To the surprise of everyone as they embarked into the crystal cavern just outside of where Tusker had been playfully making his own arctic home, the cavern was surprisingly warmer than any part of the cave had been since Ryan had urged the rest of the group to enter it. But while Amanda eagerly embraced the warmth of their new exploration area, Ryan and Avery were interested in what this cave could have to offer for them in terms of seeking answers to their many questions, in particular how, if possible, they could defeat Mewtwo and save the world one last time before likely fading out of existence forever.

Avery found herself looking at each and every crystal, from the ones that hung from the ceiling to those that jutted out of the ground and were embedded into the walls. She was enchanted by the shimmering lights and the varying colors of all that was in her path. She would occasionally look at herself in one of them, do what she could to give herself a better appearance and then moving onto the next one.

Ryan and Achilles were focused on trying to figure out how this cavern had seemingly called them in. While Achilles was often distracted by a figure moving in the mirror, which happened to be his own reflection, Ryan simply wandered around the cave, occasionally blinking as if he had seen something in one of the crystals. But when he'd double check, nothing but his own shadow would be there, prompting him to move on. He wouldn't have guessed that something was up with the cave, if Achilles did not get the same feeling. His Gallade hurried up to him and tapped him on the shoulder.

I have seen her!

"Seen who?" Ryan asked.

Helena!

"Helena? What's a Helena?"

My child!

"The egg hatched? Congratulations, Achilles! You're a father!" He scratched his head in confusion as he thought this through. "Wait a minute. How did you see her? Did you have a vision or something?"

Achilles pointed towards the crystals that surrounded them. These crystals. Though they are faint, if we concentrate hard enough, they can tell us of things we might be missing outside of the Realm of Dreams. I saw the birth of my daughter. So logic would denote that if we gaze into the crystals, we can see events in our lifetimes or those we have missed since arriving here.

"Billy?!" Amanda cried out.

Ryan spun around and noticed Amanda had been gazing into one of the crystals. "Amanda? What about Billy?"

"I see him!" she wept. She put her hand on the crystal and smiled more brightly than Ryan had ever remembered seeing her. "He's still thinking about me. I just know it! Hold on a little while longer, Billy. I'm coming home to you!"

Ryan walked over to her side, but when he looked into the crystal, he saw nothing. "Uh, Amanda. He's not there."

"How can you not see him?" she snapped. "He's right there!" She pointed at an indiscriminate part of the crystal, but again Ryan saw nothing but his own reflection. If his cousin was in fact there, surely he would have seen something. He did miss Billy, after all.

Ryan, not sure what to believe, patted her on the back and went to look for Avery, who was almost hypnotically entranced into one of the other crystals. She put both hands on the crystal as she looked deep within it. He made it over to her side. For the first time since they had been reunited, she did not pay him much attention. "Uh, Avery?"

"My Mom and Dad" Avery remarked sadly. "I don't see them. All I see are shadows."

"How do you not see them?"

"Because I have no memory of them" she recalled. "Even those visions Mewtwo and Courtney made me show you when we were here the first time were just two random people from Arcana. I don't think I ever knew my parents. They were together, they had me, they gave me to my grandfather and I never saw them again." She looked away from the crystal. "For all I know, they never even wanted kids and just left me somewhere so they could go off and enjoy their lives."

Ryan put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's their loss if that's true."

Avery pulled away from him and walked off on her own. "Or mine."

Ryan was about to follow her, when he finally saw something appear to him inside one of the crystals. He made his way towards a ruby-colored crystal and watched a scene unfold before his eyes. It was of Holly and Tommy Queensbury, eating ice cream from Teller's Parlor in Pocus Town. The two seemed to just be talking about something, until Holly seemed to look up into the skies and directly at Ryan, smiling faintly. He saw his childhood friend and momentary crush mouth his name. He smiled faintly at the sight of his friends.

"Good" he said to himself. "I'm glad they're doing okay."

He walked towards another and saw a second scene unfold for him. It was at a fancy restaurant in Titanio City. His Uncle Jeice, Aunt Shannon, their entire group of kids and Piper were enjoying a wonderful dinner and laughing as a group. His eyes fell on his Elite Four's two chief lieutenants, Chris and Cam. The two had been reunited after all. "Achilles was right. He did go back to Arcana." Chris and Cam, who sat opposite one another, were talking about something, but as Holly had before him, looked up to the ceiling of the restaurant and seemingly spotted him. They gave almost knowing smiles before returning to their meals.

A third crystal depicted yet another scene for him to see. He moved a few paces forward for it, spying a picture of Matthew giving Kayleigh belly farts and the girl squealing with laughter. He put his hand to the crystal and found himself missing them more than he ever had before. "Matt. Kayleigh. Take care of Mom for me while I'm gone. Who knows how long that's going to be." He lowered his hand as a fourth crystal illuminated for him. He moved over towards it and found yet another scene waiting for him. Dawn and Lucas were watching an voltage raising competition between Lucas's Pachirisu and what had to be Mark's Pikachu. He laughed at the sight and hoped his friends would look up as the others had, but shrugged to himself when they didn't.

A fifth crystal beckoned to him and he thus made his way over there. His gaze followed an evening between Michael, Julia and their children. While Julia rocked her son's crib to sleep, Michael was reading the excitable Arya a bedtime story. This time, it was little Arya who seemed to notice he was peeking in and she giggled at him, until her father caught her attention and embraced her. Ryan could feel his heart aching for them. He missed them all. He wanted nothing more than to make it back to Arcana to be with them one more time. He hoped that the next crystal he would see would be Addison. But as he made it towards the crystal, a familiar voice called out to him.

"Are you sure you want to keep going?" the voice called out to him.

Ryan spun around. "Huh? Who said that?"

"Me you dense dolt" the female voice snapped. "The being from the darkness you thought you destroyed!"

"YOU?!"

"Yes, me. You see, the funny thing about darkness and evil, is that we lurk in every single shadow. Even if you destroy as many of us as you can, hundreds more will reappear unabated. Surely you realized this?"

Ryan growled in anger. "What do you want?"

"I want to see where the great Hero of Arcana goes from here" the voice echoed mockingly. "Will he get to see his heart's desire or will he finally realize the truth?!"

"What truth would that be?"

"Why do you insist that I spoil everything for you?! Just go and see for yourself. See what the truth has to say about your precious world back home!" A sixth crystal began to glow ominously, with a deep amethyst colored glow that reminded him of Addison's eyes. Ryan nervously made his way over towards it. He glanced over at Avery and Amanda, both of whom were too ensconced in their own crystals to know any of this was going on. Before he could glance into it, he felt Achilles trying to contact him.

The darkness is present again. I do not think it is wise to follow where it leads.

"She said the truth would be revealed" Ryan reiterated. "I have to try, right?"

His Gallade sighed. As you wish.

Ryan peered into the crystal and felt a strange rushing feeling inside of him. The visions this crystal showed were of much more sinister and cruel events. Of a crazed lunatic abducting Julia, of Hunter viciously swinging his machete at Matthew, Lizzie and Cameron, of a crazed Mewtwo obsessed cult burning wooden effigies of people he knew and cared for. He shook his head at this. "This can't be real. None of this is happening in Arcana."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Because Michael and Chris are protecting the region" Ryan proclaimed.

The shadow laughed at his plight. "And you think those two are up for the challenge? When poor Julia is missing? When Hunter's out for the kill? Even when your closest friends in the world are abandoning you?"

"What are you-" The vision shifted again. Ryan now saw every single one of his friends in various scenes. He saw Matthew speaking with Jasmine Augustine somewhere. He spotted Dawn and Lucas coming together in a relationship. He noticed Holly and Tommy were no longer bickering as much as brother and sister. Though these visions were peculiar, nothing was shown of any merit. "What's the point of all this? My friends haven't abandoned me!"

"You sweet naive boy" the shadow pitied. "They're moving on. They're abandoning you. I already told you the Pokemon you have with you here are the only people who miss you. No one else in Arcana gives a damn about you. You're an empty memory, just like poor Avery's lack of parents. The King has too much to worry about to mourn you. Chris has his precious Piper. Dawn and Lucas don't need you being a third wheel. Even the Queensbury's don't feel much is gone without you there. A gentle breeze just whisked you out of their lives."

"You must think I'm stupid to think that they feel that way" Ryan barked.

"You're stupid if you don't believe it" the voice replied. "No one misses you. Not even your precious Addison."

"Addy?" Ryan looked one last time at the crystal. He saw Addison in sorrow on her bed. He saw her take something off of her finger and place it on the nightstand of her guest room at Kingston Castle. It was the ring he had given her. "What the-" The scene shifted again. Addison was sitting over someone in an infirmary bed, whispering some words, before bending over and kissing them. The scene moved again, depicting Addison going crazy at the sight of someone in danger and unleashing her own hidden well of the Crimson Fury on them, scattering the enemies away. She was then huddled against another person before the scene changed one final time. She was within an inch of the other person before leaning up and kissing him. When they came apart, the person he saw was...was...was...

He couldn't unsee it even if he wanted to. Not for a million years. His sight would forever see the one and singular fear he had ever had. He had lost Addison. And not just to anyone. Not to Jeremy Lockhart or Ethan Craft. Not to Lucas or any other boy she might have ever given a look towards. It was the one person he was horrified would worm his way back into her good favor with him gone.

"Matthew?" he remarked in shock.

"Not even she misses you" the shadow snickered. "Be thankful you have me and the wandering ghost of Avery. Without us and your Pokemon, you'd have nothing but lonely memories and dreams cradling you."

"Shut up!" Ryan snarled. "This has to be untrue. Something else happened!"

"Yeah, she kissed your brother! She forgot all about you!"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Ryan roared, removing his hand from the crystal.

"Who are you talking to?" Amanda cried out as she made her way to his side. Avery was right beside her and the two had deeply worried looks on their faces. But when both offered him some consolation, Ryan pulled away, still in denial over what he had seen.

"Ryan, what's wrong?" Avery worriedly prodded.

"She couldn't have kissed him!" he exclaimed. "It can't be true! It just can't be-"

"Who? What are you talking about?"

"I SAW ADDISON KISS-" Ryan began to bellow, but a cry caught his attention. He looked around for the source of it. Achilles had leaped over them and was pointing ahead of where they stood. Ryan rushed over to his Pokemon's side. "What happened? What did you see?"

Achilles grunted. I saw Sparks. And he is in pain.

"Where?" Ryan demanded. If he had to endure the lie of Addison kissing his brother, he would at least make sure his precious Starter Pokemon was safe from harm.

Ahead. There's an exit to the cave just ahead. I should warn you-

Ryan refused to listen and bolted away from the others, with only his Gallade hurrying to catch up with him. The tunnel went up an incline, but this only made Ryan charge faster. He finally emerged out of the darkness and into a separate part of the forest. He desperately looked around for his Jolteon, only to hear the cry himself. And it was only a few yards away. "SPARKS!" He raced with all of the strength he could muster in the direction of the cries of his first ever Pokemon. He skidded to a stop when he found him. Sparks, the heart and soul of his Pokemon Team, the first Pokemon friend he had ever made, was on the ground, brutally pummeled into submission by something. The Jolteon looked feebly at him before collapsing to the ground. "SPARKS!" Ryan took the Pokemon into his arms and cradled him. "Hold on, buddy. I'll heal you! There has to be a Hyper Potion somewhere around here!"

Achilles led Amanda and Avery to their spot and the group huddled around Ryan and his broken Pokemon. Amanda gasped in horror. "What did this to him? Who hurt him?"

"That's what I want to find out!" Ryan hissed. Now he was doubly angry. First at the dark creature for taunting him with those lies about Addison kissing Matthew and even more so at whoever did this to his Jolteon. "One way or another, I'm going to make this person-"

"LOOK OUT!" Amanda screamed.

Ryan looked up and saw a massive ball of energy hurtling straight for their group. Achilles was about to leap to the defense and shield them, but to everyone's surprise, the form of Darkrai rushed forward and took the full brunt of the blow for the group. Though Ryan had been hopeful the blow would be glancing, the roar of pain Darkrai was in could only tell him that it was either a Focus Blast or a Aura Sphere that struck him. A Fighting Type attack. Darkrai crumpled to the ground and fainted right in front of the group. Avery rushed to his side to try and make sure he was okay, while Amanda and Ryan were trying to figure out who had attacked them. Their answer came in the form of an all too familiar giggle.

"Hehehe. So it's true. You are alive."

"Courtney!" Amanda screeched.

Ryan glared at a rock face nearby and spotted Courtney and a Magmortar walking over towards them, her Pokemon grunting in anger as Courtney looked her prey over. Ryan clenched his fists in absolute hatred for her. "YOU! WHAT DID YOU DO TO SPARKS?!"

"What does it look like, dipstick?" Courtney mocked. "Pummeled him to a pulp and all to draw you out. It worked like a charm."

"You're about to regret doing that" Ryan snarled, feeling the Crimson Fury boiling inside of him.

Courtney and her Pokemon landed right in front of the group. Avery rushed to try and stop them, but Courtney grabbed her by her hair and threw her hard into the rock behind them. Avery collapsed to the ground as Darkrai had, falling unconscious immediately. With Avery and Darkrai dealt with, Courtney returned her attention to her quarry. "It was quite an ingenious plan, if I do say so myself. I knew the only thing left in your heart after all of this was love for your Pokemon. It was just what I needed to finally draw the Master's two most wanted runaways back."

Amanda recoiled. "You can't take us back there."

"But he was just beginning to see use for you, Amanda" Courtney giggled. "You wouldn't want to be so rude to your host, would you?"

Ryan stepped in front of Courtney and did everything in his power to restrain himself. "I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you, Courtney. Or did you miss what happened to Kage?"

"You mean that tool?" Courtney laughed off the threat. "He was a puppet at best. Once Hunter was gone, he was a loose end that would have needed tying up without my say so. Thank you for your service, Ryan. And as a token of my appreciation, I am extending the both of you an opportunity to be in the presence of The Grand Master once more. A forced invitation, as they say." When Ryan made to attack her, she snapped her fingers. More than a dozen Syndicate Guards appeared with a horde of Golbats, Houndooms and Mightyenas at their beck and call. "You really think I was alone, Ryan?"

Ryan grinned as his hatred inside swelled to unfathomable levels. "All I see is a few punching bags and one person I intend on taking down the same way I did Claude and Kage!"

"Spare me the defiance, kid" Courtney spat in his direction. "You will be coming with us. Unless loneliness on this island truly befits you." She laughed as Ryan fingered the Pokemon Balls on his belt and Achilles assumed battle position. "Let me put it to you this way, Ryan. You two are going to come with us or Amanda becomes a ghost just like you and Miss Frost here. Your choice."

Ryan contorted his face in anger, but he knew he could not fight them all off and protect Amanda at the same time if he let Courtney continue to goad him. He lowered his hands and stepped to Amanda's side. Julia's disciple, who was now shivering in absolute terror of being recaptured, was breathing rapidly. He took the girl's hand. "Be strong, Amanda. Do it for Billy."

She nodded. "And you for Addy."

Ryan felt his face darken at the mentioning of her name, but restrained his anger and admitted defeat as the Syndicate Guards surrounded them. He made one last look at Avery's unconscious body before they were closed in on all sides. When Achilles prepared to make his move, Ryan waved him down, with his other arm clutching the weak form of his Jolteon. They had walked right into Courtney's trap. And now they had to pay the consequences for it.

{}

Professor Wong woke up from a nap she had succumbed to after endless days of working for Mewtwo's cloning project. She desperately looked around for signs of the mighty Pokemon, but found him nowhere to be seen. She sighed with great relief and looked towards the two pods containing the next generation clones of Mew. They were still gestating in their pods, nowhere near where the Master wanted them to be. But she figured he would be happy with them still growing and soaking in the nutrients she was giving them. As for the cloning he wanted done for the other captive Pokemon, she was deeply reluctant to begin without Mewtwo's approval. Not because she feared his wrath if it was revealed to be a scheme orchestrated by Courtney, but more importantly because she did not want to harm the Pokemon belonging to the trainers he and Courtney were holding hostage several levels below in the Dream Harvesting Machine. The last thing she wanted was more harm done to these people, especially if some were from her home region of Kanto. The less people harmed, the better.

She looked over her notes. "Hmmm. No signs of recognition of the outside world. Will have to keep monitoring. It may take longer than he'd want, but I'm sure he'd rather perfection than rushed works of art."

You would be correct with that assessment, Professor.

Wong leaped out of her chair and stood at attention as Mewtwo appeared in her chambers. The genetically enhanced Pokemon eyed her curiously as she did her best to make it seem as if she had not just been asleep.

Have I been working you too hard?

"I'm sorry for falling asleep, Master. I-"

Do not call me Master, Helen. Your father and I agreed on a name for me long ago. You may call me 'friend' if you like. And furthermore, you do not need to apologize. Rest is necessary for keeping a strong and healthy mind. But I would like you to join us for a celebration of sorts, Helen.

"A celebration?"

We have successfully located and retrieved Amanda Fouritz and Ryan Kingston. Courtney is bringing them to me as we speak. And I would like you to be there to relish in our victory.

"So long as you're sure I can afford to take the time off of-"

More than sure, Helen. With this victory, our goals are all but assured. Once I've dealt with Arcana's precious hero. Come along, Helen. Take my arm and we'll be off to my Throne Room.

Helen nervously walked over to Mewtwo and took one of the stubby fingers he had. In a flash of light, the two had left her Laboratory Cell and entered the Throne Room she had been brought to when she first arrived. She let go of him and stood nervously as the doors opened. Courtney proudly strutted her way into the Throne Room, dragging behind her a chained boy no older than fourteen, who had electric shackles around his neck and wrists. Behind her came several guards, who had forcibly contained a Gallade in even more electrified chains with one guard poking him with a prod to make him cooperate with being forcibly moved. Lastly, one final guard escorted a chained young woman in her early to mid 20's. When the two locked eyes, they were both surprised at how familiar the other had been.

"Professor Helen Wong?" the woman asked. "What are you doing here?"

"You're Julia Pines's pupil" Wong exclaimed. "The newly slated Pokemon Professor of Arcana. We met in the seminar Professor Rowan was holding."

"I don't understand, Professor" Amanda worried. "What are you doing here?"

She is here where she belongs, Miss Fouritz. As are the both of you. Mewtwo looked down at his captives. After over half a year of waiting, I have both of you in my grasp at last.

The boy glared at Mewtwo defiantly. "You really think you're going to keep us here?"

There will be no grand rescues this time, Ryan. No special plans. No treacherous Syndicate members. And no Michael Kingston to save you. Mewtwo's eyes glowed the color of sapphire. If you only knew how long I have been waiting for this, Ryan. The opportunity to truly avenge my defeat at your hands on Mt. Heatmor. How you humiliated me by trapping me in one of those wretched spheres! I fully intend on returning the favor for the years of agonizing suffering I was forced to succumb to.

"Then kill me!" Ryan declared. "Go on! I dare you!"

Considering I already had you killed once, I don't think I'll be able to do it again.

Helen gasped. "Come again?"

Ryan Kingston here met his end at the hands of Hunter a few weeks ago. But just a few days ago, Elezar Aced tipped us off to the fact that Ryan was not only alive, but on Mirage Island in the same state as Avery Frost. He looked down at Courtney. You dealt with her as well?

"Darkrai is down for the count" Courtney boasted. "And little Avery is nothing without that freak at her beck and call."

Good. Very good.

"Then what do you plan on doing with us?" Amanda pleaded.

I intend on getting the last bits of information from you, Miss Fouritz. Regarding the work of Balthazar Aced that you and Julia Pines worked so tirelessly to preserve. Chiefly the final pages regarding the phenomenon of "Fury Relapse". After that, who knows? I might just toss you into the sea to see if you return.

Helen shuddered at the thought of Amanda being so callously killed, but was even more alarmed at how angry the captive boy got.

But Mewtwo only chuckled at this. The Fury is alive and strong in you. Good. I was hoping you'd be full of vigor. Because I am going to make you suffer, Ryan Kingston. In more ways than one. By the time I have broken your body, mind, spirit and heart, you won't even know who you are. With one casual movement of his arm, Mewtwo made Ryan fall flat on his face, prompting the electric chains on him to shock him. As he screamed, Courtney laughed and Professor Wong looked away. Mewtwo looked to Courtney. I want him under the most excruciating torture procedures you can find, every single hour of every single day. Do not stop until he's broken. In every meaning of the word.

Courtney bowed. "Consider it done, My Master."

And for your successful capture of the boy, where Hunter and Kage both failed, I will reward you with the greatest gift of all. The complete and total access to the Singularity and my power. You will serve me well, Commander Courtney.

The lavender haired menace could only giggle. "I appreciate the vote of confidence, Master." She then gestured for the guards to drag their prisoners off. "Let's go boys! We've got some torturing to do!" She yanked hard on Ryan's chain until he was forced to his feet and followed them out. Amanda made one desperate look to Helen, who shamefully looked away before the prisoners were out of sight.

"I must ask, is it necessary to torture them?"

Amanda will be spared, the Pokemon promised her. I simply want information from her. If she gives it to me, I will let her go. She is merely a means to an end. The boy on the other hand has irked me for far too long. When we're done with him, I want him to suffer in ways he only thought were possible in dreams! Now, come along, Helen. I will let you get back to your work.

"Can I ask for one more thing?" Helen requested. "You once showed me a vision of my family. When will I be able to see them again?"

Mewtwo gave her an almost knowing smile. Wish granted. He used his power to call forth something. From out of a nearby chamber, flew a small handheld mirror that seemed to have belonged in a medieval palace and not in Mewtwo's lair here on Mirage Island. This mirror will show you anything you wish to see, Helen. Simply concentrate hard enough and it will show you your husband and your son whenever you ask. So long as you continue your work, you can see them however many times your heart aches.

She held the mirror in her hands and was certainly gracious for the opportunity, but could not help but tremble at the idea of what either Amanda or the boy Ryan were about to be put through. Nevertheless, she took Mewtwo's stubby finger and was once again transported to her lab. This time, however, Mewtwo did not join her and she was free to do as she bid. While checking the vital signs of both embryos that would one day make Mewtwo as unstoppable as he had ever wanted to be, she looked at the mirror in her other hand and thought as hard as she could. "Please. I'd like to see my son. My baby boy."

The mirror seemed to wiggle slightly before displaying the form of a sleeping boy. Her son was sound asleep in bed. She smiled admiringly at the picture depicted and caressed the glass in her hands. The caressing suddenly stopped as she heard a blood-curdling scream. She desperately searched for an answer for what it was, only for the mirror to shift and show that the boy name Ryan was being forcibly twisted around like a pretzel. She heard the boy scream once more and desperately lowered the mirror, horrified at just how hateful an alleged product of her father had truly become.

{}

Michael forcibly pushed himself up and out of bed that night. The sights he had seen in his dream had horrified him. But they also confused him. Something was going on on Mirage Island. But his dream had been so confusing and incoherent that he had no idea how to piece everything together. The last thing he had seen in his mind was a vivid picture of a warrior all in black. He was breathing heavily and looked around their bedroom for any signs of anything out of the ordinary. But the only thing he noticed was his Arcanine had gone out onto their balcony to howl at the moon at some point in the night. Now, Mufasa was curled in a ball and sleeping outside. To his side, Julia was sound asleep, breathing softly and gently. The baby monitors on their bedsides were silent, with both James and Arya sleeping the night away without a care in the world. Oh, how he envied them.

Not wanting to wake her, he slowly rose from their bed and tapped at his side. Mufasa heard the taps almost immediately and trotted over to him. Michael knelt down to his trusted Arcanine and pet his snout. "Come on, buddy" he whispered. "We need to go see Countess Rosemary." The Arcanine nodded and leaped for the door quickly, sitting as Michael put a bathrobe on and prepared to make his way to the door. He did not make it there in time for his wife to notice she now slept alone.

"Hmm? Michael?"

"Go back to sleep, Jules" he told his wife. "I need to see Countess Rosemary about something."

Julia rolled over and sat up. "About what? What happened?"

"I...I had a dream. And I need to know what it was about." The King was about to open the door and exit, but Julia was out of bed in a matter of seconds, quickly throwing on her own bathrobe and making it to his side. "Don't you need sleep, honey?"

Julia smiled up at him and wrapped her arm around his. "I need you. Sleep can wait."

{}

Addison Tenton was deeply unhappy about being forced to wake up at the ungodly hour she had been forced to and even more unhappy learning from her mother and Morgan Augustine that Countess Rosemary had summoned her. She hadn't even had the time to get dressed or wake up properly before Morgan and her mother were leading her out of her bedroom and down to the Dining Hall. If Galatea got to sleep, why couldn't she? But anytime she would mumble a response, neither of the two escorting her would answer her, only further angering her.

The doors to the Dining Hall were flung open and Addison was nudged inside by her mother. The bright lights of the chandelier that hung above them hurt her eyes, forcing her to rub them vigorously. "Ugh. It's too early for this."

"Ah, so the White Mage has chosen to grace us with her presence after all" Rosemary responded dryly.

"Not by my own choice" Addison responded.

"But you needed to be here nonetheless" her mother told her before sitting beside her and across from, to Addison's surprise, the King and Queen. Deidre looked up to the Countess worriedly. "Have we missed anything?"

Rosemary's face was dark and shrouded. "We're all missing things, my dear. But no one worse at the moment than the King." She looked to her Great Nephew. "Premonitions are not exactly uncommon, Michael. I believe what you saw was your mind trying to tell you something. But it's distorted message will be difficult to decipher without an in depth analysis. Are you certain you saw something?"

"I know what I saw" the King declared. "And I know what I heard. I've had similar dreams before, but nothing like this."

"And you believe it's prophetic because...why?"

"Courtney forced me to have a link into Mewtwo's mind" Michael explained, to the horror of Deidre and Julia. "It comes to me in spurts. Sometimes in full form. But always when it happens, it means that something is going on where he is. I heard agonized screaming and something about cloning and a mirror and...and then I saw it. A being draped in black. It looked like an armored knight."

Addison gasped. "You saw it too?"

Rosemary tapped her chin lightly. "It would seem this black demon in your dreams has a full appearance now, Miss Tenton."

"What does this all mean, Countess?" Julia pleaded.

"I'm afraid I cannot be sure" the elderly woman replied. "The only common link now is this new being. A Black Knight. It's only fitting that Mewtwo would counter a White Mage with a Black Knight of his own. Destruction to counter creation. Death to balance healing. Evil to match Good. Darkness to shadow Light."

"Cloning?" Deidre repeated. "Is Mewtwo making more of himself?"

"I need to talk to Chris first thing in the morning to know what he knows" Michael declared. "If Mewtwo makes more of himself..."

"Then there's no stopping him" Addison shuddered.

"Do not lose hope" Rosemary urged. "Our situation is not hopeless, nor is it dire. We need to prepare Addison for what will come."

"This Black Knight could be a problem" Julia cautioned. "And these clones and Courtney and..."

"When we know what we know" the Countess continued, "our minds can stop worrying so and brace ourselves." She gestured for Morgan to hurry on over and help her back to her feet. While Rosemary clung to her scepter as if her life depended on it, she limped her way over to Addison's side. "My dear, I want you to rest and meditate the entire rest of this day. Do not allow your mind to be filled with woe and fear. Because the day after, I have to help you do something that has only ever been done once before in the history of this world. And I'm not sure if we can actually do it." She and Morgan continued to move out the door, leaving Michael, Julia, Addison and Deidre alone.

"Every step forward we take things just get worse" Deidre lamented. "How can we hope to stop this maniac now?"

"The same way we always have" Michael told his lifelong friend. "By keeping our faith in your daughter." Michael looked to Addison with the most sincere look she had ever gotten from him. "I know what you saw now. And I will not stop until you and everyone else is ready for this. You won't be fighting alone."

Addison smiled nervously. "Thank you, Michael."

Julia's frown only deepened. "How many days to go?"

"Twenty seven" her husband answered. "Twenty seven days."

"It may not be enough" Deidre shuddered. Addison tried to give her mother some confidence, but found herself lacking it. If even Michael was worried about what was to come, how could she hold onto the menial amount of faith in herself she had left?