The next day came to pass as it usually did. Ohm, Bancho and Irukan all left the base and entered into the streets of Galet. They were off to their duty for the day but it seems that the Ampharos had been oddly quiet.

"Something must truly be wrong this time." Irukan whispers in Bancho's ear, her voice seems tense and extends to her entire being.

Bancho shrugs and smoothly replies, "It seems so." he nods and gives a grunt of frustration. Then again, this is hardly the first time this has happened in recent memory.

The Pangoro set a firm hand on the shoulder of the Ampharos, sending a shudder that reverberated through his entire being. Ohm immediately snapped his attention to meet Bancho's. Through a nervous and wild gaze, Ohm slowly sounded the singular word, "What?"

Bancho nods and simply says one thing, "I-we're starting to worry about you." he stuttered only for a moment. Though the exact source of this stutter was unknown.

Irukan nodded and repeated the thought, "You seem to be really upset about something." she said it in a voice that might be comparable to a weary mother.

However, any of this intonation appeared lost on the Ampharos' face as he stared blankly towards them, his gaze unmoving. Hours seemed to pass until he finally broke away.

He shook off Bancho's arm and started walking once again, his gaze focused on the cobblestone pavement.

Ohm hesitated to speak, a gulp of air racing down his throat as he planned his next steps. His eyes were not blank and hollow as one might imagine, but instead full of things that needed to be said.

But he didn't know how to say such things, it never even occurred to him that he had a mouth to say them.

All he knew was that something was weighing on his mind, something that he could never let go of. Something that would follow him, waiting in his shadow. The past that he could never leave behind.

Was there blood? He remembers that much. But maybe there wasn't.

Was there fear? There was.

Was there regret? He doesn't know the answer to that.

Irukan gave him a solemn glance from behind, she opened her mouth to say, "Ohm, say something. Anything." She seemed nervous, tense. Her entire body seemed to reject the silence of her companion.

For the first time in what felt like years, Bancho let alarm cross his visage. Though, I can tell you that it's only been a month and a half.

Ohm looked back at them, pausing his advance for just a moment. "I... I'm not sure if there's anything to say." He looked down at his fins. He knew that they were clean now, they had been for years by now. But his face read that he felt disgust towards them. Towards himself. He turned them over as if he were looking at them for the first time.

There was a long pause, neither Irukan nor Bancho knew what to say in response to this, clearly they were unprepared for Ohm to be this far into… whatever it was.

The silence was finally broken by Bancho, who told him, "You can't change the past." the words appeared to resonate with the Pangoro. It was a side of him that seemed to catch Irukan off guard.

Ohm stopped his advances, but he didn't appear to stop thinking about it. He weakly replied, "I know that, no one can change the past just like I know that no one can change the future." he seemed on the verge of tears as he talked.

Irukan gave him a sympathetic glance as Ohm stood rooted to the ground as a statue to its base.

He dared not to tear his gaze from the cobblestone that stood below him. Six, that's the number he felt beneath his feet, two on the left, four on the right. He seemed to laser in on this aspect to tear his mind away from the events unfolding in his mind.

However unsuccessful he might've been.

"Ohm, it's clear you don't feel well, maybe you should get an early rest." Irukan recommended, assuming an illness ravaged his body. Though she was far off, it was a madness of sorts that plagued the Ampharos. A certain insanity brought on by regret.

Ohm hesitated to respond to her. Every fiber in his body, every motion he made, spelled the words fear. Fear of what though? Perhaps it was himself.

He finally managed to speak, "I-I can't do this. I've spent all my life running and I can't escape it." his voice had a strange quality to it. Not quite crazed but something that may be reminiscent of such a thing.

A curiosity indeed when he slowly continued, "I wish, I wish I could change the past. Do it all over again." he winced at his own voice. "Instead of this, instead of being the one that managed to fuck everything up." tears spilled down his face as he finished. He brought his fins towards his face so that he wouldn't have to make eye contact with his fellow companions.

Irukan gave him a sympathetic gaze as she responded to his words, "We all have our regrets. Every single one of us has made mistakes." she paused. "That's why we have each other. That's what brought us together." she seemed to have more to say on the matter, but something invisible held her tongue. No, it was deeper than that, something had its fingers wound around her vocal chords and refused to let go.

Bancho nodded, his stoic expression softening only a bit. He seemed to have things he wanted to say on his mind, that much I can tell.

… Hm?

The conversation took an odd turn as Irukan spoke, "Ohm, I know you're in pain, but right now. Now more than ever, we need you to be as focused as you possibly can." she held her fins to his face, forcing him to make eye contact. She seemed to flinch for a moment before she reiterated, "We need everyone to be at their best, now more than ever."

Bancho nodded. "Requiem is a powerful opponent. We can't let our guard down. Not even for a second." his words were deliberate as he tried to snap Ohm out of whatever mood he was in.

The Ampharos looked towards him, a show of progress as he said, "That's what I'm worried about... every single time... I-I always mess it up!" he exclaimed. "I can't be trusted, not with something like this!" his hair sparked in a show of anger directed towards none other than himself. He turned away, unable to face his teammates.

Irukan tried to give him words of comfort, "I believe in you then. Maybe you've made mistakes before, but this can be the time to change that." she gave him a sympathetic smile. Though it was easy to tell that she was close to tears herself.

I want to run. The words on each and every one of their minds, the words that have been in everyone's mind at one point or another. Running from the past in one form or another, whether it be responsibilities hefted onto them by their birthright or consequences created as a result of their actions.

Looking back on it, I'm not immune from thoughts like these and the actions that precede it either. Amusing really. More so that I only realize that now.

A chill breeze swept through the streets of Galet, coating it in a thin sheet of verglas. The trio ducked behind cover, though the winds were gone in hardly a moment. "What the…" Ohm sounded in shock.

The group was frozen, none of them knew what it could've been.

Minutes passed before the Ampharos snuck from his hiding place to look at his reflection in the ice. It looked like a statue being moved in stop motion. Ohm tried to find his words, but none were able to come from his mouth. He tried to speak, but he lacked the coordination to do even that much.

Irukan tried to catch herself. "That's not natural." she remarked, looking up and down the street for some sort of source to the wind. She slowly approached the middle of the street to find that there was little to no commotion. "Right…" she muttered as she slithered back onto the sidewalk.

As she was slithering back, she paused as she felt another presence. She looked behind her.

Empty, the streets were barren of any other pokemon, but there was something there. She knew there was someone watching them, but she had no ideas as to what the source might be. What was this mysterious thing weighing its gaze on all of them?

Irukan mentioned, "It's quiet." that was all she could muster as she began to slink back. A sinking feeling rooting itself in her heart and pulling her down with it.

Bancho found his footing soon after shaking the ice off his coat and noted the same thing, "There has to be a reason for this." he stated. Taking a moment to check up and down, he noticed his fur suddenly felt a lot dryer. More confirmation that this was no average breeze. He cleared his mouth, noting that it was drier than it was mere seconds ago.

Ohm felt something just behind him, just from the alleyway. It wasn't the piercing glare of an enemy, it wasn't the gentle curiosity that a passerby in extravagant clothes creates, it was something different. Something that could only be described as the feeling that one gets when they miss something important, the odd feeling that presses on your chest as you repeat word after word in your mind, the type that one gets when you think about an argument you had earlier whilst in the shower. He peered down the backstreet to try and make out what it might've been, so that he could avoid that experience.

He lit up his tail light to try and make it out, and in the dim red glow they saw a ghastly figure walking away from them, it had a familiar shape. Something that he knew he'd seen before. It swished and swayed as it walked. "Wait…" Ohm said as he drew nearer to it.

Irukan took a moment to take a closer look before saying, "...Is that...?" As she saw the tails waving through the air.

Slow and shaky steps retreated from them. "...When did you?" Bancho asked as they slowly stalked the figure.

The figure paused at the end of the alley, it was unmistakable.

The figure was Flocon.

The figure slowly turned its head, blood dribbled from his thin visage. There was something unnatural about the scene. His neck had a cut deep enough to have severed his windpipe. His fur stained crimson, so many splotches that left so little room for patches of creamy fur to peek out from their cover. His gaze seemed to be focused on something just past them.

How could he have known?

The trio paused, each mouth held agape, none of them knew what they were looking at. The crimson life seemed to evaporate into the air as it left contact with the body of the Ninetales. His legs seemed to struggle to uphold his body, an instability caused by a laceration dragged across an ankle.

As he fully turned to face them the cut leg seemed to crumple beneath him, sending him to the ground. He flailed about until he found his footing. He slowly rose up once more and asked, «I-is someone there?» His voice bubbled and gurgled with red essence. But buried beneath it was a light and floaty voice, almost noble in its intonation.

Irukan tried to respond. She opened her mouth but shudders seemed to constrict her voice and she closed it soon after.

Flocon was short of breath, he seemed to be swaying where he stood. His orange eyes seemed dull in color and glazed over as he stared unblinkingly towards them. He took a tentative step forward. «Scar..let?» he sounded.

The trio all took a step back in response to Flocon's approach. "Who…" Ohm began but he was forced to take in a gulp before finishing, "…are you?"

The Ninetales seemed to be unfazed by the Ampharos' question, slowly seeming to realize their presence. He backed away, his tails drooped and hid themselves away. He stuttered, each motion seeming to take something from him.

Bancho tried to approach Flocon but he seemed to drift away. Almost as if something was keeping a constant distance between them. His gaze seemed to fidget and shiver, slowly focusing and unfocusing.

He pleaded, «Please…» Flocon teared up as fear took hold of him and wrapped its chain around his throat. He was unable to move, his mouth constantly held agape. The source of the blood was hidden by the darkness but it seemed to flow more freely now than ever before.

Bancho relented for a moment. He seemed unsure of what his next move should be. "I'm not going to hurt you." he said in an attempt to reassure the Ninetales. Though it was unknown as to how successful he was in doing so. Even to mine own perceptions it's quite difficult to ascertain exactly what he might be thinking.

Flocon seemed to relax for but a moment before tensing up once more. «Who… are you?» he asked as he seemed to poise himself for running, the wound on his neck opening up even more. His eyes seemed to return to being alert and open as they darted left and right. «I'll fight you… I swear I will.» he threatened, though it seemed to be a hollow statement as every motion he made suggested quite the opposite. «Just… like that… Weavile… and that N-» He was cut off by a series of coughing as he spluttered blood that evaporated into the atmosphere.

Ohm relented a moment. "Ninetales. Calm down. It's just us, now just stop speaking Sirin." he stated, the Ampharos was confused by Flocon's statement, they may have only known each other for a few days, but certainly his memory wasn't that shoddy.

Flocon's response was nothing more than a puzzled look. It was clear that he had no clue who they were.

Irukan finally coughed up a few words, "How are you alive?" the question hung in the air. But they all knew that there was no possibility that what they were seeing was a corporeal being. They knew that whatever answer he gave they were unlikely to understand.

Flocon's attention snapped to her as he spoke once more, «Why-» he started coughing up blood that seemed to dissipate the second it left his mouth once more before continuing as if nothing happened, «-would you think any different?» His voice was incredulous, as if they were accusing him of something that he was innocent of.

Ohm leaned over to Irukan and asked her, "This is happening, right?" he turned back to face Flocon, who seemed to catch his eye with his own. There was a softness about Flocon's gaze.

The Ampharos took a tentative step forward, holding up his fins so that Flocon could see his every move.

Flocon seemed to give him an interested look with a questioning, "Rrr?" Escaping his lacerated maw as he loosened his stance a bit, though it took quite a bit of effort for him to do so. As Ohm drew nearer, Flocon seemed to react in strange ways.

The Ninetales looked at Ohm as if he were a stranger. As if they'd never met before in their life. The look Flocon gave him was the same look that a curious person might give to a pedestrian across the street that's caught their eye for one reason or another, a detached look of interest that can only be seen in situations such as those.

Ohm finally got within a few feet before the Ninetales perked up. He looked behind him and told them, «Someone's calling me.» He took a moment before staggering back around and limping away.

Ohm stood still for a minute, trying to register what happened. Though he soon tried to run after the Ninetales. "Hold on!" he exclaimed, still having many questions on his mind.

The Ninetales rounded a corner just up ahead. The Ampharos ran to give chase.

But the second he turned the corner. Flocon had vanished. "Hold… on…?" Ohm remarked wistfully with an outstretched fin.

Irukan and Bancho soon caught up. At first they were confused and as they looked up and down the dim backstreet they saw no sign of him. Only adding to the mystery of what might've happened.

The trio stood in silence for but a moment longer. Ohm's fin fell back to his side, he had a look of conflict strewn across his face, his pose took on a defeated look as he stood like a statue in time.

Irukan mouthed a few words before finally saying, "I think it's about time we head back."

Bancho nodded as he gave Ohm a light nudge on the shoulder.

Ohm loitered for a moment longer. He tried to say something but any attempt at it was met with little success.

Returning to the base they had only left an hour or two earlier. They all sat at a table together, unsure of what they should make of the event.

A gentle clicking echoed off the stone tiles. A soft swishing noise whipped the air as they were greeted, "How was your walk?"

Simultaneously jumping at the voice, they all turned around in a panic to see Flocon looking surprised and confused as he slowly backed off. His icy fur flowed as he did so.

A long space of silence ensued. None of them said anything before Flocon finally broke the silence with a bit of a nervous, "Okay then."

Irukan let out a breath and told him, "It's not anything you did. We're all just a little stressed." it was a blatant lie. Or at least she thought it was.

A lie that Flocon easily brought as he did almost every other time. "I get that, I'll give you some space." he predictably responded as he moved past them, keeping a healthy distance between them if anything were to happen.

"That was real, wasn't it?"…

…

…

I knew there was another. You couldn't hide from me forever.

You look from afar, across dimensions and time, but I exist in the lines between the pages. It's only obvious I would catch you at some point.

Though, I find it odd that one such as yourself might continue to read onwards past this.

I believe the term might be "curiosity killed the cat?" Seems about right to me. Though, it can be hard to reason with a cat.

To me, it's rather interesting that one such as you might continue reading past this point. After all, you're intruding on my thoughts, my life, my—well, everything really.

…

…

…

You're still here, aren't you?

You're not welcome here.

You were never welcome here.

Leave.

This chapter probably gave me the most issues out of any chapter, but I was able to get it done.