Serena / November 17th / 10:30

It was too late. I had been blind, just like Y said, after all - too blind to see that Ash actually did care about me the same way I did for him. Now, I had ruined things between us, and I don't think I was ever going to get my chance to tell him how I felt. And then there was also the whole taboo situation with Calem... The whole thing made my head hurt.

I was sat on my back porch, just a couple of feet behind where I had stood talking to Y the other day. Going over his conversation, it made me think about just how much I had screwed things up. Now, I was going to make things worse with Calem too, because apparently I wasn't suppose to love him.

There was a shadow behind the tree in front of me - the one Y had sat on - and I quickly stood up in fear. I tried to concentrate on what it was, until I made out the shape of staffs and sighed with relief.

"You scared me" I said, and on cue, the old bells began to ring - if my mom decided to come out, I would have a lot of explaining to do

"I can tell that things didn't go the way you planned" Y said, stepping out of the darkness and into the light casted by the lamp next to me

I ignored him and muttered, "You really need to get rid of those bells"

"If only it were that simple" Y lowered down both his hood and bandanna. It was like a brick hit me when I saw his face, because just like when I had found out who X was, the first thought that came to mind was: but it's impossible. "I'm a little bit flattered you put so much trust into me without knowing who I was, so telling you would make no difference"

"B-But how?" somehow, words came out of my mouth. "It just doesn't add up"

"Because I crafted it that way" Jason said. "In order to escape the bells, I used an ancient magic spell that split me into two different entities. This me - the one you're talking to - carries the type-master title, and constantly travels to run from the bells. The me that you know is the me trying to live out a normal life"

"Escape... the bells?"

"Remember how I told you about the type-masters sealing away Abbadon? Well, the last thing that Abbadon did was curse me of all people" Jason explained. "As long as I live, I'll be haunted by the bells. If I stay in one place for too long, they'll devour me"

"I-I guess that does explain a lot" I sat back down. "So what about your Pokemon?"

"The Pokeballs in my staffs are my original Pokemon, and occasionally I will meet up with my other half and swap out which staffs I hold" Jason answered. "As I am, X is too powerful for me to handle him, so I have limited time until I need to remerge. But enough about me; I came here to talk to you"

"I don't have anything to say" I sighed

"Tell me what happened" He requested

I looked up, and for some I reason, I explained for him word-for-word what had happened earlier with Ash. It was either his eyes, which naturally told you to trust him, or his tone that said I had nothing to worry about. By the time I was done explaining, I was already crying again.

"So I was right" Jason said. "He really does care about you in the same way that you do"

"Now it's too late" I wiped tears from my eyes, but they kept coming

"I was once in the same situation as you" He revealed. "However, you're more fortunate than I am, and I'm sure that things aren't too late for you"

"Huh?" I looked up and saw him frowning up at the sky through my blurry sight

"It happened while we were growing up. The previous water-type master trained me and Calem, and also the girl I told you about before - Anna; she's the electric-type master. We were both born on the exact same day - nineteen years today. Growing up, I always saw her as a big sister - the way that she was so much more mature than Calem and I, and how she would always stop us from fighting.

Eventually, those feelings grew into more, and I was sure I loved her. Just like you and Ash, I had no idea if she saw me the same way, so I never told her. Then, one day, she disappeared, and not telling her became the biggest regret of my life. The point is, Serena, that it's not too late for you to tell how Ash you feel. You just have to be persistent and wait for the right moment"

I soaked in what he said, but was still unsure. "Ash seemed really confident on the way he felt"

"If you break things with Calem, I'm sure he will listen you"

"That's the problem though..." I said. "I know I'm not suppose to fall in love with Calem, but I don't want to make him hurt him like I did with Ash; it would be too much for me to take"

"I see" He walked closer, standing only five feet in front of me

In desperation to change the topic, I said asked, "Tell me more about Anna"

"Well, the last time I saw her was five years ago today actually. She's beautiful - you would mistake her for a princess at first glance. In a way, she's kind of like you, but it takes way more to put her down. When we first learned about Kalos, she wanted to become the Kalos Queen as well. In fact, we knew Aria when we were younger"

"You did?" I questioned, surprised

He nodded. "We met her during a two year stay in Kalos when we were around ten, and those two were the best of friends. You see, Anna was the one who made the bandanna I use to hide my face, and she was the one who discovered the staffs I use to hold my Pokeballs. And... you're trying to distract me, good try"

"Look, I don't want to talk" I insisted

"Then listen" Jason said. "The moral of my story is that if you don't persist and tell Ash how you really feel, you'll regret for as long as you live, knowing that you made the wrong choice. Plus, it's Ash, he can't stay mad the way he might seem to you now. You of all people should know that"

I lifted my head, and I finally stopped sniffling. "You're right"

"Come" He held out his hand for me to take. "There's something I need to show you; the bells are catching up"

Thirty Minutes Earlier

"Hey"

Jason looked like he had seen a ghost - if those scared him - but Anna was smiling warmly. The silence went on for a bit too long, so Anna stepped closer and pulled him in for a hug, which was quickly returned.

"Jeez, you're taller than me now" Anna said

"Where have you been?" Jason was finally able to speak

"I'm sorry I left out of nowhere, but I only had one opportunity" Anna explained. "I know how much you wanted to cure Calem, and I did too, so I went with a man who claimed to be the fighting-type master. We were both after the same thing: to cure something that seemed impossible"

"And did you do it?" Jason asked

"No" Anna sighed. "Sorry I missed out on five years for nothing. Trust me, I really did miss you... probably more than you know"

The two realized that they were still hugging, so they awkwardly broke apart, and Anna noticed that Jason was wearing something she recognized.

"Hey, you're wearing the scarf I made you that one Christmas" She snatched it off of him. "Nice to know you kept this, but what about the staffs?"

"Without you around, Calem and I parted ways. Abbadon apparently had a spell over me, and wherever I go, I would be haunted by bells. If I were to stay in one place for too long, they would catch up and devour me, so I used one of master's spells to stay hidden"

"You mean... there's two of you?" Anna guessed

"Yeah" Jason nodded. "Calem's been up to no good lately. He's found a way to harness the Bonds of Amour, and I'll have to merge back into one if I stand a chance at him"

"The Bonds of Amour were formed?"

"Friends of mine" Jason said. "The fairy-type master and the steel-type master - the Calem of this world"

"The other Calem..." Anna said under her breath. "I never thought we would meet him, much less have him be so important"

"It doesn't stop there" Jason explained everything about Ash, Serena, and Calem, and there were definitely some big coincidences

"Where is Calem anyway?" Anna inquired. "You won't need to merge into one if we work together to stop him"

"I don't know where he is, but if he acquires more power from the bonds, it'll take a lot more than just us to stop him" Jason replied. "Let's go, there's someone I want you to meet"

.

"Where could we be going at this time of day?" Anna pointed out

"We're going to pull the problem from its roots" Jason explained, as a water fountain appeared in the distance, surrounded by a beautiful park

There was a bright golden glow, and suddenly Anna felt a different hand holding hers - Jason had changed appearances. He wore metallic armor, a grayish robe over it, and a bandanna that hid his face, along with five staffs on his back.

"Did you..."

"I merged" Jason stated simply. His voice was deeper now, and it sounded like his head was hurting - which was probably true

The two came across Serena, who looked more confused than ever. She was looking around desperately until she spotted Jason and Anna - who she didn't know yet.

"I thought you brought me here just to abandon me" Serena visibly relaxed

"Who's this?" Anna asked, letting go of Jason's hand

"Our fairy-type master" Jason revealed. "Serena, this is Anna. It's a strange coincidence, but she's returned"

"Nice to meet you, I've already heard a lot" Serena said

"Same here" Anna offered a smile

"Serena, would you know how to find Calem?"

"Which one?"

"Our Calem"

Serena tapped her finger against her chin while thinking. "No, I don't know how to find X"

"If we can't stop him, then the Bonds of Amour need to be broken" Jason said

"I know" Serena sighed. "Can't it wait until morning though? I'm exhausted, and I'm sure Ash will be too"

Jason walked over to the fountain and reached his hand into the water, pressing some kind of button. Around Serena and Anna, black mist with a golden outline appeared, flowing around them chaotically.

"This park, and the fountain specifically, were made in the events that the Bonds of Amour would be formed" Jason explained

"So I made these" Serena said, examining the mist

"You're helping make them, but they haven't completely formed yet," Jason said, "because you haven't completely fallen in love"

.

Jason and Anna watched as Serena, who insisted that she walk back home alone, left and disappeared into the dark night. The two walked back in the direction they had come from, until they realized that they weren't heading anywhere in particular.

"So..." Anna said. "I don't know how to put this, but I don't really have anywhere to go"

"Don't be ridiculous" Jason removed one of the staffs of his back. "You can stay with me. After all, we have a lot to catch up on"

Snow was still falling down as the two walked; it piled up on the ground, making it look like it was somewhere around Christmas time.

"Get any stronger the past few years?" Anna asked at random

"Probably enough to beat you" Jason answered

"Is that a challenge?" Anna raised an eyebrow. "I haven't been slacking off either"

"We'll just have to see when this whole thing is over" Jason said

Anna looked up to the sky with wonder. "I wonder if Serena will be alright"

"She'll be just fine"