Love Beneath the Ribbon: part seven
********************Scarlet POV**********************It was an insanely blazing hot day that the sun shamelessly tortured us with its shining rays of heat, so burning that I almost thought my metal body parts were on the verge of getting smelt by it! However, it didn’t deter the enthusiastic people from my home, Serene Town, from forming a tight cluster like a hive full of Combee, that as a result even my excited children and friends could barely breathe within it. All thanks to Mary Lee the Steenee, who had always been the loud trumpet, and this time after she divulged the news of Ali’s daughter’s arrival, the news spread virally as if it was wildfire due to most of the townspeople being avid Lucario lovers. Had this careless Mary Lee ever asked Ali’s permission before spitting such confidential details within ourselves?Nonetheless, currently Mary’s obnoxiousness attitude towards privacy was at the bottom list of my concerns. As I scanned the rendezvous full of chirping excitement, I was more worried about one of the Lucario standing among the crowd. Apparently, he just moved into our neighborhood rather recently and people were already jumping into acceptance mode to welcome him as another venerated canine idol for their admiration, but I could straight up recognize his tall stature from the moment he passed by my side, and now his distinctively brooding and sly eyes met my sight. Quickly switching my sight away to stop my blood from running cold from that glaring dog, I began to ruminate in my mind: “Why on Earth did Ali desperately plead me to look after her unknown daughter, whom this suspicious Lucario is fixated at whenever he heard the child’s name?”The longer I ruminated, the deeper I delved into my subconsciousness, where I rediscovered the very dream that I had the night before this important day of the child’s arrival. It was like a prophecy. Inside its realm, I recalled how I was dreaming myself frolicking with my three children, with Vikki-Toria and Beryl carefreely roaming around while Poniard was sheepishly observing. But rather than concentrating on appreciating my children’s happiness through their adorable child-play, my blue eyes drifted away to stare at a petite canine-like kid from not too far away.She was a young Riolu that looked slightly older than my Pawniard children, roughly around five and a half years old. Her eyes were what set her apart from the rest of her kind; instead of having vermilion shades of red, her irises were sparkling emeralds. What quickly made me figure out that she had relations with Ali was her red nose- Ali has a red nose as well!But her attitude was why I questioned Ali’s genuine plea, regardless of our longtime friendship since the day we met. The moment in this weird dream when I slowly and tentatively stood up from my position, the young Riolu imposed an invisible armor onto herself: shoulders all heightened up, unusually having retractable claws, gritting sharp pearly-whites, eyes which suddenly became as crimson as red alexandrites and most importantly, a glowing orb of aura increasing in size, leaving me an intimidated impression and attempt to shield my curious children. Was she seriously the “ray of sunshine” that Ali fondly described and reminiscing of?However, despite the Riolu’s apparent aggression, I noticed something she did- trussing the ribbon tied on one of her feelers. Was this the pink object Ali was trying to remind me of as a means to recognize her child straightaway, and why is it so important? Just before I could ponder more about the accessory’s significance though, the same sly-looking Lucario snuck into my realm and intruded my thought, and before I was about to realize one of the potential reasons was probably to protect the Riolu…There came Mary-Lee’s incredibly shrilling scream that could have reached to the infinity of the universe, “SCARLET!!!! QUIT SPACING OUT ALREADY! OUR BELOVED GUESTS REBEKKAH AND FORREST HAVE ALREADY ARRIVED WITH THEIR TRUSTY TRUCK AND YOU MAY GONNA MISS OUT MORE OF THIS ANTICIPATED EVENT IF YOU CONTINUE TO--”Gosh, Mary Lee! I gave out a slightly loud and frustrated groan, and forced myself from rolling my eyes with disdain so that I wouldn’t ruin the joyous mood surrounding us. She was getting on my nerves again by interrupting the analysis of my best friend’s request, just like how she broke off this very same dream before I could scrutinize its underlying meaning! Pretty sure it would be much better if she contained her brimming excitement and rather help Sparka the Luxio out with persuading Gemm the Alolan Persian to be more patient and change his focus from scratching and hitting the truck doors to politely greeting our faraway friends in our region, that would make him a better role model for the children in our squad--BAMMMM!!Right after the abrupt and booming “Bam!” roars of the initially locked doors, before us and the rest of the startled crowd could react, Gemm was already being sprung into the air as he was slammed right in the stomach, owing to the unprecedented and unexpected impact from the doors that soon bursted open. And within minutes, he crashed onto the ground like a piece of wood being violently tossed to the floor by a strong muscular Machamp, and instantly wailed out a long, agonizing screech before he passed out. Even our trainer Jennie had straight up lost her cool (considering how her face had reduced to nothing but a blank sheet of pale white paper), let alone the crowd who had their initial elation faded away and subsequently descended into an uncontrollable chaos full of unending and panicking yells and shrieks as if doomsday had come upon Earth, no matter how Rebekkah and Forrest the Serperior struggled to calm everyone down. While trying to hug my three children to a comfortable state for them, I, however, precisely noticed the new Lucario was the only cool cucumber who raised an eyebrow at the person who severely damaged the now broken doors...which had already been reduced into nothing but rubble, and now I knew where the horror of the aura canine loving townspeople originated from…Their hopeful expectations had been shattered, when this familiar Riolu, who had crimson eyes slowly reverting back to green as she was struggling to refrain her seething anger, red nose seemingly puffing white smokes, and a noticeably light pink ribbon that she tucked-- WAIT, HOW COME ALI’S POTENTIAL DAUGHTER SEEMED TO BE THE SAME AS THE ONE FROM MY DREAM? The only difference was she was wearing a long green silk scarf pinned with a shining Lucarionite under the sunrays, but that didn’t change the fact of her being the same one I dreamed of! Was this all a coincidence after all?“But I don’t think I need to raise another child, the number three is already enough!” My inner self frantically repeated. Frankly, I didn’t even want to get forcefully dragged into this mess at all, and just hoped to leave in peace already!Just as I held my three children with both of my arms gently and was ready to turn my back, I heard the calm Lucario gave out a gloating remark, “This immature and reckless squirt is going to be having a hard time here all alone without her moronic mother who has been undeserving to have her…” And I also overheard how Rebekkah was already exasperatingly warning the Riolu again and again, with “WHY ARE YOU LEAPING INTO CONCLUSIONS ABOUT DARK TYPES?? THIS ALOLAN PERSIAN IS MY FRIEND’S AND HE IS MOSTLY TAMED AND IS JUST A BIT SPOILED!” and “GET SOME GODDAMN EXPOSURE FOR YOUR DRAB LIFE ALREADY!”, I suddenly felt my conscience tucked my heartstrings. Maybe I should put down some of the harshness after all and be a little bit more accepting to this Riolu? She was still likely adapting to this alien environment and…“SCARLET! LOOK OUT!” Screamed Forrest the Serperior, who failed to prevent the aggressive little Riolu from brutally throwing a giant glowing sphere of aura at my...direction! What an unforeseen "whoosh!" that was only a bit slower than the speed of light, and the crowd was once again being overwhelmed by turbulence of unconstrained fear, believing that the Riolu would commit a serious murder of me on the spot.Nonetheless, instead of losing my head like the rest of the crowd did, I told myself that if I made a huge deal out of this discord, this Riolu would only get more temperamental and may accidentally destroy everybody, for I began to remember something as I looked into her wary gaze...I used to act the same back when I was an insecure young Pawniard child and also when I first arrived from Unova to Kalos, it was all about moving to a new environment with nobody you know... who wouldn't be horrified at such a drastic change?So I took a deep breath to reassure my composure and...with immense concentration, I reckoned that I had actually managed to pause the movement of the globe of aura with my special psychic powers! Much to the Riolu's astonishment, she didn't expect the orb to be frozen still within midair, and she realized her efforts to leave this place had failed as she muttered to herself, "Mommy...I couldn't beat up the Bisharp...it beat me instead...sorry......why?" This was when my heart sank upon realizing my prediction about her was right, just like in my dream, she had no place to go in this brand new world.As the glow gradually dissipated the longer I refrained it, I returned to reality to find out the crowd had ceased their brainless panicking and were all awestruck by how I had averted another potential crisis. Rebekkah, who had totally ignored the tremendous horror of the Riolu’s face, even proudly approached me and expressed her relief, “Thank gosh, Scarlet! You are our savior! Forrest and the rest of my team had been failing to discipline Aria for years already, as she gets disciplined by nobody except her mom! Looks like only fated non-Lucario can be appointed to look after such an urchin like Aria, and turns out you have been fated to save us all!” I didn’t relish in joy with such a sudden appointment as not only did I not have the chance to explain how child-rearing isn’t my expertise and I only coincidentally helped things out, but also the Lucario changed his satisfied smirk to a dissatisfied growl with his eyes aiming at me threateningly before begrudgingly walking away-- seems like his past association with this particular Riolu had given him some bad blood and now he has deemed me as an accomplice! That was why I was so reluctant to meet up with this feisty pup!But as the crowd dissembled and everyone returned to their peaceful abodes to unwind themselves (including the rest of my friends who went back into our small house, still having a veil of fear looming around them), with Rebekkah and Forrest riding in the now doorless truck that was vrooming away into the sunset, I knew clearly that I could no longer turn down the request of looking after this Riolu. In fact, not only were my children being rather friendly towards her by looking at her longingly with their curious and eager sights, I guessed that she again had nowhere to go, regardless of how she attempted to pursue after the truck even it was already an unfeasible chase judging by her continuously panting each mile she ran. She couldn’t even progress further even after she tightened her ribbon to encourage herself with “Mommy will be proud of you to come back...ugh…” I couldn't bear to see somebody having the same experience of losing a home and separated from everything they were familiar with, let alone not being accepted into a new community...I actually didn't want to leave this poor girl alone...even though I originally had no intention of getting more kids. Maybe the more the merrier, or maybe I sympathize with her?“Hi little pupper, nice to meet you! The name's Scarlet. Are you...Aria?” I reach out my hand as a gesture of friendliness so that she would loosen up a little. But she still decided to resolutely give me the cold shoulder, believing that I was pretty much being a roadblock on her way of escaping, and sharply remarked as her own way of saying 'yes', “What is the need of pretending to be my new mommy just like how that rotten Rebekkah wanted, huh?”Of course, she was aware that nobody in this new town would take her in, so she reluctantly accompanied me and my children to be welcomed in our warm full house (even though it might be mostly involved with dealing with Gemm’s unbearable injuries caused by her, still another problem I could fret over later). Yet once again, she tightened her ribbon as some kind of incomprehensible self reminder and muttered, “Mommy, I won’t be staying in this garbage dump for too long! I promise!”If my dream was indeed a prophecy, how am I supposed to protect her from that untrustworthy Lucario, let alone understand her and take care of her like Ali had been sincerely wishing for, when I cannot grasp the meaning behind the ribbon so important to her? Why could I control her aura and was fated with her? Why do I still have an intertwined connection between her and me?
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