That night was one of the hardest things Ronan had ever done; the morning after was a close second. Ignis had dragged him off to bed for a few hours after Slowking's address, but she couldn't stop him from coming back immediately after. She just barely coerced him to eat something first.

Nona hadn't gone home with Ignis and Ronan that morning. He assumed she had done the same as him, and that she hadn't any sleep either, which made him feel more justified in his decision.

It was clear that Shiinotic- or Amaranth, Ronan had learned- was just an apothecary and not a surgeon, but the wounds she dressed were healing as expected with the help of her anti-freezing balms, and Manectric's breathing finally went from faint to fevered, which she assured was an improvement.

The mixture was very simple, an aspear berry mashed with a mortar and pestle (in this case a bone and a mixing bowl) and heated to a paste. Applied along with clean bandages then allowed to harden, it beat back the frostbite and kept back infection as the body repaired itself.

Whether or not it repaired itself was a matter of Ronan getting Manectric to eat, which he found to be quite a challenge.

All morning she had been unconscious, and as the blood returned to her body, Manectric had a few moments of lucidity that Ronan tried to take as opportunities for sips from a flask. He was posted at her bedside until noon, where another apprentice would take over, despite Ronan's protests that he would be fine.

Though he said that, his head was so very, very heavy.

After several brief moments awake, it was mid morning when she finally spoke.

"Where…?" She rasped, her eyelids drooping.

"Shh…" Ronan shushed her as he clumsily brought a bottle to her lips. "You're at the guild, and you're okay. Water first, then talking."

She gratefully gulped down as much as she could before speaking again. "I was… attacked."

"We know," Ronan answered, "how do you feel now?"

She let out a strained mix of a cough and a laugh. "Just peachy," she said with a grimace.

Images of the stab wounds and frostbitten flesh flashed behind Ronan's eyes, leaving him feeling scared, yet somehow numb. He covered his expression with his skull.

"How's our patient doing, sprout?" Amaranth asked as she entered the room.

"Fine, I think," he replied quickly, crossing his claws in his lap.

She relieved Ronan of his post, this time with no resistance, and sent him to fetch the Guildmaster. Even before they had made their way back, all the chatter in the hall was about the night before.

"Thank you- all of you- for your help." Manectric was now sitting upright in bed, a steaming bowl of tea sitting between her paws. She tentatively lapped it up.

"Last night… Last night, I was doing an inspection of Featherfall for- well- what was supposed to be this morning's test of new apprentices, but I don't think that's happening..."

"Nevermind that, please continue," Slowking urged.

"Right. I was just reaching the end section when I heard… I… I don't know what I heard. It sounded like screaming. Angry screaming. In a few seconds I could hear it getting louder, like it was flying at me faster than… than anything should. That thing. It's not-"

Slowking rubbed her back and let her rest her head on his chest. Her tear ducts were red.

"Then it was… It was like I was frozen. I couldn't bring myself to move, and then it was on me… If it weren't for the dungeon throwing me out, I would have been dead. That's all I'm sure of."

The room was ghost quiet. Ronan looked between Slowking and Shiinotic for guidance, but they were both far, far away. Manectric wiped her eyes with her paw, staring at her bandaged body.

"Is… Is it one of them?" Ronan dared to ask.

"We can't know that yet. For all we know, this could be just a very powerful criminal pokemon, or a fluke in the dungeon spawn," Slowking reassured, placing a gentle hand on Ronan's shoulder.

"But we will find out, that I promise."

The news that Manectric was awake again was the relief that Nona had needed for the past 24 hours. The night before and the morning since had become a blur of bloody rags, soiled bed sheets, and panicked pokemon; so many panicked pokemon.

She let out a sharp breath through her teeth as she tried and failed again to get the crick out of her neck. For some reason she wasn't sure of, she was taking a walk out behind the guild into the training grounds.

Though, she realized as she passed the empty sparring rings that it was the only place she could think of where she wasn't so cramped. The infirmary was small as it was, but the constant shoving crowd of pokemon playing nurse to Shiinotic made it even worse. She needed a break.

Nona inhaled deeply and smelled pollen, letting it out in a heavy sigh.

Through bleary eyes she saw a pokemon on the training grounds, one she recognized.

Feraligatr leaned on a training dummy, and it served as a reminder of the absolute joke of a move test she had witnessed last time. Nona didn't even bother making eye contact as she passed.

"Rough night?" Feraligatr's rumbly voice barely registered in Nona's mind at first. "I'd say you're coming out of this second to worst- first being obvious."

Bitchy was the word Nona described Feraligatr as, though she had no reason to say it out loud. Maybe it was rude to judge her so quickly, but she was way too tired to give even half a shit.

She didn't entertain her with an answer, which somehow Feraligatr took as an invitation to keep talking.

"You look like shit right now."

"... What?" Nona asked partly because she wasn't sure if she heard right, and partly as a challenge.

"Just saying."

Now that Nona bothered to face her, Feraligatr had a satisfied smirk, her head resting on the dummy's shoulder.

"I'm fine," Nona said with a scowl, "and what about you? At least I have a reason to look this bad."

Feraligatr whistled, impressed. "Guess I don't have one. See, I actually left when the work was done. Shiinotic dismissed you four times at least."

Nona clenched her paws into fists. "I don't know what your problem is, but I am way too tired to deal with any of it."

"You should sleep then. God it's like- what- around two past, now?" She spared a glance at the sun midway through the sky.

"You should eat shit," Nona spat back. She knew she was just exhausted and pissed, but she let herself indulge in some mindless anger.

Feraligatr didn't show any signs of shock, but she did stop talking at least. Somehow that didn't make Nona feel any better though. Just as Nona was about to back down her gaze, Feraligatr stood to her full height and stretched.

"… You know what I do when I can't sleep?"

Nona never said she couldn't sleep, but she let her continue anyway.

"I fight something- another pokemon if possible. Wanna try that? You and me. Unless you'd rather just stand around and ruin your own day."

Nona gave her a disgruntled look, but didn't turn to leave.

"… Fine. Bring it."

They stood off against each other in the center of the sparring ring. It was only then that Feraligatr's size advantage became so apparent- her towering above Nona by nearly double her height. Sizing each other up, neither said anything. Nona didn't need to ask questions.

Feraligatr made the first move, her body low and guarded. Nona tried to take a swing, but before she knew it she took a forearm to the chest and flew backwards, landing hard on her ass.

"Fuck-" She choked out.

"Your stance isn't wide enough," Feraligatr commented as she rolled her neck, "again?"

Nona answered by rising to her feet, now shoulder length apart with her body lowered. She heard Feraligatr snicker, and a fire lit in her chest.

This time Nona went on the offensive. A punch was blocked from the side with a scaly forearm, while the other swung and clobbered Nona in the head. The world spun for a moment before she was on the ground again.

Feraligatr inhaled sharply through her teeth. "Gotta protect the head."

If it was best of three, Nona had lost, and she'd probably lose the next dozen or so times after that. She slammed her paw onto the dirt and crawled off on all fours, too dizzy to stand.

"Oi, where do you think you're going? We just started," Feraligatr called, offended.

"Anywhere but here." Nona tried to hide her lack of breath.

"Oh, right, I shoulda known after that fiasco the other day," she scoffed. Nona's face grew hot.

"Is that all you do? Is that your thing? The mudkip that just gets her ass beat, freaks out, and leaves."

Nona spun sharply. "Are you for real? Like genuinely- what the fuck is your problem?"

For a moment, Nona saw a real break in Feraligatr's cool exterior. She looked appalled. "My problem? I'm trying to teach you something, and you turn and run the second it gets hard."

Nona swore under her breath and rubbed her eyes. Her patience was near hair-thin.

"Look, you just-" Feraligatr held her claw over her mouth, carefully crafting her next words.

"… When I first started, it was here at this guild. I was a lot like you, and because I was a lot like you, I got into a lot of trouble. If I fucked up, I wanted to run away from it like you're trying to do right now. Back then… there was someone who wouldn't let me quit. I owe it to them to pay it forward. So I'm not letting you quit."

There was a long silence. On one hand, it sounded like this was more Feraligatr's mess. On the other, maybe she had a point somewhere in it.

She let out a long, defeated sigh before trudging back to the ring.

Nona blocked the first swing, then ducked away from another. When Feraligatr was readying the third, Nona swung a clumsy leg at her. It collided with her shin. Feraligatr didn't even flinch. With a leg sweep of her own, she flattened Nona once again.

"That's how you sweep a leg."

"Again," Nona spat, no hesitation.

The next round began the second Nona was on her feet. Their fists grazed their forearms and shoulders until Nona saw her moment to use what she just learned. She swept the legs, and Feraligatr, to both of their surprise, went down. She caught herself with her hands though, shifting from two to four legs in an instant. Her tail swung around and smacked Nona in the gut, sending her flying.

Nona spat out grit and hissed through her teeth: "again."

Claws swung towards her head, and she batted them away. Protect the face. From below, Feraligatr's tail swung in to trip her legs. It hit one, but she was ready and regained her footing. It was like a dance Nona only vaguely knew the moves to, but she was keeping beat. Left foot dodge. Right foot punch. At the same moment, something hit her cold and hard in the side. Ice punch.

It hardly hurt, but the impact was enough to send her rolling out of bounds.

"What was that?!" Nona growled.

"I can't let you get too comfortable." Feraligatr walked over, slightly out of breath, and offered a hand. "You seem to understand the punch throwing, but an enemy is always going to look for an opening for a move."

Staring at Feraligatr's hand, Nona felt her face heat with frustration. She slapped it away.

"Obviously I'm not gonna be any fucking good at this!" She shouted, "what am I supposed to do?- What am I supposed to do when something like that happens? Something I'm not ready for? Whatever that thing is out there- it's not gonna give me a god damn rematch!"

Feraligatr stepped close until the tip of her muzzle was an inch away from Nona's face. The setting sun reflected sharply in unreadable eyes.

"You're right," she rumbled, "and that's why I make you fall on your ass. Right here. Here where I can show you just how you fucked up, so that you don't fuck up when your head is on the line. You wanna be ready for when life kicks your shit in?"

She extended her hand again, powerfully gripping Nona's.

"Then get. Up."

The twinge of jealousy was there, and Ignis couldn't ignore it any longer, no matter how much she wished it would just go away. She didn't like how seeing Nona and Feraligatr together made her feel- like it should have been her forming those bonds with her guildmates; it should have been her under the mentorship of one of the toughest, most intimidating explorers in the guild.

What kind of secrets were they sharing? What kind of friendship were they forming? She'd read about those types before- tough and intimidating on the outside, but you find they have a soft center, the kind of loyal friend a hero would have.

The one that you should have.

Nona felt different. No matter how hard she tried, Ignis just couldn't figure her out. She seemed disconnected, but she showed genuine interests- human history for one.

Maybe it's unfair of you, Ignis thought, to expect her to be open after going through so much. What reason does she have to let you in? Aside from you letting her live in your house, I suppose.

It was nearing six in the evening when Nona and Feraligatr ended their session. Ignis watched them from the window in the library. Somehow, she found herself unable to go out there without them gone- like she didn't want to be seen.

Even at this hour, Ignis knew that Heracross would still be open to apprentices. Maybe it wasn't the best time to ask a favor, but she had to try.

"I want to learn how to wield a weapon," Ignis asserted.

Heracross startled and whipped around to face her. "Oh- Charmander…" they rushed to straighten up, "I'm sorry- what did you want?"

She gulped. "T-To wield a weapon. I want to learn how to fight with one."

Looking over Heracross' face, she couldn't tell what they thought of the idea.

"After all that happened yesterday it's just- I need to be able to fight. Without my fire…"

Heracross hummed in understanding. "… You know, for the longest time I've given you difficulty about your fire." They stood, brushing their hand over a standing rack of staves and poled weapons.

"I think you might be right that it's time to consider other alternatives."

This is going better than hoped…

"What weapon were you considering?"

After spending all of her time and energy working up the courage to come in and ask, Ignis felt incredibly embarrassed that she hadn't yet decided on just one.

"Well- see- I'm not really sure," Ignis started, "on one hand, I think that it would be cool to use a dagger hidden in my cloak, but on the other I always love all of those moves that the scythe users do-"

"—Woah, slow down there." Heracross laughed, and Ignis felt her face grow very hot. "There's no need for a dagger when you already have such sharp claws, and a scythe is… well… a bit advanced for someone just starting to use weaponry."

For a moment, Ignis' face fell, but she sucked it up enough to keep talking. "What one should I use then?"

Heracross rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Well, you're mostly limited by your lack of reach since you can't use fire so… something long I would think."

They turned and started sifting through a rack of beat up training weapons. "Spears, slings… something like that."

"Do you think I could try some of them?" Ignis asked as she peeked over their shoulder.

Heracross took in an impatient breath. "... I suppose you could. Anything that keeps me out of the whole thing going on at the guild right now... Which would you like to start with?…"

Ignis had picked out weapons to try until Heracross cut her off. She started out in the training yard with a spear. While Heracross tried to teach her the form, she felt it was too long and awkward to wield. When she almost stabbed herself in the foot, they both decided it wasn't the one.

Frustrated by the sling, exhausted by the throwing axes, and raw in the fingers from the bow, by the time Ignis had reached the end of the towering pile of weaponry, she was no surer of what she wanted than she was that morning.

Crestfallen, she helped Heracross replace everything until the sun had set and the yard was clear.

"I'm sorry none of those resonated with you, Charmander," Heracross consoled as they unstrung their bow. "But possibly you could try them again at another time? You may find that you enjoy some of them after a little form training."

Ignis didn't answer, instead looking longingly at all of the weapons she had failed at. It felt just like the entry exam: another test she was too incompetent to complete. Bitterly, she strung up her cloak and prepared to leave. Until…

In the corner of her eye, she saw it, covered in dust and laid in the packed dirt just inside the entrance. How had she missed this one?

She let her claws fall into the leather grooves of its handle, raising it out of the pile of dust that cascaded off of its blade.

A towering sword nearly as tall as she was, with a dulled iron face staring at her; in it was a faint reflection of her against the torchlight, like a diamond ready to be polished into something beautiful.

To her- that's what she was- what this blade was going to be.

"What about this one?" She asked eagerly as she hauled it to the center of the room.

Heracross looked it over, then looked at Ignis, as if she was a pebble in a pea pod.

"Oh, yes, I remember this… an iron great sword. Once again, I must say that it's a bit more of an advanced weapon-"

"Can I use it though? Please? I promise I'll treat her well."

"...Her?"

"I-It. I mean it," Ignis stammered as she straightened out her cloak.

She was striking a powerful pose, one that helped her to convince herself that this blade was meant for her, and it was the right choice.

Heracross sighed before their expression turned very serious. "You can use it… on the condition that you don't sharpen it. You're not yet ready for a sharpened blade."

Though it was meant as a warning, the implied power behind her weapon only fueled Ignis' inner fire. She solemnly nodded, suppressing her urge to jump up and down with joy.

As Ignis walked home that night, she stared mesmerized at her new friend. The streetlamps glowed hazily in the dull body of the blade- You can shine it later, she thought, ignoring the weight wearing down her arms.

A great sword- even the name rang with power and strength, the kind of strength that Ignis would show the world when she finally became a hero. To her, this was a turning point, her chance to prove herself and protect those she loved.

She slowly creaked the door open to see both of her housemates splayed wildly over their beds, snoring away.

Ignis pulled up Ronan's blanket and placed a gentle kiss on the top of his skull.

I'll protect you, no matter what. I'll be the hero you deserve.