Chapter Twelve

Courtyard Conclave

The bag with the altered Apricorns was heavy, heavier than she had found it before. Lynn had to drag it across the ground with both arms, its contents clattering with every one of her jerky steps. Her newfound acquaintance, Lark, on the other hand, had already shouldered her bag with ease.

"Need a hand?" the older girl called as she walked past.

Lynn didn't look up. "No," she managed to gasp out.

In one fluid motion, Lark slung the second sack over her own. Before Lynn had a chance to protest, the other girl was already at the edge of the courtyard, stuffing both bags back into the corner crevice. One of the strange hinged Apricorns that had fallen out of its bag was still nestled against Lynn's foot. Scooping it up, she started tentatively towards Lark. "Here's another one," she said, handing Lark the small sphere. "And another," she added, stooping to pick up an additional Apricorn she'd just spotted on the ground.

"Let's just hope Allegard didn't notice these," Lark sighed, taking both of the strange Apricorns from Lynn's hand. "And don't say anything to Cro. He's been teetering on the edge of sanity ever since the start of the Eight Days of Festival."

"Eight Days of Festival?"

"It's a Master holiday," Lark explained. "With the larger crowds, we're fighting twice the battles at the Stadium. You'd think that'd take out some of Cro's energy, but no. You can't beat Cro down. All the beating just makes him rant even more about the evils of Masters and how he'll be the one to revive the legacy of the Pokémon Trainers." She grinned, an action that belied her almost mocking tone. "And an attitude like that's just what we need in a leader!"

Lynn must have let some of her confusion slip onto her face, for Lark added quickly, "Don't worry. Most of us didn't understand either, at first. Just wait until the others get here, then we'll be able to explain what..."

"Bad girl, Lark, revealing secrets to strangers," drawled a bell-like voice from behind. Lynn spun around just in time to spot a dainty Vulpix springing from the open trapdoor and sauntering into the middle of the courtyard. It was followed by a plump-bodied Bellossom, whose green-leaved skirts rustled as it popped up.

"Oh, my!" the Bellossom squeaked, putting a chubby limb to its mouth. "Lark, you haven't been! You of all Ringed should know better than to!"

Though Lynn could not make out its face in the darkness, she was fairly sure that the Vulpix was rolling its eyes. "It was a joke, Ruey," the vulpine Pokémon snorted. "Give the girl some credit."

A flickering light blazed up only a few feet away, making Lynn jump. The Vulpix was kneeling at a low alcove by Lynn's feet, blowing glowing embers onto a small torch. Satisfied at the crackling blaze it had produced, it stepped back and puffed out a single smoke ring. Before Lynn could back away, she'd inhaled some of the smoke and began to cough.

"Lynn, the Vulpix with the orange Ring is Vixory," Lark said, striding over and clapping Lynn on the back. "Vix, this is Lynn. She's the one I told you about before. One of Cro's new recruits."

"I-I am?" Lynn choked out, half from the smoke, half from shock.

The Ringed Vulpix, Vixory, snorted. "Either you're a recruit, kid," it said, blowing an auburn curl of fur from its eyes, "or you're a smoking smear against that wall. We Ringed don't like traitors, sweetheart. Spies even less."

"Don't scare the poor dear, Vixi," the Ringed Bellossom reprimanded, pushing its way forward and smiling up at Lynn. "Hello, Lynn. I'm Ruemarie, representative of Verdant City's Hillpath District, and I welcome you." It dropped into a bobbing curtsy, causing Vixory to roll its olive-colored eyes.

"For a shop servant, you really put on airs," the Vulpix snorted, flipping a tail rather pointedly at Ruemarie's green Ring. "What'd you do today, oh high-and-mighty District Representative? Stock the selves? Sweep the floors? Take out the garage?"

"Now, Vixi," Ruemarie sniffed. "Just because I'm not a hard labor Ringed like you and Lark, or a battler like Cro, doesn't mean I don't deserve the same amount of respect."

Vixory snorted even louder at this, but restrained a real retort. "When's Cro coming?" the Vulpix demanded instead, turning to Lark.

"Whenever his Stadium match finishes, and whenever he can get away from that Master of his." Lark made a face. "Little Princess Himeka. I pity any Ringed that has to live under her control."

A strange popping noise sounded by Lynn's feet. Looking down, she saw the air shimmering briefly in the firelight. What was even more peculiar, however, was a shadow that was beginning to appear on the ground, even though there was clearly nothing above it.

"Um..." she started nervously.

In that exact instant, the shimmering spot of air was replaced by the cross-legged figure of a Human boy. Yelping in surprise, Lynn staggered backwards. The boy lifted his head at the strangled-sounding noise, eyelids fluttering open to reveal golden, almond-shaped eyes behind long, uneven black bangs.

"Hello, Xander," Ruemarie the Bellossom said kindly, waddling over. "We were afraid you wouldn't make it today."

"Heard you got creamed by Spark in the Stadium today," Vixory cackled from Lynn's other side. "Bet Master Rhys wasn't too happy about that!"

There was a flash of purple light and a yelp from Vixory. Xander's thin lips curled into a grin as a hand of psychic energy lifted the wriggling Vulpix by the scruff of its neck. [What was that again?] the Human Psychic queried, his telekinetic words echoing in the minds of all present.

The slam of a trapdoor startled everybody into a jump. In a strangled spurt, Xander's psychic aura flickered out. Vixory landed onto the ground with an "oomph!"

One foot on the trapdoor, Cro stood there, framed by the torchlight. One of his callused hands rested on Eppie's small shoulder. Sparkacus, black eyes bright, had its claws fastened into the shirt over Cro's own shoulder.

"Congratulations, Cro and Spark!" Ruemarie beamed, clapping its small green hands together in delight. "I heard you defeated Master Phillips's team in the Stadium this evening!"

"I hope you didn't take your defeat too hard," Sparkacus told Xander apologetically. "But your friend Bucephalus exacted a more than fitting vengeance. Despite all the Potions I've used, my shoulder still aches." The Pikachu rolled said body part experimentally and winced.

Xander shot the Pikachu a sour look, then grinned. [All in the game,] he replied with a flippant shrug. [But really, Bucephalus is a heck of a lot worse off than you, Spark. No one can come out of a head-on collision with a marble wall without some serious pain.]

"No one," Ruemarie corrected, "except for our Cro."

There was a moment or two of silence as all eyes in the courtyard turned to the stone-faced Cro. Lynn flinched to see that the tall boy was looking just as, if not more so, surly than ever. What was more, he seemed to have set his piercing gaze directly on her.

"I've talked with Eppie," he said, words addressed towards Lynn alone. "We've decided to let you stay. If, and only if, you can earn your keep."

A chill of apprehension shuddered through Lynn's body at the ominous silence that followed. Eyes sliding away from Cro, her gaze landed on Eppie, who was still standing beside him. She smiled brightly at Lynn, raising her hand and wiggling her fingers in a small wave. But whatever optimism Eppie was trying to lend was completely lost on Lynn.

Cro nodded his head in Lynn's direction. "Show them," he commanded, touching a finger to the Ring around his neck.

Meekly, Lynn pulled back her hair, baring her Ring-less throat.

Someone, perhaps Ruemarie, gave out a high-pitched gasp of awe. Vixory's squawk of indignation burst out a mere second behind it. "You crazy, Cro?" the Vulpix demanded, beating a paw against the ground. "Letting a Master into ourmeeting!"

"She's not a Master, Vixory," Cro replied in a cool voice. "She says she doesn't even know what a Master is."

"And you believe her?"

Cro's black eyes took on a steely gleam. "Right now," he said, "is her chance to convince us what she says is true. As the representatives of Viridian City's Ringed, I have full faith in your judgment. If any one of you has any doubts about her story..." he spread his arms to indicate the entire group, "I won't hesitate to act on them."

Lynn's eyes leapt from Ruemarie's nervous gape and Lark's steady gaze, to Xander's pale, emotionless face and Vixory's dark scowl. Eppie was still smiling at her, and from its perch atop Cro's shoulder, Sparkacus seemed to be nodding encouragingly.

So, gulping to clear the lump of anxiety in her throat, Lynn began to talk, desperately grasping for details as she went. She started first with the coming-of-age ceremony and how she'd left Verdant Forest. She told them about her encounter with the cryptic Wreander and his golden-eyed Eevee. After that, she moved into a description of the wild storm she'd been caught in on the road and the attack of the creature with the ruby-red eyes. She made sure not to forget about Null and the Apricorn grove, or how she'd traded her Gold Berry for a Magnet Train ticket. Throat parched and voice rasping, Lynn concluded at last with the train ride with Feldspar, and how Eppie had found her in the crowd and brought her up to the courtyard.

As her words died away, Lynn gulped and stared intently at the ground before her. But looking away would make her seem guilty. And that was the last thing she needed. Heart throbbing in her ears, Lynn lifted her head and gazed at each member of Cro's circle carefully, as earnestly as she could, straight in the eyes. Vixory, whose face was still dark with skepticism, Lynn held eye contact with a little longer than the rest. And in the end, it was the Vulpix, not the girl, who looked away first.

"That story," Vixory pronounced, "sounds like the product of too much sugar and not enough sleep. Did you make it up all by yourself, sweetheart?"

"Make it up?" Lynn echoed confusedly. "What...no!" she cried desperately, swerving about as she tried to appeal to the others. "Please! It's the truth! All of it!"

As she had been talking, the small group had somehow closed in on her. Eyes darting about, Lynn saw she was now knit in by their tight circle. There could be no running away now.

"Your story does seem a bit...farfetched," Ruemarie said softly, wringing her chubby green Bellossom hands. "Oh, you shouldn't have scared her witless like that, Vixi! I told you not to scare her..."

"She's a liar, Ruey."

"Do give the girl some credit!"

"Wait!" Lynn yelled. Vixory and Ruemarie stopped fighting and turned their attention back towards her. "I...I can prove it," Lynn said weakly, lowering her pack onto the ground. "Part of it, at least." Gulping, she dug a hand into the pack and pulled out the bundle of Gold Berries. Then she held her palm up to the light of the torch, tugging back the covers of the bundle.

Exclamations of wonder arose as a shimmering golden sheen leapt into the air. Lynn rolled the six remaining Berries across her hand, letting their metallic shells twinkle in the firelight.

Long fingers swooped down, plucking away the cloth Lynn had used to wrap the Berries. Lynn turned to see Lark intently examining the dark markings on the white fabric.

"Take a look at this, Cro," Lark called, waving the cloth in his direction. "What's it say?"

"Read it out loud for us all," Ruemarie agreed.

Still uncharacteristically silent, Cro accepted the cloth and smoothed out its many wrinkles. Xander floated forward on a bubble of psychic light, peering over Cro's shoulder as Cro began to speak. "Unfettered, untarnished, unyielding," the black-haired youth pronounced, running one calloused finger along the markings on the cloth. "Lynnet of the Verdant Forest. May the...bird of the seven feathers...guide you."

Without another word, Cro let the cloth drop onto the floor of the courtyard. Lynn watched silently as Cro stepped over the fallen fabric and walked right up to her. "You know about the bird of the seven feathers?" he challenged.

Lynn was on the verge of saying she knew more about the legendary bird than most. And hadn't she already told everybody that the reason she was here was to help that poor dead Fearow? The Fearow who had given her the vessel with the rainbow feathers, and told her to make sure that the bird of the seven feathers would fly the skies once more?

Whatever that was supposed to mean.

But it was at that exact moment Lynn realized she hadn't said a word about the Rainbow Wing yet. And she hadn't just forgotten, either.

Something had unconsciously held her back from mentioning it every time it had come up in her story. Which was ridiculous, considering the only reason she'd come to Verdant Stadium was to find out more about the Rainbow Wing! But now, seeing the jet fire blazing in Cro's eyes, the twitching of his tightly clenched jaw, Lynn quailed.

"I-I know a little," she stuttered finally. "From th-the stories they used to tell back...back in the forest."

"Stories?" Lark said unexpectedly from the other end of the circle. She turned to the younger girl, silvery ponytail lashing out behind her. "Tell us some of the stories you've heard in that forest of yours. Any that come to mind."

Nodding, Lynn tried to oblige. Her mind blanked out at first, causing an uneasy silence. Desperately, Lynn racked her brains once again. Everything now rested on one, crucial story, and she couldn't afford to falter now. Thoughts, pictures, words...she needed something, anything, to break the ominous stillness that now hung over the courtyard.

"Uh...um..." Closing her eyes and taking a nervous, but steadying breath, Lynn began.

Notes: "Seven Feathers" is alive again!

Timbirra the Teddiursa was changed to Himeka the Eevee in a later version of the story (mostly because the idea of a horribly bratty Eevee was more amusing), so previous chapters have been updated to reflect this.