A gasp of air filled Gareda’s lungs as she jolted awake, the skin under her scales shivering from a non-existent cold. The fin on her back ached, crushed under her body weight for what must’ve been a long time. Soft textiles covered her body down from the chest, the tip of her tailfin sticking out of the covers. She was in bed.

Her breathing sank into a regular, yet panicky rhythm as she took her environment in. Sun shone into the room, bringing what little light the winter could spare. A few berry plants sat in the windowsills, growing vines. The room was colourful, what with all its gentle browns and blues that somewhat warmed the body and spirit. A few chairs and a branch sat before her bed. Medical equipment lay on a nearby table.

She raised a talon to her head.

‘The hospital… what happened? I was on the side of Mount Tenebrous, hiking towards that abandoned slab of bricks, then… Not a damn thing. There were others with me… what? How did I pass out? Those damned fools were supposed to watch my back!’

With a grumble the Garchomp swung her legs out of bed, her talons leaving a depression on the mattress as she pushed herself off. Right as her feet made contact, a cold pain shot up. She hissed out loud, and fell onto a knee moments after standing for a split second.

“Hgggghhhh!” ‘Damn! DAMN! Did someone smash my thighs with a hammer?!’

Suddenly the door swung open, and an Audino rushed into the room. “L-Lord- M-Miss Gareda! You’re awake!”

Gareda raised her eyes to meet her, without turning her frown upside down. “Yes, that’s clearly evident- ngh!” She winced from the searing pain in her thigh. “What happened? How did I get here?!”

“It was a huge situation, ma’am!” the Audino replied, rushing to the Garchomp’s side to inspect her injuries. “An emergency rescue team had gone searching for you… brought you and a group of Soldiers in with severe freezing. Frostbite, hypothermia… It was utter madness. Some didn’t make it back.”

“Yes, but how?” she growled, as Audino inspected the spikes on her legs. “Do the others know?”

Audino shook their head. “No one who’s woken up’s got any clue. It’s absolutely bizarre, but you’re all suffering from amnesia by the sounds of it.”

“Wonderful…” Gareda leaned against the wall with a talon. “Sounds like we were ambushed. Don’t know if it’s the damned Alliance or Smaugus or what not… has anyone begun to investigate?”

“I don’t know that much, ma’am,” Audino replied. “I’m a doctor.”

Gareda staggered towards the door, gradually regaining her sense of balance. The pain asserted itself well. But she had a job to fulfil.

“Well, ‘A doctor’… Where is Lord Dritch? Where are my companions? I need to see them.”

“Not yet, not yet! You still haven’t recovered enough!” Audino attempted to block the path to the door, a task easier said than done with Gareda being over twice their size. And they were taller than the average Audino, on top of that. Broader, too.

“I can walk,” Gareda grumbled. “I can speak with Dritch, alright…”

“W-we’ll notify her you’re awake! Don’t leave just yet! You can’t just walk off after being out for several days, ma’am!”

Gareda shook her head. “That’s several days too long, Doc. I’ll hike up and down Mount Tenebrous again if I have to… well, maybe not that far, but I can walk across town. Just give me bodyguards… or someone to keep an eye on me. Yes?”

Audino sighed. “If… that is what you wish, ma’am.”

The Garchomp breathed in deep through her nose, her tail swishing back and forth to keep her steady on her feet.

‘Glad to see respect’s not a lost art.’

* * *

News of Gareda’s recovery spread like wildfire through Tirasford. She intended to beat it to the punch, however. First things first, catching up with business. After that, her girlfriend. After that, Vli… well, the order did not matter. As long as all those three were knocked out, it would be fine.

Just as luck would have it, the most difficult of the three was first. Gareda had learned from one of the Soldiers in the hospital that she’d been out for three days, and that Dritch hadn’t visited her bedside. Vli had paid a visit every day. Luffy had sat at the side of her bed for no less than 8 hours across the three days, and had apparently demanded a lot of privacy during that time as well. Gareda scoffed a little at the thought.

‘You’d think she’d get tired of kissing after a while. Especially when I can’t even return them.’

Love and romance aside, Dritch not showing painted an ominous picture. Already when she walked into Tirasford Cathedral, she knew there had to be a reason for that. And it wasn’t going to be pretty.

Dritch was at the altar, attending to her daily prayers. Gareda hobbled her way in, her limp easing into regular strides, though full recovery was still ways off.

“Lord Dritch.”

The Metagross’ steel body whirred as the four big legs turned around. She was as expressful as ever. “Lord Gareda. Back to the realm of the living, I see.”

“I never left in the first place,” Gareda replied.

Dritch shrugged with all four legs. “Counter argument. You certainly got close to it.”

Gareda resisted the urge to roll her eyes. ‘Yes, and I’m sure you came to that conclusion yourself.’ “I’ve survived worse. Do you remember that assassination attempt on me several years ago? The one with all the Electrode? They’re all gone. I’m still here.”

Dritch’s eyes flashed red for a moment. “Moving on. You are back. But I cannot deny that your absence has led to me drawing a few conclusions.”

Gareda raised one of her brows. “Such as?”

“First. That evidently, our defences are far more vulnerable than we had thought. If one of the Crest’s most skilled warriors is taken down in questionable fashion, and the forces accompanying her are defeated so decisively that no one has any recollections of the event, then we have a serious problem on our claws. The forecast for all our defences has decreased considerably, even for strong points such as the Bastion.”

Gareda’s eyes narrowed. “That’s an awful lot of conclusions you’re jumping to. May I remind you that this was one ambush, in the middle of a snowstorm, on an isolated mountain. Anyone can be surprised and humbled in conditions that poor.”

“No,” Dritch’s voice echoed out. “Mount Tenebrous is next to Tirasford, Whitiara’s capital. It is not isolated by any definition. If an ambush on this scale can be performed so close to our strongest point, then us ignoring it as a fluke would have catastrophic consequences for our position in Whitiara. Second of all. No one, you included, has been able to report anything on the nature of this assailant. It may be the Alliance with a secret weapon. It could be a new threat. We do not know.”

“...True,” Gareda admitted. “But we can’t let this break us down! You know what the consequences are if this becomes public.”

Dritch twisted her arms to turn back towards the altar. She resembled a metal bug, gazing with reverence at the figure of Arceus, flanked by little candles and incense burners.

“The consequences are indeed dire. And that is why decisive action is demanded of us… in a variety of ways. Strengthening the Bastion is the most important, yes. With the final piece of the Azure Flute not in Alliance hands there, its fall would spell doom. But we must take measures even in the face of doom.”

“Why?” Gareda growled. “Do you think we’ll fail?”

The Metagross’ body slipped closer to the ground as her giant legs struggled to support her, eyes dim. Gareda’s feet shifted away, her head leaning back before Dritch had said so much as a single word.

“Mist approaches on the night of the New Moon.”

“...In ordinary language, please.” the Garchomp requested.‘This is going to be a disaster, isn’t it.’

Dritch closed her eyes slowly, without regard for etiquette or anyone that might’ve seen her at this moment.

“Arceus, our lord and saviour. I have never lost faith in Him, and neither should anyone. But His voice has been weakening in these last few months. I ask questions, He gives no answer. We pray, His presence cannot be felt. For a while I believed we all had sinned, or committed an atrocity against Him. Against ordinary folk. But there is a struggle taking place, far beyond anything our tiny minds can comprehend… Something is transpiring behind the scenes, Gareda. I do not know what exactly, only that it is insidious. There is a growing darkness in the world. A darkness buried since Yveltal had been delivered Eravate’s wrath.”

Gareda dangled her arms side to side in annoyance by the time Dritch finished speaking. ‘You’ve got to be kidding.’ “You’re not seriously basing your decisions on this, are you? Gods aren’t getting us out of this mess, period.”

Dritch turned back around. “It is an omen, Gareda. A bad one. You’d best pay attention.”

“Oh, I’m paying attention alright,” Gareda sneered. “What, do you take me for a non-believer? Of course this is fascinating. But I’m not letting it stop me from doing my job. If you want the Creator back, then you’ll have to work for it. Not sit around and pray.”

The Metagross’ eyes shifted upwards, as one of her feet tapped the floor in a nondescript rhythm. “Great. We are of equal minds on this. I was not planning on giving up. Nor have you… certainly, that is what I hope did not happen on that mountain. But I am planning to make contingencies… so that civilisation in the north will persevere through troubling times.”

Gareda breathed in, then out. The Crest’s enemies were fortunate Dritch was a leader, and not a soldier. They would’ve all died from boredom if she showed up on the frontlines.

“Right… so, the Bastion. Are we going to reinforce it?”

“Certainly,” Dritch said. “Along with the rest of Tirasford. A storm may very well be brewing…”

* * *

Hours later, Gareda crashed straight on top of a crouch upon reaching her quarters. Luffy and Vli weren’t here. Yet. Given how dark it was outside, it wouldn’t be much longer, however. Provided someone had told them she wasn’t in the hospital any longer, that was.

She peeled herself off the couch after a minute to make Aspear tea. Arceus knew she needed it after today. And Arceus couldn’t even hear her. Granted, that would’ve been the case on a normal day as well. She might have a high ranking in the Crest, but what was she compared to the Creator? What were the odds he’d listen to her then, let alone now?

With a growl, she set the tea pitcher on the coffee table, then slumped back onto the couch, putting a cold blanket over her legs. What she wouldn’t do to have that Magmar on her lap instead. Wouldn’t that be a nice break after a long day?

Then the door swung open.

The break was here, alright.

“GAREDA!!!”

The Garchomp had barely so much as turned her head before Luffy had leapt across the room. She glomped onto her chest in the blink of an eye. Pain went through Gareda’s legs as they were swept off the ground.

“Hgggg! I still haven’t fully recovered, fool!”

“S-sorry!” Luffy let go and rolled beside her, tail swishing over the couch.

“Oi, don’t get too excited now, yes?”

Vli flew across the room and landed on the coffee table, like any ordinary Pokemon would. Well, like any ordinary Toucannon would. “The doctor said she needed a week of bedrest at minimum. Garchomp and cold don’t go well together. Colour me surprised you’re already out!”

Gareda stretched her neck as she carefully put her feet back onto the ground. “You know how I am… can’t sit in a bed all day. Let others do the suffering for me. Only morons let others do all their work.”

“But you’re sick. And injured,” Luffy said, one claw brushing Gareda’s arm out of Vli’s sight.

“Yeah… that’s true,” Gareda grumbled. “Maybe I’m the fool this time around. Blegh. Aspear, anyone?”

“Sure.”

Gareda poured three cups of tea, Luffy holding the cups. They sat down, and drank about half each, Luffy smacking her tongue with each gulp while Vli fetched some water. It was an acquired taste.

“Good stuff! Just like they make it back home!”

“Keeps the heart warm, I guess…”

“Need to get better at making this crap,” Gareda grumbled. “Can’t set tea to save my neck.”

Luffy gave the Garchomp a good pat on the shoulder. “Hey, don’t discredit yourself now! It’s pretty close to how we Rubyfolk serve it back home, plus it’s not like we have it often, either. Very much something you drink when it’s cold. I’m surprised more people here don’t drink it!”

Vli wiped down his beak. “Lemme tell you what really warms you up. Ever had a trip to the Azzuro’s? There ya go. One good trip home and I’ve got enough heat to last a year.”

“Enough to beat a volcano?” Luffy asked.

“I’ll chase the lava back underground, that’s what!” Vli boasted.

Luffy almost doubled over.“Hahaha! Man, I’d love to see that sometime!”

While they had their fun, Gareda slowly sipped from her tea until it was all gone, watching snow fall through the window. All these weeks, and yet the snow showed no signs of stopping. One would think the Whitiaran winter was eternal, and spring a mere figment of dreams. How else could the Pokemon here have been moulded into what they were? Smiles didn’t exist outside, nor did words. Even the most pompous dragon spoke more to peasants.

She sighed as she put her cup down. “Glad you can all laugh now. We’ve got plenty to worry about tomorrow… or rather, starting from right this second, but Arceus can at least grant us one peaceful night. We’ve got a Bastion to defend.”

Luffy raised an eye at Gareda, while setting her tea right next to the empty cup. “Uh… didn’t you say the Alliance was a spent force, here? Didn’t Dritch say the same thing? We’ve been fighting them for weeks now, too. Been incredibly successful, too.”

Gareda folded her arms. “Never underestimate what a cornered feral is capable of. We’re far from out of the weeds, here. Even if it’s all a desperate last strike they’re planning, all our efforts will be…” She struggled to get the words out. Her tongue didn't cooperate, until she eventually sighed. “Smaugus, final piece. Do the math.”

“Yeah? And?” Vli countered. “What are you going to do, give up?”

“Of course not,” Gareda replied. “I’m not a damn quitter.”

“You sure sound like one,” Vli said. “So what if we lose the last piece? Sure, let’s just assume the absolute worst, yeah? Let’s assume Mount Tenebrous decides to go kaboom, and we gotta evacuate Tee-ras… tehras-”

“Tirasford.”

“Tirasford, yes. If we gotta evacuate, and some guy shows up and just steals the flute. So what?” Vli flapped his wings intensely, one feather fluttering towards the ground left in his wake. “If you wanna survive in Eravate, you can’t just give up. Anyone that does is dead meat. And I’m not planning on being dead meat. Are either of you?”

“No,” both Gareda and Luffy said.

“That’s the spirit!”

Gareda grumbled right afterwards, her feet kicking at the underside of the coffee table. “Lord Arceus’ voice has been getting weaker, Dritch told me earlier.”

“What did I just tell you?” Vli pouted.

Gareda waved a talon in front of his face. “No, birdbrain. What I mean is that we’ve got no one but ourselves watching our backs this week. We have to work hard.”

“What? No…” Luffy mused. “You’re still injured, Gar. If you push yourself too hard, you’ll-”

“-set one foot in the grave? What else is new? Would you prefer letting the scum do whatever they want? We don’t have a choice,” Gareda said back, as she nursed her thigh. ‘We really don’t.’

“Gareda, please…” Luffy said.

“I know you don’t like to hear it. I don’t either. But we’ve got our duties to fulfil. For… for Eravate.”

Vli tapped his beak. “Can we worry about this later? Not tonight, for the love of Arceus. We really shouldn’t bring each other down when we need it. If anything, we need to grow closer together.”

“Right, right…” Gareda sighed. ‘If only he knew how close we were already.’