It's been two months, so you know what that means. New chapter, aw yeah!

Here we are at one of the chapter I've been waiting for since the beginning. I am so excited to finally get it out. Hope you all enjoy. Once again, biggest thanks to deerestlove for beta-reading for me once again.

And with that...happy reading!

There was a knock at the door.

It was something that I had been anticipating from the moment I had left the house over a month ago. Some small part had me had hoped it would never come, and an even smaller part had half expected it to never happen. But now the music was playing, and it was time to face it.

I stood from the table where Vix, Lucy, and I had been eating a late breakfast. Lucy and Vix watched as I stood and padded to the door. My movements felt mechanical, alien, as if controlled by someone else.

I opened the door. Eve's gaze rested on the wall beside it, as though she was lost in thought. Her fur was frazzled and deep shadows ringed her eyes. Her ears laid flat against her head and her tail-tips twisted and kneaded at the floor — but when she noticed me, she bolted upright and forced a small smile onto her face. "H-hello Slink. May I come in?"

This was only the second time she had visited the apartment. We were all well aware that despite her tone, this wasn't just a friendly visit. I forced myself to swallow the anxiety that was coursing through me. When I spoke, my voice came out far steadier than I expected. "Of course."

She sprung up at my words, rushing past me as if she expected me to slam the door in her face if she waited any longer. But once inside, she didn't seem like she knew what to do with herself. She shifted her weight from foot to foot, never really standing still. A few times she started to sit but then thought better of it and returned to her uncomfortable pacing. "Morning Lucy, morning Vix," she muttered as she noticed the two of them staring. "How's your day been so far?"

Lucy gave a half-hearted smile. "Pretty good. Hasn't really started yet though. You?" At least she seemed relaxed. Though as she spoke, I felt her watching me out of the corner of her eye.

"Okay," Eve replied. "Sierra and I had a few errands in town. Kegan needed him for a couple things and I had...I had something to post. Anyway I thought I should stop by."

"Why?" Leave it to Vix to say what we were all thinking, but nobody wanted to say.

"Good to see you too." Vix smiled as Eve tousled her curls playfully. "And Abby wanted me to ask if you and Lucy wanted to come over for the day." She turned to me. "That is, if you guys don't have anything else planned."

"Nothing big. The job we did yesterday was a bit bigger than we expected, so we were thinking of taking the day off to rest."

"Well in that case," Eve said hurriedly, "Sierra should still be at Society HQ if you wanted to walk over to the house with him."

Vix lit up, her tails wagging. But then she froze, looking guiltily over her shoulder at me.

"It's fine, Vix. Don't worry about me. I have plenty I can do today. Go have fun with your friends."

"Actually…" Eve took a deep breath, as if she was about to leap off of a very tall cliff. "I was hoping that the two of us could talk."

Silence met her words. Lucy and Vix were completely enthralled. They couldn't seem to decide whether to stare shamelessly at her or me. My heart pounded in my ears. If I wasn't standing on them, my paws would have been trembling. She tried to keep herself composed, but the facade wasn't perfect. Her ears trembled, her tails twisted into a tight knot behind her.

"You girls should hurry up. Wouldn't want Sierra to leave without you." Even as I spoke, my eyes never left Eve. That is, until Vix butted-in.

"But…" she hesitated, jaw clenched, and stared pleadingly at me.

"It'll be okay," I told her. "Go have fun. I'll see you tonight." When she didn't move, I said, "Vix, I promise. Everything will be fine." For a moment I thought that absolutely nothing would get her out the door. Thankfully Lucy was there. The Riolu was able to usher Vix away with little trouble.

"Bye, you two," Eve called after them. "See you tonight." The door closed, and suddenly the two of us were alone.

"Would you like to sit down?" I asked finally.

"Please. I think that would make this far more comfortable."

"Yes," I grumbled, "wouldn't want this to be uncomfortable." I dropped into a chair, leaving Eve to take a seat on the other side of the table. At my words she blushed, ears drooping.

"I know," she said looking down at the table. "I hate that we are like this now. I hate that I can barely talk to you anymore."

"Me too." We sat there silently for a painfully long moment. "So, uh, what did you want to talk about?"

She flinched. "I uh…" she fumbled with her bag for a moment, nearly knocking it off of her chair. "This went much better in my head," she huffed. Finally she withdrew something, clutching it tightly in her paw. She stared at it for a moment before slapping it down on the table with a solid clack. "I'm tired of carrying this around." When she moved her paw, I could see the badge token sitting between us. "We need to figure out what we are doing."

My mouth was so dry I could barely form words. "So are you saying…?"

"No," Eve said quickly. Then she cringed. "I mean, no, I haven't made a decision yet. I know what I want but… I wanted to talk to you first."

"Okay. So...what did you want to talk about?"

"I...I don't know." She sighed. "I have no idea how to even begin to have this conversation with you."

We both sat there for a moment, thinking, before I finally spoke. "Well, I guess I can start then. Eve, I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing?"

"Because it's my fault that all of this happened. I made you make that promise the day we met. I'm the one that suggested that we lock up our memories… I'm the one that didn't speak up that day. Maybe if I had shown you that," I nodded to the token on the table, "none of this would have happened."

"Slink, you can't take all of the blame. I'm an adult. I can make my own decisions. I could have confronted you about things sooner. I could have refused to lock up our memories." She gave a wan smile. "You have to at least share that blame. For what it is worth, I'm sorry too."

"I guess that's fair." I bit my tongue, wondering if I should dare to say any more. "You know Eve...I...I really missed you this month." I hurriedly closed my mouth as I finished, bracing myself for what I thought was coming.

Eve gave nothing away through expression nor Psychic. She studied me, and I could tell that she was carefully piecing her words together. "I missed you too," she said finally, "but...not in the way I thought I would."

"What do you mean?"

"Slink, I missed you so much that it hurt. Not seeing you and Vix everyday...not talking to you...waking up alone...I hated every moment of it. But… things were okay. Life...went on. We went to work, we ate and slept and had fun and...It was all just... fine." She took a deep breath. "I could survive without you, and that was amazing to know.

"Uh, thanks?"

"Sorry," she tried to smile. "That didn't quite come out right. Slink, I don't need you in my life—"

"This is just getting better," I muttered, but I was anxious to see where she was going with this.

"—but that means that if you're in my life it's because I want you there, not because I need you there." She stared at me for a long moment. "And I… I think I want you back in my life."

For a moment, I couldn't breathe. I didn't dare. She'd just said the words I'd wanted to hear her say since I'd left. I forced myself to take a breath, holding it until my chest ached before letting it go. "I want to be with you too, but… Eve, I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"Eve, the last time we were here, the last time we were talking like this… you told me it wasn't enough."

"Slink, I didn't think we were—"

"I know. Eve, I do. But part of me is still afraid that it's not good enough. That I'm not enough. I just… what if I'm not enough."

And then, Eve laughed. It wasn't forced or nervous. It was a genuine, beautiful sound. "Slink, I'm glad you were the first to admit it. Because I'm scared too. The last time we were here...and how it all ended...I'm skittish is all." Her words were coming in a rush, as though she were afraid I would interrupt her. "It's stupid, I know it is. You've proven yourself a thousand times over now, but I can't help but be afraid that you won't...someday find someone — find something else — and leave."

My stomach plummeted. Like Shane, I realized.

We sat there in silence for a moment, and despite ourselves we couldn't help but smile at one another. Everything we had been stewing with for the past month was now out in the open. It was a relief to at least share it all with someone else.

Eventually I reached out and touched Eve's paw that was resting on the table. "You know, I think there is a solution here. It might not be perfect, but…I think we can make it work."

"And what might that be?" Eve asked, although I was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

I Psychically lifted the badge token and held it up for her to see. "This is my promise to you that I'm not going anywhere. This is my promise that I want to be with you. When I first met you, I had absolutely nothing. Now, I care about you so much more than I could have even comprehended back then."

She reached out tentatively with her tails, as if I were going to snatch the badge away from her at any moment. "Is this it?" she asked finally as her tail-tips brushed against the metal. "You and me."

"If that's what you want, I want it too."

She didn't say anything more, but with a sudden jerk she snatched the token and cradled it between the prongs. As she touched it, she reached out with her mind, our connection forming in an instant. Our minds crashed together, our thoughts and emotions mingling like they used to. We weren't far behind.

Our chairs crashed to the ground in our desperation to reach one another. We met in the middle as as I reveled in the feeling of simply holding her again.. This was it. The two of us. Together.

At last.

The world was gray.

The ground, the sky, if it was possible the very air was all tinged a dull gray color. The horizon stretched onwards as far as I could fathom. The great dome of the sky above faded away into infinity. It was peaceful, if in a haunting way. The land around me was truly featureless, stretching out until it merged with the sky at the ends of infinity. I was well and truly alone.

I wandered the endless fields for a time. How long, I couldn't know. Minutes seemed to bleed into days and days into hours.. I had no idea why I walked, perhaps it was just for something to do, something to keep me sane.

The more time I waited, the more I became aware that this world wasn't as still as it had seemed. Some disturbance in the world. It was hard to tell in the suffocating stillness, but I could have sworn I saw movement whenever I turned. I'm sure my mind was playing tricks on me, but I heard whispers, breaths, footsteps all around me. There was a presence nearby; I could feel it like a constant prodding along my spine.

I turned slowly in place, hoping to discover who else was here. I found not a pokemon, but a white stone fountain which looked as though it had been sitting there for centuries. The stone was cracked and chipped, any carvings long since worn away. As I stared, something deep within my chest pulled me closer. As I approached, the fountain stirred to life. The spout erupted, not with water, but with a thick, black smoke. My heart pounded in my chest, my whole body screaming for me to run, but that feeling in my chest kept me rooted to the spot.

The world around me started to darken, the gray turning to black. Everything grew dark, what little light there had been fading away. What had seemed like an endless sky now seemed more like a mouth trying to swallow me. Thick fog swirled around me, mixing with the fountain's smoke. The air grew heavy, pressing down on me like a stack of heavy blankets being layered on my shoulders. My legs buckled beneath me, my head pressed firmly into unyielding gray ground. I struggled to breathe against the pressure, terrified that each inhalation would be my last. I could feel my bones quaking, protesting the terrible strain they were under. The world grew dim around me. I was going to die here.

Then all at once, it lifted. The air remained thick, nearly opaque with the fog, but I could move. I could breathe. And for the first time since I had entered this world I could clearly hear as well. The fog was filled with whispers like a thousand Pokemon crouched just beyond my sight, all hissing directly into my ears.

I pushed myself to my feet as the fur along my back stood upright. This...this wasn't right. I couldn't make out a single word, but the tone of the voices was clear. Some seemed happy, some angry. Some laughed, some cried. All of them, though, dripped with venom.

The words grew gradually louder. Whispers to murmurs to screams that shook the earth. My claws bit deep into the ground, but that did little to steady me. I stood there, holding onto a surface that seemed determined to throw me off. I nearly fell, but I knew that if I did I may never get back up again. Widening my stance, I dug in deeper, just wishing for it to be over. Crack. I flinched as the ground began to split apart, and even worse, the sky. Golden cracks appeared above me, shining clearly even through the fog. Great chunks peeled away, slamming into the ground around me. I could only stand there, trying to make myself as small as possible to avoid the collapsing ground and sky.

A horrible scream rent the air. A familiar voice crying out in fear, anguish, pain, before being sharply cut off. My heart tried to crawl out of my throat at the sound, but still I remained rooted to the spot. I looked up, a shout tearing from my throat as a piece of the sky crashed down on me.

The scream echoed in my head, over and over again, crashing over me like waves. I couldn't escape.

I snapped awake, my hind paws scrabbling against the blankets as I tried to reorient myself. My fore-paws were clenched, my claws digging into the blankets in my attempt to keep myself rooted to that spit of ground. Each breath burned as I filled my lungs to capacity.

Eventually I relaxed back into the warm weight pressed close to my side. Despite my fitful sleep, Eve still had her eyes closed. Her chin rested on my shoulder, nose buried in the fur of my neck. She was curled close to my side with her legs folded to her chest. I couldn't help but notice — mostly due to the hard edge digging into my side — that she was still wearing her scarf, and the badge token was pinned to it. There was the slightest smile on her face. We must have fallen asleep in the middle of talking. Unsurprising, given that I doubt either of us had had a good night's sleep in a while.

Each of us had wanted to know everything that had happened to the other in the past month. I'd told her everything. I told her about the ruined village, the Dreamstone, and everything I had learned about the Hatred, about Smoke. There was still one thing, though, that I couldn't bring myself to say just yet. My Dreamstone vision remained my secret. I was still trying to process what it meant myself. Considering we had only become mates that morning — and not even officially at that — I didn't want to spring any of that on her.

She in turn had told me about what she had done this month. She seemed particularly desperate to tell me about the letter she had received from her father. The absolute relief on her face when I started getting angry on her behalf was great to see. She'd also told me about the lives that she, Sierra, and Abby had been living for the past month.

We'd started talking at the table, but talking across it just didn't feel right, especially with how happy we were to be together again. We'd moved to the couch, both for comfort and to be closer to one another. But again, it wasn't enough. We could only get so close, and eventually it got cramped. It was Eve who had first suggested the bed. Then she hurriedly tried to explain what she had meant by that. To be fair to her, the bed was far more comfortable, and better for cuddling. The feeling of simply being close once again melted away all of the stress I had been carrying for the past several weeks. No wonder I had fallen asleep so easy.

Now that I was awake, though, I felt a little restless. Normally I would have laid there holding her for the rest of the day; who cared about the rest of the world when we could just be together. Now that we were mates though, there were a couple of things I wanted to get done before dinner. I reached out and gently nudged Eve's shoulder.

She grumbled to herself before one of her eyelids slid open. "Sleep well?" I grinned at her.

"I guess," she muttered as she settled her face back into my fur. "What time is it?"

"Two, I think?"

Eve nestled closer to me. "Well then by my count we have two hours before we need to show up to dinner. I'd love to just stay like this for just a little longer."

"I'm not sure I could go back to sleep if I tried," I muttered as I remembered the scream that lingered in my mind. "Besides, now that we have figured everything out, I was hoping that we could do a couple of things in town."

"Like what?" Eve purred into my shoulder.

"Well, I need to talk to Gloom at some point." I smirked. "That is if you're alright with the three of us moving back in."

She chuckled. "I'd have more of a problem if you don't."

"Then there are a few things we can do at Society HQ. Like making this"—I gestured vaguely between us—"official."

Eve shrugged. "I'd prefer we be alone for that, but whatever you want." I burst out laughing while she ginned impishly.

"Never thought I'd hear you say some thing like that," I gasped as soon as both of our giggles faded.

"We're mates now," she shrugged. "Makes a difference." She snuggled into my side again. "Anyway, what were you saying?"

"I… uh…" What had I been saying? "Oh right, I've also had Kegan working on...well, it'd be easier to show you once we get there."

"Well that's not as much fun as spending the day here, but I guess we should go get all of the official stuff done." Before I could move to get up, Eve shifted. She stretched out, practically laying on top of me. She met my eyes and smiled. "But just five more minutes?"

How could I say no to that?

Nobody knew what to say.

I'd thought that family dinners while Eve and I were split up were awkward. Now though, the tension around the table was palpable. All four of them were blatantly staring at Eve and me, as though dying to ask us something.

None of them knew how our talk had gone that morning. Nobody knew exactly what decision we had come to, and neither Eve or I had given anything away. We were sitting in our usual spots next to one another, but we had kept our chairs at the respectful distance we had adopted over the past month. Eve had folded her scarf so that nobody could see the badge token pinned to it. I'm sure Lucy could have read our auras, but all she would have gotten was that we were anticipating something.

I thought that the hours we'd spent together in the apartment would have told the other four everything they needed to know, but they all still seemed apprehensive. We'd wanted to keep it a surprise and make a big announcement after dinner, but Vix almost broke me. I felt the weight of her gaze on me the whole evening, silently pleading with me that everything would be okay. She didn't eat much of anything that night.

Finally, though, it was time. Dinner was finished, the plates cleared away, and four Pokemon were still staring at us, about ready to explode. They seemed to take and hold a collective breath as Eve stood in her seat and spoke. "Slink and I have an announcement."

"We had a long, long conversation today and we decided it would be best if…" I looked at Eve. Did she want to say it, or should I?

"We decided to become mates," Eve practically shouted as she finally let the facade drop. I broke out in a huge smile too as the whole table erupted into cheers.

"About damn time!" Sierra smiled as he bumped shoulders with me. "Congratulations, you two."

Vix didn't waste a single moment. At the announcement she leapt up onto the table, scrambling across it to get to the two of us as quickly as possible. She landed on top of me, holding tight with her tails and her face buried in my chest. Eve Psychically pulled our chairs together, joining in on the hug.

"I told you that everything would be fine," I said to Vix. She gave a small chuckle before squeezing me even tighter. Two of her tails reached behind her, pulling Eve closer into the embrace.

"Doesn't mean I wasn't worried," she whimpered. Eve leaned forward, wrapping a foreleg around Vix and squeezing tight. She pressed her forehead to mine as she purred.

In that moment, something came to mind that I hadn't really thought about: my father's last words, insisting that I would have a family after that horrific night. I chuckled to myself, pressing a paw to my chest. I only wished that they were here to share in this.

"Well now we need something to help us celebrate," Sierra said. "Hmm, I don't have anything prepared, but I should be able to whip something up pretty quickly."

"That's a great idea," Eve said nodding at the Absol.

"But I'm sure you could use some help with that. Maybe Lucy and Abby could help." I added pointedly.

"No, it's fine. I think I have enough to make a Pecha Cake..." he trailed off as I gestured to Vix who still had her tails wrapped around Eve and me. Understanding bloomed across his face as he corrected himself. "Actually I could really use the help. Come on, you two."

As soon as the three of them were gone, Eve levitated my bag over to the table, resting it beside her chair. I pulled back from Vix. "While those three are gone, Eve and I have a question for you."

Vix looked up at us, her eyes darting nervously between our faces. "It's nothing bad," Eve added quickly. "When we were at the Expedition Society today, Kegan got it for us."

I lifted my bag up, pulling a few papers as well as a pad of ink out of it. I set them on the table in front of Vix so that she could clearly see what it said at the top.

"What's adoption?" she asked, prodding the page with one of her tails.

"It means that, according to the Expedition Society, Eve and I would be your mom and dad." The little fox stared wide-eyed at us.

"Vix, I hope you know how much we care about you. We already think of you as our daughter. Of course we'll love you the same either way. But we want to ask you before we make it official."

Once again the Vulpix glanced between us, a look akin to disbelief on her face. Without any hesitation she turned, covered her paw in ink and stamped it down on the paper leaving a distinct mark. "Done. So can we go have cake now?"

"Vix...I…" I didn't even know what to say. I was happier than I could ever remember being. Still I was at least a little curious. "Are you sure?"

"You're already my mom and dad. It's been that way for so long now. I don't need a piece of paper to tell me that. She pressed a paw to my chest (unfortunately the one that was covered in ink). "What did you two think I was going to say?"

"Well," Eve began hesitantly, "I didn't know if you would think...agreeing to this… would be letting go of your mother."

Vix's smile dipped for a moment. When she spoke next, her words were delivered in fits and starts as she carefully considered each word. "My mother died for me. It has taken me so long to understand that. You guys have both made the same decision so many times. If anyone deserves those titles it is you two. It's not letting go of her. It's not replacing her. It's bringing all three of you up to the same level. And I can be happy with that."

Eve and I both leaned in, Vix snuggled comfortably in between us. The Espeon was crying and I was about to join her. That is until Vix spoke up. "So does this mean I have to call you mom and dad now?"

Then there were tears and laughter.

There is a low for every high. After everything I'd lived through, I should have learned that lesson. The high from what might have been the happiest day of my life didn't even last a week before everything came crashing down around us.

It was four days later when it all started, and up until that point it had been a rather nice day. We'd completed our mission early on leaving us with a gloriously free afternoon. Vix, Abby, and Lucy wasted no time; the three ran off to their own fun. Sierra mentioned something about a nap before he disappeared, leaving just Eve and me. We decided to take a walk. Good spring days were becoming more common, with less rain in-between. It was great to spend more time outside, and even better to get some time with Eve. With six Pokemon, even in a large house, alone time wasn't easy to come by.

It was as we were coming back home when things started to take a turn for the worse. I'd felt off for a while. It was like a tingle in my chest that made my skin crawl. I couldn't help but think of it as a warning, but why? What was it warning me about? Even stranger, it seemed to get worse the closer we got to home. Then, when we turned onto our road, we noticed a Pokemon sitting in front of our gate, staring uncertainly through it at the house. Eve and I exchanged a curious glance. As we got closer though I realized just how bad this could get. Because we did recognize them. And it was the last person we ever expected to see at our door.

The Pokemon reached out, pressing a paw to the gate like he was about to push it open. Before he could though, I reached out with my mind and held it closed. "What the hell are you doing here, Shane?" The Umbreon jumped at my growl, his hackles raising as he whirled around to face us.

"Eve. Fen- er... Slink." He quickly shrunk back, keeping his body low and his head bowed slightly. He looked at our paws, not our faces. There was something about his voice too. It didn't have its usual haughtiness. It was quieter, less sure.

"What are you doing here, Shane?" Eve repeated firmly, her voice far more even than I ever would have expected from her. When I looked over at her, though, there was something in her eyes I couldn't quite place.

"Well, I uh…" Shane glanced around nervously. We nodded politely as a Lopunny and her daughter, our neighbors walked by. The mother nodded back and shot a strange look at Shane. I couldn't really blame her. He was a nervous-looking shiny Umbreon talking to two members of the Expedition Society. Obviously something was going on. "Look, can we...uh...can we go inside. Please."

"Of course not. Whatever you have to say, you can say out here. Then you can leave." It was everything I could do to keep my Fire under control as I spoke. This just screamed "trap" to me, but I couldn't sense anyone else around. Besides that, he'd used my name. He'd said please. There was more happening here.

"Fine then." He huffed. "I'm here… I'm here because I need your help."

"No," I said without any hesitation. I pushed past the Umbreon and headed for the gate. Eve followed just a half a step behind.

"Please, wait," he called to our retreating backs. "We can both benefit here. I can help you too."

"Not interested," I reaffirmed. "Now go. Go back to the Hatred. Go back to Smoke. And don't even think about showing your face around here again."

"I can't go back!" Shane shouted, his fur bristled as he showed his teeth. But he deflated just a moment later. "Please," he begged, "I need your help. I didn't know where else to go."

"Why can't you go back?" Eve asked. She had stopped, squaring her shoulders before looking over shoulder at Shane.

"I'm done with the Hatred. I can't do it anymore. I've left for good I'm not going back. Besides, after what I've done, with what I know, they'd kill me if I tried." He took a deep breath, looking up at us. "Please Eve, I need help."

"And what are we getting out of this?" the Espeon responded cooly.

Shane shook his head. "Anything. Anything you want. I can tell you where the base is. I can tell you about the defenses, about the plans. Everything. I was a leader, I have all of the information you could ever want." He paused and glared at me. "I can tell you everything I know about the Dreamstone."

He scanned my face, looking for some sign, some reaction. Not for the first time I was happy that I had already found the Dreamstone. Otherwise this offer might have been tempting. Thankfully, I was able to deny him the satisfaction. I studied him in turn for a long moment, then said, "I don't buy it for a second."

"What?" Shane snapped.

"I said I don't believe it. Out of nowhere you are just willing to give up your biggest secrets? You're giving up the team that you were willing to kill for? You'd just give the Society information that could hurt your friends there? Seriously Shane, why did you come to us?"

"I just said. I have nowhere else to—"

"Why?!"

The Umbreon stomped his foot, his teeth bared as he nearly screamed. "Because Smoke killed my mom!" He glared at both of us. "There, happy now? That's my secret. I can't go back because I know that Smoke killed my mother, and I'm going to kill him for it!"

Eve and I both took a step back as his words washed over us. "But...but I thought...she got sick. Smoke hadn't come to the village yet."

"Yeah, that's what we all thought," Shane growled. "But then I started looking deeper." He shot me a glare. "I guess I have you to thank for that. When you told me what happened that night you escaped from us, I realized just how different Smoke's version of events was. He lied to me. I wanted to know what else he lied to me about." He gave a bitter laugh. "He'd been lying to me since before I joined the Hatred."

"But how do you know—"

"I kept looking," Shane continued, ignoring my question. "I found some records in our archives. He couldn't have known they existed. He would have destroyed them otherwise. There was a report from one of the original Hatred leaders. He had died long before I joined. Hell, maybe Smoke killed him too. I wouldn't put it past him. It was just a small thing, but it described Smoke poisoning an Expedition Society leader. I've always known that Smoke could produce poison. I never thought twice about it. But it was the description of the symptoms that really caught my attention. Coughing, forgetfulness, fainting, vomiting. Any of that sound familiar?"

"Shane I- I'm so sorry. That's awful." Eve's expression was one of utter horror. As for me, I felt like something molten had dripped into my throat. That list of symptoms was familiar, all too familiar. It was no coincidence that my grandfather had died the exact same way.

Then Eve gasped, her eyes widening. "Wait, but that means...the mayor…"

"Yeah," Shane snarled. "Smoke killed him too. The same way he killed my mother. And of course the town couldn't miss that connection, could they. It was so obvious that I was the cause of it all, and they tried to kill me for it. All of it was Smoke's plan. He and Moon helped me put the crowd to sleep, do you remember? Smoke meant to recruit me. How better to recruit than to cause a problem and then show up to solve it?" His breathing had grown heavy and black smoke was beginning to pour from him.

"Shane, you need to calm down." I warned, my heart pounding. He glared at me, and for a moment I thought he was going to attack. Instead he deflated, falling to his belly, his legs splayed out and his chin on the ground.

"Please," he whimpered. "I need your help."

"With what?" Eve asked. "There is no way you are going to live with us or join our team. If you show your face in town you'll be arrested. What could you possibly want from us?"

Shane shook his head. "I don't want to live with you. After this is over I'll leave the continent; I'll go somewhere where you will never see me again. But first…" He met my eyes, a dark fire flickering in them. "I need you to help me kill Smoke. Something tells me that you would be interested in that. And from what I know, you're the only one who can."

I glared at him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Shane shook his head. "It's the reason we've been after you. Why the Hatred had so much invested in catching and killing you. Apparently there was some prophecy that some Fennekin would one day end the Hatred. Smoke insisted that it was you. He swore by it. Now I know the truth. It wasn't the Hatred that you were going to end, it was Smoke. You were supposed to kill him. That's why we were so determined to find the Dreamstone. You needed it to destroy the organization. I was supposed to find it and destroy it. But if you help me, I can tell you where it is."

He waited, hoping that this offer would be enough to sway me. I was only too happy to disappoint him. "Like I said, not interested."

Shane stared at me, mouth open. "You don't want to kill Smoke?"

"No, I want him dead, but I'm not going to help you do it." I snapped.

"Wait, please." I turned away from him, walking determinately towards the house. "Wait, please. What else can I do? Don't walk away! Hey! Fennekin! Fennekin!"

I heard him move, paws slapping against dirt as he lunged at me. Before he could even take a step warmth exploded in my chest. I turned quickly, flames spilling from my back and shoulders. I reached out with my mind and shoved Shane backwards. It was the first time I'd ever tried using the Dreamstate against a Dark type. I hadn't expected it to work, despite what my parents had said.

Shane looked just as shocked. "Wha- how? What was that?"

I shrugged at him. "Evidently, we don't need your help." I placed my paw on my chest, drawing his attention to the silvery patch of fur there. "I say that we already have everything we need."

"You found it," Shane said breathlessly, his expression trapped somewhere between fear and awe.

"Yes, and entirely without your help. Despite your best efforts." I tried to keep my expression neutral, but inside I felt a thrill of excitement. I never had to fear a Dark type ever again. "Looks like we don't need you anymore, so I suggest you run. Leave the continent. Hope you can find a place where neither the Society nor Smoke will find you."

"Eve, wait...please," Shane turned to her. "There has to be something I can do. I...I can…" he trailed off.

"That's the thing, Shane," Eve growled, "you can't expect any of us to trust you after everything you've done!"

She turned, and started making her way up the path towards the house. But Shane wasn't done yet. Honestly, it was probably a desperate ploy to get our attention, but it worked. "You may not think you need me, but you still need to find Smoke. And you better hurry because in a couple weeks, it won't matter anymore!"

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

The Umbreon stood a little straighter now. Seems that all the cards were all on the table and he'd just learned he had an ace. "I don't know exactly what, but I know that Smoke is planning...something. Something big."

"Any way you could be more specific?" I growled.

"Sorry that Smoke didn't tell me everything about his plans. All I know is that he was gearing up for something. Whatever it is it can't be good. He has the whole council under his control. Whatever he wants to do, he'll have the whole Hatred behind him. He has all of the 'mon power and resources he could need. Hell, even being around him those last few days were draining."

"Wait, what? Say that again!"

"What? That he's draining? He's always been like that? You know? He's exhausting." The Umbron shook his head. "My point still stands. I'm your only chance to find him before it's too late. So whether you trust me or not, you need me."

I hardly heard him. I was too deep in thought. Smoke being draining. It could be as simple as Shane had said, but all I could think of was what my father had said about Smoke. And suddenly I had an idea.

I glanced at Eve. Do you trust me?

Of course, she answered without hesitation. But, what…?

Alright. I have an idea. Just follow my lead.

I sighed, probably a tad dramatically. "Fine, Shane. Let's make a deal. We'll help you get your revenge if you help us take down the Hatred." I reached into my bag as I spoke, feeling my way into the secret pocket. "And, you have to drink this." Hanging from my toe was the small glass bottle that Phoenix had given me. The fine gold chain glittered in the afternoon sun, flecking yellow light across Shane's face.

He took a step back. "No way. I literally just told you all about Smoke and his poisons. There is no way I'm drinking something just because you tell me to."

"What's the matter, Shane? It's just water." I offered him the bottle. "Either drink this, or no deal!"

"Yeah, I highly doubt it is just water! What are you planning Fennekin?"

"Believe what you want Shane, but if you want our help you're going to have to drink this. Now." I shrugged. "I promise it won't kill you if that helps."

"Not really." He eyed the little bottle.

"You just saw what I could do with the Dreamstone's power before. I could easily make you drink it. But no, this is your choice. If you want our help, you are going to drink it."

Shane stepped forward slowly, like I was going to bite him if he moved too fast. Once I was sure the bottle was secured in his paw I let go and let the chain pool around it. Eve simply watched wide-eyed. I don't think she knew where I was going with this, but she trusted me.

Shane carefully worked the cork out before holding the bottle carefully between two toes. He stared deliberately at Eve as he raised it to his mouth and poured the water into his maw. He swallowed obviously before tossing the bottle aside. "There, I drank it. Are you happy?"

"Give it a second," I muttered studying him carefully. This had to work, otherwise...I'd just wasted that water for nothing. Shane tried to look confident, but his eyes betrayed his fear.

"What was that supposed to—" Shane huffed before he froze in place. His eyes went wide. "Wh-wha-what did you…?" He stumbled towards us half a step, like his legs couldn't hold up his body. His worried look faded as his eyes rolled back into his head, his mouth gaping open impossibly wide. Tears dripped from the corner of his eyes, starting clear before growing slowly darker until they blended perfectly with his fur. Smoke billowed from his fur, much like it did from Sierra's and Abby's whenever they were upset, but far more profusely.

He hunched forward, his open mouth pointing directly at the ground. His spine arched as though he were in great pain. He gave a muffled little cry before thick black goop started spewing from his mouth. Eve and I jumped backwards. He heaved for a solid minute before he collapsed to his side, body seizing up as the last little dribbles of Dark Matter splattered into the grass. Eve ran to his side, but I was more focused on what had just come out of him. Even as I watched, the puddle of goop shrank. It hissed in the sunlight, evaporating into a thick black smoke that was carried off in the breeze. Soon a small depression in the soil was the only evidence it had ever existed in the first place.

"Is he alright?" I called to Eve.

"I think so," she answered. "He's exhausted. Whatever that was, it took a lot out of him."

"Yeah, no surprise."

"Slink, what was that?"

How was I supposed to answer? "I'll keep an eye on him. Go get the others and get in touch with Kegan. We need to talk to him about all of this immediately."

"Why? Slink, what is happening?"

"I think I know what Smoke is planning now." I said, still staring where the puddle of Dark Matter had been. "We have to kill him, now, before he's too powerful to stop."