Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Shadows of Ganderosa
Chapter 46
Fears of the Flame
Hours had passed since Hazel had taken her first steps though the pink portal and into the harsh, unforgiving world. She found herself on the familiar stretch of road leading to the town ahead. With her usual brown bag at her side and the black cloak over her head, the charmeleon recalled the conversation with Reya before she had entered the portal.
"I have to go back," she told the gardevoir. "The only pokemon who have the slightest chance of finding Team Armageddon is in Palando."
"And what of the Guild?" Reya's words echoed through her head. They seemed stuck to her brain like a catchy tune about dread.
What about them? she thought, wringing the strap of her bag as grim feelings threatened to force her in the opposite direction. They're only pokemon I use to work with; pokemon I ate with, laughed with, made memories with.
Hazel looked ahead at the buildings encircling Palando's border. She was close enough to the town that the hollering shop-keepers and laughing of children ringed through her head, if only barely. With these sounds came sadness. These were the pokemon she protected, yet they would probably see her as an outlaw: another guildmember-turned-traitor, just like the Armageddons.
It curved her thoughts back towards the Guild and its members. Wallace would probably turn me in to get closer to becoming a Royal Guard. Jess would probably turn me in for a laugh. And after backstabbing me in Ferricia, I'd be surprised if Dean and Hailey thought twice about turning me in. Adelina isn't a part of the Guild anymore… But Bolt…
She recalled the upbeat pikachu and his confident grin. I can trust Bolt… which makes him my only way to find her.
Hazel glanced towards the east, noting the setting sun. Its crest wasn't low enough to possess the blue skies with orange hues, but it was noticeable enough to tell the daylight was reaching its end. Judging by the time, Bolt's probably fighting in the Palando Arena. But with the amount of pokemon that go there to watch him, someone's bound to recognize me talking to him, then identify me as an old guildmember. After that, I'd probably be reported, then the whole Guild would be on top of me. I need another option.
Hazel racked her brain as the dirt road beneath shifted to the cobblestone paths of Palando. She was then surrounded in Palando's buildings and bustle of its many of pokemon hat walked the streets. There weren't enough pokemon to completely surround Hazel, but there were enough that the charmeleon had to divide her attention in order to keep from bumping into anyone. She let go of the strap, allowing it to catch on her shoulder, before pulling the sides of the worn cloak loosely around her body with one hand, preventing anyone from knowing who she was. The other hand was gripping her tail: partly from worry, but mostly to make sure it didn't trail under the cloak, instantly revealing her species.
The charmeleon glanced at each stranger who walked by. Some gave her side-ways glances before continuing onwards with their daily routines, while others were oblivious to her presence, though it didn't stop Hazel's heart from thumping against her ribs. She recalled all of the books she had read on hunting fugitives, knowing that she was now one of those pokemon she had sworn to stop.
Focus! Hazel scolded herself, scowling at her wandering thoughts. I need to find Bolt! She continued to walk whilst thinking vigorously about a solution. The Guild's no-good. The Arena is only slightly better. So where can I find him?
Hazel stopped in the middle of the road, looking around for any sort of clue to the answer she sought. But all she saw were passersby, shops, and an assortment of buildings whose roofs were tiled with yellow. Nothing of value could be seen.
Hazel took a hard gulp, realizing she had one option. The only places I can be sure to find Bolt in are the Arena and the Guild. Which means… the Arena…
"And then I kicked him in the teeth!" a strong voice called from behind the charmeleon.
"No way!" a second voice rung out above the rest.
Hazel's heart stopped beating as she realized those voices were too familiar. She merely peeked towards the rear, looking at the group of three through the corner of her eye. There, walking straight towards her, was a machoke who wore a pompous smirk. Hanging off of his shoulder was a starry-eyed haunter. They were both trailing behind a big, black and white bird with an orange beak that's head reached a little below the machoke's beefy neck. It also had a tuft of red feathers jutting from its forehead before gravity pulled them over the pokemon's left eye like bangs.
The staraptor in front threw Hazel off for merely a second before fear of recognition overtook her. The charmeleon ducked in a dark and damp alley-way to the left to avoid being seen by Team Force. What felt like minutes went by with the charmeleon trying desperately to keep her worry in check. She stared out at the pathway before Team Force passed her completely, not aware of her existence.
As they left her view, she felt relief's warmth spread through her body. She began taking deep and steady breaths. Calm down, Hazel… They didn't recognize you. You're fine…
Hazel's shoulder loosened for only a second before what felt like a rough paw grabbed her, thrusting her deeper into the alley-way. She struggled to keep her balance, only managing three steps before diving head-first into a small puddle of water. She felt her chin scrape against the rocky floor before she came to a stop.
"Alright, buddy," a voice called from behind. It was a deep voice, but it sounded forced: faked. "Just give us your valuables, and we won't break your legs."
Hazel pressed her paws to the stone before cocking her head backwards, finding the way to the street was being blocked by a blue pokemon who's body seemed comprised of a middle section, arms, and legs. Its eyes formed just above its body, curving slightly upwards before reaching the shoulders. Its bulbous arms and gloved-hands were rested at its sides as it walked upon short and stubby legs towards Hazel. In the middle of the pokemon, just below its slit-like nostrils, was a white blot that looked as though it was in the form of a massive, slack-jawed mouth. A black swirl curved from the center of the white blemish before reaching the edges.
"Look," Hazel said forcefully, scowling at this poliwrath-turned-attacker. "I don't want any trouble."
"And we don't want to give you any," a new voice called from Hazel's front, sounding as though it was a few feet from her form. She looked ahead just in time to see a green, yellow-toed foot collide with her lower jaw, sending her onto her back. The spike on the end of Hazel's head hit the stone, causing Hazel to shout from the tremendous amount of pain.
The charmeleon tried to ignore the pain, scowling nervously at the new pokemon. It was shorter than its companion, only about three feet in height. It was a green, bipedal pokemon with a red zigzag across its chest. The pokemon looked like a lizard with a yellow pattern around its black, marble-like eyes before stretching down to the front of its face. This pokemon also had disk-like appendages with jagged teeth where the ears might have been. The pokemon also had a long tail coiled into a swirl.
"Move again and I'll do worse," the kecleon said menacingly, getting closer to the charmeleon.
Hazel gritted her teeth, pushing through the pain. She looked down at the approaching kecleon, watching as his feet walked passed her feet towards her head. I can't give them my bag, she thought worriedly through the pulsing feeling in the back of her head. I need the supplies too badly! That leaves one option.
She swished her tail forcefully at the kecleon's feet, knocking him onto his knees before the charmeleon sprang to her feet. She barely felt the stone on her heels before the gloved fist of the poliwrath jabbed Hazel's shoulder, forcing her into the wall. Hazel managed to bring her palms ahead of her, bracing her impact. Yet as soon as she did so, she felt a grasp take hold of her head-spike before slamming her face into the wall before her. Her nose felt like a buzzer: each time it was slammed into the stone, pain shot into her body. She panted every chance she got, feeling her body lock from the hurt.
The poliwrath brought her head back once more, allowing Hazel a chance to look him in the eyes before speaking. "You think we're messing around?!" the poliwrath hissed. "We're not average thieves, kid! We're notorious criminals! And now, we're going to kill you!"
Hazel opened her jaw, allowing a blast of purple flames to douse the poliwrath. He let go of Hazel, stumbling backwards from the Dragon Pulse. Hazel took it as her chance to lunge her shoulder into the poliwrath's chest, forcing him to stumble onto his backside.
Hazel then screamed from what felt like hands grasping her brain before molding it like dough. Looking ahead, she found the kecleon was on its feet, shooting a beam of multicolored rings at the charmeleon's head. She slammed her closed fists to her head, yet she felt nothing but the overwhelming pain from the "psybeam" attack. She fell to her knees, cradling her skull to stop the agony.
"Feel that?" the kecleon snapped. "That's what you get for ignoring our warnings!"
"Say your prayers!" the poliwrath shouted as he raised to his feet. He walked along the beam of rings towards Hazel, raising his fist above her head.
Hazel felt her tail-flame flicker, about to die out. Her last bits of energy were fading with the onslaught of the two pokemon. The poliwrath drove his foot into Hazel's stomach as the kecleon continued to wring her brain like a rag. She shut her eyes tightly, grimacing in anticipation of the worst. She couldn't stop them like this. They were going to force her hand. "Please!" Hazel shouted weakly through the pain.
Then, her flame died, leaving them in the shadows of the alley-way. Her eyes widened as fear overtook her. She stared through the pain at her unlit tail as a new burst of energy exploded from her heart, bathing her body in its warmth. Hazel's eyes widened from the sudden power coursing through her body as her tail reignited in a blue burst of light and heat, driving the shadows around towards the edges of the cobblestone. The pain in her body died as a numbness seemed to overtake her. The poliwrath looked towards the flame with a bit of shock, caught off-guard by this oddity, if only for a second: though it was a second more than he could spare.
Despite the current, unending attack, Hazel leapt up, driven by this new-found vigor, and drove her fist into the poliwrath's chest. As the air was expelled through the blue pokemon's nostrils, the charmeleon let a surge of purple flame-like energy grow in her chest until it flew through her open jaws, slamming into the poliwrath. It drove him backwards into the wall, scorching an impression around him into the stone. The poliwrath gave a short cry before Hazel stopped, allowing the pokemon to fall to his knees.
She then turned her attention towards the kecleon. Hazel hadn't noticed until she looked upon the horror-stricken face, but it had stopped its attack. Its eyes darted between its comrade who was struggling to remain upright and Hazel.
"Th-that's not possible!" the kecleon stuttered. It took a quick step backwards. "We… we-"
"I didn't want any trouble," Hazel said coldly, snarling at the pokemon.
"This isn't over!" the poliwrath's voice called from behind. Hazel felt a couple of arms wrap around her arms before locking behind her head, holding her in place. Hazel grimaced upon seeing the kecleon darting towards her with its fist coiled backwards. Hazel took a deep breath, fueling the flame within. When she let the stream of flames out, it was bigger tan she had ever seen before, consuming the entirety of the alley ahead. Passersby barely managed to see the blast of heat, narrowly avoiding it as it scorched the floor. The sound of a thousand flaring candles echoed in Hazel's ears, drowning out any scream that might have been caught.
Hazel felt the energy that had flowed through her begin to vanish. She closed her mouth, allowing the flames to die, revealing the kecleon laying on the floor, barely breathing from the attack.
The arms around Hazel fell, allowing her to break away from the assailant. She looked backwards at the poliwrath who was eyeing her with the widest eyes she had ever seen.
"Wh…" the poliwrath slowly said, barely managing to get even that out.
The charmeleon continued to eye the poliwrath coldly, waiting for its next move. It took a few steps backwards before turning around and running away.
Hazel took a deep breath, allowing herself to relax now that the fight was over. As the adrenaline left her body, her legs gave away as she fell forwards onto her knees. A sudden feeling of weariness began overtaking her. What… What's happening? She thought worriedly. Her eyelids grew heavy as her sight began to fade. Hazel tried to stand up, placing her paws on the ground to push herself up, but her muscles felt like jelly, surrendering to gravity as she fell onto her chest. Hazel's vision began fading into darkness. The last thing she saw was the blue light along the walls fade away as her flame died with her vision, plunging her into mental darkness.
As a blur of light came to Hazel's eye-lids, she began regaining some sense of awareness. Sounds were quiet and merged together in a whispering amalgamation of incoherent gibberish. There was also a feeling of all-consuming cold that chilled her to the bone. Hazel slowly opened her eyes, still feeling very weary: she assumed from the fight.
She found herself laying on a white, cloth-covered bed stuffed with hay. There was a white pillow rested under her head. She found her hooded cloak was draped over the back of the bed. Next to her bed was an empty, wooden chair. A lone, open doorway was in the left, cobblestone wall.
Her eyes trailed the entire room once more. Even with a second look, she couldn't identify where she was. With a bewildered expression, Hazel sat up, but her head began spinning once more. Yet she didn't let that stop her. She needed to know where she was.
The charmeleon sat up slowly this time before pulling her legs to the edge of the bed. As she did so, she realized a constricting feeling around her chest. Looking downwards, Hazel felt her heart stop. Wrapped firmly around her chest was a set of white bandages. Panic began filling her head as she realized exactly where she was.
A figure caught Hazel's widened eyes, drawing her attention back to the doorway. A quadrupedal pokemon with short, vanilla-colored fur stood there with a ruby jewel embedded in its forehead. Whiskers came off of its cheeks just below its stern eyes.
Dr. Valentine the persian seemed to be trying to say something to Hazel, but noises were still a soft blur. Even so, she was starting to panic. Valentine being here meant she was in the one place in all of Palando she didn't want to be: The Guild.
Hazel stepped off of the bed for merely a second, knowing she couldn't stay here, before falling from a lack of energy. She felt the persian's paw touch her shoulder, but she ignored it as she made a second, hasty attempt at standing, yet Hazel was met with the same result as before. Just then, Valentine looked out the door, stating something else. That's when the small, yellow form of Bolt Raimi rushed into the room wearing an expression between scared and worried.
The charmeleon looked at the pikachu before her with a clenched jaw, yet also with relieved eyes.
"Bolt," she said desperately. Despite not having the ability to perceive her own voice, she was determined to talk with the pikachu. "Whatever they're saying about me isn't true!"
As she talked to the pikachu, he attempted to say something in response to her. She watched his tightened eyebrows of fear mixed with continuous glances backwards with every other word he said.
"I can't hear you," Hazel explained quickly before attempting once more to stand. This time, Doctor Valentine got under Hazel's left arm, supporting her with his back like a living crutch.
Bolt looked at Hazel for a few seconds before registering what she said. He then looked towards Doctor Valentine as if for confirmation of what Hazel was saying was true. Valentine seemed to bark something towards Bolt, to which he looked sheepishly. He then turned to Hazel and made a pushing motion with his hands as if directing her backwards towards the bed.
"I can't stay here!" Hazel said shortly. "I need to-"
Bolt raised a finger to his mouth as he parted his lips as if baring his teeth. Does he want me to be quiet? So, he's hiding me. He then took another glance backwards before turning to Valentine and saying something. Valentine said something in return, to which Bolt nodded and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Hazel pleaded, yet Bolt only turned around and made the same gesture with his finger. Then, the pikachu was off for only a second before walking into the room with a handful of papers and a piece of coal. Bolt laid the papers across the floor before writing on one. When he was finished, he brought it up to show the charmeleon.
"You need to stay quiet." Hazel read to herself. "Or the Guild Leaders gonna find out you were here."
"Are you helping me, then?" Hazel asked in a whisper just to make sure. The pikachu nodded before writing down another sentence on the sheet.
"Bandages says you got pumeled, so he wants you to rest." Hazel felt a short burst of breath on her leg as Valentine huffed supposedly at Bolt's nickname.
"I can't rest," Hazel said. "I need to talk to Tracey."
Bolt gave a side-ways glance towards Hazel at that response, but Valentine didn't seem to share in his bewilderment. Instead, the persian walked away from Hazel, driving her to stand on her own. She stumbled a bit, but managed to stay upright: that is, until Valentine pushed on her chest with a paw, causing her to fall backwards in the bed. She was about to call the Doctor out on his behavior before he rolled his eyes at the charmeleon. He then forcefully took the charcoal from Bolt's paw and scribbled down a message on a new piece of paper.
"I don't like the idea of you being here," it read. "Yet you can't seem to stand on your own two feet in your current state.
"Like it or not, you need rest, and no one else is going to take you in seeing as you've been accused of committing treason."
Hazel looked towards the ground with a bit of frustration. "But I can't stay here," she said.
Valentine placed a paw on the charmeleon's shoulder before pushing the same piece of paper towards her. Bolt then jumped up onto the bed next to Hazel and looked at her with a frown of sympathy. He wrote down a message and showed it to her.
"As long as no one hears you, you'll be safe in here. No one comes in here unless their hurt, meaning we'll be alone."
"I… guess that's true…" Hazel said. She looked towards Valentine and stated, "What about you, Doctor? You don't have a reason to keep me a secret."
The persian scribbled down a few new sentences which read, "Bolt has told me stories about how you risked your neck to fight Team Armageddon in the Alkan Islands. After doing that, I don't see any real reason to compromise your morals and assassinate the King."
"Is that what they're saying we did…?" Hazel looked downwards at the floor with a bit of sadness, though she didn't know why. Maybe there was still a part of her clinging onto the idea that this was all some sort of bad dream. She then felt a soft, furry paw lightly touch her left shoulder. Turning, she noticed Bolt had a new message for her that read, "What happened to you and Dillan? One minute, you're searching for Ryan; the next, you guys are traiters."
"Well," Hazel said, and found she was starting to regain some hearing, if only little by little.
Hazel went on to explain what had happened to them. She tried to summarize the events as best she could as to save on time. She didn't want to take too long, seeing as Tracey would probably want to know more than Bolt if she was going to be convinced.
After what felt like a half hour of summarizing everything form Dillan being human to Judah being in league with Giratina, she stopped talking, allowing the information to settle. Although, she did omit to explain Ryan being a bad guy, as well as the Shadow Matter. To be honest, both of those occurrences seemed too difficult to explain, and would be best suited as separate conversations.
During the conversation, Bolt's expression morphed further from worry to severe disgust. Valentine, however, continued to look at Hazel with concern. That same troubled gaze offset the charmeleon.
"Are you sure you're feeling alright?" Valentine wrote.
"I'm fine," Hazel said, being able to clearly hear everything around her. "And you can talk to me, now. My hearing's back."
"That's precisely my point," Valentine stated. He jumped onto the bed opposite to Bolt and began turning Hazel's head with his paws. "Did you receive head trauma in any way?"
"You didn't see any bruising on her head," Bolt said drearily. "Besides: we've known Judah was a scum bag this whole time. We just didn't know how bad he was."
"But why?" Valentine asked, pulling away from Hazel. "Even though most of the world sees him as a good pokemon, a good few of us know that Judah's always been a power-hungry individual."
"Your point being?" Bolt asked.
"What would he gain from helping to achieve such a future? Killing everyone would mean he has no kingdom, therefore no power. And even if he doesn't know about it: what would he have to gain from world peace? I just don't see him following this Giratina pokemon."
"Speaking of which," Bolt began. "What's Judah to Giratina? Like, is he a commander? Is he a partner?"
"I'm not sure what his relation to Giratina is," Hazel admitted. "But does it really matter? Judah tried to torture me for information on Dialga and Palkia."
"The two pokemon you're working with, now?" Bolt asked.
Hazel nodded to bolt before continuing. "Either way you look at it, Judah's not the good guy, and he's working with Giratina."
"I'm still not convinced," Valentine stated.
"Then explain the traitor thing?" Bolt questioned. "It fits with Hazel's story."
"I don't agree," Valentine stated. "You're trying to tell me that two pokemon from myths that haven't been heard of in centuries are taking creatures from a different dimension to fight our battle against another pokemon named after a lake and its army. And on top of that, King Judah and the Guild itself are in league with this enemy, helping them to end the entire world for peace."
Hazel was at a loss for words. "When you… put it like that…" she said slowly.
"It's madness," Valentine stated flatly.
"Well, maybe it is," Bolt stated as though in thought before jumping off of the bed. "But you can't deny it explains some things. Like… that nidoqueen back in the Alkan islands calling Dillan a human. And it also explains that weird green flash back in Palando's Arena before I came back to the Guild."
"Wow…" Hazel said in shock to Bolt's seemingly undoubting belief in only her word.
"How was that supposed to convince me?" Valentine asked confusedly.
"I don't know?" Bolt asked with a snarky tone. "Maybe because your friends are telling you it's true?"
"It doesn't matter," Hazel said. "I just need to talk with Tracey."
"Alrighty," Bolt stated, smiling at Hazel. "I'll take you to-"
"Stop right there," Valentine ordered, jumping from the bed. He walked up to the pikachu, standing up straight as he moved. He began whispering in Bolt's ear, just quiet enough to be a murmur to Hazel. Seconds after Valentine's whispers, Bolt backed away from Valentine in shock.
"You're serious?!" he shouted.
"Quiet down," Valentine stated. "Unless you want the Guild Leader to hear you and take Hazel to be executed."
"Is that any better than what you want?" Bolt questioned.
"What is he talking about?" Hazel questioned.
Bolt looked to Hazel quickly and said flatly, "Doctor Skeptical thinks you're making this stuff up."
"I didn't say that," Valentine interjected.
"I'm not crazy," Hazel said defiantly, standing up from the bed. She felt herself sway a bit, yet she managed to stay on her feet.
Valentine took a deep breath and stated, "I never said that… But you are clearly suffering from delusions, possibly caused by the events of Armageddon. You were obviously heavily injured during the time, and I believe you internally blame King Judah. So, you came up with an elaborate story to cope with the traumas you sustained during your time there."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this," Hazel said in disbelief. She took a few shaky steps towards Doctor Valentine and pointed accusingly towards him. "This is not in my head!" Hazel spat through gritted teeth, attempting to make her point clear without shouting.
"I'm sorry to say this, but it is my professional opinion that your subconscious created this story to cope with what happened in the Alkan Islands, and you might not even realize it. I think you attacked King Judah because you truly believe this story is true."
"And what about Dillan?" Hazel questioned.
"He clearly has mental problems of his own. We've seen him imagine the pokemon Arlon before. He probably shares your delusion."
"That's the most B. S. statement I've ever heard!" Bolt snapped. "And you know it!"
"It makes more sense that a battle for peace that instead would end up causing utter destruction to Ganderosa."
"I'm not taking this," Hazel said simply. She walked back towards the bed and grabbed the cloak from the back-board. She then draped it over her shoulders and made her way towards the door. "I don't care whether you believe me or not, but my whole world collapsed the day Judah tried to have me killed! And I'm not sitting down and taking this, 'It's all in my head' nonsense! I'm finding Tracey, and I'm going to talk with her whether you like it or not!"
Hazel pushed passed Valentine and was about to exit the door when Valentine grabbed her by the tail. Hazel turned around quickly and looked hi in the eyes: both their stern expressions meeting as though an exchange of intimidation was occurring.
"Ms. Prince," Valentine stated. "You're sick and need help. As a Doctor, I cannot allow you to leave and hurt anyone."
"Let go of me," Hazel warned severely, but Valentine's grasp remained firm.
"Explain your tail, then?" Valentine hissed. "When they found you in that alley, your flame went out! You should be dead right now, but somehow it reignited!"
"What does that have to do with anything?!"
"It isn't natural! You should stay here until I can identify what it is and help-"
"This war isn't natural, either," Hazel snapped above the doctor as her heart thumped against her eardrums. "Yet for some reason you believe in my tail reigniting just fine!" She yanked her tail from the doctor's grasp before turning around, making sure no one was in the next room, and rushing quietly towards the guild's exit.
The charmeleon walked out of the Guild and into the sunny day, pulling the cloak over her head as she walked. She turned a corner before storming down the street. As she walked, the doctor's words continued to ring in her ears.
"When they found you in that alley, your flame was out! You should be dead right now, but somehow it reignited! It isn't natural!"
Don't you think I know that? She shouted internally, squinting her eyes from fear as she walked. She turned a corner into an alley-way and fell to her knees. Don't you think I know that I'm… unnatural? That I'm a danger to everyone around me?
She felt her eyes swell up as all of those fears and self-doubts began to bubble in her chest. She began grimacing to swallow them down. She didn't think stopping them would be an option if she opened herself up now.
"Sig," a familiar voice called out from the alley's entrance.
The charmeleon took a deep breath and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes before facing the voice. "I'm fine, Bo-" She stopped herself upon seeing the figure before her. New fears began taking form as she gazed upon the black-and-white form of a staraptor.
Hailey stood there, staring down Hazel with her usual scowl. The staraptor didn't make a move. Hazel's mind began racing with thoughts about why she was here.
Maybe it was to turn her in for some sort of bounty? Treason usually made for a high-stakes criminal. But that on top of an assassination attempt would make her one of the highest-ranked felons in Ganderosa, along with a pretty hefty bounty on her head.
She continued to stare at Hailey cautiously, expecting the staraptor to make a move at any second. But she merely stood there and continued to eye the charmeleon. Hazel then looked behind the staraptor towards the abandoned street.
"You came here alone?" Hazel questioned.
"Pretty much," Hailey stated.
"So, what now?" Hazel asked. "You found me. Are you going to fight me: turn me in?"
"You wouldn't be able to fight," Hailey said, looking down at Hazel's chest. "You're injured."
Hazel grabbed the side of her cloak and pulled it shut, covering the bandages she'd neglected to remove. "I can still hurt you," she warned.
"I know," Hailey stated. To Hazel's surprise, Hailey took a step backwards, opening the alley-way to the charmeleon. "But we only want to talk."
"We?" Hazel questioned.
"Dean, Jess, and I saw a crowd of pokemon running from a street we'd walked down due to what they described as a blue flame-thrower attack," Hailey explained. "When we got there, we found scorch marks leading to a kecleon who was pretty messed up. But there was also a bruised charmeleon with three scars across her chest.
"Once we found you, we took you back to the Guild so Valentine could take care of you. Wallace managed to spot you, then tell the rest of the guildmembers, including Tracey."
"Tracey's in the Guild?" Hazel asked suspiciously. "But she hates it."
"She asked you to join your team, didn't she?" Hailey asked. She then looked down the street as she continued. "Anyways, everyone except the Guild Leader knows about you being here. As a result, we thought it would be a good idea to have a meeting at Harley's when you woke up to find out exactly what happened. Then, we would decide what to do about it."
"Meaning whether you turn me in or not?" Hazel questioned.
Hailey closed her eyes and gave a sigh. "No one really believes you turned on King Judah," Hailey stated. "Not after following his orders and risking your life in the Alkan Islands."
"Why should I trust you of all pokemon?" Hazel asked harshly. "You were one of my best friends. Back then, we were going to make an unstoppable exploration team and save pokemon." She stood up and walked right up to the staraptor. "We were going to follow our dreams together! But you and Dean left me behind and never said why!"
Hailey said nothing in response. She just continued to stare into the street with her usual scowl. She then took a deep breath before stating, "I know."
"Then why should I trust you?!" Hazel demanded. "Give me a reason to trust you! Give me a reason to feel like I'm not going to be stabbed in the back again and again!"
"I can't," Hailey stated.
Hazel scoffed at the staraptor. "Then what makes you think I'll come with you?"
"I didn't know what you would do, Sigourney," Hailey stated.
Hazel contemplated what the staraptor said in disbelief. She couldn't believe the sheer audacity that Hailey had to ask her to trust her after what she did to her. And on top of that, it looks like Dean may have had a part of it but didn't have the guts to come with Hailey.
"Who's waiting?" Hazel asked.
"Everyone but Bolt," Hailey stated.
"Meaning?"
"He insisted to be with you and not at the diner.
"As for who is there: Dean, Jess, Bob, and Tracey."
Hazel shook her head. "Fine," she stated coldly. "I'll go with you. But only because I need to talk with Tracey. After that, I'm leaving the town."
"I won't stop you," Hailey said.
"You go first," Hazel said. "And don't try leading me anywhere but Harley's. I know where the diner is, so I'll know if you're taking me somewhere else."
Hailey took a few seconds as if it was her own way to let Hazel know she was heard before walking down the street. The charmeleon stood up and began following the staraptor to their destination.
As they walked, Hazel watched everything closely, making sure Hailey was leading them the right way. She also watched the staraptor for any tells that could possibly lead to the assumption that she was being led into some sort of trap. Yet whenever she looked at Hailey, she seemed determined to focus on the goal ahead, and nothing but. It was scary in a way, but from their few encounters, Thalia seemed to be very much like Hailey.
After a few more minutes of walking, the group found themselves on the doorstep on Harley's Diner. Hailey looked backwards towards Hazel as if she was expecting some sort of distrustful remark, but Hazel simply walked cautiously passed the staraptor and into the cool air of the diner.
This time, there wasn't any sort of greeter waiting at the front pedestal. Instead, there was a welcome sign, bidding them to find a seat to sit down and make themselves feel welcome. The place was nicely lit from the wooden chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The tables around were filled with chatter of either joyous pokemon or energetic ones. There were even those who seemed to treat this as a place for love, but hazel could care less about all of that.
The charmeleon looked towards the back corner of the room where a group of familiar pokemon were all sitting at the booth. Dean had his chin rested in his palm as his elbow was set on the table as support. Jess was currently doing barrel-rolls above the group as she looked as bored as a brick, pulling on her lower eye-lids as she flew. Wallace the watchog was also there, talking with Tracey who was seated at the opposite end of the table right next to a set of purple eyes that barely managed to peek above the rim.
"You weren't lying," Hazel noted as Hailey walked into the diner and passed her towards the booth at the back. Hazel followed Hailey, pulling the sides of her cloak nervously to prevent any of the diners from recognizing her.
As they approached the table, Jess stopped flipping in the air and flew right down to Hailey.
"Hailey!" she squealed with joy, directing the attention of the other guild members towards their group. Jess began floating joyously around the staraptor, bombarding her with a massive amount of questions.
"Calm down, Jess," Dean said with a scowl towards Hazel. "We've got more important issues."
"Dean," Hazel regarded.
Dean didn't make any move to acknowledge Hazel's existence other than his cold stare. Hailey, ignoring the floating ghost who insisted upon flying around her head like a bat, sat down in the booth opposite Dean, sandwiching Wallace, Bod, and Tracey further into the booth.
Hazel grabbed a chair from one of the empty tables around them and sat on the end of the booth, facing the other pokemon. Everyone then sat in silence, looking at Hazel as if she were a foreign object.
"Hi, guys…" Hazel said slowly and half-heartedly. "Been a while."
"If you're expecting some short-talk," Dean began coldly. "Take it somewhere else. The only reason we're here is so you can explain what Judah's been hiding from the rest of the world."
"Alright," Wallace said hurriedly. "I'll be the first to say it: this is an awful idea. If Guild Leader Athil learns about this, then we'll all be branded as traitors!"
"Well, this is a show-don't-show kind of meeting!" Tracey snapped. "So, if you're so intent on being a baby about it, go back to the Guild!"
"Yeah!" Bob chimed in.
"Fight! Fight!" Jest chanted from above Hailey.
The staraptor rolled her eyes at the ghost before giving a sigh and nudging Dean with her wing.
"Everyone shut it!" Dean said as he pounded his fist on the table. To everyone's surprise, the machoke managed to break the end off. "Th-that'll happen to anyone who speaks over Sigourney, got it?" he stuttered, though he sounded fierce; he was obviously playing it off as though it was intentional. Thankfully, it seemed to quiet everyone down, including Jess.
"Alright," Hazel said nervously, still feeling very off about this entire thing. She looked towards Tracey before saying, "Out of everyone here, I want to talk to Tracey. So, if anyone has any questions, you'll have to wait until she's done asking."
"Here's one for you," Tracey began, sitting up in the table. "What the hell happened to you three? I thought you guys supported the Guild. Now not only do I find out that you guys found Ryan, but that you three tried to assassinate King Judah! It doesn't make any sense seeing as you three were the ones who told me that the Guild was meant for good!"
"Well," Hazel began, staring at the berry-stained table before her. "To start off, we were wrong. The Guild's not the good guys we thought when we joined."
This time around, Hazel didn't leave out any detail. She explained everything from Howling Plains to Judah being in league with Giratina. Telling the group that Dillan was human seemed to be the most difficult thing for them to wrap their heads around.
"What are you talking about?!" Tracey repeated in utter confusion.
"I'm with Adams," Dean stated. "What the hell do you mean the Guild's been bad for years?"
"I'm not sure how long it's been," Hazel stated. "But Dialga and Palkia said that the Guild's been with the Enemy since the Ganderosan Civil War."
"What do they want?" Hailey asked.
"Hang on," Tracey said, slamming her paws on the table. "I'm still confused about Dillan! You're trying to tell us that he's not a gabite – not even a pokemon – but a creature from another dimension entirely? And they picked him because…?"
"They want him to save Ganderosa," Hazel stated. "I guess something about him being human makes him a candidate."
"No way," Dean said flatly.
"Judah knew," Hailey said, seemingly thinking aloud.
"You can't be buying into this crap!" Dean said with a smile of doubt.
"He picked Team Rapture because he knew about Dillan," Hailey said. "He probably sent you and your team to fight Team Armageddon because of it."
"Dillan said that Judah told him it was as a test," Hazel stated.
"This is too much…" Wallace said, clutching the sides of his head in disbelief.
"Dillan's a freak after all!" Jess said joyously.
"Fine," Dean stated. "Let's say the coward maybe isn't a pokemon, and he somehow got to this world. Why isn't he with you?"
Hazel hesitated to explain. Her paw drifted downwards to her tail, clutching it with her paw. "I…" she managed to get out while fear and worry attempted to hold her words back. "I'm… sick…"
"Sick?" Dean asked, shaking his head. "You look healthy to me."
"Don't be an idiot!" Tracey snapped. "Some illnesses aren't visible on the outside!"
"Sick?" Bob asked Tracey worriedly.
"What do you mean by that?" Hailey asked.
Hazel closed her eyes as she tried to find the best way to explain this. "Well…" Hazel began. "There's… this thing called Shadow Matter. Apparently, it exists deep in a mystery dungeon. You can find it if you wander far from the path."
"Alright," Dean said. "So?"
"So, if you're exposed to it… it changes you: most of the time for the worst."
"You're being confusing," Wallace said. "Are you saying you wandered off the path and were exposed to it?"
"Yeah…" Hazel admitted, wringing her tail.
"But that would mean you'd wandered off the path," Hailey said. "Yet you can't come back from that: no one does."
"The theories say you come back as a feral pokemon," Dean interrupted.
"Unconfirmed theories," Tracey pointed out.
"Dillan… had a crystal with him when it happened," Hazel said slowly, recalling the events of that day. She looked towards Tracey with worry before saying, "When we went to Lantern Fields, your dad drove us off of the path."
"Excuse me?!" Tracey snapped, taking personal offense in that statement.
"Something was different about him," Hazel continued, ignoring Tracey's change in emotion. "We didn't say anything because your dad didn't seem to remember anything about that time… but he was… feral."
"But he isn't!" Tracey shouted, pounding once more on the table. "He's fine, and he's well!"
"I'm not sure what turned him back," Hazel admitted. "But for a while, he wanted to kill us, and all he said was, 'Die'."
"That's not my father!" Tracey demanded.
"Let her continue," Dean snapped.
Tracey pursed her lips together before resting her head on the table, still scowling at Hazel. "Go on," she urged coldly.
"Shadow Matter turns pokemon into Ferals, but it also gives them enhanced abilities.
"Since my ability is 'Blaze', my fire attacks are powered up in a fight when I'm weak. Well, ever since that day, when I'm getting ready to fall over from the pain or exhaustion, my tail-flame goes out, then reignites as a blue flame. After that, my fire attacks become blue, and destructive. I also think my regular attacks get an attack boost, but my fire attacks are even stronger."
"That's why the pokemon back in the alley-way said they saw a blue flamethrower attack," Dean noted with a nod.
"That sounds great," Wallace began. "And you're obviously not a feral pokemon, so how is that a bad thing?"
Hazel took a deep breath. "Well," she said slowly, squinting her eyes. "Shadow Matter turns pokemon into ferals… and since I know I've been exposed to it based on my flame, I'm worried I might turn into a feral pokemon."
"That's… possible?" Tracey asked as all the color drained from her face.
"I'm not sure…" Hazel admitted. "But Dialga and Palkia seem to think it's a possibility."
"That's why you're not with Dillan?" Wallace asked.
"Dang…" Dean said as he slumped back in the booth.
"Which is why I need to talk with you, Tracey," Hazel stated.
"Why exactly…?" Tracey began slowly, scanning the surface of the table as though deep in thought.
Hazel took another deep breath, knowing her next words would most definitely be taken the wrong way, yet there was no way around it. "I need to find Team Armageddon."
The entire table became void of noise as everyone's widened eyes fell upon Hazel. Even Jess had stopped her nonsense to stare intently at Hazel.
"Why?" Jess asked in a curious tone.
"Might I remind you," Dean began in a hushed, yet aggressive manner. "They tried to kill you!"
"I remember," Hazel said to Dean. "But let me explain.
"This Shadow Matter thing inside of me… I've been worried about it for a while. I'm not sure if I can be around anyone without being afraid that I'll hurt them. Finding out that Dialga and Palkia have the same fears… it just further enforces the idea that I'm a danger to everyone. And the only one who can help is a charizard in Team Armageddon."
"Titus…" Bob whispered to himself fearfully. The ditto began shaking from fear at the mention of the dragon.
"He'll want to kill you more than anyone else!" Tracey shouted across the table.
"Keep your voice down!" Wallace snapped, glancing around the room. "Do you want everyone in Palando to join the conversation?"
"I don't have a choice," Hazel tried to explain. "Titus is some kind of expert on Shadow Matter… I need to find him. I need to make sure I won't turn feral so I can help Dillan."
"Screw that!" Tracey blared. "You want to find the very pokemon that want you dead even more than the Guild itself! Helping Dillan shouldn't be worth finding Team Armageddon and killing yourself!"
"She only wants Titus," Hailey corrected calmly. "So, relax."
"Actually…" Hazel said slowly.
"Oh, come on!" Dean shouted, absolutely dumbfounded by what hazel was suggesting.
"There you guys are!" a new voice called from behind. Hazel had barely enough time to glance back before a yellow blur dove under the table and popped up next to Tracey and Hailey. Bolt squirmed a bit as if getting himself situated in the booth. "I was wondering whether Hailey found you." Bolt looked around at the mixture of shock and disbelief, leaving a confused look on his own face. "So, what did I miss?"
"Siggy here has some kind of shadow sickness," Jess summarized energetically as she drifted just above Bolt's head. "It gives her blue fire, but she's scared of it. So, she's going to see Team Armageddon about it."
Bolt looked to Tracey for confirmation. She nodded slowly, still eyeing Hazel with confusion.
"Someone can explain later," Hazel said. "Right now, I just need a point in the right direction."
"I'm not some kind of death tour guide!" Tracey snapped.
"Wait wait wait!" Bolt said hurriedly as he put his hands in the air. "You wanted to talk with Tracey to point you towards Team Armageddon?"
"I don't have a choice," Hazel said flatly. "I'm sick, and Titus is the only one who can tell me if I'm a danger to those around me." The charmeleon stood up and leaned over the table towards Tracey. "I need to talk with him! And I need you to point me in his direction." Hazel reached down into her bag and pulled out a map. She spread it across the table in front of Tracey. "You're the only one in Team Armageddon I know and can trust. You had to have heard of some sort of secret hide-out Team Armageddon would go to if the attack on the Alkan islands failed."
Tracey looked down at the map, her eyes tracing the surface as she looked. The glaceon closed her eyes, then took a deep breath. "Is Titus the only one you can go to?" she asked. Hazel was surprised to hear a bit of fear in her voice.
"I don't know anyone else," Hazel said.
"You can't be considering this," Dean said coldly.
The glaceon stuck out a claw from her teal paw before touching a mountain range west of Palando labeled, "Palando Mountain Range". "There was a rumor that was pretty hard to miss even in lower ranking Team Armageddon grunts that there was a secret base hidden in the Palando Mountain Range that was to be used in case the Guild tried to kill us all once and for all. Other than that, we never had any secret bases that I knew about. Then again, I wasn't in Team Armageddon for too long."
"That's fine," Hazel said, pulling her map back towards her before folding it up and setting it in her bag. "It's a start."
"I'm coming with you," Tracey said.
"Wh…" Hazel said, processing what the glaceon had said. Her mind seemed to have a hard time wrapping itself around what was just said. "You want to come with me?"
"I have to," Tracey said before leaping over the table with ease before her feel thumped against the wood next to Hazel's chair. "My dad was in Lantern Fields with you. If you're exposed to this Shadow whatever, then he is, too. And if you're right about all of this, then I need to find Titus."
"I'm coming, too," Bolt said as he dove under the table to meet them.
"Hang on a minute!" Dean shouted.
"What?" Tracey snapped. "Are you scared of the big bad dragon?"
"You're talking about treason!" Dean hissed.
"So?" Bolt said with a smirk. "If Hazel's in trouble-"
"Don't you understand?" Dean pushed. "The entire Guild is against her!" he said as he pointed to Hazel. "Going with her is fighting against Ganderosa itself!"
"My dad comes first above anything!" Tracey said. "Screw the Guild if they want to keep me from helping him!"
"Bolt," Dean said. "What about your mom: your sister? Going with Sigourney is putting them in danger! And no one's going to notice if some red-strip family goes missing or dies in an alley-way!"
Bolt's joyous expression began fading at those words. He took on one of a grim tone as his fist clenched.
"Dean," Hailey said from her seat. "That's going too far."
"Oh, come on," Dean said, leering at Hailey. "You know better than anyone what going with her would mean!"
"Death!" Jess chanted.
Hailey scowled at Dean for a few more seconds before turning her gaze towards the table. But Dean wasn't finished. He looked towards Bolt and said, "I'm not doubting what Sigourney says is true, but at the same time, going with her isn't just risking your own life: it's risking your family's and friends', as well."
"Can't we just take it to the Guild Leader and explain what's happening?" Wallace asked. "I mean, I'm sure he could help us fight Judah."
"No," Hazel said flatly. "Judah has too many friends in the Guild."
"But if they don't know what's happening, then they'll help with an explanation," Wallace continued.
"I trust Hazel more than some creep who just came into the position!" Tracey snapped. "And my dad's the only family I have left, and he can take care of himself! But if he's sick like Hazel says, then I'm sold on going!"
"What about you, Butterfingers?" Dean said.
"Uh…" Bolt began. "I mean… I… I don't-"
"It's fine," Hazel said to the pikachu. Bolt looked up at her with worry. "I get it. Your family needs you more than me."
"That's… not true…" Bolt said. "If you're trying to find Team Armageddon, then you'll really need everyone you can get."
"But Dean's right," Hazel said. "Going with me is going to put your mom and sister at risk. I'm glad you care enough to at least consider it, but you need to stay here."
"She's right," Tracey said. "Besides: we'll be fine together."
"You're sure?" Bolt said. Tracey gave him a scowl that said, "Really?" It seemed to lighten Bolt's mood ever-so-slightly. "Alright. But I'm not going to just leave you guys to fight alone. I'm going to try moving my family to a safe place. I'll catch up wit you guys when I can."
Hazel smiled brightly at the pikachu. It brought a lot of joy to know that she could still trust him to help. "Thank you, Bolt," she said.
"No problem, beautiful," Bolt said with a smirk and a wink. Tracey gave a huff at that comment.
"We should go before it gets dark," the glaceon said.
Hazel nodded to the glaceon before facing the guildmembers once more. She looked on at the horror-stricken Wallace who continued o stare at the table in shock. Dean was currently crossing his arms as he scowled at the group while Jess chanted "Death" above his head, but Hailey was staring at Hazel with a sort of desire to her.
The charmeleon shook her head, knowing that no one else would join her. So, she turned around and began walking out of the pub.
"Wait," Hailey's voice called out to them.
Hazel turned back to see the staraptor had stood up from the booth and was walking towards her.
"I don't believe this," Dean said, astonished by Hailey.
"I… I'm coming with you."
The entire room fell silent as Hazel's jaw hung open in shock. This had to be the one thing she didn't expect to see coming here.
"Hailey…" Dean said, his voice trailing off as a lack of words held his tongue prisoner.
"Hailey?" Hazel asked with surprise.
"We were friends at one point," Hailey said. "Best friends."
"What the hell?!" Dean said as he marched towards the staraptor to meet. "We're a team!"
"Quiet, Dean," Hailey said to the machoke.
"You can't just leave us behind like it's a simple task!"
"Why?" Hailey questioned. "We've done it before, right Sig?"
The entire room was silent as Dean huffed behind Hailey. "Whatever," Dean grumbled through clenched teeth. He walked passed Hailey and towards the door. "Die for all I care!" Dean then exited the diner, leaving Jess floating above no one.
"Hailey?" Jess asked sadly as she floated to Hailey's side. "What about Team Force? Does this mean we're disbanded?"
"Jess," Hailey said to the ghost. "You know that I'm not going to leave the team. Right now, I just need to help an old friend, alright?"
Jess looked towards Hazel and smiled. "Alright," she nodded before giving Hailey a massive hug. "When are you going to come back?"
"I'll be back when I come back," Hailey said. "Just make sure Dean doesn't do anything stupid, alright?"
"Sure thing!" Jess said joyfully before breaking from the hug. She then floated towards the door before giving a final wave and exiting the diner.
"Wait…" Bolt said as though in thought. "Was Jess just… not crazy?"
"Sig," Hailey went on, ignoring Bolt's comment. "I'm sorry I left you back then."
"I didn't think you cared," Hazel said accusingly.
"I've never stopped caring about you," Hailey stated.
"Then why?" Hazel asked sharply. "Why did you leave me back then? I thought I wasn't good enough for you guys. But now you're telling me that you still liked me? So why did you leave me? Why did you follow our dream without me?"
"Because we were scared…" Hailey said. Hazel was surprised to find that her voice was quivering. "We were scared of dying."
"What-"
"When your mother was killed, our parents were convinced it was the King trying to send a message that they needed to stop conspiring against him. So, me and Dean's stopped, but your dad didn't want to. He was sure that you were destined to overthrow Judah and continued to push you. Our parents were terrified that if me and Dean stayed in Labensia, Judah was going to think we were still planning. So, they sent us to Ferricia, and away from you.
"But then you showed up in Ferricia. When you explained that you'd come to form a team with us, we didn't think much of it. But about a week later, Dean got a letter from his parents telling us we'd be killed like your mother if we made a team. It tore us apart. We didn't want to distance us from you… but we were also terrified… for each other, and for you."
"And eventually you left…" Hazel said sadly.
Hazel noticed a small tear escape from the corner of Hailey's eye. She watched as it slithered down her feathery cheek before breaking away towards the ground below. She really does care…
"I can't really justify it, Sigourney," the staraptor said sadly. "I knew it was wrong… and so did Dean… And maybe I can't repair my friendship with Sigourney. Maybe I hurt her too much… But can you at least give me a chance to be friends with Hazel, instead?"
Hazel looked to Hailey, observing the features on her face. Her eyebrows were knitted into a hopeful gaze as another tear ran down the opposite side of her face. She really was hurting from what she had done. But could Hazel truly blame her? She still woke up in cold sweats from night terrors of that ghost. Knowing that could have happened to her or her friends simply because they made a team probably would have made her question whether she truly wanted it, as well.
Hazel walked towards Hailey and hugged the staraptor. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Hazel said as tears began falling from her cheeks.
"I was scared of what you'd say to me…" Hailey said as more tears fell from her cheeks and onto Hazel's shoulders. "I was afraid you'd think I was a coward."
"I wouldn't have ever thought that…" Hazel stated.
It was a sad moment to be sure, yet it was also one of immense happiness. This morning, she felt lost and betrayed. She felt like she was about to take on the entire world afraid and alone. Now, she had friends who would take on the world with her. On top of that, one of her best friends who she thought had turned her back on the charmeleon had turned out to still care for her. Hailey still wanted to be there for her.
Hazel heard a huff from the glaceon behind her as she began tapping her front paw impatiently. Bolt smiled and raised an eyebrow to the pokemon. He nudged her with his elbow playfully.
"You can't tell me that this isn't cool," Bolt said with a smirk.
"The word you're looking for is sweet," Tracey corrected. "And whatever."
Bolt gave a chuckle. "I'll be off," he announced as Hailey and Hazel broke away from the hug. "I need to tell my mom we're moving."
"We'll wait in the mountains for a few days for you," Hazel stated.
"Come looking for us when you're done," Tracey said to Bolt, not facing the pikachu.
"Will do, Snowflakes," Bolt said with a wink as he gave a final wave.
Tracey seemed to wince at the comment, but her cheeks turned a rosy color. Bolt then began walking towards the exit.
"And take care of Bob for me!" the pikachu called out. "I imagine he'll be wanting to see Molan again!" With that, the pikachu exited the diner.
"Bye, Boss!" Bob called out as he squelched next to Hailey.
"Alright, then," Tracey said energetically, her cheeks a rosy color. "We should move out before it gets dark: try and cover as much ground as we can before we have to rest."
"What about you, Wallace?" Hailey called out to the watchog who was still situated miserably at the booth. He had his hands resting on his forehead.
"I'm... still processing…" Wallace said slowly. "You know… not every day you find out that your dream to be a Royal Guard is really… there to help end the world… I don't know what I'm going to do…" he admitted as he scanned the ceiling. "I thought I'd come here and get some answers… but now I seem to have more questions."
"Wallace-" Hazel began.
"He'll be fine," Hailey told the charmeleon. "Just give him some time to make sense of it all."
Hazel looked at the watchog with sympathy. Days ago, she was right there with him. She's right… He just needs some time to think about it all.
"Alright," Hazel said. "But Wallace, come looking for us if you want to fight."
Wallace didn't answer the charmeleon. He seemed too wrapped up in his own thoughts to do anything more than breathe. All hazel could do was hope the guy would be alright.
The group of four began walking out of the diner. As her cloak began whipping around in the draft that blew by her, she didn't pull on the ends to conceal herself. She wasn't afraid anymore. She had friends to back her up, now. As Bob, Tracey, Hazel, and Hailey took to the streets, they looked towards the west: towards the mountains. The group went onwards in search of Team Armageddon.
(Author's Notes)
Before anything: Shout-outs to the new follows/favorites!
Shout-out to, "ctran03931", "LunarFrost56", "Valaran", "Ori and Sein", "Mageinblue", "dragonlord74", "Valaran", "Ori and Sein", and "o3Isabella" for following/favoriting the story! These guys were supposed to get a shout-out almost a month ago, and I messed up. Something happened to the "Author's Notes" section of Chapter 45, and I'm disappointed I messed up.
Another round of Shout-Outs to, "xXThunderXx", "RyChu0130", and "OmegaEdgeXII"! Thank you guys so much for helping the story to grow! It means a lot to me!
And now for some important news! I'm taking a hiatus! I really meant to do this last month, but since the "Author's Notes" section of that chapter got cut, I wasn't able to announce it. It created a lot of stress in me because by the time I realized, half of the regular readers had already read the chapter and updating it wouldn't help them in any way. So, I wrote this chapter at half-steam (speed-wise, not quality-wise). So, I'm taking a hiatus: a break, in laymen's terms! The story will not stop here, I promise. Just give me some time to regain my lost momentum, and I'll be back. Promise.
That's all for now, guys! I can't think of anything else I want/need to say. Other than expect me to be back around May 16th (more or less).
Thanks for reading! I'll see you guys in the next chapter!
