The girls' room smells of lavender and custard.
Probably because Iris is currently stuffing her face with a custard bun.
"Mm, yummy!" She squeals.
Dawn chuckles. "I guess you're famished, huh?"
Iris nods vehemently. "I can eat a horse."
Dawn really hopes she doesn't, seeing how there are no horses nearby.
"I can't believe we were talking until Steven had to chase us out." Serena says, feeling like she's in a dream as she flops onto her bed. "We have like, what," she glances at the clock, "four hours to sleep? Noooo." She moans, burying her face in her pillow. The girl is used to sleeping at least eight hours a day.
"At least you've showered. I haven't." Iris points out.
The six girls are sharing one room, while the boys share the room across from them, and there are only two bathrooms. The boys have very generously allowed them to use both showers first.
Not.
Iris had daringly suggested that they played rock-paper-scissors, and the winner could use both bathrooms first. The losing room will just have to wait.
And darn those boys, they had won.
Cilan had felt bad and offered to do best of three, but Iris held her head up high and said a loss was a loss. Since the other girls had acquiesced to it, none of them blamed Iris. The incident did solidify Cilan as the "best" guy in the eyes of the girls, though.
Misty and Mairin are in the shower right now, since Iris wanted to eat, May wanted to call her brother, Dawn wanted to unpack her heavy backpack and Serena went to shower first, having won another game of rock-paper-scissors. Actually, Mairin won too so she used the other shower and she was technically done.
But the poor girl accidentally slipped and her arm hit the tap, getting herself and her clothes drenched, so she is now changing.
Dawn exhales happily. "Phew, I'm finally done!"
She looks up at the other girls. "So… you guys are coming along, right?"
Dawn has pretty much nothing to lose and everything to gain if she leaves for this journey, so she has already made up her mind.
The door opens, and May enters, having overheard Dawn's words just as she was returning.
"I'm definitely going, if only to figure things out and get my parents back," she says resolutely. Her phone call with Max must have gone well.
Dawn smiles at her. "See, being determined suits you much better than being sad!"
Iris swallows and gulps down water. "I'm going too. I've lived in a village my whole life, and the village Elder told me to explore the world. That's a trial of sorts. The urban lifestyle isn't for me; I've already failed it once," Iris says, thinking of the time she tried studying at Opelucid City and how utterly lonely she was. "But this time, I'm not alone. And it's like an adventure, if I think positively."
Dawn grins at her. "No need to worry," she sing-songs.
Then Misty and Mairin come in.
"You guys are loud. We could hear you all the way down the hallway. But yeah, I'm coming too. I've already lost… lost someone precious to me. I can't afford to lose anyone else. I'll put a stop to this madness." Misty says, rubbing a towel through her wet locks.
Mairin sits down beside Dawn, and fiddles with her fingers. "All my life I thought I was useless. But now, I'm given the chance to be part of something more. Is it wrong if I want to take it?" She's not quite sure why she's suddenly confiding in them.
Dawn pats the younger girl's head, who looks surprised.
"Of course not. And you're not useless. No one here is useless. As sappy as this conversation has turned out, I believe each and every one of you are indispensable. We've only met today, but I feel like I was waiting my whole life to meet you all."
Serena sits up from where she's lying on her bed. "Um." She begins, a bit unsurely. The others look at her. And their gazes are so kind, so free of judgment.
She takes a blind leap of faith.
"I'm terrified, to be honest," she admits, "I was a normal high school student, and the worst thing in my life was failing exams or having a fall-out with my friends. Now, I'm suddenly thrust into the middle of this grand thing, this expedition, whatever, and told to save the world. I don't have any hidden skills or abilities, and I'm so afraid to fail here because failure means the doom of the world, apparently, but…" Serena smiles. "I know I'm not the only one. You guys are probably terrified, too, but you're all ready to charge into it. So I look at you and I gain courage."
Serena's heart, indeed, has calmed its furious pounding. "Thank you. I will go, too. Oh! Let me tell my mother first, though. She'll chew me out."
May's heart squeezes a bit. If her mother were here, she would have been upset at May for leaving so abruptly, too. The others all smile after Serena's speech, and Iris even teases her for being the corniest.
Misty contemplates whether to tell her sisters, then decides to leave them a voice message. They're probably asleep by now so they will hopefully only see it when they have already set off.
They don't have the best of a relationship as it stands and she doesn't need them to grill her about how terrible of a decision she's making.
The girls then chatter for a bit more while Dawn and Iris head to shower.
Meanwhile, contrary to the warm atmosphere in the girls' room, the boys' room is about to freeze over given the cold mood.
Three beds are lined up against each wall, and Paul has claimed one of the two beds nearest to the door. He barely brought anything, so he has finished unpacking, showering and is ready to sleep.
"Why don't we try to get to know each other?" Ash suggests, wanting to do something. He's tired but he knows sleep won't claim him even if he tries to force himself to.
Gary makes a face. "I've known you for sixteen years. I don't think there's anything more I need to, or even want to, know about you."
Drew whistles. "Sixteen years, huh. That's a long time."
Gary eyes him. "What about you? You already knew May… and Dawn, right?" Gary asks slyly.
Drew glares at him. "Nothing is going on between me and Dawn." He didn't appreciate the insinuation that Gary threw at him.
Gary smirks. "Oh, so something is going on between you and the brunette?"
I wish, Drew thinks and then bats that thought aside. Offense is the best defense.
"And you?" Drew cocks a brow. "Weren't you being mighty upset earlier when Misty was all sad about her friend's death?"
Gary scowls. "Misty is my friend. And unlike you, I care about my friends."
Drew's eyes flash. "What did you say? Who do you think you are to judge how I treat my friends?"
"Well, isn't it true? May was being all upset earlier about the G-Men voting thing and you voted against her, didn't you?" Gary rebuts.
"That was you shoving your ideas down other people's throats. The one being 'all upset earlier' was you. You were pretty much throwing a tantrum like a six-year-old, instead of sixteen," Drew sneers.
"Woah, woah, hold up there," Cilan intervenes, trying to get them to calm down before things turn nastier.
In the midst of all this arguing, both Paul and Alain have managed to weasel their way out of it. They're no help at all, but at least they aren't adding oil to the fire.
Cilan is beginning to think that the real problem on their team is Alain, if only because Paul at least occasionally speaks his mind. He knows next to nothing about Alain, and the guy doesn't seem likely to volunteer any information about himself soon.
"I agree with Ash. It may be nice to get to know each other more," Cilan tries, changing the topic, and surprisingly, Drew doesn't reject him.
That's because Drew has a growing respect for Cilan, the unofficial leader of their ragtag group. Only Cilan himself seems to be wholly unaware of how much the others look up to him.
Gary's eyes ignite with a glint. "How about we play truth or dare?"
Cilan hesitates. This can get things spiced up more than he wants.
Ash, oblivious as ever, brightens. "Yeah, I want to do something active. I choose dare!"
"Then go run up and down the stairs ten times," Paul comments boredly. Cilan is surprised. He didn't think Paul was participating in the game, or even listening to their conversation.
It's a pleasant sort of surprise, though.
Now if only he can somehow rope Alain in…
"Now that kind of dare. That's boring," Ash argues.
"I dare you to piss yourself in front of the girls' room." Gary chimes in.
Ash whacks him. "Arceus, I hate you."
"Yeah, yeah, see how many fucks I give." Gary holds up one finger, and then folds it. "That's right, exactly none."
Drew decides to join in. "How about this? Tie a bunch of bedsheets together and climb out of the window."
Ash glares at him. "Are you kidding me? We're on the eighth floor. I'll die!"
"That's the point," Drew says devilishly.
"And I'm not lending you my bedsheet." Paul adds.
"Neither am I." Alain says, looking up from his phone.
Cilan sees his chance and seizes it. "What about you, Alain? Truth or dare?"
Alain pauses.
Please don't ignore me, Cilan prays internally.
"… Truth."
Gary rolls his eyes. "That's too cowardly."
"A dare is too cumbersome." Alain replies flatly.
Paul is inclined to agree.
"Well, does anyone have a question for Alain?" Cilan asks around. "Nothing too intrusive since it is our first day."
"Gross, Cilan, you make it sound like we're dating." Gary mock-pukes.
"How about this?" Ash puts forward. "Have you ever broken the law? Mist asked me that once." He says proudly.
"So? What was your answer?" Drew asks, curious.
"Huh? Uh, isn't it Alain's turn?" Ash deflects.
"Come to think of it, you never did complete your turn." Cilan muses.
Gary answers on behalf of Ash, "of course he did. My man once peed in a random stranger's flower pot. Pretty sure that's like, environmental damage or some shit."
Ash cringes.
"Ew." Drew turns away.
"That's because you told me that it would help the flowers grow faster!" Ash defends himself, growing red in the face. Now that he thinks about it, he isn't sure why his ten-year-old self thought that was a good idea.
"So you'll sit if Gary tells you to and drop dead if he orders you to?" Paul says, his voice laced in sarcasm.
Gary grins. "Pretty much. You should have seen the sort of stupid stuff he fell for back in the days."
"I – ugh! Alain, your turn," Ash says, flushing deeply.
Alain thinks about the question for a while.
"Man, is it such a tough question?" Drew sighs. "Either you have or you haven't."
"Then I have." Alain answers simply.
"No, you can't just end it like that! Spill the beans." Drew insists.
"Was that part of the question?"
"It doesn't matter," Gary joins in now. "Come on, tell us the juicy bits."
Alain sighs. "Let's just say I was underaged, drunk, saw a pretty car and decided I wanted to make a patty out of it. Some girl came, thought I was the owner of the car and was trying to redesign it, so she lent me a hand. In the end two of the tires busted and the hood completely caved in. A police officer came out and yelled at us. It was his pretty car that we wrecked. We made a run for it but tripped over each other and rolled down the hill."
Both Ash and Drew burst into laughter.
"What the hell," Gary comments, shaking his head.
Even Cilan chuckles.
Paul is as unreadable as ever but Cilan swore his lips twitched, at least.
It's a good enough start, Cilan accepts.
Of course, ten minutes later, the game dissolves into an argument when it's Drew's turn and Gary dares him to confess to May with a bouquet of roses.
Drew snaps that there are no roses.
And Ash, goddamn him, says brightly that he saw a vase of roses on the third floor when they were taking the transparent elevator.
They're making such a loud ruckus that Misty shouts at them to shut up from the other room, and Gary immaturely yells back for her to shut up instead. Then their door is kicked open and Misty is about to strangle Gary, so Ash tackles her, Iris sees it and gets indignant on behalf of her newfound friend and jumps into the skirmish, Cilan tries to separate them but gets pulled in, which spirals into a brawl between the trio with poor Cilan sandwiched between them.
May is yelling at the sidelines for Iris to get in a few uppercuts, while Dawn isn't helping matters by suddenly being a commentator.
"And Iris nails a direct hit to Ash's gut – oof, that gotta hurt, she packs quite a punch. But watch out because Ash has activated his super special skill: the Hair Grabbing Technique. And Iris has a lot of hair. Yikes, that's cheating!" Dawn stomps on the floor, outraged on behalf of her new friend.
And Mairin… Well, that girl just looks highly entertained, laughing her head off. Serena, at least, looks caught halfway between being worried and amused by the situation.
Wallace materializes out of nowhere, yanks Ash and Cilan out, and gives both rooms a stern lecture, probably because his room is directly below the guys' room, and he most definitely does not appreciate the commotion. After the severe scolding, the twelve of them finally decide to retire for the night.
Serena is in despair over how she only has three hours before it's 5 am, and resigns herself to saying goodbye to her beauty sleep.
Peace and calm reign over the eighth floor once the twelve Arcana go to sleep.
Of course, peace can only last so long.
Cynthia wakes up in time to see the digital clock turn from 2.59 to 3 am. Her phone is ringing. And on her desk is also a pile of paperwork.
Wait. This is giving her strong deja vu.
No, no, it's Thursday today, though, she consoles herself.
Steven mumbles something incomprehensible beside her when she reaches over him to pick up her ringing phone. He rolls over, hugging her waist. She was originally only supposed to have come to his room to discuss league affairs with him, but one thing led to another and now they're here.
"Cynthia Shiro –" She begins sluggishly, but is cut off.
"Dear Arceus, Cynthia, you have to evacuate the Sinnoh League, right now." Lucian's voice is urgent.
Cynthia snaps to attention.
"Why?" She demands, wide awake.
"Because a portal has opened directly above the league and instead of sucking you guys in, it's spitting things out. Like, random plasma beams, mini bombs, some small missile things that look deadly as hell, and stuff."
As if on cue, there's a loud boom and Cynthia swears the ground is shaking. The lampstand falls off her bedside table and crashes onto the floor.
Steven jerks, waking up.
"Please tell me nothing is wrong," he groans.
Cynthia ends the call and turns to Steven.
"Put on some pants. We need to go."
"Go where?"
"Out of here." Cynthia grits her teeth. "Or we die."
Serena wakes up screaming. She has somehow fallen out of her bed. And her phone has bounced off her head and crashed onto the floor with a sickening thud.
She picks it up. The screen is cracked but at least it still functions.
3.07 am.
Damn it. She can't even sleep for a full two hours. Was that even considered sleeping? No, it was more like a nap.
"Serena, quick, we have to go!" Dawn is saying in a panic.
"Huh, go? Where?"
"Yeah, we have to – ahhh!" Dawn shrieks as the room shakes, yes shakes, and Serena screams too, holding onto the wall for dear life. Never mind that the wall is trembling violently as well.
"Anyway, you've packed everything you need already, right?"
They have all packed their essentials in the travel bags that they were given, and Serena is grateful for that now.
Mairin hands Serena her bag, and the older girl thanks her. She shoves her phone inside.
"But what's happening?" Serena asks, trying to blink the sleep away from her eyes.
"Don't know." Misty shrugs, hiding her anxiousness. "But Wallace ran down the hallway calling for us to assemble in front of the league right now."
"I'll gladly trade my left arm for a day of peace in this shithole," Gary grumbles, as the girls join them outside.
"Good luck finding someone who wants it," Misty quips, while Drew grumbles back, "I don't think peace is a word that exists here."
"Someone or something is attacking this place," Iris shivers. "And I don't like it."
"Yeah, well, no one does," Paul says bluntly.
"Is everyone here?" Cilan asks. He does a quick headcount, though it's hard to tell with the dim lighting.
"Alright, then let's go. I think it's better if we use the stairs." He says. "The elevator may break down."
"Gee, I was grateful when we were given the eighth floor because of the view, but now I'm regretting it." Ash complains as they file down the stairs.
"Be grateful we even have stairs and that they didn't crumble." Misty snaps.
As soon as she says that, something small, round and large hits the flight of stairs below them, and a huge segment of the stairs collapses.
"Uh." Ash scratches his head. "I think you kinda jinxed it, Mist."
Cilan sighs. "Everyone, please turn and head back up to the upper floor. Calmly. We can use another staircase."
They comply, wanting to get out of here as fast as possible.
They're on the fifth floor, but as they pass by the many guest rooms, they notice that one of the doors is wide open.
And a familiar blonde is standing there.
"Cynthia?" Cilan calls out her name with uncertainty.
The Champion turns around. It's really her.
"I thought you had your own room – oh." Cilan says awkwardly as another figure emerges behind her.
"Er." He doesn't know what to say.
Drew does, apparently. "Hey Steven. So you're sharing a room with Cynthia now?"
Said Steven is wearing a shirt that has been buttoned wrongly several times and blushing so furiously that all of them can see, bad lighting or not. His celeste blue hair is tousled and he's wearing his slacks inside-out.
"Oh, yeah, er, hi you all." Steven says, trying and failing to sound casual.
"Your pants are inside-out," Mairin tells him helpfully, but he only reddens even more.
"Mairin. You don't just tell him things like that to his face." Dawn admonishes.
Mairin asks quizzically, "why not?"
"He'll get embarrassed. We're supposed to turn a blind eye to his relationship with Cynthia." Dawn says plainly. Of course, Steven can hear her perfectly well. And yes, he is beyond mortified right now. His dignity as the distinguished and temperamental Champion of Hoenn has evaporated into thin air.
"There's no time for this. We need to get moving. Steve, you can change your pants another time," Cynthia says in a no-nonsense tone. She looks put together and flawless as always.
Drew whispers to Steven. "Steve, huh? You guys have cute nicknames for each other?"
It's interesting seeing just how flustered the normally unruffled Hoenn Champion can get when it involves Cynthia. He shrugs aside Drew's question and says purposefully, "come on, let's go."
Following Steven and Cynthia's lead, the twelve Arcana tramp after them.
Dawn hugs herself.
May notices that and asks worriedly, "Dawn, are you scared?"
Ash is about to scoff and say of course she is since even he is terrified, when Dawn says brightly, "what? Of course not! I was just a bit cold. Anyway, I was thinking how exciting this is. It's like a school trip! Not that I've been on one before. But I suppose if I did, this is what it would have felt like." She prattles happily.
People give her odd, almost horrified looks.
"If you start singing a song, I'll kick you down the stairs," Paul states brusquely.
Dawn blinks. "Huh, not a bad idea."
"You want Paul to kick you?" Ash asks, alarmed. What kind of masochist is that?!
The answer comes to him: the kind he doesn't want to know.
Dawn rolls her eyes. "No, the singing part."
"Please don't," Serena begs.
"Calm down, no need to worry! I'm not really going to sing. Besides, all I know are opera songs."
Serena's mouth drops, and she forgets her fear. "Wow, you sing opera?"
Dawn picks at her clothes, suddenly subdued. "Yeah. Um, my mom told me to."
And just like that the conversation grinds to a screeching halt.
Everyone can tell that Dawn does not get along well with her mother.
No one else speaks as they scamper down the stairs.
They reach the ground floor quickly, and just in time as well as the steps above Alain, who's at the rear, explode into showers of dust.
Mairin squeaks, and Alain covers her.
"Let's hurry," he says, glancing behind him and grimacing.
They dash out of the interior of the Sinnoh League and many of the members can kiss the ground, so relieved to be out in fresh air instead of trapped inside the building, where every second is a matter of life and death.
At the front of the compound, the rest of the Parelle League who have come with them are already assembled.
"There you guys are," Wallace calls out, exasperated. "And for Arceus's sake, button up your pants, Steven."
Poor Steven has finally stopped blushing only for his face to start burning again. In his haste, he had only yanked up the jeans, and forgotten to zip or button them. To be fair, with the jeans inside-out, he couldn't have done that even if he had remembered.
"Alright, guys, listen up," Cynthia gathers the twelve children, who huddle around her.
She jabs her finger at the sky. "Look at that and memorize the scene. That is what awaits the whole of Parelle if you guys fail."
Much like Lucian had taciturnly described, all manner of things are blasting out from the gigantic wormhole-portal thing swarming above them. Streams of dark light slam into the rapidly disintegrating Sinnoh League, transforming it from a grand place into a derelict one.
"This can't be real." Gary mutters. "Stuff like this belongs in fantasy or science fiction movies."
"Well, it's very real, and it's happening right now," Cynthia states matter-of-factly. She turns to the group, and a lump forms in her throat. She doesn't even know if she'll see them again after today. She doesn't even know why or how she has gotten so attached to these kids.
Shit. This is no time to get sentimental.
"Do you have everything with you?" She eyes their backpacks, and most of them nod.
"I need a reply. Yes or no?"
"Yes," Cilan speaks up.
"Alright." Cynthia takes a deep breath. "We part here."
"What?" A chorus of voices calls out confusedly.
"We're league members. The public needs answers, and they're looking at us for them. We can't go with you. And since you guys have refused the G-Men's help, you'll have to be alone." Cynthia signals at Steven, who steps forward and hands each of them a small walkie-talkie object.
"It's a communication device, in case signals get cut off and phones fail. It's still in the prototype stage, so we don't know the exact range." Cynthia explains. "You guys remember what we said? About finding your cards?"
The kids – no, the Arcana, nod. Their usual fighting and argument has given way to seriousness. Looking at them now, Cynthia has the most unusual feeling that she can completely trust them.
"You're in Sinnoh now." Cynthia says. "And the Sinnohians are Dawn and Paul, I believe. Start by looking for their cards, and make your way through each region. Find the Hermit. Check in with us regularly." Cynthia's voice cracks.
"And most importantly… don't die. If you get hurt, if you get sick, if you're in a dangerous situation…" She bites her lips, unable to continue. She doesn't look like the impeccable Sinnoh Champion. She looks, and feels, like the very much vulnerable twenty-eight-year-old that she is.
"I'll take care of them." Cilan promises. His gaze is steel incarnated. "I won't let Parelle down. I won't let them down."
"I'll hold you to that," Cynthia breathes.
Cilan dips his head.
And a good thing.
A blast flies past his head and he can feel the searing heat. It lands a few feet behind him, bursting into flames.
"Cyn, we must go, it's not safe here," Steven presses.
"Alright, but give me another second." She rummages in her pockets. "Who can drive well here?"
Alain unexpectedly steps forward. "I don't mind." He shrugs.
She tosses a car key at him, and he catches it neatly.
She jerks her head towards the side.
There, an armored van parks, spacious enough to accommodate fourteen people.
Gary's eyes light up. "Dope. I call shotgun."
When it looks like a fight will break out again, Cilan says placatingly, "we can rotate."
"It's a fortified van that cost the G-Men an arm and a leg. One-of-a-kind. You better return it to me in one piece." Lance growls.
Gary has already run off into the distance to check out the car.
Alain tucks his hands into his pockets. "I'll try, but I'm not making any promises I can't keep."
Lance sighs. "That's ominous."
"Yeah. Is it fine if we return it to you in many pieces?" Mairin asks.
"No." Lance scowls fiercely at the mere thought of that.
"Um, let's go," Mairin says hastily.
"Bye." Dawn waves at Cynthia and the rest of them.
Aaron walks over to Drew. "I won't tell you to practice caution since I know you'll throw it to the wind, but try your best to stay safe, alright?"
Drew grins. "Try is the key word."
Aaron grimaces.
And thus, the twelve Arcana set off –
"Wait!" Dawn shrieks. Everyone pauses.
"What is it?" Ash asks worriedly.
"I left my jasmine scented candles behind!" Dawn laments.
Drew facepalms. "Princess, trust me, you won't even have time to use them."
Dawn frowns, then reluctantly admits that Drew may have a point.
Still, as the trudges after the others, she brightens when she thinks of having a bath. Or perhaps eating some delicacy made by a Michelin chef. She suddenly misses her home's chef. He was a great cook, and knew exactly what Dawn loved to eat. Ah, this journey will be so thrilling!
The sheltered girl has no way of knowing just how right she is – in the wrongest way.
A/N:
If you're reading this then thank you for picking up my story! Right now I have the strongest urge to write a Darksteel fic but I want to at least finish part one for ATPS before I move on to other multichapter stories. Please leave a review/kudos/comment if you like or wish to share your thoughts on this chapter! (Since I use both FFN and AO3)
Also, just realized it should be Thursday, not Wednesday, sorry!
Jeonjjkie: Thanks for the review again! Your support means a lot to me :)
Oh, and someone on AO3 asked me about my upload schedule. I guess it's quite haphazard for now (oops) but I'm planning on uploading at least once a week (I do have a few future chapters written already) and probably during the weekends. I'm thinking of either Fridays or Saturdays but if this changes I'll let you guys know.