I Want To Lay the Very Best!

106 – A Tale of Two Hats

They might be flying side by side, but Brandy had already noticed Harper and Basilah always got the middle spots of the Flock. In Morgan's story, the graceful white-feathered Swanna and the towering red-winged Braviary were captured before the others, so that may be why they got those spots. Would Harper have been front and center if Morgan was still with them? 

Brandy could have brushed the idea off as coincidence, but once again, Cassidy clung to Harper's back, even though the large Basilah would have made a lot more sense to fly about with. Seems feelings floating about the Flock helped organize it. There was a clear pecking order, even if they tried to be equal.

Pecking order? Oh no, Sparky was rubbing off on her. 

Brandy was curious about the group dynamic, but Morgan's stance dragged her attention back to the task at hand. Morgan's back was stiff as she held her head up, brim tilted so she could meet Cassidy's eyes. A defiant stance to take, but Brandy had met more than her fair share of confident Pokémon, and she could tell the difference between natural confidence and trying to put it on like armor. Calcine reached out to put a hand on Morgan's shoulder, making her flinch and snap a glare at Calcine before softening under those understanding orange eyes. 

It was a sweet gesture. Maybe they didn't get along the best, but Calcine wouldn't refuse her touch to someone who needed it just because they had a rivalry. Brandy slipped her hand into Morgan's and laced their fingers together, giving her a squeeze for comfort as Cassidy dropped off Harper's back and straightened her white cowgirl hat. 

"Hey," Cassidy said, just that one word choking in her throat. She swallowed and tried again, breaking into a dopey smile. "It's good to see you, Morgan. Missed you, hun."

"I know," Morgan replied, sharp and blunt. An awkward silence descended as the two struggled to dredge up their feelings.  

Brandy flicked a look to Sparky; she'd never actively called on her to act out before, but it would have been a mercy right now. Sparky grabbed her chest and twirled on her feet between reaching out to grab the hat brims of both women. "I just noticed you got matching hats!"

"I... what?" Cassidy's train of thought screeched off the tracks and into a lake as she had to switch between a heartfelt reunion and whatever this was.

"Matching hats! Did you get this after you met Morgan?"

"She did, actually," Morgan said. "I never thought about it as copying me, though. It just seems very her."

Sparky snatched Cassidy's hat off her head, rolling it over her arm and putting it on herself. It weirdly suited her with her choker, Sparky's webs were basically whips, after all. Maybe she shouldn't tell Sparky that, though. Sparky with a whip would be impossible to manage. 

Cassidy had cut her black hair short, but white and black feathers laced through it helped make the dull haircut pop. They were probably natural, an inheritance from all her bird Pokémon. 

"Looks very normal under there," Sparky said and then turned to grab Morgan's hat. "What about you?"

Morgan and Cassidy snatched Sparky's wrists simultaneously, calling out a sharp "No!" The touch of their hands was a bigger shock than any Sparky could have given, the pair looking at each other and blushing brightly before looking away. 

"Don't touch Morgan's hat," Cassidy mumbled, feet kicking the ground. "A lasses hat ain't for touching."

"Thanks." Morgan smiled and pushed Sparky gently out of the way. "Cassidy. I'm sorry. I didn't leave because you hurt me. I know you must have wondered about that."

Brandy pulled Sparky in for a hug and gave her butt a good squeeze, the Joltik worming against her side happily. A small reward for a bit of mischief, but Sparky had earned it. She also stole back Cassidy's hat and tossed it to her. The trainer wasn't focusing on Brandy; it just sailed past her face. Basilah caught it before it hit the ground, dashing forward in a blur of white and snatching it out of the air before leaning over to plant it on Cassidy's head. Her colorful tail waved happily behind her as Cassidy patted her stomach idly in thanks. 

"I never thought I hurt you. I know you struggled in fights, but everyone guarded you. We wanted to shelter you until you got stronger if you felt you were a burden." Cassidy sighed and offered a hand to Morgan. "You never were. Come back."

"I can't." Morgan clutched Cassidy's hand. "I can't be what you want me to be. I'm never going to be part of the Flock."

"You were," Harper chipped in, putting her white wings around Cassidy, letting them slide over her limbs and merge her white feathers into Morgan's black. "You still are. We haven't forgotten you. We can do it together again. I know it was frustrating, but we'll make it work."

Morgan shook her head but slid her feathers closer to Harper's. "It's hard. I'm weak."

 "You'll find your strength, honey," Cassidy said, excitedly looking at Morgan's softening position. "Whatever it takes, we'll make it work."

Shoulder's slumped, Morgan took a breath and nodded. Brandy could see it settle in, her conviction to give it another go. She'd promised Morgan to back her up, so she just couldn't let it happen like this.

"She is strong." Brandy snapped, shocked at the vehemence in her voice. "We've seen all she can do. Morgan's really strong."

"You've known her a day, hun," Cassidy said, "Don't ... don't act like you know her."

Cassidy didn't even sound angry, just hurt. It made Brandy feel rotten to call Cassidy wrong. She clearly loved Morgan to bits. But she was, and Morgan couldn't get the words out. Someone had to do it. 

"I've seen a whole different side of her today. She fought with Calcine and put Sparky in her place. Nearly ran circles around us in a fight." Brandy tipped up Morgan's hat as she tried to hide under it. "Morgan's a terror but a fun one, and she's not weak, not one bit."

"That's nonsense," Basilah said, stepping up to Brandy. Brandy wasn't used to being overshadowed, but the Braivary was big. Brandy barely came up to her chest, and the white feathery crown she wore made her look even more massive. She bristled angrily, the muscles under her feathers coiled up, ready to spring. "She's shy and needs help." Basilah stabbed a finger into Brandy's chest, and it wasn't a polite tap. It hurt. "Get your nose out of this."

"I can prove it," Brandy said, rubbing the spot Basilah had stabbed. 

"Don't be stupid. There's nothing to prove." Basilah went to poke Brandy again, but Calcine caught her hand, rock seeping out of her fingers over the Braivary's fingers. 

"Do that again, and I'll make you swallow this hand." Calcine rumbled, "Morgan wanted us to back her up, so listen to her wishes."

Basilah just laughed. "Oh, I love you. You've got guts."

"Basilah, back," Cassidy called, and Basilah obeyed, falling back into formation. "Brandy, thanks for bringing Morgan, but we know her really well. Don't make things confusing."

"You don't know why she left," Brandy said, and Cassidy recoiled from her like Brandy had stung her. "Your Flock is amazing, but she's not brash or big like all your others."

"Hey," the little Fletchling on the end said. "Big?"

"Or bold, you'll grow into big," Brandy shook her hand at the Fletchling to shoo her away. She had to get this out. "The point is Morgan doesn't fit. You've got a Flock full of strong, hard-hitting ladies, and Morgan's not strong in that way."

"Morgan?" Cassidy said, searching Murkrow's eyes. "She spinning a yarn?" 

Morgan just shook her head, not able to get the words out. Non-committal. Overwhelmed by everything put in front of her. Brandy knew she was right. Morgan needed control to be herself, and she didn't have it here. Her instincts must have been screaming for her to do something she couldn't because of the anchors of her feelings.

Well, Brandy promised she'd help.

"Morgan, Astonish. Fade back and pick your moment."

Morgan broke apart into black feathers, streaming off the bridge's edges out of sight.

"Ey, what the hell?" Cassidy huffed, "You bonded her? I asked you not to!"

"No, I didn't!" Brandy said, hands raised. "But, it's what she wanted to do. You want to know her feelings?"

"I want her back! Harper, I'm sick of this. She's just getting in the way, Wing Attack!"

Harper came in with a fast darting blow that Brandy didn't have time to dodge, clocking her right in the chest with a snapping blow from her wing that threw her toward the bridge edge. Sparky caught her with a web before she reached it, tugging her to a stop in midair and reeling her back in like a fish on a line. 

"Not going to let you rush us down this time, darlings. We're way too close. Everyone Aerial Ace, we'll take them apart at our own pace."

Cassidy raised her hand and disappeared in a ball of feathers, all four of her Pokémon taking to the air over the bridge. 

"Well, none of us can fly. That's a problem."

It wasn't as much as Sparky thought. They weren't on the attack. Cassidy was going to have to take the initiative to go for them.

"Hug up close, Calcine. You got the bridge to shape for defense. Don't let them use the wind to unseat us. Sparky, you wait on the webs. Bind one down when they get close. They're a close-knit team. We can capture one; they'll all come to help."

"This is helping Morgan?" Calcine said as she dipped her fingers into the stone of the bridge. 

"Yeah, this is perfect," Brandy said. "We just have to show Cassidy how Morgan wants to fight. If she loses here, she'll have to admit the truth."

"No pressure then," Sparky said as the Flock swept their tails back and sent a gust rolling down the bridge that had the other people on it clinging to the railings. The wind came in from both ends, crashing together where Brandy stood. Calcine was already on it, forming two stone walls to act as a buffer, the wind battering around them, doing little more than ruffling their clothes. 

"We can do it." Brandy said, "Morgan will come through."

"That's a lot of faith in someone who can barely speak a word in her defense," Calcine said as she added layers to the walls, ready to blunt a second try. 

"She's a Dark. It's not words she's going to use. Trust me."

Sparky was focused, hands low, ready to summon up a web, while Calcine was in the center, forming their core. Sure, it was horrible odds, but they could do this. Brandy was sure of it. They had to. Morgan deserved a win.