The Bells

"Hey, if you're going to stop staring in horror, we'd love it if you'd actually do something… since we're kind of stuck."

Kai exhaled a sigh of relief as Elaine made the smart reply. "Same as ever, sister."

Lloyd jumped up in a rising slash, slicing through the webs. Sharl… "Why is there blood?"

"They bit us a little, but surprisingly, they didn't drain us. They're probably waiting to eat us up later though."

Lloyd breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the Espeon's voice. "Be careful. These webs are pretty… actually, you might want to hurry. They're looking hungry again…"

"You fools! You'll all pay for what you have done to our children!" The spider Pokemon were communicating with Psychic. "You underestimate our power! You-"

"Shut up." Lloyd cleanly cut the speaker Ariados in half with Persephone. He landed on a small rocky outcropping. "What a pushover, sheesh." Lloyd didn't even turn around; he knew that Kai had his back, and heard the shriek as another was fried. "Nice."

"No problem." Immediately, the Jolteon appeared next to him. "We'd better hurry. They're still up there…" A frozen chunk of ice fell from above, and the two of them jumped out of the way. It turned out to be a Galvatula that had been hit by an ice beam. "I guess there's not too much of a rush." They both jumped up.

"I'll save them, you work on clearing out the rest, agreed?"

"Sure." Kai immediately jumped away. "Thunderbolt." He said the words calmly, a blast erupting from his body. It arced cleanly towards each of the spiders, travelling through one to another.

Lloyd turned his focus to the girls. He could see them clearly now. Sharl was using her psychic powers to repel them, but there was only so much she could do without her primary weapon. A dark pulse at this range could be bad, especially for Sharl. He huffed, then held out his hand. "Double Team." He waved it casually, summoning his clone. "Let's go now!" He launched himself straight at the Galvantula ready to sink its teeth into Sharl. "She's mine!"

The moment he pierced it with his sword, he summoned a dark pulse, exploding it to bits. "You're not going to kill her!"

"We didn't need your help!" protested Elaine, before she was splattered with bits of bug type. "Eww…"

All right Lloyd, finish it off with some swordsmanship.

Of course. It's classy. He whipped his blade around, jumping from wall to wall, dicing up the other two unfortunate bug types. He thrust it back into its sheathe, the bugs exploding.

"Show off," said Elaine, but Sharl just blushed.

"Thanks…" Lloyd flinched; both had some bite marks on their arm. Too slow…

"Are you two all right?"

"They started biting us, but luckily, you two came just in time to disrupt them. We were saving our energy for when we needed it, and- KYAAA! We're naked! Don't look!" Elaine failed at covering her breasts due to the stickiness of the webbing.

Lloyd hastily turned away. "Kai, are you okay?"

The Jolteon landed on the ledge next to him, blood staining his cloak. "Aside from the gash that damned Sylveon gave me, never better."

"Where's that bitch? I'm going to kill her!"

The Jolteon pulled off his mask, and said, "Are you two okay?"

"Yes, we're fine. Cut us out will you?"

In two clean slices, Kai freed his sister, who immediately crossed her arms over her chest. "Stop staring! It's creepy!" she complained to Lloyd.

Sharl was glaring at him. "Pervert."

Lloyd sighed, then freed the Espeon. "Sorry…"

Kai tossed them their clothes(when did he pick that up?) and the two girls demanded they look away while they change.

"Do you think she's going to come after us again?" asked Kai as they waited.

Lloyd thought, then said, "No." She's crazy… but crazy enough to change on a whim. Actually, then she might actually come for us… "She's a crazy one. I talked with her."

"Huh."

"She's got a vendetta against all royalty, only that the South were the ones who enslaved and killed her family. So…"

"Not much different from you, eh? I think I get what Elaine's master meant when he talked to me…"

Lloyd wanted to ask, but Sharl tapped him on the shoulder. "We're all ready… eww…"

Despite the webs in her pretty pink hair, Lloyd smiled upon seeing Sharl was safe. He gently picked some of it out of her hair, and patted her head. "You can wash it out later."

"Hn… ha… okay…" She seemed caught off guard, and Lloyd chuckled.

Elaine nudged Sharl playfully, and Kai smirked. "Let's get out of this cave."

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"Y-y-you…"

"Hehe, it's surprising to see you two princesses are still alive."

"How stupid are you?" Lloyd could not believe that the Sylveon who kidnapped and nearly killed the two girls and Kai, while also nearly getting killed by Lloyd himself.

"How offensive… Ooh, quick!" The Sylveon nimbly jumped over a freezing shot from Elaine that was aimed at her feet.

"You'll pay for what you did! Humiliated by spiders… I'll show you humiliation!"

"Oh really?" She smiled wickedly, then threw her fan, shrouded in light.

Elaine dodged, but it opened her up to an attack. Lloyd thought she was going to get hit, but she protected herself.

"You can't use that move over and over and hope for success!"

She's still weak… she and Sharl need to recover from the blood lo-

"Hey, no hurting my sister." The Sylveon froze, and Lloyd saw Kai behind her, dagger held to her neck. "Easy now. She attacked first, but you'll regret what you did."

She put her hands up in surrender. "I know. Which is why I'm surrendering. I can't beat all four of you, even weakened."

"That's good to hear. But we're not done with you." Sharl stepped forward. "It's only fitting that you pay with your dignity. And for this… you'll become a servant."

"As expected. The princess wants me to serve under her, like all royalty. How distasteful."

Elaine huffed. "How about one of the guys? They did prove they can defeat her. We've proved nothing from this encounter."

"No way I'm letting you serve under Lloyd…" grumbled Sharl.

"Is it because you want him to touch you and rub you and…"

"You'll serve under Kai."

The Sylveon nodded. "Understood. Well then… my master…"

"Wait, that's what I call my mentor… but it sounds so dirty… does it…"

"Kind of…" shrugged Sharl.

The Glaceon smiled gently. "Well… it's not uncommon for mentors and their apprentices to…"

"Excuse me, but you're assigning this Sylveon to be my slave? I can name hundreds of reasons why this is a terrible idea," pointed out Kai.

"I'll serve you faithfully, master. My body is yours to use as you see fit."

He shook his head. "She could run away easily."

"But she won't," said Lloyd. "She wants to defeat the South emperor. We'll probably help her. Besides, she's kind of unstable…"

"How offensive…"

"What's your name anyways? What should I call you?" asked Kai.

"You can call me slave. Of course, I'll ditch you all once I either defeat the princesses or kill Victor."

"If you wanted to kill us, why didn't you do it earlier?"

"I don't know." She shrugged.

Kai sighed. "No really, what's your name?"

"You can call me Celia. That's the name given to me by the king, and that's the name I'll have my revenge by."

Lloyd thought about it. Hmm… Celia… never heard that name before, but there's something about it. "Alright. I'll probably kill you next time you attack us, so don't even think about it."

"Yeah, sure. Don't get cocky since you beat me once. It was lucky."

"You know very well it wasn't luck."

They had a staredown before she sighed and sat behind Kai. "Whatever."

Lloyd sat down, and felt Sharl come down next to him. "Hey."

"What is it?"

The Espeon looked at him seriously, then said, "Thanks… for saving me. Had you come a few moments later, things might have been bad. But you came for me. And… thanks."

"You're my friend… no… maybe more." Lloyd felt himself blush a little.

"R-really? I mean, we've gotten a little lovey… but it's nice to hear you say that."

"Before this goes any further, I'm still here, hehe." Elaine giggled from a rock. "You lucky girl, Sharl!"

Lloyd gently nudged her away. "We can cuddle up tonight if you like."

"Okay."

The Glaceon looked ready to explode. "You two are so adorable!"

"Shut up," murmured Sharl. "I will give you so much shit when you find a guy."

"I know." She crossed her legs. "You two are such a cute couple."

Lloyd huffed. "Whatever. How are your bites?"

"All right," murmured Elaine. "No poison or anything, which is surprising."

Sharl rubbed her shoulder. "I think it's designed to be low pain. It's more disturbing than anything." She shuddered.

"Feeling weak?"

"Not really."

Elaine nodded as well. "I'm all right." She looked to the sun rising in the East. "My master has agreed to reveal himself to you there."

"So he is in the Eastern capitol."

"He's a personal attendant of master Leviathan. He said I could tell you that."

Lloyd frowned. "Just an attendant? I don't think just an attendant could best me."

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"All right… I'll admit, I was not expecting… this."

A massive gate loomed in front of them. It seemed to be made of metal that glinted blueish. Along the middle and top ran massive glass pipes; Lloyd noted that they were filled with water.

The Western capitol had a large stone wall, but this was a high-tech marvel it seemed. It stretched along the entire coast. "This is very impressive…"

The five eons all stared at it in shock. How surprising… this is sometime that I never expected to see.

"How does it open?" asked Celia.

"I'd assume it works with those water pipes," explained Sharl. "The water flows through, and… and maybe it pushes against the locks? Though I assume that they are probably massive metal beams keeping it in place."

A hissing sound came from behind the gate, and Lloyd held his arm in front of Sharl. "Stay back. That sounds like a dragon type preparing to breathe fire." Then a blast of steam shot out as the gate opened, and Lloyd covered his face with his other hand.

"Ah, that's warm…" murmured Elaine.

Then finally, the steam dissipated, revealing the inside of the city.

"You folks there! Come on in! You've been expected by master Leviathan!"

Lloyd couldn't make out the Pokemon speaking, but it sounded as if it came from the top of the wall. It was also high pitched. "I guess we need to trust the squeaky Pokemon?" commented Kai.

Elaine stepped forward first. "I suppose. Well, what are we waiting for?"

The town inside was surprisingly peaceful. Small little waterwheels turned slowly, and in the distance, the ocean lay peacefully. Houses were quaint, and the salty sea wind blew through. Above, Pelippers and Wingulls flew tranquilly.

Lloyd had never quite been in a place like this. It was so laid back. No wonder the Eastern kingdom was so mysterious; it was the most relaxing place he had ever been to. Cobblestone roads were neither filled nor barren, with the occasional cart selling things. Children chased some balls into the streets, screaming happily.

"This place is amazing!" gasped Sharl. "I… I can't believe there is a place like this around! There's so much sun, and it's so warm, and there's so much going on, but it's still peaceful!" She yawned a little. "It's making me tired."

Celia was already at one of the stands, buying something that looked like a necklace. Kai turned to Elaine. "Where is your master?"

"He's waiting at the monastery… on the top of a large cliff. He said it's at the Southern end of the city…"

A large green hill sort of blocked the view of the Southern tip. "This place is massive," commented Kai. "So many houses and everything. For a Pokemon said to be extremely destructive, master Leviathan sure knows how to run this community."

"Even more unusual since he supposedly can't leave water. But he is a master tactician. I would not be surprised if this is his work."

Lloyd sat down at a stone fountain in a small town square. The fountain looked fairly old, but Lloyd didn't really pay much attention to the design. Water poured out of the top of a stone Pokemon's mouth. Lloyd exhaled. He didn't like this environment. It made him relax unknowingly.

Sheesh, this atmosphere is making me relax too. Persephone yawned.

"I'm feeling sleepy…" murmured Sharl. "I couldn't really sleep last night… damn spiders…"

He rubbed her head gently. "I hope the blood loss isn't hitting you…"

"Don't need your help… just sleepy."

The sun should be making her more energetic… but apparently not. Lloyd exhaled, then picked up the Espeon, one arm resting under her knees and the other behind her shoulder. "We'll find a place where you can take a nap."

"Alright, Lloyd." She was limp, and Lloyd thought she did look rather cute all sleepy and all. "You can kiss me when I sleep. I don't mind. Just let me rest."

He sighed. "You're always so flirty."

"Hehe…"

Lloyd was feeling rather tired, but not much more than normal. He suspected it was due to the strong sunlight. "You're kind of heavy."

"Are you calling me fat?"

"No. But you're heavy."

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Lloyd, Kai, and Celia walked through the shops along the road.

"Aren't you sleepy?" asked Kai.

"My master needs me. I'm not really that sleepy compared to those two. I slept well thanks to Lloyd." The two girls were sleeping back at the room they had decided to stay at.

Kai tucked his hands into his pocket. "So you really are determined to be my servant."

"Of course! You will all help me achieve my goal!"

"You cut me up badly."

"And you still got up and helped me. So I am in your debt."

He clicked his tongue. "How old are you?"

"I am 16!"

"You're pretty young."

"You're not that old either."

"I'm three years older than you."

They continued arguing, but Lloyd didn't pay attention to the rest of their conversation. He was looking at a small ruby necklace one of the vendors were selling. It's pretty. I… Lloyd had more than enough money for a few years worth. I suppose… He hesitated. Well, she is a princess. She could probably buy it… or maybe she already has a few. Then he shook his head. "I'll just get it for her." He handed over the small pieces of gold, to which the vendor opened his eyes and bowed slightly before handing over the necklace.

"Thank you so much!"

Lloyd waved it off, then smiled before heading back to the other two. He had gotten some golf from his master as a parting gift. Wherever your travels take you, I approve of it. He didn't think his master would approve of buying a pretty Espeon a necklace, but he decided that something small like this didn't really matter that much.

He heard someone walk close. "Ooh, who is that for?" Celia was looking over his shoulder.

"It's for Sharl."

"That's really pretty. It's a ruby! Oh, I'd love to get a ruby! They're signs of love and all…" She sighed. "Oh well, I don't have anyone that would get me a ruby."

Lloyd sighed. "You're too young to understand."

She pouted. "I'm 16 you know. Only a year younger than princess Sharl and you're openly courting her."

"Sharl's a lot more developed than you. You could pass for a 13 year old. Sharl looks like someone older than 17."

"Hmph. I know I'm not as well endowed, but that's offensive."

Kai walked a little bit behind them. "You two are getting along."

Celia smiled. "I can respect strong Pokemon like yourselves. Especially since you saved me from Lloyd."

"That's nothing. It's nice to be acknowledged."

"You're welcome, Master Kai."

Lloyd slowed down to walk next to the Jolteon. "I must say, this town is making me put my guard down. It's so laid back and peaceful."

He grunted in agreement. "This sun… I'm surprised you're so calm. I'd think a dark type like you would be more jittery."

Lloyd shrugged. "It's warm kind of. This place just has a relaxed atmosphere."

"Huh, I know what you mean. It's almost too peaceful." Kai turned to an Audino next to them. "Have you ever met lord Leviathan at the palace?"

"Lord Leviathan? No. Lord Leviathan lives in the ocean, meaning that those with the ability to swim are the only ones who can actually contact him directly." She shrugged. "We have no need to see him. He protects our city from storms, enemies, and promoted the building of the cobalt wall."

"I see…" murmured the Jolteon. "Thank you." Kai turned back to Lloyd. "Master Leviathan obviously doesn't like those who come to see him. According to the citizens, nobody really knows where he is. Even the monastery doesn't really seem like a guarantee if we're looking for him."

"What do you suggest?" Celia butted in, and Lloyd hadn't realized she was paying close attention. "I think we should try find that guy you were talking about master Kai."

"Mhmm, that's a good idea. Now, where to find that guy…"

"Probably the shrine right?" Lloyd knew that the shrine was a large part of the city. "They all talk about that shrine being pretty much the capitol of the city. It's a smart decision to go there first."

Kai nodded. "Yeah, once we're done shopping and stuff, we can go to pick up the two princesses…"

Lloyd frowned. "Actually, I was thinking we let them rest a little bit more." He rubbed his left arm. "They'll need some time to regain blood."

The Jolteon looked at Lloyd a little funny, then said, "All right, you go check on them. I'll look for directions, and Celia can… do whatever kids do alone in the city. Here, you want some money?"

Celia frowned. "Don't treat me like a kid! I'm not a kid!"

Lloyd turned around. "Okay, I'll start going back. Uhh… good luck."

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When Lloyd arrived back, the two princesses were seemingly sleeping. However, when Lloyd approached, Elaine sat up groggily. "Hey Lloyd. How are you?"

"I'm all right. You?"

"Yeah, just drowsy. Sheesh, blood is pretty important isn't it?"

"Not at all… it's not infected, is it?"

She rubbed her shoulder. "Not really. A little itchy, but the mashed leaves you applied to it is definitely soothing."

Lloyd nodded. "Mint and lum. Lum is hard to come by, but I keep some around. Works for pretty much any status."

"Thanks…" She yawned, then said, "What's in your cloak?"

"Eh? How…"

"You keep sticking your hand in there. There must be something important there."

Lloyd pulled out the ruby necklace. "It's this."

Elaine covered her mouth as she squeaked. "Oh my, that's beautiful! It's for Sharl right?"

"Err, yeah. It's something I thought that she'd like." He sat next to her on the bed.

Elaine giggled. "You two are so adorable. I hope that you two get married or something."

Lloyd shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, well… I thought that she'd like it. She will right?"

"She'll love it. You're lucky that Sharl likes you. She's never seemed interested in someone before now."

Lloyd had only talked with Elaine once before alone. "Have you ever been in love?"

Elaine smiled. "When I was 8, I was in love with Kai. Of course, when I turned ten, then I realized how wrong that was."

He chuckled. "Good thing."

"Sharl told me about your two sisters. I'm… I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

She looked at him, then said, "I think I should warn you about my master. I'm sure you know about Asterion, but… I ask for all of our sakes that you do not challenge him."

"Why shouldn't I? It's just going to be a match, then he'll take us to meet his master."

"But both of you insist on giving your all. You will get hurt doing that, I guarantee."

Lloyd narrowed his eyes. "You're hiding a lot of information about me. You know exactly who and what he is. If it's that important, you should tell me." He didn't want to threaten her, but he definitely added an edge to his words.

She was quiet. "You're not going to change your mind, are you?" The Glaceon sighed. "So be it. This is your decision anyways."

Lloyd stood up, then said, "If you won't tell me, then I'll find him."

"But-"

"I'll give this to Sharl later. And don't worry, I'll just talk with him if I see him."

Elaine shook her head slightly, then said, "You'll probably find him at the shrine. He's probably…"

Lloyd stood up. "Thank you, princess. I will be back by tomorrow morning."

"Oh, okay. Just… be careful."

Lloyd stopped next to Sharl, who was still sleeping. He rested a hand on her cheek gently before walking out.

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Lloyd sat on the top of a large tower-like structure, one of the highest around. He chewed on a piece of dried fish. The wind blew his cloak around, and he spat a bone over the side, then pulled himself up before brushing off some bits of the food.

On the Southern end of the town was a tall cliff, and at the top was an impressive looking building. It looked like some sort of monastery, white against the orange sea. The sun was setting in the opposite direction, casting an eerie yet still beautiful scene. He stretched his arms, then looked at the sleeping Slakoth that was going to ring the bell. He had been sleeping since Lloyd had gotten up here.

Lloyd climbed down the small ladder, before jumping down flight by flight, ignoring the stairs. Not only was it quicker; it also tested his coordination. He laughed a little, his voice echoing throughout the tower.

When he finally made it down, he chuckled. "That was fun."

"I can tell."

Lloyd looked up in surprise, then blinked. "What are you?"

Floating in front of him was a blob of blue; he couldn't tell if it was liquid or gas or perhaps some pure energy. It had a soft voice, though Lloyd could tell it was male. "Me? I'm pure energy. A life that has died. Only those wielding a spirit themselves should be able to see me."

Lloyd drew Persephone. Persephone, what is this?

It's… She sounded confused. It's not unlike me. But rather than…

"I choose not to form into my actual form here, simply because of how infamous I was. You'd recognize me, and everything would be a mess. Princess Persephone, it's an honor."

Hmph. So you're a sealed spirit too. Who's controlling you?

"I assume you'd like to meet him, no?" The blue energy spirit moved through the street. "Follow me. Quickly now."

Lloyd tucked Persephone back, since the spirit wouldn't be able to harm him directly without a direct command. There was nobody interesting around, so Lloyd followed. "A sealed spirit. You're obviously Asterion, no?"

"Most impressive, Lloyd." The wisp didn't slow down. "I am in fact Asterion, the oldest of the 10 sacred weapons."

"A Pokemon whose true species has been lost in time. Yet your ability to seal yourself within that weapon, a chain capable of becoming both solid and liquid... how interesting."

Lloyd was surprised to see that they weren't heading to the building he had seen earlier, but rather the beach. He climbed down the steep cliff to the beach below. "You should be careful." By now, the sun had almost completely set, and night was starting to set in.

Once he made it down, the wisp led him left, until they came to a large cave. "This is ominous," commented Lloyd. "What's he doing in a place like this?"

Lloyd stepped in, then turned around. "What the… the wisp is gone…" He made the rings on his skin glow weakly to help him see. The cave smelled salty like seaweed, and there was water flowing through. A large pool rested in the middle of the cave. He held out Persephone. "Whoever's there, you'd better show yourself."

A small bubbling came from the center of the pool. So master Leviathan will show himself. Then he emerged; head of the massive sea serpent only. His eyes were narrowed. "Well well…" he hissed quietly, in a voice that seemed a lot more intelligent than he had expected. Yet the Pokemon still gave off an aura of intense raw strength.

Lloyd saw the masked Pokemon watching from a ledge.

"Master Leviathan." Lloyd bowed slightly.

"Umbreon… yes, I've been told about you by my assistant." Mist poured from his mouth. "What do you want?"

"The ruler stones. We intend to challenge those who are-"

"I cannot allow you to challenge the legendries." He said it sternly, ripples of water emanating from the massive dragon-like Pokemon. "Now, begone."

"Wait." But it was too late. He was already dipping beneath the surface. The bubbles didn't stop for awhile. "Well, that was quite unhelpful."

The other Pokemon jumped down from the ledge. "Lloyd. It's good to see you in one piece."

"You as well." Lloyd was rather ticked off, but he had promised Elaine he wouldn't do anything rash. "Your master didn't even mention giving me a chance."

He shrugged. "There's nothing I can do about it. I'm only able to do so much. It's not like I have Sharl's psychic powers."

"Shame." Lloyd exhaled.

"You know, did you feel it yet? You already look different."

Lloyd froze. "Feel what?"

The other Pokemon tapped his mask. "It's faded a little. You're not as aggressive. Perhaps Sharl is good for you."

"You… you mentioned protecting someone is what changed you. I understand you in that case." Hesitantly, he said, "Yes, Sharl has affected me."

"I saw your group enter the gates. Is she all right?"

"She and Elaine were attacked by spiders. They lost some blood, but they're okay."

He tipped his head, though Lloyd couldn't tell whether it was in respect or something else. "Well then." He jumped down, then walked past Lloyd before stopping. "I'll take my leave." He rested his hand on the Umbreon's shoulder. "You won't find him here again tomorrow. Perhaps if the other two princesses are here, he might listen more."

"Is that really true though? He sounded like he knew exactly who I was."

The other Pokemon was quiet, then continued to walk out the cave, footsteps sloshing around in the water.

Lloyd finally turned around. He smirked. Gotcha.

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"Hmph, I can't believe you left me! Making me wait."

Lloyd sighed. "I'm sorry." Sharl was waiting at a table in the front of the inn they had rested at. She was drinking something.

"Where were you, anyways?" She crossed her arms. "Elaine said I should wait for you… it's almost midnight now!"

Lloyd leaned over, then sat at the seat across from her. "I'm sorry."

"It's rare to hear you apologize." Looking away, she added, "I worry for you, sometimes. I hope you didn't try taking down Leviathan. At least alone."

"I didn't try attacking him." Lloyd reached into his cloak. He gripped the necklace, then tossed it to her.

She caught it awkwardly, clearly unexpected. "What is this?"

"What do you think it is?" A Pokemon awkwardly brought Lloyd a glass of water, which he sipped at thoughtfully. "So what do you think?"

She was silent, then said, "It's… it's beautiful." She looked at him, blushing slightly. "Did you really get this for me?"

"Yeah. It's just something that I got without thinking too much really. Well, I mean, I did think about you a little bit. I mean, we already cleared that up sort of, a few nights back, no?"

"I know. Thanks Lloyd."

Lloyd stared out at the seaside town, lit beautifully below the inn. "The town's pretty, isn't it?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. It… it's a really beautiful place." She brushed her hair, and Lloyd felt himself smile.

"Sharl… this might sound rather arrogant…"

She looked up at him, a little surprised. "Coming from mister confidence himself? Go on."

"Well… Elaine mentioned you had suitors before. A pretty Espeon like you could have lived a safe life. Instead, you're putting your life on the line to save my ass-"

"You saved me last time, so you're not completely useless."

He shook his head. "But… well, you get it. Why risk everything you've got? I've got nothing. You could have just handed me the stones instead of agreeing to come with me."

She adjusted her cup a little. "My mother taught me many things. One of them was the fact that things happen for a reason, no exceptions." Hesitantly, she continued. "You did defeat me… and I believe it happened for a reason. You and me… we're supposed to be together."

"I agree completely." Lloyd looked up thoughtfully. "Perhaps we're understanding one another better than we realized. Though I don't believe in destiny."

"You just slashed the mood, you know that?" She sighed, then stood up. "Let's get to bed."

Lloyd was amused. "Hehe, you really are a cutie when you pout."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child!" she huffed. "You're only one year older than me!"

"Don't forget your chest is far from a child's…"

"And you say I'm the pervert!"

"I guess we're both then?" He swiftly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her in for a kiss, remembering the masked Pokemon's words.

She whimpered slightly as their lips met. "What's up with you all of a sudden?"

Lloyd picked her up. "Come on, I'll carry you."

"Oh my…" The Espeon was so shocked that she didn't speak as Lloyd carried her into the room.

Hehe… you still don't know romance, huh?

Shut up… Lloyd had forgotten that she could read his mind with physical contact.

Sorry. She telekinetically opened the door, and he put her onto the bed.

"Are we… going to… have… sex?" she asked him, extremely embarrassed.

He blinked. "Uh, I wasn't going to do that. I thought we were just going to sleep. Besides…" He motioned to Kai sitting on a chair, looking at them suspiciously, and Elaine, who was sitting on the bed, peering excitedly over a book. Celia was sleeping on the bed next to Elaine.

"Oh…" She looked away. "That's… a relief… it's not like I wanted that…"

"Oh really?" giggled Elaine.

"Sh-shut up…"

Kai stood up, then stretched. "In that case, we should get to sleep. You do plan to challenge Leviathan tomorrow, no?"

Lloyd smiled slightly. "Yes. Yes I do."

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"You called me, master?" Elaine pulled back the cloak she had used to cover herself as she had snuck out of the inn.

Lloyd and Sharl had cuddled up cutely; Elaine was admittedly envious of their relationship, though she was happy for her friend as well. Her brother had fallen asleep in the chair, while Celia hadn't awoken when Elaine had left their bed. But she had to ignore her feelings for now. "He" had requested that she come to the sea shrine. He stood in front of her, back towards Elaine.

"Thank you."

Elaine walked next to him to see what he was looking at; a massive pool of water, unmoving. "What are you looking at, master?"

Much to her surprise, his face was uncovered. It had caught her massively off guard when he had revealed who he was, but she was still shocked every time she saw him. She never would have expected it. He turned to her, then said, "Let me ask you something."

"Yes?"

He looked back at the pool, eyes, reflecting the still water as his personality did. He had been the one to save her more than once, and had helped push her more than anyone else had previously. He never lost his temper with her either. "I know I told you my true identity."

"Yes. Don't worry, I didn't give them anything."

"I know. And I'm grateful for that."

"Yes. I-"

He cut her off. "I just wanted you to know." He shook his head. "Elaine... you're going to have to forgive me for what happens next."

"What do you mean?" The massive whip came swinging out, and Elaine barely avoided the attack. "What are you doing?!"

"There's something extremely important that I need you for, but you won't agree to it."

"I'm sure we can reach an agreement!" Shit… he's too close for me to use my arrows. She opened her mouth to launch an Ice Beam, but she couldn't see him. She closed her mouth, and spun around. Oh god… She felt her heart pounding. She knew the damage he could do. She couldn't defeat him at this range, and even with distance, it was doubtful. "What… what do you need me for?" She notched a frozen arrow on Lucia.

"I need you… for the prophecy." Then out of the water erupted the Gyarados. His eyes were blue, his scales seemingly made out of water.

He looked down at her, and Elaine froze. Oh… that's… that's… huge.

She jumped out of the way as the Gyarados launched a blast of water. The force was still enough to unbalance her, and she landed awkwardly. "Nngh…" She had dropped her bow, and felt a bruise on her ribs. "Master… please… tell him to stop!"

The Gyarados paused, and he slowly walked over to her. "Princess Elaine… I am going to need you to agree to whatever I tell you. Do you promise this?"

"I… I do."

She hadn't noticed the whip slowly slithering towards her, as if it had a mind of its own. It had already wrapped itself around her right ankle, and slowly worked its way up. "Forgive me."

"S-stop!" But she was not able to move. She could feel it, draining her of her strength. "What… is this?" She fell to her knees, weak. In all her years of training with him, she had never felt this before. "I…"

"Asterion is the sealer, created to be the counter to all of the sacred weapons. Obviously, the chain's power extends beyond that."

Her vision was becoming blurry now. As she passed out, all she saw were the eyes that reminded her of her own.

Alright, please read and review! Thanks!