Chapter 11 – Reconciliation and Suspicion

The bright midday sun beat down on the head of Ash as he walked down the sandy beach. The ocean glimmered beside him as he walked arm in arm with Dawn. She looked positively radiant in the sunlight. Her blue hair sparkled as though millions of tiny diamonds coated each strand, and her deep blue eyes were longing and amorous. Her smile was wide and enticing, and distracted him from her wonderful pinkish-white sundress that billowed softly in the ocean breeze.

She grasped his hand tightly as she pulled him down the beach at a near run. He followed along as quickly as he could so as not to break the grip. He could barely keep her pace as he followed along, listening to her lovely giggles as she told him to 'come along'. She clearly wanted to show him something down the length of the beach, but he wasn't sure what. It was only when he stumbled forward that he noted he was wearing not his usual clothes, but rather a semi-formal outfit with comprising of a white dress shirt, a loosely fitted tie, black dress pants, and loafers that were growing only dirtier with the sand he kept pounding with his feet.

His stumble turned into a trip, and he fell over, taking Dawn with him. She landed on top of him, and they both began laughing uncontrollably. When the laughter finally died down, she looked into his eyes as she lay on top of him. She quickly pressed down and paralyzed him with a kiss. He could only respond in kind, returning the kiss with the utmost fervour. He pulled her closer, afraid of losing her if he didn't grip her as tightly as he did. He wanted to feel her every curve against him. She must have felt the same because she made no resistance, almost melting into him.

"Love you," she breathed to him.

"So do I," he whispered back.

She finally pulled him up and she resumed her run, tugging him alongside. However, the very act of standing up so quickly left him feeling dizzy and he didn't move. When he looked up, he saw the most peculiar sight. Dawn was running beside... himself. There she was with his copy, joyously giggling as she towed him down the beach to some unknown sight they would share. Ash was at a loss for words. He couldn't understand it. He was about to pursue the pair so that he could interrogate this strange imposter when he heard a familiar, yet comforting voice.

"Ash."

The raven-haired trainer spun around, trying to locate the voice, but saw nothing. Ash felt his mind slipping. He was still slightly dizzy, and the strange sight of seeing his doppelganger run off with his love didn't help him to regain his grip on reality. He felt utterly bewildered as he traced a circular path on the beach, trying to find the source of the now repeating voice.

"Ash, I'm here."

It echoed, each time giving him an increasing feeling of familiarity and warmth as it grew in volume. Yet he was utterly confounded as to its location. He grew slightly frustrated. Soon, the thought of Dawn's escapade with his own mirror image faded from the front of his mind as he was driven mad looking for the call of the voice. It was feminine, enticing, and caused him to flash back to days long since passed.

"Look at me."

The voice was so close now, could swear it was whispered in his ear. He collapsed to his knees next in the lapping waves of the ocean. Frustration consumed him as he shouted into the sky, "Where are you?!" The shallow ebbing of the water soaked his legs and he put his arms to the sand in exhaustion, leaving him on all fours. Wearied and confused, he didn't move. He didn't even want to.

"Look at me."

This time he felt a touch on his shoulder. It was warm, welcoming, and yielded pleasantly against his own skin.

"Ash, please."

He saw feet move into his line of vision as he stared at the wet sand covered in moving water. The skin of the new sight was the perfect shade of cream, and soon saw a hand of the same colour reach towards his chin. It slowly tilted his head upwards. As his sight rose, the feet vanished, being replaced with the elegant folds of a lacy sea-blue-green dress. It slowly narrowed until he saw the waist. From there, it clung to the curves of a beautiful woman whose face soon came into view. The red locks of a fiery mane of hair draped around the perfect face of Misty.

"Come with me," the nearly glowing form of Misty beckoned. She gently pulled Ash to his feet. He was only barely functioning under his own power at this point. He was entranced. Hand in hand, they walked out into the ocean, barely aware of its moisture wetting their feet.

They kept walking further and further into the ocean, and Ash noticed he wasn't going any deeper into the now stilled waters of bay. He managed to break his gaze with Misty for a moment, only to gasp and notice that he was standing over waters deep enough for him to sink into completely. He saw a Magikarp swim beneath his toes before the gravity of the situation struck him completely.

"Ash, don't worry. I won't let you fall away," she soothed, wrapping her arms around him when he threatened to bolt away back to shore in panic.

"How?" Ash asked, his voice quaking with fear.

"Because it's us," Misty whispered softly into his ear. She moved her head from his shoulder and began bringing her face closer to his. He still wouldn't move, not even his head would budge. But she didn't mind. She pressed her lips into his and he felt a surge of powerful warmth and confidence rush through his body. It was invigorating to the point of becoming uplifting. Now he couldn't care less about the deep waters beneath his toes. He could probably float above the ripples now if he wanted. But that would take him away from Misty, and he sure didn't want that.

Their kiss ended and they parted slightly. Somehow, the day had vanished and they basked in the light of the sunset. She looked gorgeous in it and he could only feel bliss. It was the same bliss he felt before when he kissed Dawn before she left with his duplicate. When his thoughts turned to Dawn, the feelings of remorse resurged into his consciousness, leaving him wanting to sink into the waters once more.

As if feeling his emotions, Misty drew him tight against her again, grasping his face with her hands.

"This isn't wrong. I love you. I've waited for you. Love me. Please, Ash. Look at me. Tell me," her voice was both reassuring and pleading all at once.

He felt torn in two. His thoughts strayed to the shoreline, and he could make out the form of Dawn in the arms of his look-alike. Yet he could almost see her face as clear as day. His eyes returned to Misty, her sea-green eyes shimmering in the light of dusk along with her matching dress. Her red hair moved with every little drop and rise of the breeze that passed them by. She was a goddess of the sea and she wanted him. As much as he wanted to run to Dawn, he couldn't say no.

"I love you, Misty," he whispered to her strongly and with conviction.

"It's all I've ever wanted to hear," Misty's small smile grew as sweet words poured from her lips. They reconnected in a second kiss, and he felt as though he were drinking the sun from the warmth that passed his lips and spread throughout his body.

When his eyes opened from the kiss, the sun had disappeared and night had overtaken the ocean vista. He felt Misty's hand slip from his and he saw her already a good distance away as she walked from him unto the horizon.

"Find me," she asked, her voice nothing but a whisper, though he heard her as clear as day across the growing distance, "Tell me." She continued her strides into the growing dark of the new night that had fallen over the calm sea, "Love me."

Her last words marked her disappearance as her red hair was the last he managed a glimpse of before she melded into the shifting aurora of the distant horizon.

Ash closed his eyes, opening them again only to see the ceiling of Violet's bedroom.

"Not again," he moaned, turning his face into his pillow, taking his eyes away from the now partly lit window of the morning-struck room.

I can't believe I dreamed of her again. This time in that dress. That damn dress. It's perfect on her. She's perfect. But how? Dawn's perfect. How can two things be perfect and yet different?

Ash's thoughts rolled around in his head like so many unbalanced barrels, giving him more than he wanted to think about at such an early hour.

And what does it mean? Walking on an ocean? Misty looking like a dream come true? A kind of... ocean dream. How can I have such thoughts for another woman? I love Dawn, I know it in my heart. And yet, the same can be said of Misty. I must be a terrible person...

The guilt returned in full force, almost weighing him down on the bed, unrelenting and unwilling to let him leave. Frankly he welcomed the feeling. If he stayed here forever, he'd never be tempted by Misty, or have to hide his guilty face from Dawn.

And what's with this... other me being there. What the heck does that-

Ash's internal monologue was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Yeah?" Ash inquired at the knocking which threatened to bring some news that would force him to leave his small sanctuary.

"Ash? Breakfast is almost done. Then we're going to help Misty practice more," Dawn's lovely voice filtered through the door.

Ash wanted to sink into the mattress and vanish altogether. But he forced a half slurred reply out of his tired mouth, "Yeah... up... minute."

"See you soon!" his girlfriend's cheerful notes poured through the door again. He heard her skip away as he retrieved a new set of clothes for the coming day. He knew it was going to be a long one. He needed to perfect his appeal and work on his contest battle moves. He had to move quickly though, because he had one other thing he had to do first. Rather second, after breakfast of course.

The foursome ate a quaint breakfast prepared by Dawn, who had volunteered since Misty had done so for the last five days. They enjoyed it, though of course the culinary exploits of Brock were brought up and they unanimously agreed that she would never be a match for him. This conversation led to Ash talking about Cilan's cooking and how he would one day like to see them in a cook-off. Once finished, they each returned their dishes and prepared for the grueling day ahead of them. They decided that they would help Misty for the morning, and then tend to their own efforts for the rest of the day afterwards.

Before Misty was able to evade Ash by returning to her room for something she said she needed, Ash managed to get her attention.

"Misty!"

The redhead turned to Ash and glowered at him. She still wasn't terribly happy with the man for his rudeness the day prior. She turned to ascend the staircase when Ash decided to just spit it out, "I'm very sorry for laughing and what I said yesterday."

Misty paused as her foot landed on the first step. She didn't move, nor did she even turn her head. Instead, she just replied in an edgy fashion, "Are you really?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

Misty finally managed to turn herself around, keeping within a step of the stairs. Her voice as cold as ever retorted, "Did you apologize just because Dawn asked you to?"

"Uh," Ash fumbled in trying to respond. He wasn't going to lie to Misty. He was already deep in a couple of lies with her; one of which involved both him and Dawn, and one that involved him alone.

"So you are!" Misty spat harshly, preparing to turn and stomp away from her would-be antagonist.

"I didn't realize what it meant for you! I was just having some fun, but Dawn told me how much it hurt you! I'm really, really sorry about it! I didn't mean to laugh, and I would never have said it at all if I knew it had such an impact," Ash took a breath as he lay out his argument in a lot less time than he intended, trying to make her stop before she reached her room as he pursued her on the stairs, "I never wanted to hurt you Misty! I was really sad that we weren't talking for years. I was so happy that we finally got back in touch recently! Do you think I want to throw that away because I'm ignorant?"

Misty finally paused, her hand inches away from the knob on the door to her room. Though she didn't let Ash see it, her face softened somewhat, and she mumbled "You know... you're right."

"Huh?"

"You really are ignorant. Maybe you've learned a lesson today. But just in case you haven't, just... keep out of my way today. Maybe I'll feel like talking to you tomorrow at the contest," Misty quietly cautioned him before entering her room and closing it with more force than necessary.

Ash's face fell. He thought he might've gotten through to her, but now he wasn't sure. He trudged down the stairs, looking crestfallen and not afraid to hide it. Dawn saw this as she came out of the kitchen into the living room and quickly ran up to him.

"The apology didn't go well?" Dawn asked with some concern.

Ash shook his head dejectedly.

"I can talk to her you like," Dawn offered.

"No," Ash looked up at her seriously, "Part of it is that she thinks I only did it because you asked. I can't have you fix this problem on my behalf because she needs to see that I'm willing to show remorse."

"Ok," Dawn said in a tiny voice, "I just don't want you to stop being friends after making up after all these years. We went through so much this week. I just want it to end well."

"I'm sure it will, Dawn," Ash offered a comforting hand to her shoulder, "I just need to be patient. I'm not great at it, but I'm better at it than I used to be. I'll be practicing outside if you need me." Ash passed Zoey as he made for the back door and strode outside, nodding to her as he passed.

Zoey noted Dawn's frown and she grew inquisitive, "Ok, what's the deal with you and Ash?"

"Huh?!" Dawn squeaked in fright. This was far from the last thing Dawn thought her rival would ask.

"There's something between you and Ash," Zoey stated directly, "I saw it all day yesterday. I had to filter out all the nasty looks you and Misty were giving him because of his laughing fit and that stupid stuff he said; but through all that, I see you looking at him in another way. I remembering seeing sorta similar looks when he travelled back you years ago, but I wrote it off because you were both young. And now I see him glancing at you too," she decided to hold back on saying anything about his looks at Misty for the moment, as she wasn't sure about that whole situation yet, "Then there was last night."

Dawn paled at the implications of that last accusation and she almost wanted to faint. But she held her composure just enough to avoid that display. The rest of her reaction was a dead giveaway to Zoey though.

"So, I'm right! I heard something from your room, and I saw you go from your room to his not long after we all decided to hit the sack," Zoey hammered away at the scenario, "Did you two really-,"

Dawn rushed up to Zoey and forcibly covered her mouth and put her mouth to Zoey's ear, "Quiet! You can't say anything. Misty can't know!"

"Why?" Zoey's face screwed up into the picture utter incomprehension.

"Long story..." Dawn muttered in exasperation.

"I have time," Zoey insisted.

"Hey guys. I'm ready," the unenthused voice of Misty shattered both girls' sense of security as they whipped around to see the gym leader come around the corner from the stairwell. She was wearing the dress again, and as usual, she looked marvellous in it. Misty did not look pleased, however, "Why do I need to be in this to practice?"

Dawn managed to get her voice back to answer her, albeit shakily, "S-so you can get used to battling and working with your Pokémon in it. You need to be comfortable while doing those things in the dress. Otherwise you'll be really nervous at the contest."

"I'm already going to be nervous at the contest..." Misty droned.

"It's one less thing to have on your nerves, trust me," Dawn encouraged.

"Fine... let's just do this so I get out of it before I ruin it somehow," Misty deadpanned.

"Yeah, I want to get to my training as well," Zoey added.

"You don't need to help if you don't want to," Misty offered politely.

"No, it's fine. I'd like you to get as much help as you could, considering how little time you've had," Zoey hand-waved the offer dismissively.

"Ok, let's get in there and do it then," Misty nodded to her teachers as they entered the pool battlefield area. Zoey and Dawn sat on the bleachers while Misty called forth her Pokémon to practice her appeal.

Zoey had an agenda besides watching and teaching Misty though. While she kept her eye on Misty and her partner, she whispered to Dawn, "Tell me why I can't talk to Misty about you two."

"Shouldn't we be paying att-," Dawn began to try and dismiss the topic but Zoey wouldn't let up.

"I can watch and talk at the same time. Now spill it," Zoey instructed powerfully, though quietly.

Dawn sighed and began to tell the story, "So Ash and I have been together for some months. But he's really new to romance and relationships so he wanted to keep it quiet. But I finally convinced him to start telling people. But before we could tell Misty, all three of us went to a club together. She got some alone time with him and confessed her love to him."

Zoey's eyes widened into saucers. She hadn't expected that, "Oh..." It clicked in her mind that was why Ash kept looking at her and seemed to be overcome by guilt. He had to reject her.

Dawn continued, "Ash wanted to tell her about us because he didn't want to lie to her. But if we told her, our friendships with Misty might end. What's worse is that Ash and Misty finally started talking again after years. She's always carried a torch for him, and he didn't even know. She cut off all ties with him to try and get over it, but when he and I showed up, we undid all of her work. She still loves him."

"That's..." Zoey struggled to find the adjective, "crazy." She couldn't find a different word if she wanted to. Zoey's stern face returned and she spoke to Dawn seriously, "You need to tell her you know."

Dawn drew a heavy breath and exhaled visibly. She continued to look at Misty's performance with some admiration. For a novice, contest-wise, she wasn't half-bad. Dawn spoke lowly, "I can't. Not now. She needs time before she can take a hit like that."

"She might never be able to take it," Zoey pointed out with some regret in her words.

"True... but I need to find the right time. Not too long so she doesn't think I've been hiding it away forever, but not so soon that it cuts her too deeply her after the confession," Dawn explained distantly.

Zoey nodded. Dawn had a point, and she was very sweet in how she was trying to be considerate towards the gym leader. However, the top coordinator wasn't a fan of this whole situation.

"How was that, guys?" Misty shouted from across the pool.

"Great! You just need to polish up the end. Remember that it needs to be smooth all the way through," Dawn counselled.

"And remember, the moves need to be stunning, but not so overwhelming that they overshadow the Pokémon themselves. It's their show," Zoey added smartly.

"Yeah. That was a hard lesson for me," Dawn reminisced with mixture of nostalgia and melancholy.

"It's a hard thing to learn for every coordinator," Zoey commented wisely, "Find that balance, and you're golden."

"Thanks guys," Misty said gratefully, bowing slightly before them, "I really appreciate this."

"My pleasure," Dawn cheered.

"Yeah, maybe this contest won't be so bad after all. Let's hope Ketchum is doing as well as you," Zoey complimented, smirking at her little jab at the raven-haired trainer.

Misty's smiling face faded slightly at his mention, but recovered just as quickly and replied challengingly, "If I make it past appeals, maybe we'll get paired for a battle and I'll get to prove my superiority!"

"That's the spirit!" Dawn praised, glad to see Misty was in high spirits.

"Return!"

Ash had just finished praising his Pokémon on a job well done as he returned it to his pokéball. His stomach had warned him that lunchtime was near, and confirmed it by checking his pokégear. He was about to head to the door when Dawn came out through it herself.

"Hey Dawn. I was about to go get lunch," Ash greeted.

"It'll be ready soon," Dawn replied perkily, but she approached him quickly and hissed in his ear, "We need to talk! Quickly!" She led him down the sidewalk and away from the gym. It was a quiet street, with very few people were around. It worked for her because they could have private conversation if they kept their voices down.

"What's the problem?" Ash asked curiously.

Dawn took a quick glance around her to make sure no one was within earshot. She whispered to him with caution, "Zoey knows about us!"

"How?" Ash asked more loudly than he intended.

Dawn cringed at how loudly he reacted before shushing him and continuing their conversation, "She heard us last night, and she put two and two together based on our interactions the rest of the day. Thankfully she told me before she blabbed to Misty about it, and she's agreed to keep it secret."

Ash's pounding heart slowed a bit and he exhaled finally. He took another breath in and confessed, "Man, you had me in a panic there, Dawn! Based on how severe you sounded, I thought Misty found out."

"Sorry!"

"It's fine," Ash comforted her, "We just need to make sure Zoey doesn't slip up..." He paused for a moment and a small smile crossed his face, "I guess we weren't as quiet as we thought."

Ash's girlfriend slapped his arm in a playful display of reproach, "Ash!"

"Hey... I didn't say you weren't," Ash misdirected with a sly grin.

"And I'm not denying I was..." she looked around the street, on which only one other person was walking in the opposite direction as they, "We've just never talked about... that... in public."

A naughty chuckle came from Ash and he pulled Dawn to his side, much to the amusement of them both. They turned around and walked back to the gym's backyard where they entered living space of the complex once again. Ash entered the kitchen, only to see Misty and Zoey eating at the table. Misty was still in her dress.

"Misty! You can't eat in that! It'll get ruined!" Dawn scolded in a tone harsher than even she expected to hear. Ash wasn't even conscious of his surroundings anymore. He simply gazed at Misty in the dress and the world seemed to fall into a haze around her. Images of his dream from the past night flashed before his eyes before he managed shake his head from the clouds and look away. He did so just in time for Zoey to see him avert his gaze. She gave him an odd look before turning back to her meal.

"Fine! Fine! As long as I don't have to wear it again after lunch! It's so tiresome getting in and out of this thing!" Misty complained, passing Ash without any regard of his presence. Ash almost felt relief at her exit from the room, as well as a twinge of disappoint deeper within.

"Ash... there's food. I've never known you to pause at the sight of it!" Dawn remarked jokingly.

Ash's mind snapped to attention and he saw the meal in his allotted space on the table.

"Great! I'll dig in and get back to training quick!" he half-shouted, sitting at his spot and immediately began making the meal disappear with little effort.

Following lunch, the four trainers and coordinators found their own private spots around the gym property to practice, with Ash taking his former spot in the backyard, Misty continuing in the gym pool, Dawn practicing in the plaza out in front which was not nearly as busy as it had been when they first arrived in Cerulean, and Zoey who elected to travel across town to the Contest Hall's outdoor practice range. All in all, it was a productive day for the four of them. They each returned the gym's living room late that evening, all tired, yet all still excited for the coming of the next day.

One by one, they chose to head upstairs to get a good rest for the contest. Soon, Ash and Dawn were the only two left in the living room as they watched the television.

"So, are you ready for tomorrow?" Ash asked his girlfriend sleepily, his head lolling against hers lazily while hers rested on his shoulder.

"Yeah. I got a ton of practice in and the combinations I have prepared will be great," Dawn yawned back.

"Great, I'm ready too. You'll love my appeal especially, I think," he whispered, starting to slip into a drowsy state of mind.

"Mmm..." she purred into his arm, "What is it?"

He let out a quiet chuckle, "Ah, that's a surprise."

"Tease," she accused, turning herself slightly so her arm wrapped around his chest.

"You'd do the same," he argued playfully, copying her action with his own spare arm.

"Mph, I don't want to get up to go to bed. Can't we just stay here and sleep," Dawn cooed into his arm.

"I'd love it... but," Ash began, but Dawn cut him off as his slow laborious speech failed to finish the sentence quickly enough for her.

"Yeah... can't have Misty see us like this in the morning," Dawn finished resignedly.

"We got lucky when it came to Zoey," Ash sighed, still gripping Dawn tightly. His mind knew he had to get back to his room, but his tired body wanted to bask in her cheery warmth for a while yet.

"Mhmm," Dawn lazily agreed, barely able to string words together anymore. Her eyes were already closed and her breathing slowed.

"Dawn?" he asked her, craning his head to look at her form. He noticed she was now fast asleep, and couldn't bear to wake her from the angelic state that now enveloped her. She had a noticeable smile on her face as she dreamed. He stifled a groan as he managed to delicately move his arm around her to cradle her upper body whilst his other arm hooked beneath her legs. He carried her 'bridal' style up the stairs, making sure to not cause a sound to wake Dawn, nor the other two girls.

He struggled briefly with the door, having difficulty getting his hand to turn the knob while holding the blunette steady in his arms. Eventually, he succeeded and entered, turning her sideways so her sleeping body did not bang into the sides of the doorway. He laid her gingerly on the bed, and tucked her under the covers. He briefly entertained the idea of undressing her so as to put her in her pajamas, but decided against it; both because he didn't want to do so without her permission, and because he didn't want anything to start heating up if she happened to wake during the process.

When she was finally snug and secure, he pulled the blankets up over her shoulders and looked at her sleeping soundly in the bed. She was so peaceful. It was strange to note how perfectly gorgeous she was while she was like this, yet he felt equally passionate about her divine beauty when she awake and vibrant. He bent down and gave her a soft kiss on her cheek. She fidgeted as his lips withdrew, and he wondered if he had somehow affected her dreams. He saw her smile widen somewhat as she stilled once again, save for her steady, rhythmic breathing.

"Good night, Dawn." Ash crept carefully out of her room, and with equal stealth, returned to his own.

He nearly died of fright when he found Zoey sitting on his bed with a frown on her face.

"So. You and Dawn," she stated expectantly.

Ash did a double-take, not expecting the coordinator to even be awake, let alone in his room. He slowly closed the door so their conversation wouldn't travel into the hallway.

"What are you doing in here?" Ash asked, keeping his voice neutral.

"So, when did that happen?" Zoey continued her line of questions as though Ash hadn't even spoken.

"Um... what business is that of yours?" Ash retorted, caution seeping into his speech.

"Listen," she began sternly, "I know you travelled with her when you were younger, and you helped her quite a bit. I'm glad. But, I want to make sure you're not taking advantage of her."

Ash's eyes narrowed. He wasn't sure if he should take that as an insult or not. Whether or not his mind managed to make a decision, his mouth took the initiative, "What do you mean? Are you implying that I'm hurting her... or manipulating her?"

"I'm saying that Dawn is someone who likes to believe the best in people. Except when she gets into a funk, she's almost eternally optimistic. She's clearly in love with you. I want to make sure you feel the same for her. It's not fair otherwise," Zoey told him with an edge to her tone.

Ash began to grow impatient at the very idea that his feelings for Dawn were being questioned, "First of all Zoey, it's great that you're looking out for Dawn. You're a good friend. But she's not as naive as you think! You don't give her the credit she deserves. She's a wonderful girl and I love... LOVE... everything about her! I don't know what you think of me to make this accusation Zoey, but I'm really disappointed that you see me that way."

Zoey's face scrunched up in consideration. He sounded genuine to her, but some things didn't add up. She stood up and moved to the door. He moved out of the way for her to leave, but she stopped at the door and looked at him with her piercing red eyes, "Make sure you know what you want and for whom you have feelings. Dawn deserves nothing less than your total love. Make sure it's what she gets." Without another word or look, Zoey quickly opened the door and left, leaving Ash to close it behind her. Before he did, he watched her enter Daisy's room just down the hall. She was quiet, but she still carried herself as though she were almost angry with him.

Ash knew Zoey was Dawn's friend and wanted to make sure she was being taken care of properly, but this almost seemed personal to her. He couldn't understand why. He tried to push the dark thoughts out of his mind as he changed into his shirt and boxers. He flopped into the messy bed that he had forgotten to make that morning and clumsily pulled the sheets over himself. He tried to keep all thoughts of the strange conversation out of his mind. He managed to succeed, and soon he was dreaming of the battles that were now only hours away.

A/N: I'd like to apologize for how long it took me to get this chapter up. I promised it sooner but was unable to deliver. I should be back to my normal schedule now, so look forward to regular updates.

I'd also like to thank everyone who lent me their support for me in this difficult time. Through your reviews and private messages, I received quite the number of kind words to help me through it all. It's immensely heartwarming to see that the members of my readership are such nice and caring people, and I don't think I can even put into words just how grateful I am for all of your generosity and understanding. I sincerely hope that this chapter and the ones to come do not betray the standards you've come to expect so far, especially in light of how long you've waiting.

Thank you once again for your support and patience. Happy reading.

~ Undercityrezident