Chris stared up at the sky as he stood there in the forest clearing, waiting for Josh to arrive for their duel. As he stared up at the sky, he could see the last vestiges of sunset looming overhead. It was going to be a few minutes before it became dark. And there, up in the sky, slowly emerging in the air was the moon. It was a full moon, illuminating the area brilliantly, and no doubt only going to shine brighter as night was well on its way.

The moon is shining brightly, he thought. A wonderful sight to behold.

As he stared up at the moon, he soon began to think deeply about something in his mind that bothered him. The night before Zach left him. The time where he saw him last.

Chris heard Zach sobbing as he walked into his room. Opening the door, there he was, lying there on his bed, curled up into a ball, trembling. Chris felt worried for him, and walked over. "Hey, Zach," he greeted softly. "What's wrong?"

Zach scrunched up tighter, wanting to ignore Chris for a moment. But as Chris sat down, he tried to be reassuring. He asked "Are you okay?"

Zach whimpered a little, looking positively scared out of his mind. "Mom's dating someone new. She seems to love him."

This confused Chris. He understood if Zach would be afraid of something bad, but…this wasn't exactly anything out of the ordinary. "That's a good thing, right? I heard that Sorin is a good man. A police officer, no less. That's good, right?"

"You said the same thing when Dad was returning home from the war," Zach argued. "And you know what he did. I don't want to go through that again…"

Chris gently rested his hand on Zach's shoulder to comfort him. "Dad is long gone, Zach. I have a good feeling this time. Don't you worry."

This, ironically, didn't give Zach a vote of confidence. Tears started to form in his eyes, fear present on his face. And sadly, as he looked at Chris, he asked him "What if you're wrong? What if this nice man is actually as bad as Dad was?"

Chris hardly knew Sorin. However, he did have the chance to see him on occasion as he was on his way to school. The way his mother looked at him gave him a vote of confidence. And thankfully, Sorin showed himself to be a rather upstanding guy. Those small moments of meeting Sorin, learning about his profession, and seeing how he's a genuinely nice person…it warmed his heart. But Zach never got the chance to see him. After everything he's been through with their father, Zach became terrified by the idea of how people could be different than what he would've expected.

"I spoke with Emanation today," Zach said. "I saw that he was suddenly aware that I was in trouble back here. That I was in need of protection." He then started crying, before confessing "I don't want to lose him. Nor you. I just want to be able to live a normal life."

Chris didn't know what to say to that. So, he helped his brother up, and gave him a hug. He could tell that Zach was scared. As he petted his head, Chris mentioned "Shh. I'm here. I'm not going to leave you, Zach."

Zach whimpered at the sound of Chris's words. He was scared. What if Sorin was just as bad as his father? Just the idea alone terrified him. He sniffled, before muttering out loud "I can't stand this fear. People like you and Emanation give me strength. How do you feel so brave?"

Chris didn't know how to answer that. Sure, he's shown his bravery when he protected Zach from their father. But that one time where Zach got badly injured was something that horrified him. He was afraid, too. Afraid that Zach could've died. Afraid that their lives were going to fall apart. And yet, here he was. Trying to comfort his brother, despite the uncertainty of the bravery he wanted to show.

"I…don't know, Zach," he answered. "I wish I could tell you."

That was the last time that Chris saw Zach before he ran off after school the following day. Chris was unsure of himself. He didn't know if what he was going to do was going to make up for his failure as a brother. But deep down, he was aware that while this duel wasn't going to bring Zach back, he stared up at the sky, and saw a swarm of Beautifly in the distance. He started feeling sorrowful as he stared at them.

What does it take to be brave? I don't think I know myself. I always just rush into danger out of instinct.

Memories of when he saw Josh in action, or having fun with everyone, started flooding his mind. He recalled his playfulness when messing with Adam. His kindness when around Cross. His fearlessness when facing Zeraora or Volt. And he even remembered his sympathy when talking with either me…or him.

How does he do it? Where does that bravery come from?

He recalled when Josh chose to stand up to him back in the Moon Guild. He was previously terrified of being near him after learning about his relation to Zach. But the moment that Josh chose to stand up to him, he showed bravery unlike anything he ever would've noticed. Almost like, as Chris tried to argue his point, Josh slowly unraveled who he was, and ultimately wanted to put him to the test. To see if he had what it took to fight back.

Why am I suddenly doubting myself? I'm brave, just like him. What is that smug look on his face supposed to mean? What does he have to prove, anyway?

As Chris and Josh sparred together in preparation for the tournament, Chris soon backed away from a swing of Josh's bone staff. A grin on his face, he multiplied with Double Team. However, Josh could only remain resolute, as he soon used Double Team as well.

Chris was impressed. "Well. This is new. Since when did you learn Double Team?"

"If I'm to take on Zeraora, I need to keep on my toes," Josh answered with a smirk. "Which means, I need to strike when they have no clue where I am." He then charged forward, readying an Aura Sphere, before firing it off in Chris's direction.

Chris got struck by the attack on purpose, blocking it with his blade arms. However, that was when Josh soon leapt in, sweeping his legs with his bone staff, before striking him in the chest with Force Palm, knocking Chris back towards the wall.

Josh gave a chuckle over his victory, before mentioning "I have a philosophy as a fighter, you know."

"Right, right. Plot, deceive, attack, correct?" Chris guessed as he got up.

"Huh?" Josh soon shook his head as he decided to correct his statement. "Actually, my philosophy for combat is plot, deceive and attack. My philosophy as a fighter is far more virtuous." Placing a paw on his chest, he then gave his answer. "I fight following the oath of the sword, and the virtues therein."

Chris was puzzled by what the Lucario seemed to be talking about. "Uh, care to explain?"

Josh smirked, before he then decided to give out his words of wisdom. "Number 1: Never lose sight of your goal. Number 2: Overcome the fears in your heart. Number 3: Learn from your mistakes. And with those virtues held together as one…" He then raised his bone staff like it was a makeshift sword, the tip glistening over the sunlight. "…you will find the true courage to overcome anything."

Chris was amazed, and gave a curious smile. "Something you learned under Infernick?"

Josh smiled brightly, his bone staff vanishing as he looked at Chris. "Actually, I'm mostly referencing a movie I saw as a kid. Really underrated one, too. Some people just don't understand that there are takeaways to be had when it comes to film sometimes."

"And…what movie was that?"

Josh rubbed his head embarrassingly as he gave a nervous smile. "Kyurem vs The Sword of Justice."

Chris was stunned silent. This guy is weird… However, I don't really think that's a bad thing. He smiled, impressed that Josh found some interesting philosophy regarding being a fighter in this virtual world. In a way, Josh seemed to be quite the capable fighter already just by looking at him. He reminded him of Cross if he was willing to stop being a stick in the mud at points. I'm sure that you'll do great, Josh. If Volt knew how you refined yourself as a fighter, then he'll run with his tail between his legs. Give him hell, Mr. Blue Flame.

"True courage…" Chris muttered, reflecting on Josh's philosophy. Virtues…combined into one… What exactly is he trying to say?

Just then, the sound of footsteps approached the clearing, as Chris looked over to the entrance. Entering into the open field as moonlight beamed down on him was Josh. The Lucario stared him down as he walked forward, ready to confront Chris head on. All that Josh could say as soon as he entered was "Sorry for making you wait."

Chris sighed, turning to face Josh head on. The Lucario and Scyther stared down each other. Chris was glaring at Josh to try and prove how determined he was to accept the challenge. Josh, meanwhile, was remaining stoic. Chris smirked, mentioning "I'll admit, I wasn't expecting you to wish for a death sentence so suddenly." Raising his blade arms up, he stared Josh down. "But before we begin, I need to ask you one question: Why? Why did you have to kill him?"

Josh winced partially as he heard Chris's question. With a sad expression, he let out a sigh, before giving his response. "In all honesty, Chris, everything was such a blur that I barely even remember what happened. The only things I remember were three things: my brother being in peril, Zach dead in my arms after the scuffle…and one word." Lowering his head, Josh clenched his fists in frustration, as he said the word "Monster."

"Yeah. I'll bet that's what you seemed like at the time," Chris tried to argue. "Nothing more than a monster who took an innocent boy's life. A boy who's already gone through so much."

Josh soon gave an apologetic look towards Chris, almost taking the Scyther off guard. "Rose told me about your horrible living conditions under your father. I…had no idea… I'm sorry."

"Sorry? SORRY? My father is the literal scum of the earth, justifying his own trauma as an excuse to get away with literally abusing my brother! He manipulated us into keeping quiet about it! Nobody batted an eye when I arrived at school with bruises on my back, or a slap on my cheek! I was 15 back then! How was I supposed to change anything?! They'd just think I was going through some sort of rebellious period!" Chris started shedding tears as he continued. "And every day, my father would torment us! Our mother didn't know! Our school didn't know! I was the only one who had to shield my brother from that horrible man because nobody even gave us a sideways glance! The only people my brother even looked up to were me…" He pointed his blade arm in Josh's direction. "…and you! You were like a brother he never had! What was your original team name again? Ignis? The 'flames of hope?' If that's the case, then what hope have you even given my brother? Where's the hope you were supposed to instill in others! You were like his hero!"

Josh just absorbed all of the vitriol that Chris had to say. It pained him to hear this from Chris. To understand just how much he's suffered. But he also knew that Chris is a good person who was horribly wronged in the past. Josh didn't have any remarks. No retorts. No argument to go against his claims. For all he knew, he was about as dead as he was going to expect.

Chris lowered his blade arm, before he began to take on a fighting stance, ready for battle. "Well, I'm a hero as well you damned mutt! I'm the hero that's going to take out a monster before he goes on another rampage!"

Josh reluctantly accepted what he was going to go through, and took up a battle stance. One: Never lose sight of your goal.

Chris glared at Josh, ready for combat. "I am not going to back down now. Not when I have you in my sight at long last."

"Good. Because I'm not going to go easy on you," Josh added. Two: Overcome the fears in your heart.

"I know your tricks, Josh," Chris retorted. "I've seen how you fight. I will not be backing down because of an empty threat like that."

Josh smirked. "Very well. Then prepare yourself, Jade Blade. Because I'm about to teach you a lesson you won't soon forget." Three: Learn from your mistakes. And with those virtues combined together…

Chris charged forward. "En garde!"

Josh charged forward. …then you will find true courage to overcome anything.

The two of them swiftly approached, as Josh readied a Bone Rush in advance during the charge, anticipating Chris's strike. Chris attempted to attack Josh with a Night Slash attack. Both attacks collided, canceling each other out. Chris angrily glared at Josh in the deadlock. Josh resolutely stared back.

The duel had officially begun.

Chapter 62: Moonlit Duel

Cross and Nolan were sitting in the hotel together. But while Nolan was easily nervous, Cross was instead sitting down, crossing his arms as he leaned back, thinking about how things have escalated. Things were rather quiet, as the hotel hardly had anyone inside it. There was something almost surreal and haunting about it.

"Cross…" Nolan started nervously. "Why did you choose to let this fight happen? You could've done something to stop them."

"The same reason I chose to allow Josh to challenge Volt," Cross answered. However, even he looked particularly nervous. "I'll be honest with you, Nolan. I honestly hated how Volt wanted us stuck in Talis after we lost Gekido. I didn't know how to reason with him. But…Josh did." With a soft smile, Cross added "I finally got to understand Josh through his actions."

Stifling a laugh, Nolan added "You understood him? Könnten Sie bitte erklären?"

Cross nodded, and stared out the window, seeing the moon high up in the sky. "Josh refuses to let hope die down. He saw the despair in Volt. He recognized how scared he was. He didn't want to prove his strength. He wanted Volt to recognize that he refused to lose that spark of hope inside of him. Inside of us all."

"Hope…" Nolan began to think carefully about what Cross was saying in this instance.

"You held on to hope for Chris to back away from his quest for vengeance," Cross added. "And thanks to you, he's found that one thing that would ultimately determine this battle's outcome: doubt."

"Doubt?"

Cross nodded. "Whether or not Josh actually killed Zach is held on a flimsy belief. But I saw Josh's actions for myself. He's a virtuous person. Chris is no different."

However, even though Cross had a good point, Nolan couldn't help but recognize that this was going to end poorly for everyone. "Herr Cross… What if Josh actually did kill Zach?"

Not even Cross had an answer to that. He sighed deeply, feeling a little defeated with this line of questioning. "I don't know, Nolan. I just…don't know."

I sat there in the med bay of the Moon Guild, tears in my eyes as I felt like I was about to lose my friends forever. In my effort to try and fix this situation, Josh chose to take on this matter alone, willingly choosing to resign himself to death. Chris, meanwhile, was so focused with trying to kill Josh for the death of his own brother that I just couldn't help but worry that things might fall apart like with Norman.

All of my effort… My resolve to fix this problem… Where did I go wrong? Wallowing in self-defeat, I began to weep as I rested my head on Adam's chest while he lay in bed. "I'm sorry, Adam… I'm so sorry…!"

It was then that Cereza walked over to me, taking pity for me and my current situation. She sat down next to me, gently patting my back as she knew how much this pained me. In the end, I was scared, unable to do anything. I had nothing to change this outcome. It was over… We were going to fall apart just after we got started…

Just then, I felt slight movement as I heard Adam wake up. I gasped, sat up, and as I looked at the Incineroar, he slowly opened his eyes. He winced a little from the pain on his chest, but as he looked at me, he muttered out "R-Rose…?"

I felt glad to see he was alright. Wiping tears from my face, I gave a weak smile as I said "I'm glad you're alright, Adam."

"How do you feel?" Cereza asked curiously, trying to check his condition.

Adam grunted as he tried to sit up, but as he tried to do so, he felt his chest flare up in pain, and he placed his hand on the spot where he was shot. "Argh! Damn it…"

"Take it easy, Adam," I said, helping to lower him back down to the bed. "The nurse said you need to rest up. Don't push yourself."

Adam did as I told him and returned to laying down on the bed. He panted from the pain in his chest, but soon took a deep breath to try and calm himself, and began to soothe down. As he relaxed, he looked at me, and asked "Where's Josh? Is he alright?"

As soon as he asked that, I averted my gaze, returning to feeling miserable. He saw that I was upset, and genuinely asked "Rose? What's wrong?"

"Your idiot of a brother is facing against that Scyther friend of yours," Cereza said. "Rose told me that it's because he found out about Josh's 'secret,' whatever it is."

Adam gave a partial gasp at that news, shocked upon hearing it. But because of the fact that he can't move, he just decided to stare up at the ceiling, a sad expression on his face. "I see…"

Cereza could tell that we were going to discuss some private matters, and she stood up on her feet. Giving a nod to the both of us, she said "I'll go tell Spectro that you're awake, then. Just…try and rest up, alright?" She gave a reassuring smile, and made her way out of the room, leaving just me and Adam by ourselves.

Adam was quick to look at me and ask "You didn't tell her?"

I sighed. "Why would I? If she found out about what happened, there's no telling what she'll do. Besides… There's nothing to do about it now…" I shuddered, and told Adam "It's over. Josh is giving up."

Adam gave a slight chuckle, before mentioning "If I know Josh, he's not one to give up on anything. Even after admitting he'd lost to Volt on purpose, he only chose to keep fighting because he wanted Volt to realize how serious he was."

"Yeah, but this isn't Volt we're dealing with, Adam!" I argued. "Chris knows the truth now! And Josh could potentially die because I have no way to help him!"

Adam was slightly perplexed, staring at me quizzically before he then asked "Did Josh tell you anything in particular before leaving?"

With tears in my eyes, I thought about the encounter in the dining hall. About how Josh declared to fight Chris one on one. As I lowered my head, I recounted Josh's words. "He told me to look after you for him, and said 'Never lose sight of your goal.' That a true hero fights for truth and justice." Looking at Adam apologetically, I muttered "Yet what am I supposed to–?"

Adam gave a knowing glance my way, and had this big, reassuring smile. I stopped talking, confused by his reaction. He's...smiling at me…?

"You didn't think Josh would fight Chris without a plan, would you?" Adam reassured me. "He's placing his trust in you, Rose."

"In…in me?" I repeated, no doubt confused by what he was saying.

"There's this code that Josh and I work with together," Adam explained. "Josh gives vague remarks to hide his true intentions. You saw that when we first met. He told me to grab the bell on that temple for an ambush, and I listened. But it was you who really saved the day, Rose."

"I did?" This made me think about the day we first met. I was scared, shocked even by seeing Adam's back bleeding from the cut he received from that hacker. I had no idea what it was he wanted from me, but Adam was quick to bring up this memory for a reason. "What did I do? I didn't do anything special."

Adam raised his hand to my cheek, and said "You did, Rose. I couldn't have removed that bell by myself. I may be strong, but I'm not that strong. If it weren't for you, I couldn't have removed that bell in the first place, and Josh could've died back then. You saved his life, Rose."

The fact that Adam said that was such a sudden wake-up call to me. I remembered what he said. The bell was fastened in there, but I was able to use Toxic to dissolve the screws and help free it up for Adam. I had no idea what came over me at the time. Maybe because I recognized they were trying to help me. Maybe I didn't want them to die. Either way, I did that action to help save Josh's life. And upon realizing that, I found myself gaining more confidence in myself.

Adam saw that I was no longer crying, and grinned as he gave a chuckle at my confidence. "That's the spirit, Rose," Adam said encouragingly. "Now, when Josh said a hero fights for truth and justice, let me give you a hint: he WANTS you to learn the truth. The REAL truth."

The real truth…? He means what really happened… And then I looked at Adam with surprise, understanding what it was he was saying. "You don't mean…"

Adam nodded. "I'll admit, when Norman shot me in the chest, my whole life flashed before my eyes. It gave me…clarity, so to speak." He gave a smile my direction, and with a bold look, told me "Pass this on to Josh for me, will ya? He'll need to hear this."

I leaned in, recognizing that Adam wanted me to hear this very carefully. I was in disbelief that I was suddenly given this swerve. But not wanting to waste this opportunity, I had to know the truth. Adam had recovered enough to tell me, and as he whispered in my ear, my eyes shot wide, and I could feel my adrenaline pumping as I knew what must be done.

I now understood the truth of that fateful day.

At the hotel, Cross and Nolan were contemplating what to do from there. Cross had a Rawst Berry Cola in his hand, the bitter liquid biting his tongue as he took a sip of it. Nolan sat quietly as he stared at the table. He couldn't bear sitting there and waiting. Not when his friends were trying to kill each other.

Nolan slammed his fist on the table, got up, and picked up his shield. "I can't stand this anymore. I'm leaving."

Cross was quick to get up and grab his sash arm to hold him in place. "Wait! We don't know anything yet. If we interfere, then Chris is going to hate us for the rest of his life."

"I don't care!" Nolan argued, looking at Cross with a glare. "I made a promise to protect Chris, and I'm not going to lose him!"

"So you're going to attack Josh?" Cross argued back. "If that's the case, you're no worse than he is."

"I'm not going to…" Nolan groaned as he faced Cross's direction, frustrated with himself. "Has it ever occurred to you that this battle is frivolous?! This battle isn't going to resolve anything! They are fighting for nothing!"

"You think I don't know that?!" Cross said angrily. "As much as this fight is meaningless, I don't want to stop it! Josh has the right to fight Chris, and knowing him, I don't want to interfere out of principle!"

"Principle?! Herr Cross…! Listen to yourself!" Nolan argued, getting frustrated with him. "Josh and Chris are going to die if we don't do anything!"

"And what the hell are we supposed to do?!" Cross complained. "I have no idea how to resolve this!"

"And neither do I! But I don't want to lose them!"

"Me neither!"

"Then why are we complaining?!"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

"I DON'T KNOW EITHER!"

Just then, with almost cosmic timing, the door slammed open. Cross and Nolan stopped their squabble, taking notice of the door out of surprise. There, standing there, holding the door open with her arms outstretched and panting for breath…was me.

I took a deep breath in, and with a confident look on my face, showing my resolve, I told them both, in as calm and discreet a manner as possible, "Adam woke up. He remembered what happened."

This was enough to calm both Cross and Nolan down, as they walked over to me in anticipation. "He remembers?" Cross asked in suspense.

"What did he tell you?" Nolan asked.

With a sheer amount of determination, I stared at them both, and said "I'll tell you on the way. For now, we are going to stop that battle!"

The battle between Josh and Chris raged on. Chris used Double Team as he swiftly surrounded Josh on all sides with his doppelgangers. This is then followed by using Agility to encase Josh in a circle. All that the Lucario could do was light his fists aglow with his aura as he concentrated on the circling Scyther.

One by one, the Scyther clones charged towards Josh. All that Josh could do was reflexively counter each oncoming attack with Reversal. However, Chris picked up the pace of his attacks, and Josh ended up taking a few extra hits as Chris kept on using Night Slash on him on multiple occasions. But as the last Scyther charged towards Josh, Josh blocked him with a jab from Bone Rush, forcing Chris back.

Chris backed up, smirking, as Josh used his own Double Team attack. He charged towards Chris, ready to strike with Reversal. Chris ended up using repeated Night Slash attacks to counter Josh's assault, only for the real Lucario to leap into the air, firing an Aura Sphere his direction. Chris didn't have time to react, and ended up taking the hit.

The explosion settled, and Chris leapt after Josh, who parried all of Chris's attacks with Bone Rush. However, after a few slashes, the pair parrying each other blow for blow, as they landed on the ground, Chris was able to slash apart Josh's bone staff before giving him a swift kick to the head. Josh ended up being sent flying, before he soon corrected his trajectory in mid-air and landed on his feet as he skidded to a halt on the ground. Josh wiped his paw over his mouth, noticing a faint trickle of blood on it.

Chris charged forward shortly afterward, ready to use X-Scissor, before Josh backflipped from the attack. Chris looked on at Josh as he backed away, as the Lucario leapt up towards a tree, looking down at Chris from a large branch. Josh couldn't help but give a faint smile, before mentioning "You seem to be keeping up with me pretty good, Chris."

This gave Chris a moment of pause. "I beg your pardon?"

"You seem to be rather skilled as a fighter when focused," Josh complimented. "I'll admit, that's pretty commendable. No wonder Cross refers to you as the sword of Team Calibur." His smile faded, as Josh just looked over at Chris with pity. "It's a shame, then, that you decided to spit in the face of virtue to fulfill your own selfish wishes. Even if I understand your own pain."

Chris gritted his teeth in frustration, giving a menacing glare back towards Josh. "What do you even know about me, Josh? You never knew what it was like to live with that monster of a human being! How he manipulated the world around him to play that pity card! How he's a war veteran suffering from PTSD! Tch! As if that's to justify his actions!"

"And what makes you think I don't know what trauma is like?" Josh explained, holding his paw behind his back, as he was readying an Aura Sphere. "I had to bear witness to what Hell looked like three years ago. My brother almost lost his life because of it."

"That's because you justified protecting him by taking my brother away!" Chris argued, trying to level the playing field.

Josh closed his eyes, huffing through his nose as he expressed his disappointment with Chris's response. "You're wrong, Chris. The Hell I'm referring to is not what you think it is. I'm referring to the Zero Isles."

"What?"

Josh opened his eyes as he continued his explanation. "The reason Adam almost died was from that moment where he nearly gave up on the world. He hated playing this game. Never adjusting to the idea of walking on all-fours. The reason I took Zach under my wing in Team Ignis was because he reminded me so much of my own brother. And after Zach died, I wanted to run away from my problems. I thought my life was over.

"Then, Nick gave me and Adam an opportunity after we were trapped here. Either we work together to survive, or die trying. And because of the rough start, Adam lost all self-esteem. After a few days, he gave up. He almost leapt off of a cliff, and I could only sit there and watch as my own overprotective nature ended up biting me back in the tail." Josh's eyes began to sting as he felt tears starting to form. "I wanted to protect my brother from this Hell, much like how you wanted to protect Zach from yours. And because I failed them both, I swore that no matter what, I would try to understand the people I work with, fight against, and help out. For you see, my idea of a hero was to be a beacon of hope for those around me. I can't shield everyone. And I can't let Adam be left on the wayside either. That's why I opt to go out of my way to figure out how to save people from not just the enemies we face, but also from the lingering traumas they've experienced.

"Especially…with people like Adam. And Rose. Even you."

Cross, Nolan and I were rushing through the forest, desperate to try and find where Josh and Chris were fighting. I had already filled in the both of them with what I've discovered from Adam. So naturally, with the three of us up to speed, all that was left was to rush ahead and try to save these two before it's too late.

But as we ran through the forest, that was when an Icicle Spear landed a few feet in front of me, forcing me to skid to a halt.

"You really must be desperate if you intend to rush into danger like that," a familiar voice rang out. And just like that, the figure who fired the Icicle Spear leapt down from the treetops, landing right in front of us. The Inteleon who I never expected to run into again: Norman.

"What do you want?" I asked, readying myself for battle if it came to it. "Can't you see we're in a hurry?"

"Oh, I'm aware," Norman said, giving me a stoic expression. "LucarioTrainerJ is facing against a man with whom he's wronged. Kind of ironic, given that I thought I'd be the one to kill him."

"This is not the time to be discussing this matter!" Cross argued. "Our friends are out there, intending on destroying each other! Who even cares who's right or wrong now!"

Norman stifled a laugh, giving a wry smile towards Cross. "Listen, Gallade. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but with things as intense as they are, one wrong move could lead to the both of them dying. Of course, given that J is still trapped in this world, I wouldn't expect seeing him coming back after a brutal beatdown."

Cross and Nolan were just about ready to fight in that instance. Cross readied a Leaf Blade attack, while Nolan prepared a Sacred Sword. They figured that if there was any chance to make it to Josh and Chris, then they had to bypass the Inteleon that was standing in their way as a final obstacle.

However, that was when I held my hand out to them. "Wait," I said. My teammates soon stopped what they were doing as they saw that I had full confidence in myself, and that I was going to stand up to Norman alone. "If there's one person I know Norman can't win against, it's me. Don't interfere."

Nolan sighed, returning to a defensive stance, while Cross lowered his guard as his blade arms stopped glowing. I smiled at them, pleased that they were willing to let me handle this. And as I turned over to Norman, I stared him down, ready to prove to him that he no longer needs me.

"You have definitely matured since we last met, Rose," Norman stated. "I guess a few hours have really changed you."

"Let's just say that I'm a late bloomer," I quipped. "I'm not as strong as Josh or Adam physically. But I do know that I can carry the weight they're holding to lighten the load."

Norman rested his hand on his face, laughing as he ended up hearing my words. "You sound so strange when you're confident you can win." But as he stopped his laughing, he soon pointed his finger gun my direction. "Too bad you don't have what it takes to take me down in a real battle, Rose. I can see the potential in you as a fighter."

I don't have time for his crap. But at the same time, he's right. In an official battle, he's the superior fighter. I stared him down, trying to figure out what to do with him. In that case, I'll just keep on talking. "Do you have any idea who you're aiming at, Norman?"

"Yeah," he said coldly. "I do."

"Then you know that I won't give up on Josh and Adam," I reiterated. I soon walked forward, giving a rather cold, confident bravado the likes of which I had never experienced before since joining Team Inferno. Once my head was within point-blank range of his finger gun, I could see his own body tense up. I had him right where I wanted him.

"Team Inferno left Gabe to die, Rose," Norman tried to reason. "They deserve what's coming to them."

With a glare, staring up into his eyes, I told him "In that case, you'll also have to kill me, because I also couldn't rescue him. Not because I'm with Team Inferno. But because he was as good as dead anyways by the time we found him."

Norman's body shook a little, his aim trembling a little as I was hammering in my resolve to him. "You… You don't know what you're saying, Rose…!" he stammered. "You don't deserve Team Inferno! I figured that with the Zero Isles, they were the best of the best! But there was no way that they could live up to the hype. These so-called 'heroes' are nothing more than a couple of scrubs who are only in it for themselves!"

"Then congrats, Norman," I persisted. "Everything you just said about Team Inferno was wrong. And if it means you have to kill me to prevent me from saving them, so be it."

Norman's body shook a little more, his own tactics beginning to waver to my own confidence. "K-kill you…?" Norman gave a nervous smile. "I don't want to kill you, Rose! You're my friend! I…" His smile faltered, my own glare staring right into his own soul. I smirked at seeing him tremble, the roles having now been reversed.

"I won't break the oath I gave to them, Norman," I said. "I swore that if I were to put my life on the line for Team Inferno, I'd do so. Shoot me in the head all you want, but I'll just say the same thing the moment I rush back here. Let's face it, Norman. You can't stop me."

Norman was physically unnerved by my confidence. He tried to stand his ground, attempting to return the glare I was giving him right back. However, after a few seconds of staring into my unflinching eyes, he realized that I was dead serious, and his own confidence began to crumble. I saw his finger gun lower in front of me, his own mind racing, before he then tried to swallow his pride and aim two finger guns at Norman and Cross to try and coerce me again.

"I-I-I'll shoot them, Rose!" he stammered. "I really will!"

"We're not from Team Inferno," Cross uttered with confidence. "But if you kill us, you'll be considered wanted for murder."

Nolan nodded. "And there's a fierce bounty hunter around these parts who would ultimately do whatever it takes to stop you."

Norman started to visibly sweat, remembering the tag team of Hatori and Cereza he had to fight against. They were tough customers. But they were only two opponents. What if there were more, and they weren't the only ones? Clearly, the risk wasn't worth it.

"It's your choice, Norman," I reiterated, remaining unflinching in my resolve. "Either kill me to face a war of attrition, kill Cross and be branded a murderer, or stall for time and lose the only friend you have left." I started to build up in anger, and I could almost feel as if I was surrounded by green flames as I spoke. Like I was ready to burn away at his confidence until it was nothing but cinders. "If Josh dies, it'll be on you! So make your choice, Norman! What'll it be?!"

BOOM!

Josh's Aura Sphere attack managed to build up in power the longer Josh held it in his paw, to the point where it managed to increase in size exponentially as Josh poured every ounce of energy into his attack. The attack fired towards Chris, and while Chris was quickly able to back away as quickly as he could, he realized that the blast of the impact was merely a diversion.

As he returned to looking at where Josh was standing at, the Lucario was gone. Chris was starting to get annoyed, and yelled out "Show yourself you coward! A little smokescreen won't change anything! Come out and fight me like a man!"

As Chris was searching around the trees, unsure of where Josh would pop out, Josh was simply hiding behind a tree, concealing his presence from the Scyther. He panted from exhaustion, having managed to use up a lot of energy into that one attack. He could still sense Chris's aura, clear as day.

Even after trying to reason with him, he still resists, he thought. Chris can't seem to let go of this grudge. Josh winced as he leaned his head back against the tree trunk. Am I really going to have to do this, then? Is this really it? I thought my hint to Rose would've given her time to make it here before then.

Josh calmed himself for a moment, until anxiety slowly formed on him, as he then pulled out the Lucarionite from his bag. He stared at it, realizing that even he had no idea what could happen if he activated it here and now. He stared at the glistening stone in his paw…realizing that he needs to rely on something even he has doubts of controlling.

Josh held out the Lucarionite, presenting it to Hatori. The Greninja took what Josh said earlier to heart. And with a smile, he muttered out "One hour to control the beast inside of you…" He then looked over at the setting sun, and asked Josh "Tell me, do you believe in fairy tales?"

"Hm?" Where is he going with this?

Hatori continued. "The main idea of a fairy tale is that it's supposed to give out morals and life lessons, even if the story itself doesn't always provide an explanation to the audience. Why does a kiss wake a sleeping beauty? What can define what is pure and good, or vile and evil?" He then glanced over to Josh inquisitively. "Can the soul of a man reside within the hide of a beast?"

Josh lowered the Lucarionite, listening carefully at Hatori's words. "Any reason why you decided to bring this up?"

Hatori turned to look at Josh, asking "What defines you as a hero, Josh? Sure, you brought up the Zero Isles as an example. But what was the takeaway? What can blur the lines between a hero and a monster?" The Greninja held up a finger, saying "The answer is in their resolve."

Josh soon felt Hatori place his hand on his chest, feeling Josh's heartbeat. "I can see your resolve on your face, but your soul is crying out for help. Your erratic aura is a result of thinking that you can solve everything. But the truth is that sometimes, there are aspects to life that have no easy answers."

"So…why bring up fairy tales?" Josh wondered.

Hatori lowered his hand, and gave his answer. "Fairy tales have aspects and layers to them that are more than what's on the surface. The Little Mermaid is a story about how we sometimes can't get what we want, no matter how hard we try. Snow White shows that true beauty comes from being honest, kind, and pure. See where I'm getting at?"

Josh thought about Hatori's words carefully, trying to picture what he sees in him. Does this mean that my torment on the Zero Isles is like a fairy tale to him? His logic is very peculiar. What exactly is he trying to tell me? Josh just had to know. "When Adam and I trained on the Zero Isles, I resolved myself to be a hero to protect him."

"And yet, it was in that moment where you were both going to die that a miracle happened," Hatori replied. This caused Josh to pause as the Greninja decided to prove his point. "The reason you were a hero in that instance was because you followed through with your resolve, Josh. You keep on thinking that being strong is about pure strength deep down, causing conflict deep within yourself. But in that instant, when you and Adam were facing impossible odds, your strength didn't win the day." He placed his hand on Josh's shoulder, and told him "Your strength isn't from your drive to protect alone. It's also from your drive to inspire change in others."

Hatori soon picked up Josh's paw, which still carried the Lucarionite, before gently giving it back to him. "Now, with that said, if you rely too much on the human aspect, you will only be human. If you rely on the beast, you will only be a beast." Smiling, he said "And the beast I'm looking at right now is slowly rediscovering his humanity. And it's through that you will find the perfect balance."

Josh stared at the Lucarionite, thinking about Hatori's words and what they meant deep down. In a way, he understood what he meant. How he always assumed he had to be strong for others to protect them. But he's been constantly on opposite extremes. Even if he had to go through with this, he realized that he's sacrificing a part of himself in order to do so.

But as he recalled the Zero Isles immediately afterward, recognizing the emotions stirring up in him on that fateful day, when all hope seemed lost, he found the resolve to temper that power inside of him. In a way, he realized exactly what it was that Hatori meant in that instant.

It is his faith in others, and the trust he shares with his team, that helps to tame the savage beast he tried to control.

He always hated that aspect of himself. Being called a "mutt" was so demeaning, but it wasn't without reason. He's regretful. He's impulsive. He's always taking chances. Always putting his own life on the line to achieve his own goals.

But he's also kind. Understanding. Supportive. Always doing what must be done to help his friends.

Opposites.

I get what Hatori is saying, Josh thought to himself. A monster can show his humanity, and humanity can be monsters at time. Is this what I need to embrace? Both sides of myself?

Josh took a deep breath, calming his nerves. And before long, he clipped the Lucarionite onto his scarf. "I trust you, Rose," Josh muttered. "Please… Make it on time…"

Josh activated the Mega Stone, his body glowing as he leapt away from his hiding spot, and back into the clearing. Chris turned to see that Josh was Mega Evolving, and as he braced himself for the impact, he saw Josh ready an attack. Josh's body finished glowing, his form changed to a Mega Lucario, as he struck Chris hard with a Reversal attack, sending him flying back.

Josh panted, before looking over his paw. He knew that he had never mastered this form yet. And still, this was a final gamble he was willing to use in order to see if there was a way to control this power. As he clenched his fist, he stared off at Chris, his own aura spiking around him as he was ready to either wait for a miracle to occur, or die trying.

"So, you've finally decided to throw in the towel?" Chris asked. Eager to settle things quickly, Chris tried charging forward. "Fine! I've been wanting to see you die at full power anyways!"

Chris was acting impulsively. Josh knew that to be true. But as he stared at the Scyther charging at him, using Agility to try and outpace the Lucario, Josh couldn't help but pity him. You have the makings of a true hero, Chris. However, much like Keldeo, you're still young and reckless. Pride in oneself only leads to shame.

Chris was about to strike Josh with X-Scissor, but Josh was able to conjure up a pair of bone staffs, and used them to block the oncoming strike. But Chris didn't stop there. He tried repeated slashes, hoping to lower Josh's guard, all while the Lucario ended up deflecting all of the blows being sent his way. Josh could tell that Chris wasn't giving his all in this. He feels as though he was facing a brick wall that seemed impossible to climb over. But despite it all, Chris was fueled by the loss of his brother. That fire in him refusing to die down. The flames of vengeance.

Josh, meanwhile, just looked on in pity. He didn't like seeing Chris like this. He knew that for a fact. He thought his tale he recounted to Chris prior to his Mega Evolution would be enough to make him falter. All he really did was make Chris lose his focus. That flame in Chris becoming erratic. Uncontrollable. It was enough to make Josh feel sorry for him.

Chris soon managed to use Agility in conjunction with Double Team, encircling Josh once more in a flurry of Scyther, trapping him within a massive vortex. Josh retracted the bone staffs, and as he stared at Chris going on the offense, he knew that he had to break through. Every sword needs to be tempered and mastered if one is to act as a knight. You only act with intent to attack. Josh gave a dismissive grunt, before his paws started glowing a bright blue as they appeared literally on fire. But let me show you what it means to bear this flame inside of me, which I've been burdened to carry all of these years. Perhaps then, you'll learn to understand what it means to be a sword of justice.

One by one, Chris sent in his army of duplicates to take on Josh. All the while, Josh easily manages to use Reversal as a counter, managing to smack apart each of the clones without issue. But then, that's where Chris picked up the pace, and Josh grunted as he used Double Team to counteract each of the clones at a faster rate. But as Chris looks at Josh being swarmed, lost in the flurry of so many Lucario and Scyther duplicates, he panted from exhaustion.

I can't find him… Where is he? Chris looked among the dozens of clones, only to find what appeared to be a faint blue glow amidst all of the chaos. But soon enough, the blue glow only grew brighter, burning away all of the clones surrounding Josh, before it's revealed that Josh is staring up at Chris, readying his next attack, which took the form of his own aura building up between his paws. "Tch! Oh no you don't!" Chris soon charged down towards Josh, his body glowing a bright green, his X-Scissor attack only glowing brighter as he raced towards Josh at top speed amidst the storm. "I'm not losing to you, you dog!"

Chris was ready to strike, about to use his best attack. But as he was about to strike, Josh lowered his head, his Aura Sphere quickly glowing much brighter, before it soon started to shrink for a brief moment, until Josh thrust his paws forward, and it soon began to fire off in a massive blast. With tears in his eyes, Josh looked back at Chris, before yelling "STOP CALLING ME A DOG!"

The massive explosion of energy that Josh fired out came out as a powerful beam, engulfing Chris in a blast of aura. The power was so intense that it resulted in a large explosion that shook the very ground itself. The very explosion ended up encasing both fighters, destroying all of the Double Team clones that both Josh and Chris had conjured up earlier. Any wild Pokémon that were nestled inside of the trees fled in a panic at the sudden explosion that took place in the clearing. The blast itself was even noticeable by the residents of Esther.

Hatori, in particular, watched the forest carefully, and saw the massive burst of energy that Josh had just unleashed. He stared at the explosion with his signature curious smile.

Meanwhile, Cereza noticed the explosion while in her room, seeing the blast from her window. She feared the worst, and ended up canceling her plans of logging off to run an investigation. To hell with orders, she thought. I've never been one for listening, anyways.

As the dust settled in the forest, however, Josh just stood there, having expelled a ton of his own aura into that one attack. He looked particularly exhausted, panting heavily as he fell to his hands and knees. He had just unleashed an attack that had nearly drained him, and he didn't know if he could even keep going at this rate.

However, much to his surprise, Chris was able to survive the blast. He staggered back up to his feet, already reaching his own limits as well. But as he tried to take that first step towards Josh, even he was starting to feel fatigued by it all, and fell to his knees. He tried to stay conscious, the only thing that was driving him forward was his brother's death. And he had the one responsible for taking his life right in front of him. Chris gritted his teeth, frustrated that he couldn't keep up to Josh. However, he knew that his own brother needed to be avenged. He needed to make Josh pay dearly for taking him away.

Chris started to shed some tears, his own adrenaline being pumped into him as he let out a guttural scream. A light-green aura encompassed his body, as he decided to try one more assault, even if it killed him. Anger filling his vision, he charged forward, ready to slash at Josh once more. "JOSH!" he yelled, his blade arm about to strike the Lucario while he was down.

What he wasn't expecting, however, was for Josh to suddenly glare back at him, his eyes glowing a bright blue, before upercutting him with Reversal. Josh was no longer in the pilot seat. He was lost to himself at this moment. Chris knew this would happen, but in his haste to finish the fight, he accidentally triggered Josh's latent energy.

Chris backed away as he hovered in the air, staring down at Josh. A bright blue aura engulfed Josh's body, the Mega Lucario slowly rising up to his feet. However, he was hunched over. His eyes giving off a cold glare. He growled at the foe that tried to take him out. A slight pain gripped Josh's head, as he tried to find some way to snap out of it, but the overwhelming surge of aura in his body was too much for him to control, no matter how much he tried to resist.

Chris glared back at Josh, trying to yell out in anger to grab his attention. "Hey! We're not done yet!" He lowered himself to the ground, standing defiantly against the Mega Lucario before him. He pointed his blade arm, giving his declaration to Josh. "You still have a lot to repent for, Josh! And I am not going to stop here until either you or I are history! So quit screwing around, and show me the real deal!"

However, as he gave that declaration, Josh soon lost control of himself, letting out a scream towards Chris. Snarling with his barred teeth, he fired a flurry of Aura Spheres towards Chris. Chris reacted by charging forward, slicing apart all of the Aura Spheres with his blade arms. He used Agility, along with Double Team, attempting to throw Josh off of his game. However, Josh swiftly, threw a bone staff towards his direction, and the Scyther could only gasp as he quickly deflected it, until Josh appeared right in front of him. How did he figure me out so quickly?!

Josh kicked Chris in the stomach, knocking the wind out of the Scyther as he began gasping for air. This was then followed by Josh readying an Aura Sphere in his paw as he fired it point-blank at Chris. The resulting impact caused Chris to be knocked back, only for Josh to use Bone Rush to try and level the playing field. Chris reacted by parrying his Bone Rush attack, using U-Turn to back away from Josh before he got into real danger.

However, it was there that Josh soon readied another attack. He held one of his palms back, and at first, Chris assumed it was another Aura Sphere. Smirking, he charged forward. I can handle another Aura Sphere, no problem! Josh is far too predictable!

But instead of what Chris was expecting, he saw that the energy that was built up on Josh's paw took on a bright silver hue, mixed in with his blue aura. And as soon as Chris realized his mistake, it was too late. Josh thrust his palm forward, and a powerful silver-blue beam of energy fired from him. The attack ended up engulfing Chris, causing him to scream as he soon fell to the ground. The very moment that Chris hit the ground, Josh growled as he gripped his arm in pain, almost like the attack itself has hurt him in some capacity.

Chris knew this attack. He's seen Nolan use this attack before. Steel Beam? Since when did he learn Steel Beam?!

Josh soon overcame the pain, before he soon raised up his arm, staring down Chris with an angry glare. Josh conjured up an Aura Sphere above his head, and as he channeled his energy, the blue orb ended up growing in size. All the while, Chris could only watch on, panting out of exhaustion. He looked into the Mega Lucario's eyes. He intends to end it here.

Chris could only grit his teeth, the pain of Josh's attacks finally starting to catch up to him. "Yeah…" he muttered out. "You want it badly, don't you…? To finish what you've started…" Chris glared at Josh intensely, the Lucario returning that same expression back to him. "That's the look of a killer, alright…" Chris continued. "You are a monster, through and through… Much like he was…"

Chris briefly thought about his own father, and how much he hated that man for what he's done to Zach. Chris tried to be the sole protector of Zach through it all. All in his effort to keep him safe from the abuse they've been subjected to. But through it all, he wondered… Josh mentioned that he tried to protect Adam from the hell of being trapped here, and it pushed him away. Why? What Adam experienced here isn't as awful as an abusive father… At least I tried to keep Zach safe back home!

He then remembered Josh's words being brought back to him. "You and I have been chained by darkness for far too long." "I fight following the oath of the sword, and the virtues therein." "It's a shame, then, that you decided to spit in the face of virtue to fulfill your own selfish wishes. Even if I understand your own pain." "I had to bear witness to what Hell looked like three years ago. My brother almost lost his life because of it." "I wanted to protect my brother from this Hell, much like how you wanted to protect Zach from yours." "I can't shield everyone."

Why am I remembering these? Chris thought to himself. I don't care about Josh! He doesn't deserve to live! Not after what he did!

And then, remembering Zach crying as he tried to comfort him, he recalled something his brother once said. "I hate it here. I just wish I could live a normal life!"

Chris gasped, unsure of where that memory came from. As he then recalled something else from Zach. The moment that Zach and Chris last spoke to each other before Zach was sent to the hospital. Chris tried to reason he became strong to protect Zach. And to that, Zach soon brought up "You are just as scary as Dad…"

Chris didn't know what was wrong with him as he recalled those memories. Fear began to settle into his mind, as he began to realize that in his effort of trying to protect Zach 24/7, he soon became far more intense. And it was here that his father's words rang in his ears. "All of the pain I gave you. All of the harsh words. It was to build you up! You are a soldier now, Chris. Embrace it."

Chris was petrified with fear at his own past. He now understood Josh's words. He lowered his gaze, accepting defeat. He was still bitter at Josh, but he knew that Josh was right. "I guess…we're both monsters, Josh…" He gave a cocky grin towards the Mega Lucario. "Might as well accept it, Josh. I'll still hunt you down. Be on your guard. I'll be waiting."

Josh snarled at Chris as he spoke, ready to strike. He was just about to launch his attack…

And suddenly, Josh was struck from behind by a Venoshock attack, taking him by surprise. Josh turned his gaze back, his attack dissipating, as he saw that I was standing there, arm outstretched, already winded from running all the way here. Steeling my resolve, I said "That's enough, Josh! It's no longer worth it."

"Rose…?" Chris gasped out of surprise. "What are you doing here? Stay back! Josh is…!"

"Shut it, Chris!" I shouted, keeping my focus on Josh with a brave face. I could tell that the Mega Lucario could hear my voice, lost and confused. Hatori mentioned that I am the one who reached out to him after he went berserk before. Ugh, to think that he believes we're a modern Beauty and the Beast…

I lowered my arm, walking over to Josh with confidence. I smiled at him, and just from looking at Josh's expression, I could see that he was finally relaxing. I told him "You are not a monster, Josh. You never were. Zach's death is not your fault. So please… Step out of the darkness, and return to the light."

I raised my hand towards Josh's cheek, and he gently ended up placing his paw on it. Tears started to stream down his face as his aura soon began to subside. His eyes stopped glowing blue, and as I smiled at him for finally snapping out of it, Josh returned the smile to me. He relaxed a little, and mentioned "Thank you, Rose… I knew you could do it."

Josh recognized that what I said was true. It was enough to finally tame the savage beast, and reawaken his own humanity. Josh was beginning to start sobbing, regretting how he tried going through with something so careless. But he was happy. He was happy that he had me find the real truth of what happened.

But it was there that Josh soon gasped, his eyes jolting open. He pushed me aside, turning around to face Chris, charging towards him with tears in his eyes, only for Chris to slash at Josh's chest with X-Scissor. The cuts were deep, Chris's blade arms stained with blood, as Josh collapsed to the ground with this large x-shaped wound on his chest, reverting to his base form.

I was horrified. I gasped out of pure shock, seeing Josh collapsed on the ground, bleeding out in front of me. Chris, meanwhile, was intent to kill, raising his blade arm up for the finishing blow. "This will end it!" he declared.

"NO!" I shouted, ready to strike Chris back with Venoshock to prevent him from killing Josh outright.

Just in the nick of time, that was where Cross and Nolan emerged. Nolan blocked off the Venoshock as I fired it forward, while Cross rushed up to Chris, blocking the Scyther's blade arm with own.

"What the hell, guys?!" Chris yelled. "I thought I told you I was going to settle this alone!"

"And you could've been considered a criminal as a result of that! Is that what you want?! To be the very thing you hated?!" Cross argued back. The Gallade was clearly angry with Chris. And it was here that Chris realized that this was serious. Cross only showed anger or intense emotion if it was deadly serious.

But being called the thing he hated… That struck a chord with Chris unlike anything he's ever considered before. His father's words haunted his mind again. Lowering his blade arm, he demanded some answers. "What was Rose talking about just now? Zach died because of him, right?"

Cross shot a glare at Chris briefly, before letting out a sigh in annoyance. "Jeez, you're stubborn…" He then decided to punch Chris in the face unexpectedly, knocking the Scyther to the ground as he started shedding tears. "You are a goddamn idiot!" Cross shouted. "Josh didn't kill Zach!"

This perplexed Chris as he sat up and saw how furious Cross was. Cross averted his gaze, gritting his teeth at the mere thought of what he learned off of me. "When Zach was in Josh's school, he was hysterical! He believed that there was no hope for himself! He couldn't stand the world anymore, and took his own life before Josh could tackle him to the ground…"

This came as a huge shock to Chris. He felt uneasy, like a pit formed in his stomach. Nolan was next to speak as he approached Chris. "Adam regained his memory of what happened three years ago," he said. "That was what we were trying to do, Herr Chris. To clear up what happened."

"W-What…?" Chris got up onto his feet, in clear and utter disbelief. "Zach… He…killed himself…?"

Cross looked at the sight of Josh collapsed on the ground, being healed up by my Z-Aromatherapy to try and patch up his wounds. Cross looked positively remorseful for what happened. "You mentioned to us that Zach didn't want to be taken in by police, right?" Lowering his head, he then brought up "Zach believed that…he didn't want anything to do with his father after what happened. His own courage faded. He was terrified. He couldn't bear being in the world anymore. And the idea of being placed under arrest for causing a panic at the school weighed heavily on his mind. He just wanted to meet with Josh, according to Adam."

"W-with Josh?" Chris stammered. He looked at Josh's injured state, his body recovering, but still bleeding out.

"Zach found out that Josh lived close by, and…he ran away to find him…" Cross then looked over at Chris. "But he kept the knife as a form of self-defense in case he ran into trouble. But upon seeing Josh charging towards him, his last ounce of resolve vanished…" He lowered his gaze, sobbing as he couldn't bear the idea of what happened. "I'm…so sorry, Chris…"

This was so much to take at once for Chris. Hearing how Zach hated the idea of seeing their father… How Zach mentioned that Chris was more like his father than he realized… How Zach ran away in an attempt to find his only other friend as a last-ditch effort, but only appeared like a crazed maniac in Josh's eyes… And upon seeing Josh's dedication to protecting Adam from harm, Josh charged towards him to restrain him… And thinking there was no going back for him, that his life was officially over, Zach…ended it all…

Zach died.

It was there that Josh's words rang through his mind once more. "Adam lost all self-esteem. After a few days, he gave up. He almost leapt off of a cliff, and I could only sit there and watch as my own overprotective nature ended up biting me back in the tail."

Chris's own overprotective nature towards Zach came to mind. And as such, Chris's body shuddered. His eyes began to water, as he stared at his two blade arms, coated with blood. His own vision blurred as he began to feel like he's made a horrible mistake, and it made him out into the thing he hated the most.

"I… What did I…? I…" Chris soon started crying. He wanted to wipe his face, but because of all of the blood on his arms, he had to live with the fact that he did the unthinkable. "I didn't mean… I-I just w-wanted… I-I'm s-sorry!"

Cross soon walked over to Chris, offering him a hug, letting the Scyther pour out all of his emotions. Chris broke down into complete anguish as he cried into Cross's shoulder. All the while, Cross just tried to comfort him the best that he could. Cross was still mad at Chris for what he's done, but he still considers him a friend. Nolan, too, still considered him a friend, as he started shedding a few tears of his own as he saw Cross and Chris hugging it out.

Thankfully, I managed to save Josh on time, as I could hear him groaning in pain as I finished sealing up the wound. Much like Adam's bullet wound from earlier, this would remain as a scar for the rest of his days. A reminder of Chris's greatest mistake.

The sound of Josh still breathing came as a relief to me, and I began to cry again as Josh looked on at me. He smiled at me, resting his head on the ground as he said "Don't cry, Rose. You've already been through so much. I don't want you to be upset."

I didn't care. I shook my head, a smile on my face as I lifted Josh into my arms and gave him a hug. He winced a little from the pain on his chest, but he was at least glad it was finally over, and both he and Chris had proper closure on a dark moment of their past.

At least…that's what everyone else thought. Chris finished his hug with Cross, noticing that I was crying, and fell to his knees, devastated for what he's done. "Rose…" he said. "I'm so sorry…" He then tried to reach out to me, as he said "I didn't mean to-"

I slapped aside his blade arm, showing how furious I was with him. "Don't you dare come near him!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, upset over how Chris had badly scarred Josh's body. "I will never forgive you for what you've done, you monster!"

I wanted to attack him, to show how furious I was, but Josh placed his paw on my shoulder, grabbing my attention. He had this sorrowful look on his face, and silently shook his head, wanting me to let this go.

Cereza would soon arrive in the forest clearing shortly afterward, alongside Heath the Golisopod. She took notice of Josh's injured body, how visibly upset I was, and the noticeable blood on Chris's arms. However, instead of being angry over this like we expected, she instead looked at us all with pity. "Heath. Take LucarioTrainerJ back to the guild for medical attention."

"Yes, ma'am," Heath said with a nod. He soon walked over to Josh, and gently lifted him up into his arms. "Easy there, J. Everything is going to be alright."

Josh winced from the pain on his chest, giving a pained look over to Chris. Chris looked right back, a pure and utter moment of horrifying realization finally dawning on him. And yet, despite it all, Josh isn't looking at him with resentment. Chris realized that Josh was…sorry for him.

And as Cereza lifted Chris up to his feet, she pulled out some chains, binding up his arms and wings to prevent him from trying to flee. And as Cereza looked at the Scyther with a pitying look, she mentioned "Congrats, idiot. You are now under arrest for attempted murder. I hope you're happy."

It was in that moment, Chris relented. He immediately realized that he and Josh are more similar than he thought. However, what I told him resonated with him profoundly. And it broke his heart.

I'm sorry, Josh. I can see now what it feels like to be called a "monster."