Knock! Knock! Knock!

"If you guys don't get up, you'll miss breakfast!" Charlotte yelled, knocking on the door once more.

"Give us a few minutes!" I groaned, opening my eyes. Violet's arm was draped over my chest, and her face was buried into the crux of my neck. I smiled as I remembered last night. It was a weird half-confession we did to each other, which made me happy for reasons I still can't explain. At the same time, I was confused. We didn't exactly agree upon anything, so I have no idea what we are.

"Wake up time already?" Violet grumbled.

"Looks like it," I chuckled, brushing her arm off me and getting out of bed. I went through the motion of my morning routine. I checked how my wrist was feeling, and aside from slight pain, I was healing nicely. I went to find a change of clothes, only to realize that I didn't bring any. Now that I think of it, I didn't pack anything.

"Shit!"

Violet shot up and looked at me wide-eyed, "What?!"

"I forgot to pack anything."

She stared blankly at me before laughing, "I thought it was something serious!"

"I mean, this is kind of serious. What am I supposed to wear, and how can I keep hygienic?" I exasperated.

"Nate, there are places called stores. We can just get you some new things," she said, still laughing.

"Yeah! Yeah! I know!" I started to laugh back.

I finished sorting myself out, and Violet and I made our way to the lobby area. Connected to it was a little dining area. It was decently sized with a buffet area with what looked like… decent enough food. Can't exactly complain, though. The food back at the H.Q. wasn't exactly appetizing.

After eating a quick breakfast with everyone else, we headed into town. In the morning light, it became evident that this town was a tourist trap. The architecture was a very egregious mix of medieval and modern, retaining that old cramped feeling with all the amenities of contemporary life.

There were also street vendors that dotted every street corner. Each and every one of them wore some form of medieval clothing ranging from cartoony in nature to realistic. Everyone except Aurora laughed at a vendor wearing plastic plate armor trying to sell "real and authentic" swords and armor.

"This is… all so disrespectful," Aurora growled. "They mock history!"

"I get it," Charlotte began, "but at the same time, I don't get it."

"The history behind this festival is very important to my people, and these idiots use it to make money. It would be like if all pokémon kind got together to celebrate the Schism!"

"Point taken," Charlotte mumbled, putting her hands in her pockets.

"What's the Schism?" I asked.

Violet laughed a little before explaining, "It was the event that sparked a hundred-year-long conflict between a human empire called the Sorian Empire. It didn't go too well for them in the end."

"Fucking hell. I need to brush up on my history," I mused as we continued walking.

We continued to walk past groups of people all in medieval dress. Aurora seemed to scoff at them each time they passed by us. One group noticed and complimented her on her dedication to her role, which only seemed to further piss her off.

"Everyone here is an idiot," she growled. "Why are we not going to my village?"

"We agreed to go there sometime in the afternoon because I thought it would cheer you up," Charlotte responded.

"Why would I ever find this mockery fun?"

"You could if you stop being so focused on history," Violet chimed in with a wicked smile across her lips.

Aurora whipped around and snarled, "How would you feel if humans made a mockery of your history?"

"My people would be fine with it because they wouldn't make a festival out of us. Instead, they'd celebrate someone like Magnus or vilify someone like the Duke, which, mind you, is what they are doing here."

"Not to play devil's advocate, but Violet is right. This festival is to celebrate the defeat of Leopold Strega. So far, I've seen nothing that mocks your village in particular," Charlotte added, much to Aurora's anger.

"It does affect my people. We had to abandon our old village site because of tourism! Lucas and I were the first of my people to leave our village in over four centuries, so do not tell me what I should or should not be angry about!"

Her outburst silenced them and surprised me. For as long as I knew her, Aurora seemed far more calm and introverted than her brother. Although, I should know that grief has a funny way of changing people's perspectives on things, which is why I suppose Lucas entrusted me with watching over her.

"Personally, I think Aurora is entitled to her feelings. I may not understand the history behind it. Still, if someone made a festival that mocked me, I would be pretty pissed off, too," I voiced, sparing a glance at Aurora, who looked surprised that I had stepped in.

"Yeah," Charlotte began. "I guess I can understand when you put it like that."

Violet agreed, and we continued on our way. We eventually came across a clothing store, where I picked up a couple of pairs of sweatpants, some generic t-shirts, and a hoodie. Slowly but surely, I was rebuilding the wardrobe I had left behind.

"So, besides the general torture of Aurora. What exactly are we doing here?" Violet asked, getting a grumble in response from Aurora.

"To the fairgrounds. They're just outside of town, supposedly where the great Scourge himself was felled by four brave knights," Charlotte responded in the most mystical tone she could muster.

"Did you read that off a billboard before we got here?" Violet chuckled, causing the group to burst into laughter. Even Aurora couldn't help but smirk, which I think was Violet's end goal. Whatever their cultural differences may be, Violet still cares.

The fairgrounds looked like a typical fair with a medieval coat of paint. The food stands were there, and an odd amusement park ride. It seems like they paid actors to play each of the characters tied to the history here, which made Aurora very unhappy. Especially when we came across a lucario actress, who was supposed to be Leopold's lover.

"How did they even convince you to do that?" Aurora asked the other lucario, who we found out was named Lucia.

"They pay well, and I've got a passion for acting and history!" She responded in a cheerful, almost obnoxious tone.

"This isn't history. This is a mockery of it."

Lucia seemed to take some offense to that.

"And how would you know that? Oh, I see. You're one of those lucario. It explains why you are such a stuck-up bitch about it. Just let people have their fun!"

"Excuse me?! What did you just call my friend?" Charlotte hissed, stepping in front of Aurora.

"I called her a bitch, because that's what she is. If she and her people want to stay stuck in their little fantasy land where Leopold wasn't a fucking mass murderer and a psycho, they can do that. The rest of us can recognize him as he truly was and make fun of him and his delusions!"

By this point, a crowd had gathered, and some of them were cheering us on. They must've assumed this was part of some sort of show. I looked at Violet and mouthed that we needed to get out of here, to which she nodded. We slowly began to retreat through the crowd.

"What is going on here? Are you harassing my dear beloved?" A man with black hair and a long beard yelled, stepping out of the crowd. He had very angular features and wore costly leather armor. In his hand, he clutched a wooden sword, which was very peculiar. A lot of the other actors had authentic weapons.

"Oh yes, my love!" Lucia cried, making me cringe, "Those peasants are mocking me!"

"Those filthy fiends! I challenge you!" he pointed his sword at me. A worker ran through the crowd to hand me my own wooden sword.

"I'm sorry. What?" I asked, looking around the crowd. Every excited face gazed at me. Violet and Charlotte were laughing while Aurora looked at Lucia and whoever played Leopold with a look of hatred.

"I said I challenge you to a duel to the death!" he paused a moment, allowing the crowd to cheer. "Unless you are too much of a coward to face me!"

By this point, I was absolutely locked in. I could just say no and walk away, but my stubborn sense of pride wouldn't allow me. Besides, I think Aurora would get a kick from it if I managed to beat this guy. I mean, it shouldn't be too hard. This guy is just an actor.

I took the sword and gripped it tight. The crowd roared in response. Some even started to cheer my name after Violet began the chant. Leopold let out a hearty laugh, raising his arms to get the crowd back on his side. I was not obligated to let him finish, so I struck first.

I ran at him, thrusting my sword directly at his chest. He stumbled out the way at the last second, swinging his sword at me. Like muscle memory, I raised mine to block his almost professionally. The resulting clunk made the crowd go wild. Leopold looked surprised as he nervously glanced back at Lucia.

I swung at him, this time connecting with his arm. He froze for a few seconds before getting back into actor mode. He clutched his arm, released a fake cry of pain, and dropped to his knees.

"I have been bested!" He cried.

"Really?" I asked, confused.

A twisted smile crept across his face, "You are too smart for your own good,"

He stabbed at me, and like before. I momentarily lost control of my own body. I effortlessly moved out of the way and immediately countered by stabbing my sword at his rib cage. He again let out a scream of pain and fell to the ground. Lucia raced over to his side and began to cry.

"You killed him!" She said between tears.

The crowd absolutely went berserk. They started cheering my name, and I have to admit, I got a little into it. I raised my sword, to which they got louder. Charlotte, Violet, and Aurora seemed equally stoked. A group dressed as knights ran out of the crowd to me, silencing the crowd before they began to speak.

"We were trying to get here to stop Leopold, but his minions got in the way. We are glad to see that the village had its own protector here to stop Leopold. Everyone here is in your debt. Now, if you and your friends would follow us, we have a gift to give."

They took us to a tent designed to look almost like a castle. Lucia and the actor for Leopold were also very obviously out of character. That was when the group of knights took off their helmets.

"So, why are we back here?" I asked.

"Well, I assume you didn't want the badge made for kids saying you beat Leopold?" One of the knights chuckled.

"Instead, we have something that I think your group would appreciate. Lucia?"

Lucia sighed and walked over to Aurora, "Sorry about earlier," she mumbled. She then lingered on me before smiling and walking back to Leopold.

"Besides that apology, we do have this."

They handed us each a card that was just black with some scratches on it that I couldn't understand.

"I know the designs are a little lacking, but that card gives you access to just about everything for free. Think of it as a thank you for playing along, even if this isn't exactly true to real-life events."

Before we left, I went to speak with the actor that played Leopold. We had a very brief conversation in which I asked him if he was trained in sword fighting, to which he said he wasn't. He asked me the same thing, and when I said no, he expressed surprise for that and that I had managed to fight semi-professionally with a broken wrist.

I had completely forgotten about my injuries, unlike yesterday, when it was painful to move my wrist slightly. Today, it ached a little, but other than that, it was like it was almost healed. Violet must've noticed and caught my attention.

"Is your wrist alright," She asked.

"Yeah, it's more than alright. It almost feels completely healed," I held my focus on my wrist, moving it around to test the pain.

"Hmmm… I thought that was only a myth," Violet mumbled.

I turned to face her, "What was a myth?"

"In some of the stories I was told when I was young, there were legends of heroes that possessed the ability to heal from nearly any wound. I supposed that would make sense…" she trailed off.

"What? What makes sense?"

"It's nothing to worry about. Just old legends and shit," she said, brushing off my question.

We spent the next few hours bouncing between rides, games, and reenactments. At one point, Aurora even started to enjoy herself, however brief that moment was. Once the sun began to dip in the sky, we started towards Aurora's home. She was noticeably calmer.

We headed straight into the nearby forest from the fair, which I found odd, but Aurora assured us she knew exactly where we were going. It didn't take long for an eerie feeling to wash over all of us except Aurora. I glanced around, my gaze lingering on every tree, expecting someone to peek from behind it.

"I usually enjoy taking a stroll in the woods, but this place…." Violet murmured, nervously looking over her shoulder.

"If the legends are to be believed, this is the Black Forest and where Leopold's "Scourge" supposedly lives," Charlotte explained, looking just as nervous as Violet.

"This is the Black Forest, but there is no Scourge here. Just my home." Aurora said, completely unfazed.

After God knows how long of walking, we came across a shoddy-looking village. No one was outside, and yet, a fresh campfire was made. Aurora just strolled in as if there was nothing odd about anything. The rest of us cautiously followed.

"Aurora!" An old man shouted, exiting one of the houses. His sudden appearance caused all of us to jump. Aurora immediately ran over to the man and broke down into his shoulder. Slowly, everyone else began to leave their houses. All of them were lucario, making this old guy the only human.

"I… I tried to save him! I tried…" Aurora cried.

"And so you have nothing to mourn. Sometimes fate causes us to lose loved ones. If we rage against that, we lose ourselves as well," the Old Man comforted. He spoke with what vaguely sounded like a British accent.

Aurora eventually calmed down and walked to the gathering group of lucario, allowing the Old Man to turn his attention to us. A big grin crept over his face as soon as he focused on Violet and me. When his gaze fell upon mine, I felt a slight chill run up my spine.

"I didn't know that we'd have such esteemed guests!" he chortled. "The descendant of the great Violae and the long lost heir to the throne of the Eternal Empire!" Violet looked absolutely mortified. I shot her a confused look.

"I can't speak for Violet, but I don't think I'm the heir to any throne," I said.

"Ah, I see. That is a forgotten title. So you just go by Guardian now?" The Old Man asked.

"How…" I began, completely shocked.

"These lucario are in tune with the world. They see it in a… different light. Always able to sniff out the divine, I've been lucky enough to be taught their ways." He explained, taking a step over to the campfire. He gestured over for us to come and sit by him, to which we obliged cautiously.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Untouched would be a better way to describe them," he continued. "The world has changed many times, often serving as a correction. For example: Did you know that humans were once able to tap into the same power that pokémon use for their attacks?"

"No?"

The man smiled, "Did you know you also have that ability?"

I paused, remembering my fight with the Knight and how I… did something that sent him into the wall. I know that came from me, but I thought it was just Arceus intervening, not some power nested deep inside me.

"And did you also know that you are one of the few humans able to tap into this power?"

"Why?" I asked.

"Simply because Arceus inherently trusts you and needs you. The rest of humanity lost their chance a long time ago. Only a few figures in history have been able to call upon this power, and they were all personally blessed by Arceus, or unlucky."

"How do you know all of this, and why are you telling me?"

"It is just the way everything fell into place," he gave me a wry smile, sending a chill up my spine. "Sorry to cut this conversation short, but I must attend to the preparation for Lucas's passing."

He left, leaving me with a lot of questions. How did this man, who lives in the woods with a group of lucario, know I was the Guardian? And what the hell was all that about being the heir to whatever the Eternal Empire is?

"Violet?" I asked but received no response. Violet was still in her weird trance. "Violet? Violet!" I repeated.

She finally snapped out of it, "We need to get out of here," she hissed, looking me dead in the eyes.

"Why?"

"That man. He shouldn't know any of that."

"What if he's just well versed in history… and really lucky?" I responded, attempting to calm her down.

She shook her head, "You don't understand. The whole story surrounding the Guardian has been buried by my people. You should be a secret. I should be a secret. He would only know any of that if he was around while it was still a common story, hundreds of years ago."

"Essentially, what you are saying is the guy who looks like he's in his early fifties was around fifty years ago and survived this long to essentially scare you?" I slightly chuckled.

She thought about it and seemed to calm down a little. "Maybe I am overthinking things, but there is something just off about him."

"I agree, but I think that more so has to do with finding an old man in the woods," I joked, but deep down, I knew Violet was right. Something rubbed me the wrong way with the guy, but I couldn't place why.

For the next hour, Violet, Charlotte, and I huddled by the campfire as Aurora conversed with the other lucario and occasionally the old man. We eventually pushed the eerie feeling to the back of our heads and began to relax. Around that time, the old man returned and announced it was time to start the ceremony.

A big bonfire had been constructed in the center of the quant village. It had already been lit, casting ghastly shadows across the forest surrounding us. Cautiously, we joined the crowd. I took a place next to Aurora, with the old man on her opposite side. I noticed he was holding an urn, which he handled with great care.

He twisted the urn open and let the ashes blow into the fire. Everyone bowed their heads for a few moments before the old man began to speak.

"We are all born by this fire, so in death, we return in the hopes that we can once again return to life," he paused, placing a hand on Aurora's shoulder. "Lucas was one of the best of us. He embodied the teachings of our wisest, but you all knew that. Go now, and let his family mourn by the flames."

The crowd began to dissipate. I glanced at Charlotte and Violet, who nodded, so we began to follow the crowd. The old man stopped us, though.

"You are all a part of her family now, and she needs you now more than ever," he looked directly at me. "Lucas knew this. Protect her, as he did. Be there for her."

The old man left, leaving us alone with Aurora. We returned to her side. I put a hand on her shoulder, and almost immediately, she whipped around and pulled me into a hug. She began to cry, which prompted Violet and Charlotte to join in on the hug.

Together we stood there in silence until the bonfire was nothing but a soft flicker. It was late, and we all knew that, so once Aurora had calmed a little, she led us to a building that looked like a cabin. Unlike the other homes, it looked professionally built and relatively larger. Inside, it was structured like a small home. A living room, kitchen, two bedrooms, and a bathroom.

Settling down for bed was easy. Violet and I took one bedroom, and Aurora and Charlotte took the other. As soon as we lay down, Violet wrapped herself around me. No part of me objected to this, unlike last night. I think the old man's words had an effect on me. I know he meant it more towards Aurora, but we are all family. I can't exactly speak for everyone else in the squad, but I think Violet and Aurora would agree with me. Maybe even Charlotte would now.

It didn't take long for me to drift off.

Bang!

A noise jolted me from my sleep. I sprung from bed to investigate the noise and found that the door to the cabin was left wide open. In the darkness outside, I could faintly see the silhouette of a lucario dart into the foliage. I cursed my luck and followed after the lucario.

As it led me deeper into the woods, I noticed two things. It was always far away enough that I could follow it but not get a good look at it and that it was drawing me further away from the village, but it was too late to go back now. At least, that's what I told myself. If there was a serial killer lucario that was about to paint the woods with my insides, might as well be able to say I didn't turn around and try running.

Running through shrubbery and trees, the lucario eventually led me to a clearing, where it disappeared back into the woods. I was going to follow it until I noticed buildings in the clearing. Most of them were ruined, except one. At the far end, this mansion-castle hybrid looked well kept and stood in contrast to the piles of rubble. In fact, the mansion looked almost inviting.

"You are in grave danger," I whipped around to see Aurora standing at the edge of the forest.

"Holy fucking shit, Aurora!" I exhaled, putting a hand over my chest. "You scared the absolute shit out of me. What are you doing up this late, and why did you lead me here?"

"That wasn't Aurora," she replied.

"And you aren't either, are you?"

"No. At least not at the moment, but you have to trust me. This place puts you at grave risk of-"

Lightening boomed in the distance, cutting her off. I glanced behind me to see a dark cloud forming over the mansion. Purple streaks of lightning cut through the cloud and struck the ground, throwing off puffs of smoke and debris. Even if this isn't the Aurora I know, I'd rather take my odds with her than be caught out in whatever this is.

As I began to back away from the ruined village, the cloud violently erupted, rapidly spreading everywhere and temporarily blinding me. When I could see it again, the landscape had completely transformed. The dark cloud had spread out as far as the eye could see, briefly illuminating other structures in the now infinite void surrounding me. The village was still there, but everything aside from the mansion was burning.

The forest was gone, too, leaving me alone here with whatever all of this is. There was only one place to go, so cautiously, I started to make my way through the burning village. As I passed the first house, I could hear screams from inside. When I got further in, the screams were joined by people pleading for their lives.

TO SPEND AN ETERNITY IN PAIN. A FITTING PUNISHMENT FOR THEIR CRIMES.

A deep and guttural voice echoed throughout the village. I spun around wildly, trying to find the source of the voice, but found nothing.

YOU WILL NOT FIND US, FOR WE ARE EVERYTHING AROUND YOU.

"What the Hell are you?" I demanded.

WE ARE THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION OF DIVINITY, AND YOU WILL HELP US.

I was blinded again. When I could see, I was in a room I recognized. It was a baby's room. The wallpaper was a soft blue, and a crib was pushed against the wall. On the floor was a child who was wailing.

"Martha! For fuck's sake! Make it stop!"

I recognized that voice. It was a voice I never wanted to hear again. It was the voice that belonged to my father. I don't remember much about him, but I do remember that he hated me. He was the reason I spent most of my childhood in an orphanage after my mom died.

I crouched down next to little me and tried to comfort him. I knew the ending of this story, but he didn't, and I may hate my father for what he did. If I could avoid being thrown into the orphanage, my life would've been much better.

But I didn't stop, and mom wasn't going to save us. She couldn't. Not at this point. Dad hated us out of nowhere. He blamed us for mom's disease and her eventual passing, but maybe I can convince him otherwise. Perhaps if I leave out all the bad stuff, he might be proud of who I've grown up into. Perhaps he'll let us stay.

I stood up, opened the door, and just about fell into an office. It was sparsely decorated, with the most exciting thing being a diploma that was proudly displayed on the wall. It was the principal's office at my old middle school. He sat behind his desk with his hands folded across it staring down at a younger me, who sat in a chair across from him.

"Nathan Miller. You are a bright student. Your previous grades have shown that, but you must tell me what changed."

"Nothing," I replied, refusing to make eye contact.

I remember this. It was shortly after my mom died, and I was put in the orphanage. It fucked with me that I was basically abandoned by my father, which began to reflect in my grades. I stopped trying because I didn't want to anymore, and I kept that up until my sophomore year of high school.

"No, Nathan. It has to be something," he continued to press.

"Leave me alone!" I shouted back.

He recoiled from my outburst, and then his face contorted into anger. I was sent "home," where I'd spend the next week, supposedly because I needed just "to cool down." It wasn't a pleasant week for me.

Leaving the office, I found myself many years in the future, at my apartment. I already knew where this was going, and I wasn't going to let myself be controlled by this anymore.

I took a deep breath and walked over to the bathroom. I could hear the running water on the other side. I mentally prepared myself and pushed the door open, and just like the day it happened, she was there. Eden was in the bathtub, surrounded by crimson water. I cringed at the sight, but I didn't turn away.

"You should have saved me, Nathan. You were weak," Eden hissed, suddenly sitting up in the tub, startling me. "If only you had noticed that you were killing me!"

"You aren't real!" I shouted back, my voice quivering slightly.

"Am I not? I am not believable now, but I was a few days ago?"

"Eden was never this harsh," I replied, taking a few steps back.

Eden began to laugh, and gradually, that laugh shifted to that guttural voice I had heard before. The bathroom tore apart, and I found myself back in the village, standing right in front of that mansion. The door swung open, and I could faintly see someone standing inside.

ALL YOUR LIFE, YOU HAVE BEEN HAUNTED. PAIN AND GUILT FOLLOW YOU REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU GO. WE OFFER A SOLUTION. STEP THROUGH THE DOOR, AND WE SHALL GRANT YOU POWER BEYOND YOUR IMAGINATION. THE POWER TO PROTECT THE ONES YOU LOVE. TO MAKE SURE NOTHING EVER HAPPENS TO VIOLET, JUST AS YOU LOST EDEN.

"I'll… I'd rather take my chances on my own."

The door to the mansion slammed shut, and the houses behind me erupted, sending pillars of flame straight into the sky. I quickly turned around and ran through the village as the fire began to spread everywhere. The thing began to laugh as I ran.

WE WILL HAVE YOU ONE DAY. IT IS INEVITABLE.

I woke up in the cabin, drenched in sweat. Violet was asleep next to me. I shook her awake. The moment she looked at me, her eyes got wide.

"Holy fuck. You look like shit," she muttered. "What happened?"

"We need to go. Now."

My voice was still shaking.

"Why? What happened?"

"There is something in these woods. It's stalking me… I can still feel its eyes on me… We need to get out of here," I was full-on panicking. Violet seemed to understand as she got out of bed and woke up the others.

Charlotte was immediately onboard with leaving, regardless if it was still the dead of night. Much to my surprise, Aurora was as well. When I saw her, she had this look of understanding. We quickly gathered our belongings and left. Aurora quickly guided us back out of the forest.

I gave the lucario village one more look, and I could swear that old man was right at the edge of town, just looking at us with his hands behind his back. Behind him, I swear I saw a flash of purple lightning, but when I blinked, he was gone along with the lightning.

It didn't take long for us to get back to the car. Charlotte wordlessly started the engine and began to drive. The further we got from that town, the safer I felt, but in the back of my mind, I still hear its voice taunting me. It terrified me, whatever it was, but I don't think it could reach me anymore. At least, I hope it can't.

I leaned my head on Violet's shoulder and closed my eyes. She began to run her claws through my hair, which relaxed me. Violet was watching me; as juvenile as the thought was, she'd protect me if something happened. That's what I needed after whatever that was.

And so, I slowly drifted off, hoping never to return to that place.