With Water Pulse under Darien's belt, Gwarhar sails the group back to the mainland and, for good measure, joins them for the rest of their quest. Disembarking a fair way away from the port town they sailed from, Justyn begins the lead towards others of the Type Trinkets.
"And Psychic! And Psyshock!" Suzin said, watching Giac use his Psychic abilities.
"Listen, miss… what exactly are you supposed to be teaching me?" Giac asked, still unsure as to what he was doing. Nothing he had done really seemed unique.
"Silence! It shall be revealed to you at the proper moment," Suzin said.
"…Proper moment?" Giac asked.
"Fine. Now is convenient for me, too. What I am passing to you is one of the most important skills for a Psychic… mental focus. You may not have noticed it, but other things have been happening as you elevate objects and move them around," Suzin said.
"…OK?" Giac asked.
"No, seriously! Your potential as a Psychic has improved drastically!" Suzin said. Giac focused, and lifted Suzin into the air. He felt power coursing through him, all right. He pushed Suzin aside, and she flew quite far. Well, she ought've, but her own Psychic power stopped her from doing so. She landed gently beside Giac.
"Your training is complete," Suzin said.
"That was…" Giac said, confused.
"Swift yet thorough, brief yet powerful," Suzin said, disappearing. Giac looked around, wondering where she went.
"Dangit, I lost," Chibouk said, looking at Aaron.
"Lost what?" Aaron asked, looking up from his own training. After Jadit's advice, he had taken to setting up large logs that targeted him.
"Our bet on your not taking damage," Chibouk said.
"You mean you took that seriously?" Aaron asked.
"Well, a bet's a bet. I'll get you your two hundred gold," Chibouk said.
"Keep it," Aaron said.
"Huh?" Chibouk asked.
"Your gold. I do not want for gold. Besides, it was a bet I didn't want anyway. All I want to prove I'm a defensive beast is to see you and my comrades in arms adequately defended," Aaron said.
"…I guess. Then I'll do my best to pick off foes from afar!" Chibouk said.
"That's the spirit. Now do you mind? There's a ram behind you," Aaron said. Chibouk ducked, and the ram slammed into Aaron, not budging him an inch.
"You didn't feel that?" Chibouk asked.
"The ram? Nope. Here's hoping Malachus doesn't have anything more powerful," Aaron said.
*Analysing… foe detected.* Nephalem said, before striking. Gwarhar hurriedly hid in his shell, and blocked the damage. Nephalem flew a distance away, and Gwarhar got out of his shell.
"What's the big deal?" Gwarhar asked.
*Foe detected. Foe detected. Must defend Lord Darien.* Nephalem said.
"Oh, come on, you're not still mad about the whole piracy thing, are you?" Gwarhar asked.
*…Error comment not parsed. Analysing…* Nephalem said.
"…You're certainly a weird one. Who are you?" Gwarhar asked.
*My name is Nephalem. I am the ultimate Skarmory, designed for the sole purpose of defending Lord Darien and aiding him in his goals.* Nephalem said.
"I see… you're one weird Skarmory, that's for sure," Gwarhar said.
*I am perfect. There is nothing else to it. This conversation has been deemed fruitless.* Nephalem said.
"Now hold on a moment!" Gwarhar started, before Nephalem flew away, leaving Gwarhar.
"Darien…" Serena said nervously.
"Yes?" Darien asked, looking over his shoulder.
"Um… I was wondering… would you… I mean… could you…" Serena said, blushing furiously. Darien took a wild stab in the dark.
"No thanks…" Darien said.
"Huh? But… but…" Serena started.
"Serena… you're not my first. Back in the Village of Castes… I had a friend. A Roselia. She was much like you, actually…" Darien said.
"Really?" Serena asked.
"She was killed. I found nothing but ashes once Malachus was done. Grass-types burn easily, too…" Darien said.
"Darien…" Serena said.
"I don't want that to happen again. I will protect you… but…" Darien said.
"Darien… I'm scared…" Serena said.
"You have every right to be. But you mustn't let fear control you… fear begets fear. You've been spreading your fear…" Darien said.
"You mean… ah, I've been the fool," Serena said.
"Relax, my Gardevoir. Come… perhaps a little walk, while there is still serene air, will calm your nerves," Darien said. Serena's heart flew to her throat, but she nodded. She had to overcome her fear… her defensiveness.
Darien took Serena's hand, and led her through the trees. She needed the comfort Darien brought, and it was high time Darien offered it.
"Well… hello there…" a serpentine voice said. Perhaps Darien should've thought things through just a touch more.
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Darien said. The surrounding area suddenly became filled with Sableye, and more than a few Mawile appeared from behind trees.
"Darien!" Serena cried out, suddenly panicking at the sight of the ghosts.
"Nice of you to sssslither away from your pack, hero. Makes things ssso much easier for us," one of the Sableye said. He reached behind him, and pulled out a ruby the size of itself.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Darien asked, his arms held out in front of Serena.
"I am Nissssba. Loyalist aid to Lord Malachusssss… You have been thornssss in his sssside for far too long… I will end you here and now..." the Sableye said.
*scoff* "Yeah, Sableye? What do you have on us?" Darien asked. Several Mawile stepped forth, and Darien suddenly realised what they had: Iron Head. He grabbed Serena in a bridal carry, and leaped into a tree.
"That," Nisba said. He brandished his ruby carefully, only to have it knocked from his hands. A Mawile had turned on Nisba, and was Playing Rough with him. She was moving too fast for Darien to get a close look.
"What?" Serena asked, clutching Darien.
"I don't know… but I'm going to help her…" Darien said. He set Serena down, and launched down with a Blaze Kick. He pushed back from the Mawile he struck, and used his free leg to fire up another.
"…You can do this, Serena… You can do this!" Serena said. She blossomed a Moonblast, hitting several Sableye.
"Um… uh… what attack do I use on a Gardevoir… uh…" a batch of Sableye said in response. Serena had used another Moonblast fired before they could act. She heard a scratching noise, like a Mawile, and fired a Thunderbolt behind her. The Blaze Kicked body of said Mawile found itself in front of her before she had time to turn around. Darien landed on it, and kicked it aside.
"That was close…" Darien said.
"Now what possessed you to leave your sisters, Serena?" a female voice asked. Both Darien and Serena seized up, and turned to get a view of the Mawile that had saved them from Nisba. Having just thrown the Sableye to the ground in between them, her double-jawed figure was slowly reverting into a single jaw.
"…Amber?" Darien asked.
"The one and only," Amber said, nodding. Serena shot forward, and gave Amber the biggest hug she could muster. Amber was taken by surprise, before slowly returning it.
"We thought you were dead…" Darien said.
"Yeah, getting into a fight with a Mega Hydreigon and going into hiding tends to do that," Amber said.
"Raye?" Darien asked.
"You mean… That was Raye? She… she came back for me?" Amber asked.
"Mum…" Serena said, stepping back. Amber sunk her head down.
"Raye's gone… and it's all my fault…" Amber said.
"We're as much as fault as you are," Serena said.
"But I think our sisters might like to see that you've returned," Darien said.
"Your sisters?" Amber said. "They've accepted you?"
"Amy has. Lita and Mina certainly haven't rejected me yet, either…" Darien said.
"I think… I think I might've helped soothe that… oh my Mew, I'm so embarrassed now…" Serena said.
"…Take me back to your allies," Amber said.
When Darien emerged from the trees to the clearing in which his group had set up, everyone looked up in surprise. Serena appeared behind him, and pushed her hand into his.
"Where have you been?" Lita asked.
"Serena needed a walk on her own with me. We ran into a pair of interesting individuals, actually," Darien said.
"Who?" Madeline said.
"Good news, Malachus is now one general short. In even better news… we have a new recruit," Darien said, stepping to one side and allowing Amber to cross forward. Lita was frozen in surprise.
"Amber!" she eventually cried out, rushing forward and hugging her den mother again. Amy and Mina came forward, and joined the pile.
"Lita… Amy, Mina… wow… you're all evolved…" Amber said.
"I knew you were still around!" Lita said.
"Thanks… As your den mother, I promise to make sure you stick around!" Amber said. She moved to face everyone else.
"As for the rest of you… thank you. Thank you for looking after my daughters when I couldn't. It brings me no greater joy than to know that there are still good people in the world…" Amber said.
"Yes! That's totally what happened!" Justyn said. Amber's head dropped.
"…I had to open my small mouth…" Amber said.