Ch.128: Trust is a Delicate Bond! Friend or Foe to Fear!

Morgan sipped from his flask, sitting against the post of the village gate. The humid air made him sweat down to the fur around his neck, but he barely noticed. His mind wandered in a different place, mentally preparing himself for soon. One wrong word will kill what smidge of faith Ella had left in him.

A half hour passed, and she has yet to show up. Morgan would wait until the night if he needed to. He trusted Ella to give him the benefit of the doubt.

He always noticed a mistrust in her eyes whenever she looked at him. Her eyes were different to when they met. They shined with respect for him, similar to Tony's eyes. Now, her eyes looked upon him with bitter spite and judgment.

Right as it was starting to look like his efforts were in vain, Morgan heard someone approach him. He glanced to his left, then smiled softly. "I was worried."

Ella dropped the bags she carried in her telekinesis and wiped her brow. "I had a lot on my mind, and you don't interrupt me when I'm in the middle of clothes shopping."

"How do you even carry so much clothing?"

"Easy, I pack it inside Wes' enchanted bag. That thing can hold a lot."

Morgan chuckled. "Of course." He looked on ahead and sipped his flask again. "I'm glad you showed up."

Ella sat down, keeping a sizable margin of space between them. "Well, guilt tripping has that desired effect."

"I wasn't guilt tripping."

"I'm sure you weren't." Whether that was sarcasm or not was anyone's guess.

Morgan sighed and put his flask away. "Right. So, where should we begin?"

"How should I know? You called me over."

"Fair enough." Morgan closed his eyes and leaned back against the gate. "Ella, I can't help but sense some mistrust from your voice."

"You start to hear things as you get older, it's not uncommon."

"I'm immortal, dear. I'm beyond mortal limitation."

Ella rolled her eyes. "Well, good for you."

Morgan shook his head. "You have quite a sass problem."

"Gets me through the day."

"It's not moving this conversation along."

"We just started."

"And it'll stay just started if you don't act reasonable." Morgan glared. "You've been wary of me ever since I revealed my identity back in Ironworks Kingdom. If I were to wager a guess, I'd say you fear I'll turn on all of you, because you know none of you would be able to stop me as you are now."

Ella glared. "I'm not answering that."

"Then allow me to share a tale with you, my dear." Morgan took a deep breath. "Do you know what it's like wandering in the abyss for…an eternity? I was stuck as I was for fifty long years, and it seemed to go on forever. I wandered that endless darkness for so long, I though I lost my sense of self. Imagine that for a moment, what it feels like to exist in eternal nothingness, for that is all there is and shall be?

"I existed on a fine line of consciousness for those fifty years, serving the Shadow King's will. Despite having partial understanding of my deeds, I continued to allow them. I wanted it to happen. There's something frightening about the way the Shadow King draws you in, comforts you at your worst hour. My fellow heralds understand that same feeling, for they were just like me when the Shadow King found them. The difference? They were born in that darkness. Once they were reintroduced to it, they were home.

"As for me, the darkness was an unfamiliar place. Like wandering a fog and not knowing the roads. I wanted to ask myself 'Is this all there is?' before vanishing again into my clouded mind. The darkness was comforting. It spoke to me, took away the pain I felt. I lost the love of my life, the one I was supposed to marry, and I needed something to take that pain away. I tried drowning my sorrows with intoxication, but it was a temporary relieve. The darkness brought me salvation.

"Despite having no sense of self, I felt at peace with myself once I fell. It's been five hundred years since I last felt its comforting embrace, yet I remember it with perfect clarity."

Morgan paused to allow Ella a moment to let it all sink in. Her gaze turned to the ground, almost unreadable. There was a distinct melancholy to her eyes, but she remained stoic.

She took a deep breath. "Bet you wish you could go back to it, huh? Must sound amazing."

Morgan laughed throatily. "Oh yes, I do sometimes wish to experience it once more, just to make the pain go away." Morgan clutched over his heart. "Those feelings of hurt never went away, not ever after five hundred years. They may have dulled, but you can always remember your wounds. The sorrow for my dear Senara is a pain that I can recall with the utmost accuracy." Morgan sighed. "And yet, I fear that if I return to the darkness, I won't be able to return."

"Why's that?" Ella asked.

"It's hard to explain unless you experienced it yourself, but…the best I can do is say, once you're branded by the Shadow King, you are forever his. Connected along the mortal coil and made an extension of his will. I don't know what will happen if I'm around him for too long, but I fear I'll be swallowed up within the darkness. If that happens, I might never resurface."

"Oh…" Ella looked away, biting her lip.

Morgan frowned. "That's why you're afraid of me, isn't it?"

"Hmm?"

"You're afraid I'll turn on you and your friends. You're afraid I'll become your enemy, and be forced to fight me."

Ella inhaled sharply, teeth clenched. Her fur prickled with psychic energy waving through the individual tips. She closed her eyes and relaxed her mind, calming the flow of energy.

"…When you put it like that, I suppose that's the reason why."

Morgan crossed his arms. "Do not feel ashamed to feel so. If I were in your shoes, I might feel the same way."

"It's nothing personal against you, but…"

Morgan nodded. "I don't blame you for the way you act. In fact, I thank you."

"Thank…me?" Ella questioned.

"Thank you for looking out for your friends." He gazed up at the trees and the beams of light piercing through the thick bundles of branches and leaves. "You can never be too careful with the people you encounter, friend or foe. That's the law of survival. You can never truly rely on others and not expect them to turn on you."

Ella glared. "That seems harsh."

"I say that for survival purposes, not towards your friends or my own. Truth is, I held that mentality for a long time, never opening up to others and keeping to myself. It was only after I met Garret that I began to live again."

"I see."

"Though, you have me curious."

"How so?"

"The others are willing to trust, even Griffin. I'd imagine he would be the one to have this conversation with, but it ended up being you. You seem so free-spirited that it's almost hard to imagine you as the skeptic."

Ella exhaled through her nostrils. "That right?" She rubbed her forehead and sighed. "Look, I don't want to see you as the bad guy or anything, but you have to understand where I'm coming from."

"I'm all ears."

"It's just hard to get past the fact you murdered innocent lives back in the day, whether you were conscious of it or not. It sounded like you were willing to let it happen with the ways you've executed people."

Morgan glared. "Maybe a part of me wanted to do those horrible things. I was just delusional enough to believe it."

"It's not you I don't trust, but that darkness of yours. I'm sitting next to someone who can easily snap my neck if he wanted to. You can't see it, but I'm petrified on the inside. We don't know how much we should trust you. Do you trust yourself not to go rogue and turn on us?"

Morgan hugged his legs against his chest and sighed. "You're asking a lot from me."

"That shouldn't be too demanding a request."

"It is when I don't believe it myself." Morgan sighed. "Look Ella, I understand this is difficult for you. It's difficult for me, too. Believe it or not, I'm in the same position as you are. I'm scared of what I could do. I lived with that fear my whole life. Five hundred years of suppressing my dark desires, now forced to face my demons with the return of my former master. That takes a toll on an old man's mind."

"And you won't come back from the abyss if you face the Shadow King?"

"That's what I fear, yes."

Ella sighed. "And that's why I find it hard to trust you. This isn't easy for me to say. I don't like feeling like this."

"Then why are you so skeptical of me?"

Ella lowered her gaze. "Maybe because I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"Afraid that the abyss will stare back at me if I'm ever tempted."

Lunch was what Flint needed to calm himself down. As soon as he and Gwyn checked out their books, they went straight to a small burger shop. Flint got a custap burger with fries. Gwyn got the same, along with a side of salad and a milkshake.

Flint munched quietly on his burger, his gaze lowered on the table. Gwyn slurped on her milkshake while staring in concern at him. They hadn't spoken since they left the archives, aside for ordering their meals and thanking the waitress. Flint looked like he had a lot on his mind.

What should she say first? This wasn't Gwyn's area of expertise. She could make an entire forest appear in seconds if she wanted to, but dealing with personal trauma and emotional problems was an entirely different field beyond her. She doubted a series of snuggles and kisses would make it better either, which was rather disappointing. Snuggling was much more her specialty.

Gwyn took her lips off her straw and sighed. First step is to talk, I guess.

"How's your burger?" she started.

"Hmm?" Flint hummed, waking from deep thought. He set the burger down and wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Oh, it's fine. Pretty good."

Gwyn smiled a bit. "That's good. Can I try a bite?"

"Gwyn, you got the same thing as me."

"Oh yeah, right. Heh." Gwyn looked away awkwardly, drumming her fingers on the table. "Sssooo, how about that weather?"

Flint's ears dropped. "You don't have to keep dodging the questions, Gwyn. I can take it."

Gwyn frowned, then looked him in the face. "I don't want to pressure you on anything. If you rather not talk about it, I'll understand, but I am worried about you. I just want you to know I'll always be here to help, just like how you were there for me."

Flint smiled. "Of course I know that."

"Then, will you let me help you?"

Flint took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and nodded. "Y-Yes."

"Okay." Gwyn scooted her seat around the table until she was right beside him. She patted his shoulder and gently stroked his foreleg. "So, have you been having nightmares?"

Flint frowned. The effort he went to hide his nightmares were in vain. Everyone was busy with their own things on the ride over, they never noticed the subtle actions in Flint's behavior. Gwyn, however, was by his side almost every day. She treated him, fed him, helped him walk, unknowingly caused his hormones to spike (Gwyn in a nurse outfit was forever burned into his eyes and he felt ashamed he wanted to see her in it again); she was there for everything, and she noticed all the times he tried to hide his fears.

He hung his head and sighed. "Yes."

Gwyn nodded. "Does this have anything to do with Zaros?"

"I wish I could say no, but…"

Gwyn closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I see."

"Are you upset?"

"No, of course not."

"You sure?" Flint asked again warily, noticing the trees outside were swaying rather eerily.

"No, no, I'm good. This is about helping you, not revenge."

Flint tensed up at the sight of tree roots extending out through the ground. "Riiiight."

Gwyn exhaled, then looked at him sympathetically. "Why don't you tell me how you've been feeling?"

Flint nodded, then looked down at his lap. "Well, I suppose I'm still shaken by almost dying."

Gwyn tensed up. She remembered in vivid detail the blood and wounds Flint was covered in. She mostly got over the stressful image, no nightmares to speak of recently, but it was the motivating reason she has been so attentive of Flint's recovery. She'll keep that bit of information to herself for the time being.

"I'm not surprised," Gwyn admitted meekly. "Even I had a hard time believing it."

Flint sighed. "It wasn't fun. I felt like I was going to die at any moment. Something…kept me going, but I don't know what. I really believed I should've died."

"Well, you're alive now, and that's what matters," Gwyn said, rubbing up against him. "Maybe it was a miracle."

"It was something, but not a miracle." Flint shook his head. "Still, the pain was excruciating. I can still remember it. I can remember my rib puncturing my lung. I really should've died."

Gwyn frowned. "I don't like hearing you say that."

"Sorry." Flint leaned his head against Gwyn. "I'm really sorry, Gwyn."

"It's okay." She kissed his cheek and rested her head on his. "I understand. I went through something similar with the Curse of Disease, remember? I remember that entire experience clearly, even if I was only five. It felt horrible."

Flint nodded. "At least you turned out better than me in the end."

"What do you mean?"

Flint closed his eyes. "I mean…Gwyn, you're stronger than me! Even though you were sheltered and scared of the world, you weren't afraid to get back into the action. You're not afraid to get hurt. But me? I'm not as strong as you." Flint covered his face and shuddered. "I'm scared to get hurt like that again."

"Scared to get hurt?"

Flint nodded. "When I tried to stop Malcolm back at the hotel, I froze. I didn't see him. I saw Zaros. I saw his piercing eyes, glaring at me and looking down on me like I'm worthless. He sought to do everything in his power to make me suffer. And I'm ashamed to admit he succeeded." Tears brimmed from his eyes. "He sought to fill my heart with fear, and he succeeded. I'm more ashamed in myself for letting him win like that.

"I'm a coward. Always have, and always will be."

Gwyn shook her head. "You're not a coward, Flint."

"Yes, I am!" Flint yelled. "No matter how many fights I get in, I'm never going in with the same bolstering confidence as Wes! Wes has always been the stronger of the two of us! I bet if he fought Zaros, he wouldn't have given up until death claimed his soul. I lost faith the second Zaros started beating me up."

Gwyn's eyes widened. "Flint…"

"I just don't want to get hurt again! I can't physically handle it! I've already got one broken leg! I don't want to be found to a wheelchair or get so beaten that I need to be spoon fed for the rest of my life! I just can't bring myself to go through any of that again! Even Ella's stronger than me, and she doesn't have magic! I'm always going to be the weakest link of the team, no matter what! I'm going to become a detriment to the team, just like I knew I was going to be!"

Flint panted after his long rant, then his eyes widened at Gwyn's shocked expression. She covered her mouth, trembling with tears in her eyes.

"G-Gwyn?"

"Flint…I never brought up Ella or Wes once. And why did you compare yourself to me?"

Flint winced. "I-I…"

"Flint…" Gwyn took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. "C-Can I ask you something?"

"I'd rather you not."

"How long have you been feeling like this?"

"Gwyn, I told you, when I fought Z-Zaros—"

"Flint, I know that's not true." Gwyn sniffled. Her lip trembled weakly. "You feel like you're not contributing much to the team, are you?"

Flint frowned. "That's not…" He couldn't say it to her face. Her teary eyes made his heart break. He felt bad. "I…I may have been feeling like this for a while. Before what happened in Gelid Peak."

Gwyn whimpered. "Flint…"

Flint raised his paws. "Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a big deal at the time. Ever since Ella trained under Willow, I've had…thoughts. Just thoughts. I wasn't secretly envious of you guys or anything. It was just an observation I made. I wanted to get stronger, so I've been trying to improve."

"But ever since you fought Zaros…"

Flint frowned. "Those feelings got worse."

"Flint…"

He sighed and picked around at his fries. "Don't take it personally. I'm used to it."

"That's not something you should be used to."

"Well, it is." Flint chewed on his fry. "I never once felt hatred for Wes. He can be annoying, but I will never stop loving him. That's why it makes me sick that I actually felt envy for him. It's been that way for most of my life, everyone thinking he was going places and to become famous. I never aspired to be famous, but it hit hard.

"Then college came around and roles were reversed. People got more realistic expectations, and Wes' dreams suddenly became a fantasy. I was the one always studying hard while he flaked off to catch his next big break. Those envious feelings never came back and, again, I felt sick at the sheer thought of being happy. I was happy my achievements were being recognized by my peers. It made me feel like I was subconsciously putting Wes down, and I stopped being supportive of his dreams when I started focusing on college."

Gwyn rubbed his back. "These were feelings that accumulated over the years?"

"Exactly."

"And ever since you got back to adventuring, those old feelings were creeping back in."

"Yep."

"I knew you had these envious feelings for Wes, but I never imagined it was this bad." Gwyn frowned. "And now that you've been injured, it took a huge chunk of your pride with it."

Flint closed his eyes and shuddered. "I'm scared of failing. I'm scared I'll never be good enough to meet people's expectations. Wes has always looked out for himself. I hung off the approval of others. My teachers, my peers, archeologists I've idolized; their word means a lot to me. Now, knowing I won't ever be able to fight again, I feel like I'm letting the rest of you down."

"Flint, you know we would never say that about you."

"You're all thinking it, though." Flint turned away. "Even with my Guardian, I might not be able to help out as efficiently as before. Maybe I should just quit."

Gwyn's eyes widened. "Quit?!"

"I'll only slow you guys down. The Shadow King could kill me in one shot like this. You guys are better equipped to face him."

Gwyn grasped his shoulders. "You can't be serious! Flint, we do need you!"

Flint sighed. "I appreciate the sentiment, Gwyn, but there's not much else for me to do as is. I might as well just go home and try to finish getting my degree. I trust you guys to stop the Shadow King—"

"Flint, stop!" Gwyn yelled, shaking him by his mane. "What did I say about putting yourself down? Stop it!" Tears welled in her eyes. "You're not useless! You aren't!"

"Gwyn, I—" Flint gasped as Gwyn pulled him from his seat, slammed some bits on the table, and dragged him from the shop. "Gwyn, what are you doing?"

"We're getting this sorted out with your brother right now!" she stated firmly, marching in a quick stride. Her iron grip over Flint's ankle prevented him from resisting.

"Can I at least finish my lunch first?!"

"You're afraid of the abyss yourself?" Morgan asked curiously.

Ella nodded. "After hearing you talk about it so much, it's not too different to how I've been feeling about my future. The uncertainty of what's to come, the point of accomplishment, and the pain that meets you towards the end. I've been curious about whether or not I'm in the right for resisting my parents so much."

"You said you didn't want to run their business."

"Yeah. I'm not the type of girl to sit around writing contracts and making trade deals. It's mind-numbing. I need something to keep me busy, something that makes me happy."

"Have you tried sewing? Becoming a fashion designer? That seems like something you're passionate about."

Ella smirked. "I've considered, but not really. I'm a fashion expert, but I'm no designer. I know what a good meal should taste like, but that doesn't make me a chef." Ella closed her eyes. "I've always been more inclined to action. Tournament fighting sounds fun, even though my parents are awfully resistant to it."

"Ella, forgive me for intruding, but have you always felt like this in your homelife? Like your parents don't love you?"

She shook her head. "I complain about them a lot, but they do love me. And I love them, too. Things were simpler when I was a kid. Even if I got bored at those stupid meetings, there was still time to play. Things got different as I got older and, well, my future suddenly became their main concern. My happiness was nothing but a side note."

"I'm sorry. It sounded like a rough childhood."

Ella smirked dryly. "You take the cake for worst lifetime ever."

"Immortality does give you time to reflect."

There was a moment of silence between them. Ella stared at the ground with a vacant look, lost briefly in her thoughts while Morgan sipped on his flask. Finally, Ella glanced at the old Hypno, her eyes narrowed wearily.

"What if the future's not clear?"

"Hmm?"

"Would it be better to let the Shadow King win or not?" Morgan raised his brow at her. Ella rolled her eyes. "I'm speaking hypothetically, of course. But still, you know so much about the guy. As far as I'm concerned, he's some evil, ancient, dark overlord who wants to bring eternal darkness to the world. Why does he, though? And would it be such a bad thing in the end?"

"Elaborate."

Ella shrugged. "I don't mean it like I want to live my life in a bubble, but…it would be nice to stop worrying about the future. What even is the Shadow King?"

Morgan recalled a similar conversation he had with Tony in the caravan. The truth about the shadows and their end goals. Ella, and likely the rest of her friends, wanted to know why the shadows did the things they did. It was becoming clear to Morgan now the more Ella ask questions.

She was starting to realize what the truth might be.

Morgan capped his flask and put it away. "Ella, that eternal comfort in the abyss may sound rewarding at first, but it's an eternity of numbness that weighs down on what little consciousness you can retain. It's a fate I wouldn't wish upon the scum of Mysto. And, forgive me for sounding crude, you shouldn't worry so much about your future."

"Tsk. Have you ever been to college?"

Morgan laughed quietly. "No, can't say I have, but experience has taught me the answer will find its way to you in time. A little soul searching goes a long way."

"Another experience of yours?"

"I spent a long time isolated from Pokémon. It was all I could do to keep my mind together." Morgan closed his eyes and sighed, flaring his nostrils. "The shadows are beings of incomprehensible power, but they're not invincible. They're the very manifestation of vulnerability itself."

Ella narrowed her eyes. "What does that mean?"

"We all have shadows. And some of them stay behind even when the host dies." Morgan raised his finger to her. "Ella, you obtained a book from the Immensus Library, correct? The one that supposedly holds information on the shadows?"

Ella nodded slowly. "Yeah, I do."

"When we get business settled with Vernon, I want to come clean. About everything." He stood up and shoved his hands inside his pockets. "What little I can offer you and your friends while we're here."

Ella stood up and raised her brow. "What little you can offer?"

Morgan raised his right hand, the one bearing his fingerless glove. He gently rubbed his palm with his middle and ring finger. "Even healed, I can still feel the marks in the skin."

Ella glared. "Marks? Did you do something to your hand?"

"Forget it." He slid it back into his pocket. "Ella, I want you to understand, I'm not going back to the Shadow King. I'm forever branded as his puppet, but this puppet has long since taken control of his own strings. I'll guide myself to my destiny."

Ella gritted her teeth. "And how do you know for sure?"

Morgan's shoulders fell. He stared at the ground, tired and done with it all. "I just know, alright. My desire now is to pass on everything I know to you and your friends, then I can rest easy."

Ella glared a bit, but didn't hold it for long. "Good grief, why do old folk like you need to be so cryptic?"

Morgan chuckled. "Keeps kids like you from getting in my way."

"So, you'll tell us everything?"

"I will."

"And…you won't become our enemy?"

"I'd rather die than see that come to fruition."

"I guess I can trust you, then. I'm still wary, though."

"I understand." Morgan sighed, then smiled at her. "And about what you said. About staring into the abyss."

"Yeah?"

"There's a certain comfort for acknowledging the darkness we all carry. It's up to you whether or not you let it conquer you…or you conquer it."

"The Star Amulet holds a connection to the lost hero?"

"As far as I can see, yes."

Wes, Ava, and the bounty hunters were back in the caravan, going over everything they found. Holly leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "It's that old, huh?"

Wes held his precious amulet between his paws. "When I got this, I didn't think it was anything more than a standard magic boosting amulet. I never realized it had this much historical value."

"Where did you get it, exactly?" Mack asked.

"It's one of the many things I inherited from my dad. He said he found it somewhere, but never specified." Wes chuckled a little. "I was a bit showy sometimes, so I often told people I found it myself to look cool. I'm sure he wouldn't have minded. He said he bolstered his wins more than what they were."

"I can confirm that," Ava mumbled. "But back to the point, your father never said where he found it?"

"Not once."

"Garret, I swear to…that man took one too many secrets to the grave with him." Ava shook her head. "Regardless, if it had a connection in the war, maybe there's a way to identify the lost hero. Some lost document that references its significance."

"Sounds like a lot of work," Holly said.

Wes smiled. "I'm sure Flint won't mind. When he hears about this, it'll blow his mind—"

No sooner than he said it, the door to the room flew open. Everyone jumped from their seats as Gwyn raced in with Flint held tightly behind her.

Flint looked frazzled after being dragged behind while Gwyn, bent over and taking a moment to catch her breath, raised her finger toward Wes limply.

Wes looked at the others perplexed, then looked at the couple. "Uh, hey Gwyn, hey Flint. We were actually just talking about you, bro. We were wondering if you could—"

"Forget it!" Gwyn interrupted, standing upright. "We can talk about that later!" She pointed more bluntly at Wes. "Apologize to your brother, now!"

Wes jumped back startled. "I-I'm sorry?"

"Do you even know what I'm talking about?"

"Not really!"

"Lies! Confess your sins!"

"Do you have seven hours to spare?"

Flint finally got his bearings together and pulled Gwyn back. "Calm down, Gwyn. Why are you yelling at Wes? He didn't do anything wrong."

"I know that!"

"Then why are you screaming?"

Gwyn calmed down and grinned sheepishly. "I just really wanted to burst into a room and accuse someone of something. Did I sound convincing?"

"Too convincing!" Wes yelled, gripping at his chest. Mack had fallen on the floor, kicking his feet and laughing while Holly covered her face and shook her head, silently wondering if she and Ava were the only normal ones among them.

Ava, stifling a few giggles, stood up. "Alright, you two, that's enough. Just tell us what's going on."

"It's nothing, really," Flint tried to assure. "Gwyn's just being silly—"

"Your happiness is anything but silly," Gwyn stated. "Besides—" She turned and looked at him teary-eyed. "I don't want you to quit adventuring with us! I'll be sad!"

"Quit adventuring?" Wes chimed in, recovering from his brief heart attack. "What is she talking about?"

Flint looked away, scratching behind his head. "It's complicated. We were taking and—"

"And Flint said he doesn't want to continue adventuring with us because you were so popular and he was ignored!" Gwyn finished. She pointed frantically between Wes and Flint. "Wes, apologize to Flint for being cool!"

Wes blinked twice. "Gwyn, I already have a lot going through my head right now, so I don't know where to begin with that."

"So you admit it!"

"Gwyn, enough!" Flint finally yelled, causing her to shut up. Flint huffed an annoyed sigh and said, "Wes already knows."

Gwyn blinked, then frowned. "What?"

"It's not a big secret that Wes was more popular than me in high school. You wouldn't believe the apologies he dished out whenever I tried to make friends and his name suddenly came up instead." Flint pinched between his eyes. "I told you, I'm only a little envious of Wes."

"That's what this is about?" Wes asked, approaching them.

Gwyn clenched her teeth. "B-B-But, Flint said he wants to quit adventuring and-and-and…Wes, please tell him not to go, please!" she pleaded. "Tell Flint he's not useless, that he is vital to the team! I don't want to stop going on adventures with him! I want to see this to the end with him!"

Wes raised his brow at Flint. "Is this true?"

Flint shrunk back as all eyes were on him now. He covered his eyes with his ears. "L-Look, I've just been feeling…less confident in my abilities, that's all. I don't want to disappoint you guys, but there's no way I'll be able to keep up with the rest of you. I'm not as battle-oriented as you or Tony or Griffin or anyone we know.

"When we started out, it was supposed to be a last big adventure to find something that'll make us famous. Instead, we got prophecies, ancient evils, and near death experiences coming at us. Sure, I adapted, but now I'm basically useless with my leg messed up. I can't keep up with the rest of you anymore." He pulled his hat over his eyes. "I'm sorry."

Gwyn's lip trembled while tears flowed down her face. "Flint, I keep telling you, you're not—" She stopped, however, when Wes raised his paw. He approached Flint and lay his paw on his shoulder.

"Anxiety's finally getting to you?" Wes asked.

Flint nodded meekly. "I just don't want to get hurt more than I need to."

Wes closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I worry a lot about you, too. If that's your decision, I won't stop you."

Gwyn's eyes widened. "What?!"

Wes faced her. "You can't force him to keep fighting, Gwyn. He almost died a month ago. Don't you remember the state he was in? As he is now, I can't deal with any more pain to my family."

Gwyn's arms drooped to her sides. Her whole chin trembled with her lip. "But…"

Flint frowned guiltily. "I'm really sorry, Gwyn, but I don't want to get in everyone's way. This is for the best."

Gwyn sniffled, then covered her face in her sleeves, sobbing into them. Ava gently rubbed her shoulder. "It's alright, dear." She looked at Flint sympathetically. "If this is what you want, we can call your mother and tell her we're sending you home."

Flint nodded. "Thank you." Flint faced Gwyn again and approached her. "Gwyn, if you're going to miss me that much, you could always come with me."

Gwyn peeked out through her tearstained arms. "I-I-I can't. I promised to help everyone. I have to."

Flint smiled softly. "You really are a true friend." He nuzzled up against her. "You don't want me in danger, do you?"

Gwyn sniffled, then pulled him into a hug. "N-No, I don't."

"I'll be safer back home, I promise. This is for the best."

"I-I guess, but…it won't feel the same."

Flint looked up and cupped her cheek. "I'm really sorry, Gwyn."

She sniffled, then buried her face into his mane. "I'm so selfish…"

"No, you aren't."

"Yes, I am."

Flint chuckled. "No more snuggles if you keep putting yourself down like that."

Gwyn went silent for a moment, then giggled sadly as she pulled away. "S-Stop making me laugh, I'm upset."

Flint smiled. "I just wanted to see you happy."

"You d-doofus." Gwyn hugged him again. "I'm really sorry."

He wiped some tears from her face, then hugged back. "It's okay." Flint sighed. "It's not like I don't want to be here, but I'll just end up being a liability. This is the only way."

"Oho? The only way, you say?"

Everyone tensed up and looked toward the caravan door, still open after Gwyn busted through. Leaning against the doorframe, masked in the light outside, a familiar face to some offered a tranquil smile to the group.

"I'm a little curious to your secrets, Flint Ravenfield. Perhaps you wouldn't mind indulging in my curiosity."

Holly's eyes widened. "Wait, you're…"

Ava narrowed her eyes and smiled. "I figured that secret passage wouldn't have opened on its own. Spying on us, Vernon?"

The Sawk twirled his staff and stepped in the caravan. "I watch over everything in this village. I do my part to help the community." He spun his staff overhead, then firmly swung it down, pointing directly at a startled Flint. "And I want to understand your side of things, my friend."

"Huh?" Flint gasped.

"Is what you say your honest feelings, or is something else guiding this decision of yours?"