"Can you believe that? That they think Unova had a queen? I still don't understand how they managed to miss Invictus's entire takeover," Golurk said, trying to stir up a lighthearted conversation.

Rayzor made a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat. The pair was sitting on the bank of a tiny forest creek, watching the reflections of starlight peeking through the trees in the quiet water. The Bisharp had his knees drawn up to his chin and a vacant stare on his face.

Golurk knew it was probably just the shock, but he was also secretly worried the other was still avoiding him for a nerve-racking plethora of other reasons. His head was still constantly overrun with thoughts about the night on top of the mountain (which was impressive, considering how much else was vying for his attention). It was not helping the already-all-encompassing fog of anxiety.

I must have done something wrong- but what? I thought we were friends. Are we not? Stars, I feel like I'm missing something, but I have no idea what it is.

It had been going so well until that moment. He was incredibly worried he'd said something wrong or done something rude, but no matter how many times he went over the scenario in his head, he couldn't figure it out. One moment they had been having fun, and then the next the mood had snapped like brittle ice.

Golurk deliberately chose not to think about the conversation at the end of their adventure- partially because it flustered him and- no, actually, entirely because thinking about it filled him with a weird, anxious embarrassment he couldn't quite place.

Even with that situation pushed to the side, the recent events seemed to have affected Golurk differently than they had the others. Of course, he was absolutely devastated about Zero, but in a guilty way, he felt relief that the great disaster had put him and Rayzor back on speaking terms.

But when he thought about Zero, not Zero's actions, he felt a hollowness he couldn't quite place. He had been their friend… and then he hadn't. It was all so sudden, and the sting left him feeling lost. Why did everything happen so suddenly? Life out in the open was nothing like Dragonspiral Tower. If you made a mistake, the consequences were dire. An accidental misstep wasn't like misplacing something anymore. The Tower was small. He would find the missing item again eventually. But the world outside was so big. If he lost something, he'd never find it again. He was especially afraid of misplacing his friendships. Not now, not when the stakes had become so much higher.

And then there was the Landorus in the room. The appearance of five new Pokemon, just as disheveled and afraid as Golurk and his friends, had completely offset the already-teetering balance of their current predicament. They'd spent the rest of the sunlit hours arguing about the contradictory nature of their stories until the dusk had chased them into the forest and away from whatever evils might still be lurking in the heart of Lostlorn Forest.

The newcomers seemed confused about what was to fear in the open, but nobody was willing to take the time to explain the tragedy of Zero's betrayal. Still, Bean had insisted they couldn't leave the strangers out in the open without any warning of what was to fear, so she allowed them to follow her to the small camp the others had set up on the edges of the woods.

Here, the trees were green again, and the smell of ash and blood no longer lingered. But still, the weight of Zero, Invictus, and the betrayal was a constant pressure. Golurk could see it in the way his friends moved, their tired eyes darting back and forth between the dark patches of forest, and the way their words trickled, slow and quiet. And now, with another group of strangers asking far too many questions, he was worried things would reach a breaking point and end just as badly as yesterday had.

He was keeping a close eye on Sheer, but at the moment, she was hovering at the edge of their camp clearing, staring into empty space. Bean and Meyers were talking with the Maractus who had joined them- Chiluly, was it?- but everybody else was off in their own corners, avoiding each other and trying to sleep without much success.

He could practically feel the suspicion wafting off of the others. They seemed to find it so difficult to believe that strangers with conflicting stories could just… appear, but he didn't find it that strange at all. Almost immediately, when Chiluly had told her story of outlaws and ancient magic and the strange, black stone, he'd accepted it. Even though his friends scoffed at their story of an entirely different Unova, he secretly believed it. But why? They hadn't exactly given him a reason to. And yet he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being one-hundred percent honest- and that Golurk and his friends needed these strange Pokemon if they were to try and fix the disastrous events of the past day.

Next to him, Rayzor still hadn't replied. His eyes never left the trickle of water before them, but Golurk could tell he was lost in thought. An overwhelming sense of protectiveness flooded him. He hated seeing his friends like this- shell-shocked, horrified, betrayed. But because he felt the same way, he had no idea how to fix it.

"Hey," he tried. "Are you okay?"

Rayzor blinked once and turned to give him a scornful stare. "Okay? Do any of us look okay?" He seemed to realize the harshness of his words and shrunk back. "Sorry. I didn't mean- whatever." He averted his eyes. "I didn't mean to snap. I just… I can't stop thinking about him." Golurk didn't have to ask what he meant. Zero and Rayzor had been good friends- the knowledge that the Klinklang had merely been using them as a leg up to overtake Invictus was earth-shattering.

A coldness seeped into his thoughts at the mental image of Invictus howling in pain. The fact that Zero was gone was more than worrying. It wasn't unreasonable to believe he was still out there, hiding, plotting. Was Unova destined to a cycle of despair, with corrupt leaders fighting their way to power only to be killed by a creature even worse than the last?

"I'm sorry," Golurk said quietly, looking down. "I wish I could fix it. I wish we could've stopped him. I wish… we could have made him stay."

Rayzor was silent for a long moment. "It's not your fault," he finally sighed. "I'm sorry, again. You're the last person who'd be at fault for this…" He trailed off and leaned closer.

Golurk's nervousness spiked. The tension from before was replaced with some else. He was weighing the consequences of a comforting pat on the back, when-

"Hi…?" A bright, feather-light voice sounded from behind them, though it sounded like more of a question than a greeting. They both quickly turned, the tense energy in the air dissipating. A Sawsbuck with tawny-orange antlers and a messenger bag strapped around his chest was watching them with round eyes. Golurk quickly recognized him as one of the Pokemon that had appeared in the strange flash of night. Apparently, not all of them were as reclusive as he'd assumed.

"Hi," Rayzor said, bringing him back to the present. Golurk offered a sheepish wave, which made the buck's ears perk. "Hawthorne, right?" the Bisharp continued, saving him the embarrassment.

Hawthorne nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! And you're- Rayzor? And Golurk!"

They nodded in turn, and the conversation reached an awkward hesitation. "Um… how are you?" Rayzor tried.

"Oh! I guess I just came to say hello," Hawthorne said cheerfully, twitching his tail. "Nobody else seems to want to talk right now." Despite his bubbly exterior, Golurk could see the tiredness in his eyes and the slight sag of his shoulders.

"Do you want to sit with us?" he asked, moving aside to make room. The spring returned to the Sawsbuck's step as he happily took his place between them.

"I feel bad that none of my friends will talk to any of you," he began without prompting. "If we're going to have to work together, we should all get to know each other. You guys seem nice, really."

"Working together?" Rayzor echoed dubiously. "On what?"

Hawthorne frowned. "I don't know, really. I just thought that we should stick together to find out what happened to the Serperior. And- um, that Samurott, too."

Golurk thought that was reasonable, but Rayzor glanced back towards the camp in an effort to keep an air of nonchalance. The statement was tinged with what Sheer would probably call foolishness, but he thought it was closer to naivety.

"I think that's fair," Golurk said quickly. "Though maybe we should figure out what actually happened before we chase after criminals. Again."

Hawthorne grinned and wagged his tail. "Aw, but it's so much fun! I love traveling with my friends!" Golurk wondered why the Sawsbuck didn't seem to grasp the looming danger of the situation. His mind seemed to leap back and forth faster than his hooves.

There was a brief silence as they sat, watching the creek trickle by, before he spoke again. "Where are you from?"

"Huh?" Golurk blinked at the sudden change of topic.

"Like, where did you come from?" Hawthorne repeated. "What's your family like? Do you have any other friends?"

Golurk tried to discreetly glance at Rayzor for help. "We… well… uh…"

Rayzor had much more of a story than he did to tell, but his silence told Golurk that he didn't feel like sharing it. He could still remember the day they'd talked about it- and how defensive he'd acted, as if he was worried that one of his friends would do the unthinkable and use it to lash out against him. It wasn't his place to bring it up to this stranger- no matter how cute and friendly of a stranger they were.

As for Golurk, he felt like his own life hadn't started until the day he'd finally Dragonspiral Tower with Rayzor, Bean and Meyers. But… that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Now that he'd seen the outside world and met new people, both friends and foes, he couldn't imagine going back to the dilapidated tower and living out the rest of his life in solitude.

"I've known Rayzor, Bean and Meyers my whole life," he said out loud without really meaning to.

Hawthorne looked up at him with round eyes. "Wow! Really?"

"No?" Rayzor gave him an indecipherable look. "That's not true."

"Um- well, not in a literal sense, I guess. I lived by myself in Dragonspiral Tower for a long time. But that didn't really feel like- uh- living, I guess. I can barely remember it anymore. But when I met Rayzor and the others… I finally started to feel something. In- in a nice way. Like maybe I was missing something before."

Rayzor's face was turning a bizarre shade of red, but Hawthorne didn't seem to notice. "Aww, that's so sweet! You guys- you're like a family!" He paused for a moment before adding,

"I wish my group acted a little bit more like that, sometimes. Like, families fight, of course, but there are certain Pokemon who just refuse to get along at all." He glanced back towards the camp as if he was worried somebody would hear him.

Golurk thought it was an extreme overgeneralization of his relationships, but he chose not to rebuke. Hawthorne hadn't been there through their arguments and… less-than-stellar moments of character. To his knowledge, families didn't accuse each other of attempted murder.

The messenger patted his hooves against the ground and launched into his own story. "I live by Magistrate City- that's where we run our delivery business. Pekka and I… Pekka!"

Hawthorne gasped and bolted upright, nearly knocking over Chiluly, who had silently come up behind them during their conversation.

"Stars! What's wrong?" she squawked, narrowly avoiding a hoof to the stomach. "I was just coming to tell you-"

"Pekka! Chiluly, I have to go home and find Pekka! He's probably worried sick about me!" The Sawsbuck danced back and forth anxiously. "Ohhh, I'm a terrible friend! I can't believe I forgot about Pekka…"

Chiluly frowned and lowered her claws once the danger had subsided. "Oh. Yeah, about that. I was just coming to get you guys so we can hold a little meeting. We need to talk about… where to go next."

In the past, Lostlorn Forest had felt dark and foreboding, shadows climbing the tree trunks and stalking their every movement even when the sun was high in the sky. Tonight, despite the darkness, the forest seemed strangely welcoming- the trees had leaned back just enough to let the starlight creep through, and the darkness beyond seemed more like a barrier from the harshness of the outside world than it did like a prison. The greenery was brighter than it had been before. The wind sighed with relief as it rushed through the branches. The forest was grateful for the weight that had been lifted from it- whatever that might have been. Golurk shivered a little. He wondered how long Invictus had been lurking here, tainting the winds with his sickening evil.

Somebody had started a campfire in the middle of the clearing, and sitting around it with Sheer on one side and Rayzor on the other, Golurk almost felt like everything was normal again. Well… as normal as it had ever been. With a pang, he found he missed the long nights they had spent together, curled up sharing stories underneath the open sky. Even though the constant threat of Invictus and his army loomed over their heads, they still found a way to alleviate the pressure of the reaching darkness.

Hawthorne had taken his place next to Rayzor, with the Chandelure, Burnout, draped over his back. Pharaoh stood behind them, a silent and ominous protector.

Golurk had expected to feel some kind of… kinship, maybe, upon meeting the other spirits, but so far, he found they didn't have much in common. Burnout was skittish and avoidant and Pharaoh ignored just about everybody except Hawthorne and Burnout. He wasn't sure if he should feel disappointed- as curious as he was, he already had own companions with more than enough personality. Rayzor and Sheer were skittish and grumpy in their own rights.

Meyers was sitting up straight on Sheer's other side, Chiluly and Chevali sitting comfortably next to them. He'd already noticed Chiluly talking with Bean, and it relieved him to know that others besides him, Rayzor and Hawthorne were making an effort to connect. The aforementioned Maractus had already claimed her spot as the representative of her group, but she dipped her head towards Bean, who hopped up to her rightful seat among Meyers's horns and began her address.

"Good evening, everyone! How are all you darlings doing?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm tired," Chiluly yawned, covering her mouth with one hand. "So let's move this along so I can take a nap." The Escavalier at her side rolled his eyes.

"What exactly are we talking about tonight?" Hawthorne asked, cocking his head. Chiluly had told them they would discuss what was next, but that was a topic that was wider than the horizon itself.

"Well, we can't stay here," Sheer said, focusing her gaze on the fire. "Those monsters know we're here- or, at the least, that this was the last place they saw us."

"So… where can we go?" Burnout frowned. "I'm sorry, but I don't think my family will be much help…" Chevali grimaced, making Chiluly giggle.

"Yes. Let's avoid towers," Bean said solemnly, and Golurk knew she was thinking about the ruins of Dragonspiral- though whether her reasoning lay in Invictus's past aggression or the sacrilegious destruction, he couldn't tell.

"We could go to Twist… no," Sheer broke off with a growl. "I forgot. It could still be crawling with those rabid monsters."

"Rabid?" Hawthorne and Burnout echoed with concern.

"Long story."

Meyers exhaled, flattening the grass between his paws. "We may have to move further inland. Hiding amongst the humans may allow us more time." His nose wrinkled in distaste at the word hiding.

Chiluly's group all chimed in at once with frantic denials. "Let's not, maybe?" Burnout groaned. Pharaoh's gaze darkened further, which Golurk hadn't thought possible.

"Bad run-in," Chiluly explained sheepishly. "They're not exactly city folk."

Hawthorne rose to his feet and began pacing back and forth, Burnout still clinging to his back. "No, no, we should go west! The Pokemon at Magistrate will help us when we tell them what happened. We can stay with Pekka."

Rayzor and Bean exchanged a glance. "Are you sure, dear?" The Swoobat asked. "Last time we were visiting the western villages, they had all been attacked and… badly damaged."

Hawthorne nodded enthusiastically. "Magistrate is the home of royalty! They can defend themselves just fine. I know they're alright." The situation was beginning to reek of unrefuted stories again, but Golurk tried to push away the growing sense of unease.

Sheer growled in frustration, and the air grew colder. "But we have to find out where Zero went. If we let things get out of hand, it might be too late for… everyone."

"Um, no offense meant by this, but- how do we know this Zero guy is even a threat? Wouldn't he have just cut us all down while we were vulnerable? Who knows how long we were unconscious," Chiluly broke in, earning a wave of glares from some of the others.

"Zero killed Unova's worst tyrant in front of us," Rayzor snapped. "I think we can say he's a threat."

Bean made a shushing noise. "We can't take on Zero by ourselves. I refuse to put my darlings in such a direct line of danger," she murmured, her gaze hardening. "He could still have ties to Invictus's army, and if you tell the truth about the Serperior assassin, I do not think it would be smart to run headfirst towards any number of trained killers." All resistance quickly dissipated. There wasn't much use arguing with that point.

"Well then, I don't think we should all go together," Chevali said. When the other Pokemon only stared at him, appalled, he continued, "Regardless of how dangerous this Zero is, we need to find a place to stay no matter what. If something has happened to Magistrate, as Bean implied, then we won't be able to stay there."

"Well, we don't really have to split up, do we?" Rayzor asked nervously. "If one group goes to the city and it can't support us, how will the other know if they should head to Magistrate or not?"

"We should go back to the Black City," Golurk broke in. "Remember how Bellatrix just turned around when we crossed its border? It seemed like a sort of haven."

"Where is this… Black City?" Pharaoh pressed, narrowing his eyes.

"Um- it's- well, it's at the foot of the eastern mountains, isn't it?" The Cofagrigus's suspicious tone was making him doubt himself.

"Only… White Forest," Chevali muttered under his breath, but nobody seemed to notice.

Hawthorne struck the ground with his hooves in frustration. Burnout clung to the strap of his bag in an attempt to stay upright. "Please, guys! I just- I just want to go home…" the buck's voice broke a little and he bowed his head in embarrassment. The swelling argument quieted, leaving only the crackling of the fire.

After a moment, Bean broke the silence. "Well. Why don't we do both?" She hopped down from her vantage point and began to pace back and forth. "Half of us can go to Magistrate, to see what's there, and the other half can go to Black City and find out what's happening. If we set a time frame where we have to be back at a halfway point, we can share what we've found, and then decide where we'll all head together."

"Seven days," Pharaoh rumbled. "Both groups should be able to make it to their destination and back to the eastern entrance of Lostlorn in seven days." It was ominous, almost like an omen, but nobody argued.

"Well, then, it's settled!" Bean said with only a sliver of forced cheerfulness. "We'll scope out the areas and then return here."

Golurk's shoulders sagged with relief as the remaining tension melted away and the conversation turned in earnest towards planning the expeditions. The forest whispered with relief again, filling the night with grateful breeze.

"I don't understand what's wrong with returning to Hawthorne's home," Golurk said. Though the rest of the group had been eager for more adventure, Rayzor had looked less than thrilled when he had been assigned to the first group- the one headed west.

The Bisharp set his jaw and looked out into the shadows of the tree. "I forgot… you weren't there. But- when Bean and Meyers and I were in the cities in the west… they were completely destroyed." His gaze glazed over as he thought back to the destruction he'd witnessed. "There was nothing left. It was gone. Except for Serpentine.

I've never heard of this Magistrate place. I'm assuming it's a smaller village, so…" He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed at his face. "I know it won't be good, that's all. I don't want Hawthorne to have to- to feel like that."

Rayzor's words were halting and quiet, and Golurk knew he was speaking from experience. He felt guilty for forgetting that the group had had some travels before he'd joined them. There was a reason they'd ventured all the way to the silent forests surrounding Dragonspiral Tower.

"I can trade spots with you. If you want." He knew it was useless to try and argue against their destination- they had nowhere else to try- but perhaps he could spare Rayzor the terrible memories. He was also somewhat disappointed that Bean hadn't let them go together, but he pretended to be nonchalant.

Rayzor gave an appreciative smile and shook his head. "No, Bean was right. I know the area better than you or Sheer, so I should go with Hawthorne. Plus, they need you. Sheer will make ice sculptures out of the new guys if you don't meditate."

He laughed and shook his head. "Well- yes. You're completely right on that one. One of us should be with her at all times."

"Boys!" Bean called. "Are you ready?"

Golurk tried to ignore the disappointment filling his chest. "Alright. I'll… see you in a week."

"Hey," Rayzor said, grabbing one hand in both of his. "It'll be alright! We're gonna make awesome new friends and find an awesome new place to stay."

And, hopefully, an awesome new way to stop Zero from hurting anybody else, he thought sullenly, but decided it was best kept unspoken.

"Okay. Yeah! Yeah," he said out loud, a bit dazed.

Rayzor smirked. "Tell me what Cobalt's up to. And please track dirt all over that hotel lobby. For me?"

"For you," Golurk agreed, feeling a bit of the melancholy dissipate.

"Boys!" Bean yelled, flapping her wings indignantly.

"I'm coming!" Rayzor yelled, concealing a roll of his eyes. "Okay, for real this time. We have to go. I'll see you soon!" He turned on his heel and hurried to Hawthorne's side, who wagged his tail and hopped off into the shade of the trees.

"Yeah! Bye!..." Golurk managed a half-hearted wave, wondering why leaving felt so heavy that day.