Chapter Text
“Twins of Fire, Ice and Lightning,
Hear my Creed.
Listen to this Warning:
History Must Not Repeat.
Bear this in your Mind:
As Darkness shadows Day,
One of you will find
That another has lost her way.
Trust None of what you Hear,
And Less of what you See.
Above all When you are Near,
Wake not the Beast of the Sea.”
Blanche and Candela were at their usual spots, at opposite ends of the silent common room, neither speaking to the other. Usually, when it was just the two of them in the room, it would be quiet, but today, it seemed to have an ominous quality to it. Like the swirling masses of grey clouds before a storm.
Candela reflected grimly how different it had been just two days ago. Spark would be there, making everyone cringe at his awful puns. For once, she found that she wouldn't have minded. Having Spark's corny jokes and endless antics was better than having him gone.
And it's all my fault. The thought was quite unbearable. The last she and Spark had spoken was during a raging argument. Someone, apparently from Team Instinct, had been circulating a series of hateful comments about Team Valor and Mystic. And she had taken out her rage on Spark. It wasn't his fault. It never was.
“Do something, Spark!” Candela declared, hitting the table and making Spark jump. “Whoever this is, they claim to be from Team Instinct. Your team, your responsibility.”
“This person isn't from Instinct. You said so yourself that you detected that it was from an unregistered device.” Spark replied coolly.
“Well as they claim they're from Instinct-”
“No, it was NOT any of the members of Team Instinct!” Spark stood, his face pale and rigid. “Because while the rest of you were so busy tracking down the one behind this, all the Team Instinct members were helping out at the Pokemon centre after the riot!”
“And anyway… you don't need me to find out who it is. You're doing a pretty good job by yourself,” he continued.
Candela gaped at Spark, trying to find something else to say.
“Well, where were you while your team was helping at the Pokemon Centre?” she finally shot back. “Don't they need your help?”
“No, they don't,” Spark’s voice shook. “I...I resigned. After the riot. Pokemon was supposed to unite us, not divide us. Our teams have been fighting for weeks. I can't go on trying to keep the peace like this,” he finished bleakly. “I'm going.”
Candela's eyes flashed red as she regained her thoughts - and her anger.
“Going? And leaving us - leaving everyone - in this mess?” she screamed. “Even if you don't like this fight, you don't have to be such a coward!”
Blanche, sitting at her usual place, seemed to have her eyes on her book, but she was watching. She had seen Candela's eyes flash red, but there was something strange about it.
There's no fire, she realised. That means… Candela isn't channeling Moltres’ energy. Then why…
Her eyes widened as she realised. Moltres was channeling Candela's rage, not the other way around.
That is right, Blanche, a voice echoed in her head. Soft, but powerful. Articuno. Then the connection broke, and she was alone with her thoughts again.
“Fine, then. Go. You wanted it, right?” Candela seemed to be exercising every last bit of self-control to keep from striking Spark.
His eyes glowed an eerie yellow and electricity crackled in his palms. “I'm going.”
As she watched Spark disappear through the door, Blanche wondered whether she would ever see him again. But barely one minute passed, and he was back.
“There's an egg. In a lab incubator. It's going to hatch,” he panted. His eyes were initially on Candela, but it soon became clear that she hadn't heard a word he had said. “Take care of it for me. Please.” He locked eyes with Blanche, and she nodded, watching Spark, his expression grim and his face bloodless, disappear through the door of the common room again.
Candela was still standing where she was, a furious and wild expression on her face.
“Candela…?”
As she turned around and realised that Spark wasn't there, her face had a look of dawning horror.
“He’s gone?” There was the slightest shred of hope in her tone, that Spark hadn't really left, that it was all a dream. But Blanche had no need to answer her question. One look at the room, and the answer was obvious. Slowly, Candela's clenched hands fell by her side, and her eyes went back to their usual bright gold.
“I have to find Spark.”
“We don't know where he went,” Blanche replied. “We can't go yet.”
Candela frowned. “I told him to go. This is my fault and I'm going to make it right.”
“No. It's my fault. Moltres was channeling your energy, I saw it. But I didn't stop you.”
“Moltres? That wasn't Moltres…. I meant it when I asked Spark to leave. It was all me. I have to look for him.” Candela's face was set and determined.
“Okay then…. Good luck.”
Candela's face fell. “You're not coming?”
Blanche shook her head. “There's something I need to do first.”