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Chapter Text

Bird Pokémon chirped softly overhead as sunlight streamed brightly through great bedroom windows, illuminating the still sleeping Lilith of Asphodel in golden morning light. She sprawled peacefully atop her bed, hair honeyed by sunlight fanning out around her head like a halo, her chest gently rising and falling with each breath. The scene would be idyllic if not for the Persian impatiently tugging at her blanket and hair. After several moments of unsuccessful wake up attempts by the large cat, it resorted to its usual method of awakening a sleepy Lilith- by stepping all over her face and chest, rudely forcing her awake.

“Alright, alright, mon cherie, I’m awake now”, Lilith scolded gently as she rolled onto her side and scratched behind Persian’s lavender ears. The regal cat gave a soft purr and stretched out on Lilith’s silken bedspread, clearly very happy to be receiving attention. This continued into the bright quiet of the morning until the pair were interrupted by the soft coo of an Altaria coming to rest its head upon the bedspread, still clearly half asleep.

“Ah, good morning, dear!” she said to the sleepy Altaria, petting its head and neck lovingly. “Time to get up, I suppose?” Altaria gave a nod and fluttered to the left side of Lilith’s bed to retrieve a pair of wooden forearm crutches, paintakingly hand-painted with various colors of Floette, which she slipped her arms into as she rose from her bed. With Altaria by her side, Lilith sat down at her vanity to brush the tangles of sleep from her hair, absent-mindedly petting Altaria with the hand not occupied with styling her hair. As she looked into the mirror and saw her own reflection, her mind began to wander to her parents, whom everyone from the servants in Asphodel Manor to the villagers outside claimed she resembled. She ran her fingers through hair that was supposedly golden like her mother’s, and looked into eyes that were green like her father’s, though she’d never known her parents well enough to see traits of them within herself. Lord and Lady Asphodel had perished in the same malady that had miraculously left Lilith alive, save for the muscular weakness in her legs, which made it difficult for her to walk without aid. While the servants all told Lilith stories of her parents’ generosity and kindness, she felt extremely guilty, as she could barely remember her parents at all, being that she was just a toddler when they had passed. Besides, after her parents died, Lilith had been raised by her godmother, the castle’s lead cook, who loved her just as if Lilith was her own. She had instilled within her a love for the arts and respect for all people, as well as how to act as a princess, being that Lilith was still her noble family’s heir.

She would have been caught up in her reverie for a long time had it not been for Persian meowing loudly and jumping off of Lilith’s bed with a muffled thump, bringing Lilith to the present with a slight jolt.

“Oh! I can’t believe I got so caught up in memories that I haven’t fed you or Altaria breakfast yet- I’m sorry, dears!” she exclaimed, getting up from her vanity stool, and with Altaria bracing her, slipped on a blue chiffon dress with cap sleeves over the white shift she wore to sleep, hair falling in soft waves down to her collarbone. For a final touch, she added on a subtle gold necklace, crafted expertly to look like a vine with small gemstone flowers hanging from it. Happy with her appearance, Lilith began to walk to her bedroom door as Persian padded ahead and nosed it open, impatiently leading Lilith (and a trailing Altaria) down the route through bright, high ceilinged castle corridors and into the kitchens.

Lilith barely had time to step through the kitchen doors before Persian sprinted forward, nearly bowling over the poor maid that was about to leave, almost causing her to drop her tray laden with scones and a very delicate looking teapot.

“Och, you!!” came an irritated (if not slightly amused) voice from behind the teetering tray of breakfast items. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to kill me, you mischievous cat!” With that, the maid leaned down and scratched Persian’s head affectionately, which was not an easy feat given the laden tea tray she was now balancing in her left hand.

“Good morning, Violie!” Lilith said through giggles, “I hope Persian didn’t cause you to spill anything? He’s been known to get up to mischief, after all.”

Violie smiled, pale brown hair falling out of her haphazard bun already. “Too right, miss. Remember that day in the gardens a few weeks ago where he was trying to catch bird Pokémon by sneaking up on them, but they kept flying away, so he sulked with his head in your lap as you were trying to paint? If he weren’t a service Pokémon, I think he’d be labelled a right menace by now.”

“Maybe he already is a menace, and we’ve been too blinded by his cuteness to notice it”, laughed Lilith, as Persian purred and tried (unsuccessfully) to look innocent. Then, noticing Violie was still holding her tea tray, she added, “Do you need to put that down? It looks quite heavy, and the scones on it smell simply divine, I’d feel awful if you dropped it because of me.”

“Oh, thank you, My Lady, but I’ve got a good grip on it,” said Violie, re-opening the kitchen doors behind her with her foot. “I figured you’d like tea and scones out in the garden this morning? The weather’s lovely today.”

Lilith followed Violie through the bustling kitchens with her Pokémon trailing behind her, greeting the cooks and maids as they passed- while the castle employed a very small staff, it seemed that they enjoyed keeping busy. Once the pair passed into the gardens outside the kitchen, and reached a small metal bench, Lilith turned to Violie and asked “Would you like to have breakfast with me? I’d hate to have scones this good and not share them with anyone.”

The maid acquiesced and sat down about a foot from Lilith on the bench, setting her tea tray in between the two of them, always showing respect, as Lilith was technically the lady of the house, and while Violie had been Liith’s maid for years- they’d even grown up in the castle together- she still displayed a reverence for Lilith. Even though she was to be a “proper lady”, though, Lilith still secretly wished that she and all of the castle staff could be equals, but nobody would ever agree with her on that even when she brought it up- they respected her parent’s legacy and by extension, her, too much for that.

Violie poured the tea and the pair began to eat their scones, talking about idle town gossip for a bit as the Pokémon ate their breakfasts a few feet away.

“Violie, these scones are divine! What’s in them?” Lilith exclaimed. Violie was a proficient baker and her cakes and pastries were always inventive and delicious.

“Thank you, Lady! They’re a new recipe, made with imported Paldean spices,” Violie said, “And I’m glad you like ‘em-I was worried the spice mix wouldn’t translate well into baked form,,” She added sheepishly, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Oh, that reminds me,” she continued, “It was your friend Miss Adaline who dropped off the spices for the scones early this morning, she was in quite a hurry to be on her way, but she also gave me this to deliver to you.”

 Violie pulled a letter from within her front apron pocket, leaving Lilith giddy with excitement. Adaline Sycamore was Lilith’s best friend and the daughter of renowned artist and cartographer Elliott Sycamore. She travelled around the land of Kalos and sometimes to other, farther reaches of the world with her father, often for months at a time, bringing back stories, artifacts, and drawings for Lilith- who could only ever dream of such far away places.

Ada’s letter was simple and short, scribbled on spring-green parchment in what could only be described as Adaline’s signature Torchic-scratch cursive:

Dearest Lily, I’ve returned from Paldea, if the scones Violie made were any indication :) I’ve got so much to tell you about the trip and the Pokémon I saw and documented along the way- meet me in our usual spot, and bring your drawing book- XOXO Ada (and Fennieken)

The letter was accompanied by a doodle of Fenniken and Altaria dozing in the bottom right corner.

Lilith smiled, already standing and making her way to her room to gather her paints.

Chapter Text

One short ride on Altaria-back later, and Lilith stood atop a small hill overlooking Vaniville Village, Asphodel Manor, and the surrounding Santalune woods. At the top of the hill stood a great willow tree, under which a girl with ink stained fingers and an unruly mop of short black hair sat sketching- but at the sight of Lilith, she stood and sprinted full speed towards her, blue eyes sparkling.

“Lily!” she cried, stopping just short of where Lilith was dismounting from Altaria’s back, “I’ve missed you so much- you would not believe the kinds of things I’ve seen in Paldea- did you get my letters by Pellipper post?” Her hands moved in the air as she talked jovially, and Lilith smiled- she’d missed her best friend, especially hearing her talk about things that interested her.

“I did get your letters,” Lilith answered, “but only one of mine in return was able to make it to you, the post office here sadly wasn’t equipped to deliver the rest, and as you know, it’s the only one around until faraway Lumiose.” “But what kinds of Paldean Pokémon did you see on your journey? Are they truly that different from those here in Kalos?”

“That’s alright, I figured so!” Adaline reassured her jovially, “I’m not an easy person to get to sometimes, after all,” she chuckled, and with that the pair went to go sit under the shade of the tree, Lilith setting up her easel and art supplies next to Ada’s.

“Oh, but let me show you some of the drawings I made!” Ada exclaimed, pulling a leather-bound book from the leather pouch on her belt. Adaline, while a cartographer and artist by trade, was also an avid Pokémon researcher, and wherever she went she illustrated Pokémon and cataloged their behavior in her journal. She opened the well-loved book to a tabbed page and said:

“So this Pokémon is super popular among Paldean nobles- I think you’d like how cute it is,” she paused for a second, and added “Ah, but its mischievous too, just like a certain someone.”, which she said while stroking a purring Persian and laughing brightly. Lilith laughed too, turning her attention to the journal in front of her. On the page were a couple of meticulously inked drawings of an odd little grass cat Pokémon with an almost regal air to it. It was cute and goofy and aloof all wrapped up into one, and Lilith cooed instantly, giggling at the descriptions of the Pokémon’s various recorded mischiefs. She glanced at the heading of the journal entry for the name of the Pokémon.

“Spree-gat-eye-to??” Lilith inquired, and Adaline burst into laughter.

“Spri-gah-tee-to,” she corrected, “Paldean is such an odd language- especially considering that Kalosian and Paldean come from the same root language- you’ve got to roll your r’s, like this.” With that, Adaline made a sound not unlike an irritated Mienshao. Lilith followed suit, to arguably much less success, and the pair began to laugh again.

They painted as they talked, touching on everything from the things Ada saw on her travels to legends of fantastical mythical Pokémon to even the speculation of a cheating scandal among the nobility, (supplied by Lilith, she’d overheard heard some gossip while out shopping for paints one day), easily falling into the flowing conversation characteristic of best friends. It was only when the sun was beginning its journey westward, and Adeline was telling a humorous story about the odd fashions of nobles she saw in Paldea that she suddenly started, causing Lilith to drop her paintbrush in surprise.

“Ada? Is something wrong?” Lilith inquired cautiously.

“I’m an awful friend!!!” Adaline replied in mock sadness as she returned Lilith’s paintbrush to her. “I got so caught up that I forgot to tell you some important news!” She reached into her leather belt-pouch to retrieve an important-looking flyer, which she produced to Lilith dramatically. “The first thing I learned of when I got back to Kalos was the announcement of King and Queen Fleur-De-Lis’s anniversary ball, there were servants all over Lumiose Plaza handing out these flyers.”

Sure enough, in elegant script, the flyer read:

“King Leopold and Queen Corrine Fleur-De-Lis cordially invite every citizen of the land of Kalos to their thirtieth anniversary ball for a night of music and merriment. While there will be festivities all week, the ball will be held on the twelfth of October from 5 PM to midnight. All nobles will be announced, and food and wine will be complimentary.

Best Wishes, King and Queen Fleur-De-Lis”

Next to the signature was the king’s royal seal in golden wax, glinting in the late afternoon sunlight.

“What do you say, Lily?” asked Adaline, looking to her friend with hopeful eyes. Lilith stared back at her in disbelief, running her hands over the embossed vines bordering the edges of the paper, trying to prove to herself that it was real.  Lilith had of course been to a few balls of local nobles before with Adaline for fun, (even though she wasn’t noble herself, Ada came from a well-respected family, but besides that, her highly extroverted nature didn’t hurt either) but this invitation felt different. The anniversary ball was a fun event, but the fact that it was hosted by the King and Queen of Kalos added a sense of obligation for Lilith. She was eighteen, and she felt a need to step up as the heiress to Asphodel Manor and her title- and maybe enjoy a whirlwind ball romance (as cliché as it was) along the way.

Plus, she’d obviously never pass up the idea of a fun time with Adaline, especially since it would be a change from the usually-tranquil Vaniville Village.

“I’ll go!” Lilith agreed ceremoniously, and Adaline nearly squealed in excitement, throwing her arms around Lilith.

“We’ve got to go dress shopping together!! I know a tailor at Aquacorde Port who can make us dresses fit for princesses-or perhaps even... Ladies”, Adaline said, as she winked and stood to perform a horrendous fake curtsy, smearing paint on her pants accidentally in the process. Lilith laughed and lightly shoved Adeline in response-she would have retaliated more if not for the fact that she was sitting down and that her crutches were propped up against the trunk of the tree. The pair laughed for a bit more until both girls realized that the sun was halfway through setting and that they were incredibly tired.

Adaline insisted on walking Lilith home, as they both did for each other, and Lilith obliged but in turn asked: “Ada, are you sure you wouldn't like to stay at Asphodel Manor for the night?” (As she often did, to the point that that the maids jokingly called the guest room that she stayed in “Miss Adeline’s suite”) “I'd be happy to have you, as always.”

I wish I could, but I have to go home tonight, I've got an early start making maps of Paldea,” said Adaline sadly. Lilith nodded in understanding, as whenever Adeline and her father came back from a voyage, they often spent sleepless days at their home in Vaniville working on maps and bringing them to sell in their shop in Santalune Town. “I’ll come to bother you again once the workflow eases up and I’m not drowning in maps-you can't get rid of me that easily”, she added with a grin.

“C’mon let's go home, it would be unfortunate if you were to be eaten by a wild Pokémon at this dangerous hour” Adaline joked, not even able to keep a straight face. Lilith laughed and climbed onto Altaria’s back and quipped,

“Oh, like a particularly ferocious Scatterbug? I hear they’re especially ravenous this time of year,” she giggled, as Adaline snorted in a particularly unladylike (but very Ada-like) fashion.

The two girls returned to Asphodel Manor side by side, Altairia gliding low to the ground as they walked as they talked quietly into the night, saying their goodbyes just as constellations began to gleam overhead.

Chapter Text

Lilith rose late the next morning, much longer after the sun had risen its way over the hills of Vaniville Village. As she rubbed sleep out of her eyes and stroked Persian’s velvety ears, she wondered aloud,
“Where should we go today, mon cheri? I know Ada’s going to be busy for the next few days, and today seems just too beautiful to waste indoors……..” Persian meowed, obviously not paying attention to Lilith’s words, idlily grooming one of its large paws.
Her internal debate continued while she braided her hair into a ribbon-tied plait and finally, after staring off into space for some time after the braid had been completed, made up her mind on what she’d occupy her time with today. Using her bed as support, she slipped into a pair of tan shin length pants (brought back for her by Adaline from one of her trips to Galar- they were apparently popular among upper class “sporting women”) and a high-collared shirt with sleeves that fully covered her arms up to her wrists. Pleased with her appearance, she clasped her golden necklace around her neck and sat back atop of the covers on her bed.
“Altaria, dear, could you bring my crutches and the basket by the window to me, please? We’re going to be going out to the Santalune Woods for a few hours.” At the mention of the forest, the great bird Pokémon perked up in happiness and chirped excitedly as it gathered up Lilith’s supplies for her, depositing the wicker basket into her lap and placing her crutches against the bed. Lilith smiled, scratching Altaria’s head in appreciation.
Ten minutes later, Lilith (with Altaria chirping happily by her side and Persian begrudgingly following behind) was making her way down the well-worn path into the heart of Santalune Woods, dappled morning sunlight from the tree canopy above casting cool shadows onto the fern-green fabric of her shirt. Her basket swung in Altaria’s beak, full of jars for collecting herbs and flowers- she’d been dying to try and make some new paints from the wildflowers that grew in the forest’s many clearings- the only challenge would be finding them, but Lilith had spent many afternoons exploring the Santalune Forest, so she had a rough idea of where to look
She wandered happily through the dense forest picking any particularly potent flowers and dye roots, occasionally stopping to rest and watch the wild Pokémon that made Santalune Woods their home. As she walked deeper into the woods, she felt a familiar sense of calm settle over her-being in nature always made her feel more one with the world and with the Pokémon living in it, somehow.
Lilith, lost in observation of a particularly crystalline Kakuna nesting to her right, failed to notice a large flowering shrub blocking her path forward, and she would have fallen straight through it had Altaria not given a loud warning cry, startling Lilith, and causing her to notice the veritable curtain of foliage feet from her head. As it was only growing from one side of her path, a combination of Persian and Altaria were able to push it aside, revealing a lush clearing ahead.
Lilith gasped in delight at the sight of it, ducking through the hedge eagerly to get to the flowers she had spotted growing amongst the springy grasses and trees.
“Belle-de-jour!” she exclaimed, kneeling down and placing her crutches to the side to tenderly pluck a few of the delicate morning-glories to place in the basket held in Altaria’s beak. “These flowers will make a beautiful purple paint, don’t you think-“ She yawned. “-Cherie?” Altaria bobbed its head in agreement, but Persian answered only with a snore, as it had fallen asleep next to Lilith.

Suddenly, Lilith realized that her head felt quite heavy and that she, too was exhausted. Altaria seemed to echo the sentiment, setting the basket in its beak down on the ground and tucking its head into its chest. Lilith leaned back into Altaria’s soft down and snuggled up to Persian, and with the bright afternoon sunlight warming her body, she, just like her companions, fell asleep.

Chapter Text

As Lilith awoke, she realized that something was definitely wrong. A strange energy that wasn't there before seemed to shimmer throughout the air, and furthermore, all of the Pokémon of the forest had fallen into silence, but a trancelike, and somewhat reverential one at that. Lilith looked to Persian and Altaria for reassurance, but she saw that they were still deeply asleep, and no matter how she tried to rouse them they simply would not awake. To her panic, even the grass and the leaves on the trees themselves had stopped rustling in the breeze. It seemed that all of time itself had come to an anticipation-filled standstill. Almost as if a divine influence was guiding her eyes to look towards the clearing’s edge, Lilith looked up in fear and awe to see something stepping out from in between two trees, its footsteps leaving glowing marks upon the ground.

In fact, everything around it seemed to be glowing because of its presence, from the grasses of the forest floor to the tips of the canopies very faintly above. It walked into a beam of sunlight in the clearing, giving Lilith a much better look at its majestic frame. It appeared to have the body of a gigantic Sawsbuck, but several feet taller and with fur the deepest shade of cerulean. Its antlers were almost an armspan wide and encrusted with what seemed to be crystals that reflected the afternoon light in a rainbow of colors, giving the creature a heavenly rainbow aura. Lilith let out a gasp that was cut short, as the Pokémon silenced her with a look from its deep lapis eyes as it came further towards her still.

Just as it reached the patch of grass Lilith had been kneeling in, it sank to its knees in a bow, looking up at her with eyes that had begun to glow white with energy. Lilith felt paralyzed with fear as its eyes bored directly into her soul, and when the creature opened its mouth she was terrified to hear it speak with a voice unlike any other-(that she was sure only she would be able to hear, even if other humans were around).

“Child, I am Xernias, one of the Ancient Ones, and the guardian of life itself. I come to you for I am the patron deity of your family line- did you know that as the plague ravaged your family, you would have died too, had your parents not offered their lives to me as sacrifice for you to survive? You would not exist without me, but I seek you out all the same to give you the same boon of my blessing of life. Should you devote yourself to me just as your family line before you has, I will give you power beyond measure, and you will be protected, not just for a one-time favor but until the rest of your days. Should you decline, I will continue to watch you from afar, but be warned that I will never come back to bless you if you do not accept my offer.”
Lilith stared terrified into the still-glowing eyes of a god itself, and feeling almost powerless to decline such a boon, as she, of course, had heard the old stories of what happens to those who defied the gods, Lilith looked fearfully but resolvedly back into its eyes. The entire forest seemed to hold its breath as she spoke in a shaking voice.

“I accept your gift, sovereign Xernias, and will be forever grateful to you for both this gift and saving my life long ago. I accept the condition of serving you, just as those of my family have served you before, and in return, I place my life into your hands.” Xernias' eyes flashed in something that looked like approval and a rush of glowing energy engulfed the pair.
Lilith felt something tickling at her neck and as she looked down, she saw a collar of silver, crystal, and bone being knitted together from the same glittering rainbow energy, resembling a smaller, almost necklace-like version of Xernias’ own antlers. The ends of the collar connected, and it fell solidly onto Lilith, coming to rest on her collarbone- which sent a jolt of power through her body. She was lifted off of the forest floor in a surge of power and began to hover high above the tree line, hair flapping wildly in the wind like a halo of sorts.

She was a god.

She could sense- no, see- every sound for miles, and she could detect every living being around her along with their pulsing auras of life.

She could see the way everything glowed with the light of life previously-blindly-unseen to her, and with a wave of her hand, everything glowed stronger around her.

She was a God, as high and mighty as life itself, as bright as the sun, longer lived than the infinitesimal land of Kalos itself, as sure and as infinite vast universe.

Suddenly, everything that had seemed to matter to her before was swept away in a wave of clarity. Kalos was nothing, its kings and queens as royal as the common Feebas- but she-she was blessed, finally able to escape her human stature, finally free.

She felt giddy with power- but, with a start, she realized that none of these thoughts were her own. She felt sick as opposed to blessed when she realized what the deity had done-it had transferred its power and therefore its conscious to her body-giving her its infinite boon but also its influence. The girl would have to hear Xernias’ thoughts as well as her own-she had unknowingly accepted to host a god itself, and these were the consequences.
And suddenly, with that realization, the auras of everything around her became too bright and overwhelming, the sounds too loud, her body too high in the air-she could feel the wind nipping and biting at her as a scream escaped her mouth- the weight of a goddess laid too heavily upon her human shoulders now, and it was dragging her down and down and down-

She fell down towards the forest floor, unconscious.

Chapter Text

When Lilith awoke, the first thing she registered was that the entire world seemed to be slightly off. She was back in her bedroom, but the flowers that sat in their pots next to her windows seems to glow slightly with life, (though maybe it was just the spring air-?) and even when she closed her eyes, she could sense her Pokémon next to her.

She shook her head slightly to try and dismiss the feeling, but even afterwards she could still feel a sense of oddness. Perhaps she had suffered a blow to the head? Before she could think about it further, Violie came into the room carrying a tray bearing breakfast and a pot of tea.

“Ah, Miss! You’re awake!” She intoned, and her tired face seemed to glow with relief. No- more than that- as Lilith could see the expression shining around her face in a bright aura. Suddenly, the events of the past day seemed to come into sharp relief, and Lilith worriedly touched the collar of metal and bone at her throat, hazy memories of power coming back to her.

“Violie, what happened?” Lilith asked fearfully, almost dreading the answer her maid would give- surely this new magical gift would be a cause of fear, or worse, veneration, and Lilith trembled to think of her fate beyond this moment and-

Violie interrupted her thoughts, aura and expression both shifting to one of anxiety. “Your Altaria flew up to the manor squackin’ up a big ruckus, miss, and led some servants into the forest where you were. It seemed to me like when you were in the forest, you had passed out and weren’t waking up- so Altaria went to get us to help while Persian guarded you. Then when we found you, we took you back to the palace and put you to bed- a physician from Lumiose visited later an’ she said you passed out from overexertion. Oh, and someone also recovered your crutches”, she said, gesturing to their location besides Lilith’s bed. And then, pausing, she added in a softer tone: “Everyone was worried about you ma’am, and we’re all so glad to see you well.”

Lilith listened intently to Violie’s words, gratefully stroking Altaria and Persian’s heads to thank them for their aid as they purred happily. (Lilith would later note that they glowed with aura too- though somehow less complex than one of a human)

“Thank you, Violie, and I’m so grateful that you care for me so much, as it truly means the world to me” And with that she smiled at Violie, who returned the look brightly in earnest. “I have to ask, though, as it’s been preoccupying me ever since I woke up- did I hit my head at all?”

The maid’s aura glowed with a slight confusion that her face did not betray, and she explained that Lilith had not suffered any sort of head wound, and in fact, she was somehow wholly uninjured. And furthermore, Violie said nothing about the collar now resting heavily on Lilith’s collarbones- it almost seemed like every time she looked at her, her eyes glossed right past the gleaming ornament, as if she could not see it at all. Though Lilith simply chalked this up to politeness, as Violie was her maid, after all.

Over the next few days, Lilith was ordered by her concerned maids to bed rest, which one would think she found shackling as such a free-spirited person, but in truth she felt tired to the bone- as if Xernias had taken some of her energy in their bargain. Thankfully, by the fourth day, she was feeling much more energetic, especially with a visit from Adaline (who, oddly enough, also did not notice the new collar around Lilith’s neck- which was strange as Adaline never failed to comment on anything interesting- perhaps her new power truly could only be seen by Lilith-?), where the two arranged a time to go to the port town of Aquacorde and get some “fun finery” (Adaline’s words) to wear to the Anniversary Ball, but also to the various galas and parties of the “social season” that characterized the upcoming summer for all Kalosians, whether they were noble or not.

This would be Lilith’s first true foray into the social world, and as she stared up at the sheer canopy of her bed late one night, she realized she was overcome with nervous excitement for the days to come.

When Lilith next awoke, the much anticipated sound of tapping against the glass of one of her bedroom windows brought her instantly out of a sleepy stupor, and she grabbed her crutches from beside her bed and walked to the left window with vigor. Before she even opened the curtains, she knew exactly who had arrived- and delightfully, she threw the window wide for Ada’s Fennekin companion. As a testament to their friendship, Lilith and Adaline often sent each other messages by way of Pokémon, and today was no different, as Fennekin proudly wore a scroll of parchment tied to its leather collar with a bit of spare twine.

Lilith eagerly unfurled the paper, which bore a message that looked as if it had been written in an (admittedly excited) hurry:

“Dearest Lily, today’s the day!!!! I’ve reserved us an appointment at Boutique Rivière to look at dresses at 11am sharp- I’ll see you at the port gates, and safe travels!!

-XXOO, Ada”

Lilith smiled and gratefully petted Fenniken’s head in thanks for its delivery service, duly noting how the Pokemon’s aura glowed with pride as it purred up at her. She was still getting used to the whole “auras” thing- and she knew somehow that there would be more to come-but she was finding it to be almost useful. Almost unconsciously, her hand drifted to the ornament at her collarbone as she waved goodbye to the Fenniken now leaving back through her open window, its ears perked up with pride at a job well done.

As Lilith looked outside for the final time before turning to her vanity to get dressed, she couldn’t help but notice how much more vibrant the countryside outside her window looked glowing with the vitality of nature and the auras of wild Pokémon, almost as if Xernias itself was whispering:

“Do you understand how much better the world is now that you’ve been blessed?”

Chapter Text

   The sun was beginning its journey across the sky as Lilith and Altaria touched down at the stone arch that marked the entrance to the bustling port town of Aquacorde with Persian following close behind. (AN:  Altaria and Persian are both service Pokémon, and while Lilith can walk with the aid of her crutches, she often takes longer journeys by flying relatively slowly and low to the ground atop Altaria’s back. If she lived in the modern world, she’d use both forearm crutches and a wheelchair, depending on the situation.)

Though it was relatively early in the morning, the port was already buzzing with life as boats docked in the harbor and vendors sold their wares in the outdoor market in the town’s center. Bright nautical flags hung in banners around the center square, catching Lilith’s eye as she walked through town with Altaria and Persian by her side, both Pokémon ensuring that she had enough space to move comfortably through the crowd.

Lilith looked up at the clock in the main square, and seeing that she had about twenty minutes to kill before meeting up with Adaline, she began to stroll towards the docks to watch the boats and perhaps get something to eat in the square’s outdoor market on the way-as many sorts of dishes from other parts of the region (and even from faraway trade partners of Kalos, such as Galar) were sold in the stalls there, and not to mention, everything smelled delicious, especially to her new heightened senses. She contemplated her options for a short while before deciding on an Octillery calamari, bought from a young girl with seashells braided into her hair who stared up at Lilith as she paid as if she was a princess, eyes twinkling. (but glazing over her collar, as usual) Her aura practically sparkled with wonder, and Lilith, knowing what it was like to be young and full of worldly curiosity, gave her a few silver coins extra before taking her calamari on a stick and heading towards the docks to watch the sailors come and go for a bit.

As she sat down on a wayward crate to eat, she began to people-watch, a hobby that had admittedly become one of her guilty pleasures, as after all, if you could sense people’s emotions, wouldn’t you want to be a bit nosy, yourself? She decided on a small game to entertain herself, which went like so:

She would look away from the mass of sailors at the docks and then try to reach out with her aura to sense their emotions. Then, looking back, she would guess which emotions belonged to who. It was a good way of not losing control of her powers, as Lilith was coming to find that the sheer number of emotions and auras in the port city could be overwhelming at times.

Averting her gaze to the sparkling sea, Lilith reached out and sensed three strong emotions immediately. One was jealousy, the other indecision, and the last a sort of longing, but what for Lilith could not determine. Looking back towards the crowds, she saw the jealous man immediately. He was a large, seafaring man with a black beard who seemed to have a slithering, jealous aura simply pouring from him. He looked deep in argument with another sailor, and Lilith then noticed that the pair were arguing over who had caught a rare Pokémon- though she knew the bearded man was lying about having caught it, else he wouldn’t be jealous.

She giggled to herself and took a small bite of calamari, as she was happy that she was right- and also that her gifts were becoming harder to fear. Finding the indecisive sailor was easy too- they were a privateer with a foxlike face moving through the crowds near the dock, (probably indecisive on which noble pocket they should pick, Lilith thought) and sure enough, she was right, as she saw them slip their hand into a nobleman’s pocket a second later. They caught Lilith staring and winked, melting into the crowd.

Lilith blushed slightly and focused on finding the longing sailor, scouring the docks for the right aura until she found the source and gasped internally. The longing sailor was a tall, redheaded young man whom Lilith knew vaguely as one of Ada’s most recent crushes (she had a thing for sailors and would often have short romantic flings with them, none ever being very serious or lasting very long- this new one’s name was Thomas, she thought? She wasn’t really sure.) Lilith focused, intent on finding out if he was longing for Adaline, and if so, how she would tell her friend the good news, when the boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a sandwich. Content, he sat down and began to eat, aura of longing replaced with one of satisfactory joy.

Shaking her head, Lilith finished off the last of her calamari and put her crutches back on, beginning her walk across the circular main square. Just as she crossed into the heart of the market in the square, however, alarm bells began to ring loudly in her head. A voice in her mind seemed to be screaming “GET OUT OF THE WAY” and, waiting a second more, she felt the press of a violent presence bearing down hard and fast towards her.

She practically leaped from the spot she had been standing in, calling Altaria and Persian behind her just as a rogue Rhyhorn barreled past, and though it was being chased after by someone that appeared to be its Trainer, it did not slow its charge. Lilith became vaguely aware that she could have been trampled underfoot, if not for Xernias’ gift saving her, but she then realized that she was falling backwards, as her jump out of harm’s way had caused her crutches to lose their grip on the stone, making her unsteady, leading her to plummet backwards towards the ground and—

Her head brushed the softness of what seemed like silk, while two lithe yet strong arms wrapped chastely around her waist, delicately lifting a startled Lilith back to her feet. Crutches safely back in her hands now, Lilith turned back to the stranger that had caught her with the intention to thank them, but she lost all words at the sight of the boy staring back at her, his hands settling against her shoulders to brace her.

He was gorgeous, with intelligent brown eyes subtly flecked with blue and green, but Lilith shifted her eyes away from his, instead drawing her gaze to somewhere over his right shoulder and calling politeness into her expression. (After all, he seemed to be dressed quite well- perhaps he was some sort of high-society heir? No matter who he was, Lilith did not want to embarrass herself if she happened to see him again during the upcoming summer)

“My sincerest apologies, Madame” he intoned, politely removing his steadying hand from her shoulder. While his voice revealed nothing to Lilith in terms of emotion, she noted (with a soft flush creeping up her cheeks) that it carried a slight edge to it. He seemed cooly unbothered by the whole encounter, as if he saved falling women on the daily, but something in his eyes said that he was thanking Lord Arceus Itself for the chance to catch her in his arms.

“No offence taken,” Lilith said, snapping herself out of her trance (she needed to be polite, after all! It would be rude to stand ogling the man who saved her without thanking him) “I am in deep gratitude to you for catching me, Monsieur--?” She trailed off, waiting for him to give her his name.

“---Adrien,” he answered, “If you plan on falling into my arms again anytime soon, please, call me Adrien, as by that point, we’d be at a first-name basis, don’t you think?” He chuckled in the base of his throat, and Lilith followed suit, delighted by his boldness. (Though he laughed, Lilith could still see an almost imperceptible weight upon him- something in the way his eyes stayed unchanging though he laughed? He seemed to have been carrying a burden for as long as he lived, though it was very hard to see) “Oh,” he said, “Forgive me for my rudeness, but I forgot to ask for your name in return, My Lady. Could I please have the pleasure of knowing who you are?”

“Lilith Asphodel, of Vaniville,” she answered, and Adrien spoke her name a few times back to her, rolling the syllables on the tip of his tongue, as if they were a song.  

A slight flashing of light caught Lilith’s eye, and drawing her eyes towards the source, she noticed that he wore an amulet partially hidden by the folds of his cravat, that was now winking in the morning sun. Adrien caught her staring, and with a smile, tucked it back into the silk. Why he would want to hide such a beautiful thing, Lilith did not know, but almost imperceptibly, she could still feel its presence in the back of her mind- a side effect of her aura perhaps? After all, this wouldn’t be the first time she’d detected objects..  

The clock chiming eleven rudely shocked Lilith out of her romantic reverie- she had all but forgotten her meeting with Adaline, and coming late to an appointment at a boutique as revered as the Rivière was a sure way to get said appointment cancelled. Hurriedly, she apologized and explained to Adrien her situation, and ever the gentleman, he offered to walk her there. She politely declined, (her heart couldn’t take much more- she felt as if she was catching fire like a stick hit by Fenniken’s Ember) and Adrien bowed, kissing the top of her hand as he did so. With this, he retreated into the crowd with a final “Pleasure to meet you, Lady Lilith” and was about to disappear completely before Lilith called out:

“Wait,” she asked, looking back towards him, “Will I at least have the luck of seeing you again at any of this summer’s balls?” and before she could stop herself, added a soft “And the pleasure is all mine…” She had wanted to say more, but didn’t want to word vomit, as she often did when flustered, so she waited, head feeling like it was home to a swarm of frenzied Vivillion. To her credit, though, he stopped and smiled again, showing teeth this time.

“Perhaps.”

And with that, he was truly gone, and Lilith’s chest immediately began to fill with both the pressing weight of unsaid words and that hope- that fluttering, Vivillion-winged hope that she would, in fact, see him again. It wasn’t until she and her Pokémon returned home from the bacchanale of trying on dresses and jewelry and having a good time in the market square with Ada that she finally figured out what had been on her mind all day-

Adrien didn’t have any sort of aura at all.

Chapter Text

Though the eventual nighttime ride on his noble Rapidash back from the market to Oleander House was markedly cold and gusty-(blasted Kalosian spring winds)- the dark-haired Adrien felt as if he had been lit on fire. Finally, things were to go his way, and not a moment too soon. With none but the wilds of the night to see him, he let himself break out into a rare, true, grin.

Chapter Text

Though her interaction from the market still lingered dreamily in her mind, Lilith was concerned with more important things, most crucially being the innumerable (and often unexplainable) effects of being the living physical body to a god. While the shifting of the seasons usually prompted allergies to creep up upon the staff and Pokémon alike of Asphodel Manor, Lilith found herself immune to these seasonal colds- something that prompted a scolding from the castle cook- (“What do you mean you ‘don’t need’ my remedies??” she had inquired when Lilith tried to politely tell her that she was feeling well and refused the cook’s homemade herbal tonics).

Another change Lilith had begun to notice was subtle as well- she’d looked in her vanity mirror a week or so after going to Aquacorde and been puzzled by the length of her hair, as if it had somehow grown in an impossibly short time(-but that couldn’t be-unless it had grown by magic-?) Even Violie had commented on how Lilith “seemed to glow” as they ate breakfast in the gardens one morning, something that finally prompted Lilith to realize the changes that Xernias’ influence had brought upon her.

However, the gifts of Xernias were not just sparkly, shallow things- neither the deity nor Lilith had forgotten the heavier end of the deal they were bound to. Xernias’ will and emotions now resided together with Lilith’s, leading her to often feel the god’s influence press upon her mind- as if it saw through her eyes as she had seen through its.  

And, of course, there were the dreams.

Sometime after receiving the blessing of Xernias, Lilith had fallen asleep one night to see the sprawling darkness of the Santalune Woods stretched almost infinitely before her.

The world was suspended in an infinite twilight, with a sense of intangibility clinging to the air like the scent of honeysuckles on a summer breeze; and while this sort of ancient stillness would have unnerved Lilith typically, in her heart of hearts, she felt completely at ease within the infinite forest. Being there felt as if she was returning home after an eternity away, and that filled her with calm. The eventide breeze echoed her sentiment, softly caressing her face and rippling the grass around her, making the forest seem as if it was dancing in the darkness.

Soft, otherworldly cries pricked the gloaming darkness, and Lilith felt herself drawn to the heart of the forest, where she knew something waited for her within. As if in response, the world around her glowed with an array of auras, lighting a trail deep into the forest’s center. As she started along it, Lilith noticed that the grasses were tickling her feet, and looking down, she saw that she floated a few inches above the forest floor, allowing her, she noted with giddy joy, to fly faster than an apparition through the trees.

Within the forest, the sky itself seemed to shift and change, deepening to a pitch-black as Lilith moved further and further towards its center. Though it was now darker than the blackest night, she could see everything before her- even the very tops of the trees, which seemed to eclipse the sky, save for the glow of the moon overhead.

Lilith idly wished she could stay in the twilit peace of the forest forever, but the pressing whispers of the land itself around her began to almost scream with urgency as she moved into the clearing ahead.

Xernias was waiting in center of the misty forest, its eyes glowing with something that Lilith immediately understood as urgency. Lilith stood paralyzed in fear before it, heart fluttering in the silent seconds before its eyes began to glow ever brighter, as if preparing itself to speak. When it spoke, its voice seemed to come from everywhere- from the wind and the twinkling stars above to the forest itself, both one voice and an infinite chorus, piercing Lilith’s mind.

“Heir of life,” it called to her in a gentle, yet pressing, voice, “I come to you with a both a warning and a directive that lie intertwined within one another. It is imperative you listen- it is time to prove to me your devotion as your ancestors have before, and your descendants will after.”

“A..” it hesitated, seemingly debating on how to explain the divine motivations of the gods to Lilith, “..dark presence gathers just beyond the horizon- one who works tirelessly to grow its power and eradicate the presence of Life itself. You, with your blessing, have the power to fight it- with it being the sovereign duty of your very devotion.”

As Xernias spoke, its entire body began to glow brighter and brighter, adding to the intensity of its words as it continued to speak, its fervor raising the hair atop Lilith’s arms in trepidation.

“You must come to me in the waking world as soon as you leave the arms of Cresselia, Goddess of the Sleeping Realm, for not just your life, but the lives of all beings that dwell in your mortal plane will be ebbed away by the dark tide that is beginning to rise once again, should you fail to do your duty as my Chosen One,” Xernias continued, but its ‘voice’ seemed to grow quieter, fading away into the misty forest entirely, which, as Lilith looked around, seemingly grew darker and darker by the second, until she stood in lifeless blackness. She cried out, reaching into the darkness, but it swallowed up her hand, leaving nothing behind.

Lilith called out again and again for Xernias, desperately reaching into herself for just a shred of the boon it had promised- the protection it had claimed it would offer her- but she found nothing but a pair of cold, empty eyes staring back at her- the piercing, fathomless eyes of a monster, of the darkness itself, of desperation and death and misery and-

Lilith jolted awake, a cold sweat running down her back, with only the words “Seek me out” echoing through her mind. Both Altaria and Persian were at her side, and Lilith didn’t need aura to sense their concern as they pressed themselves into her body, seeking to comfort her- but not once looking into her eyes, as they typically did after a nightmare.  

“I’m alright, dears, I’m alright,” Lilith soothed, stroking Altaria and Persian’s heads gently- though she was more saying it to comfort herself, the affirmation seemed to be working to slow her frantically fluttering heart. With the ever-present comfort of her Pokémon companions, (who had abandoned their typical friendly “who-can-get-more-of-Lilith’s-attention” competition for the moment being), Lilith was able to calm down enough to take deep, even breaths, with Persian placing its head on her chest and Altaria snuggling around her with its downy wings, humming softly. They lay like that until the sun fully rose, enough time for Lilith’s eyes and collar to stop glowing with Xernias’s eternal light.