Anthea sighed, her eyes gazing longingly out the window. "Concordia, how much longer do we have to stay stuck in here?" She whined, turning her gaze towards her sister. Concordia was focused on the canvas in front of her, the brush in her hand making delicate strokes as it worked to replicate the vase of flowers in front of her.
"I told you," She sighed, setting her brush down, "We have to wait a few weeks before even thinking about doing stuff like that again."
"But why," Anthea whined again, turning around to fully face Concordia. Her innocent puppy dog pout was met with a hard glare as Concordia stared back at her.
"Because we cannot be careless with getting caught," She stated sternly, "So be quiet and patient while I finish this painting."
"But-" Anthea's argument was cut off as a sudden knocking was heard against the door in the floorboards. Both of their eyes widened as Concordia signaled for Anthea to be quiet. Anthea nodded, hopping off her perch and tiptoeing towards her sister. Concordia stepped quietly towards the vase, picking it up carefully as Anthea stood in front of the door. She pointed down towards the door, pantomiming the act of Anthea opening it and Concordia smashing the vase of the intruder's head. Anthea nodded, kneeling down to open the door. The second she opened it, out popped Touya's head, a large goofy grin on his face.
"Hiya gir-"
"Take this," Concordia shouted, smashing the vase over his head. Touya yelped in pain, immediately falling back down the hole.
"Touya, what the hell," A voice shouted from down below as he fell on the mystery person. Concordia and Anthea blinked, both of them looking at each other. They immediately dropped to their knees, both peering down into the dark. Touko sat underneath Touya, rubbing her head as Touya's dazed body lay on top of her.
"Touko," Anthea called down confusedly, "What're you doing?"
"I think the better question is, what is he doing," Concordia muttered glaring darkly at Touya. Touko pushed Touya off of her, causing him to groan loudly in discomfort.
"Well," She began, standing up in the hole and pulling herself up, "Touya had the brilliant idea of coming here to invite you on an outing."
"Did you tell him he's an idiot for suggesting it," Concordia asked, standing up as Touko brushed herself off.
"Multiple times," Touya shouted from down below, slowly coming to his senses. Touko rolled her eyes, kneeling down onto the floor. She reached down into it, helping Touya as he climbed out of the hole. He stood up, brushing himself off as he turned to look at Concordia.
"Why in the name of all that is fantastic did you whack me with a vase," He asked, rubbing the top of his head. Concordia shrugged, turning her gaze towards the window.
"I thought you were a threat to Anthea and mine's safety."
"But I knocked!"
"Exactly."
"What the-How does that make me a threat?" Touya shouted, throwing his hands up in the air in confusion. Concordia sighed, turning her head so that she was glaring at him.
"Touko usually just pops the door open," She explained, "When something that isn't just her popping the door open occurs, it makes me think that it is someone who isn't her."
"Hence the vase over the head," Anthea concluded, smiling at Touya from her spot on the bed. Touya scratched his head, confused more than ever at the explanation.
"But…wouldn't a burglar or whatever burst through without knocking too?"
"Idiot, a burglar would probably use an open window first," Concordia stated, "That crawlspace is extremely well hidden, not to mention a very tight fit for anyone larger than a child. The only reason you even know of its existence is because of Touko."
Touya looked over at Touko, who only shrugged in response. "She's got a point," She conceded, "You only know about it because I showed you, and you even complained about it being tight."
Touya sighed, plopping himself onto the floor. "I give up on trying to understand your crazy girl logic!"
"Good," Concordia said, "Now you can get on with the reason why you're here."
Touya grinned, clearly pleased with this change in topic. "Well, the reason why we're here is to invite both of you lovely ladies and your brother on a wonderful outing tonight!"
Anthea's eyes lit up." That sounds wonderful!" She exclaimed.
Touya's grin grew larger as he turned to look at Anthea. "I thought you might like the idea!"
"Doesn't matter," Concordia stated, stepping in the line of sight between Touya and Anthea. "The number of safe outings has reached its limits, so now everyone has to stay confined for a couple of weeks."
"But Concordi-"
"It is for everyone's safety damn it," She shouted, stamping her foot, "My decision is final; there will be no exceptions made!"
"Even if I said someone specifically requested seeing you?" Touya asked slyly, standing up to saunter towards her. Concordia raised an eyebrow, eyeing him suspiciously as he circled her.
"And who in their right mind would do that?"
"Oh, just…a friend." He said innocently. Her eyes narrowed, appearing more like ice shards instead of serene pools.
"What kind of friend?"
"A friend of the boy variety."
"May I have a name?"
"He'd rather not be named."
Concordia growled, finally losing her patience with his games. She grabbed the collar of his shirt, causing Touya to yelp in surprise. She pulled his face close to hers, eyes shooting daggers straight into his skull. Touya gulped at the close proximity, feeling as though she could easily kill him just from staring at him.
"Now," She began coolly, "How about you tell me everything you know about this outing and this friend?"
He swallowed. "W-Well, w-we were all just gonna take you three to this little coffee house because it's a good spot to just hang out. A-And the friend, he was just Cheren; he thought you needed to chill out a little bit more, live the life of a young person and not a mother." Touya looked her up and down, taking note of her tense stance and angry aura. "Looks like he was right."
Concordia huffed, harshly releasing Touya from her grasp. "And just where is this little coffee house?"
Touya breathed a sigh of relief, brushing himself off. "In the city; nowhere dangerous, trust me!" He held his hands up defensively when he caught her suspicious glare. Concordia crossed her arms across her chest, still glaring at him.
"And you would still be able to bring them back before curfew?" She asked, staring at him directly. Touya nodded vigorously, feeling as though he was a prom date being quizzed by an overprotective parent. Concordia thought it over, tapping her foot silently as she processed the information.
"Alright then," She conceded, turning away from Touya as she approached her bed, "Anthea and N can go."
"But what about you," Touko asked as Touya silently cheered. Concordia shrugged, lying down upon her bed.
"It's my job to make sure that everyone is back before Ghetsis does his curfew check," Concordia stated, turning her head to look at Touko. "And if they are late, I have to distract him."
"But I promised we'd be back before their curfew!" Touya whined, staring up at Concordia. She glared down at him, causing him to shrink under her gaze.
"What if I said I didn't particularly trust you," She stated calmly. Touya put a hand to his chest, a shocked expression across his face.
"Why I'd be offended!"
"Well be offended all you want, cuz I don't particularly trust you."
Touya scratched his head. "What'd I ever do to be untrustworthy?"
"Oh Concordia," Anthea said, sliding off her bed and approaching Concordia, "You can trust Touya!"
She crossed her arms over her chest, raising an eyebrow. "My decision stands strong, and nothing you say will change it."
"What if I said please?"
"The answer is still no."
"Pretty please?"
"No."
"Pretty pretty please?"
"No."
"Pretty pretty please with a cherry on top," Touya called out, hands clasped in front of him almost as if he were begging. Concordia glared at him, causing him to shrink slightly under her gaze.
"No," She reiterated, "Besides, I hate cherries."
"Okay then, strawberries!"
"No."
"Blueberries?"
"No."
"Blackberries!"
"No."
"How about raspberries?"
"Those are disgusting," She said, making a face at the mere thought of them. Touya rubbed the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly.
"Sorry, didn't know that one," He said, "But come on! Let yourself a live a little! Be like everyone else; spend time with your family minus Ghetsis!"
She sighed, rubbing her temples. "If I say yes, will you finally just leave?"
He nodded, holding his hand up in the air. "Cross my heart, hope to die, stick a needle in my eye!"
"I plan on remembering that," She muttered under her breath. Touya gulped at the comment, his discomfort gone unnoticed as Anthea jumped up and down in joy. Touko sighed, smiling as she shook her head at the scene before her.
"This is gonna be one interesting night."
"I'm so glad you could make it Concordia," Bianca said cheerfully, turning her head to glance back at her, "You're going to really enjoy yourself, I promise!"
"Whatever," She muttered, arms crossed as she stared out at the street. Cars whizzed by in the sunlight, their metallic hoods reflecting the brilliant sun into the eyes of pedestrians such as herself. The sidewalk she walked on was crowded twice as badly as the streets though; businessmen and women speeded towards their destinations, cell phone in one hand and a swinging briefcase in the other. They paid no heed to the various street musicians as they played to pay the bills; they barely stopped to apologize to anyone who they bumped into as they rushed to make the next big check.
"How greed and business can change a person," Concordia thought as she was jostled by one of society's victims. The jostling reminded her of Ghetsis; he was always so busy gearing them towards success and the predetermined status quo, that along the way he just…forgot.
"It's not completely his fault," She thought, ignoring the blares of horns and exits from office buildings, "He's just been…dazzled is all."
"Oi, quit daydreaming!" Touya said, snapping his fingers in her face. Concordia blinked rapidly, completely caught off guard by his voice.
"Eh," She said, dazed by being brought back to reality. She turned her head rapidly, trying to figure out where exactly they were. They had gone down an alleyway and were now standing outside a beige doorway. A similar beige sign reading Castelia Coffee House hung over the door, a steaming cup of coffee stamped on it.
"Well, glad you could join the world of the active again!" Touya announced, grinning cheerfully at her. Concordia rolled her eyes, pushing past Touya as she walked ahead of him.
"I can daydream whenever I want, thank you very much," She said curtly, turning her head to glare at him. Touya shuddered, immediately moving to hide behind Touko and N.
"Is she always this intimidating, or is it just me?" Touya asked, looking up at both Touko and N for answers. Touko shrugged, turning her gaze towards N for the answer. He sighed, scratching the back of his head as he looked up to the sky thoughtfully.
"Well, she usually has a motherly attitude," He began, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "And when she uses that attitude, she seems pretty intimidating."
Touya breathed a sigh of relief as N continued. "Although I must admit, you seem to invoke a certain degree of intimidation that she's yet to display to us." N added, causing Touya's eyes to widen as he gulped fearfully.
"Gee, thanks for that info."
"You're welcome."
"Enough chitty-chatter," Bianca said, loud enough to draw everyone's attention, "This is everyone's first time, so I want us all to be really attentive about the sights, sounds, and general excitement!"
"Everyone's first time," Concordia asked, eyes darting in Touya's direction to glare at him. He whimpered, cowering behind Touko in utter fear. Cheren sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose.
"What Bianca means," He interjected, "Is that this is the first time it's opening. So before you rip Touya's head off Concordia, it hasn't been around long enough to be considered a 'gang hangout', or whatever it is you're worried about."
She crossed her arms over her chest, her face set into a stubborn pout. "Whatever."
Bianca grinned, seemingly ignoring the entire miniature world war that had occurred before her eyes. "Alright, then let's go!" She announced, pushing the door to the café open. A small bell tinkled, signaling the group's entrance into the newest addition to the city scene. Everyone looked around, each person taking in each of the sights, sounds, and scents as the person next to them, the only difference being their senses being assaulted at separate times.
The café was a small place, quaint little coffee house. A small stage set off to the side of the room featured a lone guitarist singing a handwritten ballad; a stand below the stage held a sign that read 'Welcome to Castelia's First Open Mic Night!' A bar could be seen in the back with a cashier and baristas; multiple machines could be seen running as they worked to produce the beverage of the customer's choice. The lighting was dim, giving a sort of sleepy feel to the shop; the multiple empty round tables and chairs only worked to accentuate the feeling. Some tables had customers, however, and one table in particular caught the eye of Touya.
"Oh my God…" He muttered, eyes becoming the size of saucers. Touko looked towards him, eyebrow raised in question.
"What?"
"It's the Elite Four," Touya squealed, grabbing Touko's arm and pointing in the direction of the table. Sure enough, there sat Alder, applauding loudly as the guitarist finished his piece. On his left sat Grimsley applauding as well, his attitude though far less exuberant than Alder's; on his right sat Caitlyn as she quietly sipped at her cup of presumably coffee. Next to Caitlyn sat Shauntal, a notebook propped on her lap as she wrote something down; the cup of coffee she had ordered being seemingly ignored at the moment.
"Oh yeah," Touko said, glancing at the table, "Wonder what they're still doing here since the carnival ended?"
"Who cares," Touya shouted, eyes glued to Alder as he laughed merrily. "What matters is that the most famous group of people on the planet are in a café! With us!"
"Why do I not like where this is going," Concordia muttered, eyes darting towards Cheren and Bianca. Bianca shrugged her shoulders as Cheren just stood there, eyes glued to the watch on his wrist.
"Three…two…one…"
"Touya," Touko shouted, immediately chasing after the boy as he ran towards the table. He skidded to a stop immediately in front of the Elite Four, hands placed on his knees as he panted from the sprint. Grimsley and Caitlyn glanced at each other, each raising an eyebrow; Shauntal merely kept her eyes glued to the notebook as Alder grinned at Touya.
"Hiya sonny," He greeted, waving his large hand as the rest of the group came over, "What can I do for ya?"
"Do you remember me," He asked quickly, eyes shining with excitement. Alder scratched his chin, a pondering look crossing his face.
"Hmm…you do look familiar."
"He's the ballerina boy Alder," Grimsley stated, sipping at his coffee. Alder's fingers snapped, recognition lighting his eyes brightly.
"Oh yeah! Now I remember," He said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry kid, my mind's not what it's used to be."
"Not only that," Caitlyn said, head resting on her laced finger, "But how are we supposed to remember every screaming fanboy that crosses our paths?"
Everyone snickered as Touya's jaw dropped to the floor, eyes bugging out of his head. "F-Fanboy…?"
"Oh, she's just kidding," Alder said, lightly slapping Caitlyn's shoulder. She glared slightly at him, brushing invisible dirt from her clothing. "Believe me when I say, we've met many more eccentric personalities than yourself! You're just a…a uh…uh…"
"Worshipper," Shauntal asked, pushing her glasses up her nose. Alder pointed towards her, nodding his head rapidly.
"Yeah! That's it!"
"That's basically a fanboy, Alder." Caitlyn said harshly, sipping from her coffee cup. Alder scratched his head, giving her a confused look.
"Really? Could've sworn I was like that about something when I was his age…"
Grimsley sighed, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, what brings you children to our silent little corner of the world?"
"We were just wondering how come you guys were still in town," Bianca piped in, considering that Touya was still too stupefied at Caitlyn's comments to make a coherent answer. Shauntal placed her pen down, looking up at the group with a smile on her face.
"Well, as you all know, we are a traveling carnival who goes all across the country," She began, "And unfortunately, we don't have much time to enjoy the exquisite delicacies of each city since we're so focused on making sure the carnival is up and running."
"You mean you guys don't relax during the day?" Touko asked, genuinely surprised. They all shook their heads, with Alder being the vocal one of the group.
"Are you kidding? We have to make sure all the rides are up to code, all the food is for the most part not spoiled, all the games aren't rigged to be impossible yet not easily winnable, and that all the shows are practicing and in working order!"
" 'For the most part not spoiled'? 'Aren't rigged to be impossible yet not easily winnable'?", Concordia thought, raising an eyebrow at Alder's explanation. "I most certainly am not missing out on much of these so called 'beloved childhood memories'"
"So," Caitlyn began, drawing Concordia's attention away from her thoughts, "Once the carnival is over, we usually hang around for a little bit more to properly enjoy the places we visit."
"It must be so nice to see so many fascinating places," Anthea sighed, a dreamy look coming into her eyes.
Alder nodded enthusiastically. "Is it ever! One of my favorite places was Opelucid City; that was one of the strangest places we've ever traveled to!"
"What made it so strange," Cheren asked, his curiosity rising at the statement.
"Well, it was an average sized place; fair weather, cobblestone streets. Very rural and more set in the olden times, ya know? But, as you traveled deeper into the city, it was like stepping into a whole new world!"
"Really," Bianca asked, eyes wide with wonder. Alder nodded again, hands placed on the table.
"Yeah! It became this really modern, futuristic kind of place! Real lively place for the young people of the city if I remember correctly." He said, leaning back on the last two legs of his chair. He propped his feet up onto the table, toes wiggling in the air that his sandals provided. Grimsley sighed, immediately pushing his feet up, causing him to fall backwards.
"Argh," He yelled, crashing to the floor loudly.
"No feet on the tables Alder. It's impolite, and sets a very bad example for our young guests." Grimsley stated, pointing towards the group. Alder stood up, rubbing the back of his head gingerly.
"You could've at least given me warning man!"
"Much more amusing this way." He stated, sipping from his coffee. Alder stuck his tongue out at Grimsley, before turning to the stage where a band was setting up for their performance.
"Oi, how about you kids play some good old fashioned dancing music? All this talk of adventures and travels have filled me with energy more than any caffeinated beverage could!"
The small group nodded their heads meekly, before beginning to play light, airy tune. The main instrument used was a flute, coming from the two female band members. In the background could be heard the light beats of bongo drums and the simple strumming of a lute; an electric piano made its appearance every now and again, adding a lovely sound to the symphony of music. Alder snapped his fingers, bobbing his head to the beat.
"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about," He said, grinning from ear to ear, "This is almost like my own little theme or something!"
"It certainly sounds like a wonderful traveling song." Bianca added, her body swaying with the rhythm of the music. Alder looked over at her, the grin still plastered on his face.
"I know right," He said excitedly. "But enough chit-chat! It's time to dance!" He said, and with that grabbed Bianca by the arm and led her to the open space on the floor. Bianca squealed and giggled, following Alder's lead in the dance. Cheren sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose as the two of them danced.
"It must be wonderful to be in such a state of ignorant bliss." He muttered, watching as Bianca and Alder danced as if it wasn't strange for a man his age to be dancing with a teenage girl.
"Ah, he's just a big 'ol teddy bear on the inside anyway," Touya shouted, clasping a hand on Cheren's shoulder. "Hey Anthea, wanna dance?"
Anthea blinked, looking over at Touya. "Me?" She asked, pointing at herself.
"Of course you!"
"Well, I don't really know how to…" She began. Touya waved his hand dismissively, grabbing her by the arm.
"It's okay, neither do I!" He said cheerfully, leading her out to the floor. Anthea giggled, following Touya to wherever he led her.
"Hey, you better not crush her toes with your stupid feet," Concordia shouted, raising a fist in Touya's direction. He obviously hadn't heard her, as he and Anthea were too busy with trying to mimic Alder and Bianca's moves. Concordia huffed, ears catching the sound of N and Touko's laughs as they danced together. She crossed her arms over her chest, smiling slightly at the sounds of everyone having fun.
Cheren glanced over at her, expression softening at her smile. "Well, we might as well join them."
Concordia turned away, one eye open to look at him. "Tch, just because you may be graceful jumping walls doesn't mean you're graceful on the dance floor. Besides, I have-"
"-To make sure that you, Anthea, and N get home on time," Cheren finished, "I've got it. Now come along, let's get you having fun." He said, grabbing her arm and dragging her towards the floor. Concordia sighed, following him as they joined the others. He placed one hand on her waist and his hand in hers, leading her through a dance that perfectly matched the mood of the music.
"This is actually…fun," She thought, following his quick, airy steps. She smiled, hearing Anthea squeal with laughter as Touya spun her around and dipped her towards the ground.
"Alright everyone, let's change partners!" Alder shouted, spinning Bianca away from him and towards Touya. Touya lifted Anthea away from the floor and towards N, catching the giggling Bianca. Anthea landed lightly on her feet, curtsying at N who merely bowed towards her before taking her hand in dance. Touko smiled, shrugging as she went to Cheren for a partner. Concordia pouted, looking at Alder and then at Touko.
"I don't particularly trust that brute…" She muttered, eying him suspiciously. Due to a lack of a partner, Alder had resorted to dancing freely by himself, performing high leaps and spins in the air, earning himself applause from the other patrons of the café.
"Believe me when I say, he's probably harmless," Cheren said, steering her in Alder's direction. Concordia stood awkwardly as Alder landed in front of her after having performed a leap. He grasped her hand in his, already beginning to lead her.
"Come, dance," He cheered, grinning merrily at her, "The night is young, and we've all the time in the world to drink from the cup of life!"
"Wonder what his coffee was spiked with," Concordia thought as she silently followed Alder's lead in the dance.
"Man, who knew Alder was such a party animal," Touya shouted, arms folded behind his head as he walked down the darkened streets. Bianca nodded, wiping sweat from her brow as she walked beside him.
"It was so nice of that band to keep repeating the same song over and over again!"
"Considering he slipped them a fifty and got them thunderous applause and café fame, I don't think they had any qualms about it." Cheren stated, hands in his pockets. Anthea hummed the tune from the café, her steps still in beat with the song as she danced along the street. Touko and N walked beside each other, Touko laughing as she made small jokes about N having two left feet, causing him to blush and sheepishly scratch the back of his head.
"Oh Concordia," Anthea said in a dreamy voice as she continued to dance along, "Aren't you glad you came along now?"
Concordia smiled softly, glancing over at her sister. "Considering we right on time, yeah."
"So if we didn't, you would've hated it?" Touya asked, turning his head slightly to look at her.
"No, I would've only hated you."
Touya gulped, turning back around quickly. Bianca giggled as Cheren smirked, causing Touya to whine about being treated unfairly. Concordia rolled her eyes, the smile growing slightly bigger on her face.
Finally, they reached a streetlight that wasn't far from the Harmonia mansion. N and Touko hugged one final time before N was being lead back towards the house by his sisters.
"Bye guys," Anthea called, waving to them, "Hope to see you again real soon!"
"Bye-bye Anthea, Concordia, N!" Bainca called back, waving her arm in the air.
Anthea smiled, turning a corner with her siblings and walking back in the darkness. The mood was light, energetic, and, most importantly, purely happy. Before it would always have an unspoken darkness hidden behind the joy; tonight, however, it was pure unbridled love of life that surrounded them. It made the stars shine brighter, the grass look greener, and the noise of the city sound like the world's most beautiful symphony. Concordia sighed happily as she basked in the feeling, her arms swinging slightly by her sides.
"Maybe…I should do this more often," She thought, crawling after Anthea through the bushes. Once she reached the other side, she brushed the dirt off her dress, a smile still plastered on her face. She looked towards her siblings, ready to race them to the house once again. Instead of smiles and giggles though, she saw muscles tense with apprehension and fear. Her own eyes widened as she slowly turned towards where they were staring, her own muscles tensing as she saw what was awaiting them.
"Hello children," Ghetsis said, staring them down from where he stood, "Did you have a nice night?"
A/N: Okay, I'm sorry this took so long, buuuut I was busy with exams and my Girl Scout Gold Award and everything just took up too much time! BUT TADA! IT IS DONE! MY LONGEST CHAPTER YET I THINK! Also, if anyone can guess what song I'm referring to in the dance sequence, you will win the right to request a oneshot from yours truly! *points at self* So I hope you enjoyed, review and you'll receive a Ghetsis voodoo doll! Until next time…JAA MATA!
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. If I did, I'd make it so that more awesome stuff happens.
