"Jake has asked me to decipher this prophecy, which I have just accomplished. I must say it is quite something. None of it really makes sense, even to me, yet Jake somehow makes sense of it all. I think I may be over thinking it, however. The amount of times Jake has solved a line when I couldn't is astounding. His mind doesn't see the sentence as a whole, but instead hyper focuses on each word individually, thinking through each definition and possible meaning, and if he fails to find meaning, then he looks at part of each sentence. It was a slower process, but it was far less headache inducing than my previous methods of solving it like a traditional puzzle. As soon as I realized his methodical approach, solving the prophecy became a far simpler task. Still, some of it was difficult, but together we managed to pull through. I shall go over what I know, with basic explanations for each of the lines.

A day will come when the embers rise

[Likely signifies either the last hope, or possibly something dead or dying rising again, for better or worse.] (see note)

When the shadow falls, darkness grows

[Jake is Shadow, and Darkness is evil. When Jakes falls in some way, likely meaning injured, a malevolent entity will become stronger.]

If the shadow shatters, all will fall

[If Jake is completely broken in some way, perishing I would assume, the world is doomed.]

Shadow's strength is life

[See above, Jake's survival is tantamount to the survival of the planet.]

Shadows corrupt, haste will take hold

[When Jake is injured, Nera will take hold. Most likely this means she will survive as her life will hold.]

Shadows to hold, haste shall soon falter

[If Jake does not get injured, Nera will not survive.]

Haste to harm or hide will fail

[Nera has to go to Star in some way, or Ray will likely perish.]

Mind the mind or find the mind is darkness.

[Unknown. Jake has stated only me and Ayrill fit this. As I am not evil... no, I would rather not think on that.]

Shadow the corrupted, the bastion of final hope

[Jake's injured form is the last hope.]

The book carries what to see.

[Once again, unknown. Jake has stated it could mean either me or Ayrill has information that will be needed.]

Adventure will have, after this song

[The world will continue if the right parts of the prophecy is fulfilled.]

Enemies to face, until there is peace

[The five villains we faced will likely be fought again, until they are beaten for good somehow.]

Ultimately, I still remain almost completely uncertain of what to say. This prophecy is a series of gibberish of which I would not be surprised if it was written by someone who had a fever high fever. However, if Ayrill was investigating it, then it must be important, regardless. While the lines doesn't make much sense, it's a start. We know vaguely what will happen, so we can prepare ourselves in some ways. Jake has told me not to worry too much as he has an idea as to what's going on, however he refused to elaborate. He has stated that trying to change the prophecy might make things worse, or cause the wrong things to occur instead. I do understand his wariness, we lack the proper information to act on. Still, I can't help but worry. Either way, I shall keep this record log around for future review until the day the prophecy comes. Until then, ², signing off.

(Note: Found and translated later on by myself. Jake has agreed with what I think it means, however)

- ² log, page 8

This was it, then. Just a short time until Ayrill will take Jake on that simple mission where something will go wrong. Soon Jake would be out of the picture. It had to be done, right? The Dragonite paced his dark room in a thin oval pattern. His hands were constantly moving from his sides to his chin, to his chest, and back to his side. He couldn't keep still, and he couldn't keep his mind calm. Every muscle twitched and spasmed randomly, sending mild pain through the tired dragon's body. His legs twitched and spasmed right above his knee. That didn't hurt, only made him mildly annoyed. His body was fighting with itself, much like his own mind. No matter how much he tried to reassure himself, he felt guilty and horrible about this. He didn't have a choice, did he? Of course, he did, but the alternative was just as bad, right? Suddenly the yellow dragon gasped and wheezed, quickly and suddenly finding himself out of breath. The room began to spin as the colors in the world dulled.

Collapsing to one knee, the room swirled and shifted for several more moment. Dragonite felt himself wobble back in forth, unsure for a moment if he would fall over and pass out. He gripped his claws and took several deep breaths. He still hadn't fully recovered from that illness, and he was not in good enough shape to be stressed as he was. Practically crawling over to his bed, he lied down on the straw matress, his arms and legs flailing, unable to calm or relax himself. His breathing grew deeper for a moment but became fast-paced the moment he stopped concentrating on it. A few loud, phlegmy coughs came from the exhausted dragon.

Just a few hours, right? It couldn't be much longer. Just a bit longer. It would be just a bit... Gah, this was infuriating! Why couldn't he just ignore his conscious this one time! Because it's wrong, right? Yes, this was wrong, but the alternative was too risky. It was far too risky, right? No, it wasn't. No, yes, it absolutely is. No, but yes? Grah, arguing with himself would get him nowhere! He had to do this, for everyone.

They all agreed after all, even if they didn't like it, either. He knew they wouldn't blame him if he changed his mind... No. S-Stop it, calm down. Jake's a good Pokémon, but we can't trust him. Sure, he's not lied about himself after he got his powers, he's been helpful as much as he is able, but he's a chaotic, unpredictable mess! Stop twitching, legs, arms, ugh. I can't calm down. I can't relax. I can't- urgh.

I can't do this. I can't let Ayrill... I just can't. I must stop it. How, though? Ayrill is out currently, so I can't tell her. Ugh, what do I do? That? Yes, that could work. It won't be easy, but... it may be the only choice. The only chance I have. I'll stop it. Jake, I- I'll keep you safe, I swear.

Dragonite closed his eyes, resting until the time came. His head pounded, and his head still spun. This would be difficult, he knew, so he would need all the strength he could get. He only hoped Ayrill would forgive him for the sudden shift in plans.

This was it, then. Less than twenty-four hours remained until his "surprise mission" with Ayrill. With the few days they were allotted, they had planned. The plan was simple, or rather, it should have been. It was unfortunately made far more complicated after the guild members ended up getting sick. The plan, to have everyone they could volunteer to go with Ayrill had been forcefully shifted. Now only Cole, Seya, and Manny were healthy enough to travel anywhere. With Seya having to be responsible for the others, this left Cole and Manny as the only two who could join along. Luckily, I had a backup plan.

The others were bored, itching to go out and do more stuff. This simple mission would be perfectly reasonable for my friends to come along. That would boost our numbers and maybe even cause Ayrill to reconsider the plan altogether. Even she couldn't do that, not when the other children were present, right? Jake shook his head, imagining the scenario. It certainly felt like she could, eerily enough. Jake shook his head and let out a quiet sigh.

"No two guesses as to why..." Still, with them by his side, they wouldn't have to worry as much. Either way, it'd be quite a bit of time still before the "mission" and I intended to be in good enough shape for it. Thus, I was lying in bed, half asleep. No one could accuse me of being lazy since I had a good reason for it, after all. Though I wasn't exactly intending to fall asleep again, it just sort of happened.

The dark room remained almost completely unlit, with the only light visible coming from a few rooms away, barely enough to even notice, and far from enough to navigate in any safe manner. It was like a singular star in the pitch blackness. Lucky for me I could make an illusion to safely see with for when the time came. In my half-asleep state, my mind raced with bizarre dreams. Apples were screaming, carrots and berries fell from the sky, it was sheer chaos and I liked it.

"Ready?" A voice called. I gasped and stirred awake. Glancing around the dark room lit only by the illusion of sight, not a soul was to be found. Letting out a small groan, I laid back down but knew I wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. That didn't stop me from trying, however. Some odd amount of time passed before I stretched my limbs, fully waking myself from any semblance of relaxation. For a few moments, I could feel my heart rapidly beat in my chest before it settled down. With a small groan, I sat up. I was, once again, hungry. This body was being impossibly infuriating, but I had to deal with it.

Stumbling my way out of the room, I began traveling up to the kitchen. Ayrill was trying to teach Ray and Star some basic math, and Nera was coloring on a mat on the far right, on a couch next to Seya. The area was still lit by the mossy lanterns, the pathway up was just as shadowy and mysterious as it had been for the past few days. Regardless of the time spent with it, I was going to be happy when the torches were lit once more. I did not like how dark it was, it was far too spooky for me.

Wandering to the kitchen, a few apples and some chicken had been laid out for me. I sat at the table and began gnawing at the strips of chicken, then took a bite of the apple. Raw chicken and apples, what a combo. Chicken and apples aren't the weirdest things I've ever eaten, well, raw chicken sure, but I still think the peanut butter mustard sandwich beat it out. Sometimes you eat what you have, and that means peanut butter and mustard on one slice of bread. College was a tough time for me. Contently nibbling on an apple, I reviewed the plan one last time.

Cole and Manny would go with me, as there was business to do, a dungeon to explore somewhere nearby. Some random, new dungeon that was rumored to have popped up nearby. Doesn't matter where we go, as dungeons are able to pop up at any point and any place, somehow. I still don't get it, but I was turned into a fox and met a king, so I was used to that. I have thrown out the word impossible from my lexicon of words. If Impossible is just another Tuesday, then nothing should surprise me anymore, right? I wasn't sure about that, for some reason.

I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. I was admittingly a bit scared, but I knew I could get past this without major issues. We had a plan, and we would be able to work with it. Hopping off the small stool, I made my way back down. Looking at some pictures, I tried my best to learn some basic words. I couldn't read any letters, but I could probably recognize the words at least. Still, it wasn't like learning a language normally. I would not be able to read properly, just recognize some patterns for some words. I wasn't exactly smart enough to learn everything, either. Some words would be better than nothing, I figured. Starting with some basic ones, Zorua and Zoroark. It looked like several drawings of complete nonsense, but I was learning. Slowly but surely, I was learning. A circle with an X, a Z with a vertical line, and a swirly semicircle thing with a horizontal line apparently read "Zorua". Still, I was learning. I wondered if there was an equivalent to my name I could write out when I needed to. There was, and this was something I needed to practice a lot of.

A transparent apple with a line running through it and what could only be described as the child of capital Q and lowercase e, that was apparently my name. Easy enough to memorize, I knew. Easy enough to write, I hoped. I was very wrong, somehow. Even when something seemed perfect, it was apparently still illegible. When I traced Ayrill's handwriting, it was apparently barely legible, somehow. I suspect that's due to her having poor handwriting rather than something I did wrong, since there was no discernable difference.

After a full hour, somehow, I hadn't managed to write something legible. I had no idea how, but I hadn't. A bit disappointed in this, I wandered back to my room for one last nap before lunch. I must have been more tired than I thought, as I fell asleep once more, so soon after I had just woken up. A peaceful, calm, happy blackness ensued soon after. The others were asleep nearby, in the order of Nera, Ray, Squared, and Star. Time passed, slowly the minutes dwindled away before lunch.

Judging from the smell drifting in, Dilen had made something nearby, so no one had to travel up the stairs. That was convenient, we all could sit on the couch and eat. Maybe we could even have a deep, meaningful conversation in the semi-lit area. Honestly, with how this world was I shouldn't be joking like that because that could literally happen. Nudging Nera awake, she let out a yawn, and her nose twitched as she noticed the smell. Nera woke up Ray and Star. Squared had woken up due to the noise we were making. With a few yawns and stretches, we followed our noses to the main hub area. Simple salads and raw meats sat on a platter. Dilen was clearly not feeling well enough to make anything particularly amazing. Everyone already had a plate, but no one seemed to be eating. They all stared at their salads with sad expressions. I knew this food was not up to Dilen's usual standard, but it couldn't be that bad.

"Hello?" I wondered. The guild looked in our general directions, putting false smiles on their face. I had a feeling about what they had just been discussing, but I couldn't confirm it unless I asked, and so ask I did. Sort of, I couldn't be blunt or direct about it.

"Is something wrong? You look sad." I stated. They coughed. Rhett, Seya, and Manny stared at me, glancing to Ayrill. I shrugged. I knew exactly what that meant, but I couldn't say otherwise. Still, I figured I should try to lighten the situation.

"So, food?" I wondered cheerfully. Dragonite gestured to several plates on a nearby table, which he happily took. With a bow, the four kids thanked Dilen as per their tradition or something. Squared tried to get me to bow, but I gently smacked him instead. I would bow to no man, er, mon. If I do bow, it's because I chose to. I wonder why the guild thought I was uncontrollable; I am clearly the embodiment of loyalty and servitude with an attitude like that. I rolled my eyes at my own thoughts and grabbed some chicken, apples, and some other random meat I wasn't brave enough to ask about. Even I have a limit as to what I want to know, only compounded by the fact I had recently learned chickens as I know them don't exist, it's just some type of meat they call chicken. Thus, it's like the situation with hotdogs. I have no idea what is in the meat, and what I do know made me unwilling to learn anymore for fear of not eating anything more. I could only hope I was not eating some sentient Pokémon. Is it cannibalism if it isn't the same species? It doesn't really matter to me; it'd still be weird.

The awkward silence that ensued was only broken by the sounds of plates clattering, and the odd belch and flatulence on occasion. Okay, the only one who let out gas was me, and yes, it was intentional. It was getting too quiet and serious for my liking, so I let out a tiny little squeak. It sounded like a mouse. I got a few looks and Even turned his head, but otherwise, it didn't change much. Did I mention I have no idea why the others distrusted me? The awkward quiet lasted for some time until Ayrill broke the silence with exactly what I was fearing.

"Jake. There's a relatively simple mission I need you to do. It's a bit of a distance away, so we'll need to take the airship. Luckily, I happen to have something I need to do very nearby, so I shall go with you, so you won't deal with being on the airship alone, since I know how much you detest it." Ayrill stated. I wasn't planning on walking to my death, and I opened my mouth to speak. However, it seemed Dragonite of all Pokémon had something to say.

"If- if that mission what I think it is, I don't think that's a good idea. I've heard about wild Pokémon in the area. The Pokémon are far more dangerous than normal, some fairly recent reports indicate. Maybe you missed it since you had to run the place while we were unable. Not to mention I've heard rumors about Pokémon matching that description. You'd both be in an extraordinary amount of trouble if you met up with even one of them." Dragonite stated. What was going on? I knew he had a guilty conscience, but did he no longer wish for my sudden demise? Either way, it was convenient. I felt a bit of hope rise in me. If I could get away with not being attacked at all, that would be for the best. I could use my powers on them to make them not want to kill me in the future unless it was necessary. I know, a bit scummy to abuse this power like that, but my life was already on the line once, and I didn't want to go through this more than once. It was way too stressful for everyone. However, Ayrill seemed unmoved and undaunted by this new information.

"We shall be careful." She responded bluntly. A bit of hope faded in me. It seemed I wasn't getting out of this so easily. However, more unexpected things occurred. Dragonite shook his head and quietly sighed.

"Then I'll go with," Dragonite stated. The guild jumped in surprised. I nearly dropped my chicken on the ground. What was going on? This wasn't part of the script I had planned in my mind. I ran several scenarios in my head. Nothing was adding up at this point, well, one was. One of the few remaining possibilities that remained would imply this adventure was already at least three-fourths over. I knew that couldn't be the case, however. Ray hadn't gotten any development, nor had Star. I hadn't had my big fight with Star that I was expecting to happen, and Star's parents, something I vaguely remembered hearing about, were still out there somewhere.

There was far too much left, it couldn't be that. The other possibility was that this adventure was about a quarter to halfway over and that things would get much harder and almost certainly more dangerous for me and my allies. I really hoped it wasn't that, though. I mean, I had already planned for that just in case, but I couldn't plan for everything, nor did I want to. I just made sure some broad things were sketched out in case things swerved in any direction, they aren't foolproof. The broad plans I laid out might intercept, at least, so I can use parts of one plan in another. Wait, that could work. If I did that... The adults continued speaking as I continued my planning and plotting.

"You, you're still not doing well, though. It's- too dangerous." Ayrill stated. Dragonite shook his head.

"It's no more dangerous than you two traveling into dangerous areas on your own." He responded.

"I- Uh, w-where is this mission?" Manny questioned. Ayrill looked at Manny and tilted her head.

"Why'd you ask?" She questioned sternly. Ayrill folded her arms, looking quite mean for an ovoid blue bunny. He stuttered and seemed unable to say anything. However, Cole, spoke up on his friend's behalf.

"New Dungeon. Far, can't walk." He stated, crossing his arms, and looking to the floor. As stoic as ever, so few words and still it made sense. It was all but impossible to tell if he was lying. He was not an opponent anyone would want to face in a game of poker. Honestly, I could learn a thing or two from him. However, that sense of amazement was minor compared to the fear welling up in me. This was getting far more complicated than we had initially planned. Luckily, I had just updated my plans a bit. Far from foolproof, these guys could easily mess it up if I they tried, but it should work out.

"It's in the Desert Wastes." She stated. Manny let out a surprised buzz. He was quite good at lying, too, luckily. His mostly expressionless bug face helped him, at least. Cole probably taught him as well, or maybe he just learned how to be expressionless from working with Cole for so long. Whatever was the case, Manny was quite exceptional at lying.

"Th-that's where we needed to go! M-maybe the dangerous P-Pokémon came from this n-new dungeon!" He exclaimed, looking at Dragonite. Ayrill looked at Dragonite, who simply smiled smugly. I looked towards the others as well. I had one last thing to say, getting the others onboard that horrible machine again.

"If- If it's dangerous, then the others can come with as well." I stated. Everyone jumped in their seats again. It was quite impressive they managed to get airborne on surprise alone. My mind wandered to me scaring the life out of Rhett and her jumping to the moon. A smile grew on my face. Suddenly, I shook my head, realizing I had completely lost my train of thought was not a good thing to do. It was so hard to focus, I didn't know why, either. My mind simply kept going on wild tangents.

"Well? It'd be safer, right?" I stated. I looked to my friends, who looked at each other. They weren't very enthused about getting back on the dangerous machine the guild called an airship. However, they all nodded.

"Sure. If it's dangerous, we'll need to go too!" Squared stated. The others nodded firmly.

"If it's dangerous, then I'll go to. I may not be in the best of shape right now, but I couldn't bear to see them get hurt. Even should my fur get ruffled, I shall bear it." Even stated, standing as tall as he possibly could. I looked at him. This was, again, not a part of the plan.

"Yeah. Same here!" Rhett stated, bouncing up and down. I had no idea how she had so much energy even when she was sick. If anything, the illness made her even more energetic.

"I agree. I shall go with you as well." Dilen stated. Dilen was not exactly the best at fighting, probably the worst of the group. I suppose a living meat shield was useful if it came down to it.

"If all of you are traveling, then there's little point of me sticking around here, now is there? We can lock the guild up nicely. There are not many visitors to the library when we're sick after all." Seya stated. This was going off the rails from the plan, but I suppose it wasn't bad. If this didn't deter Ayrill from doing anything stupid, nothing would. Ayrill, somehow, remained undeterred.

"Of course. I understand." She stated with a single nod. She sat up and grabbed several of our plates.

"The distance to our destination means we will need to set out almost immediately if we wish to arrive at a decent time." She stated. How far were we going, exactly? I looked to the others, but no one seemed to be paying attention. We all sat in another awkward silence for a few moments. Suddenly Dragonite hopped off the couch.

"Well, there's not much else we can do here. Let's get going, guild." Dragonite stated. A smile was on his face, though its quivering gave away his true feelings. Slowly, the guild wandered up. I believe everyone was feeling a bit apprehensive for one reason or another, but I think I was the most nervous of everyone there. My life was on the line, after all. The police couldn't do much about this unless we told them, and if anyone revealed anything, they would probably all be thrown in jail for conspiracy to commit a crime. That wouldn't be ideal for anyone, not me, the other kids, or the townsfolk. The whole murder plot was a horrible idea from the start, though that's just the opinion of the intended victim.

Who knows, maybe my demise would solve all the world's problems. Maybe if I was gone, world hunger would be fixed, all orphans would find a home, Mystery Dungeons would fade, and all diseases would suddenly disappear. Yeah, absolutely, if I wasn't around that is absolutely what would happen. What kind of idiotic thoughts led them to think my complete and utter erasure was better? Sure, I was wild, and I didn't listen to authority as often as I could, but I never had any ill intentions. I could listen to authority as needed, I wouldn't have gotten a managerial job at the second largest toy store in the state of Wisconsin if I couldn't. My silly and wild side just made me better at handling hyperactive kids and terrible parents.

If the guild had just talked to me about how they felt and discussed it with me like adults, this entire mess would be avoided. If they had simply told me they were terrified about the entire group, I would have understood and tried my best to reassure them. I am not unreasonable, I know how tough it is to look after a single toddler, but when there are four super-powered toddlers running around, I would get it. I think they may have forgotten I was an adult. Sure, I had to treat my body as a kid, but they often seemed to forget I was an adult under this child-sized fluff ball I called a body. It was frustrating. I was in quite a bit more danger than I should have been all because the guild couldn't separate the needs of my toddler body from my actual mental capacity. It burned me with anger, but I wasn't going to say anything about it, not yet.

I would speak my mind after everything was said and done. If what I thought would happen was going to happen did, I would need to be ready. Wandering our way to the terrible metal monstrosity, everyone funneled in silently. The others were shaking, huddled around me. I wasn't doing much better, to be fair, but the warm bodies of Ray and Nera were calming at least. The calmness was a cycle, it would seem. They calmed me, which in turn kept them calm. I wasn't sure how long we had been traveling, but the occasional bump and shake made me woozy. Taking a breath, I broke the silence.

"Hey, Dragonite?" I stated. Dragonite looked toward me but didn't say anything. Why were they so quiet on the airship? It didn't matter, I guess.

"I can't help but get the feeling I make you nervous sometimes. I mean, we all do. I get it, honestly. One normal toddler is tough to handle, but four? With superpowers? It's a lot. I understand if I made you nervous myself as well with my mind-manipulating abilities. However, I am an adult under this fur, so I know how to be reasonable. If I start to act far too wild or chaotic. If I do something that you can't stand or if you just don't feel you have any choice left, just say 'Manitowoc'. I'll understand and will calm myself." I stated. Dragonite looked at me with a humorous, confused look, but nodded.

"Manitowoc is something you wouldn't say ninety-nine percent of the time. If you do say it, I will be able to recognize it from wherever my mind is. I trust you'll know when to use it." I explained. Dragonite nodded, frowning. He crossed his arms and looked to the ground. It seemed I had hurt him emotionally. He probably didn't know that I knew his plan, thus my comment seemed to come from a genuine feeling of kindness. He deserved to feel uncomfortable for planning my demise. This entire trip was his fault. Well, most of it was, anyway. Hopefully, he would get some use out of that. If not, then nothing will have changed from how it was before. The trip continued in silence after that.

It wasn't until a while longer than the familiar shudder and feeling of my stomach flying into my throat notified us of our descent. How long we had been traveling, I didn't know. All I knew is there was a fight between the entire guild and Ayrill was about to occur. Stepping out onto the sandy wastes, a hilly, windswept desert stretched before us for many miles, far outstretching the horizon. It was a barren, lifeless sea of sand. I looked up, noting the sun was about to set. I hadn't even noticed, somehow. Well, that made this a little harder, but I could see fine, and most of my allies could see fine as well. Everything would be fine, probably.

"Okay! Where to?" I questioned with vigor. I had to keep up the enthusiasm for a bit at least. Ayrill pulled out a map and silently pointed in some random direction. Seemed she wasn't going to play along herself, though. She knew what was going on. This was looking worse for me as time kept passing. Still, I had little choice but to willingly walk into a trap. I took a breath of the cool, dry desert air. The pieces were set, and all the events were in motion. It was time for the next bit to begin. With a bit of my illusory power, I could travel alongside them while not actually being nearby. However, I remained close regardless. With a smile, I trotted forward, not a care in the world.

Crossing over a large dune, standing behind the towering figures of the adults, Ayrill took the lead quickly, gesturing for the others to stop. Everyone halted as she commanded. They looked at her, however, she didn't turn around. Taking a few steps forward, she turned, a malicious smile growing on her face. With a loud crack, several forms suddenly appeared from nowhere, surrounding us. Six forms appeared one by one. The white fox, the Kricketune, the Krookodile, Weavile, Scrafty, and a strange purple wisp. I was sorely tempted to greet them with an enthusiastic hello, but I held my tongue.

"Wh-what?" Dragonite wondered. All of us backed toward one another into a tighter group. We looked at each of the villains for a few moments. We stared at each other for what seemed like several seconds but may have been longer or shorter. Time seemed to stop, losing all meaning in the process.

"Ayrill, what's going on?" Seya questioned. The group of villains let out a sinister laugh.

"I am Ayrill, codename: Mind. For years I worked under you, ready to destroy you when the time came. Now, that time has finally arrived! This world shall be brought to it's knees, and all shall know who brought it to its end!" She exclaimed. The others seemed surprised, however, I just laughed. I couldn't help it; it was so overdramatic and over-the-top. She said it with mustache-twirling levels of cheese. The only way she could have made that worse for her is if she said her goal was to rule the world instead. The others looked at me like I was a complete lunatic. I collapsed for a moment. It took a few seconds, but I eventually caught the laugh in my throat and repressed it long enough to talk. I was still giggly, though, even as I stood up to speak.

"Sorry, sorry, I'm just not too surprised. Anyone who willingly throws toddlers around as you have on more than one occasion had to be messed in the head. It seems I was right, you're clearly insane!" I exclaimed, laughing once more.

"I'm glad you find this funny because we happen to have a surprise for you." She stated. Her wicked smile had not faltered or faded. It was somewhat unnerving, honestly, but I wasn't going to show fear, not to them.

"Cake?" I questioned. At this point, I was being silly for the sake of it. The vile group let out a quiet chuckle. My smile faltered at the genuinely sinister sound. That laugh would probably haunt my nightmares later. Once I got to bed, of course. If it weren't for the airship being impossible to sleep in, I'd probably be completely asleep at this point. As it was, I was extremely tired. all of us were. I really didn't like our chances in these conditions.

"Hahahah! Perhaps so, after all, what birthday's complete without a cake? Hehahaha!" The whiter creature laughed. It was his birthday?

"What are you?" I wondered.

"Hehahahahah!" That was so helpful, now I know everything I needed, thank you deranged fox, thank you so much. However, it seemed his laughing was just a preamble to something. His smile disappeared, and the laughter faded and turned into an aggravated growling instead.

"I am Arcane, the Zoroark. Codename: Revenge. I was abandoned by people who claimed to care for me. They left me to die. I did everything for them, broke my back for them, and they abandoned me for a stupid guild that never even managed to be built, money problems or something. You see, I died for nothing. I was angry and hateful. I wanted revenge more than anything. I abandoned my chance at the afterlife for my own purposes. How could I trust anyone after being betrayed by everyone, after all? I was brought back with even more power than I could have imagined! I returned to my village. They killed me, so I killed them. Now I go around, seeking to end this horrible world that hated my existence. It will know my wrath." He stated, smilingly wickedly at this.

However, his smile soon faded once again. The time for wit and sass was clearly over. The six slowly advanced. They didn't even have their guard up, completely confident in their superiority. Honestly, I didn't blame them. If it was just Ayrill, we'd probably be fine, but all of them? This wasn't going to be easy. It took a special move to defeat three of them, and that blast caused quite a few problems. Looking at the others, they all were clearly nervous.

I took a breath before speaking, doing my best to hide how much my paws were shaking. "We have to go all out." My scarf lit up a bright green. Only the Weavile flinched away, knowing what it had done to her before. Rushing to their backs, I tried to hit the Weavile, but found myself completely countered by the Zoroark. He had a deep smile on his face, both amused and impressed. I didn't hold back, yet he still completely stopped me. Suddenly the wisp flew towards me. Not the illusion, but to where I was truly standing. For a bodiless form, the wisp was powerful. It felt like I had a building thrown at me. I couldn't even wheeze as I flung backward. The sand dune I hit exploded, showering the entire landscape in a cascade of sand. A mountain of sand fell on my allies, who covered their heads from the sudden torrent of rock particles. The villains didn't seem bothered by this. It wouldn't be surprising if the Krookodile threw the others into sand dunes before. It seemed well within his character.

"Did you really think you could hide from me?" The wisp questioned. It had a cute, girlish voice. Was this thing female? Probably, I wouldn't be surprised, at least. I swung out at it, trying a basic attack. It passed through the wisp harmlessly. It didn't even flicker or waver. I expected it to waver like fire, but to do nothing at all was a bit unexpected. Curious, I passed my paw through the form several times before looking right at her.

"Weird. What are you, exactly?" I questioned. I was genuinely curious, she seemed to literally be a ghost, intangible except when she wishes to be, which is the opposite of what most ghosts were like in this world. I wasn't expecting the wisp to respond, yet somehow I got the sense the wisp rolled its eyes. It was the weirdest feeling. However, that weird and slightly amusing feeling vanished quickly. I felt a shiver up my spine as the wisp responded.

"I'm the remains of a deity. Many years ago, a hero defeated me by tricking me into a storm I had created. Since then, I have only become more powerful. There is nothing you can do to harm me. No creature has the power to defeat me." She stated. I didn't doubt it, but I didn't need to beat her. I only needed to escape, somehow. I only needed to escape from a god. Wow, this was not what I expected to happen today. What was plan C again? Oh right, knock Ayrill out before we left. I didn't make plan D for Deity. Well, this was far from ideal.

"Leave my friends alone!" I shouted. The wisp let out a piercing laugh. I felt a pit open in my stomach.

"Oh, don't worry. None of the seven of us will kill your friends, not directly." The wisp flew towards me slowly, Scrambling, I tried to get away. However, my legs didn't seem to want to work, uselessly flailing around. The others looked on in horror as the wisp flew into my chest. I gasped. Everything started to waver. My body slowly went numb, and the already gray desert slowly grew darker. Soon the only thing I could feel was the immense pain in my chest where the wisp had flown into. Everything faded to black. At some point, my vision seemed to come back. I felt my eyes open, but I was still in a dark void.

What's going on? Dark voices whispered in my ears. Where, huh? It's just like the one time before, when-Urk. An extraordinary pain shot through me as the voices suddenly shouted, screeching in unison. My head, what's happening? I looked around, however, the only thing I saw was a dark void. The voices quieted down for a moment. Oh? Then they spoke up once more, annoying me. Again? Soon the cacophony dwindled into one, loud voice made from seven distinct voices. I recognized them, unfortunately.

Let the hatred rise.

Hm? What was that? Ugh, what's going on… I looked to my body, realizing I was a dark sphere. My body, it's- urgh. An extraordinary pain shot through me once more. My spherical body shifted and contorted.

Let the hatred rise.

Ouch, what… What happened? I had a feeling that the Wisp had accomplished what Dragonite wanted. Urgh… Oh, right. I see. I wasn't exactly happy with that. Then, I- urh! Another extreme pain spurt and I found my spherical body returned to a Zorua. Strange, I thought. Still, it beat looking at a green sphere.

Let the hatred rise!

What was that? It was genuinely beginning to scare me at this point. Huh? Who's-

They wanted you dead. You hate them. You wish for your revenge.

What? No, I-

You will have your vengeance. Your anger is undeniable.

Yeah, I was angry, but I didn't want revenge.

You will be their demise.

I did not want that.

You will be their end.

Stop, no.

You will help us destroy everyone.

Stop it.

You wish for this.

Why would I wish for their demise? No, I hate them, no, hate's not the right word to use. Ugh, what, it's like earlier. I can't focus, I… Ayrill. She was preparing me all this day, wasn't she? That's why I couldn't focus as well as I wanted. Urgh, when I get my hands on-

Yes. Feel the anger.

No. Stop. I don't want this

Feel the vengeance.

No, I don't want it, I can't, no. I won't!

You want your revenge.

Ugh, no. Stop. Stop!

You want your vengeance.

Please, no! Please, I don't want to-

Take your revenge against the deity who forced you here.

I can't. No, please.

Take your vengeance against those who wronged you.

No.

You will.

No! I want- No.

You enjoy it.

No! I mean, I do want it, but... No, I- No. It's fu- No! S-stop.

You embrace it.

N-n-ngh. It's fun? No. It isn't, right? No, it's, evil. Fun? No, stop. Urgh, stop. Stop!

This is what you want

No… N-

I closed my eyes, shaking violently at the invasive thoughts. My black fur slowly lost all color, starting with my paws. From black to pure white, except my paws on the very bottom were left with a light red coat as if I had stepped through puddles of crimson water. Shooting up my body, a large, scarf-like fluff expanded out. My tail lost all color, only gaining a small red tip at the end. I felt the sensations of my fur shifting and growing around my face and head. I felt cold, absolutely. All feeling in my body slowly turned to a sheer, biting cold. That wouldn't last, as soon the cold became comfortable, and then disappeared entirely.

I could feel my heart beating rapidly. After a few moments, I felt it slow down. From the fast, frightening pace, it slowly became calm. However, soon it slowed even past that. Over the course of several seconds, I felt my heart slow until it all but stopped entirely. Far sooner than expected, the transformation was complete. A large mirror was placed in front of me. A white, grey and red fox stood before me. My eyelids were shaded red, as were the tips of my tail, my ears, and paws. I looked at my face once more. I looked quite sad. I didn't feel sad or scared. I just felt normal, content almost. A singular voice called out from the shadows of the void.

"Welcome, my son. Hahahah. We're going to have a lot of fun together" Son? Is that what I was now? Is-Urgh. Pain, what, no. I-I… I clenched my eyes, feeling extremely dizzy for a few moments. The feeling of a breeze woke me from my fright. I opened them, noting the others standing there, mouths agape at my new appearance. The Zoroark laughed wildly. It wasn't just his usual deranged laughter either. He sounded genuinely happy alongside his insanity.

"Well, how about it, son? Come over here and we can finish off these guys once and for all!" The Zoroark laughed wildly. This was what he wanted. A feeling of power surged through me. It was an interesting feeling. The wisp floated over to the others, leaving me to stand. Everything had worked, and now I could have everything I wanted. With a smirk, I laughed quietly. I had so many things I wanted to say to the Zoroark who wished this form on me.

Yes, I would have my revenge against the gods which tore me from my home, and against the guild which hated me. I would have everything I was too weak to admit I wanted. I let out a loud laugh, piercing through the quiet moonlit night. A wide smile rested on my face. I was happy, overjoyed at the prospect of removing their pathetic existence. The stain they called their lives would be washed away. Oh yes, I would absolutely get my revenge on the guild. I continued laughing. The sounds of my laughter lingered through the cold, desert air. I had truly decided on what I would say to Zoroark. There were two simple words that would tell him exactly how I felt.

"Yes, father."