Welcome to Gaia! ::

Skye smiled to herself, watching through the window as her parents lay out in the sun together. The two Leafeon weren’t sleeping, but the sunlight seemed to relax them as they sprawled out on the sunning stones. Old scars ran across their lithe bodies, making gaps in the silken sheen of their fur and standing as a counterpoint to the metallic gold of her mother’s markings. Their leaves were still vibrant and healthy, although she could even now catch the rough edges that betrayed their age.

They had lived and fought under the banner of the old guilds, risking their lives and their teammates’ beside them for the sake of unified peace and bringing aid to those who needed it most. She could remember their dedication even in their earliest days, as she was born into a tangled web of duty and politics. Her sister Harumi was born much the same, although the young Espeon no longer lived with them.

Skye returned when she could. It seemed right to her. She’d grown up with the intention of succeeding her mother as captain of Team Stormcloud, or even her father’s team if they’d have had her. Instead, the guilds had collapsed around them after the final war. Her parents had united their teams into one family, and drawn them away from the remaining chaos to retire in the warmth of the southern forests. They’d all gone, at least at first, but even now many of them had stayed.

Raven had collected his children, by then both edging into maturity, and left for the mountains. With them departed Gary, though no one was quite clear on where he was headed. Cecilia and Mitsu had stayed, surprisingly enough. The duo were keen to live apart, but they were close enough to home that it seemed it hardly mattered. Kanza, too, lived fairly close by. He’d long since adopted Arjun, the glass-winged Skarmory that Skye had helped into the world, and he visited frequently enough throughout the better seasons. Maxi had never left, almost more loyal to Zori than to his former captain, and with him stayed both vice captains of her parents’ teams. Kaiyou and Aryan, as sarcastic and playful as ever, had also managed to keep Istas with them. The Pichu had eventually evolved into a Pikachu, looking soft and sweet enough to draw the attention of all the males her age. Kai's mother had joined them, too, taking up residence in the guest house beside the growing family. Jean-Claude had eventually come back, looking classy as ever, but the rest of her father’s team had found homes elsewhere. She’d barely known most of them, given how young she was when they left, but every now and then she caught sight of their names in letters her parents read. Harumi and her team in particular were frequent authors.

Skye’s heart still warmed to think of them all, knowing how much they’d made it through. They deserved the peace they enjoyed now, even if most of them were still warriors at heart. She just wished that she felt the same peace.

She was born into the Guild of the Sun. Her early days were spent under the watchful eye of Eclipse royals, and her later ventures into battle were known throughout the survivors as a legend borne into reality. With her cousin she’d slain a Darkrai and achieved the impossible. That act wasn’t one she could ever repeat, the power of Judgement no longer burning in her veins, but it had opened the way for immense growth in the months following the final war. She was stronger now than she’d ever been, and long since evolved to match her sister in spirit and species. The Espeon’s eyes blazed bright with intelligence and a restless spirit that had failed to dim over the years. She remembered what it felt like to save someone who’d lost their hope, and the satisfaction of succeeding against a foe much stronger than herself.

Her sense of duty still lingered, she realized as she continued to watch the gleam of white and gold sprawled outside the kitchen window. She’d never really feel like herself, if she didn’t answer that call when she had the chance to.

She twisted, beautiful bright eyes meeting the turquoise ones of the Joltik who’d settled on her kitchen table. He stood atop a handwritten letter, the creases in the paper long since worn in both directions as it had been unfolded and refolded again and again. The seals of three Guildmasters were marked at the bottom, calling her back to the life she’d always wanted.

Zahra’s hands kneaded into the dough, her soft white feathers protected by a pair of gloves that Skye had found for her. The pastry recipe Maxi had sent them was working like a dream, although the Togetic could scarcely believe that Skye’s family actually had a personal chef. The moment she’d demanded an explanation from Skye, the Espeon had just laughed and asked her if she counted herself as her captain’s staff or her friend. Apparently having a professional chef on a guild team was entirely normal, so long as said chef could safely partake in the team’s responsibilities to the guild.

”I think you’re overthinking this a little, Zahra.” Skye’s soft voice was faintly bemused as she stirred the fruit filling she was simmering by the fire. She wasn’t using her paws, unlike Zahra, and the Togetic could see the faint glimmer of psychic aura around the edge of the wooden stirring spoon.

The fairy grinned back at her. ”I think you should get a chef on our team. Way easier than making big meals ourselves,” Zahra teased. ”Just think! Three course meals every night after practice, and we wouldn’t have to lift a finger!”

Skye snorted, her bell-like laughter drawn out by Zahra’s enthusiasm. ”They would, though. Can you imagine making a three course meal for everyone after training?” the Espeon chided gently. Her expression had been bright ever since she read the letter from home, and when Zahra had agreed to help her with Maxi’s recipe she’d been even happier.

Zahra’s expression softened a little. ”Yeah. I guess we’ll pass on the pro chef,” she agreed, ”-For now, at least.”

She watched as Skye lifted the spoon from the pot, blowing lightly across the surface before darting her tongue out to lick a taste off the side. If she’d been happy before, she was even happier now. Her eyes sparkled with delight and a soft squeak or excitement spilled from her lips. ”It’s good! Zahra, come taste this!”

The bird-like fairy stepped back from the pastry dough, obediently licking a second taste off the spoon. It was mostly cherries, but there were a number of other berries in it that seemed to balance it just right. Maybe Pecha and Razz, at the very least. She hadn’t really been watching when Skye had started pulling all the ingredients out of their shopping bags- she just knew that this was supposed to be something of an experiment-

-With nicely simplified instructions for the novice pastry chef, of course.

She took notice as Skye adjusted the heat of the fire with her psychic, creating a barrier around the flames to keep the air out and weaken the blaze. ”So what if the chef was handsome?”

Skye just about choked, her eyes watering with hidden laughter as she spun to look at the Togetic. ”W-what?” Zahra rolled on her heels, tipping her head to the side and looking ever-so-casually at her captain. ”Zahra, where did that even come from?”

She fluffed her feathers and shrugged, looking innocent as ever. ”I’m just saying; the team could use a little eye candy.” Skye was a little confused, but relaxed as Zahra smiled back at her. ”I’m kidding, Skye. In all seriousness, though- that Espeon who walked you home a little while back. …Is that a thing, or…?”

Her captain cringed a little, looking sheepish. ”I kind of doubt it,” she answered back. ”I had a pretty big crush on him when we were Eevee, but I think he just wants to be friends now. He hasn’t really talked to me since we met at the hot springs, so…” Her normally serene and confident voice was much breathier and shy now, and Zahra felt a stab of pity. ”It’s a bit awkward, but he’s always been really kind. It’s just nice to see him again, even if I did misinterpret him a few times.”

”The guy’s a little weird, if that’s true.” Zahra dismissed, shaking her head in disapproval. ”You came home with a flower crown and his cloak on your shoulders. I’m still trying to figure out the part where he doesn’t like you.”

Skye’s markings glowed dimly as she moved the pot of sweet pastry filling out onto the hearth, where it wouldn’t burn while they shaped the dough. The psychic was already stepping up to join Zahra, taking the portion that the Togetic was handing over to her. Both women looked down at the recipe for a few minutes, although Skye had to translate most of it for the illiterate fairy. ”I think that’s just how he is. He just sees it as being nice to me.” Skye’s voice had evened considerably, given the few minutes she’d had to regain her composure. ”He’s a good friend- I think you’ll like him.”

”He’ll be a better friend if he introduces you to someone with a working pair of eyes,” Skye looked horribly embarrassed at that, and Zahra had to laugh again.

”Just make your turnover.”