Hey, look who's back from the dead!
Apologies for taking so long with this chapter. After being sent to Romania for a month and coming home, I felt like goofing off. Then college started and working part-time and I'm working on another one-shot and it just got so pushed back.
Also, I procrastinate. :p
Anyway, this chapter was partly to help me get back into things, to introduce new characters, and to hint at things further down the line. Not my best work, as I'm not sure I nailed the personalities of the new characters quite right, but I gotta start somewhere, right?
Anywho, enough delay. On with the show!
"I'm coming for you, little pet!"
Elizabeth fell backward, staring up at the huge glowing creature towering over her. It cast its piercing gaze over her, bathing the area around her in a crimson light. Her instincts told her to run, to get away from it. But her body refused to listen, and she found herself frozen on the spot, only able to stare and gawk at the winged creature. It laughed, a deep, grating sound that hurt the ears, almost to the point of physical pain. Never once did it take its eyes off her, watching her as a bird of prey might eye its next meal.
"What's wrong pet? Why don't you turn and run? I love when my prey squirms."
The giant threw its head back and howled a deep and terrifying laugh, one that scared the braxien to the very core. With its focus no longer on her, at least for the moment, the fire type willed her body to obey. With movements born from fear more than intent, the fox scrambled to her feet and fled as fast as she could manage. The bird finished with its howling laughter, only to smile as she ran, not that she could see or care.
Shadowy shapes blurred by as Elizabeth ran, not bothering to slow down to take note of just where she was headed. All she knew, all she cared about, was putting as much distance between her and that terrifying black-and-red bird. Everything was black, illuminated only by the fire that spread throughout the area. She continued to run, avoiding any obstacles and slowing only when her lungs screamed for oxygen and rest. Only when her lungs burned and heart threatened to leap from her chest did she dare stop.
Resting hands on her legs, she gulped in breath after breath in an attempt to calm the frantic heartbeat screaming in her ears. Throat burning and chest sore, she looked up once she had somewhat recovered to scan her surroundings. Everything, or at least the vast majority of things, was on fire. The flams cast everything in a dancing orange light as the licked at every structure, plant, and flammable item they could. With everything burning, smoke billowing from some of the larger fires, it was rather difficult to make out where exactly she was. She continued looking around, hoping to find some sign or name of whatever town she was in. But as she scanned around, she felt a little prick at the back of her mind. Some thing about this place was...off. She squinted at looked harder, taking in every little detail she could, until she saw a half-burned sign, currently being licked by the flames, that momentarily stopped her heart.
She was in Lumiose. That sign, laying in front of the skeletal remains of a building, was the bakery that sold Max's favorite sweets. Even with half the sign burned beyond recognition, she could see the familiar design and letters. With ice in her veins, she looked again and saw other, familiar shapes. Down the street stood a tall, pillared building that was the library. There on the corner, that was Audrey's favorite accessory store. Even the buildings she couldn't name all melded together into a familiar pattern of shapes and sizes.
Elizabeth held a hand to her stomach, the urge to vomit suddenly present. In her muddled state of mind, a question pierced her confusion and fear, popping to the forefront of her worries:
What about her Lumiose castle?
Quickly realizing her direction based on the ruined town buildings, she spun on a heel, eyes straining to see her home, hoping that it was safe and as she remembered it.
It wasn't.
The braixen let out a choked sob at the sight. Above the roofs of the town stood her home, burning brightly in the night. She could see various parts actually on fire, and some billowing from within told her that nothing was left untouched by the destructive force. Questions began to run through her mind faster than she could make sense of them or focus on one. What happened? Was this an attack? An accident? Where was everyone? Were her mother and father safe? Max? Audrey? Sam?
"Hehehe. Like what I've done with the place?"
The beating of giant wings accompanied the deep voice, and a familiar Black-and-red giant came flying in, landing atop some of the town buildings, seemingly not caring about the flames or ash his talons touched. He leaned in once again, bathing the fire-fox in crimson light and causing her legs to fail her. The bird grinned a terrifying grin, unnerving Elizabeth even more.
"What's wrong my little pet? Don't like my decorating?" It paused to laugh at its own statement, the braixen too terrified to utter a peep. It stopped after a few moments, staring down at her before smiling and leaning in closer. "Come here, pet. Let me kiss you, let me brand you with my mark."
As the giant closed the distance, Elizabeth's skin and fur began to burn. Not quite like it was on fire, but more like it was rotting from the inside out. She made to scream, but her mouth wouldn't obey, too frozen in pain to move. Her heart accelerated as it got closer, terror seizing her mind and heart as pain flooded her body. Only able to stare up at the creature, and in pain as it was, Elizabeth thought that if it laid even a touch on her, that she would surely die.
Thankfully for her, someone decided to intervene.
Frozen as she was, she had a perfect view as a ball of dark energy came speeding in to slam against the giant avians side. The explosion was more akin to a thunderclap, and the braixen fell onto her back, the hypnotic and terrifying gaze no longer holding her. Gasping and curling up instinctively, she tried to gather herself from her near-death experience. A breeze of motion above her caught her attention, and she peeked an eye open to see just what-or who- had saved her.
What she saw returned the terror she had felt moments before.
The creature looming over her was gargantuan, bigger even than the evil avian who had been pursuing her. It was serpentine-like, with no visible hands or legs. It hovered above her, a mass of gray and black and red and gold. She didn't need much time to tell what species it was. The shape, the colors, and spikes on its sides were a dead giveaway. The most prominent features, the six black tendrils sprouting from its back, red-and-black stripes, and golden rings along its neck and covering its jaw left little doubt who this titan was.
Giratina.
Elizabeth, still frozen on the spot, could only gawk up at the leviathan, mouth agape. Curiously, Giratina didn't seem too interested in her. Rather, he was staring- more like he was glaring- at the Pokèmon he had just attacked. "Back away. This one is not yours."
The great avian- who Elizabeth recalled now as a Yveltal- rose to its feet, glaring at the great serpent. "If she is not mine, then I will take her." It rose up, flaring out its wings and glowed a sinister red, aggression very evident its demeanor. It threw its head back a let out a bone-chilling shriek, what the braixen assumed was some sort of battle cry, before lowering into a combat stance.
Frightened as she was, she didn't expect for the Giratina to shift slightly in front of her, it's upper body ahead and slightly shielding her. She was even more surprised when it shifted its head to look down at her without any hostility. "Run Princess Elizabeth."
A chill went down her spine, despite the fires all around, at the fact that this legendary was protecting her and even knew her name. Her mouth opened and closed as she tried to form a coherent thought, all of the events making no sense to her and understandably throwing her through a loop. The Yveltal, seeing that she was doing nothing, screeched and leapt into the air, barreling towards Giratina with talons outstretched. Giratina gave to mind to the imminent threat, only nodding to her forcefully.
"Run Elizabeth! RUN!"
Elizabeth bolted up, gasping for air and sheened in sweat. A hand flew to her chest, heart beating so fast it threatened to burst. She sat there, gasping and trembling at the vivid visions that replayed through her mind. She glanced around frantically, scanning for any burning buildings or threatening creatures. Luckily for her, her room offered no such threats. Glad to see that she was in no imminent danger, she relaxed a little and sat trying to calm herself down.
She replayed her nightmare- she couldn't think of anything else to call what she saw- over several times in her head. She recalled how she had actually felt pain- the burning from being so close to that yveltal. Such an experience was very unusual for the occasional dream she remembered. And what kind of dream was that anyway? Her home burning, yveltal attacking her and giratina rescuing her. That was something she had never expected to dream, that much was certain.
The fox sat in her bed a while longer, pondering over her odd dream. No matter how much she thought, she couldn't find an explanation for why she had seen what she'd seen. Eventually chalking it up to a simple random dream, she drained a glass of water before settling back to sleep. Shifting around a bit to get comfortable, the last thought she had before returning to her slumber, was to check up on Kael in the morning.
Out of all her companions, Selina was often the first one up in the mornings. This morning was no different, as she found herself awake while it was still dark. Used to such a thing, she went through her usual routine in the tiny hours of the morning. She had a daily regimen of practicing her forms and she dutifully practiced it every morning without fail. Despite it not being the same as combat practice, it helped her wake up, keep up her muscle memory, and keep her muscles loose and toned. An hour of her kata left her covered in a light sheen of sweat, but feeling awake and energized. A quick bath and a small bag over her shoulder were all the meinshao needed before she was ready to start her day.
The weasel moved lightly but with a purpose. There was a certain fox on her mind, and she knew just what she needed to do after his behavior last night. Slipping into the kitchen, she looked around at the few sleeping night cooks. The ovens were low, just keeping warm more than cooking, and it was quiet, with only slight snoring and the crackling of coals for noise. With a grace natural to her species, she made her way around. A few scones here, some bread and meat there, a couple berries, a skin of water, one of hot water, and another of apple juice were all she needed before slipping back out as quietly as she had come.
With a tray filled with the swiped goods, she made her way to a familiar door. She attempted to open the door, but a lock prevented her from continuing. She frowned at the inconvenience but was not deterred from her task. Walking a little away down the hallway, she stopped to open one of the large windows the lined the hall. With one hand balancing the tray carefully, she clambered out the open panel, finding a good hold on the outside. Glancing over, she spotted several good holds in the stonework between her and the balcony next door. With a grunt, the weasel swung herself several feet over, digging her toes and claws into the holds she'd found. She leaped a few more times, strong but graceful, the tray never spilling or even threatening to spill.
With a final leap, she landed on the railing of the balcony before hopping off easily. Making her way to the balcony door, she opened it and let herself in. The room was dark as she had expected, and silent except for quiet breathing. She began to walk to the bed where her target was laying, taking note of the trunk left open, and the bottle lying on top of the contents. Frowning and shaking her head wearily, she put her bag and tray on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed before she reached over and gently placed the zoroark's head in her lap.
Kael, unconscious as he was, made no objection. His breathing was weak, weak enough to alarm anyone who hadn't experienced this before. And he was cool, his fur not holding the natural warmth it should have. Selina frowned when she saw the dried blood and fresh incisions in his hand, finding it distasteful despite her familiarity with such behavior. Reaching into her bag, she withdrew a small bag of mixed herbs and small cups. A few minutes of stirring the herbs into a cup of hot water satisfied her, and she lifted Kael's head up to tip the brew into his mouth.
Kael swallowed easily enough out of reaction and finished the entirety of the drink. Satisfied, she put the cup down and simply sat there, letting her hand wander through the fur of his chest, stomach, and arms. To anyone else, the gesture might have been seen as comforting or perhaps romantic, but the truth was quite the opposite. Selina, with a practiced pattern that came with repetition, slid her hand through his fur, feeling for his scars. She found them with ease, knowing them off hand and by heart, and couldn't help but feel some pity and sadness. Some were relatively fresh, some were from when he was a child, and there were at least a dozen between. Various shapes and sizes and locations, but all told a story. And that story, at least to Selina, was a very bitter and cruel one.
Having felt and found and remembered every scar, she slid her hand up to scratch just below Kael's ear and behind his jaw- a favorite spot of his. She, in such a melancholy state, recalled the first time she had found him like this years ago. She recalled the crying meinfoo shaking her zorua friend when she found him unresponsive in his room. She remembered that was her first experience with panic. Not that panic that came with being late or forgetting where she put an item. But real and pure panic, the panic that turned blood to ice and seized muscles and made her want to vomit with worry. The panic that came with thinking her closest friend was dead.
She was snapped from her thoughts at the shifting and moaning coming from her lap. Kael, groaning weakly, shifted as he began to come to. He dared to crack an eye open, only slightly and looked up at her, vision unfocused. "S...Sel?"
Selina smiled softly, relieved that her mix had helped him recover, and gently ran her had through the fur between his ears. "Sssh. Don't speak. You need to eat." She reached over to place several scones, a few pieces of meat and bread, and several kinds of berries on a plate before setting it in his lap. "Eat."
Putting up no resistance, the zoroark reached down to grab and berry and bite into it gingerly. As he ate slowly, his companion ran through the same questions she did every time this happened. His responses came back quickly and concisely- or as concisely as he could in his current state.
"Can you hear and understand me properly?"
"Yes."
"Can you feel everything?"
"Yes"
"Any lingering aches or pains?"
"No."
"Any breathing trouble?"
"No."
Selina nodded, satisfied for the moment that Kael wasn't in any immediate danger. Reaching over to take and nibble on a scone herself, the pair sat in silence for a while as they ate. Minutes passed as they filled their bellies and quenched their thirst, Kael with assistance from the female, before they returned to their original positions. "So," Selina began when she saw that Kael was looking and feeling better, "What happened last night?"
Kael closed his eyes and sighed, finishing the last of a scone in his hand before looking up at the meinshao. "Well..."
Elizabeth awoke that morning not quite well rested but not quite groggy. She felt... plain, which was unusual for the fire fox in the mornings. Swinging her legs out of bed, she rose and washed before stepping out to get breakfast. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, bathing everything in red light. The day promised to be a pleasant one, but the braixen gave it no mind. She had other things and people at the forefront of her mind.
As she neared the kitchen she heard rather loud talking coming from within. Twitching her ears, she listened closer and made out two very familiar voices. She paused as she listened, smirking at the interactions between the two.
"Audrey! C'monnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!"
"Max! No! Those aren't just for you!"
Pushing the door open, Elizabeth was greeted with a rather comical sight. Audrey stood in the middle of the kitchen, a plate of cinnamon rolls held above her head with one hand. On the opposite side of her was Max, swinging his arms in an attempt to grab at the sweets and held back by one of the buneary's strong ears. Max, however, was not one to be deterred in this pursuit.
"Just one! I promise that's it!"
"You said that last time! And you ate them all! All thirty-six"
"That totally wasn't my fault!"
The two continued in this vein for a minute more, not noticing that Elizabeth was watching. Stifling the laughter under her breath, she stepped inside and spoke. "Alrig, t you two. Break it up."
The pair looked her way with surprise on their faces, stopping their little quarrel to stand next to each other as they faced her. Audrey was the first to speak up. "Oh, Good morning Elizabeth. When did you get up?"
"A little bit ago. Came here to get some breakfast if that's alright with you?"
"Of course~ Just let me...Hey! MAX!"
"Whut?"
The Riolu, seeing that Audrey was distracted with his sister, had reached over and snagged a trio of cinnamon rolls, one of which he had stuffed into his mouth whole. The other two he held in either hand while giving an agitated look at the buneary. It wasn't very effective however, as frosting smeared on ones face and cheeks puffed out took away any form of intimidation.
"You said you'd only take one!" Audrey mad a face of annoyance at the young jackel. The riolu, chewing with some degree of difficulty, swallowed what was in his mouth so he could speak clearly before answering.
"Yeah. Well, that was if you gave me one. I worked up an appetite trying to get to them, so I need to recover my strength plus the one I was aiming for!"
"Oh whatever! You're just a big snorlax!"
"Am not! I'm a munchlax at most!"
Elizabeth rolled her eyes as the innocent squabbling started up again. She stood and listened more but eventually frowned as she heard an odd noise. Swiveling her head around, she pinpointed the source and, listening further, smiled as she determined just what it was. Looking over to her brother and friend, she spoke up. "Aww. Let him have some Audrey."
Both looked over to him a second time, Max considerably happier than Audrey. "Really?" He turned to stick his tongue out at the buneary cook, much to her chagrin.
Elizabeth nodded, smiling happily. "Yeah. Just go grab us some plates so we can share."
Beaming, Max walked over to a large cabinet that held a large assortment of silver wear and dishes. As he neared and reached out for the handle his sister spoke up. "Oh, and max?" He turned to face her, tilting his head in curiosity at what she wanted to say. "Try not to break anything~"
Max mad a face at the comment. "Break anything? Why would I-"
"Boo~"
"AAHHHH!"
Feeling the voice whisper in his ear and something wrap around his neck suddenly, Max let out a very feminine scream and jumped forward in reaction. Unfortunately for him, he tripped in his panic and went face first into a wall. A shelf above him shook, and several dishes and containers fell down onto the poor fighting-type. The was a resounding CRASH as Max was buried under a small pile of junk. Elizabeth and Audrey, after getting over their initial concern, laughed heartily at the display.
A third voice joined in the laughter and Elizabeth saw exactly who she had expected. Standing in front of the cabinet that she had been hiding in stood a furret laughing openly with a warm smile. She wore a green felt hat atop her head, with a white feather stuck in it, and a backpack that made various clinking and clanking noises when moved. Nodding to the new addition Elizabeth addressed her. "Heh. Nice one Luck."
The furret smiled and took a mock bow, sweeping her hat off in a grandiose fashion. "Well thank you. I think it went well~ Appreciate the set up there Elizabeth."
"My pleasure. It's always funny when you give someone a scare."
Luck nodded in agreement before turning to look at Audrey. "Audrey~ It's nice to see you too of course."
Audrey rolled her eyes playfully in response. "Alright you trickster, C'mere." Hopping over to the furret, the buneary wrapped one arm around her in a hug. "Alright, what kind of trouble did you get into this time?"
Luck made a face of innocence at the accusation. "Trouble? Me? Dear Audrey, I've no idea what you mean. I'm just an honest merchant!" Her statement was meet with a deadpan look from the rabbit, and caused her to tilt her hat down smugly. "Alright. So there may have been a few angry customers..."
Everyone was interrupted when the door was pushed open and a kirlia jumped inside, a look of worry on his face. "What happened? I was walking by when I hear the crash and thought someone might be hurt." A low moan came from the pile of spilt junk, and Sam dashed over to begin digging once he recognized the voice. "MAX!" After eventually pulling the riolu from his trappings, Sam looked him over for injury. "Are you alright? What happened? Are you injured?"
Luck, rolling her eyes at Sam's excessive worry, simply waved paw at him dismissively. "He's fine. He's a tough cookie, not a newborn."
The kirlia paused in his search to turn and look at the new addition. His face instantly fell into one that was less than pleased to see the Long Body Pokèmon. "Ah... It's you. Hello Lucrais."
Luck, or Lucrais as her full name was, waved at Sam impishly. "Hey there Sammy –boy."
"You know I hate being called that."
"And you know I prefer my nickname, but that doesn't stop you does it?"
Sam only let out a "Hmph" and turned to finish looking Max over. Aside from some dizziness, Max was perfectly fine. And he demonstrated his good health by perking up at seeing the normal-type and bounding over to her in excitement. "Luck!"
The furret smiled at the energetic riolu and his rebound from her scare. "Hey Max. Good to see you're-"
"Is it finished? Is it is it is it?"
Luck let out a sigh, offering a tired smile at the question. "No Max. It's not ready yet. I told you it'd take a while if at all to make."
Elizabeth, Sam, and Audrey all raised their brows in confusion at the conversation. "Finished?" Elizabeth asked. "I didn't know you were making him something Luck."
Luck nodded. "Mhmm. He asked me to make him a certain something a while back. And I'm working on it. It's just very complex and needs a lot of components and tweaking."
Elizabeth looked equal measures of concerned and confused. "What could Max want that you could make that he couldn't buy?"
"Well, what he wanted was-"
"GRAPPELING HOOK!"
Everyone stopped to stare at Max, who had adopted what he thought was a heroic pose but came off as more silly- with one hand on his hip, the other making a fist above him, his head tilted just so. Everyone tried to stifle their laughter, some more successful than others, as Elizabeth questioned her brother. "Excuse me Max? You asked Luck for a grappling hook?"
"Ya-huh."
"Why would you want a grappling hook Max?"
"I think the better question is: Who wouldn't want a grappling hook?"
"What would you do with it?"
"What wouldn't I do with it?"
Everyone present couldn't hold in their merriment and let out laughing. "As usual," Luck managed between laughs, "your reasoning is spot on Max!" The next few minutes was spent getting the laughter out of their systems. As everyone calmed down, a growling stomach and blushing braixen drew everyone's attention and reminded them of why they were here.
"So," Audrey began, clapping her paws together, "how about we all get something in out tummies hmm?" A chorus of agreement met her proposal, and the group made their way to the dining room casual chatting about whatever was on their minds.
Kael and Selina sat in the zoroark's room, quietly discussing various topics between them. Kael had recovered enough to move with some aid, and had repositioned himself into a comfy arm chair in front of the burning fireplace. Selina sat in a similar chair next to him, both nibbling on food or drink between comments.
"Did I miss anything last night?"
"Nothing important. Everyone was concerned about you when you left. But everything after that was inconsequential." The meinshao paused with a contemplative look on her face. "Elizabeth went after you when you left. Didn't come back for a while." Kael made no comment, opting to continue nibbling on his scone as his companion spoke. Selina paused, thinking over her words before continuing. "She clearly cares for you Kael."
"Sel. Please. Now's not the time for that."
"Kael, there is never a time for that with you."
"You know why that is."
Selina huffed, more tired than angry at the comments Kael made. "Let's be honest Kael. This whole thing Is going to be messy. No one can deny that. But what about when it's all over? Once we win Unova's freedom back, what are you going to do then? Wouldn't you like to settle down, start a family one day?"
Kael, swallowing what he had in his mouth, sighed at the path the conversation was going down. "Yes, that would be nice. Anyone would like to find themselves a mate and have children and live a nice life like that. Myself included." The dark-type leaned back, staring into the crackling fire in front of him. "But that's a long way off Sel. And the less everyone-especially everyone here- is involved, the safer they will be." Sel made no comment, keeping silent as she too stared at the flickering flames. A long stretch of silence followed, broken only by Kael flickering his ears as he heard a noise, closely followed by Selina. "Selina, if you could open the window please?"
Nodding, the weasel rose and made her way to the windows. Opening one, she quickly stood to the side as a figure sped through almost as soon as it was open. Neither was surprised by the sudden intrusion- rather, both had been expecting it. Turning, they looked at the new addition to their private room.
Landing atop the arm of Kael's chair, the figure turned out to be a golbat. It stood tall, wings pressed neatly to the sides of its body with head and eyes facing forward. The only distinguishing things it had to stand out from others of its species were two purple handkerchiefs tied around each ankle. On his right leg, higher up, he wore a gold band- a wedding ring specifically. He wore a small satchel attached to his back via some straps.
Kael smiled politely and nodded at the bat. "Hello Zane. It's been a while."
The golbat nodded in response, remaining at attention as he spoke. "Indeed, it has Kael."
Kael rolled his eyes playfully and gestured to Zane. "At ease Zane." At the word, Zane let his wings relax a bit, slouching more comfortably and losing the serious expression on his face. Kael, satisfied that the new addition was past the formalities, reached over and offered some food and drink to the poison bat. Zane accepted the plate and began to eat at a slow but measured pace. Zane took the next several minutes to eat and drink his fill, neither Kael nor Selina bothering to disturb him.
Eventually Zane finished with his impromptu meal and set aside the plate and cup before turning to face Kael once again. "Thanks for the meal."
Kael shook his head and held up a hand. "It's no trouble. What do you have to report?"
The golbat made a face of discomfort as he began his report. "Well. It's not very good sir. We've managed to get some supplies- food, cloth, lumber- and steal some equipment. And we've made a fair amount of coin by selling what we have excess of. And our group in Undella Town has been able to avoid the new security around the port." He took a moment to sigh heavily. "That's the good news."
"And the bad?"
"Out outpost in Icirrus Town has gone completely dark. No contact with anyone, and we fear the worst. The groups in Striaton, Driftveil and Pinwheel forest are all undermanned and can barely scrap by. What's more, the bridge between Opelucid and Lacunosa has been shut down. We can't get any materials or resources through that way, which means it'll have to go the long way through Nimbasa and Driftveil to get to the western outposts."
The dark-type grimaced at the news. He had hoped things would have stayed the same, not gotten worse. He rarely hoped for things to improve, something that came with his life experiences. He rubbed his temple with a hand, taking a moment to take in the news. "I see. Have the Undella outpost work as efficiency as they can without compromising their safety. Give any information you can to the wester outposts about surviving in the wild. Foraging, growing crops, herbal medicine. They will have to find or make anything that we cannot support via the supply routes."
Zane nodded as he listened, memorizing what he was to relay to the others in Unova. When Kael finished the poison-type reached around and withdrew the satchel on his back before offering it to the zoroark. "While this might not necessarily be as good, I do have some items for you."
Reaching to take the package Kael opened it and went through it's contents. Various files and papers were the first to be withdrawn. Various accounts, financial figures, maps and other information from the various outposts in Unova. Next were various leaves, stalks and herbs. This made the dark fox smile, recognizing them all and knew that they were rare herbs that Zane collected for him to use in his alchemy. The last item was a large regional map, with hand drawn adjustments showing blockades, camps, forts, patrols, and any other enemy forces in the region that his forces could gather.
Placing the various papers and files off to the side Kael leaned back in his chair with closed eyes. Taking a moment to breathe deeply and compose his thoughts, the young fox turned back to the crackling fire. "Thank you for your report Zane." Getting up, he strode over to his chest against the wall and rummaged though it to withdraw a small pouch. Walking back to his chair he placed it inside the now empty satchel. "For your trouble." He paused, noticeably looking at the gold band around the golbats leg. "And your wife."
Zane grinned and chuckled. "Heh. Aren't you sweet? It's appreciated Kael. I'll swing by when I have more intel or rare materials for you." The two spoke a little more, offering words of farewell before Zane snapped a crisp salute with his wing and disappeared out the window he had come in from.
Selina, who had remained silent for the most part except for an initial greeting, reached out to pluck a purple flower from outside the window sill before closing it. Taking the flower –their signal to let Zane know when and where it was appropriate to meet with Kael- she placed it inside a drawer in the nightstand. "Well," she said as she couldn't think of anything else to say, "what do you wish to do now?"
Using a hand to massage his face, Kael let out a low groan and small laugh at the same time. "Right now? I could use a nap if I'm honest."
Selina nodded, agreeing with the fox getting some more rest, and made to rummage through her bag. Takin out a small roll of white bandages, she knelt down next to Kael and began to unwind the bandages already wrapped around his stomach. They came off fairly easily and Kael made no noises of distress, which Selina took as a good sign. Using some alcohol and rags she found in Kael's chest, she gently cleaned the wound before wrapping it back up in fresh bandages.
Discarding of the bloodstained bandages, Selina helped the zoroark to his bed, making sure that the left-over drinks and food was on the nightstand in easy reach. Pausing at the door, she turned to look over her shoulder at her friend. "What shall I tell the others if they ask after you?"
"The truth: I'm tired and I need some rest."
Keeping a straight face, the meinshao nodded and bid him a good rest before stepping out the door and closing it behind her. Laying in his bed, Kael stared up at the top of his 4-poster bed with thoughts running amuck in his head. One thought stood out among the rest, and he decided to voice this one particular thought.
"Can today get any worse?"
Elizabeth and her group leaned back in their chairs, patting bellies and letting the hearty breakfast set in. They had spent the last hour preparing and then eating a lovely course, mainly prepared by Audrey of course. Max and Sam leaned back lazily, while the three females engaged in light conversation as the digested.
"That was a great breakfast. Thank you for preparing it Audrey." Elizabeth sipped the last of her drink as she spoke, more out of reflex than any real thirst.
"Yeah" Luck chimed in, using a toothpick to remove any remains of the meal from her teeth. "You never cease to impress me with your cooking skills. One of the reasons I come around to visit so often~"
Audrey, who had stacked the used dishes in one pile, puffed out her cheeks in mock offense and turned to one side. "Hmph! I see how it is. Like me only for my cooking, do you?"
Everyone at the table tittered at the display as the furret decided to play along. She gasped overly-dramatically. "Oh of course not! Dearest Audrey, I come to spend time with you because you're a great friend! You're hard working, friendly, strong, and so easy on the eyes. What person wouldn't want to be around you." Luck reached over and playfully pulled the buneary into a hug.
Unable to keep a straight face, Audrey giggled and returned the affection. "Heh. Flatterer~" Max made a noise of disgust, causing the pair to laugh harder and shoot him looks. Sam, for the most part stayed quiet and Elizabeth stood up smiling but having a destination in mind she wanted to head to.
"Thanks for the meal Audrey, but I've got other things to attend to." Audrey simply nodded in response and made to say something but stopped. She unrolled her ear and both began to twitch. Recognizing this, she strained her own hears to hear whatever the buneary did. Everyone went silent, curious as to what the normal-type was hearing, and it took the braixen several seconds of close listening to hear it. It sounded like yelling, but not quiet in distress or pain.
Elizabeth, already on her feet, went to the door and opened it to step into the hallway, with everyone else following behind. They stood and starred down the hall, the seemingly the source of the noise. "Does anyone know what that noise is?" Elizabeth asked the group more out of reflex than expecting any real answer. "It sounds like-"
"DELIVERY!"
The voice that became clear was obviously shouting at the top of their lungs, but they could still tell that it was young and somewhat squeaky and feminine. Before anyone could open their mouths to comment, a small Pokèmon came skidding around the corner. It was small, blue, and round with no arms but possessed a zig-zag tail with a large circular end, and had a small messenger bad strapped around her body. Several of the group recognized the Pokèmon as an azurill, a small water-type. The azurill turned, spotted the group, and beamed brightly. She began to hop her way down to them, screaming at the top of her lungs. "DELIVERY!"
The events that followed were a mix of unfortunate and comedic. By some turn of fate, as the azurill got close she wavered in her approach. Whether it be she tripped or was plain clumsy was anyone's guess. Max, who had stepped slightly forward to meet her, was the victim of her trip as she smacked her forehead into the riolu's. The audible CRACK that accompanied the contact made everyone flinch as the two fell onto their backs. Sam was the first to be by Max's side for his second spill of the morning. "Are you alright Max?" The kirlia asked his friend, trying to see past the hands pressed against Max's forehead.
"OWW! WHAT DID I DO?"
The girls giggled quietly at the fighting-type's unfortunate luck this morning. The offending azurill, holding her tail to her head, groaned lowly in pain. Audrey hopped over to stand over the little water-type. "Are you alright?" She asked, concern evident in her voice for the little mouse.
The Polka Dot Pokèmon was apparently a lot tougher that her cute exterior made her look. Almost in a full turn of emotions, she rolled to her feet and smiled chipperly. "Oh I'm fine!" She either missed the odd looks the group sent her way or just didn't care. Regardless, she looked over the group with a bright and cheery smile before taking on a contemplative look. "Can anyone tell me where I can find the King and Queen? I have a delivery to make, and I can't be late for a delivery!"
Elizabeth, seeing as Max was not in a position to answer, stepped forward. "I can bring it to them for you. My parents are pretty busy right now but I can give what you have to them when they are free."
At the statement, the young azurill went silent, staring up at the taller braixen with wide open mouth and sparkling eyes. "Whoah..." She breathed out, staring up meaningfully at the fire fox. Elizabeth found herself a little uncomfortable at the staring and looked to her side at her companions, who only shrugged in response. Before she could say anything, the azurill let out a screech of excitement that grated on everyone else's ears.
"EEEHHHH! Ohmygoshohmygoshohmyosh!"
As everyone covered their ears with hands and paws to try and dampen the sound, and the pain in brought with it, it suddenly cut out as the azurill was now hopping excitedly in front of Elizabeth. "Your parents are the King and Queen? That makes you, like, the PRINCESS! That's SOOOO CCOOOOLLLLL! What's it like being a princess? Do you sing a lot? Do you have any special powers? Where's your prince charming? C'mon tell!"
Not used to such a reaction or behavior, Elizabeth was understandably put off at the outburst from the small water-type. Face twisted into one of confusion, the simply stared as the small water mouse bounced and continued to talk and ask questions. Thankfully for her, the excitable azurill stopped and turned around when someone came around the corner calling her name. Curiously, Audrey and Elizabeth noticed that, having one foot larger than the other, the azurill used her tail as a third leg to balance on when she stood still.
"Mai! I told you to slow down!" The figure bounding around the corner called. The Pokèmon resembled a frog, with green and yellow coloration, pink cheeks, a swirl on its stomach and a long curled hair atop it's head. The politoed, as the others recognized it, hopped down the hall, an exasperated expression on its face. "I told you not to go hopping off without me, especially here." The voice revealed it to be a male with a slight lilt, and he stopped himself just in front of the azurill he called Mai.
"Oh oh oh! Lyrell! You'll never guess what happened!" Mai began to hop around the politoed as she spoke. "The braixen Is the Princess! I met the Princess! Isn't that neat?"
Lyrell rolled his eyes with a smile at the display Mai put on. "yes, very neat Mai." He turned to face the group, particularly focusing on Elizabeth. "I hope Mai hasn't caused you much trouble in the sixty seconds you've known her. She means well but she can be a bit..." He paused to look at the beaming Mai beside him, "...much."
As Mai made a face that came off as more cute than angry, Elizabeth spoke up. "Umm... no, she's fine. We were just a little... caught off guard is all." Her friends nodded, including Max, who had since recovered and found his feet again. An awkward silence followed as they all stared at each other waiting for someone to speak. Eventually it was the braixen who spoke first. "So... that delivery?"
Face going from cutely pouting to surprise, Mai used her tail to open the clasp on her bag. "Oh right!" Sticking her face inside, she rummaged around before pulling out, a bundle of envelopes in her teeth. "Hurr ou ohh!" She mumbled around the letters. As Elizabeth took the bundle, Mai performed a little spin before posing and exclaiming. "DELIVERY ACHOMPLISHED!" She stood there a moment, again missing or ignoring the looks sent her way, before she turned to face the group once more. "It was nice to meet you all. Especially you miss Princess!" Offering only a quick smile, she spun on a heel and began to hop her way back down the hall. "C'mon Lyrell! We have more DELIVERIES to do!" She called over her shoulder.
The green toad sighed as his younger companion bound down the hall. He turned quickly to the others. "Apologies about that. Do enjoy your day." He then began to hop after Mai, calling after her. "Mai! I told you not to go off ahead of me!" The pair, one hopping after the other, progressed down the hall until they rounded the corner and disappeared from sight.
Elizabeth and her friends stood there staring at the spot the two water-types had disappeared from. The rather odd visit from the mail-mon had been rather confusing and none knew how to properly react. But eventually the braixen turned to the other four, one hand clutching the bundle of letters. "Well...That happened." The other three nodded, neutral expressions on their faces. "Anyway... I have to drop off these letters then I'm headed to the library." Giving a nod, the fire fox began her walk to her parent's study to drop of the mail.
Max decided he would head down to do some exercise and Sam returned to his book keeping duties, leaving Luck and Audrey on their own. The furret turned to her fellow normal-type. "Welp, fun as this was, I've got some work I need to tend to. Deals to make, money to take. You know how it is." The buneary rolled her eyes but smiled non-the less, and Luck turned to leave. "Thanks for breakfast Audrey. I'll see you around-"
"Hold on there!" Freezing, Luck looked over her shoulder to see a stern-looking rabbit staring at her. "You wait right there." She hopped back into the kitchen, giving no other instructions or indications as to what she was doing. Luckily Luck only had to wait a minute before her friend came back holding a small brown bag. "Here. For the road." Was all the rabbit said as she offered it to her friend.
Taking the bag, she undid the tie around it and peeked inside. "What is it?"
"Leftovers. Some jerky, scones, dried and crystalized fruits, a few skins of water..." The buneary smiled smugly before she continued. "...and some extra cinnamon rolls."
Luck's face twisted into one of pleasant surprise. "I thought you told Max that we ate them all at breakfast?"
"Technically that was true. These are extras that I baked for myself. But I couldn't let one of my best friends go off without some sweets for the road. Knowing how much trouble you get into, you'll need a pick-me-up." Audrey folded her arms over her chest, a knowing look on her face as she stared Luck down. The furret laughed awkwardly, sweat dripping down her head at the glaring buneary. Shaking her head, Audrey bounced forward and gave Luck a small hug before making a 'shoo' gesture with her paws. "Alright I've got work to do. Off with you, you rapscallion."
Laughing Luck returned the hug before getting on all fours and making her way down the hall. She heard Audrey call out to her as she got farther away. "And don't go scamming the wrong person!"
Laughing, Luck called over her shoulder. "No promises!"
Shaking her head at the expected response, Audrey returned to the dining room to gather the dishes then make her way back to the kitchens where a pile of work surely sat waiting for her. Still, with seeing Luck and having a nice morning with her friends, the buneary was off to a great start of the day.
Having dropped off the letters to her parent's study, Elizabeth made the walk to the castle libraries. The library was large, with book cases that stretched the height of the two-story room. Aside from the small rooms made for private meetings or reading, there was a stairway that lead to a small private suite usually reserved for Elizabeth and her family. The plush carpeted floor and wooden bookcases were a pleasant decoration style to the fire-type. And the smell of faded parchment and old ink always gave her some degree of comfort.
Stepping into the deserted room, she looked at a framed map on the wall. The directory, telling where to find what kind of books in the large collection. Tracing a claw as she looked it over, she found what she was looking for and sped off. Fifteen minutes later found her carrying an armload of books up the stairs to the private suite. Slipping inside, she made her way to a small alcove she normally used for herself.
Sitting in a small but comfortable couch, she set the books on the table in front of her and took the one that looked most promising. The tome was relatively new, if the condition was any indication. The title read 'The history of the Legendaries'. Flipping the front cover open, she began to pour over it.
For the next several hours Elizabeth poured over various books, tomes, and scrolls. Everyone had some connection to the Legendaries. Some were simple children's tales revolving around the figures. Others tried to act as catalogs for the great beings. Still others were collections of reports from Pokèmon who claimed to have encountered the powerful Pokèmon. Several times she had to head back down to the main floor and grab a new armload of books, the previous batch offering nothing solid about what she was looking for.
She had just closed a book after reading a report in it from one Pokèmon who claimed to have been bed by the Legendary Mew, when she turned to the last book from her most recent armload. The book was fairly large and worn with age. The pages had tears and splotches and were faded with the years passed. Elizabeth scratched her head, not quite recalling picking up a book like it but eventually shrugged it off. Lifting up the large tome onto the table, she undid the buckle that held it closed and flipped it open. The inside of the cover held no title, just like the outside, but it did hold a single word at the bottom, likely the owner or author: Flüstern. Shrugging it off, she flipped to a random page.
The Princess was surprised to see that what she held was more akin to a personal grimoire than a published book. The writing inside was clearly by hand, with various drawings, sketches, and diagrams accompanying the paragraphs and paragraphs of writing. The pages she turned too described some alchemical process to make... something. Turning again, this time she found that pages offering details on a Pokèmon. The left page had an assortment of details about the Pokèmon species such as habitats, diet, temperament, and other important details. The right page held a page-sized sketch of the Pokèmon, specifically, a Noivern. She turned further forward, and found the same style of page depicting a Pikachu. She turned back to the beginning, looked over the table of contents to find what she was looking for. A minute of flipping through the many, many pages found her arriving at what she wanted.
A page depicting Yveltal.
The sketch on the right was detailed enough to cause her to jump in fright. Hand against her hammering heart, she looked at the picture that seemed to stare back. Despite the book having no color, the image of a red-glowing bird towering over her jump to mind. Swallowing her discomfort, she looked over the information on the right. Rather than information like normal Pokèmon, these paragraphs offered details about the lore and meaning behind a legendary.
She read over what the grimoire offered on the Destruction Pokèmon. What she could gather fell in line with what Kael had told her family the previous night. Yveltal was often seen as the deity of death and destruction, more so than any other Pokèmon. What was new that she found was that there were two major groups that followed Yveltal. One believed in Yveltal symbolizing the acceptance of death. That dying was a natural part of life, and accepting it as an eventuality would lead to a more fulfilling life.
The second group was quite the opposite. They believed that Yveltal symbolized death as a tool for power. That by forcing death on their enemies they would gain Yveltal's favor, leading to a very militaristic, aggressive society. While several other minor groups involving Yveltal had surfaced over the years, these two remained the two major groups centered around the great bird.
Having satisfied her curiosity about the being she kept seeing in her dreams, she was struck by a whim. She turned back to the table of contents, then turned again to the page of the next Legendary on her list.
Giratina.
The paragraphs said what she had expected. While many groups and cultures saw the Renegade Pokèmon as an ill omen or devil, there was a select group that was it more of a dark savior, guiding them to humility and acceptance through their darker times. There were a few other tid-bits on the groups and history of the Pokèmon as a whole, but Elizabeth skimmed over it, simply wanting to compare what the book said with what Kael had told her. Not having any more Pokèmon to look up, she glanced at the sketch before stopping. The sketch depicted Giratina as a huge leviathan in its origin form, the altered form on the opposite page. She could tell it was huge because there was another Pokèmon in the sketch, miniscule in front of Giratina and, thus, offering some form of scale. She leaned in close, but couldn't quite make out what it was exactly. Her initial thought was that the tiny Pokèmon looked like a zoroark...
Her stomach grumbled, so she left the thought and closed the book, standing and stretching. She glanced out the window to see it was probably late afternoon, the sun dipping towards the horizon. She must have missed lunch in her research, but she simply shrugged it off. She could eat her fill at dinner, and that was something she looked forward too. Seeing Kael too, as he would be present at the evening meal, made it even more appealing. She hadn't seen him since last night, probably recovering from that nasty wound. But sureley he would want to eat with the rest of them, and seeing him better was a enjoyable thought she entertained for a few moments.
Her thinking was interrupted by footsteps up the stairs and someone kicking open the door. The doorway stood Nurse, a look that was less-than-happy clearly written on her face. Something Elizabeth could note was that it wasn't an angry look per say, but one of hurry. "There you are!" she said as she strode over to the fox. "We've no time. We've got to get you ready for tonight!" Elizabeth opened her mouth to ask what Nurse meant, but was cut off as the audino picked her up and threw her unceremoniously over her shoulder. The fire-type's cries of protest were cut short as Nurse proceeded to run them back to the Princess' room.
Nurse had to be given credit: she could move like a Pokèmon a third her age. The castle interior sped by in a blur as she was carried by the speeding audino to her room. Kicking the doors open once again, Nurse dumped Elizabeth onto her bed before speeding over to rummage thought her closet and drawers. The Princess rubbed her head in irritation as she spoke up. "Ugh. Nurse! What was that about? You can't just show up and kidnap me like that! I was in the middle of something very- what are you doing? Ahhh, NURSE! Not that horrible thing! Why do I even need that?"
The 'horrible thing' Elizabeth referred too was a large, highly frilly and decorated dress Nurse had set onto the back of her desk chair. The thing was considered her 'best' outfit for formal occasions. Elizabeth despised the thing because it was considered 'classical', based on human designs, and had a long poofy skirt that was so encumbersum that it required a metal-wire frame underneath it all to allow her to walk at all.
"Hush now Miss Princess! None of that sass talk!." Nurse never stayed still, throwing accessories and clothing that went with the outfit as she spoke. "There will be a big feast tonight, and we need to get you washed and presentable!"
The braixen, kneeling on her bed, crossed her arms and huffed. "What is it now? We already had a feast for Kael, and there are no major holidays coming up. So why in the word-"
"It's not for Prince Kael! It's for Prince Lenoard!"
Understanably, Elizabeth froze in confusion. "Excuse me?"
Nurse, holding up two different necklaces to compare them, answered her. "Prince Leonard. He's arrived, come to pay his respects, so the whole castle is having another feast to welcome him!"
The name was not very difficult to place. Prince Leonard was a well-known name in politics, particularly those of females. The blaziken was quite the dashing figure, known for his singing, music, dancing, and was popular with females of all ages and stations. His name brought ideas of romance wherever it was mentioned. The idea of such a romantic figure arriving to see her sent her into a tizzy. "Ahh! Why so suddenly?" She hopped off the bed and began to dig through her drawers as well, looking for her best accessories.
"It's been in the works for a week. Your parents didn't mention it to you so you would avoid a week of being in a nervous tizzy like you are now!" She paused and, Elizabeth swore, blushed. "I saw him arrive, and I think he winked at me."
"NURSE!"
"Hey! I may be old enough to be your grandmother Princess, but I'm not dead yet!" She rushed over, pile of cloths in hand, and began to help the fox dress for tonight. As Elizabeth, suddenly nervous as she could be, let the audino help her dress, she let her mind wander. The evening suddenly seemed alive with the breath of possibility. So many things could happen, and meeting with Prince Leonard suddenly seemed terrifying and wonderful at the same time. In the midst of the sudden whirlwind of emotions, a single thought spoke up in the back of her mind.
How would Kael feel about Leonard coming to try and win her over?
Well. That's the setup for next chapter. That's when things get interesting :)
Things will start picking up in the next few chapters, and not all for the best. But until then, this will have to tide you over. Hopefully, it won't take another few months for the next one XD (It won't.)
As always, if you have any constructive criticism, suggestions, guesses, questions, or anything like that, feel free to review or PM me. Not only is it fun for me to respond to both, but it gives me a little motivation boost when I'm feeling lazy/procrastination-ey.
Until next time!
-Cheers!