The first thing I felt when I woke up was the warmth of the morning sun coming in through the window. The sunlight was bright and it probably would have lulled me back to sleep if not for my pounding headache. I winced as I started to feel the effects of having drank too much of Carracosta's oren berry cider last night. Despite that, I couldn't help but smile. Everyone in the village certainly had a reason to celebrate after all; being turned to stone and then brought back is a big deal. As I got up and moved into the kitchen to grab some breakfast, my mind wandered over the events of last night.

Tables had been set up in the plaza and were covered with delicious food courtesy of Carracosta and Watchog. I still can't believe it, but that meerkat can give even Carracosta a run for his Poké when it comes to baking. I think Faye would have to agree, given how much pecha bread she ate, although she'd never admit that anyone could even get close to how good her Pops is. Faye and I were bombarded with questions during dinner, mostly coming from the younger children: what's the coolest place we've explored, how many Pokémon work at the Expedition Society, what's the scariest mystery dungeon we've been to, what's it like to cross the ocean?

Some were easier to answer than others, and eventually Sliggoo asked the question that was seemingly on everyone's mind, but that nobody wanted to bring up: What exactly happened with Dark Matter, Yveltal, and Nuzleaf?

I didn't blame him for being curious, and I knew the others wanted to know too, but as soon as he mentioned Nuzleaf I couldn't help but wince slightly. I tried to cover it by taking a drink, and I pretended not to notice Carracosta and some others glancing at me but I know they noticed. Faye noticed as well, and she leaned over to ask if I was okay with her explaining everything. I nodded, thanking her, and got up to grab more food for both of us. It's a long story after all. Sliggoo looked over at me guiltily as I returned, but I shook my head slightly and tried to smile at him. It didn't feel very convincing, but he seemed to relax a little.

Faye told most of the story and I mostly sat quietly, chiming in occasionally when Faye skipped over something important or needed a break. Everybody in the village knew that Faye loved telling stories, true or not, but I think we were all surprised when the Riolu jumped onto the table while describing how the Tree of Life started flying off into space. Apparently she had really gotten into her role.

By the time we finished recounting the story, most of the food had been eaten and it was late enough that the children who hadn't yet fallen asleep were put to bed. Afterwards, Carracosta broke out his homemade cider and—well, the rest was a bit of a blur. Several toasts were made, we finished off the last of the feast, a few more toasts happened, and after that everyone headed off to bed.

I looked through the kitchen, checking the pantry and cupboards, but it was totally empty. I sighed. Nuzleaf clearly hadn't come back here after we climbed to the top of Revelation Mountain. The kitchen was always well-stocked when I was growing up, so he must've cleaned it out to avoid having anything go to waste. He hated wasting food more than anything else in the world, he had told me once, but was that true? I tried not to think about it, to think about anything else at all, but I just couldn't distract myself while I was standing in the place where I'd spent so much time with my adoptive father. Was anything he told me true, or was everything a very carefully constructed lie?

Tears threatened to fill my eyes as memories of my childhood came to me unbidden, and I forced them away as best I could. There would be time for dealing with everything related to Nuzleaf's betrayal later. If nothing else, I was at least having breakfast first.

I grabbed some leftover berries from my bag and ate them as I collected myself. Stepping out into the sunlight, I found that it was later than I'd originally thought; the sun was nearing its zenith and the rest of the village would probably be as active as it always was. It seems like a safe bet that Faye would be sleeping in as well though, so I headed for the path leading to Carracosta's house.

It was a short walk that had a comfortable familiarity to it, almost as if I was heading to wake Faye up before school. Feeling almost like a kit again, I knocked on the front door before heading inside. Carracosta was in the kitchen, working on what appeared to be a soup of some kind. "Morning Carracosta, is Faye up yet?"

Turning around, Carracosta smirked as he continued to slice some berries. "Good morning Kara, although by now you've slept the whole morning away haven't you? Had a little too much oren cider last night, eh?" He deftly moved the sliced berries into the pot before covering it. "Faye went out a few hours ago now, and if I know her then she's probably sleeping in that tree on the hilltop again." As he spoke, Carracosta grabbed a glass and set it down in front of me, full of water.

I shrugged as I picked up the glass and started to drink. "The Society doesn't exactly look kindly on anyone who shows up for work hungover, and we're usually too busy to be drinking often enough to get used to it anyway. It also doesn't help that the past few weeks have been pretty bad for sleeping." Setting my now empty glass down, I turned back towards the door. "Thanks for the water. I'll go see if I can find where Faye is taking her nap, anything you want me to tell her?"

Carracosta looked thoughtful for a moment, before shaking his head. "Bah, it's not like I can really tell her off for neglecting her chores anymore. At least, not when you two are here on vacation." He smirked again, and I knew that sooner or later Faye would be stuck with house chores if she wasn't careful. "Once I'm done here, I'll be heading to the orchard to check up on things. Supposed to be a storm coming in tomorrow so I want to make sure I'm prepared. If I'm not back before dark then you two should go ahead and eat, but make sure Faye leaves some for me to eat as well, eh?"

I copied Carracosta's smirk from earlier. "You know I can't promise anything, not with how crazy she gets about your cooking." As I opened the door and moved to leave, I was stopped by a large blue fin that came to rest on my head.

"Kara, you've got a good head on your shoulders. I reckon that's why you've always been good at keeping Faye outta the worst of the trouble she gets into," he said, chuckling. "I know you're an adult now, and Mew only knows that you're more than capable of taking care of yourself, but I also know you've been through a lot recently. It's okay if you don't want to be alone, especially in your old house." I turned slightly and we made eye contact. Carracosta's eyes were as serious as ever, but I could see concern in his eyes as well. "You're family as far as I'm concerned, and I want you to remember that you're always welcome to stay here with me and Faye."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak at first. Carracosta smiled, and after a moment I found my voice. "I… I think I'd like that. Thank you Carracosta," I said, looking up at him and returning his smile with my own. "That really means a lot."

Carracosta nudged me towards the door. "It's settled then. Faye can help you get set up with a place to sleep later. Now off you go, unless of course you'd like to stay and take care of Faye's chores," he said with a laugh. I groaned before heading outside and back down the path towards the village plaza.

Walking to where the road split only took me a few minutes. Above me, the branches of the trees waved slightly in the wind and I felt myself start to relax as the wind blew across my face. Spotting a patch of sunlight hitting the grass just off the path, I decided to sit and enjoy the day a little. On a day like this, Faye is definitely taking a nap. There's no reason I can't take my time and enjoy a little sunshine. From where I sat, I could see most of the rest of the village.

The main plaza, where all the major roads in the village converged, and the gate which marked the path leading out of the village, which was on the other side of the plaza from me. Just north of the plaza was the market square, where most of the villagers gathered to socialize and trade what goods they made themselves for the things they needed. The trail leading up to the village's school connected to the north end of the market, although it wasn't currently visible from where I was sitting.

The few indoor shops that the village had were on the east side of the market square, and while they'd have lots of competition in a place like Lively Town, Serene Village was too small for most shops to open here. That meant that Kecleon's General Goods and the Kangaskhan Cafe were the most frequented places in town, at least on days that the market wasn't being held. The other building was Hawlucha's Slam School, and I figured it was a training dojo or arena or something, although I'd never actually been inside myself.

It wasn't really a part of the village proper, but it was impossible to look at the village and not notice Revelation Mountain. It sat in the background, towering over the small village near its base, yet not appearing at all imposing or intimidating.

I always felt like the mountain was the village's protector, although Mawile's findings from the Prehistoric Ruins suggest that the village was actually built to protect the mountain. When our crop harvests weren't enough to feed the village, we would scale the lower slopes and forage for wild berries and plants without being at risk of taking too much. Revelation Mountain was simply that large.

Looking up at it, I noticed that the clouds obscuring the mountain's peak were completely still, being totally unaffected by the wind. I'd lived in the village for just over six years and I couldn't remember a single time when the peak was visible.

Even though we climbed the mountain and saw the spring of Luminous Water for ourselves, the idea of a mountain peak being constantly hidden from view is mysterious and exciting. I wonder if there are other places like that in the world, hidden away and just waiting to be discovered…

To the south, slightly past the mountain, I could see clouds that were much darker than normal. Hmm, that must be the storm that Carracosta was talking about. Hopefully he gets everything taken care of in time, maybe I should go offer to help after I find Faye? I don't know that I'd be able to get Faye to come along though...

My thoughts were interrupted by a shout of "Hey, it's Kara!" and I turned to see Deerling and Espurr coming up the path from the village plaza. Deerling smiled as they approached. "What're you sitting out here on the road for? Don't tell me you forgot how to get to the village already," she teased.

I quickly stood up before falling over dramatically, my right paw crossing my chest as I landed on the ground. "Oh yes, I've been hit on the head too many times and I've got no idea where I am or where to go. If only I'd stayed in school instead of running off to explore the world," I teased back.

Deerling looked away, a light blush filling her cheeks, before stepping forward and lightly wacking me on the head. Espurr, on the other hand, was as cool as ever. "Deerling, I find it hard to believe that this," she gestured to me, still lying on the ground "is one of the legendary explorers who saved us all from Dark Matter," she said while shaking her head. "To think that the fate of the world was entrusted to a total goof who chronically oversleeps."

Deerling looked back at Espurr with a mix of surprise and pride on her face. Clearly she wasn't expecting the usually quiet cat to chime in, but was impressed with her contribution. I rolled over and stood up again, trying hard to keep a straight face. "Now Espurr, just because you're correct doesn't mean that it's nice to say things like that about Faye. Especially when she's not even here to defend herself."

Collectively, we managed to stare at each other for all of five or six seconds before bursting into laughter. Deerling broke first, and Espurr and I quickly followed. As our laughter subsided, Espurr asked "Where is Faye, anyhow? Usually you two are inseparable."

"I think she's asleep up on the hilltop," I answered after a moment, needing to catch my breath. "Apparently she got up early this morning and went out somewhere, but I know that she was at least as tired as I was, so she'll probably be catching up on sleep whether she wants to or not."

Both Deerling and Espurr nodded, understanding what I meant. "Yeah, I can't remember how many times she would skip school and we'd find her asleep in or around the tree up there," Deerling said, "although I do recall that a certain someone would often join her for a nap once school got out."

Now it was my turn to blush, although my fur did a fairly good job of hiding it. "Well, school was always kinda boring for the most part and by the time we got out the sun would be hitting the grass and it'd be so warm…" I trailed off, trying to find a way to change the subject. "So what are you two up to today?"

Deerling and Espurr both smiled slightly, telling me that my deflection didn't go unnoticed, but they were nice enough to let it go. "I needed to pick up some food from the market, and Deerling was having Kecleon repair her bag," Espurr said. "Speaking of, I'm hungry and still haven't had breakfast so I'm heading home to eat. I'll see you guys later." She waved slightly and left, heading down the path a short ways before turning onto the small side path that led to her house..

Deerling's eyes suddenly widened. "Oh, Kara, I know it's not really the most important news right now but I finally decided on what I wanted my familiar name to be!" She seemed really excited about it but I was mostly confused.

"That's great Deerling," I said, "but aren't familiar names given shortly after a Pokémon hatches? I didn't know that you could just choose one for yourself." She smiled with a knowing look in her eye, as if she had guessed that I'd ask something like that.

"Well, that's how a lot of 'mon do it, but apparently it's traditional for grass-types to choose their own familiar name once they become adults. Something about it being another way that we learn to connect with the world, or at least that's what my dad says," she said with a sheepish grin. "Look, the point is that I needed to decide on my name, and now I have: from now on, I'm Deerling Lily. So, what do you think?" Her expression turned into one of uncertainty.

"Deerling Lily, huh," I said, trying it out. "Yeah, I think that suits you!"

Lily beamed. "I'm glad you think so too! To be honest, I wasn't totally sure of it myself but I'm starting to get used to the idea. Anyways, I wanted to let you know and tell you that you're free to call me Lily if you like." She shook her head slightly, before looking down the path Espurr took. "I should get going though, I promised my dad that I'd help out around the house today. I'll see you later Kara!" she called as she turned and ran off.

I couldn't help but smile as I continued towards the hilltop. Lily choosing her name aside, it was nice to see that things hadn't changed too much in the time that Faye and I had been gone. Speaking of things not changing, let's see how quickly Faye falls back on her old habits...

As expected, I could just make out a blue-and-black leg hanging off of one of the lower branches of the tree. I went up the hill slowly, to avoid waking her, but I guess she must've been practicing using her aura sense as she hopped down to the ground as I got close. She didn't turn to look at me before moving closer to the center of the hilltop, but as I sat down I heard her whisper "Hey Kara, I was wondering when you'd show up."

As she spoke, her voice sounded hollow, almost like she was trying to hold something back. My stomach tightened a little. That's odd, Faye's usually much more energetic and cheerful than this. Maybe she's more tired than I thought. I nudged her slightly with my shoulder as I asked "Are you feeling alright Faye? You sound exhausted."

She stiffened slightly at the contact, but relaxed almost as quickly. "I'm not tired, exactly. I've just had a lot on my mind since this morning," she said. "I hope you don't mind that I didn't wake you, but I figured that you needed to sleep in and I knew you'd find me after you woke up."

I shook my head and smiled at her. "Of course not, in fact I really appreciated it," I said. Seeing her frown slightly, I hesitated before continuing to speak. "You seem pretty upset, did something happen this morning?" I asked, watching to see how she'd respond. She sighed as she hunched over a little, one paw moving to support her head while the other drew small circles in the grass. A spike of anxiety passed through me, making me shiver a little as the knot in my stomach grew. "W-we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to!" I stammered, worried that I'd made things worse. "I'm just a little worried about you. I mean, we've been through a lot in the last few weeks and, well, it's okay if you're not doing okay."

I waited a few moments, wanting to give her a chance to say something, but she remained silent. "Just remember that I'm here for you no matter what," I said, placing my paw on her shoulder. The look on Faye's face scared me, and all I wanted to do was make her smile again. "We're a team, right? So, even if…" I stalled a little while I tried to find the right words, "even if it's something I can't help you with, you know that I've still got your back, right? Just like I know that you've always got mine."

At that, Faye looked up at me and smiled sadly before she turned to look at the sky. Seeing her smile set me at ease, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. The feeling didn't last long though, as Faye sniffled once before tears started running down her face. Not knowing what else to do, I scooched closer and wrapped her up in a hug. It might've made her cry harder, but she returned the hug all the same. We sat there—Faye crying into my chest while I stroked the back of her head—for what felt like hours. I said nothing, because what could I say that would actually help?

I felt awful, not only because Faye was clearly hurting, but also because I felt like it was my fault. Was it something I said? Had something happened last night that I'd forgotten about? It seemed like she was fine yesterday, even when we were talking about the worst parts of what happened with Dark Matter, but something like this doesn't come out of nowhere right? I tried to keep myself calm, if only for Faye's sake. All my thoughts and worries could wait until she was ready to talk, because I knew I wouldn't be able to help if I broke down too.

Soon enough, Faye did start to calm down. She started to breathe more consistently, her gasps for breath becoming less and less frequent, and her sobs grew quieter. After a few minutes of silence, Faye let go of me and wiped her eyes. "Thank you Kara," she whispered, "and I'm sorry."

"You don't have anything to apologize for Faye. I know you hate crying but it doesn't make you weak, and it doesn't make me think less of you, okay?"

She didn't say anything at first, but after a few moments Faye nodded her head. "I guess I should probably explain what's going on," she said quietly, looking at me with an uneasy expression.

I nodded. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious, but you shouldn't feel like you have to—"

"No." She cut me off as she jumped up and stepped away from me, before turning to face me again. "You're not making me, but I do have to say it. For my sake, and also for yours." She almost spat out the words, causing me to flinch. "I owe you so much, and you deserve to hear it from me. You deserve more than that, but I'm afraid that this is all I can do," she said sadly.

Figuring that I should stay quiet, I nodded at her. I tried to smile, but my insides felt like ice. What does she mean, 'I deserve to hear it from her'? Why does it sound like something bad is going to happen to her, or to me?

Faye took a couple deep breaths before beginning to speak, "You know, it's strange to think that this is where we'd end up. Here on the hill, I mean," she said softly. I could tell that she was thinking about each word before saying it. "This is... this is where everything started for us. Where we became friends, where we agreed to start an expedition team one day, and where we decided to run away so we could join the Expedition Society together."

Neither of us spoke as the memories she was talking about came to mind, and I didn't have to try to smile this time. Faye smiled as well, though hers seemed tinged with regret, and touched a paw to her scarf before turning to look at the lake. "Even though we've done so much since then, it's hard to believe that it's been almost four years since we joined the Expedition Society. I still remember how nervous I was about leaving the village, not to mention when we actually got to Lively Town," Faye chuckled. "Arceus, I thought for sure that they'd just tell us to go home. Honestly, I'm not sure that I would've been able to go through with it if you hadn't been there with me, Kara."

At that, Faye went silent. She sat down, although it looked more like she barely avoided collapsing to the ground than anything else. Not wanting to interrupt her thoughts, I got up without saying anything and moved to sit down next to her, softly pressing my shoulder to hers as I did. Faye seemed grateful for the gesture, as she smiled and pushed her shoulder back against mine in response.

We sat there, staring out at the lake and the village behind it, for a few minutes before she spoke up again. "I really am grateful to you, you know," she whispered. "Even when we were kids, I felt like I could always handle anything that life threw at me because you were always there to help me out. I don't know if I was ever as good of a friend to you as you were to me, but I hope you enjoyed being my friend as much as I enjoyed being yours."

Hearing this startled me out of my silence. "Faye, you…" I started, my voice catching in my throat, "you're talking like we're going to stop being friends or something." She inhaled sharply, but I continued speaking before she could say anything. "We've been friends for almost twelve years, of course I've enjoyed being your friend! I've gotten to experience so many things and travel to so many cool places, and none of that would have been even half as much fun if you hadn't been there to share it with me!" As I looked down at Faye's face, seeing tears start to form in her eyes again, I realized that I'd stood up while I was talking. As I sat down again, I felt a rush of warmth in my chest. I don't know if it was brought on by what I'd said or what I still wanted to say, but my heartbeat sped up all the same.

I couldn't help but think about those moments that I'd noticed over the past year or two where we both seemed to feel like we were closer than just being best friends: instances where comforting physical contact would last just a bit longer than necessary, or when one of us would compliment the other only to make us both blush before awkwardly looking away. They didn't happen often, and we never acknowledged them, but I figured it was only a matter of time before it came up.

Now certainly didn't seem like the right time to bring it up, but I figured that the worst-case scenario was that it would be just another moment that we didn't talk about. All I could think about right now was wanting to cheer Faye up and show her how important she is to me. Without thinking about what exactly I was doing, I found myself leaning towards Faye. I slowly pressed the side of my face to her neck and rubbed back and forth, feeling her short fur against my own.

Faye tensed up as I made contact, letting out a quiet squeak of surprise, but after a moment I felt her rub her cheek into my neck as well. My face flushed, and I was sure that my fur wouldn't be able to hide it, but at that moment I couldn't find it in me to care. As I pulled away I could see that she was blushing just as much as I was, but more importantly I noticed that her eyes seemed to be shining and full of energy again.

"Faye, I want you to know that I'm grateful to you too," I started, trying to sort out my thoughts. "You were so nice to me the first time we met, even though I was a total stranger. You were the first friend I ever made, even though I was weird and didn't know anything about being a Pokémon. When all the other kids called me a liar after I told you all about me being a human, you were the only one who believed me." I blinked a few times, trying to figure out why my vision was suddenly blurry, before I felt Faye's arms around me as she hugged me. "I'm so happy that I ended up here, in Serene Village, because it meant that I got to meet you. Because it meant that I've gotten to explore and see the world with you by my side, and I wouldn't trade that for anything."

Faye let go, having started to tear up again herself. I wiped my eyes as she stood up and stepped away from me, not breaking eye contact with me as she moved. "I'm so happy that you feel the same way Kara," she said, not trying to hide her tears anymore. "I wish I hadn't been so afraid of talking about it before and it only makes this harder for both of us, but I'm still glad."

As she took another step back, I felt my heart start to beat faster, except this time it was out of fear. A million things flew through my head, and I felt almost overwhelmed. I was afraid that we wouldn't be going on any more adventures together, that I'd never feel her embrace or see her smile again. I was afraid that Faye was leaving and that I couldn't go with her.

I looked at her and tried to say something, anything at all, but she smiled sadly and shook her head. "I'm sorry it took so long to get here, but I can tell that you've figured it out. I have to leave soon, and I'm afraid that I won't be able to come back," she said slowly.

I froze, my entire body now feeling as if it had been turned to ice. I could feel my tears soaking the fur on my face. I tried to speak, but no words came out. I tried to move, even just a little, but my legs didn't respond. "Why?" I managed to gasp out eventually. "I don't understand Faye, what do you mean you have to leave?"

"Something did happen this morning, Kara. I woke up early, feeling exhausted, but at the same time I couldn't sit still or go back to sleep. I went outside and saw a light coming down from the sky, and I knew that I had to follow it. After leading me here, the light disappeared and Xerneas was standing in its place. She thanked me for saving the world from Dark Matter, and said that she was sorry for what she had to do. Before I could do anything, she touched one of her antlers to my forehead." Faye shuddered, as if recalling something unpleasant. "The only way I can think to explain it is that she awakened memories and knowledge that I didn't know I had."

I managed to move enough to step closer to Faye, but she stepped back once again. I looked at her and I could see pain in her eyes now, but there was determination in them as well. "Kara, the truth is... I'm actually a part of Mew. When Dark Matter threatened the world the first time, you and Mew were the ones who fought it off, but it wasn't truly beaten. After Mew realized that Dark Matter would be reborn sometime in the future, you two decided to put safeguards in place to protect the world. Xerneas didn't think it would be enough though, so Mew came up with a plan to send the two of you into the future. The problem was that Mew couldn't simply disappear from the world, so instead they took part of their spirit and sent it, alongside you, to be born in the future."

I could barely believe what I was hearing, but the look on Faye's face told me that this wasn't a joke. I could feel my head starting to ache as I tried to make sense of it all, and I slid to the ground. "So the part of Mew that got sent into the future… is you?"

Faye nodded. "Yeah. I know it sounds crazy but I'm Faye and Mew at the same time. Xerneas came here to awaken the part of Mew that was inside me, and to return it to Mew now that my… well, now that Mew's job is done." As she spoke, Faye's chest began to glow with a soft green light. "I guess my extra time is up," she said mournfully. Seeing that I was still staring at the ground, she moved over to me and rested a paw on my cheek, moving my face up to make me look at her. "I asked Xerneas to give me a little more time, long enough for me to talk to you again and explain everything. I didn't want to just disappear without being able to say goodbye," she whispered, keeping her eyes fixed on mine.

The light started to get brighter as she let go of my face, but I didn't move my eyes from her. It started to spread as well, moving to her shoulders and stomach. Even though the light hurt to look at, I couldn't bring myself to look away as the pounding in my head grew steadily worse.

"I really am sorry Kara. I understand if you can't forgive me, but I… I just had to see you again." By now her tears were flowing freely, and the light had covered most of her body. "Even more than I wanted to finish the map, or to see all the places we planned on visiting, I wanted to stay with you and keep going on expeditions as a team." Faye's voice was unsteady, her sobs causing her to stutter. "I w-wanted… I'd hoped t-that we could be partners, that we'd stay t-together for the rest of our lives."

As Faye's words registered, I felt something break inside me. Trying to comprehend everything that was happening was simply too much, and it overloaded my already tired mind. The warmth from earlier was gone now; my chest felt as empty as my mind felt blank. I no longer felt like I was made of ice, and I couldn't feel the tears that I somehow knew were running down my face. I wasn't sure if I could move or speak, but I simply didn't have the energy to try. All I could do was look at Faye. I watched as the light fully encompassed her body. I could still make her out inside the light, but my eyes started to burn from looking at it too long.

"Kara, I know that this is a lot but I need to ask you for a favor." Faye's voice sounded different now, as if it was coming from all around me instead of in front of me. She sounded defeated now, as if she'd accepted her fate, but still determined enough to say her piece anyways. "I can't imagine what you're feeling right now, but I know that you're strong enough to overcome this. You have so much to give to this world, and you have so many friends who wouldn't hesitate to help if you asked. You deserve to be happy, and I don't want me disappearing to take that away from you, so… please."

The light was growing dim now, and I could no longer see Faye at all. That didn't stop me from hearing her as she cried, and I could hear the pain and desperation in her voice. "Please don't let this keep you from enjoying life. Go out and do all the things that we planned to do, and visit the places that we dreamed of seeing. All this means is... you'll just have to do it for both of us."

As I watched the light vanish, helpless and unable to stop it, I felt a sudden spike of pressure behind my eyes. It felt like something was forcing its way into my brain, but I didn't know what it could be. My eyes slammed shut in response to the pain, and it wasn't long before I blacked out.

As I came back to consciousness, I could feel a faint throbbing in the back of my head. I opened my eyes and found that I was laying in the grass on the hilltop, not too far from the tree.

I blinked wearily as I sat up. Where's Faye? I could've sworn that I was just talking to her...

I tried to remember what we were talking about, but I couldn't find anything. My thoughts seemed to be moving as slowly as the syrup that Carracosta makes out of the berries he grows. It felt like I was trying to remember a dream after waking up. I remembered talking with Deerling—Lily, I corrected myself—and Espurr. I told them that I was coming to the hilltop to find Faye shortly before we all parted ways.

I looked around the hill again, but there wasn't anyone else around. If Faye isn't here, then where is she? I tried to force my brain to remember whatever I'd clearly forgotten. I know the memories are there, I can FEEL that something is where they should be but I. Just. Can't. Remember. My failure to recall anything useful caused me to grit my teeth, and I snarled quietly as the throbbing in my head got worse.

A wave of nausea came over me suddenly and caused me to hunch over and throw up, my body feeling like it was trying to purge itself of something foul. As I leaned back up, I felt something wet hit my paw. Looking down, I watched as a tear fell from my face onto the ground near the remains of my breakfast. Wait, why am I crying? I rubbed at my eyes but the tears would not stop. My chest felt heavy, as if something was squeezing me tightly.

I tried to stand up, but I only managed a couple steps before having to sit down again. My paws felt like they were made of stone, and just the idea of moving took too much energy. I felt more alone than I ever have before. The pain in my head spiked again, and I could've sworn that I heard someone's voice in my head.

You feel alone because you are alone. Faye is gone.

Just before I lost consciousness, I recognized the voice as my own.