meeting at twilight

Noel walks along the side of the beach her hands on her side eyes seemingly full of ideas in her mind, she had been through so much she had not seen since her homeland and made so many friends and a few enemies but that was ok, and evolving was great to she looked at her paws happy when she saw the spikes and looked down to her red scarf the last thing she had from her mother.

Even now she was here to meet a friend lumina she had a few good explorations with her and got hurt along side her, Noel then sits down cross legged surprised she was early usually that was Lumina's thing but she decided that was not important as she looked at the water.

She watched the tide slowly roll in and out as the sun was reflecting across the surface of the water which seemed to make it sparkle slightly, Noel was happy with this as she kicked her legs out and laid down eyes closed but she was not asleep just waiting

Lumina wasn't in her best mood as she walked along the coast.

It wouldn't be right to say she was sad. But she wasn't happy, either, and definitely not content. The Vulpix just felt restless as she watched the reflection of the sky on the clear ocean water, thinking about recent events and about decisions she'd made lately. Had she been too hasty in joining the guild? Had she been too trusting of that Zorua? Was she being too trusting in general lately, really? What was the message that these dreams were trying to send her? ... and for the first time in a while, the Vulpix was beginning to wonder what her father had been like.

There was the word she'd been looking for, doubtful. She stopped her pacing as she saw another Pokemon further along the edge of the beach. At first Lumina thought that the figure, which she quickly recognised as a Lucario, was sleeping. She was sitting very still and her eyes were closed. The Vulpix felt embarrassed and a bit ashamed, had Noel fallen asleep waiting for her?

Her nearly-full guild bag weighing heavily as it hung limply from her back, the orange vixen hesitated before she called out. "Noel? ... I'm sorry I was late." She approached the Lucario, her paw steps silent against the wet, sandy ground. Lumina couldn't quite put a figure on what felt off lately, but maybe it was just that her life had become much more eventful after moving to Grassveil, for better or worse. ... yes, that must've been it. She just needed some time to think.

Noel looked up as she felt the aura and heard the footsteps walk along the beach as she sits up and turns her head to face Lumina. "Nah not really I got here myself only a bit ago" Noel says with a smirk and adds quickly "You ok lumina?" She was slightly wondering if her friend was ok she sensed a little tension in her mind, it was the same she had sensed in the cave though it seemed clearer now might of been because she was a Lucario now, whatever the reason Noel just thought it polite to ask as she sits up and crosses her legs

At least Noel hadn't fallen asleep waiting for her. That was good, Lumina wouldn't have liked to be late. ... then again, she doubted that anyone liked keeping others waiting. She stopped walking when she was next to the Lucario and sat down on the beach, facing the clear blue water. For a moment, all seemed peaceful to the small Vulpix as the water lapped against her forepaws. She closed her eyes and drank in the salty breeze.

That was when the Lucario seemed to sense that something was wrong, again. Whether it was because of her aura sensing abilities or because she was just a good judge of character, Lumina couldn't be certain. "I'm alright." She replied automatically, not taking her gaze off the ocean. Deciding to at least try to make that lie sound a little more convincing, she continued. "A lot's been happening lately, is all. I just need some time to think."

"Ya I know what you mean" Noel says as her gaze stays on the water also, The air seemed calm and peaceful unlike the dungeons they had explored where the constant threat of death was obvious, it was a feeling Noel would of liked to know more of but she also enjoyed the thrill of exploring dungeons so this was being weighed in her mind, finally remembering she was here with a friend she decided that she should pay more attention to conversation rather then her own thoughts.

All she could think of was what lumina had said "a lot has happened to me to, maybe some time to think is good" Noel simply says her gaze never turning away from the ocean, she was looking because somewhere out there was her home and she couldn't help but think about that

"Yes... this place is a lot more peaceful then most we've explored together." Lumina added, turning her head to face Noel. "Perhaps we should come here more often. Not that I don't like exploring, but constantly being in mortal danger can't be good for you." She added somewhat dryly, reflecting on that for a moment. Truth be told, it was unlikely that she had gotten as far as she had. Many Pokémon never came back from Scorchfall. It made her feel lucky, for once. Normally when she was around Noel, all the monster houses and danger they were in made her feel like she had broken a mirror. "Speaking of being in mortal danger... did I ever tell you about my first trip to Shadowhue? I was there once, before we went in together." She added, feeling a bit more talkative then usual around Noel. She did consider her one of her few friends, after all.

"That's a understatement" Noel says as she turns her head to face Lumina a smirk on her face like normal "ya the constant threat in a dungeon can't be good for anyone's health" Noel says as she thinks about all she has done up till now the temple in the forest and the desert, evolution for one thing that was strange to say the least.

When Noel heard about her first time in Shadowhue her ears picked up slightly "No you never said anything, what happened the first time you were there?" She asked but judged by the fact that she said 'speaking about being in mortal danger' she assumed it didn't go well

The Vulpix nodded, half-hiding a smirk on her face. Maybe too much exploring wasn't good for them, but they'd survived so far, somehow. Besides, some of the more famous explorers went into Mystery Dungeons everyday to take a job. Shaking this off for the moment, she quickly recalled her trip through Shadowhue. "On my first visit to Shadowhue, I met this Zorua. She introduced herself as Ira, and she seemed friendly enough. We travelled through the forest for a while until I guess I got a bit too nosy. She attacked me, and I'm pretty sure she's an outlaw, but I couldn't figure out what she's wanted for." The vixen mused, her ears flattening as she remembered all this. "It seems obvious, looking back on it. She even said that she lived in Shadowhue and that a lot of outlaws live in the forest. I guess hindsight's 20/20, though." She added with a forced chuckle. It was a bit embarrassing that she fell for the ruse, looking back on things. That would never be her finest hour.

Noel listens to what lumina said and couldn't help but think for a second on something, she had met a Cubone in that same forest who said a Pokemon who lived in the forest left him could it of been the same Zorua? Deciding that it was a long shot it could of been the truth.

"Wow sounds pretty bad" Noel says out loud knowing that was a stupid thing to say but couldn't think of anything else to add, but she did have her own story. "Did I ever tell you what happened the first day I came to this land?" Noel asked not knowing if she told her or not

"I'll say." Lumina murmured when Noel said it sounded pretty bad. Her ears perked when the Lucario seemed to have another story to tell in response. "No, you never told me. But I'm listening." She responded simply, resting her head on her forepaws. She was curious as to what her friend had to say, perhaps she had a bad experience with someone, too. ... well, obviously she'd had a bad experience with someone before, you didn't get along with every Pokémon you ever met. Then again, most Pokémon didn't try to mug or kill you. Had Noel encountered an outlaw before?

Noel nodded as she laughed slightly "the first thing was funny" she said as she tried to remember "when I first got here I was so lost I couldn't find my way to town so being me I climbed a tree and fell asleep." She said thinking about how moronic that plan seemed now. "And a Flying type explorer mistook me for his leader who was also a riolu, and he landed on the branch above me but it snapped and he fell ... on me, we were both fine and afterwards he showed me the way to town"

"The second story is a little more bad" she says calmly as she starts to think again "I arrived in town and there was Pokemon around pretty much everywhere, so I decided to find a place to sit and write in my journal, but after some time a Houdour saw me through the crowds and attacked me randomly" she then looks at the ground "if the fight wasn't interrupted I might of lost more then the fight" she adds sadly

"Yeah... that sounds pretty bad." Lumina agreed, purposefully echoing Noel's response to her story. The Vulpix obviously hadn't been there, so she couldn't see the Houndour's side of the story, maybe he had mistaken Noel for someone else? Still, it probably wasn't a good idea to go around starting fights in Grassveil, unless you had a really good reason for it. The town's Pokemon generally liked to try and keep things peaceful, from what she had seen of her new town so far. "Did this Houndour say why he attacked you?" She wondered aloud, trying to figure out what might've been going through his head.

Noel just sighs the reason for the attack was pretty strange. "He said be got mad because I didn't show any fear when I looked at him, so he assumed I wanted to fight or something like that." She says not knowing why still but that was the only thing he said, she didn't get it but he did say that so it must of meant something though she didn't know what

That was... a strange way of thinking. Was Noel supposed to be intimidated by him? That almost seemed like the way a feral Pokémon would think, but that couldn't have been it. Lumina hardly ever ran into feral Pokémon who talked. Sure, she and Noel had ran into that Sandslash tribe in Scorchfall, but those were just Pokémon who lived in the Mystery Dungeon, they weren't feral. The Vulpix considered this, a puzzled expression on her face. That seemed a bit bizarre to her, she had to admit. "Hmm... I can't say I've encountered anyone like that before." She mused, unsure of what else she could say.

Noel just sighs and then her normal cheerful self comes back "it isn't good to dwell on the past like this" she said with a smile as she faced lumina "a lot of good things happened to us also" Noel thinks about all the things she has seen since she got here and it made her happy "so let's enjoy this peaceful night"