"Alright, guys. That's a wrap for today! Go home, get some rest, and be here bright and early tomorrow for more training!" Lumi's voice echoed through the dojo, signifying the end of another days training for the new team. Or, at least, those of the team that still were able to continue their training. Teravolt's injuries from the bandits had left him hospitalized for a few more days, Elias' damaged arm left him unable to perform the tasks required, and so he sat quietly by the sidelines watching his team train, and Cass, while able to return the training, was slightly tender from her injuries and needed to take regular breaks.
Lumi couldn't help but sigh. It was so quiet without Tera and Kaguya around. In their own ways, the two had become leader figures to the others. Teravolt's brash and abrasive nature spurred the others to grow stronger just so they could put him in his place. And Kaguya's firm, yet gentle guidance to the younger Pokemon of their group had rendered him somewhat of a hero in their eyes, even more affirmed now by his recent rescue operation. News had spread fast throughout the guild of the hot-headed Luxray's idiotic actions, and the brave members of his team who'd gone after him to ensure his safety where nobody else could.
Cass and Elias were both incredibly flattered by the sudden surge of attention they were getting. Lumi couldn't help but feel pride in knowing two of her trainee's were heroes in their own right before even becoming full fledged explorers.
"Miss Lumi?" The vixen was snapped from her reverie by the soft voice, turning to face the Riolu in question.
"Hello, Elias. Is everything ok? You look worried." The pensive face of the young jackal gazed up at her.
"Um... we were hoping you'd pass these on to Mr. Kaguya when you see him tonight? It's... sort of a 'get well soon' present from each of us... something to let him know we're still thinking about him?" Lumi beamed, accepting the small bag from the Riolu.
"That's really thoughtful of you all, I'm sure it'll bring a smile to his face. I'm sure he'd love to see you all at some point too, even if it's only for three days..." Three full, long, boring days without him around.
The Riolu perked up. "W-well, my sister did say she wanted to meet him. She's interested in meeting new people, and says he sounds nice... plus, I think she wants to make friends with Sunshine. She's... quite lonely given the circumstances..." The icy fox's eyes softened as she closed her eyes.
"I can understand that... it must be hard, but you're both doing the best you can. Nobody can ask any more of you. Go home to her and get some rest, ok? I'll see you in the morning, Elias. Take care on your way home." With that, the Vulpix turned and walked back towards the front desk to clock out for the night.
"Ah, Luminous! Heading home for the night?" The jovial voice of Lorenz caught her attention, as she turned and gave a polite bow to the Golisopod.
"Good evening, Guildmaster! I'm clocking out, yes. But not going home just yet. I-" The Guildmaster cut her off with a soft chuckle.
"You're going to see young Kaguya, aren't you? Goodness, aren't you fond of him? Why, I'm inclined to believe we might be hearing bells ringing out in the coming months at this rate!" A loud laugh erupted from the Golisopod as Lumi's face burst into a deep shade of crimson.
"G-Guildmaster! It's not like that at all! B-besides... Juniper's the one who..." Lumi trailed off softly, her eyes moving towards the floor.
"Oh? Tell me, Luminous. What are your true feelings, then? Because the mere thought of another who might love young Kaguya seems to have you quite upset. I may not look it, but I've had my fair share of playing matchmaker!" The vixen weighed her options. Speak out about them, get them out to at least somebody. Or hold onto them forever, and let them eat away at her from the inside.
"...It's just... so stupid, Guildmaster! We barely even know each other! He's been here for three weeks and I-! I don't understand! Sure, he's cute. And charming. And sweet, and kind, and- I- How could I be in love with somebody I barely even know...?" Lumi's voice was barely a whisper by the end of her rant, clearly torn about her feelings.
"Luminous. Love isn't always a long winded affair. It doesn't always take years of getting to know somebody for it to blossom. Sometimes, it's sudden. It comes with no rhyme or reason. Whether we wanted it or not. Sometimes all it takes is a brief encounter, a few words. And from what I've seen between the two of you, you clearly have a real connection. One of the very few that boy has allowed himself. Now with his reasoning for such motives crystal clear, surely you can understand just how special you and Juniper both must be to him in order for the two of you to be that close? Luminous, I'd be willing to wager as torn up as you feel about this whole thing, he must be feeling it doubly so. Because not only has he been through so much, but now there are not one, but two women in his life he may be falling for. He is most likely in the same boat as you."
Lumi gulped slightly, her throat feeling tight. Could... what the Guildmaster be saying be the truth? She thought back on their interactions, considering everything. And all her mind could focus in on was a conversation in the very early morning. Crawling into the hospital bed beside him. His lips taking hers in a gentle kiss, before he held her close-
"...I don't want to hurt Juniper, though... I don't want to take this away from her, Guildmaster. She's never felt this way for anybody before. How could I, her best friend, swoop in and steal that from her? She'd never forgive me, and I'd never forgive myself either. Even if I do... love him. And even if he does love me back, I can't- Won't pursue that life... not if it means I'll hurt Juniper in the process. I'm going to get going, now. Thank you for trying, Guildmaster." Lumi shook her head before turning away.
The elderly Golisopod nodded slightly, humming to himself. "I'd think it through, Luminous. Because I'm certain Juniper feels that way about this situation too..."
Lumi's thoughts wandered as she padded her way down the empty streets towards the Glaceon's home. The words of her Guildmaster rung in her head as she tried to come to terms with her situation.
She was rapidly falling in love with one of her trainee's, in direct competition for his affection with her best friend. And they'd known each other for just over 3 weeks. The vixen groaned out loud and slapped a paw to her forehead. It was so unbelievably cliché. To have met him and so quickly fallen for him, it made no sense in her head at all. Was it just a crush? A fleeting moment of passion that would pass in time? The Vulpix shivered. That thought frightened her. That she could do something like that, it worried her. Could she truly be capable of such a thing? She'd been in relationships before, of course. But none of them had ever gotten very serious. None of them had felt real. There had been attraction, at first. But upon getting to know her partners better, she found they just didn't mesh with one another the way she hoped. She wasn't looking for meaningless flings, or casual affairs with good looking men. She wanted a truly passionate relationship with somebody who would be as devoted to her and she would be to them.
And she'd never felt she'd found somebody like that before. Not until he'd walked into her life. It felt gross to her. To project her wants and desires onto another, and yet, in her mind she couldn't help but think maybe he would feel the same about it as her? He always seemed so surprised when she'd kissed him, on occasion. It had been rare he'd reciprocated the gesture. But when he did? She could feel it, in just how... gentle he was with her. He truly cared, and wanted her to know it. Perhaps that was why she was falling in so deeply. Because something had to be there. Right?
Kaguya didn't seem like the type who'd start relationships just for emotional or sexual gratification. You can never judge a book by it's cover, but she was certain he just wasn't that kind of Pokemon. He held too much respect for those around him to use them like that.
…Right?
She was surprised when she snapped from her thoughts to find she'd walked straight past his home, another groan escaped the girl as she doubled back towards the nearby house. Only to notice the lights were off, and everything was silent inside.
'Am I too late? Have they already gone to sleep?' The vixen's heart sunk at the thought of not seeing him before the night was through. 'Dammit, Luminous, stop being so clingy.'
Should she knock? Should she check the windows to see if they were somewhere else in the house? Would that be creepy?
Her thoughts were cut off when she heard it. A voice echoing off in the distance somewhere behind the home. Due to the landscape of the area, over in that direction was a sheer cliff face, overlooking the eastern ocean. There was a small beach at the bottom of a very steep path, but the cliff would block out the sounds from down there. Meaning whoever she could hear was sat at the cliffside. She couldn't make out what they were saying.
Curiosity took over, and she began to follow the voice. The walk to the cliffside wasn't a long one, only 10 minutes away. But the wind could only carry distinct words so far, leaving her to hear only the faint murmurs of whoever it was. Drawing closer she realised it. The voice was singing.
The vixen perked her ears, trying to pick out the words that were being sung. More than that, however, she wanted to know just who would be singing so late at night. Padding closer, she found her answer.
"Could it be the sacred wind?
That's calling me to now begin?
To walk into the dark carrying the light of tomorrow?"
There, laid in the grass atop the cliffside, staring up at the starry skies above lay the boy she'd come looking for. He seemed lost in his own little world, pouring his soul into the words he sang to the winds.
"Beating are the wings up high
Beyond the earth, beyond the sky
Come now, don't hesitate!
Don't look back, we've got to go now!"
She stood behind the tree, silently listening to him. 'Sunshine was right. He really can sing, can't he?'
"Don't fear
You'll be safe from no-"
In her silent admiration, she'd not been keeping track of where her paws had been, and she'd inadvertently stepped upon a fallen twig, causing a resounding snap to echo across the grassy plain. Startled, the Glaceon propped himself up on his forepaws, casting his gaze towards the trees.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Lumi slapped a paw to her forehead.
'Great going, genius...' Steeling her nerves, the vixen stepped out from behind the tree she was hiding behind. "You don't have to stop on my account, you realise?" The Glaceon's ears flattened against his head as he realised he'd been caught.
"Oh... uh... Arceus above, I'm never going to live this down..." Kaguya hid his face behind his paws as the Vulpix padded over, sitting beside the boy.
"Hey, hey. What are you so embarrassed about?"
"Because you of all Pokemon were the one to catch me attempting to sing. Groudon give me strength..." The boy grumbled, causing the vixen to giggle at his shyness.
"Why are you worried about me finding you singing? You have a lovely voice!"
"Oh, spare me. My singing capabilities leave much to be desired. It's atrocious!" A soft punch landed on his front leg.
"If that was atrocious, I can hardly wait to hear you when you deem it to be good!" The pair laughed before the Glaceon laid back down in the grass and continued his stargazing.
"Eduardo and Cass keep telling me I've got 'the soul of a musician!' And that I should 'let it shine through!' So, I'm giving it a go. Even if all it amounts to is singing lullabies for Sunshine better. It's... something to pass the time, at least." The boy shrugged as the Vulpix laid down beside him.
"Well, I think they've got a good eye for talent, your daughter isn't lying when she boasts about how well her father can sing. I can say that with confidence from what I've just heard." The Eeveelution scoffed beside her, rolling his eyes.
"Please, flattery won't win you any favours." The boy smirked.
"No, but it might earn me a kiss~" The girl smirked back at the now blushing Glaceon. "I'm joking! I'm joking!" 'Stop it, Lumi. You're here to ask his thoughts on Juniper. Not flirt with him yourself. Get a grip, girl!'
"You sure? You seemed pretty eager for one this morning. And looked real upset when you caught Juniper kissing me~" The Glaceon teased back, causing the vixen to burn bright red.
"W-well, I mean! How would you feel if you walked back into a room and found two of your best friends kissing!?" She was being defensive. 'Arceus above, give me strength...'
"Come on, it wasn't THAT bad was it? Unless... why Lumi, were you jealous?" The vixen glared at the boy.
"In your dreams, Romeo!" She paused, weighing her options. This might be her last chance...
'This isn't about me. Not anymore. If you love him, let him go. Let them be happy.'
"Oh... sorry, I didn't mean to insinuate anything uncomfortable for you..." Lumi took a deep breath to calm her nerves.
A uncomfortable silence fell over the pair. Kaguya didn't want to risk upsetting the girl further, and Lumi was unsure what she wanted to do.
'What am I supposed to do? We're both in deep, and I don't want to hurt my friend. But at the same time, am I really willing to just... give up on this? Am I really willing to let him slip through my grasp? What do I do...?'
"You know... Juniper asked me a really strange question earlier today." The boys voice snapped her from her internal battle.
"Oh? She did?" Kaguya nodded, humming softly.
"She asked me what I thought about you. As a person. Like, what I liked about you." Lumi blinked, baffled by what she was hearing.
"She... did what?" The Guildmaster's words echoed in her mind. 'I'd think it through, Luminous. Because I'm certain Juniper feels that way about this situation too...'
"Yeah, I know. It's kinda weird to me too thinking about it. But, I gave her my honest opinion. I just wish I'd been clearer with her that the same went for her, too. Because my feelings for both of you are exactly the same." The vixen flinched at that, worried what she was going to hear.
"A-and that would be...?" The Glaceon turned to face her, smiling softly.
"That you're both two of the sweetest Pokemon who I've ever met. And just being able to spend time with you both brightens my day every time. You're both... so kind to me, even though I'll never deserve it as far as I'm concerned. You make my daughter happy. She adores you both, and keeps bugging me when I'm gonna make one of you 'Mama'." Lumi's cheeks flared a deep red at that. "And as cute as that idea is, she has no idea what it is she's asking. That and... I'm not sure I'm ready to make that kind of commitment. I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to..." The Vulpix gently reached out her paw, taking one of the boys gauntleted paws in her own.
"You're... unsure you're ready to commit to a relationship? W-wait, are you saying... you're thinking about that... with both of us?!" The Glaceon's eyes widened, waving his free paw.
"N-no, that's not-! Lumi, I'm not thinking about that kind of thing! I know neither of you would ever be interested in someone as messed up as me! Sunshine just... doesn't get that. She's young, and she's not aware of how... that kind of thing works. You don't have to worry about that, I'm not thinking about you that way. I'm not some creep, jeez." The boy grinned at the last part, only to feel her paw softly squeeze around his.
"Why would I think you're a creep, Kaguya? Would you think of me as a creep, if our roles were reversed?"
"What? No, of course I wouldn't! Why would I think that?"
"Exactly my point. Why would I think that of you? I care about you the same, maybe even more, than you do about me. There's nothing creepy about looking at every possible avenue, is there?"
"..." The Glaceon turned to face the girl, staring into her eyes. "Lumi... was there more to your little kisses than I thought?" The question left his muzzle before he even realised what he was asking.
The vixen at his side visibly flinched, and he already had his answer. Yet still, she maintained her façade. "Ha! Dream on, lover boy!"
The Glaceon rolled his eyes, laying back in the grass with a sigh. "Should've guessed, cause you obviously go around kissing people like that all the time, huh~?" The boy teased, grinning to himself.
"Oh, shut up! It was a one-off! Anyway, here. Your teammates asked me to give this to you and if it'll get us off this topic, now's as good a time as any." The girl thrust the small satchel she'd been carrying towards the boy, who looked at it oddly.
"They asked you to give this to me? Why?" Lumi slapped her forehead.
"Uh, cause they miss you and want you to know they're thinking of you? Duh?" Kaguya hummed before accepting the bag. Opening the small leather satchel revealed a few books, a small collection of toys most likely for Sunshine, and a flute. The Glaceon lifted out the instrument, grinning softly.
"Seriously, Eduardo? You're giving me this? Man, I feel kinda bad now..." Lumi was confused, tilting her head.
"Why, is something wrong?" The Glaceon looked over the instrument, marvelling at it's craftsmanship.
"They told me this belonged to a friend of theirs that went missing a while back. I was able to play it, kinda. And that's when they decided I had the soul of a musician... for them to give this to me... I feel guilty, it's all they have left..." The Vulpix's expression softened and she smiled.
"They want you to have it because they probably don't want it to sit around gathering dust. If it's precious to them, they'd want it to see use. I didn't know you could play, though!" The boy grinned slightly.
"I haven't in a long time now, to be honest. I used to, because my mother enjoyed having me take part in the arts. Drawing was a no-go. I was useless at it. But music... I could get. I could listen to it, and I did try my paw at instruments. The flute was about the only one I was any good with... lemme see if I can still..." Kaguya brought the instrument to his lips, blowing into it a few times to test the notes.
Then, he took a deep breath and...
F5 A4 F5 E5
D5 C5 Bb4 C5 F4
Bb4 C5 D5 C5 F5
Bb4 A4 Bb4 C5 D5 E5
Lumi watched, stunned as the Glaceon closed his eyes, effortlessly playing the tune as though he'd done it hundreds of times before. The vixens eyes locked on the boy as he continued. The tune sounded so... melancholic, and yet. There was so much more behind it.
F5 A4 F5 E5
D5 C5 Bb4 C5 F4
Bb4 C5 D5 C5 F5
Bb4 A4 Bb4 C5 D5 E5
F5 G5 A5 F5 G5 F5 E5
D5 A4 F4 D4
Kaguya slowly lowered the flute from his muzzle, smiling at the instrument in his hands. "Jeez, it's been forever since I played a flute... I'm really rusty, I think." The Vulpix gawked at the boy, disbelieving of what she'd heard.
"That was rusty? You really have no faith in yourself, do you? That was... beautiful, Kaguya. How can you put yourself down like that?" The boy laughed, turning to face the vixen beside him.
"It wasn't anything that special, Lumi. Just a lullaby my mother used to sing to me."
"A lullaby? Then why does it sound so sad...?" The ice type shrugged at his counterpart.
"Beats me, but. It's stuck with me since I was a little Eevee, and I learned to play it when I was younger because it meant a lot to me. Glad I still remember how, at least! Thank you for this, Lumi. I... this really does cheer me up. To be able to do something I love again." The icy fox blushed, shaking her head.
"T-there's no need to thank me. It was your team that did this, not me. I just passed it along..."
"Say... you should probably get going. It's really late by now, and you need your rest." Kaguya offered a small smile to the girl, who returned it.
"...No. I think I'd like to stay here, if that's ok with you?" The Glaceon blinked a couple of times,before shrugging.
"I'm not in control of you, Lumi. You do whatever you please." The Glaceon let out a small gasp as the vixen beside him closed the gap between them, wrapping her paws around him in a tight embrace. Kaguya turned to look at the girl, slightly bewildered. "Nothing more to your actions, huh?" The Vulpix lightly slapped his back in response.
Taking the hint, the Glaceon slipped his paw beneath the Vulpix' back, wrapping her in his own embrace before returning his gaze to the stars above. Little did they both know they were thinking the exact same thing.
'Why can't I stop loving you...?'