sure she could handle her abilities. But… for this particular problem, a determined vow of silence would work, right? And so Mistress nodded to herself, keeping her mouth under careful surveillance as she joined the others, doing what she could to help clean up camp. She wanted to be travelling again.
Deeper than ever in Eterna Forest, Jess crouched near the stream with a water bottle in each hand, capturing the current with patience that only a trainer who was used to filling up fourteen water bottles at a time could possess. All four of her closest Pokémon – Murky, Pidgeotto, Ninetales, and even the little Misdreavus – had long drunk their fills and enjoyed their spontaneous baths. Mistress had felt faint memories of this place – unpleasant memories… but she shivered and straightened her back, not wanting the others to notice –
A faint rustling broke the monotony, and the ever-alert trainer glued her eyes to its source.
And those eyes widened tremendously.
Preening on that branch sat a Murkrow – with its plumage glittering in the last strains of sunlight, every single feather as lush and pink as a ripe Pecha berry.
The Pokémon all sensed her wonder and followed her gaze. Missie tilted her head at the bird, curious and fascinated.
"Sweet mother of Sinnoh, that's a SHINY!" Jess gasped out her explanation. "It's amazingly rare to even find one – but this one's so close! Wow…"
Hey, what was so special about being pink? The resident Murkrow of her team raised his hackles in annoyance, refusing to admit he was jealous because Jess never sounded like that when she talked about him... He stood tall and yelled past his wide-open beak, laughing that no male Pokémon in their right mind would be proud of a color like that no matter how sparkly it was!
Now, Murkrow are proud creatures – and a shiny even moreso. The taunts hit their mark. The offended shiny fluffed his feathers and narrowed his eyes; Murky still crowed on, tilting his head and strutting daintily like a courting female -
"Murky, be nice!"
He ignored her and called back to the roseate bird laughingly. What was he, a flying rose petal?
The other ruffled his hackles and croaked back, his tone making it sound like a proposal, a dare.
Murky nodded and fluffed his chest feathers; seeing this one indignant was fun. He nodded again, more slowly this time, his eyes telling the other to do his worst.
And the other nodded, glancing at the trainer with the sharp and aware eyes of a bird harboring high intelligence... before he suddenly took off.
Jess held absolutely still, even as he flapped himself into the distance. She seemed dazzled.
"Krooow?" Murky asked if the glitter blinded her.
She shook her head. She was glad it hadn't; she wouldn't have been able to see something so rare if she was blind! "Wow…"
Missie nodded in agreement.
The larger ghost sighed and shook her head; it was just a genetic mutation – even she knew it happened in every species, but with how this trainer reacted, you'd think she just found a golden Dusk Stone.
She turned to the spellbound Misdreavus and offered that explanation. The listener tilted her head and let out a note of wonder; maybe it was natural, but she had never seen anything like that in her entire life…
Mistress shrugged and smiled. Well, it was a treat to see one…
Though he had been playing the impregnable tough-bird, Murky pondered thoughts that weighed heavy on his mind as he flew. He had feigned aloofness when the offer was made, but he found himself flying away the next morning once Jess fell asleep. He grumbled to himself; that Murkrow shouldn't have been alone. It should have been in a flock. Why didn't he have a Honchkrow telling him what to do?
The Murkrow so fondly dubbed Murky felt his thoughts fit the name as he remembered…
He had backed up his own ex-flockboss to the point of annoying him. He had always wanted to be noticed, to become something important… He wanted to prove that he could be a good leader, too. That Honchkrow had always disgusted him, the way he pushed the rest of the flock around… They were his loyal supporters, but he was just a lazy, vain, inconsiderate waste of feathers.
He remembered when he had been separated from the group. Thus he remembered first meeting Jess…
A strange white creature stood in the middle of Flock Ten territory. It was poised, ready – and a human stood behind it with foolish confidence. They were invading! Trespassing! He'd teach them not to mess with Flock Ten.
The human cried out some strange words – he didn't know what they were, didn't care. He had to defend his flock! He corkscrewed and drilled his beak into the fox's skull – or meant to. The furry thing jumped away and Murkrow landed the blow on its back instead.
The girl's voice echoed excitedly. A flash of red came next, and he felt the excruciatingly strong heat chew into him, the blaze held him hostage – He swerved skyward to escape the moment it died down. Even the cool winds burned.
"Krow, KROW!" He called out to his flockmates for backup, but they just murmured that they were too comfortable to get up.
He turned back to the fox – and a flare of purple-white blinded him, stole his balance, shocked his wings still, and he fell to the ground like a stone. When he stood his eyes were itching, his directional instincts went haywire, his feathers itched with Confusion and determination.
He tried to attack the strange white thing again, but he ended up mistaking his own feet for the fox's eyes and attacked himself. (MORTIFYING!) And that one hit was all it took, all he had left, and he surrendered to the pain and fell over.
He was nothing but honest and loyal to his flock, but they mocked him when he collapsed… They sat in those trees and laughed. None helped, no one came to defend him, they just laughed.
If it hadn't been for Jess's comfort and understanding, he would have left her and gone after them. Vengeance - sweet, sweet vengeance…
He was in a very bitter mood by the time he arrived at the tree.
The shiny perched there waiting for him. He lifted his beak from his preening as he heard the other land (Murky scorned his vanity), and he met the umbral Murkrow's gaze with his eyes half-lidded, proud, confident. "Krrrrrow," he purred, his voice mocking hospitality with acrid sarcasm. "Mur, murrrkrow murkrow…"
"Krow!" Murky defended. What could this flying flower possibly want with his trainer?
"Murrrr, mur, murkrow – Mur, murkrow… Murkrow?"
Murky lifted his chin and grunted a note of defiance. Of course he had seen how his trainer ogled the wild bird. "Mur, Murkrow." He covered the unease by reminding the shiny that of COURSE she noticed, females line their nests with things as sparkly as he was.
"Krrrow," the other muttered, indignant. He recovered easily. "Mur, murkrow." He began inching his way down the branch, towards the black common bird. "Mur, murKROW, murkrow… Krow, krow, krow!"
Murky squawked in laughing disbelief. Of course Jess would still be concerned about him when there's a Shiny around! He cawed back defiantly, that he knew his trainer better than that, and she wasn't going to give up on their bond just because there's some girly male fluttering around.
Again the shiny was offended; on top of the inherent Murkrow competitiveness, using the tone for "fluttering" instead of "flying" insulted his aerial skills, another thing the birds held pride in.
"Murkrow!" he cawed as took off with dramatic, exaggerated wingbeats, telling Murky, "You just wait," and daring him to think otherwise.
Murky glared after him until he became an annoying speck of glitter in the sky, almost blending in with the stars (and for a moment the Murkrow was fascinated) – except for that pink.
He purr-cawed a few notes of laughter to himself as he took off, simply knowing that he was only trying to get under his feathers.
...Or was he…?
His wingstrokes lengthened, heavier and stiffer as he slowed to give himself time for contemplation. What if he was right?
But he doubted it, and his stubborn mindset just wouldn't let him believe that Jess could honestly want a shiny Murkrow she'd never even met over the one that had been her friend through her entire time in Eterna Forest.
Just to be sure, he watched Jess constantly as she packed up the camp. All she could talk about was that amazing bird and how much she wished she had captured it – though a look at Mistress's resulting grimace changed her mind, and she decided to let him stay here in the uninhabited parts of the forest where he could stay free. She didn't have any good Pokeballs, anyway.
On the road, Murky pulled her bangs for attention. She chuckled like always, good – but after she stroked his back, she mumbled on about wondering if the shiny feathers had the same texture. Even during their special pull-and-play game, she only talked about the shiny. And she even said it like it should have a capitol The – The Shiny. And as deep as the Murkrow's pride ran, he also found out just how far his sense of loyalty lied. Because when he began wondering if she really did want that Shiny more than him, he felt utterly betrayed, as if someone had wrung out the Family part of his mind and left him with the wrinkled remains.
Two days later he left, after everyone was asleep for the day, and nobody would witness his shame.
He soared through the Eterna canopy, the wind lifting his wings in the way no consoling thoughts lifted his spirit, his only guide a desperate longing for the darkest shadows in the heart of the forest and the moon casting her silver, pale phosphorescence upon everything in sight.
It wasn't until several hours later that Jess awoke. But it was only moments after waking that she looked to the trees with vague unease, searched for half a moment, and suddenly realized why this twilight seemed so quiet.
"Guys, I think Murky's gone!" And immediately worried tension poured into every muscle of her body. That little bird was so impulsive and curious; could he have followed something through the forest? Do Murkrow sleep-fly? That didn't feel right. But then where was he? Murky had such a fierce competitive spirit, what if he got himself into trouble he couldn't get out of?!
"Murky!"
Human voices didn't travel very far at all.
Mistress blinked, glanced at the Misdreavus - and vanished after her other friend, taking off into the forest without so much as a goodbye.
Missie squeaked a nervous note - then shrieked when Mistress left, and hurried after her with a thousand questions on her tongue.
"Hey, wait – Guys!"
Pleading anxiety echoed as a whimper in the trainer's voice – she had already lost one Pokémon, she didn't need to lose two more!
But Ninetales nudged her hand gently, silent reassurance that they'd be back.
She waited. She hardly ate. And by the next night, Jess started becoming too anxious to wait for them; thankfully all it took was a Will-o-Wisp fireball from Ninetales, the signal they'd all agreed on, and soon the ghosts came back, Missie flitting back and forth through the air uneasily and Mistress, though holding steady, harbored a distracted gaze and thoughts more worried than she wanted to admit.
Jess took Missie up in a quick hug, and offered the Mismagius a reassuring smile. Oh, she felt plenty worried herself, but worrying never fixed anything, and she covered it with steadfast determination.
"Lavender Town will have to wait. We're going to find Murky."
Three mornings after his self-imposed exile: The fluttering of some wild bird's wings approached his resting perch.
Murky recognized the call well enough - that was... Honchkrow. He grumbled at being waken up, and by some other flock's leader - why was he being bothered, anyways? He was all confusion at first; it was the middle of the daytime and he was still half asleep, half sunblind, and...
Then he saw the pressed-pecha-blossom color and recognized the tone of its croak – not its voice because of the evolution, but the smooth confidence coloring it, narcissistic and daring him to challenge it… Yes, it was that Murkrow. Evolved.
The wild bird made himself comfortable. He was about to make Murky an offer he couldn't refuse.
Or else...
"Krow KROW?"
Fervent protests escaped his throat in raucous near-screaming fury. Was this bird delusional?! He'd only just found independence - no way would he give it up so soon! In fact, he wouldn't join him if he was the last flockboss on earth!
"Krrrrrrrrrrrow..." Disapproving warning glared in those especially sparkly eyes...
Oh, Murky had good reason alright, and he huffed his chest and stood tall, pacing towards the Honchkrow until he was nearly nipping his feathers with every caw he listed.
This pink fishscale cost him his trainer. And she'd been a good one, too. Free food, dry berries, she never crammed him in Pokeballs, and she gave all the free favors in the world... And she talked to him like an equal. With her he got RESPECT. And nothing a shiny bird could give him would be worth his last bit of dignity.
The (far) bigger bird stood taller and glared straight down his beak. "Honch... Honch. Honch, krow."
Threats?! HA! Murky knew what he was getting into.
This bird was trying to get Murky to join his flock! Typical. Being in a flock you wanted to be in was the good life. But there was always a contract involved, too many restrictions. But the alternative? Being forced into a flock as a prisoner of turf war was like being forced into slavery.
Turning down an open offer was a death sentence, because what the Honchkrow wants, the Honchkrow gets. And the flock would do anything to make sure of it.
Honchkrow tried to let him off with one last chance to change his mind...
And Murky spread his wings and laughed in his face.
And that was why the Pidgeotto's sharp warning cry was followed by a Honchkrow's battle call, and the night descended on his trainer and her team in a swarm of beaks and black feathers. Suddenly there were beaks and caws and claws everywhere!
Backed into a corner, surrounded, unable to run, they had no choice but to fight the whole flock that the wild Honchkrow now commanded.
The Misdreavus, too inexperienced with battle, became too frightened and paralyzed with fear to move or respond, frozen, wide-eyed, and suddenly every bird looked the same and she couldn't catch her breath; claws dug into her hair and too many pecks searched for her face and all she could do was curl in with her eyes clenched tight as instincts demanded she protect her pearls, whimpering, breathless whimpering-
Jess touched her back with an arm shielding her face, steadying hand augmented by an even steadier voice. "Missie, be brave! Please? Take a deep breath, and keep Growling. Eventually their attacks will hurt less, until we have a chance to escape."
Jess would never again underestimate the power of calm reassurance and a smile, because after one glance and a nod from her trainer, the little ghost lifted her chin, and cried out.
"Good. Good!"
But the birds caught on too quickly, and crowed so loudly it drowned the ghost's desperate cries.
Mistress had been firing wave after wave of Psywave until fury and frustration flinted her gaze and her cries to desperation.
The transformation in her was so quick Jess barely had time to duck another beak-blow and call out. "Mistress, Psywave won't affect them at all. You're at about the right age, you should know Astonish, maybe they'll Flinch - "
Mistress shook head, just once with a quick note of frustration – instead she tried the same illusion-casting trick the ghosts had escaped with last time. But this flock was stronger, smarter, and they wouldn't let her get three syllables out, let alone an entire chant.
Jess's eyes grew more frantic with every beak-blow; why wouldn't she LISTEN?! But knew she hadn't gained Mistress's trust. She had to accept it instead of arguing; the wild-at-heart ghost was just following her instincts, and a trainer fighting with her own team wouldn't help.
"Ninetales!" The ball was opened in one quick and well-practiced gesture; he entered the scene standing on many tail-feathers and danced aside to avoid the squawks. "Confuse Ray - as many as you can!"
And for a moment the world was washed in purple light and startled croaks -
The Confused birds only attacked more viciously than ever in their sudden desperation, hitting them as much as they hit themselves!
A quick sweep of the situation birthed utter fear in Jess's eyes: Mistress so focused on getting to Missie that she took every blow the beaks aimed at her, the dark energies of Faint Attack struck the young ghost, she screamed- Not only terrified and overwhelmed, but weak and badly injured!
Enough was enough. A quick breath solidified Jess's fear into nothing but pure determination to protect them. And with her arms spearheading her path she knocked enough birds aside to snatch Missie from the air and cradle the ghost (labored breathing against her chest), reached for Mistress - but she practically hissed and ducked away. Jess met her eyes, saddened and pleading and desperate...
There was such heavy pure EMOTION in that glance, the ghost hesitated a moment-
Then a beak rammed her back and she whirled with another Psywave, forcing her back against the trainer's chest. And she stiffened - but relented, and didn't rush away.
"Thank you," Jess breathed quietly - and then she yelled out, "Ninetales, clear the way!" She stood tall in front of her ghosts, shielding them from the birds' attacks as the fox charged forward, blasting a veritable inferno through the birds that didn't move aside. (Blood was suddenly stinging her eyes; just have to focus on Ninetales, keep him in sight, he'll get us through-)
But why couldn't they get through?!
Pidgeotto called down as he tried Flying his way to them from above - the birds behind them always rushed to block their paths forward!
The fox's eyes flashed aside and he blew where there seemed the least birds - but now they were rushing to fill the gap as soon as it appeared. And soon he was out of breath...
To at least give them some room to work with, he Roared, and they were lunging against the raging storm of midnight wings again.
Beyond the clearing: The sounds of far-carrying battle cries had drawn the attention of the only nearby Murkrow not focused on seriously injuring the team.
And he followed the sounds... and the moment he recognized his trainer, he knew what was happening!
"Will-o-wisp!" Jess pleaded - and her voice was strained and desperate.
"Nine, NINE!"
"I know it might hurt me too, but we NEED to get them out of here!"
Murky couldn't let her do that! And his loyalty and bond to his trainer was fanned back to life – he couldn't let her sacrifice herself because he didn't want to join their stupid flock! He raised his wings and doubled over, poised to take off – but then he realized that he wouldn't be able to do much against the whole flock.
All he needed was a plan, something swift and effective, simple yet intelligent enough to outsmart them….
"MUR, MURKROW!" Something just like calling the Honchkrow a coward that hides behind his flock!
-Wait, Jess knew that voice! "Murky?!"
The larger corvid rose to meet him, sparkling like a blade in the moonlight.
Jess was enamored enough with Eterna corvids to understand their social structure. Without their commander, the flock would continue doing what they were last told to do. And with Murky distracting the Honchkrow, the time to take decisive action was NOW.
"Ninetales, use Confuse Ray until every single one of those birds can't tell the sky from the ground!"
Murky fled and somersaulted through the trees above them, ringing the battle and dipping in, dipping out of the battleground as he croaked out voice-mimicking commands from beta flock members and casting chaotic instructions and calling false sightings to the birds that so blindly followed orders! Pretending to be the boss. Here! There! No, behind you! Stop right where you are and STAY THERE!
He nearly shrieked with triumph when flock started fighting itself in frustration.
And his sudden dive from above struck the Honchkrow right on his too-easily-aimed-at pink feathery crown. He scratched, clawed the pink brow-feathers over his eyes, and winged away calling taunts the moment the Honchkrow's beak raised.
Direct assault on a flockboss was unforgiveable. And the Honchkrow rose to defend his dignity himself. "Hooonch. Honch. HONCH. KROW!"
Murky screamed wild laughter and then the real chase was on. All Murky had to do was keep flying. Dipping. Diving. Flock croonies distracted. Honchkrow's wings may have been stronger and faster and his beak more vicious than his little pre-evolved form, but Murky was smaller and more nimble as he moved through the branches. Circling the battlefield.
Murky cried another false command in the leader's voice to the flock, dove from the branches to re-engage the Honchkrow by stealing three tail feathers before he could re-orient them, and called for his friends to run, run, RUN!
The angrier the Honchkrow grew, the more Murky knew he was in trouble if he didn't make his own escape without getting caught. But his loyalty to Jess gave him all the reason he needed to keep on taking that risk.
Jess glanced back at his calls; she didn't want to leave him to the flock- but the ghosts were too badly hurt to go on any longer! And she swore to herself she'd be coming right back for him. She just had to trust him to take care of himself for a little while longer.
"Pidgeotto, give us some cover. And Ninetales, keep them back!"
Jess bolted with Missie in her arms and Mistress at her side, Ninetales defending their retreat and Pidgeotto whipping up a powerful Whirlwind to halt any straggling pursuers.
Murkrow could fight to the death. And they would, too, if the reason was great enough. Luckily, pride wasn't a reason to die, one common Murkrow definitely wasn't worth the whole flock's reputation. So the Shiny croaked a command to his flock, and one by one his cronies made their grudging retreat, all crooked feathers with limpid wingstrokes and wary calls for revenge.
And eventually, even the Honchkrow left Murky alone in the forest canopy. Though he'd gotten too many scratches, lost more than a few feathers, and a deep wound from their leg-locked round left him panting, preening... checking his wings, and making sure he could still fly before he leapt from the branch, wingbeats stiff as every stroke stung the wound on his chest...
Murky was relieved to finally be free. But he couldn't rest, not until he was finally reunited with his trainer. For good.
Jess launched right into an emergency healing session the moment she knew they were safe. She started with the ghosts, Missie first and then Mistress. Their physiology was too poorly understood for her to know exactly how she was supposed to help them... but Mistress was watching carefully, and Jess knew Mistress would shove her aside if she tried applying anything poisonous.
Luckily, the same salves of bark and analgesic evergreen needles Jess used on herself seemed to ease the little ghost's pain. She wasn't shivering anymore, and her eyes opened with a questioning note...
Jess set her on the pillow and covered her with the warmest blanket she had. "Rest up, Missie. I know that was so, so scary for you... but I'm proud of you. You did great." And with a kiss to her brow, she left to tend to the larger ghost. In much the same fashion, just without the kiss.
Then Pidgeotto, treating his aerial battle wounds with styptic powder, pain-relieving berry juice, and rest in his Pokéball. His right foot had been gashed open by one of those wicked-heavy beaks, and Jess didn't want him sleeping on the branches tonight.
She moved on to Ninetales (whose thick fur and mane had protected him better than the others could hope for, but he still needed to know she cared, and the handful of electrolyte-rich recovery berries couldn't hurt)...
And, of course, brave little Murky.
A small part of her was desperately, pleasantly surprised when he fluttered down beside her - shakily enough to nearly topple over when he landed. But a far bigger part of her had known he would come back.
She treated his chest wound first - noting right away with thin lips that flying straight to them instead of waiting for her to come back had probably prevented it from stopping the bleeding itself, but she couldn't fault him for being too eager to rejoin them. First the avian-specific styptic paste (blood loss could be dangerous for birds, after all), and then the bandage prepared for when she'd treated all his other wounds (that one was going to take awhile to heal, and a wrap around his wings and neck would be the best way to protect it - but there were other wounds to treat before she covered half the black bird in bandages).
"You're our hero, you know."
He held his head high and practically purred under her praise - then yelped with feathers raised as she parted the tattered feathers on his brow, too close to a cut! "Krow, KROW..."
"Sorry... I know it stings, but it'll feel better in a moment..." She sat patiently, fanning the salved wound, until he visibly relaxed and let his hackles down. "There we go."
Then she applied the paste and a bandage to the cuts under his wings, fingers moving across the injuries gently... painlessly as she could manage. "I'm so glad you wouldn't go with them – if it truly made you happy, I would have let you go, but I'm so amazingly happy that you decided to stay."
"..Mmmmm. Mur... mur, know?"
"Of course I wouldn't trade you for a shiny!" She wrapped the bandage, checked to make sure it wasn't too tight, and then looked him in the eye so he knew she was being as honest as humanly possible. "Your feathers are probably the most beautiful plumage I've ever seen with that amazing amount of iridescence, even for a Murkrow, and it looks like you have Shiny somewhere in your heritage because of the colors – and don't apologize, you ARE so much better than a shiny, because you have something even rarer than shiny feathers these days."
The Murkrow tilted his head with a confused and pondering expression...
"Courage."
At that he lifted his beak proudly and lighted with poise on her outstretched arm.
"Besides, it's no fun without you!"
Murky pulled her bang, and she scratched him tenderly under his beak. Missie applauded from her pillow with a quiet squeak of agreement, Mistress just rolled her eyes while Ninetales gave a nod of satisfaction, and so they settled where they were in the forest, the unanimous unspoken opinion shared by everyone that they deserved a night to rest, stargaze, and kick back together, as a team. The whole team. Together, just the way they should be.