Another Day at Unity (25) (Patreon)

Drake released her, and Hayden plopped back onto the dirty bed. The illusion helped a little, though only the feeling. Deep down, she still knew her bare skin was touching it. She'd probably have to change into something without any hair to lose all the mites, or they'd infest her whole wardrobe.

"If you say you're here for shelter, I'll believe you," Drake said. He held on to one of her wrists. "Aurora and I know what it's like to run."

And he would also feel it if she tried to lie. The chance of fooling even an untrained legendary psychic was just too low to risk. "I won't lie to you, Drake," she said. "Can we talk somewhere else? Maybe... up? I've been inside for too long."

His mom looked like she was going to say something sharp—but Drake glared in her direction. He spoke before she did. "Sure. You want to ride Aurora again?"

That brought a real smile. Even with literal years more practice, Hayden couldn't fly like the latias did. But the more time they spent together, the more they could learn. "That would be fun. If Aurora is okay with it." She lowered her head respectfully to the daemon.

Aurora took her other hand, tugging her towards the window. "We gotta go quick! It's sunrise soon, and we gotta be back! Otherwise, things will get crazy..."

A few minutes later, and the two of them were high in the air again, so high that Hayden couldn't see individual people anymore. There were the canals and shapes of buildings outlined in amber lights, and the occasional form of a larger pokémon briefly obscured one. Otherwise, it was just the two of them, and the gray clouds in the pre-morning.

"Mom really didn't want me to agree," Drake said, as soon as they were comfortable. "She thinks you have someone waiting up here to ambush us."

"We don't!" Liz promised. "If someone attacks you while we're together, we'll keep you safe no matter what. We protected a celebi from the Mythical Assembly alone once. Pretty sure we could protect you too."

"We know you won't hurt us!" Aurora said, from under them both. The pokémon sounded high and trill, though somehow still perfectly clear. The same way Liz sounded like a mewing kitten when she spoke. Maybe Hayden did too, a little. "It's so obvious! You're not hiding, we feel it. But she warns us over and over, like you're the best spy who ever lived. I don't even think mew can hurt people."

Hayden didn't laugh. "We can, but we hate it. And we've never hurt another legendary before."

"It's the same way we knew we'd be safe even after we helped your mom," Liz added, right next to Aurora's head. "You wouldn't let her kill us in our sleep."

Drake rested both arms around Hayden's shoulders, turning her on Aurora's back until they faced each other. "You could've said no from the ground. Why are we up here?"

"Because..." She gestured down at the city. "I saw how important the Misties are to you. And how important you are to them. They wouldn't have enough food without you."

"They still don't," he said, voice flat. "You saw that too, you can't lie to us. You wouldn't bring us food if you thought we didn't need it."

She looked away from his face, then spoke. She wasn't going to get a better chance to tell him the truth. "A long time ago, mythicals could only come from the Great Families. They had this... magic, I dunno how it worked. But it changed how souls were born, somehow. People like you and me couldn't exist. But over time, the magic broke. Suddenly we’re born."

"Okay." He pushed against her chest with one finger. "What does that have to do with Aurora and me? We're not trying to change the world. It's hard enough keeping these kids alive."

"The Great Families had two choices about what to do with kids like us, Drake. Lots of them wanted to kill us while we were young, before we got strong enough to fight them. Like what your mom's patrons wanted to do with you. That was what they used to do, hunt us down and kill us. They had good reasons too—we're dangerous. Without training, without rules, you're the most dangerous person in all of Alto Mare. You have to realize that."

"We could be if we wanted," Aurora argued. "But we're not. We didn't kick Rocket out, or the other gangs. Just helped them understand that if they wanted to keep working, they leave the kids alone, send them to us. It worked."

Hayden winced. Sending kids to them had saved many of their lives. Flint and Rush and the rest, how many of them would still be breathing without somewhere safe to shelter?

"We aren't dangerous to good people, Hayden. You saw that. Didn't hurt you, even if we could've."

She nodded. "And I'm grateful. For me, that's enough. But I'm not in charge. Your mom was wrong about me in a lot of ways, but she was right in one. I did come to find you. Do you know who Lord Moonstone is?"

He nodded absently. "Strongest pokémon in the world, apparently. Other than the... monsters that probably ain't real. He's the one who bosses the Great Families around. They all do what he says, no matter what."

She could almost hear her father-in-law laugh in her mind at those words. He wished obedience came that easily. Unfortunately for the world, it wasn't so. He could rewrite anyone he wanted, but not everyone. And none of the people who were most difficult to worldwide stability—at least not officially.

"He decreed something new. Instead of killing kids like us, we have to go to a special school. It's called the Unity Academy, up in the coldest part of Sinnoh. It's a nice place, actually. Lots of other mythical pokémon up there to learn from. Lots of new friends. And some real assholes who hate us and wish we didn't exist. But you don't have to talk to them."

He stiffened, moving both arms away from her shoulders. As if driven by her words, the pokémon they were riding began to descend. Not fast yet, or else Hayden might have to jump for her life to stay close to Liz.

They were not as fast as these two, and wouldn't ever be, not without learning ways to use their powers that were still well beyond them. "We can't go. You already know why—Flint and Rush and Ruben and all the rest... they need me. Instant I'm gone, some asshole muscles onto the turf and throws them wherever. Misties like to feel like they're strong and brave, but I know how this goes when I'm not here."

Hayden said nothing for a few seconds. She used her powers to hold still on the pokémon's back, even as Liz rejoined her, tucking into her arms in case they started moving quickly. Or worse, if this came to blows...

"I'm not saying to abandon them, Drake. We don't have to leave right now. We've got some time to stabilize the situation here first, find some other way."

"You don't understand." Drake took her wrist forcefully, tugging her closer to him. She might've blushed at the proximity, if she wasn't already sitting on his daemon. That confused her enough that she couldn't easily guess what part of their relationship this was. "I am not going to leave them, period. Lord Moonstone can fly right off the pier, I don't care. I'll fight him."

"No, you won't," she whispered. She stayed close to him, letting Drake hold her as tight as he wanted. It would make no difference. "If the Eldest decides to get involved, there won't be a fight. He'll reach into your mind, erase anything that isn't convenient to him, and transport you to Unity. You won't even remember the Misties existed."

"You'll lead him here?" he asked, mouth hanging open. Drake shoved her back, hard enough that she toppled off Aurora and went tumbling into the air. She caught herself, floating along beside him. "Don't lie! I know you won't!"

"I wouldn't do that," she agreed. "But I wouldn't have to. Lord Moonstone doesn't need my help to find you. He dropped me a few blocks away from your headquarters when we got here. He gave me your picture, everything about you. He probably sent me as a... kindness. He knew I would find a better way to end this than his, or the one that Alto Mare's Eons would use."

Drake sniffed, wiping at his face with one sleeve. At least he didn't speed away with Aurora, yet. But Hayden felt the eagerness to flee building there, growing stronger as the seconds passed. If she didn't turn this quickly, he would run, and she might not catch him again.

Unless he goes back to the hideout. Would he abandon his mom?

"If it were up to me, I would just leave. But Lord Moonstone won't do that. He's made up his mind, which means we only get to decide what to do about it."

She floated closer, flying sideways through the air in front of him. "You can run away. You're fast, probably you could stay away from him. You and Aurora could stay free. But if you ever stopped in one place for too long... someone would find you. And the Misties still fail. Or maybe two of the most powerful pokémon in the whole world can use our brains and find a way to keep some kids safe when you leave."

Whenever she drifted closer, Drake withdrew—but if she didn't have to cross the distance, he couldn't run.

Hayden vanished, reappearing close enough to take his hand in hers, and hold on. "Drake, I can help you. I have friends with powers you can't even imagine. You don't have to abandon them. Let's do for them what I did for your mom."

He gasped, staring down at her arm, and the thin layer of ice condensing there from her brief teleport. She couldn't say for sure what finally reached him. Maybe it was his mom. "You really think we can't stay here and hide? No matter how hard we try?"

She nodded. "Sorry, Drake. You could escape, maybe, but Aurora can't carry everyone. But there are other ways to protect those kids. There are people who have enough gold to turn their home into a real orphanage, and have staff here who can give them more food than the bare minimum not to starve. I might... make some enemies. But I think I already have a plan."

"Yeah? What's that?"

"Four steps." She let go of his hand, and held out both of hers. Hayden saw bricks, loose behind a dumpster. She felt the leather pouch that she'd been given, and all the gold within. Space folded and twisted in on itself, then cracked like a gunshot. Shards of ice went spinning in all directions, a few even towards Aurora.

The latias retreated, squealing in surprise. Hayden followed, holding out the pouch. "When we split, you're going to take this back to the shelter, get your mom, and get her far away from the hideout. Buy her a wheelchair, and a ticket for Olivine. She's on the first airship out of here. Send her to the Household of Lady Gale Moonstone."

"What?" Drake and Aurora drifted closer to her, staring shocked. "Why would we do that?" He stared down at the pouch, peering inside. Then he saw the gold, and nearly dropped it. Would've, if Hayden didn't catch it with telekinesis, pushing it back to his chest.

"I'm not finished," she said. "She'll be sent to speak with the Steward of House Mew. She is to say these words exactly: 'Hayden sent me to her household so the helpless could cherish the years we had.' Those words exactly."

Drake shook the pouch in his fingers, and nearly dropped it again. "Is this real gold, not silver?"

She nodded. "Can you and Aurora remember that? That's what you tell her. She'll be safe from the Eons of Alto Mare. When you graduate, you can come and visit her. Take her with you maybe, up to you. She won't be a hostage. And if she asks my friend Ilene extra nice, she might even fix her spine."

Drake tucked the pouch of gold away into a pocket. "Why would we send my mom away?"

"Because I don't want her to get killed, obviously. Now... Liz and I need to get a good look at you. Then..."

"Got it!" Liz circled around her, dropping below where Hayden was floating. "Get ready to hold on!"

Hayden imagined the kind of girl she needed for a mission like this—someone from the Misties, who had grown up fighting her whole life, but inexplicably spent many of those days in a real Dojo as well. She imagined a set of vest, skirt, leggings, and goggles in leather and brass, the kind of girl who might soar across the world and back and still have energy to spare.

Her hair turned stark white, with a red crest somehow crossing both hair and skin alike, and sharp red wings emerging from perfect slits in her blouse.

Now she felt it—energy, like being a victini, but far more focused. She wasn't just trying to win, anymore. She just wanted to fly, to get further and higher and faster than she had before.

We have to go the other way, Liz. Sorry.

Her daemon didn't answer with words, but a sad cooing in her ears. They wanted to go up, beyond the wispy threads of atmosphere. But not today.

They hesitated in the space beside Drake and Aurora, close enough that Liz brushed against the other latias. Like her, that pokémon wanted to be moving, to drop low to the ocean and see which of them was faster. It would be Aurora this time, despite Liz's greater strength. With time, that balance might reverse.

"I could tell you no to all this. I already know the Misties won't like it. They didn't join to be part of some fancy orphanage. What you're suggesting... it will kill the gang, even if it works."

She nodded solemnly. "You're going to hate it even more when you realize what it costs you. You might even hate me for making you do it."

She floated closer, right in front of him. "But it's the only way I know to save them. Anything else you do eventually ends with those kids either back on the street, or worse. Unless you have some clever way to protect them that doesn't need you here."

Drake sighed. "So what's the last step of your plan? The one that made you want to... look like me? Except for the wings, that's... will I get those?"

She ignored the second part of that question. "Legendaries don't like killing their own, usually. While you're getting your mom to safety, I'm going to negotiate on your behalf. With the Latias and Latios family of Alto Mare."

Drake swore loudly, and Aurora carried them some distance away, out of reach of Hayden. "The ones who told my mom and dad to kill me when I settled two years ago?"

"Yep. That's why I'm going, and you're not. Oh, and if I don't come back, it means they killed me, and you should probably get on the same airship as your mom. Because if they're willing to do that, they probably ripped my mind apart to figure out where the hideout was before I died. Just... maybe a few hours? If it gets later than that, hide."