Auranosa Intrepid Town

[Jackie Cat]

The effect was dreamlike – or rather, it was like when one is at the edge of sleep, the swash of unreality covering the waking world for a moment, then withdrawing in a backwash, over and over...

Eventually, however, the tide comes all the way in.

The spectral echoes of stones laid long-ago flickered into shape around them, paving a tall stairway towards the stars. Motes of Radiance danced across the steps, each collision causing their forms to appear more solid, more real.

 

[Shiny Phantump]

Gladion was not predisposed towards being afraid of heights. Quite the opposite, really. He’d been quite accustomed to terrifying his sister by flaunting the do not sit signs on the outer railings of Aether.

Thinking of walking along these notes of light was still making him feel a little lightheaded. Would’ve been a lot easier if he was just a bird. (Maybe that’s what he would’ve been if not for Sage’s presence. Used to wish he could fly, after all.)

“Hey Betel,” he joked, “Should’ve put more birds— Oh… Nevermind.”

It was funny how quickly he’d gotten used to having someone wired into his head twenty-four seven. The version of him back home would probably abhor the idea, but now he felt somber for their absence.

Well, it wasn’t like they were missing a particularly clever joke right now. He looked up into the stars as he started his own climb. It was better than looking down, and let him picture the seemingly endless stairs carved into the side of Mount Lanakila beneath his feet. Except for the part where he couldn’t see the rest of the mountain in front of him, which made him want to look down so that he could see the ground beneath his feet, an urge he resisted acting upon.

“Seems to work just fine,” he called back without tearing his eyes from the stars. “Just maybe don’t look down.”

 

[Phoenixsong]

For a moment, if she closed her eyes, she almost could see it. Then she opened her eyes and she could. The little flecks of radiance that danced in the corners of her vision stretched up, twirling themselves into the shapes of stairs and columns high up above the point. A whole temple, old as the gardens (or maybe even older), just... twinkling into existence where there were only stars before.

Huge points for style, she'd give Auriga that.

"Well, c'mon! Not gonna miss a chance to show up those other delvers, are you? Bet they'll be jealous they never thought of this." Leaf gave Leona a wink before trotting up the starlit stairs after the chimeras.