23rd Winter Moon, 907—Afternoon

As the snow gently fluttered over the land, a wagon towed by a snow-geared Tauros braved the snowy road with an Umbreon farmer sitting up front. He filled some hot cocoa into a dish with a collapsible pole, then extended the dish out to his partner. The Tauros nodded in thanks and slurped up the warming cocoa. Once finished, the Umbreon retracted the dish and set it aside.

"How you folks holding up back there?" the Umbreon asked with a tilt of his straw hat.

Joining the farmer on his travels were Valentine, JoJo (in her Buneary form), Sid, and Ragger, all laying about in the wagon alongside sealed barrels and crates. Ragger occupied himself with some rum while Sid and JoJo entertained themselves with cards. Rusty chilled on top of the crates, overlooking the card game. Valentine hung his arms out the back of the wagon, watching the snow flutter from above.

Valentine turned his head and smiled. "All good here, sir. And thanks again for the ride."

"On my route home, so no trouble of mine. Sorry about the detour, though. I had business here in Echo Bell with a client."

"All's fine, sir." Valentine yawned and rubbed his eyes. "Feels good to rest the legs."

"You're telling me," Ragger piped up, massaging the aches and bruises still lingering under his clothes. "Haven't had a brawl that intense in ages. We're definitely having a rematch if I ever see Casimir again."

Valentine turned himself around and faced the others with a serious look. "Perhaps you should hold off on such activity until we get this whole mess with the prison figured out."

JoJo scoffed. "Still can't believe they hired someone to execute a prisoner like that. Decapitation, sure, but melting all her flesh off? That's just twisted."

Sid picked up a card and glared. "Althalos tried to warn Jason that someone would go after the Dukes if they failed. Last Autumn is desperate to keep their agenda secret if it means having to cut out a few loose ends."

"Not just that, but to threaten us to stay away," Valentine reminded. "They predicted we would look into the prison break and find Ainsley's corpse. And the guards were in on it. It was all an elaborate message for the Dukes and us."

Ragger set his bottle down and lazily tilted his head, hiccupping. "But what was that shit about the royal family or something?"

Valentine crossed his arms. "That's just it, I don't know. The Tetrarchs are no different than some of the other shady practices of other kingdoms, but I can't imagine they're tied up in all of this. But there's no way something like a complete takeover of their most infamous prison could fly under their attention like that. Something's wrong."

"You could always investigate," JoJo said. "I mean, how much do you know about the Tetrarchs?"

"Not enough, unfortunately," Valentine admitted. "Just the surface level details. I'm more concerned that Last Autumn might have connections with The Ghost."

Sid looked up worriedly at Valentine. "Yeah, you…never gave us a thorough explanation about that. What did you mean when you said he's a thousand years old? Can any Pokémon live for that long?"

Valentine shook his head. "The Ghost isn't a person, or at least a singular person. It's a moniker, or a title. A name that prevailed for centuries, a name that spawned after the end of the Savage Era. I don't know the history, but I do know The Ghost is something of a malevolent force for a darker time."

JoJo sighed. "You mean to tell us that Last Autumn might have contracted The Ghost to hire and hunt down the Dukes and us? How did they even get in touch with someone like that? From the way you describe him, he sounds totally unhinged and unapproachable."

"His reasons are a mystery to all of us, that much I can offer."

Sid frowned. "I hope Casimir and Shale will be okay."

"They're capable fighters. They should be fine," Valentine assured her. He stroked his chin and looked out the wagon. "I'm worried about the Dukes, though our little trip to the prison may not have been a total waste. If the Dukes don't become a liable source, insight onto the Tetrarchs might be warranted."

JoJo turned and asked, "Doesn't Mel—" Sid shushed her and pointed at the carriage driver. JoJo winced, then cleared her throat. "Uh, doesn't Harlow know anything about the Tetrarchs? That girl's raving about their eldest son every chance she gets."

"Hmm, worth a shot when she gets back from her field trip with Fabrice." Valentine leaned his head back over the edge of the wagon. "Actually, they should be in the Echo Bell capital."

The wagon jostled a bit and started to move over on the road. Ragger lifted himself up and glared at the driver. "What are you doing?"

The Umbreon looked back at them and smiled. "Oh, I'm just moving over for some travelers on the road."

"Travelers?" Sid asked. "Who'd be walking this far out in this weather?"

The wagon continued on its way, passing by the travelers journeying along the deep snow. Out of curiosity, Valentine tilted his head to catch a glimpse at the travelers. A group of five trudging along through the snow, limping and holding each other up. They almost looked like they haven't slept in days on account of their miserable atmosphere Valentine picked up from them.

Just as Valentine opened his mouth to ask if they were alright, his sleepiness dissolved instantly as he scanned their covered faces. Though draped heavily in their cloaks, he noticed familiar faces and uniforms beneath said cloaks.

"Holy shit! Stop the wagon!" Valentine cried. He jumped out and raced over to the group.

The Tauros dug his hooves in and stopped while the others clambered out of the wagon. "Val, what's wrong?" Sid asked.

Valentine grabbed the leader of the pack and pulled their hood and scarf back, meeting the gaze of a weary-eyed Buneary. "Harlow?!"

Melissa opened her heavy eyelids, struggling to identify the face in front of her. "Eh? Who?" She blinked slowly, then started laughing. "Oh. Hi, mister. You look just like…my friend, Valen…tine…" Melissa collapsed into Valentine's arms, dragging the others off their balance and into the snow.

"Oh no!" Sid ran over and uncovered everyone else's hoods. "Klaus and Fabrice!"

"The twins!" Ragger gasped as he picked the purloining felines up.

"What the what happened to them?!" JoJo shrieked.

"They look like me after a night of drinking during Hollowfest!" Ragger added.

Valentine picked Melissa up into his arms and carried her to the wagon. "Sorry to inconvenience you, sir, but—"

The Umbreon raised his paw to silence Valentine. "Them friends of yours? By all means."

Valentine nodded, then glared at the others. "Bring the others in the back. Sid, get our emergency medical supplies." Sid nodded and carried Klaus and Fabrice into the wagon with JoJo's assistance. Ragger followed behind with the twins. Valentine looked down at Melissa as she snoozed in his arms. "Yeesh, what happened to you all?"

The fire crackled inside the manmade ditch, cooking the faux meat on a stick. Armant turned the stick slowly, distributing the flames evenly to get a nice sear on each side. Over a day of travel, and he was barely winded. He was used to making quick escapes when the heat was on. Enough debts piled up in his career that escaping was his only ticket to freedom, not that anyone could ever detain a free beast such as him.

Armant pulled the meat from the flames, checked it over, and bit a chunk off. He chewed loudly as he stared up at the dreary sky. Snow fell over him, evaporating from the subtle licks of his fire. A chilly day after a chilly reception with the Echo Bell reaper.

"He sure was something," Armant said. "I can see why he's the third most wanted man in Virdis. A creature like that, someone of exceptional breeding and talent. Where does a third rate killer like that come from, yet rises with the status of a first rate monster? Your thoughts, Fred?"

He glanced over at his Weavile companion, who was curled up in the snow with his back facing the fire. He hugged his legs while his head hung over his knees. "Who cares?" Frediano moaned in a dreary tone. "Life's pointless anyway. Just dig my grave and let nature erode me to dust…"

Armant stared at the back of Frediano's head perplexingly. "Not…quite the answer I was expecting, but thank you for your input."

"My opinion is nothing but rubbish," Frediano groaned. "I'm nothing but worthless rubbish."

"Riiiiight." Armant didn't know what came over the Weavile, but that was the entirety of his companion's mood since waking up. Nothing but depressing comments and a dreary air of gloom hanging over Frediano's head. It was so depressing that it was beginning to bum Armant out.

"Anyway," Armant said, hoping to turn the one-sided conversation around. "Tough break having to let the Foresters go. Who would've guessed my little pal was the Harlow?" He snickered. "Cheeky little shrimp. Who would've figured?"

"I'm not worthy of being in Harlow's presence," Frediano groaned, tipping over and falling onto his side. "She should've killed me instead of letting me live to wallow in my pathetic existence…"

Armant tapped his chin. "Begs the question, though. What was she doing in the city? She had a particular interest in the catacombs from what I remember, and she was doing all sorts of research in-between our meetups. You get the feeling she's planning something?"

"My execution. To cut out the sad, pathetic worm that disgraces her eyes."

Armant shook his head. "Nah, that's not right. She must've come to the capital for a reason. A high profile thief like that has something tricky up her sleeves. Actually, there was a whole group of them, weren't there? Could've been some fancy mission, though Harlow didn't look like she was stealing. Those pair of purloining cats, maybe, but not her."

Armant bit off the last of his meat, tossed the stick away, and fell back to gaze up at the sky. He knew all of Harlow's infamous dealings and crimes. One could assume she was planning another kidnapping, perhaps with a member of the royal family. He dismissed that possibility, though, for the disappearance of Princess Penworth was an unusual case with no ransom or threats to speak of. Almost as if Harlow kidnapped the princess just because she could.

Royal kidnapping was off the table, so it must've been some big score. A heist, perhaps, but what for? Harlow had an invested interest in the museum, so art theft? Or was it something bigger? Something grand? Armant recalled his own advice to Harlow, how the best way to stand out in the world was to leave a grand mark on the history books. If the item had major significance, even if it was as commonplace as a spoon, the repercussions could send a party into self-detonation.

"Best to leave it be, though I have interest to stick around here once the heat dies down," Armant said. "Grim Deadlock lives up to his reputation, though I came the closest to tearing his secrets apart."

"Just like how he nearly tore this worthless specimen apart," Frediano added drearily.

"Though, Grim's no idiot. He may have experience with executing common thugs, but he held his own against trained bounty hunters like us. Even if I find the upper hand, he now has experience against the outside world. I can learn, and so can he." His grin widened. "So exciting. A battle of wit for once in my life. My mind has never been more stimulated. To actually perform my own research rather than end fights with a single flick to the forehead…"

Armant pressed his hands down and flipped himself onto his feet. "One thing's for sure: this won't be the last time we'll see the Foresters. What's say we stick around here for a little longer? We could hide out in one of the nearby towns and wait to see if the Foresters have anything planned. We can still rake in that bounty."

"Whatever…"

"Until then, I want to learn everything I can about Grim Deadlock. I'm curious what brought upon such a spiteful reaper. You have my attention, soul slaying specter."

"May my soul depart from this miserable world," Frediano moaned, turning over and pressing his face into the snow.

"…" Armant reached behind his back. "Oh, that reminds me. Fred, I fixed your mask for you." He pulled the mask out and tossed it over to the depressed Weavile. "Figured you'd want it fixed with how often you wear it. I think this is the first time I've seen your face."

Frediano peeled himself off the ground and sat up, frowning hard at Armant. "Whatever." He picked the mask up. "You wasted your time aiding this wretched soul. I suppose I should accept your charity in kind."

"Uh huh." Armant crossed his arms. "So, if you're not busy, want to help me look into Grim Deadlock."

"Such tragic circumstances to lead me back to that horrid specter, I suppose…I…" Frediano strapped his mask back onto his face and, not even a second after, sprang to his feet and bellowed with prideful laughter. "I suppose I shall lend my aid, my brutish friend!"

Armant's eyes widened. "Eh?"

Frediano raised his fist high. "Indeed! That dastardly reaper dared to smite upon my grand performance with humiliation! Well, I shall revise the failings of last script and direct an action scene worthy of my enriching talent! We shall tear that understudy down to size and remind him who's the true star to take center stage! 'Tis I, the Great Frediano, and his comedic compatriot, Armant!"

Armant blinked twice. "Uh, Fred?"

"Yes, my friend?" Frediano asked.

"Uh…" Armant scratched the back of his head and grinned. "Nothing. Glad to have you along. Nice to have some company for once."

"Only the best company!" Frediano held his hips and laughed.

Armant laughed a bit, but gradually went quiet until he was staring thoughtfully into the flames. "Hmm…"

"Trouble?" Frediano asked.

Armant glared. "Curious, actually. Just curious."

"About what?"

Armant picked up a new stick and skewered some meat through it. "Can't say. I don't know myself. It's an inkling of an idea, a thought." He glared into the flames. "One of those fleeting thoughts. Like the desperate call of an omen. I see opportunity in front of us, and I have enough history to know the price of opportunity."

Armant's lips curled into a smirk.

"We haven't see the true face of danger yet."

The morning at the Visconti castle went by without pizzazz or fuss as four of the five Visconti royal siblings ate their breakfast at the dining table. Azelia chattered away with Giselle about new dresses, Jessica scribbled away in her notebook while eating her breakfast casserole, and Asterio slouched over his own casserole with his usual sour demeanor. Aside from the chatter, it was a quiet morning.

The routinely silence broke as Evangelina, storming her way into the dining room, slammed a newspaper down on the table.

"Seems the causalities of battle have brought upon most intriguing results," Evangelina said with a smirk.

Azelia gasped. "Did Daddy finally approve my idea to host water races through the city canals?"

"I—" Evangelina paused and looked at her sister in befuddlement. "What, no, not that."

"Aww…"

Evangelina shook her head, then held up the paper. "I got my hands on a local newspaper about Grim Deadlock's little rampage."

"Did that not happen two nights ago?" Asterio grumbled. "Why is it only now being printed?"

"As luck may have it, the printing press was among the several buildings tarnished in the conflict. Plus, they had to interview the street and any potential witnesses." Evangelina giggled deviously. "And would you look at that? Once more, the public cower in fear under the iron-clad rule of Grim Deadlock."

"He is ruling over nothing," Asterio said. "He is a creep swinging a scythe at anything that moves."

"Point being, he went a step too far in his midnight ventures, though he is not entirely to blame. First time anyone managed to dodge the scythe of the reaper."

Jessica lifted her gaze from her notebook and stared bug-eyed at her sister. "Wait, you mean no one died that night?"

"No bodies at all were salvaged off the streets. None of Forester or ruthless miscreant. Not even the sad soul of a petty thief biting the dust. In fact, according to the knights posted at the wall, the Foresters breached it and went along their merry way while we were staring gobsmacked at Grim's little anti-light show. That also seemed to fail to raise the body count."

Azelia tilted her head. "Aww, now our poor gravedigger won't get paid."

"Yes, he will," Jessica said. "He gets paid by the hour, and a LOT at that."

"I thought he got paid by the corpse."

"With the amount of corpses he finds, he would've quit his job and retired as a nobleman."

"How are Mom and Dad handling the incident?" Giselle piped in.

Evangelina dropped the newspaper. "If you recall the shouting from yesterday, not well. Father is hiring contractors to assess the damage, then he will be paying for repairs."

"That sucks."

"Better than using the tax money like certain other kingdoms. At least we are using ours to keep this shithole capital from falling apart."

"For however long that is," Asterio growled.

Azelia frowned. "You two are bumming me out." She grinned and raised her tentacles high. "Come on, no need for those sour faces! Wiggle those limbs and party like the day's young! Woo, woo!"

Asterio grimaced at his twin. "You look so stupid."

Evangelina sighed. "Still, it is shocking Grim failed to take out the Foresters. They are a crafty bunch."

"That Verde knight said Harlow was among them," Asterio said.

"Right, Ms. Freia did say that." Evangelina glared. "How curious. What brought little Harlow to our humble land?"

"Maybe she wanted to enjoy the festival," Azelia said. "I know I would want to if there was delicious food everywhere." She licked her lips and shuddered happily. "The servants brought me back all kinds of wondrous treats from the festival. So good~!"

Evangelina crossed her tentacles and smirked. "I doubt any of you are seeing the bigger picture as I am."

"How so?" Giselle asked.

"Think about it. Someone actually put up a fight with Grim, and it was the Foresters and some nobodies. News like that gets people excited. If there's even a chance Grim Deadlock can be battled, maybe even wounded, you know some petty idiots and dicey criminals will capitalize on that theory. I explained it to dear ol' Father, and he nearly fainted with grief."

Jessica leaned back and spun her fork between her fingers. The young Gourgeist glared in realization. "More crime waves soon to come." She growled. "Way to go, Grim Deadlock. Making our lives worse every day with your vengeance."

Evangelina nodded. "Who will be remembered? The seven-hundredth fool to be cut down by Grim's scythe, or the one idiot lucky enough to land the fatal blow? Sins drive Pokémon to commit the most heinous acts all for the sake of history. Who knows when it will come, but dear Grim has more to worry about now than guns and drunkards."

Asterio scoffed. "By putting more innocents in danger, too."

"On the other hand, that also means more despair will spread over our fair capital, and our loyal subjects will continue to cower under the scythe of the reaper." Evangelina sighed. "It is a shame, I do say, but it cannot be helped. Either Grim steps up his game, or we may have to take desperate measures."

Jessica crossed her arms and frowned. "The last big crime wave happened a little before Grim appeared. Five years ago, if memory serves. There was a dangerous killer on the loose, was there not?"

"I do not recall," Giselle said. "Though, I did not really give it much thought." She turned to her older siblings. "You guys heard of him, right?"

Azelia nodded. "I think so. Was what he called again?" She squinted, then gasped. "Oh right! It was the Vermin Butcher—"

SMASH!

The girls jumped out of their seats as Asterio stabbed through his bowl, shattering it and spilling the casserole over the table. They stared at their older brother, who panted with a snarling scowl. Only Evangelina stared at him with any sort of neutrality.

Azelia blinked, then reached out to her brother. "Azzy?"

Asterio pushed himself out of his seat and floated away. "I'm not hungry anymore." He grabbed the dining hall doors and slammed them shut behind him.

Giselle flinched. "Yikes."

"He is pissed," Jessica said. She looked at Evangelina. "What was that about?"

Evangelina glared at the newspaper for a moment, then snatched it off the table. "Nothing. Just Asterio being dramatic like always." She shook her head. "Though, I cannot blame him. I do not think we want another big crime wave hitting us like this, especially when word gets out someone went toe-to-toe with the invincible reaper. With the Misty Lights Carnival coming up in three months, it would be the perfect time for chaos."

Evangelina squeezed the newspaper tightly. This kingdom does not deserve any more pain than it has suffered.

Luna loaded the last of her supplies into Jane's saddlebag with the assistance of Monica. The scatterbrained Alcremie smiled and said, "A shame you're leaving, but you should stop by again when you get the chance. You could help me reorganize the archives again."

Luna flinched. "Again? What do you mean?"

"Well, while you were dealing with that Deadlock situation, Star Prince and I had an all-nighter going through the different types of weapons and battles used in previous wars." Monica giggled. "We may have gone a teensy bit overboard."

Luna shuddered, a distant memory of the hellish archives resurfacing. "Uh, you know what? I'll think about it."

Monica grinned. "Great!"

"Leaving us already, Lady Freia?" Luna and Monica turned as the royal majesties and their Golurk advisor approached them. The king laughed joyously and bowed his head to her. "You will be missed dearly. I apologize profusely for the excitement that befell you in your stay, but I do hope it has not miscolored your view of us."

Luna smiled and shook her head. "Not at all. I'm grateful for your hospitality."

"Same here!" Jane added, stomping her hooves down. She smirked over her shoulder. "Those hunks at the stables were something, I must say. I wouldn't mind a gallop in the fields with them."

Luna winced. "Please keep that information to yourself."

"Count yourself lucky I still have the strength to get us home."

Luna shuddered. "Please stop talking." She hooked her Vine Whips over Jane's saddle and pulled herself up.

"What will you do without the information you sought?" Queen Corinna asked. "The one pertaining to Sir Gerard?"

Luna shook her head. "A shame it has been stolen, but it matters not. I at least know where to head my search for him. Nalzona. I will eventually return to your kingdom in the company of other knights to investigate Sir Gerard's history. I may return if assistance is required."

The king bowed to her. "We would gladly offer our services to the Verde Kingdom's research. We were glad to have served you well now."

Luna smiled. "You truly are a great king, King Visconti."

The Golurk advisor, Guido, bowed to her. "Though our time was short, Lady Freia, I wish you safe travels on the journey home. If ever in the king and queen's absence, I will fill in to serve you."

"Appreciated, sir." Luna took a deep breath and looked to the road ahead. "Long road ahead. Ready, Jane?"

Jane clicked her hooves and flared her fiery mane. "Give the order, my lady."

"Then let's ride! HI-YA!"

Jane blitzed like lightning and soared away from the castle, her hooves clicking against the stone path. Luna turned back when she heard Monica shouting and waving at her with a big grin on her face.

"See you real soon, Moon Lady! Take care!"

Luna smiled and waved back at her. "Bye, Monica! Don't get yourself buried under anything important!"

"No promises!"

Luna laughed and turned back to the road ahead. Jane galloped through the streets, whizzing past started citizens and obstacles in the road. In less than four minutes, Jane cleared through the maze of streets and reached the gates of Echo Bell, pre-opened for their arrival. The knights bowed to the pair as they raced by and galloped out onto the open road.

"Woo!" Jane cheered. "Those stables sure were nice, but it feels so good to stretch my legs again. I could probably get us there in one run."

"Perhaps you should pace yourself before we commit to that experiment," Luna said with a laugh. She sighed and gripped Jane's reins. "So much to explain to Sir Matthias when I get back. How do I explain I've been cleaning up a fussy archivist's mistakes for over two weeks?"

Jane snickered. "Offer him up on a date, and maybe he'll forgive and forget."

"Haha, good one," Luna grumbled. She glared. "One thing's for sure, I have a lot to explain to him."

"Right, you ran into Harlow two days ago."

"I was so close to capturing her, too, but now I have detailed information on the kind of person we're dealing with." Luna clenched her teeth. "Among…other things."

"Luna?" Jane asked, looking back at her friend concerned. "You okay? You're scowling."

Luna closed her eyes and shook her head. "Sorry, I just…" She looked off to the side, watching the passing fields. "I'm very confused at the moment, and angry."

"About what?"

"It's just…I value honor and responsibility. I value my kingdom more than anything else, to protect the good people I devoted my life to. That's the duty of a knight. I went through so much hell just to be recognized. That title means something to me. And yet…" She clutched the reins tightly. "To throw all of that away for no reason seems so wrong. It's almost disgusting."

"…" Jane frowned and focused back on the road. "Luna, did something happen when you fought Harlow? I feel like that's what this is about."

"I can't say."

"Why?"

"Because even I don't believe it. It's…a theory."

"So, if it's a crackpot theory, what's the big deal?"

"It's the implications I'm afraid to challenge. It's one of those ordeals you shouldn't toy with, not unless you're absolute certain of it."

"What if there was an event that triggered a chain reaction? An event so horrific, it collapses the tension of Virdis and floods the lands in its chaos. Something that could plunge us into another dark age like the Great Kingdom."

Luna grimaced as she recalled Monica's theory, a daunting plague on her weary mind. "I'll say this much. Harlow truly has caused a lot of turmoil with her appearance. I'm worried her actions might cause more harm than we've yet to understand."

Jane stayed silent for a moment, letting Luna's thoughts sink in. She sighed and shook her head. "Girl, you're in serious need of sleep, I tell you."

Luna closed her eyes. "Yeah. Maybe you're right."

"Just enough the ride. I'll get us home before you know it."

"Okay. Right."

Luna eased into the ride and tried to relax with the gentle sway of Jane's galloping strides. However, her mind couldn't turn from the twitching deep within as her hand subconsciously reached for the stolen locket hidden under her armor. She clutched it tightly.

I need to find Harlow. I need to find the truth. No matter what.

Melissa groaned, slumped up in Valentine's arms as they lay against the walls of the wagon. She felt Valentine press a canteen to her lips, where she graciously drank the freshly made soup inside, warming her chilled insides. Invigorated by the savory taste of the soup, she found the strength to lift her arms and take the canteen for herself.

Valentine smiled. "You gave us quite the scare, you know?"

Melissa pulled the canteen away and sighed. "Thank you."

"I'm just glad we crossed paths when we did. I'd say it's plot contrivance, but better than you all walking through the snow half-dead." Valentine capped the canteen and set it aside. He sat Melissa up and leaned her against the wall. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I haven't…have nit…half knitted…" Melissa nearly fell asleep again, but Valentine gave her a shake and jolted her awake. "S-Slept in days!"

"T-Two days, to be precise," Fabrice spoke up as Sid redid the shoddily-done bandages around his chest. "Although, I think Harlow got the worst of it. When the rest of us couldn't keep our eyes open, she kept trekking forward. I was worried she was going to get herself killed until you showed up."

Valentine smiled at Melissa. "That so?" She blushed sheepishly and looked away.

Klaus downed his soup in one go and sighed. "I thought I was going to die if we didn't get out of there in time. That's the closest I've been to Death's door in ages."

"Right, so…" JoJo stood up and crossed her arms. "Perhaps one of you can explain why you were staring down the pearly gates in the first place?"

"It was terrible!" Gold exclaimed.

"Horrific!" Jewel cried.

"The dark streets!"

"The scythe!"

"The panic!" they shrieked, clinging onto each other.

Sid's eyes widened. "Wait, what was that about a scythe?"

Fabrice pushed himself up and rested against a crate. "Can't be avoided. We ran into a little snag with some bounty hunters, and the capital had to go into lockdown to flush us out. Problem is, we never ran into the knights. We ran into something else, something much worse."

Valentine frowned, instantly understanding. "You all ran into Grim Deadlock, didn't you?"

"And ran away." Fabrice bowed his head shamefully. "Caught me by surprise, too. I couldn't protect the others. Some leader I was."

Melissa shook her head. "No, Fabrice, we were all caught off guard."

"We're just glad we got out of there with our heads intact," Klaus grumbled.

Ragger crossed his arms. "And I thought our little dive through the prison was harrowing."

Klaus raised his brow at him. "Why are you even here? With two Nature Spirits of all people?"

Ragger snickered. "Personal business. I can be very convincing."

Melissa looked at JoJo. "And you…?"

"Business for Pandora." JoJo smacked the bag of loot sitting beside her and laughed. "I'm going to be swimming in bits before I know it!"

Melissa sighed. "Of course."

Valentine touched her shoulder and asked, "What exactly happened when you ran into Grim?"

Melissa frowned and turned her gaze to the floor. "What else but the obvious? He ambushed us in the catacombs we were using to escape, then he did some weird attack on Fabrice and Klaus to take them out of the fight."

"It was the worst pain I've ever endured," Fabrice joined in. "Though he sliced the surface level of my skin, I felt like my very lung were ripped from me. I was having trouble breathing. I could still inhale, but it's like the air wasn't registering inside my lungs."

Sid glared. "That so? Go talk to Shade about that when we get back."

"Somehow, that wasn't even the worst of it," Klaus said, rubbing his weary eyes. "Nothing we did could touch him, not even Harlow's anti-ghost potion. He had to have been a Ghost-Type, though, I'm sure of it."

Valentine cupped his chin. "Non-spectral intangibility? That requires research, too."

Melissa sighed. "A lot happened. Some things I rather not think about." She subconscious reached for her locket, or where it should be at least. The action caused her party to frown. "Although, I did steal this off a knight." She reached down her collar and produced the scroll capsule. "One of my knights was in Echo Bell for some reason, and she wanted this back."

"Let me see." Valentine took the capsule and popped the scroll out. He opened the scroll and skimmed through the details. "This seems to be a record for Sir Gerard Carpenter."

"Sir Gerard?" Melissa gasped.

"Familiar name?" Ragger asked.

"K-Kind of. He was a retired knight from the Verde Kingdom. He relocated before I was born. I have heard the odd thing or two about him, but not much else."

Valentine glared, then sank the scroll back into its protective capsule. "We'll look into that at a later date."

Melissa let out a tiny yawn and curled up on the floor. "So tired. Need sleep."

Valentine patted her head. "You've earned it, you crazy rabbit. We'll wake you up for dinner later."

"Mmm," was her response before she drifted to sleep.

Klaus yawned and leaned his head back into the wall. "She's got the right idea. I could go for some sleep, too."

The twins curled up around each other and rested on the floor, out like a candle as they purred and snored. Klaus drifted off pretty fast, too, as his head tilted to the side. Fabrice powered through, however, and joined sides with Valentine and Sid.

"They've been through a lot," Fabrice whispered.

"Seems so." Sid glanced at Fabrice. "Out of curiosity, how did you and Klaus recover from Grim's attack?"

Fabrice shrugged. "Who knows? I just remember Harlow force-feeding us the leftover rations. That seemed to do the trick, if only a little. At some point, though, they did have to give us CPR until whatever the rations did kicked in."

They flinched as Melissa sneezed and jerked her head. She sleepily wiped her nose and curled back up, breathing with a noticeable nasally tone.

Fabrice grimaced. "She…gave CPR to Klaus, by the way."

Valentine shook his head. "We'll give her medicine when she wakes up. I'll tell Shade about the rations and see if there's a link."

"That reminds me," Sid said as she pulled Rusty off his perch. "How did the field trip go? Were they able to come up with their own heists?"

Fabrice nodded. "Yeah. Klaus decided on stealing an antique clock from a big important client, and the twins…ugh, they were adamant about stealing a house."

Ragger threw his head back and laughed. "A house?! I take it back, those two are alright! A house! BAHAHAHAHA! That's rich!"

Fabrice sighed. "Glad you're taking it well."

"What about Harlow?" Valentine asked, glancing at the sleeping Buneary. "What did she decide on?"

Fabrice lifted his head and smiled unsurely. "Well, if the house hasn't caught you by surprise, Harlow decided on something just as crazy. I did warn her against going through with it, but she's confident she can pull the heist off. I relented and gave my blessing to the heist, though I warned her to have a compelling case ready for Jason."

He reached inside his pack and pulled out his report for Melissa. Valentine took it and skimmed it over. Sid, Rusty, Ragger, and JoJo looked over the Spinda's shoulders and read along with him. The further they went down the report, the wider their eyes got.

"No way," Sid gasped.

"She really is nuts!" JoJo gasped.

Ragger grinned. "Hoo boy, now that's what I call a power move!"

Valentine turned to Fabrice in disbelief. "You seriously approved this? You know the kind of risk she's putting herself at here."

Fabrice nodded. "That's why the decision rests entirely onto Jason. I imagine he'll disapprove of it given how green Harlow is, not to mention the risk she's putting on herself if it goes awry."

"Then why did you approve it?"

He shrugged. "Who knows?" Fabrice leaned back and looked up at the wagon covering with a soft smile. "Maybe because I want to see if she can really pull it off. That girl's got a lot of ambition inside, and who would I be to deny such a passion?"