DAWN OF THE FIRST DAY

-72 HOURS REMAIN-

The shift back to normal time was as sudden as it was jarring.

One moment, Runia felt weightless, her body tensed for an impact as she and the others tumbled end over end through the bizarre temporal void. But the impact never came.

Instead, in the blink of an eye, the Snowshrew found herself placed gently back on her feet, on solid ground. The abrupt change caught her so off-guard that she immediately lost her balance, toppling over onto her back with a yelp of surprise.

Runia groaned, shaking her head in an attempt to clear it. All around her, she could faintly hear similarly disoriented noises from Dan, Kafei and Medli as the others all tried to steady themselves as well.

Once Runia managed to stand back up, she began to look around. By the looks of it, they were all right back on top of the clock tower, just like they'd been before she'd played the flute. She could see it more clearly in the early morning sunlight than she had in the dead of night, but it was unmistakably still the same...

She blinked. Wait... morning?

Runia jolted in place. She hastily turned towards the east, raising one arm over her face as she squinted against the sunlight. Far off on the horizon, the sun had risen over the jagged cliffs of Ikana in the distance, spreading its warm glow all across the land.

She raised her gaze skyward, and felt her heart swell.

It was such a mundane, everyday sight. Just a clear blue sky, without a cloud or moon or anything else in sight. She'd seen it so many times throughout her life, and never batted an eye.

But right here, right now, it was one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.

One by one, the others all gathered around, their eyes all focused on the same thing. For a long moment, nobody said a word. After an entire day of despairing over their impending doom, they all needed this moment of peace

"D-Did we... did we just go back in time?" Dan finally asked, breaking the silence.

"Seems that way," Kafei answered numbly. "Not sure how else to explain it, or that trippy void we fell through."

"B-But how?" Medli fluttered closer to Runia, her eyes locked on the small pink flute the Snowshrew held in her claws. "I-It must be because of this, b-but..."

Runia adjusted her hold on the instrument as she looked down to examine it too. "Well... according to Pearl's stories, the flute was crafted by a Celebi. If you play that song on it, the music is supposed to reach all the way to even Dialga himself."

"I always figured it was just a fairy tale," Kafei added. "Anju's grandmother says she plays it most every night, and nothing crazy ever happened to her. But I guess... it really does work, after all."

Medli gave a slow nod. "S-So Dialga... he actually listened to our pleas. He... he gave us more t-time..." The Swablu blinked. "Wait... H-How far back did we even go?"

Dandelion stepped up to the edge of the clock tower's roof, and looked down at the town below. "...All the festival decorations are still up, looks like. So we can't've gone back too far."

Runia nodded. A moment later, a thought occurred to her, and she tapped a claw on her chin thoughtfully. "Well... unless we went all the way back to like... last year's festival, or something. That'd be kinda crazy."

For just an instant, she saw the others all freeze up a bit at the thought. But Kafei quickly shrugged it off. "I know this town," he said. "If we'd gone back that far, I'd be able to recognize it from up here. Like... that building over there." The Eevee pointed a paw at one of the storefronts down below. "That place just got rebuilt a couple months ago. Used to look way different than it does now."

"Alright. So we've been sent back a couple of days, then," Runia said. "It's, uh... it's not a whole lot of time to avert the apocalypse, but I'm sure we can figure something out. All we gotta do is... we just, um..."

She paused, drawing a blank. She turned to look out at the others. "...What do we do now, actually?"

The silence that followed wasn't really the encouraging response that Runia had hoped for. The four of them exchanged pensive looks, nobody knowing what to say.

Eventually, Dan spoke up. "We... we gotta do somethin'. But... where're we even s'posed to start? Especially with so little time?"

One by one, three sets of eyes found themselves slowly converging on Medli. The Swablu glanced between them, shrinking back nervously. "Wha? W-Why are you all looking at m-me?"

"You're the only one here who had any idea of what was going on," Kafei said. "Seems like you're the closest thing to an expert we have."

Medli fidgeted in place. "I-I just... all I d-did was cross-reference a few things from the books in the library. I was just t-trying to figure out what was happening to the moon. A-And even then, I wasn't certain about much until I talked to Lunala."

Runia cocked her head a bit. "I still think some of your whole explanation went a little over my head, to be honest. You said there are these crystal things, and they're... alive, somehow?"

Medli nodded timidly. "They're s-shards of the Light Dev-... o-of Necrozma, evidently. They broke off from it after Lunala and Solgaleo defeated it, and scattered all over Termina like f-falling stars."

"And according to Lunala, they're the cause of all the mystery dungeons we have now," Kafei added. "Which is a problem that she has decided she's going to 'solve' right here and now, by any means necessary."

"So if we wanna save Termina," Runia reasoned, "then we need to make Lunala stop what she's doing and put the moon back in place. Though, considering how she acted earlier, changing her mind seems like it might be... difficult. We could, uh..." The Snowshrew paused, gulping faintly at the memory of the lunar pokemon looming over them all. "...We could try fighting her. Maybe."

"We'd stand no chance!" Dan shot back instantly. "An' even if we somehow could, we'd have no way to stop her from just up an' flying away whenever she felt like."

A heavy silence set in, the quartet of pokemon all desperately trying to think of a way to stop the calamity they'd witnessed. After a few moments, Kafei gave a deep shuddering sigh, a look of tired resignation on his face as he slowly shook his head. "...There's only one thing we can do. The only way we're going to get Lunala to stop this is to deal with all of those crystals ourselves."

Dan visibly shuddered at that. "Ya say that like it's s'posed to be any easier than fighting a Legend. There's a good reason everybody stays away from those... those f-freaky mystery dungeons, ya know?"

"I-It, um... should be possible to dispel the dungeons, s-somehow," Medli chimed in. "Back in Great Bay, I know the pirates managed to turn one into their hideout, so... there must be some way to do it. But... s-surely there's someone better qualified than u-us?"

"Like who?" Kafei asked. "Never mind finding pokemon willing to delve into those dungeons; how many pokemon would even believe us if we tried to tell them any of this?"

Neither Medli or Dan had anything to say to that. The pair shared a helpless look. Dan let out a defeated groan, his ears folding down slightly as he slouched back onto his haunches. Medli shivered a bit as she hugged her wings tightly to herself.

Runia looked down at the time flute held in her claws, tilting her head thoughtfully as the gears in her head slowly turned. "It is... a little scary to think about. The thought that all of Termina could be counting on us. But... at the very least, now that I think about it more, we might not have to worry that much about time. Not as long as we have this."

Kafei nodded. "If Dialga really sent us back to try and deal with this... I don't see why he wouldn't respond to the flute's call again, when it comes to it."

"Not sure that makes it much better," Dan muttered. "Havin' all the time in the world ain't gonna help much if we all get killed the first time we wander into one o' them deathtraps."

Runia took a gentle step closer. Careful not to touch the Mareep's static-charged wool, she reached out to give his face a friendly nudge. "C'mon. You can't really tell me you've never been a little curious what those dungeons are like." Despite the dire odds, she smiled, unable to hide the hint of excitement that was bubbling up in her chest. "And I mean... you've gotta admit it's kinda cool. The fact that the flute even worked for us at all... it's like we're all some sort of chosen heroes, or something! Guided by fate, serving as champions of Dialga himself in Termina's time of need!"

For a long moment, Dan's only response was a silent, deadpan stare. Runia didn't let his disbelief sour her grin, though. And eventually, her efforts were rewarded as Dan cracked a tiny smile, a quiet chuckle slipping past his lips. "...More like we jus' happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and wandered into somethin' way too big fer any of us." He shook his head softly, letting out a sigh as he got back to his feet. "But I suppose there's nothin' to do about it now. If we're really all that Termina's got... then I ain't gonna let it all get destroyed without a fight."

They turned to look at the others. Kafei gave them a small nod, his face having hardened into a determined frown. Even Medli, who still looked as though she wished she could wake up and find this all a dream, was no longer curled up in her own wings. She stared down at the clock tower's roof, deep in thought for a moment, before she seemed to nod silently to herself. She got back up, spreading her wings as she raised her head to meet the others' eyes.

"I-I, um... I don't know how much h-help I'd really be," Medli said. "But... if you're all really serious about this, then... I-I'll try to do what I can, too." There was still a timidness to her voice, but underneath it... there was a sense of resolve. Her talons were trembling faintly, but she stood her ground.

Their shared goal established, the group turned their gazes toward the door leading back into the tower. "C'mon," Kafei spoke up. "For now, we should focus on climbing down from here."

Dan nodded. "Yeah. I'd still like to... figure out what day this is exactly, 'fore we go too much further. It's hard to tell, from up here."

With that, the group headed inside, and started the long climb back down the clock tower's winding stairway. It was thankfully much less tiring to climb down than it had been on the way up, but it was still fairly drawn out and tedious.

After about a minute, Runia had had enough of the silence. She glanced over at Medli, who was flying down alongside the rest of the group. "So, uh... I think we met briefly the other night back at the inn. You tried to get a room, right? But I don't think I ever properly introduced myself." She tapped a claw on her chest, and smiled warmly up at the Swablu. "I'm Runia. But you can call me Runey if you'd like!"

Medli gave a timid nod. "A-Alright." She glanced over at Dan. "And you... are you the one who helped me at the library?"

"I thought ya looked familiar," Dan replied. "Yeah, that was me. Small world, I guess." He shrugged. "Anyway, name's Dan. Nice to meet ya, miss... Medli, was it?"

"Y-Yes."

Another couple seconds passed. Not wanting the awkward silence to set in again, Runia searched her brain for another topic. "So, uh... when we were all falling through that weird... timey-wimey void place... did any of you all see that pink fairy flying around?"

Medli perked up a bit. "I-I, uh... I did. I think... that was probably a Celebi."

"Makes sense," Kafei said. "The Celebi are supposed to be the ones who made these flutes. And if they help Dialga keep watch over time, they'd probably be able to see us getting sent back like that."

Dan sighed. "I just wish she could'a told us what we're supposed to do. I still don't like the thought of having to go into those dungeons. 'Specially without any clue what we're up against."

"Well... at least you'll be able to light the way," Runia offered. "That's at least one less problem to worry about, right?"

The Mareep glanced back at the orb on the tip of his tail. The orb briefly crackled with electricity, giving off a gentle glow of light. "Well... I suppose that's somethin'. Those places are s'posed to be dark."

"Which dungeon would actually be the best to start with?" Kafei asked.

"I, um... I'd have to check a map again," Medli said. "But I believe the closest one to here would be... S-Silent Grove, I think it was called?"

The other three all perked up at that. Runia tilted her head, trying to recall everything that Anju's grandmother had said about that place last night. It had sounded comparatively tame, at least compared to some of the dungeons that Runia knew about from back home. And Dan had said it was close enough that he could see it on the route between their ranch and Clock Town. Even if he'd always kept his distance, that familiarity might be worth something.

"It's probably our best bet," Kafei said. "Assuming that goes well, we can work out where to go afterwards when the time comes."

Finally, the group managed to reach the ground floor. An old, tired-looking Farfetch'd stood off to the side, examining the clock tower's ever-moving mechanisms for any issues. He let out a quiet yawn, before he glanced over and noticed the four pokemon coming down the stairs. He blinked groggily. "...Wha? What are you all doing in here?"

"We, uh..." Runia tried to think of an explanation. "We're sightseeing! With how famous the clock tower here is, we really wanted to get to see the view from the top. And seeing how the clock works from the inside is really neat too!"

The Farfetch'd gave the group an odd look. "...This early in the morning, though? Heck, I only just got here myself maybe ten minutes ago, and I know I didn't see you all come in since then."

Runia's smile grew just a little more forced. "...We were really excited! Got up at the crack of dawn to start looking around, we were probably already up at the top by the time you showed up."

Dan nervously stepped up next to her. "Y-Yeah. I mean, it's already... Wednesday, right? There's only... three days left 'til the festival. Gotta make the most of the time."

The Farfetch'd continued to look at the group appraisingly. But after a couple seconds, he shrugged. "Well, whatever. I suppose it's nice to see some younger 'mon taking an interest in the clock tower. Just try not to touch anything." As he turned back towards his work, he scratched the side of his head with his leek, "Coulda sworn I'd locked that front entrance last night, though," he muttered. "Guess I'm getting forgetful."

Runia gave a relieved nod, the group quietly marching outside as the flying-type returned to his duties.

As they all stepped out into the warm sunlight of the plaza, Runia turned to look at Dan. "So, how'd you know what day it was, specifically?" she asked. "Just a lucky guess?"

"Er... kinda." Dan shrugged. "Mostly I just... wanted to hope this was the right day, more 'n anything else.."

Runia tilted her head curiously at that. She tried to think about what had happened on this day. It would've been the day after she'd arrived in town, she was pretty sure... After a second, it occurred to her. "Oh! Your sister! Willow and Epona should both still be back at the inn, right?"

Dan shakily nodded. "After worryin' about 'em the last couple days like this, I just..." He shook his head. "...I need to go see 'em. Just to see that they're alright. Maybe even try to stop whatever happened, if I can."

Runia gave a wide grin. "Well, I'm down to help. If we're really getting the chance to go back and save Termina, I say we help anyone we can along the way." She turned to look at the others. "Right?"

Medli hesitated briefly, caught briefly off-guard by the sudden question. But after a moment, she nodded. "...I-I agree," she finally said. "If we're really going to d-do this... we should make the best of it."

Kafei, on the other hand, looked a bit more conflicted about the idea than Runia expected. "...I agree with the sentiment of helping whoever we can. But..." He gave Dan a slightly dubious look. "Not to burst your bubble. I'd want to go see my family in your place too. But what do you actually plan to say to them?"

Dan opened his mouth as if to respond, only to pause. He blinked. After a long moment to think, he seemed to wilt a bit. "I... dunno."

"Don't get me wrong," Kafei said. "I sympathize. I..." He sighed. "I want to give Anju some explanation, rather than just leaving her to worry for another three days." He glanced back at the satchel he carried on his back. "Especially once she realizes that Pearl's flute is missing. She'll probably think Runia stole it or something, otherwise."

Runia's eyes widened at that. "I-I would never!"

"Didn't say you would. But Anju agreed to let you stay there in exchange for helping at the inn around this time, right? So if you and the flute suddenly vanish on the same morning..."

Runia felt her heart sink as Kafei's logic sunk in. He probably had a point. It'd be the simplest explanation, from Anju and her grandmother's perspective.

She shook her head, a determined frown settling on her face. "Well, what're we waiting for, then? Let's get over there. We can sort that all out with Anju, and Dan can go see his family. Two Pidgey with one stone, and all that. We've got time."

With that, she started marching off on her own, motioning for the others to follow. A few seconds later, she glanced back at them, and realized that they hadn't moved. "What is it?" she asked.

Both Kafei and Medli just looked at her in confusion. Dandelion hesitated for a moment, before speaking up. "Yer, uh... yer goin' the wrong way."

Runia blinked. She looked around, trying to remember which path led to the inn from here. It was... over in the eastern part of town, right? Which was, uh...

The Snowshrew let out a self-conscious chuckle. "...You know what? Maybe somebody else should take the lead," she eventually said, prompting Kafei to bring a paw to his face with a quiet sigh.

"While you're at it," Kafei said, "you may as well give the flute back for now."

Runia glanced down at the instrument. She'd almost forgotten she was still holding onto it, to be honest. With a nod, she reached over to put it away in the satchel on Kafei's back. There was no sense carrying it out in the open the whole time, especially as important as it was. Wouldn't want to trip and break it somehow.

As the group formed up behind Kafei, ready to start moving for real, Medli quietly spoke up. "I, um... I-I don't want to be a bother, but..."

Kafei looked up at Medli. "You don't have to tag along for this, if you don't want," he said, picking up on the source of her hesitance. These would be relatively personal matters, after all, and she didn't really know any of them all that well. Kafei turned his head to look at some of the nearby merchants that had set up stalls for the festival. "If you could find somebody selling a good map of Termina, that'd be helpful. I get the feeling we're going to need one."

The Swablu perked up at that, glad to have a straightforward task she could focus on for now. "I-I can do that."

"Thanks. Try to meet up with us over at the inn, when you're done."

"W-Will do."

With that, Medli fluttered off into the market. Runia and the others watched her go for a moment, before Kafei let out a quiet sigh. "Alright. Let's... get this over with," he said, leading the way towards the eastern part of town.

As the group walked away, none of them noticed a faint hint of movement in the shadows of a nearby alley. A tall Zoroark let his heavy backpack slump to the ground, a grin on his face as he watched them leave.

"Well, well, well," he chuckled to himself. "What an interesting development, indeed." He turned towards his pack, reaching into one of its pouches before pulling out a small green flute. "Clearly there is a trick to it, then. I do not know what they did to make that flute work; perhaps I will have to... study them, later."

He idly twirled the relic in his claws, his grin widening. "Still. Even if I cannot trigger it myself... I do believe I can work with this. The sheer possibilities that arise from being able to go back in time... hmhmhm..."

A flash of dark energy enveloped the Zoroark. When it faded, he had taken on the form of a Raichu. He returned the flute to its former place, before hefting his pack once again. He gave a thoughtful hum as he felt its weight. He would swear it had been heavier before he'd been unceremoniously yanked back through time.

He shook his head, dismissing the thought. As he marched confidently out of the shadowed alley, he cast a brief glance towards the east where the other group had gone, before shrugging to himself and turning to head towards the heart of the plaza. He could tail them later. There would be more... lucrative targets to be found elsewhere.

Several minutes later, Kafei and the others reached the Stock Pot Inn. As soon as the building was in sight, Dan started running ahead, pushing open the door and rushing inside before either Kafei or Runia could say anything.

A sense of deja-vu struck Kafei as he stepped up to the still open door, his feet stubbornly refusing to go any farther. He'd had the whole walk over here to think about what he was supposed to say. Nothing had really come to mind.

He needed to tell her something. She didn't deserve to spend another three days worried sick over him, or fretting about the flute being stolen... or panicking over the moon's approach, and waiting for the world to end. He wanted her to at least be able to know that he was alright, and that he would do everything in his power to try and make sure things would turn out okay.

The problem was trying to explain it all in a way that wouldn't make it seem like he'd suddenly lost his mind.

Runia turned to give him a sympathetic glance. "I get that it's hard to know what to say," she said. "But... why not just tell her the truth? I mean, it's her grandmother's flute, after all. She knows what it's supposed to be able to do."

Kafei turned to look at her, a deadpan remark on his lips... but he stopped short, tilting his head in thought. He wasn't certain how much Anju believed Pearl's stories about the flute; it wasn't something they'd talked about. The flute hadn't done anything for Pearl in all the years she'd played it, but she still strongly believed in its power. Anju might well feel the same.

"Besides," Runia continued, "think about it this way. If the flute can really turn back time like this... then even if you do say the wrong thing, you can always try to do better next time."

"That..." Kafei frowned, letting out a thoughtful hum. It was a fair point. He wasn't sure how much better it made him feel, though.

After a couple seconds of silence, Runia went ahead and walked into the inn on her own. From his spot just outside the door, Kafei saw her turn her head and raise a paw in greeting. "Hey, Anju!"

"O-Oh. There you are, Runia," Anju's tired voice answered. She let out a soft yawn, having likely not woken up that long ago. "I was wondering where you'd gotten to. I... didn't want to think you'd have just run off or something, but..."

Runia gave a self-conscious chuckle, scratching the back of her head with a claw. "Yeah, um... about that. I, uh... I really hate to leave you hanging here, but something's... sorta come up."

Anju cocked her head. "What? What do you mean?"

The Snowshrew looked back over her shoulder at the open door, and at Kafei. "It's kinda a long story. I'm probably not the best one to tell it."

Kafei held in the urge to sigh. He supposed that was his cue, whether he was ready or not. He finally moved to enter the inn, his steps slow and hesitant.

Anju's eyes widened as soon as Kafei stepped into the room. She blinked, shaking her head as if she couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. She started closing the distance between them, slowly at first, before rushing up and burying her face in Kafei's side.

The deja-vu returned, even stronger and more bittersweet than before. It'd barely been over a day since the last time they'd been reunited this way, and yet it still hit him just as hard to see Anju like this. He gently settled a paw on her back as she began to sob into his fur, wishing there was something he simply could say that would fix everything.

"Where...? You didn't... I was so..." Anju frantically rattled off an endless stream of half-finished thoughts, her voice muddled through tears and Kafei's fur.

"It... really is a long story," Kafei answered. He gently nudged his satchel off his back, trying to rummage through it without disturbing Anju. After a moment, he pulled out the flute, setting it on the ground in front of him. "Especially after... this got involved."

Anju sniffled, withdrawing from Kafei's side for a moment. She let out a soft gasp as her eyes landed on her grandmother's relic. She glanced back and forth between the object and Kafei, confusion evident in her eyes, until it suddenly appeared to click. She blinked once, twice. When her eyes met Kafei's again, she seemed even more lost than before. "What... you don't mean...?"

Kafei sighed. "...Let me start from the beginning."

Dan had barely stopped to think as he'd rushed through the inn's front door, scrambling up the stairs and down the hall as fast as his hooves could carry him.

He'd spent the entire trip across town stewing in his thoughts. He was still reeling from the shock of everything that had happened, but as soon as it had sunk in that they'd been sent back to this morning, the only thing he could think about was going to see Willow and Epona again.

And yet... now, face to face with the door to his and his sister's room, he found himself hesitating just a bit. His stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots. Part of him was worried she somehow wouldn't be here. Another part reminded him that he still had no idea what to actually say.

He shook his head, breathing deeply to try and calm himself. After taking a moment to retrieve the room key - and silently thanking Dialga that he still had the key after all this, come to think of it - he unlocked the door and gently pushed it open.

Inside, Willow was still snoring quietly as she slept on one of the two straw beds. Dan slowly trotted up beside her, tears of relief starting to well in his eyes.

She looked peaceful enough that Dan felt a little bad waking her up. But... he had to talk with her. He softly nudged the Flaaffy's side. "S-Sis?"

After a couple of gentle pokes, Willow started to stir. "Mmm... Dan?" She let out a quiet yawn as she blinked her eyes open. "What is it?"

Dan had done his best to stay strong, through all the chaos of the last few days. The worries and uncertainty about his family, followed by seeing the moon nearly crash down and crush them all... it had been a lot.

Hearing his sister's voice again, seeing her perfectly fine as if nothing had happened... it was the final straw. Dan broke down, burying his face in Willow's side as the tears started to flow. The Flaaffy jolted in surprise, still half-asleep and caught off-guard. But after a moment, her sisterly instincts kicked in. She sat up a bit, wrapping one arm around the Mareep in a comforting embrace, and spoke up softly. "Shh... it's a'right. It's a'right."

Several minutes passed without another word being said. Even after Dan's tears began to dry up, he still couldn't quite bring himself to stop shaking.

Eventually, he felt Willow start to tousle the wool on top of his head. "Bad dream?"

Dan sniffled. "...Somethin' like that." It was about as good an explanation as he could really give, right now.

"Hmm... Must'a been one heckuva nightmare. Think it's been years since I've seen one rattle ya that bad." Willow gave a soft chuckle, a playful smile on her face. "Here I've been worried mah little Dandelion was growin' up too fast on me, sometimes. But maybe ya do still have some growin' ta do, yet."

Dan felt his cheeks flush at that. He knew she was only teasing, but it was still embarrassing. He always tried so hard to prove to Willow and Epona that he wasn't just a kid anymore. He saw how hard they worked; he wanted to be someone they could both count on too. But... right now, after everything, he needed this.

"Then again, heaven knows I still have plenty o' rough dreams mahself, now and then," Willow continued. "Ya just get better at handling 'em, eventually." She let out another yawn, before she turned her head to nod towards the window. "Fer now, just try to put it all outta yer head. With the festival comin' up, there should be plenty o' things to take yer mind off it, 'til me an' Epona get back with the last load o' the harvest."

A cold chill ran through Dan's heart at that. "Y-Yeah. Uh..." He cleared his throat. "Ya know, m-maybe I should go with yall after all. Just... ya know, to help out."

Willow's smile faded just a bit. "Now, Dan, you know that ain't necessary. Epona an' I can handle what's left plenty fine on our own."

"B-But I can help it go faster," Dan fired back. "I showed I can handle it, right?"

"Ya did a fine job with the last batch, yes, and I know yer growin' up enough to help out more," the Flaaffy replied, her tone patient but firm. "But there really isn't enough left t' justify using a third cart for this last load. 'Specially a smaller one."

She gave him a playful nudge. "'Sides, you could stand to get out a little more anyway. Meet more folk yer own age, make some friends. I think yer old enough to handle a few hours alone here 'til Epona and I get back."

Dan bit his lip. This wasn't working. He should have known it wouldn't. "What if... what if I told you I knew something was gonna happen? T-That you an' Epona... weren't gonna make it back from this trip?"

Willow cocked her head at that, one eyebrow raised in bemusement. "Dan, I know that nightmare must'a shook ya up. But I promise ya, whatever you saw, it's gonna be fine."

"Yer not listening," Dan said desperately. "It... it wasn't just a nightmare, it really happened."

"I'm sure, I'm sure," Willow said with a nod. "C'mon now, let's go get yer aunt Epona, an' you can tell us all about it over breakfast. You'll feel better once ya calm down an' get some food in-"

"Dangit, I'm serious, sis!"

Dan really hadn't intended to shout so loudly. Or to stamp his hoof on the floor either, for that matter. But the desperation building up in his chest had burst.

After a moment, his ears folded down abashedly as his sister gave him an odd look, as if silently asking what had gotten into him. He took a deep breath, and let it out in a shaky sigh.

He'd been trying to avoid this. He had no idea how she'd respond. But it was clear that nothing else was going to get through to her.

"L-Look, this... I know it sounds crazy, but it's the truth. I've seen the next three days. Lived through 'em. And it..." He shook his head. "I don't know what happened to you, but... but..."

He could feel himself starting to break down again. Willow leaned forward, pulling him into another soft hug. "It's gonna be fine, Dan. It's gonna be fine."

His elder sister's comforting voice helped a little, but he couldn't help but let out a sigh. "...You think I'm just losin' mah marbles, don't you? Or that I'm just makin' this all up."

"No, and no. I know you, Dan. Ya wouldn't get like this if it wasn't important to ya."

"But you don't believe me."

"...I believe that you believe it," Willow said hesitantly. "But, well... last I checked, you don't have the ability to see the future."

"That's not..." Dan shook his head. "...I don't know. Kafei and Anju can prolly explain it better than I can."

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Dan, Kafei's been missing for well over a week. I know I've told you that before."

Dan blinked. The realization struck him: Kafei could be the proof that he wasn't making this all up. It wasn't a perfect thought, but...

Hastily getting to his feet, Dan shook his head and rushed for the door. "C'mon," he called back to Willow. "You'll see." She gave him a baffled look, but eventually she made to follow. Together, they headed down the hall and to the stairs.

Willow let out a yawn, still just a little groggy after the sudden awakening. "I don't know what you think Anju's gonna say," Willow commented as they neared the bottom of the stairway. "Far as I know, she don't have any crazy foresight... either..." She trailed off as she caught sight of lobby.

Two Eevee sat side by side behind the counter, as Runia leaned back in the corner of the room, giving the couple some space. Anju appeared slightly teary-eyed as she leaned against Kafei, who seemed to be trying his best to explain what was going on.

"...couldn't have been more than a few minutes from impact, at that point. At least it seemed like it. If it weren't for the flute..." Kafei shook his head. "...I don't really want to think about it."

"I was kinda afraid I wasn't gonna be able to get the song right in time," Runia chimed in. "Honestly even when it worked, I'm pretty sure I was still off a bit. But I guess it was close enough."

Anju gave a slow, heavy nod, seeming more than a little overwhelmed. She briefly glanced towards the stairs as Dan and Willow came down, and raised a paw in half-hearted greeting. "H-Hey, Willow."

"Hey, Anju," Willow called back. "And uh... hey, Kafei." She cocked her head as she glanced around the lobby. "Somebody mind explaining things a bit?"

"It's... a long story," Kafei said. "I'm guessing Dan told you some of it?"

Willow pursed her lips a little. "He told me somethin', anyway. It's a mite hard to believe, though."

Kafei let out a sigh. "Well, I can't deny that. But it really is the truth." He nudged the time flute with a paw. "This flute... in times of great enough need, it allows a pokemon to call upon Dialga himself for aid. He sent us back in time three days."

Willow looked down at the instrument for a long moment, her expression hard to read. "...Are you tellin' me that the Lord of Time went and personally intervened just 'cause a couple farmers apparently disappeared? Or did somethin' else happen as the festival rolled around?"

She raised her head to glance around at the others. None of them answered, but the looks on their faces spoke volumes. Willow let out a sigh and clutched her head with a paw. "A'right, then. I guess we really are talkin' about this over breakfast." She turned towards her brother. "C'mon, Dan, Epona should hear this too. And if this story's going to be half as crazy as it already sounds, there's no sense jawing about it over empty stomachs."

"Er, actually," Runia chimed in, "Dan had sort of... already agreed to leave with us, once we were all finished up here."

Willow blinked in surprise, only just now taking notice of the Snowshrew. "Oh, really now? And just where are you all headed, then?"

Before Runia could respond, Dan hurriedly stepped forward to interject. "T-That's not important. Besides, uh... ya know, time travel really takes a lot out of ya. I think we could all use some breakfast, actually. And when that's done... we can probably spare the time to make a trip down to the Ranch too, right? Just to check on things there?" Dan cast a nervous smile at the others.

While Runia simply smiled back, Kafei looked significantly less convinced. "I'm not really sure we should be..."

"Please?" Dan whispered. "It's on the way. We can start dealing with everything else as soon as we're done. I just... need to know."

Kafei let out a quiet sigh. "Alright then. I suppose it's not that much of a detour." He turned back towards the other Eevee in the room. "I'm... sorry that we can't stay here. Will you be alright here, Anju?"

Anju gave a slow, shaky nod. "I'll be... fine. At least... I know what's going on. Just... stay safe out there."

"I will. Promise." Kafei planted a kiss on Anju's forehead, before leaning in to nuzzle her side.

Runia smiled warmly at the couple. Deciding to try and let them have a moment, she stepped towards the electric-types, softly clearing her throat and trying to steer the conversation back. "Well, I for one am interested to see this ranch. It sounded neat, from what Dan had said."

Willow slowly turned her focus away from the Eevees, looking at Runia with a curious gaze. "Do we know you?" She stared analytically at the Snowshrew for a couple of seconds. "Hang on... I think I saw ya here in the lobby when I got here, right? Ya were talking to Anju."

"Yep!" Runia nodded cheerfully. "You don't really know me, but Dan and I got to know each other a little over the last couple days. Er..." She paused, her face scrunching up in thought. "...Technically it was the next couple days, I guess. And today. Maybe 'will get to know each other' is more accurate? No..."

Willow cocked her head dubiously. "Er, right. Because... time travel?" She blinked a couple times, before she shook her head. "Nope. Not thinkin' about this right now." She started towards the hallway next to the stairs, motioning for Dan to follow. "I'm gonna go get Epona, and then we can discuss all this."

As Dan moved to follow, he noticed a blue and white form flutter into the lobby through the half-open front door. Medli held a rolled up scroll of paper in her talons as she hovered over towards Kafei. "I-I got the map."

Kafei let out a soft sigh as he pulled away from Anju's side. "...Thank you." Medli dropped the map in front of Kafei, and he used a paw to spread it out before looking over it. "This should be helpful. Though, there's... been a slight change of plans."

Medli cocked her head slightly as she settled on the inn floor. "O-Oh?"

"Dan? What's holdin' ya?" Willow called out.

The Mareep shook his head to clear it, the others' conversation trailing off behind him as he hurried off down the hallway after his sister.

Some time later, the low rumble of wagon wheels mixed with the quiet sound of voices as the makeshift group all proceeded down the rough dirt path that ran south from Clock Town.

Dan, Willow and Epona were all hooked up to empty carts of varying sizes. Epona led the way, keeping a steady distance ahead of the others despite her larger burden. Runia and Kafei trotted alongside Dan and Willow, the Snowshrew eagerly chattering away with the others despite the circumstances.

Medli, for her part, fluttered a mild distance above the rest, only dimly registering the others' conversation or the surroundings. Ostensibly, she had volunteered to be on lookout - though in the middle of Termina Field in broad daylight, she doubted it would be necessary. Mostly, she just felt like a third wing amid the others' animated conversation, and she still needed some time and space to come to grips with everything that had happened.

Truth be told, she didn't even mind this detour. She really wasn't in a rush to think about what they'd have to face when they actually got to the Silent Grove.

After the group had all left the Stock Pot Inn, they'd found a quiet little place in town to stop and eat, and Dan, Runia and Kafei recapped the situation to the Mareep's family. They seemed... more than a little skeptical. Especially when the topic of the moon's fall came up; the Flaaffy, Willow, said that she'd believe that one when she saw it. Medli couldn't blame them. She'd barely believed it herself, even when she'd seen it with her own eyes.

Dan had also tried - unsuccessfully, in the end - to hide the fact that they were planning to head for a mystery dungeon. His family had been less than enthused. Willow had loudly declared that she didn't care what was at stake, she was not about to let her little brother wander into one of those monstrosities. Even the Rapidash, Epona, who had barely spoken up to then, chimed in that it was the most foolhardy idea she'd ever heard.

Regardless, after their quick breakfast had finished, Dan and his family had gone to pick up their carts from a spot in West Clock Town, and the six of them had all set out towards the south to go figure out what was going on. All the while, the group had kept up their conversation to ease the silence of the long walk, the topics gradually shifting to less dire fare as they set out on the road.

"So, what else can y'all tell me about the next three days?" Willow asked. "Since y'all have already lived through 'em, apparently. There must'a been at least some good things that happened in that time, 'specially with the festival coming up."

Medli shook off her thoughts, finally glancing down at the others again.

Runia tapped a claw on her chin thoughtfully as she recalled the last few days. "Well, I was kind of busy helping at the inn for a decent part of it. But it was mostly nice until the end. Anju and her grandmother were nice company, and Dan and I got to look around some of the festival shops and games."

"Did ya now?" Willow smiled. "Nice ta hear mah little brother didn't try to spend the whole time cooped up inside waitin' for us to get back." She gave Dan a lightly teasing look, causing the Mareep to blush a bit.

"Mhm." Runia nodded. "We found this cool mask-selling guy, though his stuff was a bit pricy. Then the next day we tried this target gallery, and then there was this maze game, and... Oh!" Runia suddenly drew herself up as she seemed to realize something. "And it rains tomorrow! Not too heavy, but it lasted from early morning all through the afternoon. That'd help prove we're telling the truth once it happens, right?"

Willow chuckled. "Or that ya got a forecast from a Castform. Though that's a fair bit o' detail, so I guess I'll keep mah eyes on the sky tomorrow." Her smile took on a somewhat more mischievous air. "Don't suppose you happened to pick up any other little 'forecasts' from the future? Say... some upcoming lotto numbers, or such."

Runia blinked. She cocked her head in thought, before an excited grin spread across her face, and she began to hop back and forth on her feet. "Oh, we've definitely gotta check that out next time we have a chance! Does Clock Town have a lottery shop? Probably, it's got so much! We can just note down the winning numbers, and then come back the next time to bet on them!"

Dan seemed to wince a little. "Runia, I'm not sure that cheating at the lottery's really such a good idea."

"Would it even be cheating, though?" Runia asked. "I mean, I doubt if they'd have any sort of rule forbidding time travel, of all things."

"We probably could use the funds," Kafei chimed in. "And it's not like they'd have any way to tell. Heck, depending on how this flute works, they might just get the money back after we play it again anyway."

"See!? Even Kafei agrees!" Runia turned her gaze skyward for a moment. "What about you, Medli? What's your vote?"

Medli flinched in surprise, not having expected to get dragged into this. She really wasn't sure what to answer, anyway. It was such an odd situation to consider... "E-Er, I... I don't know. C-Can I just abstain?"

"Then it's two-to-one!" Runia proclaimed triumphantly. "The vote is official: we are totally cheating the lottery when we get the chance."

Dan grumbled a bit. "But... I don't know, it's the principle of the thing." He perked up an ear at the sound of laughter, and turned towards Willow. "What's so funny?"

Willow choked down her giggles, before she reached down to rustle Dan's wool. "Oh, I'm just happy ta see you finally makin' some friends." She grinned approvingly at Runia. "Odd ones, maybe. And under even odder circumstances, it sounds like. But still, feels good to see ya gettin' to know people besides just me an' Epona. It'll do ya good."

Dan hung his head with embarrassment. He looked like he wanted to say something, but knew it would only dig him deeper.

A moment later, Runia chimed in to bail him out. "Does this mean you believe us, then?"

"Hm... not sure I'd go that far," Willow said. "But it's plain to see that something's goin' on. I only saw ya fer a moment last night, but clearly you and Dan know each other now. And there's enough other weirdness, what with Kafei and that flute..." She shook her head. "Until I've got a better explanation, we can roll with yer story fer now."

Medli continued to silently gaze down at the others for a while, listening as the conversation continued to shift. Eventually, she decided to flutter toward the front of the group, where Epona was leading the way. It was a bit quieter up here, the rhythmic movement of the Rapidash and her cart mostly drowning out the chatter of voices from this distance. It was peaceful. Medli drew in a long breath, before she let it out in a quiet sigh as she looked out at the grassy field surrounding them all.

"Not much for the noise either?"

Medli gave a slight start as Epona suddenly spoke up. She looked down, and found the Rapidash glancing up at her with the same even expression she'd seemed to have all morning. After gently lowering her altitude, Medli gave a vague shrug with her wings. "N-Not really. I um... tend to prefer the quiet, usually. Besides, I wouldn't really know what to say, anyway."

Epona nodded. "I can relate. No sense talkin' when ya ain't got nothin' to say. 'Specially with people ya don't know."

A peal of Runia's bubbly laughter rang out from behind. Medli looked back at the others, her beak curved in a slight pensive frown. Despite what she'd said, she wondered what they were all talking about now...

When she turned back towards the road again, she noticed Epona giving her a knowing look. The Rapidash didn't say another word, though, her hooves clacking in their steady rhythm as she kept marching down the road.

For a moment, Medli glanced back once again, silently thinking. But eventually, she shook her head. This really wasn't the best time. Maybe once they actually had a quiet moment to rest for a bit...

The journey continued like that for a while, Medli mulling over the last few days in her head as she gazed out at the scenery ahead of them. Down towards the south, a vast stretch of forest marked the boundary between Termina Field and the beginnings of the Woodfall region. The trees were vibrant and green, with just a hint of autumn's colors starting to show through here and there. It was a pleasant sight, and rather different from the greenery back home...

Medli blinked. As they drew nearer, she found her gaze drawn to a very odd patch of the forest, which appeared as though it had been sapped of color altogether. Everything from the trees to the grass was an unnatural pale white. Even more concerning, a thick darkness seeped out from between the afflicted trees, shrouding the inside of the grove from view.

The Swablu shivered. She hadn't seen this place before, but she knew well enough to tell a mystery dungeon when she saw it.

"Whoa..." There was a rapid patter of footsteps as Runia drew near, her eyes locked on the unnerving portion of the woods. "That's... Silent Grove, isn't it?"

"I-I... can only assume so," Medli replied quietly.

Runia frowned a bit. "Somehow it's... not quite as pretty as I'd imagined, seeing it in person."

Willow, who had sped up a bit to catch up with the Snowshrew, cocked her head at that as she approached. "Can't say I've ever heard somebody say one o' those places sounded pretty." She frowned, her wool bristling slightly with static. "Just stay away from 'em, and hope they don't spread too far. That's about the best ya can do."

"Uh... r-right." Runia gave a stiff nod. "Will do."

"I mean it," Willow pressed. "I wasn't kidding earlier. Y'all ain't going anywhere near that place even if I have to tie ya down." She narrowed her eyes over at Kafei. "That goes fer you too, Kafei. I don't know what's gotten into ya lately, but I would've thought ya'd be enough of the adult in the room to tell 'em they can't go there."

"I assure you, I have no intention of doing anything reckless." Kafei's voice was even and calm, though his eyes betrayed a hint of annoyance at Willow's words.

"Ya say that, but ya still up and disappeared fer weeks without letting anyone know where ya were," Willow muttered, before she shook her head brusquely. "Whatever. Long as y'all know to stay away from that place." She sighed. "C'mon. Let's just keep movin'."

Medli shuddered a little at the Flaaffy's tone. With a few hasty flaps of her wings, Medli quickly ascended, settling back into a hover a mild distance above the group as everyone started moving again.

Before long, she heard the conversation start back up. Medli couldn't bring herself to focus on that, though. Instead, her gaze was still centered on the unnatural mass of trees in the distance. She gulped, her wings feeling tense as it sunk in that, one way or another, they would have to go in there soon.

She could only pray this wasn't as foolish as it felt.

A/N: Massive apologies for how long this chapter took. I was stuck with a bad case of writer's block on this chapter for a long while, partly because as I got into it I realized the chapter was heading in a somewhat different direction than I'd originally planned in order to reach the destination I had in mind. I ended up letting myself focus on other writing while my brain slowly simmered on this. I feel bad that it took this long to get it all sorted out, but hopefully it's at least somewhat worth the wait.

For what it's worth, I already have a decent start on the next chapter. I actually intended this chapter to go on for another scene or two, but it was getting rather long, and it felt like... perhaps a little too much happening all in one chapter, so I opted to split it here.

Thanks as usual to Jusmove for looking over the chapter and providing feedback.