Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the characters
Black's sharp hearing allowed him to hear the soft whimpering of a girl. He shouldn't be happy at someone else's pain but the prospect of being free to fly once again was too much. He didn't think much of the consequences before he began to transform into his demi-dragon form.
He stomped his foot on the ground and used the momentum to propel him forward. People screamed at the wind his wings created when he flew by but he didn't mind them. He knew he would be moving too fast for anyone to see him, much less catch him, so he wasn't worried about hunters noticing him. He left a trail of black flames as he flew through the village looking for that crying girl he heard.
He stopped in front of a theater where the sound of crying was loudest. Even before he stopped, he transformed back into his human form, folding his wings into his body. Trying not to draw attention to himself, he searched the area for anyone crying and his eyes landed on a little girl beside a well.
"I knew this would be easy!" Black grinned to himself and knelt next to the five year old girl when it dawned on him. How did one comfort a little girl? His first thought was to bribe her with sweets and searched his pockets for one. He often brought little snacks with him for his travels.
"Don't cry, little girl!" He thrust the taffy under her nose and she stared at him in shock before crying even louder. Confused, he searched for more candy but no matter how much he gave her, she continued to cry.
"There, there now. Don't be sad," another voice said behind him and a woman knelt next to her. She didn't seem to be related to the girl but comforted her by giving the little girl a gentle pat. She came so quietly that he hadn't sensed her. Her focus was on the little girl as she took out a stuffed bear from her bag and made it dance in front of her. "Tell Mr. Bear why you're crying little girl."
"I lost my ball." She was calmer now and pointed to the well. "I dropped it down there and I can never get it back now!"
"I'm on it!" Black jumped onto the edge of the well and before the woman could tell him to stop, he dived in. She ran to the edge just as he flew back up and they came face to face. They both blushed and she took a sharp step back. How had he climb back up the well so quickly? His pulled himself away from the moment and went to pass the ball to the little girl who smiled happily.
"Thank you, sir! I'm so happy that you-"
"I made you happy!" He cried in victory and raced off to Blue to claim his prize, leaving the pair confused since he left so quickly that he seemed to vanish.
"Who was he?" White whispered to herself.
"What do you mean I didn't solve the riddle?" Black gasped as he stood in front of Blue who told him that he failed. She sat in her chair but her air of superiority made it seem like a throne. Her haughty attitude annoyed him as she handed back the note with the riddle to him. "I made that little girl happy like your note told me to!"
"You did make her happy by returning her ball," Blue agreed. "But that's only half of the riddle. Until you solve the other half, you can't get your heart back. Now off with you, Little Dragon."
Black clenched his hand at the teasing nickname. He was only a halfblooded dragon but one day he would become the champion of dragons. The only thing he needed was to be able to fully transform. The reason he came to Blue was because she told him she could train him and make him a full fledge dragon. While she did train him well, he still couldn't transform into a dragon any more than he could in the past.
"I'm going to find my heart and become the dragon champion!" Black declared and ran from the room. He was always on the move, thinking that if he was idle for a minute life might pass him by. He would continue to look for a way to become stronger but there was a limit to his power without his heart. So he needed to find another person to make smile.
With that in mind, he returned to the village. He couldn't hear anyone crying but that wouldn't stop him. He had to make someone happy and that could also mean bringing someone more laughter. But he wasn't an entertainer and he couldn't perform any tricks. He could control fire but hunters would suspect of being a dragon and kill him.
So what could he do? He couldn't wonder around the town until his week was up.
His ears twitched when he heard laughter. It sounded so freeing and joyous that he followed it across the town. What the laughter brought him to was that same theater as before. It looked old and run down but the bright laughter drew him into it. How could he create joy like this theater was doing? Maybe someone inside could teach him how to make others smile and help him find his heart.
The show seemed to be ending as he entered because the performers were bowing. He recognized the woman standing on the edge of the stage, directing some of the performers to prepare for the next performance. She was the woman that he met earlier! If anyone could help him, it was her. Without thinking, he ran forward. "Miss, I have a question for you!"
"Huh?" White turned to him and was shocked at how quickly he was approaching her. He had such determined eyes but she didn't know what he could want from her. Even though he was rushing to her, she noticed how he took care not to hurt anyone as he did so. But the stage props were another thing. He came dangerously close to knocking over a vase when he jumped onto the stage with one easy leap.
"Be careful please!" White ran forward to greet him, hoping she could calm him down before he broke something. She just started her theater and wouldn't let someone ruin it! He had great control over his power for he stopped just a step from her. She was about to crash into him but he placed his hands on her arms to stop her. He looked at her more closely before grinning.
"I knew you were the one! Will you help me?" He bowed his head respectfully.
"The one? Help you?" White repeated, trying to find the meaning of his words. Black saw her confusion and laughed awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head. He knew he could get a head of himself but always forget to pull himself back in the moment.
"Sorry but I want your help. You see, I'm on a mission to bring happiness to people but I don't know how. If you can make everyone here happy, you must be an expert in bringing people joy!" Black praised her and she couldn't help but feel happy because of his words. She didn't know why he was asking a complete stranger to help him but his eyes never wavered as he pleaded with her.
"Can you wait for my answer after we finish cleaning? It shouldn't be more than half an hour. I need to manage the show before I can even think about hiring another worker." White told him and he nodded energetically. Where he got such energy, she didn't know but it was infectious. She turned back to her theater with renewed pride after gesturing for him to wait backstage.
Black watched her leave, excited that he was one step closer to winning back his heart. With her help, he could make millions smile and Blue couldn't deny him then! But even though his goal was almost completed, he couldn't sit still. He always had difficultly sitting still so went to explore backstage. She did say that she would be back in a half an hour and that gave him plenty of time to explore.
People stared at him with confusion but he only smiled back. It was only natural that they were curious about his presence but as long as they didn't suspect him of being a dragon, he didn't need to worry. The sound of laughter dulled in the background once his eyes landed on a vase. More specifically, the single black flower among the white ones caught his eye.
There was a spell cast on that single flower. He wasn't as skilled in sensing magic as Blue or Green was but he knew the basics. He couldn't tell if it was a charm or a curse and pondered over what he should do. Then he remembered how happy White looked before she left and didn't want to risk her having a cursed item.
He was limited to what he could do without his heart but thought he could burn the item. He made sure no one was watching before he snapped his fingers and whispered, "Ember."
"What are you doing?" He barely createdd the embers to burn the flower when there was a voice behind him. He jumped and various embers sprinkled over the other flower, catching them on fire as well. Panicking, he tried to put out the fire with his hands but only knocked over the vase and the fire he created started to spread.
White's heart stopped at the sight of the fire but only for a moment. She immediately jumped into action and tried to put out the fire but it was growing too quickly. Black was by her side and made sure that no one was looking when he controlled the fire and forced it to ra smaller state.
"Black?" White hands shook when she realized that the fire reacted to his touch. No human could control fire. "What are you?"
"Maybe we should go outside to talk," Black said quietly.
"So you're a dragon." White said under her breath, still in shock because he appeared to be human. She had to sit and think over his true identity. Black could understand her confusion and expected her to refuse to help him.
"Actually I'm only halfblooded." He had the blood of a human and a dragon and he felt the prejudice of that most of his life. Humans feared him and dragons mocked. For the longest time he didn't know how to make either accept him until he heard the tales of the dragon king. It was only a fairy tale but he wanted to become as powerful and respected as that character. To do that he needed become a full fledge dragon and White was his only hope. Now she feared him.
"That's great!" White's cheer surprised him. She jumped to her feet and took both of his hands. "Do you know all the possibilities we have now? Using fire in plays has always been dangerous but if we have a dragon to control it, we don't have to worry as much. Then again I need to test how well you can control it before I plan anything too big. Are you willing to show me what you can do?"
"You're still willing to help me?" Black asked instead of answering.
"Of course," she smiled. It was so genuine and pure that he found himself staring. "Your eyes weren't lying when you said you wanted. What's in your heart is much more important than what is in your blood. I'll keep you in my employment as long as you're a hard worker and together we'll make my theater full of laughter. So do we have a deal?"
White held out her hand to him and he didn't hesitate before taking. "We have a deal! My name's Black, by the way. What's yours?"
"My name's White but you should call me boss to be professional." White instructed him. She might be young but she didn't want her age to affect how people treated her and her theater. People had always told her that opening a theater was a pipe dream but she saw it as a challenge. "The first thing we should do is find out how best to use your abilities."
"I'm super strong and I can help with repairs. And I can fly so if you need anything from the next town, I can get it for you before the day even ends." Black began to list off several things he could do for her. He didn't mind doing small tasks as long as she taught him how to make people smile. "There's almost nothing I can't do!"
"That's all good but I don't know if that's what you really want. You said you wanted to make people smile so doing tasks backstage might not be best." White thought over what role would be best for him. Then she clapped her hands as an idea came to her. "You said that you've been to other cities? Then can you help me advertise there?"
"Okay. I'll leave in the morning and-" He started but she stopped him with a simple correction.
"We'll be leaving. You just came to my theater so you don't know enough about it to be able to promote it. So I'll with. While we're in town, we'll put on a little performance as an advertisement. On the road, I'll teach you parlor tricks and how to attract patrons. And I can have Yellow watch over the theater so this will be the perfect arrangement."
"I don't know if it's safe for you to go outside of this village." Black hesitated to agree with her since he knew how dangerous travelling could be. That was the reason Blue sent him to other villages rather than travel herself. "I'm a dragon and I can fight but you're-"
"I'm a human with a dream. Anyone who wants to get in my way can try. With the number of people I've met while running this theater, I doubt a thief would scare me." White's eyes were serious and Black got the impression that she didn't do anything half heartedly. "So will you join me?"
"Lead the way, Prez."
"Do I have to wear this?" Black groaned as he stepped out of the carriage wearing a dragon costume. White was outside waiting for him, dressed as princess. She had decided the performance they would put on would be of The Playful Dragon since it was short and didn't require many characters.
"You look wonderful." White assured him with a smile. They had already put on a couple performances but he was still unsure about his ability. But her confident smile made him think that they would be able to pull off their next performance together. On the road, she taught him simple things for his performance. He was just glad that the role of the dragon only had a few line.
"Now let put up the sign!" White led him through the foreign town, looking for the best place to put on their street performance. Near the entrance of the market place, there was a free spot and she nodded. Black secured the sign in the ground while White set up the props they would use. Their banner had BW Agency written boldly on it and she always felt proud looking up at it.
White waited for a particularly large group to pass by before starting their performance. The larger the crowd they could gather, the better chance they had to attract more people. With large gestures, she caught the attention of the passing group. "Sit and listen while I tell you the tale of The Playful Dragon. This docile dragon wanted only one thing in his life. Can you guess what it is?"
"Gold! No, power!" The kids among the group stopped to answer. When their voice died down, they looked to Black for the answer. With their eyes on him, he knew that he had to put on a good performance.
"Rawr, I'm a dragon and what I want most is to make a friend." Black made sure to project his voice like White taught him. He made a silly gesture to entertain the kids. "Princess, will you be my friend?"
"But, I don't know." White made a high pitched voice. She addressed the crowd and asked, "Should I be friends with him? I heard that dragons were very scary beasts."
"But I'm not a scary dragon. I don't like to fight. But I like to play and I do tricks. Watch me!" Black began to juggle several balls. The audience watched him in awe as he blew fire onto each ball to make them catch fire. He continued to juggle them and they didn't hurt his hand since the gloves he wore protected them. "See, I'm a playful dragon so please be my friend."
"Well you are rather playful but I also heard that dragons are greedy." White's character shot back and Black took the bag sitting nearby.
"I'll share my food with you since we're going to be friends. Here have some. Everyone in the crowd can take some too!" Black took out a cookie from the bag and fed it to White. She hummed exaggeratedly and it made him happy to see her smile even though he knew that it was part of their performance. The children gathered around him and he let them choose a treat from the bag.
Suddenly, he felt tension around his neck. White gasped for a reason he didn't understand until he touched his neck and felt leather. He tried to pull it off once he recognized that it was the collar Blue would make Gold wear. He looked around the crowd for Blue but couldn't see her before she forced him to transform and his wings ripped through his costume.
"Wait!" He saw the children back away from him. Desperately, he tried to stop his own transformation. He was able to stop it but couldn't fold his wings into his body again. When he looked back to White, he could see that she was trying to think of a way to salvage their performance. He tightened his hand. Blue could play with his dream but he wouldn't let her ruin White's.
"The BW Agency has the best quality costumes! Feel how real this wing is!" Black improvised. He knelt and slowly moved his wing towards the child that appeared the least afraid of him. The child touched it hesitantly and after a few moments, the other children did the same. Then he felt White hug him from behind. "As a special treat, everyone here gets a free dragon ride."
"The BW Agency is a theater that wants to spread joy with the best quality plays. Please come and watch our other plays if you enjoyed our performance today." White leaned down and whispered in his ear. "Thank you."
"So you're really a dragon." White played with his wing and studied them. They were alone in their camp now but he still wasn't able to reverse his transformation. At least the performance wasn't worried and White didn't seem to be afraid of him. In fact, she seemed more curious than anything. "This would be a great reference for the next time we make a dragon costume!"
"Please don't play with my wing anymore." Black suddenly felt self conscious and pulled his wing away from her. Seeing her frown, he moved his wing around her shoulder to keep her warm. "That was my first performance. It was a different experience but it was fun."
"I have something to celebrate your first performance too!" White rummaged through her bag and pulled out a black dahlia. "I was really frustrated this one day then I found this flower. Then I remembered why I started this. It wasn't for the money or the standing ovations. It was to make people smile."
"I think I get how you feel. You're a great person to have a selfless dream." Black complimented. His dream was to become the Dragon Champion and making people smile was a stepping stone to that. But seeing the audience react to his performance, the latter suddenly seemed more appealing than a crown. "Those kids loved it when I flew for them. I don't know how we were able to explain that away."
"We're a great team, aren't we? It really has been fun travelling with you." White smiled but then asked him suddenly. "What are you going to do after I teach you everything I know?"
"I don't know." Black told her honestly and leaned back. "Ever since I was little, I wanted to become a Dragon Champion because I wanted everyone to respect me. But you got everyone to like you by making them smile. I don't want to let go of my dream yet but maybe I can stay with you until I decide. Is that okay?"
"Of course it is. Even if you become the Dragon Champion, I think everything would turn out. I know that dragons would be less feared if people how kind their champion is. No matter what you choose, I know you can make people smile. After all, your heart is full of kindness." She touched his heart and suddenly the dahlia began to glow.
Black felt his blood stir as he stared at the flower between them. A song echoed through the camp and he recognized Blue's spell. Instinctively, he stood and pulled her to her feet as well. She gasped when he suddenly began to transform, black scales covering his body. His hand became a claw and she had to let it go but she didn't fear him. Before know was a large dragon.
"I can transform into a dragon!" Black's voice came out of the large beast and he lowered his head to her. "Want a ride?"
"Of course!" White climbed into his claw, trusting him not to close his hand on her. He lifted her into the sky and they flew together to a future not yet written.
My local theater was putting on Hamlet and after seeing that emotional performance, the first I thought to do after was "Man I'm really in a fluffy agencyshipping mood. Where's that unfinished fanfic?" XD So I dug out the draft I had for Fate and Flowers and finished the agencyshipping chapter in one go… after two years ^-^". Man this was getting so long that I just decided to cut it early XD This doesn't mean I'll be able to finish all the other chapters (it's a miracle I got inspiration back for this at all) but I do have the draft soulsilvershipping and commonershipping half finished.