Part 7.5: The Crossblade

Chapter 58: Friends

Reunions, reunions. And also some character growth for the main cast.

I don't own Pokémon.


"Well, it was a valiant effort."

"Doc Young?"

"But they're here to put it all in the past, because that's where it belongs, with not a goddamn history book to its name."

Bryan

"Nick?" I asked the pretty girl. She put a small hand up to the glossy fur around her neck, fingers inward, squinting to the red sky. One leg in front of the other, she appeared uneasy.

"Nikki's better," she finally said to me. I could see why. "I needn't say anymore."

"You're right. Nikki's better." I told her. Afraid to smile, I let the words sink in, before I finally ventured a single smile across my... face-body. Nick was a pretty girl now, and it might've been easy to make fun of that, but when I was just a blood ball with tentacles, I... couldn't.

"Hah," she laughed at me. Maybe? Maybe with me. "So you went around turning into a Flux, and I've been just about every kind of cinccino there is."

"Cinccino?" I asked. Was it important?

"Don't worry about it," she said, and shook her head, big ears tossing about. "Can I trust you?"

"Trust... me?" I mouthed back. Mind was still fuzzy, but I was definitely Bryan again. Interacting with another person wasn't as easy as I remembered. I had to heal, and if I was gonna heal, I needed help. In one of my gangly, gross arms, there was that Symbi. I was holding it – it was the crystalline crow bar thingy with those magical flying strings orbiting it, and I always forgot the name. "Trust me..."

"My Symbi abandoned me," she said, then pointed to the weapon thingy I had. "But now you have one. If it trusts you, then so should I. Right?" she prompted me, poised imploringly, hands folded tight.

It felt like I had to make a commitment. I was confused, but relieved that I could feel anything other than venomous happiness. I was stressed, but I wanted to be, because that stress chipped away at the parasite that clung to my brain. Nikki was a very pretty girl, I kept telling myself. So buxom. Lots of plump. Was I always horny like this? If I was, then my life was about to get so much better. But more than that, I had a friend in Nikki, because she was Nick. Nikki had no more Symbi either, so she wouldn't ever get like Travis. Nikki was always a friend of mine, even if she wasn't as nice to me as Travis. Didn't care though. I was so lucky I found her, or that she found me.

"Okay..." I answered her blankly, just looking at her eyes. I forgot what I was answering. She tilted her head to one side. "Okay? Oh! Okay!"

"What?" she blinked.

"I'll go with you. I want to get better. You're my... friend from before. Can you help me get better, please?" I asked of her.

"God, Bryan, I actually feel bad for you..." Nikki noted, like it was for the first time ever.

"You do? I feel bad for me, too." I agreed, somehow.

She must've found that funny. That was good. I liked her smile more than mine, and by a lot, because her face held it perfectly. Her cheeks were big, so there was so much room there for more pretty smiling. With one hand brushing a fringe of hair out of the way of her eyes, she stepped closer to me. I let my legs flow into my main body a little more so they got shorter, and I could sink down to her level, look her better in the eyes, and see what they had to say: 'Protect me'.

Of course!

"You're still so dirty," she said, hiding a cringe with some more smile and a light squint. It was like she wanted to reach out and touch me, but had no reason to 'cause her pretty gray fur was too valuable to stain. "But we'll get you cleaned up again."

"Was I ever clean?" I tested her.

"Oh, good point. Then, let's get started cleaning you up," she replied like I wanted her to. It made me happy. "Come on, Bryan," she said so gently. "I hate this place. It's too windy."

It's too windy, I thought, while I watched her walk by me and descend the sloped land, cautious with how she moved. Before I followed her, I took another long look at the thin, seemingly indestructible bent bar in my grasp, letting something as gross as me hold something as pretty as it. It shined in the red sun, all of my stray droplets sliding off of it and disappearing into clear mist. I felt connected to the strings that hovered around the tips of the bar, like I could think something and they could do it, or at least try to.

"Charley?" I asked. There was a heaviness somewhere inside of me. I felt sad, but I didn't know why. I didn't know where Charley went to. I didn't know why I had this Symbi.

I looked ahead at the gray and white damsel of fur getting further ahead of me. For a moment, I thought she was going to turn around, because she stopped. I thought right. She did that, giving two speckles of blue to that gray and white. I felt bad I let her get so far. I went to her. My friend.

...

"Rayse? What's the matter? You're falling behind."

"Uh?! Am I?! It's these stubby legs! I can't get 'em moving!"

"I thought I was the one with stubby legs."

"ExCUSE me, Jira, but you can fly."

"Quite useful."

"Thank you, Patty!"

"Heeeey, I can fly, too. But I don't think I wanna go too far from Patsy. She's my homie."

"E-Emi, I really want to hug you, but I'm afraid it will burn me."

"Awwwh, PAAAAAT~!"

Secany, what the heck are you doing?

Are you trying to kill off somebody's Crossblade? Yours? Mine?

If you are, I'm... I'm gonna stop you. The next time I see you, we're gonna have a long, painful chat. So painful, that... you better hope you have your Crossblade, so it can be out the WHOLE time we're talking. THAT'S how painful...!

I just hope we don't end up talking with our Crossblades instead of our, uhm, voices. If I have to fight you, Secany, I might just end up going Flux for sure.

But... it's my Crossblade that I'm fighting with, and it makes sure I don't go too Red...

I don't think I like where this is going.

Cruce

I was holding onto one of Vay's legs, gripping hard. In the vivid red sky, four black birds cut the air, propellers slapping the wind. They were still, if not rocking in the breeze or with the weight of whoever was on them. The grass was blowing beneath the draft, surface of the brook rippling violently. The surrounding treeline canopy was alive and restless, rustling loud over the calls and shouts of the Grove's own Pokémon. I squinted into the sky, looking over the shining black metal hull of the choppers. Something stood out to me. It looked like an an X, albeit with the lines disconnected at the center, resulting in a rhombus holding everything together. For all intents and purposes, the blurry insignia meant less than nothing to me, but since all of the air crafts had this symbol, it didn't sit very well in my gut. I swallowed spit to the blur of propeller blades.

I couldn't see Vay's face. He was standing tall and firm. I doubted he knew anything about human vehicles, but the tension in his muscles was at least something that communicated to me the sense of urgency that he felt. His instincts, my instincts – Pokémon or Flux, they were telling us that these machines were bad. My fur blew in the winds. Static electricity welled up in my cheeks, warming my face. My heart was racing.

"Cheeks," Vay said. I pulled myself into him, not so much out of affection as much as I wanted to hear the leafeon speak. The smooth surface of his tail tickled against my backside. "Get out of here."

"What?! For real?!" I clamored. I stepped away from the guy, giving him a contesting look. He didn't return it, but I could see his face now. His gaze was more intense than anything I'd seen out of him before. It was seething. There was even some fear hidden away in there. It spoke so fluently that it provoked me to look high, too.

Someone was there, at the opening of the chopper, a white paw on the hatch's support behind him as he leaned over, glaring down the landscape beneath him. Was he going to jump from that height? His posture claimed that much, but if he was anything like Vay, he could stick the landing without injury. A blue 'scarf' of fluff, a tall blue tail hiding the view behind him, and a coat of white fur so shiny it put mine to shame.

He looked right at Vay. It spoke of spiteful history.

"Come down here." Vay enticed the other, growling through his teeth.

"Vay, I'm not goin' anywhere." I argued, and the second I opened my mouth, he shot me a look so feral it froze my throat. I stepped away again. His tail went high.

"Cruce," he called me. "You gotta go. Keep yourself and that bell safe. Diancie and I will take care of everything," he said to me, thankfully with a tone polite enough to convince me that he knew what he was doing. He barred his anger well.

One last, long look into his eyes put uncertain stillness between he and I. He broke the line that bound us, looking back to the sky. What about everyone else here?

He wants me to hide.

I set my head low, looking at my useless chest, useless hips, useless legs and arms, and I turned away, catching a glimpse of my useless tails. I needed to turn back. I needed to help. I cared about Vay. I cared about Autumnridge. How was I going to do that in hiding?!

A jog became a run. Dedicated, I didn't look back – not yet. I went for the nearest break in the trees I could find. The shadow of a helicopter swallowed me and I froze before a wall of dead, thin brush, paws against some sticks or branches. I couldn't tell. I was so small. It would've worked in my favor here. I got lower, felt a few uncomfortable pops of objection in my hips, and then crawled away from the shadow. I was working my way into the overhang of twigs and branches, going as far as my thick tails would let me. When they got caught, I found a new way, so I turned and I took it, and it got me deeper into the entanglement, 'till the sun's red shine couldn't follow me anymore.

Only then did I look back, nearly flat on my chest under the growth. I couldn't see Vay anymore. I couldn't even see the Grove's big tree. I saw little indications of light poking through, creating a jigsaw of the Grove. The shapes they created told me nothing. My brain filled the gaps with the memories that I made looking out at the lush land hidden in the trees, sleeping in a dirty tent with a guy full of passion and regret, shunned by a skywisp that used to be my friend or something.

What the shit?

Vay, I don't know what you're getting yourself into. You said it was okay if I got involved. Did you change your mind? Did something give you a reason to, other than... this bell?

I think I have to find Tophs. Once and for all, I gotta commit to that.

But right now, there's a place I should be able to lay low.

God I hope...

I skittered through the undergrowth, finding enough room to stand back up, have my hips adjust to my two-legged posture, and walk through the dark underpass with enough light to see my way. And boy, I'd come a pretty long way from the caves deep down underground, where I couldn't see diggity-frick-all and little ghost girls were stalking me all the way to dead ends. The thought shook me, but in the end, I did wonder how Squiggles and Allen were doing – even Cassandra. It never really occurred to me, but I was one of them now. I walked with Vay all the way back home understanding what it meant to be a Flux, but I still thought like a human, put myself on a different level than Pokémon. In reality, every time I nestled up to big boy Vay, I should've been reminded that I was part of this... this 'thing' – this infection. I was a component. I was a player in the game, and despite how much that game I missed, I'd still come a long, long way.

Walking through this darkness alone gave all that reflection some flavor. It sat hot on my tongue and my static-filled cheeks. Each tiny crunch of a step gave depth to the tinier jingles of my bell. It squeezed my throat. I was getting tired of that. Along the way, I fidgeted with it, unbuckling the strap that Vay so carefully worked on without the benefit of thumbs. I held it out before me, only seeing a vague shine of the round object, hearing it ring helplessly in the red-tinted dark, spiny shapes out of my focus behind the suspended thing. Aza, I thought. I was given this thing – a thing with Aza's name on it. Aza and Tophs. Maybe there was something between you two that I needed to get involved with. Maybe I was already involved with it. Maybe I was that thing in between them. Well shit, I was important in that case!

There was noise behind me. Shouting, rotors, but no gunshots or anything, so that was okay, but it still weighed me down, keeping me still. I couldn't, for the life of me, get this bell round my neck again. I just looped it around one of my ears and let it sit there. It was comfortable, but it could slide off easy. Kept my ears tall, just in case. I couldn't lose this. I couldn't forget about it, just like...

I found a light at the end of the underpass. I walked to it. I didn't need to crawl for this one. When I emerged, I could see the dirt, the canopy crossing branches above, the silk of spider webs shining bright. A dirty bike trail at my feet, bending off somewhere else. This was homely. This was every day after school. I couldn't lose this. I couldn't forget about it either.

I knew where I wanted to go.

The Obsidian Circle

That little muddy trail never changed. It was always gross and fitted with more spider webs than sense. I didn't need to worry about being struck in the face with tree branches anymore though. Bumbling through the woods looking like some fantasy woodland creature had pros and cons, and here was one of the pros. Cons were that I didn't think I was too high up the food chain anymore. Downgrade there, and I still needed to FIND food. If I could just, like, 'adrenaline' this bad situation out, I would'a been okay.

The scent of mixed Gamma, sours and sweets, got me wondering if this place served any purpose these days. This day, I meant. Did anybody still come here?

Well, when I got past the dirty narrow trail leading into that enchanted, mystical clearing where we always planted our asses down on sharp stones, threw our backpacks into the dirt, and talked over phone screens, I saw that something – SOMETHING, at least, had changed about our hideout. That central stone slab was completely crushed. It was cracked and broken apart like something or somebody crashed into it. Only 'somebody' because Vay's head was thick enough to break stone. Maybe. I couldn't see over the broken stone anymore, but I didn't need to. It'd never served a purpose in the past, from what I knew, and now it couldn't ever be more than a topic of conversation. But that wasn't the biggest thing about the obsidian circle.

Alli was here. She was sitting by her lonesome on the same old hunk of black rock she always did, her tail drooping, just barely above the moist dirt. She leaned forward, cradling her big pretty head in her small, black-scaled hands, watching me before I knew she was here. She wasn't making a whole lot of presence. Then again, based on what had happened – those strips of white bandage covering her neck – it was hard for her to make much noise anymore. Al was a vocal guy. This wasn't a nice thing for... uh, Alli. Not a nice thing.

What was worse was the glare she introduced me to. A flick of her tongue later and she looked away from me. I wanted to fix this problem. The sunken heart in my fluffy chest didn't agree with the attitude she put loud 'n clear on display, and I had a suspicion that her heart was in the same place as mine.

"You slipped away," I told her. She'd known that already. "The Grove's under attack..."

She looked back at me, straightened her back, and opened her eyes wide, given me two golden globes that spoke so loudly I almost forgot she was mute.

"Wh-what, did you not hear them overhead?" I asked her. She just looked at me, same surprise as before. She kept that face on for a few seconds. It was as cute as it was a little weird to see her go cross-eyed just to have to look straight, due to skywisp anatomy and all. Maybe she'd made good terms with that from her perspective. Our brains could only translate being in a different body so... efficiently. Or whatever.

She sighed. Her hands covered her face. I took it as a sign that I could actually get closer, so I went ahead, did that, and things seemed okay between us. For now.

I climbed up on the obsidian chunk closest to her, put my butt against it when my tails were out of the way, and let my legs dangle. I watched them. They were really that short now? When I looked back at Alli, she was watching my legs too. I half-expected her to snicker, but the subject matter of the Grove being attacked – that took any humor away.

"You're not happy with me, um..." I froze. Emotional baggage inbound, I thought. How well could I give it? "So... I wasn't around to keep our, uh... Our group... y'know, like, going strong. I heard you did some big stuff. Derrick, uh – he told me you got popular. That's cool!"

She didn't even look at me.

"Hey, Al...li, I'm a Flux now. Kind of. I can..." I gave a short sigh. How'd I wanna put this? I couldn't let my emotions get all... fucky, again, like last time. "I can hear your eyes. So, you can tell me what's wrong, even without a voice. I just gotta concentrate enough."

That got her. Good thing, too, because her eyes were really somethin' to look at. They had a lot to say. They were perfect for her. If only she could stay on-board with me here, not look away, and give me all the feeling she had just boiling inside of her.

"Yeah, that's perfect." I said. I didn't know what else I could do to focus. Squint hard enough and pretend I was seeing her thoughts? No, not that, though Vay did say I had psychic potential, whatever that meant. I would'a sooner left that for another day while I let the easier alternative – Flux – do the work for me. I could read her mind through her eyes. Let's do that, I thought. Let's... see...

"What do you want from me?

I can't waste any more emotions on you.

You've messed with them enough."

"But... I don't understand. Why so much animosity?" I asked her. This wasn't really getting anywhere.

"It's not that you were away all that time.

I can handle myself just fine without you.

You're not some big-shot."

"Heh, c'mon, you're the big-shot. I just woke up in a room somewhere with nothing but this bell," I said, touching against the gold, cold surface on my ear. "I don't know what happened before then. Maybe I secretly have the Crossblade and there's another me out there?"

"You really have no idea...

You're so fucking hopeless,

but I think you're..."

She put a fist against her cheek and leaned into it. She was more relaxed now, like she had engaged in a meaningful one-on-one with me. She showed intrigue.

"I think you're telling the truth.

You wouldn't have the balls to lie to my face,

and... it doesn't look like you have balls anymore anyway."

"Sorry, what? Balls? 'Scuse me, wispy?" I taunted her, crossing my legs... self-consciously.

"Holy shit, you really can hear my thoughts? You're like Caden, except he...

...I'm... already exhausted with you.

It's not that you left us. It's that you came back and left us again.

Then it's like you expect me to greet you with a hug. I already did that, Cruce.

I already did... I gave you so much of my broken-ass spirit."

"I don't remember any of that. I came back before this?" I asked. "When? Wh-when did I, like, fall asleep, even?"

"I don't know. I didn't care, 'cause I was too angry.

I was always angry. It was my Flux.

If you had the Crossblade, I would've smelled it on you. You don't.

I don't know what happened with that other you. I think he's still in that... place?"

"That place? What place?" I asked her. She looked away, like she wanted to go on to explain it. That wasn't good! I needed her attention. "No, Alli! Keep lookin' this way. S-sorry, I didn't mean to shout at you. I know it's a little awkward. Keep looking at me. Tha's how I can communicate with you."

She looked at me, confused. Better than nothing.

"Oh... kay...

Anyway, it's the last place we saw Topher and Edge,

and somehow you ended up with Edge's bell.

I don't ever want to go back there.

Not alone.

Not without Rayse or Cadi."

"Tophs, huh?" I mumbled. "Can you tell me where this place is?"

"We went to the hospital – the Circle did.

It turned into some... shit-hole. It was bad, dude.

Then there was a deeper shit-hole. We went down there.

I remember Katalyn being there. That lady, Nephi, was there. That's Topher now.

And that guy I thought was you – he had a bow and arrow thing going on.

That was where Emelina and Pat got put down."

"What the hell?" I mouthed. I didn't really know what I just heard – I guess I heard nothing so much as I saw Alli's thoughts, but those thoughts... Wow. That was more information than I knew what to do with. Katalyn? Nephi being Tophs? What was I supposed to do with that? What, 'Nephs'? Was 'Nephs' really a thing now? I mean, none of it sounded good, since Emi and Pat 'died' there. But Pat WAS okay! She was just with us before she and Rayse and that, er, Jirachi girl went out. "God dang. The hospital? I woke up there. I didn't notice any 'shit-holes'."

The clamor was getting pretty nasty back at the Grove. Between crashes and bangs that I could only assume was a throwdown between powers I did not want to get in the way of, I was glad I didn't have to make Alli repeat herself. Y'know, somehow. I was also glad we were safe and coming to terms with one another, but Vay was out there. Diancie, too. Frick me, things were hot now.

My stomach growled. I put a paw over it and slumped in my stony seat.

"Gaaaooh, man..." I whined, battling the urge to throw my ears back so my bell didn't go flying off. I didn't have a right to complain about food. I wasn't the one engaged in life-or-death battling over yonder.

I smelled something. It smelled like Flux, but it wasn't me. Was Vay on his way back? No, this smelled different – similar, but there was a slightly different, uh, flavor to it. Couldn't parse it right now. I was distracted with the voices coming from around the muddy trail. Sounded familiar!

"Is this a way in?! SHOOT, WHERE'S THE WAY IN?!" somebody yelled.

"It's okay Rayse," said another young girl. Was that Jirachi? I couldn't remember what her voice sounded like. "Uh, I can fly you over the trees. Would that work?"

"What about us?" said yet another girl. That one sounded peppy. Was that...?

"I don't know – this sounds marginally dangerous. Jirachi, want to take Rayse over the trees? We can find a way through. If we all charge in headlong, I might not do so well. My body's still recovering from that shock."

"Oh. Patty's not feeling confident. Okay, no sweat! Jira, you and I got this, right?! We'll get in there, assess the damage, 'n our cute cavalry will come in behind us. Sound good?!" said the other excitable girl.

"Mmmf, I don't like leaving Patty behind, but now she's got a Symbi..." said Jirachi.

"An AWESOME Symbi," the peppy girl clarified. I swear to God, that was...!

Alli knew it, too. She got up from her slab and flew to the exit of the clearing abruptly, like a dog waiting for its master at the front freaking door.

"I'm with you, Rayse," Jirachi told the other. 'Guess they made it back safe then. "You're not afraid of heights, are you?"

"PSSSHH, giiiirl, you should see the stunts I pull off! Go on, get me in the sky~!" said the other.

"MMPH, I love your attitude, Rayse! Girl's got some fiyah in her!" said the flashy, almost sassy girl.

I withdrew my attention. I looked into the sky to see if I could catch wind of the two flying by. I wasn't sure what to look for – maybe a pair of, I don't know, flying Pokémon? I didn't see anything. There was a lot of, like, 'TREE' in the way of that, despite this being a pretty big clearing. I was scanning the sky like a doofus 'till I looked back down to see somebody on their way into our own obsidian circle. Somebody blue, fishy, and with orange spikes at her cheeks.

And a fire following her.

"Am I going to burn the forest down? Am I a living forest fire? Am I a problem?" the fiery girl asked, a different, higher-pitched inflection with each question. It was, uh... It was Willow? Wil—that one girl who... wait, what? I...

"Oh!" Patty stopped before Alli, guarding the entrance like a – well, like a dog again. They watched each other for a bit there.

"Oh-whoa!" the Willow clone chirped.

I heard something out of Alli. It wasn't much more than a raspy gasp, and when she did it, she lowered her snout and squeezed a palm into her neck. It looked like she really couldn't make a peep without causing some grief for herself.

With a moment to settle ourselves down, we gathered together at the front of the central slab, far too eager for one another to sit down. Feeling more approachable, I asserted myself as a rightful 'member' of this group again, rather than sitting aloof like in the tent. No more of that. Hands on my hips, I tried to make myself stand tall, while I was arguably the one closest to the ground. Or shortest.

"Aaaal...~" Emi called lovingly, pressing her fiery body up to Alli's chest. Alli didn't react in pain, so it was safe to assume that Emi's new body wasn't too dangerous when she didn't want it to be. With Patty likely thinking the same thing as me, she sandwiched Emi between herself and Alli, hugging the two together. Butterflies in my chest tickled me from within. The flutter kept on for as long as they squeezed each other, some sniffles from Alli and Pat. Alli's tail went around everybody. It was a really nice thing to watch, and even nicer having a hint at the kind of BS that Alli had gone through.

The Grove had gone quiet already. Crickets, frogs, and gentle sobs were all the ambience this reunion got. I wasn't too sure if the violence had either come to a halt or a conclusion over at the Grove. While I felt delighted on one front, I was terrified on another, for the sake of Vay, Derrick, Ericka – all of them. That distinct silence better have meant I was coming back to a protective leafeon boy. WITH all of his vine in tact this time. Jirachi was on his side now, after all, but that didn't mean he couldn't've suffered some collateral damage elsewhere. Hoped his eyes were okay.

Strike that; I hope that all of him is okay. I need all that.

"Ohmygosh, look at us..." Emi said for the three. Pat gave them some space and Alli uncoiled. They all gave each other a moment to let in really sink, like how I'd done about a thousand times by now. Nobody seemed to look my way, but that was fine. This was their moment.

"Hey, Emi?" I asked. Her tiny head bounced my way, sweet smile openly greeting me.

"Heeeey, Cruce! Did you get gender-bent, too?! That's AMAZING!" she cheered, zipping straight at me and darting around my body with shocking speed. My neck hurt trying to keep up with her. Maybe that was because of how tight the bell was strapped to me before.

"Hang on, that's-!" I was cut short when I felt a quick burst of heat over the puff of furry hair between my ears. A shimmering orange tail drooped in front of my nose. She was sitting on me.

"We gotta initiate them first, Patsy," said the seated Emi. "Show them the ropes, ya know? Can't do girly stuff when all they know how to do is be boys."

"In any other circumstance-" Patty sniffled, the back of her wrist wiping over her eyes. "Pardon me – in any other circumstance, I would agree with you, but we need to back Rayse and Jirachi up."

The heat left my head.

"Yer damn right," Emi chirped, flying out in front of me. "Can you fly with me in my natural form? I make a killer wing!"

"I do believe I would require two wings to fly! You know, of material composition, and not... fire," Pat said, pushing her chin to the side with a fist, mulling over. "Come to think of it, a wing made of fire would put itself out very easily. Who thought of this design?"

"Whoa, hey, are you saying I'm useless?!" Emi outraged.

"In theory." Pat said.

"WELP," Emi huffed. "I guess I'll just go back into my Pokéball then! That's such bullarky; I was more useful as a vulpiiiix..."

"Hang on," I said, paws forward. "You're a Symbi now, so there's a lot that Pat can do with you. You guys just oughta figure each other out. I-I mean, we all got a lot to learn."

I had their attention, even if they were curiously scanning one another.

"Let's stick together!" I told 'em. "All of us! Circle buddies again, eh?"

"Uh, obviously!" Emi remarked.

"Mmh, what about the Champions?" Patty asked. Good question!

"I think I-..." I swallowed my words. My head went to Vay and I blushed. "I... I want to make, like, a... an allegiance? Yeah? I don't know! Diplomacy! You like Jirachi, right Pat?"

"And you like Rinavay?" she asked me. I turned away from the three, watching the exit.

"Eh, he's got my vote..." I told them. "Well, yeah, all of them seem cool. They got problems between one another, but... like, I know Rayse likes Alli. So does, uh, Victini?"

I checked out Alli's reaction to that. Mentioning Victini made her ball her fists up. She looked straight at me.

"Caden's not here anymore.

He went into the meteorite."

What?

"What?" I said aloud.

"What what?" Emi repeated me.

"Alli?" I asked.

"What's wrong?" asked Pat.

"Alli says – uhm...!" I froze, paws hanging in front of my chest. I blinked and watched the others. We were all so hopelessly confused – well, no, the only one of us who bore any semblance as to what was happening was Alli, and I was the only one who could understand her. The skywisp rolled her eyes and flew close to me. I preemptively flicked one ear thinking she was going to sit on my head. Something did touch my head, but it wasn't her butt, provided she had one. It was her hand. Her other hand was pointing at me. I watched it, as it moved to her own throat, then back to me, then make a gesture implying 'no'. Then, she gestured with the same arm to Pat. She nodded, like Pat knew something.

"Alli can't talk. It's one of the reasons we left the Grove, so we could find another Symbi that can heal her." Pat caught on.

"Symbi Solacea, right?" Emi said. "That flower guy really ruined your plan..."

"I can still understand her. I'm Flux, and I can tell what she's thinking through her eyes. It's a... perk." I disclaimed.

"You're Flux? Good grief, I would not have guessed that from what I have experienced." Pat uttered.

"I know – I want to be human again, but I got chill! I'm fine with staying like this and not turning into a sack of... death 'n guts. Stiiill," I paused, feeling Alli at my side – not her warmth, since she didn't have any. Just a presence. She weighed me down, my left shoulder going lower than my right. She was leaning her elbow on me. 'Guess she liked me again. Ficklest fella this side of Autumnridge, Al was. I smiled. "Still, there's a lot she's been telling me. Caden went into the meteorite – uh, whatever that means. And, apparently Tophs gave you all a really bad time.

And then that 'other me'..."

No one had anything to say to all of that. All that chipper attitude Patty and Emi rushed in here with flew out of their faces like ghosts leaving their bodies. I felt it hit me. Empathy, maybe, or I'unno, it was sinking in again? Tophs doing something that awful? Why couldn't I believe it? Maybe it really had been that long since... W-well, he was acting so much better around people, but if that was really all it was – acting – then it made sense that he would've gone so far. But why to the Circle?

"Hey, this is a touchy subject. Trust me, this is on my mind, too," I told them. "But, check us out now. The shit we've endured, guys..."

"We should really go help out at the Grove. Talking over this subject won't help morale." Pat argued. Frig me, she was a lot more forward than ever before. 'Guess she had to be now.

"A'ight, fair," I relented. "We got a lot of ground to cover, and we can do that better with our friends from the other side. So, let's go help 'em out."

Alli left my side, returning to the clearing's exit. She gave a wide wave for us. 'Over this way', I would've liked to think she would have said. If somebody had genuinely sabotaged their plan to get the Symbi they needed for her injury, then I was going to be translating a lot from here. That was fine by me, but Al was always one of the most talkative ones around. No wonder why Emi took such a shine to him. Things were different now, but Alli was putting up with it. She was also guiding us back to the Grove.

Passing through the mud trail together was a drop of solace I needed before going back. If the noise settled, that might have meant it was time to me to get back there. Well, like it or not, big boy Vay, I had a posse with me, and we weren't about to stand by and wait for shit to hit the fan!

Gotta wonder...

Alli said Caden went into the meteorite. Where does that go? How does that work?

Is it what Rayse said about my bell? Something with the Paradox?

What's that kid up to...?