"Harlow, come get your breakfast!"

Melissa dragged herself out of the guestroom, yawning as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She walked into the kitchen, where Jason and Eadwulf were already situating themselves at the table. For breakfast, Aurelia cooked them all homemade biscuits with jelly, a side of berry bacon, hashbrowns, and a glass of orange juice.

Her eyes widened at the food, shimmering as a tiny bit of drool escaped the corner of her mouth. "Foooood…" Her stomach growled at the display.

Aurelia giggled. "Don't stand around, dear." She made Melissa her plate and set it on the table. "Help yourself."

She quickened her lethargic pace and sat herself down beside Eadwulf. She reached for the plate, but stopped when she noticed there was a lack of utensils. "Um, can I get a fork and knife, please?"

Aurelia smiled. "Oh? A proper young lady, I take it."

Melissa looked around the table as Jason and Eadwulf picked up their biscuits with their bare hands and ate them. She blushed and covered her face behind her ears. "Hehehehe, yeeeeeeeah. Mother and Father always taught me to use the proper utensils when eating."

"Hmm, I see." Aurelia dug out the requested utensils and handed them to her. "There you are, dear."

"Thank you," she said meekly. She cut a piece into her biscuit and took a bite. Her taste buds shivered from the jelly as soon as it impacted her tongue. She unintentionally mewed from the taste, a happy blush glowing on her face. "Delicious…"

"Oh, I'm glad you like it, dear. Best give your praise to Farmer Winston. He makes the best jams here in Rainside, I tell you."

Jason smirked. "Or it could be she's finally eating a proper meal." Melissa's eyes widened at him, then she awkwardly turned away.

Aurelia tilted her head in confusion. "Oh?"

Eadwulf waved it off. "Nothing, Granny. Just…something private."

Melissa swallowed and managed a weak smile at the elderly Raichu. "It's really good. Thank you."

Aurelia smiled back. "Have as much as you want. I made extra." She psychically made herself a plate and sat down opposite of Melissa. "So, any big plans for today, Harlow?"

Melissa paused on the question with her fork hanging between her lips. "Um…n-not particularly."

"Well, perhaps you can help me with a little cleaning, if that isn't too much trouble. The boys volunteered to paint the house and farm the wheat. I would love to know how you met my two wonderful grandsons."

Melissa awkwardly looked away. "Heh, yes. That is…quite the tale."

Eadwulf snickered. "Watch yourself, Hars. You may learn a few embarrassing secrets from Granny. She just loves going on and on about when Jason and I were kids, especially whenever Jason pretended to be the Great Stormbreak—" Jason flicked a chunk of biscuit directly into the Nuzleaf's mouth. Eadwulf bent forward and coughed.

Jason laughed irritably, his right eye twitching. "Eat your biscuits, Wolfy."

Aurelia laughed. "Oh, I would never do such a thing. I wouldn't want to embarrass the poor boy…unless I had a few glasses of wine," she muttered to the side with a cheeky grin.

Jason whined. "Grannnnny!"

"Hohohoho, I'm just teasing, sweetie!"

Melissa set her fork down and tapped her fingers together. "I…would not mind helping around the house."

Aurelia smiled. "Thank you, dear." She sighed. "Cleaning this place can take a real toll on these withered bones, so every little bit of help counts."

Melissa offered another weak smile back. "Happy to help."

"But enough prattle. Eat, eat, child!"

Melissa nodded and cut another piece of biscuit. She glanced at Jason as he shoveled his last biscuit into his mouth. It was so strange to see the Pikachu so…unrefined, for lack of a better term. She was so used to his stern, cold attitude that the playful, almost childish behavior seemed strange, and yet it didn't seem forced. Not entirely, by her observation.

"Hmm…"

"Harlow?" Aurelia spoke up.

"Oh, yes?"

"Your eye's glowing."

Melissa's eyes widened, feeling the surge of energy blinking from her left eye. She covered it and laughed awkwardly. "Um, sorry?"

"I can't believe you volunteered us to paint the house."

Jason slapped the paintbrush against the exterior and painted over the flaky walls. He glanced at Eadwulf as he begrudgingly slathered blue paint. "Quit complaining. We're doing something nice for Granny."

"I love helping her, but I thought we were taking a vacation." Eadwulf glared. "Actually, I thought you were supposed to take a vacation."

"This is preferable to literally everything else I've been buried under the last couple weeks." He glared back at him. "Also, thanks a lot for nearing blathering about that part of my past to her!"

Eadwulf smirked. "What's the matter? Worried your tough guy persona would be ruined if I told Melissa you liked to dress up like Zeraora and prance around playing hero?"

Jason groaned and slapped himself in the face. "So embarrassing…"

"Hey, she might think it's cute. Though, she would probably bust a gut if she ever learned about your squeaky voice."

A blush crawled over Jason's face and all the way up to his ears. "Don't you dare—"

Eadwulf doubled over and laughed. "Oh man, even when you evolved into a Pikachu, your voice was still super squeaky! I remember when we were ten that someone mistaken you for a four-year-old. You had to force that tough guy voice until you turned thirteen. Ironic, your voice stopped cracking when puberty hit!"

Jason clenched his teeth. "If you ever tell that to anyone, I swear—"

"Oh, calm down, I wouldn't subject that kind of torment onto you. I know you care about your pride and junk."

He huffed through his nose and continued painting the house. "It's the only reputable thing I have left. How can I be a good leader if everyone treated me like a joke?"

"You're too hard on yourself."

"I made Petra swear to secrecy not to say anything about that…moment of weakness of mine when she entered my room! She was weirded out!"

Eadwulf deadpanned. "Dude, walking in on anyone doing something unusual is weird. It's normal. That doesn't change the fact she respects you. Everyone respects you! You gave them something hopeful to cling onto when the world seemed to be turning for the worse."

Jason sighed. "I don't have your confidence."

"Take some pointers from Melissa, then."

"How so?"

"She embarrassed herself over and over during her first two months with us. That didn't stop her. Sure, she tries to act refine and all, but she's willing to do anything even if it makes her look silly. Heck, just look at Pandora. Girl cackles like it's totally normal, and she doesn't care what anyone thinks about her. We have all sorts of weirdos in the Foresters, bro."

Jason closed his eyes. "You make it sound so simple."

"You're just in your own head. You're tough, but that's not the only thing about you. If everyone saw that you were just as weird as them, they might see you as more than just a role model. Be shameless about who you are."

Jason looked aside for a moment with the faintest of smiles twitching from the corner of his lips. "I'll…give it some thought." He sighed and waved his brush around. "But if anyone asks me to reenact my pretend sessions, I'll—" He felt paint drip from his brush and onto his face. "Oops. Still wet."

He heard a growl beside him. He turned, then immediately puffed his cheeks out as he tried to hold in a laugh. He accidentally splattered paint over Eadwulf's face, and the Nuzleaf was twitching and growling through his teeth.

"Heh. S-Sorry, Eadwulf," Jason said in between snickers.

His eye twitched. "All…good."

Melissa went around the bookshelves in the living room and wiped a rag across it, wiping away the dust. She glanced through her peripherals and saw Aurelia wiping down the dinner table, cheerfully humming aloud. Even doing such a menial chore, she had that positive glow around her. It was almost infectious.

She sighed and turned back to cleaning the shelves. She periodically rubbed her eye, though not because of the dust. She wasn't sure why, but she thought her Faithless Imitation kicked in during breakfast. It felt different somehow, but she couldn't pin what. Last time in sporadically triggered was when she was…confronting Darby.

She shook her head and pushed those thoughts away. The situation was obviously different. Last time, she was under a lot of stress and in danger. Now, however, she felt no such danger. Nothing of the sort. So, what caused her to activate it without thinking?

"One weird thing after another," she mumbled.

She scanned the spines of the books in front of her, muttering the titles under her breath. She stopped cleaning as her eyes landed on a peculiar book. Unlike the rest, the book was an aged burgundy with dark stains indicated a long existence, yet still in decent enough shape to say it was preserved with care. She threw the cleaning rag onto her shoulder and pulled the book out, reading the faded, gold-colored text.

"My Only Regret," she read. She opened the book and flipped through the pages. The parchment, too, was discolored from the passage of time. Even the smell indicated its age, a gravely stone quality compared to the earthy aromas of the farm. "What a fascinating find…"

"Fancy some reading, dear?"

Melissa turned as Aurelia hovered into the living room. "Oh, sorry. I was just curious."

Aurelia smiled. "Quite alright, dear." She looked at the book in her hand. "Ah, a fine choice. I've read that one a number of times. I do ask you to be careful with it. It's very old."

Melissa winced and gently closed the book. "I was surprised to see such an old book among your other tomes. It seems to be the only one on the shelf."

Aurelia nodded. "And perhaps the only known copy." She sighed and gazed out the window. "Books are something of a luxury these days. If you have the education to read, you were clearly well-off. Thankfully, both Jason and Eadwulf had the opportunities to learn and read to their heart's content. There are many folks in this village who still struggle reading a simple sentence. Not much room for education when there's work to be done."

Melissa frowned. "I…never thought of it like that." She closed her eyes for a moment, then asked, "You said this is the only known copy?"

Aurelia nodded. "Indeed. It was passed down from Jason's father's side of the family. Something of a treasured family heirloom, though I always thought it looked better among its fellow tomes. Such a beautiful work of literature, yet I wouldn't want its pages sullied should it be released into the wild. Some don't appreciate the beauty of a good book."

"True." Melissa gently stroked the book's spine. "If this is the only copy, when was it made? Who was the author?"

The elderly Raichu shrugged. "Not even Jason's paternal grandfather knew the answer when he passed that book along to his children. Though, I hazard a guess and say it's a remnant of the Great Kingdom."

Melissa's eyes widened. "The Great Kingdom…"

"A lot of its culture and knowledge was taken in the invasion two centuries ago, but some opted to preserve that history with their lives. As far as I know, this is one of the only surviving texts of that time."

Melissa opened the book again, but squinted once she observed the text. "Uh, what language is this?" The characters were composed of strange shapes, some of which reminded her of certain letters. They all shared one thing in common: they were composed of big circles in their center.

"Ah, that would be the ancient alphabet used during the Great Kingdom's reign. According to Jason's grandfather, it resembles the refined alphabet the western side of Virdis uses. I could teach you how to read it, or I could show you the little cheat sheet I made. It's how I learned to read it."

"I…am curious. What is the book about?"

Aurelia smiled. "It's about a man going on a spiritual journey. It poses a question of living a life without regret, and what that truly means. We live our lives with many regrets that we would want to take back, yet it shapes us into who we are. What would the Pokémon with no regrets regret most? It's better to read for yourself than to have it explained."

"I will consider your offer." Melissa closed the book and set it back in the shelf. "I am done with cleaning now. Was there anything else you needed help with?"

"Well, there is one thing." Her eyes flashed, and a basket of yarn and knitting needles hovered between the pair. "Would you care to join me for some knitting?"

Melissa blinked at the basket and smiled awkwardly. "Uh, sure."

After Eadwulf washed the paint off his face, the brothers finished painting the house and moved onto their next task. They undid the tarps over the wheatfield, which was thankfully preserved from the heavy rain last night. Both brothers brandished their sickles and marched into the field.

The Nuzleaf groaned as his foot sank into a mud puddle, though he was glad he opted to wear boots. "Have I ever told you how much I hate farming?"

Jason grabbed a bunch of wheat in his hand and sliced through with his sickle. "Only a thousand times." He deposited the wheat into the woven basket strapped to his back and went for another handful. "You knew what you were getting into when we adopted you."

"And I regret it every day of my life," Eadwulf joked. He pulled his foot free and sliced some wheat. "You think Granny would let us take some of this wheat? I'm sure Lambert would appreciate it."

"I don't think we can purely survive off plain pasta and bread," Jason said.

"Better than surviving off nothing. Or garbage. We can easily grow out own fruits and vegetables."

"Not for an entire guild, especially on short notice."

"Well, sorry for the suggestions, Mr. Stick-In-The-Mud."

Jason rolled his eyes. "If I asked Granny, she would insist on giving it to us for free. I'd feel bad taking it without compensation."

"Bro, you own the farm, too."

"The farm was in Grandpappy's name, then inherited by Granny. I don't technically own the farm."

"I'm just saying, a little bit of kindness is something we need."

He sighed. "I just don't want to worry her. She's done nothing but worry about me ever since we disappeared." He weakly cut up the wheat and stuffed it into his basket. "She didn't see what I saw. That's not something an eight-year-old can just…forget."

Eadwulf patted his shoulder. "But that love for you is undying. Even if it's a small act of kindness, it means a lot knowing she's still looking out for us. You should do better to show her how much you appreciate her support. I keep you on the straight and narrow, and she anchors down that goodwill you still desperately cling to. Like I said, you don't always have to be the tough guy."

"…" Jason sighed through his nose. "Yeah. Perhaps you're right…"

Eadwulf smiled. "Well, enough dillydally. Let's harvest some wheat—" As he took a step forward, his foot caught a depression in the soil and toppled him face first into the dirt.

Jason blinked at the Nuzleaf trembled and growled into the soil. "I'll…go get you a towel."

"I really hate farming."

After being given a basic rundown on the proper knitting technique, Melissa reclined in one of the armchairs and got to work playing with the yarn. She didn't have an exact item she wanted to knit as she wasn't very skilled, so she opted to make a square. Though, despite having a basic idea of how to do the knitting, it wasn't easy.

She had to delicately loop the yarn with her needles, often pushing through the loose threads wrapped around each other, and tightened them into knots before more or less repeating the process. It sounded simple at first, but she quickly found her hand-eye coordination was just as finicky as ever.

"Yow!" Melissa poked herself in the hand with a needle and dropped them on her lap. "Not again…"

Aurelia chuckled as she worked on her piece. "It takes patience, dear. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be knitting up blankets in no time."

"Heh, assuming I will want to continue practicing…" She picked up the knitting needles and tried again. "You make it look so easy."

"I've only been practicing for a month." Aurelia held up her piece, which looked like a misshapen sheet of blue and red yarn. "Can you guess what this is?"

Melissa tilted her head. "Is it…a sweater?"

"No, a blanket." She laughed and continued clicking her needles together. "But even if I fail, I find the process relaxing. I can just sit back, ease my mind, and knit up whatever I feel like as the sun passes by. There's no shame in failing. It's how we grow, and it can make some of best memories to look back on."

Melissa frowned and looked away. "Not unless you make bad mistakes…"

"Yes, I suppose it doesn't apply to everything. Some mistakes are worse than others, and they can leave scars." Aurelia smiled. "Still, I try to think positively of the future. After all, some of the mistakes I made turned me into the humble wheat farmer I am today."

"Oh? How so?"

"Well, it's how I met my husband, for starters." She glanced at the wall of portraits, eying the portrait of the elderly Stoutland. "My family immigrated from the Alola region many generations ago. I was born here, and we sold local cantaloupe from our home region." She smirked. "You were wondering why I looked so strange."

Melissa blushed sheepishly. "Heh, maybe. Alola, huh?" I think one of my knights is from Alola. Jakke, I believe.

Aurelia nodded. "I was out delivering cantaloupe one day for my parents, but the area I grew up in had some steep elevations. I lost my whole cart of cantaloupes and ran for my life trying to pick them up. Some were smashed to pieces. I was heartbroken. That was our lifeblood, the foundation that kept us alive, and I wasted so many because I stubbornly tried to climb that hill."

Melissa frowned. "Oh. I am so sorry."

Aurelia shook her head and smiled. "Don't, for it was the best thing that could've happened to me. While I was panicking and trying to find a way to salvage the loss, that's when I met him. Merton Summerfield. He was just a young Herdier when we first met. He saw what happened and pitied my situation. So, to my shock, he gave me a bagful of coppers for the destroyed melons."

"He did what?!"

Aurelia sighed. "I tried to refuse, but he ran off before I could give the money back. It saved me a lot of trouble with my parents, but his kindness wasn't forgotten. I sought him out to say thank you, and we kept in touch." She smiled dreamily and covered her cheek. "Somewhere down the line, he courted me and asked me to marry him. I was so smitten that I couldn't even say yes immediately."

Melissa smiled. "Aww."

"We'd work on my parents' farm together to raise a family. We had two daughters. My eldest, Larissa, would eventually marry into the Hawthorne family when she met Ryland. They were so happy together."

"Ryland and Larissa…" Melissa looked up at the wall of portraits, pointing out the two of the Decidueye and younger Raichu. "Does that mean those two are Jason's parents?"

She smiled. "Indeed, they are. Ryland was a wonderful young man. He was something of a budding astronomer, always staring up at the stars. He would take Larissa out in the dead of night to stargaze, teaching her about the constellations and the meaning of the stars. A quirky young man, but he made my Larissa happy. They would eventually marry and start this very wheat farm. Merton and I moved in with them to help take care of the house."

"Wow. It must've been a big family."

Aurelia chuckled. "We managed, though it would get crowded whenever Jason's uncle flew in. He always made sporadic visits here and there to check up on us. Haven't seen him in over a decade since…" She frowned and looked away.

Melissa frowned as well. "Is everything okay?"

"…Yes, I'm fine." Aurelia sighed. "The last decade hasn't been kind to a lot of us, actually. Life keeps on moving, yet the memories will always follow us. You never know what you lost until it's missing, and…some days make that harder to accept."

Melissa narrowed her eyes and looked up at the portraits again. "Ms. Aurelia, I am sorry if this sounds too invasive, but…what happened to Jason's parents?"

"…" Aurelia set her knitting needles in her lap and took a deep breath. "It's not easy looking back on that day, and I rather not go into the details for Jason's sake. The poor boy went through so much, and I worry enough about his emotional state. All I can tell you is that they died."

"D-Died?"

"About twelve years ago. I don't want to think more of that day than I care to admit. It's…It's too much for this old heart." She paused a moment to wipe her eyes. "Jason was devastated by their death. He and Eadwulf eventually disappeared from the village after an incident that occurred. I didn't see them for a couple years, but…when they returned, Jason didn't look like the sweet, innocent grandson I remembered him as."

"Jason…" Melissa glanced at the window.

"He tries to put on a brave face these days, but I know he's holding back a lot of grief. That day hurt him, and that pain never went away. He was angry, confused, and wanted someone to pay for their deaths. Perhaps that's why he turned to crime."

Melissa's eyes widened. "Y-You know Jason's the—"

"The Fairy Knight? Even before he started the Foresters, I knew he was going down a dark path. I'm only thankful he had Eadwulf to keep him sane." She closed her eyes. "Breaks my heart to think everyone views him and his friends as murderers now."

"You…know about the Senbo incident?"

"And I know my Jason would never try and take a life. It eats him up inside just thinking about it. But the people will believe what they want to believe." Aurelia shook her head. "Jason never tells me these things. He doesn't want to worry me. He knows I know, but he pretends everything's fine. Poor boy worries me so much."

Melissa frowned. "I…know the pain of losing a parent, too. I lost my mother when I was really young."

"I'm so sorry, dear."

She closed her eyes. "Still, I…cannot imagine anyone would become a thief leader over an unexpected death."

Aurelia looked down at her lap. "It was unexpected, but…not in the way you're thinking."

"Huh?"

"I…rather not say. It's too much."

"Oh. I am sorry."

She shook her head. "It's alright, Harlow dear. It's been hard for all of us. Some months after the tragedy, my dear Merton passed away from the heartbreak. I stayed strong for the both of us, hoping to see Jason again. I had to stay strong for this house, for my grandson. Just knowing Jason's alive and well gives me the strength to live on. I just wished he found heathier ways to cope with his grief. Though he's a young man now, he's still a child. I fear he'll go down a path he cannot return from. That's why I dote on him and Wolfy whenever they visit. Even if it's a little, I want Jason to know he's loved and appreciated. I think that's something he needs to be reminded of."

Melissa looked down at her lap. "I…always felt Jason was hiding something, but I never knew he was holding back so much."

Aurelia smiled. "It gives me hope, though, that he has a friend like you in his life. You seem like such a sweet girl, and I believe Jason needs that little bit of positivity in his life."

Melissa blushed. "W-We're just friends."

"I know, dear. But, if you could do me a favor, please be there for Jason and help remind him of those that love him. I don't want him to close off his emotions to everyone. I want to see my precious grandson sparkle with enthusiasm again. When I eventually pass on, I want to with the knowledge that he'll be alright on his own. You, Eadwulf, and all your Forester friends. Please keep him safe from his demons, and maybe he'll finally embrace the world like he once did."

Melissa scratched her arm gently, glancing out the window again. She felt her eyes moisten with tears. She sniffled and, for the first time since her visit, showed the elderly Raichu a genuine smile. "I will…I'll make sure he does. He's…done a lot for me, too, and I want to return the favor."

Aurelia closed her eyes and beamed at her. "Thank you, Harlow. It warms my heart knowing someone like you entered my Jason's life."

She laughed sheepishly. "I…share similar sentiments for him."

Some hours after her talk with Aurelia, Melissa resumed her knitting. Slowly but surely, she was getting the hang of it. She wasn't pricking herself nearly as often, and she at least was making a solid sheet out of the yarn even if it looked like a brutalized triangle.

Aurelia had gone into the kitchen to start making a late lunch for Jason and Eadwulf, who were still working in the wheatfield outside. Melissa paused in her knitting to glance out the window, but couldn't see the brothers anywhere. They might've been in a blind spot, or too deep into the fields to be seen.

"Harlow, dear. Could you do me a favor?"

Melissa put her yarn and needles aside and walked into the kitchen. "Yes, Ms. Aurelia?"

Aurelia turned around and handed her a tray with three glasses of lemonade. "You shouldn't be cooped up in here all day. Why don't you take these out to the boys and chat with them? They could use the break."

Melissa nodded and took the tray from her. "Sure, I can do that."

"Thank you very much. Tell them lunch will be ready in fifteen minutes."

She nodded again and headed for the front door.

After using her ears to fiddle with the door, Melissa let herself out onto the porch and gently kicked the door shut behind her. "Jason! Eadwulf! I got lemonade for you two!" she called out.

"Okay, thanks!" she heard Eadwulf call from within the fields.

Melissa found an outdoor table set on the other end of the porch and walked over to sit herself down. She took her glass of lemonade and reclined in her seat. She cautiously eyed the glass before raising it to her lips and taking a sip.

Content with the refreshing beverage, she closed her eyes and breathed in the earthy air. The recent rainfall still carried that earthy aroma, but wetter. Even with the gray clouds in the air, the atmosphere didn't seem all that gloomy. It was…nice, for lack of a better word.

"I can see why she likes the rain," Melissa mumbled as she sipped her lemonade again.

She heard a rustling from the wheatfields, and the brothers stepped out with their filled baskets. However, once they were fully in the open, Melissa's face turned beet red as she spat her lemonade out during her sip.

Both Jason and Eadwulf, due to the hours of working in the field, glistened with sweat and had to remove their shirts. Because of this, she could see their well-toned muscles from where she was, especially Eadwulf's since he didn't have fur. His leaf was matted against the side of his head, which only enhanced the alure of his appearance.

Jason hardly helped matters. The matted-down fur on his head was slicked back, and he had dirt stains over his body unlike the remarkably clean Eadwulf. They both looked like…like…

"Hot farmers," she squeaked.

They walked onto the porch and set their baskets down, but paused at the wide-eyed look Melissa was shooting them. Jason glared. "Melissa, are you feeling alright?"

"You're looking a little red," Eadwulf said.

Melissa's lemonade shook between her hands. "I-I-I don't know what you're talking abs—ABOUT!"

Jason sighed, ignoring her flustered demeanor, and grabbed a lemonade off the tray. "Thanks for the drinks." He sat down and melted into the chair as he took a sip.

Eadwulf grabbed his glass and downed the whole thing in one go. He sighed, wiped his lips, and set it back on the tray. "I'm taking a bath. I feel disgusting." He stood in placed to stretch his limbs, forcing Melissa to avert her eyes lest she pass out from too much stimulation. "Thanks for the lemonade, Melissa."

"Y-You're welcome," she mumbled. "O-Oh, and Ms. Aurelia will have lunch ready in f-f-fifteen minutes."

"Cool, thanks." He opened the door and let himself inside, leaving Melissa and Jason to themselves.

Melissa wrapped her ears around her eyes and sank into her chair as she nervously drank her lemonade. Jason glanced at her and sighed. "You are so sheltered."

"E-Eh?!"

"I'm not oblivious. The eyes tell a thousand secrets." He sipped his lemonade again. "Don't let Pandora know you've been eying up Eadwulf. She might kill you. Maybe."

Melissa unfolded her ears and sighed. "I…admit that while I have standards for courtship, I…am weak to certain aspects of the male body."

"Hmm, I wasn't aware you were as crude as Marie."

Her red face turned three shades darker. "AH! Nothing like that!"

"I know, it was a jest." He shrugged. "Still, I'm relieved."

She softened up. "Relieved?"

"I was worried you would be afraid of all men after what happened. The way you flinched the other day when those two farmers passed us by and all."

Melissa frowned and looked down at her lemonade. "It's…hard to trust anyone. I can't stop those rogue thoughts from coming out, thinking the worst out of everyone. I know it's unfair to those who want to be genuinely nice to me, but…I thought the same about Darby."

Jason narrowed his eyes. "You don't seem scared of Eadwulf or me."

She shook her head. "I…I wouldn't say that. The things I've heard about you two, that's all it is. Rumors and stories told from the others. I've never seen those…darker sides you both contain. The girls told me what you almost did to Darby, and…I have mixed feelings."

He closed his eyes. "I meant what I said before. Seeing what he tried to do to you. It nearly broke me."

"I just don't know how I'm supposed to view you. I should be grateful, but now I can stop thinking about…whatever demons you harbor. I don't know who to trust when everyone's always keeping secrets."

Jason sighed through his nose. "Yeah. I know what that's like."

"But…even though I'm scared of you, I do trust you."

He glanced at her, mildly surprised. "You do?"

She nodded. "You don't mince your words. The more I've come to know you, the more I've come to respect you as a leader. Even though you struggle with the position, you still carry on. I've always wanted to be a great leader, just like my mother." She sighed. "Or at least that was the wish I wanted to carry on for her…"

Jason nodded. "I still say you have the potential. You just need to make that wish your own, then you can fulfil both your dreams. At least you had a plan for the future. Me? I've been mindlessly rampaging for years. The Foresters never had a direction. We went wherever we could. Wherever we wanted. It seemed like the way of life at the time, but…at some point, the mission became a hollow cycle. We might've just given up going after Last Autumn and returned to usual business. That would've been the case if you hadn't showed up."

Melissa frowned. "So, I messed things up?"

"Melissa…"

"I…I know, I know. It's not my fault."

He shook his head. "If anything, you've helped us uncover the flaws in our system." He sighed. "Maybe it is time for a reformation. A new direction for the Foresters as more than thieves fighting a corrupted system. I just wouldn't know where to start."

"…" Melissa looked away while drumming her fingers against her glass. "What would a reformed Foresters look like?"

"I wouldn't want us turning into mercenaries or killers. We lost our support because of a framed assassination. I don't want to go down that path." He closed his eyes. "But perhaps I've been pushing my moral too strictly onto others. I only came up with that no-killing exception as a precaution."

She straightened up and glanced at him. "Well, maybe I can…offer some ideas?"

He raised his brow. "You?"

"W-Well, unless you don't need my help or—"

"Melissa." She stopped stammering and looked at the Pikachu, whose expression softened. "I…wouldn't be opposed to some ideas. Who knows? Maybe your royal upbringing can offer a fresh perspective to us simple peasants and farmers."

She smiled awkwardly. "None of you are just simple peasant and farmers."

He smiled back. "Heh. I never thought in my life I would be humbled by a princess." He raised his glass. "Well, whatever comes our way, let's make a bright future for everyone."

She raised her glass. "Agreed."

They clinked their glasses together and sipped their lemonade, each feeling a small weight lifting from their shoulders.

The day seemed to fly by for the Buneary as darkness encroached over the village. After dinner was finished, everyone just hung around inside the living room and talked. Melissa was mindful to keep conversation light, lest she accidentally reveal more about herself than necessary. She occupied most of that time reading the book Aurelia recommended, aided by a translation sheet to learn the ancient alphabet.

Once everyone started turning in for the night, Melissa bookmarked the page she was on, placed it back on the shelf, and went to her room. She changed into her nightgown and crawled into bed.

Just as she was about to pull the covers over her, a knock sounded off the door. "Come in," she said.

The door cracked open, and Jason peeked his head in. "Hey."

"Hey."

He pushed it all the way open and leaned against the frame. "I never got to ask this morning, but are you still having trouble sleeping? Any nightmares?"

She frowned, wringing the sheets between her hands. "Last night, yes. Though, it wasn't nearly as bad this time."

He narrowed his eyes. "Do you want me to stay with you again until you go to sleep?"

She blushed and looked away. "N-No. I will be fine."

"You sure?"

"Mhmm."

He sighed. "Alright. If you need anything, don't be afraid to wake me." He turned his back to her, but lingered by the door. He glanced over his shoulder, and Melissa thought she saw a sad glint in his eye.

"Jason?"

"…" He shook his head. "Goodnight, Harlow." He gently closed the door behind him.

Melissa frowned. "Goodnight, Jason." She sighed and blew out her candle before tucking herself beneath the covers. Once her head made contact with the pillow, she let her mind drift off.

"No. NO! Get away from me!"

Melissa hurriedly hopped through the endless corridor, trembling from the thunderous quakes behind her. Candlelight blew out around her as she passed by followed by the ghastly chills that grazed across her skin. Cackling wails echoed in her ears, bouncing off the walls and inside her head.

"Melllliiiiissa~!"

She glanced over her shoulder as the monster stormed through the crumbling hallway. It took up the entire width of the hallway with each stepped destroyed the path behind and crumbling into the inky abyss. Its long, pointed beak oozed with saliva while its wings were coated in a viscous, pink sludge. Chains rattled from its neck, each shackling a heart wrapped in barbed wire. Its eyes were filled with spirals of red and pink, glaring down on her coupled with its boorish grin.

"Why are you running from me, my pet?!"

Melissa clenched her eyes shut. "Leave me alone!"

The floor gave out under her, and she screamed as she plummeted into the abyss. However, she landed on something hard, causing the darkness to disperse around her. When she found her bearings and looked up, she founded herself in some sort of dungeon. Chains hung from the walls, and a plaque labeled 'My Property' sat above them.

She got up and tried to run, but the monster penguin crashed down and threw her back. One of the chains around its neck lunged at her like a snake and caught her by the neck. She tried to rip it off, but the monster simply grabbed the chain and lifted her in the air.

It laughed at her, throwing spit and sludge into her face. "What a pretty, pretty doll~. I'm going to enjoy playing with you, my pretty~!"

Melissa started breathing rapidly, tears brimming from her eyes. "N-No…stop, please!"

It laughed and held her within its wings. She shivered as it licked its beak with its long, thorny tongue. She moved her head back as the tongue flickered near her face.

"So pretty~! So useless! But I'll give you a purpose, and you will never feel unwanted again! My dear, precious Melissa—"

An arrow flew past Melissa's face and struck the monster in its eye. It recoiled and roared, dropping Melissa as it covered its bleeding eye. The chain nearly snapped around her neck, but a second arrow pierced through and shattered it. She braced herself for the impact, but fell into someone's arms.

"H-Huh?"

She opened her eyes and looked up at her savior, but couldn't make out a face. They were wrapped in shadows with blue eyes staring back at her. The only thing she could make out was the two long ears.

"I…thank you," Melissa mumbled.

The apparition narrowed its eyes. "Why do you still run from this demon?"

"I'm…I am scared. I don't want him to hurt me again. I just can't—" The shadowy knight cut her off by setting her down and approaching the monster as it continued to scream.

"Is this the only demon you run from?"

Melissa frowned and looked down. "I don't…no."

"How far will you run until you feel safe?"

"Will I ever be safe?"

"Do you want to run?"

Melissa closed her eyes. "I don't. I don't want to run."

"We all are shackled to our fears, and this demon continues to haunt you because you let it feast on your fear. It's easier to run than fight."

"Am I wrong to run?"

"Do you believe that?"

"…" Melissa looked away.

"Melissa Penworth."

She looked up at the shadowy knight as they held their hand out to her. She touched their hand, and watched as darkness encroached on the realm again. The monster, the dungeon, and all else faded into the aether.

"Who are you truly?"