A wide, rippling blue river separated two wooded areas. A small hook bobbed up and down in the water. The afternoon sun sparkled off of the surface of the water.
On the edge of the water, Furret Abigail sat in between Floatzel Zen and shiny Zoroark Aaron on a tuft of short grass. Abigail held onto the stiff fishing pole. She wore her new brown cashmere wrap with the sleeves draped over her paws. A steady breeze cooled down the hot day. The water's movement sang over the wind.
"Ah yes," Aaron said, breaking the silence. "Fishing. The first gacha game."
"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," said Zen. "We're fine eating whatever you make us. Don't have to go all the way to catch it yourself."
"I told you every bite would be all me," she said. "Well, except the spices. I don't feel like farming those. I used to, though, so technically, they could be mine."
"We're just worried since you said you felt tired after the whole energy scar thing."
Abigail didn't feel tired anymore. She got a few days off, meaning she wouldn't even be called during emergencies. She missed not checking her phone more than she realized. If anything, this activity was the most relaxing time she's had in a while.
"I feel good," she explained. "I feel lighter. I actually want to head to the arena and try to shake the rust off soon."
"I mean, that's fine," Zen's voice shook. "But, you know I could just go in and get some fish, right?"
"That's like the equivalent of paid DLC," said Aaron as he stared at the water.
Abigail felt a tug. Her grip tightened.
"Don't worry," she said. "I'm no stranger to the grind."
Abigail waited until the tug felt rough and solid when it hit her paws. She yanked back in a swift motion. A blue blur in the air and splash of water hinted at a success. She pulled on the wire to get the hook out of the water.
A young Mudkip clamped down on the hook with his eyes closed. Abigail stared as he opened his brown eyes and released his jaw from around the hook. His tail floated on top of the water's edge.
"Dang it," blurted Mudkip. "No one at school is gonna' believe me."
Abigail gazed into the boy's brown eyes. He blinked and stared back. Aaron and Zen both stood up out of confusion.
"He's so cute!" Abigail squeaked.
"Sup'," Aaron said as his head bounced up. "Where are your parents, my guy?"
"We were picnicking upriver," Mudkip explained, "and I tried to swim. The current was too strong and pulled me down. Then I saw your hook."
"How long were you getting pushed down?" Zen asked. "Five minutes? Ten?"
"I dunno. Something like that…"
"On this side of the river?"
"Yah."
Zen gazed downriver. A wall of trees blocked off any view they could have of another person. "Okay. Let's take a short walk."
Abigail threw her arms around the Mudkip and picked him up. "Poor thing, must be so tired. Let's get you back to your parents."
"I'm sorry," Mudkip said quietly. "I didn't mean to ruin your fishing trip, your majesties."
"No fur off my back," Zen said. "Abigail should be resting anyways."
"Why's that?"
"Energy scar. She just got treated."
"Oh!" Mudkip's tail trembled. "I've had those! You're supposed to sleep and relax and stuff."
"Yah, that's right. Which is why I say again, Abigail, we should just eat out," Zen argued. "You can always cook later. And let me take him back upriver. You two head back."
"Sure," Aaron answered for her, "I'll call a carriage for when we're back at the road. Want us to wait for you Zen?"
"I'll text you."
"Kay'."
"Uh, don't I have a say?" Abigail asked.
"Eh, naw," Aaron smiled as his head bobbed side to side. "As royalty, we can instruct citizens if we have a rightful reason concerning safety. So given all the circumstances, we would actually win in court."
Abigail glared up at Aaron's face. He smiled back.
"Look at it this way," he continued. "Two princes are treating you to fine dining and won't care if you wear pajamas."
"Can I come fishing with you guys next time?" Mudkip asked.
"Sure," said, Zen. "It'll be fun. Let's go ahead and get you back for now."
"Okay!"
Abigail stood still and watched while Floatzel Zen walked with Mudkip along the edge of the river. She stared at his crystalline white smile. His new fangs drew heat to her face. Shiny Zoroark Aaron stood next to Abigail until she looked up towards his face. She wasn't used to him being taller yet.
"You guys are so fussy," she said. She turned and walked towards the treeline and shade.
"Not really," said Aaron. "We pay attention and play things smart, actually."
Aaron sauntered next to her. It usually took a newly evolved longer to get used to everything, but he acquired perfect posture within hours. His indigo fur swung from side to side. Sunlight that streamed through thick, green leaves outlined his muscles. An invisible pressure shoved Abigail's hazel eyes away from meeting his sharp, yellow oceans.
"Where's Gawain been?" Abigail asked.
"Well, usually studying," he answered. "He's doing really good, though. He looks like he's been thinking a lot now that he knows he has the Acuitan blessing."
"How so?"
"Well, he's been trying to connect more with his emotions since that's usually where they struggle. He told me he's been trying different personalities in order to find his own."
"It must've been hard," Abigail pondered aloud. "I mean, not knowing you had something like a royal blessing. Can't really imagine what it felt like."
"Me neither. I wish his grandad stayed, to be honest. Figuring it out on your own is tough."
"Yah. It sounds…"
Weariness hit Abigail in a lightning strike of extra weight on her body. She chomped down a pocket of air to keep it together.
"Tough," she finished.
Abigail's steps slowed to a crawl. Aaron slowed down next to her.
"Is it hot out?" Abigail pondered.
Abigail staggered. Aaron reached in front of her and helped her keep steady. His other arm circled around her back and pulled her to him.
Aaron lifted her off the ground. Abigail's paws scrunched up against his chest. Her head rested under his chin and on his shoulder and her tail wrapped around his left arm.
"Zen had a feeling you were about to crash," Aaron explained in a quiet voice, "and he knows that I'd have no problem carrying you all the way back. We're actually pretty smart sometimes."
"I felt fine…" she groaned.
"Yah, I know you did. But you should've been sleeping. You don't mind me carrying you, right?"
"Don't have much… Much choice."
"It's alright. I got you."
Abigail conked out. Aaron carried her so comfortably, she never noticed the difference between his arms and her bed. Somehow, her mind wandered back to a meadow filled with sunflowers. Fresh forest air invaded her dreams.
She woke up staring at the ceiling. Furret Abigail rubbed her eyes and pushed her head back against a white pillow to see.
She was back in her bedroom. Her pale white curtains hung around the sides of her bed, but not at the edge. On the carpet in front of the TV hanging high on her wall, Floatzel Zen and Zoroark Aaron stared at a checkered black and white chessboard on a short table between them. They were so focused they didn't notice Abigail crawl to the edge of the bed to watch.
"Hey," said Aaron, still staring down at the board, "I hate chess."
"Yah," Zen said, looking up. "So, what do you wanna do?"
"I dunno. Why'd we do this again?"
"No clue."
"Let her pick."
"Okay."
As if to confirm they meant her, Aaron and Zen glanced to the side to look in her eyes. She pulled on the long fur on her head.
"Uh, what's up?" she asked nervously. "Oh, Zen, did you find that Mudkip's parents?"
"Yah, they were grateful. I gave them my number. Said I might invite them to dinner if you felt well enough."
"I'm up for it. Can we invite Helen, too?"
"Oh, of course."
"Cool. So, what were you two talking about earlier?"
Aaron and Zen glanced at each other and sent a message with their eyes.
"Well," Aaron breathed, "you should be resting up."
"I just finished sleeping," she said.
"Well, what I mean is try not to move around too much… Oh, Zen, did we ever tell her?"
"Tell her what?"
Zen's eyes widened after a moment. Abigail got left out.
"What is it?" she asked.
"We got back test results," explained Aaron. "To see if you had a latent Wilderbeast gene, and you do."
"Oh. Huh… Why did we look into that again?"
"Means your, uh… children would be Wilderbeasts," said Zen. "I mean, we're just thinking ahead just in case, uh…"
"Happy Wilderbeasts have a pretty different lifestyle," Aaron explained. "Barely any of them actually live in cities. And if you did combine that with a royal blessing, it'd be complicated."
"Well, what kind of lifestyle do 'happy Wilderbeasts' have?"she asked curiously.
"Well, they can pretty much communicate with animals, so… Usually in a life-dense kind of place. Jungles, forests, mountains. The exact opposite of a city. Honestly, we're at a loss."
"You don't know if it's a problem yet, though."
"I sure hope it's my problem."
Zen elbowed Aaron. They made eye contact for a short second and turned back to Abigail.
"So, did you find any other stuff about my ancestry?" Abigail asked. "My mom's not a Wilderbeast, or my dad. They were both orphans."
"I can send you the full report," Zen offered. "But let me think…" he stared down. "Abujan, Valencian… You actually had a good amount of Kyotan, I remember that part."
"The birthplace of modern video games," Aaron reminisced. "Maybe if I call you Frisk-senpai or Frisk-san it'll awaken something."
Abigail burped. Her paws flew in front of her mouth too late. Aaron and Zen stared at her. Her tail swished around out of embarrassment.
"Aight," Aaron broke the silence. "Abigail, we bought you some pajamas to wear to that restaurant tonight. We're wearing pajamas, too."
"Wait, you were serious?" she asked.
"Yah, we always wanted to do this. We had to buy new pajamas too, though. Old ones didn't fit. Also, a few celebrities were being bratty and wanted to come, too."
"Are they wearing pajamas?"
"Nah. We wanted to flex on them."
"And by them," Zen said, "we mean Esmeralda."
"You guys seemed to hate her more than I do," Abigail said. "She could've said worse. I mean, calling me a grandma isn't the biggest insult I've taken."
Zoroark Aaron and Floatzel Zen went dead silent. They waited for her to continue and sent her mind into a flurry for answers.
"Uhh… I got called shorty by this one Rampardos," she recalled.
"That's slang for being hot," said Aaron with a blank face.
"Oh… Huh… Uh, I got called 'thick' by this Braixen staring at me."
"That's slang for being big and attractive."
"Uhm… Oh, this one time, a Lucario called me a snack?"
Zen and Aaron turned to each other and back. Zen put a paw to his forehead, and Aaron's mouth curled up in a grin before he ducked his head down to snicker into his claw.
Furret Abigail lied on her bed, reading through a slang article on her phone. She took a nap when she reached around the halfway point. A lot of past encounters reframed themselves in her mind. She realized the purpose behind multiple awkward stares all at once. It tired her out. City pokemon were so complicated.
When the city skyline outside her large windows started to turn yellow, she started to get ready. First, she soaked in the water pit until the sky turned orange and red. Next, she searched around for where her new clothes were. Her new pajamas laid out on the edge of her bed. Just like her old ones, they consisted of a brown cowl and a floppy, cloth hat shaped like a cone. They seemed identical to her old ones, but were fluffier and smoother on her skin. She could tell they kept in heat better.
Zen and Aaron had knocked on the door to let her know they were waiting outside. After taking a last look at herself, Abigail pulled open the metallic door to her room.
Floatzel Zen and Zoroark Aaron leaned against the shiny wall across from her door. Zen wore a pink shirt identical to Abigail's while Aaron's was blue.
"Are all of your guys' clothes pink and blue?" Abigail asked curiously.
"Yes," Zen answered. "Yes, they are. Just sort of became our thing. Wearing national colors is usually for formal stuff, but I just… I dunno."
"Huh… Is Gawain coming?"
"Yah. He's waiting in the lobby."
Abigail took the lead down the hallway. Zen followed on her left. Aaron swiveled behind her.
"You're wearing your shirt inside out," he said. "Here."
Aaron reached around her and untied the brown laces. Abigail pulled her arms from the long brown sleeves, letting Aaron flip it over and wrap it around her back again. He tied the laces back as Abigail pushed her arms down the sleeves again.
"Went to a tailor to get your symbol custom on it," Aaron continued.
"Is it a Compass Rose thing on my back?" she asked.
"Yah, why?"
Abigail smiled and shook her head. "I don't get why everyone gives me that symbol all the time. I really haven't done anything."
"Actually," said Zen, walking next to her, "the Nightlights did recently release the full report on stuff they knew you were doing. Like when you took out a mafia boss?"
"I didn't know he was a mafia boss."
"Weapons traffickers who apparently had my soldier's stuff."
"That was fun," she recalled. "I told you about the Blast Wand, right? Or was that another thing…"
"And," Zen said, "about how you tracked down and captured an attempted murderer by yourself."
"That was months ago…" she said. "Wait. How far back does that report go?"
"It goes all the way back to a week after you arrived and threw out a bunch of troublemakers out of a restaurant you were eating at. So, about a year ago."
"They really noticed me the entire time and still didn't do anything?"
"To be fair," said Aaron, "Anne doesn't really care about the specifics about laws. Plenty of civilians stop crimes when they don't have the 'authority' to, but Anne and the Council have the say when it comes to whether they do something or not. It can differ per Overlord, but their motto is that they don't act against non-threats."
"Don't be a worry wart," Zen joked. "Gawain will get swarmed by journalists in minutes if we don't get down there."
Abigail noticed them repeating old points and changing the subject. They seemed to ignore her little vigilante adventures as the illegal fits of rage that they sometimes were. Although, as far as anyone knew, she did it out of some kind of call for justice. At least part of her did. Most of the time, she had just been tired of bad stuff going down anywhere near her. The idea of it bothered her to no end when she tried to sleep.
Aaron called the elevator. As usual, they were the only ones riding it down. Abigail stared down at the Nightlight insignia etched into the floor. She could imagine Lugia's wings a lot better now.
"Hey Aaron," Abigail said. "I keep getting asked on Chattoter if I think water is wet?"
"It is," he answered.
"It's not," said Zen. "Water makes things wet, but it isn't wet itself. There are some fish who don't even get wet underwater. It doesn't-"
"Water's wet," Aaron interrupted and glared at Zen.
"Bu-"
"Water is wet. It just is. Show me your phone for a sec."
Abigail pulled out her phone from her pocket and handed it to Aaron. Aaron's new hands were a bit large for it, but he maneuvered using the tips of his claws.
"Geez, you have, like, two billion unchecked dee ems."
"Dee em?" Abigail questioned.
"Direct messages… Let me just clear…"
Aaron grimaced and tapped repeatedly on the phone screen. He groaned.
"Never check your dms," he cautioned. "Ever."
"Uh… Okay. So, how are you going to explain that water is wet?"
"I… Lost my train of thought. We'll do it later."
Aaron handed Abigail her phone back. She turned off the screen and put it back in her pocket. Somehow, he seemed shaken. Obviously, he didn't have any fear behind his trembling eyes, but Abigail took his advice to heart.
The elevator doors opened. At night, the Nightlight lobby seemed like a hotel lobby for hackers. Everyone's faces were only lit up from dim blue lights on the ceiling and screens. Quilava Gawain joined them from the back wall next to the elevator. Abigail thought Zen and Aaron would be surprised given how hard he was to see, but they weren't.
Gawain wore a yellow shirt that seemed identical to Abigail's, Aaron's, and Zen's in every way other than color. The color complimented his ruby eyes and tan fur.
"What restaurant are we going to?" Abigail asked.
"I forget the name," said Aaron. "Some rich joint."
"You ever heard of Gordon Ram?" Zen asked. "Acuitan? Big attitude? He has a show called 'Kitchen on Fire', and-"
"You mean the best chef in the world? Duh? Is he seriously in Valor?"
"Carriage driver already has directions. Don't get too excited, though. Take it easy."
Abigail took deep breaths to lower her heart rate. She nodded and told herself where they were going over and over again in her head to get it through.
The sliding glass doors flooded them with cool night air. A carriage parked ten paces in front of the door. At the helm, a Scrafty turned down towards them and waved. Abigail returned it.
Zen leaned down and whispered, "Yellow Clan member. Was off doing some business in the countryside. His name's Joseph."
"Ah, okay."
Abigail noticed the size of the carriage increased a tad. As she circled around with Zen and Aaron, the height she had to jump to get inside increased. Even though it equated to a tiny hop in place, she didn't feel like hopping.
She watched as Aaron and Zen each pulled one of the back doors. The inside cushions looked comfortable, but out of reach. She stayed on the ground staring up.
"I got it this time," said Zen.
Floatzel Zen walked to Furret Abigail's side and swept her up in his arms. He hopped up and set her down inside the carriage.
Abigail's paws traced down the tan fur and rippling muscles on Zen's chest as he set her down. She pulled back and lowered her gaze to the floor. Zen's dark blue eyes and short grin had an extra edge to them.
"Thanks," Abigail muttered.
"Yah."
Zoroark Aaron hooped in and shut the doors. He stared off for a moment and walked over to his cushion next to Zen. Furret Abigail sat down across from them. Quilava Gawain joined last and sat near the door.
"Whatcha plan on eating tonight?" Aaron asked passively.
"I'm thinking salmon," Zen answered. "Abigail?"
"I'm thinking salmon too, actually."
"Yah," Aaron said. "The place is beautiful, by the way. Almost enough to make me feel bad about wearing pajamas."
Abigail curled up into a spiral and closed her eyes. Zen and Aarons deep voices vibrated in her ears as she stole a quick nap.
Furret Abigail woke up refreshed. Floatzel Zen opened the doors and helped her down to the sidewalk when they arrived. Zoroark Aaron and Quilava Gawain hopped down after them.
Money leaked out of every detail: the pristine, mahogany outer walls, the clean, large windows, and from the sign on the terrace that read "Kitchen on Fire" with a red pitchfork poking up and lights emulating flames.
Abigail walked between Zen and Aaron. Gawain followed from behind with a lot of his attention fixated on the sign.
"We're not going to be on TV, are we?" asked Abigail.
"Oh, definitely," said Aaron. "Ratings will shoot sky high. And if everything goes to plan, the food should be so good that Zen will cry."
"For the record," Zen interjected, "never happened before."
"If it ever were to happen, it'll be tonight."
The shining pathway lit up by short lamps on the ground wrapped up and around the building to reach the entrance. Aaron and Zen walked ahead and opened the glass doors for her. She thanked them both with stiff nods.
The hard floor shined black and white. The air inside warmed the edge of Abigail's fur. Light fixtures over their heads were shaped like pitchforks and wound together in a maze. In the complete view of the all the black tables, two kitchens bustled with chefs. Red and blue flame wallpapers hung over the left and right kitchens. The darkness in the dining room made it difficult to make out who else was there.
"Pick it up! Where's that garnish? How long?"
"One minute, chef!"
"Oh, for fock's sake!"
Aaron led Abigail, Zen, and Gawain to a square table. They all sat on the cushions. Zen and Aaron went back and forth between which of them sat across from her, freezing up and bumping into each other. Abigail watched while her tail swished back and forth. They both turned to her for some indication. She didn't give any.
"Just sit over there for now," Zen whispered in Aaron's ear.. "You can have next time."
"You can have next time," he snarled.
"Hey Zen," said Abigail. "Didn't you have something to talk about with me later?"
Zen's blue eyes softened. He nodded and walked to the seat across from Gawain without another word. Aaron sat down across from Abigail. They started to browse the menus on the table. One side of it was red while the other was blue.
A Hawlucha with a black bowtie approached the table. He carried a small notepad and a pen. He wore a smile that was somehow both tense and relaxed. He flourished his arms and took a small bow.
"Your majesties," he greeted. "Welcome. How can I start you off?"
"It's not undercooked. It's raw! Fucking stone cold!"
"Yes, chef! Sorry, chef!"
"Wake up!"
"Is that him?" Gawain asked.
"Yah," said Aaron. "That Dubwool over there hitting his head on the counter."
Abigail stole a glance over. A Dubwool mumbling to himself hit head on the shiny front counter repeatedly. A Delphox grabbed a plate from in front of him.
"I'll go for salmon," Zen said.
"Me too," Aaron added.
"Me three," said Gawain.
"I'll try the scallops," Abigail answered.
"Alright," Hawlucha said, gathering their menus. "Coming up."
Abigail watched him walk away for a moment and took a look around. On the other side of the dining room, plenty of pokemon sat at the tables. She couldn't pick out Esmeralda yet, or the Mudkip.
She did notice Bellossom Helen waving in her direction from behind. She sat at a circular table with a familiar Snubbull, Breloom, Salazzle, and Pancham. Once she turned away again, Abigail turned back to her own table.
"Where is my garnish!"
Dubwool's voice boomed through the entire dining room, slicing at the constant light chatter at the tables.
"One minute, chef!"
"You said that three times! Piss off, will you!? Shit! Oh my gawd!"
"Chef, I-"
"Piss off."
"Chef, I-"
Dubwool Gordon grabbed two slices of bread. He pushed them against the side of a Minun's head and lifted her off the ground.
"What are you!?" he roared.
"I'm an idiot sandwich!" she screamed.
"Get! Me! My! Garniiiiiiiiiiiish!"
"Yes, chef!"
As the Minun rushed off, the chatter resumed its usual volume. Abigail watched in awe.
"This is just like how I imagined," she breathed.
"So, Abigail," Aaron said, drawing her attention back to their table. "What's your gameplan for buffing back up? You've been going through a lot."
"Well, I want to go to the arena tomorrow," she answered. "Brush up on things. I should be better by then, right?"
"Yah, for the most part. But there's no one pressuring you to act so soon."
"I know. I just feel safer being at my best. In the city, it always feels like I'm getting jumped."
"Well, that's definitely not normal."
Abigail tried to nervously laugh it off. It faded into a grunt as she cleared her throat and bent her head down.
"You want to talk about it?" Zen offered.
"I'm good. Really."
"All of you, cm'here!"
Dubwool Gordon gathered the chefs around a silver bowl. Abigail leaned to get a better look.
"Raw! Raw! Raw!" A slam shot through the room. "It's so raw, it's still looking for Nemo! And for the Lodestar of all people!"
"It won't happen again, chef!"
"It won't, you donkey! Piss off! Go!"
Abigail slowly settled back into her seat.
"Uh, sorry," she said, "what'd you just say?"
"Honestly," said Zen, "I have no idea. That man scares me."
"I'm so excited, though. I, like, can only dream what it'll taste like… You think they'd make fruit gummies here?"
"Somewhat doubt that."
Zen and Aaron's eyes sharpened into knives. Gawain's plain face dulled. Abigail turned around to see what set them off.
Lilligant Esmeralda approached their table. She seemed to be second-guessing it as she walked closer, but Abigail's stare reeled her in.
"Hi," she squeaked. "I wanted to, ah, thank you for accepting me to come here tonight."
"Oh, yah," said Abigail, smiling weakly. "I'm a big fan. I'm glad you wanted to come."
"It's. Fuqin'! Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaw!"
The entire room turned towards the front kitchen. Dubwool Gordon charged out the side of the kitchen and headbutted straight through the wall. Wood splinters and dust cascaded out behind him as the kitchen found itself in pindrop silence.
"It must be really bad tonight," Abigail murmured. "He hasn't done that since season four…"
"I've… never watched this show," Esmeralda whispered. "Is he always like this?"
"Depends. Based on the show, though, I don't think we're actually eating here tonight."
"I know a place."
A glimmer of hope slipped out of Abigail's eyes. She passed it onto the table. Gawain nodded without seeming to move his head. Aaron shrugged and signaled he left the decision to her. Zen didn't react, still holding daggers in his eyes.
Abigail turned back to Esmeralda. "What's it called?" she asked.
"Oh, it's just a pizza place. Not sure it'd meet your majesties' standards."
"Oh, of course it is! Right?"
"Yah, I believe in the five-second rule," Aaron set his elbow on the table and waved his claw with a glum face.
"Anything for our Abigail," Zen said, hiding a deep, seething snarl under his voice.
Abigail bounced up in her seat. A short rumble ran up through her body. It sounded like something happened outside. Zen, Aaron, and Gawain all half-stood up.
"It's okay," Abigail said quickly. "He probably just blew up the salmon. Wow… He hasn't done that since season two…"
"Is there anyone here you'd like to invite?" Esmeralda asked. "I can give them directions. It's not far."
"Oh, sure. There's this young Mudkip and his parents here, and also a Bellossom and her friends."
"Alright. I'll let them know."
"Thanks."
Esmeralda walked a few steps away from the table before she turned around. Abigail's gaze returned to the table. Zen scowled, staring past her.
"You can say 'no'," Zen reminded.
"She just called me a grandma…" Abigail said. "Easy there…"
Zen grunted and shoved his head towards the floor.
Outside, the carriage had to dodge a new crater in the road. Inside the carriage walls, Furret Abigail sat across from Lilligant Esmeralda. Zoroark Aaron volunteered to give her his cushion and laid out in front of the back doors with an elbow holding his face up. Floatzel Zen half-glared at Esmeralda. Quilava Gawain stared at the ceiling.
Abigail swore she heard Godron's shouting outside somewhere. It was quiet enough to be her imagination, but the not knowing irked her.
"So, Abigail," Esmeralda said slowly. "How have you been? You look… really worn out," she laughed to bring her tone up.
"Oh, I'm taking some time off," she answered. "I have some friends who keep me company, so I'm hoping I can give something back to show them some appreciation."
"Abigail Frisk," Aaron interrupted, raising his fist over his head. "Do you accept me as your husband? To love and to-"
"He does this a lot," Abigail smiled at Esmeralda.
"Meep."
Esmeralda laughed into her hand. "I can see where the stress comes from."
"So, is this pizza place like a gourmet thing…?" she asked.
"I guess you could say as gourmet as it gets? They have these huge, stone ovens and- It's just the best. You have to see it."
"Does it cost a lot?" Zen asked.
Abigail could sense the flames leaking out of Zen's mouth. She pushed her paws together. Esmeralda turned in his direction.
"It's as expensive as pizza gets, but it's not bad. It's the one thing I should cut out from my diet that I never will."
Emseralda laughed at her own joke. Zen grimaced at her voice.
"Oh, Abigail," she exclaimed. "I forgot to ask, where do you get your makeup from?"
"What makeup?"
Esemeradlda's face fell. It was Abigail's first time seeing her face as anything other than neutral or positive. Sadness leaked out of her eyes for a split second until they lifted again.
"Oh, your eyelashes must just be blessed, huh?" she smiled.
"Do people have eyelash makeup?" asked Abigail.
Esmeralda looked around for answers. Aaron curled up his bottom lip and nodded. Zen stared blankly. Gawain read everyone's faces.
"Yah," Gawain said finally. "People wear fake eyelashes. I don't get why, but they do."
"Do you wear fake eyelashes?" Abigail asked Esmeralda.
Oh, nevermind that… We're almost there."
They weren't almost there.
Two full minutes of awkward silence passed. Abigail pulled out her phone and contemplated checking those direct messages Aaron told her to never check. It only piqued her curiosity, and her fear. She hovered over the button for a while. The carriage stopped moving for a moment.
"Abigail," Aaron said, breaking the silence. "Whatcha' looking at?"
"Honestly," she said. "Now that you told me not to, I really want to check my dms."
"Abigail, this isn't a cute movie. Everything the light touches is fine, but that shadowy place is darker than ever."
"But I want to know what it was."
"What on earth do you think it was!?" he asked in a loud voice.
"I don't know! That's why I want to click on it."
"For crying out loud, Abigail. Don't be that big of a country bumpkin."
"So you're saying this can teach me more about the ways of the city folk… I'm gonna' do it."
"Holy shit!"
Zen shot to his feet and pointed in a direction. Abigail looked, but all she saw was the wall.
Her phone flew out of her paws. Zoroark Aaron snagged it. He pulled open the carriage doors and jumped out into the night. Abigail mentally slapped herself.
"Hey!" Abigail screamed. "Give it! That's my phone!"
Furret Abigail dove out after him. After just a few steps, she gasped and wheezed facing the soil underneath her. The light from her phone screen illuminated Aaron's face a few paces ahead of her. He faced towards her and took steps back
"Give me back…" Abigail breathed in, "phone."
"I'm almost done deleting," he said. "I'll tell you when you're older, kay'?"
Abigail revved up enough strength and leaped at him. She grabbed onto his chest fur before he could turn around. He toppled over on the grass and grunted, landing on his back.
Aaron raised his arms to keep the phone away. Abigail squirmed and tried to reach for it.
"Give it back!" she huffed.
"I'm trying to help you! Hey! Watch the-"
Abigail's paw gave out and slipped when she reached to climb past his face. Her face landed right on his.
Adrenaline shot through Abigail's body. Even with its help, she couldn't muster up the strength to push herself off. Aarons wrapped a claw around her shoulder and helped her. He tapped a claw right between her eyes. He smiled.
"Yup," he said. "Gotta' protect you."
Aaron handed Abigail her phone back. Abigail swiped it out of his claws and tried to hop off of him. Aaron laughed as he picked her up and set her on the grass.
"I wanted to see," she pouted. "How am I supposed to get more… citified?"
Aaron smiled. "You think way too hard about this stuff. C'mon."
Aaron traced his claws down the indigo fur hanging over his back and shook out the dirt and scraps of grass that got in it. Abigail caught her breath as Lilligant Esmeralda, Floatzel Zen, and Quilava Gawain hopped out of the carriage.
A handful of fireflies danced across the lawn. Yellow light leaked out though the windows on caramel walls and scraped the edge of Abigail's feet. She followed Aaron and the others up a winding, cobblestone path to the hefty glass doors leading inside.
As usual, Aaron rushed forward and held open the door. Abigail smiled and bent her head down. Although she knew he wasn't, she felt Aaron looming before her as she walked inside.
At first glance, she liked the place. The dark, carpeted floor gave it a casual air. The dim lights hanging down over every table soothed her shoulders instead of stiffening. Esmeralda stepped up to the small wooden counter up front. Using his ears, a Bunnelby pulled his head over it.
"Hey Es," he blurted. "Uhhhhhhh…"
Bunnelby looked around Esmeralda and stared off.
"Hey," she greeted. "Table for five."
"Right, right. No Brittany or Stacy today?"
"They're pretty worn out from all the parties recently. I think they're both asleep by now."
"Can't blame them. We've been slammed from all the, uh… Commotion. With, uh… Let me show you to your table."
Bunnelby grabbed menus from under the counter and hopped down the aisle of round, wooden tables. Abigail followed in the back.
He led them to a rectangular table by a window looking out at the city skyline. To Abigail's wonder, lots of yellow lights were still on in the windows. She wanted to see what it was like inside any of them.
Abigail sat on a short side of the table by herself, facing an empty cushion. Esmeralda sat next to Zen facing away from the window; Aaron next to Gawain. Zen put himself between her and Esmeralda.
"Can I start you off with anything?" Bunnelby asked. "Or, are you all set to order?"
"I think we're all set," said Aaron. "Just cheese, right Abigail? And pink lemonade?"
"Yah," she smiled.
"So one cheese pizza to share? Any other drinks?"
"Just water for me," said Esmeralda.
Aaron, Zen, and Gawaain nodded. Bunnelby copied their nods.
"Alright, It'll be out," he said.
"Thanks," said Zen.
With a last glance, Bunnelby left back towards the front. Abigail stared out the window and noticed a wood railing just beyond the glass.
"Hey," Abigail said, "is there a porch?"
"Yah, there is," Esmeralda answered as she leaned her head further over the table. "Feel free to catch some air."
"I think I will, actually."
Abigail hopped off from her cushion and scanned for a way outside. She noticed glass double doors identical to the restaurant entrance.
The light inside made it difficult to see, but a hefty wood patio greeted her feet. Closing the door behind her, a cool wind swept across her face. She walked out and rested her paws on top of the railing.
She inhaled, then exhaled. With a cloud of flowers and bushes under the railing, the air tasted close to home. Her old plan to go back welled back up in her mind. The farm would be lonely. Ever since her dad died, she and her mother only farmed for themselves. She couldn't imagine it by herself.
Staying seemed fun. She wondered how long it would last. Someday, the view of skyscrapers and constant movement all around them might get dull. It already had its moments.
Behind Furret Abigail, the doors opened. Lilligant Esmeralda walked towards the railing next to her and gazed out. Abigail couldn't take her eyes off her delicate face.
"You like the city?" she asked.
Abigail pursed her lips as she thought about it. "It's fine," she answered. "As good a place as any."
"I don't."
Esmeralda's answer surprised her. Abigail imagined she'd love it.
"But," she continued, "grass is always greener. What was the worst part about living in the countryside?"
"Well… No air conditioning. Having to work in the heat was pretty bad. How about the city?"
"People, every time. Insults online, stuff like that. It's a good thing you have friends watching your back."
Wind tugged the fur on Abigail's head forward. As she stared out, she nearly forgot her favorite idol stood next to her. She curled her tail around herself to stop quaking. Esmeralda stared at her face. She pretended not to notice.
"You know," said Esmeralda, "I never noticed before, but you're kinda' hot…"
Abigail's heart raced. She put the burst of adrenaline into her right paw as she clenched it to her side.
"T-thanks," she squealed.
Esmeralda's eyes widened slightly as she stared. Abigail traced her left paw down her face and inched her eyes closer to looking back.
"How did you hear about me?" Esmeralda asked curiously.
"Well, when I was young, my dad went out on trips to the city to sell. He said he met a pop star who was my age, and he came back with earbuds and your music."
"How long ago?"
"I was eight or seven."
"Oh. I wasn't even popular back then. That must make you, like, my oldest fan."
Abigail nodded and turned her away. Esmeralda shifted closer.
"Being popular is weird," she continued. "There's only so much of yourself you can give out to people, and odds are, some of them are as cool as you."
"Yah, I think I get that."
Esmeralda turned around. She quietly stepped to the glass doors.
"But I have to say, you're probably my cutest fan, so you can call me Es."
Abigail whipped around. The tip of her tail fanned her face as Esmeralda walked back inside. She stared at the doors for a while before retreating back to the view of the city skyline.
After a while, the fur on Abigail's back shifted. She turned around and saw the Bunnelby inside walk with a large, silver tray on top of his ears. She walked through the glass doors and over towards the table. She nodded towards Bunnelby as they made eye contact passing each other. He smiled back and continued past.
A lake of shiny cheese pizza with smooth, brown crust covered the table. The edges of the tray reached over the sides.
"Hi!"
Abigail stopped shy of going past the side of the table. She turned down to the previously empty seat across from her.
A Mudkip smiled widely up at her. His big brown eyes glowed with excitement.
"My parents said thanks!" he said. "Also, they said you wouldn't mind if I ate with you guys?"
Abigail resisted the urge to pick him up and hug him. She smiled and nodded. "Of course! Eat as much as you want."
"Lit."
"I appreciate someone who speaks the language," Zoroark Aaron injerected. "Lit."
"Spittin' fire."
"That's facts."
"Schmoving."
With only a vague idea of what they were talking about, Abigail reclaimed her old cushion at the table. Floatzel Zen absentmindedly passed out pizza slices to the plates in front of each of them. Abigail's slice was wider than her head. The same seemed to hold true for everyone. Mudkip's was larger than his whole body.
"So, Zen," Said Esmeralda, "did your secret ever get out before the parade?"
"Of course not," he snarked.
"Well, were your friends super surprised?"
"Don't have any."
"Not even Abigail?"
Abigail pretended her pizza stole her hearing. It nearly did, just not enough. The smooth cheese and perfect seasoning helped dull the impact of getting dragged into whatever their conversation was turning into.
"We only had the opportunity to meet her after," said Zen.
"Right…" she said. "Opportunity's an interesting word. I mean, if you had the opportunity before to talk to the hottest, most badass girl in Valor, would you have?"
Zoroark Aaron raised his claw. "Yes."
"But she would've seen you as a creep, right?"
"No."
Esmeralda seemed surprised at Abigail speaking up. She paused and waited for her to finish chewing on her pizza.
"Aaron would have been too cute to ignore," she explained. "I mean, I'm not sure I would've been able to take him seriously with how funny he is, but I would never think he's a creep."
"See?" said Aaron. "Charisma. My ace in the hole in case my new hotness fails."
"His new drip," added Mudkip with a mouthful.
"If you've got something to say," Zen said, glancing at Esmeralda, "just say it."
"Kay'," she answered. "You're ticked off at me cause I act differently to Abigail since she's popular, but you do the same cause she's beautiful. Don't look at me with those dark eyes when you know it's more complicated than that."
"You know, I kind of prefer this to having it behind our backs."
"Zen."
Aaron's sharp, deep voice contrasted with everyone else's. He stole away the table's attention with his glare.
"You're sick," he said. "Go outside and get some air. Now."
Floatzel Zen frowned. He pushed on the table as he stood up and walked away from the table. Abigail watched him go out through the glass doors to the patio.
Mudkip paused and glanced at all of their faces with a string of cheese hanging from his mouth. Gawain stared at the glass doors with a far-off gaze.
"Veritan blessing can make you sick," Aaron said quietly. "It's hard to manage mental health with it. So why don't we just relax?"
Aaron shot a lightning-quick stare at Lilligant Esmeralda. Abigail swore her flower shriveled up on the spot. She went back to enjoying her pizza.
A few minutes passed with less than comfortable silence. Abigail stared down at her slice of pizza to avoid talking. She felt bad for Mudkip, but he seemed to be scarfing his down. He probably didn't notice the quiet.
Abigail kept glancing up at the door to see if Zen came back. His would be getting cold soon.
"Can I go check on him?" she asked quietly.
"Sure," Aaron whispered.
Abigail rose to her feet and retraced her steps to the patio. Aaron, Esmeralda, Gawain, and Mudkip didn't spare her a glance as she went past. She pushed open the doors, slowed by uncertainty.
Floatzel Zen stared out towards the city skyline. It had darkened a touch, replaced by lights encroaching up the sides of skyscrapers from the streets. The air wind turned piercing cold; Abigail was lucky she had on warm pajamas. She retreated her paws closer under her shirt. Zen didn't react, so he probably didn't hear her come outside.
"Zen?" Abigail asked quietly.
Zen's slouch disappeared, then he turned around. His dark, blue eyes had softened. They resembled what they looked like before he had evolved. Seeing them was a relief.
"Hey," he said. "Sorry, I-"
"Don't apologize," she said quickly. "You're just being you, right?"
Zen kept staring at her face as she joined him, then back to the view. "I guess. I just don't think I'm the best version."
"And what exactly is the best version of someone with the Veritan blessing?"
"Well, my parents say some type of sage person, that a fully realized Veritan ruler is someone who always has the answer."
"No one always has the answer."
"Yup. It makes me wonder how they managed to do everything right all the time."
"Well, I wouldn't say that."
Zen glanced at Abigail, prompting her to say what she meant. She smiled giddily.
"They didn't teach you how to talk to girls all that well," she said quietly.
Zen smirked. A puff of air came from his nose. "I've been learning. I just have to accept that for me, it's really different."
"How's that?"
Zen stood up straight and faced her. Abigail responded. She tried to decipher the overly-calm look in his still eyes and short smile.
"I keep trying to play it by the book and be polite. I always do the same stuff. Trying not to faint, for starters… Opening the door, letting them talk more. The reality is that cause of the Veritan blessing, I can tell what people are feeling, and I can't just turn it off. And I shouldn't pretend I can't tell either."
"That's… good to hear."
"But not being myself hurts like hell."
Abigail stiffened. Zen stepped forward and lowered his head. Abigail had plenty of time to react, but she didn't know what to do. Her heartbeat went to her head as Zen kissed her. Her paws scrunched up against the rough fur on his chest. His arms reached down over her back. He gently lifted her so she wouldn't strain her neck. Her tail intertwined with his.
Abigail let her shoulders relax. She rested her feet on his legs and closed her eyes. Her paws slid up to his neck and pulled him down. She stayed like that for a while. When he pulled back, she kept her arms around him for warmth. Red dusted his cheeks, but from what she could tell with the blazing heat, Abigail's were probably coated.
"No pressure," he whispered. "I wanted to talk to you earlier and ask if you wanted to hang out. I won't ask you to be my girlfriend or anything," he leaned down, "but I'll give you a taste."
Abigail fumbled over random, nonsensical words. Zen let her off the hook with another long smooch. She gently clawed at his shoulder as her body rumbled. After pulling back again, he set her down. Her tail unwinded and flew to her face.
"We should head back for now. Finish eating and get you rested."
"Okay…" she breathed.
Abigail's tail waved back and forth as Zen turned away. She clenched her paws tightly together. He stole her first kiss without her even thinking about it.
When he returned, Zen brought back his usual soothing energy to the table. Abigail stayed outside for a few minutes to cool off her face, but some heat and trembling remained. Drinking her pink lemonade helped, but she still had to keep her gaze off of Zen.
Esmeralda took the bill, and it wasn't as bad as Abigail thought. As she left out the front doors behind everyone, she told herself to come back to this restaurant and downloaded the image of the building into her brain.
"Hey!"
Abigail turned around and looked down. Mudkip's big, brown eyes stared back up at her.
"Could I have a selfie so my friends don't meme on me?" he asked politely.
"I'm not exactly sure what that means, but sure!" she smiled.
"Schnice."
Abigail pulled her phone from her pocket. She picked up the Mudkip in one arm so he could be in the camera frame. She smiled with him and snapped a few shots. Once she finished, she carefully set him back down on the ground.
"I'll post it on Chattoter," she said.
"Thanks, chief. My parents are still chilling, but thanks for yoinking me out of the river. Think I'll ever be as strong as you?"
Abigail bent down to meet him at eye level. "If you want to be. But power's just a tool in a kit. When you use it to pull someone out of a river, that's when it has meaning."
Mudkip's eyes sparkled. Abigail glanced and noticed Floatzel Zen, Zoroark Aaron, and Quilava Gawain patiently waiting for her by the carriage.
"Better not keep your parents waiting," she said.
"Thanks," he said quietly. "See you."
"Bye."
Abigail waved as Mudkip walked back inside. She continued until he turned away to face where he was walking.
After that, she made her way back down the winding path to their carriage. Scrafty Joseph dozed off with a book in his hands at the front. For a second, she worried that he had just been sitting outside by himself the whole time, but he had an empty plate with pizza crusts scattered on top of it and a fluffy white blanket around him.
"I saw you take a picture with the little guy," said Aaron.
Abigail smiled. "Yah, I did," she turned back towards the building. "He's just so cute… I want to have a kid one day. They're so nice."
"Alright. Just phone me when."
A smacking noise hit Abigail's ears. She didn't have to turn around to know Zen hit Aaron in the back of the head. She walked over towards the edge of the carriage and hopped inside.
After they started moving, she curled up on the cushion and fell asleep. One of them would carry her to her room.