I haven't slept since our journey back from the Crystal Caves, not even for a moment's rest. Dark circles hang under my eyes from lack of sleep, but I've refused to let myself pass out. Ri needs me. It was my job to look after him as his teammate and I failed him: Now it's my job to make sure he recovers. I watch him now as he sleeps on our bed, wiping his forehead free of sweat and grime with a wet rag.

The cool water seems to rejuvenate him somewhat, for his eyes flutter open and he looks up at me dreamily. "W-Where…?"

"In our room, back at the Guild," I answer softly, urging him to lie back down with a gentle hand. He's been out since he fell unconscious after our fight with Grovyle, only stirring every now and then to look at me wearily before succumbing to sleep once more. It feels so good to finally hear a few words from him: A few aware words rather than faint mutterings spoken in a daze. "That was a brave thing you did for me back there, Ri. You saved me."

"You would've done the same if our roles had been reversed." I had him a steaming bowl of soup from dinner, along with a bun, and he takes the food greedily. Good: His appetite is up. "Is Azelf ok?" he asks before stuffing his mouth full.

"She's fine," I continue to soak his face, but he bats the rag away, too busy devouring his meal to be bothered with it. "In fact, her injuries weren't as severe as yours," I continue to explain, "She's here now, meeting up with the others."

The others, meaning Uxie and Mesprit, were relieved that she was ok. Uxie never told us what her fight with Grovyle had been like, but she had been in rough shape. Out of the three, Uxie doesn't seem to be all that physically strong either—not counting her stubborn will anyway. I imagine they must've been panicking the entire time they waited for us to come back.

"Everyone's worried about you. Should I let them know you're up?"

He shakes his head franticly, swallowing in order to speak, "Oh, please no! At least let me finish eating first!" He seems so stern about this that it throws me, but I can't help but laugh. It's so unlike him! And I'm so happy to see him awake and well that the sound just bubbles out of me. He blushes as he then explains, "It's not that I'm mad at them or anything, but I just don't want all of that attention right now."

"It's ok. I think I understand." I'm not the only one worried. The minute I tell the rest of the apprentices about him being up, they'll all storm in here at a breakneck pace. And, if I'm completely honest, a selfish part of me wants to be alone with him a moment longer before that. So for his sake and mine, I'll delay the swarm.

I return the moist cloth to its bowl before lying on my side next to him, propping my head up with my elbow resting on the hay. I could fall asleep right now, now that I know he'll be fine, but I don't want to. After what felt like an eternity of waiting for him to wake up, I just want to enjoy this moment of peace. I don't say anything: I just wait for him to finish eating.

Which isn't actually all the long. He makes quick work of draining the bowl, and when he's almost finished with his meal, he looks back up at me. By now he's fully alert, and although there's still a lingering drowsiness to his eyes he's regained a bit of the light that's always been in them. "Hey, Lira, do you think I could tell you a secret?"

"Yeah?" I can't imagine what he'd want to talk about so out of the blue, but I'm always ready to listen.

"Well," he pauses, collecting his thoughts as his fingers drum along the curve of the bowl in his hands, "I don't think I've ever had any other friends until I came to the Guild—not like the other apprentices, definitely none like you. I'm glad that I do have people like you beside me, but it's also a little different… and scary."

"What do you mean?" I never would've pictures him like that. He has such a natural likeableness to him, and I haven't met a person in Treasure Town that didn't know him. Everyone except Team Salacious only had good things to say about him. And the other thing… There have been times where he's been scared easily, but I wouldn't have thought for him to be scared of a thing like companionship. He's always so friendly and kind, and he goes out of his way to help others whenever he can.

"I left my folks early on—a long time ago—to come here to join the Guild, but when I got here I didn't have the guts to do it by myself. I was a stranger in town and I had to get by on my own most of the time."

That part isn't actually all the surprising: I've been suspecting as much, but he never seemed to want to talk about it before and so I never brought it up. I did hear from Sunflora that he's been here for a couple years now, so that means he was even younger than Bidoof when he got here. I give him a look of sympathy, "That must've been hard for you, living alone for so long."

"Sometimes, yeah," he shrugs, "but I got along fine, even though my funds slowly ran out. The Kecleon brothers and some of the other Pokemon in town helped me get by if I did errands for them." He snorts good-naturedly, "Sometimes they were a little too generous… I remember one night before Marill and Azurill's mom got sick, their family invited me over for a meal. Their mom kept on adding to my plate, even though I kept telling her I was full." He grins at the memory, scratching the back of his head. "I think she was trying to fatten me up."

I nod, "There's no shortage of good people here." I can see any of them helping out a stranger in need. Every one of them probably knows I'm different somehow—probably knew it right from the start even if they don't know what I really am—but they accepted me anyway. Why wouldn't they be anything but welcoming to Ri? They all take care of each other here…

"Without them, I would've probably gone straight back home." He sets the bowl down on the floor and takes my hand in his. "And without you, I never would have joined the Guild. I guess what I'm trying to say is that… I'm so thankful to all of you for being a part of my life."

"Ri…" For a minute, all I can do is mutter his name. This is the point where I usually shrug in reply and tell him it's nothing major, but he seems so sincere that I just can't. I don't know what to say back and find myself unable to look him in the eye. Surely he could've met someone else to have been his partner before me. Someone better. Someone who didn't have to be saved by him all the time or at least could turn around and return the favor. "About everything that happened back at the lake… I'm so sor—"

"Lira, you had to do it to protect Azelf," he cuts me off, "It's what I wanted. It's still what I want you to do if something like that ever happens again. You can't risk everything for my sake."

"He was going to grab me first, Ri." I keep my eyes down. "I wouldn't have wanted you to pick me over Azelf and the Time Gear either, but what would you have done if it had been me?"

And of course he can't answer that. I don't expect him to. I never want him to have to go through that kind of choice, but I need him to know why I can't let this roll over so easily. After a long moment, rather than saying anything else he rubs his thumb comfortingly across the back of my hand. And after that, he pulls our bag over from off to the side and changes topics. "I got you something. Close your eyes." I raise an eyebrow at him, wondering what he could be up to, but he just repeats, "Close them."

I do, but I can't fathom what this is about. I hear him shuffling through the pack and then silence, followed by the feeling of something slipped over my head and across my shoulders. A small, yet solid weight presses against my chest and I feel a cord of thread dangling from around my neck. So a necklace then? What's this supposed to be for?

"Ok… Now open them."

Looking down, my jaw drops in quiet awe upon seeing a little crystal fashioned to the cord—a miniscule replica of the towering formations we saw before. I take it carefully in my hands, watching as it catches the light in an aurora effect. A rainbow of colors sheen over its faceted sides as I carefully twist it between my fingertips. "Ri, it's beautiful!"

He shrugs as if it's nothing, "I took it while we were in the caves. I've got my treasure, Bidoof's got his, it's only right that you have one too—especially after I had you throw away your Styler. Just don't tell anyone it's from me if any of the others see this. I don't want them nagging at me like they did Bidoof."

I fling my arms around him. "Thank you!" I say in a shaky breath. It may not normally be my style, but this is the first thing besides the bandana I was given that's truly my own. And I can't think of anything I've ever been given that's as pretty as this.

"Lira?"

"Yes?"

"Just promise me one thing: That you won't leave, no matter how much I make you mad at times?"

I laugh and then remove my arms from him, looking him in the eyes, "Promise. We're Team Crusade: We'll stick together no matter what."

As I let Ri finish what little he has left of his food in peace—tucking away the necklace in our bag for the time being—I step out of our room. I say that I'll only be gone a moment, but he makes swear not to tell anyone that he's awake yet. Not that there are many people to go around and tell at this hour as people begin to turn in for the night. Unless anyone is worried enough to come to check on him themselves, it won't hurt to let them wait until morning. There's just a matter of business I need to take care of before I can get any sleep—business involving a specific Ghost-type.

I just wish I didn't have to talk to him alone.

Standing in front of the door to Dusknoir's quarters, I'm still uncertain of myself. I've never pushed myself to talk to him directly before and after all I've done to avoid him I feel a little ashamed to try and speak with him now. But I need to, so I steel my nerves, take a deep breath, and knock. I feel like such a child when he opens the door, towering over me. I'd lose more dignity for walking away though than I ever would facing this.

"Lira! I trust all is well with Ri since you've finally left his side." He's nothing but cordial—if clearly surprised—to see me. "You had trapped yourself in your room for quite a while without rest. People were beginning to worry about your own health."

I nod, "He's fine. He just needs a little while longer to fully heal."

"That's excellent news! I'm relieved to hear he's alright. His injuries scared us all." He pauses before adding with a note of reluctance, "And… you? How are you feeling, Lira?"

Like I'm gonna throw up. Not that I can actually tell him that, so all I manage to say is, "I'm fine too. Just a little tired is all."

"That's good. Spirits like yours always seem to rebound quickly, don't they?"

Again I nod, and then an awkward silence hangs over us. Anything that I had prepared to say on the short way here seems to have been completely erased from my mind now that I'm actually talking to him. I'm disappointed in myself for being so irrationally shy around him, but I still can't help it.

Dusknoir moves to the side, holding the door with one hand and gesturing toward the room with the other. "I suppose you want to talk?" He chuckles when I hesitate to step inside, placing his hand on my back and leading me onward. "I insist! Come in! There are a few mementos I've collected during my travels that I've yet to show anyone."

It's hard not to envision the steel gate of a trap snapping shut behind me as the door close once I've shuffled into the room. I wanted to talk to him in private, but this much isn't doing anything for my nerves. It's only after I've taken in the state of the room that I begin to relax a little. It's surprisingly cluttered, filled with books, charts, and maps sprawled in piles on the floor or pinned to the walls. One of the maps I examine is much more detailed than any of the maps the Guild gives us, and there are some regions marked on it that I've never even heard of. Here and there, I recognize a few rare objects—such as a Thunder Gem and a vile of Poison Dust—carefully packaged or put in glass cases, but nevertheless scattered about. For someone who acts so well-mannered and refined, I never would've expected him to keep his things this way.

"I apologize for the mess." Eloquent as always, Dusknoir passes me and heads over to a small, foldable table, brushing some papers off to the side to clear room for two cups, a teapot, and a tray of strange-looking cookies. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No thank you, sir," I shake my head, clasping my hands behind my back and rocking back and forth on my feet. Seconds seem to drag as he pours only one cup of tea, the trickle of the warm liquid from the curved spout of the pot the only sound reaching other of us for what feels to be too long a time. I bite my lower lip, but with the Ghost-type's gaze turned away from me I finally manage to urge myself to say what I've been meaning to, "I wanted to thank you… for saving Ri's life—for saving us both. I didn't know what to do and Ri means a lot to me: He's my best friend."

All at once, the drizzle of tea halts as he subtly jerks his hand, clasping the pot upright. I wish I could tell what he was thinking, because his expression is so unreadable when he looks back over at me. "No thanks is necessary. I was only doing what was right—what you yourself or any other member of Wigglytuff's Guild would've done."

"But I didn't," I lower my head guiltily. "I'm the one that would've been the hostage if Ri hadn't pushed me out of the way in time. And then I wasn't strong enough to save him myself." If I was a better fighter, if I paid more attention to my surroundings, if I had sensed the danger ahead of time then maybe we wouldn't have even been put into that situation in the first place. If Dusknoir hadn't have come when he did…

"There wasn't anything you could've done differently." Abandoning his drink, he crosses the short distance between us and firmly clasps his hands on my shoulders. "I had the opportunity to use the element of surprise on my side and found an opening to strike. You, on the other hand, had very few options. You made the best choice with what means you had at your disposal," When I still don't answer him, he lifts my chin up to make me look his in the eye. "Lira, you were faced with a hard decision. We're all faced with them, but it takes the strongest of people to make the right decisions in the toughest of situations, even if it means sacrifice."

But why should anyone have to make those kind of sacrifices? The world can't be that cold. Still, I have to admit he's right. Even now, as much as I hate it, I have to admit I… I wouldn't change my mind if I had to make the same decision twice. How is it that he seems to know just what to say in any situation? "Thank you…" I whisper faintly. It's all I can say after his attempts to cheer me up.

"Is there anything else you want to discuss?"

Actually there is. There's a lot I need to ask. "I was wondering… about the Dimensional Scream; how do you know so much about it? And how can I control it?" As of now, he's really been the only person who does know anything that can help me. Any little bit of information would be helpful.

"I've studied much over the course of my life. I've read ancient texts of beliefs and mythology scribed not only by Pokemon, but humans as well. I came upon the Dimensional Scream along the way, but with so few beings capable of using it, there wasn't much I could decipher. I found no record of how it was used besides the basic knowledge of coming into contact with an object before seeing a vision.

"Some texts stated a hypothesis that it was an ability gained through an incredibly powerful connection to aura, similar to how a user of aura can predict moves or sense their opponents before they even appear. If you were once a human as you say, I suppose it's not very shocking that of all the varying species of Pokemon, you would turn into a Riolu."

My heart drops dejectedly into my stomach. I was really hoping he could give me a little more than that for an answer, but it seems I'll have to figure out the full use of the Dimensional Scream on my own then. Still, it's more than that that's been nagging at me during my long hours tending to Ri when we came back from the Crystal Caves. "Just one more thing," I then dare to ask, "How did you know Grovyle? Or, put in another way, how did Grovyle know you? Back at the lake, it seemed as if you two had met before." Seemed was putting it lightly: It had been blatantly obvious. And it's all to strange that a suddenly notorious explorer and suddenly notorious criminal both appear out of nowhere and then treat each other like old rivals.

Dusknoir stays uncharacteristically silent, looking away from me. I watch as his fingers curl and uncurl into fists at his sides. With a sigh, he then finally turns back to me, "It's only fair that you and the others know the truth now. You all have put yourself in enough risk that you need to know what you're completely up against and the costs that are at stake." Opening the door he leads me back out into the hall, following behind. "I'm going to see if I can call an emergency meeting in town square. There is something everyone needs to understand. Go get Ri and then go straight there. This is something he needs to hear too."

A meeting in the middle of the evening like this? Really? Still, I'm quick to follow my given orders, racing back toward mine and Ri's quarters as Dusknoir heads in the opposite direction. I'm too eager to question the hour, wondering what secrets will soon be brought to a new light. If this is our chance to get some answers, then I'll wake up the whole Guild if I have to.