Chapter 35 – Journey South
"I don't know how he managed to last that long without dying. Then he tells me and Luca about his journey and it turns out he really hasn't. Ash is the sort of person who saves the world, but he knows that even he would never be able to manage it without friends. So that was what I was doing… being a friend. Someone had to look after his danger prone self after all." Zo
[10:46 AM] – 18th July 2010 – Sinnoh – South of Hearthome City – Eastern Bank of Mount Coronet – (Relative) safety
The fox led them back to the main cliff path, and then to a cliff cave nearby. Ash was cradling Pikachu to his chest, the mouse shivering and practically glowing yellow and white. He seemed to be fighting the evolution, but the yellow thunder stone welded to his tail seemed to be winning.
"Hang in there buddy." Ash whispered.
The Dragonite's had missed them, flying on along the cliff. Despite this the black Riolu was still looking around warily in case they decided to come back.
"Put him down here," the fox instructed, tail flicking towards a bed of moss. "I'll find some berries or something…" she vanished towards what looked like a pile of shiny silver trinkets.
"It'll be okay!" Ash reassured Pikachu. "You'll get better and it will all be fine."
"Rio…" Luca told him. "IoRiolu…" (Ash… he might not get better…)
"Here," Zo nudged a berry forward, "To help with the fever."
Ash grabbed the soft fruit and squashed it between thumb and forefinger, letting the juice trickle into Pikachu's mouth, just as the yellow body trembled again, rippling white as sparks flew from the yellow cheeks. Ash fell back in alarm, narrowly missing a beam of yellow electricity. "Crap," he cursed, "Rai! Hang in there buddy."
The small mouse's body was trembling, static sparks shooting out everywhere as if a dozen light fittings were blowing out around him. Above them the sky rumbled with dark clouds.
"Oh dear," Zo whispered, as her fur spiked out due to the static. "He's coming."
The air was thick, and hung like fog, clamming up Riolu's aura senses and he flailed wildly, and Ash shifted back, away from the shaking mouse and towards him. "It will be okay." Ash said, slightly desperately. Riolu watched as his eyes went from blue to red to brown and then pales away to an eerie silver. "He'll be okay… he has to be…"
"He'll be fine," Riolu touched Ash gently with one paw, as the sky flashed with lightning. Movement in the light caught the pups attention and he looked down in the valley, spotting the shape of a man, green hair and baseball cap before the flash ended and the valley was dark again.
Too dark. He could hear the heavy beat of wings in the shadows, and the ground shook. Zo pressed her small body to the ground, tail drooping. "Oh Zekrom, Great God of the Storm, Defend us in battle, be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the darkness… May Arceus rebuke the dark shadow, we humbly pray…" The storm flashed again, illuminated the dark shape which had landed on the cliff, red eyes and its tail like a fan of electricity and wind.
In the midst of this, Pikachu let out a pathetic squeak, form still shaking in spasms, yellow, white, yellow white… Zekrom closed his blood red eyes, and the storm seemed to pick up for a moment and Pikachu glowed.
Yellow, white, yellow, white, orange, white, orange… His form was twisted, thundered rock fusing with his body as electricity crackled over his form as it grew and shifted.
Red eyes snapped open triumphantly and then with a cry Zekrom was gone, vanishing into the darkness of the storm from which he had come leaving the group pale and shaky, and an orange mouse lying still on the ground.
"Pikachu!" Ash cried, moving towards the mouse.
"RaichuAi?" the mouse crooned weakly, blinking open one dark brown eye. He blinked, tail twitching weakly before closing his eyes again, aura slipping into slumber. Ash sank down in relief, gathering the larger Raichu to his chest.
"Thank you," Riolu heard his friend's own whispered prayers. "Thank you."
And the storm gave one last flesh before abating, and the dark clouds stopped rumbling overhead.
"What… the hell?" Zo whispered.
"I don't know." And Riolu didn't, but he did know that he was going to stay with Ash. The human had proved his loyalty to his Pokémon a hundred times over, and Riolu would do only his very best to try and earn that respect. "But it's okay now. We're fine." It seemed so refreshing, such a good change.
They were fine.
And that was all that mattered.
[16:56 PM] – 18th July 2010 – Sinnoh – South of Hearthome City – Eastern Bank of Mount Coronet – (Relative) safety
They left that evening, to avoid any overflying dragons from spotting them, be they friendly or not. Zo watched them go with satisfaction. "Good riddance," she snorted, turning and heading back to her cave as they continued south towards the coast.
Raichu was moping quietly, his new whip-like tail wandering past his nose and making the mouse flinch away from the realisation that his worst fear had come to pass.
"It doesn't change things," Ash had told him eventually. "Just because you're different now, it doesn't matter to me. You're still me friend – got it?" and that seemed to help a little bit.
Raichu admitted to Riolu that he had thought that Ash wouldn't want him, that and he wanted to prove he didn't need to evolve to be strong.
"Zekrom showed up because a thunderstone couldn't make you evolve," Riolu told him in disbelief. "The electricity in the stone wasn't enough to trigger an evolution – just make you sick and so Zekrom passed on some of his own power to you. I think you're just even stronger now that you've evolved."
"RaiChu AiAi ChuCha," The orange mouse, frowned. (I used to have a light ball which I made from a thunderstone once. This new one… the pair combined were too much to handle though.)
And that was why Riolu stayed with the man and mouse that couldn't see their own worth. And even if he'd only silently admitted it to himself – he was with them now to the end.
[20:32 PM] – 23rd August 2010 – Sinnoh – Sunnyshore Docks
Their first attempt to get off Sinnoh and south to northern Johto failed spectacularly. They'd been sneaking about in warehouses south of Sunnyshore, and had ended up walking right into a Team Galactic conference.
Initially Ash had paused, listening in to their conversations while hidden. He'd been a bit out of touch with society since he'd died, and he was a bit behind on current events. Apparently Johto, Kanto and Sinnoh were the only war zones, with Hoenn declaring itself a neutral presence. Whole cities were being evacuated to the island chain, while the battling continued in the north. While Galactic inhabited Sinnoh, Rockets had taken over most of Kanto with only small patches of rebellion still existing.
Ash's heart dropped, and he wished more than anything he could be there, helping his friends out, with Lance and Brock and Misty… he closed his eyes, forcing the idea from his head. He was a dead man walking. Not to mention he was still stuck in Sinnoh. Priorities and all that…
[21:32 PM] – 23rd August 2010 – Sinnoh – The woods west of Sunnyshore Docks
An hour later, and still being tracked through the woods by Mightyena and Purugly they were getting desperate. It appeared Galactic had some Magma back-up of some sort and Ash had barely stared his attempt to hotwire the boat than he'd been caught red handed by the troops stationed on the boat. Cue awkward escape as Raichu thunder waved everything in sight and they made a break for it.
Ash paused to deflect a wave of bullets with an aura shield, and dropped it, teleporting the extra feet to catch up with Riolu and Rai. "RaiChu," the mouse teased him, before shooting a thunder back at the troops. (You're going to get flabby,)
"Says you," Ash scoffed, legging it over a log which lay awkwardly in the path, and then promptly tripping over the lump of fur which had been hiding behind it.
"Oh no not you guys again. You have got to be kidding me!"
"Zo?" Ash staggered to his feet. "What are you doing here?"
"Ri!" Riolu darted past, pausing to hit the log with a blaze kick, setting it on fire. Zo bolted away like a fox with her tail on fire, and she seemed annoyed. Maybe because she wasn't a Vulpix, but who really knew with the sassy dark type.
"Run!" Ash skidded past the Zorua, dodging gun fire from the Team Galactic grunts as he tried to teleport. His form flickered, but a distraction of people shooting stuff at him didn't exactly help his concentration and he gave up, choosing instead to throwing himself into some trees, closely followed by Rai and Zorua.
"I prayed to never meet you again," Zo bemoaned as they continued to duck gunfire, Ash eventually doubling back in a shimmer of shattered air to reappear amidst their ranks.
Rai skidded to a halt, spinning around, cheeks sparking. He growled, stepping forwards a few steps, eyes dark and the lead runners froze at spotting the electric mouse.
"Oh cra-" the poor guy didn't get to finish as Raichu pushed off a tree, launching himself forwards, electricity cloaking him like a second coat.
"What are you doing?" Zo complained, "You don't attack the enemy while retreating!" He pleas went unheard as Riolu deflected some stray bullets with aura.
Dispatching the last rocket with a vicious backstabbing motion, aura blade dissolving, Ash spun around, relaxing slightly. "Maybe we should have done that earlier," he considered it and then decided, "Nah – too much commotion. Come on guys, let's get out of here."
"What?" Zo seemed alarmed. "No. No way. Why do I want to go with you?"
"Stay then," Ash shrugged, "But they'll be Team members here within the hour. Better clear out now unless they capture you – rare as you are."
"Wha…" Zo flailed, before spinning and jogging after them, "Wait for me!"
[05:23 AM] – 2nd November 2010 – Sinnoh – Canalave City Ferry Port
And that was how Zo joined the team. She's insisted it was because it was safer, staying with other people, but she'd later admitted "You guys are mental, but that is the most fun I've had in years." After Sunnyshore City proved to be a bust, Ash and his growing team crossed back over Mount Coronet to the other coast, and from Canalave they eventually hid on a large cargo liner heading to Johto.
"You're leaving?" Zo seemed almost disappointed when Ash explained his plant to her.
"We've got stuff to do, world saving and all that," he gave her a lopsided smile. "It was nice meeting you. I don't know what we'd have done without you."
"Oh you'd be screwed without me," Zo said airily. "That's why I have to come with to watch over you." she paused, eyeing them and their reactions. "That is… if you want me," she added, unusually timid.
Ash grinned, "Of course we want you," he reassured her. "Welcome to the team."
"Yeah yeah," she sniffed, "Just because I keep saving your asses."
[10:00 AM] – 12th December 2010 – Johto – North of Ecruteak City
"Land! I've missed you so!" Zo practically threw herself to the ground as they snuck of the ship after docking, so relieved was she to see it again. "Third time lucky huh? We finally got across that bloody ocean!"
"Zo don't swear." Ash chided, as they began ducking their way out of the shipping yard, careful of Team members.
"Blackthorn now? Right?" Zo skipped along, far too cheery for her own good. Rai perched on Ash's shoulder, while Riolu trotted along at his heels.
Ash nodded. "That's right."
And that was the plan. So when he found himself stuck in the rocket base below Mahogany Town he at least could honestly admit he had no idea what went wrong.
[14:07 AM] – 23rd December 2010 – Johto – Underneath Mahogany Town
"I hate you guys," Zo grumbled, skidding around a corner to avoid a torrent of gunfire. "I don't know what I was thinking, tagging along on your insane quest to find every possible spot of trouble and run straight into it!"
"Shut up and keep running!" Ash risked a glance behind him.
"RaiAi…" (This sucks) Rai stumbled, still unused to running in his larger form, despite being that way for almost six months.
"Well you said it and not me," Ash told him, Riolu clinging to his hood.
The door in front of him blew off its hinges before he got there and he stopped, mouth open as more rocket troops appeared through there. He cursed and threw up an aura shield.
"There are too many of them!" Zo whined.
"Have a little faith!" Ash grinned at her, an aura sphere on his palm. "Rai get the lights."
The orange mouse bared his teeth in a grin, cheeks sparking, and Ash enjoyed the look of utter panic on the Rocket grunt's faces, seconds before wild lightning filled the corridor.
"RioLu!" (This way!) Luca called in the chaos, gesturing towards a side door. Ash didn't hesitate, darting for the cold metal handle and yanking it open. It creaked as the three of them fell through it, closely followed by Raichu leaving the guards to deal with the chaotic lightning storm he had created.
"I thought," Ash groaned, kicking the door closed with his foot, "That I told you to get the lights, not to summon up a mini lightning tornado."
"RaiAi! ChuChuChuCha!" (So what! That was a brilliant move!) Rai looked way to proud of himself. "RaichuChuRai." (And that's a brilliant name for that move.)
Ash groaned, head falling back onto the floor, staring at the room he had fallen into upside down. He blinked at the metal cages glaring down at him, a horrible sense of déjà vu running through his mind and he shot up, spinning around to stare. The room he had entered was lined with rows of cages, small furry and scaled shaped huddled within.
Noticing this, Raichu's tail drooped and he let out a quiet chirp of sadness.
"What…" Zo looked sick. "What is this?"
"It's…" the words stuck in Ash's throat. "It's where they keep the Pokémon that they've been doing experiments on."
Riolu was already up, pressed up to the bars. His paws scrambled with the latch, and a small Poochyena pushed its way out, ears pressed flat to its head. It look terrified.
Ash wondered if he'd been in this situation before, freeing caged Pokémon from this place. "It's Mahogany," he breathed in realisation.
"This isn't wood," Zo looked mildly confused.
"No…" he shook his head, "They rebuilt this base… I was… I was here before. I just forgot… I guess…" he winced slightly, at the reminder of his autobiographical memory loss.
"Rai," (Hurry.) Raichu moved along the aisles. "AiChuChuRu…" (Let's get them out).
Ash snapped out of his daze, pushing himself up and over to where Riolu was unlocking door. Most of the Pokémon within looked weak, half-starved. "We'll get you out," he promised. "Then you have to stay together, look after each other, got it?" he told them, as a small Eevee pushed her way out.
He had moved on, letting out a Mudkip and some Unovan fire pig when the Eevee let out a happy call and jumped towards him. He froze, eyes widening.
"EeVui!" (Ash!)
"Eva?" he asked, as the brown fur ball fell into his arms. He blinked, pulling her fragile body close. He tried to remember when he had last seen the small cloned Eevee, and found he couldn't remember. "Eva?" he repeated, in disbelief as she nuzzled his neck gently, almost purring.
"VuiEeEeveeveeVee!" (I missed you so much!) she chirped as he gently slid her into one arm, to allow him to keep opening cages while taking in the sight of the ragged brown fox.
"ChuAi!" (Eva!) Raichu looked ecstatic, and if it wasn't for his own row of cages, probably would have been with Ash, covering the fox with licks and greetings.
"So I take it you know each other," Zo mumbled, as she pawed open the last of the cages. "Great. But we still have the problem of how do we get the hell out of here."
"That's Zo." Ash told Va. "She's a sassy Zorua from Sinnoh. And that's Luca. He's a Riolu from Orre. They've kind of joined our team."
His use of the term 'our' had the fox's eyes widening with happiness. She was shaking too, little body so thin.
"Uh, I hate to interrupt the moment here…" Zo drawled. "But hello? Rocket guards? Rocket base?"
"RioRioLu." (There's always the fire door.) Luca pointed out, and for a moment was met with blank gazes. "OrioLu?" (Or not…) he looked confused.
"Well way to mention that earlier," Zo sighed, and headed for the exit.
Ashe gazed after her. "So," he turned back to Va, "Want to tag along?" he grinned.
"VuiEE!" He didn't need to be able to understand Pokémon to understand what that meant.
The fire exit led them to a short corridor which shortly erupted out into the forest. The rest of the Pokémon scattered, while Ash kept an eye out for any Team members who had followed them.
There was a pained cry and he spun around. The little Poochyena that Riolu had let out at the start was pinned under the claws of a Persian. Several Team Rocket members stood there, holding guns. Ash sighed, preparing to fight.
"Move another inch and this little one gets killed," one of them threatened him. Ash froze. In his arms Eevee quivered.
"How about we think this through," he began, but any attempts to negotiate (either peacefully or aggressively) failed before they had even started when Eevee leapt from his arms, a growl bubbling through her throat.
The aim around her seemed to shimmer, and Ash stepped back in alarm. Even the guards looked surprised, when the image of the brown normal type blurred to purple. It sharpened suddenly, coming into focus on a pale purple Espeon who paced forwards, hackles raised. The red jewel on her forehead gleamed and her pupil-less eyes were glowing faintly pink.
"Not again," one of the guards sighed, moments before the Espeon jerked her head to one side; the Rocket's following the path like puppets on a string. They flew through the air, screaming something that sounded vaguely like 'blasting off' before the sound was cut off when they hit the nearby trees.
Hard.
Ash winced.
The Espeon turned to him, eyes wide and tail dropping. She looked scared. "EspeeOn," she murmered. (Ash?) "EespShpe?" (Say something.)
"Va?" he asked, crouching down. "Did you… did you evolve?"
The fox shook her head, and Ash's sigh blurred as she once again shimmered, but this time when it settled into a recognisable shape she was a dainty Leafeon. "EeLeafEon." (it just kind of happens)
"I don't care," he shrugged. "You're still that little Eevee I found on Cinnabar."
The fox looked stunned for a moment, before leaping forwards to press herself to him, purring as she twined around him.
Over at the side, Zo looked peeved. "I know psychic too," she mumbled. "I could have done that… why didn't I do that… okay guys! Enough with the happy stuff!"
Riolu scoffed at her. "RioRi." (Jealous.)
"Shut up."
[09:16AM] –– 6th February 2011 – Blackthorn City - Johto - The Dragon's Den
Riley would have liked a normal day for once. To wake up, go down to the route below Blackthorn City and check how the fighters were holding up. To check Dark Cave was still barricaded up. He sighed, wishing more than anything he and Cynthia were still in Sinnoh, but at least they were doing something useful here.
He would have been fine with a normal day. A normal day however, did not constitute of a very much alive Ash Ketchum falling into the lake of the dragon's den and being fished out by what he was sure was a pissed of Vaporeon, except when he blinked it was just a plain brown Eevee.
"Ash?" he asked in disbelief, because he had been sure on his last check that Lance had said that his once-student and now sort-of-adopted friend and brother was dead.
"I'm okay!" Ash's fist punched the air, then flopped back down as he coughed out water. "That is…" he coughed again, "The last time I try to teleport to somewhere I don't remember well."
"You teleported into the freakin' lake," a bedraggled ball of purple fur spat, looking disgusted.
Riley moved closer, "Ash?" he asked again.
"I'm fine Riley," the kid drawled, eyes half lidded with exhaustion. Palkia the kid looked like he hadn't had a wink of sleep in days. "Jus' misjudged my teleport. Be fine in a few." His breathing was evening out even as he was speaking, but suddenly it hitched and his eyes flew open. "Wait… Riley?" he blinked in alarm, and swore. "I'm in Sinnoh," he cursed.
"No." Riley corrected. "You're in Blackthorn City."
Ash's body slumped. "Oh thank Mew," he breathed. "Wait… what are you doing in Blackthorn?"
"Fighting." Riley blinked. "We lost Sinnoh."
"Oh." Ash swallowed. "That's… bad…"
"Ash…" Riley frowned, wondering how to broach the topic. "How did you end up in that lake? In fact… how are you not dead?"
Ash raised one hand up, now sitting hunched over. A Flareon was sitting next to him, keeping him warm and Riley wondered where the Eevee had gotten too. "Technically, I am dead." He said. "So don't get to excited, it's not permanent. And that's why I'm here. I'm looking for the dragon time gear of Blackthorn City."
And he just didn't stop talking. Riley briefly closed his eyes and wondered when his life had become so weird. The gear as it turned out, was easy to get, once the situation was explained to the dragon elder. Claire looked huffy about the whole business, but then again, Claire always looked huffy about things. Cynthia wasn't around, down on the route patrolling with her Garchomp.
"Where are your other Pokémon?" Ash looked around for them, and spotted only Lucario.
"My Absol is with Cynthia," Riley explained. "But the others… they got trapped in their Pokéballs after that incident at Indigo."
Ash blanched. "The time release," he concluded. "It doesn't allow the energy transfer so they just…" he waved his hands around. "Stay sealed. You'd need something to catalyse the unlocking of the capsule and to keep the Pokémon safe inside… I don't know how you'd do it." He shrugged.
Riley glanced to the Riolu sitting on the ground besides Raichu and the crazy Zorua. "Looks like you finally found an aura companion." He grinned. "And here I was expecting a Togepi."
"Shut up," Ash shoved him, non-so gently. "This is Luca. He's from Orre… he's hunting Time Gears with me."
"Ri!" the little jackal looked proud, and Riley frowned at his colouring.
"Why's he black?"
Ash shrugged. "I don't really know. We think it's because it's some remnants of an inverted shadow colouration, crossed with the shiny gene. Who cares?"
"Well I'm glad you've got yourself a partner," Riley glanced to Lucario. "I don't know where I'd be without Aaron to get me out of trouble."
"That's mostly what Raichu is for," Ash gestured at the orange mouse. "But Luca's kind of stuck around, huh?" he grinned at the black Riolu. "And now we're partners to the end, right?" he held up one hand and the pup jumped to his feet, high-fiving Ash back.
"RioLu!" (to the end!) he barked and was suddenly enveloped in a white light. Ash looked surprised.
"Wow," Riley breathed, "You… you're like an evolution stone Ash."
"Shut up," Ash said, but with no heart, too busy taking in the sight of his friend evolving. "Just why… why then."
"Because you guys are partners," Riley explained. "And that… that's special for an aura Pokémon."
"LucaRo!" the jackal barked at the light faded, examining his paws. He glanced up at Ash, seemingly pleased. "RoRio!"
"You look great," Ash still looked a bit numb to the sudden change.
"Ready to take on the world, huh?" Zo pranced up to them, giving Lucario a cautious sniff. "That's us! Team Free Will!"
Ash laughed. "You know what guys, I think we can do this."
"Vui?" (yeah?) the Eevee asked.
"RaiChu!" (Definitely!) Rai flicked his tail.
"To the end then," Ash looked so happy and sad while looking at his four Pokémon. Each stood proudly, looking back. They had the look, Riley realised, of soldiers going into a battle that they knew they weren't going to get out of alive.
"You guys are so sad," Riley muttered under his breath, but he didn't know if he was referring to their quaint little motivation speech or whatever it was that awaited them, across the border.
[14:04PM] –– 12th May 2011 – Kanto – North of Pewter City
"Look after yourself."
"You too."
Gary sighed as the video phone disconnected, the image of the red-head and his brunette girlfriend fading. Misty had done a great job, looking after Cerulean City right up until the moment the last citizen had been evacuated, but it had taken its toll on her. With the city empty, and Misty not an official member of anything really, she'd been caged like a mouse in the Cerulean Cave base.
Gary wasn't honestly much better, stuck permanently at his lab unless he was allowed down to Pewter to help out Dawn and Brock, or across to Cerulean to visit Leaf. At least he had a job to do, completing his research into the broken technology. Misty was like a twig in the ocean, lost and with no real purpose. He really worried sometimes about the broken red-head, and was grateful to Leaf who stayed and looked after her, making sure she ate and had something to do.
The researcher sighed and began his current report to send to Sabrina. It had been alarming when Lance had admitted that four of their gym leaders used to work for Team Rocket, but had switched sides a long time ago. While Koga was an elite and trusted unconditionally, and Lt Surge a soldier who threw himself into defending his home port, Sabrina still freaked him out with her psychic mojo. She'd been helping out Surge in Vermillion until Karen and Bruno had decided once more to try and take Saffron.
Sabrina had been re-stationed and then delivered the news that none of them wanted to hear. Re-taking Saffron just wasn't feasible. Despite this the psychic was ordered to remain there, and Gary wished they'd change the orders. Sabrina wasn't any use trapped in the capital.
And the final gym leader who had once worked for Team Rocket, and according to rumours had created an genetic project for them once. It made Gary's skin crawl.
Blaine was still missing.
He had been given up as dead, just like all other missing people in this catastrophe.
May had been stationed around Johto for ages before she'd eventually managed to get transferred across to Kanto before they closed the border. She'd brought her little brother with her, while her parents remained in Johto. In contrast Dawn had been in Sinnoh, and been transferred south some time near the beginning of the war. They pair had claimed to just want to be where the action was, but it was blatantly obvious to all involved that they wanted to be with their friends, and to be in the region he had been in.
Gary leaned back in his chair with a sigh. Nothing seemed to be happening very quickly, but at the very least they were together in all this.
Well… mostly together. One of them was lost forever and there was nothing that could be done about that, short of praying to Arceus or making a deal with Darkrai.
It would just have to work. They'd make it work.
[15:32PM] –– 12th May 2011 - Johto/Kanto – Top of Mount Silver
Barely a region over, Lucario let out a bark of triumph as he snatched up a clear crystal gear from a snowy mountain ledge. Mount Silver was a permanent hail storm, but this didn't deter the group, despite Zo's multiple complaints. Va just let her Flareon collar burn hotter, keeping them all warm and melting the snow.
"And now to Kanto," Luca turned to Ash. "It's the first region. It makes sense that the most gears are there."
"Now to Kanto," Ash muttered to himself smiling.
"Back where it all began," Rai pressed himself against his trainer. "Here we go again."
"Together." Va said, eyes gleaming as she morphed into a Vaporeon, ready and fangs bared.
Ash glanced down at Kanto from the top of the cold icy mountain, the flying gear clutched tightly in his numb fingers. "We're going home," he said, tasting the word and liking the sound of it, repeated himself. "Home."
"Bring it on, assholes," Zo totally had to go and ruin the moment.
December 2013: This chapter did not want to be written, so if it seems awkward or clumsy anywhere, that is because it is. Still, it rounds up to the start of the main tale nicely, and covers what happened, if only vaguely.
Thanks for reading,
~ Eclipse