Now that Ayame is revealed to be controlled by Samarra, there's someone who no one has told yet that may take the news rather hard. The question is, who's going to be the one to tell the Empress what's going on? In her current state, I definitely wouldn't be the one volunteering for that role. Things are crazy enough without having to worry about what she's going through, that's for sure! But you can't keep it secret for very long, either.

KedharS: Blake doesn't even know Samarra exists. And given that she's after him, calling him in would be the absolute worst.

Hyphenman: You never know. One person can do quite a lot of damage, just ask Samarra.

Just a Bad Writer for Fun: Quite a lot of insight into this chapter. I wonder how it's all going to pay off in the end…

Pokemon Academy: Beginning of Beginnings

Chapter 1089

Alcea felt a wave of tension run through her as she walked down the hall. It was an unfamiliar feeling; she was going to see someone in particular, and it wasn't someone that she got along particularly well with.

She stopped outside the door to Victoria's room, where the Empress had shut herself up in and refused to talk to anyone.

Alcea hadn't spoken to Olivia since their battle. Judging by Olivia's hostility to her, she didn't think it would be productive. There were other reasons that Alcea felt uncomfortable with going to see her, mainly because Olivia was still upset by what had happened.

Right now, though, she was facing a difficult situation, and there was no way she could keep this a secret. Olivia needed to know what had happened to Ayame. And Alcea needed to be the one to tell her. It had to come from her, because if it didn't…

…If it didn't, then Olivia might shut down completely. She was counting on her proven record of being able to drive the Empress in new directions, mainly through spite. It wasn't how she wanted Olivia to think about her, but she would make the best of what she had.

So with a deep breath, she knocked on the door, ignoring the strangling silence coming from behind the door.

"Olivia," she said. She quickly corrected herself, "Empress, I have something important to talk to you about right now, is it? Please, open the door."

But the door remained firmly shut. Alcea bit her lip. What a surprise, Olivia didn't want to see her. But she wasn't bullshitting right now.

"Please answer. It's about Ayame, is it?"

That was as far as she was willing to say. If she pushed any further with the truth, then the Empress might shut herself off completely. If Olivia was worried about her friend, then she would come to her, hopefully.

"…What about her?" Olivia's soft voice vindicated Alcea's hopes, and she let out a muffled sigh of relief. That was good.

"She's in trouble, is it?" Alcea said, pushing a little more. "A lot of trouble. The thing that controlled you… it was controlling her, too. It still is. We've got her tied up, but we don't know how we can help. And I just thought… well, considering you two are so close, you would want to know what's going on, is it?"

A pregnant pause hung in the air, and Alcea knew she had failed. Not even knowing that her best friend was being possessed was enough to bring her out of the room. There was nothing left to do, unfortunately. Her only plan had-

The door creaked open and Olivia faced her.

She didn't look like herself. She wasn't wearing makeup, her face streaked with only tears. And her clothes weren't up to their usual fare of high quality; instead she was wearing a ratty hoodie that she must have snagged from Vic's room. And her hair? It was a mess of tangles and knots, when was the last time she'd used a brush? Alcea couldn't begin to guess.

Even her eyes didn't carry that same fire that Alcea was used to; at least, not at first. But as Alcea continued to explain the situation, her face grew more and more sure, and by the end it was like the old Oliviawas starting to come back.

"Take me to her," the Empress snarled.

Alcea nodded, and led Olivia to the living room.

If anyone was surprised to see Olivia in her present condition, they were wise enough to keep their opinions to themselves. Even dressed like a frumpy loser who looked like she didn't know the first thing about self-care, Olivia carried herself with perfect dignity, walking with her head held high like the Empress she was.

She approached Ayame, seemingly unbothered by the state of her friend.

"Hello Olivia. You've looked better," Ayame greeted her coldly. But Olivia didn't care. She narrowed her eyes, standing over the other girl.

"You forget something?" She asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Hmm?" Ayame blinked curiously.

"Normally you refer to me as 'boss', or have you forgotten?" Olivia asked.

"Oh, is that so? Sorry, stuff like that, I guess it just slipped my mind," Ayame said, trying to laugh it off. "I'm not in that frame of mind much these days, you see."

"…Yeah, I'm sure you're not," Olivia murmured. "There's not much of you left in there, is there, Aya?" She asked quietly.

Ayame blinked, confused. "What are you talking about? You don't think I'm me, Olivia? Ask me anything you want, to confirm who I am. I'll be happy to tell you! We're friends, after all!" A wide smiled spread across her face.

"…Yeah, we're friends. And sure. Maybe you're the real Aya. I know you are, I can't deny it. But who you are… that's become twisted. What HAPPENED to you, Aya? What did that woman do you when she took over your mind?"

A dark look crossed Ayame's face. "Don't say that about her! Samarra is my friend. She means just as much to me as you do, Olivia!"

Olivia blinked. "You know… I always liked the way you called me 'boss'," she mused. "Not because I like lording over people. But because it was the way you said it. With affection and care. It was a sign that we were more than just associates. You were my best friend. That's what that nickname of yours means to me, Aya. Are you telling me you've forgotten that?"

"It's not that I forgot anything," Ayame said, shaking her head. "It's just not as important anymore, that's all. Why's it such a big deal? Being Samarra's friend is so much more meaningful than anything like that."

Olivia couldn't deny that this was her best friend talking to her right now. The way she spoke, the way she carried herself, it was Ayame. But the more she looked at her, the easier it was to see that something was dreadfully wrong.

A stab of guilt shot through her. This is my fault, she realized. Not just because she had probably been the one to lead Ayame into a trap and get her possessed, but if she hadn't shut down completely after her battle against Alcea, she might have been able to figure out what was going on with her friend much earlier. If only I hadn't been so selfish…

"Is something wrong, Olivia?" Ayame asked quietly. "You've been rather silent. This isn't like you. Though I suppose you've been shut up in your room for so long, perhaps the reason for that is because you don't quite feel comfortable enough with stepping out here, given what happened to you before, with Alcea?"

Olivia tightened her fists and tried to put Ayame's words aside. But it was hard, when such harsh things came from the lips of her best friend.

"I know those aren't your words," Olivia replied. "You're just being controlled by that woman. The real you would never say-"

"Don't be too sure," Ayame cut her off with a sharp look. "You don't remember what it was like, do you? Being friends with Samarra. If you did, you would never say something so ignorant. Samarra doesn't control us. She just opened our minds to the truth about making friends with the people around you, and we understood that it's the only way to live."

"Opening your mind? Is that what you think is going on?" Olivia asked, a shadow crossing her face. "That's ridiculous."

"Not at all. I can see things in a way I never could before," Ayame said, shaking her head. "You could too, back then. This isn't me being brainwashed, Olivia. You weren't brainwashed when you said the things you said to Alcea, right?"

"What things were those?" Olivia asked, tensing up.

"Hey, wait you-" Alcea stepped in to try and redirect the conversation, but it was too little, WAY too late.

"You know. Things about how she'll never acknowledge you, how she won't even look at you, making her pay for the fact that she ignored and forgot about you, ever since childhood. You really spilled you guts all over the front lawn, Olivia. I'm honestly a little surprised. I guess the real you just had so much bottled up inside that it just had to come pouring out at the worst possible moment, don't you think? That's truly tragic if you ask me.

Olivia felt sick to her stomach. She'd really revealed her deepest issues under the influence of Samarra? The thought made her go pale. Her eyes shot to Alcea instinctively and the look on the redhead's face answered her question immediately. She tensed and averted her eyes, guilt burning in her eyes. I was all true.

"You see? It's thanks to Samarra that you were able to reveal what was truly on your mind. All those things you wanted to say, but were too polite and considerate to reveal. That's what Samarra did for you. She took away that fear and indecision, mad you a better friend than you ever were before," Ayame boasted.

The fact that Ayame could spin everything that happened to Olivia as a positive thing was just more evidence to the blonde that her best friend was completely twisted by this "friendship" of hers, and that thought made her shiver.

"Olivia…" Alcea reached out to the other girl, but Olivia swatted her hand away.

"Don't you pity me," she snarled. "You know better than that. Just leave me alone!" She snapped, glaring at her nemesis.

A heartbroken expression crossed Alcea's face. She'd just been trying to help, she didn't deserve Olivia treating her that way. But reminded herself about the pain Olivia was in and all the stuff she'd called Alcea out on before, and recognized that maybe her contributions would not be the most helpful thing in the world.

"…Ayame," Olivia said quietly, after a long, pregnant pause. "I can't honestly say that you're wrong," she admitted. "When I was under Samarra's control, I'm sure I said a great number of things that I never would have without her."

"You've got it wrong," Ayame said sharply, shaking her head. "I'm not under Samarra's 'control' remember? I'm just working to help my friend, as any good friend would. That's what you taught me, isn't that right, Olivia? As my very first friend?"

Olivia was proud of the fact that she had been the first to befriend Ayame. She had seen that shy, awkward girl for the wonderful person she was, and it had pleased her to help build happiness in her heart.

And it was precisely that loyalty to her best friend that carried her now, convincing her that she needed to put a stop to this madness and help her. But she didn't know what she could do. Ayame refused to battle her pokemon, and that had been what saved Olivia… so maybe…

"Olivia…" Alcea's tender hand rested on Olivia's shoulder. A small smile crossed the blonde's lips. It felt so wonderful, feeling her comforting touch, that she just couldn't help but-

"Let go of me!" Olivia realized what was going on. Alcea was trying to help her, because the girl pitied her. And why should she be pitied? Her best friend was controlled by some psycho, the same way she had been controlled. And the reason behind that was all her fault, she had been the one who'd run off in the first place. If she hadn't done that, then she might not have run into this Samarra, and wouldn't have gotten possessed. And she CERTAINLY wouldn't have dragged Ayame with her, trying so hard to bring back her friend, that she would let her get controlled too.

Ayame wasn't holding her responsible; if anything, she was HAPPY that she had become friends with Samarra. And that just made things even worse.

Olivia didn't know what to do. She'd tried to get through to her friend, but it was clear that her words were having no effect. And seeing Ayame like this, it was painful. She was angry and scared and the guilt was overwhelming her, and Alcea's presence was only making things worse.

Unable to confront what she'd done, the strength she'd built up had fled her, and she pushed Alcea aside, storming back to her room. She wasn't going to shut herself up again, but at the very least she wasn't going to keep talking to Ayame.

Alcea just watched Olivia depart with a frown on her face. She wanted to help the other girl, but she couldn't think of a way to do it.

I suppose it's not even my place, she understood, looking down. It's not like she and Olivia had any sort of special relationship. They weren't even friends.

"What's the matter?" Ayame said, her voice snapping Alcea out of her pause. She'd completely forgotten that the other girl was still tied to a chair!

"N-Nothing, it's nothing, is it?" Alcea muttered, shaking her head. She turned away from Ayame, unable to face her, and headed out the door for some fresh air. Spending all this time cooped up in here was bad for her mental health.

As she exited, she ran right into the Commander.

"O-Oh! Alden," she said, a little startled. She'd expected that he would still be sulking. And it was clear he wasn't in the best of moods, but at least he tried to give her a smile, to show that there were no hard feelings.

She tried smiling back, but she couldn't. The air was too tense between them. She awkwardly stepped aside and let him back into the house, while she passed him to head out to the lawn.

Agate Village was normally soothing to Alcea. It had been an eternity since she'd been to a place so in-tune with nature, it felt like she was walking through the Garden of Eden. But right now, she wasn't at peace.

The issues that she'd faced with Olivia, and now with Ayame, had made her tense. It seemed like the more time she spent in this town, the greater risk she brought to it. Dealing with those Children of the Oracles, and now with Samarra, she wondered what the future would bring to this lovely place, and if it would withstand.

"Hey there."

Alcea glanced up to see an unlikely face. It was Ian. She raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Ah. Ian Davidson, is it? What do you need?"

"A better question would be what do you need?" Ian asked, walking over to her. "You seem to be in a pretty rough spot right now. I don't know what's happening, but if you'd like to talk…"

"No, thank you," Alcea said, shaking her head. She wasn't the type of person who did well when talking with other people about her issues. And this problem in particular wasn't something that had an easy solution. It would take a lot of thinking.

"Ah, gotcha. I'll leave you alone then," Ian said, knowing when he wasn't wanted. "But if you want my advice, I'd say that relying on Olivia could do you some good here."

Alcea raised her eyebrow curiously. She'd just talked with Olivia, and the talk… had not been a constructive one.

"Talking with Olivia, is it? You believe that would help?" She didn't know how that was possible, but she couldn't deny her curiosity.

Ian shrugged. "Hey, if you're worried about this Samarra person, my only real advice is to take things seriously and use everything at our disposal."

He glanced back at the house. "The Commander is in a pretty tough position himself," he continued. "I can't imagine what it would be like to have all my friends controlled by someone else. It must be a horrible thing to go through."

Alcea nodded. She thought about Vic. Her new old friend, who she had recently become close with due to their connection from the past. She could understand Alden's sentiments perfectly. She wanted to go to the Battle Frontier right this instant and save her, but she couldn't. And apparently, Gabrielle was under Samarra's influence as well. While the two weren't quite friends, they were still allies and rivals, and what had happened to her stung.

What if it was Kate? What if she had been controlled? Alcea didn't even want to think about that. She shook her head and turned away from Ian.

"Thank you for your advice. I will consider that, is it?" Alcea mused. She needed a walk to clear her thoughts, yes, that was what she needed. Maybe then she wouldn't spend all her time worrying about this.

As Alcea walked through the grass, she lamented the fact that she couldn't leave the village. Wes and Andrea both agreed that going out while Samarra was looking for them was suicide. Poor Maddi, though, the girl wasn't even allowed to leave the house. With her ability to determine who was being controlled by Samarra, she'd proven to be too valuable on support. They couldn't risk anything happening to her.

Alcea stopped as she circled the house and ducked back behind it. It was Wes and Rui! They were talking a few feet away, where no one could see. Alcea strained her ears to hear what they were talking about. Eavesdropping was wrong, of course, but this was an emergency situation! She had to know what was going on, after all!

She listened to the two of them talking. They weren't happy.

Well, it looks like things are still pretty tense! What could Wes and Rui be fighting about? How will Olivia recover from what she's been through, and will she be able to put a stop to what's going on with Ayame? She couldn't get through before, but maybe she'll be able to do something. At least she was willing to leave her room. As for Alcea, well… we'll have to see what she gets up to in the meantime, won't we?