Damian must have gotten a lot farther ahead than he initially thought. It had been half an hour since he'd gone into that cave and he had yet to find him. Then again, there were multiple paths that he could have taken but only one that could lead him to the next town.

I'd pick one and see where it leads... but I think after almost encountering cultists in here that I should be more careful, Zander thought, glancing at the three paths before him.

After much debate, Zander opted to take the path on the right side. Down the rocky path he went, keeping an eye out for the occasional Zubat that were known for hiding in caves. It wasn't long before he'd found himself in a vast chamber. Stalactites jutted down from the ceiling. On other parts of the chamber, columns rose to the ceiling. In the center of it all was a platform where two figures could be seen, one of which was a green, with tiny, clear wings on its back. It had large, bright blue eyes and a round head that came to a curved point. Zander didn't need his memories to know what that was. The Voice of the Forest itself was hovering about thirty yards away next to a tall young woman with bright green hair and azure eyes that matched the mythical creature she stood next to. She wore a green and white striped top with a deep blue skirt and white stockings. Her skin was a creamy peach coloration.

Slipping behind a column, Zander observed her as she began to give commands to Celebi. Power flowed through the time traveler's body and in mere moments, several pillars of light shot up around the platform, fading to reveal several ancient and extinct fossils brought to life. A smile tugged at the corners of the woman's lips as she pumped her fist into the air in triumph.

"Finally! we did it Celebi! it took ages but we managed to pull it off," she declared excitedly. "You can turn them back now Celebi. We're done here..."

Celebi returned the creatures to their previous state and hovered to the woman's side. She gave it a pat on the head and turned to make an exit when a certain sound caught her attention. Stopping in her tracks, she turned with wide eyes, almost fearful of what she might encounter. Someone had seen her and Celebi, and that was something she had tried so hard to avoid.

"Who's there!?" she called out, readying a sphere in her hand in preparation for a battle that might ensue. "I already heard you, show yourself!"

Zander remained silent, uncertain of what to make of the situation. All he knew was that this woman had Celebi. It listened to her, obeyed her and it was very concerning considering the power the mythical powerhouse possessed. Sure, he had type advantage with what he had on him, but against the level of experience Celebi had, he couldn't measure up.

"Fine, if you won't come out, I'll just have Celebi flush you out!" she shouted, clenching her fists as she prepared to give the order.

Deciding that it would be in his best interest to reveal himself, Zander steeled his nerves, pushed the anxiety down and stepped out. As he did, Mew took the opportunity to materialize beside him, knowingly saving him from the fight that no doubt would have happened if it didn't. As Zander stepped out, the woman immediately caught sight of Mew hovering casually beside him, her eyes widening at the sight.

"It can't be... can it? is it?" she hitched the ball she had in her hand to her belt and began to walk toward Zander who in turn did the same.

The two met in the center of the platform, pausing for a brief moment to drink in the other's appearance. Mew scurried over to Celebi who danced in circles with it, happily conversing with its friend.

"Looks like they know each other," Zander spoke up, snatching the woman's attention away from the scene.

"Yes, they are acquainted. I just didn't think that I'd be meeting another chosen one so soon..." she stated, knitting her brows in confusion.

"I'm sorry, what?" Zander replied, arching a brow.

"Forgive me," she paused, taking a deep breath as she stole a glance at Mew and Celebi before continuing. "It appears that you aren't aware of what I speak of. I'd say that ignorance is bliss, but in this case we can't afford to be ignorant. So I suppose I'll have to explain..."

And for a short while, she did. Briefly, she explained as best she could, the prophecy involving a group of trainers who were chosen by those like Mew and Celebi. She spoke of one trainer in particular who would be the one to bring about the downfall of the remaining cults and finally bring peace to Torren. At the mention of cults, the face of Persephone and the Cult of Darkrai's base came to mind, sending a shiver down Zander's spine.

"Since you are among the chosen, you share a part in that fate. At first, I thought I was the only one for a while. When Celebi first appeared before me, I didn't know what to think. Quite frankly it scared me considering I'd rather avoid violence," she said with a sigh.

"And yet you're a trainer..." Zander pointed out, earning a nervous laugh from the woman.

"Th-That's a different matter altogether," she replied hastily.

"Is it though?" Zander inquired.

"H-Hey! don't try to confuse me... umm..." she paused, suddenly realizing she'd forgotten the most basic of manners when meeting someone new. "Sorry... what's your name? I got so caught up in all this that I forgot to ask. I'm Nora by the way..."

"Zander," he responded, waving her off. "It's fine, no harm done."

Nora nodded and turned to Celebi who had apparently finished its conversation with Mew who had returned to Zander's side. Taking a deep breath, she locked eyes with Zander, a serious look dawning on her face.

"Listen Zander, you can't tell anyone about Celebi alright? the cultists are well aware of the prophecy and are seeking to eliminate anyone they suspect of being one of the chosen. I'm not strong enough to face the cultists and by the looks of things, neither are you," she pointed out, indicating to the two spheres on his belt. "We need to become stronger if we are to stand a chance against them. I don't want to fight... but I don't really have much of a choice in the matter now do I?"

Zander nodded in agreement. Quite frankly, he didn't want any part in this matter either. The prophecy would have seemed farfetch'd to him had he not seen Mew with his own eyes, not to mention winding up inside the Cult of Darkrai's base of operations. Any doubt he would have had was demolished by the two mythical legends that were within arms length.

"Well... I have to get going. I only came in here to train with Celebi for a while. There's a path behind me that leads out of the cave. There are others, but this one's the quickest," Nora said as she turned to leave. "Once you reach there, why don't you stop by the Trainer School? we have a small tournament going on right now and I think it would be a good opportunity for you to test yourself. I've competed in several that my school has to offer already, and none of the other students are much of a challenge. You might not be either... but something tells me that you'll fare better than the others," Nora finished, flashing him a cocky smirk before exiting the cave.

"So she's rather cocky isn't she?" Zander asked aloud.

Mew tilted its head and floated around in front of Zander while pointing to the exit.

"Right... we probably should get out of here. While it was better than running into a cultist, I'd rather not chance encountering anyone else in these caves. I've got enough trouble to deal with as is. That psycho cultist woman is probably on my tail right now..."

Troubled didn't begin to describe how Jaern felt at the moment. He thought for sure that he could at least count on Persephone to do her job. Unfortunately, the boy was still breathing.

"How could this have happened?" Jaern grumbled to himself as he paced the floor of his lavish living-room.

Everything in his home screamed luxury. Statues and paintings of himself lined the hall leading to the staircase that parted in three different directions in his mansion. Servants were at his beck and call. However, he'd sent them all from his sight so he could try to expel his troubled thoughts from his mind. He slumped into his sofa and rubbed his temples.

"Since he's alive, by consequence... so is the First Augur. Yet another thing that Persephone failed to finish. That woman is as useless as they come!" Jaern growled, electricity running down his arms and legs as his body shook with rage.

Taking a deep breath, he willed himself to calm down and breathe. Relaxing his shoulders, he thought of something positive.

"Persephone had informed me that she had begun taking his memories while he was imprisioned. This means that he hasn't the faintest idea who his father is. Yes! there's my silver lining! he's clueless about who he is and what he could be capable of!"

Laughter exploded from Jaern as he placed a hand on his head and sighed in relief. Zander was ignorant of who he was and by extension what he was, which was a threat. A threat that would never come to be as long as he remained in the dark. Yes, that's what would need to be done. Jaern had no reason for concern as long as Zander never put two and two together. As long as that didn't happen... the cults would still run free, and Jaern would still reign supreme.

"Pat yourself on the back Persephone... it seems you've spared yourself after all..."