Once upon a time, there was a family

Mainverse - 1st gen

Mainverse - 2nd gen

Mainverse - 3rd gen

Mainverse - 4th gen

Mainverse - 5th gen

Mainverse - 6th gen

Mainverse - 7th gen

Mainverse - 8th gen

Divergence AU

Ghost Pirates AU

Giratina!Twins

Apocalypse AU

Reset AU

Immortal JAU

Solitude ‘Verse

Sparrow ‘Verse

War ‘Verse

Pokemon AU

Alolan AU 

 She fell back onto the ground as a huge white shape thumped onto the ground before them, fire barely visible through the mist. On the path behind them a black shape lands, effectively cutting off their escape route.

 Nyx shrieked and turned away, but a fierce and chilly wind blasts in her face, forcing her back towards the group.

 “Do not attempt to run.” A huge grey head swung into view, glaring at Dante from burning yellow eyes. “Stop… or we shall make you stop.”

 Nyx backed into Warren, and he wrapped his arms around her. “There’s… no way out.”

 Dante yelped and ran back to Ryun, who hugged her and stared up. Hohenheim stepped towards the head, flaring his feathers, challenging them.

 The one in front of them rumbled, spewing a gout of flames. “You might not have, little fledgling, but it is not you we have come for.”

 Arlette helped Aurora up, staring at the dragon. “So who have you come for?”

 Aurora raised her hands again, meaning to open a portal. The dragon snapped flames that flickered inches from her hands, and Aurora jerked back into her sister, looking up.

 “You, little thieves.”

 “We have done nothing to you,” Nyx said, her voice wavering. “Please… just let us go.”

 The grey one in front of her took a step forward, revealing the misshapen form of Kyurem. Cryogonal spiral above them, keeping ice walls in place.

 “You, the three dragon blessed,” the legendary snarled. “Or so you seem… you believe you are worthy of such gifts?”

 “They never asked for their gifts,” Zlata said, dragging Hohenheim away from Reshiram. “They just received them. It is not up to them whether they have them or not.”

 “Well,” Arlette said slowly, “No one’s ever had a problem with them before.”

 “There are few enough others that can contest your worth.” Reshiram hissed, looming over them. “And I will not have your truth sully anything.”

 “That’s… that’s the thing about truth.” Arlette frowned. “It just is. Not much can change it.”

 “How about an ideal, then, where you have nothing that you shouldn’t have?”

 Aurora turned to look up at Zekrom. “Nothing’ll change for an ideal. We were born with these, and I think we’re supposed to keep them.

 “You may have been born with it, but that does not make you worthy!” Kyurem roared, shaking the trees around the group. “Changing One, you keep silence… you are wise.”

 Nyx turned away from Kyurem, clenching her fists. “Please… just let us go, we have no choice in our gifts–”

 “Silence!” Kyurem screeched. “You will be tested, to see… if you are worthy.” He looked down, considering the group – considering the twins and Nyx. “And if you pass, you shall be rewarded…”

 “No… no tests.” Nyx shuddered.

 “Humans like trinkets and treasure,” Kyurem grumbled, looking at the other dragons. “More so than dragons themselves… you’ll be happy for your rewards, should you receive them…”

 “With all due respect, who are you to decide whether they are worthy of their gifts or not?” Zlata looked up. “And what about us?” She pointed to herself, Warren, and Ryun. “Are we supposed to just stand by while you test our friends?”

 “You are not suited to their tests, little one,” Reshiram said, snaking his head closer to Zlata. “I would advise standing out of them, unless you care to get damaged.”

 “Indeed.” Kyurem looked down at Zlata. “These are tests by dragons for dragons, and your interference would only make it worse.”

 “Stop that,” Arlette snapped. “Just stop it.”

 “Oh?” Reshiram turned to look at her. “You dare defy us?”

 “Of course I do.”

 “You will not get out of here easily.”

 “So what are these tests?”

 “Arl–”

 Arlette cut off her sister, holding up a hand.

 “Let the time dragon be tested first,” Kyurem said.

 “Very well.” Reshiram looked down at Arlette. “Your task is to prove you can truly control time. Go back and make a mark for us to know.”

 “What are you talking about… a mark?” Nyx shivered.

 “I don’t care what the mark is, so long as we know it is yours.”

 “And why should I?”

 “Because we require proof!” Zekrom roared. “No human should be graced with the power of the legendaries as you have been.”

 “The dragons that gave us these powers… I think their authority runs above yours.”

 “Test her! I wish to see if they are worthy at all of having dragon in their blood.”

 “Nothing will change,” Arlette said. “You can’t make us do anything.”

 “It’s not in our blood!” Nyx shouted at Kyurem. “It’s not who we are, you–”

 “Ah, she speaks!” Kyurem whipped his head back to Nyx, eyes glowing. “We have both your sisters.”

 Ice froze Nyx to the ground, and the cryogonal surrounded her, chaining her in place. Her knees buckled, sending her to the floor. Zekrom reached out and cuffed Aurora towards himself, tumbling her over to between his legs.

 Arlette moved, staff in her hands cracking out to attack Zekrom. “Let them go!”

 Warren was stopped by ice before he could even attempt to help Nyx. Hohenheim wriggled free of Zlata and attacked the ice around Nyx.

 Zlata yelled and tugged him back by the tail. “Do it,” she said to Arlette. “There’s no other way out of this. I believe in you.”

 Ryun reached for his sword, a faint golden glow around him.

 “We can’t fight them.” Zlata shook her head.

 “But they’re our friends… we can’t leave them in danger.”

 “We have no choice.”

 Arlette growled and dropped her staff and bag to the ground, sorting through it. She stood up, a pokéball and a bottle of green liquid in her hands. “Look after my stuff.” She took Xenos from her shoulder, passing him to Soise.

 The ralts whistled, but didn’t protest.

 “You shouldn’t have to do this.” Aurora glared up at the dragon that’s holding her down with one foot.

 “Got to,” Arlette replied.

 “If you are in great danger, I will come for you.” A feather fluttered free from Reshiram’s wing. “I will not let you die there.”

 Arlette caught the feather and shuddered as blue scale armour rippled into place across, melding with white feathers along her arms. “I’m fine,” she said, examining an arm. “I’m fine.” She raised her hands, now gloved in silver with a fine ruff of feathers around the wrists, above her head. “Any particular time I should go?”

 “Wherever you can manage.”

 “I’ll come with you.” Aurora struggled under Zekrom’s foot. “You can’t go on your own.”

 Arlette stiffened her shoulders. “I have to.”

 “Please.”

 Arlette brought her hands down in front of her, opening a rip. “I’ll come back. Before you know it.”

 “Good! The games have begun.” Kyurem cackled, placing a foot beside Nyx, ignoring her attempts to distort. “Are you ready to play?”

 She nodded, teeth chattering. The ice melted away and the chains loosened, as Zekrom let Aurora free.

 “A… Arl… Arl…” Nyx reached out to her.

 Arlette stepped through the rip and was gone, and the rip closed behind her before Aurora could get to it.

 “Game? This is a game to you?” Zlata stared up at the ice dragon, shaking her head.

 Hohenheim pressed himself against Nyx, fluffing himself up.

 “Of sorts. There are prizes, and no lasting danger,” Zekrom said.

 “I’ll give you lasting damage, you overgrown splitskin,” Aurora snarled, grabbing Arlette’s staff.

 Soise tugged her back as a rip opened in front of her, allowing two pokémon and then a humanoid figure to fall through. They hit the ground with a thud and it closes in a flicker.

 “Arl?” Arlette gripped the staff, staring at the figure.

 It wasn’t Arlette as she had left them. This one was in blue and white scaled armour, white feathered wings protruding from her back, a helmet covering her face and a bloodied spear grasped in her hands.

 “’Rora?” The figure dropped the spear, pushing herself to her feet.

 Aurora lunged forward, staff hitting the ground, to help her sister as she stumbled, the armour and wings disappearing to reveal a different set of scaled armour – blue washed red – on top of a worn shirt and brown skirt. The two pokémon – a typhlosion and a scaled stunfisk, with a black band around the base of its tail – keep to Arlette’s sides, growling softly at the people and dragons.

 “Arlette, you’re back!” Nyx curled herself around Hohenheim. “Where did you go?”

 Zlata stepped forward cautiously. “What happened to you? Where did the armour come from?”

 “Ah, you have returned so soon?” Reshiram looked around. “I see no difference.”

 “I see nothing either… I hope your trip wasn’t all a waste.”

 “How about you just wait?” Aurora snapped, pulling the helmet from her sister’s head. “You ok?”

 Arlette stared at her sister, stroking her face, her hair. “It’s you. It’s really you.”

 Aurora blinked and hugged her sister. “Course it is. Who else would it be?”

 Soise turned the helmet over in her paws. “More like when did you go?”

 “It’s ok, you’re back.” Nyx walked over, Hohenheim rushing at her side. “None of us are going anywhere.”

 Arlette nodded and shuddered a sigh, pushing herself free of her sister. “Abela. Break it.”

 The stunfisk shivered, and the ground started to tremble as the chasm wall shook in its foundations, resettling. Something cracked within it, and green fire licked out and up the stone face, making distinct words – ‘No more, fuckers’.

 Aurora laughed. “Nice.”

 Kyurem grumbled. “Well, that is the first task clear.” The dragon looked to Zekrom, then Aurora. “Challenge her next then, see if she shares her sister’s strength.”

 “Hang on! You can’t push us around,” Nyx said to Kyurem as the legendary moved towards Aurora.

 “I think you’ll find we can.” Ice formed around her feet. “Now, I’ll ask you to be silent. You’ll need your energy…”

 Hohenheim tugged on Arlette’s sleeve, trying to get her to sit down. She growled, shaking the bird free and picking up her spear – blood crusting on its blade – to stand between her sisters and the dragons.

 “What’s my task?” Aurora put a hand on her shoulder, holding her back.

 “Don’t let them take us apart,” Arlette snarled.

 “I won’t. They can’t.”

 “There is a meteor heading for the planet.” Zekrom looked skywards, as if she could see it. “If it is not stopped, it will crash into Nimbasa and kill thousands.”

 “And you… want me to stop it?”

 “If you can.”

 Kyurem’s eyes glittered as the legendary let out a tremendous roar. The dragon was laughing. “Wonderful! This is quite a hefty task for her… you think she can succeed?”

 “A… a meteor?” Nyx shivered, looking up. “You can’t be serious.”

 “You doubt us?” Kyurem glared at her. “I think we have proven to you we are quite serious.”

 “Maybe you should not involve the lives of innocent people in your games so easily.” Zlata frowned. “How is she supposed to reach it without suffocating, or being exposed to radiation?”

 “Space dragon,” Aurora said. “I’m betting she won’t be too happy if I cop it ‘cause of them.”

 “Would you rather we ignored it and left them to die? I do not control the meteors.” Zekrom reached out a claw to push Aurora forward. “Time is ticking, little one. Go now, and quickly.”

 “I’ll be back.” She glanced at her sister. “As quick as I can.”

 Arlette nodded, jaw stiff. “I’ll be counting.”

 Aurora looked up, closed her eyes, and raised her hands to open a rip. “Let’s go catch a comet,” she murmured, stepping through as pink marbled black armour swirled into place across her body.

 “She won’t be long Arlette, you’ll see.” Nyx stepped towards Arlette.

 “I can’t feel her,” Arlette said quietly. “I thought, when I returned… it’s been too long.”

 The typhlosion grunted and shoved his head under her elbow.

 “You are both strong,” Nyx sighed. “She’ll be fine.”

 “You should relax,” Zlata said quietly, approaching them.

 “Not until she’s safe.” Arlette refastened her hand on the spear, looking between the dragons. “Not until everyone’s safe.”

 “How long was it?” Soise pushed her to sit.

 “Weeks. And I – I don’t know. I lost count.” Arlette frowned and changed tack.

  “Your challenge is complete, you’ve done what you could.” Zlata frowned, but didn’t press. “You’ve been through a lot.”

 Arlette nodded, shifting her hands on the spear haft, flicking glances between the three dragons.

 “You really think this was their choice?” Zlata looked up at Kyurem. “If something greater than you made a decision, you should not question it. Chances are there is a good reason.”

 “You will be silent, you have no reason to speak. This is a matter for dragons.” Kyurem’s eyes glowed as ice started to form around Zlata’s legs.

 Hohenheim hissed at the ice dragon, melting the ice around Zlata’s legs.

 “I do, because you are playing around with the lives of my friends. Your ice does not scare me.”

 Kyurem growled, glaring at Zlata as ice formed on her skin, pressing deeper. “I said… be silent.”

 Zlata winced, huddling closer to Hohenheim. Hohenheim melted the ice, hissing at the dragon. Kyurem roared in return, sending a bitter chill whipping around Hohenheim. The Ho-oh screeched in return, steam rising in the air around him.

 A rayquaza-esque dragon – mostly black scaled, with patterns of pink – ripped through the sky with a screeched. It threw a rock – the meteorite – to land with a thump at Zekrom’s feet and hovered before the dragon, glaring at her.

 “I have done my task,” Aurora snarled. “Splitskin.”

 “’Rora?” Arlette pushed herself to her feet, spear ready in her hands.

 “I’m here,” Aurora replied, shedding scales and size and residual crystal wings to crouch before her. “I came back.”

 “Again, success... perhaps these tasks are too easy for them.” Kyurem examines Aurora.

 “Perhaps we underestimated the humans,” Zekrom agrees, examining the meteorite.

 “It is your turn.” Reshiram turned to Kyurem. “Test the last one.”

 “I… I don’t want to be tested,” Nyx said. “If you want me to distort for you, it’s not going to happen.”

 Kyurem chuckled, an odd sound, and looked down at her. “Not even for the one you love?”

 Nyx whipped around. “What have you done with him?”

 The ice dragon stepped to the side, revealing Warren. He was flanked by clefairy with their eyes glowing, asleep.

 Nyx took a step forward, but chains of ice held her back. “Let him go! Warren!”

 “Patience,” Kyurem grumbled. “Now, you must use your skills–”

 “No! I won’t!”

 “Use your skills, distort into any form you please… and save your love.” Kyurem slammed a foot into the ground and unleashed pink-purple energy that looped around Warren.

 Ryun’s eyes widened and he rushed forward, his form glowing with gold.

 “Stop!” Zlata grabbed him. “You can’t do anything. This is Nyx’s challenge, and the dragons will stop you.”

 He glanced between her and Warren, and relaxed. The golden glow disappeared. “You’re right. But… I want to help him. He’s my friend.”

 “I know.” Zlata blinked and shook her head.

 Kyurem smiled as the energy whirled around Warren, becoming darker, taking a shape. A much bigger shape than Warren’s usual dream form. Wings open up, stretching into the sky, and a deep rumbling growl comes from it.

 “It is so lucky that he is dark blessed, it makes this that much easier.” Kyurem laughed.

 “Warren…” Nyx stumbled, falling as the chains released her.

  “His mind is tainted with dragon energy. If you can remove it, then he might just return to normal.”

 The dragon – the hydreigon – twisted to look at Nyx. His sleeping form, his blessing, had mixed with the dragon energy that Kyurem had poured into him. The hydreigon was much bigger than a usual hydreigon, and it started towards Nyx.

 “Warren!” Nyx shrieked, running towards him.

 The hydreigon shrieked in reply and spun, slamming its tail into Nyx and sending her flying.

 “How dare you!” Ryun drew his sword and his eyes flashed blue for a moment, heading towards Kyurem.

 As Zlata stopped him, trying to reason with him, Soise leapt past with an awful roar.

 “Don’t you dare hurt her!” She slammed into the hydreigon, claws digging into its skin.

 Aurora flinched, black and pink armour swirling in an automatic defence. Arlette gritted her teeth and spun the spear in her hands.

 “Arl–” Aurora stood with her, grabbing the staff.

 “This isn’t right.”

 Zlata hurried to help Nyx stand.

 “I can’t hurt him… I can’t hurt Warren, even if he’s… that.”

 The hydreigon squealed and reached up a snapping, jaw-like hand to grab Soise and throw her to the ground. It wrenched free of the chains and flapped its wings, staring towards Nyx.

 “You better start running,” Kyurem crooned. “Or are you going to stay and fight?”

 As the hydreigon’s mouth began to glow, Nyx changed into a wolf and ran.

 Hohenheim ran to help Soise, who accepted the help and dusted herself off.

 “What do you think you prove by doing this?” Arlette asked Kyurem. “Do you not think it would be easier to take it up with the three that marked us than playing with us like this?” She levelled her spear at him, looking more like an ancient warrior, a soldier, than herself. “Do you not think there’ll be worse consequences for doing what you have?”

 “They will not interfere,” Reshiram said. “You are ours just as much as theirs.”

 Arlette snarled and rolled her shoulders as the white wings appeared, lifting her up to glare down at Reshiram. “We are no one’s.”

 “Proving that you are worthy of your dragon gifts,” Kyurem growled, watching the hydreigon thrash in the air. “I must say, she is having less luck than either of you… Giratina did not choose wisely at all.”

 Arlette turned to see the hydreigon dive into the trees.

 “Arlette, Aurora, I’m not sure what you can do to them.” Zlata stood an arm’s length from Aurora, but ready to help. “You can fight, but who knows how it will affect Nyx? Let’s just have faith in her… and Warren.”

 “You should be thankful he did not, otherwise you would be having far worse problems,” Aurora said, gripping the staff tightly.

 “If he had chosen me, for instance…” Arlette smiled cruelly.

 “It is a shame to see dragon power gifted so poorly,” Kyurem grumbled, looking up. “He is returning… with her. I believe she has passed.”

 The hydreigon came back, Nyx on its back. As it landed behind the group, it allowed her to step down.

 Nyx reached out a hand and placed it against the hydreigon’s head. “He could’ve killed me… what would you have done if he had killed me?”

 Kyurem’s head tilted. “You would have failed.”

 “You would’ve made him kill me!” Nyx shouted. “Do you even know what that would do to him?”

 “Silence! You may have proved your worth, but you cannot speak to me like that!” Ice began to creep around Nyx’s feet again. “I am still more than–”

 A blast of dragon energy slammed into Kyurem’s chest, blowing the legendary backwards. The hydreigon closed its mouth, light still glowing through its teeth.

 Ryun approached the hydreigon warily. “Warren… you’re back with us?”

 The hydreigon didn’t seem to notice Ryun, growling threateningly at the other dragons instead.

 Nyx shook her head. “It’s not Warren, not yet.”

 “Just to change him back, now.”

 “If you can manage it, of course.”

 “I’ll turn him back because I care about him. Not for your stupid games, or to win your prizes.”

 Kyurem snarled, stepping forward. “They were a test! And you have not yet passed. Turn him back!”

 Nyx stumbled back and the hydreigon shrieked, targeting each of the legendaries with a blast from one of its mouths.

 “Maybe I should let him make his point before turning him back,” Nyx snarled, black scales flickering up her arms.

 The hydreigon launched into the air, blasting Kyurem with another pulse, making the ice dragon roar in agony.

 “These are legends.” Zlata turned to Nyx, horrified. “We should not anger them too much. And once this is over, we can all leave.” She looked back up at the dragons, and she started to frown. “… Don’t get too carried away.”

 Arlette dropped the spear to the ground as she spread out the wings, letting them get bigger. “Mind if we join in?”

 “You will not! The game must be completed!” Reshiram snarled.

 Fire swirled towards the ground and Aurora roared, changing to her long, snake-like dragon form in seconds to shield the group from the fire. “Don’t you dare,” she hissed. “After we’ve already put up with this.”

 Arlette laughed as the dragons were hit again, her armour shimmering into white and blue and thickening out her whole body. “Not so fun when you’re involved, is it?” She thumped onto all fours and flicked a tail out, fully dragon.

 “Warren, be careful!”

 Kyurem lunged a claw towards the hydreigon, but Nyx was there – a giant snake, shadow wings stretching from her arms – to slam him into the trees.

 Arlette slammed her bulk into Zekrom, stopping the legendary from flying after Zlata and Ryun as they made their escape. “You have no need of them.”

 Aurora dived at Reshiram, slamming into his throat to stop the fire, and coiling her length around him. “Cease your foolishness.”

 Reshiram screeched and pushed free, taking to the air. “It is you that is being foolish, attacking us here!”

 The hydreigon whined and pushed Nyx aside as an icicle spear whistled passed them. He shrieked and dived down for another attack.

 Nyx breathed a jet of glistening black ice at Kyurem and circled to join Arlette and Aurora. “I think we should stop,” she snarled.

 “He is still dragon!” Kyurem roared. “But I think I could consider your task complete.”

 “Oh really? How nice of you.”

 “He cannot remain like that, though.” Around Kyurem, ice spears were created and launched.

 They smacked into the hydreigon with a dull thud and he sank like a stone, crashing into the trees with the spears imbedded in its back.

 “Warren!” Nyx screeched, flying at Kyurem with talons outstretched. “What did he ever do to you?” She coiled herself around him, coating him in black ice.

 “Nyx!” Aurora called, whipping away from Reshiram. “Tend to Warren. We will deal with these upstarts.”

 Arlette threw her head back in a roar. “Now you will know.” She lifted Zekrom into the sky. “Now you will know what you slept through.”

 “We know,” Zekrom hissed, twisting in her grasp. “We saw the first war. We saw enough.”

 “Then why did you not wake to stop the second?” Fire ignited, simmering in Arlette’s throat, making her teeth glow.

 “Because we were not called. Because we were tired of fighting.”

 Arlette slammed Zekrom into the ground and landed heavily in front of Reshiram, pulling her head back to stare him in the eye. “And what is your excuse? You knew I was there.”

 “It was not our war.”

 Aurora lifted away from the white dragon, keeping a careful eye on the others from the sky.

 “And you didn’t think to interfere? Your kind are so very good at that.”

 Kyurem roared and blasted both Arlette and Aurora with a dragon pulse. “Stop this now! The time of war has passed, you should not be so concerned with it.”

 “It hasn’t passed far enough!” Arlette roared, slamming into the ground on one wing.

 Aurora whipped out of the way and crashed into Zekrom as the black dragon got up. At once she fell, mottled black scales turning lighter and silver. She flared out crystalline wings as she lost most of her length and size, becoming bipedal once more.

 “Return our power,” Zekrom snarled, a foot slamming Aurora into the ground.

 Arlette glanced to her sister and bowed her head, glaring at Reshiram. “Take it and be done,” she snarled, lashing her tail.

 Kyurem sent a blast into the sky and it returned with a barrage of glowing meteors that slammed into Arlette and Aurora. “Your sister has given up the fight. You should do the same.”

 Nyx soared across to them, roaring. “Please! Let’s stop before this gets out of control!”

 Aurora shrieked as the meteors hit, shattering her wings. She rolled, hiding beneath Zekrom’s bulk.

 Arlette shook her head and roared, struggling to her feet and lunging at Kyurem, keeping her wings tight to her side. Fire burnt between her teeth as she snapped for the ice dragon’s throat.

 Reshiram caught her tail in his teeth, pulling her back and slamming her into the ground. Her wings disappeared, as did most of her size and white colouring, leaving her a still a quadruped but only blue and silver.

 “It was out of control when it started,” she spat out, getting to her feet and shaking the scales from her body. She stumbled and Harpy caught her, snarling quietly at the dragons.

 “You can keep your rewards,” Aurora said, crawling across to her sister’s side. “We don’t want ‘em.”

 “Well now it is over. You will be calm,” Kyurem snarled down at them. “You are wiser than I thought.” The dragon watched as Nyx glided to land.

 She placed her coils between the twins and the dragons. “We’re going to leave, now,” she snarled. “Keep out of our heads from now on.”

 “Fine.” Kyurem lifted a foot up, revealing a plant. “Your reward.”

 “I don’t care.” Nyx shook her head.

 Zlata rushed over to Arlette and Aurora, kneeling on the churned up ground to check them. “Can you stand? We can carry you if you’re exhausted or injured.” She glared up at the dragons. “Was it worth it? Your little game? I have a feeling that nobody here wants your rewards.”

 Aurora pushed herself to her feet, wavering slightly. “I should be fine for it.”

 Arlette leant on Harpy and gestured for her spear. Soise passed it to her along with her staff, which she passed to Aurora. The zoroark shouldered her bag as Abela crept to her side.

 Zekrom dropped the meteorite in front of Aurora with a thud. “This is yours. Take it.”

 “Of course it’s mine. I caught it.”

 Nyx started to slough her form, shrinking back into her human form. Kyurem continued to talk to her, but she wasn’t buying it as Warren appeared and ran to her.

 “Abela, Harpy.” Arlette gestured for her pokémon to follow as she turned away. “Come on.”

 “Wait, Guardian.”

 “What?” she snapped, turning back to Reshiram. “We told you, we don’t want–” she cut off, seeing the small necklace Reshiram had dropped to the ground.

  “Do not judge by appearances. All ideas come from somewhere.”

 Arlette snorted and beckoned for Harpy to pick up the necklace.

 “At least you’re getting something out of it,” Zlata said, shaking her head. “But let’s go.”

 They left, and Nyx caught up with them moments later in her wolf form, Warren at her side. She rubbed her head against Aurora, and they ignored the sound of the dragons laughing behind them.

 “Let’s go.”

 Warren nodded, raising a hand to signal for Corvus. The honchkrow landed beside him as Zlata released Yangtze.

 Zlata hoisted Hohenheim onto the dragonite’s back before climbing on herself. “Arlette, Aurora, Ryun? You need a lift away from here?”

 Ryun climbed up behind Zlata, sitting as far from her on the dragon’s back as he can manage.

 “He can carry one more, two at a pinch, if Corvus can’t carry three people.”

 “I don’t think I can manage flying,” Arlette says. “Probably just fall off.” She continued to walk, jaw set.

 Aurora glanced at the armour she was still wearing. “That stuff’ll be weighing you down as well.”

 “I can get changed in Lacunosa. Abela?”

 The stunfisk moved to Arlette’s side, crackling.

 “Stay close.”

 “There’s a shorter route up this way,” Soise said, slipping in front of them. “But you should probably fly with them.”

 Warren climbed up onto Corvus, who was keeping a wary eye on the dragons as they vanished.

 Nyx shook out her fur, growing in size until she was big enough to ride. She padded closer to Arlette and nudged her gently. “Get on, I’ll take you out of here… I want to leave fast, anyway.”

 Corvus screeched and took off, whirling about above them.

 Aurora glanced up at her, frowned, and scrambled onto Yangtze’s back between Zlata and Ryun.

 Arlette smiled and swung her leg over Nyx’s back. “This can feel weird later. Maybe.”

 Soise placed Arlette’s helmet back on her head and picked up the stunfisk. “I’ll carry Abela.” She examined the pokémon’s pebbled scales, claws catching on the black band around its tail.

 “She’s kinda old. Ish.” Arlette shook her head, burying her free hand in Nyx’s fur to hold on. “Harpy, good to run?”

 The typhlosion nodded, waiting for them to move.

 “Hold on then,” Zlata murmured, and Yangtze took off.

 Aurora lurched and gripped her sister’s staff, watching the ground fall away beneath them.

 The flight was a short one, just to the ridge at the top of the Chasm. They slid from Yangtze’s back to wait for the others, and were greeted by the side of Arlette raising her spear up, balanced on Nyx’s back and looking as if they’d run off the pages of a novel about beast riders.

 Aurora slid from Yangtze’s back and balanced herself with Arlette’s staff, glancing at the meteorite in her other hand.

 “Is everything alright?” Zlata asked, slipping down beside her. “You can sit down if you like, though we won’t be here long.” She looked at the meteorite as well. “It doesn’t look like much… you wouldn’t think it was going to eliminate Nimbasa.”

 “Just a bit tired.” Aurora shook her head, turning the meteor over. “Maybe it’d’ve hit something big. I don’t know.”

 “At least you stopped it, and completed those challenges. Even if the dragons forced you, you did some good.”

 “I think you got the best gift, Aurora… I’m not even sure what my flower does, or if it does anything at all,” Nyx said, stopping beside them.

 Arlette planted the butt of her spear on the ground and slid from Nyx’s back, turning to wait for Soise and Harpy.

 “No idea what to do with it, though.”

 “Could sell it, could extract whatever minerals it has in it, use it for jewellery, anything. A meteorite is quite valuable.” Zlata leant over to look at the plant as Arlette held it carefully for Nyx as she shifted back into her human form. “What do you think that does?”

 Nyx lifted off the top of the pot and touched one of the petals. The whole plant glowed pink, seeming to give off energy.

 “It’s the energy that they used on Warren.”

 “It is? Then… maybe it can transform something, or somebody like it did him?” Ryun joined the group, reaching out to touch the plant. “I shouldn’t, I’m sorry.”

 “Not until we know what it does.”

 “Maybe… maybe you can try it out on me?” Ryun suggests.

 “And if it does something bad?” Zlata turned to look at him. “You could get hurt, or turned into something like Warren did. What will we do then?”

 Arlette pulled off her helmet and passed it to Aurora as Soise placed Abela down on the ground before her. She pulled an ultra ball from her bag and rolled it towards the stunfisk, capturing her easily.

 “Don’t, I don’t want you to get hurt.” Warren stepped in front of Ryun, stopping him getting closer.

 Nyx shook her head. “Warren, I’m not sure if it’ll harm him. Whatever they did to you was directed at you, this just seems to be… natural.”

 Warren nodded slowly and stepped out of the way.

 Ryun touched the flower and flinched as the pink energy sank into his hand.

 “What is it doing?” Warren asked, narrowing his eyes.

 “I don’t know.” Nyx frowned.

 The energy morphed into the small shape of a dewott, swimming in front of Ryun.

 “A dewott?”

 “What does a dewott have to do with me?” Ryun took his hand from the flower and reached out to the pink dewott.

 “Maybe… do you know your avatar?” Zlata watched it.

 “No, I never found out.” His eyes widened. “You think that is my avatar?”

 “What else could it be?” Zlata smiled. “I doubt it’s just a random pokémon.”

 “Maybe someone else should try.” Aurora smirked and nudged Nyx to offer the pot to Zlata.

 “If you’re a dewott, it explains why Sammy likes you so much.” Zlata gently touched the plant.

 “It suits you.” Nyx smiled at the dewott.

 The plant glowed again, and more pink energy flowed out of it to Zlata, and then into the air as a gardevior. As the gardevoir appeared, the dewott spiralled to join it. The gardevoir raised its arms and they started to move together, almost as if they were dancing.

 Nyx covered her mouth with a hand and pulled the pot back out of reach. “That’s… pretty. But… perhaps I should take it back, I don’t want it to wither…”

 Ryun looked away from the avatars, flushing slightly. “Yes… maybe.”

 Zlata looked away from them as well, smiling at Nyx. “It’s an interesting gift. Might be useful – and certainly an easier way to find out your avatar than the ceremony in Johto.”

 “So mine is currently the worst gift.” Arlette snorted. “Knew it.”

 Aurora laughed quietly. “Shall we find somewhere to rest up? Change of clothes?” She glanced at her sister.

 “Where’s the nearest place?” Warren asked.

 “Lacunosa?” Nyx asked, putting the lid back on the pot. “It’s close, and they all think Kyurem’s a douche.”

 The avatars joined into one pink orb and flushed back into the plant, leaving the flowers white once more.

 “That would be a good place to start.” Zlata nodded and looked back around. “We can think it through once we’ve all had a rest. Especially you three.”

 “Sounds like a plan.”

 They stepped out into the cool basement of the sliced mountain, looking around. In one corner was Arlette’s loom, with the tapestry almost finished.

 Aurora sniffed at the air and grinned. “Cake smells amazing!” She skipped off to check the giant ovens.

 Arlette nodded and sat down in front of the loom, picking up the threads where she’d left off. Aurora pulled the cakes from the oven and set them to the side to cool as she worked on the icing, and soon the smell of plain sponge cake had permeated the air, spread on the warmth coming from the ovens.

 “Mychor, get out of it.” Aurora pushed the zorua out of the way as he whined at the cake. “Best place to be on a cold morning, huh? Warm oven and all.”

 Arlette nodded, frowning as she finished off Dialga’s legs.

 “Oh, how is your cake coming along, dear?” An old woman came down the steps into the cellar. “It smells marvellous.”

 Aurora looked up, grinning. “It’s doing well. Just got the icing and the decorating to do.”

 “And our mysterious weaver is in as well.”

 “Yeah, hi.” Arlette looked around. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

 “Oh, it’s no problem, dear… we thought at first that Rumplestiltskin had set up in our basement and we were about to be rich.”

 Arlette laughed and turned back to her tapestry. “’Fraid not.”

 “Well, with skills like that, you could make quite a lot of money from it.” She stepped over to examine Arlette’s work.

 “Eh… it’s only my first one. This size, anyway.”

 “Really? Well… you have some talent for it, my dear.”

 “Thanks.”

 “Perhaps we will have a Rumplestiltskin in our cellar after all.”

 Arlette laughed. “Perhaps.”

 The old woman turned away, walking to Aurora’s side. “Do you need any help?”

 “If you could start on the leaves?” Aurora pointed to a bowl filled with thick red marzipan icing. “Careful with it though, it is spicy.”

 She nodded and started to shape small leaves. “Who is this for?”

 “A friend of ours. We missed his birthday a while back, so… we’re just making up for it.”

 “Among other things,” Arlette muttered to herself, concentrating on the threads in her hands.

 “How kind of you.”

 “And I missed baking.” Aurora shrugged. “Isn’t much time for it when you’re travelling.”

 “I didn’t think you were from around here.”

 “Sinnoh, originally, but we’ve been travelling since October last year.”

 “Hags,” Arlette cursed quietly, quickly unpicking a thread before shifting in an abrupt movement, more of the tapestry finished than had been a second ago. She leant down to pick up a lucozade bottle, taking a swig.

 Mychor leapt up into her lap, examining the tapestry. He looked back at her and yipped, tail wagging furiously again.

 “So glad you like it.” Arlette smirked, putting the bottle down and continuing to work.

 Aurora glanced over, beginning to smooth jam on top of the bottom layer. “How’s the tapestry going?”

 “Pretty well. Not much more to do, I think.” Arlette glanced back towards her. “How about the cake?”

 “Take a while yet.” Aurora concentrated on the jam, tongue sticking out the side of her mouth in concentration as she spread it carefully and evenly.

 “No rush.” Arlette nodded, shifting her stool to the side.

 Mychor jumped down from her lap and bounded away to explore the rest of the cellar. Aurora carefully took the other circle of cake and placed it on top of the other, leaning over it to make sure it was directly in the middle of the one below. Satisfied it was centred, she cleared the jam away from around it and stuck the knife back in the pot, beginning to mix the thick white icing together.

 “How many leaves would you like?”

 Aurora glanced over. “Oh, thanks! That’s probably enough… mind making some feathers?” She stopped mixing the icing and pulled out a flour-stained notebook. “T’look like this.” She showed a rough sketch of a Ho-oh, and put the book down before the woman.

 “That’s ambitious.”

 “Tell me about it.” Aurora grinned. “I like a challenge, though.” She picked up the bowl of white icing once more as the woman started to shape the feathers.

 Arlette stood up and stretched, and wandered over to see the cake making. “Looking good.” She leant down on the counter, taking the knife from the jam to lick it. “Interesting taste.”

 “Works though, right?”

 “Yeah.” Arlette nodded. “Pretty good.”

 Aurora smiled and started to spread the white icing, making a smooth cover over the whole cake. Arlette put the knife down and wandered back to her loom, continuing the tapestry with the occasional glance to the side, where a rough sketch was.

 With the cake covered in a thick layer of the white icing, Aurora pushed it nearer the oven to dry the icing and wandered over to look at the tapestry.

 “This is one of the more annoying ideas you could’ve given me,” Arlette said, not looking up.

 “You’re doing well with it, though.” Aurora grinned, crouching down beside her sister’s chair.

 “Thanks.”

 “Need any energy?”

 “Should be fine.” Arlette shook her head.

 “If you’re sure…” Aurora leant back against the leg of Arlette’s chair and watched her sister work.

 Mychor scrambled into her lap, and she scratched the albino zorua’s ears.

 For a while, Arlette worked in silence with her sister beside her, only occasionally cutting out threads to retry a piece. Eventually Aurora sighed and stood up, heading back over to her small kitchen area.

 The woman had left, but the feathers and leaves were there, and the white icing was firm on the cake. Aurora smiled and started to place the leaves on the bottom layer, pressing them into the icing on the sides and smoothing it away with a knife.

 Then she turned to the Ho-oh on top and her smile disappeared as she concentrated in earnest now, desperate not to get this wrong.

 Arlette set down the bottle again and stretched, blinking. “It’s getting dark.”

 “Almost done,” Aurora replied.

 “Think they’ve missed us?”

 “You never know.”

 Arlette laughed and crouched down with gold thread in her hand, carefully picking out her name along the bottom. Then she stood up and stepped back, surveying it.

 “What d’you think?”

 Aurora looked up. “Nice.” She placed down the talon in her hands – putting it carefully in place – and turned the cake so that a different side was facing the oven. “Just need to get it off, now.”

 “Yeah… that’s the hard part.”

 “This’ll be interesting, then.” Aurora wiped her hands on her apron and came around the table. “Anything I can do to help?”

 Arlette rolled up her sleeves and gestured her sister to help as she collapsed the loom down, lying the main part flat on the floor. Then she unfolded a backing material and placed it over the tapestry. Aurora straightened it out and they turned it over, making sure it was in place. Arlette cut the threads and sewed them onto the backing neatly, setting the tapestry in place.

 “That’s not squint, is it?” She stepped back to look at it. “Damn it…”

 “Just cut the top off – here,” Aurora said, measuring it. “Or roll that around for the piece of wood.”

 “Good idea.” Arlette nodded, and knelt down again to create the hanging. “See if they’ve got a piece of wood lying around we could use, will you?”

 Aurora nodded and raced up the stairs while Arlette waited, putting the knives away.

 “This do you?”

 She looked up as an older man came down the stairs, a length of wood over his shoulder. “Yep.” She grinned. “Thanks.”

 He came over with it and laid it down, and held it in position while she sewed the material around it.

 “Here.” She started to pull it out.

 “You can keep it. It was just going to go on the fire.”

 “Oh… thanks.” Arlette smiled at him. “Appreciated.”

 “Have you got a box for that?” He nodded at the tapestry as she rolled it up around the wood.

 “Um… no. I was just going to improvise.”

 “Give me a few minutes.” He stood up.

 As he left, Aurora reappeared with a tray, which she took over to the cake. “Come and help me with this?”

 “Sure.” Arlette jumped to her feet and ran over.

 Together they lifted the cake onto the tray, and grinned at the creation.

 “He’s going to love that,” Arlette said.

 “Good.” Aurora offered her sister the icing bowl. “Care for a scrape?” She boosted herself up onto the table, and Arlette joined her.

 They took turns with the spoon, finishing off the icing, as they waited for the man to come back with the box.

 He came back with a long wooden box that smelt of freshly cut wood.

 “You didn’t,” Arlette said, staring. “Really?”

 “Didn’t have a box big enough, otherwise.”

 She slipped from her perch and ran over, impulsively giving him a hug. “Thank you!”

 He looked startled, and didn’t manage to hug her back before she let go.

 “Come on, let’s get it in.”

 Aurora came to join them, and they lifted the tapestry into the box and closed the lid.

 “That’s us, then.”

 “You won’t be hiding out in our cellar anymore?”

 “I think my time here has finished.” Arlette smiled.

 He nodded as his wife came down the stairs.

 “Thank you for letting me use your space.”

 “Well, it doesn’t really belong to us.”

 “Still.” Arlette shrugged. “Thanks anyway.”

 “I hope whoever is receiving that likes it.”

 “I… hope they do too.” Arlette glanced down at the box and picked it up, grunting a little. “Aurora, if you would?”

 “Right. Mychor, get back here!” Aurora called, opening a portal with a quick cut of her hands.

 “Don’t forget your cake,” Arlette said, stepping over to look through the portal.

 “Did we get them?”

 Arlette looked out through the portal, spotting the group. “Yeah, you got them.”

 “Oh, sweet.” Aurora caught the glance of the two old people. “Psychic pokémon. In training and all… kinda shy, though.”

 “Ah…” He nodded. “I see. Do you need help with that there?”

 “What?” They exchanged glances as they stumbled after him.

 “Well… you look like you’re annoyed, but too tired to be annoyed. So let’s go do some fun stuff, then you can just be tired. Sound like a plan?” Mark stopped long enough to drop their hands and release an emboar, which picked up the twins’ bags without being asked.

 “Thanks, Mark. It’s – it’s been a hard day.”

 “Hard week.”

 “Long story.”

 Mark held up a hand. “Don’t want to hear it. If you want to talk about it, I’ll pay for a therapist. But you don’t have the money to afford me.” He grinned, winking at Arlette. “My therapy’s better than that, anyway.”

 The twins laughed, smiles not forced but faded. “Ah, but you’re amazing, Mark.”

 “I know, I know.” He pushed his hands into his pockets, sauntering on. “People tell me all the time.”

 “And yet, I still find myself wanting to slap you.”

 “Not still sore over last time, are you?”

 “Hmm…”

 “Dodgems, then?” Mark grinned.

 “Maybe a fast ride first.” Arlette shook her head. “I want to leave some things behind.”

 “Then Sky’s Flight should do the trick.” Mark turned at the next corner and led them towards a huge queue waiting in front of the entrance to a ride, done up in red and green colours with Rayquaza’s mark over the door.

 Aurora nodded, grinning. “Oh yes.”

 They made their way up the VIP queue, Mark casually ducking under the rope at the front.

 “Don’t mind us cutting in, do you?” He grinned at the people in the queue as they passed. “Room enough for all of us, I’m sure.”

 “Right this way, young master.”

 They left their bags in security with Xenos, Mischief and Zillre, and waited to be let onto the ride.

 The three of them get the front row seats, and once everyone’s securely in place, the ride started off – slowly as it left the building, and climbing higher all the while. Arlette shifted and closed her eyes, feeling the faint breeze. Mark glanced at her, and reached for their hands.

 They gripped each other’s hands as the ride reached its first high point and dived for the ground, moving fast. Arlette whooped, laughing maniacally as they swerve above the walkways filled with people, around the rides and through the length of the park.

 Aurora started to laugh as well, blinking as the wind tore water from her eyes. Mark shook his head and grinned, keeping his noise inside.

 When the ride stopped, the three of them were distinctly windswept and breathless. Arlette was still laughing, but it’s far quieter now. Mark shook his head as they unbuckled, leading the way to pick up their bags.

 “Dodgems?” Aurora asked brightly.

 “Well, you’re looking far better.” Mark smiled, examining his hands. “You sure you don’t want those cuts checked out?”

 “They’re no that bad.” Arlette snorted, shaking her head.

 “Yeah, but–” Mark showed them his hands, the lines of blood on them. “They’re still bleeding.”

 “You shouldn’t grip so tight.” Aurora grinned, leading them towards the dodgems. “Broke the scabs.”

 “Still scared of them?”

 “I could’ve sworn it was you that was holding tighter.” Mark laughed. “I can barely feel my hands. Zillre, with us.”

 The emboar lumbered after them, helping to part the crowds. Mischief jumped down from his perch on Zillre’s shoulder, landing on Aurora’s head.

 “Hm.” The twins exchanged a glance. “Maybe it was just so you wouldn’t feel bad about being scared.”

 “Sure, sure.” Mark shook his head. “Whatever you say.”

 The twins smirked and skipped into the queue for the dodgems. “Damn straight.”

 “We waiting for this one?” Mark raised an eyebrow.

 “Only if you don’t feel like flaunting your authority.”

 “Well then…” Mark cracked his knuckles. “Don’t mind me – influential brat, coming through!” Slipping out of the barriers, he led them along the side of the queues to the front, where they still have to wait until there are some carts free.

 It doesn’t take too long, and soon enough the three of them have left their bags with Zillre and are strapped into the carts.

 As Arlette pulled away, she murmured soothingly to Xenos – only to be interrupted by someone thumping into her from the side. Aurora reversed and drove away, cackling. Arlette narrowed her eyes and grinned, pressing her foot down as she turned to shoot after her sister.

 Mark followed them, but was hit off course by another driver. He spun, regained control, and shot after his own attacker.

 Arlette slammed into Aurora’s tail and thudded to a halt, laughing. Aurora glanced back, smirked, and drove away.

 As Arlette started to move again, Mark clipped her back and curved around to catch Aurora as well. He laughed, waving to the two of them as he shot away again. The twins exchanged a glance and nodded. Mischief coiled his tail around Aurora’s head as he balanced on top, pointing the way.

 They turned, driving after Mark and neatly avoiding everyone else in the rink as they sped up.

 Mark raced ahead of them as they closed in, trying to keep out of their way. They work together to force him into a corner with no escape.

 One of the other drivers clipped Aurora’s back and she spun, crashing into Arlette who sped up and kept control just long enough to slam Mark into the side of the rink. Cackling like a maniac – Xenos whistled, clinging tight to her loosening hair – she reversed and let him speed away.

 Behind them, Aurora snarled and turned to chase after the person who’d hit her, closing in on them easily.

 Mark waved to catch Arlette’s eye, driving up to her side, and gestured after her sister. Arlette grinned and nodded, and they split apart to circle around Aurora’s sides.

 Aurora whooped as she crashed into the other cart and turned again, heading for a big knot. Mischief shifted on her head, looking up to see streamers fluttering in the air. He uncoiled his tail to tap Aurora on the shoulder, pointing upwards.

 Aurora looked up and saw them and sighed, slowing down and avoiding the knot as she curved towards the docking bay.

 Arlette, racing towards her, saw her slow down and frowned.

 Aurora pointed towards the sky, and Arlette saw the ribbons. She nodded and waved to Mark, completing a circuit of the track before heading to the side.

 “What’s up?” Mark asked, stepping out of the way of people going to the carts.

 “Our group’s caught up,” Arlette explained.

 “Ah…”

 “You can stick around if you want.” Aurora shrugged.

 “Hm.” Mark tilted his head. “I’ll get Zillre and the bags.”

 “We’ll be outside.” Arlette smiled. “Thanks.”

 Mark nodded and turned away, easily spotting the emboar.

 The twins wandered through the crowds towards the exit, and spotting the dark skinned girl crouching before the young boy.

 “Do it anyway.” He took a coin, examining it.

 “Well…” Soise laughed, showing her sharp teeth in a grin.

 “We don’t have a permit to perform right here, Erris,” Arlette said, stepping up behind her.

 “I see you’re back with us.” Soise twisted to look up at them.

 “Who’re they?” The boy looked up, frowning.

 “Oh, just my assistants. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum.” Soise shrugged, turning back to him. “Doesn’t matter which is which, since they’re the same person.”

 The twins snorted. “So what did you want us back for?”

 “Why don’t we go and find out?” Soise bounced to her feet, brushing herself off.

 “You were going to show me more magic!”

 “Next time.” Soise pulled a business card from the air and passed it to the boy. “Keep an eye out for us, alright?”

 As they left the pavilion, the twins instantly spotted the group, though it seemed to have grown a little.

 “They’re all here?” Aurora flicked a glance to Soise.

 “Of course they are.” Soise walked on down the steps. “But they’re not too angry with you.”

 “Why would they be angry?” Mark caught up with them, passing their bags.

 “This was part of what you didn’t want to know,” Arlette replied, swinging her bag onto her back and taking her sister’s hand.

 “Ah. Never mind then.” Mark shook his head, continuing to walk with them.

 “Phoe has some admirers.” Soise smirked, watching the group.

 Nyx was in her wolf form again, and surrounded by children. The twins smiled slightly, pausing at the bottom of the stairs to watch. She looked up and barked, wagging her tail.

 The children left, called away by parents, leaving Nyx to run up to the twins and bounce around them like a puppy. Zlata waved from where she was and Arlette waved back, although it was far more of a twitching hand at waist height than a proper wave.

 Aurora clutched harder at Arlette’s hand and offered her other to Nyx, letting her come closer.

 “Who’s this?”

 “Phoenyx,” Soise said. “She’s my daughter’s mightyena.”

 “Your… daughter?” Mark glanced at her, eyeing her up.

 “Or sister. It’s flexible.” Soise shrugged. “Probably sister in this form, huh… otherwise it’s a bit creepy.”

 “Oh… you’re the zoroark.” Mark nodded slowly. “Right.”

 Zlata joined them now, glancing at Mark. “Hello. Where have you been? And who’s your friend?”

 “This is Mark,” Arlette said, glancing at him.

 “Influential brat.” Mark grinned. “Do… should I be making a good impression?”

 “You’re one of our friends, I doubt it.” Arlette snorted.

 “Excellent.” He glanced Zlata over. “They seemed pretty down, so I kidnapped them for a few rides.”

 “Nice to meet you, Mark.” Zlata gave him a shallow bow. “Thank you for making them feel better.”

 Nyx sat down in front of them, whining and jerking her head towards the trees. Aurora nodded and squeezed Arlette’s hand.

 “Ah… Mark?”

 “You need to talk things over?” He shrugged. “I’ll leave you to it.”

 Nyx padded into the trees and the twins followed.

 “Are you alright? You just… disappeared like that, it was worrying.” Zlata followed them over.

 Arlette closed her eyes for a moment and stiffened her jaw, but opened her eyes again. “We’re fine.” She lifted up her left hand, showing them the back of it as she waggled her fingers, forcing her voice to stay light. “And I didn’t break any fingers this time.”

 Nyx glanced back and changed back to human, wincing and clutching at her shoulder as she did so. “Are you ok?” She looked at the twins. “Soise found blood on your sashes. And what did you say to Merwin, exactly?”

 “You need to find a less self-destructive method of dealing with your anger. Even if you didn’t break your fingers, you’re still hurting yourself.” Zlata turned to Nyx and then stopped, looking back towards the twins.

 “We fumbled our knives before Lairisse ‘ported us away.” Aurora examined her right palm. “They’ve stopped bleeding, though.”

 “He’s doesn’t like listening to us, so we resorted to… baser methods. Just wanted to get our point across.” Arlette studied the ground at her feet.

 “He’s left. He won’t be travelling with us anymore,” Nyx sighed, throwing up her hands. “You didn’t have to do that, ok? You shouldn’t have to defend my honour.” She rubbed her shoulder. “But… I suppose he did deserve to be punished for what he did.”

 “Is that all?” Zlata frowned. “It looked like quite a bit more to me… it seemed really traumatic for him. I’m not completely sure if the punishment fit the crime.”

 “We got carried away,” Arlette snapped. “It happens, alright?”

 “Arl…”

 “You don’t have to snap. It’s done, Merwin is gone. There’s nothing more that can really be said,” Zlata sighed. “I am sorry that we didn’t tell you about Merwin, but even I wasn’t really supposed to know. It would have been easier if we had, but it was not because we didn’t trust you.”

 Arlette looked away, pressing the palm of her hand.

 “Yes, but people have annoyed you before.” Nyx shook her head. “Just don’t feel you have to protect me, ok, I don’t want to be responsible for you getting hurt.” She looked over at their hands. “Have you healed them already? Are they still sore?”

 “This… this was different. Harder to laugh off.” Arlette folded her arms, sliding down the trunk of a tree behind her.

 Aurora held her hand out for Nyx to examine, the cut red and sharp across the palm. “Haven’t done anything about them yet, but they don’t hurt that much.”

 Nyx took Aurora’s hand, sitting them down on the grass as she took a balm out of her back. “Why? It shouldn’t bother you what he did to me.” She shook her head, and gently started to apply it to Aurora’s hand. “If I were more gutsy, I might’ve been a bit more punchy.”

 “I don’t think it’s a bad thing that you didn’t punch him, Nyx,” Zlata said.

 “It’s what sisters do, isn’t it?” Aurora said, watching Nyx work.

 Arlette rubbed at her hand, picking at the scab.

 Nyx blinked, putting the balm back into her bag. “You… think I’m your sister?” She shook her head. “But I’m not really…”

 Zlata looked between them, smiling widely. “You’ve known each other for a while, haven’t you? Of course they would think of you as their sister.”

 “Well…” Aurora shrugged and glanced at her hand. “Maybe not genetically, but…” She motioned as if to break the scab on it. “Blood sisters?” She smirked.

 “You’re as good as,” Arlette said, not looking up. “Even if we have got really crap ways of showing it.”

 Nyx sat back, taking it in. “I’d be a terrible sister,” she murmured, glancing at Aurora’s hand. “I can’t believe you think of me like a sister…”

 “Don’t be silly, Nyx, you’d be a fine sister. It’s not assessed and everyone does it in their own way. You look out for each other and help each other, that’s really all siblings have to do.” Zlata shrugged.

 “Don’t worry about trying to live up to anything, alright?” Aurora smiled, pulling her hand back.

 “We’ve set pretty low standards,” Arlette said, nudging a pine cone with her foot.

 “It’s… it’s still really nice of you.” Nyx smiled, moving forward to hug Aurora. “I always wanted a sibling, but all I had was Rem, well… and all the crows, Nameless, and a wolf pack.”

 Aurora grinned, hugging Nyx as Rem appeared on her shoulder.

 “You have not one, but two now, Nyx,” Zlata said, stepping back to give them room.

 “Yeah… buy one get one free week on siblings.” Aurora grinned, sitting back.

 “Not for you. Well, unless you count Rem, though she’s not exactly the best sister.” Nyx smiled at Rem. “Cute, though.”

 Rem started to groom her ears.

 “She does have an off switch though, there is that.”

 Rem squeaked, giving Nyx’s ear a nip.

 “An off switch?” Zlata looked at Rem. “You’ve never told us about this before, Nyx.”

 “Oh, she has a special scratchy spot, if you hit it she’ll fall asleep just like that, and it’s hard to wake her.”

 Rem squeaked, sitting up on Nyx’s shoulder.

 “No you won’t.”

 “Why have you never told us about this special spot before?”

 “Not that we’ve ever cared to know, have we?” Aurora shrugged.

 “It’s useful to know, but I hardly think you’ll get that close, she doesn’t usually like other people stroking her.” Nyx took Rem into her hands, stroking her gently.

 Rem hissed, taking hold of her tail and glaring around at them.

 “Alright Rem, we won’t touch it. As long as you don’t threaten Hohenheim with Cole, understand?”

 Nyx laughed, scratching Rem’s ears. “No threats, understand?”

 “That is my job.” Zlata gave Rem a glare.

 “Rem, hush!” Nyx hissed. “Zlata, don’t rise to it, she likes to argue.”

 Aurora glanced over at Arlette, who was still slumped against the tree rubbing at her hand. She shifted over while Nyx and Zlata continued to talk with Rem.

 “Are you ok?” she asked in an undertone.

 Arlette flicked a glance at her and nodded. “Yeah.”

 “So…”

 “Why am I sitting back here?” Arlette snorted, looking away. “Because I need more time.”

 “You have plenty of time.” Aurora forced a smile and punched her sister lightly on the right shoulder.

 “Do you know where we were sending him?”

 “Yeah… Hoenn.”

 “Do you know when?”

 “That’s… that’s your area.”

 “So it is. Don’t worry about it.”

 “I think I–”

 “Hey… coming for lunch?” Nyx looked over. “Are you ok?”

 “Sure.” Arlette nodded, pushing herself to her feet. “We were paying, right?”

 “Only if you made enough money,” Zlata said.

 “Which we did. Easily.” Aurora offered her hands to her sister, who helped pull her up.

 “Lunch would be nice after all that.” Zlata passed Rem back to Nyx as the rattata woke up in her hands.

 “In the park or somewhere else?”

 “The darumaka lunch boxes are nice. And cheap.” Aurora smiled.

 “Lead the way,” Zlata said.

 “Told the others?”

 “They’re coming.” Zlata nodded. “I hope they’re big enough.”

 “They’re a proper size for lunch.” Aurora shrugged.

 “We can always buy him more than one.” Nyx smiled.

 “Really makes you think, doesn’t it?” Aurora asked softly.

 It was late and the room was dark – everyone else was already sleeping. But Arlette was still sat up on her bed, leaning against the wall with her arms around her knees.

 “What?” She looked towards her sister, eyes glinting in the dim light that filtered through the curtain.

 “Well – Phoe is the NightChild. She’s supposed to be the evil one, the one to bring Giratina back. But…”

 “Still thinking about earlier?”

 Aurora nodded.

 “He’s not dead, or even hurt.”

 “Not physically.”

 “Did you see the way Jade was looking at him? There’ll be nothing permanent.”

 “I guess. But still…”

 Arlette laughed quietly. “We’d have been better for that, huh?”

 Aurora shifted onto her back. “It really says something when the Guardians are worse than the NightChild, doesn’t it?”

 “Well… it’s Unova. We are the Demon Twins, are we not?”

 “I guess…” Aurora nodded against her pillow, staring towards her sister.

 Arlette rested back against the wall. “It’ll be fine. Now go to sleep.”

 The twins led the way out into the space beyond the gates.

 Nyx fixed her wristband on and turned to the twins. “Me and Merwin were going to check out the ferris wheel shall we meet up somewhere in a little while?”

 “That sounds like a good idea to me.” Merwin nodded, fixing his own wristband on. “We don’t have to hang around all day as a group.”

 Aurora blinked at Merwin’s quick agreement, but shrugged. “Works for us.”

 “Need to rake some cash out of the hapless tourists, after all.”

 “It’s nice to be in a group, though,” Zlata said. “We travel as a group, we might as well stick together.” She stepped nearer to Nyx and Merwin. “I can’t think of any other ride I’d like to go on, anyway.”

 “Sure, I’m guessing you aren’t one for rollercoasters either?”

 “Well… we’ll meet up for lunch or something?” Arlette rubbed her head. “Or see when Elesa’s next battle starts, they’re always good to watch.”

 “We’ll be sure to catch your show from the ferris wheel,” Nyx said, laughing. “I wouldn’t want to miss that!”

 Merwin shot Zlata a glare, moving even closer to Nyx to whisper something to her.

 “Sure, we can then. We’ll find you or you can find us, whichever.”

 “And if you get tonnes of money, you’re paying for lunch!”

 “Deal, then.” The twins grinned, waving back at the rest of the group as they disappeared into the crowd.

 “Nothing too fancy, I’m guessing?” Aurora asked, looking for a good place to set up.

 “Wouldn’t want to upstage the actual attractions, after all. Might get thrown out for that.” Arlette pulled her bag round to look through it.

 “Or offered a job.” Aurora grinned. “That’d be interesting.”

 “Could be, yeah… wonder how much they pay.”

 They slipped through the crowds to the edge of a ride that everyone was giving a wide berth to.

 “Here work?” Arlette asked.

 Aurora frowned at the water ride. “We’ll get soaked.”

 “Got that covered.” Arlette set her bag down and released Sargeras, Flicker and Shyran. “Keep the water off, will you?”

 The three water types nodded and took up their places along the railings. Aurora shrugged and pulled a tightly rolled mat from her bag, unrolling it with a snap and laying it on the ground before them.

 The crowd slowed down, giving them more space as they set up.

 Arlette pulled off her jacket and hung it on a spike, bringing out a few sashes to tie around her waist.

 “Ready?” Aurora asked, copying her sister.

 Water splashed up behind them as a log came careening round the bend, and flew up into the air as the water types deflected it, catching the sun and sending rainbows sparkling.

 “Pretty much.” Arlette set out the three boxes of juggling balls they have, unlatched, and placed knives behind them.

 Aurora palmed several chunks of green ice and jumped back as Arlette flicked three balls – one from each box – into the air with a ripple of chiming bells. With the splashing water being redirected into flurries and spouts around and above them, the twins pass the balls back and forth. The crowd slows to a halt, watching. Arlette flicked the switch on one of the balls to make it glow a soft blue. The bells on their sashes are soft, almost lost in the sounds of the theme park.

 A few people in the crowd flicked coins onto the mat, and Aurora nudged Mischief. The aipom bounced down from her shoulder and grabbed balls from the boxes with his tail, throwing them into the air for the twins to catch.

 As they pass them back and forth, they get faster and faster, more colours appearing and leaving faint glowing trails in the air. Mischief giggled and tossed a knife into the mix. Some of the crowd caught the glint of metal as it reflected the water, the lights, and gasped. Aurora laughed and snatched the knife, sending it spinning back towards her sister.

 When the second knife span into the air, Arlette caught it and took a step to the left, sending it back into play as the balls flew around it and water glittered like diamonds. Aurora mimicked her step and they start to circle carefully, still letting everything fly.

 Sargeras watched, sitting up, and with the next splash that happened she took the water and spun it, wielding it in spirals above and around them.

 A soft wind picked up, chiming their bells louder. Arlette shook her head in a quick gesture to get hair out of her eyes. Xenos whistled as the crowd hissed, one of the canvas balls flying past her. She snapped out a hand and caught it, grinning, and crushed it quickly before sending it back into play. The crowd gasped again as it burst into green flames and they still pass it back and forth, apparently not harmed by the fire.

 Then they stumbled, and Mischief leapt to catch a ball with his tail before it slammed into the ground. Xenos whistled, pressing his hands into Arlette’s neck, but she shook her head. They caught the knives – one each – and slammed them into the ground, handles quivering a little with the force, before fixing their juggling, no longer circling.

 They caught each other’s eyes and Aurora raised an eyebrow. Arlette glanced towards the mat – seeing the slowly growing scattering of coins – and shook her head, executing a quick spin with the movement before reaching to throw the balls back.

 Mischief looked up, caught Aurora’s nod, and tossed the knife beside Arlette up to his trainer. She caught it and sent it back to her sister, now that they were back in command of the balls. Xenos whistled and beckoned for the other one, and Mischief obliged, scampering across to tug it from the ground and toss it into the air.

 The twins laughed with delight, grinning as knives flashed and water sparkled.

 {NightGales!} Lairisse shrieked through the park, ripping through everyone’s mind. {NightGales, heed the call!}

 They looked up as the latias appeared in a burst of light above them, frowning.

 “Keep guard,” Arlette snapped, catching the knives from the air. “Lairisse, on your mark!” She nodded to her sister, tossing a knife back.

 They jumped together, into the centre of their arc as the balls fall around them. Arlette raised a hand, throwing green ice to the ground. As it cracked, fire flared up around them, eclipsing them from view. Sargeras spun water forward, around their circle and the mat as the fire died down, the twins no longer in sight.

 They hit the ground with a thud in the forest, interrupting Soise in the middle of a sentence.

 “What happened?” Arlette took in the scene, nearly dropping the knife in her hand.

 Soise and Nyx were alone in the clearing, Soise pressing a paw to Nyx’s arm.

 “Bandages, in my bag, it’ll need some oran as well.” Nyx sniffed. “How can I not worry? Everything’s ruined!”

 Aurora hissed, untying one of her plainer sashes and passing it to Soise.

 “Merwin kissed me, and I wolfed in panic, Kat cut me…”

 Lairisse pulled the bandages and oran berries from Nyx’s bag, bringing them over as Nyx and Ryun entered the clearing. Soise looked up, pressing the sash to Nyx’s arm.

 “Thank goodness you’re all here!” Zlata slid from Xerxes’ back, running over to Nyx. “It is not your fault. You clearly did not look willing. It was his fault for assuming things, so don’t blame yourself.”

 The twins traded a glance, and Arlette lifted Rem away from her shoulder. “It’s not your fault, Phoe.”

 “No, Merwin was well out of bounds with that,” Soise muttered, shifting her paws to let Lairisse work.

 The twins stripped down to sleek and shimmering coal black outfits, fully identical now that there was nothing to tell them apart.

 “What are you planning?” Soise glanced up at them.

 “We’re just – we’re just going to have a word with the prince.”

 “Wait here.” Aurora reached out for her sister’s hand.

 “This shouldn’t take too long.” Arlette grinned darkly and took Aurora’s hand, and the two of them disappeared.

 They appeared behind Merwin as he shoved Hohenheim off himself and got back to his feet.

 “Hey Merwin!” they called, blending their voices perfectly into one. “We’ve been looking for you.”

 The kangaskhan snarled and focused on Arlette, Merwin watching Aurora.

 “I don’t have time for this. Where is Nyx?” He put a hand on his sword. “Is she alright?”

 Hohenheim looked up at the twins, eyes glittering viciously as he stepped to the side.

 “Oh, he doesn’t have the time,” Aurora said, meeting her sister’s eyes as they let go of each other’s hands. “Well how about that?”

 “We don’t know where Nyx is,” Arlette replied. “But we’re glad you brought her up…”

 Merwin yanked his hand from his sword, wincing and glaring at Hohenheim. “Don’t get involved in this.” He stood up straight, taking out two more pokéballs. “I have no time for your games. If she is hurt, I have to see to her.”

 Hohenheim hissed at Merwin, but turned to run and take off.

 “Why would she be hurt?”

 “You haven’t done anything rash, have you?”

 Merwin released Minos to stand at his other side. “Let me go and see her!”

 The twins flung their knives, pinning him to the ground with them. Merwin gasped, George roaring as he moved to fend off both twins.

 “She is the least of your worries,” Arlette hissed, dropping her smile. “If you are that worried, perhaps you should have thought.”

 They started to circle him, paying no attention to the pokémon that watched them.

 “Perhaps you shouldn’t have pressed her.”

 “Perhaps you should have acted like a decent person, and not like everyone shares your feelings.”

 “The world is not your due, little prince,” they said together.

 Merwin unpinned his legs, throwing the knives to the side. “I tried to be decent, but you all saw to it that she was watched over. I hardly think she’ll appreciate you all spying on her like you have been!”

 “There was nothing decent in kissing her against her will,” the twins snarled. “Don’t throw accusations when you aren’t blameless yourself.” They started to circle the other way.

 Hohenheim – in a tree above them – screeched down at Merwin and his pokémon, spreading his wings and flaring his tail. Merwin’s pokémon glanced up at him but kept focused on the twins.

 “Maybe I am not, but I wasn’t able to be decent with you creeping over her shoulder constantly.” Merwin narrowed his eyes. “Stop circling me! I will not fight you, or be tricked by you, understand?”

 Hohenheim swooped down from his perch and dived for Minos, hitting his head with his wings and pecking at his eyes.

 “How about you put away the pokémon, then, if you do not wish to fight?” The twins stopped, narrowing their eyes. “We aren’t here to trick you. We just wanted to talk.”

 Minos groaned and swung his head, trying to shrug off Hohenheim. He opened his mouth and managed to catch the bird’s foot, then twisted around to slam Hohenheim into the tree. Hohenheim screamed and breathed fire into Minos’ eyes, twisting his foot free.

 “They are not out to fight, they are out to defend.”

 Eerie cackling filled the air as Ferkay made his presence known, rising up above Arlette.

 “Stop with these games, and then I shall consider recovering my pokémon.” Merwin glanced up at the looming face.

 “Oh?” The twins smirked. “Which games?”

 “The ones where you kiss Nyx without her permission?” Arlette blinked forward to pick up their knives.

 “The ones where you attack our sister because it’s not going well for you?”

 “Or the ones where you are treated like a normal person, where you’re nothing but another boy who doesn’t understand he can’t have the girl just because her boyfriend isn’t here?” Arlette stepped back, flicking to where she had been.

 “I know of your tricks, I’ve seen them before!” Merwin shouted, sidling closer to George.

 Arlette tossed a knife to Aurora and she caught it. He watched the knives carefully, and seemed relieved when all they did was put them away, pushing them through the backs of their tops.

 “Is this anything like you thought it would be?”

 “Is this what you imagined, when you left your palace?”

 They laughed, the sound eerie and childlike. Ferkay laughed with them as they twisted their feet on the grass, and green fire flared up in a circle around Merwin.

 “Tell us, do!”

 Merwin gasped as the fire circled him. “Stop this! Talk to me properly, and stop resorting to childish pranks like this!” He glanced down at the fire, panic beginning to show on his face. “I’ve seen one of my oldest friends transform into a ferocious beast, I’m sure I can handle this!” He pulled out more pokéballs. “I may not have any such powers, but I have a well-trained team.”

 Minos turned to challenge the twins now that Hohenheim was out of reach.

 The twins cackled, skipping through the fire. “Are you really challenging us?”

 “So brave, using your pokémon as shields!”

 “Are we really that much of a threat?”

 They stopped and bowed to him.

 “How about you set us an example for talking normally?”

 “I’m sure you have so much more experience than we do, your highness.”

 “My team will defend me, it is how they have been trained. If you are planning to attack me, that is.” Merwin watched the fire carefully. “I wish to see Nyx, to apologise for hurting her.” He moved over to Minos, climbing onto the taurus’ back. “So I will leave you to carry on your games in peace.”

 The twins rolled their eyes.

 “You still don’t quite get it, do you?” Arlette clicked her fingers and the fire disappeared. “Talking implies longer’n that, and you listening to us as well.”

 “If we were playing, people would be laughing. We don’t play when people have been hurt.”

 “It’s nice that you want to apologise and all that, though. But… what exactly are you apologising for? She wasn’t too clear when we were talking.”

 “Mildly incoherent with the shock and all that.”

 “Probably not quite believing someone she figured as her friend would do that.”

 Minos snorted, stamping a hoof on the ground.

 Merwin scowled, directing him forward. “For being too forward, it was obviously quite a shock to her. If she’s been hurt, then I shall go apologise to her,” he said, glaring at the twins. “I do not listen to children who try and intimidate using fancy games. I will explain to her how I fell, and then we can talk properly, without all of you listening in.”

 “Oh! He still thinks we’re playing. How cute!” Arlette laughed.

 “Shall we show him how we really play?” Aurora skipped over, pink and silver armour shimmering into place on top of her black clothes.

 “Oh, please let’s.” Arlette took her sister’s hand as blue and silver armour plated in across her body.

 Merwin’s face paled as he sees the armour. He took a breath and shook his head. “Stop, there is no need for this,” he said, a tremor evident in his voice. “Nyx could be hurt, and instead of helping her you are here, terrorising me!”

 “Oh, she is hurt. Isn’t that what you intended, when you drew a sword and a honedge on her?”

 They flicked their heads, looking up at him as they moved in front of him. The armour continued to crawl across their bodies, leaving only their eyes free to glare at him through slits in helmets.

 “But don’t worry. She’s being looked after by people far better than the three of us.”

 “I never meant to hurt her, Kat was only defending me… I didn’t realise what Nyx was, that it was her I was attacking.” He watched the armour carefully, suppressing a shiver. “That’s no illusion, is it? You are… like her?”

 “Oh, well… I’m sure it’s all so much better now that’s cleared up.” Arlette narrowed her glowing eyes.

 “We’re worse, in a way.”

 “We’re the good guys.”

 They raised their joint hands up.

 “And just look what we’ll do for our sister!”

 A rip opened in the air under their hands and they stepped apart, pulling it wider.

 “Now how about we fix your mistake, hm?”

 Merwin glanced at the portal, nudging Minos to step back. “You think I would happily walk into that? How stupid do you think I am?” He turned Minos away. “I’ll find Nyx myself, so if you’ll excuse me.”

 “Not all that stupid.”

 “You know not to trust us, at least.”

 The portal was wide enough to see through now, wide enough to walk through. The dull orange flicker of fire was glowing out of it, along with screams of both pokémon and human.

 “What is that?”

 “Well… I don’t suppose it’s quite a way through to Nyx,” Arlette said, glancing at the portal.

 “Funny that. You’d almost think we didn’t want to see our sister again.”

 “Not until she comes looking for you of her own choice.”

 “But until then–”

 “We’ll have our fun.”

 “No, I’m not going in there. Better I lose myself trying to find her than step into–” His eyes widened as he slipped down from Minos’ back. “What is… how are you doing this?”

 A figure is visible through the portal, a dark silhouette against the scorched sky. He looked up as a salamence landed nearby, roaring at him. He climbed onto its back as he yelled a command.

 “No! Don’t go!” Merwin shook his head and ran forward, stepping into the portal.

 Yangtze swooped from the sky and grabbed Merwin by the jacket, pulling him out of the portal.

 “What were you planning to do with him?” Zlata asked, turning to the twins as she climbed from the dragonite’s back. “How would this help Nyx?”

 The twins stood as sentinels to either side of the portal. “We gave him more choice than he gave her,” they hissed, turning their glowing eyes – Arlette’s blue, Aurora’s pink – on Zlata. “He chose what to see there, not us. If he is foolish enough to run towards the past, then let him.”

 The kangaskhan lifted Merwin from the ground. His eyes were red and he was panting, sweat slicking his hair. He bowed his head, trying to calm himself down.

 Zlata met the twins’ gazes without flinching. “Nevertheless, two wrongs do not make a right. He could have been hurt, badly, inside that portal. What would you have done then? Would you be the ones explaining that to Queen Ilene?” She turned away, to Merwin. “Are you alright? What did you see?”

 “You think we would become murderers so easily?” The twins laughed, the portal collapsing between them. “You think we could not rewrite that history, if it did not suit us?” They shared a glance, stepping together to hold hands again, using that to strengthen themselves. “But then, trust always did lack where we are concerned.”

 Merwin backed away, not meeting Zlata’s eyes. “Stay away from me.” He glared at the twins, shivering. “I’m sorry, ok, I’m sorry for what I did and said… but just please tell me Nyx is ok.”

 “It isn’t you I don’t trust, it’s the dragons. You tend to go crazy when you call on their powers, as you are doing now. The armour and the glowing in your eyes make it clear.” Zlata nodded. “History is not there for you to rewrite, and there are worse things you can do to a person than murder. Look at him and tell me you’ve not gotten your revenge.” She turned to Merwin. “Nyx is fine. But, with all due respect, she does not want to see you. You’ve already caused her enough distress.”

 “I don’t think it is just the dragons.” The twins eye Zlata, cutting off Merwin before he could say anything else. “Because not a single word about this was said to us before today. You don’t think we could have helped? You don’t think just something to explain would have gone amiss?” They narrowed their eyes, gripping their hands. “This isn’t just about our sister. This isn’t just about today.”

 Lairisse reappeared in a flash of light, Jade with her. She gasped, and the sigilyph beside her moved quickly to nullify the threat. The twins were slammed back into trees, their grasp on each other ripped apart. Before they could collapse to the ground, they were frozen to the trees they’d slammed into.

 “Just what,” Jade said, voice dangerous but steady, “Is going on here?”

 Merwin glanced towards her gratefully, using George to shield himself from the twins. “Nothing. I provoked them, it isn’t their fault.” He took a breath, calming himself down.

 Zlata bowed to Jade. “I apologise. It is a long story, and what Merwin said is part of it. We did not intend to cause you any trouble.”

 “You have a very strange definition of ‘nothing’.” Jade pursed her lips. “But I don’t much care for the details.” She gripped the pokéball in her hand tightly. “But I think you had better break up this little gathering and either leave my property, or not disturb it in such a way.”

 Merwin bowed his head to Jade. “Alright, it wasn’t nothing,” he sighed. “But we won’t be causing any more trouble, I promise. I’m sorry to have caused it in the first place.”

 “I offer you my deepest apologies.” Zlata bowed deeply to Jade. “We will be going shortly, if that is what you wish. Please have your sigilyph put Aurora and Arlette onto my dragonite.” She glanced towards Merwin. “Will you be coming with us? I understand if you don’t want to. A lot of people wouldn’t, not after seeing all that.”

 “I wish for peace in my park, right now,” Jade said. “Whether you stay or go is no concern of mine, so long as you do it quietly.” She gestured to her sigilyph. “Halvor.”

 The ice around the twins melted and fell with them. Halvor caught them in a psychic grip and set them on their feet before pulling them towards Yangtze.

 Arlette opened her eyes and dug her heels in, stopping her movement. “Fuck that,” she rasped out, catching her sister. “You are not carting us around like baggage, not now.” She flicked her head, the armour falling away into messy hair, eyes still glimmering blue as she glared at Zlata.

 “In any case,” Aurora shook herself out, pulling against the sigilyph as well. “We need to pick up our things.”

 {You will not!} Lairisse cried out, stopping them in their tracks as they walked away. {You will come with us, now}

 As they clicked the door shut behind them, Arlette released her grip on time, letting the world continue.

 The nurse on duty nodded to them as they left the centre, heading back out of the town towards where the games had been held the day before. Not much was left; a few of the tents had yet to be taken down, some of the stalls. Apart from that, the only real sign that there had been a crowd of people here was in the scuffed and trampled ground, the occasional pieces of litter.

 “Been a while, huh?” Aurora grinned. “I forget the Veilstone one’s so early.”

 Arlette nodded, slightly distracted. She flexed her fingers, as if checking they weren’t still broken.

 “How do your fingers feel, anyway?”

 “Slightly stiff still.” Arlette frowned. “They’ll work out.”

 “Ah – hey, d’you hear that?” Aurora tilted her head, cupping a hand around one ear.

 “Probably not.” Arlette glanced over.

 “Sounds like chopping wood.” Aurora grinned. “This way.” She took off running, and Arlette had little choice but to follow.

 They found the source of the noise a little further on, where the caber toss had been. Someone – he looked like a lumberjack, from his clothes – was wielding an axe over it, cutting it into pieces. As the twins halted beside him, he stopped and looked up.

 “Morning.”

 “Morning!” they chorused back, smiling.

 He frowned and shook his head, leaning on his axe. “And what can I do for yeh t’day?”

 Arlette tilted her head and examined the remnants of the caber. “What’s the wood going for now?”

 “Fire, prob’ly.”

 “Oh.”

 “Why?”

 “I was… maybe wondering, can I get a bit of it?” Arlette shrugged. “For a staff or something.”

 “Aye, well… no harm in it.” He straightened up. “How big d’ye want it?”

 “Maybe a bit bigger’n I am.”

 He nodded, gesturing to it. “Lie down, then?”

 Aurora watched, mystified, as Arlette dropped down onto her back beside the log, setting her feet at its end.

 “’bout here do?” He tapped somewhere just above her head. “In case you grow some.”

 “Aye, that’d be good.” Arlette smiled up at him. “Aurora, what d’you think?”

 “I think you’re nuts… but maybe slightly more. Just t’be safe.” She tapped her foot further up the log. “Maybe there.”

 “Right y’are.” The lumberjack nodded and steadied his stance, raising his axe.

 “Hey, wait–” Aurora looked horrified, bringing up her hands to stop him.

 The axe thudded down into the wood with a dull thunk, sending a few chips flying as a gash was scored in. Arlette pushed herself from the ground, laughing at her sister’s expression.

 “It’s fine, see?”

 “Still.” Aurora dropped her hands, looking away grumpily.

 “Thanks for being worried for my life,” Arlette said seriously, brushing off her back.

 The lumberjack finished off the cut. “You’ll want to get that smoothed down a piece, I’d reckon.”

 Arlette picked up the staff, testing its weight and leaning on it. “Aye, that’ll work. Thanks.”

 He watched her spin it about a bit, before putting down his axe. “Are you plannin’ on using that as a weapon as well?”

 “Only if I get attacked,” she replied. “No harm in being prepared, right?”

 He grunted. “You’re holding it wrong.” He moved over beside her, taking the staff. “Don’t hold it like it’s a sword, that won’t work.” He placed his hands in the middle of it, a fair way apart. “This way you have more control, and it’s stronger.”

 Arlette nodded and took it back, placing her hands like he’d shown her.

 “Push out with one hand at a time, see? That way you can deflect other weapons as well – never let them hit the middle of it, that’s where it’ll be weakest.” He demonstrated, pulling at her arms.

 Aurora sighed and shifted slightly, tapping her arm.

 “Is that a sling around your wrist? How well do you know how to use it?”

 “Uh – not well – I only got it yesterday.” She started, looking down at the strap of leather. “But I’ve good accuracy.”

 “Well, sling some stones this way.” He gestured at Arlette.  “We’ll work on this for a bit.”

 “Eh… thanks.” Arlette frowned. “’rora, if you hit me…”

 “You’ll come over here and hit me back,” Aurora answered calmly, pulling a wooden leaf from her pocket. “Sorry, this is the nearest I’ve got.”

 “They’ll hurt less, that’s good.” The lumberjack nodded. “Well, start up then.”

 Aurora flicked the first leaf almost cautiously, and Arlette easily deflected it.

 “She’s not going to learn like that. Pelt them!”

 Arlette grinned cockily at her sister, lowering the staff. Aurora scowled and flicked another one, pulling them out with her free hand to have a near rapid fire flow of them. Arlette moved quickly, batting at the ones she could and trying to dodge the ones she couldn’t.

 The lumberjack nodded in satisfaction and turned back to continue cutting up the caber.

 When Aurora ran out of the wooden leaves, Arlette skipped back so Aurora could move forward, reclaiming them once more. Then they continued, until the lumberjack had finished cutting the caber into pieces.

 “Alright, you doing ok there?”

 Arlette nodded. She’d deflected all but four on the last go, and only one of them had actually hit her.

 “How about we try some melee, then.” He smiled, picking up a piece of the caber he’d left long. “You, practice with your sling.”

 “No stones.” Aurora shrugged. “The leaves won’t fit in it.”

 “Did they no give you a pouch?”

 “Huh? Oh… yeah.” Aurora grinned guiltily. “Left it in my bag, though. Forgot about that.”

 He sighed in despair. “I’ll show you how to use that after, then.”

 “I can pick it up easily enough.” Aurora shrugged. “No sweat.”

 “Plenty of time for that while we’re travelling. C’mon, give me a few pointers.” Arlette grinned, reaching out to tap the lumberjack on the side with her staff.

 He retaliated quickly, turning and slapping her staff away with one end of his, reversing to try and catch her with the other. She jumped back, windmilling the staff to deflect him, but he stopped it with a blow of his, seeking her legs. Again Arlette jumped back, missing the blow to her legs. After a few tries, she concentrated more on defending herself, unable to get on the offensive.

 Aurora collected up the leaves and put them into their pouch before settling down on part of the chopped up caber to watch them.

 “No, see! There, use that – follow throw on that!” The lumberjack called out encouragement, slowing down his strikes. “No – wait, hold up!”

 Arlette paused, bringing her staff back to a more upright position. “Yeah?”

 “See here, when you do this–” he motioned through a move, “– follow through with the other end, make it a continuous sweep. Again.”

 He started up, and Arlette moved to defend, this time following through to hit his legs, sending him tottering.

 “Yes! Yes, that’s it!” He slammed his staff into the ground, supporting himself.

 Arlette stepped back, starting to breathe more heavily. “I get it?”

 “Yeah. Yeah, you’ve got the basics now. Stop pulling your attacks so much – you’re quick, unless you hesitate, they won’t hit you that easily. So don’t hesitate and follow through.”

 “Thanks.”

 “Hey, Arl? We… should probably be heading back now.” Aurora stood up.

 “Right.” Arlette nodded, raising the staff in a salute. “Thanks!”

 “Don’t mention it.” The lumberjack grinned, watching them leave.

 Back at the centre, they found the rest of the group awake and about to come out looking for them.

 “Where have you been?” Nyx asked, scowling slightly.

 “Out… we did leave a note.” Arlette gestured over at their unmade beds.

 “‘Gone Fishing’ doesn’t really help. Is there even a place to fish near here?”

 “North of here there’s a river, but it’s not really good for much.”

 “Why’re you worrying, anyway? We’d left all our stuff here.” Arlette clicked the door shut behind her, leaning her staff against the wall as she moved over to pack the rest of her things into her bag.

 “Where’d you get that from?” Soise picked it up, examining it.

 “The caber.”

 “Did you steal it?”

 “No! I asked, and the guy cut it down for me.” Arlette rolled her eyes, standing up. “Have you had breakfast yet?”

 “No, we were going to come and find you first.”

 Arlette watched them leave and turned away, sidling a way through the crowd to find somewhere to sit. Xenos whistled at her, leaning into her neck.

 “I don’t know, Xen.” She found a stone fountain and released Shyran and Sargeras to play in the water. “Just… legacy, that’s all.” She swung her bag down to rest at her feet, sitting down on the wide ledge when the dedication plaque rose to give her a backrest.

 Xinch clambered up beside her to sit down, settling to wash his fur. Xenos slipped down Arlette’s arm to sit on the plaque, watching the water types.

 “I think… we’ve been going about things the wrong way, Xen.”

 He whistles up at her, tilting his head.

 “I don’t know. I need to sort out a few things.” She rubs her face, closing her eyes.

 “What sort of things?”

 Arlette cracked open an eye to glance over the teenager standing before them. “Title things.”

 “Can’t have too many titles, you’re young.” He sat down, dipping a hand in the water. “Unless you were born into them.”

 “Well…” Arlette shrugged. “It’s more of a name.”

 Shyran bobbed up out of the fountain to squirt water at him.

 He spluttered, shaking droplets from his face. “What name?”

 “NightGale.” Arlette stroked Xinch.

 “Woah – dude, you’re the NightGale?” He leapt to his feet, grinning.

 “No, that’s my–”

 “Can we have a battle? I’ve always wanted to battle the NightGale.”

 “I told you, I’m not–”

 “You’re younger than I expected, I thought you’d beaten six leagues? Must’ve moved–”

 “I am not the NightGale!” Arlette yelled, glaring at him. “She’s my ma.”

 He quietened down, but only momentarily. “Still… you must be some battler, hey? What with being a NightGale and all.”

 Arlette sighed, rolling her eyes. “I’m not really a battler.”

 “Oh, come on! You have pokémon!” He gestured at Xenos, Shyran, and Xinch, missing out Sargeras, who was watching from the other side of the fountain.

 Xinch crackled at the stranger, snapping his mandibles.

 “Doesn’t mean I battle.” She placed a hand on the galvantula’s back.

 “But you’re a NightGale! Come on, you have to be a good battler.” He grinned, leaping away and holding out a pokéball. “Just two rounds… you’ll win anyway, NightGales always do.”

 Arlette gritted her teeth.  Xenos whistled at her, dropping down and teleporting to land on the ground in front of her. She watches him, frowning.

 “That’s the spirit!”

 “Two rounds, and then you’ll bugger off?”

 “Oh – sure, sure.” He grinned, releasing a snover. “Powder snow.”

 Snow swirled around the pokémon as he backed away, giving them more room.

 Arlette didn’t stand up, but watched carefully. “Double team.”

 Xenos nodded and tilted his head, seeming to shimmer and appear in a ring around the snover.

 “Icy wind.”

 The snow sharpened, screaming as it swirled around the snover, and caught every image of Xenos there was.

 “Lucky Chant.” Arlette watched, not taking her eyes off Xenos.

 As Xenos whistled, the snover stepped forward and tried to stop him, slamming a fist into his chest. Xenos was thrown backwards, crashing into the fountain’s foundation.

 “Are you going to fight at all?”

 “You think it would work any better?”

 Xenos pushed himself upright and whistled, glowing slightly. Then he ran back out, slamming himself into the snover’s side.

 “Wood hammer!”

 Xenos is slammed back once more. Arlette picked at a loose thread in the seam of her trousers. As Xenos landed, he caught himself before he could tumble, glowing still.

 “Heal pulse.”

 Xenos whistled and nodded.

 “Are you going to attack at all?”

 Arlette sighed and pulled a pouch from her bag. “Magical leaf.” Opening it, she scattered wooden leaves onto the ground.

 Xenos caught them and spun them forward, attacking the snover.

 “Really?” Her challenger laughed. “Come on, that’s not even effective! Wood hammer!”

 Xenos stumbled back as the snover loomed over him, a fist raised.

 “Double–”

 Arlette’s voice was lost in the rush of water that came hurtling over the rim behind Sargeras as the vaporeon slammed into the snover, snarling furiously. The snover slammed its fist into Sargeras instead, sending her crashing into the flagstone pavement. Xenos held out his palms, a weak psychic blast coming off them.

 “I thought you’d be trying harder than this, NightGale.”

 “I am not – the – NightGale!” Arlette yelled, jumping to her feet and disturbing Xinch. “Now shut the hell up, you damn water skunk!”

 Sargeras got to her feet shakily, blood staining her side. Xenos moved forward and spun, slamming himself once more into the snover’s side – beginning to glow again, but a different glow from previously.

 The snover grunted and slapped him away. Xenos shrieked and hit the fountain, collapsing at its bottom – and stopped glowing.

 Arlette dropped to her knees, picking him up. “Dammit, Xen… sorry.”

 “You’re making this easy, aren’t you?” He returned his snover, sending out a chingling. “C’mon, last round.”

 “Or maybe, you know, it’s because I’m no a battler?” Arlette didn’t turn to face him, but her voice was shaking.

 Sargeras limped forward as if to face the chingling, but Arlette held her back.

 “Na-uh, your vaporeon stepped in in the last round, it’s your other pokémon.”

 “I didn’t order her in,” Arlette replied, standing up and cradling Xenos. “So I’ll no agree t’that. Shy, you’re up.”

 The horse swam up in the fountain, moving to the edge.

 “Smoke screen.”

 Shy squeaked and ink plumed around him, hiding him from view. The chingling bobbed over to the fountain, peering to try and see him.

 “Confusion.”

 Shyran squealed in pain as the chingling rested on the parapet, glowing.

 “Water gun.” Arlette watched, ignoring the trainer behind her.

 “Oh, your pokémon do know attacking moves! I was beginning to wonder.”

 Water burst out of the cloud of ink, smacking the chingling square in the face. It shook itself off, producing a clear chime.

 “Astonish!”

 Shyran dived under the water as the chingling moved, avoiding the attack. He looked up at it, watching.

 “Bring it back up,” the teenager muttered.

 The chingling bounced across the stone, ringing its bell. Shyran rose up, brought by the sound.

 “Uproar.”

 The chingling’s noise trebled in volume, causing Arlette to wince and grit her teeth. Shyran squealed and retaliated with a beam of multi coloured ice, which only stopped when the chingling slammed into him from behind, cracking him into the lip of the fountain.

 Arlette stepped forward, dipping a hand into the water for Shyran. Shyran squealed and leapt over her head for the chingling, water surging around him to smack it into the ground.

 “Confusion!”

 The two pokémon tumble to the ground and Arlette stepped back so that she didn’t get caught up.

 Shyran blasted the water into the chingling’s face, but it just shook it off and gripped him in a psychic hold, pushing him away into the fountain. Shyran squealed, furiously trying to break free.

 “Let’s just finish this.” The trainer had his arms folded, tapping his foot.

 His chingling bobbed and slammed Shyran into the ground, where he lay limp. Arlette moved to pick him up, and Sargeras leapt over her back and grabbed the chingling, growling furiously.

 “Hey! Hey, this was a two on two – call your vaporeon off!”

 “Sargeras.”

 Sargeras whined around the chingling, looking up at Arlette.

 “Drop it.”

 Sargeras dropped the chingling, kicking it back to its trainer.

 “Is that seriously the best you can do?” He returned it, folding his arms again. “’Cause, you know, being a NightGale and all–”

 “Get this into your thick, mud filled head, you stupid pounder,” Arlette snapped, cutting across him. “Yes, I’m a NightGale. But I am not my mother. I am not a battler – and we are not all the same!”

 Sargeras snarled beside her, pacing with Arlette as she stepped forward, raising clenched fists.

 He took a step back. “Hey, I didn’t–”

 “Yes you fucking did, don’t even try that shit on me. If you want to have your head kicked in by the NightGale, she’s over by Unova. Better get your ass moving.”

 “Ha.” He snorted, shaking his head. “You’re not a NightGale at all, are you? They wouldn’t let themselves be beaten so easily.”

 “Get the fuck out of here before I show you what a NightGale can do!” Arlette roared, stepping forward again. “Just – get out of my sight, you misbegotten, ham fisted, shit headed–”

 He didn’t stick around to hear anymore, turning and running from sight. Arlette watched him go and then glared at the crowd that’s stopped, staring at her. Cursing, she returned her pokémon to their balls and hurried off in search of the pokémon centre.

 Xinch stretched out his legs and scurried after her, keeping up easily. He crackled at her as they entered the centre.

 “Hey Xinch,” she said quietly, glancing down at him. “Sorry ‘bout that.” She stalked over to the main desk. “These three need healed up.” She placed Xenos’, Shyran’s, and Sargeras’ pokéballs on the desk.

 “Right away.” The nurse nodded and took them. “I’ll call you over when they’re ready to be picked up.” He smiled at her.

 Arlette nodded and stalked away to a couch to sit down, tucking her legs up under her body. Xinch tilted his head and scuttled over to sit next to her, taking up the rest of the couch.

 A woman came into the pokécentre and spotted Arlette, walking over. “I saw the battle with that boy. He was rude to you,” she said, speaking softly.

 Arlette glanced up. “I think I was slightly ruder to him.” She placed a hand on Xinch’s back, stroking him.

 “Those were very colourful curse words you shouted at him. I’d say you swear like a sailor, but that might not be the best thing right now.” She glanced at Xinch. “Mind if I sit down?”

 Arlette shrugged. “Sure. Xinch, budge a bit?” She shifted nearer the end of the couch, perching herself on the arm and leaning on the wall to give them more room – keeping Xinch between them.

 Xinch crackled, shifting along after Arlette to give the woman some space.

 The woman smiled and sat down. “He shouldn’t have called you out to battle like that, or pressured you into it. Don’t feel bad for losing.”

 “I don’t feel bad about losing.” Arlette glanced over at the desk. “I’m not a trainer.”

 “Then why are you bothered?” The woman coughed. “Sorry, this is none of my business, but I am naturally curious. And you seem like you need somebody to talk to.”

 “Because – he wasn’t battling me because I’m a trainer.” Arlette rubbed at her right arm. “He was battling me because I’m a NightGale.”

 Xinch gurgled and nuzzled into Arlette.

 “Ah…” The woman smiled. “He was seeking fame and glory, but got the wrong NightGale?”

 Arlette scratched Xinch’s head. “Basically.”

 “You don’t have to be her, though. Children don’t always turn out like their parents, and that’s a good thing. It makes it interesting.”

 Arlette scowled. “I know.”

 Xinch crackled and delicately started to prod Arlette with his legs.

 “You could always change your name, if that is what you’re uncomfortable with. Plenty of people have given up names and titles to live undercover.” The woman shrugged. “Or you could change what the name means. That has been done too. Whatever you want to do, there is precedent for it.”

 “Excuse me.” The nurse leant over the side of the chair opposite Arlette. “Your three pokémon… about your ralts, though.”

 “What?” Arlette took the pokéballs, looking up. “What’s wrong with Xenos?”

 “Nothing, but… was he evolving?”

 “I think he was starting to. But he was… interrupted.”

 The nurse nodded. “It shouldn’t affect him too much, but he might be shaky for a while.”

 Arlette nodded. “Thank you.” She put the pokéballs into her bag, keeping Xenos’ to the side.

 As the nurse stepped away, the woman stood up. “You have some choices. You’re not the first to deal with this, and you will not be the last. I’m afraid I have to leave you – I need to be moving on, or else I’ll be late. But I postulate you won’t be staying here long either, am I correct?”

 Arlette frowned. “Probably not. Just waiting for the rest of my group.”

 “Then we might see each other again, if you and your group stop by Celestic. I’m heading up there now to study the ruins.” She gave Arlette a single wave. “My name is Diana, by the way. Diana Pallada. And yours? Aside from NightGale, of course.”

 “Arlette.” She flicked a glance up.

 Xinch gurgled at Diana, before returning to Arlette and continuing to clean her, beginning to spin out webbing.

 “It has been an interesting chat.” Diana gave Arlette a curt nod and left the pokécentre.

 Arlette released Xenos and curled up around her bag. Xenos whistled and shook his head, climbing onto her shoulder. Xinch crackled and started to bind her properly in webbing.

 “Haud on a tick.” Arlette pulled out a pokéball, releasing her furret. “Diana, go help the others find us again… once they’ve finished up, ‘kay?”

 Diana uncurled and nodded, darting away.

 Xinch teased out the threads, making the cocoon fluffy around Arlette.

 “You do know we’ll have to move soon, right?”

 Xinch shrugged and continued to wrap Arlette up in silk.

 “You’re carrying me, then.”

 Xinch crackled and finished off the cocoon before lifting Arlette onto his back. Xenos helped open the door and they were out into the square and heading for the shopping centre. There were dragons circling above the building, and Xinch sped up through the crowd before stopping beside Aurora, prodding her leg.

 “Hey, Arlette.” Aurora looked down. “Xinch taking care of you, then?”

 “Well, of course. He generally does.”

 Xinch squealed and dropped, letting Arlette roll from his back.

 “Are you able to move?”

 “Nope. Kinda comfortable here, though.”

 “Have fun trying to keep up with us.”

 Diana scampered over, investigating Arlette’s bound form. Xinch crackled happily, moving over to Nyx.

 “Arlette, you do know that’s what he does to his food before he eats it?”

 Zlata turned, still talking to Joanna, and saw Arlette. “Do you want some help?”

 “Well, he hasn’t eaten me yet.” Arlette looked up at Zlata. “Depends, are we moving on now?”

 “I think we’re moving soon…? At let, I believe Joanna and Alex were going, anyway. Before dragons appeared.”

 “Xinch wouldn’t hurt you, I suppose.” Nyx smirked, scratching Xinch. “I hope you haven’t been too bored waiting for us, we got caught up in pointless plushie buying.”

 “Pointless?” Joanna gasped.

 “Yours was pointless… but very cute.” Nyx smiled. “I think we were going north?”

 Warren nodded. “Towards Celestic.”

 “Oh, that place is beautiful!” Joanna nodded.

 “First, should we show Arlette what we got?”

 “I got things done. What did you get?” Arlette looked up at them.

 “Might want to get out of your cocoon.” Aurora grinned, pulling two item balls from her new bag.

 “Fine, fine…”

 Diana set about chewing at the threads, and Xinch hurried back over to help take them apart.

 Arlette wriggled and eventually managed to get out of the cocoon. “So, you were saying?”

 Aurora tossed her the item balls. “Figured you’d want a bit of cheering up.”

 “You’ll like them Arlette, Aurora picked them out specially for you.”

 “There was a lot of debate about which plushie to get. There were some good ones.”

 “Which one first, Xenos?” Arlette glanced at the two balls in her hands, tilting her head.

 Xenos whistled, shrugging. Arlette laughed and chucked them both into the air, shoving the one she caught with her left hand into her pocket.

 The other one contained a banette plushie, and she stroked a hand over its softness. “That’s going to make me feel so safe now.”

 “Just don’t throw it away and you’ll be fine.” Soise grinned.

“Oh, you decided on the banette then?” Nyx asked, looking closer. “Nice, very creepy indeed.”

 Warren nodded. “Suits you very well.”

 “It’s only a plushie, the real thing is the one you should watch out for. But it does suit you well, I agree.”

 “Yeah, she’s such a creep, right?” Aurora laughed.

 Hohenheim approached and took a lugia plushie from his back, apparently comparing it.

 “They are said to inhabit abandoned plushies, though.” Arlette balanced the banette on her free shoulder. “Or be born from them… or something.”

 “And the other one.” Aurora spun the other pokéball in her hand.

 Arlette caught it as Aurora flicked it into the air towards her. “If you stop stealing my stuff, maybe.” She released a long milotic plush and swept it off the ground.

 “And the milotic.” Nyx smiled, stroking it. “Very nice, but this isn’t anything like Arlette… it’s so pretty and sweet looking.”

 “And they both pale in comparison to the Reshi.” Joanna laughed.

 Arlette batted Nyx in the head with the milotic. “Thanks. I can clean up.”

 “Just not that prettily.” Soise smirked.

 “Alright, I believe you! No need to plush hammer me!” Nyx laughed, pushing the milotic away. “Plushies always help…”

 “That’s good. You seemed really down before,” Zlata said.

 “Yes.” Arlette returned the milotic, tucking it into her bag.

 “So… we’ll be going?” Aurora asked.

 “Yes, sorry for keeping you,” Alex said.

 “It was nice seeing you both.” Nyx smiled, hugging her parents before letting them get up on Flare. “I’ll come back to Lavaridge soon, I promise. With Warren?”

 “Of course. You can even have a house to yourselves, you’d probably like that.”

 Nyx blushed and bowed her head, and Warren linked his arm through hers.

 “We’ll put it next on the list of regions to visit, then.” Aurora nodded. “Be good to see more of Hoenn.”

 Flare took off, followed by Whitetip, and they leave dazzling streaks of fire in the sky behind them as they turn south. Hohenheim answered with a blue streak of fire.

 Zlata waved after them before turning to Arlette. “Do you have dark blue thread? I bought a coat I need to adjust.”

 “Should do.” Arlette returns the banette and shoves it into her bag, pulling out a box. “D’you want it just now or when we stop for the night?”

 “When we stop would be better, I can fix it up then. I’m just asking now in case I have to go back to the shopping centre and get some, but if you allow me to use yours, that would be better.”

 “Right y’are.” Arlette nodded, putting the box back into her bag and swinging it onto her shoulders. “I’d say remind me when we stop, but I’ll probably remember fine.”

 “So, we were heading north before plushies came up?” Nyx asked, leaning into Warren.

 “I believe we were.” Zlata nodded. “Up to Alamos, to the towers and the garden?”

 Rowena stepped out of the kitchen and gathered Bebe up in a hug. “Bebe, honey! I missed y – what is that on your shoulder?”

 “Fetch.” Bebe smiled. “Warren got him for me.”

 “Warren should have asked me first.” Rowena shook her head at Warren, before glancing to Aurora. “Are you a friend of Warren’s as well?”

 Ryun stepped out of the way, moving to Warren’s side of the hall.

 Aurora nodded. “Pretty much. Aurora, please t’meet you.” She tossed the pouch from hand to hand.

 “What’s in the pouch?” Warren asked.

 “Gift for Bebe.”

 “You got me a present?” Bebe smiled.

 “Hopefully it’s not another pokémon,” Rowena sighed. “I hope that thing is clean, Bebe…”

 Ryun looked up. “He is clean. Cleans himself every day.”

 “Sort of.” Aurora shrugged, holding out the pouch. “Just a small thing to remember us by.”

 “Wow!” Bebe rushed over, taking the pouch and lifting out a small ice made figurine of a fennekin. “Thank you so much!” She hugged Aurora. “It’s so pretty!”

 “It is, beautifully made too.” Ryun glanced at the sculpture. “Where did you get that?”

 “Get?” Aurora laughed, hugging Bebe back. “We made it. Took a while, though… ice sculpting really isn’t one of our skills.”

 “It’s very pretty, I didn’t know you could sculpt ice like this,” Bebe said, stepping back.

 “Even so, it does look good,” Ryun remarked. “I’m just surprised you could get ice this time of year to sculpt with.”

 “Nevermeltice,” Aurora explained. “We always have some.” She pointed to the sculpture’s ears. “If you heat them slightly, they’ll glow. It’s better in the dark, it’s pretty faint.”

 Bebe smiled. “Thank you so much Aurora, I love it.” She lifted it up to show Fetch, who licked it curiously and shivered at the cold.

 “Are you staying in Veilstone?” Rowena asked.

 “No, I think we’re heading north next.” Warren shrugged, stooping to hug Bebe. “I’ll come back on the return, if you like.”

 “That’d be nice.” Bebe smiled.

 “Where did you learn?”

 “Our grandfather, he owns one of the sculptor shops in Snowpoint. We should head up there sometime.”

 Warren started to motion them towards the door. “We’re going far, I don’t know when we’ll return.” He looked towards his mother. “I’ll drop in on the way back.”

 “See that you do.” She nodded, taking Bebe by the shoulder.

 Bebe waved to Warren as Aurora opened the door, looking a little sad.

 Warren smiled and bent down to her level, handing her a pokéball. “Write to me, ok? Zuzu can find me wherever I am.” He looked around to Aurora and Ryun. “We good to go?”

 Ryun nodded. “I think we are. If you’re ready, we can leave now.”

 Aurora pulled open the door and stepped out, waving back to Bebe.

 “Don’t worry, when I come back you’ll easily be able to beat me in a battle.”

 “I hope!” Bebe laughed. “Bye!”

 Warren closed the door and they rejoined the others.

 “You’re not getting rid of us that easily,” Arlette was saying. “We’ll manage through it.”

 “Manage through what now?” Aurora frowned.

 “What’s going on?” Warren asked.

 “Rem, she’s gone… and she’s – I think she’s at Turnback,” Nyx said. “We need to go and rescue her.”

 Warren nodded. “Alright. How do we get there, though? I mean, I’ve read about it. Some people say it doesn’t exist, others say it changes its location. It’ll be a pain to find.”

 “Not for me,” Nyx said, hitching her bag up. “I’ve sent Corvus, she’ll be above us any second, we just have to follow her.”

 “So we need to get there fast.” Warren released Sammy and climbed onto her back, leaning down to offer Nyx a hand. “Don’t worry, we’ll find her.”

 Zlata released Niagara, who lifted Hohenheim up before letting Zlata on.

 Ryun frowned as he took in the information, and then stepped nearer Zlata. “Could I get a lift?”

 “If you’re sure you want to come.”

 Ryun nodded and climbed up onto Niagara’s back. She shifted about and growled, getting used to the weight on her back.

 Aurora held out a hand for Crawn to land on, and transferred him onto her shoulder as she hitched her bag better across her back. “Lead the way, then.”

 “Are you two planning on running?” Soise raised an eyebrow.

 Arlette shrugged. “We don’t exactly have a pokémon between us that can carry us.”

 Nyx fumbled in her pockets and released Xinch. “You can take Xinch if you like, he’s probably the fastest.”

 The big galvantula clicked and scurried over to the twins’ sides.

 “He’s fast though, you need to hang on around tight corners.” Nyx looked up as Corvus landed on a low wall near them. “Lead on, Corvus.”

 The honchkrow took off again. Sammy followed, Niagara not far behind. The twins stepped carefully onto Xinch’s back and hold onto each other as Xinch races after the two water types. Soise bounded after them, sending illusions racing ahead of the group to get people out of their way.

 Corvus led them south out of the city, towards a thick patch of fog.

 “Stick together!” Nyx called. “We can’t let him split us up.”

 “Sammy, careful!”

 The samurott almost slammed into a tree, and they ran slower after that. Nyx leapt from Sammy’s back and became her black mightyena form, leading the way.

 “It’s going to be fine,” Ryun said. “If we stay together, we’ll look out for each other.”

 Aurora rested her head on Arlette’s back. “Stay strong.”

 “I will,” Arlette murmured, jaw stiffening.

 “Keep your heads,” Soise said, padding along beside them. “It’ll be fine.”

 Nyx led them on a winding path through the fog until it cleared, leaving them standing on soft, emerald coloured grass beside a sparkling lake. “This… is Turnback?” She padded forward, looking around.

 It was beautiful. Perfect as a view. It seemed a clearing in the woods, trees hanging back from the water to provide a calm, open space. But it was quiet. Far too silent – there were no pokémon around.

 “I thought it was a cave.” Aurora frowned, stepping from Xinch’s back and looking around.

 “Where is Rem?” Zlata pulled Hohen back onto Niagara. “I want to get away from this place. It feels dead.”

 “Turnback is the entrance to the distortion realm, we aren’t going there unless we have to.” Nyx padded towards the water, stretching down to sniff the water. “Rem?” She stretched and became human again, looking back to the twins. “If the dragons start to get to you, then we should leave, alright?” I don’t want you to get hurt because of me.” She looked back into the water, staring at something.

 “If that happens, we’ll stay with you. You can’t be left here alone.” Zlata nudged Niagara closer to Nyx.

 Arlette grunted and followed her sister from the galvantula’s back. “Soise – don’t go too far.”

 Soise turned back to them. “How long’ve we got?”

 “All the time in the world,” Arlette said, smirking. “And yet–”

 “None of it,” Aurora completed. “We know.”

 “Rem?” Nyx looked around again. Then she kicked a stone into the water, disturbing whatever she’d seen there. “How stupid do you think I am?” she hissed.

 “Nyx?” Warren stepped towards her.

 Nyx turned away from the water. “Rem.”

 “It could be a trap,” Warren said, returning Sammy.

 “No.” Nyx lifted up her bag again. “It’s definitely a trap. But… it’s Rem.” She hitched it up on her shoulder and moved along the lakeside, just edging into the mist.

 “We can’t let her run off.” Ryun gritted his teeth.

 “I know. Nothing good ever comes of it, especially not here.” Zlata climbed off Niagara.

 Ryun looked back at her, frowning.

 “I’d rather not have her running blindly in fog. Who knows what sort of things are around here?”

 “Alright.” He unsheathed his sword. “What’s the plan?”

 “Same as it was. We follow her.” Zlata moved into the mist after Nyx.

 “Get Rem and get out.” Warren nodded.

 Hohenheim coated himself in bright red fire, acting as a beacon.

 “Well… at least we know we’re walking into a trap.” Arlette followed after them. “No need to waste time on being surprised.”

 Aurora laughed and followed along, Soise at her side. Xenos whistled, pressing his hands into Arlette’s neck. She smiled at him and continued walking.

 “It would be better if it wasn’t a trap in the first place,” Zlata murmured.

 “There.” Ryun pointed with his sword.

 “Oh no.” Zlata ran forward to join Nyx. “You got her, Nyx. Let’s go, now!”

 The rest of the group clear the fog and stand arrayed out behind Nyx.

 “He’s looking better than I expected,” Arlette remarked, folding her arms.

 “A human form tends to help.” Aurora smiled thinly.

 Soise glanced at them, frowning.

 “I’m sure I’d say it’s nice to see you, but… yeah, we only lie when it’s important.”

 Nyx was holding Rem, mumbling to her.

 “I have a certain fondness for rats.” The man looked up, staring particularly at Arlette and Aurora. He moved towards them, smiling. “I’m sure my siblings will be annoying you, seeing as I’m outside my prison.”

 “Giratina,” Nyx hissed, still trying to soothe Rem. “How can… how are you here?”

 “Thin dimensional walls, or something.” He shrugged. “I can wander about the lakeside. It’s pretty, isn’t it?” He tilted his head, still watching the twins. “What a pleasure it is to meet the guardians.”

 “Nyx, Arlette, Aurora, we should leave now. We have what we came for, we should not talk to him,” Zlata hissed.

 Hohenheim’s flames grew brighter, turning golden as he rushed forward and tugged at Nyx’s clothes, trying to pull her away.

 “It normally is a pleasure to meet us, we’re told.” The twins smirked and bowed.

 “But – ah, as nice as I’m sure it’s been for you, meeting us and all, we should probably be going… you know, before your siblings twig you’re up and about.” Aurora gestured away. “Nyx, mind coming and showing us the way out?”

 Giratina laughed. “Shame, I do like to annoy them as best I can… it’s hard when you are trapped in a different dimension.”

 “We’d appreciate it if you didn’t do that via us, all the same.”

 “Yes, we should go.” Nyx crossed her arms around Rem and turned her back on Giratina, only to find he had moved to stand in front of her.

 “Nyx, I was hoping we’d have the chance to talk.”

 “No, no talking. I came for Rem, so we should be going.” She turned again, but he was in front of her, this time in a wolf form bigger than hers, with gold markings under the eyes.

 “All I want to do is talk.” He padded towards her, voice smooth and hypnotic. “I just want to talk.”

 Nyx growled, in her own wolf form. “What do you want to talk about?” she snarled.

 “I need your help.”

 “Don’t listen to him! Whatever he wants help with, it is nothing good.” Zlata’s voice shook. “You have Rem now, she needs your help as well. Don’t let Giratina talk you into something you’ll regret.”

 “Oh, we know, you always need her help, you want your freedom.” Aurora placed a hand on Nyx’s back, hiding the fact that her fist was clenched and trembling.

 Giratina rolled his eyes and stepped in front of Nyx, whining submissively, with his ears down and tail between his legs. “I do want to escape, but wouldn’t you? I’ve been trapped in that place for so… so long.”

 “You want to escape, and cause chaos and pain and misery, that’s your thing. Why would I help you?”

 Giratina lifted his head. “Why do you think it would be bad if I escaped?” He sidled round, scales forming in his fur so he became more snake like. “Are you forgetting that my siblings are free? They have caused pain and misery themselves…”

 Zlata glanced at the twins and stepped nearer Nyx, although not getting too close. “Soise, is there anything you can do to help the twins, to stop or delay the dragons? Nyx, don’t listen to him. He’s using you, garnering your sympathy, playing to your niceness. Have you forgotten what happened the last time somebody did that?”

 “Yes, they’ve caused pain.” Arlette nodded, closing her eyes. “We’ve seen that. But – they’re also integral to the world. We need them around more than we need someone with your power and no duty.”

 Soise shrugged, frowning. “They’re not there yet.”

 “We’re doing fine on our own,” Arlette said, eyes flickering brighter blue for a moment.

 “You are right. I intend to slaughter them if I get the chance.” Giratina smiled, looking down. “But you may have a place in my world, you bear their power. If space and time are… as integral as you say, then how about you govern them in their place?”

 “But you want chaos,” Nyx said, before Aurora can retort.

 “Yes. I don’t want to destroy space and time, I just want to… change them.” Giratina leapt away, taking the form of a black furred rattata. He moved away into the mist, and Nyx followed.

“How long can you keep fighting them?” Zlata started to move after Nyx. “Soise, if the dragons take control, can you delay them for a while, stop them getting to Nyx? I’ll leave Hohenheim to help you, tell him what to do.”

 Ryun grabbed her by the shoulder. “If you’re going to do that, let me come with you. In case he attacks you, at least I can buy you time to get away,” he said, voice shaking.

 “Yes. Thank you.” Zlata nodded.

 “We can manage fine,” Arlette said, as Zlata and Ryun walked away. “A little more faith, please.”

 “Where are you going?” Soise grabbed at her wrist.

 Arlette glanced back, frowning. “To do my duty. What d’you think?”

 Aurora stepped around them, tossing a juggling ball lightly between her hands. “Yeah, we can get them and get out, rather than them having to come back here to collect us first. Quicker, no?”

 “Only if you’re sure you can keep in control.”

 “Do you think we would suggest this if we couldn’t?” Arlette hissed, slapping Soise’s arm away.

 Hohenheim’s head whipped around and his flames disappear. He jumped into the air, launching himself towards Arlette and knocking her to the ground.

 Arlette cursed as she rolled across the ground. Xenos squealed, catapulted from her shoulder.

 Aurora flexed crystalline wings and stepped towards Hohenheim, a growl rumbling in her throat. Soise intervened, slamming her face first into the ground.

 “Get – off,” Arlette snarled, yanking at Hohenheim’s wing to pull him from her back. “We have to help.”  Crawn pecked as Soise’s face and she pushed him away, shoving him into Aurora’s bag.

 “Just – stay here. It’s better if you–”

 “No it’s not.” Arlette rolled sharply and knocked Hohenheim from her back, getting to her feet. “Trust us.”

 Hohenheim recovered and snapped at her, wings glowing with fire.

 She glared at him. “We have a duty here, Hohen.”

 He screeched and flared fire at her, surrounding her with it.

 “What is he saying, Soise?” Arlette asked from inside the fire, closing her eyes to concentrate.

 “If Giratina gets Nyx, if that’s the best option, we’ll let you go. Otherwise you could lose control and kill–” Soise was cut off, knocked backwards as something in Aurora’s bag exploded with light.

 “Do you really trust us so little?” Arlette snapped, walking through the fire, shielding her face with metal coated hands.

 Hohenheim screamed at her, but she ignored him to offer her sister a hand up. As Soise scrambled to her feet to help Hohenheim stop them, a gaunt and gangling bird ripped free of Aurora’s bag and flew at Soise’s face.

 Soise cried out and stumbled backwards. Hohenheim attacked the bird, leaving the twins free to run into the mist towards the lake.

 Arlette glanced to Aurora, who had wings shimmering behind her. She took Aurora’s hand and closed her eyes, grunting as the wings disappear.

 “You shouldn’t–”

 “I have.” Arlette flexed her hands, forcing away the armour. “They need to learn.”

 Hohenheim appeared in the thinning mist before them, spreading his wings wide and hissing at them. He shook his head, glaring.

 “Hohenheim. Don’t.” Arlette glanced at him as they split to walk around him.

 “We just want to talk. Do our duty. And you are not helping.”

 Hohenheim followed after them as they arrived by the others.

 “We haven’t missed much, have we?” Arlette waved.

 Nyx turned to see them. “No, nothing. We should probably go.”

 Zlata turned as well, eyeing them up. “Not much. Just some talking.” She nodded. “That would be best. I’m glad you’re seeing sense, Nyx. We should really go before Giratina and his silver tongue get to you even more than it already has.” She turned towards Giratina. “The world is fine without you. There’s no reason for Nyx to listen to you.”

 “Yeah, you’re right about that.” Aurora nodded. “People really don’t need your intervention to be happy.”

 “Ah… we should probably have gone.” Arlette frowned. “And should go, and are going, and yes – which way’s the way out now?” She shook her head, silver and blue marks playing across her face.

 “We need to go and rescue Soise from my manic bird, by the way.” Aurora shook her head. “Not exactly fond of what’s happened to him here, but I suppose we can live with it.”

 Nyx stroked Rem and looked back up to Giratina. “We’re leaving. Don’t try and stop us.”

 He raised his eyebrows. “I’m not going to try and stop you, Nyx. I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to. I just hope I have opened your eyes a little, to my side of things.”

 Nyx scratched Rem around the ears, looking down.

 “Go, but be sure to return, Nyx, it has been wonderful talking to you.” He smiled. “Maybe… come alone next time.”

 “We’re going.” She turned her back on him. “Corvus?”

 Zlata turned away. “We should have done a long time ago.”

 The honchkrow swooped down from the sky and wheeled, showing them the way out. Giratina sighed, smiling as he looked up. Then he took a step to the side, vanishing instantly. The air rippled around the group, and they saw him in the lake in his true form, staring at them.

 “What’s this about a manic bird?” Nyx asked.

 “Oh, Crawn evolved… whatever this place is, it’s done something to him, I think.” Aurora frowned. “He’s weird.”

 Arlette shuddered, armour flaking into scales and slowly fading back into skin. “SkyLord take the bugger.”

 “Which one?”

 “Both of them. All of them.” Arlette shrugged. “Bunch’f ice cursed cowards.”

 Aurora snorted.

 “You weren’t really going to accept his offer, were you?”

 Nyx shook her head, moving into Warren’s arms. “Of course not.”

 Warren released Sammy and helped her up onto the pokémon’s back.

 “Well that’s good.” Zlata turned to the twins next. “He would need a dusk stone, right? Did you have one, by any chance?” She released Niagara and Hohenheim climbed up onto her back.

 Ryun climbed up as well, and Zlata got on last.

 “Thank you, by the way.”

 “I didn’t do much.” Ryun shrugged. “I didn’t do anything, actually.”

 “Still, I appreciate you coming with me.”

 “Yeah, course I did.” Aurora rolled her eyes. “You’ll see.”

 “Do you want to call him off yet?” Soise burst out of the fog, overtaking them.

 “Crawn!” Aurora yelled, running towards him as the honchkrow spiralled after Soise, screeching. “Crawn, calm down!”

 He twisted and landed in front of her, twitching his head. For a honchkrow, he’s a disappointment; all scrawny and dull feathers, almost serpentine in the way he moves. He’s at least as tall as Corvus, but it doesn’t look as though he could carry anyone but the lightest child.

 “What the hell happened?” Aurora whispered, reaching a hand out to him.

“Maybe it was because he was so close to the distortion world when he evolved? It’s the only explanation I can think of.” Zlata watched Crawn.

 “And here’s Xenos,” Soise said, circling back to Arlette’s side and pulling the ralts out of her mane.

 Arlette took the pokémon and placed him on top of her bag.

 Corvus screeched and dived down to land in front of Crawn, smacking him with a wing.

 “Is it safe yet?” Warren asked, making Sammy stop.

 Nyx turned around, looking. “I think so. At least, there’s not as much distortion in the air.”

 “We should probably keep moving until we get out of this mist,” Zlata said. “Just to be completely sure. Even if Giratina did let us go, I don’t trust him, not after all that.”

 Crawn tumbled backwards and hissed at Corvus.

 Aurora slipped between them, blocking any attacks. “Stop that.” She touched Crawn gently, and when he doesn’t attack her, rubs a hand over his head and tilted it, checking him over. “Soise, did you get my stuff as well?”

 “You had stuff?”

 Corvus drew herself up and clucked at Crawn, evidently displeased with him.

 “A whole bag, Soise.”

 Crawn replied in kind, skulking behind Aurora.

 “Is there anything there you needed, Aurora, that can’t be replaced? Only it is best if we get away from here as soon as possible, keep moving until we’re back on the road to Veilstone. I don’t trust Giratina not to change his mind.”

 Aurora frowned, checking her pockets. “Well… most of it – clothes and juggling balls and the like – I can borrow from Arlette, but – oh shit.”

 “What?”

 “My team. And the box of spices from Ecruteak.”

 “I could send Corvus back, or we could all go back together.” Nyx looked back into the mist.

 “We should just leave–”

 “Did you not hear?” Arlette snapped. “Her team. We can’t leave them.”

 “We can’t go back, though,” Zlata said, urging Niagara. “It’s too risky.”

 “If Nyx and I went, we wouldn’t take any time at all.” Arlette looked back. “He wouldn’t even have to know.”

 “Nah, you’ve already been possessed once today, I don’t think any more is needed.”

 “Soise. I – was – not – possessed.” Arlette glare at her. “I am strong enough, even if no one seems thinks so.”

 “I think it’d be a bit too risky,” Nyx sighed. “Besides, Giratina’s probably snatched them back into the distortion realm by now… I’m sorry, Aurora.”

 Warren moved an arm around Nyx as she tightened her hold on Rem.

 “It’s not worth the risk having either of you run in, no matter how quick you are.”

 A large rattata hopped awkwardly out of the mist, dragging something behind it. The tattered remains of Aurora’s bag, with most of the things still inside it. Hohenheim hopped from Niagara’s back and picked up the bag by one of the straps, helping the rattata with the weight.

 “Right. Got it.” Arlette turned away, folding her arms. “Shall we get going quickly then, before we get properly possessed and kill you all?”

 “Arlette, stop. Just forget about it. We are leaving now, and look – we have your bag, Aurora.”

 Zlata climbed off Niagara and approached Arlette. “It isn’t that. There is a difference between not thinking you’re strong enough and not wanting you to take unnecessary risks. Today has already been eventful enough without having you struggle against Dialga again.” She smiled gently. “Let’s just leave. I doubt anybody wants to stay here longer than they have to.”

 “So why the fuck did your guard dogs not let us help earlier? I came here to help Nyx, not get flattened by one sand scratching legendary.”

 “Because we wanted to play it safe,” Soise replied, grabbing her arms. “I’m here to protect the three of you, even if that means from each other.”

 Aurora crouched down to thank the rattata and carefully pick up her bag. “Wow, Crawn, you really did a number on this thing.”

 “Arlette, it’s over. It’s behind us, alright? There’s no point in getting angry over it.” Nyx stood up, letting Rem sit on her shoulder. “We’re leaving, we can forget about this.

 The new rattata hopped onto Aurora’s outstretched hand, sniffing at her.

 “Rem says his name is Raphael.”

 “Believe me, it was for the best that both of you were not there to see what Giratina was telling Nyx. There was not much you could have done, anyway. Keeping you away was the right thing to do, it was safer for all of you,” Zlata said, watching Arlette.

 Hohenheim’s crest drooped and he lowered his head, giving a mournful little croon.

 “And he apologises for knocking you down, but there was no other way he could think of in the heat of the moment to keep you away.”

 Arlette stared around the group and shook her head, closing her eyes. “Fine. Because evidently you all know what’s best for us.”

 Aurora smiled at Raphael, standing up with the remains of her bag clutched under her arm. “Thanks, Raphael.”

“If that’s how you feel, Arlette.” Zlata got back up onto Niagara’s back. “It’s been a rough day. As soon as we get out, let’s put this all behind us, forget this ever happened. It’s probably for the best. And maybe when we get to Veilstone, we should get you a new bag, Aurora?”

 Crawn scrambled to his feet and darted back towards Aurora, away from Corvus.

“That might be an idea.” Aurora nodded, shifting her stuff so she could carry it better.

 “Shall we get moving, then?” Soise looked around. “Only this fog is making my fur heavy.”

 Corvus clucked, moving closer to Crawn as they walked on, tilting her head to examine him.

 As the group moved on – with Arlette tailing near the back – the fog lifted away, leaving them on the country tracks outside of Veilstone. Despite the grey clouds in the air, it was beautiful. There was life around them, in the trees, on the ground and in the sky, and that made all the difference.

 “And… back.” Nyx smiled, lifting up her arms.

 Hohenheim spread his wings out, and the clouds parted to soak them in sunlight.

 “It’s weird.” Warren looked back the way they had come. “You’d never think there was a place like that under the mist.”

 “Weird dimensions.” Nyx shrugged and looked down, seeing Raphael still following them. “You staying with us?”

 “Think you can handle two rats?” Warren asked, looking down.

 “I think so.” Nyx smiled. “Arlette, are you alright?”

 “Don’t,” Zlata said, glancing back to Arlette before turning to Nyx. “Give her a little time, hopefully she’ll recover.”

 Arlette flicked a glance at Nyx. “Yeah, ‘m fine. Always am.”

 “Are people ok with a shopping trip?” Aurora asked. “I can always catch you up after, it won’t take me too long.”

 “Nah, we’ll come in. Or I will, anyway.” Soise shrugged. “I can help you carry some of that stuff as well, if you want.”

 “I could go for a trip to Veilstone,” Warren said. “I need to get a better coat if we are heading northwards, it’ll be freezing up there.”

 “Sure, it would be good to get some supplies.” Nyx nodded, sliding from Sammy’s back and slowing down to walk by Arlette.

 “It would be nice to do something normal after that, and we do need some supplies if we’re going to continue travelling.” Zlata turned to Warren. “Even with spring upon us? In that case, I might need to get a jacket too.”

 “It’s May. Should be warm enough, but I suppose, you lowlanders…” Aurora grinned. “’Specially if we head up Sowpoint way.”

 “So shopping trip in Veilstone. Nice way to round off meeting the distortion lord, I suppose.”

 “That makes sense. It would be good to have warmer clothes then.” Zlata smiled. “Do you have any better suggestions?”

 “Well… yeah, can’t think of anything better to do after that.” Aurora shrugged, grinning. “Nice way to balance it out.”

 “Not that I can think of.” Warren smirked. “Nothing better than a girly shopping trip to lift our spirits.”

 “We’re just going for necessary things, Warren, that’s not a particularly girly shopping trip.” Zlata grinned. “You probably know Veilstone best out of all of us. Is there anywhere we can go to get what we need?”

 Crawn stretched out his wings and broke into a shambling run, lifting into the sky.

 “I’m sure we could make it girly, if you wanted it to be.” Aurora grinned. “I do need new clothes, after all.”

 Corvus took off after Crawn, spiralling in the air.

 “I just need a coat, not sure how girly I can get with just that.” Warren smirked. “But… if you really want to, we can go for shoes and bags and whatever it is girls like… there’s a good shopping centre, full of clothes shops, and a great art place as well.”

 “Well, not unless you want to, Warren. I’d rather we just get what we need.” Zlata smiled wryly. “Though if you want to go on a girly shopping trip, you could take Ryun with you again, I suppose.”

 “What?” Ryun looked up.

 “Just wondering if you’d like to go on a girly shopping trip with Warren, like you did in Saffron,” Zlata explained, grinning.

 “It wasn’t that girly, we just went to a clothes shop and a jewellery shop… alright, yes, perhaps it was. And I don’t need anything, but if you want company, Warren, I could come.”

 “Yeah… it’s just a new bag and some clothes for me.” Aurora laughed. “I’m not going to drag you round all the latest sales and fashion stuff.”

 “So we are all set then,” Warren said. “It’ll be fun, and since Nyx is rich after her birthday, she can buy everything for us.”

 “Hell no,” Nyx called, looking up from her conversation with Arlette.

 “It’s alright, I can buy my own things. So, will you show us where this place is, Warren?” Zlata smiled.

 Aurora glanced around and dropped back to walk with her sisters. “What’s eatin’ you?”

 “Just – thinking.” Arlette shrugged. “Nothing important.”

 “Hm.”

 “D’you want to put things in my bag?” Arlette pulled it off her shoulders, flipping it open.

 “Dante, can you follow her scent?” Ryun asked his houndour as she yapped, running down the corridor before them.

 Soise was waiting for them outside the centre. “Just saw Zlata head off in a bit of a state,” she said, wincing as she straightened up.

 “Hohenheim’s disappeared and Zlata’s gone after him.”

 “And told us not to follow,” Aurora chipped in.

 “So you’re following.” Soise fell in beside Nyx, trying not to limp.

 “What do you take us for?”

 “Still hurting?” Nyx asked quietly, holding out a handful of berries. “You should maybe illusion something smaller, so you can ride on someone’s shoulder.”

 “Illusions don’t work like that,” Soise replied, taking the berries. “I’ll be fine.”

 “Did no one see Hohen leave?” Warren asked, looking around. “I mean… he’s a noticeable pokémon to be wandering around by himself.”

 Ryun nodded. “I think that this perhaps was planned. Whoever did this was waiting for them.”

“Must have been a fantastically on the spot plan.” Arlette frowned, following Ryun and Dante through the streets.

 “Yeah that’s a good point.” Aurora resettled her coat. “I mean, it’s not like we knew we were coming here.”

 “Well Warren said it.” Nyx shrugged. “Hohen is noticeable.”

 Dante stopped before an ordinary looking house with the curtains drawn and barked once, looking up at Ryun and wagging her tail.

 Ryun knocked on the door. “Do... you think we should just go in?”

 “Wait and see if they answer, first,” Nyx replied.

 Warren stepped up beside Ryun, placing a hand on the door. “Hohen and Zlata are in there, we can’t let anything bad happen to them.”

 “I mean if it’s unlocked, we can totally just go in.” Aurora grinned.

 “Oh really?” Nyx laughed. “Try just knocking again, louder.”

 Ryun hesitated. “I don’t know...” He glanced down at Dante. “No, Dante led us here and I believe in her. They can’t be anywhere else.” He looked up and knocked at the door again, rapping louder.

 “I can always unlock it.” Arlette opened her jacket, slipping her hand into an inside pocket. “If you think it’s necessary, of course. Our friend could be in danger.”

 Nyx nodded, stepping aside to let Arlette past. “Yeah, she’s our friend. If she’s not answering, something might’ve gone horribly wrong.”

 “Open it up,” Warren said, agreeing. “It’s Hohen as well, he could be hurt.”

 Arlette stepped past them, opening her case of lockpicks.

 “Uh-” Aurora clapped a hand on her shoulder.

 The door opened and Zlata stood there, still haphazardly dressed in a nightgown under a long coat but with a tight circlet about her head. “Oh, hello.” She blinked at the group. “It’s nice of you to follow me. But I’m afraid I can’t keep on going with you. I have my duty to fulfil. I’m sorry.” She bowed.

 “Let us pass,” the man beside her said. “And get off my property.”

 “We’re not... on your property?” Arlette frowned. “Unless you own the street, but I mean really-”

 “What duty?” Aurora asked, folding her arms.

 “What are you talking about?” Nyx asked, squinting at the circlet. “What is that you’re wearing?” Rem, on her shoulder, hissed at the man, her fur spiking up.

 Hohenheim pecked at something below his left wing and pushed through the group.

 “Hohen?” Warren offered his hand.

 Hohenheim snapped at Warren’s hand and turned away, as if he wasn’t worth the time.

 Zlata studied the group. “If I am to live up to what is expected of me, I must become more than the Guardian. I have to be a queen. I’m still not sure whether it is the right thing to do, but... but it is the only way.”

 Ryun had stepped back, behind the rest of the group, and was staring at Zlata as if he didn’t recognise her.

 “Ecruteak doesn’t have a wide enough reach, and I want to help. I want to do what’s right, I need this power.”

 “My name is Heris Valerian, former Kanto minister,” he said, introducing himself and placing a hand on Zlata’s shoulder, guiding her forward. “I’m escorting the Guardian to Goldenrod, where she will unite the regions again.”

 Aurora snorted. “History says that ain’t a good plan, buddy.”

 Warren rubbed his hand. “He’s done something to Hohen. What have you done to him?”

 “Zlata, you aren’t making any sense.” Nyx shook her head.

 Heris’ free hand drifted down and under his jacket. “Move aside.”

 “No, we aren’t going to move. This isn’t right.” Nyx shook her head again.

 “It’s hard for you to understand, but please trust me,” Zlata begged. “But I know It's the right thing to do. I am the Guardian chosen by Ho-oh! Who else but me is there to do this?”

 “Yeah, and the Ho-oh is a child. People can be wrong.” Arlette frowned. “What do either of you know about ruling?”

 “She was chosen by the little Ho-oh,” Heris said, dripping with sincerity. “She is a better person than most of us, and the one who should lead Kanto and Johto.” He pushed Zlata forward, through the group. “If you would please leave us, there won’t be any need for bloodshed.”

 “No one needs to do anything,” Nyx said, stepping back, her hand in her bag. “Zlata... please stop this, you aren’t thinking straight.”

 “Hohen can’t be either.” Warren glanced at the legendary again. “He wouldn’t agree to something like this.”

 “I may have been told things, but my decision was my own.” Zlata turned to face the group again. “Nobody told me what to decide. I know my duty, and my duty is to my people. Travelling with you – I'm neglecting that.”

 Hohenheim hisses at Warren, moving to Zlata’s side and displaying his wings to make himself look bigger.

 “What do you know of what he wants? He’s the one who told me to come here. He accepted it as freely as I did.”

 Ryun shifted behind Warren, and Zlata turned her gaze on him.

 “I can finally be what you seem to think I am.

 He shook his head. “No. I may not be... well, anything, but this isn’t right. What you’re doing isn’t right, Guardian.”

 Zlata twisted her face into a snarl. “What do you know about it? You, who keeps forcing me to act like I am perfect, to keep up with your pretence so I don’t disappoint, you who keeps worshipping me as though I am a god!” Her voice was rising to a scream. “Now that I finally decide I’m going to be that god, why are you stopping me?!”

 Hohenheim, beside her, hissed at Ryun.

 “No... you’re not...” Ryun shrank back, staring at her.

 “I am. Now, if you want a god, leave.”

 Ryun stepped forward and, in one fluid movement, grabbed the sword from Zlata’s side and held it in front of him. “No, Guardian.”

 Zlata glared at him.

 “I can’t believe that.” Warren was watching Hohenheim. “He has changed.”

 “He’s fine, Warren. Now please, let it go.” Zlata didn’t look away from Ryun.

 “Stop this,” Nyx said, a warning in her voice as she narrowed her eyes at Heris. “This is your doing, and it isn’t right. You’ll just make things worse.”

 He laughed. “What do you know about it? Kanto has already tried to tear itself apart. The Sevii islands tried to separate from us before. If the Guardian becomes ruler, it will solve things. The people will support her.” He stepped around them, to stand at Ryun’s side. “This has been entertaining indeed, but we’re out of time.” He pulled a gun from under his jacket and rests it against Ryun’s temple. “Give back the sword. We have been waiting for a saviour for a long time.”

 Nyx pulled a gun from her bag and fired in one smooth motion.

 The deafening bang ripped through the air and made everyone flinch. It was followed by screaming as Heris dropped his gun, clutching at his bloodied hand.

 “Don’t you dare,” Nyx growled, moving the gun to point at his head.

 Zlata released her pokémon. “You got that gun from Giovanni, didn’t you? He must meet justice, him and all the other dangerous people.”

 Hohenheim advanced on Ryun, hissing.

 Soise darted forward, stumbling as she twisted in front of Hohenheim, between him and Ryun. “Don’t you dare. This is wrong.” She bares her teeth, resting part of her weight on one forepaw.

 Warren released his own pokémon and reached into Nyx’s bag to release Cole.

 “Use stealth rock,” Nyx told the larvitar, not taking her eyes from Heris.

 Hohenheim burst with fire that flickers black at the edges, like smoke, as the rocks landed about him.

 Dante snarled at him, fangs sparking with electricity, and Rekka leapt from Ryun’s jacket to land on Dante’s head.

 The rest of Zlata’s pokémon move to attack, most of them going for Ryun. Warren’s pokémon get in the way, bowling them back, forcing them away.

 “Last chance,” Zlata said, glaring at Ryun. “Let me go.” She took a step forward.

 Ryun shook his head and didn’t lower the sword, even as it pressed against Zlata’s neck.

 “Nyx.” Warren grabbed the gun from her hands. “Help us.”

 “I’m sorry!” She pulled pokéballs from her bag and released her team.

 Arlette stalked across to Heris, grabbing him by the coat. “So. What have you done to our friend?” Her tone is pleasant, her eyes cold.

 Behind her, Nyx directed her pokémon to neutralise Zlata’s, pulling them away and using Xinch to bind them all up safely.

 Zlata bit her lip as she turned to watch her pokémon being taken down, and stepped away from it all.

 “Please, don’t.” Ryun stepped with her, sword still at her neck. “Don’t.”

 “Please forgive me,” Zlata whispered.

 Niagara barrelled into Dante and Rekka, tumbling them away from blocking Hohenheim, who blasted Ryun’s leg with a ball of fire.

 Ryun fell to the ground, dropping the sword. He bit his tongue, screwing up his face as he fought not to scream.

 Zlata picked up the sword and ran down the street.

 Aurora launched herself past her sister and ran after Zlata, catching her in three leaping bounds and bringing her crashing to the ground. “Sorry buddy,” she hissed, grappling for the sword as she sat on Zlata’s back. “You’ll thank us later.”

 “I have to act! I can’t let this-”

 “You aren’t the only Guardian!” Aurora threw the sword out of reach. “What do you think Siren would do? What do you think we’ll do?”

 Behind them, Mentat fell as Melody and Vamp attacked in tandem. Niagara crashed to the ground, Lux with her. Yangtze was tied up, Sargeras standing on top of him.

 Hohenheim was alone. He began glowing with the start of the sacred fire, raising his wings.

 Then he screeched, toppling onto his right side, his left wing limp above him.

 Below Aurora, Zlata relaxed and pressed her forehead into the path, closing her eyes. “Get to Hohenheim. Something has corrupted him.”

 “You got that?” Aurora twisted to call back.

 “What,” Arlette hissed, knocking Heris’ legs out from under him, “Did you do?”

 “He would not cooperate. I came to him during the night and told him the plan. But he refused. He was like a child terrified of being a man.” Heris shrugged, held up by his coat lapels in Arlette’s hands. “So I changed his nature to make him more of the god that he is.”

 Hohenheim screeched at Nyx as she stepped closer, struggling back to his feet and trying to keep him away.

 Dante and Rekka pulled back from attacking him and formed a perimeter with Askir instead, blocking Hohenheim’s escape.

 Ryun pushed himself to his feet and limped to where Niagara lay. “We need your help.”

 “They have their own time to grow up in,” Arlette hissed, her eyes sparking silver. “And it is not yours. You make a monster of a god.”

 Niagara pinned Hohenheim down and spread his left wing out, ignoring his shrieks.

 Warren hurried to Ryun’s side, helping support his weight.

 “Here.” Ryun passed Nyx his gloves. “They’re fireproof.”

 Nyx nodded and pulled them on, then her flying goggles. “He’s hurt you, Hohen. Don’t worry, I’m going to help you.”

 “If I let you up,” Aurora said, tilting her head as she studied Zlata, “What will you do?”

 “There’s something under his feathers,” Nyx said, searching about. “Dammit.” She pulled the glove off with her teeth and flexed her arm, covering it with thick black scales and thinning out her fingers into needle like claws. “There!” She pulled a shard of black glass free.

 “I did what I believed was right for my region,” Heris replied, turning his head to watch Nyx and Hohenheim.

 Hohenheim shrieked, letting loose a plume of fire into the sky.

 Zlata let out a yell as well, writhing beneath Aurora.

 Hohenheim fell limp and Niagara laid him back down on the pavement.

 Ryun sighed and made his halting way towards where Zlata was still pinned down by Aurora. “I’m sorry,” he said, kneeling down.

 “You did what was right. You stood up to me.” Zlata forced a trembling smile.

 “No. I’m sorry for putting all my faith in you.”

 Zlata flinched back.

 Aurora got off her and stepped away.

 “One person does not have the right for the whole region in their hands,” Arlette said, voice cold.

 Aurora flicked her gaze to her sister and gestured for their pokémon, making her careful way across the torn up street.

 Nyx looked up as she passed, dabbing ointment into the cut underneath his wing. “Do what you like with him. Look what he did to Hohen.”

 Aurora nodded and relaxed into an easy stroll, hands in her pockets.

 “Who are you to deny it? Why are a bunch of bureaucrats and morons better than a single exalted person?” Heris trembled with rage. “I used to be one of them! I know better than any of you what they do, and it sickens me! No matter what, she would have been better than them.”

 Arlette laughed, the sound cold and void of any emotion. “Who are we? Well.” She turned her head to meet Aurora’s eyes. “Should he be told?”

 Aurora grinned. “Shall we leave him trembling in fear? Broken and cowering and unable to speak a word of what has happened?”

 “If we do what we want, as he wished, I fear we would sink even lower than he has managed.” Arlette’s smile turned cruel and vicious. “But we would enjoy it, wouldn’t we?”

 “Oh, indubitably, my dearest sister.”

 Nyx turned behind them, looking up at their backs. “Don’t give in to them,” she pleaded. “They’re not needed here, not now...”

 Heris laughed and spread his arms. “While I had always hoped I would burn or drown, I will take what you have. Whatever punishments you can create, Lords of Time and Space, I’ll accept them. If you want to kill me, do it. I will consider it divine justice.”

 “Don’t give him the satisfaction!” Zlata yelled, kneeling beside Hohenheim. “Stop it!”

 “Do you consider we two gods?” Aurora tilted her head against Arlette’s, smirking. “There is no Divine Justice in this place.”

 “Guys-” Soise limped towards them. “What-”

 “Do you not think, Korresan Erris-hayn, that he should be punished for what he did? That he should have... this driven into his flesh?” Arlette raised her hand and the shard of glass appeared in it, twisting between her fingers. “Have his judgement corrupted and twisted to someone else’s view?”

 “His is not mine to judge,” Soise replied quietly. “I have no power over him.”

 The twins shared a glance.

 Arlette dropped him, and Heris landed on his knees in the dust, dirtying his white suit further.

 “We aren’t Lords, Heris,” Aurora whispered, crouching to his level, dancing the glass between her fingers. “We’re pirates.” She crushed the shard in her hand and let the dust fly away on the wind.

 “You are nothing more than dust to us, Heris.” Arlette watched him slump, defeated. “Dust and nothing more.”

 Behind them, Nyx was struggling with her distortion, fur washing over her in waves.

 “Nyx, don’t,” Warren said, voice calm. “Zlata’s pokémon need help.”

 That helped her push it back, and she turned to her bag, pulling out supplies.

 Zlata joined the twins instead, gazing down at Heris.

 He didn’t so much as raise his head as she threw the circlet at his feet. She lifted the sword, too, but didn’t throw it down. Instead, she turned towards Ryun. “Here. You seem to know how to use it. Something good has to come out of this.”

 “I swear I will work on my formality.” He took it, tying the belt about his waist.

 “This mean he’s part of the crew?” Aurora turned away from Heris, catching Askir as the espeon leapt up at her.

 “I would be happy if you let me stay,” Ryun replied.

 Aurora shrugged, watching Nyx and Warren as they talked, tones low and apart from the group. Warren was holding Nyx’s gun out to her. “Fine by us. ‘Cept we might owe you explanations now, right?”

 “And some food,” Arlette said, watching Heris as he scrambled back towards his house. “Don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starving.”

 Nyx pulled the case for her gun from her bag, put it in, and handed the whole thing to Corvus. The honchkrow launched herself skywards with it, flying away from the city.

 Ryun nodded. “The... Zlata said you were Guardians as well?”

 Aurora gave him a small smile. “Time, Space, Distortion.” She gestured at Arlette, herself, then Nyx. “You know the Creation Trio, right?”

 Arlette waited for the others to follow on as she started walking back towards the centre of the town. “That’s the short of it. Our mother’s got tangled up in it all.”

 “Wait, so I don’t need to get the flipchart out this time?” Soise shook out her mane and grinned.

 “I mean it doesn’t look like he’s listening just now, so...” Aurora murmured, glancing back over her shoulder.

 Zlata and Ryun were taking up the rear of the group with Hohenheim, talking quietly.

 Hohenheim looked up and whistled something that Zlata translated, and Ryun smiled at them both.

 Arlette snickered. “They’re adorable.”

 “You mean them or Nyx and Warren?”

 Nyx and Warren were trailing as well, although on the opposite side of the street, with Warren’s arm about Nyx’s shoulder and half bent towards her so he could hear what she was saying.

 “Skies, either of them. Hey! Y’all good with pancakes for breakfast?” Aurora cupped her hands about her mouth. “Place just around the corner.”

 “If you’ll let me pay,” Zlata said. “It’s the least I can do, after the trouble I caused you.”

 “P’shaw.” Aurora flapped her hand at her. “P’shaw, I say! But also yes please and thank you.”

 Zlata laughed. “Excellent.”

 “Ok so.” Arlette pulled a blank page of paper from her bag and a pen, clearing the plates from in front of her. “Aurora and I, we’re Palkia’s and Dialga’s Guardians, sworn to protect the world from the rising threat of Giratina, yadda-yadda-yadda.” She writes their names and their legendaries down, a line between them.

 “Our mother is Jay NightGale, Arceus’ gift to the world or whatever. She’s Captain Guardian,” Aurora said, her mouth full, as Arlette pencilled her in. “She was marked when she was... about our age? Chosen from a young age or whatever.”

 “Shit went south when her friend – who was the original Palkia blessed – was killed. Which is where Phoe comes in. Phoe?”

 “I’m the NightChild!” Nyx waved, her cheeks stained with berry juice. “The prophesised destroyer of worlds, through whom Giratina will rise again.”

 “Terrifying,” Warren said, passing her a napkin.

 Arlette laughed, letting Aurora take the pencil to do childish line drawings of shaky faces beside the names. “So Palkia, in her infinite wisdom, decided to give mam her marking as well, since she already had Dialga’s. Mam being Arceus’ Chosen meant she could handle that. Sort of.”

 “There were some wild times.” Aurora had her tongue out, focusing as she drew grumpy faces beside the legendaries. “Not least of all – Phoe's birthday!”

 “There was an eclipse. That’s when I was born,” Nyx said, taking the narrative. “So they fought over me, because Dialga and Palkia wanted me dead and Giratina didn’t.”

 “Obviously, they didn’t succeed. In case you were wondering.” Arlette glanced up at Ryun. “With us so far?”

 Ryun hesitated, but nodded. “I see.”

 “So mam made the deal to have us, to protect the world.” Aurora nodded. “We got a dragon each, already said.”

 “And now we’re the best of friends ‘cause Phoe over there sucks at being evil.”

 Nyx shrugged, laughing. “I’ve tried.”

 “Sure.” Aurora grinned. “You’ve still got jam on your nose.”

 “This is all... so big.” Ryun breathed out. “Too big for me.”

 “You’re not alone,” Warren said. “I’m nothing like these guys.”

 “You’re weirder for hanging out with us,” Aurora replied. “No plausible excuse.”

 “Nyx hangs out with you,” he corrected. “Plus I need to train my pokémon.”

 “Rude.” Aurora finished the final touches to her drawings – a monocle on Giratina, a moustache on Dialga, and a top hat on Palkia – and pushed it across to Ryun. “How you feeling about all that?”

 ”Ho-oh is one thing... the Creation Trio is another,” he said slowly, studying the sheet of paper.

 Hohenheim let out a quietly affronted caw at that.

 “Do you still want to stay?” Zlata asked, looking across at Ryun.

 He gripped the hilt of his sword as he glanced at Warren, then Zlata, then Nyx and the twins. As Dante licked his hand, he stroked her. “I’m staying. My goal hasn’t changed. I may not have any powers or anything that makes me special, but I still want to stay, if you would have me.”

 “Awww, Warren’s no longer the only boy.” Aurora smirked at him. “Does this mean we gotta find another way to single him out?”

 Nyx laughed. “Aurora-”

 “Hey, can I have more pancakes?” Aurora glanced around for the waiter. “Ooh or maybe waffles.”

 Nyx reached over to pat Aurora. “Don’t worry, there will be plenty of opportunities to distract and freak, I am sure.”

 Zlata finished with the trainers and sat down with the group, releasing Hohenheim from his pokéball as she did so. “What sort of circus would be around Lavender, anyway? It doesn’t seem like the kind of place where one would fit in.”

 “A ghost circus might,” Ryun said, shrugging.

 A chill gust of air blew around the group, and Xenos pressed himself closer to Arlette’s neck.

 “Circuses aren’t really supposed to fit in. They’re supposed to draw the eye, be fantastic, question the bonds of reality… give people something other than normality.”

 “That’s true.” Nyx smiled. “If a circus wasn’t freaky, I’d ask for my money back!” She lifted a hand to Rem and flinched, looking around.

 “Good point. Although there are many different circuses. Not all are supposed to be freaky,” Zlata said, stroking Hohenheim.

 Xenos whistled and slipped into Arlette’s hood, as if hiding from something.

 Arlette frowned, lifting him out carefully. “Xen, what’s wrong?”

 “They don’t make a habit of fitting in, though.”

 Nyx frowned, looking around. “Did you hear them as well?”

 “I felt something.” Warren hooked an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t run off again, alright?”

 “I won’t.” Nyx lifted her head. “But I definitely heard something, I think they want our help.”

 “What wants our help? There’s nobody here,” Ryun said, frowning.

 Xenos shrieked and clung to Arlette’s hand, shivering.

 “It’s alright. There’s nothing here.”

 “I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Aurora muttered. “There’s something alright.”

 Crawn, from his perch on top of her bag, looked up and cawed in agreement.

 Nyx frowned and stood up. “There’s something here, and it wants our… well, my help. Who are you? How can I help you?”

 “I don’t like this, Nyx.” Warren kept a hold of her arm. “Are you sure it isn’t Giratina?”

 “I’m not feeling any distortion.” Nyx looked around.

 Zlata nodded, stroking Hohenheim. “Hohenheim can feel it too. He doesn’t know what it is, but he is nervous.”

 “Can we do the clever thing and not listen to the voices only you can hear?” Arlette asked. “Because really, it’s getting tiring.”

 Xenos whistled, nodding agreement.

 “I helped people before, didn’t I? And that was with Giratina trying to break through.”

 “What do they want you to do?” Warren asked.

 Nyx frowned. “They won’t say. Just that they’re the ghosts of Lavender… and that I should come alone,” she sighed. “You could follow me? If I get into trouble, then you can help.”

 Rem squeaked, shaking her head.

 “Well they are talking to me, and they are saying they need my help…”

 “I agree with Arlette, Nyx,” Zlata said. “It can’t be good if they want you to come alone.”

 “What if they aren’t the ghosts of Lavender? What then?” Ryun asked.

 “And if they are ghosts, what good will you be able to do them?” Arlette frowned. “It could just as easily be another trick of Giratina’s.”

 “It isn’t Giratina, alright? I know what he feels like, and it isn’t him.” She slung her bag onto the table. “I have Corvus and Rem. Dark beats ghost, and they won’t be able to touch Rem.”

 Warren shook his head, standing up now as well. “No, come on, this is stupid.”

 “You are forgetting, these are ghosts. I am ghost blessed. If they try anything, if anything looks suspicious, then at the very least I’ll be able to fight for myself.” Nyx stroked Rem. “And these are the ghosts of Lavender… I can’t imagine how much they have been messed around with since all the modernisation.”

 Zlata lowered her head. “Be careful, please. I understand wanting to help, but you can’t lose sight of the fact that they are ghosts, they could be dangerous.”

 Hohenheim chirped at Nyx pleadingly, shaking his head. Ryun went over to stroke him behind the crest, shooting worried glances at Nyx.

 “Don’t call us tricks,” a voice murmured from the air – no, several voices, speaking in unison. “We just want our home back.” They were making an effort to sound pitiful, to sound hurt. “We promise we won’t hurt her, so let her come with us.”

 “What good is the word of a dead thing?” Arlette asked.

 “They need help,” Nyx said.

 “Then go.” Arlette waved a hand, scowling. “Go and get soaked, tear down the radio tower or whatever. See if we care when you get thrown in jail for it.”

 Aurora frowned. “Arlette, what–”

 “If we’re just going to be ignore every time we give advice, why do we bother? Go do what you want, Nyx. Someone else can clear up the pieces afterwards.” Arlette pulled her feet up beside her, resting her head on her knees and closing her eyes.

 Nyx flinched away from her. “Arlette… I’m sorry. It’s just, they need help.” She turned away. “I’m sorry…”

 Warren made as if to stop her, and Nyx pushed him gently back into his seat.

 “I can’t keep seeing you in danger,” he hissed. “I don’t like this.”

 Zlata moved closer to Arlette. “That was harsh. It is Nyx’s decision, and we have to respect it.”

 Nyx took up her bag and ran for the exit.

 “No matter how wrong everything about this may seem.”

 Arlette shifted away infinitesimally, refusing to answer.

 “Why do you think they wanted Nyx?” Ryun asked.

 “You’re taking everything too seriously,” Aurora said, sighing as she leant against Arlette. “She can handle herself, we’ve seen that.”

 “I don’t know… perhaps they saw what she did in the storm and want to use that somehow?” Zlata moved back over to beside Hohenheim.

 Ryun frowned. “But how? If they just want their home, how can Naga Nyx help? I’m missing something.”

 “She’s powerful, you saw that.” Warren leant back in his chair. “I suppose they won’t be able to do anything bad, even Giratina couldn’t make her do anything in that form.” He released Vamp, and the umbreon pricked up her ears as her fur bristled, turning slightly darker.

 “I suppose you’re right, Warren.” Ryun made an effort to relax, but he was still tense.

 “Where’s Sargeras, Arlette?” Aurora asked.

 “With Soise,” Arlette muttered. “In the tunnel. They’ll be fine.”

 “They’ve been there a long time.”

 “It’s a long tunnel.”

 Hohenheim chirped sadly, looking up.

 “There’s something not right, though…” Warren reached out to scratch Vamp between the ears.

 The umbreon nodded, springing from the table to the ground.

 Ryun let Dante out, and the houndour let out a growl, hackles raising.

 “Maybe we should go after her. The ghosts said not to, but… it’s not right having Nyx out there alone with them.” Zlata gritted her teeth. “Even if we can’t do anything, at least we’ll know what is happening.”

 “Alright. I don’t see why they’d want to split us up anyway, unless they knew we would interfere.”

 “Oh, the joy of disobeying orders!” Aurora laughed, standing up. “Coming, ‘let?”

 “Nope.”

 “Can we borrow Ferkay, then?”

 “You know where he is.”

 Aurora crouched down and found the pokéball, frowning. Crawn flitted to her shoulder and clung on as she stood up again.

 “Arlette,” Zlata began, and then seemed to change tack. “Please get help if something goes really wrong.”

 “Yeah, sure.”

Warren stood up, pulling vials of potions and tonics from his bag. “If anything happens, guess I’ll have to be healer this time.”

 “With luck, we won’t have to fight before we find her.” Ryun stood up, Dante bounding out of the door ahead of them.

 Aurora glanced back at her sister once before turning to leave the centre with the rest of the group.

 Arlette unfolded as the door shut behind them and reached for her still open bag. Xenos whistled at her, but she ignored him as she pulled out the juggling balls. He whistled more insistently, pressing a hand to her wrist.

 “I know!” She shook him away. “I don’t care.” But she sounded like she was trying to convince herself more than him.

 He subsided and sat down on the table, watching as she aimlessly chose three of the balls and tossed them into the air, catching and throwing almost on instinct.

 She continued to throw them until the shudder of armour across her skin made her miss a beat, and the ball hit the ground. Xenos whistled at her as she frowned at it, shaking her arm until it left.

 “I hate going back on myself,” she muttered. “Harpy, stay with my stuff?”

 The quilava seemed more than happy to do so.

 “Xenos?” Arlette held her hand out for him, putting the balls down on her seat.

 The ralts climbed up and settled himself on her shoulder.

 Arlette left the centre and looked towards the tower. Then she took a step forward – and disappeared.

 She reappeared in the tunnel, almost stumbling into Soise.

 The zoroark leapt away, hissing, as the vaporeon beside her pulled water from the soaked ground to attack with.

 “Ice, you move fast!” Soise made an effort to smooth down her fur, spiked up when she startled. “D’you mind not – what’s wrong?”

 “There’s trouble,” Arlette said, catching herself on the wall. “Nyx.”

 “Giratina?”

 “Ghosts.”

 “How much time do we have?” Soise helped Arlette, letting her lean on her.

 “None.”

 “How long will it take us to get there?”

 Arlette grinned, stooping to pick up Sargeras. “Even less. Hang tight.” She grabbed Soise’s claws – and they disappeared from the tunnel.

 In the basement of the radio tower, Nyx was turning away from the gengar as it pushed the griseous orb towards her.

 “Turn. You were doing well.”

 Ghosts were forcing the rest of the group away, keeping them from helping Nyx. Aurora laughed, even as she was pushed back under an assault of electric and ice type moves, armour rippling into place to defend her. Crawn and Askir worked together, the espeon weaving a shield to hold back the attacks momentarily while the murkrow tore through as many as possible.

 Ryun and Zlata were backing away, under the assault of a ghost nidoqueen. Warren was in his ghost form, trying to keep the nidoqueen occupied, trying to stab it with a knife – but before he could, the ghost retaliated, slamming him away with such strength that his form disappeared.

 “Warren, no!” Nyx shrieked, yanking her hand away from the orb as distortion rippled across her arms.

 Then Soise leapt out of nowhere to rip her claws into the gengar, bowling it over and away from Nyx. “Not late, are we?”

 “We can’t be,” Arlette hissed, slamming her hands into the ground as they became armoured and then hooves, the jewel flourishing on her chest into a crest as armour arced out around her body from it. “I know my time.” She kicked the orb away from Nyx, stepping in front of her to guard. “And yours – is passed.”

 Nyx flinched away and lowered herself, snarling at Arlette. Arlette ignored her, concentrating on the white sheet in front of them, that covered something crackling and so totally wrong it could never exist fully.

 “Your time never was,” Arlette snarled, rearing her head up.

 The ghost under Soise disappeared with a shriek and she turned, looking for another target. Seeing Aurora in trouble, she leapt across, ripping through ghosts on her way.

 Aurora hit the ground, faint wings shattering as she screamed. Sargeras let out a piercing whistle, drawing water from the air and freezing it into a blade of ice that she wielded perfectly, slicing through the ranks.

 Nyx growled, beginning to change in waves – fur to scales to fur, not fixing between dragon and wolf. “He can’t – he can’t take me over fully!” she roared, standing up and lashing out at the ghosts nearest her.

 Warren stepped towards Nyx, sheathing his dagger. “We should get out of here,” he said, meeting her eyes.

 “They want to hurt us, kill us all, harm all those innocent people out there!” Nyx roared, baring her teeth.

 Arlette paces towards the MissingNo under the sheet, growling. The MissingNo backed away, crying out shrilly. The ghosts were fleeing as Nyx let distorted flames lick across the floor of the cellar.

 “We only did it because we were desperate. We turned to such measures because we had to,” the gengar said, stepping out of the wall. “We are attacked, exorcised, our graves desecrated. If they keep going, we will all be destroyed.”

 Zlata came forward. “I am sorry, but Nyx is right. What they did does not excuse what you did. Have you tried speaking to the people of Lavender?”

 The gengar snorted. “You are sweet. And who would speak for us? None of us are listened to, and nobody has stepped up from the humans.”

 “Your time,” Arlette swung to face the gengar, eyes glowing blue from a face that was no longer purely human, “Has passed. The world – this town is not yours to command its attention.” She stepped towards the MissingNo again. “Your time never was. Your time will never be. Go – abomination!”

 Nyx whined and slammed her paws into the floor. “I was willing to listen to you! You called to me and I came, and I would’ve helped you!”

 Warren nodded, placing a hand on Nyx’s paw as he stood beside her.

 “Call off the attacks, now!”

 MissingNo crackled and collapsed in on itself, leaving only the sheet – which fell to the ground now – and small bits of static.

 “It’s too late now. They have taken our tower. The only solution was revenge. But even that is gone now.”

 “People still remember you, surely.”

 “Here and there. Most don’t. Besides, memories don’t do anything for us.”

 “You are ghosts. Nothing does anything for you. Why do you stay, when your time has passed?”

 “You really think revenge would sort out your problems? Just more pain and suffering?”

 Warren looked towards the exit. “You asked for help, but she’s not going to give it to you, not in that way.”

 “If you were willing to cause that much pain then you deserve to be trapped here. Giratina would’ve done far worse than humans ever have.”

 “If the humans were gone, we would have gotten our home back, we could have lived. More death does not matter to the dead.”

 “If there is nothing for you here, why don’t you just let go? Why not die for real?” Zlata asked.

 The gengar stared at her and started to laugh. “You’re one to talk, little Guardian, considering what is likely in store for you.”

 Zlata flinched and glanced at Hohenheim. “What happens to me is no concern of yours. What do you want? To keep living in pain or at least try to be free?”

 Arlette reared up, glaring at them. “Your time has passed,” she repeated. “You have no business on this plane.”

 “Perhaps they are not ready to leave yet, sibling,” Aurora spoke, moving closer. “Perhaps we should give them a place to think things through.”

 “An interesting suggestion.” Arlette looked back at Aurora over her shoulder.

 “The only reason you should be helped is to stop you inflicting more pain and suffering,” Nyx growled as she padded to Warren’s side. “If we help you, you should know it is not done out of kindness and I only hope that we can spare others of your misery.”

 Hohenheim dropped the sheet from the MissingNo and put it over the griseous orb, allowing Ryun to pick it up and pass it to Zlata.

 Zlata paled, wrapping the sheet tighter around it.

 “That should be hidden again, where no one will find it.”

 “We’ll throw it in the sea, Nyx. Would that satisfy you?” Zlata turned back to the gengar. “What will you choose?”

 “It will be up to each individual ghost what they want.”

 “You cannot stay here.”

 “You’ve all made that clear enough.”

 “It’ll always find its way back, like it has a mind of its own or something.” Nyx ran a hand through her hair, finally returning to normal.

 “So where would you hide it?” Warren asked, groaning as he woke up.

 “I can’t.” Nyx laughed. “It’s people like me it needs to be hidden from. People like me, and other ghosts.” She glared at the gengar.

 “We will deal with it.” Arlette held out a hand for the orb, returning to a more bipedal state.

 “Make your choice.” Aurora glared at the gengar.

 “A decision like this isn’t one to make without some thought,” it replied, flinching.

 But ghosts are beginning to disappear, to pass on. More are staying, seeming reluctant.

 “Take what time you need,” Aurora snarled. “But do not presume that you still hold power here.”

 Zlata gingerly passed the rolled up orb to Arlette before hurrying away after Nyx.

 “Just be thankful we aren’t banishing you, and you’re actually getting a choice.” Nyx scowled, leaving the basement.

 The gengar growled, but it is in no position to argue. Ghosts were still disappearing, and others slowly approaching the twins. Then it relaxed, even smiling a bit before dissolving into mist.

 “You and your sister… you mentioned a new place,” the ghost of a torchic murmured. “A few of us would like to accept that offer.”

 “We will deal with… this first,” Aurora replied, slicing an arm across at chest level.

 Arlette brought her free arm down across it as the gems in their chests glowed, peeling open a dark hole. “This will never be opened by us or our own.”

 The ghosts flinched away from that hole as Arlette threw the covered orb into it and Aurora closed it up again. The time rip that Arlette had opened glowed white, with nothing to anchor it to a place. Aurora brought her hands together at the centre of it, closing her eyes.

 “There will be – peace,” she said, pulling her hands apart.

 The rip darkened again as space anchored it to another place.

 “Thank you,” the torchic whispered, leading the rest of the ghosts through.

 “It is done.” The twins met each other’s eyes as the portal closed after the last of the ghosts.

 “So you can let go of those forms now?” Soise asked, peeling away from the darkness.

 “There are no more… aberrances to clear up.” Arlette nodded. “The time for this is finished.”

 They turned towards the stairs out of the crypt, armour shedding like scales into dust.

 As they left the radio tower and found the rest of the group, they were leaning on each other and Soise, perfectly human and utterly tired.

 Nyx scowled and stepped away from Warren. “I said, I’m fine.” She turned, seeing the twins. “Have the ghosts been dealt with?”

 “Perhaps you don’t, but Arlette and Aurora seem like they need it,” Zlata said, hurrying to help support the twins. “I assume they have been, otherwise you wouldn’t have left.”

 “You have felt better,” Arlette said to Nyx. “Or you will have.” Her eyes still glowed an unearthly bright blue as the last of the legendary power raced through her mind.

 “They’re dealt with.” Soise nodded. “And no alarms set off, either.”

 “I broke them earlier. Or later. Some other time.” Arlette shook her head.

 “That’s good.” Nyx folded her arms. “You think we should head back to the centre?”

 “Will you two manage the walk back?” Zlata looked at the twins.

 Hohenheim crooned at Nyx, walking over as he fluffed himself up, pressing into his side.

 “Yeah, we’ll manage.”

 “Shouldn’t’ve left,” Arlette muttered. “But we’ll get there.”

 Nyx glared at Arlette for a moment. “Ok, I was stupid, alright?” She dropped her gaze. “I just wanted to help, that’s all.”

 Warren nodded. “And they were helped. Eventually.”

 “Thanks.” Nyx glared at him, pushing Hohenheim away. “The centre then?”

 “If we hadn’t solved this, the ghosts would have just kept getting angrier and angrier before finally finding some other way. What’s done is done, so let’s not create any more bad feeling between each other.” Zlata glanced between Nyx and Arlette.

 Ryun nodded. “We’re all alive and safe. That’s something, right?”

 Nyx stalked off before them, keeping apart from the group. Warren drifted towards Ryun as they followed her.

 “Why did you bother leaving the centre?”

 “I thought you were going to stay there.”

 Arlette was waiting for them just inside the centre, Harpy by her side. “It’s a bit packed.”

 “At least we got in.” Nyx glanced back outside as lightning flashed again. “Just in time, I think.”

 Soise snarled to herself, squeezing water from her mane. Hohenheim shook himself, steam rising as he dried off his feathers, and walked over to her side to help dry her off.

 “Is anyone hurt?” A nurse, busy handing out towels and blankets, came over to the group.

 “No, I don’t think so.” Nyx frowned and looked around. “Just how big is this storm?”

 “All fine and dandy.” Soise nodded. “Just wet.”

 “I take it there aren’t enough rooms for everyone?” Arlette took some towels, passing them out around the group and rubbing her head furiously.

 “I’m afraid not.” The nurse shook her head. “But we won’t turn people away. Not if we are needed.”

 “Bedding down in the entrance hall… fancy.” Aurora grinned, glancing outside as a roll of thunder rattled the windows. “I quite like the look of that storm.”

 “At least we have a roof over our heads,” Ryun said, stroking Dante as the houndour padded back to him.

 “Thank you,” Nyx said, as the nurse left their group.

 Hohenheim wandered over to near a window side table, where only two trainers were sitting. He chirped and whistled, catching their attention and showing off his plumage and crest. They started to whisper and, as he wandered away again, followed after them.

 Zlata sighed and turned to the twins. “There are some seats now, if you want them.” She pointed to where the two trainers had been.

 The twins grinned. “Travelling with a legendary’s pretty useful, apparently.”

 “I guess having such a cute legendary does have its advantages. Apart from the main one of actually having a cute legendary!” Nyx took a seat, Warren next to her.

 Aurora slid into the other window seat, pressing up against the window and looking out. She laughed as there was a huge flash of lightning, though when the lights flickered, some of the other travellers screamed.

 Rem hopped onto the table between them and squeaked, looking up at Nyx.

 Nyx hissed. “Really? Oh, I hope it doesn’t hit Lavender… Rem says there’s been word of floods.”

 Hohenheim came back and curled up against Zlata, who was sat on the floor beside them.

 “If it does hit us, it’ll hit the tower first – it’s bigger. And there’ll be lightning conductors along its length.”

 “If it floods, we should head to higher ground. Us and everyone here,” Zlata said, looking around. “But let’s pray that it doesn’t.”

 “Oh, flooding… didn’t think of that.” Arlette grinned. “They probably have ways of dealing with that as well.”

 Aurora laughed again as more lightning flashed, not even flinching at the thunder.

 “Yes… we’ll be fine.” Nyx clutched at Rem, as if she didn’t quite believe herself.

 “Why’re you laughing at this?” Warren asked Aurora. “Haven’t you been in a storm before?”

 “Not on land.” Aurora shook her head.

 “Storms’d be much worse on the sea, I’d think.” Warren shuddered. “Less places to hide and all, you’d just be stuck on the boat.”

 “I have no doubts that I would rather spend a storm on land,” Zlata murmured, and hugged Hohenheim as more thunder rolled.

 “You can outrun them on a ship,” Aurora murmured, staring out the window.

 “What?” Nyx looked up at Warren.

 He frowned. “I… didn’t say anything?” He flinched as a clap of thunder shook the centre.

 Nyx shook her head and returned to looking outside.

 Soise glanced up at her. “You alright?”

 Nyx looked over at Soise and opened her mouth as if to speak. Then she winced and clenched her head in her hands. “There must be something we can do!”

 “I don’t think there is,” Ryun said. “What’s wrong?”

 “Maybe after the storm’s finished raging.” Arlette watched Nyx, frowning.

 “Unless you want to keep people’s attention off the storm,” Aurora suggested.

 Nyx looked up at Zlata, shaking her head. “No, I think I can help them, I can…” she stood up, wavering slightly.

 Hohenheim got up now, pressing against Nyx’s legs. She pushed him out of the way and shrugged away Warren as he took her shoulders.

 “Sit down.”

 “I’m fine, I’ll be alright.” She stepped away from the group, towards the door. “Stay here, with my pokémon, alright?”

 “Nyx, wait – don’t!”

 Ryun reached out to stop her, but Nyx was out of reach. She wrenched open the door and charged out into the storm.

 “We should try to find her,” he said, turning back to the group. “I have no doubt she can handle herself, but charging out into a storm like that isn’t good.”

 Arlette sighed and swung out of her seat. “Harpy, stay here. Sargeras, with me.” She ran for the door, the vaporeon at her side.

 “I… should stay with Hohenheim. He needs me more here,” Zlata said, taking a pokéball from her bag and handing it to Ryun. “But take Niagara. She’ll be good if there is a flood.”

 Aurora tore after her sister, not even bothering to pull her coat back on.

 “I swear to Kyurem, if I ever get my paws on that legendary, he is dead,” Soise cursed and chased after them. “Nyx!”

 Warren and Ryun ran out after them, peering through the sheeting rain in search of Nyx.

 “You know her best,” Ryun said, turning to Warren. “Where would she go?”

 “Probably towards danger,” Arlette answered instead, pulling the pins from her wet hair and pushing it back off her face. “’Rora, see anything?”

 Aurora held up a hand, frowning as she tilted her head. “I think… I think I can hear something.”

 Soise frowned. “Towards the back of the town? There’s a dodgy presence.”

 “Fun times. What kind of dodgy?”

 “Distorty dodgy.”

 Warren released Sammy to hold onto, and looked around. Sammy reared up, barking at something ahead of them.

 “She’s over there.” Warren pointed as a burst of lightning illuminated a huge form rising from the ground.

 Zlata joined them, Mentat at her side. Together the group looked up at the huge snakelike form as it spreads out arms, strong against the wind.

 “Is that… is her distortion always like this?” Ryun asked, tensed and releasing Niagara.

 Zlata shook her head. “No, it has never been like this. I just pray that it’s still Nyx, not Giratina.”

 Niagara dropped to all fours and growled, but Zlata stroked her snout before she could attack.

Warren charged forward, heading straight for Nyx. “Nyx!”

 The huge form looked down. “Warren? How… how big am I?”

 “Quite big!” He called, shivering in the wind. “Bring it back, alright? You’ll be ok!”

“The hell have you done to yourself?” There were growls underlining Soise’s words.

 “Warren, head back to the centre, alright?”

 “Not without you!”

 “Sounds like it’s still Nyx,” Arlette murmured.

 Aurora stepped forward. “Hey, Nyx? What gives?”

 Nyx looked down at her. “I don’t know… I think I just wanted to help. This isn’t really what I was going for!”

 “Nyx, please change back.” Zlata stepped forward now. “You’re not helping anybody like this. You’re more likely to scare them, and that will just make things worse,” she shouted up. “There are other ways to help!”

 Nyx turned towards the edge of the town and started to move, slithering through the mud.

 Arlette’s eyes lightened by several shades, but she shook her head and they dropped back to their usual dark blue. “Stinking legendaries.” She ran to catch up with Nyx. “D’you see anyone needing help, then?”

 “What, are you condoning this?” Soise shook her head, running after them.

 “If she wants to help people, she might as well. And it’ll piss Giratina off if she does, I imagine.”

 “Get back to the centre,” Nyx called back.

 “No. If you’re going to help, so am I!” Zlata called up. “Besides, people might not take so kindly to you helping them in that form.” She climbed up onto Niagara’s back, and Ryun joined her.

 The twins ran alongside them, and Warren sighed and leapt up onto Sammy’s back, sending her running after Nyx.

 They found two people, one hanging from a tree above the water.

 “What… what was that?” the older asked, still staring after Nyx.

 Aurora bounced up onto the tree and flicked slight wings to offset her weight, reaching the girl in seconds. “Come on, you’ll be safe now.”

 “She saved your life,” Zlata said, voice filling with authority.

 Arlette glanced at her, eyebrows raising slightly, and then turned back to the tree, holding her arms out for the girl. Aurora caught the girls hand and brought her safely back along the branch, wings in full view now.

 “What are you?” she whispered, as Aurora handed her to Arlette and Arlette passed her to her sister.

 “Guardians,” Arlette replied. “Now get to the town.”

 “Follow our tracks and stay on the higher ground,” Zlata said. “Don’t expose yourself. Go!”

 The older trainer nodded and ran, tugging her sister with her.

 “For someone who wants to help, she doesn’t consider the aftermath,” Zlata muttered.

 “She has good intentions,” Ryun countered, as Niagara started to run again.

 “It could be a lot worse.” Soise shook rain from her mane. “In the morning, they’ll think her just a figment of their imagination or something.”

 “Either that, or they’ll start a worship of us as storm guardians.” Aurora laughed.

 “I hope so, Soise,” Zlata said.

 They paused at the edge of the cliffs, staring up at Nyx as she spread herself against the sky.

 “What is she trying to do?” Arlette frowned.

 Zlata turned Niagara towards the cliffs, towards a group that were cowering under Nyx’s shelter, but scared to move.

 “Everyone, listen!” Zlata shouted. “She is not your enemy, but you should get out of here, out of the storm! Head towards the town, find any kind of shelter you can, away from the rivers. Head for the hills if you can reach them and find shelter there. She is buying you time, don’t let it go to waste!”

 “Are any of you hurt?” Ryun asked.

 A few called out weakly, and Zlata slid from Niagara’s back. “Take them to the pokécentre as fast as you can. When you’re done, come back here,” she said to him.

 Ryun nodded and walked the feraligatr over, helping the injured people up onto her back before heading towards the town.

 “Go now! Don’t linger!”

 The twins, standing on the sidelines, frowned and turned towards Nyx as Zlata kept the people organised and moving.

 “Reckon we get anything like that?” Arlette murmured.

 “Probably.” Soise shrugged. “Blue does. Yours’ll be purer than hers, though.”

 “She looks like she’s overdoing it.”

 “Worry about that some other time.” Soise pulled them onwards. “The tunnel!”

 Warren was ahead of them and already at the entrance, looking at the water flooding out.

 “There might be people trapped!” Nyx shouted down to Soise. “Could you get inside?”

 Zlata joined them again, another pokéball in her hand. “Could you perhaps distort the earth? Open up the tunnel so that it can accommodate your size?” Zlata called up.

 “That’d probably weaken it.” Arlette shook her head.

 Warren slipped from Sammy’s back, but the samurott wouldn’t go near the entrance.

 “Ok… can I try something?” Aurora asked, stepping forward.

 She stood just to the side of the flow of water and bowed her head. The wings flickered back into view, stronger. She reached her hands out and the water lessened, ever so slightly.

 “Sargeras, with me,” Soise snapped, and dived into the tunnel.

 “How did you manage that?” Zlata asked.

 “I’m at least as powerful as Nyx,” Aurora said, panting slightly as the wings disappeared and the water strengthened again. “And it’s a water typing that’s my other half.”

 Sargeras plunged after her, and the two of them disappear through the water.

 “So… shall we continue with the rescue?” Zlata asked, watching the tunnel entrance. “If there is anybody else to rescue, Nyx?”

 Lightning crashed above them, and Nyx looked up into the rain. “The river was close to bursting, it could flood the town.”

 “Then we should hurry back.” Zlata wiped rain from her eyes.

 Niagara came back with Ryun, and Zlata climbed up in front of him.

 “Are they safe?”

 Ryun nodded.

 “Can you prevent the river from bursting its banks?” Zlata looked up to Nyx again.

 “Redirecting it would be easier,” Arlette said. “Another channel on the side nearest Lavender, just keep it flowing towards the sea.”

 Nyx nodded. “I could redirect it.” She leant down to Warren, who looked up at her in awe. “There will be people, injured people. You could help them.” Then she raised herself back up again, slithering away over the land towards Lavender once more.

 “Nyx is right. There could still be plenty of stragglers out there. Our priority should be the people in the way of the channel. It would be unfortunate if we drowned someone by accident.”

 Ryun nodded. “Let her take care of big things, we can manage the smaller ones.”

 “Precisely. Arlette, Aurora, you track out the river and tell us where we need to go to warn people,” Zlata said, urging Niagara after Nyx.

 “Got it.” Aurora nodded.

 “Downstream’ll be in more of a bother,” Arlette said, looking towards the sea. “But we need to get on the other side of it as well.”

 “I’ll get over,” Aurora said, releasing Askir. “Warren, come with me and we’ll trawl that side.”

 Warren leapt back onto Sammy and followed after Aurora as Zlata nudged Niagara after Arlette.

 When they reach the river, Aurora jumped up behind Warren with Askir in her lap.

 “Hold on,” Warren said, as Sammy plunged into the water.

 At first she was battered by the strong current, pushed downstream, but eventually they made the other bank. Aurora jumped from Sammy’s back, landing with a squelch.

 “Where are they, can you see?”

 Aurora tilted her head to listen, and grinned. “I know you’re there. We’re not the police or whatever, so we don’t care about your illegal dealings.”

 Slowly, a group of three stood up from where they’d been crouched against the ground, their mud coloured – or just mud stained – clothing blending in perfectly.

 “So what are you here for?” one asked, sounding suspicious.

 “Making sure no one’s killed on this dark and stormy night.” Aurora grinned.

 “Are any of you injured? Can you get back to town alright?” Warren asked.

 “No, no – we’re all fine.” Another grinned.

 “Get going, then.” Aurora smirked. “Town’s that way.”

 “What about yourselves?”

 “We can handle it.” Aurora folded her arms. “Now go.”

 They nodded and raced away.

 “Crazy people.” Aurora shook her head. “Askir – can you sense anyone else?”

 The espeon tilted her head, letting out a whistling call. Then she shook her head.

 “The wind’s slowing down.” Warren lifted his head. “Seems to be easing up.”

 “Pity… I mean, finally.” Aurora grinned. “Shall we head back to the others then?”

 Warren started to nod and then stopped, distracted by the appearance of a bright yellow bird with static sparking from its wings. It screeched and shot for something, lightning following to illuminate Nyx.

 “Nyx!” Warren shouted. “It’s tearing into her!”

 Aurora looked up as Nyx shrieked, trying to tear the bird from her face. Then it screamed, falling away into the trees. Nyx yelled and ducked after it.

 Warren had Sammy already racing towards them, and Aurora chased after them.

 They reached the clearing at the same time as the others, and stared at the scene before them.

 Nyx was coiled around the zapdos, checking it over. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, pinning it to the ground as the storm started to die properly. “You’ll live…”

 Aurora and Arlette stepped into the clearing first, soaked clothes beginning to stiffen and flood with different colours.

 “There’s no need to continue this, is there?” Arlette eyed them both. “ThunderMaker, flit back to your perch in the mountains to lick your wounds.”

 The zapdos wriggled out of Nyx’s grasp and screeched in pain, eyeing the group before it. Then it flapped away into the sky, taking the ends of the storm with it.

 “I think… I think we are done here.” Nyx tapped her claws on the ground.

 “Yes, it’s over now,” Zlata said. “So you should probably turn back now.” She glanced between the twins and Nyx. “All of you.”

 “We should all rest and get dry, too.” Ryun tightened his jaw against an involuntary yawn.

 Arlette frowned. “We… haven’t changed?”

 “Not much.” Soise laughed.

 But as the twins looked down at themselves, their clothes were already back to normal.

 “Sure.”

 Nyx pushed herself up from the ground as Warren leapt from Sammy’s back to catch her. Rem landed in the mud, squeaking furiously.

 “Are you hurt?” Warren asked, checking her over.

 “No, I don’t think so… just tired.” Nyx glanced down at Rem. “Where were you?”

 Rem spat and scrambled back up onto Nyx’s shoulder.

 Nyx smiled, nodding at her before looking up to the rest of the group. “I’m sorry about… that, whatever it was.” She yawned.

 “What you did was not wise, but it was right. And you did it without losing control, either.” Zlata shook her head, but she was smiling. “What’s done is done.”

 Nyx nodded, but didn’t say anything more.

 Zlata sighed. “Seems like those two trainers that Hohenheim scammed out of seats have found him.”

 “Anything bad?” Ryun frowned.

 “Seems like they’re trying to catch him.”

 Aurora snorted, covering her mouth as she started to laugh.

 “Well.” Arlette grinned. “I suppose we should go back and sort that out, then?”

 “It’s not like they’ll be able to catch him though, right?” Aurora managed to get the words out, still laughing. “I mean, he’s already got a pokéball, right?”

 Warren helped Nyx up onto Sammy and climbed up after her.

 “It probably won’t be the most comfortable of experiences for him, though. We should probably go help.” Nyx smiled, stroking Rem.

 “We should get him away from them anyway. Before they hurt him.” Zlata climbed back onto Niagara, and Ryun followed suit.

 “Thank you for your help as well. I’m not sure what we would have done if you had not showed up,” Ryun added, bowing his head before going to help Zlata.

 “It was no problem.  As if I wouldn’t have helped Warren! He’s such a softie!” She wrapped her arms around him tightly.

 He patted her awkwardly on the shoulder, looking more relieved when she let him go. “Thanks for waking me up.”

 Nyx handed her a small satchel. “Here, in case your pokémon get sick and all. You’ll be able to heal them right up.”

 “You are like the mum of the group, aren’t you!” Mia hugged her and leapt onto Slick, giving the group one last shower of sparks before taking off into the trees.

 Warren stooped to let Purella scamper up onto his shoulder as they finished putting away their tent.

 “Where else is there we can go from here, anyway?” Aurora asked, holding her cup carefully in one hand as she closed her bag and lifted it onto her back.

 “Down to Fuchsia or Lavender, both by coastal paths. Or to Celadon?” Soise shook herself, padding out of the bushes.

 “Or I believe we can hire a boat out to Cinnabar and Seafoam.”

 “Isn’t Cinnabar a volcano?” Nyx asked, feeding Rem a cube of dried berry.

 “Fuchsia and Lavender are apparently good towns. I never really liked the sound of Saffron, my father always made it sound so busy,” Zlata said. “Yes, it is. Should not be a problem for you, though, since you’re Lavaridge-born.”

 “Well…” Nyx tilted her head. “Is it a lot like Lavaridge?”

 “More touristy, but just as fertile with the berries and all.”

 “Berries?”

 Rem squeaked from Nyx’s shoulder, shaking her head.

 Nyx laughed, shrugging. “Lavender seems good then. Lead on!” she said to Arlette and Aurora. “You know the region best.”

 Arlette grinned. “Right… yes. From our many visits to Kanto.” She returned Harpy to his pokéball and swung her bag onto her back.

 “Rarely is better than never.” Nyx smiled.

 The group left the clearing and found the path beside the sea heading east. Soise turned her head, glancing back into the forest, and almost crashed into someone walking along the path.

 “Hey!” The woman stepped back hurriedly out of her way. “Watch where you’re–” she snapped, before her eyes lit on the twins. “Oh. Might’ve known.”

 “Ax.” Arlette smiled. “Long time no see. How’re you doing?”

 “You haven’t seen Kyirin anywhere, have you?”

 “Your… the gengar, right?” Aurora frowned. “Not recently.”

 “Right.” Ax glanced around distractedly. “More people you’ve corrupted?”

 “Sort of.” Aurora shrugged. “Nyx, Warren, Ryun, Zlata, Hohenheim. Guys, this is Ax.”

 “Ax, nice to meet you.” Nyx nodded.

 Warren kept his distance, but lifted a hand to wave at her.

 “Glad to meet you.” Zlata bowed to Ax before turning to the twins with a smirk. “You say you’ve rarely set foot here, and yet you seem to bump into people you know.”

 “Yeah… that happens. Travellers and all.”

 Ryun lowered his head in acknowledgement as he greeted Ax cautiously. Hohenheim approached her and gave a welcoming chirp as he examined her.

 “What’s up with Kyirin this time?”

 “She… ah, something about darkness and the GhostLord.” Ax frowned. “I didn’t quite understand it myself.”

 “That will’ve been who was wandering around this morning.” Soise glanced back at the forest. “She was in the forest.”

 “Who’s Kyirin?” Warren frowned, glancing at Nyx.

 “My gengar.” Ax crouched as a pikachu with a shorn tail ran out of the forest towards her, letting it up onto her shoulder. “She wanders off rather a lot.”

 “The rest of your team off looking for her?”

 “Yeah.”

 Kera snorted and cleaned one of her ears.

 Ax glanced at her and raised an eyebrow. “Yes, but… she did help us, Kera.”

 Nyx frowned. “Can you speak to that pokémon?”

 Warren looked around warily and released Vamp, who narrowed her eyes and pricked up her ears. Dante’s nose twitched as she looked around, and though Ryun stroked her, she didn’t relax.

 “It will be alright. It’s daylight,” he said to Warren.

 “Yes.” Ax nodded. “And – well, I don’t think you’ll be in any danger from Kyirin. She’ll just be curious… why was she wandering around your group?”

 “Complicated.” Aurora shrugged. “If I’m guessing right, anyway.”

 “Ah… this is your trio member?” Ax glanced at Warren.

 “Nyx, not Warren.” Arlette smiled.

 Nyx frowned, moving to stand by Warren.

 “It’s fine,” Arlette murmured. “She’s like us. Sort of.”

 “What do you mean, if I may pry?” Zlata asked carefully.

 “They know?” Ax flicked a glance at the twins.

 Arlette nodded.

 “Legendary blessed,” Ax said. “Sort of.”

 “Sort of?”

 “I don’t have a mark like yours, for a start.”

 “Is it Darkrai or Cresselia?” Warren asked. “They don’t come with marks, they aren’t as fancy as all the rest of them.”

 Nyx swatted him around the shoulders. “Not exactly, you didn’t see your form, I think you are the fanciest.”

 “That’s true, not all legendary blessings leave marks. It can’t be so bad, can it?”

 Ax shrugged. “It’s neither of them. Or even a proper legendary, really.”

 Kera nibbled at her ear as Ax frowned.

 “Mewtwo. He’s my legendary.”

 “Mewtwo? How… how does that work?” Nyx asked. “How is he your legendary?”

 “He may not be a proper legendary, but he is still powerful so it counts. It’s very unusual though. By all accounts, Mewtwo hates humans,” Zlata remarked. “What happened, if I may ask?”

 “He needed someone to break him out of his prison. I just happened to be the one he chose. It’s not a true blessing, I don’t have anything like you guys do. I can just understand any pokémon I catch.”

 “Oh… I think I understand.” Nyx nodded, beginning to frown. “What prison?”

 “Maybe too many questions,” Warren mumbled. “What could keep Mewtwo prisoner? He’s supposed to be really powerful.”

 “Cerulean cave. It was… I don’t know. There were things keeping him in place.”

 “Understanding your pokémon must help, though. I can understand a couple of my team as well.” Nyx gestured to Rem. “Like Rem, but she’s quite mouthy.”

 Ax glanced at Rem and her face fell marginally. “Nice – nice rattata.”

 Kera nudged at her neck, purring.

 “Shut it or you’re walking.”

 Rem squeaked happily and scrambled down to the ground, rushing towards Ax. Ax shuddered and automatically stepped away from Rem. Kera chewed on her ear, whispering something. Rem squeaked angrily, arching her back as she started to growl at Ax.

 “Rem!” Nyx hissed.

 Hohenheim clicked his beak, watching Rem and Ax. Kera jumped down to face Rem, fur rippling as her shorn tail twitched behind her.

 “Kera, don’t bother. It doesn’t matter.”

 Kera looked back up at her, whining.

 Rem snapped, fur frosting with ice as she faced down Kera. Hohenheim hissed and got between the two pokémon, blocking their view of each other. Kera hissed back at Rem, puffing up her fur even though there’s no sign of electricity.

 “Kera. Leave off.”

 Kera snapped something back at Ax, who sighed.

 “You can’t fight for me, we’ve been through that!”

 Rem shrieked and charged Kera, grabbing on and sinking her teeth into the pikachu’s paw.

 “Rem, stop!” Nyx shrieked.

 Ryun grabbed Rem in his gloved hands, pulling her away from Kera and giving her back to Nyx. Kera snarled and chattered furiously at Rem, not seeming to care about the blood beeding on her paw.

 “Kera, hush.” Ax crouched down, picking up the pikachu. “I should go, I guess… supposed to be meeting my brother.”

 Rem struggled, firing an ice beam at Ryun. Ryun leapt back as Dante ran forward with a mouthful of embers and growls as she snarled up at Rem.

 “Rem!” Nyx twisted her away. “Ryun, I’m sorry. Rem, calm down now!”

 “Dante, calm,” Ryun said to her. “It’s fine. I was asking for it anyway.”

 “You’re not hurt?” Zlata glanced at Ryun.

 “No, I’m alright. Really.”

 “Alright.” Zlata nodded, watching him for a moment longer before she turned back to Ax. “Your brother?” she prompted.

 “Yeah. He doesn’t leave home much, but I’m working on that,” Ax answered absently, wiping the blood from her pikachu’s paw and checking the bite.

 “Maybe you could convince him, travelling can be very interesting.” Warren nodded.

 “I agree. It’s better than staying at home, at least.” Ryun nodded.

 Zlata smiled. “My older brother is like that, but my younger brother is the complete opposite. He left home as soon as he could.”

 “I’d love to get him to come travelling with me, just for the company.”

 “Yeah… much better travelling with people.” Arlette nodded, glancing at Aurora. “Even if it is just your twin.”

 Aurora stuck her tongue out at her sister, easily dodging the hand reached out to cuff her.

 Ax smiled, stroking Kera. “Should be able to get him this time.”

 “You have bribery?”

 “Of the best kind.”

 “Like what?”

 “Some pokémon. I mean, technically they’re mine, but he can look after them for me, even if he doesn’t battle.”

 “What kind of pokémon?” Nyx asked.

 “Eevee and a cubone.” Ax looked up as a charizard roared from above them. “And… I think they have her.”

 Keyare landed beside Ax, growling something as he gestured into the woods. A blastoise waddled out, holding something firmly in its jaws – the gengar. As it saw the group, it wriggled free and darted into Nyx’s shadow, grinning up at her.

 “Kyirin,” Ax snapped. “Get back.”

 Nyx stepped away from the ghost, Warren taking her shoulders as Vamp slipped in front of them. Keyare snarled at the ghost, and Ax shook her head, returning it to its ball.

 “Sorry. She’s… kinda terrible.”

 Keyare grunted, the rest of Ax’s team appearing from the woods. She returned them to their balls, shoving them into her bag.

 “I should be going, then. Sorry for the bother.”

 “You could walk with us until the path splits,” Aurora suggests.

 “And have those two fighting the whole way?” Ax gestured between Kera and Rem.

 “She won’t be any trouble at all. She will sit on my shoulder and be quiet all the way, else I am going to put her into my bag for the rest of the trip.”

 Rem froze and slumped in Nyx’s hands.

 Nyx placed her roughly back on her shoulder. “She won’t be any trouble.”

 “Might as well.” Warren shrugged. “Our group seems to be getting more popular anyway.”

 “If you’re going in a similar direction to us, you might as well. Especially if you would like company,” Zlata said.

 “Well… Fuchsia is in the other direction, but Keyare’s pretty fast.” Ax stroked Kera. “The company would be nice.”

 “As long as you are prepared for legendary attacks,” Nyx murmured, passing a chunk of berry to Rem to keep the rattata quiet.

 Hohenheim leapt in front of Ax with spread wings, pretending to hiss at her.

 “I’m sorry, Ax. He’s still very young,” Zlata said, bowing to her.

 Ax grinned. “It’s fine, don’t worry about it.” She smiled at Hohenheim, extending her hand. “I’ve never really seen a legendary this young before.”

 “So… shall we move on, then?”

 “If that’s ok.”

 “You might see some more on your time with us.” Nyx looked up to the sky. “How many have we met now?”

 Hohenheim rested his head against Ax’s hand, crooning as she began to scratch his head.

 “Lugia, Cresselia, and Darkrai,” Zlata said. “But there could be more.”

 “You’ve met Lugia?” Ryun looked at Zlata.

 “Yes, a while back. It was fun.”

 “I shouldn’t have been surprised.” He smiled.

 “Yeah… but they’re drawn to you guys.”

 “Apparently.” Arlette shrugged. “We’re just legendary magnets or something.”

 “Maybe legendary blessings draw them.” Nyx smiled.

 “Perhaps. Though I cannot imagine why that would be.”

 They started to walk along the path away from Vermilion as a group, Keyare bringing up the rear.

 “How come you’ve been travelling then?” Warren asked.

 “I work on the ferries now, and before that I started travelling because of Kera and my brother. Just got leave for a break.”

 “Must be quite tiring working on the ferries, they always seem so busy when I travel on them,” Warren said.

 “You just hate people.” Nyx smiled. “But… yes, it’ll be nice having another person to travel with, another sort of legendary blessed.”

 “It sounds like your brother is quite important to you,” Ryun said, sounding sad.

 “I didn’t really know him until we met again in Fuchsia,” Ax replied. “It makes you want to hang onto someone.”

 “You didn’t know your brother until that late? How come?” Nyx asked.

 “It’s lucky you met him.” Ryun smiled, though it looked melancholy. “Even if you did not grow up together, you have each other now.”

 Zlata put her hand on his shoulder, giving him some comfort.

 “Dad skipped out on mum when we were young, took my brother with him.”

 “That sucks.”

 Nyx swatted Warren on the shoulder. “It must have been quite a shock for you. But, a good shock. It seems like you care for him, despite how long it’s taken.”

 “And he’s your brother. He’s still important.”

 “Yeah… kinda makes up for the rest of the trouble.”

 “You don’t get quiet travels either?” Nyx asked.

 “Did you travel with these two as well?” Warren gestured to the twins.

 “Hey!”

 “We don’t bring all the trouble!”

 “You should be proud of your trouble magnetism.” Nyx laughed. “Most people probably have boring travels… defeated this gym leader, saw a pidgey.” She grinned. “Us – yeah, discovered another of us is blessed and preened a baby Ho-oh.”

 “No biggie.” Arlette smirked.

 “Boring can be good as well, though. Must be nice to actually have a quiet moment once in a while.”

 “Nothing much is happening now though. At least, nothing too out of the ordinary,” Zlata said to Warren. “We should enjoy it while it lasts… until something inevitably out of the ordinary will happen to us.”

 “Quiet travels are overrated anyway.” Aurora shrugged. “What the hell do people do without all the legendary banter?”

 “Talk about the weather?” Warren suggested. “I wonder what the next big event will be then.”

 “Lavender seems like it could be eventful,” Zlata replied.

 “Ah… yeah, that’ll be interesting.” Ax nodded. “It was when I went through, anyway.”

 “How many times?”

 “Eh… well, two times things have happened. I go more often than that.” She looked to the side, frowning.

 Kera nuzzled at her neck, purring.

 “May I ask what things happened?” Ryun asked, turning to Ax. “Unless they were very bad.”

 “There was possession by malevolent ghost.”

 “How come?”

 “Courtesy – or because of – Mewtwo.”

 “Really? His blessing doesn’t seem all that good. Not that mine is that helpful.”

 “It has its uses.” Warren smirked. “Ow!”

 Nyx punched him in the arm. “One more chance, that’s all you’re getting!”

 “I’m sorry.” Ryun winced, shaking his head.

 “Please keep it to yourself.” Zlata glared at Warren.

 Warren bowed his head, still smirking.

 “T’be honest, none of our blessings are all that helpful,” Arlette said, shrugging. “Pain in the ass is what they are, most of the time.”

 “Just slightly. Still… can’t change the wind you sail with.”

 “We can adjust our sails, though.”

 “True enough.” Ax shook her head. “Doesn’t make the crossing any less rough.”

 “How long ago was it this happened?”

 “About… four… five years ago?” Ax frowned. “I forget.”

 “Four years would match up with when we met you on Cinnabar.”

 “Well… it’s long past now.” Nyx smiled.

 “You have to keep living with it.” Ryun nodded. “It’s not changeable now.”

 Kera snorted, rolling her eyes.

 Ax laughed. “Kera agrees with you, by the way. About leaving it in the past.”

 “And well she should.” Arlette grinned, reaching up to stroke Kera. “We’re the sensible ones in this case.”

 “Do… do you know anything about Mewtwo?” Nyx asked. “Besides the blessing he gave you.”

 “Why?” Ax glanced at her. “But… not really. He kept – keeps – himself to himself.” She lifted the pikachu from her shoulder and passed her across to Arlette.”

 “Is he still after revenge?” Nyx asked carefully.

 “Who said he was after revenge?”

 Arlette frowned, glancing between the two of them. To the side, Zlata shuddered and shook her head.

 “Well, if he’d been locked away in that cave and all…”

 “It would make sense.” Ax nodded. “Not as far as I know. I think we got it.”

 “Who was he after?”

 “Who d’you think?” Arlette asked.

 “Well… yes, but – it wasn’t too bad, was it?”

 “Considering it was when he was mind linked with me rather than free, no.” Ax frowned at Nyx. “He was just fired.”

 “Giovanni?”

 “Yeah. Though the official stuff just says he’s retired, of course. Why d’you care?”

 “No reason,” Arlette said quickly, making a sharp hand gesture for Nyx to stop asking. “Curiosity and all that.”

 “You’re mind linked with Mewtwo?” Zlata asked, looking up. “How, exactly?”

 “Oh, he laughs and occasionally helps out with information and getting places. I think it’s the reason I can understand my team, as well. In return, I help calm him down.”

 “That’s good, such an anger wouldn’t help anyone. Especially not a pokémon as powerful as him.” Nyx looked up. “How did you get him fired?”

 “Mewtwo recognised him and we got him caught up in the whole Team Rocket thing, even though they’ve been out of it for ages.” Ax shrugged.

 “It’s… surprising he wasn’t punished more,” Nyx said.

 Arlette shook her head, wincing.

 “Well… it was resign and go quietly, and keep his gym leader reputation intact, or get a shit storm. The region wasn’t too keen on him not going quietly, considering how it would reflect on them.”

 “That would make sense.” Aurora nodded, flicking a glance towards Zlata and Ryun.

 “Why the interest, anyway?”

 “It really doesn’t matter.”

 “Probably best to keep the full version for now.” Nyx shrugged. “Giovanni–”

 “Nyx. It doesn’t matter. Let it go,” Arlette interrupted her.

 “Why? It’s not anything to be ashamed of.”

 “Count the facts. Mewtwo. Not the biggest fan of Giovanni. Ax has a link to said disgruntled legendary.”

 “It’s not a link I can close, either. Anything I hear, he hears, pretty much.”

 Nyx considered them and nodded. “Fine, then.” She walked ahead, with Warren.

 Ax sighed. “Sorry.”

 “Don’t worry about it,” Aurora murmured. “It’s still a bit of a sore point around here.” She glanced pointedly at Zlata.

 “Right.” Ax turned away, pulling herself up onto Keyare’s back.

 “You… don’t have to leave,” Arlette said.

 “No… it’s probably best. I’ve my brother to meet and drag out, anyway.”

 “Good luck with your brother, then.” Ryun bowed his head. “And with your journey.”

 “Thanks.” Ax nodded. “Kera.”

 The pikachu jumped across from Arlette’s arms and the charizard caught her, handing her to Ax.

 “Some other time.”

 “Sure.” Ax nodded as Keyare spread his wings. “See you.” She took off.

 The twins waved after her until she was only a speck in the sky, and turned to walk after the rest of the group.

 The bar is muted and dusky and mostly empty.

 Onni lets the door go behind them and searches out the Skull grunt they saw walk in here.

 They’re at the bar, sitting on one of the stools and hunched over a tall glass.

 Onni slides into the seat next to them and double-taps the bar.

 Gloriana squints at Onni and rolls her eyes but says nothing as she makes up a milkshake.

 The Skull grunt flicks a glance at Onni and then away again.

 They really are quite pretty, under the grime; electric yellow hair just long enough to peek out from under the floppy cap, dusky smooth skin – darker than Onni, even – and long eyelashes over deep brown eyes. The standard issue Skull uniform isn’t doing them any favours, but even so.

 “Dude, quit staring.”

 “Just wondering what you’re doing down here, that’s all.”

 “Planning the next ruckus, obviously.” Their lips twisted around the words, bitter, as if parroting someone else.

 Onni laughs.

 One of the regulars behind them grunts, and Onni swivels on their chair to tilt their head at him, raising an eyebrow. “D’you cause many ruckuses?”

 The regular – Martin, Onni thinks – casts him a disparaging look but turns back to the cards in his hand.

 “Here.” Gloriana puts Onni’s milkshake down on the bar, sliding a coaster underneath.

 “Team Skull, dude. Everyone knows it.” They tug at their top.

 Onni spins back to face the bar. “Ah, so it’s not that you plan ruckus, just that it happens. Because reputation.”

 “Why d’you care?”

 Onni takes a long drink through the straw.

 The Skull grunt watches Onni and then shakes their head, slipping down from their seat.

 “Because I reckon there’s something more for you,” Onni calls, as their hand touches the door handle. “More than those walls and distrust y’all have built around yourselves.”

 “Yeah?” The grunt hesitates.

 “I can get you free of it,” Onni says, one elbow on the bar as they turn their seat to face the door. “For something a bit more colourful. And sure, it’s still ruckus, but it’s ruckus people’ll pay you for.”

 “We get money out of them either way.” But they haven’t opened the door.

 “So you don’t wanna play a different part?” Onni starts to grin.

 “What sort of part are we talking?” They turn around.

 Onni slides to their feet. “Something a li’l bit crazy.”

 “I know crazy.”

 “It’s not conventional.”

 “Not like I’m king of that here, am I?” The grunt grins.

 “How do you feel about flying?”

 The grin slides from the grunt’s face. “I enjoy what I do and I’m not trapped. Not anymore.”

 “Never - never said you were.” Onni hurries to get between the grunt and the door. “Just - hear me out, ok?”

 The grunt backs off before Onni can touch them.

 “Circus work. Trapeze and swinging and massive crowds watching everything you do and loving every minute of it.”

 The grunt laughs. “We don’t pick up peanut shells.” But they move back towards the bar, towards their abandoned drinks. “I’m good with what I do. We’re free, and I don’t need to see anything else.”

 Onni hesitates. “Ok, sure.” They follow the grunt back to the bar and lean their elbow on it.

 “Go on, do like you do.” The grunt flaps a hand at Onni. “I’ll keep doing me. I’m doing fine.”

 “Sure look it.” Onni studies them as they take a long drink. “Drowning your sorrows, is it?”

 “I’ve already been disowned once, I’m not going there again.”

 Onni clicks their mouth shut and looks down at their drink. “Sorry.”

 They grunt and shrug.

 “But.” Onni slides back into the seat. “You’re aching for something, and I think I – we – can help. I get that Team Skull is your family, but you don’t seem very... happy.”

 They snort again. “You’re dancing around everything anyway. Circus, great. What’s the pay like?”

 “Better than Team Skull, I assume.”

 “You know nothing.”

 “It’s...” Onni wrinkles his nose. “You really think it’s gonna cost you to leave?”

 “Sure.”

 “You’ll get same as the rest of us.”

 “Somewhere to stay.”

 “It’s caravans and tents, and sometimes a hotel.”

 “Food?”

 “Standard fare. Wanna get fancy, gotta buy it yourself. And you don’t have to hide. This thing you’re scared of-”

 “I’m not scared of anything,” the grunt hisses, turning to snarl into Onni’s face. “Got that?”

 “People wouldn’t be ashamed of you, either,” Onni replies, not backing down. “They’d be cheering you. You’d be one of us, praised and loved for your talents, bringing joy, not just... what, picking locks and stealing stuff?” Onni’s eyes drop to the edge of the grunt’s sleeve, under which the imprint of yellow feathers can be seen around their elbow. “Playing about with electronics?”

 The grunt tugs their sleeve down lower. “How can you promise that?”

 “Seen it happen. Trust me.” Onni extends a hand.

 “I don’t know that I do.”

 “Listen, just... I think Team Skull isn’t really for you, and... and you could spark a lot of joy with us.”

 The grunt pulls back. “How - do you know?”

 “I know things.” Onni shrugs. “Or it was a lucky guess, take your pick.”

 Something giggles around the corner of the bar, almost out of earshot.

 “I don’t have full control of it,” the grunt says.

 “You don’t have to straight away. Got to learn all the ropes first.”

 “I can cause black outs.”

 “You’ll light up the night sky.” Onni still has a hand extended. “I promise.”

 “That’s a pretty big promise.” The grunt wavers their hand, almost as if they were going to take Onni’s.

 “I reckon you can deliver.” Onni grins. “C’mon. Arm’s getting tired over here.”

 The grunt shrugs and laughs and takes Onni’s hand. “Fine. Fine! I’ll join your circus, I guess.”

 “Excellent.” Onni shakes their hand. “I’m Onni. I lost my gender subscription, but if you gotta use pronouns, they/them works.”

 The grunt blinks at them.

 “That alright by you?” Onni applies just a little bit extra pressure to their handshake.

 “Oh - no, yeah that’s fine. I’m... Kite. I use ve/vis.” Ve taps vis hand against the bar. “Genderfluid.”

 Onni grins. “Delightful. Kite, you’re doing great things already.” They release vis hand.

 “I... I am?”

 “Sure! Just helped me win a bet with Brass.”

 Kite snorts, shaking vis head. “Right.” Ve drains off the rest of vis drink. “You just gotta do one thing for me first.”

 “Oh?”

 Kite grins. “Come with me to tell Guzma I’m leaving.”

 Onni hesitates.

 “Or I could... not join your circus, as you so obviously want me to.”

 “You’ve already agreed! Applying terms afterwards is just rude.”

 “Well, you know us Team Skull types.” Kite laughs. “No manners. Take what you can.” Ve gets to his feet. “But if you’d rather not...”

 “Right now?”

 “No time like the present. Or – looking at it another way – I should be heading back. Done what I need to.”

 “Wallow over a milkshake?” Onni raises their eyebrows.

 “Wouldn’t you like to know.” Kite raises a hand, heading towards the door. “See you!”

 Onni flickers a glance between the door and Kite’s back and their milkshake. They groan and drain the drink and hurry after Kite. “You’re going to be trouble I can tell.”

 Alyss’ house isn’t far from the temple, and it’s warm and cozy and... so much more personable than the temple. Which makes sense.

 “So.” Alyss leans against the counter as she waits for the kettle to boil. “What advice are you looking for?”

 “First of all, I’m sorry if this is too personal.” I toy with the teaspoon she used for the hot chocolate.

 Alyss raises her eyebrows and says nothing.

 “How... did you know you were trans?”

 Alyss nods and shifts her stance. “That’s... tricky.”

 “Sorry-”

 She shakes her head, holding up a hand to stop me. “I have half an answer. I came on it sort of slowly. The common story is when puberty hits, and your body starts developing again, but I… figured it before then? I did have a waver when I realised that people were treating me delicately because I had albinism, not because I was a girl.”

 The kettle boils, and Alyss pours it out for us, making herself a cup of tea and me my hot chocolate.

 I cup the mug in my hands and walk through into the sitting room for comfier seats. Vulp leaps into my lap the moment she can and curls up there, tails pillowing her head.

 “I sort of – I didn’t at the time, but I’ve thought a lot since then about whether I sort of was reacting to how I thought they were treating me more like a girl, but ah – no. I’m female.” Alyss continues once we’ve both sat down. “My parents got me on puberty blockers while we sorted things out. By the time I got to travelling, I was transitioning.” She frowns. “Which, y’know, caused some problems when I realised I hadn’t updated my passport before leaving.”

 “Oh, that was… Vermilion.” I run a hand over Vulp’s back.

 Alyss grins. “You flew in and saved me. My hero.”

 I snort and half grin back at her.

 “So – why are you asking?”

 I stop stroking Vulp. “So we were just in Alola. Arlette and Aurora have made more friends – they must get that from Jayden, I don’t understand how they’re so good at it – and two of them… I’m gonna get this wrong, hang on.” I frown, trying to remember. “One uses they/them, and the other uses…  ve/ver I think? For pronouns.”

 I see Alyss nod out of the corner of my eye, but she doesn’t say anything to interrupt.

 “And like – they’re… in their teens, I think? Older than Arlette and Aurora, but not… not by much, I don’t think. But they just… seem so certain. And I. Don’t know? I mean I didn’t know about any of this until I met you, not really. And it’s not like I think about it much, but also I just. Don’t know how I know.”

 “You’re… you’re questioning your gender?” Alyss asks, her voice gone soft.

 I nod and feel like a child as I keep my eyes on Vulp.

 Alyss nods and settles back. “Will it help you to have a definite answer?”

 “Maybe? I think… if I hadn’t known to question it, I’d be fine. But if I’m questioning it, that means I’m not just… cis.”

 “Or maybe you are and you’ve just never had to think about why before because you’ve always been told that. Some people do question their gender and don’t change it, and they’re better for it.”

 “I just hate not knowing. There isn’t like… there isn’t a definitive answer, is there.”

 “Probably not. How do you feel about pronouns?”

 “Oh, I’m very pro nouns. Love to actually have one, some day.”

 Alyss snorts. “Jay.”

 I grin. “Sorry.” I want to lean back, but I stay hunched over Vulp. Take a drink almost as an afterthought. “I don’t mind she, I guess? It’s sort of. There. It works.”

 “Would you prefer a different one, like they?”

 I tilt my head to consider that. “Maybe?”

 “So if I say like…” Alyss pauses to consider for a moment. “Oh, yeah, that’s Jay, they’re a right pain in my backside but a decent enough friend.” She flicks me a grin. “They’re a pirate and a trainer, so they’re clearly just in it for the gold.”

 I laugh. “Oh, that’s fun.” I tilt my head. “Yeah, I like that.”

 “So you want me to change over pronouns?”

 “I think… sometimes? Maybe? I don’t – I don’t know if I’m… ready for people to know yet? And, I mean, I still… sort of need to work it all out for myself.”

 Alyss nods. “Alright.”

 “Thanks.”

 She shrugs. “Always. You know where to find me.”

#

 Alyss isn’t with anyone when I barrel in the next time, and I’ve been holding this in for so long that I just sort of burst straight in with the first thought I have going. “So pronouns aren’t exactly… I mean they are gendered, but they don’t have to be? Like we call ships and the sea she, but they aren’t.”

 “And hello to you too, Jay.” She looks up. “I’m doing well, thanks for asking.”

 “Sorry.” I wince, but she laughs. “Hi. How’s it going?”

 “More gender thoughts?”

 “Something like that. I don’t know how to quantify it. It feels… sort of like I could. I don’t know. Like I’m not female but I’m just. me. And she is fine because my ship is a she, and so is the sea. You feel me?”

 “How long have you been holding this in?”

 “You know when you just sort of get something stuck in your head and that’s it and you can’t stop thinking about it until you have an answer?” I wait for her nod. “Yeah.”

 “Oops.”

 I shrug. “It’s a thing.”

 “And you’ve been waiting to talk to me about it.”

 “Yeah.” I frown. “Maybe I should’ve talked to someone else. Sorry. I know Soise has a fairly lax approach to gender, so like. But I don’t know how much she understands?”

 “Would you like a drink with this, or a walk?” Alyss asks. “You’re… vibrating.”

 “Oh.” I hold my hands up, and realise they’re trembling. “Sorry. Walk?”

 Alyss laughs and pushes me towards the side door, and we leave the temple for the woods.

 It isn’t snowing but the paths still have a hefty covering. We turn north, away from the town, and Alyss sticks her hands in her pockets and waits for me to continue.

 “Not being able to pin down a straight answer sort of sucks, you know?” The snow makes it hard to take my usual strides, which is probably for the best since Alyss could never keep up with them.

 Alyss snorts. “You’ve never done a straight thing in your life.”

 I let out a startled laugh, because I’m not used to her stealing my lines.

 “But listen. You don’t have to have a definitive answer.”

 “But-” I wrinkle my nose.

 “No, listen. There isn’t a definitive answer. There’s no – check enough boxes on this list and it’s definitely you. No one else can decide for you. The confusion of being in the middle of working it out sucks, I get it! But wherever you land will be right. Don’t... make it worse by thinking you aren’t enough.”

 We pass the back of the temple, and it doesn’t take much longer before the trees are the only things we can see.

 There’s sometimes, when we’re out on the ship and the sea is all I can see, that I miss the snow and the trees.

 There’s other times when I remember that I hate not being able to see everything around me, that anything might spring an ambush in here.

 That things have, in the past.

 “Are you even listening right now?”

 I blink. “Sorry what?”

 Alyss rolls her eyes, grinning. “It’s fine. Really. Just imparting my precious words of wisdom over here.”

“I think I got it. I think.” I frown. “I just – don't like not knowing.”

 “Well, then try different things on. And here’s the kicker; you don’t have to tell anyone. Not until you’re ready. Maybe that’s not ever.”

 I nod, still sort of thinking it over.

 We walk further into the snow, and there is something watching us.

 I hold a hand up to stop Alyss and narrow my eyes, reaching for some snow, to mould it into... either a sword or a snowball, depending on what it was.

 “Something stalking us?” Alyss sounds perfectly at ease, like she trusts she can’t be hurt back here. Like the Sky Lord himself would save her from anything.

 Maybe he would.

 “Hm.” I narrow my eyes and launch a snowball into the shadows between the trees.

 “Hey!” My voice echoes back at us.

 “Soise.”

 “This is why I said we shouldn’t.” Brith steps out first, with Sesser on her shoulder.

 "Didn’t stop you following though, did it?”

 I tilt my head as Sesser flits across and lands on my shoulder. “Hm. What are you doing out here?”

 “You seemed stressed,” Soise replies, brushing snow out of her black fur. “Hey, Alyss.”

 Alyss waves at the two of them, seeming amused.

 “I’m... not stressed?”

 “Sure.” Soise slings her arm around my shoulders, dislodging Sesser.

 She bats a paw at Sesser, waving her away as the swablu cheeps at her.

 Sesser lands back on Brith’s proffered paw and fluffs up, and if she could glare I’m sure Soise would be getting the brunt of it.

 “So. Gender got you down, huh?”

 Alyss stifles a snort with her hand.

 I shrug Soise’s arm away. “Thanks for listening in.”

 “See, this is why you should really have been a zoroark.” She brings her arm back in, unconcerned. “I get to be whoever I want to be.” And she demonstrates, every step a different form, from zoroark to delphox to gardevoir to gallade... to human. Flips between genders.

 “Ok, but considering – wait. Would you prefer different pronouns?”

 “All the pronouns, please.” Soise stops in her most common human form, a Black woman with blue dipped box braids, and grinned her too sharp teeth at me. “I collect ‘em.”

 “We - I,” Brith corrects herself, "didn’t mean to intrude. But since we’re here, is there something you want to say?”

 “I-”

 “They're having one too many thoughts,” Alyss says, when I hesitate.

 I stifle a squeak at her words, hands flying to cover my mouth.

 “They are, are they?” Brith casts me an amused glance.

 “I liked that.” I stare at Alyss.

 “Jay would like people to use they/them, occasionally,” Alyss says to Soise and Brith. “It’s a work in progress.”

 “But uh - don’t. Tell anyone else? Yet?” I shrug. “I don’t know how to say it, anyway.”

 “Just tell ‘em your pronouns are on holiday or something.” Soise shrugs. “Had to rent out a new set.”

 Brith rolls her eyes. “We can do that for you, Captain.”

 “Sure. Easy as.” Soise dips her head in a nod.

 “Glad that’s cleared up,” Alyss says, and clears her throat. “Now would you mind clearing out while Jay n I catch up?”

 “Oh, but-”

 Brith claps a paw on Soise’s shoulder. “See you back on the ship.”

 I nod and watch as Brith drags Soise back through the snow. “Thanks.”

 “Any time, Cap.” Soise salutes, twists out of Brith’s grip, and walks alongside her.

 “Come to check on the hatchery?” Alyss asks.

 “Sure.” I turn and follow her north.

 “At least you’re not vibrating anymore.”

 I hold out a hand, and she’s right. It’s still again. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have just landed all that on your shore.”

 “What else are friends for?” Alyss shrugs.

 “Not... normally that.”

 Alyss laughs and nudges me. “Ok, but it was a very Elder task. Advice n that.”

 “Wouldn’t catch me going to the old Elder with that.” I snort.

 “What about the other elders you know?”

 I hesitate. “I... I don’t know.” I frown. “I mean – they don’t have the perspective you do, so.”

 Alyss nods. “Just between us, then.”

 “And Soise and Brith.”

 “And them.”

 “And...” I took a breath.

 “You aren’t beholden to tell anyone else,” she reminds me. “Not Jayden, nor the kids. Not your parents, not your sister, not your other friends. If you aren’t comfortable with the idea, then it can just be the four of us.”

 “I dislike secrets. And hiding. But...” I wrinkle my nose. “I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”

 “Of course. There’s no rush. And hey.” She nudges me again. “My door’s always open, as you know.”

 “Something wrong?”

 “Are you going to pay for that?”

 “Huh?” I looked up.

 “That plush. Paying for it?” The stall owner was watching me, a hand held out.

 “Right… sorry.” I shook my head and concentrated, but the prickling wouldn’t leave. “Jayden – can you handle this?” I passed him the plush. “There’s something… I’ve got to do.”

 “Jay?” He looked bewildered as I left him, pushing through the crowds.

 “Brith, can you feel that?”

 “Feel what?” She was at my side in an instant, looking around.

 “Something… something’s happening.”

 Brith closed her eyes, aura sensors vibrating slightly.

 “There.” We both pointed at the same time, to a nearby alley. Exchanging worried looks, we stalked over to it and looked down.

 I could hear murmuring coming from the other end, but it wasn’t words I knew. And the prickling was getting worse. Exchanging a glance with Brith, I set the rucksack down and motioned for Vulp and Sesser to stay and guard. The two of them nodded and settled there as we left.

 There were the sounds of a scuffle, or someone struggling… and a chant in a language I didn’t know. We sped up, and I lifted a needle from the inside pocket of my coat.

 And… well, that was a strange sight to walk in on. An older man, dressed in black – looked like a priest – walking around the outside of a circle, reciting the chant. Inside the circle, a… a thing. Looking sort of like a snake, twisting and writhing and trying to… break free, I supposed. But it wasn’t going over the circle.

 Brith flicked an ear, lowering her fists slightly. The man kept his chant going, and the black scales shed away from – that was a woman in there, a human!

 “What are you doing?”

 The man broke off his chant, looking up. “Well. Ah – you wouldn’t understand.”

 “I think I understand fairly well.” I narrowed my eyes. “What are you doing with her?”

 “Blue.”

 His eyes widened as I took a step towards him. “Just – she has a demon in her, I must remove it!”

 I glanced at the woman. Her shape was changing again, snake-like then scorpion-like then crab-like… it looked familiar.

 “Distortion,” I whispered.

 “You know it?”

 “I’m familiar.” I gestured to the circle. “What’s with the get up?”

 “Just – let me finish this first.” He turned back to his book and continued the chant.

 “Blue.” Brith tugged at my sleeve. “Look.”

 I glanced back. She was holding an old paper, from a few weeks back. The front page had a picture of a circle… like this one. A chalk-drawn body in the middle of it. Blood obliterating many of the marks.

 What was going on?

 “The ritual isn’t working… well, this will stop you.”

 Looking back, I gasped as the man drew out a knife and stepped over the boundary of the circle, towards the struggling woman.

 “No!” I leapt forward and tackled him out of the circle, the knife clattering to the ground.

 “What are you doing?” he gasped, struggling under my weight. “I must finish this!”

 “Not by killing her!”

 There was a fluttering of paper and the sound of something getting punched back. “Blue, some attention here!”

 I looked around. Brith was between us and the woman, but she wasn’t really a woman anymore. More a sort of… zubat-venipede cross with skorupi pincers. Right.

 “This might be my bad, but I will not let you kill her,” I muttered, springing to my feet and pulling out another needle.

 “The knife, the knife!” He gestured to it, not getting up. “That will kill it.”

 “And her.” I frowned, leaping forward. “Not on my watch.”

 I took my place beside Brith and the woman hissed at me.

 “You… I know you.” She tensed up, all bug armour and arching tail.

 “Never met you before in my life.”

 “Ah… but you are the Guardian. Well, well, well…”

 “This is more than a demon,” Brith whispered. “That’s him. That’s actually him.”

 “But… Joanna – Phoe.” I frowned.

 “I wouldn’t put all my eggs in one basket, would I? Not like you have.”

 The woman raised a hand to point at me, and spines flew from her fingertips. I raised an arm and armour flashed into place, the spines shattering uselessly against it.

 “This is a good basket, though,” someone spoke through me. That was a crap analogy, but I appreciated the sentiment. “You try too hard… and it dilutes the power.” I slashed a hand across, the needle becoming a sword in the instant it took for the woman to grow herself armour.

 She was flung to the side and hit thin air, crumpling to the ground. What?

 “You… what are you?”

 I ignored the man, stepping over to the woman. “You have your NightChild, Giratina. Leave here.”

 “Ah, but I like my playthings…” She pulled herself to her feet and hissed at me, growing spines.

 “And we don’t play.” I parried her next attack, stepping to the side and slamming my shield into her back.

 She couldn’t leave the circle. Interesting. I paced its edge, keeping an eye on her as she hissed and morphed in the centre of it.

 “No – wait!” Brith yelled and I turned, not fast enough to see the knife fly through the air.

 I certainly heard it hit, though. A solid thunk, followed by coughing gasps. I spun back around – wings flaring for balance – and watched as the woman sank to her knees, coughing up blood. All distortion left her and she was just a woman, bleeding out on the ground.

 “Hold him,” I snapped, stepping into the circle to kneel down by the woman.

 There wasn’t anything we could do, and for a moment I was transported back to Castelia, to the last time I had watched someone die. I lifted up her head, supporting her against my – still armoured – leg.

 “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I was too weak.”

 “No, it’s alright,” I replied. “You were strong, he didn’t get through.”

 “The things – he made me do.” She coughed up blood. “I released – so many demons. I’m sorry.”

 Demons. I’d heard stories about them, everyone had. Hadn’t thought that they were real, though. I laid her down carefully and took hold of the knife, pulling it from her stomach.

 “Right. You’d better explain things now.” I stood up, turning around.

 Brith had the man in a headlock, but he was limp and unresisting.

 “You – what are you?”

 “The Guardian,” I replied. “And you’ve been doing my job badly.”

 “We – well, I was told I had to!”

 “By whom?” It was quite a nice knife, if a bit… bloody.

 He hung his head. “The voice. Please – I can help you. I’m – I’m supposed to teach you.”

 “Teach me what?”

 “How to exorcise them. You may have the NightChild under your wing, but there are other marked out there, many demons. You have to hunt them.”

 “The pay’s going to be crap, isn’t it?” I glanced to Brith. “Release him.”

 She let him drop.

 “Take the bag back to the ship, will you? Tell Jayden I’m… busy.”

 Brith nodded. “Be careful.” She left.

 He stood up, shakily, and looked around for his book.

 “So. Teach me.”

 “Let’s – get out of here first.”

 “What, don’t want to be rewarded for your service to the community?”

 He laughed nervously.

 “Fine.” I stepped forward and grabbed his collar. “Hold on.” Spreading my ice wings, I pulled us into the sky. “Where do you live?”

 He gulped and screamed. I shook him.

 “Concentrate.”

 “Th – there.” He jabbed a hand downwards. “In that block. With the balcony.”

 Excellent. I landed on the balcony and let him go, shrugging away the armour and the wings with a sigh. That stuff hurt.

 He fumbled with the door and finally got it open. “This – this way.”

 I followed him in, sheathing my needles.

 He was asleep – I could hear him snoring from the next room. I got up, making as little noise as possible, and cleared all the books, all the equipment he had, into several bags. It was still dark, but I knew where the docks were from here. Should I bother leaving a note…?

 No. He would know. But – I grinned – maybe a message. Unsheathing one of my needles, I stabbed it into the centre of the chalk circle he’d drawn out to show me. This was my job now, not his.

 Opening the sliding windows, I pulled the bags out and breathed in the night air. Let’s see if this would work… concentrating, I tried to pull on some measure of change – tried to pull on some wings.

 It was slow going. Hard work, I hadn’t had to do anything like this in a long time.

 But I got there. Wings for arms, talons for feet. The… harpy form. Well, it worked.

 Awkwardly, I took the bags in my feet, gripping them tight. Then I hopped up and spread my wings before stepping into the sky.

 I fell, first, before I got the hang of beating my wings. Even then it was haphazard, and I couldn’t get higher than the buildings again.

 So I dropped into the street with a thud and picked up the bags in my hands. I’d just walk back.

 Jayden was waiting on the ship – the lights were on in the main cabin. I stepped up the plank and over Ray and pushed the door open awkwardly.

 “Jay!” He was there in an instant, catching the door. “Are you alright?”

 “Yeah – yeah, I’m fine.” I nodded, pushing the bags into the nearest corner.

 “What are they?” He looked down at them as I closed the door.

 “Ah – tools of the trade.” I hugged him, stealing warmth.

 He hugged me back, pressing his lips to my forehead. “Brith didn’t say much.”

 “This is going to need something to drink.” But I didn’t want to let him go.

 “Right. Well… we can handle it.”

 Eventually I had to, and we sat down at the table with a couple of glasses and a bottle of whiskey. It was definitely a whiskey explanation.

 “Demons are real,” he said eventually.

 I nodded, playing with my glass.

 “And… there are other Giratina Marked.”

 I nodded again.

 “And… right.”

 “And it’s my job to hunt them down and get rid of them,” I said quietly, downing what was left.

 “Well.” Jayden blinked and shook his head. “Alright then.”

 I looked up at him. “Sorry.”

 “It’s fine.” He smiled, but I could see it was forced. “We’ll manage. You know what you need to about it, don’t you?”

 I nodded. “Just… not how to find them.”

 “We can work that out.” He leant back in his chair. “I suppose it explains why you still have all the power stuff.”

 “Yeah, but I haven’t used that since Nyx’s Night,” I replied, frowning. “I didn’t know.”

 “You haven’t noticed…?”

 “Noticed what?”

 He leant forward, reaching for the bottle. “Every so often I see the shadow of wings, or there’s water dripping around you. And not just when you’ve been in the sea, or washing yourself.”

 I frowned. “No… I hadn’t noticed.”

 “Maybe that’s something to do with these demons.”

 I nodded, yawning. “Maybe.”

 “You can start in the morning.” He stood up, helping me up as well.

 “The hours are going to be shite. The pay’s even worse.”

 “Ready?”

 Jayden nods, taking my hand.

 The lake is perfect and still, the snow mostly untouched but for the tracks of the aurorus herd. We step down to the edge of the lake and kneel down on ice spiked grass that shatters under our weight.

 “Uxie, we come to you now as we always do, seeking wisdom to pursue the path we have chosen.” I dip my left hand into the lake.

 “We ask for the knowledge that we have chosen the right path to walk, the right person to walk it with,” Jayden says, scattering ice onto the lake.

 I can feel it soaking through my dress, and hope it won’t stain. “Show us which way we have yet to tread, to bring this path to its fullest conclusion.” I close my eyes, slowly pulling my hand from the water.

 We kneel for a few moments, but when it becomes apparent that Uxie will not be joining us, we get back to our feet.

 “Should we return?” Jayden asks softly as I return his jacket to him.

 “Not if you don’t want to.”

 He pulls his jacket back on and smiles, offering me his hands. As I take them, he pulls me back into a spin and we sway a little, not quite ready to return.

 Then Jayden stiffens and halts, curling his hand around my back to pull me closer.

 “Well, well… what do we have here then?”

 I twist to see who it is. A man, bare chested and covered in even more tattoos than myself. Quite a few piercings and – I saw as he grinned – silver teeth interspersed amongst what I assumed were still normal teeth.

 “It’s rather a long list. Where do you want to start?” I ask, stepping free but keeping hold of one of Jayden’s hands in my right. Perhaps it was time we were going.

 “May I just say, you look beautiful. An altaria, yes?” He eyes me up. “Creatures of the sky and song!”

 “… Thanks.” I nudge Jayden towards the treeline. “But we should be going, there are people–” I cut off as a monstrous luxray – bigger than Ray, and almost bearlike – pads out of the trees.

 It growls, baring huge canines.

 “This is Sabre. Say hello!”

 Sabre roars and I clench my free hand, wondering if I could risk the dress.

 “We have to be going,” Jayden says flatly.

 “Wait, wait!” He rushes forward and I take a step back as he reaches for my arm.

 Jayden moves between us and the man dives out of the way.

 “I’m sorry, perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. Congratulations, the two of you!”

 “Thank you,” Jayden replies. “But we really ought to be returning.”

 I wonder fleetingly if I could fireball him with enough force to knock him into the lake, but that would probably get us attacked by Sabre.

 “A party? I love parties! Parties are my thing… Mrs. NightGale.”

 I pause at that. It was highly likely he’d picked up my name in town, or in any other region – I wasn’t exactly unknown. But still… “It’s Captain.”

 He bows, pulling a top hat from the air and placing it on his head. “Come on, there’s going to be a party, right here tonight! And you are the guests of honour!”

 Sabre is no longer growling at us, which only reassures me a little.

 “Oh yes! The gale of the night, the bird on the wind!” He flings his arms wide, one hand pointing across the lake. “The fiery rogue said you would come, and that we must return the gift… make this night as memorable as the day!”

 Fiery rogue… that could really only mean Joanna. Or that he was even more of a creep.

 Jayden looks across the lake in the direction he’s pointing. “What shall we do?” he murmurs.

 “How quickly can your birds be here?” I watch as the man leaps onto Sabre’s back.

 He balances on the luxray’s shoulders as it raises itself up onto its hind legs. “Creatures of the wild woods, the shadows of the trees with eyes that throw back the lights of the sky, let your song be heard!”

 First one, then more and more mightyena start to howl from the woods around us. Oh, we were so outnumbered. I flex my fingers in Jayden’s hand, ready to spark up a fireball.

 “I don’t think he means us any harm,” Jayden murmurs.

 I nod distractedly, picking apart the song. It was beautiful, and I often regretted the choices that kept Yen from a pack like this.

 “Beautiful, aren’t they?”

 I jump as another man appears from between the trees. He doesn’t seem as threatening as the first, though his canines have been sharpened into fangs.

 “Howl is one of the pack! He can appear like shadow.” The first man laughs.

 “I must apologise for Spike,” Howl says, fixing the scarf that was falling over his shoulder. “He’s quite normal when he doesn’t have an audience, I assure you.”

 “Hm.” I eye them both, still weighing my chances.

 Howl lets out a sharp call and the song breaks off as a huge pack of mightyena rush out of the trees. In the almost silence that follows – they are all panting, tails wagging furiously as they circle us – I hear one mournful howl rise up through the trees. Oh, Yen…

 “They won’t attack,” Howl says, putting his arm inside the mouth of the almost completely mightyena beside him.

 I’m sure that makes me feel so much better.

 “Howl! Creature of the woods and brother to the pack!” Spike yells. “The show must go on!”

 Howl rolls his eyes and takes my raised hand – about to freeze them where they stood – and kisses it. “Congratulations on the wedding.” With a yip, he turns and pelts back into the trees.

 The pack follows him, leaving us along with Spike… at least we had his name now.

 “Birds?” I ask Jayden quietly.

 He releases my hand, whistling sharply. Spike laughs in delight, and something cannons into me from behind.

 I react instinctively, drawing my left hand through the air and freezing a sword into existence, pushing away the small person that was holding onto my waist.

 A young girl in a frilly green dress stares up at me from the snow, her lip trembling. “Help! Please help me!”

 I let the sword fall back into the snow, rubbing at my hand. What now?”

 “There’s – there’s a wild tyranitar!”

 Tauros crap. I twist to glare at Spike, who just grins as another child wraps their arms around me.

 “A wild nidoking! It’s huge and angry!” She was identical to the first, except for the purple dress.

 “Just – get off.” I close my eyes, unlatching her hands.

 “Help miss!”

 A third one? Really?

 “A wild feraligatr!”

 I side step this one – in a blue dress – and she falls into line beside her sisters.

 “They want to gobble us up!” they chorus, as the three pokémon step out of the trees, hemming us towards the lake. “Save us, miss!”

 “Monsters, be gone!” Spike yells, but of course they don’t listen to him.

 And the birds haven’t arrived. I raise my head to howl for my pack – even if these pokémon weren’t dangerous, I’d appreciate the back up – and stop as a woman in a plain brown dress strides out between us and the three pokémon. She’s sporting a very fine beard, and I don’t think it’s fake.

 “Monsters, be gone!” she yells at the three girls.

 They shriek and rush to their respective pokémon, sitting on their heads as they stand up.

 “You are rude!” the one on the nidoking shrieks.

 “Now our pokémon shall gobble you up!” the one on the feraligatr yells.

 The three pokémon roar, advancing towards us. I let out the howl now, not caring that this was still (probably) an act.

 The woman produces a violin from the folds of her dress, setting it to her shoulder.

 “Music can soothe the most savage of hearts,” Spike remarks, the luxray at his side grunting in agreement.

 The woman begins to play a lilting tune and the three pokémon – and their riders – bow their heads, starting to spin.

 Yen is first on the scene, predictably, with Ray not far behind him. They slink to our sides, ears flattened. Ray is growling a little as he places himself between us and the performers.

 The woman finishes the tune as the girls slide from their perches, looking up at her with puppy-dog eyes. She sighs and tosses what looks like sweets to them, and the six of them fall on the sweets in an instant.

 Arc pads out of the trees and gives the group a sidelong glance, skirting along the banks with Glace sitting on her back. And Vulp, of course, was still in the hall.

 The woman laughs and turns to us, holding her violin and bow in one hand so she can shake ours. “Oh, the crowds go crazy for them! Their mam isn’t half proud of them, you know. Hope they didn’t scare you too much!”

 Ray’s rumbling growl doesn’t seem to put her off, but I don’t discourage him.

 “Just what,” I ask, voice like ice, “Is going on here?”

 Jayden has a hand on my shoulder, looking skywards. The birds should have responded by now… unless they weren’t in earshot.

 “Oh, we know your friend… Ash Fyra? She wanted to make this evening memorable, and we wanted to repay a favour.”

 Joanna. Should’ve known… oh, she was in trouble.

 An aipom springs up onto the woman’s shoulder, chattering.

 “Oh, anyway – congratulations! Lyra, Ruth, Trixie, come on!” She releases a rhydon and jumps onto its back, leading the three girls back into the trees.

 “We really should be going,” I say, gesturing for Arc to step closer.

 A thick fog drifts in across the lake. What now?

 Ray snarls and his mane glows, lighting up the immediate area.

 There’s an old woman standing in front of us, leaning heavily on a staff. “Your town is beautiful,” she whispers. “So quiet… I am Merlin.” She bows.

 “It’s quiet because they’re all at a party that we have to be getting back to,” I snap, still horribly on edge.

 She doesn’t seem perturbed by my anger – in fact, she seems to ignore me entirely in favour of Jayden. “I sense the sky about you… you will enjoy my act, I think.”

 Jayden tightens his hand on my shoulder and I close my eyes for a moment, breathing deeply. Arc touches her nose to my face, snuffling.

 When I open my eyes again, the fog is dark and filled with harsh cawing.

 “The night is full of beastly creatures,” Merlin sighs, a murkrow landing on her staff. “But I have a place in my soul for feathered ones, no matter how dark.”

 The fog swirls thicker around us as the furious call of a honchkrow is heard. Ray snarls in reply, and I shove a hand into his mane to calm him. It doesn’t work particularly well, as I am very definitely not calm.

 The black fog billows like an entity of its own, and occasionally a bird appears through it. They get angrier, a cawing mass of feathers and talons until Merlin slams her staff into the ground.

 The fog parts as a pure white altaria spirals down to land on the staff, singing. I can hear another altaria somewhere – Skyggen, probably – and the fog around us lifts, showing that Jayden’s flock has finally, finally found us.

 But Jayden is stepping forward to examine the altaria and all her other birds, smiling. “She’s beautiful…”

 “Her name is Dawnsong,” Merlin says as the altaria spreads her wings in a show of strength before letting him stroke her.

 Sesser lands on my shoulder, which gives me some small measure of comfort.

 “You make a beautiful altaria,” Merlin says to me. “We must fly, you and I.”

 “Perhaps tomorrow?”

 “But there is one act yet to take place!” Spike yells and I jump.

 Somehow, I’d managed to forget that he was here.

 “You will not be disappointed, we have saved the best for last!”

 Encouraging. We back away from the water’s edge as it starts to ripple, Jayden’s birds moving to the trees.

 “Oh my dear Jays, witness the union of fire, ice, and water! Rise from the depths!”

 And out of the water emerges a blastoise, with… I can barely believe my eyes.

 “Mrs Ash-Fyra and Song!”

 Joanna is wearing a leotard, though it’s longer than the usual – longer than her companion’s wearing, certainly – and is balanced on one cannon of the blastoise. The person on the other side – I assume that must be Song – is mimicking her, grinning wildly.

 The cannons extend, pointing into the sky. What are they… at a whispered command, water bursts out of them in a ferocious jet, and both women jump into the stream.

 I can hear a faint scream as they are launched high into the air, into the clouds.

 They start to fall back towards the lake, gathering speed. Flare catches Joanna on his back before she hits the water, and the other person is caught by a dewgong that bursts from the lake.

 “For one night only!” Spike is just about screaming. “Flare and Floe!”

 They pose before us, and however annoyed I might be with Joanna, I still applaud them now with Jayden.

 But they’re still performing, blending fire and ice together in brilliant ways. They create birds, humans dancing – Articuno, of course. And then Flare is taking Joanna higher into the sky, and the dewgong – Floe – is moving back into the water with Song, creating a huge pillar of water in the air above them, freezing it in delicate patterns.

 We step back, wondering just what was going to happen now. Joanna and Flare are hovering just above the pillar, but almost as soon as I spot them, they dive straight down.

 They smash through the pillar in a ball of flame, exploding it outwards into glittering shards of rainbows. I lift a hand to shield myself, but it’s hardly necessary – Arc, Cinder, and Tinder melt any that might hit us.

 Flare banks in off another icy blast of wind from Floe and lands in front of us.

 “You’re all crazy,” I say, applauding all the same.

 “Like I need told that,” Joanna says, hopping down from Flare. “How was it, Song?”

 “Oh – fantastic, seriously nice work!” She runs to Spike and hugs him as he jumps down from Sabre’s back.

 The rest of the performers and their pokémon appear from the trees with a shout, running towards us.

 Alex whips off the cloak he’s wearing and throws it over Joanna’s shoulders as he hugs her. “That was… amazing!”

 “It was... a bit.” I smirk. “I no longer feel like leaving you out for the sneasel.”

 “Pah, sneasel…” Joanna flaps her hand. “No problem.”

 “I think we can call that a success!” The violin player caught both Alex and Joanna in a hug.

 Howl shakes snow from his hair. “Are you lot free tonight?”

 “We… really should be getting back to the hall,” I reply. “Sorry.”

 “What is there left to do there?” Joanna asks, tying the cloak properly around her neck.

 “Food and the cake. And more dancing,” I reply. “Some other night, perhaps.”

 “How long will you be in Snowpoint?” Jayden asks.

 “We have an agreement with your elder… a while at least.” Spike grins. “You will have a chance to see all the acts.”

 “I am sorry, really,” I say. “But – tomorrow?”

 Sayri hops across the ground towards us.

 “Tomorrow.” Spike inclines his head. “But until then – adieu!”

 We step onto Sayri’s back and she takes off, leaving the lake area with the rest of the birds in formation around her.

 “Well,” Jayden says eventually. “That was interesting.”