EMPYREAN.

indie & selective rayquaza

[ferventwished-blog]

plot twist, here’s my rayquaza’s pmd verse: take that protective instinct that makes it defend the world, ramp it up to 99, and compress it all into 1 little dungeon that it personally made out of clouds. there is no human (or pokémon) partner to temper rayquaza’s territoriality, so ray’s a bit of a jerk in this one! just sitting on its throne in the sky! lonely!

[ferventwished-blog]

SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE MUST DO. It is not the first time Comet has carried a heavy mission on her shoulders, and it likely won’t be the last — nevertheless, she cannot afford failure here. She will not fall short now.

Talons locked securely but not too tightly around the explosives she’d been assigned, the Noivern carefully advances up to the fourth floor. She is wary, large ears perked, constantly checking for sound and sight and smell around her. Thus far, it seems she’s eluded attention by tucking into shadows and veering sharply away from any hint of occupation, but she won’t remain undetected forever.

Even if she’d grown up in a rather secretive clan, those people had isolation and knowledge of winding caves on their side. Here, she is disadvantaged, especially with such volatile cargo.

But here’s the thing: COMET’S STRENGTH LIES IN HER AGILITY. She is not the strongest of dragons and doubts she’d be able to face a fully-equipped patrol on her own, but she is quick and that is enough to give her an edge — so when the inevitable comes crumbling down on her, her back to a wall and footsteps tapping ever closer, wait for it, wait for it...

As someone who’s seen the dragon lord at its best and its worst, she is perhaps one of the least reverent creatures around. But. This is important enough that she takes a moment to close her eyes, thinking. Praying.

( Distantly, a jade serpent cocks its head to the side, golden eyes narrowed. )

Clack. Clack. Clack.

NOW.

It is she who springs first, wings aglow. Whirling SAWBLADES of compressed air swirl into existence for a split second before she launches them.

COMET USED AIR SLASH!

A flutter of papers flies into the air and for an instant so does she, pushing off the wall with a powerful LEAP that clouts a wing against the surprised person’s skull, knocking them down.

“Try catching this!” the Noivern taunts in a chitter, rebounding off walls and surging forward, wind swirling beneath the membrane of her wings.

COMET USED TAILWIND!

She’s off like a shot! Her movements appear erratic, but she’s making her way towards a specific point — the spot where she’s meant to deposit the explosives — without leading her pursuers directly into it.

It wouldn’t do for them to figure out this little... present before it’s time, after all.

In the final stretch, the Noivern gathers herself for a final aerial sprint, using the very last of her speed wind-buff to slam into a door, shove the package into a slide until it gently knocks up against a wall, and then bounces around the room a few times as distraction ( not long enough for them to notice or accidentally hit the bombs ) before crashing through the people standing in the doorway and drawing them away.

Going through meets more resistance than simply fleeing from, but Comet spits DRAGON PULSE at whoever attempts to threaten too closely. There’s screaming and shouting and retaliatory attacks — something like an ICE BEAM hurtles past, and she is very glad not to be hit by that.

Deftly, she guides the commotion away with her own wings, flitting through the air, a tantalizing target.

The bombs are left behind, winking silently in the dark.

[ferventwished-blog]

[ DESIGNATED FIGHTER: Comet. The Alpha has chosen you to partake within my pack in OPERATION: RED MOON. Your mission is to plant PROVIDED explosives in FLOOR 4 of the designated AO. How you proceed with said task is completely up to your methods. MISSION IS NOW A GO. ]

@unmaskedchimera / charge.

An ear flick and a smirk, talons tapping idly on the ground. SHE’S READY; like a spring coiled tight, energy collected and pooled until it ripples in gentle movements through steady sinew and muscle.

“Understood,” the Noivern replies, lifting her head and her wings. “See you on th’ other side, then.”

[ferventwished-blog]

❝ And again does the world tear itself apart, maddened. ❞

[ferventwished-blog]

hiddcnwishes‌

aetherbeast‌

There was little time to question the oddity of this situation. His pack had already gathered, and were ready to attack, and the battle-ready Alpha was well prepared to begin his counter strike. His attention locks on Prince and his tilts his head, his mouth pressed in a sharp line. 

[ Wait. If you’re going to attack the Lunar Circle, rendezvous on the western shore. Two of my soldiers are ready to start an invasion of our own. Pooling our forces would drastically increase our rate of success. ]

@ferventwished​ @hiddcnwishes​

     He perks at the familiar name 01 mentioned:

         Lunar Circle

     So that was why he was here.

     “You know where they took him?” he jumps at the opportunity for answers. Braixen had even forgotten his qualms and was suddenly alert on the new information. 

      Although he had just been pumped with power–so-to-speak–it would still be unwise to go in alone with only two pokemon to aid him. A team of Silvally to join with would undoubtedly be far better than relying on only the three of them to take on the organization.

     “Okay. Comet, are you ready to fly again?”

@ferventwished​

Reinforcements would be lovely and Comet briefly flashes teeth in a grin, alert and ready. It feels nice, working as a part of a team again.

How fortunate that this situation may perhaps play as many individuals traveling down the same web towards the epicenter, and as the distance between them and the goal decreases, so does the distance between each other.

Comet gives herself a brief shake, stretching wings and legs. The break has clearly done her some good, and she nods to confirm that she’s ready to go whenever they are. “S’long as I’m not carrying this guy’s whole pack,” the Noivern chirps mildly in response, tipping her head towards the silver-hewn alpha.

[ferventwished-blog]

aetherbeast‌

hiddcnwishes‌

     Prince takes time to readjust to the world outside of Faery, he doesn’t even sense his company until he catches the faintest mention of his name. It must be Braixen she’s meeting, he thinks, but as he peeks over to see the aforementioned pokemon’s fire lighting up the trio, the boy sits up attentively upon seeing the familiar security unit from Aether Paradise. 

     Braixen greets Comet with a nod, but his attention zeroes in on his boy who sits beneath the purple trees. This faery feeling hasn’t completely dissipated, but there was something else emanating from the boy that caught his focus. He wasn’t just upright and conscious, he seemed perfectly sturdy even. But there was something else different about him that he just couldn’t peg.

     Completely forgetting about the guest he guided in, Braixen hurries over to Prince’s side, remembering the concern he felt earlier that he was unable to act upon.

     “Braixen, who did you find?” perhaps…this was a different beast? Silvallys didn’t seem to be common pokemon to just stumble upon, but Aether was quite a ways away from here…

@aetherbeast​

[ GREETINGS. I am an ally. This unit’s designation is Type: Full, Unit BK-01, ALPHA CLASS. ] 01 responds stiffly at the Noivern’s question.

Oh, untrusting thing that he was, the Alpha was so slow to admit friendship even though he held it so dear. His ears swivel slightly at the attention. Onward, he followed, in to the clearing where a boy waited, and as Braixen moved to his side, suddenly he remembered the boy at the Paradise, the same who had helped him free a Sharpedo on the shore. 

— He remembers, also, the Fenniken who had accompanied Prince. 

[ Ah - you are … . SEARCHING LOGFILE … . TRAINER: PRINCE, right? I remember you. I was there, at the Foundation. ] 

How curious that the boy who had been with Kubo was also here, and brimming with power. 

Something rings a bell — Comet thinks she ought to know this silver creature, but nothing specific comes to mind... Must’ve only heard in passing, then. Nevertheless, the claim to alliance is good enough, and she tips her head with a murmur of, “I’m Comet, lorek— well, just Comet. It’s a pleasure,” before heading back over towards Prince, picking her way through plant life carefully, minimizing damage. Needless trampling would just be rude, at this point.

In the air lingers a trace of something indescribable and nearly indiscernible, but now that the Noivern is closer to and focusing on the boy, she notices an odd energy abut him that either hadn’t been there or just hadn’t been noticed before. She’s leaning towards the former, but not certainly.

She’s not quite that good at picking out power, not yet.

“Everything alright, kid?” Comet asks Prince. She doubts there’s anything WRONG, odd as that is since he’d all but collapsed in a determined but exhausted heap just a bit ago, but nevertheless it’s better to be safe and check in.

[ferventwished-blog]

aetherbeast‌

Silently he does, and he cannot help but feel a sense of reverence as his legs brush through the yellow wildflowers. Whatever had been here was something beyond his imagining; it was as though the entire earth hummed with an afterglow of motherly warmth.

Familiar face, he said…? 01 had no recollection of the Braixen himself, but said nothing on the matter. Whoever was waiting for him in the grove would provide answers soon enough.

@ferventwished​

Sharp ears catch snippets of conversation, and the Noivern turns her head. There’s only the briefest moment of hesitation — a glance over her shoulder, to the sacred life-kissed meadow, but there’s truly no need to hover over this place now — before Comet slips silently off her perch and treads quietly over.

The Braixen is expected, but the strange visitor causes her tail to flick curiously from side to side. She takes it that the unfamiliar figure is not hostile, since there’s no hint of tension or scuffle between them. Comet chirps a greeting. “Hey. Are... you Prince’s friend as well?”

[ferventwished-blog]

...

With a heavy exhale does the dragon lord sigh, pressing heavy on old rock atop Sky Pillar. There is an odd lethargy to her movements, claw-tips clicking quietly instead of digging energetically into the ancient stone construct, head lowering until it rests.

The gold light that hums under her scales seems to dim. She is tired. Perhaps a sleep will do her some measure of good.

Perhaps she should hibernate altogether.

[ofallingstar]

Princess Mononoke (1997)

[ferventwished-blog]

electriccxpy‌

“Uuuh…” Pikatwo glances up, ears twitching while he thinks. He starts to grin when he answers, “He looks after all us clones!”  Yep, that’s his Papa’s “sphere of influence,” as the dragon calls it. Papa doesn’t lord over anything the way many other Legendaries do, but even so his role is still super important.

“So what’s it like takin’ care of the sky an’ the two big ones?” Leviathan and behemoth are such large words, ones he can see his Papa or sister Meowthsie using. So he’s just going to call them “big ones” to be silly!

The sky sovereign bobs its head in a mimicry of a nod — a habit picked up off its human partners, throughout the years.

❝ I am glad you have a protector. ❞

It has seen many beings shy away from the new and unfamiliar before, usually racking up a bit of agony in doing so, but if this new legend can hold ground against those that might lash out, then it’s all the better for them.

❝ The sky oft comes easy as a breath, as much a part of me as I am of it. As for mine precious siblings, however... they are willful, and primal power beckons them. Once, I slept to recover and wake up to a world in chaos. Not the best time I’ve had, I’ll say. ❞

[ferventwished-blog]

whyy iss s s . .. gre e n ... in mmy . . MY SKIES! MI i i iINE ! ME! I MADE THEM not youuuu! HSSS HSSS! WHO ARE YOU WHO ARE YOU WHO ARE YOU?! OUTOUTOUTOUTOUT! LEAVE! my skies.

@aognaidh / claim.

In the face of writhing darkness, THE DRAGON LORD REFLEXIVELY BARES ITS TEETH. Divinity trembles under emerald scales, not from fear or anger but a twisted apprehension that gnaws at every inch of its blessed form. An old grief strikes it and for an instant the entity of ozone-air DARES to contest the claim, rage flickering over its thoughts like a heavy storm: all pressure and threat and power pulled together.

( YOURS? cries its soul, sharp like harsh winds and cutting claws, all stifled within holy flesh and a case of jade armor. Silent, it shakes in fury, in mourning, in indignation as it remembers losing pieces of itself again and again and again. HOW MUCH OF THIS SKY IS YOURS WHEN ALL YOU HAVE ARE WORDS? THE SKIES ARE MINE, I PROTECT THEM, I HAVE TO, THEY ARE MINE. )

( But they are not. It has never been about ownership. )

( REKKŪZA OF SKY. I PROTECT, BUT I ALSO AM. I AM. I AM. )

Ever so slightly does the sky sovereign pull itself up, golden eyes clear and piercing, lips slowly pulled over threatening fangs to hide them in platitude. No, it will not contest this claim of creation. Sternly does it remind itself of its place, of knowing exactly where it belongs.

Against other legends — against this creature — the serpent seems keen on avoiding confrontation. The instinctive defensiveness is DISMISSED, with careful force.

❝ ... I am hewn from the skies, o wyrm; a guardian, not creator. If your talons were those that carved out the sky against empty space, then it is yours that lent breath to mine and me. ❞

And yet the heavenly being doubts its words are even understood, issued forth from mind and maw instead of soul. ( IT DARES NOT RESONATE ITS SOUL TO THE SHADOWS, TO PRESS ITS OWN 𝚂𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙿𝚃 𝙾𝙵 𝙲𝚁𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽 AGAINST SUCH A BROKEN FORM. )

❝ Claim the skies as you will, but there ought be another to sustain it. Permit my presence to loosen the weight of its obligation on you, fallen one. ❞

[8pxl]

Garden of the Gods during sunset, 2018.

follow my twitter / patreon / shop / buy me a coffee

[ferventwished-blog]

hiddcnwishes‌

     Braixen is quiet at his master’s sense of hopelessness. He knows how to resolve Prince’s problem, but it was only an answer that would upset the boy. He turns his attention to the Noivern, exchanging a solemn look with the other pokemon with silent contemplation. He would steer his boy to sleep and possibly suggest he and Comet will switch between watching over him and seeking out clues. But he didn’t get the chance to offer.

     As they sit and ponder on what to do, Prince is well grounded in the spot he’s collapsed on. Drowsy with sleep, he battles himself to let him remain awake, leaving him in a limbo between the realm of dream and awake. A thought suddenly strikes him from the realm of sleep as the flowers and lush green fields start to awaken with the rest of the region. 

     As though in a daze, Prince pulls himself back to his feet and he wanders again on teetering legs. The funny thing about this world was that there were gods who had a home and stuck to that home and its region. He couldn’t say if these were omniscient gods, but he did know of at least one whose presence was reoccurring regardless of where he was.

     Through each flower in bloom, She whispered to him.

     When witnessing the birth of Sewaddle and Kubo’s Amaura, Her love and pride warmed the hearts of those who witnessed the miracles.

     And when he dreams those horrible dreams of greedy eyes in an otherwise glorious wood, he hears her grieving apologies and feels her comforting touch when he cries for a release from these woeful times.

     Prince carries himself through plains until sunlight is casted out by the walls of Poni Meadow. A stream flows through the small space, kissing the roots of a grand tree who wears purple flowers along her leaves.

     This will do just fine.

    Mother will join him here.

Having been watching the Braixen for a cue, Comet is momentarily startled when Prince — seemingly without warning — hauls himself back up again. The Noivern straightens, poised to reach out and pull him back and tell him to rest, for the Creator’s sake, but for some reason, she stops before her outreached claw can catch onto the fabric of his clothes.

She hesitates. 

She has been around divine creatures, or at least one divine creature, long enough to sense when blessed work is at hand. For all that she bares teeth at and banters with the dragon lord as though she has no regard for the one the humans call a deity, there is still enough a measure of respect for her to withhold her stirring touch. ( She wonders if she would even be ABLE to wake Prince up from this living dream he’s walking, touched by something that runs deeper than the mortal blood in her veins. )

( Rarely has the dragon lord ensnared anyone like that which reaches out to the boy now, but still, she knows the signs. And she knows to draw back, ears still perked, attention flickering to and fro. )

Silently, Comet sets her limbs to the ground and follows, taking a moment only to cant her head at the other pokémon: an indication that she does not plan to leave Prince alone. His path is easy enough to trace, and upon reaching the meadow flourished with life, she feels... somewhat more at ease.

Enough to head towards the shortest distance away to the nearest rock formation, hooking talons into stone and hopping up until she’s afforded a better vantage point of the immediate area, and she remains there, an attentive guardian.

[ferventwished-blog]

There are regions and land and sea and forest and countless splits of who-guards-what in this world, but THE SKY WRAPS ITSELF OVER ALL. Carefully, like the serpent it is, the dragon lord slithers between the line of DON’T INTERFERE; THIS IS NOT YOUR PLACE and the divine call of YOUR OATH IS TO THE WORLD: FULFILL IT, REKKŪZA.

It soars around the epicenter of power-anger-hate boiling in the eye of the storm, around even the cold indifference of a human-controlled legend, avoiding the hotspots and concealing itself with heavy clouds. None of it is pried away from the oceanic wyvern’s control ( it does not wish to distract the silver-souled one or bring wrath upon itself ), but rather manifested out of the sky sovereign’s own masterful breath.

At first, the dragon’s actions aren’t clear — but when it descends and croons and chirps softly until survivors are persuaded out of their homes, its intent becomes visible.

If it cannot interfere in the fight, then it will not. INSTEAD, the sky sovereign gathers up the frightened and wounded and guides them to better shelter. It rumbles warnings softly into the air, ensuring that the fauna know that danger is coming, so they have time to prepare.

It might not be enough. BUT IT’S SOMETHING.

[ferventwished-blog]

hiddcnwishes‌

     Prince carefully climbs off her back, stumbling a bit only to lean against her for support. Braixen leaps off with grace, an equally concerned look crossing his expression, he had a feeling this would happen soon enough.

     His mind was dizzy with sleep, this mortal body needed to rest; however, one couldn’t imagine just how hard he was pushing himself to stay awake. Comet’s concerns desired an answer, but he daren’t admit the obvious. Really, he needn’t have to, Braixen was already aware of his master’s condition before they even landed.

     ‘ You need to rest, ’ the fire-type clarifies. Prince’s silence only confirmed the assumption.

     Stubbornness, however, pushed him off from Comet’s support and onto his feet, though he teeters onward in deep thought. Why had he’d made them land if he was just going to keep fighting his condition?

      Finally, he collapses to his knees, surprising his pokemon who hurries over to help. But Braixen is halted by Prince’s quiet, yet guilty voice.“How could I sleep at a time like this? I’ve slept so much for so long, nothing keeps me awake. Not even my best friend’s kidnapping leaves me restless. What’s wrong with me that makes me grow so weak now?”

Feeling Prince’s unsteadiness as he leans against her, Comet frowns slightly. She’s reminded that the boy was in a hospital for a duration previously, and might not be in the best shape to take on a SEARCH-AND-RESCUE MISSION with only the help of a few pokémon...

The collapse sends a spike of alarm through her, though, and the Noivern inches closer. Noses gently at his shoulder.

“Don’t beat yourself up over that, kid,” Comet says. She is reminded of her past trainer, in the way that they both push themselves so hard for a singular goal. “Exhaustion is not so great at responding to sheer urgency.” Although the air keeps feeling off, like each passing breeze is a whispered countdown to an unknown culmination, Comet is reluctant to let Prince run himself ragged because his mind desires one thing while his body longs for another.

Glancing over at the Braixen, the Noivern clicks a few worried sounds. She isn’t as familiar with Prince’s situation as the fox, so in this case she’ll defer to the other’s decision. 

Should they rest or keep moving? Maybe a short break would help. Or perhaps they could just let the boy rest while they keep an eye out themselves; Comet herself isn’t yet worn down to the point of no return, although it has been a rather long flight.

[ferventwished-blog]

hiddcnwishes‌

@ferventwished

     Maybe it was the light in the sky poking through, implying how much time had passed since the hospital escape, that added to Prince’s feeling of heaviness. They’d searched thoroughly within the few hours for any sign or hint of Kubo’s or Hiroko’s whereabouts, and Prince thought himself to be wide-awake and sharp in these solemn hours that required him to be alert. But as he leans against Comet’s back, he deals a heavy battle against falling asleep. It could be the human amount of weariness for this amount of work in so little time, but he also knew he wasn’t cured of his narcolepsy and this would not only be his burden to bear, but his friends’ as well.

     No, no he can’t do this. He can’t allow this health issue to prevent him from carrying out his mission, but he also can’t have Comet and Braixen left with the responsibility of carrying out the search while he dozes off. Deciding that a walk would do him one better than riding, he pats Comet’s shoulder to grab her attention.

      “Comet, we need to land, if you please.”

Wings outstretched to catch the merciful boughs of wind worming through the sky, Comet soars smoothly and steadily, ears and head craned downward, ever-searching. Although a slow ache attempts to seize hold of her body, she sheds it with a mere twitch. In contrast to practically SPRINTING through the heavens for one specific place, the search pattern is much more forgiving, allowing her to remain aloft without complaint.

But then again, she is a Noivern — battle-trained, utility-trained, a creature built to weather harsh battles against time. A boy does not have the same resistance. Her ear flicks back at Prince’s touch and voice, and sympathy edges across her features before she nods.

“Sure thing. It’ll take just a beat,” Comet promises, scanning the ground below again — this time for a resting spot, instead of an indication of trouble. Quickly, she selects a faintly shadowed area and eases into a steep declining curve.

Before the minute is up, she’s dug her claws into the earth to finish the landing, wings furling carefully as she lays down, allowing Prince to dismount more easily.

“You alright, kid? I know it’s been a long day. Or night, I suppose,” she amends, casting a dismissive glance towards the sky.

[ferventwished-blog]

electriccxpy‌

“Woaaah, that’s so cool.” Pikatwo let out a small breath. Wow. Just… wow…

After hearing the question, Pikatwo turns his head to the side. The Legendary seems nice enough (even though they are pretty scary!) but who knows how they will feel learning about Papa? 

He looks back at the dragon, deciding on how best to answer their question. “Well… Papa is Papa! He’s a clone like me, except he’s different.” Maybe it won’t be too bad admitting it: “He’s a Legendary too.”

... —Oh! Rayquaza recalls faintly, now, of news that had once been carried through the sky. A new addition to the title of LEGENDARY, one of synthetic flesh and blood. The dragon lord had not paid it much attention, being distracted with its own troubles, but now it hums in remembrance.

❝ Is there a particular sphere of influence your papa rules over? I am charged with guarding the skies and intervening between the leviathan and behemoth, for instance. ❞

Some legends don’t have a neatly outlined role, but the dragon is curious nonetheless.