Though the sun had risen and it was supposed to be the hours of morning, Cameron Kingston had an uneasy feeling as she and their search party landed on the ruined Waypoint Island. The island was surrounded by a strange mist, with the clouds as dark as they had been during the middle of the storm. Only a handful of beams of light shined through them. The waves were choppy and still crashed hard into the ruined island. And the rocky shores had been completely obliterated by the unrelenting dark force that had descended upon it. The cavern, which had once been spacious and teeming with mystery, was annihilated by the rampaging Gyarados that Matthew had mentioned in his report. Whether or not they were still lurking in the depths of the water was unknown. But it wouldn't be for long. Because their strike team had a serious mission on their hands. The Champion was missing. And Cameron was determined to find him.

She had recruited Mark, Lizzie and Billy for the expedition, though both Matthew and Holly had offered their assistance as well. But with Matthew's nerves shot, both Michael and their Uncle Robert apparently in bad shape at Titanio Hospital and both her Aunt Alison and Julia with their beloved, they were left as the only ones able to go off immediately. Mark's Charizard carried him and Lizzie while Cameron hitched a ride on her cousin's Skarmory. Cameron had not even taken the time to change out of her training gear, having been contacted by Julia once Michael set off for the island. She was exhausted, drained and unfocused, but Ryan was her priority. Not finding her cousin would be a colossal failure on her part and would devastate the entire region. Not to mention personally. Ryan, despite being closer to Michael, was still very important to her.

Once they had landed, Cameron assumed direct command on behalf of both the Pokémon League Champion and the Lord of Kingston Castle. "Mark! Lizzie! Scope out the situation by the rockface. Billy and I will comb the waters."

"Cameron" Lizzie replied softly, "I don't think we're going to-"

"We will!" she snapped. "We have to."

"I'll let you know if we find anything" Mark promised, taking Lizzie with him to investigate around the ravaged cavern.

Billy was the first to make it towards the ruined campsite. Much of their Aunt and Uncle's camping gear had been abandoned, leaving tents, equipment and food lying soaked and irreparably damaged. Cameron kept herself at a distance, but did her best to focus on aiding Billy in his search. While she looked over what her Aunt and Uncle would never get back, Billy came up to her with a Poké Ball. He opened it and out popped a surprisingly cheerful Mudkip. The Aquatic Pokémon let out a squeak and spat a stream of water at them playfully. Billy wiped his face clean and pet the Pokémon on his head.

"You know" Billy remarked, "it's been so long since we were able to recognize Pokémon as more than just fighters. Look at this little guy. Playful and fun."

"Yeah, absolutely adorable" Cameron dismissed. "Can we get back to the search?!"

"Sorry. Sheesh, I was just trying to ease the mood."

"My mood will be eased when we've got Ryan!"

Billy nodded and went back to his own investigations, the Mudkip hopping along behind him when Cameron showed no signs of showing him any affection. Cameron took herself to the shoreline, chiefly towards where the boat had been docked. Perhaps Ryan was on some rock nearby? She looked around, but found no sign of the boy. She called out her Lucario, who emerged from his Poké Ball and surveyed the situation tensely.

"Can you feel Ryan's Aura, Ryo?" Cameron asked. Her Pokémon closed his eyes and began to concentrate. He even began to glow in a strange, blueish glow. But a moment later, he opened his eyes and gruffly shook his head. Cameron gulped. "Then we have to keep looking." Her search becoming more desperate, she raced along the waterway, desperate to find some trace of the boy. Her Lucario followed at a distance, still trying to gauge where the boy could be. Billy remained focused on his own search, hoping some kind of clue could lead them to what had happened. But things were going to be complicated while the only witness to Ryan's last appearance was being treated at Titanio Hospital.

She rounded the corner towards the cliffs that adorned the backside of Waypoint Island, only to find them crumbling from constant barrages of water from the raging seas. Cameron was not too keen on investigating further, until she saw Mark on the back of his Charizard scanning the highest places on the island. She leaped from rock to rock, careful not to misstep. Lizzie was on a ledge above her, with her Umbreon sniffing for some sign of their missing Champion. As Cameron landed on the last ledge she could reach without making a stupid leap only her brother would make, she paused.

There was something on one of the jagged rocks that lined the bottom of the island's cliffs. It was almost unnoticeable to the naked eye, but it was enough of a different color to warrant a closer look. Cameron whistled for Lizzie. "Lizzie! Come take a look at this!"

Lizzie peered over the ledge and shrugged. "I can't see anything."

"Use your goggles" Cameron groaned, shocked she would even have to tell her that.

"My goggles are busted, remember?" Lizzie replied. "Ruined when Hunter flooded Jirachi's Shrine."

"CAM!" Billy's voice cried out. Her cousin hurried towards her, a terrified look on his face. "It's Uncle Robert's Charizard!"

Cameron looked up to Lizzie. "Get Mark to find out what this thing on the rock is." She quickly leaped from rock to rock until she landed by Billy's side. The two raced over to where he had found the fatigued Pokémon. The Charizard was breathing heavily, soaked with water and his own blood. The Gyarados had absolutely mauled him. The flame on his tail was little more than embers. Cameron reached into her backpack and gave a Full Restore to the Pokémon, but it was still barely responding to them. It gave the two a side glance and barked weakly before it's head fell onto the ground beside them. Billy was about to try and light a fire to warm him, but Cameron stopped him, a grim look on her face.

"You can't expect us to return to-" Billy began.

Cameron held out her hand to stop him. "Billy. You forget Pokémon are more in tune with us than we are with them." She lowered her head and clenched her fist. "He fought with everything he had to save Uncle Robert and the boys."

"But why can't we-"

"Because Uncle Robert is dead!" Cameron cried out.

Billy was silent and slumped onto his backside. "What? But the nurses said-"

"A DAMNED ROCK FELL ON HIS DAMNED HEAD!" Cameron bellowed. "HOW CAN YOU EXPECT HE'D SURVIVE THAT?!" She stopped herself when she felt her own tears sliding down her cheeks. She looked to the Charizard beside them. It had stopped moving, it's fire completely gone. "It's what they both wanted. To protect the ones that mattered the most to them. For Uncle Robert, it was his kids. For the Charizard, it was Uncle Robert." She put her hand to the face of the dead Charizard. "This one needs to be honored. But first, we need to make sure his fight wasn't in vain."

Billy put his face into his hands and wept, leaving Cameron as the only one of them able to hold together, though only just. She looked to her Lucario for support, but found only the same sorrowful look she was sure she was wearing. The Lucario put his hand on her shoulder and tried to give her some kind of inner resolve, but she was hollowing out. From out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mark and Lizzie approaching them.

"What did you guys find?" Cameron asked. Neither responded, prompting Cameron to ask once more. "Guys? What did you find out-" Her eyes fell on the object she had seen in her eyes. She blinked. She tried to will it out of existence, but it would be there to haunt her for a very long time. Lizzie was looking down, her face solemn and dejected. Mark couldn't even look at the object in his hand, doing his best to keep himself from joining in on Billy's weeping. Cameron walked over to them in a daze and took it from her friend's hand. She stared at it, a swell of dark and sorrowful emotions flooding her. It was a green bandanna.

{}

Matthew and his friends sat in the waiting room of the hospital, hoping for some kind of word about the health of his father. But as the moments passed, it was becoming all too clear to the once disgraced Kingston that there was little left to hope for. He was seated between Dawn and Lucas on his left and Holly and Tommy on his right, his hands folded and his eyes closed. Piper had taken Kayleigh for the moment, playing with her in the kid's area and hoping to distract the toddler from what was going on, which did a bit to aid in Matthew's own worries. But his mother had been asked to go in several moments earlier and see his father, but had not returned. And nothing that any of those who sat with him said could make him feel better. He may have been at odds with his father over many things, but he would give up all future arguments if he could be sure there would be some.

He had tried to message Addison, but she was still not answering, which worried him. How could she still be asleep through all of this? How could she not be here or out pestering Cameron about her search? But he could not be mad at her. The only emotion he had in him right now was fatigue. He had calmed down from his anxiety attack, but the others pestered him and kept their eyes on him to ensure he didn't relapse.

Matthew looked down the halls and spotted Cynthia hurrying towards them. The Sinnoh League's Champion had a deeply worried look on her face, but did her best to remain optimistic for the deeply concerned teenagers surrounding her. She sat across from them, her eyes never leaving Matthew's. "I wish I had something I could tell you to ease what you're going through, Matthew" she said sadly. "But this is new territory for me. So I-"

"Thanks for being here" Matthew muttered. It was all he could say. What else was there he could?

The ICU doors opened and a nurse unfamiliar to him walked out. She reminded him a bit of April, the nurse at Kingston Castle who had helped bring little James into the world and saved Michael's life after he was tortured by Courtney. When he noticed it wasn't Jenna, Matthew assumed the worst. He rose to his feet and looked the nurse in her eyes as the others braced for the news.

"Is he okay?" Matthew asked. "Is my father going to be okay?!"

The nurse sighed. "Matthew, your father's skull was fractured by the boulder that fell on his head. There is severe brain damage." She shook her head sadly. "There isn't anything more we can do for him. I'm sorry, son. If you want to say your goodbyes, I would now." She then returned into the ICU to continue her work.

Matthew stared at the doors as they closed. There was severe brain damage...fractured by the boulder that fell...there isn't anything more we can do...say your goodbyes...

He was in a daze. So much so, that he didn't notice Holly had leaped up and embraced him to console him until several seconds afterwards. She was soon joined by her brother and both Dawn and Lucas comforting him. After their embrace had ended, Matthew felt Cynthia's warm hand on his shoulder. She lightly patted him and urged him to go inside. Summoning all the remaining courage inside of him, he pushed his way inside. The first cot on his left upon entering was where his father's last moments would be spent. Both Jenna and his mother were there, with Jenna desperately trying to find some way to save her uncle. His mother was staring at the motionless body of her husband, almost unable to shed any tears. When both saw Matthew, Jenna dropped her notebook and came over to him. His mother was unable to and kept her gaze on Robert.

"Matty" she squeaked, before hugging him. "I'm so sorry."

Matthew lowered his head into his cousin's shoulder and finally felt himself shaking. Jenna gently patted him on the back as he broke down in her arms. When the two parted, Jenna looked to the heart monitor and rushed to go find the lead doctor. Matthew knelt down beside his mother and held her hand. "Mom..."

Alison Kingston eyed her son. She had nothing to say, but her eyes spoke enough for her. They were bloodshot and almost out of tears to shed. She simply squeezed her son's hand and did nothing more.

"Mom, I-"

Alison exhaled and patted her son's hand with her free one. "Oh Matty. It's just us now."

"Us?"

She squeezed her eyes shut as a new swell of tears fell from her face. "You, me and your little sister."

"You won't be saying that when Cameron finds-"

Alison fell to her knees and bawled onto her husband's bed, resting her upper body on his limp legs. "The moment I saw your cousin return alone, Matthew, I knew it was over. There is nothing they will find on that miserable rock but pain for us! I LOST MY SON! MY BABY BOY! And I lost the man I love!" She sprawled out and sobbed uncontrollably. Matthew could do little more than pat her back. What if she was right? What if Michael's failure to return with Ryan did mean he was...

He found himself unable to do more than continue to support his mother. What else was he capable of doing? He knew this feeling of uselessness was going to linger. He cursed himself underneath his breath. For all their rivalries, anger and resentment towards one another, Ryan was still his brother. For a time, they had been best friends. And despite his penchant for pomposity and arrogance, Ryan was the better of them. At least he wasn't burdened by a past filled with dark actions and cruel intent. He was Arcana's hero. The one everyone loved. The one Mewtwo feared. The one their family hailed as the next James Kingston. The one Addison had chosen. The one Matthew could only call his last true friend in the world.

If one of us had to go...why wasn't it me?

{}

"Hold on. I think he's waking up."

"Michael? Honey? Come back to us."

"Come on, Mike!"

Michael moved stiffly in his hospital cot, his thoughts and grasp on reality dim. He could not move much, feeling as if a part of his midsection was heavily bundled up. He struggled to open his eyes, the lights above him piercing his dark slumber. His breaths were slow and weak, but he knew he was alive. Somehow, he had done it. He had cheated death again. He had saved the day and averted Countess Rosemary's doomsday prophesizing. He finally opened his eyes and saw a handful of faces surrounding him. Julia, Olivia and his cousin Madeline, all with deep long lines of worry etched into their faces.

"Ergh" he grunted as he tried to move himself.

"You'll mess up your bandages" Olivia explained gently, pushing him back into his previous spot.

"Why did you go off and do something so reckless?" Julia snapped. "Michael, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"He's in one piece and that's what matters" Madeline concluded. "But we need to know what he does."

Michael tried to sit upright, but he could feel nothing but pain every time he moved on bed and thus relented to lying down as all three women peppered him with questions. Most of them were indiscernible from the other, him being unable to comprehend what they were directly asking him. His ears rang with the sounds of the roaring Gyarados, the rushing of the water as he was dragged into it's depths and the terrified screams Ryan had made. He waved at them to quiet the three.

"Hold on! Hold on a sec! What's going on?" He looked around at where he was in confusion. "Hang on. Titanio Hospital? What are we doing-what am I doing here?"

"Rhaegar flew you back here" Julia told him, her mood calming as she realized her husband would make it through this. "He's in pretty bad shape himself, but Nurse Joy said he will recover just fine with some rest. That Dragonite is a trooper."

"The doctor said that Gyarados did a number on your midsection" Madeline added. "It would have ripped you in half if Rhaegar didn't intervene. You're lucky to be alive, Mike."

"But it doesn't seem like there was any drastic bone damage" Olivia said, breathing a heavy sigh of relief. "So you're not getting off the hook of this nightmare of life that easily." She winked at him. "The doctor said you'd be able to go home by the end of the day. They just have to clear your records."

Michael tried to turn onto his side, but once more found the exercise too painful. "Did-did they make it back?"

"Who?" Julia inquired. "Alison and-"

"Of course they did" Olivia interjected. "Matthew was a trooper and ferried all of them back to Parlor Beach. We haven't heard word about your Uncle's condition, but Matthew, Kayleigh and Alison are all in one piece."

Michael blinked in confusion. "And Ryan?"

The women looked at each other before Madeline took the lead. "Actually, we were going to ask you about that."

"What are you talking about?" Michael said briskly. "He's-he's here, right?"

Julia shook her head. "No. No one has seen him since he was separated from Matthew and Kayleigh in that cave. No one but you."

Michael shook his head. "I don't understand it. Why would he try to avoid this? Does he think we blame him for what happened? That storm was a freak accident. It's not his fault. He must still be on Waypoint Island."

"We have Billy and Cameron leading an expedition there" Madeline told him. "But they've been radio silent for a while. You are the only one who knows what might have happened to him." She opened her jacket, revealing a badge her father had adorned her with. "Not top of the line, but I am part of the Arcana Police Force just like Dad. Michael, I need you to tell me everything that happened."

"What is there to say?" Michael replied. "We get the call from Aunt Alison on the KERN, Rosemary reminds me of that Eighth Prophecy nonsense she was spewing and I take off to make sure Ryan and Matt weren't hurt."

"Ryan and Matt?" Olivia asked. "Why the both of them?"

"Tears will be shed twice as long when two stars blink out. Rosemary insisted to me that we were going to suffer a tragedy we haven't had in our family's history." He clenched his fists in anger. "If that abomination thought he was going to hurt those boys-"

"What happened on the Island?" Julia interjected.

Michael sighed. "I got to the island, caught Kayleigh in the air and sent her, Matt, Uncle Robert and Aunt Alison on the boat back home. I went into the cave and sent Rhaegar after those Gyarados and got Ryan, but we couldn't get out of that cave no matter how much we tried. We took a Hyper Beam-well, Rhaegar took one and took us down with him. I made sure Ryan was safe on those rocks outside of the cave before I was dragged underwater." He winced in pain as his bandages made his body stiff and pained. "Ugh."

Julia shushed him and rubbed his chest soothingly. "Is there anything else?"

"I don't even remember Rhaegar saving me." He lowered his head. "All I wanted was to make sure that kid was safe. He has to be. Cam and Billy will find him!"

Olivia nodded. "Then, I guess there's nothing else to do but hope."

Madeline was about to add something, when the three women looked behind them. Michael tried to get a glimpse of what had changed, only to find Jenna walking into the room, shaking violently. "He just-I don't even-"

"Jenna?" Madeline asked. "What's wrong?"

"He just-he just stopped breathing" Jenna responded, crookedly and broken. "I-I couldn't do anything."

"Who?" Olivia asked.

Michael pushed himself up, with all of his inner strength. "Jenna?!" Jenna made eye contact with him, giving Michael the only answer he needed. He defeatedly slumped back onto the cot. "Uncle Robert."

"What?!" Julia gasped. "But-Robert was in the prime of his health-"

"Aunt Alison and Matty are with him" Jenna explained. "They said their goodbyes." She wiped away some of her tears and tried desperately to collect herself. "No. I need to hold strong. I've got work to do."

"Jenna" Olivia spoke gently. "You don't have to-"

"I do, Liv" Jenna snapped. "Because work is the only thing keeping me from having a mental breakdown." She rushed out of the room as the rest of the group contemplated what they had just found out.

Robert Kingston was dead. There could be no denying it. Michael knew his Uncle was in bad shape when he saw him crumpled in Matthew's arms, but to think that he came all the way to Titanio Hospital just to lose his battle was not something he wanted to deal with. His Uncle's death was a crippling blow. Not only did Arcana lose a respected and loved Gym Leader, but Matthew, Ryan and Kayleigh lost their father and Alison her husband. Robert was the youngest of James and Bonnie's children and his passing left only Junior, Doug, Erin, Byron and Jeice alive. He took in a deep breath, as if he had known a day like this would come during his lordship. As he had with the knowledge of Claude's conquest of Arcana, he had to serve the region as a leader, both figuratively and inspirationally.

"This makes finding Ryan all the more paramount" he told his visitors.

"I'm going to contact Cam and Billy now" Madeline told her cousin. "Hang tight."

As the newly deputized Kingston departed, Julia slumped forward in her chair. "I can't believe he's gone. First Abuela and now Robert."

"Does it ever get any easier?" Olivia asked. "I mean, if Mewtwo can strike at us from Mirage Island, what chance do we even stand against him?"

"Perhaps none" Michael said stoically. "But that doesn't mean we can just stop fighting. This fight is personal now, on many levels. Mewtwo took too much from us. Our friends, our family, our Pokémon. I will not let him continue to act like he's some deity we're meant to bow and scrape to."

Julia shook her head in despair. "How can we even bring this up to Kayleigh?"

"How did you broach your children with their losses?" Olivia asked the couple.

Michael sighed. "They didn't know Lady Bonnie, apart from a few cards and toys she sent. But Arya definitely has memories of Professor Maria."

"We told her the truth" Julia concluded. "That Abuela was sick and she lost her fight."

"But Robert was healthy and capable of going on much longer" Olivia remarked. "It's almost too much to bear."

"I'm more worried about Matthew than anything" Michael admitted. "Never thought I'd say those words, but it's true. I think Ryan will hold together. At least he has Addison and Holly and all those friends of his. But what about Matt?"

Julia smiled faintly. "I think we're going to have to take more of an interest in his upbringing than we have previously."

Michael frowned. "He was the strong one. I saw a lot of what I had been in him. Skilled, determined and confident. He had the makings of being a Champion. I never thought he needed the guidance as much as Ryan did. I was wrong. And now, he's going to have to shoulder this burden like no one has before."

Olivia remained unsure of the situation. "But we don't even know what's happened to Ryan."

"Nothing did" Michael said, a hint of coldness in his words.

"We can only hope" Julia again gently calmed her husband.

Michael heard footsteps coming their way. He looked past his wife and saw the two most crestfallen faces he had ever seen in his life. Cameron and Billy slowly sauntered into his hospital room. Billy, upon seeing his sister outside of another room and about to breakdown, raced over to comfort her, leaving Cameron to continue the procession alone. In her hands, she held something he could not tell immediately. She stood right above Michael and squeezed her eyes shut as the small piece of cloth fell from her hands and landed on his legs.

It was an emerald-colored bandanna.

"This is all we found" she said mournfully.

"Then that means-" Olivia began.

"Double the search parties" Michael demanded. "I'm not going to leave that kid stranded anywhere!"

"Michael..."

"Don't you get it?!" Cameron snapped. "This isn't something more people looking will solve, Mike! Ryan is gone!" She fell onto her knees and pounded his bed in anger and frustration.

Michael refused to believe it. "Then I'll go myself!" He tried to push himself once more out of bed, this time being forced back down by the combined efforts of Julia and Olivia.

"You need to stop acting so foolishly" Julia declared, herself moved to the point of tears. "There's nothing we can do, no matter how much we may want it to be different."

Michael took his cousin's bandana into his hands and squeezed it tightly, as if somehow trying to will this news to not be true. But no matter how much he tried, he knew his efforts would be completely in vain. He could easily picture the boy in his mind now, always looking up to him, trying to make him proud and always following as he led. He could see how happy Ryan was when he was reunited with Addison after months of emotional turmoil. And he could see their family of five, now shriveled down to three. His Aunt Alison, Matthew and little Kayleigh. All alone in their world.

No matter the positive memories, the pain would be there forever. How he had failed his Uncle. How he had failed to keep Matthew on the straight and narrow. And now, how he had failed Ryan, the only one he had in his world who never doubted him. Never thought badly of him. Always supported and cared for him. The closest thing to a brother he had with Chris gone, now dead.

"Get out."

"Huh?" Cameron asked.

"Michael?" Olivia added, confused by the demand.

"Get out!" Michael hissed. "All of you. Leave me be!"

"You guys should probably listen" Julia advised. "We'll be here to-"

Michael glared up at his wife. "Julia! You too!"

"But-" Julia began, before admitting defeat and taking the broken Cameron and saddened Olivia out of Michael's hospital room.

Once he was alone, Michael did the only thing that came natural to him. He lost control of himself. He pushed himself out of his bed and raged about the wing, breaking and smashing anything he could get his hands on. He let the fury that had haunted his every movement for sixteen years take hold of him once more. The curtains had been torn from the rafters, his bed broken on one side and the window punched through in a fit of unrelenting emotional distress. The bandana became soaked in the blood he lost from his hand, but it didn't phase him. He ripped the window open and looked down onto the roof a few feet below. He leaped out of the window and landed on the ground, pounding angrily on the roof.

A shadow fell over him. Michael was about to snarl at whomever had followed him, but paused when he found it was Rhaegar. His Dragonite looked solemnly at him and growled softly. With no other recourse, Michael put his head onto the Dragonite's stomach and wept. Rhaegar sat with his trainer and the two did little more than cry as one. Both had been in this position before, but only one other time had it hurt this much. Back when the third in their closely knit group had perished. Back before Ryan had even been born. But it still stung just the same. Because it was their fault.

{}

Whether it was the terrifying nightmare she had endured or the mental anguish her Pokémon was under, Addison quickly awoke from her slumber. It had taken a few hours for her to fall back asleep, but she was up immediately. She didn't take a minute to look herself over. She flung the blanket off of her and called out her Gardevoir. Galatea emerged, but immediately crumpled to the floor, tenderly holding her head and letting out moans of pain and despair.

"What's going on?" Addison pleaded. "What's happened?"

I don't know, Galatea spoke telepathically. And that is what terrifies me.

"What are you talking about?"

Galatea eyed her worriedly. I do not know. I feel nothing. I sense nothing. All I know is nothing. The Pokémon floated back to her feet and rushed for the window. Before Addison could contemplate her next move, the Gardevoir teleported out of the bedroom. Addison raced to throw and outfit together for herself, before she realized how late she had slept in.

"What's going on here?" she asked herself. Why hadn't anyone come to wake her? Why hadn't Ryan called? Where was her mother? Where were Michael or Julia? Why did she feel something was wrong? And why was Galatea acting so off?

Galatea warped back into the room and slumped against the bed in relief. The egg...the egg is safe.

Addison knelt beside her Pokémon. "Are you okay? You sound like you're about to have a panic attack."

I do not know, Addison. I...I cannot feel anything. My mind is shrouded and veiled by darkness. It's almost as if all of what we have achieved is for nothing. She reached her arm up to her face and touched her cheek. She looked at her wet arm and looked to Addison in confusion. Is this the emotion you humans call tears? Why do I shed these now?

Now, Addison's alarm bells began to ring in her mind. "Something's going on. And I'm going to find out what." She paused. Shaymin was nowhere to be found. She had last seen the Pokémon a few hours earlier. She would normally ask Galatea what had happened, but with her close friend out of sorts, she tried to solve this mystery herself. It did not take her long to find that the window had been pried open by something. Likely Shaymin himself. But why would Ryan's Mythical Pokémon ally run off like this? So little of what she had been bombarded with made sense, that Addison decided she could not do this alone. She needed someone's help. She finished clothing herself and rushed out the door, but not before pausing when she heard Galatea sobbing uncontrollably behind her. Though she wanted to comfort her friend, she needed answers. But no matter how hard or how far she looked, Kingston Castle seemed to be devoid of life.

"Someone has to be here!" she declared. She scurried down the steps to the main floor, hoping to find Michael or Julia somewhere. But instead, she found nothing. She burst into the ballroom and the dining room and out onto the veranda, but found no one there to greet her or speak to her. Finally, as she looked down onto the soccer pitch and battling field, she saw someone who might be able to help her.

"Countess?" Addison cried out. She raced to the elderly woman's side.

Rosemary looked to the new arrival and sighed. "Poor child. How I wish things did not have to be this way."

Addison eyed her in confusion. "What happened?"

"Addy!" a voice called from behind her. It was her Aunt Caitlin. She scurried down to be by her niece's side and flung her arms around her. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart. We're all here for you."

"Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?" Addison demanded.

"The Eighth Truth of the Twelve Truths Prophecy has come to pass" Rosemary explained. "Tears will be shed twice as long when two stars blink out."

"Two stars?"

Caitlin gently patted her nieces back. "Addy, something happened on Waypoint Island last night. There was some rampaging Gyarados, a rain storm and a bunch of other things that took place. The good news is that Matthew, Alison and Kayleigh Kingston are safe. They're at Titanio Hospital right now."

Addison looked from Rosemary to Caitlin, the pieces slowly falling into place for her. "The good news? What about the bad?"

"My nephew has been struck down" Rosemary revealed, her hands tightening on the scepter she wielded. "And Michael could not arrive in time to save Robert's son."

"Robert's son?" Addison asked, breathing heavily. "What do you mean? Where's Ryan?!" When Caitlin nor the Countess gave her an answer, Addison took a step away from them both. "Where is he?! WHERE IS HE?!"

"Addy, try to understand-" Caitlin began.

Addison ran off from them, dizzily trying to escape from it. She found herself stumbling into the dining hall, knocking over Michael's chair as she did. She backed away from it and raced back into the foyer of the castle. She didn't know how she did so, but she somehow made it into the courtyard of the castle and fell onto her face and sliding hard into the mud. She rolled to her feet and tried to run once more, but found herself being held back by something. She looked behind her and saw Galatea, using what telekinetic power she did have to keep her in place. Addison squirmed and struggled to free herself, but found herself unable to do so.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!"

"Addison" a voice spoke to her gently. It was her mother. Deidre walked up to her daughter and sadly shook her head. "I am so, so sorry my darling."

"She's lying!" Addison declared. "Both of them are. There's no way-"

"Addison" Deidre responded. "No one is lying."

"They have to be! The Countess and Aunt Cailtin! Even Galatea has to be!" She tried to break free from her Pokémon's telekinetic grasp, but failed again. Deidre took her daughter into her arms and stroked her back as soothingly as she could. Addison's breathing only grew heavier as she failed to free herself from both the grasp of her mother and the truth. "THEY'RE ALL LYING!"

"Addison, please" her mother said softly. "Honey, I wish it wasn't. But I just finished talking to Julia. Robert Kingston is dead and the only thing anyone found of Ryan was his bandanna. Please, Addison. I don't want to hurt you with this, but it's the truth."

Your mother speaks the truth, Addison Galatea spoke to her trainer, slowly walking her way towards her trainer and dearest friend. I no longer have a connection to Achilles.

"So what?" Addison snapped. "We lost those connections on Mirage Island!"

Those connections were being blocked, her Pokémon corrected. But they were there. Now, I sense nothing. It is as if I am a child once more. Perhaps it is you who does not understand.

"I DON'T UNDERSTAND?!"

No you do not! Galatea's face was full of woe and despair. We are only as strong as our connections to others, Addison! My mate and I make each other stronger. I had trouble linking with him on Mirage Island thanks to that maiden Avery Frost. But there was always reason to hope. Reason to believe they were still on the island with us. Galatea lowered her head as she came to the truth. But this is not the same. I feel nothing. It is as if Achilles does not exist anymore. I cannot reach that connection because there is no connection to be reached. My mate is gone. And if I know yours, Ryan and he would not let the other fall without trying to save them. They both are gone!

Addison looked to her mother. "Please! Don't let it be true!"

Deidre shushed her daughter and cradled the weeping teenager in her arms. "It's okay, honey. I'm here."

"Why?" Addison cried. "Why him?!" She clenched her fists in frustration. "Why couldn't he save him?"

"What?"

"Rosemary said that Michael couldn't save him. Why?"

"Michael is in the hospital for even trying" Deidre tried to explain. "We'll be able to talk to him once-"

"I don't want to talk to him!" Addison cried.

"Then you don't have to" her mother gently told her. "I'm here for you, honey." She kissed her daughter's head and stroked her back as Addison finally realized the truth and bawled her eyes out. The only emotions besides grief and sorrow inside of this girl were a burgeoning anger for the man she had once thought of as an idol. How could he be her hero if he let the boy she loved, his own cousin, die?

{}

Julia was relieved when her distressed husband finally agreed to return home later that day. The loss of Ryan and Robert stung the two of them deeply, Ryan particularly because of how much the two had thought of him as their son. But to see how much it had hurt him made Julia feel worse for him. She had found him being consoled by his Dragonite on the roof of Titanio Hospital. It took a great deal of convincing on her part, as well as that of Cameron and Olivia, to compel him to agree, but she was content nonetheless to have swayed him away from being alone in these dark times. The quartet departed from Titanio Hospital in a Corviknight Cab, unable to speak to one another about what had transpired. Olivia and Cameron would both try to inspire something to come out of him, but nothing would work. Michael spent the entire trip staring blankly out of the window of the Corviknight Cab. Julia rested her head on his shoulder and held his hand, but got nothing out of him.

Upon landing, Julia was surprised to find Jon and Annie back so soon from their honeymoon. The duo stood alert, waiting for their Lord and Lady's arrival. Behind them were a wave of others who wanted to know what had happened. Kingstons and friends of the family alike. When she saw how lifeless her husband looked, she knew it would be up to her to answer the questions.

She stepped out of the Corviknight Cab, quickly taking Annie into an embrace. "I don't understand. What are you two doing here?"

"This is a family crisis" Jon assured her. "We wouldn't miss this."

"Believe it or not" Annie explained, "Ryan means a lot to the both of us."

"So did Uncle Robert."

Julia kissed Jon on the cheek. "We're just happy to have you both here." She looked back towards the Cab as Cameron and Olivia helped the injured and emotionally wounded Michael out of the cab. "He's going to need us all over the next few weeks."

"Poor guy" Jon acknowledged. "First Chris and now Ryan?"

"The worst of it is-" Julia began, before she noticed someone storming to confront her husband. She had never seen such anger on the face of Addison Tenton before, but she knew where this was going. She let go of Annie and tried to intervene, but was not there in time.

"How could you?!" Addison demanded. "How could you fail him? Ryan needed you and you weren't there for him!"

"Addy" Cameron tried to explain. "You need to understand something-"

"Ryan looked up to you!" Addison snarled. "He thought you were a god! You were everything to him! And how did you repay him? YOU LET HIM DIE!"

Michael didn't look her in the face. His head drooped down and kept his focus on the ground beneath his feet. Cameron and Olivia had to keep him propped up and standing.

"Answer me!" Addison cried. "Why did he have to die and you got to live?!" When Michael did not immediately answer, Addison raced off into the courtyard of Kingston Castle in tears, with her mother and Aunt Caitlin following her at a distance.

Julia came to Michael's side as he brushed Olivia and Cameron off of him. "Honey, don't listen to her. She's just distressed about Ryan. We all are."

"She's right" Michael whispered. "No matter how hurtful she is, she's right. I could have saved him. And I didn't. He could still be alive, but he's not." He politely pushed passed Julia and slowly made his way into the castle. Jon and Annie tried to speak to him, but he simply patted both on their shoulders before continuing inside. When the doors shut her away, Julia sighed.

"It's not your fault, Michael" Julia cried softly.

"I don't know where he gets that from" Cameron growled. "He didn't fail anyone."

"That's always been him" Olivia pointed out. "Always wanting to be the one who never lets you down when you need him."

"Ever since Icarus died" Julia agreed, looking heartfully back towards the castle. "But now, he feels as worthless as he did when he was branded."

"Let's not make the same mistake we did before then" Cameron proclaimed. "He may not want us to help him, but we're going to be there." She marched towards the castle to speak to Michael, while Julia and Olivia were left to pick up the pieces of their broken and fractured families.