"Are we there yet?"

No points earned for guessing which of the three Eons decided to ask that question.

Shadow sighed, casting a resentful look towards Frost, in a manner that clearly labeled the Glaceon as the cause of the current unrest. Frost either didn't notice the look, or chose to ignore it. Neither of them said anything, in the hopes that the young Leafeon would spot something shiny or something, and not notice that they hadn't answered.

Unfortunately, Leaf did not take well to being ignored.

"Are we there yet?" he repeated, more loudly and clearly than the first time.

"Take a day off of traveling, you said," Shadow muttered from the corner of his mouth. Frost rolled his eyes in response. "What's one more day, you said," Shadow continued.

"Ahem...ARE WE THERE YET?!" Leaf repeated, practically shouting this time. When the two older Eons turned and gave him a dirty look, he smiled innocently, but with visible smugness, much like he used to whenever he had successfully manipulated his parents into giving him what he wanted, often at Shadow's expense.

"No, you'd know if we were," Shadow muttered, silently reminding himself to hold onto his patience. The trip back towards the Eterna Forest should have been, by all logic, a shorter trip than leaving the area had originally taken, since the original trip had been mostly filled with absent wandering and extreme paranoia of all potential confrontations, human or Pokemon alike, to say nothing of the difficulty of adapting to their respective evolutions.

While the ebony Espeon had not been keeping track of how much time had passed since leaving A/C's den, he hadn't expected it to take as long as it had. The first thing they had done was head back to the lake area where Raze lived, and the Buizel cheerfully parted ways with them then. Shadow thought this to be a strange choice, but Frost noted that Raze's distaste for long-distance traveling would probably have doubled their travel time, and the Glaceon couldn't afford a one-way trip taking two weeks.

They traveled mostly by daylight, as Leaf was most energetic and cheerful with sunlight available, and almost completely uncooperative when night fell. To compensate for these spurts of energy and compliance, Frost had insisted the three of them continue with their battle training during the late afternoon, before the sun fully set. Needless to say, this set them back by a considerable amount of time, but Shadow didn't really have any complaints. Frost had further noted that once they had more training, their wariness of Pokemon trainers or wild Pokemon would be greatly reduced, allowing them better mobility in the future, and with Shadow still a prime target due to his unique fur coloration, this was all-around advantageous.

Yet the closer they drew towards the Eterna area, the more anxious Shadow became. While his nightmares had dissolved and left him untroubled during the nights, the memories still lingered, and fear still clutched his heart. The forest itself still resonated with pangs of anxiety within him, try as he might to dismiss them.

The true reason for Shadow's anxiety had nothing to do with the forest, or even the nightmares. After his conversation with Cecilia the other day, he had resolved to return to their old home, perhaps seeking a true sense of closure to accompany the revelation of his parents' fates. The anxiety came from not knowing what he would find there. Enough time had passed that any number of things could have befallen the clearing that he and Leaf had once called home, and there was one particularly unpleasant thought that stuck out vividly in Shadow's mind. One that haunted him even more than the nightmares that had once plagued him ever could.

This was why he had yet to explain his intentions to Frost and Leaf. He felt that was a possible discovery the young Leafeon should not be exposed to, and one that he himself didn't relish the prospect of coming across. Even if he was fortunate enough that the clearing had been undisturbed in the past several weeks, the flip side was that anything he came across might be even more grisly or disturbing, once exposed to the elements and passage of time. And if something else had come across the area, there was no telling what might have become of things.

It was thoughts like these that haunted Shadow. Nothing for certain, but the almost undeniable guarantee that no matter what he came across, it would not be pleasant. The Espeon had still kept to his promise to stop withholding vital things from his brother, but when it came to the remains of the deceased, he was definitely drawing the line there. Leaf may have accepted the demise of their parents, but Shadow wasn't going to test the limits to see what would actually traumatize him.

As for himself, he had stepped past the line of trauma since the first day. No matter how much it hurt, or what it cost him, Shadow knew there was no going back, and the only way he could truly move on from the event that removed his parents from his life, was once he had confirmed their loss with his own eyes, whether any physical sign remained or not.

"Something on your mind?" Frost asked quietly, startling Shadow back into alertness. He blinked and looked over at the Glaceon. Frost was watching him from the corner of his eye, but for how long, Shadow had no idea.

"It's nothing," Shadow said, hoping that his tone sounded at least slightly nonchalant. Judging by the skeptical look Frost was giving him, he had failed miserably.

"Don't give me that," Frost chided sternly. He paused to glance over at Leaf, but the grass Eon remained oblivious to their exchange. Even so, the Glaceon lowered his voice further, and continued walking, his head still facing forward, but the words spoken from the corner of his mouth so that Shadow could hear him. "You said before leaving you need to visit something in the area. As we draw nearer, you've gotten this uncomfortably serious expression and unfocused gaze. Why the secrecy?"

"It's personal," Shadow answered, but his stomach squirmed. He never could tell whether Frost was exceptionally astute, or whether he was just painfully obvious about his emotional state. Even with the progress he had made with his psychic abilities and focus during the past week of traveling and training, he hadn't made much headway on appearing stoic and calm. He didn't want to appear unemotional, but there were definitely times when panic or uncertainty would be better off hidden from the surface, so as not to alarm Leaf.

"I've gathered as much," Frost stated dismissively. "As much as I respect the desire for privacy and personal secrets, it's another matter when it affects others. One of these days, your refusal to communicate important information is going to put those you wish to protect in harm's way, because you didn't prepare them for the danger."

Shadow flinched. He had considered that possibility ever since encountering Diablos at the Solaceon Ruins. The possessed Riolu had made a comment about Leaf, even if it hadn't been an explicit threat, and although Shadow had resolved to gradually stop hiding things from Leaf, he still didn't have a complete understanding of his foe to be able to explain to Leaf what the danger was.

Even so, hearing Frost vocalize the concern was much more powerful than his internal debating on the subject had been. The Espeon frowned a little, remaining silent for several seconds before looking back at Frost.

"This...isn't quite like that," he said awkwardly. "It's something I have to do...for myself."

Frost rolled his eyes, gazing around the area with an idle air. "We're almost there, Leaf," he told the young Leafeon, who immediately brightened, his tail flicking. As Frost faced forward once more, he resumed speaking to Shadow from the corner of his mouth. "Even so, there remain a number of questions and concerns I have that you have not addressed. This was acceptable before, when our interactions were expected to be temporary and short-lived. However, if you intend to continue growing alongside me, then I'd expect you to extend me the courtesy of knowing more about the circumstances or your intentions."

Shadow scowled, shooting the Glaceon a somewhat venomous look. He had almost forgotten that Frost had a downright grating attitude at times. There was a certain smugness in his tone, and he seemed to choose his words carefully, crafting a complicated and eloquent-sounding speech pattern. The problem was that the word choice needlessly bogged down the communication process, as it took an extra few moments for the recipient to fully understand Frost's statements and react appropriately, and Leaf usually just gave up if Frost failed to mince his words into something reasonably simple by the third attempt.

"What are you even trying to say there?" Shadow asked, forgetting for a moment that they had been trying to keep the conversation quiet and casual, to avoid drawing Leaf's attention. The Leafeon looked over briefly in confusion, but the prospect of getting closer to the destination pulled his attention away.

Frost clicked his tongue absently. "Hm, I suppose that did come off too much like an ultimatum, didn't it? My mistake. I was merely attempting to-"

"Smaller words!" Leaf complained, turning towards the Glaceon with a frown.

"Leaf, you're technically eavesdropping," Shadow noted.

"You use smaller words, too!" the Leafeon whined again, pouting and giving both of the older Eons an irritated look.

There was an awkward pause. Frost was clearly struggling to hide his amusement behind an expression of frustration, and Shadow felt that he just didn't need to say anything in response to his brother's complaint. Despite their original intentions, Leaf was fully aware that they were trying to have a conversation, and any further attempts to conceal the fact would not sit well with him.

"Never mind, we can discuss this another time," Frost said finally. "I don't mean to pressure you unfairly, it was intended to be food for thought for the time being."

"Fine," Shadow replied, turning his focus back to the surrounding area. It was past mid-day at this point, and there was a far greater number of local Pokemon moving about, some of which were species Shadow had never seen before, or had never gotten more than a passing glimpse of in the past. Since many of them were along the lines of Starly and Bidoof, usually labeled as 'prey species', they were giving the group of Eons a lot more space than probably necessary. It was interesting to notice, actually. It hadn't occurred to Shadow much before then that they had gone overall unharassed by the wild Pokemon during the travel, aside from Frost occasionally setting up a spar or two with a passerby. Now that he thought about it, most Pokemon probably assumed they were either part of a small pack or were members of a hunting party, and kept their distance for that reason.

Frost stopped suddenly and gestured for Leaf and Shadow to do likewise. From their current vantage point, Shadow could see the Eterna Forest, as well as the human city that was built on the outskirts of the forest.

"Why did we stop?" Leaf wondered, looking around warily, as if expecting to see some obvious sign of danger around. Aside from the wild Pokemon going about their daily lives, the the glimpses of humans walking in and out of the city, there was nothing immediately noticeable that would cause Frost to hesitate.

"I'm debating the most practical approach. The forest entrance ahead is a little too close to the city for comfort, and Shadow draws enough attention as it is," Frost explained seriously, nodding towards the Espeon's black fur. He wasn't exaggerating, either. Although the wild Pokemon gave them more space than they needed, that didn't mean they were being ignored.

"We didn't go in that way before, did we, Shadow?" Leaf asked.

"Hm?" Shadow blinked, refocusing on the two Pokemon closest to him, and then shaking his head. "No, we had camped on the other side," he said, gesturing his paw vaguely to the south side of the forest. That said, he did remember how uncomfortable he had felt passing by this area when he and Leaf had left the Eterna area. The presence of humans and the forest combined had practically given him an anxiety attack, even though they had gotten through without any hassle.

"Hmm...yes, I can see a pathway on the west side of the city that probably goes southward," Frost mused to himself. "And the friend you're visiting lives on the other side of the forest?" he asked.

"I have no idea!" Leaf responded with a smile. Frost stared at him, then turned towards Shadow.

"I dunno," Shadow muttered, shrugging. "Uh...probably more on that side? We ran into her a second time on that side so..."

Frost groaned quietly and buried his face in one of his paws, earning a confused look from the younger Eons. "You have no idea where we're going once we go into the forest, do you?" he asked blandly.

"Nope," Leaf admitted and Shadow smiled weakly.

"Lovely," Frost muttered. "Okay, then we're going to take a detour this way," he said, pointing in one direction, and tracing the route in the air with his paw. "And go around the city from this side, and cut back towards the forest once we're south of the city."

This soon proved to be easier said than done. Frost's idea of a detour was a narrow gap in the natural trees and other plants bordering the area. While there was definitely space for them to get through, there were also several unpleasant aspects, such as rocks and broken twigs lining the ground. Shadow was never going to voice the thought, but the paws of an Espeon were very delicate, and he had evidently been spoiled by all the time spent traveling over grass or dirt pathways, and in no way was he prepared to handle terrain that was blatantly ill-suited to travel.

He could tell from Leaf's slight vocalizations every few steps that the Leafeon was not finding the objects underfoot to be any more pleasant than he was, and some of the maneuvering the three of them had to do to avoid being scratched in the face by thorny twigs was more akin to obstacle course training than traveling.

Needless to say, Frost was not having nearly as rough a time as they were. There were definitely moments where he would struggle, or re-evaluate his course, but there was a notable absence of pained winces and gasps from his end, and he seemed much more in his element, ironically, ducking and weaving around trees and bushes and slipping through gaps just large enough for Pokemon their size to get through without earning more than a few scratches and cuts for their effort.

"How...much...longer?" Leaf panted weakly, nearly tripping over a jagged rock partially concealed by fallen leaves, and cringing as he stepped on a sharp twig immediately afterwards. Shadow gave a weary shrug and smile, letting the Leafeon know that he wasn't the only one struggling.

"Oh, by the way," Frost called from his significant lead ahead of them, as Shadow narrowly escaped a natural trap of thorns and twigs that had somehow weaved themselves into a net. "Don't feel obligated to leave everything intact. You can use telekinesis or your razor leaves to clear out some of the more difficult obstacles."

"...is he kidding me?" Shadow growled under his breath. "NOW he tells us this?"

"Shadow, duck," Leaf said. The Espeon turned towards the Leafeon in confusion, and then immediately afterwards tucked his body tight to the ground. The Leafeon flicked his head to the side, and a pair of sharp leaves launched from his body, easily slicing through the thin sticks and branches that made up the thickest of the thorny obstacles in their path. Shadow focused, feeling energy welling up within his body, flowing through him until he channeled it outwards, pushing the severed branches to the side of their path, leaving a significantly simpler series of natural obstacles to weave around.

Progression sped up from that point on. They still did their best not to just rampage through the area and obliterate everything in sight, but it was so much easier to cut through the denser collection of twigs and roots and slip through the remainder. When at last they untangled themselves from the last of the brambled woods and practically collapsed on clear, green grass again, they found Frost calmly waiting for them, licking some of his own cuts, and observing them with mild amusement.

"You two look like you wrestled with a pack of Sneasel," he noted, to neither of their amusement.

"Why didn't you tell us to clear a path before?" Shadow demanded. Leaf was distracted with checking his tan fur over and tentatively touching the red scratches that adorned his sides.

"Frankly, it didn't occur to me to mention it. I assumed you would use your natural abilities when needed. I, of course, was not going to do the same."

"For what, bragging rights or something?" Shadow deadpanned, taking a moment to study his own cuts and scratches.

"No, it'd be extremely unwise for me to use my abilities in such a way," Frost explained seriously. "Whereas Leaf can cut through the thorns and such, and you can telekinetically push them aside, my element is Ice, and while it would be an effective path-clearer, it would damage the environment beyond what it necessary. Freezing living plants and trees is all but killing them, and would chill the area too severely in a manner it would not easily recover from. Any Pokemon living in that area, or depending on the plant life would be uprooted needlessly from their homes for my own convenience."

"Oh..." Shadow said, a little taken aback. "That's...thoughtful...of you." he finished awkwardly.

"It's self-awareness," Frost correctly smoothly. "The springtime is still young, and bringing about an abrupt frost in an enclosed area is unhealthy for any natural environment. I would sooner lick my wounds or choose a different path than devastate what could be a growing nest of wild Pokemon. Pruning the thorns and clearing branches that stretch too far is not nearly on the same level of destruction."

"Fair enough," Shadow agreed, turning his attention to Leaf now and inspecting the Leafeon. Like himself, Leaf bore numerous cuts, but none of them seemed so deep that they needed immediate attention, and the worst ones were already sealed up by the Leafeon's natural healing cycle.

"So now what?" Leaf asked, his tail flicking eagerly, now that he had confirmed that his injuries weren't worth worrying about. Frost considered the sky for a few seconds, and as he did so, Shadow looked around the area with a critical eye.

"I've never been to this area," Frost admitted. "Ideally, we'd find a spot to camp in the general area, such as by a lake or a stream, and then try to work out how to tackle the forest."

"There should be a decent spot that way," Shadow said tonelessly. Frost blinked at him, and then followed the direction of his paw. The Espeon wasn't even looking in the direction he was pointing, instead his gaze was fixed on a vaguely familiar tree stump. To anyone else, it was entirely unremarkable, but Shadow recognized it all the same.

It was a small landmark of sorts, one that had been engraved into his memory from when he was just a young Eevee. A landmark that he had remembered during a crisis, assuring that he was on the right path.

As if his legs were moving of their own accord, Shadow walked towards the stump in silence, ignoring the puzzled expressions of his brother and Glaceon companion. He touched his paw to the worn bark, stroking it like it was a nostalgic memory, revisited after years apart.

"See that tree stump, Shadow? Keeping going after you see that, until you hit a grove of trees. That'll be our emergency spot. Think you can remember that? If you see the stump, you're almost there."

Tears stung the Espeon's eyes, and he averted his gaze, stepping back from the tree stump, but refusing to look at his companions. He didn't want them to see him breaking down over something as unimportant as an old tree stump. It didn't even have the luxury of being part of some happy kithood memories or anything like that.

But it was a reminder that he was physically half-way between past and present circumstances. In one direction was the place he and Leaf had stayed for several days, waiting with no end in sight. And in the other direction...was home. One direction was the site of his and Leaf's birth as Eevee. The other direction was the location where he and Leaf had evolved.

"Shadow?" Leaf spoke softly, his voice laced with concern, and he started to pad towards his brother. "What is it?"

"It's nothing," Shadow insisted weakly, wiping his eyes with his paw, but his voice caught in his throat. He couldn't even try to explain why he was reacting like this to something so trivial and unrelated to anything.

"Is it...because we're near home?" Leaf asked quietly, circling around Shadow's side and standing in front of him, his soft brown eyes looking up at Shadow's face. The Espeon flinched, opening his mouth to instinctively deny it, but as his silver eyes met Leaf's, he found that he couldn't form the words.

His throat felt constricted and tight, and even breathing had become a challenge. Furthermore, it was as if his eyes were stinging, yet tears would no longer form or fall from his eyes. The most the Espeon could muster was a sniffle, and he compensated by draping his forepaws around his brother and pulling him into a tight embrace that, in his mind, would convey the intensity of his emotions, no matter how complicated and turbulent they might be.

Leaf accepted the embrace for several seconds, but then whined very quietly. "Too tight, Shadow," he complained. Shadow immediately released his grip, concerned that he might have been hurting Leaf, only for the Leafeon to add, "I can't hug you back."

In spite of himself, Shadow smiled weakly. Leaf gave the Espeon a quick squeeze, but then backed off a few paces, as if afraid that the brief embrace would prompt Shadow to go back into 'hug constrictor' mode.

"Better?" Leaf asked. Shadow gave a weak nod. "Good!" the Leafeon chirped, but then his expression fell. "What don't you want to tell me?"

Shadow blinked. And then blinked again. And considered blinking a third time before remembering that this was not a sufficient response. There was something increasingly unnerving about how perceptive Leaf could be, and this was definitely turning into one of those times.

"Leaf...I need to go back home first," Shadow said seriously. He was vaguely aware that Frost was watching them, but the two of them had been speaking so quietly that he doubted anything was carrying over to the Glaceon, and he honestly didn't care right now either way. "I want you and Frost to go the other way, though."

"That way?" Leaf asked, pointing in the direction that Shadow had indicated to Frost previously. The Espeon nodded, and Leaf tilted his head inquisitively. "Why?"

Shadow hesitated, and took a breath to steel himself for this answer. "Because...I'm not sure what our old home is going to look like, and I...don't want you to see it until I know it's okay."

"Oh. Okay," Leaf replied, evidently satisfied with that answer, and Shadow breathed a small sigh of relief. He had expected, or more accurately, dreaded, that Leaf would put up more resistance to the notion. It was getting to the point that Shadow was starting to seriously put stock in the idea that Leaf might not be nearly as difficult to work with as he used to be as an Eevee, but if that was true, the transformation in personality had either happened really recently, or had gone unnoticed over time until now.

"Frost," Shadow stated, addressing the Glaceon. "I need you two to go on ahead," he said seriously. "I...shouldn't be too long."

Frost raised an eyebrow. "How long do you anticipate being gone?" he asked. "In case someone needs to check up on you?"

"...I don't know," Shadow admitted. "I'll definitely return by nightfall, if not sooner," he said, after a moment's thought.

"Promise?" Leaf asked, his eyes widening innocently. Shadow cracked a smile.

"Yeah, promise," he said. No matter what he discovered back at their old home, he would make sure to return to Frost and Leaf by the designated time. If something proved too dangerous to approach, he would head back without confirmation, if necessary. The promise was being made less to Leaf, and more to himself in that sense.

"Very well, then I suppose we'll see you soon," Frost murmured, giving the Espeon a sarcastic salute with his paw, before gesturing for Leaf to follow him. Leaf smiled at Shadow before moving to follow after Frost. At the same time, Shadow turned and began walking in the opposite direction, his heart pounding in his chest.

He had come this far towards the place where his fate had forever changed. All that was left was to return one last time, and then move on. Perhaps, like Leaf, he just needed to take the opportunity to say his good-byes, whether it be to a friend, or the home of his past.

Every step he took drew further and further into familiar territory, and the Espeon's eyes gazed around warily. The area was so quiet, unnaturally so. So quiet that he could practically hear the thudding of his heart against his ribs.

Vaguely familiar sights and smells, were beginning to surface all around him, but everything was devoid of life and sound. No other Pokemon as far as the eye could see, as if something unnatural had forced them all out. True, their home clearing had always been private and isolated, even by most territory standards, but there were still occasional passerby, so the fact that he saw and heard nothing was as unnerving as the terrifying speculation that was racing through his mind as he rounded the last bend. Now it was just one final stretch until he would be upon his home clearing.

Fear began to clutch as his heart, and more than once, he had to stop to take several deep breaths.

What happened to your parents?

That had been the question echoing within his mind the last time he had faced Diablos. That had been the comment posed to him, like a foreign tongue whispering to his brain, completely distinct from that of telepathy or Diablos' mocking. And when he had mentally refuted the question, it had reminded him that he had never found out for sure.

Now here he was, standing not even fifty feet from the place where he could find the answers, and confirm the reality. Yet even as he continued walking, a new thought occurred to him.

The real question gnawing at him now wasn't what had happened.

The real question was "Why?"