When Blanche opened the door to Candela's room in the morning (or what Waik had deemed to be morning, considering the lack of sun), they were surprised to find it empty. Their gut twisted as they imagined every violent scenario that could account for her absence. Had she snapped again? Gone rampaging? Perhaps she had simply snuck out like an insolent teenager to snoop about town. Whatever the case, Blanche hurried down the hall toward Spark's room. At least he could be counted on not to disappear at random. Or so they hoped.

They began speaking before they'd opened the door all the way. "Spark, get up. Candela isn't in her room, and Waik seems to want-"

Blanche froze as they found both Spark and Candela sharing the single bed in the room. Their mouth gaped like a magikarp's as they puzzled through the blizzard of thoughts and emotions that bombarded them. Foremost in their mind was the cold sensation of solitude, a callback to that first awkward year of becoming Spark and Candela's friend. They'd been an outsider, and though that feeling had faded with time, it leaped back to life in this moment as Blanche lingered in the doorway and stared at their sleeping friends.

They gripped the arched doorframe to anchor themself and focused on the reality of the scene. Candela must have needed some private time to connect with Spark again, perhaps even discuss why she'd attacked him at the falls. They'd probably stayed together overnight to comfort each other in this strange environment. Yes, Blanche would have liked to be included, but in the grand scheme of things, it wasn't a big deal. So why did they feel so overwhelmed by emotion?

Articuno. It had to be Articuno behind this overreaction. Like Dillinger had said, the birds had bonded to them with the help of powerful emotions. Therefore, it was reasonable to assume sharing a head with them could result in some… mood swings. Especially with tensions as high as they already were. After all, it wasn't just a matter of Blanche feeling left out. What if Candela had lost control again? What if Spark had mistaken Candela for an enemy? Had neither of them thought of that? Worse: had they known the risk, but subjected each other to it anyway?

Blanche breathed deeply, recognizing the rise of irrational anger. This had to be Articuno's doing. They had to push through and keep their composure.

"Spark, Candela. Wake up," Blanche said, striding into the room.

The two sleepers startled awake and blinked blearily at them.

"What? It's still dark," Candela said around a yawn.

"That does tend to be the case this deep inside a mountain," Blanche quipped.

Candela sat up and stretched her muscular arms above her head. "Oh, right. We're still reenacting Journey to the Center of the Earth up in here."

Blanche cocked their head. "You've read Jules Verne?"

"Don't act so surprised," Candela said. She twisted to see Spark, who had closed his eyes again, and flicked his ear playfully. "Upsy-daisy, Sleeping Beauty."

Spark covered both of his ears and rolled away. "Not until my prince comes."

"Stop playing around. Waik is waiting for us," Blanche said sternly.

They noticed the glance shared between Candela and Spark. They hated when they did that. The two of them may as well have been speaking another language that Blanche couldn't quite decipher. Blanche bit their lip. Hate was a strong word. Their emotions were still getting the better of them.

"What's she waiting on us for?" Candela asked, crossing the room to pour some water for herself.

"I'm not sure," said Blanche. "She woke me and pointed out a meeting place, but I'm afraid she couldn't communicate any more than that. The matter seemed fairly urgent."

"Isn't everything these days," Candela muttered before taking a drink.

Spark strapped the brace to his ankle as he spoke. "Candela and I had a little trouble falling asleep last night, hence the sleepover. Did you sleep OK?"

"I did," Blanche said, a bit too quickly. They tried to hide their snappy reply by pressing on. "There's no time to dawdle. Let's get moving."

§

Waik waited for them in the same circular room in which she'd psychically conversed with Blanche. This time, however, she sat in the center of the room and was flanked by two austere attendants, both sitting like she was, each with a hand on Waik's shoulder. Waik's expression was somber and unreadable, but her disquietingly blue eyes acted as magnets, drawing Blanche's attention to her.

Waik gestured for the trio to sit. Blanche took the lead, positioning themself opposite of Waik, as they'd done before. Candela and Spark sat where Waik pointed, on either side of Blanche, so that the four of them formed a small circle with Waik's attendants branching off the outside, not quite included.

Satisfied with the positioning, Waik took Candela's hand and then Spark's, then nodded to Blanche to complete the ring. They did, offering a reassuring squeeze to both of their friends, who sat rigidly. They wondered what the other two were thinking. It wasn't like either of them to be so quiet. Were they nervous? Afraid?

Waik closed her eyes, and Candela and Sparked glanced to Blanche for guidance. They nodded subtly and lowered their head, assuming their friends would follow suit. Blanche breathed just loudly enough for the others to hear them, hoping they'd catch on and match pace.

In.

Out.

In.

The sensation came more quickly this time. A chill on their cheek, the hazy outline of snow-dusted trees.

Out.

In.

Blanche stood in the snowy field, but something was off about it. The world was hazier than it had been before, and snow was falling. Not gentle, feathery flakes this time, no. They were tiny ice crystals that pricked Blanche's skin.

"You're really getting the hang of this, Blanche."

Waik appeared a few yards away, again wearing Spark's orange coat. She grinned at Blanche, but they could read the weariness in her posture, in the lines that traced her eyes.

Waik rocked on her heels, like an impatient child. "I'm trying to give your friends a boost, but they're a little resistant. Ah, here we go…"

Her shadow expanded away from her feet. No, not a shadow. A slice of a completely different place, flowing away from Waik in a V, filling in with details that didn't belong in Blanche's snowy realm at all. Instead of ice, the ground became concrete. Steel pipes and rods replaced the trees, and the bright, gray sky turned navy and speckled by stars.

It was a power plant, Blanche realized. They felt like they were looking into a massive, industrial-themed terrarium that had been dropped into the arctic, and inside that strange and magical nightscape stood a slack-jawed Spark. He turned his head slowly, as if something might jump out and attack him. He jolted when he saw Blanche.

"Blanche! Why are you out in the snow?" he asked.

Waik laughed at the question, and Spark's attention jumped to her.

"And that's my coat!" he exclaimed. "Oh man, this is a new level of surreal. My poor brain can't take this."

"This is the least of your brain's concerns," said Waik, unhelpfully. "And now, Candela…"

Another shadow stretched from Waik's feet, and a new wedge of world appeared. Soft, summer grass overtook Blanche's snow and wildflowers knocked their heads together in the breeze. A vibrant sun beamed from the blue sky, briefly blinding Blanche as they made the mistake of looking into it. Candela stood in the middle of the new plain, her arms spread to catch the sunlight, her smile a bit manic.

"This is insane," she stated, her voice trembling slightly.

"Finally," Waik sighed.

She stood at the point where the three worlds collided. Each wedge appeared equal, expanding eternally to their respective horizons. As Waik shifted, the lighting of each third struck her differently. A slice of shadow from Spark's nighttime power plant, the brilliant glow from Candela's sun, the muted colors of Blanche's blizzard.

"We don't have much time to talk, so I'm afraid we'll have to skip past your phase of breathless wonderment. I'm burning energy fast to pull this off, even with the help of my strongest minds," Waik said. "I had my historians look for information on the gate, and I have some bad news."

"How bad is bad?" Spark asked.

"Bad bad," Waik replied. "You-aren't-getting-out-of-here-alive bad."

Blanche bristled. "What do you mean?"

Waik grimaced a little. Was her time really that short here? "It's possible that opening the door from the inside requires a sacrifice. Your sacrifice, to be exact. I guess that's how the ancients intended to prevent history from repeating itself."

Candela's half-crazed smile had vanished. "That sort of seems like something you should have told Blanche the first time around."

"I didn't know. As far as I knew, this was all ancient mythology and half-truths. All of our ceremonies about being released from the mountain don't go into the gory details. Most of us never expected this day to actually come," Waik explained. "In fact, after having lived so long underground, I doubt we could acclimate to life on the outside."

Blanche's mind raced. "But we can't stay here. We'll go mad."

"Maybe we can stave it off until we can find another way out," Candela suggested.

Waik shook her head. "In centuries of living down here, my people have never found another way. If you think you can delay the onset of madness, then more power to you. But I doubt you can hold out forever. Take a look at your horizon, Candela."

A small smudge of smoke tarnished the edge of the field in which Candela stood. It rose in an ominous pillar, staining the sky.

Despite the apparent heat in Candela's wedge of territory, a shudder ran through her, visible even from where Blanche stood. "Is… is that…?"

"Fire," Waik said, her eyebrows drawn in sympathy. "The more it spreads, the more of your sanity it consumes. We've seen similar symptoms in patients with mental illnesses, and have been able to successfully treat them. However, I fear that even with my ability to enter your heads, I can't heal you faster than the birds can harm you."

"Then what are we supposed to do? We're damned if we stay, and we're damned if we go," Candela said.

Spark, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally spoke up. He looked calmer and more collected than Blanche had anticipated, standing firm and straight, his jaw squared. "Waik, we'll still open the gate."

Blanche furrowed their brow, irritated with him for giving up so easily. "Spark, we should think this through and come up with another plan. There must be an alternative."

Spark knocked the back of his hand against one of the pipes in his power plant, as if inspecting it for structural soundness. He continued tapping on different valves and rods as he went on. "We don't have time for another plan. At least, not while we're staying under Waik's roof."

As he said it, the steel, barrel-like piece of machinery he'd touched last rocked backwards with a groan of weak metal and a crackle of electrical discharge. He jumped back as the machinery collapsed, denting the row of pipes behind it as it fell.

"Just the kind of shoddy workmanship I'd expect up here," Spark joked, tapping his forehead. "Like I was saying, we don't have time. We need to get away from Waik's people before we completely lose it."

Waik flinched. "I'm sure we could contain you if it came down to that…"

Spark cautiously sidestepped the sparking piece of crumpled equipment and approached Waik. He wore the face he usually reserved for addressing frightened and badly injured pokémon. It was gentle and mildly apologetic, and it filled Blanche with nervous energy. "You're a good leader, Waik. You want to protect your people not only from what we might do but from seeing us fall apart. You don't want them to lose hope. It would be best for all of you if we left as soon as possible. It would have been easy to send us on our way to the gate without telling us about the sacrifice, but you're too kind for that. You wanted us to know the truth, even if that meant we might decide to stay and put your people at risk."

Waik tightened up, like she might protest, or maybe even strike Spark if he got too close. But then the tension drained from her body and she lowered her head. "It's true that I'm concerned for my people, but I'm also concerned for you. I don't want to send you to your deaths."

"It sounds like we're dead either way," Candela said with a wry smirk. "It's not your fault. But if you have any advice for us, we're all ears."

Waik perked back up, but Blanche detected a tremor in her hands. "There's a chance that we're misinterpreting old tablets and reliefs, or that the threat of death was merely meant to warn people off of trying to escape. So much of the truth has been lost to time and myth."

"See? A glimmer of hope!" Spark said, and Waik smiled at him. Blanche couldn't tell if the expression was one of cheer or pity. "We'll open the door and get Team Rocket out of here, I promise."

Waik tilted her head, looking more tired by the minute. "Team Rocket? Blanche, weren't you trying to say something about this before?"

"Team Rocket is the organization that forced us to open the door into the mountain. They're dangerous people, and they have many more pokémon than we do," Blanche said.

"Fortunately, they don't want to be trapped here either, so we should be able to lead them out," Spark added. "We even have a half-baked idea of how to do it."

A violent shriek cut the air, and Blanche reflexively covered their ears. From seemingly nowhere, Moltres soared into view over Candela's field, the beating of its wings scattering the wildflowers below it and sending up a spray of petals. Candela leaped out of the way as the legendary bird landed hard, its talons striking the soil heavily enough that Blanche felt the vibrations through their snow. Moltres screeched at Waik, causing her to stumble into Spark's territory in alarm. Spark caught her as she tripped over her heel and swung her behind his body, standing as a shield in front of her.

But Moltres didn't attack. Blanche hoped Spark had sensed it wouldn't. What would happen if they were attacked inside their own heads? Was it even possible?

Moltres clacked its long beak in annoyance and settled onto the ground, the grass and flowers around it wilting from the heat. Candela crouched low, ready to dodge if the bird lunged for her. She spoke to Waik over her shoulder, unwilling to turn away from the giant, seething pokémon.

"OK, what the hell is going on in here?"

Waik regained herself and stepped past Spark, returning to the central point. "We've drawn Moltres' attention somehow. I presume the birds have had a negative experience with Team Rocket?"

Moltres shrieked again, its fiery plumage flaring in anger. Candela took a step back, holding her arms up to block some of the heat from hitting her face.

"Yeah, you could say that," Candela snapped.

Moltres turned toward her, and she ducked, as if anticipating a blow. Instead, the great bird dropped its head and, extending its long neck, nudged her with its beak. Candela's hands drifted over the beak, torn between shoving it away and stroking it.

"What's going on?" Blanche asked.

"We're bonded to the birds," Spark said.

As simple as the answer was, Blanche couldn't argue with it. Moltres nuzzled against Candela like any other pokémon seeking attention from its trainer. Candela gingerly placed her hands on Moltres' beak and giggled nervously.

"It's warm," she said. "I can't believe this is happening…"

Thunder rumbled from Spark's zone, and Zapdos flashed down from the sky like lightning, landing much like Moltres had, shaking the earth. It shuffled its sparking feathers, making itself at home, while Spark regained his balance from the quake. Zapdos moved in a sharper, jerkier fashion than Moltres, cocking its head back and forth, taking in the scene. Once it found Spark, it thrusted its head into his chest, nearly knocking him off his feet. Spark caught the legendary pokémon's beak for stability.

"Whoa there, big guy!" Spark said, tentatively ruffling the feathers on Zapdos' crown. He frowned and looked to Blanche. "It's trembling…"

A bitter wind cut through Blanche's world. Articuno emerged from the developing snowstorm, but it didn't land with the force the others did. Blanche covered their mouth as the once graceful, majestic ice pokémon crash-landed into the snow, skidding across the ice, its wings flapping desperately to right itself. As it came to a stop, the wings sagged, and Articuno lay still.

Blanche froze, their blood chilled.

"Blanche! Go to it!" Spark called.

They staggered forward, then ran toward the fallen bird. They fell to their knees by its head and place their hand on its neck, feeling for its vitals. The heartbeat was quick and weak. The bird watched Blanche with a foggy, narrowly opened eye. It was even weaker than it had been on the ice on Blanche's first trip inside their mind.

"Waik, what do we do? What's happening to Articuno?" Candela asked.

"The birds aren't meant to be in this mountain, and it's a miracle they've found a way to exist here," Waik said. Her voice hitched. Her time was limited, but she fought through. "But it's costing them, each in their own way."

Blanche kept their hands on Articuno's neck, as if they could transfer health to the ailing pokémon. "But it seems in so much worse of a condition than Moltres or Zapdos."

"As I said, they're each affected differently," Waik said with a degree of impatience. "But its health does worry me. It's reasonable to assume that the state of the birds relates to the state of your psyches."

Blanche stroked Articuno's feathers. They felt how clouds looked: soft and ethereal and cold. Blanche's heart sat heavily in their chest. Despite what Waik had said, Articuno truly looked to be in the worst shape. What did that say about Blanche? Was that why their emotions had been so unruly? How much longer could they and Articuno hold out?

"Listen, everyone. We're on a tight schedule," Waik said. "If you're going to try to open the door, I will have one of my advisors lead you to a path that will take you there. I've prepared some supplies for you. We'll have to depart as soon as we're done here. I can't let my citizens see you go."

"You're not going to tell them that we're opening the door?" Spark asked. Zapdos leaned into him, its eyes closing. The weight of the bird pushed Spark back, but he still tried to hold up its spiky head. It didn't look as sickly as Articuno did, but the longer Blanche watched it, the more obvious its own suffering became. Moltres was much the same, its sides heaving and eyelids fluttering. It reminded Blanche of Candela when she was sick, trying to power through, hiding the symptoms.

"We don't belong in the world above. This is all we've ever known, and we're happy here, even with the Lost," Waik said. "Besides, if legend is to be believed, it may not be our time to return. You were forced to enter the mountain, after all."

Spark said nothing. Perhaps he wanted to protest, or perhaps he begrudgingly understood. Blanche certainly followed Waik's reasoning. These people had lived without sunlight or pokémon or modern language for centuries. Down here, their culture was protected. Where would they fit in the world above?

"What will you tell your people?" Blanche asked.

"I have something in mind, don't worry," Waik said, smiling feebly.

Candela let go of Moltres' beak. "You said one of your advisors would lead us. Why not you?"

"Creating and maintaining this space takes an enormous toll on me. Even with my assistants lending their energy, I will be too weak to be of any help. I'll likely enter a deep sleep for several days. After all that's happened in the past day, that actually sounds like a welcome vacation," Waik joked.

"So… this is goodbye, then," Spark said.

Waik nodded. Her body looked like it was being pulled to the ground by a thousand invisible wires, but she stayed on her feet. "It is. There is so much I would like to ask the three of you. I wish you could stay here with us, so we could share each other's culture and stories. But it wasn't meant to be."

She coughed violently, nearly losing her footing.

"Waik!" Spark lowered Zapdos' head to the ground and started toward Waik, but she held up her hand, warning him back.

"It's fine," she croaked.

"Waik, you told us what we need to know. You don't have to keep this up," Candela said. Behind her, Moltres' breathed heavily, its fire dying down. The smoke pillar on the horizon had darkened and crept higher in the sky.

"I have a few final words to impart," Waik insisted, straightening herself up as much as she could. "Among your supplies, I've included a potent mix of the same solution I gave Spark before. It may come in handy as a fast-acting sedative."

This last part she said to Candela, who pressed her lips together firmly and nodded her understanding.

"My advisor can only take you to the trailhead. The path is a clear one from there, and I can't risk people asking questions about where he's gone, so he can't be with you for long," Waik continued. "The portal should look like the one you saw on your way in, and should activate in much the same way. You'll find it at the top of a path that curves up the inside of what was once a magma chamber. It's impossible to miss. The trail there is long and steep, and you must exercise extreme caution. Luckily, the Lost don't venture there often, so you won't have many of them to worry about."

"Great," Candela said, unenthusiastically.

Waik chuckled faintly at her sarcasm. "That's all the advice I can share with you. I truly hope I have prepared you sufficiently for this task."

"Thank you, Waik," Spark said, bowing politely.

Blanche and Candela repeated the thanks as Waik sagged to the ground.

"Goodbye, travelers," Waik said. "May we meet again in a better world."

She faded like a dream, followed by Candela and her wedge of land, and then Spark and his. Blanche waited like they had before to come back to the real world, but something wasn't right. The sharp snow continued to pelt them, and while the other birds were gone, Articuno remained.

"Hello?" Blanche said, but the snow ate the sound of their voice. Had they even spoken? What was taking so long?

They heard the trickle of water before they felt it. Frigid water pooled around their feet, soaking through their shoes and chilling them to the bone. They reflexively tried to step away from the puddle, and the ground cracked beneath them.

Not ground. Ice. They'd been standing on ice the entire time. Their heart skipped a beat. Blanche knew what was coming, and though they reached for Articuno, desperate for something to hold onto, the ice gave way before they could grab on. They plunged into the breath-stealing water, sinking way too fast, the cold so intense it was more like fire on their flesh. Above them, the ice fused back together and faded from sight as they fell into the unending darkness once more.

§

AN: Happy 2017! May this year not plunge you into unending darkness! I'm cheering for you!