Eventide

by ExaltedLight

Where there is heroism, there is treachery. Where there is truth, there are lies. Where there is hatred, there is love. The powers of family, love and loyalty are still there despite the descent of eventide. White Electra must understand such powers if she is to stand beside Reshiram again. Character-centric. Some Monochromeshipping.

14. Where Nothing Stays Buried

Disclaimer: I do not own the Pokémon games, anime or Pokémon Adventures/Special. Japan claims ownership of the franchise - especially Nintendo - with their copyright infringement issues and what not. Unfortunately, I do not own the cover photos for either History nor Eventide. What I do have ownership over is fanon material, the series I plan to publish on here and my OCs. No profit will be made when it comes to the For the Love of a King series.

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History - History is the first fanfic novel in the For the Love of a King series, published here from 2011 - 2013 by myself. The plot follows White and N as they discover their parents' past and their connection to it and spiced with Ferriswheelshipping moments and Pokémon Battles. History takes precedence in the Unova region and all twenty six chapters had taken place in the span of one day.

Eventide - Eventide is the second fanfic novel in the For the Love of a King series, published from 2015 - present. The protagonists are White Electra, Natural Harmonia Gropius, Black Urania and Cheren Kurosaki. The fight is not with Team Plasma but rather between the mysterious secret societies Furvum Imperium and the Order of the Acacia.

White Electra's decision to make amends with Red Electra is briefly halted when Furvum Imperium descends. The secret organization has notable members such as Emerald Birch (Ghetsis Harmonia Gropius), Rubeus "Ruby" Birch, Gorm, the Obsidian Terror (Blake), and the Siren of Chaos (Ruri Valera Furukawa). After suffering a crushing defeat, Bianca Grace is whisked away by Ghetsis. Now White must deal with her best friend and mother's absence, bring Reshiram to its senses and learn more about her connection to the Order of the Acacia.

Cheren Kurosaki, after seeing Bianca be taken, falls unconscious and reunites with his estranged sister Jasmine Kurosaki, Olivine City's Gym Leader. He has already made a resolution to get stronger, much stronger. But Cheren isn't the only one dealing with familial issues.

Natural Harmonia Gropius (N) has been approached by the infamous Silver Melinoe, who thinks N could be Kris's and his son Gray. But if that were the case, then how come N believes Kris is dead? Silver isn't alone; his daughter the OC Artemisia "Artemis" Melinoe feels N is her sibling too. However, N doesn't want to get his hopes up despite feeling a connection between them. After all, N's true family are Anthea, Concordia and Ghetsis.

Black Urania is driven by the intense desire to find his mother Green Urania and a thirst for revenge, which are hidden beneath his carefree, mercurial and playful demeanor. He is marked by a hereditary and mysterious gift named Eventide, given to his family millennia ago by Arceus. He, however, sees it as a curse because of his inability to tune out the voices of Pokémon from the past, present and future awake or asleep. As a keeper of the balance, Black is forever condemned to the shadows of solitude.

Meanwhile Platina Arellano Berlitz (Platinum Snow) and Perla Valera (Pearl) are sent to the Sevii Islands and run into Xavier Salvador (X). Their mission is to convince Xavier to rejoin the Order of the Acacia and stop him from joining Furvum Imperium. Unbeknownst to them, Xavier has been working with Ruby for many years to right an old wrong regarding the Psyche Quartet regardless of the consequences. His original plan involved Pearl and Sapphire's daughter although it fell through.

Ruri encounters an amnesiac Kris Yoruno, who was supposed to be reunited with Silver in Opelucid City though the plan backfired. The two must escape before Ruri's traitorous status and parentage is discovered by Furvum Imperium. But Ruri and Kris have no intention of leaving their prison without Bianca Grace and whomever else is held prisoner in the yacht.

Gold Kaneshiro, Soul Yoruno (Lyra) and Silver Melinoe are burdened with a thirteen year old secret that has been discovered by the Obsidian Terror: they, along with X, Green, Kris and Ruby, are the perpetrators to the deadliest fire in contemporary history, the Great Fire of the Under. However, Gold has confessed that the fire was meant to destroy the hazardous research which was under the influence of Darkrai though it erupted into a firestorm that took the lives of many. It is known that Gold had sent some of the research to Drayden Evans in Unova for personal reasons. But what reasons were those?

What is the Order of the Acacia's purpose? Why are they involved in a war against Furvum Imperium? Why are Platina, Sapphire and Green's Platinum Trinity status so imperative to the Grand Design? What is the Grand Design? Just what is Eventide?

There is more to the plot so stay tuned.

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A/N: What's up, everyone? I hope all of you are having a great summer/winter so far! I really should go swimming at some point because summer where I live can get rather hot. In other news, I have opened up a tumblr account that covers this story in further detail. You could find my username on my profile if you're curious. I closed the Ruby poll a month ago in case you haven't noticed.

EDIT: I reposted "Secrets Part IV" as "Where Nothing Stays Buried" in order to include Xavier and Yvonne's perspective. I should have waited until next chapter although his perspective wraps up the "Secrets" arc and hints at the next arc.

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A/N: I have went through previous chapters and did some re-editing in order to remove inconsistencies, e.g. it wasn't Yellow, Red, Blue and Green who conducted research, but rather the Psyche Quartet, Green, Ruby and Xavier who conducted research, descriptions, backgrounds and dialogue of characters introduced have been modified, Lyra's name has been changed to Soul, Platina's surname is Arellano Berlitz (she does use Snow), etc. I only changed things that I found inconsequential to the plot or lacked symbolism.

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A/N: I will now address those whom reviewed, favorited or followed History and Eventide

greenangel77: I had to discard Blake's original history because his words from prior chapters just didn't add up to his planned history. They foreshadowed another history entirely. As for the Great Fire of the Under and Eventide, I figured it was about time I'd delved into those subjects.

That's even better! Experiencing and learning about new cultures firsthand are way better than reading about accounts and history. You'll dispel stereotypes and open yourself up to new opportunities. Congratulations on graduating from college! If you don't mind me asking, how difficult is it to study psychology? I once thought of minoring in psychology but I'm unsure as of now.

Everything's going good with me now. Thank you for the encouraging words. I wish the updates were quicker but I have much material to weave into an intricate and well-written plot, not to mention getting into character with my characters.

VelvetPancake: Same with you. Do some countries really have university in June? I can't believe that. Your words eased me a lot because I'm putting my heart and soul into this fanfic and seeing it through to the end.

I'm all healed up from the surgery. I'm trying to take better care of myself now.

X3m345: Thank you for following Eventide!

blue-analytic: Thank you for following Eventide!

jaminjess8: Thank you for favoriting History!

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A/N: Our guest of the chapter will be none other than Cheren Kurosaki himself!

Cheren (groans): My MBTI is on your tumblr. Do I really need to read it here, ExaltedLight?

ExaltedLight: Yes.

Cheren: No. Absolutely not! Unacceptable! You -

(ExaltedLight plays a recording in Cheren's voice)

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Cheren Kurosaki [ISFJ - "The Defender"]

Introverted Sensing (Si): Cheren requires a comfortable status quo to function since he loathes uncertainty and disorder. He has a stellar memory, able to recall his past history in vivid detail, quote people's words and recite information he has extracted from books word for word. Cheren is dutiful, responsible and dependable to his family and friends but he does keep track of their past offenses. He would do just about anything to keep White, Bianca and he from drifting apart - even if that means venturing into uncharted waters. Cheren collects data and information about situations and people before launching a plan, often using tried-and-true methods to achieve success. He refers to his own experiences and observations about people, situations and Pokémon and uses that to predict future behavior and outcomes. Cheren could slip back into old habits, traditions and relationships plus revisit fond memories whenever unexpected changes arise.

Extraverted Feeling (Fe): Cheren represses his emotions a lot and often avoids talking about them. That's only because Cheren doesn't want to affect others emotionally. Cheren is the most diplomatic one out of his friends although he believes Bianca is much better at smoothing over misunderstandings than he. So he relegates the role of mediator to her. Cheren draws his code of ethics and morality from his family and friends. He wants people to accept and like him but he's unsure about how to do this most of the time. Cheren imposes this viewpoint onto White and Bianca and finds himself chiding and moralizing at them frequently for their social misconduct. He could forgive those closest to him hurting his feelings though it's a different story altogether whenever someone hurts his loved ones.

Introverted Thinking (Ti): Cheren is the go-to scholar/strategist out of his friends. The facts of a problem never stump Cheren for long because he knows he will find a way around the problem. Cheren never gives up hope completely even if the circumstances suggest otherwise. He always comes through with a means to circumvent the current predicament he's in. Cheren gains insight into people's motives, feelings and thoughts occasionally. He spends much time reevaluating known information in order to gain a better understanding of it. Cheren is also a knowledge-seeker and bookworm who seeks to expand his horizons constantly. He has his philosophical and introspective moments once in a blue moon.

Extraverted Intuition (Ne): Cheren needs time to work on and generate strategies, plans and tactics. It is for this reason he tries so hard to set primary plans and contingencies in place for each and every scenario he has foreseen, especially the worst-case ones. Cheren could make snap judgments and form wrong impressions about people who are out of touch with the real world. He is open to new experiences and changes, seeing as he wants to travel around the world one day by himself and build a city where he could be Gym Leader.

Cheren: Why, you -!

ExaltedLight: Thanks for your service, Cher-chan! Ah, I think I'll take my leave now!

Cheren: And I don't care if you're the author; don't call me Cher-chan!

ExaltedLight flees.

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A/N: I have heard about Pokémon UltraSun and Pokémon UltraMoon. I did drop Alolan hints in the earlier chapters because Red and Blue had appeared in Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. However I didn't include Alolan characters because I had a gut feeling that Game Freak might pull a stunt with the Alola region. Do I plan to introduce the Alolan characters? Not at this point in time. What about Diamond and Sapphire making an appearance in the present day? I'm not sure yet. Where are Shauna, Tierno and Trevor? Kalos. Would we see Wally? His appearance in Sun and Moon complicated matters. But Soul and Albina will make an actual appearance sooner than you think. I'm doing a time skip with Xavier, Platina, Pearl and Ruby in this new, edited chapter.

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A/N: Red, Blue, Platina, Pearl, Diamond, Gold, Silver, Kris, X, Y, Ruby, Sapphire, White, Black and Blake are their own distinct characters, even though their characterizations are loosely inspired by their counterparts (RBY/FRLG, DPP, GSC/HGSS, XY, RSE/ORAS, BW/B2W2, Pokémon Adventures/Special, Pokémon Origins). N, Bianca and Cheren are truer to their BW characterizations.

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A/N: Reviews, feedback, constructive criticism and critique are strongly encouraged. I do not tolerate flamers or trolls.

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A/N: I present to you, "Where Nothing Stays Buried".

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"You think you know a story, but you only know how it ends. To get to the heart of a story, you have to go back to the beginning." - Henry VIII, The Tudors

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"The moon flower opens its white, trumpet-like flowers at eventide." - Google definition

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For the Love of a King: Eventide

Chapter 12: Where Nothing Stays Buried

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Gold's PoV.

If I hadn't taken a step back and assessed the situation, then I would've pursued Blake, caught him and proceeded to do Arceus knew what to the brunette. No one threatened or harmed my family without experiencing repercussions from Yours Truly - even if they did happen to be bluffing. Bluff or not, the intention was still there. In any case, the Obsidian Terror had called me shortly after his departure and said to, "follow the trail of malachite tears shed near the cross on Gaia's bosom". Aurelia had wanted me to rescind my order in regards to her locating Silver and figure out Blake's oracular message. It was right there and then I became conscious of the fact that Aurelia was feeling crestfallen about my outburst - yes, I did apologize to her and thus helped her return to her cheery, serene self. Aurelia had decided to take her leave but not before making me swear to keep her in the loop.

These malachite tears turned out being Green Apricorn bits that lined the crossroads and were positioned on the lawn carefully. I picked up the disposed bits just as I felt a surge of annoyance at the brunette. Was he trying to emulate Hansel and Gretel? I shared absolutely nothing in common with Hansel and the annoyance I felt towards the Obsidian Terror swelled. As soon as I had approached the left side of the country house, Blake contacted me again. I did exchange a few words of hostility with the Rattata and promise to flay him alive. An unbothered Blake posed another grandiloquent riddle for me to solve:

"I, the greatest of amber minerals, bear light and darkness in my heart. My soul is a faceted diamond. But my mind has been spellbound by Hypnos. So now my body lies in a kaleidoscope of gold, black and green beside a veranda. Who am I? Or what am I?"

I had seethed internally at the boy's flippant tone while digesting his riddle.

"You know, that's kind of redundant, saying amber's a mineral and everything," I said coolly. "But it's intentional, isn't it? Red's surname means 'amber', and . . . wait, is the answer to your riddle Red by any chance? But hold on. He's unconscious, isn't he? He better be for your sake!"

"Even so, you're no different from Red, Kaneshiro," the Obsidian Terror mocked me. "Your idealism is almost as unbearably unrealistic as his, you know! You'd rather drink quicksilver than admit the fact you search for the faintest light in peoples' trapdoors of darkness. You're brimming with ideas and possibilities right now about me, huh? Heh. You won't turn me in that quickly."

Even though I'd tried to convince myself Blake yet was another pretender claiming to be the son of Green Urania and Xavier Salvador (I always suspected Green and Xavier were an item) that presented a convincing anecdote about his survival, I couldn't eliminate the possibility he might be the real deal until proven otherwise. As with all the other pretenders before him, Blake resembled Xavier Salvador and sported the Ībuntaido no Tengoku no Burando on his forehead. The pretenders all presented their own survival stories. But they failed miserably when it came to remembering the details about the Great Fire of the Under and revealing their Eventide.

Either Blake knew what happened from Green herself or he really was her long-lost youngest child. His anecdote throbbed with emotion and recaptured the entire atmosphere of the Great Fire of the Under. Was Blake empathetic or were these his true memories? The emotional context of his episode implied that the Obsidian Terror was psychologically traumatized from some mental affliction he had no control over. Was it schizophrenia or Eventide? Or another affliction altogether? I needed to gather more information on the Obsidian Terror and keep Black from doing anything too rash.

"I'll be more than happy to prove you wrong," I promised him. "But if my impression is right about you . . . well . . . I still don't draw comfort from it. Zip. Nada."

I had stumbled across an unconscious Red just then. Long story short, I dragged Red back to the world of reality and caught him up to speed. Blake had chimed in just then and riddled about lying inside the mouth of a dragon that had a soft tongue and bench-pressed teeth made out of ivory and ebony. The teeth were actually noisy keys unable to unlock padlocks or doors. He was about to entertain Red Juniorette there. I didn't need to follow the Shakespearean script Aurelia and I had written; my anger was genuine and real. Notwithstanding the fact that I had a couple plans up my sleeve, I needed to keep my eyes on the big picture at all times and not lose sight of it.

"Why would he choose a dragon's mouth as a bedroom?" Red said confusedly. "I mean, I could totally understand if Blake chose a draconic Pokémon or fictional dragon to represent himself; it's fitting to say the least. But a dragon's mouth as a bedroom? That makes zero sense, Gold!"

"What makes zero sense to me is how you were able to figure out White's bedroom was the dragon's mouth before I did," I said unhappily. "Wait a sec. Maybe I should take that back, Sherlock Holmes! You always did love solving mysteries and getting to the nitty-gritty."

Time-skip to the present. As soon as the Furvum Imperium Rattata hinted at my conversation with him at the swimming hole, I quit the melodrama and went limp in Red's embrace.

Blake's fiendish eyes - once gentle - reflected a lot more than just my paled face; I saw the litany of lies I had fed myself for more than a decade. His sharp stare made me compare his eyes to harpoons - harpoons that breached my defenses and speared my frozen heart with well-aimed strikes. I found myself stifling a deep breath so I wouldn't lose my composure and let everyone see the cauldron of bubbling turmoil outwardly.

I should've listened to Soul, I thought gloomily. True, we should have come clean; that's the only reason Blake has the advantage right now. Unless . . . oh, there's a thought indeed . . . I were to break his advantage. Here goes!

"Are you talking about the illusive life I'd scripted for myself ever since the Great Fire of the Under?" I said in an eerily even tone.

I had to admit that I was shocked at the evenness of my own voice. My voice should be plaintive and timid, not fearless and confident. I was about to breach Red's trust by being forthcoming about the role I'd played in the Great Fire of the Under. Did that instill me with the feeling of poignancy? Hell yeah! The tightness of Red's embrace loosened considerably. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Blake gazed at me with a dumbstruck look planted on his face. White was, for a lack of a better word, lost.

"Seriously?" Red said disbelievingly. "What makes you believe you'd be able to live an illusive life in the first place? Do I really need to remind you just how privileged and affluent you are? You didn't have to lie about your genealogy to get somewhere in life. You didn't have to lie about anything at all!"

The ravenette's voice cracked as he released me from his embrace. White and Blake looked confused at Red's sudden outburst, which didn't surprise me in the slightest. Hardly anyone knew Red's mother Narissa and Red himself were burakumin - descendants of outcasts. Though the Kantonian and Johtonese caste systems had dissolved scores ago, the bigotries against the burakumin were still in existence. The Electras' burakumin ancestry was the reason why Narissa's former husband/Red's father severed all ties with them and walked out of their lives. The Kantonians were more liberal than their Johtonese cousins though they were wary and prejudiced against burakumin and would be appalled at Red's true social standing. Even so, I could relate to Red about prejudicial matters. The moronic Johtonese upper crust had slandered and ridiculed me (rather passive-aggressively I might add) for being a hāfu. I always thought they just couldn't handle the sheer awesomeness of living in two worlds, one family, and laughed it off in spite of my hurt.

Blake rolled his eyes.

"Stop bickering about socioeconomic matters and -"

"And I think it's about time I call you out on your bluff, Obsidian Terror," I interrupted him. "I've the distinct impression you're not holding my daughter or Bianca Grace hostage. Am I wrong?"

White scrutinized me, thoroughly bewildered. She wasn't alone in her confusion; Red was just as perplexed and confused as his daughter although I felt him trying to suss me out emotionally. The Furvum Imperium rat cocked his eyebrows upward, his countenance inscrutable. I had the impression this particular vampire appalled and intrigued Red simultaneously - perhaps just as much or even more so than he appalled and intrigued me.

"It's a crying shame, really," the persona non grata said. "Parental authority figure Gold Kaneshiro? I mean, I did actually entertain the possibility you had paternal instincts, but man! You reminded me of that one time where I was at the blunt end of a Gyarados's ire! I guess this means the classic aphorism 'don't judge a book by the cover' rings true in your case. In fact, make it undeniably true. I like that!"

Red flounced into the midst, outraged and galled. Was I outraged and galled at Blake's deflection too? Definitely. But I didn't need Red to start a crusade about hāfu discrimination on my behalf; I had to keep my guilt and darker feelings under control.

I turned to Red with a cheesy grin.

"Whoa! I mean, wow! I haven't seen you get this emotionally involved for, like, ever," I said as cheerfully as I could. "In any case, Atticus Finch, don't take this case. No pun intended. Or was it intended? You know what? Never mind! Just take heart in knowing that I took no offense at his dodging my question. Really!"

Red wheeled around, his eyes narrowed.

"I'm not stepping back because you said so, Gold," he said coldly. "Not when Blake involved our daughters."

White regarded us.

"I'm older than this kid," she said impatiently. "I can handle him no problem. Just so you know, I wanna kick his ass!"

"Language, White!" I scolded her. "Your father would agree with -"

I stopped mid-sentence at the scene unfolding before me: Red rounded on Blake.

"You knew," he said aggressively. "You knew, didn't you? You're more than just bright and acute; you're ruthlessly astute and resourceful. Even so, you knew."

I didn't understand what Red was getting at - not at first. Then comprehension dawned on me and I chided myself for missing the blatant clue. We of the Order of the Acacia knew the second generation eavesdropped on the summits and fora. Thus we were less forthcoming about confidences and rules that the children didn't know of. Red was hinting at one such rule right now: if an underage potential Order of the Acacia recruit was involved during and/or in relation to any F.E. and O.o.t.A. activity with at least one parent present, then they would be allowed to join the Order if and only if the Pallet Quartet didn't overrule the induction ceremony. However, there wasn't a rule that debarred potential recruits whom were already of age to join our ranks should the same possibility present itself.

My blood congealed into blobs of ice just as I drew oxygen and took deep breaths, realizing the resourceful Blake could have found out about this rule from Arceus knew where and decided to engineer a plan based on this knowledge. But to what end? Aurelia, Artemisia and White might as well be inducted tonight; Soul, Silver, Platina, Red and I couldn't overturn the Order of the Acacia's own rules and regulation for their sake. But what if Silver didn't have Artemisia with him yet? I really hoped that was the most probable scenario right this second.

Blake lowered his eyebrows.

"Didn't I tell you not to tempt fate or challenge its will?" he reminded Red with much annoyance. "You. Me. Kaneshiro. Red Juniorette. Pokémon. Astrologers try to divine fate's plans by looking at the stars' and planets' positions in the sky, right? Supposedly we're all made from stardust so there's dramatic irony in astrology."

"We make our own destiny, our own luck," Red said vehemently. "I think fate is something that could be manipulated and shaped by sentient hands. The same goes for luck. I'm not tempting or challenging nonexistent forces, Blake."

"Life's what you make of it," White agreed. "I would give you some advice about seizing the moment. But I can't make a small talk with a monster. Only a monster would -"

Blake, who was slipping the remote control inside his jean pocket, snorted derisively.

"Seriously?" he scoffed. "Don't bother lecturing me if you haven't lectured N, Red Juniorette. Actually, maybe you should lecture Melinoe, Arellano Berlitz, Kaneshiro and Red while you're at it too. Oh! Here's an errant thought: don't play Arceus if your hands aren't clean!"

An errant thought crossed my mind: the renovated Kaneshiro Manor was a maze to those visiting it for the first time. Unaccompanied guests had the misfortune of falling victim to the renovated summer home's mechanisms and got lost. Even if they had a rather good sense of direction, the mechanisms were so unpredictable and changeable that they still wound up lost. However, I hadn't operated the mechanisms recently due to recent events so walking compasses would plausibly not lose their way. On the other hand, those without sharp senses of direction still got lost. Therefore a newcomer would have to be guided around the palace by somebody who had the place's layout committed to memory to sum it all up. However, the Furvum Imperium vampire didn't fit the criteria yet he had outside help from somebody nevertheless. Somebody who possibly knew not only the summer home's layout, but the entire estate's as well. Somebody who knew Aurelia, Red, White and I well enough to know our hangout spots. Somebody who knew the Book of White rested here although had no knowledge of its true location. Somebody associated with Blake.

Al, I realized.

"You've been too acquiescent and quiet, Kaneshiro," Blake noticed. "I -"

There were three distinctive raps on White's door and Blake paused mid-sentence. The door swung wide open as a girl, about thirteen and a half, with long braided coffee hair tramped into the bedroom. Atop the crown of her odango-braided head was an ivory visor splashed with Poké Ball-shaped rhinestones. It went surprisingly well with her ruffled party dress and jewelry (earrings, necklace, bracelets and anklets), which were studded with Poké Ball rhinestones too. She made it seem as though walking in pure white stilettos came as naturally to her as breathing did. The girl's eyes ranged over us; her eyes were a startlingly and distinctive crystal blue. The same shade as Artemisia and Kris's eyes. Then she curtsied.

"Konnichiwa, mina-san," my youngest daughter Albina Kaneshiro said as she grasped the folds of her dress. "Good afternoon, Dad, Red, White. Uh, Blake? Didn't I tell you to wait for me while I tried on the evening dress?"

Red and I locked eyes with each other, discussing a strategy non-verbally. Meanwhile I caught a glimpse of our foe, whose cheeks were rather pink.

"I did wait for you," Blake said swiftly. "I got restless and bored so I decided to look around here on my own. I know -"

"That you rejected the legendary Kaneshiro hospitality treatment," I finished monotonously. "Better walking compasses than you have attempted to navigate the corridors without guidance and wound up lost. In any case, welcome home, Al!"

Before I could hug her, White pulled Albina into an embrace. I suspected Red had appealed to White emotionally and convinced her to play along - a thought that made me half-gleeful, half-concerned.

"Hey, Albina!" Red greeted her. "It looks as if you and your date showed up just in time for the soirée, huh?"

My heart was wrung out the same way a dishrag would be wrung out. The air circulating in my lungs was expelled as I cringed instinctively. I felt myself almost choking on saliva and bile. My Adam's apple felt unusually hollow and heavy. White let go of Albina just as Blake sauntered over to my daughter and forked over her Pokégear. Albina made a face before beaming.

"At least you had it," Albina said gratefully. "So did all of you plan a surprise event for Kinjō Yorugao Yakai? The context reeks of secrecy and awkwardness based on my arrival."

Red smirked.

"Something like that," he agreed airily. "Your friend idolizes me to the point of wanting to cosplay as me. Isn't cosplaying a form of identity theft?"

I snorted.

"People cosplay as you all the time," I said dismissively. "They're not committing identity theft, okay? Maybe you should try connecting and appealing to your fan base more rather than just simply running away from them, Red! You should be a gentleman, especially with the ladies! My female fans . . . well . . . let's just say my charm and devilish good looks makes them swoon. You could thank genetics for -"

"No way," White said abruptly. "There's no way I'd thank genetics for your looks and charm, Gold. Your intelligence and personality maybe. But hell to the no with your pervy side! At least I understand how my d-I-I mean, Red has such a large fan base. But you? That's one of the world's biggest, unsolved mysteries!"

Blake eyed White.

"Shouldn't you have a large fan base, too?" he asked her. "You're the Unovan Pokémon Champion, right?"

I saw a frown line crease White's forehead. White didn't think much of Blake and to not express it outwardly was killing her inside. As much as I hated to admit it, Albina's unprecedented arrival could pave the way for my cousin learning more about social etiquette and smoothing over relations more appropriately.

Red stared at the piano with mild interest. One of his eyes were fixated onto White, who chanced a glance at her father. White then smiled (it was more of a grimace in my honest opinion).

"Of course I am!" she exclaimed.

Albina considered White.

"Blake must have given you a really bad first impression," she said insightfully. "First impressions could be misleading according to 'Relia and Mom. By the way, Dad. You look surprised to see me."

"I was worried sick about you, Al!" I said honestly. "You promised your mother and me that you'd call us when you got out of the Ilex Forest."

"I called Mom," Albina mumbled, "after I'd jumped on the Magnet Train to come here. 'Call your mom or me when you get out of Ilex Forest'. Those were your exact words."

Johtonese and Kantonian engineers had worked in collaboration about eighteen years ago and decided to expand and reconstruct the Magnet Train railroads. The Magnet Train now started and ended at either Agate Village or Saffron City. So Did Soul and Albina swear not to tell me so I'd be surprised? It definitely worked if that were the case.

"Do I look presentable?" Albina wondered. "I'm going to ask 'Relia what she thinks. Come on, Blake!"

Albina yanked Blake by the wrist forcibly and ushered him out of the bedroom. How could my little girl lay her saintly, pure hands on that persona non grata? She had to be enamored with the boy because she'd never fraternize with the enemy. There was always the possibility Albina was blissfully and ignorantly unaware of Blake's true identity. However, Blake knew hers.

Albina poked her head back in the room.

"By the way, it's great to be home," she said. "Are you going to be at the swimming hole with my sister, White? It's kind of your tradition with her unless you're breaking it. I plan to attend the Kinjō Yorugao Yakai with Blake this year so I'll definitely be breaking tradition. Anyway, see you later, Feraligatr!"

She retracted her head and made her escape with the devil she'd let into our abode. We waited until their footsteps had died away and burst into speech.

"We should capture the Sneasel," White suggested. "I don't want Al around the Obsidian Terror - Blake - whatever he calls himself! She's too innocent. I should Battle him."

I bowed my head, grasping my shirt. I wanted to chase after Albina and drag her back here. I would rather have the Great Fire of the Under happen all over again. I would rather grab Silver and have him ambush Blake. But I couldn't do any of those things without a strategy.

"I understand your familial loyalty," Red said cautiously, "but you can't Battle him in New Bark Town, White! New Bark Town is neutral territory for the Order of the Acacia and Furvum Imperium - a Battle-free Zone. What would Platina say if she saw you destroying everything we'd worked so hard to build? For Arceus's sake, look at Gold!"

I brought my head back up to scrutinize an indignant White.

"I have every right to pursue Blake, White," I confessed. "I want to so badly. It kills me to let Al wander off with Blake. But you know what? We have to set our feelings aside, look at every possible outcome and plan accordingly for each one. 'Relia feels just as powerless as you, White. But she knows her duties both as a member of Clan Kaneshiro and a potential Order of the Acacia recruit."

White shook her head, her chin jutted outward.

"I know how you feel, Gold," Red empathized with me. "I don't like the look of things either."

"Then do something," White urged him. "If you're not gonna do anything, then I will! I have a score to settle with your bane, Red."

Red raised his eyebrows so high that they almost blended in with his hairline, his lifeblood-colored eyes smoldering.

"Guess what, White? You're not the first person the Obsidian Terror has forced into submission. How about you do Reshiram a favor and get over yourself already? Face it: your Pokémon doesn't listen to you because you're just an immature little kid way in over her own head!"

White quailed under Red's smoldering glare and recoiled. Red calmed down once he realized he hurt his daughter and hung his head.

"White," Red said guiltily. "I shouldn't have said it so harshly. I'm sorry."

White said nothing even as Red pulled her into a solacing hug. Meanwhile I felt as though I were the third wheel.

"I think I'll contact Soul, Silv, Y, Jazz, Bugs Bunny, Whit, Morty and 'Relia," I decided. "We'll reconvene in the conference room at sixteen hours for strategy and tactics. If anything happens, don't be afraid to give me a call. You know I'm just one phone call away."

I exited White's bedroom and walked toward the stairs, my mind spinning about the sinful secret Blake had unearthed about us and how Albina was in his clutches. My hand made for the rail but never grabbed it. What it did grab was another hand much smaller than mine that laced its delicate fingers through my own. A breathtakingly beautiful brunette, about my age, with the prettiest brown eyes gazed at me with concern. Her loose mane of coffee swept past her shoulders and cascaded gracefully to the small of her back.

My queen, I thought.

"You're a wreck," Soul Yoruno observed. "What happened, Gold?"

I pulled Soul into a rather tight embrace and ran my fingers through her soft tresses. My queen was the only one I could bear my soul to right now. The only one who could understand the soulful aria I played on an invisible lyre.

"Tell me inside our room," Soul said quietly.

Ruri's PoV.

The Pokégear rang loudly and shrilly while Kris regaled me with Soul's and her misadventures. An expressionless Kris stopped talking and advised me to answer the call. I glanced at the Caller ID and almost gawked at the name displayed:

Lord Rubeus the Magnificent Effeminate Bastard, it read.

In spite of the situation, I laughed heartily and genuinely. A ginormous weight had been lifted off my shoulders and heart almost instantly; Ruby was alive and kicking. But there was always a chance somebody else - I perished the thought. It had to be Ruby.

"Hello?" I answered breathlessly.

"Hullo, Ruri," Ruby greeted me. "I have no doubt your dad has contacted you already, right? Now I know a wee gal -"

"I'm not a wee gal, Lord Rubeus," I cut across him. "My name's Ruri Valera Furukawa, the Siren of Chaos. It's not 'love', 'darling', 'sweetheart' or 'wee gal'. Just Ruri or the Siren of Chaos!"

Ruby sighed.

"None of my terms of endearment appeal to you," he murmured. "You probably get that from Sapphire. Anyway, what was I - oh yes! I called to tell you a couple things: I'm alive for starters. Arceus knew I was too fabulous to die an underwhelming death; if I die, then I go out with a bang! What's with the sniffling?"

I hadn't realized I was sniffling at Ruby's offhanded remark about his death.

"How could you talk of your own death as if it's a beautiful thing and an honor?" I questioned him. "As if it's no big deal at all? How do you think I'd feel if something happened to you, Ruby? Don't you care?"

I stifled a sob and imagined ghostly tears falling down my cheeks.

"I could imagine it right now and I know it'll do more than just affect me," I went on. "The grief would devour me whole! If I don't talk about how I feel, it'll kill me. But please tell me you catch my drift! Please!"

Ruby was so silent at my heartfelt speech that I started to wonder if I'd lost connection and looked at my Pokégear to ensure he was still present.

"I catch your drift," Ruby said finally. "Do I have the right to care? I don't know. But I do know one thing: you lost my protection. Even if it's brief, you still lost it. No matter how indebted Sapphire is to me, she'll never forgive me if your ruse was discovered by my loony brother and something awful happened. I'll never forgive myself either. Have you met Kris Yoruno yet?"

"Of course I have," I said. "She's just as noble as she is mysterious."

Ruby laughed humorlessly.

"Now I might not be one for the abstract, but Kris is," he assured me. "She doesn't have all her memories yet, Ruri. For starters, she doesn't remember who caught her. I've always had a gut feeling my dear porcine brother had masterminded her capture. You know, I attempted to just wing it and call him out on it among other things, one thing being world domination and another his obsession with rich scones, tarts and cakes."

I couldn't tell if Ruby was kidding or serious about Lord Emerald's Hoennian pastries problem; I almost gave a shout of laughter at the facetious remark though I couldn't suppress a smirk.

"X has found out about my little plot and torn it apart brutally," Ruby continued. "He has a rather annoying tendency to be correct - even if he isn't necessarily right. But make no mistake, Ruri. I reckon a schoolboy's infatuation and deep-seated grudge against Silver Melinoe wasn't enough probable cause for Emerald to keep Kris under surveillance; she knows a secret she's not supposed to - something Emerald knows the Order of the Acacia would benefit from."

"You've told me many stories about Kris Yoruno," I reminded Ruby. "You mentioned she was perhaps one of the most brilliant innovators you knew. There might be a chance she preserved this hypothetical secret before she went into her coma somewhere - somewhere close to her."

"That might have been a possibility if I didn't find Kris without her belongings," Ruby muttered. "Did you know I thought that at one point, too? But alas. Kris has nothing, Ruri!"

I glanced at Kris, who developed a sudden interest in my game consoles. Was she a gamer? I knew Ruby had a love for video games.

"The Sevii Islands are neutral territory according to Lorelei Castro and X," Ruby said disbelievingly. "Rubbish. Balderdash, I tell you! Fortune Island and Kin Island are the neutral territories on which Battle Zones are forbidden to be drawn, not the entire Sevii Islands! But it seems your dul - I mean," he caught himself, "your father has neglected to tell Platina this. I aim to use his forgotten foreknowledge against him tonight; X has invited Platina and Pearl to dinner for reasons beyond my comprehension."

I tried to imagine a civil dinner between the four of them. Would Papa and Ruby be able to put aside their hostility towards each other? I know Papa found it hard to forgive others if they'd personally wronged him and could let that cloud his judgment. He probably wouldn't even go.

"I hate to ask you this, Ruri," Ruby said seriously, "but I need you to convince your stubborn father to stop jumping to such unfounded, wild assumptions and accompany Platina to X's dinner. You know he's a formidable tactician and charismatic leader but acts otherwise. Now that I think about it, I'm surprised Red hasn't attempted to appeal to Pearl logically and emotionally; he could get inside people's heads rather easily."

Red's bloody red eyes and jet-black hair cropped into mind as I imagined him interrogating a Furvum Imperium member inside a dimly lit basement. The lamp suspended above a circular wooden table he was sitting at swayed back and forth on a length of rope, Papa tugging the rope absentmindedly. Red leaned forwards, speaking quietly to the nameless, faceless robed soldier with words I couldn't hear.

"Why doesn't Red get involved in Order of the Acacia affairs?" I wondered. "Isn't he leader?"

Kris howled with laughter and I had the strangest feeling she could hear Ruby's and my conversation.

"I shall answer this one, child," she said simply. "Emotions can be fickle and stormy though we wouldn't have art, language and music without them. Red knows this. He understands this. I suspect he knows the spectrum of emotions well because he had spent three years at Mt. Silver as a hermit. But knowing when he's truly upset or is just absorbing someone's anger? Red cannot differentiate and disentangle his feelings from others unless he does some serious self-reflection. Quite a conundrum, don't you say? Even so, why didn't you go all out against Platina, Ruby? Are you -?"

"Put me on speakerphone," Ruby insisted. "Pizza Girl and I are long overdue for a talk! No, make that a row for old time's sake!"

I groaned as I switched the Pokégear on speaker.

"I did think of going all out against Platina," Ruby said to Kris. "But she had thrown away the match the first time because my brother hurt her daughter; I wasn't going to claim her on a mere technicality. Now if it weren't for Pearl and his Giratina, then you'd be with your precious Silver."

Giratina and Groudon . . . can it be? I mused.

"Didn't you say Xerneas and Groudon go berserk whenever they see each other?" I asked him.

"Indeed," Ruby answered. "I've been thinking about these events lately."

I understood what Ruby was thinking. He was loyal to Hoenn first, Xavier Salvador second, the Order of the Acacia third and Furvum Imperium though he couldn't help feeling insecure about his Groudon's actions in recent frays. Was Groudon's allegiance to him false? How could that even be possible if his Acacia Emblem was glowing still? I was as stumped as Ruby was at the puzzling question.

"You want Pearl present so he'd challenge X, correct?" Kris pressed Ruby. "You're hoping a similar chemical reaction would appear between Xerneas and Giratina. But no matter how much I want to see Silver again, I will have a hard time forgiving you if you had used Platina as bait to lure out Red for the sake of my own happiness. Should I remind you luring out or provoking Red isn't wise? You would be signing your own death sentence."

"It'll be a spectacular death sentence, then," Ruby said flippantly. "I was joshing, Ruri! Pulling your leg in fact. X wouldn't compromise, negotiate or yield when I presented to him my idea; he refused finitely."

Not compromising, negotiating or yielding, hmm? I thought. That sounds creepily familiar.

"You two need to flee," Ruby said finally.

"No," Kris said immediately. "There are innocent people on board, Ruby. I don't think I'll be able to live with myself if I just save Ruri."

Ruby sighed melodramatically.

"Behold the selfless martyr!" he said sarcastically. "First you couldn't wait to be reunited with your soul mate and now you're playing the heroine again! How blooming fantastic! You left Silver in a right state and touched in the head! X wouldn't be discouraged at all."

"I told X I'll take over from here," Kris argued. "I meant it."

I had a gut feeling Kris wouldn't leave this up for debate, compromise or negotiation.

"You're not going to budge, are you?" I asked Kris admirably.

It was almost as if Kris represented the angel on my shoulder and Ruby the devil. Kris represented morals, ethics and virtues. Her regal beauty reminded me about how much we were rooted in our personal history, and how it influenced us in the present and future. Kris might be anchored to her past but she looked to the future. No matter how classically handsome Ruby was, the fact remained he thrived and lived in the moment. He didn't orbit around the present; the present orbited itself around him. While it was true Ruby mostly improvised, his improvisation carried sound logic void of emotion. In Ruby's case, he represented sins and immorality - the price of indulging and basking in our deepest, darkest desires.

"I won't budge," Kris agreed. "I know Ruby and X have sacrificed so much just to bring me back. I understand their reasons; I really do. But there are Pokémon and people here condemned to ordained destinies, ergo submerged in their stormy and freezing waters - cold enough to ensure they think of only their helplessness and powerlessness."

I couldn't deny Kris raised a rather valid point. Even though I had signed up for Furvum Imperium out of a sense of duty to the Order of the Acacia, imprisonment and safety were one and the same in Furvum Imperium. You couldn't exactly have one without the other.

"Urgh! Fine, Kris! Just make sure Ruri and you make it out in one piece!" Ruby said grumpily. "I need you to look into Giallo Rousseau and the Obsidian Terror's backgrounds for me whilst you're saving lost souls. The Obsidian Terror's as mad as a hatter but I never could find information on him. He is . . . "

I drew myself up to my full height, my hair bouncing off my shoulders. I took several deep breaths as I stared at the wallpaper and immersed myself in its background. The canopy of leaves suspended above the hands of bone protruding from the earth were greener than the leaves back home. Chlorophyll did more than just color the leaves; it served the purpose of breathing fleeting life into the plants. There was more than one path in the picture that led straight to town. But the one in the forest interested me more and made me wonder what would happen if the leaves were lurid yellow - yellow wood. Would I have placed the other path near the forest path and have them diverge? I found poetry in this. However there was already a published poem about two roads diverged in a yellow wood. Funnily enough it was one of my dad's favorite poems, and one he read to me frequently as a child.

"You're rather quiet, Ruri," Ruby noted. "Please tell me you're not daydreaming although it'd explain your lack of reception towards my plan."

I started and then sighed, feeling awful at spacing out during the most inopportune time.

"Please forgive me, Ruby," I said softly. "You and Kris were working out a plan and I lost interest."

Kris marched over to me and probed my eyes, her eyebrows joining into one.

"You can't lose interest in mundane affairs," Kris said warningly. "Sure, Ruby loves living in the here and now a little too much. But even he realizes the importance of strategy, tactics and plans as much as he hates to admit it. Are you really an Order of the Acacia member or just a mere child, Ruri?"

I opened my mouth, horrified at her bold question.

"My parents had inducted me into the Order of the Acacia four years ago," I reminded her. "Diamond had inducted his son Jayden de Arco Nuñez shortly afterwards. They never would've done it if they didn't think we were up to the job, Kris!"

Despite maintaining a calm tone, I found myself mightily insulted and upset. My hands were making claw-like gestures and my mouth taut. I stared at an unperturbed Kris, who was weaving her fingers through her hair.

"Words are free to fly however they choose if actions don't anchor them," Kris said nonchalantly. "I sympathize with your narratives, child. But what have you learned from them? Adapting to your environment here killed whatever personal growth you went through in Sinnoh."

Her words sliced through me as if they were broadswords striking down thousands of knotted strings. I started to burst into speech, intent on defending my reasons for integrating into this brotherhood I so detested. But another sentence popped out of my mouth instead.

"I'm not a child," I said icily.

Ruby groaned.

"I reckon you're more of a Kantonian Poké Doll," Ruby said. "I can't believe I'm actually deigning to use metaphors; how lovely present company rubs off on me! Anyway, a Kantonian Poké Doll is symmetrically beautiful even though it lacks a sense of self. So where's your sense of self, Ruri?"

Ruby had posed this question many times to me but I either evaded the question or changed the subject just so he would drop it. Somehow I got the feeling he wouldn't drop it this time around.

"I don't know to be honest," I said truthfully. "My sense of self is tied to the vision of a better future for Pokémon and humanity. Without that vision to propel me forwards, I'm hollower than the hollowest of Cloyster shells. Maybe an apt way to describe me is a reanimated corpse - lifeless. When you had taken me under your wing, I abandoned the rosy dream in order to adapt to Furvum Imperium. I had no choice."

"You had a choice, Ruri," Ruby said earnestly. "We all have choices! Look, I wanted you to make better decisions than I did all those years ago! One of the reasons I took you on as a disciple was because of your fragility, gentleness and kindness. Now I don't know what happened to your fragility and -"

I narrowed my eyes.

"Fragility warrants protection, and I don't need protection," I said coldly. "My soul, heart and mind aren't glass-blown or forged from ceramic. Those weaknesses are reserved for our prey! I had ended up showing kindness and gentleness to Black Urania and Silver Melinoe, which is probably why the Obsidian Terror had decided to pursue them after our descent on Opelucid City."

There was an uncomfortable and tense pause exchanged between the three of us at this, broken by a hiss from my mentor.

"Did you say the Obsidian Terror decided to pursue Silver and Black?" Ruby said at the top of his lungs. "Tell me I misheard her, Kris! What if the Obsidian Terror found out about . . . no, I can't single that out yet. But what if he did, Kris? I haven't been to New Bark Town for about thirteen years. You say X and I should make nice with the Order of the Acacia and confess our wrongdoings. There's just one little problem: Silver, Gold and Soul won't be satisfied with having a go at me."

Kris pursed her lips.

"More good outweighs the bad," Kris said firmly. "You would see her again."

"Even so, I'm betrothed to Lisia Orsini, Kris. I know you're a hopeless romantic who believes in soul mates and true love but you grew up in a different part of the world than I did. The richer and higher a Hoennian family is in station, the more privileges and luxuries they have. In other words, the majority of the old families don't believe love's relevant because they're so privileged."

Ruby seldom mentioned Lisia Orsini, his betrothed, in conversation. The two Pokémon Coordinators had an open engagement due to the fact Lisia was still in love with the husband who predeceased her.

"You still found love even though you attempted to run from it," Kris muttered. "I warned you why she was your favorite hook-up, Ruby. You didn't listen then and now you're paying the price."

"Shut up, Kris!" Ruby said shortly. "I shouldn't have mentioned New Bark Town. In any case, the Obsidian Terror is Emerald's most valuable pawn and I rather want to know why. I'm well aware my brother knows a lot about the Urania and Berlitz families because of their Platinum Trinity statuses and family trees. He knows something none of us know; that much I do know. Does that make any sense?"

Before Kris and I could respond, the sound of knocking on my door echoed around the room. The line between Ruby and I disconnected, which left me half-confused, half-annoyed. I hated it whenever he hung up without giving me a heads-up.

CREAK.

I turned around and saw Kris sliding through my ajar closet door. As I made my way over to Kris, she pulled the door towards her and shut it almost soundlessly.

"Are you there, Ruri?" Bianca Grace's voice drifted through the door. "I hear voices; I guess that means you're playing video games again! But I'm relaying a message from my uncle, Colress!"

Colress is her uncle? I thought, my stomach sinking as if it were a stone falling nonstop in a bottomless lake. What does Colress want with me?

I switched on the holographic mask instinctively. Practice made perfect.

"Who are you again?" I said airily. "I'm too busy plotting world domination in virtual reality. Come back at a later time!"

I chuckled evilly as I picked up my PlayStation 4 controller and turned on the console and television. I saw Kris's diary at the edge of my bed and tucked it beneath one of my pillows.

"I can't leave," Bianca said sadly as I flopped onto my bed. "My name's Bianca by the way. Bianca Grace. In any case, you put on quite the act for being lonely."

Ice injected inside my veins. Did Bianca Grace know my true identity and allegiance? There was no way. Even so, I had to suss her out.

"I can't leave because my uncle wants you," Bianca mumbled.

I almost dropped my controller at her announcement. A summons from Colress was rare and not to mention an honor. But one particular detail about Colress cropped into mind: he was favored by Lord Emerald.

"Then come on in, Colresserette," I invited.

Colress could have access to Emerald's study, I thought. But first things first: what does he want me for, anyway? That's the most important question!

The doorknob shook slightly as Bianca pushed the door open languidly and entered, her dark habit and cloak pooling out onto the floor, the silvery-blue trimming glimmering faintly. The atmosphere suddenly became airless at the sight of Bianca adorned in a Furvum Imperium cloak and habit. I found it hard to breathe, much less speak. Dark cloak . . . dark habit . . . silvery-blue trimming . . . that wasn't possible!

Bianca's aquamarine eyes narrowed.

"You shouldn't try to emulate that traitor White," Bianca snapped. "Cheren and she abandoned me because I was weak. Some friends they were."

This had to be a dream, right? A nightmare perhaps.

Bianca Grace would never speak so hatefully about White Electra and Cheren Kurosaki, her best friends. She loves them fiercely and protectively, and would never turn on them as it violates her principles and moral code. Why turn on them now? I thought anxiously. Did Lord Gorm - no, how could he?

"Hypnotherapy," I said in a small voice just as my mouth quivered.

I stifled the scream. However, I couldn't compartmentalize it and heard just how heartrendingly earsplitting it really was inside my mind.

"You're joking, right?" I said in the most level tone I could handle.

"No," Bianca disagreed. "Colress wants to talk to you, Ruri. Shall we go?"

She held out her alabaster hand, her smile never quite reaching her narrowed eyes. Kris was right. There were too many people condemned to ordained destinies they didn't deserve on board. But those under hypnotherapy were beyond salvation; the chance of rescuing them was one in a billion.

The Playstation 4 controller fell out of my hand while I slipped it through Bianca's supple one.

Forgive me, White and Cheren, I thought miserably.

The silent, heart-wrenching scream continued without end as Bianca and I left my bedroom and headed for the laboratory. Lord Gorm was going to pay for his atrocities once he returned from whatever eating club he was attending. I wasn't going to live as the Siren of Chaos anymore; I had to reclaim my old identity as Ruri Valera Furukawa and save Bianca Grace. Even if it meant switching her destiny with my own.

Xavier's PoV. Flashback. Parfum Palace.

Parfum Palace was much more than a royal residence to me; it was a rather lavish human cage to commoners and nobles alike. I was supposed to live at court and understand its inner workings as a viscount though I decided to return to Six Island for a month or two. I'd foolishly ventured to Vaniville Town and bumped into the Monseigneur le Dauphin. Both history and I would later recognize Auric d'Anneauarc as the second person to have defeated the current Kalosian Pokémon Champion fair and square. But history didn't know Auric had struck a deal with me pre-Battle, which involved my return to court should I lose.

I bore that in mind as I barged into the Salon d'Apollon midway through the heralded announcement of my arrival, shocking and offending the blue-blooded crowd gathered in the deep-red-and-gold throne room. A dais canvassed with maroon supported four handsome gilded thrones, all occupied by a blonde family of four. I bowed before them to show my respect. The Queen Mother slipped off her throne and onto the dais, her dress pooling outward in bundled waves of forest green. The corners of her mouth twitched - almost as though she was about to smile at my unrefinement. She moved forward, her arms held wide open in a grandiose manner.

"I, Madame la Reine Katarin d'Anneauarc, welcome back the new vicomte," Katarin said warmly. "The Légion de Sang has recognized this roturier as the Prince du Sang Messiah foretold in the ancient prophecy. Instead of chiding him about his lack of refinement, how about we make the attempt to integrate him into the elite class? What is it?"

A blue-blooded brunette male surged forward, his jade green eyes focused on me. His clear-cut cinnamon-hued tuxedo brought out the cinnamon highlights in his shock of caramel. He looked very much like Shauna de Vogue, a childhood friend of Yvonne d'Anneauarc's, but a few years older.

"Even if the new vicomte happens to be the legendary Prince du Sang Messiah," the man ventured, "he's still a nouveau riche of impure royal blood. His impudence enforces this fact quite well."

An aristocratically handsome boy, about sixteen, with flaxen hair several shades in between whitish-blonde and platinum blonde, and large baby blue eyes sat forward in his ornate chair, dressed in a handsome vanilla tuxedo. One of his lapels had a sparkling jasmine pin attached to it. Despite giving off a rather convincing regal vibe, Crown Prince Auric d'Anneauarc's reckless spirit couldn't be hidden that easily. He sighed and shook his head.

"Having pure blood doesn't necessarily mean you have good character," Auric said. "We need to stop placing less emphasis on divine blood and more on character and merit, Monsieur le Marquis Thierry de Vogue. I've said this many times before, haven't I?"

Katarin turned around and plopped onto her throne, placing her hands above her lap. She, however, drew herself higher, her aristocratic beauty accentuating the nauseatingly arrogant vibe she was giving off. A girl, about fourteen, with messy honey blonde hair and hazy grayish-blue eyes acknowledged me with a firm nod, clothed in a magenta dress. Even though I found Yvonne d'Anneauarc to be enchantingly beautiful, her inclination to make all choices based on fleeting emotion and not long-term logic made me rule her out as a romantic interest. Even so, the Monsieur le Marquis's clipped tone rubbed me the wrong way - damn these rich people!

"Approaching the Dauphin and not myself shows how much of a coward you are, Thierry de Vogue," I said instantly. "I wonder how a person such as yourself could just stand there and pass judgment onto someone. Is your family descended from judges or acolytes? I'm figuring acolytes; it would certainly explain your ignorance and pettiness."

Thierry turned brighter red.

"That's Monsieur le Marquis Thierry de Vogue, Salvador!" Thierry said hotly. "The de Vogues and -"

"The de Vogues and common sense are mortal enemies," I interjected. "Or perhaps it's your mortal enemy, Thierry. What could I gain by following such a close-minded, incompetent person? Gee, I don't know. It stands to reason I'd lose much more by obedience rather than disobedience. Tell me, does being a marquess entitle you to stupidity? Well, it certainly doesn't entitle you to common sense, that much I can see."

Thierry and I both reached for the nearest Poké Ball attached to our belts.

"Enough!" Auric said forcefully, jumping to his feet. "I won't condone a Pokémon Battle in Salon d'Apollon based on pettiness and wounded pride, Thierry! While I hold your candor in high esteem, Xavier, that doesn't mean I accept your . . . developed knack for goading. My sister's tactlessness hit a nerve in both of you."

Katarin rounded on her daughter, who dropped her eyes to the ground in an uncharacteristically demure fashion. Meanwhile Thierry and I clipped the Poké Balls to our belts again.

"It - it was a lapse of judgment on my part," Yvonne said through clenched teeth. "I spoke out of turn, Monsieur le Marquis de Vogue and Monsieur le Vicomte Salvador."

Auric sighed, clearly annoyed at his mother and Yvonne not seeing eye-to-eye.

"Y," Auric mumbled. "Why apologize? You sensed the hostility lingering about in the air and sought to clear it, Yvonne. Could it have been done better? I suppose so."

He returned to his throne and plopped onto it, drumming his pale fingers on the throne's arms with such hyperactivity. The youngest royal moved forward in his throne just then. Monsieur Émile d'Anneauarc was clad in a tuxedo, save his was as black as charcoal.

"I think X and Y's way of handling this was more fun to watch," Émile chortled. "How about you two Battle next?"

Auric studied me with an inviting grin on his face as he fiddled with the jasmine pin - as though he knew my pride was still wounded and I wanted nothing more than to assuage it.

Every time I think I have you figured out, you show me how mistaken I am, Auric, I thought bitterly. Everything inside me is begging for a rematch - screaming in fact! You and I played a well-engineered chess match though I'd failed to realize you checkmated me from the beginning. I-I-I-I have to face Y first, as much as it pains me to admit it. Her sense of strategy and tactics were taught by you and I'll -

"You know, I'd love to have our sister Battle our Champion," Auric said conversationally, "but perhaps another time. I didn't issue a royal summons for the vicomte to Battle Yvonne, Émile. Though I'm certain I might do that one day in the near future. I mean, I could use a good fight to ease this tedium of boredom. The reason I invited the vicomte was to hear his opinion about the soirée. But it's not an ordinary soirée," Auric paused as excitement danced in his eyes, "it's one that, if successful, would eliminate preconceived notions about status, reputation and wealth we aristocrats have."

Though Auric's ideas were rather insane to the point of defying even the time-space continuum, his charismatic rapture infected me to such a large degree that I couldn't help but wonder how his out-of-the-blue ideas would be executed.

"A day where the fine line between nobility and roturiers is blurred," Katarin shrugged. "Where pride, shame and envy are set aside in favor of equality however fleeting. I suppose it couldn't hurt to see how the soirée turns out -"

"Forgive me, Madame la Reine," I interrupted, "but I was under the impression Kalosian aristocracy cared more about blood purity, wealth and reputation. Surely most would object to the Dauphin's idea."

"If that were the case, then we never would have been allowed to roam Kalos," a familiar voice drifted through the Salon d'Apollon, which caused me to start and search for the person.

A carelessly beautiful brunette, about fourteen, sauntered across the tiled floor we stood upon. Her billowy jade dress slithered behind her, bringing out her eyes. Two boys, one mousy and the other rotund, flanked her.

"Mademoiselle la Marquise Shauna de Vogue," Shauna said respectfully as she curtsied before the d'Anneauarcs. "I'm really, really, really sorry about being late. Don't blame my retainers; blame me!"

Thierry sighed, dismayed.

"This isn't the time to chew her out, Thierry," Auric said firmly. "Xavier, listen to me. While I won't deny the d'Anneauarcs and de Vogues lost to history had romanticized their ancestors obsessively, they weren't trapped by the dogma of divinity and strength unlike other noblesse d'épée families. I realize the d'Anneauarcs must adapt once more if they're to remain on the throne. I mean, shouldn't the love of a king extend to all?

"I think a soirée's little enough to ask," Auric continued. "But these days it's not terribly uncommon for us to dally with roturiers, am I wrong? I wouldn't be surprised if our bloodlines aren't entirely pure nowadays."

Katarin bit her lip, her eyes smoldering at Auric's words. Some aristocrats shrugged their shoulders, whereas several looked offended - even disgusted.

"Should we put it to a vote, Son Voltesse Royale?" Thierry wondered. "Unless this is another whim you're indulging. I know your current one has already run its course even though the victim hasn't realized he fell for it from the get-go."

I faced Auric d'Anneauarc, a ghost of a triumphant smile on his face. A thousand bricks piled on top of me as comprehension sank in. Yvonne's brother and Shauna's brother had concocted some stupid scheme and sprung it on me upon arrival, which meant . . . no, it couldn't be possible.

"You mean to tell me I misread the Marquess of Vaniville?" I cried. "How? How could you one-up me when it should be the other way around, Monseigneur le Dauphin?"

Auric arched his eyebrows in response.

"I'll probably die of boredom before you one-up me," the Dauphin said dryly. "Me? Die of boredom? Arceus, that's a rather terrible way to die! I really must watch my step from now on; Xavier doesn't look too happy at being outsmarted."

He's truly the devil incarnate, I thought as my legs turned to jelly. Losing to him . . . how undignified.

I plummeted to the tile floor, dazed.

Xavier's PoV. Present Day. Six Island.

"Are you all right, X?" Ruby wondered. "I'd wager you're lost in thought about Pizza Girl."

Kris's cryptic message yet naive speech swam in my mind once more, reawakening a void of such darkness tucked away in my heart - hollower than the smallest hole on the planet yet throbbing with unexpressed emotion. Meanwhile Ruby's eyes were settled on my face, a large wooden spoon suspended in his left hand. Behind him were a saucepan and pot on a stove, ovular flames of red and blue lapping away at their bottoms. Then he shrugged, the corners of his mouth twitching.

"I can't believe you'd really think this plan of yours would be so easy," Ruby drawled. "Did you expect opening a door at one of Furvum Imperium's Secret Bases and seeing Kris in a bathrobe and bunny slippers? Imprisoned half-alive in some dingy cage? Holding a 'I'M HERE' sign on a remote island? Admit it; you didn't factor in the possibility we'd find an amnesiac Kris."

"Drop it, Ruby," I said in a controlled voice. "I won't be manipulated by -"

Ruby waved the spoon as though it was a magic wand, snickering.

"I'm not going to," he said with mock regret, "because I need to say it: you needing Kris awake speaks volumes. You know, at first I reckoned you didn't want to see her in such a right state, but then it got me thinking, 'what if X envisioned her in that state because he needed her memories intact? I bet he'd never thought of Green -'"

I took umbrage at hearing Ruby pointing out the now-glaring flaw in my master plan.

"SHUT UP, RUBY!" I thundered, smacking the counter with one palm.

My heart hammered against my chest with such speed as I glared at my best friend, whose smug smile made me want to strike him down where he stood. How dare he suggest I never thought about Green? Well, I'd never told Ruby I had pleaded with Green to leave the second Order of the Acacia several times knowing full well she'd refuse - a rather foolish mistake on my part. She somehow knew I would attempt to sneak out Black from under her nose and caught me red-handed. We split up afterward and I left the Order of the Acacia.

"Whether I think of her or not is none of your concern," I said through gritted teeth. "If you're going to bring up Green, then I suppose it's fair I bring up the woman you're carrying a torch for. You know I called her the other day with Pearl's Pokégear, right? Mind you, she did say some rather unflattering things about you and I. They bounced off me though I rather doubt it'd have the same effect on you."

Ruby brought down the spoon, his eyes smoldering with displeasure, his mouth curled inward at the rather convincing savagery resonating in my voice. He turned around and faced the stove, stirring the caldeirada carefully and patiently. A very long, tense silence swept through the kitchen - long enough to let me have time to mollify Yours Truly. Ruby clanged the spoon against the metallic pot before withdrawing it.

"Stop acting as if you're at court, X," Ruby said finally. "You know, I reckon Platina and Pearl might not show - especially if you acted as a paranoid viscount towards them."

Ruby turned the dial beneath the unattended saucepan, the fanned flames dying out. Meanwhile I pulled out the Holo Caster and looked at the analog clock's time, which read 6:59 P.M. As I drew my other hand away from the counter, a surge of grimness erased the hollow feeling I felt.

I was so confident they'd call, I thought grimly. My sources informed me of their activities - all of which pointed toward them coming here. Either Pearl threw away the number or Platinum misplaced it. They wouldn't -

DING DONG! DING DONG! DING DONG!

We flinched at the abrupt sound, startled. Ruby, however, pulled himself together ten seconds before I did.

"You better get that," Ruby suggested. "Whilst I did come here unannounced, I honestly have no idea who'd show up here without notifying you first, X. You know what? Maybe I should start serving dinner and cleaning up. It was a suggestion, not an order! Turn your frown upside down before it becomes permanent! Just answer the bloody door, X! The ringing reminds me a tad bit of wailing."

I turned on my heel and marched out of the kitchen, the stride in my step becoming more casual. The seemingly endless loop of noise reverberated around the lobby, which didn't sit well with me. I hoped to Arceus the person making such a din wasn't a solicitor who'd ignored the "NO SOLICITING ALLOWED" sign. If not a solicitor, then whom? I stood in front of the door, sneaking a peek through the blinds to see who the uninvited guest might be. Unfortunately a disembodied arm emerged in my line of vision rather than a face. I pulled the handle toward me as the door flew open on its hinges. Even though the Salvador Pensão was stationed in the woods, I was still able to see a sizable chunk of the sky. The scenery before me was beautiful enough to be embroidered on a quilt. Shades of blue, yellow, purple, pink and orange were intertwined above the semi-shadowy woods, a half-submerged bright beach ball buried in the horizon. Twilight was but one of my guests tonight.

I stepped over the threshold and onto the stony deck just as Platinum came into the midst, still dressed in the same monotonous clothing from earlier. She shrugged at the mere sight of me, a rather small smirk on her face. I raised one eyebrow at an unperturbed Platinum, her eyes shining with sheer amusement.

"How - ? I mean, what a surprise seeing you at my doorstep!" I said with a smile. "However, don't you think calling me would have been far more prudent, Platinum? What if, pray tell, I were occupied or not at home? And for heaven's sake, Pearl! Quit ringing my doorbell! I answered the door already!"

Pearl spun into view, his free arm held skyward and one of his feet extended outward. His lithe, nimble footwork and movement reminded me eerily of bolero choreography. I remembered just then the bolero had hailed from Sinnoh despite its origins being completely irrelevant to the current situation.

"Why?" Pearl challenged me. "You see, annoying you just a little seemed more . . . I don't know . . . of a good idea than slapping you with a personal fine. I think the punishment oughta fit the crime, you know? So let me have my fun, X!"

I stomped my foot on the deck rather loudly and threw a dirty look at Pearl, who kept on jabbing at the doorbell nonstop and dancing. I truly wished right then and there I could eat my words to Ruby about Pearl operating best in the emotional realm, for how could a genius opportunist be so brainless?

"You're not really hard to track down, X," Platinum said tonelessly. "I lost your number while out shopping and ran into your mother Grace - a serendipitous encounter. What's wrong, X? Don't you have a network of spies who keep you posted about anything and everything? I thought they would've told you we were coming."

She just scored a point against me. Even so, I wasn't going to grant her the satisfaction of knowing this.

"What makes you think they didn't, Platinum?" I challenged her. "Of course they informed me of your arrival! I just thought you'd have the decency to - stop ringing the doorbell, Pearl!"

"Can you hear somebody, Tina?" Pearl sang. "I really should remove the earwax from my ears when I get the chance. It's getting too hard to hear now."

I rounded on a carefree Pearl and started to trudge over to him.

"I order you to cease this unsightly behavior, Pearl Valera!" I commanded.

Platinum snorted derisively, whereas Pearl scowled.

"Try asking Pearl to stop instead of ordering him," she suggested. "If you even attempt to strong-arm him, I'll -"

I wheeled around and glowered at an apoplectic Platinum.

"You'll what?" I challenged her. "Granted, the deliverance of my invitation did include blackmail and unethical tactics. I regret how I handled it truth be told. While you do have the right to despise me, you don't have the right to order me around as though I'm no one, Platinum. I invited you two here in good faith - a mere gesture of kindness in all honesty. So quit behaving as though you're conspiratorial geniuses and come inside for . . . . unless this is a scheme. My, my, my! You've officially piqued my interest, Pearl and Platinum. In that case, carry on with ringing the doorbell, Pearl."

Platinum had devised a plan which started with Pearl ringing the doorbell, that much I knew. She bought herself some time with Pearl serving as a distraction although I could easily put an end to her ill-conceived scheme by reading her best friend.

"I don't think so," Pearl said as he quit dancing. "Ugh! Fine, Tina! Just remember you'll be fined two billion Poké Dollars for this, all right?"

I heard Ruby's shuffling steps draw closer and comprehension dawned on me. The pattern of my own breathing became shallower and all sensation vanished from my hands. Platinum's triumphant smile blazed forth as a whirlpool of powerlessness consumed me. I felt myself gasping for breath even as my stomach churned. Why did the deck feel so unstable as of now? Ruby and I had been particularly careful not to leave evidence behind that implicated our collaboration. Seeds of distrust had been sown among the original Order of the Acacia after the younger Birch brother betrayed them, which had sprouted into the catalyst to the original Order of the Acacia's dissolution.

"Thoughts are like gears," Platinum said thoughtfully. "They keep whirring until something stops them. In the same token, thoughts and gears need substance in order to keep running efficiently. But gears could be seen if you know how to disassemble a device properly. We figured out you're housing Rubeus Birch, X."

I heard my own heart pounding against my ribs furiously while I recovered sensation in my hands - a gelid, clammy sensation. My lips parted slightly as I gulped.

Then they know, I thought. Or suspect. I'll just have to find out what they think they know.

"Y-You have no proof whatsoever," I smirked. "He and I parted ways after the Trial of the Abattoir."

Pearl removed his finger from the doorbell and lowered his hand, his face darkening at the unintended mnemonic sentence I'd just uttered. The Trial of the Abattoir was perhaps one of the most harrowingly memorable events which took place during the Schism. If it hadn't been for the Variable Quintet, the Ecliptic Five and Pearl, then the Elemental Triad wouldn't be alive today.

"I doubt it," Pearl told me confidently. "Look, I remember exactly how the Trial of the Abattoir went down, X. Rubeus, Sapph and Walter were incarcerated, tried and convicted for Emma's sins, the Great Fire of the Under and Kris Yoruno's disappearance by the majority of the Kalosian chapter. Ruby-Eyed Narcissus risked his neck to free Sapph and Walter before -"

"You don't need to remind me of the Kalosian mutineers' homicidal attitudes, Pearl, thank you very much," I cut across him. "But you don't just hate Ruby for his hand in Sinnoh's invasion; no, you hate him because he had joined Furvum Imperium shortly after you'd saved him from his demise, not to mention Sapphire's indebted to him because of the Trial of the Abattoir, am I right?"

Pearl's darkened face turned uncharacteristically saturnine, which somehow made him seem years older than he really was.

"The Trial of the Abattoir is one of many events that shows how much a goddess of luck favors me," Ruby gloated from behind me. "Now look who showed up! A Neanderthal and pythoness dressed symmetrically! You would get my stamp of approval if I didn't misplace it."

Platinum narrowed her eyes into slits as she came closer to the threshold.

"I heard the entire story from Pearl, Rubeus," Platinum said coolly. "I don't think I could ever forgive you for Sinnoh's descent into darkness in the name of Hoenn's salvation."

Ruby burst into peals of laughter.

"Hark to who's talking, X!" Ruby said lightly. "You out of all people defend your actions as 'the ends justifies the means', Platina! Do you reckon I believe for one second you'd do no different from what I've done?"

"You idiot!" Platinum snarled. "Do you seriously believe your misguided ends really justify the means? Come on, then!" She produced a Poké Ball. "Prove this to me in a Battle, Rubeus! If the goddess of luck's on your side, then defeating me should be no problem! The end result? Emerald would honor you above all others for besting me!"

Ruby, Pearl and I gasped, completely and utterly surprised at the conviction behind Platinum's words.

"TINA!" Pearl screamed. "Are you insane?"

Ruby curled his hands into fists, his front teeth chewing on his bottom lip - a definite indicator he had been put between Scylla and Charybdis. He had toyed with the idea of defeating Platinum and bringing her to Emerald numerous times with me, thus sparing himself from a fate similar to Abel's. Would Emerald go down the same path as Cain? I suppose it could be possible at this point in time.

"I happen to agree with Pearl for once, sweetheart," Ruby said smoothly. "You've masterminded yourself throughout the march of time to evade Furvum Imperium, Platina. Why trade your hard-earned freedom for the Grand Design's Dichotomy rite? You're bloody mental - barking mad even! But since you threw down the gauntlet, I suppose I have to accept it."

I rolled my eyes. Even though I had no problem throwing Platinum to the Lycanroc, Ruby wouldn't do such a cold-blooded move to further his own agenda. Perhaps my calculating ruthlessness stemmed from the lessons I learned at Kalosian court as a teenager; it made perfect sense once I thought about it. The most painful lesson I had been taught at court was to not emotionally invest yourself in someone or something; you'd be able to cut your losses and move on without breaking a sweat.

"You wouldn't be able to even if you tried, Ruby," I pointed out. "Furvum Imperium and the Order of the Acacia aren't allowed to Battle at Kin Island and/or Fortune Island. Lorelei had attempted to declare the Sevii Islands Archipelago neutral but her declaration came too late: countless Seviians are in Furvum Imperium already."

Pearl smacked his forehead, his mouth forming a comical O. Platinum, however, put the Poké Ball away.

"Well, what do you know?" Pearl said in a tone of mock surprise. "I couldn't quite remember what was so special about Fortune Island, X."

"You forgot," Platinum corrected him.

"I don't forget, Tina," Pearl said in a resigned tone. "I just don't always remember important things, that's all! But you'd consider not remembering and forgetting one and the same, and there's really no point convincing you otherwise. Could you please chalk this up as a win? Or maybe put a sticky star in the win column? Either way is fine by me, you know?"

Pearl turned to Ruby, wearing a really deep frown. I could feel the hostility rolling off Pearl in abundant waves, which were aimed toward Ruby and myself.

"Your Acacia Emblem," Platinum said abruptly. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."

Ruby brandished his gleaming Acacia Emblem long before I had the chance to pull out my Acacia Emblem. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Pearl's frown loosen up a tiny bit as he waved his own languidly. Platinum and I whipped out ours in unison, dangling the shining Acacia Emblems by the chains. Pearl was the first to put away the Acacia Emblem, crossing his arms across his chest afterward.

"It'd be so much easier if the Arceus damn Acacia Emblems you have weren't glowing!" Pearl cried. "Tina and I both believe whatever scheme you had in mind for Sinnoh backfired. But I don't care if Hoenn's in worse shape than Sinnoh; it doesn't change how I feel about the invasion."

I raised my eyebrows and shoulders simultaneously, unperturbed by Pearl's scathing remark.

"So much for believing my condolences about Sinnoh were genuine," I said. "They were for the record. Nevertheless, I won't dissuade you from righteous hatred, Pearl."

As Platinum, Ruby and I finished putting away the Acacia Emblems, Pearl balled his hand into a fist. A deafening growl erupted from his stomach before Pearl could protest. His cheeks were flamed pink, the deep frown which had marred his visage absent.

"We really should move this conversation into the boarding house," I said cheerfully.

I turned around as though I was a top and entered the Salvador Pensão, riding on a rush of sheer elation. The home-cooked meal witched me with its aromatic smell, ergo reminding me just how hungry I was. I looked over my shoulder, pleased to see Platinum, Pearl and Ruby following suit - just as planned.

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A/N: The re-edited chapter of "Secrets Part IV" aka "Where Nothing Stays Buried" is now finished. Anyway, this is ExaltedLight signing out!

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Note: I'd like to thank Grey Muji, Ai Star, Mistysong451, greenangel77, Pennate Marauder, thelittleglaceon, Madam Rodoshe, KsandraMallan, Archnila, 0silverphoenix, The Tainted Heart of Vegeta, PrincessBlaziken, Eeveemaster7, stiriah, SLEclipse, PositiveCharm416, Erika Elencia, neon-green-violin-27, shippofan2k, ImaginationisAwesome123, Alumina, MammonDaughter, TheLightEthereal, Haru-Artemis, korurin and foxchick1 for PMing me back.