Sky Shaymin Ariel breathed in fire and exhaled smoke. Her paws trembled. She backed up, away from Sky Shaymin Mei, as she laid out on the floor.
"I understand what it feels like to be in this moment. Let me help you. Please, make a deal with me. Make a wish on me. I need time, and you need your sister. You'll get them back eventually, but for now, give them to me. Your memories. Do that, and I'll restore Rayquaza for you."
________________________________________________________________________________
Ariel woke up. If it weren't for her aching, unfamiliar paws in Land Forme, she would've jumped right out of her white bedsheets. She had that dream again.
Over on a cushion in the corner of the room, Flareon Light slept as a small, gray bundle of fur. He insisted on staying nearby as she recovered, and the nurses fetched him a cushion to sleep on. She didn't wake up half shouting and in an adrenaline rush like usual, but he still wasn't close enough for her to get any sleep.
Despite the pain, Ariel had enough in her to lift Light with Psychic and bring him closer. She lifted the cover and placed him under. She curled around his back and held his soft, trustworthy paws.
The dream always looked real, and the image of Mei, lifeless, burned itself deeper into her brain every time. Even with Light staving it off, she couldn't keep it up for much longer. Light did his best, and helped plenty, but she couldn't put this on his shoulders, not yet. He knew she had nightmares, and that he helped by being there for her. That worked, more than enough for a good night's sleep.
________________________________________________________________________________
Flareon Light got some of the most peaceful sleep he had for a long time, despite all his screaming and crying the night before. A familiar weight and warmth curled around his body. Ariel's white paws sheltered him from a slight breeze that cascaded through a cracked window. Now that he looked at them, she had to be in Land Forme. He could tell she was awake; her purr rumbled on his back.
"Airy?" Light asked.
"Yes, my beautiful shmoopsy woo bear?"
"Why are you in Land Forme?"
"Well, apparently, I'll heal faster if I'm not in Sky Forme, and I can control it now."
"Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Good."
"So," she said, "...you think I got stronger?"
Light didn't quite understand why she asked him. Then again, maybe because she expected the cold hard truth out of him and wanted to use that to her advantage.
"I mean, of course," he said. "You stood up to him."
"Thanks. And thanks for staying here tonight."
"Of course. I... don't remember falling asleep right here, though."
"You smell so sweet. Ha... aha..."
"Oh."
"Wearing that hoodie, you look like a little angel cake... Angel cake! That's your nickname!"
"I mean... Add it to the pile, I guess."
"You have no idea how hard it is to resist gobbling you up."
Thin trails of steam rose from Light's fur. "We should probably, uhm, get ready for... Whatever we're doing today."
"We're going to set out for Zulu tonight, by carriage on the Abujan highway later tonight. It'll just be you and me together... Ha..."
"Did the recruitment ad help?"
"Well, you got fifty more marriage proposals from it."
"I mean, with recruitment?" he asked.
"No, but, we got lots of donations. A whole lot. Your aunt can build that machine twelve times over now. Oh, we did manage to hire a doctor."
"Okay." That satisfied him enough. "Good. So, what's the plan today?"
"Neither of us can train like this, so we're going to hit the streets and go on a shopping trip for the Wayfarers... And my treasure chest."
It seemed as productive as anything they could do about now.
"Sure," Light said. "But, the thing is, both of our last names are kind of... out there. Won't it be hard moving through the streets?"
"Abujans don't have swarms of paparazzi or stuff like that. I want a break. Let's go out and eat till our stomachs pop."
"Eat what?"
"They have a sort of mini festival today, and we're going. Even though this is Abuja, they've got all the classics, too. Popcorn, ice cream, candy, food, popcorn."
"Okay."
A double knock came on the white hospital door. Light looked up.
Ribombee Xiang floated in the doorway. She folded her arms. Light's fur heated up.
"H-hi," he squeaked out. "We were just, uh, talking..."
"Ariel," Xiang said, "I trust that you are just talking?"
"I'm an Empress, you know. What I do with my cute gummy bear is up to me."
"I'll tell Mei," she warned. Ariel's ears flattened.
"Please don't..."
"Then you'll do it my way. Food and bed rest for the rest of the day."
"What? But-"
"Have a nice rest."
Xiang flung the door closed.
"Damn it," Ariel huffed. "I wanted to go out today. Everyone else is going."
Ariel deserved to go out there more than anyone. Light resolved to make it happen. His paws were better, almost completely. With the help of his training, he'd gotten stronger lately.
Flareon Light wrapped his paws around Ariel's and adjusted her grip. He turned over and heaved. He stood up with her on his back. Before, her weight would've snapped something. Now, he had confidence he could keep it up for at least most of the day.
"Light?" she asked.
"You're going," he said.
"But Xiang said-"
"She won't notice."
"This is... the hottest thing you've ever done... Aha..."
She gave him an idea; Light heated up his fur. He hopped down onto the hospital floor. Land Shaymin Ariel held onto his gray mane.
"We're running away together... Ahahha..."
Ariel had a thing for the romantic, but, more importantly, life was short. He wouldn't miss today, and sure as hell wouldn't let her either.
________________________________________________________________________________
Before they left out, Ariel wanted Light to wear his hoodie, black shirt and leggings, and white star earring. He obliged. Again, she pawed at his ear as they left the hospital. She continued to do so as he walked through an empty front lobby, with the exception of a Slakoth sleeping at the front desk.
"So, where is this festival?" he asked.
"I dunnooooo," she said.
He'd ask someone out on the street, or look for activity. More than anything, he wanted to buy some clothes and trinkets for Ariel, but he planned to go with whatever she wanted.
Sliding glass doors opened to a small rotary. The hospital stood a street away from the busy city, closer to the shore, possibly for anyone hurt at sea or on the beach. In research, he discovered many larger ones in the city, but less traffic here made it optimal for them.
Optimal.
If Light remembered correctly, the Jigglypuff landed on the beach. He could've stayed in the same hospital.
Clouds muffled the brutal Abujan sun. Pink flowers bloomed on Ariel's back. In the first minute on her back, her snores rumbled on his back. He kept quiet and continued down the sidewalk. He let the distant sound of undecipherable music guide him. It had to be loud for it to be heard from so far away, and every carriage that happened to pass by traveled in its direction.
Ariel stirred as the music grew closer. Her paw swung on the side of Light's face. He plucked it out of the air and smooched the back of it.
"I love it when you do that..." she sighed. "Oh my beautiful little angel... Your kisses are like blessings from on h-high..."
She got poetic on occasion. From what he knew, she wrote poems sometimes in her diary. She texted him a couple romantic ones. They were bad, but, about him, so it hit close to home.
"What do you want to eat?" Light asked.
"My beautiful star... I shall have artisans craft us the softest nest of daffodils..."
She wouldn't hear him for a while. He'd have to walk around and see what caught her eye.
Light rounded a corner on a longer row of buildings. Pale, colorful streams with white stars hung between buildings. The cobblestone street wound around buildings of different sizes. The festival seemed to span multiple streets, but centered around a plaza and fountain at the center of it all. Short barriers and signs blocked any carriages.
Light sidestepped one of them and inched towards the dense crowd. Most of them seemed like small buildings themselves, compared to him. They horded around small shops and stands on the sides of the road, and in restaurants and booths. A pawful of them caught a glance of them from indoors through windows.
"Wow," Ariel breathed. "It smells good here. No clue what any of it is."
Light noticed potato fries and popcorn at a Poliwhirl's stand; Valorian food.
"I see some Valorian food," he said.
"Probably for you. I wonder what's in these shops."
Light's footsteps slowed to a stop. A Pangoro and Druddigon noticed him. One by one, other pairs of eyes got stuck on his face. He leaned to take a step back.
"Sup?" Ariel asked. "You guys know where we can get some meat on our bones?"
Pangoro and Druddigon glanced at each other.
________________________________________________________________________________
Pangoro and Drudiggon guided them to a restaurant, more like a bar, on the same street. Five minutes after they arrived, every seat filled, which in turn, blacked out any view of what could be out the windows. The air grew stuffy and sweaty. The light sources in the dark room swung around as some taller species hit their heads on them.
Flareon Light set Land Shaymin Ariel down on a small cushion in front of the main bar in the center of the room. He had no clue about the drinking rules in Abuja, but Ariel showed no interest in the array of dark-colored bottles. She did, however, take an interest in something just as nonsensical.
"Now heeeeeeere's the beef!" Ariel slammed her paws on the counter.
A Combusken waitress approached them with a mountainous cheeseburger, twice her size, and slammed it on the counter in front of him. It towered at least three times Light's size, and maybe double of Ariel's.
"You sure you can handle it?" Conbusken asked.
"Who are you talking to?" Ariel asked.
"Uhm... Ariel Chingyang?"
"The other thing."
"Oh, uh. The White Knight."
"That's right. I'm the White Knight. And I never back down from a challenge and always come out on top." She turned and winked at Light. "Ain't that right?"
A puff of smoke leaked out of his mouth. His tail snaked around his body.
Ariel clapped her paws together. She grabbed an oversized fork and knife and cut away at the burger. Because of the size, it ended up looking like sword swings.
"The only one who could eat that before was a Snorlax," a Blitzle said from the far corner of the room. His young voice drew everyone's attention. "I don't see how anyone could even get halfway. It's the better part of a whole cow."
"I'm a believer," a Honchkrow declared. "I've known folks from Lao Shen who've eaten triple their body weight! They're feisty."
"Just don't hurt yourself, Airy," Light said.
"I gotmf this," she said through a mouthful.
"It's okay if you don't. Don't force yourself."
When Light finished talking, he found the room silent. He glanced around at their reactions. A Liltleo turned to a Mudbray next to her.
"Why don't you talk to me like that?" she asked.
"U-uh, sorry?" he said.
Ariel slowed down within a minute. She wouldn't make it. Light knew it, but she could get hard-headed. He wouldn't let her make herself sick.
A tap on Light's shoulder made him jump. He whipped around.
Meowstic Markus and Pyukumuku Kaleb stood behind him, side by side.
"Yo," Markus said. "Heard Ariel was trying to eat some big ass burger for some reason."
"What are you two doing here?" he asked.
"Festival's for the Wayfarers, and we weren't given orders for today."
Shaymin Ariel leaned back in her cushion. She set the huge knife and fork down. She only made a slight dent.
"Promised I wouldn't hurt myself..." she said. "So weird. I can usually eat more than that..."
If Light had to guess, it probably had to do with the fact she was in Land Forme, or any other number of reasons.
"It's quite alright," Combusken said, now from the other side of the bar's table.
"You gonna eat that?" Kaleb asked.
"Go ahead," Ariel said.
Light blinked, and witnessed something great, terrible, and vicious. Kaleb reached out with a huge white nad, grabbed the burger, and tore it to shreds. Light covered his eyes as bits of lettuce and scraps of beef flung out from seconds long the hurricane.
It ended. Pyukumuku Kaleb stood idle in a tiny, thin puddle of the burger remains. His burp drifted alone through the room.
"Nice snack," Kaleb said. "That's, like, a sixth of my calories today."
"What the fuck are you," Combusken asked herself aloud.
"My name is Kaleb. If I live past twenty-five without reaching a glorious death, please kill me."
"Aren't you twenty-four?" asked Markus.
"Yes."
"Bro, did you congratulate your parents and drive them back home when you hatched?"
"That's a funny story, actually."
Light pulled Ariel's cushion closer to him and scratched her back. He made sure his paws were warm. Pink flowers bloomed on her, as normal for a content Land Shaymin. She closed her eyes and balled up.
"Didn't Xiang say for Ariel to stay in today?" Markus asked.
"Yah," Light huffed. "But she wanted to come. You won't tell anyone, will you?"
"Nah. She's kind of a spoil sport. Besides, you got her."
"Hey Light," Ariel vibrated as she spoke. "Eat."
"I'm not really hungry," he said.
"Eat."
She was probably right. He should.
"Could I have a, uhm, smaller burger...?"
"Coming right up," Combusken said.
"Come by the plaza when you're done," Markus said. "Everyone's just chilling."
"I will," Light said. "Thanks."
Meowstic Markus and Pyukumuku Kaleb waded through the crowd and left out the door. Land Shaymin Ariel hopped to Flareon Light's cushion and leaned against his side. He kept his tail curled around her as he ate.
Once he finished ten minutes later, he bid the staff a short goodbye and carried Ariel on his back again. The crowd parted to let him through.
Back on the street, the pokemon running the stalls called out greetings. He nodded and called back to each of them; there weren't that many on the way to the plaza.
In the plaza, a fountain stood with two Luvdisc statues facing opposite each other and spraying water from their mouths. Light glanced around at the benches and cobblestone area, but didn't happen to see any of the Wayfarers except for Sky Shaymin Mei, who saw him after a few seconds.
Mei locked eyes and walked over to him. She tilted her head from side to side, as if to study how he carried Ariel, who slept on his back, but still awash with pink flowers.
"I didn't think you'd be able to lift her," Mei snorted. "Ah well. She's so peaceful when she's sleeping, and only when she's sleeping."
"Were you scared for her last night?" Light asked.
Mei might answer differently since Ariel couldn't hear. She proceeded to prove him right.
"Of course," she huffed. "If Gareth shows his face and tries something again, I'll tear him limb from limb."
"I don't think you or I would stand much chance against him in a fight."
"Never said it had to be a fair fight. And don't misplace my sister like a backpack. I'll cut you."
Mei turned and walked back towards the shops lining the plaza.
A Tepig, in the middle of a brisk jog, bumped into her, bounced off, spun around on his feet, and toppled over. Mei turned and changed direction. She yanked him up and set him on his feet again in the most callous way imaginable.
When Tepig laid eyes on her, his mouth sputtered out a half-coherent sentence, though Light couldn't hear it over all the chatter. Mei's eyes glazed over. She smiled.
Light recognized that smile. Ariel wore it all the time; gloating with a hint of smug. Mei talked back with her nose raised high.
"Heya."
Light spun around.
Heliolisk Jonathan stood with his hands in the pockets of a new black hoodie. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other.
"Didja know they dip popcorn in caramel?" he asked.
"Hey, uhm... Yah?" Light said. "You didn't?"
"I reckon it's something new, right? Abujan?"
Light shook his head.
"Really? Huh...Er, anyways... Zhen wanted to see you at a food stand over thataway." Jonathan turned around and pointed. "He seemed excited. Go drop by."
"Alright," he said. "Sure."
"Back to shopping for me. See ya around."
"See you."
Jonathan swayed on his feet, picked a store, and walked. Light glanced back around in Sky Shaymin Mei's direction.
Mei's face turned red. Her arm draped over Tepig's back, whose face heated up with thin trails of steam rising out of his ears.
So both Ariel and her sister were fast on that front. Good to know.
Light walked in the direction Jonathan pointed out. Signs poked out of the tops of buildings for small cafes and bakeries he planned to visit. Less stands happened to line this street, in exchange for the doors to different restaurants competing for space along the walls.
Arcanine Zhen turned to them from one of the few stands. His smile beckoned Light closer.
"Light," Zhen greeted. "Come here. I wanted you to try something."
"Uh, sure. What?"
"Abuja has the highest concentration of Wilderbeasts anywhere in the world, and food that we normally find quite enjoyable. Try this mutton."
"Mutton? Like, sheep?"
Light looked over a steaming grill under the watchful eye of a Simipour. Steam rose from a darkening slab of meat.
"Sheep is some of the most common food for a Wilderbeast," Zhen said. "I want you to try. Maybe you'll feel some sort of awakening."
Ariel pulled on Light's gray mane. She leaned forward towards his ear.
"Eat," she said. "Try it."
Light probably wouldn't have before, but he opted to take Ariel's advice since she had a point. He still hadn't put on much weight. Today he had an opportunity to fix that with good food.
"Yah," he said.
"All of it is on the house for Wayfarers," Simipour said. "Those badges of yours are awful helpful. Please, have all you can eat."
"Thank you kindly," Zhen said. "Try some, Light."
Simipour walked from behind the grill, bent down, and offered Light a kebab with chunks of meat on it. He accepted and took a bite.
His teeth struggled to get through the tougher meat. He stood there for a long, awkward minute. Simipour continued to cook while Zhen scratched the back of his head with his claw.
Light swallowed and cleared his throat.
"Alright," Zhen said. "Roar."
"What."
"Roar at the top of your lungs. It's something some Wilderbeasts find comforting. Maybe you will."
"Okay..."
Light reeled his head up and screeched. It faded out after three seconds.
Simipour clutched her chest and wiped a tear from her eye. On Light's back, Ariel leaned forward and nibbled on his cheek.
"That was so precious," Simipour sniffled.
"It's like what I imagine a bunny to sound like if they had vocal cords," Zhen said.
"I thought they did have vocal cords," Light mumbled.
"Do they?"
Zhen glanced between Light and Simipour for an answer neither of them had.
"Well," Zhen said, "different Wilderbeasts have different habits."
"Different how?" Light asked.
"It varies, but is also similar in certain ways. Do you have any quirks that might be noticeable, like scratching the ground or something?"
"One," Ariel said. "He gets all finicky when you pull on his mane."
Ariel tugged on his fur. Light hopped up in place.
"He also hates having his fur dirty," she said.
"Perhaps you should go to a salon," Zhen said. "If you become more in tune with yourself, maybe it will help your Wilderbeast instincts come out. I don't feel the need to remind you that it will help a lot in combat."
"Thanks," Light said. "I will."
"I mean to ask you another thing," Zhen lowered his booming voice. "Are you alright? After what happened to Roxanne and Alisha?"
That threw him off. Light took a second to formulate a reply.
"Uh, yah," he said. "I'm okay."
"Good," Arcanine Zhen said. "They want you to be." He turned back to Simipour. "I'll take ten and three quarters."
Ariel pulled on Light's fur again. He leaned his head back.
"I want to do romantic thiiiiiings," she complained.
"Like shopping?"
"Yah!"
"Okay... Wait, what?"
"Yah," Ariel repeated. "Don't like me copying you?"
"I... dunno..."
"I dunno either. I just want attention."
"You got it. Whatever you want."
Ariel hugged around Light's back. He pecked the top of her paw and held it. Ever since he showed her how he took care of his fur, her own was soft as silk.
"What do you want to do next, Airy?" he asked.
"I want to go to a spa," she said. "I just wanna go to a spa and relax, like we did back in Lao Shen."
"That sounds nice. Are there any around here?"
"There's a five-star one if you hang a right and keep walking at the end of this street," Simipour said. "It makes your dead heart feel again, I tell ya."
"Where's Mei?" Ariel asked.
Light had a feeling she didn't happen to ask where Mei was at random. "With a Tepig," he said.
"Light!"
Light turned.
Diancie Jasmine ran over to him. Her gemstone eyes sparkled with an intensity he rarely saw on her face. She ran right up to his face.
"Light!" Jasmine said again. "Did you know that they dip popcorn in caramel!?"
"Uhm... Why is that surprising?" he asked.
"They have caramel on popcorn!"
"Yah...? You know they have candy apples too, right?"
"Candy apples? What's that?"
Light sometimes forgot Jasmine lived under a rock, but that didn't explain Jonathan.
"They're hiding something."
Words formulated themselves in his head, but clearly, they didn't belong to him.
"Over popcorn...?" Light asked Reshiram. "You suspect them... over popcorn?"
"Study her eyes very carefully."
"We're going to a spa," Ariel said. "Would you like to come with us?"
"Oh, no thanks," Jasmine said. "I've been getting acquainted with other Guild members."
Light studied her eyes. They seemed hard, and not only because they were close to rocks. As she passed her gaze along, they stayed distant, and cold, despite her warm smile.
"It's possible I retained some memories. Correct me if I'm wrong, but she seems a little cold, right?"
"She didn't have the best home life," Light said.
"She wielded Sacred Treasure Svalin with ease, unlike you with Courtain. She's not telling you everything."
"She doesn't have to. I trust her."
"I do too. She saved your life. Use Candor on Ariel and ask her to observe before she walks away."
Light activated Candor, in stages. He knew Ariel would be able to tell it turned on, and she did.
He wanted to know what she thought of Jasmine. She seemed smart, capable, and kind. They were lucky to have her. Light focused on her eyes and mannerisms, though. Ariel watched more closely.
"I'm going to try everything there is to offer," Diancie Jasmine resolved. She turned her attention to the grill. "So, what's that?"
"Mutton," Light answered. "Sheep."
"Ah. Nevermind then. I will try most of everything there is to offer. I know how much you two like your alone time from what I hear, so please, don't let me interrupt."
Light's face warmed. "We, uh..."
"Thanks," Ariel said. "I'll let you know if I see a guy for you to ask out."
Jasmine laughed, a bit robotically. Mist washed over her gemstone eyes. Not a normal reaction by any means. Ariel expected her to be flustered, surprised, or maybe giddy or passive. Instead, signs of hurt leaked through a glance away. That could be expected, given her childhood, but it could easily be something else. Light had a point. She seemed off beneath the surface.
Jasmine's face froze. She gawked at them.
"What is it?" Light asked.
"U-uhm... Not sure," she said. "You're both staring at me like... the exact same way."
"How?"
"Like... It's hard to explain." Her face settled. "You two must really be soulmates. I'll see you both later, alright?"
"See you," said Light.
"Soulmates is a funny way of putting it," Reshiram scoffed. "In actuality, both of your abilities happen to meld together perfectly."
"What do you mean?" Light asked.
Light could tell Ariel heard Reshiram's voice, too. Her paws tightened around his mane as she tried to act natural in public.
"Wizard Scions manipulate the energy of themselves and others, and Candor creates a deep connection. With both of these in play, you two are able to do rather unnatural things."
"Like what?" he asked.
"Wait until you are both back to full health and when Marciel is available."
That sounded fine to Ariel. She just wanted an excuse for Light to rub her back. She could've said that in the first place.
"We'll see you later Zhen," Light said.
Zhen nodded as he chomped down on a slab of mutton. Light walked further down the street towards the empty road. As instructed, he hung a right. Ariel thought it was a left, but Light knew for sure. He cut off Candor.
"Uh, Light?" Ariel asked.
"Yah?"
"Do you see that guy?"
Light had focused on the buildings to find the spa. He turned back to the street.
A Prinplup eyeballed him with a wad of blue cotton candy in front of his face. He froze in place as carriages passed by.
"Isn't he that pirate leader?" Ariel asked. "I'm not crazy, right? His name is Sheng?"
Prinplup lowered the cotton, placed his fin on his chest, and cleared his throat. He sauntered right for them.
"What are you doing here?" Light demanded.
"Well, I was going to rob you guys while you were down bad," Sheng said. "But then I realized they dip popcorn in caramel, so, I'll wreck you guys later. That cool?"
"Uhm, no?"
"Well, even if it ain't, you both look like garbage, so there's not really much you can do about it anyway."
"What's that in your hand?" Ariel asked.
"It's called cotton candy," Sheng said. "Texture like... cloth, but it tastes sweet. This is some wack shit."
Sheng kept walking and went past them. Light didn't dare turn around. He had a point about neither of them being able to fight right now. As his footsteps faded away, Light let go of the tension built up in his chest. He glanced back, and Sheng had disappeared.
"Why?" Light asked no one in particular.
"I think he's just bored," Ariel said. "Don't you get that impression?"
"I guess... But why us?"
"You're pretty unique, Light."
"You're more unique."
"No, you."
"No, you," he repeated, smiling.
"I see why you bother everyone now."
"Hey Airy?" Light asked. "Does Rayquaza talk to you?"
"Not really. I guess Reshiram likes to talk."
"Well, I could tell that from the beach."
"Don't mock me."
"Is it possible for them to just choose a different Scion?" Light asked.
"I don't think so," Ariel said. "When they choose us, we're sort of bound together. They could disallow you from using their chi... Or, uh, energy, but, since Reshiram's useless already..."
"Shut up. I only have your memories, so I'm only as useless as you are. In fact, I might be even more useful than you."
"What's that mean?" he asked.
"Fine... List all of the moves you've ever seen Ariel use."
"Sweet Kiss, Seed Flare, Energy Ball, Solarbeam Psychic, Air Slash, Sweet Kiss... I already said that, but I like it when she uses Sweet Kiss..."
"You've also seen her use Giga Impact training with Robin, Hyper Beam with Chad, and Leaf Storm, albeit a small one since she struggles with controlling it's direction. You have no chance of destroying my body if you play by the rules. If you use Candor on yourself, you can bring up every single memory in your life, in vivid detail if you wish, at a moment's notice, and go through it in the blink of an eye. Don't tell me I'm useless again."
"That's a pretty cool power," Ariel said. "But how's it work? Don't memories fade with time?"
"Have you been able to hear this whole time?" Light asked out loud.
"Yeah," she said.
"The Acuitan blessing causes memory storage in the brain to be more... you might say efficient, or concrete. This usually has no impact. I may not have my powers, but you happen to have Candor. You can use it on yourself to search through your own memories to find anything, even if you only saw or heard something for a second."
"You better not be spying on me and Light," Ariel's voice rang.
"I don't know why you like this pig, but, no. The more memories you make of your allies in battle, the more resources you'll have before you make decisions. For example, you passed the sign for the spa three buildings ago without realizing since I distracted you."
Light turned around. Reshiram was right. He missed a black sign sticking out of the building. He walked back over.
"You'll have to train your mind and body to be able to withstand larger forces of Candor and bringing up more memories at a lightning fast pace. I don't want to give you a headache on what should be a day of rest. Enjoy your day."
A pulled string in Light's brain released and relaxed.
"That's actually pretty amazing," Ariel said quietly. "Isn't that like... a photographic memory or something?"
"Something like that, I guess..." Light said. "Right now, it hurts my head just thinking about trying to do all of that..."
"I spoke with your aunt and everyone. Reshiram's body will likely take two months or even more to recover. Your strikes with Courtain and Marciel's with Gungnir hit the mark. You'll have time to make that potential something tangible."
"I hope so."
Ariel patted him hard on the back. Light grunted and glanced up at her smiling face.
"No stress allowed," Ariel said. "Our odds look a lot better."
She had a point. They did, against Reshiram.
Even so, Gareth's warning lingered in his head. He mentioned "falling stars". He wondered if there could be more pokemon out there like Reshiram, or something else entirely.
________________________________________________________________________________
Meowstic Markus walked through a store with a simple cloth covering in front of the doorway. Wooden beads hung over the doorway. Cloth items and stones exalted with miniature altars crowded the walls. Some were for evolution, while others for certain species for mental health. He considered looking into it for Susan, and as a gift for Light in exchange for saving his bacon on the beach.
At the tiny front counter, a Dartrix turned her head up towards the dim, purply lights, and Markus' face.
"Yo," Markus said. "I hear you guys can do some sorts of readings on items?"
Dartrix's face lifted. "Free of charge for a Wayfarer. Bless your heart, young man. What can I help you with?"
"There's this necklace I found that I think might be pretty important, but I got no clue what it is."
"Alright! Let me take a look."
Markus reached into the pockets of his new white hoodie (everyone was wearing them since Light started the fashion statement, so he just followed along) and pulled out a silver chain necklace of a crescent moon. He handed it to Dartrix.
"Wow," Dartrix said. "It's ironic you brought something like this around this time."
"Why's that?" he asked.
"In the jungle, they say that tribes or pokemon live there who worshipped the moon, many centuries ago. More specifically, a Legendary species called Lunala, who would bless the nomads with their travel direction for the coming year. Once every year, they still reconvene, but recently, they've fallen on hard times like food shortages and illness."
"Is this some artifact like what they use?"
"Precisely. And their legend of Lunala is no fairy tale ever since Reshiram flew, but people have grown suspicious that a group of people so successful and happy have fallen on hard times. There's no precedent for what they're going through."
"If there's a Legendary going berserk again, that makes it the job of us Wayfarers," he huffed. "For better or worse..." he mouthed to himself. "Who are these nomads, and where do they meet?"
"They are called the Inyanga. They meet in the Great Jungle every year, at different places. Despite living as nomads, they still have plenty of communication with the outside world, and even welcome people to join their tribe. You should be able to contact them with ease."
"The Inyanga," he repeated.
The Great Jungle lay opposite of the Guild's current agreed path. They could split up. Light and Ariel were both capable enough Guildmasters for them to make it work, but they'd never do it. They were inseparable. Besides, the Wayfarers needed those glass weapons if they wanted a chance to slay Reshiram.
"This complicates things," Markus said. "Ma'am, what can you tell me about this Lunala?"
"Less than the Inyanga could tell you," Dartrix said. "However, I think it would be best if you go to them and find the answers for yourself."
"I could tell you a little more."
Markus turned around to face a Watchog with a brown leather jacket. He smiled.
"The Inyanga have been around for centuries," Watchog explained. "They're close friends with Lunala. Each generation, from their tribe, it picks a new Scion to protect them. But lately, it went quiet. Many of the tribesmen have nightmares lately. I think it's best if you go, Markus Valor. Alone, if you want to return to Susan."
Dizziness pushed Markus around for a second.
"Sir?" Dartix asked.
Markus refocused. He still faced the Dartrix. He turned around, but no Watchog stood inside.
"Sir?" she repeated.
"Yah, I'm fine," he said. He traced his caws along his tails to straighten out non-existent tangles. "Sorry, just a... headache."
"We have many items here to relax the minds of Psychic types. Please, have a look around."
"Thanks..."
________________________________________________________________________________
Flareon Light and Shaymin Ariel spent two heavenly hours relaxing at the spa. He basically had everything going for him.
His fur was brushed and clean. Steam rose off foggy water that smelled like honey and sugar. It dispersed before it could fog up windows overlooking the harbor. Better still, Ariel fell asleep with her head on top of his. She stirred awake hungry.
This time, Ariel insisted she felt good enough to walk by herself, but forgot she never learned how to do it very well in Land Forme to begin with. Light carried her back out.
Ariel wanted sweets, and so did he. He walked back towards the fountain. He satisfied her with two candy apples, two bags of caramel popcorn (one for himself), ten cookies, (two for himself), and a brownie.The cookies were thin, but Light stopped her from eating more before she could get sick.
As sunset fell, and Ariel gradually lost interest in the shops, Light walked down streets for an hour towards a wooded area; a cliff overlooking the ocean. The Wayfarers' white cruise ship floated out on the docks. The trees thinned out at the cliffside and offered a crystal clear view.
Land Shaymin Ariel's weight started to wear down Flareon Light's back when they arrived. He set her down a good distance away from the edge on a dry patch of dirt, on top of his tail. He sat next to her. The cool breeze snaked through his fur and tickled him.
"Abuja's beautiful," Ariel said.
"Yah," Light said.
"I couldn't even imagine what my parents would have done to it."
Light didn't anticipate her being in a mood for saying something so heavy. Now that he knew, he realized she had gone quiet on the walk over.
"Is it bad that I'm glad something stopped them?" she asked.
"It's fine to be conflicted," he said. "Airy, are you doing okay?"
"Today's been so good it doesn't even feel real. Like I can't even take it seriously. I must be pretty bad at relaxing."
"How can I help?"
"Well, first thing's first."
Ariel hopped off Light's tail. Gold light surrounded her body, then faded away. She changed into Sky Forme.
Ariel stood up straight in front of him and rotated her neck. She pounded her feet against the ground and hopped in place.
"This feels better," she said, smiling. "You wanna make out?"
"Yes."
Ariel swooped in front of Light and wrapped her arms around him.
________________________________________________________________________________
The sun fell lower and tinted the ocean orange. Light locked paws with Ariel and leaned against her side, listening to her heartbeat. She continually kissed his paw.
"And that's twenty hundred more reasons why I think you're beautiful..." Ariel hummed. "Your turn again."
Light's eyes drifted away, and it took a lot to get his attention from Ariel's gorgeous, blazing green eyes lately.
"Airy?" Light asked.
Ariel turned towards where his gaze fell; the city.
Red dots on the horizon crossed over the shoreline, a multitude of them. Each one left a tiny trail of smoke in the sky and disappeared among the buildings.
"Falling stars?" Light asked himself.
"What?" Ariel asked.
"Gareth talked to me in the stands for a second. He warned me to be careful of falling stars."
Ariel's eyes flickered. She turned her attention above Light's head. He turned around.
A handful of red lights descended into the forest behind them. Small impacts and shouts traveled over a long distance to their ears.
"We can make out after..." Ariel said. "Let's go check this out."
Light jumped to his feet. A metal object swooped from under the cliffside. Ariel rose and stepped in front of him on instinct.
A Glameow appeared. He hovered in mid-air. Silvery metal covered over his body, with the exception of his joint, tails, and face. Metal claws on his paws gleamed in the sunset. On his back, six metal black spines jut out, each spewing fire and pressure from their ends.
"Target spotted!" he called. "Engaging!"
The spines turned and increased their power. Glameow flew straight in for Light.
Ariel stepped forward to meet the charge. Light had to help. She hasn't gotten back to full strength yet. He materialized a red Trump Card in his paw and threw it in an arc around her. It cut through the black spines on Glameow's back and threw off his balance.
The spines disengaged. Glameow slashed down at Ariel. Ariel grabbed his face and arm and slammed him down. He scraped his back and the spines on the ground and realigned himself upright.
"I need reinforce-"
Glameow turned around as he noticed Light, who spun and slammed the back of his right foot in his face. Glameow shouted and tumbled away, off the edge of the cliff.
Ariel walked forward and grabbed Light's paw.
"Time to go," she said. She turned for the edge of the cliff.
"Wait," Light said. His voice stopped her. "You shouldn't strain yourself by flying with me weighing you down. Let's use the woods for cover."
More importantly, Light never saw the Glameow coming. He had no clue how or why a Glameow could fly, but he did, and fast. Ariel couldn't outpace them if they were found in the air.
"Let's stay on the ground and hide," he said.
"Okay," said Ariel. "C'mon. Let's go."
They made a break for the wooded area. As they entered the shade, two balls of fire soared overhead and off the cliffside towards where Glameow fell. The green leafy canopy overhead probably spared them from their view. Hopefully, they assumed Ariel would try to fly them away and not search in the woods.
Light led them off the beaten path into the bushes. Hidden under the mess, he pulled out his phone.
No service. He huffed and put it back in his pocket.
Ariel placed a paw on his back and pushed down. Light triggered Candor.
She heard something. Light agreed to stay quiet and listen.
Two meaty impacts shook the ground. Light clenched his paws.
"So I assume we're shifting our search to this area?" a male voice said.
"No," another answered. "The Captain insists he wanted to search the city."
"He has his priorities split. The traitors don't matter right now. We have a job to do."
"Let Lord Acuity have his fun. He's part of the main unit. They don't get to go to the surface very often. They'll make a suitable distraction, anyway."
"I don't feel like getting executed just cause the Captain wants to have fun."
"You won't. Our real mission is much easier. Think about the long game. We're dealing with Scions and Sacred Treasures. They won't buckle from one strike."
Ariel had a clear view of a Nuzleaf and Bunnelby standing around. Both of them had slightly smaller versions of the black spines on their back, jutting out from a metal box strapped to them. She didn't see a power source for it, other than their bodies.
That Glameow didn't give them a good enough estimate of how strong they were. If Gareth warned them about "falling stars", they should take him seriously and bail. Ariel didn't see that as an option. They would be safer making a blitz for the other Wayfarers.
Light frowned. Their flying machines moved too fast. Ariel saw that if they worked together, they could disable them with ease. They were only made of metal.
An alert sounded. Bunnebly gasped. From the backpack, a light projected a holographic screen in front of his face. His eyes darted across it.
"What is it?" Nuzleaf asked.
"Large energy signature... Shit, there's a Scion right on top of us! Call Lord Acuity!"
No choice.
Light stayed hidden. Ariel leapt out of the grass.
Nuzleaf pointed. "It's Chingyang! Move!"
Ariel flew over their heads. Both of them faced her. It allowed Light a clear shot at their flying devices. He manifested a Trump Card in both paws and took it.
They slammed into their backpacks and broke them apart. Bunnelby and Nuzleaf staggered forward out of their stances. Ariel grabbed their faces and slammed them against the dirt.
Candor didn't break, despite the requirements, physical or eye contact, being broken.
"That's only to begin the connection," Reshiram said. "It has a certain range after it is created, depending on how good you are with it."
Ariel's paw shifted. They weren't done yet.
Bunnelby and Nuzleaf both grabbed on each of her paws. Neither of their faces changed.
"No signal," Bunnelby growled.
"I'll distract her," Nuzleaf said. "Send a flare."
"Stop this nonsense," Reshiram said. "They know you're a Scion. There's no point in hiding it. Use your powers."
Yellow veins spread across Ariel's body. Her green paws glowed. Bunnelby and Nuzleaf both pulled back to let go. They both crumpled to the ground, asleep.
Ariel ran for Light, snatched his paw, and ran again. She pulled him along until she heard more of their flying machines and dipped under a bush again.
Ariel's body shrunk, back to Land Forme. She huddled in a ball and hissed for air.
"Airy?" Light whispered.
"I'm okay..." she huffed in between breaths.
"Obviously not," Reshiram said. "You're still weakened from both Gareth Acuity and my body. Light, you better put those thief skills to work and get out of here, quietly."
Multiple flying machines hit the ground. Light shuddered.
"A one fourteen! Snap out of it!" a woman demanded.
"Forget it," a man sighed. "They've been put under sleeping spells. Remember, don't let that Wizard Scion touch you, understand?"
"That's what happened?" another asked.
"She'll be able to manipulate the energy in your body if she touches you. Move as a group, and overpower them from a distance. Lord Acuity wants them alive for study. If you have to choose between killing them or losing them, lose them. Fan out. Switch to local communication."
"Yes sir!"
Light picked up Ariel and put her on his back. He stayed low. The tall foliage around them gave them better odds, but one mistake would be it.
A Brionne landed in front of them. He swiveled around in a circle. Beyond him, the foliage thinned out. They had no other path forward.
Ariel could still put him to sleep if Light got close without him seeing. No other choice.
Light crept up slow, then fast when Brionne turned away. Land Shaymin Ariel leapt off his back.
Brionne fell over without a sound. Light walked over and picked Ariel up on his back again.
With Brionne's eyes closed and breathing slowed, he had enough sense to take a look at his metal backpack and spikes jutting off of it. As he figured, they were hollow pipes. If he had more room on his back, he'd try and take it with him.
A Machop landed in front of them. Light backed away.
"Heartbeat monitors," Machop said. "They alert us to the bodily changes of other Dragoons in our unit. We knew a Wizard Scion would be with you."
Twelve more flying machines pounded on the ground in a circle around them. Light froze up.
Machop edged closer. He stopped. A strange fear lowered his gaze from Light and made him turn around.
Electricity surged through the air, from behind Machop in the trees. Hard footsteps fell on the soil.
From the sunset shadows of the treeline, Haxorus Gareth stomped out. His head swayed from side to side with every step.
"Pull out..." Machop muttered. He whipped around and ran. "Pull out!" he yelled. "Back to Lord Acuity!"
Machop's machine ignited. He pushed off into the air, along with the surrounding pokemon. Gareth raised his eyes and scoffed.
"U-uh, Uncle?" Light asked.
Gareth peered down at Light. "It sounds strange when you say that," he said. "Didn't I warn you to avoid falling stars?"
"They came too quickly."
Gareth's gaze caught onto Ariel's. She clenched Light's fur.
"I suppose it's only fair," Gareth said. "I'm the reason you can't protect him right now, so, I'll pay you back this once, Chingyang. They're going back to town. We should hurry. Your Guild will be in danger."
________________________________________________________________________________
Markus chuckled to himself. "I'm in danger."
And all because Meowstic Markus decided to help vendors pack up at the end of the festival.
The next thing he knew, pokemon with flying machines landed in dramatic fashion (superhero landings and shit) and started blasting him with lasers, which came ten percent off with their spider-leg cosplay jetpacks.
He hid behind a street corner. He poked his nose out.
A laser blast knocked off a chunk of concrete off the building. His head flinched back. They gathered in force in the air.
"Wait!" Markus yelled out.
The swooping sounds their flying machines made stopped and stabilized. He glanced around the corner again. They all stayed still in the air. Markus pulled his head back.
"Why are you trying to kill me, bro?" Markus asked.
"Where's the White Star?" one of them asked.
"Prolly making out with Ariel? That's like, all he ever does anymore."
"Do you not know?"
"Where they're making out? I don't know."
They stayed silent. He heard their machine stick up to another gear. He turned the corner.
The attackers flew up and away as miniature red comets, too many for Markus to engage in the air without any cover. He couldn't give chase. He opted for his phone.
Markus texted the Wayfarers, but the message came up red, which meant it didn't go through. Apparently, he didn't have service. He'd believe that in some places in Abuja, but not in the middle of a city. An emergency siren would play if there were attacks on whatever places provided internet.
"For eff's sake," Markus huffed. "They come with signal jammers, too?"
"Markus!"
At least he'd have someone.
As luck would have it, Heliolisk Jonathan landed in front of him, from the rooftops. Both of his Grapplers snapped back to his wrists. He gazed out at the dents, craters, and scorch marks on the street.
"What happened?" he asked.
"I was attacked by soldiery guys with spider-leg jetpacks," Markus said. "Also, I don't have internet to warn anyone."
"Shit!"
Jonathan shot his Grappler at the edge of the roof and zoomed over. Markus raised his paws up.
"Hey," Markus said. "Dang it..."
Though, by his reaction, he seemed to know who they were. He was the strongest Wayfarer, and for a moment, looked scared out of his mind.
"Damn," Markus huffed. "We're in danger."
Markus floated up after him.
________________________________________________________________________________
Sunset fell lower. The orange sky deepened, and darkened.
On a dirt path back to town, surrounded by trees, Flareon Light followed Haxorus Gareth, who didn't seem to rush despite the circumstances. On Light's back, Land Shaymin Ariel slept to get as much power as she could, as fast as possible.
"Hey, uh, Uncle?"
"What?" Gareth asked.
"You don't seem to be in a rush," Light said, to hint at his slow walking speed.
"They know where we are, and that we're turning to town towards your Guild. All of this foliage won't make their pegasi wings as powerful as they are in open space.
"Pegasi wings?"
"That's what those machines on their backs are called. I'm walking like this so we reach town by nightfall."
"But why wait till nightfall? Isn't my Guild in danger?"
"They're only after you. We're waiting until nightfall because your Guild has no chance to protect you otherwise. In broad daylight, they'll be overwhelmed, probably killed. Even Marciel or Jonathan. We'll arrive at nightfall."
"Who are they?" Light asked.
"It doesn't matter who they are for now. When the time comes, your friends will tell you."
"Well, uncle, if my friends are in danger... Can't you at least tell me something?"
"They're strong," he said quietly. "They use a pseudo-version of Acuitan warlord strategies, making them very aggressive. Don't rely on any pain being able to force them back."
Light waited for more, but didn't get any. Gareth kept walking, silent. Light slouched underneath his imposing shadow. It faded away as night fell.
The dirt path led across a short lawn of kempt grass and back to the city streets. Flareon Light periodically checked his phone for a signal, but didn't get one. It didn't help his quivering heartbeat and shaky paws. He put it back in his hoodie's zip-up pocket and followed Gareth down a tin road with short buildings and lampposts with swarms of bugs clouding around them.
Again, it didn't help that he saw no other pokemon around. Even in the buildings, it seemed silent.
"Some of your friends probably saw the pegasi wings flying about," Gareth said. "And they'll know of the danger and have gathered up together, probably looking for you. Keep your eyes open. They won't jump at us from the rooftops while I'm here without their leader."
The fact they get to rooftops so easily and wait didn't help.
"If you wanted to talk to me, why didn't you just come talk to me?" Light asked. "Why wait and enter that tournament?"
"We're not exactly the best at relationships," Gareth said. "Take your grandfather for example."
"I mean... he's awkward, but he's trying."
"Yes. That part is new."
"You should come with us..."
"That'd be awkward."
"It's already awkward."
"Yes, I'm aware of that."
Gareth raised his arm out and stopped walking. Light froze.
In the air, a blue object floated down in front of them. Meowstic Markus jogged closer towards them. He ignored Gareth entirely, who stepped aside and let him get a closer look at Light.
"Yo," Markus said. "You good?"
"Yah," said Light. "What's going on?"
"I got attacked by guys with jetpacks."
"Same."
Markus turned his face way up towards Haxorus Gareth's. "Sup?"
"Hello, Markus," Gareth huffed.
"The Guild spread out to look for you guys." Markus turned back to Light. "I don't have a clue where those goons flew off to. And without a phone signal, I can't call them up."
"Spreading out is exactly what you should not have done."
"We didn't expect soldiers in jetpacks."
"A capable Guild would react better to the unexpected. Now nothing's stopping them from charging at us altogether."
"Well, they haven't yet, so, don't blame me."
"Target spotted."
"Shit."
Gareth grabbed Light and Markus by their scruffs and dodged out of the street into an alleyway. Seconds later, red projectiles rained down on the street. Blocks of concrete and plumes of dust rose in the air. The projectiles traveled down the whole length of the street, and a few hit the lawn, judging by the blunt sound of soil being hit.
Light dangled in Gareth's grip. On his back, Land Shaymin Ariel woke up. She tightened her grip on Light's back.
"What?" Ariel asked groggily. "What's going on?"
"Bastards," Markus hissed. "They could at least look me in the eye before they try to kill me."
"They want Light alive," Gareth said.
"Yah. Not me. Or you."
"Target sighted with Gareth Acuity! Advise!"
Silence. Light held his breath.
"Understood."
Their pegasi wings shook Light's ears as they blasted off. He sighed.
Gareth set Markus down, but not Light. He raised his right arm and set him on top of a ridge on his back.
"We can't hide from the sky," Gareth said. "Let's move fast. We need to find your Guild before their leader shows up. Let's go."
Haxorus Gareth glanced down both sides of the street and made a break for it. Flareon Light kept himself, and Shaymin Ariel, tethered to his back with an arm around his neck. Meowstic Markus floated along next to them, down the street.
"Where are they about?" Gareth said.
"Around all the neighborhoods," Markus said. "They're probably looking for each other since the web went down."
"Target spotted."
"That's getting annoying."
"Pull back! He's here!"
"Damn," Gareth growled.
Gareth's run came to a stop. He gazed skyward.
The red light from other pegasi wings flew away in the distance, except one.
One, brighter than all of them, blazed a trail straight for them dead ahead. It moved faster than the rest.
Too fast.
"What the hell is that?" Markus asked.
Gareth reached up, grabbed Light by his mane, and set him down on the ground.
"Markus," he said. "Take these two and run."
"You're not dying or something, right?" Markus asked.
"They're not after me, so I won't. Wait for my signal. I'll hold him off."
"Uncle?" Light asked, voice quivering. "I'm... feeling..."
"Yes, you'd be right."
The Acuitan blessing.
The light descended closer to the street, slowed, and dimmed. As the flames died out, metal scraped against the street and flung out sparks.
The pokemon that landed had the same six metal spikes coming off its back. It had four limbs, quadrupedal. Silver metal covered its whole body, crouched over. It stopped for a moment in the aftermath of its previous momentum, and stood up straight. It reached a metal paw up for a helmet on its head and lifted it up.
He had white eyes, glossy, white fur, a scar going down the right side of his face, and a scowl. He looked at Light up and down, sizing him up, as if he couldn't tell at a glance that he was the bigger Flareon.
"The hell?" Markus asked. "Hey...?"
Ariel tightened her grip, stiff.
"A blue eye," Flareon said. "So you have Candor after all."
His voice matched Light's; soft, monotone, though deeper, and older than his.
"My name is Galahad Acuity," he said. "Captain of the Aerial Dragoon Unit. I'm here to take you back."
"Back?" Light coughed out.
Gareth reached underneath his black cloak. His eyes stayed locked on Galahad, like he'd cut him down if he looked away.
"Back home," Galahad said. "I'll show you what you're really meant for. And not just you, but Reshiram, too."
"Uh... no thanks?" Light said.
"I find it interesting that your default answer is to stay with a clown that couldn't be king, an old bum with a Sacred Treasure, and a manipulative fat bitch without a future that doesn't involve hiring mourners at her own funeral with her daddy's blood-soaked money."
"Wow," Markus said. "I like our Light better."
"Who are you calling fat?" Ariel hissed.
Light's ear flicked and he glanced at her. That's what she had a problem with?
"Light," Gareth said quietly. "Now."
"Yeah, sure," Galahad said. "Use your Uncle's death to buy you an extra ten seconds. Maybe Ariel's will buy you nine if you're real fuckin lucky."
Light wouldn't let the surprise get the better of him. It would be easy for him to dye his fur that color for intimidation. He couldn't let it get under his skin.
"Gareth may be too rusty to deal with this alone," Reshiram said. "And there's a high probability of him taking a captive should you all battle him directly. You'd do best to use that nighttime advantage Gareth set up."
Light already had that thought himself.
There weren't too many lampposts on the street, but still too many for him to take out all at once. Pieces of a plan were falling into place, but he needed everyone's help, and had to get it without directly saying the plan.
Light touched Gareth's leg with his paw, and locked eyes with Markus. Pressure built up in his head, but nothing he couldn't handle.
He needed them to target the lampposts at the same time to make it go dark. Galahad's pegasi wings glowed in the dark, but none of them did. It'd give them the upper hand.
Markus blinked. This was insanity. Not the plan, but the fact that he knew the plan. What was this? Was this why Ariel and Light stared into each other's eyes without saying anything all the time?
Ariel frowned. He could at least stay on topic. And no.
Gareth accepted the insanity of it all and refocused. He'd take the farthest one, near Galahad. Markus volunteered for the one next closest. Ariel prepped for the one after, and Light glanced up at the one closest, right over their heads. They'd break to the right, towards the buildings, and run, quick and silent.
"Hello?" Galahad asked. "Dumb, dumber, dumbest, and dumbo? Are you coming or not, Angelo?"
Light turned up and spat fire at the lamp. From his back Ariel fired an Energy Ball. At the same time, Markus and Gareth breathed and shot out purple flames and lasers.
Light ran. Galahad's pegasi wings ignited. He flew forward, and past them, at breakneck speed. They ran between buildings, past trash cans and weird, brown wads of junk on the ground towards another street. They stopped before entering the light of another series of lampposts.
"Can't run from the fight altogether," Galahad said. "You can turn your back on it, but it'll find you. I always will."
The concrete vibrated. Overhead, Galahad's pegasi wings flared up again into a meteor. He flew away, followed by another ten, dimmer ones behind him, at double their speed.
Markus didn't realize Light had an edgy twin. Ariel rolled her eyes. That Flareon looked older. He couldn't be his twin. He was also too much of a motherfu-
Light cut off Candor. More connections stressed his brain.
"Their attacks would have been audible and visible over a wide range," Gareth said quietly. "Your Guild would have heard and should come this way."
"Where the hell are you!?" Galahad screamed through the darkness. "Too busy thinking about how you thought you were a special snowflake this whole time!? You're not! I don't know what kind of high you get calling yourself 'Light', but come out already!"
Each of Galahad's footsteps shook the ground, making it rumble deeper than even Gareth's. The metal armor on his body clanked. Light could barely see his paws in front of his face, but he'd find them eventually.
"Markus," Light whispered. "Take Airy. Uncle, let's do this."
Gareth's neutral, aloof face closed the distance for the first time. His mouth curled up into a smile.
"I can help..." Ariel protested.
"No you can't," Light said. "It's okay. Gareth will cover for you. Try and find the others and bring them here fast, okay?"
"Okay..."
"Markus, don't drop her."
Markus leaned back away from his face.
"Okay bro," Markus said. "I got her. Try not to die."
"Right. You guys run down on the right. We'll draw him to the left."
None of them risked talking more. They nodded to each other and made a move. Markus ran away with Ariel in a psychic grasp on the other side of the alley, to the right, on a street with lampposts that still worked. Light and Gareth walked out to the left side
Flareon Galahad landed again. He took off his helmet again. The spikes on his back curled in and dug down into the concrete. The center of the pegasi wings, the small metal box, detached from his back. The metal armor on his body folded back like paper, off of his white fur. It revealed a gray mane and tail, just like Light's, only sharper, and clearly rougher
Gareth drew out the short axe Pangu (short in his grip, anyway) from his cloak and grinned. Galahad frowned. He reached into the huge mass of gray fur on his chest and pulled out a pair of black glasses, rimless on the bottom. He flicked them open and placed them on his face.
"I want to see every moment of your loss, Uncle," said Galahad. "In 4k, one-thousand eighty frames a second of me beating your ass."
"I don't know what that entails," Gareth said. "But please, try to get my bad side so your nightmares will be more vivid."
Flareon Galahad stalked towards them, Flareon Light behind Haxorus Gareth as he sauntered forward. He had next to no experience with full battles. He'd only have Gareth to rely on.
He thought about that, and decided his odds could be worse.
Galahad leapt forward. He knit his paws together into a single fist for an overhead slam. Against a Sacred Treasure, a stupid move, so it couldn't be real.
He fell short and slammed on the ground, out of Gareth's swing range. Dust plumed up. He must've used Dig.
Three rumbles passed under Light's feet, in three directions. One went right, the other left, and one further behind. Double Team?
Galahad popped out in three places and breathed streams of fire. One of them was real. Light's eyes darted around and checked for shadows on the buildings, and the feeling of heat. None of them were real. He whipped around.
Galahad leaped out of the dirt in front of Gareth's face. He didn't get distracted by the trick. He swiped Pangu at him.
He vanished. Galahad reappeared on the ground, darted under Gareth's exposed gut from the falling plume of dirt, and belted him. Gareth grunted. He staggered back.
Light put his back foot into a punch for his face. Galahad kept his forward momentum and rolled under it. He jumped at Light.
The flat side of axe Pangu slammed into Galahad's flank. He tumbled away from him.
Light could tell the pain was bad from his scream. Galahad's paws scrambled at the handle to push it off of him. By the time it clattered against the ground, he had a mild burn from the energy and thin, light red trail where it hit. His glasses cracked.
"Unfair bastard!" Galahad growled. "Fine! If Acuitan duels are done to death, then it's over!"
The pegasi wings behind Galahad boosted up in the air, all by themselves. They floated up behind him.
The backpack reconnected. The armor refolded around Galahad's body. Before it completed, he threw away his broken glasses and pulled out another pair from his mane. He set them on his face, right before his helmet snapped back over his head and metal panels covered his ears.
"If you want to make it a battle of firepower, I'll oblige," he said. The helmet distorted and roboticized his voice.
The spikes changed. Instead of downwards, they flicked up and pointed at them.
"Now shut up and die already!"
Light put it together. The lasers from before came from somewhere.
"Dodge!" he screamed.
The barrels of the wings brightened. Light whipped around and locked eyes with Gareth. He turned to run left. Light headed right, towards cover.
A red laser beam exploded out down the street. Light stumbled on his way to run between a convenience and clothes store. He might have lost some fur on his tail. Gareth dove to make sure he made it.
Candor cut off due to the distance, and Light's stamina to keep it up the further they got. He doubted Galahad could see through the hellfire as he melted the lampposts and set fire to bits of litter on the street, and the entire city would notice the ominous red glow reaching up to the night sky.
The beam stopped. It's aftermath raged on as small fires on the street, and black burn marks with clouds of smoke above them.
"Shit," Galahad said. "I hate when I can't tell if they're alive. What do you guys see up there?"
Light couldn't hear whatever communication device he used. He almost risked peering past the charred building corner to check, but didn't.
"Pull back up. Wait until they all congeal together. Target Chingyang to force the target to make a move... No. Don't. Because I'm the Captain.... Good. We can't afford to stay much longer. Let's make one last push."
Galahad jumped in the air and flew off. Flareon Light shrunk under the light of the pegasi wings as they crossed over the buildings and faded away.
Haxorus Gareth slunk out from his hiding spot: a huge, steel trash bin in an alley further down. They both shared looks before they walked out.
"They'll find them before we do from the air," Gareth said. "I hope you have a trick up your sleeve."
"Not... particularly," he said. "They just have so much of an advantage in the air."
"When enemies have an advantage like this, think of the terrain, or any other factors that might help. How can you reach or signal your Guild without making you sitting ducks?"
The obvious answer would be to use buildings, where flight meant little to nothing, and their lasers wouldn't rain down from out of reach. He needed to get them all together.
His Guild might recognize him firing an Ember up to the sky. He'd practiced and showed it to all of them once, in case of emergencies, but it would cause the enemies to swarm too. It could be an advantage if he used it from a good spot.
The arena would be too open, as well as the streets. If they went into any buildings, civilians could get involved, and hurt. They needed an abandoned building.
Trails of smoke rose from some parts of the city during the daytime. Some small factories might not be in use. Abujans did a decent amount of metalwork in their harbor cities. Damaged metal could be replaced easier than other things, especially here. It would be preferable to houses.
He nodded and looked up at his uncle, whose face jolted.
"You have a plan already?" Gareth asked.
"Do you know where some factories are around here?" Light asked.
"There's one two blocks away."
"Let's go there."
"Right."
Light followed Gareth down the street, and as he hung a right. The buildings thinned out fast.
A short, but long, metal fence surrounded a heap of thrown together metal walls, pathways, and warehouses. Gareth pulled the metal far apart so Light and his fur could walk through. As his paws hit the cold concrete, he shook the dirt off them.
Boxes and crates cluttered the whole area and made it tight. Pegasi wings wouldn't give them enough of an advantage by themselves. Completely dark at night, their pegasi wings would only give them away.
"I'm going to send a signal," Light said. "Are you ready?"
"When you are," Gareth said.
"Alright."
Light charged up the flame in his chest and spat it out, as high as he could. It rose up into the sky, thin and quiet at first, then exploded into a flurry of sparkling embers. He practiced to make it look that way; the Guild would know it was him.
In the distance, red dots rose from the city's buildings.
"Let's move further in," Light said. "They'll reach us before the Guild does."
"Right."
Light ran with Gareth past steel bars and tools left out, towards a mass of large, grafiti'd metal containers to hide and buy more time. He picked two Gareth could barely fit between and waited.
A red glare passed over their eyes. An avalanche of pegasi wings slammed down on the concrete and metal all across the factory. An eerie silence passed.
"Where are they?" a voice asked.
"Hiding, probably."
"But then what was that flare about? Some sort of signal to the Wayfarers?"
"What else would it be? Picking a factory like this to run to, they probably think we're reliant on our tech."
"Ah. I see. Let's teach them a lesson, yeah?"
"Yeah. But where the hell is Lord Acuity? He could be here by now."
"Probably waiting. Give him a while."
"I'm tired of waiting."
"What's that?" a new voice asked. "Over there? Are those Wayfarers?"
"Kill them off before more get here."
Light peered past the containers. He saw a Nidoking with a hefty set of pegasi wings on his back, standing on top of a container and facing away. He spat fire at his back. Nidoking staggered forward as a chunk of metal broke off.
Haxorus Gareth ran out from behind Light. He used Dragon Pulse against a bolt of electricity and stream of fire aimed for their heads. Light shrunk back from the explosion.
"Target spotted!"
That was starting to get old.
"Stop! That's enough!"
No more attacks pelted them. Light thought he recognized the voice, but the scream made it indecipherable.
"No way," one of the enemies said. "Is that him? The old Captain?"
"Yeah. Yeah, it is. Wall formation."
Pegasi wings blasted off and conjoined together into a row, tightly packed together. It gave Light and Gareth room to move around.
The pokemon formed a wall in the wide, open space between two warehouses.
They stayed still, despite seeing Light.
On the other side of them, the entire Guild approached from behind, in full. At the front, Heliolisk Jonathan and Meowstic Markus came running; Markus carried Land Shaymin Ariel on his back. Sky Shaymin Mei ran right next to him. They all formed a wall of their own. Roserade Storm and Krookodile Ibo ran out and pulled Light somewhere behind it.
Arcanine Zhen and Zangoose Fernand blocked his view of the front. Light crouched under them to get a good view.
Overhead, a small meteor, brighter than the rest, soared, towards the enemy wall. It landed in front of them.
The pokemon that landed in metal armor was Galahad. Light could sense the blessing from him like before. He kept the armor on, and stood up.
"Galahad," Jonathan said.
"Shut the fuck up, traitor," Galahad said.
"Galahad!"
Diancie Jasmine floated out from the Wayfarers, up front, and faced them.
Umbreon Amadeus walked close to Light. On his back, he wore a new, metal sheath for Courtain. The surge of electricity in the air prompted Fernand and Zhen to take a step back. Gareth stayed nearby, unafraid. It melded together with the surge from Pangu, and Svalin, nearby, on Jasmine's arm.
"Hey, 'darling'," said Galahad.
"Leave," Jasmine said. "Now."
"Oh please. Why don't you go fuck off to your new line of friends?"
"It's impossible to talk when you're like this."
"I'd prefer to be like this. You know what Light? I feel sorry for you. Sorry that you don't even understand what's going on. That you feel next to nothing by looking at me than another question to be solved."
Galahad reached up for his helmet. He gripped it, and it folded back.
"Cause believe me, I know what it's like to be numb and searching for your next high of emotion," Flareon Galahad lowered his voice. "You try to look to people to borrow theirs all the time, and it makes you feel good, doesn't it? Look at me!"
Galahad slammed his helmet on the ground.
Light's heart thumped. His paws trembled. He didn't notice it before, too focused on staying alive, but now he couldn't ignore the fear in his chest or the questions that flooded in. What were the other Guild members thinking about? Ariel? Amadeus? What did Jonathan know that he didn't? Why'd he call him by name?
What the hell was going on? How did he get here? Why did this Flareon look just like him?
Galahd's paws curled towards his metal covered chest. "I was supposed to be the one with Candor! The one that Reshiram chose! Out of all the hundreds, I still had a reason to live, you bastard! Look at yourself! If I killed you, would you even care, huh!? It's not fair!"
"Galahad, stop!" Jasmine pleaded. "You're just being used! Don't you see it's not too late?"
"It was too late from the second I was born! And it's all thanks to you!"
Galahad pointed at Jonathan. He didn't react.
Why?
"You knew all along!" Galahad yelled. "How could you look at me, day after day, year after year, knowing that I was just the wrong one? That you... used me in your scheme just to stop him!?"
"Had to be done," said Jonathan. "Sorry, but you had to be born into shit for a fighting chance in the world. I was your friend because I wanted you to come with me and make a new life."
"As long as you're pretending to be some god, I'll kill you myself. I hope you enjoy your precious Light serving his days as a fucking battery... Not that he'd even care."
What?
Light turned to Gareth's and Amadeus' faces. They both raised their eyes and stared in shock.
Galahad's teary white eyes fell on Light. "Disgusting piece of shit. You're probably not even asking yourself why I'm even standing here. Well, how about this then?"
From over the warehouses, past the darkness, several red lights flew over. They flew towards the ground in wide curves.
Eight white Eevees stopped in the air, with pegasi wings on their backs. They stared dead on at them, with all their white eyes. They raised their paws at their sides to help themselves balance. Around half were male, the rest female. They wore armor, but not as much as Galahad. He sensed the Acuitan blessing from all of them.
What the fuck?
"Look at you," Galahad said. "You're not even thinking about it. You're perfectly disconnected from reality for combat, just like the rest of us. Enough to take in information, but not enough to process it. You're not thinking a damn thing, are you? You're thinking about the battle strategy, right? Isn't that right? Well so am I."
That wasn't true.
Galahad's gaze fell on Ariel. "And what the hell do you get off on, huh? Using a fucking robot to get your highs. He doesn't even know who he is yet!"
What did he know about Ariel? He should shut up about things he doesn't understand.
Fire burned in Light's arms. He was sick of this.
Galahad smiled, for the first time Light saw. "Maybe I'll do you a favor and get rid of her for you. It was pretty hard to get rid of leeches in my life. It'll feel good killing them off nice and slow. Call it a favor between brothers. Or who knows? Maybe when I'm done ripping her arms off, she'll like me better."
"Light, no. Stop. Stop!"
Light snatched the sword Courtain off Umbreon Amadeus' back. He screamed and charged forward. He jumped up to slam Courtain down on his forehead.
Galahad's smile never left. He grabbed Courtain's blade.
"Well c'mon then! Show me how special you are!"
Light swung down to claw at his side. His pegasi wings burst up, and jutted them into the air.
Light held on. He grabbed below his paw, on the metal wrist, to lock his options.
He couldn't let Galahad get too high up. He sacrificed his grip on Courtain and let it fall to the ground below. He used that paw to reach around his back, extend his claws, and tear down.
It didn't cut deep. A plume of white energy coughed out of the metal box. The left side of his flying machine puckered out. They spun around.
They crashed through the warehouse ceiling. Light lost his grip and fell. He hit a hard metal floor.
Galahad spiraled out of control and crashed in a heap. He struggled to get the metal around him untangled.
"Guess Acuitan duels aren't dead after all," Galahad said. "Let me teach you what it means to make a real battle. It's all about being personal."
The armor and wings popped off his body. Galahad darted forward. Based on his lean to the right he probably had a feint.
Screw it.
Light tackled forward with his shoulder. Galahad sidestepped. He jumped off the wall and kicked. Light backed away from it.
Galahad bent all his limbs. It gave away his next jump forward. A big movement like that would either be to surprise him from being too straightforward, or a feint out.
He didn't care anymore. Light jumped up, locked his paws together, and slammed down.
Despite gravity on his side, Galahad had more weight. Light's back slammed on the floor. Galahad grabbed him by his mane and lifted him in one paw. Fire would be useless.
Galahad's paw glowed with orange light; fighting type energy. It had to be Superpower.
Galahad let go and struck. Light's stomach churned. He slammed against the wall and crumpled down.
"You still fight like an Eevee," Galahad mused. "What? Have you just let your friends do all the muscle work for you? If I were you, I would've overpowered Reshiram myself."
"I don't have..." Light took in another breath. "Giant lasers..."
Galahad tilted his head left and down. "Fair. But it's alright. You'll have plenty of time to work on it back home."
"That's not happening anytime soon."
With how many Acuitan blessings were active in the area, Light failed to sense another until she spoke up.
"Hey," Galahad huffed and turned around.
A Sylveon with white eyes faced them. Light took the opportunity to get back up to his feet properly. He basically accepted he had no clue what kind of crap was going on at this point. He'd learn what he could, and wrestle the rest out of Jonathan.
He recognized the Sylveon as the same one from the mountains, the one that called herself One, the first of many. Light might be closer to understanding that here.
"You and your discount warlords have been enough of a bother tonight," One said.
"Discount?" Galahad scoffed. "You're the most discount version of all of us."
"Marciel will be here any moment now. You should leave. Now."
"Was on my way out."
"Without him. Because I'm here now."
"You'll regret this."
One frowned and glared. She must've been done with talking.
Galahad pursed his lips and walked past her. She kept her eyes trained on him. He continued past, towards the heap of metal. He arranged it back onto his body.
Half of the machine still didn't work. He jumped with a small boost towards the opening in the ceiling.
One didn't even spare Light a glance. She reached one of her ribbons to an exposed pipe in the ceiling and pulled herself out. He had half a mind to yell at her to get back here, but he couldn't make her do anything. She was too strong.
Pegasi wings ignited outside in a giant wave. They left silence and concerned voices in their wake. Light slunk back against the wall with dazed eyes, and mouth open as he caught his breath.
What even happened? He didn't know. Just like last time, all the answers flew away as a bright red dot in the sky. He had to get stronger.