Summary: Takes place between Parts 1 and 2. Petra's weekly mail routine is revealed.
New day, old work. Just the way Petra liked it.
She awoke from her tiny cot hanging from the ceiling, resembling a nest of blankets. She rubbed her eyes and looked down to see her roommates, Cara and Eike, still sleeping soundly in their hammocks. She stood up, did her stretches, and fluttered to the washroom to clean herself up in the water basin.
After freshening up for the day, she got dressed and sped out of the hut with her large mail carrier bag hanging off her shoulder, somehow not impeding her flight. She hurried to Jason's office in the upper levels of the fort and entered.
"Petra Anker, reporting for duty, sir!"
Jason was barely awake himself. He sipped a canteen of water sitting on his desk and looked up at the happy-go-lucky fairy bee. "Morning, Petra." He pointed to his right. "You've got some letters to deliver today."
Petra saluted and flew over to the mail shelf. She picked up each letter and read off every address on them, instantly storing them to memory. "Shingo, Ursula, food order, cloth order, Eike, food order…" she mumbled off under her breath. "Yep, yep, yep!" She stashed the letters inside her carrier and saluted Jason. "Don't worry, sir, I'll have these all delivered before you know it!"
"I know you will, Petra." He snapped his fingers and waved her over. "That reminds me, I have something else for you." He reached into his desk and pulled out a letter with a red wax seal. "This is the most crucial."
She took the letter and read it over. "Oooh, the Arcania Kingdom."
"Shade needs a new piece of equipment that's only produced in Arcania. That's the order form, and it needs to be delivered within two days so we can have claim on it. You must deliver it before shop closes at sundown. That won't be too much trouble, right?"
She waved it off and laughed. "Easy peasy!" She stashed the letter inside her carrier. "What's this device for, anyway?"
"I don't know the details, but it's some sort of manually operated device that spins the potions around. He said it's supposed to help with certain potion recipes while he's running tests on the Wraith." Jason shook his head. "I don't know anything about potion making, but he said it would help. Just be sure to get that order form submitted in time."
Petra saluted. "You can count on me, sir! Petra, away!" She darted out of his hut in a flash.
Jason sighed and started pulling out documents. "I sometimes envy her. She really enjoys delivering the mail. Must be an easy job."
And so, with her assignment given, Petra flew out from the Forbidden Forest and ascended into the clouds above, shooting across the sky like a loosed arrow. She dipped her hand into the clouds, cutting a trail behind her as she gleefully hummed aloud. The weather was a bit too cold for her liking, but she was bundled up enough to endure. Besides, no cold or wind or snow could ruin her good mood.
"La-lalalala~!" she sang, dipping in and out of the clouds. She pulled the vapor along her arms and left streaks of cloud behind her, forming loops and waves with each dive. "Off to deliver the mail~! Off to deliver the mail~! Letters and packages beware, for when I set sail~! I'm off to deliver the mail—"
A strong gust blasted her across the face.
"EEEEP!"
She went spiraling out of the clouds, trying to reorientate herself. Another strong gust descended upon her and threw her around left and right. She beat her wings furiously, stabilizing her flight, and pushed through the offending storm.
"Is that all you got, Mother Nature?! You won't stop me from fulfilling my duties! Whether it be lightning, rain, or snow, I'll—" Another gust knocked her away again, sending her plummeting out of the sky. "CHEAAAAAATER!"
After braving the harsh storm, Petra made her way to her first destination in the far reaches of the Verde Kingdom. She darted through the streets before finding her way toward a store. She let herself inside and flew up to the Simipour manning the counter.
"Petra Anker, reporting for duty!" She pulled a letter out from her bag and handed it to the employee. "This is for your boss. We'll need a shipment of food sent out to the forest."
The Simipour smiled and took the letter. "Sure thing, Petra." She set the letter aside and pulled out a cookie jar. "Care for a snack for the road?"
"Ooh, yes!" She reached inside and pulled out four chocolate chip cookies the same size as her. "Mmm! Thank you very much."
"You're welcome. Fly safely."
"I will!" Petra flew out from the shop. With the cookies tucked under her arm, she grabbed one and took a hearty bite out of it. "Mmmm~! So gooood~!"
As she nibbled the cookie down to a chunk, another tantalizing aroma struck her nose. She froze and scanned the street before spotting a Centiskorch sitting at an outdoor café with a plate of meatballs drizzled in a sauce. The sight made Petra's mouth water. She could practically taste the enriching spices that were infused into the dish.
"Ooooooh~." She looked around warily before stuffing her cookies into her carrier and darting for the table.
"Mm, these look delicious," the Centiskorch commented. He lowered his head to take a bite, but half the meatballs instantly disappeared in a flash of yellow and green. "EH?!"
Petra took off into the sky, throwing a meatball into her mouth. She happily chewed on it, squealing at the explosion of taste hitting her tongue. "So goooood~!"
"La-lalalala~," Petra hummed aloud as she flew alongside the road on her way to her next destination in the Wick Kingdom. She munched on one of her cookies, melting from the delightful chocolate chips stimulating her tongue with their sweet, gooey goodness. "Cookies~."
She pulled herself briefly from her cookie-induced trance as a carriage drove down the road up ahead. She moved over a little more away from the road before continuing with her cookie. She hardly paid mind to the carriage, not even nothing a hand reaching out from the window.
"La-lala—AAAH!" The hand swiped her carrier bag off her body, causing the bee fairy to spin wildly. The force of her spinning caused her cookie to fall apart and land in the dirt. She regained her composure, dizzily fluttering in place. "W-Who's that now?"
She felt herself up and realized her carrier bag was missing. That alone would've been infuriating, but her eyes were instantly drawn to the piece of cookie left in her hand. She looked at the ground in horror at the dirt-covered cookie laying before her, contaminated and sullied by the earth. The delicious chocolate and fluffy dough now reduced to a sugary fertilizer for the open plains of Wick.
"My cookie…" she cried softly, her eyes watering.
"Are you kidding me?!" the Alolan Meowth in the stolen carriage groaned as he pulled out a handful of letters. "There's nothing valuable in here at all! Just a bunch of mail and…" He dropped the letters and wiped his hands over his shirt. "Crumbs. Lots of crumbs."
His Delibird accomplice manning the coachman's seat glanced through the miniature window. "Should we return it?"
The Meowth waved it off. "Nah. The longer we stay around here, the sooner those stuck-up nobles will be able to sic the knights on us." He crossed his arms behind his head and relaxed into the luxury cushions. "Too bad for the runt."
The Donphan pulling the carriage uncurled himself for a moment to slow down, pricking his ears up in confusion. "H-Hey, does anyone else here something? Sounds like buzzing."
Delibird frowned. "I don't hear anything."
Meowth perked up as his ears twitched. "No, I hear it, too. Must be that Ribombee we robbed chasing us." He snickered. "That cute little bug. You got to admire her persistence. Hey, I'm going to tease her a bit."
"Please don't," Delibird groaned.
"No, no, it'll be hilarious." Meowth stuck his head out the window, presenting the mail carrier in the open. "Looking for this, sweetheart? Fly a little faster and—SWEET MOTHER OF MEW!"
Donphan made a hard stop, causing the carriage to spin around. All three thieves turned their eyes up toward the sky and saw a ball of prismatic light shining above, its radiance resembling a sun in the cloudy weather. They quivered in terror at the figure wielding the powerful move: a pissed-off Ribombee!
"Give me back my bag, you jerks!" she screamed. "And APOLOGIZE FOR RUINING MY SNACK!"
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
The Wick knights eventually caught up to the stolen carriage, though they assumed it would be a daring chase across the countryside. Instead, much to their surprise, it was parked alongside the road with a note attached to the side. It read:
Sorry if I damaged the carriage! And it had a little heart and a drawing of a cute, smiling Ribombee.
The knights soon turned their attention to the more alarming sight: the scorched ravine that had been dug out through the road by what could only have been a powerful laser. Sitting on the opposite side of the road were the three carriage thieves themselves, hugging each other and rocking side-to-side.
"I've seen the error of my ways," the Delibird mumbled.
"I saw my life flash before my eyes," the Donphan whimpered.
"I can't see anything…" the Alolan Meowth whispered. "Why did she have to fire twice?"
The knights all glanced at each other, none of them knowing what happened yet collectively agreeing to keep it as such.
Petra sniffled as she finished burying the remains of her cookie in the dirt. She picked up the handmade tombstone (which was some sticks vaguely tied into the shape of a cross wheel) and stuck it above the mound.
"You were a good cookie," she whimpered. "You won't be forgotten, my sweet." She wiped her eyes before stepping away and looking on toward the horizon, the wind blowing in her face and fluttering her scarf. "But I must move forward. For the mission. I'll always remember you."
And so, with grief in her heart, Petra took off into the sky to continue with her mail route. To soften the devastating loss, she pulled out another cookie and nibbled on it.
Petra was supposed to leave after dropping off the order form, but was spellbound by the enticing aroma coming from the town's local bakery. She bolted straight of the window and pressed her face against the glass, her mouth watering as bakers prepared pies for the afternoon.
She could detect the individual fillings of the pies by smell alone. A sweet and rich cherry pie, a classic apple pie with a touch of cinnamon, the tantalizing juicy filling of raspberry, the bold yet delectable mixed berry pie, and so much more. Each pie made her senses sing with joy. Her tongue tingled to taste the tempting treats.
Holding back her salivation, she pushed the bakery door open a crack, sliding in just enough to not ring the front bell. She flew low to the floor and immediately dart into the ceiling. She crawled along the ceiling until she was directly above the bakers.
She watched as they placed the pies on racks to cool, just waiting to be picked up and taken away to fulfil their one and only purpose. She could hear them crying out to her in need, begging the sneaky Ribombee to take them away and be eaten. They live to bring joy to the most devoted connoisseurs of fine cuisine.
"Petra. Please! Eat us! We love you, Petra!" she could hear the pies calling out to her like a siren in the deep sea.
"Yes. Yes, I love you, too," she purred. She fluttered toward the pies, hands reaching out to claim them.
"Oi!" She froze, realizing she wasn't on the ceiling anymore. She stiffly craned her neck and stared up at the three angry bakers. The lead baker, a Drakloak, smacked a wooden spoon across the counter. "What are you doing back here?!"
"…" Petra looked between them and the pies. "Uh…" Without another word, she snatched the mixed berry pie and rushed for the door.
"HEY!" The bakers, armed with kitchen utensils, chased the Ribombee down.
Petra burst out of the bakery and took off to the sky. "Yay!" A Shadow Ball flew past her, nearly knocking her off course. "Whoa!" She looked back and saw the Drakloak giving chase through the air.
"Get back here, you thief!" he yelled. "No one robs me and gets away with—OW!" A few coins pelted him in the face.
Petra stuck her tongue out before doubling her wing speed. She took off with a sudden burst, disappearing across the town's horizon in seconds with a resounding, "Thanks for the piiiiiiiie!"
The Drakloak stopped and stared ahead in disbelief. "Huh." He looked between the coins and the horizon before groaning and flying back to the bakery. "Well, I'm both annoyed and flattered my pies were worth stealing."
Sailing high up in the sky along the sunset, Petra pulled out her map and examined the path ahead. After finishing her business in the Wick Kingdom, she flew over the Outlands and entered into Umbra Clock air space. She had one letter to deliver in Umbra Clock, then one to the piece of land tucked in the back corner of it and New Chariot.
"Arcania…" She put the map away before spotting the order form Jason gave her. "He said I had two days to deliver it. Wait, did he mean two days as in the day I left or two days after I left?" She scratched her chin in thought before shrugging. "Meh, doesn't matter. He said to get the order in before sundown. If I'm quick enough, I should be able to get there before the shop closes."
She stretched her limbs and dove out of the sky, making a beeline for the Arcania Kingdom. She hadn't been to Arcania in a while. There were some nice people there, even if they were a little tense around outsiders. She didn't blame them. She would be wary of strangers, too, if her kingdom was constantly bombarded by enemy threats on all sides. It must've been harsh living like that. Taxing, even.
She smiled brightly and exclaimed, "Well, a little bit of Petra charm will turn their spirits around! Look out, Arcania! Here I—"
Something blindsided her, and she became submerged in darkness.
Petra wasn't sure how long she had been trapped, but couldn't move within wherever she was being held. She considered the possibility of being kidnapped, but she could tell they were still flying. On top of that, wherever she was had enough space to hold her and her mail carrier.
Strange, round objects jostled around inside what she assumed to be a large bag. They kept pressing into her wings, making it impossible to dig her way out. She sat herself up on her mail carrier and summoned Dazzling Gleam to give some light.
"Eh…?" Her eyes widened upon finding herself in a bag filled with handmade bombs. "Oh…Oh no."
She heard something outside the bag. Pressing her head against the walls, she listened closely, hearing a mix of different noises ringing out from far below. Among them, she heard metal clashing, marching, cannons firing, and…well, more distinctly, battle cries from avian Pokémon. From very close by.
She was in the bag of an Umbra Clock Aerial Knight, which meant…
"I'm over the warzone, aren't I?"
Just then, the top of the bag opened, and a set of talons reached in. She scooted out of the way as it pulled out one of the bombs. Seconds after, she heard an explosion ring out followed by the screams of what she assumed were New Chariot soldiers.
Petra laughed awkwardly. "Ooookay, I've overstayed my welcome." She stood up and worked her way toward the top of the bag. "Just…got to pry the top open and—OOF!" She slipped and tumbled forward.
Her weight caught the bag's drawstring to come undone, spilling her and the bombs out from the Braviary knight's bag. He noticed and gasped. "What the—"
The bombs rained down on top of Petra, knocking her silly through the air. One cracked across the buckle of her carrier bag and caused it to come undone. A second bomb slammed into the bottom of the bag and forcibly ejected her mail, sending it aflutter over the active warzone.
Petra recovered and screamed at the flurry of envelopes. "No, no, no!"
A Staraptor knight with a X-shaped scar over his right eye flew toward the stunned Braviary and Ribombee. "What's going on here?!"
"Neil—I mean, Sir Lister, sir! I don't know! This Ribombee was in my bag and—"
"MY MAIL!" The two knights gasped as Petra dove after the letters.
Neil glared and pointed to the knight. "Carry on with the battle. I'll handle this." The Braviary saluted and flew after his comrades. The head knight dove after Petra. "Halt! State your name and business!"
"Can't talk! Mail!" she screamed.
"Are you with New Chariot?!"
"MAIL!"
Neil groaned. "You're coming with me for questioning!" He tucked his wings in and accelerated in his dive.
Petra saw him steadily approaching and sped through the air in zigzags. She snatched falling letters and stuffed them back into her bag as Neil kept track of her movements. Closer and closer they came to the ground, the rain of letters reaching within cannon fire and sword range.
Petra managed to snatch all but three envelopes. One flew along the wind and between a New Chariot and Umbra Clock soldier locked in combat. She winced and cried out at how close they swung their blades toward the letter, and nearly died when it flew under their feet inches from being trampled.
"No, no, no!" She kneaded a ball of webbing between her hands and chucked it. "Sticky Web!"
The knight and soldier clashed their swords again, but were both knocked off their feet by the impact webbing. It exploded and coiled them together onto the ground. Stunned, they raised their heads as Petra swooped by and reclaimed the displaced letter.
"Sorry!" she exclaimed before flying after the other wayward letters.
"Halt!" Neil continued after her, beating his wings as fast as he could. What the hell is with this girl? She's faster than some of the knights my dad trained.
"Where are they? Where are they? Where are they?" Petra thought aloud. Her eyes flickered furiously over the battlefield before spotting another letter in the distance. "Yes!" She dove for the letter, but a Boomburst from an Exploud knight knocked her away. "WAH!"
New Chariot soldiers dug their shields into the ground and held their position against the sonic blast. "Advance!" one of the soldiers ordered, pushing against the Boomburst.
Petra recovered from the blast and shook her head. She spotted the letter flying overhead and snatched it up. "Yes!" She examined the letter, then frowned. "Hey, wait a minute—" She looked down at the Exploud knight again and gasped. "Oh, lucky me!" She flew down toward him.
The Exploud readied another Boomburst, but Petra struck the soldiers with her Sticky Web, tripping them over. The knight turned toward the bee fairy, who happily presented the letter to him.
"Hello, Eike's dad! Letter from Eike!"
"Eh?" The knight had no time to respond before she stuck the envelope inside his armor and hurried after the last one. "Uh…thank you—" He staggered back as Neil flew past him.
Petra searched for the last letter, worried for its safety. The dust from cannon fire and the cavalry made it difficult to spot it out. On top of that, the noise was driving her crazy. Metal scraping and clanging around every corner, discombobulating her focus. She took off into the air for a better look, but the dust continued to obscure the field.
"ARGH! Where is it?!" She shook her fists angrily. "If I can just—I just need to…"
"Halt!" Neil finally came up behind the Ribombee, presenting his talons to her. "This is your last warning! Identify yourself and clear out from the battlefield immediately—"
"Everyone SHUT UP!" Petra summoned a prismatic ball of light and fired a massive laser across the battlefield.
Both sides of the army ceased fighting and backed away as the beam carved through the earth and divided both forces with a scorched trenched. It stretched out halfway across the battlefield with the energy spewing up like a wall of light. The blast sounded out like a booming clap of thunder, startling any remaining soldiers and knights into shocked silence.
Neil backed off from Petra after she finished firing. She hovered in place for a moment to catch her breath. She took a few calming breaths and exhaled all the stress rising in her chest. Once relaxed, she looked out over the silent battlefield as the dust settled.
"…Oh, there it is."
She flew down near a New Chariot Crawdaunt soldier, who noticed the envelope was in front of him. He slowly backed away as Petra landed and collected the letter, wiping off the dirt and smoothing out the crinkles.
"Oh, phew! This was the order form for Arcania." She paused and glanced up at the sky, whining at the dark sky she failed to notice. "Aww, the sun's down. The shop's closed." She sighed and tucked the letter away. "Guess I'll have call it a night and continue on my route tomorrow."
With that, she flew off into the sky, leaving both opposing armies to look at each other awkwardly and hesitantly.
After a moment of silence, battle cries roared out, and the fighting continued.
Neil watched the Ribombee disappear into the night sky before groaning. "That…was weird."
Bitter Chalet, Algus Kingdom
After her daring excursion through an active warzone, Petra made way for her next destination, crossing over New Chariot and into Algus, where she stopped at the closest tavern to rest for the night. She dropped a sack of coins onto the counter and ordered refreshing sitrus juice and a platter of fried potato wedges from the Kricketune bartender.
She gulped down her whole tankard and sighed contently. "Yummy! More please!" She pushed the cup toward the baffled and tired bartender who stared at her with a weary gaze. "What's wrong?"
"Kid, I think you've had enough to drink."
"But I'm not drinking alcohol."
"No, but you went through thirty-five cups of sitrus juice! And five platters of potato wedges! How are you still hungry?!"
"…" Petra tilted her head. "Eh?"
The cricket slapped himself and groaned. He grabbed a new bottle of sitrus juice and poured it into her cup. "Would you like another platter?" he asked dryly.
"Hmm, tempting, but I need to get back on my mail route soon." She pulled her cup over, ignoring the bartender's relieved expression.
As she guzzled her drink down, she felt her stool tremble from the quaking footsteps of one of the other patrons in the bar. She bent her head back and stared up at an imposing Coalossal dressed in a thick snow vest and pants with a large axe strapped to his back. The close proximity to him hit her with a wave of heat.
"You," he growled. He slammed his hands down on the table and snarled at her. "That uniform. You're a Forester, aren't you?"
Petra blinked and set her cup down. "Yeah?"
"I've heard of you. You were that Cutiefly that buzzes around here every once in a while. The one with the appetite of a demon."
She nodded slowly. "Yeeeeeah."
"…" The Coalossal suddenly broke out into laughter, slapping the table. "So, I finally meet the lass that beat my brother in that eating contest! HA! I thought his pals were teasing him, but to see it in the flesh!" He sat down in the stool next to her. "I like your moxie, kid! A real warrior needs to have a strong appetite before they head out into battle!"
Petra perked up and grinned. "Well, that's my motto in life: always appreciate food! Never let a scrap of it go to waste!"
"Aye, lass! How's about I get you another round of those potato wedges?"
"Oh, I couldn't—"
"I insist! I want to see the demon that put my brother to shame in action!"
She tapped her chin. "Welllll, I suppose it'll be a long flight after my next stop." She grinned. "Sure, why not?"
"Bartender, another round of potato wedges!" the Coalossal ordered.
The Kricketune bartender groaned and dragged himself to the back of the bar. "That girl goes through all my supplies every time she visits, I swear…"
The Coalossal raised his tankard to Petra. "Cheers, lass!"
Petra raised her cup in both hands. "Cheers!" They clinked their cups and gulped their drinks down.
The Next Morning…
Petra let out a loud belch as she fluttered up Mt. Algus, heading for the Hill B sector. The snowfall got heavier while the temperature dropped the further she went up. She darted for one of the villages in sight.
"Mmm, the tavern breakfast menu was just as good as their dinner options~." She shook her head clear and dug inside her mail carrier. "Alright, alright, alright, what do we got here? A letter to Ursula's parents." She paused as she floated above the street. "Now, where did they live again?"
"Out of me way, ye dullards!" Petra's eyes widened as she saw a Vikavolt barreling out from an alleyway and flying down the street at breakneck speed. "Ye damned officers! Ye ain't throwin' me in the slammer while I still 'ave wings to carry me!"
"Um, excuse me?" The Vikavolt gasped as Petra effortlessly caught up with him. "Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you could give me directions."
"Eh?! What are ye—"
"See, I'm looking for the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Haumann. I'm delivering a letter to them. Would you happen to know—"
"Will ye buzz off?! I'm flyin' for me life 'ere!"
Petra pouted. "A simple no would've sufficed. Rude." She frowned. "By the way, who are you running from—"
"Vilhelm Laine!" Petra and the Vikavolt looked up at the building rooftops and saw a Toxicroak chasing them down. He wore blue trapper hat and blue cloak wrapped over his body. Petra could see the emblem of two axes crossed over a tower shield on the hat and back of the cloak. "Ye're under arrest! This is yer last warnin'!"
"Screw ye, Constable!" Vilhelm knocked Petra out of his way and bolted for the sky. "Good luck tryin' to get me from way up 'ere—"
The Toxicroak stopped and pulled his arm out from under the cloak, wrapping his fist in an icy mist. "Phantom Chill." He punched the air, releasing a wave of cold mist.
The mist struck Vilhelm's wings and flash-froze them. "W-Wait, let's talk about this—AAAAAHHHH!" He plummeted out of the sky.
The Toxicroak lunged and grappled Vilhelm out of the air. They spun toward the ground, where the constable grabbed the beetle by his head and slammed him into the snow-covered road. The force caused a bag of golden jewelry to fall out from his carapace and spill out.
"Uuuuugh…" the Vikavolt groaned.
The constable pulled an iron chain out from his cloak and wrapped it around Vilhelm until his carapace and wings were pinned tight. "I'd say a few months in the cells will knock some sense into yer skull, assumin' I didn't jostle yer brain too 'ard."
Petra fluttered over to the constable cautiously, but smiled once she got a good look at his face. "Oh! Mr. Haumann, it's you!"
"Eh?" He glanced at the bee fairy and grinned. "Ah, it's ye, lass. 'Ardly recognized ye. Looks like ye finally evolved. Good for ye."
She giggled. "Thank you, Mr. Haumann."
"Let me guess, a letter from Ursula?"
She nodded and handed him the letter. "Yep! She wanted to see how you and her mom are doing. Sorry that I caught you at a bad time."
"Oh, don't worry about it. It's been a slow week anyway." He picked the Vikavolt up. "Isn't that right, Vilhelm?"
He groaned. "Shut up, Otso…"
The constable shook his head before smiling back at Petra. "Me girl's stayin' out of trouble, right?"
She shook her head. "No trouble from her, sir! She's as reliable and disciplined as ever!"
"Aye! That's me girl!" He sighed and shook his head. "I can't tell ye 'ow 'appy I am to 'ere that. Believe me, that girl was a right pain when she was a squirt until Lord Kauffmann knocked some sense into 'er. I'm glad she's usin' 'er strength responsibly, even if I don't approve of…well, this."
Petra giggled. "I'll make sure to tell her that. Well, I got to get going! More letters to deliver!" She turned and fluttered off into the sky.
"Take care, lass!" Otso adjusted his hold on Vilhelm and carried him off. "Now then, let's get ye into a nice, comfy cell."
Vilhelm groaned. "Let me get this straight. Ye're okay with yer daughter galivantin' with thieves, but I get the hammer for stealin' some measly trinkets?"
"She's out of me jurisdiction." Otso glared at him. "And ye robbed an elderly couple, ye twit!"
"They 'ad their valuables layin' out in the open! They were beggin' to be robbed!"
"Well, I 'ope the imitation gold jewelry was worth the prison sentence."
"…It's not real gold?!"
Great Gate Empire
While it didn't compare to the Algus Kingdom, the mountain terrain of Great Gate was a sight to behold. Petra made way through the kingdom, humming a merry tune to herself in search of the Mochizuki Clan. They lived somewhere in the mountains, though Petra could've sworn Brooklyn mentioned something about living in a town at some point. Perhaps they moved?
She didn't harp on the details. The mountains were beautiful from high up in the sky. Fog rolled in around the mountains, each connected by rope bridges where she could see farmers going about their daily commutes. She waved to them as she passed over the bridge.
As she flew, her mind drifted. As it drifted, she couldn't help but think she was forgetting something. She was so taken by the lovely breakfast and snacks she had since arriving in Algus that something important seemed to slip her mind. She knew she had to go to the Great Gate Empire and deliver a letter, but was she forgetting another one?
"Hmm…" She checked inside her bag. "Was there something else I was supposed to deliver—"
Just then, an arrow whizzed by her face. She gasped, freezing momentarily, and spun around to see she had accidentally flown into someone's property while deep in thought. However, based on the size of the wooden house with its large garden and extravagant statues, something told her she wasn't in a farmer's yard.
"[You there!]" Petra's eyes turned up to the roof, where a dozen archers pointed crossbows at her. Among them was a Goodra, who appeared to be the lord of the house. "[What are you going on my property?! Are you here to rob from me?!]"
Petra gulped and raised her hands cautiously. "Uh, I don't speak Johtonian. I was just flying by and—"
"[You. You came here to assassinate me, didn't you?]"
Petra, in a moment of confusion and panic, said the only piece of Old Johtonian she memorized. "[I am the Goddess of Mail and Queen of Food! Bow down to me, you geezer peasant!]"
…
…
…In retrospect, she probably should've asked for the translation. And not have learned Old Johtonian from Marie.
In less than a few seconds, Petra flew for her life as arrows rained down behind her. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" she screamed as she fled deep into the mountains.
"[I'm not old, assassin!]" the Goodra yelled, shaking his fist at the fleeing bee fairy. He then turned to one of his guards with a concerned expression. "[I'm not old, right?]"
The guard shrugged.
"[I'm not old!]" He ran back into his house, too ashamed to show his face.
Eventually, Petra found her way up into a secluded section of the mountains where the Mochizuki Clan resided. She was greeted at the door by Daiki, Shingo's Frogadier brother, who let her in to rest her wings.
Petra sipped her cup of tea and sighed contently. "Thank you for the drink."
Daiki smiled from the other side of the table, sipping his own tea. "You're welcome. You must've had a rough trek up here."
"Hehe, a little, but I'm used to being shot at. Bullets, arrows, rocks, you name it!"
Daiki picked up the letter and read it over again. "Well, I thank you for always keeping us up to date with Shingo. Ever since he left home, he wanted to prove himself a skilled ninja. He figured learning in the west will give him insight into how to improve his skills."
Petra giggled. "He's been a big help with guiding the Weald Rangers and teaching his techniques. It must be so cool having a big family full of ninja."
Daiki chuckled. "It's not a practice most would consider honorable. We mostly just spy on nobles and gather information on enemy clans who wish to do harm on the empire. It's a risky business, especially since we were living out in public before."
"Is that why you all moved out into the mountains?"
"…" Daiki looked aside for a moment. "Uh, sort of." He shook his head. "Unlike you Foresters who don't mind having your faces known to everyone, ninja make it an obligation to keep their identities secret. A common saying among our trade: if there is a well-known ninja in existence, he was probably caught and tortured at some point."
Petra shuddered. "Harsh."
"It's not a glamorous lifestyle. You should see half the stuff my mom does. Heck, we're not supposed to get drunk since it'll inhibit our skills, but she makes it work in her own way." Daiki smiled sadly. "Sometimes I think Shingo's too hard on himself. He's always striving to be perfect."
"Hmm…" Petra glanced out the window. "I've always been asked why I go through the trouble of delivering the mail every week. I'm in charge of flying all around Virdis and making sure everyone stays up to date with everything. Food, clothing, informants, families, everything. It's a lot of work for just one little Ribombee."
"But you do it because you love the work?"
Petra smiled softly. "It's part of the profession I grew up in. My parents are in the mail delivery service, and it's a job that doesn't get the appreciation it deserves. It's that little part of life you don't think too much about. It's a lot work, but the joy in other people's faces when they get a letter from family is worth the extra effort. I joined the Foresters because I knew there were people who needed help, and I knew an operation this big needed someone who can keep the flow of information running at top speed." She beamed across the table. "Even if I don't get all the thanks in the world, the small bits of gratitude make it worth my while."
Daiki smiled. "You've got a good heart, Anker."
"Hee, thanks. Oh, by the way, do you have a letter for Shingo?"
"I do, actually." Daiki reached around himself and handed over the envelope. "All of us wrote a little something for Shingo, telling him how we're doing." He leaned across the table and whispered, "And I'm not supposed to tell you this, but I trust you understand the importance of privacy when it comes to mail."
She saluted. "Yep, yep, yep!"
"Not a lot of people know this, but we sometimes write secret messages in a special invisible ink we make."
"Whooooa. That's so cool."
He snickered. "Though, don't worry about that keeping that one safe. It's just a little something Shingo and I do to each other from time to time, making sure our skills are up to par."
She giggled. "Smart~." She placed the letter inside her bag. "Don't you worry, Daiki, I'll get this to Shingo faster than you can say—OH MY ARCEUS!"
Daiki staggered back. "I wouldn't exactly say it like that—"
"No!" She pulled out an envelope with a red wax seal. "The order form! I forgot! I have to get this to Arcania by sundown!" She dashed toward the window and checked the sky. "AH! I have to go now!" She scooped her carrier bag on. "Thank you for the tea, Daiki!"
"R-Right, good—" Daiki flinched as the Ribombee blasted out of the house in a flash. "—luck."
She didn't have much time to circle back around, so she made the daring decision to dart straight through the Great Ruins. Ignoring the foreboding aura around her, she sped through a region of gray and dilapidated buildings with a cloud of dust kicking up from the beat of her wings.
"Got to hurry, got to hurry, got to hurry!" No matter the pain that shot through her wings, no matter the growling of her stomach, she made a vow to always deliver the mail on time. She refused to fail Jason. She refused to fail anyone! She will deliver that form even if it kills her!
Through her tunnel vision, she barely made out the sight of someone in her way. A Mismagius floating by, reading from some dark, spooky book that Petra had no time to analyze. She didn't have time to go around the ghost, either. It would cost her precisely .2 seconds of precious time. Too risky!
"OUT OF THE WAY!"
The Mismagius jumped and barely moved aside as Petra sped past like a bullet, blowing dust into the woman's face.
"I'M SORRRRRRRY!"
The Mismagius blinked in bewilderment as the mail delivery fairy disappeared into the foggy distance. "Huh. Curious. Most curious." She shrugged and went about her floating, reading quietly from her tome. "Most curious indeed."
Arcania Kingdom, Sundown
"Have a good night, Mr. Daarkston!" a Braixen exclaimed as she stepped out of the small alchemy shop. She wore a purple dress with the skirt purposely tattered to give it some style, a black cape with a high collar, and a purple witch-like hat with an extravagant conical top that had a tiny flame lit at the tip. Curiously, she had a red tattoo of a symmetrical fireball branded on her left cheek.
"Goodnight to you, too, Bellatrix," the shop owner's voice called back. Bellatrix grabbed the door handle and moved to close it.
"Wwwwwwwwwww—"
Bellatrix's ears perked up. "Eh?" She flicked at her ear briefly and turned in the direction of the sound. "What's that?"
"—aaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAIT!"
She stepped out of the way as a Ribombee flew by and smacked face first into the shop's door. Bellatrix blinked in bewilderment as the bee fairy twitched and groaned.
"Uh, you good?" she asked.
Petra slowly reached into her bag and pulled out a letter. "D-Delivery." She slid it through the crack of the door before peeling herself off and falling onto the ground.
Bellatrix looked over her for a moment, then pushed the door open. "Uh, Mr. Daarkston—"
"I heard, lass, I heard!" A Kabutops dressed in a long blue cloak opened the door and picked the envelope off the floor. "Ah, it's from the Foresters." He peeled it open and skimmed through the letter. "Not sure why she was in a hurry. I had it on hold for them until tomorrow."
Bellatrix shrugged and scooped the Ribombee into her arms. "Oh well! Let's get you something to eat, missy!"
"…Th-Thank you."
The Next Morning, Fort Lucus
"Petra Anker, reporting for duty, sir!"
Jason looked up from his documents at the bee fairy who just entered his hut. "Ah, good. How'd it go?"
She shrugged. "Meh. Same old, same old, same old."
"I see. Well, in that case, file the letters you collected and go take a break for the next couple of days. I'll need you to meet with our informants this week."
She saluted. "You got it, sir!" She flew over to the mail shelf and quickly deposited all her letters.
"Oh, and Petra?"
After finishing, she turned and tilted her head. "Yes?"
"I'm not sure if I say this enough, but…thank you. Really, thank you. You're a big help around here, and we wouldn't be nearly as efficient without you around."
"…" Petra turned away as her cheeks warmed and heart swelled. She wiped her eyes as tears fell from her eyes. "N-No problem, sir. I'm always happy to help!"
"Are you…crying?"
"N-No! I just…smell something with onion. I'm hungry!" She darted out of the hut before Jason could get another word in. "BYYYYYE!"
Jason watched her fly out into the fort before relaxing with a soft grin. "Heh. She really enjoys delivering the mail."
