Oh, hey look a new chapter. Yay. Took long enough. Sorry about that, but this one was really hard to write for several reasons, but we are here.

I have a couple of notes before we jump into things. First things first, I have started uploading this story, chapter-by-chapter, over on AO3. Same name, same author. As of 11/20/2020 it is only up to Chapter 9. Two chapters are updated a week, so it could catch up soon ~~you guys are getting to see this chapter almost a month before they do ;)~~.

Secondly, my other story PMD: The Dreamstone - Bonus Episodes got a new chapter last month. It was written by deerestlove, a fellow author (who has also been beta-reading for me the past few chapters) and follows Enzo. Go check it out, as well as deerestlove's stories. They deserve it.

Lastly, last month we reached the third year anniversary of this story. I am just...stunned to think I have been working on this for over three years. As of writing this, we are hovering at 9,300 views and I am just stunned. Whether you have been here since the beginning or if you've just found this story...thank you from the bottom of my heart. I really appreciate it and never dreamed I'd get this far.

Alright then, I know you just want me to get on with it, especially after what I left you with the last two chapters. So here we go. Enjoy.

The sky was cloudy and gray as I left the temple that morning. It was like winter wasn't ready to relinquish its grasp on the Mist Continent yet. The dour sky and sea seemed to bleach the color from the rest of the world as well. The vegetation was less green, the temple's walls now a far more rusty red. A cool breeze wafted up from the ocean, and not even my inner Fire was enough to protect me from it. The charming, nostalgic atmosphere of the ruined village had turned melancholy. Like a graveyard.

The doors opened slowly as I approached them. The sun had only just peeked over the horizon, but just enough of its light poured into the Dungeon to clear the silver mist. The path was clear.

I stepped through the doors, shivering as I passed into the Dungeon. Behind me the stone doors whispered closed, sealing themselves until, someday, I returned. Carefully I checked myself over, making sure I hadn't accidentally left anything behind. I had a feeling I wouldn't be back here for a while. Once I was certain that I had everything I raised my paw and pressed firmly on my badge.

Lime-green light enveloped me, the ground seeming to vanish beneath my feet. For a couple heartbeats I floated in a blinding void before my paws touched solid ground again and I was in a new place.

This was the first time I'd used the Mist Continent's teleport system, so when I landed I was unsure of where exactly I was. The Paradise apparently didn't tuck their landing platform away in some basement. No, when I appeared it was in the middle of their busy atrium.

The room was massive, alone more than twice the size of the entire Fire Continent HQ. The cavernous atrium of the building stretched nearly a hundred feet above. The ceiling was a stained-glass dome. Multicolored beams of light spilled from it, dotting the cobbled stone floor. Despite the early hour there were dozens of Pokemon wandering about, most of them wearing Paradise badges. The platform around me was active as well; in just one minute over a dozen Pokemon appeared around me in flashes of blue and green light.

"Get out of the way, kid," someone barked. I jumped at the words and stumbled aside just in time. The second I moved, an Audino materialized where I had been standing. "You can't idle. Things are too busy for that." The voice was coming from the left head of a Zweilous standing behind a tall wooden desk.

"Sorry," I muttered shaking my head to reorient myself. "I uh…"

"You're not with the Paradise are you?" the right head butted in.

"Er, no. The, uh, Expedition Society." I shook my head again. I couldn't get distracted. I focused on the door directly across the room from me. I bumped several Pokemon on my way through, their angry protests following behind me. My footsteps quickened, to a trot, to a jog, to a full on sprint. And then I just kept running.

The Lapras dock just outside of Noe town wasn't terribly busy when I arrived. There were a few travelers clambering on and off of all sorts of water Pokemon, a few Hariyama were unloading cargo from a particularly overburdened Carracosta.

I glanced around the wharf. There were forty stone slips built into the harbor, but only ten were occupied at that moment, and of the Water Pokemon there, most were already talking to prospective passengers. My nervous energy kept me moving, hopping from foot to foot. I could see several small splotches on the horizon. Another wave of passengers would be arriving soon, but I didn't want to wait that long. Eve had a twelve hour head start on me at the very least, and while I couldn't hope to catch up to her, I needed to get back as soon as possible.

Then I saw him. A lone Lapras sitting in the farthest slip to my left. He was bobbing softly by his dock, head tucked to his chest and eyes closed. I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should disturb him. Still, I approached. As I got closer, his head perked up. He blinked a couple times before locking eyes with me, nodding politely. "Hello Sir," he called out, "looking for a ride?"

"Are you alright to go?" I asked sheepishly. "You seem...tired."

"Huh?" He cocked his head before realizing what I had been referring to. "Yeah man, it's just been a slow morning. Might as well take a nap to pass the time, right." He shifted forward and backward in his dock as though he was teeming with energy he was trying to burn off. His flippers slipped idly through the water, even the slightest movements pushing his body quickly and efficiently. "I haven't been on a long trip in a while. Where you headed?"

"Fire Continent," I answered, "Festive Town dock."

"Sure," he nodded. "That'll be a two day trip. No problem." He glanced down at my chest, to my Society badge. "I'm assuming we'd have permission to land at the Society's dock?"

"Of course," I nodded. I hesitated a moment, debating wether to ask the question I was thinking. "You said the trip would take two days. It wouldn't be possible to get there any faster would it?"

"'Fraid not," the Lapras cocked his head. "What's the rush?"

That had seemed a little rude, I realized with a grimace. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. My friend left the Continent last night. I was hoping that we might be able to catch up to her."

"Sorry friend. Two days is as fast as I can go. Shall we be off then? I may not be able to get you there sooner, but the faster we leave the sooner we can reach the Fire Continent."

"Thought I might as well ask." I took a quick moment before climbing onto his shell to check my bag to make sure I had enough food and water for two days at sea. Once I was sure everything was in order the Lapras turned to the side, leaning so that his shell was tilted towards me. I prepared myself to leap onto his back. I'd done it several times in the last two years. Hell, I'd made a jump this small thousands of times in my life. For some reason though this time it felt like the gap was ten times larger. Fear washed over me, my half bent legs trembling. What if I fell in?

No. I couldn't hesitate. I couldn't waste time. I needed to get back. I levitated myself slightly, drifting carefully over to the Lapras. I clenched my paws as soon as I touched the hard shell, claws scraping uselessly against the waxy surface. The hard material was sleek, so I released my weight slowly, making sure I was secure. I never trusted my footing when on a Lapras shell anyway, but now I was twice as nervous.

The Lapras twisted again, returning his shell to level. I walked towards the center of the shell, barely lifting my feet. Once there I wrapped a foreleg around one of the numerous spikes. The Lapras turned in the slip until we were facing the open sea. He craned his neck back, until one of his big black eyes could regard me. "You okay back there?" He asked.

I didn't trust myself to speak, so I simply nodded instead. He grinned, a mischievous gleam flashing in his eyes before he turned to face the open ocean again. "You may want to hang on tight for this part, though."

A moment later he took off, accelerating from a standstill to full speed in only a few seconds. Despite this, I had little trouble holding on. I wasn't about to let go, though. Not yet. I watched behind us as the Mist Continent slowly sank below the horizon until only the mountain peaks peeked above the waves. For the next two days it seemed, it would just be the open ocean as far as either of us could see.

I spent hours clinging to that spike. Several times I tried to let go. This was ridiculous, I thought to myself. But no matter what my mind argued, my paws refused to release. Eventually my hindlegs and tail were all asleep, cramping painfully from the awkward position I was in. Still I couldn't make myself move.

The Lapras craned his neck back several times to check on me, each time seeming more worried to find me in the same spot. Eventually he spoke. "Ya know kid, I keep having to make sure you are still back there. I haven't felt you move since you got on. First time?"

I shook my head, but then, realizing he couldn't see me, I called out. "No, not at all. I...I don't know why I'm... why I can't…"

"Hey, don't worry about it man. Happens to the best of us. I ran into a storm a few months ago. I've been through dozens in my time just like it. Something about it just made me nervous. Now anytime I see one, even if it is a small one, I make sure to go in the other direction." The Lapras swam silently for a while after that. "Say friend, you mentioned that you've traveled with my kind before. But have you ever traveled alone?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but then I paused. He was right. Every other time I had traveled, I was with Eve. "I-I think you're right." I said softly.

"Oh, alright then," the Lapras said thoughtfully. "Are you worried about falling off then?"

I gulped. I couldn't help but glance at the churning water that lapped at the edges of the shell. Like most Fire Types, I wasn't the strongest swimmer. If the cold shock itself didn't kill me, I'd probably drown soon after as the water drained my in the back of my mind though I knew that if I did fall in, the Lapras could rescue me within seconds. Still, some instinctual part of me doubted. "A little."

The Lapras nodded, and then he slowed his pace, almost coming to a standstill. He craned his neck, turning around to face me as much as he could. "Don't worry about it, kid. I've been doing this for three years now, and not one passenger has fallen off of my back. You're in good flippers as it were. I don't know if you know this, but our shells are rather sensitive. I can feel every footstep you take. If you were about to fall off, I'd know and could tilt my back to catch you. Even if you somehow do fall off, I can stop and turn rather quickly. I know we've just met and all, but you can trust me." He turned back so that he was facing the right direction. He began swimming once again, but the pace was slower. "I know you are in a hurry, but I think we should take things slower until you are comfortable. Just let me know when you are ready and I will speed up again."

The slower pace was somewhat reassuring. Even the irrational side of my brain that had stubbornly clung to the spine seemed convinced that I was less likely to be tossed into the sea at least. I unclenched my paws and stood up fully. It was painful bliss as needles filled my legs and tail as blood flow was returned to them. I paced stiff legged around the spine for a while until eventually I could feel my paws again. While I had physically let go of the spike though, I still kept a Psychic tether attached to it and I didn't wander far from the center of the shell.

I paced like that for a good hour, the sun having fully set before I finally settled down. I curled up between two of the spines. It was a little uncomfortable, but I felt safer now that I was wedged in.

"Ah," the Lapras said after I had laid down, "good you've settled then. May I start up once again?"

"I think so," I answered, my voice still a little unsteady.

"Alright then, here we go." He put on a burst of speed, my muscles clenching I slid away from my anchor. It lasted for just one horrible second before we were finished accelerating and I settled down once again. "'Bout time you relaxed," the Lapras chuckled once we were sailing smoothly again. "With all that pacing I thought you were going to wear a hole in my back. We did lose an hour back there, but at least you are more comfortable, yes?"

"Thank you," I told him. "Although I hope you won't take offence if I say I'm not comfortable enough to sleep on your back quite yet."

"No worries," the Lapras said. "I can assure you you'd be safe, but I understand. Take your time. Just let me know if you want to talk or somethin'."

I appreciated the offer, but the silence of the world gave me a perfect opportunity to simply lay down and think. The whole day, when I could control how fast I was moving, my only thought was of getting myself to the Fire Continent as soon as possible. Now that I had a chance to think, I couldn't help but wonder what I was going to do. I had to go find Vix as soon as I possibly could, I knew that. Unfortunately there was no way to reach her without having to face Eve as well. We had to talk, but what would I even say?

I could barely organize into thoughts what I was feeling and thinking. How was I ever supposed to put it into words? Obviously I was angry and upset, but that seemed far too actual words nowhere near enough to actually describe my thoughts and feelings.

I sighed, resting my head back against the smooth spike behind me. The skies were impeccably clear that night. I could see every star, trace every constellation. A flare of light revealed a shooting star overhead, and out of habit I turned to see if anyone else had seen it. I grimaced at my own reaction. Already, after only a day, I missed Eve. I missed Vix. I missed them all. I hadn't been alone, truly alone, since I had met Eve. Even at my lowest point, when I had been taken by the Hatred, I still had Vix. For the past year and a half, I'd always had an anchor. Someone to keep me grounded. There was no doubt in my mind that I couldn't go back to having nothing. I couldn't just stay away like Eve had told me to.

I shifted again on the Lapras, balancing on my back, much better to relax and watch the stars. My mind felt clearer, certainly, but I didn't feel any better. Each realization had helped open a hollow, nasty feeling in my stomach. I don't know how long I tossed and turned that night, my thoughts raging. Eventually though the rhythmic movements of the Lapras and the regular rush of the surf lulled me into a fitful sleep.

I slept through the rest of the night and through most of the next day. It was late afternoon by the time I finally woke up. It had been a long two days and I didn't think the next two were going to be any easier. I felt so drained, both mentally and physically. Yet, I had to keep going. Best to get all of the rest I could, especially since I had no idea what the next days would bring.

I forced myself to take the time to eat and drink. Now that I had slept, my body was complaining quite loudly at how little I had given it the past couple of days. Thankfully my bag was nicely stocked with berries, bread, and other rations, all carefully packed by Eve. My canteen was only about half full, but I usually didn't need much water. It would be enough to get me to land. That was all that mattered.

It was just past noon on our second day when the Fire Continent finally came into sight, the Scale Mountain range creeping above the horizon. The Lapras assured me that it would take an hour at least before we would reach the dock, but I was hardly paying attention. My goal was in reach. I silently willed the Lapras to swim faster.

When we landed, I almost forgot to pay him. I leapt from his shell, my desperation making me forget my fear momentarily. I was running as soon as my paws touched the dock. It took three calls from the Lapras to catch my attention, but I sheepishly returned and paid him his fee, almost all of the cash I had on hand. Once we were settled though, I didn't even look back, sprinting desperately towards town.

My bag slapped my side with every bound up the narrow path from the harbor to Festive Town. The market was busy as I blazed through the streets. More than a few Pokemon were keen enough to dance aside as I rushed through, but most I had to dance around, ducking and weaving around them. More then a few times I bumped into Pokemon, their curses falling on deaf ears as I kept moving. I couldn't stop. Not now. Not when I was so close.

Nearer to Society HQ though, the crowds got denser. Even I couldn't shoulder my way through this crowd, although I did my best. I bided my time as I carefully weaved my way through the throng. I couldn't be too reckless here considering anyone I pissed off would have ample opportunity to show their displeasure. The crowd was too thick though for me to avoid everyone, though. A particularly grumpy Lurantis shoved me aside after I accidentally bumped her, sending me stumbling into a group of smaller Pokemon. I stumbled away, muttering half-hearted apologies under my breath.

Just past HQ I managed to break free of the crowds. The main street wasn't deserted by any means, but it was clear enough that I could resume my desperate sprint. It was a thirty minute walk from here to the house. I covered that distance in just under fifteen. Soon enough I could see the wrought-iron fence that surrounded our property. Then there was the great gate, topped with a steel ornament of our team symbol. I stopped running at this point, breathing hard and nursing a stitch at my side. The house seemed to loom above me in the afternoon sunlight. Now that I was here, for the first time since I had left the temple it struck me how...final this was. Suddenly this had become real; this was my chance. This was no longer hypothetical. However this turned out, that would be that.

I felt so self-conscious walking up to the door. There was probably nobody watching me, yet I felt a prockle between my shoulder blades like somebody's eyes were on me. I stared up at the dark windows that glared down at the path. One of them was in Vix's room.. Was she watching me as I walked up the path? For some reason I didn't want anyone to see me until they opened the front door, for better or worse.

The door was unlocked; we usually left it that way during the day. I didn't go in, though. That didn't feel right. I didn't know how welcome I would be inside. It felt like breaking and entering, even if it was my own house. Instead I sat on the front step, knocking firmly on the door. I'd find Vix before I went to Eve, I thought to myself. I just hoped that the latter wouldn't be the one to answer the door. I wasn't ready for that conversation quite yet. My heart pounded in my throat, the apprehension making my mouth feel dry. I heard hurried footsteps on the other side of the door, then the latch turned. Time seemed to slow, my pounding heartbeat marking out the seconds for me. The door slowly swung open, revealing Vix in the entryway.

We met eyes, hers widening. For a few moments we were both frozen until I eventually found my voice. "Vix, I…I…" I couldn't find the words. How on Earth could I ever explain it all to her? How could I tell her that I had never intended to leave her like I had, how my last words had been an unfortunate slip of the tongue, how she was one of the most important Pokemon in my life, who I loved more than most anyone else? How could I describe how much she had changed my life, how proud I was of her every single day? How could I get through to her, when she had to be so unbelievably angry with me that-

She flung herself at me, her scream of "Dad," still hanging in the air. She was clutching me tightly, with her paws, her legs, and her tails grabbing onto whatever part of me they could reach like I would fade into smoke at any second. Without even thinking about it, I pulled her even closer wrapping my own forelegs around her, tucking her head into the crook of my neck, and curling my tail around us both.

I sat there, holding her to me. How could I have ever believed that I could simply leave? The young girl clinging to me like her life depended on it was proof that I could not. I felt a strange tickling sensation on my snout, and it took me a minute to realize that it was tears streaming down my muzzle. Then I noticed a similar sensation against my chest. I gave Vix a squeeze, before ducking my face down and nuzzling her cheeks. "Shhh, its alright."

Vix shook her head against my chest. "You idiot," she whimpered, her voice muffled somewhat through my fur. "Eve told me that you weren't coming back. She...she still thinks you are gone for good." My heart lurched within my chest at those words, but Vix wasn't done. "I… I didn't want to believe her. I didn't want to think that after everything, you had left me too." She paused, and I felt a fresh wave of tears drip into my fur.

I hummed to her softly, nuzzling against her cheek, simply affirming to her that I was still there. "It's okay," I whispered, "it's alright. I am here now. That's what matters." I shifted back a bit, just enough that I could see her brown eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I promise you Vix, I will never leave you. You never have to be afraid of losing me.". I put my chin back on her head, thinking. "What did Eve tell you guys?"

Vix shifted, finally looking up at me. Her brown eyes shone as she gazed at me. "She got home really late last night. I, uh…" she blushed nervously, "I wasn't in bed. You had promised you'd be home long before then, so I was waiting up on you." I couldn't miss the subtle accusation in her words. There was a subtle anger radiating from her. "Eve was loud when she came in. I must have fallen asleep, but I couldn't miss when she slammed the door behind her. None of us could. Sierra, Abby, and Lucy came out of their rooms too. We all noticed immediately that you were gone. I was worried, but Sierra was completely panicking. He kept asking Eve where you where and what had happened." Vix scowled. "Eve didn't want to talk. She didn't look good when she came in. If we hadn't found her I think she would have gone up to er... your room without telling us anything. She didn't say much. Just that you had found what you are looking for, but that you had chosen to stay behind." She paused looking up at me, her eyes pleading. "She said that you had both decided that it would be best for you to stay away."

I grimaced, but I didn't want to lie to Vix. "She isn't wrong, although she did leave before I could entirely agree. But I wised up quick enough. Sorry it took so long, though."

Vix nodded. "After that she went upstairs. Sierra tried to ask her more questions, but she just ignored him and left. She closed the door and she hasn't come out since. The others, they didn't take it well either. Lucy went back to her room, grabbed her blankets, and left." Vix glanced over to where the Riolu was sitting among the trees. "She's been out there all day. Abby tried to go back to bed, but I'm pretty sure she didn't go back to sleep. Sierra didn't really seem to know what to do. He stood in the hallway for the longest time before retreating to his room. I heard him pacing in there all night."

I raised an eyebrow at that. "And what did you do?"

Vix's face flushed, showing even through her fur. She nodded to the small bench we had in the entryway, right at the base of the stairs. "I climbed onto that, and I didn't move until you knocked on the door. I…I knew you would come back. You promised you would. The others may have given up, but I was going to wait for you. Sierra got me food, even when I wasn't hungry, and he made sure I drank some water." She sighed. "He seemed to be okay. He just wandered the house, checking up on everyone."

I didn't say anything, but I made a mental note to thank Sierra later. That was who he was. He kept the others going, taking care of them when they were too distracted to do it themselves. Out loud I said, "Well, hopefully he is at least a little happy to see me." I nuzzled her cheek again, and she purred softly.

"You said that Eve is still in her room," I eventually said, pulling back. I glanced upwards nervously, as though I could see Eve. I was afraid to reach out with my mind, not really wanting her to know I was here quite yet. "I guess there really isn't much use waiting." I grimaced at the Vulpix. "I guess I'll go see if she'll talk to me. We need to figure something out."

Vix looked like she wanted to say something, but she stopped and shut her mouth. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Why not go tell Sierra and Abby what happened." She still looked pained as I stepped away. "It will be fine, Vix. I promise."

I took a deep breath before marching inside. My mind tuned out everything else, my vision narrowing as I focused in on the door to the room where I knew Eve was hiding. My body moved mechanically, as though I were no longer in control. Up the stairs, through the small loft on the landing, and into the hall. It felt like a small flame was burning in my stomach, warmth spreading through my chest. It took me a second, but I realized it was the Dreamstone. It was a reassuring sensation.

Finally, I was standing before the door. It was shut firmly, and it radiated a sense of seclusion. Even without Psychic, I could feel Eve's desire to not be disturbed radiating from the room. Thankfully the door was unlocked. What would I have done if it hadn't been? There was something truly uncomfortable about the idea of Psychically picking the lock. Still, I tried to be silent as I eased the door open and slipped into the room.

The curtains were open, afternoon sunlight pouring in. Eve was laying on the bed, her back to the door. She had a blanket pulled over her, only her head and the tips of her tail sticking out from under it. I could hear her deep, even breathing from the door. Was she asleep?

I took a step, although I had no idea what to do. It wasn't like I could wake her up, but I also couldn't stand there and watch her sleep. She was already mad at me, and neither option was likely to endear me to her further. Before I could figure anything out, my paw met something hard. I nearly lost my feet as it slipped from under my foot, skittering across the floor, before slamming into the chest at the foot of the bed with hollow thunk.

I glanced down and noticed, for the first time, that Eve's bag had been discarded by the door. She must have thrown it off, as its contents were strewn across the floor. Berries of all shapes and colors dotted the carpet. Eve's coin purse was sticking halfway out from under the bed. Discs, like the one I had just kicked, glittered around the mouth of the open bag. Looking around a little more, I saw that she had similarly discarded her blue scarf, the one I had gotten for her nearly a month ago. It was lying on the floor, still knotted like she had simply pulled it over her head.

"Sierra? Is that you?" I jumped at the voice. The thunk of the badge striking the trunk had woken her. She hadn't turned her head, she hadn't moved at all. "I told you already. I'm not hungry. If I'm thirsty enough I know where to get water. For right now, I just want to be alone. Is that too much to ask."

I didn't say anything, knowing my voice would give me away. My mind was working quickly, trying to think of how to begin this discussion. After a few moments of silence, Eve continued on. "I don't want to talk about it either. I...I…" she choked on the words, a poorly disguised sob. "Just go." She said eventually.

I took a deep breath, licking my lips. "Eve"—I saw her flinch the instant the words left my mouth—"it's me."

Shoulders hunched, she turned slowly to face me. I forced myself to stand up straight, keeping my expression as neutral as possible. It was hard to qualify her expression as it seemed to be a huge mix of emotion. Anger, sadness, relief, fear, happiness. Her gem flickered and I could feel her emotions leaking from her mind. She blinked hard a few times seemingly trying to determine if I was merely a figure of her imagination. I felt a curious Psychic tendril poke my shoulder, then recoil when it realized I was there.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered. Her voice trembled, though whether from anger or happiness, it wasn't clear. In fact I don't even think that she knew. I only caught tastes of her Psychic. Her feelings were just as tangled and confused as mine had been. "Shouldn't you be back there, with your family?" Her voice bubbled with pain and sadness, but there was something more in there, something I couldn't place.

I finally dropped my gaze, hanging my head. "No. I shouldn't be there. Even if I truly wanted to, there is nothing for me there anymore."

For a moment, Eve's angry expression faltered, replaced with naked confusion and more than a little concern. Just as quickly, though, the anger was back. Her voice shook as she spoke. "Nothing left? You did find the Dreamstone right? What about your family?"

"I did. But… I was wrong." I sighed. I looked back up, meeting her eyes almost defiantly. "That isn't what the Dreamstone is for. Honestly, it was just wishful thinking that led me to believe it ever was." Finally, I let my facade fall. My legs trembled and I barely kept myself upright as the true weight of my pain crashed down onto me. My shoulders rolled forward and I let go of the tears I had been holding onto. "They aren't coming back."

"Slink, I-" her voice faltered. Whatever she was feeling towards me in that moment was set aside. "I'm so sorry Slink. That's just...I know how much you wanted this to work out. I know how much they meant to you. I'm sorry, I really am."

I nodded, but I refused to look away from her. "I'm fine. I...I know they aren't really gone." I sighed. "Either way, I don't have a family to go back to anymore."

Eve's brows furrowed. "So I guess you are settling for us huh. That isn't fair to any of us. You should be here because you want to. Not because you have nowhere else to go."

"That isn't it at all. I never wanted to leave in the first place! You guys were my family. Eve, Xen still lives on the Mist Continent, Phoenix lives on the Water Continent. Do you really think I would be here if I didn't still care about you?"

"I know you care. That is the problem, Slink. You cared about me, and I cared about you more than anything. And when you left…" her voice cracked, and she trailed off. "Slink, I trusted you. I trusted you with everything. And now..."

We were both silent. "Back there I asked you if there was anything we could do. Something that could keep us together." I reached into my bag, the token I had made for her coming easily to my paw. "I thought that we could figure things out. We could have gone anywhere. I had an answer, but then you tore it down. You told me it wouldn't work." I pulled the token from the bag, holding it up so that Eve could clearly see it.

Her eyes locked on it, widening as realization washed over her. "Is...is that..?"

"This is yours Eve. The stone is yours, and I had the rest made for you. I thought this would be enough to fix us, to keep us all together. And you told me that it wasn't enough."

Eve flinched. "Slink, if you had just told me I-"

"Would you have?" I asked. It wasn't accusing, at least as much as I could manage. "I asked you if anything could fix things. Anything. And this didn't seem to be an option then." I looked at the token one last time before tossing it up onto the bed next to Eve. "Like I said, it is yours. I think you should hold onto it until...we figure things out."

"What do you mean figure things out?" Eve asked. She stared at the badge, but didn't move to touch it.

"I mean...I think we both need some space for a while. I'm going to go. I'll see if Gloom won't let me rent a place for a few weeks. I...I need to figure things out. And I know you do too. I don't think we can do that if we are constantly bumping into each other here."

The Espeon seemed at a loss for words. "Slink, you don't...we don't…"

"Do you have a better idea, Eve? I don't want to argue with you, but I honestly think this is best." I hunched my shoulders, turning my back and heading to the door. I glanced back over my shoulder before I left. "Also, if she wants, I'm taking Vix with me."

"Wait, hold on!" Eve called, hopping to the floor and chasing after me. "You can't just take Vix."

"It will be her choice," I replied without looking back. "I promised I wouldn't leave her again." I left the room. I didn't look back.

I found Vix exactly where I had left her. She was crouching at the base of the stairs, ears pressed to her skull and tails tucked between her legs. "What...what did you...is everything okay?"

"Yes," I said rushing to the girl. I pressed my nose to her forehead. "Things are fine. It's just...things are going to be different for a little while."

"Different how? Slink, what is going on?"

"Vix, I'll explain everything to you. I promise. But first... do you want to come with me?"

"Where are we going?" Vix said. Most of the worry had left her voice, but she sill fidgeted. Still, I was reassured by her use of "we".

"I...I have to leave for a while. Eve and I need some time...and some space won't be far," I said hurriedly as Vix flinched at the idea. "We'd just back in town. You don't have to Vix, but...I don't want to leave you again, even if it isn't really leaving.

Vix didn't say a word. She closed her eyes, and gritted her teeth.

"We won't be far," I assured her nervously. "You'd still be able to come see the others every day if you wanted to. It would just be a matter of how often you'd see me." I wanted to say more, but I shut my mouth. This wasn't about me. This is about what she wanted.

Finally, she nodded. "I'm with you Slink. I always was."

I nuzzled her happily. Inside, my heart soared. When I'd told Eve that I was going to take her with me, I hadn't honestly been sure. I nearly started crying again. At least I wouldn't be alone, whatever came next.