Ch.74: Matters of the Heart! With Love, With Care!

Days from entering the Snow Zone, Team Ravenfield had set up camp for the night and were finishing up a late dinner. The boys sat around their fire while the girls took part in a little sparring match. Now that Ella had some training under her belt, she wanted to keep her promise to the green Mew.

Gwyn jumped back and avoided the flying batons zipping after her. She cracked her whip and knocked them out of the air, then swung it at the Espeon, grappling her foreleg. She giggled and shouted, "Gotcha!" before flinging her off her feet.

"You cheeky Mew!" Ella shouted as she was flung overhead. She caught herself in her Psychic and swung herself down, striking Gwyn in the stomach and knocking her to her back.

"Oomph!" Gwyn grunted. She pressed her hands against the ground and secretly commanded the grass to strike her from behind.

The thin material of Ella's new shirt allowed air to breeze through easier. Not the ideal wear for the cold, obviously, but definitely if your fur was sensitive enough to sense changes in the air. She immediately picked up on the sneak attack and backflipped as they struck. She regrouped her staff and slashed the air with a psychic slash.

Gwyn slashed through with her whip and cracked it at the Espeon, who placed up a barrier and blocked it. The girls smirked at each other and ran full speed with their weapons armed and ready.

However, Tony appeared between them and held his hands out to them. "Time!" They slid to a stop, nearly crashing into his hands. He smirked. "I think that's enough training from you two."

Ella groaned, then smirked at him. "Darn, and I was getting into the groove."

Gwyn retracted her whip, then bounced on her toes gleefully. "That was so much fun! You're really good, Ella!"

Ella shrugged with a 'modest' grin. "I'm alright."

Wes chuckled and walked over to them. "Well, I'd say all that training with Willow has elevated your status on the team exponentially." He hooked his foreleg around her and waved his paw across the air. "Soon, you'll be taking on more than just dumb ol' shadows. Maybe even those Heralds of Darkness Geno told us about. Or maybe even one of the mages. All on your own!"

Ella smirked and shoved him off. "Let's not go overboard, Wester." She flicked at her fur and raised her head. "I'll soon be able to take on the whole shadow army before I fight the heralds."

Griffin closed his eyes. "We still have no confirmation of these heralds, nor do we know much about their abilities or how strong they are."

The Espeon waved it off. "Blah! That's a 'when-it-happens' problem. I'm sure the history books overexaggerated them."

Tony smirked and held his chin. "Maybe I can take them all on my own. I don't need you five slowing me down."

Flint took his eyes up from his book and lightly glared at him. "Should we start planning your funeral now or after?"

"Didn't take you for a man of dark humor," Tony joked cheekily.

Flint rolled his eyes and went back to reading his book. "Let's just focus on our current objective, first. If we never encounter anymore shadows or those heralds, I'll be a happy Flareon."

Gwyn giggled. "D'aww, but you're already a happy Flareon!" She slid over to him and hugged him, pressing her cheek up to his. "And so fluffy!" She was unaware that Flint's face was heating up and the inner turmoil of not fainting going on inside him.

Ella hid her devious grin behind her paw. Hmm…now there's something I have yet to fully explore. She chuckled and waved her paw. "Alright, maybe it's time we head to bed. We'll need all our energy when we reach the Snow Zone."

Wes nodded. "Agreed. Not exactly territory you want to cross on foot, unless you have the experience."

Ella jabbed him in the side playfully. "Eh, knowing you, you'll just make some big mess that'll throw us into another perilous adventure. I'm fully awaiting the mayhem."

Wes grinned…awkwardly, and maybe a bit guiltily. "Heh…r-right…"

Ella waved Gwyn over. "Come on, Gwyn. Stop hugging the fluffball."

Gwyn giggled and released Flint, allowing him to breathe a sigh of relief. "Coming!" She grinned at the Flareon. "Nighty-Night, Flinty!"

He smiled up at her. "Night, Gwyn." He watched the Mew race off after Ella and disappear into their tent. He sighed and held his face. "How am I not getting use to that yet?"

He yelped as he was hoisted up by Tony. The Dewott smirked. "I should be asking you that." He winked. "Maybe your good pal, Tony, can help with that! I'm quite the ladies' man!"

Griffin rolled his eyes. "I hardly call creeps flirting and stealing from women charming."

Tony raised his fist to him. "At least I'm not going to spend the rest of my life as a loner!"

"I'm alright with that."

Wes chuckled and pushed Tony and Flint to their tent. "It's late, guys. Let's just go to bed." He got them into the tent, but poked his head out and said, "Come on, Griffin! Plenty of room for everyone!"

"I will not join you. I will meditate throughout the night." He breathed in and sighed.

"But it'll be fun! Like one big sleepover!"

"There is no force on this planet that'll make me move from this spot-"

Lightning rumbled, then a heavy rain shower came down on their campsite. Griffin opened his eyes irritably. He didn't need to turn around to see the smug grin on the Umbreon's face.

"Not…one word…out of you."

A half-hour into the rain, no one has officially gone to bed yet. As Wes described, it was more like a cozy guy's night in a tent. The same could be said for the girls, who were having excellent bonding time together. Being the only two females of the group, it's expected that they hang out a lot.

Both the Espeon and Mew were in their pajamas and resting on top their pillows, laughing and giggling as they talked. Ella especially enjoyed this time considering she didn't have many female friends who she was particularly close with. And Gwyn was a pure delight to talk to.

Ella finished her fits of laughter, then said, "Suffice to say, that was the last time I took up tutoring."

Gwyn hugged her pillow and rolled around in a fit of giggles. "You're so cool, Ella. I never knew how smart you were."

Ella proudly held her chest. "Top grades in high school and expected again in college." She drooped her head into her pillow and pouted. "Not that it matters since my parents keep pushing me into fields I hate."

"Oh, don't be all moody!" Gwyn exclaimed sadly. "I don't want sadness on our sleepover!"

Ella smirked. "Not much of a proper sleepover since we do this every night, but it's the best we can do for you." She reached over and flicked her nose. "I promise, we'll have a proper sleepover one day. And with more friends."

Gwyn grinned. "Can we bring the guys, too?"

"Gwyn, the point of a girls only sleepover is no guys." She held her chin in her paw. "Ruins a bit of the fun that comes along with it."

Gwyn tilted her head. "Like what?"

"It's really just a girl bonding thing. Mostly, we talk about personal stuff, play games…" Ella winked. "Bake goodies, like lemon squares."

The green Mew immediately started to drool at the mental image. "Lemon squares…"

Ella grinned impishly. "In fact, I'm going to introduce you to a delightful subject we girls love to talk about: boys."

Gwyn blinked, then tilted her head. "I thought you said the point of a sleepover was not to talk about boys."

"No, sweetie, the point is to not invite them. We talk about them without them around."

Gwyn tapped her chin. "I thought talking behind people's backs was rude."

Ella pinched between her eyes and sighed. "You are…so precious…" She folded her forelegs and rested her head in them. "No Gwyn, it's not like that. We talk about guys that interest us. Like…guys we like." Gwyn blinked. "Gwyn, you do know what romance is, right?"

She smiled and nodded. "Oh, sure I do! I saw it all the time when I was running my mom's shop! And it's how my mom and dad met!" She paused and held her chin. "And…maybe the occasional comment from Tony, but I know he's just being nice."

Ella sighed with closed eyes. "Okay, a good reference, I suppose. You see, Gwyn, Pokémon naturally have strong feelings for certain things. A certain something will cause a certain emotion to react strongest. Happiness is a good example." She narrowed her eyes. "Wellll…maybe not in your case. You're happy about anything."

"Guilty!" Gwyn exclaimed.

"And in Griffin's case, he…hates everything…to a certain degree." Ella wagged her digit. "And what we're talking about…is love." She sat up and shrugged. "Heck, you even said yourself your parents loved each other. You wouldn't be here if they didn't."

Gwyn scratched her head. "How does that work? I mean, wouldn't the Pelipper just drop me off to a new family?"

Ella raised her brow. "…Gwyn, you do know where babies come from, right?"

Gwyn grinned. "Sure I do! When a mommy and a daddy love each other, they pray to the heavens, Xerneas will create a new life based off the two parents, then the magical Pelipper will bring them a baby!" She smiled innocently at the stunned Espeon. "That's what my mom told me when I was four!"

Ella slowly blinked, left eye twitching as she internally laughed in a nervous wreck. Hehehehe…oh boy, next item on my to-do list: give Gwyn 'the talk.' What fun for me. She pinched between her eyes and sighed. "Okay, getting off track. I'm just going to get straight to the point.

"I want to know…if you have a crush on someone. Like say…Flint?"

"Come on, Tony! Just let me SLEEP!"

"No dice, compadre! You are a man in need of a serious confidence boost! After all, your heart yearns for the adorable green Mew!"

"Don't say that OUT LOUD! She's not that far from our tent!"

Griffin groaned and pulled his covers over his head, trying to drone out the incessant nonsense that was going on next to him. It just had to rain on the night this lunacy decided to become a hot topic. Maybe it wasn't too late for him to go back out into the rain. He could survive getting soaked until morning.

Tony laughed and picked the Flareon off his sleeping bag by the mane. "Well good! Maybe then you wouldn't be such a weenie about it!"

"I am not! I'm just a guy trying to go to bed!"

Wes, who was still awake, laughed behind his paw. "Bro, while I sympathize with you at the moment, Tony kind of makes a good point. I mean…it's Gwyn we're talking about."

"Yeah, so?" he grumbled into his pillow.

Tony leaned back on his hands. "I don't know what else to tell you, bucko. I'm saying this with absolute respect to your feelings, but there's a hot girl throwing herself at you and you're not even trying to make the moves on her."

"Uuuuuugh…"

"She actually likes it when you spill those boring book facts, she goes along with everything you want to do because she wants to see YOU happy, and do I even need to bring up that she hugs and nuzzles you more than ANYONE else on this team?!"

Wes counted off his digits. "She's cute, smart, quirky, loveable, and could easily be the most popular girl if she went to school." He wiggled his eyebrows. "And she does seem to have a thing for you~."

"You two are so immature…" Flint grumbled, face still in pillow.

Tony laughed and jabbed at his side. "What? Embarrassed you have a crush? Hey, I totally think you should go for it. I highly doubt Gwyn would reject you."

Flint hugged his pillow and groaned. "It's not that…" He narrowed his eyes. "I…I really like Gwyn…I really do. She's the most amazing girl that's ever walked into my life." He buried his face back into the pillow. "…but my history of failed romances tell me otherwise."

Tony held his chin and recalled his previous mentioning of that. "Ah yes, you told me back in Ghost Cove. You were…pretty awkward around girls."

Wes chuckled. "Oh, far from just awkward. Flint once tried to ask a cheerleader out-"

Flint shoved his paws against his mouth, snarling, "You will NOT bring that up AGAIN!"

Wes, however, pushing his paws off and continued, "Brought her roses and everything. Nerves got to him and he accidentally spat fire in her face."

Tony pressed his fist to his lips, holding back laughter. "S-Seriously?!"

Flint hugged himself and fell onto his side, quivering in shame. "I was sssooo mortified! I couldn't look her in the face for a month!"

Wes patted his head. "Oh Flint, it won't turn out like that again. You've gotten better at talking to girls. You're not going to burp fire in Gwyn's face." He looked up with a raised brow. "I don't think she'd be the least bit offended or disgusted, actually."

Tony pulled Flint up. "See? You've got a pretty good shot. Gwyn's a total cutie! And half goddess! You've got a sweet package being handed to you!"

Flint glared at him. "Look, I'll admit I think Gwyn's…cute-"

"I think you mean 'hot,'" the Dewott teased.

"-Regardless, I don't want to pursue her for a relationship. I'm more comfortable just being friends." He crossed his forelegs and sighed. "I don't even know the first thing about relationships. They always…freaked me out."

"Okay, I'm sick and tired of listening to this blatherskite!" The three turned to the Grovyle, who finally rose from his unattainable slumber. "On and on with this 'Will they get together or not' garbage. I don't see what the big deal is that you three need to have this obnoxious conversation while I'M trying to sleep!"

Tony scoffed lightly. "Oh please, even you've admitted to wanting a girlfriend."

"My purpose is to find a partner so the future generation of the Grim Ash Clan can thrive. That's it."

Tony smirked. "Not even the least bit interested in getting cuddly with someone?"

"I find that stupid for a number of reasons." He pinched between his eyes. "What's so special about having a girlfriend, anyway?"

"Because love is power!" Tony exclaimed with a cheesy grin. He devolved to his normal smile and shrugged. "Plus, there's something special about spending the rest of your life with someone you deeply care about." He glared to the side. "I'm not on good terms with my dad, but I can at least see why he and my mom got together. They did love each other."

"Same with my folks," Wes added. "Your folks loved each other, right?" he asked the Grovyle.

He shrugged. "I guess, but I never paid any attention to that stuff. My main focus was training to harness my anima. I couldn't exactly form relationships when some of the village kids were cousins or second cousins of mine."

Wes grinned. "Trust me, I know this stuff from experience." He laughed and scratched behind his head. "Ella and I were pretty close and…still are." He narrowed his eyes. "Heh…funny how we broke up a little over a year ago. Felt like forever…"

Flint sighed. "You had it easy, at least. Ella was smitten with you before asking you out. You made a lot of guys jealous since you were dating one of the popular girls."

Wes looked at the tent floor and dragged his digit around. "Yeah…"

"Actually, now I'm curious." Tony crossed his legs. "You and Ella…what was it like? You two dating?"

Wes smiled fondly, with a blush to his cheeks. "Heh…those were some…good days…"

Gwyn was silent for a moment, staring blankly at the cheeky Espeon, going over the question she was asked. A question she did understand, but didn't quite get. With a tilt of her head, she asked, "A crush? On Flint?"

Ella nodded. "You know, do you have any special feelings for him?"

Gwyn grinned. "Sure I do! Flint's my super special, fluffy friend! He's so nice, sweet, and silly! And SUPER smart!"

"Yes, yes, I know all that. I'm asking if you like him."

"Of course I like him. I like everyone on our team!"

Ella sighed and pinched between her eyes. "Sweetie, I mean, do you like like him?"

Gwyn blinked, once more confused. "…What's the difference?"

"One's a general like. The other is bordering between that and love." Ella smirked. "Maybe I should be asking 'do you love Flint?'"

The Mew's naivety kept her from shying away in embarrassment, as she merely pondered the question with her usual mindset. "Like…romance love?"

"Now you're getting it!"

Gwyn just shrugged. "I don't know. I love my mom and I love all you guys. I don't see the difference."

"It's a little something more than that. Love for your family and really close friends that might as well be your family, then love for…someone special." Ella grinned. "You seriously don't have any special feelings for Flint?"

Again, Gwyn shrugged. "I've lived alone for ten years."

"And you are still sort of a child," Ella muttered to herself. She held her chin and gave it some thought. "Well…why don't we check and see if you have any feelings for Flint."

"How would I know?"

"Trust me, you will." She took Gwyn's hands and held them in her paws. "Now…I want you to close your eyes. I'm going to list some names and you're going to picture yourself sharing a kiss with them."

Gwyn raised her brow. "Why?"

"Just trust me. Just a little thought experiment."

Gwyn wasn't one to distrust Ella, so she nodded and closed her eyes. "Okay…"

"Just let your mind at ease and pay attention to what I say. Don't say anything, just…give me a reaction." Gwyn nodded once more. "Okay, let's begin.

"Griffin."

Gwyn's face immediately scrunched up. "Erm…uh…"

"Tony."

"…eh…"

"Wes."

"Uh-uh…"

"…Me."

Gwyn opened one eye and looked at her. "Huh?"

Ella snickered through her teeth. "Eh, you never know."

Gwyn shook her head with a sheepish grin. "No, sorry."

"Fine by me, I prefer guys." Gwyn closed her eye. "Okay, what about Fernando?"

"Um…nuh-uh."

"Reuben?"

"Ugh, NO!"

Ella laughed. "Sorry!" She sighed. "Okay, let's see…Mack?"

"Nuh-uh."

"That Saffiro guy we met at the store? Or that Oswald fellow?"

"No and no."

Ella smirked deviously. "…Flint?"

She got the reaction she wanted. She could feel the Mew picturing a kiss between her and the Flareon. Suddenly, she felt the Mew's hand tighten, even beginning to sweat a bit. She saw the blush in Gwyn's cheeks growing almost immediately, plus her sweet smile growing. To top it all off, her tail was wagging enthusiastically. A wagging tail was usually a telltale sign of great happiness.

Ella let go of Gwyn's hand and patted her on the head. "I think…we have a winner."

Gwyn's eyes suddenly flew open. "Wait, what?"

Ella poked her nose. "You've got a crush on Flint."

Gwyn's face suddenly went all red. "I…I have a…meep!" She fell onto her side and hid her face in her pillow. Ella chuckled at how shy and cutesy the Mew was suddenly acting.

"Aww, your first crush. How do you feel?"

"Very confused!" Gwyn squeaked. "What are these weird feelings in me? Why is everything suddenly getting warmer?!"

Ella picked her up and rubbed her head. "Shh, shh, cease your quivering nerves, my cutesy companion. It is perfectly normal what you're feeling. You just never felt any of that because you've been cooped up in a shop for most of your life."

Gwyn hugged her pillow close to her chest. "I…have a crush…on Flint?" Once more, her face turned red.

"It honestly doesn't surprise me. You've been hugging and snuggling him like it was nothing."

Gwyn looked down. "That's how I always expressed most my feelings. Whenever I'm happy, I want to hug someone and make them feel happy. I though Flint loved it when I hugged him."

Ella looked to the side with a subtle grin. Oh yeah, absolutely ecstatic from your attention. "You're not saying it's a bad thing, right?"

"…no."

Ella grinned. "I think you and Flint would make a cute couple."

"…what do I do?"

"Well, the inner shipper inside me says you two should totally confess your feelings right now. The rational part of me is reminding me you just now realized this. I'd give it some time for you to figure out how much you like Flint."

Gwyn looked down, then nibbled on her pillow. "…how long would that take?"

"I don't know, months? You two are close as it is." She sighed. "But believe me, it's something you need to put a lot of thought into. You can't just run up to a guy and expect everything to be sunshine and rainbows. Especially if you date one guy throughout high school and a little of your first year of college."

Gwyn pushed her pillow up to her face more. "Why?"

"Sometimes you think your high school sweetheart is the one, then you end up breaking up and pursuing another guy. Not common for a first romance to always work out…unless you read any number of romance or fiction novels."

Gwyn's eyes widened. "Does that mean Flint and I won't be friends anymore?! NO!"

Ella slapped her paws over her mouth. "Sweetie, no. For all I know, you and Flint will hit it off and be happy together. Don't look to me for advice on long term relationships. Only ever had one boyfriend in my life. Plenty of dates with other guys, but only one boyfriend."

Gwyn relaxed herself and stared at her. "You mean Wes."

Ella glanced to the side. "Yeah…" She looked at the tent floor.

The Mew blinked, suddenly curious. "Were you happy with him?"

"Happy as I can be?"

"Did you love each other?"

"…I…used to, I guess…"

"You guess?"

Ella sighed and scratched her head. "It's…complicated. A lot was happening around the time and…I just had to end the relationship then and there."

Gwyn narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

Ella groaned and pinched between her eyes. "I walked myself into this…" She breathed out, then did her best to smile. "Well, guess I owe you an explanation…" She looked up. "We were friends, from kindergarten up to middle school. High school started up and…well, I asked him out on a date because…well, I noticed he was…dashing and handsome…and I always admired his courageous heart. It attracted me to him.

"So, there we were, a couple of Eeveelutions in love…"

"…just roaming the halls without a care in the world," Wes stated as he explained the beginning of his relationship. He held a paw over his lips. "After she asked me out and we went steady, I…began noticing some differences in how I looked at her. She was just so…wow…and she acted so…whoa…and she looked so…wow…"

Tony held his chin in his hand with bored eyes. "What a detailed and thought-provoking explanation," he sarcastically stated.

"Gee, thanks!" Wes exclaimed happily, making Tony facepalm. The Umbreon scratched his cheek. "I couldn't really explain how I felt at the time. Romance was never my strong suit. If it doesn't involve dungeons or treasure or rare artifacts, I was at a loss."

"Explains your grades throughout high school…" Flint muttered.

"At least I had a cool older brother to help me out!" Wes praised, poking at the Flareon's cheek.

"I only helped you because I didn't want you living with Mom until you were in your sixties."

"If I wasn't down on my luck, I wouldn't have!" Wes shouted.

"Shh," Griffin hushed. "The girls might be sleeping."

"Oh, right, sorry…" Wes got back on track. "Anyway, Ella and I were high school sweethearts all the way through. When we weren't dealing with homework and classes, the three of us would be going out on dangerous adventures around the Earth Zone!" He hooked his foreleg around Flint. "It was the best!"

Flint sighed and pulled his leg off. "It was a fun pastime in our youthful years, but reality eventually had to set in."

"Either way, Ella always loved coming with me." Wes held his chin with a prideful grin. "She found my idealistic nature charming."

"Did you two ever go out on dates?" Tony asked in interest.

"Well, I never planned any intentional dates. There was this one time we ended up trapped in a hole with some fruit, so…I wasn't the most reliable guy on that stuff. Ella, however, always took us to fine and classy restaurants. Probably should've clued me how she could afford all that…" He groaned and pulled on his tank top's collar. "Downside, she made me wear a suit whenever we went out. She can be a bit demanding about personal appearance. I remember her sitting me down in front of her vanity mirror and brushing my fur out for a half hour." He shivered. "That was the most uncomfortable thirty minutes I had to sit through."

Flint closed his eyes and decided to stir the pot with a little teasing, most likely as a bit of payback for earlier. "That's nothing compared to when they wanted some…privacy."

Wes' eyes widened, then he pulled down on his hat. "Bro, please…"

"It was the typical stuff. Lots of cuddling and flirting, though Wes' flirts were a bit themed around treasure." He smirked. "I also would occasionally walk in on them making out."

Tony laughed and fell onto his back while Wes' face went deep red. "I liked you better when you were quiet…"

Flint patted the Umbreon's back. "Not my fault you two decided to do that in the living room. That was around the time you were getting more comfortable with the relationship."

Wes shot a glare at him. "I will bring up your other romantic blunders if you keep embarrassing me!"

"Consider us even. At least I didn't bring up the few times you two were caught in compromising positions." The smirk on that Flareon's face…

Wes shrieked while Tony held his gut and busted out in laughter. Wes flailed his paws in defense. "We weren't doing anything, I swear! We were just making out!" He held his face as that only made the Dewott laugh harder. "Ugh…"

Griffin sighed and pinched between his eyes, actually pitying the Umbreon. "Want me to slap you when you start saying something stupid?"

"Please and thank you…" the Umbreon accepted gratefully, comedically teary-eyed.

Tony struggled to reign in his laughter, coughing on air. "Hahaha, please s-s-stop! I'm going to bust a gut- ahahaha!"

Griffin narrowed his eyes. "Real mature, Sparks."

Tony finally calmed himself down and flipped back onto his rear. "Oh, don't take it personally, Slick. I'd want something you had with Ella any day of the week. A nice girl who…gets me." Griffin just rolled his eyes.

Wes sighed and wiped his face. "Eh…I don't blame you. Ella and I were happy together. I'd…say she was the best thing that came into my life…" He rubbed his foreleg.

Flint tilted his head. "You seem upset…"

"…I respect Ella's wishes to see other people, but…honestly, I've been having a hard time not looking back." He closed his eyes. "I…want to move on, but…"

Flint's eyes widen. "Wait…you want to move on…"

Griffin raised his brow. "As in you haven't…"

Tony was as surprised as Flint. "You're not implying…"

Wes looked between the three, then nodded sheepishly. "Yeah…"

Ella sighed and rested her head on her pillow. "It was a decision I made in the moment, too. I still don't know if there's still something I feel for him…I almost felt bad for making such a hasty decision, too."

Gwyn stroked her head comfortingly. "So…you didn't want to break-up with Wes?"

"At the time, no. He…gets me, you know? I was always attracted to him, because…despite treasure hunting being a risky occupation, he was always a dreamer. Nothing ever stopped him, even when he started having crummy raids. Nothing got in his way; a gang of pirates couldn't effectively slow him down. Wes will put his mind to something and go all the way to achieve his goals, despite the odds." She rested her paws over her stomach. "Maybe that's why I agreed to come along with him, just to get a sense of that side of his. I knew how sad he was when Flint and I eventually stopped tagging along. Plus, this is kind of an important deal."

Gwyn bent forward and looked down into her eyes. "Was there anything about Wes you didn't like?"

Ella smirked. "Oh, where do I begin with that? He had no sense or appreciation for class, for one. Have you seen the way he takes care of himself? Got worse when he focused more on treasure hunting than college. That's another thing. He's a sweet guy, but terrible in school without someone to keep a leash on him. Never could trust him to do his homework. He's also a bit obnoxious and has a bit of a one-track mind. The second treasure is brought up, everything else disappears.

"One of his more or less appealing quirks was his recklessness. On the one paw, it makes for excitement and adventure. On the other…he sets off traps like a lunatic because it's fun. Really depends on the day."

"Is that something couples do? Put up with each other?" Gwyn asked.

Ella sat up. "It's called compromise. Hardly ever do you find someone that clicks with you without having any conflicting qualities. Though, a little arguing in a relationship is actually healthy. Helps your partner know what's bugging you or not. A situation like you and Flint are the only exception I see. You two just…work. I can't even explain it. You two just have surprisingly good chemistry together."

"You really think so?" Gwyn asked curiously.

"I still say you should give it some time to settle, but…yeah, you and Flint complement each other perfectly. I'm almost jealous. Finding the perfect guy for you is always a dream come true."

Gwyn blushed and scratched behind her head. "Flint is really nice…" She blinked and looked at Ella again. "So…you don't think Wes was the one?"

Ella sighed. "Once again, I don't know."

"You said you didn't want to break up with him."

"I was dealing with a lot of stress at the time." Ella looked down with guilty eyes. "I never meant to make it so sudden on him. I felt even worse doing it just after he broke my leg." She was suddenly grabbed by the forelegs and shook by the hysterical Mew.

"He broke your leg?!" she screamed.

Ella pushed her paws into her mouth. "Pipe down, will ya?!" she growled through her teeth. She let go of her and sighed. "Yep…Wes brought me along on one of his wacky adventures and…ended up getting me caught in one of those traps every temple seems to have."

"Were you okay?!" Gwyn exclaimed worriedly.

Ella showed a dry smirk. "No, I was permanently crippled for the rest of my life."

Gwyn glared. "…That was sarcasm, wasn't it?"

"Hey, you're learning!" She dropped her grim and looked down at her leg foreleg. "But yeah, I was fine. Took a little time to heal. I was fortune enough to cushion the blow with some of my psychic energy. Could've been much worse."

Gwyn frowned. "Is that why you broke up with him?"

"Sort of…it was…a combination of things, actually…" Ella frowned sadly. "It's…not like he did it on purpose or anything. If…anything, it was kind of my fault my leg got crushed. If I didn't do anything, his head would've been split open like a coconut. But…it was an eye-opener…

"You know how I'm still struggling with a future?" She nodded. "Well…the stress was worse back then…"

"You're still in love with Ella?!" Flint and Tony exclaimed in hushed tones.

Wes' face went bright red. "Sort of…maybe…yeah…"

Tony pulled back and held his head, suddenly feeling a wave of guilt. "Oh my gosh…dude, I am SO sorry!"

"For what?"

"You must have been pretty ticked that I was flirting with her. If I knew, I wouldn't have…" Wes raised his paw to shush him.

"Trust me, I got used to it. You did nothing wrong." He sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "But yeah…I still have feelings for Ella."

"But you two broke up," Griffin reminded.

"She broke up with me…" Wes glared in self-loathing. "…kind of deserved it, too."

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

Flint patted his brother's back and decided to answer for him. "While we didn't know the situation regarding her…relationship with her family, we were aware she was under a bit of stress about college. Or rather…I was aware. Wes…ignored her."

Wes sighed. "I was an idiot…she needed me to comfort her and help her decide if she wanted to focus on college or take to adventuring like me. Instead, I just dragged her along and ignored her concerns because this greedy jerk wanted to get to an unclaimed piece of treasure."

Griffin raised his brow. "Okay…now this has my attention."

Wes looked down glumly. "Well…it was around the edge of the Swamp Zone. Hal pointed us in the direction of a hidden temple. Naturally, I took off and dragged Ella into it. And…things didn't turn out the way I hoped…"

*Over a year ago*

A chunk of ceiling was punched out, shattering onto the stone floor of a hallway. Wes poked his head through the hole, hanging upside-down by a rope. Ella was atop a ledge, keeping hold of the rope while it was tied to a rock. She didn't appear to be in high spirits today, though. She was tapping her digits against the rope, biting her lip.

"Okay Ella, I don't see any signs of the undead or anything, so…well, chances are this place isn't cursed." Wes laughed. "Three cursed temples in a lifetime is enough for me."

Ella glanced to the side for a moment, then spoke up, "Hey, uh…Wes? Can I ask you something?"

"The answer is yes!"

"What?"

"Yes, you can get half the treasure we find!" He adjusted himself and landed on his feet. "I mean, normally, I get the bigger cut, but I'm feeling generous!" He grinned. "I'm just so happy you and I still have time to go out and search for treasure."

Ella narrowed her eyes. "Y-Yeah, but…"

"I mean, I miss Flint and all, but it's not all bad. It'll be like me taking you out on a date."

Ella shimmied down the rope. "Hopefully it doesn't involve us being captured by the Desert Beasts like the other time…" She dropped down next to him and raised her paw to him. "That's not what I wanted to ask, though."

Wes reached into his bag and placed a flashlight over his hat, lighting the path ahead. "Alright, what?" he asked as he started walking.

Ella tailed close behind and rubbed the back of her head, anxiously. "It's not like me to get nervous, but…I'm having a bit of trouble deciding a future for myself. My…ugh, my parents have been making some suggestions for me and…they aren't all that appealing. I get they want me to do well, but…it's not something that makes me happy."

"Uh huh…" Wes muttered absentmindedly, looking around at the walls.

"And…I know how much you like to go out and adventure. B-Believe me, I've had the time of my life traveling with you. I just…don't know what I want to do with my life. I could either take up…business like my parents want or…become a fulltime treasure hunter like you."

"I see…" the Umbreon mumbled as he tapped on the wall.

"But, we both know that treasure hunting isn't the steadiest occupation. Your dad was lucky to know the prime places for treasure, but that may not always be the case for you. It's fun, but…would it keep me afloat? If I take to my parent's plans, I'll have all I need, but…would I be happy?" She sighed. "I don't know what I should do…"

"I know exactly how you feel…" Wes stated quietly as he sniffed the ground. "Hmm, I think I smell the gold. A few levels down, likely."

"Wait…did you hear a damn thing I said?!" Ella shouted.

Wes jumped in panic and held his paws up. "Um…yes?"

"Wes, I really need you right now! This is serious!"

"Well, I assume so, but…c-come on, Ella, I can't pass this up!" He got low and glared at his surroundings. "Do you know how many other treasure hunters or pirates there are who would kill to find a sweet spot for looting?"

Ella held her head and groaned. "That's my problem! I want to join you, but I don't know if I can make a living for myself when there's high competition for the same thing!"

Wes scratched his head. "Um…flip a coin?"

"Are you even taking this seriously?!" She rubbed her forehead and groaned. "Arceus, you can be so…ugh, I don't even know how to feel right now!" She paced around in circles.

Wes cringed and tried to reason with her. "H-Hey, don't be like that…"

"Wes, I love this and all, but I have a future to think about and, frankly, I'm more confused than ever!" She held her head and growled. "Why does life have to be so confusing?"

Wes rubbed the back of his head. "Um…El, listen, I…" He took a step forward, then froze. He felt his paw sink down on a tile. The two Eeveelutions stared at each other blankly.

Suddenly, a pillar fired from the ceiling and went straight down for Wes. Without thinking, Ella tackled him out of the way, but was left to the mercy of the trap.

The moment Wes landed on his back, his ears were flooded with Ella's shrieks of agony. His eyes immediately flew open, then scrambled to his feet. He saw the Espeon's leg being crushed under the pillar, with a psychic field deployed around her. From the sound of it, it did little to lessen the pain.

Suddenly, all thoughts of greed and treasure became nonexistent to the Umbreon. "ELLA!" He activated his Star Amulet, then threw himself into the pillar with a quick Mystic Burst, still slightly unperfected from lack of practice. It gave him just enough force to break the pillar to pieces.

He ignored the immediate fatigue from his body and ran over to her side. She was biting down on her shirt to keep her screams contained while tears streamed down her face.

Wes held the Espeon in his forelegs, with tears running down his eyes. "Ella, NO!" He threw his paw out and twisted it. "Warp Tunnel!" A spiraling portal opened up before him. He got Ella onto his back before charging through, returning him back home.

Some time passed. Ella wasn't sure how long. Hours, maybe. The last thing she remembered was a lot of pain and a lot of screaming.

She finally came to, her eyes fluttering open. She felt weak and exhausted. The first thing she saw was a white ceiling with lights. She didn't remember those being in the temple. Were they still in the temple?

Actually, that reminded her…

"Wes?" she mumbled. "Wes…?"

"Ella!" an excited, relieved voice called out to her. She turned her head and got a look at his teary eyes before suddenly being thrown into a hug. "Oh thank legends, you're alright!" He kissed her cheek a few times and buried his head into her neck. "You have no idea how worried I was!"

Now it was all coming back to her. She raised her paw and held her head. "How…long was I out?"

"Six hours. I rushed you to the hospital as fast as I could." He pulled away and twiddled his digits together. "Your…leg got crushed under some stone."

Ella lifted her head and saw her left hindleg being elevated in a harness. It was in a cast, as she expected. "Huh…that's why I felt like I was wearing a clunky sock…" She also noticed she was in a hospital gown.

He pressed his paws together and got down on his haunches. "I am SO sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! I should've been more careful!"

Ella narrowed her eyes, a part of her flattered he cared. Another part of her, however, was a little…cold. "Wes…Wes, I…"

She couldn't get a word out as they both heard rushing through the halls outside. They exchanged glances, then jumped when the door flew open. A male Pyroar wearing a suit looked around before spotting her. "Ella!" He ran to her bedside and looked her over. "Are you alright, pumpkin?!"

Ella sighed and patted his paw. "I'm fine, Dad. Just a little dazed."

"Oh, you have no idea how relieved we are!" Entering the room after was another Espeon, who appeared much older than Ella, though retained some of her youth in the face. She wore a blue dress with a white shawl draped over her back and shoulders. "We rushed back from our meeting as fast as we could." She stopped by her husband and held her daughter's face. "Dearie, just look at how pale you are…"

Ella rolled her eyes. "I'm fine, really."

Wes grinned sheepishly. "A little worse for wear, but she's perfectly fine…" His blood went cold as his girlfriend's parents shot him glares that burned into his soul. "…can't say the same for me," he squeaked.

"The doctor told us EXACTLY what happened!" The older Espeon marched around the bed and jabbed him in the chest. "I knew you were trouble the moment I laid eyes on you!"

"Kind of harsh for my five-year-old self," Wes mumbled.

The Pyroar held his face and groaned, then looked to Ella. "This is why we didn't want you going off on those dangerous adventures. You could've been killed!"

"But she wasn't!" Wes reminded. More snarls came at him.

Ella sighed and pinched between her eyes. "Wes…stop talking…please…"

The older Espeon huffed, then looked to her daughter. "You should've been focusing more on your studies than galivanting with this troublemaking buffoon. How do you expect to get anywhere in life if you run off and play these silly games?"

"Hey, treasure hunting is a real jo-!" Wes tried to argue, but Ella's glare forced him to shut up. "…sorry."

Ella's mother sat on her haunches and crossed her forelegs. "Why must you be so resistant with us, Ella? We have everything set up for you, a brilliant future! You could have it all! You could be marrying a doctor! Or a lawyer! Or just about anyone else! And now look where we are!"

The Pyroar held up his paw. "Okay Elise, that's enough. Don't make the boy feel worse." Wes' ears drooped.

Elise sighed and stood up. "I just…I just don't understand. Sweetheart, you could follow in the family footsteps. A lot of hard work to get there, but we're providing the opportunity for success. This foolishness of treasure hunting is all risk. We don't want our daughter taking risks her whole life. I almost had a heart attack earlier!"

Ella closed her eyes and seethed through her teeth, trying to keep her patience. "Mom…Dad…I get it…but no."

Pyroar narrowed his eyes. "So, you wish to become a treasure hunter?"

Ella glanced at Wes for a moment, then sighed. "…Can you just…just go? I need to talk to Wes for a moment…"

Elise huffed, then held her paw over her heart. "Fine…but once you come home, we're going to have a serious talk about this."

Pyroar stroked his daughter's head. "We're just happy you're okay."

"Thanks…" she mumbled.

Elise turned for the door. "Come along, Owen. Let's leave our daughter be." She shot one last glare at Wes, who shrunk back a bit, then looked once more to Ella. "I'll make sure we have a big dinner when you get out of the hospital. All your favorites."

The sentiment got the Espeon to smile, just a little. "Thanks…" Once her parents were out of the room, she sighed in relief. "They mean well…" she told herself, somewhat bitterly.

Wes also eased up once they were gone, holding his racing heart. "Geez…I think I would've ended up in one of those beds if you weren't with me…" he joked lightly, still a little queasy.

Ella closed her eyes, then breathed out through her nose. "…Wes, we need to talk."

"Look, I'm really sorry about your leg. I'll make it up to you!" Wes winked. "I know a guy who can get us some damn good ice cream!"

"That's…actually what I wanted to talk about: us." The Umbreon blinked. Ella sighed and faced the ceiling. "Wes…I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. Ever since Flint took off to focus on his classes, it…made me realize how little I'm prepared for the real world." She held her face. "I can't keep doing this all my life."

Wes raised his brow. "This?"

"Let's look at the facts. I work in a bar, I have zero idea what I want to take up with my life, my parents and I aren't seeing eye-to-eye, and now I'm lying in a hospital with a broken leg." She shifted her head and faced him. "And I really needed your help."

Wes' ears drooped. "Ella…"

"You were more focused on the treasure than anything else. You weren't even paying attention to me. I really needed your help. I thought…you'd might have an answer for me." She sighed. "A part of me wanted to keep treasure hunting with you forever. I want to be a dreamer like you.

"But…reality's setting in. I just can't anymore."

Wes narrowed his eyes sadly. "You're…saying you don't want to come on adventures with me anymore?"

"Not just that." She held his shoulder. "Wes, you're a great guy and…we've had some great times together, but…" She looked down. "You're…not exactly the perfect guy."

"…what?" He felt his voice crack.

"Sometimes I feel like…you don't feel the same way about me as I do for you. You've ditched me on dates, you mostly talk about hunting, and…" She closed her eyes. "…I feel like I come second in your life. Not even for something like family or the like. Sometimes I think…being the best means more to you than…everything else."

Wes held her paw. "Ella, I don't think that…"

"And I'm flattered you put everything aside just to help me. It…does show your good side. You're a great guy, Wes, but…I just think we should…see other people."

The Umbreon's eyes began to water. "You're…breaking up with me?"

"It's nothing against you, but…" She looked away, almost guiltily. "I just don't see us spending the rest of our lives together." She felt the Umbreon's body tremble. "B-But that doesn't mean we have to stop being friends! I still think you're a cool guy! Just…not the guy, you know?"

Wes scratched up at the floor with his claws, then rubbed his eyes into his sleeve. Ella flinched, half-expecting him to burst into tears. Instead, surprisingly, he just showed her a bright grin. "Oh…w-well, okay then. If that's what you want, I respect your decision."

Ella raised her brow suspiciously. "You're…sure?"

"Sure! I get it! I haven't been the best boyfriend in the world!" He laughed and knocked himself on the head. "Silly ol' Wes always causing trouble!" He smiled sincerely. "I…do still want to be friends with you. We have been since we were kids."

Ella smiled. "You mean it?"

"Of course."

She reached out and hugged him close. "Thanks for understanding, Wes."

He hugged her back. "I'll grab Flint later and we'll bring you some dinner. We can just…hang out and stuff."

"That'd be nice." She pulled away, then frowned. "You're sure you're okay with this? I mean, if you want to talk about it some more-"

Wes held his paw up. "N-No! That's fine! I totally get it! I should've respected your feelings more and…not be a horrible boyfriend like the way I was." He smiled kindly. "I just want what makes you happy."

Ella smiled. "You're the best, Wes."

Ella sighed and hugged her pillow closely. "…Sometimes…I look back on that day and think…'Did I make the right decision?'"

Gwyn held her pillow in her lap. "I'm…sorry things didn't work out between you two…"

"I'm surprised we stayed strong until college." She sighed. "Guess looking for a stable future made for different priorities."

"Did Wes love you?"

"It was hard to tell with him. He definitely cared about me, but…" She looked down, then looked to Gwyn. "I don't think he ever once said 'I love you' to me."

Gwyn's eyes widened. "Really?"

"No. I have, but…he never really said it. He would say things like 'The feeling's mutual' or 'Back at ya.' I get what he means, but…he never really said it to my face. It…kind of hurt, in a way."

Gwyn frowned. "I'm really sorry…"

"I'm sorry for myself…" Ella closed her eyes. "Wes was the only guy who…really stood out to me. He's always been there to help me get back up. Only recently, he helped give me the confidence to stretch my wings. For what he lacks in romantic passion, he makes up for in optimism."

"…" Gwyn scooched closer and rested her head against hers. "Ella…can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"Would you consider giving Wes…a second chance?"

Ella chuckled dryly. "Now that's a question…" She sighed. "I don't know…maybe?"

"…Do you still love him?"

"…I really don't know." She held her heart. "I'd be lying to myself if I said something wasn't still there. There's definitely some remnant of that flame we once shared."

"Would you be willing to try and rekindle your relationship?"

"We haven't talked much about the break-up. It was mostly mutual. Nothing too dramatic. Maybe I could talk to him…" She rubbed her eyes. "Definitely not now. We still need to get ourselves ready for the Snow Zone."

"Yeah, right…" Gwyn shuffled back to her sleeping bag and shimmied on in. "…Ella, did you mean it when you said Flint and I would make a good couple?"

"Every word." Ella tucked herself under her blanket.

"Well…I think you and Wes are really close. If it's any consideration, I think you two work better than you think."

"When did you start becoming the romance expert?" she joked.

"I'm an expert on being happy!" Gwyn boasted.

"Fair, fair…" She yawned. "Goodnight, Gwyn."

"Nighty-Night, Ella!"

Wes rubbed the back of his head. "She said I didn't consider her feelings all that much and…well, she broke up with me and I…went along with it."

Tony patted his back. "Sympathies, my friend. I would've treated you to a drink if I knew you before then."

"You're not old enough to legally drink," Griffin pointed out.

"When has THAT stopped me?"

Flint looked to his brother. "I was honestly surprised how well you took it, too. I felt like you two were incredibly close." He narrowed his eyes. "Although, if you're truly admitting there's still something there for her…"

"…I lied to her face." Wes held his face. "Well…sort of. If I just pretended to ignore them, maybe they would go away. Instead…I couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful and amazing she was." He pinched between his eyes. "And when word got around she was finally single, I had to deal with guys flirting with her. Oh, the first month was a REAL joy. I'd see guys carrying her belongings, holding the door open for her, signing her cast with little hearts and stuff, and all that fun stuff.

"Then there's me! The idiot who ignored his girlfriend because of his single-minded desire to become rich and famous! The same guy who didn't openly appreciate her as much as her! The same guy who thought about treasure more than her! The same guy who should've held her on a higher pedestal! The same guy who…" He sighed and rubbed his foreleg. "…the same guy who never told her 'I love you.'"

"Ouch…" Tony mumbled. "Yeah, that's a real-!" Griffin punched him in the arm. "Ow!" He rubbed his arm and rephrased himself carefully. "I mean…yeah, that can end most relationships…sorry, man…"

Flint crossed his forelegs. "Didn't help she was dealing with some stress of her own."

Wes sighed. "I should've been better to her…"

"Why not just try and patch things up with her?" Tony asked. "Seems like you gave this a lot of thought."

"I don't want to seem like I'm begging." He rubbed his foreleg. "Besides, I doubt she would want to give it another chance."

Griffin close his eyes. "You never know." The three looked to him. "It's not my forte, obviously, but I see you and Ella have a strong bond. Best you can do is keep supporting her and…I don't know, hope whatever happens…happens."

They blinked at him, a bit stunned, then Tony went, "Wow…never expected such profound wisdom out of you."

"Bite me." Griffin pulled his sheets and threw them over himself as he laid down. "Now, go to bed already." Tony shrugged and slipped under his covers as well.

Wes pulled his blankets up, stared down at them for a moment, then looked over at Flint as he got comfortable. "Hey bro?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think Ella and I were good for each other?"

"You two had your faults with each other, but…" He smirked to himself. "I did see you were happy. Maybe Griffin's right, try and do what you do. Maybe something will happen on its own."

Wes breathed out. "Best of luck." He smiled at his older brother. "You know I wasn't lying. You've got a pretty good shot with Gwyn."

"…thanks." Flint yawned and rolled onto his side. "Night, Wes."

"Night, Flint." Wes dropped his head onto his pillow, then drifted away into dreamland.

Deep in the snowy region of the Snow Zone rested a lone tavern hidden away in the mountains, staying strong against the fierce winds. However, parked outside the establishment was a familiar pirate airship: The Wasteland. A full house has taken up the tavern, filled with the noisy pirates.

The waiters and bartenders kept their distance from the party of Desert Beasts, as they chugged away at their ale. It was wise not to mess with them, even if it costed them a supply of drinks with little to pay it off.

However, this little trip into the Snow Zone was hardly a matter of celebration, but a time to reflect. With some peace away from the lone shadow that has taken up residence in their ship, they were free to speak their minds.

And they weren't happy.

"Lousy scallywags workin' us to the bone!" Julius cried out in a drunken fit, slamming his pincer and cannon down on the table. "That there Nightmare fella and his little friends are going to run us dry any day now!"

"How I wish to end their pitiful existences with my claws!" Leigh shouted, just as drunk.

Lyra shook her fist in agreement, pantomiming her frustrations. Banama blinked at her, then looked to the other. "She's pretty certain that shadow was messing with her concertina." She pouted and crossed her arms in a fit. He patted her back. "Ease up, lass." He glared. "Is all this work really worth it?"

Graham seemed a lot more relaxed than his associates, but even he wasn't immune to the recent frustrations that plagued their crew. "It better be. That freak of nature has not given me a moment's rest. I think this is the hardest I've worked on the ship in ages."

Arguing went around the table, shouting, screaming and throwing of full beer mugs. The only three who were joined in the argument were Ambrosine, Tyrone, and Arid, who was quietly sipping his scotch.

Ambrosine leaned over to the Tyrogue and asked, "How long until they calm down?"

"When they're this drunk and frazzled, I give it a few hours." He sighed. "Not that I blame them. Pretty sure that thing was eying up my gauntlet at one point," he said as he raised his arm.

"You did say it was a powerful artifact."

"I would want nothing more than to get this thing off my arm, but I really don't want to hand it over to one of those things."

Ambrosine sighed, then held her cheek in her hand. "This is not what I imagined being a pirate would lead to…"

Arid downed his mug of scotch, listening closely to the complaints of his crew. He wiped his lips, took a deep breath, then slammed the mug down on the table, scaring everyone into attention. He tapped his index finger on the table with his teeth bared into a frown.

"Ladies…gentlemen…" He looked up at them. "I like…being a pirate. Nothing will change that. And I know we took to the skies because we wanted to live the free life. We sail those skies to be something big. Free and powerful." He snarled. "So, no one understands better than me how much I despise these new arrangements of ours."

Cheshire carved into the table. "Why are we letting them push us around, then?"

"From where it stands, we can't do anything. Even if we could handle the likes of their shadows, there's just going to be more of them. It stands to reason they have some heavy hitters." He gripped his mug. "This deal was taken simply to keep our lives for the next new journey."

"So far, doesn't feel like the favorable option," Indigo sneered.

"No kidding," Jones added. "They could just turn on us.'

"As far as we care, new hosts for their shadows will make them stronger. Despite wanting to eradicate us all, they need hosts to do it." He glared. "Submit to the darkness…yeah, right."

Zerif, with Mr. Pooky resting in his hair, sipped his drink. "What are we supposed to do? Either way, we get no choice."

"Oh, we will make a choice of our own." Arid clasped his hands together and held them over the table. "We'll take advantage of this deal as long as we can, then we book it the second they start something."

Jeffery smirked and perched atop his shoulder. "You heard the captain! Nothing to worry about!"

Drake closed his eyes. "Our deaths seem inevitable."

"When has that ever stopped us?" Malcolm brought up with a grin. "We'll teach those shadow jerks a lesson."

"The captain is right, though," Pain Train reminded. "We can't do anything reckless with the situation we're stuck in."

Arid closed his eyes, then growled quietly. "Perhaps it is time to step out and clear our heads. Perhaps a journey through this cold desert might bring us fortune."

Rico smirked. 'I'm cool with that." The crew cheered in agreement.

Arid nodded, glad to get the morale of his crew back up. He glared out the window, staring at the ship. Even with no magic of his own, he could feel the creature roaming the boat, more energized than normal. He remembered it laughing about something just before they docked.

Something tells me we're close to something big…just not something I want.