The Guardian: Change

Not much changed in the week following Lucas's death, aside from a social structure change. Violet and I formed our group, along with Aurora, who we had hoped would join us, and Ghost and Thomas began their little group after Violet started spending more time with me. The only person who purposefully excluded themselves from any group was Basilisk, who I assumed did that purely out of professionalism. Nevertheless, it was a slow and painful week. At least it was made bearable if you had someone to talk to, which scared me about Aurora.

Aurora had cut herself off from everyone in the squad, and she made sure that her presence was sparse. If it was a group activity, like drills, she usually hung back away from us. Other times, I'd find her alone, weeping. It all terrified me because that was the exact path I took, so I took it upon myself to watch over Aurora. It was the best I could do with myself not being at one hundred percent yet.

But now, the week was ending, and that meant getting a new assignment. Hopefully, it would be something easy, like a scouting mission, but that won't be at least for a few more hours. Now, it was time for breakfast. Everyone had already gone through their morning routines. Most had already left. I stayed behind alongside Violet to wait for Aurora.

"How do you think she's doing?" Violet said, grabbing my hand. Since last week, we have grown closer. A lot closer than we had both expected. We both recognized that there was something between us, but we both weren't ready to admit it yet.

"I don't think she's doing too hot," I replied, squeezing her hand. Holding her hand never failed to make me feel warm inside, but of course, that feeling was always short-lived as reality would always come to snatch it away. "What worries me is that she's not talking to me."

"She'll get through it. She's a tough girl." She squeezed my hand in return. There was that warm feeling again. I wish it would stay longer, but no dice. Reality always had to shatter the mind's sweet dreams, and there was nothing anyone could do to end that cycle.

"Hey, guys," Aurora spoke softly as if speaking normally would unchain all the pain she was feeling. "Ready to go to breakfast?" She did her best to try and muster a smile to ease our nerves and assure us that she was okay, but it didn't work. It never did. This had become a routine since the third day after Lucas's passing, with only minor deviations in her overall pattern. The only thing that seemed to change was the time she took to get ready, which Violet and I assumed just to her biding her time and hoping we'd just leave.

"Ready as always," I smiled back in a vain attempt to draw out her genuine smile. That didn't work either. I sighed in resignation as we began to walk to the cafeteria. "So, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing better." She replied, once again summoning that empty smile. I had trouble deciding whether or not that was the truth, and I could tell Violet had the same debate in her head. I didn't know what to decide upon. Usually, her response ranged from "I'm okay" to "I'm fine." There had to have been some lie within her words. Something had to have been wrong.

"That's good to hear!" Violet beamed, taking the initiative.

"Yeah! I finally found something that will help me deal with my grief." Aurora replied. Or perhaps she wasn't lying. Still, something didn't feel right about the whole situation.

Upon arriving at the cafeteria, we got our food and sat down with the rest of our squadmates. They all talked amongst themselves, seemingly ignoring our arrival. That was until Ghost noticed us.

"Hey, guys!" The Grovyle said with the biggest grin I had ever seen. The social restructuring changed a few things within the squad. One of them was Ghost's level of friendliness directed at me. It was off-putting considering she was buddy-buddy with Tommy now, who still hated me. Violet won't admit this, but it bothered her as well, but she refused to tell me why. That's the scariest part about Ghost. She was an enigma unless she wanted you to know something about her, and usually, by then, it was far too late.

"Hello, Ghost. How are things?" Violet said, masking her concern. I don't think she wanted Ghost to know that she had her worried. From what I heard, I knew Ghost liked to capitalize on taking advantage of other people's emotions, but I don't understand why Violet is afraid of her.

"They're pretty good!" She responded in her usual bubbly way. It always disturbed me how cheerful she was all the time. After, in the wake of Lucas's death, that cheery outside never died down. She then leaned in closer to Violet. "I noticed how you and Nate here are spending a lot of time together. What's the deal with that?" I felt my cheeks go red but did my best to hide it.

"We're doing what good friends do," Violet responded coolly. "Ya know, instead of screwing over other people over." Ghost recoiled, not in shock but surprise. There was a sort of venom behind Violet's words that made me curious, which brought up a good point. Violet, aside from talking about things from her past, rarely ever spoke about Ghost. I suppose it wasn't really relevant to any discussion, but it made me curious about what they did together.

All Ghost did in response was chuckle and return to her attention to her end of the table. Nothing about the way she reacted to situations was expected. She looks at social dramas, such as this, as an opportunity to knock down people in the pecking order or manipulate them into being in her circle, which made her such an effective weapon and made her an essential weapon for the squad. She knew exactly how to navigate someone's mind, and that scared me.

We ate our meals quietly for the rest of breakfast, aside from a few conversations and some futile attempts to talk to Aurora. Afterward, Basilisk informed us that we had the next two hours to ourselves before we convene in the briefing room for our next assignment. I had been dreading this moment since the day Lucas died. I wasn't ready to go back out there again. It was naive that closing the chapter on my old life would free me of the burdens that plagued me, but I still subscribed to that wishful thinking and got bitten in the ass for it. Yes, I could sit with everyone else and not feel like a total outcast, but that came with an impending fear. A fear that I would fail everyone here, or mess up and get someone killed, which was spurred on by the tiny voice in the back of my mind whispering that it was my fault, and it was that fear that kept me up at night and one that I refuse to talk about.

Violet and I retreated to our little hideout on the roof of the H.Q., where we would spend most of our free time either enjoying each other's company or talking. We tried to get Aurora to come along, but she declined and said she was just going to lay down. I knew she was probably just going to cry, but regardless of what I did, she would've refused. Besides, at least I know she's safe.

From the roof, Varenfield took on a completely new look. Instead of the impoverished underside that I saw while on the way to the warehouse, it looked like a utopia. Buildings soared into the sky, with each one taking on a unique look. It was almost refreshing, being able to hear the sounds of a bustling city. It almost reminded me of home, and I slowly realized how much I missed home, but I couldn't let thoughts of the past bog down the present. This is a new start, and it's time I start treating it as such.

"You know, up here reminds me of home," I said, turning to face Violet. "So, how are you doing after that climactic breakfast?" Violet stayed silent for a moment, her gaze drifting off towards the city as she lost herself in thought.

"Promise me that if she says something to you about me, you won't believe her," Violet spoke suddenly, returning her attention to me. "I'm not the same person I was then."

"Uh, yeah, I promise?" I said, feeling a pit grow in my stomach. "Is everything okay?" She suddenly wrapped me in a hug that I returned. I think she needed it.

"I'm scared." Her grip around me tightened as she tried pulling me in even closer. I was officially worried about her. For the first time since I had met her, Violet had broken from her norm. She was usually so laid back and relaxed about everything, but whatever Ghost was doing was getting to her. She quivered in my arms, desperately trying to hold back tears.

"What's there to be afraid of?" I said gently, trying to repeat the same thing Violet did for me a week earlier.

"She's going to try to tear us apart." She said in almost a shrill whisper. Fear began to bubble within me, but I needed to keep it contained. Now was not the time for me to start to crumble too. I brought her over to one of the concrete walls of the roof access and sat next to her. Almost immediately, she pressed her face into my chest and began to weep silently.

I felt my heartbreak in two as I watched her silently cry. I didn't know what to do or how to make it better, so I just stroked her head, just like she had done with me. We sat like that for maybe a few minutes before she spoke again.

"You don't understand who Ghost is. She's ruthless and calculated. Worse though, she sees you are just another thing to dominate like she has so many others before her." Her voice was shaky. I thought for a moment, trying to piece together everything. I needed more.

"How would she do that?" I asked.

"It doesn't matter how she goes about doing it. All that matters is that she gets to say you were hers, and if she likes you, she'll try to make that permanent."

"Is that… what happened to you?"

"No, I was her partner in crime. We did… things. Sometimes terrible things that would ruin other people for our own pleasure. I still don't know why I did it. I guess it was my way of taking life into my own hands and getting revenge for how the cards had been dealt with me. That all changed, though, after you came into the equation."

"How did I change anything? You barely knew me at the time."

"It changed because Ghost wanted me to seal the deal; hence why I was tricking you with my human "form." I had begun to notice things when I observed you. I could tell that you were struggling with something, and it made me realize how sick the game Ghost and I played was. As I said, I used the time in the morning to clear my mind, and then I ran into you. After that conversation, I gave it up and played it off like it was a bet. I thought she took it well, until now." She then paused for a few moments as she calmed herself. Then, she looked up at me, eyes still awash with tears. "I'm so scared. I don't want to lose you. You make me a better person."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the flask she had given me a week ago. I held it up to her and locked eyes. "I have kept this in my pocket since the day you gave it to me. You make me a better person too. I've become a better person because of you." I took a deep breath, deciding that now was the time to make the unspoken spoken. I leaned down and kissed her. Much to my surprise, it was just like kissing another human.

I pulled back and smiled at her, "I promise you, she won't be able to do anything that would make me give this up." Maybe I jumped the gun a bit as Violet looked at me in shock. Much to my relief, though, that shock gradually melted into the wolfish smile that I came to know and love.

"Unexpected, but not unwanted." Violet sniffled, finally reigning in her tears. She fell silent, this time avoiding my gaze. "I don't usually say this, but I guess I should start getting used to it. Thank you, Nate. You've been in my life for a little over a month, but you've already helped me change for the better." She looked back at me and smiled. Thank God. I was anxious. I had overstepped some unspoken boundary, and while knowing I didn't make me happy, I was still worried. It made me think about why I was reluctant to do this in the first place. I don't think we were afraid of jumping into this, but instead, we were afraid of committing to it.

Regardless though, those fears slipped away as Violet and I entered into our usual routine of getting to know each other better. It was one of the best feelings in the world to be able to speak about the unspoken truths I had hidden away in my heart, and it was made even better knowing that there was a mutual feeling.

Just like that, two hours drifted by like they were nothing, and Violet and I made our way to the briefing room. We must've gotten there early as the only people in the room were Aurora, Ghost, and Tommy. We took our usual seats, with me being directly across from Ghost while Violet sat across from Tommy. Aurora took a seat next to me and brushed a paw up against my arm. I felt a cold chill run down my spine as she connected our minds. I expected her to say something, but nothing ever came. All that was there was that cold chill that periodically ran up my back.

"Look at you star-crossed lovers!" Ghost announced. Violet shot her a glare, but it only seemed to encourage her. "I just find it so strange how the new guy has managed to woo both Violet and Aurora. One has to wonder if he's praying upon their feelings to fuck." I did my best not to feed into her insults, and I could tell Violet was doing her best to hold back.

"What's wrong? Skitty got your tongue?" Tommy said, giving me the smuggest look I had ever seen in my life. I wished I could punch that look right off his face. The amount of arrogance one idiot could have was incredible. I was about to fire something, but I was saved. Everyone else filed into the room and took their respective seats. Although I was still fuming, I turned my attention to Basilisk.

Her eyes flicked over everyone before she spoke, "I know we are all still reeling from what happened just last week. I know that it has taken its toll on us, but let us fight on in his memory. Let us make sure that this thing never happens again." Then, she looked towards Aurora. "You don't have to come with us if you don't want to. I understand things may be a little shaky right now."

"I'll be okay. Thank you, Basilisk, for everything." Aurora responded. Basilisk nodded at her and continued with the briefing.

"Our target is an abandoned construction site. It's been marked as an area of interest because there have been reports of some gang activity there. Whether it's the Red Dragons or not, we don't know, but our job is to find out who they are and clear them out. Because of what happened last week, we've been given an extra day to prepare ourselves, so let's not waste it."

She dismissed us, and everyone slowly began to meander their way out of the room until it was only me, Violet, and Ghost. She turned towards us at the door, effectively blocking off the only exit in the room, and smiled at us.

"I'm so very disappointed that none of you took the bait. I would've expected YOU, Violet, of all people, to defend Nathan here, but I guess I'm wrong. Maybe you're a snake all around." I could see Violet struggling to bottle it up. I placed a hand on her shoulder and motioned for her to step behind me.

"What do you want, Ghost?" I asked.

"All I want is some fun. Is that so bad?"

I sighed, "Look, just get out of the way, please."

"Or what?"

Violet pushed her way in front of me and pinned Ghost against the wall, "Get out of our way now!" Still, Ghost stood unmoving. I don't know how, though. The level of ferocity radiating from Violet intimidated me. Eventually, Violet threw Ghost out of the way and pulled me through the door. Once through, she dragged me back to the roof access, still fuming. On the way there, we passed by Aurora, who did everything to avoid eye contact with Violet and me.

"You okay?" I asked Violet, who looked visibly tense.

"I figured out what she's going to do."

"What's that?"

"She's going to destroy you to get to me." Perhaps I should've been scared, but I wasn't. Maybe that was stupidity on my part, but I was more curious. It was a morbid curiosity, but it was one nonetheless. How would someone who barely knew someone else go about destroying them?

"She won't," I said softly to her. "She doesn't have any dirt on me." It was true. I had only existed here for about a month, give or take, so there wasn't much to dig up about me. That probably why I was so curious as to how she would destroy me. Although, that does assume that she meant reputation-wise.

"You underestimate Ghost. It doesn't matter if what she says is true or not. She has been with enough people to sway them to her side." Violet replied. She had a look of despair in her eyes that made my heartache, how I wanted nothing more than to make it go away.

"So, why don't we fight back using her methods?" I replied. She pondered for a moment and then looked down towards the floor, a look of guilt replacing her despair.

"Nate…" She began. It was always these kinds of conversations I dreaded. These were the kinds that would be an emotional gut-punch or at least something of the sort. "We can't fight her like that… Well, we could, but…"

"But?"

"Remember how I said Ghost and I used to do things for our own pleasure?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, most of the time, it would involve manipulating people into sex. Actually, that was the most of the time, and I gleefully joined in on that. I'd say that we have a body count to rival each other, but I always made sure to end things on a sour note by saying I'd commit myself to them and then jump to the next person. We could try to get them on our side, but it would take a lot of explaining and… persuasion. "

There it was—that one gut punch for the night. I know she didn't intend on it, but it played off one of my worst fears. Before I met my fiance, I had dated one other person. It ended up being a terrible mistake and ended with me being cheated on and constantly dogged about it by my ex. Suffice to say, it was one of the worst times in my life, but it eventually led me to where I met my fiance. Of course, that's all in the past now, but it still caused me to panic. Especially with knowing that Violet had done it helluva a lot more times than anyone else I had dated.

"No, we have to think of something else then." I spouted, trying to conceal the shakiness in my voice. That's how it has always begun—just a general feeling of discomfort that gradually turned into a panic attack. It's kind of funny, though. I have done this dance so many times before; I had thought I had gotten past it, but apparently not. Just another challenge to the list, I suppose.

"What else do we have? Face it. Ghost has us beat." She said, defeated. I sighed and sat down where Violet and I were hours ago. I gestured for her to sit down, but she gently shook her head and opted to pace back and forth on the roof.

"You know her best. We can play off something that she does, like if she's prideful." I suggested. Once more, she pondered, seriously considering something. She suddenly turned to me, all her doom and gloom wholly gone, and rushed over and picked me up. At first, I was surprised, but I guess I shouldn't be. If there was one thing that my childhood taught me, it was that Pokemon were a helluva lot stronger than humans.

"You're a fucking genius!" She cried, spinning me around. "We have to challenge her upfront. She can never deny a direct challenge. Her pride wouldn't allow it. All we have to do, though, is win." How the hell are we supposed to do that? I do not doubt that Violet can hold her own against Ghost, but me? I only recently exited the scrawny club, and taking on a Pokemon would take a level of skill I did not yet possess.

"So, how would we even get Ghost to do this, and how would I even be able to help? I won't be able to do much against a Pokemon." I said after she set me down.

"Oh, you won't have to worry about Ghost. You'd probably have to deal with Tommy." She replied. I'll be honest, the prospect of fighting Tommy excited me. Ever since I got here, he's been a nonstop ass, and it would feel so good to humiliate him.

"Alright, so, when and where are we going to do this?"

"I want to get this done as soon as possible. The more time we give Ghost, the more time she will have to drag your name through the mud. As for where we could just call it sparring, and no one would bat an eye."

"So, do we want to challenge Ghost now or later?" I asked, sitting back down. Violet sat down next to me and smiled.

"No, I'd rather enjoy some more time alone than rush headfirst into that mess." Once more, we sat in silence, just taking in the sounds of the bustling city. Regardless of how much it reminded me of home, it was therapeutic. The cars, the sounds of construction, the sirens, all of it culminated into the beautiful song.

"I saw your face darken a bit when I talked about what I had done with Ghost," Violet said. "Do you want to talk about it?" Peace never lasted long here. Something would always pull me out of some nice stream of thought and drag me back to the dark place I had been trying to escape since last week. I had thought I had made some progress, but things would always destroy it.

"It's just another sordid story from my past." I sighed. To be honest, it was a conversation that I didn't want to get into because it had haunted me for so long. Talking about it was like being completely conscious that you are breathing and counting every breath. It was tedious and unnecessary.

"I know, but it bothered you, and I at least want to support you, if anything." She replied, trying her best to give me puppy-dog eyes. As much as I didn't want to talk about it, this story was probably something she should hear eventually. Who knows, this time it might even help me.

"Alright, you win. So, when I was a teenager, I made possibly one of the dumbest decisions in my life. I had dating just for the status dating in school would bring. Unfortunately for me, I ignored all the warning signs, and surprise, surprise, that person cheated on me after almost a year of dating. She didn't leave it at that, though. She tore me apart. Nothing that I did or that I loved doing was safe. Long story short, bringing up anything that has to do with cheating reminds me of that person and brings up a flight or fight feeling."

Violet paused for a moment, studying me. Without a word, she pulled me into a hug, which caught me by surprise, but was by no means unwelcome. I smiled as she began to play with my hair. That had quickly become one of my favorite things she did after last week and still had the same calming effect it had then. It was like it was her way of saying that everything was going to be okay.

"I'm so sorry that you had to go through that as a kid." She said with a sweet smile.

"Don't worry about it. I made a promise to keep the past in the past to the best of my ability." I replied, doing my best to smile back. It was no easy task keeping everything back and trying to move on. I wish it were. It always weighs heavy on my mind, regardless of what I'm doing, and every moment I let it affect me here, I feel guilty. I feel like I'm already failing.

"Is there anything else on your mind?" Violet asked innocently, although I already knew she saw right through me. That was one of her great skills. Once you let her in once, she can read you like a book, which in my case was a good thing. She got me to face my issues, which otherwise, I would've just buried like I had everything else.

"I just feel like I'm failing at everything I was asked to do," I sighed. "I fail at keeping my past in the past. I failed at keeping Lucas safe, and now I'm afraid I'm going to fail you." I looked deep into her violet eyes, praying that all my problems would alleviate, but no dice. That fear was still there. Ever consuming and gnawing.

"You won't fail me, and you won't fail anyone else," She began. "For the month that I have known you, I have seen strength and determination hidden behind all that darkness. Even if things don't work out in a favor, I promise you; things will be okay for us." She said softly. There was a level of uncertainty in her voice as if she was also reassuring herself. I wanted to mention it, but I decided it wouldn't be wise. If she needed to hear those words, then she did. As for me, though, it did its job well. The fear was still there, but now it was being held back by a resolve. If all else were to fail, I HAD to win. I'm not going to let her down.

"What about you?" I asked. "Is there anything bothering you?"

She chuckled and said, "There's nothing to worry about."

"Well, I'm worried about it, so talk to me."

"I…" She hesitated, looking away from me. "How well can you keep a secret?"

"Pretty well. What's up?"

"Well, before I got here, I had a friend. His name was Andrew. We had been friends basically since birth… and one day…" She paused, wiping a stray tear away. "He was murdered. I was so lost… and angry… I wanted revenge, so I joined up with a gang. When we tracked down the killer, I did terrible things to them. After, the gang wanted payment from me. I didn't have anything, so they…" She didn't have to finish the sentence for me to understand where she was going. I wrapped her in a hug and let her slowly dismantle her thoughts. Apparently, on Alpha Team, we are all our own little bundles of fucked up. Maybe that's why we were all bunched together.

As Violet wept, I felt myself grow angry. It wasn't that typical burning rage; no, it was a cold rage. I wanted to track down whoever did that to her and give them what they deserved. With every tear that fell on my shoulder, I felt that urge grow stronger and stronger. Now, I knew I needed to do this for her. Maybe it would give her closure.

With that silent promise, I comforted Violet while she simultaneously comforted me. Hours must've passed as the sun now dipped over the horizon. We both agreed that we should get the fight out of the way and then eat. After looking around for Ghost, we found her in the cafeteria, seemingly waiting. She seemed surprised at first, but that quickly melted into a look of confidence.

"Ah! My two favorite people!" Ghost said. "What can I do for you?"

"I want to end this. Now." Violet growled. Ghost seemed shocked as if this wasn't part of her plan, and if I had to guess, it wasn't.

"What is Nathan supposed to do?" She stammered, trying to collect herself and get a leg up in the situation.

"He'll take on your new buddy, Tommy. Unless you just want to give up now?" Violet grinned. She knew that what she was doing was getting to her and not vice-versa, which was a nice change of pace. Then, that confidence came back, and that brought back my worries.

"Fine. Meet us in the gym in the next ten minutes. We'll be ready. Are you?"

She left us before we were able to respond, but I doubt we'd be able to come up with one anyway. Not that it mattered much. It was going to happen. We were going to face our first challenge as a young couple, although I didn't want it to happen this soon, it was here nonetheless.

"Promise me one thing, Nate," Violet said, pulling me into the hallway. "If something goes wrong. If we lose. There is one last thing you can do. Challenge her about being in control. That is the ONLY thing I know that will give her pause."

I only nodded in response, and off we went to the gym. Any confidence that we had felt before wholly melted on the way there. It almost felt as if we were walking to our execution. Then, we saw them. Ghost stood with a twisted grin while Tommy leaned against a wall, looking utterly uninterested in what was happening.

"We're ready," Violet said to Ghost. "This is going to end here. Violet and Ghost went to a sparring mat on the opposite side of the gym as Tommy, and I lined up on the side closest to the door. Something about him seemed off as if his mind was somewhere else, but that could just be general disinterest. Besides arrogance, you could never really tell what Tommy was feeling.

"Let's get this over with." Tommy sighed, signaling over one of the gym trainers. I only nodded in response and got into a ready position. The trainer signaled for the fight to begin, Tommy almost instantly closed the distance between him and me, and he swung his right fist wildly at me.

His speed caught me off guard, but I managed to raise my arm in time to block it, which hurt. Wasting no, he threw another punch, which I, again, barely blocked. As he continued to levy his attacks against me, I scanned for any weakness I can use against him, and I found it. He reeled back when he swung, giving me a chance to strike if my instructor taught me well enough.

I took my chance, launching my attack. He managed to block, but I took it as a success and a platform to continue my assault. Block after block, I managed to find some success. On my punches grazed his cheek. He stumbled back in momentary shock, allowing me to sweep him off his feet.

He quickly got back to his feet and began to fight with me again. It was a cycle that went back and forth for a few rounds until I managed to get the upper hand against him. One of my punches managed to hit him in the head, and he fell to the ground, dazed. I raised my fist to finish the fight, but a sharp pain ripped through my head, followed by a hollow emptiness.

I'm sorry.

An image of the rooftop burned into my head. I was confused, and that confusion gave Tommy enough time to recover, but it didn't matter. I understood what it meant, and I understood that I had no time to waste. I ran out of the room, not caring about any of the consequences, and raced my way to the roof. There Aurora was, standing on the edge, both literally and figuratively. It was something I understood all too well.

"Aurora!" I yelled. "Step away from the edge!" She turned to look at me in surprise.

"Nathan?! Why are you here?" She asked, almost hurt and surprised that I had come.

"Are you serious?! I'm here because you are trying to kill yourself!" I tried not to, but I was growing frustrated. It was not because of her, but because of how much of me I saw in her. Not only that, though, but how often these sorts of things followed me and threatened the people I care for.

"So? I have nothing left. My family is gone!"

"That's not true," Behind me, Tommy, Ghost, and Violet burst through the roof access door. "I understand what it's like to be where you are."

"Yeah? You couldn't have done anything! I could've! I failed him!" She screamed. I needed to play my cards right. The two people knew nothing of my past behind me, and what Aurora told them isn't even true, but if I told Aurora the truth, they would hear it, and they could use it against me. Fuck. That doesn't matter. Who gives a shit about something as petty as that. Her life is more important than anything that they can do to me.

"Aurora, that's not what happened…" She cocked her head to the side in confusion. "She took her own life while I was away, and I blamed myself for it, but now I realize that there was nothing I could've done. In that situation, you couldn't have done anything." I said, although I still blamed myself for what had happened, she didn't need to know that.

"Why do you even care so much? We've only known each other for a month?"

"Because in that month I come to realize something. We are all a family here. We have to be; otherwise, we fail. That means I see you like family, and I'm not going to give up on that because you want me to." I glanced down at the ground, vividly remembering my final interaction with Lucas. I promised him I wouldn't let anything happen. I'm not giving up. I can't give up.

"How?! How am I supposed to see anyone here as a family when Lucas was the only one that truly looked after me? And now he's dead! What am I supposed to do?!" She cried, finally bursting into tears.

"There's nothing you can really do. It's going to hurt, and it's going to hurt for a while. What you can do is let us help instead of holding the burden of it all yourself."

"He's right," Violet began, stepping up next to me. "It sucks a lot more to hold that pain within you than to let others carry it with you. So, please, Aurora. Be as strong as I know you can be and step down from that ledge."

Aurora stared at the city and then back at us. I prepared myself to jump at her if need be, but much to my surprise, she jumped down from the edge and ran over to Violet and me. She clung to both of us and cried to us that she was sorry and didn't know what got into her. It made me think about my decision.

Perhaps I, too, was jumping the gun back then, and maybe if I gave myself more time or didn't push my friends and family away, I'd be different. Perhaps I'd still be who I was then. That joyful, optimistic, and hopeful person I was. Who knows what change Arceus has in store for me, but I hope it plans for good things for everyone around me.

"Well, I'm glad that it all turned out for the better, but we need to discuss my reward." Ghost said in a sly tone. I looked over at Violet, who was about ready to join Aurora in crying. She shook her head, and I knew what it meant. Me running out to save Aurora meant that I lost and that I'd be subjected to whatever Ghost wanted.

"What?" Aurora replied, confused.

"Oh, don't worry about it." Ghost smiled, stalking her way towards me. Violet began to move Aurora towards the exit. Aurora tried to fight her, but Violet was much stronger. Then, Tommy got in the way of them leaving and stared down Ghost, clearly furious.

"Ghost, I think that is enough. He more than proved he wasn't what we thought by saving Aurora. He wouldn't do that if he didn't care, now back off!" He growled. Ghost turned back in shock, but that quickly turned into anger and stomped towards him.

"You know what? You are all fucking snakes!" She yelled in childish fury. Finally, what Violet had said early made sense to me. She hated not feeling like she was in control, and now, she was losing control of the feud she started.

"Ghost, I thought you were reasonable. I thought you were snuffing out the bad that was in the P.L.F., but now I'm beginning to doubt that." Tommy replied to her, not backing down. Before Ghost could talk back, Tommy turned and left. Violet looked at me, to which I nodded, and she and Aurora followed him, leaving me alone with Ghost.

She turned to me, trying to collect herself, "Finally, now that we are alone, my reward." Once again, the Grovyle began to stalk towards me, swaying her hips in a flagrant attempt at seduction.

"No, there is no reward. You lost." I said before I began to make my way towards the exit. A leaf flew by my head and impaled the door of the roof access.

"No, you WILL listen to me, or the next one will land in your head." She threatened. She was close to snapping, which meant I had two choices. I could either press it or back down and endure whatever was coming to me. I choose the latter.

"Then do it. If that's what you feel would give you control, then do it." I replied, unsure yet confident in what I was doing.

"What did you say?" She growled.

"You heard. You feel like I'm the only one who you lack control over, and now, you feel like Violet is slipping from your grasp. You're losing it. Now, I felt that my words reached her, and she took pause. After a few minutes of silence, she scowled and then looked at me.

"Go." She mumbled. "Go before she… I change my mind!" She screamed, a single tear running down her face. As I ran down the stairs, I thought to myself. She referred to herself in the third person, which struck me as peculiar. There is something more to her that hides behind the scene. A secret that not even Violet knows, and whatever that was, it was slowly killing her. Regardless of whatever things may be plaguing Ghost, I better tell Violet the good news.