Interceptor's Wish

by Masterdude21

What started as a young man's search for his abducted mother spirals out of control. Soon, he is fighting a desperate war for survival against greater odds than a more generous God would have allowed. The enemy is everywhere and allies are far too few. With the entire region at stake, who can prevail when fate itself seems set against you? - Novelization of Pokemon Rejuvenation.

25. A Trial of Dragons

Chapter 7 - A Teila Fire and Ice

A Trial of Dragons

~~~~~~~(I)~~~~~~~

---

Teila Resort

For Will, change was a slow, bleeding thing.

A gradual shift, a tilted axis across which everything he knew slowly crawled from one end to the other. Slowly. Deliberately. Almost imperceptibly until one day, the moment came and the realization set in that everything was different. That nothing would be the same again.

Somewhere along that tilted axis, moving to Aevium had turned into settling in across a dozen different cities. Raising his first Pokemon had turned into building different teams for different circumstances. Running from Team Xen had turned to waging war against them.

A promise of keeping hope had turned into surrounding himself with people he loved and who loved him in return.

Change was a slow, bleeding thing and it dragged him along, whether he wanted to or not. So when Melia and Aelita held him in a loose, messy three way embrace, Venam watching over them, Will didn't bother resisting. He felt, for the first time since…he couldn't even remember it, but he felt something that could be, that might be peace. Aelita pressed against him. Melia's hair tickling the back of his arm. Venam, closely behind him, her arm pulled across his shoulders with a reassuring weight and intent to it…the sound of the waves rolling across the sea.

Perhaps that was peace. Perhaps that was what had been intended for him in Akuwa Town, but it wasn't there. It was here, with them, under the sun and the gentle wind.

Later that evening, everybody gathered in their luxury apartment again. Venam dropped onto one of the sofas, snatched up the remote and began browsing channels on the TV. Saki had seated herself on the dining table, still scribbling away in her notebook. Every few minutes she'd put a few lines and circles on a large sheet of paper, putting together something like a blueprint for a machine. Adam took one of the seats in the far corner, immersing himself in a book. Aelita dropped down on one of the glass tiles with a book of her own and Melia left for a personal errand. Some moments later, Val and Braixen left to make an appointment at the spa, and suddenly things were all quiet again.

Another opportunity.

Will headed back into his room, sent out Axew and made sure the little dragon and him looked as non-threatening as possible. Next, he placed several pillows and blankets across the floor, put some special Pokemon food in a bowl and dropped down on his emptied bed.

Then, he released the little Ralts from its ball again.

As expected, the small Psychic-type froze in its tracks when it realized that it wasn't alone. It dropped down on one of the pillows and curled up into a little ball, as if trying to make itself as small as possible.

Axew stared at it with large, curious eyes. He had specific instructions to not do anything that could be interpreted as aggressive or hostile, so he remained seated at his own pillow and made himself look non-threatening.

Since he was tiny and cute, that probably wouldn't take much effort.

Meanwhile, Will opened his journal again and began writing down some of his thoughts, just like Val had suggested.

Terajuma Island

Teila Resort

Professor Jenner escaped from Team Xen. Blew up a part of their base and set up shop in Aquamarine Cave. Bad news for us; people aren't sure what his intentions are. Threw a wrench in Melia's thoughts, too. Tesla trusts him and so do I. Being wrong here scares the hell out me; if he's for real, Xen will kill him. If he's lying we will have to deal with him ourselves.

Who is going to be the one to do it?

Good news; explosives. Gonna pester Jenner for his recipe. Plan's simple; sink Xen's battleships. Promote them to submarines.

Reminder: ask Val what himbo means.

Will looked up from his writing. Much to his horror, Axew had crept closer to Ralts. He'd circled around to its food and nudged the bowl towards it, as if trying to coax it into eating.

Due to either paranoia or sheer terror, Ralts wouldn't eat. So Axew sat himself down next to its bowl of food and helped himself to some bites.

Will hoped that was to show Ralts they hadn't drugged or poisoned its food or something. He knew he hadn't raised his boy to just eat other people's lunch.

Sure enough, after a few bites, Axew pushed the bowl closer towards Ralts, who warily raised its head from its arms and looked at him.

His Pokedex said that the Ralts line used its horns to gauge the emotions in their environment. They preferred happy and cheerful people above gloomy and angry ones, which just further hammered home that this particular specimen had the worst luck in the freaking world. It would probably be so much better off with Melia.

But life wasn't perfect, and Will had been the one to pick up its Poke Ball and claim it for himself. The least he could do was offer Ralts a good home.

Meanwhile, Ralts still didn't eat. It fixed Axew with an unflinching stare, which would have been uncanny enough on its own, but Ralts was part Psychic, part Fairy type. Will still had no clue what was going on inside of the little Pokemon's head. If it decided to lash out, it might seriously hurt Axew.

…now who was the paranoid one?

Will swung his legs over the edge of his bed, moving slowly and deliberately, taking great care not to make any sudden moves. Ralts broke its gaze off Axew and lowered its head against the pillow again.

"It's okay," he said in what he hoped to be a soothing voice. "You're safe now, Ralts. Nobody's going to hurt you."

It didn't respond.

Axew looked up at his trainer with a hint of melancholy in his eyes. He waddled closer to Ralts until he was about a foot away, then put his own head atop the pillow and laid there, as if trying to keep it company without bothering it with its presence.

"Nobody is going to hurt you," Will reiterated. He left the two Pokemon in his room and then left.

Things were much the same in the living room. Everybody was chilling on the couches. Reading. Writing. Watching television. Just relaxing and taking it easy.

"How's the planning going?" Will asked Saki, looking over her shoulder to see her scribbling away on her blueprint."

"My research into building something totally awesome is going swimmingly! Maybe I'll test it out on you someday."

"If it helps fight Giratina, I'm up for it," Will said.

"No you're not," came Adam's voice from the other end of the room.

"Come on dude, it'll be great!" Saki protested "It'll make you so much stronger! Orit'lljusthurtyou…"

"I'm sorry?" Will asked.

"Uh, oh, nothing," Saki said dismissively. "Anyways, still planning. It'll just put ya name at the top of my list of test buddies then!"

Before Will could express his gratitude, Venam suddenly spoke up. "Test your stupid inventions on someone else, but leave Will out of that shit."

Saki scrunched up her nose as if sniffing the air. "Smell that? Sounds like jealousy. You jelly? Jelly you can't even make your music run on time while I be here creating actual useful stuff?"

"Yeah right," Venam bit back. "I'm actually here to contribute. You're just running around with your head up your ass, creating more trouble."

Saki sprang from her seat, murder gleaming in her eyes. "I'm going to make a rug out of – "

"Enough," Will said, "Come on now. We've got enough to worry about without you two trying to kill each other."

"She started it," Venam and Saki yelled at the exact same time, pointing accusingly at each other.

Which on its own would be very interesting to someone who knew how the female mind worked. As it was, Will simply sighed.

"Is this how it normally goes?" Aelita asked.

"You'll learn to ignore it," Adam replied.

~~~~~~~(II)~~~~~~~

---

Jenner heard the soft rustle of leather brushing across stone and looked up from his computer screen, his mind leaping to conclusions before he had the evidence to back them up. It had become a habit of his, a habit he was desperate to shed once this was all over.

He did not see the telltale black outfits of the goons or their leaders. He did not see the metallic wings of their Death Wing assassins or the custom-tailored costumes of the Executives.

It was his girl. She'd bundled her hair together in a long ponytail that hung loosely over her back. Her silvery eyes, once so innocent and filled with childlike curiosity, now glared at him with open suspicion and apprehension.

"Melia?" He muttered.

"Hello…" She hesitantly said. "Mind if I keep you company for a little while?"

Jenner almost fell out of his chair as he made room for his girl. "P-Please do!" He said, hoping that he hadn't misunderstood her intentions. "I uh, was just finishing up some work."

Wordlessly, Melia made her way towards the improvised concert setup at the edge of the water. She hopped onto one of Amber's oversized speakers – Tesla's kid would blow a fuse if she saw that – and rested her head on her hands, watching Jenner as he wrapped up his work. "You look like a mess, by the way."

"Hah…yes, I know it's not a look well suited for my face, but..." Jenner shrugged. "The loss of structure and stress does a lot to a man." He looked his daughter over, confirming once again what he had seen before. "I see you've grown up quite a bit, too. Your hair's longer than usual."

"I didn't grow it out because I wanted to," Melia replied simply. "I got too depressed to really manage it, and it kind of just got long."

Jenner winced internally, knowing that the sole cause of her turbulent feelings was his apparent betrayal of her trust. And yet…and yet…! "It looks good in a ponytail," he continued.

"Thanks," she murmured. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, then said, "What's all this equipment for? What are you trying to do?"

Jenner hoped that he mistook the suspicion in her voice. "I was forced to work on a communications grid network for Team Xen at the summit of Valor Mountain," He explained. "I stole this equipment from the compound because it is directly linked to that network. If I can sever the link between Xen HQ and Valor Mountain then I can buy some time. Of course, that would only be a temporary solution to our issues."

Melia took a breath. "Why does Team Xen want to capture me so badly?" She then asked the one question Jenner could not answer. "Why go through all of this? I don't understand. I'm just one person."

Pained, Jenner looked away. And his absence of an answer did not go unnoticed.

"So you won't tell me?" Melia asked, as if she had expected this outcome and still felt disappointed.

"Melia, you also hold secrets deep to your heart," Jenner said, looking his daughter in the eyes. "Things you wish to tell your friends, experiences you've been through. But you are held back by a certain "force". Something, or someone, who forbids you from pouring your heart out. There are some things you just cannot say. That is the situation I am in as well."

He saw that his words resonated with her, that the partial knowledge he just revealed he held had shaken Melia from her anger. "I get that," she sighed. "There are things I want to tell Will and the others so much…but I…" She pressed the palms of her hands against her forehead and grimaced. "I can't right now. It's so frustrating."

"There will be a time and a place," Jenner reassured her. "For our conversation as well. They understand. Will understands, too."

"…you didn't want Team Xen to get away with kidnapping me, huh?" Melia said, pressing on. "That's why you made me learn how to battle at a young age…why you always sent me on those research expeditions? Signing me up for the league?"

With a deep sigh, Jenner met Melia's accusatory gaze once more. "When Team Xen handed me your case, I originally tried to keep distant and do my job," he told her. Memories came flooding back to him; an entire lifetime spent with his adorable daughter, whom he had entirely failed to keep distant from himself. "But you were so cute, and quiet, and polite. I fell in love. My daughter was all that mattered to me. And so I devised a plan to save you without putting both of us under heavy suspicion. You would become so strong that Team Xen couldn't ever win against you."

"It would have failed," Melia pointed out. This time, there was no emotion in her voice. She pointed out the simple and naked truth, and it hurt all the more because of it. "Team Xen would have succeeded in Goldenwood Forest, had it not been for Will. It's a stupid and crazy coincidence he was there. A one in a million shot, really…"

"It was all I could do," Jenner admitted. "I was prepared to become hated by you, or…so I thought. Seeing your fear and feelings of betrayal against me that day shattered my heart."

"My heart was shattered as well."

Jenner lowered his head. "I know. I'm…I'm so sorry. I know mere words can never mend what I broke, but I want you to hear them regardless."

"All of this is more complicated than just a daughter and father trying to be free," Melia quietly said. "And I don't hate you, but I wish you told me everything."

"I know now that I underestimated your capabilities," Jenner said.

"It's not about my capabilities!" Melia hotly said, and the anger in her voice reverberated across the cavern. "I just wanted you to trust and depend on me."

Jenner took a breath. "I see…I've failed in that regard, too. It was hypocritical for me to ask the same of you."

"A little," Melia admitted.

Jenner happened to glance at the screen again. He saw that the clock in the lower right of his screen indicated it was past midnight already. "Oof, would you look at the time…I think it's time for both of us to get some rest," he said.

"Sending me away again, huh?" Melia said, and Jenner felt his chest seize together in pain and regret at his words.

"No, I – " he sputtered.

But Melia smiled at him. "Sorry, I was only kidding! Kind of a joke in poor taste now that I think about it. I guess we're both pretty awful at this…"

Jenner conceded that with a nod of his head. "We sure are."

Regardless of any of that…his girl had smiled at him. She had smiled at him again and for him, that was everything that mattered.

~~~~~~~(III)~~~~~~~

---

The next two days of the weekend at Teila Resort went by in a flash. They settled into a schedule of sorts. The early-risers got up early and did their thing. Those would be Aelita, Adam and sometimes Will. They worked out or enjoyed leisurely morning swims. On Saturday, Aelita got Adam to show off the kind of strength training he usually did at the gym. There, Adam casually benched nearly three-hundred pounds seven times in a row and made it look easy. Next, he and Aelita coached Will as he struggled to get six reps in with a hundred and twenty pounds.

After that, it was coffee and breakfast at the resort itself with the entire gang. They laughed and told each other stories as they marveled at the enormous diversity of the resort's breakfast options. One of the waitresses showed up and poured them coffee. Venam reached for the sugar bowl and began adding several spoons of sugar to her coffee.

Will watched her with raised eyebrows. That Aelita added milk to her coffee was one thing, but sugar? To black coffee? That was not right in his world. "Want some coffee with that sugar?"

"Not everyone is a psychopath who pours bitter coffee down the lead pipe they have in lieu of a throat, Will," Venam told him with the utmost patience as she handed Val the sugar bowl next. "Some of us have taste."

To which Will really didn't have any form of comeback.

"Venam used words," Braixen snickered. "It was super effective."

But Venam gave him a sly grin and Will cracked a smile as well.

"You went straight for the jugular there," Aelita said. "No mercy."

Will conceded his loss with a gesture.

The mornings had a sort of peace and directionless calm to them. Aelita and Venam didn't take their eyes off him and at times, Will caught Melia just staring at him and he wasn't sure what went on inside of her head. He knew it had something to do with the panic attack he'd worked up at the beach and the ugly, painful truth he'd admitted to them.

He wondered if something had changed between them. If they thought less of him now. He hadn't been the same since Akuwa Town. Things had changed. He wasn't sure if they would go back to normal, or if this was now the way things were.

The new normal.

He wondered if things would go back to normal one day.

The Monday after, Will woke up to the realization that once again, the others had let him sleep in. They were gone already.

That was odd; Aelita and him were supposed to go on their morning run together. Why hadn't she woken him up?

He checked to see that Axew and Ralts were still fast asleep on the pillow. He gently prodded them awake, then recalled the both of them and readied his team. Today would be the big trial for the Earth Relic and he needed to be at his best. He'd have to bring his strongest Pokemon and Axew was shaping up to fill in his vacant sixth slot.

Despite having prepped his bag the evening before, Will still double-checked to see if he had all of his gear and equipment ready. Once he had convinced himself he was ready to hit the road, he swung his bag over his back and headed out.

He ran into Adam and Venam there; they'd hauled one of the smaller tables to the front of the house and brought some drinks and freshly-baked bread from the local store. From the looks of it, they'd just returned, too.

"Morning," Will said, taking note of the smell of freshly baked bread coming from Venam's grocery bag.

"Hey Will," Adam said. "Up and at 'em, I see."

"Man, where is everyone?" Venam said. "I thought they'd have returned by now. This is what I get for sleeping in…"

"Saki is MIA, Valarie and Braixen are at the spa and Tesla picked up Melia and Aelita this morning," Adam summed up. "For what? I dunno."

"I thought Will was supposed to take that trial today, or whatever," Venam said, resting her arms on the railing of the balcony.

"That was the plan," Adam agreed. He took her bag and began depositing several bottles of fresh juice and steamy bread on the table. "You up for it?"

Will nodded. "Just waiting for the go ahead."

"Good man."

"So what's the game plan anyway?" Venam asked, grabbing one of the croissants and slicing it open to dump some jam inside. "We hit Kristiline Town, beat the crap out of this Angie woman and then take the third relic. Cool and all, but there's still a big-ass blockade in the way with maybe a couple hundred of assholes in our way."

As a matter of fact, Will had spent the last few days thinking about the exact same thing. He believed he had a plan, but he still needed some more firepower to enact it. "I'm still working on it, but I'm putting together a plan of attack to break through that blockade. I still need to talk to Crawli and then get back to Jenner with the stuff he needs, but if everything works out, we can crack that formation right open."

Adam gave him a scrutinizing look. "You're putting together a plan to break through Team Xen's blockade? On your own?"

Will didn't like how skeptical Adam sounded. "Sure am. I still need some more time and supplies. A lot of things need to work out for things to fall together, but I think we can manage."

Adam put down three mugs and began pouring them some juice. "Enlighten me."

Before Will could do much more than put down his journal and pick up his pen, Tesla was suddenly there, walking up the steps of their apartment and cheerfully waving at them. "Good morning everyone! It's time for Will's trial!" She said. "Everything is ready and set up to go! Whenever you guys are ready, head over to Magrodar Crater. They'll let you pass now."

"Hell yeah!" Venam said. "I'm ready for some action!"

"Guess your planning will have to wait," Adam said. "I'll head on over too. Not like I got anything to do."

"Good! I will see you guys there! Good luck Will!" Tesla said, before taking her leap. She had a real bounce to her step, too. Whatever this trial was about got her excited.

And that got Will excited too.

He was ready to prove himself. One step closer to wrecking Team Xen's plans.

"Let's rock and roll!" Venam exclaimed. "You like rock, Adam?"

"I train Rock-type Pokemon, at least," Adam replied.

Venam grinned. "I have a feeling we're gonna be good friends, man."

Adam nodded in appreciation. "Cool."

"Cool!"

The three of them headed out. Venam took the lead, which meant Will could simply follow her on auto-pilot and let his mind wander for a bit. Tesla had picked up Aelita and Melia for the trial? That suggested she had some last-minute preparations she needed their help for.

Magrodar Crater was the site of an active volcano. The ground was all craggy and warm and the air was dry and hot. Tesla had stationed some locals at key junctions to help guide the trialgoer to his destination – onto a stone path that crossed through the interior of the volcano, straight across a small lake of lava.

Now Will had never had the dubious pleasure of crossing over an active volcano - Carotos Mountain didn't count - but it was hot. Even though the lava was quite a distance below him, Will felt he was just a few degrees away from catching fire.

"This makes zero sense," Adam grumbled.

"Fighting in an active volcano? Yeah, seems dangerous, but also pretty goddamn awesome," Venam replied.

"No. The lava is being cooled by the surrounding air, so it should have a black outer crust, but it's still all fresh and orange. Also, being this close to the lava should have set us on fire already. I mean skin-burning, bone-charring fire. Look at it; that lava's just twenty meters below us. Even if we didn't succumb to the toxic gasses, there's absolutely no way we would be capable of getting this close without getting cooked."

"Oh. Huh. Well, if you put it like that, I guess it doesn't make much sense, no," Venam replied.

"Maybe there's a Pokemon regulating the temperature?" Will suggested. "Insulating the air? I dunno. Physics and Pokemon don't play nice."

"Physics and Pokemon don't play nice because we're not smart enough to grasp that they do play," Adam said. "But…yeah, I guess a Pokemon could have done this. I doubt Tesla would have the trial here if people were in actual risk of falling and burning to death."

"God, I can't believe you two are ruining this moment," Venam bit at them. "Will's about to do battle in an active. Volcano. And you're arguing about nerd stuff!"

"This nerd stuff might just save our lives if things go awry," Adam commented.

"Come oooon!" Venam drawled. "I want to see Will kicking ass inside of an active volcano already! Nobody's going to be in actual danger here!"

With Venam's…motivational drive, the three of them pushed deeper into the volcano. The path widened until it was large enough for people to drive their cars over its surface. It zigzagged across the lava in a radial pattern until…

"Halt, trialgoer!"

They were stopped in their tracks by a mysterious blond-haired beauty standing atop a stone pillar. She held a green fan in her left hand, which she used to mask half her face. Her hair was tied in two knots at the sides of her head and she had woven a beautiful, pink flower through the strands of her hair, which sat delicately at the upper right side of her head.

"…Melia?!" Venam shouted in surprise.

She was right! Will hadn't recognized her initially, what with the delicate ceremonial dress she wore, but it was Melia! Though her expression was fiery and determined, he thought she looked absolutely adorable.

"Those who wish to battle the guardian must first pass the test of the two maidens!" Melia exclaimed. "Come forth, warrior of the Earth!"

"Will, focus up," Adam said, his voice coming from far away. "You've got contact."

Will tore his gaze off Melia's striking appearance and looked to the right, where Alex came strutting across the stone path without a care in the world.

"Hi, I'm the Earth Warrior," she said. "That would be me. I'm gonna show you why Crawli chose me to be one of his top rangers!"

Before, when Melia had joined him in the battle against the pair of rangers, Pidgeotto had made short work of Pelipper with some support from Melia's side. This time, as a Pidgeot, he needed no such support. What little advantage Pelipper could have had over Pidgeot was rendered moot by the sweltering heat of the volcano.

Without its Water-type attacks to fall back on, Pelipper wasn't able to last very long against Pidgeot. Even when Alex swapped it out for her Venusaur, the bad news didn't end for her.

With experience, solid tactics and a thoroughly trained Pokemon, any trainer could overcome a classic type disadvantage. Will had done so himself several times before, too. But Alex, experienced and tough as nails as she was, had her Venusaur face off against Will's Houndoom.

In the middle of a volcano.

It didn't go well for her.

"Darn, I guess that's it from me," Alex said after about thirty seconds of fighting, several failed Leech Seeds and a pair of well-placed Flamethrowers. "I need to hit the Ranger HQ training grounds. STAT!"

"Say hi to Holly from me," Will told her.

Alex smiled and pulled her ranger cap down over her eyes to shield herself from the little flakes of ash in the air. "I will! Keep fighting the good fight!"

Melia watched Alex leave and the wind seemed to leave her sails. "Uh…I wasn't told what to do after this sooooo…" She let her voice trail off and then she hopped off the rock formation, landing unsteadily on the stone path right in front of them. She straightened her dress, made sure the pink flower was still in place and then coughed awkwardly. "Something, something, the rest of the trial is up ahead for you Will!"

With those ominous words, Melia took off, and Venam watched her leave with awe. "This is the garbage I need for my gym!" She exclaimed excitedly. "This shit is fun!"

It really was!

The three of them pushed onwards. One of Tesla's Hikers tried to stop them in their tracks, but his Golem and Hariyama were no match for Will's Blaziken and Pidgeot, and they pushed on.

Up ahead, another beautiful trial maiden forced them to halt their advance.

"Halt! Trialgoer!" Aelita yelled at them and her eyes gleamed with excitement. She too looked absolutely stunning. Her maiden's dress accentuated her muscled and wiry frame and the pink flower resting at the top left of her head fit in perfectly with her magenta hair. "You shall not pass! Tee-hee…"

"Oh no," Adam muttered warily.

"You may have defeated my sister maiden, but you won't get past me!" Aelita continued confidently. "Come forth, warrior of the Earth!"

Heeding the maiden's summoning, Sam the Earth warrior came strolling down the path as well. He held on to his cap as a sudden gust of wind threatened to blow it off his head and Will could feel Adam stiffening next to him. The big guy watched anxiously as Sam approached them and Will heard him muttering angrily under his breath. "Goddamnit. Why does Saki always have to win?"

"Dude, just ask him out," Will whispered.

Adam shoved him and Will nearly fell on his face.

"I am the Earth warrior!" Sam proclaimed. Sorry, but your trial ends here, Will! I lost to you last time, but it won't be like that again!"

"Show me what you got!" Will said, meeting Sam's big smirk with one of his own.

"En Garde!"

Fighting Sam's hulking Golisopod and his powerful Machamp felt similar to engaging Alex's Pelipper and Venusaur, in some ways. A Bug and Water-type Pokemon didn't have the advantage in the arid, burning heat of the volcano, though it didn't look like Machamp really cared about that a lot. The heat simply didn't seem to bother it, so Will had to resort to different means to defeat it. These were the times where a fully-evolved Dragon type would have come in very handy, but Axew wasn't ready for the big games yet.

As it was, Will went back to the tried and true tactic of having Nidoking throw down with Machamp. There, he discovered that Nidoking's Earth Power didn't just affect the ground, but also what lay beneath it. He had an effect on the burning lava and blazing heat within the depths of the volcano. In hindsight, that only made sense; lava, too, was a form of earth. Burning and molten rocks were still rocks, after all.

If Gym Leaders could use the battlefield to their advantage, why not him?

It was touch and go for a moment, but ultimately, Nidoking came out on top. With a pained look on his face, Sam conceded his loss, "My perfect record is being shamed by Will…I won't lose next time!"

The ranger made to leave, and Will nudged Adam. This was his chance; the solemn and sacred tradition of the trial would make for a perfect opening line. What was more romantic than asking someone out for a drink while in the middle of an active volcano?

"I don't think so," Adam muttered, and he remained rooted to the spot as Sam left.

"Ookay, I knew that wasn't gonna be enough to take you down," Aelita said and she grinned like a goof. "I just wanted to sound mildly threatening. The last part of the trial is just up ahead!"

As Aelita turned and hopped back up the craggy path she'd taken to get down to that spot in the first place, Adam sighed in exasperation. "Am I gonna be the one to say how incredibly dangerous this trial is? From what I remember, this is supposed to be something new trainers take part in. But we have them running over lava? Does no one smell a lawsuit?"

"It's the hardest things in life that give the most fulfillment," Will said.

Much to his annoyance, Venam started snickering at what should have been a wise life lesson. "That's what she said."

Seriously? "You're stooping to Saki's level now?"

"Ouch. Right below the belt, too," Venam grumbled. "Guess I deserved that. You coming Adam?"

Adam ran his gaze across the lava pit once more, slowly shaking his head. "Eh, whatever," he then said, before following them towards the end of the path and up towards the crater itself.

It was there, at the edge of the crater of an active volcano, that Amber stood ready to summon the guardian beast with her electric guitar while flanked by two beautiful trial maidens. It was the coolest sight Will had seen in a looong while and somehow, Amber managed to look bored.

Bored.

The mind boggled.

"And so approaches the challenger!" She proclaimed, before lowering her head and sighing.

Tesla stood at the entrance of the crater, eagerly watching the scene unfold.

"The one who dares to disturb the dragon shall be burnt to cinders," Amber continued. "Challenger, are you ready to face the guardian of the Earth Relic?"

"Let's do it," Will said, slowly rolling his shoulders and getting ready to face down whatever dragon Amber would bring to bear against him.

"Yayyy…" Amber said, showing a level of enthusiasm that would make Keta look like a motivational speaker. "Anyway…how does the line go again? Ah yeah, that's right. Very well then. I shall call forth the dragon with an awesome guitar riff."

Will, who had expected explosions and geysers of lava and a great storm of ash and fire to wash over him, watched Amber perform a brief, if solid guitar solo, and he found himself wondering if the dragon in question had a specific taste in metal or something.

Tesla pressed the palm of her hand to her forehead. "Amber," she hissed. "That's not how the ritual is supposed to go…"

"My ritual, my rules!" Amber shouted. "It's fine as long as I successfully summon it, right?"

The ground trembled heavily and Amber gave her mother a self-satisfied grin. "Hah! It's working!"

A massive, black shape unfolded itself from the depths of the volcano and rapidly approached the trial site. It landed heavily on its hind legs, unfolding blue-tinted wings as it roared. The air shook, the ground trembled and the impact of its landing forced Venam to take several steps back.

A truly huge Charizard, black and blue all over, drew its burning gaze across the present trainers. Smoke billowed from its nostrils, tongues of flames danced around its exposed teeth. It found the trialgoer and its bright eyes narrowed.

Again, Charizard roared and again, Will felt the bones in his body vibrate in response.

"The dragon is a Charizard?" Venam exclaimed. "Holy shit!"

"A shiny one at that," Adam chimed in.

Will met the Charizard's gaze in kind. It was a magnificent specimen, truly an awe-inspiring sight…but it wasn't Mewtwo. It wasn't Giratina.

This wasn't a fight to the death. His objective wasn't to survive. It was to leave a good enough impression to pass the trial, and have some fun along the way.

"Challenger who wishes to receive the Earth Relic!" Melia said, raising her voice above the rumbling of the volcano. "Prove yourself!"

Will tensed up. His mind raced as he processed the situation, the beginnings of a plan already falling into place in his mind.

"Prove yourself," Aelita reiterated. "Lest your soul be consumed by the blue flames of Charizard!"

Amber took a breath. "Now, face Charizard and – "

A yellow flash, a bolt of lightning and suddenly, the guardian deity was there, Tapu Koko was there right between Charizard and Will, the marked, red shells on each arm came up in a threatening gesture.

"What the fuck!" Amber shouted.

"That's Tapu Koko!" Melia yelled in shock.

"Wait, this is not how the trial is supposed to go!" Tesla said, her voice thick with concern. "Not in a two-on-one. Charizard, you can't – "

It looked like the Thunder Warrior was ready to rumble! "Come on!" Will shouted, spreading his arms as he met the Pokemon's challenge in kind.

Tapu Koko looked at him with something like approval. An instant later, the Charizard uttered a third, bone-rattling roar and charged into the fight as well.

In the sweltering heat of the volcano, surrounded by lava and fire and stone, not many Pokemon could have thrown down there. With Tapu Koko and the dragon bearing down on him, his choice was an easy one. Moments later, Nidoking and Blaziken squared off against their opponents and the battle erupted with such ferocity that everybody not currently commanding their Pokemon instantly backed away to a safer distance.

Blaziken and Charizard both flung enormous blasts of fire at the other. The air exploded into roiling flames which billowed up in the sky in a giant cloud of smoke and heat. Will had Blaziken charge through the expanding cloud and get up close and personal, but Charizard saw that coming. It whipped around and lashed out at Blaziken with its thick, muscled tail and Blaziken was barely able to drop low enough to avoid it. She was back on her feet and threw herself into a spinning kick at the dragon's head, but Charizard spread its wings and caught the heat and wind that billowed around them, jerking him just out of Blaziken's reach.

Meanwhile, Tapu Koko had accepted Nidoking as his opponent. A sphere of crackling, electrical energy flared to life around it and the next second, it plummeted towards Nidoking in a flash of pink light. Nidoking spat a large globule of poisonous gunk at the Legendary, but it zipped out of the way and appeared right behind Nidoking, before detonating in a flash of pink light. The Dazzling Gleam washed over Nidoking, who retaliated with another Sludge Bomb.

Charizard gathered blue flames in its maw that coalesced into a bright sphere, before unleashing a Dragon Rage across the crater. Blaziken moved with trained precision, darting out of the way as the draconic energy washed actress the craggy rocks. The immense energy bit into the earth, splitting the stones and melting the rocks.

Fast as lightning, Tapu Koko blurred out of the way before Nidoking's Sludge Bomb could impact him. Switching gears, Will ordered Nidoking to sweep the area around him with Earth Power, keeping its forces rippling right underneath the surface of the rocks.

As Nidoking pushed his foe back, Charizard moved to reacquire his target and began bombarding Blaziken with one Dragon Rage after another. Blaziken was like a blur as she leapt, ducked and weaved through the attacks. She gathered fire to herself and flung several blasts of flames at her foe, but Charizard intercepted the fire with more draconic energy. Unable to pin Blaziken down with the smaller attacks, the dragon enveloped himself with an aura of blazing power, inhaled deeply and then proceeded to lay waste to half the crater. Thunder ripped through the barren land as Charizard unleashed a truly massive Dragon Rage attack across the entire front and geysers of lava erupted through the crags. Hundreds of kilograms of rocks and stone exploded into the sky as the entire crater shook.

Amber screamed a curse, Melia and Aelita ducked for cover and Will wondered how much firepower it would take to cause the volcano to erupt.

Faster than the human eye could follow, Blaziken leapt into the sky, landing atop one of the falling stones and using that to brace herself for another jump. Darting from one falling rock to another, Charizard struggled to get a bead on her. Using her Quick Attack like that, Blaziken managed to get close, far too close for Charizard to respond. Her knee came up and caught the dragon across his lower jaw, and the momentum and force behind her High Jump Kick drove Charizard's entire body half a meter into the air.

Not to be outdone, Nidoking's Earth Power created a wave of jagged, burning rocks that erupted from the ground around him, rolling outwards in a rapidly-expanding circle. His Earth Power kicked up an enormous amount of dust and rocks as well, which coalesced into the havoc wreaked by Charizard and helped obscure Nidoking from sight.

His foe zipped around, trying to get a better angle to attack from, but Nidoking's hearing was legendary. He launched several Sludge Bombs in quick succession through the smoke and detonated them in mid-air around Tapu Koko, right as it was about to relocate again. Tapu Koko instantly brought up its shields and guarded himself from the worst of the attack.

Charizard recovered from Blaziken's hits far too fast. He lashed out with a sharp claw and struck Blaziken across her face in return, before seizing her by her wrist and taking to the sky. With her free hand, she struck several quick Fire Punches at Charizard's gut, but the black dragon was made of sterner stuff. Within seconds, Blaziken and him were too high to make out much details. That didn't last much longer than a second however before the pair came plummeting down like a meteor, Charizard still clutching Blaziken tightly.

Will had seen similar approaches to a Seismic Toss before, but nothing with the immense scale and power this Charizard could bring to bear. If he didn't act fast, it might be too much for Blaziken to take.

He shouted his orders, struggling to make himself audible over the roar of the volcano and the violence of Nidoking and Tapu Koko going at it.

Miraculously enough, though it happened much too fast and far too violently for him to make out the details, Blaziken had heard him. With three of her limbs - three of her weapons - still fully operational, she could still take back the initiative from Charizard, and dragons weren't exactly built for grappling.

What should have been an easy Seismic Toss that would have seen Blaziken smashing against the craggy rocks turned into a full on crash landing that saw both Fire Pokemon crashing into the volcano like a streaking meteor. Their combined impact was like an explosion in and of itself and sent shockwaves and clouds of shrapnel and dust in all directions.

On the other side of the battlefield, It took the island guardian mere seconds to ward off the worst of the gunk, but Nidoking wasn't finished. He slammed his tail against the ground and several thin, sharp spires burst from the ground and slammed into Tapu Koko's body like hammer blows. It sent the guardian deity flying back, but it recovered almost instantly and retaliated with another Dazzling Gleam. Nidoking threw up his armored forearms to shield himself, then barraged Tapu Koko with more Sludge Bombs.

Flames erupted from Charizard's crash site. A flamethrower carved through the smoke cloud and a series of rapid thumps echoed through the crater. When the dust cleared, Will saw the Charizard struggling to get airborne again, one of its wings evidently clipped.

Blaziken, one of her hands pressed against a bleeding wound in her abdomen, staggered out of the crater. A fiery corona enveloped her body now, indicative of her Blaze ability having activated. Three minutes of glory before a full collapse, then. Time to give this beast all they had!

Charizard gathered draconic energy to himself once again and Blaziken moved like a blur. Just like Madame X had done, Will's Pokemon moved in a way that felt like it simply missed several frames. She was a blur, then appeared right next to Charizard and drove a Blaze Kick into his sternum. Charizard's attack went wide and Blaziken pressed her advantage; she struck several lightning-quick jabs at Charizard's face, caught a Fire Punch to her side and seemed to crumple, before flinging herself at the dragon's neck.

With Will's pleading yells of encouragement, Blaziken managed to swipe Charizard's arm out of the way with a feint, then scissored her legs around his elongated neck and whirled herself around to his back, jerking the great dragon off balance with her momentum. Panting and unsteady on her feet, Blaziken surrounded herself in a light blue aura and then threw herself at Charizard with full force, throwing her entire weight into a punishing hook. Her right fist connected with Charizard's head with such force that Will felt the shockwave in his bones.

The great dragon dropped to the rocks in a small cloud of smoke and dust. Seconds later, Blaziken swayed on her feet and collapsed to the ground as well.

"That was an incredible fight, Blaziken," Will said. "You're a freaking champion."

Tapu Koko took note of Charizard's defeat and made his move. He flung himself to the ground, unleashing a shockwave of pink energy and wisps of blue aura that materialized above the ground. That same pink energy erupted beneath Nidoking. It was as if gravity increased a hundredfold and Nidoking collapsed onto the ground. He grit his teeth and clenched his claws into fists, struggling mightily to shove himself back to his knees.

The island guardian widened his stance and an invisible force slammed Nidoking back to the ground, pink electricity crackling across his body as Tapu Koko pinned it down. Acid bled from his claws as he dug them into the stone. He glared at Tapu Koko, breathing heavily in exertion before opening his maw and spitting a quick blast of Poison Sting towards his foe.

Tapu Koko brought one of his shields to bear and easily deflected the light attack, but the lapse in concentration as all Nidoking needed to try and break his restraints. He pulled his tail from the ground, managed to shove himself onto his right elbow -

Again, Tapu Koko intensified and again, Nidoking's body crashed to the ground..

Only this time, his tail slammed against the rocky floor and he sent intent and energy through the thick, muscular appendage. The ground underneath Tapu Koko exploded and this time, the island guardian wasn't able to escape quickly enough. As the ground tore itself apart, golden energy burst outwards and caught the Legendary Pokemon off guard. Pillars and rocks and stone spears all mixed with the golden energy as Nidoking poured everything he had into that desperate attack.

A force that could have toppled a skyscraper slammed into Tapu Koko. The force of a rapid series of impacts made Will's teeth rattle and he pressed his palms against his ears as the rocks exploded, threatening to blow out his eardrums.

A second later it felt like someone poured a cup of soda into his mind. There was a brief stab of sizzling, static weirdness, before an unfamiliar voice echoed through his mind.

VERY GOOD.

THE TIME TO FIGHT IS SOON TO COME.

GET EVEN STRONGER.

AND THEN WE SHALL MEET AGAIN…

Will…

A burst of static electricity popped around the guardian deity. With a crack of thunder, it sailed into the sky again, swiftly disappearing over the edge of the crater.

Nidoking watched it leave, panting and growling. Slowly, he tested his limbs and his tail, then climbed back to his feet, gazing up into the sky as if he could still see Tapu Koko's trail.

Charizard stirred. He struggled to get upright, failed, and then managed to push itself onto his forearms, glancing over at Tesla as if waiting for confirmation.

Tesla swiftly stepped onto the battlefield, holding out her Poke Ball to the wounded dragon. "Charizard, return!" She ordered. "Phew…that takes care of that."

Melia and Aelita hurried towards the central area, their dresses billowing in the savage winds left behind in Tapu Koko's wake. "Why did it show up now of all times?" Melia questioned.

Aelita skirted past one of the craters left by Nidoking's lava-infused Earth Power. Before she could speak, Amber snapped, "I don't know, but that thing messed up my ceremony!"

"As opposed to you diverging from the script, dear?" Tesla asked, cocking an eyebrow at her daughter.

"Don't call me "dear"," Amber growled. "And for the record, I added to it, thank you very much."

"Either way, Will won," Adam said. "And as such, he completed the trial."

His words jolted Will into action. He recalled both of his Pokemon, mentally repeating Tapu Koko's words to himself, trying to discern some sort of hidden meaning from them. The time to fight was soon to come? Did he mean Team Xen? Did he know something the rest of them didn't?

"Adam is right. Amber, please give Will the Earth Relic," Tesla said.

"Very well," Amber said, her voice far too agreeable. "A deal's a deal." She took a few steps towards Will, pulling a brown satchel from her pocket and lobbing it at him. "Take it then. And with that…You can leave."

Melia and Aelita turned to stare at her. Venam crossed her arms and looked away.

"Leave?" Tesla said with surprise.

"We had a deal," Amber calmly said. "I did the ceremony and they would leave."

That was true, wasn't it? That had been Amber's condition for going along. They had their weapon against Team Xen. The next step would be drawing up plans to attack Kristiline Town, neutralize Angie and get the Ocean Relic.

"You don't get to decide such a thing!" Tesla said, and it was the first time Will had heard something like anger and disapproval in her voice.

Amber wasn't fazed. "It's so wonderful that you bring that up, mother!" She said, and the fake cheer in her voice couldn't quite hide the bitterness that laced her words. "Because I didn't. They did."

"It's true," Will admitted. He'd known this moment would come. The moment he'd have to leave the warmth and comfort of Tesla's presence and Telia Resort to face down the next murderous threat. He just wished the days could have lasted longer. "That was the condition we agreed to."

"Come on, it doesn't have to be like that," Aelita said. "Things are finally looking up – "

"A deal is a deal," Amber insisted. "I helped you prepare your stupid plan. I held up my end of the bargain."

"Amber…" Venam growled.

"We still have a threat in Angie," Will said, shutting down that particular confrontation before it could get started. "Let's convene with Crawli and…draw up some plans."

"Great, so you can step aside now," Amber said.

"Wait," Tesla's voice rang out. "At least allow me to invite Will over to dinner tonight. I already made preparations and all."

Will looked at her in surprise. She'd made dinner preparations? For him?

"Fine," Amber said with an explosive sigh. "But after that…" She didn't bother finishing her sentence. She marched straight towards the exit, and Will stepped aside to let her pass.

Adam glared at her as she left. "What an ass," he said. "No offense, Missus Von Brandt."

"None taken," Tesla said, visibly shaken by her daughter's behavior. She took a deep breath and pulled herself together. "Anyway, I have to get everything cleaned and tidy here. You all enjoy yourselves for the rest of the day. And Will, please come over to my house later tonight, okay? Somewhere around five will be fine! It'll be my treat~!"

"…thank you," Will simply said. What else was there to say? Tesla had been nothing but decent and kind to him. To all of them. It would have been so easy for her to cooperate with Team Xen and help them get their hands on Melia and instead, she was willing to risk everything to help them back to their feet.

Every parent would kill – or even be killed – for their children.

Was it right to look at another person's mom and see your own mother in them? To have a maternal figure so soon after losing your own? It felt like a betrayal of his mother's memory, to look at another person like a mother as well…

Uncertainty was becoming a familiar sensation these days and he didn't much like that.

"Hey, come on!" Adam said. "We should get out of here before the volcano erupts or something. See you later, Missus Von Brandt!"

"Yeah, thank you so much for allowing us to partake in the trial!" Melia said. "It was a very interesting experience!"

"Yeah! And getting front-row tickets to the fight was supercool as well!" Aelita agreed.

"Is that Charizard yours?" Venam asked.

Tesla smiled at them. "Oh kids, you are very welcome. Yes, Venam, Charizard is my trusted partner. And it has been a very long time since someone managed to push him this far, even going so far as to defeat him in battle. It is a feat you can all be proud of. Please, go on ahead. You should stay the night regardless."

Despite knowing that they would soon have to leave the resort tomorrow, morale seemed to be at an all-time high back at the apartment.

"That's two Relics down!" Melia said in a sing-song voice, happily turning over the Earth Relic in her hands. "And something tells me Team Xen won't be getting their hands on the Ocean Relic anytime soon either."

"Will was so awesome!" Venam whooped. "Imagine getting a surprise trial and still passing it! Man, your Nidoking was savage! That Tapu Koko was practically no match for you! And your Blaziken, holy fucking shit!"

"Yeah, you continue to push the boundaries of what awesome means," Aelita said. "That was a freaking nailbiter!"

"Just goes to show you Will's true talent~," Melia chimed, tossing an appreciative gaze in Will's direction. "Beating Tesla's dragon and a Legendary Pokemon in the middle of a volcano? Why not! All par for the course!"

"Will keeps racking up those W's," Saki said. "Dude's like a force of nature himself."

"What force of nature would win from a volcano?" Braixen asked. "A tidal wave? An earthquake? Oh look, we're making him blush again!"

"Guys, I'm pretty sure Tapu Koko held back," Will said, even though he felt his chest swell with pride.

"Dude, who the hell cares, you laid that trial out!" Venam said. "You beat Tesla's Charizard. That's like, her ace! You beat it!"

"If you guys keep glazing Will, his head's going to be too big to fit in his boonie hat," Adam remarked.

They all laughed at that.

"Well, it was also fun getting to be part of the trial itself too!" Aelita said.

"Yeah, I'm so grateful to Tesla!" Melia agreed. "It was a wonderful experience!"

Will wanted to say something about how pretty they'd both looked, but considering his current company included Saki, Val and Braixen, he decided to keep that to himself.

"Now that that's taken care of, what do we do next?" Braixen asked.

"Hmm…" Melia brought her hand to her chin in a contemplative gesture. "We should head back to Kakori first thing in the morning and report back to Crawli."

"Good, he's got some stuff for me," Will said.

Val gave him a side-eye. "What kind of stuff?"

The stuff that's going to blow a gaping hole in the side of a battleship.

"Some supplies for the coming battles," Will said. It wasn't a lie, but it didn't look like Val was fully convinced, either.

"I heard that Amber is actually a Gym Leader too," Adam said. "Maybe Will should challenge her before we leave?"

A collective wince ran through the gang at his comment.

"I wouldn't take our chances with her," Val said.

"Yeah. Amber's gonna, like, roast you and beat you to death with her guitar," Saki added.

"I say we take what we got and get out of here before she combusts again."

"Perhaps that's for the best…" Melia mused.

Again, Will wasn't sure about that. Everything about Amber hinted at something deep and painful driving her behavior. He couldn't help but see parts of himself in her. His worst moments could all be related back to one or two causes. He knew for a fact that the same went for Amber. And where he had his friends to pick him up when things fell apart, he felt like Amber had nothing and nobody. Her mother would have sent her away to live with someone she hated. Sure, Tesla didn't know better and only wanted Amber to be safe, but Amber didn't realize that.

Will knew that it was rich coming from him, but he felt like Amber and Tesla needed to just talk to each other about their problems.

"For now, I think we should just take the rest of the day to unwind and prepare for tomorrow," Melia continued.

"Will has a dinner date with the milf tonight!" Saki said. "I'm so jealous!"

They all turned to stare at Saki with various degrees of horror, disbelief and shock.

"Saki, you say things sometimes," Melia said, shaking her head in disapproval. Will, meanwhile, decided that he simply hadn't heard Saki in the first place.

"True, I do be spittin' words from time to time," Saki agreed with a lazy smile.

"Right, let's disperse for now then," Val decided. "Have fun tonight Will!"

They all got to their feet again. Adam passed by Will, placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave him a firm shake. "You did good man. Keep being you."

As the others moved out to do their thing in the resort, Will slumped down on the outdoor bench and closed his eyes for a moment, basking in the rays of the sun.

If he could get Jenner's supplies to him, the good Professor could put together some explosive surprises for their enemy. Those schematics Val and Captain Augustus had pulled up, the Xen battleships didn't fare well when something breached their hull below the surface. The way he envisioned it, a flying squadron consisting of Melia, Aelita, Talon, Tesla and him would swoop down from above, spread out across two angles of approach and start sinking ships. The rangers would pour on as much heavy fire as they could to keep the blockade pinned in position. Doing so would force Team Xen to either start fishing their drowning members out of the water, move to a better position or divert their resources to fend off the dive-bombers. Either way, the blockade would be broken, and they'd pull Nim from Mount Valor.

Painful and cruel as it was, Nim's…condition would keep her safe. Zetta and Geara couldn't slit the throat of a statue. Will envisioned a room filled with fire or a cloud of razor-sharp shrapnel, clearing out the soft, squishy Xen members while leaving Nim unharmed…

…maybe the others would balk at the idea of such tactics. Aelita had urged him to be better. Melia too. With her grace, with her mercy, she would see the likes of Neved and Zetta walk away. Even aer everything those men had done, Melia still wanted for them to live.

She was a better person than him. Will wouldn't break his vow. Melia thought he was better. She relied on him being better. He couldn't break her trust.

But then what? Even if they broke Team Xen at Valor Mountain, they would never stop. What would it take to break the Initiative, he wondered? What constituted a total defeat for Team Xen? The loss of their members? The death of their Admins?

Something told him it wouldn't be that simple.

When Will next opened his eyes, the sun was in a completely different position. It was just Aelita and Braixen outside. Aelita lounged in the sun, penning down entire paragraphs in a notebook while Braixen…was staring.

At him,.

"Hi," Braixen said with a creepy little smirk. "Sorry, I was thinking about eating you."

And there were several different ways Will could interpret that one, knowing Braixen the way he did. Chances were, she was trying to get a rise out of him, but there existed a non-zero chance that she was serious, and very hungry.

"I bet I taste great with ketchup," Will told her.

"Hihi! I was only kidding! But I'll remember how easily you went along with that one."

And with that pretty picture hanging over him, Will gathered his things and got ready for his dinner at Tesla's.

Her villa was situated to the south-west of the town. Will recognized the yacht she'd used to get close to the S.S. Oceana.

Will rung the bell and he heard the sound of dishes clattering and rapid footsteps before Tesla pulled the door open.

"Hey Will!" She said. "Come in, come in! Please, make yourself at home!"

The villa itself was big. More importantly, it felt cozy and welcoming. Contrary to Indriad's pristine black hallways and crimson carpets, Tesla's home was all couches and pillows and rugs. Her carpet tiles were various shades of red and she had various Roserade statues scattered around the place.

"I know you promised Amber that you guys would leave, and I get that I can't get between that decision, but the least I could do is give you a proper send-off," Tesla said as she led him into the kitchen. "With everything you guys have been through, it wouldn't be right to just let you leave."

"Uhm…I just want to say that I really appreciate what you're doing, Tesla," Will quietly said. "You've been nothing but kind to us from the moment you saved me from the Oceana. I…"

Tesla looked at him, all sympathy and kindheartedness. "Oh sweetie," she said, and the emotion bled into her voice. "I wish there was more that I could do to help you. You and your friends carry the heaviest burden I can imagine. Please, have a seat. I've thought of a main dish for today, but what would you like before we start?"

"Something rejuvenating, please," Will asked.

"Hmm…where have I heard that before?" Tesla mused as she started pulling kitchenware from the closets. "I must say, watching you fight today was a sight to behold. You've grown into such a strong trainer in such a short time."

"I've had a lot of practice," Will replied, easing himself back into one of the padded chairs.

'Hmm-hmm! I can imagine. If the Xen Initiative's broadcast is any indication, you have grown into quite the thorn in their side. If you don't mind me asking, how did that even come to pass?"

"I would cast the blame to Professor Jenner, but even that's gotten all muddled and grey," Will sighed. "Guess it started in Goldenwood Forest…"

As Tesla began preparing the ingredients for their dinner, Will told her what went down in Goldenwood Forest. He'd recounted that experience several times in the past, but with Tesla, he felt like he didn't need to withhold any details.

With Tesla, he didn't need to lie about how scared he'd been. How shaken he'd felt when he realized that Team Xen was perfectly willing to mutilate and murder him with their Pokemon. How close they had actually gotten to doing so, time and time again.

He told the story again, and this time, he told the full story. The adrenaline burning in his veins. The terror clutching his spine in a death grip. The single-minded determination to put his foot down and make sure that they wouldn't take Melia, not her, not while he was alive and capable of doing something about it…

Goldenwood Forest through Amethyst Cave. The sudden appearance of the weird, quirky, lovable girl who called herself Nim and the distorted, sobering philosophy of Keta.

Tesla was a good listener. She regarded him with kind, patient eyes as he spoke. It was slow and stuttering, but he made progress, and Tesla helped guide him along whenever he hit that wall again.

Some things he kept to himself still. This was about Team Xen, after all. She didn't need to know about Maria. Will didn't want her to know about Akuwa Town. Blacksteeple Castle, too, seemed like it would irrevocably ruin the mood.

Dinner was some sort of slow-roasted cut of meat. Will didn't even know what it was, but it smelled amazing. Soon, the various scents coming from the kitchen had his stomach rumbling almost nonstop.

"All of that for one girl," Tesla said. "All that pain and suffering…what for, I wonder?"

"Beats me," Will said. Tesla had interpreted "something rejuvenating" as herbal tea and he felt like that one was entirely on him. "If I can help it, we won't find out."

"Hmm. I must say, your mother raised a warrior. To think you have bottled up Team Xen in a single chokepoint by yourself…"

Will shot her a look. "What do you mean?"

Tesla took a sip of her own tea. "Well, Team Xen is a massive organization with people all over Aevium. You experienced it yourself with Professor Jenner and Keta. They have a singular goal, and you have consistently put yourself in-between that goal and them. As long as you keep Melia out of their clutches, they cannot advance their goals. You have them stuck in a chokepoint, and it keeps them from advancing their goals."

"If we can keep them from laying waste to Terajuma, all the better," Will replied. "They keep finding different angles to attack from, different weak spots to exploit. They take hostages, target our friends and family…I keep thinking about what will happen if they take Aelita, or Val, or…well, you. They can't hurt Nim, but they can hurt the others. What if they take Aelita and they…they start torturing her, Tesla? What if they film that and broadcast it? I would last maybe three minutes before breaking. I just…"

Tesla sat down next to him and took his hand in hers. "Will, sweetie, stop. Stop. Even if you think that might be a likely possibility, you cannot think about that. It will eat you up. It will consume you."

Will couldn't bring himself to meet Tesla's eyes. "But what if – "

She cupped his chin with her soft, gentle fingers. "If that happens, we will act accordingly. But it hasn't happened, it will not happen, and every second you spend thinking about that is a second you let Team Xen hurt you. This is what they want, Will. They want you to be scared. They want you to fear what they will do to your loved ones. Do not let them."

Will released a deep sigh, more forcefully than he intended. "Melia said the same thing."

"Melia is a smart girl," Tesla hummed, pulling open the oven to check up on their dinner. "Wise. Polite. Hmmm…almost done. You know, I never get to do this with Amber anymore. Now that she's a Gym Leader and a musician, she's always doing something that keeps her busy."

"She seems to be a successful musician, yeah," Will said.

"I'm not necessarily complaining. She's spoiled, but she's not lazy. I also think she's in that phase where she thinks she's too cool to hang out with her mom."

Normal teenage stuff, Will supposed. Venam was much the same. "I guess that's how it should be," he said. "In a normal world."

"Ah, but it's really a shame, too. We used to have a lot of fun. Between my job at the Elite 8 and working at the Resort, I'm barely home anymore. That, and the fact her father isn't here anymore…"

Ah.

"…She may be lashing out because she feels neglected. She is causing you all a bit of trouble, but I'm glad you're here." She donned a pair of fluffy oven mitts, pulled the roasted meat out of the oven and triumphantly put it on the kitchen counter. "And done! Here you go, sugar. Something that will bring you back to life in a jiffy! Made with love!"

"Wow, that looks amazing!" Will said. Suddenly, he was starving and he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a piece of meat looking that delicious. "What about Amber? Won't she be joining?"

Tesla sighed. "I invited Amber for dinner as well, but something tells me she won't be joining us tonight. Don't…don't take it personally. She's…been having a rough time lately."

"Yeah, I uh…I heard a few things from Venam and Saki," Will carefully said. "The fire, and…being exiled from the city…it sounded really bad."

Wordlessly, Tesla put the roasted meat on the dining table.

"For what it's worth, I don't think for a second any one of you was to blame," Will continued, crossing his arms as he recalled what Venam had told him.

"You don't?" Tesla inquired.

"'Course not. I wasn't there, but…unless Amber liked to play with flamethrowers, she couldn't have caused a fire like that. And a city mayor exiling an entire family over something like that…" Will shrugged. "Sounds like bullshit to me."

Tesla chuckled, but it sounded far too sad and distant. "Bullshit…you sound like her, too. Bygones are bygones, I guess. There is no use dwelling on it."

"Ah, it sounds to me like someone screwed you guys over, Tesla. What happened to your family isn't fair. It's not right."

Tesla smiled at him. "You haven't even finished your fight with the shadowy terrorist organization and you're already thinking about picking a fight with the East Gearen city council, Will?"

"Someone has to."

Her smile grew wider. "Hm. Perhaps. Perhaps not. It is no use to dwell on the past. Let us focus on the here and now, shall we?"

So they did. They enjoyed their dinner – Tesla was an amazing cook – and she told him how she had met Professor Jenner, way back during her own stint as a waitress at a bar.

"Speaking of, could you do me a favor tonight? I baked a cake this morning and I would like for the Professor to have a few slices as well. Could you bring it down to his place tonight? I'm sure he's starving down there and I just can't stand the thought."

"Sure, of course," Will said. "Don't you think we should relocate him eventually? It's been a few days since he came here. It doesn't sit right with me."

"Aw, don't worry about that, Will," Tesla chirped. "Amber chose her spot well. Team Xen would sooner find him in the resort than down there. It wouldn't surprise me if Team Xen has spies watching us even now. I'd say he's pretty secure, as far as that word goes for any of us. Oh, but I almost forgot! I have a surprise for you! Come, it's right upstairs!"

A surprise? She'd already given them so much, what more could she offer them?

Will followed Tesla upstairs to the first floor. She took him to one of the rooms, then started rummaging around in her pocket. "One second, lemme check if everything's in order…" She unlocked the door and quickly headed inside, pulling the door close behind her. After a few moments, she called out to him again. "Okay, you can come in now Will!"

He did.

Tesla waited for him in the middle of a room that was as big as the living room of their luxury apartment. It had been furnished much like Tesla's living room on the ground floor; a checkered carpet of various shades of red, brown couches and a large, white rug in the upper right corner. Will saw a huge, two-person bed, a table with four cushioned seats and even a computer in the upper left corner.

It was a very nice room, but he didn't see anything that resembled a surprise.

Seeing his face, Tesla began laughing. "Are you confused? Well, this is something that I've been putting together for a little while now…this room happens to belong to…you."

It took Will a moment to process what Tesla was saying. He looked at her in shock; she was giving him a room in her house? She'd…she'd share her own home with him? "Tesla…I don't think I can accept this…" He started, but she cut him off.

"Will, honey, hear me out. Melia and Aelita chatted with me for a while the other night," Tesla said. She watched him with a warm, thoughtful expression. "They told me everything that happened at that castle, as well as what happened before. I…I just want you to know that I feel your pain." She took a breath. "I know what it feels like to be alone in this world. I was in the same position. And of course, even though I cannot replace your mother, I can at least make it my duty to continue what she started. When all of this is over, do you think you could live here with Amber and I?"

Tears stung in the corners of his eyes. "You would…you would do that?" He whispered.

"We'd love to have you here! For as long as you want. Together, we'll be one big happy family!"

A family. That single word burned in his chest. She would offer him an honest, true family to be able to return home to?

The thought lay heavy in his chest. He could have a home to return to. He could have an "after" to think about. Even if he never regained his memories, even if he never returned to Akuwa Town to find the house he would have lived in with his mother, even if this war never ended…he could have a home?

He should have refused. It would be the logical thing to do. Team Xen would not hesitate to burn down Tesla's home if they found out that he lived there. If the likes of Geara or Zetta discovered how much he cared about Tesla…they would come after her too.

Madame X would hunt her down and kill her, just like she had killed his mother.

He should have refused.

But he couldn't.

Quite.

Manage that.

He wanted to have a home. He wanted to be loved. He wanted to be with people who understood, people who cared.

"I…I…" Will said, staring at Tesla as the emotions grinded within him.

"You don't have to stay here if you don't want to," Tesla said, and the words were like a shove between his shoulder blades. He stepped towards her and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling Tesla against him as he tried to bite back the tears that swirled in his eyes.

"Oh…" Tesla whispered. She pressed her lips into his hair as she wrapped her arm over his neck and around his shoulders. "Honey…"

"Thank you," was all that Will was able to say. "Thank you…"

Tesla's hand eased up and down his back in a soothing motion. "I have…one more thing to offer you. I heard you talk about Kristiline Town and the fights that are yet to come and…perhaps I can help you there, too. Here."

She reached into her pocket and produced a set of keys attached to a metal band, a little piece of red tape wrapped around the base of the largest key. "These are the keys to my yacht. It's parked right outside my house. Amber and I never use it."

Will gratefully took the keys. He'd seen Tesla's yacht in motion before; it would be an invaluable asset in the battles that were yet to come. Another building block in their strategy to get to Mount Valor in one piece. "I promise we'll make good use of it," he said.

Tesla beamed down at him. "I'm sure you will," she said.

The door to the room opened again and Amber walked through the door. She looked at her mother with an odd expression and suddenly, Will felt like a stranger in a house he didn't quite belong.

"So that's what you're doing now?" She said, her voice low and dangerous. "You're just gonna give away Dad's space just like that?"

"Amber, please, not right now," Tesla pleaded.

"I don't care about Will," Amber said. "Did you forget about him then?"

Her words came down on Tesla like an anvil. "Amber…I'm not…"

"This is just typical of you, you know that?!" Amber continued, raising her voice as anger and bitterness bled into her words. "You do all you can to forget that he ever existed and you try to push that on me too!" She clenched her fists, glaring daggers at her mother as her voice steadily grew into vicious yelling. "Well I won't forget him! I don't care that he walked out on us! You can grit your teeth and try to make others happy, but you'll always fail at doing that for yourself! You're the worst mother ever and I hate you!"

"Well at least you have one!" Tesla screamed, and the anger that underlined her voice seemed as alien to Will as the naked fury in her gaze. "Because I didn't! I never knew my mother, or my father! They died when I was very young and I had no one to look after me but myself! I had to bring myself from the ground up and find my own way without guidance! I know that you're upset that your father isn't here, and I'm sure you blame me for that." She shook her head and tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. When she spoke again, her voice trembled with emotions, and Will realized that Tesla was about to break down herself. "I am trying my best to support you in any way I can! But I'm not strong enough for this. Everything is falling apart!"

Amber stared at her mother in silent horror. A single moment of silence stretched out for an eternity before Amber suddenly turned around and bolted.

Just like that, the fury and helplessness on Tesla's face turned into pain and regret. "Amber…stop…" she sobbed. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean…" She grit her teeth and then turned her back to Will. "Sorry you had to see that, Will," she said with a quivering voice. "I need…I need some time alone."

She too fled the room, and Will was left feeling like he had just witnessed another family tearing itself apart right in front of him.

It had happened so fast, so violently…was that it? Was that the extent of the damage he and his friends had caused by coming here?

This was such a goddamn mess. These two loved each other so damn much and yet, they had both stuck a metaphorical knife in each other's stomach. Why?

Will clutched the yacht keys in his hands. It felt strangely heavy in his palms.

He tried to dissect the emotions he'd just witnessed, trying to put into words why Tesla and Amber had fallen apart so thoroughly.

All he could come up with was hopelessness. Hopelessness at the current situation, at the idea of ever finding out why Amber's father had left. Hopelessness because they felt that the damage they had caused to each other was irreparable now.

Yeah. It was a damn mess.

But it wasn't beyond salvaging yet.

Quietly, Will left the bedroom and headed for Amber's room. He wasn't sure what he could say to her that would make her feel better, or even change her mind about this whole situation – hell, he didn't know if that was even possible.

But he had Melia and Aelita and Adam and Val and Braixen and Saki. What did Amber have? Who did Amber have to pick her up when everything went to hell and she felt like she couldn't sink any lower?

Nobody.

Will tried her door and found it unlocked. It swung open and he stepped inside.

Amber's room was dark. All the blinds were closed, and Amber herself lay on her bed, wrapped up in her blankets in a little bundle of misery.

She lay there, sobbing and weeping. Tears streamed down from her red eyes and her face was contorted into a pained visage of sorrow and regret.

Will felt his heart sink when he saw her like that.

Amber noticed him, then. "Wh-what do you want?" She stammered out in-between shallow gasps for air. "You can't j-just barge i-into people's r-rooms like this…"

At a loss for words, Will sat down on the edge of Amber's bed. He hardly knew the first step to go about this. What truly ailed Amber wasn't something he could take away or even fix. Of all the people on this island, he might well have been the most underqualified person to help Amber.

But he was here now. Even if all he had was words, with precious little weight behind them, he had to try. "I wanted to see if you were okay."

"I'm in a dark room sobbing my eyes out," Amber snarled, her sobs continuing to rock her frame. "Of course I'm not okay…today is the worst day ever, and I'm only making it worse for everyone…"

"What happened, Amber?" He asked. "You can talk to me, if you want."

"Why?" She snapped. "You'll just…just abandon me, too."

"No. I'm not going anywhere," Will said, keeping his tone resolute. "I'm not here to judge you."

Amber remained silent. Slowly, she struggled to get a grip on her emotions, and the sobbing began to ease up a bit. Then…like a floodgate had broken, Amber began talking. "When I was young, a fire broke out in East Gearen City. It got out of control and ravaged half the city. The source of the fire was led back to back to me. My family and I were exiled because of it. It was hard for all of us, but especially on my dad. He hated Terajuma because it reminded him of his home island. Apparently he had bad blood with his family and it brought up bad memories."

The words started gradually, but then they came faster and faster as if Amber couldn't help herself.

"Things have never been the same since we moved here…it's just been constant pressure and guilt every day. After a while I think my dad got fed up and just left. Picked up his shit and he was gone. Didn't even say goodbye to me or anything. He just left. Almost like he never even wanted me…"

"Amber…" Will whispered.

"And then when the Xen broadcast aired, my mom tried to send me away too…my dad didn't want me, and then my mom was trying to send me away like I'm some burden they don't want around. It pissed me off so fucking much! I hate my dad for hurting my mom and I'm angry at my mom for pretending it never happened! People stab her in the back all the time and she just goes on smiling like it never happens!" With a heavy scoff, Amber averted her eyes. "I don't fucking care who you are, that's no way to live."

"It's not," Will agreed. Amber looked so pained, so vulnerable. It only felt natural for him to try and reassure her. "I don't know why your father left. I can't imagine. But…I do know that you're not a burden to your mother. She – "

"How the fuck do you know?" Amber demanded.

"I don't think she would let you handle the trial if she felt that way," Will said. "You saw Tapu Koko show up right? It's an important event, and your mother wouldn't let you oversee it if she didn't have complete confidence in you."

"Then why the fuck would she send me away! I'm a Gym Leader, I can fight too!" Amber screamed in frustration.

"I think she's scared of losing you," Will said. "Team Xen doesn't mess around. If people get in their way, they simply kill them and move on."

"So let me stay and fight then!" Amber growled. "If she's gonna show some spine and stand up to them, fuck those guys! Let me help!"

"Amber…I think your mother cares more about your wellbeing than her own. She'd rather fight Team Xen alone than have even a chance of them hurting you."

"How do you know?" She asked again, though she was a lot less fierce about it this time.

"That's what mothers do," Will told her. "Putting their kids ahead of their own wellbeing…even if they don't tell you."

Amber remained silent for another minute, hopefully mulling over what Will had told her. At the very least, she wasn't crying anymore. That counted for something.

"I don't know why I told you all this," Amber then said. "Maybe it's been bottled up to the point where I couldn't hold it back anymore?"

"Seems lonely out here, at times," Will replied. "Do you…have anyone to talk to, when stuff gets too heavy?"

"Fuck all," Amber scoffed. "Stupid island. Almost nobody around, and none I'd trust to hear what I have to say anyway."

That earlier feeling of empathy was slowly morphing into an odd, maybe misplaced sense of protectiveness. Amber hadn't asked for him to show up. She didn't want him here. And yet…"Well. If you want…you can talk to me."

"You?" She said, looking at him with shock. Like she hadn't seen him before and only now that he was sitting at the foot of her bed, she was able to really see him. Maybe he was just imagining that, too.

"Only if you want to," Will repeated. "I understand now that the room your mother offered me is important. I don't want to intrude. But…I am here to help. You. Your mother. Any way I can."

"H-Huh?" Amber sputtered. "You…want to help? After everything I did and…and said?"

Will pulled his shoulders up in a shrug. "I know what it's like to go through the worst day ever."

"I…I see…" Amber weakly said. She frowned, looking down at her knees for a moment. "Hey, Will…remember when I called you annoying? A-And, a sissy…and that I said I don't care about you? I take it all back, okay? You can't hold that over me anymore."

Carefully, Will cracked a smile. "Yeah?"

"A-Anyway…I want to apologize to my mom. For everything. That was the first time she yelled at me. She was right to. I want her to know that I don't blame her. And I want her to know how I feel about what happened in our past. That's the only goddamn way I can see myself moving on from this."

Will nodded in approval. "I think that's a good idea."

"But first…there's something I need to know. You're bringing down food for that guy, right? That Professor guy?"

Amber knew about that? She'd listened in, then. How much had she heard? Hopefully, she'd heard everything. She needed to know how much Tesla loved her. Not just from him, but from her as well.

"Yeah," Will affirmed.

"Do…do you mind if I come along?" She quickly asked. "I'll behave, I promise. You won't even notice I'm there."

Will blinked a few times. He hadn't expected that. "Yeah, sure. Do you want to drop by your mother first?"

But Amber shook her head. "I need to gather my thoughts a bit. And…and I have a few things I want to ask that dude before I do."

"Let's go find that dude, then," Will said, and Amber cracked a nervous, uncertain smile of her own.

They left the villa and started heading towards Aquamarine Cave. Amber remained silent along the way, but Will got the impression that she was working up the courage to start prodding him with questions. And sure enough, the second they passed through the entrance into the cave proper, Amber asked, "What if you can't win?"

"Excuse me?"

Amber bit her lower lip, looking pensive. "I get that you're determined to protect that – to protect Melia. That's why you need the Earth Relic, right? To get access to Mount Valor?"

"Yes?" Will answered. Where was she going with this?

"But…they've got so much bullshit in the way. Ships and people and stuff. You're just…some people. They got the firepower and the numbers. Do you…like, do you got a plan?"

Will took a deep breath. What was it that Amber needed to hear? What kind of answer was she looking for? "Of course I have a plan. If it works out, all their firepower and numbers won't mean a thing. We'll get our friend back from Mount Valor, and they'll have lost their leverage."

"Okay, but that's if it works out," Amber insisted. "What if it doesn't?"

If it didn't work out, if they lost Nim, or if the worst came to pass and Team Xen got their hands on Melia, well…the simple truth of the matter was that he would likely be dead already if that came to pass and then it would be out of his hands anyway.

But that wasn't the answer Amber wanted to hear.

"It's not about having to win, it's about surviving the loss," Will replied. "That's how wars go. You can lose a battle and still win the war."

"A war…" Amber mused. "You guys are actually serious about this."

He shot her a look. "Of course we are."

"…then, what the fuck are Veronica and Saki doing with you? I get that you and Melia and that Aelita are serious about this, but them? What are they doing risking their own asses for other people?"

"I don't know what they were like when you were all young," Will said, choosing his words very carefully, "I can't judge them based on that. Melia's Venam's best friend. And Saki cares about us in her own way. We're all on Team Xen's chopping block regardless, so…"

"You're telling me that they are willingly risking their own lives…for other people?" Amber insisted.

"We went through some harrowing stuff together. Saki was there for me when I…when I was in a bad way. So was Venam. I saved their lives and…that's the kind of thing that builds trust, you know?"

"…no," Amber said quietly. "I don't know."

Which, again, in a perfect world was only logical. Nobody their age should have to bond over fighting for their lives and sharing trauma. But at the end of the day, friendship was friendship and Will couldn't bear the thought of Amber being alone.

"The offer still stands, Amber," he said.

"Huh?"

Will gave her a reassuring smile. "If we survive this thing, and you still want to, you can hang out with us. I can introduce you to the gang. Doesn't have to be with Venam or Saki, just Melia and Aelita, if you want."

She stared at him like he'd lost his mind. "The fuck? What makes you think they'd even want that? I've been nothing but…nothing but horrible to them."

"Because…because all of us know what it's like to have a really bad day."

Amber stayed quiet after that. They headed through Aquamarine Cave for another ten minutes before they eventually came into the big clearing Amber had used as her hideaway.

"So, full disclosure, I overheard the stuff you and Melia and the Professor dude argued about last time," Amber said. "I know there's this big history and that I really don't know shit when it comes to you guys, but…I really need to ask him some questions."

"Sure," Will said. He recalled how Tesla had told him that she and Jenner went way back together. It wasn't hard to put the pieces together. "Go right ahead."

Jenner seemed surprised to see them there, but he eased up when he recognized them.

"Hey, Professor dude, can we talk for a sec?" Amber said.

Jenner's blond eyebrows furrowed. "Talk? I suppose we can chat for a bit. What's the matter?"

"I overheard my mom saying that you knew my dad," Amber said eagerly. "Is that true?"

Jenner took a deep breath. "…Yes, I knew him. But we didn't speak too much."

Amber's disappointment was almost palpable. She scoffed and kicked at the floor.

"Why?" Jenner asked.

"I was gonna ask you if you knew where he went?"

Jenner grimaced. "I'm sorry, but I don't know. If I had to make a guess, I would say he probably visited Sheridan Village."

"Sheridan Village?" Amber asked, shooting a surprised glance at Will. "What could he possibly need there?"

Will heard the sound of footsteps brushing against the stone floor and he glanced over at the entrance, his right hand dropping to his pocket.

Then, to his surprise, he saw Melia of all people strolling towards them. "Will? Amber?" She asked, surprised. "What are you two doing all the way down here?"

"I just…" Amber started, slowly backing away as she fumbled for words. "We…"

Without saying anything, Will placed the box containing Jenner's cake on the desk, and Amber clutched it like a drowning man would a lifeline. "Um…Tesla made the Professor this and she asked us to deliver it. That's all."

Jenner slowly opened the box, and his mouth fell open when he saw what was inside. "It's strawberry shortcake. My favorite. Tesla's…always looking out for me." He cast a grateful look towards Amber. "Thank you for delivering this to me, Amber."

"No problem." Amber muttered.

"Melia, did you need something?" Jenner then asked.

"Well, I just came down here to chat again like last time, but it seems like Will and Amber beat me to it," Melia replied. She fidgeted for a moment, before belatedly adding, "I'll come back later…"

"Nonsense!" Jenner declared. "We can all enjoy each other's company! Tesla sent me some cake. It's not much, but we can share it."

"I would like that," Melia said. She smiled and joined them around Jenner's little lab.

All that they missed now was some coffee. Maybe Will could bring the Professor a thermos flask next time. He seemed like the type of man who could enjoy some good, dark roasted coffee.

Amber tried to make herself look small and unnoticeable. She glanced away, ill at ease in Melia's presence. Will noticed, so he knew for a fact that Melia noticed, too. "Professor, About that favor I asked…"

"Yes?" Jenner said as he picked up the knife Tesla had stashed with the cake.

"We'll be heading back to Kakori tomorrow. Crawli said he might be able to procure the components. He needed a…uh, a ratio? A weight ratio?"

"Ah, right!" Jenner said, perking up. "Of course. Like I said, chemistry is far from my main area of expertise, but I have written down the ratios as well as the more commercial names for the components you need. Let me just grab it…Melia, would you be so kind as to slice the cake?"

"Sure!" Melia said. "Let's see…four pieces, so how about I…"

Twin blasts of thunder rolled through the cave. Two rays of sunlight streaked in from the holes above Will barely had the wherewithal to realize that they had incoming before a pair of black-clad men flew in from above, their spiked, metallic wings grinding sparks against the rocky walls as they swept down on the four of them.

"How about you make that six!" One yelled.

"Can we have some cake, too, Professor?" The other said in a mocking tone.

Will moved on instinct, moved before his mind even processed just what he was dealing with. He recognized them. Realized what he was dealing with. As he put himself in front of Melia, put himself between her and the threat, his brain began screaming and his throat closed to about the size of a straw.

Death Wings. Team Xen Death Wings.

Oh god.

~~~~~~~(IV)~~~~~~~

---

AN: I'm back in the land of the living again! And with this update, the fun times are over. The war has come home, and suddenly our heroes will be fighting for their lives again. It's time for things to start going horribly wrong.

I can't wait.