"I'm so glad this is all over," Tesoros said as he stared into the lake. The water stood still, clear and reflectionless. "All's well that ends well?"

"Well, sorta," Lysander said, dipping his feet into the water. Ice cold. "I kinda wanted to stay over there."

Tesoros hovered closer, peering at Lysander. "Well, you're not him anymore. You should go your separate ways. You know, start anew."

Lysander didn't say anything. Latias floated out over the water, dipped in, and relaxed. "I hope that boy recovers from that coma," she said. "We got him dragged into this whole mess."

Lysander didn't really think that was true, but he kept quiet.

Tesoros joined his mate, descending into the chilly water. "Thanks for helping us, by the way," he said. "I'll be grateful for that for a very long time."

"As long as you live," Latias prompted.

"As long as I live, yeah," Tesoros added. "You know, I—who's there?"

"Hello? Anyone there?" called someone coming out of the nearby woods.

"I know that voice," Tesoros said immediately, his ears perking up. "Well, that mind."

A Growlithe stumbled out from the bushes, looking around nervously. Seeing Lysander and the Eons sitting on the shore nearby, he dashed over, splashing water as he went.

"Hey, you're here, too!" the Growlithe exclaimed, panting a little. "Where are we?" he asked, relieved to not be alone.

The Eons exchanged looks, and then Tesoros said carefully, "Do you remember what happened yesterday?"

The Growlithe quickly answered no. "I just know you three," he offered. "From seeing you."

Latias looked right at Tesoros. It was obvious that they were using telepathy.

"Well, we don't know where you came from, either," Tesoros lied. "But Lysander here was going to head to the town. You should go with him."

"Okay," the Growlithe said. "I mean, it's not like I have anything else to do . . ."

As the Growlithe drank from the lake, Tesoros contacted Lysander telepathically, saying, "Sorry to set you up like that, but we need some time alone."

"Oh, it's alright," Lysander said mentally. "But I know where he's from."

"We do, too," Latias chimed in, also telepathically. "I think it's better for him if he just starts anew here. I mean, we don't know how to fix the coma or anything like that—"

"It's alright," Lysander repeated.

"We'll come by soon," Tesoros said aloud, disappearing with Latias beneath the lake's surface. The two of them flew through the water like it was air, their distorted shapes mingling and embracing each other.

Lysander turned around, leading the Growlithe away from the lake and across the small plain, toward home.

"So what's your name?" Lysander asked after a while. He couldn't remember it, even though he knew he should.

"I . . . I don't even know," the Growlithe said. He sighed. "I'm confused."

"Well, we should start with your name, right?" Lysander said.

"I have no idea what to call myself," the Growlithe murmured. "It'll just sound stupid."

"Well, we still have a while to go," Lysander said, peering at the horizon. "So let's think of some names."

"I didn't really have the chance last time," Flayer said to the twenty or so people standing in a wide circle around him, "but I'd like to introduce three new people to the little settlement that we have here." He stood at the bottom of Horizon Hill—the hill on which their headquarters stood—and started off the town meeting.

"Okay. So," Flayer continued, "Our two newest friends are both Growlithes. Twins. Anybody see them?"

After some murmuring, the twins tumbled out into the center.

"Welcome, guys," Flayer asked, smiling warmly, going down on all fours so that he wouldn't tower over the twins.

"I'm Slater!" the younger one said.

"Evan," said the other. "I'm Evan."

"Good luck telling them apart," Hal chuckled, emerging from the circle to stand at Flayer's side.

"And the third person's been here for a couple days," Flayer went on, "but didn't make the last meeting. Is Lysander here?"

Lysander made his way past people to the inside of the circle. Slater and Evan went and sat next to him.

"Hi everyone," Lysander said nervously, looking at the ground.

"He's already at home here," Flayer said, "so this is just an official thing." He smiled at the three newcomers. "Welcome to Asunder, guys. Now our population totals . . . twenty-six? Something like that. We're a small town, and still building, but there's nowhere to go but up."

"We've changed some of the Rulebook," Hal added. "You newcomers should go look over it." He pointed up the hill. "Everything's up there, at the headquarters."

"So I guess that's it for the town meeting," Flayer said. "Oh, and I think Pierce's house is repaired. And the fireproofing on Leslie's house is done. But besides that—"

"Look who's up there," Hal murmured, squinting up at the reddening sky.

The gathered townsfolk watched and chattered in anticipation as Tesoros and Latias flew in from the north and descended into the circle, which was getting a bit crowded.

"Well, hello there," Flayer said, bowing his head slightly, "Welcome." He looked at Latias. "Glad to see you've been reunited."

"Thanks," Tesoros said. The people around him were silent and awed as he talked. "I just came to say a couple things."

"Um. Go ahead."

"First of all, I want to say sorry again for what happened—"

"Don't worry about it," Flayer insisted. "Everyone's forgiven you a hundred times already."

"Yeah!" called Pierce from somewhere.

Tesoros smiled. "And second, I want to ask you something."

"Well, go on," Flayer said.

"I, Latios, would like to become the lifelong guardian of the town Asunder."

"As would I, Latias."

Flayer and Hal looked at each other, just as surprised as everyone else was.

"We ask because us Eons are destined to become the guardians of something important to them."

"It's like a rite of passage," Latias added.

"Our parents were guardians of the lake to the north," Tesoros continued. "But the lake doesn't speak to me like it did to my father and mother. I want to guard this town, and these people, because . . . well . . . I don't want to be lonely, out there, in the wilderness."

Flayer and Hal whispered to each other, as others began awwing and sighing. Once it quieted down, Flayer said, "We would be honored."

The twenty-six or so people gathered around began clapping, howling, or showing their excitement some other way. Everyone seemed to agree that it honored the entire town, made it special.

Over the noise, Tesoros said, "So I guess I'll answer any . . . questions anyone has about us?"

Everyone quieted again, almost immediately, as everyone thought up questions to ask.

"What do guardians do?" someone in front asked.

"We don't really know," Tesoros said. "I guess they just keep everyone safe. My father used to take care of the lake's water, I think."

"Can you read minds?" said someone else.

"Well, yeah—but so can a lot of psychic people. We're not the only ones."

"I heard that Latis can turn invisible and shapeshift. Is that true?"

"Yeah, it is," Tesoros said shyly. "But shapeshifting is exhausting, depending on what you turn into."

Hal interrupted the interview, saying, "Alright, fellas. If you have any questions for the new Asunderan guardians, then you can stick around. But this town meeting is officially over."

Some people left, but most were excited to talk to the two living legends. The ring of people thinned and closed in on the Eons, who both looked incredibly shy and modest around everyone. Pierce's puppies barked and walked in circles beneath the Eons, mystified by the levitation.

Lysander found Trace standing a few feet away from the crowd. "Hey, Trace," he said. "I'm alive."

"That's good," Trace said. Then he laughed. "You totally changed up this town, you know."

Indirectly, maybe he had. "Well, I'm glad to be here," Lysander said. "Who's the other Growlithe?"

"The other one? What do you mean?"

"I found Evan over by the lake. He doesn't remember anything."

"Really?" Trace said, surprised. "I found Slater on my way back from the sea. I guess they really are twins."

"Yeah," Lysander said. "Maybe."

"You know, they probably came the same way you did," Trace noted. "I wouldn't be surprised if they're from your world."

"Maybe."

"Anyways, remember what I said earlier? You gotta tell me everything that happened over there."

"Oh, all right. But it's all complicated."

"Well, we've got all night."

"Okay, so after Lugia helped us get over there, the Latios disguised himself as a human . . ."

They sat down on the ground, and Lysander explained until the sun disappeared and nearly everyone went home.

"Well, was that Armaldo cool?" Trace asked curiously. "You know, like . . . like me or something?"

"Yeah, he was nice," Lysander said. "He says having a human is fun stuff." He looked ahead at Flayer, who was talking to Tesoros alone. Latias was asleep. "He says his was really good."

"Wait, explain the training thing again," Trace said. "What was the thing about catching?"

"Well, they get the—"

"Hey Lysander!" greeted Slater suddenly. "Can we live at your house? Since you, like, know Evan, and I know Trace, and you both live in the same place? Ha, that rhymed."

"Well, you have to ask Trace," Lysander said. "It's his house—"

"Yeah, of course they can," said Trace. "It's not like they take up much space. . . Then again, I haven't seen them eat." He chuckled.

"We should go sleep now, then," Lysander said after letting out a long yawn. "I just realized that I'm exhausted."

"Okay, but where's Evan?" Trace asked.

Slater grinned, then said, "He's over there."

Evan was passed out, sleeping right next to Latias. As Lysander approached, Tesoros looked at him cheerfully—happy, but also quite tired.

"Hello again, Lysander," Flayer greeted. "Latios here's been telling me about your journey to the other world. Sounds crazy."

"It was," Lysander said. He hoped Tesoros had explained enough, because he definitely wasn't going to go over all that again.

"Well, I'm gonna crash," Flayer sighed. "Good night, everyone." He nodded at Tesoros, before sauntering off into the night.

Tesoros hovered over, peering at Evan. "He's the sensible one, sleeping at this hour," he said. He turned to Trace, Lysander, and Slater. "Aren't you all tired?"

"Yeah," Trace said. "We're just coming to get Evan."

"Well, good night. This should be the end of all that. . . otherworldly mess."

"Yeah, I hope so," Lysander sighed.

"If . . . you ever . . . want to see us," Latias said drowsily, "just go to the lake. We live there."

"Farewell!" Tesoros said. He led Latias back to their home.

As the Eons flew off, shining in the moonlight, Lysander carried Evan in his arms and headed for home.

The End

"What'll I do now?" Lysander yawned.

"Well, you just rescued a Latias," Trace said, whispering so he didn't wake anybody.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm just saying it looks like you're pretty good at rescuing," Trace said with a grin. "I think we should start a . . ."