Secrets of the Night

DISCLAIMER: I Do NOT own Pokemon!

Chapter 12: Expanded Perspectives

Aeron and Faye Lin walked back to the upper deck, with the Snivy now in the boy's arms. It was still trembling nervously with the small parcel secured in its little arms and flimsy tail. Faye Lin kept checking on it occasionally, while walking behind the boy. If she were the one holding it, then the grass snake would be calmer, but then she would have to approach the assassins, which was dangerous since they were very suspicious of her.

When they arrived, Bellatrix shot them a piercing glare and came over to confirm the package. Leiko also went over, curious to know see the mysterious item hidden in the cargo vessel. She found it questionable, at first, that a little Snivy would be the one carrying the item, but Bellatrix saw it more logical since the ship was heading to Unova so nobody would think that a starter hailing from that region would have it. She cursed inwardly that she didn't think of it before. Alice, on the other hand, couldn't care less about it. She was more engrossed in wiping off the blood from her Vorpal Blade after a small argument about her not acting her age. Aeron also explained that it was the odd one out, having seen the starters in groups of six. Only the enclosure with the Snivys had seven individuals.

Thinking it would be best to confirm it with another person, Bellatrix dialed up her Xtranseiver and made a call for Lord Tristan. The screen blinked and the infamous leader of the Black Scythe division appeared. Bellatrix shot another threatening glance over at the boy and the girl he was hiding, before starting her report. "Master, target vessel has been secured, and as for the package, we have located it, but yet to confirm if it is genuine."

"I see…" Lord Tristan clasped his fingers together and rested his chin on top. He pondered for a moment before speaking once again, "And what of my guest?"

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes and reported, "It seems he brought an unexpected companion with him."

"Oh? Is that so?" Lord Tristan's intrigue peaked, his plain smile curved into a sly one. "May I speak with him?" Bellatrix nodded and ended the call so that the Black Scythe leader could call the boy.

In the growing tense night, Aeron's own Xtranseiver rang, jolting Faye Lin who was already feeling very uneasy. The boy clicked the answer button and laid eyes on the man who recruited him for the mission.

"Good evening, my dear boy. How was your first outing in the real world? Was it much to your pleasure?" Lord Tristan chuckled almost inaudibly.

Aeron hesitated in answering. His thoughts flashed back to the wide open sea and then to the bloody scenes that he encountered in every corner of the massive cargo vessel. A moment of freedom led to a glimpse of hell. Letting out a breath of calmness, his last thoughts returned to the blonde girl. He was having doubts whether or not things would turn for the worst.

Lord Tristan took in the boy's silence and shifted his attention to the Snivy curled up protectively in the boy's other arm. His gray eyes peered through his round glasses as he studied the item, slightly hidden by the timid grass snake. He couldn't fully confirm it for himself, but he predicted either way that the other party won't be able to lay a hand on any of other cargo, having the whole vessel taken over by the trio of professional assassins.

Having one matter resolved, Lord Tristan looked over at the boy's shoulder and caught a glimpse of the unexpected guest that Bellatrix was talking about. In the Black Scythe unit, eliminating witnesses were a strict rule. It would be unfortunate if the world knew of an island raising individuals to be merciless assassins. But he had a feeling it was a special case. "May I see her?"

Aeron flinched, feeling a dangerous chill settle in the air around him. He couldn't refuse. Unsurely, he stepped back and ushered Faye Lin to come into view of the screen. His overall expression was composed, but underneath, he couldn't help but wonder what Lord Tristan's judgment will be.

Faye Lin met his silver eyes and pushed back the fear welling up in her chest. Aeron was the only person she could trust at that moment. But this time, she had to face the danger alone. There was no one else, alive, on board to actually rely on, other than her pokemon. She bit her lip and placed a hand over her heart to calm down herself down before stepping forward. Her aqua blue eyes gazed upon the eccentric man on the monitor. She heard one of the assassins refer to him as master so she assumed that he was the leader of them so he should be feared as someone just as cold and merciless as the female trio near her.

All of a sudden, Lord Tristan laughed and an amused smile appeared on his face. Everyone present on board was caught off guard by the sudden shift in the mood, Bellatrix most of all. Aeron glanced at her and then returned his attention to the man on his Xtranseiver.

Lord Tristan shifted his focus back to the boy. "You may go. Our client is waiting."

Aeron was completely taken aback. He just stood there motionlessly for a second, before snapping out his daze to address the Black Scythe leader. "As you wish, Lord Tristan…"

"Oh, and by the way, your father was looking for you. Better not be caught before the mission is completed," Lord Tristan warned, adding more reason for the boy's composure to weaken.

Aeron nodded and ended the call. Then he faced the assassin trio before him, and bid them farewell. Bellatrix, having felt defeated, turned around without another word. She wanted so badly to swing her scythe towards the boy's head, but then she would get in trouble with her master.

Leiko was also unhappy by the outcome, but she was glad her plaything won't get punished by Lord Tristan. She went over to him with the urge to wrap her arms around him again, but there was a little green pokemon between them, preventing her from doing so. Instead she leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Till we meet again my little Delibird…"

After Leiko moved back, Alice tucked her Vorpal Blade behind her and trotted over. Before they left Semira Isle, she wanted to socialize more with the boy but when they arrived at the ship, her mind was elsewhere, specifically in her blood-lust killing spree. Now that she had no one to play with, she decided to at least make an impression.

"Birdie nii-chan, you'll play with us again, right?" Alice asked innocently, leaning against her head against Aeron's side as if to show off a cute side, while visibly covered in blood. Her clothes were black so it wasn't that obvious. Her wavy white hair, though, still dappled with crimson stains, like the edges of her pale face.

"Alice, what did I say about acting your age? Aren't you already that brat's senior?" Bellatrix scolded, unable to look at the boy anymore.

Alice pouted and twirled around before approaching the blonde girl, hoping to at least get an interesting reaction from her. From the time the outsider appeared, the youngest assassin knew of the fear flashing in those aqua blue eyes of hers. It was like an on-switch for Alice, to crave for screams and cries of her potential victims.

"Hello? Alice? Don't you dare go psychotic again… It was your fault that we didn't have anyone to ask for the parcel's location," Leiko remarked, after noticing the dark grin and murderous intentions in her companion.

Alice snapped back in an instant and met the boy's gaze instead of the blonde girl's. In her sudden mind shift, she didn't notice Aeron move between her and Faye Lin. By the time she did, she had lost interest in facing a boy who didn't display a sliver of emotion. Her time was up and she daintily made her retreat.

Faye Lin, who was staying behind Aeron, breathed in relief and clutched the blue scarf closer to her neck. She had eluded death too many times and was now on edge every time she saw any of the assassin trio. She was restless and unable to calm down. It was to the point that her exhaustion was growing unnoticed.

Having fully excused from the spot, Aeron grabbed Faye Lin's wrist and led her to the roof where the Hydreigon was resting. The boy approached it and woke it up. Having been disturbed from its slumber, the dark dragon snapped its eyes open and roared in frustration, scaring the girl, the Snivy and even the Noibat who was hovering nearby. But the next moment, Aeron calmed it down with a calm hand. The Hydreigon lowered its main head and growled submissively.

Faye Lin was surprised how Aeron handled such a fierce-looking pokemon. She wondered if it also belonged to him, but she was unable to inquire when the boy called for her to come closer.

"I can't take you anywhere specific. I'm heading to Nimbasa City in Unova," Aeron explained as he motioned the Hydreigon to lower itself so that the girl could climb on. "According to the map, I'll be passing another place called Castelia City. So I can only drop you off at any of those two cities."

"Castelia City would be perfectly fine," Faye Lin replied, bowing slightly to show her gratitude. She didn't have her sister's address, but she recalled that her mother came from Castelia City, so perhaps, that was the best place to start.

Having gone through her plan once again, she walked up to Aeron and sized up the intimidating dragon beside him. She had never seen a Hydreigon before, but she had read a book on one when she looked up pokemon in Unova. Seeing one in person was just as fascinating as she thought, in a more frightening sense.

"It'll be better if you ride in front," Aeron suggested as he handed the Snivy over to her. "I don't want to catch you falling off if you accidentally fell asleep…"

"Y-Yes, I believe that is best," Faye Lin agreed with a hint of embarrassment, and mounted on the Hydreigon, with the grass snake pokemon now settling comfortably on her lap. It was only then that the young heiress realized that it would be her first time flying on a pokemon. Curiosity and intrigue filled her mind, until Aeron also got on and sat behind her. She flinched and felt her heart thump. Was she just surprised? Or was she just used to staying behind Aeron rather than being in front?

Noir flew down and latched on to his trainer's shoulder. Aeron patted him on the head and made sure he was also secured. Then he moved his arms between Faye Lin and held on to the Hydreigon. "Let's go…"

The three-headed dragon stretched out its triple wing set and took to the darkness of the night. The vessel of nightmares gradually grew smaller as they flew farther and farther away. Above, the sight was breath-taking. Even without the moon, the heavens were alive because of the sparkling myriad of stars streaming across the cosmos. It brought a sense of peace and comfort after the frightening events that occurred throughout the beginning of the night.

Faye Lin gazed upon the beautiful sky, but then shuddered at the cold winds that blew harshly. Unintentionally, she shrank back, slightly bumping unto Aeron's chest. Her heart thumped once again as her eyes moved to catch a glimpse of the boy's face. Under the extreme dimness, she was only able to see his silver eyes, mirroring the color of the stars.

Aeron didn't look at her. His gaze was upfront, towards the direction of Unova, while his mind filled with thoughts of his father. Lord Altair was now looking for him. The boy had caused the man much worry and trouble. His intention was merely to catch even a glimpse of the world outside Semira Isle, and to satisfy an urge to learn about his father. For the past years, he had this unsettling feeling that there was something Lord Altair was not telling him. He never got to ask since he did not know exactly what it is he needed to know.

"Aeron? Have you ever been to Unova?" Faye Lin asked, shifting the boy's out of his thoughts.

"No. It's my first time…"

Faye Lin was taken by surprise, but she managed a smile at the fact Aeron actually responded. "I as well. For as long as I can remember, I have resided in Lumiose City in the Kalos region with my father and friends." Her mind flashed images of her home, her father, the servants and the dazzling city that stretched out into the distance from the view of her window. "How about you? Where do you live?"

Aeron paused and pondered before replying, "It's better for you not to know where it is exactly... Just know that I came from the same place as those three."

Faye Lin flinched and became afraid to ask further, her thoughts, however, continued to flood in with questions and worry. Was Aeron going to grow up to be like them? An assassin? But he doesn't seem like the type. In fact, he seemed against killing people. So… will he be alright? Does he have friends? Parents? Is he treated there nicely? He seems to simply endure anything that he faces? Could he be just hiding his pain? What kind of life does he have there?

Faye Lin's face saddened and she leaned against him, listening to his heart beating steadily as opposed to her own that was thumping loud and erratic. It was the first time she had ever been that close to a boy, especially one she barely knew. She just had this urge to comfort him. Was it pity? Or was it because he was her savior, her black knight.

"Are you cold?" Aeron inquired, looking down at the girl, settled between his arms.

"I am fine…" Faye Lin replied, feeling the wave of comfort began to lull her to sleep. She wrapped her arms around the sleeping Snivy to make sure that it wouldn't fall before she succumbed to the full extent of her exhaustion, and drifted into a deep and peaceful slumber.

Aeron felt the shift of the girl's weight against him, confirming that she had indeed fallen asleep. He too, was tired, having only slept a few hours before departure from Semira Isle and a little just prior to the arrival of the cargo vessel. Judging by the situation, it would be some time before he could earn any rest.

To keep his mind off of his growing exhaustion, he shifted his eyes back to the distance where the dazzling stream of stars met the whispering waves of the dark waters. The world was indeed bigger that he could ever imagine. Lord Tristan said that he'd be back before his father would find out that he's missing. Now, the boy had been gone for more than 24hours and counting. He clicked his tongue, having realized he was tricked. Still, seeing how little he actually knew was in itself a thing of value.

A strong gust blew by and forced the Hydreigon to bank sideways. Aeron's attention quickly focused on his passengers. Reacting swiftly, one hand held on to the dragon while he wrapped his other arm around the girl's waist and laid a hand on hers to ensure the Snivy and the precious package wouldn't be blown away.

The girl's hand was cold, and so was his. Aeron was used to the frigid winds when flying but the air temperatures over the sea at night were on a different level. He almost felt thankful that Lord Tristan lent him the cloak.

Faye Lin stirred and murmured in her sleep as she shivered against the chilly air. The Snivy was also feeling the intense cold. Its frail frame trembled in the girl's hands. Aeron sighed inwardly, unsure what to do with the given circumstances.

Noir, on the other hand, knew what to do. He was eager to lend a hand, or claw. Little by little, the Noibat inched along the boy's arm and positioned himself with wings blanketed across their hands, including the Snivy. Noir's gesture was small, but it was enough to shield most of the cold.

"Good job, Noir," Aeron whispered and rechecked on Faye Lin and the Snivy. Their sleep was more peaceful, thankfully. Looking at them, he too, wanted a bit of shut eye, but was unable to. He looked ahead and wondered if there would be land soon.

What will Unova be like? How big is it compared to Semira Isle? It'll be the first ever region he will set foot on. What are the places there like? What will he see? What will he learn? It was somehow overwhelming. After today's trials, he was going to receive his first reward, an encounter with the world he never really knew.

Takamoto Estate, Kanto

Neo was staying up late. He had just finished going through some documents concerning the family's dealings with another noble family. It was the usual kind of paperwork that he normally went through, so it wasn't that difficult to settle. Only the matter of quantity made the matter extend further into the night.

Gremio, his butler, entered the room and brought him tea to help him relax before he went to bed. When he saw the amount of paper on his desk, he sighed deeply and reminded his charge about his weak health. He suggested that he should turn it for the night and finish it in the morning. As much as he tried to convince him, Neo merely nodded and thanked Gremio for his concern.

The teen watched his butler leave the room before taking a few sips of the tea. It slowly warmed him up and calmed his mind to the point that he was getting sleepy. He placed the teacup back on the saucer and scanned the remaining amount of documents. There wasn't much remaning, but it was pretty late to continue. In the end, he gave in to Gremio's request and tidied up his desk so he could rest.

Among the files, he noticed Faye Lin's letter which arrived sometime in the afternoon. He smiled and neatly opened it with a letter opener. His thoughts recalled the time they spent during her birthday. Gatherings of noble families were common, but that time, he regarded it as special. He enjoyed Faye Lin's company, just as much as she did his.

Dear Neo,

I wish to express my gratitude for attending my fifteenth birthday. Your presence itself was more than enough of a present for me. It was because of you that I enjoyed it, despite the formalities.

On another note, I also wish to inform you, as my dear friend that I will embark on a pokemon journey with my Fennekin, Isis. I am uncertain if you agree to my decision, but please understand that I have been dreaming of this ever since my tenth birthday.

As for my father, he is away on a business trip that will last for two months, so that is the only amount of time I have to make my mark on the world. I shall return before my father's return, and surely, I will be able to attend your coming of age ceremony. I will not miss it. I know how important it is to you.

I shall depart the day after my birthday, therefore, when you read this letter, I shall no longer be in Kalos. I will be taking a ship to Unova in order to find my elder sister, whom I wrote to you about before. I am certain you remember.

I hope to have your support and blessings on my journey. I shall write you again, once I settle down in a city. For now, take care of your health, and thank you once again.

Sincerely,

F.L

End of Chapter 12

The dark parts are partially over. Next stop Unova!

I know Aeron is really dense and emotionless. That's his character... :D
I've fully thought of his backstory which will be revealed as the story goes (duh!)
Most of it is rather dark. lol.

Anyway, Review! And thank you if you do!