Last Chapter! Please enjoy. There will be an epilogue coming some time around.

Reviews are welcome

Pokémon does not belong to me.

Chapter 8: It Comes To Light

Astrid was gazing down at the lake-the same one she had stared that took her to the Pokémon world. But instead of watching her reflection as a Fraxure, she was staring at her human form.

Loose caramel curls framed a pale, oval face with a touch of freckles on the bridge of her nose. Her eyes, a reddish brown, blinked in surprise.

She'd forgotten how she looked as a human.

("...As-...")

She looked around. Did someone...? No, impossible. There was nothing here but mist and light.

Astrid sighed and began to play with the cool water with her fingers (Fingers! So small and harmless. Her short nails could easily break in half with the things she'd done).

("As...trid...")

Suddenly exhausted, she decided to lie down.

("Astrid!...Astrid!")

"Go away," she whispered, shutting her eyes. "I'm tired. Let me sleep."

("Astrid...co...come...")

"Just let me sleep," she muttered. "I want to rest."

"Astrid, you silly girl."

Too tired to open her eyes, she only felt a pair of strong hands pick her up, cradling her close to a powerful warmth that felt achingly familiar. Another hand began to caress her cheek.

"Astrid, my dear. ("Come back, Astrid! Come back!") It's not time to be with us yet. Go back to your home."

'My home is with you,' she thought, tears slipping down her cheeks.

(Please come back!")

The warm beings chuckled lovingly. "It always will be. But you're time with them isn't over for a long time. We'll be together again. But for now you must wake up.

"Wake up, Astrid."

"WAKE UP!"

Astrid's eyes shot open and she gasped for breath. Everything was blurry, something unbearably heavy laid on her chest and she was freezing down to her bones.

"She's awake!"

"Quick! Call Swanna!"

"Somebody get more blankets and a hot drink!"

Why was she so cold? Why couldn't she move? She couldn't stop trembling. So cold...so horribly cold…

"Astrid, dear, you have to focus," Swanna? "Settle on one thing. You're wearing yourself out."

Astrid breathed as slowly as she could, the blurred images beginning to settle in one place.

Swanna was in front of her, surrounded by her friends. She was in the Inn, lying down in one of the beds.

Swanna held a steaming cup close to Astrid's mouth. "Drink this. It'll warm you up."

Astrid forced her mouth to open the slightest bit, enough for the hot liquid to slip into her mouth. She couldn't even taste it, but the heat felt so good as it rushed down her throat, spreading all over her body and making the cold ebb away.

"Any better?"

She nodded. "What...w-what happened?" She whispered.

Espeon walked through the crowd, her tear-filled eyes glowing with guilt. "I'm so sorry, Astrid! I should have never suggested to split-up. I'm so sorry!"

Astrid managed to muster a tiny smile and rested her claw on Espeon's head. "Not...your fault. It's ok."

The psychic Pokémon burst into tears, resting her head on the bed. "You were attacked! By a Vaporeon! He used Aurora Beam and nearly killed you. Oren managed to use a Heal Orb to get rid of the ice but you were so hurt and you wouldn't eat any Oran Berries. He roll-called us and we escaped the dungeon and took you here and-oh, I'm so sorry!"

Astrid gently patted her head, "It's….ok. Everything's…fine."

Umbreon lovingly bumped his head against his sister's. "You can rest easy now, Espeon. Even Astrid told you it's not your fault," he said. Espeon shakily nodded.

Astrid smiled tiredly until she realized that someone was missing from the crowd. "Where's…Oren?"

Swanna smiled knowingly. "We forced him to go back to Paradise to rest. Poor thing refused to leave your side for even a moment."

Astrid sighed in relief. "Good. He's ok."

"Dunsparce and Emolga will go and tell him that you're awake. Why don't you rest a while longer?" She nodded and closed her eyes; sleep coming almost inmediately. "Alright, everyone, go back home. Gurdurr please stop crying you're making a mess on my floor."

!#$%&*)*(&^$ $%^&*(

When Astrid woke up the room was dark, lit only by a small candle. She tried sitting up, only to flinch in pain and fall back on her bed.

"You should go a little easier on yourself."

She gasped and turned to face the side of her bed. She could see his familiar silhouette. "Oren?"

He came closer to the light of the candle, and her heart nearly broke. He seemed so much smaller than he was, curling himself in so tightly he was close to hiding his head beneath his whole body. "How are you feeling?"

"I-I'm fine," she tried to sit up again and gasped in pain.

He was by her in an instant, hovering over her worriedly. "Stop moving so much! You'll only hurt yourself more."

"I'm alright, really! Just a little sore."

"A little?" His eyes began to glow in anger. "Astrid you nearly froze to death! Dragon Pokémon can't stand the cold. You're lucky you didn't die then and there!"

She stared in surprise. He'd never yelled at her before. The very thought of Oren being furious at her scared her.

"Honestly, you're such an idiot, sometimes."

'An idiot?' A hot surge of her own anger began to rumble in her chest. 'I saved his life and he calls me an idiot?' "You're one to talk!" She yelled back. "You can't take the cold, either! You can barely stand a cold night outside let alone an Aurora Beam."

"You're always doing this! Always taking the worst hits and getting poisoned and burned for everyone else's sake. Meanwhile, I'm right behind you and all I can do is stand there helplessly and hope to Arceus you don't die standing."

"It's my job to protect everyone when I'm leading so of course I'll take the brunt. I don't mind!"

"I do!"

"Oh, do you?" She sat up, ignoring the pain as best she could. "So, completely ignoring the fact that I saved your life, it bothers you when I try to do the right thing? Should I have just let that Vaporeon hurt you? Just to appease your ego so you can have nice battle scar to impress all of your fans-"

"What fans?" He asked, confusedly.

She coughed out a harsh laugh, "Oh, please! Oren, you have a crowd of loyal followers just desperate for your undivided attention. How can you not notice them!?"

"…I don't care about them, Astrid," he said quietly.

Astrid closed her eyes, a headache already beginning to pound in her head. "Oren, please. I'm tired."

"Astrid," She heard movement, then felt something touch her forehead, but didn't dare to open her eyes. "Astrid, please look at me."

She slowly opened them. Oren was resting his head against hers. His eyes were the familiar soft glow she loved to see. She sighed in relief. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean it."

"I know," he said. "Astrid…I was terrified. You weren't moving, and there was ice all over your body. I was going insane. I thought you-" he broke off, tears filling his eyes. "I thought you died. And I couldn't bear it."

She put her claw on the side of his head, her own eyes tearing up, "I'm sorry I made you worry."

They leaned against each other, feeling the pieces fall back into place once again.

She missed him.

He missed her.

"I think this is the longest we've talked in a long time," she said.

"I think this is the longest that we've actually seen each other."

"Definitely. Hey, when did you evolve?"

He laughed quietly. "Where would I be without you?"

"I think I should be asking that question."

"Astrid," he closed his eyes, nuzzling his head against hers. She trembled, only ever dreaming of being this close to him. "There's no one else but you."

She could barely breathe, her heart was pounding in her chest. "What about the others?"

"Who?"

"Roselia, Lilligant, all those other gir-"

"Astrid," he said. "They never mattered. You're the only one. Why do you think I evolved?"

"To be stronger?"

"No," Oren moved his whole body to the bed and cradled her close. "I did it to impress you."