A New World, A New Stage, The Same Act

by Purple Pony

Divine Intervention

Everyone in the room was left speechless. It isn't every day that a Legendary Pokemon shows up.

I could have sworn someone asked for my help. Was I mistaken? Cresselia asked.

"Umm...It was me." Alice raised her paw. "I'm the one that is having some relationship issues."

So, what's the problem?

It takes the better part of an hour to explain the situation to Cresselia, especially since she is asking for details to help her understanding.

Okay. So you're in love with your best friend, but he's also the one trying to arrest you for robbery, correct? Cresselia checks with Alice.

"Yup. I've been trying to think of something that could lead to my happily ever after, but I always am fearing the worst." Alice confirms with Cresselia.

Here's my advice for you. Fortune favors the bold. I've seen time and time again that the people who don't do anything about this always are left with regrets. You need to do something, or you'll spend the rest of your life hung up on this.

"But what can I do? I don't know if he'd buy Alice just showing up, and it isn't like Fox can just wander over to-" Alice suddenly cuts herself off, and one could almost see the lightbulb over her head.

I'm sensing that you have a plan. Cresselia says.

"Oh, I have a plan, all right. A very Fox-like plan, if I do say so myself. Now, I'm going to need all of your help to pull this off."

Even me?

"Especially you. I want to be able to prove that Alice and Fox are one and the same, and I know just the way to do it. The Phantom Thief Fox's next heist will be tonight!" Alice cheers, and the rest of the room cheers with her.

---

Back to the present

---

Johnathan was just surprised it happened so fast. It was certainly without it's usual flair and extravagance, so he knew that Fox meant serious business. Not to mention that this was the first kidnapping in the history of the Phantom Thief.

He just hoped that like all of her other heists, she returned what she borrowed.

It had been a short walk to a carriage that was waiting for them, and now the two of them were riding through the night. The windows were blacked out, so he couldn't see where they had passed. The two Spinarak that were responsible for him being tied up were sitting in the corner, leaving the two former humans to sit there in awkward silence.

Of course, he couldn't have talked if he wanted to. His mouth was still covered, and he was thoroughly tied up. He wasn't going anywhere.

After about a half hour, the carriage stopped, and Fox carried Johnathan into the forest they had stopped next to. After another fifteen minutes, the pair reached a clearing. The two Spinarak attached him to a tree, before saluting to Fox and scuttling back the way they came.

Fox waited a few seconds before slowly peeling off his mouth cover. "If we're going to have a conversation, you're going to need your mouth. Just remember I can put this back on, so be careful."

Fox knew that John would respond, but she was a professional. She could handle anything he said. No matter what he would spit out, she would not lose her composure.

"That webbing tasted like mozzarella."

That almost broke through. Just barely reigning back the guffaw that was building in her throat, she managed to choke out a reply. "I'll pass it on to them. They're quite the artists."

There was a couple seconds of awkward silence before Fox got back on track. "We've been competing for about five years now, and through it all, you're still the one person I trust the most. Just hear me out while I rant here, because believe it or not, I didn't write this speech down."

Johnathan, while puzzled before, was very confused now. At least he was tied up so he couldn't hurt himself.

Fox sighed, trying to get herself psyched up for what she was about to do. "For the last five years, I've been stealing, and you've been trying to catch me. During that time, I've really gotten to know you. How courageous you are, how protective you are of your friends, how noble you are. Not to mention you were pretty good looking, if I do say so myself. And then, just to experiment, I flirted, I flaunted, I did all of those things that maybe weren't necessary, and you reacted. Your face was so cute when I did some of those poses. That, I suppose, is where this began.

"That Luxray that shouted for us to get a room? After he did that, I nearly did it. I nearly grabbed you then and there, and took you away. I had trouble sleeping for days after that one."

"So that's what the kiss was for." Johnathan says, mostly to himself.

"Officially, I'll say it was a tactic to get away. Unofficially, I didn't hate it. The problem is that you're the forbidden fruit. I can't have you, because you'd jail me right away. But that just makes you all the more desirable. I've never been one for romance, usually a Fox waits until they retire. However, what I feel for you doesn't feel like romance, it feels like an obsession. However, it isn't just Fox that feels this way. I have a life outside of crime too, you know. But this is where it gets a little wild. Let's see, five years ago, didn't you have a friend who showed up?"

Johnathan snarled. "Were you stalking me?"

"Answer the question, or I'll cover your mouth and leave you here."

Johnathan sighs in defeat. "Yes. I had an old childhood friend show up."

"Alice, right? Alice Maximilion?"

"Alright, you've been stalking me. Yes, that's her name." Johnathan's irritation is rising.

"Did you ever think of it as more than a coincidence that she showed up at the same time I started my work?"

"...Alice is not Fox."

"I'd like to think I know myself quite well, thank you." Fox says with an air if dignity.

The cop stared at the thief. "Tauros crap. You're saying this just to mess with me. I met Alice here in Equestria. She isn't you."

"She's a Zoroark, though. I'm a Zoroark." Fox points out.

"You're shiny."

"It's an illusion. Here." Immediately, Fox drops her illusion, showing that her once blue highlights are actually the more common red.

"...Okay, that may prove that, but you're nothing like her. We've been together since we were kids. She was always a little bit restless in school, she liked to prank others, but she never got caught, and would stand up for what she believed in. She was passionate about her research as an adult, but still made time for me." Johnathan lists off all the positive qualities he can remember off the top of his head about Alice.

"Restless, prank-prone, never got caught, stands up for what she wants, passionate about what she does...You do realize that could very well be describing Fox, right?" Fox says back.

Johnathan thinks back, and realizes what she's talking about. "Okay, you may have turned into the same species, and you may have similar characteristics, but Alice can't be Fox."

"Even though you met Alice in the same town that I was pulling a heist in?" Fox says cheekily.

"STOP IT! STOP MESSING WITH ME! YOU ARE NOT ALICE! You have no proof."

"Will this work as proof?" Fox puts up an illusion, and John drops his jaw.

It's a perfect replica of what Alice looked like as a human. Right down to her chocolate brown hair, her usual sweater, and her reading glasses. Even some of the little details, such as the hairstyle (long and straight, halfway down her back) and that bright smile, were spot on.

For a second, John couldn't even breathe. He recognized that woman. It tends to happen when you see each other nearly every day for about five years and were best friends before that. Fortunately, John recovers enough to continue the conversation, as much as he just wants to sit there and admire the perfect beauty in front of him. "You've been stalking me more than I thought, it seems. That is a fairly accurate representation, right down to her perfect figure and beautiful eyes."

Alice-Fox's face lights up bright red. Okay, she never quite knew he liked how she looked THAT much. She knew she was attractive, since she was hit on all the time, but for him to go and say THAT to her while looking like his knees would have given out had he been supporting his own weight was enough to break her focus for a moment. "Heh heh...okay, back to work. What will it take for you to believe that Fox and me are one and the same." Alice says, switching from Fox to Alice to try and drive the point home.

"Any sort of conclusive evidence. Something only the REAL Alice would know." Johnathan says.

Alice puts her hands on her hips, thinking for a second. "Let's see. We first met when you fell out of a tree when trying to rescue a Tailow, and landed on top of me. You assisted me on my first heist of stealing from your father's cookie jar. Recess always turned into you chasing me around the playground for 20 minutes. You would always insist on paying for our meals even though I made more money from my job than you did. You darn near choked on your collar when we went to that parade and I wore my best dress. Does that prove enough, or do you need me to go into more excruciating detail?"

John could almost see his life falling apart. He started to hyperventilate, and he would have fallen down if he hadn't been pinned to the tree still. "D-Did you know? All that time ago, that we would be enemies, but still, you stayed with me? Why? Why wou-" John stopped mid-sentence. His eyes narrowed dangerously. "You were toying with me."

"Wha-NO! No I wasn't! Here I am pouring out my heart to you, and you think I'm toying with you?"

"STOP LYING TO ME! YOU'RE ONLY HERE SO YOU COULD CONTROL THE ONLY PERSON ABLE TO CAPTURE YOU! WELL I WON'T LISTEN!!"

Alice was on the verge of tears. However, she wasn't done yet. she still had an ace up her sleeve. "FINE! If I can't prove it to you, then maybe SHE can!" She cried.

There was a bright flash, and Cresselia appeared in the clearing with the two of them. You're name's John, right? John nodded dumbly, awestruck that there was a legendary Pokemon in front of him. Good. Listen, Alice over there has probably spent the last about fifteen minutes showing that she loves you. I am here to tell you that that is all true. She isn't toying with you. She is genuinely in love with you, John. John's face immediately softens.

"Thank you, Cresselia." Alice says, now nearly crying in joy seeing John not wanting to kill her.

I'm just doing my job. Now you two have to make it work. Cresselia then disappears in a flash, leaving the two former humans alone once again.

Author's Note:

Another chapter done. What do you guys think? How will John react to his whole world being torn apart? How will Alice handle not having to hide herself anymore?

You'll just have to read the next chapter. I mean, that's really the only way you get answers.

And yes, Cresselia didn't do a whole lot. But she did what she needed to do.

Comments

[Eonflare]

Yeah, I at least thought Cresselia would stick around a little longer than that.