The week passed in the blink of an eye, thanks in part to everyone's anticipation towards not only leaving the island, but for some, becoming full-on guild members. The possibilities it would bring, the adventures that awaited, what their new lives would entail. All of the stories and dreams of the mainland were told and shared and laughed about throughout the days, and well into the nights. Life on Sunset was lively once again.

However, the night before they were all set to sail, a single Zoroark stirred from his restless slumber. His eyes stared into the blacks and blues and purples of the midnight sky, a Meowth curled up on one side of him, a Lucario on the other. Kora didn't know how long he'd been awake for. How much time had passed since Minerva and Rio drifted into slumber in Diana's garden, after they shared their joy of leaving the island together. The only sounds playing in the night, other than the gentle snores of his companions and his own breathing, being the gentle breeze rustling the leaves above and the calming tune of insects sang all throughout the island. It was peaceful, and he was grateful for it, but…

Careful, as to keep Minerva and Rio asleep, Kora slipped out from between his friends and left the garden. Into the dark of the woods. Fireflies lit an unmarked path for Kora to follow, but whenever one was too close he yipped and jumped and walked around it. Crickets played their songs for Kora to ease his mind, but one jumped on his leg and he quickly shook it off. He didn't know where he was going in the first place, but with every bug that touched him he quickly started not to care.

Eventually Kora reached the shore, the songs of the forest replaced with the lullaby of the waves lapping the coast. Frost's ship remained far out in the water, held in place by a glistening chunk of ice. The moon and the stars, directly above, shone on the ocean's surface, twinkling and shimmering like a second, flowing sky at Kora's feet.

Kora took a deep breath, tasting the salt in the air, then sighed. It was all so nice… yet he still felt so… so…

"Koraza?" a voice spoke from behind, stern and serious and lacking concern. Their question sounded more like a command. The creak of metal followed, and soon a Bisharp stood at the water's edge as well. And then an… awkward pause.

"Hey, Zen," Kora muttered, giving Zen a small wave and a smile before looking back over the sea. "Why're you up?"

Zen crossed his arms and shrugged. "Hmph, I should be asking you that," he said. Another pause. "Then again, I can understand you being unable to sleep."

Kora blinked at Zen and tilted his head, curious. "What do you..?"

"It is obvious. You are anxious to leave the island," Zen stated. "Of anyone here on the island, I only expected such feelings from you."

A pause, then Kora sighed, holding his elbows and looking away. "You… You know I don't understand…"

"Of course I know," Zen huffed, tapping his bicep. "This is your home. Unlike everyone else here, excluding your brother, you do not know what is out there. You are hours away from leaving everything you know behind, and you're worried that you will never see it again," he said an unfamiliar… possibly somber tone to his voice.

Kora's ear flicked, and he turned to Zen. "I… I mean…" he stuttered, then shook his head. "Are you..?"

Zen looked back from the corner of his eye, a faint snarl curling the corners of his lips. "Do not try to change the subject to me. I am not the one awake at midnight over childish feelings of longing, before we have even left the shore," he snapped, a crackle of darkness around him causing Kora to shrink back.

"A-Ah! Alright! Alright! I'm sorry!" Kora yelped, then gulped. He waited a moment for things to settle before speaking again. "But… if not that, then why are you up?"

A pause. Zen didn't respond, he simply stared out before him. The Bisharp was so still that Kora could almost swear that he turned into a statue of black and red metal. Eventually, Zen shook his head. "I do not need to sleep as much as the rest of you."

"I mean, you say that, but… Neither do I. But both of us sleep a lot anyway," Kora said, chuckling lightly. "But then we went an' got into that deep sleep together, so maybe we just don't wanna sleep any more, huh?"

"Hmph, unlikely," said Zen, followed by a thoughtful pause. "But not an impossible result." He then turned to Kora, his eyes trailing the Zoroark's body, then narrowing. "You grew."

"Yeah, I know! Weird right?" Kora snickered, pulling his mane from behind him and hugging it. He never got around to asking Minerva to help him fix it up, so it dragged along the ground. Twigs and leaves remained in the tail end of it, and the spikes and curves were longer and unruly. "You grew too then, right? Weren't we always the same height? At least when I'm not hunched?"

Zen nodded, facing the water once more. "Indeed. I am impressed you remember that fact. I would applaud you, but considering memorizing something as simple as a shared height is elementary, I will save it for something more… impressive."

Kora blinked, then pouted and crossed his arms. "You can't say you're impressed then say I wasn't impressive!" he puffed, sticking his tongue out at Zen.

"And you cannot be nearly twenty and still remain immature enough to stick your tongue out at someone," Zen retorted, side-eyeing Kora again. "Nor have a fear of insects as irrational as yours." At that, Kora dropped his mane and went silent, which left Zen the same way. A quiet moment passed, and Zen spoke up again. "Hmph, I see."

Kora turned his head to the sky. "See what?"

"More is bothering you than just leaving the island," Zen answered, staring at the stars as well. "...In that regard, I will say this. Your body has grown, and your mind is fast approaching."

…Silence followed, noticeably longer than any other pause before.

"Zen..?" Kora muttered, his gaze falling to the Bisharp. "Do you… mean that?"

Zen turned to face Kora fully and uncrossed his arms. His eyes were cold… but for a moment, they seemed to soften. "What do you think?" he asked, then turned back to the forest. "And do not think about it too long. We all need to be awake early, and if I have to drag you to the shore by daybreak I will."

With that, Zen left. Kora watched him go, stunned and somewhat confused, before he grabbed his mane again and hugged it tightly. "Alright, see you in the morning," he said, although Zen was already long gone. Kora looked over the ocean one last time, a faint smirk on the edges of his lips. Strangely, it was nice to see that Zen hadn't changed.

The Zoroark planned on staying for a bit longer, just soaking up the midnight skies and ocean breeze by himself. He really didn't need to sleep, after all. But Kora's solitude was cut short by a deep pink flash of light. He turned to the source, and saw an Abra floating towards him. With a tilt of his head, Kora asked, "Hey, uh, who are you?"

"The Guildmaster. You can call me Maxwell," the psychic-type answered with a light bow. "And you are Kora, yes?"

"Yeah? Why? Something didn't happen, did it?" Kora blinked. His brow then furrowed, and his eyes narrowed on Maxwell. "Wait… Maxwell? Aren't you the guy my mom and dad fought?"

Maxwell paused for a moment, resting his chin on a fist, then shook his head. "If that is how you have been told of me, yes. I do not wish to take up ample amounts of your time explaining, but I would like to have a chat. It is rather important we do before we set sail," the Abra explained. "If, of course, you would have me."

"I, uh…" Kora tilted his head to the other side, then back, confused. "Should… I..? Like, am I supposed to?"

"That is for you to decide," Maxwell said, giving another nod. "We can certainly speak later if you wish, I have no intention to rush, but we must speak soon."

"But… Uh… Aren't you a bad guy? I mean, ya don't look like one, or sound like one, but…" Kora muttered, scratching his head. "I don't… I dunno. Uh, geez, uh…"

Maxwell then held up a hand, shaking his head. "If you are that indecisive, then we can save this talk for later. I shall see you again soon, whenever you are alone," he said, and started to float away. "Goodnight, Kora."

Further and further Maxwell went, but he surely would turn back if Kora spoke up. If this was important, maybe Kora should call out and try to talk to him, but…

It was earlier than most would normally wake up, the sun was barely peeking above the horizon, but Sunset Valley was as lively as ever. Frost's ship, apparently called "BoraBora," rested close to shore, allowing all to see its relatively simple design. It was just made of wood, but the wood itself seemed expensive and sturdy. It had nicks and scratches, but other than that it was perfectly maintained.

The strongest on the island carried crates of berries and fruits and what few personal belongings anyone had to the ship, or equipment that the guild elites only alluded to instead of outright telling what they were. The youngest, and Mew, ran and played as their excitement boiled over and could no longer be contained. Everyone in between simply conversed and awaited the chance to board the ship, which Frost wouldn't allow until everything was done being packed. Something about boat safety, he claimed.

Rio sat on the shore with Eva, watching Zeke and Nate lift cargo overhead and chat like it was nothing, and Minerva and Kane bicker about who was lifting the most the best, and finally Zen, Kora, and Diana quietly carrying the most out of everyone without even the faintest sign of exertion. They didn't even mind it when Kai, Mia, and Mew ran between their legs.

"Geez, it feels like everyone's just showin' off," Rio muttered, his eyes following Kora and Zen. "There's no way they need to stack two crates on each hand, even if it's more efficient."

"I know, right?" Eva whispered back, pouting slightly. "And those two just woke up, basically. I've never been in a coma, but I've definitely overslept and I know how groggy that makes me feel. No way they should be trying so hard."

Rio scoffed, nodding over to Minerva and Kane, the latter of which slowly shuffled towards the ship, veins popping out of his neck. "Speaking of trying too hard, I think Kane's gonna topple over soon. Poor guy's barely handling three, they're taller than he is."

Eva rolled her eyes. "By that logic, Minerva should've been squashed forever ago," she said. Minerva herself carried three crates overhead, wobbling from side to side to keep it all balanced. "...Scratch that, she's gonna flatten someone else carrying stuff like that."

Heather sat herself besides Eva, arms crossed. "I truly wish those two would get rid of that annoying competitiveness before they get each other hurt. Or someone else," the mother Zangoose sighed.

To which, Eva looked Heather dead in the eye and raised a brow. "You're one to talk, Mom. I'm surprised you aren't trying to show up Diana and carry four crates on a claw."

"Don't be silly, Evaline, what do you take me for? I'd be able to carry five crates," Heather huffed with a slight grin. "Besides, I'd rather not exert myself so early in the morning. Taking care of a ship on the water is exhaustive as it is." There was a pause, then Heather yawned and added. "That, and your father kept me up all night. I forgot how affectionate he could be."

Coincidentally, James walked by with the cargo he was carrying. In a bubble. He gave Heather a wave and blew her a kiss, or rather a bubble, which the mother Zangoose happily kissed and sent back. James let it pop against his cheek and smiled like a dork with a paw on his chest. "Not that I mind his affection, of course," Heather chuckled, waving James off.

Eva gagged and rolled her eyes. "Gross."

"Evaline, dear, you're nearly twenty," Heather said with a roll of her eyes. "Next you'll tell me you're still worried about cooties."

"I can be nineteen and still be weirded out by my parents sharing bubbles," Eva huffed, then leaned against Heather and crossed her arms. "And no, I'm not still worried about cooties. I'm worried about hygiene. And germs. Like cooties," she said with a cheeky grin.

Heather chuckled and wrapped an arm around her daughter. "Of course you are."

Rio, awkward as he was just sitting there listening to all of this, sighed and laid back on the sand. With the early morning sun still rising, the sky was a pleasant purple, being slowly overtaken by the warm peachy color of sunlight. The clouds, as few and as thin as they were, added swirls and puffs to make the sky look like a painting or a dream. He admired it for as long as possible, before a loud, tired yawn caught his attention.

Looking towards the Guild, Rio saw the younger trio approach. Nina and Lucas looked half asleep, meanwhile Jay was wide awake. Rio gave them a wave and a short hello, which Jay was the only one able to return as he and his friends sat in the sand. Well, Jay sat, the other two just collapsed.

"What's up with them?" Rio asked, nodding to Lucas and Nina. They were already gently snoring in the sand.

"They couldn't sleep, they got too excited so they decided to spar and play games until they passed out. It's a miracle I managed to get some shut eye at all," Jay replied, shaking his head. He then gave Rio a slight grin and crossed his arms. "How's the wife?"

Heather blinked and turned to Jay, curious. "Pardon? Rio is–"

"I don't understand why you must insist I'm married to Mew," Rio quickly interrupted with a pout. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were jealous."

"Ha! Hilarious. But you don't gotta worry, I know better than to fawn over the wife of my friend," Jay said with a smug grin.

Heather and Eva both hummed and briefly raised their eyebrows. "I'm surprised that bit is still going on," Eva muttered.

"Honestly I wasn't expecting this sort of jest out of… any of you. From my understanding, you only really joke about relationships when you want to be in them, so…" Heather paused, looking over at Jay, then giving a curious hum. "I assume you want to get with someone after all?"

Jay tensed for a moment, then tried to roll his eyes and scoff. "Oh please, it's nothing like that! It's just fun to see Rio get all flustered about it," he said, digging his claws in the sand and trying to look casual about it.

Heather stared at Jay a moment longer, then nodded,crossed her arms, and turned to face Rio. "So Rio, how old were you again?"

"I don't like Rio like that!" Jay huffed, crossing his arms.

"What's this about liking Rio?" A sudden blur of pink then tackled Rio in the chest, followed by one of black and another of brown. Mew, with as bright a smile as ever, waved to the others from on top a dazed Lucario. "Oh, hey everyone!" she greeted with a cheery smile.

"Heya aunty!" Kai yipped to Heather as he and Mia threw their arms excitedly in the air, both of them still firmly planted on top of Rio. "I can't wait to get on the boat! It's gonna be so cool!"

"Ow…" Rio groaned. "I-I… need help…"

Mew snickered and patted Rio's face. "We aren't that heavy, silly," she cooed, then suddenly lit up. "Oh! That reminds me! I gotta find Rachi!" And without another word, she flew right off into the woods.

Heather hummed, watching Mew leave. "...What a weird… thing." Everyone else present nodded in agreement, except Kai and Mia who snickered between themselves, Lucas and Nina who were fast asleep, and Rio who fell limp in the sand.

About an hour passed, and finally all the cargo was loaded. Everyone who helped to load the ship regrouped with those that simply watched, and Frost stood in front of them all. They waited for Mew to return, but after five minutes with no sign of her, decided she and Jirachi could regroup on the ship. They could fly after all, and with seemingly no need to rest.

"Alright, everybody. A bit o' boat etiquette before we set sail!" Frost said loudly, getting everyone's attention. "There's only three rules on my ol' girl, an' if ya don't follow 'em, ya get to sit in the storage deck for the rest of the trip."

Frost raised a singular claw. "Rule one! Always follows the captain's orders! Which is me!"

"Rule two! No serious fighting on the ship! If I find a single 'mon-made hole in my ship, someone's losin' an arm," the Weavile huffed and grinned.

"And the final rule! Never, an' I mean never go overboard! The sea's a rough place, an' it ain't easy gettin' someone back on board if they fall off. The only exception to that rule is James," Frost said, nodding to the Floatzel in particular. "He's the only water type here, an' the only one fast enough to keep up with the ship, other than yours truly," he added with a snicker. Frost then cleared his throat and stood up straight. "Now, any questions?"

Kora then raised a paw. "How do you keep up with the ship with those tiny legs?"

Frost frowned. "Kora's gonna be spendin' the trip in the cargo hold of the ship," he said, turning towards his ship. "Everyone else, on board! We got a long two days ahead of us!"

Kora froze, and Kai and Mia snickered and danced around him, taunting the Zoroark. "W-Wait, what? I just asked a question!" Kora huffed.

"Yea, the wrong one, twerp," Minerva snickered, patting Kora's head. "Don't worry, I ain't gonna leave ya."

"R-Really?" Kora sniffled, smiling.

Minerva hopped out of Kora's mane, a devious grin on her muzzle. "Hell no! I got my own room on this thing an' everything!" she laughed, then dashed for the ship.

"M-MINERVA! That's just MEAN!" Kora cried, running behind her.

"Wait for us! Wait for us!" Kai chirped, him and Mia chasing after Kora. "I wanna be on the storage thingy too!"

Diana chuckled lightly, then sighed. "I wonder if he'll remain upset when he finds out that the storage deck is where most of the food is?" she wondered aloud.

"Oh Arceus, he'll eat us out of a ship, won't he?" Heather groaned, elbowing Diana's side. "How is it that of all the things he got from you, your lack of an appetite wasn't one of them?"

Diana elbowed Heather back, bonking the Zangoose's head. "And how is it that all of the things your daughter took from you, she managed to find a better sense of style?"

Nate and Zeke walked past, both of them saying, "Oooooooooo, burn!" Heather then, calmly, jabbed them both in the gut, leaving the two men folded over in the sand.

"Well at least she didn't get my temper," Heather chuckled, walking onto the boat with Diana. James sighed and shook his head, forming a bubble around Nate and Zeke and floating them aboard. Leaving only Rio on the shore.

The Lucario stared at the ship, a distant look in his eyes. A feeling of… unfamiliar nostalgia rose in his chest, as if he should remember seeing this before, but… well he knew he hadn't. Maybe it had something to do with Orion. Who, now that Rio thought of him, hadn't said a word in… several days.

'Hey, Orion? You there?' Rio thought. A moment or two passed, and there was no response. Rio frowned slightly, crossing his arms. 'Orion, seriously. I know you're there. If you could just leave whenever, you probably would have sooner.''

Another pause, then a sigh from inside Rio's head. 'I'm tired. Exhausted. Something like that,' Orion said, and he certainly sounded like that was the case. If not for that, Rio would've been relieved. 'Working on getting your powers back to normal was already tough, but… not being able to speak to anyone isn't making it easy.'

'Really, well… why can't I just say hi for you?' Rio asked.

'Hilarious, but no. They aren't ready to know I'm… alive, in some form. At least the ones that don't already know,' Orion explained. 'And the last thing you need is to distract everyone with me when you got guild stuff to focus on.'

Rio blinked, then hummed. 'So you know what's going on too? Cool, saves me the trouble of explaining anything,' he chuckled. 'Well then, uh… I guess good luck with whatever you're doing. How is progress on the power stuff going, anyway?'

'Terrible. Which is better than a week ago. I don't know if there's an on switch I'm supposed to find, but nothing in here is really jumping out at me as a sort of activator,' Orion groaned. 'I never thought I'd need to know spirit biology, and hell, there's barely anything in here anyway! I think I have to connect random strands of aura together and hope something happens! Why is this harder from inside the body than from the outside?'

'Yikes, sounds fun,' Rio winced. 'I should leave you to it, then. But like… You sound real stressed about this. I'm literally the only one you can talk to, so feel free to, you know, talk.'

'Aw, thanks Rio. And I'll do my best to get your sucking back in top form!' Orion chuckled.

'I retract my offer,' Rio deadpanned, then shook his head. 'Actually, who were you talking about? When you said something about some of us already knowing about you?'

Rio felt a shrug inside of him. 'A lucky guess. Believe it or not, not everyone needs to be told what's going on to figure it out,' Orion said, causing Rio to frown at the non-answer. 'Speaking of which, your buddy's comin' up behind you.'

"Buddy?" Rio muttered aloud, then turned to see Jax, Tia, and Z walking out from the guild. He gave them each a wave and smiled. "Hey guys. Nice to see Jax up and at it," he said, looking the still-bandaged Machamp over.

"And it's great not bein' in a cramped rock all day, I'll tell you that," Jax laughed, instinctually going to flex his arms, but wincing and groaning from the pain. "I-It sucks I still ain't at my best, but I don't regret it. A lot."

Tia rolled her eyes. "You better behave on this trip, Jax. I'd recommend staying in your room but getting as much fresh air as possible is far more important," she said, a slight hint of worry in her voice. She then turned to Rio and nodded. "And hello to you too, Rio. I was told to escort Z to you directly. We had to watch him on our own since everyone else was busy," she explained, gesturing to the other Zoroark. "He was so quiet and polite, I'm surprised he never left when we weren't looking."

"Well, yeah. I'd get in trouble for that," Z chuckled weakly, then walked up to Rio and smiled, towering over the Lucario. "And I don't wanna make things hard for my friends."

"U-Uh, yeah. Cool. Thanks." Rio wondered if every Zoroark was tall, or if Z and Kora were just the exceptions. He had to look up at Z, and it made him feel like a toddler. A sentiment that was strengthened when Z suddenly wrapped Rio up in a hug and… actually it was a rather gentle hug. Far more soft and cozy than he expected. "Geez, you're just… really huggy huh?"

Z pulled away, smiling still. "I guess, huh?" He then turned Rio around and pumped a fist. "Mostly because I'm excited! This ship looks so cool, doesn't it? I wonder if we'll get any rough seas! When it's all shaky and wobbly and stuff!"

Rio tittered, taking Z's claws off his shoulder. "M-Maybe don't wish rough seas on the ship? I feel like that's asking for trouble, you know?"

"Ha! Let the kid dream I say!" Jax laughed, patting Rio on the back, and reeling his hand back in pain immediately after. "I-It ain't gonna jinx anythin', really! And some rough seas ain't nothin' to worry about for us, hardly any ferals in these parts this time of year, and especially nothin' big enough to cause any trouble."

Rio and Z both hummed and nodded. "Neat," Rio said. "Didn't think you'd be a sea-knowing kinda guy."

"'Course I am. Frost had a ship kink and made sure it was all our problems," Jax chuckled. "I don't mind though, he got us 'cross the planet, and sailin' is pretty fun. Or maybe that's the seaborne stockholm talkin'."

"Hm. Also neat," Rio whistled, then started walking towards the ship. "Anyway, see y'all on board. I'm ready to get this thing mo–" Rio only took a couple steps before Z ran by, almost knocking him over.

"I call first dibs on our room!" the Zoroark called back.

Rio blinked, then shook his head. "W-Wait, what? Our room?!" he exclaimed, then gave chase. "When did anybody say anything about sharing a room?!" Tia and Jax watched, shrugged, and followed them on board.

The main deck of the ship was a lot bigger than Rio thought it was gonna be. Two tall masts, with giant, pristine white sails, stood perfectly in line with each other. Sturdy and wide, smooth and polished… Rio was able to drag his paw along one of them so smoothly he almost thought it wasn't real. And he felt the same with floorboards, and the railings. There wasn't a scratch or a splinter to be seen.

To Rio's right was the front of the ship, with a raised deck and the bowsprit still pointed at the island, and a door leading into the ship. And far to his left was another raised deck, with a helm on top, and a door wide open sitting below it. The room behind it seemed kinda nice, really. Must've been the captain's quarters, if Rio were to guess.

"Wow…" Rio muttered, slowly spinning around as he looked over it all. "Everything here is so much bigger than it looked on shore. Geez, it's almost too much…"

"Right?" a voice suddenly whispered in Rio's ear, being Z. Rio jumped at the whisper, and shot a glare at Z, which the Zoroark laughed off. "But it's perfect for a trip across the seas, isn't it? So much room, so much space! We could do so much on here, like… like, uh…" the fox paused for a moment, crossing his arms. "Hm, I dunno, actually."

Rio shrugged, then lightly punched Z in the arm. "As long as we don't mess up the ship, we should be fine. And as long as you don't do that again, we'll be fine," he said, but then flashed a grin and wagged his tail. "But I'm getting kinda excited, you know? I spent so long on Sunset I forgot there'd be more out there! It feels like some adventure story or something!"

"You mean after all the adventuring in that dungeon?" Z snickered, then winced, rubbing his arm. "Ow. But honestly, I'd rather not think of that place again, right? It sucked."

"You're telling me," Rio grimaced, then shook his head. "Good thing we're literally the furthest thing away from it now. No more cramped, closed in, rocky chambers and halls, and hello wide open sea!" he cheered, throwing his arms up in the air. Z snickered and did the same, and the pair were quickly joined by another Zoroark, who also pitched in his own cheers.

"Hooray for whatever we're doin'!" Kora yipped happily. "What are we cheerin' about anyway?" he asked, then looked at Z, and his eyes lit up. "You! Z! You're alright!" Kora gasped, quickly wrapping Z up in his arms. "How ya been buddy? I missed ya!"

Z squeaked from the tight squeeze, patting Kora's arms back. "N-Nice to see ya too! Ow! Owowow! P-Please let me go..!"

"Oh, it's you," another voice spoke, this time Minerva, who was far less pleased than Kora to see Z. "Hell're ya on here for. Last I checked, we ain't got a brig. 'Less pops added one on this last trip," she said, arms crossed and tapping a foot on the ground.

"You don't know?" Rio hummed, then lit up, suddenly remembering. "Oh, right, did I not say? Z's doing community service by being part of our team," he explained. "Specifically me, yours, and Kora's. I think," he said with a titter. "Are uh… are we a different team than Zen, Eva, and Kane?"

Minerva shot Rio a glare, tightening her grip on her bicep. "The hell we are. It's bad enough I gotta live on the same ship as scales for a few days, if I gotta be on the same ass team as him I'm rippin' out all my fur."

"Yikes," Rio flinched, tittering again. "I didn't realize you and him were still, uh, sore."

"He's gonna be the sore one if he acts up again," Minerva said, gritting her teeth. The Meowth then sighed, walking over to Kora and tapping his leg with her elbow. "Drop the fox, we got some stuff to set below deck 'fore we set off. Gonna take a while, but we can eat an' sleep right after."

"Alrighty," Kora chirped, setting Z down and patting the other Zoroark on the head. "See y'all later!"

"A-Alright…" Z wheezed.

Minerva rolled her eyes, then hopped into Kora's mane. She climbed up to Kora's head and huffed. "Bein' a bit dramatic, ain't ya? Kora's strong an' all but he ain't squeeze the life outta ya." Minera then tapped Kora's head, and aimed a claw at the door near the front of the ship. "We're off, big guy! Let's get this shit over an' done with so we can plot our path to riches!"

"And all the food that we can buy after!" Kora added, before running off and leaving Rio and Z on deck.

The Lucario hummed, crossing his arms. "Guess we should head down too. Oh, that reminds me," Rio said, then pointed a claw at Z. "What were you talking about when you said our room? I wasn't told we had room to begin with, or that we would be sharing one!"

Z snickered, then walked right past Rio with a grin on his face. "The Guildmaster and Frost had a meeting about it this morning, and I had to sit and listen to it too. I know where everyone's gonna be set up," he said, then motioned for Rio to follow. "Frost also told me where everything was, kinda! I can show you around before he does! It'll be fun!"

That was quite convenient then, wasn't it? A free tour before the ship set sail. Frost was probably already planning on showing everyone around, but hey, who was Rio to complain? Plus, he kinda had to keep watch of Z anyway so… it's not like he could say no and let Z run off on his own. "Sure," Rio shrugged. "But a speed course, and no going into places we aren't supposed to. Last thing I want is to get Frost mad at us."

"Alrighty!" Z chirped, then dashed through the door. Rio had to run to catch up. He thought the fox would at least wait a second.

After walking down a short staircase, Rio and Z came to a room that was half as wide and long as the boat interior of BoraBora was even more well kept than the outside. And it was fancier too, but still remained low-tech. Like, just a single step above rustic. Rio saw a fully stocked bar with wooden stools in the front and a door to a kitchen right next to the bottle racks, a lounge big enough for… probably everyone to sit and chat comfortably around a large table in booth-like seats, and another door on the far end of the room. All of the floors and walls were still made of wood, and were so polished and shiny, Rio could see his reflection basically everywhere. The floorboards didn't even creak as they were walked on. Metal lanterns with charcoal-black candles hung from the ceilings and walls, without a single speck of dust or ash on them. Even better was this… homey, warm scent in the air, like burning firewood, minus the fire hazard.

"Wow… again," Rio muttered. "It feels like this place just keeps getting bigger and bigger…"

"I know, right?" Z snickered with an excited grin. "And we got two whole days to spend on it! This is gonna be a fun trip, I know it!"

Rio chuckled, putting a paw on his hip. "Were you always this excitable? I thought you were more… shy before, right?"

Z simply shrugged as the two made their way to the end of the hall. "Eh, maybe. But who'd be keeping track, right? Besides, we got rooms to settle into!" Despite his excitement, Z kept pace with Rio instead of running ahead, or trying to drag the jackal by an arm.

It was… weird not to be, for Rio, but he didn't mind it. "Alright, yeah, show us to our quarters. Hopefully they aren't too small, if we're supposed to be sharing and all that."

Behind the door was a hall, with four wooden doors on both sides, not as heavy as the one leading to the common area, and ample room in between. There wasn't much else in the hall, save two lanterns on both sides of every door, and another door at the end of the hall, which looked to be much heavier than the rest thanks to the metal frame around it and the bar one would slide to lock it.

Z walked to a door in the middle of the room, and after giving Rio a big grin, pushed it open. "Welcome to our home away from home!" the fox cheered, and let the Lucario inside first.

Much like the common area, everything in here was polished, clean, and wonderfully rustic-plus. All things considered, the room was bigger than Rio was expecting, but he was expecting pretty much closets for one person to sleep in. Instead, this room was pretty big, like a small bedroom in a house.

On the far wall was a large, circular window to overlook the seas, or right now the shore, and sitting below it was a wide dresser with two portable lanterns on it, and a box of matches between them. On both the left and right of the room were bed nooks big enough for one of the larger members of the team, leaving plenty of room for someone like Rio, and even more for Nari and Minerva. In both nooks was a mattress, a cotton blanket that hung over the edge, and a large, fluffy pillow. It took a second or two to set in, but Rio also realized that the room itself was perfectly symmetrical.

"I'm gonna be saying this a lot, but… wow," Rio nodded, his tail wagging behind him. "This ship is huge. Another thing I'm gonna be saying a lot."

"Heh, yeah," Z chuckled, then hopped over to the bed on the right and flopped onto it. Rio thought it'd be big enough for someone as large as Z, and it was, yeah, but the Zoroark had hardly any extra room for his head or feet. Z could probably touch both ends of the nook if he laid flat on the bed. Actually, this was probably the first time Rio looked Z over, and… he was a big fox, probably as weirdly big as Kora. "I keep saying this, but this is gonna be such a fun trip. I've only ever ridden small boats with Lee, nothing is big and fancy as this!" Z chirped, squirming happily in his bed.

Rio blinked, then hummed. "Oh, yeah, right. You were buddies with Lee," he muttered, sitting on his own bed. "What's that about? He seems… well, I don't really know, but he was a bit of a jerk."

Z grabbed his pillow and wrapped his arms and legs around it. "He's rough around the edges but, and I know you won't believe me, but he's genuinely a nice guy. In a weird way," he explained, chuckling lightly. "He listened when I asked him not to hurt any of you guys… but he just made it so you guys hurt each other. Not a lot, but, still."

"R-Really?" Rio asked, gripping his bed as a chill ran up his spine. "You mean he was going easy on us, basically? And he still…" he swallowed, shaking slightly. All their effort and Lee was just… messing with them.

"Yep, but don't worry about it," Z said reassuringly. "He's got enough experience to make a wise old monk feel like a toddler, and you're, like, just starting out with all this Outlander stuff." The Zoroark gave a warm little smile, squeezing his pillow tighter. Rio could faintly hear Z purring as well. "I think you guys did really well, both against him, and against Kora."

"I… huh," Rio blinked, then tittered, his grip loosening slightly. "Well, uh, thanks. When you put it that way, yeah, I'm just glad we made it out alright." Rio then paused, looking at the door, and a slight grimace appeared on his muzzle. "I wonder if everyone else thinks like that though. Something tells me a few don't really like to lose."

Z sat up and shrugged. "Our friends are pretty proud, huh? But they won't have to worry long. With you here, it's only a matter of time before they can rematch Lee on equal footing and get their bragging rights back," he said with a chuckle and a grin, but that soon faded into a somber frown, which Z buried in his pillow. "...I just hope Lee will be alright."

Even knowing that Z and Lee were close, Rio felt it was so odd that Z cared so much for who was basically a criminal. Either Lee was actually somehow a good guy, or Z was… well, delusional. Someone had the wrong idea, but Rio couldn't tell who… Neither option felt right for some reason.

With a sigh, Rio got up from his bed, walked over to Z, and gently patted the fox on the head, which the Zoroark happily leaned into. "Lee's… gonna be fine. We tried our hardest and he still got away, and he has a Time Gear or whatever, so…" his voice drifted off, then he tittered and sat beside Z. "Wow this is all weird. I dunno if I should be hyping Lee up or hoping for the worst for him, haha."

"Could do both," Z chuckled, then leaned against Rio. "But, I understand. You don't gotta believe that he's a bad guy, but… when we do have to fight him again…" Z paused, taking a deep breath before looking Rio in the eye. Sparkling sky-blue meeting a deep crimson. "Please… Please show him mercy. That's all I ask."

Rio's conflicting feelings would have already been doubled by Z's request, but then the Zoroark had to stare into his eyes, turning a simple request into a plea. And Z sounded so serious too. The whiplash from his happy-chipperness only a moment ago to this was staggering. Rio didn't know what to say, this felt like a promise he couldn't keep, but… he couldn't bring himself to say no, either. He couldn't even get himself to look away, and the longer he stared, the more confliction and guilt he felt in his chest.

"I-I… I, uh…" Rio muttered, biting his lip. "I mean, I'll, u-uh…"

Luckily, or unluckily, someone opened the door to the room to spare Rio from answering. It was Eva, who stared blankly at the two from the doorway. "...Uh, am I… interrupting something..?" the Zangoose asked, a faint bit of redness on her face.

"No, not really," Z chirped, suddenly chipper again. "What's up?"

"No, like, I mean…" Eva stuttered, then slowly started to close the door again. "You don't gotta act like I wasn't, like…"

Lost, Rio tilted his head. "Are you alright? Did something happen?"

Eva shook her head, tittering anxiously. "No no, it's just, uh… if you two really aren't busy, Frost wanted us on deck since we're about to, like, depart… and stuff," she explained. "But if you are busy I can just tell him that, uh, well… you know."

"Eva I honestly don't know what you're talking about," Rio deadpanned, then stood up and stretched his arms. "But it sounds like we've gotta go, Z. We can finish this up later."

"Oh yeah!" Z yipped, hopping to his feet and tossing his pillow back on his bed. "We'll to get have the boat all wavy and floaty and stuff! That's when the real fun begins!"

Eva looked between the two, face slightly redder. "A-Are you sure I wasn't interrupting something?"

Rio rolled his eyes and opened the door fully. "I don't know what you'd even be interrupting, we were just talking," he said, then scooted on past Eva. "Come on, I don't wanna hold Frost up and risk some punishment. Plus, I just wanna be there for the send off. Say a goodbye to Sunset Valley and all that," Rio said with an eager smile. "Honestly I'm getting butterflies in my gut about all this! I dunno if I've ever looked forward to something so much!"

"Me neither!" Z cheered and snickered as he also walked past Eva. "Oh man, I can't wait!"

Eva watched the two go, shaking her head and following behind as well. "...God… dammit brain," she mumbled under her breath.

Back on the main deck, it looked like almost everyone was on board. The young trio and their leader, Nate and Zeke, Diana and Heather, Tia and Jax, and Kane and Zen all stood on the front-upper deck of BoraBora, looking over Sunset Valley. Frost himself was standing on the bowsprit, the long piece of wood sticking out of the front of the ship.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemon, we are but minutes from setting sail, and saying goodbye to Sunset. I hope y'all got well acquainted with the ship. An' I know most of y'all already picked out your rooms, so all we got left is the hard part. Sailin'," Frost declared, a bright smile on his face. "James will set us on the ocean blue, and from there it'll be only two days until we hit Azure. From there, well, your new lives as trainees and guild members will truly begin."

Frost walked to the very edge of the bowsprit, looking up at Sunset Mountain, his paws behind his back. "Once we set foot on solid ground again, we will be split into two groups, so do not be alarmed when that happens. Zen will lead one, and I, the other. From there we will also be staying in two different abodes."

A bit of confusion bubbled over the group, from all except Zen, who stepped before them all and crossed his arms. "We do this for ease of training, and ease of cost. I already have a home with ample room for most of us, specifically those of us yet to fully join the guild, since guild housing costs extra for every non-member inside," he explained, then gently nodded his head. "However, we will not be far from each other. My old abode and the guild's are within walking distance of each other."

From the crowd, Diana raised a paw. "That is all well and good, but I will have my own arrangements as well in Azure. While I cannot say I have visited in some time, I have reason to believe I will be well accommodated." She glanced at Heather, Nari, Nate and Zeke, and Tia and Jax. "Surely my old team would be able to join me, as well."

"Can't say we can," Nari said, shaking her head. "Part of the guild, through and through. If you're gonna get somewhere separate from us, we can't come with."

Diana stared for a moment, then nodded, faint disappointment on her face. "I see. In that case, we should make the most of our time together, whenever we have the chance. It has been ages since we all ventured together, even if there is no true adventure to be had." She looked over Sunset Valley once more, a somber smile on her face. "A shame that… Orion must be left behind. This being my first time away from him…" Diana's voice drifted off, and she rested her paw on her chest. Her ring, a metal band with red, yellow, and light blue gems embedded into it, which hadn't left her paw since she put it on a week ago, or a year thanks to the dungeon, shimmered in the sunlight. "Oh, my dear beloved…"

Silence fell over the ship for a time, bringing everything to gentle, still calmness. Eventually, Frost spoke again. "Then we ain't got more to add," he said, rolling his shoulders. "We're givin' Mew and Jirachi five, maybe ten, more minutes to get aboard, then we're leavin' without 'em. They shoulda known better than to stall this long."

The group started to disperse, still remaining on deck for when the ship actually departs. It was then that Kora and Minerva hurried on deck, a box on the former's head as he blindly dashed to join the others, and the latter guiding him by pulling on his ears. He ran right into Diana, stopping dead in his tracks. "O-Ow… Uh, d-did we miss the boat moving?" he asked, taking the box off his head. Knowing who he ran into, Kora gave Diana a sheepish smile. "Oh, and, sorry about that, hehe."

Diana chuckled warmly, putting her paw on Kora's cheek before bringing his head down to press their foreheads together. "It is alright, my son. And speaking of which, where is your brother?" she asked, raising a brow.

"I dunno, last I saw 'em he was sleepin' in his room," Kora shrugged.

Basically on cue, Kai and Mia suddenly popped out of Kora's mane, excited, giddy grins on their faces. "Wrong! We snuck in your mane forever ago!" the Zorua laughed.

"Wh-What?! When! How?!" Kora exclaimed, pulling the two kits from his hair. "I didn't see you two once! And Minerva didn't see ya either, right Minnie?" he asked the feline, who flared right at him.

"Actually I let 'em in. Was gonna try an' play it off like I ain't, but since ya don't wanna drop the nickname, how about I tell ya about the bug I slipped in here?" Minerva scoffed, crossing her arms.

Kora immediately froze up, hugging Kai and Mia to his chest. "M-Minerva… P-Please tell me that's a joke?" he squeaked. "Please please please please pleeeease?"

"I dunno twerp, is it a joke?" Minerva said with a devious grin. She patted Kora on the cheek, then hopped out of his hair. "Or is it… right there on ya?!" she suddenly gasped, pointing somewhere behind Kora. The fox let out a yelp and jumped in the opposite direction, right into Diana's arms, and Minerva was on the floor, laughing her head off.

"Wow, for someone as strong as him, he is… terrified of bugs," Rio clicked his tongue, looking at the massive Zoroark literally shivering in his mother's arms. Rio honestly felt bad for him.

"Well, like, he has a reason to. Bugs suck," Z said, leaning on Rio's shoulder. "They're creepy and crawly, and always show up when you least expect it."

Rio nodded, but that… reminded him of something. Or, someone? Creepy, crawly… shows up when least expected… "Actually, what happened to Paras?" Rio asked. "I don't think I've seen him, uh, her? It? like, at all. Isn't it coming with us?"

"I dunno, ain't seen the lil dude," Minerva shrugged. She then gave Kora a sinister glance and a jagged smile. "Unless I put 'em in Kora's mane."

"Y-You wouldn't dare!" Kora yelped, holding Kai and Mia tighter. Neither of them seemed to mind in the slightest. Minerva responded with a snort, then walked on to the upper deck. Kora looked up at Diana with pleading eyes, then pouted. "Is it too late to change roommates?"

Diana chuckled, bringing Kora's cheek up to own and rubbing slightly against him. "Yes, actually. But you know she isn't actually going to put anything in your hair. She'd have to be the one to fix it back up afterwards."

Kora sighed, somewhat relieved. "Alright, yeah. Also, uh…" he looked down at the ground, the back up to Diana. "Can you put me down now?"

"I could," Diana said with a nod, then gave a warm smile. "But I won't. This is the first time I've seen you hold your brother and the first time I've held you in my arms like this in a decade. I will make this last as long as possible."

Rio and Z both chuckled, the former crossing his arms and smiling sweetly. "Well that's just adorable, isn't it?" he said, then gave the Zoroark family a wave. "I don't wanna get in the way of this family bonding time, so I'll go to that upper deck thing and wait for us to set sail." He took a couple steps away, but noticing Z not following along, turned back and asked, "Z? Come on up, buddy."

Until Rio addressed him, Z was staring at Kora, who was staring back at him. The other Zoroark nodded to Rio, then went up to Kora. "See ya around," he said, gently booping his nose, then petting Kai and Mia. Z gave another wave to Diana before catching up with Rio.

"Later," Kora said, purring as he was booped.

"Bye bye…" Kai yawned, then he and Mia dozed off again. Diana only gave a slight nod, her smile remaining as warm as before. Her eyes followed Z for a moment, then she shook her head and went off with her boys, and Mia.

On the upper deck, Frost,Minerva, and Nari sat on the railing of the boat chatting to each other. Rio thought it was weird how close in height the three were, but since he liked being alive he didn't point that out. Instead, he casually walked beside them and leaned on the railing. Z did the same.

"Hey guys," Rio greeted. "Any idea when we're gonna set off?"

Frost shrugged. "Still no sign of Mew and Jirachi, so I was gonna give James the all-clear in about… two minutes. We really can't stall for much longer. Had this whole path charted out to sail on but the winds and seas ain't gonna be kind enough to wait for us."

"Dunno what's keepin' 'em either. That star-shaped asshole might be an asshole, but it ain't like he hides from Mew," Minerva said, also shrugging.

"Honestly might be better off leaving them behind. They seem to be powerful psychics and can both fly, it's not like they couldn't catch up," Nari shrugged as well.

"What a shame," Rio sighed, then added to the shrugs already in play. "Can't be helped, I guess. Hate to leave 'em behind, but if they aren't gonna show, that's it."

Z raised a paw, then tapped Rio on the shoulder. "Why don't you try calling out, Rio. I know everyone jokes about it a lot, but Mew seems to listen to you. Kinda. Sorta."

A grimace fell on the Lucario's snout, followed by him grumbling under his breath. "I mean sure, you're probably right. But if she comes when I do, no one tells anyone else. I just want that joke to end as soon as possible."

Rio stood up straight, taking a deep breath, then… said at a slightly louder volume than normal, "Hey Mew! You coming or what? We're gonna leave soon!"

…Silence followed. Rio didn't know if he should be relieved or worried, honestly. "Guess that didn't work, huh?" he chuckled. "Best thing to come outta this is that I probably won't be hounded about being Mew's hus–" A blur of pink suddenly tackled Rio in the chest, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to stumble back, "–owwwwwwwwwww…"

Sure enough, it was the psychic feline herself, Mew. Squeezing the life out of Rio with the happiest look on her face. "Howdy howdy howdy! I came as soon as I heard your call!" she purred, then floated her and Rio off the ground and threw her arms in the air after. "And I found Rachi! Isn't that fantastic!"

The star sprite floated up from the side of the ship as his name was called, and for once he didn't seem absolutely disgusted by being around others. He just looked ungodly tired. So just more of the same, unfortunately. He gave each of the 'mon he saw a disinterested glance, but focused a glare on Rio. Without saying a word, Jirachi floated elsewhere onto the ship.

"Gasp! He loves the ship!" Mew cheered, smooshing her cheeks with her paws and twirling around. "This ship ride is gonna be so so sosososo much fun!"

"I know!" Z exclaimed, somehow just as excited as Mew. "It's gonna be great!"

Rio sighed and helped himself off the ground. "I must be the only one who saw how pissed Jirachi was, because I feel like my days are suddenly numbered."

"Well make sure ya don't die on the ship," Frost said, then stood up and leaned over the rail. "Hey! James! Everyone's on!" he shouted down below. "Let's get BoraBora out on the water 'fore we all turn senile! Like Nari!"

Hearing a jab at her expense, Nari rolled her eyes and zapped Frost in the side with a bolt of electricity. "Don't forget you're older than me, prick."

"I know, and it's a cryin' shame ya already got a foot in the grave," Frost cooed, rubbing his side and innocently batting his eyes. He then turned back to Rio, paying no mind to Z and Mew who were both just… spinning in place. "Well, enjoy the show, Outlander. James got a special way to set sail. I'd say to take a picture, but ya seem lackin' in the right tech."

"Oh, really?" Rio asked, his tail gently wagging. He looked over the railing to see for himself. But… James wasn't there. And oddly enough, there was this faint fizzing sound. Rio frowned, then turned back to Frost, "I don't get it, where'd he go?"

Unfortunately, Frost had already left, as well as Nari. Minerva stayed, and quickly hopped onto Rio's shoulder and grinned. "'Sup."

"Where'd Frost and Nari go? And how'd they leave so fast?" Rio asked, pouting slightly.

Minerva nodded behind them. "To the other side of the ship, someone's gotta steer. Their loss, I ain't ever got tired of this!" she snickered.

"Tired of what?" Rio asked. Fortunately, a second later, Rio got some sort of answer. A bubble rose from under the ship, then another, and another. One floated towards Rio's face and popped on his snout, leaving a pleasant, salty scent. Rio leaned further over rail, and saw a white sheet of bubbly seafoam grow under the ship.

"Whoa, what?" Rio exclaimed, and his tail wagged faster. The bubbles grew and multiplied right before Rio's eyes. Instead of rolling over the shore, most of the foam stuck close to the ship, aside from a comparatively small amount of bubbles that floated in the air. Soon, the air was full of them; hundreds of salt-scented bubbles shimmering and shining in the sunlight. Suddenly, BoraBora started to shift and move, and with one small jolt, the ship began retreating into the sea.

Z and Mew stopped spinning around each other as the bubbles caught their attention. They then started trying to catch them to see who could get the most. Kora, no longer in his mother's arms, joined the others on the upper deck, amazed at all the bubbles. Kane, Eva, and even Zen climbed up as well, soon followed by the younger trio of Lucas, Jay, and Nina. Thankfully, the upper deck had a lot of room for all eleven of them. And, by the time everyone was settled, Sunset Valley's shore was noticeably further from them.

"Man… I can't believe this is actually happening," Rio muttered, a somber smile on his face. "It's weird… I haven't been here that long, but it feels like I've known this island my entire life. I almost don't wanna leave it."

"Huh," Minerva hummed, hopping from Rio's shoulder to Kora's mane. "That is weird. But hey, I ain't gonna stop ya from goin' overboard. More food for the rest of us, right?"

Kane scoffed, crossing his arms. "If ya wanna save us more food, ya oughta toss one of the Zoroarks. Z and Kora eat like beasts."

"As if you don't eat just as much," Eva added with a laugh, placing her paw on Kane's shoulder. She then looked back at the island, frowning slightly. "But… I get where you're coming from, Rio. I've only been here half my life, but it feels so much longer. Probably because of the dungeon." A beat, then Eva nodded. "Definitely because of the dungeon."

Lucas, still somewhat sleepy, raised a claw. "We've only been here for a few months… lotta months? But I kinda get it…" the Charmeleon muttered, then rubbing his eye. "Imma miss this place, I think."

"I won't," Nina said, much more awake than earlier. "I get to see my mom and dad again, and my cousins, and uncle Blastoise. And I get to tell 'em that I joined a guild!" With an excited gasp, the Frogadier suddenly wrapped her arms around Lucas and Jay's shoulders, giggling to herself. "We're totally gonna celebrate with my family! And everyone's invited!"

Jay casually put an arm over Nina's shoulder and chuckled. "I'll admit, that sounds fun. Perfect for our return to Azure." His gaze drifted towards Zen for a moment, then focused back on the island. "I guess I feel mixed about Sunset Valley, can't say I love it or hate it, but it's been fun. Mostly."

"Fun or not, we're probably not gonna see this place for a while, right?" Z chimed in, leaning over the railing to see everyone's face, and so everyone could see the excited smile on his.

Mew then floated onto Z's head, her own grin matching his. "We gotta say goodbye properly! Even if we didn't totally love it, it's gotta love us! It took care of everyone here, so it's gonna miss us when we're gone!" she chirped, smooshing her cheeks and giggling. "We don't wanna make the island cry, right? Come on, we gotta be nice to big ol' Sunset!"

Everyone looked at each other, shared a chuckle or a laugh, then nodded in agreement. As the ship was far enough that the trees were getting hard to see, and the gentle breeze between forest leaves was replaced by the song of waves lapping at the boatside, all of the pokemon on the upper deck, except of course Zen, waved to the island with smiling faces.

"Bye, Sunset! I barely knew you, and you were all I knew!" Rio said, chuckling after.

"See ya never ya! But I'll send a postcard! Promise!" Minerva snickered with absolutely zero intention of such.

"Goodbye," Lucas started, yawning.

"Thanks for taking care of us!" Nina added, waving with both arms.

"Until we meet again," Jay finished, nodding sagely.

"Bye-bye! See ya later! Take care!" Z cheered excitedly.

"Hugs and kisses~! And plenty of 'em!" Mew giggled, blowing kisses before hugging herself.

With their proper goodbyes in order, the gang decided they should all get something to eat, as their first meal as sailors and to celebrate their actual departure properly. Minerva hopped off Kora's mane, grinning from ear to ear saying that she'll convince Frost to make a feast, and maybe even let them drink. Eva and Nina scold her about drinking, Kane and Lucas laugh as the three girls go back and forth about it, Jay and Rio shake their heads, and Z and Mew just seem excited about eating with everyone.

…Leaving only Kora and Zen on the upper deck. Silence followed, broken only by the waves as the two stared at the not-yet distant Sunset Valley. Arms crossed, Zen looked Kora over for a moment, then huffed and frowned.

"You have been rather quiet, and I am sure I know why," he said with a slow exhale, then turned back to Sunset, and gently bowed his head. "Goodbye." Zen glanced at Kora, and just before leaving, said, "Be seeing you, Kora."

Kora looked back at Zen as he left, opening his mouth to speak, but not saying a word. He watched as Zen left, and with a weak sigh, faced Sunset Valley one last time. He raised a paw towards it, as if hoping he could just pick it up and carry it with him. His arm shook, tears welled in his eyes and he tightly gripped the railing, digging his claws into it. Kora let out a shaky exhale, then finally muttered the words…

"Bye… Dad."