Four Paws and One Last Tale

Chapter 21: Jacob

I lay on Lunala's back as she glided through the night sky. Pixie's sleeping form sat on my chest. I watched her body rise and fall with her soft breathing. I was so incredibly tired. I needed sleep. Arceus had even told me that I could rest now. Screw that, sleep is for the weak. My hands behind my head I wasn't thinking, just watching the night sky as the stars twinkled overhead. I felt Lunala slowing and descending.

"We're there. I'm landing."

"Okay. Thanks, Debby."

Lunala approached the canyons on the edge of Madeira Desert. I gently shook Pixie awake. As Debby pulled up, I hugged Pixie to my chest and slid from the legendry's back.

There was a small firelight in the darkness. I walked forwards and sat around the fire. Around the flame a Darkrai, Gligar and Meloetta all slept beside each other. I was surprised, but I didn't care.

Upon recognising Pixie, an Emolga made several squeaking sounds. It was Ace. I watched as he talked to Pixie, but not to me. Damn it all. What's the point of any of this if I can't even talk to my friends? They're right in front of me, they're talking, but I don't understand.

"Pixie!" Ace called. "What happened? Did you find Arceus? What's with the human?"

Pixie didn't reply. She sighed heavily.

Ace looked around. "Pixie... where's Jacob?"

Pixie gave a small sad smile and nuzzled my hand. "We've got a lot to catch up on," she said.

******

Pixie POV

"You became a human?!" Ace asked in surprise.

"Yeah. It was weird because I've been there before, but I wasn't human that time. Lunala says Palkia could've made me a human then but he didn't. I don't know why not. Anyways, when we woke up we were back here. I was a Vulpix again, but Jacob was still a human."

"What happened next?"

"Arceus said... he said that we'd done all we could. We don't need to do anymore. He said we could rest. Then, he flew away somewhere. From what you said he's probably going to save our world and afterwards he'll deal with Dialga, Palkia and Giratina."

Ace stared silently into the fire. I looked to the side; Jacob was gently tending to the wounds of Glair, Darkrai and that mysterious Pokémon he called Meloetta. I let out a depressed sigh, the way Jacob's shoulder's sunk... He hadn't said anything in hours.

"So that's it then."

I looked to Ace as he spoke. His tiny white fists were clenched impossibly tight. All his muscles were tensed. A fierce anger burned in his eyes. "Arceus comes back... and fixes everything. Does that mean... Tertle's sacrifice... was in vain?"

"No. Your friend's valiance was not wasted. We need a little help sometimes, all of us, even Arceus."

I looked at Meloetta as she spoke. She sat up slowly; she was obviously weak. Her tiny body covered in angry bruises she coughed and shivered against the cool of the night.

"You forget something. Arceus knows that Palkia sent him to the human world, but he doesn't know about Dialga or Giratina or Cresselia. Cresselia was sly and cunning; she wasn't taking any chances. When Arceus was sent to the human world he became a human. When he became human, he lost his greatest asset. He lost his plates."

"His plates?" I asked confusedly.

"We have to go now, Arceus is walking into a trap. Lunala!"

Lunala screeched loudly in preparation making Jacob jump out of his skin. "Damn it Debby!" he shouted.

It hurt my heart to see him like this. I slowly walked forwards. He smiled sadly when he saw me coming. I jumped into his arms. He held me tight. I licked his cheek. He laughed quietly.

"I'm sorry," he whispered

A tear slid down Jacob's cheek. I could see it; he was frustrated, and angry. He'd lost Rio. He'd lost Tertle. He didn't want to lose me next. He thought he wasn't strong enough. He wasn't sure I could love him like this. He didn't know if he could protect me or our children.

I looked to Lunala. "Debby, you have telepathy, right?"

"Yes."

"Can you tell Jacob what I'm saying?" Lunala nodded and waited. I looked into Jacob's eyes. "You don't need to be an Eevee. You don't need to be a hero. I didn't fall in love with any of that. I just fell for you. Only you."

Jacob laughed bitterly. "How could you not fall for all this?" he joked weakly.

I licked his cheek. "That's the Jacob I love. Come on, the world still needs saving. We can't rest yet."