Arceus help me, I've been such a stereotypical author… - Writing a whole bunch then vanishing off the face of the earth. If anyone is still reading, I want to give you a shout-out saying OH MY ARCEUS THANK YOU! 8D

…CHAPTER NINETEEN: A Promise is a Promise

Treecko's personality forced him back to the beach that night. Well, truthfully, it wasn't just curiosity. That day was the first time he'd been in the Guild without Mudkip. Laying alone in the dark with her empty bed beside him was just too much. He kept seeing Mudkip sleeping there out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned to look, he faced the cold reality of being alone. That by itself was enough to get him out of bed past midnight. So, once everything was quiet and he was sure everyone was asleep, he started his journey. He briefly poked his head in on the others to reconfirm that they were soundly asleep, then tiptoed into the main hall.

It was then that Treecko noticed how creepy the Guild was at night. Places that were normally well-lit in the day were now pitch-black and abnormally large. He hurried towards the ladders as fast as he dared, trying to ignore the creepy feeling everything was giving him. He nearly had a heart attack when he discovered Chatot perched on the top rung. Thankfully, Treecko remembered, from the time he'd peeked in Bidoof's diary, that this was where Chatot slept. He scuttled up the back wall, avoiding the ladder entirely and using the pads on his hands and feet. He thanked Arceus that he was a gecko.

Once outside, he noticed that everything was different at night. The town didn't look anything like it did in the day. Nothing even remotely appeared like it actually was. The shadows were too long and dark for the mount of moonlight shining down. It was like an entirely different world.

"Get a grip, Treecko," he told himself in a whisper. "There's nothing here now that wasn't here during the day."

Treecko remembered a piece of advice that he'd heard from somewhere. If you hear something aloud, you're more apt to believe it. Still, Treecko couldn't help but be afraid of the dark. Too much of it had lurked in his partner's eyes…

Before going to the beach, Treecko went to Sharpedo Bluff. Carefully poking his head in, he discovered that Shadow was fast asleep but Solay was nowhere to be found. Now he just had to hope that Lapras hadn't arrived yet, and hurried off.

He was just in time. Lapras was just approaching when he set foot on the sand, and quickly hid so he could watch. Solay stood up from where she'd been standing and padded to the water's edge.

"What's the news?" the Vulpix asked, not wasting any time.

"Lord Dialga has arranged a Council meeting to address the threat," Lapras replied. "Everyone except you is in attendance. I've been told to bring you to the Hidden Land again, where the Council will hear your concerns."

"The entire Council?" Solay repeated, clearly surprised. "He assembled all of them within a day? That's an impressive feat. So they're waiting now?"

"Yes. We should leave without further delay to avoid upsetting them."

Treecko was completely lost. Council? Dialga? Hidden Land? This was way too complicated for him. He stopped trying to wrap his head around it and listened. Solay was speaking again.

"Well, yes, I suppose you're right… How long do we expect it to go on?"

Lapras sighed. "Who knows. The Council could take hours or days…but I doubt it will last more than one day. The threat is too real. They're going to discuss that too. Apparently, Lord Palkia has had a few scuffles with whoever attacked you as well."

Solay frowned. "Then this is serious. More so than I imagined… We could very well be heading for the next big crisis. Darkrai was bad enough…now it's happening again." She shook her head. "Well, I'm ready. We can't keep the Council waiting. But first… Treecko, come out from behind that rock."

He started. Caught. How had she known…? He rounded the rock, looking down guiltily. She was probably going to scold him for eavesdropping and spying. So much for a midnight adventure…

"Whatever you do, don't wander around alone."

Treecko lifted his head, astonished. Solay's voice was only slightly reprimanding. It was more like advice than a warning. "You're…not going to get mad at me?"

She shook her head, a faint smile crossing her face. "No, I can't blame you. The real reason you came out here was to get away from your memories, wasn't it?"

Treecko looked away. Solay had hit the proverbial nail on the head. "Yeah," he mumbled. "I don't know why you want your memories back…they're really hard to deal with." He had thought that she was going to reply right away, and when he didn't get an answer, he looked up.

Solay had bowed her head, the shadows hiding her eyes from view. Her shoulders were hunched and her paws clenched fistfuls of sand. Lapras wore a clearly sympathetic face. Treecko was alarmed and instantly guilty. He had touched a nerve.

"I see your logic, Treecko," she said without looking up. "Why remember something painful when you have to option to remain ignorant and peaceful for the rest of your life? That's a good question. I really don't have an answer…but… I just can't stand staying up every night and not knowing who I used to be. My life with Shadow is the only thing I know. What Grovyle and the others told me…is all I have of my life. Even if it's going to make my heart hurt even more when I think of who I lost then…I have to know. I feel it's my obligation to carry that weight and not just abandon everything I used to have. Perhaps this is like taking a step backwards, but it's a step I have to take to keep moving forward." She looked up and gave him a smile. "I have to look back just once…so I can move forward."

Treecko nodded. He understood. If he had the choice of forgetting everything about Mudkip or keeping his memory…he would choose to keep it. She had been the only one who believed in him before he came to the Guild and met Solay and Shadow. He had faith that her treason wasn't always just an act. He had to believe that there were times when she had sincerely been his friend, caring for his welfare. He knew there were times.

"I think I understand," he said. "If I had the choice to forget Mudkip…I wouldn't. She was my only friend before you guys came along. Memories are the last things I have of her now. I don't want to loose them too."

She gave a nod. "That's right, Treecko. Don't give up. For now, make sure that someone from the Guild or Shadow is with you at all times. We don't know what they want. It's dangerous for you to be alone."

"And what about you?" he asked. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to pay a couple of old friends a visit," she replied. "They're going to help us out. If anyone knows who could be behind this, it's them. For now, just sit tight, all right?"

"What about Shadow?"

Solay hesitated, biting her lip. "If he asks where I've gone, just say I'm at a Council meeting. Otherwise, don't say anything. I'll try to be back before midday tomorrow, but no promises. Anyway, I need to go before my friends get impatient. They have very short tempers, you know."

Treecko couldn't resist a giggle. "You'll come back safely, right? You promise?"

She nodded, leaping onto Lapras' back. "I promise."

Treecko still wasn't assured. Solay saw that and jumped back down, padding over. She rested her muzzle briefly on his nose, then gave him a sort of hug with only her face. She had her head over his shoulder.

"Hey, a promise is a promise," she said softly. "I never break my promises. Never in a million years."

He wrapped his arms around her neck, hiding his face in her fur. Solay was doing so much for him and Mudkip, after she had gone through so much already. She was a real live hero, saving ordinary people like him. She cared for people so much…she was willing to carry the weight of her old memories for the chance that she may have information on what was happening today. She was willing to harden her heart and look through everything she had lost and never could get back to save them.

That was the mark of a true hero.

Once he was calm enough to think again, he knew he had to let Solay go. She had a meeting to attend. He released his tight grip and let her step away. He met her gaze evenly. If she was going to be brave, so was he.

"You promised to come back safe," he stated. "Come back soon."

She smiled. "Sure. See you tomorrow, Treecko, and I'll bring good news." She leaped back up on Lapras' back once more, and without a backwards glance, she was off to the unknown. Treecko watched the duo until they disappeared from view, then turned to head home. It was time for bed…today had been a long day.

…

Yay, chapter nineteen. 8D Anyway, I'm on break now, so a few more chapters should be coming up soon…hopefully. *Shot*