Another Day at Unity (27)

For the second time since arriving in Alto Mare, Hayden crossed it in a canal boat. This one was even larger than the one Lord Moonstone used, with considerable space in the back for passengers.

There were four of them in total, though room for another during the return. First was Hayden, with her much smaller daemon now riding in her lap. Lucia and her father sat across from her, along with a single member of the Luster Pratoreans, albeit wearing lighter armor so he could fit easily in and out of the cabin.

Behind them were several other boats, a whole caravan of the little island's national guard. Some others carried supplies of various kinds; mostly food, though there were medical supplies and building materials as well. Hayden didn't know the full extent of what it took, but she also didn't care. Once a legendary gave her their word, she trusted them.

They passed the little general store she'd shopped in on her first day, and its indignant owner actually stepped out onto the front of his shop to stare. Hayden waved at him through the window, though she didn't expect him to see her through the tinted glass, let alone recognize her.

They went a little further, then moored at the same half-overgrown docks where Hayden had first met the latias. "I believe it would be better if you went to speak with him first," Lord Rivoalti said, nodding towards the door. "This arrangement was your doing, mew. Complete what you set in motion."

"I'm coming too!" Lucia said, squeezing out the door after her. "I already know I'll be fine. Drake wants to see me again."

Lord Rivoalti squeezed both hands to fists on his lap. He took a long, sharp breath, then fixed his attention on Hayden. "If any harm comes to her, you're dead."

Hayden winced, but nodded along anyway. She couldn't exactly turn away the girl whose involvement had probably made this possible. "You sure this is what you want?"

Lucia stuck her arm through Hayden's, and held on. "Course. Now, offer to levitate me already. Look how dirty the sidewalk is."

You just want to fly. Hayden lifted her anyway, or at least Liz did. Levitating other people around was a task best left to her daemon. Meanwhile, the xatu flew after them, gliding slowly on his large wings.

Hayden had no doubt that the latios would make good on his threat, if anything bad happened to this girl. She remained tense, tail curling slowly around them both. If anyone attacked, she would jump between the danger and this girl.

But no one did, and soon they reached the fish market. A single child waited outside, one of the youngest ones. Hayden hadn't learned his name, but she felt his thoughts. Someone had told him to run inside and warn them when outsiders came, so everyone could hide.

"Hey, it's Hayden. You don't have to run, you're safe. I'm bringing one of Drake's friends to see him."

That produced confusion, but also compliance. Telepathy brought with it a weight of intention, and a glimpse at all the emotions underneath. Even a child would feel the inherent honesty of what she was saying. There was no danger to him or anyone else inside. She didn't try to share any of the reasons why.

Hayden floated the hidden hatch open without touching it, pointing at the steps. "I can float you down, but could you tuck in your legs and arms? We have to go down a floor."

Lucia obeyed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Would be easier if you just teleported us down."

Hayden shook her head. "I'm still nervous moving just Liz and me. Other people... no. You heard what your dad said he'd do if anything happened to you, right? No thanks."

There was something almost endearing about her demands, in a way. It reminded Hayden a great deal of Eleanor, and how her sister might've been if Lady Gracidea had been a little more loving. She was still a princess, even if her daemon lacked the power that her parents wanted.

They floated down the conventional way, back into the crisscross interior of the Misties' hideout. Far from evacuated, kids had emerged from every little corner, filling its central passage and staring up at the stage with nervous energy.

Drake stood there with Aurora, and thankfully no sign of his mother. They're going to find out about her when these kids start talking. But her life wasn't part of the deal, Lord Rivoalti.

"This is where he's been living?" Lucia asked, speaking into Hayden's ear. Even so, she was far too loud, loud enough that her voice carried a short distance. "This is awful, Hayden. He didn't deserve this."

"None of them did," she replied. "Hence the demand. We will be judged for how we treat those who look to us for protection, Lucia. Drake did what he could, now it's time for your family to help him."

"We would've, if we knew," she said. Now even she noticed the eyes on them. Kids backed away, muttering and staring at Hayden. Many of them recognized the mew, thanks to her introduction a few days earlier. But her friend with the perfectly clean clothes—those were new.

Finally, Drake saw. He soared over their heads, looking as though he held Aurora's hand while he did it. Hayden wasn't the only one who could learn new powers by watching mythical pokémon in action.

He landed in front of them, face unreadable. "Hayden... what did you do? Why is Lucia with you?"

"To see you again, idiot!" She released Hayden's arm, and flung herself around him instead, squeezing tight. "Why did you think?"

Hayden waited until they were done, keeping Lucia balanced in the air until she was finished. Then she put her down, on a clean patch of concrete. Her daemon brushed alongside Aurora, closing his claws around her and twisting his head as Aurora skimmed her feathers.

Hayden tried not to watch that. Knowing the truth about Aurora did not make it any less strange.

Then she released him, and Drake turned his attention on Hayden again. "Well, Hayden? You're still alive, so I assume it went well."

She beamed. “Alto Mare has a team of relief workers waiting on the dock. They’re going to convert the old market into an orphanage. Long term, they’ll find homes for every member of the Misties.”

Hayden vanished, reappearing in a teleport a few inches from Drake. She spoke into his mind, urgent. “Your mom is gone?"

He shook his head nervously. “Not as far as I would’ve liked. She’s hiding in the basement. There were no airships going to Johto for… weeks. If people come down here now, they’ll find her.”

Hayden groaned, running one hand nervously through her hair. “Show me what her hiding place looks like. Imagine it as hard as you can.”

He obeyed, picturing a wall of old freezers stacked up to cover a concrete opening in the floor, leading to a wide drainage chute. Hayden knew instantly where she could find it, and how to get there.

“I can bring her to Johto myself.”

“Fine,” Drake replied, out loud. “But I want to be there to say goodbye. She might… attack you if I’m not.”

So it was that Hayden left Alto Mare not traveling with Lord Moonstone, or even riding on some fine sailing vessel in her family’s name. Perhaps it was fitting that she should take her leave as the new legendary she had learned to become.

They were her fastest way to fly, after all.

She didn’t transform first—first came a teleport, out from the depths of an abandoned fish market, now swarming with medical tents and packed with aid staff and national guard. 

Lucia and her father weren’t there, obviously—the former would bring too much personal knowledge near the legendaries, and the latter would still want this woman dead. He might suspect she survived, but that fiction required upkeep.

Hayden picked an older, confident latias, one that would give her strong wings and the endurance to use them over a long distance.

“Here.” Drake unrolled something made from rough cloth, exposing the various straps of the saddle beneath. “Liz can wear this. Aurora and I made it… My mom will need something to hold for a trip as long as yours.”

Hayden took it, then walked along the rooftop to where Liz waited restlessly atop the bricks and broken stone. “Maybe you can help us put it on?” She stiffened as she said it, glancing sideways to make sure Liz didn’t object. She didn’t. “It’s okay if you touch her. You know this stuff more than me.”

Drake took the saddle back, crossing to Liz in a few seconds. He didn’t hesitate, though Aurora stopped him a step away.

She was suddenly human again, and took the saddle from his grip. “They’re terrified of letting you do it. Let me.”

“We have no time for prudishness,” said the woman hunched near the back of the roof. She wore a traveling cloak, identical to the one her human-sized daemon had around his shoulders. Her daemon still carried her. For the best she hadn’t bought a wheelchair yet. She would’ve had to leave it behind anyway. “We must be gone before the family realizes I was here.”

Aurora knew how to work the saddle as well as her human; she was the one who usually wore it!

Hayden watched her, careful to never touch her while she worked. Daemons weren’t supposed to look like humans! “I won’t miss not knowing if I’m seeing a daemon or a person,” she said, stretching the rigid wings emerging from her back. But the outfit was real this time—especially the goggles currently resting on her forehead. She’d need them for a flight this long. “But we’ll miss you two. Sorry you have to leave your mom.”

“We had to say goodbye too,” Liz cooed, high and shrill. “But one day we’ll be with them again.”

“My exile means nothing.” The galade carried his human closer, holding her to her son for  one last hug. Hayden waited in silence while mother and son exchanged a few telepathic words of parting. Finally, the woman approached, holding her cloak close about her. But aside from her face, there was no exposed skin to accidentally brush against Liz.

“All aboard,” Hayden said, bouncing up and down in place. The pale gray sky of morning opened wide overhead, inviting. She couldn’t sit still for much longer. “It’s a long way to Johto. Liz and I have… never flown this far all at once.”

“But we’ve never been this fast!” Liz said, flexing her wings. “I hope Valiant notices us this time. Let that stupid bunny try and keep up…”

Hayden stopped beside Drake, taking both of his hands in hers. “Now you have to behave. No matter how much the Eons annoy you, do what they say. People like us have to be useful to survive.”

He had to look up to meet her eyes now. His eyes lingered briefly on her chest, then he let go abruptly, blushing. “That ain’t fair.”

“No. But one day we’ll be the ones in their chairs, and we can make better rules. Stay alive until then, kay?”

“Yeah.” He waved to his mom, then leapt sideways off the roof. “I should get back, they’ll be waking up soon. Fly safe!”

The galade lowered Drake’s mom into the saddle. She couldn’t do very much to hold to it, but then the daemon clambered on behind her, securing her in place with straps and his powers.

“You going to give us trouble?” Hayden asked, floating past Liz over the rooftop. “If you attack us during the trip, we could all fall to our deaths.”

She shook her head sharply. “Drake lives, and the good he did will not be undone. I suppose… Firstborn compassion is more than just a myth.”

They took off, soaring up towards the clouds. Hayden wasn’t as fast as her daemon; Liz wanted to tuck in and go even faster. But Hayden didn’t know how, so couldn’t try it. The daemon settled for a brisk pace just beside her, careful to remain upright for her riders. 

Hayden had to yell back at them over the wind. “Firstborn compassion put Drake and I and others like us into danger long ago! But what compassion broke, maybe it can fix.”