Hello Internets
It's been 6 months, so of course it is time for another chapter. Unfortunately this time, I took so long that the heat death of FFN occurred before I could finish. Whoops. Oh well. As always, I absolutely need to thank deerestlove once again for helping me make this chapter as good as it is. Seriously, none of this would be possible without their help.
Nearly to the end now, the finale on the horizon. One more chapter to go. Hope you guys enjoy.
I really didn't like graveyards.
I recognize that that isn't that unique of an opinion. Nobody likes graveyards, but I felt especially averse to them. Perhaps it was how depressing I found the whole thing. Not that death was ever not depressing, but compared to how my kind were buried graveyards just seemed so sterile. Being laid to rest on a hill out in the open, the spot marked by a tree that I was nourishing and that would benefit future generations of Fennekin was absolutely preferable to being trapped within tall brick walls, beneath sun-bleached stone, alongside hundreds of others.
Still, I could admit that there was a peaceful beauty about the place. In the late summer heat, the grass was a thick green carpet, crisscrossed by neat stone paths. Trees dotted the space, tall willows and wide yews providing shade, their fluttering branches and leaves adding a ghostly whisper to the surroundings. Wildflowers added patches of color to the sea of grays and greens, and most of the headstones glittered with colorful stones or paints.
Eve had gone in alone, leaving Vix and me to wait by the elaborate iron gate. She sat in the grass only a few rows from the entrance, head bowed, paw pressed to a particular headstone. From where I sat, I couldn't make out the words etched into it, but Eve had told me exactly what it said:
Melissa Flareon
Loving Mother
Taken too Soon
Above the words, a perfectly circular fire stone glittered, looking like flames frozen into glass. I'd guess that about a third of the graves I could see had a similar gem embedded. They glittered in the sunlight in nine hues. I should have expected just being an Eeveelution to come with a badge of honor around here, even in death. Eve's paw slowly trailed down to where fresh carvings had been etched, the letters a darker gray than the surrounding stone.
Shane Umbreon
A Good Friend
Beneath these words, another gem had been set into the stone. From this distance it seemed that there was just a void in the headstone. A circular hole that swallowed the sunlight. A moon stone, Eve had told me. Apparently it would change once night fell, becoming pearlescent beneath the light of the moon.
Nobody had known what to do with Shane's body. Between Smoke's betrayal and the Dungeon collapse, the Hatred had been reduced to tatters. They'd had less than half their original number remaining, only three of their leaders had survived, and nearly everyone who remained had been a civilian. It was doubtful that the organization would ever recover, and nobody really knew what to do with those who could only be considered refugees. Kegan had organized for an antiquated wing of Society HQ below the library to be renovated and repurposed as housing for the remains of the Hatred, though it could only be a temporary solution. Thankfully, the Hatred was used to being self-sufficient, and the remaining leadership had been the ones in charge of keeping the old base running. Word of Shane's betrayal hadn't spread very far among their ranks, and in the light of Smoke's even grander betrayal even those who had heard about it didn't seem to care.
The Expedition Society had fared better, but had still lost around twenty members between the fighting and the Dungeon collapse. Three full teams, and disparate members of over a dozen more had been lost. Shane had been one of the only bodies that anyone had recovered before the collapse, and both the Hatred and the Society seemed to see him as a symbol of their collective grief. The Hatred had insisted on cremating their fallen leader, a tradition among their organization. Considering how their base had operated, they'd never had much room to bury their dead. Sparkle and Eve had both maintained that this is what Shane would have wanted, and so it was done. The ashes had been placed in a small metal jar which now sat at the base of the gravestone.
Eve stood and took a deep, shuddering breath. Then she turned, and without looking back, she made her way towards the gate, head held high. "Are you okay?" I asked as she approached us. I was completely unprepared when she walked directly into me, pulling me into a hug.
"Dammit, dammit dammit!" Eve growled into the fur of my neck. "I didn't expect it to be that hard. I mean, I saw him. He was fine. I didn't think…"
"Yes," I said gently, resting my head atop hers, "because I was so put together when we visited my parent's graves. Just because we know that they are okay doesn't make the loss easier." She didn't respond, but her grip on me tightened. "You need a minute?" I asked.
"Please." She grunted. Then she jumped, abruptly pulling her face from my fur and looking beneath her. Vix had slipped up beside her, wrapping a few of her tails around Eve's torso, paw resting on her shoulder. The Vulpix nuzzled at Eve's side, trying her best to provide comfort. "Thank you," Eve said bringing her tail around to ruffle Vix's curls.
It took a few more minutes for Eve to collect herself, until eventually she let out one final shaky breath. "And to think, this is going to be the easiest part of today."
I grimaced. "You don't have to if you don't want to. We can just head home." Eve actually seemed to consider for a moment.
"No. I made a promise." She looked up, gauging the position of the sun. "We should probably get going if we want to make it before dinner."
"Do we want to make it before dinner?" Vix asked, looking as enthused as if we had just told her the Festival of Xerneas was canceled.
"You haven't had my mother's cooking." Eve said, a faint smile crossing her face. "Come on, no use waiting around." With that she turned and started leading us back towards town.
Collected Village was large, I'd say about two-thirds the size of Festive Town. It was still much larger than where I'd grown up. The town reminded me of tree rings. It grew from the center outwards, layers upon layers of city built upon one another, each a slightly different flavor as they stretched outwards. The graveyard had been built a good distance away from the city's center at first, but eventually the city had grown not only to reach it, but to encompass it. That was apparently why an Eeveelution graveyard was found in the middle of a neighborhood of larger bipeds. Lopunny, Simisage, Feraligatr, and Bewear milled around the streets. The buildings were smaller as well, and spread out a lot farther. One-family houses, smaller shops. As we drew closer to the center, the buildings grew larger and closer together. White-washed plaster became more common until eventually it took over, connecting the buildings together into what seemed like massive walls merely dotted with doors and windows.
Though, even as we reached the original center of town, the area where the Legacies and other aristocratic Eeveelutions lived, the buildings still weren't as tall as I'd pictured. Our house at two stories was about the same height as most of the buildings around here. And on most of them I counted three or four floors worth of windows. Still, I had to admit that the buildings were pretty. The roofs were made of clay tiles, glacial blue that stood out strikingly against the white. The windows were wide and bright, gleaming in the sunlight. Sloped sections covered in more roof tiles hung below each window, acting as an awning for the windows below them.
Ahead, the street intersected with eight others into a massive open courtyard with an impressive fountain at its center. It was just as Eve had described it: the nine Eeveelutions stood facing outward, tails entwined between them creating the spout. As I looked, though, I could see that the statues weren't perfect. There were signs of repair, paler patches where cement had been brought in to repair the stone, around the Umbreon's neck, the Espeon's leg, and the spire of entwined tails. I couldn't help but grin. Even three years on, Shane's mark had still been left on this town, for better or worse.
The courtyard was pleasantly crowded. Pokemon lounged on the rim of the fountain, sat on padded chairs around spindly metal tables, or simply walked around the circle, chatting with friends or just enjoying the summer sun. The crowd was mostly Eeveelutions, which was to be expected I guess, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that there were plenty of non-Eeveelutions as well. A Pikachu wearing a green scarf played cards with a cheerful Jolteon at one of the spindly metal tables. A scruffy Leafeon basked in the sun, tail dangling down into the fountain's pool as a Delcatty chatted animatedly beside them. I caught Eve's eye as we passed them, raising an eyebrow. She rolled her eyes in reply. "Not every Leafeon in town is related to me, Slink."
We moved slowly, following the crowd around the fountain clockwise. Every building was made of the same white plaster, practically glowing beneath a cloudless blue sky. But the town wasn't a monochrome blob. The roof tiles along each street were different colors. Deep brown, lavender, dark blue, slate-gray. Eve turned down a street that had mint-green roof tiles. "Do only Leafeon live along here?" I asked Eve.
She looked around distractedly, before realizing what had prompted the question. "Oh, of course not. I mean, there are only two legacies of each species, plus a few other homes for potential non-legacy children. Some of them are empty, and others are full of the exorbitantly wealthy. It's stupidly…" Her voice died as we approached a pair of houses about halfway up the street. They stood on opposite sides of the street, larger than the buildings around them, just enough to be noticeable. There were subtle, artful swirls of gold leaf embedded within the white plaster.
Eve gravitated towards the one on the right. Vix and I trailed behind as she stepped up onto the low stone porch, moving into the shadow of the overhang to stand before the front door. It was beautiful, three times my height and stained a gorgeous dark red. A metal door knock forged in the shape of a leaf was mounted on it, just high enough to be annoying for anyone on all-fours to try and use it. For anyone who couldn't sprout vines from their back, at least.
Eve stood and stared at the door for a long while. A few times I felt a whisper of power, the door knocker shivering slightly before falling still. "This is the part when you knock," Vix supplied. Eve didn't seem to hear her.
"Look, guys… before we go in there I… I don't know what's going to happen in there. They might say things, and…" She sighed. "No matter what, I want you both to know that I love you and nothing is going to change that. Thank you both for being here." She leaned over and I pressed my nose to hers briefly. Eve steeled herself, drawing herself up to her full height before reaching out and taking ahold of the knocker in her power. "You both ready?"
"I'm gonna guess 'no' isn't an option." Vix said quietly. I just nodded. Eve pulled back the metal leaf and let it fall back to the door with a loud bang! She knocked three more times before we heard movement on the other side of the door. The door slowly swung inward.
"Can I help you?" The Sylveon on the other side asked. She looked over the three of us curiously before her gaze settled on me and her eyes went wide.
"Hey Sam," I said, "I'm back."
My sister stood there for a moment, mouth hanging open. "Eve!" she squealed, launching herself towards me. Her ribbons and paws reached out, reeling me into a tight embrace. With her warmth pressed against me, my nervousness seemed to trickle away. I felt like an Eevee again, safe with my big sister. "It is so good to see you."
"It's incredible to see you too," I sighed.
Sam pulled back, the corner of her mouth quirked up in a smile. "So what brings you into town?"
I shuffled uncomfortably. "Is it so hard to believe that I came back to see you guys?"
Sam rolled her eyes.
"Fine, we had business in town and I promised I would come home before the year was out, so here I am."
"And I'm glad you are," Sam smiled. "It's so good to see you." She then looked past me to where Vix and Slink were sitting. "Oh, and you brought the… others."
Slink nodded politely, his smile looking more uncomfortable than anything. "Good to see you too Sam. How have you been?" Vix just grunted.
"I'm doing well, thank you." Sam actually gave him a smile, though hers was also forced. She turned back to me. "Are you… sure about this Eve?"
I couldn't help but laugh at that. "Seems a bit late to be worrying about that now. Besides, I can't really keep this under wraps." Sam looked confused for a moment, looking between me and Slink until eventually her gaze settled on the badge token pinned to my scarf. She whipped her head around so fast her neck cracked, immediately finding the pendant hanging from Slink's neck. It hung from a thick leather cord, and was about the same size as the Everstone pendant he had before. It was shaped like the Dreamstone symbol, of course, complimenting my own badge, delicately worked from gold with a silver jump ring at the top to connect it to the chord. It would be obvious to anyone who cared to look what exactly the tokens meant.
Sam sighed. "Eve, you never make things easy for yourself, do you?"
"Did you really expect me to start now?" We sat in silence for an uncomfortable minute. "Er, is dad… around?"
"You actually just missed him. He got called into work. Austin went with him. Apparently some issue with a shipment over in Lapras Port." Sam smirked at me. "Oh, how rude of me. Would you like to come inside? No point in us standing out here. Besides, I'm sure the others would like to see you."
"Absolutely," I said eagerly. The knot in my stomach eased a little. Though, I recognized that I was simply putting off the main problem. Sam kindly pulled the door open and held it as the three of us entered.
No matter how many times I saw it, the atrium always impressed me. It was four stories tall and stretched nearly the whole length of the house. The bleached plaster from outside bled perfectly into immaculately polished marble that coated the floor and walls, stretching upward towards a glass ceiling. In the center of the room, an enormous marble statue sat, leaf-like tail curled around his legs, upturned face mere inches from the glass roof.
A massive indoor flowerbed ringed the statue's feet, practically bursting with ferns and waxy, green grasses beneath a canopy of palm branches. Perfectly manicured flowers sprouted around the statue's feet, and Ivy clung to his tail, painting the stone leaf an accurate, living emerald.
A grand staircase with a polished bronze bannister clung to the wall on the statue's right, wrapping behind it. Throughout the whole atrium, there wasn't a leaf out of place. No smudges on the bannister, no displaced soil or fallen leaves on the floor. There was a quiet emptiness to the massive room that made it feel like a cathedral. A sacred space rather than someplace people actually lived.
I nudged Slink, who was staring awestruck at the statue. He blinked at me, as though he were suddenly seeing me in a new light. "You mentioned your family being important here. I didn't expect 'massive indoor statue' level of important."
"You get used to it," Sam added, barely glancing up at the statue. "When you see it every morning on your way to breakfast, it loses a bit of its gravitas."
"The Ivy is new," I commented.
"It's been two years, Eve," Sam said. Her tone wasn't harsh, but there was a sting in her words that hit me harder than I'd expected. "It isn't too hard to imagine things changing. Probably doesn't surprise you to hear it was Emma's idea. Dad hates it, but mom thinks it adds 'character'." She shrugged before leading the three of us around the right side of the statue, towards a small arch cut in the stone behind the massive Leafeon. "Come on, everyone's in the kitchen."
For how big the room was, this doorway was tiny, the circular opening so short that if I stood on my tip-toes my ears would brush along the ceiling. Slink had to tuck his down in order to fit. Anything bigger would have to crawl along on its belly to get anywhere.
"So, how are things going with your… friend?" I asked Sam as we entered the short hallway beyond.
Sam flinched as though I had just accused her of some terrible crime. When she relaxed though, there was a faint smile on her face. "It's… good. You know, dad wanted me to spend more time with Cascade, remember Marie's son. He's actually the one who introduced us. I never thought… someone could make me happy like this. But… " She paused, and I leaned forward. Sam looked around again, as if expecting a crowd to have gathered since the last time she'd checked. "...Well, I guess we reached a breaking point."
I cocked my head at her. "Why is that?"
"Most guys don't like it when you tell them you want to keep your relationship secret, turns out." Sam sighed. "We usually meet in the cafe down in the plaza, or in the park down by the Shiny Stone shop. But we can't spend that much time together, or show much affection, or talk too much…" I put my paw on Sam's shoulder, but she shrugged it off.
"Sam, I know it's hard –"
"No, you really don't, Eve. I'm sorry, but you don't." I flinched backward.
I probably should have let it go. But I found myself speaking, "Yeah, your're right. Shane and I never had to deal with any of that. It's not like that was why I left in the first place."
Sam shot me a dirty look. "Yeah. And imagine what that did to us who were still living here. What that did to us who worked for dad as well." She sighed. "It's fine. It's my problem, not yours." She finished quickly, clearly done talking about it.
I watched her for a moment, wanting to say something else, but before I could think of anything we emerged into the kitchen. The ceiling rose back up to a comfortable height on the other side of the passage, though it was still only around five feet tall. The floor and ceiling were tiled in wooden planks, stained a dark brown, and the walls had been painted a deep forest green. It wasn't dark or claustrophobic though. Massive, floor-to-ceiling windows lined the back wall, looking out at the garden that ran between this row of houses and the next. Short countertops capped with even more marble glowed in the ample sunlight. Three Pokemon were gathered around the counter, chatting around a collection of steaming mugs. Two of them sat on the far side of the counter, silhouetted against the sunlight, but the third sat with their back to us. "Samantha dear, who was at the door?" The voice was low and quiet, like a purr that had been shaped into words.
I nearly lost it right there. Just hearing her voice again was worth all of this. Sam glanced at me, cocking her head as if to ask "Do you want to answer?"
I nodded. It took me a moment to gather my voice, make it as solid as I could. "Hey, mom."
The room went silent at the sound of my voice, the three Pokemon frozen in surprise. One of them had even frozen with their paw suspended in the air, having stopped halfway through reaching for their mug. The Pokemon on our side of the counter slowly turned, piercing blue-green eyes wide with excitement.
She surged forward with a sound of claws scrabbling against wood. Three incredibly quick bounds brought her to me where she caught me with a crushing hug. "Oh, Evelyn. My dear Evelyn. You're home!"
"Hi mom," I whimpered, finally letting go. I pressed my face into her shoulder, the one I'd always been able to cry on. "I'm so happy to see you."
My mother took a step back, looking me up and down. I shifted uncomfortably under her gaze. I shrugged my beat-up explorer pack up higher on my shoulder as I tried to Psychically pull my scarf tighter around my shoulders. She must have caught the movement though, as she reached up, putting a paw on my shoulder. "You look great, my dear."
I blushed. "You do too." I hadn't been given much of a chance to really look at her until now. I was taller than her, I realized with a jolt. When had that happened? Her fur seemed to glitter; looking closer I saw that she had dusted herself with tiny ice crystals that gleamed in the sunlight. She'd also expanded the crest atop her head with layer upon layer of ice until it had become a crown of icicles in glacial greens, blues, and purples.
Before mom could say anything more, something slammed into my shoulder, knocking me to the ground. For a moment, the world became a whirl of tan, brown, and purple. "Evie! Eve! You're home, you're home, you're home!"
"Emily," my mother chided, though the effect was ruined slightly considering she seemed to be struggling not to laugh, "do not jump on your sister like that. You are going to hurt her if you keep that up."
A smiling face swam into view above me. "Hey Emma," I wheezed. "Great to see you too. Would you mind getting up? You're crushing me a little."
"Oh, sorry." The weight lifted, and I slowly got to my feet. I had to readjust my scarf and bag again, and as I did I looked to Emma who sat a few steps away, tail wagging madly as she looked at me. She'd only just evolved when I'd left home, so she was still in that awkward stage where she wasn't quite used to her body yet. Still she was the very model of a fit young Leafeon, except…
"I like your leaves," I said with a grin. She blinked at me, before she tried to look up at the leaf on her head. Instead of the usual green, every leaf on her body from her head to her tail was a deep purple color.
"Thanks," Emma chirped, "Ms. Shaymin from down the street helped me with them. You just have to soak them in Belue Berry juice, apparently. She told me that I can get a cool orange color out of Occa Berries. I want to try that one next."
I grinned at Emma, but I shot a sidelong glance at my mother whose smile had grown a bit stiff. I could guess what dad's opinion on this choice was. "So, how long are you in town for?" mom said, quickly changing the subject.
"Well," I licked my lips. Nobody seemed to have noticed Slink or Vix yet. This seemed as good a time to broach the subject as any. "We were hoping to stay for dinner. And maybe the night if that's alright." I turned my head just enough to catch a glimpse of Slink, still tucked back in the shadows of the hallway, watching the proceedings with mild curiosity.
"Of course," my mother said excitedly, clearly missing what I had been trying to imply, "you are always welcome in this house."
I couldn't help but smile at that, though the knot in my stomach tightened a bit. How was I going to introduce Slink? A new voice interrupted my thoughts. "Actually Nadine dear, I believe she was asking about her guests." I spun around, startled by the voice. Another Espeon sat only a few feet from me. I hadn't heard her move, but she had always had the uncanny ability to sneak up on me.
"Aunt Ruby?" I asked in surprise. She at least hadn't seemed to change in the past few years. Same smirking grin, same discerning gaze. She still wore that golden hoop through the base of her left ear. In fact, the only thing that seemed to have changed was a dusting of silver fur around her muzzle. She nodded in response to my question, but she wasn't looking at me. She looked past me, towards where Slink was "hidden".
"Hey kiddo," Ruby said. "Nice to see you and all that. Who's your friend?" Slink stepped from the hallway, shoulders hunched sheepishly. He kept his eyes on me. "I'll follow your lead" his expression read.
I sighed, closing my eyes. Anxiety crawled up my throat, using sharp claws for purchase. "Mom, Emma, Ruby, this is Slink, my…" My voice faltered. What did I want to introduce him as? Teammate? Partner? Mate? My earlier conversation with Sam flitted through my mind. Was I really ready to reveal our relationship? Too late, I realized that I'd hesitated too long, the silence in the room dragging on to an awkward length. All eyes were on the Fennekin as I stumbled over my own tongue.
"Slink?" My mother's eyes narrowed as she repeated the name. My heart leapt into my throat as I scanned the kitchen. I found Sam, hunkered down by the counter, head bowed as though trying to avoid attention. I'd known that she had mentioned something to my parents after her visit last year, but just how much had she told them?
My mother advanced on Slink, footsteps so quick that for a moment, I thought I would have to throw myself between them. Then she pulled him into a crushing embrace. Slink's eyes went wide, looking about as surprised as I felt. This was not how I had expected this to go, though I wasn't complaining.
"Thank you," my mother said. "Thank you for being there for my daughter."
"Uh," was all Slink managed as my mother stepped back, beaming at him. She then turned to me, smile never wavering. She reached up, tapping my badge with a paw.
"I see things have changed since Samantha visited." She pulled me into a hug as well, squeezing tight.
"You're not mad?" I asked, feeling a strange mix of excitement and relief.
"Mad? Why on Earth would I be mad? Your father and I may forget it from time to time, but you are an adult. Evelyn, are you happy?" She cocked her head at me.
The knot in my gut almost completely unraveled at that moment. Those words meant more to me than I could have dreamed. I looked to Slink and let myself smile. "Yes, of course I am."
My mother nodded. "Then of course I'm not mad. That's all I want for you, dear. That's all any of us want for you." She glanced back at Slink, but something new seemed to have caught her attention. She crouched onto her belly, looking past Slink. "I see you back there. Who might you be, young lady?"
Vix shrank back, doing her best to hide herself in Slink's shadow. She peeked out shyly, still not quite sure what to make of the glittering Glaceon. "I'm Vix," she mumbled, turning her face into Slink's leg.
"Mom, this is Vix, our daughter." The last word I said as firmly as I could, locking eyes with Vix as I did. I'd failed to claim Slink. I wasn't about to do the same to her. My chosen epithet certainly gathered attention. Apparently Sam hadn't told them about my exact relationship to Vix.
My mother was the first to speak. "I will be honest. I was not expecting to become a grandmother today." She turned back to the Vulpix, smiling gently. "It's very nice to meet you, Vix."
"Vix?" Emma echoed, approaching Vix from behind. She bent down – though she wasn't that much taller than Vix – until her nose was only a few inches from her. Emma had always had problems with personal space. Vix spun around, now with her back to Slink, staring at my sister warily. "Sam told me about you," Emma said excitedly. "She told me that you really liked games."
"Yeah," Vix said warily, "I do."
"Cool! Check it out, I got a cool new dice game last week, but Sam won't play it with me and dad's been busy. Would you wanna try it?" Vix blinked at the torrent of words, not quite sure what to do with the young Leafeon.
"Uh, sure," she said finally.
"Awesome. I'll go get it!" Without another word Emma shot from the room headed back towards the atrium. Vix shot me a mildly bewildered look, and I could only shrug in return. My sister was a bit of an odd Psyduck.
"That girl," my mother chuckled as though hearing my thoughts. "Vix, you can tell her no if you don't want to play."
Vix blushed again. "No, it's… I'm okay."
My mother regarded her for a moment and then nodded. "Alright then." She looked back at me and Slink. "Oh, where are my manners. Come in and sit down, you two. Can I get you anything? Coffee? Tea? I made some Sitrus berry juice yesterday."
"Tea is good," Slink said softly.
"Same for me," I said. My mother nodded, bustling into the kitchen to get started. Sam and Ruby returned to their own mugs around the counter, talking quietly to each other, occasionally shooting glances at me.
I sat down next to Slink, leaning my head onto his shoulder. I closed my eyes, doing my best to keep everyone from seeing the relieved tears that stung them. "I… that went so much better than I ever thought it would." I spoke softly so only Slink would hear me. "Damn, and we're not even done yet."
Slink rested his head atop mine, humming softly against my cheek. "So Evelyn, huh?" That was about the last thing I'd expected him to say, and despite everything, it drew an inappropriate burst of laughter from me.
"That's Eve to you, Mister," I giggled, nudging him playfully with my shoulder. "You know, we nearly made it two years before that came up."
The front door shut.
The damn thing was so heavy that no matter how gently you tried to shut it, it still sent a resounding bang throughout the house, a lesson that I'd learned the hard way the first time I tried sneaking out. The sound elicited the same shock of fear now as it did all those years ago.
Everyone else fell silent at the sound, Sam's mouth still hung open as if she'd frozen mid-word. It had been a pleasant afternoon, especially compared to the dread I'd been feeling all day. Vix and Emma had tucked themselves in a corner of the kitchen, playing a game while the rest of us remained around the counter, chatting amicably. Mother, Ruby, and Sam showered questions on me about my life the past few years. Where did we live, what did we do for the Expedition Society, did we have other team members, how did the two of us meet? Every so often they'd ask a question or two of Slink, but for the most part their attention remained on me. I knew Slink didn't mind, and besides, I was glad to be able to spend time with them all. I was actually having fun.
Until I'd heard the door.
The knot in my stomach that had plagued me most of the day seemingly cinched tighter. I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears, nearly drowning out the sound of footsteps echoing in from the atrium. For a brief moment, I could hardly breathe for it. Slink shot me a sideways look, appearing just as pained as I felt.
The footsteps grew closer, and with them my father's voice. "Nadine dear, are you all in the kitchen?"
My mother's eyes flicked to me. "Yes, in here, love." Her voice came out a touch raspier than normal, though I didn't think my father would notice. His footsteps drew closer, seeming to come faster and faster, or maybe that was just my heartbeat.
My father emerged into the kitchen. In the two years I'd been away, I'd thought of my father often. I guess at some point, my memories, anxieties, and feelings had gotten mixed together, altering the image I had of the Pokemon. In my head he was a towering figure, with sleek fur and full, vibrant leaves, exuding confidence and power. The Leafeon before me was none of that. He was just a Leafeon. His shoulders were hunched with exhaustion, his fur frazzled more than I'd ever seen it. The leaf atop his head was brown and withered around the edges, the core of it a paler green.
"Dear Entai," he said as he entered the room, "that was an absolute disaster. Apparently I'm the only one who can do what they are supposed to without being told. How were things around here today?"
My mom glanced over her shoulder at me. "It's been good, dear. We, uh, have some visitors."
"Visitors?" Dad said, straightening up instantly. He looked around, finding me almost instantly. His mouth fell open as his brain processed what he was seeing. He took a few cautious steps towards me as though afraid that I'd vanish at any moment.
Before he could say anything more, a brown streak flashed across the space between us. "Evie! Evie! Is it really you?" At least my little brother was excited to see me.
"Of course it's me Austin," I laughed, bending down so that I was at eye level with the tiny Eevee.
"Daddy, look, it's Evie! Did you know she was gonna be here?"
"I didn't." His voice, when it finally came, was hardly a whisper. "It's a...welcome surprise." He took another slow step towards me.
The knot in my stomach still felt like it was trying to force my insides out though my mouth. But at the same time, something dragged me forward, a yearning in my chest. I matched his tentative steps. For a moment we both hesitated, but then I closed the gap between us, embracing my father. He responded immediately, folding me into his chest, his head atop my head, my cheek against the cool leaves on his chest.
My father had never been much for hugs. I could count the embraces I remembered from him on one paw. It was so different from when Slink held me. With him it was like being wrapped in a fluffy blanket next to a merrily crackling fire. An overall cozy experience. My dad's hugs were more like jumping into a pile of fallen leaves. He smelled like sun-baked grasses, and his touch was light. "I'm so glad you've returned to me, my daughter."
I stepped back from him, giving him a wary smile. "Yeah, it's good to be back."
"If you had told me that you'd be coming, I would have ensured that I was home to greet you, Evelyn."
"Apologies. This was more a spur-of-the-moment decision."
His expression flickered, his smile faltering for the briefest moment. "Doesn't it take three days to get here from Festive town? You traveled that far on a mere whim?"
"Did you expect me to send a letter that would take longer to get here than we did?" I took a deep breath. He'd been here mere moments and we were already at it again. Why did we always have to argue?
This time my father's smile actually disappeared. "Eve, I really wish you wouldn't lie to me like this. You know I have friends on the City council. They told me a week ago that my daughter had paid for a gravestone in Noe Hill to be engraved and fitted with a gem. Doesn't seem that spur of the moment."
I had no words. I just stood agape at hearing this gross invasion of my business. I don't know why I expected something different, even after two years away. "Frankly, I believe that that is none of your business. I said that we didn't know if we'd come by here. Maybe there was more than one reason for that."
My father blinked, my words taking him completely off guard. "We seem to have gotten off on the wrong foot, my daughter. It truly is good to see you. I've been eagerly awaiting your return since I received your letter. Though I hadn't expected to wait more than a month for you to appear."
I winced, guilt stirring in my stomach. "Sorry about that. When I wrote you I thought that 'soon' would come sooner. Things just got… busy after that." It was certainly an accurate description, though I doubted "busy" was quite enough to describe accepting matehood, adopting a daughter, raiding a heavily fortified enemy base, and doing battle with a warrior with the inherited power of a dead god. I doubt any single word could describe all of that.
My father nodded. "So, how long are you around for?"
I did my best not to let out a sigh of relief. Thank Arceus he was changing the subject. "Just for the night," I said.
"Oh, so short," he said. "I'm even more sorry to have not been here now. I had hoped that you had intended to stay longer."
"We didn't want to impose," I said. I hesitated over my next words. Was it time to rip off the bandage? It had to happen eventually. "Really, I came back to introduce you to some Pokemon."
My father's mouth tightened at that. His eyes flicked to the side, towards where Slink was doing his best to look like an unobtrusive stretch of wall. Wait… how long had he known that Slink was there?
"Ah yes, Samantha told me about… them." He turned to Slink, mouth still pulled into a thin line. "You must be the partner. Slink, I presume."
"Yes," Slink said. He straightened under my father's glare, unflinchingly meeting the Leafeon's eyes. "It's nice to meet you. Eve has told me a lot about you."
"And it's mate now," I added quickly. My father returned his attention to me, eyebrows raised, something like panic crossing his face.
"I see," he said finally. "Busy indeed." My heart pounded in my throat. What was he thinking?
Before he could say anything else, my mother spoke up. "Sorry to interrupt you both, but dinner is nearly ready. Slink, Ruby, would you be willing to help set the table?"
"Actually," Slink said, "would you be able to show me to a bathroom? I'd like to wash up before dinner if that's alright?"
"Oh, of course," she said. "It's uh… down the hall and then, up the stairs on your right and…"
"I can show him," I said, jumping on the opportunity he had presented. I walked as quickly as I could, just hoping that Slink was keeping up. Once we were out of view I nearly stumbled. My body was shaking, and I couldn't stop it.
"Eve, are you okay?" Slink asked as we stepped out of earshot, but I didn't answer. My own momentum pulled me forward. Arguing with my father always made me feel this way. My steps came faster. Was Slink even still following me? I didn't know. I shoved open the door, stumbling to the toilet. I had hardly anything in my stomach, so I was left to dry-heave over it, tears dripping from my muzzle.
Slink appeared at my side. He said nothing, just resting a paw on my shoulder. A simple gesture that spoke volumes. I'm here. What do you need?
I leaned forward, resting my forehead on the wall. It felt cool against my gem. I took a deep breath. The knot in my stomach had unraveled a least, but somehow that still didn't make me feel better. "I hate this," I croaked when I could find my voice.
Slink's mind enveloped mine like a hug. His warm steadiness containing the tempest in my own head. "It can't be easy standing up to him like that," he said.
"Slink… I… I can't do this." As I said the words, I realized how stupid they sounded. I'd faced down death half a dozen times by now. I'd willingly faced down Smoke, jumped directly into his path rather than let him hurt more Pokemon. And yet here was where I'd fallen apart?
"Eve, you aren't a coward," he continued. I jumped, but I should have realized. Our minds were so tightly wound together, of course he knew what I was thinking. "It isn't ridiculous that this scares you. It would scare me too."
"Fine, I guess. But Slink, you saw. I could barely push back against the smallest thing without falling apart. I can barely look at him most of the time. What am I supposed to do?"
"I don't know," he said. "You know that if I could solve this for you, if I thought that would make it better, I would. But I can't, and it won't."
"Well that's real helpful," I sighed. "Do you have any good advice? Seriously, what should I do?"
"You know what the answer is Eve. Nothing is going to change until you confront him. The two of you can't just keep dancing around each other like this."
I sighed. "I know. I just… why does this have to be so difficult?"
"At least it will be over. Whatever his answer is, it can't be worse than this back and fourth, right?"
"Right," I groaned. "I guess we should head back. Everyone's probably waiting on us."
I took a few minutes to clean myself up and make sure I was presentable for when we returned. Slink stayed by my side the entire time.
Like everything else in my father's house, the dining room table was very finely made. The thick plank of wood was stained a chestnut red-brown, stretching nearly fifteen feet perched upon six stubby little legs. The table top hardly came up to my chest as I sat beside it. Instead of chairs, a collection of cushions in shades of brown and green provided seating.
It was a nostalgic feeling, sitting at this table again. Here and there I could see the little scars that my sisters and I had left on it over our childhoods. A line of scratches that I had left accidentally when I had first evolved. A long gouge across one of the legs where Sam had accidentally thrown a plate when I was only five. I wrapped my tail around the leg now, tip tracing over the time-smoothed gash. It was reassuring.
Especially since I still felt his gaze on the back of my neck.
My dad sat at the head of the table, as was his usual place. He'd sat there for every meal I could remember. Tonight though he had insisted that I take the spot to his right, usually my brother's spot. He'd been staring at me since I sat down, clearly ready to continue the discussion where we'd left off, and I was running out of ways to ignore him.
Sam met my eyes across the table. She was sitting further down, nearly on the opposite end. She raised an eyebrow as she caught my eye, ducking as aunt Ruby passed a steaming taureen over her head. I tilted my head, inclining it towards dad. The corner of Sam's mouth quirked up slightly before she spoke up. "You know Eve, you still haven't told us much about working for the Expedition Society." She winked at me.
"Oooh, yeah!" Emma crowed. "Tell us about it, Eve. Do you get to go into Dungeons all the time?"
I smiled, straightening up a little. "We do, actually. Kinda feels weird to say but they actually feel almost mundane at this point. But that isn't all of our jobs. I don't particularly like going into Dungeons if we don't have to –"
"Speak for yourself," Vix interjected, which was met with chuckles around the table.
"I really love the fact that we get to tavel all the time," I continued. "We've been all over the Fire Continent, we went to the Water Continent last winter, and we got back from the Mist Continent a couple of weeks ago."
"Oh, the Water Continent," my father said brightly. I flinched, refusing to look at him even as he spoke. "My company recently started working with a Cofagrigus from there. I assume you saw Lively Town. He says it's beautiful."
I held my breath a moment more, wondering if that was all he had to say. "Er, yeah that's where we landed. We got to tour their Expedition Society, which was… impressive to say the least. It put ours to shame really. We didn't get to spend much time in the city though." Again I waited, holding my breath for a few moments, but my father didn't say much else. Instead the conversation moved on. My mother had chimed in about how one of her friends had been to the Water Continent. I still didn't dare look at my father.
I felt like I was going insane. My insides felt like they were doing their best to twist themselves into a larger and more complicated knot than the one already there. Was I being stupid flinching every time he said something? Was I crazy for clinging to his every word, waiting for some inevitable shoe to drop?
"So Slink," Aunt Ruby said dragging my attention back to the conversation, "how about you? Where are you from?"
Slink jumped, surprised at being addressed. "Oh, er, I'm from the Fire Continent. I grew up in Lake Ogon, by the Crimson Peak."
"Oh yes, I've been that way a time or two," Ruby said. "Gorgeous lake, and such a beautiful town too."
Slink opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, my father spoke up. "Your family still lives around there, I presume. What do they do?" Could my father have chosen a more dangerous topic? My heart was pounding in my throat. I looked to Slink, who seemed determined to keep his expression neutral.
"They aren't, actually," he said. I was impressed by how well he was able to keep his voice steady. "They… passed two years ago. An accident. That's part of why I joined the Expedition Society. My dad had an Enchanting Workshop in town. My mom worked at the library in town."
My dad was silent for a long moment. Oh Arceus, what was he about to say?
"My condolences on your loss. It must be hard, losing both of them at once." He paused for a moment. "Enchanting. I can't say I've ever had anything of my own enchanted, of course, but I've heard of the process. It's unique to your kind, no?" Slink nodded. "I daresay, your father must have been much in demand then."
Slink shrugged. "He was successful, though Lake Ogon isn't large enough that he had too many local orders. I think he preferred it that way." He cleared his throat. "Sorry, I just… I'd rather not talk about my parents, please."
"Of course," my father said. "My apologies."
The table fell silent save for the clatter of plates. As promised, my mother had provided a truly delicious feast, but I could hardly stomach it. I managed a few bites, but they all seemed to stick in my throat. Slink too didn't seem to have mutch of an appetite, mainly pushing his food around his plate. Vix at least was tucking in with her usual gusto. She had her muzzle almost buried in her plate, slurping noisily. I couldn't help but smile despite how bad I felt, and I wasn't the only one. Sam and Emma were struggling to keep their giggles contained as they watched the little fox. My mother was beaming, probably taking her noisy gobbling as a sincere compliment.
And then in one moment, it all came crashing down. I heard a sharp sniff behind me. For the first time since we had sat down, I looked over at my father. He stared at Vix, upper lip curled in disgust, his brow furrowed in clear disdain. Vix seemed to sense the weight of his gaze. She froze, muzzle still deep in her plate. She raised her gaze, flinching as she found the Leafeon leering over her. Vix sat up at once, sauce dripping from the tip of the nose.
"You know Evelyn, perhaps I should have expected you'd raise her like that." The saturated tension in the air pulled taut, all eyes shooting to my dad. Smiles vanished. Vix slowly sank down onto her belly, the only thing visible above the table were her disheveled curls. Slink tensed next to me, the air around him growing slightly warmer.
"Like what, dad?" I said softly, barely managing to keep a growl out of my voice.
"Oh nothing. I just wouldn't have expected her to be such a wild child. Like a feral."
"I'd much prefer if you didn't insult my daughter or my mate. Especially not in front of me." My mouth felt dry, and I clung to the table leg with my tail to stop from trembling as I snarled the last few words.
The room became a tableau. Entirely silent, as though the slightest noise would call unwanted attention to them. I kept my gaze locked on my father. I could feel my heart pounding in my temples.
"My... apologies daughter." That was it. That was all the apology I was going to get. His words at least seemed to diffuse the situation, for everyone except the three of us.
The rest of dinner was eaten in silence. Once the last plate was clean, or in my case, pushed to the center of the table, my mom stood. "Samantha, Ruby, would you mind helping me with the dishes?"
"Of course, Nadine," the Espeon said in the same low, even tone she'd used all night. "No problem at all."
"I can help," Slink chimed in as well, taking his, Vix's and my plates in his mental grip.
My mother smiled. "Dear, you're our guest. There is no need to –"
"It's no trouble, really," he insisted. My mother just nodded and turned to lead the way into the kitchen. Before Slink could take a single step through, he hesitated, shooting me a quick glace. I gave him a tiny nod in exchange. He trailed after Sam and Ruby, the three of them clattering under the weight of many dishes.
With Slink out of the way, I finally had a clear view of Vix, and I felt another wave of rage wash over me. She was still hunched over, doing her best to hide her face in her cushion. Doing my best to ignore everyone's stares, I leaned over to her. "Hey, are you alright?" I whispered.
"Yeah, I'm… I'm fine," she squeaked, her face still pressed into the pillow. "It's just… I'm… tired. It's been a long day, right. I'd…I want to go to bed I think."
"You don't have to," I said quietly. "I'm sure Emma and Austin would love to play with you if you asked."
She shook her head, and then, so quietly that I could barely hear it said, "I don't want to embarrass you again."
I closed my eyes, fighting back the angry tears that were threatening to spill out. "You aren't an embarrassment Vix. Don't you ever think that." What was I supposed to do. Getting her out of here seemed a good idea, but I didn't want to leave her up in my room alone. I doubted that would help. I briefly wondered if it was worth it to go get Slink and have him take her up, when a thin green vine snaked out, wrapping around Vix's shoulders.
"Hey Vix, we still got a few hours before bedtime. Would you like to come up to my room? I've got a whole bunch of other games up there. Maybe we can play one." I closed my eyes, silently thanking my sister. I owed her so much for this.
Vix glanced at her sheepishly, then nodded. "Yeah, that… that sounds fun."
"Awesome," Emma cheered. "Come on Austin you too."
The little Eevee beamed at her, waving a little paw as Emma dragged him away. "Bye daddy, bye Evie."
I closed my eyes, letting out a deep shuddering breath. At least I didn't need to worry about her anymore. Finally it was just me and my father. Alone.
"Glad that daughter of yours is getting along with Emily so well." He said, watching the three of them go. Then he turned back to me, studying my face for a long moment. "Evelyn, I'm truly sorry for what I said back there –"
I held up a paw, cutting off the rest of that sentence. "Vix is the one you should be apologizing to." I took a deep breath. I was starting to feel sick again, but I forced it down. Slink was right, this had to happen, and I wouldn't shy away again. "Dad, we need to talk."
He nodded slowly. "I believe we do. How about the den? Might as well be comfortable right?"
I nodded. I didn't really care where we went.
"Excellent." He said, before standing and leading me from the room. I followed closely on his heels, my heart rate staring to pick up. Thankfully it was a short walk to the den. The room was about the same size as the dining room had been, and was lined with massive pillows in earthen shades. The dark gaping maw of an empty hearth took up nearly the entirety of the far wall, flanked by two large, overstuffed bookcases. I'd spent so many days curled up on the dusty-tan pillow back by the window, reading one of the massive books or playing games with Sam and Emma at my sides. I'd always thought of this room as cozy, but here, with just the two of us, it felt claustrophobic.
My father settled himself atop his favorite pillow, the hunter green one with golden stitching right next to the father. He lounged there like a Sphinx, regarding me as I continued to stand before. Him. He was waiting for me to speak first, I realized, but now that we were here, I wasn't entirely sure how to begin.
"Why do we always fight?" I finally asked him.
For some reason, that question seemed to catch him off-guard. He shifted uncomfortably, looking everywhere but at me. "I knew we'd get to that eventually." He sighed. "Evelyn, can you please just trust me that everything I've done was because –"
"– you wanted what was best for me," I growled. "You must be tired of saying it, because I'm tired of hearing it." My stomach writhed, but I wouldn't back down. I could be sick over it later.
"What would you like me to say? It's the truth, whether you like it or not."
"Father, you can't keep using that as an excuse. What about earlier tonight? Criticizing my every action? Insulting my mate and daughter? How is any of that good for me?"
He was silent for a good while. "I may have been… rash tonight in my judgements. Like I said earlier, I truly didn't mean to insult you." He sighed. "I could perhaps say that my exhaustion loosened my tongue more than I'd expected, but that's no excuse. Honestly, I can see now that Slink really does care about you. But I can't help but see… that Umbreon when I look at him."
"Shane. His name was Shane."
"Shane then. I just… I think about how badly you were hurt back then and I can only think… was there anything I could have done that would have saved you from it?"
Some part of my brain was screaming for me to stop. To back down. To run. I didn't. "I don't care. If I had to do it all over again I would. I made the choices I made back then, and no amount of you lecturing me would have changed that. You don't get to tell me what choices to make, who I am, or who I love. If I make mistakes, then I will learn from them, without you watching over my shoulder!" I was shouting now, but I couldn't bring myself to care. "I don't care if you like the decisions I make, but you are going to respect them! Otherwise I will go get Slink and Vix, and we'll be gone."
"S-sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." A new voice chimed in. Both of us turned as one to find Sam standing in the doorway. Her fur looked damp in patches, as though she had been splashed with water. Apparently dishes were going well. She looked between the two of us, looking more than a little worried.
"Did you need something?" my father asked immediately, taking this as a convenient out to our current conversation.
"No, we heard…uh… loud voices. Ruby sent me back to see if… everything was alright."
"We're fine," my father said far too quickly. "We were just discussing things. Don't let us bother you."
"Right," Sam said. She looked at me, raising an eyebrow.
I gritted my teeth. I wanted to continue shouting. I wanted to scream at him for trying to Sneasel his way out of this, at Sam for never backing me up. At everyone. I took a deep breath. My father wanted to move on, but I wasn't about to let them. "It's fine Sam. We were just talking about how dad was trying to dictate my life for me."
"Evelyn!" my father gasped. "That isn't… you're wrong. I am not trying to dictate anything. I just… I want to help you. To guide you. Take Samantha, for example."
Sam's eyes went wide and she physically recoiled. "Hey, don't bring her into this," I growled.
"No, no, it's fine. With my guidance, Samantha has a good job, she has good prospects for her future. She doesn't mind my help, do you, Sam?"
My sister stood frozen, afraid to even move. "I… I uh…" she looked frantically between our father and me. Guilt twisted my insides, I'd put her on the spot and it wasn't really fair to her. She looked back at me. I reached out tentatively, connecting our minds just slightly.
Please don't make me do this, Eve. Sam silently begged.
Sam, I can't do this alone. I replied. He won't listen to me!
I'm not ready.
Are you ever going to be ready? Sam, I'm here with you. I will fight for you if it comes to that, and if you ever need anything, I'll be there. But right now I need you. I need your help.
Eve…
Please Sam. I was begging at this point. Please.
She stared at me desperately, and then looked back at our father. Her expression hardened, she took a deep breath, and forced the words from her mouth. "Actually dad, there's… something I've been meaning to tell you about."
Of all the things Sam could have possibly said, this was probably the last thing he had ever expected. She gritted her teeth, but it was out there now. A dam had been opened, and all at once the story just slipped out. "I've been seeing someone for the past few months. He's a Growlithe. He works at that bakery over on Nova street. He's so thoughtful and sweet. I think… I think he could be someone special."
"Samantha, I… I had no idea." my father said, his eyes wide. "You never said anything."
"Of course I didn't," Sam nearly shouted. "I saw what happened with Eve and Shane. I see what is happening now with Slink. I was always afraid of going through that, being treated the way that you treated her." She turned to me, grimacing. "Maybe I should have said something sooner. Maybe we wouldn't have gotten to this point if I had. I'm sorry."
My father didn't say another word. He sat there staring at… nothing in particular, it seemed. His eyes were fixed on a point just over Sam's shoulder. His jaw worked, his lips twitched, and yet he didn't manage a single word.
"Dad, honestly you've been a shackle around my leg for years now. And I'm sure Sam feels the same."
"Shackle is a bit of a stong word," Sam gave a half-hearted protest, though she didn't deny what I had said.
"Dad, I love you," I said quietly. "Nothing will ever change that. But we can't keep doing this. I'm so tried of fighting with you whenever we're together. I want to be like how we were before, but that's up to you." I took a step back, looking between my father and sister. "I'm going to see if mom needs any help. I'm sure the two of you have plenty to talk about."
As I left, Sam caught me. She didn't even bother hiding it as she pulled me into a nearly crushing hug, legs and ribbons wrapping me in a cocoon. "Thank you," she whispered in my ear. "Thank you." She released me just as quickly, moving into the room where my father was still staring wide-eyed at the both of us. I didn't look back as I started towards the kitchen to where my mate was waiting for me. I didn't need to. Sam would be fine, because things were going to be different now.
