Secrets of the Night

DISCLAIMER: I Do NOT own Pokemon!

Chapter 41: Winds of Change

Sedgwick Valley, Semira Isle

It was midday in the vast and mysterious island of Semira. Strong winds howled, pokemon stirred and the grand sun shone intensely in the radiant azure that stretch from one horizon towards the next. It was a day similar to most, if not for the untimely declaration of a certain flaxen-haired visitor.

"The winds are quite favorable." Grandmaster Vindryl breathed in as the long lock of his hair billowed in the breeze. "Certainly fitting... yet I detect a tinge of an ill premonition in the air."

"Tch. You think?" Lord Altair clicked his tongue and grumbled to himself as his stone brown eyes narrowed and panned their surroundings.

They were at Sedgwick Valley, territory of the blade-wielding Saber division. Wooden bleachers and stands were established above the rocky mineral canyons overlooking the winding ravine below as well as the dense jungle and open plains in the distance. Dozens of representatives from each unit made their way to their designated areas, their voices and chatter mixing with their pokemon partners.

It was certainly a buzzing event like they expected. It was not everyday that members from the six divisions meet up and compete in a certain contest. As the two men of the Sky Division stood before their respective seats, a woman approached from behind, a Shaymin perched on her shoulder.

"Everything appears to be falling into place," Lady Amalia, head of the Rosette Division stepped forward in between the two men, drawing their attention with her venomous violet eyes, flowing red hair and elaborate white silk robes, adorned by Butterfree wing accents and flowing sleeves.

"Lia. It is nice of you to have accepted my sudden invitation," Vindryl Aurelius acknowledged the woman with a carefree tone tinted with certain familiarity. "I heard that your daughter is representing your division...?"

"Yes. Rozalia volunteered willingly. Why wouldn't she?" Lady Amalia smiled slyly and curled a scarlet lock behind her ear. "She is capable of handling Haru, our unit's top Tropius, but given the choice of pokemon she is using and our overall lack of expertise in this one-sided contest, I don't expect much."

"This is exactly why I didn't want the six divisions competing against each other. It is obvious who'll emerge the victor," Lord Altair complained with impatience as he crossed his arms and furrowed his brows.

"My, my... Aren't we the confident one?"

The current Sky division leader snapped his head towards the approaching voice and intensified his glare. "Tristan..."

Grinning, the redheaded Black Scythe leader of the infamous assassins took off his white top hat and gave a sweeping bow. "At your service."

"It's been a while,Tristan..." Vindryl Aurelius gave the newest arrival a short nod whilst keeping a neutral grin, his previous light mood seemingly dampened by the presence.

"Vinny-I mean, Vindryl." Lord Tristan shot the older man a grin as he straightened up and re-positioned his hat. "Yes, it has... been a while. I thought you'd have all but forgotten about me. After your dramatic entrance on your Rayquaza. I'd hope that you'd at least drop by the western outskirts."

"Heh. What can I say... Odin has a flair for stormy appearances," the former Sky division leader remarked. "And I did plan to say hello to you. I arranged all this, didn't I?"

"Quite so," Lord Tristan agreed with a mild chuckle. "It has been years since the last sky race. And I had hoped that the Black Scythe division would once again become the champions."

"Hoped?" Lord Altair raised a brow incredulously. "Are you saying that the Black Scythe unit is not competing?"

"Unfortunately..." The redheaded man with the dark round glasses sighed faintly. "My children... have been... busy, nowadays."

Lord Altair eyed Tristan with disgust. He was feeling uneasy about the other man's words, but spoke nothing about it. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the remaining five representatives of the six divisions whom were busy prepping their pokemon for the sky race.

"Let's do our best, Haru!" Rozalia brushed a hand along the Tropius' neck after she secured a rein and harness on the dino's green head. Haru let out determined squeal and raised his head to glance at his fellow competitors. That was when Rozalia caught a glimpse of several familiar faces, the closest was Corbin who had just finished talking to Lord Owen regarding the competition. Smiling broadly, she skipped over to him and beamed loudly, "Hiyah Corbin!'

The dark-skinned boy jolted and scrambled back, distancing a bit before meeting the girl's gaze. "Ah-err... Roz. I-I..."

"Still nervous around girls, aren't you?" Rozalia teased and decided to back off. "Sorry about that. I don't wanna cheat by riling up the competition. I just wanna wish you luck."

"R-Right..." Corbin stammered the word out successfully, slowly catching his breath in the process. Averting his gaze, he tightened his arm gauntlets and readied to mount the Braviary that Lord Owen Ragnor had lent him for the race. Seeing as he was one of the lesser bulk built of the Warrior division, yet still one of the most promising, the leader of the Warrior division chose him to be the representative. Corbin, out of respect for his master, couldn't refuse. He had little knowledge of flying, but he was determined to uphold the honor of his comrades.

Rozalia stepped back and turned the other way to check on two more familiar faces who seemed to be engaged in a loud argument.

"We seem to be crossing paths yet again, Aspie." A brown-haired guy wearing a brown aviator's jacket grinned with delight at the light tan-skinned girl with the messy chocolate locks and snazzy violet jacket. "Destiny is a funny thing."

"Yeeeeah. It's a comedian." Aspen groaned as she rolled her auburn eyes, choosing to ignore the boy next to her and instead keep her attention focused on Ailith, her Skarmory.

"A Sky race. The grandmaster is such a schemer. Lord Altair never lets us have fun like this." Corentin laughed lightly and continued to groom his Staraptor's feather's with a hand brush. "Then again... Becoming the Sky division's representative is no easy task. Since this is my unit's forte, it's expected that we'd win. I was just lucky enough to win the draw against my fellow seniors. Otherwise, I wouldn't be standing her next to you."

"Stand close enough and Ailith might poke you in the eye with her feathers," Aspen warned with a piercing glare.

"C'mon Aspie... That look you're giving me is painful enough." He sighed. "I don't get why you're always being so cold to me. We're childhood friends. And being competitors doesn't change that. I understand that you and Ailith make a great team and you were raised in Fortree City, where the gym leader is an expert on flying-types. That makes you an ideal representative for this event. I respect that."

"Ren..." Aspen glanced at him momentarily.

"Yeah?" Corentin beamed like a wagging Growlithe.

"...Nothing." The brunette turned away, much to Corentin's disappointment.

Rozalia giggled quietly and chose to let the two Luvdiscs sort out their relationship by themselves. Clearly, the redhead knew that there was something going on between them. Whether it was a love-hate thing or that they just want to take things slowly, time will tell.

Glancing at the last remaining competitor present, Rozalia frowned at the unfamiliar blonde girl who was to represent the Gambit division using a Crobat which was now perched on her back like a backpack, its secondary wings sagging on the rocky mineral floor.

"The Black Scythe division doesn't seem to have any intentions of joining," Rozalia concluded to herself. She didn't know if it was a good thing because part of her felt uneasy. Momentarily shrugging off the restless sensation, she cocked a head over to the stands where her mother and the rest of the division leaders were situated. Then she shifted her gaze towards the wooden bleachers, panning the colorful seats filled with people and pokemon. "I wonder how the others are doing..."

Chatter, chirps, cries and squeaks radiated from the growing crowd as they positioned themselves in their designated seats, anticipation and excitement visibly written in their faces, both human and pokemon alike.

Walking up the stairway located at the corner of the stands, a ocean blue-eyed girl made her way over in silence. Her midnight silk locks gleamed against the vivid morning ambiance, her cerulean highlights glistening like the northern lights at night. Her black lace dress fluttered in the calm breeze. A spitting image of a Gothic Lolita. And like most goths, a surrounding gloomy presence radiated from her, dampening the bright atmosphere and sending cold shivers to nearby onlookers.

"Maya, are you sure about doing this?" A bundle of grayish brown fur and neon blue accents squirmed in the girl's gentle arms as she looked up to meet the girl's face. Whimpering almost inaudibly, the shiny Zorua's timid red eyes met her human partner's gaze. "You don't have to do this."

"It's alright, Lyvette..." Maya whispered softly.

"There is little we could have done anyway," another female voice echoed in their minds. The voice was small and blunt. Lyvette and Maya sent a glance over to the Espurr that walked beside them. Freya was getting better at telepathy, given the teachings that Lyvette provided and the fact that Espurrs were pure psychic pokemon.

The trio finally made their way towards their respective seats situated at the corner just as they were spotted by a sandy-haired boy with light blue eyes. Hurriedly, he bounded over to the three and flashed an enthusiastic grin. "G'd morning, Maya~!" He greeted in a sing-song voice. Then he glanced over to the two dark furred pokemon sitting at either side of the girl. "Hello to you too, Lyvie, Freya."

"It's Lyvette!" The shiny Zorua growled lowly, the mental message only purposely reaching Maya and Freya's thoughts.

Maya placed a gentle hand on her partner, calming her down before nudging her close to her lap. Having settled her Zorua, Maya eyed the hyperactive boy with a blank expression. "...Do I know you?"

Kirian's expression faltered and his mood hit rock-bottom at the question. After all the things that happened after he gave away Faye Lin's Espurr, he still couldn't get the girl to remember his name. It was a huge blow, but being the kind of hard-headed person that he was, he sucked it in and bounced back. Frantically, Kirian composed himself and smiled as best as he could. "We're in the same junior class. It's me Kirian!" He motioned to himself before a light sensation crawled from his shoulder, reminding him about a certain yellow mini arachnid. "This here's Brain, my partner." The boy jabbed a thumb at his Joltik's direction. Brain grinned underneath the fuzz and raised a limb to say hi.

Maya simply blinked and turned her attention upfront, completely uninterested at the individual who was only trying to be friendly.

Kirian picked up the cold shoulder and grimaced. Surprisingly, he sat beside her anyway, ignoring the shiny Zorua's glare and the overall negative vibe that Maya was emitting. The boy fidgeted his fingers nervously, optimistically thinking of ways to break the ice between them. That was when he recalled Freya. Casting an eager glance at the Espurr at the opposite side of Maya, he grinned brightly.

Freya noticed his gaze and stared at him intensely in a manner that wasn't unusual among Espurrs. She was merely curious of the boy's look but it seemed like she was creeping Kirian out because he averted his eyes and gazed upfront. Shrugging it off, Freya sighed inwardly and caught a glimpse of a grey blur behind the boy.

It was that male Espurr she met last time. Touya.

Touya leaned forward and raised a paw, implying that he too had recognized her. The two locked gazes for a few moments before diverting their attention to the event that was soon to start. The act was unnoticed by their respective caretakers but Lyvette saw through them and smiled secretly.

A long sigh. Lord Tristan sat in his seat restlessly while the rest of the heads who were present acknowledged the arrival of Lord Owenn Ragnor from the Warrior division. With that, all were now accounted for. Other than former Sky leader Vindyl, four heads were present and two decided to be a no show. As Lady Amalia, Lord Owen and Grandmaster Vindryl conversed, the redhead suddenly caught a glimpse of a certain individual. A sly grin streaked across his face. He stood up, promptly excused himself and left.

He found it odd. Altair Zenith eyed the man suspiciously and intended to follow, but before he could learn what his intentions for leaving were, Vindryl Aurelius placed a hand on his shoulder, snapping his attention towards his predecessor who grinned brightly in an attempt to lighten the sour look that the current Sky division leader was giving. As expected, it didn't work. After glaring at his predecessor, Altair glanced over his shoulder and lost sight of the redhead assassin master. Groaning lowly, he shoved back the uneasiness that was nagging him and sat back down in fuming silence.

Aeron scanned the bleachers and eyed the area intended for the Sky division. It was high up and filled with a mix of seniors and juniors, along with their winged pokemon. Cocking a quick glance over his shoulder, Aeron saw Faye Lin smiling eagerly at the stands with her Togepi squealing in her arms. His gaze softened slightly as he pondered whether or not he would let her go up there on her own or stay with her, anticipating the possibility of rumors if they were found out to be close. Aeron could handle the taunting and hateful stares directed at him, but he didn't want Faye Lin to go through that.

"Aeron. There you are..." A familiar voice called, sending a foreboding vibe at the boy's direction.

Aeron and Faye Lin turned towards the approaching individual and came face to face with Tristan Fenikkusu, the infamous leader of the Black Scythe division. The redheaded man in the grey vest smiled warmly at them, but the boy raised an arm protectively in front of the girl who backed away on cue but was confused nonetheless.

Lord Tristan chuckled and took a step back to show that he had no intentions of touching the little bird that Aeron seemed to have taken quite an interest in. Looking at the two and meeting the girl personally for the first time, was quite an opportunity for him. A grin curved on his face as he gazed at the duo who were like night and day; Aeron, with his midnight locks, silver moon eyes, and enigmatic presence and Faye Lin with her sky blue eyes, golden sun-like hair and her bright disposition.

Aeron saw him back off and lowered his arm in return. He bowed slightly just to acknowledge the man's position and proceeded to address him. "Is there something you need, Lord Tristan?"

Faye Lin blinked at the mention of the honorific and quickly bowed her head. Once she straightened herself up, she met the gaze of the redhead and felt an ominous vibe radiating from him. Gathering her composure, Faye Lin put on a calm front and stood quietly behind Aeron.

"I wish to have a word... Alone," was Lord Tristan's reply.

Aeron gave a hesitant nod and turned to Faye Lin who seemed worried for him. Although she didn't express it openly, it was written in her eyes. The ocean blue azures that she had were too sincere to completely hide her emotions. Aeron whistled for his Noibat who had been scanning the bleachers since they arrived.

Noir flew down obediently and saw the leader of the Black Scythe Assassins. Snarling, he perched himself on Aeron's back and glared over the boy's shoulders. The man didn't flinch, simply waving off the little purple bat with a smile. It annoyed him. Usually Noir would be more patient but his nerves have been working overtime since his rival appeared in the form of a green and blue dragon with an annoying attachment to his partner.

Aeron plucked his partner off and calmly released him in the air. The Noibat started hovering as he directed his full attention to the boy. "Noir, you take Faye Lin ahead. I'll catch up."

Faye Lin and Noir exchanged looks and hesitated, but Aeron placed a reassuring hand on the blonde girl's forearm, calming her down enough that she nodded in agreement. She stepped back and began to make her way up with Noir flying in front of her as a guide. Faye Lin stopped midway up the stairs and met Aeron's gaze once again. The boy nodded and she smiled sincerely, finally proceeding to her place in the bleachers.

Once out of sight, Aeron turned his attention to Lord Tristan who was chuckling to himself. "I assume she's the girl that I've been hearing so much about. She seems... promising."

"What do you want?" Aeron demanded in a stern tone that almost resembled Lord Altair's. The fact that it did greatly amused the redhead instead of threatening him.

"I have a proposition, care to listen?" Lord Tristan offered as he rubbed the base of his chin with a couple of his fingers.

"If I may, I wish to point out that I'm not under you. You have no authority over me," answered Aeron with a tinge of more respect in contrast to his previous statement. Still, it was evident that he held a hint of animosity towards the leader of the Black Scythe division.

Lord Tristan chuckled. "Are you really that angry at my position? Or are you just covering the fact that daddy grounded you?"

The raven-haired teen glared at the man but it only served to amuse the assassin further.

"I apologize if that was out of line. But... Would you at least listen to what I have to say first?"

Faye Lin strode along the aisles, casting curious glances from side to side. There were so many pokemon and people around. She felt invigorated. It wasn't like those stuffy and quiet events that she was used to. There was thrill in the air as well as a sense of the unexpected. No masks. No fronts. Just plain excitement for the event. Contented with the sights, she restrained an eager giggle and climbed further up the bleachers.

*bam*

A person suddenly bumped into her, almost toppling her down the steps that she was walking up on. Fortunately, Noir flew behind her and pushed her up in time. Then the person who bumped into her grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Faye Lin breathed in relief and made sure Aegis was safe in her arms before she turned towards the individual whom she realized had familiar spiky sandy-brown hair and lace agate-like eyes.

"Faye Lin! I'm sorry! I didn't see you!" Kirian panicked, dreading the outcome if Aeron knew that he almost got the girl hurt.

'Kirian. It's a pleasure to see you again." Faye Lin greeted in delight. Her heart was still pounding but seeing a familiar face in the crowd was enough to set aside the accident and put a radiant smile on her face.

Kirian blushed and scratched his head in embarrassment at the formal accent. "Y-Yeah. It's great to see you too. I didn't think I'd run into you, well literally. I was just buying some snacks from the back."

Suddenly, Noir peered over Faye Lin's shoulder and squeaked at the sight of his human partner's best friend.

Kirian met the bat's golden eyes but instead of a friendly smile to greet the Noibat, a wave of dread washed his face. He gulped and cautiously looked in every direction. "Uhm... Is Ae-Aeron around?"

Faye Lin shook her head with a frown. "He told us to go on ahead. Lord..." She tried to recall the name. "Lord Tristan requested to speak with him."

Kirian winced and fear swiftly etched his features. He stared at the confused girl and muttered the name, "T-Tristan? You mean Lord Tristan of Black Scythe unit?"

Flinching momentarily, Faye Lin recalled the name of the division specializing in assassination. The Black Scythe division. It rung in her thoughts as the vision of their insignia flickered in her memories. The symbol was sewn unto a black billowing cloak with glistening silver thread. And the person who wore it turned his head towards her. Aeron. Her blood ran cold and she snapped her head towards the foot of the bleachers where she last saw Aeron. Dread was filling her to the brim. She knew what she had to do. She had to get back to him.

"He'll be fine," Kirian spoke reassuringly before Faye Lin could take a step down the stairs. He met her worried gaze and he countered with a 'it's-gonna-be-okay look of his own. Although he, himself, felt like he was lying, he knew that he had to make sure that Faye Lin was safe. Aeron could take care of himself even without help. Lord Tristan wouldn't do anything dangerous in Semira anyway. Kirian just wished that Noir was with him.

"The Sky race will begin shortly. Please everyone take your seats and settle down," Grandmaster Vindryl's voice boomed through the speakers.

Just then, five large translucent screens tinted in five different shades, suspended in mid-air, appeared before the stands. It was a Light Screen move initiated by a variety of psychic types positioned in various places of the course. On cue, each plane blinked and displayed a live close-up feed of the racers at the starting line. Cheers from each division burst from the seats at the sight of their representatives. On the blue and green screens, Corentin and Rozalia, respectively, waved at their supporters while the rest didn't bat an eye at the onlookers.

Sensing that their time for chatting was up, Faye Lin and Kirian exchanged looks and bid each other goodbye. Their divisions were separated so the couldn't sit in the same spot. Faye Lin's area was at the upper left corner, while, Kirian's division was assigned to the bottom right corner. It was a real disappointment for the two, seeing as they were looking forward to supporting Rozalia in the race.

Faye Lin finally found a vacant seat for herself as well as Aeron. It was along the aisle, making it convenient for her to see if Aeron was approaching. She took a peek but so far, saw no sign of a silver-eyed boy with raven hair. Disappointed and partly worried, she diverted her eyes to Aegis who looked up, meeting her gaze before squealing with glee. Noir was circling above them but he soon flew down to sit on Aeron's spot in order to guard it.

"I wonder what is keeping him..." Faye Lin murmured to herself, her blue eyes shifting to the starting line and then back to the gradually emptying stairs.

"Will all competitors line up now~!" Grandmaster Vindryl announced with an eager tone in his voice. "The race is about to begin! Now, I will remind all racers about the route once again. First it will be through the winding canyons of Sedgwick Valley. No one is to fly above the terrain. Once caught, you will be disqualified. Then the next obstacle will be through Trickster's Labyrinth. Fair warning of the towering ruins and the many random fumes that may erupt from the misty woodland. By this time, you may use any of your pokemon's attack and ability to defend yourself. Attacking another competitor is forbidden. Then finally, it is a straight flight to the finish across the Battle Plains of Callan. The first flyer to reach the coliseum and fly through the ring will be declared the winner."

The crowds began to grow even more restless with anticipation and excitement. Faye Lin, though, was still worried for the absence of Aeron. Taking a deep breath, she told herself that Aeron would come soon. She just had to be patient. To distract herself, her eyes fell and gradually focused on the five-six flyers.

Just as soon as everyone was settled to begin, a shadowy form dove in out nowhere and landed on the spot intended for the Black Scythe division. And instantly, murmurs erupted from the stands.

Even the headmasters of Semira stared at the new and unexpected addition with surprise. Altair Zenith shot a glare at Tristan who arrived shortly a few minutes ago. The redhead explained that he changed his mind and that it would be a waste not to enter. He made last minute preparations and enlisted his representative. The current Sky division leader knew something was amiss, but there was no time to complain. He scoffed and backed down.

Lady Amalia smirked and attempted to reassure his fellow Semira head. As expected, it was a failure. Sighing, she shifted her gaze over to Vindryl Aurelius who was standing behind the podium, unusually stunned. Cautiously, she followed his gaze and ended up staring at the Black Scythe representative.

Promptly, the sixth Light Screen materialized in a light violet hue, displaying a better view of the latest flyer.

There was nothing wrong from what Lady Amalia could see, other than the fact that the person was wearing a pitch-black hooded cloak and the pokemon being ridden was not one of the usual flying mounts used by the Black Scythe division. It was Shiny Flygon.

"Aeron!?" Faye Lin gasped breathlessly. The hooded individual didn't show his face but the pokemon was without a doubt, Zircon, Aeron's Flygon. Disbelieving, she ran down the bleachers, Noir quickly flying in pursuit. In her rush, Faye Lin almost tripped midway, but managed to regain her footing and continued to race down.

Meanwhile, Vindryl Aurelius regained his composure. He cleared his throat and began, "Flyers! On your mark!"

The race was about to begin. Each flyer was mounted on their winged pokemon, focus and determination radiated from their forms.

"Get set..!"

"Wait!" Faye Lin exclaimed but she was too late.

"GO~!"

The signal was given and the crowd erupted into cheers and roars. The racers took off in a powerful burst of wind, leaving behind a massive cloud of dust, a worried blonde girl, a quiet Togepi and a confused purple bat to watch from the base of the stands.

"W-Why?" Faye Lin gripped the wooden railing and hurried to the opposite end of the aisle, hoping to catch a better look of Zircon zooming through the narrow ravine.

*bam*

"Ah-I apologize! I-" Faye Lin accidentally bumped into another person but thankfully, no one was knocked down. Catching her breath, she turned to the person she bumped into. It was a girl, a little taller than her, probably not that older either. Her hair was black as midnight and her eyes were as blue as sapphires, mirroring the shades that tinted her ebony locks. For a moment, time seemed to cease. Her breath was caught in her throat and her heart skipped a beat. She stared back at the person before her. The surreality of it all was beyond what she had expected. "M-Maya?"

End of Chapter 41

Sorry for the month long wait. My muses decided to take a vacation from drawing and writing and decided to make me addicted to reading.
Even now, I'm still lost in the sea of fics. Also, I've been reading a lot of suspense so this is why I think I ended up in a massive cliffhanger.
What can I say? Lol.

I expected the reviews to reach 170 on the 40th chapter marker, sadly, I was one short. No worries~
I had my vengeance with this. Mwahahahah~! XD

Dunno when I can get back to my art for the other OCs. I may not be able to really incorporate them in the story but at least I could try and provide the character art. Hehehe.

Read and Review~! Thanks for everyone's support.