With their mission to stop the impending calamity that would befall it, Castti and the Shining Hope Squad arrived at Timberain in the western continent.

"Phew, Timberain, we made it. And it looks like we got here just in time." Bow said. "With all the people around, it means the coronation is almost ready."

"But there is a heaviness in the air... Rain is coming." Castti said.

"Which means at any minute, it's gonna start coming down, and Trousseau is gonna change rainfall to toxic." Vashyron said.

"Let's head into town and get a scope of things. It should help us shelter the townspeople better." Sakura said.

The group headed into town, but they were soon met by a familiar face.

"Hey, bonemenders!" the voice called out as a familiar man stepped up. "Yeah, I'm talking to you and your friends, Castti! Remember me?"

"Oh, why if it isn't Master Edmund!" Sonia said.

"What're you doing here?" Leanne asked.

"Living, is what. Thanks to you all, we've been accepted as citizens of Timberain. Today's the coronation, so we're out in force to celebrate up a storm!" Edmund said.

"A storm, you say…" Castti mused.

"The prince's big on garish celebrations. People from all over the world've gathered here to join in the fun. Even some scrivener types from the east." Edmund said.

"That's very nice Edmund, but if we don't stop what's going to happen soon, there won't be a coronation." Kendo asked.

"Whaddya mean?" Edmund asked.

"Castti's finally remembered her past, and based on everything she's remembered and told us… we have a definitive reason to believe that Timberain is going to be the target of an attack." Vashyron said.

"You gotta be kiddin' me! An attack on the coronation?!" Edmund asked.

"Don't try to announce it so loudly, but yes. Do you believe us?" Adora asked.

"'Course I believe you! You're all running around sticking your noses in other people's business tryin' to save the world. Right? You guys and the bonemender need my help, just say the word." Edmund acknowledged.

"Thank you, Master Edmund." Castti said. "On that note, I need you to get all of these people far away from here and out of the rain."

"Huh?! How am I supposed to move this many people? Me and my lot aren't sheepdogs, bonemender!" Edmund said.

"Aren't there more soldiers in town that could help us? We could use all the strength in numbers we can get." Kendo said.

"Numbers, eh…? I might be able to do something about that. Follow me." Edmund said,

Edmund lead the group to Timberain's tavern, where a few soldiers were drinking.

"Hey, aren't these guys from that other army your company were fighting outside of Sai?" Glimmer asked.

"They're all a bunch of lousy drunks, but they'll be positioned all over town once the ceremony starts." Edmund said.

"Think they'll believe us if we told them everything?" Flamberge asked.

"Worth a shot. Let me give it a try." Glimmer said, geting their attention by tapping on a glass loudly. "Soldiers of Timberain! Listen closely!"

"Ooo, heya there! Come to sing us a song, ave ya?" a soldier asked.

"No, I've come with a warning. My name is Princess Glimmer of Brightmoon. You…probably wouldn't know what kingdom that is, but that's not important right now! Timberain is about to suffer from a toxic downpour, and if we don't do anything, all of Timberains people are going to die when it starts!"

At this, all the soldiers laughed.

"Enough with the bad jokes, girlie! Today's a day for celebration, not jokes in poor taste!"

"She's not telling a joke." Castti said, joining Glimmer's side. "If we don't get everyone to safety at once, every last person here will die! We will need all of you to assist us if we are to save the lives of your people!"

"Gimme a break. Deadly purple rain? Where's yer proof?"

"Her proofs on her arm." Glimmer said as Castti showed the black mark she got after surviving the downpour in Healeaks. "Castti was the victim of a similar attack in Healeaks to the east not long ago. She survived, but the rest of Healeaks, including her fellow apothecaries… they didn't make it. They gave up their lives so she would."

"I'm only standing here today because of their sacrifice. And now, to prevent that tragedy from happening again… to save your city and all of your lives… I beg you all to believe us. Lend us your aid. Please."

"Hey, uh…whaddya think?" a soldier asked his company.

"I wanna believe them, but…"

"How in the hells do we know we can trust them?"

"I can't take it anymore! You're all a bunch of spineless, good-for-nothin-!" Edmund started before another familiar face appeared.

"Hey! You're that guy who was in charge of the platoon Edmund was fighting!" Flamberge remembered. "Griff, right?"

Griff nodded, confirming his identity. "Friends! We owe these people a tremendous debt. They saved our comrades during the skirmishing in Sai."

"Sai…?"

"Y'mean to tell me they're the apothecary and travelers that saved my buddies from the sands?"

"Not only that. Its thanks to these people that we could finally make peace with the outsiders. We are soldiers of Timberain, renowned for our honor! We cannot ignore this debt! Let us trust these travelers who saved us once. Let us give them the chance to save us again."

"You got it! Put down your mugs everyone, and let's get to work!"

"We're gonna save this town!"

"Thank you, Commander Griff." Castti thanked.

It wasn't long before it started raining. The soldiers of Timberain started evacuation of the citizens, escorting all to their homes for safety.

"Evacuations going good, all the citizens will be out of the rain when it turns toxic. But the only way to stop this for good, is if we find Trousseau and stop him at the source, and fast." Glimmer said.

"Hold up, bonemender!" Edmund called. "What do you and your pals think you're going?! Get inside, quick!"

"We can't stay inside. We have to stop Troussaeu, the one causing this." Hope said.

"You know where he is?!" Edmund asked.

"Castti might have an idea. Make sure to get yourself inside once everyones safe." Kendo said.

"Don't you and your pals die, bonemender." Edmund said before running off.

"Thank you, Master Edmund. We'll try." Castti said. "Now to find Trousseau."

"If he wants to spread his poison into the air, he'd have to be somewhere very high up where his dark bonfire would reach the clouds, carried by the wind." Entrapta said. "He could try the western hills, but the strong winds are going to shift northward pretty soon. Which means there's only one place he could be."

"Timberain Castle. That's where he'll be." Castti said.

"We don't have much time. Let's move!" Ichiro said.

The group rushed to Timberain castle and ascended to the very top of the ramparts. As they reached the top, they soon discovered the rain had changed color from normal drops, to a sickly dark purple.

"We're too late… The rain's already gone toxic." Sakura said.

"Trousseau… I knew we'd find you here." Castti said before she started feeling the effects of the rain. "The poison is taking hold already… Has he found a way to make his toxins more potent? Damn you, Trousseau! We're coming for you!" she said before she and the group hurried on and found Trousseau burning the purple fire on the upper platform of the tower. "Trousseau…!"

Trousseau was a young man who was dressed in robes that covered every inch of his body, protecting him from his own rain. He had a hood over his face, which was also concealed by a plague doctor's mask.

"Oh, hello there, Chief. I'm surprised to see that you're still with us. And you've made a couple new friends as well." Trousseau said.

"I owe everyone my life." Castti said.

"Well, it changes nothing. Are you all here to watch as another town is swept away by my delicious rain?" Trousseau asked.

"It's actually the opposite. We're here to stop you." Hope said.

"Yes, yes, I saw all of you guide the sheep into their hovels. Good work, round of applause. Close the windows or bar the doors, the air will still get in. As long as my precious smoke still rises, those peoples lives are forfeit." Trousseau said.

"Trousseau… I still held out hope for you. I thought that somewhere deep inside of you, the gentle man you once were still lived. But I was mistaken. Your heart is as black as the foul pestilence you spread." Castti said, as she and the Hope Squad ran up to the tower to confront Trousseau and taking their stances.

"Oh dear, are you threatening me? Aren't those hands meant to save lives, not end them?" Trousseau asked.

"We're taking you down. It's the only way to extend a helping hand to all those down below." Castti said.

"Oh, Chief… If only you had listened to his words that day. Then you would have gladly joined hands with me to bring salvation to this decaying world. Don't worry, Chief. I'll save you and your new friends too." Trousseau said.

"I'd ask if you were nuts, but there's no need to. You're already crazy! Do we look like we need your twisted version of help?" Flamberge asked.

"Castti's right. There's no redeeming you no matter what we say. There's only one thing we can do, even though we don't like it." Hope said.

"You leave us with no choice, Trousseau!" Castti said.

"To save the lives of Timberain and everybody on this continent from you…you gotta be sent straight to hell!" Akane declared.

(Cue: The Stains of Time (Maniac Agenda Mix)- Metal Geat Rising: Revengance)

Trousseau smirked under his plague mask as he held his hands out, as if inviting them to his own twisted treatment.

Healer Driven by Madness

Trousseau

As the battle began, the rain began to pick up. The group was already feeling its effects, and they knew the risks to fighting in Trousseau's own machination.

"I don't think we wanna stay in this rain any longer than we've gotta. We'd better finish his fast, or we're gonna kick it before he does." Akane said.

"He's weak to lances, axes, ice, and darkness. But watch out! He'll probably throw all sorts of deadly concoctions to poison or hinder us!" Entrapta said.

"As if we'd let him!" Frosta said as she created a bunch of floating ice crystals and launched them at Trousseau as they hit him dead on.

The mad apothecary retaliated by taking out a few flasks of hazardous concoctions, and throwing them at the group, everyone dodging to avoid their splash.

"This is one medical exam I don't want to be a part of!" Mermista said as she summoned her trident and whacked Trousseau upside the head with it.

"Why resist it? I'm only trying to save everyone from their own suffering." Trousseau said as he took out another flask and swung it at Mermista, it still in his hand, but Vashryon shot it out of his hand as it shattered.

"And what makes you think you can play god and decide who lives and dies? What kinda person did you meet back then, and what did he tell you to make you go so crazy?" Vashryon asked.

"Oh… the man I met that day truly did open my eyes. He even showed me how to create the poison rain. He showed me the truth, that the world needs to be saved from itself. That's why he showed me that book, because when I read it, the only way for humanity to be truly saved, is if it was cleansed by a source of the Shadow!" Trousseau said as he tossed out a bunch of toxic liquids, which everyone avoided.

"What you're talking about isn't salvation, it's genocide! That's not something humanity deserves to have!" Noelle said, as she casted Sea Dragon's Roar, Frosta freezing it for maximum damage.

"No! It's what humanity deserves, and I will give it to them! I'll deliver them from their own injustice!" Trousseau said as he saw Hagakure running to try and get close to blind him, and grabbed her by the arm. "Here. Let me show you what salvation really looks like! I'll start with you, a young girl who hides her body away from the wickedness from the world, yet exposes herself to to it anyway. Let me save you from this world, and let everyone see your real self in the light of day!"

"No thanks!" Hagakure said in a mix of fright and freaked out as she used her ultimate move to blind Trousseau out of instinct. His mask shielded his eyes, and he still tried to poison Hagakure anyway.

"Oh no you don't!" Lei K said, jumping into action and kicking him in the somach to make him back off. He missed a toxic spill on her as she back flipped out of the way as Hope tackled him to the ground as they wrestled on the poson soaked ground for a bit, before their grapple came to a standing position. Trousseau tried to smash a flask of prickly tonic over his head, but Hope broke free, evaded the flask's spill, and with a yell of exertion, landed a straight punch right to Trousseau's face.

Trousseau was hit so hard in response, his plague mask broke as he was knocked off his feet and tumbled on the ground, stopping close to his black bonfire. When he got up, he became exposed to his own rain, as his hood was down and his mask completely destroyed, exposing his face as he tried to cover up his disheveled face with his right hand.

"Why… why won't any of you understand?! Think of the pain of losing the one you love…the horror of knowing that one day you will die. What worth is there in a life painted with pain and bitter regret?!" the mad apothecary asked.

"Life may have its painful moments… but there's always hope. The hope to end pointless conflit… the hope to tell your daughter how much you care…" Castti replied. "It is our mission as apothecaries to ensure that everyone lives long enough for their hopes to become reality. Even if it costs us our own lives."

"Ahh, Chief… look at you and your friends. So filled with futile suffering. Let me extend my hand to you and offer you all salvation." Trousseau said.

(Music Shift: Jena Anderson- Astral Chain)

"We already told you, we aren't looking to be granted your twisted form of saving people!" Flamberge said.

"It's too late to change your minds. I'll cleanse the taint on all of you, this town, on everyone… with the sweet purity of death!" Trousseau declared. "Now…Die! Die die die die!" he demanded, laughing manically.

"Yep, it's official. He's lost his marbles." Mermista said.

"It's way past time you learned what real hurt feels like!" Roxas said.

"Perish already!" Trousseau said, launching a spoiled substance which everyone nearly avoided being poisoned by.

"He's got more weaknesses! We can now hit him with swords, staves, and lightning!" Entrapta said.

"Finally!" Flamberge said as she and the other sword users charged in. Trousseau tried to impede their progress with all sorts of hazardous substances, most of which they avoided, or cut straight through. Flamberge was able to burn most of them away, despite getting hit a little herself. "The pain is worth it to hit you!" she said, giving Trousseau a major flaming slash across the chest.

Sakura and Gemini followed up by synching their sword strikes with their katanas and hitting him back and forth, and Adora joined in with a big strike using the Sword of Protection.

Troussseau stumbled back a little before he gave a menacing glare and started mixing together lots of hazardous chemicals. "More… Need more poison…!"

"He's trying to make a mega mixture!" Entrapta said.

"Stop him, Roxas!" Ichiro said.

"Thunder!" Roxas called, causing lightning to strike Trousseau. Ichiro then charged straight in and followed up with a lightning infused double sword strike, making him stumble back and leaving him open.

Castti, not wanting to leave her friends with the burden of killing someone, charged forth, and laid the final blow herself, cutting down Trousseau with a swing of her axe as he was forced down onto his back.

(end song)

After Trousseau had been incapacitated, Mermista and Noelle quickly doused the black bonfire. But after the arduous battle they had, they were running out of strength, as the torrent of toxicity was finally taking hold on them.

Ichiro coughed. "We're not going to last much longer…! Castti! You have to make the cure for this poison rain, quickly!"

"I know, Ichiro… we need a Miracle cure…" Castti said, pulling out the snowdrops flower form her satchel. "Snowdrops… the flower Malaya gave me. But… this poison rain afflicts people with so many disparate ill effects. It seems impossible to create one medicine to cure them all.. And yet.. I must.. I'm the only one… who can do…it…" her consciousness started to slip away…

"You can do it, Castti! We believe in you!" Hope said, snapping her back. "You said it yourself….there's always hope, and that's what I've always believed in, from the very start! And I believe you can make that cure, there's no doubt in my mind!"

"That medicine you need can be made! You just need to mix in all those ingredients we found over the course of our journey together! The ones that helped you save the lives we met, remember?!" Adora said.

"You're right…I already have everything I need." Castti remembered. "Purebalm, Scalebark Leaf, Skybalm, Santanejo Blossom, and Snowdrop petals." she said as she mixed it. "I've never made any medicine like this before. There's no guarantee it will work…or that it's safe."

"Then let's test it. Use it on yourself, and one of us." Shoji said.

"Do me first… I've kinda been exposed the most to this rain anyway." Hagakure said.

"Alright, here we go, Hagakure." Castti said as she spread the medicine over the both of them. "Respiration, steady. The bleeding is slowing, too… I can feel the numbness fading as well. And of greatest import, the black swellings are gone. All the symptoms are cured!"

"Awesome! Now cure us!" Flamberge said.

Castti quickly did so, spreading her medicine all over the group. As she did that, Trousseau came to in his final moments.

"So.. cold…I've watched so many die… time and time again…" he said. "Heh.. so this.. Is what death feels like. Of course… this is it… Salvation…"

"Trousseau…" Castti said.

"How's it feel, Chief? To take a life?" Trousseau asked.

"I had to extend one hand to take a life in order to save a thousand with the other." Castti said.

"Hah. You haven't changed a whit, Chief. Not since I first met you… You… haven't… changed at all…" Trousseau said. "But in this vast graveyard of decay… how long… can you remain… the same?"

And it was at that moment that Trousseau finally succumbed to his wounds and the poison of his own rain, collapsing to his death as the rain returned to normal.

"Don't worry Castti." Hope said. "We knew someone who crossed the line and changed…. But I know for a fact that what you did was the right choice. You'll never end up like a hero I knew in another world, another dimension."

"Thank you, Hope." Castti said.

"Let's head back down to town. There are probably some people who didn't get out of the rain in time. That's your cue to work." Hope said.

And so, Castti went about all over Timberain, administering her medicine to all those who were afflicted by the poison rain. After a good hard rest for her efforts, Timberain was back to normal, and the coronation resumed the very next day.

Castti was relieved as a certain journalist came up to her and her group.

"Excuse me, are you the apothecary and her companions everyone is talking about?" Ori asked.

"We are, but… who are you?" Sakura asked.

"Ah, I'm a scrivener. I write stories for a gazette, the Delsta times. I hear you people saved the lives of all the good people of Timberain. Do any of you have a message to share with the world?" Ori asked.

"You say we saved them?" Castti said. "No. It wasn't just us. It was all of us. Eir's apothecaries."

"Heh. So what, we're part of Eir's apothecaries now?" Catra asked.

"We might as well be, having traveled with Castti for this long." Hope said.

"Y'know hope, I think we'd be pretty good at this medicine makin' stuff if we try." Gemini said.

"Don't joke, Gemini. Lot of us are fighters. Besides, we already have all the healers our whole alliance needs." Hope said.

"Oh, really?" a voice asked as time froze around Hope. "I'd think you'd make an excellent apothecary, Jonah Ginova."

"Well, I'd know that voice anywhere." Hope smiled. "It's good to hear from you again, Lord Dohter."

"Yes. Good to hear from you as well. You did well, slaying that apostle of the dark one." Dohter said.

"Apostle?" Hope asked.

"Yes. He and seven others plot to revive an enemy I and the other gods vanquished long ago." Dohter said. "But note he was pure until someone corrupted him. You must be wary of that."

"Yeah, Trousseau mentioned someone said something to him a long time ago to drive him crazy. He must also be in on this scheme." Hope said. "Though if I can ask, Lord Dohter… why did you choose my group to accompany Castti?"

"I didn't make that choice. You chose yourself." Dohter said.

"I did?" Hope asked.

"Yes. You did. As for why I am here, I came to bestow a gift. Although, you already possess the powers of an Apothecary, I had to settle for something else." Dohter said as a glow surrounded Hope. "The powers of a Conjurer. With these skills, you now have the ability to bestow your allies with the powers of the elements."

"That's right up my alley. Thank you, Lord Dohter." Hope said.

"Think nothing of it. It is why I am called The Charitable." Dohter said. "Now, there is a place you must go to reunite with all of your allies. I believe you already know of it."

"That campsite near Cropdale. Jexi told me about it." Hope said. "Huh…now that I think of it…wonder how that old boar is doing. I should see him before going to that site." he muttered as he noticed time had once again resumed.

"What're you talking to yourself for, Hope?" Glimmer asked.

"Sorry, I was just thinking aloud. Say, you guys up for going back to the Leaflands after we finish celebrating here?" Hope asked.

"Sure, but why?" Kaibara said.

"There's someone we need to see before we all get back together." Hope said.