"So, you're here to ask me about the Ancient Past…"

It was late afternoon by the time the three Pokémon made it to Serene Village. Naturally, they passed by several of their old friends as they crossed through the village—Goomy and Deerling were hanging out together in the square and they passed by both Bedew and her mother Roselia on the path to Carracosta's house—to which Light waved and gave each of them a wide smile, Fennix loudly said "hi", and Lilac gave a courteous nod too. Of course, while all parties would have loved to chat and catch up, as it had been several weeks since the three children last stepped in Serene Village, they were all on duty, so greetings were all they had time for before they went towards Carracosta's house. Fennix's father, upon seeing the three of them, made them a quick meal before they sat around the table and told him the situation.

While they were beginning to eat, Light telepathically told Lilac about each of the four allies of Mew back in the past, to which he guessed Carracosta would bring up. Wartortle, who was Carracosta's ancestor and the one who started the Reminiscor tradition in the first place. Florence the pikachu, who lived back when the Water and Mist Continents were together as one. Puriah the braixen, who was an oracle that lived in the Sand Continent. And finally, Clover the shaymin, who was an adventurer that went all over the world looking for treasure. Lilac nodded her thanks for Light giving her context about what Carracosta might bring up.

"Unfortunately, in this area, I can't help you." Carracosta placed a book down on the table. "A 'Tomb of Light' never came up within Wartortle's notes about what happened after Dark Matter was destroyed."

"So…you don't know either," Light mused, his left paw rubbing the back of his head.

"Would anyone else have built it?" Lilac asked next.

Carracosta looked through his book and mused. "The possibility is certainly there. About a year after Dark Matter was destroyed, Light and Mew just simply vanished from the world. Wartortle speculated for a while about what could have possibly happened to them, but never quite knew for sure. Death was certainly a possibility on his mind, though. And if the others thought the same, then one of them might've built it."

Light and Fennix both looked solemnly at their plates. "So…they thought we might've died after everything?" Fennix whispered.

Lilac glanced at Light and Fennix and could easily pick up feelings of sadness coming from the two of them. Before she could say anything to try and help, however, Carracosta spoke unhesitatingly.

"I said that it was a possibility. One that was likely shared by all of your old allies. Another possibility he thought of was that Light returned to the human world, and that Mew followed him. Still another was that they were both hiding and waiting for another catastrophe to hit the world. There were many guesses he made. I'm just giving a suggestion. Don't foolishly latch on to one possibility that you make yourself blind to everything else. It'll only hurt you unnecessarily."

"It wouldn't be your ancestor that we should be focused on anyways, right?" Lilac asked to change the subject. "The Sand Continent is where Puriah was. Wouldn't she be the one that built it, then?"

Carracosta turned his gaze to Lilac and nodded. "Either that, or she commissioned someone to build it. As an Oracle back when the Sand Continent was the wealthy and prosperous Golden Continent, she would have the influence to do so. Unfortunately, I can't say whether she did or not."

Light tilted his head. "Wouldn't Puriah have mentioned something like that to Wartortle at some point in time? They were friends, and she was building something for another friend. If I were in her situation, I'd tell him."

Carracosta shook his head. "No, she did not. Though that doesn't entirely surprise me. Wartortle wrote that he felt a sort of separation once they all went their separate ways. They tried to communicate with each other, but they ended up all drifting apart as they focused on their own duties."

Lilac looked towards her plate. "They…did?" she whispered so softly that nobody else in the room could hear it. "Even after…all that?"

"So, you really have no idea what the ruins could be for…" Light mused.

"Sadly, I do not. Or at least, I don't have any reference from my ancestor as to why Puriah made those ruins, assuming she did so. However, I can speculate on something. And it's been something that has bugged me for a while since I've been reading my ancestor's journals again. And if this is the 'Tomb of Light' as you say it is, then it might have the answer to that question."

Carracosta's eyes went towards Light. "Have any of you ever wondered how exactly was it that Light, as a human, was able to fight alongside Pokémon?"

All eyes also went towards Light, his face turning slightly read as he garnered so much attention. "I…was asked that once before. And honestly, I don't really know."

"Is there something about being a human that would keep him from being able to fight?" Lilac asked, her eyes wide as she looked at Light curiously.

"Supposedly, Light had no elemental powers. He instead fought with what my ancestor called a larger than normal knife and basic punches and kicks that were weaker than what most Fighting-types could do. Because of that, Light stayed in the back most of the fights, supporting his teammates with something else. He was supposedly given some sort of object from the Legendary Pokémon that allowed him to grant power to his allies. It was through that object that Light helped the fight against Dark Matter."

"'An…object that let me give power to my allies?'" Light repeated as he looked down to his neck and paws. "There's something I used to have that let me do that?"

"Unfortunately, Wartortle's description of said object is lacking, so I'm not entirely sure what it could be. But it appears that whatever it was, it made the moves of whoever used it that much more powerful. Though it also drained Light's energy upon use, so he could only do it sparingly."

"But either way, you think that object might be what's in the tomb?" Lilac asked.

"I think there is a possibility. There's also the possibility that said item has been lost to time, so it's foolish to assume it still exists." As Carracosta said that, Light's eyes trailed towards Fennix and saw her looking at her father with anticipation. "If it were to still exist, I imagine in a tomb named after Light would be the best place to find it. But we have no way of knowing if such a thing is truly there or not. There's no records from any of my ancestors that tells us what happened to Light's equipment after he was done using it. It could have easily been lost or destroyed."

"Too late, Carracosta," Light snarked. "You already got her excited. Funny how the talk of treasure brightened her mood."

Fennix was smiling from ear to ear. "Pfft, no need to be a spoilsport, you two. Come on, there's the possibility that we might find some super cool new power! Why shouldn't I be excited?"

"I don't think 'it might not be there' is enough of a deterrent for her," Lilac mumbled under her breath.

"I'll assume you're asking all these questions because you plan on exploring those ruins along with your leaders?" Carracosta asked.

Light nodded. "Even if there's nothing to find, we still want to check it out. There could be some sort of link to our past. Plus…there's something odd about it. Apparently, other Pokémon who tried checking out the ruins have disappeared." Light paused for a moment. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you? Why Pokémon are just suddenly disappearing from there?"

"Unfortunately, I can't answer that either. All I can do is warn you to be careful. Between the world Puriah lived in and the world we lived in now, many things have changed. I have no doubts that, whatever you will be dealing with, is something that has not been seen for many generations."

Light and Fennix both left to report what they heard from Carracosta to Ampharos and Mawile, leaving Lilac to finish her meal along with Carracosta. But while Lilac did eat, it was at a particularly slow pace. Carracosta noticed this and waited for her to swallow the food that was in her mouth before bringing it up.

"Something on your mind, child?" he asked in a comforting voice.

"It's noth…" Lilac started, but she stopped before she could finish that statement. "I suppose…if you thought it was just nothing you wouldn't be asking in the first place. Sorry."

"If you don't want to talk about it, you can hold your tongue. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. But let me tell you this, it's foolish to believe that holding everything in will cause something to change. After all, I'm sure you remember the last time you attempted to do that."

Lilac paused for a moment, bitter memories in her mind of the time she was inches from death and hiding her pain from everyone. "…I'm just wondering. You mentioned that your ancestor felt disconnected from the rest of his friends after everything was done. Did he ever mention why he felt that way? Because they were all friends who fought against Dark Matter together. You'd think going through something like that would keep them together."

Carracosta nodded. "I imagine, considering your experience. You helped the Expedition Society in the recent battle, an experience that I can't imagine will ever leave you. However, obligation and distance kept them all apart. Florence had his obligations to his village, Puriah had her obligations as an oracle of the Golden Continent, Wartortle was founding Serene Village, and Clover was stuck in the Tree of Life because of her injuries in the battle. They tried to keep in contact, but they eventually just drifted apart."

Lilac looked out the door at Light and Fennix, who were bathed in the sunset as they talked. "That's, pretty sad. They always say friendship can last forever but I guess in some cases it's merely fleeting..." she mumbled.

"It's an unfortunate facet of life." Carracosta's face came to view as Lilac turned around to face him once again, and it was one of melancholy. "Friendships can fade with time and Pokémon can become drawn apart. It's one of the cruelties of adulthood. I have had many friends from my childhood that I have drifted apart from. So what happened to my ancestor is not unusual, as sad as it is."

Lilac looked once again to her friends. "I hope that doesn't happen to us," she mumbled.

"Do you really believe that Light, Fennix, and you will drift apart?" Carracosta asked.

Lilac turned back towards him. "Light and Fennix…no. Those two are so close that I can't imagine them drifting apart anytime soon. Fennix means the world to Light, and the feeling is mutual with her. Not only that, but they've been connected for many years even before all this. They'll stick together. But well…" Lilac clutched her right arm with her left paw. "As selfish as I feel about it, I can't help but worry about myself."

"Light and Fennix seem to be close to you, too," Carracosta pointed out. "Just a month ago they went halfway across the world to cure you of an illness."

Lilac shivered at the mention of that event. "I know. But I've noticed something else lately. There's a lot I've…missed since those two went to the Expedition Society. Light and Fennix love to make joking comments at each other, usually about some sort of event that happened while they were off exploring. And jokes about Fennix lighting Light's tail on fire accidently, I can get. But jokes about some sort of 'Chesto Berry incident' happen, well…I can't really join in the conversation when I can't even imagine what sort of incident they could have with a Chesto Berry."

"…Chesto Berry incident?" Carracosta's tilted head at the thought.

Lilac could almost laugh as someone shared her confusion. "Honestly, I'm so tempted to look into their minds sometime when they're talking about it to figure it out. It'd clear up so much. But…they're my friends and I'd rather not invade their privacy. The mind isn't always a fun thing to read."

"Have you tried simply asking them for context?" Carracosta asked with all the controlled patience of an adult.

Lilac looked away slightly. "Yes, I have. But there's more to it than that." Lilac faced Carracosta once again. "Light used to be a human and Fennix used to be Mew. They've known each other even before all this. And even if they've forgotten about it, it's still a subject that pops up occasionally. But the only thing I know about the past is…basically everything they've told me. And I can't really join in there too. I know I could just ask about that too but…"

"Once again, this could be solved with simple communication. Even if it's awkward for you, if I know anything of my daughter, she loves to tell any stories she could. And if it's too embarrassing for her, Light would probably spill the beans himself just for a good laugh. Those two would be happy to tell you anything you want."

Carracosta paused for a moment before looking at Lilac dead in the eye. "This has more to do than just not being a part of inside jokes, isn't it? You look at how close their relationship is, how much they laugh together, joke together, have fun together, and then you look at your relationship to them in comparison, and you can sense the difference. What you're feeling is a sense of longingness to have the same relationship that they do."

Lilac was silent. She hated to admit it, but Carracosta hit the nail right on the head. He read her like a book, the true reason she felt so separate from them. Beyond the inside jokes or her lack of a connection with the ancient past.

"Light and Fennix mean a lot to me. In school, I was always the smart kid. I was always the one who knew everything. Because of that, everyone always treated me differently. I was respected by everyone from class and my teachers, but I never really had anyone I could really say I was close to. And without any parents, I never had any family. But then I met Light, who treated me like he'd treat anyone else despite being a prodigy. And then I got to know Fennix and realize we have a lot more in common than I thought. They became my best friends, and those two are the first Pokemon who I felt like I was able to be myself around. That's part of the reason why I wanted them to call me by my family name in the first place, instead of just Espurr."

Lilac grabbed her paw again. "I know they consider me a close friend, but I can tell that their relationship together is stronger than mine with them. When they talk together, when they laugh together, all the inside jokes, all the comments on their shared past, I feel left out. And I'm worried that they'll move closer and closer, while I'll get left behind."

Carracosta looked over Lilac's head and Lilac heard the sound of paws coming up from behind her. They both knew that Light and Fennix were done giving their report to Ampharos and were starting to come back into the building. Before they were within earshot, though, Carracosta once again looked at Lilac and whispered one last thing to her.

"You should do the same thing. Talk to Light and Fennix and explain to them how you feel. Otherwise, nothing will ever change."

As much as Carracosta recommended that Lilac explain herself, the unfortunate truth was that Lilac wasn't really able to just do it, no matter how easy he made it seem. It's not as if she had no opportunity either. Since Ampharos and Mawile wanted them to come to the tomb in the Sand-Continent, an extremely long trip both to Lively Town to take Lapras, and riding across the sea to their destination, she had plenty of opportunities to talk to Light and Fennix. They were basically alone with nobody listening in for a large length of time. But while the words hung upon her lips, she wasn't really able to relay it to them.

She could have maybe excused herself during the trip to Lively Town, since most of the trip to there was filled with casual conversations by the three of them. Of course, the conversations never reached a point where Lilac could butt in with her own thoughts and worries, but the casual conversation itself was a nice distraction. However, once they got on Lapras and went towards the Sand Continent, she had no excuse. Especially since the trip itself would take two days. Which Fennix immediately started groaning about upon leaving the harbor.

"Ugg…long trips on Lapras suck."

"Just don't try and swim your way to the Sand Continent," Light snarked. "Last time you tried that you turned into a Water-type for a few days. That was a certainly an interesting experience."

Fennix stomped her right forepaw on the shell. "Hey, I still made it!"

"To a random island in the middle of the Sea of Wonders. Which was both deserted and nowhere near where we had to go. And you were so exhausted that I had to carry you back onto Lapras so we could go where we needed to go. Which made me tired because you're…"

Fennix glared at him, stopping his statement before it could finish. "Say I'm too heavy and I'll turn you into a Fire-type for the rest of the trip."

Light just chuckled while Fennix continued to spit fire at him. But despite everything, Lilac could sense that she wasn't too angry. She took no offence to Light's words at all and was in fact trying to come up with her own comebacks. It was all a game to them. And at the end of it, they would both laugh as their bond remained secure. It was a strange thing to watch, seeing what appeared to be arguing as nothing but banter between friends. But it was because of how close the two were that Light knew he could banter at her without her feeling any offence to it.

However, Lilac couldn't help but feel the pangs of jealousy wash over her as she watched their chatter from afar, herself completely forgotten. Jealousy at who, she wasn't entirely sure. Jealousy at what, she wasn't entirely sure. But she knew that Light would never make a snarking comment at her like he did with Fennix. And she knew that she wouldn't be able to take it without offence and just keep on going as Fennix did. The gap between herself and those two's relationship was so very apparent to her.

And despite everything, once the two finally stopped chatting and went silent, Fennix closing her eyes and humming a small song and while Light removed the bag on his shoulder and sorted through it, Lilac still wasn't able to bring up her thoughts. She watched those two silently. 'You've still got the most of two days and it's late anyways' was her justification, but she knew it was a lie. It was the selfishness of what she thought that really kept her away.

Come on, Lilac, it's not that hard, she mentally tried to push herself. Just…tell them how you feel. Just go up to Light… Lilac managed to get on her paws and walked towards him, and tell him your thoughts.

"So…what are you checking your bag for?" was eventually what escaped her lips. She mentally cursed herself the moment she said that, however eventually concluded that saying anything was better than being silent.

"Getting an idea of what we have in terms of items," Light mumbled, his eyes still on his bag. "Keleh Port doesn't have a Deposit Box, and, according to the Chief, they haven't found one at the tomb either. So we're stuck with what items we got from Lively Town for most of our trip, unless we want to cross the desert for the nearest town. Luckily, I stocked plenty of food, so we shouldn't have to worry about that. But I'm focusing more on other items."

"So in other words, Light's doing the boring job," Fennix interrupted her humming to snark. "Nothing unusual here."

Light shrugged nonchalantly before continuing to sort through. "Hey, somebody has to keep us all alive, and it sure isn't going to be you."

Lilac knew exactly where this would go very soon, so she quickly inserted herself back into the conversation. "So what items do we have to use?"

"Six Oran Berries, four Pecha Berries, two Rawst Berries, a couple of Heal Seeds, a Blast Seed just in case we need some sort of explosive, a Slumber Wand that has about 20 charges to it, and finally one Reviver Seed. That, along with some water and basic medical supplies."

"So in other words, be careful," Lilac concluded.

Light nodded. "Hopefully we'll be fine. Mawile and the Chief probably have their own items they brought. But Carracosta's warning does worry me some. Mystery Dungeons were different in the past…I can't help wonder what that means."

"That, and all the disappearances have got you worried as well, right?" Fennix asked.

Light nodded before looking gravely at both Lilac and Fennix. "Pokémon getting lost in Mystery Dungeons isn't anything too new. But disappearing without a trace and so suddenly too? I don't know, I just have a bad feeling that I can't really shake."

"So in other words, it's typical Light fair," Fennix said nonchalantly. "It's probably nothing more than a typical dungeon. I wouldn't worry too much about it, Espurr. Besides…" Fennix smiled wide in Light's direction, "we've got that we can use now."

Light rolled his eyes. "In case you're wondering, Espurr, there's a new technique that Fennix and I have been working on for a while that Fennix has been dying to show off. But, since Fennix will be Fennix, she wants me to keep it a secret until we finally can. I don't know if it'll really help that much in the current situation, but it'll be nice."

Lilac paused for a moment. "I…understand. I suppose I'll just have to wait and see what you have."

Lilac wasn't lying, despite her hesitation. She did understand. Even back when they were younger, Fennix was always practicing something new that she would show off to the class later. This wasn't something unusual for her. But, whether she knew it or not, the fact that Fennix and Light were keeping this secret was just another example of the gap between Lilac's relationship and theirs.

AN: So, for those of you who have read my earlier story, The Ancient Connection, you would've noticed that I changed the pikachu ally of Light and Mew's name. I kinda feel like I made a mistake with the previous name I used, due to the simple fact that I wanted to go with something complex and symbolic instead of something concise and easy to remember. So I retconned it. I plan on going back and changing it in my earlier stories where he was mentioned when I get the motivation to navigate through 's editing older stories system to go back and edit it. Probably will be about the same time I go back through the entire story to fix it of it's mistakes.

Anyways, I actually didn't intend for this to be another story with Espurr as the main character. I mean, I always did intend to write a story about how distant she felt from Light and Fennix, since they've been working together for more than 6 months while she only joined for a few weeks. It was actually when I was developing the plot around the Tomb of Light (which you can see shadows of already) that I decided to put Espurr's part of the plot in this. It required a certain change in the ending, but I'm actually fine with that. And I'll talk about that much later.

Beta read by TheGoldCrow