Indomitable

by Slendy

Chp. 14 - Promise

My feet stood a few inches from the water, a thick mist hung low to the floor of the forest that chirped and reverberated off itself mysteriously. Dark red walls lined a sharp incline from the deep body of water that sloshed against the bank.

"Where... am I?" My voice didn't echo at all, almost suppressed by the ambient sounds that swished around me, and a strange, soothing melody played in tune with the wind as I stared into the forgotten architecture looming over me. "What is this place...?"

The chorus struck with a twang of harp strings, even though no other person was present, but they vibrated inside my chest, pulling at my soul as a sweet, angelic voice followed the tune, humming and singing in tangent with the forest's orchestra.

Words are born into air

And quickly fade out in the wind

But they find their way inside you

Where they live on forevermore

When the skies are dark and full of rain

Look inside you heart

A light, so warm and all aglow

Shining just like the sun

You can see. just how much you've grown, how strong you are

A love will open up to you

And it starts from the day that you

First heard those words

My eyes finally fixed to a small island across the from the bank, sat there in complete isolation was a small, pink pony with her eyes closed, but younger I think, with a long, white mane that faded into shades of pink and yellow down to the tips, a light blue bow pinned to the left side of her mane.

As she finished humming the song that had simply enchanted me on the spot, her eyelids fluttered, revealing a set of big, bright blue eyes, at first they were startled by me, as though they had never laid eyes on a person before, then she smiled, the mist overtaking her and me.

---

I reminisced on the dream that refused to vanish from my subconscious, it was vivid, even now as I watched ponies go about their day, I could still hear the song play in my eardrums. That dream... it was similar somehow... maybe it's linked to the ruby? Is it trying to lead me toward the next objective? This constant line of questions yielded no results say for a gut feeling. Maybe it's time to get everything ready to leave, got to plan accordingly, let the others know too, especially if by the end of this I can send them home again, hopefully with Taka's kid too. I smirked, Trinity could probably sort that issue out, hopefully.

"Oh, Zen!" Drawing me away from endless questioning, my one-winged companion skipped up to me, adjusting her hood sheepishly. Yui was fidgeting slightly, strange, but this is Equestria, nothing I've seen has remotely resembled 'normal'. "Listen-Listen-Listen, I found a place that looked like it might not have been dug up -- Back in that ruined castle," Interesting, I then waved my paw

"Aaaand..." She held a mirthless smile

"'And', the problem is, there's an alarming number of not-so-dusty traps in my way, even when I tried to sneak past the final leg of the chamber this... golem became active."

That did tickle my interest, "Sounds like a classic treasure hunt," I grinned giddily. "I'm sold!"

"Really!? Oh, that's such a relief..." Yui visibly relaxed a little

"Lead the way, my friend." I stepped aside and bowed jokingly as she passed, the two of us could handle a few traps no problem. Yui then walked with three legs, her left hoof holding up her journal while the wing flicked the pages. The detailings of a doorway with interesting runes carved into stone, then there were the translated details and other points of interest Yui had jotted down

"Buried under a mound of rock I spotted a black obelisk," Yui explained, flicking the page to suits of pony armor. "I managed to uncover a hidden door leading to a room filled with these very unwelcoming suits of armor, they'd attack if we were to touch them, but I didn't until 'after' that golem appeared and I accidentally stumbled into one."

"How charming," I added, although, Yui's aura was very peculiar today, swaying emotions and a clouded mind, must be alot on her mind but the emotional aspect is comparable to that of anxiety. Tapping her shoulder I saw her eye through her hood, mane covering the left again. "Yui, you okay?"

Suddenly, Yui became ridged again, immediately avoiding eye contact. "Ah, yeah, just... w-well, have alot to think about -- Next adventure, new ruins to explore," Yui was clearly having a mental breakdown. "Really, I'm fine! I just wanted to conquer on last spelunking adventure t-together."

"Uhh, sure... gives me something else to rub in Taka's face," Petty but that is our life. I'll refrain from pushing the subject for now, but something's bugging Yui, and I have a bad feeling it's me

---

"Let me in!! LET ME IIIIIIN!!" My paws frantically pounded on the door, squeezing through the gap as Yui pushed it flush up against the wall, my back sliding down the cool, rugged surface as my chest heaved, my fur crawled and I twitched at every minuscule sound made. "Grah feels like they're all over me! There's none left right!?"

Yui herself held a hoof close to her muzzle, cheeks puffed out to stifle her giggling as she cleared her throat. "Y-yes, they're all gone... pfft, I-I didn't take you for a guy to be afraid of spiders." My cheeks crawled with a hot flush as I did my best to calm down, glaring daggers at the mare

"They're nothing more then hellspawn that crawl about in your blindspots, up your back and bite you in your sleep... ugh, no-no, bad thoughts." I shivered. My ear twitched, so I jabbed a claw her way. "Stop laughing!"

"I-I'm not... hehehe, s-sorry," Yui shook her head, coughing once. "Right, let's move on," I second that

We were standing in an abandoned chapel of some kind, the stone a light grey with large, stained windows brimming with blue light coming from somewhere, I sensed the familiar presence of magic, whatever the case it brightened the large space ahead. Tilted floors of intricate patterns scuffed by metal and time. The culprits standing before us.

Ancient royal armor, cracked and rusted in spots, revealing a black emptiness underneath, shambled across in slow strides, hooves dragging across the tiles as their hollow forms slumped with each trot forward, some passed us and barely acknowledged our presence.

"Over there," Yui poked her hoof through the crowd to a blank wall to our far right. "The doorway is hidden between those two pillars."

I was willing to strike them down, but I've never dealt with creatures made of just magic, for all I know they could easily reassemble. A hoof tapped my stomach, and I noted Yui's slumped body. "Just follow me," She murmured, eyes and ears flicking to the predetermined routes of the vacant suits of armor. Without a word, I stuck close to her tail and carefully ghosted her movements.

We waited a moment for two Knights to pass by, their slow, rattling movements echoed down the halls, but they didn't care for our intrusion at all, jogging past them, we moved to the left to avoid another, my paw snatching my tail away from the ankle of a Knight. A hoof pressed to my stomach again, and my foot slipped, I caught myself with Yui under me, her head just below my chin as we stared up at three motionless Knights inches from our snouts. Holding my breath momentarily, their heads craned to observe their surroundings.

Yet my heart sank at the sight of one Knight now staring back at us, a pair of white eyes glowering from within the helmet. My blood ran cold as I felt Yui tense under me, if that thing decided to attack us we'd end up with more than a dozen of these cursed suits atop us.

"If we moved now, it might agro, and that includes the other, twenty or so Knights around us, not good," My voice tickled Yui's ear, her head slowly nodding, but she titled back, eye locked to mine

"Hold me closer," She requested, and I blinked, feeling a little conflicted as the stomps of the Knight increased with each second. "Do it, hurry."

"R-Right." Sucking in my embarrassment I pulled Yui against my chest, her muzzle tickling my neck as I refrained from gulping, She shuffled about in my arms, and from within her bag, her wing flicked out a light-blue opal inscribed with a crescent moon. I didn't protest as she dropped the opal and crushed it under a hoof, the dust glimmering under us

My ear flicked at her warm voice. "Antumbra." The shattered opal reacted, and a strange, silvery veil encompassed us both, and my jaw unhinged slightly as our bodies became almost entirely translucent, say for a faint, silver outline of our body and facial features

Slowly, the Knight began to shamble mere inches from us, forcing my heart rate to soar as I balled my fist up, only for Yui to gently break it apart with her hoof, a silvery smile on her muzzle. Instead, we watched with our breaths held as the eyes drew uncomfortably close to my snout. "Somehow, fighting spiders doesn't sound so bad." Yui could only nod carefully

The Knight turned, hooves dragging its form away, the other two diverging. There was an opening and immediately we broke into a mad dash for the smooth surface. Our bodies collided with the wall as we released a heavy breath. That strange, silver veil fizzled into nothingness before my very eyes. "What was..."

"Magic," Yui answered simply, dusting her hoof off with a sly smile. "Unicorns think they're the only ones that manifest magic?" I just blinked dumbly, Yui brushing a hoof over her hood. "My findings were veeeery fortuitous, from old summoning spells to catalyst magic, the world of Equestria has many forgotten forms of magic, the one I just used is connected to the primal source of Moon Magic."

Again, I just blinked. "You used a concealment spell..." Yui nodded, tapping her hoof against the stone bricks, eyes squinted. "...You're amazing..."

"Huh? You say somethin'?" Her concentrated look passed over me, and I merely rolled my eyes at her obliviousness

"Lucario." She slowly turned back to poking many stone bricks that slid back into the blank canvass, muttering 'Rock' and 'Stone' over-and-over until a low click and grind of the bricks rattled within the walls.

The illusion of a wall dissolved, bricks folded backward, revealing a black iron door before us. I, of course, made an 'Ooooh' in awe. Slowly, Yui placed her hoof to the door, hearing the loud groan and snap of the rusted bolts moving. The next lair of this undiscovered chamber revealed itself, and a wave of isolation poured down onto my aura.

Standing center-stage in a large, box-shaped room was the massive, stone-trick golem, a sapphire core for an eye and joint between the cubic waist and pillar-carved legs. A dark-blue flame hissing across its ancient, mossy form. The very arms themselves were built like clubs or the very pillars ripped from the base.

"Let me guess..." I poked a paw toward the looming golem. "Big guy?" Yui nodded, both our heads tilted to the hallway shadowed behind it. "And there's the goods."

"Let's stay focused," Yui muttered, then that same level of sorrow washed over her, my ears picking up on her sigh. "Sorry, I'm not much help..."

A slightly chuckle left my lips, "Don't worry about it," Ruffling her hood against her mane I saw her blink as I took it upon myself to approach the immovable guardian, a thumb raised back to her. "I'm your sword in this case,"

Reacting immediately to my intrusion, the golem's body curved back slightly, left arm folded back and in a flash, the tiles underneath my feet shattered, my eyes bulged for a moment at how sudden the assault was. Diving down both feet kicked up-off the top as I landed behind it, So this thing's faster than it looks, keeping that tabbed...

"Bone Rush!" Raising my voice the golem's left arm narrowly skimmed the aura staff with cracks of sapphire through the joints, the club swung through the empty air, a torrent of wind tearing up into the ceiling. I flanked the lumbering golem, striking across the backs of the knees, hastily tracing the slant again with a twirl, snapping my staff across the edge of the torso, the strike chipping the large guardian as it swung both arms down to crush me so I slid between the legs, swiping both feet again

Pressing my paw to the floor I allowed a wave of chilling ice to ripple across the tiles, freezing the legs in place momentarily, the torso swaying in vain to free itself. While certainly quick to attack it still had to drag all that weight around on two stubby legs, that gave me the agility advantage. Abruptly, the golem's flames flickered and gathered prominently around both arms, the second I got within a few feet of it, the body pivoted on the sapphire orb connected at the waist

The entire torso spun around like a whirlwind of stone, the updraft created a funnel of blue flames and I immediately recoiled from the burns that scorched my fur. That was unexpected so I never thought to raise a barrier but now I'm starting to see why Lucarios are weak to fire, holy... grah, that smarts!

"Zen!" Yui was worried, and I don't blame her, no monster I've faced has utilized my weakness, I'd be lying if I said this wasn't worrying, but I may have an inkling of an idea toward its weakness

"Yui! How's this thing moving around!?" I glanced sharply while avoiding another two thrusts of those arms, noting her somewhat perplexed expression. "Like... its power source, what kind of magic is it -- Do you know!?"

"I, um, m-maybe?" I looked to her with a fearful expression, seeing her scour her journal. "Give me a minute!" Her wing flicking through page-after-page was very indicative of that

The golem slowly stomped his way toward her, her eyes too fixed on her notes to realize. Discarding my staff I smacked both fists off each other, a crackling flurry of ice crystals and bolts of blue lightning and I flew across the chamber's floor. With a kick and spin, I drove my right hook first, followed immediately by the left backhand, the two arcs of elemental currents froze behind the golem, sparks of electricity breaking the ice apart as I backed away from a spinning club-strike.

"Not gonna lie Rocky you stepped in the wrong ring!!" I froze mid-Aura-Sphere summon. "Yeah, that makes sense," Conjuring two I bounced both to blindside the golem, a plume of smoke and chips of stone blown away by another powerful cyclone of those arms, the dust and debris blinding me slightly

"Zen! Got it!" With a bright smile, Yui ran across the chamber toward the hallway. "The orbs are a form of construct summon magic, those orbs are meant to work autonomously for centuries," To emphasize she punched her hooves forward. "Strike the central orb and that should reduce it to rubble again!"

"You're the best, Yui!" I flashed a grin and slid across the floor, spinning on my heel as my right heel dug into the floor, my arms low, the shadows starting to bubble and drip a dark purple smog. Time for my new hat trick. "Shadow Claw!" Hunching over my claws grew larger, a veil of dark purple and grey coating my paws as I dived forward with a malice grin

Responding, the golem charged toward us, shaking the ground with each quaking step. I held my body low, sucking in a breath as I observed the right arm bending backward, each second was critical to my next move, if I messed this up I might need more than Life Dew to pry me from the walls. Exhaling, the arm swung low, tearing apart the ground as my left claw sunk through the stone, my body bending up and around the base of the club.

Pushing downward I curved my body so that my right claw tore across the orb's face, and I felt the magic pull at the intrusion of the phantom paw. This very attack forced the golem into a state of sporadic twitches, the magic crackling across the weathered stone, and my chance was lighting up before me. Stomping down with my left, I bent my body to the side, lifting my right leg back as a pure white aura gathered at the sole of my foot.

"Mega... Kick!!" The sharp strike shattered the orb, and the form the construct took was reduced to dust particles, pulverizing by the time the remains landed in the ground or wall, the last clap of an impact reverberating around us while I lowered my leg again, flexing my toes. "Nailed it."

"Remind me never to be on the receiving end of any of your attacks," Yui remarked, her wing curved to me as I reciprocated with a fist bump to the leathery appendage

"Duly noted."

---

"This tome of Trinity's is... amazing!" I gushed over the pages with glee. "So many types are at my disposal, even fire, and fire is my weakness!" The irony isn't lost on me, however, I did deflate. "Sucks the skills won't transfer when I'm back home, hrm... maybe Trinity could help with that?" Is that abusing a God's blessing? Maybe? I see no harm in asking next time

Yui stuck close to my right as we delved further into the empty halls in search of treasure.

"You were amazing with or without those abilities, I should know, they've saved my flank numerous times." Yui complimented forcing me to scratch the back of my head

"You think so? Thanks, same to you," Her head bobbed

"Sure," Hmm... again with that aura, maybe I should ask her-- "Oh, hey! Look-Look!" Her eye brighten ahead of us, and I caught on to why, sitting alone at the end of the hall was a small, red chest with brass plating decorating the box

I sat down with my legs cross, Yui sitting before the lid with a furrowed brow. "Hmm, the chest's lid is trapped..." At that moment, I shuffled away to sit behind the Bat-Pony

"For the love God, tell me it's not a Mimic?" That memory will forever haunt me in my nightmares

"No, it's just got a basic trap rigged to it, so it shouldn't be a big deal." Her nonchalant tone clearly meant she's dealt with far worse, and I'm inclined to take her word for it. My pat to her back caused her to jump, losing that stoic expression

"Well then, I'll leave this to the Treasure Hunter," My assurance met a silent nod, her focus returned, a lockpick between her teeth with a tool twisting with gentle flicks of her wing, clicks of varying tensions rattled within the confines of the mechanism

"I've worked with many elaborate traps and types of locking mechanisms before and at times I can tell what kind of adjustments to make at a glance, that's my gift or one of them I suppose..." To add to this claim I anxiously glanced at her flank to notice the lack of a mark the ponies had, I'm sure Bat-Ponies could earn them, and I imagined Yui's would be something akin to her treasure hunting profession. "Even without a mark, I have... a sort-of sense for exploration, and the skills I've picked up over the time I've spent on the road has taught me many things, even if received my mark someday, that won't change who I am now,"

I just... wow, I knew her passion for this line of work was already amazing, and her abilities over the time we've spent together has been... enrapturing to observe, but this was... really something to hear. "I... I'm--" A click and my mouth shut itself with a faint flicker of embarrassment, What am I saying...? Why was I...?

Her expression brightened again. "Ah-hah! Done!"

"Always a good day when the chest doesn't decide to loot you." The remark earned me a jab to my side as her smile grew, hooves fishing into the chest like a child

"Hm-hm-hm, kind of treasure are you? A weapon or accessory, maybe..." Her cute smile was met with her hoof procuring what looked like a pristine, silver ring with an amethyst center infused to the metal, the gem filling the middle of the ring beautifully. "Amazing...!"

"That looks extremely rare..." I too awed at the sight of the treasure, strange how it was the only thing to be held within the chest, but if something like this had two rooms of guardians than it must be valuable

"I already explained what I love about my job, but this always gives me butterflies," She smiled gently. "I feel like I'm part of an adventure book." We infiltrated ancient ruins, passed a chamber filled with old guards and fought a guardian of this treasure, I'll admit, there was something far more exciting about this than having to face down terrifying beasts all the time, and with a spunky partner

"Hmm, cute for an adventurer..." Why did I just say that out loud...? To Yui of all people -- Ponies -- doesn't matter!?

"Huh, what did you say?" Now I had her complete attention. Turning to avoid her eyes catching my mortified expression I waved my arm

"Nothing of concern! Another one of my morbid quips you hate for some reason!" Please work. Please work. Please work!

Her pout mingled with a smile. "You humans are weird?"

"Hey there kettle, pot calling to say your black." If my deadpan look wasn't a dead giveaway then that certainly was as her eye blink, a hoof to her chin

"Okay, yeah that's fair." That was when her lips curled into a sly grin, hoof nudging my chest. "As you say, 'Level with me', what else am I besides, 'Cute'?" Oh right... bat sense of hearing

Slapping a paw to my face I dragged it down with a pout. "Since when did you grow immune to being flustered?"

"I didn't, I wear a hood." She admitted, and I noted a lighter shade on her own face, then she giggled. "You know what, Zen? You're pretty cute yourself when you get all flustered like that." At that moment, Yui broke into a fit of laughter as I continued to fall into my pout, arms crossed

"Karma is my life apparently... " I grunted, noting that a separate hall led its way toward a light breeze, huh, must be a nearby entry into this place from the Everfree

"Here," I turned back to see the ring flying through the air as I quickly snatched it before hitting the ground. "I don't exactly have a necklace or claws to put it on, so you have it, a token of our bond." Yui winked, trotting toward the entry beside us as I examined the ring then peered to her

"I mean, you are the one who both found and collected this, you should keep it." I tried to offer it back, but Yui shook her head, pushing my claws closed to hold it tightly

"Yeah, but I don't really need it. You take it, seriously." She insisted, "...as a goodbye gift too..." Now that I heard

"What was that?" I held out the ring a slowly placed it on the rightfully named digit, noting it felt... right, even if my chest started to swell with her storm of emotions that started to gather

"Nothing, I just... wanted to give you a gift for e-everything..." She slowly made her way down the hall, the flora and earth already starting to chip away at this place from the outside as grass overtook stone in places. This had to stop, I need to know what's wrong

With a calm expression, I stopped moving. "Yui... what's wrong?" She stopped too, refusing to face me. "You've been like this for a few days now... I didn't want to pry because I felt that was out of line but... I'm worried--"

"You shouldn't be, I don't want to talk about it." Her voice raised a little, head shaking slowly

"But I--"

"Just... stop, otherwise you'll wish that golem slapped you into a wall." Ouch, this was a new side to Yui, she's usually more open. And I used to be a severe introvert with anger issues. Books and covers. This pool of emotions, guilt, anger... loneliness -- Dammit, am I really this big of an idiot? No wonder she's angry. "Let's go back already--"

"This about me going back to my world, isn't it?" Again, her body went rigid, and a silent gasp was all I needed to come to my conclusion. With a hurtful face for my ignorance, I continued with a heavy heart. "I... never even asked you how you felt about it... heh, some friend I am. I get it now, I--"

"How can you get it!?" She spun right around, and... was crying, I... made her cry. Now that pit in my chest only constricted. "You'll be home with your family and friends again! And how I feel... the time I spent with you will just disappear!" She bit her lip. "Call me selfish, but... I'm so scared! Because I'll lose someone very important to me."

Not everything in the world was as easy as mine. I had a loving family, my amazing sister, three irreplaceable friends. Yui ran from her home, was ridiculed for her lack of a second wing, felt like an outcast before her own brother and dad, and has been alone for ages. When I leave, when its all over, Yui will be right back where she started.

"I ran away two years ago... they wouldn't let me pursue anything other than their stupid 'Lunar Guard', and all the taunting was just... aggravating! Sure, I've had fun but... it's just me," Her head was low, hood hiding her eyes as tears dripped to the ground. I wanted to say something... but what? What can I say right now, what should I say? "Then I met you, you helped me, laughed with me, comforted me... I... I don't want you to go away..."

Biting my own lip, I stepped forward, arm reaching out for her, I needed to tell her, she had the right to know. "Yui... I, I... w-wait!" She ran for the outside, and I felt my back slide against the icy surface of the hall, paw covering my eyes as I tried to remain calm. Go after her you idiot, find her before she falls from your reach too! I punched the wall. "I need to reach her... for good this time." Painfully, I heaved myself off the wall and slowly shambled my way out of the overgrown hallway

It didn't take long to find her; Sitting by a crumbled support that overlooked a bank facing a lake, concealed by the treeline and shadow of this ancient relic. Yui shifted at my footsteps, tucking her hood down while trying to make herself as small as possible. "Just leave me alone, please... I don't want you to see me like this!" Her head turned away, even while I sat down with a small smile, hiding away my guilt easily

"I don't care if you're crying, I'm right here--" She shoved my paw away, trotting up toward the rim of the lake. She turned to face me, distraught and tightening her wing to her hood

"...I'm a mess..." Doubtful

"Hardly," I stepped closer but Yui once again pulled away, facing the water and her scowling reflection

"I am! And you won't be here for long... because there are all those rifts out there you need to fix..." She scratched her hoof with the other. "I'm just a liability and I hate that! It's like everything I ever try to build in my life is torn away the moment I have it... I get so lost, angry that I'm powerless to do anything!"

I rolled my eyes. "That's not true, you think I got here, made it this far alone without your help?" I asked, but she refused to look at me

"I threw a few trinkets and one spell... I hardly call that 'help'?" Yui muttered back with venom. "How can I possibly do anything against monsters with the power over nature, who... who can conjure storms and level buildings!?" She slumped, tucking her legs closer to her body. "I'm useless to you..."

That was enough for me. Frowning myself I peered at her reflection. "Shut up." My callous response caught her by surprise, and I finally made eye-contact with her

"What?" I didn't relent at her perplexed face, kneeling beside her

"Just shut up, you're talking nonsense!" I waved my arms out like it were obvious. "Look, hear me out -- You are too good a person to feel this way about yourself," Her eyes hardly looked convinced, but I tugged her head back to look at me directly. "I know that better than anyone else, and you should know that too."

With an honest smile, I patted her shoulder, "You have more courage and a bigger heart than you know," I motioned to the world. "You weren't gifted with powers or advantages, but you never let that stop you, there wasn't a person alive that could derail your ambitions or tell you 'you can't'. That's what makes you powerful." Now her expression was changing, perplexed but... dumbfounded with each word I spoke, and that only grew, and it was all true, every word

I then added with a claw poking at her chest. "And besides you're like a hundred times cooler than me," That got a single laugh from her. "You see? You know yourself it's true!" With her sat before me I continued softly, tugging her hood down to let her mane free. "You're smart, fast, you can see things no normal person could, and you're beautiful," That last part froze her expression, eyes flooding with too many emotions to finely pinpoint. "You're kind, that... that's what makes you... you, Yui."

Here we go and breathe. "Yui, if I can, by some leap in logic, I'll do everything I can to ask Trinity to allow you to come back with me," Her eyes hesitated at that with shock. "And... if that's out of the basket... then I'll ask her to send my friends home, Taka's kid too, and I'll stay here."

"...w-why...?" Her voice was shaken, and I didn't blame her, considering this now and with more clarity was alot to bare, but I didn't care right now, this was my promise to my partner, to Yui

I chuckled. "It's a whole 'nother world teeming with magic, mythical beasts and so many wondrous places to explore! It's everything anyone with a thrill for adventure could dream of..." I scratched my cheek. "And now, a world without you doesn't feel as exciting, without my partner... my sense of adventure wouldn't feel as complete."

For a far too lengthy pause, I just... couldn't look away, her lilac eyes remained in focus, even as I felt the details of her face freeze in the frame. My heart was still pounding away in my chest, had any sense of logic clouded my mind I may have tripped over my words or questioned my motive, but, I didn't care, this was the undeniable truth, and I won't just fake ignorance this time.

Gently, Yui leaned in, her head tilted forward. And for a second, a sweet taste unlike any I could place rested against my lips. With a faint breath, she leaned back, eyes heavy, then they widened as mine remained frozen in shock. "I... I um, t-that... that's wasn't what I was... uh, t-trying to--" Her hoof tugged my scarf hard, my muzzle brushing against hers, eyes soft with a hint of mirthful ire

She rolled them, "...Just, shut up... you jerk..."

"What?" I blinked, and once again though with more tenderness her lips pressed to mine without any warning, and I... closed my eyes for that moment, a delightful shiver coursing down my spine as I let my right arm rest around her back. The two of us pulled away, and... I remember... that dream months prior to the events that turned my life completely on its head. I smiled warmly. "...I'm fine with this..."

She giggled. "That's good to know," Her voice whispered faintly

At her action, little by little I leaned in, second-guessing lost to the sweetness that pressed to my lips again. Her own pushed back just as forceful, I raised my free paw to her cheek, holding it as we angled ourselves to push deeper into the action. It was certainly an experience I had never felt before, following Yui's inexperience with my own movements as we fell deeper into the kiss. Our faces were burning but I didn't care, this was too blissful to give up.

To Be Continued...

Author's Note:

The longest chapter to date and perfect since the story topped 100 likes, which is a first for my projects, probably because I never finish them -- Besides the point, thank you, and I'm really happy you're all enjoying my little adventure! Still, this was a chapter I had planned for a while. I really hope the ending was enjoyable and the payoff was good for all of you, seeya in the next chapter!

Chp. 15 - Fly You Fools
Zen speaks among the Counsel of the Pokemon, as visitors arrive with the sole purpose of acquiring Zen and Yui.

A/N: The song, in the beginning, is this here:

Comments

[falconstrings]

amazing chapter

[Frostgear]

This was very pleasant.

[Slendy]

10902939
That’s nice to hear

[tsaukpaetra]

Finally!
Wondering if they're going to put that ring to good use. 😘

[Akira Dragonborne]

"Lucario." She slowly turned back to poking many stone bricks that slid back into the blank canvass, muttering 'Rock' and 'Stone' over-and-over until a low click and grind of the bricks rattled within the walls.

DID SOMEONE SAY ROCK AND STONE?!

[Slendy]

11799662
YEEEAAAH ROCK AND STONE!!