#pearl gained trust issues because of us

[gpanada]

we can all agree that satisfactory fun to watch, especially when Pearl encounters the tier 3 spiders lol

the 2 tier 3 spiders in that one area...(did anyone clip that btw?) oof pearl doesn't trust us when it comes to spiders hahaha

[thecoolerliauditore]

Can you tell us the parallels between the nosy neighbors and the mean gills pls, I'm desperate

YES PLEASE OFC

For starters, they are both partnerships formed by people who have historically not gotten along, but have also not become official enemies. Martyn and Scott have their mutual respect and dislike of eachother going on that I've talked about too much at this point. Bigb stood by and did nothing when Ren (literally) demonized Pearl in DL even though his affair with Grian was partially responsible for Ren spiralling that season in the first place, allowing Pearl to act as his scapegoat.

Scott and Pearl's history is obvious enough but Martyn and Bigb also have had a fairly weird relationship up to this point. They tend to hover around eachother as kind-of-allies, usually it's Martyn actively pursuing Bigb and Bigb reciprocating just enough but ultimately pulling away when things get dicey. Where Martyn gets emotionally attached very easily and is brave to the point of being self-destructive, Bigb is cowardly and flighty with all of his alliances. Bigb is manipulative in all the ways Martyn wants to be without meaning to while Martyn fails again and again to achieve the betrayal he wants by getting too attached.

Mean Gills and Nosy Neighbours are both, in a way, ideal partnerships for the people involved. For Scott and Martyn, they have someone on the same page about surviving in the death game and the transactional way you have to look at people to do that. They communicate very little because they don't have to, they're already on the same page.

For Bigb and Pearl, Pearl is shown that there are people outside of Scott and Cleo in the games who she can trust, and that the "bystanders" of DL are just that, bystanders. For Bigb, he gains an ally who can stand up for him and Pearl's clingyness means he's pretty much forced to communicate his issues (e.g. her continuously checking up on how much time he had left) which means his problems don't have the time to fester and when they do get desperate Pearl is happy enough to sacrifice herself for him.

No wonder these two alliances don't get along when you consider not only Scott and Pearl's history but also the fact that everything about them - the people involved, the ideas behind the alliance - clash severely.

In a way, both partnerships are built on selfish reasons. For Martyn, survival. For Scott, the illusion of control. For Bigb, stability. And for Pearl, companionship and redemption. Neither are built around wanting to be with the other person, but on what the other person can provide. This also is why neither partnership really struggles with "loyalty", their interests are always being met (I don't really consider Martyn killing Scott a true betrayal since it's what Scott wanted, but I think Martyn would).

This is not to say they don't actually care for eachother, they very much do. Pearl especially is heartbroken at Bigb's death, but I've always read it more as Pearl being upset at herself for being unable to save him rather than his death itself (she did show in LL that she doesn't.. exactly have the most normal grasp on people dying, after all). That is another thing -- when Nosy Neighbours are torn apart, Pearl whimpers. When the Mean Gills are torn apart, Martyn laughs maniacally.

tl;dr they're both ideal death game partnerships but because of that no deeper connection can be established since neither party is interested in challenging the other's perspective on things.

[imsparky2002]

We All Dye - A Teen Titans (Girls) AU

Band: We All Dye

Founded: October 30, 1999

Location: Jump City, California

Fun Facts

The band is called We All Dye because at the time, everyone had dyed hair.

While they officially formed the band in 1999, they had been practicing together for about a year before the official founding. Their first concert was on Halloween.

Rachel Roth (Raven)

Born: May 1, 1986

Favorite Acts: The Cure, Korn, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Radiohead, Joy Division, The Smashing Pumpkins

Instruments: Lead Vocals

About: On stage, Rachel Roth is a gothic force of nature. She loses herself in the music, putting all her emotions on display and excelling in flair and passion. When she's offstage, Roth is the complete opposite. In real life, she's a reserved and mild-mannered kid who uses sarcasm and bluntness on a regular basis. Rachel's look on life had been jaded even before her mother's death from cancer, an which caused her to create the band as a way of finally releasing her emotions and hurt in a creative manner. She found that in making the band, she had found lifelong friends who would be there for her every step of the way. She tries her best to do the same for them.

Kori Anderson (Starfire)

Born: May 21, 1986

Favorite Acts: Bjork, Britney Spears, The Beach Boys, David Bowie, Rush, Sum 41

Instruments: Lead Guitar

About: An immigrant from Canada, Kori is without a doubt one of the nicest people you will ever meet. Though she's unapolagetically peppy, she's got a love for rock. She is trusting to a fault, which her older sister Kristen (Blackfire) would take advantage of. It was only after her bandmates showed Kori that she was being mistreated, did she finally begin to stand up for herself. Now she feels that she's finally gained true sisters.

Karen Beecher (Bumblebee)

Born: March 19, 1986

Favorite Acts: Jamiroquai, Green Day, Gloria Gaynor, Prince, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill

Instruments: Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals

About: The mom of the group, Karen works alongside Kori to be the peacekeeper. She makes sure everybody's packed and ready to go for concerts. Karen's certainly busy as a bee, which just so happens to be her favorite animal. She's also a proud nerd, hoping to work in tech if the band somehow fails to work out.

Tara Markov (Terra)

Born: February 21, 1986

Favorite Acts: Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Linkin Park, Soundgarden, Fiona Apple, Avril Lavigne

Instruments: Bass

About: Tara is a girl who is not afraid to get her hands dirty or speak her mind. This came from being bullied in childhood as a poverty-ridden kid needing to fight for everything she had. She chose to play bass as she felt it fit her "no-theatrics" attitude. Tara also is the most likely to argue either for herself or for other members of the band if she feels anyone is being disrespected.

Alina Hao (Jinx)

Born: August 8, 1986

Favorite Acts: Hex Girls (She won't apologize), Queen, Shonen Knife, Misfits, Stevie Nicks, David Bowie

Instruments: Keyboards, Backing Vocals

About: Alina is as wry, passionate and mischievous as they come. When Rachel was creating her on-stage persona, she mostly drew inspiration from Alina's theatricality. Funnily enough, Alina and Rachel had been rivals in elementary school, due to frequent bouts for spots in school plays. It was only after puberty and tragedy in Rachel's life did the two realize how silly their rivalry truly was, and Alina was invited into the friend group. Now she feels it's her job to back up her friends, and occasionally drive them nuts with pranks.

Rose Wilson (Ravager)

Born: February 21, 1986

Favorite Acts: Nine Inch Nails, Metallica, Alanis Morissette, Guns 'n Roses, Rage Against the Machine, Le Tigre

Instruments: Drums

About: If you want to keep Rose happy, don't tell her what to do without a good reason. She has problems with authority due to issues with her parents and being seen as a disappointment by most of her teachers. Having two younger brothers (with an older brother, Grant, who's serving in the Army) to protect from their mom and dad means she looks out for other kids going through a hard time. It's also caused her to become jaded, using snarkiness as a way to cope with the feelings of hurt and anger that have built up inside her. While she sees all her bandmates as sisters, she particularly bonds with Tara as a fellow victim of parental abuse, even if they bicker a lot.

So that's the band so far. Credit to Artzy for the name choice! Lemme know headcanons, and thoughts in the replies and reblogs. @artzychic27 @nerd-chocolate @msweebyness

[waitingforsecretsouls]

Encouraging people to check out reddit user Genghis/Kazoo’s asoiaf meta. Even if you end up not agreeing with some stuff, it offers interesting new perspectives (compared to popular/accepted fandom opinion on the issues in question) and certainly revitalized my interest in the asoiaf lore, so you might find it thought-provoking or just plain fun nonetheless! Some of my favourites include:

1. Mance Rayder woke the Others on purpose, to gain personal power and further the interests of an Asshai'i conspiracy . What it says on the tin, an alternate perspective on Mance and the Others both that fits GRRM’s stated goals for the series as well as its themes far more than the popular ‘everyone vs the (maybe not completely evil) Others’.

2. The Stallion's Revenge: How Mirri Maz Durr Ruined Everything. If you have strong Mirri opinions the title might sound a bit inflammatory, but basically the meta deals with the true nature of Azor Ahai and the way Mirris well-intentioned but ultimately utilitarian prevention of his incarnation in Rhaego led to a far worse alternative, because prophecy in asoiaf cannot ever be useful except in hindsight (and no, it does not involve Dany as Azor Ahai or the ‘Great Darkness’).

3. The Grey King = the Pearl Emperor = the first Hightower: Decrypting the mythology of the Grey King, GEOTD, Oldtown, and the Seven . Connecting some dots in the Dawn Age lore between the Great Empire of the Dawn, the Ironborn, and the Hightowers/Oldtown, all highly relevant for the series plot-thread regarding...the Ironborn, Azor Ahai Reborn and Oldtown.

4. Invasion from the Deeps, Part 2: Beyond the Eldritch Apocalypse. Similar in flavour to the above in that it examines the Dawn Age history of the Ironborn and why the connection to some sort of fishy precursor race or a sort of ‘Deep Ones’ is misguided, particularly regarding the series endgame.

5. The Jade Compendium and why Lightbringer is a genuine goddamned superweapon . What exactly is the deal with Lightbringer and why is it so dangerous? Hint: It’s because it’s not three adolescent dragons. You’ll wish it was as tame as that.

6. Brightroar, the Black Bazaars, and a Big Boom: A New Theory on Who Sold the Lannisters Their Sword and Blew Up Valyria. An investigation into one of the most consequential events in asoiaf history, with a side dish of explanation as to the above-mentioned ‘Asshai’i conspiray’.

6.5 Lightbringer "went critical" and caused the Doom of Valyria. With an    addendum of Lightbringers potential involvement.

7. How Sam the Slayer is being forged by the narrative into the ultimate weapon against Euron. Predictions regarding Sam and the Reach and Euron. Or: Why the Reach is doomed to become part of Sams tragic backstory (...2!) and fuel for his at the least significant contribution to Euron’s defeat in the series climax.

8. Ten reasons nobody should trust the Azor Ahai prophecy. Arguably a bit ‘basic’ after all that, but a valuable little summary nonetheless, since it’s far from  the universally agreed upon perspective (despite the fact that GRRM is not subtle about it).

9. The Bloodstone Emperor and Azor Ahai both sound eerily similar to Ineluki the Storm King from Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn. More Azor Ahai ‘lore’. If you’ve read some or all of the previous theories you’ll probably already have seen it come up, but here’s a salient collection of their parallels.

10. Euron is definitely Azor Ahai reborn. I had to put it on the list, despite the fact that it will have appeared in multiple of the theories listed above. I just love the core-concept of it. So. much. ’Euron’ endgame material for real.

11. No, the Five Forts aren't the Wall of Essos. Another deconstruction of a widespread fanon and it’s implication for the series endgame.

12. Qarth is the Gnostic false Eden, and Highgarden an imitation thereof. The First Men originated in Qarth. Moving away from my beloved Ironborn, an interesting theory about the origin of the First Men!

[hmshermitcraft]

For dragon rider theme:

Now normally the other hermits don’t question what Scar does when he goes off exploring comes back with a tiger he names jelly? Nothing unusual there discovers a ancient city filled with wardens he somehow brings to the surface? Nothing tango wasn’t already plotting with Etho. But what takes the cake is one day he came back with two very mangy and very feral dragon hybrids by his side who looked ready to either A. Eat Scar or B. Eat the other hermits.

After a bit of explaining and getting one of the dragons off of Bdubs who thought he was a chew toy this is why they tell him to stop wearing the moss jacket. It had turned out Scar had stumbled upon a hidden sanctuary for dragon hybrids that had been left in disrepair and the two dragons he found Pearl and Grian were it’s only remaining residents and in typical Scar fashion he said “well I couldn’t just leave em there all alone!” And now the server has two very hyperactive and very destructive dragon hybrids flying around or in Grian’s case digging around because turns out he was a burrowing type of dragon.

It took some getting used to but now the two dragons made themselves at home in the server…now if only the hermits could convince them to stop abducting the shorter hermits as trophies for their hordes it took half a week to get tango unstuck from pearl’s ceiling.

The hermits wholeheartedly support Scar's decision in bringing the hybrids back. They would've done the same - none of them could leave anything abandoned in that condition! That doesn't mean there aren't... teething issues. Clearly, the pair haven't had so much freedom in a while!

The hermits work hard to gain Pearl and Grian's trust. Offering gifts, food, trying to figure out what they like. The two end up being very friendly once they've passed the initial nervousness! Which is when the hoarding starts.

Of course, instead of the many gifts and objects scattered about, the pair decide to hoard hermits. Grian's tunnels are like a maze. Once a hermit is in one, there's no getting out without his help. Whilst Pearl seems to enjoy attaching people to her ceiling.

At least their homes are nice to look at whilst they're stuck.

[amessageonthewind]

Winter's Blessings

Synopsis: A particularly bitter winter puts the safety of the Pearl Clan at risk, and it's up to the Galaxy Team and the Diamond Clan to help them survive the harsh blizzard, uncovering an ancient tradition whose origins were lost to time.

Pairing: Adaman/Rachel during Legends: Arceus (spoiler alert for really far along in the timeline)

Author's note: Clue is an OC that belongs to my buddy @kammyclues.

Rachel’s first winter in Hisui had come bitter, the sharp wind biting and nipping at her soft skin as she stepped outside her warm lodge kept heated on the lit hearth inside. Though it started to grow colder and the ground beneath her feet lacked the spongey soft give it had in the autumn, she was still surprised by just how cold it felt when she stepped out. There was even frost on the rooftops of Jubilife Village despite the sun being just shy of its highest peak, small piles of snow collected in the shadows.

She shuddered, holding her arms. “Brrr! This is kinda chilly even for me…” The woman remarked, her loyal dark-furred Zorua on her shoulder pressing himself underneath her chin in an attempt to keep her sensitive and exposed neck warm. Laughing a little bit, she reached to give him a friendly scratch and nuzzled into his fur. “Heh…thanks, buddy.”

“Chilly, yeah?” A voice called out as he approached, her other fellow Survey Corp member greeting her warmly as he approached, his Pikachu following alongside him. “Winter doesn’t usually come this early, but I guess it couldn’t wait, could it?”

“Yeah, no kidding.” Rachel agreed, already making a mental note to dress a bit warmer if she was going to go out and do survey work. Especially if she was going to work in the highlands or the icelands, though it might be a better idea to skip them with this weather.

Though, she couldn’t help but worry about the Pearl Clan and Irida. If it was already this cold here, it was probably a hundred times worse in the coldest part of the region. “Oh, yeah! Almost forgot. Commander Kamado wants to see you.”

Nodding, Rachel began to make her way to the Galaxy Hall to see him. She never really liked meeting with him much, always acutely aware of how much of an outsider she was. Mostly because he took every opportunity to remind her of it whenever he could, as though she didn’t already know it and as though she hadn’t already gained the trust and companionship of the leaders of both clans.

Oh well, it couldn’t be helped. If Kamado wanted to be a shrewd and suspicious old man, then let him. It wasn’t Rachel’s problem and she had proven to be capable enough of looking after herself if he couldn’t do what needed to be done.

Making her way up the stairs up to his office, giving a friendly wave to Professor Laventon as she passed by, she spotted a familiar cerulean silhouette in the doorframe, eyes widening. Clan business. Of course. But to her surprise, Irida was not there. In her place was Calaba, Ursaluna’s aged warden of the Pearl Clan. It was odd, but perhaps this was an issue that didn’t need Irida’s oversight, which meant that maybe Rachel’s job would be easy today.

And maybe it meant that the relationship between the clans was improving. “Where’s Irida?” Rachel asked anyway, wanting to at least ask about the Pearl Clan leader (and her friend) and show her concern in both clan leaders. Speaking of which… “Why aren’t you more bundled up? You can’t stand the cold even at the best of times and it’s really crept up on us.”

Chuckling at her open concern, Adaman reached up to tug at the scarf she had given him last they ventured into the icelands together, smiling warmly at her as he tucked his chin into it more. “Winter did creep up on us in the mirelands, but we only really have to prepare for the dry season and then the wet season. But your scarf is surprisingly doing a good job of keeping me warm.”

Bashfully, a small grin creased her cheeks at the thought that he kept it so fervently. Kamado seemed to hum in vague interest at the prospect. “Yes, I had wondered why he was in possession of one of our scarves from our Survey Corp uniforms.”

Sensing a bit of judgement from her superior, Rachel shrugged, feeling a very minimal need to justify herself to him. “He was cold, so I gave him my scarf. Is that a problem?”

The weathered man shook his head, but it took him a moment before he responded at all as though he needed to actually think on that. “No, I suppose not. But that’s not why I called you here, Rachel.”

“Though the matter of Irida’s absence is relevant.” Calaba responded, the stout old woman turning to face Rachel. Stubborn and prideful, but when the chips were down, she was often the first to suggest working together for the sake of the common good regardless of clan relationships. The incident with Arezu had taught them all a lot in that regard, it seemed, and Rachel was always glad for Calaba’s council. “Normally, regular correspondence is expected. However, for a few days, now, things have been…silent from the Pearl Clan.”

“Like they haven’t been getting back to you?” Rachel asked, worry worming its way underneath her veins and creeping into her chest.

“Yeah, and it’s not just the Pearl Clan, either.” Adaman interjected, crossing her arms with eyebrows furrowed. His eyes were downcast, as though he were finding it difficult to stay in the present moment with the concerns currently at hand. “We haven’t heard from Sabi, either. And she’s normally pretty frequent with staying in touch with us while she’s at the Snowpoint Temple. To not hear from her is…strange. To put it plainly, it’s not like her.”

Now, Rachel was beginning to understand the potential severity of the situation. “So, you’re both worried that something may have cut them off in the icelands?”

Calaba nodded gravely, head hung. “That is what we’re saying, young one.” She replied, shaking her head with a low groan. “I’ve even confirmed with the other wardens to make sure there hasn’t been some mistake. Irida hasn’t been heard from the others.”

“And the other wardens haven’t heard from Sabi, either.” Adaman added.

This certainly sounded worrying and Rachel didn’t like the thought that something had happened to Irida, especially with the biting winter that was quickly looming over them all. Of course, those in the Pearl Settlement were naturally acclimated to the cold in the polar north of Hisui, Irida especially easily overheating in contrast to how easily Adaman caught the chills. But even for someone like her, in bad enough conditions, could even be too cold for her.

Rachel then turned to Kamado, dark-eyed gaze stern as she regarded her superior officer. “And you haven’t heard from her, either?”

Kamado shook his head. “The Pearl Clan leader hasn’t responded to my messages, either. And I admit, it is a cause for concern.”

So the situation was potentially grave. “So, then what do we do?”

“That depends on the severity of the situation…” Kamado replied, reaching up to worry at his dark beard. “The Alabaster Icelands are prone to blizzards quite frequently, but if the winter is particularly harsh, it may be too much for even us to handle venturing into.”

Narrowing her eyes at him, she shook her head. “You can’t seriously be suggesting we do nothing, knowing that this could potentially be a crisis.”

“I’m not saying that.” Kamado insisted sternly, squaring his shoulders at her. “But if the winter proves to be harsh in the icelands, then they could prove to be harsh here. We need as much of our resources as possible in that instance in case it grows harsher. We need to be mindful of how much of our help we need to offer without risking the welfare of our own people. Not to mention the risk that would be posed to our own if we were to send an expedition out there.”

“Oh, that won’t be a problem, Commander!” A bright and commanding voice announced, heavy footsteps that could only belong to one person drawing nearer to his office as the fiery woman greeted the group. “I’ve just gotten a message from one of my own men just outside of the Alabaster Icelands. The blizzards are really bad, bad enough that not even a single Flying Pokémon is in the sky. It’s too dangerous for even them to fly, a lot of the local Pokémon hiding away from the storm.”

Widening her eyes at Zisu, Rachel crossed her arms, brows furrowed. “So if the local Pokémon are forced into hiding by the storm, then there’s a good chance that the Pearl Settlement might be cut off, too.”

“And the dangerous flying conditions would explain the lack of correspondence as well…” Calaba muttered, worrying at her chin.

Shaking his head at the Security Corp captain, Kamado continued to insist, staying rooted in his positon. “All the more reason to be conscious of our supplies and what we can offer.”

“Commander, with all due respect, we have plenty of supplies we can offer the Pearl Clan. We have food farmed from the finest crops in Hisui by the finest workers to till it. We’ve got lots of winter clothes and blankets we can offer, and plenty of firestarting materials to help them stay warm until the storm blows over.” The muscular crimson-haired woman in carmine uniform then turned to look at Rachel directly. “And, my Security Corp troops would be led by the best the Survey Corp has to offer.”

Blushing a little bit at the praise, Rachel chuckled a bit bashfully. She never knew what to do with praise. But Kamado still didn’t seem convinced. “Even if we have the materials, transporting them would still be incredibly dangerous and it’s not guaranteed that you won’t be attacked and lose the supplies to a wild Pokémon.”

“I’ve seen how tough Rachel’s Pokémon are, and mine aren’t anything to sneeze at either.” Zisu insisted, throwing an arm around Rachel and patting her shoulder a bit roughly, though the much smaller woman appreciated the gesture. “Besides, do you really have such little faith in your own Security Corp that you don’t think we can handle a blizzard?”

“I would never suggest that.” Kamado replied, sighing. His will was wavering, but his sense of caution still seemed to overrule the support for such a decision. “But there’s no guarantee.”

“Hey, hang on a second! Why are we all acting like I’m not planning to help?” Adaman quickly interjected, stepping forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Rachel, facing Kamado. “I’m worried about Sabi, naturally. She’s one of our own and she’s…just a kid. A very capable warden, don’t get me wrong. But she’s still a kid, regardless. But I’m just as worried about the Pearl Clan and about Irida.” His dark gaze then settled in Calaba, intent behind them as he regarded the old woman. “We may not always see eye to eye and our differing beliefs may put us at odds, but I don’t like thinking about a world where the Pearl Clan suffers and I didn’t do anything to help as leader of the Diamond Clan. We may be at odds, but we all share this ancient and sacred land of Hisui. We all have a right to live here, and it wouldn’t be right for me not to help. I have to do something and I know we can contribute our own supplies, too.”

Nodding, Calaba gave the young leader an amused smile, the age creasing pleasantly as she regarded the man. “Wise words, Adaman. You’ve grown quite a bit since Arezu’s little mess.”

Though Rachel was touched that Adaman wanted to help Irida as much as she did, she didn’t want to put the Diamond Clan at risk, either. “But what about your clan?”

“Mai’s in charge until I get back.” He replied, smiling affectionately at Rachel with a small smirk. “Besides, since I’m assuming you’ll be taking Wyrdeer with you, her duties will be better fulfilled back at the settlement in the mirelands. If there’s anyone I trust to run things while I’m gone, it’s her.”

“You know me so well.” Rachel replied just as warmly, a soft dusting of rose on her cheeks as she then turned to address Calaba. “And if you’ll allow me, I’d also like to take Ursaluna with us as well. If there’s a chance anyone from the Pearl Clan is missing, finding them as quickly as possible is a top priority.”

“Of course, I understand. You have my blessings, young one.” The old woman replied, turning to Kamado. “Well? It seems that we’ve reached an accord. Do you find this acceptable, Commander?”

Glancing between everyone, it was clear that Kamado was outnumbered and reluctantly, he sighed in defeat. “If the Diamond Clan is going to contribute as well and Captain Zisu is confident in the viability of this plan, then I suppose we are in accord.” He finally agreed, shaking his head. He then turned to address the Diamond Clan leader himself, his expression stern. “And in a way, Adaman is right. We all share this land. In a way, we do have to work together to preserve our ways of life. And if there is no Pearl Clan, there is no preserving their way of life.”

Nodding, the group turned to leave. “I’ll go round up the best of the Security Corp and get our supplies together.” Zisu said, patting Rachel on the back as she grinned. “Can’t wait to actually work with you and see you in action in the wild, Rachel! See you there!”

“I’ll go inform the other Pearl Clan wardens and let them know a decision has been made and help is on the way.” Calaba added, taking Rachel’s hand and patting it. “You’re a stubborn one. You’ll need that resolve.”

Smiling at her as she walked away down the stairs, Adaman was the last person in the room, gently putting an arm around Rachel and leaning against her. “I’ll go get everything ready.” He said to the woman, leaning in to murmur into her ear. “Meet you there?”

Looking up at him, Rachel gave him an affectionate smile. “Definitely. And you’d better bundle up properly, this time.”

Laughing a little, he walked past her down the stairs to go on his way to do just that, a joint effort now being achieved and the task before her feeling daunting. “Just a moment, Rachel.” Kamado’s voice said behind her. Pausing, she steeled herself, already mentally preparing for a talk about how as an outsider, she needed to prioritize keeping their trust above all else and how they were likely going to be quick to distrust her if something happened on her account. Nothing she wasn’t already used to. “Be careful…please.” He said quietly in a tone of voice that was rather…uncharacteristic of him, making Rachel turn to face the weathered commander. He was as visibly stoic as ever, but his slacked shoulder betrayed his concern. “The icelands will be more dangerous than any of your other expeditions. Please keep this in mind and do your best to help them without putting the relationship between the clans in jeopardy.”

Nodding, Rachel sighed through her nose. “I will, Commander.”

“And remember, if you fail…they will blame you first as an outsider.” He added sternly. “Keep that in mind.”

Ah, there it is. “I will. Thanks.” Walking out of the commander’s office, Rachel hung her head back. Of course he couldn’t help but remind her of her place as he always did. It was kind of redundant and useless at this point, considering how close she was with both the Diamond and Pearl Clan at this point. “You’d think he’d get tired of saying the same thing over and over again, wouldn’t you?” She said to Cedric, loyally seated on her shoulder.

He shrugged. “Eh, sometimes I think he just likes to hear himself talk and sound more intimidating than he actually is.”

Rachel couldn’t help but laugh a little as they talked in low tones to each other to not draw attention to themselves. “Yeah, he wasn’t even brave enough to spar with Stormfast when I offered the chance for him to. Yet, I can do it no problem and not be afraid.”

“She can be scary.” Cedric pointed out before he nudged his trainer affectionately. “But you’ve gotten pretty good with swords, now, thanks to her. Not to mention fighting an enemy that’s bigger and stronger than you. You finally managed to beat her, yesterday.”

“Yeah! That was huge!” Rachel exclaimed, quietly flexing her arms to feel the muscles in her biceps harden and bulk under her Security Corp uniform. “I feel like I’ve gotten so much stronger since we wound up here. Wait until everyone at home sees it.”

“You might even be able to pick up Clue without breaking a sweat.” Cedric teased, grinning at her with a toothy maw.

Rachel chuckled at her dearest companion. “We’ll see.” Someday.

As she walked out the door of the Galaxy Hall, a familiar face greeted her, blond hair covering half his face and tucked underneath his Ginkgo Guild hat, hefty backpack slung on his shoulders as always. “Good morning, Rachel.”

Smiling warmly, Rachel approached him. “Good to see you, Volo.” He had become such an inexplicably comforting presence since her arrival in Hisui, his eerie familiarity eventually explained by his resemblance to her sister, Cynthia. Which meant that he was likely an ancestor of theirs. That he was family. Not to mention that he also shared their passion for history and ruins made Rachel feel even more of a kinship. That she now knew where who she and her sister were came from. “The cold making your work any harder?”

“Oh, not at all! Though it’s kind of you to be concerned.” He replied, grinning at her before he put a hand on his hip. “What’s this I hear about a dangerous expedition into the Alabaster Icelands?”

Naturally, Volo would be curious. There was a fair bit of hubbub now, especially with Zisu running around and rounding up Security Corp members and starting to gather supplies in packed crates. “The winter’s hit the Alabaster Icelands pretty hard and we’re concerned that the Pearl Clan could be in a lot of danger due to the storm. The Diamond Clan is pitching in supplies and aid as well.”

“Is that so?” Volo replied curiously, bringing a hand up to his chin to ponder. “Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you. Though, if you’re interested, I may have heard something of a myth that may catch your fancy.”

Rachel raised an eyebrow at him. “A myth, you say. Do tell.”

“I may have to refresh my memory on the subject myself, but if I recall correctly, there is a quartet of legendary nature spirits that migrate to Hisui in seasonal rotation.” Volo continued to explain, eyes closed as he reminisced on the tale. “One heralds the spring, one heralds the summer, another the autumn, and another the winter. Each one brings something to Hisui, whether it be storms or blessings.”

Nature spirits. How intriguing. “And you think they may have something to do with the severity of the snowstorm?”

“It’s possible.” Volo replied vaguely, resting his hands at his sides as he regarded the smaller woman. “If I remember correctly, I believe the winter spirit is known as Tornadus.” Cedric’s ears immediately pricked at the name. It was…familiar to him. He had heard it somewhere before! “It’s incredibly powerful, but I have confidence in your abilities. If it is indeed causing the storm, then perhaps defeating it will abate it.”

Nodding appreciatively, Rachel gave him a smile. “Thanks for the heads up, Volo. I’ll keep that in mind while I’m out there in the blizzard.”

“Of course! Can’t have my favourite customer getting lost in a snowstorm, now can I.” Volo replied brightly, pointing as he spoke to her. “Be safe, Rachel.”

“Thanks. You take care, now, Volo.” She wished, walking away from Volo towards her lodge to get ready for the oncoming journey and quest. It sounded like it was going to be tough, so she needed to be properly prepared.

As she walked away, Cedric suddenly whispered into her ear. “I’ve heard that name, before.” He said to his trainer. “Tornadus. It’s a Unovan myth, I think.”

Raising an eyebrow at him, Rachel tilted her head. “Really?”

“Yeah. And Volo said that they migrate in seasonal rotations, right?” Cedric pointed out. “They might be migrating from Unova.”

“You really think?” Rachel asked, intrigued at the thought that their myths might have some overlap.

Cedric nodded, though his head was bent down in thought. “But…I only remember three nature spirits. Not four…so I’m not really sure what that’s about.”

Reaching up to pet him, scratching him behind the ears and ruffling the large tuft of fur on his head, Rachel nuzzled against his cheek. “Well, maybe we’ll figure that out on our own time.” She assured him as they stopped in front of the door to their lodge, hands on her hips as she took in a deep breath. “But for now, let’s get ready for a long trip in the freezing cold.”

It was just before sundown by the time everyone met up in the Alabaster Icelands - the golden hour. Though, one wouldn’t be able to tell with how thickly the sun was blotted out by dark clouds and how violent the snowstorm was. They could only see a few feet in front of them collectively, but Rachel had traveled through these icelands enough to know its hazards intimately. Feeling the biting winds whipping against her face, it became clear exactly why communications were cut off – these weren’t safe conditions for any bird Pokémon to fly in to deliver any.

She was confident she could guide them, the Security Corp led by Captain Zisu behind her with all the supplies gathered and pulled along on sled-like boards that helped them move easily over the ice and snow. But they would need to be careful.

Wyrdeer and Ursaluna were both dutifully by her side, waiting for the woman to give the sacred Pokémon her commands. They may not be hers, but for now, they followed her since she was in charge. “So, what’s the plan, Survey Corp girl?”

“There’s a chasm just ahead of us that blocks our way across.” Rachel pointed out, gesturing in front of them just where the blizzard cut off their visibility. “It’s not too deep, so if anyone falls in, they should be fine. But it’ll still be a pain to get across, especially with the supplies we need to ferry across. Making sure they get across without getting damaged is paramount.”

Zisu nodded in agreement. “Right you are.” She agreed, hefting her backpack onto the ground and pulling out a series of supplies, including pegs, ropes, and planks all tied together. “Lucky for you, I had a feeling we’d run into trouble like this. You’re pretty good on that Wyrdeer, right?”

Shivering beside her, Adaman nodded through chittering teeth. He was wearing one more layer than usual, which annoyed Rachel a bit. “O-oh yeah. Sh-she’s p-p-pretty good. B-better than s-some of our m-m-most exp-perienced.”

Shaking her head at him, she sighed. It wasn’t like she could blame him too much for this. It wasn’t like he was used to the cold and this was a lot worse than anyone could’ve anticipated. Luckily for her, she was prepared for this, too. Nodding at Cedric, he quickly grabbed something out of her own bag and handed it to her, Rachel walking over to Adaman and draping it over his shoulders, pulling the hood over his head. “Put this on.” She ordered, giving him a stern look to make sure he knew that it wasn’t a request.

Unable to argue with her, the Diamond Clan leader quickly slipped his arms into the long sleeves and tied the cloak together in front of him, nuzzling his face into the scarf and hood and breathing out a sigh of relief. Though, the soft pale grey cloak was…familiar, in an odd way. He recognized the texture and scent when he took a moment to examine it. “Is this…Wyrdeer wool?”

“Yeah, I groomed Wyrdeer a while ago while he was blowing out his summer coat to prepare for the winter, and I felt like all that undercoat would’ve gone to waste. So, I had an idea and went to Anthe and she taught me how to spin wool myself and she helped me make this cloak out of it.” Looking up at Adaman, Rachel continued to adjust his cloak to make sure it sat snugly on him, appreciating how it looked on him. “How’s that feel?”

Looking down at her, he couldn’t help but smile. This was one of the things he appreciated most about her. When she saw a use for something or a way she could accomplish something, she did it. She put in the effort to learn how, if she didn’t know how, and put her everything into learning a new skill for the sake of it. He’d seen plenty of her wooden carvings to see that for himself, and he’d heard the improvements to her flute playing as another example.

Anything made by her hands was made with care and effort, and he appreciated that very much about her. “Much better. Thank you.”

“Good.” Rachel replied, trying to smirk at him before she met his gaze and grew bashful, her cheeks growing warm at the way he looked at her so warmly and affectionately. “I…made it especially for you. To help you not be so cold all the time.”

Another thing that he liked very much about Rachel. That she did not hesitate to do a kind thing for others simply because she could. She noticed a lot of little things about others and remembered them fondly. It showed in the gifts she made for others and the ways she complimented people.

It was what made every little gift from her so important. Every single gift and compliment was genuine. Her kindness was pure and it made Adaman appreciate the world just a little bit more just because she was in his. “What would I do without you?” He asked in a playfully sarcastic way.

Matching his energy, Rachel scoffed at him. “Freeze to death, probably.”

Feeling a strong hand slap against her backside, Rachel jumped a bit, Adaman startled a bit too despite having the visibility to expect it. “Not to break up the tender moment, but the sooner we get these crates across that ravine, the better.”

Nodding, Rachel had to agree. “Right. Priorities.” Turning to Zisu, she bowed her head, giving the Security Corp captain her full attention. “What’s your plan, if you have one?”

“You jump across that chasm on Wyrdeer’s back with these pegs, ropes, and planks holding one end, and I’ll hang onto the other from the other side and then we’ll set them up on both sides and carefully ferry across the supplies.” Zisu explained, using her hands to further illustrate her point to the pair. “Then, once all of the supplies are on the other side, then we navigate towards the Pearl Settlement and make sure they get there.”

It seemed like a sound enough plan, if a bit precarious. But she couldn’t help but worry even still, looking up at Zisu with furrowed brows. “And you’re sure the ropes will hold the weight of the crates?”

“Positive.” The fiery woman replied, broad shoulders squared. “And then, the rest is all up to you.”

“No pressure.” Rachel replied sarcastically, though she wasn’t actually bothered. After all, she agreed to lead this effort and she was nothing if not committed to her duty and to her plans. Feeling Wyrdeer and Ursaluna nudge her from behind, the shorter woman reached to give them both an affectionate and friendly scratch. “Come on, Wyrdeer. I’ll need you for this.”

The large white deer Pokémon bowed his head respectfully towards her. “At your service, traveler.”

Taking end of the makeshift bridge from Zisu, Rachel got onto Wyrdeer’s back, gripping onto the saddle handles tightly to stay on, feeling Adaman climb on after her, his chest pressed against her backside. Though she didn’t feel nervous at the moment, she appreciated the Diamond Clan leader’s presence too much to refuse it. After all, an extra pair of hands would help her focus with the limited visibility.

With the man holding onto the end, Zisu followed Rachel as she carefully led Wyrdeer forward until she found the edge of the ravine, working on muscle memory at this point. She had jumped this chasm a number of times and the icelands were no longer alien and unfamiliar to her. She knew every landmark by heart, even in this blinding blizzard.

Soon enough, the lip of the ravine came into view, Rachel leaning forward to confirm it before she turned back to the Security Corp captain and giving her a thumbs up before leading the captain right before the edge of it. Once Zisu was in position, Rachel led Wyrdeer back enough to keep the ravine just barely in line of sight and far enough back to have a good running start to get across the chasm.

Despite how easily this came to her, there was still a great deal of trepidation as she stood before the precipice. She was confident she had the distance right and would clear it. She had the proof by the sheer number of times she had done it, so much so that it had become second nature, at this point.

And yet, that fear was still there. She needed to push it down for the sake of the mission. The Pearl Clan depended on it, and being here in this relentless maelstrom only confirmed that.

Just as she expected, she easily cleared the chasm, stopping on the other side and getting off of Wyrdeer, waving at Zisu from the other side as they both walked backwards and pulled the ropes taught. Zisu secured her pegs on one side while Rachel did the same on hers, the pair testing the strength of it by both stepping on the bridge. It was a bit shaky for humans, but the crates should be able to get across with ease.

Carefully, each member of the Security Corp precariously pushed each crate across the plank bridge to the other side, the progress slow and steady. Though time was of the essence, the Pearl Clan couldn’t afford any of these crates being damaged or lost, so they had to take their time pushing each one across. Adaman and Rachel were quick to pull each crate onto the other side, the humans along with them. One-by-one, each member of the Security Corp was ferried across with a crate of supplies for the Pearl Clan until everyone was on the other side.

As they prepared to clear Whiteout Valley, Rachel watching Ursaluna carefully climb across the icy wall on one side of the chasm until he made it across to join the others. Rachel brought out Emberheart and Vendetta to flank the group, Emberheart as a Fire-type could help protect the party from hostile Ice-types and keep the group warm if they got lost, and Vendetta knew the territory as a native to this polar icescape.

Frequently, Rachel referenced her Arc Phone just to be sure that they knew where they were going. The two things they needed to be the most aware of were the icebergs that jutted out from underneath the ice to the surface and then the holes that led to the underground ice cave network beneath Avalugg’s Legacy. Which meant that they couldn’t just blaze through the blizzard to get to the Pearl Settlement and needed to take their time, much to Adaman’s anxiety. Though, she would be lying if she said she didn’t share his sentiment. Every moment that passed was a moment that the Pearl Clan could be without aid longer and longer, and the last thing she wanted was to get there too late to help them.

Eventually, with careful navigation around the unforgiving landscape, the bridge that led to the Pearl Settlement became visible, and the group began to ferry the supplies across it as Rachel made her way on Wyrdeer’s back towards the entrance.

Hopefully it wasn’t too late…she’d be glad to see Irida and the appearance of the Pearl Clan leader alone would be enough to abate most of her anxieties.

But when they arrived at the Pearl Settlement, Irida was not the one to greet them. In-fact, not a one of the typical residents of the settlement were outside (naturally), and the people who met them were none other than Gaeric, Lord Avalugg’s warden, and Sabi, Braviary’s warden. Rachel could feel the tension in Adaman’s body behind her melt when he saw that his clan’s warden was alright.

Like usual, the young forest green-haired child seemed completely unfazed by the current circumstance. “My clairvoyance told me that we would meet you here.” She greeted them as they approached. “It also showed me that you would come to help us. Will that come to pass?”

“It will, Sabi.” Naturally Adaman was the first to respond, dismounting from Wyrdeer and quickly approaching the young girl to scoop her up and hug her. Normally, he would be a bit more formal when addressing a warden of his clan in front of others, but he was just so relieved to find her safe and taken care of. “Where’s Braviary?”

“Taking roost besides the hot spring.” The young girl replied, eyes sparkling at Rachel. “You were able to surmise that the Pearl Clan was in danger, yet they weren’t able to call for help. Am I clairvoyant? Or are you?”

“It is impressive that you were able to figure out that we needed help.” Gaeric pointed out, arms crossed as, for once, the cyan-haired man wore a jacket instead of walking around shirtless. For a man who prided himself on how resilient and unbreakable he was to do such a thing spoke to the true severity of the situation. “How did you figure that out?”

“The absence of communication wasn’t a good sign, and the frigidness that crept up on us certainly didn’t help.” Rachel remarked as Zisu approached with her Security Corp, pulling supplies along into the settlement. Regarding Gaeric with utmost respect, the Survey Corp member nodded at him. “I’m beginning to realize that simple inevitability is my call to action.”

“Well, I’m glad to see that your fighting spirit and burning determination hasn’t been snuffed by the storm!” Gaeric replied with a proud mirthful chortle. “We could certainly use quite a bit of it.”

Quickly, Rachel realized that Irida had not yet made an appearance and a note of dread began to hum in the back of her mind when she exchanged a worried glance with Adaman while Security Corp personnel filed past them, waiting for Zisu’s or Rachel’s orders before proceeding. “Where’s Irida?” Adaman asked.

Her worries about the grave circumstances breaking down Gaeric were only further confirmed, the man’s confident and brazen demeanour reduced to an unsure and listless visage that almost felt alien to witness from the warden. “She…hasn’t come back.”

Worry began to bubble into a quiet panic, Rachel’s fears beginning to make themselves impossible to ignore in the back of her head. “What do you mean she hasn’t come back…?”

“Earlier today, she realized that if something wasn’t done…the storm could lead to us losing some of our own.” The Pearl Clan warden admitted, tone distant as though he himself were lost without Irida. And given the circumstances, Rachel could completely understand why. Even though he was the mentor to the Pearl Clan’s leader, this whole situation was completely unprecedented, outside of the expected and thus completely uncharted territory. And, naturally, he was worried. “So, she took it upon herself to try and find help…and she hasn’t returned, yet.”

“Are you serious?!” This was bad. Very bad. The Pearl Clan was desperate and in need of help and now they were without a leader. “And she went alone?!”

“She left me in charge.” Gaeric replied, squaring his shoulders in an attempt to appear in control and in charge, but the fact that Rachel couldn’t be convinced only further unnerved her and made her even more anxious. “She didn’t want to put anyone else at risk. Normally, I wouldn’t worry. After all, she learned from the very best and mightiest that the Pearl Clan has to offer! But…this is unusual, and I have not heard the tones of her Celestica Flute playing for hours, now. It leaves me feeling…well, not optimal.”

Growling under her breath, Rachel couldn’t contain her exasperation and her worries. “Argh…even when she’s trying to ask for help, she still thinks she has to do it alone without anyone else’s help…” Of all the lessons that she desperately wished that both clans would learn, putting their pride aside was one of them. After all, pride doesn’t keep food on the table and won’t keep you warm. Feeling Ursaluna worriedly nudge her shoulder, she knew what she had to do. “I’m going to go out to find her. Nobody else come with me, I’ll take Ursaluna to track her and Wyrdeer to get her back home safely.”

“Great, I’m coming with you!” Adaman proclaimed, already making to follow her.

Stopping him with a hand against his chest, forcing him back. “No. You stay here.” She ordered, her voice stern and firm as she stood her ground. As much as she wanted to have him by her side, the last thing she wanted to risk was Adaman being lost, too. “You’re needed here and I can’t risk losing you, too.”

The worry that flashed before his dark eyes was palpable, and it nearly made Rachel flinch when she met his gaze. “But…you can’t go out in this blizzard alone, you could get lost, too!”

“I have the Arc Phone, it tells me where I am and where I’m going at all times.” Rachel reminded him, feeling somewhat fortunate, for once, that she had the assistance of Almighty Sinnoh on her side. “And besides, I’m more used to being in the wilds on my own than you are. I’ll be with my Pokémon, and Wyrdeer and Ursaluna will be with me, too. I’ll be fine.”

“But – what do you expect me to do? Sit here and wait for you to get back?” Adaman retorted, worried aggravation evident in his raised tone of voice. “You know me well enough to know I can’t do that.”

She nodded in understanding. She did know him well enough. “I know…and I’m not asking you to.” Turning to Zisu, Rachel gave the Security Corp captain her command. “Start distributing supplies. Ration the food and make sure everyone gets warmer clothes and blankets and that there’s enough firestarting material to last until morning in each tent. Ensure they know that Gaeric’s met with us and that there’s a search in place for Irida.” Waiting for the Security Corp to be busy, Rachel leaned close to Adaman, reaching up to pull him in and hold him tightly. The Diamond Clan leader didn’t hesitate to bend down to wrap his arms around her, pressing her tightly to his body for comfort. “These people need you. Gaeric is a very capable man and he was Irida’s mentor, but he’s not their leader. You are a leader. He’ll need your help to figure out what to do and to keep everyone calm and level-headed. Your job is to make sure that the Pearl Clan knows that the Diamond Clan won’t abandon them and to keep the peace and prevent mass panic and hysteria. Think you can do that for me…?”

Sighing, Adaman nodded, but his grip on the small woman tightened, the man pressing his face into the side of her head. He was almost afraid to let her go out of fear of losing her in the blizzard, too. “But what about you…?”

Silent for a moment, Rachel held him tighter, too. “If something happens to me…the Galaxy Team loses a member of the Survey Corp.” She pointed out, pulling back to look Adaman in the face, heart aching when she saw just how worried he was when he gazed down at her. “But if something happens to you…the Diamond Clan will lose its leader. I can’t risk that.”

Eyebrows furrowing, Adaman grabbed onto Rachel’s shoulders, the strength of his grip telling her that she should listen to him intently. “If something happens to you…” He paused, the thought caught in his throat. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, trying to force what he wanted to say out in the open. “…I’ll lose a dear friend. It’s bad enough that Irida’s missing…but I can’t bear the thought of the both of you getting lost.”

Softening, Rachel sighed through her nose and rested her hands over top of his, giving them a squeeze as she offered him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry.” She murmured softly to him. “Come doom or high water, I’ll make sure Irida comes home. I will bring her home. You have my word.”

“You’d better.” Adaman responded hardly, squeezing her shoulders before letting go of her, stepping back to let her go reluctantly. “I’m holding you to that.”

She was warmed that she had grown to mean that much to him, but right now, the task at hand was to find Irida and bring her home. She didn’t have to worry about the Pearl Settlement for now – it was in good hands. As she pulled Wyrdeer close, rallying Ursaluna, Emberheart, and Vendetta alongside her, Sabi giggled brightly at the woman as she turned to face the blistering blizzard once more. “Don’t worry, Rachel. I saw you stumbling across the bridge with Irida on your arm. Do you think it’ll come to pass?”

Regarding Sabi for a moment, Rachel knew her well enough to know a challenge when she heard one. It wasn’t about whether Sabi was right, it was never about that – it was about whether Rachel had the resolve to make her own way, whether Sabi foresaw it or not. Though she valued Sabi’s clairvoyance, she knew it was only a suggestion of the future rather than a prediction. “It’s not about what I think.” She said resolutely, gazing down at the young Diamond Clan warden with determination glinting in her dark eyes. “It must be done, so it will be. Simple as.”

Tilting her head, Sabi smiled at Rachel. “The real question is: will you succeed because I’ve seen it? Or in spite of it?”

That certainly was the real question, but now wasn’t the time for philosophical musings. Now was the time for action.

Tugging on Wyrdeer’s reins, the group was off, taking off into the snowstorm before it could get any worse. The sooner they located Irida, the sooner they could bring her back. Walking alongside Ursaluna, she put a hand on his backside, speaking gently to the large bear Pokémon. “Find the Pearl Clan’s leader, Ursaluna. You’re our only hope.”

As the Pokémon put his snout to the icy ground, Cedric leaned in to whisper directly into Rachel’s ear, feeling the worry rolling off of her like mist despite her best attempts to give the appearance of being in control of the situation. “Do you really think this is a good idea?”

“No.” Rachel replied immediately, patiently waiting for Ursaluna to catch a scent to try and find the lost Pearl Clan leader. Sometimes it could take a while for her to find a scent and they needed to be mindful of their surroundings, especially with consideration to the limited and lack of visibility. “But what choice do we have?”

Carefully, they navigated their way around the Alabaster Icelands, staying near Avalugg’s Legacy while they searched for any sign, any scent of Irida. It was difficult to do in this storm with how severe it was, but they needed to stay focused. They had a mission to accomplish and they would not rest until Irida was found and brought back home to her people.

She was likely looking for help, so they needed to try and find where Irida would have gone to look. But they also needed to be mindful of where she could’ve gotten lost and would have taken shelter. So far, Ursaluna wasn’t finding any sign of her around Avalugg’s Legacy in the centre of the icelands. That had to mean that Irida hadn’t taken shelter in the underground cave system, which meant they had to expand their search further.

But where to start? Where would she have gone to look for help? Where could she have taken shelter? Her only solace as to not getting lost was her Arc Phone, keeping her informed of her location at all times. Thanks for not completely forsaking me, almighty Sinnoh. Looking to Ursaluna, who was still moving slowly in an attempt to pay attention to any stray scent of Irida they could find, Rachel put a hand on the bear’s shoulder. “Any sign of her…”

Grievously, the Pearl Clan’s sacred Pokémon shook his head, nuzzling it into her hand. “I’m afraid not…the storm is wiping away every scent as soon as I catch it…” He moaned mournfully. He had ferried the Pearl Clan leader so many times that her scent was firmly committed to his memory, and yet when she was lost, he could not find her. “I’m sorry, traveler…”

The hopelessness in the Pokémon’s gruff voice gave Rachel pause, dread sinking into her gut that she forced down out of determined spite. “We can’t give up! She’s been gone for a day! We can still find her!” She said, nudging both Ursaluna and Wyrdeer. “Keep looking. We have to find her!”

As Rachel continued to press onward, Emberheart and Vendetta exchanged a look between them. They were naturally concerned for their wielder, but neither of them knew who should take the initiative. Normally, the Arcanine would, but since Vendetta was more familiar with this territory than she was having grown up and lived here, she felt that the Zoroark should. And since Vendetta felt that since Emberheart had known Rachel for longer than Vendetta had, the Arcanine should step up. But the inaction eventually led to inevitability, and Vendetta decided to make the decision to try and talk some sense into her.

Besides, this endeavour was partially driven by spite, which continued to intrigue the Zoroark. Spite to succeed and prove everyone wrong who was worried she would be lost in the storm, too. These continued demonstrations of spite, anger, rage, and hatred performed in the name of good – of kindness – slowly became less and less alien to Vendetta. What she had once seen as opposites in direct juxtaposition to each other she was beginning to realize was a catalyst for the other.

Spite was a spectrum, and humans had those in myriads. “Your conviction is strong…I’ll give you that.” Vendetta said to the human, flanking her dutifully alongside Emberheart, the Arcanine scanning their surroundings for any Pokémon that would dare try and interfere with their mission. “But you should consider what to do if you fail…or if time is not on your side. You must survive.”

Rachel grit her teeth, her jaw clenched as she glared at the white beast whose billowing rage whipped in the biting and cruel wind on sanguine tendrils from her brilliant and imposing mane. “None of that matters until we find Irida, and I won’t stop until she’s found.”

“But if you don’t make your own survival a priority, you will fail.” Vendetta pointed out, reaching out to grasp at her wielder’s shoulder, crimson claws digging into the thick fabrics that kept her body warm despite the frigid icescape around them. Though Rachel wanted to argue with her, she knew that Vendetta was right. If she didn’t protect herself, then Irida would be lost for good. “You can’t help anyone if you can’t help yourself.”

Relenting, Rachel let out a frustrated sigh. “If it comes to that…we’ll find shelter and try to wait out the storm.”

Nodding, Vendetta encouraged her to continue, the group following Ursaluna’s fruitful attempts to catch Irida’s scent. It felt bitterly hopeless, but Rachel wasn’t someone who obeyed odds. She was someone who succeeded in spite of them, so naturally, Vendetta stood firm by her. “If you hear her voice, be warned – it may be a trick.”

Scoffing, Rachel rolled her eyes. She remembered that all too well, when she once thought that Zinnia had followed her into Hisui and was lost in the Alabaster Icelands in the caves below, only to find that she had been tricked.

It was how she came to find Vendetta in the first place.

Suddenly, the Zoroark stilled, standing rigid and tall as her ears swivelled and twisted, as though she had caught a sound on the wind. Waiting intensely, Rachel’s eyes were glued to the white creature as she tried to discern what she was hearing. Finally, she spoke. “Her memories…! I can sense them!”

Eyes widening, Rachel gasped, reaching to take her Zoroark by the paws. “Where?! Where is she?!”

Regretfully, the Normal-Ghost-type shook her head, yellow eyes squinted against the snow that pelted her in the face. Despite having grown up in this bitter environment, it could still overwhelm even a creature like her. “I can’t sense where she is…only that she’s nearby.”

“But she’s close! That means we might be able to track her scent as long as we stay in the area where you can sense her memories!” Rachel cried, jubilation echoing across the frigid icescape before disappearing in the violent biting winds. Finally, real hope bloomed in her chest. If Vendetta could sense her memories, then that meant that Irida was alive! They would be able to find her and bring her home! Turning to Ursaluna, Rachel quickly climbed atop, gesturing out into the icy white that swirled around them. “Find her! She can’t be far!”

With renewed vigor, the Ground-Normal-type bear pressed his snout to the sharply cold ice beneath him, determined to find his clan’s leader. Now that they knew for certain she was close by and that she was alive, they couldn’t fail. They couldn’t give up, now that it was possible. Not when they were so close! Carefully navigating the blizzard, staying within the area where Vendetta could sense Irida’s memories, they found themselves patrolling and investigating Arena’s Approach. Perhaps in her desperation, the Pearl Clan leader was on her way to beseech the help of Lord Avalugg to save them.

Finally, Ursaluna caught the scent of his dear leader, moving at a much faster pace, running and galloping with even greater speed so much so that Wyrdeer struggled to keep up. Emberheart and Vendetta were on the Diamond and Pearl Clans’ Pokémon’s heels, running ahead to where Ursaluna was leading them. But strangely, when Rachel checked her Arc Phone, she saw that they were not going to the Icepeak Arena, but towards Icebound Falls tucked away in the south.

Once they approached, she immediately realized why. There was a tunnel that led from the greater expanse of the icelands towards the icefalls. So she took shelter…good.

As they approached, her hopes were confirmed when she spotted two familiar Pokémon emerge from within. It was Irida’s Glaceon and Espeon! “They’ve found us!” The Ice Pokémon cried, rushing up to Rachel to greet her warmly, reaching the woman and nuzzling her gloved hand gratefully.

“Just as I knew she would.” Espeon added, pressing himself against Rachel affectionately.

Gently petting them both, she was relieved that they were alright. “Where’s Irida?”

“She’s inside.” Glaceon informed Rachel, grabbing her by the hand gently in her jaws and tugging her along at a frantic pace.

Pressing along the woman’s side to push her onwards, Espeon mewed anxiously. “Flareon’s just inside, trying to keep her warm…but she hasn’t woken up for a little while.”

Then hopefully, they weren’t too late.

Entering the tunnel, Rachel recognized it in an instant, the strange hieroglyphics on the wall as perplexing as ever as she dismounted from Ursaluna and approached. She could recognize some of the shapes as the nobles, but some were unfamiliar to her. Huddled beneath the perplexing puzzle was the Pearl Clan leader herself, her Flareon desperately pressing his body against her paler than normal skin, her lips and fingertips turned blue. She was motionless, and seeing her pale still body, Rachel began to panic, even with Flareon’s efforts to try and keep her warm.

She was alive! She had to be!

Collapsing on her knees, she pressed her ear to the Pearl Clan leader’s chest, nuzzling past Flareon’s head to hear a faint heartbeat within the frigid skin pulled taught against her bones. Good…she was still alive. That at least was a relief, but she didn’t want to even think about what would’ve happened had she not been accompanied by Flareon and her other Pokémon. “Irida…?” Rachel said quietly, holding the blonde woman’s face in her hands. She felt as cold as ice as she shook her to try and rouse her. “Irida, come on! Wake up!”

Weakly, the Pearl Clan leader’s eyes creaked open, a small smile creasing her cracked sickly looking lips. There was no light in her pale blue eyes, only a fading flicker of life still within. “M…moth…er…?”

Shit, this was worse than she thought. Any longer in this cold and Irida would surely freeze to death, even with Flareon’s help. She was already delirious. “No…no, it’s me, Rachel.” She insisted. When Irida couldn’t maintain consciousness any longer, the Survey Corp member didn’t hesitate to beckon her Arcanine into the tunnel. “Emberheart, get her warm! She’ll freeze to death!”

Moving aside to make room for the large doggish creature, Rachel could feel the idle heat coming off of her fur. It wasn’t hot, but it would be enough to warm Irida and keep her out of the danger zone. Cedric didn’t hesitate to pull the thick blanket out of her backpack, handing it to Rachel and dashing over to Irida to check her heartbeat. It was weak…but there. For how much longer?

Not very if they didn’t act soon.

Gesturing to Ursaluna and Wyrdeer to stay put for now, Rachel then nodded to her Zoroark. “Vendetta, stand guard. Let me know if the storm gets worse.”

“As you command.” The white beast replied, dipping her head before standing vigilant at the exposed entrance, her massive mane blocking much of the way.

Which was good, since it would block the frigid blizzard air from getting into the cave and making Irida colder than she already was. Rachel wouldn’t be surprised if she was already suffering from hypothermia despite Flareon’s best efforts. Cedric had the blanket in his mouth and nodded at Rachel, Irida’s loyal Fire-type Pokémon at his human’s side ready to help.

Cradling the Pearl Clan leader gently, Rachel lifted Irida’s body from the ground, Cedric and Flareon then tugging the blanket underneath where she was before the Survey Corp member then laid her back down, again. Odd…didn’t Irida weigh more? Or did Rachel get stronger? She had been training a lot since she’d started sparring with her Pokémon in a regular basis.

But no matter. They had important matters at hand.

Wrapping the blanket around Irida and tucking the ends of it into each other to make sure she was tightly bundled, Rachel then pushed Irida into Emberheart’s side, hoping that she could make the most of the idle heat that the Arcanine was throwing off. Just a calm gentle warmth. Flareon then climbed up and sat on her, hoping to warm her up with his body heat, too. The gentle heat from both Pokémon would keep Irida alive and, if they took a moment to let her acclimate, they would be able to make the trip back to the Pearl Settlement in no time.

Looking up at Wyrdeer, Rachel reached up to him. “Do you think we can carry her?”

“Of course.” The pale grey deer replied confidently, gently nuzzling Rachel as he rested his forehead against her. “She has you to thank for saving her life and I’m grateful that the Pearl Clan will not lose another leader. I will lay down my life to be able to ensure she’s safely returned home.”

Smiling, Rachel pressed her forehead against his. The first of the sacred Pokémon that she had met, and in some ways, the closest to her. There was nowhere she could think of going without calling upon him to carry her. It was like they were one and the same. Did either clan realize how much each other’s sacred Pokémon valued and respected one another regardless of allegiance?

She hoped they would, someday. “You and me both…”

Grunting worriedly, Vendetta turned to address her wielder, trepidation creasing her brows as she approached Rachel. “The storm looks like it’s worsening…perhaps we should take shelter here for the night.”

Shaking her head insistently, Rachel refused. “No. We found her. We can take a moment so that she won’t die on the way back, but now that we found her, we can just take her home!” Despite her conviction, the Zoroark didn’t seem convinced.

Ursaluna seemed to agree. “If the storm worsens, I may not be able to navigate us back through scent. We may risk getting lost ourselves.”

“Trust me, finding Irida was the hardest part.” Rachel insisted, pulling out her Arc Phone to show the creature. “This device tells me our exact location at all times. As long as I have this, we’ll never be lost. We just have to make it across Avalugg’s Legacy to get back to the settlement, and everything will be okay.” Hearing Irida moan pitifully in her hypothermic slumber, Rachel wilted. At least she seemed to be recovering strength…slowly. “Just…let’s wait for her to be strong enough to hold on…then we’ll go.”

Taking advantage of the shelter that was now provided, the party waited until Irida was at least fit enough to travel. Outside, the blizzard continued its relentless assault on the Alabaster Icelands, and from the skies, the patron of winds watched closely. He had witnessed and brought every winter season for generations, and he had watched the Pearl Clan survive every one.

However, his disappointment when they lost many of their numbers to war was immeasurable. Only by communing with his fellow nature spirits did he learn of the feuds between the Pearl Clan and the Diamond Clan. The bringer of spring had told him of the similar dwindling in numbers of the Diamond Clan in the Crimson Mirelands, and it saddened her just as much to witness. After all, she was the patron of new beginnings, new life. It was natural for her to be saddened by the loss of life within the Diamond Clan.

But his own position as the patron of winter was not one of cruelty. He did not wish for creatures to perish nor did he purposefully wish so. He was the patron of survival of the fittest, those that could survive and make it through his harsh winters would survive through many seasons. Winter was about hardship and perseverance.

A will to survive. A will to live.

The Pearl Clan was squandering their chances for the survival of their future generations and was risking the death of their whole clan and culture through their feuds with the Diamond Clan and by refusing to beseech help. He knew they were quite prideful in that way, and it disappointed him. Humans were social creatures that depended on one another. That much he knew about them. To not ask for help to ensure their own survival was to go against their nature, to go against what made humans so strong. Their sense of community was one he admired.

And the last thing he wanted was to see a clan that had survived many of his harsh winters die out because they had forgotten what they were. His grief would be inconsolable.

So, he devised a trial. A trial that would test the mettle of the Pearl Clan’s will to survive and to see if it was too late for them to recover. By sending them a storm so severe that they had never faced, before, the grave circumstances would force them to realize how vulnerable they were and surely they would have no choice but to beseech the help of others – perhaps the Diamond Clan.

And then, surely they would realize that they were stronger together than they were divided and at ends with one another. It would be a step towards ending the legacy of senseless death between the clans and towards building a future where they ensured the other’s survival at the worst of times.

They would remember their humanity and come together to endure the greatest hardship he had ever sent their way. They had to, in order to survive. And if they had the will to, they would. He was certain of it.

The Galaxy Team was something different entirely. They were comparatively new to the land of Hisui compared to the clans, and yet they had by far the largest settlement both in size and in population. They had come from a land from far away and, from what he and his fellow nature patrons could glean from sequential observation, they studied the land of Hisui to learn from it and had a neutral relationship with both clans.

And, curiously, none of the Galaxy Team could speak with Pokémon like the clans did. None except, strangely enough, for this one. He did not recognize her and the Pokémon in the area spoke of her reverently, particularly its lord. She was a traveler from beyond the rift, having fallen into Hisui some time ago, and not only did she understand Pokémon, but she was making strides in bridging the gap that existed between the Diamond and Pearl Clans.

She even had the bravery to stop an enraged charging Piloswine in its tracks just to save the lives of the leaders of both clans. This was someone who not only had a will to live herself, but had a will to live threefold, enough to protect others and ensure their lives would endure as well.

Perhaps she was just what he needed to prove that the Pearl Clan was not yet lost. So, it was time to test her mettle as well.

Marching through the blistering white world in front of them, barely able to see their hands in front of them, the group had to proceed with extreme prejudice to the potential environmental hazards. Glaceon was taking the point position in front of Ursaluna who was trying to track their path backwards, Wyrdeer then walking slowly behind him with Rachel on his back with Irida in her arms still bundled in the blanket. Cedric was nestled against her, pressing his fur against her face in an attempt to protect her from the wind without suffocating her.

Vendetta and Emberheart flanked the Diamond Clan’s sacred ride Pokémon, Flareon and Espeon guarding the rear as they traveled. Rachel glanced at her Arc Phone to ensure that they were heading the right way, but occasionally on their way, they would get confused and have to turn around to try and navigate towards the Pearl Settlement. It couldn’t be that far…it couldn’t be that difficult.

But the only problem was that the Arc Phone didn’t tell her what direction she was facing – only where she was. It was getting colder, the wind getting more violent, and eventually, the wind would become impassable if they stayed out here for too long. The group huddled close together, yet every time Rachel checked the Arc Phone, it seemed like she was going in circles around Avalugg’s Legacy.

They couldn’t get lost…not now. Not when they were so close. They’d found Irida…she couldn’t give up now. “I don’t think…we can go further…” Ursaluna bemoaned miserably, shaking his head. “I can’t smell anything, anymore…we have no hope of being able to follow our trail back to the east…”

“He’s right…” Glaceon said, shaking her head from the front as she turned her head to address the group, the tassels on her head whipping violently in the white blizzard. Were it daylight, they might have gone blind. “Maybe we should take shelter until morning…!”

“No!” Rachel cried, shaking her head as she held Irida’s body closer to her own, refusing to let her go as though the moment she did, the Pearl Clan leader and her friend would disappear forever. “We’re not giving up! Not when we’re this close! We can make it!” They just had to keep going. They just had to… “So long…as I’m still standing…so long as I still draw breath…I will bring Irida home.”

So, onward they pushed despite the hopelessness that threatened to close in on them and freeze them in place. They moved slower and slower, snow sticking sharply to their skin and fur collectively. Rachel’s throat began to crack and grow dry with how heavily she was breathing. The chilly air was starting to suck the moisture out of her mouth and it was starting to grow painful.

She couldn’t fail. She wouldn’t let the Pearl Clan lose another leader. She wouldn’t.

Stopping, Vendetta perked up, the white Zoroark standing rigid as she began to growl. Her fur billowed threateningly, scarlet sinews of mirthful rage and lashing hatred glowed angrily like tongues of red hot fire from the deep earth within. She almost appeared to be twice her size as she snarled a warning to the group, backing up to be pressed against Wyrdeer. “Hold formation.” She ordered them, the white beast baring her fangs at the cyclones that surrounded and threatened to sweep them away in the violent and impassable storm. “The Winterbringer is here, and he bites with no mercy.”

At that warning, Wyrdeer and his passengers were boxed in the centre, their guardians forming a protective circle around them to face the dangers that laid out in the storm. For a moment, everything seemed to stand still despite the wind that continued its assault. As they all looked out into the whiteness, waiting in anticipation for what would come next, completely unsure of what to expect, it seemed like the world itself was drawing in a long breath.

Before it exhaled into a world of whirlwinds and cyclones that circled them relentlessly, completely preventing them from passing and pushing them in every which way. The sheer force of these biting powerful winds that swiftly pushed past and around them was enough to likely sweep them away, never to be seen again if they took one step out into the invisible world they were trapped in.

It pelted them, forcing them to hunker down as all of them began to attack at the impenetrable cyclones. The light from Emberheart and Flareon’s fire attacks was quickly swept away, the only source of light in this white realm they were forced to endure.

But in the brief flashes of light, Rachel spotted a shape whipping by. A shape that flew so fast that she could barely parse it as a shape, hardly even a silhouette. Yet, it was there. It was there clearly.

This Winterbringer was not actually trying to attack them. So what was it trying to do? What was the purpose of this? This storm? This attack?

There was only one way to get that answer. And if they could stop it in its tracks, perhaps they would. “Emberheart, Stone Edge! Agile Style!”

Obeying the orders of her wielder, rearing up with a mighty roar, the large Fire-Pokémon brought her paws down heavy onto the ice, the tremors echoing beneath their feet before sharp stone spires suddenly jutted out from the ice below with a shattered crackle, in the way of the figure zipping about and whipping the storm up worse.

Just as she predicted, the figure that was doing this smacked into the stone spires that had erupted from the ground at full speed, being suddenly thrown back by the impact, creating a temporary halt to the severity of the storm. They still couldn’t see the sky, but at least they could now move.

Without hesitation, Vendetta pounced on the now prone Pokémon, pinning it to the ground and snarling, holding its arms behind its back and sinking her teeth into its neck, rolling it over so that it faced Rachel.

Looking down at it from the back of Wyrdeer, the woman glowered at it. This Pokemon appeared to take the form of a humanoid, with green skin splotched with lilac, though its lower body was rendered invisible by the clouds that cloaked it. A long graceful violet tail with yellow spiraled ridges along it that resembled stylistic renditions of gales and winds.

Two horns jutted out of its forehead, a curled white quaff of hair on its head just behind them. It sported a jagged mustache of the same colour. Strangely enough, its hair also seemed to resemble the clouds that concealed half of its verdant body.

Cedric’s pale blue eyes met this Pokémon’s searching yellow gaze. He definitely recognized this Pokémon from home. This was indeed the Pokémon that Volo had warned them about, and Rachel was sure of that, too. “I gather you must be Tornadus.”

Chuckling amusedly, the Pokémon grinned at her. “Ah, I see that my reputation precedes me.” He commented, Tornadus seeming completely unconcerned with the situation he was currently in. Though, Rachel should’ve expected as much from a being such as him. “A pleasure it is to meet you in the flesh, Rachel. I’ve heard whispers on the wind about you.”

Narrowing her eyes, she had no patience for this thin veneer of small talk. Not when the situation was dire and he seemed to be the cause. “Did you cause this storm?”

Her will didn’t waver, even in his presence. That was good to see. “I bring the winter winds with me to Hisui. It’s what I am.”

Setting her jaw, the woman’s fingers dug deeper into the blanket that swaddled Irida snugly. “Abate it. Now.”

“I will. In due time.” Tornadus attempted to assure her, staring intently at her as he didn’t even attempt to struggle in Vendetta’s ruthless grip. “But first…the survival of the Pearl Clan must be assured. Only then will the storm abate.”

“If you would abate the storm, I would be able to do so.” Rachel retorted sharply, sneering at the green-skinned Pokémon of gales. Tornadus didn’t seem to understand the severity of the situation he caused. Or, he had purposefully caused it for some reason and was fine with the consequences of it. The grave consequences.

Shaking his head, Tornadus refused even still. “You misunderstand.” He insisted, meeting the woman’s gaze with a calm stillness that made her shudder as she sat there and listened to him. “I am not cruel. I simply bring hardships to determine who are strong enough to survive for seasons. After all, nature is chaotic and untameable. Only the strongest can truly survive.”

Growling, Rachel spat at him. “So, you’re fine with just weeding out the weak? Bringing death just to enforce an idea of strength at the cost of innocents?”

“Innocent and guilty matter not to me, but once again, you misunderstand.” Tornadus continued to speak calmly, regarding the human with respect despite the circumstances he was currently in. “Do you know what makes humans strong? What allows them to survive some of the most punishing of hardships?” Curling her nose at him, Rachel waited for him to explain. No matter what she answered with, he would tell her what he thought anyways. “…their sense of community.” That…wasn’t an answer she was expecting. “Humans are strongest when they band together. It’s how they have survived and conquered for centuries. Their strength lies in community, and the Pearl Clan over the generations has forgotten this. If they are to survive, they must not only remember their own humanity…but the humanity in their perceived enemies as well.”

So…this was some sort of test? Some sort of sick test? She couldn’t disagree with him, but why this? “If you were trying to teach them that, then why this?” Rachel demanded, tilting Irida so that she was facing away from the wind in her arms. “Why create this deadly storm to teach them that lesson when you could’ve taught it through kindness? Without risking their lives?”

“That is your role as a human, and humans seem to have a tendency to isolate themselves from opposing viewpoints, seeing any opposition to their beliefs as a personal threat.” Tornadus replied casually, as though this were just any regular conversation they could be having. As though they were merely speaking philosophy rather than actively gambling with the lives of innocents. “Nature teaches lessons where human kindness fails. My intervention was inevitable. You could even say that the inevitability itself was an invitation for my intervention.

“But regardless of my place in all of this, I ask you this, distant traveler:” Grinning, Tornadus’s eyes widened, clenching his fists tightly against the ice beneath him, clouds billowing around him. “How strong is your will to survive?”

A sudden twisting gale suddenly slammed into Vendetta, pushing her back into the storm and forcing her to release Tornadus, the gale Pokémon disappearing just as quickly as he reappeared, cackling into the ether as his presence was swept away with the wind, as though he and it were one and the same.

Leaving Rachel and her rescue party alone in the frigid and unforgiving winter gales below.

Completely unaware of the struggle that Rachel was enduring out in the icy wastes in the white blizzard outside of the settlement, Adaman was busy and hard a work helping the Security Corp distribute supplies and personally attend to the people of the Pearl Settlement at Gaeric’s command. The man was quite agreeable, surprisingly enough, and the pair actually worked very well together.

Naturally, the Pearl Clan was suspicious of the Diamond Clan leader helping them, but they accepted his help nonetheless, and speaking with them, he wasn’t met with hostility. “You don’t waste even a second. Do you, lad?” One of them commented as he ladled the woman in Pearl Clan robes a bowl of soup from the lit hearth.

Chuckling quietly, he handed her the warm bowl, his relief at seeing her eat bringing him only a little bit at peace. The truth of the matter was that he was trying to keep himself busy to not drive himself insane with worry. Rachel had been gone for a long time and he was already fearing the worst.

Helping these people was the only thing keeping him holding onto hope. He needed to believe in her. “I can’t just sit by and do nothing. Especially if there’s something I can do to help.” Adaman replied, hoping he wasn’t giving away just how scared he was for both Rachel and Irida. There wasn’t a minute that went by that he wasn’t quietly uttering prayers in his head to almighty Sinnoh to bring the both of them back safely. “I’m sure Irida felt the same way when she realized the danger her people were in. I’m confident it’s the reason she decided to take matters into her own hands.”

Humming worriedly, the woman held her soup in her lap in the tent, shaking her head. “And now she’s lost to us…and we’re at the behest of you and of our outsiders.”

Furrowing his brow, Adaman shook his head. These people needed to believe in her as much as he was trying to. “Rachel will bring your leader back. I promise she will.”

The woman met his gaze, eyebrows furrowed. “What makes you so sure, Adaman?”

He smiled warmly, remembering the way she openly scolded him when he doubted himself for a moment. Without hesitation, all the things she saw in him and admired about him spilled out and he was thoroughly unprepared for it. It was so passionate, so unprompted, and so heated. And yet, he knew it came from a place of genuine care and sincerity. She meant every word she said about him to him, and in a way…it changed him. It pulled him out of the near constant quiet doubt that whispered incessantly in the back of his mind.

He smiled as he regarded the Pearl Clan woman. “Because there’s no one in the world who’s like her. She’s the best of the Survey Corp that anyone’s ever known and when she cares about something, nothing can stop her.” He said, smirking a bit wryly. “Besides, despite my clearly blasphemous ways, I’m not doing too bad a job out here, am I?”

Chuckling at the Diamond Clan leader, the woman couldn’t help but shake her head. “No, I suppose not.” She paused, taking a moment to savour the warm meal, looking out towards the door to the tent that swelled and bent in tandem with the violent winter winds outside that put them in this position to begin with. “As a matter of fact, we’re all actually quite grateful that the Diamond Clan has not forsaken us…it warms the heart to know that we have not be left behind.”

“We may have our differences, but Hisui is both of our homes.” Adaman replied, repeating what he had said earlier in the Galaxy Hall when they were discussing what to do about the Pearl Clan. “Even at odds, I actually have a lot of respect for Irida and the rest of your clan. We value your clan’s safety as much as we value ours and we all have a right to live here. To do nothing would be to go against everything I stand for.”

Nodding, the Pearl Clan woman hummed in contentment. “Well said.”

Glancing at her now empty bowl, Adaman smiled at her. “Is there anything else you’ll need?”

She shook her head. “You’ve done plenty enough. But if we need you, we’ll find you.”

Nodding at her in acknowledgement, Adaman left the tent back into the frigid air outside. He pulled the cloak and scarf given to him by Rachel close to his body as he shivered, breathing in the comforting scent of the wild flowers and grasses and the sea that the woman always carried with her.

Even just her lingering scent on the clothes given to him made him feel safe. It gave him hope…that everything was going to be alright.

Spotting Gaeric looking out at the edge of the Pearl Settlement with Zisu at his side, holding up a lantern, Adaman approached, indents left behind by his footsteps swept away as quickly as he made them. “Any sign of them, yet?” He asked anxiously.

Shaking his head, Gaeric wore a solemn expression on his face. “Not a one, I’m sorry to say.”

Even Zisu’s signature warm optimistic demeanour seemed to flicker for a moment like a weakening candle, her brows furrowed and her eyes clouded with lingering fear. Not for herself, but for Rachel. Though they weren’t close, Zisu had a lot of admiration for the Survey Corp girl and a degree of affection as well. There was a brightness that she brought to the Galaxy Hall and the Training Grounds whenever she appeared and the compassion she had for both humans and Pokémon was something that endeared Zisu to her greatly.

She was a bright shining star in their little galaxy that served as their north star, guiding them towards a bright future by her resolve and her unwavering kindness. To lose that would be to lose one of the brightest lights in their world and Zisu didn’t like the thought of such a brilliant light being snuffed out like this.

Standing beside them, Adaman sighed solemnly. The storm was worse. He couldn’t even see the massive glaciers that towered over Avalugg’s Legacy, not even a distant silhouette. The sky and the very air was blotted out by white snow, leaving little room for hope left.

Adaman hated waiting. Especially when he felt like he should do something and knew that there was nothing he could do. “Things…aren’t looking good…are they?” Gaeric muttered, dropping his persona of impenetrable strength to show the Diamond Clan leader a rare moment of vulnerability. It was natural that the cracks would begin to show. Irida was not only his leader, but his pupil.

Losing her would be like losing his kin, something Adaman could empathize with – he felt the exact same way about his fellow Diamond Clan members and its wardens. For him, it was a bit more literal. He, Mai, Arezu, and Melli all lost their parents and guardians in a previous war with the Pearl Clan when they were children and bonded with one another, becoming more like siblings than anything else.

They were the only family he had. He would do anything to keep them safe.

“It’s hard not to assume the worst…” Zisu admitted, the Security Corp captain reaching up to rub at her neck, holding her lantern up higher to try and get a better view of their surroundings. But the blizzard only caused the light to blot out everything else by its sheer brightness far more than the blizzard itself was. “But – and I really hate to say it – there’s a good chance Rachel might be lost out there.”

Feeling his stomach twist at the thought of Rachel and Irida freezing out in the storm, Adaman tried to pull his hood in closer. The light from Zisu’s lantern was so oppressive in this blizzard that he was starting to feel a headache coming on and was tempted to tell Zisu to put it out. After all, there was no point in keeping it lit.

At least…that’s what he thought until he realized just how bright it was and how sharply it seemed to cut through the snow. The snow even seemed to amplify the light through the crystals.

His dark eyes widened, a glimmer of hope behind them that was beginning to spark into something more. “Captain Zisu, how many of those do we have?”

Glancing at the Diamond Clan leader with a curious look, the woman raise her eyebrow at him. “Enough for every member of the Pearl Clan and every one of us at least twice over. Why?”

Looking about the path towards the Pearl Settlement proper, he walked down towards the bridge, eyeing the trees at the edges. One towered above the rest and a plan was beginning to form in his head. Maybe there was something he could do after all! “I think I’ve got an idea how we can help Rachel and Irida get back home…!”

Huddled on the ground, left alone and weak in the absence of Tornadus, the group resorted to pressing against one another for shelter and warmth. Their will was fading, only a faint ember that was being desperately nursed by every last one of them, human and Pokémon. Rachel tried to will herself to keep going despite the severity of the storm, now knowing it was a test.

But she couldn’t. She could no longer push herself forward and she could only try and convince herself to take another step and fail. But while she had Irida, she would protect her no matter what.

She couldn’t give up…not yet…she needed to try again…they needed to get back home.

Were Glaceon not an Ice-type, she would be huddling close to her human as well. But she was cold enough, and they needed to get Irida back home to the Pearl Settlement before she froze to death. However, when she looked off into the icy distance, the Ice Pokémon spotted a peculiar sight. “What is that…?”

Looking up from cradling Irida against her chest to try and keep her warm, Rachel squinted when she saw what Glaceon was looking at. It look like a series of lights in the distance rising up and then settling in various places. It didn’t look like a random cluster moving erratically. Quite the opposite, the moving lights seemed to move in an organized fashion.

It was utterly bizarre. “How strange…”

Staring at the strange sight, Vendetta growled quietly as she stared into the distance. She didn’t quite trust it just yet, and the last thing she wanted was for her wielder and all the other Pokémon to get lost or misled by a malicious force that laid hidden in the blizzard. “Wait here for a moment.” The Zoroark grunted, getting up and walking on all fours through the snow. “If there’s anyone who knows tricks…it’s me.”

Before Rachel could protest, the Pokémon had already vanished into the storm, her white coat making her blend in seamlessly into the snow and ice. It was no wonder that Zoroarks and Zorua were able to blend in so well in this landscape.

Worried, Rachel huddled closer to Irida and Cedric, Emberheart and Ursaluna huddling closer in Vendetta’s absence. She stared into the blizzard, staring at the moving and then settling lights and anxiously waiting for her Pokémon’s return. The last thing she wanted was to lose Vendetta, too.

They couldn’t afford to lose anyone.

But, soon enough, Vendetta’s shape cut through the blizzard, the large white fox Pokémon yipping and whooping as she returned to the group. “It’s the Pearl Clan!” The Zoroark cried, rushing over to nuzzle into Rachel and nuzzle Irida back to life, the woman confusedly moaning and groaning as she was suddenly roused from her cold-induced slumber. “They’ve lit a beacon to guide us home! We’ve made it!”

Wyrdeer rising to his feet, the group didn’t hesitate to make haste towards the bright lights that beckoned them in the distance. Finally! Their efforts were not in vain! They did it! They had succeeded!

Irida was going to live and the Pearl Clan was going to survive!

“Come on! As many as you can!” Adaman called out to the Security Corp, trying to find another place on the tree to put another lit lantern. Any way to make the tree brighter to guide Rachel and Irida back to where they belonged he was going to take.

Even though the tree was practically bathed in bright oppressive light at this point.

Smiling, Zisu walked up to Adaman and put a firm hand on his shoulder, pulling him back and making him face her. “Hey…I think you’ve put enough lanterns on the tree.”

Even though he knew that that was true, it wasn’t good enough for him. Having to wait again made him fearful again and he didn’t want to rest until Rachel came back home. Only then could he finally rest and feel at peace. “But what if it doesn’t work? What if it’s not bright enough? I have to keep at it!”

“You’re not usually such a worrywart, Adaman.” Sabi teased, giggling at him as she walked up to him, hands behind her back with a cheeky grin on her little face. “Or have you always been and it’s somehow escaped my clairvoyance? Who can say?”

Rolling his eyes at her, Adaman let out a shaky sigh. He did his part, all they had to do was wait and hope. Hope and pray that this plan would work and they would be seen and would be able to guide their lost loved ones back home.

What seemed like an eternity passed, Adaman’s lungs feeling tight from the cold and how much he was holding his breath. All he wanted was to see their shapes emerge from the blizzard coming close to them. All he wanted was to know that they were safe.

All he wanted was to hold Rachel and know that she was real. To know that the nightmare was finally over.

“There they are!” Gaeric announced, pointing to a shape that began to materialize as it emerged closer, slowly gaining speed until they could be recognizable. Adaman would recognize the hulking figure of Ursaluna and the graceful shape of Wyrdeer anywhere. The Pokémon that surrounded them were all becoming more visible. “And she’s found Irida!”

At the sound of the Pearl Clan’s warden of the icelands, the Pearl Clan began to clamour out of their tents to meet the rescue party, cheering and calling out to them as the group finally emerged from the world of white. Rachel was carrying Irida tightly in her arms astride Wyrdeer and Ursaluna lumbered past the Pearl Clan members, exhausted from the harrowing rescue mission and content to simply sleep away the stress by the hot spring.

As Rachel atop Wyrdeer stopped before the tree that was lit with lanterns, Gaeric bellowed in jubilation as he rushed forwards. “I knew you would find her! There’s no one else whose will is as unbreakable as mine!”

Smiling at the man, Rachel gently passed Irida’s bundled body to the warden, letting him tend to her as her Pokémon followed her diligently. Glaceon glanced back at Rachel as she followed Gaeric, giving the woman a grateful nod before following him.

As Irida passed Adaman, she was awake enough to recognize him. The leaders of the clans exchanged a smile between one another. One that said more than words could, but they both understood the sentiment behind it. I’m glad you’re alive…

“See? I knew you could do it!” Zisu cheered, helping Rachel off of Wyrdeer and giving her a hearty slap on the back to welcome her back. “There’s nobody with your tenacity!”

The warm welcome was more than…well, welcome. The harrowing ordeal was all worth it just to see Irida welcomed back as swiftly as she was. But she didn’t expect Adaman to rush over to her and nearly knock her over, throwing his arms around her and squeezing her tightly. “I’m so glad you’re safe…!” He confessed, pressing his head into the crook of her neck, arms rubbing up and down Rachel’s back to press her as close to himself as possible. “You have no idea how worried I was…”

Smiling, Rachel eagerly hugged him back, squeezing him just as tightly. Though this outburst was somewhat unexpected, it wasn’t unwelcome. It was nice to know that Adaman cared so much about her. She felt very much the same way. “I told you I’d bring Irida back home.” She said, nestling her chin into his shoulder. “You know how I feel about making promises…”

Glancing up at the tree that they used as a beacon to bring her back home, Rachel squinted at it. Each lantern was hung on a branch all the way to the top as high as they could go. From down here, she could swear that the lanterns in the tree almost looked like…ornaments.

Wait…she’d heard a story like this, before. There was a story about two warring clans that came together to help the other survive a bitter storm, and every year on the same eve, they would have a truce where they would celebrate the blessings of winter and exchange gifts and uphold the truce until the morning when they would go their separate ways.

Was this…was this where Winter’s Blessings came from?

For the rest of the evening, there was nothing but joy throughout the settlement. Adaman and the Security Corp were exchanging stories and even playing games with one another to pass the time, laughing and brimming with mirthful abandon. Even Irida, once she was warmed up sufficiently and treated by Paselle of the Medical Corp.

Though, it was odd seeing a blanket on her shoulders. Maybe she would be a bit more careful about wearing warmer clothes in colder than average weather from now on.

It was also nice seeing Adaman and Irida getting along. Rachel could safely say that the Diamond and Pearl Clan leaders had become her dearest friends and this one night would go a long way to securing a future of peace and safety between the both of them going forward. It made Rachel happy to see them getting along so well, now.

Despite their animosity towards one another at times over their theological beliefs, they also had a great deal of respect and admiration towards each other. And, in this rare instance, even affection, it seemed.

Which was good. It meant that once Rachel went back to the world she belonged to, there was someone that had a chance of making Adaman happy. As much as she liked him, as much as she sort of knew that it was mutual, it just…couldn’t be. She had a life to get back to and the last thing she wanted was to be a burden on his life. She didn’t want to waste his time with a relationship that wouldn’t last.

But as long as he was happy, she was happy. That was good enough for her. The idea of Adaman finding someone that would make him happy after Rachel was gone brought her a profound sense of comfort.

At some point in the night, Rachel had fallen asleep where she had made herself comfortable amongst the revelry, cuddled up to Cedric and Emberheart sleeping alongside her to keep her wielder warm. The woman was so stressed that she fell into a deep sleep despite all the noise.

She didn’t even notice that Irida and Adaman were both standing right above her. “I didn’t even get a chance to properly thank her…” The Pearl Clan leader lamented, sighing as she shook her head.

Smiling, Adaman gently put a hand on his fellow leader’s shoulder. He never thought he would be so happy to see Irida, but after tonight, he knew he would never take her for granted ever again. “Let her sleep. You can thank her tomorrow morning.” He suggested, looking over at Rachel and admiring how peaceful she looked when she was asleep. She was always complaining about poor sleep whenever she was awoken in Jubilife Village from her lodge. The fact that she looked so at peace now said a lot about that that made Adaman a bit sad to think about. “She’s worked really hard to bring you back to your people…she deserves a good rest.”

“I know.” Irida replied, smiling at Adaman. “And she deserves just as much to know what her efforts mean to me. To the Pearl Clan.”

“And to me and the Diamond Clan.” The man added, raising an eyebrow at her. “I know she really stuck her neck out for you tonight, but…that’s just what Rachel does. It’s who she is. Someone who goes the distance to do the right thing, to help someone. And she’s gone out of her way for both of our peoples.”

“She has.” The Pearl Clan leader sighed wistfully, pulling her blanket tighter over herself. She still felt like she was running a bit hot, but after the ordeal in the blizzard, she would have to start to learn not to trust that feeling so much. “And she also deserves to know what she means to me as a friend, too…”

Nodding in agreement, his attention was immediately stolen by a small shiver accompanied by a subconscious chattering of teeth from the exhausted Survey Corp member, Rachel curling in on herself tighter around Cedric, pressing her back against Emberheart’s fur to better maximize on soaking up the heat.

Smiling, Adaman undid the cloak Rachel had so diligently made for her and gently draped it over her, tucking her in and ensuring she was properly covered up so she could sleep comfortably tonight. Once she was warm and enveloped, a small smile spread across her face, a curl of hair falling over her face and tickling her nose a bit.

Gingerly, Adaman reached toward to remove her glasses so she could sleep more comfortably, folding them and setting them aside where she would see them once she woke up, and gently brushing the hair on her head aside so it wouldn’t bother her, anymore.

He would give anything to make sure that Rachel could sleep easy every night. She deserved that much. “Sleep well, Rachel…you’ve earned it.” He whispered before he put a hand on Irida’s shoulder and guided her away. “Come on, let’s wrap things up. I think Zisu’s on her last game with Gaeric.”

Chuckling brightly, it was a relief to see her so full of life after the ordeal she went through. None of her Pokémon had left her side since she had returned to the Pearl Clan and Irida wouldn’t have it any other way. She was looking forward to going to sleep knowing that everyone was safe and looked after and the people she trusted most would be close by.

The night came and went, Rachel barely stirring in the night all bundled up and comfortably cuddling with her Pokémon. When the morning came, she noticed that the cloak she had given Adaman was draped over her like a blanket. She must’ve fallen asleep during the festivities, but she was thankful for it nonetheless.

Rachel had never been happier to see the morning sun, the storm had completely abated. Whatever it was Tornadus was trying to test the clans for, they seemed to have succeeded, thankfully.

The Security Corp and Adaman were all preparing to leave, the Diamond Clan leader staying behind a bit to speak with Irida for a moment. Just as Rachel suspected, the leaders of the two clans suggested the idea of an annual truce on the same night every year to try and maintain and improve the relationships between the two clans and to ensure that neither clan would forget what was done, here.

This was the origin of Winter’s Blessings, and Rachel counted herself fortunate to have witnessed it, perhaps even been a part of it. What a strange thing to think about…she was a part of something that she had celebrated as a child her whole life, and only now could she have known it? Time was a strange thing.

Was her world of the future – her present – shaped by her? She couldn’t know, but if this one part of it was, she was happy with this being her contribution. It was a reminder that she had more power than she thought, and she could use that power to make the world better.

That anyone could. And having the proof of that made it all worth it.

With everyone bidding their goodbyes, Rachel took Adaman astride Wyrdeer once more, dismissing Ursaluna now that the task was done and wishing him a happy hibernation. Zisu led the way, Rachel bringing up the rear. She handed him back his cloak, smiling bashfully at him. “Thank you…” She muttered, leaning against him subconsciously. “I…didn’t realize just how tired I was.”

Smiling, Adaman wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her head as they traveled across the icelands once more to make their way home though he could put on his new cloak, its warmth didn’t compare to Rachel’s and he much preferred it. She had very quickly become someone that made him feel warm inside and out, and he intended to cherish it for as long as she was in his world.

No matter how long or short that time would be. “You’re welcome.”

[lya-dustin]

Someone will remember us

Chapter 19

Gif by: @lady-phasma

Taglist: @fyeahhotdocs @arrthurpendragon @ocappreciationtag @stargaryenx

“I missed you, Aemee.” He groans when Aemma pulls down his collar to kiss his throat.

She’s never done this before, but she’s seen that some men like that when she lurks around Dragonstone. Aemma has seen far too many things and now she knows why her mother had been in such a hurry to rid herself of her maidenhead, gods, love and lust could make a beast out of you.

“You were the one who didn’t write to me for three years.” She said when he pulled her face back to his and kissed again.

If someone were to come in, Aemma would be ruined. No man would want her after she was caught kissing her half-uncle like a whore.

To know that she kissed his scar and tossed his eye patch away because she liked how his sapphire eye glitters in the sunlight. To know that the Pearl of Dragonstone needed no invitation to climb onto his lap and tangle her hands in his silky hair when he kissed the tops of her meager breasts.

She loves him, she knows it.

She won’t ever love anyone else, this she knows as well.

“I did, silly girl. I sent them along with my sister’s every time. It was you who didn’t send me anything.” He says still catching his breath. “I should punish you, Aemee, punish you for leaving me in the lurch like that.”

She stops on her tracks. She not gotten a single damn letter.

“I wrote to you every fucking week, Aemond Star-Eyes. How can you say I didn’t write to you?” She pulls back knowing this moment has been ruined by their fucking family.

Her mother wouldn’t have taken them, Aemma beat her to the rookery every time. Besides her mother would have confronted her about her secret romance.

“Someone knows about us.” She concludes. “Someone is sabotaging us.”

Aemma would bet all her things that she knows who it is.

----

“Are you sure it wasn’t your mother?” he asks again when she tells him her theory as they ride side by side.

“Mama has a short fuse, she would have confronted me the moment she saw the first letter.” Aemma shook her head. She trusted her mother implicitly, a mistake, he thinks.

His half-sister was a treacherous woman, she had not been loyal to her husband and killed him to marry her lover before their spouses had become fish food.

Rhaenyra and Daemon were pushing for this match with Stark the second they heard Arra Norrey had died whelping the wolf pup.

It had to be them.

His mother would not have done it.

She did not have time to do that, besides Helaena would have noticed if her correspondence had been opened.

A servant in his grandfather’s pocket? Or Larys Strong’s?

Grandfather saw Aemond as the second horse in his race for the throne, he would have encouraged it.

It left the Master of Whisperers.

But why would he do this? He had nothing to gain from it.

“If it was on my end, it must be Strong. Why, I do not know yet.” He confides and focused on pretending he isn’t furious that he must keep his distance while Stark comes to woo his Aemee.

We could run away, Aemma had suggested as they tried to cover their tracks back at the Dragonpit. To High Tide or the Stepstones and see who is stupid enough to go against three dragons and the Seasnake.

That’s the coward’s way, he had said, when we marry, I will marry you here and have the world know you are mine.

“Likely on the orders of someone, or as a ‘gift’ to your mother.” She said wrinkling her nose.

“I take it Helaena had told you about Strong’s fucked up obsession with my mother.”

Strong, much like his half-brother, wanted to bed a queen. Only issue Breakbones had seduced a woman with his friendly charm and good looks, Larys Clubfoot does so with the same charm a cat bringing in dead sparrows to your feet does.

He leers at mother’s ankles when he thinks no one is looking, leers at them like Aegon leers at a nice pair of tits or a shapely ass.

Aemond doesn’t know why mother still meets him alone.

“If I had been her I would have taken his cane and killed him with it.” She comments and he chuckled.

Aemee wasn’t violent until you woke her dragon. Same dragon that pulled his hair and tore open his jerkin as they kissed in the empty sitting room.

Gods, he's never wanted her more.

“Your Northman will enjoy that I think.” But she isn’t his, she is to marry Stark.

Stark who will take her far from him and he will marry one of the Baratheon girls to satisfy his grandfather and his obsession with the throne.

“He’s not my anything. He will fail to find me and if he goes for Maris, or Floris or Hazel, one of you gets to banish him from court forever.” Aemma is so sure of things sometimes.

He has heard of this elaborate scheme her mother lets her pull off.

“What if he finds you?” he asks knowing his Aemee is too confident in her own abilities to consider failure.

“No one has, even without Baela, no man has been able to find me.” She assured him with a laugh.

----

Helaena wished to join, and it was with a disappointed pout that four- and ten-year-old Floris Baratheon gives up her spot.

“But you promised I would get to be one of the mystery maidens, sister!” Floris whines to Maris as they scurried to find a white dress for Helaena.

“You told father about my desire to take holy vows and focus on my writing, Aemma has good sense at not letting snitches into our group. Besides, Princess Helaena is daughter to the king, do you want us to be sacked from court, Flora?” Maris said as she did Helaena’s laces.

Helaena had done her dress ahead of time and surprised Aemma with it the second the girls were shown to their rooms.

“But I learned the dance, Aemma even said I danced very well!” Flora continued to whine.

“Aemma was just being nice, you dance like a fucking bear drunk on papa’s whiskey.” Maris, seven and ten years old and full of snark says making Hel giggle.

“You can have my necklace, Flora, if you let me take your spot.” Helaena says and the girl beamed and thanked her profusely.

It is an obnoxiously large golden seven pointed star given to her by her own mother after the birth of Maelor that Flora wanted because somehow that was all the rage now.

The fashions of the green and black queens were too stuffy, too structured for Aemma and Helaena.

They liked Rhaenys’ way, dresses that were comfortable and didn’t require a tight bodice underneath. Loose fitting and not as ostentatious as their mothers and great for the hot summer up ahead.

And these dresses were done in a mix of the clothes of Old Valyria and Rhaenys’ comfortable wardrobe.

They went perfect with an ancient Valyrian  dance the dancing masters had choreographed for them. Helaena loved dancing and had taken to it like a fish to water.

Floris was still growing into her long legs and simply could not master it even after three months of practice.

“I am sorry we didn’t tell you sooner, but we had no idea if Helaena’s dress would be ready on time. But I promise, Flora that you will not have an empty dance card tonight and I will even make sure Lord Stark dances with you first before the rest of my ladies.” Aemma apologized to Flora sincerely.

And with that everything was resolved.

----

“She could make a fortune as a mummer.” Alicent comments to her loyal protector.

The ladies dance in perfect rhythm as if they had never danced anything else.

Stark is entranced as all the other young men are, Alicent knows her sweet Aemond is as spellbound as him.

They rode together, Criston could not stop him from taking Vhagar for a flight when he read Aemma’s last letter to his sister.

Larys Strong had assured her that he would be over his infatuation with Rhaenyra’s daughter when he had intercepted his letters to the girl.

Aemma had stopped writing to her ‘sweet prince’ after a year and a half, but Aemond had not given up in his pursuit of her.

He wrote her poems, transcribed parts of his books to he because no one else seemed to like philosophy and astronomy like they did and in every letter he called her ‘my Aemee’.

His first love and like all first loves, it is doomed to fail.

Alicent only wished she hadn’t hurt her son in the process.

“No suitor has been able to find the Pearl of Dragonstone, do you think Lord Stark will succeed where others have failed?” Criston asked her.

It was a game the entire court found themselves playing unwittingly. The curiosity of seeing which of the veiled girls was the princess.

Some had placed wagers, and all agreed that it was impossible for Cregan Stark to correctly guess which of the girls was the famous Pearl of Dragonstone.

Their white and gold dresses all have decorations in a color of the Seven’s Rainbow.

Helaena wore green, the Baratheon wore yellow and the soon to be Lady Velaryon wore orange. Alicent would bet her crown the girl had to be the one wearing indigo.

She had seen Aemma, she was as tall as Aemond now.

Taller than the Strong boys, a testament to her father’s blood. Laenor had always been tall even as a young boy who used to dream of going on voyages with his father.

Laenor who had been murdered by his own wife and goodbrother.

The dance comes to an end and because Alicent refuses to participate in the girl’s folly, Aegon has decided to speak for her and her father.

“Now, Lord Stark, you only have one chance to find the Valyrian Siren who has called you here.” Aegon comes down from the Iron Throne as if he has always been meant to be there and motions for the players to start with a drum beat reminiscent of the one that played when Corlys came and presented Laenor as the Prince Consort.

Stark is nervous but does not show it.

Alicent has heard that several have assumed Aemma to be a Strong.

A clever little snake, to throw them off by having the Baratheon girl and the Harte girl in the dance.

She weeds out those who are fool enough to call into question her paternity, she uses Helaena as well for this.

Stark is no fool. He may have never seen her, not even in portraits, but he knows she will have the Velaryon look.

He doesn’t go for Rhaena of Pentos in a dress slashed with blue and who is the shortest of the Velaryon beauties. He doesn’t go for the tallest one in red either.

He goes for the girl wearing white, gold and indigo.

Alicent feels relieved to know there is no escape for Rhaenyra’s precious little girl.

Aemond glares at him in anger, Aegon hides his laughter and the entire court waits with bated breath as he lifts the thick veil to reveal none other than Aemma Velaryon.

“How does it feel to be the only of my suitors to have won the Maiden’s Gambit?” the proud girl hides her surprise while the court begins cheering for the new royal couple.

[storytellerofuntoldlegends]

an icarus and his sun: chapter 8

A/N: hello i have returned!! this chapter was weirdly difficult for me to write, but from here on out i think the writing will go much smoother! but unfortunately i do have classes to be worrying about soon, so who knows how much time i will have to write. but still!! very excited about this fic and how you guys will react to upcoming events >:) (plus i added some implied nature wives (katherine and shelby) to this bit so this fic is basically turning into me making empires smp gayer) also check out this stunning art of chapter 5 by @artanogon! and if you wanna make art of this fic, you absolutely can, just be sure to tag me so i can see it!

Warnings: depression of the heartbreak variety, past violence

AO3 Link - Tumblr Masterpost

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Jimmy was trying his hardest to not be mopey as he helped Katherine with rebuilding. He knew that he had promised that he would help her- but his own confusing feelings about Scott, his lack of building know-how, and the dejected look Katherine had as she looked at the slight crater where her castle used to be had Jimmy feeling far out of his league. But he put on a brave face- he needed the distraction, after all.

They began with filling in the crater, mostly silent as they moved dirt over with their shovels. Then once the ground was level, they could begin with setting up the framework of the castle. They spoke more to each other then- but it was mostly Katherine telling Jimmy where to put the support beams. Jimmy wanted to say something, anything to break the tension and melancholy air- but he couldn’t think of a single thing to say to Katherine that didn’t lead back to the tragedies they had experienced. Jimmy wished that Joel or Lizzie were there- but they were off gathering more materials for Katherine’s castle, and probably wouldn’t return until nightfall. So until then, it was just Jimmy and Katherine, silently stewing in their respective sadnesses.

Luckily- or maybe unluckily- someone much more chipper than either of them came along. Jimmy almost didn’t recognize her at first- but quickly realized that the figure approaching them was the mushroom gnome queen, Shrub. Or Shelby-she had said they could call her that too. She was dressed far more casually than she had been at the ball, a polka-dotted red kerchief tied over her head, brown overalls over a green shirt, and red boots with white polka dots. She had a bag slung over her shoulder, and Jimmy could see the tops of mushrooms peeking out of it.

“Um- hello! I- I wanted to offer some gifts from the Undergrove, maybe they could help with rebuilding! Or they could just look pretty- or just be a peace offering- or a gift of sympathy for what happened,” Shelby rambled, seeming just as skittish as she had at the ball, but was less afraid and more excited. Katherine set down the beam she was holding, and gave Shelby a small smile.

“The gift is much appreciated, thank you. It was nice of you to stop by- I apologize for the appearance of the Overgrown. Usually it’s prettier here,” Katherine said, looking over her lands for a brief moment before focusing back on Shelby.

“Oh! Well, what I saw of it at the ball, your empire is lovely! I’m sure it will be back to its former glory soon… if you’d like, I can help! I’m good with plants and I’m not a bad builder!” Shelby offered with an encouraging smile. Katherine practically glowed at the praise of her empire, and smiled back.

“I’d love to have your help- it’s just been me and Jimmy working all day, and most of our time was spent filling in the crater. Some extra hands would definitely help things go faster,” Katherine replied, gesturing at the land around her. Shelby beamed back at her, setting down her bag of mushrooms.

“Then I’m more than happy to help! We gnomes are small but mighty, just tell me where to lug these beams around and I’ll do it!” she chirped. Katherine blinked in slight surprise at her eagerness, but looked over to the stack of beams beside them.

“Well, there is one that needs to go across those two over here for the entrance. If you’re as strong as you say, then maybe you can help Jimmy with getting it up there- I’ll set some scaffolding up so you guys can reach it,” Katherine explained, going over to where two beams were upright and doing just that. Jimmy watched her set up the scaffolding for a moment, until he felt a pair of eyes on him. He turned and looked down to Shelby, who quickly looked away once she realized she had been caught staring.

“Is everything okay? You seem jumpy,” he asked, brows furrowed in confusion. Shelby chuckled nervously.

“Oh. Well- you see, gnomes can’t swim. And I’m kind of afraid of the water and water related things because of it. But you and the ocean lady seem like really nice people! So… sorry for being jumpy. It’s a habit,” she admitted sheepishly. Jimmy let out a good-natured laugh.

“I mean you’re right to be spooked by Lizzie, she can be scary when she wants to be- but most of the time she’s very nice! And trust me, there is not a single threatening thing about me,” Jimmy said, tone turning a bit rueful at the end of his statement. Shelby frowned.

“The guy with the goggles and his friend sure seemed to think otherwise, why else would they bother you like that?” she asked. Jimmy blinked in surprise at that.

“You… you think Fwhip and Sausage are afraid of me?” he asked in disbelief.

“Well… not afraid, but definitely threatened. I’ve seen it before, back where I came from. You’re someone who won’t bow to people easily, and people like them don’t like that,” Shelby explained with a shrug. Jimmy considered this for a moment.

“Huh. I guess… I never saw it like that before,” Jimmy said, a small smile coming to his face.

Their conversation was ended by Katherine waving them over, and Jimmy and Shelby picked up one of the beams to carry over to where the scaffolding had been set up. Shelby was surprisingly strong for her stature, and carrying around the beams and placing them where they needed to be was much easier than before she had arrived. It was less quiet with Shelby around too, as she cheerfully asked questions about their empires, as well as sharing some things about her own empire. But then there was one question that caused Jimmy’s blood to freeze in his veins.

“So you said that Joel and Lizzie were getting more building materials, but what about your partner? Is he with them too?” Shelby asked, and for a moment, Jimmy was confused.

“My… what?” he asked.

“The elf guy you were dancing with at the ball! You’re very cute together, by the way,” Shelby continued, completely oblivious to the tension in the air her statement created. However she soon noticed Jimmy’s pained expression, and it was her curious smile changed to a concerned frown.

“We uh. We were never together. And he betrayed us,” Jimmy said stiffly.

“Oh- oh I’m so sorry. You guys had just looked so happy together, I had just assumed- I’m sorry,” Shelby rambled, and Jimmy gave her a weak smile.

“It’s alright. I guess I was kinda happy- but it was never real. Not for him, at least,” Jimmy replied, throat feeling tight. He hadn’t really meant to burden all of his issues onto Shelby, but his mouth was moving a little faster than his brain was at the moment, and he couldn’t hold back his words.

“Well- well then that guy is missing out! You seem great, and he gave you up for what, tactical gain or political advantage or something?! He doesn’t deserve you!” Shelby declared, hands on her hips as she smiled up at Jimmy confidently. If someone he barely knew had so much confidence in him, then why shouldn’t he? Jimmy smiled back at Shelby.

“Maybe you’re right,” he conceded. Shelby gave him a half laugh, half playful scoff.

“Of course I’m right! Now c’mon, this castle isn’t gonna rebuild itself!” she chirped, heading over to the stack of beams. Jimmy could only stare after her for a moment, dumbfounded. Katherine seemed just as amazed by the gnome’s boundless positivity, a smile growing across her face.

“She’s spirited,” Katherine murmured. Jimmy chuckled.

“Yeah, you two are like birds of a feather,” Jimmy murmured back.

"We both are definitely nature-oriented," Katherine added with a chuckle. She looked at Shelby fondly for a moment, until her expression turned into a frown as she noticed something in the sky. Subconsciously her hand started reaching for Jimmy’s, and he took it as he looked up to the sky with her. Two figures were flying in- and the tension in Jimmy’s shoulders relaxed ever-so-slightly when he recognized them as Pearl and Gem. But he still gave Katherine’s hand a gentle squeeze all the same.

“What’s going on? Are we under attack again?!” Shelby asked anxiously, coming over to stand beside them and look up at Pearl and Gem flying in.

“Don’t know yet- they weren’t directly behind the explosion… but they are allied with the people who were,” Katherine said apprehensively. Shelby looked down from the sky, frowning in concern- and upon noticing Jimmy and Katherine’s joined hands, she grabbed Katherine’s other hand with a comforting smile. Katherine flushed slightly, but smiled back at Shelby gratefully.

“Please don’t be alarmed!” Gem shouted as she came in for a landing. Frankly, that didn’t make Jimmy feel any less alarmed.

“We aren’t allied with Fwhip and Sausage anymore. We don’t want any part of what they’re up to,” Pearl clarified, landing beside Gem.

“Really?” Jimmy asked warily. Gem looked to Jimmy with an open, pleading expression.

“I meant what I said when we told you that we didn’t know what Fwhip was up to. He left myself and Pearl completely in the dark, while Sausage and Scott were the only ones who knew about the full plan. But even then, I don’t think those two had the full picture, they looked surprised that we hadn’t known about the TNT. The point is- Pearl and I were tired of being part of an alliance that lied to us, and lied to us to hurt others! Katherine- if I had known what was going to happen, I would have never gone along with it and would have tried to put a stop to it,” Gem explained, turning her focus to Katherine as she spoke.

“So… you two are… on our side then?” Katherine asked slowly. Pearl gave her a gentle smile.

“If you’ll have us, yes. We also figured you could use our help rebuilding,” Pearl replied. Katherine looked to Jimmy, as if she was asking for his opinion. Jimmy blinked, and looked at Pearl and Gem. They seemed… candid, at least. But after Scott… Jimmy wasn’t sure who he could trust anymore besides his steady allies. However, they weren’t Scott. And furthermore, it really wasn’t his call to make. It was Katherine’s.

“It’s your empire, Katherine. If you don’t want them here, then just say the word. But you won’t get a fight from me if you do want them to help,” Jimmy said gently. Katherine smiled, and looked back to Pearl and Gem.

“I would absolutely appreciate your help. We’ve almost got all the framework for the castle set up- but having someone with wings help us out with some of the taller parts would be lovely,” Katherine said. Pearl beamed, and Gem clapped her hands excitedly. Gem came closer and Katherine let go of Shelby and Jimmy’s hands to talk over building plans with Gem, Shelby following after her and listening as well. Pearl, however, walked over to Jimmy with a mildly timid expression.

“Pearl?” Jimmy asked.

“There’s something I think you should know,” she blurted. Jimmy blinked in surprise, tilting his head to one side in confusion.

“I… okay,” Jimmy said semi-apprehensively. Pearl took a deep breath, like she was unsure of how to continue.

“Gem and I just came from a meeting with the Wither Rose Alliance. Well… it wasn’t much of a meeting, Gem and I broke off ties with the alliance pretty quickly and then left. But… there’s a… there’s something about Scott,” Pearl explained slowly. Jimmy tensed, swallowing nervously.

“Oh?” Jimmy asked, trying to keep his tone neutral.

“Like I said, Gem and I didn’t stay long so I don’t know for sure- but there was something off about Scott. He just… didn’t seem himself. I think he was just as unhappy with Fwhip as we were with him. I… I just know he meant a lot to you. And I think you meant a lot to him too. I just… I don’t want to get your hopes up, but maybe… maybe you should give him a chance,” Pearl continued. Jimmy’s mouth fixed into a firm line.

“It’s a nice thought… but I don’t think I can trust him anymore. Not after everything that happened,” Jimmy said, throat tight as he tried not to cry. Part of him really wanted to hope that maybe there was some sort of misunderstanding, that Scott really did care about him- but Jimmy couldn’t afford that kind of hope. Pearl nodded in understanding.

“That’s fair. Like I said… just thought you should know,” she said, before walking over to join Katherine in her discussion for the build. Then Jimmy- only feeling ever so slightly useless now that Katherine had so much more help- swallowed the tears that thinking about Scott caused, and joined them.

-

Taglists below! Ask to be added or removed!

MCYT General Fic Taglist: @corazon10000 @damiensaidno @franticfandomfanatic @gattonero17 @hetapeep41 @space-ace123 @vyeoh 

AIAHS Taglist: @anty-kreatywna @beepa99 @devilwoodkitty18 @riobug 

[ayuuria]

Yashahime Translation: Animage Magazine May 2021 Issue

Please do not repost this translation without my consent! This includes screenshots of any type and amount. If you wish to share this translation, simply link to this post.

For more information regarding the use of my translations, click here.

The Yashahimes’ Future

The three Yashahimes who carry both demon and human blood: Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha. The three of them have varying personalities, environments in which they were raised in, and goals for their actions. However, through the shared task of demon slaying, they slowly begin to accept one another. Though they are not a perfect “Close, in sync team”, trust has certainly budded between the girls who, together, have overcome any difficult situation. Even Kirinmaru’s attack that killed Setsuna in one stroke could not sever the bond that connects the three. Towa especially, who received a broken Tenseiga from Sesshōmaru, appears to have not yet given up on Setsuna’s life. Although it looks like the girls will still continue to face hardships in the future, we want them to clear the way to a happy future with their own hands.

“Hanyō no Yashahime” entered a short break, leaving behind many points of interest such as Setsuna’s shocking death, the broken Tenseiga entrusted to Towa, and the continued separation of Moroha and her parents. Let’s consolidate the existing mysteries and wait for the second chapter (season)!

Higurashi Towa

Faced with the death of her beloved little sister, Setsuna, her demonic blood awakens for the first time. Until now, she had been using the demon sword, Kikujūmonji, as her weapon but what is this blade… …? (referring to the promo picture for season 2)

Series Composition: Katsuyuki Sumisawa Q&A

The Yashahimes’ story with continuous ups and downs. In addition to reviewing everything up until now, please tell us about the backstory and hints to the second chapter (season)!

Q. Where do Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha normally spend the night?

A. Towa freeloads at Kaede’s house. Setsuna stays at the demon slayer’s headquarters. It’s just that she can’t sleep so she probably keeps watch outside at night. Moroha lives at the corpse shop.

Q. How far apart is Kaede’s village and the corpse shop?

A. Kaede’s village is in the land of Musashi so in terms of modern geography, imagine around Tokyo’s Nakano and Suginami ward. Compared to that, the corpse shop is in the harbor so around Shinagawa ward or maybe even Yokohama. It seems the three of them frequently met up but there’s actually quite a distance. Each of them had different goals behind their actions too.

Q. When Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha first met, how was Moroha able to figure out that the two of them were Sesshōmaru’s daughters?

A. Probably through “smell”. Sesshōmaru is well known among demons and Moroha knows that Sesshōmaru is her father’s older brother. However, Moroha still doesn’t know that Sesshōmaru is the one who trapped her parents within the black pearl.

Q. Does Moroha know her parents’ names?

A. She does. When Inuyasha and Kagome were approached by Kirinmaru and Sesshōmaru, Awa no Hachiemon (aka Hachi), the racoon dog, took Moroha to the wolf demon tribe where she was raised. That being said, Kōga probably told her.

Q. Doesn’t Moroha want to meet her parents?

A. She thinks her parents are dead. That’s why her thoughts are “There’s no point obsessing over someone who’s dead”. Hachiemon the racoon dog, didn’t watch the details of the incident to the end and assumed that “If Sesshōmaru and Kirinmaru were their opponents, they’re probably not alive now.” That’s what Moroha was told through Kōga.

Q. Why is the instrument that Setsuna plays the violin?

A. When creating the scenario, I wanted some sort of “gift” from the modern era as “something to connect the modern and feudal eras”. Therefore, I decided to give Moroha the giant backpack as Kagome’s daughter and Setsuna an instrument. In addition, an instrument that absolutely didn’t exist in the feudal era was better, so I chose the violin. There of course won’t be violins in Japan and even in the West, it had a different shape than it does now. Plus, before the current story was solidified, I had thought of a plot where the modern era was the setting so it’s a remnant of that.

Q. Did Mama Moe teach Setsuna the song she always plays on her violin?

A. While she learned how to play the violin from Mama Moe, the song was not something she learned (from her). Rather Setsuna is playing a song she once heard based off her memory. Where she heard it… please wait for the second chapter (season)!

Q. With Kanemitsu no Tomoe as a medium for Setsuna and the rouge being suggested for Moroha, each of them has had their demonic blood sealed. What about the seal for Towa’s demonic blood?

A. Towa’s is not sealed. Moreover, her demonic blood had not yet awakened. That’s where in episode 24, her demonic blood awakened for the first time with Setsuna’s death being the trigger. However, that was in an out-of-control state. Going forward, how “Sesshōmaru’s blood” flowing within her will manifest itself will be something worth noting.

Q. Why does everyone call Towa and the others “Yashahime”?

A. Ever since the spirit of the Tree of Ages called them as such in episode 4, everyone started calling them that, no matter who they spoke to. At first, even Towa and the others were like “We’re not Yashahime” or “Are you referring to us?” but as they got addressed that repeatedly, they gradually accepted the name.

Q. Kohaku’s* older sister, Kin’u, is a nun but what does his other older sister, Gyokuto, do?

*Translator’s Note: I think the publisher made a mistake and meant to say Hisui

A. She shoulders the responsibility of helping Sango create the weapons for demon slaying, delivering those weapons to the other slayers, accepting demon slaying requests around the area, and collecting information on demon sightings.

Q. Is Kirinmaru a demon of Japan?

A. No. I think talking like this will be easier to understand. Kirinmaru is one of the few greater demons who is aware that the earth is round. In that era, the only ones who have a sense of this are probably just Kagome, Towa, and Kirinmaru. Having circled the globe many times, Kirinmaru, who had traveled around the world, met the Dog General at the very end in the land at the farthest end (of the earth), Japan. Ever since then, he has remained in Japan so it could be said that he’s a demon of Japan, but his existence is on a bigger scale than that. Kirinmaru frequently reads Western books and he orders those from various places around the world. The one who buys them is Riku. Naturally, I’m sure that not only does Riku secretly read the Western books in the library, but Kirinmaru wouldn’t reproach him for such a small thing either. In episode 7, Riku called the apple a “Forbidden Fruit” but of course, I’m sure Kirinmaru has read the bible before. That’s most likely because he’s been alive since the era of myth so he may have seen Buddha or Jesus Christ in the flesh. There’s probably no way he saw Adam and Eve eat the forbidden fruit though… … (laughs).

Q. Point blank, what is the relationship between Kirinmaru and Riku? In a reflection of the past (200 years ago), it seemed Riku didn’t have any emotions. What exactly was that?

A. This will be revealed in the second chapter (season) as well but to give you a little hint, Riku started taking care of Zero after the Dog General died and as he healed her, he gradually began to have emotions. That’s why Riku’s way of thinking was influenced by Zero, such as “You have to destroy those that you love”.

Q. Zero lost her demonic powers when she created the Rainbow Pearls. Then what was the power she was using when she fought?

A. Zero was using the power of hexes. In this world, there is not only demonic power but all sorts of powers such as spiritual power and Buddhist power and each of them is separate. What she used was a power similar to charms and Inyougogyō**.

** Translator’s Note: Yin and Yang and the five Chinese elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.

Q. Why did someone like Kirinmaru, who values reason, have the Four Perils, who had sleazy personalities, as subordinates?

A. Kirinmaru’s mind is preoccupied with a “certain matter” that’s important so he doesn’t really care about anything else. Hence, he doesn’t remember every single demon that has challenged or served under him and he doesn’t care what kind of person they were.

Q. In episode 21, it was surprising when Towa said “I like you (Riku)!”. To put it frankly, what do Towa and Riku think of each other?

A. Towa thinks Riku is “Riku”. She doesn’t perceive him as being part of Kirinmaru’s group. On the other hand, Riku thinks Towa is “The lady Yashahime that will slay Kirinmaru”. That’s why he addresses her as “Lady Towa”. Currently, there are no romantic feelings between the two of them. Just that, there’s probably “affection” from Riku to Towa.

Q. Why does Riku think “I only kill those I love”?

A. Because “Those who are loved vanish beautifully”. That is what Zero said in episode 23. To Zero, death is sad but to Riku, there’s no difference between dying and living and that they’re the same. Based on that, Riku came to think “You have to destroy those that you love” and he chooses to “kill” as an expression of love. That might be quite difficult to understand.

Q. Why is Sesshōmaru so cold to his daughters?

A. Just as a lion drops its cubs into a bottomless ravine, a demon’s feeling is that they only raise the child that gains strength from hardship. That is the “Rite of Courage and Cowardice”. It’s a little different from the feeling we humans have. That’s why hating his daughters or purposely tormenting them is certainly not the case.

Q. Although, isn’t separating the babies from their mother immediately after birth or having them fight the strongest beast king of the eastern land, Kirinmaru, a little too much?

A. If you watch the kabuki play “Renjishi” I think you will get it immediately. Anime is fine, but I would like to recommend the traditional arts that have ceaselessly been passed down since ancient Japanese times. Even if going to see them is difficult, researching on the internet is easy. Even the phrase “Rite of Courage and Cowardice” will show up in there. It seems that in this world, there’s no people who love their children more than Japanese people. Perhaps that’s why it can’t be helped that the way Sesshōmaru is raising his children feels very cold. However, those who watched the “Inuyasha” series I think will know but Sesshōmaru’s hearing and smell are exceedingly exceptional. He has the ability to immediately rush in, no matter how far the distance.

Q. Lastly, please tell us how production for the second chapter (season) is going?

A. Currently, we’re writing the second half of the script for the second chapter (season). The whole staff are eagerly working under this difficult Corona crisis. In the second chapter (season), we would like to create a script that is particular on the details as much as possible. In the previous series, there were many self-contained demon slaying stories but for the second chapter (season), we’ve changed the structure of the story so that it progresses with the feelings of the various characters intertwining together, just like in “Inuyasha The Final Act”. Hence, I think the impression of the story will change quite a bit. Please wait until the broadcast to see what kind of story it will be!

[foxwithashortsword]

Alright, now that the bastards are an approved concept in my minds eye we can begin the introductions.

So let’s get started with Atlas.

Atlas is, out of all the ‘Bastards’, one of the more closely tied to the og timeline; Less of a major or fundamental change compared to some of the others, but still very much altered.

For one, The gems are not fond of him their love of Rose and resentment of Greg have become a boiling pot of anger and hate that they reflect onto Steven; riding the scale of passive aggressive to downright brutal and violent, actions ranging from hurtful comments and neglect for his human needs to extreme physical torment.

This is life for him for about 16 years, mounting trust issues, trauma, and scars. The boiling point rises around 17 where he begins to even attempt to talk back against their torment using the small amount of confidence he’d gained through Connie’s support…Doesn’t go well.

To the gems, the only thing worse than Steven is a Steven who is not afraid or completely submissive to them and they quickly go to extremes to stomp out the small ember of rebellion he exhibits… using The Burning Room.

Now there’s no goddamn way he’d have survived if not for the healing powers he had luckily picked up despite not being trained in any of his powers. He wasn’t trained as a kid not just because of the gems’ lack of care for his lively-hood but also due to the early revelation of his Diamond heritage. (Three gems and a baby but Pearl didn’t give a fuck) They didn’t want him to have the power to fight back. But unfortunately for them, their actions just sealed their fate.

…Left alone on the smoking floor of the burning room, the molten skin on the eyeless side of his head sticking to the floor, The Shattered Atlas of a boy made a promise to return the favor of fire to his tormentors.

Now, it has been a popular head cannon that Pink Diamond had pyromanic powers, and that’s a head cannon I fully support. And evidently so, as Atlas remains compliant until the fire under the surface blazes out from the pores of his skin in the form of pink flames and burns the site of his torment to rubble…

From here his story mainly continues into the territory of the merged lines. But that’s his general story.

[nexusnickva]

Ultra Space Links the Main Series Pokémon Games with the Mystery Dungeon series

(This is just a theory I posted onto r/GameTheorists)

Given the scope of the series, it's no surprise the Pokémon has gotten it's fair share of spin-offs. From Pokémon Ranger, to PokéPark, to Pokkén Tournament, each spin-off has it's own unique vibes to it. Most of the games take place in either far away regions, such as Pokémon Ranger with Fiore or Pokkén Tournament with Ferrum, whereas others such as PokéPark exist in alternate universes separate from the main series. Because of that, you would expect that the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon subseries of games would fall into the same latter category, but there's something kind of amiss about it.

The Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games follow an isekai sort of formula. The basic premise is that the protagonist, a human, has been transported to a world inhabited only by Pokémon and transformed into one too. After meeting a partner Pokémon and most likely joining some sort of team, the protagonist must traverse various dungeons alongside their partner Pokémon in order to find a way back home. That all sounds well and good, but the thing that used to confuse me is that the Pokémon of the Mystery Dungeon world know about humans. They acknowledge humans, but only as fictional beings.

"Humans don't exist anywhere except in fairy tales, or that's what I always thought." - The Partner, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity (I'm just gonna source the entire game's transcript here you can Ctrl + F it)

I always wondered how the Pokémon of the Mystery Dungeon world knew about humans if humans don't exist in there world, but I would write it off as a silly "Hee hoo, Pokémon fictional in real world, human fictional in Pokémon world" gaff. That was until a very crucial detail in the most popular games in the subseries hit me like a truck.

(MAJOR SPOILERS for Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky/Time/Darkness ahead)

So, in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky/Time/Darkness, the big plot twist half way through the game is that the amnesiac protagonist who could only remember their name and that they were human is actually from a ruined future, fighting alongside their partner Pokémon Grovyle against the traitorous Dusknoir who used their amnesiac state to gain their trust and vilify Grovyle. That sounds pretty straight forward until the glaring issue becomes apparent. The protagonist is from the ruined future of the MYSTERY DUNGEON WORLD. When you go to the ruined future, there's no other humans in sight, and it's quite clearly a desolate version of the world you previously ventured through. Considering that there's no other humans anywhere, only very few Pokémon, it's unlikely that there's just a secret society of humans there. So how did the protagonist, a human, get to the Mystery Dungoen world? Well, that question remained unanswered for over 9 years until Generation 7 of Pokémon finally gave us enough hints to put together the puzzle.

Generation 7, Sun and Moon, introduced the concept of Ultra Space: a spatial realm that connects a bunch of alternate dimensions and worlds together. Ultra Space can be accessed by Ultra Wormholes, which are commonly opened by the Light Trio (Solgaleo, Lunala, and Necrozma) but can also occur naturally. Canonically, there have been cases of people falling into Ultra Wormholes (deemed as "Fallers") as well as cases where societies have been formed within Ultra Wormholes such is the case with Ultra Megalotropolis. Considering every Ultra Space area you visit in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon contains at least one Pokémon and rarely humans, it's not out of the question that one world in Ultra Space was inhabited by Pokémon exclusively who wound up making themselves an entire society that would go on to become the world of Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. Perhaps the protagonist from the Explorers games was a "Faller" who never actually returned to the main series world. That's not all, however, as another bizarre connection between the main series games and Mystery Dungeon subseries exists.

In the aforementioned Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky/Time/Darkness games, in order to evolve a Nosepass, you require an item known as the Coronet Rock.

" A rock that radiates a peculiar energy, rumored only to exist on Mt. Coronet, a place that no one knows anything about. It allows certain kinds of Pokémon to evolve." - In-game item description

Notice that it directly refers to Mt. Coronet in the tool-tip. Mt. Coronet is not an area in Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. None of the Mystery Dungeon games allow you to go there. Why? Because Mt. Coronet is from the Sinnoh region of Pokémon Diamond, Pearl, and Platinum. The thing that strikes me as odd is the fact that they know what Mt. Coronet is, but don't know anything about it. This could be one of two things.

A) The inhabitants of the PMD world heard about Mt. Coronet via Fallers and coined the name "Coronet Rock" after this mysterious, other-worldly place.

or

B) The PMD world is an alternate version of the main game's world in the same way that the Ultra Ruin in an alternate future version of Hau'oli City from Alola and Mt. Coronet actually exists there.

Both potential answers still point to the Mystery Dungeon world being connected to the main series world via Ultra Space.

One last thing that isn't necessarily evidence, but it's a neat thing that may potentially be a hint at what my theory proposes. Canonically, Ultra Wormholes were discovered by a man named Mohn, husband of Lusamine of the Aether Foundation and father to Lillie and Gladion. Gladion in particular is the main rival of Pokémon Sun and Moon and has a bizarre connection to the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series. Both his encounter and battle themes are guitar remixes of the Run Away, Fugitives theme from the original Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games, Red Rescue Team and Blue Rescue Team. The main series games have never really gone out of their way to reference the Mystery Dungeon series, so it's quite interesting that the son of the man who discovered Ultra Space has a guitar remix of one of the most pivotal songs from the original Pokémon Mystery Dungeon as his theme.

So yeah, that's pretty much it. I know that not all of my evidence is necessarily damning, but I feel like there's enough there to have a fun time discussing it. That's what making these posts is all about; proposing fun new ways to think about some of our favorite games, considering things you didn't think possible, and mainly just getting to talk about the things we enjoy. After all... it's just a theory.

A GAME THEORY!

I will never get tired of ending theories with that.

[faelapis]

so. i haven’t seen anything on my dash, any reactions or anyone’s feelings yet. 

i’m very happy with where steven ended up. 

i’m sad we didn’t see more of jasper. genuinely so.

but i will say this - as much as i am terribly sad about that... i think they left her in a decent place. i know some will probably protest to that, since she was in it so little, but like... i also kinda knew that it would be unrealistic to expect her to “get over” her issues so fast. i was sad, but i can’t deny that makes sense.

so that’s why she’s in little homeworld - she took steven’s order to find something better in life seriously. in the first episode, steven thought little homeschool would help her get better, so that’s where she goes.

this, to me, is reassuring. i would have been much more worried if she went off into the wilderness alone without anyone there to help. as much as that’s what steven needs, that’s not what she needs. she’s been alone for a long time.

i also... ultimately, i decided i didn’t want her to go with steven. i understand why some did, but... it reminds me too much of rose and pearl. it’s probably healthier for her, in the long run, to not learn these things from her diamond.

now, about the whole “my diamond” thing - yeah, from what we saw, she obviously wasn’t going to get over that right away. i didn’t expect her to. i’m mostly fine with that - because that’s what little homeschool is for. 

steven’s order represented the “push” she needed... but now, being surrounded by people who will genuinely try to help her, all while being away from her “diamond”... i am completely sure that soon enough, she won’t see him as a diamond anymore. because before, she coped with loss of diamond alone. she had nothing to fill that “void”... but this time, she will.

it’ll be one of those things where like. at first, she’s making a genuine effort to better herself “for her diamond”... but eventually, making a strong effort to better herself will turn into actually bettering herself & making friends.

like with the famethyst being there for each other at the zoo, she’ll have a community of helpers, rather than a diamond savior, to be her friends and family. that’s what helped them recover. (and we know she’s staying at little homeschool, because “the future” is set months after “i am my monster”).

that’s been a huge message of the show as a whole - “stress is less harmful when we have people we trust to help us through it”. that’s why amethyst and lapis recovered better than jasper in s3 - they had friends, she was alone.

she’ll get what they had all along - teachers at little homeschool includes garnet, amethyst, pearl, peridot, bismuth... they will all be there for her. THAT will be her new beginning. when they help her, and she gains new relationships... sure, she’ll still struggle. but i think it left us at a place where you know enough about her, and about how little homeschool works, that you’ll see her get better and gain a community of friends & family. she’ll be okay.

now. am i sad that we won’t get to see most of that? of course. i expect others are, too. but i think they gave us just enough to know that she won’t be alone & will find the community she needs to become her best self. that kind of help is what everyone in this show has needed. she’ll never be alone again.

[fruityutas]

heart-shaped box

taglist ~ @puppywritings , @xiaojours , @svchengss , @prettyjaems​ 

part of @du0tine​ ‘s 21 ways to kill your lover collab

cannibal!stalker!sicheng x reader

not proofread

genre ~ horror, angst, suggestive but no smut

wc ~ 2.5k

warnings ~ the following writing is FICTION and has very heavy and unsettling themes like murder, stalking, and cannibalism. if these themes are triggering or otherwise uncomfortable to you, do NOT read this story.

synopsis ~ you meet sicheng unexpectedly when out for groceries. he seems to be the most normal person in the room, but what you don’t know can’t hurt you, can it?

the basis of all life is the heart. it beats so we can have oxygen delivered to our organs. it is precious and works hard to let us live. one must protect it at all costs, never let it weaken, not even from love.

sicheng walks the aisles of the store slowly, inspecting each item, analyzing its contents. he keeps his focus until it’s interrupted by a sweet voice. yours. “excuse me?” his gaze floats to meet yours. you stood before him, smiling shyly. “can i help you?” sicheng stands straight, his figure taller than you’d expected. “um, i just need help getting that box of cereal off the top shelf.” his eyes follow your arm up to the top shelf, the cereal clearly out of reach for you. he grabs it and hands it to you. “thank you so much! i really didn’t want to climb the shelves.” the giggle that accompanies your statement makes his ears turn red. sicheng is enthralled by you, your scent, the soft tendrils of hair cascading down your shoulders, your sweet smile. he feels the urge come up. one he hadn’t had in months. Obsession. sicheng knew he’d be seeing you more, he’d make sure of it. “it’s not a problem…” “oh! y/n, that’s my name.” you laugh awkwardly, the pause between him implying to ask your name a bit too long. he grins and nods before wishing you a good day. 

it hadn’t been hard to find your sns, a foreigner in mainland china was rare. the pictures you posted did no justice to what you truly looked like. you’d be a good addition to his collection of hearts stolen. he doesn’t follow you and doesn’t like any posts. he has to stay invisible for the time being. he finds out the college you attend and lurks there whenever possible to figure out your schedule. the first two days gives him what he needs, now he stays just to see you. sicheng eventually gets the gall to trek closer to the actual campus, sitting on the benches of the park on the edge of it. you spot him one day, waving at him. strike one. you make your way over to him and sit beside him. strike two. your compassion was going to be your downfall. “fancy seeing you here! are you a student?” sicheng knows better than to lie, so he says no. “i just like to sit at this park from time to time, it’s very relaxing.” you hum in response. “well, i have to get going to my next class, but it was pleasant seeing you again!” he nods and sends you off with a smile, but little do you know, he’s planning the main course for his next feast.

you see, sicheng and his six friends are all what some would call disgusting and horrible people. they don’t understand though, the delicacies of the human body. eating together brings you closer, but eating a person brings you impossibly close. but sicheng was a smart man, and he didn’t need people to call him disgusting, so he prefers to keep his tendencies in the closet. 

sicheng’s daily routine rarely changed. he got up, fed his cat, made breakfast, ate, showered, and went to work. though he didn’t need to work, his parents had left him an empire of wealth to live off. he got bored with no work, so he decided to use some of the said wealth to get a degree and use it. and what better degree than a doctorate in biology? he used it to his advantage, he knew the exact cuts to make, and how the body could be used. throughout his cannibalistic diet, he’d eaten nine people. sicheng had picky tastes, though. no minors, no one over 30, and absolutely no one he didn’t deem pretty enough. gender wasn’t an issue, sicheng admired both. his victims were unsuspecting, falling for his good looks and seemingly sweet personality. sicheng would usually bed them before killing them because while eating someone connects them to you, he felt as if sex powered it more. 

the next time sicheng sees you, it’s at the grocery store again. he uses this as his chance to try for your number. “fate really wants us to see each other huh?” you laugh at the coincidence. he gives a small chuckle back. “well since fate wants us to see each other, maybe i can take the chance and ask for your number?” his question takes you back, and you turn red in slight embarrassment. “well, of course you can, but i’m not looking for a relationship right now, so just friends?” annoyance spreads through sicheng, but he agrees nonetheless. this would make it hard but not impossible.

for the next week sicheng was texting you and gaining your trust. you’d agreed to meet up with him at a cafe for a “friend date” as he put it. he offers to pick you up, and you naively give him your address. sicheng is getting closer to what he wants, and it’s making him giddy. the outing goes well and sicheng takes you home. he lurks around that night, though, and sees you leave your house dressed up nicely. a car pulls up and a man gets out to greet you. sicheng’s blood boils. how were you not looking for a relationship when clearly you were going on a date with this man?

the entire night, sicheng watches and follows your every move. his rage heightened each time the man touches you. you were his, not anyone else’s. sicheng clearly had to get rid of this problem. he’s done it before, and even though he won’t be dining on this man, his friends will. there is never a wasted meal between the seven of them. a quick phone call to kun, to who he gives the address of the restaurant, and the man is taken care of. sicheng decides to leave before he gets mad enough to do the job himself.

not a word is mentioned by sicheng, because if he did, you’d know he followed you. the “friend dates” continued and sicheng was as unsuspecting as any normal person, but behind the scenes, his obsession grew. he was getting impatient, he wanted to have you now. but he just couldn’t push it. you were becoming more flirty with him after the other guy stood you up. at least, that’s what you told sicheng, not knowing the man was long dead and eaten. 

“sicheng, are you alright?” your honey voice pulls him out of his thoughts and back to reality. he nods feverishly and shoots a shy smile, one that hides his true intentions. today is the day, he thought. nothing could stand between him and your extravagance. you smile at him, and place a hand on his arm. “would you like to come to my apartment? i have water and medicine if you don’t feel well.” of course, he agrees. his plan was coming together. throughout the last seven years, the nine victims he’s claimed have all been to his basic standards.

 taeil, the street musician he encountered while still in high school. he was the first, a quite easy job, as he was desperate to find connections to anyone -street performing wasn’t enough to pay the bills- and sicheng was just the perfect person for that. 

yeri, his first girlfriend. sicheng had a lot of fun with her, she was almost always yearning for him, begging for sex whenever the chance arose. but sicheng grew tired of her constantness and got rid of her. 

irene, his best friend’s aunt. she was much too old for sicheng when he’d fucked her, but she was just too cunning to pass up. her seductive nature got the best of sicheng, and her kill was his most gruesome to date, the anger of falling for another’s trick clouded his mind. 

yuta, his first true love. sicheng doesn’t regret killing his lover, but the heavy guilt of what could have been had sicheng not been this way weighs on his mind at all times.

yangyang, the small cousin that annoyed him to no end. sicheng showed no emotion at the boy’s funeral, and he was the only family member he’d killed.

wendy, the girl from college. she was also in the medical department and had a small crush on sicheng. he used this to his advantage, killing her swiftly and secretly.

jaehyun, the secret boyfriend. his junior year of undergrad school was filled with parties at frat houses, and jaehyun being the president of one proved sicheng showing up to many of them. jaehyun was a whore in every sense of the word, and it extended towards men.

renjun, the only other chinese boy in his graduate school. sicheng was a mentor to him, and even cared deeply for the boy. but renjun wasn’t special, he was still just another meal to be consumed.

seulgi, his dance partner. many days after school were spent fucking her in the dance studio on campus, until one day he got tired of her. the dance studio was closed for weeks due to the amount of blood.

and finally you. you were different from the rest, you were the tenth victim, and the fifth girl. an even number of victims, something he took pride in achieving. he knew he had to do something special for you. the pink heart-shaped box he’d got to hold the very organ it was modeled after. it had golden details painted on, and the latch had a pearl on it. sicheng thought it was beautiful, and the perfect thing to hold your heart. he was going to keep it close to him, as a token of remembrance. 

the way back to your apartment was filled with sensual touches and flirty kisses on each other. it wasn’t far from the small cafe you both chose to eat at, so the walk wasn’t too long. a passerby would look and see what appears to be a happy couple when the reality of the situation was much darker. sicheng was hungry, and you were the main course. the door to the apartment was in sight when a policeman stopped the two of you. sicheng hides his annoyance well and puts up an unsuspecting front. “good evening, officer.” the officer nods before speaking to you. “miss, you were one of the last people to see johnny suh last week. do you know anything about his whereabouts?” the shock from his sentence washed over your face as you shook your head no. “i ate with him last tuesday, and arranged another meeting, but he never showed nor answered his phone and i haven’t seen him since.” the officer nods and writes a few things down before turning to sicheng. “and do you maybe know anything about him?” sicheng analyzes the picture of the man he sent kun to kill, almost smiling. “no sir, i’ve never seen him before unfortunately.” the officer nods again and thanks the both of you for the help.

sicheng starts to rush along, wanting to complete the task at hand. the walk up the stairs to your door seemed endless, tunnel vision forming at the thought of what was about to go down. an evil smirk graced sicheng’s features, and as the sunset glowed down on you, he knew your time on earth was ending soon. you both didn’t get even a foot in the door before sicheng was all over you, kisses exchanged between clashing of teeth, hands roaming everywhere that was in reach. clothes discarded around the floor, not to be worried about until later. the only thing that mattered to sicheng right now was getting you in bed. he guides you there quickly, kisses getting messy, the rest of your undergarments gone. the only sounds in the room were the escaping moans from you and the creaking of the bed. 

you’re fast asleep, sicheng makes sure of this. he creeps around your kitchen and finds a knife suitable for his art. the gloves he brought already on, he picks the knife up and examines his reflection. he sees himself as a wonderful human, there are no flaws in him, he is the perfect being. his trek back to your room is hasty, his excitement barely contained. he is moments away from having the best meal of his life.

his body hovered over your sleeping figure. how peaceful you looked, soft breathing, a neutral look on your face. it was such a shame that you’d be dead in less than a few minutes. sicheng took his time preparing his weapon, the carving knife shining in the moonlight. he silently plans out where to take the first stab, even a small error would result in a faulty kill. the pink heart-shaped box in his bag yelling at him to hurry up and do it. taking in a deep breath, sicheng raises the knife, but only enough to get momentum. as he plunges it into your chest, he covers your mouth as to not let the scream out. he can’t have anyone hearing this, for obvious reasons. you awake to a painful sensation. eyes still raw with sleep, you scan your surroundings as best you can, the painful burning almost too much. the figure above you looks familiar, and you thrash around to get away from him. the sleep now long gone and adrenaline coursing your veins, you realize it was the man you’d been seeing around often, sicheng. you try to get away from him, but he is inevitably stronger than you.

“you’re only making this harder for yourself.” his voice comes out deep and full of annoyance. you pay it no mind and continue to wriggle your body, though it is slowly weakening. sicheng continues to carve around your heart, and you try to scream out but the large hand on your mouth blocks it. the pain is unbearable at this point, and you find yourself losing this fight. your skin pales at blood loss and you start to lose consciousness. the last thing you hear before the dark was sicheng’s sultry voice whispering in your ear. “my present to me is the only means of life you’ve got left.” 

you go limp in his arms, your heart ripped from its cavity. sicheng takes one glove off to grab the box, placing the heart inside it gently. he admires his work, standing and taking pictures to save for later. he thinks about how delicious you will taste. sicheng simply cannot wait to be fully connected to you, the excitement making him hurry with transporting you to his house so you can be prepared. sicheng calls up kun, and the only thing he says before hanging up is simple. “tonight, we shall feast on a delicate one.”

the basis of all life is the heart, and you let yours be taken by a man you truly didn’t know.

[seattlesea]

Maggie Hoyle Headcanons Cause She Doesn’t Get Enough Love

(If she was resurrected, so I believe she’d still be 12)

-Her and Sam geek out over books and movies and Adam gets jealous

-Best friends with Ella and the two ride on Nine’s shoulders all the time

-Gets trained by Six and gains a lot of confidence from it

-Timid and quiet at first but once she’s comfortable with someone she’s Nine 2.0

-Has a brother-sister relationship with John, she pulls pranks on him with Eight and they shove each other all the time but if someone else insults one of them the other’s on their ass with a dagger

-Maggie’s a lesbian and nothing can convince me otherwise

-Sarah teaches her more about photography

-Uses a silver Loric rapier sword with Loralite embedded on the hilt

-Loves cooking with Marina

-Forgave Adam for what happened (eventually) and they also have a brother-sister relationship

-John and Adam are basically her dads (and Six is her wine aunt)

-John and Adam compete a lot to gain her favor and so they’re always trying to one-up each other and Maggie just says ‘fuck it’ and goes to hang out with Nine aka her cool uncle

-Has a Chimera that’s usually in the form of a brown toy poodle she names Julia

-Gained an intense fear of dying after she was resurrected 

-Has a scar on the side of her neck cause of the dagger wound and hates being touched on the neck

-Was temporarily mute after the throat wound which eventually healed

-Has some major trust issues after the incident in London

-Looks up to Six and Marina a lot as she never had a female role model besides fictional characters or a female guardian in her life 

-Lexa basically adopts her because of this

-A huge sweet tooth and will eat sugar cookies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

-She and One had a really close friendship while on the trip to Earth and One would read to her, help her learn English, always partner with her during training, etc.

-Daniela becomes an older sister figure to her and they’re an iconic duo of Daniela the rebellious trouble-maker and Maggie her apprentice and side-kick (like a Peter B. Parker-Miles Morales relationship)

-Has a very quick, efficient, acrobatic, versatile, and adaptable fighting style that relies a lot on speed, flexibility, and swiftness

-Reads 24/7, it’s basically her therapy

-But she likes cliché drama and romance the best, fantasy and action stories are too real for her and she wishes she had the normal, human girl life she reads about in the realistic-fiction stories

-Hates alien stories. She can’t stand the ‘weird green/monster’ stereotype

-My take on her personality is basically shy, quiet, and really timid when you first meet her, but after she warms up to you she’s energetic, upbeat, cheerful, optimistic, mischievous, prankish, and kind, basically like a basic 12 year-old. She’s rebellious in the way that has the ‘Do what they say until they tell me to do something I don’t want to or like’ mindset

-She’s extremely intelligent. With all the books she reads and how quickly she was able to find out Adam was Mogadorian and assess her situation, she makes quick calculations and is very strategic

-But because she likes everything to be planned-out and perfect, she’s also extremely hesitant (which, as we all know, caused her downfall)

-Very touchy. She’s one of the most affectionate Garde and loves hugs, cuddles, holding hands, and any type of physical affection so long as it’s appropriate. She’s usually seen sitting on John or Adam’s laps despite any empty seats

-Has a slight Irish accent

-Her laugh is weird but cute, a mix of a soft giggle and a Scottish-Irish lilt, and it’s super quiet (as is her normal voice)

-Loves dogs, absolutely adores them. She spends so much of her time with Bernie Kosar that John gets jealous

-Can’t pronounce the name John. She spent a lot of time in France and knows the language fluently, and she pronounces John like ‘Jaune’ without the accent

-Was glad to hear Adam basically decapitated Ivan, though she was also disappointed she didn’t get to do it herself

-Super short for her age, only about 4′3″, so all the others are basically skyscrapers next to her and she hates it (the others love it, though)

-My take on her legacies- clairvoyance, illusions, sensior, telekinesis, heightened intuition, force field generation, and mind control (I always assumed she’d have the mind-related legacies)

-Has brown eyes, a bunch of freckles all around her face, arms, back, and shoulders, cheek dimples, a small birthmark at the side of her left eye, a small snub nose, super small hands, medium brown skin, and a really bright and wide smile

-One of her main passions besides reading and photography is art. She loves painting, sketching, etc. and she usually has paint on her hands and clothes, chalk under her fingernails, and scarily realistic drawings on her arms and legs

-The others call her ‘Maggles’ nothing can convince me otherwise

-Listens to Cavetown, The Neighborhood, Hayley Kiyoko, and Girl in Red nothing can convince me otherwise

-Rabid nerd Sam knows the name ‘Maggie’ means ‘pearl’ so bought her a pearl bracelet she always wears (with Nine’s money)

And yea there we go

[cherrywoes]

ii. the girl in the foxes' den.

chapter two. heads for pikes.

The orphanage was a quaint little thing just on the borders of Shiratorizawa. Surrounded by a small lake dotted with water lilies, lily pads, and other winter resistant flowers that were the staple of your kingdom, it was perhaps the epitome of homeliness—what your brother aspired for the rest of his kingdom during his reign, a peacefulness that couldn’t be broken.

You had played at the lake as children, of course, when your father would sneak the both of you out of your mother’s insufferable tutoring lessons to mingle with the common folk. “To grow and learn,” he had said, but all you had learned was that people only believed in themselves, lived for themselves, and died for themselves. With the exception of Wakatoshi, maybe, you knew that the commoners were just as cutthroat as any other noble; just as worse, perhaps, or more so. You’d witnessed people, more than once, slit throats over the barest crumb of bread, and there was plenty to go around—and that was just amongst nobles.

Shiratorizawa prided itself upon strength and superiority, but that could only get you so far when you couldn’t even trust your neighbors not to stab you in the back.

“Wakatoshi can change that,” you mumbled to yourself. The smell of horse sweat, tangy and distinctly equine, assailed your nostrils; a comforting smell, despite how unappealing it sounded. You’d spent most of your life training or riding horses, after all, and paid quite a lot of attention to them when you weren’t busy wrangling disrespectful court women. Your mare nickered softly the closer you drew to the orphanage, where a singular crowd of children and a nun stood waiting for you to go to them. “Is it just me, or are there more orphans than before? Goshiki?”

The Elite Knight in question swallowed and swerved his head to pay attention to you. He, and another Knight, Semi Eita, had caught up to you as you were exiting the main wall that separated the main city from the palace. You recognized them as Wakatoshi’s close friends, nobles sworn into his personal circle after he was crowned King. They were never far from your brother’s side, so you had to wonder why he left them behind when he could have taken them with him. Tendou was far from the most physically capable man; his eagle form was much more sturdy in terms of battle.

“It makes sense,” Semi said instead, before Goshiki could stutter out an answer. He, like Goshiki, wore the same purple-tinged armor and sweeping crushed velvet cape. You’d found the whole ensemble ridiculous, right down to the plumage on their helms, but Wakatoshi was a stickler for tradition, at least in the uniform’s sense. “A lot of the commoners have come down with a sickness lately. Tracking down the source has been a pain; a lot of them died before we could get to them with a healer in time.”

You frowned, a distinct line on your face. Wakatoshi had always said you had a very foreboding frown, whatever that meant. “Why wasn’t I informed of this?”

Semi shrugged. You were tempted to kick him off his horse and drag him down into the grass to strangle him for shrugging at you. You didn’t know what Wakatoshi let him get away with, but you hated people you weren’t close with acting casual towards you. It was one of your worst pet peeves, besides girls trying to play Queen, and you were sure your glare was enough to smelt steel if you tried hard enough.

“It wasn’t your place then,” he explained, tugging the reigns to veer around a slab of stone depicting the orphanage’s name. “King Ushijima was adamant that you have no part in it so as to prevent you from catching the illness.”

“And?” With a huff and a subtle side-eye, you watched him move back into place at your flank, staring straight ahead and cleverly avoiding your gaze. “Illness is no issue for me. I am an Ushijima—I don’t get sick.”

And that was true; besides small sicknesses like seasonal allergies or colds, you were invulnerable to everything else. Even poisons, to an extent, as long as they were ones you had been exposed to previously in small amounts. Though you hadn’t gained your eagle form just yet, you had the immunity of a shifter, which your brother found endlessly perplexing. You were grateful for it: it kept you from dying so easily at the hands of an assassin, if it ever came to that. You had been trained well enough to be a deadly opponent since you couldn’t shift, not that anyone except Wakatoshi and your mother knew that. The nobles would have heart attacks if they knew their princess could disarm a man faster than she could finish a single stitch of embroidery.

“He didn’t want to risk it, my lady.” Semi reached up and adjusted the pin of his cloak from poking into the gap between his chain mail and pauldron. “That’s all.”

Your lips drew into a thin line, but you quickly found yourself without time to retort as children swarmed your mare. You squeezed your legs against her sides in warning and carefully dismounted, narrowly avoiding swinging your boot into a poor child’s head when he refused to move out of your way. Goshiki took your hand to allow you to get to the ground without falling and you gave him a grateful nod when another child went straight for your knees to grab ahold of you.

“Children!” The nun scolded, bustling forward with a shiny red face. Her robes looked particularly suffocating in the heat as she began rerouting them all into the tiny group that had been around her previously, giving each one a specific and deliberate warning that perhaps went over deaf ears. She looked at you, an apology in her eyes, although it was eclipsed by the intense dislikement that came from your presence specifically. “Crown Princess [Name]. I was not aware of your visit until early this morning. I’m afraid we aren’t prepared for you at this time.”

You smiled bitterly. You had expected this, of course; nuns, specifically this nun, had an extreme hatred for you whether you were kind to them or not. It all stemmed from one little fact: you were not your mother. They saw you as weak, as prime pickings when Wakatoshi was away. It was a common perception, the same one you had concocted with your brother, and while you were keen on keeping it up for the time being, it didn’t mean you didn’t feel some measure of irritation at being unable to freely express yourself around others. Because you played the docile, meek princess locked away in the castle, you had no true way of earning power except through deception. And that was what you had intended—there was more power in the dark than the light.

“That’s quite alright,” you replied soothingly, using the sweetest tone you could muster. You opened your saddlebag and produced a bag of gold—ones, ironically, with your face on them to be petty—to hand over to the nun. She looked at you questioningly, the weight heavier than she was used to getting from you or any royal, and squeezed the pouch thoughtfully. “To buy the children new clothes for the upcoming winter—extra for more food, since there are more than before, I hear?”

“Yes, your majesty.” The woman tucked the pouch away into her robes. You made a mental note to tell the local seamstress and hunters to make sure she only bought furs and shoes for the children—you didn’t trust anyone in positions of religious institutions as far as you could throw them. And that wasn’t very far. “Is there anything… else you needed?”

“No. I came to—” Your eyes caught on a woman lingering at the edge of the crowd of children, dressed in rags. She was fairly petite, blonde of hair, and looked completely out of place in Shiratorizawa as a whole, where brown hair and black hair was most common. She stuck out as much as Tendou did with his red hair. “Who is that?”

The nun turned to see who you were looking at. You were surprised to see disgust crawl over her features, more potent than if it had been aimed at you. “Oh, that’s a refugee from Karasuno—the neighboring Empire to Nekoma. She says while the King and his advisor are away, some other kingdom stormed their castle, raided their lands, and now hold their capital ransom until King Sawamura returns.”

Your eyes narrowed suspiciously. Wakatoshi’s aides hadn’t notified you of this. And judging by the alarmed looks on Semi and Goshiki’s faces, they hadn’t known either, which meant this was a very recent occupation, or someone had swept under their noses, past their borders, and invaded Karasuno without so much as a warning. And any kingdom who could be that discreet, that sly, was worth keeping a very close eye on.

“I see.” You forced your features to be more sympathetic, bringing your hand up to your cheek in faux thought. You might have even tried to cry if it wouldn’t have seemed so fake. “Well, she can’t just stay at the orphanage—what is her name?”

The nun shrugged, disgruntled, and waved for the woman. “You! Come here.”

The blonde haired woman startled, looking towards them with wide eyes. Her gaze darted between Semi and Goshiki with their armor and then finally settled on you, dressed less than princess-like, and the tiara on your head that you’d thrown on when you found it in your saddlebag before you left. It was, luckily, made with black pearls and onyx, so it fit well with your outfit and didn’t look too out of place.

“Your majesty,” she whispered when she drew near enough. Her feet were calloused from miles of walking, raw from running over craggy peaks and sharp cliff faces that separated Karasuno from Shiratorizawa, a feat in its own right. Blood still seeped from open cracks in her heels and dripped into the sand, turning it a deep red. Though her face was dirty, smeared with dirt and dried mud that hadn’t been cleaned, she was pretty underneath it all—and very clearly of some nobility. Her features were too aristocratic to be anything else, a bastard maybe, but clearly noble. When she curtsied, you noted the practiced ease and near perfect posture even with infected wounds and wounded feet. “I apologize for my appearance—”

“No need.” You held up your hands and reached over to straighten her. Gravel rolled beneath her heels and she shifted, sending a waft of sweat, days old blood, and what you could barely say was stale perfume towards you. You had to blink to keep your eyes from watering at the pungent scent; so as not to humiliate her, you smiled, though you had a hard time blinking the water from your eyes. “You are nobility, yes?”

The nun looked over, alarmed, but the girl was already nodding her head in a reluctant affirmative.

You stepped back and between Semi and Goshiki in thought. Her presence could easily be taken as an offense; she was here without invitation, despite her empire being occupied, and living in squalor at the orphanage, unbecoming of a noble, especially a woman. But she could also be a valuable asset: she was a well of knowledge about Karasuno and the current political situation. If you could wheedle enough information out of her, you would be able to yank Karasuno right out from under the invaders’ noses and instill Shiratorizawa rule, but you knew it wouldn’t be that easy—there was an edge in her gaze that spoke of a cleverness. She wouldn’t release her secrets so easily.

“Well, then.” You scanned her up and down and pursed your lips. “We can’t leave you here, Lady…?”

“Yachi.” She shifted uncomfortably. “Yachi Hitoka.”

“Yachi Hitoka,” you amended, the name foreign on your tongue but vaguely familiar. A family name you had heard before, perhaps in your studies. You would make sure to crack open the records whenever you returned back to the palace. “You can’t stay here. Return with me to the palace and we’ll see to getting you a bath and some food… Unless you would rather stay here?”

“Thank you, your majesty.” Yachi’s voice was quiet, but there was gratitude there—step one complete.

You smiled and turned to your horse. Semi knelt down and allowed you to step into his hands to settle your leg over the saddle, hooking your foot in the stirrup when you were settled. The mare tossed her head with a snort, eager to get going, and you patted her neck gently. You jerked your head towards Goshiki—the one least likely to say something rude about her smell—when you spoke to Yachi again. “You’ll ride with Goshiki. His horse is the gentlest, which will be better on your wounds in the long run. I wouldn’t want you to rip open the ones that have already healed.”

Yachi nodded. “Thank you, your majesty.”

You waited for her to mount with the help of Goshiki, watching as she struggled to support herself on hurt feet. He allowed her to sit in front of him rather than behind, even though, to your amusement, it made his face burn a bright red, so she wouldn’t fall off as easily. Semi snorted beside you at his babbled explanation and Yachi seemed to notice, her face flushing—you wondered if she also had a fever—and dropped her head to avoid your gaze.

You turned your head and nodded to the nun in silent farewell, turning your horse and heading back the way you came. You tried to keep quiet, to not pester her with questions, but your curiosity won out.

“So, Lady Yachi,” you called, looking over at her from your horse,”what banners did these… invaders fly with their troops?”

She looked uncomfortable at the memory, but answered,”None, your majesty. A banner with a black field was all I saw.”

“I see.” That made no sense. Any organized army with enough might to siege an empire could only be another kingdom or empire; none that you knew employed a plain black field upon their banner except for Karasuno and Nekoma themselves, and you knew Nekoma didn’t have the capacity to invade and occupy another empire without aid from another. No, this was something different—a mercenary group, perhaps? But that made no sense, either. “And did anyone else escape as you did?”

“I… I’m not sure, your majesty.” Yachi took on a look of genuine anguish at the thought and you had to pity her just a little. “But if they did, they wouldn’t have risked Shiratorizawa as I did—perhaps Nekoma, or Aoba Johsai.”

Yes, those two were indeed more likely. No one would want to brave the cliffs and hills that made up Shiratorizawa; they were made for eagle shifters and those who knew the terrain well enough not to fall to their deaths. It was dangerous for any other to go through them, which was all the more suspicious now that an army had seemingly snuck through without anyone noticing. You would have to dig deeper into this—and worm your way into Wakatoshi’s advisor’s good graces, too.

“Hmm.” You scratched your chin. “Semi, when we return, assemble a small group of men and head to Nekoma and then Aoba Johsai to search for survivors. Get their stories; I’m concerned about this new militant force, whoever it is. They could target Shiratorizawa next.”

“W-wait!” Yachi made Goshiki shove his horse forward. You raised an eyebrow at her inquisitively. “If you can—can you see if my friends made it out? You can’t miss one of them, he has orange hair, and is short—”

You looked to Semi for confirmation. It was his squadron he would likely be sending out; it was his choice. You had no interest in her friends, even if they were survivors. You just wanted their stories. When he nodded subtly, you inclined your head and looked back to Yachi. “Very well. They will look—but they will not hunt them down. That’s the best I can offer you, Yachi. I apologize.”

“That’s alright.” She smiled, a pathetic, weary thing. “It means a lot to me that you even considered it. I hope they’re okay, wherever they are.”

You couldn’t relate. Your kingdom wasn’t occupied by an unknown enemy force, hopefully it never would be. You could only nod and nudge your horse into a trot, eager to see if you had drove that arrogant little girl playing Queen out of the palace, only to see a procession—a very haphazard, unsteady procession—proceeding towards you faster than you could blink. Among them was an eagle shifter you knew well—Kenjiro Shirabu—and he never used his eagle form unless it was of the utmost importance.

Because he was smaller than the others, you were able to hold out your arm and allow him to land safely, even if he almost knocked you over in the process. His claws dug into your arm and ripped through your sleeve as he tried to steady himself, but he looked so terrified, so scared, even in eagle form, that your concern quickly overpowered your smugness.

“Shirabu?” You reached up and plucked a loose feather from his wing. “What’s wrong?”

“King Wakatoshi’s squadron—what was left of it—returned home moments after you departed.” He was out of breath, taking deep inhales through his beak to catch it, and you watched him with concerned eyes. “I was told to return and inform you.”

But that made no sense—what was left of it?

“What do you mean?” You squinted at him, understanding settling in your gut even though you denied it. “Shirabu?”

He avoided your gaze. “They were attacked. King Wakatoshi… King Wakatoshi did not return with them. Nor did Tendou.”

It was like someone had dropped a cold stone in your belly. “What?”

“Please hurry to the palace.” He was already rising, flapping his wings to gain altitude. You reached up to snatch him back down, but he evaded your grasp and hovered just above your reach. “The advisors are in a panic. They don’t know what to do—you’re the only one who can take charge now, Princess [Name].”

He was gone before you could stop him. You watched him fly away, in a daze, eyes fixed on his steadily shrinking form, much like when you had watched Wakatoshi leave that day. He had promised to bring you back honey from the forest.

“Let’s go.” You spurred your horse into a run, Goshiki and Semi following right behind you. You had to know if it was true. And if it was… If it was? “We… We need to do damage control.”

“I believe the damage is already done, your majesty!” Semi shouted over the roaring wind in his ears. He gestured to the outside of the palace, already in sight from the breakneck pace, as you merged with the retinue that had come with Shirabu. People rallied around the gate, rioting, demanding to know what was going on. Tomatoes and sour fruit flew and hit the men standing guard at their post. “We’ll go through the back way!”

You allowed Semi to take charge, moving his horse to the head of your group because, for once, you could make no decisions. Your thoughts revolved around your brother—undefeated, unconquerable Wakatoshi, so confident in his decisions and quiet and kind. Now he was gone, dead or missing, and you had no idea who had done it.

But when you found them, whoever had taken your brother from you and kept him from returning home, you would skin them and place their heads on a pike.

And you would start with Akira Saito.

one | masterlist | three

taglist (open): i don't think i got any requests for this taglist (if i did i forgot) so feel free to ask me again to add you if i did. <3

[youngbounty]

Would Miles Edgeworth Recieve Mia Fey’s Blessing

One of the things I notice in Narumitsu headcanons, stories, comics, etc. on here is the idea that Mia would, for some reason, not support Phoenix dating Edgeworth. Now, Mia had died in Turnabout Sisters, meaning that she no longer has any business going into Phoenix’s life. Though, for the sake of using this argument, I’m going to use canon reasons for why I find this idea to be false. I’m also going to clarify that this is Phoenix Wright from the trilogy, so no one can use the “this is before *insert trilogy thing that happened* before Edgeworth was no longer an asshat.” We can all agree that Miles Edgeworth stopped being a complete and total asshat after Turnabout Goodbyes, right? Are we all in agreement to that? Good. Can we also agree that, due to Miles Edgeworth’s trauma he was dealing with, him and Phoenix had little to no interaction and could not have the foundations of any relationship whatsoever? Yes? Good. We are now on the same page, meaning that Phoenix could not be in a relationship of any kind with Miles Edgeworth before Turnabout Goodbyes where most of everyone would be raising some eyebrows at the idea of Phoenix Wright being in a relationship with Miles Edgeworth during his asshat days. Moving on.

Let’s start off with a possible time for Phoenix to start a relationship, ignoring the Dahlia/Iris situation because maybe Phoenix decided to settle down on a relationship despite his ex girlfriend drama from college. Since Miles Edgeworth would not be allowing contact of any kind with Phoenix until after Turnabout Goodbyes, we can start it out between Turnabout Goodbyes and the time he wrote “Miles Edgeworth Chooses Death.” Now, what would Mia know about Miles Edgeworth at this point? To understand this, we need to go down the list of times when Mia had met with Miles Edgeworth. The first time was Turnabout Beginnings, being the reason why so many people think she would not support Phoenix having a relationship with him. But then, we also have Turnabout Sisters and Turnabout Samurai to consider. In Turnabout Sisters, Mia had possessed Maya in order to expose Redd White by handing Phoenix a list of people he had blackmailed, which Phoenix had presented to the court. In Turnabout Samurai, Mia had appeared to help Phoenix investigate and gain information from Cody, who becomes a valuable witness. She also appears with Phoenix during the second trial of Turnabout Samurai. She has witnessed Edgeworth’s general way of prosecuting, which was very normal for the most part. No withholding evidence or anything like what happened in Turnabout Sisters, if Mia ever knew what he did, or Turnabout Beginnings, which Mia did say that Edgeworth was affected by, after Terry Fawles’ suicide. Also, keep in mind that five years have passed since then, meaning that Mia can see some maturity on Edgeworth’s part. Wouldn’t be enough to consider him trustworthy, but not enough to automatically not take Phoenix’s word for it, if he says that Edgeworth isn’t a bad person. After this is Turnabout Goodbyes where Mia is never shown at any point, since Maya cannot summon her. 

With this, we can conclude that, while Mia does have reason to not consider Edgeworth a trustworthy man for Phoenix’s affections, due to Turnabout Beginnings, it’s also not enough to declare him as a bad person for Phoenix. If Phoenix has, indeed, known Miles Edgeworth as a child and had been around him more times than Mia was channeled, she has no reason to doubt Phoenix’s judgement. After all, if she was to speculate what kind of a man Miles Edgeworth is based on what she has seen from him, she doesn’t have a reason to say “no.” There is the possibility that Mia may’ve gotten the story of Edgeworth through Maya, but even that would also include the time Miles Edgeworth had helped out Phoenix in Turnabout Samurai. As for Turnabout Sisters, considering that Mia knows of Miles Edgeworth’s involvement with DL-6, she’d conclude that he was blackmailed by Redd White, who is known for blackmailing prosecutors, judges and all kinds of higher-ups, including Marvin Grossberg, who abandoned Maya’s defense for a painting. Between trusting your sister’s protection under a man that values his painting over her little sister and Phoenix trusting a man that was blackmailed by the same guy for being a possible killer of his father, Mia really wouldn’t have any room to talk. If anything, she’d be more understanding than anyone of Phoenix’s feelings. He trusts Edgeworth despite what kind of man he became. How can Mia not understand something like that? Doesn’t she also have someone that’s a prosecutor, who also became very bitter and cold after a certain case that will be brought back later after Turnabout Goodbyes? No, not Diego, I mean the other one that is Chief Prosecutor.

Now, at this point, Mia would question Phoenix if he is sure that Edgeworth is someone he can trust. Though, at the end of the day, Mia knows she doesn’t really know who Edgeworth is. Even Maya knows more of who Edgeworth is than Mia does. If Maya is supportive of Phoenix being in a relationship with Edgeworth, then I don’t see why Mia couldn’t be. I also don’t see why Maya wouldn’t be supportive of their relationship, after Turnabout Goodbyes, so there shouldn’t be a problem. Mia will have no problem. She trusts Phoenix and Maya. It does not matter that Edgeworth was an asshat in Turnabout Beginnings, because that was five years ago and, as far as Mia is concerned, Edgeworth has not proven to not be trustworthy. Even if she knew of what Miles Edgeworth did in Turnabout Sisters and Turnabout Samurai, she’d also know that Miles Edgeworth was likely blackmailed in Turnabout Sisters and helped out phoenix in Turnabout Samurai. Mia would especially give Edgeworth her blessing, if she knew what had happened in Turnabout Goodbyes. In conclusion, Mia Fey would be supportive of Phoenix’s relationship with Edgeworth?

What about the events of Justice For All then? Wouldn’t Edgeworth, leaving the fake suicide note and Phoenix hurt and angry be enough to damage any blessing Mia would have for Edgeworth? Absolutely not! First off, we need to clarify when Phoenix would’ve been able to start any relationship with Edgeworth. Since Miles Edgeworth was studying abroad in Europe until Farewell my Turnabout, we can conclude that it would’ve been then. At this point, only Pearl would’ve been able to summon Mia and there is no way Phoenix would break the News to her, unless he wants a whoopin from a passionate Pearly, who thinks Phoenix is Maya’s special someone. Now, Phoenix could break the news to Mia, while she is being summoned, but then that would mean it would have to have been during trial or the Defendant’s Lobby, most likely the Defendant’s Lobby and away from Matt Engarde’s ears. Sounds like the only reasonable times Phoenix would’ve started a relationship with Edgeworth before informing Mia? Good.

At this very moment, Mia has seen Phoenix’s anger over Edgeworth leaving the suicide note. If she didn’t know about the events of Turnabout Goodbyes, she’d still be aware that Edgeworth was dealing with personal issues. She knows about DL-6, so she can make her own conclusions. If anything, Phoenix would be more upset than Mia, who’d be more sympathetic than anything. Though, I doubt if Mia didn’t know about the events of Turnabout Goodbyes, considering that Maya would definitely want to tell the story to her sister, since it does affect them and what happened to their mother. At the time Phoenix would have the opportunity to start a relationship with Edgeworth, even while ignoring his anger towards Edgeworth for the fake suicide note, Mia would experience the outcome of it. She’d see that Edgeworth is making sacrifices and doing everything he can to find Maya. Mia would be the most dependent on Edgeworth. The fact Phoenix told Mia that he can’t break Edgeworth’s trust, after everything he’s done, then realizing that he trusted Edgeworth before getting the, “yes, you do,” from Mia, tells us how much she knows about Phoenix’s feelings. If Phoenix loves and trusts Edgeworth, Mia would understand and, again, support it. Why wouldn’t she support Phoenix dating the man that saved her sister? After Farewell my Turnabout, I can’t see Mia not finding the events of Turnabout Beginnings being water under the bridge. 

Any other time passed Farewell my Turnabout should be proven what I’ve mentioned above. As I said, after Farewell my Turnabout, I can’t see Mia not allowing the events of Turnabout Beginnings being water under the bridge or bygones be bygones. Mia has seen Edgeworth in court, how he conducts a trial and how he handles a situation of blackmail and hostages, which was better than Grossberg ever did. How could Mia not give Edgeworth her blessing, after he saved her sister from Shelly De Killer of all people? Even Phoenix would let bygones be bygones, if someone like Manfred Von Karma did the same for Trucy in a similar fashion. 

Mia isn’t stupid or petty. She might be a protective mother of sorts, but she’s not going to dictate who Phoenix has feelings for or how he lives his life. Now, Mia did tell Phoenix to forget about Dahlia and never bothering to mention about Iris, but that could be more for Iris’ sake than Phoenix’s. I’m sure Mia did intend on informing Phoenix or having him reunite with Iris at some point, but Iris was escaping from an abusive situation with her sister. The point is, Mia isn’t someone that’s going to keep Phoenix from pursuing a romantic relationship. It’s not to say she won’t warn Phoenix, if he is dating someone that he shouldn’t trust, but in the case of Miles Edgeworth, Mia won’t need to. Any point in time that Phoenix would start a relationship with Edgeworth, Mia would have no reason to object to it. She may get upset, if the relationship started before the suicide note, but again, Farewell my Turnabout will be enough to let that be water under the bridge. 

This goes into my main issue with having Mia be upset or “concerned” for Phoenix having a relationship with Edgeworth. It makes her seem petty and hypocritical and Mia is anything, but that. I’m sure a lot of people will be like, “you’d be angry too, if someone called you a ‘bimbo.’” Aside from the fact that was in the English version and we don’t know if that’s what he actually called her in the original Japanese, that was said on trial. It’s expected for the opposing attorneys to rip each other a new one. Heck, even Mia wasn’t afraid to rip Edgeworth or even Godot a new one. That’s kinda expected in court. If it is because of Edgeworth withholding evidence and a witness, how is that any different from what’s expected or even better than what Lana Skye did, who was supposedly Mia’s college friend. Even Mia’s boyfriend said that was expected. Also, keep in mind that it was their first case that took place five years prier to Phoenix meeting Edgeworth again. 

I think the reason people have Mia respond negatively to Phoenix dating Edgeworth is mostly because they see Turnabout Beginnings and think, “Oooooh, Mia must not like Edgeworth then” and I find that to be inaccurate. True, Mia didn’t like Edgeworth in Turnabout Beginnings, but other things have happened since then. Edgeworth had helped out Phoenix, saved Maya, helped make peace with Franziska and will eventually help Phoenix again in T&T by going in his stead. That’d be like making the claim that Phoenix would have an issue with Apollo dating Klavier, if that were possible, which would make Phoenix look hypocritical and petty. Does the main conflict for Phoenix dating Edgeworth have to involve a third party or his mentor/parental figure being overprotective? No romantic relationship is without its hurtles and, more times than not, it isn’t by a third party. If a parental figure gets involved, it often means the two were never meant to be together to begin with. 

Considering what Mia saw with Edgeworth and even the kind of people she trusted like Grossberg, who threw her sister under the bus over an ugly ass painting, I doubt Mia would find it a big deal for Phoenix to pursue a romantic relationship with Edgeworth. At best, she might be skeptical, if it happened before the suicide note, but would be completely fine if it was after or during Farewell my Turnabout. Now, Maya pursuing a relationship with Franziska, on the other hand, might be a different story, but that’s for another topic.

What do you guys think?