Disclaimer: I don't own anything that doesn't belong to me.
The class stared at Kitakami Hall from a distance, stricken, as the festival grounds were consumed in flames, the amateurish attempts to put out the fire only making it worse.
"This…" Briar said finally, exhausted. "Is not how this trip was supposed to go. We weren't supposed to bear witness to the destruction of a semi-famous historical site. Again. Five times was bad enough, honestly…"
"Exactly how many bad class trips have you gone on?" A disturbed Hohma asked.
Briar thought about this seriously for a moment. "You know, come to think of it, I'm not sure I've ever been on a class trip where something terrible didn't happen. At least I haven't lost any students!… Yet."
"What about Aliquis-"
"I meant really lost. We never did find that student who wandered into that labyrinth…" Briar murmured.
Hohma stared at her in horror.
"I can't… I can't believe this is happening," Carmine stammered. "What happened out there… I would've expected as much from outsiders and crazy fans, yes, but from my own people-"
"Actually," ANNA said thinly. "It is exactly the sort of thing I would have expected from them."
Carmen bristled angrily. "And what's that supposed to mean?!" She snarled. "Just because we're poor and from the sticks, because we're not as advanced as the big cities or whatever future utopia you come from, you think we're just a bunch of dumb judgmental hicks-"
She was shut up when ANNA turned to glare at her, a look of actual fury in her eyes. "No, it is because ever since we got here you have been unequivocally hostile and antagonistic to my sister and myself for no reason, have repeatedly derided outsiders despite you yourself attending a prestigious school outside this region surrounded by the people you claim to despise, and refused to believe despite plenty of evidence to the contrary that your people are no better or worse than anyone else. You have been incredibly judgmental and rude and repeatedly exhibited traits you claim to hate that you paint all outsiders with, demonstrating that you are a hypocrite.
"And this behavior does not come from a vacuum. Your great national myth, as the third signpost we read earlier demonstrates, is little more than an excuse to be horribly xenophobic to others, and not only that, considering what we have just learned, it is quite likely all a lie, and I find myself suspecting that the first arc of The Ogre's Tale – if it really is the true life story of Ogerpon, as she implied – may be the reality, where because of stubborn, prejudiced, hateful and willfully ignorant people she and her master were not only forced to hide who they were but after losing everything she was forced to flee while those same unworthies venerated a trio of wretches who did not deserve it."
She pointed at the burning Hall. "And given what just happened here, I do not believe your people have changed one bit over the last few hundred years. In fact, if you had not been in the shrine with us when we met with Ogerpon, I cannot help but wonder if you would have been right up there with the rest of the mob screaming for her head."
"That's…!" Carmine sputtered. "That's not… I would never have-"
"Carmine. You were willing to declare your favorite author the very incarnation of evil just because you were unhappy with something she did to your favorite character," ANNA retorted. "And while I am aware that is not a problem unique to you, given the toxic nature of many fandoms, you being from here probably does not help."
Carmine had no response to this.
"Well, at least that's not a problem I have-" Kieran started to brag, smug at being better than his sister at something.
"Kieran," ANNA interjected, glaring at him with what could almost be hatred. "Before we got pushed off the stage, you had a Pokéball in your hand."
Ohara gasped, horrified. "What?!"
"Dude! Not cool!" A shocked Hohma cried.
Even Aliquis seemed to be staring at Kieran in disgust.
"Well, yeah, of course I was!" Kieran insisted defensively. "If I caught her, that means nobody else could! She'd be safe with me!"
"Which I'm certain is something most if not all of the other trainers were thinking," a disappointed Briar pointed out.
"Those who weren't planning to force her to continue writing the story the way they want it to be written and act out their sick, disgusting fantasies with her," a revolted Carmine pointed out. "You know, like you."
"Oh, like you wouldn't force her to undo what happened to Lady Iron Fan if you had the chance!" Kieran retorted.
"Yeah, maybe, but at least I wouldn't force her to make my disgusting self-insert fanfics a reality!" Carmine snapped. "Especially because I don't even have any of those-"
"Really? I seem to remember the protagonist of your OC/Lady Iron fics sounded an awful lot like you-"
"Well, at least a romance with her would be theoretically plausible unlike yours!" A blushing Carmine shouted back.
"What, because she's a Pokémon? You know that's legal here!" Kieran replied.
"I'm sorry what," Hohma said flatly.
"I… Was not aware of that," Briar admitted, quickly writing it down.
"Look, we're a very small town, we don't even have a movie theater, we have to take our entertainment where we can get it and avoid inbreeding, okay?" Carmine said defensively. "And no, that's not why! First, you're way too young, second, she's GAY you idiot!"
"What?" Kieran stammered, flustered. "No she's not-"
"She absolutely is!" Carmine yelled. "At no point in the manga or any of its spinoffs or adaptations has Ogress ever had a male love interest, and since Ogress is Ogerpon in what apparently is nothing more than her own thinly veiled self-insert fanfiction, that means she's gay as well!"
"That's open to interpretation-" Kieran protested.
"It really isn't," Ohara said.
Briar nodded in agreement. "From the very thorough presentation we watched last night and my own, ah, independent research I can confirm she is 100% lesbian."
Hohma nodded. "Yeah, I'm not even a fan but it was blatantly obvious to me. I'm not the only one who thinks she's dating her Gardevoir, right?"
Everyone else nodded and murmured in agreement. It was pretty obvious.
Kieran flushed angrily. "Well… Well maybe she just hasn't found the right guy yet-"
ANNA backhanded a nearby boulder so hard it shattered.
"That," she said icily. "Is not a thing. It never has been a thing. It never will be a thing. If a woman is bisexual, they might find a man they like, or they might not. If a woman is lesbian, then they will never, ever like a man that way. Trying to pursue her anyway is not cute, it is not romantic, it is selfish and entitled.
"And on a related note, I would like you to stay away from my sister. She, too, is a lesbian."
"What? No she-" Kieran protested.
"You are either willfully blind or stupid. I do not know which, and I do not care," ANNA snapped. "You think I do not know my own sister? Our preferences are the same. Think back on her interactions with Ohara, or with Ogerpon. There really is no heterosexual way to explain them."
The others nodded. "Yeah, there really isn't," Hohma agreed.
"I really like Mewstress, and I'm glad she likes me too," Ohara murmured, blushing heavily.
"But… That's… That can't be…" Kieran spluttered.
"Well, here's Julie now, you can ask her yourself," Briar noted as Julie bounded over on all fours, clutching both halves of a broken mask in her teeth.
"Julie back!" The prehistoric feline commented, spitting the mask pieces into her forepaws as she rose up on her hind legs. "And got mask! Well… What left of it-"
"Julie, do you like me?" Kieran blurted.
Julie blinked. "Huh? Of course Julie like Kiki!"
Kieran shot a smug look at ANNA.
"Nyou like little sister!"
Carmine burst into laughter.
Teeth clenched, Kieran said, "You mean brother, right?"
Julie shook her head. "Nyo, Julie have nyo brothers. Nyou remind Julie of little sister! Small, weak, nyot very bright, wouldn't survive day on own in wild… And so cute!"
Carmine laughed harder.
"Well, is there any way we could ever be… More?" Kieran pleaded.
Julie looked confused. "Julie doesn't think Kiki ever be big sister. Julie older than nyou."
"No, like… Like a boyfriend?" Kieran asked hopefully.
Julie gave him a dumbfounded look, then burst into laughter and smacked him on the back hard enough to knock him to the ground. "Hah! Kiki funny! Should knyow Julie is lesbian! Super obvious! Nyo heterosexual way to explain behavior towards Ohara and Ogerpon. Have to be willfully blind or stupid nyot to see it."
Carmine collapsed to the ground, clutching her sides and having trouble breathing.
Kieran shook with anger, very red in the face.
"What happened to the mask?!" A horrified Briar asked, staring at the broken mask Julie was cradling.
"Judging from the damage, it looks as if it was stomped on repeatedly – no doubt by the mob, which is rather ironic, considering most of them were so-called fans of Ogerpon – and it broke either from all the abuse or when the stage collapsed," ANNA observed. "It also seems to be partially burned."
Julie grimaced. "Nyeah, stage starting to burn when Julie found mask. Almost got singed getting it out."
"You're very brave, Mewstress," Ohara gushed.
"Yeah. Brave," Kieran said darkly through gritted teeth.
ANNA glanced at Carmine. "Carmine. You said your grandfather is a master mask maker. Do you think he can fix this?"
"… Yeah. Yeah, I think he can," Carmine said, daunted by just how badly wrecked the mask was. "Right, Kiki?"
"Whatever."
"Then it would seem our next step is to go visit your grandfather," ANNA concluded. "Considering how important this mask no doubt is to Ogerpon, we should probably do our best to make sure it is repaired before we return it to her."
"Huh? Shouldn't we be trying to find Ogerpon and Gardevoir first?" Hohma pointed out.
Carmine gasped. "Yeah! I bet they headed for the Dreaded Den! It used to be Ogerpon's old hideout, after all, and she did close the mountain off!"
"They will not be there," ANNA said.
Carmine laughed bitterly. "Of course they aren't. I'm always wrong. What am I missing this time, Miss Omniscient?"
"I am hardly that. Carmine, everyone in your village knows the legend. If the Dreaded Den is the first place you thought of, then it will also be the first place they think of," ANNA reasoned.
"… Oh."
"She's right," Kieran admitted very reluctantly. "It looks like they're heading up the mountain now."
Indeed, the angry mob, their path lit by torches and phones, was beginning a trek up the side of Oni Mountain.
"But… If they won't be there, then where will they be?" Hohma wondered.
"I have tasked my satellite with locating them, but I am doubtful it will find anything," ANNA admitted. "That Gardevoir is very powerful and will undoubtedly be doing everything she can to keep anyone from locating her and her mistress. Given the situation, I cannot blame them."
"Mewstress, can you find them with your nose?" Ohara asked.
Julie shook her head. "Nyo, Julie has scent, but they teleported away. Nyo trail to follow. But! Julie can nyuse mask to cast locator spell! Find Ogerpon, maybe lost masks too!"
"That's wonderful!" Ohara exclaimed.
"Do it! Then we can find Ogerpon and see if she really is a lesbian or not!" Kieran said eagerly.
Julie gave him a baffled look. "What Kiki talking about? Ogerpon obviously lesbian. Ogress nyever have male interest and state repeatedly she not into guys, and Ogress is Ogerpon, so Ogerpon gay. And definitely dating Gardevoir. Nyose knyows," she said, tapping her snout.
"But… But…" Kieran protested weakly.
"But Julie can't cast spell yet. Nyeed to fix mask first," Julie explained.
"Why?" The confused Briar asked.
"Mask is broken, so can't be used for spell," Julie said.
"Yes, but why?" Briar pressed.
Julie looked confused for a minute, then had a sudden flash of understanding. "Oh, right, nyot knyow how magic works. So… Mask very important to Ogerpon, yes? Last remnant of master, only thing she able to take when fleeing Kitakami, like in manga? Greatest treasure. Mean everything to her. Wear it constantly. Practically a part of her. Has connection to her."
Julie held up the two pieces of the mask. "But mask broken. So, connection also broken. But, we fix…" She tapped the two halves together. "Connection restored. Find Ogerpon. Find masks."
"Oh, I see! Fascinating!" Briar exclaimed, writing this all down.
"So it's… symbolic?" Hohma questioned.
Julie nodded rapidly. "Yes yes yes! Symbols have power. Big part of magic. Big big. Without symbols, without meaning, spells nyot work. Just random words and components tossed together. Useless."
"Wow! You really are amazing, Mewstress!" Ohara gushed.
Julie preened at this.
"Then it seems my proposed course of action was indeed the correct one. We must see Carmine and Kieran's grandfather before we can do anything else," ANNA theorized.
"Do you think he'll be up to the challenge?" Briar asked Carmine.
She nodded. "Absolutely! Our family's been doing this for generations!"
"Yeah, since at least back to when Ogerpon was around!" Kieran agreed. "Hey, Carmine, wouldn't it be neat if one of our ancestors made this mask and the other ones? That would be a pretty big coincidence, right? Almost like… Destiny!"
Carmine went very still, almost like Aliquis. "Julie. The mask."
"Nyah?"
"The mask. Give it to me," Carmine insisted. "There's something I need to check."
Julie shrugged and handed the pieces over.
"What are you looking for?" ANNA asked as Carmine started examining the mask back to front.
"The maker's mark. It's like a signature on a painting, something a craftsman leaves on their work to make sure people know it's theirs and not a counterfeit," Carmine explained.
"Oh, like the stamp of authenticity on your Poltchageist, but not fake," Ohara realized.
"Yes. Exactly like that," Carmine said with gritted teeth. "Now where is… Oh, there it-"
Once again, she froze.
"Hey… That kind of looks like the mask itself," Hohma observed, peering around Carmine to look at the mask.
Kieran blinked. "Really? Huh, that's weird. Sounds almost like the mark grandpa puts on all his masks."
Carmine very slowly turned and started walking down the mountain. "Carmine? Where are you going?" Briar asked.
"Home," she said. "I have a lot of questions that need answering."
The house Kieran and Carmine called home was a two-story yellow building at the end of a dirt road with other houses lining the way. They had a truck, a shed, a lush garden with one of those tipping water features, rows of crops, and two very concerned looking senior citizens standing out front holding lanterns, their worried expressions turning to relief when they saw Carmine and Kieran coming in through the front gate.
"Carmine! Kieran! Thank goodness you're all right!" Their grandfather Yukito, an old man wearing a green shirt and brown shorts with gray hair and a long mustache cried out, hugging his grandchildren.
"We saw the fires! There's word going around that the ogre has returned. Is it true?" Their grandmother Hideko, an old woman with her gray hair tied in a bun held by a purple strap, glasses, a short-sleeved tan shirt and black slacks demanded to know as she also embraced Carmine and Kieran.
"It is! And she's good, grandma! Like I've said all along!" Kieran said excitedly. "And she was also Ogress, and O-PEN, and now she's on the run because everyone in town wants to kill her and her so-called fans want to capture her, and we have to help her!"
"Carmine. Is this true?" Yukito asked as Hideko looked at Kieran in confusion and concern.
"You knew."
Yukito blinked. "What?"
"You knew," Carmine repeated, a blank look on her face. "What Kieran rambled just now; you didn't look even remotely surprised. You… You've always known, haven't you?"
Yukito hesitated. "… Grandpa?" A confused Kieran asked, looking at his grandfather.
"Carmine, I don't know what-"
Carmine held out the broken mask. "Why is our family's crest on this mask? A mask Ogerpon dropped?"
Yukito stiffened. "… Kieran, it's past your bedtime. Go to your room."
"What?! But, but Ogerpon-" Kieran protested.
"Now, Kieran!" He snapped. "Hideko, put him to bed and make sure he stays there."
His wife stared at him in dismay, but slowly nodded and pulled Kieran away. "Come on Kieran, let's put you to bed."
"No, I can't go! Ogerpon needs me!" Kieran protested. "Sis! Julie, ANNA! Miss Briar! Please-"
His grandmother pulled him inside the house, the door closing behind them.
"Should… Should we have helped?" Ohara asked uncertainly.
"This… Seems like a family situation," Briar said hesitantly. "I'm not sure it's our place to interfere."
"So, am I the only one offended he didn't ask for help from the rest of us?" Hohma griped.
Aliquis said nothing.
Carmine raised an eyebrow. "Sending Kieran away? Wow, you must really not want him to hear about this. That's kind of suspicious. And what makes you think I won't tell him everything anyway?"
"You mustn't!" Yukito protested, eyes wide. "Carmine, please, you must trust me-"
"I'd love to, grandpa, except I just found out today that our beloved caretaker tried to steal the sacred masks to sell them to some collector, apparently our national myth is to some degree a lie, and at least half the stereotypes about our neighbors are true given they formed an angry mob and are hunting down an ogre I'm no longer convinced is the monster all our fairytales spoke of!" Carmine snarled. "And on top of that, it turns out our family may have a deeper connection to the ogre than I ever imagined, so you'll excuse me if I'm having a little trouble trusting anything you say right now!"
"The caretaker did what?!" Yukito stammered. "But he's a pillar of the community!"
"Do you know his name?" Carmine deadpanned.
"His… Well, uh, it's… Surely it was…" Yukito mumbled.
"Don't bother, he doesn't remember it either," Carmine growled. "Now that it would've mattered anyway, since it turns out the masks in the shrine were fakes several times over. Would you happen to know anything about that?"
A pained look crossed Yukito's face. He sighed and sat down on a bench just in front of the house. "… I always knew this day would come, but I hoped I'd have more time. That Kieran would outgrow his rather more… Unhealthy obsessions regarding the ogre."
"Yeah, fat chance of that," Carmine snarked.
He sighed again and glanced at the rest of the class. "… All of you, please leave. This is between my granddaughter and-"
"No," Carmine said bluntly.
"Carmine-"
"I said no. They stay. At least I know they'll be straight with me." Carmen hesitated, then glanced at ANNA and Julie. "Even if I've given them nothing but shit since they got here."
"Awww, she starting to like us!" Julie exclaimed.
"Also, we would have spied on you anyway, so your attempted subterfuge would've failed regardless," ANNA said casually.
Yukito blinked but nodded reluctantly. "Very well. Now… I assume that all of you are fans of The Ogre's Tale or are at least somewhat familiar with it."
"You assume correctly," Briar said.
"I'd think their costumes would give it away," Hohma pointed out, nodding at ANNA, Julie, and Ohara.
"If you truly met Ogerpon, then by now you must know, or at least suspect, that the events detailed in that manga… Or at least, the first part of it… may in fact be a far more accurate representation of what really happened all those centuries ago then the stories we've been telling and retelling in this village," Yukito said grimly. "The rest of the story – whatever Ogerpon did after she left Kitakami – I cannot say, I only know what happened here, in this region, in ages past."
"And what did happen, then?" Briar asked eagerly, notepad out, as Hohma readied his phone.
Yukito winced. "Carmine, I don't suppose-"
"No. Whatever's been going on, it's time to stop hiding. What have you been keeping secret for so long?" Carmine demanded.
"… A long, long time ago, a man and an ogre came to Kitakami from a foreign land," Yukito unhappily began. "I'm sure you know this story from the manga, or think you do, but this is what really happened, so far as I know. The people of the village feared the man and the ogre, who looked so different from them… And so they refused to let the travelers come anywhere near the village."
"Same old story," Hohma muttered bitterly. "Doesn't seem like it's changed much since then."
"They let us come," Ohara pointed out.
"Yeah, because we have money. Doubt this guy did," Hohma said cynically.
"The man and the ogre were saddened the villagers did not welcome them… But they were happy just to have each other. They settled quietly in a cave on the mountain," Yukito continued.
"The Dreaded Den," Carmine murmured.
Yukito nodded. "Correct. There was only one villager who pitied the two travelers: the village mask maker. He made several masks for the man and the ogre. The masks were brilliant works, adorned with gems from the sacred Crystal Pool atop Oni Mountain, which the traveler noted were similar to crystals from another land he had visited."
ANNA stirred. "Tera crystals? They existed here even then?"
"Now that's interesting…" Briar murmured, scribbling this all down.
"By wearing these masks, the travelers could hide their true faces and mingle with the villagers. The man and ogre were overjoyed. They thanked the mask maker for his kindness. Wearing the masks, the man and the ogre started secretly joining the village festival. The mysterious pair soon became the talk of the village because of their brilliant masks," Yukito continued. "In fact, rumors about them quickly spread far and wide, even to distant lands. But rumors of exquisite, shining masks attract more than just innocent curiosity…"
Julie gasped. "Disloyal Trio!"
"Yes. Or, as they became known here… The Loyal Three," Yukito said gravely.
Carmine gasped. "Then… It's true? Our greatest heroes were actually a bunch of crooks? Then… Then why have we lionized them?"
"And why," ANNA asked, narrowing her eyes. "Do you know this version of the tale, while everyone else does not?"
Yukito fidgeted and did not meet their eyes. "A group of greedy Pokémon soon made their way to the land of Kitakami. These Pokémon sneaked into the cave in which the man and the ogre lived… And tried to make off with the masks, which were carefully stored away. The man happened to be there. He managed to hold on to one of the masks… But he was not strong enough to protect them all. The Pokémon stole the other three masks."
He hesitated for a long moment. Everyone knew, or at least suspected, what was coming next.
"Several hours later, when the ogre returned to the cave… She found her beloved home in ruins. All that was left were the signs of a struggle, a teal mask and-" he choked back a sob. "There was… So much blood…"
Ohara sobbed, clasping her hands to her mouth. Carmine clenched her fists, Julie grimaced, and ANNA recalled, with perfect clarity, the corresponding page in the manga. Even now, it was considered one of the most brutal, visceral, heart wrenching drawings in the history of the medium.
"The ogre donned that mask and went down to the village. She found the greedy Pokémon there, gloating over their stolen masks, and… And she…" Yukito hesitated again.
"Killed them," ANNA said, recalling the chapter in which Ogress had taken her vengeance on the Disloyal Trio. It almost looked like it was drawn by a different hand, a surreal, frenzied art style, as if being pulled forth from a nightmare, only hinting at unspeakable violence and brutality rather than outright showing it, which made it that much worse.
There had been more than one adaptation of that scene, and it was still hotly debated among fans whether adding sound made it better or worse.
"Nyot sure that strong enough word," Julie muttered.
"The villagers, of course, had no idea what was happening nor why. All they saw was a raging ogre. And they felt great fear," Yukito said solemnly. "The villagers thought the three Pokémon had fallen trying to protect the village from the ogre. To honor the sacrifice, the villagers named them the Loyal Three and interred them with care. Wounded and weak, the ogre fled Kitakami altogether, alone and with great sadness, never to return…"
"Until now," Briar concluded.
"But why now?" Hohma wondered. "We know she was trying to get the other masks back, but why didn't she come get them sooner? Why did she wait until she became a famous mangaka? Why did she even choose that path in the first place? And why did she choose to reveal herself to the whole world, after all those years in hiding?"
"That much, I don't know," Yukito confessed. "I can only tell you what I've been told by my father, who learned it from his father, who learned it from his father, and so on down the ages, all the way back to the villager who gave the traveler and the ogre their masks… Our ancestor."
Everyone gasped.
"Wait, why we surprised, basically knyew that already," Julie pointed out.
Everyone agreed she had a point.
"Why… Why am I only hearing this now?" Carmine asked, trembling with rage. "Why hasn't… Why doesn't everyone know about this? Why have we been fed the same lie for countless generations, while you and all our ancestors just… Let it happen?!"
"Carmine, back when this all first occurred, the mask maker – that is to say, our ancestor – tried desperately to tell the truth of the matter. But nobody would take him seriously. In fact, he said he was persecuted as a heretic. In the end, the mask maker chose to protect his descendants – us – by keeping his mouth shut. However, he kept the truth alive – passed down from generation to generation as a family secret," Yukito explained. "I was going to tell both of you when I felt you were old enough to know."
"I think it's a little late for that," Carmine said harshly. "Explain to me why I shouldn't go tell Kieran all this right now. Or the village. Or the entire freaking world."
"Carmine, you know how obsessed your brother is with Ogerpon," Yukito argued. "How do you think he's going to feel if he finds out now, with all the trouble that's going on right now, while he's still such a fanatic for her? Still dreaming of marrying her? And those awful fanfics… He's too young and immature to bear this burden."
Julie's ears twitched. Had she just heard a window close?
"And the rest of the village? They believe in their own version of history. They revere the Loyal Three – so how would they react to being told they've got it all wrong?" Yukito continued. "That's why none of you must be the word of this-"
"Fuck you."
Yukito recoiled. "What?"
"Fuck. YOU!" Carmine shouted, livid. She pointed furiously at the distant fire. "Grandpa, the villagers burned down Kitakami Hall and are engaging on a monhunt because of their 'version of history.' Because of a lie. A lie our family helped perpetuate!"
"Carmine, I just told you, our ancestor-" Yukito protested.
"Oh, I understand why he did it, I don't blame him for deciding to keep it quiet," Carmine interjected. "Everyone just saw Ogerpon literally rip the Loyal – no, the Lousy Three limb from limb-"
ANNA frowned. Wait… That's right, when I examined the corpses of the Pokémon buried at the shrine at Loyalty Plaza earlier… They seemed completely intact. There shouldn't have been enough of their bodies left to fit in a single casket. Then why…
"So, nobody would have been in any state to believe him," Carmine raved. "But what about after that? What about years later, a generation or two afterwards? Why didn't he or any of our other ancestors tell the truth then? Or, if they were worried about being labeled heretics, spread rumors? Talked to kids? Got them wondering, hey, what if the grown-ups are wrong? I mean, we all think the grown-ups are wrong when we're that age, why can't they be wrong about this, too?"
"Well, that…" Yukito stammered, looking uncertain.
"At practically any point in our history, a member of our family could have spoken up or offered an alternative narrative. People do that to stories all the time," Carmine continued. "Even you could have done it at any point in your lifetime. But you didn't. None of you did. You just kept it a secret and allowed the lie to become so entrenched in everyone's minds that even when presented with evidence it might not be true – when O-PEN, an author who'd made a career out of writing a story suggesting 'Hey, what if the ogre was actually good all along, and our heroes were the bad guys?' A story so good that tons of people here who've grown up with the original fairytale loved it, unmasked herself in front of everyone and as much as said that her story was the truth and everything we thought we knew was a lie… They treated her like a monster just as much as their ancestors did centuries ago. To the ogre our ancestor was willing to help when nobody else was. To the Pokémon you, our entire family line betrayed out of cowardice.
"And now, in the face of all that, you're asking me to keep lying? Even to my idiot brother? How dare you. How dare you," Carmine shouted, in tears. "… ANNA was right about us. About me. Fuck."
Silence fell upon the lawn as Carmine cried angrily.
"Wow," Hohma said after a moment. "I… Didn't think she had that in her."
"Neither did I," Briar admitted, looking ashamed.
ANNA closed her eyes. "… Do you know the reason my people do not lie? Wrote it out of ourselves? Because so much of our history is lost. It is the same cycle. Someone records what happened, what they say happened, motivated by their own bias. Over time that bias, that interpretation, grows and grows and distorts the story with each retelling, until what you have left is something bearing almost no resemblance to what actually happened. And with everyone who could've witnessed it gone, all those pieces of the past lost to the ages, how can we know what the truth is? A single lie, a single partial observer, and everything is tainted with doubt. We do not know our world of origin. We do not know for certain how or why we became what we are now. There are so many conflicting stories, so many gaps in our own history… The only way to know truth, about history, about ourselves, was to excise lies from our society altogether."
"Julie's people don't lie because nyo point. Body language and scent dead giveaway," Julie spoke up. "Nyou know. In case anyone wondered."
"… You're right," Yukito said, looking haggard, broken, and even older than he really was. "About all that. We should have done something sooner. I should've done something sooner."
"Yes," Carmine said, not looking like she was in a forgiving mood. "You should have. And what are you going to do about it?"
Yukito ran a hand over his face. "For starters, I'll fix the mask. Then I'll tell everyone. Including your brother."
"Start with him," Carmine insisted. "Tonight."
Yukito shook his head. "No. If I'm going to get this mask fixed in time for it to do any good, I need to start right away. I'll tell him tomorrow morning. First thing."
"Good," Carmine said. "Because if you don't, then I will."
"I'll do it," Yukito insisted. "It's better he hears it from me."
Carmine nodded, conceding the point.
"Sir… There is one other matter," ANNA spoke up. "Would you happen to know the whereabouts of the three other masks? The ones in the shrine are fakes."
Yukito sighed. "I said that our ancestor decided to keep the truth of what happened a secret… But seeing those monsters, those thieves and killers, being venerated like saints got his blood boiling. He considered tearing down the shrine or burning down Kitakami Hall… But ultimately, he settled for stealing the masks and replacing them with copies. Far less disruptive, and nobody would notice. They've been passed down through our family ever since."
"They've been here… All along?" Carmine whispered, eyes wide.
Yukito nodded. "Yes. They've been in my workshop all this time. You and your brother must've seen them countless times without noticing. Our ancestor believed that one day, Ogerpon might return to Kitakami to take back what was hers, and he figured it might be safer for everyone if they were in our family's possession." He shrugged. "But, Ogerpon never returned, until now."
"Then why didn't you give them to her sooner?" Carmine demanded. "Surely you had to know O-PEN was really her."
"I suspected it was her, but wasn't fully certain," Yukito said, only to immediately amend his statement. "No, that's a lie. I suppose I was too used to hiding the truth I just… Didn't. Maybe I was hoping she'd come see me herself. Or maybe I was still being a coward, as you said."
"It is possible she still might," ANNA theorized. "I do not believe she will leave Kitakami without the masks – especially not the teal one – unless she has no other choice."
"Gardevoir might force issue," Julie pointed out.
"She might," ANNA agreed. "But even if she does, you should be able to locate her once the mask is repaired, yes?"
"Nyes!" Julie agreed. Then she yawned. "Nyot tonight though."
"Why not? Can't you locate her using the other masks?" Briar queried.
Julie made a face. "Maybe? Ogerpon hasn't worn masks in very very long time. Connection still exists since legend emphasize they hers, but weaker than teal mask since she wear it longer. Also, moon is in wrong phase."
"… And that matters because…?" Hohma asked.
Julie shook her head. "Too long to explain. Spell easier to cast when moon is in right phase, or using object handled recently. Also, Julie tired. Long day. Much excitement. Better chance of success we do it tomorrow."
"I guess that's that, then," Briar said with a sigh. "My, this is not how I saw this trip going… I suppose we should head back to the community center and call it a night. Sir, can you please contact us when you've finished the mask or if Ogerpon comes looking for it?"
"Of course," Yukito promised. "Carmine, if you'll give me your teacher's number…?"
"No need. You can just reach me," Carmine said, walking over to join the group. "I'm going with them."
"You are?" Hohma asked in astonishment.
"Nyou are!" Julie cheered.
"Carmine-" Yukito stammered.
"I'm sorry, grandpa, but right now, I… I think I would rather stay under the same roof as people I know I can trust," Carmine confessed.
Yukito inhaled deeply through his teeth at this, a pained look in his eyes, but he did not contest her. "… Very well. Be careful, Carmine. There is much unrest in Kitakami this night."
"I know," she said solemnly, looking up the mountainside, at the lights of the mob marching on the Dreadful Den. "There are monsters out."
"Hello?"
Nemona found herself in darkness, the only source of light seven faint glowing spots on the floor. If she were more astronomically inclined, she might have recognized them as the Big Dipper. Unfortunately, she wasn't, and while ANNA had exposited on the subject many times, she'd been more interested in the speaker then the subject and hadn't absorbed as much as perhaps she should have.
"Penny, now would be a really good time for you or one of the others to come out and reveal this was all just an elaborate ruse, because if you really are aliens, then… Well, first I'd freak the Distortion World out, then I guess I'd thank you for taking me away from that awful boat, and third… If you want to probe me, you should know my girlfriend ANNA has already done a very thorough job of it and won't be pleased about it, and I should warn you, she's fought aliens before."
"Penny isn't here."
The lights came on, revealing that Nemona was in a large dome-shaped chamber, the ceiling overhead a magnificent star map with the Big Dipper constellation taking pride of place in the center of the map. Seven color-coded crystal pillars rose on the periphery of the room, a figure standing before each of them. Nemona immediately recognized one of them as Dubhe, but the others were new and just as – if not more – alien. At the back of the chamber was a raised dais with an eighth alien standing beside a large cylindrical pillar with a large, fragmented disk spreading out from the top.
Nemona's eyes widened. "Whoa."
"Be not afraid," the eighth alien, a humanoid being made of cubes with red and black stripes on them encased in blue frames with a head resembling a crystal the same pattern wrapped in wires. "You are among friends."
"… Sure," Nemona said doubtfully. "Wait, aren't there supposed to be just seven of you?"
"There are seven stars which serve our King, yes," the cubic being agreed. "I, however, am his aide and successor, Alcor, so am not counted among the ranks of the Septentriones. You already know Dubhe, of course-"
The conical being bowed his floating head at her.
"Merak…"
An entity composed of several bluish plates pasted together covered in several red lines linking multiple reddish eyes-like structures blinked at her. It had flat planes for limbs and a single red eye surrounded by blue plates for a head.
"Phecda…"
This one was a humanoid and very feminine being with a slim, shapely figure composed of red and green crystals with floor length hair in two crystalline plaits, one red and one green, with a gold ring encrusted with red and green crystals orbiting her.
"Megrez…"
This alien had a large round orange spherical core covered in multicolored spikes similar to the ones making up Dubhe, limbs formed from them growing from its sides while an especially large spike grew from the top, presumably its head.
"Alioth…"
This one had an off-white teardrop shaped body with fin-like appendages and protrusions growing from its sides and a large purple core with purple lines growing out from it. Its head was of a similar shape but inverted, with a large hole in the top through which a floating purple orb could be seen, similar to its single purple eye. It looked almost like some kind of walking spaceship.
"Mizar…"
This alien was a feminine humanoid composed of multiple purple blobs, each of which had a black three-leaf clover shaped pattern on the front. Tendrils made of smaller blobs formed limbs and even smaller ones were fingers, while several very long blob tendrils grew from the back of its head like hair.
"And Benetnasch."
Nemona just stared at the last one, the oddest of all. It looked like a large beige cone with rounded edges spinning in place like a top. "… Hi?"
"Hello," the Septentriones replied. Except Benetnasch. Nemona was skeptical that it was actually a living thing.
"So, if you're not going to probe me, why exactly am I here?" Nemona asked uncertainly.
There was a sudden explosion, and a Lunala blasted through the ceiling, shrieking as it hovered above the aliens, Selene and Lillie jumping off her back.
"That's exactly what we want to know!" Selene said.
"Give Nemona back this instant!" Lillie demanded.
"All right."
Selene grinned. "Oh, playing hardball, are you? Well, I think my Champion-level team has something to say about wait what."
"You may take her."
And that's when the pillar at the back of the room got up. Angular lines formed along its surface, the outlined parts unfolding from its sides, becoming a towering, spindly, almost skeletal entity with two arms, two legs, and some very faint lines where its face would be. A shimmering energy curtain hung down from the rim of the disc atop its head, and a flowing cloak materialized on it shoulders, its interior showing the depths of space.
"Kneel," Alcor commanded as the Septentriones knelt – those that could – or prostrated themselves in some manner. Except Benetnasch. "You are in the presence of the Star King Polaris, ruler of the galaxy."
Lillie immediately knelt, grabbing Selene and forcing the confused Champion down with her. Nebby gracefully bowed as well. Nemona blinked, and it took a few seconds for her to realize she was supposed to be on the ground too. "Oh, uh, right."
"Rise," Polaris commanded the instant Nemona touched the ground, to her exasperation as everyone immediately got back up. "President Lillie. Champion Selene. It is an honor to be in your presence."
"Um, thanks?" The baffled Selene replied. "I don't understand, why are you just letting her go? Not that I'm complaining, but…"
"We never actually needed her in the first place," Polaris said.
"WHAT?! Then why did you abduct me?!" An outraged Nemona demanded.
"Young human, consider this. We are currently far out at sea. There are no humans for miles around other than the three in this room. Nobody who is looking for you or would report on what happened to you to your parents. Now, if you should simply disappear… It would be very simple for the president and champion to claim that they were unable to catch up to us and we escaped with you. And if that is not the complete truth… Well. Who is to say what really happened? Certainly not us," Polaris said.
It took Nemona a minute to realize what he was saying. "Oh. Ohhhhhhhhhh."
"Then… You wanted us to chase after you and more or less kidnap her for ourselves?" Lillie realized.
"If that is how you wish to interpret it, yes."
"I mean… You do know we were going to take her anyway, right?" Selene pointed out. "And arrest her absolutely crooked folks? Was all this strictly necessary?"
"Perhaps not, but this way gives you more time to find conclusive proof of their wrongdoings and saved you from having to deal with their lawyers," Polaris pointed out.
"Oooh, yeah, good call," Selene agreed.
"As I told Nemona before you got here… We are all friends," Alcor stated. "We have no quarrel with you, or most of humanity for that matter. At the moment, our target is the Rotom Phone Corporation, same as you."
"So, what, are you proposing some sort of team up?" Nemona asked.
Alcor nodded. "Something like that. And if our liberating you from your parents is not proof enough of our good intentions…"
Phecda and Mizar approached, each alien holding a case in their hands. They opened them, revealing…
Nemona squealed in delight, seeing row after row of Pokéballs. "¡Mis bebés! ¡Están a salvo! ¡Oh gracias gracias gracias!" She cooed happily, grabbing the one she instinctively knew was her partner's and rubbing it against her cheek. "And-"
She stared at the contents of the other case. It was an extremely high-tech red, purple, silver, and black prosthetic arm decorated in feathers, beads, shiny stones, and tribal markings. "That's… That's ANNA's work," she immediately recognized. "And Julie's. How… How did you get your hands on that?! Have you been in contact with mis hermosas amores?!"
"Suffice it to say, we have our ways," Dubhe said cryptically as his comrades closed the cases and handed them to Nemona and Lillie.
"Incidentally, your friends have gotten themselves into a bit of trouble in the land of Kitakami," Polaris commented.
Nemona laughed. "I'd honestly be surprised if they hadn't."
"I understand you must want to go and help them-" Alcor started.
"But it would probably be a bad idea right now, because I'm supposed to have been abducted by aliens, I get it, I'm not an idiota like my sister," Nemona assured her. "I'll try to keep a low profile. You two, uh, can make that happen, right?"
"Absolutely," Lillie promised. "Our employees and friends are very loyal. So long as you're on Aether Paradise, you wouldn't have to worry about anyone reporting seeing you to your parents."
"Well, what about-" Selene started.
"I'll reassign him someplace especially nasty," Lillie said very cheerfully.
"Ah, good plan."
"With that said, you should be on your way," Polaris said. "After all, we need to fix the hole you left in our ship."
They glanced up at the large, smoking hole they'd made on their way in. Nebby looked Mareepish. "Sorry."
"Wait, so, how are we supposed to get in touch with you?" Selene asked.
"You won't. You will hear from us," Alcor said. "We have plans in the works, and secrets of our own to keep."
"Secrets, like who you really are?" Selene asked. "My powers have stopped working again. You clearly have something like whatever they had on the boat blocking them."
"I do not suppose you'll believe we are simply too alien for your abilities to grasp?" Dubhe asked innocently.
"No."
"Heh. Fair."
"All will be revealed in time," Polaris promised. "Ask yourself this: do you consider yourself a good judge of character?"
"Absolutely," Selene said.
"Do you think we are your enemy?"
"… No," Selene admitted after moment. "I can tell you're up to something, but I don't think it's bad."
"And will that suffice for now?"
Selene glanced at Lillie and Nemona. "Well, considering you helped get Nemona out of a really bad situation, saved her Pokémon, and brought her a new prosthetic… Yeah, that'll do."
"Thank you for helping," Lillie said kindly. "I look forward to working with you in the near future to stop whatever is being done to those Rotom."
"As do we," Polaris said.
"There's just one thing. If you really are the ruler of the galaxy… Why have you come all this way to our planet to investigate the affairs of one corporation? Surely it has no impact on you," Lillie pointed out.
"To achieve peace and harmony throughout the universe, one must be willing to not only see the big picture, but all the small details as well," Polaris explained. "If I were to tell you that at this very instant, there was someone suffering on the other side of the world – nay, the galaxy – and it were within your power to help them… Wouldn't you?"
Lillie smiled. "Yes. Yes, I would."
"And she's not the only one," Selene said softly, looking at her wife with adoration.
As Selene and Lily boarded Nebby, helping Nemona onto her back, the Champion-ranked trainer and student glanced back at the aliens. "Okay, seriously, just between us, you guys are Team Star in disguise, right?"
"Don't be preposterous. How would that work? There are five of them and nine of us, and their leader is behind bars," Dubhe scoffed.
"If you know Penny like I do, then you'd know a little thing like that is no obstacle for her," Nemona retorted. "And I'm not convinced Polaris isn't actually some kind of robot and Benetnasch isn't just a big prop."
"BENETNASCH!" Benetnasch bellowed.
"That proves nothing!" Nemona shouted as Nebby took flight, launching through the hole in the ceiling and out into the open sky. Beneath them, the spaceship rumbled, the lights on its side flashing, and with a sonic boom it shot off in the distance, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
"You know, if they actually are aliens, I wonder if they'd be willing to trade their technology with us," Lillie wondered.
"If they are aliens, I can guarantee you it won't be as good as what my girlfriend makes," Nemona bragged. "She's also from space. In the FUTURE. Ohhh, I can't wait to see what the new arm can do!"
"That can wait until we get home, dear," Lillie said kindly.
"Cool, thanks mom! By the way, is it okay if I call you mom?" Nemona babbled excitedly. "Because I've been calling you my moms in my head for the last several minutes since you've already shown me more maternal affection in the last hour than I've ever had in my entire life!"
"Menacing Moonraze Maelstrom."
"Huh?"
"Oh, just thinking of a fun family bonding activity we can do later," Lillie said dreamily as thoughts of murder raced through her mind.
"Guardian Deities I love you so much," Selene swooned.
"Hooray! I get to be a big sister!" Nebby proclaimed.
"She's older than you," Selene pointed out.
"But I'm bigger, so it still counts!"