Flareon Light woke up to something shaking him. He rubbed his eyes.
Sky Shaymin Ariel stood at his bedside. Light stirred awake from cold nerves vibrating through his head.
"Ariel," Light exclaimed, "uhm, h-hi."
"Hey," she said, "it's time."
Light pushed himself up, and the covers over his body.
"I put the clothes on the couch," Ariel said. "We're about five minutes away."
Light glanced out the round window on the other side of the bed. It was pitch black on a starry night.
"Wait," Light said, "I thought we got there tomorrow."
"It'll be tomorrow soon," Ariel said, smiling. "Just barely. That's why we went to bed so extra early."
"I didn't realize we'd arrive at night."
"Everyone is else is pretty excited and ready to go."
Light stretched and wiggled the covers off of his back. He started to pull his flattened fur out and made himself look neat.
"There's a little ceremony," Ariel said.
"Ceremony?" Light asked.
"When you walk to the edge of the deck, I'll give you a short bow and you'll follow me down. Then we'll just get some food and come back."
"Okay, I understand... But, how are we going to explain how I look?"
"All they know is what they saw on the stream, which wasn't really a close look. You choose what you want to say or not. Just remember there are cameras and just a few reporters."
Light hopped off of his bed and dressed up while Ariel went back and stood by the doorway. The white, silk robe felt smooth against his skin. To keep the long sleeves off the ground, he stood up and walked on his back legs. He folded his paws together, and they lined up. His head zipped around looking for the red tie to go around his waist. His eyes stopped on Ariel when he saw her swinging it in a loop. More awake, he realized she was wearing the white cape .
"Cm'here..." Ariel said with a smug voice.
Light stalked forward while she stretched out the band. She reached around him and pulled it tight. He somehow stacked up shorter than her standing on his back legs while she was on all four limbs.
Light's eyes followed her eyes while her hands moved. They moved slightly as she went, giving them a sparkle from the dim light outside.
"Wait," Light realized, "it's nighttime. People will see you in Sky-Forme."
"Well," Ariel whispered, "for some reason, I'm feeling a little more confident. I mean. I have you as my boyfriend and all..."
Ariel made a finishing pull to tighten it. Right after, she reached behind her and put on his white star earring.
"I was born this way," Ariel said, "so there's nothing to be ashamed about. Right?"
"Yah," Light said. "I mean, of course."
"And people will talk about you way more without a doubt, so I'll get off easy. So, let's get up there."
Light blinked and smiled a bit when Ariel put something on his head. Light reached up and felt the crown of white orchids connected by vines woven together.
"What do I need to bring?" Light asked.
"Nothing," Ariel shrugged, "it'll just be fun. If you're ready for that."
Light released a tight breath and nodded.
The hallways fell eerily quiet, but Light followed Ariel through them without much issue. When they got up the spiral ramp to the plaza, the chandelier shone over an empty area with tables set up and a few white plates still on them.
Light followed her up the ramp to the large, wooden double doors leading to the front deck.
Countless other ships surrounded them, and all of them were smaller. A few boat horns yelled over the sound of the water slapping against the sides of the boats.
Light could make out the city past all of the sails. All of the building's tops were curved except for the tall cement buildings. Wooden pathways floated over the water to the different buildings with artistic red.
On deck, everyone formed a small huddle. Light hadn't talked to them too much, but their excited smiles showed him traces of their excitement. Ariel closed the door behind them and leaned close to Light's ear.
"Alright, we're about to park," Ariel said, "you're going to hang back while Chad talks, and then we're just going to walk down and just hang out. Relax."
"They don't know who you are, right?" Light asked.
"Chad put out on social media I'd be wearing a white cape. But it-"
Ariel was cut off by the sound of something flying into the air making a woosh. A popping sound followed. White sparkles flew into the air over the buildings followed by more fireworks.
The sudden yelling sound made Light cringe.
"Ariel?" Light asked.
Light couldn't hear her, but read her asking "what" on her lips.
"How many people are there!?" Light asked in a loud voice.
"Don't worry about it."
The ship slowed to a stop. The others on deck gathered around Slowking Chad while the white ramp leading down to the ground was lowered off of the side.
Chad stepped up to the edge. Light wasn't close enough to see past over the ship's hull, but he heard a reaction while he waved and went down.
After Chad walked down, Emolga Alisha followed with the rest in tow. Ariel stayed back in front of Light. The breeze coming in from the sea made Light's earring smack against his forehead a few times while they waited.
Once Dewgong Nathan went last, Ariel walked forward. Light followed. He stayed behind her to avoid being seen yet.
Ariel's cape danced in the wind when she stepped up to the edge of the ramp. The crowd's cheers boomed. Light could feel the sound like rocks in his ears and covered them for a few seconds until it calmed down.
Ariel looked back at him with the reflections of the night sky in her eyes. She held out her paw with her palm up. Light reached for it with his palm turned down. He continued to walk forward and hold her paw when he came to her side.
Flareon Light barely saw the cobblestone roads. There were so many pokemon of different species that he couldn't process it all at once. Cement stoppers held the crowd back in a short area below, but only created a sliver of free space.
The screams slammed into Light's ears. He took calculated steps down the ramp one by one. He glanced at Ariel multiple times until he started to stare when he noticed a sly grin.
Before he could ask what she was thinking, Sky Shaymin Ariel swept him off his feet and picked him up in her arms. His body squished from him tensing up and bringing his limbs to his chest protectively.
Ariel did a little spin and made Light latch his arms under her shoulders. A few people in the crowd whistled. It felt like he had enough nervous energy to fumble and sprint back, but he clutched tightly and brought his huge gray tail around him to hide instead. His scorching face drew tears out of his eyes.
After she trudged down the ramp, Ariel set him down on the ground. With Ariel still being the safest landmark around, he only barely unfurled his arms with his forehead in front of her chest. Ariel took his arms from around her back and held his paw with a firm grip.
"Not going anywhere," Ariel said.
The firm pressure in his paw gave Light his focus back. The muscles around his mouth relaxed. He took a small glance around as Ariel's large white ears moved away from the sides of his head and gave him a better view.
Chad gazed at him with a relaxed smile. Fireworks still lit up the night sky, and everyone behind the barriers cheered for him. A small handful of people he didn't recognize also stood in the sectioned off area with them, but they all watched from the sidelines.
"Why don't we go talk to one of those reporters?" Ariel suggested.
"Okay," Light said.
Ariel walked on three legs with Light, still holding his paw. The pressure and her leading kept his nerves in check , despite going for a walk towards a row of people he didn't know. A male Mawile holding a camera and a female Krokorok with a microphone walked forward to meet them.
"Hello," Krokorok greeted. "Mei Huan from the national evening news. Can we get a few words?"
"Yes," Ariel answered. Light just nodded, silently thanking her for a tougher grip.
"What is your name?"
"Light," Flareon said.
"Alright. Now Light," Mei said, "we've noticed your general appearance is, uh, unique," she laughed and glanced at the camera. She used them to lift the mood. "There are already half a dozen theories going on. Do you have any comment?"
Light thought of how much to explain and how to explain it. If he didn't say any reason, it'd just make him look suspicious. Being honest was better.
"I was trapped on its back for a long time end evolved for some reason," Light said. "I, uh, may have picked up some of its DNA..."
Light glanced at Ariel's face. She had a surprised, curious reaction, but didn't seem to overreact.
"But you are generally operating well despite all of these unknowns?" Mei asked.
"Yah," Light said.
"Do you have any comments on what should be done with any sighting or encounter with Glass Reshiram?"
"The first thing is ensuring your own safety," Ariel said. "Don't approach it. Find shelter and a hiding place and inform the authorities immediately."
"Alright," Mei said, "thank you for your time and enjoy yourselves tonight."
"Thanks."
Ariel turned around and walked Light back over. He glanced over his shoulder back at the reporters while they started to put away some of their equipment.
"Where are we going now?" Light asked.
"A restaurant invited us to dinner," Ariel said, "we're taking a carriage there. Just a few people will walk past our table and introduce themselves."
Light took notice of the carriages past the barriers. He wasn't sure if they were there before, but the groups were already starting to file into the backs of them. Ariel guided him to a wooden carriage that appeared identical to the others. The walls of the carriage were painted red and had art of animals in different places. After taking a few glances, Light noticed that this carriage was the only one with a white flag on a short pole on top.
Ariel let go of his paw and pulled open the doors for Light. He nodded and hopped inside.
Unlike any other carriage he had been in, the floor was covered with a soft brown carpet. Two white cushions were set up for them side by side. Ariel came in behind them and closed the doors.
Light took a seat, and Ariel followed and sat next to him.
"Hey," Light said, "uhm, why..."
"Yeah?" Ariel asked.
"It all feels... Uhm, fast. With... you. I uhm..."
"Yeah..."
Ariel leaned close to him. Her legs draped off on carpet in front of his vision. He looked away to the other end of the carriage.
"I, uhm, like you," Light said quietly. "I'm just, nervous. I don't know anything..."
"Well," Ariel whispered, "I like you, you like me... You know how it is."
"It's, uhm..."
"I know things about you. Favorite flowers are white orchids. Inspiration is Robin Hood. Favorite color is blue. You love plain cheese pizza."
"That's all basic," Light whined. "I'm not like you. I don't have any exes or stuff like that."
Ariel shifted closer to him. She wrapped her strong arms around his gray mane. He looked even further in the other direction.
"You're acrobatic, but you're kind of embarrassed about it. You like attention. You're so sweet it's a little overkill. You tense your mouth weirdly, but I'm starting to get, like, the pattern on what those faces mean."
Light stifled a snicker, but he had a gut feeling she noticed.
"Yeah," Ariel said. "I really didn't mean to pressure you into anything."
The carriage started to move. The initial bump made Ariel's weight shift and threw them off balance.
Light fell on his side while Ariel had both her arms on the ground around him to keep herself up. His eyes went under the shadow of her ears that draped around his head. As the carriage continued, he was paralyzed under her smug smile.
"Might've done that on purpose," Ariel whispered.
Ariel curved her legs and moved her paws onto his wrists and sleeves. Light wiggled his back against the carpet to put the rush of adrenaline somewhere.
"So... Do you think I'm pretty?" Ariel asked.
The whole room waved from side to side when Sky Shaymin Ariel told Flareon Light the ride was ending. Because of his energy, his fur waved around like a wildfire. Swirls of color flew in and out of his vision.
Ariel gently shook his side as they sat side by side, but didn't get a response.
"Light?" Ariel asked. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"Mhm."
"I'm not burned if you're worried about it."
Light replayed the memory in his head another time. Ariel only grazed his face when his fur had literal sparks start flying off. He still had small white streaks of energy bouncing between different parts of his body, and his white fur glowed enough to hurt his own eyes.
Light's brain still glitched out ten minutes later. He was just barely able to hear the small crowds outside. Painless lightning caused his limbs and face to twitch at random.
"Sorry," Light mumbled.
"Mmmm, I should apologize," Ariel decided. "I probably should've taken the hint…"
"It's okay..."
The silence fell back down in the carriage. Light glanced at her again, and his white fur flashed a vibrant white.
"Sooo... You were named Light after your fur?" Ariel asked.
"Yah," Light said. "Even before, it's always done this stuff."
"And it was pure white before too? Like, not the shiny gene."
"Yah."
"And you had different colored eyes back then too, right?"
"Yah...?"
"Had you tried to evolve before all of this?"
"Well," Light said, "into a Sylveon. And then a Flareon before all of this. Neither worked."
"It doesn't seem right," Ariel said. "From what you're telling me, it sounds like you even resembled Reshiram before all of this."
Light didn't respond and just looked down a little. His fur started to calm down with no more sparks or random flips in his fur. Silence fell again. Light didn't have anything to say, but his eyes were pushed away from Ariel.
"Why don't you clean up your fur and we can open up the doors?" Ariel suggested. "Interact with some of your fans."
"Well, okay," Light said.
Light brushed over his fur with his arms and tugged on the white silk robe to get it balanced. Once he finished, he glanced at Ariel and earned her nod of approval. They both stood up, and Ariel reached the door first and slid out a short metal pole from the door handles.
Ariel pulled the doors in and revealed the outside. Streamers were connected between buildings with white stars and Lao Shen's red and white flag of long snake-like dragon next to each other. A few small species on top of the streamers and on the sides of the buildings waved down at them among round lanterns hanging down.
On the streets, shouts rang out right next to him. A few of the flags they waved fanned his face. Ariel went and stood next to him with her side touching his.
Constant flashes came from cameras. Pokemon followed the carriage just below him.
"White Star!"
Light's eyes stopped on a Delphox carrying an egg in her arms. She came close to the back of the carriage.
"Please bless my baby!" Delphox pleaded.
Light was lucky to know what she meant. He cradled the egg in his hands and gave it a light kiss. It was a common tradition for celebrities to be asked to do. He gently handed the egg back to the Delphox.
"Bless your heart," Delphox said.
Light watched the Delphox fade back when a young Ledian flew up to the side of the carriage.
"Hey, White Star," he said, "what's up with your eyes?"
"I, uhm, was born this way," Light said.
"Sweet!"
An older Vaporeon heaved to catch up to the carriage. A Machop helped her to keep up without straining.
"White Star?" she asked.
"H-hi," Light said.
"You remind me of my husband," Vaporeon said, "he wore this. Please, take it with you."
Vaporeon gave Light a small box. He nodded and took it, and slid it back in the carriage.
"Read it when you can."
Vaporeon slowed down and started to fade off into the crowd. Light nodded towards her. Taking her spot, a Pichu who looked like he was a toddler strolled up.
He didn't speak, but Light accepted a single white orchid he carried in his paws and smiled at him. Pichu went off to the side with a Raichu frantically grabbing his arm and flashing a thankful smile and wave.
"I don't feel like I did anything," Light muttered.
"Why?" Ariel asked. "We didn't tell them anything. People saw you in the live-stream, and that's it."
"I just did what anyone should do... And I didn't even do that without your help."
"It's really hard listening to you say stuff like that."
Sky Shaymin Ariel's ear furled under Light's chin.
"You did the right thing when people needed you to," Ariel said. "You earned their trust."
"They don't understand a lot about me," Light said.
"Maybe. But I hope you'll let me understand."
A Skiploom floated into the edge of the carriage and dropped a tiny black box. Light caught it in both paws and looked back up at her.
"Bless your heart!" Skiploom called.
Light watched for a short moment as Skiploom floated away around the lamps. Ariel's face leaned close to his while he opened it.
Inside, a brilliant white ring shone against his eyes. Its slightly darker tone stood out against his paw. Underneath, a small paper rested with a jewelry store's information on it.
Light wordlessly put the ring on his middle finger and rotated his paw observing it. It's shine and weight were comforting.
"Bless my heart?" Light questioned aloud.
"What Chad said to you during the live-stream," Ariel explained. "They're giving you good wishes in a way."
"Oh."
Light waved at a few more of them walking along. After a few whistles, he started to cringe and back up.
Ariel closed the doors. Light gave a small sigh of relief. His face felt a little sore from holding his smile so much, so he put a paw and rubbed it. He retreated back to the cushion to sit down, and Ariel followed and continued to sit next to him.
"What is this restaurant we're heading to?" Light asked.
"The name's hard for me to pronounce," Ariel said. "But they have dumplings and pizza, so it literally can't go wrong."
"It can with the people..."
"They're introducing themselves to you. They should be the ones worried about it going wrong with you."
"But you said they're all celebrities."
"Not as famous as you."
Ariel nudged Light in the shoulder. Her small giggle translated into a smile on his face.
"Okay," he said. "Sure, I guess…"
The carriage ride only lasted a few more minutes. Eventually, the carriage stopped in place for much longer than usual. Ariel stood up and opened the doors for them.
The ocean and starry night sky were visible when Ariel stepped to the side. A Croconaw stood on the dirt below.
"Greetings, White Star," she said, "right this way."
Ariel stepped down first and flourished her arm. She held it up while taking a short bow with her other arm bent behind her back. Light took her paw, and she shifted to help him down. All of the other carriages had parked neatly in a row behind theirs. Lights from the nearby building let him see the nearby rocky slopes to the shoreline.
The building itself had a white wall on the outside with a red curved roof. The entrance they walked to had a set of open silver glass doors outlined by a red sign above and velvet patterned carpet below. Its crisp golden walls on the inside sparkled from the light of chandeliers made up of glass cylinders and prisms.
No one was at the short front desk, but Croconaw led them further inside. They went through a few red archways before she presented them to a long table with a white tablecloth close to the wall. On the other side was a clear view of the ocean out on a small porch overlooking the rocks.
Light went to the side of the wall and scooched to the side on the red cushioned seat. Ariel floated over and landed right on his side.
"We'll be having a steady stream of guests until your food is ready," Croconaw said, "but we'll give you time to decide what you'd like before we bring people in."
"Thank you," Ariel said, "but I think we know what we'd like to order, right?"
Light nodded to her.
"We'll just take an order of xiaolongbao and a cheese pizza to start with."
"Alright," Croconaw said, "we'll bring out your first guest then."
Once she left, Light looked up at Ariel's face. She glanced back.
"What?" Ariel asked.
"What's, uhm, xia..."
"Dumplings."
"Oh," Light said.
Ariel put her paws together and raised them to the sky. She groaned and smiled as she stretched her back. When she released, she wrapped an arm around Light's back. His back muscles tensed. His head dipped down a little lower.
An Arcanine walked by to where they were sitting; one as tall and muscular as his species could probably get. His fur was simple and short, and he had a plain face with a plain expression on it. Light felt embarrassed at just a glance of how much stronger he looked. The Arcanine sat down across from them on a velvet cushion that was just barely large enough
"Hello, White Star," Arcanine greeted. "My name is Zhen Hong. I'm a former Olympian and competitor in Lao Shen's arenas."
"Hi," Light said. Ariel's grip around his back tightened.
"I reached out to you about the Wilderbeast style of fighting," Zhen said. "I'd like to join the Wayfarer Guild and offer you physical and mental instruction."
"Y-yes," Light said. "Yah. I was just wondering about what... The Wilderbeast style you mean is."
"It's an ancient style inspired by wild animals. It deals with confidence and more primal feelings."
Zhen's eyes turned just barely to Ariel's.
"Of course," Zhen said, "I would not be instructing you on the whole of combat given that you already have a teacher in the famous Valkyrie. I would only be teaching you in reference to this style if you find my offer agreeable."
"Yes," Light muttered, "uhm, it's... agreeable."
"You have many other visitors," Zhen said, smiling. "We'll have plenty of time to talk. And I look forward to it. Have a good night."
Arcanine Zhen stood up and trudged away. Light felt a shadow of the vibrations in the floor as he walked.
"What's wrong?" Ariel asked.
"He looked so much stronger than me," Light whispered, "it's embarrassing."
"Remember what Robin said. Your worth is from what you can do."
"I know..." Light huffed.
A Boltund sat down before Light realized he was coming. His eyes jumped up, then he swallowed.
"Hello, White Star," he said, "I'm just here as a representative of Lao Shen's government."
"Hi," Light said.
"I'll keep it brief for you. Just like Kaigan, Lao Shen cannot offer any soldiers to your cause because of the nature of an international force, unless said soldiers personally choose to abandon their status. So similar to Kaigan, you'll find your allies in bounty hunters and strong civilians."
Boltund looked between Light and Ariel. He sensed a small spark.
"More can be said in the meeting with Empress Chingyang. Enjoy your night."
Boltund stood up and gave a quick nod of approval. Light noticed he had tattoos of dragons on his sides.
"When you fought Glass Reshiram on that live-stream, it looked right out of a fairy tale," Ariel said quietly. "Nations definitely like you."
"It feels weird," Light said.
"Lots of cultures have ideas about what heroes should be... And, well, self-sacrifice pretty much gets all of them. It's not just about that, though. Supporting you is good advertising."
"It feels very weird... How famous am I?"
"Legend has it that you invented the light bulb in a past life," Ariel said in a deep, mysterious voice.
"I feel like I'm not registering it... Like, it hasn't hit me."
"That ring you're wearing is worth enough to buy a small house."
Light held up his paw. He couldn't even believe he had it on his paw, so much so that he had no reaction to it.
A trail of high-pitch voices jolted his ears. A Servine, Fletchinder, and Sandslash in white robes like his. Eyeliner extended down their eyes and faded away. Sandslash had dozens of gold bracelets while the Servine and Fletchinder had dozens of rings on Servine's fingers and Fletchinder's talons. They all sat down giggling with each other in a row.
"Hi, Liiiiight," Servine said.
Her tone of voice sounded fake. Light shriveled up away from them.
"We're Liqin, Qui, and Xifeng," Sandslash said. She pointed to herself, Servine, and then Fletchinder. "We model and act."
"They're acting, alright," Ariel whispered.
Light was the only one able to hear over their giggles. His tail flipped as he pushed down his smile.
"Could we take a selfie with you?" Fletchinder asked.
Light nodded.
Servine extended a vine wrapped around a small phone. They all went to the side of the table and sat on the cushion with the Servine holding the phone up above their heads. Light gave a small smile that stayed on his face after they finished.
"Our time is up way too fast already," Sandslash said, "but hopefully we'll hear from you on social media sometime. We'd love to model with you. We never expected a hero would be so beautiful."
"Okay..." Light said. "Uhm, nice meeting you."
Light watched them walk off to the side. They were replaced by a Drizzile with a black shirt with two bones drawn on it overlapping each other diagonally. He let his legs give way over the cushion and plopped across from them.
"Hey," Drizzile said, "My name's Kenta Yamuichi. I'm called a pop star. Was around the area and really wanted to meet you."
"Hi," Light said. "Nice to meet you too."
Light wasn't sure if it was his drawn out speech, but he seemed nice. Kenta somehow looked at him without making direct eye contact. Every movement he made was as smooth as butter.
"This is a pretty sweet crib," Kenta said. "I wanna ask why you did it. Put yourself on the line to try and protect that town."
"Well..." Light said, "no one else was around to. And I guess... The ideal person would."
"The ideal person, huh... I guess you understand things about life that I don't."
Drizzile Kenta glanced to his left and his right towards nothing in particular. When he looked back, he made eye contact with Light.
"I'm no fighter at all, but I want to join your Guild. I'm tired of the world being behind a screen and not being sure when someone asks if I'm doing good in it."
"Well," Ariel said, "if you have no experience, there will be a need for some training."
"I'll start myself off tonight and stuff," Kenta said, "well, you've got one more guest, and he looks pretty important."
Kenta stood up and turned, but stopped himself and gave them a last look.
"By the way," Kenta said, "you two are dating... right?"
"Yeah," Ariel said with a light smile.
"Should check out Valentine street another time. It's fun and chill, just make sure you hold onto him good. Those salesmen are aggro."
Something bothered Light about the wording, but he couldn't figure out what it was.
"Yah, we'll be careful with each other," Light said.
"Uhhh huh," Kenta chuckled, "she's got her arm around you, my dude... But man, you're lucky."
Kenta walked back to the side further into the building. Light glanced up at Ariel and then back away as her ears and arm curled around his face.
"You know," Ariel said, "it's perfectly okay to like the facts that I'm older and bigger than you."
Light's fur puffed up when she playfully strangled him with her arm for a short second. A small sighed erupted from his throat.
"Do you want to go there later?" Ariel asked. "It'll be fun."
Light's nervous energy went straight to his head.
"Only if you actually hold on," he mumbled. "It was pretty crowded back there."
Light looked in the other direction away from her face, so he didn't read her reaction. He put his paws on his arm when she wrapped them around his gray mane.
He lost a breath as she pressed into his cheek with her lips. He recovered it when he heard footsteps out of his line of sight. He gently pushed her off smiling before a Gallade came into view. He gave a polite nod and sat down with crossed legs on the cushion. He looked much more formal and clean than Light had seen someone look in a long time.
"Greetings, White Star," Gallade said.
"Hi," Light mumbled.
"I'm just here today representing the WPO, World Peace Organization. As we have done with some Guilds in the past, we are offering monetary and moral support for your bounty hunt on Glass Reshiram. We're also the organizers of the now largest bounty in the world, which has been supported by numerous countries around the world."
Gallade put his hand on the table and stood up.
"I won't take any more of your time," Gallade said. "The WPO is only a phone number away at all times for any questions or kinds of conversation. Thank you for your service."
Light just gave him a nod not knowing what to say. Gallade returned it, then walked back in the same direction. A few minutes later, relief came from the thought that it might have been over when he heard another pair of footsteps. A shiny long top of a black top hat bobbed up and down as it moved to the table.
Manaphy Jewel jumped on the table. She adjusted a monocle around her right eye and tapped a tiny black cane on the table's surface.
"Greetings, White Star," Jewel said, "I would like to procure some of your fur for further study at my prestigious institution."
"She uses your sweet fur to keep the cat from killing her," Ariel said.
Ariel used her paw and mowed down Light's back. He purred. His gray tail waved back and forth. She reached out and passed a clump of gray and white fur to Jewel.
"You know," Jewel said, taking the fur, "usually I'm grossed out by couples. Thanks."
"Where are you guys, anyways?" Ariel asked.
"Oh, we're just at another table. Chillin'."
"Are Robin and Nadia good?"
"Yeah. Why?" Jewel asked. "Want them to come over?"
"Well, as long as they're good."
"They are. I think our food's coming soon, so I'll see you later."
Jewel held her tophat on her head as she hopped down. Light leaned back to his part of the cushion and looked around awkwardly. A minute of a short, comfortable silence passed staring out towards the sea.
After hearing a noise, Light noticed the Mienfoo Robin come up to them from the side. She wore a plain red gown with white rims around the sleeves and edges.
"Hey Ariel," Robin said, "Chad wanted to ask you something."
"Oh, sure."
Ariel bounded over the table. She walked elegantly past Robin, giving a small nod and friendly smile before continuing. Robin walked over to him with a more serious face than he was expecting.
"Light," Robin said, "I should tell you something."
Robin sat down and leaned in close. Light copied her lean while she glanced over her shoulder back where Ariel went.
"You dating Ariel is fine," Robin said in a low voice.
"O-oh," Light blinked. "Uhm, okay..."
"But try and make her slow down. I don't know why she's being so… aggro. I've been her friend for a while, and she's nice. She just feels kind of weird lately."
A chill ran up Flareon Light's spine. He pushed his lips together.
"Will you?" Robin asked.
"Uh, yah. Of course."
Different anxieties left Robin's face. She stood up when she heard footsteps with a small smile on her face. She started to walk back while Ariel passed her.
Light couldn't help but stare a little when Ariel floated over the table and sat down back next to him. He wasn't able to tell how she thought of him most of the time. He could technically cheat, but that wouldn't be right. He had to pay more attention, starting with thinking back if anything stood out.
"When you fought Glass Reshiram on that live-stream, it looked right out of a fairy tale."
"I'd like to date you exclusively from now on," Ariel said. "If it's alright with you."
"Uhm, we've only, uhm, known each other for a few days," Light muttered.
Light started to overthink everything. After their food came, Ariel ordered more since it was smaller than they expected. She occasionally offered food from her plate while they quietly continued as Light mulled over his thoughts. He wasn't sure what the problem could be with it yet, but it just made him more worried.
When they finished, Light just stared out towards the sea for a few minutes. Ariel eventually spoke staring straight ahead.
"You know," Ariel said, "you've been looking better. Since you, uh, started eating more."
"Better how?" Light asked.
"A little bit floofier. Poofier. Your fur looks brighter too, somehow."
"Am I getting fat?"
"What?" Ariel squeaked. "No. Of course not."
"Then what do you mean poofier?" Light asked.
"Like, more stuff on your limbs and stuff."
"Like... fat?"
"Everyone needs fat."
"But that means I'm getting fatter," Light said.
"No," Ariel said, turning to him. "You know what? No. You're not getting fatter, you're getting healthier."
Light's straight face fell apart when she grabbed and pulled him close. His whole body shook while she curved her paws over his. His gray tail fell behind her back.
"Hey," Light said, "fat is fat."
"Mhm."
Light let out a happy yelp through his teeth when she snuggled against his chin. He felt her nose take a deep breath near his gray mane.
"Hey," Light mumbled, "I'm not ice cream."
"Sweet and fatty," Ariel laughed.
"Hey, Light."
The grizzly, deep voice snapped Light's attention back to his surroundings. Slowking Chad was looking at him with a calm, reminiscent smile. He squeezed Ariel's paw to get her attention, and she pulled up her head.
"Oh," Ariel said. "Uh-uh, hi."
"Hey," Chad said. "We're heading back if you two are ready."
"Right. Yeah."
Light didn't go to sleep as early as the others, so he was already halfway asleep on the way back. He rested in Sky Shaymin Ariel's arms with his head sitting on her arm. His closed eyes were shaded by her ears while she rubbed his back in small circles. He didn't realize when the carriage stopped until Ariel shook him enough to wake him up for another minute.
Light stumbled on the ground. Ariel just picked him up to get him back up the ramp and then walked with him back below deck to his room.
Once his door opened, Light took off what he was wearing, stumbled to his bed, and pulled the covers over himself. The door shut behind him.
A crisp, spring wind rolled over his covers.