A Ballad for Icarus - A Historical Pokemon Quest

[barty]

I think goals are more important now.
[X] Reveal your goals.
[X] Lapis.

Aside from that, nice to see you back, Elpis. I wonder how long it will take for our favorite thickheaded heroine to realize...

 

[Krika]

Holy shit they're back.

[X] Andante.

[X] Reveal your goals.

 

[EternalObserver]

[X] Reveal your origins.
[X] Lapis.

 

[kichithewolf]

[X] Andante.
[X] Reveal your goals.

 

[Axel Fones]

"Bah," you hear, and feel the sharp sting of a horn poking you. You look down, staring into purple eyes.

Click to shrink...

Today is the best of days.

 

[sheep-dodger]

[X] Reveal your origins.
[X] Lapis.
Aww yeah, Pokédex get!

 

[Lyosha]

[X] Andante.

[X] Reveal your origins.

 

[Wobblegonnabe]

[X] Reveal your goals.
[X] Andante.
I was torn about the choice but frankly if we can get Capella to come after us the more drama we'll have.

 

[Sqw4l]

Ahhhhhhh it's Capella!

Ariabowl is officially on

[X] Andante.
[X] Reveal your origins.

 

[Axel Fones]

[X] Reveal your goals.
[X] Andante.

 

[JaxThePyro]

[X] Lapis.
Her name should be Lapis. So brilliant and blue and beautiful.

[X] Reveal your goals.
It is time to admit who you want to be, and that is not someone who is bound by the mountains of Gildera.

 

[NemoMarx]

okay adorable Pokedex stuff aside

"That's fine," you say, raising your nose in disdain. "I don't really care enough to call them my family anyway."

You see something else in his eyes, and for a moment you cannot help but falter.

Why would he look sad all of the sudden?

Click to shrink...

oh he knows, right? he's letting stuff through a bit

 

[Shadowphyre]

[X] Reveal your goals.
[X] Lapis.

 

[SeekerofDreams]

[X] Reveal your origins.
[X] Lapis.

 

[Touch Dom]

God, I like both the names

[X] Reveal your goals.
It is time to admit who you want to be, and that is not someone who is bound by the mountains of Gildera.

 

[Illunima]

[X] Reveal your goals.

I like both names so- fine with whatever ends up winning! ALSO THE GANG IS BACK AND SKIDDLE, OH SKIDDLE...,.;,;, skiddle.,.,.,

 

[Walker]

[X] Andante.
[X] Reveal your goals.

Welcome back, Skiddle. And some other people, I guess.

 

[RiceRockRekt]

Today went just the slightest bit unexpectedly, but because of that I found the freetime to center in on some projects, and put some energy into this, so I can't say it didn't come with some benefits!

Now, we finally arrive at the end of Arc 3, Aria's oh-so Righteous Path, I've been looking forward to this.

You take one more break before you finish the final stretch. Though the mood has slowly been improving, the realization that Wilhelm's plan is far bigger and more dangerous than initially expected has made the rest of the climb rather tense.

Debora decided to stay behind, taking care of the other prisoners to make sure they'd survive until the situation was resolved. She did not look very happy to see the Centurion, but still took some rations off your hands to help the man regain his strength.

Click to shrink...

Feeling a very "Oh hey Debora—Oh, bye Debora" to the fact that she's dropping out of the climax right after we met her, even if it's completely reasonable on account of how Debora has been half dead for like a week now and she's. Probably a non-combatant. Maybe.

Debora: [Reluctantly keeping Argos alive because she's a good person] If I don't get so much as a discount for saving your life I'm gonna feed you to Regieleki myself.

Aria continues to be baffled and aggrieved that Wilhelm is genuinely a threat to civilization instead of random mook #5.

"Do you have any plans?" Ray asks. You purse your lips.

"Not as such," you admit. She sighs, though it sounds more like resignation, which you vastly prefer to upset. "We got his Tauros knocked out, and we vastly outnumber him. If we can manage to avoid being zapped by the staff, I think we can just overwhelm him. Though his plan involves the unsealing of the demi-god, he can't do it without all his sacrifices, and he can't sacrifice us yet."

"Why do you think so?" Sophia asks. Ray's eyebrows furrow in thought, answering for you.

"Because he'd have done it already," Ray says. You give her a nod, smiling softly. "There's something he has to do before, probably whatever we caught him doing last time. After so long, the demon must be hibernating. Dying in its vicinity can't be the only thing, or it'd have been unsealed by the aging population of Olympia."

"He can't risk killing us because more kidnappings mean more exposure of his operation," you say. It's a solid assumption, but then again, it's not impossible that you're giving the man too much credit. "So if you overwhelm him, and take his staff, he's powerless. I've beaten him before, he's not nearly as good as some other warriors I've met."

"He uses tricks and subterfuge," Sophia says, shrugging. "Inattention and arrogance will be our biggest enemies, an operation like this is ridiculous for a single person."

That is also true, you find. Leif told you Wilhelm started out with petty thefts before moving on to major artifacts, so either he honed his craft or he has slowly escalated to avoid drawing too much attention to himself.

Stealing the Marchioness' flute and a staff that is locked in a vault nobody can access? Maybe you are not giving him enough credit.

Click to shrink...

It is. GENUINELY amazing how Aria needs to be told "Okay just because you broke this guys limbs that one time (maybe) doesn't mean he's the ultimate scrub you got on lock, you meathead", her brain literally only processes "Can Beat Me In Arm Wrestling [Y/N]?"

Aria: We can totally handle this guy now that he's alone without Tauros.

"Careful, we can sneak up on him," Sophia says. You give her a nod, and Ray calms down for just a moment before joining your slower approach. Step after step, after step, after step— the cracks became louder, the lightning more fierce. Above the man's attempts to bash the staff into the ground, you can see something. It's so massive, yet hidden in the shadows of the cave.

Click to shrink...

Seven red eyes stare down at you as, once again, you find yourself falling.

Click to shrink...

Aria: I don't even remember the boss theme playing, it probably wasn't even shit.

I enjoy the fact "It's not like this guy can infinitely kidnap people" came up, because that's the most relevant logistics here; though it does make me wonder what, exactly, is necessary to properly sacrifice people to Regieleki's seal.

Feel like the main thing no one has thought to ask is what Wilhelm even wanted to accomplish by sending them deeper into the temple, because if all it amounted to was being a delaying action, well, what did all that extra time let him do?

[Stares up at the staff he was beating like a drum stick]

Probably nothing!

"Sneaking didn't work last time, so I'd say we go for the direct option," you say. "Spread out, pincer him. If he focuses on one side, the other swoops in and gets him from behind."

"Yes!" Sophia and Ray say together. The Pokemon grunt on agreement.

Charizard gives you a nod, eager to get started. You see its anger at the possibility of the giant demi-god returning, destroying the resting place that it is meant to protect.

Of course, no plan survives contact with the enemy.

Click to shrink...

Shadow Wizard Violence Gang, we LOVE breaking bones.

I do wonder what like. The Guardian's actual opinions on Regieleki are. Like was it involved in the Lightning God Duel or was it posted on grave watch however long afterwards.

You're back where you started. You can feel something has changed, though. You don't know how long exactly you were down there, possibly more than a day by now, and you do have a habit of passing out after exerting yourself in combat. You'll have to work on that.

Click to shrink...

Pffffft.

We're gonna see some nonsense with all the Batman Prep Time Wilhelm was given, I can feel it.

That large cave you enter from a different direction looks much the same, if a bit brighter now. Wilhelm is still standing there, as if he has done nothing but bash the staff against the ground for hours, and as you spread out to surround him, Charizard attacking from above, you hear something.

Something like rustling clothes and the soft hum of a blade.

Click to shrink...

Did I ever tell you the definition of insanity?

You draw your blade quickly, holding it up to block the sudden attack from above. Behind her, a yellow light shoots upwards, knocking the Guardian out of the air. Wilhelm is undisturbed, continuing his ritual without turning around.

The woman that attacked you looks… well, like a priestess. Not in the same way that Ray does, her robes are dark and she wears a tiara with the numerals 'II' carved into a gem up front. In her hand is a long, black sheath.

Click to shrink...

Well Aria doesn't have time to hear that, she's about to get clubbed like a baby seal!

(I knew this was gonna happen but Charizard noooooooo)

"No, it's more than that," Leif says, shaking his head. "At the same time we had reports of some strange happenings, initially thought unrelated. A magician who appeared in towns where kidnappings happened, a priestess who healed people who got sicker after she left. While we still don't know how they connect, we know that they're all part of one group."

Click to shrink...

Hey there, Major Arcana II: The High Priestess. I see you're a swordswoman because Elpis is frankly typical.

Wilhelm the Fool and Tauros (as Inana sees them)​

Click to shrink...

...You know, I was gonna say "Funny how we skipped The Magician", but given that's a 1 on Wilhelm's hat instead of a 0...

The Priestess draws that long blade. It is thin and sharp, like someone had honed the moon to killing. Her hair is black and long, her eyes pierce you with the color of a dark red sunrise—

She looks beautiful in so many ways that it makes you want to run away.

Click to shrink...

Yet another on the list of Aria's bad bad experiences with women with red eyes.

(Moon and Sun Moon and Sun Moon and Sun)

"I apologize," she says, her voice calm. Ray and Sophia haven't gotten very far, and the yellow something turns out to be a rather large Ampharos, with long white hair and an absurdly fluffy tail. "But I cannot allow you to interrupt him."

Click to shrink...

An Ampharos!



A Mega Ampharos!

Oh boy is the team not equipped for this raid boss; though I think the implication I'm most interested in is the fact Mega Evolution is a thing in the setting but Aria has no idea what it is even with her history as a Flamberg scion, which says something about how widely available it is.

If the entire joke being set up was Charizard (a dragon-like pokemon that isn't a Dragon-Type without Mega Evolution) being sucker punched by Ampharos (a pokemon no one would've considered draconic before Mega Evolution gave it a Dragon-Type), I'll clap but also be frankly appalled by the meanness.

"We do not need your permission," you say. She nods, holding her sword up in a pose you've not seen before.

"Perhaps not," she says, "but you will need to defeat me if you wish to continue."

"Okay, change of plans," you say. Charizard is back on its feet, grabbing Amphorus by the neck and lifting it up. "You guys take care of her, I'll go kick Wilhelm's ass."

The Priestess is more skilled than him for sure, but that doesn't mean she can deal with multiple opponents at once. With her Pokemon occupied, and the others joining in to fight Amphorus, you're left with a path to Wilhelm, Inana by your side.

Click to shrink...

. ARIA???

I know you said she was so pretty you needed to change school districts, but I can't believe you did.

I can't even describe this. You literally passed up the chance to duel a bad bitch with Iai-Frames so you could gang up on a clown.

It's so funny, the Priestess brought these keigo vibes to the table but Aria's just "Nope, nope, not gonna deal with that, I'm gonna break a man's bones again so help me jesus."

The Guardian, I'm rooting for you to do a Seismic Toss but please remember this is an Electric-Dragon and you have No Type Advantage, rely on Winter and Perun to get less zapped.

You rush forward, sliding underneath the swing of her blade and watching as Sophia catches it with her own sword. Ray joins in, shocks sent over the woman's hands— you turn your attention to Wilhelm, who has finally turned around. He smiles at you, as if he was waiting.

Click to shrink...

Wilhelm: I always knew it'd be you and me, here at the summit.
Aria: Shut the fuck up, you're not special.
Wilhelm: Oh? Even though you passed up the chance to tango with the woman with burning red—
Aria: I am gonna cut your goddamn tongue out.

Do you think Sophia is just happy Aria wants her to keep a pretty lady from interacting with her?

### Sophia's POV

Click to shrink...

.

Okay damn I guess we're finding out now!

Sophia is skilled. She has not had time to truly show off to Aria yet, but she knows how to wield a blade, and has been in the field longer than Aria has been. The problem is: so is this woman.

Click to shrink...

Oh my god.

"It's time for me to prove I'm not mid! As soon as. As soon as I'm not fighting whoever this is. She's scary."

Though dressed in clerical garb, the way she swings her sword reminds her of stories of swordmasters from the Eastern continents. The thin blade does not have the right shape, yet the pressure she puts on with that thin of a hilt makes Sophia grit her teeth.

"You are strong," the priestess says. "May I know your name, Spectrier Knight?"

Click to shrink...

Hey, good news Sophia! The evil priestess lady who's kicking your ass doesn't think you're mid! She might vouch for you!

ABfI is in many ways a Fire Emblem game, and now we're adding "Inexplicable Kenjutsu Main In The European Fantasy Setting" to that list.

The black blade comes up and pushes her away, giving Sophia just a moment of rest. Ray has taken a few steps back, choosing to support the efforts instead of fighting in close combat with someone like that.

"I am Sophia," she introduces herself. "And I am Aria's Knight, no Spectrier Guard."

The woman's smile does not leave her face. She spreads her arms, then gives an exaggerated bow. "I am Adelheid, Priestess of the Nameless God. Would you like me to pray for your health?"

Click to shrink...

...The Nameless God! Okay!

Tragically this woman isn't actually named Wilhelmina, but clearly Adelheid comes from the same mold of saucy minx as Rodeo Clown Man, whatever her outwards courtesy, which is all one can hope for in a midboss.

Don't let her pray for your health Sophia, she's gonna give you Outer God Cancer and you can't fistfight women for Aria's attention if that happens!

"Get back!" Ray shouts. Sophia reacts fast, but not fast enough. As the woman rises from her bow, the sword swings upward and carves the way forward. Sophia has moved her head out of the way, yet the wind carves a gash across her leg. "That sword is filled to the brim with elemental energy, it's really strong while in the tomb!"

"Noted," Sophia says, hissing as the pain from her leg shoots upward. "I suppose it won't be a boring fight, then."

Click to shrink...

Okay her damn sword charges from the surrounding Type energy???

...I guess that's why it was called "like someone had honed the moon to killing."

Adelheid follows up with a dance. The way she approaches begins with short steps and becomes a full performance, twirling around Sophia and leaving cuts everywhere. Ray takes aim, but cannot fire off anything without risking injury to her own ally.

Click to shrink...

Aria, I feel like the logic of "it should be totally fine if it's 2v1" ran afoul with how Ray throws grenades as a martial arts. Just a little.

It's Winter who saves the day. While Spring is helping Charizard, Perun and Winter stayed behind to help against Adelheid. Using Pokemon to attack people is unchivalrous, but worse than that, it's an affront to the order of the world.

Some say that the gods curse those who would do such a thing. It is an instinct that even most Pokemon understand within themselves, which is why Winter helps by playing defence.

Click to shrink...

. What?

Okay this is really odd lore to throw down like. 19 chapters into a fic where Tauros full on gored Sophia and the crew got into an all hands on deck brawl with the Guardian.

You don't know the exact numbers, but you suppose there's no need. Pokemon always outnumber humans. They breed faster, they grow up faster, and even if they didn't, the average person has no chance to fight back without help against all but the weakest Pokemon.

The best way to deal with an attacking Pokemon is to retreat or scare it away. If you can't— well, as Commander Drake loved to drill into the aspirants, even an armed and armored knight can be brought down by three Rattata if they're determined enough

Click to shrink...

Like this was the funniest lore ever, I wanted to see the knight that got mauled by three Rattata, why are we being denied this???

The fact this is Sophia's POV does make the "unchivalrous" and "affront to the order of the world" come across as Sophia's not entirely keyed to reality, Sophia-ness, and Winter in particular is a softie so I can see her being unwilling to escalate if she can avoid it, just like. Feels strange as framing at first brush.

Anyway, let's just say I'm looking forward to Real Sacrilege Hours.

A wall of dirt appears between Sophia and Adelheid, long enough to stop her dance, and long enough for Ray to fire off lightning from a stone. Adelheid points her sword at the lightning, then releases it upward into the ceiling instead of the ground. She cuts the wall, and her blade is caught by Perun, using his frills.

"What a beautiful bond," Adelheid says, her voice rising for the first time. "What an immaculate partnership!"
Pokeballs fall from her sleeves, releasing a Nickit and Purrloin. Purrloin tackles Perun away, while Nickit decides to play tug with Spring's club. Sophia takes a deep breath, regaining her footing, regaining her focus.

Click to shrink...

Okay nice nice nice nice, love this cross up, and I was definitely expecting Adelheid to have more pokemon, though the fact they're both first stage Dark-Types in a very conspicuous contrast to the bizarrely situationally appropriate Electric Mega, hm.

"What a beautiful bond," Adelheid says, her voice rising for the first time. "What an immaculate partnership!"

Click to shrink...

Woman who is clearly normal about human-pokemon relationships.

"Ray," Sophia says. "Together with me."

Ray doesn't know what that means, but Sophia's movements begin all the same. The black blade comes down into the ground, slight sparks shooting up as the walls of the tomb give off electricity. With one swing, she sends dirt into Adelheid's eyes. The woman flinches back.

Sophia swings her sword back down, and though she cannot see anything, Adelheid blocks it, parrying the swing away from her body and leaving Sophia open. Ray attacks, pieces of ice raining down on Adelheid and stopping the counterattack.

Click to shrink...

Sophia used Sand Attack!

The Priestess of the Nameless God Adelheid's accuracy fell!

The degree Ray is actually a wizard only gets more stark when the mysterious Outer God priestess who apparently curses your blood just uses a sword like every other clown in this fic.

"Perun, help Winter!" Sophia orders. Perun does, rolling onto his back and kicking Purrloin away. The cat gathers dark energy in its mouth, but Perun is already prepared, sending up its own beam of lightning and knocking it far away.

A cage forms around Wilhelm and Aria, but Sophia cannot let herself be distracted. As Perun bites into Nickit's tail, Sophia leaves her sword pointed down, rushing forward with a shoulder charge to meet Adelheid head on.

Click to shrink...

Violence! Hey what do you mean Aria and Wilhelm are doing hell in a cell. Where did that come from???

Adelheid does not block this time. She takes the hit, grunting in pain before wrapping her arm around Sophia. As Ray takes aim again, Adelheid spins around, using Sophia as a shield against the strong current of water that follows. Sophia kicks upward, driving her knee into the woman's stomach. The grip loosens, but so does the priestess' footing, leaving you both to be knocked onto the ground by Ray's water stone.

"We'll have to work on that," Ray comments. It takes all of Sophia's effort not to roll her eyes. She drags herself out of the mud, catching a glimpse of Perun holding Nickit up with his frills while Winter uses her club repeatedly to swing at the fox as if it owes her money—

Adelheid stands up calmly. "Your fighting lacks elegance, but I suppose pragmatism is normal in the lives of the faithless."

Click to shrink...

She's so. Miffed that they're doing this like unsophisticated thugs. Which is insane coming from a Dark-Type trainer.

Sophia and Ray's terrible team chemistry makes me laugh.

She drags herself out of the mud, catching a glimpse of Perun holding Nickit up with his frills while Winter uses her club repeatedly to swing at the fox as if it owes her money—

Click to shrink...

The way the Blowjob Brothers just have no honor. Incredible.

"If your faith involves the sacrifice of lives at the altar of your god, I cannot condone it," Ray says. She steps up, holding various stones in her hands. "Your power doesn't come from the sword, it's that tiara, isn't it?"

Surprise is a reaction inherent to every human being. Adelheid raises her hand up to her forehead, as if she could hide the gem from sight. At that moment, a stone underneath her feet exploded with flames. Had her clothes not been wet, she'd have likely burned right there. Instead, she is forced to retreat even further towards the cage that Wilhelm and Aria are fighting in.

Click to shrink...

Yeaaaaaaaah Ray! Rawdog her in the Religion Forum!!!

Legitimately ever since we were introduced to Ray I was hoping she'd throw down with the priestess of Team Evil Guys, so this is very satisfying, clapping at the Real Steel vs Faker allegations.

"Also you're wrong," Ray says, pointing at her field of red stones that she had slowly hidden across the field. "Pragmatism is something every faithful should be familiar with, it is a good way to convince people to convert."

Click to shrink...

Maybe be a little less like that though Ray. I respect the hustle but maybe don't suggest advertising tactics to the cultist.

Sophia jumps back in. The stones will not explode on their own, meaning that any misstep will work out very badly for Adelheid. The woman deflects one blow with her blade, kicking into the gash on Sophia's leg to force her to her knees. The sword pierces into Sophia's shoulder, reaching all the way down and pinning her to the ground.

Sophia refuses to scream in pain.

She really wants to, though.

Click to shrink...

. Deadass????

Adelheid: Alright, you wanna play funny games on the debate floor? Let's start with the Crucifiction.

"If you want to blow me up," Adelheid says, smiling at Ray. "I'm afraid I'll have to take your friend with me. I like those odds."

"Do you?" Sophia asks, her fingers digging into the ground around her as she focuses on anything but pain. "Most people are not so eager to die."

"Dear Sophia," Adelheid says. "I am not most people."

"Sure you aren't." Sophia's fingers find their target. "Winter, now!"

Click to shrink...

"I'm built different." "Built like a dumbass, maybe."

Sophia holds up a large fire stone. One of the real ones, red and orange and yellow. Ray begins to charge it up from afar, and Winter creates a massive flood of dirt all the way up to Sophia's hand. Adelheid's arm is trapped by it, still on the sword pinning Sophia down.

The explosion creates a wall of fire. Adelheid screams in pain, and by the time the blaze ends and Sophia is freed from the earth, what is left is— an intact arm?

Sophia stands up. Her own palm is burned badly, that'll take a while to heal for sure. Regardless, Adelheid is now standing far away, Nickit and Purrloin next to her. She's missing her arm, which looks like it has been ripped off right off her shoulder and is now hanging off the sword that is still stuck in Sophia's shoulder.

Click to shrink...

Jesus????

Okay the funny mix ups have concluded with a dismemberment.

Good work team! You managed to cripple someone before Aria did!

She dodged the flames by sacrificing a limb. She does not say anything, she makes no comment. Her eyes move to the cage, and she sees something that Sophia and Ray can't make out. Without a word, her Pokemon return to their Pokeballs, the light shooting up her sleeves.

Amphorus vanishes in a burst of lightning—

And in a flash, Adelheid is gone. Sophia feels her shoulder lighten, noticing that the sword is gone now. The arm is still on the ground, though, showing that whatever happened could not have been an illusion.

"What the fuck?" Ray asks. Sophia just nods, unable to find her voice. The wound on her shoulder is bleeding, and the gash on her leg remains worrying. She has to believe in Aria, there's no way to break through that cage right now.

Click to shrink...

Yeah. What the actual fuck.

This was a swagass fight, a great mix of sloppy and clever and genuinely superlative skill being brought low by a bunch of clowns who've known each other for barely a week, the fact Sophia knew to reach for the only real Fire Stone in the minefield was killer.

Just an itty bit obscene that Adelheid's sword was teleport capable but not her freshly severed limb. If that Ampharos is the one who transported her...Is that even her pokemon?

### Back to Aria's POV

Maybe it was a bit too easy, you think. The Priestess is clearly not so unskilled to let you through so easily, even if you attack her from multiple sides. It makes sense, of course, when you see how happy Wilhelm looks to meet you again.

"Ah, Aria," he says, raising his arms wide. "I admit, I still cannot remember you, but my partner over there has informed me that you've arrested me before. Is that true?"

Click to shrink...

Hey why the fuck are you saying it like that.

"I'm not in the mood for games," you say. Inana nods. Sword and shield in hand, you are ready to fight and win once more. Wilhelm looks like he does not think you can do it. "Surrender and this will be painless. Fight me at your own peril."

"I admit, I didn't expect you to get past that guardian over there," Wilhelm says, looking up at Charizard fighting Amphorus. Spring is under them, trying to hold Amphorus down as it uses the electricity around the cave to float. Gumi is redirecting all the lightning that could take Charizard down towards herself. "Then again, you are just full of surprises."

He slams his staff against the ground, and out comes a Drilbur. It looks… off. Its eyes are not all there, its claws glowing blue. It runs at you, and Inana blocks the mole from continuing its charge. They wrestle in a show of strength, the ground under them starting to crack.

Click to shrink...

Hey what the FUCK did you do to that Drilbur.

Aria is sooooooooo mad that this guy is her archnemesis, like it infuriates her that this silly little jester rates as a boss fight.

Honestly wouldn't mind focusing on the 3v1 over there, Spring and Gumi are doing an incredible amount of work to keep the Guardian from being smoked by this Random Mega Event.

Wilhelm sends lightning at you. You are ready, holding your sword to the ground and bending down, making sure that the path of least resistance comes in the form of that Skarmory steel. The lightning dissipates in the ground, leaving cracks everywhere. You don't let him get another shot off, your feet hitting the ground running and your sword swinging for that man's arm. He blocks the attack with the staff, clearly struggling to hold you back.

So you do him a favor and kick his legs out from under him. He yelps as he hits the ground, unwilling to let go of the staff to do his weird acrobatics and stay upright. He kicks forward himself, his back on the ground and both his feet coming at you like spears. You block the attack with your shield, yet find that his own physical strength has improved significantly.

There's no other explanation for why this clown should be able to lift you off the ground with his legs.

Click to shrink...

Aria: What even the shit did you get a Zenkai Boost or some horseshit???
Wilhelm: Honestly, you seem more suited for the monkey business.
Aria: Kill yourself.
Wilhelm: I was going to before you rudely interrupted!

You adjust your own torso in the air and brace for impact, bending your knees as you touch the ground. Wilhelm has drawn one of his blades, working with what is familiar, and tries to drive it into your throat.

You hold the knife away using your free hand on his wrist, then turn and pull to send him stumbling forward. Your shield bashes into his arm, but he does not drop the sword. Your sword cuts across his chest before you kick him away again.

"You're such a pain in the ass," Wilhelm says. You shake your head.

"I'm the righteous blade," you say, puffing up your chest, trying your best to imitate his voice and failing miserably. "Would you like to dance, my lady?"

Click to shrink...

Sinking to EVERY. POSSIBLE. LEVEL.

Wilhelm doesn't even remember her but Aria is still the most annoying person he has ever met in his life.

Perhaps lives, even!

Wilhelm does not seem amused. He throws one of his knives, drawing the other as you block it and drives the other knife into your leg while your shield is high. You hiss, returning the favor by taking the knife out of your shield and stabbing him in the shoulder. He draws the blade out of your flesh, leaving both of you to take a few steps back from each other.

"Fine then," Wilhelm says. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

He stabs the staff into the ground. A bright light envelops the area, and before you can react, a large cage of electricity appears around you, all the way from the wall to right behind you, cutting you off from your allies.

Click to shrink...

...Wait, the shit.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7IHgo29FUA&t=36

That's Thunder Cage. That's literally Regieleki's signature move, Raikou's goons have been toting around Regieleki's stolen power since this entire city was built!

He draws the knife out of his shoulder. Now he looks like the fool that you left bleeding in the snow.

Click to shrink...

The unspeakable hatred and disregard Aria holds is honestly so purifying.

Inana is still fighting the Drillbur, though their wrestling has instead become a rather weird exchange of blows with their sharp claws, continuing to try to cut through each others'.

It's not surprising that you end up doing much the same with Wilhelm. He moves the blades in tandem, trying to slash at you while you keep swinging your sword. Sometimes you are stuck on his hilts, sometimes he gets stuck against yours.

Click to shrink...

This whole fight has been great in a bloody way, but this sequence especially is like. Slap Fight.

Inana I feel like you could really easily cinch this if you were any good at Ice-Type moves.

The twist arrives when he miscalculates a stab from above. You bend down slightly, then shove off the ground and drag your sword up, knocking both blades out of his hands. He grabs your head before you can follow up, and slams his forehead into your face. With how close he is now, you can't swing your sword properly, so you have no other choice. You let go of the blade behind you, and return the favor.

"If you still can't remember me kicking your ass," you grab him by his stupid hair and pull back your head. "Then let me refresh your memory!"

Stars fill your vision when you bring down your forehead onto his nose. It breaks with a sickening crunch, blood splattering everywhere. You let go, watching as the man reels back with heavy steps. Both of your faces are now full of blood, but you are more hardheaded, or at the very least more accurate with your headbutt. He's not able to stand straight anymore, and just as you are kicking his ass, Inana has already won against Wilbur, sitting atop the mole and cheering you on.

Click to shrink...

MEATHEAD.

"I used my skull with more skill" Aria. Give up. You're an orangutan.

She sooooooo badly wants Wilhelm to remember she owned him, this has been keeping her up at night this entire arc and she DEMANDS that Wilhelm is left puking in rage as much as she is.

You give her a theatrical bow as you bend over to lift up your sword again and hold it up against Wilhelm's neck. He stays upright by holding onto— the staff?

Wilhelm stops smiling. Maybe that's not quite accurate, he's not been smiling the entire fight you've been having. But even as his face twisted into disdain and malcontent, his eyes kept reflecting a kind of mirth that is no longer there.

"Seven souls to bind it," he says, holding the staff to the side. "Let's do some calculations, if seven seals are required— are six not enough?"
You frown, withdrawing your blade as electricity gathers around him. If you cut him now, you'll likely take the full brunt of the staff's power. "I think you're going more and more mad, Wilhelm. Just surrender and save all of us the headache."

Click to shrink...

. OH.

WILHELM IS DOING THE FUNNY MATH, I SEE.

"Actually, strictly speaking, a cage that needs all its bars to work is pretty useless if exactly one is kicked out, isn't it?"

I love how Aria does these stupid and petty and performative motions that leave her holding the bag and making her just as much of a drama queen as everyone she's ever wanted to hurt for being a drama queen. The hypocrisy is delightful.

The staff starts to crackle, he holds it up, and you hold your sword up, once again ready to redirect the blast. Instead of attacking you, however, he does the unthinkable.

"Come to me, Regieleki! Carve your name across this continent, free your brothers and sisters!" The sharp end of the staff pierces into his chest, as if it were made of butter. It sinks deep, clearly taking lungs and heart with it from the sheer amount of blood that spills from his chest and his mouth. Your mouth opens, but no words come out at the sight of the madman's suicide.

Click to shrink...

BOY. THIS SURE WENT THE ONLY WAY IT COULD'VE.

We finally here the Nameless Named!

Wilhelm finally played a joke Aria couldn't quip back at, rip.

Above you, you see one of the red eyes light up. You see chains appear out of thin air, seven in total, and one of them starting to light up and crack.

"If six isn't enough…" you murmur. "What have you done? Wilhelm!"

Your shout is drowned by thunder. A flash of lightning strikes down on the man, the staff becoming a rod that redirects the powerful energy from above directly into his body. The man screams in pain, before the screaming becomes laughter. He should be dead by now, but his skin does not look burnt.

Instead, his hair starts to stand up straight, crackling with lightning. His eyes lose color until all that is left is white and yellow. Even the blood begins to evaporate, flaking away from his body—

After what feels like an eternity and what must have been only the blink of an eye, Wilhelm is gone. Whatever is now in front of you feels more like Ray, yet it looks more like… well, a demon. Solid electricity, if such a thing is even possible, the staff in his chest is the only thing that still looks right to your eyes. He looks like a golem of lightning, whatever lies behind that sheen of yellow is no longer visible to your eyes.

Click to shrink...

Well fuck that isn't good.

The Avatar of Regieleki, it's time for the REAL final battle.

He opens his… his mouth? And out come high-pitched sounds. Beeps and boops. Though you cannot understand the ancient language, you do know whatever it is saying is not kind. It bends its knees, readying an attack.

You can't dodge it. The demon appears in front of you, its fist hitting you where you manage to guess your shield into position. The wood smells like home. The next thing you feel is pain in your arm, and a stinging in your knees as you skid back a solid distance away.

Another high-pitched beep. On its blank face is now one of the red orbs. You dare not glance up, guessing you'll not like what you see up there. This isn't some manifestation of the sealed demi-god, this is it. A seventh of its power, powered by that staff to grant itself those sacrifices it needs to become free again.

You cannot let it escape.

Click to shrink...

This is some anime as hell shit, Aria up to the plate with an actual Legendary and it is Mad.

"The wood smells like home..."

You cannot see a way out of this, either, but that doesn't matter. You do not have a flight reflex when it comes to something like this, for nothing can keep you going like the possibility of innocents being hurt.

"Okay," you say. That's all you can really say. A nod to Inana invites her to the fight, this is no longer a matter between humans. Whatever has taken over Wilhelm's body, Regieleki as he called it, is not something you can face by yourself.

It's truly unfortunate the Guardian isn't here, but then again— are you so full of doubt? Do you truly think you cannot beat this?

Drake did not raise a loser.

So you cannot lose.

Click to shrink...

You're sooooooooooooooooo obscene and audacious and without restraint in matters of justice, go for it Aria, shatter a god!

The thing appears again, and though fast and powerful it is mostly mindless and without strategy. The exact same punch, the exact same attack, and Inana jumps up from the floor to cut into the electric body with her claws. She gets some of the charge sent back at her, but it lowers the strength of the attack significantly.

Enough for you to stay in range for your own attack. You carve into the body, your sword leaving a trail of air as shocks run up your arm. As you reach the staff that is still embedded in it, it just phases through.

"Okay, this is going to be harder than I thought," you say.

Click to shrink...

Aria you just had a baller speech about refusing to concede even against the unbeatable why are you immediately "Weird how this isn't easy", you moron.

Fighting together fighting together fighting together.

Which means you'll have to give it a try without practice again. "Inana, can you freeze my blade?"

Inana looks confused at the suggestion, quickly dragging you out of the way of the demon's swipe. You hold the sword up to her. She drags her claws over the blade, creating bits of ice along the edge. The blade feels like it doubled in weight, even as the ice looks thin and fragile.

"Element cuts element," you say, nodding at Inana. She does the same to her own claws, a thick sheet of icicles appearing. You block another hit, this time deflecting the punch and impaling the demon on your sword. It actually stays stuck on the sword, allowing you to lift it up and swing the sword to throw the demon backwards.

Inana follows up, spinning after a jump to drill a hole into Regieleki.

Click to shrink...

Yayyyyyyyyy, Ice Blade!

There's a lot of slick tarrying and harrying action with how Inana keeps Aria out of the way of blows and sets up her swordsmanship, good combo.

It looks… angry. Its body twists and shatters, electricity sent into every direction. When it pulls itself together again, the hole is gone. You hear the high-pitched screaming again, this time from above.

What a mess of an opponent.

Click to shrink...

[Watches an ancient god start doing non-euclidian shit to its human puppet] "Be less weird."

"Inana," you say. "Any tricks I don't know about?"

Inana rolls her eyes, then gives you a nod. Then, she raises her arm up, pointing at her claw.

"One time only? Okay," you say, nodding again. "Then lets make it count."

Click to shrink...

Yoooooooo, Inana Secret Tech???

Love how they're so bitchy together.

The ice on the sword is still there, so you have another chance. You don't let it recover any further, jumping back into the fray and stabbing the sword into it, driving the sword into the ground. You start roaring in anger when it tries to resist, and it feels like your voice beats it back down and forces it to stay.

Inana appears behind you and starts charging… something. You move out of the way, staring up at the rather large dark orb that begins pulsing above Inana. She looks exhausted already, but she does not let up. The dark sphere moves forward, hitting and engulfing the demon.

It takes a solid minute before the screaming stops, but when all is said and done, only the staff remains. You sigh in relief, it's over. You give Inana a thumbs up, and she returns a salute before falling onto her back, breathing heavily.

Click to shrink...

DARK! PULSE! SPIRIT! BOMB!!!!!

I love this duo.

Funny as fuck Aria keeps doing Rayquaza screams to make lowertiergods stop squirming.

You turn around, catching sight of your friends alone, the Priestess nowhere to be seen. You try to give them a thumbs up as well, but something behind you begins rumbling.

The staff starts floating up. Your eyes widen, going to your knees in front of Inana and raising your shield to stop whatever is coming. It reforms in a flash, and the ground underneath your feet begins to glow bright and yellow, the world of empty stone becoming electricity manifest.

It does not say anything before appearing behind you. This time, it kicks you, and you cannot help but scream at the pain that shoots through your entire body. The force knocks you away, and you roll over the floor until you're near the edge of the cage.

Click to shrink...

You keep gloating at the wrong moment Aria!!! Use your WIS save for once!!!

"Aria!" you hear Sophia's voice in the distance. "Aria, stand up!"

You want to. You really do, but you cannot. The shocks through your body hold you down, your limbs all numb.

It beeps once more, and you turn your head to find it kicking your sword that was left on the ground after Inana's attack. The sword bounces a few times before ending up right next to you.

'Come,' the demon seems to say. 'Stand up and fight me.'

That must be Wilhelm still bleeding through that monstrous appearance. Inana shouts something, forcing herself to stand up. The demon turns around, beeping at her. Inana makes a rude gesture, and then dodges the flash of lightning that follows.

Click to shrink...

Oh my god.

"Is Wilhelm so down to clown on Aria that it's altering the decision making of 1/7th a god or is Aria just that delusional about her archnemesis" who could fucking say.

Really wish we knew what the fuck Regieleki and Inana were saying to each other, because it has to be profound when a god returned to life has to try having dialogue with its dependents like a billion years out of date and they're just flipping it off.

"Aria!" Ray's voice joins Sophia's. "This isn't the time to fall asleep!"

You wheeze out something that sounds like language to you. You can't lie down here. You can't stop here. You can't give up.

You grab the hilt of your sword and use it as leverage, pulling yourself up by its hilt. Inana is still dancing around the demon, distracting it. If you fail here, people will die. Thousands of them, including your friends, including your partners. And this close to the border, who knows how fast the emperor will send help?

Where will Regieleki stop? What are borders to a god?

"Have faith, but never lose yourself to it!" Ray shouts. "Believe, but do not let belief fool you! Aria, that thing isn't a god! You can win!"

"Our journey just started," Sophia says, "there's still so many things we have to experience together! There's so much I have to say to you! Aria, get up and beat that monster!"

You grunt in agreement. You know you can beat it. You were just… taking a short break. Catching your breath.

Click to shrink...

I love the support and Ray's line is hella banger, but they are SO mean to Regieleki, like this is just a pokemon who got shoved in a cave for most of human history, be nice.

As soon as you are able to stand straight, you hold your sword up with both hands. It's not the size of Drake's sword, but right now it feels like it is in your hands. You feel… powerful.

And once again, the thing's eyes flash and it asks you a question. This time, you understand it. This time, you know exactly what it is trying to say, to ask.

"Who are you?" it asks.

Click to shrink...

. OH BOY.

"Why is my name ▅▅▅▅?"

"It's the name your mother gave you," Grandma says. "Not your adoptive mother, no, the one that gave birth to you. I know you don't like it, princess, but I'd still like it if you could keep it in your heart."

Click to shrink...

. Oh my god her grandma straight up called her princess.

And Aria hated that name the ENTIRE time, wow.

You hear your blood rushing in your ears. You hear the cry of the world, and the people, and the sun.

That energy that you harvested, that boost of power that let you face the Guardian Charizard, is no longer here. That tug of war is won by the other side this time, and you can feel the breath of the stars on your lips—

"If you ever feel doubt in yourself, know that she loves you," Grandma says, her hand is warm on your face, her smile is beautiful. "And if you need her, call the name she gave you."

The sword in your hand resonates. Steel sharpens steel. Inana stands with you, not in front of you or behind you, but right by your side where she belongs.

"And do not say it meekly, dear." Grandma rubs her fingers through your hair, ruining the hairdo that the maids have been working on so hard the entire morning. "Say it loud, and be proud of it. Take a deep breath and shout it at the top of your lungs—"

A hole appears in the ceiling. Sunlight streams down between dirt and stone, and you can hear the people of Olympia shouting down. You hear the people who put their faith in you. You hear the righteous path like a choir in the back of your spine.

"I am Aria," you say, loud and proud. The sword in your hand sings. You hold the blade to your face, closing your eyes in deep thought. "I am Adrianne!"

Click to shrink...

ADRIANNE, THAT'S!

.

Wait that's so close to Ariadne. The Labyrinth Weaver. Except. Not.

I feel mildly poleaxed by the thematic association that was snatched out from my hands, but this is still rad as hell!

Steel sharpened by Steel! The Sun is here!

Not was or will be. Your name shakes the earth, and your blade carves mountains across continents. With a swing of the sword, the demon is pushed back until it hits the far wall of the cave. With another swing, you cut the distance between the two of you.

Inana appears next to you once more, mirroring your attacks and cutting into the demon with her claws. It begins with one, carving shoulders to waist. The electricity reforms, and it tries to move, but then comes two: hip to throat.

Head to legs. Knees to chest. You become faster, each attacking slowly removing piece by piece of the demi-god's influence on Wilhelm's body. Slowly, but surely, you see the man's charred corpse underneath it all and know that this is your chance.

Click to shrink...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKSK9_mN1Vc

Aria and Inana, I give you the highest honor I can offer: Double Team Nine Lives Blade Works.

You reach out and grab the staff. The high-pitched voice turns into a long screaming-like noise, desperation audible to anyone who is listening. You cannot show mercy, and though you know that this spirit yearns to be free, it cannot be today.

"Inana!" you order, pulling with all your strength. "DESTROY IT!"

Inana does not hesitate. You feel something inside your pockets warm up, a bright light enveloping the Sneasel that has been your trusted companion since your departure from the Order. As her claws come up to shatter the staff, her body changes, growing slightly, the blue feather on her ear turning into a headdress.

Inana evolved into a Weavile.

And that Weavile's sharp claws carved the staff apart like it was nothing but paper.

Click to shrink...

YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, Inana Evolved Into Weavile!!!

It evolves from Sneasel when leveled up while holding a Razor Claw during the night.

Click to shrink...

This little guy broke the thematic rules of Evolution for Aria.

The high-pitched voice turns into a long screaming-like noise, desperation audible to anyone who is listening. You cannot show mercy, and though you know that this spirit yearns to be free, it cannot be today.

Click to shrink...

Just wanted to be alive again...

I appreciate that we had this moment and Aria acknowledging Regieleki as such.

"No!" Wilhelm shouts. You try to contain your surprise as you hear his voice, charred and broken from his sacrifice. "I cannot fail here, I cannot!" His eyes return to normal, and though they are unfocused you can see the recognition in them. "AriaaaAAAAAAAA!"

"You finally remember me," you say, smiling widely. You lower your sword, raising a fist instead. "Goodbye, Wilhelm. This time, please stay down."

Your punch knocks him out. He will not survive those injuries, but at the very least, he will not suffer the pain any longer.

Click to shrink...

. Bro what the fuck.

I actually love this. "I'm going to punch you in the face out of compassion and I honestly mean that, dirtbag <3 "

She's so happy that her destined archnemesis, The Clown, remembers her for his last minutes alive.

I feel like she's gonna be much less positive about this when Wilhelm respawns and she has to do that all over again. Just a tad.

You fall backwards, letting Inana catch you. Your body feels broken in so many ways, burnt in so many places. Exhaustion takes over, allowing you to move only your head. To your left, you see the electric cage finally dissipating, and your friends rushing towards you, worry in their eyes.

To your right you find yourself staring at what remains of your sword. It's broken beyond recognition, shattered in so many pieces even the most talented of smiths will never be able to repair it.

You sigh as you close your eyes. Drake is going to be so upset…

Click to shrink...

So THIS is how the Skarmory Steel Sword dies! Amazing! Never a more fitting eulogy!

Drake is always in her mind and heart...

Though it was brief, it was brilliant. Divinity is a different kind of beast, and yet the indomitable spirit of your soul would not bow down to the demon that Wilhelm had summoned into his body.

Inana has evolved. That proud Sneasel is now a very, very proud Weavile. Your Authority has become Adept. Your voice commands respect. You are— Adrianne. Once upon a time, that was your name, all eight letters in the shape of a smile on the face of a girl holding the hand of her grandmother.

You never truly hated that name, did you?

Ray says that there's no rhyme or reason for the attention of deities, so maybe that's the case for you, even if there's this nagging voice in the back of your mind telling you otherwise.

That tug of war is still going on. You dream of them, those strange beings that have so much control over the world.

You dream of…

[ ] A young serpent that dreams of devouring the sky one day.

[ ] Stardust and prayers chasing the light of the sun.

End of Arc 3

To be continued in:
Arc 4: The Crown-Prince​

Click to shrink...

. Man.

That was killer.

A young serpent...Baby Rayquaza was a hungry baby...

I suppose this confirms as much as anything that the Skywrath Sovereign is Rayquaza itself, though now I'm still wondering why the hell Gildera is Like That if its the territory of Pure Sky instead of an Ice-Type Legendary? Questions remain.

So, onwards, to whoever could be the Crown-Prince...

Really quick and dirty sketch (I am not on my main PC with my main setup and my main program)
The Priestess Adelheid

Click to shrink...

Love how this motherfucker is some kinda dark cloud.

Redraw now that I got my PC back up and working. I lost all my data of the past 4 years because of stuff, so now I'm kinda down. At least the tablet works again. Here's Adelheid.

Click to shrink...

Oh wow the vibes of the finished piece are hella contrast, the sheer stars gives a powerful impression of the Nameless God's spheres of influence, and she has such a kind and open face for...The crazy person who chopped her own arm off.

This was an incredible experience, finally made it to the climax of the Olympia Arc, and it was everything it was hyped up to be, fantastic work Elpis, catch y'all on the flip!

 

[Elpis]

Scheduled vote count started by Elpis on Feb 17, 2025 at 8:54 AM, finished with 19 posts and 15 votes.

• ---

  10 people have voted

  [X] Reveal your goals.

  • barty
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  • Wobblegonnabe
  • Axel Fones
  • Walker
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  7 people have voted

  [X] Andante.

  • Krika
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  • Axel Fones
  • Walker
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  6 people have voted

  [X] Lapis.

  • barty
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  • Shadowphyre
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  • sheep-dodger
  • SeekerofDreams

  5 people have voted

  [X] Reveal your origins.

  • EternalObserver
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[Elpis]

I wanted to finish this one ages ago but now I have no energy so have this WIP that I'll probably finish never

 

[Elpis]

Maybe it is the irony of closing your heart to your past and realizing only in the face of those who have chased you across mountains that you are still not as mature as you wish you were.

But all those walls you have built between your guilt and the distance you have taken away from Gildera are crumbling down with only eight pairs of eyes.

You swallow, your eyes moving from Skiddle over to your friends again. Lissy has grown some, and you can see scars across her hands from battles fought along the way, mirroring those cuts that have been gathering across your own body. You see Ruby, comfortable and joyful, growing past their anxieties and finding comfort with their friends even among strangers.

You see Capella, and you see that nothing has truly changed in her gaze. It remains focused on you, even as you can see how much more comfortable she is around the others.

And Skiddle… Skiddle has grown to full size. You bend down, your knees touching the ground as the crutch falls over. Skiddle pushes her head into your belly, and you wrap your arms around her so tightly, your limbs begin to hurt.

You can see Maria move forward, drawing her blade as she places herself between the prince and the Glastrier Knights. You raise your hand, and though she looks unhappy with it, the blade remains not fully drawn.

"These people are not here to fight us," you say, standing up again. Though it has been a while, Skiddle helps you up and stands to your side so you can't fall over. The warmth of her fur takes all of your pain. "They're friends."

Sophia steps up to your side, sizing them up. She looks… worried, but you know there is nothing to worry about.

"Are we?" Capella asks. You frown, before Lissy slams her elbow into Capella's side, making the girl wheeze out a word you should definitely not say in front of royalty. "Fffff-ine, we are friends. But our duty comes before friendship, isn't that right?"

You shake your head. Ever the dramatic personality. "I suppose you're here to take me back."

"That's the deal," Lissy says. She takes out a piece of paper from… somewhere in her clothes. Ruby does the same. You can see that each of them have different, mirroring seals on them. "The Duke van Kesteren requests the presence of Adrianne of the Flambergs to fulfil her filial duty."

Ruby reads their own. "The Marchioness Reichert wishes to meet the honorary knight, Aria of Traviole, to speak about a proper reward."

You blink, then frown. You can imagine why the Duke wants to meet, but you cannot fathom what the Marchioness wants from you. If you had to guess, it would be related to your friends actually getting across the border. Perhaps as one last favor, she is giving you an out. Something to use against the Duke to reject his invitation.

"I cannot accept either," you say, and you can see both the relief and frustration on Capella's face. "Though my time here has been brief, I have been invited to the capital by the crown prince."

Your eyes move to the young man, who seemed more amused at the situation than anything else until the Duke's name was mentioned. It is the Glastrier uniform, you reckon, that makes him interested. Everyone respects Drake's old order. Everyone respected Drake.

"Adrianne?" he asks. You frown. "I suppose nothing surprises me anymore, but now I really can't let her go. My father expects us already, and the Emperor of Sol is not a man who should be kept waiting."

"Ah, too bad then," Lissy says, smiling as if she already expected this to happen. "I suppose we will have to tell the Duke that."

"Of course," Ruby says, mirroring Lissy's smile. "But then again, we can't—"

"Skiddle, come here," Capella orders. You stumble for a moment as she leaves your side, but Sophia catches you quickly, putting your arm around her shoulder and keeping you steady. If anything, Capella looks even angrier now. "I can't accept this."

"We talked about this," Lissy says. Ruby nods. "She's safer here."

"No, you talked about this," Capella says. "I listened, but look at her!"

She points at you, her finger shaking. Her gaze does not hold any contempt.

"Look how safe she is, she can't even stand by herself!"

You grit your teeth, unwilling to engage with her argument. It is Lissy and Ruby who are her targets right now anyway.

"Every time we are apart, she gets hurt," Capella continues. "If we want her to be safe, we have to bring her back. Sol can find themselves another hero to clean up their messes."

"She's not a doll, she can take care of herself," Sophia says. Capella's anger immediately shifts, her eyes piercing through the clearing and into Sophia's own. "You think she'd be safer in Gildera? The continent is one of danger around every corner, unless you're willing to lock someone up you can never keep them completely safe."

You feel a chill move over your back as Capella takes in the words, and you can see the idea has merit in her eyes.

You shake your head.

"Capella," you say, pushing away from Sophia and taking a few steps forward, making sure you don't fall and make a fool of yourself. "I'm sorry, for how I left. For what we said to each other. I've never been truly honest with you, and all the things I never wanted to think about are now known to you by people who shouldn't have had to tell you the truth."

"I always knew you were a noble," she says. You shake your head.

"I don't know what I am," you say. "Or who I am, anymore. I thought I had it all figured out or that I would figure it out as I kept going forward. Did I want to do what I wanted to do, or did I want to do what I thought Drake would like for me? Even now, I don't know if I can answer it honestly."

"You are Aria," Capella says, her voice pleading. "My best friend. The one I can't live without."

"And you are Capella," you say, the smile on your face unable to reach your eyes. "Someone who has so much more going on than an obsession with someone like me."

You try to reach out, to touch her and try to convey your feelings with actions rather than words. She does the same, reaching out to you before grabbing your wrist, pulling on it. You would have stumbled into her had Inana not come out of her Pokeball. She drags you away, glaring at Capella with a low growl coming from her mouth.

Skiddle immediately takes position in front of Capella.

"Ah," you say, shaking your head. Of course, you forgot who you were facing. Though the fact that Skiddle is on Capella's side in this makes something inside of you feel hollow and rotten. You ignore the taste of ash in your mouth and give the others a nod, which Lissy and Ruby return, taking a few steps backwards to make way.

"I guess there's only one way to get my feelings across," Capella says. She can draw her sword. Force the fight to escalate. She doesn't, instead she points at Inana. "Skiddle, forward."

Skiddle does, pushing her front leg into the ground two times before sprinting forward. The fully grown Skiddle is still bigger than the recently evolved Weavile, and yet her speed seems to surpass even that of Wilhelm's Tauros. She slams into Inana, and Inana finds herself flung backwards, grabbing the ground with her claws to skid to a stop and make a provocative gesture.

'Come on,' she seems to say. 'You call that an attack?'

Skiddle doesn't rise to the provocation.

"Inana," you say, and try not to feel too proud at Lissy's reaction to the name, "Don't underestimate her, she's very nimble."

Inana nods, and Skiddle bah's at her.

"Go, Inana!" you say. "From above!"

Inana jumps high, twisting in the air and spinning around. Skiddle dodges the attack, then kicks her hooves up. Inana does not let her get a hit this time, instead rolling under the goat and pushing off the ground, sending Skiddle through the air.

"Leafblade." Capella's order is met with a powerful glow. Skiddle begins to shine, and the leaves around her neck stand at attention. Inana's attempt to follow up ends as she gets stuck on the hardened leaves. "Now, turn!"

The second they land, Skiddle does not take a stand, instead immediately lowering her left legs to start spinning Inana around, slamming her into the ground.

"Now!" Capella says. The hardened leaves shoot forward, slamming into Inana who is left dazed on the ground and now taking the full brunt of the attack. It takes a few seconds to stop, and it looks quite bad.

Unfortunately for Capella and Skiddle, though, you know Inana is too stubborn.

A blade of ice comes out of the ground, elemental energy gathering so quickly that Skiddle ends up thrown up once more. Rather than risk another melee attack, Inana gathers a dark orb of energy in front of her and sends it up.

Inana is hard to give orders to, because her combat sense is in many ways better than yours. But that's not why you're here, after all, you are here to see the battlefield from an outside perspective and aid her in her victory.

The truth is that Inana, evolved and full of experience with violence and difficult foes, is just stronger than Skiddle. She weaves around any attacks, jumping above blasts of leaves and energy that grow weaker as the sun continues to set.

Her own attacks grow stronger as the stars begin to shine.

"Skiddle," you say. She looks at you, her eyes tired, her body shaking from exhaustion. "I'm sorry for leaving you like that, for not coming back for you."

"Don't you dare," Capella says, growling the words at you. "You don't deserve to!"

You kneel down, spreading your arms. "We don't need to fight today, we can continue where we left off, right?"

Inana stops her approach, giving you a glance before looking back at Skiddle. She mews at the goat, and only receive a growl back.

"Please, don't—" Capella's demand does not fall on deaf ears. It's when Inana starts to move away, back towards you— Skiddle starts to gather herself.

Skiddle roars, and that small 'bah' becomes a loud and violent 'meeeeh'. The energy blasts Inana away, and within a few seconds, Skiddle has evolved into a Gogoat, that Murkrow feather in her horn becoming a sheen of darkness over it.

Her eyes have also turned red, glaring at Inana with a heavy brow above them.

"Skiddle!" Capella calls. "Finish it!"

The fight begins again in earnest, and while Inana is initially dazed by the sudden evolution, she blocks the powerful charge with both claws and digs her feet deep into the ground.

It would be quite a romantic idea, to evolve in defiance of your own expectations and show herself as Capella's partner rather than yours. To win a fight that she deserves to win.

Even so, and much to your own regret, Skiddle could not win this. Inana grabs her by the horns, then pulls her up from the ground, suplexing the goat much like she did to Tauros once before. Skiddle cries out in pain, then goes silent as the impact knocks her out.

Capella is breathing heavily. She looks lost, and you wonder if you had that same expression on your face when she beat you in the snow. That regret of not forcing you to come back with her, is that the same kind of regret you're feeling now not reaching out for her hand?

"Come with me," you offer instead. And she looks at you like she has never seen you before. "Do what I did, abandon the past, and walk towards the future, Capella. On this continent, there is nothing that could stop us."

"I can't," she says, and for once her voice is resolute. She calls Skiddle back to the Pokeball. "I understand now, why you can't walk that path with me anymore. But I need you to understand that we aren't the same at all, Aria. The future that I seek isn't the same as yours."

"Drake would want you to be happy."

"The dead want for nothing," she says, shaking her head. "But those left behind, they deserve to make their own choices. I do not know what the Duke has done to earn Drake's loyalty, but as Gildera finds itself in trouble, I cannot abandon them and leave the people he wanted to protect."

You realize something rather miserable, something immature and indecent of you. You realize that while you kept moving forward, those memories of the Glastrier knights remained frozen. That they are still in that snow, barely able to thaw, and you thought that once you have resolved your heart and returned to them, they would be just as you left them.

But you can see it in the way that Lissy and Ruby look at Capella, in the way that your best friend's hand touches Skiddle's Pokeball, in the way that they have gotten taller while all you seem to have done is grow out your hair.

Gildera moved on. And the Glastrier Knights, chasing you across the continent, are not actually here to bring you back, not the way Capella wants to at least.

They're here to say goodbye, or at the very least, say 'see you later' and do what they have to do.

"You're a better knight than I ever was, Capella," you say. "I'm sorry I couldn't live up to your ideal of me."

She doesn't say anything. She doesn't need to. Lissy walks up to you, giving Inana a very wide grin. You don't know if she's happy about the prowess or the name, but you see Inana give her what amounts to a Weavile's thumbs up before she lies down on the ground to watch the stars, still breathing heavily from the fight against Skiddle.

"Hello," you say, as if you haven't already been seeing each other the past hour. Lissy reaches out much like Capella did before, and your glance towards Sophia stops her from interfering. Lissy's arms wrap around you and lift you off the ground, her face pressing into your shoulder. You try not to show any discomfort, and instead end up with a high-pitched whine as she hugs you tight. "It's been too long."

"It has," she says, letting you go and allowing Ruby to do the same to you. Though their grip isn't as tight, it is just as warm, and you find yourself wavering in your decision for just a moment.

"Well, that was quite a show," Prince Kieran says, clapping his hands together to get everyone's attention. "Though it seems that it was resolved without my input, I would still like to extend an invitation for dinner with us tonight before we part. Would that be fine, Glastrier Knights?"

You expect her to say no, but Capella gives him a nod. Rather than speak, she just looks at Sophia, and for some strange reason, you feel something between them that you can only describe as kinship. They seem to have a conversation with their eyes, a glance at you, a nod to the sky, then a nod down in return. Capella sighs, rubbing the bridge of her nose before turning her back to the group. "I'll be back for dinner, don't wait for me."

She walks off into the woods, likely to ponder, and leaves you with your friends.

"So, any introductions?" Lissy asks. You blink. Of course.

"Yes, Lissy, Ruby, these are Sophia and Ray. We ended up traveling together," you say, pointing at your companions. Ray, who has been staying back for a while, is not paying any attention. Her gaze follows Capella, her face pale— "Ray?"

Ray starts, then shakes off whatever bothers her before putting on a massive grin. "Hello!"

"A pleasure," Sophia says, giving a salute to the two. Lissy sizes her up, before putting a hand on her shoulder. "Agh—"

"Thank you," Lissy says.

"You're welcome?" Sophia says, confused before realizing what Lissy must have meant. "It's nothing, really, she is pretty much house trained already."

"Until you have her fight someone," Ruby says. You roll your eyes. "Then it's all red all the time."

"She was already like that?" Sophia asks, her voice low. You sigh.

"Okay, let's just move on and— sorry?" you begin, turning around to find the prince standing next to you with Maria, giving you a look. "Oh, right, everyone this is Prince Kieran, and his knight Maria. Didn't think he'd need an introduction."

"Please, call me Kieran," he says, smiling at them. "We are all friends here, after all."

"Sure thing, Kieran," Lissy says, not hesitating in the slightest. Maria looks upset, but holds herself back from complaining when the prince gives her a soft smile. "Thank you for your invitation, we've not really had much besides rations lately."

Your stomach growls, and though you should feel relief that this has been resolved, you find yourself full of regret. Perhaps a good meal can solve that. That hole in your stomach grows larger and larger.

You have some time to spend with them yet, but Skiddle has made a choice you will take time to accept. While Inana won the fight, it is you who has to live with the wounds on your heart. Perhaps it is for the best, that these two take care of each other.

You are Adrianne. Today and tomorrow, you will always be that and sometimes more, sometimes less.

And in between those memories and those flashes of wisdom, you find yourself asking questions you still don't know the answers for. Why is the prince so friendly? Why does he look at you like you're someone else sometimes?

Why do you not recognize yourself in the mirror lately?

Who gave you your name?

You find a letter in the dirt. It's dirty, and illegible. You pocket it, but you don't know when you'll have time to clean it up.

 

[DaysOfGray]

Figured I'd post something here given that I binge-read everything yesterday and just got done reading the update, granted I'm pretty sleepy from work so it might come out weird.

I wanted to say that this has been a blast to read through. I've enjoyed every bit of it, which is funny cause I'm more fond of sci-fi settings than fantasy but I find myself to really enjoy your world. It's not the traditional Pokemon world, but something completely new and yet fits a universe/setting like Pokemon perfectly. The characters are really great, I've grown to really like Aria a lot because despite being a very violent little gremlin, she's also someone who is a very good person at heart. (Though Lissy is a big favorite of mine)

I can't wait for the next update, whenever that will be. Please, take your time with them. I, and the rest of your readers look forward to them. Your writing is great, and I really love both the human and Pokemon fights!

Can't wait to see what you have in store for us!

Edit: Also, this chapter... my heart can't take it ;-; I'm so glad to see everyone reunited, but man... I feel bad for both, Aria and Skiddle.

 

[barty]

Nooo, we lost Skiddle

 

[NemoMarx]

I knew the reunion with Capella would be painful but I'm very worried this is going to fester. They're not understanding each other properly yet...

 

[Dragonlord Seth]

It's been a while since I last read BfI but I'm glad to see the story is just as great as it was when I left off.

This meeting with Aria past has been a very... bittersweet one. I don't know how to feel about Skiddle's choice but as the goat demands, so shall it be.

I shall gladly await the next chapter. But take as much time as you need.