It's Tuesday night, and I just finished some studying, so I'm hoping I'll get at least 2K words written now. The last chapter was pretty well received, which I really appreciate, as a lot of people just want to see the MC clean out, which is not what I like; I want struggle and defeats to also make victories sweeter, which is something any CG fan would know as Lelouch suffer set-backs and defeats, often because of just how capable the Lancelot is, but also against comparable commanders like Xingke and Schneizel.

When it came to this chapter, I wanted more Elfin but got so invested in handling the rest with the resistance that I saw that I just didn't have the word count left. I could just break my rule, but I came with it for a reason and will stick to it. I'll just have to make her the focus of the next chapter.

Chapter 09: Peering through the Mask

It had been around a day since their encounter with Volt. At that time, the rest of the resistance started to see the issue that came from having a masked member, and not just the literal sense. Zero claimed he wasn't too upset about his loss to the Haos Vexos member. Still, he wasn't open, so how were they to take his silence and aversion to group conversation that didn't involve their mission?

When Baron looked for him sometime after lunch, he learned that he was in his room and tried to make conversation.

"Uhm…Zero? You in?" He knocked on the door and waited for Zero to open it. When he did so, he was reminded that the masked brawler was tall, like the latest.

He couldn't guess what Zero was thinking, but he did respond, so that had to be a plus…right? "Ah, it's you, Baron. Is there something you need?" Zero asked, his words deliberate but polite.

"Well, not really, but…"

"But?" Zero gently pressed, but Baron felt like he was in the hot seat.

"I just wanted to check up on you. Just to be sure that you're doing all right." Baron managed to get out, to which Zero nodded as he gestured to himself.

"I suffered no injuries and am in good health, like Sirenoid." The Bakugan in question came onto her brawler's shoulder, and she refused to speak with them like she had since they arrived. Baron got a feeling that she was glaring at him.

"Not what I meant…" Baron muttered as this was not his strong suit. He meant it was, but he was used to being the big brother, and his siblings weren't at the phrase that his parents called their 'rebellious' years yet, so he was used to just being straight with conversation. If one of his siblings was down, it was easy to see and easy to fix, but Zero…he was a different type of beast.

"I meant, how are you doing in your heart? I know he was a tough opponent, and he wouldn't be in the Vexos if he wasn't so strong, but it must sting." Baron tried to explain himself in a way that would insult the man, as in his experience, it wasn't just Ace who had a bit of an ego.

"I see…" Zero nodded, his faceless mask giving nothing away from his feelings. "Well, it was kind of you to check up on me, but I can assure you that I'm handling the situation quite well."

"Oh…" Baron noted as he was out of ideas here.

"Was that all?" Zero asked, and he had to concede, muttering that it was. "Then, if you'll excuse me." Zero closed his door and returned to whatever he had been doing before.

Looking at the smooth white surface, Baron knocked his forehead against it and groaned. 'Smooth, Baron, real smooth…'

It was Ace who tried to approach him next. Later in the day, the sun started to set, and Mira was the wheel. She had informed them that she'd find a quiet spot for them to rest out of sight from any would-be tails. Zero confirmed her words before volunteering to prepare their dinner. Like before, when Ace walked in, having decided to look for him, he found Zero hard at work, his cape gone and in its place, he wore that awful 'smiles and rainbows' apron as he went from the fridge, cabinets and cutting board, pulling out whatever he needed to prep them for their dinner.

"You're pretty hands-on, aren't you?" Ace started, watching as Zero moved through the kitchen with practiced ease.

"One tends to be in my circumstances, but it's an effective life skill to have," Zero replied, recalling how he went from a pampered prince with servants waiting for hand and foot on him to an unwanted brat and, lastly, a child in a world that was neither kind nor fair. But something told him that Ace wouldn't like to hear how he killed his first man when he was 10 just because he had some food he could feed his baby sister.

"I figured. But I would also say that you made something of a name for yourself." Ace noted.

"I did." Zero would already know where this was going.

"So, you must be used to cleaning out, so I bet getting your clock cleaned must have been a real hard blow." Ace nonchalantly said, Zero, realizing that where Baron had tried to be understanding, Ace seemed to think that if he hit at his ego, he would crack. It would be cute if it wasn't so amateurish. Honestly, C.C. would do better in her sleep.

"Not at all," Zero did an excellent job of not showing how pleased he was with Ace's shocked face as he chopped up some vegetables. "While I admit that I have more pride than it is healthy, I've been humbled enough times to keep it in check and analyze things objectively to improve myself."

"Dude, you got laid out on your back. Sirenoid could have been captured." Okay, now that was just sad.

"I've suffered far worse losses, Ace." Zero's gaze turned to him, and Ace suddenly felt a sense of primal fear in him. He didn't see eyes; he didn't need to, as what Zero spoke of wasn't some human threat but something far worse. "Far worse losses…"

Then, in a flash, it passed as Zero continued, listing off his responses as he poured the chopped vegetables into the pot he had left to heat up. "Before you say it, no, I'm not pretending. Yes, I'm angry over my victory. No, I don't need to talk about it. No, I'm not being childish. And also, could you grab that bowl for me?"

Ace opened his mouth only to close it. In his shock and confusion, Percival came up onto his shoulder, opening up to look at his brawler. "Did…he just guess all your questions and responses?"

"I think he did…what is going in that mask of his," Ace muttered, which was a little scary.

"If you two aren't going to help prepare the meal," both looked towards their counterpart, where the silent Sirenoid had been staring them down. "Would you kindly leave? You're a distraction."

"Wow, harsh much?" Ace quipped, but she wouldn't have it.

"Is that not a fact?" Sirenoid would work with them, but she didn't like them.

Percival picked up on that sentiment, which Wilda had noted he picked up, and yeah, he could see it. She would be a hard sell, to put it lightly. Still, they had time, and it wouldn't do to needlessly antagonize her. "We'll excuse ourselves, Sirenoid. We didn't mean to be a bother."

With that, both left.

Whenever Mira found a free moment, she eagerly retreated to her small, cluttered workshop. In this sanctuary, the familiar clink of metal and the soft hum of her tools provided a soothing rhythm. This ritual had accompanied her since childhood. She recalled how it wasn't that long ago that she had been a sheltered girl, known more for the glamorous image crafted by her influential father than for any practical skills. Back then, she simply flaunted her sleek bike to impress her peers, hardly riding it and neglecting maintenance

basics.

Only after her brother's constant teasing pushed her to take a closer look at the machine's inner workings did she begin to understand its intricate charm. It was only in hindsight that he realized his ploy to get her to break those habits. It was just like him to trick her into it, but while she was still a little angry about it, she could admit the ends justified the means.

As she methodically opened the engine cover, Mira would first check the tire pressure with a modest gauge, ensuring that each tire was neither too flat nor excessively inflated—a simple step that made all the difference during long rides. Next, she'd inspect the oil by carefully withdrawing the dipstick, wiping it clean, and then reinserting it to confirm that the engine's lifeblood was at the proper level, topping it up just enough to keep things running smoothly.

Not stopping there, Mira always took a few minutes to clean and lubricate the chain, applying a light spray and wiping away any excess with a soft cloth. These basic yet essential tasks—performed with calm confidence—ensured her bike was always ready to meet the challenges of this foreign planet and its varied and often treacherous terrain.

In New Vestoria, where the environment was hardly kind to two-wheeled machines, her meticulous upkeep became a relaxing hobby and a necessity. Although Ace and Baron once offered their help, their contributions were sporadic at best—Baron, in particular, had been banned from unsupervised work after the infamous blowtorch incident.

Perhaps because of that, she was surprised when she heard the door slide open and close, followed by footsteps. Wiping her hands clean on a cloth, she turned her head to see that it was their newest member.

"Hey there, you here to watch?" Mira asked as Zero walked up.

"Actually, I wished to get some advice for what I should do on my own ride." Zero walked over to his bike and placed a hand on the seat. I'm familiar with tools and basic maintenance, but it would be better if I had someone with a better eye for these things to aid me." He could thank Rivalz for that, but he was often just observing him work, so most of his knowledge came from observation and guides he had purchased since coming here.

Mira's smile grew, a glint in her eye as she shot to her feet. "Sure, it's rare that I get a chance to work on other vehicles. This the new model?" She approached it, looking over his ride from every angle, muttering.

It seems Ace was right about Mira being a gearhead. "No, it's the one that came before. The dealer claimed it had a better off-road performance." Zero stated.

Hearing that, Mira's smile shrunk a little as she thought about it and what she was seeing. It was true that both their rides were of the same line, hers the city cruiser variant of an older model. Still, she had made so many modifications and alterations that comparing them was like comparing a Clawcer to a Fly Beetle.

"Hmm, well, they weren't wrong, but that's for controlled off-road, you know, dirt tracks. You'll need to work on the tires. These aren't a bad type, but you'll need purpose-produced off-roaders. Then we'll need to look at the suspension, these forks and shock absorbers just aren't gonna cut it, and you're masked butt will hate every minute of the ride, that is, if the vibrations don't break something." She started, tapping the pretty tiny shock absorbers in the front.

"These skid plates aren't big enough, and we'll need to fashion some crash backs to safeguard the engine and undercarriage; you do not want to be in a situation where rocks smack into something and leave you needing to lug this thing back here." Zero suspected she was speaking from experience there. "Finally, we'll go over the waterproofing and exhaust system; I imagine an Aquos brawler like you could find yourself close to rivers and lakes a lot; it wouldn't do to drown your ride."

Getting to another part, where the fuel tank lay, she saw that it wasn't the factory shape and that it was larger than what was commercially available. "And it seems like you already added a larger fuel tank. That's good. Now, we'll just work on fine-tuning the engine to make sure every drop counts.

After all that, she turned to him, but Zero remained silent, leaving her confused before she realized that she had gone on a mini-rant about his bike.

"Was that too much…?" Mira asked as moments like this made her want to smack her brother. Guys hated it when girls could leave them in the dust with auto talk.

Lucky for her, Lelouch did not subscribe to such nonsense. Besides, he was used to eccentric women from his mother who rode into court on horseback just to prove a point, to how Rakshata referred to all her creations as her children and could get…intense when she believed you disrespected them. "Not at all; it was just the type of thing I would expect from an expert on this."

Mira blushed a little, turning to the side. "I wouldn't call myself an expert, just someone who's handy."

"Take it from someone who's been called arrogant; take a little more pride in your skills." Zero chuckled at her confused expression.

"You know that doesn't make much sense, right?"

"And yet, it was something that had to be said." Zero countered, as he sometimes enjoyed being a little confusing; it was a harmless means of fun. "So let's get to work, shall we? I have an early morning driving shift." Mira wanted to press him there but decided to spare him as she went about helping him start the process. Most of the mods she suggested were things neither could get done in a night, not if they wanted to get some proper sleep.

She went through all their proper tools and even showed him some of their other stuff, such as a fabricator, which helped them produce specialty parts while on the go. It's not like they could just pop into the local supply store to collect them after all.

"I heard from the others that they tried to speak to you." Mira started out of the blue as they worked on taking measurements for the add-ons.

Zero paused, seemingly debating his response. "Are you going to make an attempt as well?"

"No, you said that you're handling your loss well, and I'll take your word for it," Mira stated, which Zero took relief in, but she wasn't done. "But, you can't be surprised the others didn't. You were a mask in more ways than one."

"That is intentional." Zero's dry response made her chuckle a bit.

"But not really conducive to proper teamwork, you know that, right? It's hard to get a read on you; you hold everything so close to your chest." Mira told him, which Zero wanted to tell her was the point. He wore a mask and acted nothing like his Lamperouge persona because he couldn't risk his enemies targeting his sister. He couldn't even trust his allies to be so willing to follow a Britannian, much less a prince-exiled or not.

But….that didn't apply here, did it? Granted, he would keep the fact he was human under lock and key, but as far as anyone was concerned, Alban Ganymede and Zero had nothing. No past, no friends, no family, and the things he did cherish were safe as they could be, in another dimension.

"So what would you propose? That I remove the mask?" Zero asked.

"No, I'm not a fan of it, but you must have your reasons for the fish bowl," Mira took a verbal jab at him, to which he grunted, but she got the feeling he wasn't too upset. "Just…try and meet them halfway, spend more time with them so that they can get a feel for you. Show them that your words aren't just an act."

"Well…it would be nice to see what you can do." Zero relented as Mira laughed, the masked man noting that she sounded so… striking when she laughed.

"That's the spirit. How about next time we stop, we start by getting some training done? It'll be good for the group, " she suggested.

"You're the boss."

Mira sighed, but her smile didn't leave her. "Maybe, but I'm not a dictator. You need to make the choice to follow my orders, and always remember that you have that choice."

"Is that right?" Well, that would be a change, but not one he was against. At least she wouldn't try to get him into a dress like Milly did. "Well, I'm in your care, Ms. Leader."

Before the two went to bed, they informed their teammates of the change of plans. When Morning came, Baron was the first up. The boy was filled with energy as he raced from his room to the kitchen to prepare a meal for himself, only to stand in awe when he found a plate with his literal name on it, sighed off by their latest member.

Baron couldn't make heads or tails about the guy, but he sure did love the fact that he was such a great chef—and a generous one, too! Eating his meal in record time, he went to the bridge, finding the masked man nursing a cup of coffee that strangely had a straw while he parked their base into a nice piece of shade, out of sight from anything that could be flying overhead.

Seeing him enter like an excited kid only made Zero chuckle chuckle. Flicking a switch, a small slot opened at the bottom of his mask, allowing him to place the straw into his mask. Baron realized that the guy probably designed the mask to allow him to at least share drinks with others. Watching the rather comical sight conclude, the two left and found a clearing not far from their base but far enough to keep any damage from it.

"Baron reporting for training!" Baron saluted.

"A go-getter, I like it." Zero chuckled as he pulled out his gauntlet, strapping it to his forearm. "While we wait for the others to arrive, let's go for a quick warm-up."

"Yes, sir!" Baron did the same, pulling out his activation card and slotting it in.

"Gauntlet power strike!" both called out, Baron watching his opponent closely, though Zero noted he seemed tense, stiff even.

So he decided to try to give the guy a means to loosen up. "How about you take the first?"

Baron blinked. "Oh, really?"

"Baron, this is training so you can relax, but don't get too loose. Besides, I'm also taking the chance to better myself. I can't do that if we goof off, can we?" Zero added the last but with another amused chuckle, though Baron seemed to take it the wrong way.

Baron frowned, knowing he wasn't all that impressive, but he wasn't about to let Zero just make fun of him. "Oh, right! Gate card, set!" Baron pulled out and threw a card onto the field, allowing it to expand to cover the entire area. That done, he pulled out his best Bakugan. "Bakugan, brawl!"

"Bakugan, stand! Let's go, Nemus!" In a slow of light, Nemus took the field, a complete contrast to the last Haos Bakugan Zero had seen; Nemus appeared to just be a giant human…no, that was underselling it. Nemus appeared to resemble a Sun God, his wings having two large rings built into them which would easily pass for the ring of the sun during the height of an eclipse, while his crown and staff were befitting of a deity,

Twirling his weapon of choice around his body, Nemus slammed its head into the ground and gazed down at his opponent. "Ready when you are."

"I see; it's a pleasure to see you in your true glory, Nemus. Your ball form doesn't do you justice," Zero complimented as he grasped Sirenoid; the Bakugan had been silent, as was typical for her, but she was ready to brawl. "But let's not waste time. Bakugan, brawl!" Zero threw her into play,

"Bakugan, stand! Sirenoid!" Sirenoid took to the field in a pillar of water, her lyre held at the ready. As this happened, Mira and Ace walked through the treeline to see the two.

"Well, you started without us," Ace noted.

"This should be interesting," Mira stated, keeping her eye on Baron and immediately picking up his anxiety.

"Ability card, activate! Forcing Wave!" Zero pulled out an ability, allowing a wave of blue to emanate off Sirenoid, her power rising accordingly as she started to play her instrument, causing orbs of water to form and fly toward Nemus, who started swatting at the attacks. Still, they hit like boulders, the Bakugan straining to keep up as some slipped through and hit him.

"Only a 100?" Baron frowned as he would have expected more. Was Zero still not taking him seriously? Well, he'll make him regret that. "Then we can counter it, Nemus! Ability card, activate! Raven Lore!" Nemus held out his staff, light gathering into the form of a raven, and blasted off towards Sirenoid. All the while, 100Gs of her power level transferred to Nemus.

"You'll need to perform better than that, my lady!" Nemus warned her as the attack barrelling toward her.

"I already am." Sirenoid trusted that her human had a counter for such an amateurish attack.

It was a faith that would be rewarded. "Ability card, activate! Ripple Shield!" Hearing that, Baron remembered the same card using against Brontes and the effect as Nemus lost 400Gs, leaving his attack so weak that Sirenoid didn't bother to dodge it, facing it off like it was little more than a particular bright ray of sunshine.

"Oh no!" Baron called out, starting to panic, seeing their massive power difference.

"Sirenoid, let's take this round." Zero was calm, and like in many of the chess matches he had played, he called check.

"With pleasure!" Sirenoid strung her lyre again, but this time, a colossal wave of water formed and smashed into Nemus. The Bakugan tried to hold his ground, but the water was unrelated and seemingly endless. It was a lost fight as he was thrown onto his back and washed into a tree, crashing into it so hard Baron and the others expected it to snap in two.

"Oh no, Nemus!" Baron cried out as Nemus apologized for their loss. Nemus returned to ball form and landed at his feet, Baron's life points dropping like a stone in water.

"Over half my life points are gone?" Baron asked in disbelief? How was that possible? They had barely started, and he was already down that much?

Zero's voice cut through the noise. The boy looked up at his opponent, and his Bakugan merely gazed at the Vexal boy, not saying a word. "Baron, stay focused. This is a training match. You shouldn't be so worked up."

"But…even if this is training, you and Sirenoid managed that win without trying, and the Vexos are much stronger." Baron fell to his knees, gripping the dirt as he had already suffered a terrible loss. It was because of him that they lost Tigerra. When would Nemus be next?

Mire frowned at the sight, and Zero seemed to think the same as he sighed, pulling his card and ending the battle. Zero looked at his opponent, this boy who seemed to have so much on his shoulders. He reminded him of Ohgi, the calm, reasonable man often held down by indecision, doubt, and lacking self-confidence. However, what the Japanese man had, which Baron lacked, was support. Ohgi often had someone to tell him he was getting too lost in details and what-ifs, or the man would rely on Zero's plans.

As he approached Baron, he wondered how to handle it before something came to mind. Stopping in front of the kneeling boy, Zero looked down at him.

"Baron, look at me." He didn't raise his voice or make a word of it as an order, but still, Baron felt compelled to do so. Looking up at Zero's face through the reflective glass, he saw his own staring back at him. "You're weak."

Hearing such a blunt, cold mockery of his teammate stirred Ace's anger as he moved to correct that through his fists if he needed to. "Hey, you can't just talk to him like tha-!" But he was stopped when his leader placed her hand before him. "Mira?"

Mira didn't shift; her face didn't twitch in any way, even after hearing Zero say something so callous. She didn't so much as change her breathing as Baron lowered his head in shame, as he had known that. Darnnit, he knew, but to hear it said was a blow that he just couldn't ignore.

"You're weak…and for that, you're the strongest of us." Zero continued, even as his words jolted Baron, who looked up in confusion. "I'm a novice, but I have latent talent; Mira and Ace are experienced brawlers in their own right. But you? You're the youngest of us; you frighten easily and dislike confrontation."

The breeze picked up, causing the canopy overhead to shift in the win, allowing a beam of light to hit Zero's helmet just right, causing the reflection he saw to brighten. "But despite all that, you still chose this path. You and you alone decided to fight for the Bakugan. Not because you're strong, not because you have something to prove, but because you believe it was the right thing to do." Zero stated. His words carried a conviction and fire that could burn through doubt, fear, or worry.

It was the voice of a king.

Zero knelt to Baron's level, placing a hand on his shoulder and picking the man up, allowing him to stand on his own two feet. All the while, his eyes never left the mask and what he saw in it. "That is strength of character, something I've seen in few people. Take pride in that. Carve it into your heart so when you're scared and unsure, you remember why you brawl."

Zero emphasized his point by pocking Baron in the chest before he pointed towards Nemus, who had settled off to the side, watching this.

"Remember that you're not alone. You have Nemus at your side. You have us. The same way we have you." Zero stepped back, turning and returning to his starting position, holding out Sirenoid. "Now, shall we continue this? From the top."

Baron felt his resolve harden. No, he found his resolve as he swore he wouldn't forget this. He was a proud member of the resistance. He would free the Bakugan and wouldn't let anything stop him! "Right!"

'He's used to this.' Mira realized after watching that the two brawlers returned to action, and Baron was not half as nervous as he was. Each time it seemed close to slipping, he caught himself and got back into things, putting up a solid battle. 'He's used to giving people inspiration. That isn't something most people have, but he was a total loner before this…at least, that's what he acts like.'

Mira smiled as that was just another piece in the puzzle that was Zero. 'You might keep the mask, but that doesn't mean I'm not interested in the man beneath it, Zero.'

That was how their day went, the resistance taking turns battling one another for a while; as they did so, Zero had been watching them and felt like he had come to some reasonable conclusions on their battle prowess and styles. In another comparison to his ace, Mira was the best brawler among them, having taken the most victories. However, she and Wilda didn't fight like Kallen. Kallen was an inferno-given form, whipping, latching onto, and slipping through enemies, leaving burning husks in her wake.

Mira wasn't like that. She and Wilda were passionate; they were determined, but like the element of subterra, they were stagnant, heavy, and lasting. She used massive attacks that shook the earth and could no doubt crash mountains, and when she was on the defensive, it was like trying to break a mountain. She also had a good head on her shoulders, being a capable tactician and well versed in how to read her opponents, making them dance to her tune as more than once Ace and Percival lost their cool and fell into her trap, or Baron found himself overwhelmed and unable to react in time.

Ace was similar to Kallen in temperament and fighting style, as he and Percival kept on the move, flying high and striking with as much power as they would muster. They quickly adapted and exploited weaknesses where they could find them, which was why they had the second most victories. However, where Mira could be the more wait and counter, Ace was more strike before they could strike and strike hard. He wouldn't say the duo believed in brute force, but they certainly were the type that preferred the hammer over the scalpel.

Zero had claimed a couple of wins by abusing that fact or getting into Ace's head and getting so worked up that he got reckless. The boy wised up, but it wasn't perfect, as even then, he took some losses.

Lastly, there was Baron, and Zero had to admit that the boy had potential. His move set was seemingly built not for direct battle damage but to negate and counter opponents. It fit their demeanor, which didn't draw their blades first and could easily counter any attack. The real issue was that Baron tried to battle like Ace or Mira, which wasn't his style.

"I see that you've found some allies." Wavern's voice formed in his head as he looked over notes of the battles. Lelouch was back in his room, the door locked, and his mask removed, off to the side where he had put it after cleaning it.

"Wavern, it's been a while," Lelouch spoke aloud, his Bakugan turning to him.

"It has. Forgive me for not contacting you sooner, child, " Wavern said, to which Lelouch sighed.

"There's nothing to apologize for; you have much on your plate." She was half the planet's core, after all. If she slacked it, it wouldn't end well for anyone. "Besides, I've gotten along quite well since arriving."

"I have taken notice, and it is impressive, child." Lelouch raised an eyebrow at that, though he let it go. Wavern was far older than he could comprehend; most others must seem like children compared to that. At least it was better than C.C., as he got the feeling she did it just to piss him off.

"Not enough, though, I'm here for a month, and we've only started progressing. And that battle with Volt…there was something more to it." Lelouch noted, his Bakugan listening to the one-sided conversation. Sirenoid, in particular. He would need to explain how things went with them later.

"I shall trust your judgment as my champion; however, I notice that you'll head through an area known to house my fellow Bakugan," Wavern started.

"Correct? Is there something we should be on the lookout for?" Lelouch hadn't thought about it before, but after that battle with Volt, he realized that there could be some Bakugan that would be hostile towards them or even work with the Vestals much like people like Suzaku would work with Britannia against their own.

Fortunately, Wavern didn't have much news to share. "There is one... one that was close to an old friend of mine. She lives in these woodlands. If you can find her, it would bring me much relief."

"Understood." Lelouch nodded his head, though that was just more questions for him to answer.

Hours later, under the cloak of night, the forest that the resistance found themselves in lay shrouded in a hush. The giant trees, draped in silvery mist, stood as silent sentinels amid the desolation where it seemed even the wind hesitated to venture without the sun to light the way. The only sounds that could be found were the soft rustle of diminutive creatures scampering among brittle leaves. Their tiny hearts pounded with fear despite the absence of the Bakugan, which would have preyed upon them.

Wandering these shadowy woods was a lone figure, a Bakugan robbed of her true form and forced to hobble around. It was embarrassing and a little frustrating, but once upon a time, it was bearable because she had someone with her. But…they were gone. She missed them dearly, their witty remarks, protective nature, and smile that could bring a smile to her no matter what brought her down. He was a cherished friend, a real stand-up guy, but when the invaders came, he just vanished.

She knew he wasn't taken like so many others. She saw him after those monsters had had their fill and left, but when she woke the next day…he was gone, without ever saying why he was leaving, where he was going to, or how long he would be gone. Now, it had been years, and she was starting to lose hope.

Stopping, she looked towards the starry sky, her form making it impossible to tell what her mode was like, but the tone of her words did enough. "Pyrus…I miss you." She whispered longingly, but just like every time, she got no response.

Sighing, she turned and continued on her way. She needed to check the traps before she went to bed.

The next chapter will be out April 10th

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