Audino Agatha set Furret Abigail down on the cave floor against a wall and used Heal Pulse. The sharp mark from Keldeo's horn on her chest wouldn't disappear, but her uncomfortable movements from the pain started to calm down. She kept it up until the effects of the move slowed to a stop.

"Thanks," Abigail muttered.

"Hold still," Agatha said. "Try to relax."

Three more of the strange bell noises sounded from far away. Lopunny Luke stood up and walked in the sound's direction.

A few moments later, he brought Flareon Light, Sky Shaymin Ariel, and Meowstic through the maze of rocky hallways to their small spot. Shallow patches of clear water took up corners in the cave. Pillars of limestone attached the floor and the short ceiling. The only path out of the circular cave was back where they came from down an incline.

"I'll explain," Luke said, "so everyone gather around here."

The quiet atmosphere stayed the same after Luke spoke. Agatha stayed and sat right next to Abigail by the wall. Abigail lifted herself to lean up against the wall and face everyone as they sat down in a small circle.

"Markus," Aaron said quietly to the Meowstic, "did dad say not to get them out?"

"Yah," Markus said, "said they'd be too slow."

"He would do that..."

"Were my parents there?" Quilava Gawain asked.

"Yah."

Markus fell quiet for a short second and then turned to Luke. "So, where are we?"

"A Haven in the Old World," Luke said. "Or, uh, basically a place where a Legendary species used to live."

"But where are we?" Markus asked. "On the map."

"We're not really on a map. There's not really any sense to this place. It's called a mystery dungeon."

Luke looked around at their reactions. Agatha shrugged. She had no information, so she'd accept most things he'd say.

"I haven't noticed anything weird," Ariel said.

"There's no light source and we can still see each other like it's daytime," Luke said.

Agatha glanced up with everyone else. The cave's ceilings and walls had no holes in them.

"I was, uhm, too busy to notice," Ariel said.

"It's hard to notice," Luke agreed, "but lots of rules are being broken if you pay attention. Like that water sticking to the top of that little slope over there."

Luke gestured towards a corner of the cave walls with a nod. A puddle of water sat on top of a rocky slope on the ground without running down.

"I don't like this place anymore," Light said.

"Yeah," Luke said.

"Who was that Cinccino, and why could she make those winds?"

"There are special people connected to certain Legendary species called Scions. Their purpose is, uhm... Peace. Truth. Justice and stuff. You all know Glass Reshiram?"

Luke glanced around at everyone's eyes and continued.

"It's possible for a Scion take on their role when the Legendary species is acting... kind of deranged."

Luke turned to Light.

"You're connected with Reshiram," Luke said. "Think of it this way. If you agreed with Reshiram, you'd end up as something like what she is now. Probably."

Agatha gave Luke a look, but he didn't return eye contact.

"I'm one of these... Scions?" Light asked. "But I can't do anything like her."

"Well, that's because you're not in agreement with it. So, you're not actually a Scion."

"Okay," Markus said. "I guess I'll accept this for now given that water is dripping upwards."

Agatha looked around at the floor. She noticed a trail of water droplets dripping up to the tip of a small stalactite above a small pool of water and just nodded to herself with her bottom lip curled.

"So," Markus said, "how about why she has the Valorian blessing?"

Abigail shifted next to Agatha. She straightened her back and ears against the cave wall. Luke looked down during the silence while the others stared wide-eyed.

"Valorian?" Zen asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yah?" Markus said. "What is it?"

"I felt the Veritan blessing."

"You're both right," Luke said. Eyes snapped to his head and scanned his face. "She has the Valorian and Veritan blessings."

"But how?" Abigail asked.

"You know the story, right?"

Luke glanced between Zen, Aaron, and Markus. Zen and Aaron glanced at each other and silently said that they didn't.

"During the war two centuries ago," Markus said, "a prince and princess from Valor and Verity had a kid. At the end of the war, they were both executed."

Markus stared towards Aaron. He stared back with a neutral face.

"But, it was along with the kid too. It was a bedtime story from mom," Markus said. "She kinda hated it. Only told it once since I wanted to know, but it's real history. Just too embarrassing for most books."

"But how is she alive then?" Agatha asked. "That should be dead in one of two ways."

"She got caught up in...stuff," Luke said. "You also have some records on someone named Martha Verity?"

Everyone turned to Zen. His eyes glanced back and forth from the sudden pressure.

"That's a story in my family. They said that she lost a battle with poor mental health and disappeared. It's the first story we're told when learning how to handle the Veritan blessing."

"Why?" Abigail asked.

"It, uh, makes us unstable and sporadic if we're not careful. She's the lesson to be careful. And not just for us. For parents, too, to teach their kids right."

"Well, she's still around, too," Luke said. "Martha is, well, Hannah's cousin. That Cinccino's cousin. You see, thanks to reality being wonky, it's possible to go into a kind of 'hibernation' in some places here. And during this stasis, your body only ages the equivalent of six months every one-hundred years. They both sorta… yeah. They both were in stasis here."

"I guess I can accept that?" Zen asked himself. "I mean, water is dripping up, so, honestly, sure. But when, where is Martha?"

"I don't know. But it's best to avoid her."

"Why?"

Luke tilted his head back and forth with a tense jaw. "Well... I don't know what's going on with her at all, but she's dangerous. To be honest, I don't have a clue where she is."

"Is Martha a Girafarig?" Agatha asked.

Agatha ignored the glances in her direction and looked between Zen and Luke for an answer.

"Well, yeah?" Zen said. "You know that story?"

Agatha nodded to him.

"I don't really know what Hannah's doing," Luke said, "but she's been trapped for two-hundred years in hibernation. And the only living creature around her was something like Glass Reshiram. So, y'know, it didn't go very well."

"And," Aaron said, "she has two sets of genetic code that make her physically unable to feel fear and an emotional battle royale game. So, honestly, how is she even sane at all?"

"I mean, she was going to execute us all one by one," Markus said, "My only question left is why everyone who's here is here. And how did we get here in the first place?"

"You'll have to ask her," Luke said, standing up. "Anyways, let's give ourselves a few minutes and then get some strategies together."

Lopunny Luke pointed to the Flareon Light and Sky-Forme Shaymin Ariel as they sat next to each other.

"And you two," Luke said, "lemme just talk to you alone about something over there."

Light took the discrete stares as best he could, but still ended up pulling his gray tail around him more. He followed Luke while Ariel protected him from the others' eyesight walking right behind him.

Luke turned a corner into a long passageway in the cave. Right when they got past, he stopped close to the wall and turned back around to them. Ariel stood next to Light, but moved a step when water hit her forehead from above.

"I wanted to talk about Candor," Luke said.

"Uhm, what do you mean?" Ariel asked.

"Oh, right. I mean the ability Light has."

"Wait?" Ariel turned to him, "that thing the other day? Like, mind reading?" she asked. "You have that?"

"It's not mind reading," he said, "it's, uh, different."

"It's reading the heart," Luke said. "A lot more accurate than mind reading for what someone really feels."

Ariel shot him an accusatory stare.

"I haven't used it on you, Ariel," Light said.

"You ear flicked," Ariel grunted, "I know that means you're lying."

"Wait, what…?"

"Relax," Luke said, "I just wanted to explain all of what Candor really is. And ask for a bit of help."

"What it 'really' is?" Light questioned.

"How do I explain it..." Luke said. He looked up at the ceiling, tapping his foot. "White is a see-through color. Candor isn't just some ability, it's a trait. It's not just active when you choose to use it, it's something that's part of you now."

"What does that mean? A see-through color?"

"Like a double-edged sword," Luke said.

Light just stared at him.

"A connection?" Luke said.

Light just continued to stare at him.

"A two-way street?"

Light jumped a little.

"Should've led off with that one," Luke said.

"You mean I'm see-through?" Light asked.

"I mean... Don't you find it suspicious how fast you two, uhm... Y'know? Got to know each other?"

Light and Ariel glanced at each other.

"What?" Ariel asked.

"Reshiram used to be a judge," Luke said, "and because that was its job, the trait Candor helped it to make the right decisions, by making a faster connection between its heart and others."

Luke seemed to notice the tension in the air and paused.

"You don't have to be concerned or anything," Luke said, smiling. "It's a good thing. Just something to know, y'know?"

Light had a feeling Luke didn't have any technical answers to questions he was thinking of.

"So when you say a judge, do you mean, like... in a courthouse?" Ariel asked.

"Yeah. Exactly right," Luke said.

"But how do you know about all this?"

"I'm a historian."

"But how did you know I have Candor?" Light asked. "I never told anyone."

"Resemblance," Luke shrugged. "I mean, I can kinda guess. I just wanted to ask if you were willing to do something."

"What is it?"

"Use Candor on Hannah."

"Okay, well, hold on," Ariel said. "What does this all entail?"

Light could feel the emotion in the word "entail". Ariel was never formal enough to use that word before.

"He'd be able to see what she's feeling and maybe try to talk her out of killing all of us. All you have to do is show Hannah the difference between what she wants and what she's doing. Then, we could get to the bottom of this."

"Okay," Ariel said, "but when you say use Candor, doesn't that mean he'd be 'connecting' with her?"

"What?" Luke's voice cracked, "no, of course not. It's, uh... Y'know. Bye."

Luke's normal straight back hunched over a bit. He walked back into the cavern at an uneven pace, leaving Light alone with Ariel.

Ariel silently walked at Light. He backed up against the cave wall, standing on his back legs when she kept moving closer. She put her face just in front of his with her eyes thinned and slammed her paws against the rock over his shoulders. His heart raced.

"Only use Candor on her because we could die," Ariel whispered.

"I-I understand."


Audino Agatha just stood around checking out the cavern. While the princes all conglomerated near Furret Abigail, she paced away and absentmindedly stared at the walls. As she stared, they shifted, ever so slightly.

"Agatha."

Agatha jumped and turned around. Lopunny Luke had snuck up behind her. He frowned.

"Hey," Agatha said. "What is it?"

"Where did you see her?" Luke asked in a hushed voice. "Martha?"

"Can't this wait?"

Luke stared at her and took a breath. His shoulders rose and fell with electricity going through his hazel eyes.

"Okay," Luke said, "but not long. Got it?"

"Okay..."


Abigail's eyes snapped up from the floor when Lopunny Luke's voice boomed. She pushed up against the wall to avoid having to use muscles around her chest.

"Gather around!" Luke called. "Time for strategy!"

Abigail didn't have to move. They gathered around where they already were with Zen and Aaron on either side. Lopunny and Audino faced each other, but Audino leaned against the wall with her arms crossed and tilted her eyes away.

"I'll tell you exactly who we're dealing with," Luke said. "Her full name is Melody Hannah Grace. She's a Scion to a Legendary species named Lugia. You already know about the wind first hand, but she was also trained by the Twilight Hero."

"Twilight Hero?" Abigail asked. "Seriously?"

"Who?" Aaron asked.

"She was famous in the end years of the war," Abigail explained. "She was this Veritan soldier. She was one of the strongest fighters in the world during that time period."

"Extremely violent," Luke said. "I don't know how much of that part she taught Hannah, but she's probably as trained as Abigail, relatively speaking."

"But her style will be different from mine. I'm not a soldier."

"I am," Ariel said. "I know she's strong and all, but I can tell she's mostly movement based. I don't think she'd take punches too well."

"The problem with trying to run her over is that weapon," Luke said. "In general, it's the most dangerous thing we're dealing with."

"What even is that horn?" Abigail asked. "Why is it like that?"

Abigail didn't try to show it, but it hurt. The mark on her chest was still a shadowed with black and blue from the energy that hit it.

"It amplifies a Scion's abilities," Luke said. "Unlike other weapons, you just don't want to touch it at all. And right now, none of us have any weapons to even interact with it."

"Then what should we do?" Aaron asked.

"It's more of a general plan than anything. Keep further away and make her use lots of her endurance with her wind. Keep Abigail and Ariel in front to be able to handle any close range, and if she somehow gets disarmed, run her over."

"But what happens if the plan fails?" Light asked.

"Then we lost," Luke shrugged, "but it won't fail. We have backup things in play."

"I only have, uhm, one issue with all this," Zen said.

"What is it?"

"We're not letting you put Abigail up front."

Luke looked at Abigail with a tiny, subtle nod. He didn't seem to react, but Abigail could tell he agreed.

"Okay," Luke said. "Then I'll go up front. Ariel, you stay behind me. I'll be the only one approaching."

"Alright," Ariel said. "So, when are we heading out?"

"In a few. Just need a bit longer for, uh, catching our breaths."


Meowstic Markus tapped shiny Zorua Aaron on shoulder and tilted his head; a silent call. With Aaron in tow, he brought them to the corner in the cavern and leaned back against the rock wall. Aaron stared back at him with a plain face and hard to read eyes. Markus kept his voice low, but they were far enough away to where they could hear perfectly above the other chatter.

"Has dad been okay?" Markus asked.

"He's been bleugh sometimes," Aaron said. "But a lot better before he got kidnapped by an ancient princess with superpowers."

"And you?"

"Awful."

"I thought I was doing what you wanted."

"Me too."

Markus shivered when Aaron's voice cracked.

"I didn't know what I wanted," Aaron said, "I'm, uh, sorry. And we really want you back."

"Then I'll come back."

Aaron blinked and rubbed his eyes.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yah," Markus nodded, "why wouldn't I? You said that's what you wanted."

"Just like that?" Aaron smiled. He chuckled and shook his head to himself.

"What?" Markus asked.

"Nothing, nothing. Sorry I kinda snapped at you back there."

"It was a bit of a high stress situation. And you weren't totally wrong."

"When will you be back?"

"Well, I've got a decision you can choose. I was in Lao Shen before all of this with my, uh, fiancé."

"What?" Aaron asked. He lost his breath as he finished the word. "Fiancé?"

"Her name's Susan," Markus said. "She's, uh, from Valor too. Works with me in the police in Lao Shen's capital."

"What species is she?"

"A Pachirisu."

Aaron excitedly poked him. Markus just smiled and shifted away along the wall.

"Okay, okaaaaaay," Aaron said. "So, what's the decision?"

"Well," Markus said, "we were actually talking. The White Star was coming to our city, and we were going to offer to join him."

"The, uh... Wayfarer Guild?"

"Yah."

Aaron turned towards Flareon Light. Markus traced his line of sight and gave him another look over. His white fur emitted a faint light, and his face was as round as a ball. He stood between the Sky Shaymin and Furretand spoke so gently, his mouth almost didn't move.

"Might be best to see what happens after all of this, though," Markus said.

"I just can't believe it. You getting married. And only at, like, twenty-one."

"Oh, okay. Well I happen to think I'm pretty flattering, actually."

"Oh yah?" Aaron asked turning around, "what's she like?"

"Crazy," Markus huffed, "I just couldn't tell that when I met her."

"What kind of crazy?"


"What style are you thinking?" Ariel asked. "Trurose? Valencian?"

"Those places aren't big on war," Abigail said. "Not like Verity and Valor were back then. It's a leap, but maybe Abujan?"

Light glanced between Sky Shaymin Ariel and Furret Abigail as they talked about her battle style. He recognized the countries they were talking about, but had no idea how it correlated with her battle style.

Abigail's wound seemed to have healed enough for her to ignore it, but Light wasn't convinced. Her golden fur kept tricking his eye to make him think she was a different species.

"I don't know about that," Ariel said. "They don't focus on moving like she does."

"I saw her use that wind to move faster. I don't think there's any style like this."

"What makes you say that?"

"The Twilight Hero," Abigail said. "No one knows anything about her life before she got involved in the war, and she was already devastating by then."

"It has to be at least similar to something. How about Vantaa?" Ariel asked.

"I don't know much about Vantaa."

"It's that arena that's right along the harbor city. They have fighters that move smooth like that."

"Oh, that arena..." Abigail realized, "they only attack like that, though. They don't dodge or move around like she does."

"I don't think anyone else in the world can with wind shooting out of her arms…"

Both of them shifted their looks down at Light. He glanced between them. They grinned.

Abigail bent down and lifted him up from under his shoulders into the air. Light stared back in confusion at her hazel eyes.

"He's so precious," Abigail said, smiling.

"I know, right?" Ariel said. "Isn't he gorgeous?"

"Yah," Abigail nodded. "Your fur is just amazing. Wow. I wish my fur looked like this."

Abigail handed Light to Ariel. Ariel took him in both her arms and squeezed him against her side as she nuzzled his face. His fur puffed up from rising heat.

"Awww, do you have any ideas, cutiepie?" Ariel asked in a high voice.

"Maybe an older battle style?" Light asked quietly. "Like... from before arenas were a thing."

"He's probably right," Abigail said. "But then it's probably something we just don't know about."

"Yeah," Ariel said, purring. "We'll just have to try and win the normal way."

"Do you guys have, like, nicknames for each other?" Abigail asked.

"He calls me 'Airy', but I don't have one for him. It's hard to think of something, but I think I want to go for a dessert name. What do you like?"

"I like some pies. How about cutie pie?"

Ariel dropped Light and reeled back when a dozen white sparks flew off of his fur at once. He landed stiff on the ground, staring off to nowhere in particular while his fur waved and spiked up.

"I don't think he can handle that one," Ariel said.

"Uhm, yah," Abigail said. "How about apple pie?"

"A bit too lightweight. I do think the pie is a winner... I just want it to sound nice and sweet."

"Well, at least you can use that one whenever you want to wreck his brain."

"Now I just want to know what else I can do."

The tingling feeling in Light's muscles went away. He refocused on Ariel's face, but he didn't speak. There wasn't much for him to say. She tugged a short gray fur on the edge of his mane. A surge of energy shot through Light's chest and exploded.


Agatha's eyes snapped open from a high-pitched scream. A wave of heat went over her face. She raised her arm to cover from a bright red blaze.

The floor vibrated so much that her metal feet rang through the rubber coverings. After the explosion ended, she stepped on each of her feet to stop the ringing. As the flames and smoke cleared, she saw Ariel and Abigail huddled back against the cave wall. They were both gasping for breath along with the princes against the other walls.

In the center of the black marks on the floor, Flareon Light laid on his back with his arms over his head and gray tail spread out under his whole body.

Along with the others, Agatha walked forward to him and got a closer look. There was a small trail of drool going to the floor and an obvious red streak going across his face. His eyes were closed as deep black streaks across his face, but they quivered. He exhaled small plumes of steam as his chest rose and fell.

"Lava Plume," Luke said plainly.

"Yup," Ariel said. "Really strong, too. I wish he could see how strong it was."

Agatha looked between all of them with a tired face. She felt small little words go between their glances with each other.

"Okay," Agatha said, "so if you two are goofing off already, I guess we're all set to go?"

Ariel and Abigail shared a quick glance.