Chapter 3: A Bond With a Bisharp

Welcome back! This chapter is the shortest yet, but it was probably the most fun to write too. I love the ideas I came up with here and hopefully this chapter might have a familiar character... Either way, don't let me keep you here reading these silly notes. Sit back, snuggle up with your resident Eevee and enjoy the newest chapter of A Light In The Darkness!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, just my OCs.

Star's PoV

I did just as Xanthor had said- didn't stop running until I felt safe, which was at the point where the sounds of battle had faded behind me and I was too exhausted to keep up the pace. I fell to the ground, panting heavily as I spent a few minutes catching my breath and trying to calm down. The morning had been so terrifying and strange, a far cry from what I was used to. But it hadn't all been bad; I'd made what I hoped was a friend and learned that the treasure I had was a piece of a legendary amulet. Honestly it sounded more like the stories I used to love reading, except the hero was usually a little braver… and less helpless… I sighed and pulled the stone out of my fur again to look at. Xanthor seemed to think that the Eterna Stone possessed an incredibly powerful ability, but truly I wasn't sure I wanted that responsibility. "W-Why couldn't it j-just be a… a shiny stone…" I murmured to myself, stowing it away again and getting to my paws.

Armonia. That's where he had told me to go. If the city really was as guarded as he claimed then it sounded perfect. My pursuers had been highly persistent over the years but it surely didn't matter if they knew where I was so long as they couldn't reach me. Hopefully then they'd finally leave me alone. Being safe and secure had just been a dream for so long though that I still felt sceptical about the whole thing. Nonetheless Armonia was my best shot, whether I believed it or not.

As I walked through the forest it seemed serene and peaceful, filled with everyday chatter of bugs and birds that lived here, but I couldn't relax. What happened to Xanthor? I wondered. I really hoped he'd survived the attack, but a pack of feral Pokemon was not a joke at all, even if he did know how to fight. But he figured we'd meet again so clearly he hadn't intended to make a last stand. I shook my head and tried to focus on the scenery around me. I did not need to spend the whole journey worrying about things, especially if it would take a while.

The rest of the day passed surprisingly uneventfully, to my pleasant surprise, and I spent a few hours huddling inside an old hollowed tree trunk once night fell, eventually managing some uneasy sleep. But as usual, my dreams were anything but peaceful and normal…

My eyes snapped open and I looked around quickly. I knew straight away that I was dreaming, because the forest was nowhere around me. I was on a mountain range, high up one of its peaks, to the point where I couldn't even see where the ground was at the bottom. With a gulp, I decided reluctantly that I was probably meant to head further up. Presumably the summit held something of importance, so I set off through the snow. For a dream though, this sure felt real. The wind bit deep even through my thick fur, and I shivered in the freezing air. Something told me it wasn't wise to waste time, so I moved faster, scampering through the drifts of snow as quickly as I could manage.

It didn't take long before I reached the top, in fact it was far quicker than I expected. What I discovered was not what I could ever have expected though: a clearly Pokemon-made ice tunnel had been carved into the rock and led down deep into the mountain. Other than that I couldn't see anything else unique at the summit, and seeing as how I was so cold I decided this was my best shot. With a quick prayer to Arceus, tentatively stepped over to the tunnel- really more like a slide- and hoped something horrible wouldn't be awaiting me. And with that, I jumped into the tunnel and squeezed my eyes closed as I went hurtling down into the mountain itself.

Somewhat surprisingly I did not die when I reached the bottom, nor was anyone waiting to ambush me either. I'd landed in some kind of snowy clearing, and I realised I was actually inside the mountain now. A huge part of it was hollow and hiding… well, I didn't know exactly what it was hiding yet but I didn't seem to have any choice other than venturing forwards. This dream didn't seem like it was about to end after all! As I moved through the snow I realised this was a sign others were here a lot- the snow was freshly trod like a path, but not from a single set of paws. Which meant that there was almost certainly something waiting for me ahead… I shivered, and not just from the cold, as I pressed on, whispering to myself to try and stay calm. "I-It's just a d-dream, n-nothing can h-hurt you…" Somehow I wasn't convinced about that though. This was no normal dream.

Eventually I reached a bend in the path and crouched against the wall to peek around the corner. What I saw was a pair of large stone towers with a thick metal gate nestled between them. The stone was a rather dark and bleak colour but it was clearly designed for security- it was obvious it was thick and reinforced, and one particular word came to mind. "Fortress," I murmured aloud, looking at the gate in particular. It had a guard, a shiny Bisharp stood in front of it, tall and unmoving, eyes alert and cautious. The other two guards I could see were in the towers to either side, probably able to summon help in but a moment. That was likely where I was supposed to go, but the thought of trying terrified me. The guards did not look like they would hesitate to forcefully bar me from entering. So how to get past the Bisharp? Wait- "What happened?!" I gasped, for when my eyes found the gate again there was nobody in front of it now.

"That's a question I'd like an answer to as well," spoke a voice behind me, and I stiffened. I knew exactly who that was without even turning, but I ever so slowly moved myself around to face the Pokemon, its blade already levelled at my throat. My legs felt like jelly and my whole body filled with fear, its cold grip pulling on my limbs. "Ummm… I-I d-don't mean a-any h-harm," I squeaked, bringing my paws up to cover my face in terror. Could I actually die here, even though it was a dream? That wasn't a question I wanted an answer to any time soon! "Whether or not I do depends on your reason for sneaking around here. Explain yourself," the Bisharp demanded in a level but firm voice. His blades didn't so much as waver, but I tried not to think about those sharp implements inches away from my throat.

"I d-don't know w-why I'm h-here! I-It's n-not my f-fault, I s-swear," I stammered, for I knew he wouldn't believe it if I told him this was all just a dream. The Bisharp shook his head and his gaze hardened. "If you value your life you'll tell me the truth. Do not try to lie to me," he commanded, and I sensed he was fully willing to silence me if I didn't cooperate. "I-I promise I'm n-not l-lying! I-I went t-to s-sleep i-in a f-forest and w-when I opened m-my eyes I w-was on t-this mountain. I a-accidentally s-stumbled upon y-your h-home. Y-You have t-to b-believe m-me!" I begged desperately. The truth was the only thing that could save me now.

The Bisharp regarded me silently for a few moments before relaxing his arm. "So be it," he said quietly. And then he stepped forwards quicker than I could react and sliced his blade straight through my neck. I screamed and reeled back in… wait- where was the pain? I looked down at the blade firmly embedded in my neck, except it didn't seem like it was. I took a step back and it was like the blade was never touching me. I looked up at the Bisharp who seemed just as confused as me. He slowly brought his blade close to me again and I instinctively shrunk backwards away from it. "Calm yourself, Eevee," he said, stepping forward slowly and pushing his blade deep into my chest. Once again I felt nothing, and when he moved his blade back there was no resistance. No blood on his weapon, no horrible gash in my flesh. No sign anything had happened.

He fell silent again for nearly a minute, looking down at the floor in thought as I stood awkwardly before him, trying to process what exactly was going on. Eventually he snapped his head up to look at me once more. "Oracle."

I tilted my head slightly and gave him a strange look. "W-What did you say?"

"You're an oracle. Aren't you," he said, louder this time.

I shook my head slowly. "I-I'm just a n-normal E-Eevee."

"If that were true you would be dead now. But I cannot touch you," the Bisharp said, putting out a hand and waving it through my head to prove his point. He lowered his head towards me and stared very carefully into my face. "Are you absolutely certain you don't know what's happening here?"

I gulped and met his gaze with fearful eyes, and shook my head again. "I-I have n-no idea w-why I'm h-here or what's h-happening t-to me," I said shakily.

Eventually he must have believed me because he nodded and straightened up, stepping back. "Then you must be an oracle of sorts. I come from an organisation that believes very strongly in fate and the otherworldly. In our culture, an oracle is someone that appears to deliver a warning or prophecy in times of great need. Sometimes it can be a vision, sometimes it is just a simple premonition, often in a dream. This is clearly the former, as I am not asleep," he explained, looking at me to make sure I understood. It sounded very confusing but what he said didn't seem completely unbelievable; it was clear something beyond my understanding was going on here, and his reasoning was a possibility. "Then… w-what am I s-supposed t-to tell you? I-I didn't m-mean to come here, a-and I never knew I-I was an o-oracle," I asked helplessly, lowering my head.

It was several moments before the Bisharp replied, and I almost thought he had no answer for me at all until he finally spoke again. "You must have done something to cause this. What have you been up to today?" he asked thoughtfully. I considered for a minute, thinking through what had happened. It had been a pretty long and unusual day for me; meeting Xanthor, my narrow run-in with the feral pack, finding the stone- that had to be it! The stone! "Umm… t-there might b-be one thing a-actually," I started, reaching into my neck ruff and producing my stone. When his eyes landed on it they widened and he reached out to grab it before remembering it was just a vision. "Where in the world did you find that? The Organisation has been looking for it for decades!" he gasped.

"Umm… o-organisation? I-Is that what y-you're part of?" I asked, confused.

He stiffened at the question, and then nodded. "We have long searched for the Eterna Stone, among other artefacts. We hold ourselves responsible as the guardians of such things, as instructed by the divine gods themselves," he explained.

Before I had a chance to comment he narrowed his eyes and pointed at my chest. I looked down and gave a squeak of alarm, for my whole body had started to flicker. "W-What's h-happening to me?!" I asked quickly, feeling a sense of panic start to creep in. "Calm yourself. You will soon return to your normal body, which means we don't have much time. You must tell me where you are, or I may not be able to find you for some time," the Bisharp commanded. I had managed to relax somewhat while we had been talking, but now I felt anxious again. He surely wanted my piece of the Eterna Stone, yet after meeting Xanthor I had the strong feeling I shouldn't give it to anyone. The Bisharp must have sensed my indecision because he spoke again, more firmly; "Eevee, tell me where you are so I may retrieve what rightfully belongs to the Organisation!"

Despite the fact that he couldn't hurt me, I still took a shaky step back, clutching the stone tightly in my paws. "Y-You can't h-have t-this! I-I can't l-let anyone e-else have i-it. Xanthor t-told me t-to hold o-on to the s-stone," I managed to stammer, taking another step back. He glared at me and stepped forwards, raising his blades threateningly. "If you make me find you myself-" he started, but I would never get to know how his threat ended because at that moment the whole world went black…

My eyes snapped open yet again and I shot up immediately, then screamed as my head slammed into the top of the tree hollow I'd gone to sleep in. I fell back, clutching the top of my head until the ringing in my ears vanished and the world stopped looking like a kaleidoscope. And then my little adventure came back to me. I reached a paw up to touch my face and that was all the proof I needed. My fur was dusted with snow. Which meant the vision really had happened. The world started spinning again and I had to lay down for a minute while I processed this fact. All that had happened in the last couple of days would barely have sounded believable to anyone else. Only the weight in my neck ruff confirmed to me that I really did have a magic stone!

With thoughts of the stone coming to mind, I recalled Xanthor's instructions. The sooner I reached Armonia, the sooner I'd be safe from my pursuers and the weight of the world that seemed to be adamant on crushing my body. And despite the fact that my mind had been for a little wintry adventure, my body felt like it had gotten some rest, so I got to my feet again- carefully this time- and peeked my head out of the trunk. There were all the usual nighttime sounds I'd grown used to in my time on the run, but nothing sounded too loud or out of place. "I h-have to k-keep m-moving as fast a-as I can. I-I have to t-trust Xanthor," I murmured, more to give myself confidence than for any other reason. And so with that firmly in mind, I set off through the forest, heading in the same direction as earlier. Hopefully by the time morning came I could find my way out and be closer to Armonia.