A/N: Stargazer Chronicles: The Tale Of Robin Hood is now available on Jusmove's profile. Search the writer tab and enter "Jusmove".
Furret Abigail woke up and checked her phone under her blankets. She lifted her sleep mask from over her eyes and reached under her pillow for it. It became a habit awfully fast.
She rubbed her eyes under her covers to get a good look at the screen. She clicked on a notification.
"Good work. Payment's in your account. Sorry about all the drama this time, we're looking into it." - Anne
"i picked out a concert. we're all going tonight. zen cant hog you to himself" - Aaron
"I tried to get us to go alone, I'm sorry." - Zen
"so, like i know this is weird but do i get a date too?" - Gawain
"Hey, could you get beets at the store today? xoxo" - Unknown Number
"Oh, and some lotion." - Unknown Number
"you up for brunch?" - Aaron
"Your computer may or may not have a virus. Give me your credit card number. Now. I'll save you." - Unknown Number
Abigail blinked and rubbed her eyes. She pushed her head and nightcap over her blankets. The light poking through her bed's pale curtains and room's windows stung her eyes. Her ears flattened as she closed them again. A dull pounding in her head annoyed her on her way back to sleep. Just before she did, she managed to reply to Aaron.
"Sure." - Abigail
A knock came on Abigail's door. She shouted back a loud groan and covered her head with her pillow. With her ears covered, the rest of the sound became muffled. She groaned again at the vibrations of more sound leaking through.
"Hey, Abigail?"
Furret Abigail turned her hazel eyes up. Shiny Zorua Aaron's face was right over her head. He stood right next to her athe top of her bed.
"You okay?" he asked. " Sorry to barge in. You didn't answer your door. Thought you got kidnapped by an alien this time. "
"I'm fine," she groaned. "Sorry. What... is it?"
"You said 'sure' to brunch. And left Gawain on read. Pretty much my best timeline."
"Oh… I just forgot to say yes to him."
Abigail pushed her head up. Aaron backed up with his eyes widening. It was weird seeing him react; she wondered what for. She glanced down at her brown nightgown, then back up again.
"Well, anyways… food's all ready." Aaron turned away. "Figured you deserve breakfast in bed after all that impressive use of a pro gamer move yesterday. And if you choose me, you better get used to being spoooilllllled," he sang.
"I don't think you'll like me if I'm spoiled," she said.
"Well, girls like you don't really 'spoil' in the sense that you're thinking about."
Aaron hopped down from the bed and disappeared behind the flourishing pale curtains.
"Oh? What else do you know about 'girls like me'?" Abigail asked.
"That there's a ninety-five percent chance you'll appreciate top quality pancakes."
"Don't you mean 'top tier'?"
"Abigail, will you marry me?"
She laughed under her breath and rubbed her eyes with the ridges of her paws. Aaron hopped back through the curtains at the bottom of the bed. He managed to balance a huge silver tray on top of his head.
"The real humor is how you think I'm kidding," he snickered. "Check this out."
Aaron set down the tray and whipped off the silver top covering. He revealed a tall, wide stack of pancakes with trails of syrup, butter, and whipped cream. They were all golden brown and shined under dim light.
"I cooked these myself," Aaron boasted. "Amazed? Dazzled?"
"Amazzled," she smiled. "Have you brought me fine silverware?"
Aaron flourished his paw. A silver fork appeared out of nowhere in his grip.
"I've already cut it, milady," he said. "Didn't want you to have war flashbacks holding a knife."
"Why, thank you. But how'd you know about the knives?" she asked, taking the fork from him.
"Oh, they aired the footage not too long ago. The Nightlight Council required that they do since, well, reasons. Like things not going according to plan and a flying Scolipede."
"Is anyone mad at me for wrecking that fountain?"
"Oh, no," he shook his head. "They're mad at Anne, which is kinda unfair all things considered. It's just because they don't know who to actually be mad at."
"Why would they be mad at Anne?" she asked.
"Could've would've should've. Yada yada... she'll be okay, though. They weren't that intense about it once they figured out it was out of her hands."
"Does Anne battle?"
"Oh, hell yah," Aaron blurted. "Er, I mean, heck yah. She battles."
"How good is she?" Abigail asked curiously.
"Oh, she's the real deal. Problem is she's super destructive, so she can't be used for missions that much. Blows everything up."
"Oh. Wouldn't have guessed that."
Abigail spun her fork with a piece of pancake on it. She brought it to her mouth and took a bite. She groaned and lowered her head as her taste buds were passed over by a sweet cloud.
"Thanks," Abigail mumbled. "Mm."
"No prob," Aaron said. "So, dumb unrelated question, but has anyone ever nicknamed you, uh... You know... Short for Abigail?"
"You mean Abby?" she asked.
"Uh yah. Anyone call you that?"
"Not since my dad died."
"Ah. Okay."
Silence fell, but a knock on the door broke it.
"Oh, Zen and Gawain are here," Aaron said. "Gawains's pouty cause you accidentally ghosted him."
A twinge of guilt walked through Abigail's chest. "What does pouty Gawain look like?" she asked.
"He looks like he's in a war to stop himself from bursting into tears."
"Oh… Well, damn… It wasn't on purpose."
"He'll live."
Aaron hopped off of the edge of the bed. He walked over to the door and opened it. Abigail couldn't see past the bed curtains, but she didn't feel like getting up to move them aside. She settled for hearing their voices.
"Did you bring the lunch part?" Aaron asked.
"Yah," Zen answered. "Did you bring the breakfast part?"
"Yah, of course. Gawain, did you bring the dessert part?"
"Yup..."
Abigail stayed in place as they bustled about her room for a few seconds. Metal clangs rang in her ears as they set things down.
"Is she awake?" Zen asked quietly.
"A little bit," Aaron said. "She seems pretty tired. How are the tickets looking?"
"I got 'em. It was easy enough. It'll be nice."
Abigail stood up, walked forward, and swept the curtains aside.
Buizel Zen, shiny Zorua Aaron, and Quilava Gawain's eyes clicked on her face. They had set down metal trays on the floor and spread colorful food out. Morning light leaked through her window curtains.
Zen's face turned blank. Aaron noticed and jabbed his leg with his paw.
"Zen, breathe," Aaron said.
Zen sucked in air through his nose and exhaled through his mouth. His eyes fell in his head as he toppled to the floor.
Zen didn't end up staying for brunch. He walked out of the room with a red face and embarrassment tickling the bottoms of his feet. It was still nice, but she missed his energy being in the room. It seemed like Aaron and Gawain were quieter without him.
Furret Abigail, shiny Zorua Aaron, and Quilava Gawain sat in a small circle. Abigail ate from her stack of pancakes, but she had more to eat in between bites. On small, white rectangular plates to the left and right, she had scrambled eggs with cheese and blueberry muffins topped with white, sparkling sugar.
Abigail turned to TV on to play as just background noise, but her ears perked up at her own name. A Numel spoke into a microphone on the screen. Behind her, Abigail recognized the broken down fountain, now encircled surrounded by yellow police type.
"So, coming to us live, Michael Morans with an analysis."
The camera shifted to a Charizard. Abigail's eyes were glued to the screen.
"Isn't that the Charizard that helped me when I was kidnapped?" Abigail asked.
"Yahph," Aaron said swallowing food, "that's him."
"What's he doing?"
"Newscasters call in professionals to analyze combat footage. Prolly volunteered."
"So, Mr. Morans," Numel said. "What do you make of last night's events?"
"For starters, the Lodestar did an incredible job," Michael said. "She used a style that was actually developed by her mother in the end there. It's a pseudo-Wilderbeast style, in fact. I've fought only a handful of other people using this technique, and I lost to them all in my days at the arena. So, naturally, I have a very high opinion of it. I'm more concerned about the people arrested."
"Care to elaborate?" Numel asked.
"They were prepared. The attack the Lodestar faced was too coordinated to be made up on the fly. If I were the Nightlights, I would be scrambling right now to do some drastic changes."
"Like what?"
"Stop using that seventeen-year-old girl to do a lazy job yourself," Michael demanded. "It doesn't matter how strong she is, she was kidnapped and they let it happen."
"Well, sir, precautions have been taken after-"
"Yellow Clan should have been called to protection before, and she shouldn't have been out on one of their 'missions'. Why should Valorian royal guards be forced to sweep over blocks when we pay the Nightlights the taxes that we pay? The Council needs to answer for its failures in finding an Overlord, and for failing to protect what could be their future Queen."
"The Nightlights have scheduled an announcement for about two this afternoon," Numel said. "In the meantime, would you like to go over some details on the battle we saw here?"
"Of course."
"I'm sorry," Aaron said. Abigail turned her head towards him. "I mean, the whole Hannah thing was out of my control, but I could've done… something."
"You couldn't have predicted they'd come up here like that," she reasoned. "If anything, it's the Nightlights' fault. And I really doubt anyone could have prevented Hannah."
"Yah, true that... You know, we should invite Michael and his wife over to the concert tonight.
Abigail's ears perked up. "Yah! That sounds great."
"Good," Aaron smiled. He picked up his phone from next to him on the floor. "I'll just tell him on my social…"
"He seems to know a lot about fighting," Abigail said, glancing back up towards the TV.
"Oh, he does. Was an Olympian in his twenties. Did the gym challenge and everything."
"I don't really know much about the gym challenge."
"You don't follow sports? Thought you would, considering…"
Abigail smiled and turned back down towards her shrinking stack of pancakes. Looking at the fluffy, gold surface made her feel even fuller.
"My mom didn't really like it," she said. "She used to say that battles in the real world weren't glamorous."
"Well, there's plenty difference considering sports are meant to be enjoyed," Aaron said.
"Yah, I know. Just never watched them."
Abigail looked up to Quilava Gawain. His ruby red eyes danced away from her stare. His paw was raised , stuck between picking up his fork with scrambled eggs on it or falling back down at his side.
"You know," Abigail said. "That Eruption attack of yours was pretty intense. You like sports, Gawain?"
"Yah," he breathed, glancing up from the floor.
Abigail lowered and tilted her head. Gawain's face shyed back a few inches. He glanced at Zorua Aaron, who nodded in his direction.
"Want to watch a game sometime?" Gawain asked.
"How does tomorrow sound?" Abigail asked back.
"Uh… good," he gave a stiff nod. "Yah, good."
Furret Abigail felt pretty lazy. Watching TV and taking naps all day started to guilt trip her. She distracted herself from feeling like she should be doing something by taking another nap.
As she laid in bed, she rubbed down the length of her own tail. Her whole body felt just a touch sore enough for her to remember what happened during the mission yesterday. She didn't want them to worry, but the twinge annoyed her to no end. It bothered her enough to keep her from sleeping soundly, so she started to surf her phone instead.
She made her first social media account. It was a common one she heard about called Chatotter, apparently after a really talkative Chatot in some old story. She took a selfie of her face, which looked like a bit of a wreck. She'd seen enough phones to know where to click, and thanks to Aaron's help.
There were topics she could follow. She picked sports and the general news. After scanning her eyes over the list one more time, she noticed the notification bell had the number one next to it.
When she clicked on it, she saw three pokemon had followed her. Shiny Zorua Aaron, Buizel Zen, and Quilava Gawain followed her a few seconds apart. For some reason, they all had a running trend of the same exact angle for their profile pictures. The background color behind their faces were blue, pink, and yellow respectively. All of them were facing the viewer's right.
Her messages tab lit up. It was from Aaron.
"post a selfie."
"Of what?" – Abigail
"curl the sides of your mouth up and show your teeth"
Abigail pressed the button under her phone screen and scrolled to her camera. She lifted the phone over her face and smiled.
After taking the picture, she sent it to Aaron first. He started typing within a few seconds.
"nice"
With his confirmation, Abigail posted it. Her eyes tired from her phone screen, so she turned it off and rested them. She had looked up a few concerts of her own to know what to expect. Strobe lights were a running trend through all of them. The stages, not inside and outside, were always well lit; the crowds: packed. She trusted Zen to pick something calm, but it was still generally the same idea. She'd been invited to go to concerts by her co-workers before back at the restaurant. They were extremely common social events here in the city, so she usually avoided them. However, Zen seemed pretty set on it.
After waking up late, evening fell before she knew it. The sky turned bright yellow as she received a text from Aaron to start getting ready. She took a dip in the water pit, then considered what to wear.
Most pokemon didn't wear much of anything after work hours. Her cape was sort of like a work uniform. She wanted to wear something else.
Abigail ruminated for a short while, then decided to bring an old gray hoodie, custom made for her body type as a Furret. She mostly wore it for the pockets so she could use them for her phone, but concerts were very casual events.
She finished up a few minutes before Aaron would arrive. To waste a few minutes, she read a bit of her book sitting on the edge of her bed to pass the time. When he presumably knocked on her metallic door, she shoved it under the blankets and answered.
Shiny Zorua Aaron, Buzel Zen, and Quilava Gawain all stood side by side in the hallway. They were wearing blue, pink, and yellow hoodies respectively. They all glanced between each other, shooting the same feelings back and forth, then looked back to her.
"Wow, we suck," Zen said, nodding with his arms folded.
"I feel as unique as a filthy casual," Aaron agreed.
Gawain shrugged to himself.
"Well, I think it's neat that we're all matching," she said. "We're like the four musketeers."
"Uh, you mean like the three musketeers…?" Zen asked.
"I thought there were four."
"Our carriage is waiting," Gawain said. "If there's anything you want to get before, we should head out."
"Is there going to be popcorn?" she asked.
"Yah, sure," Aaron said. "Zen will grow the corn himself if it means he gets just a little closer to-"
Zen bonked him on the side of his head. Aaron's reaction was to stop talking, but he kept a blank smile on his face.
"Let's just catch an elevator ride," Zen said. "Takes a little bit when we miss it."
Abigail followed behind them in the hallway. Aaron faded back and walked next to her as their feet pelted the metal floor. He winked up at her. She smiled down in response.
"Elevator will be crowded," Quilava Gawain said, looking to his left at Buizel Zen.
"Not necessarily," Zen replied. "The scientists all like to go out to restaurants around now. Law enforcement, too."
"I thought they'd all be going back to their rooms."
"Well, they don't just work shifts then go to sleep."
"Hey Abigail," Zorua Aaron blurted.
Furret Abigail turned down to him. "Uh, yah?"
"Do you want kettle corn, too?"
"Yah, sure!"
"And you also want… Hmmm. You also want pizza?"
"Yup!"
"See guys?" Aaron gloated. "Making the hard reads."
"Wouldn't she always say yes to pizza, though?" Zen asked with his head turned back.
"Are you calling me fat?"
Zen's body stiffened as they walked. Abigail shared a small smile with Aaron.
"Dang it, Aaron," Zen huffed.
Gawain stepped up as they approached the large, cylindrical doors of the elevator. He reached out to call it, then folded his arms as the others stopped walking behind him. As they stood in silence, Abigail glanced between all of their faces.
Aaron gazed off in the distance towards the doors. Zeen shot between meeting her eyes and not.
"It's nice and warm out tonight," Gawain said. "I actually wanted to go for a walk earlier, but my grandad wasn't really into the idea."
"Yah," Zen sighed. "He seems pretty stressed. Especially after, well, you know."
"I hope it settles down soon."
The elevator doors opened, and faster than Abigail expected. She straightened out her back and hid her paws in her hoodie's pockets on top of the sleek surface of her phone screen.
The Leafeon, Charlotte, was the only other person in the elevator. Her eyes lit up seeing them.
"Oh, hi," she greeted. "Lodestar, Your Majesties. Are you heading out somewhere?"
"A concert," Zen said. "You?"
"Just the little ol' grocery store."
Abigail honed in on her face. It was round, along, with her brown eyes. Her limbs were just a little stubby.
The family resemblance was uncanny. As she walked in, she glanced at her just like she imagined the White Star would have: with her eyes rolling back and forth like butter sliding down the side of a bowl. She wondered to herself if they had told her.
Gawain pushed the button on the wall of the elevator. Its glow started the ride down.
"I don't want to pry," Charlotte said, "but I was wondering if I could ask about that pseudo-Wilderbeast style you used."
"Oh, uh, sure," Abigail said in a high-pitched voice. "What is it?"
"Do you have a sort of latent Wilderbeast gene?"
"Uhm… what does that mean?"
"Well," she said," using myself as an example, I have a latent Wilderbeast gene. So, that means that someone in my family had it, and any other family I have would also have a chance to be a Wilderbeast."
"Members of your family… like?"
"Oh, no," she laughed. "I'm not married. Any children I might have would have a chance to be Wilderbeasts. I was wondering if you were the same."
She didn't know. Abigail glanced towards Zen and Aaron's faces. The only returned eye contact for a brief second.
"I don't know," Abigail said quietly. "My mom never knew any of her family."
"Would you want to be tested to find out?" Charlotte asked. "I could run a blood test if you're curious."
"Yah, sure. That sounds good."
"Are you available later tonight?"
"Yah," she said. "Sure."
"Alright, I'll be in my lab."
Charlotte smiled and nodded back. Staring at the round side of the elevator, Abigail considered hissing her question in one of their ears. She decided to wait and be patient. There wasn't any background noise to hide it in.
The ride down lasted a short minute. When the doors opened again, it was to the lobby on the first floor. Leafeon Charlotte walked out first into the horde of noise and activity.
As night fell, blue light shined from vein-like lights on the floor and ceiling lights. Abigail decided to hold her question for a little bit longer as they walked out of the elevator.
As the doors closed behind them, she sunk her head low to try and keep a low profile. After a few seconds, she realized Zorua Aaron held up an illusion around them as they made their way past the black tables and the screens on top of them. A few paces in front of the sliding glass doors, a carriage sat just outside. Open space laid past it.
Their driver was a familiar Dewott. If Abigail remembered correctly, he was a Valorian royal guard from the Yellow Clan.
She felt comfortably invisible on their way out the door. She didn't even make eye contact with a single person. As the brisk night air hit her face, she used it for a sigh of relief. Aaron hurried his last set of steps to the back of the carriage. He breathed out.
A part of Abigail could barely feel the illusion going down. Zen and Gawain both opened the doors. Since Aaron looked tired, Abigail picked him up and hopped in with him in her arms.
On the outside, the carriage walls were the same tan color with a dark brown roof as any other carriage. On the inside, it was more decked out than any carriage Abigail had been in before.
The front wall was lined with snacks. The cushions were velvet, and setting Aaron down on one, they felt like silk. A TV overlooked all of the snacks, which she'd never seen inside a carriage before.
"Potato chips, galore," Gawain said. "No popcorn, though?"
"Well, like potato chips Abigail?" Zen asked.
"Yah, of course."
"See?"
Gawain shrugged.
Abigail sat down across from Aaron, who silently thanked her with a nod. On his left, Gawain plopped down next to him. On Abigail's left, Zen set himself down on the cushion.
"Hey," Abigail said, "so, uhm… Did anyone tell Charlotte?"
"About what?" Zen asked.
"You know, the White Star. I mean, Light."
"About that," Aaron huffed, "we decided not to say for the moment."
The carriage jolted Abigail as it started moving. Her mouth parted as she took it in.
"Why?" she asked. "He's her nephew," she lowered her head. "They're family."
"Charlotte's only family before was her sister," he said. "It'd drive her mad to know her nephew was out across the ocean, chasing after the currently most dangerous thing in modern history."
"But still…"
"We tried," Zen said. "I mean, we tried to tell her, but I got worried. I mean, what if all we're doing is bringing her grief?"
"Well, speaking from experience," she hissed, "knowing is better."
"Tell her yourself," Aaron suggested. "At that blood test. You can be the one to do it."
Abigail fell quiet. Zen and Gawain nodded as their eyes turned down to the tan floor.
"Let's just have fun tonight," Aaron finished. "I want to see your face when you try salt and vinegar chips."
As if on cue, Buizel Zen stood up and walked over to the pile of snacks. His eyes scanned over them until he picked a white plastic bag of chips. His dark blue eyes held a glint of light as he walked over, popping the bag open and giving it to Abigail.
"Salt and vinegar?" she asked, taking the bag. "What do you mean 'my face'?"
"Try it."
Zen walked back to his cushion and sat back down. As he did, Abigail took out a single, thin potato chip. It felt gritty and strange.
She reacted two seconds after she put it in her mouth. She sucked in her cheeks and held the sides of her head as her ears flattened against the back of it.
Aaron burst out laughing. A camera flash blinded her. Abigail's tail shot around her head to hide her face, but it was too late.
Abigail enjoyed the other potato chips more on the ride. She wasn't used to the tedious stop and go of the city, but Zen and Aaron kept her mind occupied. Gawain sat with his eyes closed for most of the trip.
Aaron kept track on his phone of where they were, so he knew when they reached the last stop. He stood up and pushed open the doors.
The brisk night air filled the carriage as Abigail stood up. She followed behind last as Buizel Zen and Quilava Gawain hopped out to the ground.
Abigail woke up at the sight. An enormous stage lit up, one spotlight at a time. The surface of the stage looked like the night sky, dotted with small, bright stars. The lavender hue overshadowed empty seats of varying sizes. Overhead, yellow lights poured out from windows in tall, ten story or more, concrete buildings.
"Where is everyone?" Abigail asked.
"This is a private showing," Aaron said. "Just some celebs. Michael Morans should be coming, too, so you'll be able to thank him and his wife."
"But how'd you get something like a private concert?"
"We're all loaded."
Abigail turned to Zen and Gawain. They tilted their heads from side to side.
"Isn't Agatha richer than you guys?" she asked.
"Oh, heck yah," Zen said. "It's ridiculous. But, we're royalty, so she agreed to do a concert for free. Free advertising."
"Who's 'she'?"
"A surprise," Aaron hissed, staring down Zen. "Anyways, we're having pizza and popcorn brought in. They'll be here in three minutes. Concert starts in five."
Aaron led the way to the front row. The chairs were about for Abigail's size, so they were a bit oversized for the others. They sat down all the same, not seeming to mind.
Being in the front row seemed strange. Abigail's head was tilted up instead of down to see the stage. Aaron sat on her right, and Zen on her left. Gawain reclined back against the back of his chair left of Zen.
"Miss Lodestar."
Abigail didn't recognize the deep voice behind her. When she turned her head back, she saw a yellow stomach lower down. A Charizard's head took the center of her vision as he sat down. Behind him, a cupful of other pokemon sat down further behind him.
"I can't stay," Michael said, "but I wanted to personally thank you for inviting me. I have some kids at home."
"Oh, thank you!" she smiled. "How old?"
"Between one and eighteen. Me and my wife run an orphanage, and we're busy with a few things tonight. I'd like to return the favor, though. Keep in touch."
"Yah, of course."
Michael stood up. He nodded one last time, then walked away down the path. After Abigail turned her head back towards the stage, she heard his wings stretch and shoot his body into the air.
"I didn't know he ran an orphanage," she remarked.
"Was one himself," Aaron said. "Made him the dream for a lot of people back in the day."
Aaron passed a plate to Abigail with a slice of cheese pizza on it. She whipped her head to her left and noticed Zen hugging a red and white striped basket of popcorn that was a bit bigger than he was.
"When did you guys get that?" she questioned.
"When you were talking with Michael just now," Aaron whispered.
"But I turned away for, like, ten seconds."
"Yah, it was pretty funny."
The lights on the stage dimmed. Every spotlight turned off, with the exception of three more turning on pointing straight down on the stage.
A Lilligant, Pangoro, and Incineroar stood in the center of the lights. They each held microphones near their mouths. All of their heads were bowed, then turned up at the same time.
There wasn't any crowd behind her, so all of their eyes fell on Abigail. She shivered in place and shrunk back as far into the darkness as her chair would let her. It wasn't enough to shake the burst of energy Strangely enough, she recognized all of them.
The Incineroar was Stacy Felicity. She sang lots of smooth country songs. Even people not into country music enjoyed her work, Abigail included. The Pangoro's name was Brittany Atonal, a punk rock specialist.
The Lilligant was nineteen-year-old Esmeralda Sweets: Abigail's secret celebrity crush. She did pop rap with words flying out faster than hurricane winds. She wasn't sure if Aaron knew, but he'd figure it out at this rate.
"Wait," Abigail murmured. "I don't like this."
"Are you ready to step outside of your comfort zone, Abigail?" Aaron asked.
Aaron was smiling. Abigail gaped.
"What did you do? This is a concert, right?"
"Oh, yah," he said casually. "Yah, it's a concert." Aaron turned his eyes to her. Abigail felt them pierce through her chest. "So get up on there and sing."
"You just betrayed me, didn't you…?"
"I caught you singing in the act," he boasted. "Right before you went out on that mission. So I downloaded your playlist and got the singers to come."
"I was taking a bath, dude…" she whined. "That's not a stage."
"They won't start without you. Go."
"What kind of reward is this for doing a pro gamer move?"
"For the record," Zen said, leaning his head in Abigail's direction, "I had no clue."
Abigail's eyes were pulled to the Lilligant's brown eyes. She tried to pull them away, but she kept looking.
"C'mon up here, Lodestar!" she called. "Dance with me!"
Her stomach dropped as she rose to her feet. Their gazes dragged Furret Abigail close to the front edge of the stage. Lilligant Esmeralda stepped forward to the edge and held her leafy arm down to pull her up. Abigail offered her right paw.
She grunted with effort. Abigail hopped a little to give her the boost she needed.
"Oh!" she remarked.
Abigail bumped into her. Her forehead grazed under her chin as she backed away. Abigail's paws flung back inside of her hoodie's pockets. Esmeralda's fragrance hit her nose like she was whacked with a daffodil.
"Oh," she repeated. A sleek smile grew on her face as her eyes rested back down. "Well, hello there…"
"Hi-hi…"
Abigail's mouth was dry. Her voice lingered in the air like a dust cloud. Esmeralda chuckled at it.
"So," she said, "am I a favorite of yours?"
"Uh, something like that…" She twiddled her paws in her hoodie's pockets. "Uh, heard your music."
"A little birdie told me you were singing one of my old classics."
"How generous of him…"
"Here, have a look."
Esmeralda put an arm on Abigail's shoulder and spun her around.
The plaza they were in was surrounded by tall buildings. At the base of them, sliding glass doors led to different kinds of lobbies, all with their lights dimmed or turned off completely. Other than Zen, Aaron, and Gawain, the rows of seats only had a Persian and Pidgeot. There wasn't another pokemon in sight.
She honed in on the Persian. She recognized him from the Royal Parade. He looked like onion potato chips.
"That's Leroy," Esmeralda said, pointing to the Persian. "And that's Emma," she pointed to the Pidgeot. "We're all friends."
Abigail glanced back. Incineroar Stacy and Pangoro Brittany smiled and nodded in her direction.
"See?" she asked. "It's just your friends and mine."
"Uhm… Okay…" she squeaked, turning back around.
Esmeralda's face seemed to glow under the spotlight. Abigail stared at it, mesmerized.
"So, you want to hit some beats?" she asked.
"S-sure."
"Let's start with a classic."
Esmeralda raised her arm in the air. Electronic music started at a familiar beat.
"C'mon, Abigail!" she shouted. "You know this song! Jam out with me! Woo!"
Esmeralda raised her arm and did a little spin. When she finished, the beat dropped.
"She the type a girl that you swerve on, to evade. She looks like she just dug right out of her own grave. If you look up the word 'trouble', you'll see her face on the front page. If you see through the facade, you'll find out her real age. Prolly' got the tickets to a bunch of adult movies, but in front of the boys she acts like sleepin' beauty.
"And you know she brings the product. When she rolls, she ain't without it. Got their sun in her pocket and all the good gossip. Ay!"
The chorus buzzed in Abigail's ears. She stood as stiff as a tree on stage while the Lillilgant swayed back and forth holding the microphone.
"Don't leave me hangin', girl! C'mon!"
Abigail glanced down. Aaron cheered her on with his paws cupped over his mouth. She drew closer to Esmeralda during this chorus, one step at a time. Esmeralda held out the microphone between their faces.
Abigail joined in. She started to smile.
"How you know you see a bad girl? You just know it. Walkin' round' like they own the whole store, cuz' they got it. Yeh, she got her man on speed dial, buyin' up the whole store aisle. Screwin' with boys' brains, makin' em insane. They think she real pretty, don't know she also bitchy. They say she's a peach, but she moonlights as a leech.
"And you know she brings the product. When she rolls, she ain't without it. Got their sun in her pocket and all the good gossip. Ay!"
Abigail's smile widened with Esmeralda's in tandem.
The jam session lasted for thirty or so minutes. After, Incineroar Stacy and Pangoro Brittany excused themselves off of the stage. Zen, Aaron, and Gawain also retreated somewhere further back.
Furret Abigail sat next to Lilligant Esmeralda on the edge of the stage. Abigail asked about where she got the inspiration for her music from, and she listed off people that she had mostly met or seen in school.
"Oh, I love your fur dye, by the way!" Esmeralda blurted. "How'd you come to choosing gold?"
Abigail's attention was brought back to her weird situation. It was a good thing everyone seemed to assume it was dye on their own. Even Abigail herself got used to the color fast.
"Well, I figured it went well with tan," she explained.
"You figured right. It really pops out."
"How long do concerts usually last?"
"Oh, an hour and a half. Maybe longer. It's the life of a party, really, so it lasts a good while."
Esmeralda looked up at the sky, then picked up her phone next to her on the stage floor. "Oh, it's starting to get late. Need to get back home soon."
"Yah, I think I should catch up on sleep, too."
"It was really nice meeting you, Lodestar. I'll be able to stay longer at some other concerts if you want to come."
"Yah, for sure!"
As Esmeralda pushed herself off and walked towards the back seats, Buizel Zen, Quilava Gawain, and Zorua Aaron came back. They passed her nods as they passed by.
Aaron had a boastful smile. He hopped up next to her.
"So," Aaron said, "you did like it, right?"
Abigail laughed under her breath. "Thanks, Aaron."
"You're going to have to thank me again," Aaron said. "Recorded the whole thing and did not post it on the internet. It's just for you."
Aaron held out Abigail's phone. She recognized it from the compass rose on the back of the phone cover. She felt in the pockets of her hoodie first.
"You dropped it getting up," he explained. "Figured you might be amazzled if I recorded it for you."
Abigail's smile widened as she took the phone and put in her pocket. "Yah. Thanks, Aaron."
"Anything else you want before we head out? We put the pizza and popcorn in the carriage."
Abigail sat in silence for a short second. She tried to think.
"Oh my gosh," she heaved. "I didn't get her autograph."
"Go catch her before they leave," Zen said, nodding.
"Right. On it."
Abigail pushed off of the edge and darted on the ground. She followed down the path Esmeralda took in between rows of seats.
Two carriages rested in the plaza. The one she arrived in was on the left, and presumably Esmeralda's was on the right. She stalked behind the back row of seats, reciting possible ways to ask in her head.
When she came into view, Lilligant Esmeralda walked to the edge of the carriage, carrying stereos and microphones along with Incineroar Stacy and Pangoro Brittany.
"Tired?" Stacy asked, shoving a stereo inside and pushing it.
Abigail slunk behind the seat. Her nerves tingled along her back and rooted her in place.
"Annoyed," Esmeralda groaned. "I don't get why people are into that plain Jane. It's not like I wasn't at that parade."
"What, you like the princes?"
"No, of course not. I think Aaron might post the video of us somewhere, though. I'll take that boost. And if not, I'll make sure to invite her to more concerts. Just something to endure."
"Don't look at it that way," Brittany said quietly. "Just think of it as a major step up. We just got lucky."
"I'm just grateful her singing didn't make me want to scratch my eardrums off. Talking to her, though. Brought me right back to grandma's house."
Stacy and Brittany shook their heads as Lilligant Esmeralda pulled herself into the carriage. Abigail watched Stacy and Brittany follow from her hiding spot. The driver, an Electabuzz, started the carriage's trip as they pulled away.
Furret Abigail met Buizel Zen, Zorua Aaron, and Quilava Gawain as they pulled themselves back up to the inside of the carriage. Aaron looked back at her from the edge.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Huh?" she said." Nothing."
"Ah boy," he sighed, frowning. "Get in. Should talk about it."
"I'm good, really. I'm just hungry."
Abigail hopped up into the carriage. She smiled, but it was met with inquisitive stares. Aaron closed the doors, but wore the same look on his face.
"She didn't know I was listening," Abigail sighed. "Called me a plain Jane."
"Aaron," Zen said, "cancel her."
"What? No! Just… It's whatever."
"It's always tough when people you like aren't who you think they are," Gawain said. "Sorry, Abigail."
Abigail nodded staring down at the floor. "It's okay. I can handle it."
A shiny slice of cheese pizza cut into Abigail's vision. She looked up, and Buizel Zen offered a sad smile.
"For the record," he said, "I liked your singing better."
Abigail tilted her head from side to side, smiling.
The ride back was quiet and uneventful. Gawain and Zen discussed a few sports topics she didn't know about. She stuffed her face at a slow, more discrete pace. She wondered if they'd realize just how much she ate.
In the end, though, they never at least commented. They came back a lot quicker now that there weren't any carriages on the roads used by people going home for the night.
As the brisk night air filled the carriage again, Abigail noticed less noise in front of the Nightlight's tower. When she hopped out from the carriage and looked, the only other pokemon on the first floor were dozed off behind the tables. She buried her paws in her hoodie's pockets to keep them warm.
"Going to go see Charlotte now?" Aaron asked her from behind.
Abigail turned around. "Uh, yah."
"She should still be up. Major night owl." He yawned. "I dunno how she does it. Go on ahead, we need to unpack some things."
"Thanks," she nodded. "Good night."
"G'night."
Abigail rubbed her eyes and walked inside. The Pachirisu and Mawile behind the desks didn't spare her a glance. Undisturbed, she made her way to the elevator and called it.
Because of the inactivity, it answered straight away. The light inside the elevator was much dimmer, but the buttons all lit up green so she could read the numbers. When she pushed in on one, it lit up yellow and the doors closed.
The ride up nearly gave her a headache. She wasn't especially used to elevators yet, but it ended quickly enough.
The elevator doors opened to a huge, dark room. The only light inside was a lamp on a steel table. Abigail approached it slowly, sweeping her tail to figure out the locations of weird machine scraps scattered on the ground.
Leafeon Charlotte looked back at her with tired, glazed eyes. She blinked a few times before they came into focus.
"Oh, miss Lodestar," she said.
"Miss Evergreen?" Abigail asked. "Are you okay?"
"Oh, I just can't sleep."
"Is something bothering you?"
Charlotte's feet swayed from side to side. Her front legs crossed as she tried to regain her balance.
"Nothing, nothing… I, uhm, I'm not up to do the test tonight."
"Then what are you still doing up?" Abigail asked.
"Nothing in particular. Don't trouble yourself over it."
Abigail's paws tensed. She pressed them together in her pockets. "You can tell me, if you want."
"It'd be my sister's birthday," she said quietly. "I always lose focus as soon as it hits midnight. I'm sure you… er, understand…"
"I do. I can come back some time another day, I was just wanting to tell you something."
"Sure. What is it?"
Abigail took a deep breath. Her heart stuttered from the overbearing silence. She could wait to tell her, but they had already waited too long.
"The White Star," she said. "He's your nephew."
"My.. nephew….?" she repeated. "My nephew!?"
"Yes. He's your nephew."
Charlotte covered her mouth with her right paw. Her face lit up so much, she became unrecognizable in seconds.
"He's my nephew!"
Abigail flinched as she slammed her arms on the table. She looked around in a circle with crazy eyes.
"I need to. What do I… Now…" she panted.
"Miss Evergreen?" Abigail asked nervously. "Are you alright?"
"Yes," she muttered. "Oh, thank you."
Charlotte bounded forward and gave Abigail a one arm hug. She returned it with a shaky pat on the back. She pulled away and looked up at Abigail's face.
"I need to go get him," she said. "I'm sorry. I know I said I'd help figure out your mystery, but I need to go get him."
"You should," Abigail said. "If that's what you want to do, you should."
"He's in Lao Shen right now, right?"
Abigail nodded.
"Okay, okay. I need to gather my things," she breathed. "I can have Philip come take over while I'm gone. Yes… Okay. I need to go get him." Charlotte seemed to slow down, if only a little. She stared back at Abigail. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, er…"
"It's okay," she smiled. "You should probably get the rest you need to make the trip."
"Thank you, Abigail. I will. You have a good night now."
"You too."
Abigail backed away, then turned around back to the elevator. As she called it, she glanced back at Charlotte.
The entire room moved with her. Her whole body bobbed up and down with every focused step she made. The shine in her eyes was visible from every angle.