Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

As I slowly walked across the creaking, wooden floors, I listened to the voice echoing through the hallway.
“And so the Hero traveled north, conquering each kingdom as he passed through. None could stand in his way, as the strongest warlords and warriors bowed to him. He defeated each of Nobunaga’s allies, liberating each kingdom. Finally the hero found himself in the kingdom of Dragnor. And there, he defeated Nobunaga, ending the Dragon Lord’s reign of terror.”
The story had been told for decades now, even though it had long been history. Though, nobody grew tired of it. I waited. It was coming.
“Our glorious leader, Motochika, alongside his best friend Motonari, guided the lower and middle kingdoms through the war. Ensuring that while the Hero traveled north, the rest of his empire thrived. Motochika’s sense of justice and honor inspired the people of Ransei to resist Nobunaga and to live with joy, despite fear.”
I always loved to hear others’ stories of my father. They were so proud of him. Their perspective of him was always so positive and hopeful. It was never the father I saw, so the difference was always interesting. To me, my father was absent, lost in his work. A pair of footsteps echoed behind mine.
“My lord, she’s here.” His voice was dark. I could swear I heard more in his tone, but what could he possibly have to say?

* * * * * * * * * *

Back in the throne room, a woman was waiting for me. Her hair was dark like her skin. Her brown eyes watched me cautiously, though she remained quiet. She watched my every step. I couldn’t help but laugh a little at the seriousness of the situation. The lady curtsied as I finally reached the throne, standing next to it.
“So who are you?”
She adjusts her kimono, “My name is Nahoka. I come from Faella.” I hope my surprise didn’t show too much, but with my mouth open wide, I’m sure that she knew it. Faella had been created after a contest to crown Ransei’s most beautiful warlord, led to the discovery of the Fairy Type. Oichi, the victor, created Faella between the four northern kingdoms as a way to stop Dragnor’s leaders from ever becoming too powerful.
“You’ve come a long way just to talk to me. What can I do for you?”
“I bring news. Surely you are aware of the tension passing through Ransei?” She shuffled slightly and for the first time, I noticed a small Ralts at her feet. It seemed to be resting on her shoes, but as Nahoka shuffled, she moved the Ralts, causing it to stir.
I’ve heard nothing of it, but I didn’t want to sound incompetent, “I’ve heard rumors about it, but we have no tension. Our relationship with Greenleaf is strong. Aurora remains closed. And Ignis is well - Ignis.”
“Yes, but that’s because those tensions have started in the North. Again, my lord. They may not have reached here yet, but they surely will,” Her voice is so certain, yet calm. I straightened up, not sure what to think. I haven’t heard any news from the North, but also, if something was happening there, it’s not like they’d just let that get out.
Nodding slowly, I consider what she says, “Okay. Let me reach out to my resources and see what they think,” I pause as I realize what I’m saying, “Why me though? What about Illusio and Terrera? Their Warlords are much more powerful and experienced, surely they’d be more useful in this situation.” Nahoka shudders at my question, before speaking.
“Well, I tried. They are at war with each other. They don’t have time to deal with issues that don’t directly impact them. And outside of them, you are a better selection than the leaders of Aurora and Greenleaf.”

* * * * * * * * * *

I had decided to go to the temple of Fontaine. My dad used to come here often. Here he used to have visions of Ransei. I walked into the dark building. Along the walls were light blue crystals, that glowed in the light. The temple was the tallest building in all of Fontaine. A huge waterfall ran out the wall, into a large pond in the center of the building. The pond was glowing, thanks to the crystals under the water.
I move to the edge of the pond, sitting there. I sat, crossing my legs, and closing my eyes. The sound of rushing water echoes around the building. I focus on my breathing, feeling the air rush through my body. Droplets land on my skin, the cold sending me into shock. It all went black.

* * * * * * * * * *

The region of Ransei. Each kingdom was glowing and shining. You can hear the chatter of people. Laughter followed by a boy asking if someone is okay. A woman's voice scolding her child for jumping in a lake. A Ponyta neighing. The waters around Ransei begin to turn dark. Black waves crash against the outline of the continent. The waves grow more powerful, rising over the region. A scream echoes. Then another. The screams echo over each other. The black waves start to wash over Ransei, extinguishing the lights of the kingdoms. When the waves begin to seep back into the ocean, the land is barren. All that is left is dirt. Except for one kingdom. Dragnor stands in the north, completely unfazed by the devastation.

Chapter Text

For a few nights after that, the visions haunted me in my nightmares. I hadn’t told anyone yet. Who do you tell about something like that? I should probably tell Katai, but he might not believe me. I sat up in my bed, trying to stretch out the tension. As I stand up, a chirp comes from my door.

“Hold on! I’m coming,” I laugh as I open the door. Poliwag jumps through the doorway, tracking water through my bedroom. He chirps happily as he bounces through the room. “You do realize you’re making a muddy mess, right?” Poliwag stops, his eyes widening as he looks around at all the mud. He looks up at me, and I can’t help but laugh again. “It’s fine. I’ll clean it up after I get dressed.”

I go to the mirror, combing out my short blonde hair. I put on my dark blue kimono. It helps my sapphire blue eyes stand out, one of my better traits. I check out my physique in the mirror. My upper body is thin, but my lower body is a little more defined. I tried to readjust the kimono around my butt, trying to conceal it a little better. Dad used to tell me that I needed to put on more muscle, but I was never very good at staying focused on it. I was 19 and active enough. My body was fine. I turn to Poliwag, “Do I look okay?” Poliwag smiles and jumps happily. I smile back at him and go to clean up the mud all over the floor.

* * * * * * * * * *

Nahoko is waiting for me while she eats. I walk into the room. It’s not been decorated in a while, outside of the table on the floor. There's a map of Ransei on the wall, but outside of that, the only decor was a number of cobwebs. I'd have to have someone come clean this room. I joined Nahoko on the ground.
“I believe you. About everything. But what am I supposed to do? I’m still new to this and I’ve never been to war before,” I stared down into the table as I spoke, trying to stop the visions from resurfacing. Nahoko was staring at me.
“Lord Koshi, you will have to work to reunite Ransei.” Her voice is gentle and kind, despite the topic.
“Ransei has known nothing but peace for decades. The last time it was united was under Hideyoshi. Since then, there’s been too much fear. No one wants to unite it again,” She doesn't respond to my comment. My father used to tell me stories about the unification of Ransei. It was briefly united under the Hero, but he vanished afterwards, returning the kingdoms to their warlords. Yoshihiro succeeded in uniting Ransei, but he retired immediately afterwards and left the kingdoms to their devices. Nobunaga tried again after the Hero vanished. Mitsuhide stopped him. Hideyoshi united Ransei for just over a year.
The last time Ransei had been completely united was under the warlord, Hideyoshi. It was nearly 20 years ago now. Hideyoshi had recruited an incredibly powerful pokemon. A god of fire. The pokemon’s power and Hideyoshi’s strategic abilities easily captured Ransei. Ten months after Hideyoshi succeeded, a series of natural disasters struck the region. At some point, Hideyoshi was killed by a hurricane near Viperia. In the months after his death, the kingdoms declared their independence. In Ignis, Kanbei took over with Hanbei as his closest advisor. Within a year, Hanbei had died of a disease. Kanbei left a note saying, “without Hanbei, my only light has been extinguished and I’ve become overwhelmed by the darkness.” They found his body on his floor one night. His internal organs removed. Since then, Ignis has had numerous leaders. All of whom had been assassinated, disappeared, or stepped down quickly. They say Hideyoshi had a son, but no one knows where he ran off to.
Then my father heard of Nobunaga trying again, so Motochika attempted to unite Ransei. He stopped when he got to Dragnor. My father said he got there and that he had found out that Nobunaga had died. No one was really sure how. Since then, nobody had tried and honestly, Ransei was all the better for it. I looked at the dark haired girl. She was young, likely a few years younger than me. 16 or so? I wonder how she became the one responsible for delivering this news.
“Since the events of Hideyoshi and Kanbei’s death, many people believe there is a curse waiting for those who wish to unify Ransei,” I look down at my food, “I’m really uncertain about this path.” Nahoko sighs and says nothing.

* * * * * * * * *

“Hey! Calm down!” Of course Poliwag didn’t. I couldn’t even keep a straight face as he danced in the bathtub. The bubbles from the bath are flying into my face. I try to swat them away. “I need to get the mud off your feet.” I laughed at the tadpole pokemon, as it played. Rolling my eyes, I try to grab him, but his skin is too slippery. And a bit slimy. He notices the grimace on my face as I try to wash the slime off my hand in his bath. Poliwag smiles and jumps on the edge of the bath.
“Are you sure you’re done?” I wait a moment for him to jump and sing happily. I grab the towel and begin to dry him off. I watched his singing and dancing for a moment.
“Poliwag, do you think we can unite Ransei?”
“Wag? Poli?” His clueless expression told me he had no idea what I was talking about.
If I did nothing, the fate of Ransei could be in the air. If I wanted to do anything, it would be more than I had ever expected of myself.

Chapter Text

“Lord Koshi…” The young man bowed to me. He had black hair with fiery, orange eyes. The faint outline of a mustache traced his lips. He smiled, per usual. When he stood back up, he laughed a little, “What are you doing out here? You never train.”
“Well, Katai, I decided to give it a try.” Poliwag was dancing around my feet, excitedly running towards everything that moved. I almost felt bad for not taking him out into the countryside more. Though, this was just a farm, known for the wild pokemon that roamed it. The farmers didn’t mind that we came and trained. The pokemon liked to eat their crops, so all the better for them.
As Katai watches my Poliwag, he shakes his head, “Does he even know the first thing about fighting?” I felt my face get warm as I slowly shook my head. I didn’t even know anything about fighting. Katai must have noticed. He slowly makes his way towards me, the grin becoming ever so slightly more suspicious. He takes my wrist.
“Well come on then! Let’s get-” He pauses and looks around, “Where did Cyndaquil go?” I was too busy being unable to think to even comprehend what he said. His hand was rather warm and sweaty on my wrist. With as much time as he spent out here with Cyndaquil, it was really no wonder that he was so tan…and muscular…and… My thoughts were interrupted by Katai shaking me.
“Koshi? Hey Koshi! Come on. I think Cyndaquil found some pokemon over there by the house.” I startled awake and nodded slowly, running after him.

* * * * * * * * * *

Near the house were a Wooper, a Magikarp, and an Aipom. Katai looks at me, grinning. “You’re the warlord, what do you want me to do?” I look down at Cyndaquil, running through strategies in my mind.
“I guess focus on the Aipom, right? That’s where you’d be the most effective.” Katai laughs at the doubt in my voice.
“You guess? Have some faith in yourself. You’re not stupid. You might not have experience, but you were still trained to fight.” His voice softens, “I will go handle the Aipom.” He gently grabs my shoulder then runs off with Cyndaquil. I look down at Poliwag.
“Let’s do this!” I try to smile as I take off after the Magikarp and Wooper. By the time I get there, the Wooper appears to be dancing in the water spraying from some spout on the side of the house. Magikarp, meanwhile, is flopping in some mud. I’m not really certain how either got here.
“Poliwag, use Double Slap on that Magikarp,” I pointed at the red fish. Poliwag let out what sounded like a battle cry. If a battle cry was half bird song, half screeching. Poliwag waddled towards the Magikarp. Once close enough, Poliwag jumped into the air, spun and brought his tail down on the Magikarp. I’m not exactly sure what happened next, because instead of Poliwag hitting it, the Magikarp sprung into the air and with all its force, smashed into Poliwag. I flinched.
“How did…You’re just a Magikarp?” I sprung into action, “Poliwag, use water gun.” Poliwag slowly sat back up, looking angry. He released a violent spray of water from his mouth. Magikarp was sent flying off into the distance. Wooper had finally noticed what was happening. It cautiously watched Poliwag, before suddenly charging him full force. Halfway through its run, it was intercepted by a flame and sent skidding across the grass and mud.
“It took you this long to beat a Magikarp?” Katai was suddenly by my side. I almost wanted Poliwag to water gun the smug grin off his face.
“It - Well it -” I sighed and pointed at the Wooper, “Use Double Slap Poliwag!” Poliwag released his god awful battle cry again and launched himself at the Wooper, slapping it repeatedly with its tail until the Wooper collapsed, unconscious. I looked at Katai, smiling, who smiled back.

* * * * * * * * * *

“To an amazing first battle!” Katai held out his glass, waving it towards me. Some of the wine spilled out on his dinner. I laughed a little and held out mine.
“To our first victory,” I clinked our glasses together. Katai’s smile faltered.
“First?”
“I’ve been thinking about taking on Ignis.”
“Ignis is a very dangerous kingdom, Koshi. There’s no reason to do all of that. The people are picky and they are very quick to dispose of warlords they don’t like.”
“A woman came. Her name was Nahoko. She’s from Faella. She said there’s been some tension in the North. Dragnor is acting weird and there’s talk of their warlord expanding his reach. Nahoko believes that I can stop him by uniting Ransei myself,” I felt crazy saying it aloud. It didn’t feel real. Katai wasn’t smiling. He was searching my eyes as I continued, “I’ve been thinking. If I’m meant to do this…if I can do this, then I should be able to pacify Ignis. If I fail to do that, then I’ll let the whole thing go and just focus on protecting Fontaine.”
There was silence for a while. Katai said nothing and I was too scared to say more. I had already said a lot. He ate quietly. After he finished, he spoke. His voice was dark, deep, but gentle.
“Koshi, I was born in Ignis. I lived there until I was 4. I don’t really remember it, but your mother told me about it. She said that when I came here, it was because there were so many bad things happening. My parents were terrified of something happening to them or to me, so they sent me to Fontaine. That’s how I wound up here, with you. Your parents found me a home and ensured I was taken care of. And I’m grateful for that. I’m grateful for every opportunity I’ve had here. But most of all, I’m grateful for growing up with you. You are my best friend. If you are going to do this, then I will support you, but, think this through very carefully.” As he finishes speaking, he stands and leaves the room.

Chapter Text

Over the next month, I focused on learning about Ignis. I sent scouts to analyze the situation over there. I made plans, strategies, and backup plans, and I almost felt ready. If I was meant to conquer Ransei, then I should be able to calm Ignis down.
I tried training more, but Nahoko helped more often than Katai. He’s being cold. I don’t know if he’s angry or if I hurt him. Maybe he’s just scared?
As I pored over the maps of Ignis and routes, I felt a gentle touch on my shoulder. I turned to see my mother. Her brown eyes are full of warmth, her dark hair falling about her shoulders. Her Ninetales sleepily trailed after her.
“Koshi, have you given thought as to who you’ll take with you to Ignis?” Her voice is stern. She’s always been that way. By now, most people within the palace knew of my plans, but my mother above others, was always worried the most.
“Well my plan right now is to take Nahoko, since she’s volunteered and Yusuke. I might see if Yusuke has any other suggestions, but-”
“And what about Katai?” Her interruption made me pause. I broke my eye contact, looking down into the maps again, gripping the table.
“I don’t believe he’s comfortable going to Ignis. As a Junior Warlord, it may be a better idea for him to stay behind in case another kingdom gets an idea.” I close my eyes. Was it the truth? Absolutely not. I would love for him to go with me. I barely know Nahoko. Yusuke was kind, but he was a warrior. As far as our relationship went, I was his Warlord and that was it.
“And you’ve confirmed this? Or it’s just a ‘belief?’” She seems to be laughing to herself.
“Mother, he’s my best friend. I don’t always have to ask what’s best for him to know what is.” She takes a long pause after my response. She sits in a chair across from me, Ninetales curling up at her feet. The entire time, I can feel her eyes staring into my soul.
“I have long watched you two grow up with each other. Koshi, you’re shy and compassionate. You are full of love and grace. People love you. But on your own, you have no confidence, no inspiration. You find comfort in where you are in life. And that’s not a bad thing. There’s nothing wrong with a life of tranquility and stability,” a smile grows on her face, “But when you are with Katai, you shine. You’re charismatic. You dive into the darkest of oceans. No fear, no terror, with nothing to wash you away. You don’t need Katai to be happy, but you need him to push you. You two have been attached at the hip since he arrived in Fontaine. And regardless of your feelings-” As soon as she says feelings, I make a face. A mixture of surprise, contempt, and disgust.
“Feelings for Katai? He’s too cocky. If I ever had feelings for him, he’d hold it against me like a Farfetch’d to his leek.” She laughs.
“Trust me, I’ve seen it. The way that when you’d get home after being with him, and you’d hide in your room for an hour. Or how any time he touches you, your face is pink and you forget to pay attention. He might be the only person you don’t talk formally to. Everyone else, if you don’t talk formally, you act as if all of Ransei will explode. But with him, it’s different. You let your walls down.” As she lists each action, I try to breathe. Looking for a way to prove her wrong.
“I don’t know mother. I’ll consider talking to him. Will that make you happy?” She rolls her eyes, but the smile says it all.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Up! Down! Up! Down! Come on Morichika! Faster!” The white-haired boy was jogging in circles around a group of warriors and their pokemon while yelling at them. Meanwhile, a seel sat nearby clapping happily, in beat with the “ups” and “downs.” The warriors looked exhausted from the burpees they were doing.
I call out to the boy, “Yusuke! Don’t you think you’re pushing them a little too hard?” Yusuke looks up at me.
“What I’m really hearing is that you need me to push you harder?” I laugh and shake my hands. He wanders over to me, “So what’s the plan? How many do you need?”
“Depends. Right now, it’s myself, the girl from Faella, and you. Orime has tried to convince me that I should ask Katai to go, but I’m not so sure.” The doubt was dripping from my tongue.
“You haven’t already asked him?”
“No. He doesn’t really seem to like the idea of going to Ignis. I think he’s worried about the danger.”
“Well, we all are, but if we don’t go, then the danger comes to us. I think it’s wiser to build our army, find allies, and strengthen ourselves.” Yusuke sounded so confident.
“Maybe you’re right. I just don’t want to pressure him into something that scares him or makes him uncomfortable.” I run my hand through my hair, the stress of it getting to me. Yusuke laughs a little.
“I’ve yet to ever see Katai run from a situation, regardless of how dangerous it is. And I would bet everything I own that keeping you two apart is impossible.”
“Well I hope you haven’t placed that bet yet, for your own sake.”

* * * * * * * * * *
Katai’s POV

Even when the farm was empty, we still had some good dummies to practice on. Well, when Cyndaquil wasn’t asleep anyway. It’s fine. I needed a good opportunity to let my anger out, and I don’t like doing that around him.
The wooden dummy in front of me was splintering from the punches. It was one of my core beliefs that a trainer should be as fit as his pokemon. Though, whether this training session was more about my anger or the training was up for debate.
I heard him approach. Poliwag wasn’t with him. Who knew where he was? That ball of energy was always wandering around Fontaine. Koshi wasn’t saying anything, just watching.
The sun was hot on my skin, only mixing with the warmth of his gaze. It was a bit weird being watched like this. The sweat dripping off my arms couldn’t cool anyone down. After minutes of him saying nothing, I stop to lean against the dummy.
“What do you want Koshi?”
“I want to know why you’re avoiding me.” I didn’t really have an answer, so I said nothing. “Katai, please. I know you’re upset about the whole Ignis thing, but you are the only person I know that thinks this is the worst idea. I don’t know what you need from me and I don’t know what you want. I need to do this. But I need you there with me.” His voice was tired and desperate. I rolled my eyes and turned away from him, avoiding his eyes.
“I told you I would support you. Of course I will go with you to Ignis.” I hear him take a step towards me and then another.
“Why won’t you look at me?” I slowly look up to meet his eyes. It’s like staring into the ocean, the way his eyes shine, showing me my reflection.
“You have to promise me you’ll be careful. Koshi, promise.” I know my voice was deeper than normal. He didn’t like when I sounded this way. It scared him. He nods slowly.
“I will be. With you there, I know I’ll be okay.” He waits a moment then leaves. I watch him go. Ignis has a lot to offer, but I don’t know if he truly knows just how bad it is there.

Chapter Text

The torii to Ignis was tall, a brilliant orange, and filled me with anxiety. The orange got darker as it closed in on the base. Across the top of the torii, flames burned brilliantly, lighting up the path. The sunset behind, only gave it more life. The fields beyond glowed gold in the sunlight.
I shifted my feet in the dirt path beneath me, drawing the fresh air into my lungs. I felt a hand on my shoulder. Yusuke was looking at me, “My lord, are you ready? After we pass through here, we will be officially crossing the border with Ignis. It will mean war.”

“Is there really a way to be prepared for war?”
“Well we’re using the term war loosely here. It’s not exactly like Ignis has anybody defending it. They’ve been fighting themselves since we were children. If anything, we’ll do our best to make it a peaceful transition. For your sake.” Yusuke was right of course. There would be no battle for Ignis. At least not a traditional one.

My dad used to rave about the beauty of Ignis. He said the volcano was gorgeous, and of course the architecture was incredibly unique since it was built on the side of the volcano. It had never really had an issue. Maybe the volcano was dead in some kind of way? Other than that, the people of Ignis were renowned through Ransei for being extremely energetic and diverse. They were proud and hot-headed, but with only the best of intentions. Hence why the region was surprised by the violent overthrows and assassinations that have plagued Ignis for the last 2 decades.

“Let’s call it a night here. We’ll camp out and then head further into Ignis tomorrow,” my voice hopefully confident enough to be convincing. I looked at the others. Nahoko nods in agreement. She seemed to be awfully happy, despite what our future looked like. Ralts immediately yawned and collapsed, falling asleep. Nahoko laughs and picks up Ralts, walking away to put up her tent.

Yusuke looks at me, “I’m going to run down to the river. Grab some water. Do you want me to grab you some while I’m down there?”
“It’s okay. I’m sure Poliwag will enjoy being in the water, so I’ll take him down there after I get our tent up.” I thank him again, as he and Seel leave, then I look for Katai.

Katai is already setting up the tent. He had been awfully quiet the entire walk. This was starting to get frustrating. I didn’t know what else to do. I apologized. I tried to ask if we were okay, and every time, he just told me we were fine.
I slowly approach him, but he won’t even turn to look at me, “Katai? Do you need anything? I can get you water or I can help you put up your tent.” Katai hesitates for a moment.
“This is your tent. I’m putting it up for you and Yusuke. I’m fine. If I need anything, I can get it myself.” I flinch a bit as he admits that it’s my tent, but I get the point. I looked at Poliwag, who was off a few feet, digging at the ground. He notices that I’m looking at him weird and he stops.
“Poli?” He comes running after me as we head down to the river.

* * * * * * * * * *

Once down by the water, Poliwag jumps in without hesitation. He looks so happy. I can’t imagine that all this sun has been fun for him. Yusuke was laughing nearby. Seel was doing tricks in the water. It’s a bit weird seeing Yusuke laughing. I’m so used to him being serious all the time.
“You look like you’re having a good time,” He glances over at me as I speak to him.
“I’m just happy to see Seel happy.”
“He seems to be enjoying himself too. I’m just not used to seeing you laughing like this. You’re so…strict.”
“Because most times when we’re with each other, it’s when I have to be. You don’t win wars and battles by being kind,” As he speaks, he takes a seat on the hill. I move to sit next to him, as Seel and Poliwag swim off to play.

* * * * * * * * * *

As the sunset came to an end, we ate and then went to bed. It was a bit odd sleeping in a tent. I don’t think I’ve ever been this uncomfortable before. Yusuke was out in no time, but I just couldn’t sleep.
After laying in bed for an hour, I heard some noises coming from outside. I recognized them instantly. I slowly picked Poliwag up off my chest and moved him to my side so I could get up. I crept out the tent. Making my way to Katai’s tent, the noises got louder. I opened up the flaps and peeked inside.
Katai was laying on his back, sweating, mumbling loudly. His blankets were all over the place. Cyndaquil was laying upside down, struggling to flip back over, whining as he tried. I shake my head and walk over to Cyndaquil to help him.
Then I approach Katai and try to shake him, “Katai, wake up. It’s just a dream.” Eventually the shaking works and sits up, accidentally bashing his head into mine. We both yell in pain. His eyes widen as he realizes what just happened.

“Oh Koshi! I’m so sorry.” He grabs my shoulders and then moves my hand off my head so he can look. “It’s a little red. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.” I laugh a little.
“What about your head? I’m fine. It’s okay. Are you okay? You were having a nightmare again.” He goes quiet, pursing his lips. “I thought you outgrew those. You told me they stopped.”
“Well of course I told you they stopped. We were 15. I didn’t want to seem like a crybaby.” Even in the darkness, I could see the red in his cheeks. I wasn’t sure what to think or do. This moment in the darkness. The silence was loud.
“What do you need, Katai? I can lay with you if you want.”
“We’re not kids anymore. You don’t have to do this kind of stuff anymore. I can take care of myself.”
“But if I can help, I’m going to try.” I put my hands on his chest.“ Just try and sleep. I’ll be here.” He watches me for a moment and then nods. He wraps his arms around me, his arms tight around me. I bury my face into his chest. His whole body was warm to the touch. This was much more comfortable.

Chapter Text

The fields were burnt. Long stalks of wheat, brown and black. Smoke rose from the distance, but whatever fire burned wasn't visible. Rattatas and Patrats run through the dead crops. You can hear their feet in the silence. The sun was vicious, raging. I had to remind myself to pick up my feet, or else the dirt from the path would get in my sandals. I think Yusuke was still ranting about history.
“So of course, when Kanbei…’died,’ Hideyoshi’s son took over. But he was only 3 years old and the people of Ignis tried to kill him and his regent. The regent died and Hideyoshi’s son went missing. Most people theorize that the assassins couldn’t bring themselves to kill a child, so they kidnapped him…” Usually I’d care to listen more. Outside of loving history, the information may be vital in getting the people to care that I’m there to help. The heat was too much though, and the only thing I cared for right now was some shade.
Poliwag and Seel looked just as drained as I did. On the other hand, Katai and Cyndaquil were doing fine. Cyndaquil even had a little bounce in his step. He’d occasionally run forwards, then realize we were still too far behind, and come back. Katai’s smile seemed to be back. Nahoko was very curiously listening to Yusuke.

“Wait, so let me get this straight. Someone thought it was smart to leave a 3 year old as the face of the government. Then they were surprised when the people got upset?” Nahoko’s voice was genuinely filled with surprise. I kind of forgot that to the rest of the Ransei, Ignis’ political problems were a world away. Yusuke was thriving off the discussion.
“Yeah and then to make matters worse, instead of listening to the people, the Royal House just kept throwing people up to rule, just so they could get killed. It’s been this way for 16 years.”
“What’s the point? Try something else. Find what the people want.” Nahoko’s frustration shook Ralts, who had been sleeping on her shoulder, awake. Ralts looked around for the cause of the frustration.
“Well some warriors did try to fix it. They waged a war against the Royal House. Even succeeded. But they were power hungry.” Yusuke looks over at Katai, who seems to be paying attention now.
Katai smiles a little, “Yeah. Then warriors got the blame for what was happening. Ignis started killing off anybody who had a special bond with Pokemon.” Nahoko seemed a little surprised.
“Is that why you left?” Nahoko’s question had Yusuke about to interrupt, but Katai answered anyway.
“Yeah. I was born with a very special bond with Pokemon. I’ve always felt like I could understand them in ways, others couldn’t. The thing is, everyone else knew that too. So my parents asked some fleeing warriors to take me to Fontaine, and ever since I’ve been there.”

The following silence was loud. Nahoko had realized just how deep her question was. I wondered if she felt guilty for asking. Even Yusuke was quiet.

I looked at Katai. “Do you remember anything about your parents?” His body tenses up and he shakes his head. I only nod slowly in response. What a liar.

* * * * * * * * * *

5 days passed. The walking was miserable. If I could have fought the sun, I would have. It was starting to irritate everyone else too. They were all starting to get grumpy. Until we saw the outline of Ignis in the distance. Nestled against the side of the volcano, you could have missed it.
Long, bright orange walls shielded Ignis from the rest of the world. You could see the top half of the palace from here, but it wasn’t a great view. It was so close.
I sat outside my tent. It wouldn’t be long until the heat was awful again. For now, as the sun rose, it wasn’t as bad. Yusuke walks up next to me.
“Are you okay, my lord?”
“I’m just thinking. I’m not sure what to do when we get there. They don’t even like the people from Ignis leading them. Why would they like an outsider?” I felt my hands shaking. I ball them to try and make it stop. Yusuke laughs a little.
“You’re not going there to be friends with the people of Ignis. You’re going there to conquer Ignis. You are not responsible for fixing the kingdom, their political systems, farms, nothing. You are going to walk in, claim Ignis as yours, defeat anybody who claims otherwise, then move on to either Greenleaf or Aurora.” He sounded so certain. Like he had dreamed of this moment so many times before.
“Maybe you’re right. The faster we get away from Ignis, the better.” Yusuke walks away to go pack up the tent, and I realize for the first time that we hadn’t come across anybody yet. There were no warriors, no patrols, nothing.

* * * * * * * * * *

Our silent march to the walls of Ignis felt meaningless. No sentries. No guards. The front gate was left open. With an open view of people rushing about the streets.. We slowly walk in, still to no one’s notice.
The people wore what looked like potato sacks. They were ugly shades of browns and greys. Houses were slowly deteriorating. We passed a few houses where there were holes in the ceilings or in the walls. There were no kids playing outside. Only adults silently and hurriedly speed-walking through the streets. I’m sure people had noticed us, but they were in such a rush to get where they were going, there was no time to gawk. There were no Pokemon either. Just completely absent.
The roads here were made of stone, though they were cracked. Plants grew wildly and randomly. One girl was running towards us. As she did, she looked back from where she was coming, and tripped over a plant. She fell face first into the ground. Nahoko gasped and ran to help her up. The girl shoved Nahoko and kept running. Nahoko steadies herself and starts to look around.
“Why was she running?”
“I think it’s less of a why, and more of a who,” Katai’s voice darkens as he points in the direction the girl is running from. 4 bulky men are slowly strutting towards us. They all wear smirks and grins, their clothes noticeably nicer. Despite the bulk, they couldn’t be much older than me. Behind the men, follow some Pokemon. Each of the Pokemon wear the same grin as the men. There’s a Pignite wearing some kind of jacket, a Charmander, a Vulpix, and a Bounsweet.
One of them pulls ahead as the group gets nearer to us. The Pignite jumps in front of him, letting out a loud growl. Poliwag waddles in front of him, meeting him with a loud chirp. Poliwag tries to jump up and down to look more threatening, but between the chirping and the jumping, all of the other men laugh. I feel my face flush.
The Pignite’s Warrior speaks, his voice sounding like his face is full of mucus. “Y’all look pretty. I might have to have yo’ clothes for myself. I’m digging those blues.” His body is covered in scars, bruises, and peeling skin. I try to think of something snarky to say, but Yusuke beats me to the punch.
“And who might you be?”
“We the Warlords of this here Kingdom. You be not from around here, are ya?” Yusuke and I both physically cringe at him speaking. He notices. “And you is?” The man’s smirk hasn’t faltered. Nahoko steps forwards, her whole body shaking with rage.
“We’re here to conquer Ignis.”
“It is been conquer. We conquer a long time ago.” He looks at his friend, who steps up too. His Vulpix moves in sync. He has a little less muscle on his body, but still bulkier than myself. His front teeth were missing, and his hair shaved in random places.
“Yeah! We conquer a year ago!” He puts his hand up, all five fingers wiggling.
Nahoko gestures at the people running. “Did you do this? Are they scared because of you?” All four men laugh at her question. The first one responds.
“They scared because we do what none else could do. We get respect. We kill kings and queens.” The menace in his voice told me that he already knew who we were.

Chapter Text

“I is Kan, and here is Pignite.” The leader stands up straight, eyeing me. “Kid Motochika. You here to win, right?” I nod slowly, still unsure of what to say. He points off in the distance, “Other side of the Volcano is where we do battle. Go there at sunset!” Kan looks at the other man who had spoken, “Tanak! Take them to palace.” Tanak salutes Kan and then looks at us, with disgust. He proceeds to walk past us quickly, leading the way to the palace. We all follow him silently. Once we get to the palace, he turns to face us.
“Here you wait. Sunset.” He then walks off, Vulpix following closely.
I turn to look at the others, “What just happened?” Nahoko’s still seething, seeming to have not really calmed down. She stares at me, the anger in her brown eyes, flaring like flames.
“My lord. We have to help these people. They’re not even wearing proper clothing. Their houses are falling apart, the connection with Pokemon is gone, and everyone is terrified. We can’t leave them like this!” Her whole body shakes as she speaks, struggling to not yell as she begs. I bite my lip and slowly nod, “Nahoko, why don’t you and Yusuke go see what you can figure out? How long has this been happening? What do these people have and what do they not?”
Yusuke frowns at me, “I don’t know if this is smart. I still think it’s better that we just claim it’s conquered and move on.” Nahoko shoots him a death glare. She’s about to say something, but I stop her.
“I understand that, but I need to know just how bad this is. Maybe the people will be more inclined to follow us if we can remove the people that continue to oppress them.” Yusuke considers what I say and then he nods slowly. He bows and leaves. Nahoko watches him go, then looks back at me.
“You can’t just watch this happen and not do anything,” She leaves as she finishes speaking.

* * * * * * * * * *

While Nahoko and Yusuke were gone, Katai and I had made up a game plan for the battle, based on the Pokemon we saw them using. The issue is that neither of us knew what the battlefield would look like. It had been an hour and I think Katai had finally realized I wasn’t too focused.
“Koshi, what’s going on with you? You didn’t say anything the entire time we were talking to Kan and Tanak. And you didn’t have much to say when Nahoko and Yusuke were arguing.” He stands and walks over to sit behind me. He wraps his legs around me, pulling me into his arms. I lean back against him, my head on his chest. He places his head on top of mine. He clasps his hands, resting them on my stomach.
“I’m not sure. Do we stay and help Ignis? There’s no saying what will happen. These people were willing to murder a child to make a point. Let’s say that I get rid of Kan. Will the people of Ignis really accept me as their Warlord? Or is it safer and smarter to move onto Greenleaf as soon as possible? I’m going to feel guilty if I don’t help. But I’m going to feel guilty if someone gets hurt because I didn’t leave.”
“I will support whatever you choose to do.” His response has me rolling my eyes.
“Oh yes. Thank you. That totally helped me make a decision.”
“I don’t know that there is a right answer Ko. You’re doing your best to save someone either way,” He pauses, taking one of his hands to grab something out of my hair. His touch is so gentle. “I do know that your greatest trait has always been your compassion. Your father was passionate. So much that he sometimes missed the kindness part. But you are so loving. The only reason you didn’t want to start this war is because you didn’t want to cause strife for anybody. Why did you choose Ignis as the first kingdom to conquer? Greenleaf or Aurora would have been just a battle and that’s it. Is it because you thought it would be easier, or did you choose Ignis because it needs the most help?”
In all honesty, I didn’t know why I had chosen Ignis. But it had become my hyper-fixation. I could have gone after Greenleaf. With Seel and Cyndaquil, it wouldn’t have been impossible. Or even Aurora. But I had never even given them a thought. I was just so focused on Ignis.
“Are you worried about getting hurt, Katai?” My voice gets softer as I speak. He takes a while to answer. I was so grateful he was here right now. I couldn’t imagine him not being here. I’m not sure I would know what to do.
“Koshi, if you asked me to walk through fire, I would.”

* * * * * * * * * *

The situation was far worse than we had thought. It seems that the four men we had met were a gang of assassins. They were called “The Crimson Emboars.” They had control over every aspect of Ignis: food, medicine, housing, money, and so on. They had burned all the major fields and farms. Only a few were left, and the Emboars controlled the export of those crops. Nahoko had stumbled across a field. The field was full of bodies, particularly of those that had died of starvation or disease. Yusuke was still fairly apathetic.
“I’ll just be grateful to leave. Their lack of grammar when they speak is killing me,” Yusuke’s tone is full of irritation, “It pains me to talk to some of these people.” Nahoko looks like she’s about to blow.
“Ignis has had virtually no leadership in two decades, and you’re irritated by the way they speak? There is no education system, no healthcare, no distribution, export, or import of resources happening. These people are barely scraping by with what they can. Everything they know is based on what they could pick up with their parents, who are dying as fast as they age, thanks to the fact that there are no doctors or food.”
“That was their decision. They consistently overthrew their leaders. They aren’t victims when it was their anarchy that led to this situation.”
“Every leader who came up was just as bad as The Crimson Emboars. They’re power hungry bastards, who extort the people and their rights. A government is supposed to protect and provide for their people. And those people have a right to anarchy when those leaders consistently prove that they’re incapable of doing the one thing they're supposed to.” Nahoko was edging ever so slightly closer to Yusuke. I thought she might punch him. I was going to try and step between them, but Katai held me back for some reason.
“That’s a part of having someone in power. They’re going to abuse their power a little. You just have to accept that that’s part of what it means to have a government. There’s going to be an imbalance of power, and as such an imbalance of treatment.”
Nahoko’s face is red with anger. Yusuke isn’t even looking at her. He’s perfectly content with sitting down and eating.
I roll my eyes, stepping between the two, “Guys. We need to focus. Nahoko, go calm down. Ralts is getting upset. Come back in when you can breathe.” Ralts is sitting at Nahoko’s feet, crying. She seemed to be just as upset as Nahoko. Nahoko rapidly picks up Ralts and storms outside. I look at Yusuke, who stares back at me. He sighs and puts down his food.
“I don’t disagree with her assessment. Warlords should act with the best intentions for their people. You do consistently. I have watched you give everything to the people of Fontaine. But not every person that steps into a position of power is prepared to do it, nor are they always good people. You can have a kingdom that’s been around for 300 years, and eventually that kingdom will have an abusive warlord. That’s what happens when you have someone who has more power than everyone else. But without that person in power, the kingdom will fall into chaos. Look around us. The hospitals and schools didn’t fall apart because of the Emboars. They fell apart because there was no government to protect the peoples’ right to an education or a right to be healthy. Don’t you think that someone who slightly abuses their power, but upholds the rights of everyone involved to live and grow, is better than total chaos?” He stares into my eyes, unwavering conviction. I didn’t know who’s side I was on. This whole argument felt pointless. They both made it clear. If I have the potential to do good, then I should do good.
“Tell me then, Yusuke, what do you do with people like Kan and Tanak?”

Chapter Text

As we approached the battleground, a torii stood before us. A flame blazing across the top made my skin tingle. We were about to fight near the edge of this volcano. There was a large crack in the volcano, where lava spills out in slow-moving streams. Large boulders sit all around the battlefield. On the other sides of the streams of lava were the Crimson Emboars.
Kan waves, “Here! We do battle for Ignis.” Pignite moves to take its place. The other 3 assassins spread out. They all look excited. My guess is that they don’t battle often.
I look at Nahoko and Yusuke, “Okay, remember, Nahoko you’re going to go face the Charmander. Remember, just keep him occupied until Yusuke or I finish up. Then we’ll come help you. Don’t take risks. Yusuke, you’re taking on the Vulpix. And Katai, you handle the Bounsweet. If you finish, see if Nahoko needs help. If she’s okay, then come join me.” They all nod and we turn to look at the Emboars. They all leave my side, slowly pacing away.
I take a deep breath in. The air stinks, smelling like rotten food of some sort. I can feel the heat of the lava emanating around me. The heat reminds me of Katai. I need to focus. I start walking towards Kan. He happily yells something at Pignite, but I miss it. Pignite races towards Poliwag, running through the lava.
“Poliwag, Water Gun! Slow Pignite down.” Poliwag leaps forwards, releasing a powerful blast of water. Pignite takes the blow. Its pace slows a little, but he keeps pushing through the Water Gun. “Okay, Poliwag, once he gets closer, Double Slap.” Poliwag waits, continuing the blast. Until Kan suddenly shouts.
“Pignite, Fire Run!” Two small streams of fire run out of Pignite’s nose. The fire surrounds the pig’s body, evaporating the water gun. Poliwag looks just as surprised as me, letting the attack go. Pignite begins to run faster as it charges Poliwag. I just barely had time to blink before Pignite had smashed into Poliwag. Poliwag flies into one of the larger boulders, completely dazed.

******Katai’s POV******

The guy with Bounsweet tried to keep his pokemon on the other side of the lava, but after watching Pignite run through the lava, I had Cyndaquil do the same.
“Bounsweet, use Leaf Cut!” The name of the move took me by surprise, but based on the number of sharp leaves that pelted Cyndaquil after that, I was certain it was Razor Leaf.
“Use Ember! Burn the leaves up.” Cyndaquil quickly jumps backwards, weaving through the leaves. He finds an opening and then uses Ember. The flame tears through the leaves and smashes into Bounsweet. The man grimaces as he watches Bounsweet drop.
“Come on Bounsweet. We can’t let these hooligans just walk into our home and beat us!” Bounsweet slowly sits up. It was in a lot of pain. I almost hesitated.
“Use Quick Attack. We need to defeat this Bounsweet now.” I look away as Cyndaquil starts to run. A few steps in, he vanishes, reappearing next to Bounsweet. He stands there, tilting his head at the pink pokemon, as it slowly falls over. The man groans, “Seriously? This is crazy.” He glares at me for a moment then runs over to Bounsweet. Meanwhile, Cyndaquil runs back to me.
I grin and lean down to pet him. The fire on his back erupts as I do. “You did it! I knew you could.” He smiles up at me, cooing. “Okay, let’s see…” Nahoko was battling the Charmander. Koshi and I weren’t too sure what her battling abilities were, but Koshi said that when they had practiced before, that she seemed super panicky when battling. Yusuke looked to be winning his battle, the Vulpix struggling to escape Seel’s constant barrage. I turned to look at where Koshi was.
Poliwag was pinned against a boulder. Pignite was beating on his chest. I start to step towards them, until Cyndaquil pulls on my leg. He points at Nahoko, “Quil!” His voice trills.
“I know, but Koshi and Poliwag are going to lose if we don't help!” I try to take a step again, but Cyndaquil won’t budge. I sigh in defeat, taking one last look at Koshi.
“I’m sorry,” I mumble under my breath and rush to help Nahoko.

******Nahoko’’s POV******

My body was shaking the entire time. I knew I was just there to stall out the Charmander, but what if I mess up? If Charmander beats Ralts, we could be in trouble. For now, I had a plan.
“Use teleport again!” Charmander’s Ember rushes towards Ralts, but once again, Ralts was concealed in a purple energy field before vanishing completely. The man across the lava looks at me, getting irritated.
“Who is you? Why you can’t fight? Charmander, use Smoke Bomb!” Charmander’s mouth opened, smoke flowing out of their mouth. Before too long, the smoke was everywhere. I started to panic, realizing I couldn’t see where Ralts was. “Now Charmander, go hunting!”
I freeze up. I search in the smoke, looking for any sign of Ralts. I can feel my heart beating out of my chest. Between the heat, tension, and sweat, I felt like I was drowning in the lava. It took a minute for me to think.
“Ralts, are you safe? Try using confusion. See if you can find him with your mind.” Ralts called out from within the smoke. The moments pass. Every single one feels agonizing. I dig my feet into the earth of the Volcano, trying to breathe. There’s no noise from within the smoke. I can only imagine what’s happening. Suddenly Yusuke is by my side.
“Seel, use Icy Wind and clear out the smoke!” Seel hops forwards, releasing an icy blast of wind from his mouth. You could see the ice in the air as the smoke began to clear. Charmander has Ralts pinned to the ground, slashing at Ralts repeatedly. I start to panic, not sure what to do.
“Quick Attack!” In an instant, Charmander is on the ground next to Ralts, with Cyndaquil helping Ralts up. Ralts hugs Cyndquil, smiling a little. Katai pops up on my other side. “Sorry! Got distracted.” The Charmander’s trainer stares at us, realizing the odds.

******Koshi’s POV******

Pignite is beating on his chest, obviously pleased with himself. “Alright, Piggy let's finish this up, Flame Breath!” Pignite opens its mouth, releasing an Ember attack at Poliwag. I look nervously at Poliwag.
“Come on Poliwag! Get up.” Poliwag shakes himself awake, panicking at the sight of the incoming Ember. He chirps loudly and then jumps. Right on top of the boulder. “No! Not up there! That’s not safe!” The boulder slowly begins to move under Poliwag. Poliwag slightly bends over as the boulder moves. The flame hits the boulder, dislodging it more and then it begins to roll.
“Poli!” I slap my head as Poliwag’s yelp turns into him running on the rock to keep his balance. Pignite and Kan are both watching in wonder. Probably wondering just how we got into this situation. Watching Poliwag running in place, on top of the boulder was embarrassing, and definitely not in the plan. I looked at the field. The water attacks didn’t do enough damage to Pignite. He was too strong, I wasn’t going to defeat him with a normal attack, not before he defeated me.
“Poliwag! Use Water Gun on the ground, to your right.” Poliwag looks over at me, confused, but after a moment, he does it.
“Kid Motochika, what are you doing? You not really good at this conquer thing,” Kan laughs as he watches. As the water hits the ground, the boulder begins to change directions. As it moves left, the boulder smacks right into Pignite. Pignite stumbles a little after being hit. The boulder keeps rolling.
“Keep it up! Do it again!” I laugh a little, feeling the tension fade. Kan looks astonished.
“You can win! Flame Breath the stupid Pokemon off the rock,” Pignite looks up at the boulder, but it seems to be a bit confused. It fires off multiple blasts of fire, with each one missing. Poliwag comes back in, smashing into the Pignite again. This time, the rock pushes Pignite over, rolling on top of the pig, and pinning him to the ground. Kan has his head in his hands, his grin gone. Poliwag is chirping happily, while jumping on top of the boulder. Each jump, smashing the boulder into the Pignite more and more until it faints.
“Poliwag! We won!” Poliwag laughs and then jumps off the boulder. He runs to me and I to him. I slide as I get close enough, sending dirt into the air. I hug him tight, letting out a breath. I didn’t realize just how I had caught my breath in my mouth. Poliwag coos in my arms, burying himself into my chest.
Kan walks up to me slowly, “Kid Motochika, you win this battle. Ignis is for you. But not forever. I don’t give up.” He goes to get Pignite from out under the boulder. Next thing I knew, I’m surrounded on all sides. I start to panic, until I realize it’s just Katai, Yusuke, and Nahoko.
Nahoko laughs, “We did it, Koshi. We won. Ignis is ours!” I smile at the thought. We actually won.

Chapter Text

The fire crackles, popping like the laughter around me. Empty trays sit next to each of us, crumbs of food - all that’s left of dinner. The night sky shimmered with stars. The full moon casting moonbeams all across Ignis. The others were talking about our victory from earlier.
Nahoko’s voice is a tad bit louder than it should be, but no one says anything about it, “And I really had thought I was done for. I didn’t know what else to do. Then Cyndaquil appearing out of nowhere like that? It was crazy!” Katai’s laugh is the loudest. Yusuke elbows him to try and calm him down.
“Well I just had to beat Bounsweet. It wasn’t too much of an issue,” Katai and Nahoko continue to talk, while Yusuke leans over to me.
“My lord, are you okay? You don’t seem very celebratory.”
“Oh. I’m fine. Just hard to believe we actually did it. I wasn’t sure we could do it,” Nahoko and Katai have stopped talking to listen.
Yusuke seems to think before speaking, “I guess that only leaves the question of what we will be doing after this. Will we stay in Ignis or move on?” I know he isn’t going to like the answer, but they all need to know.
“We’ll stay long enough to get the repair started. And until we can find someone who can watch over Ignis while we are gone,” They all nod in response. Nahoko suddenly bursts into giggles.
“Why are we even having this conversation? Now is not the time. We’re supposed to be celebrating,” Nahoko elbows Katai, “Maybe you and Koshi can go on a date now. When was the last time you guys actually got to go out?”
Katai snorted in response, “That would mean we ever went on a date. We’re not like that. We’re just best friends.” Nahoko’s jaw drops and her face goes red. Yusuke is trying to contain his laughter. I blush a little bit at the thought.
I try to help out Nahoko, “That would mean we’d have to like each other like that. I’d rather order Katai to clean out between my toes,” I grin at him, my face still red. Katai raises an eyebrow.
“You can’t say all that until you stop blushing,” He makes a flicking motion at me. I roll my eyes and Yusuke finally breaks, laughing.

* * * * * * * * * *

The next day, we all started the day cleaning up the Palace. It was rather messy. There was dust everywhere, rotted wood, and whatnot. Between the four of us, we were able to get at least the throne room cleaned up.
At about midday, I sent out Yusuke to scout for some other people who might be able to help clean up the palace. A few servants and some that could serve as diplomats. Nahoko went to check out the damage to the farms, fields, and streams to see how much effort it will take to clean up. Katai had gone out somewhere. Said he wanted to check something out. He wasn’t very specific. I had stayed back to keep cleaning the Palace, but eventually Katai came back.
“Ko, can I borrow you?” His voice is soft. It was weird hearing him like that. I’m just hoping that I’m not in trouble again.
“For what? Is everything okay?” I walk over to him and he nods. He takes my hand and leads me out of the palace. He walks me through town, down different roads, twisting and turning. He walks like he had walked this path a hundred times. His silence somehow is intimidating.
We eventually came to the entrance of a cave. An artificial entrance has been built, with stone doors before us. Katai lets go of my hand to open the doors. He steps in and I follow in behind him.
Inside the cave, it’s very different. The interior of the cave is made entirely of a pale orange quartz. Scattered along the walls are white quartz. These crystals glow, lighting up the cave with a white light. Towards the center of the cave are two caskets. Both are slightly different. Katai walks to the one on the left. The entire casket is made up entirely of gold. It’s inlined with a variety of gems, all around the hinge. The top of the casket has some kind of decals, in the shape of Ransei. The face of an unfamiliar pokemon is repeatedly carved into the sides.
“Katai, where are we?” I look at him, as he sits down next to the casket.
“This is the cave where Hideyoshi first met the God of Fire.”
I ran my fingers across the face of the unfamiliar Pokemon, “So that’s who this is. The God of Fire,” I look over at him. His eyes haven’t moved from the casket, “Who’s buried here?”
“This is Hideyoshi’s,” His voice is still soft. It wavers a little bit. His body is shaking, “My father’s.”
I reach over to put my hand on his shoulder. For the first time since I’ve known him, his skin is cold, “I don’t understand. Do you mean Hideyoshi is your father?” Katai nods very slowly.
“I was three years old when I was made Warlord. My mother caught wind that the royal house was going to be killed. In a desperate attempt to save me, she sent me to go live with her parents. My mother was killed in the attack on the palace. Then they started attacking anybody with Pokemon. So my grandparents sent me off with some other warriors. They were trying to escape. They took me off to Fontaine…” His voice drifts off. I kneel down and pull him close, letting him rest his head on my chest. He does so, still staring at the casket.
He continues, his voice becoming more strained as the tears start to streak down his cheeks, “I never thought I’d be here again. Then you wanted to. And it scared me. Because I had always dreamed of coming here, but I wasn’t sure if it would be the place I wanted it to be. And it isn’t. But maybe it can be.” He grabs onto my arm, his fingers digging in.
We sat there like that for a while. Just resting, letting Katai cry. I’m not sure how long we were in there, but I’m grateful we were there that long. The idea of him being Hideyoshi’s son felt impossible. There was no way that the kid I grew up with, the man in my arms now, was the son of the most powerful Warlord in History. I needed the time to process.
Eventually he slowly pulls himself out of my arms and stands up. I look up at him and he takes both of my hands. I stand as he slowly pulls me to look at the other casket, “This is Hanbei and Kanbei. They were my dad’s closest friends. And also, madly, deeply, in love. Kanbei asked to be buried together.” As I admired the caskets, I could feel Katai’s eyes on me. I turned to him. His orange eyes are beautiful, passionate, and warm. There were these blue specks in his eyes. He continues to speak, “You would never find a trust more powerful than what they had. When Hanbei died, Kanbei was devastated.”
I sighed a little, saddened at the thought, “I’ve heard some of their stories. It’s romantic, but tragic,” I smile weakly at him.
“Are we?” His question catches me off guard.
“What do you-” Before I can finish asking what he’s talking about, he leans down and kisses me. His hands are squeezing mine. His kiss is rough, and his lips a little dry. They taste a little like the blueberries he had for lunch. I didn’t know what to think or do, I just let him kiss me. After a moment, he pulls his face back just a little, his eyes still closed, his voice quiet.
“I’m never going to let us be that tragic.”

Chapter Text

Katai coughs, my silence loud and awkward. What was I supposed to say? Wasn’t it just last night that he said we weren’t anything? Is this really the right time? I have so much to do. I felt lost. The only thing I could do was stand there, with my eyes closed. If I tried, I could still feel his lips on mine. A voice spoke from the entrance of the cave.
“My lord, both Yusuke and I are back,” Nahoko’s voice is soft. It feels distant. Nothing feels real right now. I can feel him let go of my hands and I almost reach for them again. He might be the only thing holding me up right now.
“Yeah. We’ll be right there. Just a moment,” Katai’s voice cracks in the middle of his response, “Come on Koshi. We should be going.” I nod and finally open my eyes. The crystals in the cave had dimmed, making it harder to see. Maybe Katai couldn’t see the confusion in my face.

* * * * * * * * * *

We made our way out of the cave and returned to the palace. Silently. Yusuke greets us at the door. He looks rather stressed. A bunch of teenagers are standing around Seel, laughing as he entertains them. He balances and claps, then tries jumping and spinning in the air.
“My lord, I found some people. A mixture of literate and illiterate people, though I’m still not sure why we need the illiterate ones.”
“Because the majority in Ignis are not literate. They should be here on behalf of those people. We need to stimulate the flow of money. I’ve already sent for some supplies, particularly food, from Fontaine. That should be arriving soon and will help with the shortage.” I turn to Nahoko, who is waiting nearby, “And what about the farms?” Her sigh told me a lot.
“The farms are heavily damaged. The farmers believe that they can get the farms fixed up, but it’ll be time consuming. There’s still the issue of irrigation. The streams are dammed up in multiple spots. They’d appreciate it if we could go through and clear out the dams.” Her voice sounds curious, probably wondering if we’d actually be the ones to do it.
As I was about to answer, several voices started to yell and echo outside the palace. We all rush outside to find the commotion. A large crowd of people had gathered. Not a single one looked very happy. Voices called out from the crowd.
“Who said you could come here?”
“Ignis isn’t yours to conquer!”
“Leave before we make you!” The protests are loud. I look at the others, confused. Nahoko shrugs in response. Katai isn’t meeting my eyes. Yusuke gestures at the crowd. I cough loudly and the mob starts to calm down.
I hold out my hands, “I know I wasn’t necessarily invited to Ignis, but Ignis is in danger. And I don’t mean your poverty or your rapidly dying population. I mean a war is brewing in the North. There is a threat that will wipe Ransei completely clean, including Ignis. My goal is to stop this evil, but to do that I have to first make myself a path there and conquer South Ransei. I’m here to protect you and help you. We’ve already made pro-” A laugh cuts me off.
“Oh great. Another lunatic lying to appease us. That doesn’t work buddy.”
I feel the frustration setting in, “I’m not lying. I’m the Warlord of Fontaine, and we have already received news that Dragnor is getting violent.”
“That’s why Faella exists. Go home!” The crowd starts to angrily chant again. I sigh again and look at the others, gesturing for us to go.
I talk to them as we squeeze past the crowd, “We’re gonna take down those dams. Then I’m coming back here to handle them. Maybe by then, I’ll have something to say.” Nahoko is giving me a weird look, “Is everything okay Nahoko?”
“I never told you anything about ‘Dragnor wiping Ransei clean.’ Nobody knows that that’s their goal. Why did you say that?”
“How do you know I wasn’t lying? It just sounded good,” I smile, trying to keep up the facade. I forgot that nobody knew about the visions I had in the temple.
Katai snorts at my question, “You get a little crinkle between your eyes when you lie. When you said that, there was no crinkle.” I look at him, shooting him a death glare, but he’s still not looking at me.
“Fine, we will talk about it later. For now, split up and look around the streams for dams.”

* * * * * * * * * *

“Why does he always have to open his damn mouth?! I don’t understand. Does he not know that you can shut up at times? There’s this wonderful thing called ‘not talking’ and Katai should really try it. I would have told everyone about the visions at some point,” I kick a rock as I scream at the sky. Poliwag is keeping his distance, watching me storm. I can hear the stream bubbling nearby. I had already seethingly cleared out two other dams. They were just stones stacked up to keep the water from passing through.
“Poliwag, are you ready? Let’s get the-” A cry comes out of the water. It sounds like a Pokemon. I rush to the edge, Poliwag close behind. A Horsea is stuck against the dam, struggling to get free, wagging its fins. One of the fins isn’t moving properly though, “Oh hold on! I got you.”
I gently picked up the Horsea, “I’ll take you to Ignis and get you all fixed up.” I look at Poliwag, “Can you destroy the dam please?” Poliwag smiles at the question, throwing himself into the dam. It breaks easily. A voice speaks behind me. It’s cocky and a little dark.
“Are you always screaming and yelling and kicking things?” I turn to see a young man, with bright, yellow hair. He has a stupid looking smile on his face. His skin is dark and his eyes are gold. He looks around my age, maybe a little older. There were some white markings around his eyes. He was pretty tall. I’d say he’s at least as tall as Katai.
“And you would be?”
“My name is Raiden. I’m from Ignis. I saw your battle with the Emboars. You looked pretty clean out there. I came out here to look for my Mareep. She has a tendency to sleepwalk,” He looks around dramatically, shrugging. I cough a little at the excuse. This was a long way out for a pokemon to sleep walk to.
I look past him, “Ah, well it’s nice to meet you. I should be going though. This Horsea needs help.” I start to walk away, but I can feel Raiden’s eyes following me as I walk away.

* * * * * * * * * *

By the time I got back, nobody else had returned. I trekked to the palace, nursed the Horsea, then placed it in the pond next to the palace. There was a small garden there with a pond just outside it. The garden wasn’t very pretty. It hadn’t been taken care of in a while. Based on the fact that Horsea seems to be enjoying playing with Poliwag, it must be feeling a little bit better. As I stand up, I hear Raiden’s voice again.
“So what’s the plan, Mister Too Good to Talk to Anyone?” I look up to see Raiden standing a few feet away, leaning against a tree. A Mareep slowly walks up to stand near Raiden, then it just falls over asleep.
“My plan?”
“I heard your big speech earlier. You’re trying ‘to save the world.’ You can’t do that and fix Ignis. Our problems are going to take a while to fix and you don’t have that kind of time, do you?”
I stretch a little, “I have a plan. I’m going to find someone that I trust, and have them watch over Ignis while I finish my mission.” Raiden laughs as I finish and then walks over to me. He puts a hand on my hip.
“And who do you have in mind? Maybe that boyfriend of yours. You could probably stand to lose some dead weight.” The comment makes my face go red.
“He’s not my boyfriend. Just my best friend.”
“Oh so that’s why you were yelling isn’t it? He confessed his feelings and now you’re angry at him every time he opens his mouth.” I was going to answer him when Katai’s voice stopped me, though he didn’t necessarily sound happy.
He was standing nearby, watching. His arms crossed. “My lord, if you’re done flirting, we’ve all returned.” His voice was cold and bitter. Nahoko and Yusuke are both standing behind Katai. They look nervously at each other. I nod and jerk away from Raiden, walking past the trio.
Raiden walks up to Katai, “You snooze, you lose. Best Friend.” He laughs and I swear I can hear Katai breathing flames. I turn to look. Nahoko and Yusuke are both holding Katai back, while Raiden walks towards me. Katai’s face is red. Raiden laughs as he gets close to me, grabbing my ass in the process, “Let’s go, Princess.” I stumble a little as he does so, trying to get out of the way.
“Don’t do that,” I stormed inside, slamming the door behind me, trying to push him away from me. I can feel my heart beating faster. Nahoko and Yusuke quickly scurry in the door. I turn to look at them, “Uh, where is Katai?” Yusuke flinches.
“Maybe it’s better if we just don’t right now,” He shrugs as he speaks. I sigh and shake my head.

* * * * * * * * * *

The evening passed and Katai didn’t return. Outside the palace doors are splotches of blood all over the stone path, so I can only imagine just what kind of trouble he got himself into.
On the other hand, the bedrooms have all been cleaned up, so now I have a room to sleep in. Poliwag had decided to sleep outside near the pond with Horsea. It was weird that he wasn’t here. After I bathed, I realized the moon looked gorgeous, so I wound up staying by the window, just staring at the stars, thinking.
What would I do about the people of Ignis? They needed more help than I could provide. I could leave Yusuke to govern Ignis. But I really needed him and Katai for Greenleaf. Poliwag was going to struggle against the grass types there, but between Seel and Cyndaquil, we should be okay. I was going to have to find someone in Ignis, but I didn’t even know where to start.
I hear my door slide open quietly and then close. I look behind me to see Katai. There’s a bruise on his cheek. His shirt is ripped and just barely hanging to his shoulder. There were scratches and bruises all over his upper body. There was a hole in his pants, exposing his knee. It was bleeding from a scrape. When he walks in, he just stares at me. I don’t know what to say, so I just stare back.
His voice is soft as he speaks, sounding genuine, “You look beautiful.” It’s so honest. His words drip with love.
“Katai, what are you doing here? You should bathe and get some sleep. We have a busy day tomorrow,” I was scared. I didn’t know what to do. He looked awful.
He doesn’t move for a long moment. His eyes drift to the ground, “Why did you let him do that?”
“Why did I let him do what?” The question took me by surprise. Obviously he meant Raiden, “It’s not like I just asked him to get all touchy touchy.”
Katai raises his voice, his whole body shaking, “But you let him!” I can hear the desperation in his voice, “You didn’t stop him!” I try to breathe. It’s not like he had to jump Raiden over it. When I don’t answer immediately, he gets more desperate, “ Is that what you want from me? Do you want me to just grab you all the time? Do you want me to call you Princess? I’ll do it...” His rambling keeps going, just repeating himself now. He’s trying to calm himself down, but it’s not working. I can see the panic in his shaking.
“I didn’t want him to touch me. I don’t know him like that, Katai. He’s some random guy who just started hitting on me. You didn’t have to pay him any attention. You didn’t have to get angry, and you really didn’t have to fight him,” I don’t move from my spot. It feels like forever before he speaks again.
“I kissed you, and you didn’t kiss me back. You didn’t say anything,” I hated seeing him this miserable. It broke my heart, but also, part of me, doesn’t want to do anything. I had nothing to say about it.
I turn back to the window, “Go bathe and get some rest. You’ll feel better in the morning. If you still have questions, we can talk about it then.” He comes to the window, looking down into my eyes. I wonder what he saw in them. Either way, he left just as quietly as he came.

Chapter Text

When I saw the four warriors walk into Ignis for the first time, I don’t think I really stood out. But they did. The nice clothes, very hygienic. They were clean. And ballsy. They had the audacity to stand up to The Crimson Emboars. Maybe they were just stupid? They spent the next few days. A few others went to watch the fight. I joined them. My bet was on the Emboars. Kan’s Pignite was just too powerful. Then that guy, he did something crazy. It was like a miracle. That’s what you call it when it’s an accident right?
I remember that was the first time I had really noticed him. He had blonde hair, with bangs that fell across his forehead. His hair is a little curly. His eyes were sapphire blue, practically glowing as if he had gems for eyes. His skin was pale and looked delicate, so when the guy with the Cyndaquil touched him, you could see just how red he got. Still, his smile was cute. The one he got when you could see the weight of the world fall off his shoulders for a second.
They spent the next couple days running around. His boyfriend, who looks familiar somehow, dragged Pretty Boy all through town. I could swear I recognized his boyfriend. I just don’t know from where.

* * * * * * * * * *

Tanak was straggling behind the rest of the group. The rest of the Emboars were too pissed to care. No one even looked back for him. Tanak sighed and sat down, cuddling his Vulpix close. They were always so confident. Too confident. Never checking the shadows or corners. Never watching their backs. Granted, who would even consider attacking them.
I whisper to Mareep, “Thunder Wave.” Mareep let out a yawn and then released a small bolt of electricity at Tanak and Vulpix. Their bodies convulsed from the shock. As soon as the electricity faded, I slowly approached from the shadows, “Well hello Tanak. Long time, no see. Well I guess I did see you lose miserably. But that’s neither here nor there.”
Tanak’s face slowly contorts into fear, “Raiden. What you want?” His words are slurred since he can’t really move his mouth too well. Both he and Vulpix are laid out.
I lean down, looking into his face, “I just need to know who it is that beat you. The pretty boy.”
“He Kid Motochika. Fontaine.” I laughed a little. Kid Motochika from Fontaine. To think Ignis was being invaded and conquered. I was trying to recall just how much I knew about Fontaine from Motochika, but I couldn’t really remember much.
“Well thanks Tanak, but I gotta get going. Good luck!” I walk off at a brisk pace. I can hear Tanak calling me to come back and fix him.

* * * * * * * * * *

I went to the palace, expecting to confront Pretty Boy. I wanted to get to know him. I wasn’t necessarily going just because he was pretty. But also, because I don’t quite think he understood what he was getting into. I got there to see a crowd, yelling at him. He was doing his best to calm them down.
“There is a threat that will wipe Ransei completely clean, including Ignis. My goal is to stop this evil, but to do that I have to first make myself a path there and conquer South Ransei. I’m here to protect you and help you. We’ve already made pro-” Someone cut him off. His voice was rather soft. His voice reminded me of the rain. A soft drizzle. The kind of rain that makes you question if you want to curl up and read a book. That kind of calm and comfy. Did he always speak like that? I know I’m always horny, but this was different.
While my mind had wandered off, Pretty Boy had already left. I turned to Mareep, “Go right home. I’ll be back soon.” Mareep yawned and walked off. I went off to follow after him.

* * * * * * * * * *

I was able to find him. His shouting and yelling at the world about some guy, probably his boyfriend, had his voice echoing. I was waiting to approach him. Just one moment where he wasn’t kicking something. By the time he did stop, he got distracted by the sound of some Pokemon in the stream. I watched him pick it up, reassuring it that everything will be okay. Okay, so he’s a sweetheart too. Damn.
“Are you always screaming and yelling and kicking things?” I try to laugh as I speak, hoping it makes me seem less creepy. He turns to look at me. It’s easy to tell just how uncomfortable he is.
I can see the confusion in his eyes as he looks over at me. I almost hated the look of worry in his eyes. He stands slowly, looking at me, “And you would be?”
“My name is Raiden. I’m from Ignis. I saw your battle with the Emboars. You looked pretty clean out there. I came out here to look for my Mareep. She has a tendency to sleepwalk.” He coughs. I wonder if he’s sick.
“Ah, well it’s nice to meet you. I should be going though. This Horsea needs help.” He starts to wander off. I watch him go. He’s got a cute butt. What can I say?

* * * * * * * * * *

I wasn’t going to follow him to the palace. But I felt like I was in a trance as I just did it. I knew he had that boyfriend, well until he said they weren’t dating. It didn’t help that said boyfriend showed up while we were talking. I could see the jealousy burning like fire in his eyes. There was something so pleasing about it. Making him jealous. Watching Pretty Boy get flustered.
What I didn’t expect was for his boyfriend to attack me. We fought all over Ignis. The second I’d get him off of me, I tried to get the hell away, but within seconds he was on me again. By the time he stopped, we were both beat. We just laid there on a stone road. The stone was cool. It didn’t feel half bad. I don’t know how long it was before he got up and left. I waited until I couldn’t hear his steps anymore, then I got up. My body was aching and sore. I had some kind of cut on my cheek. Guess I know better now. I don’t really learn though.

* * * * * * * * * *

The next day, I went up to the palace. A crowd had gathered again and they were booing Pretty Boy. I think they might be threatening him. Again. He was just as gorgeous as always. His boyfriend was there, the biggest bags under his eyes. He looked pretty beat too. I’m glad it’s not just me.
Pretty Boy was struggling to calm the crowd. I couldn’t help but laugh at the spectacle. His face was flushed with irritation. Someone threw something at him. I’m not sure what it was. I saw him duck to avoid the attack. I couldn’t let his pretty face get all messed up now. I quickly made my way up to the Warlord. The crowd quieted as I got on stage. I recognized most of them. A few whispers passed around the crowd. Pretty Boy looked over at me. I could see the mistrust in his eyes. He’ll get over it. I put my arm on his shoulder, causing Boyfriend to stomp back inside.
I look down at the crowd, keeping my voice casual, “Now come on guys. Can’t you at least give the man a chance to speak?” Someone laughed from the crowd
“Raiden, don’t give us that. You’re only saying that ‘cuz he’s your type.”
They knew me so well, “Maybe he is my type. I’m still working on winning him over. But, also you could just listen to me. You know, I heard a rumor that a shipment of food from Fontaine is on its way here. I saw the farms being cleaned up. Yesterday, I watched this guy help free up our irrigation systems and save a Horsea in the process.” There are some more whispers, so I continued, “I’m not saying he’s the best Warlord ever. We can all tell that talking isn’t really his thing. But that shouldn’t disqualify him from a chance. A chance to prove that he is what Ignis needs.”
The crowd talks amongst themselves. Discussing how he beat the Emboars. Someone confirms that they saw the fields being cleaned up. It doesn’t take long before the murmurs of agreement ring louder than those of dissent. Soon the crowd is gone.
I look over at him, picking myself off of him, “Well there you go Princess. You’re all freed up now. Better make the most of it.” He’s staring up at me, a little bit of awe in his eyes.
“Thank you Raiden. Also, my name is Koshi. You’re pretty good at this.”
“Well yeah. I used to try and stand up to the Emboars, but Kan’s Pignite has always been a problem for Mareep.” He nods slowly, looking me up and down. I grin at him, “Like what you see?” He rolls his eyes, but he does give me a brief kiss on the cheek, before he returns inside the palace. Hey, I’ll take it. “I’ll pick you up at sunset!” It was supposed to be a joke, but as I turn to walk away, I see someone retreating into the shadows. Their eyes stalking the palace doors.

Chapter Text

When I had stepped into Koshi’s room, I lost all of my willpower. He was standing against the window. The white moonbeams dancing on his skin. When he turned to look at me, I could see the entirety of the ocean in his eyes. When I looked deeper, there were gold flecks, like sunken treasures. When he spoke, I’m not even sure what he said. His voice. It’s so gentle. It reminds me of a brook or small stream. Just smoothly passing through. Did he know he was this beautiful? Maybe that’s why he didn’t love me. Still. I had to tell him. I had to say something.

*****Nahoko*****

The next morning I woke up. Of course we had all heard Koshi’s and Katai’s fight. So nobody was really surprised the next morning when everyone was quiet. And still, nobody was surprised to find Koshi focused on tasks first thing, while Katai looked like he hadn’t slept at all. Yusuke and I were instructed to go help out the farmers. Katai was told to go back to bed. We ate, and went about our day.
The fields had actually been cut back really well in a few days' time. Yusuke and I had instructed some of the farmers to go to the border with Fontaine and befriend some Pokemon. After that, it’s been easy work. The air smelled of smoke and fire though. Most of the farmers had decided that it would be easiest to just scorch it all and redo it. Yusuke was mumbling about something, but I hadn’t really paid too much attention.
“Hey, Yusuke, do Koshi and Katai fight this much?” He laughs a little at my question and nods.
His voice softens up as he speaks, “I forget you haven’t been around that long. They’re very different people. Fire and Water if you will. Katai is passionate. About everything. He’s confident and ready to jump at everything. Koshi has always been more cautious, prone to overthinking. He’s always been super shy. In a lot of ways, it worked out that they were such good friends. Katai gives Koshi the confidence to step out of the shell. And for what he can’t, Katai more than makes up for it. Katai’s emotions tend to go everywhere, and when he feels them, he gets caught up in them. Koshi’s so good at ignoring his emotions, it means he’s pretty good at reeling Katai in.”
It all made sense, “Except that doesn’t explain them fighting so much.”
“Well, those rules only go if they’re dealing with someone else. Katai wants Koshi to be more passionate. Koshi can’t feel anything or it scares him. Koshi wishes Katai would slow down, but Katai has never slowed down a day in his life. It got worse when they were teens. They argued every week. I’d say it’s just what happens when you’re a teen, but they were so different. They’d spend all day trying to impress each other, then fall apart as soon as the day was over. I think they were falling in love, but to Katai that meant taking a step forward, and to Koshi that meant taking more space.”
As he continued to talk, I started to drone him out. I knew what the problem was. It was just a matter of solving it. I’d talk to Koshi when I got back.
There was a sudden scream for help. Yusuke immediately stopped talking and started rushing towards the scream. Seel was on his heels. I paused, not sure if I should go help him. “Yusuke, maybe we should go get more help,” He ignored me and kept running. I sighed and picked up Ralts, holding her close to my chest. I ran after him.

* * * * * * * * * *

We got to an old wooden house. I think we had stopped here the day before. I’m not sure. So many of them looked the same at this point. Yusuke busts into the house, kicking the door open.
There wasn’t much in the house. Mostly just cheap, ragged furniture. Then I realized that there were three people in front of us. A younger woman surrounded by two men. Between the two men and the woman are an Ekans and a Bidoof. The Ekans hissing at her, causing her to scream some more.
Yusuke immediately jumps into action, “Seel, Icy Wind!” Seel claps and then proceeds to hit both Pokemon with an icy blast. The two men exclaim in surprise at the interruption. Ekans and Bidoof are both pushed back into a wall.
“Bidoof break it up! Use…uh….what’s it called?” The trainer scratches his chin. Before he can say another word, Yusuke calls for Seel to use Water Gun on the Bidoof. Seel does it without hesitation. Bidoof collapses. Ekans is still crawling about.
“We don’t like people who mess with our business. Poison Sting!” Ekans spits a multitude of needles at Seel, who takes the attack head on. I couldn’t help, but watch. Seel’s body collapses under the attack. He looks to be suffering a lot from just one attack. Yusuke curses something about poison. After last time, I wasn’t sure I’d be too much help. Ralts looks up at me. I’m sure she’s noticed my apprehension. She always understood me like that. Suddenly she jumps out of my arms, waving her hands. I bite my lip, looking at the Ekans.
“Okay Ralts, let’s try a Confusion.” Ralts looks over at Ekans. After a brief moment, a blue outline surrounds Ekans, and it’s lifted in the air. Ralts begins to swing her arms, throwing the Ekans in every direction. It hits the ceiling, then the floor, both walls, and through a table. I sigh in relief as the Ekans knocks out. The two men look rather surprised. They look between the two of us and then grab their pokemon, running off.
Yusuke looks at me, “Thank you.” He goes to check on Seel, while I talk to the woman.
“What happened here?” I approach her slowly, though she’s already calmed down.
“I so happy you here! Bandits every place. Thank you!” She hugs me tight, “I no have Pokemon, so I no know what to do.” I gently pat her back as I hug her.
“I’m glad you’re safe. They should be gone now,” I look over at Yusuke, who nods. We both walk out. I realized that I had been holding my breath the whole time. Finally letting it out felt so nice. The tightness in my chest, slowly fading. We slowly walked back out through the fields, the fresh air filling my lungs.
Yusuke grins at me, “You did much better this time around.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well during the battle with the Emboars. You froze up. You took so much time to think of your next move, Ralts was pinned and going to lose. You took a while this time to get started, but you immediately called a move. Much better this time around.” I laughed at his assessment.
“Fair enough. I still have a lot to learn. I never did do much fighting in Faella.”

* * * * * * * * * *

“Yusuke, earlier you mentioned that Koshi is pretty reserved and keeps his emotions bottled up. What do you mean by that?”
“Well Koshi had to grow up pretty fast. Motochika died when Koshi was young. All Koshi had left of his father was some journals. When Motochika died, he left Orime in charge of his Empire. But, Orime didn’t necessarily want all that responsibility. So she spent most of Motochika’s childhood running around Ransei, finding warlords for kingdoms. And even once she was done, she stayed gone. She’d come back here and there, but I think Motochika’s death made her want to stay away from Fontaine. As soon as Koshi was 16, he was made Warlord of Fontaine and Orime came back. I think all that made it so he had a hard time expressing himself. He feels like he has to bottle his feelings up and feel nothing but logic.”
“Have you ever seen him angry or upset? And how do you know that Koshi loves Katai? It looks pretty one-sided right now.”
“I saw him angry once. It was years ago now. You know how a river is pretty calm and just goes with the flow right? That’s Koshi. But every once in a while, it’s going to flood. And when it does, it’s destructive. It’s messy. I swear, I saw things that day that just weren’t possible,” He pauses, reflecting, “I know he loves Katai, because if he didn’t, he would have just told Katai the truth and moved on. They wouldn’t be fighting. But instead, Koshi is being forced to acknowledge his feelings and he doesn’t like it.”

Chapter Text

Ransei lies below me. The black seas wash over the land, destroying everything. The screams of people and pokemon echo through the sky. The screams fade. The tides pull away. All that’s left is Dragnor.
I wake up screaming. Grabbing at the blankets, I reach around, grasping for something. I’m not sure what. As I realize what I’m doing, I stop. It was just a nightmare. My body is drenched in sweat. I don’t think I can breathe fast enough. I just sit there, trying to calm back down. I can’t. I guess it’s an early morning.
After getting dressed, I went out to the pond and sat with Poliwag and Horsea. Ignis felt much cooler than the fields surrounding the kingdom. Sitting outside like this wasn't so bad. Poliwag was still asleep by the time I got out there, but Horsea was playing in the pond. I decided to sit by the water’s edge, occasionally splashing Horsea with water. After a while Nahoko came out to find me.
“My lord, breakfast is being served. If you’d like to join us.” I followed her back in. Yusuke is already seated, eating quietly. He keeps glancing at Katai. His bruises look much more brutal in the light. On top of that, he has bags under his eyes. He must not have gotten any sleep. I remain quiet, focusing on breakfast.
Eventually the silence becomes a little awkward so I break it, “Nahoko and Yusuke, I want you two to head out to the farms. Make sure they are getting everything they need. I’m going to focus on handling the people of Ignis today. I need to get them on my side.” Both Nahoko and Yusuke nod silently. I turned to Katai, “And you’re going to go rest.” I gently place a hand on his arm, but he pulls away. I let my hand fall back into place, saying nothing more.

* * * * * * * * * *

My address to the people of Ignis didn’t go so well. I don’t know why I can’t get it right. I just never feel like there’s a right thing to say. It’s so frustrating. Luckily, Raiden appeared out of nowhere. I wasn’t exactly happy to see him at first, but he really saved the day. After all of the flirting and tormenting, I couldn’t believe he turned out to be good for something. He just has a way of speaking that gets people to understand him. I was honestly jealous. I wish I could talk to people like that. When I returned inside the palace, Katai was gone entirely. Maybe he finally went to bed.

* * * * * * * * * *

Later that evening, around sunset, there was a knock at the door. Nahoko went to open it. She laughs a little, “Is that - um - your nice clothing?” She listens to the response, then she looks over at me. “My lord, it’s for you.” In my head, I knew it was going to be him. In my head, I also prayed it wasn’t.
Sure enough, standing at the door was Raiden. His shirt only covered half of his body. He wore some kind of baggy pants. They at least looked comfy. The outfit was a tad bit ridiculous though. He grins at me.
“Hello, my lord. Told you I’d be here to pick you up at sunset.” He laughs, holding out a hand for me to take, as he bows. I give him my hand and he kisses it.
“You do realize, I did not agree to go on a date with you.”
“You do realize, I’m not taking no for an answer. Come on. I ripped my shirt just for you. So you can see my abs. Looking at your boyfriend, I just know you’re into the muscles.” I feel my face flush as he mentions the muscles.
“Okay, fine. I’ll go with you. Just stop calling Katai my boyfriend.”
“Will do Princess.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Raiden leads me through Ignis, showing me some old sites. I don’t know how he knew, but I actually really enjoyed the history. It was nice to see some of the parts of Ignis that hadn’t been burned to the ground. Most of them were just houses where the warlords had grown up in the past, or old schools that aren't used anymore. He showed me a blacksmith’s forge. It was covered in dust. There was a library. He says it’s still active. Though, I don’t see anybody moving around inside.
“You know Princess, you never did tell me your name.”
“Well for one, it’s not Princess. You do realize I’m a guy right? My name is Koshi.”
“Well for one, your name is always gonna be Princess. But it is nice to know your real name,” I roll my eyes at his response. He starts to lead me out of the kingdom. We walk and talk quietly. At first it starts with him just asking about my interests and me asking for his. Then it turns into what we wish we could fix about Ignis. Eventually we stopped. I realize for the first time where he’s brought me.

It’s a small pond. A stream nearby leads over a waterfall, into the pond. In the water are a few pokemon. A couple Poliwags and I think I saw a Wooper. The waterfall creates a rainbow, arching away, soaring through the air. I walk forwards. It’s gorgeous. I was about to keep walking when Raiden suddenly grabbed my hand.

“Careful. Don’t fall in,” He laughs as he pulls me back to safety.
“Where are we? This is beautiful.”
“It’s one of the streams you guys unblocked. It ends in Ignis’ territory. Sometimes I like to come down here. We don’t have a whole lot of water here. When the warriors fled, many of the pokemon around the kingdom fled too. This place has always had some species around it though.” We sat down, talking for a while. It was a peaceful conversation. He was willing to stop flirting as much now. Thankfully.

“I have a question for you, Raiden.”
“What’s up?”
“How are you so good at the speaking thing? I mean like in front of crowds.”
“Well for one, I don’t freeze up. I’m not thinking my every word through. Secondly, I had a lot of experience growing up. My family worked in the Royal Household under Hideyoshi, then later under Kanbei. I adored Kanbei and Hanbei growing up. We got along well and both of them took me everywhere. I got to travel to other kingdoms and I learned a lot about politics and speaking to people. Stuff like that,” He talks so casually about it. I look over at him. He doesn’t really seem the political type. Granted, a Civil War can change a lot.

As the sun went down and the stars came out, our conversations became a lot more light-hearted. Usually him making some kind of flirty joke, then acting stupid. It was kind of nice. Before we knew it, we were kissing. He was right, the muscles were nice. I kept tracing over his chest and abs with my hands. I swear that kissing him felt energizing. It’s hard to explain, but the more I kissed him, the more I wanted to keep doing so. Next thing I knew, I was sitting on top of him. His hand had slid up my shorts, grabbing at my thigh.
Out of nowhere, he suddenly flips me over, breaking the kiss. He covers me with his body. A voice speaks out from behind us. It sounded familiar, but hard to place.
“Raiden, you move now. Or we kill you too.” The voice is menacing, the threat sounding very well. Raiden chuckles. I can feel his breath against my scalp. There’s a sudden shriek from the same direction and Raiden moves off of me. I sit up to take the scene in. Tanak and Kan are both running in circles as Mareep jolts them with electricity. Both men are carrying some kind of knife in their hands. Raiden draws me closer.
“I suggest you guys try again some other time,” Raiden smiles and both men run off. I look over at him.
“What just happened?”
“The Crimson Emboars aren’t just jerks or warlords. They’re assassins. They killed multiple Warlords before they took over themselves. I knew eventually they’d come after you. They don’t keep power with Pokemon or battling. They keep it with murder.”
I gasped as it hit me, “You took me on a date to get me away from the palace.” His stupid grin told me I was right. I felt stupid.
He laughs as I connect the dots, placing a hand on my lower back, “I mean, I’m not upset that we got to make out. You’re pretty hot and your lips are so sweet. You even smell good. Damn. I almost wanna try again. But for now, you need to stay here. I’m going to get help. Mareep will take care of you.” He takes off, running. Mareep lazily wanders over to me, falling asleep in my lap. I wasn’t sure what to think now. I couldn’t really believe that the Emboars had just tried to kill me. It felt…unnatural.

* * * * * * * * * *

It felt like hours had passed, but I knew it couldn’t have been that long, when suddenly Katai, Cyndaquil, and Poliwag were at my side. Katai hugs me tight, burying his face into my hair.
His voice is rushed and panicky, “I’m so glad you’re okay. When we got attacked at the palace, I started freaking out. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know where you were. What are you doing out here?” Katai’s speaking so fast, I can barely understand him.
“Wait, hold on. You were attacked at the palace?”
“Yeah! Two of the Emboars attacked us. Yusuke and I were able to take care of them though. Were you here the entire time?” I nod slowly. I can see the wheels turning in his head. He starts to seethe, “Raiden.” He stands, but I take his hand, stopping him from going after him.
“He saved me. He took me here because he knew they were going to try and kill me. So he brought me here to protect me.” Katai pauses and kneels down next to me. He stares into my eyes.
I didn’t know what else to do. I almost felt guilty. For making out with Raiden. Katai didn’t deserve that. But also, did he deserve anything? I didn’t owe him anything. Still, he’d be hurt if he didn’t know.
“Katai, I need to tell you something. Raiden called it a date. We made out…I just need you to know that.” I can see the hurt in his eyes.
“That’s why you smell like him,” He nods slowly and looks at the ground. He notices the Mareep. Mareep looks back at him
“-Reep~” Katai laughs a little.
“She’s tired.”
“She’s been sleeping the entire time,” I look down at her, placing my hand in her fur. Mareep let’s out another baa.
“Well now she’s doubly tired,” He sounds so certain. I roll my eyes at him, not being able to stop from smiling. He looks at me, “Honestly Ko, do you like him? Do you want to be with him?”
I shake my head earnestly, “No I don’t. He’s funny. And in some ways, he makes me feel really good about myself. But he’s really just a friend that things got a little crazy with for a second.” He sighs in relief and stands up. He holds out a hand to help me up.
“Then what about me? Who am I? To you Koshi.”
I try to think. What do I want from Katai? More than anything. I know he’s anxious about the answer, so I give him the best one I can, “My best friend. I don’t know what else. I don’t know about us being more than that. My entire life feels like it’s in the air right now and really, I’m so tired of making decisions. I was nearly just killed. I don’t even know if I’ll live to see a relationship.” I take his hand and stand up, holding Mareep in my other arm. As I stand, Katai hugs me, kissing the top of my head.
“Then I’ll make sure you live tomorrow. And every tomorrow. Then when you feel ready to make a decision, I’ll be there. Until then, I’m just your best friend.”

Chapter Text

The next morning, the day was gorgeous. There was a breeze that blew right through the palace. You could smell the fresh air and everything. It was amazing. Well except for the fact that we had to have another meeting.
By the time I got there, Yusuke and Nahoko were already standing by the table, going through some documents. He hands her a sheet of paper. She takes it, turning the paper to an odd angle. Through the sunlight, I can see that it’s a map of some sort.
Yusuke continues ruffling through the papers, “Since we have very little left to do here in Ignis, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the Greenleaf battlefield. Since Fontaine and Greenleaf have had a strong relationship in the past, we have it on good authority that they’ve stuck to the same fields.” He doesn’t even look at her as he speaks.
I walk over to the table, “Don’t forget Yusuke. We still need to find someone to watch over Ignis. I can’t just leave it unguarded.” He looks a little surprised at the comment.
“I was under the assumption that Raiden would be the best choice.”
“I would like him to do it, but I’ve not had a chance to ask him to do it. I think he cares about Ignis. He tried to protect them from the Emboars before. So despite being a little - what’s a positive word - enthusiastic-” They both snort at my comment, “I’m sure his heart is kind enough that he wants to see Ignis heal.” As I finish speaking, Katai walks in. He looks much better. The bruises on his face are healing, and the bags under his eyes are gone.
He wanders over to stand next to me, “Well good morning everyone!” He smiles as he takes a glance at the paperwork. As soon as he realizes it’s serious talk, his smile turns to eye rolling, “Never mind. Bad morning.” I laugh and elbow him. Raiden walks in and looks like he’s about to walk over to me, until Katai steps between us. Standing behind me, I can fill his hands on my side, mumbling something about my clothes being wrinkled. Raiden laughs and pats Katai on the back, moving to stand beside us. I guess it’s time to get started.
I clear my throat, trying to sound like a professional at this, “Alright guys. So we are almost ready to go to Greenleaf, but we do have one more thing to accomplish before we go. We need to get rid of the Emboars. They are the biggest threat to Ignis right now. And whoever we leave in charge will always be at risk, if we don’t stop them ourselves.” They each nod in agreement, so I look to Raiden, “Do you know where we might find them?”
He takes a moment to think, “Yeah. I think so. They have a base towards the outskirts of town. I can take you guys there.”
I nod, “Great. But there’s one more thing I need to talk to you guys about.” I told them about the dreams I’d been having. The visions of Ransei being destroyed. Yusuke looks very interested, while Katai looks a little more hurt. Raiden is grinning and Nahoko’s mouth hasn’t closed the entire time.
Nahoko’s the first to respond, “So you’ve had, like, dreams about it? Are they serious? Is that even possible?”
Yusuke answers for me, “So the legends say. There are lots of legends about the most powerful Warlords in history having extremely unique abilities. Motochika, Koshi’s father, also had visions. In his journals, he said that both times Nobunaga set out to conquer Ransei, Motochika was haunted by dreams of a black wave crashing over Ransei. There are even legends about the Hero and Nobunaga both being able to communicate with Pokemon as if they were speaking the same language. Some say that they are gifts given by the Gods to those destined for greatness. Nobody’s really sure what that means, but that’s the legend anyway..”

* * * * * * * * * *

As we walk, I can feel both Katai’s and Raiden’s eyes on me. Katai’s walking so close to me, he keeps bumping into me. Every time he does, Raiden snickers. This is starting to feel ridiculous. I’m going to snap at them. At some point, I gently shove Katai off me. I think he gets the point and takes a few steps back.
We soon approached a large house. It’s pretty wide, painted orange, and in very nice condition compared to other buildings in Ignis. Guess when everyone’s scared of you, it’s not too hard to find people to do upkeep. I knock on the door and get no answer. I tried again. Yusuke steps next to me and kicks the door open.
“Yusuke! I’m not trying to look like I’m breaking in.”
“They’re assassins. I think their crimes might be worse,” He leads the way in. It was a bit weird coming without Poliwag, but we had decided that the Pokemon would be safer at the palace. Who knew what we would find here? Yusuke turns back, “Split up. Nahoko go with Katai. Raiden and Koshi, you guys go together. I’ll wait here in case anybody comes walking in.”
Raiden and I take the left side of the house, slowly going through the rooms. He’s oddly quiet.
I whisper to him, “Are you okay?”
“I’m not fond of being assassinated.”
“If we clear them out, will you watch over Ignis in my place?” He pauses at the question, stopping to look at me like I’m crazy.
“Is this really the time?”
“Well considering that it’s been hard to get alone time with you, where there’s not a chance of us being killed, is there a better one?” He looks at me hard and moves to stand in front of me.
“You know what Princess? Just for you, I’ll stick around and keep an eye on Ignis,” He laughs a little and leans down to kiss my forehead. Once he’s back up, he winks at me, “I suppose your boyfriend’s going with you?”
I roll my eyes. All this time, and he still doesn’t know anybody’s name. “Yes, Katai will be going with me. If he doesn’t kill me first.” Raiden grins as he checks another bedroom for any clues.
“You know, you could just date him? I see the way you look at him. You love him just as much as he loves you.”
“Is that why you keep hitting on me?” I can hear his snicker from the hallway.
“Honestly Princess? I’m not too into the dating thing. I’m more of a one night kind of thing. But, it is rather funny watching you get so embarrassed. And even better? I can walk into any room and I single-handedly piss him off.”
I was about to respond as I opened another door, but instead I screamed. It was disgusting. And awful. Raiden immediately made his way to my side, “Woah!” Laying on the floor before us was a body. His insides had been completely removed and they lay on the floor next to his body. His skin was pale. It was definitely one of the Emboars, but not one I knew the name of. There was maybe a few more seconds before Katai was there and a few more before Yusuke and Nahoko too.
I felt sick the longer I looked at the body. I thought I was going to throw up. The pink mess next to the body was soaked in dried blood. Raiden pointed around the room at the blood that had spattered and dried much further than just from where the body was. I put a hand over my mouth, trying to keep it closed. The room smelled awful. I’ve never smelled something like this. This was the smell of death. Not just any death either. A brutal murder. Katai takes my hand.
“There was another room on the other side of the house. It contained a body as well. If I remember correctly, these two had a Charmander and a Bounsweet. Though, I haven’t seen their Pokemon anywhere,” Katai’s voice is soft, gentle. Obviously trying to calm me down, but this was a bit much. I slowly kneel down, one hand on my mouth and the other on my stomach. I didn’t know what to say. I just kept staring at the body with the giant hole where his stomach was supposed to be.
Yusuke nods slowly, “Well we still need to find the other two Emboars. We should get out of here. They may be at the Palace already.” I don’t know how Yusuke speaks so matter of factly. There’s a whole human, dead at our feet. Gutted. I can’t move. I feel stuck. Katai slowly leans down and picks me up, carrying me out of the room. I bury my face into his neck, desperate to smell anything other than death. I know I’m holding on too tight, but this was too much.

* * * * * * * * * *

Once we were back at the palace, we all rushed around to look for signs of the other Emboars, but nothing. We all met back at the War Room. I had slightly regained my composure, but I could feel the image of the body, the organs, the carved hole, burned into my head.
My voice was shaky as I spoke to everyone, “Okay, do we have any idea who killed them or why?” Everyone shook their heads, except Yusuke.
“They may have been killed by someone else in town. It’s not exactly like the Emboars were well liked. That would make sense to me at least,” Yusuke was probably right. But then where were Kan and Tanak?
Nahoko holds up a hand to pause the conversation, “Where are our Pokemon? I was hoping one of you guys might know.”
I gesture outside, “We left them outside by the pond and garden, remember? They’re probably still busy playing.”
“I went out there. They were missing. I was hoping they were inside,” Her voice was full of concern. I felt my body freeze. My head started racing. The chance that one or two of them might wander off was likely. The chance they all wandered off, slim to none. I don’t even pause to answer, rushing outside.
The pond was empty. And there wasn’t a single Pokemon in the garden. Katai looks around, “Maybe they’ve just wandered off. Went on an adventure or something?” Raiden shakes his head, pulling something off a flower nearby. It looked to be some kind of paper.
“Meet at battlefield at night. Moon at highest,” As Raiden read the message aloud, I could feel the anger growing in my body, replacing the disgust from earlier. The Emboars are too stupid to know the difference. They’ll be at the battlefield now. They just think we’ll come at midnight because they told us to. I start to walk. The others all follow behind me.
Nahoko is the first to speak up, “Uh, Koshi, where are you going?”
“I’m going to get Poliwag back,” I can feel the anger slipping out in my voice, but I can’t help it. Nahoko stops for a moment and then keeps walking.
“Maybe we should get some help. They could be dangerous.”
I wanted to answer. She was probably right. But at that moment I didn’t really care. I could hear Katai console her quietly, “Don’t worry. We were both trained to handle ourselves physically. Not just in battles, but in combat too. He’ll be okay. We just need to back him up.”

*****Yusuke*****

Was I really surprised to see Koshi so upset? Not at all. Was I surprised to see him jump into action immediately? Certainly. He’s usually more cautious about this kind of stuff. Koshi’s not a great decision maker. I kind of figured he’d want to talk about it, but he stormed off right away. Though I worried what we were getting into. The sun hadn’t even reached its peak. I did wonder why the Emboars would have chosen midnight, but they probably wanted the darkness to have an advantage over us.
As we followed behind Koshi, I could have sworn I had seen something appearing around him, but it was gone just as soon as I had seen it. The people of Ignis realized something was wrong. They very cautiously avoided us, all eyes following our footsteps.
With Koshi’s pace, it didn’t take us long to get to the battlefield. Sitting not far from the entrance were Tanak and Kan. They were talking about something, but they realized we were there too soon and stood up. Both drew katanas from their belts. Koshi stands his ground, not flinching. He stares them dead in the eyes. They each watch each other cautiously.
Koshi’s voice is cold, rough, “Where are our Pokemon?” I was starting to worry. The Emboars weren’t playing. Kan and Tanak look at each other and laugh. Tanak steps towards Koshi.
Kan tilts his head, pointing his katana at Koshi, “It not midnight. Why you here?” Koshi doesn’t answer. Neither does anyone else. Kan shakes his head, the grin turning into a smirk, “Leave Ignis and we give Pokemon back. If you do not leave, we kill you.”
“You can’t kill us you idiots. I swear I will mutilate you in ways you’ve never thought possible,” Koshi speaks like a raging river, flooding over, ready to destroy everything in its wake.
Tanak looks over the group, “We kill Warlords. Many times. That is how we got power. Killing Warlords.” It made sense. I remembered them talking about it before, when we first got here. They had mentioned killing Kings and Queens. That must be how they managed to get power without any resistance. They killed everyone who did resist them. Kan lowers his katana.
“Pokemon back there. And what you to do about it?” Tanak waves his katana a little in Koshi’s direction, as he speaks. I looked over for where the Pokemon were. It took me a moment, but I realized that next to a small cluster of boulders were a few cages. Some of the Pokemon had muzzles on. As I noticed the cages, I swear I felt the air get colder. I look over at Koshi. It was there this time for sure. I can see it. Surrounding Koshi was a bright light. It was a mixture of baby blue and pure white. The light was there for just a moment, but I swear it was there.
Koshi steps forward again and again, rapidly coming close to Tanak, “You muzzled him? You put him in a cage, and you muzzled him?” Koshi’s pitch was rising. As he neared Tanak, he broke out into laughter. The laugh puts Tanak off and he finally swings his katana towards Koshi. Koshi steps and turns, catching Tanak’s hands in the process, stopping the swing. Then Koshi shoves his knee into Tanak’s gut. Tanak falls to the ground, gagging, dropping his katana. Koshi picks the fallen weapon up.
Kan rushes Koshi with his katana. In the same step, Koshi weaves his blow around Kan’s blade, striking his katana against Kan’s wrist, causing the Emboar to drop his weapon. Koshi moves his katana to Kan’s neck. The Assassin puts his hands in the air, a look of surprise taking over his face.
Koshi lowers his voice, “Who killed the other Emboars?”
“We did. Too weak.” Kan’s eyes narrow. Nahoko suddenly screams. We all turned to look at where Nahoko was looking. Tanak had a knife in his hands. He was in the process of cutting himself open. His knife was tearing at the skin in his abs. He didn’t make it very far before he stopped, dropping the knife, and falling over. Koshi looks back at Kan.
“Why did he do that?” Koshi keeps the katana close to the man’s throat. Kan’s smirk becomes a lot more menacing.
“We not captured. Rather die,” Kan lunges forward, pushing the katana in Koshi’s hands through his own throat. Koshi’s eyes widen as he watches Kan impale himself. He immediately lets go of the katana. The katana drops, sticking in Kan’s throat. The assassin falls forwards. The hilt catches the ground, allowing Kan’s head to slide further down the blade. Koshi stumbles backwards, but Katai catches him.
I move to check that Kan is dead. He should be, but just to be sure. I lean down and feel for a pulse. It’s gone. I moved to check Tanak. He’s still breathing but barely. We could possibly save him, if we hurried. I look up at the group. Koshi has passed out, his face pale. Katai is sitting down, holding Koshi’s head. Nahoko turns and vomits. Raiden just looks away.
“They’re both dead. They won’t be a problem anymore.”

Chapter Text

*****Yusuke*****

Koshi was sitting near the cages, hugging Poliwag. I think he might be crying, but it’s hard to tell. Seel wasn’t really fazed. He was already at my feet clapping. I leaned down and put my hand on his head, happy he was okay. Katai and Cyndaquil sounded like they were having an entire conversation. Nahoko approaches me cautiously, her Ralts in her arms.
“Yusuke, did you see the light? The one around Koshi I mean,” Her voice is quiet and shaky. I nod slowly.
“I’ve seen it once. We were just kids~”

* * * * * * * * * *

I watched Katai and Koshi from a few feet away. Katai was trying to teach him how to do a headstand. At the present moment, Katai was upside down and Koshi was laughing.
“Now see, you just gotta keep your balance. That’s the hardest part,” Katai’s voice was a little strained.
“Like this?” Koshi charges Katai, tickling him. In the process, Katai falls over, both boys giggling. I could feel my eyes roll on instinct.
I scoff, looking at them as if they were crazy, “Katai, this is not going to be very helpful when Koshi is a Warlord. He won’t ever need or have time for headstands.”
Katai grins, looking at me upside down, “There’s always time for fun, Yusuke. You just don’t know it because your face is always stuck in an encyclopedia.” Koshi laughs a little at Katai’s comment. As we start to argue, there’s a bit of a whining noise behind me. I turn in a panic, wondering what’s about to jump me. But all that’s there is a small, blue fox. Katai and Koshi both approach slowly.
Katai’s voice is quiet, “What is that?”
I keep my voice quiet, not wanting to anger it, “I think I remember reading about it. I think it’s a different type of Vulpix.” They nod in agreement. Katai sits, looking at the Vulpix.
“Come here. I promise I won’t hurt you. I just want to make sure you’re okay,” I don’t know if it was the smile on Katai’s face or maybe it was just the tone, but the Vulpix almost immediately walked to him. Vulpix started barking and making whistling noises. The more it speaks, the more Katai looks frustrated.
Koshi moves to sit down next to Katai. He reaches out and gently pets the Vulpix, putting his head on Katai’s shoulder. He looks completely enamored with the fox. They sit that way for a bit, listening to the Vulpix. Katai slowly stands up.
“There’s a ship nearby. They have a bunch of Pokemon in cages. Vulpix says that the people are really mean.”
“This isn’t a game, Katai. We can’t just go running onto ships like that. Pick something safer to play. Maybe it told you that the fields need water or something.”
Katai glares at me and shakes his head defiantly, “I said what I said.”
“How would you know? It’s just a Vulpix. It’s not like you can actually understand it.”
Katai stops, biting his lip. Koshi stands up slowly, holding the Vulpix in his arms. What’s wrong with these two? Most Pokemon run away from people, especially injured ones. How did they convince this Vulpix to trust them, and in what world do they think this Vulpix just said that there were Pokemon trapped on a ship?
Koshi smiles and gently kisses the top of Vulpix’s head, “I trust Katai. We should go. We’ll just be sneaky about it.” He puts the Vulpix down and it starts to run off, stopping at the edge of the yard, waiting for us. Koshi and Katai both take off after it. I sigh. If they get in trouble, they might need me to get them out of it.

* * * * * * * * * *

The ship was huge. They come and go all the time with these people who are dressed weirdly. The people bring weird Pokemon here and keep them in red and white balls. It doesn’t really surprise me that they’re not kind to Pokemon. The ones in Fontaine right now are from some place called Katno. Kanto? Kanto-oh? It didn’t matter. It was a weird name anyway.
The ship is made entirely of wood and it kind of stinks. Both kids were already running around the ship in awe. They kept pointing at different things and talking about them. There are maps of places unrecognizable, weird belts with the red and white balls on them, and barrels full of food.
As we wander about the ship, it’s pretty empty and quiet. Vulpix guides us through the ship and down some stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, it opens up to a large room. Around us are cages upon cages of Pokemon. Most of them looked sad. Some did look hurt. I almost felt bad for them. I wondered for a second what consequences there would be for releasing them. I didn’t really have time to evaluate the situation though, as it only took a few seconds for the boys to run to the cages.
Within a few minutes, each of the cages were open. Vulpix let out a howl and then ran back up the stairs. The rest of the Pokemon followed. Katai and Koshi walk back to me. I notice that Koshi has his hands behind his back.
“Koshi, what did you do? What do you have?” I almost regret asking. Especially after he started giggling and pulled a Poliwag out from behind his back.
“Imma name him Swirly. ‘Cuz he’s got a swirl on his tummy. Isn’t he so cute?” The Poliwag cooed and smiled at us. Koshi hugs him close as Poliwag coos, both of them looking rather pleased. I smack my forehead. This was stupid.
I tried to put on my most adult voice. I know I’m only a few years older than them, but most of the time they listen to me when I do, “When we get off this boat, you are releasing ‘Swirly’ into the wild.” He looks a little disappointed as I say it. He starts to mumble to the Poliwag. We walk back up to the top of the ship. An older voice is yelling somewhere towards the exit of the ship. We slowly creep around, looking for the voice.
Ahead of us was an older man, hitting a Ponyta. It had these beautiful, orange flames across its head and neck, but as the man screamed and kicked it, the flames got weaker. I don’t know why it didn’t just run away. But it just sat there and took it.
His voice is full of anger and hate, “You stupid Pokemon. What do we keep you around for anyway? When we leave this forsaken Region, I’m dropping you into the middle of the ocean. See what you do then, you lazy fuck.” He kept kicking it. My jaw dropped.
And then it happened. The temperature dropped. I don’t know how much, but it was much colder than it was just a second ago. I heard Koshi behind me. He moved to put Poliwag down. He slowly approaches the man. As he walks, some kind of light flickers around him. At first I thought maybe it was a trick or I wasn’t seeing something right. Maybe it was a Pokemon? The light was baby blue and white. Katai stepped out to try and grab Koshi, but I grabbed his hand and pulled him back.
Koshi’s voice was deeper and scarier than I had ever heard it. He laughed a little. The older man was caught off guard, stopping. The Ponyta took the chance to flee, running away from the boat. Koshi lashes out, “You were hitting it. You can’t just do that. That was cruel. Maybe I should push you into the ocean, see how you like it!” Koshi immediately ran at the man. He tried pushing him, but it didn’t do much. As angry as Koshi was, he wasn’t going to go toe to toe with a grown adult.
“Well, you are pretty spunky for a kid. Threatening me huh? Maybe I should drop you in the ocean? See if that teaches you a lesson,” He picks up Koshi, restraining him. Koshi tries to struggle free, but he just isn’t strong enough. Katai is trying to break out of my grasp, but I can’t let him go. He’s just going to get us all thrown off the ship. What I didn’t account for was Poliwag.
As the man hung Koshi over the edge, Poliwag started running towards them and as soon as he got close, he jumped up and started rapidly slapping the man with his tail. The man stops walking, trying to escape the slaps. Koshi took the opportunity to bite the man’s arm, causing him to drop Koshi back on the ship. Realizing this was the opportunity, I made a run for it.
“Let’s go!” I ran to the exit of the ship, dragging Katai along. Koshi reaches up, grabbing Poliwag. The man falls backwards towards the edge of the ship, barely catching himself. All three of us ran towards the Palace. As soon as we got to the palace, the sky had already turned gray. The thunder echoes, cracking with disapproval.
It rained for two weeks straight after that. Between the thunder and the winds and the awful amount of water, several ships were sunk or damaged. There was a fear that somehow Fontaine had made the Gods angry, so the invaders left. And just as soon as their last ship was out of sight, the storms were gone.

Chapter Text

“Are you sure you have everything you need? I have more food on the way. If you need more, just write to Fontaine and they’ll ship it. We have more than enough. Once I get to Greenleaf, I’ll be sure to send a shipment from there as well,” I know I sounded a bit frantic talking to Raiden, but I was nervous. Ignis was a mess of a kingdom and it wasn’t totally fixed. I felt guilty leaving it.
Raiden puts his hands on my arms, “It’ll be fine, Princess. I know what to do. Now calm down and go save Ransei. But don’t be afraid to come back and visit. I like to see your pretty ass every once in a while.” What a perv. I nod slowly, trying to take a breath.
It had been 5 days since we had watched the brutal suicide of Kan and Tanak. Thinking about it still shook me to the core. Since then, I made sure that the shipments from Fontaine were distributed to the people and that Raiden was aware of the goals that needed to be accomplished in Ignis. He was sure of himself, as always.
“Oh, and I have something for you,” Raiden hands me a book, “It’s Hideyoshi’s journal. He has some pretty good insight on War and Ransei and the different regions. I figured, it might help you out some. There’s also some insight from Hanbei and Kanbei. I think that what they have to say might benefit you the most.” I gently take the journal, nodding. The cover is bound together with a leather cover. Some kind of orange ribbon is tied around the book to keep it shut.
I move in to hug him, “Thank you Raiden.” I slowly step away. I missed him already. Afterwards, I returned to the pond. Yusuke and Nahoko were already waiting there, alongside Poliwag and Horsea. I went to the edge of the water, putting my hand on Horsea’s head.
“Are you ready to go home little one?” Horsea trills a little bit. After a moment, he floats into the air, rubbing his head against my cheek. I was a little taken aback. I didn’t know a lot about the species, but I wasn’t exactly expecting one to be able to fly, “Uh Yusuke, how is it flying?” Horsea returns to the pond a few seconds later.
Yusuke shrugs a little, “Well, honestly? I’m not entirely sure. After you found that one, I did a little bit of reading. Apparently its species is descended from dragons.” I laugh a little bit at the thought. Descended from dragons. This little thing? I almost doubted it, but Yusuke was very rarely mistaken. Nahoko laughs too.
Nahoko gestures at the Pokemon, “Maybe you should bring Horsea along with us. He could be useful,” Nahoko looks between us. I had never really thought about having a second partner, but with how well Horsea and I got along, it might be nice. Especially since Poliwag might enjoy having a friend. Nahoko stutters a little, “Um, also, Katai said he was at that cave. He said he wanted to visit one last time before he left. Though, that was a while ago.”
“I’ll go check on him. We’ll meet you on the way out,” I kneel down to Poliwag and Horsea, “You guys stay with Nahoko and I’ll see you soon.” They both smile at me. I turn and run off to the cave.

* * * * * * * * * *

Once I get to the cave, I slip in as quietly as possible. I wasn’t exactly sure what he’d be doing and I didn’t want to interrupt anything. Once I’m in, I see Katai kneeling before Hideyoshi’s casket. He didn’t seem to hear me come in. Or at the very least he didn’t react. The air was damp and a little warm. I took a deep breath, listening to Katai speak.
“I hope you’re proud of me. I think I’m doing the right thing and I’m really set on this one. And with him by my side, I’m pretty sure anything is possible. I will find justice for Ransei,” There’s a pause in the conversation. He bows his head to the casket, “Please guide me on the rest of my journey.” He stands slowly and turns to me. His face gets a little red. I smile and walk over to him, hugging him as tight as I can.
“I don’t think he could be any more proud of you. We’re going to save Ransei,” I move to Hideyoshi’s casket, gently brushing my hand against the gold. The casket is pretty cold. It’s freezing actually. The cave is silent, except for Katai’s breathing. I feel a breeze pass over my skin and enter my lungs and then everything goes black.

* * * * * * * * * *

Standing before me is a man. He’s probably in his early 30’s. His hair is brown and his skin, tan. He has a thick, brown mustache and bright orange eyes. You can see the genuine joy in them. The more I look at him, the more I realize he looks just like Katai. With more facial hair. I go to touch his face and my hand goes right through. I gasp and pull back.
That’s when I realize, standing behind him is a giant, white dragon. It has bright, blue eyes, looking over a cheering crowd. Each time it breathes, small embers fly from its mouth. I look around, but nobody seems fazed by the dragon. The dots finally connect. Could this really be Hideyoshi and the God of Fire?
I realize I have no clue where I’m at. Nothing looks familiar. I see a tall, black palace in the distance. I think it may be Dragnor’s palace, if I remember the stories right. It has multiple stories with pointed edges driving away from the building. The points themselves are capped with gold. As I take in the scene, the crowd suddenly screams.
A large, black cloud is soaring right towards us. Lightning circles around the cloud. Is it even a cloud? No. Clouds don’t have red eyes. And they certainly don’t carry men. Landing just a few feet in front of Hideyoshi, a dragon similar in size to the Fire God drops. It’s huge. Its red eyes remind me of rubies. It lets out a roar, sparks flying from its mouth. A tall, muscular man slides off of it. His skin is darker and he has long, messy brown hair. His eyes are full of hate as he glares at Hideyoshi.
“You will regret ever conquering Ransei. I will ensure it. I will make it my life mission to ruin you, Hideyoshi,” The man’s voice is bitter. Despite being pretty attractive, his voice did not match. He sounded pained and like it was a struggle for him to talk. Hideyoshi doesn’t seem concerned though. He actually breaks into laughter. He’s laughing so hard, he’s bent over. I thought the other man was angry before. But the more that Hideyoshi laughs, the angrier the other gets. Eventually Hideyoshi calms down enough to stand back up. He still carries a smirk.
I realize that Hideyoshi even sounds like Katai as he speaks, his voice smooth and calm, “Nobunaga, you have failed to ever conquer more than half of Ransei. In all of your goals and dreams, you lack the skill to do so. I’m here for fun. I did this because it sounded like a good time. Now what’ll happen if you threaten the peace of Ransei? You think the other kingdoms will just not stop you? There will always be someone to stop you,” Nobunaga’s body tenses up the more Hideyoshi speaks. I can’t believe that’s Nobunaga. Then that must mean the black dragon is the Lightning God. The amount of pure power in this one area is incredible.
Nobunaga’s lip is bleeding from where he was biting it. He starts stomping, “I will keep trying. I will train my children to do the same. And they’ll train their children to conquer Ransei. One of these days, all of Ransei will bow to Dragnor,” Nobunaga spits as he talks, almost looking like he’s falling apart. He looks like he’s losing it. His hair falls across his face as he stomps, shaking wildly. His hands keep balling into fists and then releasing, his whole body shaking viciously. As he finishes, Hideyoshi steps towards him. He keeps walking. Slowly. The smirk never leaves his face. As he walks, a pure, white light flashes into view around Hideyoshi. It washes over him, getting brighter with each step. The air feels warmer. I notice that as the temperature rises, the more refreshed I feel. The Fire God lets out a bellowing roar, shaking the world around us.
Hideyoshi’s voice doesn’t falter, confident as ever, “Then I will prepare my bloodline to always defeat you. To make sure you fail. You will never know what it feels like to succeed, nor will your children or grandchildren. The only thing they will understand is the pain and shame of defeat. Justice will always prevail. Time and time again.”

* * * * * * * * * *

I sit up, breathing hard. The first thing I notice is my clothes covered in sweat. They’re soaked. The second is Hideyoshi’s face looking down at me. No. It’s just Katai. He looks worried. He’s saying something, but it’s too muffled for me to understand. I look around. I’m back in the cave and Katai is carrying me in his arms. I grab my head. My brain is pounding like it’s trying to break out.
“Koshi? Are you okay?” My breathing is still rough. I feel like I can’t get enough air. I put my hand on his chest, nodding slowly. I just want to reassure him. My head feels like it’s going a million miles at once. He holds me close. And right now, I’m grateful for it.
Eventually, the world slows down and I start to feel better. I try to ask Katai to put me down, but he shakes his head, “Not if you’re gonna’ just pass out on me again. I’ll just carry you.”
“You can’t just carry me to Greenleaf,” I can hear how shaky my voice is still. I’m going to assume that’s not convincing him of anything.
“And why couldn’t I? I could probably throw 2 more of you in my arms and still make it there without an issue,” I roll my eyes at his cockiness. He gently leans down and kisses my forehead. His voice gets a little softer, “Are you okay? For real Ko.”
I wasn’t sure. What should I say? I think it was another vision. Maybe it was just a dream. It was just so…real. It couldn’t have been just a dream, “Um, give me just a bit. I need to think. I’ll tell you what happened. I just need a minute. We need to go though, I told Nahoko and Yusuke to meet us at the exit,” I can’t lie again. Katai nods and begins walking. His pace is slow. I put my arms around his neck, trying to just calm down and piece together what just happened.

* * * * * * * * * *

Once we get closer to the exit of Ignis, I get down to walk on my own. Katai was still worried. He kept offering to carry me. I reassured him that I was fine.
“Katai, I had another vision. I thought I could only have them at the temple in Fontaine. But I think that was another one,” I looked down at the ground, still replaying everything in my head.
“Another one? What kind of danger did you see this time?”
“Not a bad one or even a prophecy. I saw your dad confronting Nobunaga,” I told him about the rest of the vision. He listened intently. He puts his hands on the back of his head.
After a lot of consideration, he speaks calmly, “Maybe that’s what all this is about. Maybe this is Nobunaga’s son trying to follow in his Father’s footsteps?”
“Probably. It was just kind of crazy,” I look over at him, “You know you look just like him? Though you’ve got a lot more muscle than he did. He was a bit scrawny,” Katai blushes a little, looking up at the sky.
“I look just like him huh?” I think I could hear some pride in his voice.
When we get to the exit, Yusuke and Nahoko are both waiting. Ralts is moving some kind of fruit in the air, while Poliwag, Horsea, Seel, and Cyndaquil chase it. I giggle a little as I see them. It’s kind of cute to see them getting along so well. I thought about telling the others about the vision, but I held off. It wasn’t that serious. Despite that, Katai is keeping close in case something happens. Occasionally I feel his hand on my back as we walk. As we walk away from Ignis, I pull out Hideyoshi’s journal. I flip open to the first page and a sheet of paper falls out. I just nearly grab it before it hits the ground. I put it back in the book and then look over it.

“I have spent much of my life engaging in battles. Long before I ever knew Hideyoshi or even Hanbei. Sometimes these battles were just meeting Pokemon in caves. Other times these battles were so much worse. It was never being able to leave my bed. I struggled to eat or sleep. I was wondering what my worth was. I stopped the latter of these battles when I met Hanbei. Because every time I couldn’t get out of my bed, Hanbei joined me for a nap. And when he was hungry, he’d drag me anywhere to eat. Or at worse, drag the food to me. When Hideyoshi asked me to watch over Southern Ransei, I almost doubted myself, but Hanbei encouraged me. He said he’d stay and help me. He said he’d be here.
In all of my life, crawling in the darkness looking for light, it took me a very long time to realize that he was the light. He was my sun, my reason, my hope. Without Hanbei, I have no light. And so that light has been extinguished and my reasons for living - with it.
It’s been but a few days, and I miss the way he was always ready for a nap. I miss the way he’d touch my face, the way one might touch your heart. I yearn for the way he’d tease me, just to put me on a pedestal. I almost hate saying that I live for love. But those that I love have all gone, and what is there to life if love is dead?
When I pass and my skin is cold and my face is paler than I could ever embody, I wish for my body to be laid with Hanbei so that he may bring me peace once more.”

Chapter Text

*****Nahoko*****

The march to Greenleaf had started off extremely boring. Koshi was busy reading some book Raiden had given him. I think Katai was trying to snoop. He’d occasionally poke his head over Koshi’s shoulder for a second, then give up when Koshi gave him a dirty look. Yusuke was rather quiet. The Pokemon were all just running back and forth, chasing each other.
Things got a little more exciting when I noticed a large, wooden shape sitting in the water. It was a little ways off in the distance. I didn’t really know what it was. But when I pointed it out to the others, they seemed to bristle with irritation.
“I’m sorry. I thought it looked kind of cool. You guys can go back to what you were doing,” I hoped I sounded guilty enough. I was not about to be the reason they were upset.
Koshi shakes his head, “No. That’s a ship. They were used by the Invaders.”
“Invaders? I’m confused. Who?” Both Koshi and Katai look at me completely bewildered. They slowly turn to look at each other.
Yusuke rolls his eyes, “Faella is landlocked. They never got to Faella. So if Nahoko lived her entire life in Faella, then that’s why she’s never heard of them.” I felt my face flush. I had never really felt bad for living in Faella before. He turns to look at me, “Years ago, some people came here. They came from all over the world. They brought a bunch of weird Pokemon, diseases, and then they took so much. They all left Ransei eventually, but you’ll still find things they left behind. Like that ship.”
How had I never known that? I felt stupid. Why was this something that was never talked about in Faella? I had never heard about any invaders. I scratched my head at the thought.
Koshi looks over at the rest of us, “Let’s go check it out. Just to be sure everything is okay, then we’ll keep going ‘till it’s dark again.”

* * * * * * * * * *

When we got to the ship, the wood was rotting and it stank. There were lots of missing planks. Spiderwebs grew in the holes and each step you took, creaked. There was no other noise besides the ocean waves bashing against the walls and the creaking of our footsteps.
I was still at a loss. I couldn’t believe that Ransei had been raided by foreigners. I looked around. And that I had been so oblivious to it. Koshi and Yusuke had vanished to another part of the ship, but Katai was nearby. He was inspecting some burn marks on the wall.
“Hey Katai, can you tell me more about the invaders?” I knew the question might bother him, but my ignorance was bothering me. He slowly lowers his hands to his side, his body tensing up.
“Uh yeah. They said they were just coming to map out the parts of the world they didn’t know about. At that time, Hideyoshi had just died and Ransei was full of chaos. The Warlords basically all agreed to just let them explore Ransei. While they were here, lots of people started getting sick. It was weird because it was only us. Never them. Then they started bringing Pokemon on these ships and the Pokemon came and they changed everything. Each kingdom was left to clear up the mess on their own. The ones in Fontaine were there for almost 10 years. The Ocean God created some super intense storms that made them leave. The people were violent and cruel. I once saw how they caged up Pokemon and abused them. It was for the best that they left,” His voice was filled with hate. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen Katai like this. I could only imagine what he and the others had seen.
After we checked the ship and were sure that it was clear, we got off the ship. They all looked a little better once we left. Yusuke pulled out a map and identified a nearby village.
“We can probably stop there and rest for the night,” His voice was a little shaky. I couldn’t help wondering, just how personal this was for them.

*****Koshi*****

The village was cute and had a floral scent about it. Each of the homes were rather small. They looked to be thrown together very carelessly. We met with a warrior who protected the village, though he didn’t seem very suspicious of us at all. He very quickly offered us two homes. Nahoko and Yusuke agreed to sleep in one, then Katai and I in the other.
Katai and I didn’t stall, going to the house immediately. Before he even put his bags down, he immediately belly flopped onto the bed. His bags are just hanging off the tips of his fingers. The air smells strange. How? I’m not sure. I can’t really place the smell. Maybe moldy. Probably. The wood was peeling in some places. I tell myself it’s just for one night.
I stand up and look over Katai. Cyndaquil and Poliwag are both jumping repeatedly on his back, though he doesn't seem to care. As he stretches out, I trace his muscles with my eyes. The way each one flexed, expanding. His clothes struggled to not tear under the pressure. I struggled to not think too much. He slowly turns to look at me. The orange in his eyes was burning brighter than usual. He sometimes had these, like, dark cobalt blue specks in the orange. A lot of people said that the contrast was weird, but I had always thought it was rather pretty. He slowly gets up and walks over to me. His lips are moving. What they released I wasn’t sure. I only knew of their warmth. I almost wished I had taken the chance to experience them entirely.

“Koshi? Koshi!” He moves his hands, waving his hand in my face. I snap back to reality. What was I even thinking about? I quickly pushed the thoughts away and smiled at him.
“Sorry, I was just thinking about Greenleaf,” He narrows his eyes as I speak. A small grin on his face.
He leans down, slowly getting closer to my ear. I can feel his warm breath on my face and neck, “I can tell you’re lying.” He slowly takes my hand, “Come with me. We need to talk.” He leads me outside. I try to not focus on his hand too much, forcing my mind clear. I was almost grateful to be outside. The fresh air was definitely helping. And the floral smell of the village was much better than the smells around the hut.
He led me away from the village. The sun was slowly descending, the golden rays showering the land with its beauty. The sky now pink and purples where the night was riding towards us. Once far enough away, he takes a seat in the grass. He stretches out his feet, leaning back on his hands. I take a spot next to him. We say nothing at first, just enjoying the sunset. One of his hands moved. It’s not entirely around me, but I can feel it behind my back. I almost want to lean against him. I don’t know why. Maybe it would just be comfier.
By the time he speaks, his voice is soft. I can tell he’s trying to be delicate, “I need to tell you something. I’ve been thinking since we’ve been in Ignis, and even more so since you had that vision. When we conquer Aurora, I’m going to go back to Ignis and make sure it's stable,” I bite my lip. I was a little taken aback. He hadn’t mentioned this at all. Not even hinted at it. This entire time, he hadn’t even told me was thinking about it. I didn’t necessarily get it. Ignis was going to get better. It couldn’t get worse, and he knows it too, “I know Raiden is there and everything, but I feel guilty. That was my home. I should be helping the people. I should be protecting them. I feel like I’m betraying my dad.”
I didn't say anything. I didn’t know what to say. It kind of hurts. Why did he want to leave? The excuse didn’t even sound that good. It sounded like - well - like an excuse. So why did he really want to leave me? There had never been a point where I had to worry about Katai leaving. He was just always there. He always had been. Every fight and every argument had never been enough to push us away. I could feel the tears coming to my eyes. I tried to hold my breath, forcing the tears back, but it was too late.
Katai sighs, finally putting his arm completely around me. He pulls me closer to him. I bury my face into his shoulder, trying to just breathe it out. I still couldn’t say anything. I didn’t know what to think or what to say. It’s what he wanted, so who was I to disagree?
Once I could breathe and talk without my voice shaking, I finally spoke, “Okay. After we capture Aurora, you can go.” I still don’t move my face off his shoulder. I don’t want him to see the tears. He takes a moment and then slowly stands up. My face falls off of him and I just look down at the ground. He leans back down and picks me up. I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his neck.
He takes me back to the disgusting hut. Poliwag sounded worried when we came back in. He wandered up to Katai’s feet, looking up. I can only offer a weak smile down at him. Katai slowly walks over to the bed. He places me down gently and then lays down close to me. I can feel him against my back. He wraps an arm around my stomach, holding me close. Poliwag and Cyndaquil both climb up on the bed, laying down against my chest and stomach. Horsea floats up to sleep between the two of them.

Chapter Text

I think I finally understood why Katai doesn’t look at me after we fight. It’s hard to look at him now. We didn’t even fight, but every time I see him, it reminds me that he wants to leave. When I woke up to feel him curled up around me, I almost felt sick. One of his legs was crossed over mine, and his face was buried into the back of my neck. I slowly move him off of me and stand up. Horsea was the only one who woke up. He floats and moves to sit on my shoulder, letting out a small hum as he rubs his head against mine. The consolation was nice.

*****Katai*****

There were a lot of reasons that I wanted to go back to Ignis. One was that I kind of hoped I could put aside my feelings for Koshi with some space. It was hard being around him. I knew him. He’s so emotionally dense sometimes, it makes me want to flip him upside down and shake him until something falls out of his heart. But also, when he told me he had a vision of my dad, it made me feel bad. Ignis was my dad’s home. And I had just completely abandoned it. If he knew just how bad it was there, he’d be horrified. I needed to go back.
When I told Koshi about it and he started crying, it was actually kind of sweet. It was nice to see him care. I could tell he was trying to stop feeling, but it wasn’t working.
Being in bed with him was even better. I always loved being with him like this. His skin is soft and delicate and he smells of honey. I wanted to kiss his neck. Once the Pokemon hop into the bed though, I know I have to stop myself.
The next morning, he was already gone. Cyndaquil and Poliwag are still sleeping, sprawled out where Koshi had been. I decided to get up and change, packing up our stuff.

*****Koshi*****

We soon left for Greenleaf, passing under the Greenleaf torii. It was a light green, slowly shifting to a dark green towards the bottom. Vines grew around the entire thing, brilliant pink and orange flowers blooming across the vines. It was kind of pretty. Katai had picked one of the flowers and tried to give it to me. I took it silently and stared at it for a moment. It didn’t help.
The walk really only took a few more days of camping, though it felt longer. Nahoko and Yusuke were constantly talking. About everything, but mostly the Warlord of Greenleaf. Katai was staying close to me. He kept reaching for my hand, but I kept pulling it away. At some point Katai tried again, causing both Poliwag and Cyndaquil to yell at him. He looks a little surprised at their intervention. He slowly backs away towards the back of the group.
Yusuke doesn’t seem to notice, or maybe he doesn’t care, “So her name is Riku. She’s my age. 22. She’s honestly a brilliant woman. Maybe a little too compassionate, but that comes from her father, the warlord Motonari. It’s been several years since we’ve seen her, but she was around a lot when we were kids.”
Katai chimes in, “For Koshi, she was a lot like a big sister. Since she’s 3 years older than us, she had a few years of experience on what being a warlord was like. Though, I think all four of us were pretty close growing up.”
Nahoko glances at me, then back at Katai. The look was awkward. She takes a moment before responding, “So maybe we won’t have to battle. Maybe she’ll just agree to join.”
“I doubt it. Unlike her father, she’s pretty stubborn. And I’ve heard rumors that her partner is an incredibly rare Pokemon.”
“What kind of Pokemon?”
“I’m not sure. They’re just rumors though.”

* * * * * * * * * *

As we approached Greenleaf, a girl was waiting for us. She had curly, long, forest green hair. The curls bounce a little in the wind. She’s pretty muscular and tall. Her skin is dark, but not quite as dark as Nahoko’s. She was more the color of caramel. Her light blue dress flows in the wind. Standing next to her is a man. He’s about my height, with brown hair, and brown eyes. His skin is pale with flushed cheeks. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was The Hero from the legends. He looked just like all the paintings.
I smile once we get close enough, “Riku! It’s good to see you again.” I approach and hug her. She’s quick to hug back, seeming just as pleased.
Her voice is very certain and confident, “It’s good to see you too, Koshi. It’s been a long time.” She moves to hug Katai. She almost hugs Yusuke, but he shoots her a look and she rolls her eyes, stopping herself. When she steps back, she gestures at the other man, “This is Reijero, though most call him Rei.”
His smile is shy, but genuine, “Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.” We each bow to him, then he bows to us.
“And this is Nahoko. She’s a warrior from Faella,” I gesture at her as I speak. Both Riku and Rei shake her hand, exchanging greetings. After taking the moment to catch up, Riku takes a step back and looks into my eyes.
“So you’ve conquered Ignis and you’re finally here,” As she announced my victory, I felt a little surprised. I guess word had gotten out a little faster than I had expected. Though, she didn’t seem angry, nor surprised that I was here. In fact, she was almost smiling, “Well Koshi, I believe that you can save Ransei.”
I let out a sigh of relief, “Okay, so can I trust you to be on my side? You’re not angry at me?”
She lets out a laugh and shakes her head, “Your mother wrote plenty to me. Unfortunately no. You will have to battle me for Greenleaf. As much as I trust that you’re doing this all for the right reasons, I need to make sure you are capable of conquering Ransei.” I slowly nod in understanding.
Rei looks at the group and then at Riku, “You were planning on doing that in 2 days right?” I think we all look at him in confusion except for Riku, who coughs awkwardly.
“Uh, yes,” She looks at me, “If you don’t mind waiting a few days, I would appreciate it. I’ll give you housing of course and you are absolutely welcome to do what you need to do while you’re here. We are actually at present in the midst of a tournament. You are welcome to come watch.” She leads the way into Greenleaf.
The architecture of Greenleaf isn’t drastically different from Fontaine. Maybe more greens and blacks, compared to my home’s blues and white, but houses were ornate and detailed. People are busy chattering as they go about their day. The biggest difference is that Greenleaf has a stadium towards the center of town. Nahoko looks rather pleased, unable to stop talking as we take everything in. Though, she’s only talking to Ralts. Yusuke was talking to Riku. While Rei and Katai are talking. They seem to be getting along super well. I return my focus to the buildings.
One of the biggest differences between Greenleaf and Fontaine is the stadium. Greenleaf’s Stadium is huge, white, and made of marble and stone. It’s beautiful and right now, very crowded. The crowd is cheering loudly as two trainers battle in the center of the stadium. A Snivy and a Pansage are fighting with vines, whipping each others’ vines out of the way, trying to find an opening.
I tap on Riku’s shoulder, “Hey, what’s happening?”
“Well, Greenleaf’s army is rather competitive. Since the community is very pro Pokemon, lots of people have strong bonds with them. To encourage the bonds, every once in a while I hold tournaments here. That’s actually why Rei is here,” The boy walks up to my side, smiling.
“I heard some rumors about it and really wanted to see how it worked. It’s been super cool. I’m disappointed that today is the last day.” Riku starts to lead the other away, though I hang back. I was going to sit next to Katai, but Rei gave me a look. He walks slowly next to me, “Can I ask you a question?”
“Um, sure. What is it?”
“It’s about Katai. Is he taken by any chance?” I paused at the question, not taking another step. I feel like I’m choking on the words. Something in my head told me to say that he did, but I just wind up shaking my head.
I start walking again, “No. He’s not taken.” Rei smiles a little and nods. When we get to the seats, Riku sits in the middle. Nahoko and Yusuke sit on either side of her. Katai is at the opposite end of the seats from where I stopped. I was going to join him, but there wasn’t another seat by him. So I decided to just sit at the end. Then Rei squeezes past us, going to stand next to him. I try to ignore it, but I just can’t help it. Every once in a while, I steal a glance.
Poliwag hops up into my lap, and I wrap my arms around him. I notice I’m holding him pretty tight at first, so I loosen up. Horsea sits on my shoulder. As we watch the tournament continue, Riku and Nahoko start to discuss the battles. Nahoko is very engaged, taking note of the different strategies. Every once in a while, she asks Riku questions, who is more than happy to answer.
I can hear Rei talking to Katai. They talk about everything going on, then themselves, then Rei winds up stretching, “I’m going to go sit down. My feet are hurting.” Katai doesn’t hesitate to pull Rei down into his lap. Rei’s face turns extremely red. It almost reminded me of Raiden, the way Katai was acting. Why did he never act that way with me? I don’t think he’s ever pulled me into his lap like that. Katai isn’t that type of bold. Is he taunting me? I try to breathe and calm down. Cyndaquil is sitting at Katai’s feet, but when Rei is pulled into his lap, he makes a little whining noise. Then Cyndaqui looks at me. He starts pointing.
Katai rolls his eyes, grinning, “It’s fine. It’s not that big of a deal.” Cyndaquil whines and then runs over to me. He pulls on my pants leg. I move Poliwag to one leg and then pat my lap. He jumps up and buries himself into my stomach, looking a little sad. I wonder what he’s thinking.

* * * * * * * * * *

As the tournament goes on, Poliwag, Cyndaquil, and Horsea all fall asleep on me. It had been almost an hour. Yusuke turns to Riku, “Do you have somewhere we can put all our stuff? I would also like to take a nap. It’s been a long walk.”
“Yeah of course! You guys can stay at the palace,” She stands up and stretches. Rei stands and Katai follows him. I watch Katai fix his pants. Riku looks down at me, “Do you want to come?”
I gesture at the Pokemon, “It’s okay. They’re all sleeping, so I’ll let them stay that way. I remember the way to the palace.” Everyone leaves, walking away. I look around, realizing that they had all really left. The image of Katai fixing his pants is burning in my head. I sigh and just try to relax.
Another hour passes, before suddenly there’s a messenger at my side. He’s completely out of breath, “I finally caught up to you! Here you go.” He hands me a letter and then runs back out of the stadium. Opening up the letter, I was grateful to see that it was from Raiden. The letter specified that Raiden had successfully established a school and a hospital using supplies from Fontaine. It honestly made me feel pretty good, knowing that he had already made that progress. Ignis really needed it.
I shook Cyndaquil and Poliwag awake, “Hey! I got some good news about Ignis. We should go tell Katai. He’ll want to know this.” Both Pokemon slowly shook themselves awake and hopped off my lap. The movement caused Horsea to wake up. He yawns slowly then sits up.

* * * * * * * * * *

By the time I got to the Palace, only Riku and Nahoko were there. The throne room was cozy and warm. Lots of bright yellows and greens on the walls and rugs. The fireplace behind the throne was burning brightly. There were also a number of ferns and flowers around the room. Riku and Nahoko are talking to Ralts when I get there, with Riku throwing things into the fire. I think she’s showing Nahoko how to change the colors of the flame.
I close the door quietly behind myself, “Hey Riku. Do you know where Katai is? I had some good news for him.”
“Yeah. Rei took him out to the river. Katai wanted to find a good place to train and I suggested the river. Do you remember the cabin? They should be around there.” I thank her and make my way back out. Rei took him.
The river isn’t too far away, running behind the palace. It was just a matter of finding the cabin. I followed the river for a while. I should have brought the Pokemon with me. They would have enjoyed this. But I’m sure I can bring them back out here at some point. I think I can see the cabin. I grip the letter tighter, walking faster.
I don’t really know why I’m so excited, but I think he’ll be grateful to hear it. I wandered around outside the cabin, looking for Katai and Rei, but I was struggling to find them. Where would they have gone?
I decided to head back towards the cabin. As I get closer, I can hear laughter from inside. I hesitate outside, listening. Their voices are too muffled. I can’t tell what they’re saying. I take a deep breath and walk in. I wasn’t really expecting what I saw.
Rei was laying on a table. Katai was shirtless, hovering over him, standing between Rei’s legs. Rei still had all of his clothes on, but Katai has one hand up Rei’s shirt. I pause. Realizing what I was seeing, I coughed something out, “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize-” I quickly shut the door and stepped back out.
I ran. And I ran. I don’t even know where to. The next time I stopped to breathe, I was completely surrounded by trees. I couldn’t even hear the flow of the river anymore. My head was hurting. I can feel the tears streaming down my cheeks. Why was I crying? Maybe it was the pain in my chest from all the running. I could hear Katai and Rei calling out my name from somewhere else in the woods. I sat down, hoping I’d draw less attention to myself that way. Still Rei found me.
“Katai, he’s over here!” Rei approaches me slowly, “Koshi, are you okay? What just happened?” I don’t have the energy to respond. Katai is soon at my side. He’s kneeling down, trying to put his hands on my shoulder.
His voice was rough and panicked, “I’m sorry Koshi. I didn’t think you were coming.” I push his hands away and slowly stand up.
I look at Rei, “I’m sorry.” He looks between Katai and I, the dots connecting in his head. He shakes his head and walks over to me. He gently puts a hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t apologize. I can read the room,” He walks away. Katai looks at me, stressed out.
“Ko, really, I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d come that way.”
“It’s whatever Katai.”
“It’s not whatever, you’re crying,” He tries to pull me close again, but I smack his hand. He grabs his hand as he pulls back. He looks surprised.
I look into his eyes. I know my eyes are still red, “Don’t touch me. Stop touching me.”
He looks even more confused, “Are you angry? Or are you sad? Or jealous? What are you feeling?” I know I’m angry. I’m not sure why. I started searching for a reason. He’s looking at me, waiting for an answer. Eventually it clicks.
“The entire time Raiden was around, you were so frustrated with me. You kept freaking out and getting angry at me for flirting with someone else. So tell me why you just met this guy 3 hours ago, and you’re out here fucking him?” He’s looking for the right words and I think it just frustrates me more, “Don’t sigh because you got caught. You know I’m right. That’s weird Katai. You know what, just don’t even worry about it. It’s none of my business. Go back to the palace. Or back to the cabin so you can fuck Rei. I don’t care.” He’s about to say something, but I shoot him a dirty look. He looks wounded, turning back around. He slowly trudges back in the direction of the palace. I sit back down, pressing back against the tree, just trying to numb everything.

Chapter Text

When I get back to the palace, Nahoko tells me that Yusuke wants to talk to me in the bedroom I’ll be staying in. There’s no one else around. I roll my eyes. I know where this is going, but I head to my room anyway.
I step into the room. It’s fairly empty, except for the pallet on the ground. Yusuke is sitting by the cot, a book in his hands. He’s reading intently, until he hears me come in.
He looks up at me, “Hey. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Is this about Katai?” He purses his lips at my question, nodding slowly, “You know if I knew he was just going to go around and tell everyone what happened, I’d just tell him to send out hand written letters to every warlord in Ransei.” Yusuke rolls his eyes.
“You do realize that sarcasm isn’t going to change the fact that you’re hurt?”
“Yes, but I’m also not going to acknowledge that I’m hurt,” I went to sit on the pallet, beginning to unpack some of my bags, “Because I’m not hurt. I’m angry that there’s a double standard. Katai can go get with anybody he wants, but if another guy even flirts with me, it’s the end of the world.”
Yusuke is watching me. He takes a while to respond, “At what point did you set the boundary with Katai that you didn’t want to be with him? If you waited until after Raiden is already hitting on you and tormenting him, then you can’t blame him for that. You didn’t set that boundary.” I understand that Yusuke is usually right. It doesn’t mean that I have to like it.
“Is that all?” I look up at him. He nods and gets up and leaves. I sigh. All of the frustration makes the room feel small. I stand up and I’m about to leave too, until Katai walks in. He looks like he’s calmed down a little. I hope he realizes I haven’t.
He tries to sound calm as he speaks, “Are you feeling better?” I push past him, walking out of the bedroom.
“Not at all.”
He turns to follow me, “When are you going to stop lying to me?” I stop in my steps. The audacity of the comment was about to drive me up the wall. And still - he keeps going, “What is this really about? Stop lying. This has nothing to do with Raiden.”
I try to keep my voice steady, “It’s not a lie. It’s not a big deal. Just stop asking. You don’t owe me anything. We’re not together. We’re nothing.” I think he’s finally pissed at me.
His voice is strained and he’s almost yelling, “What do you mean we’re nothing? Stop acting like it doesn’t matter,” He straightens up, getting his volume down, “I have been holding you since I was four years old to get the nightmares to go away. And every time you missed your dad or missed your mom or you felt the weight of the world was on your shoulders, my clothes were the ones soaked with your tears. There has never been a day in our life where we were ‘just friends.’ Friends don’t do what we do. So stop lying.”
I finally snapped, losing it, turning to face him, “You don’t get to talk to me about lying. That’s what our whole friendship is. Just a bunch of lies. Tell me why do you really want to go to Ignis? What’s the real reason? And why are you messing with Rei? What was the point? Why are you trying so hard to leave me?” I hold my hand out, my whole body shaking, “But it’s fine. It’s all okay. When we finish here, you can go back to Ignis, I’ll take Raiden. He can help me deal with Aurora. Then you can go fuck off and fuck whoever and do whatever the fuck you want. I don’t need you.” I turn, feeling the tears coming back. I storm straight out of the palace, not wanting to listen to anything else he has to say.

* * * * * * * * * *

By the time that I had calmed down, it was dark. I very slowly walked back to the palace. When I got there, I tried to be as quiet as possible. Waiting inside was Katai. Cyndaquil was next to him, cuddling him. As I walked in, Katai looked up at me. He stands slowly and walks back to his room. He probably just wanted to make sure I made it back okay. I paused, wanting to say something, but I didn’t know what to say. I just let him go.

* * * * * * * * * *

I didn’t sleep well that night. I was able to close my eyes, but I kept waking back up. Eventually the sun had come up, so I just stayed up. I left the bedroom and went to the throne room where Nahoko was playing with Ralts. She sees me and shakes her head.
“My lord, you don’t look well. Maybe you should go back to sleep,” She sounds concerned, standing up.
“I’m okay. I can’t sleep and my shuffling just keeps waking Poliwag and Horsea up.”
She listens to me for a moment, “Come with me.” She leads me out of the Palace and to a nearby garden. There are a ton of flowers. So many. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many, nor did I know there were this many species. We silently walked the dirt path. The only noise was the sound of Hoppips flying overhead, and other people murmuring as they walked.
After walking for a bit, she eventually speaks, “How are you feeling about Katai?” The fact that she knows irritates me more than anything. How many people has he told? The better question might be, ‘who doesn’t know.’
“I’m fine. It’s whatever,” I don’t know if I sound convincing. I don’t know if I care. She stays quiet for a little bit.
When she talks again, her voice sounds more assertive, but still gentle, “Koshi, I understand that you’re struggling with your feelings. But maybe, you should sit down with Katai and just tell him you don’t know what you want or why you’re upset. It’s okay to be angry or hurt or sad. It’s okay to be jealous. Warlord or not, you’re still human and you have the right to feel things.” I wanted to be angry at the concept, but her voice is too calming.
“I’ll talk to him. I just… need to get to a point where I can look at him without feeling a hundred emotions for no reason.” She chuckles at my comment. I give her a questioning look. It wasn’t exactly funny.
“You have several reasons to feel all of those emotions. You may be blind to the biggest one, but also, reasons or none, constantly arguing with Katai isn’t going to fix what you’re feeling, nor is it going to help your friendship. Just take a little bit to think, and when you have a chance, go talk to him,” She looks at me, gently putting a hand on my shoulder. Then she picks up Ralts and walks back in the direction of the palace. I decided to stay in the garden a little while longer.

*****Katai*****

I didn’t sleep well through the night. By the time I did sleep, it ensured I didn’t wake up until the afternoon. I woke up, feeling extremely groggy. My head was beating hard, like a drum. Cyndaquil wasn’t around. I sluggishly wandered out of my room into the main throne room. Yusuke and Nahoko are both there. They both look a little anxious.
Yusuke looks at me as soon as I enter the room. He hesitates before speaking, “Have you seen Koshi?” My eyes widened slowly as I processed what he said.
“No. I haven’t. Did you check his room?” They both nod.
Nahoko bites her lip and taps her foot, “We asked his Pokemon, but they haven’t seen him either. I took him to the gardens this morning for a conversation. That was hours ago at this point. So I went to the gardens and looked around, but he wasn’t there either.” I could feel the panic starting to set in.
“We need to go find him then. Where’s Riku?” I knew the anxiety was obvious in my voice, but neither one seemed to really mention it.
Yusuke shakes his head, “She said she was escorting Rei somewhere.” I frowned. It would be helpful to have her here. She knew this place better than anyone. Nahoko walks towards me, placing her hands on my shoulders.
“Stay calm Katai. We’ll find him. Let’s split up and go look for him.”

We all left the palace rather quickly, agreeing to each go in different directions. I traveled through the more business side of Greenleaf. Lots of restaurants and lots of shops. I wound up finding Poliwag and Cyndaquil. Poliwag was rather upset and anxious.
“Poliwag! Cyndaquil! Finally, have you guys found anything?”
Poliwag looks up at me, shaking his head, “Poli-wag.” His voice is sad as he tells me that Koshi isn’t anywhere. I kneel down, picking him up. I hold him in my arms the way Koshi does, just hugging him close.
“It’s okay. We’re gonna’ find him. I promise,” It sounded empty in my head. Like there was no point. I kept walking. The air smelled great. Each of the different restaurants’ aromas mixed in the air. Normally, I’d never pass up food, but right now, the idea of food made me feel sick.

* * * * * * * * * *

A few hours had passed and we hadn’t found anything. No sign of him. No message. Nothing. Riku had returned and told us a few obscure places to check, but once again, nothing. The guilt was getting to me now. I just kept hugging myself.
I moved to sit in the corner while Riku tried to reassure us, “Maybe he’s just out of town. Like he went out to the outskirts or something. I can’t imagine he’s in too much trouble. We never have issues with bandits or anything, so I’m sure he’s okay.” I drew my knees into my chest, feeling more frustrated with myself. I don’t know how things got so out of hand. Rei and I were getting along super well. He reminds me a lot of Koshi, I guess. But it wasn’t supposed to go that far. And when it did, I never thought he’d run into us like that.
I know they’re all talking still, but I can’t listen. I can’t get out of my own head. At some point, I just get up and go outside. I follow the river, down to the cabin. I had already checked here twice. I walk inside the cabin, and it’s still dark and empty. I go to close the door, but I notice a weird sound as I do. I look around the hinges, and in between the door and the wall is a sheet of paper.
I grab the paper and read it. It’s a letter from Raiden. In the letter he describes the new school and hospital he’s founded in Ignis. I realize that this is why Koshi came. He must have got excited and came to tell me about it. Maybe he thought he could convince me to stay. I bit my lip, trying to calm myself down. I sat down, reading through the letter again, and again. I sat by the cabin for what felt like forever. When I had the letter memorized word for word, I just wound up looking up at the sky, going over it in my mind.

* * * * * * * * * *

I don’t know how much time passed before Nahoko came running up, “Koshi’s back! He’s okay.” I immediately stood and ran after her, following her to the palace. When I get there, Koshi is there. Poliwag is at his feet, cuddling with his leg. Yusuke and him are talking intently, but I can’t stop myself. I immediately rushed to hug him. I know I’m squeezing tight, but he doesn’t stop me either.
“Where have you been? I’ve been so scared. I thought you were hurt,” I slightly pulled away, keeping my hands on his arms, holding him in place. He looks up at me for a moment and gently puts one of his hands on mine.
“Sorry, I know I didn’t say anything. I was in the garden when I came across a group of people. They invited me to join them on a nature walk. So I did. We went all the way outside of Greenleaf to see some of the farms. We just got back.” I nodded a little, satisfied with the answer. I let go of him, letting Nahoko and Riku talk to him. I don’t really know what they were talking about. I was just thanking the gods that he was safe.

* * * * * * * * * *

After a while, he had got everyone off of his back. I had moved to sit nearby, just watching him. When they stopped paying as much attention to him, he walked over to me. He leans down and gently takes my hands. He doesn’t say anything, but rather guides me to the room he’s staying in.
He closes the door behind us, “Sorry. I just don’t want to make it a big deal. I owe you an apology.”
I turned to face him as he let go of my hands, “No I should apologize.” He held up a finger to cut me off, so I stopped talking.
“No, I’m sorry. I was being immature,” He moves over to his cot and sits down. I sat down across from him as he continued, “I was angry and I was hurt. I wasn’t angry because of Raiden or how you handled Raiden. I’ve been upset that you’re leaving me. Katai, I’ve never, ever thought about doing anything without you. The idea that I would have to go on without you is terrifying. We’ve done everything together. I don’t know.” He looks up at me. I can see the pain in his face.
I feel a little guilty, “I’m sorry. I didn’t think it would mean that much to you…”
He shakes his head, “No, stop apologizing. You did what you felt was important. The nature walk wasn’t really just a nature walk. I’m not great at feeling my emotions, and I’m even worse at expressing them. So I got some advice while I was out there.” He tilts his head at me, “I think I saw you with Rei and it freaked me out more. It felt like you were trying not only to leave me, but to replace me. If that makes any sense at all. I saw you pull him into your lap and you were flirting super hard and it was weird. You don’t talk to me like that and you don’t act like that with me, so it just took me by surprise and then it just felt like rubbing salt in the wound…”
It was almost cute. How much he was rambling and just saying everything. But more than anything, it was a relief. I could feel the tension leaving my body. I knew for sure now that I could fix it and that everything would be okay.
I scoot a little closer to him and take his face into my hands, “I’m not ever going to replace you. That’s not even possible. I promise. I’m grateful you’re okay, and I’m grateful that you were able to figure out what you were feeling.” I can see his body relax more as I validate everything. His face is red and his eyes watery. I smile at him, trying to be softer. I move around on the cot, “Here - lay down with me.” I lay down on my side. He lays next to me, burying his face into my chest. I wrap my arms around him, holding him tight, “And just so you know, I don’t let you sit in my lap because I’m not sure how much control I’ll have over myself if you do.” He laughs a little. I brush some of his hair out of the way so I can see the blush on his cheeks.

Chapter Text

The battlefield was so…green. Built on the side of the hill, there were a variety of obstacles. It was almost overwhelming. The long hedges of the maze were dark, and occasionally covered in flowers. The grass was unevenly cut, looking awkward. There were also multiple ledges and outcrops around the hill. In the sky, there are three banners that stand out over the entire battlefield.
I turn to the others, “Okay so, to win, we have to capture all the banners. Katai and Nahoko will head to the banner furthest away. Since that one is closest to Riku, I expect her to send most of her forces to that one, then head to the middle one. You two will cut her off while I head to the middle banner. Neither Poliwag or Horsea will be great here, I will take the flag furthest from them. Then Yuske will take the banner furthest north.”
We all take a moment to breathe. This was a much nicer battlefield than the one in Ignis and much more pleasant smelling. We take our move. The trek through the maze towards the middle banner wasn’t as bad as I had worried. Poliwag actually seemed to be enjoying it. At one point he wandered over to a set of tall blue flowers. He laughs as he moves to dance in them, but as soon as he does, the flowers move on their own, almost as if they were alive. They pick Poliwag up and throw him. I gasp and run to catch him as he goes soaring through the air. He lands squarely in my hands.
Poliwag looks up at me completely surprised as I put him down, “Yeah. So I guess there's no stopping to smell the flowers.” I try to smile at him reassuringly. We make it to the banner. The banner itself is attached to a tall, metal pole. I reach over and softly touch it. It’s cold, like ice. I got a little nervous, almost expecting a vision, but nothing came. I sigh in relief. A short moment later the banner suddenly changes blue. Poliwag dances in his spot, cheering happily for himself. I couldn’t help but laugh at his excitement. I looked up at the sky to check the other banners. Nothing yet from the others.

*****Yusuke*****

The trek to the northern banner felt long. I couldn’t wait until Koshi recruited more warriors. It would make this process feel more secure. I worried about who I might encounter. As comfortable as I was with Seel’s Ice type moves, I still worried over his Water typing. Seel didn’t seem worried at all though. His lack of intelligence meant he didn’t really worry about things out of his control.
As we walked, I thought the grass beneath me became a little softer. I looked down at the grass and we were in a whole circle of grass that was a different color than the grass outside of the circle. This grass looked dead. I turned to Seel, “Freeze!” Seel froze, looking around. He followed my eyes, looking down at the grass, then used Icy Wind.
“Not that type of freeze!” As the wind hit the grass, it gave way, dropping us into some kind of tunnel. I landed on my back, groaning as I felt the wind rush out of my body. Seel came hopping up to me. When he noticed me still breathing, he started clapping. I roll my eyes, slowly sitting up and looking around. I didn’t remember reading about any tunnels. The tunnel only went in one direction and it really wasn’t that far of a distance either, “Well it can’t hurt to check it out.”
Seel and I followed the tunnel all the way through. Towards the end, it slopes up. As we climb up, I realize that the tunnel has put us right next to the banner. I look back to the direction where we had come from. That path is covered with hedges and other obstacles. I looked up at the sky. Only the middle banner was blue. I touched the pole and my banner turned blue.
I looked around, seeing no one nearby. Then I noticed Riku floating in the distance. Back in the direction I had just come from. Next to her, a small Pokemon of some sort was floating next to her. She hadn’t introduced us to her partner. She said that he was rather shy. I wondered just how they were floating. But as I saw them touch the ground, a number of vines snapped through the air, vanishing from view. I prepared myself for Riku, but as I did, she turned and went the opposite direction. I watched in confusion, wondering if someone else was coming. Maybe there was another tunnel nearby.
“Keep your guard up, Seel. They could come from anywhere,” He barks in response.

*****Nahoko*****

After the battles at Ignis, I was still nervous. I had never been super good at battling. Having Katai with me made me feel a little better. He was super talented at it.
I kept replaying Yusuke’s advice in my head over and over again. Don’t freeze up. I think Ralts could sense my nervousness. She seems a bit antsy as she trails next to me. On the other hand, Katai looked excited. He was practically hopping instead. His grin was huge, checking every corner for a warrior.
We suddenly turned into a huge clearing. The grass was neatly cut here. Our backs were mostly covered by the hedges. Across from us are a series of ledges, where three different warriors were climbing down towards the banner. It wasn’t really that far away. Amongst the Pokemon at their sides were a Pansage, a Cherubi, and a Snivy. I look at Katai, wondering if he’s noticed them. As soon as I turn to look at him though, he’s bolting off towards them.
He yells back at me, “You handle the Pansage! I’ll get the other two!” I nod and follow after him. Don’t hesitate. Don’t pause. Just react.
Cyndaquil had already covered the area with a smokescreen. I had taken note of where the Pansage was earlier. I could hear his trainer calling for him. I pointed, “Ralts, hit it with a Disarming Voice!” Ralts put her hands to her mouth and released a pink, sonic wave at the Pansage. As the sonic wave met the running Pokemon, it went flying up into the air, “Now hit it with a confusion.” Ralts waves her hand around, a visible aura appearing around the Pansage mid-air.Ralts takes control of the monkey’s body, proceeding to slam the Pansage down into the ground. It was only a 5 foot drop so it shouldn’t be too hurt. The trainer was panicking.
Meanwhile, Cyndaquil looked like he was having just as much fun as Katai. Cyndaquil was chasing the Cherubi and Snivy, almost toying with them. Their trainers looked embarrassed by the situation. Their faces are bright red as they chant at their Pokemon. I realized I had gotten too distracted when I heard the other trainer calling for Pansage to use Lick. Ralts took the attack head on, falling under the attack. I stepped towards Ralt, begging her to get back up. She did. Slowly. When she stood, electricity crackled around her body. She let out a yell of pain and I instantly felt regret.
The trainer yelled another command, “Finish it off with a Bite!” The Pansage went back in for another attack.
“Ralts, get out there! Use teleport!” Ralts started to raise her hands to try and use teleport, but she was too slow. The Pansage beat her to it, biting down on her hands. Ralts tried to shake Pansage off, but each time the Grass Type let her go, he’d bite her somewhere else. I’m running out of ideas. Eventually Ralts couldn’t take any more. She falls over, collapsing and unconscious. I ran to her side, picking her up gently. This was a nightmare.
I watch as the trainer and his Pansage walk over to face down Katai and Cyndaquil. Cyndaquil had stopped his barrage on the other two to take note of the Pansage walking up. Katai looks over at me, noticing Ralts in my arm. I hope he couldn’t see the tears in my eyes from where he is.
He looks at Cyndaquil, pointing at the trio of Pokemon surrounding him, “ Okay Cyndaquil, let’s make some light work of these ones.” Cyndaquil squeaks a little, then begins to glow white. His body sparkles and shimmers, the sparkles flying off his body into the air. The shine is so bright, it’s hard to look at. By the time that the light has faded, Cyndaquil is no longer there. Rather, he has evolved into a Quilava.
Katai’s grin gets wider. He’s truly feeling the moment. Then it happens. A light surrounds him. It’s a darker blue than Koshi’s, mixed with a light grey. It’s so bright and warm. I don’t think he even knows it’s there. If he has, he’s not paying it any attention. The same aura surrounds Quliava. The fire on his back burns brighter.
Quilava starts to run at the other Pokemon, who are still recovering from the light. As he runs, he flips forwards, rolling, a blue fire forming around his body. He barrels right into the trio of grass types. Each one goes flying, knocking out as soon as they hit the ground. As soon as they are all down, Quilava stops rolling. The flames dissipate. As do the auras surrounding Katai and Quilava.
Katai laughs as Quilava comes back to him. He leans down and hugs him, “I’m so proud of you! You did so well. And now you’ve evolved. This is going to take us even further.” He grins and walks over to the metal pole, touching it. The banner turns blue. As soon as ours switches over, Koshi’s banner turns red.

*****Koshi*****

While we waited, Poliwag and I had decided to sit down. It would be a while before anyone got anywhere. And we were in the most secure area of the battlefield. After lots of review, Yusuke and I had decided that this was the most difficult area for Riku to get to. She’d either have to get through the others to get here. Poliwag and I both let out a cheer as Yusuke’s banner turns blue. I stand, getting excited. Surely, Nahoko and Katai must be close too.
“Koshi, I’d like you to meet my partner,” Riku had almost appeared out of nowhere. I don’t really have a clue where she came from. Somewhere in Yusuke’s direction? How did she get past him? I turned to look down at her pokemon. It was rather short, not even a foot tall. Its body was mostly white, but it had a green, almost grassy fur over the top of its body. On either side of its face are two pink flowers, Riku gestures at it, “This is Shaymin. He’s been with me for a few years, though he’s still new to battling. I figured this would be a good chance for us to bond.”
I waved slightly at Shaymin, but I was still confused, “How did you get here though? You would have had to get through Yusuke.”
Riku laughs a little bit, “Oh! Yeah! There’s an alternate path from my base. Using a path of vines, I can pass that banner and get here immediately. I figured you’d be here. I wanted to challenge you directly,” She points at Poliwag, “Magical Leaf!” I startled into action. Poliwag jumped up as a series of, glowing, white leaves surrounded Shaymin. Within a second, the leaves started flying at Poliwag, who screamed and started running away.
“Poliwag, we just need to get into a position to hit it with a hypnosis!” I’m a little too late though. The leaves chase Poliwag until they hit him dead on. He goes flying. I look around. “Come on, Poliwag! Get up!” He slowly stands, glancing back at Shaymin. I ran to his side, helping him. As I do, Riku walks to the pole and touches it. Our banner turns red. As soon as it changes, Katai’s lights up blue. I curse a little bit. A second earlier and we would have won anyways.
“Hit Shaymin with Hypnosis now!” The swirl on Poliwag’s stomach starts to spin. Shaymin almost falls for it, but when Riku yells for him to use Magical Leaf again, he snaps out of it. I was thinking, last time we used the boulders to help us. I was looking now for a way to use our environment again. In the meantime, I needed a defense, “Poliwag, try using Water Gun on the leaves.” Poliwag did so. I hoped that maybe the leaves would soften under the water, but they didn’t. Instead they cut through the water and hit Poliwag again. He let out an anguished yell, smashing into the ground. I really thought that was it. There was no way he could survive two of those hits. Poliwag sat up slowly. He looked kind of angry. He started yelling at Shaymin. Shaymin looks rather surprised, while Poliwag keeps yelling.
Riku is a little taken aback too. She looks over at me, “Well he definitely has your temper,” She looks down at Shaymin, “Hit him with a Leech Seed.” Shaymin hesitated. That was all I needed so that I could think.
“Hurry, Poliwag, run to the flowers.” Poliwag looks a little confused at me. Shaymin notices Poliwag stand up and start running. Deciding that he should listen, he releases a few glowing seeds from his mouth. As Poliwag gets to the flowers, he jumps over them. The Leech Seed attack hits the flowers, who react by flinging the seeds back at Shaymin. The seeds land in his fur, vines erupting from the casing. The vines rapidly move around Shaymin’s body. Shaymin lets out a series of frustrated noises before Riku can get to his side. Leech Seed doesn’t really work on Grass Type Pokemon, but at the very least it acted as a net.
In the time that it takes her to get Shaymin free, I’ve already reached the pole. I touch it, turning the banner blue. Each of the banners shine blue. I look over at Riku, who has now gotten Shaymin free. She cradles him in her arms, while looking up at me. She smiles a little, “Greenleaf is yours.” Poliwag comes to my side. He’s pretty hurt, but still dancing excitedly at the thought of us winning.

Chapter Text

That night, after the battle, we all ate dinner together at the palace. Riku had agreed to travel with us and join my army. She’d leave one of her warriors to watch over Greenleaf in the meantime.
I look over at her, “Do you know anything about Aurora’s Warlord? We don’t have any sources on them. Their walls have been closed for so long that we can’t figure anything out.” The steam from our food floated into the air around us. It smelled amazing, but after my victory, I was almost ready for another battle.
Katai was sitting rather close to me. Occasionally, when he shifted, he’d accidentally touch me. His skin was warm. He was just as excited, especially since Cyndaquil had evolved. Nahoko and Yusuke look at Riku, just as curious.
Riku takes a while to consider the question, “Here’s what I can tell you. Aurora’s Warlord has absolutely no desire to be a Warlord. They may actually be happy that you’re there. Not that they won’t make you work for it. Aurora’s people doubt their Warlord, for a lot of valid reasons, so they can’t just hand over the kingdom.”
Yusuke narrows his eyes at her answer, “How do you know all of this? Aurora’s gates have been closed off for a long time. No one has heard anything from them. I couldn’t even find anything on the warlord.”
“They’ve recently taken to making a few allies. Realistically if Koshi didn’t seem to be so bloodthirsty, Aurora’s Warlord might be in Fontaine right now.” I had never thought of myself being bloodthirsty until Riku said it. I tilted my head a little at the thought.
Katai was snickering. He leans over to me and whispers, “You’re such a bloodthirsty monster.” I elbow him, and he backs up, still laughing.
I look over at her, “I do need another thing from you, Riku. I need to send some more supplies to Ignis. Their farms have been decimated and their resources are rather scarce. I’d appreciate it if we could take some of the burden off of Fontaine and send some of Greenleaf’s.”
She smiles at me and nods without hesitation, “We are more than happy to help.”

* * * * * * * * * *

After our late meal, we all retired to our rooms. I had decided to let Riku keep the Warlord’s room. Katai had taken the opportunity to move his stuff into my room. He did bring his own cot, so at least we didn’t have to sleep together. I walked into the bedroom and noticed that Katai wasn’t there though. Maybe he stepped outside for some air.
I decided to go outside and check on him. I wandered around the palace, until I saw his clothes laying on the riverbank. I roll my eyes and go to look in the river. And there he was. Katai was throwing Poliwag around in the water. Poliwag looks like he’s having the time of his life. He keeps swimming to Katai, just so Katai could ragdoll him again. I laugh a little, moving to sit on the edge, dangling my legs in the water.
It takes Katai a while to notice me. Though he looks pretty excited when he does, “Come on Ko! Get in the water!” Poliwag looks up at me, cheering me on, “See, even Poliwag wants you to get in.” His brown hair looks much darker when wet. Realistically, with the sun gone, everything looked dark, except for his eyes. The orange was always bright.
“No way. I’m going to sit right here and just watch,” Katai wades over to me. He puts his hands on my legs and looks up at me, his grin huge.
“Pretty please. Just get in with me,” He tries to look as cute as possible. But as soon as I shake my head again, he takes matters into his own hands. He starts dragging me in by my legs. I tried grabbing at the grass, anything to keep me on the land, but it doesn’t work. A few seconds later, I’m in the water. He laughs in victory and then dunks me under the water.
The water is chilly, but refreshing. I’m not really that upset. After I’ve been under the water for a second, he pulls me back up. He puts his hands on my waist, letting me cough all the water out.
After I’ve had the time to get myself together, I look up at him, “Katai! I didn’t want to get in the water.” He gives me an innocent smile and shrugs. He starts floating away from me. Poliwag comes swimming towards me. I laugh and gently hug him. Then I move to take my clothes off. Poliwag swims in circles around me, singing a song for us. I look at Katai, “Are you pleased with yourself?” He laughs and flashes me a thumbs up. I shake my head, ready to get him back.
I start swimming towards him. He laughs as he tries to get away. Eventually I get close enough to grab his shoulders from behind. I try putting all my body down on them. He almost goes under. I try again as he tries to wade away. Eventually he twists under my arms and grabs me by my waist, gently driving me into the wall. The wall of the river is made of dirt and mud. As I hit the wall, the smell of the earth hits my nose. Though I didn’t think too much of it at the moment.
Katai has me pinned, his face only a few inches from mine. He moves both hands to pin my wrists to the wall. Even in the darkness, I can see his muscles flexing to keep me in place. He has a smirk on his face, “That didn’t work the way you planned, did it?”
“Well unfortunately, you’re a little bigger than I am,” I stick my tongue out at him, mocking him. He laughs at me and shakes his head. The water droplets from his hair land on my face as we stand there.
I struggled against his grip, not really trying all that hard, but Katai doesn’t let me move, “Nope. No escaping for you, Princess.” My eyes widen as he calls me that and then I burst out laughing.
“Where did that come from?”
“This just seems like something Raiden would have done. Though he would probably take it a few steps farther,” He’s trying to stifle his laughter.
I roll my eyes, “He wouldn’t have done anything like that. You’re so dramatic,” I say, but I can’t get the smile off my face. He’s probably right.
Katai raises an eyebrow in my direction, “You’re telling me he wouldn’t have? Oh come on,” His voice starts to slow down a little, getting deeper the more he speaks. The way his voice changed took me by surprise, “He would have done this-” Katai leans down and kisses my neck. The second his lips graze my neck, I can feel my brain shut off, “And this-” He kisses my collarbone. I try to say something, but I’m not sure I even made a noise. What should I say?
I can feel him slowly pushing his body against me. His body heat does nothing to get my mind moving again. Not to mention, he’s completely naked. My eyes close, forcing myself to resist the temptation to look. His hold on me is firm, keeping my arms pinned to the wall of the riverbank. He slowly kisses my neck, up then down, then across my collarbone. He’s not talking anymore. He’s so gentle. His kisses are delicate and somehow, still passionate.
All of a sudden, he yells in pain and my eyes snap open. Katai moves away from me, gasping in pain. Poliwag’s voice erupts from where Katai was just standing, “Poliwag! Wag Wag Wag! Poli.” Poliwag is glaring at Katai. Katai rubs his back, turning away from Poliwag. Across the entirety of Katai’s back is a huge red mark, in the shape of Poliwag’s tail.
I can’t help but laugh. What was he thinking? Katai answers for me, “I was not hurting him! We were-” He turns back to face the Pokemon, gesturing at me. His face is bright red and he seems to be struggling to get the words out. Poliwag starts swimming after him.
“Wag! Poli oli!” Poliwag starts a war chant as he chases after Katai. Katai might be fast, but Poliwag was definitely faster in the water. He swims after him, then jumps and flips through the air to smack Katai across the back again. Katai lets out another yell of pain, before making it safely out of the water.
Katai turns to look at Poliwag, “See! Look, he's fine.” I keep laughing as Poliwag swims over to me, cuddling into my stomach. He keeps a close eye on Katai, watching Katai get dressed.
I look down at Poliwag, hugging him close, “Thank you. You’re my hero,” Katai rolls his eyes at my comment, still smiling though.

*****Nahoko*****

It was rather interesting watching Katai and Koshi walk in, soaking wet. Katai was holding his back in pain. Their clothes were drenched, draped over the bodies. I wondered what kind of mess they got into. Though, judging by the dirty looks Poliwag keeps giving Katai, I really couldn’t even guess. They both slowly walk through the throne room, heading towards the bedrooms.
I decided to follow after them, heading to my room. Ralts was already there, sleeping. I sat on my cot. I still felt guilty. We had invaded two different kingdoms. In both cases, I had failed to accomplish anything. I couldn’t defeat even one Pokemon. I sigh, laying down. Ralts was still pretty hurt from the battle today. Yusuke had told me to stop hesitating. I had done better, but I hadn’t completely fixed the problem. Maybe I could ask Riku for some advice. She was pretty smart.

* * * * * * * * * *

When I finally woke up, the sun was streaming through the window into my face. Ralts was still sleeping. I didn’t blame her. She was still probably hurting. I stand up and walk out into the hallway connecting the guest rooms. Yusuke’s room was quiet. He was probably awake already. When I walked past Koshi’s room, I could hear them whispering. I kept walking, not wanting to intrude.
In the throne room, Riku was feeding Shaymin. She looks up at me as I walk in, “Good morning. You look well-rested.”
“I feel much better,” I sat down, watching her take care of Shaymin, “You do really well with him.”
“He’s still new to battling. I think we can both grow a lot still,” She looks up at me. I don’t know what she saw necessarily, “You have something on your mind?” I’m sure she saw the look of surprise on my face.
I look down at the ground, a little shy about asking for advice, “Yeah. I’ve been really struggling with the battles we’ve had so far. Yusuke says I always freeze up. And I thought I was doing better this time around, but I still lost. I feel bad for Koshi because I’m just holding him back, and I feel bad for Ralts, because she just keeps getting hurt.” Riku smiles a little at the comment.
“Well sometimes, battling has a learning curve to it. Not everyone just picks it up. Between Yusuke, Katai, Koshi, and I, Koshi is inexperienced. I grew up with the three of them. And Koshi never really liked battling much. When we practiced battling, he tended to slack off and look for excuses to just watch. I’m sure when he sees you, he doesn’t see a failure or a setback,” She puts Shaymin down and stands up, stretching, “But if you feel like Yusuke’s advice isn’t working out, there may be a better solution. Have you ever considered finding another partner?”
I had thought about it before, but the thought that Ralts wouldn’t be getting as much of my attention made me feel guilty, so I shook my head at her. She smiles at me, “Then that may be something worth thinking about. Your first partner is not guaranteed to be the best option for your battling needs and styles. If you have a tendency to freeze up, you might be better off looking for a rock or steel type. They can take the hits a lot better and deal more damage with each blow.” She wanders over to a bookshelf, picking up a book. She skims through the pages.
Maybe she was right. A new partner might be beneficial. At the very least, it could help with my battles. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Koshi partnering with Horsea meant that Poliwag had another friend to play with. He didn’t need Koshi’s attention as often, because Horsea was there.
“But where would I get a Pokemon like that?”
“Well there are tons of caves between here and Ignis. It wouldn’t take much effort to find them. In fact, I think I might know one you like. They tend to be pretty affectionate, and they’re still extremely loyal,” She looks over at me, putting the book back on the bookshelf.

* * * * * * * * * *

After Ralts had finally woken up and eaten, Riku and I set out. We had to leave Greenleaf to find the caves she had been talking about. I let her lead the way. She seemed to know where she was going.
When we got to the cave, it was dark and we had no torches. The cave itself was damp. I thought I could hear running water inside the cave, but it’s hard to tell. Riku begins to walk inside.
“I’m not super familiar with the caves unfortunately. We should have brought torches. It’s darker than I expected,” She sounds a little frustrated as she speaks. It might be dark, but it wasn’t impossible to see.
I followed her in, “Riku, do you think we should head to the water? Maybe the Pokemon will be hiding somewhere it can actually drink something?”
She looks back at me. Despite the shadows, I can see that she thinks I’m crazy, “The water? What water?”
“There’s running water somewhere in the cave. I can hear it.”
“You can hear it?” She goes quiet, listening, “There’s nothing. I don’t hear anything.” I push past her, gesturing for her to follow after me. My mom had always said that my senses were really good. I could see and hear farther than most people. Smells and tastes are more intense and I could even feel things that sometimes don’t really make sense. My mom used to rave about it. She thought I’d be such a talented warrior with my heightened senses. Turns out, they don’t make that much of a difference.
I guided us to a small opening in the cave. Running through the center of the clearing is a small stream. It runs right through the walls on either side of the clearing. The entire area is crawling with Pokemon. Some of them immediately run away, scuttling into holes in the walls, others into the water. Others even haven’t noticed us or just aren’t concerned.
Riku points to one, “That one.” It’s a canine of some sort. It’s a light brown color, with some kind of stones around its neck like a collar. It has a white, puffy tail. I can’t deny that it’s definitely cute. Though, I’m still not certain why Riku chose this one. I slowly approach it, trying to think of what Koshi or Katai would do. Once I have its attention, I kneel down. It watches me cautiously.
I put my hand out, “Hi. My name is Nahoko.” It slowly approaches me, sniffing my land and then licking it. Its tongue is rough to the touch. I almost flinched, but I was able to stop myself. After taking a moment, it smiles up at me and barks. It puts its front paws on my lap and then starts licking my face. At first it was kind of painful, but after a second, it started to tickle.
As I laugh, Riku chuckles too, “That’s a Rockruff. They’re a Rock Type pokemon. They tend to be rather playful and friendly. And like Ralts, they’re also super loyal. We once had a warrior pass through who had one, and the children around town used to love playing with him. I thought this might be a good choice for you.”

Chapter Text

I was a little surprised to hear about Riku and Nahoko going out to find Nahoko a new partner. I suppose it really isn’t that big of a deal. I just hadn’t thought it was really that necessary. So when we were all sitting in the throne room, and she mentioned it, I hoped that the look on my face wasn’t the reason she flinched.
Nahoko recovers quickly though, “Well I just feel like I haven’t been extremely helpful in the last couple battles. I want to do better, and Riku thought Rockruff might be a little better with my style.”
I wanted her to feel better, but I wasn’t sure what to say, “Well in the first battle, you were able to stall out the Charmander and in this one, you still weakened that Pansage. You’re not useless. Battling has a learning curve to it. Especially when kingdoms are on the line.” Maybe I sounded like I didn’t care. I did care. I just felt bad that she felt guilty.
“Still, it’s not like we wouldn’t benefit from a new type on the team,” She kneels down to pet Rockruff. Ralts was sitting on Rockruff’s back. The Pokemon didn’t seem all that bothered. He was kinda cute. I did have to give Nahoko that. She has good taste in partners.
I nod slowly, “Well then, it’s settled. Just don’t feel guilty. That’s all I ask,” I look at Katai, who smiles at me, “So I’m thinking we will leave for Aurora tomorrow. Aurora’s only a 2 day march away from here. It won’t take long. I just wanted to let you guys know.” The others get up, but as Yusuke is about to walk away, I stop him.
“Yusuke, can I bother you?” He looks a little surprised by my interruption, though he sits down and listens, “I’ve been thinking. After we conquer Aurora, I want you to stay behind and watch over the Southern Kingdoms. I like Raiden and I’m very impressed with the work he has done in Ignis, but this is going to be a big step.”
He looks to see that the others are gone, “Of course I will. It’s not to your advantage to keep carrying two Water Type users anyway. I understand that.” I blush a little at the implication that it’s about the strategy.
“No! It’s nothing like that. I just need someone down here who I can trust and who understands politics. Outside of Riku, there’s no one better suited for that than you,” I hoped that made more sense. He laughs at my response.
“Koshi, it’s fine. There’s no offense taken,” He gets up and walks away. For some reason, the idea that strategy took precedence over our friendship made me feel bad.

* * * * * * * * * *

The rest of the day was easy. It was nice. After Ignis, it felt weird to have time to relax. It felt like there was always something going on. We went out and swam and just had a good time. I had decided to go back inside early. Everyone else had stayed outside to enjoy the night breeze and the stars. It really was gorgeous, but I needed a little alone time.
I danced my way into the bathroom. There was a painting that spanned the entirety of the wall and the sliding door. The painting itself was of a sunset. The sun was on the sliding door, while the rest of the room was varying shades of pinks, purples, and oranges. On the wall opposite of the door was a window. The summer breeze drifted in over the tub. The servants had already drawn the water and used some soap that filled the tub with bubbles.
I slowly undress and lower one foot into the bubbles. The water was hot, the steam rising and twirling along my leg. I sat down, taking a second to adjust to the heat. I let out a sigh of relief. I could feel my muscles relaxing, the tension melting away. The bubbles smelled of lavender and honey. Katai sometimes tells me that my lips taste like honey. The first time he told me that, I thought it was funny.
“Well don’t you look comfy?” I shot up, not expecting the voice. I look over at the window. There he is, standing at the window, grinning down at me.
I shot him a dirty look, “Katai, can’t you see I’m bathing? Pervert.”
“And? What about it? I missed you. Riku and Yusuke are ranting about books or something. I got bored, so I came to surprise you.”
“I guess showing up now is a surprise,” I sink back into the water. Katai starts to climb through the window. I roll my eyes. What a lunatic. He hits the ground pretty hard. Thankfully the bubbles hide most of my body.
When he finally gets it together, he crawls behind me and sits on his knees, “Ko, can I tell you something?”
I was a little taken aback. I straighten up and nod a little,“What is it?” I feel his hands on my shoulders. He starts to slowly massage my shoulders and back. It does feel kind of nice so I don’t complain.
“Since we’ve left Ignis, my nightmares have been worse.”
“Is that why you want to go back? You think that it’ll help,” I know the way I say it sounds confrontational. I didn’t mean to. It’s just how it came out.
His pause is uncomfortable, “They’re about Ignis. About me being murdered or hunted down. They’re brutal. It’s been difficult lately.” I take a while to respond. I’m not sure what I want to say. I don’t want him to go, even if I know he needs to.
“You can go to Ignis,” Saying it makes my skin crawl. The pressure in my chest wanted me to grab him and stop him. He wraps his arms around my neck, leaning forwards to bury his face into my neck. Drive the knife in deeper. I swallow my emotions, “I’m sorry I made you feel awful about needing to go back there. That wasn’t my place. I was scared. I don’t like the idea of being without you. Just - promise me you’ll come back?”
He doesn’t hesitate, “I will always come back, Ko. The world could be up in flames, and I’d suffer the burns just to get to you,” He’s holding me tight. It’s almost uncomfortable, but I’m grateful. I prefer him hanging on rather than letting go, “Everything could go dark, and I’d still find my way back by your voice alone”
We sit in silence. I don’t know for how long. I just closed my eyes and drank in the moment. The heat of the bath and the warmth of his face against my neck. He smells like some kind of dessert. Something sweet, maybe chocolate even. Eventually, he slowly sits up, “I’ll let you get dressed.”
He leaves the room. I waited around for a while, not quite done enjoying the bath. I don’t wait too much longer though. I slowly get up, drying myself off quickly and then I put on my clothes. As soon as I walked through the door, Katai was waiting there. He picks me up before I can even step out of the bathroom, causing me to yell in surprise.
“Katai! Put me down, you weirdo!” He laughs as he carries me to his cot. He sits down, putting me down next to him. I look at him with my eyebrow raised, “What?”
His smile is like magic. It enchants me, making my heart beat faster. I’d do anything for that smile to stay engraved on his face, “Will you sleep with me?” I pause for a moment, but it’s just a moment, then I nod. Of course I would.

*****Yusuke*****

We heard Koshi yell from the bathroom. Nahoko stood up, panicking, but when we heard him yell Katai’s name mockingly, she calmed down. I laugh a little at her panic. Nahoko shakes her head in disbelief as she sits back down.
Riku chuckles a little, looking over at Nahoko, “I forget you’re not all that used to them.”
“Yeah. You’re not wrong. You’d think after the last few months, I would be. They’re just -- unpredictable.”
“What do you mean?” Riku looks at her, a curious look on her face. Nahoko seems to think for a moment.
I look at the window, “Do you mean how they fight and then they get along?”
Nahoko shakes her head, “No. Not like that. I guess that too. But it’s something else. A lot of it is that they seem so back and forth. Katai is so obviously in love with Koshi and he’s made it clear over and over. But it never seems that Koshi feels the same way. One of them has to be holding them back, or else they’d be together right? But if that’s the case, then why does Katai keep trying?”
Both Riku and I start laughing. The number of times we ranted about the same thing is hilarious. I’m the first to calm down enough to answer, “Oh, Koshi is just as in love. And Katai knows it.” Riku nods in agreement, but Nahoko doesn’t look too convinced.
Riku looks at her, then back up at the sky, “I grew up around those two. Our dads were super close. I remember Koshi and Katai going everywhere together. One time one of the Fontaine ambassadors brought Koshi here, but wouldn’t let Katai come. Koshi was a complete ass the entire time. He was bitter, petty, and disrespectful. All just to prove a point.” I remembered that. He was pretty angry. Nobody had ever made them split up before. And after that, nobody tried it again. It wasn’t worth Koshi saying something disrespectful to another warlord. Thankfully Motonari was patient. He actually thought it was funny to see Motochika’s fiery side in Koshi.
I laugh a little at the memory, “He used to drive his private teachers and servants crazy. Koshi would drag Katai everywhere. To everything. His lessons. Practices. And of course, Katai followed him like a dog. As a kid, he was practically addicted to Koshi. Even then, Katai thought he was in love with Koshi. And in a way, Koshi loved Katai. At the very least, Katai was his and he made sure everyone knew it. He can be just a bit possessive.”
Riku nods, her voice a little softer this time, “Love is hard for him. Koshi isn’t great with any emotions. He’s definitely an emotional person. He just doesn’t know what to do with his feelings other than shut them down. As a kid, he was super gentle. I remember thinking he was so nice to everybody. And he really was. As he got older, he stopped being that way. He was more closed off, kept to himself. He tried to act -- perfect. I figured a little more freedom would take the weight of the world off his shoulders, but I guess it just made it worse.”
Nahoko frowns. She takes a while to think. In the silence you could hear the Kricketot’s chirping and singing. Their songs echo on the breeze. Nahoko’s voice is quiet when she finally responds, “What do you mean by ‘made it worse?’ You think he’s that stressed?”
I nod in agreement and Riku chuckles, “Of course. Koshi has to be the perfect warlord. He was Motochika’s son. And that came at the cost of everything. I think now, more than ever, Koshi is at war with himself. He’s realizing that he’s in love with Katai, but doesn’t know how to reconcile that with the way he was raised, so he keeps trying to pass his issues off as other things.”
I turned to Nahoko to reassure her, “Don’t worry though. They’ll figure it out. They haven’t been this happy in a long time. At some point, Koshi will snap and realize he’s human too.”

*****Katai*****

When I woke up, I felt a lot better. No nightmares. I woke up with Koshi’s head on one of my arms and my other arm around his waist. I laid my head back down, burying my face into his neck. He still smells like the lavender and honey from his bath last night. His skin is so soft. I forget how gentle and delicate he is sometimes. I tighten my grip on his waist, pulling him against me.
I don’t know what it’s going to take. We’ve been doing this forever. Surely he realizes that this - this isn’t normal.
I run my hand across his arm. I try to be gentle, not wanting to wake him. I remember Orime teasing him. Any time she came home, she’d tease him for not having enough muscle. He’d always make excuses. I know he just didn’t care. But I used to think about it a lot. What would happen if someone wanted to hurt him? So I started taking lessons on how to use katanas, self-defense, and so on. I started working out a lot more. He’d join me for the lessons, but he never tried that hard. And when I went to work out, he’d mostly just sit there and watch. But I knew when Orime came and teased him about his lack of muscles, I could tell her that I would protect him.
Thinking about it, brought back so many memories. One time, I was working out near a river in Fontaine. He was sitting on a rock, just watching. Then this girl approached me. She was pretty, with this very shiny, brown hair. She wore it in curls. I don’t even remember what she was talking about, I just remember her messing with her curls a lot. Then out of nowhere, Koshi was wrapped around my arm. He said something and then he kissed my cheek. The girl looked a little embarrassed. I felt bad for her. At the time, I was just happy to have him on my arm.
Koshi woke up as I reminisced. I hesitated, but I soon moved my face away from his neck. He yawns a little, but he doesn’t move at all. I’m guessing he wants us to stay this way a little while longer. After a few minutes, I whispered to him, “Good morning.”
He chuckles and stretches, pulling away from me. I regret letting him go. He sits up on his knees, “I didn’t sleep in too long did I?”
“Not at all. You still have plenty of time,” I prop my head up, watching him. He looks down at me, his sleepy smile making me weak.

Chapter Text

A black wave washes over Ransei. The roar of a dragon echoes through the sky. As the black waves part, the land is barren. Empty of anything except dirt. That’s what my dreams have been. I’d never had such vivid dreams. One of my advisors suggested that many of Ransei’s Warlords have been blessed with extraordinary abilities. The Warlord of Aurora, who came here a few months ago, understands Pokemon intimately. So much so that he seems capable of talking to them. Supposedly, the Warlord of Illusio, the famed Kenshin, can make himself vanish unlike any other ninja. And my friend, Hideyoshi, is said to have an iron-clad memory. He has the ability to recount anything he sees, reads, or so on.
My advisor says that these abilities are the gifts of gods. Designed to protect Ransei from total obliteration. I wonder what this means for myself. Does this mean that the Gods have chosen me to help stop Nobunaga? And what of Hideyoshi? The last time I reached out, I heard rumors that he had fled to Viperia. Why would the gods give him power, then permit him to join Nobunaga’s army? I should go see Motonori. He is well-read and understands many things. Perhaps he can give me some of his perspective.

* * * * * * * * * *

The visions had been on my mind a lot since we had left Greenleaf. It was almost comforting that no one, not even my own father, understood these abilities. I still had to wonder why I was blessed with these abilities. And the more I thought of it, the more it made sense that perhaps I wasn’t the only one. I don’t know why I had never given it much thought, but Katai understood Pokemon rather well. Sometimes, he would recite exactly what that Pokemon was talking about, as if they told him word for word.
If the visions were given by the Gods to protect Ransei, then why was I selected? And is that how Nahoko found her way to Fontaine? At this time, I really could only speculate.
I look up at the sky, the clouds rolling in. They were dark. Gloomy. By now, they took up most of the sky. Yusuke had already guessed it was going to storm pretty hard, but there were no villages nearby. We’d have to find something else. Riku proposed a cave, but Yusuke’s maps didn’t have landmarks like that. So we’d just have to hope we found a cave along the way. The breeze wasn’t too bad now, but I could only imagine what it will be soon. I notice some tension amongst the group. Maybe it would be best if I distract them.
As we walked I continued thinking. My father had trusted Motonari, so I told Riku of my visions and my fathers’s journal. She listened, seeming to be obsessed with the story the whole time.
When I finish, she takes a moment to think. When she responds, she tries to keep herself calm, “In my schooling, we talked a lot about what sets Warlords aside from other Warriors. We discuss how Warlords come to power and how they keep it. One of the key things we’ve found is that Warlords seem to be inherently inclined to have more natural abilities and powers. There are countless stories of Warlords being engulfed in lights or surrounded by auras, followed by their Pokemon becoming more powerful.”
“I’ve seen it happen to both Katai and Koshi,” Nahoko interjects.
“I don’t really recall anything like that,” I shake my head at her, “But I did see it once in a vision. Hideyoshi was surrounded by a white aura, almost like fire around him.”
Nahoko pauses for a moment, her voice more timid as she looks to Riku, “When we were in Ignis, there were these assassins. They kidnapped our Pokemon. When we confronted them, Koshi got pretty upset,” She looks back at me, “There was this blue and white aura around you.”
Yusuke nods, “I saw it too. It was there.” I really had no genuine memory of there being any kind of aura around me.
Nahoko thanked him for his support, “And then I saw it again when we were fighting for Greenleaf. Katai was surrounded by one. But his was a darker blue and grey. This time, it almost seemed like Quilava got stronger when he did it.” Katai looks just as confused and surprised as me.
I tried reflecting on the night with the assassins. But I was so caught up in the moment, I don’t think I would have even noticed if there was a light around me. Yet, Nahoko and Yusuke both seemed convinced.
Riku looks between Katai and I, “It’s not impossible. Most people claim that the abilities and powers that these Warlords have, are gifts from the Gods. If the Gods have some level of control over the powers we are born with, perhaps the Gods knew you and Katai would be close and they gifted you both powers. And when you became Warlord, didn’t you make Katai a Junior Warlord under you?” I paused, thinking through the implications. I had. I was 16 and I don’t think at the time, I necessarily understood what a Junior Warlord was supposed to be. I just needed an excuse to bring him everywhere. So if he was responsible for Fontaine, just as much as me, then he had to go everywhere with me too.
Katai seems antsy, finally speaking, “So about the visions and crazy powers thing, I think I can understand Pokemon. I’ve always thought about it, but I felt crazy saying it.”
Yusuke snorts, thinking it’s funny, “Duh. We all already knew that. Nobody has a full on argument with their partner because the wrong guy is sitting in his trainer’s lap.” What was he talking about? Katai’s face goes bright red and Quilava says something. Katai shoots Quilava a look, causing the Pokemon to snicker.
Riku laughs, “It may be somewhat staged. The Gods realized that you two might be responsible for saving Ransei someday and blessed you with special abilities. On the other hand, you two are not the only ones. There may be more.”
“Like who?” I was curious, not that I would really know any names if she mentioned them.
“I’m uncertain about that. But during the Hero’s time, there was the Hero himself. And Nobunaga. Both had the same abilities as Katai. Kenshin could make himself invisible. Many thought it was just because he was a ninja, but his ability to do so was unprecendented. Shingen, his rival, had heightened senses,” At this point she looks at Nahoko with an interesting look. Did she know something? I was going to say something, but Riku continued, “Hideyoshi could read any book and tell you exactly what that book said after reading it once. Word for word. Even years after he read it. Supposedly, that played a large part in his conquering Ransei. He had memorized the details of every battlefield. There’s a fair chance, there could be others with similar abilities.”
Listening to Riku, I think about the others who could share similar abilities to myself. And why would the Gods have given Nobunaga anything if he was destined to destroy Ransei? Unless some Gods wanted that?
Thunder suddenly cracks. It echoes across the sky, getting the pokemon riled up. Poliwag and Horsea both shiver and get closer to me. I gently put my hand on Horsea’s head. Quilava lets out a hissing noise, getting tense as he walks. Rockruff starts barking. Ralts gently hugs Rockruff. Seel just claps as all the other Pokemon get excited.
I look at Yusuke, “Do you think we should set up the tents?”
“Maybe. Why don’t you and Nahoko stay here and put up the tents? Katai, Riku, and I will split up to see if we can find something more secure.”

*****Yusuke*****

While I was looking for somewhere to get out of the rain, I ran into Katai. He wasn’t having any more luck than I, though he seemed optimistic. Everything was just trees. And finding a cave between all of that, felt pointless.
“It’s okay Yusuke! I’m sure we’ll find something. There’s gotta be an abandoned house or cave or something,” Katai has his hands on the back of his head as he walks through the woods.
I roll my eyes, “I almost want Koshi to stop having sex with you. The optimism is gross.” Katai’s face gets a little red.
“We - um-” He starts coughing, choking on the air, “We don’t do that.”
“I figured the way you’re glowing and always happy that you guys had finally gotten together.”
“We’re getting closer again. It’s been a long time since we’ve been like this. It’s nice,” I can hear the relief and genuine happiness in his voice.
I look over at him, “Maybe I should get Raiden to come back and start hitting on him. Then you won’t be so positive.” The name brings a flash of irritation across his face. He wrinkles his nose. A few seconds later, he’s mumbling aggressively at himself.
He looks over at me, almost yelling, “I just don’t trust him. I still don’t get why he chose Raiden over me in Ignis.”
“Because choosing to be with you means more than choosing to be with Raiden,” I thought I saw a cave and ran to it. It was nothing but a stone. Though, I hear Riku call from a little ways away. Maybe she found something.

*****Koshi*****

While Nahoko and I are putting up the camps, we keep the Pokemon with us. They’re not very helpful. It really doesn’t take as long as we thought it would. I can’t get what Riku said out of my head.
I look up at her as she walks over to the Pokemon, trying to help them calm down, “Earlier, Riku was looking at you when she was talking about the Warlord abilities.” I see her body tense up as I continue, “Does she know something?”
She takes a very long time to answer, “I don’t know. She thinks so. When we were looking for Rockruff, I could hear a stream that she couldn’t. My mom always said that I could hear and see more than others. I never really think about it as being anything special though.”
“So she thinks that you have heightened senses? What can you hear or see or whatever?
Nahoko points at the sky, “The smell of rain. It’s still faint though,” Her finger moves to the trees, “In the woods, I can hear a lot of noise. An Aipom, a Treecko, and a Sewaddle. The Treecko and Aipom are fighting.” She takes a deep breath in, “I can smell water. It’s not running water though. I can’t hear it flowing.”
She continues running through different things she can hear and smell. It’s incredible. I can’t hear the Pokemon, and I had no clue there was water around here. Maybe I should have sent Nahoko to look for the cave.
I look at her as she finally stops, “Nahoko, that’s really impressive. Riku might have a point. I can’t hear or smell any of that. And I know that my senses aren’t that bad. You know, once you get more comfortable in battling, that could be a really useful skill to have. It would have helped me in Greenleaf, that’s for sure.” Her face goes red.
“Thank you. I just don’t really know how I would use it, I guess,” As she finishes speaking, Riku, Yusuke, and Katai come back.
Riku looked rather excited, “Come on! I found a cave.” We quickly take down the tents. Thunder roars again and it starts to drizzle. The Pokemon are looking more antsy. I decide to carry Poliwag, who looks grateful. Horsea sits on my shoulder. The rush to the cave isn’t quite fast enough to avoid all the rain. So we all wind up getting a little wet.
The cave looked a lot deeper than I cared to explore. Especially considering you can’t see anything in the darkness. Unfortunately, as soon as we got into the cave, Nahoko’s Rockruff ran straight into the cave and kept running. Without thinking, Nahoko rushed after him. Katai, realizing what was going on, followed.
Riku looks at me, “Should we follow?”
“No. Let them handle it for now. Let’s get our stuff set up. If they take too long, I’ll go in, but both of them together should be okay,” I hoped I sounded confident. I don’t think the two of them could get in that much trouble on their own. All they had to do was catch up to Rockruff.

*****Katai*****

By the time I had caught up to Nahoko, she was standing near the edge of some steep drop. There was a hole in the ceiling. Rockruff was standing near the edge of the drop, barking up at the sky. Something about wanting to fight. Nahoko sighs as she carefully approaches Rockruff, so as to not startle him. As she was leaning over to pick him up, I realized the ground under her had turned to mud. As she picked up the puppy, she slipped in the mud and she went over the edge. Her scream could be heard throughout the entire cave. The echoes rocked the entire cave.
I barely had the time to throw myself over the edge to catch her. When I hit the ground, I felt the pain ricochet across my body. Probably not a smart idea to just throw yourself into mud and rock.
Her hand was wet from the rain. She had caught Rockruff and was holding him in her free hand. The other hand, I was gripping pretty tight. I was laying in the mud, half over the edge. Normally, this would be great. I could pull her up, but the ground underneath me was just as unstable. It was taking everything I had to not slip around, while trying to pull myself back up.

*****Koshi*****

Nahoko’s scream could be heard from the front of the cave. I stood immediately. Yusuke and Riku both did too. I turned to them, “Stay here. Watch our stuff.” I scooped up Poliwag and Horsea, running to find Katai and Nahoko.
When I finally found them, almost all of Katai was hanging off the edge of some kind of hole in the ground. The ground underneath him was mud and he was slowly slipping deeper into the hole. Nahoko’s whimpers could be heard echoing around in the darkness below. I put Poliwag and Horsea down, then rushed to Katai’s feet, grabbing his ankles. I tried to pull him back up, but he was too heavy and the mud too slippery. I needed a different plan.
I look around. With the mud, I couldn’t get a good stance on the ground. That was making this even more difficult. I didn’t have the strength to pull them up. I know they’re talking, but I can’t pay attention. After a few moments, I realized, maybe what I needed was momentum. I let go of Katai with one hand, and put Horsea under my armpit, then gestured for Poliwag to get underneath the other. He did so, though not without giving me a look.
“Okay, I need you to both use Water Gun on the wall,” Poliwag cheers, then does it. Horsea waits a moment longer, then does the same. The water hits the wall, sending dirt and rocks straight into the pit. With the water acting like rockets, it gives me enough momentum to pull both Katai and Nahoko back up. Once Nahoko is close enough, she scrambles away from the edge. Rockruff looks around, bewildered. Katai just lays in the mud. His breathing is heavy. Neither of them know what to say. I sit down, letting my Pokemon go. They both go to Rockruff. I think they might be scolding him.
We sat there, just breathing. Eventually, Nahoko looks at me, “Thank you Koshi.” I try to give her a reassuring smile.
“Come on. Let’s get back to the others,” I stand slowly. Nahoko goes over to Rockruff. She picks him and starts to chew him out. He doesn’t look very happy about it. I look at Katai, who’s still laying in the mud, “Are you okay?”
“I’m very muddy and dirty and the second I get up, it’s going to feel nasty,” His voice is muffled. I laugh a little and move to grab his hand. I try to yank him up.
“Come on. We’ll get to the cave and then you can go stand in the rain to get cleaned up.”
He gets up. His entire body is covered in mud, dirt, and stones. And when he walked, his steps were disjointed and awkward. We slowly make our way back to the others. Nahoko had already stepped outside to clean up. Rockruff was talking to the other Pokemon, telling them about what happened. He’s bouncing about, jumping, and running side to side. Shaymin and Quilava look very engaged. Seel -- doesn’t look to be thinking much at all.
I look at Yusuke. Neither he or Riku said anything about Katai. I look at the group, “We’ll be back.” Katai had been pretty quiet the entire time. I help guide him outside, going a little ways away from the cave, so that we’re out of eyesight. He leans up against a tree, grabbing his knee.
“Katai? Are you okay? You look like you’re in pain.”
“I slammed my knee really hard into the ground when I was trying to catch her,” He was gritting his teeth as he rubs his knee.
I smile weakly at him, “I’m sorry you hurt yourself. But it was very brave of you to try and help her. I’m sure she appreciates it.” He bites his lip, trying to not give way to the pain. Lightning flashes over us. The rain was coming down pretty hard. The rain ran through our hair, soaking our clothes.
I move to slowly take off his shirt, making sure it’s okay. He keeps his eyes closed. The shirt was the easy part. It was really just a vest of sorts. And he never wore any shirts under it. I think he just likes showing off his muscles. And with his abs and his arms, there was plenty on display.
Once I had got the shirt off, I moved to try and take his pants off. When I started, he slightly lifted himself off the ground so I could get them past his hips. I tried harder to be delicate around his knees. I hung his clothes from a nearby tree branch. I looked down at him. He was looking back at me. There was still some mud and dirt on his face, though the rain had gotten most of it now.
“Sit still. I’m gonna clean your face off,” I moved to sit in his lap. He stares into my eyes as I do. He looks like he wants to say something, but he doesn’t. When he shuts his mouth, he closes his eyes. I try to be gentle as I wipe the mud and dirt off his face. I feel him place his hands on my waist. His grip is rough. He’s holding onto me pretty tight. I start pulling the mud out of his hair. There are even a few pebbles stuck in his hair. With his thick, black hair, you’d never be able to tell though. He’s biting his lip pretty hard. I wonder if he’s still in that much pain.
“I think I got it all,” He opens his eyes. He slowly nods and moves me off his lap. He lets out a rather deep breath and I laugh at him, “You do realize that not breathing isn’t going to make the pain go away right?”
He looked at me, his eyebrow raised, “That wasn’t about the pain.” I almost asked what he meant, but we were interrupted by more thunder. Instead, I helped him back to the edge of the cave. I ran back in, grabbed him some dry clothes and helped him change. When Nahoko saw us both come back in, she rushed to us and hugged us both.
Her voice was so sincere and sweet, “Thank you guys. Seriously. I appreciate both of you. I was freaking out.” I smile and tell her it’s not a big deal. Yusuke and Riku had built a fire and were sitting around it. I went to join them, along with Nahoko. I expected Katai to sit next to me, but he didn’t right away.
Instead Katai sits behind me, wrapping his arms around my chest. He places his head on my shoulder, his voice quiet, “Thank you. I really appreciate it. It was kind of scary back there. I felt like I was just making it worse. I kept slipping more and more.”
I smile and put my hands on his arms, “Sometimes I can help you too.” He smiles a little, his chuckle sounding much more natural now..

Chapter Text

I woke up, my arms wrapped around Katai. He was so warm. My fingers gently brush his hand underneath mine. I soon realize just what I’m doing. I pull my leg off of his and untangle myself from him. I’m not sure if the warmth in my face is from him or the embarrassment.
I take the opportunity to pack up my stuff and feed the Pokemon. While I move about Riku wakes up. She yawns and sits up, rubbing her eyes, “You’re already up?”
“Yeah. I’m excited to get to Aurora. It’ll be another easy win hopefully,” As I speak, I see the hesitation cross her face.
She waits a moment, standing and stretching first, then speaks, “Koshi, you’re a very lucky Warlord. Ignis, Greenleaf, and Aurora were just waiting for you. Ignis had no one to protect it, and because you and I were friends, I was willing to join you regardless. Aurora’s Warlord won’t be much different --” She drifts off, waiting to see if I understand.
“But?”
“But the other kingdoms won’t be so gracious. Violight and Pugilis are proud kingdoms. Violight is known for its ferocity and Pugilis for its strategy. The Warlord of Chrysalia is cunning and shady. Not to mention Terrera or Illusio, where their warlords are experienced beyond anything you can imagine.”
She was right. Of course. I really need to temper my ego, but so far, each Kingdom has been so easy, with only minor exceptions.
She stands and walks over to me, ruffling my hair, “I’ll be here. I will help you. We all will, and we will stop Dragnor.” I guess I didn’t really respond. I nod and smile at her. I never really grew up with any siblings. Even Katai was never like a brother. Riku was really the closest I had to anything like that. She was only a few years older than me, but she still always looked out for me.
“I appreciate your help Riku. It does mean a lot to me. I really don’t know that I could have asked for a better team to do this with,” I look over at Yusuke and Katai, "even Nahoko. I haven’t known her very long, but she’s fighting just as hard. She’s so motivated and wants to be better constantly.”
“She’ll find her strengths. It’s just a matter of time,” She chuckles a little, then looks at me. Her face turns a little more serious, “I’m rather surprised you and Katai aren’t dating yet though. After all this time?”
My face goes red and I avert my eyes, “He’s amazing. I just -- I don’t know. I’m scared. What if we don’t work out and I ruin our friendship? Or what if I’m with him and I get distracted and I fail to save Ransei? There’s too much pressure for me to think about being with someone right now.”
Riku smiles, her voice light as she speaks, “Do you remember that time when we were watching Katai work out and that really gorgeous girl came up to him? And you went and distracted him?” I pretended to take a long time to remember, but I knew immediately.

*****Riku*****

I was truly savoring the fresh wind of Fontaine. Fontaine was so different from Greenleaf. The air smelled more of the rain and storms that frequented the areas. Not to mention Fontaine’s waterfall that created never-ending rainbows throughout the city, leading into a river that ran straight through the center of the kingdom. Fontaine was truly a beautiful kingdom.
Well until the smell of sweat hit me again. And again. I was sitting on a cold boulder, next to Koshi who was eating some kind of ice. He likes to grab a chunk of ice, beat it into tiny pieces in a bowl, then mix fruit into the ice. The fruit of the juices flavored the ice. It was creative, but weird. I wouldn’t even try it. In front of us, Katai was working out. His whole body was covered in sweat. With no shirt, you could see his body glistening with sweat in the sunlight. Koshi was watching him intently.
I pretend to gag a little, elbowing Koshi, “Katai, I either need you to sweat less or move closer to the river. You stink,” I wave my hand in front of my face. The river wasn’t really that far away. He looks back at me and laughs. He sticks his tongue out, shaking his head, but he does move a little farther away. Koshi smiles as he watches Katai.
I look over at him, “Do we really have to sit here and watch him work out? This is boring.”
“You should have brought a book,” He smiles back at me just briefly, then goes back to watching Katai.
I scoff and roll my eyes, “You get to see Katai all the time. Shirtless, muscles, and everything. You know, if you would just ask him out, he’d let you see him naked all the time.”
“It’s not like that.”
“Oh then what is it?”
“Watching him do a workout makes me sweat so much, it’s like I’m doing the workout with him,” He laughs, “Besides, we’re just friends.”
I look over at him and smile a little, “You know Ko, you both are older now. It wouldn’t be unreasonable for you to have feelings or for you guys to date. Friends don’t really sleep together the way you guys do, and friends don’t watch each other work out. Especially with that look. And I think Katai feels the same way.” I see him pause. I know he’s searching for the feelings and words. It kind of irritates me. Not him, but the pause. The fact that he has to look for what he is feeling. If his parents were actually around, I might have yelled at them. He deserves better.
Koshi’s face suddenly twists into concern and curiosity. I follow his eyes to Katai. Some girl is walking up to him. She’s gorgeous. She’s wearing a lot of makeup, drawing attention to her high cheekbones and long lashes. Her caramel brown eyes are watching Katai non-stop. Her hair is a dark brown and hangs about her face in curls. Her dress is long, flowy, and red.
As she approaches him, she twists her finger through one of her curls, “Hello, my lord.” She bows to him. He hadn’t really seen her approach, but at her voice, he stopped moving and looked towards her.
He bows his head at her, “Hi?”
She laughs a little at his lack of class, “How are you today, my lord?”
He raises an eyebrow, “You can call me Katai.”
“I know your name, but it wouldn’t be very polite to call one of Fontaine’s Warlords by it.”
“Eh, it’s fine with me. I really like your hair by the way. It’s very pretty,” I look over to Koshi. I was going to make a teasing comment, but before Katai can finish his sentence, Koshi is at his side. I sigh and shake my head. Overdramatic.
Koshi drapes himself over Katai, slowly wrapping himself around Katai’s arm. The girl’s face turns a brilliant shade of red. You can see it, even through all her makeup. Katai looks down at him, looking a bit confused.
“Ko, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just came to tell you that Yusuke sent for us,” He most certainly did not.
Katai’s eyes widened, “Oh okay. Let’s go then.” He looks to the girl, who had taken the distraction as an opportunity to flee from embarrassment.
As we walk back towards the palace, I whisper to Koshi, “Really? That was awful.” I see a sheepish smile across his face as he shrugs. Katai is looking down on Koshi, smiling. He seems to enjoy having Koshi hanging onto him.

*****Koshi*****

Either way, things had changed. Katai and I were different people and we were in the middle of a war. Relationships and jealousy were minor issues. I needed to focus on what we were going to do about Ransei.
It only took a couple more hours before everyone else was up. Everyone else picked up their stuff, and then we continued our travels to Aurora. Katai’s knee was still hurting so I let him lean against me.
After a while of walking, Riku looks back at us, “You know, as cute as you two are right now, I can probably find something to help Katai.” She looks over at Yusuke and gestures for him to follow her.

*****Yusuke*****

“You know we’re probably just wasting time looking around. In the time it will take us to find the appropriately sized branch, we could have made it to Aurora,” I tried to sound not necessarily condescending. Either way, she doesn’t look at me. She’s still searching.
“I think that one might be best. Shaymin, if you will,” Shaymin trills at Riku and then uses Magical Leaf to cut down the branch that Riku is pointing at. Riku grabs it after it hits the ground.
I walk over to her, “How do you know that will work? What if it’s the wrong size?”
“Be quiet so I can focus, then I’ll know if it’s the right height,” She’s so bossy. I sigh and stand back. There’s really no point in this. Katai is fine and for the pain he’s in, it’s just better if we get to Aurora. Then he can get actual care there. But there’s really no point in arguing it with her.
Riku carves and sands down the top of the branch, using a knife. It feels like I was just sitting there forever. I can feel the impatience crawling in my skin. I watch, tapping my foot against the ground.
Eventually, I get tired of waiting and decide to speak up, “So why exactly are we doing this? You know, if we just hurry, we can get to Aurora? Then we just conquer it real quick and let Katai sit down.”
“And what if we lose? Then what do we do for Katai? And is he supposed to just keep limping around until we get inside the palace? Or what about when he has to get up and use the restroom? It might be helpful if Katai has a crutch to lean on,” The frustration in her voice is evident. I just sigh and walk back to the others, leaving her on her own.

*****Koshi*****

Yusuke came back a little sooner than Riku, but she really wasn’t that far behind him. They both looked irritated, so nobody said anything. They always had been this way. Riku walks over to Katai, “Here you go. This might help a little bit.” Katai takes it happily, taking a few steps with it.
“Thank you! This is much better,” He seems to get comfortable with it pretty quickly. Thank the Gods. After we let him play with it a little bit, we continued on our way to Aurora.

Chapter Text

Thanks to the crutch, Katai seems to be managing much better. The trip to Aurora is still exhausting for him though. We had to stop multiple times just so he could sit and rest.
I had Yusuke’s Seel use Icy Wind on a pond nearby. Then Poliwag used Double Slap to break the ice up. Then I held the broken ice against Katai’s knee to help with the swelling. He said it did, but I’m not too sure about that.
As we walked, I realized that there was no torii to signify where Aurora’s borders began. We just had to keep walking. Either way, it wasn’t long before we could see the outline of Aurora itself. We finally reached the walls by sunset.
A brown haired boy stood at the entrance to the kingdom. His earthy brown eyes searched us as we approached. It took a moment for me to realize it was Reijero.
Riku smiles softly at him, “Hello again Rei.”
“It’s good to see you, Riku. I’m glad to see you’ve all made it.”
I looked him over, wondering what he was doing here. And how did he know we’d be arriving by now? His face was soft and gentle. As I watched him talk to Riku, the memory of Katai hovering, shirtless over Rei flashes into my mind. It burns. I can feel my heart beat faster. I look over at Katai, who’s carelessly watching the conversation. I try to get the image out of my head. It doesn’t work.
“Uh, Koshi, are you okay?” Rei looks at me with worry.
I snap out of my daze, “Oh! Yeah. Sorry, I was thinking.”
“Are you ready for our battle?”
“Our battle?” I look at him, confused.
He smiles shyly, “Well, I’m the Warlord of Aurora after all. You have to battle me to have it.” I look around, nodding slowly. I don’t know why I didn’t expect that.
“Do you need to get your warriors, or are they on their way?”
He looks at the ground, “No. They won’t be joining us for this battle.”
I nod slowly, “Oh okay. Can we have just a moment to prepare?” He smiles and nods. I pull away with the rest of the group, looking at Riku, “What’s going on?”
Riku laughs awkwardly, “I told you. Rei doesn’t want to be a warlord. He can’t just give you the kingdom though or it would ruin what dignity he does have. He has to fight for it, even if that fight is half-assed.”
“Okay, in that case. I want you all to hold back a little. Let Poliwag and I handle it, and we’ll go with that,” They all nod in agreement. We split up, everyone else moving to create space between us. I look over at Rei, “Let’s do this!”
Rei nods and Eevee hops forwards. Eevee does look rather ready for the fight. This wasn’t a really proper battlefield. We were just on the dirt path leading to the walls of Aurora. I’ll have to be careful that we don’t destroy anything.
Rei’s voice carries through the air, with complete confidence, “Eevee, use Quick Attack!” Eevee starts running. Within seconds, she’s gone and then tackling Poliwag with all the speed and force she had built up. Poliwag totters backwards, trying to not fall over.
“Come on Poliwag, get your balance,” I look at the Eevee, not really expecting this much of a fight out of it, “Use Bubble Beam!” Once Poliwag gets his composure, he releases a blast of bubbles from his mouth. It pelts the ground, sending dirt and grass up into the air as it tracks Eevee. Eevee’s eyes widen and she makes a run for it. She doesn’t get far before being hit as well. As the bubbles strike her, she goes flying into the air. She lands on the ground a few feet away.
It takes a few moments, but Eevee does get back up. She looks over at Rei, who nods. She looks back at Poliwag and makes a loud coughing noise. She shakes her body and then dramatically falls over, as if she’s unconscious.
Rei looks at me, smiling, “Aurora is yours.” He walks over to Eevee to make sure she’s okay. As he gets close, she springs up happily and runs over to him, licking his face intensely.
I look over at Riku, shaking my head, “I’m going to get spoiled.”
“Enjoy it while you can.”

* * * * * * * * * *

We followed Rei through the city, walking towards the palace. It was taller than all the other buildings. It was about two stories high and white with the exception of the black roofing. On top of the roof is a large sculpture of sorts. It looks to be made of gold. The model itself is a line, with a circle over it, and then three lines coming out of each side.
The people gossip as we walk by them. The streets are too loud for me to be making out what they’re saying though. Rei looks like he’s trying to avoid even looking at them. His eyes haven’t left the palace. I hear Nahoko and Riku talking behind us, while Katai is talking to Quilava. Yusuke is trying to talk to Rei, but Rei isn’t giving him much to work with.
By the time we get to the palace, there are four people standing there. There are three women and one man. One of the women stepped forward. Her eyes are gray and calm. She’s slightly bigger and taller and her black hair falls just short of her jaw.
Rei introduces us and then gestures to the woman, “This is Sayoko. She’s going to look over Aurora in my place.”
I hesitate, then nod in her direction, “Thank you Sayoko.” She smiles just a little and bows to me. I turn my attention to Rei, “And where will you be going?”
“I’m not sure yet. I haven’t thought about it. I’ll stay in Aurora a little while, just so I can figure it out.”
I can hear the doubt in his voice. As Riku said, Rei didn’t want to be a warlord, but I guess that didn’t mean he knew what he wanted outside of that. I thought about asking him to join us. It would certainly be less responsibility for him, and we still have a spot open. He could be useful. Though, I would want to wait for a private moment for us to talk about it.

* * * * * * * * * *

That evening we ate together and celebrated. It was fun. I was grateful. I had won the four southern kingdoms of Ransei. And I hadn’t struggled that much either. Rei was pretty quiet throughout the night, but between Katai and Nahoko constantly talking to everyone, it was easy to miss. The palace was cozy and Rei had offered me the Warlord’s Chambers. I tried to let him keep the room, but he insisted.
Sometime during the evening, Yusuke came to me. He had a letter in hand as he spoke, “My lord, Fontaine is having a festival in 2 weeks. In your honor. It’d be a good idea for you to be there.”
“Are you sure? I don’t know if I like the idea of having fun while Ransei is under threat.”
“There will always be threats to Ransei. Take the chance to enjoy yourself while you can.”
He was right of course. I should probably go. I’ll stay in Aurora for a few days. Hopefully that will be enough time for me to get everything in place, before I leave. I look over at Katai. He wanted to go to Ignis after we captured Aurora. Maybe by the time the festival is over and done, he’d come back and go to Violight with me.
I look over at Yusuke and nod, “Then we shall go.” Yusuke nods and returns to the messenger who had delivered the letter. As he does, I make my way over to Katai. He was busy stuffing his face with food.
I laugh a little as I place my hand on his back, “Don’t choke.” He looks back at me, his face red. He tries to quickly swallow the food, but struggles to do so.
“Well I wasn’t going to choke until you said something,” He laughs as he wipes the crumbs off his mouth, “What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
I nod, grabbing a napkin, getting the rest of the food off his face, “Fontaine is having a festival in two weeks. I’m thinking about going. Maybe by the time it’s over, you’ll be done in Ignis and can come with me.” As I said it, I knew it sounded more like a question. He knew I didn’t want him to go and he knew that I wanted him to come back.
His smile softens a little bit. He pushes some of my hair out of my face, “Of course Ko. I’ll go straight to Fontaine and try to make it back for the festival. I was thinking I might leave tomorrow evening.” Tomorrow evening. I heard the words echo in my mind. I felt a pain in my chest. This feels like being excited to go outside, until it starts storming the second you get out there. I nod and try to force a smile. I say nothing more. He’d know it was a lie.

* * * * * * * * * *

The night passed quietly. Katai had decided to sleep in one of the guest rooms. Poliwag and Horsea had been so exhausted from the fight and celebration that they had passed out quickly. I had a much harder time falling asleep. I could only think of how Violight, Pugilis, and Chrysalia might be. Would their warlords be terrifying and all-powerful? Or are they like Riku, Rei, and I? Occasionally Katai would pop up in my mind, but I kept pushing the thoughts away.
When I woke in the morning, everyone else was already up. Riku and Nahoko were training. I guess Nahoko wants to get used to fighting with Rockruff. Katai and Yusuke had left to go shopping for food and Rei didn’t stay at the palace last night. So I decided to take Poliwag and Horsea on a walk through Aurora.
The city was busy and loud, though not quite as big as Fontaine. The air smells of rain. Guessing by the puddles on the ground, it must have rained last night while we slept. With each step, I could feel eyes on me. Their voices whispered around me, though not quietly enough.
“Finally. A new warlord.”
“Maybe he can actually do something-”
“Shush. Be quiet.”
“Well it’s true.”
“I’m just surprised Lord Reijero didn’t just hand the kingdom over.”
I knew that Rei didn’t want to be a warlord, but I can’t imagine just what he had done that was making people question him like this. I try to pretend like I don’t hear them as I continue. I pass a beautiful library. It’s made entirely of marble on the outside. There are multi-colored flowers lining the walls of the library, passing just under the large windows. I thought about going inside, then thought it wouldn’t really be worth it. If I needed to know anything, between Riku and Yusuke, I had a personal library already.
When we sat down to eat, Poliwag and Horsea were grateful for the food. They were hungrier than I expected. I couldn’t eat. The faster time passed, the more I realized that Katai was leaving tonight. I don’t know why the idea made me feel so sick. It’s not really like I needed him for anything. It was just a festival in Fontaine. Still, I could feel the anxiety setting in the more I thought about it.

* * * * * * * * * *

Eventually, the evening came. I had stayed out of the palace all day, not really wanting to deal with the future. When I did return, Katai came running out the doors.
“There you are! I was worried something had happened,” He hugs me. His bags are by the door. The soft breeze passes over his skin, into me. He smells warm and sweet. My arms feel like jelly and I can’t hug him back.
It takes a minute for me to find some words, “Sorry -- I lost track of time.”
Katai pauses, looking down at me. He seems to take a moment to think before he speaks. His voice is gentle, “Well Yusuke left for Fontaine. He said that you’d be fine if he left. I guess he wanted to go help prepare the festival and get some other things together.”
“Where are the others?” I look up at him as he releases me.
He walks over to the door, slinging his bag over his back, “Oh they’re inside. I already said bye to all of them.”
The air is cool, and yet somehow heavy. The purple sky stretches over us, as the stars start to come out. The moon is only half full. Poliwag and Horsea are talking to Quilava, their voices the only thing I can hear besides my own breath. I wonder if they can see the tension in my body.
Katai’s voice is calm as he walks back to me, as if he’s trying to soothe me, “You know, I don’t think we’ve ever gone two weeks without each other.” I breathe in and out. Trying to keep myself from crying.
“The only time we’ve gone more than a day without each other was when I went to Greenleaf on my own,” I try to laugh. With each forced laugh, another tear streams down my cheeks.
He smiles, wiping the tears away, “Have I ever told you that you look even more beautiful in the moonlight?”
I feel like I’m being dramatic. It’s just a couple weeks. Still -- I wrap my arms around him, not really wanting to ever let go. I’m gripping tight. I can’t breathe, let alone say anything. He puts one hand on the back of my head, just letting me cry into his chest. He brushes his fingers through my hair. His other hand on my lower back.
After I calm down enough, and I’m nothing more than my tears, I step back. He puts his hands on my arms. He looks down at me, the same gentle smile on his face.
He whispers, not wanting to startle me, “Ko, can I kiss you?” I want to tell him yes. Kiss me so the moon sees and becomes jealous. Kiss me in a way so that the stars can see what love really looks like. I want to kiss him and tell him he’s my world. I want to feel his heartbeat on my chest, his heart beating in time with mine. A sign that we were meant for more than chasing each other relentlessly. That our love is fate and everything will be okay, even when the world is up in flames.
Instead I can only look down at the ground. I don’t know why I can’t get the words out. I don’t know why I can’t say yes or why I can’t just nod. He steps towards me, gently kissing the top of my head. I look up at him. His smile hasn’t faltered. I move to hug him, hoping he knows what I mean.
After a few moments, I let him go. And then he’s gone.

Chapter Text

*****Nahoko*****

The first couple days after Katai was gone, Koshi was noticeably different. He seemed avoidant at first. He was gone a lot. He always had an excuse. Sometimes he went to “get used to Aurora.” Other times Poliwag wanted to explore. Or he was going to train Horsea. Riku held down the palace, making sure the paperwork was done. Riku got most of the paperwork done in the morning, then in the afternoon we’d practice battling so I could get used to Rockruff.
It was funny at first. I had such a hard time memorizing Rockruff’s moves. Though, he usually understood what I meant. Of course, it didn’t help that we were at such a disadvantage against Riku’s Shaymin, but that was neither here nor there.
The weather in Aurora tended to vary more than that of Ignis, Fontaine, and Greenleaf. Fontaine was always cool and often rainy. Ignis was scorching hot. On the other hand, Greenleaf was always warm and sunny, with beautiful breezes. Aurora was usually one of the three, but it was always a guess which one you’d get.
Thankfully, today was more like Greenleaf. It was warm, but the breeze made it so much more comfortable. As Riku and I were leaving the park where we had been practicing, the breeze carried the smell of fresh baked bread. I would have been perfectly content staying here in Aurora.
I had a very sudden question, and Riku likely had an answer, “Hey Riku, you know how every kingdom has a theme? Like how Aurora is a Normal Type kingdom or how Greenleaf is the Grass Type kingdom?” She nods at my question, obviously wondering where this was going, “Well, why do those kingdoms have those themes?”
Riku’s eyes widen and she grins. It must be a topic she likes, “Oh yeah! Well before Ransei was invaded, when you went to those kingdoms you’d really only find Pokemon of those types. So Fontaine had mostly Water Types and Ignis had Fire Types. When the invaders came, they stirred up the ecosystems throughout Ransei and introduced tons of new species. Because of that, each of the kingdoms wound up diversifying what Pokemon. Of course, in most places, you’ll still have an easier time finding the Pokemon you want, if you travel to the rightful kingdom. For example, if you want an Electric Type Pokemon, you can find them anywhere. But you’re going to find that around Violight, there’s twice as many Electric Type Pokemon there, as anywhere else.”
I guess that made sense. It was weird to think that I was so unfamiliar with the invaders, yet in a decade, they had created the Ransei that I was so familiar with. Before I knew it, we had reached the palace. Koshi was there, feeding Poliwag and Horsea. He looked disinterested.
Riku and I approached him. I’m not exactly sure what to say, but Riku knows, “Koshi, you’re here. Good. I have some news for you.”
He doesn’t even look up, “I was thinking I might go look out over the farms and make sure that Aurora’s okay on food.”
“If you stayed behind and looked at the reports, you’d know that they’re fine. I need you to stay for a minute anyway,” I think I saw her eyes roll as she spoke. Koshi sighs and looks up at her. She looks down at him, “Tomorrow you’ll have to give a speech to the people of Aurora.”
Koshi looks disgusted at the thought, “Do I have to? Can you do it? I’m not very good at public speaking.”
I look over at Riku, “I don’t want to be mean, but he has a point. In Ignis, he had a hard time dealing with the people there. Speeches aren’t one of his strong points.”
Riku raises an eyebrow, “Unfortunately, you’re going to have to get better at it. Most of the kingdoms you go to, you’re going to have to offer a speech as the new warlord. The people want to know who they’re following and who leads them now.” Koshi falls backwards, letting a loud breath out. Riku’s starting to look a little frustrated. She walks over and grabs Koshi by the arm and yanks him up. He yells out a little bit, surprised.
Riku forcibly smiles at me, “Watch the Pokemon for a bit please?” She drags Koshi away from the palace. I look down at Poliwag and Horsea, who look just as surprised as me.

*****Riku*****

“So are you going to tell me what’s wrong?” I knew my voice sounded stern, but he knows I’m asking for his benefit. The walk through the woods was relaxing for me at least. I just hoped that maybe getting away from everything would make it a little easier for him to do the same.
He won’t even look at me, “There’s nothing wrong. I’m just busy. We have a lot to do before we go to Fontaine. I’m thinking about using Horsea in Violight. He might have some better tactical advantages. There’s not much I’m going to be able to do against a bunch of Electric Types otherwise. And now I’ve got to prepare this speech. Then we have to go back to Fontaine in the middle of a war, and I’ll have to deal with my mother.”
As he rambles, his hands are reaching. Probably for excuses.
“How are you handling Katai leaving?” I let my voice soften, trying to ease the blow. I can see the tension flooding his body. Even if he didn’t want to feel the emotion, he was going to.
He looks at me for a moment, in the eyes. His eyes are full of hurt, but he can’t do it for long. He soon turns to look the other way, “There’s nothing to handle.” His voice is colder now, desolate of emotion. I can’t help myself. I laugh a little.
“Ko, the one time you had to go more than a few hours without Katai, you nearly caused a war. I know it’s going to be weird for you to be without him. You can just admit it.”
“There’s nothing else to say about it. We’re both adults. He can do what he needs to. I’m fine,” He turns to look at me, putting on his best blank look. I shake my head. This isn’t getting us anywhere.
I wait a few minutes, before switching topics, “Okay. So what are you going to do about your speech?” His only response is a defeated sigh.

* * * * * * * * * *

We made our way back to Aurora. Rei is waiting for us at the door of the palace with Nahoko. He smiles and waves as we make our way over. I wave back at him. I’m not entirely sure Koshi noticed.
Once we’re close enough, Koshi looks up at Rei. Rei smiles and bows his head, “Your audience will be here soon. Are you ready for them?” Koshi falters. Rei notices and places a hand on his shoulder, “It’s okay. I promise. I set the bar really, really, really low. All you have to do is speak.” He laughs a little as he makes fun of himself. Koshi nods.
We wait patiently. I take a spot behind Koshi. He’s breathing to himself, trying to calm down. Rei and Nahoko are talking quietly. A crowd surely begins to form. The palace staff guide them to a designated area, while creating a platform out of wood for Koshi to stand on. I look up at Koshi as the crowd starts to get pretty big. He’s sweating hard.
I realized I hadn’t seen the Pokemon in a minute. I gesture to Nahoko, and she points inside the palace. Good. At least they were safe. Koshi would need Poliwag and Horsea when this was all over with.
A few minutes later, Koshi clears his throat. His whole body is shaking viciously as he speaks, “People of Aurora! My name is Koshi. Uh, Lord Koshi. You can just call me Koshi though. I’m not very particular,” He stops, looking around. He scratches his neck, wiping sweat off in the process, “I’ve come to Aurora because I want to unite Ransei. There’s a threat to Ransei. I mean there’s something threatening Ransei. And I want to unite Ransei to stop it. That threat is Dragnor. They’ve been planning something and I can’t even get news from the Northern Kingdoms.”
I can see the people starting to whisper and murmur among themselves as Koshi talks about the threat. The speech is awkward, disjointed, and only causes panic. I look over at Nahoko and Rei. Rei’s eyes are wide, realizing just why Koshi was nervous. Nahoko has her face in her hands. I’m wondering if I should step in, but Koshi keeps going.
“So I’ve set out and so far I’ve already conquered four kingdoms. Or well three if I don’t count my home kingdom of Fontaine. I think I can keep going, and with your support, I can save Ransei,” He breaks off. He balls one of his hands into a fist, “So yeah. Thank you for coming and thank you for your support.” He steps off the podium and heads towards the door. He waits to go inside, watching everyone leave. He looks…defeated.
The crowd watches him leave. Most of their whispers sound fearful. There’s nothing to do now. They’re already walking away.
There’s a laugh from somewhere in the moving body of people. It’s a cocky sounding laugh. Walking out of the crowd, towards us is a man with this vibrant, tall, orange hair. His eyes are gold, locking onto Koshi almost as if by instinct. His skin is dark, as if he had been directly from the earth itself. He’s pretty tall. I’d say he’s around Katai’s height, but I’m not sure if that’s true. He is just as fit as him though.
“He really hasn’t gotten any better has?” The man’s voice is full of humor and sarcasm.
Koshi looks back, his face full of surprise, “Raiden?”

Chapter Text

As soon as I realize who it is, I rush to him. I hug Raiden tight. He’s still laughing and teasing me. Though, at this point I don’t care. I’m not even sure what he’s saying.
I look up at him, as I let him go, “What are you doing here?”
“Well Katai made it to Ignis. So he told me to come down here and help you out,” He sounds rather disinterested as he takes a look over at Riku and Rei. He grins, “You’ve made some new friends?”
He approaches Riku who introduces herself. He nods a little and returns the favor, then he approaches Rei, “Oh you found me another pretty princess?” He smirks and puts his fingers on Rei’s chin.
Rei scowls a little and looks over at me, “Oh great. Your friend is a perv.” Raiden just shrugs in response. He lets Rei’s face go.
I shake my head, laughing a little. It’s Raiden. There was nothing else to expect. After introductions are done, we go inside and eat. Dinner is quiet. There’s not much to say, though Raiden makes off-hand comments every once in a while. I don’t know why, but as excited as I am to see Raiden again, I just don’t care. I’m drained from the speech and I’d rather just go to bed.
Raiden lets out a rather loud burp as he finishes eating, then looks around, “Oh yeah. Can I get a room? I’m completely exhausted from the trip here.”
Rei raises an eyebrow, his tone mocking, “It’s a two day walk from here to Ignis.”
“And? That’s still a lot of walking.”
Nahoko and Rei both roll their eyes. Riku laughs a little. Rei stands and leads Raiden to another room. I stand as well and leave to go to my own room.

*****Raiden*****

The next morning, I thought I’d go find Koshi and see what trouble he’s gotten himself into since he left Ignis, but he was already gone. That Riku girl was outside, sitting outside the palace doors with the strangest Pokemon in her lap. I sat down next to her.
I look over at her. She doesn’t look back. I try to sound as cheery as possible, “Where did Koshi run off to?”
She seems to sigh, “He’s training. Supposedly.”
“Does he train a lot?”
“It’s really just an excuse. He’s upset that Katai left,” That’s the voice of someone who has tried to reason and not gotten anywhere. I laugh a little at the defeated tone.
I look back at the sky, “That’s absurd. You’re kidding right? Katai said he was coming back. Why would Koshi be that childish about it?”
It takes her a while to come up with an answer, “Well, honestly, I don’t know that Katai and Koshi have ever gone more than a day without each other. When Katai got to Fontaine, Koshi’s dad made sure Katai was adopted into a family that worked for the palace. Then they introduced Katai to Koshi, so that Katai would maybe feel less intimidated by the new kingdom. It worked just a little too well. Koshi really took to liking Katai, and pretty much brought him everywhere. Even as teenagers. Koshi brought him to diplomacy meetings, his private lessons, and so on. I think Katai is like his security blanket, and when he’s gone, it makes Koshi nervous.”
I stand stretching, “Let me try talking to him. I’ll see what I can do.”
Riku sighs and waves her hand, “Be my guest. Good luck.”

* * * * * * * * *

It took me a while to find the park that Koshi had been practicing at. Once I’m there, I can see Poliwag and Horsea running through the playground. They’re running, or well in Horsea’s case - floating. Koshi stood nearby, guiding them through. His voice is quiet and calm. There are other trainers and Pokemon moving around the playground.
I slowly approach Koshi, “Hey.” He startles a little as I speak, though he doesn’t turn to look at me. He doesn’t say anything. I tilt my head and sigh, “I hear that you’re avoiding everyone.”
“I am not. I’m just focused. Violight is going to be dangerous. I need to make sure that I’m ready.”
“Yeah. Without the rest of your squad?”
“They can prepare on their own,” He’s trying to stay nonchalant. It’s not working though.
I shake my head and put my hand on his shoulder. He shrugs it off pretty quickly. It’s kind of cute and annoying that he’s trying so hard, “Koshi, do you remember that notebook I gave you? Hideyoshi’s? Did you read Kanbei’s letter?”
He finally stops what he’s doing and looks at me, “Yes. And what about it?”
“I wanted you to see that for two reasons. For one, because love is important. You need to come to terms with your feelings for Katai. I really hoped that you would realize that while reading it,” I try to keep calm and sound reasoned. I can see the tension and discomfort passing through his body as he considers what I’m saying.
I wait, but he says nothing, so I continue, “The other thing you need to think about is that Kanbei had become so reliant on Hanbei, that rather than live without him, he killed himself. He left Ignis and his death threw his kingdom into a frenzy. You saw the chaos. Don’t be like Kanbei. You can’t just fall apart when Katai isn’t here.” I look for any change in his expression, but there’s nothing.
He looks up at me, “Are you wanting to go to Fontaine with us? They’re holding a festival soon.”
“Sure. I’ll go,” I sigh and nod in agreement. Riku was right. This was a little more difficult than I cared for, “But can you at least acknowledge what I said?”
Koshi bites his lip, turning away from me. He pauses. I can see the tension in his body. At the very least, I can see he’s thinking.
Koshi’s voice is quiet, but shaky, “I don’t know. It’s not that easy. When I was a kid, my mom and dad were always gone. Yusuke and the rest of the palace cared too much about me being the perfect warlord. And as much as I care for Riku, she wasn’t always around.” He buries his face into his hands.
“With Katai, there was no pressure. Me being a warlord wasn’t anything special. With my parents gone all the time, Katai was the only thing I had in my life that was stable. He was the only person who ever made me feel loved. He was the one person in my life that I’ve never had to be someone else for. And now, that’s all changing. I’m scared.”
I wait patiently for him to finish. In some ways, I had never thought about what kind of pressure a warlord might be under. Or even just the pressure their heir is under.
He closes his eyes as he finishes speaking. I try to laugh a little to lighten the mood, “See. That wasn’t that bad. Now you just gotta tell him.” He looks at me like I’m crazy. I shrug at the look and laugh again.

Chapter Text

I used to enjoy the sun’s warmth and light. The sun meant that everybody would be outside and we could play and laugh. In the warmer months, we’d get to go swimming. In the cooler months, it was a reprieve from the storms and snow. As I got older, the night had become much more enjoyable. The day was full of nothing but business and paperwork. There wasn’t enough time to swim or even just think to myself. The night was all I had for that kind of stuff. There -- nobody would bother me and there were no expectations.
Now, the night felt lonely. And to be lonely was the last thing I wanted. Even the moonlight streaming in through my window couldn’t help. It drifted in on the spring breeze, gentle and smooth. This was just a ghost grazing my skin, someone reminiscent of who it was supposed to be. There was nothing about the night that comforted me now.

* * * * * * * * * *

It’s been a couple weeks. I’d spent my time working with the others, practicing my speeches. We talked briefly about Violight, but the conversation never got very far. And it wasn’t very long before we left for Fontaine.
As the days went by, it got easier to be without Katai. I still missed him. There was never a time when I didn’t miss him. But those emotions stopped driving me crazy after a while. It was easier now to be around the others. Or to just enjoy myself. Now with the outline of Fontaine appearing in the distance, I could feel the excitement. The way I knew it wouldn’t be long before we saw each other.
Rei and Raiden were both rather excited too. They had never been to festivals before. I guess Aurora didn’t really feel like celebrating anything.

* * * * * * * * * *

As we approached the gates of Fontaine, I met the guards. They bowed to me. Katai hadn’t made it home yet. As we passed through the gates, the kingdom looked gorgeous. Many of the decorations were already up. Though the festival won't be until tomorrow.
There were lanterns hung from streamers above our heads, connecting house to shop to house. The streets had been cleaned, clear of litter and broken holes, mended. Most of the festival’s stands were set up, ready to be filled up tomorrow with sweets and toys. Poliwag was running around excitedly. Most of the other Pokemon followed him. He’d turn, explain something, then run to the next spot and repeat. Almost as if he were giving them a tour. It makes me laugh. He’s probably happy to be home too.
As we passed through, there were definitely whispers and murmurs. Most were excited. I think. Either way, as I walked by, the people bowed as they talked. Rei and Raiden were pretty excited too. They were busy pointing at different stands and decorations and signs.
Rei looks over at me, “Koshi, this is a lot of stuff. How do you guys ever organize all of this?”
“Well, Yusuke and my mother will get a lot of the big stuff out of the way. Informing people and so on. Then for the most part, tradition. People are used to the festivals so they do everything on their own,” In some ways, I had never thought about the fact that I was spoiled in that way. If Raiden had tried this in Ignis, it would have ended in revolution.
The palace itself was shiny, the paint having just been refreshed recently. I nodded to the sentries outside then walked inside, guiding everyone in.
I looked at Poliwag, “Why don’t you take everyone to your room?” Poliwag chirps happily and runs off. The other Pokemon follow.
Raiden chuckles a little bit, “Poliwag has his own room?” I blush a little at the comment.
Riku answers for me though, “Oh yeah. If you think Koshi is spoiled, then you haven’t seen anything. Poliwag is pampered like no Pokemon you’ve seen before.” They all break into laughter at the thought.
I look at the throne as they laugh. It was even clean. I chuckle at the thought. I never used it so I’m sure that was some fun dusting. Standing behind the throne was Yusuke. He smiles and waves at us as we notice him.
Yusuke clears his throat and then speaks, “Hey guys. Welcome back Koshi. Everything should be set for the festival tomorrow. Though, if you’re wanting any specific music, then you should probably put in your request tonight.”
I shake my head and roll my eyes, “I’m sure whatever they play, I will enjoy. The town looks amazing Yusuke, you’ve done very well.” He grins at the compliment.

* * * * * * * * * *

For the rest of the day, we lazed about. I caught up with Yusuke, who had apparently had more troubles than I had thought. Just terrible weather constantly ruining decorations. It’s been rainy. I can’t help but wonder if maybe it was intentional. Maybe the Gods didn’t approve of my conquest of Ransei? If so, why did this feel like fate? If not, then why drown my home?
* * * * * * * * * *

The day of the festival was busy. Even with Yusuke helping, there were so many papers to sign. Papers to allow booths and for decorations to be hung and what performances would be allowed. By the time I was finished, I wanted to take a nap. Forget the festival. Yet, as the sun began to set, I could feel the energy of the kingdom rushing through my veins. My blood felt like a river rushing just under my skin.
I slowly walked out of the palace. Lanterns float past my face, the light glowing softly. Blue and white streamers connected house to shop. The chattering of the Panpours playing ahead of me cut through the sound of distant music, yet even they couldn’t overwhelm the people talking. Each person I passed stopped to bow to me, smiling.
As I entered the center of town, I had to stop and admire the beauty of the giant fountain, covered in lanterns. The lanterns each glowed different colors, lighting up the whole square. A band played exciting music around the fountain, their silhouette falling across the town. Near the band, crowds of people danced, talking quickly and quietly to their partners.
It wasn’t long before I found Riku and Nahoko. Nahoko was trying to convince Riku to dance, but Riku wasn’t falling for it. Even as Rockruff, Ralts, and Shaymin encouraged her. When Riku and I locked eyes, I’m sure she saw me laughing because after that, she finally relented. She takes Nahoko’s hand and they both leave to go be closer to the band. Their pokemon follow behind, excitedly dancing the whole way there. As I watched them go, a quiet set of footsteps approached behind me.
“So this is what the festivals are like? This is kinda crazy,” I turned to see Rei looking around in amazement. I laughed at his expression.
“Yeah. I forgot you haven’t had many of these at home. Have you tried the food? That’s my favorite part.”
“Yeah. Well if you count candy as food anyway,” He laughs a little and wanders off. I could only shake my head as I watched him go. I’m glad he’s enjoying himself. I slowly circled through the circle until I found my mother sitting on a bench by herself. She was watching the dancers, her eyes tracing their movements. I moved to sit next to her.
After a few minutes of silence, I finally spoke, “Are you enjoying the festival?” She doesn’t even move as I talk, nor even look at me. It takes her a while to respond.
“I miss dancing with your father. He was a superb dancer. I wasn’t that good, but your dad was so good, he could make me look decent,” Her voice is wistful as she reminisces. I didn’t know what to say. What would I know of them dancing? So I remained quiet. She eventually speaks again, “And do you plan on dancing with Katai tonight?”
“Well considering he still isn’t here, probably not.”
“And if he was?”
“I suppose if he asked me to, I would.” I don’t know why, but I was starting to feel annoyed by the questions, “If you have something to say, you can just say it instead of dancing around it.”
Her voice is soft, almost hesitant, “I assumed when you left, you and Katai would get together. I suppose I’m just surprised that you aren’t dating.” The comment did take me by surprise. I don’t know why everyone insists on Katai being together, but the assumptions almost make me want to avoid it altogether.
“It’s not like we weren’t together because we were in Fontaine. If Katai and I had thought about dating, we would have back then too.”
“Then what is stopping you?”
“For one, I don’t feel that way about Katai. For two, I have other priorities,” I can feel my voice straining. I know I’m lying through my teeth.
She doesn’t answer right away. She’s looking for the right way to say it. I don’t know if I want to hear it. It’s tempting to get up and just walk away, but I don’t dare to disrespect her like that.
She finally turns to look at me, “You do love Katai. Whether or not you want to acknowledge it. Your feelings are obvious to everyone but you.” Maybe it was the blatant dismissal. It could have been the fact that she thought she knew more about my feelings than me. I finally snapped.
“What if I do love him? I’ll just leave him feeling abandoned, while he claws at my chest trying to find a heart that isn’t there. What do I know of love when I was never given any to start with? That neglect? It’s the only thing I’ve ever known,” I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. My hands turn to fists and I have to turn away. I can’t face her. This was her fault. She’s the reason I’m like this, and I don’t even know how to fix it.
My mother turns away. What could she say? Emotions were no more a skill she wore than me. She eventually sighs, “I’m sorry Koshi. I know your father and I didn’t do a good job loving you, but I don’t know how to fix that either. Either way, you’re still entitled to your feelings. And just because we messed up, doesn’t mean you’re bound to repeat our mistakes.” She slowly stands, walking away. For the first time, I noticed her struggle to walk. The slow hobble was more noticeable now than ever before.
I tried to breathe a little harder. Using my sleeve, I wipe the tears away, trying to clear them away. I could feel myself calming down as I looked around. Raiden was nearby, dragging Rei away from some candy stall. It kind of made me laugh.
That is until I felt the arms wrapping around my neck. And a second later, a chin on top of my head. Just by the warmth of his skin, I know it’s Katai. I hesitate to move. Though, I can’t stop myself from looking up at him, just to be sure. As my head lifts, he has to raise his. He looks down at me, smiling.
I can’t stop myself from yelling his name and throwing myself at him. I hug him tight. I couldn’t believe just how excited I was to see him. I had finally gotten used to not seeing him all the time, and now that he was here, it was strange. I buried my face into his chest as he wrapped his arms around my waist. He laughs a little.
He only lets me hug him for a bit before he pulls me off of him, “Come on. The night isn’t forever. Let’s go get some food.” I nod slowly as he takes my hand and leads me to a nearby stall with rice balls in the shape of different Pokemon heads. He has to let go of my hand as he grabs one for me. We both walk over to a couple of seats in the light and sit down.
He looks around at the ground, “Where’s Poliwag and Horsea?”
“I let them go ahead of me. Though, now that you mention it, I’ve yet to see them. I should probably find them after this. What about Quilava?”
Katai’s eyes get wide with excitement as I ask, “He’s back at the palace. They should be coming this way soon.”
“They?”
“While I was in Ignis, I met some people who used to help my father with his Pokemon. They would take care of them and everything. They actually introduced me to a Chimchar that had been bred from my father’s Infernape. He and I got along so well, he actually decided to join me and I was so excited. So Quilava was supposed to be showing Chimchar around Fontaine while I found you.”
I could tell just how excited he was. Katai never really had anything from his family, so having something related to his father was probably such a good feeling. I couldn’t help but laugh at his huge smile, even as he started to eat.
I look down at my Poliwag Rice Ball and shake my head, laughing, “I’m glad you enjoyed it in Ignis. But also I’m so glad that you’re back.”
“Missed me that much huh,” He smirks a little as he teases. I roll my eyes, shooting him a look. For a while we discuss his time in Ignis. Then I went through and explained what happened in Aurora. Though, I left out my conversation with my mother just now.
After we finished eating, we got up and walked around until we found Quilava and Chimchar. Turns out they had found Poliwag and Horsea themselves. Both of my partners were stuck by another food booth, having been eating this entire time. I could only laugh while Katai blamed me for passing on my habits. After a bit of talking, Katai and I convinced Quilava to lead everyone back to the palace to rest.
As they walk away, Katai turns to me and holds out a hand, “Care to dance?”
“Katai, you know I’m not really a big dancer.”
“Then just a slow dance. Nothing fancy. I promise,” I can’t reject the smile. It’s so innocent and kind. I laugh a little and take his hand. He guides me to the crowd of dancers. There we slowly dance, hand in hand, moving in time with the beating lights. The band seems to notice and they quickly switch to a much slower paced song. I could only scoff as they switched.
Katai waits a while to speak again, but when he does, his voice is soft, “So I have to confess something to you.”
“Oh yeah?”
“I might have overheard you talking to your mom,” He doesn’t look at me now as he speaks. Rather his eyes drift, glancing at others. I can feel the tension in his body. I wasn’t sure what to say at first.
I tried to laugh it off, though I’m sure it sounded awkward, “I didn’t know you were there.”
“Koshi, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel you had to have an answer about us or that you have to prioritize me…” He kept rambling, though honestly I couldn’t focus on what he was saying. I could only notice how he was apologizing for my feelings, for the trauma he wasn’t the one to inflict.
I think I just wanted him to stop. Stop apologizing. Stop taking the blame. I think I wanted him to stop feeling guilty. I just didn’t know how until it was too late.
I leaned in and I kissed him. I threw myself into him, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. As I moved, I closed my eyes, hoping my lips landed perfectly. And they did. I could feel his body tense up, the shock passing through his soul. Eventually, his hands gently found my waist. He slowly relaxes into the embrace. I don’t know what I was thinking, but once I was there, I didn’t want to let him go. The warmth of his face pressed against mine was a comfort I never knew I needed.
I kissed him for what felt like forever. I waited until his body had completely relaxed, then I slowly drew away from him, opening my eyes. His were still closed. He was soaking it in. When they fluttered open, I took the chance to admire the bright orange, like flames dancing around in the darkness. His mouth opened a little to speak, but no words came out.
I shook my head, trying to be as soft and genuine as possible, “My walls are not your responsibility. Nor are they your fault. So - just be quiet.”
I let my hands relax around his neck, watching him. His eyes don’t leave mine. Maybe they’re all right. And maybe I have been scared, but right now, with him right here, I know I’ve never been this at ease.
“I love you.”