FicWad

I feel my thoughts forcefully shoved out as Kabir's command rams its way through my mind with a sharp stab of pain. My body and mind obey, and I find myself suddenly statue still, along with all the others. Pokémon and humans alike, not one was spared. Even little Lei had stopped his crying, wrapped protectively within the long body of Whiplash.

Sounds have ceased, and all eyes are forced to focus on Kabir. A feeling of unimaginable exhaustion worms its way through my body as time slowly ticks by.

Though the command only lasts a few moments, we all continue to stand silently; our thoughts returned, but our minds now directed at the sightless man before us. He remains stationary, shocked by the sudden silence as well, and by the strength of his own power.

Berns is the first to move. Taking advantage of the quiet, he runs forward and grabs his Tauros by the reins, yanking him away from Sam's Mudsdale. It puts up no fight and allows itself to be led away, made docile by shock and unnoticing when it is tethered back to the carriage. Berns turns to me; the first one to be attacked and bows low and politely.

"My deepest apologies, ma'am. I had not seen you standing by Mudsdale. The two Pokémon have never come to blows before, but I think the shock of seeing someone there must have set him off. Please, forgive me." He bows again, his voice deeply remorseful, breath still coming out heavy from the fight.

"I will return later and pay for any damages that were caused today and fill out any paperwork for the police report." He continues, wrapping the reigns tightly around his right hand. "I would stay to help anyone injured, but I will not risk another fight with Tauros. Again, I apologize."

"I don't plan on filing any reports unless you feel it necessary. I know Kabir would agree with me that this was an unfortunate accident. I can't speak for anyone outside of my household though. We'll keep in contact with you, if anything comes up." I mutter, dragging my mind out of the thick fog swirling in my head.

"Right, and I'll have another team bring your lumber over." The cab driver responds, placing a soothing hand on the now-passive bull's nose.

"No, please don't. We're going to need some time to recover. We weren't even expecting it for another few weeks. I'll call when we are ready to take it again."

Berns gives a grunt of acknowledgement and leads his cab to the path by hand, not letting go of the reins until he is fully turned around. Then he climbs in, clicks his tongue, and leaves.

As Berns was leading his bull away, Burnet grabbed the reins of the unresisting Mudsdale and held them tightly in her hands, not yet ready to trust the giant horse. Instead, the Pokémon pulled gently on his reins and led the young woman opposite of the Tauros. The Mudsdale walked over to Kabir, who placed a hand on its snout and murmured gently to it. Then the horse backed away and stood, silent and unmoving.

Anya's hands are full, checking Kukui over while keeping an eye on Sam, who lay on the, with a concerning amount of stillness. I was still on the other side of the yard, standing by Anya, when Kabir releases Billy, his Gogoat, and suddenly leans heavily against him, nearly collapsing against the Pokémon's side.

This was the first time I had looked at him fully. All the color had drained away from his face until he was deathly pale. The bags under his sightless eyes, deeper and darker than ever. His hands shake as he holds tightly onto his Pokémon, trying hard to keep himself up.

I don't feel my legs move, but suddenly, I'm running to him, worry forcing my muscles to react, fear gripping my insides. Even at his lowest, I have never seen my husband look so ill in all our years together.

"Kabir!" I call, finding my voice as I sprint over. "Love, what's wrong?"

"It's alright," he says in a dizzied whisper as I come up, grabbing his arm so he knows where I am. "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. Oh Arceus, this is bad. Anya! Anya, please help!" I call, yelling frantically to my sister. Her head shoots up at us from across the yard in alarm at the fear in my voice, but Kabir waves his hand in the air, shooing Anya from coming over.

"Sashi, stop," the pain in his voice increases while his whisper becomes softer. "Your yelling hurts. Please, don't do that. I'm alright, really. I-I think I just need to rest for a bit." He stumbles over the words.

"We need to get you inside and have Anya check you over. Where's my phone? We should give Mel a call too; she'll know what to do to help you," I say, my voice now matching his whisper with a tremble. I grab his hand and try to lead him towards the house, but he pulls it away.

"Please give me a moment to do this at least," he says meekly, "Would you guide me to Sam?"

I glance over to the giant human's unmoving form and could just barely make out the rise and fall of their chest. "Over here," I say, placing my shoulder under him, and, with Billy's help, we lead him over to the supine form.

Sam's eyes were closed as we approached, but they flutter open when I call gently out.

"Doctor Māhoe said I have some broken ribs," they say through teeth clenched in agony. "And to keep lying down. I'm not one to go against a Doctor's orders, so I've stayed here." Though there was pain in their voice and a wince with every breath, they spoke with a light tone. "How's Mudsdale?" They ask in concern for their steed.

"It seems uninjured," I say, glancing over my shoulder at the massive horse, standing passively as my neighbor ties it to a post. "But Burnet or I will give it a check over," I answer.

"Sam, I wanted to tell you, it wasn't Mudsdale's fault," Kabir whispers. "It was only trying to defend Sashi, but when it saw you get hurt, it just lost it."

"Did it tell you this, um, psychically?" Sam asks, matching the quiet voice of my husband.

"Yes." Even through his pain and exhaustion in the simple word, I can still hear the embarrassment that yet another person now knows about his powers.

"Oh, thank goodness," there was relief in Sam's sigh. "I would hate to think that Mudsdale would ever attack for anything as simple as a swiped horn." They release another slow, shaking breath.

Surprise presses into me as his words take effect. Was Kabir able to actually talk to it? He's never been able to do that before. Not with that much detail. I flash a glance at him and make ready to pull him aside and question this when a voice behind me catches my attention first.

"How's Kukui?" Burnet asks, concerned but in control of her emotions.

She is far more calm about her husband's injury than I was. What is wrong with me? I've never been this reactive in tense situations before. I think to myself with a jolt of shame. I turn around and look over at them. Kukui was sitting obediently still on the ground, a fresh bandage on his head and a purpling hoof-shaped welt on his chest.

"He'll be fine," Anya answers. "There's bruising, but there are no breaks that I can tell. He is showing signs of a concussion, but nothing serious. I would like to get these two to the hospital to have them admitted for observation," she says, pointing her thumb behind and referring to Sam as well. "I don't exactly have any machines or proper equipment with me." Exhaustion edges her to tone despite her attempts to sound fully alert.

"Here," Kabir attempts to make his voice sound stronger than he feels while pulling a Pokèball from his pocket, "Take Maui. He can fly you there." He tosses the ball and releases a giant, dark purple bird, Corviknight. I reach down and place the ball back into his hand after it whizzes past our heads in return.

"Oh, who's that Pokémon?" Kukui speaks now, moving to stand up with Burnet's help, his eagerness to learn overruling his current condition. We choose to ignore him for the time being.

After a nod from Anya, I reach down and grab Sam by the shoulders and help them up too. They grunt in pain but work valiantly to stand without the need for aid, which was all the better. Unfortunately, none of us would be able to hold the giant human up, especially my tiny sister and me.

"But what about my Mudsdale?" Sam says with slight protest.

"It's alright. I'll take care of it as long as you need. You just worry about recovering." I say, guiding them over to Maui with Kukui already waiting on his back. He reaches a hand out and helps get Sam up.

"Kabir," Anya says heavily, coming up beside my husband and placing her hand on his arm to better gather his attention, "You're coming with us, too. You don't look well."

"No, I'm fine," He says, pushing her hand away from his forehead and wincing at the louder voice of my sister. "I just need to rest." He was still leaning, nearly with all his weight, on Billy, somehow looking even closer to passing out than before. He hates hospitals, even as an adult, as he finds himself visiting them far more often than the average person.

"That wasn't a question. I think it would be best if you were checked over, too. I can't do that while I'm at the hospital and you're here. We can't just leave Sam, they are in a lot of pain, and if I miss any brain damage with Kukui because you were too blind to listen to reason, it'll be your fault," She chides, squinting her eyes in frustration. Her annoyance was increasing at his refusals.

Kabir sighs in exhaustion, clearly unable to keep up the fight. "Alright." That was so abnormal for him, as he usually clashed heads with my sister.

Anya puts her arm under his other shoulder and helps Billy lead him over to the Maui as well, him stumbling on legs that increasingly refuse to walk. I see the quickest flash in my sister's eyes of terror, and a pit in my stomach drops at the fleeting look.

My twin and I nearly carry Kabir up the back of his Corviknight, Kukui and Sam pulling his arm to assist us, as he's now unable to lift himself. I push down a wave of anxiety as his severe deterioration seems to grow worse at an worryingly swift rate.

"Sashi, are you coming?" My husband asks, trying to reach down to grab my hand, but he nearly topples off his Pokémon, only saved by a firm grasp from Sam, who had set the worryingly weakening man in front of their self.

"No love, there's no way Maui could hold all of us. He's already going to have a rough time of it now." I move away, hoping he can hear that I'm too far off for him to reach now. I add. "Besides, someone will need to stay behind to watch the children."

I want to join them with every fiber of my being, knowing it wouldn't take much effort for me to ride Sugar, my Rapidash, into town. With her speed, we could easily beat the flying group. However, Burnet is still here, with two young children, a stressed Mudsdale, and a load of Pokémon. I can't leave her here to care for all of them by herself.

"I'll be staying here as well," Burnet adds to her husband, placing a hand on his knee, echoing my knowledge of the situation.

"I've got my phone on me," Anya says, releasing the Pidgeot she flew in on and climbing onto its waiting back. "If you guys have any more trouble here, give me a call. I'll keep you updated on everyone else when I am able."

I hear Kabir whisper something to Sam, who responds by giving the instructions to the giant bird they rode on. Maui crouches, spreading his massive, dark purple feathers across the sky, then leaps and pushes down with his wings, carefully pulling everyone into the air with him. My sister and the Pidgeot raise easily into the sky after them, taking the lead as they speed off towards the hospital.