Chapter 63

The Shaymin way of aerial navigation was at once easier than her usual, and also less precise. Shaymin didn't cut through the sky demanding gravity and other natural forces do exactly what they wanted—they rode with the currents, and rarely fought against them.

Of course, the hardest part for Hayden was the one he already knew to expect—sky forme shaymin were guys.

He had plenty of recent practice with the form, thanks to his occasional adventures with Julian. But none of those times showing off and experimenting with the powers of other mythical pokémon had convinced him to actually like changing back.

The personality changed whether he wanted to or not, but that wasn't so bad. Given the danger waiting for them, a little boldness and bravery were exactly what they needed. They had a long journey ahead, and great danger waiting the instant they attracted the wrong kind of attention.

But they wouldn't find any of that in the domain of the Shaymin. Hayden and Liz didn't have to act like shaymin, they were part of the family, enough that their honored ancestors never even suspected her true nature.

Cody needed frequent stops—not because he was doing any of the flying himself, but because of the stress of altitude paired with the growing cold. Even the most protective jackets and coats could only do so much to insulate him. Hayden didn't mind taking breaks, but their escorts sure did.

"That's it," Havalina announced, the third time Hayden landed. "I know you're committed to your mission, son of the house—but we're not. We're out."

Hayden landed in the snow, sinking through fresh powder to his knees. When he transformed, his clothes seemed to change too, into sturdy adventuring gear like his family might've made.

But under it all, he still felt snow moving up a dress made of relatively thin fabric, touching skin directly. The illusion offered no actual protection against a very real cold.

"We're honored you came along this far," he said, bowing deep. Liz did the same, though he barely dropped half as far. Being male gave them both strange ideas about personal pride. Should they really be bowing to a pair of old grandmas who spent their time laying in the sun and drinking nectar?

"Keep going north to that mountain," Spirale said, hovering beside his head. He pointed with one paw, towards a peak visible past a huge blue glacier. "That's when you're almost there. Follow the green, their valley is always warm."

"But we can't promise they'll let you in. The Lake Guardians don't even follow the Lex Imperium, like the gurus. They're free to do whatever they please. Maybe they think you're collaborating with the celebi, and they kill you both. Or maybe they send you on a sacred mission to meet Arceus. No one knows."

Those two missions sounded very similar to him, but Hayden wasn't about to say so. His companion dropped into the snow, curling into a shivering ball. He dropped down beside him, resting one hand on Cody's shoulder. "We probably will not return the same way, even if it goes well. You won't see me again until my time."

Havalina took off again, circling around him. "We will look forward to it, son of the house. We welcome the birth of one who gives proper respect to those who came before. When you are living there, perhaps we will visit again. If you bribe us appropriately."

"I will," he promised. "Every time."

Both shaymin flew away together, vanishing behind distant clouds. Soon they were gone, leaving the two humans behind. One freezing cold, and another supernaturally resistant. For now.

Hayden resisted the urge to change back instantly, keeping one hand firmly on Cody's shoulder. His companion was still shivering—but that was a good sign. It meant he was still warm enough that the instinct remained.

"Is it weird if it's hard to think of you as the same person?" Cody asked. Sierra remained firmly tucked into his jacket, rather than flying freely. "Like, I know you're still… Hayden. But the first time I saw you, you were a new princess, preparing for her trial with the mythical houses. Not a guy."

Hayden shrank down, losing several inches of height. Her dress turned back into a dress, and her hair got huge and green. The red wrap around her neck changed back into a single flower, where it belonged.

"Like this, you mean? This isn't the princess you met either. I'm a shrub instead of a kitten."

Cody shrugged. "You seem more comfortable with it. I figure that means it's the way you belong."

Hayden squeezed his shoulder in response. Of all the people to guess how Hayden really felt, it would be Cody. "I was a boy when I was younger—before and after I settled. Legendary pokémon can change. Most of them do, in different ways. I still haven't figured out how victini do it, or jirachi. But I know mew, celebi, and shaymin. I can make some guesses about manaphy too."

Something brushed up against her cheek—Sierra. The pokémon landed on her shoulder. "Are we gonna change too? Looking into the future feels so easy, when I'm not trying to look at our own. That's all white and washed out."

She could lie—but if she did, they would probably sense that too. "I think… that however you end up, we stay close." She took Cody's hand in one of hers. Poor kid was already numb with cold all over again, despite the jackets. He needed a bonfire—or a quicker way to finish the trip. "That was always more important to me."

She watched the sky, attention still fixed on the direction the wild shaymin had gone. She couldn't change back just yet, not until she was sure the honored ancestors wouldn't turn around. If they changed their mind and found a kitten instead of a sprout, it would make another awkward round of explanations.

Liz hovered between them, forming a bubble of air that stopped the wind completely. Warming them was harder, but at least she could keep things from getting any colder.

"Will we ever be as strong as you?" Cody asked. "I know celebi don't change forms like you. But the other things. Can we… ever learn that?"

"Yeah." She took his hand, tail curling around one of his legs. "Good enough that no one caught you. Even in your future, you were still free. You knew exactly how to keep from being noticed, how to visit me whenever you wanted, and… I think you have your own goals. But I never really asked. I think you were keeping it from me on purpose, to avoid ruining my development. Or… something. Time is complicated. Like I said, it's—"

"My area," he finished. "About that. There's something…"

He leaned forward, taking her hands. "Do you really think the Lake Guardians will help me? When every other legendary out there wants me dead?"

Hayden sunk back down into the snow, visibly sagging. "The shaymin didn't hurt you. And they could've. I know they don't look that scary, but—they're strong. They could've killed us if they wanted to."

He held on tighter, until she finally met his eyes. "I don't even know what a Lake Guardian is. I just wanna know if we can trust them. If you do, then we do."

"We don't know anything about them," she finally admitted. "Except that they're older and more powerful than most of the pokémon in the world. They're so old that even Lord Moonstone respects them."

"And it feels like the right place to go," Liz added. "I don't know why, but… maybe they're expecting us."

Finally, he let go, backing away from them. "I think this is as far as we go, for now. I think you should see them alone. Sierra and I aren't strong enough to be here."

Hayden reached after him, but not with her powers. If he wanted to walk away, if he wanted to break through the shielded bubble, he could. "If you have another idea, we'll listen. We'll go with you. Cody, you're new at this. You don't know your powers yet."

"Maybe not. But I think we could jump backward again, if we had to. Back to summer this time."

"Back a lot of summers," Cody continued. "Everyone says celebi are extinct. Maybe that's true… but they weren't always. All I have to do is go far enough, and I'll find one. We can learn our powers from our own… ancestors? Spiritual ancestors, anyways. Not real ones…"

Hayden reached over her shoulder, removing the heavy pack she'd taken from the nest. In it was all the food they had stockpiled, along with sleeping bags, a flashlight, anything they thought they would need.

"Either you let me come, or you take this. Pick one."

He flushed, rocking nervously back and forth in the snow. But then he snatched the bag away from her and took another step back. "I'll see you again. When I'm older and stronger, I won't feel like… I'm too weak. Next time, I'll be brave enough to ask a princess to be my girlfriend."

Hayden rushed forward and kissed him. On the cheek, her touch light and gentle. Cody was too young for anything more. "I'll say yes. I think I probably did a bunch of different times."

"What about getting us back to our own time?" Liz prompted. "We don't know time travel any better than you do. Shouldn't we go forward again?"

Cody shrugged. "I'll find you. After you make your visit to these… lake people. If they don't kill you, I'll be there. And if they do—I guess I'll change that too." He stood up a little straighter, puffing out his chest. "Since I'm a time traveling hero now and all."

He was also young and small enough that she could probably pressure him. If she pressed, Cody would let her come along. Besides, his powers weren't good enough to get away from her even if he wanted to. At that moment, Liz had about as much experience being a celebi as Sierra did.

"You'll be on your own," she whispered. "In the past. Mythical pokémon weren't less dangerous than they are now. Are you sure you can do this?"

"Duh," Sierra said. "How could you meet us otherwise?" Light gathered around them, far brighter than the moon overhead. Grass sprang out of the snow, with vines and creepers reaching towards them.

Then they were gone. Hayden stumbled forward into the spot where Cody had stood only seconds before, grasping for someone who wasn't there. Her hands closed over empty air, and hot tears streamed down her face. "Should we… should we have followed?"

"I do not believe so. You've already come far enough from the time you belong in, child of no season. But I wanted to see if you would decide that on your own. See meaning… metaphorically. Since I'm not looking at you."

Hayden spun towards the voice. It was already so close—inside the narrow bubble of Liz's shield. So close she could reach out and touch the speaker, if she wanted to.

Instead, she stumbled backward, dropping to the snow in a bow.

She hadn't ever seen this creature before, at least not in person. But Sinnoh was her home—she knew the pale yellow outline of Uxie when she saw it.

Whether they were without a human completely, or else totally Unified with them, she couldn't say. Up this close to one, there were some similarities to her own daemon, albeit larger and more complex. She could almost see how a mew might grow into something like this.

As soon as she saw she looked away, eyes fixed on the ground. Maybe she should be the one closing them.

"I will not hurt you," Uxie continued. Its voice was neither male nor female, neither old nor young. "Unless you give me a reason. Others have."

"I won't," she whispered. "Please. We just want to talk. To… ask for your knowledge."

"That I have in abundance," the pokémon said. "But not here. Somewhere warmer, kitten. With my siblings, if they choose to show themselves. If you're not six decades early, you're late."

Before Hayden realized what was happening, the teleport took her.