LEO

Leo Specter and Dusclops ran through the trees desperately. We're getting close, he knew. Banette was growing more anxious with each step.

The previous night had been chaos. Long after the masquerade had ended, there was still no trace of Alex and Elli. It wasn't until well after midnight that his father had sent out guards to find them.

Leo remembered his nervousness as they searched that night. Rumor had it, Alex had stolen a kiss from the girl from Lilycove, and the two young nobles were still hiding, sharing in what some of the women called "young love."

Leo's mother called it "disgraceful." She was ready to call for Alex's head. He had stolen her boy's right of marriage. Leo had looked to Dusclops then, for comfort, as just before his father was about to give the order for arrest, there came a rapping at the royal chamber door.

In had walked Elli's mother, crying, accompanied by Alex's Aunt Caitlyn. It had taken what seemed like hours to calm her down... and then Leo's father had pried the cold, sparkling coin from her fingers: emblazoned with a tree on fire.

Lord Spector had roared in his wrath as Elli's mother wailed again. Leo knew what it meant: Burningtree had gotten a hold of one or both of them... The timing was too perfect, Leo had thought. The Empress and her forces had left to deal with some sort of an uprising or pirate infestation in the southern sea, and that was when the Draconids struck.

Before his father or mother could stop him, Leo had rushed out the door. He didn't care about anything anymore, only finding his brother. He didn't want to believe it was true, it couldn't be true. If he just looked a little harder, if he just searched all night, he'd find Leo safe, with Elli somewhere... He could forgive Alex for that. It was an arranged marriage after all; just as long as they both were safe...

But daylight came, and Leo had lost all hope. Finally, there came a commotion in the great hall where the masquerade had been that night. Banette had returned. Leo's father and Dusknoir were trying to question it. The poor Ghost Pokemon had a pained look on its face as it had refused to talk to the Lord of Mt. Pyre.

Instead, it was Leo that Alex's Spirit Pokemon had turned to. In haste it beckoned Dusclops and the younger brother to follow.

Leo now found himself bounding through the trees. He could tell he was getting close, judging from the look on Banette's face...

He would have ran right by Alex if it was any other day. At first, his brother's crumpled body seemed like nothing but a pile of leaves. Dusclops felt Alex for signs of life. Leo felt a tear in his eye until finally, he could feel the soft breathing of his big brother on his neck.

Both Ghost Pokemon disappeared into thin air as they went back to direct the others to the brothers' location.

Leo leaned his older brother's head back and drizzled some water in his mouth. Alex's face was black with dirt, but when the water washed most of it off his face, the black gave way to blue, purple, and green bruises. Dried blood was caked on his face as well.

Finally, with broken breath, Alex spoke. "Leo?..." he stammered. "I'm... sorry... Couldn't protect... her."

Leo tried to smile. "No, don't be. You're safe."

"Elli isn't... Burningtree."

"Ssssh. You're a hero, Alex," Leo tried to console his brother. He thought of all the times the roles were reversed, and now Leo was the support. "We'll find her, don't worry." In truth, even Leo was worried about the girl he had undergone his First Generation studies with, but the relief he felt with his big brother safe in his arms washed the fear away. "If it wasn't for you, it would have been me."

"Your mother... Father..."

"I told them you took my place for my own safety, even that shut mother up." A tear fell from Leo's face. No one had ever escaped Burningtree before. Then he realized that this was no escape. Alex was meant to be found. "Come on, let's get up. You never were one to stay down for long. Father is worried."

As if he had heard his name invoked, Lord Specter stepped through the trees with his Dusknoir. By his side, the Lady Caitlyn Forrest, Alex's maternal Aunt, sat atop her Absol. When she saw her nephew, Leo saw her face flush with rage.

"My son!" Lord Specter cried. Leo had never seen his overly large father move that fast, and had certainly never seen tears come to his eyes. "My firstborn... My child... What did they do to you? They will pay!"

With minimal effort that astounded Leo, his father lifted Alex off the ground and carried him over to his aunt. The green-clad woman slid to her feet off the white Pokemon. Then, she gently wrapped Leo's brother's arms to her Pokémon's neck.

"Alex, child," she spoke so softly to Alex, yet Leo didn't have to strain his hearing in the forest's silence. "Alex, it's Aunt Caitlyn. You are such an honorable young man. When you wake, I promise we will drink and make songs of your bravery. Absol, take him to a nursery."

The Pokemon nodded, and bounded back through the trees. Leo took note of how Alex seemed not to take any shock from Absol's graceful movements. Leo smiled when he saw Banette and Dusclops reappear. Realizing Alex had gone, the little zipper-mouthed ghost disappeared again.

Silence engulfed the three of them. Leo, his father, and Alex's Aunt Caitlyn all looked their own way, contemplating the situation. Leo couldn't help the feeling that it was a warning of some kind. He looked to his Dusclops for confirmation. The ghost nodded, giving Leo the confidence to speak. It wasn't a warning, it was a threat.

"They're getting ready to make a power play," Leo finally said out loud.

Lord Specter cleared his throat in agreement. "Yes I do believe so. But how? And to what end?"

Lady Caitlyn spoke up. Her voice was shaky with anger. "They're going to make a demand of you soon, my Lord," she said. "The Draconids have not once taken hostages, especially not when Burningtree is involved. Curse his name." She took out a long knife in her belt and slammed it into a tree.

"This is surely not in their pattern of behavior," Specter said. He walked over to Caitlyn, soft leaves crunched on the forest floor where he stepped. When he put a large hand on her shoulder, and Leo noticed her flinch. He could tell that she was trying to hold back tears.

"I promise you, my lady, those who mean harm to my family, and yours, will be brought to justice." He consoled her. "After all you've been through... Your family... I will not let this insult on both our houses go unnoticed. I will double our efforts to bring in the ones responsible."

Caitlyn turned and looked at Specter coldly. "Thank you, my Lord," she said as she stalked back the way she had come.

Leo made to follow her, and his father stopped him. "I'm proud of you, son, for finding Alexander. The bond you have with your brother... Even though it makes your mother have fits, it honors me to have two outstanding young men as my sons."

Leo felt pride swell up inside of him. "Thanks father."

At least two days passed at misty Mt. Pyre. Leo sat by his brother's bedside with Dusclops and Alex's Banette. News came and went. A girl sighted here and there, shadows in the trees, and every villager who gave questioning looks to his father's guard were in turn questioned harshly on the whereabouts of Leo's betrothed.

His thoughts turned to Elli and her family... I should be out there looking for her too, he thought. I should...

Leo's inner voice was interrupted by a stirring in the bed.

With great effort, Alex opened his eyes. "Leo... How many days... have I been out?"

Leo counted the hours on his fingers. "Two and a half. The nursemaids say you're making quite the-"

"Two days?!" Alex shot up into a sitting position. An expression of great pain crossed his face. His brother looked at him with panicked eyes. "There's not much time!"

"Time?" Leo wondered. He tried to steady his big brother. Banette was frantically feeling its Spirit Human's forehead for signs of fever. "Time for what?"

"For Elli to live... Leo, there's something I must tell you. Burningtree... The Draconids, they have a client, someone who is paying them to accomplish some horrible task. I think the client is someone in Mt. Pyre... Someone who wants to destroy our house, and they're using the Draconids and their assassin to do it."

Leo saw something else behind Alex's eyes, something that scared his brother visibly. "What else?"

"Burningtree, he- You have to promise you won't tell anybody." Leo nodded reluctantly.

"I have five more days to kill father, or they will send Elli back... in pieces."

Leo's heart stopped.