#veilstone

 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?”

 She couched in the shadows of the balcony, arrow nocked and waiting. Barely anyone but the hosts were there. Perhaps they feared retribution.

 Rat shifted her feet. Well they should. It was coming for them.

 She tapped the arrow back against the wooden back of her bow, keeping it relaxed but ready. To kill them now would serve nothing. Wait until everyone else was here.

 Someone knocked at one of the tall windows, and Aodh entered. “The grounds are secured.” He rested a hand on the hilt of his sword, meeting the man eye to eye. “You are protected as far as we can manage.”

 Rat smiled. Protected from everyone but the guilds they had slighted.

 “Thank you. Now – return to your post, if you would. We have guests to greet.”

 Aodh nodded briefly and left. So did the two hosts, sweeping out of the room through the proper doors. Aodh looked up as he turned to close the windows, towards the shadowed balcony. Rat raised her bow so he could catch the movement.

 Aodh nodded and closed the window behind him. She was alone in the room once more.

 Rat shifted and laid down her bow with a near silent ‘tck’ on the marbled floor. Then she unhooked the quiver and separated out the black shafted arrows with their murkrow feathers into bundles of three and started to place them in her chosen vantage points, right around the balcony.

 The hall below her started to fill up with people, nervous chatter that soon expanded into warm and mindless conversations about the goings on of the town.

 Rat settled down with her bow and waited. Let them relax and make merry for a while yet.

 When all of the guests were in the hall, she saw a brief flicker of flame from outside that could not have been a candle. It was time.

 Picking up the first of the three arrows beside her, she marked her target and drew. Breathe. Fire.

 He fell, an arrow to his throat and furs silencing his fall in the shadows. Two more, at different ends of the hall. No one had noticed. She moved to the next set of arrows. Three more shots. No one had noticed yet, as she kept to the people in the shadows, the people who weren’t talking with others, who kept back.

 The worry started when one of the guests collapsed over the refreshments. Rat cursed. He should have fallen backwards, but he’d been too close to the wall and toppled forward instead, into the table. Time to speed up.

 She moved and fired three more arrows in quick succession. The candles were starting to go out. Aodh’s monferno, probably, lessening the chance that she’d be seen.

 People were screaming now. The doors were locked.

 Three more arrows. More candles. It was getting hard to aim, but the sneasel that sat on the balcony beside her had sharp eyes and helped her.

 She reached the end of the arrows, and the people had been thinned considerably. But not enough. So Rat hooked the bow back over her shoulders and hurdled the balcony. She landed lightly, drawing her knives. Two were down before they realised any different.

 One more – two more – three more and they realised the killer was amongst them. Blood flew. Rat sliced, again and again and again. Her sneasel joined the fray, ripping throats and arms and legs. Rat worked methodically, silently. She moved through the crowd, with the crowd, and not a one of them knew she was there.

 And then there were no guests left and the blood dripped from her knives and was warm on her face as candles flared to life at the end of the room. The hosts, of course. Lord and Lady Therian. Their pampered luxray stood between her and them, but the sneasel hissed and it fell back, cowered.

 The windows unlocked as Aodh stepped inside and Rat stalked towards her prey.

 “Where have you been? Defend us!” Lord Therian demanded of Aodh.

 He folded his arms and watched. “Not anymore.”

 “Not any – I pay for your contract! You are mine to command!”

 “Only as long as it pleases the guild.”

 “And you do not please the guild.”

 “We have done nothing against your guild!” he appealed to Aodh, holding out his hands.

 “But you have against mine.” Rat watched them. “And it was a foolish thing.”

 “He was getting too big. We cannot live in fear of you forever!”

 “No.” And Rat leapt, taking him to the ground.

 The luxray growled and then yelped as the sneasel darted to intercept it.

 “You cannot live at all.”

 She plunged her knife into his throat as his lady screamed, covering his gasp.

 “Rat,” Aodh said quietly, and she stood upright, other knife flashing to cut the lady’s throat in a decisive upward motion.

 “It is done.”

 The luxray was dead as well, two gashes across its throat mimicking the ones across its muzzle.

 She scored the jagged ‘N’ into the wall above the dead lord and lady, so that all would know the meaning.

 “What now, Rat? With no leader–”

 “The guilds are dead. They will disband and disintegrate. Perhaps you knights will keep your way, but for us…”

 “You could lead.”