A/N - Thanks for all reads, reviews, faves and follows! =D

This will be the last update for a short while as I wrap up Part 4 and a couple of specials. I'm not sure how long, but I think I'll give the end of September as a deadline to spur myself on. Hopefully this will be the last hiatus I need, as the brighter weather and lifting of restrictions has raised my spirits somewhat. I hope this longer chapter will compensate for the time being! Enjoy!

38 - A Cry for Help

It had been a silent burial. No one could bring themselves to say anything, if they had anything to say. Mint watched Razorclaw cover Rio's body with soil, and once he'd finished, she stepped forwards to place a small red flower on the mound. Tears pricked her eyes and her throat tightened around an uncomfortable lump. She stood back with the rest of Rio's former group, and Sandpaw rubbed her back with a warm paw.

Mint let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes, turning back to the lab. The rest of the group followed silently behind her, their claws scratching over the white tiles in the cold, empty corridor. That's how everything felt now. Empty.

The group flowed into the lounge room, and Mint flopped onto the worn sofa and lowered her face into her paws. The rest of the pokemon joined her around the long, low coffee table, cramming into the small room. Yet it still felt empty.

"So what d'we do now?"

Tantrum's voice dragged Mint out of her thoughts, and she rubbed her face with both paws before looking up at the vigoroth. She gave a weak shrug and let her paws fall into her lap.

"I honestly don't know," she said. "I don't know where we go from here. This was Rio's plan, not mine."

"My thoughts exactly," said Tantrum. "He were th'genius. Not me."

"And I was just a guard," Razorclaw rasped.

Thunder and Ray nodded at that, shifting uneasily in their seats. When Mint looked at Rowap and Spelon huddled beside her, the two small rodents fidgeted and looked away.

Sandpaw hugged Scout on her lap and blinked back worried tears. "I think it's down to you, Mint."

The grovyle sighed and raised her paws in a weak shrug. "Then… then I'm disbanding us."

The group stiffened and looked at her, aghast.

"What?!" Tantrum gasped. "Disbanding? But… but all this work-"

"Like you said," Mint insisted, "Rio was the genius. He was the pokemon behind all this. We just… worked for him. Who here was told, in detail, what his ideas were? Who here can keep this facility running without detection from the Darkness? Because let's face it, his shield isn't going to last forever! Soon it will fade and this place will be visible for all to see! We'll be mobbed by murkrow before we know it."

The vigoroth sighed and exchanged glances with Razorclaw. "Yeah. You're right." He scratched between his ears and gave an exasperated grunt. "They find out what we're doin' here, we're as good as dead."

"So we have no choice," said Mint. "We move out. Find somewhere else to go."

"But where?" Razorclaw spread his claws. "We don't belong anywhere."

"Yeah, the Outcasts won't 'ave us." Tantrum narrowed his eyes and his words turned into a warning. "And I ain't joinin' no Heretics."

"I've already left the Heretics." Sandpaw's voice wavered and she hugged Scout tighter until he protested. "I can't go back there. Not again. Not…" Her eyes shone with tears.

"Mu-u-um!" Scout wriggled from the furret's grasp and plopped onto the floor. He rose up on his tail and puffed out his chest. "You don't need to be scared, Mum! I'm strong! I'll keep us safe."

Sandpaw stifled a giggle and wiped her cheeks.

"Aye!" Tantrum slapped his knee and grinned at the hatchling. "Wi' a strong pokemon like you on our team, we don't need t'fear no Darkness!"

"Exactly!" said Scout.

Mint sat back on her paws as she surveyed her companions. Scout had scrambled onto the table and was trying to lift everyone's spirits. Weak smiles adorned the muzzles of his onlookers, except for Mint. Everyone in that room had paid a price. They'd all lost family to the Darkness. Rio had gathered them all together under the guise of a small group of Heretics to fool Hydreigon's soldiers while they worked to overthrow the vile dragon.

And the entire plan had backfired. All because he'd tried to control Enigma.

All because he'd wanted revenge.

Enigma… He'd be back. She knew he'd be back.

She dug her claws into the sofa and bit her lip as an unsettling idea rose into her mind. "We need to get as far from here as possible." She paused for a moment and tried to meet the eyes off her teammates. "I think we should join the outlaws."

The room fell into silence again and all eyes turned to her.

"The outlaws?" Tantrum parroted.

Mint nodded. "Rio worked closely with them. So we just need to find the group who is cultivating this pokerus and join them. Perhaps… perhaps then we can come up with a new plan. We can see Rio's idea into fruition, but… well… safely."

"I dunno, Mint." Tantrum scratched the back of his head. "That's way out in th'Border Woods. Our kind ain't welcome there. We'd stand out like a sore pawpad."

"We can't." Sandpaw retrieved Scout and held him protectively. Her entire body trembled. "It's just dragons and dark-types."

"And the odd ghost- and poison-type," Razorclaw added. "All of them don't belong anywhere. That's where we are now." He paused, meeting the grovyle's eyes. "I'm with Mint."

"Me too," said Thunder. "I don't know about you, but none of you have raised the main concern. What if Enigma comes back? We all played a part in his capture. I wouldn't be surprised if he finishes us off before the pokerus takes him over."

"And even then he might still want revenge," Ray added. "He's still got his memories, after all! I doubt he'll forget us in a hurry."

"Oh believe me, I've considered this," said Mint. "But hearing it out loud… it makes it feel even more likely. So we move. Before dark."

"Hang on! That aint a lot o' time to clear up this mess." Tantrum waved a paw towards the corridor. "We've still got a number o' them test subjects who refuse to leave. What're we gonna do wi' them?"

"Tell them to go," said Mint. "Force them outside. Leave them. And if some insist then then bring them with us. There's safety in numbers, right?"

"But what if they snap?" Spelon's small voice rose from beside Mint, and the minun shuddered.

Mint sighed and rubbed her paws over her face. "Well we need to think of something quickly. If more of us are worried about the test subjects then we just leave them behind to fend for themselves. But as things stand, I'm down to take them with us."

"Our numbers are already small, Spelon," said Tantrum. "Enigma made sure o'that. How many 'ave we lost now? Three?"

Mint bit her lip again and glanced towards the door. She was on high alert for any sign of Enigma's bell. Every rustle from outside set her spine tingling. There was always a chance they'd encounter him on the way to the Border Woods, and being so close to the Shadow Lands…

"Let's make haste," she said, before she risked changing her mind. "Gather everything you need and meet me outside."

Scout stood up on his mother's lap. "So we're joining the outlaws and fighting the bad guys?"

"Aye, that's what we're doin'," said Tantrum as he rose to his feet.

"And we're gonna win, right?" Scout's eyes sparkled. "We're gonna be heroes!"

Sandpaw chuckled nervously and rubbed her son's head. "You'll be a fine hero."

Mint left the group to gather themselves together and followed the corridor towards the exit. A brisk wind greeted her, stirring her head leaf. Her eyes fell on Rio's grave and that lump rose in her throat again, choking off her breath. She whisked a paw across her eyes and forced herself to look anywhere else.

"We'll win this," she said. "Believe me." She hugged her arms around herself and closed her eyes, but a tear escaped to trail down her cheek. "I just wish… I'd stayed by you…"

Soft footsteps joined her side, and Tantrum's oddly soft voice broke through the silence. "Ready?"

Mint looked up at the rest of Rio's former team, now accompanied by a small number of test subjects. All gathered around her with small bags slung over their shoulders. She gave a curt nod and forced her shoulders to relax.

"Yes," she said. "But my navigation skills are pretty bad. Does anyone know the way?"

Tantrum pointed a claw towards the left of the path leading from the lab. "I think that's vaguely north. But eh, if we're off course we'll find out at sunset. Sky's always read over th'Shadow Lands."

Mint kept pace at the vigoroth's side, and everyone flowed away from the lab after her. Everyone except Sandpaw.

The furret clutched her son in both paws, trembling from ear to tail. When Razorclaw's prickly back had vanished into the trees, Sandpaw took one step back towards the lab. Then, with a shake of her head, she took off in the opposite direction, fleeing blindly into the shadows.

"Aren't we going with them?" Scout asked.

"No." Sandpaw shook her head again and picked up pace. "No, we're not."

...

Enigma came to a stop in an open stretch of land beside a river which wound through the valley, vanishing out of sight around a sharp bend. A fallen tree lay across it, its large roots curving up into the air and arcing back down again to end in a rotten, moss-covered point. The surrounding trees had shed their leaves onto the ground like a carpet which spilt over into the river. The odd leaf was whisked away to either be carried downstream, or join others against the rocks where they were beaten in place by the frothy spray.

Enigma settled under the arcing roots and popped the folder into his lap. Something had snatched his attention when he'd seen it open on Rio's desk. The title - Project C. He'd heard it a few times in the lab. He was certain it was to do with him. As he'd flicked through it, he'd noted the extensive notes on pokerus, that unusual strain Rio had infected him with. Enigma was desperate to know more, even if the thought filled him with an icy dread. Perhaps he'd get more from these notes than he'd ever have been able to beat out of the deranged meowstic.

Enigma skimmed the first few pages which detailed Type18. He wasn't interested in that. He already knew everything Rio had told him, and with Harlequin having a 'fairy-type' companion, he could get any information he desired concerning 'Type18' any time he wanted to. Rio had even included a side-note on giving the information to Boomer and how the noivern had failed to deliver the message to Hydreigon. Old news.

Enigma skipped ahead until he found the part he'd been skimming back in the lab. The information concerning pokerus. He sat back against the cold, rough bark of the tree and propped the folder up against his knees.

'Project C is the next instalment to our super-powered army against Hydreigon. Project B wasn't quite a failure, but I lost all my notes in the fire that devastated my lab, so here I'll document what I remember about it.

'Project B was a tyranitar chosen for the Pokerus Research Project. This new strain was discovered in my lab when an oddish popped up with unusual strength for its species. Oddish isn't ordinarily a force to be reckoned with, but this was giving higher-level water-types a difficult time. We extracted a sample of the pokerus from it and had it analysed at our partner lab in the Border Woods. There, it was determined that the pokerus had mutated into a new strain, one that could push a pokemon beyond its usual limits.

'This was huge news. Sadly, the strain wasn't contagious and soon ran its course. A search through our other test subjects revealed that no other pokemon had this particular strain, just the usual pokerus that everyone is familiar with. But the lab tampered with this new strain in hopes to make it contagious and sent it back to me to be tested further. The oddish was named 'Project X' and we started afresh with 'Project A', using this new strain.

'Sadly, Project A reacted badly to this parasite and ended up attacking itself until it was completely mutilated. We tried again on three other pokemon of different species with the same results. It seemed this new strain caused madness in a mere few hours of infection. This was reported back to the lab and they tweaked the pokerus strain some more. It mutated vastly and after I received this new, improved strain, we set to work on Project B.

'Project B showed huge progress, but just like the other two mutations this one also was not contagious. With enough of it at our disposal we could infect more, but first I wanted to see what would happen to Project B. It was a very compliant participant, and it enjoyed its training sessions. So much so that it would beg for them each day. Its strength increased exponentially. We believed this pokemon would become a power-house, one of many in a vast army against the Shadow Lands. More pokemon were infected with this pokerus and training began on them also.

'However, after one season had passed, Project B lost control during its training session, destroying the pokemon it was training against and killing two of my staff, and fatally wounding another. After this, we decided to train it against a moving target only.

'Project B had no memory of its outburst once it came to. Instead, news of it only seemed to distress it. Not to mention, my staff now feared it, along with the other subjects that were being raised to fight alongside Project B. New handlers had to be found, and then its training could continue, while the other test subjects were put on hold.

'During Project B's training, madness was becoming more and more common. During its outbursts it would ignore the target completely and just hunt around the room as if looking for something. Or someone. We began to fear it may target those it knew during its rampage. To be safe, I decided to remove all of its memories. However, this isn't an easy task. When a pokemon is awake it is constantly taking in new information and making new memories. And when asleep, it dreams. I removed as many as I could and hoped for the best. It worked, as when it next fell into a rampage its entire focus was on the moving target.

'After four seasons, Project B fully succumbed to its madness. It was kept in chains, away from my staff and its fellow test subjects. I deemed it a success. An army of these pokemon would be invaluable in a war against the Shadow Lands. If we could create more, unstoppable beasts that attacked anything that moved, then this war could be over in a matter of days!

'Then Type18 showed up. We chose three pokemon that carried this type - a snubbull, an azumarill, and a whimsicott - and after a month of training I removed their memories. They were sent out into the world with a tracking device so we could monitor their progress. I wanted to see how fast the pokerus would take to consume them while outside of a concentrated training environment, and also to see how much damage they could do once they hit a burst of hysteria. However, it was reported that the whimsicott had lost our tracking device, and before long the snubbull and azumarill also vanished off our radar.

'Setback after setback has afflicted me with my research. Project B has been destroyed, my research has been lost, and many of my test subjects have been released into the wild. Project C is my new, flawless plan. With Enigma infected and detained, one source of my problems is contained, and I have an invaluable tool in my war against the Shadow Lands.

'Project C must not fail. I will not make the same mistakes. I have learned, and with a new path before me I will strive to see this plan to fruition. Project C's memories will not be erased unlike its predecessors. We've lost too many valuable test subjects this way already. With memories intact, I can be sure that Project C will destroy those it is closest to-'

A chill ran down Enigma's spine and he stood up suddenly, dropping the file to the floor. He clenched his jaw and gave the ring binder a hefty kick, sending it sprawling across the forest floor.

"What have you done to me?!"

Enigma turned his back on the offensive object and placed a paw to his chest as his breath came in fitful bursts. His heart was racing. The more he read the sicker he felt. Rio had been completely insane. He'd wanted to build an army of unstoppable monsters and had dragged Enigma into it.

He'd turned him into one of his monsters. A ticking time-bomb that was set to go off in a matter of weeks.

He looked down at his paw, still sticky with blood, and his lip curled back in a sneer. It vanished in an instant as his eyes widened and his heart picked up. He raked his claws through the sticky fur, now unusually uncomfortable and clammy. His mind was still fresh with the horrors of what he'd done to Lou, yet he'd not even hesitated to kill Rio.

Rio.

Enigma curled his claws into a fist and glanced back at the folder. No. He was right to kill Rio. Even with him taken care of his plan was still in motion with irreparable consequences. It wouldn't disintegrate that easily. But as far as Enigma was concerned, it was over for him. He didn't want anything more to do with that deranged meowstic or his crazy antics. He'd wash his paws of him and destroy that folder before anyone else got their mitts on it.

He turned to the river so quickly the momentum threw him off balance. His head was spinning. He felt sick and dizzy, and he wasn't sure if it was from what he'd read, the blood on his paw, or the pokerus taking over his body. He dropped beside the river and plunged his paw beneath the freezing surface. Gritting his teeth as the icy water bit through his fur, he scrubbed his paw with his claws, trying to remove the congealed blood that was oddly reluctant to come out. The surface of the water turned pink briefly before it was whisked downstream.

His mind reeled with the information he'd just taken in. The pieces didn't fit the puzzle. Weren't they Heretics? Weren't they trying to win favour with Hydreigon? If not, then why tell Boomer about 'Type18' in the first place?

Enigma's mind was too muddled to make head nor tail of it. Perhaps there was more about it in the folder? Rio had recorded they'd been working with outlaws, a band made up of those who didn't fit anywhere else. Was it possible Rio's group were also outlaws? No… it didn't make any sense. They weren't dark- or dragon-types. They weren't ghost-types, either. They didn't fit into Hydreigon's ideal, nor did they go against those the Outcasts clung onto.

Satisfied his fur was now rid of Rio's blood, he dried his paws on his scarf and turned back to the folder. No, he didn't want to keep reading it. He'd seen enough. Now he just had to get rid of it. He placed it on a pile of dead leaves and grabbed a couple of pebbles from beside the river. They were a little damp, but with a bit of encouragement he managed to get some sparks to form as he clicked them together, and the sparks quickly ate up the dry paper.

There.

Rio's crazy plan, done. Destroyed. Erased from Estellis forever.

If only it were that easy. His infected, unfortunate test subjects wandered freely outside that lab now Faith had released them. Enigma was one of them, after all.

He picked up the burning folder by its cover. The pages curled back, blackened, as the flames ate them away. Smoldering wisps dropped away, but were burnt up before they touched the try leaves.

The lab wouldn't be getting this information back. Would they even try to continue where Rio left off, now the lead scientist behind the project was out of the picture? Without Rio, they'd have to start again. Unless one of them knew his plans inside out. From what Enigma had leaned about Rio, his ego was miles wide. He could either have kept everything to himself, deeming himself a genius while his goons did the lesser work, or he could have spouted about it for hours until his goons knew his plan inside and out.

But there was one thing Rio had clearly not considered. What would his beloved army do once they'd finished decimating the Shadow Lands?

It was clear to Enigma which side would have won. No army of pokemon could stand against an army with a huge type advantage. Not to mention an army fuelled murderous insanity caused by a mutated, power-enhancing, parasitic virus. So what would happen when they had nothing left to destroy?

Enigma tossed what remained of the folder into the air and watched as the flames consumed it. It dropped to the ground in a smoldering heap where the keen embers swiftly spread to the surrounding leaves.

They'd find something else to destroy. The deranged army would move across Estellis, wiping out any pokemon they could get their teeth and claws on.

Enigma crushed the flames under his foot and smothered them into the dirt.

Rio wasn't just unhinged. He was an idiot.

...

Faith had been hoping to catch up with Cleo or reach the village before sunset. Her diversion hadn't taken her that far out of the way. She'd managed to find their way back to the river and pick up the trail, but Cleo was nowhere in sight. Faith and Mischief had travelled somewhat quietly. The whimsicott hadn't wanted to discuss the lab or Enigma and any conversation had been very disjointed as he became lost in his own thoughts.

When sunset came, Faith considered continuing on. They had reached the Glen, so Stonehaven shouldn't be much further. But the skies were rapidly darkening as the sun set beyond the gentle slope of the mountain rising up on the opposite side of the river.

Faith paused to look around, searching for somewhere that would provide the pair with shelter and a safe place to hide. The river roared as a waterfall cascaded down the mountainside through a curtain of willow branches and ivy. The water tumbled over the rocks in its journey to join the river, whisking off into the distance as it wound down further into the Glen. Faith considered the waterfall for a moment, narrowing her eyes as she searched for a cave. Her night vision wasn't bad, but even through all the spray and shifting shadows as the branches swayed in the breeze, it was impossible to tell if there was anything beyond it. Instead, she motioned for Mischief to follow her away from the river into the borders of the forest.

The sun had long set by the time she found an old, decaying tree. Its hollow trunk was damp but served as a suitable hiding place. Mischief uprooted long fern fronds to plant at the entrance, situating them so they looked natural. Once they were in place, he stood back and met Faith's eyes.

"I can take first watch," he said.

Faith shook her head but Mischief raised a paw before she could speak.

"I insist." He let out a quiet sigh and glanced into the woods before continuing. "You were in a battle earlier. You're more tired than I am. Get some rest."

Faith watched him for a moment, shuffling her feet by the hollow opening. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Mischief nodded stiffly and looked back towards the river.

Faith sighed and crouched down beside him. "Mischief… I get the feeling something's bothering you. Please… if you need to talk about it, then-"

"I'm just worried."

Faith was silent for a moment as she searched his face. "About Cleo?"

Mischief shrugged and shuffled his paws in the grass, staring off into the distance. After a moment he slumped down onto the dry ground.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Faith smiled encouragingly. "She's a strong warrior, and she has Spark with her."

"Spark is injured," Mischief reminded her. "And that's not it. I'm worried… about joining them again." He rubbed his face and sighed again. "I'm a threat to them. And if I don't fight, I'm useless. I've proved that already."

"You're not useless."

"Of course I am," he spat. "You saw what happened with that linoone!" He dug his claws into the earth and grit his teeth. "The Darkness won't listen to reason, and if I fight then… then I risk hurting Cleo."

Faith took a deep breath and twirled her paw in the long fur beside her face. "There's more to this than what happened with Reshiram, isn't there?"

"I'm not worried about how strong I am," said Mischief. "That's something I can work on. What frightens me is that I lose control when I fight."

Faith waited silently for him to continue, but she didn't have to wait long. Mischief closed his eyes and tugged at the stiff plants beside him.

"I have no memory of it, but I killed Boomer. And I almost killed Enigma. If I turned on Cleo, or Spark, or you… any of my friends… I'd never forgive myself." He took in a trembling breath and wound the plucked plant around his paws. "I have nightmares about it. That I'm hurting Cleo. It frightens me. I don't want to sleep. I feel like I should run away, at least she'd be safe then. You'd all be safe."

Faith closed her eyes briefly as her encounter with Enigma flashed through her mind. 'Why don't you ask your unhinged friend?'

The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place. Whatever had happened in that lab, she was convinced Mischief was a part of it.

"Is this because of pokerus?" she ventured.

Mischief nodded stiffly. "I think so."

"It's not meant to do this." Her words hadn't been aimed at Mischief, just an echo of her own thoughts, but he nodded anyway. "So this is what Rio was doing? Messing with pokerus and infecting other pokemon?"

Mischief nodded again.

Faith leaned back against the hollow tree and stifled a groan. Messing with pokerus… making others suffer for it. She didn't want to agree with Enigma that he'd done Estellis a favour by killing Rio. Any pokemon was capable of redemption. She knew that. Enigma had robbed Rio of any chance of redemption, and the damage had already been done. Damage Rio could probably have helped to undo.

Faith raised her head as an idea lit up in her mind. "Rio was working with the outlaws, right?"

Mischief looked up at her and a smile spread across Faith's muzzle, causing a glimmer of confusion to flash across Mischief's orange eyes.

"If he was working with them," Faith explained, "then there's a chance they might know how to help you."

Mischief's face lit up and he sat up straight. "You think… you think I can be cured? There's a cure?"

"Quite possibly." Faith scratched the side of her nose and gazed up at the canopy. "If they've tampered with it, then they'll probably be working on a countermeasure in case things go out of control. I mean, it would be pretty foolish not to. If they caught it then they'd want it gone, surely? And they're working against the Darkness, so I imagine they'd help you if you asked."

Mischief glanced from side to side, shifting uncomfortably. "Then… then I should find them."

Faith raised a paw and stifled a laugh. "Let's just focus on our current mission for now. We can help Stonehaven and find the fire-type like Xerneas requested, then we can find a cure for your pokerus! If we work together then we are sure to find it!"

Mischief took a steadying breath, but his eyes had a new light behind them. He reflected Faith's smile and settled back in his spot.

"Thanks, Faith," he said. "I really hope this works." His smile faltered and he hesitated for a moment. "But what if it doesn't?"

"If it doesn't, then I'm pretty sure it will be wiped out in the Fairy Garden." Mischief looked up at her sharply, but she went on, "Evil has no place there, and this pokerus is certainly not a good thing."

"But we were just there," he choked. "Why… why didn't it…"

Faith shrugged and let her paws fall into her lap. "I don't know." She paused, wracking her mind. "Xerneas did say your weakness would be your greatest strength. Perhaps he meant this?"

Mischief sighed and stared down at his paws. "I can't see how something so dangerous to my friends is going to help them."

"I don't know," said Faith. "I can't help you there."

Mischief fell silent, tugging at the grass again as his mind went elsewhere.

The mawile pushed herself from the tree, drawing his attention as her feet disturbed the leaves. "Do you still want first watch?"

"Please." He let his paws rest in his lap, still toying with the stiff wiry plant. "I need some time to think and clear my head."

Faith placed a paw on his shoulder and turned towards the hollow, bidding him goodnight. She'd barely stepped inside when a loud cry reached her ears.

"Help! Please help!"

Both pokemon looked up as the ferns rustled and swayed ahead of them. They parted and a long, lithe furret tumbled through, clutching a hatchling in her arms.

"Please help!" she gasped.

A look of recognition flashed across the furret's eyes and she took a step back into the ferns. Her breath came in frantic bursts and she looked about to faint.

Faith raised her paws and approached her slowly. "What's wrong? Is someone chasing-"

"It's you," the furret gasped, clutching her son so tightly he wriggled in her grip. "You… you broke in… and Rio, he…" Her words choked off as her eyes streamed with tears.

"I'm not your enemy, okay?" Faith said softly. "I was helping innocent pokemon."

"Enigma… he'll kill us!" the furret sobbed. "He'll kill us all!"

The furret tumbled forwards into Faith's arms, burying her muzzle in her shoulder. Faith looped a paw around her back and stared down the path the ferret pokemon had come from.

"Come and rest, okay?" Faith pulled back gently and took the furret's arm. "You're clearly exhausted."

The furret wiped her eyes with a free paw, keeping a firm grip on her son. "I don't know…"

"Please," Faith insisted. "I can assure you I'm a friend. You'll be safe here. Safer than walking around the forest in the dark, shouting for help."

"But you released Enigma."

"I released everyone who was being kept unjustly in that lab," Faith explained. "If you were locked up, I'd have freed you too."

The furret lowered her paw from her tear-streaked face and glanced at the mawile. "I suppose… in some way you have."

Faith gave her a warm smile. "Do you want to join us? We'll be safe and hidden in the hollow there."

The furret met Faith's eyes and nodded stiffly.

"I'm Faith. What's your name?" When the furret didn't answer, Faith looked to the sentret.

He stifled a yawn and beamed at her. "I'm Scout! And this is my Mum."

"Sandpaw." The furret shuffled her feet and her long tail swished through the ferns. "My name's Sandpaw. I'm… I'm not a Heretic, I…" She closed her eyes and swayed, letting Scout tumble to the floor.

Faith caught the furret before she crashed into the bushes. Scout landed nimbly on his tail and turned towards his mother, a look of worry flashing across his face. Faith motioned towards the hollow tree and he scampered on ahead as Faith guided the exhausted furret after him. Sandpaw cast a glance at Mischief as they passed him, and the whimsicott raised an eyebrow at Faith. The mawile mouthed at him not to worry and entered the hollow. The long fern fronds swayed back into position behind her, obscuring Faith and the two newcomers from view.

Sandpaw settled down against the wall of the rotting trunk and rubbed her face. Faith sat a respectable distance from her, and for a moment she thought the furret was going to fall asleep on the spot.

Scout scampered around the hollow, gazing up into the darkness above them. Mushrooms spread out above them, spilling out from a deep crevice and trailing down the wall in a river of yellow and orange.

"Wow!" Scouts small voice echoed around them, setting Sandpaw on edge. "We're inside a tree!"

The furret hissed at him to be quiet, drawing a quick 'sorry' from the sentret.

Faith chuckled and folded her paws into her lap. "You're certainly energetic, aren't you?"

Scout turned to her and puffed out his fuzzy chest. "I have to be. I'm a hero now, and I have to look after my Mum."

"That's lovely!" said Faith leaning towards him. "I reckon you'll make a great hero!"

"I will!" His voice echoed again and he clapped his paws over his mouth, glancing at his mother's disapproving stare. He turned back to Faith and lowered his voice. "Tantrum told me I'd be so awesome that pokemon would write stories about me."

"And I'd love to read them!" said Faith with a chuckle.

"You're that pokemon who transformed earlier, aren't you?"

Faith nodded and went 'mhm!'

"I wanna do that to! How'd you do it?"

"I can show you one day," said Faith. "But I think you'll be very strong when you evolve."

"I must be close then cos I feel strong already. And I'm already three seasons old."

"Wow! You're big for three seasons."

"Mum always says I'm gonna be big like Dad."

Sandpaw's ears drooped and she looked away from the pair. Realising this was probably a sore spot, Faith decided to change the topic.

"So where are you two going?" she asked.

Sandpaw shrugged. "I don't know. I just… when the lab evacuated, I ran. I didn't want to go with the others to find the outlaws."

"They went to join the outlaws?" Faith straightened, meeting the furret's eye.

Sandpaw nodded. "They have contacts there. But… it's so close to the Shadow Lands." Her breathing turned erratic and her pupils dilated. "And there's dragons. And dark-types. It's… it's not safe. Not safe!"

Faith shuffled towards her, shushing as she placed a paw on her knee. Sandpaw fell quiet save for her breathing.

The furret took a deep breath and swallowed. "I… I joined the Shining Moon because the Darkness usually ignores them. You Outcasts find yourselves under attack so frequently there's hardly any of you left. I thought we'd be safe, but-" She swallowed again and tears pricked her eyes. "But the Darkness wiped out the camp I was living in. A few of us escaped and I found Mint. She offered to take me with her to Rio when she left. She'd promised it was safe because of his psychic barrier. But then… but then you…" Sandpaw choked and stared into Faith's eyes. "Why did you kill Rio?"

"I didn't," said Faith.

"You released Enigma."

"I had to!" Faith whispered. "Everyone there was a prisoner. It's not fair what Rio has done to all those pokemon."

Her eye went to Mischief, just visible beyond the ferns. He looked back at them over his shoulder but said nothing.

Sandpaw blinked, putting the pieces together. "Is he…?"

"Yes," said Faith, turning back to Sandpaw. "And he's suffering because of Rio. Darkness or not, is it really fair to let others fall to the same fate?"

Sandpaw opened her mouth to answer.

"No, it's not," said Mischief quietly.

Sandpaw snapped her jaw shut and looked away, the tears leaking free. "I'm so sorry," she muttered. "I never liked what he was doing. But I thought… I honestly thought it would help us win this war."

Faith sat back on her paws and smiled, Xerneas' words to Mischief echoing in her mind. "It might." She cast a glance at the whimsicott but she wasn't sure he'd heard her. Turning back to Sandpaw, she added, "But pokemon don't belong in cages."

"No. I know they don't."

Scout yawned widely and sat back on his tail. Sandpaw scooped him up and set him in her lap, and the little sentret huddled down sleepily.

"So where are you Outcasts going?" Sandpaw asked Faith.

"We're travelling to join some friends," Faith explained. "I'm not an Outcast, though. I'm helping them find a pokemon they need to help them."

"You're not an Outcasts?" Sandpaw's muzzle creased with confusion and her eyes trailed over Faith's left shoulder. "But you're not a Heretic either?"

"No." Faith shook her head. "I'm from a place called the Fairy Garden. Mischief and his friends found us only a few days ago."

"I've never heard of it," said Sandpaw.

"I'm hearing that a lot recently." Faith gave her a sad smile. "It seems a lot of pokemon have forgotten about it. It surprised me to learn how quickly stories and legends have faded away. It doesn't feel that long ago I was sharing hot cheri tea with the pokemon of Gleamgrove Abbey, and now it's fallen into ruin."

"Quickly? A building doesn't fall into ruin over night. It takes many years." Sandpaw looked Faith up and down. "And you don't look much older than me."

Faith chuckled. "Time seems to move differently in the Fairy Garden. I'd say it's rather 'timeless'."

Sandpaw didn't look convinced. She inclined her head on one side as if looking for some hint that Faith was pulling her leg. "So what's it like there?"

"It's full of pokemon," Faith explained. "There's no divide. Everyone gets on and helps out with daily tasks as Xerneas watches over us all. There's no sickness, no death, and no Darkness." As Sandpaws eyes lit up, Faith added, "But that doesn't mean we're not fighting against it. Xerneas gifts us all with various abilities to combat the Darkness. But so many pokemon have drifted away, if we don't find them and draw them back, when the end to the war arrives then so many innocent lives will be lost. Even those who don't work for the Darkness… if they don't find the Fairy Garden, then they'll die." Faith folded her paws together and gave Sandpaw a small smile. "That's my job. Sure, I can fight, but I'm one of those who are sent out to tell others about the Fairy Garden."

Sandpaw settled against the rotting wall. Scout was now wide awake, watching Faith with sparkling eyes. His mother rubbed his head, ruffling the fur between his ears.

"Could you tell us about it now?" Sandpaw asked. "I think it will be nice to hear about it after everything that's happened today."

A shuffle came from outside and the pair looked up as Mischief inched closer to the ferns.

"Of course," said Faith. "I suppose I'll start at the beginning, when the war first started. It was the day evil first came into the world."

...

Rumble was exhausted. The noibat swarm had reached the Shadow Lands, and not without casualty. Only thirteen bats remained, not counting Rumble. They struggled to hold up the cocoon as their strength left them. Its crystallised surface slipped between their claws and they fought to hold on. The two at the front scrabbled, then their wings went limp and their eyes rolled back in their heads. They dropped, and the rest of the swarm lost their grip on the cocoon.

Rumble leapt to action, tucking in his wings and dropping like a bullet. He snatched the cocoon in his claws and flailed his wings as he tried to remain airborne. The two bats lay motionless beside the lake, draped in the shadows of the assassins' barracks. Rumble's heart pounded, and not just out of fear. He could feel his very life being drawn out of him. He lowered the cocoon to the ground and flopped back from it, lying spread-eagled on the floor. His chest rose and fell as he frantically tried to catch his breath. The rest of the swarm landed in the trees around the lake, or dropped beside their leader.

A loud caw split the air and Rumble cracked an eye open. Yurlik was perched on the flat, mossy roof of the barracks. The honchkrow inclined his head on one side as he scrutinised the black egg-like crystal at Rumble's feet. He kicked off from the roof and landed beside the dragon in a flurry of feathers.

"Is this it?" Yurlik squawked. "You found the cocoon."

"Yes," Rumble gasped. "And it came at a price."

Yurlik eyed the dragon with distaste and rose to snatch the cocoon.

"Don't touch it," Rumble wheezed as he pushed himself back to his feet. "It drains your life right out of you."

Yurlik froze in mid-air with his talons outstretched. He turned his wicked eyes onto the exhausted dragon and the corners of his beak turned down in a frown.

"Then you take it to Lord Hydriegon," he said. "You've made it this far."

Rumble spat and stood back. "I'm not touching that thing again." He waved a wing at the surrounding noibat. "It's claimed most of my swarm! Get your flock to do it if you're so desperate. It's better to just leave it here."

Yurlik opened his beak to retort, but the frantic beating of wings and shrieking voices drew his eye to the skies. A cloud of noibat descended on the barracks, eyeing the exhausted noivern and the black cocoon. Echo landed heavily among them and leaned forwards on his wings like a gargoyle.

"So Rumble found the cocoon, eh?" he crooned. "Where's the rest of your swarm? Didn't they survive the frozen isles?"

"Those that were strong enough made it back just fine," Rumble spat.

He swayed on his legs and staggered back from the cocoon. This didn't go unnoticed by Echo. A smirk tugged at his lips and he turned to address his swarm.

"Take the cocoon to Lord Hydreigon!" he commanded. "He'll know the noibat swarm were the ones to retrieve it."

Rumble bristled as he glared up at Echo's triumphant face. He stood back and waved a wing at the cocoon. "Why don't you take it? Surely the leader deserves the credit?"

Echo lifted his head and narrowed his eyes in a glare. "Don't think I didn't hear what you said, Rumble. That cocoon drains the life of anyone who touches it." He flashed his canines in a grin. "You can't trick me."

The noibat swarm hesitated, shifting uncertainly at the edge of the roof, their wary eyes flitting over the cocoon's crystalline surface. Echo's ears vibrated, rising into a deafening hum. He turned and roared at the noibat.

"Now!"

The swarm fluttered from the roof and swooped towards the cocoon, raising into the air. Their panicked voices screeched over the beating of their frantic wings, but they were kept in check as Echo followed behind them. A trail of exhausted noibat marked the cocoon's path towards Hydreigon's thorny castle.

...

Review Replies:

Jusmove - Faith, as lovely as she is, is definitely far from perfect. She can see the good in anyone, and believes that those working for the Darkness deserve redemption. However, she is very rash and leaps into action without giving things a second thought (such as leaving her sleeping friends to confront Enigma while she was meant to be on watch!) Seeing Enigma slaughter Rio like that was a bit of a wake-up call, as I feel if that hadn't happened she'd have dragged Enigma straight towards Mischief and things could have ended up very messy indeed! She's always been one of my favourite characters to write because of her ability to see the good in those around her - even someone as far gone as Enigma - while her flaws make her seem more... well... 'human'. But yes, she could definitely use a talking to about her impulsiveness XD

As for Rio, I did want some redemption for him too. I have plans to write a back-story for him later down the line to show how he ended up going down that dark and dangerous path.

Williamlap - While Faith's heart was definitely in the right place, it goes to show just how much like chalk and cheese her and Enigma are! All of this may have its consequences down the line, but whether they are good or bad remains yet to be seen!

Thanks so much guys! =D I enjoy reading your reviews so much! I'm glad you're enjoying this.

Please R&R! I'll get stuck into Part 4 and the specials again this weekend!