Evolution ((prose for nexus_crossings))

[alittlehinky]

Cricket is a good human. He's gentle, and he talks to her all the time. He feeds and brushes her, he makes sure she has care when she's sick, and he'd train her if he thought she wanted that. Sometimes she wishes she was a fighter, but she really isn't. It's more fun to dress up and be pretty and bark at strangers. Willie is happy in her home, with her human partner. She has everything she needs and most of what she wants. She just wishes for more of a purpose sometimes. Not battle, but something else to do. Something important.

Lately, Cricket hasn't been okay. She doesn't entirely understand what happened, but she knows sometimes strange things occur in the Plaza, and someone hurt him while she wasn't with him. That makes her wish she knew how to fight, because if anyone ever deserved a good bite on the ass...

Honestly, humans shouldn't go anywhere unsupervised by their partners, anyway. If she'd been there, this wouldn't have happened. She's positive. But that doesn't mean it's Cricket's fault, either, and in any case it's too late now. All she can do is comfort him.

She refuses to go back into her ball to rest, preferring to drape herself across his legs to sleep when he does. He has a chair that he can push himself around in awkwardly during the day, but he can't go outside, only to the door to let her out, because there are stairs. So she does her best, running around the garden, bringing him the tomatoes when they're ripe, dropping pretty stones and feathers at his feet where he sits in the doorway. He pets her and tells her she's a good girl, and it's something, but there should be more.

There's got to be more.

For some funny reason, she gets the idea while watching Loki feed and groom the cows. He's carried Cricket outside for the sun and to see the animals, and Cricket seems both happy and sad at the same time. He pets Daisy Belle, and Dahlia nudges his knee like she's confused about why he's not standing, too. They're getting big! Much bigger than when they first came to live here.

Willie's never gotten bigger. Why not? If she were bigger, maybe she could pick Cricket up like Loki does.

Then he wouldn't need the chair, even if he never gets better from whatever happened to him.

That night, she doesn't sleep on his lap, and he's a little sad when she retreats to the living room, but he's got Loki, and Thori will stay with them. So it's okay.

Bigger, she thinks, concentrating as she paces the floor on soft little paws. Gotta be bigger!

She doesn't even notice when she starts glowing.

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"Jesus Christ!" Cricket usually doesn't swear, but he's startled when he wheels his way into the living room in the early morning. For a second, he thinks one of the cows made their way into the house. The animal there is just that big. "Loki!!"

There is something ironic in the shout of one divine name being followed hard on its heels by another.

Willie might actually have to squeeze to get through the door now. Loki, who is more familiar with Pokemon and their evolution, says that she seems to have skipped right past the Herdier stage, directly to Stoutland. She's extremely proud of herself. She's all muscle and long silky fur. She's bigger than Thori, too, which is fun.

There is a moment of intense regret when she sees her old clothes, though. She's not going to be able to fit into those little lacy bonnets and sailor dresses any longer. Cricket hugs her when she whimpers.

"Hey," he murmurs. "Don't cry ol' girl. You got so much hair to braid and put ribbons in, now! That's gotta make up for the dresses."

And he's right. If anything, this is better. She has more body to put pretty clothes on. She can wear more clothes at once than ever before!

But of course, the point of this was to help him, and so she licks his face to thank him for reminding her.

Later, after breakfast, Loki shows them pictures of Stoutlands with saddles on their backs. Cricket could ride Willie around like an exceptionally intelligent pony. Loki also points out that there are costumes made for horses, and things like decorative tack and ribbons that can be pinned into their mane...Willie almost knocks over an entire shelf by wagging her tail.

Their day is booked. By the evening, the wheelchair is folded up and placed in the closet. Before bed, they all sit on the living room floor, and Cricket braids pink and teal silk roses into a crown to wear on her head.

"We're gonna need a bigger bed," Cricket tell Loki. "She's used to sleepin' on my lap."

That's okay. Now he can sleep on her lap, instead. It's not battle, but it's a very, very good purpose. Willie can't remember ever being happier.