/Let's try this again, shall we? This was a terrible first two tries to this chapter, so let's just pretend they never happened, although I literally just told all of you. Anyways, enjoy this chapter please. It was a fun annoyance to write.
Kira yawned lightly as she stepped onto the sand, sinking a bit before finally finding a proper foothold. It had been about a day and a half since Duke and Chatot had been kidnapped, which kind of ticked her off. The only thing worse was that they had been swarmed by Infected on the way, which had lengthened the trip and added another two hours to it overall. If it weren't for the fact it was just a direct swim, then she was sure that Chatot and Duke would have been gone forever.
Shaking her head, Kira watched as Sage soon followed after her, kicking sand into the water before he continued further onto the island. Kira soon followed after him, her head low as she thought. They only had twelve hours to get to the deepest layer of this entire island, and then they had to kick the butt of a Guardian who had outsmarted them. This was sure to be a rough battle, but even if they lost, saving Duke and Chatot were the priority over anything. Even if they failed, they were the two most important people of this entire battle.
"So what do you think we have to do to get to the bottom floor of whatever this place is?" Kira asked as they began inland. "I mean, I know it's a dungeon and all, but how do we go down in an island? I've only really over been through Mount Travail and that place where I was attacked by the Harmony Lilies. I never really understood how these places... worked."
"We basically just walk and walk, and we'll eventually come across a staircase," Sage began, crossing his arms. "However, there's been a major decrease in these kinds of dungeons recently, and they've only ever become a single-floored dungeon, which is just one big floor with Pokémon getting harder and harder every couple of "rooms" that we pass. That's basically all they are now, although some cases are exceptions, such as a few mountains and most of the older underground dungeons nowadays. Zero Isle and its islands are the few overland dungeons that haven't really been affected. but they do have some one floor areas, which take up around ten or so floors with one shot. If we're lucky, it'll only take us half an hour to get to the bottom."
"I hope that's all it'll take," Kira said, looking around the island for any signs of Pokémon life. "I get the feeling the battle with Kiso isn't going to be an easy one, but the quicker we get there, the more energy we might have and the longer we have to save them." She sighed lightly before raising a hand to the reds gem that now hung around her neck. "Why did you want me to wear this thing, Sage? You already got rid of the black opal before all this, and now I'm back to wearing some gemstone, which I don't even know what it is does."
"The Drought Stone, formerly known as the Terra Crystal, is a special item that can cause either the cloud nine ability, or the drought ability, on any floor in a dungeon. With it, and with how many of the Pokémon here are water types, we both have a higher advantage with them being a lot weaker and unable to use any of their weather-changing attacks. It'll also protect you from ground attacks, so that's useful as well."
"Sounds a bit... cheap," Kira mumbled under her breath, clenching the gem as though it actually had a purpose to her. "But I guess that's better than nothing in a place where you can come across anything, especially with a Guardian nearby." She laughed nervously before shaking her head and looking to the sky. "Today's the day we take down the last Guardian and find our way to Arceus and Kyofu. We will take them down and save the world!"
Kira smiled happily and started to run, hoping to reach Kiso faster this way. Before she had so much as taken five steps, the ground beneath her suddenly opened up, scaring her as she fell straight down and into a pitfall trap. Darkness swallowed her world for several moments before it was once again filled by light, but there was something odd. It was... It reminded her of those visions she had received ages ago.
She slowly looked around before realizing she was on the ground. She pushed herself into a sitting position, looking around once more before noticing two other people. She couldn't see their faces, but she instantly knew who they were: Leaf and Ragnarök in their human forms.
"So, you think all of this is going to pass?" Leaf mumbled, looking over at Ragnarök as though Kira wasn't there. "I know you think this is fine and dandy, and that Ari going missing was just some accident, but you and me both know history. We know what's going on, but you don't want to share. Please. Can we just tell her the truth?"
"Never." Ragnarök sat up and glared at Leaf. "You know we can't tell Kira about history. If she remembers, then the last of the Flame Guard will die... again, Leaf. Kyofu being possessed was hard enough for me to recall, but Kira being the first to die every single time hurt even more. I want someone to survive this invasion, Leaf. And by telling Kira about history - her death over and over and over again - will lead to it repeating. Kyofu... and Arceus… They're both the villains here. She has to fight them on her own, and you know that."
"Then what?" Leaf responded, her voice harsh yet dull. "How do we give her the strength to fight two gods at once? Sage and Duke won't be enough, and our Flames can't be used at the same time so long as we're alive." Leaf clenched her fist and grit her teeth. "How do you plan on giving her the strength to fight if she doesn't even know her true heritage? It's impossible!"
"We'll leave her our memories," Ragnarök suggested. "We're going to die anyways, so why not just let it happen at the next Guardian? It's a Gengar anyways, so it's not like much can happen. She dies, we die, she magically finds herself in the Hall of Judgement, and everything goes to normal once she finds our Flames once sent to the Distortion Realm!" Ragnarök noticed that she was glaring at him, and lowered his head. "I know you hate death, and I do too, but we have to die. We know, yet she doesn't."
Leaf was silent until she stood and nodded. "Fine, but I'm not going back to that place after this all again. I'm just gonna let my soul drift free and take over another body whenever I'm needed again." Her body then began to fade, leaving a simple Flame behind. "We'll have to suffer until death, you know. Abandoning Flame makes us really sick."
Ragnarök nodded in response as something similar began to happen to him. "It's better than just being there and not doing anything helpful during the final fight. We just... We can't tell her until the time is right. We can't let her know the truth behind her life and this mission's true purpose."
"There was no purpose to us coming into her life and dragging her into the mess that is the Flame Guard," Leaf told him with a sigh. "She was supposed to just come here, defeat the Guardians, take out Necrozma, and go home, but it looks like Arceus doesn't want anyone left alive. He's a monster, especially after what happened to his children."
"And he isn't after the fact that Darkrai almost killed Giritina?" Ragnarök chuckled lightly before shaking his head. "I feel sorry for them all, especially Dialga and Palkia. But, in the end, what's this going to mean for the Pokémon world? It'll all go back to normal once she leaves, just like everything else."
At that moment, Kira was dragged back to the real world. She coughed lightly and sat up, gasping for breath as she looked at her surroundings. She was in a cave, likely well below the surface of the island. Looking up, she couldn't really see the top. but there was a dot of light in the direction she assumed was directly up.
Slowly, her eyes began to adjust to the darkness. She could finally see her surroundings, which didn't really surprise her, as the entire location really was just a cave. Kira pushed herself to her feet, shivering as cold water ran down her body and back to the ground. For a place so deep underground, it sure didn't give her the vibe she would have expected of it.
"Hello?!" she called out, listening to her voice as it echoed against the walls and in every direction imaginable. With how long it went for, she could tell that this cave system was indeed very complex. "Well, this is just great," she snarled, groaning and shivering as she began to walk forward. "I'm in some cave I don't know, and I'm even on my own. How much worse can this day get?"
As it turns out, any day can get worse if you look at it that way. Kira figured this out as she was attacked by swarms of Pokémon upon entering the cave system. Not many of them were powerful, and those that were had a disadvantage against her typing and attacks, but the massive amount made it worse as she wasn't fast enough to fight them all at once.
What felt like hours passed before she felt that she had finally gotten somewhere. She had traveled quite the distance in that time frame, and found herself in a large room, which looked like something out of a secret villains bunker, just not as sciency or... villainy. Well, it would have looked that way, even without the massive statue of an Aggron surrounded by water in the center of the room.
Kira was sure that this was how she was going to find him, but she wasn't exactly sure yet. Without Sage by her side, it just felt so weird to find a lead and be able to do something. Sage was the one who led this entire thing, and so she counted on him to tell her what to do during these situations. But at times like these, she felt that she had to do this alone.
She was silent as she walked up to the statue, only then noticing an odd panel in the ground before the water. Curious, she bent down and looked at the odd symbols. They weren't Unknown, but of her own language - they were written in human English.
"Blue is the water that forever runs deep," she read aloud, already confused by it. "Red is the magma that has created our world. Green is the earth that all beings live on. But what is it that keeps it all together? What is the basis for life on this planet?"
Kira remained silent before chuckling and shaking her head. "When you think about it, everything here is what keeps us alive, but you forgot the air that allows us to breath and keeps us warm." She shook her head before looking at the statue, watching as it glared at her. "Nice try, Kiso, but I'm no idiot. You were rushed, and you messed up. Now, give yourself up."
The statue could be heard growling as it slowly began to lose the rocks upon it. Kira quickly jumped back, an explosion soon following and launching rocks in every direction. She raised her hands and blocked her face as the rocks slammed into her from where the statue had once been, but it didn't last long. After all, it hadn't all been made of rock.
"You sensed it, didn't you?" Kiso snarled, watching as she lowered her arms and glared at him with hate. "You sensed the rocks and knew they were fake instantly, didn't you? I knew I should have taken you out when I first saw you, but no! I just had to be a good guy and let you go alive! What the hell is wrong with me?"
"Your mental health and that attitude of yours," Kira responded, moving into a battle position she could all but just remember. "Just hand over that Promise, as well as Duke and Chatot, and I'll go peacefully. I don't want to have to kill you for them as well. I've already killed Xatu, as well as severely injured Gengar. You don't stand a chance this time, Kiso."
Kiso growled lightly before moving his hand behind his back. Kira didn't let her guard down, and knew it was the right move as he suddenly flung several rocks at her. She swiftly moved, dodging them right before they slammed into the ground. The momentum that had allowed her to dodge was the same momentum she used to attack, slamming into Kiso and knocking him back and away from the large circle of water.
"Now you just fucked up," Kiso growled, dust and rocks rocketing in every direction as a bright red flame of Fear took over his body. A loud roar erupted from him before his body became encased in what seemed to be gold, as well as light. The transformation only lasted a second, but that second made Kiso look just like Kiminari had oh so long ago. "I'm going to kill you, and then I'm going to tear you limb from limb, you pathetic Snivy."
"Go ahead and try," Kira mumbled, her own Flame erupting into power. She growled and rushed at him, but as she launched an attack, he moved to the side and slammed his tail into her. She coughed loudly, blood escaping her as she was sent flying into a wall. "Oww! That fucking hurt!"
"Yeah, and I can worse on your pathetic body," Kiso growled, his tail waving as he turned away from her, showing her just how sure of himself he was. "Now, as you said before, give up and go home. You know you can't beat me, and Kyofu is even stronger than I am. You'll never win a fight with emotions like those."
Kira growled and pushed herself from the wall, feeling as rocks fell after her and to the ground. He had hurt her pride with that statement, but what ticked her off even more was the taste of blood in her mouth. She could feel rage consuming her as she stood, losing control as her power began to grow to a wild level.
"I'm going to hurt you so bad," she snarled, her voice deep as her Flame erupted, almost consuming the entire cavern they were in. "I am going to make you suffer for everything you've done to us. For lying, I'm going to tear your arms off. For hurting my friends, I'll tear away every bit of flesh from your body. For just being an ass, I'll kill you very, very slowly."
She slowly looked up to him, her eyes a deep red as she felt her power continue to grow. Kiso finally seemed to acknowledge her before finally sending rocks her way. Kira barely moved and they were suddenly shattered, soon turning to nothing but dust as her vines fell to her sides. Kiso growled before stomping, rocks once again flying at her from every direction. Just like last time, they were easily shattered, barely making it a within a foot of Kira.
"Your power is still a bit too low to face my final attack," Kiso mumbled, launching rocks at her. No matter how many he launched, they would be destroyed within an instant, but she couldn't hold out forever against them. "You're staying on the defensive, so I have nothing to worry about in terms of you doing any damage. My energy should be able to keep you at bay, until you lose your energy that is."
He spoke so calmly, talking to her as if she was a little child. That little moment of rage allowed a rock through her defenses, but Kira didn't flinch as it slammed into her, instead using it to escape where she was being targeted. As soon as she was free from the circle where his attack was aiming for, she launched herself at him, slamming her tail into his chest as a massive energy spike tore through her body. They were both sent flying backwards, each slamming into an opposite wall with immense force.
Kira landed on the floor with a soft thud, her Flame receding as her eyes also returned to normal. "Ragnarök," she whispered as she forced herself to her feet, smiling faintly as the faint echo of his Flame rung within her heart. "Thank you for this gift, you two. I promise I'll take both of them down." Once on her feet, she felt energy once again course through her, but it was much softer. "Come on, Kiso. I'm sick of playing games here."
Kiso smirked lightly as he too stood, his Fear spreading before receding once more. His golden armor, which had been cracked at one point during the attack, was now back to full strength. "As if I would stop messing with you," he said, raising an arm and raising the ground around her. "But I guess I'll humor you a little more. Stone Cage."
Kira watched as the rocks then began to fall, but as they slammed into her, her counter struck and destroyed all of the rocks surrounding her. "Nice try, but rocks are weak against the bladed leaf that is me," she mumbled, her eyes a bright green as she faced Kiso. "Please stop playing around, Kiso. I'm getting bored."
"You-" Kiso growled lightly before roaring loudly. The echo against the walls tore through the entire cave, and an earthquake followed soon after. "I'll kill you, you pathetic creature! I'll finish our mission and kill you all!" His cry echoed loudly against the cave walls.
Kira was silent as she heard the distinct cracking of rocks above her head. She looked up just in time to watch as the ceiling began to cave in from above them. Swiftly, she launched her vines, shattering, or at least breaking apart, the rocks that were aimed at her.
"Please just give up," she mumbled, lowering her head and looking at Kiso with determined eyes. "You know you can't beat me in the state you're in, Kiso. You're just going to lose in the end, and we all know it." She sighed lightly and raised a hand, her Flame dying out and her eyes returning to normal. "I'm showing you mercy here, Kiso. Please?"
Kiso lowered his head, hiding his eyes in darkness, only to reveal as they became blood red. "I don't show mercy to fools who think they're stronger than me."
Rocks shot up from all directions, but Kira was more than ready for them. Two images separated from body, one moving through the rocks as the other dodged above them, almost hitting the roof. Kiso's eyes widened as they shot at him.
"You should have given up when I asked," they both whispered, turning and slamming their tails into him with incredible force. "I'm sorry, Kiso, but you're in my way. This is… goodbye."
Kiso's eyes widened as his armor caved in, tearing through the opposite side of him without any problem. He glared at the two forms as they once again became one. "Your powers are no match... for Kyofu," he growled, white light forcing itself from him and to the ground. "He will kill you and your foolish allies. It's only a matter of time." Kiso then collapsed, his eyes becoming dull like everything else about him.
"It doesn't matter whether I'm able to take him out or not," Kira mumbled lightly, picking up the white orb before feeling as its energy was pulled into her, much like the other two she had taken. "That was it. I have all the Promises I need. Now to find Arceus and Kyofu and take them both out."
"That would be easy - if you had kept that guy alive," Sage mumbled as he exited a nearby tunnel, his fur covered in dusk and mud. "And next time you battle in a cave, please be aware that you aren't the only one in the entirety of the system. There are a lot of Pokémon in these areas, especially bats."
"Sorry," Kira responded, rubbing the back of her neck. She wasn't sure if she was more sorry about Kiso or him, but it didn't matter. "What about Duke and Chatot? Have you seen any sign of them on your way through the cave? They didn't appear with the Promise, so I can only assume they were somewhere else."
"Actually, that's kind of why I came to find you," Sage mumbled, wiping dust from his arms. "I mean, we were coming here to fight Kiso anyways, but it was kind of funny since I found them right as a loud roar tore through the cavern. Anyway, they're on the surface with each other, likely headed back for Harold and Jamie. By now they should be waiting on us, so I say we hurry. I could go for something to eat right about now."
Kira nodded lightly before watching as Sage began to head back through the caves. Before she followed, she walked over to Kiso and kicked his armored body. It wasn't like he deserved it, but it made her feel good inside that she had managed to control her power and take him down. With that out of the way, she quickly chased after Sage.
Once on the surface, she was quickly embraced by Duke, who seemed to be shivering and shaking. Kira chuckled lightly as she hugged back, raising her head and looking at Sage confused. She had no idea why he was acting this way.
"I... I know what happened to Leaf and Ragnarök," he whispered to her, his shaking slowly going away. "I... I don't know why, and I don't care how, but I saw as they died in that fight against Gengar, as well as you. Why didn't you tell me? Is that why you've been acting so weird recently? Please, Kira. Tell me everything!"
Kira was silent for a moment before she shook her head. "I would, but I can't tell you about them just yet," Kira told him, sighing as she pushed him away from her, turning and rubbing her head. "I'll tell you once we can find Kyofu and a way into the Hall of Judgement, or at least a similar location. That's our next destination after all this. That is where Arceus is waiting for us."
"So you still believe that Arceus is truly a bad Pokémon, huh?" Chatot called over. "Well, I believe the location you're looking for is Destiny Tower, which is located well East of us, although it would take several days to reach it. Even then, you'd never get through it without being knocked out as many times as possible. It's one of the two hardest dungeons we know of in the area - the other would Zero Isle South."
"I can deal with the problem of getting in," Sage mumbled under his breath. "Arceus owes me something anyways, so he'll try to put up a fight against us. I can take down the barrier that prevents us from entering as a team with enough time, but I'll need you to watch my backs during it. Last time I did it, my friends almost ended up either dead or lost in that dungeon." He then looked to Chatot. "You'll be providing aerial support for us. However, we should head to Luminous Springs before anything else. It should be functional, even in these terrible times."
Chatot watched him for several moments before shrugging. "I only understood about half of what you said, but I guess it doesn't matter since, well, we're coming to the end of what we've been doing for so long now. Well, we better get back to the mainland, you three. I think the guild might be worried about us now."
Sage nodded and looked to Kira and Duke before turning away and heading towards Harold. Kira and Duke went to follow, but a sudden wave of nausea made Kira stop in her tracks. Her vision pulsed as what sounded like knock echoed within her head. It repeated several more times, eventually forcing her to the ground. She could hear cries coming from Duke, but everything went dark before she could even try to respond.
Kira groaned as she slowly opened her eyes. The roof that had once been the sky was now dirt and rock, somehow supported by the walls that bent inwards and towards it. She continued to stare to the roof before she forced herself into a sitting position, rubbing her head as it felt like it had been slammed into a wall several times. It took her some time to regain full awareness, but upon doing so, she felt that she was lying in something similar to hay, but that she was also somewhere she had never been before. The panic would have kicked in if she hadn't heard a familiar sigh from behind her.
"You're actually alive, huh, Kira?" Kyofu mumbled from behind her, making her turn and glared. His eyes, for once, looked normal, caring even. "I've been looking for you for days now, little one. You just... Upon losing the signal to Kiso, I lost yours as well. I was worried Arceus got to you, but to find out it was only the Promise activating its full power is promising. Soon you will face Arceus in a battle that will end this war. I'll be rooting for you, Kira." Kyofu then turned to leave, but was stopped as he felt a hand on his tail. "Yes, Kira? Is there something you want to know?"
Kira wasn't exactly sure why, but she knew that he was right when he said she wanted to know something. "Why did you kill them?" she asked, her heart thumping as she felt him tense up. "I... I heard it right before I found Kiso and took him down. "You killed the Flame Guard, Kyofu. But why did you do it? Did they do something to you?"
Kyofu was silent before he pulled away from her, shaking his head. "You should not care to learn about our history, young human," he told her, looking at her with blood red eyes. "History will forever repeat itself so long as we believe it can happen again and again. It would just be better if you quit asking questions about that. Now, let me leave. I have somewhere to go before you reach Destiny Tower... and the Hall of Judgement."
Kira wasn't exactly sure how to respond to his statement. She slowly brought her hand back, gripping her wrist as he slowly began to walk away. Much like last time, he phased through the wall as though he didn't exist. Only moments late, Duke hopped into sight and around a corner.
"You're finally awake!" he chirped loudly, hopping over, only to stop before he crashed into her. "S-sorry. You're probably sore after what happened back on Zero North. You just blacked out and landed face-first in the sand. If it weren't for Chatot and Jamie, you probably wouldn't have even made it back to mainland."
"I-I'm sorry, but you'll need to start your story from the very beginning," Kira told him, waving her hands to get him to slow down. "I don't even know what happened before I passed out. Let's start with that, and then we can stop right where we are. Just nothing extra, please."
"Right. Well, you just... passed out," Duke began. "We had no idea why, but then these orbs suddenly came from your body and made some sort of map, which fell to your side moments after. Chatot panicked and quickly dragged you over to Jamie, where she had to swim all the way back to mainland while the rest of us followed on Harold. When we arrived back here in the mainland, we were told to bring you here to the guild, which we did. And now, six days later, you finally wake up! I mean, it was a miracle you lasted across the sea, but you were out for six days! Six of them. And not only that, but the war has finally stopped. It's just a clear path to the Hall of Judgement now, and all because you, and apparently you passing out."
"If only a little thing like killing a Pokémon that we needed alive was actually what caused that." Sage growled as he stepped around the corner and to the group. "I got something from the map, Duke, so go get your books and check it out, now." Duke nodded, hurriedly leaving as Sage actually scared him. With Duke gone, Sage sat down and glared at Kira. "You're little stunt back with Gengar just messed with my plans," he told her. "He's back, and the Infected army is planning an invasion on this town tonight. This time, we will not be able to take him on. We have to find Kyouf by nightfall, or we are doomed. It's either that or run, and I prefer one that doesn't make me like I actually concede defeat."
Kira nodded lightly before she stood, only to collapse, being caught only by Sage before she hit the ground. "I guess running away won't be an answer," she told him, pushing away and trying to balance on her own feet once again. "Six days of being unable to walk sure takes a lot out of you, doesn't it?" she asked jokingly, only to shake her head. "By the way, what did you find about the map? Was it anything important?"
"Directions directly to the top of Destiny Tower," Sage chuckled, standing and scratching the back of his head. "Of course, I'll still need to break the magical barrier around so we can enter at the same time, so we'll begin this as the moon is rising. We'll evacuate everyone in case something happens before we leave, but I don't know if it'll be necessary once we're inside." He chuckled lightly before turning and leaving. "Come on, Kira. There are some Pokémon you need to meet before we leave."
Kira nodded lightly and followed after, looking at the hallway as she was led out. They passed two more rooms before Sage brought her into a much larger room than the others. There, she instantly noticed about ten or so Pokémon, each of which she had seen before then. Of course, they had never been introduced, but she remembered them from before the fight against Zorua.
"Meet Sunflora, Bidoof, Corphish, Diglett, Dugtrio, Loudred, Chimeco, and Croagunk" Sage told her. "They'll be helping to evacuate everyone while we leave, once again. They've agreed to gift you something to help you on your journey, so do say that you are grateful from each of them. They're really... They aren't fuck-ups like Duke... and Chatot."
"I heard that!" Duke cried out from a table, where the others then looked to him. "Listen, Sage. This map may lead to the final chamber, but we don't have time to open the full shield around the dungeon before Infected forces realize the town is empty and that we're at the center of their operations. They'll come for us immediately, so we'll need to split into teams of at most three. I'll go with Kira, and you with Chatot and Wigglytuff, okay? The rest of you know what you're doing. Get the citizens out, and that is all. After that, run and hide."
"We know this, and our plan is set up, but what about Kira as well?" Chatot asked, looking at her. "She may be going with you, Duke, but can she manage to fight off any Infected in the state she's in? Her body is being pushed beyond normal, and even with a Sitrus Berry, she's still unstable."
"She'll be fine," Sunflora assured, taking a scarf from her bag and moving to Kira. "This is known as the Whistle Scarf. Made specifically for grass-type Pokémon, it'll speed the healing process when you're in trouble, and it'll increase your stats in sunlight."
"And I have for you this Blade Stone," Croagunk mumbled, throwing her an odd rock covered in moss. "It should power up your physical attacks by a little bit. While not much, it's the least I can give if you save our world. I mean, we've never met before, but who cares? You're a Pokémon like the rest up, and you're trying to save our world."
Kira smiled lightly, nodding to them before turning and looking at Sage. She held a determined look in her eyes as she said, "Then let us come together and finish the fight that has dragged on for way too long." She grinned to herself before looking at the rest of the guild. "It never was easy, but it was always an honor to be able to fight alongside the Pokémon of this world for a cause that could save it. I am in debt to you all, even when I... No. When we save the world, I will forever remember that it was all because of Pokémon like you. Because of Pokémon who we could trust."
"You shouldn't say such things that'll make them feel like they're special," Sage mumbled to her, crossing his arms before sighing. "Anyways, we better go and get ready to storm that tower. We don't have much linger, especially after you having been out for so long."
Kira nodded, determination flashing within her heart for a moment before she turned and looked to the Pokémon of the guild. They all looked so determined to protect their town and fight back. She whished she could help them protect the town, but taking down Arceus and Kyofu was something so much more important than the town.
Without so much as a second glance at the Pokémon, Sage quickly rushed off, followed by Kira, Duke, Chatot, and Wigglytuff. The time for action was now, and it was the only chance they were ever going to get.
Ahh! So close to the finale and yet we aren't truly there yet! Just look at these sixteen (technically eighteen) chapters we have done so far. It feels like it's been years since I've begun this, although it's probably only been a couple of months. Well, still, I hope you enjoyed the story thus far. If you have, consider favoriting or following. Thank you for your time, and see you all later.