It had been a tense couple of days for the Forester trio. They tried to keep the mood around the farm up for Aurelia's sake, though even they knew she sensed the awkwardness hanging around them. They assured her they were fine, though it didn't take her long to figure it out when news of the bounty hunters reached her ears.
Tonight, Melissa was helping Aurelia with dinner: a homemade potpie. Aurelia prepared the broth while Melissa chopped up the onions and carrots. She kept her head down and barely spoke a word more than a yes or no. Her mind was too preoccupied replaying the events of the robbery and recounting everything Jason explained to her about Eadwulf.
Whenever she looked back, she didn't see Eadwulf in her memories. She either saw a fanged beast with blood and flesh hanging from its maw, or worse, a lecherous penguin. She woke up in a panic the night after it occurred, and it made getting to sleep more of a chore than it was several days ago.
Worst of all, ever since what happened, she and Eadwulf had been unable to speak to each other. Even Jason wasn't as talkative as he was since first arriving. It felt like everyone was in a bad mood.
Her arms suddenly came to a stop, possessed by an outside force. She looked down and found them wrapped in a psychic energy. She also noticed, much to her shock, how close she was chopping near her fingers.
Aurelia released her psychic hold and faced the Buneary. "Perhaps I should handle the cooking. You could use some rest."
Melissa shook her head and wiped her eyes. "I-I am fine, Ms. Aurelia. Just lost in my head."
Aurelia patted her head. "Dear, I know you had quite the scare from Eadwulf, but I don't want you cutting your hand off by mistake. You should rest until dinner starts."
Melissa looked away sadly. "…I feel terrible."
Aurelia sighed. "Merton and I were quite spooked when Eadwulf came to us that day, though the only concern Jason's parents had was getting the boy cleaned up and somewhere safe. I didn't see what you saw, but I know what you're feeling. It took me a while to get comfortable around Eadwulf, yet that never stopped me from showering him with love. He was scared and confused. Any child would be in his predicament."
"Yeah…"
She rubbed the Buneary's back and said, "Thank you for your help. Go rest up."
Melissa nodded and hopped off the stool she was standing on. "Okay…" She walked out of the kitchen with her head down.
Aurelia turned back to the counter and sighed. "The poor dears."
Everyone gathered around the table and took a bowl of potpie. Melissa sat closest to Aurelia while Jason and Eadwulf were on the other end of the table. The awkward atmosphere persisted as Eadwulf barely looked up from his food. His arms were bandaged, still healing from the recoil he took from his own attack.
Every so often, Melissa would look up from her food to glance at Eadwulf. Whenever their eyes met, she'd go back to eating her food. The Nuzleaf could only muster a sad sigh as he picked around through his bowl.
Aurelia shared a look with Jason, who could only shrug. She sighed and smiled at them. "Are you all enjoying your potpie?"
"Mmm," Eadwulf hummed.
"Yes…" Melissa muttered.
"I've been trying for ages to get the recipe just right. Oh, everyone says it tastes amazing, but I always try to one-up myself with each batch." She reached over and patted Melissa's hand. "Probably because I had such wonderful help this time. Have you ever cooked before, Harlow?"
Melissa frowned. "I, um…I boiled a pot of water once?"
"You must be a natural, then. If you ever want tips, I have a lovely book of recipes you can borrow."
"No, no, that is fine. I…do not know how to cook, really."
"Well, I can always give you a lesson if you want one." She looked over at Eadwulf. "Or maybe Wolfy could. He's pretty handy with food."
The Nuzleaf blushed and looked away. "I just know how to make rations, nothing special."
"Oh, don't sell yourself short, Wolfy. You can make lovely dishes just fine." She nodded at Jason. "Oh, but you would be amazed at how well Jason can cook, Harlow. He always helped his mother when he was a young lad."
He chuckled lightly. "Well, I've always been pretty good at following instructions."
Silence encroached on the table once again. Melissa quietly ate bits and pieces of her pie while Eadwulf clicked his fork on the bowl's rim. Aurelia and Jason shared another worried look.
Aurelia cleared her throat again and asked, "So Wolfy, how was your day? Are your arms feeling better?"
"Yeah…"
"That's good, that's good." She turned to Melissa. "And what about you, Harlow? Have you been practicing your knitting? Have you been enjoying that book?"
Melissa closed her eyes and sighed. "I…I guess I—"
Their heads shot up as Eadwulf scooted his chair back. He groaned and grabbed his bowl. "I'm sorry, I just can't do this."
"Wolfy, dear—"
"I'm sorry, Granny, but I know you're just trying to ease the tension. I know I'm making Harlow uncomfortable."
Melissa's eyes widened. "W-What? No, no, it is nothing like that—"
He shook his head. "It's fine. I'm…use to people being afraid of me. No matter what the official statement says, everyone always assumed it was me. I'm going to eat in my room."
Melissa's ears flopped over. "But Eadwulf…"
"Really, it's fine. Enjoy your dinner. I need to change my bandages out, anyway." He grabbed his bowl and walked out of the kitchen.
Her lip quivered as she reached out for him, but couldn't voice a reply even as she opened her mouth. A soft whine escaped her mouth, and she folded back into her seat with her ears covering her eyes. Aurelia reached over and softly stroked the top of her head.
"It's alright, dear," Aurelia whispered. "Come here." She pulled Melissa's seat closer and wrapped her in a hug. Melissa sniffled and pressed her face into the elderly Raichu's dress.
Jason narrowed his eyes at them before returning to his food. He sighed through his nose and stabbed a piece of faux chicken. I can't put it off any longer.
After Melissa helped Aurelia clean the dishes, she dragged herself back to her room, ears drooping over her face. She stopped by Jason and Eadwulf's room and stared at it. She pressed her hand to the frame, contemplating if she should try and talk to him.
She couldn't deny she felt terrible with the way she was treating him. She was deathly afraid when she thought he was going to kill her, but she knew he would never do that under his own volition. She just couldn't look past the snarling fangs and fury she saw. She didn't see her friend in that moment, but a predatory animal wanting to sink its teeth into her.
She pulled her hand from the door and sauntered toward her room. Is this what happens outside the kingdom? Is this what the ten monarchies created over the years? I feel like the more I learn about my own kingdom, the more hopeless it seems to save everyone. I was never meant to be queen.
She pushed her door open and stepped inside, but stopped as a hand rested on her shoulder. She glanced over and saw it was Jason.
"Jason?" She turned around to face him. "What is it?"
He shoved his hands into his pockets and sighed. "Come outside onto the porch with me."
"W…Why?"
He narrowed his eyes and looked away. "Do you recall what we discussed when you first came to Fort Lucus? When you requested to become a Forester? I told you that you knew nothing of our struggles and what we went through. You were too privileged to see what goes on in our world."
She frowned. "Y-Yeah?"
He sighed. "I've treated you like an outsider for too long, and you've been through so much during your time with us. I want to rectify that. No more secrets, and no more lies. You'll hear the truth, and you get to decide what to do with your life next."
"…" Melissa narrowed her eyes. "Okay."
She wasn't sure if she heard correctly or not, but she could've sworn she heard sadness in his voice.
The sun barely set below the horizon, filling the sky with a purplish night sky while the band of lingering sunlight wrapped around said horizon. A cool air blew through the wheatfield and onto the front porch, rattling a set of windchimes.
Jason and Melissa sat down at the porch table and reclined in their seats as they stared out over the wheatfield. Melissa nervously wrung her hands together, taking occasional glances at Jason as she waited for him to make a move. Her mind wandered to the possibilities of the conversation and what secrets he hinted to.
It seemed so strange. Of all she knew about the Pikachu, he was one of the biggest enigmas out of the Foresters. A stone cold leader who will take out anyone with brutal efficiency, yet the last few days have allowed her to get a glimpse into another side of him. Even before they left for Rainside, he revealed more than she ever did about him throughout the year.
What could've sparked this conversation?
She tensed up as he let out a heavy sigh. She watched as he folded his arms over his chest and gazed out over the farmland with a distant stare.
"…Five."
"H-Huh?"
"Five. That's the total number of times the Explosive Wolf has been unchained, including this week. For over fifteen years, he has been trying to keep that side of himself in check. Longest he ever went not losing control was eight years, but then everything with Giles happened. Frankly, if he were there when we lost our other members, he might've lost control sooner. He's disgusted with himself, harboring such a vile creature in his subconscious, so he does everything he can to keep it tamed."
Melissa looked down at the porch and frowned. "I…I see."
"He had time to get a grip on his anger. He had time to control it. He got better dealing with his phobia. There was a time where that was enough to get him angry. He was a rather difficult child, and special care needed to be taken to keep him stable. We managed just fine." He closed his eyes. "Though, I can't help but feel I'm responsible for the way he is."
"What do you mean?"
"He made me promise not to tell my parents what he was going through. I couldn't honor my word, so I tipped off the constable hoping it would do something. I was a kid, though. I didn't know what would've happened, though I figured sooner or later he was going to get hurt. I feel guilty, but I don't regret for my actions."
Melissa nodded slowly. "You were just looking out for a friend."
"That's all anyone can ask for in this world. Still, it's a touchy subject I don't like bringing up with him. We just choose to ignore it." He sighed. "I'm not saying all of this to say your fears are unwarranted. Even I have to worry time and time again if that beast will come out. I just want you to understand that Eadwulf's actions were far out of his control. He would never hurt you."
She nodded again. "I…I know. I know Eadwulf is a good person and that he would never think of hurting me. I just…can't forget the last time I felt that vulnerable. You don't just forget things like that. It disgusts me to think he reminds me of Darby. Those two are worlds different from each other, and yet I can't look past the fangs and malice. It feels like—"
"—your feelings are misplaced because of someone else," Jason finished.
"…Yeah, something like that." She glanced at him. "You speak from experience?"
"In more ways I'm ashamed to admit." Jason leaned forward and clasped his hands under his chin. "I didn't bring you out here to talk about Eadwulf. After what happened at the shop, it's clear you are going through a lot that our lifestyle can't help you with. This isn't a healthy environment for you."
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying…I want you to resign from the Foresters."
Her eyes widened. "W-What?!"
"I've been thinking long and hard about this, and it's in your best interests to distance yourself from us—"
"In my best interests?!" Melissa stood up. "You don't—do not get to decide that for me! Are you saying I am not cut out to continue as a Forester?"
"I think you are capable of being a Forester, and that's the problem."
She settled down and glared in confusion. "Pardon?"
He sighed. "I have connections most of the Foresters are unaware of, and I can easily make you disappear. You'll never have to know strife or pain ever again. You can live somewhere free of danger and stress. You do not have to worry yourself over a life dictated by the wills of others. You can make something of yourself, carve a path of your own. And you'll never have to feel threatened by monsters ever again."
"I…" She stroked her ear awkwardly. "L-Look, I know I have been a little off lately…okay, really off, but I can still help. I am not—"
"I'm not saying you're useless, Melissa. This isn't about purpose. I'm genuinely worried about you. The Foresters was never meant to be a task force against some great threat. We only got invested into Last Autumn by pure chance, and now everyone's following my example to protect Virdis with their lives. I never wanted that from anyone. We were supposed to be rebels fighting against unfair justice, but this is way outside our parameters. And look where it got us? Innocent lives taken, reputations shattered, and…you were almost defiled by Darby. I can't even say the word without feeling sick."
Melissa's ears drooped. "I…well, I…" She rubbed her elbow and sighed. "It has been a rough month."
"Exactly, and I don't want you going down a path you can't return from." Jason stood up and walked up to the porch railing, leaning forward against it. "I meant what I said before. I know exactly the feelings you're going through. That hate, self-loathing, like the world's crumbling around you bit by bit, and a sense of helplessness. We're just a drop in the ocean of despair, being thrown about with little say in the current's direction. It tears you apart inside, and you're willing to break yourself to feel even a modicum of satisfaction, oblivious to the harm you're bringing onto yourself. It's suffocating, that feeling."
"…" Melissa frowned worriedly at the Pikachu. "Does this have anything to do with your parents' deaths?"
His shoulders slumped. "…Granny told you about that, didn't she?"
"Y-Yes."
"Figures."
"She said they were murdered. Is…Is that true."
He seemed hesitant to say. He inhaled a deep breath, his shoulders tensing up, and sighed. "No. Not murder. Too impersonal. Too vague." He curled his fingers into a fist. "They were executed."
"W-What?!" Melissa gasped. "E-Executed?!"
He nodded. "Life can feel so random, yet it can feel so unfair, too. People die all the time, sometimes because they were in the wrong place and time. But an execution? You seek someone out, put them on display, and—" Jason chopped himself in the back of the neck. "—the axe comes down."
The warmth drained from Melissa's body. She recoiled from him, hands covering her mouth. "Th-They were…?!"
"And guess which unfortunate eight-year-old got to witness it?" He shook his head. "They never even knew they had an audience that night."
"I…I don't understand. Who would want to execute your parents? And why?! Who would be cruel enough to…" She stopped talking as Jason turned to look at her with a scowl on his face, yet a soft shimmer in his eyes. It took a moment as the wheels in her brain clicked away, and her eyes widened in shock. "No…n-no, you're not saying…!"
He sighed and looked out at the wheatfield. "I never wanted to you to learn about this. For as much of a grudge as I hold, I didn't want to burden you with the knowledge I had. The more I got to know you, the harder it was to admit the truth. I wasn't sure you would believe me."
"J-Jason, you're not joking, right? Are you…Are you actually saying the one who executed your parents…?" She covered her mouth, feeling her stomach churn on the answer. "It was…him?"
He closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "On the 18th Life Moon of Year 895, Ryland and Larissa Hawthorne were executed by King Roscoe Penworth."
Jason couldn't make a sound. Not a scream, squeak, or gasp escaped his mouth, which hung wide in a permanent state of horror as he stared out on the pathway to his house.
He had heard his parents get up in the middle of the night, making sure not to disturb him, Eadwulf, or his grandparents. He wasn't sure why they were being so quiet, so he followed them out and took cover inside the wheatfields to follow them. His father had an arrow feather nocked while his mother stayed close behind with a dagger.
That's when Jason saw his parents get ambushed by hooded men who were hiding in the wheatfields, too. By some miracle, despite some of those men being in the same field as him, they never noticed the young Pikachu.
They had his parents tied down and pushed onto their knees. Everyone was being too quiet for Jason to make out what they were saying, and the hooded men made sure to gag his parents from screaming. That's when two more figures had approached his parents.
He wasn't sure who the fellow with the axe was, or what species he was, but he instantly recognized the leading figure. It was King Penworth, approaching them with an emotionless expression.
Words were exchanged, but he didn't know what the king was saying to his parents. All he knew was that it scared his mother, but made his father visibly furious.
That's when it all happened. Before Jason could dash out and stop them from harassing his parents, the one with the axe stepped forward and raised the weapon high over their heads. In one swift motion, it came down.
Words couldn't describe what was going through his head in that moment. It was so fast, so sudden, that young Jason couldn't even muster a scream. He stayed still in the wheat, afraid that the bloodied axe would taste his blood next. Instead, his eyes remained fixed on the aftermath, staring at the pool of blood on the road…and not at the two lumps hidden in the darkness.
The executioner stepped back and, with a flick of their wrist, shook the blood off the axe blade. It looked so natural to them, like the reaper claiming another soul. Though Jason couldn't see the towering figure's face, he exuded a palpable presence.
"The job is done," the executioner said. "Whatever happens next is your problem now."
"…" King Penworth crossed his arms and sighed. "Just get out of here."
Jason's eyes widened as purple and yellow light shimmered beneath the executioner's cloak. "Know your place, Your Majesty." The hooded figure turned and walked off.
King Penworth shook his head and pointed to the other hooded figures. "Clean this mess up. Dispose of the corpses. Leave no trace."
"And what if someone goes asking around?" one of the men asked.
The king turned away from them and walked off. "Leave that to me."
Jason slowly backed away into the wheatfield, letting the floodgates on his eyes open. He crouched down on his knees and covered his mouth, muffling his sobs. He trembled with weak sparks shooting out of his cheeks. Even in the darkness, there was that brief moment where he saw every little detail when the axe made contact. It made his stomach churn. The image was burned into his memory, and it made him sob harder.
"M-Mom…D-Dad…" Jason clenched his eyes shut and fell onto his side, curling himself into a ball as he hugged himself. "This…This isn't real. This is just a nightmare. It has to be." He hiccupped and hid his face into his arms. "This isn't real…"
"…And yet, no matter how many times I told myself, I never woke up from that nightmare. I still haven't."
Melissa stared at him, her face contorting into a perpetual state of shock. She had to lean on the railing to keep her balance. Her arms trembled as they tried to keep her upright. She curled her fingers into the railing, stressing her knuckles. Tears dripped down her face.
"My own father…executed your parents," she mumbled.
Jason closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry you had to find out like this."
"I just…I just can't believe it. My father executed dangerous criminals before. Murderers and dangerous criminals, but…this c-can't be true. He…I don't…" She clenched her eyes shut, covering them behind her ears. "I don't understand. This has to be a lie!"
"I wish it was—"
"My father would never kill someone without reason!" Melissa yelled. "I know I never had the best relationship with him, but I know he would never—"
"Melissa, you don't know your father like I do." He lay his head in his arms. "I know what I saw that night. He wasn't the one who killed them, but he gave the order. He sought them out, and he covered up their deaths. Official reports say they were attacked by a bandit in the dead of night, bravely dying to defend their home." He gritted his teeth. "Sir Artur was there that morning to deliver the tragic news."
Her eyes widened. "Matthias' father." She narrowed her eyes for a moment. "I…I vaguely remember Sir Artur having to leave around that time. That was…when Father executed a criminal for…m-murder charges."
He nodded. "A scapegoat. The man that was executed and falsely accused as my parents' murderer happened to have a criminal history. He could be executed without anyone getting suspicious. I imagine the executioner that your father hired was the reason they had someone to take the fall. I still don't know who that man was…" He glared at her. "I've been digging into the details of their deaths for years. If you need tangible evidence I'm telling the truth, I have it."
"…" Melissa looked down. "I still don't understand. Why would my father kill your parents?"
He sighed. "Even after so long, I still don't know why. I've searched countless months and years to dig up a reason, but there's nothing. My parents were farmers, for land's sake! They've never done anything wrong. They didn't deserve to have their lives cut down! I just couldn't figure it out!" He growled and gripped into his head. "It makes me so mad how easy it was, too. He could just snap his fingers, and all his problems would disappear.
"I insisted to Granny and Grandpappy that the king killed them, but they thought I was having nightmares. Not even Eadwulf believed me! No matter what I said, I was just some kid grieving at the loss of his parents. It made so mad! I was just a kid, and I couldn't do anything but cry and scream. When you have all the power in the world, you can shape it to your will, and I was helpless to a mad king who took my parents away from me!"
"J-Jason…"
"I spent days, maybe weeks, trying to figure out what I could do. I had no proof, I couldn't identify the executioner, and no one took my word seriously. To the rest of the kingdom, King Penworth was a man who could do no wrong, especially with your mother by his side."
"My mother…" Melissa frowned. "You're…You're not lying, are you? You're serious—"
"Of course I'm serious!" he snapped, causing her to stagger away. "Why would I make this up?! I admired the Penworth name! I admired your mother and everything she stood for! I was just a naïve brat with simple dreams and no idea what he was saying. But that night…it opened my eyes to the reality we were born into. We're nothing but fodder to the powerful, and we either swear allegiance or die in the pyre. The word of some stupid brat means nothing."
He slammed his fist onto the railing, trembling as he growled between breaths. Melissa stepped away from worried he was going to go berserk, too. Thankfully, he reeled in his growling and exhaled a long breath. He sighed through his nose and looked out over the wheatfields with melancholy.
"I grew to despise the Penworth name. Over the years, I spat on your honor and your privilege. I wished for your deaths with every fiber of my soul, and I admit I felt a twinge of retribution when Queen Odolina died. One less infection on the kingdom. Then there was you, their spawn. His heir. The future ruler of a kingdom that sheds needless blood."
"Jason…" Melissa wrung her hands through her skirt. "You—"
"I hated you. I hated you for everything the Penworth name represented, and I was prepared to get rid of you as soon as possible. I wouldn't have felt an ounce of regret throwing you into the slave markets if I had the chance. I wanted King Penworth to pay. To suffer, to beg for forgiveness, and to crumble under his own destruction. And you would've been nothing more than an afterthought."
His words struck hard, and they would've made the Buneary break down into tears from the vitriol they were laced with. However, that would be if they were shared when they first met. Now, Melissa stared at the Pikachu somberly. Tears shimmered in her eyes, but she kept them at bay.
"And how do you feel now?" she asked.
"…" He sighed and buried his face into his arms. "Like a heavy nail had been pounded through my chest. As you progressed in your training, I felt…a spark of admiration to your determination. Then as I got to know you more, I realized how long much my hate has corrupted my judgment. You…You still carried Odolina's will with you. Her kindness, her charity, her honesty…everything I forgot. This past year, I was reminded why I admired your family so much, and I regret every horrible thing I've said about you and Odolina. I let my hatred for your father cloud what was most important to me, and it turned me into a monster."
Melissa approached him cautiously and touched his shoulder. "What do you mean?"
"…You know how Matthias blames me for Sir Artur's death?" He closed his eyes and sighed. "The rumors that I'm the Mortal Zeraora and the cause of the Bloodless Massacre? They're all true. Every single one of them."
"You…You really were the one who started the Bloodless Massacre?" She narrowed her eyes. "What happened?"
"…" He faced her, his own eyes shimmering. "I wanted to send the king a message. I started a fire in Eadwulf's old home since it was abandoned, then I started running rampant around the village causing as much trouble as possible. The knights who were guarding the village tried to stop me, but…" He stared into his palm, rubbing sparks between his fingers. "I wasn't aware of the power lurking inside me. I took them by surprise, and it surprised me, too. Paralyzed all of them and continued make a ruckus."
"Until Sir Artur was dispatched to deal with you," Melissa guessed. He nodded. "He…He said he saw a Zeraora attack him when he was brought back. How—"
"I was wearing the costume my parents made for me. Even in my rage, I always turned to my books as a source of comfort. I thought if I embodied the heroic nature of Zeraora, I could get my revenge." He sighed. "I wasn't aware of my Inherited Will at the time. I just thought donning the costume gave me strength to overcome evil. Turns out it turned me into a living thunderbolt. It was storming that day, too."
"Then…you took out Sir Artur's squad before fighting him."
"He wasn't as brutal as Matthias, but he lasted the longest. It just made me angrier. Whenever I think about that lie about my parents' death, his face was the one that came up. Looking back, I now know he wasn't aware of what really happened. He was just doing his job. All he saw was an unknown threat causing trouble and sought to stop it. To me, I saw the messenger of death."
"Artur survived that battle, though. He died of his injuries," Melissa said. "You sounded like you were out for blood."
He sighed. "I was. I nearly burnt the life out of him. I was so consumed with grief that I didn't know what came over me. Unfortunately, I had a moment of clarity to what I was going to do."
"Unfortunately?"
He nodded. "Why else do you think I sympathize with Eadwulf's struggle?"
A blue streak of lightning ricocheted off the surrounding buildings, colliding with knights and sending them flying off their feet. Electricity traveled through their armor, frying them from the inside. As they fell on their backs, they convulsed from the lingering sparks surging up the armor.
Over a dozen knights lay defeated on the ground, some with pieces of their armor shed off. Burn marks were seen around the face and limbs, and weapons lay blackened and warped next to them. Only one knight remained standing as the living thunderbolt came crashing down on him.
The Infernape, Artur, staggered onto one knee and panted as he trembled. Parts of his armor were shaved off, revealing the scorched skin underneath. The left side of his face was burnt, forcing his eye closed. With his good eye, he kept track of the ricocheting thunderbolt as it bounced between buildings. Once he determined it was coming down on him, he lit his fists in black flames.
"Blackfire Strike!" He struck into the thunderbolt and brought it to a stop. He growled as electricity coursed down his arm. The flames around his fist were stoked by the power emanating from the thunderbolt. He roared and punched the creature back.
It landed on all fours a few meters from Artur and lifted its head. The snarling, eight-year-old Pikachu, who was wrapped in a cloak with short, pointed ears and blue whiskers, gripped into the ground before breaking into a powerful sprint. The storm above roared with cracks of lightning and booming thunder.
Artur pulled both his fists back. "Blackfire Strike!" He threw both fists forward and struck the raging Pikachu. Both lightning and flame billowed off one another as they tried to stand their ground.
Jason, despite the flames pressing into his forehead, preserved and charged through Artur's attack. Due to the Infernape's injuries, Jason forced his arms to bend backwards and made himself a path to tackle the knight in the chest. They flew across the ground with Artur skipping off his back. Once they came to a stop, Jason pressed his hands down on the knight's face.
Artur took a moment to look at the mouse's face. Even with the heavy cloak of lightning surrounding him, his eyes widened. "Wait, you're that kid—"
"I'll burn you and this kingdom to ash!" Jason screamed. "DIE, DIE, DIE!"
He dug his fingers into Artur's face and let loose a powerful blast of electricity through Artur. The Infernape arched his back and screamed as his body lit up in a blue electric aura. Lightning coursed through his body, lightning up his veins and making his teeth glow. His muscles contracted and locked up, making him incapable of moving them. His vision and hearing were drowned in the light and hum of the electricity, yet his nose was assaulted with the smell of burning flesh.
Jason pushed down harder and roared as he increased the output. He wasn't aware of the lightning-shaped burns traveling up his arms. All he cared about was putting the knight down for good.
"All of you will pay! The king, the Penworths, and everyone who murdered my parents!" he screamed. "All of it burns! ALL OF IT!"
"—ason! Sto—kill him!"
He thought he heard something over the electricity, but he paid it no mind as he focused all his attention on incinerating the knight. The burns traveled further up his arms, all the way to his shoulders. He was so high on adrenaline that the pain was an afterthought. He couldn't even feel his eyes burning from his own power.
"JASON! NO!"
Something grabbed his shoulder, and a scream penetrated his clouded mind. Jason whipped his head around and saw Eadwulf right behind him, gripping into his shoulder and lighting up in the same blue electricity. The Nuzleaf couldn't let go of him as his muscles locked up, and Jason watched in horror as his brother's entire body was assaulted in the electric field.
"EADWULF!"
Jason lost his concentration, and the electric aura vanished. He lunged and caught Eadwulf before he hit the ground. He gently set his brother down and looked over his scorched body. The entire left side of his body was burned from the brief contact while the right side sustained minimal damage. Jason couldn't even see half of Eadwulf's face because of the scorched flesh.
"Eadwulf? Eadwulf?!" Jason shook his unconscious brother. "W-Wake up, wake up!" Hot tears poured from his eyes. "Eadwulf, n-no. Please, please be okay! You have to be! I didn't mean to! I…I…"
He paused in the moment and looked back at Sir Artur. The Infernape looked worse than Eadwulf with his fur singed off and his flesh burning with a hot blue glow. His flame crown barely flickered with life, and his breathing sounded haggard. The other knights, though dealt a brief exposure, lay on the ground in pain.
Jason slowly looked at his hands and saw the damage done to them. He could smell his own burnt flesh and felt the stinging in his eyes. If he had a few more seconds, he could've…he could've…
"I…I…" Jason clenched his eyes shut. "I didn't mean—" With emotion running high, he picked himself up and dashed away with tears flying from his face, leaving the horrific scene behind him.
Tears dripped down from Jason's eyes. He sniffled and turned away from Melissa. "I ran away. I didn't know where, but I couldn't…I couldn't stay there. I just couldn't. I was ashamed of what I almost did, and of what I would end up doing."
Melissa touched his shoulder. "Jason…"
"I never wanted to hurt anyone, but why must the world be so unfair? If my parents really did die defending our house from a rogue killer, that'd be one thing. But to watch them die for seemingly no reason, and with no voice of my own over everyone else's, what else did I have but allowing vengeance into my heart? Look where it got me. I hurt my brother, and my actions doomed an innocent man to his eventual death."
She frowned. "That…That must have been hard."
"Do you think I don't grieve whenever Matthias accuses me of being his father's killer? I am the Mortal Zeraora, and that name will forever be stained in Sir Artur's blood. There's just no escaping it."
"Maybe…Maybe you could tell him the truth—"
"The Foresters lost the right to truth a long time ago. That doesn't change the fact I killed Artur. That day haunts me. It scares me how naturally murder came to me. I could've killed him on the spot if Eadwulf didn't intervene." He sighed. "Do you want to know the real reason that no killing rule was established into the Foresters?"
"Hmm?"
"It wasn't for everyone else. It's for me. A mantra I created for myself so that I'll always remember the price of a life. There are horrible people in this world who must be put down, I don't deny this, but I can't bring myself to kill another person. It screwed me up bad the first time, and I don't think I'll be able to handle the weight of a second life. If I ever kill again, I'm worried it'll get easier and easier. So easy that I stop thinking about it. To kill without thought or reason…it terrifies me."
"Terrified of being controlled by your own impulses," Melissa said. "Just like Eadwulf."
"And now everyone's questioning if that policy should stay in effect," Jason said. "If we let Last Autumn run free, they'll just do this all over again. But…if we did wipe them all out as things are, no one will ever trust us again."
"…Yeah." Melissa leaned forward on the railing and took a deep breath. "What happened after you ran away?"
He closed his eyes for a moment. "I…I didn't know where I was. I was hungry, and my injuries were getting to me. I was one the verge of passing out. But, by some grace or miracle, my Uncle Sherwood found me."
"Uncle Sherwood?"
"My dad's brother. He…came by to pay his respects. News takes a while to get to him." He shook his head. "However, he ended up finding Eadwulf after what happened. He wrote a letter to my grandparents saying we were with him, and he took Eadwulf to look for me. After that, we just…stayed with him for a few years."
"I see. That was…kind of him."
"Yeah." He straightened up, placing his hands down on the railing. "But it did little to curb my anger. I practically consumed my life into taking down your family. It was all I can think about, and it was the only thing that mattered."
Melissa frowned. "And you were worried I was going to follow in your example?"
"Yeah, I was." He sighed through his nose. "Melissa, I haven't been a kid since I was eight-years-old. I practically begged my uncle to help me get stronger, but I realized now why he was so hesitant. I threw away everything on a revenge fantasy. I never got the help I needed, just like Eadwulf never did. It was unhealthy. No matter how many times I try to justify myself, I'm just a child with no idea what he's doing. I never got the help I desperately needed. I kept pushing it all away just to prove a point. What a sad life I led."
"Jason, don't say that," Melissa said.
"But it's true. What am I doing with myself anymore? None of us know what we're doing. How can we possibly stop Last Autumn when we're clearly outmatched?" He glanced at her. "The only recourse I can offer you is to quit the Foresters and lead a normal life away from this."
"But what about you?"
He glared. "I've sacrificed too much of my life already. I might as well see it to the end, or die trying." He gripped into his shirt and clenched his eyes shut. "I don't have any other purpose in life."
Melissa's ears drooped. "Jason…"
In the end, it all seemed so overwhelming. All that strife and grief accumulating over years, and it could easily crush the most resilient of Pokémon. It was all too different to her royal lifestyle where all was right with the world, yet so many sacrifices had to be made to keep that lifestyle going. Was that perhaps the worrisome future her mother saw?
Everything she learned during her time with the Foresters has allowed her to open her eyes to the wider truth, and just how truly broken Virdis has become. It all seemed so unfixable. It would be no surprise a group like Last Autumn wanted to destroy everything that ruined the land's luster and reset it to a simpler existence. She would be lying if she said the idea didn't sound appealing, or perhaps just disappearing into a simpler lifestyle.
She faced and evaded death more times in one year than she could imagine as a princess. She suffered tragedy after tragedy with no end in sight, and the results nearly crushed her spirit. If that was what she had to go through in one year, what of everyone else who didn't have the luxury to ignore those inconveniences?
Her own father wasn't exempt from his behavior. To imagine he would order the deaths of two people for a reason beyond anyone else seemed…unbelievable to the naïve rabbit. Despite that, her father always told her that no good thing ever came without sacrifice, like sacrificing her individuality as a treaty token.
There was no justice left in Virdis. There was only lawlessness and greed.
…
…
…and she refused to believe that.
Melissa took a deep breath and approached Jason. He tensed up as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. She sniffled, but held in her tears as she massaged his back.
He blinked through his own tears. "M-Melissa?"
"How can you tell me to leave when so many of our friends had to suffer, too?" she whispered. "Of course I'm scared of the world, and I'm scared of being hurt again. But if you're willing to go to all this trouble to help me, even now knowing how much you're hurting, what kind of friend would I be to abandon you?"
Jason narrowed his eyes. He sniffled a bit. "Don't…D-Don't be foolish. I'm a lost cause. You still have a chance to lead a normal life—"
"There's nothing normal about my life, and I don't believe in hopelessness. You and the others reminded me of that." She closed her eyes. "I was so wrapped up in how bad the world is that I forgot about the little things that make it better. You shouldn't forget about those feelings, Jason. It's never too late to turn your life around."
He frowned. "How can you be so sure?"
"Because I won't be alone, and neither will you. It's…hard to come to terms with what my father did, and I'm still dazed by it, but I've come to terms there's a lot about Virdis I don't know that isn't picturesque. There's been enough suffering for too long, and there's an entire region that needs healing."
"But it all seems like so much."
"The Foresters have tested the odds before. Maybe it's time for a reformation, but not one geared towards stealing or killing. To save as many people as possible and give back the Virdis the current generation deserves." She squeezed the Pikachu tighter. "If you and the others are there to support me, we'll be there to support you."
"M-Melissa…" Jason clenched his eyes shut and shuddered. "Why…Why are you like this?"
"Huh?"
He raised his arms and wrapped them around her, returning the embrace. He pressed his eyes into her shoulder and sniffled. "Where do you find the strength to still have this boundless kindness?"
She smiled softly. "I guess that's something I picked up from my mother." She rested her head on his shoulder and gently nuzzled him. "Being kind is the greatest strength any Pokémon can possess."
"You…You…"
"It's okay to cry," she said with some tears falling from her eyes. "You can let your guard down around me."
"…" Jason's face contorted, and he broke down into a fit of tears. Loud, wailing sobs as his body trembled against her. "I s-spent…so long hating myself for all of this. I just…I just…couldn't show weakness."
"There's nothing weak about shedding tears," Melissa whispered with a sniffle. "And…And that's coming from the biggest crybaby around."
"I just…don't know what to do anymore," he mumbled. "Everything's messed up, a war might break out, and…it's just too much."
Melissa nodded slowly before pulling away. "Look, I don't know what goes on out here in Virdis, but I do know that there are good people who need our help. If we want to save the region and stop Last Autumn, perhaps it's time we take different measures."
Jason wiped his eyes and sniffled. "W…What do you mean?"
"I'm still not sure, but…we need to start by focusing our efforts on the bigger picture. If we truly want to go down this path, we can't keep anymore secrets from each other. We're not here to get payback or just fix a corrupted system. We need to save it at the source. If we had a lead to go off of, that'd be something."
"…" Jason wiped his eyes again and frowned. "The Great Ruins."
"Huh?"
"I was…sworn by my Uncle Sherwood not to talk about some things, and I live by my word. However, if there's any connection that might lead us to uncovering the truth behind our situation, it would be there." He shook his head. "Of course, finding a lead is next to impossible. Uncle Sherwood never wanted me to get involve with his business, but I know there's something there that might give us a clue."
Melissa nodded. "It's a start, I suppose."
"Still…how are we going to stop Last Autumn with the way things are?"
"We'll have to bide our time until we come up with a solution." Melissa closed her eyes. "Still, we can't lose hope. I can't lose hope again, and neither should you."
"Even if it's scary?"
"It still terrifies me." She took a deep breath and clutched around her chest. "I relied on my mother for guidance as a crutch. I chased a dream that was never truly my own. Spending time with you and Eadwulf, however, finally cemented what I need to fight for. I want answers, for my father's actions and for the state of Virdis. Giving up and letting it rot won't change anything. So, with that, I'm making a vow here and now."
She looked Jason straight in the eyes with unwavering determination. "I, Melissa Penworth, shall work to make a Virdis where everyone can live together in harmony. I'll carve a path to that glorious future so that no man, woman, or child shall ever know unjust suffering ever again. Even if the odds are stacked against us, I rather fight for my future than run from the past."
"…" Jason wiped his eyes dry and chuckled weakly. "You…You are full of surprise, Rookie. Then, allow me to make my own vow."
She nodded. "Of course."
He straightened his posture and pressed his fist over his heart. "As the infamous Fairy Knight, I shall devote my sword and lightning to your cause. I will fight for justice and the sanctity of my homeland, and I will not let needless bloodshed be spilled for that future."
"Then…I guess we have a lot of work to do."
"I guess we do." Jason breathed a sigh and smiled. "I'm…happy to have you a part of my life, Melissa. Thank you."
Melissa blinked twice at him, then lowered her head. Jason gasped as she started trembling and sniffling. Tears dripped from her eyes again.
"Are you okay, Melissa? Did I say something wrong?"
She shook her head. "N-No…nothing like that. I'm just…"
She lifted her head, and the sight before Jason melted his heart. Even with tears running down her flushed cheeks, they weren't shed by sadness. Gracing her face was a big, pure, and wobbly smile that practically glowed with warmth.
"I'm just…so happy to have such wonderful friends. Thank you!"
Jason eased up and smiled back. "Thank you, Melissa." He reached out and pulled her into a hug, which she graciously accepted. "I promise, we'll build a future where smiles are allowed to shine."
She laughed through her tears and nuzzled his cheek. "I'd…I'd love that."
After the pair finally relaxed, they walked back inside the house. Melissa still had some tears in her eyes, but she mostly calmed down. As they entered near the hallway, they saw Eadwulf standing by his and Jason's shared room.
He frowned when he saw Melissa's teary eyes. "I, uh…I'll just be heading off to bed—" But right as he turned toward the room, Melissa caught him by the wrist. "Huh?"
She leaned up to his face and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She pulled back and smiled at him. "I'm sorry for how rude I was earlier, Eadwulf. It'll…take some time for me to get use to this side of you, but you don't have to apologize. I just hope we can still be friends."
Eadwulf stared back dumbstruck as he touched his cheek. "I, um…okay?"
She walked to her room and nodded at the boys. "Goodnight." She stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
Eadwulf blinked at her bedroom door before glancing at Jason. "She seems to be in high spirits. What did you say to her?"
He smiled and shook his head. "Just the truth, nothing more."
"And she's…okay with it?"
"Not okay, but…" He smiled fondly at Melissa's door. "She's not running away anymore. And neither am I."