Nothing but a memory.

He stood in a field around six coffins, all lined up in a row. People were surrounding them, some of them making their way towards him to offer their condolences. Everyone was dressed in black, either dresses or tuxedos. All of them except him.

He was dressed in white, from head to toe. White tux, with a white undershirt and pants, as well as white shoes. The only thing that was a different color was the flower on his chest. A dark rose.

Grey eyes stared at the coffins, no emotion in them. No sadness, no regret. Nothing. He was always good at disguising his emotions, and all of his friends and family knew it. But, none of them expected to see him this emotionless at his family's funeral, especially considering that he was the only one left of his family line.

The last successor.

He looked away from his dead family towards the overcast sky. It seemed as though even nature was in mourning for his loss. Mourning for him.

A man made his way towards the podium that was set up for just this event. As soon as he reached it, he tapped the microphone placed on it, signaling that he needed everyone's attention. Then he began to speak.

"Friends and family, we are gathered here today to remember those that have fallen, all way before their time. Before we begin, however, there is one among us who wished to speak for the dead. Please, be silent as the only survivor of the tragic events that took place last month speaks to us. Young man, if you would be so kind to approach the podium," the man said, gesturing for the man in white to take his place.

He nodded once, and made his way towards the podium so that he might speak of his thoughts and his family. The man who first spoke bowed his head slightly as a show of respect, before moving away from him and into the crowd.

He stood at the podium, as his grey eyes studied those before him, wondering where he should start. Then he sighed quietly, and started to speak.

"You all know who I am, so I'm not going to bother introducing myself. Instead, I'll get right to it," he said, before falling silent for a moment. Then he continued, saying, "We have all made mistakes. Every single one of us. Some of them major, but most of them relatively minor. I suppose that the trick to making a mistake is to continue going, to keep fighting. To do what needs to be done." He paused for a moment again, and as he did so, the heavens opened up as rain started to pour down on those who were mourning.

"Unfortunately for me, I suppose, I can't keep going after my mistake. I can't just bounce back from that. Hell, I don't know anyone that could. How does someone make my mistake, and then continue on as if nothing had happened? You can't. It's physically impossible. You see, I should have done more for them. I should have been able to save them. Every one of you tells me that I did all that I could for them. Yes, but it wasn't enough, now was it? For they're dead. They're dead, and I am not. Just look around you. If the coffins don't tell you that, then the people in black should be able to."

"I realize that I am not dressed in black, as most people in my situation would. There is a very simple reason for this. It would be so easy to mourn, so easy to say that I tried my best and carry on. But I can't. You see, I was always the one that would be there for my family. If any of them were bullied at school, or hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend, I would always be there for them. And I would always help them pull through. But the one time that they needed me most, the one time when it truly mattered, the one time where I could actually save them… I couldn't do it. I tried. I tried so hard. I literally just got out of the hospital today for this very reason, despite the doctors telling me that I needed to stay and heal."

"But how could I stay and rest, when my entire life was killed, solely because I couldn't save them? For that reason, and that reason alone, I don't deserve the right to mourn. I don't deserve the right to carry on. I don't deserve the right to say, 'I did all that I could'. I don't deserve any of it. So, I'll save my mourning for when I feel that I deserve it. Instead, I will simply remember. I will remember the good times we had. I will remember every holiday we celebrated, every event that we attended, every meal that we had together. Every time I helped them pull through. And I'll remember the one time when I couldn't."

"I am wearing the symbol of celebration, the color of white. I am celebrating the fact that they had a chance at life, despite it being cut off so soon. That they had a chance to love one another, and to be loved themselves. That they had a chance at all. But I will not mourn. Not now. I haven't earned that right, and I doubt I ever will."

"When my time comes that I to will die, and I know that it will come, I would want everyone to do as I am. Wear white. Celebrate me. Celebrate my life. Celebrate my accomplishments. Celebrate everything that I've done, and everyone that I've helped. But don't forget the dark rose. That is a reminder that I failed. That I couldn't save those closest to me. This rose, this one right here, is a symbol of my failure. Of my weakness. It will remind me and everyone that sees it of my failures. It is a symbol of my memory."

"We all have made mistakes. Every single one of us. But now, all those mistakes are nothing but a memory."

[POV: Lura, 909 BBF]

{You have so much to look forward to. Don't throw it all away.}

[I never try to, it just happens.]

Lura awoke with an adorable yawn, before looking around her in confusion. Where's Aurumn, she wondered? Then she remembered the events of the day before and giggled. Oh yeah, almost forgot.

She then at the two other pokemon she was currently cuddling with, and smiled at them. Nova and Cordina just looked so adorable while cuddled up together like that. As she watched, she saw Cordina's ear twitch, signaling that she was waking up.

She giggled again as Cordina yawned hugely and raised her head, before she locked eyes with Lura. Then she smiled brightly.

"Good morning, Lura!" she said cheerfully.

Lura giggled again. "Good morning, Cory," she replied.

"Go back to sleep," an adorable voice grumbled. Lura frowned at Nova, who was trying to cuddle into her and Cordina to sleep more.

"But it's morning," she said.

"Which means that it's time to get up," Cordina added.

Nova groaned. Then she sighed. "Ugh, fine. I'll get up. But, I'm not going to enjoy it," she replied.

Lura giggled as Nova shook herself, before getting up and stretching. Then she jumped off of the bed, followed by Cordina closely, and then Nova, who looked drowsy still. They headed out of Nova's room and waited near Lura's own room for Wolfe and Kage to get up.

They waited for around a half hour, until Nova got impatient.

"Damnit, why aren't they up yet?" she asked, exasperated.

Lura shrugged, and went back to grooming herself. I really need to work on my water abilities, she thought. Then I could probably just wash myself off that way. She hadn't even tried to use her abilities since that time when she killed the mightyena who had Wolfe pinned.

Nova grunted. "Well, fine then. I'm going in," she said, and immediately entered the room, not listening to Cordina's complaints. Lura just shook her head with a giggle and followed her into the room.

She had just taken three steps into the room, when she ran right into Nova, who was staring at the bed, dumbstruck. Lura blinked, and followed her gaze, smiling to herself when she saw the two umbreon on the bed.

"Awhhh, that's so cute!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Nova shook herself, and turned to look at Lura, eyes wide. "This is the first time that I've ever seen him sleep! Like, ever! And I stayed up for two nights just to see if he actually slept at all! He doesn't!" she told her, not believing what she was seeing.

Lura blinked in surprise, and looked back at the bed. She saw Kage curled up on it, sides gently rising and falling as he breathed, with Wolfe curled around him, seemingly asleep as well. She turned back to Nova. "Well, he's obviously asleep now. If Aurumn marked him, then that would make sense, as everyone who he's marked has fallen asleep after he marked them. So, I guess I'm not exactly surprised," she said cheerfully.

Nova turned to look back at the two snoozing males. Then she squealed excitedly. "He looks so cute when he's sleeping!"

Lura and Cordina giggled at her, even as Lura saw Wolfe's ear flick sharply, before he raised his head to glare at the three girls who were in his sleeping quarters.

"Awfully hard to sleep with three gorgeous 'mon in the room, especially when they're talking so loud," he said quietly.

Lura giggled as she blushed. "Sorry love, couldn't stop her," she apologized.

Wolfe smiled at her cheerfully. "No worries, I was awake anyway. It's Mr. Sleepy here that I'm waiting on," he said, flicking is tail lightly against Kage.

Nova giggled. "I'm glad that he got some sleep, even if it was only one night," she told him.

He shrugged with a slight grin. "I know exactly what you mean."

Nova nodded, smiling happily, as she and the rest of the group turned their attention to the sleeping umbreon, waiting for him to wake up. Lura and Cordina took the time to check on their eggs, wishing that somehow time would go by faster and that their eggs would hatch. Lura smiled widely as she thought about having her own little daughter running around.

They waited for another 30 minutes, until Lura saw one of Kage's ears flick, before he raised his head to look around him. Lura saw him see Nova and smile slightly, before he suddenly frowned. He turned his head to look at Wolfe, who was smiling brightly.

"Good morning!" he exclaimed cheerfully. Kage blinked at him, before leaping away from him quickly, onto the floor. Then he shook himself and glared at Wolfe, who was getting to his feet.

"Any particular reason as to why you were cuddling me?" he asked him, seemingly annoyed.

Wolfe shrugged with a smile. "Eh, I was cold, and you're awfully warm you know," he answered.

Lura giggled as Kage just frowned at him. Then he shrugged, and walked out the door, leaving the four other pokemon in the room by themselves. Wolfe frowned after him. "Rude," he said. Nova giggled, and followed him out.

Wolfe then turned to Lura and Cordina, who were both staring at him with grins on their faces. He smiled back at them, before asking, "And how are you two lovely ladies doing?"

Cordina shrugged. "I'm doing fine, though it was slightly weird not to wake up with you next to us," she told him.

Lura nodded in agreement. "It was definitely different, but it wasn't that bad. I mean, we had fun last night, so that's a plus, but still."

Wolfe's eyes brightened. "Oh, you had 'fun' without me?" he asked, faking a hurt look.

Lura giggled and shook her head. "No, not that kind of fun. Just talking and whatnot. Still was enjoyable," she said as she stuck her tongue out at him.

He frowned. Then he sighed, and hopped off of the bed, making his way towards the door. "Lame. Now, I need to find Artul. He and I have an appointment with Luna, and I want to get that figured out as soon as possible," he told them, before he walked out of the room.

Lura and Cordina shared a look, and grinned at each other, before following him out of the room.

[POV: Artul]

Artul was laying on his back on his bed, studying one of his paws. How things change, he mused. Fine one day, then dying in a hospital the next, then being put in a coma and becoming a totally different creature in a totally different world after that. Not only that, but meeting a dead war hero from my old world.

He found it rather amusing when everything was all said and done. Just the sheer absurdity of his situation. Who could ever expect something like that to happen? Certainly not him. He wished that he could do something to take his mind off of things, unlike yesterday when he stayed in his room the entire time. He had gone to Wolfe's room to try and talk to him, but he wasn't there for some reason.

So, the dark jolteon was bored the whole day, with nothing to do but think and contemplate. I hope that I can do something today.

Just as he finished that thought, he heard a knock at his door. He rotated his head to face it, and yelled, "Come in!"

Immediately, Wolfe walked in, looking cheerful with his tail swishing happily. "Good morning, Artul! I hope you're ready for today, we're going to start your training!" he greeted.

Artul blinked. About time, he thought. He nodded to show he understood. Wolfe's grin widened.

"Alright! Now, all we need to do is wait for Luna to show up to take us where we need to go," he told the jolteon. Artul nodded again, and got to his feet, before hopping off the bed and following the umbreon out.

Wolfe led him to the entrance of their sleeping wing, and sat down to wait next to Lura and Cordina. Artul sat down a little ways from them, and went back to studying his paws. They waited in silence, only the occasional conversation between Wolfe and his mates. Artul still thought that that was a little strange, Wolfe having two mates. It just seemed… wrong, somehow. But, he wasn't going to judge. Wolfe deserved to have some sort of reward after all that he had done in their old world.

Quicker than he had thought, he saw Wolfe's ears perk up, shortly followed by Luna appearing at the entrance, looking stressed. Wolfe smiled at her broadly.

"Why, good morning, Luna! What has you looking so stressed out?" he greeted.

Artul saw her eyes brighten when she saw Wolfe as she answered his question. "Duke is awake now. He's… in an interesting form. I don't want to be around him for the moment," she told him.

Wolfe frowned, looking serious. "He hasn't hurt you, has he?"

Luna shook her head, frowning. Then she sighed sadly. "No, not physically anyway. I think that he's regretting hiring you, if I'm honest," she said tiredly.

Wolfe's frown deepened. "What exactly has he said to hurt you? And that's his problem, not mine. I don't offer refunds, so I'm here for the term that I've been hired."

Luna shook her head again. "It doesn't matter, and he's aware that you don't refund any payments. That's one of the reasons why he's been saying the things that he's said…" her voice trailed off.

Wolfe started to growl slightly. "Luna, just tell me what he's said to you."

She lowered her head, looking very sad. Artul felt his heart go out to her. She just looked so miserable. "Essentially, I'm a whore," she said softly.

"Luna dear, do me a favor and stay around me today. If he starts anything, I'll just put him back to sleep. He knows that I can, so if he's smart at all, he won't do anything," Wolfe said, sounding pissed. Luna flinched slightly.

"I… I don't think that that would be a good idea, Wolfe… I'll just show you to the trainer and leave you to Duke," she told him.

Artul thought he saw something flash in Wolfe's eyes as she spoke, but he didn't argue, and simply dipped his head. "Alright, I can accept that. But if he hurts you, I'm not going to sit by idly. I will fuck his ass up."

Luna snorted in amusement. "Don't even like the guy and you'd still fuck him," she said, giggling lightly.

Wolfe frowned. "Not quite what I meant," he pouted.

Lura giggled, as Cordina shook her head and Luna laughed openly. Then she cleared her throat. "Alright, let's get going now. Long day ahead of us," she told them. Artul nodded, as Wolfe still pouted.

"I feel like I was insulted somehow," he muttered, before following Luna out of their sleep area. Artul shook his head lightly, amused, and followed the others out.

Luna led them through the Dark Army's base, towards Artul's supposed teacher. It still amazed him how large and extensive the cave system was. It must have taken years to build, he thought. Finally, they stopped outside of a small door with a lightning bolt symbol carved into the stone above it. Luna then entered the door, followed by the rest of the group. Artul cast one last glance behind him, before following as well.

Once inside, he first noticed that they were in another sandy arena, one that was around 40 meters by 40 meters. It was obviously built for battle training, something that Artul could appreciate. His gaze finally came to a rest on the rooms only occupant: a luxray, who was sitting down facing them with his eyes closed.

"Greetings," he said solemnly. Then he opened his eyes to stare at them. "Luna, always a pleasure. Ah, and I see an electric type as well. Going to assume that he is the reason that you've all come to visit old Derick?"

Luna nodded with a smile, and then gestured for Artul to come up next to her. He nodded once, and padded forward till he sat next to her.

"Derick, this is Artul. Aurumn has requested that he be trained here while he is out on missions, as well as when it comes to energy attacks, such as your electricity. As he is also an electric type, I felt that you would be the best option to train him," Luna told him.

The luxray eyed Artul and nodded his head once. "I can agree to that. Come then, Artul. Tell me what skills you might possess."

The dark jolteon shifted uncomfortably once, and made his way to sit in front of the elderly pokemon, feeling more nervous as he drew closer. The luxray, Derick, just watched him, staying silent till he stood in front of him. They stared at each other for a while, until Artul started to get uncomfortable.

Just as he was about to say something, the luxray began to speak. "Well, Artul, I must say that I am impressed. Not many can hold my gaze for as long as you have. It's quite refreshing, actually. But, you walk as though you are someone in a stranger's body. That is something that we need to work on if I am to train you," he said.

Artul blinked, shocked that the pokemon could tell just from that short distance. Then he shook himself, and nodded understandingly. Derick snorted in amusement. "That is another thing that we need to work on. When I speak to you, I expect a verbal answer."

Artul blushed in embarrassment. "My apologies, sir. But, I didn't know what there was for me to say," he explained, looking away.

Derick laughed. "Kid, you don't need to apologize to me. Just acknowledge that you heard me. Now then, while I am training you, I expect a few things to happen. One, you will address me as Sir or Mister while training. Second, you will do everything that I say, no matter how stupid it may seem at the time. I will never have you do something with the intention of gaining nothing. There will always be a lesson for you to learn. Do you understand?"

Artul nodded again. "Yes, sir. I understand perfectly."

Derick smiled. "Good, you're learning already. Alright," he said, turning to the other pokemon in the room. "if you'll all give us some privacy, I would appreciate that. I'd imagine that you have other things to do, and I don't want Artul here to be distracted."

Artul blinked in surprise. "Wait, we're starting training right now?" he asked in surprise.

Derick turned to glare at him. Then he smiled. "Why wait? We're both here, and I don't believe that you have anything that needs doing outside of here. Besides, this will take priority of your life, as long as you are under the Dark Army's jurisdiction. Also, do not forget so soon that what I have told you. Sir or Mister."

Artul looked down at his feet. "My apologies, sir. It won't happen again," he apologized.

Wolfe cleared his throat, drawing attention to him. "Artul, I'll probably stop by to check up on you later, but for now, have fun. Well, maybe not fun. But, try to not die in any case. You'll be fan," he said, grinning at the jolteon. Artul frowned at him, and sighed. Then he nodded. Wolfe winked, and then looked at the luxray again. "Train him well, alright? I expect to see a lot of improvement in the near future," he told him.

Derick frowned at him. "Who is the elder here, boy?" he asked.

Wolfe stared at him easily, smiling slightly. "I am, old man."

Derick raised an eyebrow, before snorting softly and looking away. "You need not worry, demon. He'll be well trained."

Wolfe's smile broadened. "Good! Now, Luna dear, should we go check up on your darling asshole," he coughed once, "I mean mate?"

Luna sighed and rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Yeah, we probably should. Well, let's go then. He'll probably want to tell you the details of your next mission. Derrick, you have fun," she said. Derick bowed his head respectfully.

"Of course, ma'am," he said.

Artul studied the luxray as the group left. Courtesy seemed to very important to him, if his actions toward Luna and him were anything to go on. Once they were alone, Derick walked around him, studied his body and stance.

"Relax, Artul. You don't need to be nervous around me. I'm not one to judge, nor am I one to be unreasonable. I am solely here to teach you, nothing more. Now, I can tell by your body and stance that you haven't ever really fought before, correct? This is actually a good thing. It means that you'll not have any bad habits that I might have to correct. You are smaller than most jolteon, but all that means is that you'll be quicker, as well as more agile. All of these attributes are great for quick striking attacks, hit and run tactics if you will. If trained properly, you'll be able to do a large amount of damage very quickly, and escape before damaged yourself. I think that we will focus on long range attacks, as well as your speed and stamina. So, we'll start off simple," Derick told him, then stopped examining the jolteon and moved to the side of the arena.

"Now, I want you to start running around the rooms perimeter till I decide that you're tired enough," he finished. Then he sat down, and gestured for the jolteon to start running. Artul groaned internally, as he started running. Basic training all over again, he thought.

[POV: Wolfe]

He was walking down a pathway, humming to himself cheerfully. Beside him walked a white vulpix, wearing her body armor and seemingly lost in thought. Wolfe himself was in a great mood, as he was finally on the road again. He hated being cooped up, and the week he had spent with the Dark Army so far, had been some of the longest. He had spent the whole time either in his room with Lura and Cordina, discussing their future children, and occasionally some of the other members of his group from time to time, or at the sparring arena, watching the spars or partaking in them himself.

Around two days before he had left on the mission he was currently on, Hail and Iris had returned, much to Wolfe's delight. He had been so bored, so them making an appearance meant that he was that much closer to leaving on his mission. Plus, he enjoyed Iris' interactions with Cordina. Though, she did slightly irritate him sometimes when it came to how she treated Lura. He was just glad that it didn't seem to bother Lura a whole lot.

He turned his gaze over to Gale, still humming cheerfully. She was an interesting character for sure, as well as slightly mysterious. Not many pokemon wore armor, but he guessed that she was just being cautious. He wasn't going to complain, it just meant that he wouldn't have to watch out for her as much. Now, that's not to say that he wouldn't anyway. She was his sister in arms at the moment, and he'd always watch out for his brothers and sisters. That's something that would never change about him. It just eased his mind a bit that she wore it.

He must have been staring at her for longer than he had thought, for she had caught his gaze and was looking at him curiously. "What are you doing?" she asked him.

He grinned at her, and winked. "Just enjoying the view. Is that so bad?" he replied.

She blushed slightly, and turned her gaze to in front of her. "I suppose that it's not," she said uncomfortably. Wolfe chuckled, though he didn't avert his gaze.

"So how come you wear that armor?" he asked curiously. She snapped her gaze towards him, then quickly returned it in front of her. Interesting, he thought.

"I used to be a mercenary a while ago. I just got used to wearing it, I suppose," she answered evenly. Wolfe nodded in understanding.

"I'm seeing a trend with the Dark Army here. It seems that the majority of them have some history as a mercenary," he observed. She shrugged.

"Not as many as you might think, though I suppose that there is a fair amount that do. More often than not, the people that come in have no experience whatsoever. Takes longer to get everyone to the point where they can go out on missions, but it means that everyone's loyal. No one wants to fight against the ones that taught them," she explained.

He nodded again. "I suppose that that makes sense."

He turned his attention to the road ahead of him. He smiled again, at the actual scenery this time. It really was quite stunning, and he knew that they were about to leave the mountains. They were set to be gone for around a month, which he was completely fine with. Lura was safe, and he got to travel around again. Then he grinned mischievously to himself, and turned his head to look at the vulpix again.

"So, what's our mission again?" he asked happily.

She stumbled, before quickly catching her footing and turning to stare at the umbreon in disbelief. "You're joking, right?" she asked him incredulously.

He shrugged, still grinning. She groaned, before saying, "We were literally the only two in the room besides Duke. How did you not pay attention?"

He shrugged again. "There was a very attractive female in the room, what can I say? I get distracted very easily in situations like that," he told her.

She blinked in confusion. Then understanding flooded her gaze, and she blushed again, looking at her paws. Wolfe chuckle in amusement. Guessing that she doesn't get complimented very often, if her reaction's anything to go by. Cute, he thought. He decided to stop flirting with the poor girl for a little bit. Just a little bit though.

"You never answered me, you know," he said with a laugh.

She kept staring at her paws, seemingly lost in thought. Wolfe started to frown. Then she spoke again, quietly this time.

"Do you really mean that? Or are you just amusing yourself?" she asked, still looking at the ground.

Wolfe frowned sharply. "While I realize that my voice is very attractive, I don't speak for the pleasure to hear my own voice. Yes, I was serious. You're a good looking 'mon. Hasn't anyone told you that before?"

She turned her head to look at him, smiling softly. "Not for a long time, no. Thank you for that. I appreciate it," she told him. Then she frowned and glared at him. "Don't get any ideas now. I appreciate the compliment, but this trip is business and business only. No funny business."

He grinned brightly, and winked at her. "You say that now, just give it a while. Meanwhile, can you actually tell me what the mission is? I was legitimately distracted," he said.

She groaned again. "How do your mates put up with you? You're impossible," she said in exasperation. He chuckled.

"Well, you see, they usually just love me nicely. I'm a lot more manageable after I've had some 'fun'," he told her cheerfully, complete with a suggestive wink.

She frowned at him. "Not happening," she said stiffly.

He pouted. "Why not?" he whined. She rolled her eyes.

"I have a boyfriend. Plus, you have a mate. Two of them, actually."

He frowned. "They don't care at all. Actually, Lura even enjoys watching, which is very cute in my opinion."

She huffed. "It probably wouldn't be a good idea. Especially considering that Duke has a rule, no mating while on a mission."

"Duke, shmuke, he doesn't own me. Neither does he get to boss me around. He can send me on missions, and they'll get done, but he can't tell me what to do on said missions."

She glared at him. "But he can tell me what to do on missions."

Wolfe grinned at her. "Then keep it a secret! It won't be that hard, hell, it won't be hard at all. Besides, if he does find out, what can he do? Kick you out? The dude looks like he needs all the soldiers here he can get."

She huffed again. "No, he won't kick me out, but he'll cut my rations and issue more chore duties for me."

He kept grinning at her. "Well, then I'll give you food as well as do your chores for you! It's a win-win in my book!"

She glared at him. "You don't like authority, do you?"

He shrugged. "Authority usually just limits my options. I hate limited options. So, as soon as I was told that there was no 'fun' allowed on missions, that made me want to have 'fun' even more, if only just to spit in Duke's face. That absol annoys me beyond belief."

She frowned at him. "Then that's a definite no. Not going to do something just so you can metaphorically spit in someone's face."

Wolfe blinked, then frowned. "Didn't quite mean it like that. Alright, I'll stop flirting. For now. But, can you please tell me what the mission is?"

She sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Patrol the area surrounding a small village in Norovia, while looking for a particular target, one who is responsible for three deaths so far in the Dark Army. An unusual looking scyther named Crux. Supposedly he's had a large bounty on him for years, and we've recently learned that he might be in the area. Duke was hesitant to send us, actually, as any previous members who came into contact with him had been killed, barring one of course. But the houndoom said that it was night time and most of them were tired. This, combined with the fact that you're a much more well known fighter, makes him fairly confident that we will most likely not die."

Wolfe snorted. "Don't worry hon, we ain't dying. At the very least I can guarantee you that."

She sighed again, and looked at her paws once more, before turning her head to watch the passing trees. "The more I talk with you, the more I feel that you're way too arrogant. Not a fan of arrogant people," she muttered.

Wolfe instantly went straight faced. "If you'd prefer, I can be cold and boring for the rest of the month. Most people do not like me being cold, but you might be the exception. You are an ice type, after all," he said coldly.

Her fur started to bristle, as she snapped her head to face him, eyes flashing dangerously. "And what is that supposed to mean, Mr. Dark type?" she asked, starting to get upset.

Wolfe kept his face emotionless. "Nothing at all, hon. Merely stating that you might enjoy someone who has a colder personality than mine. So, I'm trying to make you as comfortable as possible."

She started to growl quietly. "I'm not sure that I appreciate what you're implying," she growled.

"I'm not implying anything, Gale. But it's not nice to feel insulted, now is it?"

She flinched, and looked down at her paws again, all anger draining from her body as she came to a stop. Wolfe stopped walking shortly after, and just watched her emotionlessly. Then he saw tears in her eyes. Oh great, not even gone for a day and you've already made her sad. Great going demon. You're doing a fantastic job, he chastised himself angrily.

"My apologies, I did not mean to offend you by my earlier comment. I was simply thinking aloud," she whispered to him after a while.

Wolfe sighed, and shook his head, before adopting a smile on his face and approaching her. She appeared to be lost in thought again, struggling with some internal emotion that he couldn't identify. Once he was close enough, he sat next to her and wrapped his tail around her pulling her into him much like he does with Lura. He felt her stiffen at his touch momentarily, before she relaxed into him.

"You don't need to worry. It takes a lot to truly offend me, the comment was just slightly irritating. Slightly. Now relax, I'm not upset at all. Just know that if my remarks ever bother you, just let me know. I'll ease up on them, promise," he told her quietly.

She sniffed once, and then nodded. He rubbed her with his tail gently for a moment, before he moved away from her. She shook herself, and started to stand up. "You good?" Wolfe asked her once she was standing.

She smiled at him, and nodded. Then she shook herself again. "We should probably get moving, still got a few hours of travel time today," she said briskly.

Wolfe chuckled, and nodded. "Sooooo, do you mind if I get a look at you without your armor?" he asked cheekily as they started walking.

She glared at him, before smacking him with her black tails. "No. Bad. And I thought that you weren't going to flirt anymore," she said grouchily.

He winked at her. "I said for now. It's not now anymore," he justified.

She glared at him, then she chuckled. "Well, it is now, actually. So is right now. And right now. And now. And even now!" she said, as Wolfe grimaced.

"For having such a cute ass, you're such a smart ass," he complained bitterly, eyeing her.

She snorted in amusement, before speeding up to walk in front of him, swaying her rear in time with her steps. "Well, if you think that my ass is so cute, you can just stare at it for the rest of the day," she said haughtily.

Wolfe laughed. "Don't think I won't, because now I'm going to. Especially when you walk like that," he told her, eyeing her tails as they flicked from side to side.

He made good on his word, as every time she looked back at him for the rest of the day, his gaze was always locked on one place. Each time she did so, he heard her snort in amusement. Even when they stopped to drink from a stream, he still continued as he was, causing her to shake her head when she caught his gaze.

"I'm not even walking!" she exclaimed to him the second time they had stopped to drink. He shrugged with a smile.

"Doesn't make me any less attracted," he said cheerfully. She just shook her head at him and smiled.

"Are you really that desperate?" she asked him.

He frowned as he looked at her. "I wouldn't say desperate. You just told me to watch it all day, so I took that as a challenge. I never back down from a challenge," he pouted.

She snorted in amusement, and shook her head again. "So, what if I challenge you not to look at me for the rest of the day?" she asked curiously.

He blinked at her, then looked towards the setting sun. "Well, it'll be difficult, but I think I can for the last three minutes," he said hesitantly.

Now it was her turn to blink at him. Then she blinked at the sun. Then him again. Then she sighed. "Damn, guess I didn't think that through. Well, I suppose that I don't care. Look all you want, just don't touch," she told him.

He frowned at her. "Can't we cuddle?" he asked hopefully?

She shook her head. "No. No touch. Bad umbreon."

He chuckled at her. "Fine, fine. Real talk though, do you want to keep going, or just stop here for the night?"

She looked at the sun again, and frowned. "Well, it's getting dark, and we won't be able to see after the sun sets, so it might be best to stay here the night," she mused.

He chuckled again. "Actually, we'll be able to see just fine. I can see in the dark, and I can make my rings glow. Provided that you make me happy of course," he told her with a wink. He laughed as she groaned, before he continued. "In all honesty, though, we should be fine if you want to continue."

She grimaced. "Forgot that dark types can see in the dark. Fine, let's just stay here the night because I'm tired from walking all day and my paws are sore. Plus, this armor chafes."

He grinned at her. "Poor, poor Gale. Delicate little paws are sore. Such a shame. I can carry you if you'd like," he said.

She glared at him. "Cool it buster. A lady can rest when she wants to. And I thought that you were finally done flirting for the day," she grumbled, laying down.

He frowned at her. "But I wasn't flirting," he said in confusion.

She blinked at him. "You were seriously offering to carry me?" she asked in disbelief.

He shrugged with a smile. "Of course! Consider it my apology for putting up with my shenanigans," he told her.

She blinked again. Then she narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "This isn't some ploy just to get close to me, is it?"

He feigned a hurt look. "Ouch. And no, it's not a ploy. Although, odds are that I will enjoy carrying you. Not every day that I have an excuse to be so close to a pretty girl who isn't my mate."

She rolled her eyes, and got to her paws. "Fine, I'll allow it, just because it offers me a chance to travel without aching paws."

Wolfe laughed at her, as he crouched down to let her get onto his back. As he felt her paws climb up his back, he couldn't resist flicking her nose with his tail, causing her to sneeze. Then she smacked him with her own tails, before laying down on him with her chest pressed against his back. Well, her armor, but it would have been her chest had she not been wearing it.

Once she was situated, he raised himself to his feet, glad that he was tall enough that her paws didn't scrape the ground. He felt her shift on his back as he started to walk, before she draped her head over his right shoulder and alongside his neck. He chuckled in amusement.

"Awh, now that's cute~" he cooed.

She growled at him, before nipping his shoulder, causing his whole body to stiffen as he felt his urges start to rise as he growled softly. He shoved them down as she began to speak.

"Yeah, yeah. You've mentioned that you thought I was attractive, you don't need to keep bringing it up," she said in his ear.

He flicked an ear, before answering, saying, "Oh, but I think I do. People have a habit of forgetting nice things that you tell them, so it's best to tell them as often as possible. Oh, and you might not want to bite me again. I have a hard time controlling myself when an attractive pokemon does that, and you said no touching. So, if I touch, it's not my fault," he told her.

She giggled softly. "Oh, is that so? Then allow me to make your night absolutely miserable," she whispered in his ear, and proceeded to bite and nip his neck and shoulder, to the point where he was growling, as well as his body shaking.

"Remember, no touching," she whispered after a while. Then she continued her process of teasing him, making it very hard for Wolfe to concentrate, as he started to stumble a bit.

Finally, after a particularly hard bite on her part, he let loose a loud, feral growl, and shrugged her off of him, causing her to squeal in surprise as she landed on her back. He instantly stood over her, glaring at her. She stared up at him in anticipation, as his body shook. She looked at him for a long time, before speaking again.

"Well?" she asked.

With another growl, Wolfe placed his mouth roughly over hers, kissing the vulpix below him deeply as she let out a gasp of shock. Wolfe took this opportunity as well, and began to explore her mouth with his tongue, even as she began to explore his. As he drew his tongue along her fangs, she bit his lip gently, almost making him lose all sense of control whatsoever. But he managed. Barely. He bit her back softly as well, returning the favor. He felt her moan softly into his mouth.

Finally, he broke away from her, looking at her as she stared up at him, blushing softly. Then he let out another growl, and leaned down to nip her neck sharply, before pulling away from her as she squeaked. He continued to glare at her.

"I didn't touch," he said stiffly, and hopped off of her so that she could get to her feet. As she did so, he noticed that she was blushing deeply, and looking embarrassed. He lowered himself so that she could get back on his back, which she did, albeit a bit nervously.

"S-sorry about that, Wolfe. I… I'm not entirely sure what came over me there. I sincerely apologize," she stammered out as she apologized.

He grunted softly as he got to his feet to keep walking. "Don't worry about it. Not the first time something like that has happened with me, and odds are it won't be the last. However, just a warning, I may not be able to control myself as well as I did there in the future. So, it's probably in your best interest to not bite me again, if you're serious about not doing anything," he said, before turning to look at her over his shoulder. "Don't worry too much about it, hon."

She nodded, before sighing as she laid down on him again. "Don't worry, it won't happen again," she told him. Then she shifted a bit, and muttered, "It was nice though."

Wolfe chuckled in amusement, even as his thoughts explored everything that he had learned today about Hail. Seems to be touchy about her armor, possibly a family heirloom. Also, claims to have a boyfriend, but she didn't seem to bothered about me kissing her. You're definitely a mysterious individual, Gale, he thought.

He continued to walk for the better part of the night, musing over everything that had happened recently again. Well after midnight, he finally decided to stop for the night. Hail had passed out already, and was currently snoozing on his back. Wolfe drowsily headed towards a large tree that draped down over a large expanse of a clearing. Looks like a willow, he thought tiredly. He smiled as they were enveloped in its leaves, giving them plenty of shelter.

Once he had made it to the base, he carefully set Gale on the ground, and smiled as she curled up on herself. Then he padded a short distance away, before laying down himself as he prepared to sleep. He had been finding it slightly more difficult since he had taken some of Kage's emotion into him, but having trouble sleeping wasn't anything new to him.

He was just about to fall asleep, when he heard a whimper come from the sleeping vulpix. He tiredly raised his head to look at her, and saw that she was grimacing, and squirming in her sleep. He sighed, getting to his feet and walking over to her. Then he curled his body around her, causing her to snap her head up and stare at him with tired eyes.

"Wolfe? Wha…" she mumbled.

Wolfe laid his head down next to where her head was when she had been sleeping. "Just go to sleep," he grumbled. She blinked in confusion, before yawning and laying back down. Then she snuggled back into him, as he tried to ignore her armor digging into his chest. Shortly afterwards, he heard her breathing even out as she fell asleep. He had time for one last about her before he fell asleep.

Barely know you, Gale, yet I can already tell that something's wrong. You're my sister in arms, and I'm only sorry that I wasn't able to help you sooner. But, if I'm able, I will do whatever I can to make your past nothing but a memory.

[POV: Tal]

Tal had been enjoying his life immensely, even more so since he had met Aileen. He didn't know why he was so drawn to her, he just was. It almost felt as if some higher power, one that had total control over his life and held it in the tip of its fingers, had decided that he needed something in his life to help him get over his previous loves. Like it had been too cruel to him.

Regardless, he wasn't going to complain one bit. Every single free moment that he received, he spent with her. She just made him so happy. Happier than he could ever possibly remember being. It was a treat for him. He loved it.

As he waited for the beautiful flareon to make her appearance at their meeting place, he couldn't help but wonder if he was seriously falling in love with this girl, possibly more than he did with Lura or Zero.

[POV: Unknown]

Clear blue eyes sparkled into the darkness as they fell onto a village. Maybe I'll have better luck in my search here. I certainly hope so. It's been way too long, the eyes owner thought.

A blue paw stepped slowly into the light, followed shortly by a feminine figure emerging from the shadows. Ribbons curled around its body as it studied the village. Here's hoping, the sylveon thought, before it started to make its way down towards the lights below.