Time to finish off this story guys. I've prepared an epilogue which should satisfy your hunger for more, albeit in a bitter way. Not because it's a sad ending, because this won't be as good as it should. Your questions may or may not be answered.

Nevertheless, I hope you appreciate it.

I call it an epilogue because it rounds of the story; it may be different than that of Hellish Visions.

Enjoy the epilogue!

The scene: Veilstone City, Paradise Falls Hotel.

It is a strange feeling to be in a situation of conflict so long, you nearly become used to it and then to suddenly be set on the path to, not only a normal, but a happy life.

This was the situation of the Three: Ash, Drew and Paul, recently considered Outcasts by a faction which no longer existed. The Assassin's Guild had been brought to justice and Ash may have said he missed the action, were it not for one thing: Dawn. It was that simple, and that complicated

Dawn had come into Ash's life and woven it into something far more extraordinary than it was before. She had unlocked his heart and set him free. She had freed his mind from the brainwashing clutches of the Guild. Now, he could not imagine a life without her.

Still, he did consider it ironic that they had been childhood friends but did not remember it. The night when she had asked him for 'help' and the fire blazing through him when she kissed him still rang clear in his mind.

Drew had been through a similar set of events with May in Dawn's place.

From the beginning, he had found her attractive, but soon realized that her beauty was only scratching the surface. Their conversations via mere looks had a more intimate effect on Drew than any words would. Then came the fated conversation in which Drew vanquished the barrier brought up between the Assassins and the girls. The conversation which also secured their relationship.

As an Assassin, Paul had been the only one of the three who savored his work. Someone who compared Paul and Zoey would never imagine they could ever end up in the situation they were in now. There was a certain bold trait of Zoey's that Paul couldn't help but admire. She was quick and straight to the point. Like him, in a few ways but she had melted the cold barriers around his heart, introducing true love to him. It had only been hours ago that they had confessed their love for each other.

Now, as Ash sat with Dawn along with Drew and May and Paul and Zoey, he could not help but feel amazed at their sudden twist of fate over the past few days.

The Assassin's Guild had been physically locked down; Ash, Drew and Paul had ransacked the place so that it seemed like a ruin, then damaged the secret entrance beyond repair, rendering the movable wooden panels useless.

Ever since being given that foul contract, the Three had worn disguises of commoners.

By the time the Guild had been shut down, that attire had been stained with blood, sweat and tears and torn up by the heat of battle.

To their immense appreciation, Ash, Drew and Paul had been given fresh clothing the girls had gone out of their way to purchase from Veilstone's finest. They felt it was the least they could do.

Ash had allowed all of them respite since the chaotic events at the Guild, but he was still troubled by unanswered questions. Questions that he intended to ask following a detailed explanation of why all this had taken place in the first place.

So they had sat down and Ash had volunteered to explain everything. The events seemed burned into his brain; how could he forget such life-changing events?

He began with the commissioning of the contract, then their private turmoil during their time utilizing aliases in the company of the girls and finally, their quest for vengeance.

Then he recited the explanation Kenny and Harley had given the Assassins at the Guild, Kenny's jealousy of Ash being close to Dawn and intent on fulfilling his dream of Coordinating, impressing his ignorant family in the process, even if it meant performing heinous acts. When he told how Kenny had accused Dawn of cheating, he studied their faces for some sort of reaction, but received nothing.

He summed up Harley's tale in a similar, briefer fashion, except with May as the rival.

Until this point, the girls had been listening politely, but intently. Now, however, Zoey inquired what purpose her death would serve.

"Well, it wasn't important to them on a personal level," Ash replied, "you would basically be Paul's Trial of Faith, nothing more."

She seemed satisfied enough with this and Ash was left uninterrupted throughout the rest of his speech. When finished, he took a deep breath, preparing to ask the questions troubling him at the moment.

His fingers joined together, holding his hands to his forehead with his eyes closed, Ash wondered why it was so hard for him to say this. Finally, he managed to speak. "Guys, sorry about this, but I have to ask... Was Kenny right?" He felt he had accomplished a great deal by uttering those words. "I didn't believe it then and I don't want to believe it now, but please, I need the truth. D-did you cheat?"

He opened his eyes when he felt Dawn put an arm around him. He saw understanding expressions on the faces of the girls. They seemed to know how much this was troubling him.

"Well, Ash..." Dawn began. "It was the ambition of all three of us to become Top Coordinators, so much so that it was almost a lust. A greed. Well, you can say that we didn't realized how much it poisoned our spirits until it was too late." She smiled at May and Zoey sadly. Ash's heart sank. So they had cheated after all...

"But we've made up for past sins Ash." Dawn added, tugging his arm. "Sure enough, my greed overcame my common sense and, against their preferences, I enhanced the abilities of my Pokemon with a drug I smuggled in disguised as Aprijuice, which is a legal way to improve stamina, but not beyond the natural limits like I did with my concoction. I don't remember how, but I disguised it's look, smell and even it's taste. The tasters were Security Pokemon, who didn't have much duties to display the effects of the drug, so I was in the clear. I'm not proud of it Ash, neither are May and Zoey." She gestured to her friends.

Ash looked at Zoey. So even she had cheated. He was finding this all rather hard to believe, even after all he had been through. Though that would serve as a valid enough reason for Zoey to be contracted for Paul as his Trial of Faith, even if Harley or Kenny had no personal grudge against her.

"I still can't believe Kenny would do such horrid things." Dawn said. "When I defeated him, he seemed to have taken it well enough. I guess he just snapped, huh?"

Ash nodded. "Yeah, even hearing him recite his deeds was horrible. Killing his parents like that, then going to extremes to get his former friend killed..." He shook his head, unable to say more.

"The way he told it, he only lost himself when he discovered you cheated."

"Well I guess that's the price we pay for greed." Dawn concluded sadly. May and Zoey nodded slowly.

"After the Grand Festival in Hoenn, I came here." May said. "I met Dawn who was already traveling with Zoey. As you might expect, we became friends quite easily, though we each vowed to keep our acts a secret. Eventually, none of us could hide it at we confessed. Then..." She sighed.

"Then we quit." Zoey finished for May. Paul raised his eyebrows. "We decided it wasn't worth pursuing a dream if we're not going to play by the rules, so we handed in our Coordinating careers and just carried on with our lives. We also felt bad for our Pokemon, who were entirely innocent, but had been caught up in the consequences of our greed." She cupped her face in a hand. "After all, I did persuade them to disrupt the training of other Coordinators. Sabotage, that was my crime." Paul laid a hand on her knee, as if to tell her to forget past sins and make up for it in the life to come.

"And I didn't warn my own Pokemon what I was planning to do. I felt terrible then, and it still haunts me. I'm actually kind of grateful I lost." Dawn added.

"I..." May began. She seemed to find it difficult to speak. Drew put a hand on her arm. "I-I doubt I will find it in me to forgive myself," May continued. "As you may remember, I won the Festival. The reason is because I sabotaged the honest efforts of others and drugged my Pokemon. Only when it was too late did I realize I didn't deserve that victory." Even the memory seemed to hurt her. She covered her face, trying to hide shameful tears. Drew held her close to his chest.

"Swearing to ourselves to leave Coordinating behind, we decided to travel Sinnoh for the time being, exploring it's many natural wonders. But then... We met up with you." Dawn explained. "Actually, this might explain why I don't remember you Ash. I left my turmoil behind, true. But I feel I also left you behind. Ever since you handed me this bracelet," She held out her gift to Ash. "I've been asking myself why I didn't recognize when I saw you in that park."

Smiling, Ash put both arms around Dawn, casting her worries away. She gratefully leaned into his chest, feeling very safe in his arms. "Tended wounds heal in time, Dawn." Ash whispered. "If you'll allow me, I would love to travel with you."

She pulled back slightly, looking at him in astonishment. Then, for what felt like the first time in decades, crashed her lips into his. Ash had been left devoid of this feeling for far too long. He would make up for lost time here and now. They didn't care about the four others watching; not that they needed to, for they were smiling, happy for their dear friends.

"Guys, guys," Drew said as their kiss became increasingly passionate. "There'll be plenty of time for this later."

Ash and Dawn broke apart, blushing furiously. Even Paul could not suppress a chuckle. Zoey was mesmerized by the light feelings pouring out of Paul and laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes.

"You know, in a way, the Guild was right." Ash said, smiling at Drew and Paul.

"Oh?" Paul asked.

"This contract did eventually result in our Salvation, don't you agree?"

Paul shrugged. "Guess their was some truth in their judgment after all, then."

"So, then..." Drew began. "Where are we off to next?"

Ten years later...

The scene: Twinleaf Town.

What better place to settle down with a family than where you and your lover were first introduced?

The Berlitz Residence was now home to Ash and Dawn Ketchum. With love as intense as theirs, it was only natural they would want to get married.

Their wedding had been graced with the company of their dear friends; Drew, Paul, May and Zoey. The only thing that could possibly escalate their joy became reality: Dawn gave birth.

Ash had never truly imagined himself as a father, and only now realized what a beautiful blessing it was. Their daughter, who had Dawn's sweet personality and Ash's dark eyes, was called Calista. Calista Ketchum. A name that sounded as sweet and kind as their daughter was. It was all they could possibly ask for.

Ash had heard Paul and Zoey had settled in Snowpoint City, while May and Drew had gone to Hoenn to live in Petalburg City. Needless to say, Dawn and Ash were overjoyed for their friends when they told them about their plans for marriage.

Ash and Dawn had been sure to attend both weddings, which had been conveniently spaced far apart enough for adequate preparations to be made.

Pictures had been sent of May's twins; Brianna and Owen. Ash could swear they were younger versions of their parents.

Zoey had given birth to a wonderful son named Gavin. Dawn pointed out she could see a glint of Zoey's fiery personality while Ash thought he had the makings of Paul's build.

As he sat at the table of their home, watching his daughter play with a young Glameow, he could only shake his head in wonder when he recalled the events that had brought them together like this.

Turning his head to his gorgeous wife, he saw her smiling. That smile never failed to entrance him. What had he done to deserve such an angel? Seeing him in such a trance, Dawn moved closer and kissed him. "That never fails to work." She giggled, as he practically jumped as a result of the sparks her lips passed to his. This life was one an Assassin would never imagine, he thought as her daughter ran up to him, hugging his leg with her tiny arms.

It was a miracle to behold, it was even more than that to experience it.

That is the Salvation of Three.

And another story ends. I'm quite happy with this one. It had good chapter lengths and stuff. Perhaps the final battle was the only problem.

First, let me thank you all from the bottom of my heart for staying with the story from beginning to end. I hope you enjoyed it.

Please, friends. Review this story one more time. It would mean the world for me.

I'll say one thing: Keep an eye out for the 22nd of May. I'm planning something for that day. Until then:

R&R, dear friends!

Daijobu!