//------------------------------//
// ch. 22 backstory 
// Story: A New World, a Fearful Way 
// by Votederpycausemufins 
//------------------------------//

	“LEA!!!” Ben yelled at the umbreon running down the road. “YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO GO OUT ALONE!”
“I’ll be fine!” Lea called back, not as loud as Ben had. “Why would they attack in the day t-”
Lea was tackled to the ground by a glameow.
“Lea!” Ben started to run over, but before he could reach the two of them, The other pokemon saw him, attacked Lea and left, barely dodging his Mega Kick as it escaped.
“What happened?!” Ben asked. Lea had been badly hurt. He tried to think of what kind of attack was strong enough to do damage like this to her. He could only recall that fighting moves were effective against dark types, but, being a black belt trainer, that’s all he needed to know.
“Sh-she used Play Rough.”
Ben picked her up. ‘That’s right, dark’s weak to fairy types too.’ “You going to be okay?”
“Yeah. Yo-you’re right. I shouldn’t have gone out. C-can we go back?”
“Sure. We probably should. What else happened?”
“She just came up, told me to stay inside until they wanted me, attacked me and left.”
“That… makes no sense, whatsoever. Why would she do that?”
“She must be working for them. They want to make sure I won’t leave the town.”
“I hope we get some help finding them soon. We can’t have this happen again.”



“NUUU!” Ziggs exclaimed when he saw Lea. “I WILL AVENGE THEE!”
Ziggs tried to run past Ben and out the door, but Ben was able to stop Ziggs with his leg.
“You’re not going out there! They may not know you’re her friend, but she needs you to be here instead of going out to find the bad guys.”
Linoone convinced his son to leave before speaking with Ben. “Should I go get Midnight and tell him what happened?”
Ben thought for a second before saying, “Maybe Angela should go out instead. I know for sure she can protect herself against them if she’s attacked.”
“Alright, I’ll go get her. By the way, Citrus went out to a local restaurant for dinner and Caddi is currently in the kitchen working on making a soup for all the pokemon.”
“Okay, I’ll take Lea back upstairs. After you get Angela, can you also tell Caddi what happened?”
“I can do that!” Linoone responded before running off to perform his tasks.
When Ben and Lea reached her bedroom, Ben set her down and wrapped her in a couple of blankets. He left the room briefly before coming back in with a small table, and a spray bottle.
“Mmnn… What are those for?” Lea grumbled, not fully awake.
“The first is a table for you so you can rest in bed but still have Caddi’s soup once it’s done. The second is a potion I fortunately woke up with instead of gone with all my other things. I had been about to use it too, so it was in my hands. That might be how it got through.”
“Wait… You had a potion with you and didn’t tell me?”
“Yes. I was going to save it for something important, and this seems like it.”
Ben was about to spray when Lea was badly damaged before she stopped him. “I’m not that important. In fact, you should have told us about that sooner. Maybe by now we would have a replica of a potion for distribution or at least be able to use it for the center. For all we know, it could be the last in existence. And you want to waste it on me?”
“Um… I… guess?”
“No. Give it to me, or put it on my desk. Once I’m better, I’ll figure out how to make more.”
“Alright,” Ben said, quickly going to place the potion in the other room. “Feel better. I’ll be up with some soup soon.”



“Midnight! Midnight, where are you?” Angela called.
“Over here!” He called back. “What’s wrong?”
“Lea was attacked. Apparently a glameow working for Ire and Quarry attacked her when she left to go find you.”
“Do they need my help?” Midnight asked her.
“Nah. I think they just wanted me to come down and tell you what happened.”
“Hopefully Feather’s already met with Celestia, but if not, I guess she’ll see Luna soon.”
“Wait, why wouldn’t she meet with Celestia now?”
“Here in Equestria, the two princesses guard over the night and day. So it would be about the time they would switch their ruling time.”
“Oh, I thought it was just they moved the sun and moon. Still can’t believe they can actually do that though… Anywho, I should leave.”
“Alright, I’ll see you- Anywho?” Midnight questioned.
“Yeeeaaaah… We used it around the house a bunch back home. If you want to heard some really weird phrases, you’ll have to meet Kya. Well, once we find her of course.”
“What was she like?” Midnight asked Angela.
“Kya? She is a music lover.”
“Sorry, Sometimes the only times I have talks like this are when, well… you know.”
“I see.” Angela replied, perfectly understanding what he meant. “Anyway, Kya’s favorite thing to do was play the piano. And I don’t just mean simple pieces, I mean she did super complicated ones by using all four of her paws at once. I don’t think there was a piece created she can’t play. Well, as long as it was made to be played by one.”
“Anything else? I’m finished up here for the day and want to have something to talk about on the way back.”
“*Sigh* Let’s see… She’s always awake really early. Not as early as Linoone will normally wake up, but close. The only times she’ll stay in bed is if something’s wrong. Sometimes she’ll wake us up early from her morning activities, and most of us like to sleep in, so it doesn’t end well. Sometimes I feel like strangling the kid.”
“You wouldn't really, right?
“Of course not. She’s my niece. Well, more like adopted niece, but still-”
“No, no.” Midnight stopped her. “I get it. She’s still your niece nonetheless. Anything else about her?”
“Back before I came along, Some people tried to steal Matrix from Lea.”
“Why would they do that?”
“You know how he’s a shiny pokemon, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well pokemon like that are rare. Really rare. Not everyone has a shiny pokemon. Anyway, these people were trying to take Matrix, and Kya stepped in to help. They had a psychic pokemon on their team, and it used an attack that works much like unicorn telekinesis and slammed her repeatedly on a rock.”
“THEY DID WHAT?!” Midnight yelled.
“Ow! I’m right next to you!”
“Sorry. I just can’t believe…”
“When I heard the story, I did… but that was probably due to the fact that I used to belong to people like that.”
“Are you serious?”
Angela nodded her head. “They even placed some sort of chip in my brain when I was little. It allowed their psychic types to control me, but only the ones that had a chip as well.”
“Th-that’s… very unethical!” Midnight said strongly.
“Go ahead,” Angela told him “I’m fine if you want to use stronger words.”
“You might be fine with it,” Midnight told her. “but I only use them when I feel like it. And when I do, it helps.”
“Suit yourself. Anyway… back to the story. After Lea got them all away, she rushed to the nearest pokemon center so they could treat Kya. Fortunately for her, nothing was badly hurt, but Lea was told that if anything that bad happened to Kya again, something could be permanently damaged.”
Neither of them spoke for a while as they walked, but after a while, Midnight spoke up again.
“Has… anything happened to her since then?”
“Hmm? Oh… I guess we got into an explosion a few years back. She was fine after that, but I don’t think she’ll be that lucky next time. All I’m hoping for i- look out!”
Angela jumped out of the way as a pegasus fell to the ground right next to where she had been standing.
“Go-good job tranquil!” The pegasus raised a hoof to the air while his face stayed on the ground. “I’m just gonna rest here now.”
“Sir,” Midnight addressed the pegasus. “I think you should get up.”
“Ehh… give me a second.” And in a few moments the pegasus got up.
“How d’you do that?” Midnight asked after the other pony had left.
“Natural ability of my kind. We can sense disasters.”
“That must be handy.”
“It is… most of the time. Please don’t ask.”
“Wasn’t going to.” 
At this point Midnight picked up a newspaper from the stand they had reached. He saw a picture of the Crown Jewels. When he read the title, however, he dropped the paper.
“HOW THE TARTARUS!”
“There it is! ...I think. Tartarus is your version of hell right? Anyway, what are cussing about?”
“Somepony or something stole the Crown Jewels.”
“What?” Angela asked. “Who?”
After reading the story, she had a look of horror. “Fox made it over?”
“Who’s Fox?” Midnight asked.
“Famous thief from our world. No one can catch her. Her full title is The Phantom Thief Fox. Though… Ah, right here! Just as I thought!”
Angela was pointing to an article on another paper. It was how about how they had been returned.
“She… returned them?”
“Always does. I guess she’s more of an anti-hero than a bad guy. Still, not someone you want to meet. If Lea ever gets her apocalypse papers back…” 
“Her what?” Midnight’s interest was piqued.
“First rule about the papers… we don’t talk about the papers.” Angela pointed at Midnight and poked his muzzle. “Nah, I’m kidding. Just, try not to, okay?”
“Got it.” He said nervously.



“Midnight! Taste this soup!”
As soon as the thestral had walked through the door, a spoon was shoved in his mouth. It was forced in so suddenly, he gagged. Finally, after he swallowed, Caddi removed the spoon.
“If you hadn’t tried to choke me with it, I would say it’s good, but you tried to choke me with it!”
“Sorry Midnight…”
He sighed, “It’s fine Kiwi, just don’t do something like that again.”
“WHAT!” Lea could be heard from upstairs, followed by her coughing loudly. By the time they reached her, they couldn’t figure out what she had yelled about.
“It was, uh, a letter I got. Nothing big.” She finally answered.
“Oh, for a second I thought you had learned Fox was in Equestria.”Angela told her.
This time, It was not only Lea, but also Matrix and Linoone who yelled.
“Oh come on!” Angela told them. “It’s not like we have anything she could want.”
Lea glanced to her office. Angela noticed her.
“Lea… what do you have.”
“Nothing!”
Before Angela could do anything, Ben came in as well and made them leave.
“Let her rest! she’s had enough happen today as it is. She doesn’t need you to make her worry about Fox too.”
“Thanks Ben.” Lea told him before falling asleep.
Ben tucked her in and took her empty soup bowl away. 
“Goodnight.”