BONE CLAN CAMP, NIGHT
The square is crowded with pokemon as refugees from the disaster move frantically around. At first, one might think they are in a panic, but looking closer at them, I suspect they just want to rest. Zapdos had come by the camp to notify everyone that the city would be mostly fixed by morning, but that he couldn't replace personal items and equipment that was lost during the explosion.
As I watch the crowd, I notice Frost floating in front of Blade's den. She taps her fingers together as she waits in anticipation. A moment later, Blade walks out and says something to her. She nods her head and floats in my direction. I grab a persim berry from a basket on the table I'm sitting at.
"What was said to you, Frost?" I ask as I bite into the berry.
"Well," she starts, "he was able to remove the glass and shrapnel from her eye, but…"
"But what?"
She takes a breath, "Blade says that to much damage was done to the retina and optical nerve for him to try to restore her vision, so…"
"Then she's blind in one eye, is she?"
Frost nods her head slowly, "I don't know how she'll react to it. For some reason, she wanted to prove herself to Sepullen, but now that this happened, I don't know what he'll do."
"I will do nothing."
Without turning around, I say, "That's not like you at all. What has made you decide this?"
"Branna wants to prove to me that she can do things her own way. Whether she can find a way to adapt to her handicap, or can't. I won't get in her way. In fact, just to give her a push I have a method for her to use if she will accept it. I do have Rayquaza to thank in part for this idea, as he relayed some rather… interesting information about Branna."
Frost looks at him uneasily, "Is this method dangerous?"
"On the contrary, it's the safest thing she could do. Also, I will not be taking part in training her. I've already spoken with Nova and he's assigned Varian to teach her the basics before we leave."
"Wait, we're still leaving?"
"Indeed, we are leaving in an hour or so," I say.
Surprised, Frost asks, "Don't you think it's a little late to start travelling?"
"I said we were leaving tonight. Just because we had a little hold up doesn't mean I am going to change my mind."
"Then I better go get our stuff from the guests den," she says.
I shake my head, "No need. You can stay here and wait for Branna, I'll go get our belongings."
"Thank you."
BLADE'S DEN, NIGHT
"There's that, and you should be able to open your eyes now."
Branna tries to open her eyes, but immediately shuts them as bright light floods into her vision. Even opening them for a second makes her recoil in pain. No, it's not the light that's hurting my left eye, this feels different. She opens her undamaged eye and looks at Blade. He looks at her for a moment, before taking a needle and holding it up to her eye.
"Be very careful, Branna. Your left eye is severely damaged, so I'm going to test your right one to see if anythings wrong. Don't worry, all I need to do is move this needle back and forth, but I'm not going to touch you with it. Now I need you-"
The leafeon is suddenly surprised as Branna swiftly knocks the needle out of his paw and onto the ground. After a moment, Branna recoils in surprised at her own actions.
"I um, I'm sorry. It was just reaction."
"Branna?"
"What is it?"
He turns around and rummages through several pieces of equipment on a nearby desk. After a moment, he pulls out a small cylinder tool that Branna doesn't recognize.
"Your eyes are glowing with aura. The only time that happens is when a pokemon that knows a form of magic is in a battle state. Apparently, your body is still producing mass amounts of energy, that's why you reacted the way you did."
"Are you sure? I don't um, feel any different."
Blade throws the tool at her. She immediately catches it with her vine and throws it to the side. Picking it up and handing it to the Leafeon, she says, "Is there any way that I can turn it off?"
He shakes his head, "If you can't will it to stop, then there's no other way. There are, however, two ways to subdue it. You could either have someone Hypnotize you, or just close your eye."
"That's all there is to it?"
He nods, "Your body is reacting because you can see what's happening around you, but if you close your eye, you shouldn't have that sort of reaction."
With a breath, she closes her eye. After a moment, she feels the strange tool press on her side. Despite her instinct, she suppresses the urge to react. All I have to do is focus on something else, like- Wait, what's that? Branna notices a series of vibrant colors appear in her vision. My eyes are closed, how am I seeing anything. This feeling is like when I detected Rayquaza's energy, or Frost's. She turns her head toward a mass of blue energy in the direction of the room's entryway.
"I wanted to train you, but it looks like you've already figured out what I wanted to teach you," a voice says.
She opens her good eye and looks at the pokemon. "I think I've seen you before. You're um, Varian aren't you?"
"Yeah, I am. Damn though, I was really looking forward to teaching somebody for once," he says in a disappointed tone.
"Teach me what, exactly?"
Blade blocks her vine with his own as she reacts when the tool pricks into her skin.
The lucario looks at her, "According to Rayquaza, you have awakened the ability to detect aura and even absorb it from others. Knowing that, Sepullen and Nova sent me here to teach you how to do it properly."
"I um, I appreciate it, but I haven't been awake for very long. Couldn't we wait until after I'm finished here, um, if you don't mind?"
"Well, since you'll be leaving soon, Sepullen wanted you to be able to-"
"Not yet," Blade interrupts. "I need to explain her situation to her first."
Varian gives him a look. "You mean you haven't told her yet?"
"Well, see…"
Confused, Branna asks, "What is it?"
They both look at her and sigh. Blade clears his throat, "The thing is, Branna, I told you your left eye is severely damaged, but the truth is it won't ever recover."
"So I'm…"
"Yes, it means that you're permanently blind in one eye."
Blade and Varian watch and wait for her response. After a moment, Branna shakes her head.
"It doesn't matter. I've spent years wallowing in misery over things I don't have, so I'm going to stop now."
She looks at Varian and smiles, "I'll manage somehow."
He sighs with relief, "Well, the idea was to teach you how to use aura efficiently so that you wouldn't have any sort of disadvantages in battle or otherwise."
Branna nods, "I don't um, think I know how to use it properly."
"What do you mean? You were using it just fine when I walked in."
Branna shakes her head, "I lost focus as soon as you started talking."
"Cool!" he exclaims, immediately regretting it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I mean, I like being a part of Nova's Team, but we don't fight very often. All I'm saying is that I'll be happy to do something other then give advice. Especially since everyone thinks Felicia's advice is better than mine."
"That's because she's less impatient and doesn't jump to conclusions as much as you do," Blade comments.
"Hey! I can hold myself back if I need to."
"I can give you that, you're pretty tactical and observant in battle, but otherwise…"
The lucario waits for him to finish his sentence. When he doesn't, Varian asks, "Otherwise what?"
The leafeon smiles uncomfortably, "Well, outside of battle you can be kind of a clutz."
Varian crosses his arms, "That's just like you to put something nicely even though you really mean worse."
As they argue back and forth, Branna watches them with a smile. You can tell they've been through a lot together, can't you Lorem?
In a surprised tone Lorem asks, Now you want us to talk to you? Anyway, why do you find two creatures bickering amusing?
Even though I don't agree with you on most things, I've been thinking. Bone Clan has existed for two decades and experienced a number of trials. Varian and Blade aren't really fighting, but they talk to each other in the way that they do, because through those trials, they've become familiar with each other. So in a way it's as you said, pain is the sole teacher.
So you see the pain in others, but not yourself?
You're missing the point. They've moved past their pain and made themselves better because of it. That's what I'm doing. Just because I'm partially blind now, doesn't mean I have to dwell on it. I'll just have to learn to work around it.
Learning how to work around something isn't the same as getting rid of it. If you think it is, you're kidding yourself.
I don't think they're the same, I think overcoming a challenge is better.
Look, you don't see it yet, but there will come a time where you'll start to think like us. I'm not going to keep wasting time talking to someone who constantly ignores me, so like I said before, just sit back and watch as everything as life takes away every last ounce of willpower away from you, until all you have left is pain. Overcoming one little injury is just a small victory, nothing more.
You know what I think? I think it's the small victories that count sometimes, not the big ones.
What is it with you? Everything I say, you turn it right back around at us. Come to think of it, WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO US?!
Well, if I'm going to be in a coma for some time, I'm going to have to get used to being stuck with you.
Lorem doesn't respond to Branna. Well, it seems like he doesn't care anymore. That's a good thing.
"...Of course I suppose you'd have to get used to sugarcoating things all the time with that sylveon around."
"Varian, it doesn't matter if I'm nicer then I should be. Sooner or later, she's going to learn the reality of the way the world really is. I don't know when that'll happen, but I don't want her to hear it from me."
"So, what then? Do you think lying is any better?"
"If you're so concerned about it, I'll have no problem if you tell her."
The lucario gives him a surprised look, "Me?"
"Yes you. Go on, tell her what really happened in Articune when Team Gold and Team Fade were 'working out'."
"Um Blade?" Varian asks.
"Yes?"
"I wasn't with you guys in Articune, but why were Team Gold and Team Fade working out? I thought they were enemies."
Blade puts his paw to his face and says, "Nevermind, just train Branna how to sense aura."
"Right." He turns to the serperior, "So here's how it goes-"
"Not in here," Blade says. "I still have other people I need to work with."
"Alright, I know a place," Varian says with a grin.
BELOW CHAMBER (FOCUS SECTOR), NIGHT
Below the crowded pathways of the Bone Clan Camp lay several empty ruins and hallways that are collectively known as the Below Chamber. The chamber had been built by Sepullen and the Unown Army as a gift to celebrate the alliance between he and Zapdos. The ruins are built in such away that drowns out all outside noise, heightens mental awareness, and magical perception. Much to Nova's dismay, Sepullen also built a block of prison cells that open up to Fraze Fissure on the east side of the camp.
To the opposite side however, there is a small segment of the structure known as the Focus Sector. The Focus Sector is one of three sectors specially built to enhance magical and mental awareness, as well as natural abilities such as regeneration or magical channeling. Aphot hopes to use this energy to fix Roselyn's mind.
"I thought you could just heal her with persim and enigma berries."
Her again. She's probably still mad at me for saving my agent over another one of her 'prophecy children'. In the center of the room, Aphot floats over Roselyn with his eyes closed. Drawn around the sylveon are strange runes that wouldn't be familiar to anyone other then Witch. Thank goodness for her books, I've never really been that good with magic anyway.
"Whatever the case, I get why you did what you did, but it wasn't my call."
Aphot tries to ignore her for a second time and concentrate. Of course it wasn't her call, it was that damned Kyurem's. Unlike other legendaries, he demands that she listen to him absolutely. I would never do that to Venomitus. He takes a mixture of enigma berries and persim berries and squeezes them into a small vile. He takes the vile and puts it up to Roselyn's mouth. Tilting her head in a position where she can swallow it, he pours it slowly into her mouth.
"I know what you're thinking, but no. Kyurem wasn't the reason I asked you for help. There was someone more important that's been putting pressure on me to protect Branna."
Someone else?
"Aphot, you remember the first four people to break away from the agents?"
He nods his head without looking at her, "Yes. I remember asking you to come along with us, but you refused."
"That's beside the point. Look, you're here, Nocturan's dead, and Valientrus is no longer an agent, so who does that leave?"
For a moment, Aphot is surprised, but then he turns to look at Felicia with a grin.
"So Wings has come to take you up on your debt, has he?"
She bows her head and says to the darkrai in a low tone, "Hasn't it been enough? I spent a thousand years as a disembodied spirit because of Wings. When Jude and Spite brought me back to the world, I thought I could start anew. I've been on several teams since. First Life Energy, then Charm, and now Team Aura Fang. Life's been good to me in Bone Clan, but now that I'm needed again, Kyurem thinks that I'll be happy being pulled out of my body whenever he needs me."
"You look more real then you did when we were in the city."
"I'm actually here right now, but Nova and Clyde haven't noticed my absence yet."
"Look, Felicia. I'll help you where I can, but I'm not powerful enough to stand up to Kyurem, Reshiram, or Zekrom."
The gardevoir looks at him with a pleading look, "Please Aphot, you're my last option. With everyone else either dead or allied with Sollavera, there's no one else I can turn to."
"Not necessarily."
"What do you mean?"
"The new generation of agents will do. Their not allied with anyone, and there's quite a lot of them. Nova, Clyde, Varian, Branna, Frost, Sepullen, Lyle, Myro, Moon, Pyros, Nepheren, the members of Team Gold, and even my very own Venomitus."
"None of them will do, Aphot. Nova's not officially the Agent of Zapdos, they just like to call him that even though Zapdos hasn't actually transferred his power yet. Clyde's only purpose as the Agent of Suicune is running a Fresh Water factory off toward Landlove City. Varian doesn't even remember that he's an agent. Branna and Frost aren't even agents to my knowledge."
"They will be soon. Besides, it's never a bad idea to have even one of Wings' children on your side."
"But even they won't be enough, and I don't even have to tell you why I won't even think about allying myself with Sepullen or Team Starblazer."
"You don't have to team up with all of them, just Lyle. Unlike the rest of them, he's not actually bad. He's just under the influence of Vanish's ritual."
"And you can undo that ritual?"
Aphot shakes his head, "Sadly, no."
"If Vanish won't help us, which I predict she won't, then that only leaves Nepheren, Mr. Money, Ember, and Rodium."
"Why couldn't they help you?"
"I have no doubt that they would agree if I asked them, but as of recently the Creation Legendaries have been… silent."
"Silent?"
"Yes, lately not even the other Agents have heard from any of them other then Dialga, but even he's been travelling the dimensions looking for the others."
"Strange…"
After a moment of thinking, Aphot says to her, "That only leaves us with two options; either you restore Varian's memories of Mew, which would be dangerous in its own right, or you could bring me my book from the other world, then I could end Kyurem's life quicker then you can say- all done."
He looks back at the ground as the runes disappear, leaving only Roselyn. The sylveon opens her eyes and looks around. When she sees Aphot, she smiles. This comes as a surprise to the darkrai, who had only heard about how timid Roselyn is.
"Who are you?" she asks in a cheerful voice.
"Uh…"
"Well that's a weird name, Mr. Uh."
She looks at Felicia, "And who are you?"
"I am Felicia, child," the gardevoir says with a gentle smile.
"Hi Felicia, I'm Roselyn, but you can call me Rose."
Felicia nods, then turns to leave. As she does, Roselyn asks, "Where are you going?"
Looking back, she says, "Our friend here, Mr. Uh wanted me to get him a book."
The sylveon perks up, "Reading? I like to read sometimes. Ms. Wilda always gave me cookbooks to read."
Aphot closes his eyes and smirks, "This book isn't for reading, Rose. I guess you could say it's a book that I've been writing for a number of years."
"Oh. When will it be finished?"
"When it runs out of pages."