Can admit it's a little hard to think of what to put here when there's so little remark on the actual events of the previous chapters. Alas, it's tradition, so I shall do it all the same. Let's read Chapter 11!
Chapter 11
A Festival
Confetti rained down, a shower streaming from the town gates that covered the streets with all manner of color, yet at the same time painted in an array of brown and green. Music assailed Juliana and her group, all three stopping short at the sight before them. Everything was louder than it had been on the road, impacted by the closeness of the buildings in the rustic country town.
Stands lined the street, filled with vendors and hawkers of every type. Some were serving food, while others had wares. As if drawn to find out more, they recovered from the suddenness of their entry and entered the town proper. The confetti continued to fall around them, getting in their hair and on their clothes. Juliana tried brushing it off, but considered it a pointless effort, though not nearly as pointless as Nymble trying to strike the confetti and failing.
"What's going on here?" Arven asked with a drawn shock. He was turning every way he could, examining the festive state of the town with a smile on his face. His eyes taken off the goal, he bumped into a lamppost and sent some Fletchling scattering on the winds. "Ha, what a sight."
"Looks like we arrived in time for something special," Serena commented, running a hand through her hair as she grinned. Like Arven, she tried to absorb the sights around Cortondo, but showed far more grace and energy, spinning around some children that ran down the streets. They all nearly bumped into Juliana, not paying attention to where they were going. She adopted a scowl.
"Lucky us…" was the murmur. She paused a moment and looked back, noticing that Koraidon had stopped at a stall, leaning in towards skewers of vegetables with an excited look. Wattrel matched him, and no matter how much Quaxly pulled on them, his efforts looked fruitless. "Both of you, cut it out. Don't go eating things from stands."
"If they want a sample, it's no problem," said the girl running the stand. She was carrying a tray out from the back, more grilled skewers atop it. These carried with them the smell of olives, a scent that Juliana hadn't quite noticed was one pervading the town as a whole, like all Cortondo was cooking with it. "We've got plenty from this year's harvest. Here, have one, and join the celebration!"
Juliana wasn't allowed to protest. She just had a skewer of vegetables, mushrooms and olives forced on to her. Serena was the same, but she accepted it graciously and took a bite. "Delicious. What's the occasion?"
"Only Cortondo's famous Harvest Festival!" the girl exclaimed, tossing a couple skewers in the air. Koraidon leapt for them, but Wattrel was the one to catch them, much to his dismay. A sharp glare from Juliana later and the bird handed one to Koraidon, both happy to munch away. "Every year we celebrate the year's harvest with a great festival full of games, dancing and food. Tourists come from all over! This year's harvest was exceptionally good. So good we have an excess of supply. Katy says it's sure to make next year's harvest even better. Oh, I can't wait to try her centerpiece for the festival!"
"Katy, huh?" Juliana took a bite out of her food, finding it to be just as tasty as advertised. Once it was swallowed, she leaned forward. "And where can we find Katy?"
"Oh, you can't miss her. If she's not at the Gym, which she probably isn't today, she'll be at her patisserie."
"Excellent. Arven, let's-"
"You handmake this olive oil?! The amount of time and dedication that must take!" To her utter exasperation, Arven was on the opposite side of the road, at a vendor who was selling a wide array of olive oils.
"Nothing but the best from a Cortondo olive. If you think this is good, you should see Fernando's. He makes the most succulent olive and pasta dish."
"You have my attention, sir! Fuecoco, we've struck recipe gold here!"
"Fueca fue!" Fuecoco gave a happy jig, the pair jotting down quick notes. "Fueco?"
"Ah, hey, don't just wander off. We gotta experience everything here. Maybe it'll give a good way to help Mab-"
"Arven!" Juliana snapped, just loud enough to get his attention. Serena jumped, nearly dropping her food, but a flash of light showed Pancham appearing to catch it and munch on it. Serena patted the top of his head. "Don't forget what we're here for."
"Yeah, of course, Juli," Arven said, unable to stop his grin as he stared along the line down the stalls. "But hey, you only live once. We might be on a quest, but I'm still studying cooking. Let's soak in all the information we can!"
"Fuecococo!" The croc led the dash forward, his stubby legs quickly outpaced by his trainer's strides. Juliana was left staring at them in disbelief.
"It's a festival, Juliana. Let him live a little," Serena said. She had grabbed another pair of skewers and offered one to her. Juliana took it and munched on it with ferocity. "You should do the same, you know."
"I'd rather get what I came here for. Already lost a whole week."
"Then what's another day? Come on!" Juliana was yanked forward, Serena pulling on her arm as she led her down the main street of the town. Despite Koraidon and Wattrel's unending hunger for the olives, Quaxly and Nymble steered them away, joining the pair as they walked down the road. If anything, the stands got even livelier the farther they went through the town; and the wares more outlandish. Likewise, areas off the main street became more visible, decorated with lights and banners highlighting the various activities there. "You know, Juliana, you really need to just enjoy the moment here."
"I can enjoy it after the reason I'm here."
"That's just rigid. Inflexibility bordering on breaking," Serena said. She stopped outside a larger square, one looking set up for amusement of much variety. The closest stands to them had throwing games with an olive-shaped ball, while deeper in there were people dancing around an empty placement. "You need to loosen up and learn to enjoy life. Be with other people, show spontaneity."
"Think I get along just fine on my own, Serena." Juliana folded her arms, staring at the dancing citizens; they looked nowhere near as graceful as what Serena had shown of Performing, but they wore smiles all the same. She sucked in a sharp breath through her nose, a new, sweet smell entering it. "Keeps me on task and focused."
"But is that really living?" The question was said with warmth, but Juliana felt a shiver down her spine. "Ah, a bakery! Oh, Pancham, look at the cookies they have."
"Pan pan!" He ran for the glass window, pushing through the legs of people gathered outside the sweets shop until he could press himself against it. "Pancham pan."
"Oh, Surskit-shaped cookies. You want one, Juliana?"
"Not really here for sweets. Waste of time." Serena wore the flash of a frown on her face, before it turned to some enigmatic expression that made Juliana recoil. Pity? Concern? She didn't know, and didn't want to know, but she heard Serena's next words.
They came as advice, but almost sounded like remonstration. "Nothing is a waste of time."
The words delivered, she and Pancham turned for the bakery door, next to a set of stairs that climbed all the way up to a glorious wooden balcony, overlooking Cortondo. Juliana remained standing still, barely reacting when Quaxly jumped on her shoulder and patted her cheek. She shook her head; they didn't have time for this. They needed to find Katy.
"Teddi ted!" The high-pitched cry came from near the pavement, and Juliana had a split second to step aside for a Teddiursa bearing empty trays and tiny plates. Some of the crowd gathered outside cooed at the little bear's presence, while others appeared to get excited, as though it meant something. "Teddiurse."
"Oh, sorry," Serena said, stepping aside. Pancham greeted the little bear with a wave, and he started to wave back. This very action caused him to trip over the threshold of the door, sending the tray flying upwards.
"Toula!" The hiss of string was heard, a thick, white band emerging from within and stretching across the door. It caught the tray, suspending it in midair while the creator slid down on another string. "Taron."
"Teddi eddi."
"Thank you, Teddiursa. I'm glad we didn't have a mishap there, though. You all right?" called a feminine voice. From within the establishment, a woman emerged to pat the bear on the head. He soaked up the praise from the mint-haired woman, dressed in a pâtissier's uniform, the clear owner of the establishment. Heartwarming as the scene was, Juliana turned away, looking towards the Gym to find her quarry.
"Katy! Katy! When are your famous olive muffins going to be out of the oven?!" Juliana whipped back around, eyes going wide at her seeming good fortune.
"Soon, soon. But make sure to share equally. Partake in Vivillon-frosted cakes, or Scatterbug sugar cookies in the meantime. There's plenty to go around." Her recommendations caused a flood of people to storm the door, ducking under the web and going straight for the counter. "Oh dear, I hope it doesn't overwhelm Hiraldo…"
"Looks like your bakery's popular," Serena said, offering a laugh. "They look excellent."
"Oh, well, thank you. Usually we can keep up, but on a day like the festival, there's just no time. Katy." The woman, who at first glance was rather shapely, offered her hand to Serena, and the woman took it.
"Serena. I wouldn't mind trying one of your cakes, though."
"Might as well wait for the centerpiece before the fireworks, then. I hope it'll turn out to be my masterpiece." Both women beamed, some shared connection of baking between them, undisturbed by the constant noise of the festival around them. Juliana cared about none of it.
All she saw was a lull in the conversation to step forward. "You're Katy? Gym Leader of Cortondo, Katy?"
"One in the same," Katy said, clapping her hands together at the recognition. "Who's asking?"
"Juliana. Brassius referred me."
"Oh, how is Brassy?" A sudden shout from inside the bakery made Katy wince, and she craned back to see how everything was going. Her look didn't inspire confidence.
"He's fine. He actually pointed me towards you. Said you might have information."
"Hm? What about? Ah, no! Spewpa! The other way!" Katy shouted. Juliana winced at the volume, but even more at the sight of her walking away. "I'm sorry, Miss Juliana, but another time? This festival keeps me so busy every year. I even have to close the Gym down. Miss Nemona gave me an earful when she came by for a battle that day. Please enjoy."
"Wait, but I-" Katy already swept inside to corral her customers and workers. Juliana's entire body deflated, any attempt at moving forward whisked away from her. Not long after, she felt two pats to her back, one each from Serena and Pancham.
"Maybe she has a point," Serena said, offering a wink to Juliana. "Best to enjoy life. Come on, Juliana."
"No, I don't-"
Whatever she wanted was meaningless, both to Serena and the growing enthusiasm of the crowd around them. Juliana was yanked forward, against the swell of the crowd and back towards the main street. It was, if possible, even livelier than before, with more people thronging the streets, making it impossible to see anything but right in front of them.
Juliana's face started to show signs of sulking, but she was soon pulled in front of a jeweler, where Serena stopped to look over the various accessories. With so many people around them, the conclusion all too quickly came that there was no way she was getting out of this.
"These are lovely," Serena said, picking up a pair of earrings from the vendor. "Do you make these here?"
"We process some ore from the nearby Alfornada Caves," the vendor said, eager to show off more of his wares. "It's not something typical for us, but in the case of the festival, we like to make our best work."
"They're quite well made. What do you think, Juliana?" The girl turned, a sigh still stuck on her lips, to see a sparkling pair of olive-green and olive-shaped earrings hanging before her.
"They're okay. I guess."
"I'll take them, then. How much?" Juliana didn't care about the haggling process, and she was glad she didn't. No sooner had she taken her eyes off the Pokémon than they had approached a barbecue stand and were getting in the way of other customers. She ran for their entire group, pulling Koraidon back from trying to eat the entire grill.
"Honestly, you guys have no self-control," she said. Koraidon tilted his head, Wattrel mimicking him. "Oh, don't act like you don't understand. Stop mobbing every food stop you see."
"Everything all right?" Serena asked, stowing a box away in the pockets of her dress. "You're seeming a little on edge."
"Do I?" Juliana said, rolling her eyes. Neither of them needed to state the obvious. "I'm babysitting these gluttons and I'm moving nowhere."
"Mm, don't think of it as babysitting, then. Soak in the culture. Let them get involved," Serena said. This time, she took both of her arms and started dragging her towards another area of town. They passed by a Pokémon Center, Juliana longing for its bed, but ended up right outside a mini court, with a large net on the opposite end and a bunch of people and Pokémon closer to them, kicking an olive-shaped ball down the court. "You say you're not a trainer, but it doesn't mean they're not with you, you know? They're your friends, right? So, think of it as hanging out with some friends. And speaking of…"
Serena tossed all her Poké Balls high, calling out her entire team. Yamper ran circles around her and charged for the court, tackling one of the balls. It only made it halfway across the field, but Yamper returned with a pleased cry. "Good job, Yamper. Now let's see the rules of this game…oh, looks like you can all work together. I'll give it a good kick!"
Juliana took a step back and leaned against a wall to watch Serena spin in place and kick the ball forth. Her Braixen ran forward and from her wand, Pancham was launched, a well-placed Arm Thrust sending the ball flying. It was soon hit by a speeding Primarina before it ended with Sylveon propelling Sandshrew forth on a Fairy Wind to knock the ball into the goal. A cheer went up at Serena's victory, a commemorative medal and picture given to her as she posed with her Pokémon.
Friends? Juliana's eyes drifted to Koraidon, Quaxly, Nymble and Wattrel, the four all distracted by numerous things. Inside, she scoffed. No. We're just walking the same road. They'll split off. They have no reason to stay.
"Juliana? Mind giving it a try? I'd be embarrassed if I was the only one to win."
"Games aren't my style."
"Just once?" Serena clasped her hands, her eyes widening in an imploring fashion. Juliana slid her eyes over to the group of distracted Pokémon. She began to groan.
"Fine…just once…" Wishing desperately to get it over with, she strode through the group of children and adults all attempting to get their ball in the goal. Wattrel flapped over, resting on her head a moment before attempting to eat it. She snatched him out of the sky. "No, not for eating."
"Watt?" She rolled her eyes at his innocent obliviousness, and with a halfhearted kick, sent the ball arcing into the air.
Koraidon finished the rest, speeding forward and giving it a mighty kick. The crowd oohed at the sight, watching as from that singular action, the ball sped across the field and straight into the goal.
"That's a goal!" cried the commentator. In seconds, Juliana felt her hand being lifted by an attendant, pictures flashing around her and all the others. Nymble and Quaxly posed, but Koraidon swayed back and forth with no small amount of confusion. That didn't change when the medal was shoved in Juliana's hands and Serena clapped while she laughed. Juliana returned to her.
"Well, now we have a memory to share, huh?"
"I…guess that's a way of looking at it. Wasn't too bad." Juliana shoved her hands in her pockets, and as she did a great swell of music emanated from the square they'd approached earlier. Quaxly flapped his wings in an attempt to get some air, and soon began to cry out.
"Quax quax, quaxly!" His feet began to move when he hit the ground, a begging quacking out from his bill. Juliana wanted to refuse, but seeing his utmost desire reflected, she started to relent.
Well, if we're going to part soon, I guess there's no real harm in it. She nodded.
Quaxly took off right away, slipping between people and buildings like they weren't even there. Juliana and the others, including Serena, gave chase, fitting through their tight spaces and little alleys until they emerged in the town square. Lights were now turning on, the day heading for dusk, and many people were gathered for the dancing that was now covering the entirety of the square but for the center. Arven was there, as well, he and Fuecoco showing an utter lack of footwork and coordination.
"I'm getting the sense Arven might benefit from your class," Juliana said, pointing him out to the teacher. Serena laughed.
"You'll have to recruit him. Quaxly doesn't have a problem, though." That was true. Quaxly had instantly gotten in the groove of it all, flapping his flippers all about, his feathery style drawing attention to it. So inspiring was it that Nymble soon hopped into the scene, dancing with his duckling teammate. Many children clapped them on, and Juliana found herself clapping with them.
Just seconds later, and her own arms were yanked by Serena, pulling her into the square. It was a sudden rush and she nearly tripped over her feet, but Serena took the lead. With every smile, her graceful footwork showed, weaving between people. Like a circle of dancers they moved, twirling, twisting and trading partners before swapping back again. At some point, Arven joined the duo, just as Fuecoco joined Quaxly. He spun Juliana, while Serena clacked her heels back and forth, drawing a great applause and no small amount of interest in the skilled dancers that were her Pokémon.
It only slowed when the sky had darkened and a wave of cheers went up. From out of Katy's shop came a towering cake, bedecked with fruits and frosting shaped like the olives that were the namesake of the festival. Carefully, Teddiursa carried it to the very center and placed it down. The Gym Leader clapped her hands.
"To all the people of Cortondo and all visitors, as well, thank you for an excellent harvest! May we be blessed with another one!"
"To Cortondo!" cried the crowd, and they all rushed the cake. Arven rolled his sleeves up and dove in along with them, returning victorious (if bruised) minutes later with a few balanced plates of cake. Not wanting to lose them, Serena jerked her head, leading them away from the square and up to the top deck of the patisserie, a wide-open space with lines drawn for battle, but now occupied by chairs and tables that overlooked the night sky. They sat, each of them loosening their bags and soaking in the dwindling atmosphere of the festival.
A whirling sound was heard, screaming into the night sky, and suddenly a firework exploded, painting the stars in blue and red.
"Fueco!" Fuecoco dashed forward with the others to the railing, fascinated by the fireworks that began to pepper the sky. He looked back to Arven. "Coco fueco!"
"I'm coming, buddy." Arven pushed his cake away and joined the Pokémon, pointing out the different shapes that were being formed by the fireworks. Juliana watched from a distance, but moved her chair to face them.
They dazzled in her eyes, their simple sparks and fizzles reminding her of a time she felt she'd long forgotten. She wished she could have still forgotten it. Remembering only pointed out what wasn't there.
A scraping showed that Serena had pulled her chair next to hers, both of them now side by side to watch the fireworks together. One exploded into the shape of an olive, another like a Vivillon. The crowd all around town gasped in awe at each of the shapes.
"Never ceases to amaze me," Serena said. She reached over and squeezed Juliana's hand.
"What doesn't?"
"How something so simple can bring joy to so many. It's like it ties them all together." Serena's softly lit smile, changing colors with the fireworks, imparted the sincerity of her words. "It's always good to be reminded of that. How about you?"
"What about me?" Juliana asked. A blue firework fizzled out, looking oddly like Quaxly, bathing the pair in that blue light.
"Don't you find something in it? Any joy?" Juliana's brow furrowed, now confused and not sure of where this conversation was going at all. "I just…noticed you don't really smile much, do you? And instead of wanting to just celebrate with others, you wanted to keep going on your quest. And I just…"
Serena didn't finish her sentence. Her hands returned to her lap. Juliana watched, unable to realize that her hands were curling around her shorts.
"I…" she started to say, the words choking up in her throat. "I can't say it's joy. But I… It's a chance to forget…" She didn't need to say the word that followed, the one Serena had mentioned on the day they had officially met. It hung in the air, like some wall between Juliana and everything else that didn't matter.
But as the next firework peppered the sky in purple, Serena turned to her with sadness in her eyes. "Is that why, then? Why you're so alone?"
"What?" Her throat went dry, and her nails began to dig through her fabric. "I…what?"
Serena stood, looking to the red firework that depicted a Fuecoco, but soon looked back.
"Tell me, Juliana," she said, soft but deafening, "do you really want to live life so separate from everything else?"
In the concussive sounds in the sky, all went silent. Juliana sat, unblinking, staring at the woman that was the source of the question. Her mouth opened, but just as soon closed. And all at once, her thoughts rushed forward, slamming into her like a freight train.
Separate? Alone? What does that even mean? I talk to people. Juliana started to tear a hole in her shorts, unable to stop. Her body began to shake, her mouth now joining her throat in dryness. I'm fine on my own. I'm fine. I don't need to be part of everything else when they won't get me answers. When they won't stick around. When they won't bring my parents back.
When they'll leave just like they did.
"What do you know?!" It was a mangled, horrible ugly scream, like words that just needed an outlet and didn't care how they got there. A few people heard it, notably Arven, who turned around in alarm. But the target of the words gave no reaction. "You keep trying to drag me around everywhere and then you ask me a question like that?! I'm sorry I'm not trying to be friends with everyone!"
"That's not what I meant."
"Then what is it?" Serena didn't answer. She didn't show much of an expression at all. Instead, she stood and took it, like a mother that knew to simply hold her child until she stopped crying. That pissed Juliana off further and she stomped her way to a stand. "Answer me."
"What do you want me to say? That I look at you and see a girl who's scared of being anywhere other than her own little bubble?" Serena stepped forward, her hand reaching up slowly for Juliana's face. "That I see someone who uses her mission, her goal, to drown herself in it and forget there's more to life than it? Because that's all, and I'm worried you'll lose-"
"Well, no one asked you!" Juliana stomped again, her breaths turning to heaves. Tears were forming, but she didn't want to show them, her entire self burning with not quite rage, but other negative emotions pooling away in her. The longer she stared at Serena's blue eyes under the firework sky, the more it grew, a shame which turned ugly. "I didn't ask you to come with me, or teach me, and I don't need help. I've made it this far on my own, and I'll keep doing it. I'll keep…keep…"
Her breath was catching too fast, her mouth moving faster than her brain could think of the words. She couldn't stand, didn't want to stand. She needed to move. Forward, if it was possible. Or away. Serena's hand was nearly at her face, and in that moment, Juliana made the only decision she knew how to make.
She slapped it away.
Then, without words, she turned and ran, down the stairs to the streets with all speed.
Someone called after her, but she didn't reply; it may as well have been wind in her ears. Everything became a dull thrum of sound, like a drum at a very far distance. The lights around her faded and pavement turned to dirt and grass, with Juliana realizing she was leaving Cortondo, but unable to stop.
I don't need you. I don't need this. I don't need help. You're just going to…going to…
Her body began to slow, her mind turning to a repeated loop of the same thing, joining the sounds of the trickling river around her, farther away from Cortondo than realized. Her breaths became pants, and her limbs turned sluggish, every word blending to a mishmash of gibberish in her brain until, at last, she fell to her knees, right on the banks of the river. The moon shined down on her, casting a reflection of stars in the water's surface, as well as her own.
Alone. Once again.
At an agonizing pace, Juliana's breaths slowed, losing the current of adrenaline that had run through her. She began to replay it in her mind, her throat constricting with every thought. The question had come out of nowhere, as if Serena had been waiting for a while to ask it. But the worst part of it wasn't that she had asked it, or that it dredged something up that she wished wasn't there.
The worst part was how she didn't have an answer to it.
"Quax…" The soft padding across the grass indicated that Quaxly was there. She didn't want to look at him, or the others, but she could feel their presence. Koraidon had borne them there. "Quaxlyquax?"
"I'm fine," Juliana lied.
"Nym nym."
"Trrrrel."
"I said I'm fine!" she snapped, but still couldn't look at them. She didn't want to. They shouldn't have come after her. It was better that way, the way it always was. It didn't give her any… Juliana swallowed and sniffled. "I didn't ask for you to… Why did you even follow me?"
Something gnawed inside her, at the wall, and Juliana began to double over on herself. Her stomach was hurting and her eyes were watering, refusing to see what was right in front of her. She started to shake her head, a mantra rising within it over and over. Just go away. Go away. If you're going to, just-
Softness brushed against her knees, and Juliana opened her eyes. There, right in front of her, was the Smoliv that had been following her. It twitched back and forth, carrying a nervousness that was unmatched. Undecided, it teetered from side to side before looking up at Juliana.
"Why are you here?" she asked, her voice losing life. Smoliv waddled forward and leaned over, depositing in her lap a single, round, green olive. It was the smallest gift imaginable, a thanks for her help, delivered against all odds and hardships. Koraidon emphasized this as he leaned forward and Smoliv froze, as if not moving would render it immune to notice.
And the gift, combined with Smoliv's fear, made her hurt all the more. Juliana reached out, taking the small Pokémon in her lap and turning her around to face the water. Smoliv relaxed.
Juliana leaned forward, the water now reflecting all that surrounded her. The looks of concern on each Pokémon's face stood out at first, but it was her own reflection that Juliana took true notice of.
Held in her arms, Smoliv's fearful expression stood out, twitching with worry at every little thing that surrounded her in the world. And yet, looking closer, Juliana saw the same thing in her eyes. It matched Smoliv, a tightness inside her pupils that pushed the world away, that wanted to run away.
All she wanted to do was run. Forward. Away. All that mattered is that she could keep running, because then she wouldn't try to convince herself that anything had changed. Because nothing had changed.
People still left.
Nothing was genuine and lasting. It was all shallow, surface-level and fleeting emotion. No matter how many steps they took together, or how many meals, or the waves exchanged in the halls, everyone just passed in and out of her life. They were always so easy to make, but in the end, impossible to keep, their paths always diverging, showcasing how empty it all was. And in the end, she was left alone.
For the first time, that frightened her.
She hated it.
What's the use if none of it's real? Even you guys…you're just following me because… She didn't want to admit it to herself, and the longer she stared at that fearful reflection, the more she wanted it gone. With a huff, she slapped her hand at the water, disturbing its surface as well as Smoliv. The reflection went away, if only for a moment.
It returned, but was soon disturbed by greater ripples. These, however, hadn't come from Juliana's hand.
"What?" she breathed, scrambling to stand. Smoliv dropped from her lap, bouncing until she was propped up by Nymble, and all six of them in the vicinity looked around for the source of what was causing it. Underfoot, Juliana began to feel the shakes and quakes, the same as the night before. "Doesn't sound good…"
ZuuuuZIIIIIII!
The horrible screeching rolled across the fields, and Juliana stared right out at them, all the way to the distant lights of Cortondo. They flickered, and the trees swayed, shaken by the undulating power beneath them. All went silent for a moment, causing Juliana and the Pokémon to swallow. She shifted a foot forward, and sound started to creak back in, the earth turning soft. She looked down.
The earth was giving way beneath her feet, crumbling and turning inwards. Her foot slipped. Juliana screamed.
"Quax!" Like the sound of a general, Quaxly shot for her. A pit opened beneath her body and Juliana began to fall towards the sinking land. Quaxly attempted to grab her, but had none of the dexterity in his wings for such a task. Nymble, too, shot forth, but had no way to hold. The hole grew wider.
"Watt! Watt!" Wattrel flapped down, gripping the back of her shirt and attempting to pull her up. His strength was unsuccessful, but he kept trying with all the effort his little body held.
"No. It's…fine…" Juliana grunted. The rumbling didn't cease, and she started to slide further until she noticed a root emerging in the sinkhole. She lunged for it and held tight. "I can…pull myself out!"
"Quax!" Quaxly's refutation fell on deaf ears. Juliana began to climb up, dirt and mud being flung around her. At the top of the pit, Koraidon sprang out, gathering her three would-be saviors before they could fall. That left just one.
"Smol. Smol! Smoliv smoooool!" Smoliv was panicking, and soon teetered exactly the wrong way, stumbling into the pit.
"Damn it. Smoliv!" Juliana shouted. She tried to reach her, but a loose rock struck the Grass type in the face, pushing her just out reach. Juliana tried to hold tight to the root, but instinct soon took over mind. She let go, giving herself just enough distance to grab Smoliv, but not close enough to save them both.
"Korai!" Juliana looked up, just in time to see Koraidon dive inward with jaws wide. He clamped on the back of her shirt and, with strength, flung her upwards, where she landed on his back. Around them, the ground continued to give way.
"Go," she urged him. Koraidon nodded, making sure everyone was safe. Then he leapt forward, over the hole and towards the climbing terrain. This proved harder than expected. The land swelled to meet them, another dastardly hole forming and the entire ground turning to mush. It made it difficult for Koraidon to run across, and his whining as his strength flagged proved it. More than once, his hindlegs started to slip towards some new sinkhole opening wide, a horrible, frenzied scream echoing from deep inside it. They needed to get out of there, and Juliana soon saw where. "That rock. It's on high ground. Go!"
"Kor!" Koraidon sped up, a destination now giving him energy and purpose. He sprinted across the liquefying land, jumping over yet another hole that lay in their path, and soon reached the rock, where he had the chance to rest.
And all at once, the rumbling stopped. Or rather, it felt as though it moved along, past the river and towards the caves, roaming and searching for something. Juliana allowed herself a chance to breathe, and in it, she noticed she was still holding the wounded Smoliv in her arms. Her breathing was steady, at least, and that was a relief.
"Wattrel! Wattrel watt trrel!" Wattrel's harried cry and subsequent sitting upon her head yanked Juliana away from Smoliv, however, and soon she saw the yellow bird swoop down. He took her ponytail by his beak, dragging her forward to the edge of the rock, joined by the others. And there, Juliana's eyes widened, the true vision of what had occurred during Juliana's flight made clear.
Illuminated by the moon, the horrible visage stretched out across the plains and before Juliana's very eyes: the olive fields of Cortondo were peppered with sinkholes, their paths and plants lost to the mud.
The lights in Cortondo had gone out.
Author's Note: There's a point where kindness, no matter how well-intentioned, can turn to poison for some people.
This is the case for this chapter. A constant build of Juliana's worst aspects, exploding in one ugly moment from Serena's kindness and comments. Because, yes, Juliana is a very flawed character. Moreso than Ash, Serena, Gloria and even Akari (though in the latter case, she had negative character development). Juliana is prickly, mission-oriented, pushes people away and has such a tiny worldview. This was always intentional, and this is a moment where that worldview is presented to her for what it is: inflexible and broken.
Other than that, wouldn't be the Ancienverse without some kind of disaster! This sets us off towards the, kinda, closing act of this story. So, please look forward to what comes next. But until then, I ask that you please review and/or comment, but as always, Dare to Be Silly.