We've officially reached the point I was at when I first posted this story. Not much else to say except that it's more Lake Trio POV.

I was aiming to stick far away from all the drama and keep to myself as I had so skillfully managed at the last meeting. Turns out having eyes that can wipe someone's memories if you look directly into them is a very useful weapon to make someone leave you alone. Especially with that frustrating rumor that I had a habit of 'forgetting to keep em closed'. It left me as a rather undesirable companion. It was far from the end of the world for me, for the most part I preferred the time to myself.

Still I needed to make certain someone knew I was here. Low and behold sitting right at the one spot I was guaranteed was one of the two individuals I was hoping to avoid. I honestly wasn't certain which one was worse. Mesprit just as quickly motioned for me to follow her.

I was hesitant to accept her offer, but I just could not stand seeing Mesprit in such a state. I was probably walking right into one of her schemes. At this point I had just come to accept it as a part of being around her. This was certainly a trap of some kind.

We were certainly in a secluded part of the island. I couldn't sense a single recognizable soul for miles. Mesprit remained quiet, yet I could feel her stare. She was undoubtedly reading my emotions again. I never quite understood why she did that so often. At the very least this was a nice spot to read once her scheme concluded.

"OK, I'll bite. Where is Azelf?" She replied in a rather exhausted tone. "No idea, probably using a bowl of cheetos as a pillow." That was oddly straightforward. "Then…what exactly are you planning?" What she said next was the one thing I never would have expected from Mesprit. "Nothing." I instinctively refused to believe any of that. Mesprit always has something up her sleeve, and it usually resulted in me cleaning up the mess that followed. "Look, I know you probably don't believe me, but I kinda wanna just relax for this meeting. Promise" Her tone did not carry the usual tone that hid any of the usual double meanings. Perhaps I was a fool to fall for her stunts so many times, but in this instance I was inclined to believe what she had to say. "I…believe you."

I suddenly felt her pull me into a hug. I was hesitant to return the action. Mesprit since the day I met her has always been trying to force the three of us to get along. It was a rather fruitless endeavor. In no small part because of how often I refused to be friendly. I must have been to blame for why she had become so defeated now. I never realized just how much I'd miss having her around to try and brighten my day until she abruptly disappeared from it. So I returned her hug and once again spoke freely. "I missed you." I could feel her grip tighten around me and a subtle whimper from the back of her throat. She needed to hear that more than I could have imagined.

She let go shortly after, "Hey so… if you ever wanna talk about what's going on or have any questions about emotions in general. Don't be afraid to ask." I gave her a quick nod, "I will, thank you…". If things ended up going as poorly as I expected they would I could take comfort in one thing. That bond I had not even realized I shared with Mesprit improved. She began to float away, stopping right as she reached the bushes with one last request before leaving me to my books. "Do try to talk to Azelf…for all our sakes" Her voice had a new pulse to it. Still drained, but revitalized. A massive improvement to how she was doing earlier.

I gave her a curt nod, "Right… I'll try." She hummed softly and marked her disappearance with the rustling of the surrounding foliage. I waited until I was sure she was out of earshot before my next action. I slumped against one of the nearby trees and let out all that anxiety that has been building since I learned about this dreadful meeting in one exasperated breath. Oh Arceus I was so relieved to hear that she had nothing planned. I do not think I could handle two straight weeks of her trying to play matchmaker with Azelf and I. On another matter entirely, what the devil happened to her anyways? Barely a month ago she was the same determined sprite I have known since the beginning of my existence. Perhaps I could ask her later, give her an ear if she would permit it.

Though I know what I easily dreaded more than any of Mesprit's insane gambits were the other half of said plans. Even if I was not thrilled about the idea. Talking to Azelf might be for the best. If for no other reason than to just get the inevitable crushing pain over with. Preferably out here where no one else would see me acting so irrationally. Then I could go to Mesprit for advice.

I had not realized until now just how badly my body was shaking. I needed to read and fast. I had to calm my nerves before I acted rashly again. Once I accomplish that, I would have to find and speak with Azelf.

Well that went better than I expected. We finally had a real talk in what felt like years. To my surprise beneath all his skepticism and paranoia. He was genuinely happy to see me. It eased that lingering pain ever so slightly.

With any luck it would be that easy to settle things with Azelf. As if to prove just how daunting a task that was going to be, a new wave of emotions struck.

An overpowering burning anger. All common sense had been completely overwritten and in a single motion I punched a hole through one of the trees next to me. It creaked and splintered slowly falling to the forest floor. "Ow…" I clenched my sore hand. Hoping I didn't break it. It was rare, but if someone's emotional state was so intense I would be completely overwhelmed. This anger had grown familiar to me over the years. It usually manifested when one too many smart ass comments from Uxie set off Azelf's incredibly short fuse. Though more recently just being around me seemed to be a means of setting it off early.

Rubbing the pain out of my still aching fist I turned to where I could feel that relentless fury. "Well… I suppose that means Azelf is here…"

True enough I spotted her not long after I left Uxie's hiding spot. She was all alone, clenching and unclenching her fists and floating back and forth. Muttering foul words beneath her breath.

Her attention turned to me the second she felt my presence. She didn't miss a beat, she darted and was right in my face and fuming. "Mesprit I swear to Arceus if you lock me in a room with him I will burn this entire island down, consequences be damned!" I tried to back up to make a bit of space, but she just as quickly closed the distance. "I mean it Mesprit, don't test me!" I wasn't going to do that anyways, but I suppose this way would be easier for Azelf to believe I was taking a step away from her relationship with Uxie. So I held up both of my paws, continuing to back away, and did my best to convey that I was intimidated by her. "Message received."

She held her glare for what felt like an eternity, trying to burn her message into my very soul. Her expression didn't change at all for an unsettlingly long time. Her emotions slowly softened to my presence. She lost the fury in her eyes and grinned at me. I was equally grateful to see her smile and worried for my well being. Her smiling was rarely good news for anyone.

"Good! Now let's get something to eat, because I am starving!" She grabbed me by the tails and dragged me all the way to where Jirachi had been hard at work meeting the demands for all fourty plus members. "H-hey! I can fly on my own!"

She ignored my protests, dragging me all the way to grab whatever food fancied her interests. I could feel how much joy my protests gave her. There it was, that petty revenge she felt would make us even.

My tails were still sore from how long Azelf had dragged me along, but the sweet, delicious chocolate was doing wonders to make me forget all about that. Arceus saw to it that a chocolate fountain was included this year. I can only imagine how many of us had to beg for her to bring it after so many instances of Mew sabotaging or stealing them. Azelf never had a taste for it. I honestly never understood why. Oh well, just meant I could enjoy it all to myself while it was just the two of us.

She sat next to me, eyes closed and face scrunched. She was in a deep train of thought. One I had every intention of leaving her in if it meant more sweets to enjoy. Sadly she placed a firm paw on my shoulder and that same bone chilling glare had returned. "So what the hell were you doing all alone in the forest?" I briefly considered telling her I was alone with Uxie. Every single one of my survival instincts screamed how bad of an idea that would be. "Would you believe me if I said I was hiding from you?" She raised her brow and held an unimpressed glare. "If you could see how scary you are, you would do the same." She agreed with the reason, but maintained her stone cold glare. She still wasn't buying it. She knew me a little too well for that. A savior came in the form I never in a million years would have expected. Azelf's best friend and partner in crime, Mew. He darted into the room flying around her as fast as he possibly could. Happily announcing he was free.

He stopped flying around Azelf. Settling on hugging her as tightly as his tiny arms possibly could. "AZZY! AZZY! AZZY!" He just kept chanting her name, to her growing frustration. He wasn't even experiencing a sugar rush, he was just happy to see her.

Celebi quietly sat next to me. How can she even tolerate that much energy? Especially when his hyperactivity used to cause her nothing but headaches. "OFF!" Azelf's shout was all it took for him to dart back to Celebi.

"Just here to deliver a message. Everyone is here so Arceus is gonna make her group announcements soon." As soon as she delivered it her tiny wings buzzed ferociously and she rushed back to the chocolate fountain with Mew in her arms.

Translation, go make sure Uxie is present so he doesn't get in trouble for being absent, again. In the past we would have left him to receive those consequences. Things were far easier back then, "I'll let him know." Azelf refocused her glare following me out leaving the two luvdiscs to marvel over the lovely chocolate fountain.

"You wanted to know why I was in the forest. He's got a hiding spot in there." She folded her arms at me with a face that read, 'was it really that hard to admit?'. I put a paw to my chin. "I guess I can just leave him in his hiding spot. Let Ar-Ar think up some kind of punishment for him. Y'know like the good ol' days~" The very notion of Uxie in trouble set off a particular switch. One that directed all of her murderous fury towards the source trying to bring harm to him, it was always worth it for the reaction. Even if it meant that vicious fury was now directed entirely at me

"DON'T YOU DARE!" She was right in my face again, seething ferociously. I grinned at her in spite of the danger I was in. She had taken this bait more times than either of us cared to count in recent years. Just as quickly her face turned a bright shade of crimson and she slowly backed away. "You wanna see him~" If she had the means to flip me off in her current form there is no doubt in my mind that is what she would be doing at this exact moment. So instead she just nodded and folded her arms even more tightly around herself.

"Come on. I'm sure he'll be happy to see you." She was muttering foul language under her breath, but I could hear a very distinctive 'He better…'. In the years I had spent trying to get these two together I had picked up on the exact buttons Uxie liked to push to get a rise out of Azelf. In that time I had come around to why Uxie found such enjoyment in the act. Azelf's rage when in its most undignified form was absolutely hysterical to witness.

I wasn't sure what to expect seeing him again. I shouldn't have been so nervous. I was the being of will and this was something as simple as a formal greeting. He wasn't even doing anything out of the ordinary. He was just doing what he always did, read in isolation.

Safe to say I was not expecting to find him hiding in a small bunker made entirely out of his books. Mesprit voiced her confusion for the both of us. "Uxie, why are you literally surrounded by books?" His muffled voice echoed from within his shelter. "I can keep my eyes open like this." Mesprit turned to look at me and both of us blinked. That… made too much sense. Mesprit spoke up again. "Sorry to interrupt your reading, but everybody is here now and Ar-Ar is getting ready to make her announcements." A loud groan escaped his fortress and the small novel bunker began to make an exit for him. He floated upwards stretching from however long he spent reading in solitude.

He felt my presence now that those books weren't dulling his senses. The moment he realized it was me he let out a frightened yelp and ducked back inside his book bunker. "Mesprit you said you wouldn't!"

"Relax Helmet Head. I'm just making sure she behaves herself." Mesprit's voice cracked in response to that one. "Who do I look like? Mew?!" I could hear Uxie snickering at Mesprit's exasperated state. He slowly poked his head back out now clutching one of his books. He always did that when he was feeling distressed. Mesprit leaned closer to his book to which he tried to pull it farther away from her.

"Whatcha reading? Looks like another romance book~" His face turned as red as the gem on his forehead and his protective grip on the book tightened even further. Mesprit turned to face me grinning, "He totally is!" I rolled my eyes, but conceded I was at least interested in one thing now. What romance could possibly be good enough for Uxie to read? "That book any good?" His face lit up and gleefully flipped open to where he had left off. Spinning around to read the excerpt in the happiest tone I have ever heard from him.

"'I held his muscular chiseled jaw in my fickle fingers. Our lips crashed once again, tongues clashing in our forbidden passion. The sky sang with the euphoric harmony of our mutual desires that followed. Outperforming the lucky wingulls' in attendance.' The entire book is written like this." He announced that last bit, turning back to face us with his eyes closed. Well… that was certainly an interesting bit to listen to.

"Why are you reading that? And if you say it's for 'research' I am going to burn that book!" Mesprit's indignant voice nearly cracked again from her frustration. He grinned widely at us, setting the book on top of his small bunker. "I found a certain amusement to reading something so terrible, it's quite fun if I am honest. If that settles everything then shall we depart?" Yeah, I'm certain he was having a lot of fun with that book. Mesprit was still less than thrilled by the revelation that Uxie was reading such a passionate romance novel. She hastily took the lead guiding us back to the others while I stuck to the back with Uxie.

It was painfully silent between the two of us. Arceus why can't I just say something to him! Thankfully he broke the ice first. "How have you been lately?" That's about as good a start as I could get. Might as well take it. "Fine, I guess. I mean, Mew's been dropping by whenever Celebi isn't looking. So that's been cool." He let out a warm hum, "I will keep that secret for you." He shared with me how Celebi has been visiting him to just talk about books. "Guess I got you to thank for keeping her from getting jealous." He simply nodded, "I suppose that is true." He gave me a cheeky grin, Arceus he was actually going to make me say it. "You're insufferable…" He let out a happy chime in response to that and an overly giddy, "You are welcome~".

It was slow, but it snowballed rapidly. We were talking, it wasn't even close to the vitriolic arguments we used to share. In an odd way it was preferable. Uxie so rarely let his guard down, especially when speaking to me. I wanted so badly to tell him. To bare everything to him. Yet all that internal taunting about how weak willed I was rang true in this instance. I couldn't bring myself to share how I felt with him.

I swear Mesprit must have taken the long way back, because it felt like Uxie and I got to talk for hours on this trek through the woods. I guess I really would needed to thank her for that if it was true.

The Lake Trio finally get the chance to speak with each other. Surprisingly they actually seem to have put most of their issues to the side for the time being.

As always have a good day and please leave a review.