memoryborn | [Video]

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--ah! I still know how to turn it on!

[ Pop goes the feed, and the face of a young girl with short black hair and blue eyes appears on the screen. There's a Skarmory also peering down at the screen with wonder and squawks at what Xion's doing with the PokeGear. ]

I, uh... [ Oh, now that she's gotten it back on, she... really didn't think about what she should say. Instead, she gives a brief wave with a shy smile before that hand goes to rub at her neck in slight embarrassment. She recovers quickly, though, after her new steely companion bumps her beak against Xion's cheek. ]

It's been a long time, it seems. At least I think it should be for here. It didn't even feel like I was gone, and yet... I remember this time.

It's good to be back.

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[Xion can't recall and Lightning herself doesn't quite care. Xion's just one more Johto brought back, and if there's one thing she's learned here, it's to not waste second chances. Or third.]

Something like that. [she scrubs her face a bit, then continues.] Has anyone told you who's still here yet?

[ That gets a pause. Right. She might not have been the only one who had left from way back when. ]

No, not yet. Others... Who else left?

From when you left? I'm not sure. Riku's still here, and so is Sora, but...[she sighs, looking to the side and clutching something off screen in a way that makes the muscles all up her arm visibly tighten.] Ven's gone. He disappeared about a month ago.

[ That's a big blow to the chest, alright. Her head bows low and her Skarmory looks on in worry, but doesn't make a sound. Sora and Riku left. Did that mean...?

Xion places her fingers to her temple. ]

What about Roxas? Minnie? Kairi and I think... Namine? What about them? They're not...

[ But it's almost clear what the answers are now. ]

[She's sorry she has to tell Xion this so soon after her arrival, but she figures that it's better she finds out now than when she tries to contact them and gets no reply. Besides, she can't put this somber duty on Riku. Not after Ven.]

All gone. Minnie's been gone for around seven months now. The others...[she shakes her head.] I'm not sure. I didn't keep track.

[ The last part makes her jerk her head back up. It's strange to hear something like that come from Lightning, and just for a moment, she forgets a few things in the face of the news she was being fed. ]

You didn't? Why? I... I may have left, but I know they knew Riku and Ven. They were--!

[ She stops herself before she raises her voice higher. She doesn't know, and they all can't control who comes and goes in this place. She simmers down in silence, but the pained expression doesn't leave. ]

... That's the way it is now. Thank you for telling me.

[Though she frowns at Xion's sudden change of tone, she understands the girl's frustration. If someone had told her her friends--her family--were gone but didn't know how long, she'd be angry too. She gets it.

Still, she doesn't know. Didn't bother to keep track or find out to spare her heart another set of losses. Is it a selfish reasoning? Sure. Is it wrong of her to act that way? She doesn't think so. She's just so tired of loss that she's stopped trying. Suddenly, what Leon said over two years ago makes all the sense in the world.]

I'm sorry you had to find out this way. [she is, but before anything more can be said on that topic, she presses on. Keep moving forward. Don't look back.]

I have Thundaga. I'll send him back when I reach a Center. Shouldn't take long.

[ She makes a small sound of protest at the sudden change in topic, but a part of her understands why. Looking back, she really hasn't been here as long as Lightning has; the losses didn't stack up as much as the older woman's did.

Still, some of those losses were shared. Xion sighs but nods. ]

I'm not at a Center now, but thank you for taking care of him. I hope he wasn't too much trouble.

Edited 2013-06-17 22:34 (UTC)

[The losses don't stack. There is no comparing them...just as there is no comparing Lightning and Xion themselves. Maybe another day Lightning will be able to tell her more about what happened to her friends. Perhaps.]

He was fine. He behaved himself well.

[More like he moped a little and kept to himself, and none of hers could get him to play beyond shocking fish in the water of Olivine. Still, he wasn't any trouble.]

I think he missed you, though.

And I miss him and everyone else, too.

[ That includes Lightning and everyone who is and isn't here. ]

I'll try to get to Cherrygrove soon. I have my Skarmory, so that'll cut down the time getting there.

[She 'hmm's faintly, nodding in understanding of that point. It's...easy to miss people around here. Her chest aches with that loss sometimes, but she just ignores it and presses on.]

Just be careful. If you get into trouble, most of us are too far to make it there quickly. You'll have to take care of yourself for a while.

[And as someone who remembers her previous track record...well. She's hoping that Xion's changed and won't go charging into trouble again. She can hope!]

I can do that. Once I make it to Cherrygrove, I can ask to see if I can get some of my team back. I'm not totally defenseless, either way.

[ Such little faith... but she does have faith in Xion possibly getting into trouble. They'll just have to see in the coming days. But knowing Lightning-- ]

I'll take it easy. [ For now. ]

Glad to hear it. [Her "I'll hold you to that" remains unspoken for the moment, and she's honestly hoping she doesn't need to say it to Xion. Did the girl learn from her mistakes? Maybe. She's hoping.]

Also, be careful if you go up to Goldenrod. Team Rocket's gotten a little more active since you left, and they had a base there. I wouldn't be surprised if they started using it again.

It'll be a while before I actually get there, but thank you for the heads up. What have they been doing lately?

[ Because if ol' Cobra Commander can show his face up to her, then... She has to wonder. ]

Not much we can get them on. [frown.] Cobra tried to do something in Pallet Town, but he got arrested before any of us could get to him. We don't exactly have a presence in Kanto.

[Then again there's only twelve of them left and that number's dwindling by the month. Oi...]

[ There's that unspoken issue. ]

Is it possible to do so now?

There might be. [she sighs, locking down the feed.] We just don't have the numbers for it. We're down to twelve in the Corps, and one squad to a region stretches us too thin.

[And then there's the deal with recruitment...orz. It's a mess.]

Only twelve? [ Wow, the numbers dwindled down so dramatically while she was gone. ]

Have you tried recruiting more to fix that?

[headshake.] No. The last time there was a recruitment effort, only five people showed up. When you weigh that against the risks of Team Rocket acting against us, it's too risky. People who aren't involved could get caught in the crossfire, and that won't help our cause.

[That, and she frankly has no faith in anyone showing up if she makes that sort of call again. Not this time.]

Maybe it'd help if we personally knew them? I may have left, but I still want to help the effort, Lightning.

[ And she means this sincerely. ]

[For a long moment, Lightning gives that thought. She can tell that Xion is sincere, knows that the girl can be trusted and that there is no love lost between her and Team Rocket, but...she is still wary. Even so, what choice is there? She nods once, looking Xion in the eye as best she can through the camera.]

If you know anyone who's willing to help and is still here, make the call. I'll talk with them if they decide it's something they want to do.

[Because as much as they need the help, she will not force anyone into this. It's their choice.]

I will. Besides, Team Rocket's bound to make a show of themselves at some point. People will see what they're like. Maybe that'll inspire people.

[ Because Cobra's a good example of that possibility. It's just a matter of whether new people will want to rise up and do something. She'd agree with Lightning that it's really a person's choice whether or not they want to join. ]

Maybe. We'll find out when it happens, I guess.

[Because while the train may have earned them the start of things almost two years ago, the incident with the poison types earned them nothing. Maybe it was the lack of evidence, maybe it was just bad timing. Either way, it didn't exactly improve her faith in her fellow off-worlders. She has little optimism that it'll change anytime soon.]

[ Nods. ] Also, Cobra Commander contacted me. He's still the gloating type.

[ This guy... She wonders if she's still on his "list." ]

[snort.] Some people never change, Xion. But considering he got arrested, we can count him as a lesser threat for now. He hasn't gotten any smarter since you left.

[There's been no mention of that list for months. Honestly, Lightning wonders if he even remembers making it.]

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