Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here, bringing you the finale of Seasons of the Sun! Well, last main chapter, that is. I will be including an epilogue, just like how the first chapter was a prologue, and a bonus chapter with all the alternate scenarios. Enjoy!

I pause for only a moment before realizing the truth. With confidence, I say, "I choose…neither. To go back will only destroy what progress I've made in my life so far, and there's no garuntee that I can convince my past self to stray from the path he already set in motion. And as much as I'm honored you wish to pass on your power to me, I don't feel I'm ready for the pressure. I've lived under my own power until now, and I will continue to do so."

Suddenly, an unfamiliar sound seems to echo around us, one I've never heard before…or have I? Something begins to rise inside me, things I didn't realize were lost until now: my past life.

"What was that crashing sound?" Eve says behind me, equally confused.

"It sounded like breaking glass," Kevin chimes in.

Mystia only smiles more, but this time it seems more genuine. "Congratulations, young Sol. You have passed the final test, and thus that sound signals the breaking of your curse."

"Wait, really?" I ask, stunned. "I thought we can't break our curses. And if it is broken, why am I still a ninetales?"

"Shortly after I cursed you and left you with Firedancer, I began having second thoughts about the nature of your curse," Mystia explains. "While in the midst of my anger, I sought to punish you for your arrogance; however, to trap you in a form not your own was unnecessary to that end. Therefore, I sought out a rather odd individual known only as the Judge. It is unknown whether he's a Pokémon or not, but he possesses great power in regards to curses; he can either lift them or render them unbreakable if he so chooses. Together, we concocted a plan to test if you had indeed learned your lesson."

"First, when you evolved and I became aware of you, I sent the xatu to plant the suggestion to search for me, in the hopes it would spur your journey forward. Along the way, I watched as your notions of humans that Firedancer instilled in you were challenged, and your encounter with these two helped in that regard."

"So, was everything that happened part of this plan?" Eve questions, a hint of betrayal in her voice.

"Of course not," she replies. "Even at my age, I cannot predict the future. And a lot of it relies on Sol's actions and decisions. However, we anticipated a pair of tests occurring. One was running into Joshua and how that turns out. He acts like a reflection of how Henry was and Sol used to be, so seeing how the young ninetales reacts to him served us well. When Sol decided to curse Joshua, I was watching actively at the time and sent a slight suggestion toward turning him into a Pokémon, similar to what I did to Henry. However, he shook off the suggestion and chose a different tactic. Honestly, I wish I had the same idea before…"

"So…if I had cursed him into becoming a Pokémon, just like I had…?" I ask tentatively.

"Who knows?" she replies. "All I know is it would serve as a strike against you for the Judge; any other consequences are outside my knowledge."

"And what was the second test?" Kevin asks.

"Shortly after his run-in with Joshua, I noticed Sol become really engrossed in the ancestral memory. I kept him away from anything related to his own past, but he wasn't looking for that kind of knowledge. Instead, I gathered he was looking for proof of what Firedancer had taught him as a kit: were all humans as bad as she claimed? This lead to his second test: how would he handle confronting the one who raised him?"

Eve's eyes narrow. "You knew we couldn't save her, didn't you?"

Mystia nods. "Even when I helped her evade the police, I knew one day she would resign herself to punishment. There was no chance she would accept an escape a second time. I almost wanted to warn Sol of that fact in some way, but to my surprise, he also seemed resigned to it."

"Actually, that was my idea," Eve replies. "I knew there was a chance she wouldn't accept, which is why I asked Sol to record himself. I had no idea what he said, as I wanted to respect his privacy. All he told me was about the ancestral memory."

"Um…what happened to Nana?" I ask.

"Rest assured," Mystia replies. "She made her peace before her time was up. You did well, and further prove you are learning from your time as a Pokémon. The last test was me, and the choices I gave you. Returning to the past means you hold attachment to who you were, and thus hadn't moved on or learned enough. Taking my power would be a temptation to who you used to be, so accepting would hint at your old self resurfacing. But you took neither option, showing true growth of spirit, and in passing all three tests, your curse has been broken."

'Then why is Sol still a Pokémon?" Kevin asks. "Shouldn't he have changed back into a human?"

"That…is up to him," Mystia replies cryptically. "My curse was in response to his arrogance, and as I said, I didn't intend to force him into our form. Therefore, the lifting of the curse gives him the right to choose." She looks up at the sky for a moment, then turns to me. "You have until sunrise to decide which form you wish to take: human or Pokémon. Regardless of which, I would like you to take this crystal; I did infuse some of my Ember into it to attune it, in preparation for the test. Give it to another vuplix, either your own or someone else's, and it will act like a regular fire stone."

She paws the crystal toward me, then raises her tails. The circle of foxfire around us pulls in to reside within her tails again, and she gives us a final nod before walking back into the trees. I'm still reeling from the knowledge I've gained, both from her explanation and the recovered memories, so I didn't hear Eve approach until she was right next to me.

"Sol?" she asks tentatively. "Or should I call you Henry?"

Her voice snaps me back to the present, and I shake my head. "As far as I'm concerned, Henry died the day I was born. Even if I take human form, I will still be Sol at heart."

"And will you become human?" Kevin asks, Eve's ribbon around his ankle. "You could start over as a trainer, or any other profession that work with Pokémon. I could put a good word in with HQ…"

I shake my head again. "I appreciate the offer, but…I really need to think about this." Curious, I reach for the crystal Mystia left behind, willing myself to change. Between one heartbeat and the next, my paw shifts into a human hand…and not just that. Picking up the crystal, I slowly rise up onto my now-human legs, but overbalance and sit down hard on my tails; seems not everything about me is human. Biting back a whine of pain, I try again; this time I succeed in staying upright. Something about this posture seems familiar, and yet foreign.

"H-how d-do I l-look?" I stammer to Kevin, not quite use to a human voice.

"Um…" he hesitates. "You still have your tails, and your hair has the same color as your fur did. You also have pointed fox ears. Otherwise…you look just like the pictures I saw of Henry."

I almost growl in annoyance but catch myself. Maybe the hair will stay? I think to myself. I'd rather not be the old me any more than I have to… I take a step forward and almost fall again; this time, however, a ribbon around my wrist and weight against my leg catches me before I fall. I look downt o see Eve supporting me; I'm slightly thrown by the change in perspective.

"Syl ve sylveon?" she asks, concerned.

Is this like how I used to sound? I think, a little startled; I guess I assumed I could still understand her since my ears hadn't changed, but I was wrong. "I-I'm fine," I manage to gather. "Just a little unsteady."

Pulling free, I start walking again, steadier than before but not completely. "Are you sure it's safe to be wandering around right now?" I hear Kevin call after me. "I mean…if you were seen-"

"I said I'm fine!" I snap, growling deep in my throat. Taking a deep breath, I resume walking. "I'm sorry, but…there's some place I need to see. Somewhere I can sort things out for myself; I only have until sunrise, after all. Please…don't follow me; at least, not right away."

A little more steady, I increase my pace, the knowledge of where I'm going burned into my memory. The trees all look the same in my human vision, but I still recognize enough landmarks to know where I'm going. Sure enough, I step free from the forest to find a familiar-looking cave. Firedancer's den, I muse, remembering how I grew up here. Laying my hand against the rough stone at the entrance, I attempt to enter; however, the opening won't allow my awkward human body to fit. So, I choose to sit down next to the entrance, again being careful of my tails. Reaching around, I hold one in my hands, admiring the softness of my fur.

Closing my eyes, I meditate for the next few hours. Sorting through both sets of memories, as well as the lessons I've learned, I search my mind and heart for the answers. All the while, I hold my tail in my hand, the sense of irony not entirely lost on me. After all, it was grabbing a tail that started this whole adventure.

About an hour before sunrise, my concentration breaks as I hear rustling from the treeline. Opening my eyes, I see Kevin and Eve walk up, both looking concerned. No one says anything for a moment, before Kevin pipes up, "Have you decided?"

I glance back down at my hand, still holding the tail, and nod stoically. Rising to my feet, I pick up the crystal off the ground and hand it out to Kevin. "Can you hold on to this for me? I'll come for it in a few years, but…for right now, it's better off in your hands."

He nods and takes the crystal, then steps back as a warm light spreads over me. As the sun peeks over the horizon, I will the last few changes over my body, setting my future in stone. I've made my decision, I declare to myself, and I will see it through to the end.

So, which form do you think he chose? Human, or Ninetales? And where do you think he'll go from here? Feel free to guess in the review section.

Just a little more, and we can finally close the book on this story. Stay tuned, and may your Ember never fade!