19th Clear Glass Moon, 908

"A shame you three have to leave. I was starting to enjoy the company."

The morning sun had risen over Rainside Village, the hour of the visiting Foresters' departure. Godfrey rode in with the travel wagon and waited outside the Hawthorne farm's fence for the trio as they gave their goodbyes to Aurelia.

Jason smiled shyly, scratching behind his head. "I would love to stay a little longer, Granny, but we really should be getting back."

Aurelia sighed, but smiled nonetheless. "You just promise me you'll visit more often. Where would I be not seeing my precious grandson?" She leaned down and embraced him.

Jason's smile widened, and he hugged her back. "I'll try and make more time for you, Granny. I promise."

"That's all I ask for, dear." She kissed his cheek and pulled away before facing Eadwulf. "You be good, Wolfy, and do try to work on that temper of yours. You got off lucky last time, and I don't want anything happening to you."

Eadwulf smiled awkwardly. "It's a work in progress, but I know Jason will be there to set me straight." He embraced her, which she returned in kind. "I'm lucky to call you my grandmother."

"You are a gem, Wolfy. Never forget that." She kissed his forehead and pulled away.

The boys nodded and walked over to the wagon to throw in their luggage, leaving the psychic Raichu alone with Melissa. The Buneary bashfully covered her eyes with her ears as she rocked back on her heels. She loosened up as Aurelia leaned down and embraced her. The warm contact melted her shyness away, prompting her to return the hug.

"Thank you for inviting me into your home, Ms. Aurelia," she said.

"Think nothing of it, dear. I'm just glad my sons have a positive influence like you in their lives." She pulled from the hug and sighed. "I often worried about Jason during his time with his uncle. I feared the environment would've only stoked his rage, but he seems…calmer these days. Happier, even. Something about his smiles always felt forced to me, but not this time. You must've had a big impact on him."

Melissa looked away with a small smile. "I guess so."

"And how are you feeling?"

"Me?" She pondered the question for a second before saying, "Honestly, I feel…the same, but better? If that makes sense."

Aurelia smiled. "Some pains take time to heal, but I know you have a good group of friends looking out for your wellbeing. Always cherish the people in your life. They can bring out the best in all of us. This world is starved of kindness, and every little bit of it makes a difference."

Melissa smiled back. "I'll keep that in mind." She bowed her head. "Again, thank you for accepting me into your home."

"So polite." Aurelia giggled before reaching into the pocket of her apron. "Before you go, I have a little something for you. Close your eyes."

Melissa did as instructed before feeling something descending on her head. She felt her ears popping through a couple hole. It was a soft fabric of some kind that covered her forehead, just over her eyes. It felt like some type of cotton.

"Alright, you can open your eyes."

As she did, she reached for the object and felt it between her fingers. Upon pulling it down into her line of sight, she saw it was a green, knitted cap. It wrapped snuggly around her head and didn't feel too hot or cold against her fur.

"This is a…" Melissa said in awe.

Aurelia giggled. "Took me a while, but I think it came out beautifully. Think of it as a little gift for my honorary granddaughter."

Her eyes widened. "Your…?"

"In my eyes, family extends beyond blood, and I have nothing but love for the people that come into my life. Like I said, this world could do with a little kindness from everyone."

Melissa let go of the cap and felt tears filling up in her eyes. With a sniffle, she threw herself into Aurelia and hugged her again. It had been forever since she heard such loving remarks from her own parents, and to be embraced by someone who was only a complete stranger a week ago…

"Thank you…Granny," she whispered.

Aurelia hugged her by the head and said, "Stop by any time you want to talk, dearie. My door is always open to you."

Melissa pulled away, wiped her tears, and smiled. "R-Right. I will!"

"Best you get going now. Don't want to keep the boys waiting."

"Right!" She turned and bounced toward the wagon. "Goodbye, Granny!"

Aurelia waved. "Take care of yourself…Princess Melissa."

The Buneary froze halfway toward the wagon and glanced over her shoulder. All she saw was the elderly Raichu turning away and floating back to the house, though she could hear the distinct sound of her playful giggling. No fanfare or anything of the sort, just her returning into the house and leaving the stunned rabbit to process her remark.

However, the shock washed aside, and Melissa breathed a short sigh before smiling. "Bye, Granny." She hopped toward the wagon and loaded herself in, ready to return to Fort Lucus.

Her real home.

The ride back to Fort Lucus was mostly quiet as the boys reclined against the walls of the wagon and relaxed to the gentle rocking across the dirt road. However, the silence was accompanied by the soft humming coming from their Buneary companion sitting across from them.

It was strange, yet welcoming to finally see Melissa in a better mood compared to last week. It's doubtful she was completely over her fears, but they felt she was in a better mindset than before, and that's all they could ask for. They took delight in her playing with the brim of her new cap.

"All good over there, Mels?" Jason finally asked.

She jolted from her daydreams and faced the Pikachu with an embarrassed smile. "Oh, uh, yes. I'm doing fine. Just fine."

Eadwulf nodded. "That's good. I'm glad we did this. It was nice to get away from work for a while." He sighed and bowed his head. "I just hope Jet didn't cause too much trouble in our absence."

Jason closed his eyes and huffed. "And there's still the topic of a Forester reformation."

Melissa frowned. "Right. You all got into an argument over the current state of the Foresters."

"Been a while since things got so heated. Still, I've had time to clear my head, and I'm willing to hear everyone out before we make any big decisions. It'll take time to settle on a plan, so our primary objective is to ration our food supply. As it stands, we have a few months before we reach a shortage."

"Oh. I wish I could help." She tapped her fingers together. "If I was still in power, I could resolve this before it started."

He smirked. "Ironic, isn't it? A little royal intervention would do us some good, I suppose." He sighed. "If we knew any prominent noble houses, that'd at least buy us some time. Klaus and sort-of Pandora would be the only ones who have that kind of power, but their current stations would make that next to impossible."

Melissa looked aside. "Wish I could do more."

"You're doing plenty just being here to help us. Besides, I'm counting on you to help me lead the Foresters in a new direction."

She smiled a bit. "I suppose you're right."

"Don't suppose. I am right. I know you're going to help us. That's what you want, right?"

"R-Right. No, I mean, right! Yeah!"

He nodded. "That's the spirit. We'll worry about all of this when the time comes." He glared off to the side. "Besides, there's something I want to look into regarding our…last confrontation with the Tetrarchs."

"Eh?"

"I'll explain later." Jason craned his neck to get a look at the forest ahead. "We still have some time before we enter the forest." He reached inside his bag and pulled out one of his books. "How about I read you some of Journey to the Stormbreaker?"

"Really?"

He looked away, hiding his blush. "Well, if you want. I don't have any other people to talk about it with, so…"

Melissa couldn't help but gush at how innocent and awkward Jason looked as he hugged the book to his chest. So precious~! She composed herself and coughed into her fist. "Erm, uh…no, I don't mind." She clasped her hands together and smiled. "I'd love to hear some passages."

His eyes widened. "R-Really?" he exclaimed, and much louder than he intended. His face turned red briefly, then he cleared his throat. "W-Well, great!" He straightened up and flipped to the first chapter. "Get comfortable. I've been told I get really into character when I read."

Eadwulf smirked. "This should be good."

Melissa giggled and nestled into the wagon as Jason took a swig of his canteen. No matter how many times she said it, it felt strange knowing this was the supposedly cold, calculating leader of the Foresters feared across the region as the infamous Fairy Knight. Seeing him get so giddy over a book was too precious to put into words, or words she was willing to say out loud without irritating him.

He's such a lovable geek.

"Melissa!"

With sightings of Godfrey riding into their territory, news of the vacationing trio spread throughout the fort before they even got onto the elevator. Upon reaching the main platform, Melissa was tackled into a group hug from Sadie and Marie, taking her to the ground with nuzzles.

Melissa laughed sheepishly and hugged them back. "Hey, girls."

Sadie and Marie stood up and helped Melissa back onto her feet. "Oh, we missed you so much! How are you feeling?" Sadie asked.

Marie crossed her arms. "Are you doing better?"

She smiled and scratched behind her head. "Much better. I guess I just needed to get away from everything for a while."

Marie sighed. "That's a relief." She smiled. "It's nice to see you smiling again. Actually smiling."

"Heh. Same."

Sadie turned to the boys as they offloaded their luggage from the elevator. "How was Rainside?"

"It was fine. Nothing eventful," Jason said. "Though, I think my grandmother just adopted Melissa behind our backs."

She giggled. "D'aww, how sweet."

Eadwulf chuckled. "She took a liking to Melissa fast." He pouted and glared at Jason. "Of course, I spent most of our supposed vacation tending to the fields when I could've been relaxing."

Jason shrugged. "I'm not apologizing." Eadwulf lightly punched him in the shoulder, making the Pikachu laugh. He shook his head and turned to the girls. "Anyway, I should debrief with Blitz and Jet. Nothing got set on fire while we were gone, right?"

Sadie scoffed and waved it off. "Nah. Everything's totally fine!"

He glared at Marie. "Aren't you supposed to be under house arrest?"

She glared back. "And miss out on not seeing my bestie? I'll put up with whatever punishment you have for me."

He sighed and shook his head. "You know what? I don't even care right now. Just go back to your hut."

Melissa looked around for a bit before asking, "Where's Pandora? I was half-expecting her to greet me, too."

Sadie scratched her cheek. "Heh, right. Pandora. She's around here somewhere—"

"Hey-o, Melissa!" The group turned and saw the Growlithe running up to them. She skidded to a stop and waved. "How's my favorite minion doing today? Bring it in!" She lunged at and hugged Melissa.

"Oof!" She stumbled back on her heels before returning the hug. "Um, right. Hi, Pan! Great to see you, too."

Pandora pulled away. "Oh, I'm just ever so delighted to see my favorite roommate!"

Eadwulf leaned in. "Uh, we're here, too." He pointed at himself and Jason.

"Hmm? Oh, right! Hello, Boss! Hello, Eddie! Great to have you back as well."

Jason narrowed his eyes on the chipper Growlithe. "Hmm." He crossed his arms. "Pandora, you didn't do anything while we were gone, right?"

She gasped. "What? Me? As if. I am the personification of an angel, I'll have you know. Why, just because I'm a little ball of pure evil doesn't mean I would ever do anything heinous. It's unheard of." She turned and flicked her tail in his direction. "The nerve of you, Jason."

"…" He took a deep breath and glared at the girls. "What did you all do?"

Sadie's eyes widened. "Us?! What makes you think we did anything?!"

"Your track record says one thing. Also…" He pointed at the pouting Growlithe. "Pandora's eyes are supposed to be green."

The girls and Pandora's eyes widened. One quick exchange with each other and they saw that her eyes were the usual black instead of their emerald green color. She immediately rubbed her eyes and spun back around, now sporting sparking green eyes.

"What are you talking about? My eyes were always green. See?"

Jason and Eadwulf looked at her, unimpressed, while Melissa just stood beside them with a befuddled expression. Marie whistled innocently while Sadie and Pandora laughed awkwardly.

The Growlithe gulped and said, "It's…a new experiment of mine. Colored lenses placed on the eyes for…cosmetic reasons. Heh."

"YOU DAMNED IDIOTS!"

The girls flinched and spun around in horror as Jet came marching up to them. Adding on their shock, he was dragging Basil along in a headlock, and the poor Salandit looked like he could barely breathe.

Sadie winced. "Oh no."

Pandora cleared her throat and stepped forward. "Hey-a, Jet. Whatcha doing there with Basil—"

Jet grabbed her by the snout and pulled it. Melissa gasped as Pandora's whole face stretched like putty, nearly making her vomit at the sight, before snapping back into place. The Growlithe flew onto her back and instantly transformed back into her blue-and-white Buneary form.

"Ow, ow, ow! Why did you do that?" JoJo yelled.

"You idiots have some explaining to do! Basil already ratted you out!" He grabbed Basil by the collar and held him up for everyone to see.

Sadie growled. "What did you do?!"

The lizard smiled and shrugged. "I may have accidentally said something out loud, and Jet happened to be around. I couldn't get away in time, so here we are."

"Of all the…AGH!" She turned and glared at JoJo. "And we talked about this! Pandora's eyes are green!"

"Hey, do you know how difficult it is to transform into a specific someone without an immediate visual?! Growlithe don't normally have green eyes!"

"Enough!" Everyone winced under Jason's commanding voice. He sighed through clenched teeth and glared at them. "Okay, what the hell is going on here? Where's Pandora?"

Jet dropped Basil on his face and stood at attention. "I managed to wrestle some information out of Basil regarding her disappearance. It seems Ursula, Tank, and Leon are unaccounted for as well."

Melissa slowly blinked at him. "What the heck did we miss while we were gone?"

Jason pinched between his eyes and groaned. "Why am I suddenly missing the paperwork?" He sighed through his nose and, without looking up, pointed to his left. "All of you. Meeting hut. Now."

After much pressuring, Basil and the girls eventually admitted to their deception since last week. Jet, unsurprisingly to no one, was the first to berate them and throw every insult in his vocabulary at them. Some of them weren't even words anymore, or words Melissa could feasibly understand. It was like Jet was speaking a completely different language, one he was making up on the fly.

Jason, meanwhile, couldn't even find the motivation to get angry. He was disappointed, even irritated, but not angry. He could only look at the guilty party with an exasperated face as he waited for Jet to calm down.

"—incapable of basic instincts to follow the simplest instruction with your mashed potato brains! Who on this land kicked you in the head so many times that you are in need of immediate admission into the nearest asylum to even comprehend your stupidity, you absolute…dullards…" Jet's fire soon burned out, and he faceplanted into the table in exhaustion.

Eadwulf glanced at the panting Oshawott. "You done?"

"…Yep."

"Good. Jason?"

The Pikachu leader closed his eyes and took a deep breath. With his hands clasped under his chin, he leaned in and glared at the four. "Does anyone else know about this?"

Sadie scratched behind her ear. "Eh…Adenine, kind of. She didn't want to get too involved, but promised to keep quiet."

"I'll have a word with her later." He shook his head. "Honestly, can't you all just go one moment without causing trouble? Need I remind you this behavior is the reason we're in the middle of a crisis?"

Basil smirked. "Look, if anyone should get the full blame, it's me. I'm the one who gave Pandora the idea to pursue the train, and I'm the one that got them a free ride to Senbo. The girls were just watching our backs and keeping the peace."

Jason glared. "You and I will have words later, Basil, but why did you convince her to go along with it?"

"We need that elementium core. If we want the slightest chance of getting through this shortage crisis, we need premium material for weapons. What better than a whole chunk of elementium? From what Pandora said, it's twenty times more than what JoJo hauled in from the prison."

JoJo nodded. "And I brought a lot back with me."

Jason sighed. "Even so, you should've at least come to Blitz, Jet, or me before you cobbled this shoddy plan together."

Sadie rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, like Jet's the voice of reason."

Jet peeled his head off the table and took a deep breath. "How…dare you!" He collapsed back over.

"And it's not like you would've said yes anyway," she continued.

Jason shook his head. "You all are going to give me gray hairs before I turn twenty-five."

Melissa frowned. "So, what do we do?"

He sighed and sat up from his chair. "Obviously, we need to go after them. The train could already be in motion for all we know. We'll call upon Percival's Teleportation Corp to get us there and plot an ambush."

Marie raised her brow. "Ambush?"

"There's no way the royal families aren't plotting a retaliation after the last time we struck, so we need to intervene if we want to extract Pandora and the others."

Jet picked himself up and slapped himself a couple times. "Right. I'll get my gear and meet you on the—"

"No." Jason walked around the meeting table, hands stuffed in his pockets. "I'm going with just Percival."

Marie's eyes widened. "What? What happened to no Forester goes alone?"

"Everyone's making a fuss about reformation, so I'd say this is my contribution." He glared ahead. "If we want any chance of surviving these next several months, someone needs to remind the royal families who the Fairy Knight is and why he earned his infamy."

Melissa's ears drooped. "But Jason, that's too much to handle by yourself."

"This is my choice. Besides, I don't want anyone else getting hurt."

Her eyes widened. "No one else…" She looked down for a moment, fiddling with her hands, before huffing through her nose. She stood up and placed her fist to her heart. "I'm coming with you!"

"Huh?!" the others gasped.

Basil smirked. "Well, well…"

Jason glared over his shoulder. "Absolutely not."

"I'm not letting you put yourself in danger just to prove a point."

"I'll have Percival with me."

"Will you, though? Or do you plan on going at it alone?" She approached him and jabbed her finger to his chest. "You told me that we would be working together to free Virdis from its corruption, so I'm coming with you whether you like it or not."

He turned and faced her. "You do realize there's a slim chance he will be there, too, right?"

"…" She looked away for a moment, hiding her grimace, but brushed it off with a deep breath. "Of course I know Darby will be there if there's an ambush. I'm scared of confronting him again, but I swore that I'm never running away again. If I want to survive out here and help the Foresters, I need to step up."

"Melissa—"

"You promised to be my knight, remember?" She softened up and smiled. "So, what do I have to worry about if I know you'll be there to watch my back?"

His eyes widened. "You…really have that much faith in me."

"You never given me a reason why I shouldn't trust you." She paused for a second. "Okay, you've actually have given me plenty of reasons, but…th-that's not important now! The important thing is that I can count on you to boost me up, just as how you can rely on me."

"…" He closed his eyes and sighed before laughing. "You really are something, Rookie." He shook his head and glared. "Leave Darby to me. Can I trust you to handle yourself?"

"I learned from the best."

"That's what I thought."

Sadie glanced at Marie and whispered, "What was that about being her knight?" She just shrugged in response.

Jason nodded and turned to the door. "Alright, we need to be quick about this. Prep your gear while I call on Percival—"

"Actually—" He jolted to a halt and glared at Basil as he stood up. "If you're going to attempt this extraction mission, may I make a suggestion for a third party member?"

"Basil, I'm not in the mood for your antics, so—"

"Oh no, not me." He shook his head. "Someone else of interest."

Eadwulf narrowed his eyes. "Why am I suddenly concerned?"

Jet glared. "Oh good, I thought I was the only one."

Jason sighed through his nose and faced the Salandit. "I'm almost afraid to ask based off your vagueness."

He snickered and drummed his fingers together. "There may have been one other secret I've been keeping to myself. Has anyone checked on our prisoner's cell lately?"

Jason and Jet's eyes widened. "What?!"

Jet threw the door of Shade's hut open, startling the Sableye who was standing in the middle of his room. He quickly scanned the room before finding his target hobbled away in the corner, going through Shade's spare alchemical set. He snarled and marched up to her.

"You know, for a small set up, I can see you're quite resourceful with what you have. If you want, I can trade you some tips to improve your alchemy—" Just as Luna turned around, she was seized by the collar and slammed up against the wall, dropping the beakers in her hands. "Agh!"

Jason and Melissa ran into the hut and saw Jet strangling their former prisoner. "Jet, put her down!" Melissa yelled.

He flinched and released her. Luna fell onto her hands and knees, coughing. "Oh Xerneas, that hurt…"

Jason walked over to Shade, who was trembling against his hammock. "Basil told us he bribed you to house her for a couple days."

He winced and covered his face. "I'm sorry. He gave me some seeds from the Arcania Kingdom as payment. I guess he thought I would be better company for her since her family works in alchemy."

Jason slapped himself in the face and groaned. "I…I can't even right now." He slid his hand down his face and glared as Luna picked herself up. "Will someone please explain to me what happened while we were gone?"

Luna massaged her neck as she explained, "Basil…informed me of what's been going on during my incarceration. Everything."

Melissa tentatively stepped out from behind Jason. "And you believed him?"

"I don't take the words of thieves lightly, but I used my own judgment to come to a conclusion." She straightened up and glared. "The fact is, there's a lot going on that concerns not only the Verde Kingdom, but the whole region. It's my sworn duty to right the wrongs of my territory, but there's only so much a knight can do on her own."

Jason crossed his arms. "And you haven't attempted to escape because…?"

She looked aside awkwardly. "Well, I wouldn't say I haven't tried to escape. You'll find my failed attempt in your shack."

Jet growled. "Good enough for me." He pulled out his scalchop and lit up his Razor Shell, forming serrated water blades across its edge.

Jason stuck his arm out. "At ease, Jet." The Oshawott grumbled and dismissed his attack. He sighed and continued, "That doesn't answer my question."

Luna nodded. "Basil and I discussed what had been going on with you all lately. The party, the framing, the attempted assassination, and the resurgence of Last Autumn. I admit, it's a little hard to believe given they disappeared three decades ago, but records did say the leader's body was never recovered. Plus, it would give more context to your invasion in Snowbound Village last year."

"You stayed because you pitied us?"

"I stayed because I feel like we have mutual goals." She placed her hand over her heart. "I've been doing research on the forgotten history of Virdis as of late. At first, it was only to find intel on our currently missing prisoner."

Melissa's eyes widened. "Theobald."

"However, the further I dug into his past, the more I found regarding the Great Kingdom's history. There's just so much about two centuries ago that's still unknown to us. Entire records were either stolen or destroyed in the flames of war. There are kingdoms that may have bits and pieces the Verde Kingdom or our allies simply lack. I find that worthy of investigation."

Jason's glare deepened. "And what does this have to do with us?"

"You're operating to stop Last Autumn from rising again. Perhaps there's something about the Great Ruins that'll assist in your mission, or an answer to Last Autumn. It can't be a coincidence that the year Verde knights went to investigate the ruins was the same year Last Autumn toppled. There's still so much I don't know about the ruins, or whoever this Crownless King is—"

Crownless King? Jason thought.

"—but the fact you guys had a connection with one of their members, perhaps there's a connection that can be traced to Last Autumn. Their crusade against Virdis had to start from somewhere. It's a long shot, I admit, but you need more than brute force and stealth to help you. I have the one thing you don't have: a knight's intuition."

Jason crossed his arms. "You are aware you're asking to betray your kingdom, right?"

She shook her head. "I don't see it as a betrayal, but as extending my usefulness through other means." She frowned and casted a shameful look at Melissa. "At least, that's how I see it now."

Melissa frowned back. "Luna…"

"Fairy Knight Jason, I know this is a lot to ask from your prisoner, but I ask you let me assist you in uncovering the true history of Virdis. I can't go another day until I've uncovered this region's lost knowledge."

Jason closed his eyes and sighed. "Well—"

"What?!" Jet piped in, getting heated. "You're not actually considering her offer! She's the enemy!" He hissed at her. "This is all a trick to drop our guards!"

She glared. "Buddy, if this was a trick, do you think I would've complied staying with the narcoleptic Sableye for two days without anyone knowing? No offense, of course, Shade—" She turned and saw the alchemist had passed out in his hammock. "Ah."

He marched up and jabbed her in the chest. "I don't trust you for a second. You were well on your way to breaking out a couple nights ago. How do we know you didn't rat out our location already?"

She growled and pressed her forehead against his. "You got something to say about it, runt?"

"Who are you calling runt, shorty?"

"Bastard thief!"

"Stuck-up knight!"

Jason whistled sharply, forcing them to break up. "Enough, both of you! You're acting like children."

Jet grumbled and backed off. "She started it."

Melissa patted him on the head. "There, there."

Jason sighed and focused back on Luna. "You understand I can't make this decision lightly, so you better have a convincing reason I shouldn't lock you up in that cell again."

She nodded. "I was informed you will suffer from a food shortage in the near future and that you're trying to make an antidote from the poison used against Prince Talbot."

"Yep, going to have a really long talk with Basil later…"

"I am from House Freia, and we specialize in working with medicines. If there's anyone who can create an antidote, it's my family. We would also be able to send you rations. It wouldn't be much, but enough to extend your food supply until you acquire a permanent solution."

"You're suggesting a secret alliance with House Freia."

She nodded. "I would have to inform my parents, of course, but I'm sure I can convince them to lend you their aid." She looked away awkwardly. "Because believe me, it's a miracle my mother hasn't set the forest on fire yet."

"Hmm…"

Melissa tugged on his sleeve and whispered, "I think we should take her up on her offer."

"Are you sure?"

"I don't know House Freia personally, but they are upstanding members of the noble community. If Luna were to convince them of our cause, it would be a boon to our goals."

"You do realize this is the same girl you beat the snot out of last week, right?"

She blushed sheepishly. "I got a little heated last time, I admit, but she's a good person. She isn't one for deception."

"…" He sighed and turned back to Luna. "I'm willing to consider your offer, but under one condition."

Luna nodded. "Of course. Just name it."

"If you are to prove your loyalties to us, you must assist in an extraction mission. A few…knuckleheads among our numbers decided to take part in a mission without our knowledge, and there's a chance they'll be ambushed by the Wick and/or Senbo Kingdom. Maybe even the princes. You will have to forgo most of your duties and help us fight off your allies."

Luna cracked her knuckles. "Consider them strangers. Just point me in the right direction."

"Alright. Don't disappoint." He patted Melissa on the shoulder. "Show her to the supplies and get her geared up."

Melissa tilted her head. "You're trusting me alone with her?"

"I still have to inform Percival. Plus, there's…something else I need to take care of before we leave. I might be bringing someone else with us." He grabbed Jet by the hood and dragged him out of the hut. "Come on, Jet."

The Oshawott glared daggers at Luna. "I've got my eye on you, knight," he said before the door swung shut behind him.

Luna sighed through her nose. "Well, he's a ray of sunshine."

Melissa chuckled. "Y-Yeah, but he's kind of sweet once you get to know him." She sighed and gestured to the door. "Um, shall we?"

Luna looked away briefly and rubbed her arm. "Uh, yeah. Sure." They walked out of the hut, trying not to make eye contact.

As soon as the door shut, Shade jolted from his sleep. "AH! What did Jet break?!" Seeing nothing, slumber took over again and dragged him back down onto his pillow. "Eh, five more minutes…"

Melissa rummaged through the weapon locker, looking for a sword around Luna's size, while the Snivy knight slipped on her old armor. It was still partially damaged from the battle with Yda, but it would have to do. Once secured, she grabbed the provided Forester uniform and put it on.

"You wouldn't happen to have a mask or anything, right?" Luna asked. "I rather not compromise myself should anyone recognize me."

"Um, maybe. There might be something around here." Melissa picked up a sheathed sword and handed it to her. "Does this work?"

"Yeah, that's perfect." She took it and clipped the scabbard to her back. "This is certainly unorthodox for me."

"Allying with thieves?"

"Fighting on the battlefield with the princess."

"Ah." Melissa looked away and stroked her ear. "Heh, yeah. I guess."

"…" Luna took a deep breath and sighed. "Listen, Princess, I owe you an apology. I spoke out of turn last time, and I said some things I shouldn't have."

She frowned. "It's…It's fine. You didn't know."

"I should've listened. I didn't know what you were going through or the issues back home. Basil told me why you fled the kingdom. He also…implied something terrible happened in the Senbo Kingdom."

"…" Melissa kept her back toward her, shuddering from the distant memory.

"He didn't say what out of respect for you, but I got the message." She sighed through her nose. "I was trained to think only of the wellbeing of our kingdom, so perhaps a part of me was hurt that the royals weren't as infallible as I believed. There are far more cracks than I cared to admit. I was blind."

Melissa faced the Snivy knight. "You didn't know. Don't blame yourself." She awkwardly rubbed her arm. "I'm sorry I hit you. My mother has always been a sensitive subject for me. Ever since you took my locket, I've been feeling off."

Luna frowned. "The locket…"

"Yeah."

"I see." She looked away for a moment before saying, "I understand if this is an uneasy alliance with our history together, but I'm still a knight to the Verde Kingdom. If there's one thing I've learned in my service is that I must protect the Penworth family at all costs. Or, as Sir Matthias would often put it, protect the last true Penworth to the bitter end."

Melissa laughed. "Yeah, that sounds like Matthias."

"Let me make it up to you. If you truly want to pursue your dream of a better Virdis, then I stand by your vision." She gripped the hilt of her sword. "It goes without saying, but I pledge my loyalty to the last of the Penworth bloodline. Your vision is my goal, and I will see to it that we create a world where suffering goes extinct."

"…" Melissa covered her mouth as she burst into a fit of giggles, much to Luna's confusion. "S-Sorry, sorry. I'm just…getting a brief dose of déjà vu. You aren't the first person recently to pledge themselves as my knight, though I suppose you are an actual knight."

Luna smiled. "At least that assures me someone's carrying on our duties." She placed her fist above her heart and bowed. "It'll be an honor riding into battle alongside you, Princess Penworth."

Melissa smiled and approached her. "You know, since you're still technically a squire, you've never been officially knighted, have you? Kneel down."

Confused, Luna kneeled in front of her. Melissa grabbed a sword off the racks and unsheathed it. Taking a deep breath, she lifted the sword and gently tapped it down on Luna's shoulder before moving to the next.

"Luna Freia, as the princess of the Verde Kingdom, I recognize your achievements and service to the crown in pursuit of peace. For that, I hereby promote you to the official status of knight. Continue to support me in our cause for peace, Dame Luna."

Once Melissa sheathed her sword, Luna rose to her feet, showing an embarrassed smile. "Heh. Wow, um…just wow. Is this actually official?"

She shrugged. "Eh, I'm a princess. I say it's official."

Luna burst out into laughter and held her stomach. "I don't remember you being this carefree."

Melissa closed her eyes and smiled. "I guess running away was the best decision I could've made."

"Heh. I hope to you see back up your claim on the battlefield."

"I hope so, too." She breathed a short sigh and glared at the floor. She clutched the hilt of her sheathed sword. I hope so, too.

"Ow, ow, ow!" JoJo flailed as Jason dragged her behind the meeting hut by the ear. "You know, there's an easier way to do this!"

"You've weathered my patience enough." He dropped her and checked around to make sure no one else was listening in.

JoJo bounced back onto her feet and dusted her cloak off, shaping herself into a Pikachu. "Boy, one moment you go from actually pleasant to ice cold before I have time to say what's happening. Mind explaining to me what this is about?"

Once he determined they were alone, he faced her and said, "You're coming with us on the extraction mission."

She tilted her head. "Eh? That's all? Why the secrecy?"

"Because I need to be doubly sure no one knows why I need you to come along. Officially, you'll be scouting out supporters to aid in our food supply. In actuality, you're going to help me with something that requires a little subterfuge, and you're the only Pokémon in Virdis who can help me."

She raised her brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Remember that deal we made when you were first recruited into the Foresters?"

"Deal? What deal—" Her eyes widened. "Wait! You mean…now?! That deal?!"

"There's already an inkling of suspicion thrown our way, but since you're the only Ditto in Virdis…"

JoJo gawked for a moment, taken aback by the abruptness of the assignment, before relaxing. "And you're trusting me to handle this? Even after I pulled another switcheroo on you?"

"Consider this the biggest con you'll ever pull in history. If you succeed, perhaps it'll shed some light on Last Autumn."

"…" JoJo took a deep breath and saluted. "Alright. Tell me what I have to do."

Meanwhile…

Deep within the confines of Last Autumn's hideout, a meeting was underway between the Oranguru captain, Dalibor, and the mastermind of Last Autumn, Terrowin. The elderly leader leaned on his cane, his back facing Dalibor, as he stared into the crackling flames of his fireplace.

"The shipments are being sent to House Westerberg?" Terrowin asked.

Dalibor saluted. "Aye, sir. His cargo was loaded onto the train by order of the Tetrarchs. Once the transaction is made, our supplies will be transported from Wick to the Senbo Kingdom with the Westerberg seal of approval."

Terrowin nodded. "I could always rely on Victor to get work done. The man's reliable. Efficient. He'll make sure everything goes according to plan."

Dalibor looked down at his notes. "If I may speak out of turn, sir—"

"You need not speak so meekly to me, Dalibor. You are a trusted acquaintance, and I adhere to the judgment of all my allies. You may speak."

"It's just…why the extra preparation? King Tetrarch made it clear to us his son was working relations with the Talbot family. We would be able to ease the kingdom into our good graces with enough time."

Terrowin nodded. "The Talbots would be a powerful ally, but not one to be taken lightly. One screw up from either of us, and the full force of the Senbo military will strike us down. We have no means of resisting their militaristic advantage. Despite Darby being one of my candidates and an excellent manipulator, I don't trust his reliability. And I certainly don't trust him for his seedy…hobbies."

"Then why make him a candidate?"

"I needed something to convince Wilkins to rejoin Last Autumn, and promising his family by making Darby a candidate was just the bait I needed. If anyone finds out about the Tetrarch family's roots, it'll ruin everything. That's why I've ordered Victor to handle countermeasures. If he can get our supplies into the Senbo Kingdom, it'll make a potential fallout less bothersome."

"Still, I thought you were moving away from warfare."

He shook his head. "You're mistaken. I've never stopped relying on warfare. I'm just being subtler about it. The least number of casualties allowed, or a takeover unlike anything in Virdis history." He sighed. "That reminds me, on the subject of candidates…"

Dalibor flipped through his notes. "Let's see. Prince Darby Tetrarch. Lady Riko Amano. And…we're scouting for a candidate in the Echo Bell Kingdom. Why exactly are we looking for one there? I know we have influences in the kingdom, but no direct ties to the royal family."

"You hear some peculiar things about the royal families, and some members of each stick out, whether for good or bad reasons. Itzal will be heading the operation and try to negotiate with our new candidate."

"Uh…"

Terrowin sighed. "Specifically, one of his level-headed henchmen will be taking care of the proceedings."

"Ah. Makes much more sense."

Terrowin glared at the crackling embers of his fireplace. "I hold no belief my actions are just. They are anything but. That said, this region has been poisoned, and someone needs to correct its mistakes. If peace isn't secured, I'll force this region into peace whether they like it or not. I don't want to see anymore wars tear good people apart."

Dalibor nodded. "A noble sentiment, sir." He flipped through his notes. "Now, onto the issue of the New Chariot Empire…"

"They refused negotiations?"

"Worse. They sent our messenger's head back to us in a package."

Terrowin grimaced. "The poor soul. Plan him a funeral for his unfortunate sacrifice." He shook his head. "And here I thought the Subterra Kingdom was uncultured."

"Why not have Emperor Orochi talk to Nero? They're allies."

"Compared to the old emperor, Nero is a child. He has no business in the way of politics. All he cares about is his blood sports. The only reason he hasn't gone to war with Emperor Amano yet is because his father ordered him not to. Perhaps I should send Alban to persuade him into cooperation."

Dalibor sighed. "Best to avoid bloodshed as much as we can."

"Yes, you're right. I'm merely fuming. Alright, I'll get in contact with Blackwood and see if he can…can…" Terrowin suddenly lost his balance and collapsed onto his knees.

Dalibor gasped and threw his notepad down. "Sir!" He ran to the elderly leader's side and propped him up.

Terrowin spat blood onto the floor and gripped his left arm. Dalibor looked down at the green arm with two leaves sticking from the wrists. To his horror and disgust, the skin was bubbling and shifting as if something alive was crawling underneath. There was a distinct sound of bones cracking inside.

"Shit!" Dalibor pressed his fingers to his temple and expanded his Telepathy. Dr. Underhill, this is Captain Azimov! Medical emergency!

It didn't even take two minutes before the Hypno doctor came rushing into the room. Joining behind him was Bridget, struggling to fly as she carried Cain's medical bag, and his Florges assistant, Patience.

"Move!" Cain ordered, pushing the captain aside. He knelt down beside Terrowin and examined his arm.

Patience hovered over the doctor and observed with an emotionless expression. "Is it serious, doctor?"

Cain clutched the arm and felt the writing of the skin. His brow furrowed. "Drats, as I expected. The mutations are getting worse."

Bridget gasped and dropped the bag. "M-Mutations? What mutations?!"

Terrowin struggled to stand, even with Cain's assistance. "Living until my age doesn't come without…sacrifices, Ms. Bridget." He groaned and held his chest with his good arm. "It hurts. It hurts so much…"

"Steel your nerves, Master," Cain said. "I took the liberty of preparing for this eventuality."

"Will my condition stabilize?"

"That waits to be seen."

"Do whatever…agh, you can."

Cain pointed to his assistants. "Patience, prep the lab for surgery. Ms. Bridget, go into my cabinet and pull out the vial labeled IW-T37."

They saluted him. "Aye, doctor!" They ran off ahead.

Terrowin hobbled along with Cain's help, seething through clenched teeth. His yellow eyes shined from beneath his hood in the form of a glare. This is the price I pay for extending my life, but I refuse to die. Not until I see this through.