Chapter 11: Disheartening Deductions


Nia's going to be okay. Sylisa marched forward with conviction, taking the steep path through the badlands near the bandit's hideout. I can heal her. I'll find her Dusk Ball. Then she'll finally be able to rest. Her injury, being devolved, means she doesn't have the strength she did before. Nia's attacks were just as much a danger to herself as they were to those around her.

A dry breeze picked up, the gusts blowing sand. Crossing over the rough terrain, Sylisa whispered under her breath, "I'll make things better for you, Nia. And I'll remember your real name."

Sylisa clenched a tight fist and peered ahead, the horizon forming a heat illusion in the distance. Her thoughts traveled to the times where she had used this very familiar muscle action to recall her friend back into the Pokéball. Feeling the tension in her joints as her knuckles whitened, her breathing became erratic and she gasped the arid air.

Climbing higher, Sylisa steeled herself for the challenge ahead. "At least I have a plan." A softer breeze blew through her hair, her breathing become calm as the warm desert air ruffled her locks. Her vision focused clearly on the dusty pathway. Having taken point, the cluster of caves at the top of the hill came into Sylisa's view. The rocks and crags along the path were covered in damage, chipped and fragmented by an iron fist.

"We're almost there," she said to her companions. "Looks like a Geodude went to town around here. That or… Machoke."

"This the place?" asked Daphne. Sylisa saw she was playing with her blonde hair, twirling it around one of her fingers anxiously.

Rapunzel noticed Daphne's nervous tick and poked her on the side of her stockings to get her to stop.

"Yeah. Looks like no one's home," replied Sylisa as York and Hyde caught up.

"No way," said Daphne. "You're serious?"

"Do you see anyone?" she asked York.

"No. Been up this way before," said York, catching his breath. "Saw a couple of Graveler holding up around this ridge."

"Don't see them around either." Sylisa's wary glare saw nothing but tumbleweeds and cacti. "I thought you said you got ambushed by a hoard of 'mons while having a picnic."

"That I did," he said. "We came up here, Hyde got nervous. Can tell when he gets that lost puppy look in his eyes."

Hyde crossed his arms and wore a stiff lip.

"Looks like you upset your buddy," said Sylisa.

"Nah," said York, "he just knows I'm right. We got close before taking a sharp turn up the hill. Found a wide-open patch of land, made the mistake of thinking it was safe. That's where the gang of Roggenrola jumped us. Came from the top of the elevation, used Rollout to chase us down. Forced us to run back this way."

"So, you passed here twice already," said Sylisa.

"Right." York nodded. "Second time happened so fast, we went that way there, then tossed the food into the mouth of the cave to lose most of 'em. Still, the big one followed and managed to burst through one of the rock walls during an attack. Heard you yelling and, well, we had to help."

"Wow, you're such a helpful soul," cheered Daphne.

"Are you mocking me?" he asked.

"Not at all!" Daphne impishly shook her head.

"Hm. No sentries and it's the middle of the day. That's odd, isn't it?" Sylisa pondered.

"Maybe they went to check on the guy who went missing?" suggested York.

"Mm. Maybe." Sylisa walked slowly up the hill. Each heavy step through the rough terrain felt foreboding. Her leather boots kept her from slipping on the steep incline and she clutched the rocky outcrops on the side of the path to steady herself. Eventually her progress brought her to the cave's wide mouth. Silently, she crouched in a squat close to the entrance. Can't see inside, too dark. Nia's vision would help.

Daphne gave her a curious glance. She stayed quiet as Rapunzel inched close to Sylisa.

Sylisa bit her lip. Everything's so still. Before the ambush the bandits were very loud. Could they have left? We didn't cross paths. Feeling unsure, she turned around.

York and Hyde nodded. The young officer had drawn his sidearm, a polished revolver. A look of grit on his face he mouthed the words, "Ready when you are."

Time to make a move. Until I get inside my eyes won't adjust to the darkness. I need to keep going to help Nia!

Sylisa slipped through the entrance. Surrounded by inky blackness, the torches she saw yesterday from a distance while held prisoner had been extinguished.

Could they have abandoned their hideout? No, something feels off. I can't quite explain it…something isn't right—

"JUMP EM!"

Light flooded the cave, blinding her momentarily. Sylisa jerked her head back as a burning stake covered in rags lit on fire smashed into the wall right next to her face.

"Damn! We walked right into their trap!" exclaimed Sylisa. Another fiery javelin soared through the cave, whizzing right past her neck and into the clay beside her. She fell backwards between the two arrows, feeling their heat as she sunk to the floor.

"Get some, fools!" yelled a man as he loudly smashed an iron club against a makeshift shield he was holding. "Everybody, ATTACK!"

A giant Machamp appeared from around the corner, smashing his fists through everything in his way, breaking down rocks and makeshift camping supplies like a living wrecking-ball. His body was covered in tattoos, worn by other members of the outlaw gang. In his arm, he held another spear tipped with a burning rag and was priming a throw.

"That's—! Machoke evolved!"

With a battle howl, Machamp flung the fire spear at Sylisa. She could not move because she was pinned by the other two spears.

A jet of water from Hyde shot the missile off course, causing it to just miss nailing Sylisa in the head.

Sylisa's heart was pounding, the flames all around her continued sear and scorch. She smelled the strong odor of the alcohol being used to keep the rags on the spears alit. Just when fear had gripped her, there was an earsplitting squeal.

A bulky pig monkey, a Primeape, tumbled forward into the fray, swinging his arms manically, howling in feverish rage. His bristly body her rushed at her, forming a pincer formation with Machamp to try and surround her.

"AHHH!" yelled Sylisa. "We're surrounded!" As the two monsters got closer, she felt something slick brush past her.

"Bunch 'em up!" York's voice echoed from the mouth of the cave.

Daphne called out, "Rapunzel, Thorny Spikes!"

Skipping in front of Sylisa, Rapunzel spread her roots, burrowing them into the ground. They traveled up and along the narrow corridor in front of them, erupting into a thicket of briars on either side of the cave. By filling the narrow passage with thorns and vines, everything closed in.

"Sylisa, get out of the way!" cried Daphne.

Scrambling, she tried to roll to the side. Her foot slipped on one of Rapunzel's roots and she tumbled onto her stomach. She barely caught herself with an outstretched arm before eating dirt. Hyde rushed underneath her to join Rapunzel on the frontlines. Again trying to retreat, Sylisa found herself on her side against a thorn-covered wall. The two fighters were closing in on their cramped vanguard. One of Machamp's four fists, the one closest to Rapunzel, shimmered like steel.

He's gonna use that same punch Hitmonchan tried! "Watch out, he's gonna lunge at you with a fast punch!" exclaimed Sylisa.

Sure enough, Machamp shot forward with Bullet Punch. His burly body barged straight through the brambles of vines on the walls of the passage, cutting and chipping at his thick hide covering his muscles. The spikes did not impede, Machamp already had plenty of battle scars, many of them blending in with dark tattoos running along his skin.

"Dodge it with a pull!" shouted Daphne.

Rapunzel's root embedded into the ground yanked her body abruptly to the side. The force brought her to one of the walls where the spike barricade had been set up.

Machamp swung down in a brutal pummel where she had been, the sound of a sledgehammer accompanying the smash, his metal-coated fist blasting a sizable crater into the bare earth and scattering dirt in his face. His opposite rear arm quickly wiped the debris out of his eyes.

Meanwhile Primeape had crossed partway through the passage covered in brambles. However, his bushy, fur-covered body had gotten caught on the spines. He shrieked angrily, bashing his fists manically at the thorn covered vines, becoming increasingly bloody as he violently squirmed.

Machamp extended his rear set of arms back. Primeape grabbed hold with blood-drenched hands. In a single tug, Machamp pulled his pal through the thicket. The tremendous force was enough to rip off a layer of skin along with a lot of hair. Primeape squealed, his rage building to dizzying heights from all the pain.

Terrified, Sylisa crawled back, inhaling a thick coppery stench permeating in the cavern's air from the bloodshed. "Get out of here!" she yelled to her companions.

"Rip off their fucking heads!" roared one of the bandits. "Don't let 'em get away!"

Oh no! Locking eyes with Primeape, fear overtook Sylisa's body. Too scared to move, and unable to escape the brambles even if she were, her thoughts could only think of her best friend. Will I ever see her again?

Primeape shoved Rapunzel aside with ease, his bloodshot eyes targeting only Sylisa.

Will she ever remember the times we spent together?

Advancing with a powerful charge, Primeape was right in front of her. The bloody creature raised his arms, eager to maul her.

No. I won't leave her alone! I have to see her again! In a last-ditch effort, Sylisa kicked at the dirt by her feet, and scooped up sand in her hands, hurling it all at Primeape.

Her assailant squealed in such a high pitch. Garbling, snarling, grunting, and thrashing, the pig monkey was enraged to the point of no return. He dove at her, gore and dust in his enflamed eyes.

Sylisa closed her eyes, her body flinched, anticipating the pain as she heard the creature's wicked screech.

Nothing. She timidly opened her eyes, and saw total darkness.

Wha—? Who turned out the lights?

Primeape had disappeared. Hyde and Rapunzel vanished too. The whole cave was gone. Sylisa sat exactly how she had a moment ago, yet in an unnerving emptiness.

Where am I?

In front of her, she saw a distant light take form. It resembled a distant star, a solitary light in the otherwise nebulous void.

A light?

With her fingernails she tried to clutch at the loose earth, but it was now a solid floor beneath her. It felt cold, smooth, like tile or ice. She couldn't bring herself to look down, her neck would not budge while her eyes were fixated on the distant light in front of her. It grew brighter. Larger. Expanding until it was the size of the full moon. Its hypnotic hold over her did not abate.

Am I… dead? Is this what death is? Is this the light people go into when they die?

She could not be sure. The approaching light reminded her of waiting on the platform for the subway when she lived with Nia back in Unova.

Is that a train? Am I at the station by home?

As the mysterious light brought itself towards her, she saw there was a black dot in its center.

Like the pupil of an eye.

The glowing eye was staring not at her, but through her. Its gaze pierced her spirit.

Her breath felt frozen inside her chest. Never had she felt so vulnerable. So exposed. Who she really was on display for the gazing eye. Her soul felt on display.

Who are you?! She wanted to yell, but she had no voice.

Nevertheless, her thoughts caused the enigmatic eye to lower its upper lid, shaped like a crescent. It did not cover the pupil, only the upper half.

What are you?

The floating eye did not answer her. Sylisa felt something warm inside her head. Like a headache at first, but then the sensation of dunking her head in a warm bath. The tingling irritated, when she sensed vibrations being pushed into her ears she fought against it.

No! Stay out of my head! You can't go there!

The eye seemed to pull back. Though it remained at the same distance, something in the air shifted when she refused its psychic prying. There was no longer uncomfortable pressure on the sides of her head. It continued to gaze with an unblinking, perplexed stare.

I have to go back! I have to save her! My friend! I have to save — …!

The real name of her friend would not come. Tears clouded her vision. The eye blurred as she cried.

No, please. Let me go back. I'm lost without her. Without my best friend, I can't be myself… by myself…

Salty rivers ran down her cheeks. Her whole body shivered from raw emotion. And then, there was a flash of light. The whole room illuminated for an instant. Sylisa's vision was still foggy, yet she saw from the edges of her sight the interior of a massive basilica, filled with sparkling gold treasure from floor to ceiling. There were large, tall and narrow windows revealing a pristine blue sky, with high towers in the distance, on either side of the floating eye. The eye itself now had a body. Or rather, it had appendages. They were jet black arms, bent into a shape around the eye which resembled a hieroglyph. The left arm bent down from the top-left, and the right bent up from the bottom right of the center eye. As everything became distorted, Sylisa realized it formed the letter "N" but then there were more of the eyes behind the one in front. Five in total, but the distorting made the shapes of the letters they represented impossible to distinguish. Even though she could not see them clearly, she felt, deep in her heart, they were trying to tell her something.

Her name! It starts with N, like Nia.

Again, Sylisa found herself in a place she did not belong. The mysterious eyes and piles of treasure vanished. Inches in front of her, a snarling Primeape covered in thorny briars was about to ravage her with a flurry of punches.

"Water Gun, full force!" yelled York.

Instead of shooting a barrage of water bullets, Hyde launched a single stream of water. The powerful jet nailed Primeape right in the snout. He spluttered and coughed, taking in even more water to his lungs as he snorted in anger.

Seeing Primeape had fallen back gagging, York called on his pal to seize the opportunity. "Drench the floor, Hyde!"

Hyde shot a burst of bubbles and covered the entire cave in a swath of water. Then for good measure, he let loose a stream to blast all the targets in the confined space, forming a big puddle beneath them.

"Alright!" In a swift motion, York aimed his revolver and shot at the ground. There was a bright spark, the cave illuminated when the electric round struck the wet patch with a zapping burst. The gang of brigands convulsed, their bodies stunned.

However, Machamp managed to avoid the attack by using his top two arms to grip a stalactite and lift himself out of the water before the projectile hit.

"No!" said Sylisa. "Look out!"

Machamp lunged forward, aggressively leaping with the momentum from jumping clear of the hazard. His back's arms caught onto columns in the cave as he advanced, pushing off them for leverage to dart side to side and avoid Hyde's stream of Water Gun.

York called out, "Hyde! It's closing in for Close Combat!"

Hyde dashed in with an Aqua Jet and slammed his head into Machamp's brawny abdomen.

Machamp was hardly bothered by the strike. In fact, it looked as though he did not even feel anything through his muscles. He snatched Hyde with one of his four arms. With the other three, he proceeded to pummel Hyde with a flurry of punches from all directions.

"HYDE!" shouted Sylisa. Machamp was throwing so many punches her eyes could not keep up. "Oh no!"

"Hyde, fall out of Substitute; strike from behind where his arms can't reach, up and over with Natural Gift!" said York.

For a moment, Machamp appeared confused as Hyde appeared behind him. The illusion he held disappeared. Bellowing, he realized he had been fooled.

Hyde navigated behind Machamp, dodging the brute's flailing arms with short dashes. When he got past the second pair of arms, he leapt over Machamp's crown with a bright yellow Sitrus Berry from the picnic in his paw. Hyde looped down, right in Machamp's face, crushing the Berry into the monster's eyes. It splattered purple goo all over.

Machamp covered his head defensively with two arms, screaming in pain, and stumbling backwards. Rubbing only spread the aggravating reagent further. His agonizing yells were worse than Primeape.

"There's your opening!" exclaimed York. "Knock 'em out!"

"Time for a nap!" shouted Daphne. "Sleep Powder!"

Using the opportunity to focus her incapacitating move, Rapunzel blew forth a huge cloud of glowing green pollen into the cave. It stuck to everything, coating the whole interior of the cramped space.

One by one, the bandits collapsed from the spores. Soon their snores echoing sounded like the rumbling of a volcano.

"Phew… What a cacophonous lot they are!" said Daphne, pleasingly clapping her hands together.

"Ouch…oww." Sylisa groaned, slowly getting back to her feet, rubbing her bruised palms. The heck was that?

"Hyde, are you okay?" York helped Hyde up. "Nice work with the deception."

"Thank you," Sylisa pet Hyde on his head, "for stopping them. Your Substitute even had me tricked."

Hyde smiled at her. Flushing, he rubbed his collar against her palm and purred proudly.

I was so scared, I couldn't move. And then, there was that floating eye! The letter N. It looked so familiar. Could it have been another psychic? I felt something like it trying to push into my head before on the night of the eclipse. But this time it reacted when I tried to remember her name, like it felt my sadness. She raised a dirty finger to gently touch her pale cheek. Under her eye was dry. To her surprise, there was no evidence of the tears from mere moments before. What the…?!

"Aww! What about Rapunzel?" complained Daphne. "She's the reason everyone's in La-la Land! My little heroine!"

"Yes, she's to thank," said York. "Hyde might have been able to get the drop on Machamp, but they had numbers and an ambush set up. We were lucky no one got hurt."

"What were you thinking?" Daphne asked Sylisa. "Rushing in like that! You didn't have your ice-kitten!"

"I wasn't thinking clear," said Sylisa. "I had a one-track mind to help her. That's all I could think about. I was stupid for barging in to their trap."

"Don't you dare do it again, or you might never see her," said Daphne. Then her seriousness evaporated into a sunny smile. "Besides, we might not have your back next time, and then you'll be stuck with your bad luck all to yourself!"

"That wasn't my curse. Or bad luck." Her lips curled, at first struggling to take responsibility. I need to be honest. They risked their lives for me. "I…messed up."

Daphne huffed. "Whatever you say."

"Learn from your mistakes, so you don't make them again," said York.

"I know." Sylisa considered how close she came to death. It made her chest hurt to think about never seeing anyone again.

"They'll be out for quite a while," said Daphne. "Did you know a Roselia's spores are twice as effective after a nutritious meal rich in nitrogen?"

Sylisa sighed. "If anything, you're consistently eccentric. Even in times like these."

"Oh ho ho, flattery will get you nowhere!"

"That's not what I meant," grumbled Sylisa. Nevertheless, she felt better inside knowing she had been given a second chance, and one without their resentment. "I'll be more careful."

"Good!" said York. "We ought to make use of the time we've got. How long you reckon they'll be out for?"

"Hmm…" Daphne pawed her chin in thought. "I dunno, how about a few hours? Sound good?"

"I thought you knew how the pollen works!" Sylisa said in surprise.

"Well, usually her victims aren't electrocuted before getting hit with the snooze button."

Sylisa tried not to smile at the joke. She turned to York and asked, "Some quick thinking back there, combining the water with your gun. Were those electric rounds?"

"Long-range electroshock projectiles," he explained. "They're special copper bullets with Electrium cores. Impact compresses the copper bullet around Electrium crystal to create a strong discharge caused by high voltage when the Electrium is disbursed."

"Crystals huh…neat." Sorta like prism bombs.

"Can't spend the ammo too recklessly either," said York. "The company who makes these elemental bullets uses scraps of unprocessed crystal. The Electrium is destroyed, which makes them expensive considering how rare those crystals are. However, mixing it with water from Hyde makes the current carry like an electric fence."

"Gotcha," replied Sylisa, "you get more bang for your buck."

"Aren't you a smart cookie!" Wearing a grin, Daphne knelt by Hyde and pat his head. "Maybe it might be worth keeping you around as a water hydrant. Though I still think you'd make a lovely fur scarf!"

With an unnerved look on his face, Hyde scampered over to York.

Inspecting his revolver, York gave a nod. "Alright, even though I think we got them all, can't be too careful. There could be more hiding in the back of the cave."

"Right," said Sylisa, "either way, don't want this opportunity go to waste. Let's go."

"Cautiously," emphasized York.

"Okay, okay," said Sylisa. Each step felt heavy. Eventually there was a dim light near a stash of loot. A torch glimmered like a beacon, a lighthouse in the shadowy depths.

Hyde growled softly.

"Looks like nobody else is down here," said York.

"Thank goodness!" said Sylisa, upon seeing her equipment on the table. "My Armadas!" she exclaimed, snatching the fabric possessively between her battered fingers.

York looked surprised by Sylisa's joyful reaction. "Uhh, come again? Your Armadas?"

"Interesting… very… interesting," murmured Daphne. "I'm rather curious as well, Armadas may refer to a large force if we're going by loose definitions."

"Sorta, but I dunno." Sylisa fidgeted with the glove, suspiciously eyeing Daphne. That's keen of her to figure out. Her ditziness really could all be an act. Problem is she's only serious when she's about to beat someone up.

"Don't leave us hanging!" said York.

"So." Daphne leered. "What's this Armadas of yours do?"

"It—" How do I explain it to them? I don't want them to know Mathias pinched a classified military tool. "—It's got a special power," she said. Crap, now they're both looking at me like I'm crazy. "Erm, I'd show you but that might not be such a good idea right now."

"Why not!?" they both asked in interested unison.

"Because—" she studied it and noticed how grimy it had gotten. "—It's filthy, that's why! I need to get it cleaned before I can wear it."

"Hmm. Why not have Hyde clean it?" suggested York. "How 'bout it, pal? A little hot water and a soft rubdown from his fur will clean it up in no time."

"I wonder if it would damage the circuitry. Never washed it before." She tapped her finger on one of the cells and noticed it had been completely drained of electricity. "Damn. Going to need to find a way to charge it or a new battery." She looked over at Hyde, who was ogling the device curiously. "Ya'see this? There's no red glow on these seven hexagons. It's got no juice left, so it won't shock you." She handed it to him.

"It's electrical? Can it shock like a bolt of lightning?" asked York. He gestured to his holstered revolver.

"Closer to the thunder part," replied Sylisa. "Stored power can make a loud bang. I dunno too much about it, it reacts differently to different things."

"So—" Daphne's eyes narrowed "—you're still trying to figure it out?"

Sylisa's shoulders slumped, she thought about her mentor Mathias and Dare his Absol. "Um, yeah. There's honestly a lot I don't understand. Didn't come with an instruction manual, that's for darn sure."

"Huh. Imagine that." Daphne pouted. "Then again, your typical 'mon doesn't come with instructions either. Speaking of, there's an uncanny resemblance to your little imp's claws."

"Right. It's drained of energy so only the claws work."

"Oooh! I have an idea! I'm going to try it on!" Daphne squealed, snatching it from Hyde's paws.

"No! It's mine, you'd stretch it out!" barked Sylisa.

"How rude of you! My arms are not chubby," she said, tugging at the black silk. "Stretchy! Stretchy!"

"Cut it out, will you!" scolded Sylisa. If she breaks it, Mathias will kill me! "I'll never get another one!"

"Okaaaay, fine, if it's one-of-a-kind. You win this time, shadow girl." Daphne grumbled, passing the glove to Hyde. "Isn't flowery enough for me to wear anyway!"

Hyde sprayed it with water, and cleaned it off with a few rubs of his paws. He used the fur on his belly to dry it.

"Wow, you're even better than the cleaners down the block," Sylisa said with a smile, reminiscing Unova. "Thanks."

"Bububwee!" Hyde happily blew bubbles and spun his forked tail around. The orange weasel handed her the Armadas, inflating his neck sack cheerfully as she took hold of it.

"That feels much better," she said, putting it on. Still is a little wet on the inside, so it feels kind of good on my sunburn. Sylisa adjusted the clammy fabric into a snug fit. Now if I can just find a way to charge it, I'd feel a heck of a lot safer in a bad situation. I won't be so useless when I need to help Nia.

"An audacious piece of equipment, fitting for your alleged "bravado". Claws too, like the little knife kitten." Daphne pooh-poohed with a wave of her hand. "Isn't that a happy coincidence."

Sylisa could see Daphne's eyes were laser focused on the Armadas' ring.

"And that…the arm you wear it on…sinister, I see."

"Sinister?" Sylisa clenched her left hand into a fist. The two claw hooks she used for climbing protruded. "Whadya mean?"

A soft laugh, and then a smile. "Oh, it's super-duper sinister. It's black like your hair and outfit, why am I not surprised."

"Bladed shadows in the night you'll never see coming until it's too late," said Sylisa in a grave tone, trying not to smirk. They don't know that I'm misquoting some old saying from the Thieves' Code.

"Pst," whispered Daphne, "detective, I think we have a wanna-be Grim Reaper in our midst. Her kitty devil isn't even with her and she's acting like the Princess of Darkness!"

York rocked his head. "And she's the one who claims we're immature."

"I can hear you teasing." Sylisa huffed. "Count your blessings we're on a timeframe." With that, she began searching for her other possessions, rummaging through all sorts of loot. None of it was hers, nevertheless she decided to take what she found if it appeared valuable.

"Get everything back?" asked York.

"Can't find a few of my things," she admitted.

"Really? You seemed to be grabbing a whole lot of stuff," he pointed out.

"Hey, not my fault I was loaded when I got kidnapped," she said, pocketing another jeweled trinket. The bandits don't deserve these treasures. It's MY right to take them! Sylisa told herself as her pouches became heavier. She had to use a sack to store some of the goods.

With a drawn-out sigh, Daphne said, "Oh brother, you're making me feel like we're the bad guys here, Sylisa."

"Cool your jets, flower girl. I'm still looking for a cell phone, a Dusk Ball, and a clear sphere with a red diamond crystal inside."

"Um…" Daphne coddled Rapunzel close to her bosom. "Well, good luck! Don't dawdle too long!"

"How about you, York? You see any of those?"

"I only know what one of those looks like because you happened to describe it," he grumbled.

Figures. Without my cell phone I'm stranded. Without Nia's Dusk Ball, I can't be sure — "Ouch!" The sharp pain in her head returned. —she's okay. And without the treasure, I failed my mission. I need to find where it went! Or else—!

"Um, hey, Sylisa," said Daphne. Her tone was unusually serious. "Your nose is bleeding."

"My what?" She put her hand above her lip and sure enough there was a small river of red liquid flowing. "I…uhm… I have a headache," she said, feeling woozy.

"Here," said Daphne, handing her a petal from Rapunzel's blue flower, "pinch your nose with this. …Yeah, like that, you got it."

"Why's this work?" Sylisa spoke very nasally.

"It's a holistic remedy passed down for generations," explained Daphne. "Her blue petals secrete a naturally curative ointment. Her pink flowers have stronger aroma, but these blue ones contain a healing oil. Because of this, azure roses are considered key to health and, in some circles, immortality."

"No way," she said. The tip of her nose started to feel numb. It manifested in a weak gasp then a frail sneeze. Sylisa sniffled, embarrassed by the girly noise. "…I don't buy the immortality part. That's silly."

Daphne chuckled. "Aren't you cute. Now, be sure to keep your head tilted forward so you don't swallow any blood."

"Hate to break up your little chat, but there was something in that prison cell where I found you." York's grim expression did not bode well.

"Oh right, good thinking! We didn't check there," replied Sylisa. "We better go have a look. Who knows, there might be more stuff—"

"—Not so fast." York put out an arm to stop her. "There was something there. Something terrible. After what you told me, I get the feeling it's related to Drampa."

Now I'm curious. She adjusted the flower on her nose and asked, "What do you mean?"

He lowered his voice. "These bandits did something awful. When I rescued you, I noticed it in the corner of my eye."

"Uhmm. Y'know, I was really out of it. My head felt like a warm bowl of soup from being out in the sun," said Sylisa, "so go ahead and spill it."

"That's what I figured when we met. You had no idea. Kept my mouth shut and focused on getting you out of there," he said. "Saw the torture implements on the table and… I started to put the pieces together. But I knew I had to come back here to investigate. The only question was whether I needed to call for backup first."

"You're killing me with suspense, geez!" complained Sylisa. Guess it explains why he didn't return to town.

"I started putting the pieces together yesterday. I was hoping the two weren't related, but now there's little doubt," explained York. He put his steady hand on her shoulder and said evenly, "Sylisa, it's something we have to investigate. With your bad headaches, causing you physical symptoms from distress, are you certain you're okay with this?"

"I'll be fine." Her nose had stopped bleeding. "What's the big deal?" She looked over to Daphne. She isn't her usual self. Got real quiet after what York said. I caught her glaring at the Armadas, then she quickly looks away. But now she's just staring off into space.

Sylisa followed York down the dingy hallway leading to the cells where she had been kept. With a heavy sigh, York lifted the torch he was holding high in the air to illuminate the prison.

Her mouth fell in shock. On the ground in a cage were the remnants of a body. A tiny human skeleton. "This…" she started to say, but the words would just not come. She felt herself shaking. Her heart felt like it was being tugged out from her chest by barbed wires.

"Oh no…" Daphne gasped. She held Rapunzel tightly. The little rose whined at the redolence of decay in the still air.

York knelt and inspected the body. "The mystery of the man-eater. It all makes sense. The boy from town who went missing. His name was Trevar, and his parents were worried sick. He had with him a trinket, a unique round toy of some sort. Said it was his best friend's wagon. The last thing he said to his friend at school was that he was going to visit his friend by the river." He gestured to a small orb, tired onto a broken piece of string, handing on a crooked nail near the foul implements on the table. His hand closed around the amulet.

With a mournful expression, Hyde's tail drooped. He let out a whimper.

Slumped over the victim, York spoke with distress in his voice. "This is his body. That I am sure of. Same age. Same physique. And the amulet he had. This can only mean one thing. Drampa was not eating men. Drampa was eating bandits, and all of them happened to be men. Drampa changed, falling into an outrage. Drampa, Trevar's friend, wanted revenge. All the bandits were men, and so the creature in the river became a man-eater. In other words, monsters created a monster."

"Why would—?" Sylisa began to speak, but her voice got caught in her throat. "How would—?"

"Drampa is of the Dragon Tribe, Draco, the Great Dragon of the North." The wind had been knocked out of Daphne's sails, she spoke with seriousness not befitting her usual demeanor. "They are said to be fiercely loyal through their bonds due to the mystical power they command. Some say it's an ancient power from the heavens above. From the great constellation which spans the northern heavens. Their power has been around for time immemorial and allows them to see things from across vast distances, like the stars in the night sky."

"You mean Drampa could see the boy was suffering from here?" With a frown, Sylisa admitted, "I really have trouble believing that."

"Why's that?" asked York. "When you form a bond, you have a kindled union of spirit. A bridge between souls."

"You said that before," whispered Sylisa. "About moves. About battle."

"Those are ways to become closer," replied Daphne.

Does that mean I bonded with her before? Did I destroy our bond by causing her to devolve?! Her legs began to feel unsteady, not just from the scene before her, but the revelation of what she did to Nia by activating the treasure they stole. "You sure it's not some bogus science?"

"No. It's not scientific at all," said York. "You'll understand what I mean once in time. There's a connection there. A link that goes beyond physical bounds. A bond is as real as the two souls it connects."

At first, Sylisa was speechless. Despite what little sense it made, the longer she brooded over it, the more the dark truth dawned on her. That's why not being able to remember her name hurts so much! Her hand tightened into a fist, cold nails pinching against already sore palms. Finally, she spoke in a subdued response. "Bridges between souls. I didn't expect a detective to be the religious type."

"It's not religious either," answered York. His facial expression was somber, but his eyes seemed to convey an inner peace, sympathetically reflecting the orange light of the fiery torch. "There's a God out there. You ask me, the world's too complex to have happened by chance. However, the spiritual part of life is reflecting on our meaningful experiences. That is about finding, not what, but who we treasure. Seeing a friend, feeling as though you've known each other forever, despite "forever" being a foreign concept to mortals. These limitless friendships we're able to foster in the limited time we're given. They make miracles possible, by their own existence." He bowed his head. "I've said enough. We should say a prayer for Trevar, his family, and Drampa. They were the victims of truly heinous acts."

As Daphne and York closed their eyes, Sylisa could not help but keep hers open. Fixated on the little corpse, she found herself unable to even blink. Her vision clouded, then swayed with her unsteadiness. No matter how hard she tried to escape the thought, it kept ringing in her head over and over, relentlessly tormenting her worse than any headache.

I'm part of these heinous acts. I had her take a life. The life of someone who cared about their friend so much — I told her to kill… and she listened. Nia listened. To me. And, for the first time, we killed together.

The pain did not relent. Now it was in her heart too.

Nia wouldn't do it without me telling her to. It was never like that before. She's different now, as Sneasel. Our bond changed. Was the old Nia erased by the eyes? If what York said is true, about bridges between souls, I cut off my bond with her, broke us apart and caused her to forget who she once was. I even forgot her true name after she devolved. Which can only mean…

Sylisa's whole body trembled violently once more. Desperately, she tried to bring her name back. The mysterious eye reappeared in the back of her mind.

I lost — I lost — I lost N—

Ice filled her veins.

No. I killed. I killed my best friend…!