Ch.115: It All Comes Down to This! Together, We Will Overcome!

Edwin broke through a crowd of confused Pokémon, hobbling on his weak legs and escaping outside of the arena. He tripped over the curb and landed on his face, but quickly scrambled up and kept running.

Those freaks are going to torture me if I let them catch up. I just need to get far away enough for Zaros or someone to pick me up. Edwin dug around in his pockets for anything that might aid him in his escape. Ugh, I wish those guards didn't have to search my pockets for contraband. All I have is a pack of gum and pocket lint-

Distracted by his thoughts, Edwin missed the leg that swung into his face in a flash. It struck hard and flipped Edwin onto his back. He growled in pain and covered his aching nose just before a hand clutched around his throat and shoved him down into the street. His eyes widened in horror as they locked gazes with an annoyed Dewott.

"Yo," Tony greeted casually. "You know, running wasn't your best choice. At the very least, be subtler about it, especially when we're still around."

Edwin clenched his fist. "Fastidium-!" Tony socked him across the face, breaking the monkey's concentration.

"Ah, ah, ah, none of that," Tony scolded. "It's rude to leave in the middle of a conversation."

"You son of a-!" Again, Edwin was socked across the face.

"And what vulgar language. For shame!"

Edwin growled and waved his hands frantically at Tony, scratching his face. "Let go!"

Tony hooked the monkey's arm under his own. "Hey, watch the merchandise." He slammed his palm into Edwin's elbow. The limb bent backwards.

"AAAHHH!" Edwin screamed. His arm dropped limply beside himself. "You effing-!" Tony slammed his foot down on his stomach, shutting the grass monkey up in a fit of tense wheezes.

"Unless you want your other arm broken, I suggest you shut up and be a good little prisoner," Tony threatened with a wry grin.

Edwin scowled in response. "Tch. Y-You really are no different from Count Aeternus."

Tony glared at that remark, then aimed his sparking finger at his face. Before he could think of blasting him, the others ran out to his aid. "Tony, hang on!" Wes called out to him. "You can stop now!"

Tony looked between them and Edwin, his sparking finger still trained on Edwin's head. It took him a moment, but he sighed and canceled the spell. "Whatever." He shoved his hands in his pockets and backed off.

Team Ravenfield, joined by Ava, Angel, Cheri, and the bounty hunters, stopped before the Simisage as he wreathed on the ground in pain. Ava crossed her arms. "That's enough from you. If you cooperate with us, we will not bring you harm."

Edwin turned onto his stomach and scowled at her. "You honestly think this is enough to make me-GAH!" Griffin grabbed him by the collar and lifted him off the ground.

"You have the sacred aura of my people's last council," Griffin snarled. Edwin could feel the hatred radiating off of Griffin's body. "I could snap your neck right now and set it free." He glared. "And yet, I suppose that would be too easy."

Edwin bared his teeth. "W-What do you jerks want with me? If you want information on the Shadow King, you can forget it. I know nothing."

Gwyn pointed angrily at him. "Then how about you tell us what this is all about! Why enter the tournament if you planned on taking the key from Mr. Benedict?!"

"If I could wager a guess," Tony brought up, "it was to break in his new toys." He pointed at Griffin. "Your village has, like, zero defense against graverobbers right now. Nothing's going to stop them from syphoning off the graves. If I know Aeternus, the bastard did this for his own amusement. Win or lose, he just wanted to test his pet projects against us before they tried some sort of invasion."

Edwin's eye twitched. He's too smart for his own good.

Wes narrowed his eyes. "Then…that leads to our next question? Who's running the invasion? Are they already here? We already know the Watchog is somewhere around here."

Ella crossed her forelegs. "I think I remember Krystal mentioning more about his escape. He escaped with a Steenee. Don't the Desert Beasts have a Steenee crew member?"

Griffin glared. "So, the pirates are here, too?"

Tony narrowed his eyes and looked away, remembering his talk with a certain Sneasel a few days ago. "It's…possible."

Wes stamped his paw down. "When are they coming? When do they plan to attack?" He bared his teeth. "Will the Shadow King be there, too?"

Edwin barked back, "Why bother asking me if you're just going to come to your own conclusions?! You think I'm intimidated by you lot? You're wrong. Whatever you've got for me, I can take it."

"I'm not hearing any form of denial," Holly chirped in. "Guess the pirates might actually be around."

"There's no way they could take on Benedict on their own," Ella said. "They have to be bringing one of the heralds or something."

Edwin smirked, chuckling through his teeth wearily. "If that's what'll help you sleep at night…"

"So, you do know something?"

"Maybe I do know what will go down. After all, we infiltrated this tournament to get that key from the champion. We have everything planned out in case of emergency."

Griffin clutched tighter to his jacket. "You want to keep bragging or are you ready to forfeit your life for that information? Tell us what you know, and I'll make your death quick and painless."

Edwin gripped to Griffin's wrist. "While he gives me the creeps, I've sworn my loyalty to Count Aeternus. I came here to carry out his duties, and I will see to them in the end."

Wes glared. "I can't believe in all earnest that you trust him. I don't see respect for him, only fear."

Edwin growled. "You would fear him, too, if you've see what that psycho is capable of. To think there's someone he bows to makes me sick. That's what makes you all fools for thinking you aren't throwing your lives away on some stupid quest. What do you have to gain from all of this?"

Wes closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "For one, some closure on this whole debacle." He turned to Angel and Cheri. "You might want to look away from this. This'll get a bit graphic."

Angel nodded. "I'd hate to see it." Cheri groaned as she was turned around.

Griffin pressed his hand to Edwin's face and channeled his magic. "I'll burn you alive with my fury and release that stolen essence."

Edwin's shoulders sagged in defeat, yet there was a competent smirk still hanging on. "Go ahead and kill me. You'll lose some valuable information."

"I've wasted enough time talking to you. We'll manage," Griffin responded, lighting up his hand.

"Heh. Not even a little curious? I know stuff."

"Don't care."

"Like how the Shadow King is researching the Ravenfield bloodline."

Wes' eyes widened. "Wait, what? Griffin, hold up for a second!" Griffin pulled off as Wes stepped forward. "I've heard that mentioned a few times. What do you mean he's researching my bloodline?"

Edwin scoffed. "I overheard it, but nothing detailed. I just know he's putting that library he sealed off to good use. He wants to know everything he can on the Ravenfield ancestors." He glared seriously. "I've never heard someone sound so frightened of a family line."

Wes gritted his teeth. With the Shadow King's obsessive fixation on eliminating him and Flint, it continued to baffle the Umbreon whenever his family line was called into question. What was the Shadow King looking for? Something special about them?

"What is it?" Wes gripped Edwin's jacket and throttled him. "Tell me!"

"I believe that's the end of this interrogation." Wes whipped his head at the voice right before receiving a swift punch square in the face. He knocked into Griffin, who dropped Edwin as the two topped to the ground.

"Wes! Griffin!" Ella cried. She snapped her glare at the intervener. "Who…?"

Tony's eyes widened, then dipped into a vicious glare. "You…"

Zaros stepped beside Edwin and pulled him up by the back of his jacket. "You should learn when to keep your mouth shut, Edwin."

Edwin grunted. "Give me a break, I was trying to buy time. Where the hell were you?"

Gwyn's jaw trembled in shock. "I-Is that…?"

Tony nodded. "That's the Watchog. Same one who fought Flint, no doubt."

Her eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks, their cheery glow fading into darkness. She bared her teeth at the chipmunk and pulled out her whip. "You…You're the jerk who hurt my Flinty!" She charged at him.

"Gwyn, wait!" Ava called out.

"You'll pay for this!" She slashed with her whip, then gasped as Zaros vanished from sight. "Wha-? But he was right he-!"

A crystal fist swung from her blind spot and bashed her across the cheek. Gwyn cried out in the air and slammed against a wall. Zaros' Guardian hovered around him while the Watchog rubbed his knuckles across his chest. "Ah, Ravenfield's special someone. You must've been devastated when you saw the damage. A shame I couldn't have ended his suffering. Rather selfish of you all to keep him alive."

Gwyn pushed herself up and snarled, seeing nothing but red. "You hurt my Flinty!" She ran at him again.

Zaros sighed and pointed at her. "Dispose of her." His Guardian lunged at the Mew.

Ava clapped her hands together. "Gwyn, get away from him!"

Gwyn slashed her whip at the Guardian as it threw its fist, but the Mew vanished right before the collision. Gwyn appeared in Ava's arms, who tried to keep the frantic Mew restrained. "Let me go! Let me GO!" Gwyn screamed.

Tony flinched. "Never see her this riled up." He glared at Zaros. "Think you can take us all on at once?" He channeled electricity through his hand. "You won't stand a chance."

Zaros raised his hand at them. "Now, now, no need for violence. I've only come to collect this one." He felt two auras appear behind him. Glaring through his peripherals, he dodged a closed fan and three-sectioned staff that smashed open the road.

Holly narrowed her eyes. "I'm sure Flint was thinking the same thing when you went after him."

Mack spun his staff around. "We're just collecting a small fee for your services. And by that, I mean disembowel you for your shitty work."

Zaros narrowed his eyes calmly, then glared at Wes as he pulled himself up. The Umbreon glared furiously at the Watchog. He had the same vile hatred in his eyes like Gwyn as his paw hovered over his amulet. And speaking of Gwyn, the one restraining her had her Guardian standing by as well.

Zaros sighed, then looked back at Wes. "The Shadow King will be waiting for you, Ravenfield."

Wes' eyes widened. "H-Huh?"

"The next time you cross paths, he won't rest until you two are completely exterminated. That is a promise." The group gasped as Zaros and Edwin blinked out of view, appearing farther down the street. Zaros snapped his fingers and opened up a portal.

Edwin growled. "Finally." He trudged through and vanished into the portal.

"Hang on a minute!" Wes dashed after Zaros, gritting his teeth. "Get back here and fight!"

Zaros aimed his finger. "I have no interest in dying today." He fired Everto at Wes.

Wes gasped and slid onto his back. The beam flew over his face and nearly hit the others, who thankfully jumped out of the way. Wes scrambled into his feet, but was too late as Zaros stepped through the closing portal.

Zaros turned back as the portal closed around him. "It doesn't matter how many gods or destinies are watching out for you. Our own prophecies state we shall get what we desire most. That's the destines we're aiming for." The portal closed on him, vanishing into the air.

Wes stared agape for a moment, then growled and slammed his paws down. "Dammit! Dammit, dammit, dammit!" He bashed his skull against the concrete and roared his heart out.

The others looked amongst each other in sympathy. Gwyn hung her head, finally released by Ava, shaking with fury. Ava frowned at the team, reaching out in hopes of comforting them.

"Hey guys!" Ava stopped and looked over her shoulder as Team Shatter Star came racing over. Krystal panted and stumbled to stop, still recovering from her earlier injuries. "Ugh, give me a moment."

Ella raised her brow. "Wait, where were you guys? Didn't you come with us?"

Ebony shook her head. "We stayed back to calm down the audience. After they realized what happened, they sort of freaked out that Edwin was a criminal or something. Eh, they're not wrong, but-"

"Point is," Saffiro interrupted, "a crowd of people were flooding from their seats, so we bought some time." They could hear the commotion going on within the arena.

Wes flinched. "We should…head back to the hotel."

"Good idea," Ava agreed.

"…Upon examination of the summons used in the tournament, we've concluded them to be the remains of Pokémon used to make a form of puppetry. When authorities went to question the injured members of the Shadow Bringers, they mysteriously disappeared from the medical bay. An investigation is going underway to determine the-"

A paw waved over the crystal orb and ended the broadcast. Ella took a deep breath and set it aside. "The public's really freakin' out over it," she mumbled.

The events of yesterday were fresh on the city's mind as rumors about the Shadow Bringers were starting to spread. What was once a commendable team in the public eye was but another inch closer to spotting the same truth Team Ravenfield was in on. It seemed that most of the corpses were taken, too, but one piece was recovered. Zaros may be able to stop time, but that wasn't enough to locate all the pieces from Lexx's obliterated corpse.

Team Ravenfield, the bounty hunters, and Team Shatter Star were hanging in the Ravenfield conjoined rooms, with the absence of Wes and Krystal. Ava, meanwhile, was checking in on Morgan. Apparently, Cheri was doing menial tasks for Morgan to help Flint's operation go by smoother, so Ava felt the need to supervise.

Griffin rubbed his temples. "Tell me about it. Some reporters hounded me at breakfast this morning, asking if I knew anything about it."

"Oh yeah, I saw that," Tony chirped in, munching on a toasted bagel. "I'm surprised you didn't throw them out."

"The thought crossed my mind more than once."

Tony shrugged and tore another bite off his bagel. "Yeesh, you try to interrogate someone and suddenly everyone's asking questions."

Ella rubbed her temples. "This is the exact sort of thing we were trying to avoid. Everyone's on edge enough after what happened in Ironworks. They don't need this drama piled onto it."

"Sucks to be them," Mack mumbled, biting into an apple. "But hey, could be worse."

Ella rolled her eyes. "We're going to be attacked at any point this week and you're saying it could be worse?"

"Sure. A meteor could penetrate the planet and destroy everything. Good guys, baddies; no one wins in that event."

"…You are not good for moral support."

"I aim to displease." Mack bit into his apple again.

Ella groaned and rubbed her face, then looked up as the door lock clicked open. Wes and Krystal slipped back in, carrying bags of food with them. "We're back," Wes announced.

Gwyn sat up from bed, still in her pajamas. "How was the trip?"

"Horrible," Krystal muttered. "Do you know how sleezy reporters can be? They would not leave us alone until we spilled what we knew about the Shadow Bringers." She shrugged. "So, I slugged one in the face and that seemed to get the message across."

Hugo groaned and covered his face. "Ms. Frostwood, have you no shame?"

Krystal raised her brow. "If you weren't such a pacifist, would you honestly say you wouldn't do the same?"

"I am a servant of Arceus and will not dignify your question with a response."

"You kind of did."

"Starting now."

Cybil let out a huff and approached the two. "Did you get us anything?"

Wes dug threw the bags. "Some foods we can cook up with magic in the room. This should tide us over until tomorrow, hopefully when everyone is calmed down." He tossed a box over to Gwyn. "Thought you might want these!"

Gwyn, still tired, yelped as she failed to catch the bow and let it land on her stomach. She picked it up and squinted. "Twinkles?"

"Little sponge cakes with whipped cream inside."

Gwyn took a deep breath and hugged the box. "Thanks."

Oswald patted her shoulder. "You okay?"

"I'm still upset about losing my temper yesterday." She covered her eyes. "I hate when I lose control like that. I don't like being angry."

Ella rolled her eyes. "We would've gladly turned a blind eye if you stuffed a seed down that asshole's throat and let nature handle the rest."

"Ella!" Gwyn scolded.

"Yes, I know it sounds gruesome, but he's working with the guys trying to kill us! I don't give a flying hoot!" Ella took a deep breath and relaxed herself. She looked at Wes. "Did you finally tell your mom about what happened?"

Wes looked away nervously. "Sort of. When she saw Flint didn't compete the other day, I lied about him twisting his leg when he was walking around the city. I tried my best not to think about it too much. My mom can smell a lie pretty well when it concerns me or Flint."

Ella sighed. "Best not to age her a couple years from the stress. We'll tell her when Flint is back on his feet." She crossed her forelegs and leaned back against the bed's backboard. "We can worry about Flint later. What are we going to do about the shadows?"

"We can't assume they're going to bring their whole army just to take over a standard city, especially when compared to Ironworks," Tony rationalized. "Edwin did mention the pirates and there's a possibility they're hanging around. They could be sending them after us. We just don't know when they'll strike."

Griffin glared. "They could be hiding outside the city. Nothing but snow out there, so they can easily hide their ship."

Tony smirked. "Yeah, and freezing their asses off while they're at it."

Wes shook his head. "In all honesty, I'm not too worried about any of that. I just want to get the key and get as far away from here as possible." He frowned and glanced off to the side.

"What's got you down in the dumps, comrade?" Krystal asked, hooking her wing around his neck.

"I can't stop thinking about what that Watchog said."

Ella rolled her eyes. "We've pretty much established a while ago that your family has some weirdness to it."

"That's true, but…it does tie up some things I've always wondered for a while."

"Hmm? Like what?" Tony asked.

Wes sat down by Ella's bed and took a deep breath. "Well, for starters, I don't really know much about my dad's side of the family. He mentioned some offhanded comments about my grandparents being fighters like him, but that's about it. My grandma apparently died from a lung infection while exploring some caves, and my grandpa was killed in a fight with some bandits."

"Oh Wes," Ella mumbled sympathetically.

Wes shook it off. "I never met them, so I'm not torn up about it. Still, that's the extent of what I know. I've met my grandparents on my mom's side. Very sweet, told me loads of stories about their childhoods. But not much from Dad's side." He pressed his paw against his cheek. "I always thought there wasn't much interesting on his side, but he was so cool and brave that I never truly believed it." He shrugged. "Guess I stopped questioning it until recently."

"That is strange. Would it have anything to do with the Shadow King?" Griffin wondered.

"Doubt it," Tony said. "Assuming they were cursed because 'Oh, look at me, I'm so evil and I cursed the Ravenfields because I hate them,' something like that wouldn't go unnoticed for…well, forever how long this blood feud came about. May have taken a while, even if it was from the Shadow King, but curses can be undone with the right ritual." He pointed at Wes. "Unless he cursed your family to be magnets for death, but all the stupid stunts you've pulled tells me it'd be a pretty faulty curse."

Wes looked down. "What do you suppose that means?"

"The Shadow King wouldn't have this much of a hatred towards your family if it was directed at your father. Sure, managing to severely injure him is impressive on its own, but not enough to warrant whatever this is. There's not a doubt in my mind that he interacted with one of your ancestors, and something about that ancestor left a deep scar in him."

Wes rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "That so?"

Tony shrugged. "I'm just saying shit, of course." He leaned back on the bed and folded his arms behind his head. "Maybe under all that doom and gloom, he's just really petty."

Griffin shook his head. "Regardless of intentions, if he has his sights set on Wes and Flint, keeping them safe is our number one priority."

"I don't need a babysitter," Wes grumbled with a pout.

Ella glared. "Not much we can do there. The Shadow King easily took us down when he first woke up. Even with our recent training, we might not stand a chance."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "On our own, maybe."

Ella glanced at him. "Are you saying there might be a chance?"

"Not necessarily, but…stranger things have happened." Tony shrugged. "Might be the self-preservation in me talking."

Wes groaned and covered his face. "More complications." He felt something nudge against his side. He looked up from his paws and saw Gwyn poking him with a Twinkle pack.

"You look like you could use one," she said with a gentle smile.

Wes smiled back and took it. "Thanks." He ripped the plastic open and bit into half of the sponge cake. "Mmm."

Ella shook her head. "Let's not focus too much on the future. Remember, all we need to concern ourselves over is keeping as many of the keys as we can from the shadows, which means competing in the championship battle tomorrow." She pointed at Krystal. "That reminds me, how does the championship battle work in teams? Do we all go at him at once or-?"

Krystal shook her head. "No, nothing like that. It's a 5-on-1 elimination style battle."

"5-on-1 elimination?" Griffin asked.

"Put it like this. You know how Edwin was forced to fight all five of you guys? If he didn't have those summons on hand, he technically was allowed to opt out of the tournament due to the unfair advantage. Of course, there are cases where a competitor will take on the entire team because, you know, they are that proud of their strength.

"Benedict Stonefist, the champion, believes a fighter should be able to hold their own in a fight without the aid of teammates. If you can't fight without your team, you actually drag them down more."

Tony cupped his chin. "Calder tested our teamwork back in the water temple."

"So, Benedict will be taking us all on to see how we hold up on our own," Griffin finished. He gritted his teeth. "Shit, that may be a problem."

"Wes, you fought him once," Gwyn brought up.

Wes' ears drooped. "Yeah, and got my rear totally handed to me. I wouldn't rely on me for reliable information. He was barely using any spells."

"Expect this much," Saffiro chirped in. "That dude is strong as hell. I heard a rumor he flipped the entire arena grounds over with his hands. It was chaotic."

Ebony snickered. "Don't expect to win so easily. I doubt you'll be able to dethrone the champion."

Wes glared. "We have to try. If we don't get that key, we can't waste our time tracking him down all over Mysto for it. We either need to get it now or never."

Ella closed her eyes. "Unfortunately, Wes is right. These mages believe we hold the key to ending all of this, but they aren't going to give up those keys without a fight."

Krystal sighed. "All we can offer, comrades, is our support in tomorrow's battle. Luck smiles upon you this far. Let's hope that streak continues farther into the horizon."

Wes nodded. "We appreciate the sentiment, Krystal." He inhaled deeply and sighed. "I need to stay strong for our sake. I can handle this."

Ella touched his shoulder. "We have faith in each other."

Wes smiled. "Yeah."

The bedroom door creaked open with Ava popping her head in. "This a bad time?"

Wes shook his head. "No, we're fine. Did you need something from us?"

"Not exactly." She stepped in and took a deep breath. "I just got back from the other room with Morgan."

Their eyes widened, immediately focusing their attention on her. Ava pressed against the wall as Team Ravenfield crowded around her, looking up to her with pleading eyes. "Is it about Flint?" Wes asked hopefully.

"Is my fluffy bookworm okay?!" Gwyn cried, jumping on Griffin's back to meet her in the eyes.

"Gwyn, get off me!" Griffin growled.

Ava held her hands up and hushed the team. "Now, now, one at a time, please." Team Ravenfield conceded and backed off, but still looked to her with expecting looks. Ava dusted her robes off and continued, "As I said, I came back from Morgan, and I bear good news and bad news."

They internally winced at the mention of bad news. Given the extent of Flint's injuries, they worried for the worst. Wes gulped and, filling in for his team's own nervous anticipation, asked, "What's the good news?"

Ava smiled warmly. "The operation was successful. Morgan says Flint will recover in a few weeks, provided he gets the necessary rest."

Smiles broke out among their faces, as for Team Shatter Star, too. "Th-That's great!" Ella exclaimed. "Flint's going to be okay? Truly?"

"Yes."

Team Ravenfield jumped for joy and embraced, though with obvious refusal from Griffin as he tried to squeeze out of it. His escape was futile as the bounty hunters, Krystal, Ebony, and Oswald joined in on the hug. Griffin groaned and hung his head in defeat.

"This is great! Flint will be back in action in no time!" Wes cheered.

"I'm going to give Flinty all the love and hugs he deserves until he feels better!" Gwyn exclaimed.

"Hold it, you guys," Cybil chirped in. She stepped around the group and narrowed her eyes. "What's the bad news?"

Team Ravenfield's eyes widened, almost forgetting the mention of such news. Their moods dropped as they turned back to Ava, which worsened at the unsure gaze on her face. Ella bit her lip. "Flint…is okay, right? He will be able to fight again?"

Ava sighed. "Y-Yes, he should, but…"

"But…?"

"…The damage done on Flint's body was worse than Morgan thought. You have to understand most operations don't last over forty-eight hours. Morgan had to do a blood transfusion to replenish what Flint lost. Fortunately, Morgan's blood type was the universal type."

Ella flinched. "He transferred his blood into Flint?"

Ava nodded. "That's why the operation took so long. Morgan had to take frequent breaks. Some of my troupe volunteered to make up for the blood lost as much as they could." Ava shook her head. "I didn't think much of it, but Morgan mentioned some concerns regarding Flint's recovery."

"Like…?" Wes asked fearfully.

"Remember how I said Flint should be able to fight again?" They nodded slowly. "While his magic will continue to operate as normal, his body is a different story. Even after Flint recovers from his injuries, some damage won't be able to heal. Flint took serious damage to his right hindleg. Morgan did the best he could and it will heal, but…" Ava pinched between her eyes.

"What you're saying is Flint's leg…won't be as strong as before?" Tony summed up.

Ava sighed. "That's…about right. Flint will be able to walk, albeit with a limp, but he won't be able to fight as efficiently as before. That's what Morgan believes."

Ella internally winced, recalling how her own hindleg was nearly crushed once. She was lucky to have sponged most of the damage with her psychic, but Flint clearly wasn't as so. "Dang."

"What about healing magic?" Ebony asked. "Maybe that'll fix up his leg."

"That might not work," Hugo said. "Healing magic can only offer so much in terms of remedy. It can take away pain and fix some injuries, but this isn't a sprained leg or fracture. I've seen his injuries for myself. A few more punches and he would barely have had a skeleton to repair."

Ava nodded. "And his leg took most of the damage, it seems. We can't heal his leg and restore it to its previous state. Even if we found someone who could, Flint's leg would've likely healed and adjusted to the change by then."

Wes looked down. "I see." He clenched his eyes shut for a second, then looked up at Ava again, this time with watery eyes. "But…he's definitely going to be okay, right?"

Ava smiled. "He will be. You have my word."

Wes sniffled, then pressed his face into her robe. "That's all I wanted…" Wes lightly cried against Ava, who draped her arms around the Umbreon in a comforting hug. "I'm just glad he's going to be alright…"

Morgan collapsed into a chair and wiped his forehead. Despite not needing to sleep, he looked exhausted. Sweat dripped from his forehead, his complexion was pale, and he had some bandages wrapped around where he drew blood from himself. He rubbed it tenderly.

"That took longer than I hoped…" he groaned.

Cheri ran over and handed him a rag. "Here you go!"

Morgan took it and dabbed his forehead. "Thank you, Cheri."

Cheri walked back over to Flint's bedside and gagged at the blood soaked rags sitting in the trash can. "Um…aren't these the hotel's towels?"

Morgan groaned. "I'm going to have a field day explaining this if they find out. We'll just burn them along with the bedsheets."

"Ooh, sneaky~." Cheri carefully picked up the bin and carried it out of sight, averting her gaze from it as well.

Morgan leaned back and pulled out his flask. Right as it touched his lips, he heard a knock on the door. He sensed the auras behind it and sighed before flicking his fingers and opening the door with his string.

Wes peeked his head through. "H-Hey Morgan. How is…?" His eyes widened. "Whoa. You don't look well."

"Long night," he groaned. "I haven't taken many breaks, aside from when I did the transfusions. Wouldn't call those breaks, though." He gulped down his whiskey and capped the flask. "Come in."

Wes stepped inside, joined by his team and the others. It was pretty crowded, so they did their best to make room. Team Ravenfield darted for Flint's bedside. Tony glanced at Morgan and asked, "How's he holding up, Pops?"

"Better than when he first arrived. I stitched up his bones and forced them back into place. His lungs are working fine on their own now. He still has some bruising over his body and his right eye is still fairly swollen. That'll go down in a couple days with some ice. He may be sensitive to bright lights and noises. Also, as for his bones, those will need time to heal properly. Ava will be using some healing magic to speed it along, but it will take him a few weeks before he can walk normally. He'll have to use a wheelchair until then."

"We have a wheelchair?" Tony questioned.

Ava shook her head. "Not exactly. I asked my daughter, Abby, to help Faye make one from some old props. We have…quite a bit of metal laying around."

Ella sighed. "Well…thanks for all your help, Morgan." She rubbed her head awkwardly, unwilling to meet eye contact with the doctor.

Morgan frowned, but thought nothing more of it, too drained to question her. He spun his flash on the tip of his finger. "Flint should be coming to soon. I'm sure he would love to finally talk to someone after being cooped up in here for two days."

"When can he leave?" Gwyn asked.

"I need to run some checks on him once I catch my breath, but the earliest I can guarantee is tomorrow."

Gwyn smiled. "That's great."

Griffin narrowed his eyes on Flint. "Poor guy."

Looking over the Flareon, they could tell Morgan did a good job taking care of him. Flint's bloodstained clothes were discarded in the corner. He had a blanket draped over his body, hiding most of the work done on him. He had some small cuts going around his chest, likely during Morgan's unorthodox surgery.

"He had little pebbles in some wounds," Cheri cut in from behind. They blinked at her. "You were looking at those cuts, right? Mr. Morgan had to take them out so that his body didn't heal around them."

Wes nodded. "That makes sense." He reached out and gently stroked Flint's head. "He definitely looks better." He stopped as the Flareon began to stir. "He's waking up."

A low grunt hummed from Flint's mouth as his eyes struggled to open. He felt weak from the anesthetics. He flinched when cracked one eye open, then gradually adjusted to the light. He saw five concern faces looking down at him. He blinked his other eye open and looked at his teammates wearily.

As best he could, he cracked a weak smile. "Hey guys. Why the long faces?"

Wes smiled in relief. "Hey Flint."

"Flinty!" They flinched as Gwyn immediately started nuzzling under Flint's chin. "My little fluffy is okay! I'm so happy you're better!" She kissed his cheek repeatedly.

The lack of color in Flint's face immediately went red. He laughed in embarrassment. "G-Gwyn, I'm happy to see you, too, but…" He winced with a tear welling up in his eyes. "D-Do you think you can stop putting pressure on my chest?"

Gwyn stopped and gasped that she was pressing her hand down on him. She yelped and jumped away, tears forming in her eyes. "F-Flinty, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-!"

Flint flinched from her shrill cries, but smiled through the pain. "Y-You're fine. Though, c-could you speak a little softer?"

Gwyn's lip trembled pitifully. "I-I-I'm s-sorry…"

Flint frowned. "Oh Gwyn…please don't make that face."

Ella rubbed Gwyn's back to soothe her. "You can kiss and snuggle him once he's up and about." Gwyn sniffled, feeling a little better.

Tony leaned against the wall. "Got to hand it to you, Flint, you're tougher than you look…for a fluffy marshmallow."

Flint sighed, then laughed it off. "Well, you know what they say? Diamonds might be hard, but marshmallows are unbreakable."

"Who the hell has ever said that?" Griffin asked.

"Apparently me. I think I'm still loopy from the anesthetics."

"We're just happy you're alright, comrade," Krystal said, announcing her presence. She marched up to his side and pounded her chest. "As your fellow comrade, I will prepare you a fine meal that'll bring your strength back up! You'll feel like a new man!"

Cybil rolled her eyes. "Yeah, food poisoning really does take you on a spiritual journey."

Krystal flailed her wings. "You have no faith in my cooking!"

Cybil smirked. "And yet, I still love you."

"D'aww, CyCy!" She hugged and squeezed the Furret, much to her embarrassment.

"Uh huh." Cybil coughed into her fist and turned her reddened face away. "A-Anyway, happy to see you awake, Flint."

Flint smiled. "Thanks." He frowned. "Oh yeah, that reminds me." He looked up at his team. "You guys competed in the finals yesterday. How'd that go?"

Wes smiled. "Well, a few bumps and scrapes, but we managed to skate on by." He glared. "Unfortunately, Edwin escaped with…him."

"Him?"

"The Watchog, Zaros." Wes blinked, seeing a momentary flash of panic in Flint's eyes. "Uh, Flint?"

Flint blinked and shook his head. "S-Sorry, spaced out for a moment." He groaned and rubbed his head. "Guess the fight is still fresh in my mind."

Wes patted his shoulder. "Like you told me, if you need to talk, I'll always lend an ear."

Flint smiled. "Thanks." He sighed and looked at Morgan in concern. "Give it to me straight, Morgan. How bad is it?"

Morgan sighed and sat up. "Well, the good news is, you get to live until your golden years, assuming you don't get killed by then. Bad news, you'll have to be in a wheelchair for the next few weeks."

Flint rubbed his head. "That doesn't sound too bad."

"That's not all." He pointed at the blanket, right where Flint's leg was. "The right hindleg took the most of my attention. From the way I had to repair it, you're not going to be able to use it like before. No running, no jumping around, or anything like that."

Flint frowned. "Does that mean…?"

"Unless you can work around it, you won't be able to fight the same." Morgan paused to take a deep breath, still faint. "Once you can walk on your own, we'll be putting a leg brace on your leg to keep it stable. After that, you'll just have to live with it."

Flint pulled his sheets up and saw the leg wrapped in a firm cast. He closed his eyes and plopped back into his pillow. "Well, this stinks."

Tony shrugged. "Eh, there are some advantages to it."

"Like what?"

"You can play the disability card and get through lines faster." Ella slapped him in the back of the head. "Yeah, yeah, bad joke."

Flint groaned and pressed his paws against his eyes. "I'm sorry, guys. Guess I'm going to be deadweight."

Wes shook his head. "Don't say that. I can get around not having magic just fine."

"You can still use you magic with that amulet. My leg isn't the same as your problem."

Wes grinned. "True, but I'm not one to believe there's never a solution to everything. Who cares if you can't fight as efficiently? That's just code for 'I'm going to find another way to do my best!' I wouldn't stop fighting even if I lost my right foreleg!" He swung the foreleg in example.

Flint smiled a little. "You can't be serious?"

Wes' smile lowered to a gentler one. "I'm just trying to cheer you up. You did your best and you're still here to talk about it. You may not be able to compete tomorrow, but that doesn't mean you won't be there with us." Wes tapped his chest proudly. "Team Ravenfield's bond is stronger than diamond. In spirit or not, we know you'll be cheering for us by the sidelines."

Flint exhaled and smiled back. "Better than moping around." He reached out his paw and gripped Wes'. "I'll cheer you guys on to victory. Give that mage everything you've got and show him why we will be the champions of our destiny."

Wes grinned excitedly. "That's a promise I can keep!"

Ella closed her eyes and smirked. "Heh. You two dorks really are something." Her eyes opened a tad as she glanced at Wes. Still…that optimism of yours always makes my heart skip a beat. Her face flushed at her own admission. Ah geez, Ella, not now.

Tony rubbed his hands together. "Well, I would say we should go out and eat before the match, but we've got one hospitalized Flareon and dozens of reporters still hounding us about the Shadow Bringers. Anyone got plans for dinner?"

Krystal raised her wing, but Cybil pushed it back down. "Krissy, no."

"But CyCy!"

"You can't cook."

"Ugh!"

Saffiro chuckled and stepped beside Krystal. "How about a compromise for everyone? I'll go out and buy some ingredients and whip us up a fantastic meal~."

"For all of us?" Griffin questioned skeptically.

Saffiro shrugged. "I plan on opening my own bakery in the future, so I would need to know how to handle prepping multiple dishes. Might as well make it good practice." He hooked his arm around Krystal. "Annnnd, I can give you a crash course in cooking to satisfy your needs."

Krystal beamed. "You have my attention, comrade!"

Ava chuckled. "I suppose you all can cook out in the room. I'll just be eating in the trailers with my husband and kids."

"Can I get some food, too, Mr. Saffiro?" Cheri pleaded.

"Of course, my adorable friend~," Saffiro hummed. Cheri giggled bashfully and hid her face. "And feel free to invite your mother, too," he added, directing it to Tony.

Tony rolled his eyes. "Well, the room's crowded enough as it is, might as well invite my pun-spewing mother," he said with a sarcastic grin.

Krystal rubbed her wings together. "Ooh, this is exciting! A banquet in the room together! Let's get a move on!"

Hugo raised his hand. "Hold on, how do you intend to cook food when our rooms don't have any kitchen utilities?"

Saffiro chuckled. "Simple. I'm going to cook everything with my magic."

"With the chance of a fire hazard?" Hugo scolded.

"Can't hear you, already out the door~!" Saffiro grabbed Krystal and dashed out the door.

"Saffiro Blazburn, you…!" Hugo gave up halfway and leaned against his staff. "Am I the only normal one?"

Ebony held her chin. "I though I was the normal one." Hugo shot her a glare. "…What?"

Flint chuckled quietly, then smiled at his team. "You guys are the best."

Ella grinned. "Eh, we wouldn't leave you alone in here."

Gwyn climbed onto the bed and snuggled against Flint. "This spot taken?" she asked cutely.

Flint's face went deep red. "I-I-I-I, uh, um…!" Gwyn giggled and nuzzled under his chin, being mindful of his injuries this time.

The group chuckled amongst themselves. Ella pulled Wes aside for a moment while the other three had their fun with Flint's embarrassment. She faced the team leader and glared seriously. "So, you think you're ready for tomorrow? Surely?"

Wes looked down. "Eh…who really ever is?"

"If it really is an elimination style battle, we need to be smart about who goes first or not. Got any ideas?"

Wes rubbed his chin. "Not particularly, but…I do have something else that might work." He hooked his foreleg around her. "Buuut, we can discuss that tomorrow. Let's just relax for the rest of the day. We all need it."

Ella sighed. "Yeah, I guess so." She looked at his foreleg, then blushed. "Um, Wes?"

"Yeah?" His eyes widened, realizing he had it around her waist. "AH!" He retracted his foreleg. "S-Sorry Ella, I didn't mean-!" She pressed her paw to his lips.

"I…didn't say you had to stop," she said coyly.

Wes blinked twice as heat rose into his cheeks. "E-Ella?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Wes."

They stared intently at each other, feeling a strangeness they hadn't felt in a while. They didn't know how to act upon it, more confused than ever. And yet, unlike times before where they scooted along the line of this strangeness, something about it felt…desirable.

Wes gulped and pulled on the rim of his hat. "Um…Ella?"

"Yeah?"

"I, uh…I guess, well…I think I might still-"

"What are you two talking about?" They jumped and screamed, catching Griffin staring curiously at them with his usual brand of boredom.

Wes turned away, whistling innocently. "Nothing!"

Ella pointed accusingly at Griffin. "Why are you eavesdropping on us?!"

"Better than listening to Sparks," Griffin grumbled, pointing over his shoulder.

Tony, sitting on Flint's bed, waved his hand around extravagantly. "I'm telling you, Flint, my eyes lit up when I saw my future love! You have something special with Gwyn and I felt the same thing when I gazed upon the vision of beauty!"

Flint gawked at Tony in horror while Gwyn looked up at him in interest. "Wow, Tony! I didn't even know you could date multiple girls at once."

"Well, they can't get enough of me, and I can't leave them disappointed."

"You don't see anything wrong with openly dating multiple girls at once?!" Flint scolded.

"Not at all!" he admitted shamelessly. Flint slapped both paws into his face and fell back into his pillow.

Wes and Ella blinked, then laughed nervously. "Our…friends are idiots," Ella joked.

Wes rubbed his head awkwardly. "Aren't we all idiots?"

Back at the colosseum in the private seating box, the mages sat around a table enjoying their lunch. While Cielo and Cicely enjoyed a plate of risotto and red wine, Seth delighted himself with a simple burger, biting into it messily. Sauce dripped off his face and hit his robe.

Cicely sighed and patted her lips. "Seth, must you be so messy with your food?"

Seth swallowed and grinned unapologetically. "Lighten up, Cici. You two enjoy your fancy junk. I'm sticking with the good stuff." He ripped another chunk out of the burger.

"You represent the ten mages, you shouldn't be acting so…uncouth."

Seth wiped his sleeve across his lips. "Do you see anyone else around?" Cicely glared. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Cicely sighed and pinched between her eyes. "Master Cielo, can you please talk to him?"

"Let him do as he pleases, Cicely," Cielo replied in a raspy voice. Off to the side, he wrote on some papers. "I want to get these filled out before the competitors leave."

"Found some potential candidates?"

"I found a few that caught my eye."

"Any for Team Ravenfield?" Seth asked.

"While they showed incredible talent, their current mission takes priority." Cielo clicked his pen and set it down. "Of course, regardless of my choice, I will see them at my school one way or another."

Cicely narrowed her eyes. "Speaking of which…" She glanced to her right, where Benedict sat before the wide windows in a meditative state. "You know what they're really after tomorrow, Benedict. That championship title may be taken from you, but that's not the prize they're after."

Benedict breathed in deeply, then exhaled before opening his eyes. "Their victory will not be decided through battle alone. They won't earn the key unless they can prove to me they stand a chance on their own."

Seth rested his cheek on his hand. "Make sure you get them fighting at one hundred percent. I want as much accurate data on their fighting styles as I can get."

Cicely leaned back in her seat. "I'm curious, Benedict. What do you plan to do if they can't meet your requirements?"

Benedict closed his eyes. "Should they fail, they won't earn my trust. I've battled the youngest Ravenfield only once and he has proven not to be ready either. Perhaps now that attitude of his has changed since then."

Cielo clasped his hands together and rested his chin upon them. He took a long, raspy breath, then glared from under the darkness of his hood. "Benedict."

"Master?"

"From the start, we were meant to keep those keys away from wrongdoers at all costs, no matter the consequences. Ravenfield and his friends have proven that they are up to the task. Our job now is to encourage them to take up the mantle. The prophecy says we won't be enough, but those six will rise to the occasion. That is their destiny."

Benedict nodded. "Of course, Master."

"What is your opinion of Ravenfield now?"

"That has yet to be decided. I will have my answer by the end of tomorrow's battle."

Cielo nodded. "Very good." He took his wine glass and downed the drink in one sip. With a content sigh, he set it down and stared into the glass' reflection. "He and his brother come from a powerful bloodline. I've seen this potential through their father when he became my student, my apprentice. When our paths cross, I will temper this potential and make him into a powerful warrior.

"It's too early to predict the future, but…" Cielo ran his finger along the edges of the glass. The puddle of wine remaining inside the glass trembled and spun along the movements of his finger.

An image came through that only Cielo could see. Six silhouettes, each radiating with their respected auras/magic, with their defining symbols hanging over their heads. They stood together, radiating with a confidence unlike any other.

"Their bond could very well surpass a god's will."