Four Paws: Deliverance

Haha, I'm in pain

Lavendar was exhausted. Her mind felt like it was going a million miles an hour, but not a thought passed through her head. Her ears rang with buzzing static. She felt as though hundreds of thoughts should be vying for her attention, but her mind was empty, and it was driving her nuts. When Jacob called for them to start walking again, she'd been glad, thinking it might distract her, but still the torture persisted.

A heavy sigh escaping her lips, Lavendar's head dropped, her ears lilting. She didn't notice Pixie fall into step beside her.

"Hi," Pixie said gently.

Lavendar nearly jumped out of her coat. Her fur on end, she looked around, before glancing back at Pixie. Her Mother was smiling kindly. Her Mother...

"Uh, hi."

Pixie nodded to herself, watching the dirt pass underneath her paws with each step. "Where are you from?"

"Oh, not too far from here."

"Really? There aren't many Vulpix or Ninetales around here, I wonder if we're related somehow."

Her eyes growing wide, Lavendar's head snapped in Pixie's direction.

Pixie laughed. "I'm only joking. My family left a long time ago. These guys are all I've got now."

Lavendar's eyes flicked to the others. Jacob and Tertle walked at the head of pack, talking quietly. Behind them, Glair was practically hanging off Ace, laughing loudly and poking him. Glancing back at Pixie, Lavendar noticed that her mother was small. In this time, Pixie had to be several years older than Lavendar, but still, Pixie was smaller in almost every way.

"I never knew my mother," Lavendar said suddenly.

Smiling sadly, Pixie nodded in understanding. "I'm sorry. I'm sure she was great."

"Hah, she was. My Dad used to tell stories about her. She was beautiful and strong and kind. He really loved her. I wish I got to know him before she died. He was a great dad, but he always seemed... tired."

Looking at Jacob's back, Pixie couldn't help but laugh sadly. "Lonely people do seem tired."

Her brows drawing together, Lavendar glanced strangely at Pixie, but Pixie was still watching him.

"My Jacob, he seems strong, but when he's alone, it's hard for him. If it's for someone else, he could fight forever, but if it was for himself, I don't think he'd last."

Then why did he leave me? The question died on Lavendar's lips. She wasn't ready to tell Jacob and Pixie everything, not yet.

"You know," laughed Pixie, "if you were on the moon and had the world's most powerful telescope, that could see through walls, you can find the most isolated people on Earth, but you couldn't spot the lonely people."

In that instant, Lavendar's mind was clear. She knew what to do. For now, she would conceal her identity, just be a random Vulpix, and help her parents save the world. This was not the time for tearful reunions.

Jacob had retold his tales as bedtime stories; Lavendar knew how the script went. When the time came, she would save all of them. There were only two problems; the first being, she had no idea how Pixie had died. In all his recounts, Jacob had never mentioned that. Secondly, Jacob had died of natural causes. He'd simply gotten sick and was unable to recover. He was still fairly young when it happened though, he should've been able to fight it off.

Pushing the thought from her mind, Lavendar focused on the task at hand. The world was going to collapse because of Cresselia. If they could defeat Cresselia, free Meloetta, and return Arceus from Jacob's world, then everything would fine, right?

"The lonely people are hard to spot."

Pixie's words ripped Lavendar from her thoughts. Blinking, Lavendar looked at her mother, startled. "Huh?"

Glancing at Jacob, Pixie smiled sadly. "Loneliness is a silent killer."

Lavendar only nodded, her expression sombre, but inside she grit her teeth, felt fire course through her veins. She would save them all. If, if she gave everything she had, it would all work out, right?

Consumed by her thoughts, Lavendar didn't notice the others had stopped until she walked into Ace's back. Grunting, she stepped back and made to apologise, but froze. Ace hadn't reacted, he stood perfectly still; they all did.

Frantically swivelling her head, Lavendar realised, Jacob, Pixie, Tertle, Glair and Ace all stood like statues. Not even breathing, they were practically lifeless.

Her breath coming in rapid bouts, Lavendar retreated quickly, tripping over her tails.

Without warning, a yellow Pokémon appeared, floating before her. "Hello, little one," it crooned in a soft voice.

Her eyes growing wide, Lavendar scrambled to her feet. "Who are you?"

"I am Cresselia, consider me your enemy." Cresselia floated in circles around the heroes. "Look at them all, so close, but still out of reach."

"What did you do?" Lavendar squeaked, her voice betraying her fear.

"Fortunately for you, when Dialga freezes time things lock into place, preventing any change. I couldn't hurt them even if I wanted to. You on the other hand," trailing off, Cresselia hovered threateningly, drifting closer. "You and I are outside of Dialga's bind and are free to chat and tear each other apart."

Cresselia's gentle voice was contrary to her savage words and Lavendar fought back her fear, begging herself to regain control while her body screamed at her to run.

"Dialga is the ruler of time, did you really think it wouldn't notice Celebi's little stunt?" whispered Cresselia. "You've come back from the future. So, I can only assume, my plan has pretty much succeeded and you're trying to prevent it."

Her throat dry, Lavendar gulped noisily. "My, my father always said, to assume is to make an ass out of you and me."

"Oh, so you do have a backbone. You know, I could kill you now, but where's the fun in that?"

Taking a deep breath, Lavendar collected her thoughts and raised her head, meeting Cresselia's gaze. "That's pretty arrogant."

"Call it a character flaw," whispered Cresselia, her eyes ablaze. "Let's play a game. I win by destroying the world. You win by stopping me, but you're a nasty cheat. So, I'll good ahead and move some of my pieces.

Meloetta, Cresselia was going to move her. Arceus too, maybe. Lavendar's brain whirled, trying to think of something, but she came up empty.

Racing closer, Cresselia moved her face within inches of Lavendar's. "This isn't the story you know."

In an instant, Cresselia was gone, and time resumed for the forest. The team continued walking, as if nothing had happened.

"Lavendar?" Pixie called. "What are you doing, when did you get over there?"'

Hurrying to catchup, Lavendar fell in step beside Pixie once more. "Sorry, I was just lost in thought."