Chapter 90 – Incomplete Memories

Today had been interesting. The day before, Owen had been running for his life and afterlife from a creature that had been dwarfed only by the plateaus. And this morning, he had been awakened rudely from a very cozy nap in a very cozy bed. And now, probably still morning, yet it felt like an eternity, he was talking to Marshadow, who not only claimed to know him in some distant past… but also Gahi.

Three distinct snapping noises in front of Owen's face brought him back to reality. "Huh? What?"

"I said," Marshadow repeated, "how much did yeh ferget?"

"How can I know how much I—hey, do you know someone called Manny?"

"Eh?"

"Manny. He talks just like you."

"Eh. No clue."

Owen grumbled. "Maybe it really is an ancient accent."

"Oy, who has an accent?"

"Nobody!" Owen said, stiffening, but then he saw Marshadow's playful smirk.

"Nah, I get it."

Owen deflated and took another bite of bread, sorting through his thoughts. He had so much to ask, but at this point, he had a good feeling that Marshadow wasn't going to answer. Still… his hopeless optimism made him try anyway. "How do you know me?"

"Well, it's probably not gonna ring any bells until they come back ter yeh," Marshadow said, "but sure. Didn't really know yeh all that much, jus' by proxy when we got t'gether fer parties and all that. Unfortunately, ehh… that part o' my memory's also pretty shot. Been too long, had too many bad encounters, y'know how it is. I do know yeh were real close with us, though. Scaled Destiny Tower, and next thing we know, we've got a giant Charizard among us, heh."

Owen was so glad he had experience with Manny. Gahi's accent was thin, but Marshadow's…

"So you're saying," Owen said, "that I used to go to… parties with Pokémon like you? And I was—giant?"

"Yeppers." Marshadow nodded, scratching under his chin. "Dunno which Pokémon were at those parties, though. Just you, I remember real well, fer some reason."

"And what about Gahi?" Owen asked. "You said you knew him."

"Fer a bit. Taught him how ter fight fer some mission he had. Had a few folks who were students like that…"

"Like Manny?"

Marshadow shrugged. "What species?"

"Lucario."

Marshadow perked up. "Y'know, now that yeh mention it…"

Owen nodded. That much made sense. Manny was Marshadow's student, somehow? Yet Manny had no memory of it—or at least, he certainly would have mentioned something this substantial…

"I'm still trying to sort through my memories," Owen said. "Maybe when I get more, I can start piecing it together. Don't really know what good it'll do me, but…" He sighed, finding these thoughts to be going in a circle. He wouldn't go anywhere by just thinking about what he didn't know. "Marshadow, do you know why I was associated with you guys?"

"Y'know, fer someone who doesn't remember, yer takin' this real well."

"I—well…" He had a point. "Look," Owen brought a few claws over his closed eyes. "Just two or three moons ago or whatever, I didn't even believe in gods. Then I met Star and she turned me into a plant—I mean, er, a Grass-type."

"Star. Mew Star?"

Owen nodded, and Marshadow smiled fondly. Owen didn't.

"I've been going through enough lately that I don't think this is too hard to believe anymore," Owen said. "What I want to know is why this was hidden from me, and who did it."

"Fer all we know, that was Dark Matter 'mself. How else are all the Legends down 'ere, barely recognizing each other?"

"All?"

"Well, nah, not all," Marshadow said. "I mean, tons're unaccounted fer. But figure since yeh said Mew Star, that's one. Then there's Arceus, figure he ain't stuck 'ere. Eh, dunno af'er that."

"Zygarde and Lugia," Owen said immediately.

"'Ey, ain't that somethin'!" Marshadow grinned and nodded. "Well, ain't that a relief. Okay, here's the deal. Most of us don't remember anythin' about other Legends in Kilo. Like history was just totally cut off fer us. Ter me? Sounds like a Decree."

"I was just about to say," Owen agreed, arms crossed. "So Star and Barky might've made a Decree to hide—"

Marshadow's face had suddenly contorted into a valiant effort to hide his laugh.

"What?"

"Barky? He really goin' by that?"

"I think Star calls him that, and nobody really listens when he corrects her."

For some reason, this left Marshadow trying even harder to stop from laughing. "Haaah! Lookit that! Always had a stick up his white tail. Guess someone's really startin' ter cut'm down ter size."

"Right." Owen tried to find a nice way to refocus the topic. This guy was all over the place… "The Decree, Marshadow. Do you think that's what made everyone forget you guys?"

"I mean, it's been a while," Marshadow said. "Maybe we were just lost o'er time. And here in the Voidlands, maybe we jus' lost those memories. Still, there is one thing I know fer sure." Marshadow leaned back, thoughtful, his eyes suddenly serious. Serious enough that Owen was thrown off, wondering if he'd suddenly become a different personality. "I remember you weren't under Star er Barky. And I remember those two fer sure. Maybe they're just important memories, y'know, since they're above me 'n all that."

He could understand that intuitively. Could a Decree hide away the gods of gods? Yet, if he wasn't beneath either of them…

"The third one," Marshadow said. "That's who you were under. At least, that's my deduction."

"Deduction…" Owen frowned, scaly brow furrowing. "So this is like all the other Legends. You don't remember, but you know they exist just because of those empty parts of your memory." Third god?

"Yeh." Marshadow waved in the air absently. "And he was strong. Maybe jus' as strong as Star 'n Barks. Any time I think about'm, I feel… brightness. That's all I remember."

"Brightness…"

"The third god, dunno what to call'm," Marshadow said. "Ev'n that was lost. But it's just… bright. Has to do with the Z-Crystals, too."

Owen paused. "Which has to do with the Orbs, maybe? But I thought those were the Plates of Arceus…"

"Eh? Plates?"

"Yeah." Owen motioned to the table and traced out squares. "Arceus made plates of every element, which helped to contain and harness his own power, or something like that."

Marshadow tilted his head, humming. "Every element?"

"Um, yeah?"

"Includin' Normal?"

"I mean, he had to, right?"

"Huh." Marshadow shrugged. "Dunno. Vaguely recall he never made a Normal plate since that's jus' how he was by default. Never had a use."

"Well, we know the Normal Guardian, who had the Normal Orb," Owen said, wondering how ADAM was doing. If he lost his memories, could they just perform some kind of… what did ADAM call it… system restore?

Marshadow snapping his fingers brought Owen back to attention. "Dunno about a Normal plate, but there're definitely Normal Z-Crystals. If these Guardians er whatever're related ter that, an' you can sense Z-Crystals, maybe those Orbs came from the third god. The one we fergot…"

"Forgot…" Would Star and Barky have kept this hidden from him, too? A third god…

"Can I ask yeh somethin'?"

"Uh?"

"You loved usin' Protect," Marshadow said. "C'n yeh do it now?"

That was an odd request, but it was harmless enough. Stepping away from the table, Owen widened his stance and crossed his arms—which earned an amused smile from Marshadow that he ignored—and a golden shield formed around him.

"Yep," Marshadow said. "Yer the same Owen alright. Turn around."

"Okay, but why?" Owen asked, turning. "Why am I the same Owen?"

"Gold Protect," Marshadow said simply. "That's th' mark o' the third god. And speakin' o' marks…" Marshadow pointed at Owen's back, but he couldn't tell what Marshadow was pointing at. "That splotch yeh got there…"

"Oh, that's just a birthmark. I think it came from when I was first creat—" But he wasn't created. "You're not telling me this splotch has to do with this third god, do you?"

"It's kinda blurry," Marshadow admitted, squinting, "but apparently it's a mark left behind if yeh wanna be his student. Eight-sided star, longer on th' cardinal directions… Maybe y'were in training? Either that er yeh kept it fer sentimental reasons. Looks like a splotch ter most, but I recognize the design anywhere." Marshadow produced a badge with the same mark, but with a more angular, defined design that wasn't distorted by scales or flesh.

"Gahi has the same," Owen trailed off.

"He does, eh? Well, y'two were pretty close."

"Is it really that noticeable?" Owen asked worriedly. "That's not going to draw attention to me, is it?"

"Nah. It's real faded. Blends in with yer wings real nicely, too. Somethin' tells me th' third god ain't keen on bein' flashy."

For some reason, Owen felt the need to groan, but suppressed it. There was a joke in there, and the deepest recesses of his mind told him as much, but he couldn't remember why, Still...

Something was still not settling right with him. This entire concept of a third god, something that Star and Barky were both unaware of. By now he would have seen some sign, any sign, that he existed before now. Why did he not have a Book like the other two did? Surely someone would have known about that. And, more importantly, he would have known if Star was lying about the Orbs' true origins by now.

Yes, she'd lied before. And so did Barky. But he'd seen through their deception before, and this felt…

"I don't think it's a Decree from either of them," Owen concluded. "Something else erased the third god from history. What if Dark Matter did it, somehow?"

"If Dark Matter has the power ter make Decrees, we're dead," Marshadow said.

Owen stared.

"…Deader."

"Mm." This was all a lot to take in, but he supposed it was better now than later. But he also didn't know how much of what Marshadow was telling him was the truth or not. There was nothing to add up because this gap in his memory was still a total blank.

He didn't want his head filled with too many falsehoods again. Could he risk it?

Owen was starting to wonder why this strange Voidlands existed at all. If Dark Matter was so strong that he could claim Guardians, why was he here? What was keeping him from just killing them all now? It didn't make sense. There was something they were missing.

"You alright?" Marshadow asked.

"Yeah," Owen said, nodding.

"Yer tail says otherwise," Marshadow pointed a finger at the flickering ember.

If he could, he'd've cut his tail off by now. "Sorry, I'm still a little… stressed from all this information. Maybe I'll ask more later, but right now, I just need and see if I actually remember all that. You know, to confirm it." He shouldn't have said that last part.

"Confirm?" Marshadow said. "Y'don't believe me?"

He really should have stopped a sentence earlier. Scrambling, but still looking as calm as he could, he added, "Just—you know, so I have the details straight. Even you don't remember everything, right?"

Marshadow was still looking at Owen's tail. If only he could go Grass, but that power felt so far away from him now. He wasn't ready for an interrogation. Marshadow was too strong. He could punch him into a red paste if he wanted.

"Alright." Marshadow shrugged. "Fair's fair." He reached forward and offered another piece of bread. "Hey, don't ferget ter eat. Ain't doing that enough."

"Oh." At least that was true. Reaching for it, Owen said, "Thank—"

Xerneas sat across an oversized red-and-white blanket, sticking his nose in the air defiantly. Yveltal, next to him, teasingly offered a spoonful of curry with her massive wing-claws dwarfing the utensil. Owen was taller than them both while they were all seated in a circle. Mew was lying on top of a Psychic bubble, while a strange, bipedal feline of some kind stared at it in fascination. He was new to the group, Owen remembered: Mewtwo, a name based on the Pokémon he'd been based on.

Arceus, who only went up to Xerneas' shins, trotted next to the second Mew-like creature and rammed into the bubble, popping it. Mew shrieked and landed on Arceus' back, who bucked and tossed her onto the top of his head. Mew sighed, smiling, and rubbed Arceus between his eyes.

"Hey," Jirachi said, floating high to get at eye-level with Owen. "What's wrong? You aren't eating."

"Oh, sorry," Owen replied, reaching down.

Jirachi already had a piece of bread the size of his head in front of Owen.

"Oh."

"Here, at least eat something."

"What's got you so worried?" called a voice from behind Owen—Mesprit, concerned as always. Behind him, on another blanket set up, were Mesprit, Azelf, and Uxie. Azelf was busy wrestling with Uxie for the last dumpling, and something about that made Owen's heart flutter.

"Charizard?" Mesprit asked again.

"Eh? Owen?" Azelf looked back. Too slow: Uxie snatched the dumpling and gobbled it down before Azelf had a chance to react. She then smirked and disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Azelf to grumble to himself.

"It's just evals," Owen admitted. "A lot of people had wishes, and, well…"

"Hey, no rush," Jirachi said. "I probably grant too many anyway! Let's take it easy. You can take off the Wishkeeper hat for a day, can't you?"

"Hmm, overworking will only make you less efficient," Palkia commented, though he was barely paying any attention, his face nearly pressed against the pages of an oversized book. He dipped a spoon in the air in front of him and drew some stew from the bowl by his side.

"You won't be at your best if you never rest, Owen," said a large Goodra across the blanket. "Why don't you spend a day reading one of those action books of yours?"

"C-c'mon, Madeline," Owen begged, trying with no luck to look smaller. "I can still keep it up, no problem! I—"

Jirachi used a burst of Psychic energy to jettison the bread into Owen's maw.

Marshadow was repeating Owen's name calmly, but not without a hint of concern, while he held Owen's chest. Had he fallen forward?

"What?" Owen mumbled, ignoring a new, splitting headache.

"You alright? You looked vacant fer a sec, then fell."

"I'm fine," Owen said quickly. "Just… had some memories suddenly hit me."

"What'd you see?"

"…A lot of… A lot of you." Owen sighed. "Sorry. I guess maybe some of what you're saying is true."

"Just some, eh?" Marshadow said with an amused smirk.

Owen wondered if he knew how awkward it was for him to ask that kind of question. Perhaps even more awkward was his answer: "Yeah, just some."

Marshadow's smile faltered for an instant. "Geez," he murmured. "What'd they do to you up there?"

He didn't want to answer right now. He looked down and started to eat at his bread, and Marshadow got the signal. Physically backing away, he settled and pulled out a badge, flipping through the screen it displayed idly.

It just then occurred to Owen how silent the room was. So quiet that when the cooling device rumbled—the sound of ice being made—he jumped and stared at it with wide eyes. Composing himself again, he hoped his jumpiness wouldn't be a sign of guilt, and tried to think of something to say. Anything. Anything!

"So uh," Owen said.

And then nothing followed.

Marshadow waited patiently. Yet that was even worse. If he could just move things along and have some mercy, but no, the silence was already eating into Owen's heart.

"Zena," Owen suddenly blurted.

"Eh?"

Finally, something to grasp onto. "How is Zena doing? I—I want to see her."

"Eh. Feebas, yeah. See, thing is, we kinda have ter observe yeh guys fer a few days, make sure y'ain't Void Shadows in disguise."

"Well, I'm not," Owen said. "You can tell that, right?"

"Th' Protect proves it," Marshadow confirmed. "Void Shadows have black shields."

"Well, I can sense that Zena's Zena, too. I don't know for Jerry, but he was with me for days. Everyone who was with me should be safe."

"Well, ain't you in a rush," Marshadow commented, frowning. "Look, those scouts're gonna be lookin' high an' low fer Ralts, so—"

"I still want to help. And there's still so much I need to do, I—there are still a lot of friends out there that probably need my help. I need to get back to Kilo. I need to stop Dark Matter. I mean—I can't just stay here!"

But the more passionately Owen talked, the deeper Marshadow's frown became. In response, Owen tried to hide his frustration, and instead said, "At least let me out of this room so I can get familiar with the place. And—and Zena, too. And Jerry."

"Yer askin' a lot fer someone who ain't even done with eval," Marshadow remarked.

"I'm important to you, aren't I?" Owen said. "Maybe I won't cooperate if I feel like I'm not being treated properly."

He had no idea where that came from. The momentum of his passion combined with the strange, casual nature of Marshadow's behavior, and finally the sheer scope of what he'd just been told… And now he said something that he was going to regret. In that split-second, his flame dimmed, his breath stopped, and he wondered if he could backpedal. Then the flame returned.

Not this time.

"Teamwork is all about cooperating," Owen said. "I'll cooperate, but you already know I'm safe. It's not helping anyone to keep me in this room."

All the while, Marshadow watched with a stony expression that defied his wispy body. Impossible to read, perhaps even with his Perceive. He wore a smile, but a neutral one, and unlike Owen, Marshadow's shadowy flames allowed no giveaway to his mood.

"Guess I was wrong," Marshadow remarked. "You changed more'n I thought." He clicked his tongue and hopped off his seat, hands behind his back, and paced toward the wall. Pressing a button, Marshadow said, "That food still coming?"

"Yes! Very soon."

"Great. Move it ter Feebas' room instead."

"Feebas, sir?"

"Yeah. We're gonna go there next."

Owen blinked, a cold wave of relief rushing down his back. Did he just say that? So stunned, the Charmander didn't rise from the table.

Marshadow looked back, jerking his head toward the door. "Well?" He snapped his fingers, and Owen heard several devices turn on within the room. Surveillance was enabled again. "Yeh got me convinced. Yer safe. Now you can help me eval Zena, and maybe Aerodactyl. But if he ain't a seer, he's gonna have ter go through the normal eval process. Can't compromise on that."

Owen wanted to protest, to pull for even more, but he had taken far too many unreasonable risks and demands with Marshadow to begin with. He nodded, trying his hardest to break the habit of bowing submissively, even slightly.

"Bah, relax," Marshadow said, waving. "Hmph. There's th' old Owen."

"Stop comparing me to—me! At least give me some time to come to terms with everything!"

"Oh, now it's hitting you?"

"I don't know." Owen rubbed his forehead. One thing at a time. So many things were swirling in his head that he had to compartmentalize it. He wondered if returning to therapy was on the table. Did the Voidlands have therapists? Did the therapists here need therapists?

"Oy." Marshadow snapped his fingers yet again, bringing him back to the void.

"Sorry."

"I'm gonna walk ya to Feebas' place. Then I'll give yeh two some privacy while I sort out some paperwork."

Marshadow went for the door and Owen followed after a few seconds of hesitation. There was something different about Marshadow compared to the other authorities he'd dealt with before. His parents, Eon, Star, and even Anam—it always felt like they were keeping the whole truth from him. Yet Marshadow, despite his name, seemed like the one who had shed the most light to his past in a single conversation.

Too bad he still had no idea what it all meant.

Feeling guilty for being so harsh on him, Owen followed in silence, trying to find something to say while they walked along the obsidian-like halls.

"I, um," Owen started, stopped, and then continued, "how are things in this village, anyway? You're the leader, right?"

"Eh, kinda. Yeah, pretty much. Comes with the status and natural power, I guess. Might makes right an' all that nonsense." He rolled his eyes and shrugged. "One day into th' next, just keep things stable and movin' forward. There's some other stuff we gotta worry about, but eh, I won't trouble ya with that yet. Y'heard enough. Enjoy yer time with Feebas an' we'll figure out next steps there."

"Gahi, too," Owen suddenly said. "Um, he's safe, too, if that's—"

"Yeah, yeah." Marshadow nodded and waved dismissively. "One at a time. Start with Feebas."

"Can I at least visit Jerry, too?"

"Ehhh… I'll think about it. No promises. He ain't a seer? Then maybe not."

At least he was honest.

Zena's room was down another hall, and the grid-like nature of the large building concerned him again. Too much like Quartz. The ground here felt powdery, and Owen recalled that a potted plant had fallen here.

"Hey," Owen said, "how's Eon? The Ditto, I mean."

"Eh, he's all hot 'n bothered," Marshadow said dismissively. "Dunno what job he's gonna look fer, but it's about time he finds one. There's more'n enough positions that need fillin' to get the town running with all the new inhabitants we're prob'ly gonna get."

"Do you guys not usually get new ones?"

"Not in a while," Marshadow said. "Been centuries since we've seen so many." He placed a hand on one of the doors, nodding at Owen. "I'll make sure yer food gets in."

"Thank you." Owen tried to smile, but it came with tired eyes, and Marshadow returned them with a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

Inside was a much cooler atmosphere with blue, shimmering lights on the ceiling, like looking up from the bottom of a river. Not a good sight for a Charmander; it meant he was drowning.

He wondered, in all his years, how many times had he drowned, or come close?

Past the same hall, the large room that Owen had seen as his eating and living space was instead a giant pit in the ground filled with water. Lights lined the bottom in little dots that helped illuminate the pool, and, swimming about inside, was Zena, still her humble, Feebas form.

There was a faint smile on her lips, and she didn't notice that he was there for a while. He didn't want to startle her, either, so perhaps he could make a more noticeable noise. He walked to the door again and knocked as loudly as he could against the wall—hoping that nobody was on the other side to hear.

Thankfully, the vibration must have carried to Zena, who surfaced and blinked.

"You aren't allowed in here," she said, though she sounded more puzzled than anything.

"Oh, they made an exception for me," Owen said. "Um, may I come in?"

"Well…" Zena frowned. "As long as we don't get in trouble."

"We won't." Owen grinned and approached the side of the pool, but the unfamiliarity in her eyes dampened his spirits. She still didn't remember. No! It was still Zena. He had to be positive. Memories returned; they just needed time. Hakk was class C, now he's B—it meant there was a way up!

…How long had Hakk been here?

At some point, Zena had gone back underwater, swimming in happy circles, before she surfaced again. "Oh! Charmander, you must see something while you're here!"

Being called Charmander hurt. Small again, and she didn't even call him by his familiar name… But it wasn't her fault. It wasn't worth bringing up; he'd only come off as fussy.

Owen hesitated to lean closer, but he tried. Zena's fishy form cast fleeting shadows. She bumped her lips against one of the buttons underwater, and a thin stream of air floated through to the surface from several holes along the bottom of the pool. Zena dove through a few of these streams, then pressed another button, and the bubbles came out even faster.

She broke the surface of the water and wiggled in the air, landing with a decisive splash. "Isn't this amazing?" she said. "Bubbles! Just like that!"

He had to admit, it was a spectacle. "It is," Owen said, though he had no desire to join her in the water. "I never saw something like this before, just blowing air from the bottom like that with the push of a button…"

"It's incredible!" She dove under again, and Owen couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face.

Had Zena ever been this happy before? She was diving through the air without a care in the world. Normally, she was so much more reserved… and, well, a little gloomy, usually upset at one thing or another. She rarely yelled, though Owen recalled the others mentioning how she had really gone off on Star once.

This was nothing like that Zena. So happy and carefree… unburdened by her memories.

Instantly, Owen lost his smile.

"Charmander?" Zena asked. "Is something the matter?"

"Huh?" Owen sat up straighter, inching a little closer to the pool, but still not enough to dip his legs in.

"Oh, I'm sorry if the splashing is frightening you," Zena said, shrinking down.

"No! No, it's fine." Owen nodded. "I just got lost in thought. Please! It was fun watching you."

"Oh." Zena hesitated anyway. "Well, I'm… It's not becoming of me, anyway."

"What?" Owen asked.

"I'm supposed to become graceful eventually, erm, when I become a Milotic. A-again. When I become one again."

That was an odd reason to be subdued. "What, so you can't have fun?"

"Er… I don't know. I'm sure I can have fun. But if I want to evolve, I have to be graceful and elegant, not…"

Was that how it went for her kind? Owen had read that Feebas evolved in a very unconventional way, but he didn't know how that went. It was like a mysterious secret that only their species knew. Then again, aquatic Pokémon weren't very well-studied…

"I don't think there's any harm in enjoying yourself," Owen said delicately. "I never got to see this side of you before."

At first, Zena looked at Owen like he'd gone crazy, but then she realized, "Oh, of course, you—right. You knew me before."

It still hurt, but Owen smiled. "I did. But you were a lot… well, you were happy. You enjoyed your time with me and the others. But I've never seen you… swim with joy before."

"Perhaps because it's undignified, if I was a Milotic." She closed her sunken eyes sagely. "We have an image to keep up, after all."

"You never seemed to care a lot about that… but maybe you actually did." Owen frowned. It seemed unlike Zena to care about grace. Then again, she'd been alone for so long, maybe that old value had been lost.

After all, if being pretty or elegant was what was needed to become a Milotic, Owen could empathize with doing everything possible to evolve.

Owen worked up enough courage to dip his feet into the water, shivering at the first cold bite.

"Goodness, is water that bad for you?" Zena asked, drifting closer.

"Well, I mean…" Owen curled his tail forward to display its ember.

"Ah…" Zena drifted away, like she was afraid she'd put it out.

"It's okay," Owen said, smiling. "I'm used to the water. I'm just a lot weaker like this, so I'd probably get water shock a lot easier if I slip inside accidentally. Nothing like before we found you, though. I had to hold my breath and everything…"

Now that Zena was closer, he noticed something peculiar about the water around her body. Even now, it looked like there was a small amount of red radiating off of her—he recognized it instantly as residual Voidlands dust.

"Zena, have you been able to get cleaned?" Owen asked bluntly.

She flinched, and Owen realized his mistake.

"No, I—I'm sorry," he said quickly. "It's just, last night I was washing up in my room, and the ground was… covered in dirt from the Nil Plateaus. I just, with your fins, and everything, I was wondering if you had trouble."

"…Are you hitting on me?"

A beat of silence followed where Owen only blinked. "What?!"

Zena frowned disapprovingly. "And you almost had me, too," she said, turning around with a flick of her tail. "Trying to win me over just to get your claws on me. Honestly!"

"Wait, no, I—"

Owen had leaned forward too far and fell into the water. He gurgled in a panic before remembering his training; stiff tail, upward, arms wide, deep breath when he surfaced, and suddenly he was floating. The water's coldness seeped into his scales, chilling his bones. Something pushed him toward the water's edge. He reached for it calmly and rolled out and onto his back.

"Are you okay?" Zena whispered frantically, her voice next to him at the lip of the pool.

"Yeah, sorry," Owen said, sighing. "Slipped."

"Just so you could—"

"No, because you startled—I mean, because I got startled. No sane Fire would hop in a pool just for attention."

"Hmph… Well. Then why did you offer?"

"You're still kinda radiating the dirt in the water," Owen said delicately. "Do you want me to get something to help wash it off?"

"I'm not even a Milotic and you're already being so forward with me." Zena sighed, looking away, though Owen could tell she was hiding a smile. "Were you this bold when I knew you as one?"

"…I have no idea what you're talking about," Owen said. "I'm gonna find a cloth."

The door to Zena's room opened, and in came a Mienshao with a rolling table with a platter of food. "Room service!" he called, rolling the table inside and closing the door behind him. "We've got something simple for you both, some bread, we've got nutrient blocks for Feebas, and—"

Owen had Zena upside-down in the water, cleaning under her fins and then along her tail, where most of the void dust had collected. The Charmander looked back, startled at first, but then remembered what Marshadow had said about their meal.

"A-am I, er, interrupting something?" Mienshao squeaked.

"Oh, no," Owen said quickly, "we were just—"

"No, no, it's fine, I'm just gonna—I'm gonna go. T-take care, er, food, Marshadow sends his, good." And he was gone.

Alone again, Owen helped clean the last of the dust off of Zena before he offered, "Want me to get you some?"

"How will I eat it if it's all terrestrial food?"

"Said something about blocks…"

Owen climbed the mini-stairs next to the table that had been rolled in and inspected the generous platter. That was far too much for just the two of them: A small basket with two thick slices of bread, what looked like slabs of meat—where did they get it?—and cheese. Also nearby were chopped berries and what appeared to be five brown cubes.

Curious, Owen grabbed one of them. Dense. Heavy. Dry. Crumbly if he squeezed. "These are just blocks of food," he remarked.

"They don't expect me to eat that, do they?" Zena said.

Owen looked for any kind of labeling or information, then sighed. None this time. "Maybe it's some kind of nutrient-dense food. We're both pretty malnourished."

"Malnourished. I suppose so. I can't evolve if I'm not healthy." Zena dove underwater, went in a swift circle, and looked pleased at the lack of a dirt trail. "You have a very careful touch, Owen. I appreciate it."

"Thanks," Owen said, sitting by the water again. "Here, I think it's dry because it's supposed to go in the water first."

He delicately placed the first block in front of Zena. It sank halfway in before bulging noticeably in size.

There was some hesitation, but eventually she opened her mouth and sucked the block, and a lot of water, in. Owen was transfixed at how quickly it had gone away, particles of brown food leaving her lips and floating through the water. It drifted toward a few holes near the pool's edge—a constant drain of some kind? Clever…

"How is it?" Owen eventually asked.

"A little bland, but… I like it. It's filling. Could you place the rest nearby? I can handle myself."

Owen assembled the sandwich next while Zena enjoyed her blocks, and while he had offered the bread and a slice for Zena, she declined, saying she wasn't interested in that kind of food. They ate their meal almost completely in silence, but this time, it was a cozy quiet. Occasionally, they made eye contact, but felt no need to speak, and instead smiled at one another. Zena wasn't all there, but her feelings were, just under the surface. Just like when they had first reunited by the red river.

"Tell me about yourself, Owen," Zena finally said, breaking the silence. "I'm sure I used to know all about you, and you're kind enough. You don't seem like the sort to lie."

"It's hard for a Charmander to lie," Owen admitted, bringing his tail forward.

Zena bobbed once. "I see. And how did you end up with someone like me? A Water and a Fire… It's not a normal combination, you know. Let alone how much larger I may become…"

Owen paused, looking at the last bite of his sandwich, and then at Zena, who had forced the final block down despite her fullness. They had given her five for a reason, Owen figured, to help get her back in good shape. Her huge eyes had a new, inquisitive light to them, and while Owen could not recognize them as the graceful, red eyes of a Milotic, he still saw Zena in them. It was the same look she had given when they'd read an interesting book together. But back then, Zena had been more interested in being with someone, no matter what the book actually talked about. Now, Zena looked ready to learn about her past.

But would she want to know all of that? She was so happy now. If Owen told her everything, and the memories came back to her, would she become unhappy again? Would that burden return that melancholy demeanor?

…But to keep the memories away from Zena would go against everything Owen had been fighting for.

"Owen?" Zena asked. "Is something wrong?"

"You didn't live a very happy life," Owen said. "…But do you want to know anyway?"

The Feebas blinked, and for a worrisome moment, Owen wondered if she'd refuse after all. He shouldn't have said that. It was the same trick Star had performed to keep him from pressing for more information. Was this her reasoning? For his own good?

"I think I want to know anyway," Zena said, disrupting Owen's thoughts. "I may not remember it, but… something about what I feel from you tells me that I can trust you. That you'll tell me the truth."

Warmth spread through Owen's chest and it showed in his joyous, yellow tail flame.

"Okay," Owen said, his tone dripping with relief. "Then I'll start with when I met you, and everything I learned about you, all the way to right now."

"I would love that."

She drifted to the water's edge and stared upward, and for that single, brief moment, Owen felt peace.

"You lived in a place called Calm Water Lake. I met you as a Charmeleon…"