Fresnel's Error
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"We're gonna get in sooo much trouble..."
"Shhh! Keep your voice down!" The two flaaffy giggled as they smeared more berry juice over the wall, writing and drawing obscene things all over the shop. Fresnel covered his mouth with one paw, trying to stifle his laughter. They only had a few minutes to get this done, but it was impossible when she kept giggling! "Shhhhh..." he whispered, eyes crinkled in a wide grin.
"You're the one laughing!" Mary said, breaking into another chorus of snickers. She finished up her own work, stepping back to admire it. 'JULES IS A BITCH' was written in bright blue and red juice, drying against the stone wall as she watched, hands over her mouth in an attempt to stop her giggles. "So much trouble, if we get caught," Mary added, looking to Fresnel. Her eyes drifted to the drawing he was currently adding the final details to, and her face cracked into another smile. "Wow. Really?"
"Isn't it great?" he said proudly, stepping back from the wall to look over his piece. Mary started to nod, expression amused, then shook her head.
"Why does it only have one testicle?"
"What?"
"Never mind, come on." She tossed down the remainder of the berries, pulling off the gloves she had worn to keep the juice from staining her paws. "We gotta get outta here before anyone comes by and sees us."
"Ha! I guess so." Fresnel tossed his own gloves on the ground, trotting after Mary as she cut through an alleyway to bring them toward the main road. It was an hour past sunset, so few pokemon were up and about in the streets, but more than likely a patrol would come by soon to make sure no one was doing precisely was he and Mary had just done. The flaaffy held back another laugh, imagining the look on the face of the guards who came across their 'art'. Mary peeked out from the alleyway, making sure the coast was clear, before she brushed her wool neatly and strolled casually into the street. Fresnel copied her, chin tilted up and lip stuck out. Mary laughed, jabbing him in the ribs with an elbow.
"Stop it! You're gonna make us so obvious!" she whispered, trying to hide her amusement. Fresnel waved off her concerns with a stubby paw.
"Look, they can't prove anything one way or another, so who cares?" He began marching forward in an exaggerated manner, just to bug her, and smiled to himself as his performance brought forth more snickering from the other flaaffy. This was how he spent most of his days and nights. Well, not necessarily with graffiti, but hanging out with Mary, his best friend, making trouble or playing around all the pokemon too stuck up to let loose and have fun. Fresnel knew the patrol would suspect the two of painting the building, but he was also correct when he said they could not prove it. They hadn't been seen, they had nothing on their wool or skin to point to their usage of berries, so all the patrol had were suspicions that they could just sit on for all he cared. He turned his head curiously as Mary gasped, looking up at the sky in shock.
"Sheesh! I didn't realise how late it was..."
Fresnel grimaced, looking up at the moon's position in the sky. "Oh... Yeah, I think I was supposed to be home a long time ago."
Mary shook her head, laughing lightly. "Sure, make your mom worry, Fres. Anyway, I have class tomorrow, so I need to get home and go to bed."
This elicited another expression of chagrin, but he grinned for Mary, nodding. "Yeah! You better make sure you aren't late for class. You don't want Jules giving you another talking to about tardiness."
Mary slapped his shoulder. "It's because of you I get in trouble, you know," she chided him, but she was smiling. “I do have to go, though. I'll see you tomorrow after class, okay?"
"Yeah!" he responded, watching her turn and race away down the street. Unlike her, he did not have much worry of being home later than expected. He imagined her parents were rather strict with their daughter, making sure she got enough sleep and rest and 'stayed out of trouble' so she could excel in her engineering class. Fresnel grimaced again. Engineering. He would have liked to be in one of those classes, but he was not allowed.
Fresnel sighed as he continued down the empty street, his mind wandering to various topics as he made his way home. His eyes slid over the magnificent buildings that bordered him, spires made of steel and stone, as the name of his home implied. Steel City. A place of incredible talent and advancement, where technological progress drove nearly everyone's lives forward. Whether you were a repairman, a peddler of wares, any sort of shop owner, or, in rare cases, an engineer, their lives circulated around--and even depended on--the inventions of ‘mons before them. That was how it seemed to him, in any case. He had heard of other cities outside his own where they lived in wooden huts, cooked with fire, and needed the sun for a light source. He glanced up at a lamp as he passed, only one of hundreds picketing the streets all throughout his home. What did they do when they needed to work in the dark? Torches just seemed so... dangerous and barbaric. He wondered often if everything he had heard of the outside world was true.
He had once voiced aloud to his mother that it seemed selfish to hog all this wonderful technology to themselves, but she had merely smiled and shushed him, stating that the law was the law, and this was just the way things were. Nothing taken out of the city, no one allowed in without extra special permission. There was no point in arguing the matter, so he did not.
Fresnel's thoughts vanished from his head as he realised he was standing before his house. He could see the lights were still on through the front window, so his mother had certainly stayed up to make sure he came home safely. He smiled sheepishly, trotting to his front door and pushing it open carefully. His mother never yelled, never scolded, but he knew that she herself had to be awake early for work, and so his coming home late meant she was missing out on much needed sleep. He closed the door behind him, trotting forward into the living room. His mother, a pretty ampharos named Anbari, was dozed off on their couch, a pillow held on her belly between her paws. He noticed a plate sitting on the table before her, the food untouched, and a guilty surge jolted through him. Of course, she had made him dinner, and he had let it go cold.
Fresnel was just thinking of trying to sneak the plate up to his room to allow his mom to sleep when Anbari's eyes fluttered open. She made a small yawn, giving a jerk of surprise when she saw the flaaffy standing before her. "Oh! Fresnel!" She smiled, standing up as he trotted closer. She patted his head, looking sorrowfully down at his meal. "I made you dinner, but I'm afraid it looks to be rather cold by now... Would you like me to heat it up for you?"
Fresnel shook his head quickly, seating himself before the table and pulling the plate closer. "No, no, that's fine mom! Your food is good, whether it's cold or not!"
Anbari smiled sweetly, patting his head lovingly. "You're such a good boy. Well, you eat up. I'm afraid I need to make my way to bed." She glanced up at their clock. "I have to be up in a few hours."
Fresnel nodded, eating his dinner with a gumption. He hadn’t exactly realised how hungry he was until the first spoonful hit his tongue, but now he felt ravenous. He wondered when was the last time he had eaten. "No problem, mom. You go to sleep. I'll, uh, be home earlier tomorrow so we can eat together."
Anbari smiled to him again, and nodded with a bow of her long neck. "I'll hold you to that," she teased, pinching his horn. "Good night, darling." She turned to the staircase that led up to their bedrooms, making her way carefully up the steps toward her bed. Fresnel watched her go, then looked back down to his half eaten plate of food. His mother was an engineer, working under the very same raichu who was teaching Mary: Jules. The flaaffy sighed, poking at his dinner half-heartedly. He would have liked to try being an engineer himself. It was fascinating work, not to mention well-paying, rewarding... It was the reason he and his mother lived so far up in the town, in the richest district of Steel City. Certainly she dressed up their home modestly, but he knew she made bundles of money, along with gaining the respect of all her colleagues...
All things he would never have a chance to try for. Jules absolutely refused to train men to be engineers. He did not know why - he had a few nasty thoughts, however - but any time he brought it up to his mother, she would simply pat his head and reassure him. Maybe one day she would change. One day he could be an engineer. Try not to fret, dear. Fresnel sighed, eating another spoonful of food without even tasting it. He did not feel so hungry anymore.
The sun beat down brightly on Fresnel's head as he yawned widely, slumped on the front step of Mary's school. He rested his cheek in a paw, eyes half open. Bored. He had not slept very well the night before either, making his usual wait for Mary far more tedious than usual. It had occurred to him to go off and do something else to occupy his time - not to mention the numerous times Mary herself had told him so - but he honestly had nothing else he needed to get done. He did not have a job yet (he could not decide what to do there either) and Mary was really the only friend he had worth spending time with. And so, day after day, Fresnel found himself seated in this same spot, waiting for Mary to finish her classes. He glanced up at the sky blearily. Not much longer.
His eyes drifted over the open street before him, filled to bursting with other pokemon. Although this was always a rather busy avenue, it seemed even busier than usual today. There were so many shops all along the road that few could avoid coming here during their daily errands, and Jules was not the only pokemon to host a class here either. But normally, there were pokemon running back and forth, squeezing between each other as they struggled to do their work quickly and get out, and yet today almost everyone was headed in one direction. And not many were coming back. Fresnel leaned forward slightly, glancing down the street. It led to the town square, a busy commune, but without a holiday to celebrate, he saw no reason for the sudden rush of interest. He sighed, resting his chin in both paws. He was curious, certainly, but if he left now, he might miss Mary. He rubbed his neck, letting out another breath. Tired.
The door swung open, making Fresnel jump to his feet. He quickly stepped aside as a stately, brutish raichu made her way through, her eyes barely resting on him as she walked past. Fresnel wrinkled his nostrils at her back. Jules. Despite how much his mother insisted upon her good nature, she did not even seem to notice him. It was worse than dislike; it was if she did not think he was even worthy of being known. He let out a grunt, turning back to the open door as her students began to spill out the door. Several electric and steel types, all female of course, hurried out, discussing their class and clutching thick books in their hands securely. Unlike their teacher, many of them certainly saw him, smiling, waving, giggling behind their paws as they whispered to their friends. He returned all the friendly gestures with his own, but made no effort to speak with any of them. He finally gave a true smile when Mary rushed out, book bag slung over her shoulder. He waved his arm.
"Hey Mary!"
"Fresnel! Come on, let's go to the square!" She grabbed his paw, pulling him away the building as she rushed down the road. Fresnel was shocked, barely able to register enough to stumble after her. This was new. Normally after class they went straight to the nearest restaurant to pick up lunch. Mary was always starving, having been up early in the morning, her breakfast hours behind her. Fresnel was hungry as well, mostly because he was up so late he had not bothered to eat at all.
"Why are we going to the square?" he asked in bewilderment, trotting along at her side. Mary looked at him in surprise.
"You didn't hear? But you were right there on the road! Everyone is talking about it!"
"I don't pay attention to the crowds..." He made a face, deciding not to elaborate that he had, indeed, been curious. "C'mon, just tell me!"
Mary laughed. "Someone's come to visit, and apparently give a bit of a speech. A priest, or something! I heard he came all the way from Alomomola!"
"A priest? Why is that so exciting?" Fresnel shook his head. "You can see one at any of the churches here!"
"Oh, but..." Mary looked to him earnestly. "This is different! He came from outside the walls! No one can even come in without special permission. I want to see what he's like!" Her eyes looked forward wistfully. "Maybe their religions are different too."
Fresnel was not all that interested in seeing a priest, outsider or no, but he could tell Mary was going whether he followed or not. He decided there was no harm in tagging along. And who knew, maybe it would be very informative. Maybe he could tell Fresnel if everything he had heard was true. His ears prickled as his interest began to pique.
Up ahead, he and Mary could see the huge crowd gathered all around the town square, but unfortunately it already seemed to be dispersing. Fresnel grunted, slowing to a walk as he looked over the pokemon parting to go back to their errands. Mary let out an annoyed breath.
"Dang! We missed it." She grimaced, putting her hands on her hips. "If only I hadn't been in class."
Fresnel chuckled, about to make a joke, but then he caught sight of a strange, yet familiar, pokemon standing in the center of the square, just before an ornate sprinkling fountain. Fresnel tapped Mary's shoulder, pointing to the fellow. It was very clearly not a native of Steel City; nearly all the pokemon who lived on the upper level were electric or steel types. Certainly there were no rock types this high up in the city, as this 'mon appeared to be. Rock types tended to dwell... lower down. Where his mom forbade him from going. Not that he listened, but...
In any case, the collar the stranger wore around his neck, made of orange and black material, was not something he had ever seen anyone wear before.
"Hey, I think that's the priest guy you were talking about," Fresnel said, directing Mary's gaze to the rocky pokemon. "Let's go and see if he'll talk to us!"
Mary's eyes lit back up. "Oh! Yes, let's!" She hurried forward, scurrying between the remaining people who had yet to move on, making a beeline for the stranger. Fresnel could not help but grin as he followed right on her heels.
"Sir! Oh sir!" Mary called out as they neared the man. He turned curiously, eyes lowering to look to the two flaaffy as they skidded to a halt. He smiled to Mary warmly as she caught her breath. Fresnel swallowed hard now that he finally got a good look at him. He was huge, twice their height and width at least, and covered in jagged rocky bits. The giant drill on his nose made Fresnel simply want to turn and run away.
"What can I do for you, child?" he asked kindly. His voice shocked Fresnel, who had expected a grumbly, gravelly voice, yet his words were gentle, soft.
"Oh... Well, I know you just finished your speech, but..." She panted, holding up a paw. The man bowed his head.
"Take your time and gather yourself, child." He knelt down on his haunches, putting his head more on level with the two electric types. "My name is Thomas. I am a disciple of the Order of the Sun. What is your name?"
"I'm Mary!" she said happily, finally having regained her breath. Fresnel did not answer, still staring at the man's huge drill nose. Mary jabbed him the ribs, and he sputtered as he hurried to answer.
"Fresnel, my name is Fresnel," he said quickly. "Um, sir, can I ask what you... are?"
"Fresnel," Mary said, unimpressed, but Thomas only laughed good-naturedly.
"It is perfectly all right," he said easily, waving a massive paw. "My species are called rhydon. I have no doubt that I am the first many of your city have seen of my kind."
Not to me, Fresnel thought, recalling one of his previous excursions deep into the city. At least Thomas wasn't dull, like the other "rhydon" had been.
"So, um..." Mary pressed her paws together, bringing Thomas's attention back to her. "What is the Order of the Sun?"
"Ah, it is a church under our father Prosphora, where we strive to bring an end to darkness." Thomas clasped his hands before himself. "Although there has always been, and always will be, war and conflict, we still do not hesitate to right these wrongs, and make our world a better place."
"Who is Prosphora?" Mary asked in fascination. Fresnel felt rather amused by how interested she seemed to be by the 'rhydon's' words. He thought the man sounded ridiculous, talking about 'light and dark' like they were anything tangible. And bringing an end to war! Thomas had said it himself; there would be no end to war. So why fight against it? Why make a whole religion about it?
"Prosphora... He is our father. Unique." The expression on Thomas's face grew slightly distant, full of awe. "A great bird of shining golden plumage. Once, his feathers held every colour of the rainbow."
"Once?" Mary cocked her head. "They're different now, you mean?"
"Yes. In his current life, his feathers hold a less colourful, but still radiant, appearance."
"His current life?" Mary leaned forward, enraptured. "You mean... he lived before?" Fresnel sighed impatiently, tapping his foot. This was getting to be a bit much. Neither of the pokemon took notice of him, however, Thomas nodding in response to Mary's question.
"Yes indeed. Prosphora has been reborn many times by now. All pokemon are reborn upon death, but in no one is this more clear than my father." He held up his paws, making grand sweeping gestures to accompany his words. "Although all our lives hold a purpose, his hold a greater need than any. The colour of his plumage in his current life, in fact, show that his purpose in this cycle is even more vital." Thomas let out a long slow breath, blinking slowly, before looking down to Mary with a weary smile. "Of course, I am simplifying all of this. If you wish to know more, I would be more than happy to tell you at another time. I am very tired from my journey, you see."
"Oh!" Mary's ears perked up. "Yes, I want to hear everything!" She looked around quickly, thinking. "Um, could I come find you tomorrow? Or is that too soon?"
"Yes, that will be fine." Thomas smiled, patting her head gently. "I will be here in the square all day after I have rested properly. When you arrive, I will be happy to tell you everything of my Order, and of Prosphora."
"Wow... Thank you!" Mary took Thomas's paw in both of hers, shaking it exuberantly. "Thank you, I'll come by right after class! And you'll be here, right?"
"I promise." Thomas gave her another warm nod. "And now, with your pardon, I must take my leave." He bowed to Mary and Fresnel respectfully, retiring to a nearby carriage. Two massively muscled bouffalant hauled the rock type away with a heave and grunt, trotting out of the square and away from the two flaaffy. Mary watched him go the entire time, expression distant. Fresnel waited a few moments, looking from her to the road down which Thomas had vanished. Finally, he prodded her arm.
"Hey." He laughed as she jerked to attention, her eyes skirting to him. "If you're done giving doe eyes to Thomas, we have places to be!"
"I was not giving him doe eyes!" she retorted, following Fresnel as he led her away from the square. "But don't you find it interesting? Pokemon... reborn!" Her eyes grew distant again. "It feels so... I don't know. I want to know more. I want to know more about Prosphora."
"I don't know. I can think of a lot of pokemon I would be happy not to see in this life, let alone another." Fresnel chuckled, shrugging. "Well, as long as you find it interesting. Do you still want to hang out tomorrow?"
"Oh! I'm sorry, I didn't even think..." Mary shook her head, then smiled to Fresnel. "Of course I do, silly. I'm not sure how long I'll be with Thomas for, but I'll come to your house after we're done. Okay?"
Fresnel smirked. "Of course. I'll be waiting! Now let's go get lunch, I'm starved." He took her by the hand, and ran away from the square, hurrying down a street that he knew would bring them some excellent curried food.
