LEO

"And a right foot, left foot, right again... Come now, Leo, speed it up a bit." His mother had his hand in hers and made to put his arm around her waist. Even though there was no one around to see it, he was embarrassed.

What are you looking at, Dusclops? He eyed to his Spirit Pokémon in the corner of the room, watching him mockingly with its one eye. Suddenly, he lurched forward and his mother gave a cry of pain.

"Gods, Leo, pay attention!" she said. Mother had fallen over, clutching her toes. "I'm trying to help you for the party. I've yet to turn you into a good dancer. You're just like your father." She stood up and inhaled deeply to calm herself. "Lumbering around, always with the stepping on toes."

Leo hung his head. It's true, he knew. How am I ever going to impress Elizabeth if I'm always crushing her feet when I dance? I can't even hold the rhythm... Just the thought of Elli made his heart skip a beat. She was two and a half, almost three years older than him. Though he was taller, he still looked his age when he saw his reflection. Elli was, for all intents and purposes, a woman grown. All Leo saw in himself on top of his broad shoulders was the beginnings of a beginning of a wisp of mustache.

"Oh, Leo, don't worry, you'll get better," his mother smiled back at him. "I'm sorry dear, but you mustn't be so hard on yourself."

He turned away and walked towards Dusclops. Even his Spirit Pokémon was sensing his mood, losing the mocking in its eye, and beginning to pity him. "Why not?" he asked softly. "Everyone else is."

"Listen to yourself," his mother chided as she sat down in her chair. She was younger than his father by a good ten years. She was not a small woman, either. She was tall, and had broad shoulders, and thick, athletic arms. It was no wonder Leo was as large as he was already. His father was a Walrein, and his mother a Machoke. "We're only hard on you because we know how special you are."

She sounded almost like his friend from First Generation instruction, Chris Marsh II. That was always his excuse when he was caught bullying one of the younger or less talented children.

"But I'm not special..." he said. There, I said it. Dusclops let out an audible whine as it looked back to his mother.

His mother scoffed. "Don't be so pitiful," she responded. "Where do you get these absurd notions? Why would your father and I take the time to instruct you in these things if I didn't think you could learn to do them well?"

Leo Specter didn't have an answer for that. He said the first thing that came to his mind. "Alex wouldn't have trouble with this... Alex never had problems swimming, or running. You saw how Elli looked at me. I'm a disgrace. She thinks of me as a boy. The same shy little boy she knew it Sootopolis. I could feel my face burst into flame I was so nervous, Mother."

His mother laughed and walked back up to him. "Dearest Leo. My sweet son," she kissed him on the cheek. "She is a beautiful girl, any boy from Dewford to Mossdeep would have a little blush when they meet who they are to marry."

But what about girls who meet me? Leo thought somberly.

"Now," his mother looked him in the eye. "We're going to finish your dancing lesson, and there will be no more talk of Alex. You are the heir to Mt. Pyre and its jurisdictions. Not him. He will never be as special as my sweet boy. He is nothing and he never will be. It doesn't matter what he can do, your father's seat will always be yours."

The dancing lesson lasted the rest of the afternoon. With a little encouragement from his mother and some determination, Leo was able to master a few basic steps. When his mother left to get washed up for the dinner, he practiced some more with Dusclops (who seemed to Leo to be much more encouraging and much less critical).

As Leo was busy picking out his clothes for the coming dinner with Elli, her mother, and the Empress, there came a knock at his door. When he opened the door, he couldn't help but smile at his older half-brother. Alex and Banette helped themselves into the room.

"I heard you're a real Dancing Queen," Alex sat in a chair near his wardrobe. Banette seemed to snigger in agreement.

Had those words come from anyone else, Leo would have been upset. Yet Alex had a way with his smile that put the world at ease. Always positive, always helpful, and always making light out of situations. The stress and worry melted from Leo when his big brother was around. Perhaps it came from their time as children, when Leo would tag along with Alex when they were no older than six on their wild adventures in the courtyard. No matter which imaginary monsters chased them, it was Alex who defeated them and encouraged Leo to do the same.

"I'm not that good," he said. "I keep tripping over my own feet. You would have laughed at me. Mother says-"

"Bah, forget what your mother says," Alex interrupted. "Flex your muscles for me."

He did, and then Alex flexed his own. Despite their age difference, Leo was the same height as his older brother, and already showing the signed of inheriting his mother's muscle on a masculine frame. Alex's seemed larger, but that was only because his arms were naturally skinnier. "See there," Alex said. "That's what Elli wants. The dance doesn't matter."

"You don't understand," Leo said. "I'm going to make a fool of myself. What if I trip in front of everybody? In front of the Empress? What if I step on Elli's feet?"

"She'll move out of the way. I'm sure she's self-aware," Alex said back. Dusclops seemed to murmur in agreement with his older brother.

You're supposed to be on my side, he thought. Dusclops shrugged in understanding of its Spirit Partner's thoughts.

Leo looked in the mirror again and sighed. He adjusted his robes, and saw Alex stepping gracefully in step with his Banette. Everything came so easy to him. It wasn't fair.

"Hey, big man," Alex said, more softly this time, but with the same smile. "Don't worry just about the dancing. The whole thing is going to be a blast. A masquerade! Can you believe it? The party of the century, my Aunt Caitlyn's guards are already calling it. There will be plenty of other things to do. Eat, drink, sing... try to guess who is wearing which mask..."

All sound seemed to drain out of the room. Mask? Maybe... "You could do it!" Leo turned around with a smile.

"Do what?" Alex asked dumbfounded, sending the hovering Banette twirling through the air as he stopped mid-dance. Dusclops seemed to delight in catching the other Pokémon.

"You could dance for me! You could wear my mask when it's time for dancing, and then we can switch back after. She'll either be impressed by your dancing skills, or she won't by smashed by my clumsy feet."

Dusclops seemed to murmur in agreement. Leo could almost hear the Spirit Pokémon's words in his head. You don't have to agree so wholeheartedly with the smashing of her feet, you know, Leo thought.

Alex just stared blankly into Leo's face. "No," he said. "No, no, no. Who even said I wanted to dance. Only you have to dance. Only the royals and their families get to dance. Not me. I don't count."

"Of course you do," Leo said. He tried to encourage Alex as his mother had tried to encourage him earlier in the day. Well, she would never encourage Alex. "You're my brother. You count to me. Besides, it's a masquerade, like you said. Nobody will know."

Alex seemed to think about it. Both Banette and Dusclops thought it was a good idea. "See," Leo said, pointing at the Pokémon's hopeful expressions. "Three of us think it's a good idea, and only you don't."

"So?" Alex asked.

"So it's obviously a good idea."

"Says who?"

"Says me, and two others."

"So just because more of you have a different opinion, it means you're right and I'm wrong?" Alex had an inquisitive look about him. Was he being mischievous or sincere?

Leo thought about it for a moment. "Yeah," he said. "Now that I think about it, that's a pretty terrible way to make decisions."

Alex punched him on the shoulder. "Lighten up, I'll do it. But because I'm a nice guy, and I want to help you. But you owe me!" he said.

Leo embraced his older brother. He looked out his window, the sky had begun to turn to evening. He was going to be late for his dinner with Elli and the two betrothed families. "I've got to go to dinner, and thanks again." Leo said.

Alex just smiled that same confident, happy smile. "I've got to go drink with my Aunt. We're going to set some things on fire if we get in the mood."

"I wish I could come," Leo said with a smile. It sounded infinitely less intimidating than facing Elli again.

"We wish you could, too," Alex said. "Now go. You're lovely bride is awaiting you."

Leo and Dusclops parted ways with Alex and Banette in the torch lit hall. Yeah, Leo admitted to himself. She is lovely, alright. X$OyIc7^