Peacekeepers

Chapter Twenty - Relinquish

A frigid, north wind swept across the land to meet a volcanic, swirling wave of heat atop the highest mountain peak. The two elements blended in a curious harmony as their physical manifestations greeted each other with an affectionate head bump.

"Brother," the volcanic entity spoke with a low rumble. "Did you meet my counterpart?"

"I did. She is a bright blaze of intensity and compassion," the north wind's incarnation replied with a regal nod. "And you, mine?"

"Yes. As stubborn and immovable as a glacier,"the fiery beast answered with a huff. "He's reckless though. Perhaps a bit too reckless."

The aurora Pokémon rumbled a laugh. "You favor him for it."

"The same way you favor her untamed tenacity." The Volcano Pokémon looked out at the vast landscape distractedly. "What of our third?"

"He headed west, with the Aura wielders."

"And your patrol?"

The cerulean beast sighed dismally. "The humans continue their marching and posturing. I fear the true violence will soon be upon us."

The reddish-brown beast growled in response. "It is the same in my territory."

"Does this matter require the guardian's attention?"

"Perhaps, but not yet. Let them prove themselves first." There was a long pause as the two legendary beasts gazed down at the land below. "For now, we shall watch over them from afar."

-o-o-o-

The light that seeped through her eyelids was bright,too bright to keep sleeping. Cynthia's thoughts began to stir sluggishly, feeling fresh out of a dream but unable to remember it for the second time in the same night. It was immensely frustrating because both dreams had left a residual sense of importance in the back of her mind.

The only fragment of a memory was that flash of an image in the mist from the first dream, where Steven had his forehead pressed to hers in an intimate moment before it disappeared altogether... The sight had set her heart to pounding and her denial into overdrive, yet a longing settled into her throat, like a lurking sadness she never chose to confront.

Then, afterward, there had been that extremely strange sensation in her stomach... Almost as if she had been- No! No, that's ridiculous! She forcefully purged the thought from her mind, thankful that the sensation had vanished soon after it had appeared. Even so, a nagging, perplexed feeling remained.

Looking to avert her thoughts and hoping to catch a glimpse of the newest dream, she opened her eyes but immediately winced at the unusual brightness of the morning. She was also quickly distracted by a pair of glacial spheres staring right back at her,and mere inches away at that...

At first, her groggy awareness was simple confusion as to why he was so close, then she realized that she was once again the offender, having shifted closer to him in her sleep. For his part, Steven was lying on his back with his head turned her way, his gaze fogged over and giving the impression that he had woken at the same time and in just as much of a delirium.

Feeling frustrated by her own unconscious actions, she frowned a little as she backed away, feeling the bite of the damp morning chill. Failing to resist shivering, she guessed her sleeping self had naturally been drawn to his warmth, or at least, that's what she was resolved to tell herself.

"It's getting colder by the day," Steven observed as he sat up, foregoing a morning greeting and outright ignoring her earlier proximity. "We don't have the proper gear for this weather." He rubbed tiredly at his eyes and forehead, as if fending off a headache. "I feel like I dreamed but didn't sleep much..."