Ch.19: Change in Plans? The Pursuit for Salvation!

It had only been a few days since Ella and the circus troupe arrived in the desecrated, ruined Quartz Plain Village. After countless hours of sifting through the rubble, every villager was accounted for. Some were injured, others weren't so lucky in the attack. Most, if not all, of the shadows and the corrupted Pokémon had been removed. Work was being done to create a barrier guaranteed to keep further threats out.

Lenny's bar was overhauled into a relief shelter to tend to the wounded, with his active employees doing all they can to help. Ella lent her assistance as well, feeling it was her duty as an able-bodied member of the community. She had to be reminded constantly to take breaks, but she dedicated as much time as she could to help the injured and comfort those shattered by the state of the village.

Of course, she had another reason for her busy work schedule.

Off to the side, watching the Espeon move like lightning around the bar, Ava and Hal took up a booth to recuperate from the long hours. Ava practically collapsed onto the table as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Hal looked better in comparison as he sipped his coffee.

"Rough night, lass?" Hal asked.

"I stayed up to make sure Ella wasn't tiring herself out," Ava explained. "The girl's got a good heart, though I fear she'll hurt herself if she doesn't take it easy."

Hal sighed. "She'll be fine. That lass wouldn't let something like this keep her down. Once ye two get back on the road, she'll have plenty of time to catch up on her sleep."

Ava frowned. "If we do get back on the road, she'll be worried to death about her parents. You remember what Vivian said when Ella brought her here. She said the Ciphers went looking for their daughter, during all of this." She sighed and leaned back into the booth. "I mean, if they were looking to patch things up with Ella, they've certainly proven their dedication. Can't say I approve the timing."

"Vivian also explained she loaned them some of Garret's old belongings," Hal reminded. "Trust me, I know the lad's treasure hoard like the back of me hand. Whatever Vivian lent them will be enough to fend for their lives."

"I trust Vivian's judgment, believe me, but I would be worried sick if my own parents did something like this. At least they would have the common sense to stay indoors during a regionwide invasion. I don't know if Ella's parents know how to fight."

"Well, they are in the weapon trading business, right?"

"Even if they knew how to use guns and such, there's more than just lunatics and bandits running around."

Hal sighed and scratched his cheek. "A fair point, lass. Anyway of tracking them?"

"Well, I could try divination, but—"

"Ye don't have anything that belongs to them," Hal guessed with a scrunched face.

"Bingo. Anything I could use has been reduced to a pile of ash." Ava heaved a sigh before covering her face. "I want to help Ella, I really do, but I'm stuck on ideas. I could employ bounty hunters to peacefully locate them, but I'm not in a trusting mood these days."

Hal picked up his beer and took a sip. "Yah. I could contact some people I know, but most of them are dealing with their own issues."

Ava shook her head. "Ideally, I want to get to the Key of Darkness first, but I've already had to deal with losing friends of mine. Friends who were close with Team Ravenfield. I don't want Ella to go through what they're feeling."

"Is there no one who can help ye?"

"I don't know." Ava closed her eyes, breathing in and flaring her nostrils. "I really don't know." She glared at the old crocodile. "You know, we've been mostly talking about Ella's situation, but I don't think I got info out of you yet."

Hal raised his brow. "Oh?"

"Before I left to wait for my troupe, you mentioned something about a hunch. You think you know why the shadows targeted the village. It's for something much more than spite against the Ravenfields."

Hal glared. "Ye really want to hear for yerself? I warn ye, it's nothing concrete."

"Why did the shadows target the village?"

Hal took a deep breath, holding it for a moment, then exhaled. "…When I retired from the pirate's life, Garret and I spent a lot of time together. We often got drunk when he was back in the village, enjoying a night out, just us guys. It was paradise, old enemies sharing a drink and reflecting on our glory days thwarting each other and racing for the treasure—"

"Still waiting for the point," Ava interrupted, shooting a sour glare at him.

Hal rolled his eye. "Fine, don't listen to an old man's ramblings!" He huffed and sunk into the booth. "Me point is that Garret often blurted things by mistake."

"Yeah, that sounds like Garret. He loves the sound of his own voice," Ava grumbled.

"Garret seems like someone who's open about himself, the kind of guy who never harbors secrets. I learned quite a bit about him that day. He mentioned that his family history is unknown to most of Mysto. Any information dating back to them could only been found in obscure bits of history. Ye'd have to dig pretty far down to find something."

Ava glared. "That sounds like what Morgan mentioned regarding the Shadow King's history with the Ravenfields."

"Aye. I never knew why Garret kept that bit to himself, but I never pressed him on it. I was the only other person who knew about his family history, aside from Vivian. However, Garret was the only one who told me that keeping that stuff secret was important, almost like he didn't want anyone finding out. Only until recently did it occur to me. He said there was something in his family history that shouldn't be found out. With a little more investigating did I come up with a theory."

Ava bit her lip. "Should I be worried?"

"Thing is, after Garret died, Vivian asked me to help box away some of Garret's belongings. That's where Garret kept a bunch of files on the Ravenfield family, too. They weren't up there, though. They went missing. But when Wes and Flint found his old study, I did some investigating while they were gone. I recognized some of the boxes. Garret hid his family history away in that secret room. I recalled him moving between the college and his house before he left. He might have been transferring the files there for safekeeping."

"Okay…but what does this have to do with the shadows? Are you suggesting they wanted information on the Ravenfield family?"

"Precisely."

"But that doesn't make any sense. The Shadow King has domain over the Immensus Library now. What could Garret have that the Shadow King couldn't find?"

"That's the hunch. I don't think the Shadow King did this. Ye did say Morgan eviscerated that lousy specter into a coma. Regardless if he's awake or not, he's definitely not going around planning schemes like this. Think about it. Who else could've possibly called this attack?"

Ava narrowed her eyes at the table. "Voss and Callista are missing, right? That leaves…Count Aeternus!" she gasped.

Hal glared. "Ye hit the nail on the head. Once I realized that madman's been pulling the strings, I came to my own conclusion what he wants."

"That still doesn't explain why he would need files from Garret specifically."

"Garret's always been more knowledgeable than me. There was a time I thought the Immensus Library was some myth, but the lad just couldn't go a day without finding secrets. Maybe the mages told him, too. Point is, I'm starting to think Garret knew more than he let on. He was just the unlucky Ravenfield who had to see this day come. So, wouldn't it be possible Garret knew about the library and found some way to keep any documents unrecorded? Or maybe an ancestor of his had the same idea?"

"You're saying the documents were enchanted to hide something specific?"

"That's what I'm going with." Hal sighed and scratched the back of his neck. "I spent the last few days putting the pieces together, trying to figure out what was on those documents that warranted this attack. I almost gave up until…everything clicked."

Ava glared. "What do you mean?"

"…" Hal sighed, then slid out of the booth. "It'd be better if I showed ye."

"Showed me?"

"Ye aren't going to like what ye see, but it's better ye see it with yer own eyes." He waved her along. "Hurry up, we don't have all day."

Though skeptical, Ava stood up and followed the ex-pirate out the bar. Their exit didn't go unnoticed, though. As Ella was handing out rations to the injured, she spotted the two leaving through her peripherals. She frowned, wondering what they were up to.

"Hey Ella!" Lenny called out. "We need more rations over here!"

Ella gasped, then scurried off with her tray. "Right, sorry!"

Hal guided Ava through the ruined village. The last few days gave the villagers time to sweep the streets of harmful debris, making it much easier to navigate the neighborhoods. They saw a few families hanging by their old homes, likely digging through the mess for any remnant of memorabilia or treasured objects. It pained Ava to think what may have been lost. Family photos, heirlooms, a child's favorite toy; so much lost in the blink of an eye.

She sighed and scratched the back of her head awkwardly. "Do we really have to go this way?"

"I know this is a bit much for ye, but our destination is down this way."

"So, what exactly clued you in on…whatever you're going to show me?"

Hal tapped his snout and recounted his thought process. "Well, I had some time to finalize me theory. I wasn't quite sure what the deal with those files were. I'm still convinced they were passed down and enchanted to be the only copy of their kind. That's the only explanation for why Aeternus would need to steal them. But upon thinking about Aeternus, something dawned on me. He's the one who created these creatures, right?"

Ava raised her brow. "I…suppose?"

"From what little I know about the heralds, that spider witch and the suicidal beast aren't very technical in science. I could make an argument for the witch since she mingles with demonic forces, but it's that clown that nags at me. I remember what happened at the Gelid Peak Tournament. That clown reanimated the dead, right? He brought old minions that tried to kill Team Ravenfield."

"Yes…" Ava answered, still not sure where Hal was going.

"And he specifically used the auras of the Grim Ash Clan to fuel their magic. He clearly knows what he's doing, reanimating the dead. He uses Particle magic, right? I've only seen it a handful of times. Truly remarkable what it can do. Anyway, the more I thought about it, the more I realized why those files may have been so important. I think he needed something super specific on them that only the Ravenfields would know."

Ava glared. "Yes, that much was obvious, but what are you getting…at?" Ava stopped and realized they were coming up on the village cemetery, surprisingly the one piece of land untouched by the shadow's rampage. Tombstones cracked and grass barely with color, but otherwise standing. "The…cemetery?"

Hal nodded, then led her through. "I came here when I pieced this theory together. I'll be honest, I was praying to be wrong. Really, really wrong." He bared his teeth. "If that Aeternus fellow can use long dead magic from corpses, what do you suppose he came here for?"

Ava closed her eyes and thought it over. What could the shadows be doing here? Why was the cemetery important? And what was on the files that the Ravenfield bloodline would want to be kept secret? She knew their bloodline was made up of the strongest magic users unknown to time, so it is obvious they would keep a lot of secrets about themselves.

Reanimation…cemetery…Ravenfield…

Reanimation…cemetery…Ravenfield…

Reanimation…

A look of horror befell upon Ava's face.

"No."

She broke into a sprint, dashing past the cemetery gate. She raced around the untouched tombstones, frantically scanning for a specific name. Most were faded, some were covered in moss, others were just broken down from weathering. She flew through every row, nearly tripping over her feet with each sharp turn. She searched through dozens of tombstones, seeking that name.

She came to a screeching halt upon stumbling across a grave. This grave stood out from the rest. While others remained untouched, this one…this one was dug open.

She could see the name, clear as day, marked on the tombstone as she sank to her knees. Her lip quivered as tears welled up in her eyes.

"This…This can't be right."

Hal limped up to her side and placed his hand on her trembling shoulders. He narrowed his eye at the tombstone of his long dead rival/friend.

Here Lies Garret Thomas Ravenfield

"The greatest adventurer of all time"

"No…no, no, no, no…" Ava mumbled under her breath as tears trickled down her cheeks.

Hal sighed. "They overturned his grave. Tore the casket to shreds. Pretty sure they stole a femur. I…fixed up his casket just so no one else had to see the remains. I couldn't hold me dinner down, much less get to sleep."

Ava covered her face and sunk lower to the ground. "How could anyone…desecrate a grave like this?"

Hal huffed. "I wasn't happy about it either, but they knew how powerful Garret was. After all, he was the man that forced the Shadow King into the five-year long hibernation. Of course they would try and utilize his latent magic for their own means."

"This…This is so…" Ava doubled over and covered her mouth. "I think I'm going to be sick."

Hal glared. "As much as I don't want to believe it, they may be taking extra precautions against Wes and Flint. They may try to create a duplicate of Garret by tapping into his long dead magic. They did once, why not again?"

"So, those files they stole…" Ava mumbled, feeling the pieces fall into place.

Hal nodded. "I don't remember everything on those files, but I do remember they were very detailed. Even down to cause of death and where they were buried. They wanted those files to find the graves of other, powerful Ravenfields."

Ava clenched her teeth. "That is…so wrong."

"The invasion was a distraction for us. They were just after the files and Garret's magic." Hal closed his eye and took a deep breath. "I have no idea how long we have, but…if my theory really is correct, Wes and Flint may have to fight doubles of their ancestors and their father."

Ava curled her fingers into the dirt. "This is…horrible. Oh Arceus, what would Vivian think if she saw this?"

"I already know." Ava jumped and spun around as the Sylveon stumbled into the cemetery, bundled up in a light jacket and pants. She stared dejectedly at the grave. "Hal told me immediately after he found out."

Ava stood up and approached her. "Vivian…" She knelt down and hugged her. "I'm so sorry."

Vivian closed her eyes, trying to keep the tears at bay. "I'm just glad the boys aren't here to see this."

Hal sighed and scratched his neck. "They'll find out eventually. If they're anything like those puppets Team Ravenfield fought at the tournament, they'll be tough. They've got a hefty list of information on the strongest Ravenfields in history. It's only a matter of time before they create their doubles."

Vivian lifted her head and faced the croc. "What if the boys have to fight Garret's double?"

"Realistically, they should know it's just a double and won't freeze up at the sight of it. Then again, seeing their dead father, or at least his visage, might be much for them. Granted, from what I know about Particle magic, Aeternus can only reassemble whatever he turned into Life Particles. He can't bring the flesh back to a corpse. He might just make shadow puppets or use any Life Particles he has laying around. Either way, it won't be an exact face."

Vivian frowned, then faced the ground. "I wouldn't have the strength to face Garret if I was in their shoes."

"Then you better hope they don't find a way to extract Garret's magic. Particle magic or shadow magic shouldn't be able to do that, but that witch of theirs could. If she's still missing, like you said, we have time."

Ava sighed, wiped her tears, then stood up. "We need to find the Key of Darkness as soon as possible."

Hal huffed. "That's a lovely thought, lass, but what about Ella? She's not going to be up for adventuring if the condition of her parents weighs on her mind. I have faith in her skill, but that kind of fear can dull her senses. I don't even know how she'll react to this as well."

"Are you sure there's nothing you can do?" Ava asked.

"Only help I can acquire is Fernando Mangas, but I want to sign a contract with him over something else. I can't hire him to look for someone's parents, even if they are Ella's."

Vivian raised her paw. "I assure you, the Ciphers are fine. I taught them everything Garret taught me."

"Lass, while I don't doubt that, the circumstances are different." Hal groaned and pinched between his eyes. "Goodness sake, we'll be going around in circles before we come to a consensus."

Ava crossed her arms, subconsciously glancing at Garret's grave. "We can't deny Ella's feelings. We need at least a sliver of reassurance that her parents are safe." She looked at Vivian. "You didn't by chance pack them a crystal orb, right?"

Vivian frowned. "Unfortunately, they were so anxious to find Ella, I realized too late they neglected to pack one."

Ava sighed. "Of course…" She pressed her hand against her face and groaned. "We're just going to have to tell it straight to Ella, even if I don't want to. We need to tell her that—"

"—that my parents aren't the priority."

Their eyes widened. They whipped their heads around and saw Ella approaching them, hanging her head. Their faces softened at the fresh tears dripping from her eyes.

"L…Lass?" Hal stuttered.

"How long have you been listening in?" Vivian asked worriedly.

Ella sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Enough to get the message." She casted a look at Garret's grave. "It's funny, actually. Even before the friction with my parents and me worsened, I always admired Garret as a person. It made me appreciate how well he raised his sons. While my parents were always busy with work, he always made time for those two, even me when I wanted to hang out." She sighed. "And yet, some part of me may have been taking my parents for granted."

Ava frowned. "Ella…"

"Things are going to get worse unless we find the idol and use its power to banish the Shadow King. That's the only thing we can do right now, not sulk in our own fears." She sighed. "I can't worry about my parents."

"Ella…" Ava stepped toward the Espeon. "That's not true. Your feelings are valid. I understand what you're going through. If you want to find your parents, we will. Seth can guard the key for a while longer. We don't have to complete his trial yet."

Ella clenched her eyes shut. "I want to find my parents, I really do, but what would they think if I jeopardized the world because I was worried? No, I've been indecisive about my future for too long. Right now, the one thing I want is to save the world. If Vivian says they'll be fine, then I'll have to trust them on that."

Vivian smiled softly. "You've matured a lot, Ella. I'm sure they'd be happy to see you."

Ella chuckled and wiped her eyes. "I guess."

"Still, are you sure?" Ava asked.

"There's no reliable way to find them, right?" Ella shrugged. "There's no helping it."

Ava kneeled down and touched Ella's shoulder. "I'm really sorry, Ella."

"It's fine."

Ava sighed, then turned to Vivian and Hal. "We're hitting the road tomorrow. We're going straight for the Key of Darkness."

Vivian nodded. "That's probably for the best. Hal and I will make sure everything's alright here. I've been using whatever I have laying around to make medicine. It should help."

"And I'll be pulling through as many of me other contacts as possible to get some relief support," Hal added. "Ye two need anything before ye set off?"

Ava shook her head. "I think we'll be fine." She stood up and glared. "We have a limited time now. If the Tribe of Shadows is actually going to create a duplicate of Garret and other Ravenfields, we need to get a move on soon."

"Is there no way you can contact the kids to let them know?" Hal asked.

"Unfortunately, we never invested in getting them crystal orbs," Ava grumbled.

Ella raised her paw. "I know Griffin has one."

"He does?" Hal asked. Ella nodded. "Well, it's better than no one. Try and see if you can establish a connection with him. I don't remember where most of the graves are, but maybe he's somewhere we can work with."

Ella shrugged. "Worth a shot. Gee, I hope he's doing alright."

"You can use my crystal ball," Ava offered. "Better hurry."

Ella nodded. "Right. Come on, Hal!" They ran out of the cemetery.

Vivian smiled as the two fled the area. "I'm glad Ella's looking a little better. The last few days must've been rough on her."

"She's been occupying a lot of her time with work," Ava stated. "Probably did want to think about the worst." She sighed and shoved her hands inside her baggy sleeves. "I really wish I could help her, but we have a mission to focus on."

"Yeah," Vivian agreed softly. "Makes sense, in a way. Not to sound cruel, but who would want to help some Espeon during this crisis?"

Ava shrugged. "Me, obviously. Her friends. Old mentors or…" She paused for a moment, staring off into space. "Old mentors…" She narrowed her eyes, then faced Garret's grave. "Someone who…taught Ella everything she knows."

Now that she thought about it, there was one person she could turn to at a time like this. She never considered it because…well, it's been well over six years now since she last saw her. Six years without speaking to each other and she was calling in a huge favor during a regional crisis? Plus, she had other responsibilities to look after. A dangerous request like that, especially now, was—

"Ava?" a voice called out.

Ava snapped out of her thoughts and looked down at Vivian, who tilted her head in confusion. Ava blinked twice, then shook her head. "Sorry, I just—"

"You know someone who can help find Ella's parents," Vivian guessed.

"…Potentially."

"What's wrong?"

Ava grimaced and wiggled in place uncomfortably. "The thing is, I…haven't spoken to her in a while. It would be rather awkward and…well, given the state of things—"

Vivian raised her paw to politely interrupt. "I get what you mean. It's too much burden to put on someone's shoulders."

"Thing is, Ella has experience with this person. She would probably help if I asked, but…" Ava sighed. "Is now really the best time?"

Vivian smiled. "Why not ask for yourself? After all, how will you know if you don't try first? Besides, this person clearly means a lot to you. I'm sure she would appreciate a call to see if you're alright."

"…" Ava huffed, then smiled at her. "Since when did you become my mother?" Vivian laughed it off and hid a blush.

Meanwhile, in Fuego Village...

"For the last time, Mack, we're not building a moat!"

"You don't understand the importance of this moat! It'll save lives, I swear it—"

Holly cut off his inane monologue by kicking him into his (admittedly impressive) trench. It went about five meters deep. She sat down and crossed her arms over her knees as she watched the Sudowoodo flail around in the dirt.

"Trapping me down here only proves my point!" he yelled.

"Uh huh, sure." She stood up and stretched her arms. She glanced over at the hut they were constructed from the migrants. So far, it was coming along nicely. A quarter of the way built thanks to their combined efforts, even if they had to haul supplies over Mack's ridiculous trench that circled the whole building. She was more amazed he dug out so much dirt and rock in a few days on his own.

"The hut looks amazing," a voice spoke up. Holly turned to Tilly, who walked over with a bag full of dirt and a trowel. "It reminds me of the village projects we would do together. We never worked on something quite like this before."

Holly chuckled. "Yeah, it is coming along great. Speaking of, how's your team handling the gardening?"

Tilly sighed. "Tiring, to say the least. I've never had to tap into my own energy before. Magic made the process so much easier. And yet…" She smiled brightly up at Holly. "It's honestly kind of rewarding. We made great process making the fertilizer."

"That's wonderful!" Holly cheered. "See? If our ancestors could do it, you can, too!"

"Hooray for normies!" Mack cheered from inside his trench.

"Darn it, Mack!" Holly kicked a block of wood into the trench, which apparently bonked Mack's head.

"Yow! You dare strike me? I'll—wait, I could use this! Thanks!"

Holly groaned and covered her face. "He is such an idiot." Tilly giggled to herself.

Just then, Holly sensed an aura approaching them. She turned and spotted Griffin returning from his training with Hallie…who was being carried back in his arms. She had shallow scrapes on her face and arms.

Tilly gasped. "Hallie?!" She sprinted over to her daughter. "Gracious! What happened?!"

"She's fine, just a training mishap," Griffin assured her.

Hallie grunted before opening her eyes and smiling sheepishly at her mother. "Heh. I wanted Master Griffin to show me a really strong attack just for the experience. I didn't want him holding back."

"You do remember I cleaved a mountain when we first met, right?" Griffin pointed out. "What I hit you with was the equivalent of you pushing a toddler over." Hallie pouted.

Holly groaned and joined Tilly's side. "Must you be so reckless, Griffin?"

Griffin shrugged. "She kept pestering me. I know my own strength. Nothing I did was going to kill her."

Tilly's eyes quivered with tears. "Please don't say such things nonchalantly…"

"Sorry, ma'am." Griffin passed Hallie into her arms. "Hallie, you're resting up. No more training until those scrapes heal."

Hallie pouted harder. "Darn it…"

Griffin rolled his eyes. "And another thing, you—" He was cut off by a humming inside his jacket. "Hmm?" He reached inside and pulled out his crystal orb. "Huh. Haven't gotten a call on this in a while."

"Who is it?" Holly asked.

"Not sure." Griffin waved his hand over it, allowing the transmission to come through. "Hello?"

A face appeared in the glass, a familiar shade of purple. A big grin broke out on the face. "Long time, no see!"

Griffin's eyes widened, then he returned a simple smile. "Ella? Is that you?"

"Ella Cipher, at your service! Hey buddy, it's been a while!"

"No kidding. I wasn't expecting you to call."

"Honestly, between training and not dying, I forgot you even had a crystal orb. Still, glad I remembered. Missed seeing familiar faces."

Griffin chuckled. "The feeling is mutual. Are you doing well?"

Ella frowned and glanced off to the side. "More or less. A lot happened on my end, actually. A…lot." She shook her head. "Err, but how are you doing? Not getting into any trouble, right?"

Griffin sighed. "We still haven't found Voss yet. We did run into some migrants who lost their village, so we escorted them to a refuge retreat in Fuego Village."

"Oh! Tony's old village!"

"That's the one. We're getting them set up before we leave. Voss' current whereabouts are still a mystery to us, nothing concrete. Can you imagine having to look for someone you can't sense?"

"Vaguely," Ella mumbled. "That's too bad for the villagers. Make sure they're well prepared before you ditch them."

"That's harsh, my pupil and her mother are standing right here," Griffin joked. Tilly and Hallie awkwardly waved at the crystal ball.

Ella smirked. "Oh, you got yourself a pupil. I never knew you had it in—"

"Lass! We didn't call for a chitchat!" Griffin raised his brow to the offscreen voice.

"Err, right." Ella sighed, then glared seriously at Griffin. "Listen, since you're the only person I can reliably call at the moment, we need your input on something."

Griffin glared. "So, something did happen."

"A lot, like I said. We passed by my village and…it was attacked. Invaded by the shadows."

Griffin's eyes widened. "Is everyone okay?"

"Wes and Flint's mom's fine, a lot of people I know are fine. There were some casualties. Several injured, some dead. It was brutal. My parents, thankfully, weren't around during the invasion, though they're wandering Mysto looking for me. I have no idea where they are. Vivian said they're well-armed, but…you know…"

Griffin nodded understandably. "If I happen across them, I will protect them."

"Please and thank you, but that's not why I called. Hal may have figured out the real reason the shadows attack. We think they're looking for the lost graves of the Ravenfield family."

"They're what?" Griffin gasped. Holly covered her nonexistent mouth while the mom and daughter duo looked at each other unsurely.

"They went after files belonging to the Ravenfields. Some ancestor may have enchanted them so even the Immensus Library couldn't detect and copy them. They've already stolen a bone from Garret's grave. They may be trying to create dark duplicates of the Ravenfield bloodline, just like the ones we fought in Gelid Peak."

Griffin clenched his teeth. A red aura seeped out of his eyes like flame. "Those monsters…so, defiling my village council's graves wasn't enough? Now they're going after Ravenfields."

"I've never seen Garret fight, but I know he's stupidly strong, as well as the rest of the bloodline. If they manage to create puppets like that to do their bidding…"

"We may be in serious trouble," Griffin concluded. He took a deep breath and exhaled a thick, red aura from his nostrils like steam. "Tell me what I need to know."

"You said you're in Fuego Village right now, right? In the Fire Zone?"

"Yes."

Hal pushed Ella away from the crystal ball and picked it up. "Lad, listen to me carefully. I didn't get a good look at all the documents' information, but I know for a fact there's an unmarked grave somewhere in the Fire Zone. Ye need to find it and make sure it's secured."

"You want me to secure a grave?"

"Do whatever ye need to. Get a priest or something to mark it as sacred ground. That's the only way we can guarantee unclean hands don't touch it, or at least stall the shadows."

"Who is in that grave?"

"A Ravenfield by the name of Buster. I don't know who he was, but he's supposed to be really strong. Really, really strong. Not all Ravenfields were hardcore fighters, but ye cannot let them get their hands on that grave. If we can prevent just one from being tampered with, it'll save us a lot of trouble."

"You want me to wander the Fire Zone for an unmarked grave?" Griffin exclaimed. "Do you not hear how insane that sounds!"

"We're asking for a lot, I know, but do ye really want to fight more powerful opponents centuries older than ye? Ye'll have to suck it up and find anything ye can to track it down."

Griffin bared his teeth. "You're really giving me an impossible task here."

"I'm going to call in a favor with the Mangas family to see if they can help ye. Try finding anything that might narrow yer search."

Griffin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Good grief. You owe me big time, old man. Consider Buster Ravenfield's grave secured."

"Thank ye. Good luck. Do not let them find that grave first."

Ella popped in and winked. "I'll try calling you again soon! Take care!"

Griffin nodded. "Bye." The transmission ended. He pocketed the crystal orb, then faced Holly and the mother/daughter duo. "This…could be a problem."

Holly glared. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know." Griffin crossed his arms and glowered at the ground. "I don't know…"

Mack finally pulled himself out of his moat and crawled onto land. "I have returned!" He raised his brow at the somber looks from the group. "Did I miss a funeral or something?"

Hal sighed and set the crystal ball down. "Now, we wait."

Ella closed her eyes. "I hope Griffin knows what he's doing."

"He's a smart lad. He'll find the grave in no time."

"True." Ella stared at her reflection in the ball for a moment, then turned to Hal. "So, who was Buster Ravenfield? That's the first time I've heard that name, actually."

Hal glared. "Sadly, I'm as lost as ye. Me poor memory just isn't what it used to be. All I do remember was that he was insanely powerful. He did something…important, but I really can't recall." He sighed and rubbed his eyepatch. "Of course, that was a long time ago and I was probably as sleep deprived as Geno when I looked it up."

Ella shook her head. "In that case, hopefully Griffin finds it in time." She stretched her legs, then hopped out of her chair. "I should get back to Lenny and tell him I'll be leaving soon."

"Yeah, best to be on yer way."

Ella reached for the door, but stopped as it swung open with Ava and Vivian walking through. "Oh, hey, we just finished calling Griffin."

"Good." Ava pulled up a chair and grabbed the crystal ball.

Ella raised her brow. "Do you need to call him, too?"

"No, but…" Ava sighed, then looked to Ella with a smile. "I can't leave without at least trying to help secure your parents."

Ella's eyes widened. "Really?"

"I can't guarantee anything, but having more eyes on the prowl is better than nothing." Ava hovered her hands over the crystal ball. "Hopefully, the connection isn't weak. I haven't connected with her in years."

"Who are you calling?" Ella asked.

Ava narrowed her eyes. "Your master, and my friend…" She pressed her fingers against the crystal. "Call Willow Shadestar."

Ella gasped. "Master Willow?!" She ran over to the table. "Wait, are you sure? Willow would have to—"

"I know, she has a daughter to look after." Ava glared. "I didn't want to cause Willow unnecessary grief, especially with Alex back and with Mysto in peril, but she deserves to know. Hopefully, she can at least help find your parents." Ella leaned onto the table, eyes shining with glee.

A storm of colors swirled within the ball, trying to establish a connection with the Absol. Ava hardened her concentration, feeling a faint connection building up. However, as the seconds ticked by, something didn't feel right.

"What's taking so long?" Hal asked, looking over the fortune teller's shoulder.

"I can sense a connection with Willow's crystal ball, but…it's not going through."

"Maybe she's not at home," Vivian considered. "Or maybe the crystal ball broke."

Ella narrowed her eyes worriedly. "Or…what if something bad happened?"

Ava bared her teeth. "Come on, Willow, pick up."

Gale Wind Village…

In the Shadestar Weapon Shop/retired dojo, a crystal ball illuminated in the darkness, calling out for anyone to answer. A hand fell limply over the crystal ball, knocking it off its pedestal. A crack shot up the center as the image came through.

"Will…can't see any…! Are you o—zzt? It's me, A…Young! Your friend!"

The fuzzy chatter echoed through the empty shop. Nothing but weapon in the dark, without a living soul to hear her voice.

Not a living soul…but plenty of fresh corpses.

The darkness masked the color of blood splashed over the hardwood floors, coating the weapon racks and the front counter. Mixed with the blood was an oozing black liquid, a physical layer of darkness found on the shadow puppets made by the Tribe of Shadows. Melted off their skins and mixed with the blood.

Bodies were splayed all over the shop with huge gashes over their bodies. Some were hacked to pieces. Looks of horror were frozen in their faces, as if they saw the face of Death itself. Based off the blood trails, some even tried to crawl out of the shop, barely alive, before succumbing to their injuries.

The most horrific part of the massacre was the countless weapons used to kill them. One grunt had their face smashed in by a flail. Another was covered in throwing knives, resembling a bloody pin cushion or a spiked ball. Many bodies were pinned to the ground with all manner of weaponry, from polearms to swords to sais. One even had a tonfa jabbed through their throat with its twin jammed through the eye.

The massacre didn't stop at the floor. Many others were pinned to the walls like decorations, all with twisted looks and bloodied darkness dripping off their bodies. Not a single invader was spared.

"Willow…if you—hear me, I need…right now! Just tell me…alright!"

Eventually, the light faded from the crystal ball, returning to the darkness of the shop. But not complete darkness. The only other source of illumination came from the front entrance, with the severed door sitting against the counter snapped it half.

The only evidence of a survivor were the bloodied footprints of an Absol exiting the shop.