> Sweet Scent > by Marcibel > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Chapter One: Rustled Petals > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- “...so I told Blossomforth, I said, ‘You need to tell Thunderlane how you feel. That stallion is not going to wait,’” said a voice with the texture and sweetness of honey, pouring across the flower plains northeast of Ponyville. Lily Valley, the magenta Earth mare directing the voice toward her sisters, craned down to pick a mouthful of wildflowers and placed them into the baskets across her back. Roseluck and Daisy, both of whom had twice as many flowers in their baskets as their younger sister, were picking poppies at other, smaller patches. Roseluck placed a bundle of eight red poppies into her basket. “I thought Thunderlane was dating Flitter. I saw her at the spa last week looking pampered enough for the Grand Galloping Gala.” “Maybe she was,” Lily suggested. Rose stared at her bemusedly. “The Gala isn't until the end of the summer, which is a good four months from now.” “Well, then...how do you know she's dating Thunderlane? There are plenty of stallions in Ponyville.” “...There are, like, five single stallions in all of Ponyville, only one of which she’s frequently seen with—Thunderlane.” Lily rolled her tongue around the inside of her mouth as her lips curled into a smirk. “You of all ponies should know that being single or not doesn't matter.” Roseluck tilted her head to the side and her nose up at the nerve of her sister. Her eyes, though watery at their bottoms, glowed fiercely and hot as she took a hard step in the direction of her younger sister. “Alright, that’s quite enough,” Daisy interjected firmly, not even bothering herself to stop and look up at the two. Roseluck snorted and shot a dagger-filled glare toward her sister.   “You're really getting good at sounding like Mom, Daisy,” Lily commented as she leaned down to continue her picking. “I have to, if it means keeping you two from ripping each other's throats out.” Lily only giggled to herself. “And before you know it, you’ll have your own set of Daisies, Lilies, and Rosies.” “I told you not to call me Rosie!” “Sure,” Daisy uttered, “and a deadbeat stallion along with it.” Lily frowned and shook her head. She stood in the middle of a patch of small wild daisies dancing lazily in the breeze. Lily stretched down to pick a small bunch of four, clamping on their stems with her teeth. In the direction of the Everfree, there was a flash of a brilliant white light with an accompanying blare that shook the ground and the bones of each mare. Roseluck, Daisy, and Lily hit the ground and covered their heads in panic, with Lily letting out a scream that was drowned out by the more reverberating sound. The explosion—or whatever you would call a burst of light coupled with sound of that magnitude—only persisted for a second and a half before dying out just as quickly as it popped. The mares tentatively removed their hooves from their ears, casting darting faces of fright among one another, the completely intact field, and the irrefutable site of a catalyst for the strange, the wicked, or both (they did live in Ponyville, after all). “What the hay was that?” Lily asked, gathering some flowers that had flown out of her basket during the panic. “I don't know,” Daisy answered, “but it came from the Everfree Forest.” “Sh-should we check it out?” Roseluck questioned, putting on a brave, albeit strained, smile. “Nope. That’s Princess Twilight’s jurisdiction, not ours. Besides, we still need to gather up some more flowers.” Daisy raised her hoof to Lily, “Lily doesn't even have half a basket.” “It's not my fault you girls pick faster than I do.” “You would pick faster if you spent less time talking about playing Dr. Love,” Rose remarked. “Ahem, that's Dr. Strangelove, actually,” Lily returned. “I do have my doctorate degree in xeno-romantic relationships, after all.”  All Roseluck did was blow a raspberry at her sister as they moved across the train tracks and along the east end of Sweet Apple Acres. “Oh?” said Daisy as they walked along the fencing, with wild bushes growing around it. She turned her head back to her sister, “Did you become a Princess of Love too? Please tell me you didn’t get your wings from the same grocery store capsule machine as they do.” Lily scoffed at the idea. “Oh, please. You don’t need magic to know what’s going on down here.” She patted the little tuft of fur on the upper left part of her trunk with her right hoof. “No, just a big nose and a smart mouth,” Roseluck quipped. “Hey, at least I can smell better and speak more elaborately than most.” Daisy rolled her eyes, “Yeah, and it used to get you in trouble frequent—” A rustling in the nearby blackberry bush punctuated Daisy's sentence, and all three mares slowly turned to the patch. It shivered for a few seconds, the being within hidden in the shadows, until the being popped out. Roseluck and Daisy gave a startled “Ah!”; Lily, however, belted out with an exaggerated, head-rattling shriek. All three mares clumped together, thinking that making themselves look larger than the average pony would be enough to the dissuade the beast before them from attacking. The strange creature stared at the mares quizzically, all the while sucking on a blackberry. It was certainly leporine in physiology, its jet-black eyes focusing first on Daisy, then Roseluck, then Lily, who faltered at its gaze. But many other features were different from the normal rabbit. Foremost, it stood completely upright on its two back paws; its front paws held the blackberry in place. On the bottom half of its chocolate-brown torso and at the ends of its chocolate-brown ears was beige wool-like fur, most of which was pulled, licked, and filthy with leaves and twigs. “What...is that thing?” Roseluck asked. “Demon-spawn, that’s what!” Lily responded. “Bun?” the creature muttered, looking concerned as it and the three mares shared a stare down. It glanced amongst the three mares once more before it fell onto all four paws, its half-eaten blackberry still in its mouth, shouted, “Neary!” and darted past them toward the prairie to the east.  “That was the weirdest thing I've ever seen…” Daisy started. “...and we live by a forest of weird…” Roseluck added. “...and in a town of even weirder stuff.” Lily finished. They all fell silent for a second. “It probably has something to do with that explosion by the Everfree, doesn't it?” asked Rose, earning the incredulous tilts of the head from her sisters. “Right…” muttered Roseluck. “Well, as the owner of a third of this business, I vote we head home,” Lily stated, already turning tail and heading for home. “Yeah, so you can go crying to your big stallion friend,” Roseluck snarked. “You say that like there’s something wrong with it!” “Hm, maybe it is best we do head home for now,” Daisy said, turning to Roseluck behind her, “Lest you want to meet anything else brought by that big explosion.” Roseluck was quick to shake her head, being in no mood for more of nature’s new oddities. She and Daisy started back to Ponyville, with Lily already several yards ahead of them. Lily certainly didn’t wish to give the world a chance to toss another one of its newest creatures at her unexpectedly, especially other variants of that beast from Tartarus that confronted and confounded her. Daisy and Roseluck had to shift from a trot to a canter to catch up to her before they reached the tracks. *                        *                        * Luckily, the mares all arrived in Ponyville without incident; each had all four legs still attached themselves, and not a broken stem within their baskets. But the town felt weird. Ponyville was definitely within earshot of the crash over the Everfree, and the townsponies (save for the usual six) were just as fickle and fearful as they could come. But not these three mares—they could brave the worst, unless it involved a lop-eared abomination of nature with an appetite for flora and destruction. The streets were cold and dead in the late spring sun, baring no soul within them. Even the wind was not bothered to blow against the hastily shut stalls and locked window shutters. The eeriness and foreboding of the situation made the mares swallow their comments and keep their eyes ahead as they briskly trotted through the market. They came upon their shop and home on the market’s outskirts without meeting another pair of eyes. The shop was nothing to be too proud of, aside from the large backyard that had been mostly turned into a garden already full of green. The shop, painted grassy green, was once a two story house, but after some renovations it was made into a shop on the ground floor. A small balcony that sprouted from the second floor hallway stuck out toward the street; and the shop’s sign—a pink, crest-shaped board with only a blue flower and a white flower painted onto it—hung from beneath it. The shop didn’t even have a proper name attached to it; the townsponies simply called it the “herbal shop” or “flower shop.” But as long as there was business, none of the girls saw any reason to change it. Grabbing the key from underneath the welcome mat, Daisy unlocked the shop door, and the girls quickly shuffled in. Daisy locked the door again, and tossed the key into a basket under the shop’s front counter. “I’m going out back to check on things in the garden,” Lily said as she walked past the counter and through the kitchen. “I’ll put some water on to boil for tea,” Roseluck stated, following behind Lily. Daisy sat in a chair at a table by the register. “And I’ll just sit here and moan,” she said, burying her muzzle into her hooves. She knew it was going to be one of those days where nothing but the worst and most wicked will come knocking at their door or land themselves into one of the rosebushes out back. “What was that explosion over the Everfree from?” she thought quietly to herself, before groaning and saying aloud, “I don’t think I really want to know.” “Neither do I, really,” Roseluck replied, “But, we’ve survived worse, like Nightmare Moon.” She sat down in the chair to Daisy’s left. Daisy lifted her head up from her hooves. “True, and Discord, too.” “Mhm. As long as we have a Princ...er, Twilight living in town, I think we’ll be fine.” Daisy sighed longingly, once more wishing to herself that things were back to the way they had been, back when fearing for one's life would only be necessary for the poor souls that had the misfortune or ignorance to go wandering into the Everfree Forest. Daisy’s head started to sink back into her hooves, but just as she touched them, a screech echoed from the garden. Her head jerked up and quickly snapped to Roseluck, who was already looking at her. “Lily!” they both shouted and scrambled up from their seats to hustle through the kitchen and out the backdoor. The kettle on the stove was already whistling for attention that will have to wait. When Daisy and Roseluck burst out of the back door, they immediately found a peculiar sight: Lily, eyes wide and mouth agape, had backed up until her flanks were pressing against the wall right by the door; and across from her, by the fence, was a bipedal, plant-looking creature standing merely as tall as the average foreleg. It held a startled stance, black and white eyes darting randomly amongst the three mares, with its limbs held out to the side. It had a pale green body, stubby little points on the ends of its legs, and a chestplate and shoulder pads made of stiff, green-and-yellow leaves covered its torso. At the ends of its two upper limbs were one fully blossomed rosebud for each, a pinkish-red one on its right side and a cerulean one on its left. Atop its crown were three relatively long thorns. “Okay...just, what?!” Daisy wheezed, shaking her head. “Roselia, selia!” the creature said with little force. “A ghost possessed one of our rosebushes!” Lily shouted. “I was watering them, and it popped out from inside the bush!” “Aww, I think she’s a cutie,” Rose commented with her hooves pressing into her cheeks. “Of course you would think that,” Lily sneered with a roll of her eyes. Roseluck blew a raspberry at her from across the other side of Daisy. “Alright, you two. One of us is going to need to try and...communicate with it.” Daisy looked to both of her sisters, and both returned it with blank looks. “Well, you are the oldest here, Daisy,” Rose pointed out. “What, because I’m the oldest, I have to talk to it? You said it was cute!” Daisy’s sisters gave sheepish grins and backpedaled as much as they could. Daisy let out a low, gurgling sigh, and stepped forward. The creature immediately recoiled from the approach, pressing its small frame into the wooden fence surrounding the yard. “H-Hey, we’re not going to hurt you,” Daisy reassured it, “We just want to know what you are, and where you came from. You do understand me, right?” The creature nodded. “Se-Selia.” Daisy gave a genuine smile.”Good, now, how about a name? What is it?” The small leaf knight paused. It lowered its head and stared at its little rosebuds, shaking them slightly. It held them up, and took a small sniff. A beam of recognition and satisfaction had turned from the twitching, apprehensive frown. “R-Roselia,” it finally said, looking up to spot the quizzical brows of the ponies. “Roselia...got it,” Daisy said, regaining her warm expression with a nod. She took a quick glance to her sisters before saying, “Would like you like to come inside?” “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Lily began, waving her hooves to and fro, “you want to bring something that we don’t even know what’s up with into our shop and house?” “Why not? It’s just a flower-sprite-thingy, it can’t really be that harmful.” And just as Lily opened her mouth to rebut, Daisy added, “And remember, I’m the oldest.” Lily huffed and trotted inside, immediately followed by Roseluck. Daisy turned to the Roselia, beckoning it with her hoof. A slight reluctance was in its steps, but it walked—or waddled, with its stout legs—past Daisy and into the flower shop. Daisy gave a small sigh, shaking her head as she looked toward the Everfree, and went back inside after them. > Chapter Two: The Talking Rosebush > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Roseluck already had pulled off the kettle off the stove when Daisy re-entered the kitchen, and she was pouring the boiling water into one of four cups filled with tea leaves. Lily and Roselia had walked into the living room and were sat across from one another at the table. “Four?” Daisy questioned with her brow lifted. Roseluck looked at her sister and sat the kettle back onto the stove. “Yeah, well, we do have a guest, so I thought it was only right.” “Are you sure it can even drink tea?” Roseluck, with its mouth scrunched to the side, walked over and poked her head into the living room as Roselia, standing upright in a seat too big for it to sit, turned to her. “Roselia, can you drink tea?” she asked. Roselia beamed and gave a large nod. “Would you like some?” A double nod gave her an answer. Rose’s scrunched mouth shifted into a smirk, and she retracted her head into the kitchen. Daisy rolled her eyes as Roseluck walked back to finish pouring water. After a few seconds of steeping the leaves, Roseluck stirred in a teaspoon of sugar into one of the cups, and she and Daisy carried all four cups into the living room. There was certainly an absence of conversation between Lily and Roselia. Roselia stood silently in the chair where Roseluck had sat earlier, looking around and marveling at the plethora of flora in vases and pots lining the room. Lily sat bored in her chair, flipping through a gossip magazine with her head propped up with her hoof. But when she saw the little cups of tea on saucers coming to the table, she quickly shut it and moved the vase in the middle of the table aside. The cups were passed out, the sweetened tea going to Lily, as Daisy and Rose took the two remaining chairs opposite to each other. Roselia, after giving its petaled limbs a confused glanced, attempted to wrap its little buds around it, but they flinched away upon contact with the searing sides of the cup. Gently fanning its petals, it looked up to see three sets of furrowed brows gazing upon it curiously. “'Selia?” All three mares gave fake coughs and grunts. Lily reclined and returned to her magazine, and Roseluck blew on her tea and took a sip. Daisy gave a short glance to her sisters. “So, Roselia, tell us a little bit about yourself, if you don’t mind,” she asked in her politest tone. Roselia started speaking in a series of cut syllables and whole versions of its name. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Daisy said hastily, cutting it off. “Is your name the only thing you can say?” Lily blurted out with her head tilted back, just as Daisy opened her mouth. Roselia's shimmering eyes dulled and fell upon its untouched cup of tea. It nodded lamentingly, and Lily threw up her hooves, sending the magazine flying. “Well, that's real helpful to know. How in Tartarus are we supposed to communicate with a creature that can only say its own name?” “Depends.” Daisy tucks her hoof beneath her chin and examines the little flower creature. “Do you think Unicorn magic will work on it?” “Don't know,” Lily replied. “What're you thinking about?” “Remember 'Mitter'?” asked Daisy. “Your Germaney foreign-exchange-student roommate from college? What about her?” said Lily. Daisy leaned back into her seat. “She didn't speak anything other than Germane, so one of the RAs cast a translation spell on her, so she was able to perfectly communicate with other ponies. It works on nearly every species―at least of the ones we know so far―and seems to be quite the common spell.” “So what, we just look for someone to magically know this spell?” Lily said, rolling her eyes. Rose gave her deadpan stare. “Lily, we have three unicorns that went to Celestia's school living in town.” “Well, we can't ask Twilight for help,” Lily said, reaching back for her magazine. “She's probably princess’ing the explosion in the Everfree. So...” “So we go ask Sparkler,” Daisy declared, and she looked over to a clearly confused rose creature. “Ha! If she’ll let it in,” Lily remarked. Daisy shook her head. “I don’t think she’ll mind. She was always a fairly brave pony. One of the few willing to go into the Everfree―” “Of course, it’s easy when you can just fire pew-pew beams at everything.” Daisy sighed. “Nevertheless, I’m going, and I’m sure Rose is going―” “You bet!” “―so if you want, you can stay here alone and see if any more plant creatures appear.” Daisy and Rose stood, the latter taking a final sip from her teacup. Daisy kneeled down beside Roselia’s seat, offering the little creature a ride. “It’s okay, you can grab ahold of my mane if it helps keep you sturdy.” The Roselia tentatively grabbed a few of the lime-green curls as best she could and hopped onto Daisy’s back, her stubby legs dangling off the side. Roseluck joined them at the door, and the three went out with the door’s “ding!” “Hmph!” Lily grunted as she saw her sisters pass by a window. She returned to her magazine, reading about the supposed break-up of Sapphire Shore and― A sound emanated from one of the vases. Lily peeked over her magazine at the vases around her to see if any of the flowers were becoming animated, and when all was proven still, she attempted to read the article again. Lily hardly managed a word before tossing the magazine onto the table, muttering “Screw that,” and trotting out the door. “Glad you decided to join us,” Daisy said after a glance behind her revealed Lily galloping to them in the middle of the Ponyville’s abandoned square. “Well, you know, you might need some help talking to Sparkler. You do tend to get kind of aggressive,” Lily replied and pointed to Rose. “And she’s too shy to say anything. So you should probably need somepony who’s actually good with ponies.” Daisy gave a look of incredulity, shouting “I’m not―!” before straightening and hushing herself. “I’m not aggressive.” Lily only offered a shrug in response, and the mares hurried through the rest of town, soon appearing at a plain-looking house on the east side. Just like every other building the sisters had seen, the shutters were boarded and the doors locked tighter than the vault of the crown jewels. Daisy gave a knock. “Sparkler! It’s Daisy and the girls! Can you please open up?” Nothing happened. The words seemingly bounced off the door and into the vacant street. Lily added enticingly, “Please, Sparkler? We need your help with something very important!” There was the click as locks were slid out of place. The door opened slowly, and the first to peep from behind was a pink horn glowing blue, then eyes of agitation. “My name is Amethyst Star,” the mare simply stated. “Not Sparkler, so stop calling me that.” Perplexed glances were exchanged, and the sisters shared a shrug. “Anyway,” Daisy said, “we need you to cast a translation spell on somepony.” Amethyst Star stepped out a bit. “Oh? Whom?” Her scanning eyes finally found a weird rose being on Daisy’s back, and she shouted, “WHAT THE HAY IS THAT THING?!” “It’s, uh, Rose?” Suddenly in the spotlight, Rose shrunk behind Lily. “It’s, um...” “It’s a bizarre rose thing that we found in our garden,” said Lily, catching the baton that Rose was dropping. “Don’t know what it is, how it got there, but we do know all it can say is its own name. We, mostly I, came to the conclusion that perhaps a translation spell might fix the language barrier.” Amethyst blinked a couple times, doing so much harder on the last blink, and shook her head. “This town has seen worst of the worst I suppose, ranging from Nightmare Moon to Discord. What’s another insanity-inducing incident?” She sighed heavily. “But yes, I can definitely do that. Just hold still...” Her horn charged up, and a crimson beam shot forth. It struck Roselia, and a shiver trailed through its body as it felt a tingling sensation. The beam dissipated, replaced by everypony staring in expectation. Roselia glanced around timidly, before it muttered, “H-Hello.” It was a subdued feminine voice, barely more than a whisper. Everypony let out a breath of relief. “Thank you, Sp―Amethyst,” said Daisy. “You’re welcome. The spell only lasts a few days, so it will need to be cast again.” “Is it okay if we come to you for that?” Amethyst cracked a smile. “Sure. It’ll be like old times, when I was the town magi before Princess Twilght came.” The girls bid farewell, and Amethyst slid back behind the door, fastening all of the locks in the process. The sisters looked back to Roselia, who had been silent since her first real word. “Sooo...please tell me your name isn’t really Roselia,” said Lily. The Roselia shook her head. “N-No, that’s not my name.” “Well, what is it then?” “My...real name is Erika.” * * * It wasn’t a forest the Togekiss recognized―and she had seen a lot of them. It wasn’t crawling in Weedle and Caterpie as Viridian Forest would be, and unlike Ilex Forest, the sun shone clearly through the thin canopy. The fact that was she still out of her Poké Ball also struck an odd chord with the Togekiss. Now, where is Annie? Or Lita and Nommie? she thought, wobbling underneath some low-hanging branches as she explored the forest to the best of her abilities. In the distance, the distinct roar of large waterfalls rumbled―it sounded nice. The Togekiss always enjoyed the gentle spray of the cascades when her trainer and she found them while traveling. She had awoken in a pile of leaves lying in a halo of sunlight, with the last things she remembered was her trainer taking a walk through Petalburg alone, leaving Nommie, Lita, and herself at camp. Then a spooooky voice entered her head, and everything went black. The Togekiss stopped in her path. Sprawled on its back across the ground was what she recognized as a Grovyle. It was the first thing she actually recognized in this unfamiliar forest, something that told her that she wasn’t alone or crazy. She gave a quick flap of her wings and glided over to the Grovyle, landed gracefully next to it. The Grovyle was clearly sleeping, evident by her snoring, which sounded like a tone-deaf trumpet. Hmm.... The Togekiss closed her eyes and focused her energy to form a little golden ball of light just underneath her chin. The thing chimed like sleigh bells and let out a single pulse that rippled over the leaves and the slumbering Pokémon. The Grovyle awoke with a start, its body starting to shiver and sweat. Its eyes began searching wildly. “Hi!” the Togekiss greeted cheerily. “My name’s Krissy!” Her expression flipped from happy to concerned, and without missing a beat, she asked, “Are you okay?” The Grovyle simply groaned in response, rolling onto its left elbow and bringing up a claw to its forehead. The second it made contact, its eyes snapped open as the green claw slowly pulled away. A frantic search of its body was next, starting from its red underbelly, to the blades of grass lining its forearms. “WHAT THE HELL?!” it cried, huffing and puffing with the sweat on it becoming denser. “WHY AM I A GROVYLE?!” “Oh! Did you evolve in your sleep? Annie had a Munchlax that did that once―” “NO! I’M SUPPOSED TO BE A HUMAN!” The Grovyle brought both of its claws up its head, staring at the Togekiss. “AND WHY CAN I UNDERSTAND YOU?!” “Because you’re a Grovyle...?” answered Krissy slowly. “BUT I’M NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A GROVYLE!” The hyperventilating worsened. “I’m supposed to be back in Eterna with my Gym―Oh Arceus, my Gym!” It held out an arm. “Quick, pinch me so maybe I can wake up!” “Um, pinch with what?” Krissy said, wiggling the soft white feathers at the tip of her wings. “Dammit!” The Grovyle collapsed back into the spot of dirt that was its bed. I guess that’s a “no” on the “are you okay” question, Krissy thought. She gave a flap of her wings and flew around some branches. “Now what are you doing?” was yelled from below. The Grovyle was still shaking from the experience but looked to have gained some traction in handling its new situation. “Looking for Persim Berries! You’re obviously very confused!” “I’m not confused―well, maybe a little. Or a lot. Or maybe I’m overwhelmingly confused, and I don’t think a berry is going to help!” “Well, we could go to the Poké Mart for a Full Heal, but we don’t have any money...” “WHAT POKÉ MART?!” the Grovyle screeched. “WHAT POKÉ MART IN WHAT TOWN?!” “There’s a town in the distance that way,” Krissy replied plainly, point to her right. “It’s small, though. I don’t even see a big, Pokémon-Center-like building.” “Oh.” The Grovyle sighed and stood shakily; the new body is definitely going to take some getting used to, especially without hiking boots. “Better than being lost in the Distortion World, I guess.” As Krissy landed, the Grovyle held out a claw to the Togekiss. “I know it’s probably obvious, but I never properly introduced myself. I’m Gardenia.” She gripped one of Krissy’s wings by the tip, and shook it softly. * * * Lily scrunched her nose at the Roselia as the mares walked home. “Erika? That’s a weird name.” Daisy piped up. “So what’s with the Roselia stuff then?” “Oh, that’s what this body is.” “’What this body is’?” Daisy looked at the creature on her back. “Kind of a weird thing to say.” “I’m in a weird situation to begin with. I don’t know what this place is, but it’s definitely not home. And I’m definitely not this.” “What were you before?” “A human.” “Human, huh?” Daisy’s jaw rolled like it was gnawing something invisible. “Sounds mystical.” “We aren’t, but the things we’ve done are.” Erika yawned. It had been long day―a very long day―but they were close to the flower shop. “Where is everyone?” “Probably hiding in fear of whatever caused the explosion in the Everfree,” Lily replied. “The Everfree?” Daisy stopped and pointed to the southeast. “It’s a large forest about three times the size of the town that lies in that direction. It’s imfamous for being disorderly―” “Evil―” “And just plain vile,” Lily finished after Rose. “Only things that have no business existing live there.” Rose cocked an eye. “What about Zecora?” “Oh yeah, everything but her. She’s okay.” The group arrived back at the shop, to find their door wide open―Lily had left it open when she fled. A proper scolding was given from Daisy, which was met with a rolling of the eyes. Rose started cleaning up the cold tea, and Lily returned to her magazine. Daisy turned to Erika as latter jumped off her back. “Well, uh, I guess until you find a way back home or something, you can stay here if you want. We have some extra blankets and pillows, so we could easily make you a spot on the floor.” Erika gave as large of a bow as it’s tiny frame could bare. “Thank you for the hospitality, umm...” “Oh! We never introduced ourselves, did we?” Daisy gave an embarrassed chuckle. “I’m Daisy. That’s Lily Valley over there.” Lily gave an absent-minded wave. “Roseluck is the one in the kitchen. This is our flower and herbal shop, and home.” “It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Erika said with a matching smile. It was all bizarre, teetering somewhere between a dream and a nightmare, and Erika wasn’t sure on what side things will land. But just because she wasn’t at home in body didn’t mean she had to be rude. Erika rustled the little petals at the end of each of her arms. Something about her new form made her crave the sunlight’s rays some more. It felt differently, too, and Erika wasn’t sure if it’s because it was another sun or her new biology. “If it’s fine, I’d like to sit in your garden for a while. The sun felt nice, and I need a moment.” Daisy nodded slowly and directed her to the backdoor. Erika thanked her, hobbled through the kitchen and out the door. “So she’s going to be living with us, huh?” Daisy’s head swiveled to Lily at the table, who had seemingly finished with her magazine with her head resting against her right hoof. She wore a serious expression, something that was rare for the mare. “Yes, until she finds a way to her own home. Problem?” Lily waved a hoof. “No, unless she decides to murder me in my sleep.” Walking to the table and seating herself next to Lily, Daisy sighed. “Why does this always happen to us? To our town?” “Well, at least we can’t say that life is boring.” “Maybe I wanted it boring. At least then I wouldn’t have to worry about what next calamity is going to come baring down on us.” Lily could only reply with a shrug. “Although, maybe this won’t be so bad.” “Ha! You being optimistic? The world really is going to end!” “I mean, maybe Erika staying here won’t be so bad. She is a flower-fairy-thing, so she may be able to help with the garden and stuff. We’ve also run into quite a bit of problems coming up with something for the florists’ contest in Canterlot next month.” Lily donned her patented mischievious smile, where her eyes go wild and her teeth look serated. “Maybe our new little friend can help with that as well, and rub it into a certain smug face?” Daisy’s jaw dropped. “You’re going to exploit a lost pony just so you can beat Sunny?!” “I like to think of it as ‘earning one’s keep.’” Daisy huffed. “I’ll ask her tomorrow about it. I’d hedge your bets, though, since we don’t know how long she’ll be staying.” “Fair enough. But, mare’s intuition is telling me that she’s going to be here for a while.” “That’s a funny thing to call your plot.” Lily laughed indignantly. “Oh, come on. I know you can sense it too.” She changed her voice to become playfully frightful, “Change is in the air...” “Yeah, yeah.” Daisy frowned. “Change is always polluting the air nowadays.” * * * “You’ve been quiet since we left,” Krissy commented as she and Gardenia walked through the forest. The Grovyle indeed hadn’t uttered a single word since they departed in the direction of the town, and Krissy grew worried as she hovered just above her. Gardenia crossed her arms and scratched her biceps. “Yeah, sorry, I’m still kind of freaking out about this.” She looked up a Krissy. “What would you do if you woke up one day as a human?” Krissy puffed out her lip as she thought and replied, “I would do that weird hand thing where you put them together and twist them, and one finger comes out from the bottom and top.” Gardenia stared at her bemusedly. “What? It’s so mysterious how people do that!” “So you wouldn’t miss being a Togekiss? Being able to fly and do cool moves?” “Of course I would, but...” Krissy bit the inside of her cheek. “But I would have to adapt, especially if it wasn’t my own choice.” Gardenia grumbled something inaudible to herself as she turned to the sky, noting how perfect it was and how warm the sun felt, like the arms of a loved one. Her frown deepened, suddenly awashed with the feeling of missing the arms that should have been wrapped around her this morning. A nearby twig snapped loudly from the left, and both Pokémon took noticed. Krissy simply turned, while Gardenia reflexively spun around and took a throwing stance. A claw reached to the side of her waist and, when nothing was found, curled into a fist. Uselessly hiding behind a tree was...something. Gardenia scrunched her face as she inspected it. Four legs, a broad body, a long face, and a horn like a Rapidash―but it was missing the fiery mane and tail. In fact, it's mane and tail were of a fluffy shape, white like clouds against the ocean-blue coat of rugged fur. It also stood roughly half the size of a Rapidash with a greying beard, and its horn was just a little stub. It poked its head out from behind the tree, knowing its attempt to hide had been twarted, and spoke in a gravelly, masculine voice: “Hi there! Don’t mind me, just, uh, gathering some sticks for a fire to cook lunch!” A stick magically popped off a nearby branch and floated over to a pensive grin. “Are you lost?” Gardenia slowly turned to Krissy, keeping her eyes aimed in the (clearly mutant) Rapidash’s direction as long as possible, and discovered her pecking at the ground, collecting sticks in her mouth. She then glided over and dropped them in front of the Rapidash. “Here you go!” Krissy said, giving the Rapidash a big grin. “Er, thank...you...?” “Hey!” Gardenia shouted, causing the Rapidash to visibly jump. “Who are you?” “...Excuse me?” “WHO ARE YOU?!” The Rapidash backpedalled from Gardenia’s shouting, nearly tripping over a large, rotting branch. “I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you’re saying.” He regarded them cautiously. “I can probably help with that.” Gardenia let out a growl. “Don’t even―” She stopped when the feeling of a wing patted her head. She looked up to see Krissy softly smiling at her. “It’s okay, I don’t feel any hostility coming from him,” Krissy stated, and the blue-tipped feather on her head shivered. She turned and waddled up to the Rapidash. “You want me to―” A nod interrupted him, and he closed his eyes. His horn started shining, casting tiny dull shadows along his ears. A light shot from it, striking Krissy in the chest. After a couple of seconds the beam retracted, and a shudder traveled through the Togekiss from her head to her tail-feathers. “Oof, that felt like being inflicted with Imprison...” Krissy said queezily. “Oh, it actually worked! What do you know, that old coot was good for something!” The Rapidash laughed heartedly, which echoed through the rest of the forest. He held up a hoof to Krissy. “Name’s Blue Sky. I sure haven’t seen ponies, or anything, like you two before―oh!” Blue Sky’s sentence was interrupted by a velvety cheek rubbing against his face. “My, you’re an affectionate one.” Krissy pulled away. “I’m Krissy and that’s Gardenia.” She then brought up a wing to her mouth and whispered, “She’s a Gym Leader.” “Right...uh, so how about you?” Blue asked, looking at the Grovyle. Gardenia crossed her arms and huffed a curt “Fine.” “She said, ‘Absolutely’,” Krissy replied. Gardenia started to glare at her before a red beam connected to her torso. When the light disappeared, a strong chill flooded her body, as if a Glalie was breathing down her neck, and only lasted a few seconds. “Ugh, that’s a bizarre feeling...” “Great! Now that we can all understand one another, how about we head back to my camp?” Blue Sky suggested, turning in place. “We were actually headed for the town that way.” Gardenia pointed farther down the path they were walking. “I have a lot of questions, especially now.” “You probably shouldn’t. Lotta fuss going on about somepony finding a weird red fox near the town, and seeing you might make matters worse.” Blue spun in place, beckoning with a hoof. “Besides, I’m sure you’re hungry, and I can cook better than anyone in that town.” Gardenia looked to Krissy, who nodded in affirmation. “Alright, fine, as long as you answer some of my questions.” They began following him into a thicker part of the forest. The sound of the roaring falls started fading away behind them. “At your service, my dear! Where do you want to start?” “How ‘bout where the hell we are?’” “This,” Blue gestured to the trees surrounding them, “is the forest near the world-famous Neighagra Falls. The town you were talking about is Neighagra Falls Sanctuary.” “Well, I’ve never heard of it. What region are we in, anyway?” “’Region’? I mean, we’re in the northeast region of Equestria, if that’s what you’re asking.” All Gardenia did was return the answer with an unblinking gaze. > Chapter Three: Luna's Tear > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The sun teetered at the edge of the horizon, painting the sky and the stray cloud the with the color of marigolds in full bloom, when Daisy found it necessary to check on Erika in the garden. She had spent the last few hours out there, and none of the sisters heard a peep out of her. Daisy grew worried, for fear something had happened, including Erika just up and leaving―even if Erika's presence was a tad ominous, questions remained unanswered. And a breath of relief heaved from her chest when the Roselia was found snoozing adjacent to the door. Leaning half out the door, holding it with her right hoof, Daisy noted that the rosebuds at the ends of her limbs were smaller, closing upon themselves in the dying light. Daisy heard hoof-falls behind her and glanced back to see Rose. A dish towel was draped around the back of her neck. "Is she out there?" she asked. Daisy nodded. "Sound asleep, like a flower creature would be at this time of day." Roseluck knit her brow. "She's been asleep since we returned from Sparkler's―" "Amethyst Star." "Right, anyway," Roseluck said quickly, "she's been asleep for almost five hours. I'm surprised she hasn't woken up for water or something." Daisy looked back to Erika. She was lying on her back, her thorny head against a crook made by the cobblestone wall of the house and a watering can as tall as Erika was. The blue rose was across her torso, cuddling with the red one together in a patch of earth. "She's lying next to the watering can, so I think she's fine. If not, the evening dew will quench her thirst," replied Daisy. She turned to a disapproving glare from her younger sister. "What, Rose? She's sleeping. I'm not going to wake her up." "Yeah, Rosey," they heard Lily call from the other room, "don't you know the saying about letting sleeping flower fairies lie?" Roseluck rolled her eyes and wordlessly left the subject, retiring to check dinner in the oven. Daisy regarded Erika one last time before withdrawing into the kitchen fully. She gave a quick word of praise to Roseluck for the mouth-watering fumes wafting from the casserole, and passed through to the living room. The open sign was turned around, indicating the shop was indeed closed. "Is Evergreen still coming over for dinner?" Daisy asked, sitting in the chair across from Lily, who had moved onto another magazine. "Who knows, considering this morning's little incident." Lily idly flipped a page, her eyes were dulled, as if she was looking through the glossy paper to her hoof. "I just hope he wasn't caught up in whatever happened in the Everfree. He was supposed to cut some encroaching trees along the edge of the forest." There was a knock on the door, and before Daisy could manage a hoof, Lily had cast aside her magazine and galloped to it. She brushed away the curtain over the window and hastily unlocked and threw the door open. Lily fell to her haunches as the pony at the door was pulled into an iron grip, revealing a stallion's muzzle already turning from a tint of green to a shade of purple. "Hey, dear," the stallion choked out as his jawline was gently peppered with kisses. "Mind loosening your grip?" "Oh! Sorry, hun." Lily stood up and let go, backing up to allow Evergreen to come inside fully while keeping a forehoof hooked through the stream of chocolate mane along the back of his neck. "You didn't get caught up in the explosion in the Everfree, did you?" "No, no, just got a bit of tinnitus. Boss sent everyone home right after it―whatever ‘it' is―happened." Evergreen used a backhoof to close the door behind him. "We have some idea of something connected to it," commented Daisy, who had commandeered her sister's magazine at the table and kept her eyes aimed at it. "Came home to a little surprise in our garden after the explosion." "A ‘surprise'?" "Yeah, but let's not worry about that, okay?" Lily nuzzled into the crook of Evergreen's neck. "I'm sure my big, handsome lumberjack is really hungry for a home-cooked meal, huh?" "Uh huh, and is Rose cooking it?" "She is!" "Oh, good, I mean," Evergreen smiled sweetly to the mare next to him, "that means I get all of your delicious meals to myself later." Lily cooed and nuzzled him deeper. Daisy snorted as she flipped a page in the magazine. "If that's the case, I'll make sure your epitaph will read, 'Died from girlfriend accidentally cooking with bleach instead of vinegar.'" "That was one time, and nopony actually died from it!" "Died from what?" A sleep-addled Roselia strolled into the living room, pawing at the crust in her eyes with her red rose. Erika pried an eye open to scan the room to find Daisy and Lily had frozen and a new face, a face with furrowed brows and a piercing glare. Never minding that, she gave a polite bow. "Oh, hello, I'm―" "What the fuck is that thing?!" The question wasn't said with as much panic as it was with vitriol, if the sneer Evergreen wore like a mask was anything to go by. Erika gave the stallion a blink and stammered out, "Excuse me?" "Evergreen, honey, that's Erika," Lily said, petting a pulsing blood vessel popping up from his neck. "She's cool, okay? She's just staying with us until she can find a way home." The stallion turned to the mare batting her eyelashes at him, and Erika thought she saw little sparkles beat from the action. Evergreen shook his head. "Whatever, just as long as it doesn't come around me," he said, brushing past Erika and sitting in the seat across from Daisy, striking a conversation with the mare about work at the shop. Lily trotted over to Erika. "You should probably head into the kitchen or outside for a while. And, uh, sorry about this." Erika didn't respond, too stunned from Evergreen's reaction. She didn't even look up to see the mournful frown on Lily's face. She took a step back, toward the kitchen, and bumped into a soft yellow hoof. Looking up to her, she saw Roseluck nod her head toward the kitchen before greeting Evergreen. In the kitchen, Erika found a stool sitting against the countertop. It was short, none too laborious to climb atop, and out of Evergreen's eyesight. It was hot and dry in the kitchen, but the heat was still more comfortable for the Roselia than as the object of a smoldering glare. "Sorry about that," Roseluck said as she re-entered, donning a pair of oven mitts from the counter. "Evergreen's..."—a short glance away—"xenophobic, I think they call it. He doesn't exactly get along with nonpony creatures." Roseluck pulled down the oven door with a hoof, and a waft of baked vegetables poured into the kitchen. "I wouldn't give it too much thought, though. If you're staying with us, then he'll get used to you fairly quickly." Erika leaned to peek into the main room and saw Lily and Evergreen sitting next to each other at the table, the former resting her head against the latter. Through the clatter of Roseluck pulling the casserole out of the oven, she could hear that they and Daisy were having a conversation about a floral contest in someplace called Canterlot. Evergreen's eyes moved to her direction, his eyes grew steely. He could see her, and even that was irritating him. Lily sneezed suddenly and violently, breaking his attention off of her and to check on the mare beside him. "So he and Lily are a thing?" Roseluck laughed and spun around to Erika. "What gave it away, the nonstop physical contact or the fact that Lily isn't being a complete bitch to him?" Erika grimaced at the last remark. "That's a harsh thing to say." Roseluck laughed again, but it reverberated hollowly. "You didn't grow up with her. Known anyone that was bullied by their younger sister?" Erika darted her eyes away. "That's what I thought." Roseluck turned back and closed the oven. "Growing up with her was a nightmare, like nothing you could think of." There was a pause. "Do you have siblings?" "I had an older brother." "Had?" Roseluck briefly regarded Erika over her shoulder. A sullen face, but one that said this wasn't the first time the subject had been brought up. "What happened?" "Occupational hazard. He was a vice detective for Celadon City―er, my hometown. He got a little too close in a case a little too hot, and..." She didn't want to say it, she really didn't. "I'm sorry. For that and asking about it." Erika said nothing. An old scab had been picked at, and it burned more than usual with Celadon City no longer around her and the Marygrove Cemetery farther than a mere stroll. And that thought made Erika curl up, the feeling of isolation crawling along her back. She had nothing familiar to grip: no colleagues nor any of her Pokémon. Maybe they were here somewhere in this world, maybe they weren't and only she was whisked away. "Erika," she heard Roseluck say, and she looked up to her. The casserole was sitting on a serving cart. "Do you want some dinner?" Erika shook her head. "No, I...a Roselia can sustain itself on photosynthesis alone, and I did lie in your garden for quite some time." "But you can still eat food, right?" "Yes, but I don't feel like it right now," replied Erika exasperatedly. Roseluck pulled her mouth to the side, as if unsure about her answer, but nodded. She pushed the cart into the main room, and Erika could hear Lily audibly cheer upon the sight of dinner approaching. She sighed to herself and hopped down from the stool, heading toward the door leading outside. A glance back, to see Daisy staring. Sour-green eyes murmured an apology, and Erika soundlessly exited to the garden. A northern gust ambushed her, and Erika shivered. * * * The campsite of Blue Sky was larger and better equipped than what Gardenia would have expected from a vagabond, sitting in a reprieve of the forest. A bright, neon-orange tent was already pitched and ready for the night, sitting out against the mossy green and earthy brown like a Trapinch mingling in a herd of Torterra. It looked pristine and taut. A campfire sat a few meters, unlit and accompanied by a sulky piled up with firewood, cooking pots, and a bucket of water. Gardenia was quite impressed; the fire pit was expertly constructed with appropriate safety measures were taken to prevent the fire from spreading past the forest clearing. Not only being a Grass-type Gym Leader, but the self-appointed protector of her city's emerald, the Eterna Forest, the subject of fire safety and the prevention of forest fires was near and dear to her. She made sure it was taught at schools, as well as teaching trainers to be wary of Fire-type moves and Pokémon. After all, a wide Flamethrower is all it could take for that emerald to crumble into a worthless pile of dust. 　 　 Except for the old chateau at the forest edge―she would only find peace should that condemned building from hell fell into a mound of white ash. However, Gardenia wasn't sure if she would take her current situation over a ghost-infested house. Her inquisitions with Blue Sky (who had referred to himself as "a stallion, a unicorn, skilled in all but one thing") clearly told her not only was she in Sinnoh no more, she was no longer on Earth as well. A planet called Equus, a kingdom named Equestria, brimming with "ponies" possessing horns, wings, neither, or both. And he insisted that he had never heard of a Pokémon nor had seen anything resembling her new form or Krissy. Blue Sky had told them to make themselves at home, and the Pokémon did so to the best their current situation would allow. Gardenia sat beside the open flaps of Blue Sky's tent, and Krissy nestled into a spot beside her. Ever since she was awakened, Krissy clung to her, as if her presence comforted her. And to an extent, the feeling was somewhat mutual; the air-headed Togekiss was, odd as it seemed, her tether to the earth as a being of familiarity. Teleporting to another dimension is bad; teleporting and changing bodies is worse; going through all of that while being alone is worthy of a few things the thought of which Gardenia would rather shake from her head. But why are we here of all places? And why the transformation? Gardenia briefly entertained the idea Team Galactic had reformed in secret and continued their work attempting to control Dialga and Palkia. But it didn't seem right; to create a new world had been their goal, not overtake one which already existed. Of course, a shift in management could also have caused a shift in focus, but nothing about the situation showed the pride and flamboyance with which Team Galactic and its leaders glowed. Slouched and with her arms crossed, the Grovyle felt a cloudy softness brush her side. Krissy was staring at her. "What?" "You've been staring at the campfire and grumbling to yourself since we got here." Gardenia grit her teeth, grunting, "Oh." Her eyes flashed over to Blue Sky; he was near the waving flames with a knife and vegetables hovering over a small pot on the fire. Steam drifted from the pot. The knife diced with the expertise of a Lumiose City chef, she noted, without a heavily scarred hand wielding it firmly. They and his horn radiated with a dull red color, like that of a wilting rose. "I'm just...thinking about why we're here, in this world, and how we got here." A quick inhale through her nose. "And who could be responsible." Krissy nodded once and wiggled her body, trying to nestle deeper into her patch of grass. Blue Sky could be heard uttering low curses after a chunk of potato splashed scalding water on him. "I just want to find Annie and my family." "Annie is your trainer, I take it." Krissy nodded. "Last time I saw her, she went for a stroll alone through Petalburg Forest." Gardenia's face softened. Maybe she was abandoned...poor thing. "Did...something happen?" The Togekiss shook her head. "No, Annie always goes on her walks alone. It was late in the evening. Lita was asleep by the fire, and Nommie and I were playing in the ocean." "Are they Pokémon?" A feverish nod. "Oh yes! Nommie is like a little sister to me! And Lita was in the Rangers!" Well, there goes that idea. Gardenia glanced down to see Krissy's smile had melted and the wondrous shimmer in her eyes had been muddied. "Hey, I'm sure they're doing fine," Gardenia said, placing a claw on the top of Krissy's head, "wherever they are. You said one of them served with the Rangers. If so, I'm sure she can take care of herself." The claw started rubbing in circles along the top of Krissy's head, just behind her tiara of plumes―a soft spot for most avians. Krissy cooed at the touch and closed her eyes. A snore drifted up soon afterward. "Heh, she sure is a cute gal when she's sleeping." A glance upward showed Blue Sky approaching. Parts of his face were damp, and the curling end of his beard was singed―poor Blue had trouble getting a "combustion spell" to work properly for the fire. When it did, it was an eruption of flames that quickly fell in love with the droopy white hair. The resulting romance was met with a startled yelp and Blue dunking his entire head into the bucket of water. But despite that, he was beaming. Gardenia had decided early this guy was all right. Nodding, Gardenia maintained the ministrations, albeit slower and gentler. "She's no Budew or Sewaddle, though. I have another question, by the way." Blue Sky grunted in acknowledgement. "I thought you were done with questions." "It's just a curiosity. How come you weren't freaked out by us or scared when we met?" Blue laughed quietly, his belly solely behind each one, with his whiskers bouncing. "I've seen every corner of Equestria, overseas, and every snowflake of the Frozen North, and after all of it I quickly became unfazed by the unimaginable. Especially when the unimaginable happens every Thursday." "I suppose that's fair." Gardenia retracted the claw from Krissy's head, tucking it underneath her arm. "I was never big on seeing the world. My hometown was enough world for me." "Sounds like you and my wife would've gotten along swimmingly, bless her heart," Blue said. Gardenia noted the smile on his face becoming mirthless and feigned. Her other claw was brought up to scratch to her shoulder, and she muttered an awkward, "I'm sorry." "It's quite alright. It's been years, and we weren't together for several of those last years. Hardly the fault of a misplaced stranger." "Still, sorry." Blue idly chewed on his mustache for a few seconds before he stood up and walked to the pot. He levitated a spoon and inhaled deeply over the pot. The smell of a late dinner brought life back to the old stallion's face, the large toothy grin creeping back along. He dished out a spoonful and beckoned with a hoof. Gardenia complied. "Here, try!" The spoonful was raised to Gardenia's mouth. Rolling her eyes, Gardenia took the spoon and gave it a slurp. She became dumbstruck. It had no meat in the taste or spoonful, none of the well-known flavorful berries swimming in the broth. Just a bunch of plain old vegetables. And somehow―somehow―the stew was something of a marvel to behold upon the tongue. Yeah, he's all right, alright. * * * How many years had passed since the last time Erika saw a clear night sky seemed to outnumber the vast populace of stars in the sky above her. Celadon City itself shone like a star at night, blotting out the twinkles in the sky to create an expansive black void. Here, in this small town, there were no streetlights, no neon; nothing to scare off the painted canvas above. If only Erika had felt as beautiful. She felt sad, alienated, fearful. She felt like everything inside of her, her heart especially, had fallen to the pit of her stomach. She felt homesick, missing the pungent fragrance of the Celadon Gym, her Pokémon running to greet her every morning, the arms of someone special coiling around her while feeling a gentle heartbeat against her own. Erika sunk further against the wall which she was leaning; perhaps that was what she missed most of all. Erika jumped as light flickered on above her. The backdoor screeched as it opened, and a glance upward showed Daisy leaning out. "Hey," she simply said. A stray breeze crept on Daisy, brushing her lime bangs from her face. "You want to come in? It's really cool out here. Evergreen left about half an hour ago." Erika shook her head. "No, it's fine." Daisy pulled her lips to the side and let the door shut itself. "Listen, I'm sorry about earlier. I know we just met and you're new here, but I should have said something to Evergreen." Daisy sauntered over and sat down next to Erika. "Xenophobia or no, he didn't have to right to speak to you like that." Erika shook her head. "It's just...weird to me. New body, new place, new adjustments with no familiars to anchor to. I would be skeptical, too, if I had to deal with the unknown." "Except Evergreen has always been like that. When we say 'it's not just you,' it's not just you." A wiggling left ear. "And if you're going to stay with us for a while, I would like to be friends. You really seem to need one right now, and you have a pretty good head on your shoulders after your encounter with Evergreen." Daisy held out a hoof to Erika. Hesitantly, a flowery appendage touched it, and they nodded at each. "For what it's worth, I don't think you're the only one of your kind here. I'm not sure if you heard about it, but before we met there was an explosion over a nearby forest. I would hardly think that would directly have something to do with you, unless you're a very important pony." "I'm not." Daisy hummed to herself. The wind suddenly died, leaving only the natural cool of the night. "Briefly after that the three of us found a weird rabbit thing on the outskirts of town. Mostly brown, has some thick fluff on its ears and midsection, likes blackberries―does any of that ring any bells?" Erika's mind flipped through Pokémon like a rolodex. Nothing came to mind, but she was mostly only familiar with those native to Kanto and Johto, with the exception of a few Pokémon from Sinnoh― "A Buneary, I believe is what you're describing. They're harmless, and very common in forests." Daisy chuckled. "This one must've wanted some fresh air because we saw it in a field by railroad tracks. But hey," she leaned toward Erika, "that just means there are more out there. And I bet at least one of them will know you." "I suppose." "Good enough for me." Daisy looked up and saw the moon overhead, shining directly on the town and casting dark figures along the edge of the back door light. "Hey, want to see something neat?" Waiting for no answer, she clambered to her hooves and shut off the light. The dark encroached. For a moment, Erika and Daisy were still. The only sound was a serenading cricket. Six faint blue lights in the corner of the garden glimmered. What had been bulbs parted and opened, revealing stamen that emitted the light, growing brighter until it almost outshone the moon itself. The formation of the petals suggested the plant was some sort of lily, little black freckles lining the interior. They looked tall, despite being as large as Erika, and regal. "Luna's Tear," Daisy said. "We have a story about a princess of the night that ruled the kingdom alongside her sister, a princess of the sun. She had felt slighted by how ponies rejoiced in her sister's sunlight, but ignored the beauty of her night. Jealousy transformed her, literally, and she threatened a coup. However, she was exiled by her sister and imprisoned in the moon." Both the mare and the Roselia looked up to the moon. It was clean and round, like the fresh face of a newborn. "It is said these are the tears of Luna, the princess of the night, shed over the remorse for the betrayal of her sister and her kingdom and having become the monster she was." Daisy entertained a chuckle from within her. "The real story is that they're just magic, bioluminescent flowers that thrive in moonlight instead of sunlight. They're wild as well. Last year, we tried to domesticate them and cross-pollinate them with some other flowers, to no avail. It was a project for a florists competition." Daisy took a deep breath. "This year's is coming up, and I was wanting to know, would you want to help? You know, being a flower and all..." 　 Erika nodded dumbly, her vision glued to the Luna's Tears. They were some of the most gorgeous specimens she had ever seen. Lily's question sunk in, and her gaze went to the red and blue petals in her tiny lap, idly brushing them together. She had no gym to take care of right now, and that left her with a lot of free time. However, she didn't want to agree, only to find a way home and disappoint the girls. But they were considerate to welcome her, something and someone unfamiliar, into their home.... "Alright, I'll do it." Daisy smiled. Genuinely. From what Erika gathered, that was a rare occurrence for someone that seemed to get by in life on smirks and grimaces. "Thank you, Erika. The girls and I appreciate it." A couple of yawns escaped from them, and they shared a laugh. "Yeah, it's been a tiring day. I suppose we should both be getting to bed." Daisy stood up and made for the door. "There are some blankets and pillows inside if you want." "Mm, no, thank you. I'm perfectly fine out here." "Alright," Daisy nodded. The screeching door opened, and she called back, "See you in the morning!" before heading inside. All was quiet. Erika was alone once more. She slid down the wall, lying flat on the ground. She closed her eyes, and strangely the world seemed like her own. It was like she was a young lass again, falling asleep in her garden with Gloom. She was out like a light soon after, following and leading countless others into the darkened world of memories that turn to ash in the dawn's first rays. > Chapter Four: Dawn of the Second Day > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gardenia was awake to greet the dawn of the second day in a new world, matching the sun's glare as it poked its bright smile over the horizon. Sleep didn't search for Gardenia, nor could she find it. It was like trying to sleep the first night or week in a new place. And it wasn't that she didn't trust Blue Sky, far from it. The stallion was sweet, clever, and a laugh and a half. The dinner and conversation accompanying it was enough to make her smile and chuckle despite the worries and questions left unanswered. She glanced down at the slumbering puff beside her. Krissy's trumpeting snores didn't exactly nurture sleep either. Gardenia brought up a claw to rub the crust from her eyes. They felt heavy, and the light stung. She stood, just in time for a Taillow to caw and fly overhead. Peering at the canopy found a significant increase in the number of Pokémon seen. Originally, it had seemed like the ghastly hands of something unknown had reached through the boundaries of space and time to pull only her and her new companion into a different place. But seeing as how the canopy of the forest had found new residents—Kakuna and Metapod dangling by a thread, chirps of every bird Pokémon imaginable, a single Slakoth bathing in the early morning sun—that definitely wasn't the case. And thus, more questions began eating at Gardenia's attention. Investigative was certainly a word for Gardenia. Questions deserved answers; there was no point to life if it wasn't to ask the whats, wheres, whens, whys, and hows. She could have very easily been a detective in a previous life; she could have been one in this life, if she hadn't ruined a similar career path. Whoever or whatever brought us here seemed to have taken the entire population of Earth along with it. Perhaps a Legendary? The only thing that seemed to elude any of her working theories was the why. Why would someone or something relocate billions of creatures to a different planet? Why change her from a human into a Grovyle? And that thought in particular spurred another: are there other humans here that have new forms forced upon them? She stifled a yawn, and it disrupted her train of thought. Good thing, too; it was starting to give her a headache on top of the exhaustion. She climbed to her feet and stretched, eyeing the pile of food and supplies stacked against the cart. "Please, for the love of Arceus, have coffee," she muttered. Gardenia tiptoed over, kneeling down, searching the supplies. Burlap sacks were filled with carrots, potatoes, celery; there was enough food for a party of six for at least a couple weeks. In the fourth sack, she found a tin at the bottom. Her heart soared at the idea of coffee. The tin was pulled out, and the lid was popped open. Gardenia shuddered. Heavenly bitterness assaulted her nose, and she felt fully awake from just the smell of the grounds. The tin was set aside as Gardenia gathered together a kettle, a tin cup dangling from the overhang of the cart, and a pale of water. Alright, first things first, a fire. The instruments for brewing and the coffee grounds were brought and left by the fire pit. Gardenia fetched a couple of logs from the cart and gathered dried twigs and leaves scattered on the ground, dropping them next to the pit. The twigs and leaves were placed loosely in the pit, and Gardenia held a particularly long twig upright in the center of the forest of twigs and spun it between her hands. What I wouldn't give for a Fire-type right now… she thought. But her training as a Pokémon Ranger taught her how to depend on the land and oneself as much as the Pokémon around them. It took forever, but there was finally a spark. Gardenia lifted the stick and blew on the fresh embers. Five huffs later, she grinned to herself as a little orange flower grew, nibbling on the twigs and leaves. She threw more twigs on top, followed by the smallest log when the fire was large enough, light gray smoke floating up as it told hold. The fire pit top was found on the far side of the cart, dragged, and replaced over the fire. Within another fifteen minutes, Gardenia served herself a hot cup of lucidity, not considering or caring how it would affect her new form. She took a sip, humming to herself. She wasn't sure if it was the new tongue or not, but the coffee tasted differently—pleasantly earthy among the teeth-gnashing bitterness. Looking into the cup, Gardenia thought back to the stew last night, made from things that existed on Earth: potatoes, carrots, and onions, to name a few. And in digging through the supplies, she had noticed he carried a lot of similar gear and food a hiker on Earth would have. While staring into the tin cup filled with a black liquid, a sense of eerie familiarity crept along her back. As she neared the bottom of her first cup, Gardenia's eyes caught onto a faint shadow moving inside Blue Sky's tent, only for the old stallion himself to burst out with a blinding smile reflecting the early sun's rays. "Ah, that's what I like! Waking to a steaming pot of coffee!" he bellowed, startling awake Krissy. Blue cantered over to the fire, his horn sparking as it grabbed one of the cups from the cart and poured himself a cup. Gardenia held out her cup, and the levitating kettle freshened her coffee. "You, uh, don't mind that I made that I took the liberty to make some coffee, huh?" she asked. "Of course not! I did say to make yourselves at home!" Blue tilted his head, and he downed the whole cup of coffee in three visible gulps. Krissy fluttered up to the two, yawning. "Whatcha drinking?" "Nectar of the gods, dear! Coffee!" replied Blue. "Want a cup?" "Oh, um…" The Togekiss's crowning feathers folded against her head. "Annie never let me have coffee. Said it was for humans only." Gardenia held up her tin cup, lightly twirling it around. "I'm on my second cup, and it hasn't affected me differently." Blue pulled off and poured a third cup. He held it in front of Krissy, warning, "It's hot, dear." Krissy took a short sip, and her cheeks bulged and her face contorted in an eye-watering grimace. She definitely looked more awake than before, and Gardenia almost choked on her drink trying not to laugh. "Don't like it, do you?" she asked. Krissy shook her head. Blue chuckled. "Alright, dear, just spit it back into the cup." She did so, and Blue dumped it into the grass. "How can you stand drink that?! Not even Rawst Berries taste so bitter!" "Well, Rawst Berries have a very tame bitterness to them," said Gardenia. "Durin Berries, however, are even more bitter than this." She gestured to her cup, and Krissy gagged on the thought. "To be fair, though, you might like it if it had some sugar or creamer." "Can I have some plain, not-disgusting water, please?" Blue nodded with a tickled grin and humored the Togekiss, using his magic to rinse the cup and serve up a cup of cool water without budging from his seat. Krissy thanked him and drowned herself in it. Blue Sky refilled his cup, and the mirthfulness disappeared from his muzzle and eyes. "If you don't mind me asking, what do you girls think your next move might be?" Gardenia and Krissy exchanged glances. "I don't know," Gardenia answered, "I haven't thought about it. I've been too preoccupied with where we are." "I told you, you're in—" "Yeah, I know where we are, but I guess it's more about the why or how that's getting underneath my skin." Gardenia took a sip. "As for plans...I have nothing." She and Blue Sky looked at Krissy wilting under the sudden attention. "I-I don't know. I always went with whatever Annie or Lita did…" Blue hummed to himself. "Well, if neither of you have plans, then why not come with me? I'm heading to Manehattan, to the east." He pointed with a hoof in the direction between Gardenia and Krissy. "I don't have traveling companions ever, so I thought it would be interesting if interesting...creatures like yourselves joined me." For a moment, Gardenia thought she should be offended being called a creature, but after quick glance at her new body she figured she should be angrier at the person or Pokémon responsible for that instead. "That's absurdly trusting, and nice, of you," Gardenia commented. "That's what ponies are all about! Trust and helpfulness!" replied Blue. How naïve, Gardenia thought, shaking her head. "I don't want to be a burden." "I'm not asking you to be one. I figured since neither of you know about where you are, having a guide who's explored this world several times over and traveling with me would be better than wandering aimlessly. But you don't have to decide right now. I'm not packing up and moving on until tomorrow." Gardenia's eyes darted to Krissy, who had remained quiet throughout the exchange, her expression unreadable. Gardenia pulled her mouth to one side. "Well, thanks for the offer. It's very kind." Blue Sky answered by raising the rest of the coffee to her, downing it, and pouring another. "Last night, I poured out my heart for you," he said, pausing to sip, "so I hope you don't mind telling me about yourselves, to better know who I could potentially be traveling with." Gardenia looked at her cup. "Um, sure, what do you want to know?" "Hmm, how about that hometown you mentioned?" "Ah, Eterna." Memories popped up in Gardenia's mind, bringing the hint of a smile to her face. "Very rustic place, one of the smallest towns in Sinnoh to have a Pokémon Gym, but we do have a rich history of one of the centerpieces of Sinnoh folklore." "Er...Sinnoh?" "Oh, yes, Sinnoh. It's a region of the—of our world that's settled on a large penninsula." The small smile grew on Gardenia's face. She loved talking about Eterna and Sinnoh—who didn't cherish discussing their home? "We have incredibly cold winters, the region is cleaved in half by a mountain called Mount Coronet, and much of the region's mythology is centered around the completely real Legendaries Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina—the embodiments of time, space, and anti-matter respectively." As Gardenia told of Sinnoh, Blue Sky used his magic to stroke his beard, an eyebrow hoisted high as he listened intently. "Embodiments, or gods?" "Probably closer to gods in power, but everyone just regarded them as embodiments. They supposedly created our universe." Blue Sky nodded and waved with his hoof for Gardenia to continue. "Anyway, Eterna's big draws are this huge statue that's centuries old and tells of the Legendaries, Eterna Forest and, by extension"—Gardenia couldn't suppress the shudder—"the Old Chateau." "What's so wrong with it?" "It's...haunted." Blue started belly-laughing, and Gardenia rolled her eyes. "You laugh, but in our world, ghosts are real. So when someone says, 'Hey, this place is haunted,' no one doubts you. And Ghost-types are nothing to mess with." She could feel another shudder threaten to rip through and chill her spine. A warm drink of coffee proved efficient of staving it off. "Annie has a Misdreavus. She's nice." "Great, but I hope to never meet her. Misdreavus run amuck in Eterna Forest, scaring trainers and travelers. Shrieking unprovoked, biting and yanking on hair, using Confuse Ray on people. I have nothing good to say about them." Gardenia frowned at the disappointed look on Krissy's face. "Sorry. Nothing personal, it's just that I really don't like Ghost-types." "Why don't you like 'em?" Blue Sky asked. Gardenia's claws strangled the cup in her hands, forcing it to bend and contort and fold at the seams. "When I was a little girl, I wandered into Eterna Forest alone at  night and was attacked by a group of Ghost-types. It was the kind of thing that'll mess you up, and I don't like talking about it." Blue Sky nodded. "Alright. Next question, if you don't mind." Gardenia shrugged. "Sure, shoot." "Who's the one pony you're most hopeful to find here?" Gardenia simply replied, "My girlfriend." "Really? You have a girlfriend?" Gardenia nodded, and Blue chuckled. "Color me surprised. Honestly took you for the 'love is needless' type. What's her name? What's she like?" Gardenia's mouth, despite her best efforts at restraining it, twisted into a crooked smile as the vision of a tiny woman with short black hair and sleepy eyes, and a deep orange Kantonian kimono drifting in an imaginary wind entered her head. "Her name's Erika," she answered, spinning the cup idly in her hands, "and she's a Gym Leader, like I was."