[ BOARDING PASS ] Spoils of War: Spoils of War

It was beautiful here. The breezy was nice and rustled their fur, the grass soft and lush and green under their hooves. The bark of the trees was rough but strong, perfect for scratching an itch on their antlers. The sky, a beautiful, stunning blue, with clouds lazily drifting through the endless expanse and the sun warming their dark coat like a blanket. 

 

They didn’t know how dungeons worked here, how they managed to make dreams like this a reality. Sybil never thought they’d see a sight like this again. 

 

It almost made them sick with nostalgia. 

 

The Sawsbuck shook their head, struggling to chase the awful grimy hands of their memories back. They had a mission to do, they were here for a reason. No time to reminisce on useless things. All they could do was enjoy it while it lasted. 

 

Sybil wished he was alive to see this. 

 

“Hey, big guy, whadya doin’ just standin’ there?” a shrill, high-pitched voice shrieked. Sybil didn’t flinch, but flicked an ear and huffed. 

 

They tilted their head slight, a cutiefly hovering by their head. It was smaller than Sybil’s nose, easily crushed under their hoof. But it’s tiny wings were flapping so quickly they were a blur, and they knew they would have difficulty goring the tiny bug with an antler. 

 

“Helloooo? Anyone in there?” it shrilled again, when the Sawsbuck took too long to answer for it.

 

“Can I help you?” they finally said, eyeing it slightly. “Can a ‘mon not enjoy the weather?”

 

“Well I guess so,” it muttered, tiny beady eyes narrowed in suspicion. “But you guild types always come romping around and ruining the place! So I’ keepin’ an eye on you, ya hear?”

 

Sybil raised their eyebrows. This bug had some nerve. Some moxie. They couldn’t help but respect it, a little. “And what are you going to do if I start crushing flowers? Take me down?”

 

“You betcha, bucko!” it said confidently, puffing out its chest and thumping it with a tiny balled up fist. “I’ll do it all by myself, too!”

 

The Sawsbuck snorted, and started to walk forward. The Cutiefly buzzed, flitting around their head. “Alright. If you say so, then, I look forward to it.”

 

The bug pokemon looked at Sybil from the corner of its eye. “Whatcha even doin’ here anyways, huh? You can’t REALLY just be enjoying the scenery right?”

 

“Why not?” they said, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. “It has been so long since I’ve seen an area like this. I’m so used to ash and dust, I’m afraid it’s seeped into my bones.”

 

The Cutiefly perched on Sybil’s antler, but they couldn’t even feel the milligram added weight. “Your fur, too. It’s all dark. Where’d ya come from that you’ve never seen a meadow?”

 

They chuckled darkly. “A battlefield, my friend. War torn and destroyed. Far, far away from this place; I’m happy you are untouched and unburdened by the spirit of anguish and loss. I would wish it upon no one, no one but my worst enemy.”

 

‘Myself’ sat at the tip of their tongue but Sybil swallowed it back. They wanted to enjoy their time here, not wallow in self-deprication. He would be so disappointed in them if he knew their thoughts. 

 

Healing was so much more difficult than Sybil imagined. All the books in the world couldn’t prepare them for this.

 

“You got a few screws loose, buddy,” Cutiefly said, tapping their antler as if it would catch their attention. It did not. “I’ve never met a ‘mon as airheaded as you before.”

 

“It’s the experiences I’ve been through that have made me this way,” the answered, pausing at a pond. Mud squished beneath their hooves, and the surface rippled when Sybil leaned down close enough to feel their breath come back at them. Fish pokemon swam beneath the surface, only sparing them a glance. 

 

Cutiefly took to the air again, buzzing around their head. “You talk weird too. All puzzles. Have you ever talked to anyone else before?”

 

“Only my rebels in arms,” they replied, tucking their long legs beneath them and settling down at the pond bed. It was so nice, much too nice for someone with so much blood and agony staining their skin. “It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to talk to anyone outside of my family. So I’m… still getting used to being among pedestrians again. Forgive me.”

 

Cutiefly landed on a cattail leaf near Sybil’s head. “You ain’t bad, for a Guild member. Are you leavin’ soon?”

 

Sybil shrugged best they could. “I have to, eventually. Not for a while though; I’d like to soak up what I can.”

 

“…” Cutiefly stared at its reflection in the water thoughtfully. It slowly looked at Sybil again, more tentative than it had been the entire time. “Mind if I come with? You don’t seem half bad.”

 

The Sawsbuck blinked in surprise, ear twitching. They looked at the small bug type again. “…If you really want to. You can come back with me to Stellar.”

 

Cutiefly grinned, flying over to settle on Sybil’s antler again. “Alright, buddy, I’ll go back with ya then!”