#we had Bug Off competition on the island today

[changesinattitudes]

Long Island, Just Rockin and a Rollin! Or Do ya know what bugs me?

April 23 2023

Well, the answer to the alternative headline is mosquitoes, there seems to be tons of them here. Which is why I’m writing this from the screened in comfort of the main (and only) salon on CIA. Which brings me to my next nit. The anchorage we selected tonight is well protected from the forecasted north winds we were expecting today. This would be a great anchorage with winds from just about any direction. Except the north wind we are having with a damn westerly component. I am really having a love/hate relationship with weather forecasters. They are just like baseball players, they make a ton of money for only being right about a third of the time. And if they strike out? No problem.

This is our third night in Long Island. The first two night we anchored in Thompson Bay, a large bay about 10’ deep protected from the north west all the way around to the south. And the bottom was soft sand that literally grabbed our anchor and held us firm. With a nice breeze and little wave action I slept well.

Thompson Bay is about in the middle of Long Island with not a whole lot of things to do in the immediate area. Except for Tiny’s Hurricane Hole which became a Bahama favorite of ours for drinks and food. But since we couldn’t spend a day and two nights eating and drinking there we rented a car. Which almost led to Linda getting into big trouble.

More on that later.

Saturday morning the four of us (doggies too!) walked to a neat Farmers Market and stocked up on some local delectables. We also got the secret number of the car rental place a half mile to the north. The previous evening we had tried to arrange for a car at Tiny’s but everything was close. Seems the regatta we left at Georgetown is a national holiday and a good reason to close the country. So with the secret number we were able to get a car for the day.

The first stop was the shrimp hole. We saw the ruins of a church, which was interesting, but there were signs to follow a path to the “shrimp hole”. If the shrimp hole actually exists we do not know as after going just a quarter mile down the path we were swarmed by mosquitoes. Though tiny they sounded like a swarm of drones. Tactical decisions being a strong suite of ours we hastily retreated to the rented car. The shrim hole would have to wait till another day when we are better equipped to repel such an attack.

The next stop was Hamilton’s cave. Linda has posted some pictures but they don’t really show just how scenic the cave was. Nor do they show the 5 different species of bats that inhabit the cave. The bat population thrives here for one big reason; the mosquito population thrives here as well. Before we entered Lenoard, our guide and owner of the cave, offered us “Off” which he applied in copious quantities and advised it to do so as well. He is wise.

After touring the cave it was time for Dean’s Blue Hole. Dean’s Blue Hole is amazing. At 202 meters (just over 600’) it is proclaimed to be the deepest salt water blue hole in the world. It has been the sight of many free dive competitions and we were told that more than one set of bones are at the bottom from free divers passing out and not returning to the surface.

We put on our masks and went for a swim. The blue hole is surrounded by a limestone/coral cliff with little caves and outcroppings that harbored hundreds of colorful fish. It was a little erie swimming over the hole knowing the bottom was over 600’ down. This was the deepest water I ave ever swam in.

When we got out of the water we chatted with a nice family from New England whose family had a house on Long Island for many years. As they were suggesting places to go and see another swarm engulfed the beach. The congregation of a local church had gathered for the baptism of one of their members. We stood quietly on the sidelines as the ladies of the church sang hymns and the minister waded with the woman being baptized into waist deep water. When the immersion was done and the congregation lifted their arms we joined with an Amen. It was a powerful moment.

After that lunch was in order so we went a bit further south to the Flying Fish Marina at Lighthouse Point to grab some grub. The Flying Fish Marina has docks for 25 or so boats, at least 5 were occupied. And of the 5 boats there maybe one had people on it.

In other words, the place was deserted. Except for only solitary security guard.

To get to the restaurant we had to walk by the marina pool. The blue, freshwater, inviting and totally deserted pool. We walked up to the restaurant which had glass windows and doors on three sides, the view was spectacular. The food was good and we were feeling good. To leave we had to again walk by the pool. The blue, freshwater………..and we still had our swimsuits on.

Never mind there were signs all around the pool stating the pool was for the use of Marina Dockers ONLY! Linda decided she needed to go for a swim. In the prohibited pool. Right now. I was chicken, she was brazen. “Would you get me my towel from the car?” she asked. Sure. On the way to the car the elderly security guard passed me going the opposite way at flank speed. I got a towel out of the car and went back to the pool. The security guard had beat me and was getting into full Barney Fife mode.

You can’t be in there! Ok, Linda said doing a float. You have to get out now! Ok, Linda said doing the back stroke.

I thought Barney’s head was going to explode.

The manager came out, seems he was the one that had spied Linda and her unauthorized plunge, and de-escalated the situation. With my tongue firmly implanted in my cheek I explained we had just had lunch (very expensive) at their restaurant and was swimming it off. We were toweling off as he explained that wasn’t part of the tab.

On the way back we stopped at another recommended place, Max’s Conch Shack. It’s reported that Max makes the best Conch Salad in the Bahamas, a claim we can’t confirm as we were stuffed from lunch, but you can see from the pictures he does have some of the most eclectic Bahamian decor we’ve found.

Chow!

[seekingthestars]

news update, Marshal lives on my island now and i love and adore him.

[fruitcoops]

Have you ever seen where they get kids to ask the players tough questions and there all dress up and have fake beards and stuff. Maybe you could do that with Jules and Katie asking the team all these really hard questions?????

Thank you for giving me an excuse to spend an hour and a half watching adorable kids ask questions and melt the hearts of celebrities. You’re my hero. There are no fake beards here, but I hope you enjoy it anyway! Sweater Weather characters belong to the incredible @lumosinlove!

“These chairs are so small,” James said as he scooted closer to the table. He nearly knocked Talker over with his elbow as the four of them squeezed in; the two kids on the other side shared a look.

“Ready, everyone?” Dorcas asked. When she received six thumbs up, she turned to the camera with a cheerful smile. “Hello, Lions fans, and welcome to Lion Pride! We have a couple of very special guests today to do the introductions.”

“Hello! I’m Katie and I’m six!” She held up six fingers and all four hockey players melted a little bit.

“I’m Julian, and I’m ten.” He waved, a little shy.

Dorcas smiled. “And how are you two related to our favorite Lions?”

Katie lit up and pointed behind the camera. “That’s my dad!”

There was a chuckle in the background. “Can you tell them my name, mon chou?”

“Pascal Dumais, but everyone calls you Dumo.” She swung her legs and her tulle skirt fluffed out.

“Remus Lupin is my older brother,” Jules said with a grin. “But Finn thought he was my dad.”

“It was an honest mistake!” Finn protested around a laugh. “Cut me some slack, Little Loops!”

“Do you want to do the intros for the guys, too?” Dorcas asked. Katie tugged on Jules’ sleeve.

“Can I go first?” she whispered. When he nodded, she hopped out of her chair and ran to the other side of the table, tapping each player on the shoulder. “This is Pots, Talker, Harzy, and Sirius.”

“Aw, man, I didn’t get to do any of them,” Jules pouted.

“You can ask the first question,” Dorcas said, hiding her smile behind her clipboard. “A quick reminder for our Lions: if you refuse to answer any of these, it means you hate children. Take it away, Jules!”

“Okay.” He cleared his throat and looked across the table with a solemn expression. “How many sticks have each of you broken?”

“Oh, that’s a tough one,” James mused. “A lot, but not always on purpose.”

“I haven’t broken that many,” Talker said. “I’ve forgotten to return quite a few to the rink after games, though. I think I have about five in my trunk that I keep meaning to put back.”

“Maybe…ten? Fifteen?” Finn rested his chin on his hand. “I should start a tally board.”

“Too many,” Sirius laughed. “I need to be more careful.”

Katie wiggled in her seat as she picked up the question card. “Why do you swear so much?”

Matching expressions of shock painted all four players’ faces. “Have we sworn in front of you?” Finn asked in a small voice.

“Yeah.”

“Mon dieu, I’m the worst person on earth,” Sirius murmured as Talker leaned his forehead on the table.

James opened and closed his mouth a couple times before answering. “Uh. Well. I don’t know, Katie. Instead of answering, I’m going to take this time to personally apologize to you and your dad, who is laughing his a—his rear end off in the back, as well as promising to form better habits.”

“If you could be any superhero, who would it be?” Jules asked, seemingly unfazed by the previous question. Wordlessly, Sirius gestured to his Captain America t-shirt.

“Spiderman,” Finn said without hesitation. “He’s the coolest.”

James unzipped his jacket to reveal a Superman shirt. “We didn’t coordinate this,” he said, tilting his head toward Sirius. “But yeah, Superman’s the best.”

Talker thought for a moment. “I really like Hawkeye. Are we talking Marvel or DC here?”

“Anything.”

“Anything? Hmm. I’m going to go with the Flash, then.”

“Nice.” Jules reached over to give him a high-five.

“I got Jules’ approval, everyone else can go home.”

“What’s your greatest fear?” Katie asked, still swinging her legs.

The table went silent. Sirius turned to Dorcas. “Is this the plan? Get us rolling with fun stuff and then give the hard ones to the five-year-old in a princess dress?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Cool. Well, munchkin, I don’t like bugs and I’m not a huge fan of the dark.”

“Vegetables,” Finn said sagely, which sent both kids into a fit of giggles and made all the adults break into sunny smiles. “God, you guys are cute.”

“Pomeranians freak me out,” Talker answered once they had calmed down a bit. “They have those tiny little eyes and sharp teeth.”

James shrugged. “I’m not a fan of heights.”

“I thought you wanted to be Superman?” Jules frowned. “He flies all the time.”

“I think I’d be less afraid of heights if I knew I could fly.”

“So you’re afraid of falling, not heights.”

James looked to the camera. “And now I’m getting psychoanalyzed by a ten-year-old. Uh, yeah buddy, I guess so.”

“Hmm.” Jules looked back to the question card. “Who would win in a fight, you or our moms?”

“Your moms,” Talker said immediately as the others nodded. “No contest.”

“How would we even get in that situation?” Sirius asked. “What the did we do to make the nicest women in the world that mad?”

“Stole brownies,” Katie said with great gravity for one so young. “Mom says you four are the worst about it.”

“Mom wouldn’t even have to fight you.” Jules cocked his head to the side. “I feel like she could just give you a disappointed look and that would be enough. Katie, your turn.”

“Yay!” She brightened again. “What is your favorite cereal?”

Sirius smiled. “Fruit Loops.”

“Cheerios,” Talker said. “They’re good for you physically and emotionally.”

“I’m with Talkie on this one,” James agreed.

Finn gave them all disappointed looks. “You’re so old. Mine’s Lucky Charms.”

“Okay, Leprechaun Boy,” James snorted. Finn reached over and smacked the back of his head. “Hey!”

“Do you ever play hockey at home?” Jules asked. “I feel like Sirius doesn’t have to answer this one since it’s so obvious.”

Finn laughed. “Does tapping a puck around on the carpet with brooms counts?”

“Yeah, that counts.”

“Then yeah, sometimes.”

“I have no space in my apartment to play hockey,” Talker said. “Though I plan on moving someday and then the answer will be yes.”

“I made a rink in my backyard.” James smiled slightly. “Lily likes to skate sometimes while I run drills.”

“My turn, my turn!” Katie scooted her chair closer. “Okay. Out of everyone on the team, what two people would you take with you on a dessert island?”

“Desert,” Jules corrected quietly.

“Desert island. Are there deserts on islands?”

“I think they mean like super sandy beaches with no people on them.”

“Oooooohhh.”

James mouthed a thank you to Dorcas, who gave him a thumbs-up in return. The other three looked at the kids with unbearable softness. “Well, I’d feel awful if I took your dad with me, so I think I’m going to go with Finn and maybe Kasey. We’d have a blast.”

“Nice, dude.” Finn fist-bumped him. “Unfortunately for you, my choices are going to be Leo and Logan, since I already know we could live together without starting a war on the third day.”

Sirius thought for a second. “I think Nado would actually be able to survive on a desert island, so I’ll bring him along, and for the second one…maybe Kasey? Yeah, Kasey’s cool.”

In the ensuing silence, Jules gave him a significant look. “Aren’t you forgetting someone?”

“You’re not on the t—” The realization hit him like a truck; his eyes went wide and he slumped in his seat as the others burst out laughing. “Oh no. Oh, no, no, no.”

“Your own fiancé.”

“Please don’t tell him.”

“He’s gonna laugh so hard,” Jules cackled, leaning back in his chair. Even the camera crew was losing it in the background. Dorcas had to step out of frame. “You’re never going to live it down.”

“Well, the first person I would bring with me is Remus Lupin, because he’s read a lot of books and definitely knows how to survive on a desert island,” Talker said around his snickering. “And then I’d bring Cap, because God knows that would get entertaining after Loops finds out about this. The sarcasm would be off the charts.”

“Okay, next question.” Dorcas came back into view, still grinning. “Jules, go for it.”

“Can I ask Katie’s question again so Sirius can give a better answer?” he asked gleefully. Dorcas hesitated, then shook her head. “Bummer. What was cool when you were young that isn’t cool now?”

“When?” Finn looked scandalized. “I’m 24!”

“Yeah, and?”

“Ugh. Um, maybe Furbies? People were really into Furbies when I was in high school, though I can’t say I’m sorry to see them go out of style.”

James bit his lip in thought. “Tamagotchis.”

“I loved those things!” Talker said excitedly. “My sisters and I used to go nuts with those things!”

Sirius smiled. “Lite Brites.”

Finn’s eyes went wide. “I forgot about those!”

“Regulus and I each had one and we loved them. That was the only thing we agreed on and we used to sit—” He paused for a second to laugh. “—we used to sit in the middle of the ice rink in the backyard, still in our skates and everything, and do Lite Brites for literal hours.”

“That’s so cute, oh my god.” Talker shook his head. “What a nostalgia trip.”

Katie knelt on her seat and rested her arms on the table. “Who skates faster, you or me?”

“You,” all four answered in unison.

Jules rolled his eyes, but he was clearly hiding a smile. “How many push ups can you do?”

“How many can you do?” James countered. A flash of competition lit on Jules’ face and all the guys grinned. “Uh-oh, there’s the Lupin glare.”

“How about we have a little competition?” Dorcas suggested. “See how many everyone can do in thirty seconds?”

“Absolutely,” Finn said. The four of them had a little bit of trouble getting their knees out from under the kid-sized table, but eventually they succeeded and gathered in the middle of the room. “Katie, are you joining us?”

She smiled innocently. “No, I know I’d win.”

“Get ready.” Dorcas pulled her phone out as they knelt. “On your marks, get set, go!”

The guys went easy on Jules from the outset, but they made it look like those pushups were the hardest exercise they had ever done in their lives. Talker took a second to dramatically wipe his forehead and James’ wheezing was almost comical; Jules, however, was giving it his best shot. When the timer finally went off, Finn collapsed with a groan. “I forfeit.”

“Did I win?” Jules panted, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

“You did, congratulations!” Dorcas put her timer away and winked at the camera as they headed back to the table. “Great job, everyone. Katie, your turn.”

“Do you live in a mansion?”

“I live in an apartment,” Finn said.

“Same.”

Sirius shook his head. “My house might be big, but it’s not a mansion.”

“Does a two-story house count as a mansion?” James asked. “No? Then no, I don’t.”

“Who is your least favorite person on the team and why?” Jules turned to Sirius with raised eyebrows. “Are we going to have another desert island problem?”

Sirius threw his hands in the air, speechless, as the other three cracked up. “Jules, can I adopt you?” James begged around his laughter. “Please?”

“You’ll have to fight my mom for that, I think.”

“My least favorite person on the team is James Potter,” Sirius sighed. “Not the person I’m getting married to.”

“We could get married. Lily might mind, though.”

“Full offense, but I know way too much about you to ever consider that.”

James ruffled his hair and turned back to the kids. “My least favorite person on the team is Remus Lupin, because he ran me over in practice the other day.”

Finn side-eyed him. “Didn’t you trip him after he stole the puck from you?”

“He ran me over.”

“Sure, Pots. Um, my least favorite is Kasey Winter. He threw ice at me while we were in the ice baths.”

“Logan took my Gatorade last week and hid it all over the rink,” Talker said. “I’ll never forgive him for such a crime.”

“Oh, I like this one!” Katie exclaimed as she looked at her card. “What’s the best birthday party you’ve ever had?”

“My tenth birthday was at Red Robin and I got a Power Ranger outfit.” Talker grinned. “I was the coolest kid on the block.”

“My eighteenth birthday was pretty fun,” Finn said. “There was a bouncy house and Alex almost broke it because we were jumping too hard.”

“Does it have to be my birthday?” James asked. “Because my son’s first birthday party was awesome.”

“Why?”

“He threw cake in Sirius’ face and a food fight broke out in the backyard.”

“That was a pretty great day,” Sirius agreed. “My last birthday party was my favorite.”

“You spent the night with us!” Katie said happily.

“I did, yeah,” he laughed. “And I had a really good time.”

Jules perked up when he read the next question. “I love this one! Do you have a lucky pair of underwear?”

“Yes.”

“Yeah, totally.”

“Of course I do.”

“Is there a superstition I don’t have?”

Jules looked especially pleased with those answers as Katie picked up her card. “This is the last one,” she warned. “And it’s super important and super hard. What kind of dog would you be and why? You can take your time, I don’t mind.”

“Thank you, Katie, we’ll need it,” Talker said as he desperately tried to contain his smile. “I’ll go first, if nobody minds. I would be a border collie because one, I love them; two, they have a lot of energy; and three, they love making friends.”

“That’s a good one,” she said seriously. “They’re also very soft.”

“Yes, they are.”

Once Finn managed to suppress his quiet laughter, he raised his hand. “Can I go next?” Katie nodded. “I’d be an Irish setter. They have red hair and they’re really affectionate. Plus, I met one the other day at the park and haven’t stopped thinking about him.”

“This was a tough question, Katie, but I think I’m going to go with a golden retriever,” James said after a moment. “They’re good family dogs and they like to be on the ice with those big ol’ paws.”

“That’s what I was going to say!” She beamed at him. “Sirius, you don’t have to go. I already know what you’d be.”

He raised his eyebrows, looking highly amused. “Do you now? Can everyone else know, too?”

“Well, it’s obvious,” she said. “You’d be Hattie. She looks just like you and she gives the best hugs.”

A small puff of air left Sirius’ lungs and he blinked as James reached over and patted his shoulder. “Oh. Okay.”

“That wraps us up,” Dorcas said, looking between them with a soft smile. “Any closing statements from our guest stars?”

“Ready?” Jules muttered to Katie, who nodded rapidly. “On three. One, two, three!”

“Go Lions!” they shouted in unison with matching grins. The camera crew cheered and the players applauded, all laughing.

“Thank you for tuning in, everyone! Remember to like and subscribe for more content.”

[lunarliza]

JJ Maybank Must Die | Chapter 1: Popsicles

fuckboy!JJ x Reader 

series masterlist

JJ Maybank is the island’s most infamous fuckboy- not that you ever cared. But when a group of tourist girls come to your surf shop crying to you about him, you agree to help them plot revenge. Sabotage is all fun and games, until you find that the playboy you were sworn to ruin happens to be falling head over heels for you.

Yes, this is based on John Tucker Must Die lol

note: so this is my second JJ fic! I’m so excited for ya’ll to read it. it’ll be more light-hearted and shorter than DLS :) 

“Come on... come on! This one right here let’s go!” you yelped. The crowd behind you was practically chattering on their fingernails. 

The seven year old boy in the water paddled as hard as his lanky arms could take him towards the daunting wave. 

“Now Gavin now! Stand up!” you shrieked as the boy hurriedly went through your instructed steps, tucking his knee, and thrusting upwards as the wave got close. Then, before he even realized, he glided rigidly along the wave as the board carried him across the water. 

“Hooray! Awesome job Gavin!” The flock cheered and rushed to pat the boy on the back, his dad lifting him up in his arms. 

The child scuttled towards you and threw his arms around your neck. You chuckled delightedly. “Alright everyone! That’s it for our surf lesson today. Be sure to check out the gift shop on your way out!” 

You waved bye to the guests as they made way to return their boards to the hut, some handing you rolled up cash, with thankful smiles. 

Once the coast was clear, you jogged back to the hut only to find Sophia, your best friend and lazy co-worker, lounging with her legs stretched on the checkout counter of the tiny surf shack. She hung a lollipop in her mouth while her eyes glued to her phone screen. 

“You know, when you asked me to find you a job, I actually thought you meant one where you actually work.” 

Sophia popped out the sucker and threw you a glare. “I did work! See!” she pointed her hand at the sign hanging beside the door that read ‘OBX Surf and Sports’, “I put that sign up this morning.” 

“It’s crooked.” 

“Bleh, bleh, bleh,” she mocked, “Nothing I ever do is good enough.” You chuckled and shook your head at her. 

You peered out the giant window at the front of the store, surveying the empty beach. This was going to be the rest of your summer. At sixteen years old, you were one of the Outer Banks’ surfing all-stars and spent your days working as an instructor for the second year in a row. 

Customers loved you and your ability to work with all ages rendering you the title of ‘Top Instructor’ at the shack- which didn’t mean much seeing as 90% of the employees were amateur teenagers. 

Nevertheless, you were determined to keep that title, as whoever brought in the most satisfied customers by the end of the summer wins a $5,000 scholarship. And you needed that money bad in order to attend your dream school: UVA. 

Along the beach, you caught a glimpse of your competition, Cody, and instinctly groaned. 

On any other occasion, you really didn’t care about what people did with their lives, but something about your arrogant, sleazy, five-foot-seven co-worker grinded your gears. 

He was always man-splaining to you and the other girls at the shack or kissing ass to your boss. And you knew well he was after the scholarship too- your scholarship. 

“Look at him,” you sneered to Sophia as she joined you at the window to death-glare the boy. He was prepping his group on the sand for their session and looked absolutely despicable in his shorts that were inches away from exposing his little one. Emphasis on the little. 

“Ugh, he’s making them do jumping jacks again,” Sophia pointed out, crinkling her nose, “God that poor old lady. Can he be any more extra?” 

“I need to look away, I think I might vomit if he ever flashed me.” 

Your best friend snickered at your hatred as you waxed down your board for your next lesson. “Did the group of girls check in yet?” you asked. 

“Yeah, they’re sitting and waiting at Eye Sickles,” she informed, referring to the popsicle food-truck next door. “I can’t believe they really signed up for the month-long surfing program. I didn’t know people actually paid for that.” 

“You’d be surprised. These tourists will buy into anything, trust me,” you said before heading out the door. 

You walked up to three tourist girls lounging on the fold-out tables and chairs at the food-truck. They were mindlessly typing away on their phones, looking as bored as ever. 

“Alright, do I have Annalise, Maia, and Arabella?” you announced with your work-smile on. They peered up from their phones and nodded with blank faces.

“Awesome,” you continued, trying to maintain your enthusiasm, “I’m y/n, I’ll be your instructor! I see you guys signed up for the month-long pro-boarding program which is great. Have you guys ever surfed before?” 

“Nope,” a blonde girl replied, “Our parents found this online and said it’d be good for us to learn while we’re here. We’re from Richmond, Virginia.” 

“Oh cool!” you jeered, the fake zeal was oozing at that point. “Well, I’m happy to be spending the summer with you guys. I’m going to have you guys grab a board and we’ll head down to the sand to go over the basic motions.” 

The trio followed you into the hut and picked out a board from the beginners section. You noticed the blonde one giggling with Sophia at the stand for a bit before joining you on the sand. She had a leader-like quality to her while the two other remained quiet but friendly. 

“Alright so, just for formalities, who’s who? That way I can identify you better,” you asked as the girls situated their boards along the shore.  

Not shockingly, the blonde extended her hand to you first. “I’m Annalise,” she greeted a little sullenly. You shrugged off her attitude, attributing it to her being a bougie tourist. 

“I’m Maia,” a tall, jet-black haired girl said next. She had a very athletic body and came off as the quietest one of the group. 

“And I’m Arabella,” the last one chimed in. Her hair was a fiery orange and she had piercings run along her ears and nose. 

“Alright cool! So now, we’ll start off with the movements you’ll go through once you hit the water. You want to start off flat on your stomach and paddle towards the waves. Make sure you have full control of your board at all times,” you began as the girls copied your demonstration on their own boards. 

You heard sniffles come from the group, but ignored it to continue your spiel. You could hardly read any of their expressions through their giant, bug-eyed sunglasses. 

Just as you were about to explain the importance of balance- you favorite part of the lesson- you saw the blonde sit up on her board in irritation and start sobbing through her glasses. 

“Annalise come on, it’s not worth it,” the tall one, Maia, reasoned as the Annalise shook her head furiously. 

“I can’t do this right now,” she cried before bolting back towards the shack. 

You watched her in utter confusion. “Was it something I said?” you asked the remaining two. 

The orange one shook her head and gave you a sincere look through her glasses. “No, she’s just really upset about this guy,” she turned to her friend, “Come on, let’s go check on her.” 

At that point, you had no choice but to follow the group towards their distressed friend. This was definitely coming out of their session time. 

The three of you plowed up the sand to find the girl, Annalise, sprawled on Sophia’s shoulder at the tables as she cooed her like a baby. You wanted to cringe. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay. He’s a piece of shit anyways! Trust me, he did the same to me too,” your best friend comforted and petted the stranger’s yellow hair. 

“What’s going on?” you questioned at the scene. Sophia glanced up at you with a pleading look. 

“It’s JJ.” 

Oh brother. This dude again. JJ Maybank was the Outer Bank’s most infamous fuck boy. Him and his friends threw parties all the time at the Boneyard- ones you have yet to attend- and he effortlessly earned his reputation by sleeping with any girl he could get his grubby hands on. 

By this point, he’s broken half the hearts on the island with girls moaning and groaning about him left and right- Sophia included. You remembered her wailing the day he ghosted her after they did the nasty. It wasn’t a pretty day... or week for the matter. 

You didn’t understand what the big deal was with the guy. You’d gone to school with him since the first grade and he’d always been that guy that rolls in the mud during playtime in elementary school. And he still was that guy to this day.

You heard all the cringey lines he’d pull on girls at school that would get them swooning and you swore he was running a voodoo business because no one in their right mind could fall for that. 

But everyone did. Except for you. 

“What? Did he ghost you too?” you gestured towards the wrecked weeping girl.

She nodded and blew her boogers into the tissues Sophia brought out. 

“I-I, well, we met him at a party this weekend and he took me to this little hideout on the beach. He told me that he never met anyone like me before and said all this other shit. Then we had sex there, which I never do in public, and he said he couldn’t wait to see me again. And he never called me after!” 

Though you thought her public display was a little too... public, you did feel sorry for her. The guy was a tool, and these tourist girls, especially, didn’t know any better. 

“Don’t worry,” Sophia assured, resting a hand atop hers, “he did it to me and everyone at school. We all fell for the trap.” 

Maia and Arabella joined the sitting girls in a piled group hug as the ones in the center sputtered in tears together. You couldn’t bear to watch, but for Sophia, you awkwardly joined in anyways. 

The rest of the surfing session consisted of the girls pulling up their own chairs and  bad-mouthing JJ, along with all other men, as everyone licked their popsicles. 

You sucked on your mango one, not minding the little break as it was the easiest $150 you ever made. The girls weren’t as hoity-toity as you first thought. They apologized for wasting your time and promised to leave five-star reviews about you. Even better. 

As evening rolled in, you found yourself laughing and joking around with your new-found friends. They told you wild stories of their private school shenanigans back in Richmond while you and Sophia filled them in on life at the OBX. 

“This day was incredible,” Annalise beamed, dazed after her fourth popsicle. “Can’t believe we all bonded like this over a guy,” she chuckled, “I just... gah, I wish we could get him back somehow. Make him feel how we feel!” 

“You should,” you agreed, “Why don’t one of you guys go to the parties and try to seduce him and then leave him hanging? The trick with men is to withhold sex from them and they’ll be helpless.” 

Everyone’s face lit up in excitement at your idea. “No, totally! We could definitely do that!” Sophia exclaimed with wide eyes. “So who will it be? Who’s our hamster?” 

“Not me,” Maia objected almost instantly, “I have a boyfriend back home so no seducing will be done on my part.” 

“Arabella then,” Annalise suggested, nudging the girl beside her. 

“Alright...” she agreed, fiddling with the string of her bathing suit, “I guess I could take one for the team.” 

“There we go!” you cheered, “You just march straight into that party, grind on him a bit to leave him hanging, then proceed to embarrass the shit out of him! Problem solved!” 

-----------------------------

note: do not worry! more drama to come 

chapter 2

[captain-josslett]

Broken Melody - Part One

Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven, Part Eight, Part Nine, Part Ten, Part Eleven,

Summary: Grammy Award winning Emma Danvers is the first to say she has a pretty good life. But what happens when it implodes around her and it looks like things will never be the same again?

Words: 10k+

Warnings: None... yet...

Pairings: Emma Danvers x Lena Luthor (Eventual)

Right! I wrote the beginning of this fic months ago. It’s going to get angsty so be ready. But the purpose of the first part is to introduce this version of B!D, a well known singer in a grammy award winning band. I honestly had a great time writing this first part!

Thank you for reading and let me know if you wanna be tagged or any general feedback will be greatly appreciated.

For @thewitchandtheassassin​, @natasha-danvers​, @life-is-hella-unfair​, @finleyfray​, @supergirl-writingz​,

The screeching of Emma Danver’s alarm makes her hazel green eyes shoot open. Normally on a Saturday she wouldn’t have her alarm set and would laze in bed. Especially when she is home from her latest world tour. However, today was going to be a day filled with the Superfriends, and she can’t wait!

Emma had mentioned at the latest game night that she wanted to check out a beach over an hour away from the city and how they could make a day of it. Kara, her Supergirl sister, instantly accepted the idea while bouncing up and down with excitement. Mostly everyone else agreed, happy to know the summer sun would be in full force that day.

Well they still had to persuade a few people, mainly Lena and Alex. But when Emma and Kara both knelt in front of the women with their identical Danvers pouts they were forcibly won over.

Emma smiles as she stretches and runs her hands through her wavy blonde hair. She quickly gets out of bed and opens her curtains. Sighing happily and just enjoying the sunshine blazing into her penthouse bedroom. Emma can totally see how Kara gets her Supergirl powers from the sun, how it recharges her and makes her the Woman of Steel.

After a few more minutes Emma turns and grabs her phone. While making her way to her ensuite she messages the group chat.

Emma: Gooooooodd Mmmoooorrrrnnnniiiinnnngggg!!! How’s everyone? Seriously can’t wait for today!

After having a quick shower Emma wanders back into her room and decides what to wear. She puts on her turquoise surf bikini with her tight black surfing shorts. She wears her blue jean shorts over the top, and a white tank top. She finishes her outfit off with her many bracelets, her apple watch and a layered necklace that has a star, sun and swan pendant. Symbolising each of the Danvers sisters. Alex is the star, Kara is the sun and Emma is the swan.

Swan became one of Emma’s nicknames in school due to there being a lot of Emma’s in the class. Her friends joked she was a swan princess due to doing ballet when she had asked them to come to a recital. Which they did and were in awe, but you know. Emma happily accepted the nickname, taking it as a compliment. Emma smiles as she looks at her ballet shoes strung over her mirror. ‘Another thing I need to get back into.’ Emma thinks wistfully. She still loves dancing, especially the latin styles like samba and tango. But she doesn’t have the time.

As she draws her attention to her reflection she definitely looks like a surfer chick, lean, toned and sun kissed. Which she was happily going for. She’s been dying to surf for ages but just hasn’t had the time. Her band had recently returned from a sell out world tour. And sadly most of the places they played at didn’t have beaches or the right surf. She felt sorry for her neglected surfboard in the back of the tour bus.

Her phone pings drawing her attention away from her musings. Emma laughs when she sees a few messages have already been sent.

Kara: Good morning sunshine! I’m sssoooooo excited too! Did you need me to bring anything else? I got all the food ready!

Kelly: Of course you’d have the food Kara!

Kelly: And good morning Emma! Shall I bring my swimsuit? Anyone going for a swim?

Kara: Ooo I am! And I think Emma is going to surf?

James: Why are you guys texting this early? I could have had at least another hour or more of sleep.

Alex: I agree with James… Emma, I hate you.

Emma chuckles at Alex’s message while she gets a bag ready with a change of clothes.

Emma: Love you too Alex!

Kara: Ahem… What about me?!

Emma: Love you too Kara!

Alex: You love me more though right?

Emma: No I love you both the same!

Kara: *Wink Wink*

Alex: Hey!

Nia: What am I just decoration?

Emma: No of course not Nia! I love you too!

James: What about me?

Kelly: And me!

Emma: Yes James and Kelly I love you both too.

Lena: Do you love me?

Emma pauses before she responds to Lena’s text. Honestly, she’s had a crush on her since the moment they met. But Lena is way out of Emma’s league. A CEO dating a musician and artist like Emma wouldn’t work. She’s not clever or brave like Kara or Alex.

Once when Lena had met her for lunch, Lena had explained what being a CEO entailed. Emma’s mind melted; it was so complex. Lena just laughed at her exasperated expression trying to figure it all out. “And that, my darling, is why you are an artist and I am a CEO.” Emma practically melted at Lena’s smile from across the table.

But that’s one of the things she loves about Lena, her passion for her work and drive for making the world a better place. And her smile. To Emma, Lena’s smile lights up the whole room.

Sighing Emma looks back down at her phone.

Emma: I love you the most… *Delete*

Emma: Yea I love you too. :)

‘Somewhat truthful…’ Emma thinks as she puts her phone in her pocket, grabbings her backpack, guitar case and placing it by the door. Kneeling on her sofa she pulls her surfboard up from behind, giving it a quick hug. Excitement surges through her veins at the thought of surfing the waves.

‘Rao I hope the waves are good today!’ Emma wishes as she swings the board around and accidentally knocks her recent Grammy on the floor. “Shoot!” Emma yelps and quickly drops her surfboard to pick up the award. Emma sighs in relief when she turns it over in her hands, seeing it wasn’t broken. Out of all her awards, this year's Grammy meant the most to her. The album had been a real breakthrough moment for her and the band, Axis, and they swept away the competition. Emma remembers the feeling of pride and honour when their name was called. How she and the rest of the band rushed to the stage in unison and linked arms as each said a thank you.

Emma carefully places the Grammy down and picks up her surfboard. Grabbing the rest of her stuff she locks the door behind her and takes the elevator down to her beloved yellow VW beetle. Which she affectionately calls the ‘bug’. Emma puts her stuff in the car and carefully straps the board onto the roof rack before getting into the driver's seat.

Taking her phone out she sends Lena and Kara a quick message to say she’s on her way to pick them up. Alex and Kelly are picking up Sam. Who did try and persuade Ruby to come but now as a teenager, Ruby has better things to do then hang out with her Mom and her Mom’s friends. James is giving J'onn, Nia and Brainy a ride.

Emma quickly plugs in her phone and chooses to blare out her playlist of her favourite songs. As she pulls out of the underground parking garage she starts singing and making dramatic hand movements as she dances along. Not caring if people see her.

Soon she’s outside Lena’s apartment building and as she turns the music down Lena Luthor herself was exiting the building. Emma’s mouth drops open with how beautiful Lena looks. And how different she looks too! Gone were the suits and smart wear of a CEO. Instead Lena was wearing a thigh length red patterned skirt that matched her red lips with a black crop top. To finish the look off she wore a black bowler hat.

When Lena opens the passenger door Emma quickly closes her mouth.

“Hi Em!” Lena smiles brightly at the blonde and leans over to place a kiss on Emma’s cheek. Making the blonde blush and causing her brain short circuits.

“Hi Lee!” Emma says more high pitched than normal.

Lena grins at her in amusement. ‘Rao I could get lost in those green eyes.’

“Er, Em… We gonna go?” Lena teases causing Emma to jump and pull away from the pavement. “So, how has your week been?”

“Fine. Got a commission to complete before Thursday but I’m almost done. I actually have to thank you, it's the lovely couple we met at the recent gala we went to.”

Whenever Emma is back in the city Lena always invites her to the gala’s. Surprisingly Emma finds she enjoys them, especially when it's one of Lena’s charity events. Lena and Emma are both thrilled to find Emma has a talent in being able to persuade the rich attendees to donate their money. Even from those who have never donated before. “It’s the Danvers charms!” Emma would laugh and wink at Lena when the raven haired women would be dumbfounded at the cheque in her hand from a rival.

“Mr and Mrs Green?” Lena asks, remembering how the couple were enthralled with Emma’s work as an artist and musician. Their donation had been one of the biggest of that night. ‘No surprise there.’ Lena smirks.

“Yea them.” Emma nods while concentrating on driving. She does love the city life but driving through it can be such a pain.

“What did they ask for?” Lena inquires while picking at a loose thread in her skirt.

“Mainly a seascape of a view they had back in the UK. Thatchers rock… I think.” To be honest Emma had been surprised by the Green’s enthusiasm when she showed them her portfolio. How they were willing to wait for Emma’s tour to finish before getting their commission. It had been made easier that there was a reference to work on. Even though she has never been to that part of the UK. Mainly the cities dotting around the island. And even though Emma doesn’t need the money she enjoys doing something different. Her art gives her another escape.

“What style are you doing it in?” Lena asks as she bobs her head along with Emma to the music. Something she’s never done before until getting rides with Emma. Something about the blonde’s carefree attitude rubbing off on her.

“I’m using oil this time. I think it works better with the layering and it can really make the sea look like it’s moving you know? Well… If I get it right.” Emma realises she started to ramble and quickly cuts herself off. Certain Lena wouldn’t want to hear the techniques Emma has been using. “If all goes to plan the painting should look different with the different lighting of the day.”

“I am sure you will darling.” Lena smiles widely at her.

Emma smiles back. Feeling butterflies zoom round her stomach at the term of endearment.

“Thanks Lee.” Emma taps her thumbs to the beat while they wait for a light to turn green.

“How-”

“How’d-”

They both stop when they realise they both started talking.

“You go.” Emma motions Lena to continue.

“How’s everything going with the band?”

“It’s going really, really well! We are already writing songs for the next album. But we’ve also really benefited having this time off too.” Emma grins thinking of the other band members. 

In some ways they’ve become another little family to her. The four other guys were already formed and were looking for a female influence. Emma saw the flyer and thought ‘why not!’ before calling them and doing an audition. The guys were blown away by her voice and talent. Unanimously they agreed she can become a member of the band and ultimately making her the lead singer. That was over eight years ago when Emma was eighteen and Axis were well known in certain areas of America but when Emma joined their popularity skyrocketed. 

However fame didn’t matter to Emma, but she loves performing and writing music. Especially when she gets fan messages about how her songs have helped someone get through a difficult time and gave them hope. She always makes sure to save those messages.

“Sounds exciting.” Lena agrees, nodding her head.

“Speaking of deals.” Emma pauses to concentrate on the traffic. “How’d the deal with the Japanese go?”

Even though Emma wasn’t looking at Lena she could feel the big eye roll the raven haired beauty did.

“That good huh?” Emma jokes but feels for the CEO.

“Honestly it was a nightmare. They kept going around in circles and I’m just getting over the migraine!” Lena dramatically rubs her forehead. Which Emma misses from looking at the road.

“Ah no.” Emma frowns as she quickly looks at Lena. “Are you sure you’re okay to come to the beach?”

“Yes I’m fine.” Lena smirks at Emma’s concern.

“Okay, I am glad you’re coming.” Emma smiles brightly back.

Lena raises an eyebrow. “Did I have a choice?” Lena teases.

“Yes! But it would have made me very sad if you hadn’t.” Emma pouts dramatically and pulls off her best puppy dog eyes.

“And that’s why I said yes.” Lena chuckles at how adorable Emma looks.

Soon they pull up to Kara’s building and she’s already waiting outside. Piles of bags by her feet. Both Lena and Emma laugh at the sight. “Joys of being Supergirl I guess!” Emma jokes about Kara’s metabolism.

As she parks Emma can’t help but remember the day Kara became a part of the Danvers family.

Emma had taken to the alien quicker then Alex, especially as there was only a year age difference between the two blondes. She also found she became the bridge between Alex and Kara. Over time the three learned how to live with the new dynamic and would soon enjoy each other's company. Kara and Alex would laugh when little Emma would cheerfully yell that they were the three musketeers as they played with wooden swords or practically any activity that involved the three of them. Even making hot chocolate together.

When Kara became Supergirl Emma almost had a fit. She’d been in New York for a sold out week of gigs when she had seen the news in the early hours of the morning. Frantically she called Kara to see if she was okay and getting even more frantic when she realised Alex had been on the plane too. The two sisters were eventually able to calm her down after a lot of sobbing and panic from her end. When Emma returned to National City she held onto her sisters a lot tighter that day. Eventually the three ended up falling asleep together on the sofa. Emma in the middle of the two as they wrapped their arms around each other.

Emma’s musings were interrupted when Kara slammed the car boot down hard. Causing the car to bounce.

“Careful Kara!” Emma yells, knowing full well her sister would hear her.

“Sorry little one! I’m just so excited!” Kara squeals as she opens the backseat door before leaping in.

“Hey I’m only a year younger than you!” Emma frowns into the rear view mirror to glare at her sister. Who just sticks her tongue back at her while clicking in her seat belt.

They continue the hour long drive to the beach, chatting and singing along to Emma’s playlist. Lena watches on in amazement as Kara sings the melody and Emma does some beautiful harmonies around her. They all laugh and cheer when Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ comes on.

“Come on Lena! Join in!” Emma yells while she puts the volume right up. So Lena does. When the rock part of the song comes on all three of them dance and headbang along. Lena laughs as she feels so carefree. She pauses when Emma starts singing passionately to the next verse.

So you think you can stop me and spit in my eye So you think you can love me and leave me to die Oh, baby, can’t do this to me, baby Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here

Honestly she could listen to Emma’s voice for hours. Which is probably why she secretly went to as many of Emma’s gigs as possible. But every time she would go to reveal herself to Emma she would back peddle and leave. Knowing that someone as talented as Emma was way out of her league. Her pride for her friend as she watched with the Superfriends at Kara’s apartment as Axis won Grammy after Grammy, award after award. How they screamed with joy and hugged each other after each announcement. Plus Lena thought someone as pure and happy as Emma wouldn’t do well with someone broken like Lena. So she keeps her feelings to herself and tries to be content with being Emma’s friend.

Lena’s heart warms as she remembers meeting Emma for the first time over 3 years ago. She had been at one of her first game nights with the Superfriends when a knock sounded on Kara’s door. Everyone had looked at each other in surprise as no one was missing. Lena watched Kara bounce towards the door and as she opened it a continuous scream of surprise and happiness escaped Kara’s mouth. This caused Alex to rush over in response and suddenly scream as well. The two sisters practically tackled the blonde beauty out into the hallway where they fell into a laughing heap. Kara kissed the blonde’s head over and over while Alex held onto her like a koala bear and kissed her cheek over and over.

Finally they untangled and Kara dragged the other blonde into her apartment. Excitedly introducing everyone to her little sister, Emma. The Superfriends each individually greeted the newcomer and when it came to Lena’s turn Emma had stepped forward and gave her an affectionate hug. Laughing that Kara has told Emma so much about her that she feels she already knows Lena well. When Emma stepped away from the hug they both ignored the warm feelings racing around their bodies. Lena had to agree as both the Danvers sister’s spoke of Emma fondly and how proud they were of Emma’s success. Lena hadn’t told anyone this but she bought all of Emma's music to listen to it after Kara gushed about her sister. She instantly fell in love with the voice coming through the speakers.

Kara soon asked why Emma was in National City and Emma excitedly revealed that Axis was moving to National City. Lena again ignored the feeling of excitement that shot through her. And again Emma was tackled to the floor as both Alex and Kara leapt towards her in celebration.

“Lena?” Kara’s voice breaks through her thinking and Lena turns to look back at her best friend. Listening intently as Kara excitedly explains a new prototype Brainy is designing to help Kara not be so affected by Kryptonite.

“Maybe I can help with it?” Lena offers kindly.

Kara’s smile brightens up even more. “That would be swell!”

Lena gives Kara a small smile before turning back to the front. To be honest it still stings that Kara didn’t tell her Supergirl secret to the CEO. It had been two years after Emma had moved back to National City when Lena and Kara were having lunch but Kara was being called away. Again. Lena couldn’t stop herself and blurted out she knew Kara’s secret. She will never forget how Kara’s face fell and the promise of talking about it after she’s finished. Lena’s face grew cold as her walls shot up. She told Kara not to bother and stormed out of the restaurant to her penthouse apartment. She refused to see anyone or answer her phone. Allowing her past hurts and hatred to simmer and boil.

That was until a knock sounded on her door. She chose to ignore it but the knocking persisted.

“Come on Lena, please open the door. Let’s talk about this.” Emma’s muffled voice sounded through the door.

“Why should I?” Lena spits out as she draws closer, crossing her arms tightly over her chest.

“Because you shouldn’t be alone right now.”

Lena scoffs. “And why not?”

“Because you’ll allow your demons to lie to you and it will eat you up.” Emma had experience with this herself.

Tears fill Lena’s eyes and against the screaming in her head she reaches out and opens the door.

“Hey you.” Emma gives Lena a small smile before stepping into the apartment. Placing the takeout bags on the floor and pulling Lena into a tight hug. Allowing Lena to break down as she sobs into Emma’s shoulder. All her past hurts rushing forward and spewing out.

After she was spent Emma gently led her to the sofa and reheated the food. Making sure Lena ate. They talked long into the night and when Lena started rubbing her eyes from exhaustion Emma helped her get ready for bed. As Lena slid between the sheets Emma leaned down to give her a goodnight hug. But stopped when Lena wouldn't let her go. “Stay.” Lena whispered. So Emma grabbed a pair of her spare clothes she left for times like this and got in next to her. Lena shifted over to her and rested her head on Emma’s shoulder. Emma wrapped her arms around Lena and held her close. They don’t say anything more but drift into a peaceful sleep.

“We’re here!” Emma sings out, causing Lena to jump slightly. They pull into a car park right next to the beach.

“Oh wow!! Look at the sea! It’s so beautiful!” Kara gasps as she presses herself against the window and like an excited child she unbuckles and races towards the beach. Having already spotted Alex, Kelly and Sam setting up.

Emma snorts at her sister’s behaviour while she unbuckles her seatbelt.

“Er… She will help us with the food? Right?” Lena looks back at the overflow of food bags in the back of the bug.

“Yea as soon as she realises she will shoot back up here.” Emma chuckles while getting out of the car. And Kara did just that as Emma went to pay for a parking ticket she watched Kara race back up to them, in human speed. “Glad to see you helping.” Emma raises an eyebrow at her sister as Kara reaches the bug.

“Sorry! I just got really excited! It’s so beautiful here!” Kara bounces like a puppy.

“Now you understand why I dragged you here instead of going to the beach at NC?” Emma says while carefully unstrapping her board before lowering it and leaning it up against the bug.

“Yes, yes.” Kara keeps her eyes on the beach.

“Hey.” Emma smirks at her distracted sister.

“Yea?” Kara tears her eyes away to look at Emma. Smiling when Emma opens are arms and they hug. “Haven’t been able to give you one yet.” Emma says in her ear. Kara buries her face into Emma’s neck, enjoying the warmth and feeling of home whenever she hugs her sisters.

The car door closing makes them break apart. “Okay I think that’s everything.” Lena says while looking at the small mountain of bags.

“Thanks Lena!” Kara sings as she grabs half of the bags before Emma can tell her to only take a few. Hopefully no one will question how a slim woman can carry that much weight. Lena catches Emma’s eye and they both roll their eyes at each other.

“Jink!” Emma yells causing Lena to do another eye roll. Before Emma can reach down for her stuff Lena steps forward.

“Can I have a hug too?”

“Sure you can Lee.” Emma opens her arms wide and Lena almost tackles her with her enthusiasm. They both sigh happily as they hold onto each other a bit longer than necessary. Emma breaks the hug and steps back, grabbing her backpack, placing a few food bags on her shoulders picking up her guitar, and securing her surfboard under her arm. “Oh Lee don’t take that many, Kara will come up and get the last few.”

“Okay.” Lena nods while swinging a food bag on each of her shoulders and they start walking towards the beach. “Kara is right though, it’s really beautiful here.”

Emma smiles at her, happy Lena approves. The sand was a beautiful white which made the sea clear and looked like a gorgeous turquoise and teal. The richness of the colours makes Emma want to weep with happiness. They could pretend like they were in the Caribbean or on the Hawaiian islands.

“Hey Peanut!” Alex yells as Emma approaches her.

Peanut has always been Alex’s nickname for Emma since their parents told three year old Alex she was going to be a big sister. Alex had been fascinated about it all and when her Mom had told her the baby was the size of a peanut the name stuck. Even when Emma grew and was the size of tennis ball Alex would still refer to the baby as Peanut.

“Hey sis!” Emma yells back, dumping her stuff on one of the picnic blankets. Alex comes over and pulls Emma into a tight hug, quickly followed by Kelly and Sam. “Been a long time Sam, how are you?”

“I know I’m sorry!” Sam says as she takes a step back. “Life’s been hectic!”

“Oh don’t I know it.” Emma laughs. “Maybe you can ask your boss to allow you to have a life?” Emma teases while giving Lena a pointed look.

“Not my problem she wants to work longer hours then she is contracted!” Lena places her hands on her hips.

“Maybe she’s following her boss's example? And maybe the boss needs to cut down too? Maybe relax a bit?” Emma stalks towards her crush.

“Maybe-” Lena stops what she was going to say and tilts her head as she watches Emma approach. A smirk on her face. “What are you doing?”

Suddenly Emma reaches out and starts tickling Lena who laughs loudly and tries to swat the blonde away.

“Lena! She’s ticklish too!” Alex snickers as she goes through the food bags.

“Traitor!” Emma yells as Lena starts her own assault. The two women fall to the sand in fits of giggles as they wrestle. Before Emma can gain the upper hand Lena straddles her and continues tickling her. “No! Lena!” Emma kicks out trying to shift the woman on top of her. But Lena was not budging. “Argh! I surrender! Please!” Emma wheezes.

“I win?" Lena stops and gazes down at Emma triumphantly.

“You win.” Emma coughs and when Lena moves off her she instantly misses the feeling of Lena’s weight on top of her.

“Are you ladies done or are you going to help?” Alex raises her eyebrow at them as they catch their breath.

“Yes ma'am.” Emma salutes before getting up, rubbing the sand off herself and reaching out to help Lena up. They smirk at each other and set to work getting the rest of the blankets and chairs out for the Superfriends.

Soon the other group arrives and they all sit chatting and relaxing. The men start setting the BBQ up, insisting they can do it, much to the amusement of the women as they try to do it without looking at the instructions.

Alex, Kara and Emma smile at each other as they share a look before giggling. The Danvers sisters have barbecuing in the great outdoors down to an art. But if it keeps the men happy they stay quiet. Sighing Emma turns away from the entertainment and looks out to sea, watching the waves and the surfers riding them.

Alex shuffles up to her, resting her head on Emma’s shoulder. “You can go if you want.”

Emma rests the side of her head on her sister’s. “I know, but the waves aren’t quite right yet.”

“Okay.” Alex wraps her arms around Emma, who returns the gesture and holds onto Alex. Emma moves her head and kisses Alex’s head before resting her own on Alex’s again.

Alex smiles and kisses Emma’s hand that's holding her close. At first Alex wasn’t too keen on the idea of coming to the beach, too much work to do at the DEO and an hour travelling seems like an eternity. But Alex is glad she came. They sit content.

“How can you tell if the waves are not right?” Brainy asks, having left J'onn and James to sort out the BBQ.

Emma looks up at him. “I don’t know, you just can. It’s a feeling.” Emma runs a hand through her hair trying to think of a better way to explain it. “Like when you are out there you know a big wave is coming, the wave. You just got to be patient and take the moment when it comes.”

Brainy tilts his head at her. “I think I understand.”

“Well I’m glad you did.” Alex snorts and yelps when Emma playfully slaps her bare arm.

“Oh come on I didn’t slap you that hard!” Emma laughs but rubs her sister’s arm.

“Anyone wanna play rounders?” Lena asks the group as she picks up one of her bags. She pulls out a rounders bat, which is shorter than a baseball bat, and ball.

“Rounders?” Kara asks, confused. “Don’t you mean baseball?”

“No, I mean rounders, it’s what we played at my boarding school. It’s the game that baseball came from. The first known account of it was in 1744 with the Tudors.” Half of the group look at Lena blankly, while the other half look interested and know who the Tudors are. “Basically you still have four bases, home runs etc. The bowler must do underarm, though we can do overarm…” Lena pauses. “It’s just different okay?”

“Sounds good to me!” Sam leaps to her feet and starts setting the four bases up. Everyone else follows suit and splits into teams, Lena and Sam being the captains of each team. On Lena’s team is Kara, James, Alex and Emma versus Sam’s team which has Kelly, J'onn, Brainy and Nia.

After a coin toss Lena’s team bats first with Sam being the bowler, or pitcher, as Alex yells out.

“And can we make a rule of no powers? We don’t want the ball getting batted into space!” Sam jokes as she jogs to bowler base.

“Sounds fair.” Kara says looking at J'onn who nods in agreement. She gets into position to bat. She hits the ball no problem and starts to run, but she hits the ball too high and Brainy is already waiting to catch it.

“Out!” Sam yells as Brainy holds the ball in his hand, causing Kara to skid to a halt. She turns and walks back to the team, kicking the sand as she goes.

“Hard luck sis.” Alex rubs Kara’s back when she comes back to the line up. Pouting all the way. Emma gives her a hug and kisses her cheek.

“You’ll do it next time.” Emma reassures her.

They watch James get into position and hit quite a good ball. He manages to get to third base before having to stop when Nia catches the ball while on 4th base.

Lena is the next to go and Emma can’t help but watch as she sways her hips getting ready to strike. Her ball goes low and far. She sprints off and her team screams and cheers when she manages to do a home run.

“Nicely done Lee!” Emma holds her hand out to high five the out of breath CEO.

“Thanks.” Lena smiles brightly at the blonde while holding onto her hand longer than necessary.

Alex is up next, feeling the pressure of going after Lena’s home run.

“You got this babe!” Kelly smiles from the 2nd base. Alex smiles back at her before readying herself. She misses the first ball.

“Strike 1!”

Huffing Alex gets back into position again. And misses.

“Strike two!”

“You got this Al!” Emma claps and encourages her sister.

Taking a deep breath Alex readies herself and watches the ball. She manages to hit it and sprints to 2nd base.

“Nice to see you Alex!” Kelly teases the red head causing Alex to gently shove her girlfriend.

“Right you’re up Emma!” Sam calls as she catches the ball.

Emma picks the bat up, wiping the sand off it and stands in position. Noticing the opponents are standing mainly to the left, Emma decides to trick them. When Sam throws the ball she quickly turns her body and whacks the ball to the right side of the field far away from the group. She runs half the way and seeing Brainy is still running to the ball she walks the rest of the way, dancing and blowing kisses. She starts sprinting the last few feet as the ball is being thrown towards Nia. The team celebrates her home run and they play a few more rounds, having a few collisions and lots of laughter. They have two more goes each and swap over. Lena takes over as the bowler. “Pitcher!” Alex yells as she runs to man 2nd base.

The new batting team does just as well and Sam’s team are one point behind. J’onn is up as the last batter, it’s all on him. If he gets a home run Sam’s team has won the game. Emma watches the ball carefully as Lena throws it and in a split second it's coming right at her. She reaches out her hand and catches it. Everyone stares dumbfoundead before yelling in surprise and either excitement from winning or groans for losing.

Emma’s team crowd her and she laughs at the attention.

“Emma?” A voice says behind her.

Emma’s head shoots round and she smiles when she sees her bandmates standing there.

“Guys?” She rushes towards them. Emma had told them of her plans and had invited them to join. They had said they were busy so it's a huge surprise to Emma that they stood in front of her. “What are you doing here?”

“We are… Wanted to talk to you.” Jack, the guitarist and other singer, says before he looks at the Superfriends behind Emma, watching them intently. “Alone.”

“Sure.” Emma shrugs, she turns back to Lena and throws her the ball. Emma walks with her bandmates along the beach until they are far enough away. Though Emma is sure Kara can still hear them. “So, whats up? Everything okay?”

“Er… So about that-” Danny, the drummer, starts but rubs his neck. Feeling very awkward. Frankie, the keyboardist, doesn’t make eye contact with Emma and shuffles his feet in the sand.

Mick interrupts. “We want to leave the band.”

Emma’s mind screeches to a halt. “Leave? All of you?”

“Yea Em. Just with Jack getting engaged, Frankie’s Dad being ill and Danny’s baby is due. We just don’t have the same drive like you do.” Mick looks sadly at her. “We are a great team, but it’s just not the same. After moving to National City we realised we want to settle, have families, the whole white picket fence thing.”

Emma places her hands on her hips, biting her lips to stop the tears threatening to fall. “What about the new album? We’ve already written most of the songs.”

“You don’t need us Em. You are the front runner and can do this with anyone.” Jack tries to reassure her.

“But they won’t be you.” Emma’s heart starts to break when she looks at the finality in each of their eyes. “And… And nothing I can say will change your minds?”

Her four bandmates shake their heads.

“Okay.” Emma looks up at the sky, taking a deep breath before looking back at the men in front of her. “Well, can we do a farewell tour?”

“Sounds like a good plan.” Danny smiles sadly at her and the other three nod.

“Can we give you a hug?” Jack asks quietly, hating seeing Emma so defeated.

Emma nods and they go in for a long group hug. But as the tears start to spill Emma breaks the hug and rushes back to the Superfriends. Ignoring any questions, she throws off her clothes and jewellery and grabs her board. Sprinting to the surf and diving into the sea.

She paddles quickly, still hearing voices, most likely Kara and Alex, calling after her. But she drowns it out by duck diving under a wave as it rolls over her and she resurfaces. Emma continues further out past the swell where she can stop and just lie there. Letting the board bob as she gazes at the horizon. Emma allows her tears to fall. Her face distorts with her disappointment and hurt.

‘What am I going to do?’ Emma thinks. She gets why the guys want to leave. Knowing this would happen one day. Or at least a break, but it still hurts. ‘Since when did it change for them?’ Emma stays like this for a while, lost in her own thoughts.

Some time later splashing behind her makes her turn her head and she sits up. A wet laugh breaks through her lips when she sees Kara and Alex balancing on a paddle board trying to reach her. Alex particularly looks like how a cat would look in this situation. On her knees and very tense having come to a very deep part of the beach. Alex doesn’t like not being able to touch the bottom, or see it. Kara is using the paddle, obviously using a bit of her super strength with how quickly they are going.

“What you laughing at?” Alex snaps.

“Nothing.” Emma smiles sadly at her while wiping the tears from her face. She swings her legs around and places them either side of the board. When the paddle board comes alongside Emma’s, Kara moves to sit down. Causing Alex to shriek as the board rocks dangerously. Emma reaches out and steadies it while trying not to laugh.

“Sorry Alex!” Kara apologises before turning her attention to Emma. “You okay?”

Immediately Emma’s smile drops and her eyes fill with tears again. She furiously rubs her eyes to stop them. “Yea fine.”

“No you’re not.” Alex sighs, hating seeing her sister look so unhappy.

“Guessing you heard?” Emma looks at Kara who nods sadly. Crinkle on her forehead evident of her concern. Emma looks down at her hands, not able to look at her sisters anymore. “I just… I get why…” Emma exhales deeply. “It just hurts you know. We are so in sync with each other and I honestly can’t imagine having to restart all that again.”

“But you will.” Alex reaches out and touches Emma’s linked hands. “Because your voice, your music needs to be heard Em.”

“Yea it's one of my favourite sounds, like ever.” Kara agrees. “But you know you will always have us, right?”

Emma nods, allowing a few more tears to fall.

Alex reaches out and wipes the tears from Emma’s cheeks. “And yes it sucks right in this moment but you will get through this. We will both help you through this.”

“Totally.” Kara agrees.

“Thanks.” Somehow Alex manages to hug Emma without falling in and Kara joins them.

Right on queue Kara’s stomach rumbles. “Oh and lunch is ready.”

“Uh oh the monsters coming.” Emma smirks as she looks at her alien sister.

“Race ya?!” Kara jumps to her feet making the board rock dangerously and had Emma not been holding Alex the red head would have fallen in. After making sure her sisters were okay Emma waves them off.

“Nah, you go on ahead, I’ll be right behind you.”

Emma watches her sisters go, hoping Kara has enough control not to cause Alex to fall in too far from the beach. She keeps her eyes fixed on them, slowly following in case Alex needed her. But when they reach the shore Emma lets out the breath she didn’t realise she was holding. Emma chuckles when Kara returns the paddle board they borrowed to get to her.

Shaking her head Emma starts slowly paddling into the swell and waits, her board moving with the ocean. Suddenly she feels a shift. Emma lies on her stomach and starts paddling hard. She smiles as her board gets picked up by the huge wave. Whooping as her board flies through the tube, she reaches out and skims her hand along the break. She comes out the other end and using the momentum turns her board, shooting her closer to the beach. Until finally her board slows down and she jumps off, wading the short distance to the shore.

“Hey!” A surfer approaches her, smiling flirtatiously. His brunette hair slicked back from the sea.

“Hi.” Emma responds while picking up her board.

“That was a sweet wave you just did!” His enthusiasm makes Emma smile.

“Thanks, kind of wish it went on forever.” She admits, cause really there was nothing like going through the tube of a wave. The colours and sounds were breathtaking.

“Ah man I know right?!” He laughs. “So, I was wondering if I could have your number?”

“EMMA!” She turns to look at Kara who is waving her arms about wildly. Most likely due to Alex saying she can’t eat until Emma joins them.

“Thank you but I’m kind of not available. Sorry.”

“No worries at all.” He looks slightly disappointed but still smiles.

“EMMAAAAAA!!!”

Emma laughs at how Kara’s yells got even louder. “Well I better go, don’t want my sister getting any more hangry.” Emma starts to walk back to the group.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Emma.” He calls after her.

Emma swings round but continues walking backwards. “You too.” She turns back around, smiling and shaking her head.

As soon as Emma gets near, Kara is loading her plate up at top, human, speed. Emma chuckles at the sight and digs the end of her board into the sand before taking the leash off and flopping onto the picnic blanket.

“Who was that?” Kelly asked across from her. Lena pretends she isn’t listening in as she gets some food.

“Oh just some guy congratulating me on my sweet wave.” Emma imitates the guy's accent which makes them laugh.

“And he wanted her number!” Kara teases while she sits next to Emma.

Whistles and ooo’s sound around the group. Alex watches bemused as Lena purses her lips before going back to a neutral expression.

“So where’s the number?” Sam asks excitedly, not missing Lena’s rigid posture.

“Meh, not my type.” Emma tries to play it off cooly while she grabs her top and shorts to change into again. Not minding that they will get a bit damp as the sun is out in full blaze. She also applies her suncream handing it around and reminding everyone to keep it topped up.

“Since when has hunky surfer boy not been your type?” Kara asks confused as she focuses on the surfer. “Honestly I could grate cheese on his abs!”

“Kara!” Emma laughs loudly while she dishes up a plate of food.

“You also said you weren’t available,” Kara presses on, missing the looks Alex was giving her. “Who's the lucky guy or gal?” Emma had come out as bisexual when she was a young teenager. Her Mom and sister’s supported her and Emma was glad she could do the same for Alex when she came out to her. Alex had even flown out specially to where Emma was gigging to tell her. At first Emma was really worried when Alex avoided eye contact and was nervously fidgeting in her seat. When Alex finally blurted it out Emma held her sister close. Saying how proud she was of her and her love for her sister hadn’t changed.

“No one, I just wanted to get him off my back.” Emma says nonchalantly but inside she was freaking out. She’d said it because yes she wasn’t available because her heart belonged to Lena.

Kelly gives Alex a look and watches as Emma settles in-between Lena and Kara under the umbrella they were sitting under. Alex doesn’t miss how much closer Emma sits to Lena than her sister.

The Superfriends continue talking and when everyone has finished eating they split off to do their own thing. Alex and Kelly go for a walk, mainly to come up with a plan to get Emma and Lena together. While Kara, J'onn, Sam, Nia, Brainy and James play volleyball. Girls and against boys. “Original.” Emma mutters causing Lena to snort.

Lena and Emma opt to stay with everyones stuff. Lena is happy to sit back against the pile and read a book she’s been wanting to read for months but never had the chance.

Emma sighs as she looks at her guitar case. Twiddling her thumbs for a moment she draws her knees to her chest and watches the waves. But not feeling quite ready to get back in.

After half an hour Lena puts her book down and focuses on Emma. “Something on your mind?” Lena asks, nudging her shoulder into Emma, causing the blonde to sway.

“Guessing Kara told you?” Emma keeps her eyes fixed in front of her.

“Yes, she was relaying what was being said.” Lena says apologetically.

“It’s okay. Makes it easier in a way.” Sighing heavily Emma turns to look at Lena. Who is watching her with concern. “I just don’t know what to do. I need to look for new bandmates, but that just seems so daunting. Can I really go through that all again?” Emma runs her hands through her hair. Huffing she looks back into emerald eyes. “Okay if we don’t talk about it? Just enjoy what we have right now?”

“And what do we have?”

“Great company, good food and a wonderful view.” Emma motions to the beach around them.

“Yea, I can do that.” Lena keeps her eyes on Emma.

“Go back to your book Lee. I’ll be fine.” Emma tries to smile reassuringly.

Lena doesn’t buy it but starts reading again. She watches Emma from the corner of her eye as she shuffles over to her guitar case, opening it and pulling the guitar out, making sure it is in tune.

Emma gets her songbook out of her case, opening the page to a song she had started writing. Making sure she doesn’t hit Lena with her guitar Emma settles back down. Grabbing her phone she hits record and starts plucking. Softly singing to herself.

Tell me somethin', girl Are you happy in this modern world? Or do you need more? Is there somethin' else you're searchin' for?

Emma pauses as she remembers a chorus of a song she’s been working on. She quickly flips to that page and moves her fingers to find the chords. She continues to play. Not realising her soft singing has steadily got louder.

I'm falling

Emma sees Lena in her mind as she sings. Her pain at falling for her friend and not having the courage to take it deeper.

In all the good times I find myself Longin' for change And in the bad times I fear myself

Sighing Emma looks at the sea before turning her head slightly to look at the raven haired beauty. Whose focus is on the book in front of her. Returning her attention to her notebook Emma keeps playing and singing.

I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in I'll never meet the ground Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us We're far from the shallow now

Lifting her head she focuses on the sea again.

In the shallow, shallow

In the shallow, shallow In the shallow, shallow We're far from the shallow now.

Emma pauses and stops the recording. Running a hand through her hair which starts getting more wavy from getting wet.

“Wow Em.” Lena breathes out.

Emma turns to Lena who put the book next to her. “You like that?”

“Yes, seriously… I don’t have the words.”

“Thanks, it’s not really finished. It needs another verse…” Emma goes through her notebook but comes up empty. Replaying the first verse Emma closes her eyes to figure out the words for the second verse.

Tell me something, boy

“What rhymes with boy?” Emma mutters to herself. “Toy? No… Void?”

Aren't you tired tryin' to fill that void?

Emma sighs as she remembers friends she has lost due to depression and addiction. Knowing how hard it is to feel whole and get out of the pit.

Or do you need more? Ain't it hard keeping it so hardcore?

She sings through the bridge and the chorus again, making sure it all fits. But to her horror she realises she stopped the recording.

“Crap!” Looking down her phone wasn’t where she left it. Instead it's in Lena’s hand.

“I could see you didn’t press record so I did it for you.” Lena answers Emma’s questioning gaze as she presses the button to stop the recording.

“Thanks Lee.” Emma takes her phone and grabs her pen, listening to the recording and writing the song out in full with the chords.

Lena watches Emma. “Do you usually write songs that quickly?” Lena asks, fascinated.

Emma laughs in response. “No, not usually. I guess I was more inspired.” She shrugs, placing her guitar back in the case with her notebook. She shuffles back over to Lena. “Can I?”

Lena looks up and nods, letting Emma lean down, resting her head in Lena’s lap. They do this quite often and it always makes Lena’s heart skip a beat. Slowly she puts her book down beside her and runs a hand through Emma’s hair. Looking at the view and doing what Emma said, enjoying the moment.

Time passes on and Emma watches the group playing volleyball. Kelly and Alex have joined them, Kelly staying with the girls while Alex went over to the boys side. Emma smirks when Kara would not so sneakily use her powers to gain an advantage.

But Emma’s attention diverted back to the sea, the tide was coming in and the swell had gotten bigger. Turning her head to look up at Lena Emma pauses. Her eyes linger on Lena’s chest before taking in her profile. ‘Rao she’s so beautiful.’

“Okay if I catch a few more waves?” Emma asks, finding her voice.

Looking down Lena smiles. “Sure.”

“Thanks Lee.” Emma sits up and presses a kiss to Lena’s cheek. As Emma takes her clothes off she grabs her board and runs to the surf. Lena touches her flushed cheek and smiles softly.

Soon the volleyball group end their game, the boys team winning by a few points. They head back to their set up, laughing at how both J'onn and Kara leapt for the ball, only to miss it completely.

“Hi Lena!” Kara says while sitting next to her best friend. “How's the book?”

“It’s…” Lena looks down at the book and realises she’s only got through part of the first chapter. Her attention had mainly been watching Emma surf. “Slow.”

“Ah I hate it when that happens!” Kara hands Lena a drink while they sit and watch Emma. Who had just gone through another tube, much to the excitement of the surfers watching in the shallows. “I don’t know how she makes it look so easy!”

“It’s one of her many talents.” Lena agrees, though there is always a feeling of anxiety whenever anyone she cares for is in any body of water.

“Totally.” Kara says before sighing sadly.

“Kara?” Lena asks concerned for the Super.

“I just… She’s worked so hard. I know she will come back from this, but when Alex and I got to her she… She just looked so broken.” Kara sighs again. Worry filling her eyes as she watches her sister.

“She didn’t want to talk about it. But said how daunting it is to find new bandmates. Which I can understand.” Lena knows how hard it is to make friends in general.

“Yea it’s not the easiest of processes. She needs to click with them, for them to become in sync with each other and then get on with them. How they managed to drive around in that tour bus all over America and later the world is beyond me!” Kara says with wide eyes, she had joined Emma for a few gigs and thankfully the venues weren’t too far from each other. But Kara found the journey long and boring.

“Kara, anything slower then you flying is beyond you!” Lena's teasing causes Kara to laugh loudly.

“True!”

They continue watching Emma who attempts a few aerial tricks. The spray of the sea flying high above her. “She wrote a really beautiful song just now.”

“Really?” Kara perks up and Lena nods. “Think she’ll play it for us?”

“Maybe.” Lena hopes Emma does. She really wants to hear it again.

While Emma still surfs the Superfriends play UNO. Laughing at how competitive Alex is getting and only getting calmed down when Kelly gives her a gentle kiss. 

As the sun starts to slowly descend Emma finally gets out of the sea. Waving goodbye to a group of surfers she had been talking to.

She notices a fire has been built in the centre of the Superfriends circle and a few of them are roasting marshmallows.

Emma’s body is completely shattered but she smiles at the feeling. Making a note to come back here as much as she can. Even if the weather isn’t perfect like today.

The Superfriends greet her while she grabs her stuff to change. Alex stands and uses one of the blankets to block anyone’s view of Emma. Kara joins in and goes to the other side. Emma scoffs knowing full well she can change without showing anything and there has been no paparazzi bothering her.

Finally dry and feeling much warmer Emma sits next to Lena and places her head on her shoulder. She can’t help but yawn and let her eyes drift.

“Tired Em?” Alex teases from across the circle and smiles at Lena whose cheeks are tinged with red.

“Uhmm.” Emma confirms. “Do we have any more food?” She asks, keeping her eyes closed. “Or has Kara eaten it all?”

“Hey!” Kara swats Emma playfully but causes Emma to jump and glare at her. “Sorry! Did I hurt you?” Kara asks, panicked.

“No, I was just surprised.” Emma sighs before resting her head back on Lena’s shoulder.

“Well I did see a pizza place as we drove in. Maybe we can order?” Nia asks.

“Sounds like a good plan to me!” Emma gives a thumbs up. Pizza is one of her favourite foods.

With the joys of technology the friends order and half an hour later a pizza boy with a mountainful of pizza boxes comes towards them. They thank him and dig in. Emma grabs Lena and her pizza, two cans of soda and some salad left over from lunch.

“M’lady.” Emma holds out the cans which Lena takes. “I got some salad too.” Emma places the container in front of Lena.

“Thank you Em.” Lena says touched that Emma thought about her. She opens the lid and wonders how she can eat it. Looking up she sees Emma holding out a knife and fork for her and she smiles.

“You may need this.”

Lena grins back thanking her and takes the cutlery from the blonde.

Emma happily munches away at the pizza, rolling her eyes when the debate about Hawaiian pizza is brought up.

“Personally I don’t see anything wrong with it.” Sam defends laughing at Brainy’s stunned face.

“But to have a fruit on a savoury dish… it just does not compute.”

“Brainy.” Emma gets the alien’s attention. “Have you actually tried it?”

“No I have not.” He looks appalled that Emma would ask that.

“Then how’d you know if it doesn’t work?” Emma tilts her head.

After a moment of thinking Brainy nods. “Fair point.”

“Next game night I will order one and you can try it!” Sam says happily while winking at Emma, who smiles back.

“Just keep it away from me.” Alex says, shivering at the thought.

“Sorry to change the subject, buuutttt, Emma.” Kara says making Emma freeze while her last pizza slice was near her lips. She lowers it slightly while looking at her sister, who is beaming from ear to ear.

“Yea?”

“I saw you working on a song, wanna share it?”

All the Superfriends turn to look at Emma expectantly. Always appreciative of hearing anything Emma is working on. Taking a deep breath she lowers the slice back to the box and wipes her hands on a napkin.

“Peanut, you don’t have too.” Alex says glaring at Kara. Emma would do anything to make her sisters happy, Alex knew this. So did Kara. And yes, they would both exploit it sometimes.

“No, it’s okay. Would be great to get everyone's opinion.” Emma grabs her guitar and notebook. Reminding herself of the chords. “So… This… Well…” Sighing heavily, Emma closes her eyes to control her nerves. “I kind of imagine this as a duet, but with, well, the band breaking up. I may have to rethink it a bit.” Emma focuses on the fire in front of her, feeling too embarrassed to look at anyone.

She starts playing the chords and sings. Allowing the music to wash over and for her voice to carry with the wind. Emma adds the new verse but as she nears the end she feels her emotions take over, her frustration at her situation and the need to release it. She improvises. Closing her eyes and allowing herself to go with it.

Whoa-oh-ah-oh-ahh

Emma belts out, slamming her fingers into the guitar strings as she increases in passion and volume.

I'm off the deep end, watch as I dive in I'll never meet the ground Crash through the surface, where they can't hurt us We're far from the shallow now

A smile graces Emma’s face as she lifts her head.

In the shallow, shallow In the shallow, shallow

Emma softens her voice, allowing the natural end of the song to take place.

In the shallow, shallow We're far from the shallow now.

Emma allows the last chord to hold longer than necessary. She keeps her eyes closed and waits.

A huge roar around her causes her to jump and open her eyes. A crowd has gathered round the group and are applauding her. The Superfriends all clap wildly too, Alex wipes tears from her face and Kara beams as brightly as the sun. Emma turns to look at Lena and her smile is as bright, if not brighter then Kara’s. Her green eyes simmering with tears. Emma watches as one falls and she gently reaches out and wipes it away with her thumb.

She then acknowledges the crowd with a small wave and thanks them with a bow of her head. They soon disperse, returning to their own groups and Emma sighs in relief.

“So, was the song okay?” Emma asks while picking at a chipped bit of wood on the base of her guitar.

“Okay?” Alex's voice booms causing Emma to quickly look at her sister. Alex’s eyes are wide. “Okay? Em that song… Wow I don’t have the words!”

“That’s what Lena said.” Emma smiles at the two women.

“Well it’s true.” Lena grins back, nudging her shoulder into the blonde’s.

The other Superfriends nod and agree.

“It really moved me.” Sam says smiling at Emma who blushes in response.

“Yes.” Brainy adds. “Very- touching.” Nia smiles at him. Emma grins too, happy Brainy was able to express himself.

Emma plays a few more well known songs and the Superfriends join in. But as the sun dips slowly into the horizon Emma stops and hands the guitar to James who continues playing. Not as well as Emma but enough.

Emma heads back towards the surf, wading in up to below her knees. Taking deep breaths she watches the colours change, memorising the rich reds, oranges and yellows. Lena comes and stands next to her. They watch in comfortable silence and Lena links her fingers with Emma’s. They smile softly to each other before watching the sun dip under the horizon.

(Part Two)

[mamawolfblood]

Total drama Surprise

14 Brunch of Disgustingness

Chris: Last time on Total Drama Island… A note from a secret admirer got Gwen and Bridgette up in each other’s business. DJ accidentally knocked his boy Trent off the airplane, sending him deep into the Earth’s crust. Leshawna showed everybody how to hang on for dear life on the moose ride. Harold showed himself to be an ace flag-catcher, until he caught sight of Heather’s… unmentionables, causing him to crash his way right off the island, but not without a little canoodling time with the fair Leshawna. And now, let’s see what’s in store for our campers on this week’s episode of Total. Drama. Island!

Iris found it odd that Chef did want her help today for breakfast. Walking and sat on the dock looking at the moon. It was calm a peaceful just the gentle sound of water. "You couldn't sleep either?" Duncan said making the teen jump. He chuckled sitting behind me. His arms wrapped me into a warm embrace. His chin ontop of her head. No words needed to be spoken they just watch the sun rise.

It was something she didn't want to end but nothing lasts forever. The campers made their way to the mess hall. Before Iris could enter Duncan grabbed her arm. "Duncan what is it?" She asked looking up at him. But the carage he gathered soon turned to cold feet making him let go. "Nothing let's see what your dad has up his sleeve today." Damb so close but no big deal. The girl thought stepping inside sitting with her team.

Iris pov

My dad  Was acting weird whenever someone tried to ask about food.  Chef would snicker and laugh along with him. " OK seriously enough, what is wrong with the two of you?" I asked making them look at me. Its no secret I get cranky when I don't get food.

Chris: Congratulations to the remaining ten campers for reaching the halfway mark in the competition! You’ll all be on the jury for the final episode.

Geoff: We got the power! Yeah!

Chris: The two teams will become one next week. But first, all the girls will be moved to the Gopher cabin and all the guys will stay in the Bass cabin. This week’s challenge is as old as history itself. A battle of the sexes [Lindsay blows a raspberry at the guys] After everyone is settled in, I’ll announce the challenge. And then, you’ll have an uh… bite to eat.[He and Chef snicker] Ready for a little good news? This week, no one will be kicked off. [everyone cheers] It’s all for reward and it’s a good one. Okay, time to relocate. Let’s move! [He and Chef snicker]

Heather started kissing up to Bridgette. It was sickening to watch so I got up and left.

(Confessional: Bridgette)

Bridgette: I was a bit worried about being the only new girl on the team. Then I figured it can’t be that bad. I don’t buy that hype about how well guys get along and how catty girls can be.

(Confessional Off)

I was sitting outside when Bridgette walked over. "Hi Bridgette have fun in the lions den." I said before laughing.

Leshawna: Nobody’s leaving until I find out who ate my pudding pockets!

Heather: I ate them. So what?

Leshawna: Whoa! Pump the brakes a minute! You’re “so what”ing me? That’s my food. No one touches my food!

Heather: Whatever, deal with it. It serves you right for leaving your junk everywhere, especially that. That is bugging me.

Leshawna: Yeah, it’d bug me too if I didn’t have anything in the front or in the back to shake.

Heather: Yeah? Well, you’ve got so much junk in your trunk, your jeans should come with a trash compactor!

Leshawna: Ooh! You want a piece of this?

Bridgette: Uh-oh.

Heather: Bridgette! It’s so good to see you! Come in, come in! Welcome to our cabin. We’re like a big family in here.

Gwen: Big and dysfunctional.

Heather: Anything you need, just yell.

Bridgette: Thanks for the awesome welcome, Heather.

Lindsay: Welcome to the club! It’ll be so much fun! As long as you do everything Heather says. Ow!

Heather [after she laughs] : Yeah, we love joking around here at girls cabin. I made sure your bunk was next to mine–

Lindsay: Hey! That’s my bed. Ow!

Heather: So we can talk and share and really get to know each other.

Bridgette: Okay, yeah! Hey, thanks everybody, I can’t wait to get to know all of–

Heather: Okay! Plenty of time to chat later! Let’s unpack.

Lindsay: This is great! I bet we’re getting along way better than the guys.

I honestly hope things are going well. This den of vipers is about to explode. If on cue I heard this.

Bridgette: Let’s build bridges, not walls!

Heather: Take your pick.

dramatic music plays as Bridgette picks Gwen and Leshwana's side

Heather: You just dug your own grave.

Bridgette: Let’s try to get along, okay? Otherwise, the guys are going to cream us, don’t you get it? Tough room.

[Chef and Chris snicker]

Heather: Stop doing that!

Chris: Let’s just tell them… Today’s challenge is… The Brunch of Disgustingness! You’ll be getting a nine-course meal. Each member of each team must finish each dish. You will not know if the next dish is grosser than the last, not as gross, or just as gross. Just that it’ll likely be… gross.

Chef: Tell them what they’ll get if they win, Chris!

Chris: The winning team spends two days at a local five-star resort where they’ll be pampered, eat gourmet nosh, and be given antibiotics against anything they may have caught while participating in this challenge! The losing team will go hungry tonight and spend the next two days here. On Total Drama Island. With Chef.

The first round was bull testicles and the point went to the girls. Oh those boys could handle a little meatball.

Chris: The score now stands at one for the girls and zero for the guys! And now, the next course in… The Brunch of Disgustingness! You guys like pizza?

Owen: I could eat pizza any time with anything on it!

Chris: Anything? How about live grasshopper pizza with tangy jellyfish sauce and live anchovies?

Owen: I could eat pizza any time with anything on it!

Chris: How about live grasshopper pizza with tangy jellyfish sauce and live anchovies?

Ok even I thought it was gross please do let me get sick.

Leshawna couldn't eat it giving the guys a point making us tied. The girls freaked on her but honestly not a big deal. "Guys its not a big deal. We will win the next round so stop complaining.

(Confessional: Chef)

Chef: I was excited about the next dish. I made it from scratch.

(Confessional Off)

Chris: All right, who’s ready for the third course? Spaghetti! Well, actually, Earthworms covered in snail slime sauce and hairballs.

I barfed when it was placed infront of me.

(Confessional )

Iris- WHO THE FUCK THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA?! THIS SHIT IS FUCKING DISGUSTING!

*static *

(End of Confessionals)

The guys got another point and now I am getting aggravated.

Chris: All right everybody. Time for course number four. No nine-course meal would be complete without soup. Today’s special is French Bunyon soup with hangnail crackers.

(Confessional: Geoff)

Geoff: I think they just use stuff from Chef’s bathroom floor.

(Confessional Off)

Bridgette gasps

DJ strains to eat

Trent gags

Lindsay: I didn’t even taste it.

Chris: The girls win again![Gwen, Heather, Leshawna, and Lindsay cheer] The score’s now tied up at two.

(Confessional: Bridgette)

Bridgette: I think the girls really made a breakthrough as a team.

(Confessional Off)

The rounds continue and the barfing too. But we made it to the final round.

"Oh god I think I'm going to be sick." I said trying to hold it down but I dont think I can.

C

hris: Wow, it’s still tied up. We’re down to the last course in the challenge. It’s delicious dolphin wieners. Hot dogs made of dolphin.

Bridgette [after she gasps] : But dolphins are our friends!

Heather: What are you waiting for? It’s already dead. If you don’t eat it, we don’t win.

Bridgette: Ooh, I can’t! I’m a surfer! I swim with dolphins!

Heather: Eat it!

Bridgette: No! I’m not doing it. You can’t pressure me.

The hell we can't grabbing a hot dog off the plate, and then proceeded to shove it down her throat.

"I'M NOT LOSING THIS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T GROW A PAIR! THE DAMB THING IS DEAD SO SUCK IT UP AND STUFF YOU FUCKING FACE!" They all looked at me Bridgette had tears in her eyes. She coughed it all up.

DJ: I’m with you sister. I’m not eating no dolphin.

(Confessional : Chef)

Chef: I slave over a hot stove cooking dolphin. No appreciation!

(Confessional Off)

Chris: Okay, enough. We’ll solve this by having an eat-off. The one who can drink the most shot glasses of fresh, delicious blended cockroach will be the winner. This unlikely satisfying blend of eight different cockroaches is vitamin rich for your balanced lifestyle. On your mark, get set, go!

Owen and Leshwana drink the cockroaches.

Leshawna groans two times

Chris: Owen wins!

DJ, Duncan, Geoff, and Trent cheer

Leshawna groans

Heather: Leshawna, you are completely useless!

Leshawna: Oh, uh-oh, something’s coming up. [puking]

DJ pukes

Trent:pukes

Chef: Grr… [retches]

Chris retches

Duncan and Geoff Puke

The “elimination” music plays.

Chris: The guys are the big winners today. And the girls go their separate ways. Two definitive cliques have been cemented. [Heather grunts and the door rattles] For now. What shocking surprises are in store for our campers next week as they head for the big merge? Tune in on Total. Drama. Island!

[austennerdita2533]

ooh can you do those same top three questions but for suits and tvd :)

Sure can, nonnie! xx

*Just as a general disclaimer for anyone else who happens to read this: my ship preferences are what they are. I’m simply stating my opinion/preference and am in no way encouraging hate or fights. Discussion is always welcome, of course, but happy vibes here only!

*2020 sucks enough as it is without bringing ship drama into it, you know?

TVD

Top 3 seasons:

-1, 2, and 3 without an ounce of hesitation. This was when the show was at its peak in storytelling, characterization, ship development, magic/mythology etc.

Top 3 romantic ships:

-Klaroline. One of my highest echelon ships for reasons I do not need to enumerate; however, I will say what I love about them most is they challenge as well as complement each other in beautifully rich, convoluted ways. Their back and forth is ridiculously entertaining, too!

-Kalijah. They have spice, and angst, and forbidden love, and 500+ years of cat-and-mouse chasing and I will be over here bitter about them for eternity! 

-Forwood. *excuse me while I cry over “until we find a way” for a few hours* These two went through so much to be together! Their progressive arc in s2-s3 is still one of my favorites.

*I’m Swiss neutral when it comes to Stelena and Delena, I vacillate between both ships at different times so they’re not included in my top 3. I’m an anomalous TVD shipper, a true outlier, what can I say?

Top 3 platonic ships:

-Klelijah. Klaus and Elijah have an incredibly dense, fraught brotherly dynamic. Something about their ancient ties and 1,000-year bond is gripping. There’s so much spoken and unspoken subtext between them. So many unresolved “somethings.” Plus, it’s no secret that I adore the Originals and all they add to the TVD-verse.

-Klebekah. Klaus and Rebekah sparkle, they sizzle, any time they’re on-screen together. Just the sheer depth of feeling and betrayal and angst they emanate is so entertaining to watch. Don’t get me started on the whole “I loved you more than anyone and you didn’t even care” scene because I get emotional.

-Defan. Stefan and Damon are another complex sibling relationship on the show. Throw into the mix that they find themselves in love with same woman, not once, but twice, and whew! I love the flashbacks we get of them throughout history as well.

*Gotta give shoutouts to my other favorite, though moderately less well-developed, brotps here: Carenzo, Katholine, Rebekoline, and Baroline. *chef’s kiss*

Top 3 characters:

-Caroline Forbes

-Klaus Mikaelson

-Katherine Pierce

Top 3 plotlines you’d change/erase if you could:

-THE BABY PLOTS ! ! ! BOTH OF THEM!!!!!!!!! (I’m talking Klaus/Haley and their tribrid baby and Caroline’s surrogacy/pregnancy with the Gemini twins.) I apologize for my overemphasized caps + exclamation points here, but I loathe these storylines with every fiber of my being. I can’t help it. More often than not, I like to pretend they don’t exist lololol.

-How they handled the beginning of Stefan and Caroline’s romantic relationship was...icky. Like, while Liz was dying? Really? Then she turns off her humanity because he “rejects” her. Again, REALLY? I have major issues with the overall portrayal of them as a couple - particularly with the relationship imbalances as well as the insecurities they heightened instead of tamped out in each other - but the inception of it all is what kills me. Especially because I am a huge proponent of friends-to-lovers ships...and the writers really dropped the ball with them, imo. I’m a multishipper at heart so the disappointment I harbor is PALATABLE. 

-The Cure storyline and the Travelers storyline. Didn’t like either of them. They have equal “could’ve been loads better” billing.

Top 3 episodes you’d take to a deserted island:

-3x14, Dangerous Liaisons. LISTEN. This is my favorite episode of the entire series. There’s a ball, there’s blood-tinged champagne, there’s duplicity and romance and drama. All the Mikaelsons are under the same roof, for crying out loud! It’s gold!

-2x07, Masquerade. This one because of my girl, Katherine Pierce, the biggest, baddest bitch of all. She’s a saucy little minx the entire masquerade only to end up locked in the tomb. I just...love it.

-The Klaroliner in me is screaming 4x23, Graduation because being on a deserted island without having access to Klaus’s iconic “however long it takes” declaration would be insupportable. However, a case could be made for either 3x20, Do Not Go Gentle because I am trash for the decade dances, and that one’s my favorite, OR 3x22, The Departed because that is one hell of a season finale!

Suits

Top 3 seasons:

-Season 2. Mike’s secret out of the bag? Them all working together to fight against the merger? Donna shredding evidence to protect Harvey? Daniel fucking Hardman? *thumbs up*

-Season 5. FIREWORKS. Donna’s working for Louis, Harvey’s in therapy, Mike gets arrested/goes on trial, Zane family drama. Exquisite stuff

-Season 3 or Season 1. Don’t make me choose between them, please. 🙏🏻

Top 3 romantic ships:

-Darvey. I mean, OBVIOUSLY. These two idiots had me from the pilot. I knew the moment Donna said “I also took care of that. we’ve been married for the last 7 years” that I was on the precipice of falling into another long, beautiful, up-to-their-chins-in-pining, slow sloooooow burn ships. Granted, I didn’t think it’d take 8 seasons for them to get together lololol but I don’t regret a damn thing!

-Mike and Rachel. They’re adorable together, they truly love each other. Also, can we talk about how they’re a steady couple for most-ish of the show?  They have drama, sure, but they work through most of it together. As a unit. THAT’S A BIG DEAL. It’s like going through the canon drive thru and actually getting (most) of what you ordered.

-Louis and Sheila. This is a couple who makes me laugh uproariously AND feel all the emotions. I mean, will I ever forget Louis dropping to one knee in the hospital with his ass cheeks hanging out? NO. Will I ever get over Shelia’s pregnant feet being too fat to fit into her Cinderella glass slippers? NOT ON YOUR LIFE. Will I blubber like an emo sap whenever they finally reconcile/get their happy ending? YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT.

Top 3 platonic ships:

-Mike and Harvey. They have a connection from the beginning but I love seeing how much they rub off on one another, how much deeper their bond grows over the course of the show. Their movie references are always a delight, too. *cries: it’s so beautiful*

-Donna and Louis. Their relationship is so important to me. Like?!?!?!? They have so many fantastic one-on-one moments together - some that make your sides ache with laughter, others that prick your eyes with emotion and tears. Even though it kills me when Donna leaves Harvey to work for Louis, I can’t help but love it too because he fanboys all over her. GIVE DONNA ALL THE LOVE AND APPRECIATION SHE DESERVES. 

-Harvey and Louis because they have a formative and/or impactful dynamic. They mostly respect each other but there’s a lot of animosity between them. Makes for such good TV!

Top 3 characters:

-Donna Paulsen aka Fashion Goddess of NYC (can I have all of her outfits? for real) and the Reigning Queen of Sass (who also happens to be the reigning queen of my heart as well). The entire firm would have fallen into collapse without her, FULL STOP.

-Harvey Specter. I have a penchant for stoic, inscrutable, emotionally constipated, on-the-borderline-of-asshole characters and boy did I hit the jackpot with this one! 

-This one was hard, but I’m going to go with Louis Litt because his character evolution is amazing! He’s so unlikable at times, what with his competitive streak and anger/jealousy issues, but then there’s this whole other side to him that’s sensitive and vulnerable and sweet. You can’t help but root for him, you know? (Even when you want to punch him right in the nose lol.)

Top 3 plotlines you’d change/erase if you could:

-Harvey giving Paula the credit for why he reconciled with his mother, when it was actually because of Donna. They retcon/fix this in the narrative in s9 but it still bugs me in the moment. I can’t let it go. So sue me.

-Pearson Hardman’s “Harvard Only” hiring law. Not only is it ridiculous and discriminatory but no way in hell would you even be able to implement such a thing in today’s world. Nor should you be able to do so. Diversity is important!

-I wasn’t crazy about the Mike prison storyline but, at the same time, he had to serve out penance for the whole fraud business??? So yeah.

Top 3 episodes you’d take to a deserted island:

-2x07, Sucker Punch. THE MOCK TRIAL, AHHHHHHH. Louis grills Donna about Harvey within an inch of her life. I can hear his inflection during his stream of “do you love Harvey Specter, do you love Harvey Specter” in my head. It is so effing tense in that conference room, I DIE. 

3x06, The Other Time. I am all about this flashback episode, okay? It opens Pandora’s box on all things past!Darvey and also shows us how Mike gets thrown out of school.

-8x16, Harvey. If you think I’d willingly retreat to a deserted island without having access to that Darvey love epiphany/love actualization scene then you are kidding yourself! I still blast “Love is Mystical” on full volume just to daydream about that swooping-through-the-apartment-door smooch sometimes. *fans self*

[bard-of-worlds]

Chapter 7

“Come on guys!” Bonnie called as she ran head of the group as the party walked toward the Contest Hall. They had all been woken early and had met a mass of people who were going to the contest either to compete or watch, so after a breakfast they were now walking towards the contest hall. Lilith was smiling as she walked with them, she had released her Skorupi with orders to go to the boys shower and cocoon any black hair it could find and wait for her to get back in the vents. With some luck she would have a possible second hand DNA source to send home.

 “So have you decided on what Pokémon to use yet?” Clemont asked as they walked.

 “I’ve narrowed it down to two of them.  I think I’ll decide when I see what the competition…” Lilith trailed off as she saw the grounds in front of the Hall.   An assortment of both male and female trainers were milling about, some of them with their Pokémon out and from what she was able to see the type that was most eminent were Fairy and Bug.  Seeing what she was up against she mentally made her choices and a sinister smirk grew on her face as she before she felt a hand on her shoulder, turning to look at Serena who had a frown on her face.

 “Are you okay Lilly? You’re looking weird.”  Serena said as Ash and Clemont turned and looked at her.  She quickly brought her face back under control and sent a small smile at her friends.

 “I’m fine, I just made my choice on who to use in what round and I think I might have a good chance to win this thing.”  Lilith said as she gave a small laugh.  Ash looked like he was going to say something but a sound to their left caught their attention.

 “Watch Out!”  A voice called before someone crashed into Clemont. Clemont opened her eyes and meet aqua green eyes under green colored hair on a heart shaped girl’s face close to his own.  Clemont started to blush when he felt their legs were interwoven together and noticed the girl’s long hair was on his face.

 “Are you okay?  Here let me help you up.”  Ash said as he reached down and helped the girl to her feet. Now that Clemont could see her better the girl was around their age and was wearing a blue shirt and black tights with a helmet on her head.  She had on rollerblades and giving the hill behind her the cause of their crash was obvious.  She had a bit of blue lip gloss and looked like someone who would be at home in the wilds, but Lilith saw a hint of class in the way she held herself.  A backpack and a small purse on the ground completed her outfit and a yarn showed she had rushed to get ready and leave where she had bunked.

 ��Sorry about that, you guys walked through my landing spot and I was in midair before I saw you. The name’s Nimue Mistborn, and you can call me Nim.”  She said as she leaned against a railing alongside the hill and looked at the people before her, looking right at Clemont, not noticing the look Lilith sent her. Lilith threw her hand out and shot a smile at her when she turned and looked at her.

 “Hi I’m Lilly!  Are you competing or watching the Contest?”   Lilith asked as she sent a forced smile at Nimue.

 “Competing, so I guess I might be fighting you in the finals.  And the rest of you are?”  Nimue said as she shook Lilith’s hand and saw Bonnie run to stand next to her brother.

 “I’m Clemont, this is my sister Bonnie and our friends Ash and Serena.” Clemont said as Serena bowed to her and Ash gave a wave.  While the other started to make small talk with Nimue Lilith looked at the teen before her, something about her had her on edge, some feeling she last had back Home when... Lilith’s eye’s widened when she remembered when she had felt this last, was it possible, was she? Something about her stare got through to Nimue and she rolled past them toward the doors.

 “Well it was nice talking with you all; see you on the floor and good luck with the others!”  She called as she rolled towards the doors.

 “She seems, nice I guess. Think her performance will be mobile?” Ash asked as he looked at where Nimue had been.

 “No she a bit of class about her, I’m thinking the opposite of what we expect.  She’s probably going to be trouble if I make it through the appeal round.”  Lilith said as she went over what her team could do.  A descision made she turned to Serena and Bonnie and smiled at them.

 “So you two want to help me get ready?”  Lilith asked as she smiled as she looked at them.  Bonnie perked up and Serena returned her smile.

 “So while the two of us help Lilly what will you two do?”  Serena asked as she looked at Ash and Clemont.

 “Me and Clemont will get some seats near the top or front, I’ll leave my bag and go get you two after you’re done helping her.  Good luck Lilly.”  Ash answered as he and Clemont walked toward the entrance for the audience.  

 “Be good Bonnie.” Clemont told Bonnie as he and Ash left the girls.  Unseen by all a figure had heard the crash and had gave a start when he recognized Ash among the group, slipping into shadows cast by the buildings so he wouldn’t notice him.

 The figure walked into the light, revealing a man with purple hair in green cloths with a green hat looked at Ash and his group as they walked into the building.  He had seen Ash and Clemont walk into the building and Bonnie and Serena walk after and a smile grew on his face.

 “Well, well, well. Ash Ketchum’s in Kalos!  And either May May isn’t with him or she’s inside already.  One thing’s for sure, it will be quite a championship this year.”  He said as he strolled towards registration with a spring in his steps.  Whatever he did on the circuit, he’ll probably stay around for the championship.

 Lilith smiled as she walked toward the check in station, she was traveling with the prince…no with Ash and some new friends and she was back on the Contest Circuit, this was one of her better missions ever.  Now all she needed to register and she was golden.  Bonnie and Serena walked behind her each with smile on their faces.

 “Hello, here to register for the contests?”  A woman with long black hair in a green tube top and skirt asked as she smiled with green lips.

 “Yes, I’m Lil lly. Lilly.” Lilth said as she handed over her Pokédex.  She had changed her name and deleted the data about her home, putting down her home as a small island that Chimera destroyed a few months after she had ‘left on her journey’ three years ago.  Those from the island had been relocated to the homeland so it and other locations like it were used for cover on assignments out of their lands, so it would stand up if people looked into it.

 “Well you’re registered.  Here’s a Ribbon Case you’ll need, one side is for the Regular Ribbons, the other is for the Grand Ribbons.  Your Pokédex will open the door to changing room 56, you have half an hour until the contest begins, and you need to select which of your Pokémon to use for each round, as of the rules for this Contests you can’t use the same Pokémon in both rounds.” The green woman said as she handed over a Ribbons case and Lilith’s Pokédex.  Lilith smiled as Bonnie grabbed her free hand and walked into the hall, this was going to be fun.

  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

  Brock smiled as sipped a cup of coffee as he walked through Viridian City, he had a good talk with SandyLady last night, the weather was sunny for the next few days and today his favorite coffee shop had had a sale as part of their tenth anniversary celebration, today was looking to be a good one.  

 “Morning Doc, need a ride to the Center?”  A voice caused him to turn and see Officer Jenny on her motorcycle giving him a small smile.

 “Morning Officer Jenny, no, I think a walk is just what I need today, what about you having a good morning so far.”  Brock said as gave her a wave with his free hand.

 “Top ten on the radio, a good breakfast and the weather channel said a tornado is due to hit the region in the next few days, so same old same old.  I’m heading over to the airport to talk to them about when they’ll have to shut down.”  Officer Jenny said as she shrugged.

 “Expecting any trouble with that?”  Brock questioned as he had a troubled look on his face.

 “No more than usual when this happens.  The egg heads at the league said they have a project to migrate the force of the wind, but you know how they are with their last project in Pewter City a few months back.”  Jenny said with a sight, drawing a wince from Brock.

 “You mean when they tried to build a dam and caused a landslide that almost covered the city and caused the Pokémon in the mountains to attack the city because their food sources had been destroyed?”  Brock questioned with dread.  Sometime the League’s projects worked and sometimes they ended badly for everyone around the site.

 “Yeah so I better get to the Airport and check in on the Pallet office about a report I got about a Rattata horde that attacked two trainers, talk to you latter Doctor.”  Jenny said before she drove off.  Brock gave a small sighed and walked off with a smile on his face. Talking with Jenny was one of the good things about living in this city, that and the Poker games she, his teacher and Nurse Joy got up to every weekend.

 As he walked toward the Pokémon Center he stopped when he saw an ambulance speed past him around the corner leading to the Pokémon Center that filled him with a sense of dread. He broke into a run, dashing around the corner, seeing the Center’s parking lot already half full of cars and people running toward the building holding their Pokémon, Brock stared at the scene before him to drop his cup and run into the Center.

 Brock entered the building at a run and saw a scene of pure chaos!  Doctors and nurses ran all over, with humans looking worried of all ages around the front chamber, his fellow students mixed around checking on the Pokémon. Brock hadn’t seen such a scene of pure chaos in all his life.  The only think this resembled were plague outbreaks he had studied in the past. Was this a new plague, a viral outbreak or was it a reaction to a fungal spread?

 “Brock, thank Arceus you finally made it! I need you to handle any patients without a doctor or nurse looking over them! Once you’ve got a handle on what’s wrong with the patient send them to a room with an empty bed and move on to the next.”  His teacher’s voice called as Brock brought himself back to the present.  I can think about this later, I have to help the Pokémon first.  Brock thought to himself as he ran toward a Nidorina and her trainer.  The Nidorina was lying down on a cart and her trainer was stoking her and whispering to her, she looked at Brock with relief that almost caused him to wince.

 “When did she start to show symptoms, does she have a regular apatite when she woke up this morning?” Brock question as he started to examine the Nidorina before him.

 “She was a bit sluggish this morning and she just passed out while she was eating breakfast, so she’s been like this for about an hour, I came over as soon as I could recall her to her ball.”  The trainer told him as Brock shined a light into the Poison Pin Pokémon’s eye. Not responsive to stimulation, sleepy and the moaning shows she’s feeling some pain.  No broken bones and no blood from the mouth, so maybe no internal bleeding.  Brock thought as he felt along the Pokémon’s limbs, whatever was wrong with the Pokémon, he would try to fix it.

  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

  Nicolas walked out of the mountain with his Teddiursa at his side.  The hunt was due to depart soon and his lord, no Good Sylvestre.  This hunt was to let him see the person Sylvestre was and decide if he want to follow him, which had already gotten him major points for his honor and beliefs.  Still the hunt would be a good chance to learn and make some allies, and talk away from the mountain.  Some of the new members, he needed to talk with someone who had been here longer as a Knight, maybe they would know anything about where they came from.

 “You must be the kid the boss said was coming with us.”  A gruff voice said to his right.  The person walking towards him was taller than him, black hair in a topknot wearing a green cloak over a green shirt and pants.

 “The names Dante, the tracker for this little jaunt.”  He said and offered his right hand.  Nicolas reached for before a giant purple hand grabbed his hand and shook it vigorously.

 “And this little prankster is my partner, Haunter.”  He continued as the Ghost type revealed itself as it laughed with a smile on its face.

 “Pleased to meet you both. This is my partner, Teddiursa.” Nicolas said as he recovered and his Teddiursa stared into the Ghost Type’s eyes, the Haunter just smirked at the Teddiursa before the Normal Type held up a paw and let dark energy flow over its claws.

 “Play nice you two, now come on, the rest of the party should be ready.  And you need this.”  Dante said as he passed Nicolas a glove with a blue gem on the back. Nicolas just took the glove and put it on his left hand.

 “So we will be using golems on the hunt?”  Nicolas asked as they moved down the mountain toward the forest.

 “We’ll be riding on Lupine Chargers, there the best thing to ride on to hunt in the forest.  And there they are.”  Dante said as he pointed forward, causing Nicolas to follow his hand.

 At the base of the mountain was Good Sylvestre standing with thirteen Squires readying four Lupine Chargers, wooden wolf like golems with jade gems for eyes and claws and teeth made out of emerald colored crystals.  It had a wooden saddle on its back with a blue gemstone just before the saddle near the neck of the neck of the golem.  Also by the forest were 12 Carrier Lizards, golems made in the shape of lizards with wooden open boxes on their back.

 “So we’ll be using the Chargers to move and the Carriers to transport our bounty?”  Nicolas said as the four of them moved toward the golems.

 “Indeed, the Carriers and Squires will hand what we kill and defend it.  With the three Chargers we will run down our prey and kill them.” Sylvestre answered as he walked over and clasped Dante’s hand.

 “Thank you for coming along old friend, it will be better with someone like you along.  And Knight Nicolas, I thank you for coming along on my punishment.”  Sylvestre continued as he led them the golems and directed them to one each.

 “But there are four Chargers?”  Nicolas asked as he put the glove on the blue gem of one of the Chargers.

 “The last one is for one of the Squires, so he has something to get us if they need us fast.  Now come, our hunt shall be in the forests along Victory road itself, let us find our prey my friends!”  Sylvestre cried out as he raised his rapier high to calls of agreement from the others as they all mounted a golem, with the squires ridding the Charger leading the other squires with the Knights in front the party set out for the hunting ground.

  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

  Lilith smiled as she sat in the dressing room as Serena applied some lipstick to her face. Bonnie and Serena had help her get into her dress Serena had directed Bonnie in applying blush and mascara before she had gone to the bathroom.

 “Thanks for this Serena; you and Bonnie really helped me out a lot.  I have to say you have an eye for fashion and makeup.”  Lilith said as she gave herself a once over as her Pokémon’s floated next to her.  She had decided on one dress but Serena had helped her choose a necklace and earrings, and Bonnie had helped with her hair.

 “Thanks, I told you about mom’s career and well mom kind of trained me in the sport since I turned ten, and well, fashion magazines and books became an escape for me.  And sometimes when mom had parties to go to some of her friends helped her put a mask on as she would say and they taught me a little bit about it.”  Serena said as emotions flew behind her eyes.  Lilith looked at Serena with a blank face but inside she was frowning, Lady Carmila had taught her a lot about people minds and how to feel them, Serena felt had a few issues with how her mother raised her, what she was pushed towards but for all Lilith want to help her she knew that Serena had to work through it herself.

 “Still you have a gift, you should think about it when you decide on your future.”  Lilith said as she gently squeezed Serena’s shoulder who answered it with a smile.  If what Lilith thought she felt when she meet her, her future would be in the Homeland no matter what happened, and she knew a few people who could do with an apprentice.

 “Anyhow I think Clemont is going to like the way you look Lilly.” Serena teased Lilith and was rewarded with Lilith blushing.

 “And how would Ash react if you dressed up a bit Serena?” Lilith countered and laughed as Serena blushed this time.  Serena grabbed a small pillow and hit Lilith on the head with it.

 “Watch the face; I don’t want to put this stuff on again so soon!”  Lilith laughed as she grabbed for the pillow.

 Bonnie ran through the hallway, dodging people in costumes and Pokémon as she moved back towards the dressing room.  This was incredible, the costumes were so colorful and the atmosphere was amazing, she had thought that the Showcase was the only way to perform with Pokémon but this showed that there was so much more out there.  Her attention was so caught up with what was around her that she never noticed the figure who stepped in front of her until she bumped into him.

  “You should watch where you’re going kid.”  A voice said as a hand reached down and Bonnie grabbed it. The person who helped her up was a purple haired man in green cloths.

 “Sorry Mr.  I want to get back to my friends and all these people in their costumes just took my attention.”  Bonnie said as she rubbed the back of her head.

 “Just be more careful in the future kid, say weren’t you walking with Ash Ketchum outside?”  The man asked as he looked at her closely. Bonnie felt something about his look, something that felt bad, that reminded her of the feeling she got before those boys attacked her.

 “Yeah, do you know Ash?” Bonnie asked as she slowly reached for her satchel and Dedenne, ready to release him and have him shock Harley.

 “You could say that the two of us are acquainted.  Say, what’s your name?”  The man asked as he looked at her.  Bonnie looked into his eyes and she felt a twitch of fear, his stare was, there just was something wrong about it.

 “My name’s Bonnie, hello.” Bonnie said as she put her hand on her bag over Dedenne, feeling him wake up from his nap, feeling Bonnie’s fingers on him Bonnie could feel him start to tense, ready to protect her if needed.

 “It’s charming to meet you Bonnie.  When you see him tell him Harley said hi would ya sweetie?  Well it was nice talking with you but I have to get ready for my performance.”  Harley said as he walked off and waved goodbye while he whistled a tune.

 Bonnie just looked after him and walked back toward Serena and Lilith, that person seemed to be a very strange and dangerous man.  Ash had talked at supper about some characters he had met while on his journeys around the regions, but he never mentioned Harely.

 “There you are Bonnie, are you okay?” Serena’s voice caused her notice the hallway was almost empty and the people in the hallway were heading toward the far end while a few well-wishers were heading the other way.

 “Yeah, I just ran into someone who knows Ash.”  Bonnie said as she grabbed Serena’s hand and walked toward the stage area.

 “Someone who knows Ash, what were they like?”  Serena asked Bonnie as they walked out of the backstage area.

 “He said his name was Harley and I guess he was strange.  He had a look in his eyes when he looked at me, when he said he saw us walking with Ash earlier.  I didn’t like it, I felt scared for a few seconds.”  Bonnie said as Dedenne stuck his head out of her bag and looked at Bonnie in concern. Serena eyes gained a hint of worry as she heard what Bonnie had to say and looked around nervously, seeing no one looking at them she pulled Bonnie faster toward where they would meet Ash and Clemont.

 “Enjoy the show you two.” Nimue voice caused the two to turn and look toward the voice to see Nimue in her costume peering out of her dressing room.

 “You look beautiful Nimue!” Serena said as she and Bonnie looked at her.

 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 Brock staggered toward the beak room, he had finally finished with all the patients and he needed something to drink.  Entering the room he saw his teacher, Dr. Ryouta Panacelon, a man with black hair in a black smock and pants over a white doctor’s coat staring at a map of the city on the wall, next to him stood his wife Sayeko Panacelon a nurse who specialized in viral infections.  Since he had come for his residency here in Viridian those two had helped him and taught him a lot about Pokémon medicine and he hoped that the hospital would be able to handle this outbreak.

 “Your tracking where they live to find a common denominator, it started near the mountains?”  Brock said as he got a glass of water and leaned against the sink.  This was basic procedural for an outbreak, and hopeful it wouldn’t spread to the rest of the region.

 “Yeah, I think so, but I’ve consulted with trainers and only a few of them were even near the mountains within the last seventy-two hours, and not enough for all the cases we’ve seen. I sent Joy to do some blood work when the first ten cases came in, so we should have the result in a few minutes. What are the basic symptoms you’ve seen Doctor?” Dr. Ryouta asked as looked at his student.  Brock gave a small smile as his teacher’s wife sighed and shook her head, him and his teaching moments.

 “Well, all Pokémon I’ve examined generally seem to be feeling pain and all have other symptoms; all Pokémon with fangs that I’ve examined, their mouths are red and puffy, Koffings and Weezings are having trouble regulating their gases content and are stuck close to the ground.  Most Nidorino or Nidorina that I’ve examined are lethargic at best, unconscious at worst. Most Flying types are losing their feathers, Fire Types are cold and a Beedrill-” Brock began to report when a woman with pink hair in loops wearing a nurse’s outfit ran in holding a piece of paper with a shocked look on her face.

 “Ah, Joy!  Did the blood work show any common-“Ryouta started to say when Nurse Joy interrupted him.

 “It’s a spore!  What’s affecting the Pokémon is a kind of spore!” Joy cut in and slammed the paper she was holding on the table.

 “A spore?!  What kind of spore could cause these symptoms in all these Pokémon?!  And what does that do to the origin point?”  Sayeko exclaimed as she looked over the data on Joy’s paper. Brock looked over the data and started to look over the genetic data.  Brock looked at it and something about it looked familiar.

 “I don’t know.  I had the computers to look for any other changes in their biochemistry, thankfully a Seviper who had coming in for her yearly checkup was the source for one of the blood samples, so we should know any other changes soon.”  Joy said as she wrung her hands.

 “For now the best we can do is make them as comfortable as possible.  Put them on generic anti-fungal medicines as their size requires and Brock; what’s wrong?”  Ryouta said as the other people in the room turned to look at him with looks of worry on their faces.

 “This spore, I think I’ve seen something like it before but I can’t remember where or when.  It’s on the tip of my tongue but I can’t remember where.”  Brock said as he shook his head.  Ryouta shared a look with his wife and sighed.

 “Until you can remember keep yourself busy with the other patients, I’ll go and get a timeline of the last 48 hours from the trainers who are still here after I call the local stations, I’ll use my authority to have them put out a warning to tell people keep watch over their Pokémon for symptoms.  Sayeko, I need you to start giving out basic pain medicine and Joy, start trying to identify what kind of spore it is, check everything for even a partial match.”   Ryouta said as he walked toward the desk and phone.

 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 A young teenage boy with dark skin and spikey white hair in a black cloak over black pants and a red long shirt a scabbard on his back ran between white brick houses with a smile on his face, dodging people in similar cloaks and their Pokémon as he ran toward a house by a river that ran alongside the village.  An old man with a white beard, a bald head wearing a white robs sat outside a house with a staff as he watched the boats on the river.

 “Elder, Elder!”  The teen called out as he ran toward the old man who turned and smiled when he saw who was coming towards him.

 “Ahh, Bahadur, I was wondering when I would see you today.  I am sorry it took so long for your Pokémon to arrive.” He said with a smile as he led Bahadur into the house behind him. In the front room, on a red pillow was a Pokéballl which the Elder walked toward and picked up.  He walked back toward Bahadur and smiled at him.

 “You have passed the Trials of the Blade, mastering your Aura and walking with the Fire within yourself. You have done well, and you have earned the right to be a train Pokémon.  May this little one grow under your care, and may this Pokédex help you both on your journey.”  He said as he handed the ball to Bahadur.

 “Go Pokéball!” Bahadur said as he threw the ball away from him, it opened and released his chosen starter, a Magby who looked unsure of its new trainer.

 “Hello, we’re partners from now on little flame, my name is Bahadur.”  Bahadur said as he crouched down and stuck out his right hand.  The Magby looked hesitant before it smiled and grabbed its trainer’s hand with a smile.

 “I was surprised that you decided on this one to start with boy’o, I was sure you would choose the Water or the Ground, few choose the Fire in this land.”  The Elder said as he watched the two begin to bond.

 “No, young Aagha’s father said that he would arrange for his son’s first Pokémon and said that his son had a specific one in mind for his starter, but I can tell you it was of the Ground.   Now be off with you, watch yourself and enjoy the rest of your day my boy.  And here’s your new Pokédex, its scanner can tell you all you need about your Pokémon’s move, and don’t forget to link it with your Quest Scanner.”  The Elder said as he pushed the two of them out the door.

 “Come on partner, I’ll show you around your new home.  This is Sola’s Rest, a small town named for its founder.  Chief export is food for our section of the Desert Domain, that’s where we live the Desert Domain of the continent.  A land of sand and scattered towns, the river and oasis’s are our lifeblood, find a source of water in the badlands and you can sell it to the government or be set for years by making it a homestead or town.  And maybe I should see what moves you have.”  Bahadur said as opened his Pokédex as he led his Pokémon through the town.  He didn’t notice a rodent looking teen with black beady eyes in a black hooded cloak looking at them from the shadows of a nearby alley.

“Aagha gonna like this, the chance to put that one in his place again and maybe scare his Pokémon’s mind. Patrat, let’s make some money.” The teen cackled as he threw a Pokéball, releasing a Patrat wearing a collar with a blinking light on its back. Pointing at the teen and the Fire type he gave his orders.

 “Go follow those two, when they head toward the training field send me a signal.”  With his orders given the teen scuttled into the shadows of the alleys, running toward what he hoped would be a good payday for him, not noticing someone had been watching him from atop the building.  The figure was wearing a black cloak and with a nod to a Meditite hovering next to the figure they started to move toward a set of docks by the river.

 The rodent reached a walled complex, moving toward the back he climbed up a fake tree and slipped into the compound.  He ran towards a two story building near the wall and knocked on a door toward the back. A female figure with glossy skin and vibrant green hair in a maid’s uniform with black blue eyes opened the door.

 “Do you need to see the master?”  The mechanical voice from the figure coupled with the skin and eyes revealed her to a Homunculus.

 “No words for you, I wanna talk to your master Dolly.”  The teen said as he pushed past it into the building, he walked until he reached a large chamber with many teens in red cloaks over red knee-length tunics and were leaning against the walls while three teenage boys were sitting around a table with food on it, but all were watching four female homunculus with dark crimson hair wearing purple tube tops and pants dance while other homunculus in the same clothing move about the room carrying plates of drink and food to the other teens in the chamber.  The teen sitting in the middle was a red head with red eyes and wearing a golden version of the tunics the others were warring.  The two on his sides both had dark hair and wore black knee-length tunics.

 “Are you having fun playing with your dolls, great master?”  The teen’s voice rang out causing the others in the chamber barring the dancers and servants to turn to look at him

 “Rat, so do you want to offer me now?”  The voice came from the teen in the golden tunic as the others let their boss speak.

 “How about the location of your unworthy foe master Aagha; what would the location of that one and his first Pokémon be worth in coin?” the named Rat asked as he was meet with a smirk from Aagha and grins from those around the chamber.

 “The chance to beat him is worth some coin.”  Aagha answered with a wicked smirk as the others started to laugh evilly.

  “Serena, I’m over here!” Ash called to Serena and Bonnie when he saw them through the crowd.  The smile on his face slipped when he saw the frown on Serena’s face and the way she was holding Bonnie’s hand.  He looked at Pikachu who nodded at him and moved its tail toward the door.  Ash forced himself to smile at Bonnie and pointed toward the open doorway to the stands.

 “Clemont and I got some seats in the top row in the Center, why don’t you go ahead of us and Serena and I’ll go get some snacks?  Pikachu, go show her where the seats are.” Ash said, promting Pikachu to jump in font of Bonnie and walk off with her following him.  Ash turned to Serena who was looking back the way she and Bonnie had come from, when she turned back to Ash and when she saw the look on his face she sighed.

 “It’s nothing, Bonnie just went to the bathroom and she ran into someone you know on the way back. She said he felt wrong to her so I just hurried over to you and Clemont.”  Serena said as Ash looked confused for a few seconds before he gained a resigned look.

 “Someone I know? Someone who felt, it was here and near the changing rooms so they have to be a Coordinator, and it’s a he….Did she say his name was either Drew or Harley?”  Ash said as he looked worried.

 “She said his name was Harley.  Do you have a history with him?” Serena asked when she saw a scowl grow on Ash’s face.   Ash gritted his teeth as his mind boiled.  It has to be that purple haired schemer!  I just hope he doesn’t plan to mess with Lilly because she knows me.  He looked at Serena and saw the worried look on her face and adopted a small smile to put Serena’s mind at ease.

 “A Coordinator I traveled with had a rivalry with him that was all one-sided on his part, he went out of his way to attack, embarrass and sabotage her, and he might have even worked with Team Rocket once, I wasn’t sure at the end.  I just hope he doesn’t decide to attack Lilly.”  Ash said as he looked around and notice the condensation stand.

 “So I was thinking a small Popcorn for Bonnie, Clemont wanted a pretzel and you?”  Ash said as he grabbed Serena’s hand and walked toward it, not noticing the blush this generated as they walked.

 When Ash and Serena returned to where he had left Clemont, Ash saw that Bonnie had looked calm and mouthed ‘latter’ in reaction to the look Clemont shot Ash.  Clemont looked he would have said something when the lights started to darken as a spotlight shinned down on the green girl from the registration desk holding a mike in her hands.

 “Welcome one and all the first ever general Pokémon Contest!  Here in Kalos we have the Showcase, and while that well and good, it’s for girls only!  So to try something new in general, for the next year Contests will be held until the League Tournament where everyone in Kalos will vote to decide if this will keep going!  For the Contests around this area I’ll be your commenter, Leafra’s the name so don’t you forget it!   The judges for this Contest will be Santalune City;s own Nurse Joy, the vice president Pokémon Fan Club Mr. Glomong and yours truly!   And now may the Contest begin!”  She said as the speakers around the stage boomed out her words.

 After a few while Ash turned and looked at Bonnie’s face, seeing the awe and wonder the performances so far had been breath taking to the girl, to Ash who had been to two Grand Festivals it was okay.  But he looked up from his dex when he saw the lights dim, wondering who was up next.

 “Well let’s give a big hand for that performance!  Up next we have Harely!”  Leafra voice cried out as a spotlight shined on the entrance.  Harely walked out waving a folding fan imperilessly at the crowd, dressed like a Pokélantis Senator in a green toga with a crown of golden leaves, his Cacturne at his side as they walked to the center of the stage and began

 “First Spikes!” Harley commanded before his Cacturne started to spin, sending six green spikes form its body that formed a circle around the two of them.

 “Grass Knot and Growth!” The command had the Cacturne eyes grow green as plants started to grow around the spikes before it shot the plants with a white beam that caused them to grow six feet tall around the spikes.

 “Now Cotton Spore, like we practiced!”  Harley cried out as he thrust with his fan closed as his Cacturne spun and shot white puffy balls that floated above the vine towers.

 “Now finish it up with Pin Missiles!”  With this command small white pins shot from its spikes and hit the puffy balls, bursting them apart, falling around the towers, creating a scene of an ancient senator standing in a green ruin while it snowed.   The audience stared before they began cheering and applauding his performance.

 Ash had to admit that he had improved, but sadly skills and personality didn’t go hand in hand. Looking at the judges he saw.

 “Impressive, quite a show. What do you think Nurse Joy?” Mr. Glomong said as he smiled.

 “A truly beautiful combination of moves!”  Nurse Joy answered with a smile.  Harley gave an imperious bow as he walked off the stage with his Pokémon following him.

 “Let’s give it up for Harley everyone!  And up next is Miss Nimue Mistborn!”  Leafra said with a smile on her face.

 “So what do you guys think, I’m guessing she has a biker costume giving how she bumped into Clemont.” Ash said as he leaned forward with a smirk on his face.  Clemont just blushed at the teasing as Serena and Bonnie laughed lightly.

 “I have a feeling we’ll be surprised.”  Serena said as she shared a look with Bonnie and both of them smiled.

 Nimue walked onto the stage. She was dressed in a blue ballroom gown that showed the top of her breasts and shoulders, blue opera gloves and a dark pearl necklace falling toward her breasts.  Her face had a light coating of aqua green lipstick on her lips and dark blue eye-shadow on her eye lids completed the look, her hair was an aqua green and trailed down her back in a braid.  By her side walked a Golduck, while she stopped at the end of the end of the stage the Golduck walked to the center of the stage.

 “Start off with a Rain Dance around you.”  Nimue voice range out like a melody as she stood at the stage’s end.  Golduck’s eyes glowed and clouds formed with Golduck at the center with the clouds ending a few feet from Nimue.  As the rain started to fall Nimue brought the fan to her face.

 “Follow with an Aqua Jet to gather.”  She sang out. Her Golduck jumped up wards as water from the rain gathered around it.  When it reached the apex of its jump Numue gave her next command.

 “Now Psychic on water!” Golducks eye glowed blue and the water trailing behind it broke away and started to makes shapes as the Golduck started to fall.

 “Now finish it with an Ice Beam!”  The water took on its final shape before a blue beam freezing it into an ice Water symbol that the Golduck landed on with its arms folded against its chest.

 The crowed was silent for a few seconds before they exploded with applauses!  Joy had a particularly large smile on her face as she gave a standing ovation to the performance.

 “I would have to say that was a wonderful set!  A wonderful example of what training and practice can accomplish if you try!  Mr. Glomong what do you think?”  Nurse Joy asked her fellow judge as she sat down.

 “I would have to say that was amazing!  The Golduck is a wonderful specimen who has been trained to master its powers fully; I have to give full points on this!” He said as he smiled.

 “Let’s give a big hand to one of the best so far folks!  And the last performance of the Appeal’s round, give a warm welcome to Miss Lilly Nightbloom!”  Leafra said as people quitted down for next

 Lilith walked out. She was dressed in a ruby figure-hugging, ankle length dress that showed off her figure and had on pure white opera gloves.  Her face had black obsidian lipstick and red eye shadow that gave her eyes the appearance of blue gems on red velvet.  Floating next to her was her Misdreavus that slowly moved in a circle around her head. As she walked out toward the stage people were awestruck with the air of sophistication she gave off.

 Clemont stared at Lilith with his mouth hanging open, a blush on his face as he looked at her.  

 “Doesn’t she look amazing big brother?”  Bonnie’s voice snapped him out of his daze and saw that his sister had been watching Lilly closely since she walked onto the stage and hadn’t seen his reaction, a small miracle.

 “Yes she does look nice Bonnie, you and Serena helped her with it?” Clemont asked as his eyes drank in the figure Lilith made as she walked with her Pokemon.

 “Only the makeup, Serena really knows how to apply it nicely.” Bonnie answered, causing Ash to look at Serena with a question in his eyes; she sent him a look that they would talk about it later. I wonder what happened to tomboy Rena over the years?   Ash mused as his thoughts went back to their youth.

 When Lilith reached the middle of the stage she raised her right hand up and called out her first command.

 “Will-O-Wisp, far.” She called out in a silky voice. Her Misdreavus eyes glowed blue and nine blue glowing spheres of fire formed around it and started to orbit it.

 “Charge Beam, spin.” Lilith said before her Misdreavus spun counter to the orbiting spheres as yellow sparks started to form around it before a blast of electricity shot at the spheres, the fire gaining electricity and started to hover in place.

 Lilith closed her eyes and nodded her head.  She opened them when the spheres started to fall.

 “Psychic.”  As soon as the word left her mouth the spheres gained a blue glow as her Misdreavus eyes gained the same color.  The spheres flew to the top of the room and started to move about as the Misdreavus went a location at the center of the spheres.

 “Finish, Dazzling Gleam.” Lilith said as she opened her eyes and smiled.  Misdreavus whole body started to glow and a rainbow blast shot out of its body and hit the sphere, destroying them and causing a rainbow of sparks to rain down around Lilith as her Misdreavus came to float behind and above her head.

 People stared in awe, so enraptured in it they couldn’t even move for a few seconds before they gave a standing ovation to the performance.

 “MARVOULOUS! Simply breathe taking!  A Perfect showing!  What say you Nurse Joy?”  Mr. Glomong commented as he stood and applauded.

 “One of the best in the whole Contest, I will definitely be keeping an eye on her performances in the future!”  Nurse Joy said as she joined those applauding Lilith as she gave a small curtsy and walked off the stage, her ghost type following after her.

 Clemont was in awe of what he had seen, Lilly was amazing, there were just no other words for it. Bonnie smiled and clapped as Serena looked at the stage in wonder with a thoughtful look in her eyes.  Ash smiled as he looked at the performance, Lilly was a powerful Coordinator, there was no doubt about that at least.

 “Well that’s the Appeal’s round Folks, after a two hour break for lunch and we’ll announce the scoring in an hour.  After the break we’ll have the top 10 fight it out in the Battle round, so for all the people who competed I personally salute you all.”  Leafra said as she gave a bow to the crowd.  As the audience got up Ash motioned to the others to wait for the rest of the crowd to pass before they went to Lilith’s dressing room.

 Lilith smiled as she washed the makeup off her face in the sink in her room before she put her street cloths back on.  She thought she had giving a good showing, and hoped she would make it into the top ten. I wonder what Clemont thought about how I looked?  She thought with a blush as she finished putting her shirt back on when her door opened and Bonnie dashed in and hugged her legs.

 “That was amazing Lilly!   You were great out there.”  Bonnie said as she looked up at the older girl who reached down and rubbed her head.

 “Thanks kid, but next time you should knock before you enter, I was changing, wouldn’t want to catch me in my underwear would you.”  Lilith said as she looked at the smiling faces of her friends.  Her words caused Clemont to blush which caused Lilith to grow a small smirk on her face at his reaction.  Serena saw the byplay and gave Lilith a small playful smile.

 “So how about I go grab some food and we’ll eat here, it’s a good habit to protect you stuff when he’s around.”  Ash said as he and Pikachu walked off.

 “He?  He who?”  Lilith asked as she looked at Serena as Clemont looked at Bonnie in worry before his eyes hardened and he turned to Serena with a bit of anger in his eyes.

 “Is this connected to why Pikachu brought Bonnie to the seats?” Clemont demanded as Lilith looked at Bonnie.

 “Bonnie ran into someone Ash knew, a Coordinator that Ash says doesn’t mind pulling dirty tricks to get ahead.  And Bonnie…” Serena trailed off as Bonnie put her head down, prompting Lilith to stoop down and pull her into a hug.

 “I didn’t like his eyes; there was something wrong about them and his voice, it was, I can’t describe it.  I just didn’t like the feeling he gave off.”  Bonnie confided in the others as Clemont clenched his hands as he looked out the door, the anger on his face showing that he wanted to introduce this person to his axes.

 Ash moved through the hallways carrying a few cardboard boxes with food a small smile on his face as he walked with Pikachu next to him, he had gotten a bit of everything and he hoped that the others would like something, now if he could just… he stopped when a voice called out to him

 “Well, well.  Ash Ketchum, never thought I’d see you again.” The words caused him to turn and see Harley still in his costume a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

 “Harley, and here I was wondering what the stench I smelled when I got to the contest hall was.”  Ash said dryly causing Harley to jolt and stare open mouthed for a few seconds before a grin stretched across his face.

 “Well, little Ash is growing up, what a wonderful burn; do you kiss your mother with that mouth?” Harley shot back as Pikachu’s checks started to spark.  Ash merely used his foot to nudge Pikachu down the hall away from Harley.

 “And how did you find yourself here, fall off a garbage tuck?”  Ash commented with a deadpanned look on his face as he walked away leaving Harley to fume and stare after him.  

 Harley looked after Ash and snarled as he pounded back toward his dressing room.  That little Kanto brat really has changed.  I can’t wait to smash that girls little Pokémon in the Battle Round. He thought as he looked at Ash over his shoulder.

 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

  Magnus looked troubled as he walked through the hallway; he was troubled by the report he had received along with a scan of his sister yesterday and it was nothing but trouble. He had made some progress on his nephew’s sealing and he had discovered that he was a least three sets, the first he had was sure of, the next halfway and the last was the hardest to identify. He had identified the first as an abomination that held back his emotional maturity but it had started to break apart and it was almost fully gone, something had happened that had broken it. He hoped that Camilla had found something; she had said that she was looking into his journey in more detail, maybe she would know.  Delia’s was even worse, one that took her memoires and another that was unknown to him, and that raised all sorts of alarms in his head.

 Looking up he saw Camilla walk out of a room with a dazed look on her face, maybe she would know something.

 “Ah, Camilla, found out anything about my nephew?”  Camilla just walked on not reacting to his voice. Growing concerned he ran up to her and put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn and face him.

 “Oh, Magnus, how’s the work examining the young Princes seals?”  She said when her eyes focused onto his face.

 “Rather well, I’ve identified three arrays, one that seemed to be breaking down because of something that happened a few years ago if I’m analyzing it right.”  Magnus said, his words causing her to wince.

 “Camilla, what did you find? If it’s about what happened to him…” Magnus began before Camilla interrupted him flatly.

 “He has zero self-preservation when lives are on the line.” Camilla said as she started to walk down the hall.

 “What did he do?” Magnus asked as a headache started to form.

 “In the Rota Township he released the Lucario in the Lost Guardian’s staff, led a party to invade the Tree of Beginning, discovered why the Guardian left and almost gave all up his Aura to revitalized the Tree.”  Camilla said as Magnus stopped and went white.  He slammed his hand against his face and rubbed his forehead before he walked after her.

 “I thought that his Aura wasn’t ‘awake’?”  Magnus asked in confusion causing Camilla to turn and look at him with a haunted look.

 “It isn’t.”  She deadpanned as she walked on, stopping Magnus for a moment in shock before he moved to catch up with her.

 “Why did the apple have to fall so close to the tree?  I swear he’s probably just like his father and mother combined.”  He moaned as they walked through the halls.

 “What about Delia’s seals? Have you identified anything about them?”  Camilla question as they walked.  Magnus noticed that they were walked toward the throne room, and after a few minutes of thought he decided to wait.

 “I identified that she has two, one I’m sure of and the other I’ll tell you and the boss when we meet up for the general briefing tonight.  I only want to go over it once.”  Magnus said with a sigh as he walked.

 “No spoilers old friend?”  Camilla asked with a pout on thrown over her shoulder as they walked.

 “None for you.”  He answered; sparking a laugh from Camilla as he walked in front of her to hide his smirk, glad that she was back to normal.

 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

  The party that had sent out from Team Gaia’s Base had been moving quickly and secretly through the wild and had move a good distance, the mountain the Base was in had disappeared over the horizon a few hours back.  The time had passed with small talk and trail songs, a few times a few Flying types had flown low and gotten capture arrows shot at them, a few were brought down and one had escaped.  The squires had added them to the cargo, and already one of the Carriers was full, a good start to the hunt.

 Nicholas had mixed feelings about the traveling, it had let him learn about both Sylvestre and Dante, but the convoy’s travel had given him anytime to talk to anyone alone, but once they set up camp it might give him a chance to talk to either Sylvestre or Dante privately, and he needed to.  Going over his memories of interactions with the ‘newcomers’ he was sure something was up with them, but if his seniors were involved with it he then he might be in trouble if he brought it up.  He looked down and saw his Teddiursa looking up at him and smiled at his Pokémon, at least he would have his partner with him if he needed to run, if Sylverstre was involved in whatever it was.

 After a while of riding they reached a clearing in a forest near a mountain between them and Viridian City, and after a few minutes the camp had been set up and the Carriers had been ‘parked’ and Sylvestre started to lead Dante and Nicholas into the woods.

 “Now if we find Beedrills, try to cut off their limb stingers at least, my brother said something about a ritual he needed it for.  Dante take the kid toward the right and I’ll go to the left, we’ll do a circle and make sure the camp is secure before we go farther out.”  Sylvestre said as he melted into the trees, disappearing from sight in seconds.  Nicholas looked at where he had disappeared and shook his head, Dante smirking at his reaction.

 “Yeah, the bossman is good at that shadow stuff, now come on kid, let us see if there are any dens near our basecamp.”  Dante said with a smirk as they moved through the woods.  With a small smile on his face Nicholas moved after him, a sense of wonder at the skill his would be lord displayed, and he hoped he would be able to talk to him about his concerns soon.  He decided to take a chance, they were far enough away that if he needed to he could fight his way to freedom.

 “Say, Sir Dante, have you been around the newcomers much?”   Nicholas started as he walked slowly behind Dante.

 “Not much, I’m on guard duty more often than not at the lookout on top of the base, Haunter can slip through the base and worn people if anything happens, why?”  Dante asked as they moved through the shadows of the trees. Nicholas slowly moved his hand to his partner’s ball and continued solidly.

 “I don’t want to make trouble where there is none, but I’ve felt something off about them.  And the way some of them talk, I just wondering about how they’re found and brought in, that’s all.” Nicholas said as he moved behind his senior.

 “Off how? Wait a minute, what’s this?”   Dante said as they were suddenly engulfed in fog. Dante held up a hand and slowly moved forward until they exited the fog, entering a clearing with a large tree 50 feet high with a hollow three quarters up in the center of the clearing, all around were webs that went from the branches of the tree in the center to the trees along the edges and on the ground all around.

 “What fresh hell is this?” Dante muttered as he drew his weapon, a two sided broad axe before he released his Haunter.  

 “Up, around the clearing and immaterial buddy, let us know if you find anything.”  Dante ordered as Nicholas drew his long sword and released his own partner.

 “I don’t like this; we should have seen this from the campsite.”  Nicholas said as they slowly observed the clearing.

 “We wouldn’t, look at the trees by the edge, you can see carvings on them under the webs; I think their Aura Seals.”  Dante said grimly as his Haunter went near the outer trees before starting to check the clearing for anything hidden.

 “Who would make something like this, and why?”  Nicholas asked as his Teddiursa moved slowly to stand infront of its trainer.

 “The bossman’s brother said once that Aura Seals are the most instinctive of all Disciplines, a Pokémon or a creature might of made this to protect its lair.”  Dante said grimly as he held his arm out to keep Nicholas and his partner from moving past him, his eyes on the ground before them, paying special attention to clumps of webbing.

 “A creature? A Chimera. We’re in a Chimera’s lair, one that’s able to use Aura Seals?”  Nicholas whispered in shock as he paled before he started to look around the clearing in worry.

 “Maybe, it might just be an old temple protected by Seals that something took over as a den by something, maybe Pokémon.  But let’s wait until my partner finishes his sweep, well leave after that but keep your eyes open in the meantime and stay away from the webs; I’ve got a bad feeling about it.”  Dante said grimly as he watched his Haunter move slowly around the clearing, keeping away from the webs as it moved about, finally  it just shock it head-body and moved back towards its trainer, keeping overwatch over the others, following them as they silently left the area.

 “Haunter’s done, but that hollow is giving me a bad feeling, so let’s get out of here, now and tell the bossman what’s here.”  Dante said as he and Haunter slowly backed out of the clearing.  A few minutes after they had left the clearing a human hand reached out of the hollow in the tree and grabbed the edge of the hole and a musical laugh echoed around the clearing.

 “Come my daughters, there is new prey for us to hunt tonight; I wonder which of you will join your dear mother?”  The voice rang out as all around the clearing large clumps of webs started to move.

 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

   Brock walked through the halls with a tired smile on his face, it had been a long few hours but the patients were getting better.  Blood tests had shown that the amount of the spore was decreasing in the blood of the Pokémon as time went by, a few more tests to find out what it did, and if the majority continued healing they would be able to send the majority of them home tomorrow.  He still hadn’t remembered where he had seen it but he was sure he would be able to eventually.  I just hope that what I remember doesn’t make this worse.  Brock thought to himself as he walked toward the break room, hoping to touch base with his teacher.  When he entered the break room he saw his teacher angrily staring at the map, his wife next to him with a sorrowful look on her face as she stood with him.

 “I’m guessing that you found out something with the timeline?”  Brock said as he came to the map and stood with them, his voice causing them to jolt and turn to look at him.

 “Yes unfortunately. Whenever that spore infected them it had to have been between midnight last night to before eight this morning, when I don’t know and given how fast it’s going through them the League won’t classify this as an epidemic, just as an outbreak.”  Ryouta said bitterly as his wife tried to comfort her.

 “I don’t agree with them dear but I can see where their coming from.  So far all we know right now is that the spore causes pain and even then it doesn’t last longer than a few hours.  For a wind borne epidemic it’s not as bad as it could be.”  Sayeko words caused Brock to frown as something started to echo in his mind.

 “Wait a minute, wind borne? What did Jenny say this morning?” Brock stopped looking at the map before his face started to loose color.  He dashed toward a computer in the room and started to navigate to a weather report.

 “Brock, what’s wrong?” Sayeko said as she and her husband moved toward him and started to grow worried.

 “Oh by Arceus I was right.” He said as he held his head as he stared at the screen.  A hurricane was due to glance the region in a few days, going right alongside Cycle road going right at Mt.Moon.  When he and his wife saw what was on the monitor they both started to pale.

 “A hurricane?  I knew we should have watched the new this morning, I just knew it.”  Sayeko breathed in horror as she stared at the monitor as she started to feel faint.

 “If there’s another outbreak of this just before this hits the area, even if it doesn’t migrate to humans the potential loss of life is massive.  I need to contact Officer Jenny; she needs to be warned about this.” Ryouta said as he massaged his head.

 “If it migrates the deliberating pain and the winds, the potential loss of life I can’t even imagine the scale.”  Sayeko whispered as she stared into space.

 “Maybe the winds will cause the spore to die or be destroyed.  That’s possible right?”  Brock asked as he turned and looked at the other two people, meeting their grim looks and looked downwards and released a sigh.  

 “We have no idea the shape or makeup of the spore before it infects a host, so maybe but with the symptoms I really doubt it.  I don’t know how this can get any worse than it is.” Ryouta said as they looked at the computer, turning when the door opened and Joy came into the room, looking worried, her eyes meeting theirs and frowning when she saw their looks.

 “I’m guessing that what I discovered won’t be the worst about this thing.”  Joy said as she gave a small weak smile.

 “What is it Joy, what did you find?”  Sayeko asked with worry as they took looked at her.

 “I’m still waiting on some results for the hormones and any affects the spore is doing to the body but I was able to identify hybrid planet-animal protean as a key part of the spore, I think that this was from a Pokémon.  To be honest it reminds me of a Stun Spore I once looked at back during my school days, it was from a Paras…”  She trailed of as Brock slipped from his chair as his eyes glazed over.

 “BROCK!  Are you okay?”  Sayeko demanded as she went to her knees as her husband steadied Brock as she looked into his eyes.  His eyes had that look in them when people were remember something that terrified them.

 “That’s where I saw it before; it was an incident that happened a few years ago in Hoenn, a Chimera that used spores to hunt had attacked a Nuzleaf.”  Brock whispered as the others exchanged concerned looks.

 “A Chimera?” Joy breathed as the other three started to process Brock’s revelation.  Each starting to remember the horrors they had encountered accredited to those abominations

 “Spores released from a source able to move; that would explain everything about how our patients were infected.”  Ryouta said grimly as he shook his head as he frowned.

 “It uses the spore to disable its prey, the time limit is so they could infect an area and find food.” Sayeko said in horrified realization as she held her arms, remember the last Chimera Siege.

 “Think the League would reclassify this now?”  Brock asked as he grimaced, remember some politicians he had met when he became a Gym Leader.

 “Maybe if we bring back proof, but if this outbreak was, deliberate then I don’t know if I could even go into the mountains while preparing for the Hurricane.”  Ryouta said as he shook his head.

 “I’ll visit the local Gym on my way home maybe they’ll be able to spare a few trainers to join me on an expedition into the mountains to find the source.”  Brock promised his teacher who sighed.

 “Thank you Brock, but we have a lot of work to do and few hours to do it in.  Love, I need you to contact our suppliers, they should already be readying disaster supplies with the Hurricane coming in so arrange delivery for as soon as they can, Joy contact your sister in Pewter, we need her to send all the help she can spare, Brock I want you to keep during your rounds, check on every patient here and once your done head over to the Gym, that expedition has to happen, I’ll head over to the lab and try to find a counter poison for this thing.”  Ryouta said as he led his team out of the room to do what they had to help their patients.

  OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 Ash and Clemont had returned to their seats after eating and Lilith had gone off with Serena and Bonnie to put her makeup and outfit back on.  Bonnie and Serena had returned to the seats later, having finished helping Lilith and returned to watch the Battle Round.  After a few battles it was time for the final three battles.

 “What a competition it has been so far!  And without further ado, let’s begin the quarter finals!  First up is Mr. Harley VS Miss Nimue!”  Mr. Glomong cried out as both trainers walked on stage in their costumes.

 “Go Samurott!”  Nimue said as she threw out a Pokeball, from which her Pokémon appeared.

 “Appear, Wigglytuff!” Harley cried out as he did the same, releasing his Wigglytuff.  Behind the judges a scoreboard appeared with both trainers pictures appeared.  He smirked, he had this in the bag besides being a pretty fact this girl had reacted like she had never even battled in official tournaments before, and her Pokémon were probably trained by a relative who died or something like that.  An easy win and then I’ll crush ashy new friend. He thought as he chuckled to himself.

 “Samurott, start with a Slash!”  Nimue cried out.  Her Samurott shot forward as its claws glowed.

 “Dodge and Pound!” Harley command before his Wigglytuff dodged to the right and tried to deliver a devastating Pound attack on its horn. But Samurott dodge by moving its head back and sliced down with its horn, dropping his score by five points.

 “Disengage up and Water Gun!”  Nimue commanded.  Samurott jumped backwards and shot a spiral of water that hit and cost Harley another five points.  Harley gritted his teeth as his thoughts flew around his head.  How is she this good, she was acting like she never had any official……. Could her skills come from unofficial matches, where how?!

 “Move in with Megahorn!” Harley gritted his teeth as he tried to think of a counter.

 “Dodge it and hit it with a Double Slap!”  Harley commanded.  Wigglytuff tried to dodge backwards but Samurott jumped and landed a glancing hit with its horn before it turned its head to throw Wigglytuff away from itself.  Then Harely’s score dropped a solid tenth as he gritted his teeth, the battle was not going the way he thought it would.

 “A powerful hit.” Mr. Glomong said as he and the judges watched the battle.

 “So far that Samurott has shown to be trained to a wonderful slandered, I think if they move on we will have a wonderful final match.”  Leafra said as she leaned against the table with a grin on her face.

 “Ice Beam! Hit it!” Harley cried out before his a light blue ball formed in front of Wigglytuff mouth before a white beam shot at Samurott.

 “Samurott, counter with Razor Shell!”  Nimue called out.  Her Samurott drew both its seamitars and as they gained a blue glow before it used them to cut the beam in two, dropping Harley’s score in half while her own dropped by a fourth.  THAT’S IT! NO more Mr. NiceGuy, I am breaking this bitch so bad she quits!

 “THUNDER!”  Harley cried out in anger, causing Ash to harden his eyes as he watched from the stands, having heard that tone of voice many times before. In response yellow sparks danced around its body before a massive beam of electricity shot at its opponent.  Nimue gave no reaction as she commonly intoned a command

 “Protect.”  Nimue called before a light green glowing sphere formed around Samurott, blocking the attack, causing Harely’s score to drop by twenty points.  Harley turned to look at the board for a second and that was all Nimue needed.

 “Megahorn, then finish it Scald.”  Nimue commanded.

 “Dodge it then fire a Hyper beam!” Harley cried as he started to look unhinged.

 Samurott ran towards its opponent as its horn gained a white glow and grew bigger, but the attack missed the Fairy type by inches, Samurott was able to stop right in front of the judge’s table.  Wigglytuff spun around and opened its mouth as a yellow-orange ball formed.  Nimue’s eyes had widened at Harley’s command and made a choice, one that might cost her the match but she meet her Pokemon’s eyes from where it was standing and saw it nod at her.

 “Tank the shot and hire a Scald!”  Nimue cried out.  The Judges who had been frozen when they saw Wiggltyuff generate the glowing sphere pointed in their direction were shocked back to their sense when they heard what Nimue called out, looking at her before they wiped their heads to the battle.

 “FULL POWER WIGGLYTUFF!” Harley screamed out as the yellow-orange ball grew in size before it shot a yellow-orange beam at Samurott, Mr. Glomong reacted to the attack by grabbing Nurse Joy and pulling her down and covered her body with his own as Leafra scrambled away, running for the opposite side of the stage from Samurott.

 The Hyper beam hit and exploded, causing a cloud of dust to form that covered the entire back wall of the stage.  Harley gave a smirk right before a stream of white water blasted a hole through the dust and hit Fairy type, knocking it out before Harley could cry out a command.  

 The dust dissipated and his score was revealed Samurott to be panting with one eye closed, barely standing.  Behind it the Mr. Glomong helped Nurse Joy back to her feet and both of them turned to look right at Harley with looks of disgust and anger.  Mr. Glomong turned back to Nurse Joy and exchanged a few words before he gestured at Samurott and Joy nodded with a grimace and picked up a microphone.

 “We will be having a short recues to discuss the rules, please everyone stay where you are.”  Nurse Joy said frostily as Harley looked around and saw here and there were people looking at him with disgust over the risk he had taken with that last attack.  Nurse Joy put down the microphone and walked towards Nimue who had run to her Samurott and was bent down and talking to it softly as she rubbed its chin.  When Nurse Joy reached them she joined Nimue in a crouch and started to look over the Water Type.

 “I don’t get it what is Nurse Joy talking about, why are people so angry?”  Bonnie asked as she saw that Ash had a look of anger on his face. Bonnie looked around and saw a few others who had looks of anger and shock on their faces but most people just looked confused.  She turned toward Serena and saw the same look Ash had and turned to her brother for answers

 “There are times when you shouldn’t use an attack and times you should.  Because Samurott was right in front of the Judges table if Samurott dodged then the Judges might have gotten hurt.  What Harley just did was show the Judges he would do anything to win, even hurt someone.  And that’s the thing about Contests, you can lose points depending on what you do, not just what happens to your Pokémon.”  Ash said as he glared at Harley.  Nurse Joy had finished talking with Nimue and nodded to Mr. Glomong who sighed and shook his head and turned to Leafra and after a few words Leafra nodded and walked to the center of the stage and held up a Microphone to give the ruling.

 “After a long debate the judges have come to this ruling.  While no single rule was broken, it has been decided that the attack ordered by Harley while not illegal it was not well thought out but by the contests rules he lost the battle before the last attack hit, but for his actions he has been disqualified from this competition, I hope he shows better judgment in the future.  Because of the attack’s range Miss Nimue has forfeited her next match out of concern for her Pokémon and has been awarded second place overall, therefore the final match is between the last two trainers in the Contest to decide who will win and who will be award third place, thank you for the wait.”  Leafra said before she bowed to the audience.

 “So Lilly or her opponent will win this thing, hu?  And with Harley disqualified he won’t even get a single penny out of this and people will know how he acts, not to bad really.”  Ash said as he felt his Pokedex vibrate.  He touched one of its buttons and promised himself he would check the alert latter and looked at Harley being led away from the stage, an air of anger about him.

 “And it’s Lilly against that Beedrill’s trainer right, the guy who used a Dustox right, what was his name again?”  Serena asked as Ash looked at her for a minute

 “Xion, his name was Xion Tristo, and did you notice Joy’s face when Leafra said his last name?” Ash asked Serena who shook her head and looked at the Judge’s table, she looked back toward Ash and he could see that she hadn’t.  

 “And here it is folks, the final match!  This battle is for first and third place between Lilly and Xion!  Good luck to both trainers!”  Leafra said as pictures of both trainers appeared on the score board. Lilith walked out of one side of the stage and her opponent walked out of the other.  The figure who walked out to battle was a male teen around Ash and the others age; he had brown hair and brown eyes, his costume of choice was a medieval archer’s costume in green.  Ash looked around and noticed some on the people faces were looks of anger

 “Appear, Liepard!” Lilith cried as she released her Liepard.

 “Fly, Beedrill!  Xion commanded as a strong looking Beedrill appeared and started to hover five feet off the ground.

 “Twinneendle, full strike.” Xion cried out.  His Beedrill shot forward, both stingers ready to strike. Neither Lilith nor her Pokemon reacted as the Bug type flew straight at its target.  Suddenly right before it could hit Lilith gave her command.

 “Jump and Thunder Wave!” At the command Liepard started to run at the charging Beedrill, jumped onto its head and spun in midair before it released a shockwave of electricity that drove the Beedrill to the floor where it spasmed as electricity danced over its form.  Liepard landed and ran back toward the paralyzed Bug.  The scoreboard behind the judge’s table showed that Xion had dropped ten points while Lilith’s stayed at one hundred.

 “Beedrill!  Get back in the air!”  Xion cried in worry.  

 “Grass Knot, capture it!” Lilith said as she looked straight at her opponent.  Liepard’s eyes glowed green before ten green vines and erupted from the ground three each grabbed the stingers, one each for its legs and two around it abdomen stinger. As it continued to spasm its trainer’s score dropped in half.

 “Shadow Ball Barrage, mobile!”  Lilith commanded.  Her Liepard started to run around the trapped Bug and fired black balls of energy that drove down its trainer’s score five points with each hit.  Finally when it only had twenty points left the Beedrill stop its spasms and was able to break free and take flight, dodging the last sphere.

 “Agility, get some range!” Xion cried, the command causing Beedrill to start to fly around the stage, always keeping its body and face pointed toward its opponent.

 “Double Team, try to confuse it.” Lilith called out as she tried to keep her eyes on the flying Bug. Liepard body started to glow white as it ran and soon a pack of Liepards was running around the stage trying to catch the flying Beedrill as he weaved one in front of the other until which one was the original was.

 “Pin Missile, rapid fire! Try to hit it!”  Xion called out as he tried to figure out a new plan.

 Beedrill’s stinger glowed white and shot multiple small white needles which destroyed a Liepard when they hit until it final hit the real one, knocking it down and dropping Lilith’s score by ten.

 “Giga Impact!”  Lilith called out.  Liepard glowed white as it raced toward the Beedrill and light yellow streaks surrounded its body.

 “Try to dodge it!” Xoin cried out but before his Pokémon could move before its opponent jumped and hit the Beedrill in its chest, knocking it to the floor and winning the match.

 Xoin walked off stage and walked to his changing room quietly with a look of anger on his face.

 “Boss!”  he looked up and saw a teen with his black hair in a mohawk wearing green sunglass in white clothing with a light green jacket running toward him.

 “That little bitch had to have cheated boss, ain’t no way you would have lost in a fair fight.” Mohawk said as he fell into step behind him.  Xion let his minion prattle on as he went over what he knew about the girl he battled.

 “Wasn’t that girl with the newest challenger to the gym?”  Xion said as a smirk grew on his face.

 “Yeah, she was boss, what ya planning.”  Mohawk asked as they entered the dressing room assigned to him. Xion smirked evilly as he turned to Mohawk.

 “Just that maybe big sis would like to try the newest challenger, and maybe I could teach that little bitch some respect for her betters.”  Xion snarled as he went toward his cloths.

 “If you’re after Ashy, I think I could help you out.”  A voice from the doorway caused the two of them to turn and see Harley leaning against the doorway, a savage grin on his face.

 “What’s your angle?” Xion demanded as he looked at the purple haired Coordinator.

 “Let’s just say I always get even, each and every time.”  Harley said as he chuckled darkly.

  “Lilly Nightbloom, Nimue Mistborn, I am proud to award the both of you a General Contest Ribbon.  When you each win your next General Contest Ribbon you will be told the riddle to find out where the contest in the general area is being held, and please keep in mind that a new riddle will be handed out if you don’t find out the answer to it before the Grand Contest.   I hope I will see you both compete again at the Grand Festival.”  Mr. Glomong said to applause as he handed over a ribbon each to the teens still in their costume.

 Nimue and Lilith both bowed to the crowds with their Pokemon and walked off the stage.

 “I’m a bit sorry we weren’t able to have a match, I might have learned a lot from you.”  Nimue said to Lilly as they walked.  Lilith looked around before noticing that they in front of her dressing room and decided to take a chance.  If I’m wrong I’ll just daze her like I did to Alexa.

 “Say would you come in for a moment Nimue, I need a bit of help getting out of this.”  Lilith asked as she gestured to the room, Nimue entered before Lilith followed her in and closed and locked the door.

 “Sure, if you don’t mind helping me when…” Nimue stopped talking when a black glowing hand was put on her shoulder and she started to glow blue her eyes widening as she registered the Aura use.

 “I KNEW IT!  WHO are you working for!?”  Lilith snarled as she spun Nimue around and grabbed her arms.

 “Working for, your awake and not from the Sisterhood?!  How, all other Aura users died out because of the King’s weapon besides us!”  Nimue stammered as she met Lilith eyes in shock. The shock caused Lilith to let her go.

 “Sisterhood?  I think the both of us need to talk, tonight? Near the gym?”  Lilith said as Nimue gave a shaky nod.

 “Lilly are you in there, Bonnie and I are here to help you.”  Serena’s muffled voice called from the door.  Lilith shot Nimue a look and was met with a nod.

 “Thanks Serena, I didn’t think you two would come so I asked Nimue for help.”  Lilith said as she walked toward the door.  When she opened the door and let them in.

 “I was able to talk Clemont into it since we saw Harley leave earlier.”  Serena said as she and Bonnie entered the room

 “You were great in the Appeals Nimue, and you both battled great!”  Bonnie cheered as she looked at the both of them.

 “Say I have an idea, giving the time how about we all go eat at the center, Ash has a spice topping that you have to try Nimue.”  Lilith said as she shot her a look that Bonnie and Serena didn’t see.

 “It would give us a chance to talk more, so I guess that’s okay.”  Nimue said with a small smile as her thoughts were trying to deal with the reality that was Lilly Nightbloom.  There are still Aura users besides us out there.  I knew we should have gone out into the world more.  If sis sends hunters after me it might be something if Lilly is on my side, but how she confronted me means she’s fought other Aura users, I need to know the truth.  She thought as she looked at Lilith out of the corner of her eyes.

 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

  Bahadur smiled down at his starter as he led him over a bridge ten feet wide and thirty feet long with the sun starting to set.  He had spent the last few hours get to know his Pokémon and show him his new home. He thought a few times something might have been following the two of them but he was probably seeing things or had seen something scrounging for food.

 “And that’s our town in a nutshell.  The last place I want to show you is right across the river, .  It’s just within the field Casters setup to keep out Chimera and Pokémon swarms out, not that it works all the time so a few years ago local militia set up some lookout posts along the river on the opposite shore. It’s a field where local trainers gather to compete with each other and where the town has its annual adulthood ceremony.” Bahadur said as he led his Pokémon towards the field.

 “The only problem I have with the town is the Bloody Maulers, a gang of hooligans led by the son of the town’s biggest merchant.  The merchant is an okay person, his son was raised by his ex-wife before she died last year, and since he came to town I’ve been butting heads with him at least once a weak.  Since he’s become a trainer I’m sure he’ll be around for a battle sooner or later.” Bahadur said with a grimace before two figures his height in red cloaks with pulled hoods over their head appeared before him at the end of the bridge, a male Nidoran and a Stunky by their trainer’s sides respectively.

 “And these are the Bloody Maulers little buddy.”  Bahadur said as his right hand slowly went to the sword on his back.

 “Now normally I would fight you on my own, but with my partner here how about we put a rain check and have a battle tomorrow?”  Bahadur said as Magby started to growl, only for his words to cause smirks to erupt from on the faces of the people before him.

 “How about we have a battle right now?  Go Sandile!” A voice from behind caused Bahadur turn his head and saw Aagha throw a Pokéball that released a Sandile wearing a collar with a grey stone on it.  By his side were the twins, one had released a Phanpy and the other had a Roggenrola out. Behind them were four other wearing red cloaks each one seemed to leer at the Bahadur and his starter.

 “Aagha, didn’t the beating I give you with our weapons earlier this week give you anything to think about?”  Bahadur asked as the cloaked figures started to snicker as Aagha’s face grew red.

 “YOU SHUT IT; I WAS GOING TO BEAT YOU ON MY OWN BUT NOW!  Khadim, Charandas, send your Pokémon to help mine beat that Fire beast black and blue!  Once it’s down we’ll give Hero boy here a few scars!”  Aagha bellowed as the named trainers looked at their Pokemon and nodded at them.  Bahadur’s Magby shot it’s trainer a troubled look and was met with a weary grin.

 “This is going to be trouble partner.”  Bahadur gritted his teeth as he looked at the two trainers behind him and started to inch toward the river, hoping to jump onto a passing boat to get away or to at least gain some range.

 “Not if you got some help bro!  Poliwag; use Water Gun aimed at the Roggenrola!”  A male voice cried out as a spiral of water from the river hit the Roggenrola, stunning it and damaging it greatly.

 “We’re helping too!  Night Slash on the Phanpy, Pidove!”  A musical voice called before a gray, pigeon-like Pokémon with a black glowing wing hit the blue ground type with its wing, sending it flying at the rock type, sending the Roggenrola flying out over the river.

 “Meditite, grab that Roggenrola with Confusion and use it as a frail on the Pokemon behind Bahadur!” A female voice called out before the Roggenrola glowed blue and was thrown into the Nidoran and the Stunky.

 “YOU THREE!?” Aagha snarled as he spun and looked at three figures walking out of the alleys.  The male figure was wearing a black cloak, had blue hair in a ponytail, blue eyes and had a smirk on his face.  He wore a black cloak over a blue shirt and black pants and sneakers, on his back were two short swords.

 The first female had a voluptuous figure and dark crimson hair in waves that went down her back, jade eyes while the only makeup on her face was navy blue lipstick.  Her black cloak was over a brown tube top and brown pants and shoes, on her hands were clawed gloves with navy blue stones on the tops of them.

 The second female had a slender body with blue hair in rings on the side of her head and blue eyes with a fierce glint in them.  She wore a black cloak over a grey shirt and grey pants and boots, on her legs were black greaves.  Next to her floated a Meditite who eyes were glowing blue.

 “Good thing sissy was practicing her parkour and saw our least favorite rodent spy on you bro.” The male said as he crossed his arms as a Poliwag jumped onto the bridge and go into formation with Magby as the girl’s Pidove landed on Magby’s other side.

 “What’s the play Bahadur!” The voluptuous girl cried as winds started to gather around her hands.  Bahadur looked around, noting that the Roggenrola was knocked out and the Nidoran and Stunky looked to be near the point to take them down, while the Phanpy was standing next to Sandile while the four behind them started to release their Pokémon; two Cubone, a Gligar and a Machop.  He shot a look at his Magby and saw it nod at him with a smirk on its face.

 “Ruchika and Pidove, you two back up Etana and Meditite to take the Pokémon behind Aagha!  Farbod, you and Poliwag use range combat on the two behind me.  Me and Magby will take out the two in front of us!”  Bahadur called out as he made a plan to get out of this conscience.

 “Pidove, aim a Combined Gust at the Cubones!” Ruchika said as she thrust her hands forward, a blast of wind flying towards the cloaked trainers and their Pokémon.

 Pidove had shoot off the bridge and throw a small blast of wind at the Pokémon, the winds combined and formed a small hurricane which threw all four of the Maulers’s Pokémon a few feet off the ground.   The trainers drew cudgels and ran at the three trainers. Etana released a small laugh and smirked at their actions.

 “Catch one of the Cubones and us it as a frail!”  Etana said as she shot forward and spun around, kicking out with her right leg and hit one of the Maulers’s in the head, knocking him out.  While this happened one of the Cubone’s gained a blue outlined and floated upward before it was thrown at the Gligar and Machop, knocking out the thrown Cubone and the Gilgar.  Farbod drew his two short swords and ran towards his sister, blocking a blow of the Maulers’s sent at the back of her head, after which he was dealt a devastating kick to the side of his head, leaving only two more for the brother and sister to deal with.

 “Poliwag, stay back and Water Gun anything that moves toward the boss!”  Farbod said as he slashed at the gang member he was fighting.  Poliwag in response to the order shot a spiral of water at the other end of the bridge, forcing back the Pokémon there.

 “Let’s do this partner! Flare Blitz!” Bahadur said as he watched the battles around him.

 “Mag by Magb!”  Magby cried out with courage as flames started to form around him.

 Magby covered himself in flames and shot at the Phanpy and threw a punch at it, sending it flying at its trainer sending them both back into the trainers behind him when it hit him. Magby had turned toward the Sandile and cried out a challenge.

 “Flare Blitz? His beast knows that move!?” One of Aagha’s bookends demanded as the three stared at the Pokémon Battle.  Bahadur merely smirked as he looked around at the varies combat happening around him.  With some luck we’ll get out of this in one piece.

 “We got some more coming at us Bahadur!” Ruchika voice cut in and Bahadur turned toward her to see ten more members of the Maulers’s running toward the fight with their Pokémon out.  Bahadur merely gritted his teeth and looked

 “Breakout time guys! Magby, attack with me!”  Bahadur said as he turned away from the town and ran toward the field.  Magby shot in front of him and punched the Stunky, knocking it out and opening a path for them.

 “Breakout!?” Aagha snarled before he started to glow blue before his body was slammed to the ground.

 “Like this fatty!” Etana said as she jumped over the prone figure as her before she jumped and knocked out one of the Maulers’s at the end of the bridge as her Meditite floated after her, Ruchika meanwhile shot a blast of wind behind her to assist her in jumping over the river while her Pidove flew next to her and Farbod ran over the bridge as his Poliwag fell in behind him.

 “Magby, Smog, make it nice and big!”  Bahadur said as his friends joined on the other side of the river.  Magby released enough smoke from his mouth that

 “Pidove Gust, blow it at them!”  Ruchika command before her Flying type beet its wings and sent the smoke at Aagha who was being helped up by his minions.

 “Come on guys, we’ll make for the front of the village!” Aagha heard Bahadur shout out through the smoke.  As the smoke cleared he saw his followers gather at the bridgehead and moved back toward the town.

 “You two idiots follow me; we’ll cut them off at the town’s entrance. Five of you go after them, we’ll pincer them between us, some of you help those fools knocked out here back to the house, the rest guard here.”  Aagha commanded as he ran through the streets, his Pokémon at his heels.  Eight members and their pokemon ran across the bridge, three stopping to help their comrades up and started to help them back toward their base.  When all was said and done two gang members were left at the bridge, each with a Cubone standing guard.  After a while the one on the left turned to his comrade and asked a question.

 “Hey, did you notice the hair on that wind girl?  Looks like the boss’s dolls.”  One said to another before a blast of wind hit the person who he was talking to as a water spiral hit his friend’s Cubone.  Turning, he and his Ground type saw the people the rest were after, before he could do anything Etana shot forward and dropped an axe kick on his head and knocked him out before Poliwag shot another Water Gun at his Pokémon knocking it out.

 “He has ‘dolls’ with my hair color?!” Ruchika demanded as they walked back into town with her Pidove on her right shoulder as she fumed.  Those bastards had better have been talking about toy dolls and not the other kind. If he has a single Homunculus with my color I’ll strangle him.

 “It seems we have something to look into then, if they are those kind of ‘dolls’ where would he even get Homunculus like that anyway, there isn’t anyone with skill in Alchemy to make humanoids in town and gossip would of talked if he brought packages that size from the river barges.”  Bahadur said as they moved towards their homes.

 “No one who advertises that they have that skill anyway, no one knew that you were a Wind Auralist until you blew those people trying to grab you away, right Ruchika?” Etana said, causing Ruchika to give a silent nod.

 “Yeah Windy, we’ll tackle those brats tomorrow, see you two later, we’ll meet at our place, see you around guys.”  Farbod said as he and his sister recalled their Pokemon and ran towards their home, leaving Bahadur and Ruchika alone.  After a few minutes of silence between the two of them Bahadur decided to break the silence.

 “So thanks for the help you and the others gave me.” Bahadur said as he scratched his head as he looked away from her with a blush on his face. Ruchika looked at him before she blushed and turned her head away from him.

 “You’re a friend to us all, when Etana and her brother came across me and said that the Rat was up to his usual tricks I knew I had to help.  And I realized you would end at the training field since you gave me the same tour when I moved here a few months ago, so we bear feet to the bridge.”  Ruchika said as they walked toward the residential district.  Eventual they stopped at an intersection and just stood there for a few minutes/

 “So I’m over here and you’re over there, I guess we’ll meet at the twins place tomorrow to decide what to do.” Bahadur said as he started to walk toward his home.  Ruchika looked conflicted for a second before she decided to do something.

 “Wait a second.” Ruchika said as she darted after him and grabbed his arm.

 “Yes…” Bahadur trailed off when Ruchika darted forward and gave him a kiss on the check.

 “Goodnight Bahadur.” Ruchika said with a blushed before she ran off toward her home.

 Bahadur just stood there and rubbed the check she kissed for a few seconds and didn’t move until she was out of sight.

 “Yes!”  He said quietly with a goofy grin on his face as he threw an arm up and ran toward his family’s house, his Magby by his side as he ran.  He didn’t notice a 3 foot tall black bird with no beck and a single ruby in the center of its head had watched the kiss and flew off when he went to his home, not noticing the spy.

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   “…And that’s it my Lord.  The shoreline patrol has discovered nothing and lookout ships have seen nothing like what the specimens retrieved.  Giving where the things were discovered I personally think we should keep up the new actions for at least a few more months at the least.  I heard Lady Joy is trying to find out where the corpse were born and if that can be found a team could be inserted to try and track down the maker.”  A blond man with green eyes in black full plate armor said as he gestured to a holographic map of their lands.

 “What composition of the team would you suggest Mordred?”  Dracula said as he sat upon his throne as his inner court stood around the room.

 “I would prefer to wait and see what Joy discovers, the location would affect what team and the tactical situation on the ground is first.” Mordred said as he looked at his master.

 “Thank you for the report Knight Commander, and finally Magnus, what have you discovered about the problem to return my son and Queen to our shores?” Magnus winced at the hope in his friend’s voice; this was going to be bad.

 “On the subject of my Nephew, he has three chains of seals on him.” Magnus started, stopping when he felt Dracula’s Aura spike and pressure start as he saw cracks form on the arms of his throne.

 “One has started to be destroyed, the result of an Aura surge during a life threatening event he was involved with, it was to restrict his emotional maturity.  Another is holding back his ability to use Aura, and the final one I am unsure of, but I think part is holding back his heritage as your son.”  Magnus said as he braced himself as the others around the room did the same.

 The eruption of Aura from their master destroyed his throne as he stood up, a piece of it flew by Magnus and cut his right check.  Given the reaction he had when they were first taken and the fact that the anniversary is almost here, it was better than he feared.

 “And Delia?  What has been used on her then?”  Dracula asked as his eyes started to glow black as the pressure seemed to increase.

 “I have identified two sets on her.  One holds back all her memories of the Homeland.  And I don’t understand the last one, but her abilities are fighting back against them.  If our agents in Pallet could find a way to cut on seal, I think over a year she would destroy them on her own.  Then we would just need to spark her memories and she would be as she once was.” Magnus said as Dracula walked to stare at the painting of him and Delia.  He just stood there, thinking before he finally came to a decision.

 “Camilla, you are to send a courier to join the team, a strong trainer, one who could be inserted into their cover easily.  Someone skilled in battle able to hold their own, and could get Delia out of danger in a hurry.  Magnus, spare no resource in finding out what the seals are, even check the Forbidden Archives if you must.”  Dracula commanded

 “I will need a few days to go over who to send my lord, but it will be done.” Camilla said with a curtsey as Magnus bowed.

 “By my oath my lord, I will find out what we need to know to get my sister home, I will use anything and anyone I must.”  Magnus promised as the briefing ended.

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  Albia put her backpack down on the bed in the room Delia had said she could use.  When Delia had heard that she had been staying at the Center she had called Joy and cursed her out for a few minutes for not telling her where her new hire was staying.  She had been infuriated that Joy had let the girl stay there without letting Delia know about it. Albia just looked around the room and was soon lost in her thoughts. A whole room for myself, I’ve never ever had a place just for me back at the orphanage.  Maybe I can make a home for myself here after all.

 “Well welcome to Casa de Ketchum, we hope you enjoy your stay.”  A voice broke Albia out of her thoughts and she saw Delia watching her with a small smile on her face.

 “I can’t thank you enough for letting me stay here Ms. Ketchum, really I can’t.” Albia said as she looked at her boss.

 “Don’t worry about it, I can tell you’re a good kid no matter what your running from, and yes I know that you’re running form something.”  Delia said as she met Albia’s eyes, only for the younger girl to look away.   Delia looked at her and sighed.

 “The only thing I need you to tell me is if you think you lost what was after you.”  Delia said and was met with a nod from Albia.  Delia smiled at that, if Albia trusted her enough to tell her that then there was hop that she would trust Delia enough to tell her story when she was ready.

 “Well then I’m making pizza, do you want any toppings on it?”  Delia said as she grabbed Albia’s hand and pulled her toward the kitchen.

 “No, I prefer plain pizza to tell the truth.”  Albia said as they walked toward the kitchen.

 “Well the kitchen is over here on the ground floor, the laundry room is in the basement and my room is up there on the second floor with my son’s room.”  Delia told her as they walked.

 “This place started to feel empty when Ash started to travel, even when Mimmy came it’s still pretty lonely at night and during the bad winters being so far out of town so having others here is kind of nice.  And please Albia, call me Delia.” Delia said with smile as she opened the door to the kitchen.

 “Still, thanks again for letting us stay with you and Mimmy, Ms. Ket… Delia.” Albia said as she smiled before walking into the kitchen, Delia following behind her.

 “Like I said I appreciate the company.  Now the dishes for Pokémon in that cabinet there and the Pokémon Pellets are in that cabinet.”  Delia said as she moved about the room, Albia following in her wake like when Delia had shown her the kitchen in Pallet House.

 Later after Delia and Albia were done eating, Albia had offered to do the dishes and her Pinser was finishing up its own meal.  The Mr. Mime that Delia had sent looks at Albia when the humans were looking at the TV or each other in a way that Pinser didn’t like.  Flaaffy was standing by its trainer, having picked up that its teammate didn’t trust the Fairy type for some reason and shared a look with the Bug, come nightfall they would be ready if it tried anything.

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 A boy with brown grey hair in a blue karate gi block a Lucario with a scar on its left check punch with an open fist and grabbed its arm with his other hand and threw the Steel type down the field, as soon as he let go he shot after it and drew back a fist that started to glow blue.  The Lucario rolled when it hit the floor and jumped to the side when it got back to its feet, dodging the boy’s fist which hit the ground and formed a small crater, sending shards flying from the point his fist hit the ground.  The Lucario threw a kick at him which he blocked with a gauntlet on his right forarm before he shot forward with his left arm hitting below the Lucario chest spike.

 “That’s enough you two! Cameron that was a good use of your Aura to power that punch and on the shoulder throw, and Lucario good recovery, but next time try to dodge backwards, not to the sides.”  A voice called out and both human and Pokémon stopped, drew back and bowed to each other.

 “You sure master, I think me and my partner here can go a bit longer today.” Cameron said with a smirk on his face as he looked as he looked toward the voice.  A figure in a blue gi walked next to a strong looking Lucario wearing a bracelet with a stone in it.  As the Lucario that had spared with Cameron bowed to its elder the man reached and patted Cameron on his shoulder.

 “I’m proud of you Cameron, since I found you last year you’ve learned how to use your Aura and understood the philosophy of our order faster than I did when I was in training.” He praised his student who blushed and looked away.

 “Aahh, Master Riley, don’t say that, you’ll give me a big head.”  Cameron said in embarrassment, prompting a laugh from his teacher.

 “Come on, the stew should be ready so come on.”  Riley said as he walked back towards their home.  Riley had found Carmon a few months ago when he had come across the boy and his team battling a particular tough Dark type Chimera.  Cameron’s weapon, a hammer had been broken and before Riley could attack with an Aura Art Cameron had struck the Chimera with an unfocused Aura Punch that rocked it back and stunned it long enough for Riley to get behind and cut its head off.  Riley and his team had gotten Cameron and his team to safety and he had told him about the Power of Aura, of the Aura Guardians.  He had offered Cameron a chance to train as a Guardian and the boy had jumped at it, he had even said he had been looking for a purpose for his life. And the boy had flourished; he had taken to the teachings like he had been born for them.  

 Riley smiled as they entered the base built in the southeastern section of Mt. Coronet near Oreburgh City.  The Aura Guardians had set this place up back when the order was more numerous but when they were attacked fifty years ago; a lot of Guardians and their families had died, his master had been the only survivor, escaping to this place were copies of most of the knowledge they held, training mostly with a bit of the order’s history.  He knew the knowledge was missing something important but he had no idea what.

 Heading toward the kitchen he passed one of the chambers holding relics, he was so deep in thought that he needed a minute to notice that his student and their Pokémon weren’t following him.

 “Master isn’t a blinking light in this room a sign a Seal was broken?” Cameron said hoarsely as he stared into the room, the words caused Riley to pale and dash to the doorway, looking into the room and saw the flashing light illuminate the darkness. Walking into the room he reached a shelf and picked up a small pyramid and feed some of his aura into it, which lite up with the same four symbols on all sides.  He frowned as he read the symbols; ‘horde, spore, pain, plague’, these was going to be a problem.

 “Well sensei?  Does it say where the seal is?”  Cameron asked from the doorway.

 “The only thing the symbols do is to describe what was sealed; and one of the words used is ‘horde’ which is going to be a problem.  Sadly I think the knowledge about where the seal is was lost during the attack.” Riley said to his apprentice with a sigh.

 “Damn those scum! What the fuck were they thinking, attacking the Aura Guardians!?  We stay out conflicts between regions; we only attack Chimera and criminals who are a danger to humans or Pokémon!  What reason could they have had to do it?!”  Cameron said with rage as he punched the wall in anger.

 “If I knew who was behind the attack I would question them very severely about it.”  Riley said as he scowled at the memories of finding the old headquarters in ruins, the corpses and how his teacher had passed on before passing him directions to this place and warning him about “Those who hide in the Light”, he still didn’t know who they were but he had tried.

 “Come on student, let’s eat our dinner and I’ll plan what to do after.”  Riley said as he led his student and their Pokémon towards the bases dining room/ ketchen.

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  Shadow reached the outskirts of Lavender Town as the sun started to set and moved through the slums by jumping from building to building until he reached a building overlooking a ruined staircase going into the earth.  Outside stairs was a heavily muscular man next to a Machamp with sunglass and iron knuckles in each of its hands.  As Shadow dropped the Machamp looked at him and nudged the man next to it. The man looked at shadow and reached for his pocket slowly as he looked at Shadow as he walked toward the stairs.

 “Hey man I don’t want any trouble ya hear me.”  The Bouncer said to Shadow as the Machamp started to pose.   Shadow didn’t break his stride and when he was right before the stairs he stopped.  The Bouncer had a knife half drawn and looked at him with a concern, was this a raid?

 “In Shadow and Darkness does the real money Flow.”  Shadow said before he walked past the Bouncer who relaxed at the password Shadow had given. He sent a small frown at the Machamp and was met with a confident smirk in return.

 “Hey, next time come here on the ground so I can see ya sooner, ya hear me Merc?”  The Bouncer called down to Shadow who walked into the Den; Ghost Station.  When he reached the bottom he walked to a wall at the end of a small hallway and opened a door, entering a saloon full of rough looking trainers of both genders, a few Team Rocket grunts sat around a table playing poker and a few women dressed in tube tops and short skirts grouped near an open doorway along one of the walls, a TV behind the bar with a man with slick black hair in a bartender’s uniform watching it with a Granbull, both of their backs to the doorway.

 The noise dropped when one of the people facing the doorway fell out of his chair causing people to turn and some to go pale and caused everyone there to slowly reach for their Pokéballs or weapons until the man behind the counter slammed his hand against the bar.

 “I don’t need to remind anyone here that any violence not in self-defense results in being banned from this Den and its services for a year, do I?”  His gruff voice cut through the tension like a knife through butter.

 “But it’s Shadow! He’s one of the strongest bounty hunters out there!  We have to strike first to even have a chance to keep walking free…” One of the Rocket grunts choked out before Shadow raised both his hands, each empty.

 “Not here on a hunt, I’m here for information.  I acknowledge and respect the neutrality of the Dens.” Shadow cut in as he walked towards the bar.  

 “See you idiots; he’s here to use the Den.  Granbull watch the bar, you, Shadow?  Come with me.”  The man said as he got walked toward a door next to the bar and entered an office with a large mainframe, a computer on the desk behind which the man sat.

 “Information, so what is it you’re after.  Chimera bounties, a new Black Lister came out near Pewter, normal bounty, got a new one near Dark City; the Yaz expelled a student who tried a coup, might get something for him if the League wants to know any Yaz secrets.”  The man began before Shadow put his hand on the table.

 “Karen of the Elite Four, I need everything you have on her Joey.”  Shadow said as his face locked on the man’s who went still.

 “Karen of the Elite, what’s brought her to your attention?  People who enter the League usually have everything known about them from where they went to school to what they ate the day they left home as a trainer. And to the public she is a friend to all worthwhile charities, someone who helps the helpless and a patron of those who hunt Chimera.   But…”  Joey trailed off as he started to look sheepish.

 “Joey, but what?” Shadow said as he crossed his arms.

 “She’s a specter.  She came out of nowhere and went through the gyms like a bullet, she moved faster than she could with the help of any Pokémon she’s known to have or with a boat or car and qualified for the league within the last month before the tournament for a new member of the Elites.“ Joey said with a sigh as he leaned back.

 “So do the Dens have anything not available to the public?”  Shadow questioned as Joey found Shadow’s masked and leaned forward.

 “Just a few observations we’ve made. Her team is interesting, at least according to my bro in Viridian.  He thinks her team’s compositing is telling, her Murkrow isn’t evolved but her Vileplum is, which is surprising since both need a stone to do so and she’s supposedly a Dark type specialist and then there’s her vocabulary, she uses some phasing that is from Unova so she spent a lot of time in the more populated areas there. She knows people consider her a beauty and knows how to use it, so she grew up around people not related to her, so she wasn’t homeschooled but there no school records with her name on it anywhere in Unova.”  Joey said as he scratched his chin.

 “Would he have anything you don’t know, in his private files?”  Shadow inquired, causing Joey to stare at him.  The private files were unique to each Den, and to get at them was as unique as the Dens themselves, sometimes the trouble wasn’t worth the effort.

 “Anything you want you’ll have to trade for, and he only accepts info about the target you want on. So if you have anything we don’t know about her, I’m afraid that that is the only way he’d let you into his files.”  Joey finished before Shadow nodded at him and turned and walked to the door, stopping before it.

 “Let your brother know I’m coming to talk with him, that I have a photo that proves Karen isn’t all her public persona shows her to be.”  Shadow said as he opened the door, Joey standing up sending his chair scrapping back.

 “You know something about her we don’t!?”  Joey cried out in shock, not caring that his voice carried through the room.  Shadow merely waved his hand before he left the office.  As he walked through the bar to the door the TV was finishing the nightly news.

 “…And now an announcement form the Pokémon Center in Viridian City for all towns, homesteads or travelers in the Hurricanes path, keep your Pokémon in their balls tonight or close your windows if your indoors.  A wind born epidemic has hit the Viridian area that started either early this morning or late last night, affecting all Pokémon.  Be advised that all Pokémon types are affected by this and if your Pokémon seems to be in pain call the or take them to the nearest Pokémon Center.  Coming up the play season for the Celadon Theater has been announced, what will they perform on opening day?”  Shadow stop at the door when Viridian City was mentioned, leaving the bar once the report was done, not noticing someone had noticed and figured out why he had stopped.

 A man with a beard all over his face in a torn shirt and pants sat in the corner finishing up his food and got up after Shadow had been gone for an hour, leaving just before Joey came back to start to close up for the night.  He shot the Bouncer a wave as he walked out of the underground, stumbling and leaning against one of the buildings before stumbling off.  After a while he left the area where the Bouncer could see him, started to walk normally and a Croagunk wearing a high tech-collar holding a folded dark brown overcoat dropped down and walked next to him, handing over the overcoat.

 “Shadow left the city already?  And he’s after a woman.”  The man muttered as he ripped his beard from his face, revealing a clean shaving face and brown eyes.  Seeing his Pokémon nod at his question he sighed as he put his coat on and closed it, covering up the rips and walked toward the main part of town.

 “I think we should head to our room and depart in the morning; it’s going to take a while to get to Viridian from here with that hurricane coming in.”  He said as he and his partner walked toward the Center.

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   “…Theater has been announced, what will they perform on opening day?”  Riley turned off the TV and turned to his student with a bitter smile. So he was going to Kanto.

 “Well’ it seems I know where to I need to go.”  Riley said as he walked toward a phone on a table.

 “What’s this ‘I’ Sensei? If you think I’m letting you go alone your so slow a Slowbro will evolve before you think something else.” Cameron said as he came back into the room with an ancient looking tome.  

 “And like one of our predecessor wrote, don’t fight a Fire Chimera without a Water Type.  So let’s find out which seal is busted and what they did to fight it and seal it away.”  Cameron said as he put the book onto their table as their Pokemon came into room carrying the soup they would have for dinner.  Riley just shook his head and walked over towards the table and started to look over the entries, each one a threat the Aura Guardians had forced behind seals, wondering what was threating Kanto and if they would be able to handle it alone.

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  As the full moon rose in the dark of the night illuminating the desert, the five red cloaks of the Bloody Maulers members were obvious as they dashed over the sands.  Their boss had ordered them to do a circlet of the area then head back if they didn’t find their targets before they reached the bridge he had walked off muttering about getting a way to communicate better.   They passed a pack of Cacnea coming back from the river, and saw a flock of Doduo led by a Dodrio head toward the front of the town. The mission leader merely looked an out over the sands as they ran, their Equipment letting them move as easily over the loose sands as he scowled, their boss vendetta against Bahadur was against all reason.  Why the hell did we have to go this way, I mean that brat had to have escaped from us already.  I mean if we didn’t find them by now they had to have made it to their homes by now.  He thought as he looked at the desert nightscape.

“Leader, we’re almost back to the bridge so maybe they doubled back when they got out of our sight?” One of the grunts said, he ignored them, the grunt was probably right but they had to get to the bridge and then they would be able to go home and sleep. Coming to a decision he signaled his team to slow down and turned and

 “Okay gents, the targets are probably in their homes in their beds; so let’s make hast to the nearest bridge back into town and tell anyone who asks that we couldn’t find them and….” The leader began before he was interrupted.

 “Is that them over there? Over by that abandoned lookout hut near the hills?”  One of the grunts asked as he pointed toward a nearby lookout hut, turning rapidly the leader saw a form in the shade cast by said lookout hut on top of a nearby dune.  Signaling his team to follow him, they moved silently toward another dune to get a better view of what was in the shadow.  Lying down on the sand they were able to get a better view and saw that the figure was taller than any of their targets.

 “It’s just one, and the figure is wrong, it’s not them.  Still any tribute we could bring back to the boss might make his night, what say you gents?” His question was met with grins as the others around him started to chuckle.

 “One of you stay back and hide in case this one’s too strong and beats us, you two of you hit ‘em from behind after me and this one hits him from the front.  And remember, all but the hider release you Pokémon.” He said as he released his Pokémon, a Machop as the rest released their Pokemon; a Cubone, and two Stunky as he led one of them toward the lookout hut.  When the two of them and their Pokémon were within ten feet of the shadow he decided to call out to their target.

 “Okay bloke here’s how it’s gonna be, you drop your valuables you got and run back to town, move fast and we might not take any of your Pokémon.”  He sneered as he and his men moved to attack.  The figure in the shadow said nothing as the gangers stated to get angry at the silence from their victim.

 “I said drop your valuables NOW! A wiseguy hu, Machop; fire a Focus Blast at the punk!” His Machop cupped its hands and formed a sparking light yellow orb of energy and shot it at their victim.  Before the sphere hit its target the figure raised a hand and a brown energy blast destroyed the sphere.

 “An Auralist?”  He stammered as he and his team drew their weapons, cutlass as they moved apart from each other, their Pokemon taking point before them.  The Cubone had taken a step forward before a golden rope flashed out and wrapped around it, and before it could start to struggle a brown glow formed around it and was drained into the rope, drawing a cry of pain that ended with it limp in the rope before the rope uncoiled and dropped the Pokémon to the ground.

 “What the hell, what did that thing do to my Cubone?!”  One of the Maulers’s cried in shock as he stared, so caught up that he didn’t notice another golden rope shoot out and wrap around him.  As soon as it wrapped around him a blue glow formed and drained away, so fast he couldn’t even cry out in pain.

 “What the Fuck!”  One of the Stunky trainers said as the gangers backed away from the outpost in horror.  

 “I thought all the Devourers and the lore about their training were destroyed years ago!?”  A voice croaked out in terror as the Leader starred in horror at what they had run into, a horror that parents used to scare kids to behave, this just couldn’t be real.

 “This can’t be happening man, this can’t be happening!”  He spared a glance at one of others who looked like he was having a nervous breakdown. He needed to find a way to either get his people away from here or pull off a win soon.

 “Pull yourselves back together!  We got to buy some time, poison the fucker!” The Leader ordered as his Machop

 “Got it Leader, Stunky use Poison Gas.”   The Maulers who had managed to keep calm while being terrified ordered his Poison type which released a green fog from its mouth at the figure which was quickly engulfed in the fog.  The trainers grinned; even a Drainer would be affected, unless it had eaten a Poison Pokémon.

 “Good work; shoot a Focus Blast at the fog Machop!”  The Leader command his Pokemon, who sent a blue sphere which caused an explosion that engulfed the figure and the hut.

 “That had to have gotten the bastard leader!  Nothing living would have…”  The Maulers member trailed off as the fire from the explosion caused the figure to be revealed.  The figure that was revealed wasn’t human at all, nor was it a Pokémon.  It was a golem 5 feet tall humanoid figure made of a golden stone with blocky limbs, the ropes that had drained the were but two of eight on the arms of the golem that moved back and forth like they were alive. On its chests were 20 clear stones, two were lite up, one brown and the other blue.  Its face had two blue gems for eyes and a painted frown.

 “What is this thing?” The trainer who had started to lose it started to back away before two of the golden ropes wrapped around him and his Pokémon and drained them of the outline that appeared, the golem’s chest gaining a blue and purple glow from two of the clear gems.

 “Machop, fire another Focus Blast!  We have to force it back!”  The leader cried out as his Machop formed a blue sphere between its hands and thrust its hands at the golem.

 “Back’em up Stunky; fire a Toxic at the thing!”  The remaining Stunky shot a purple liquid from its mouth from the golem’s other side. The golem raised its hands to catch both attacks and while the Focus Blast was drained away, the Toxic melted the arm to the elbow.

 “We have a chance, we…..” The ganger trailed of when the arm flashed brown and its arm was regenerated before their eyes.  He just stood there before two of the golden ropes wrapped around both him and his Pokémon, draining them of the glow that formed around them.  While that was happening he noticed that the golem’s chest didn’t have a brown glow on its chest.  It’s using the drained Aura to heal itself, maybe I have a chance.

 “The gems on its chest, that’s where it keeps the Aura it steals, aim for its dammed chest!”  The leader called out before a rope wrapped around his Mahop, causing a ruby glow to form before it was drained away.  He had a bare second to think about it before a golden rope coiled around him and drained him of a blue glow.  The golem scanned the area before it started to walk off into the night away from the town, farther in the direction of the mountains their unexplored slops and peaks.

The lookout had stared in total shock at the battle that erupted before his eyes, total shock that four trainers and four Pokémon had been defeated by a golem so fast.  He heard a noise behind him and saw lights over the river in town; people had seen the explosion and were coming to investigate.   He moved towards his comrades, he had to get rid of their cloaks; they would be a few friends out for an evening run, not members of the Bloody Maulers.  And he could blame it on the Cacnea they had seen, a Leech Seed did the same damage as that golem’s ropes did so he might be able to sell it.  He was in such a hurry that he never noticed black bird like shadow against the moon had been watching them since they had confronted Bahadur, a silent observer that had seen the whole battle.

 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

  Mr. Mime walked through the house silently, a frown on its faces as it thought about how it would have to deal with having another person in the house.  When that woman’s brat was around it had to act the part of a happy house keeper, with him gone a simple command and she did the house work and treated it like a king when they were alone.  Now a new trainer was here he was back to being a servant, he was looking forward to the seeing the tainted bitch in her proper place again.   He walked to the phone and dialed his trainer’s number quickly; she had to know about the girl.

 “Delia what is it? Why did you call so late?” Ginny’s voice asked worriedly when someone answered the phone.

 “Mime mime mime”  Mr. Mime answered

 “Mime, what the fuck is the matter, what happened……oh no, that bleeding heart took someone in again didn’t she?”  Ginny snarled as her voice turned vicious.

 “Mime.”  Mr. Mime said as he nodded.

 “That new girl, right? The wanna be cook.  Start to carry a recorder with you and drop it at the exchange point behind the house when you water the berries.   Act like a fucking servant, don’t do anything that would let the brat figure out anything about you, got it?!  Now let me sleep you stupid Fairy.”  Ginny said before she slammed down her phone.  Mr. Mime just looked at phone with a scowl and marched back toward where it slept, so much for that.

 He was in such a state that he didn’t notice that one of the girl’s Pokemon hiding in the kitchen stand up and look toward the phone, a hard look on its brown face.  It looks like that bitch Oak was involved with Delia’s blackouts and was the one who really controlled the Fairy Type.  Looking down at a recorder Flaaffy had giving it, it had to play it back for its trainer tomorrow, and let Amanda hear this too.

 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

 P A treon.com/bardofworlds for special rewards for all patrons

  Trial of the Blade: Homeland term for the Defense Treaty, a test to prove they have mastered the use of their chosen weapon

Homunculus:  Creation made by Alchemy which can be design to any shape, though a basic limit of 10 feet tall, controllable by artifact in shape of anything from a ring to a statue, limit of ten per control artifact

 Alchemy: Aura Practice of infusing Aura into chemical mixtures and molds to create potions or Homunculus

 Devourer:  Forbidden Style of Auralists; drains others of Aura to power their abilities, higher tiers need to kill others to advanced their abilities, and kill Pokémon to gain their element.  Has become a horror story for the Homeland

[megamanmodelaaa-fanstories]

Alpharad’s CPUCS - The Novel, Chapter 1: Welcome New Smash Brothers & Sisters! (Part 1)

7th December 2018, long awaited... has finally arrived!

In a Realm far from our reach, a special event called the “Super Smash Bros Games” opens up every few years where the best come together for a series of duels & competitions to reignite relations & create new ones. This particular one is the 5th in the line of many, marking the 19th Anniversary of these games.

Among those games, a particular set of Tournaments are organized to pit the best of the best against each other for supremacy & bragging rights called the “CPU Championships”, fully sponsored by a one “Alpharad”. No one really remembers why they were labelled with the abbreviation “CPU”, but the name stuck out of respect to those old traditions. The first of the CPU Championships (CPUC for short) is about to begin.

The sun rose to a huge crowd converging to see the first of the CPUCs take place. The streets were packed, some conversing, some running stands or shops, others organizing & watching over the festivities. Sometime later, a familiar voices echoes through the speakers to the masses’ ears… it was Mario!

Mario: “Thank you so much everyone for joining us today! We are-a happy to begin these Championships as we have always done for 19 Years! To begin & for a warm welcome, today’s Challengers will be this season’s Returners &-a New Comers! Let’s-a GO!”

The Coliseum Doors open as everyone rushes in to take their seats. While medieval in design, the Smash Coliseum houses the latest in recreational technology, allowing it to emulate almost any Battle Stage with various Hazards & Features. So it begins, the first ever CPUC of this season pits new comers & returning veterans against each other!

CPU Championship No. 1 Rules & Players:-

-Normal Stages

-FSM Allowed

-No Items

-No Hazards

-Tournament Bracket:

With spectators so excited you could hear them cheer thousands of miles away, Mario strikes the Smash Bell signifying the beginning... of the Tournament!

Match No. 1- Pichu vs. Incineroar

The battle started with both Fighters sizing each other up as they tried to fixate their footing on the moving stage “3D Land”, a very odd start for an opening Match. In reality however, one of the Competitors was a little uneasy about the match-up.

Incineroar: “(Is the audience gonna be OK with me pummeling this little guy?)”

Incineroar did his best to keep things even between him & Pichu to avoid any backlash, especially when you consider that most of this fan base are young passionate fans. All this wasn’t helped by the fact that Pichu was doing sloppily at first, and when he opened with a Headbutt Attack, he missed… nearly throwing himself out-of-bounds.

Pichu: “T-That was close… Sorry Mr. Incineroar!”

Incineroar: “Watch your positioning boy! (I need to handle this fight carefully…)”

Incineroar continues to pull his punches on Pichu, literally staging acts like nearly going out-of-bounds himself by falling behind & missing a Lariat Attack on purpose. But much to his surprise as soon as Pichu started landing a few hits, his momentum kept building up & eventually, he started showing acrobatics that are on par with the likes of Sheikh & Zero Samus! Even Incineroar couldn’t keep up with him!

Pichu wasn’t known to be the most capable Fighter many years ago because he never measured up to all the other competitors. But this time, it was clear to Incineroar & everyone else that this is a new Pichu standing before them!

Incineroar: “Have you been training?”

Pichu: “Y-Yes! Every day since I was invited again.”

Incineroar: “Then show me the new fire in you!”

They clashed without hesitation, sparks of fire & thunder flying with every punch, every kick, every grab, showing a passion for competition that is exactly what followers of these tournaments look for! With full vigor, the two unleash their Final Smash Arts, “Max Malicious Moonsault” & “Volt Tackle”! Incineroar tries to hold Pichu with his bare hands, but then Pichu slips right through sending a flurry of electric charges everywhere! Finally, the burning wrestler flies off the stage unable to recover back. The winner is… PICHU!

Incineroar: “N… Nice one boy. *Wheeze* should’ve known you had it in ya all along...”

Pichu: “S-Sorry Mr. Incineroar… & thank you!”

Match No. 2- Ridley vs. Ice Climbers

Nana: “Uuuh Popo, why does this guy look like the Pterodactyl who keeps stealing our vegetables??”

Popo: “Isn’t he the one people have wanted in these games for years? He looks kinda silly up close, haha!”

That last statement… could not be far from the truth; Ridley isn’t just vicious, but also has a troll like demeanor. The battle started out normally with both sides equally exchanging attacks… until.

Ridley suddenly grabs Popo by the face & drags his body on the ground towards the stage boarder… along with himself?! He then makes a hard stop at the last second, walking away from Popo with a wide grin on his face as if holding back laughter…

Nana: “Are you OK Popo?!”

Popo: “I-I-I’m fine… Come on, let’s get this maniac…!”

The two climbers reform & charge on ahead, but it’s becoming clear that Ridley’s earlier act was enough to throw their well-spoken teamwork out the window. Discoordination, miscommunication, losing track of each other, far too often have have they found them selves on opposite sides away from each other, & Ridley was taking full advantage of these missteps to further crush their focus. Even to the point of taunting the duo mid-fight.

Alas, while they were retreating to retrace & regroup, they’ve failed to notice the pit behind them & fell in together… & Ridley laughed & mocked them the whole way through. The winner is… RIDLEY!

Ridley: “RAAAAAHAHAHAHA!!”

Popo: “He played us… the whole TIME!”

Nana: “Calm down Popo, we’ll get another shot next time…”

Both Climbers leave the ring, with Popo clenching his fist in disgrace…

Match No. 3- King K. Rool vs. Solid Snake

Solid Snake: “A giant crocodile?? Is this karma for all the crocodiles Big Boss ate years ago??”

Otacon: “Careful Snake! He may look like a glutton, but he’s strong & also commands an army powerful enough to occupy an entire Island!”

Solid Snake: “OK then… Bring it on Big Croc!”

King K. Rool: “That’s KROC to you, Onesie Man!!”

Snake’s faster & more nimble, so the Espionage Legend had the towering reptile beat in Close-Quarters-Combat “CQC”. However, K. Rool’s body armour was harder than Snake was anticipating. More shockingly, the armour was also flexible enough to deflect & outsight counter attacks.

Solid Snake: “My attacks haven’t even dented that thing?!”

King K. Rool: “*BELLY SLAP!* Do your worst, stick figure! Hehehee!”

Snake slowly escalates towards using firearms & explosives, but could hardly scratch that armour, let alone launch him out of the ground! The Kroc King also started using his own trusty weapon: An unorthodox single barrel rifle that was throws opponents off with its ability to absorb anything into it. In desperation, Snake calls for his biggest gun.

Solid Snake: “Otacon, engage Covering Fire!!”

FIVE Large Missiles come flying in, all hit their giant green target... But fail to send him out. It was all looking futile as King K. Rool sends the Solider off with a single punch, a feat barely tons of Snake’s own were able to achieve. The winner is… KING K. ROOL!

Solid Snake: “Blast… I’m surprised no one calls you ‘Metal Gear Croc’…”

King K. Rool: “For the last time, it’s KROC!!”

Match No. 4- Wolf vs. Isabelle

Isabelle: “It’s a pleasure to meet you Wolf! Let’s keep it Clean!”

Wolf: “Hmph. They paired me with YOU? This must be a joke, I’ll end this quick.”

The match starts with Wolf dashing towards Isabelle as she….. Takes out a Fishing Rod?? Wolf was left confused, what could she be doing? There aren’t any ponds to fish in on this stage. Shrugging it off, Wolf dashes in to steal the opportunity, only for Isabelle to reel in, grab him then swing to the other side nearly flying outside!

Isabelle: “What do you think of this Rod? Bought it myself from my favorite store!”

Wolf: “You insolent little dog! You’ll pay for this!”

While Wolf continued to charge at the innocent looking Isabelle, she kept on playing with her Fishing Rod throwing him off at every turn. Even when he does see though that trick, she whips out something else unusual as a weapon: A Bug Catching Net, a Stop Sign, even some vegetables! It was becoming very hard to read this fragile-looking, yet versatile Fighter.

Wolf: “BOYS, GET IN HERE NOW & FINISH HEEER!!”

Wolf calls his Star Wolf Team to try & put her down the sights, but even that wasn’t working somehow, always missing at the last possible second.

Wolf: “Why. Won’t. You. FALL?!”

Isabelle: “Now now Wolf, anger isn’t good for your blood pressure. Teehee!”

Wolf was not having any more as he switches to a more aggressive approach to cover some lost ground, letting his claws loose as he flies everywhere around the Innocent Secretary. Then suddenly, Isabelle calls Tom Nook & the Nooklings for a plan of attack. But just as they were about to start, Wolf dodges to the other side for a counterattack... That unfortunately will not happen for as soon as he stops, a Gyroid pops out beneath his feet sending the unsuspecting pilot to the sky!

Wolf: “IMPOSSIBLLLLLLLLLLLE!!!”

The winner is… ISABELLE!

Isabelle: “Wish you a safe landing!”

& just like that, the first half of the CPUC’s first round of matches have concluded! How will the others fair? Who will come out on top? Will anyone else face the consequences of underestimating their opponent? Come back next time for Chapter 1-2!

Thank you for reading & have a good day! 👋🏻😄

[jokahlu]

No Matter What

After losing Sora, and feeling disconnected to Riku, Kairi wants to leave Destiny Islands to search for her fallen friend.

Only one problem: Riku won’t let her go....

No Matter What

Kairi stood in front of the mysterious door, her mind made up. She would leave tonight and make things right. No matter what.

The musky cave painted a painful reminder of what had been, all those years ago. The cold emanating from the rocky walls, filled with forgotten children’s drawings, a mirror of how that blazing friendship from not-that-long-ago had simmered to the cooling embers it was now.

How she wished to go back to those days, when her biggest concern was to build a raft to play as an adventurer with her two best friends.

Her two pillars.

The two boys that were the rocks that kept her feet on the ground, always looking after her just as she always looked after them.

They were two people who gave meaning to her youthful days. The ones that took away part of her soul when they left her behind to be heroes of their own stories. To confront and defeat their own demons. To live lives that didn’t involve her anymore.

That was the main reason why she accepted Yen Sid’s offer to train. She wanted to be a part of their lives again and share more moments together.

If only she had refused.

If only she had stayed in the islands, waiting for them to come back to her.

Now, because of her, Sora was no longer with them and Riku had grown to be a distant figure around her. A far cry from the boy that fought his best friend for her attention and used to be a flirt around her just to bug Sora.

A silent tear slipped past the barrier around her heart, as she mourned both; her fallen love and lost friend. Both losses felt like daggers to her core. Both as dear and important to her. There was no competition to be won.

Both of them were her everything to her, even if they were now the ghosts that came to haunt her with memories.

“What are you doing here?” Riku’s voice cut through the fog and made Kairi jump, a low yelp escaping her lips.

Quickly wiping her tears, she turned to face her former best friend. The one whose loss made her so sad and empty. He was still physically there, but their friendship was pretty much gone, just as Sora was.

Her throat became tight at the thought, and she bit down her tears.

This wasn’t the moment to show weakness.

Looking at him now, without the urgency of battle or the fear of death, she noticed how big and mature he looked. A true Keyblade Master, through and through.

Her heart soared with pride at the sight, just as it cried in grief at the abyss that now separated them.

How she wished to find solace in his embrace and share her fears with him, as she had done so many times in the past. He had always been excellent at listening to her and giving her advice. How she longed to cry for their lost friend together. To hear his grief and fears, so they could face their fears together and think of a way that would bring Sora back.

But he just stood there, strong as always. Not a hint of his true thoughts or feelings slipped his indifferent mask.

Kairi would never admit it, even to herself, but a small part of her had expected him to come looking for her that night. Just like he always used to do when they were children and he knew that she was sad. Riku would sneak into her bedroom through the window and keep her company until she fell asleep.

He brought her back from the memories as he slowly started walking towards her, not fazed by her silence. He advanced until she realized what he had done. He was standing between the door and herself.

He knew her too well. They hadn’t been best friends for nothing.

Still waiting for her reply, he lazily leaned against the door and raised a single silver eyebrow.

“I’m going after him,” Kairi said between her teeth, feeling small next to his knowing expression.

“How?” He calmly asked, like he was asking about the weather. Kairi’s eyes searched his turquoise ones, with growing annoyance. “You just got here today,” Riku added. “We should wait to talk to Master Yen Sid to-“

“I can’t. This is my fault. And I plan to make it right,” she said, squaring her shoulders.

“Kairi, this was no one but Xehanort’s fault. I can’t let you go.” Riku’s voice became soft, speaking to her as if she was a small frightened animal, and he was scared he would spook her.

“Why?” she asked, clenching her fists. “You let him go after me. You let him risk his life to save me.” Kairi was the one saying the words, knowing well that they would hurt him, but she couldn’t stop them from passing her lips.

His eyes were casted downward, the slight drop of his shoulders the only indication that she had hit a nerve. His silence doing nothing to placate her overgrowing frustration and anger. At him. At herself. At Sora.

At how unfair it all was.

“Why did I had to be taken again?” She finally screamed. Her sudden outburst caught him off guard and his wide eyes finally met hers. The tears started flowing in a steady stream down her cheeks, as she frantically continued her shouting. “After all my training and effort? Finally, I was trying to hold my own!”

“Kairi, you did! You tried your best-” Riku tried to speak, but Kairi had snapped.

“Why?” Kairi screamed again, her anger unmatched by any feeling she had experienced in her life.

Riku was at a loss of words.

“Why would you support his stupid self-sacrificing decision?! He’s always been naive and kind of clueless.” Riku opened his mouth to speak, but she bulldozed through, “You are supposed to be the smart one. So tell me, why you let him do something so unbelievably stupid!”

Riku stared dumb folded at her, his mouth opening and closing, no words coming out.

“I can’t bear the thought of losing him, all because of me.” She whispered, sounding miserable.

“I do regret it.” Riku finally said after a while.

Hurt. She knew he had to regret letting Sora go and sacrifice himself for her, but knowing it to be true was the like a blow right into her stomach. She felt breathless and nauseous.

But even if she hurts so much, she agrees with him. Closing her eyes, she tries to will them to dry, but the tears keep falling.

“I regret many things,” he continued. “I regret not assimilating it the moment it happened.” He suddenly said, his voice softer than she ever heard it.

“What are you talk-”

“It all seemed so surreal. I didn’t think you were really gone. That you had been-“  he chocked, and Kairi’s eyes searched his face, horrified to see the raw agony  reflected in his usually poised face. “in front of my own eyes.”

“Stop it, you don’t need to say mo-“  she begged, but he wasn’t listening anymore.

“I regret so much,” he sobbed, as thick tears ran down his beautiful face. “I regret not feeling Sora’s urgency to save you after just having beat Master Xehanort. The relief and adrenaline clouded my judgement and shielded me from the pain.”

“Shut up Riku! Stop,” she closed her eyes, trying to erase the sight of her best friend breaking down in front of her.

Because of her. Because of him. It all hurt so much. They were hurting themselves and hurting each other so much.

“And I let him go. Yes, I regret that the most.” His voice died down after those words. He silently let the tears run their course, while Kairi felt like dying all over again. This was on her. She was the reason he was suffering so. And he regretted that Sora died instead of her.

Barely able to breathe, through the compressing of her chest, throat and heart, she said, “I see,” while trying to conceal the hurt in her voice. There it was. No more needed to be said.

“I regret sending him alone. I regret not going myself and making sure both of you came back safe. I hated myself for it. The night I came back I cried myself to sleep.” He resumed saying after he wiped his face.

“What?” Kairi whispered in disbelief. Riku, who never liked to admit his weakness was here, vein open and bleeding freely in front of her, letting all his doubts and shame out for her.

“And I cried myself to sleep all the following nights, until I forgot about what it felt to have peace in the darkness of my own bedroom.”

“Riku!” She ran and wrapped her arms around him as much as she could.

Riku was hurting so much and here she was feeling sorry for herself, when he needed her the most.

How had she been so blind and selfish?

This was important to him, so she would let him finish what he had to say. She owed him as much.

“The wait was tortuous, even if it was only a week.” He admitted, wrapping his arms around her small frame and squeezing her to him. “It was so painful to me and clearly evident to everyone else, in fact, that the other Keyblade wielders took great strides in trying to cheer me up.”

Kairi slightly tightened her hold on him, face nestled against his chest, giving him courage to continue speaking.

“They made beach gather-ups to distract me, but I also think they did it to distract themselves from thinking too much and worrying about you two. We never talked about it, but it was an unspoken sentiment between us all.”

Kairi lost track of time of how long they stayed locked in the embrace, tears drying out and the only sounds around them being their breaths and heartbeats.

“I’m sorry for lashing out at you.” Kairi said, against his solid chest.

“I’m sorry for avoiding you since you came back. I felt to guilty and ashamed.” Riku confessed into her hair.

“You didn’t need to be,” she tried to reassure him.

“I did. But I’m happy we could talk about what really was in our minds. I had forgotten how loud you screamed when you got mad really,” he softly teased. Kairi laughed and gave him a light shake for his trouble.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you cry like this,” she said in wonder looking up into his face.

“I would only allow myself to be like this with you or Sora,” he vowed with a smile.

“We wouldn’t have it any other way.”

They smiled and kept holding at each other in silence. After a while, Riku let out a low laugh as he confessed:

“I was on my way to your house when I saw you go to the beach and come here, you know.”

“Stalker,” she teased, as warmth filled her entire being. He still cared about her! Maybe she hadn’t really lost her best friend.

She squeezed him at the thought and felt like maybe everything would be alright after all. But as the thought came to her, she remembered why she was in the cave.

“Then you know that I need to go find him.”

“I know you do.”

“So, will you let me pass, without being a bother?” she said with hope, feeling confident after what she just shared with Riku.

“No. I’m sorry.”

“What?” Kairi disentangles herself from her friend and takes a step back.

“I can’t let you do that. I won’t lose you again.”

“I’ve trained. It may have not been up to the level of the Organization, Xemnas or Xehanort, but I know how to fight and stand for myself now. You won’t lose me,” she said with desperation, disbelief in her eyes at Riku’s refusal.

“I won’t take any chances,” he replied, his voice hash.

“It’s not for you to decide,” Kairi barks back, angrier by the minute, “I may not be as experienced as the others are, but I can hold my own now.”

“Kairi-“ Riku raises his hands to reach out for her but before he can, she doges him.

“Move out of my way, Riku,” she warns as she summons her Keyblade, the tip scraping a few inches over the paopu drawing. She didn’t want to fight, she knew Riku would beat her ass in a second, but she did so as a warning, meaning that she would go to find Sora, even if it meant going through him.

Even if the thought shattered her already damaged heart.

Riku drops his hands and firmly shakes his head from left to right, looking at the ground.

“Riku,” she warned again.

Would she do it? Would she be able to make the first move, knowing it could hurt him? Even for Sora?

As she gathered some courage and took a step forward, he looked into her eyes and said, “So be it.”

He summoned his own weapon and they stare at each other for the longest seconds.

How? Her mind screamed.

How did it turn up like this?

After she had thought that maybe the abyss between them was only a figment of her tortured imagination, they had to come down to physical violence.

Kairi was about to try to shove him aside, she really was, when Riku turned around and aimed his Keyblade towards the door.

“I can’t let you go alone. So I’m going with you. Together, we will find him.”

Kairi just stood there in awe, silently watching him, not quite processing what he was saying. When she didn’t answer, he turned to face her again with a warm smile.

“First we will visit a couple of different worlds to see if they need help and if we can find any information to help us on our journey to find him. We’ll see where it takes us, and make the decisions as we go. What do you say? Ready to see new worlds and leave these old islands behind?” he said with a smirk, as he holds out his hand to her.

Her eyes tear up, not believing what was happening. She had thought that this journey would be another lonely one, but now she was about to start her own adventure with her best friend by her side. Both joining forces to find his best friend and her true love.

“It will be dangerous,” she softly reminded him, keyblade disappearing from her grip.

“I know.”

“You could get hurt.”

“True,” he laughed.

“And I will have the chore to protect you, because you clearly can’t stay out of trouble.”

“Sure thing,” Riku said, ruffling her copper hair.

“But we will bring him back home,” she said with hope and longing.

“No matter what,” he smiled tenderly as he offered her his hand.

“No matter what,” Kairi said with conviction, firmly grabbing his hand, ready to take a leap.

…

Please let me know what you think :)

Writing this served as a balm to soothe my need for a better Destiny Trio dynamic and a real Rikai focused friendship.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t cry writing this.

[surveysonfleek]

1442.

Can you remember your first day of school? very clearly lol. i was that kid who cried when their parents dropped them off. Who’s your best friend? my boyfriend. Do you watch the Disney channel? no, we never had cable :( What’s your favourite movie? i have way too many. aladdin, mean girls, white chicks, 40yo virgin etc. Would you rather jump out of an airplane or go scuba diving? honestly the thought of either scares me but i’d probably choose scuba diving.

Do you get bored looking at other peoples’ holiday pictures? it really depends. i love albums that are quality over quantity. my cousin takes photos of absolutely everything so going through her albums of 400+ photos if boring af. Do you give money to charity? i have before but had to stop it coz it was a little too much for me. What can you hear right now? the tv. What does your last received text say? i’m home. Is there anything annoying you right now? not really.  What did you last have to eat? steak. Are you more into music or movies? probably music. Do you like making surveys? i don’t make any. When was the last time you went to a swimming pool? omg i forgot. last year maybe. Can you ride a bike? What age were you were you learned? yes. i was about 5 but was fully confident at about 7 lol. Would you rather have a pet snake or a pet turtle? turtle. Do you have, or would you like to get, any tattoos? no tatts, don’t plan on getting any either. Have you ever seen a band live? Who was the last you saw? yes. majid jordan. What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever found in someone’s bedroom? idk lol. Who do you live with? my family. What colour are your socks? not wearing any but i own mostly black socks. When was the last time you went outside? about 30 mins ago. Are you too hot or too cold right now? i’m a little too hot but it’s tolerable. Do you have any musical instruments in your bedroom? nope. Do you like Batman or Robin more? neither. Did you ever love Pokemon? Do you still? yes, i loved it as a kid. i don’t follow it anymore. Do people who use massive amounts of emoticons annoy you? i don’t mind. Have you ever talked to your parents over an IM programme? yes. Do you like painting? i haven’t painted in years. What was the last clothing item you bought? pants and shorts. Do you have any fairy lights in your bedroom? nope. What does your washing powder smell like? like typical laundry detergent. that linen smell lol. Do you have a dishwasher or do you do dishes by hand? dishes by hand. Are there any cobwebs in your room? hopefully not. Do you keep a diary? not this year. What made you laugh last? a video. Have you ever used a pick-up line and had it work? no lol. Do you read Texts From Last Night? How about FML? nope. Are you wearing any jewellery right now? nope. Do American / British spelling differences annoy you? haha. not really. i do british spelling for everything coz that’s how we were taught. Do you like the smell of lavender? i don’t mind it. Have you ever entered a modelling competition? Would you? no and no. Did you keep any drawings / stories from when you were younger? yeah basically anything from my school books that i still have. Who did you last have an argument with? my boyfriend. When was the last time you cooked for yourself? last week. When was the last time you wrapped a present? christmas. Do you have a safe? no. What’s the scariest thing to happen to you so far? idk tbh. maybe when i was at the airport and alarms started blaring for 10-15 minutes. i stayed pretty calm though. What was your last dream about? (or your daydream if you don’t remember) no idea. i never remember my dreams. Do you own a baby names book? nope lol. i used to always look through them at the library though. Do you read TV magazines? no. When was the last time you saw a relative? today. What time is it right now? 12:39am. Do you shout out the answers at quiz shows? haha yes. Have you ever been in a TV audience? yes haha! Have you ever entered the lottery? Won anything? i’ve done it once and didn’t win anything. When was the last time you were so angry you thought you would burst? haha maybe two weeks ago. Do you skip breakfast? sometimes. Are you in anyway close to reaching a personal goal? no. Do you prefer crosswords or word searches? word searches are a ton easier. Have you ever drawn on a wall in your house? no. Felt-tip pens or highlighters? felt tip. Do you like making collages? i did as a kid. Have you ever kept a scrapbook? yes. What’s your favourite video-game? the sims, tekken, gta 5, watchdogs and rdr. Do you remember any inside jokes from childhood? not from the top of my head. Do you think you’re a geek? no. Have you ever made up a word? no. Do you get nervous speaking to people you don’t know on the phone? yes haha. Are you scared of anything irrational? driving somewhere i’m not familiar with. Can you calm yourself down or do you just get all panicked at things? i panic over everything. Do you need to wash your hair? nope. What are your plans for tomorrow? working. Have you ever forgotten how to spell a really simple word? haha no but if you stare at a word long enough it starts to look weird. Do you have a passport? What’s the picture like? yes. it’s terrible. Have you ever had a full fringe? (bangs) yes. Is there anything you would never admit to liking? not really. What time did you get up this morning? 11am. pretty late. What’s the weirdest craze you can remember? scoobies. Have you ever been so hot you took a freezing cold shower? yes. i do this all the time in summer. it helps. Do you own a plaid shirt? yes. Do you take your own surveys? no. i don’t make them. Do you have a fan in your room? yes. two haha. Do you use bug spray or fly swatters? both. Do you know where your parents are right now? yes, sleeping. What was the last thing you said outloud? bye. Are you a clumsy person? yes. Can you brush your teeth without getting toothpaste all over your face? yes. i’ve had to learn after doing my makeup then realizing i hadn’t brushed my teeth yet lol. Do you have tiled floors in your house? yes. Do you listen to any movie soundtracks regularly? nope. Do you bruise easily? no. What would you love to learn to do? a language or instrument. Do you prefer monkeys or lemurs? whatever. Do you think you’d be able to survive on a desert island? probably not. Have you ever watched a foreign film without the subtitles? no lol. actually yeah but i understood the language. Do you watch movies based on the actors or the movie plot? a bit of both tbh. if the trailer is good i’m keen too. Do you have any phone charms on your mobile? nope. Would you ever meet anyone you met online? probably not. Are you more shy in real life or on the internet? real life. Are you happy with where you’re going in life? not really. ready to make changes but i just need to motivate myself.

[lolli4587]

Blown Away

So reading for me in general is usually difficult for me to get into. I tend to lose interest so fast. Also I don’t read a lot of fan fiction, I never got into the majority with shipping stories which I tend to find a lot bias. I always liked out of the box, unique type stories. And today I wanted to share something for anyone is a huge Pokemon Adventures Special fan or just in love with Ash in general. 

Last month during my Christmas break I stumbled into this story called “Off The Path”, and I started to read it. In the story, takes place in AU where Ash never meets Misty or Brock, and travels with gym leaders that worked for Team Rocket but hides it. So Ash travels with Sabrina, Lt. Surge, Koga, and Blaine. Anyone who read Pokemon Adventures this is true, they were with Team Rocket who basically gave hell, I loved the series. At the time I began reading it, I didn’t know it was sequel. (I found it odd that he barely introduces to anyone) so I had to read the first story called “Changing the Plan.”

Changing the Plan: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12920734/1/Changing-the-Plan

Sequel 

Off the Path: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13089490/1/Off-the-Path

So Changing in the Plan, this where the AU starts out with Ash on his journey just like an anime excepts he stumbles into Giovanni first. Giovanni takes in Ash personally due to Ash’s natural aura of possibly attracting legendary Pokemon. Ash seeing and talking about Ho-oh. Giovanni wanting to make sure this was true takes to Sabrina who is psychic. Sabrina had to bond with Ash in order to able get a reading which she does and confirms that there is something special with Ash, and goes from there. 

What I really liked about both stories, Ash acts like a 10 year old kid. He have his personality quirks where he gets excited and cares for his Pokemon needs. His Pokemon team is the same from 1st season of the anime. He has Pikachu, Butterfree, Pidgeotto, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charizard (started as Charmander). He does get stubborn and very competitive. He has a very trusting nature which all took notice. Due to Ash’s pure nature, no one wanted to corrupt him, and he was key getting the legendaries to notice. (#angel) He actually learns how to bond with his Pokemon thanks to Lt. Surge and Koga who are the mentors to Ash. Giovanni does initially teaches Ash in the beginning mostly basics and battling. Do not want to give out much, Giovanni true intentions shine after his main Mewtwo project was finished. 

Out of the characters, Giovanni was Giovanni from what I got out of it. He only cares about power and money which true in all versions. He does hide that he works for Team Rocket, Ash doesn’t know the truth until Off the Path comes along. Due to Giovanni’s investment into Ash, Giovanni’s top personal agents, Sabrina, Lt. Surge, and Koga all thought it was weird. One out of the 3 GL actually screwed up badly with Giovanni as Silver mentioned and is on thin ice... (As of now, the author still didn’t reveal the story yet)

Now comes the 3 MVPs in the story shines...

Sabrina in this story is different from the manga and anime. Her interpretation was more taken from the games but also the author took liberties on his own characterization. She mainly can sees visions in the future and sense auras from others she is close too. Due to being sensitive to other auras, she easily can get overwhelmed. Out of the 3, she interacts with Ash the least, and often would follow her companions and knows how to deal with Giovanni. She really shines when she with Surge and Koga. It was implied that they known each other for at least 15 years + (which put everyone possibly 30+ yrs old or older). 

Although she tend to be on quiet side, she enjoys their company and implied they worked great together. There were some hints from the anime which the author took a liberty which I thought it was great when talking in her past. Also there was moments due to sensitive to other feelings, she would lose it, and would be vulnerable.

Then we have Lt. Surge. Omg, I am in love with his character, and I want to say the author as well since his character gets fleshed out the most of the 3. He was introduced due to Pikachu causing blackouts and needed someone who can help control its power. His personality I want to say taken some liberties on the author’s part, but there is a mix of anime, manga, and game counterpart. He is the most outgoing out of the 3. He loves to goof off and play pranks on his friends and annoy them. Surge actually bonds with Ash the most. (I found it adorable. WHY THERE IS NO FANART WITH ASH AND LT. SURGE TOGETHER!!)

Ash took a huge liking to Surge since he shares many of traits that he believes in, except for evolving his Pokemon too quickly which at times would clash. It was implied Ash looks up to him in Off the Path. But despite the fun and games, Surge is also the most complicated out of the 3. He has a dark secret which traumatizes him and begins to have a 180 degree personality shift in Off the Path. The most recent chapters I read, I hoping he is ok...

And now Koga, Koga was introduced fairly late into the story. He was introduced due to Ash not able to control Charmeleon and Bulbasaur in a fight which Surge haven’t an idea to do so. Koga has a daughter in this story Janine, and due of him being a father, he was the one who worried most of Ash’s safety and Giovanni’s true intentions with him. Koga’s personality also taken the author’s own liberties, but he does have also little bit of everything from anime, manga, and games. 

Koga helps with Ash a lot with his training with all his Pokemon and also puts his ninja skills in use to watch over Ash. Koga isn’t too shy to use violence whenever Surge decides to provoke him which I found their interactions hilarious. There was some parts in the story that made me laugh and also references the anime. Koga does take a backseat after an incident happened towards end of Changing the Plan. The most recent chapters I read of Off the Path, he was able to play a role between Blaine and Ash, and able to mentor Ash again on his training.

Then we have a former Rocket member, Blaine.

Blaine was introduced very late in Changing the Path in Cinnabar Island after Ash was alone. Blaine is taken largely from the manga for anyone read the manga (he created Mewtwo). The author also took his own liberties with him, and Blaine is the most cautious of the bunch. He is very friendly with Ash, but not so friendly with the other 3 which they all travel together in Off the Path. This rubs Lt. Surge the wrong way, which Off the Path goes on of the two fighting most of the time. (It does escalate)

Blaine took a liking to Ash, but due to his paranoid nature, he had Ash try not to reveal anything about their true mission which the conflicts begins as well in Off the Path. Right now, I am happy that he and Ash made up as the recent chapter.

Phew, ok so the author does a great job drawing in these characters, and it is easy to visualize. I love how fluid the interactions he writes with Sabrina, Surge, and Koga, and it was fun reading some things they used to do which tied in from the manga. I never read a story of 4 gym leaders traveling with Ash over legendary Pokemon, and it is very unique. Also almost all the characters are complicated and complexed which makes it very interesting as they tie in real life scenarios. This story is still ongoing on fanfiction.net, which I have linked on top. Changing the Plan is currently completed while Off the Path is ongoing. The author mentioned he might have another sequel after Off the Path.

So if your into Pokemon Adventures or loves Ash in general, I do recommend to give a read. Its one the best Poke fanfics I ever read after Triumvirate and Another Road (I don’t read too many Poke pics)  and I would bug my friends so much about it. Thanks barely with me <3

PS: If anyone knows the author on fanfic or your the author reading this! I really love it and please keep writing ^^

[tsfanart]

The Banana Battle

Or...

Deceit started a fight with [using] a banana because he felt like it!

(I can't be bothered to find the sources anymore, just take my word for it.)

Warnings: Sympathetic/Goofy Deceit...maybe unintentional innuendo. :P

--

Out of all the Sides, it was well known that Roman was an early riser. Virgil slept in a lot, especially when his anxiety attacks kept him up late. Logan got up early when he could, but sometimes a late night of research got to him as well. And Patton did get up early sometimes, but he was content to stay in bed as long as he could.

But Roman liked being up early. It was peaceful, and he could work on coming up with new ideas without anyone else bugging him. He especially liked being able to make breakfast for himself and just stay in his own head for once.

That wasn't to say that he hated having the others around. Logan, Patton, and Virgil all had something to offer with their company. Sometimes one of them would join him for breakfast, and they would enjoy their time together in silence.

But of course, not all parts of Thomas' mind made good company, and on one morning Roman was startled to run into a certain snake already in the kitchen.

"Up pretty early today, are we?"

Deceit was sitting at the kitchen table, putting on an air of false innocence, and looked up at Roman with a grin.

"Um, excuse me, but what are you doing in our kitchen?" Roman growled.

"Why, the same thing that you're doing! I have to eat too, you know."

"Okay, well, you're sitting in my spot, so get out," Roman replied, trying to shove Deceit off the chair.

But Deceit wouldn't budge. Roman tried to attack him from all angles, shaking the chair back and forth and leaning his back against it. But nothing worked.

Finally, Roman leaned back against the kitchen island and sighed. "Okay, what do you want, Faker Oats?"

Deceit shrugged. "I want to hang out here. Is there a problem with that?"

"Yes, yes there is. And the problem is, I don't want you to. So get out."

Deceit looked around the room for a few moments, and finally grinned when he noticed the fruit bowl a few feet away. He got up and pulled off a banana.

"Well then, Roman, I have a proposition for you. Clearly we can't both have our way here, so how about we settle the matter with a little competition! What do you say we...sword fight for it?" he asked, swinging the banana forward dramatically.

Roman pulled back and raised his eyebrows. "Sword fight?"

"That's what I said, yes."

"But...that's a banana," he said, pointing to the fruit in the other's hand.

Deceit looked down at his hand and then back up at Roman. "No, it's a sword," he said plainly.

Roman tried to stare him down, but Deceit just stayed where he was and raised his eyebrows with a smirk. Finally Roman sighed and grabbed a banana of his own.

"Alright, fine. If you want to fight, then let's do it." He held the banana like a sword and got into stance, and Deceit did the same.

"You're not gonna win this fight, you know," Roman said as the two bounced around the kitchen. "You don't know how to sword fight and your form is quite frankly terrible."

"Oh, I think I have a fair shot," Deceit replied.

"Uh-huh. Sure. Hey, how do we win, anyway?" Roman asked, stopping suddenly.

Deceit paused as well and looked down at his banana. "Oh...well, we win as soon as the other's banana gets ripped open. Fair enough?"

"Ah, I see." Roman got back into stance and continued hitting Deceit's banana with his own.

For the next few minutes, the two battled, fairly evenly matched. But as time went on, Roman's banana got more and more hits, and he wasn't sure how much longer it would be before it ruptured. He slowed a little and looked down at his banana. He had to plan his next moves more carefully now. Deceit's banana needed a few more hits, but one more hit to Roman's in the right spot and he was done for.

Meanwhile, Deceit took advantage of Roman's being distracted and stood above him, ready to strike one more time. Roman looked up just in time to see the other's hand coming down...

And then Deceit fell asleep.

Just like that, he had fallen to the floor, and as such back down to the Dark Sides' realm. Roman stared down and cocked an eyebrow, but shrugged and tossed out the bananas as he set off to make his own breakfast.

Meanwhile, off in the Shorts Universe, Remy stood in his room and crossed his arms with a smirk, having watched the whole scene from afar.

"Told you I'd find a way to get back at you."

--

@lizaelsparrow @bunny222 @phlying-squirrel @haikyuupaladin @anarchicrealist @existentialburden @hissesssss @lonelygoldheart @sassy-in-glasses @pensive-patton @punch-you-with-friendship @challybop @natigail @kindofclever @k9cat @iris-sanders-athena @ravenclawangst @secretlyondrugs @theresneverenoughfandoms @nashiraneko @wtfeodipus @savingshae @zoalis @a-simple-fryingpan @yv-sanders @fandersfic-roceit

[astralescent]

10 & 15

Tragic Honest Ask Meme

10. Have you ever ruined something good? Like a friendship, a good day, a possession, something sacred?

“There were two friends I made in Talys, shortly after getting in a fight with Cord, breaking my wrist and being forced to take some time off. They already knew each other, they were childhood friends, I believe. I met him at his father’s shop, in the village just a ride away from the fort. His name was Gabrien, and he introduced me to her, Allie, who lived on a farm on the outskirts of said village.”

“They didn’t know who I was; they often joked about my likely being older than I looked because a ‘kid my age’ had ‘no business being part of the garrison manning East Watch’. East Watch was the fort King Talys had lent us, you see - he had let the rumor spread that we were simply a group of knights sent to reinstate watch over the eastern coast, all in an effort to avoid any greedy Talysian sending word of our presence on the island to our enemies.”

“Allie and Gabrien did not actually care, though; they seemed to enjoy my company regardless of what status I had. She was lively, he was sensible. It was a treat to be a witness to their lives and friendship for those few weeks, especially after the unfortunate turn of events at the fort. I needed good friends who could help take my mind off things, and the two of them were masters of distraction and simple entertainment.”

“I did not think much of it when she kissed me, that one day we shared a picnic alone. She had me addicted to not thinking too much, I suppose. Perhaps I even convinced myself it was considered friendly affection, in Talys. I couldn’t say I remember what was going through my mind at the time; nothing at all, possibly. It was enjoyable. Though I don’t… reckon I did it right, she was beaming when we parted.”

“The same feeling of not wanting to worry about it and just relishing the moment took over when Gabrien had the same initiative the next time we spent a day alone at the shop. Again, I didn’t quite know what was happening, or why, but I went with it and he seemed pleased as well.”

“It was the last time I ever saw him. Or her, for that matter. Neither of them came for me the next day, or the one after. I assumed they had gotten together and told one another what had happened. As the days went on, I understood something about it was wrong, that I must have hurt them by complying both times, or something along the lines. When I tried looking for them myself, weeks later, I could not find them still; they were clearly avoiding me.”

“I understand, today, that a requited kiss - especially one so, err, enthusiastic - is likely to be interpreted as some sort of… commitment, to a mutual feeling, to a relationship. That it was selfish and careless to accept both without questions. I will always regret losing their friendship over this misunderstanding, over my inability to see there was more to it for them than a few pleasant seconds of liplock.”

15. What’s one of your worst childhood memories?

“I was ten, I believe. It was during an archery training session; something I had to stop pursuing before long, for I did not have a knack for it anymore than I did swordplay, and Father wanted me to focus on the latter. My trainer took me to the southern forest, where the woods are thickest, along with a few other trainees a two knights to ensure my safety, specifically.”

“We were instructed to take down as much wildlife as we could before sundown; just as most of my other instructors at the time, this one was convinced the best way to motivate his students was to instigate needless competition between them. Any wildlife, he had said, squirrels, birds and bugs alike.”

“He was keeping a close eye on me, more than any of the others. I think he knew my heart was not in it; he wanted to make sure that I would at least make an attempt. My two knights were scaring away anything that could have been within shooting distance, though, and my reflexes were not nearly on point. I had accepted I would return empty-handed very early on.”

“And then, I heard some of the others yelling in the distance, out of breath and excited. The man in charge commanded me to knock an arrow and to be ready. He verbally corrected my position, hearing everyone’s voices coming our way. He kept saying not to hesitate.”

“The moment I processed something stepping onto the trail in front of me, I let the arrow fly. Only when it hit did I realize what it was; a young doe, so small I already knew she had been trying to run back to her mother. The arrow hadn’t lodged itself properly in her shoulder, but it had been enough to immobilize her, and have her letting out awful noises. My trainer clapped and cheered. I was horrified.”

“Then he started barking orders again. It took me some time to realize he was telling me to finish her off. I did not understand. I’d hit my mark, why was this necessary ? We could have nursed her injury, let her return to her mother. I wanted to argue, tell him it wasn’t too late to let her live. But no words left my mouth, I could only stare at her, writhing in pain, even as the others finally reached us and began encouraging me to end her life as well.”

“I couldn’t do it. I simply could not. His frustration built up, and when finally he gave up, another student stepped up to do it in my stead. The trainer stopped him. He said it was time to go back. He looked at me, and said, ‘Sometimes, killing is merciful.’ And he escorted us back to castle grounds, letting the doe bleed out in pain, with the promise that my father would hear about this.”

[ampfilmworks]

Cyprus looks for a piece of the action with ‘Olivewood’ movie industry

The Telegraph Online © 2021. Telegraph Media Group Ltd. The island is actively wooing international film makers as a sunny and low-cost alternative to LA

The Mediterranean island of Cyprus is shooting for the stars in its latest bid to attract investment, offering “aggressive” incentives to promote a fledgling film industry the locals dub 'Olivewood'. In an effort to woo international movie makers, the government is offering cash rebates of up to 35pc to production companies, with further tax discounts on the table for infrastructure and equipment investment.

And while some European countries offer even greater savings, the Cypriots have another not-so-secret weapon in their arsenal: sunshine.

Lefteris Eleftheriou, chairman of the Cyprus Film Commission, says: “In effect, Cyprus is one big studio with 320 days of sunshine and vastly different natural backdrops to choose from, all within a one or two hours’ drive.

“Also, because our island is on the same latitude as LA, the angle and the quality of light is the same, so you can shoot something in Cyprus at 10am and then shoot another scene at 10am in LA and the shadows cast on the windows and the streets will be the same. Not many countries have this.”

Cyprus’s film ambitions were first revealed in 2018 when invitations were delivered to more than 40 directors across the globe, one of whom was Dimitri Logothetis, the man behind Kickboxer: Vengeance, a remake of the martial arts classic that saw the return of Jean-Claude Van Damme.

“I didn’t want to go to Cyprus,” he admits. “I had just returned to LA from a three-week vacation in Greece, but my friend and fellow producer kept bugging me about it so we went to hear about this cash rebate programme. While the minister of finance was taking questions, I looked at him and said, ‘Well, I have this film and it’s ready to go. Who do I need to talk to?’ Everyone fell quiet. They weren’t expecting any of the producers they’d brought in to be ready to produce.”

The film Logothetis had ready to go was Jiu Jitsu, a $25m action movie starring Nicolas Cage as a martial arts expert battling an alien. It is now the first Hollywood film to be shot entirely in Cyprus for more than four decades and it was released by Paramount Home Entertainment in the US and Canada last month.

“I couldn’t have filmed Jiu Jitsu in America,” Logothetis says. “Everything is a lot more expensive and to film in Cyprus was at least 50pc or 60pc less than it would cost to shoot in the States.” For Logothetis the biggest draw was the cash rebate offered by the Republic of Cyprus.

“As cash rebates go, 35pc across the board, including ‘above the line’ costs, is a very aggressive rebate. Cyprus needs to keep that edge, and it makes economic sense to do so because for every dollar or euro a country spends on a film, they get seven in return. That’s why Ireland is doing so tremendously well. Films boost the economy and production teams inject a lot of cash into economies because we have to pay for hotels, food, car, fuel, buildings and construction amongst a host of other things.”

Although filmed in Cyprus, Jiu Jitsu is set in Myanmar, and with Cage involved in the project, the film garnered much local media interest during the six weeks of filming in summer 2019. However, Cage is not the first A-lister to film on the island.

The first Hollywood film shot in Cyprus, The Beloved starring Raquel Welch, was filmed in the village of Karmi in 1970. It was not a great critical success, though one reviewer did praise the film for the “splendid quality of light for which the island is noted”. Three years later, Peter Sellers filmed the pirate comedy Ghost in the Noonday Sun.

For Logothetis, the experience has been positive enough for him to return to the island, scouting locations for his next project. Though he readily admits to liking Cyprus, he is also a realist; like many independent movie makers before him, shooting outside the US is often a financial necessity. The same model was adopted by the 'spaghetti' western directors of the 1960s, who chiefly filmed in Spain.

In its heyday, Spain became the backdrop of a huge number of classics such as Sergio Leone’s Dollars trilogy and Sergio Corbucci’s Django. Today many of those iconic sets have been abandoned or turned into western-style theme parks, but Spain remains in the game and is a strong competitor in the European hustle for movie dollars. For Greg Johnson, a producer and lecturer in film studies at Yale University, this is one of the biggest challenges facing Cyprus in getting Olivewood off the ground.

“The Cyprus programme is in some ways competitive with other tax regimes. Spain's advantage is a highly developed film infrastructure and crews. There are also other tried and true competitors for big budget films such as Romania and Ireland, both of which have considerable EU and Hollywood track records as well as state-of-the-art facilities.”

The lack of facilities is an acknowledged weakness in the island’s grand plan, but Logothetis says the landscape will look very different in a few years.

“I needed to bring the team over from Thailand that I used in Kickboxer 1 and 2 to build a number of sets,” says Logothetis. “While we employed 200-plus Cypriots, we still had to bring in 50 or 60 other crew members from other countries, and the fact is, you need a crew. Spain has a crew and an infrastructure and stages, and they had it way back in the 60s. So did Italy. They don’t have that in Cyprus, but what does exist here is an extreme will to make it happen.” Local producer Marios Piperides agrees: “We are missing the infrastructure of places like Malta, but they have been doing this since the 60s. It is going to take some time, but there is progress, year on year, and the more films happening here, the more we can start to support.”

Piperides, who is currently filming a €2.5m French, German and Cypriot co-production on the island called Tel Aviv/Beirut, describes the government’s raft of incentives as “an open door for bigger films to come”. Another production, SOS: Survive or Sacrifice, fronted by William Baldwin, also shot on the island last year.

“Previously you could not survive working as a freelancer or crew member here with only one or two films per year, it was impossible," says Piperides. "But now, if there is steady work with five, six or seven films a year being made, local and international productions, then you can put more people into the system that can support the industry."

Ministers are actively pursuing private investment to hurry the industry’s evolution.

George Campanellas of Invest Cyprus, the national investment promotion agency, says talks are ongoing with a number of film studios, despite the difficulties of the coronavirus pandemic. "They are a clear sign of international interest in Cyprus," he says. "This is a great time for film investors to get on board." While a lack of studio infrastructure might strike most people in the movie business as a handicap, Logothetis remains unfazed. “For independent film makers it’s getting tougher and tougher to make the movies they want to make. I don’t want to make a movie for two or three million dollars; I did that 25 years ago. I’m just not interested in that. I’m at the top of the threshold and my movies deliver.

“Now I’ve made a great action film and built the infrastructure needed for that film within budget, and I’ve already had conversations with Paramount to make Jiu Jitsu 2. “If Olivewood wasn’t a viable alternative to Hollywood, I’d have gone home.”

Telegraph Media Group Ltd.

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CANTLON: (FRI) PACK KICK OFF THREE STRAIGHT AGAINST SPRINGFIELD

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - Two-thirds of the victorious Atlantic Division All-Star champions made it back to Hartford. Head coach Kris Knoblauch was still stuck at Ontario International Airport (All-Star Classic title sponsor) trying to negotiate his way back leaving Gord Murphy to run practice in his absence. For Vinni Lettieri, the team top scorer and 20th best in the AHL with 18 goals and 37 points, the unexpected All-Star invite was a great experience “It was great to share with Keaner and Knobber out there and it was nice to win a championship,“ remarked Lettieri with a laugh and smile “its always nice winning and get a chance to see other guys on the West Coast to connect with you.” What was your first thought? “You don’t want to lose the puck right off the bat and let somebody score or miss a shot, I might get benched.”  Lettieri with a laugh and he had space and plenty of ice on his first goal, ”that was good to get the breakaway right off the bat, but never want to miss on those.” The Toyota Center blew him away for an AHL arena. “If I didn’t know it was an AHL building you would have thought it was an NHL building. Everything was beautiful inside, it was amazing. one of the best places I have ever played in (college or pro) you had no idea it was an AHL rink. Ontario (Reign) did a great job hosting us. The setup was fantastic, everything was so well presented. It was seamless very easy for us. Considering all the people coming at different times, from different places and some whose flights were late, not getting a lot of sleep it was very well done they did everything to help us out. I want to thank them and all the fans that came out.” There were a few drawbacks. “All told it was 20 hours of travel there and back it was pretty tough on that end, but it was worth it.” He and Keane got the flight out of LA and made it back, but Knoblauch might be courting a team fine for missing practice !! For defenseman Joey Keane, the whole scene was something he still has to take it all in. “it was great, a lot of travel, a great experience. Did well on the individual puck weave and the fastest skater competition and my parents made it out there, so it was a  very cool time,” said Keane. Playing with guys you compete against in the division is quite a bit different. “For sure it takes getting use to it was nice to get to play with them and see guys from out West (you don’t see at all,” said Keane who assisted on Providence’s Paul Carey’s (Salisbury Prep) goal “I actually sat next to him in the locker room it was a lot fun meeting so many other players.” On Thursday, it was back to work for associate head coach Gord Murphy, Vinni’s game which is goal scoring there is also an intangible he really likes in him, is his competitiveness. “He really works with the puck and in getting pucks back. He sticks his body in there and shields the puck from people. His competitiveness is a big part of his game. Lots of goal scorers can get so focused on just goal scoring and don’t pay attention to other aspects of their games. That really stands out about him, he’s not just the typical goal scorer standing out on the perimeter. He competes for the pucks and that’s what gives him those opportunities,” Now all the energy is to complete the final games secure first place and the team's first playoff berth in more than five years. The Wolf Pack (25-10-4-50) for 59 points tied with Hershey, but are in first by mere percentage points play Springfield three in a row over the next six days even unique by AHL standards starting with this weekend's home and home. The Thunderbirds went 7-3 over their last 10 before the All-Star break and have climbed into third place in the Atlantic Division will look to keep their streak going and snap the Wolf Pack currently modest three-game winning streak. “Now its time for us get back and to continue what we have been doing that got us to the top of the division. We have to stay balance working with each player individually to keep their game where it needs to be. The other thing you want to do is keeping your fingers and toes crossed that we stay healthy. Stay off the IR and avoid the injury bug and make that push towards the end of the season.” Murphy sounded a note of caution as well. “You don’t want to look to far ahead and its cliché I know, but you have to just look at the game in front of you and go forward from there. We’re coming out of break here and you have to be focused on the first 10 minutes of the game making sure they have their skating legs under them and the timing is where it should be. Do all the little things we’ve been doing and keep the good habits we have developed. That’s out focus point right now.” 32 games to go, the push for the postseason is on. NOTES: -Pack defenseman Nick Ebert is nursing a lower-body injury didn’t finish practice today and is out for the weekend. There is a hope he might be available on Wednesday. -Murphy wasn’t able to announce tomorrow’s starting goalie with Knoblauch’s absence. “I really wish I could tell you because I really don’t know. I’m not hiding anything, that’s Kris’s call. He was going to be in touch with both of them (Adam Huska and Tom McCollum) this afternoon about the weekend. Right now he is trying to get a flight and get back here.” -The Pack’s Ryan Gropp was awarded the assist last week against Bridgeport initially credited to Mason Geersten the correction was asked for and granted by the AHL and he now has four points in his last four games. -Springfield is a little thin and inexperienced at goalie for the time being. Samuel Montembeault, the second-year goaltender from Quebec City was recalled today by Florida. Chris Driedger was in Florida has suffered a severe upper-body injury and a Springfield source says it's likely he could be gone for the season. He was undergoing further medical evaluation. That leaves two rookies at the helm of the goalie ship. Philippe Desrosiers with 19 games of AHL experience and Ryan Bednard who has played just two games with Springfield who has spent most of the season thus far in Greenville (ECHL). -The Thunderbirds feature some familiar names in ex-Pack Ryan Haggerty (Stamford) acquired from Wilkes Barre/Scranton last month as was ex-Pack defenseman Rob O’Gara (Yale University) who was the assistant captain last season till back surgery ended his season prematurely, Defenseman Tommy Cross (Simsbury/Westminster Prep) is the third player with CT ties. Joining Montembeault going to Florida is defenseman Riley Stillman grandson of ex-New Haven Nighthawk and Springfield Indians, Bud Stefanski. The Thunderbirds recalled Adam Rockwell and Will Lochead from Greenville. -Sebastien Aho was recalled from Bridgeport by the Islanders as was goalie Alex Lyon (Yale University) was recalled by the Flyers from Lehigh Valley. -Detroit recalled a trio from Grand Rapids in Filip Zadina, Givani Smith, and Dennis Cholowski. Read the full article