Sean shivered from the rain and cold, looking around at the sudden tension that filled the cave. Something had clearly happened, and they had missed it. Noticing that Zoey was trying to comfort a crying Mark, Sean dashed over. He had only just reached him though, when the local tribesmen began to state aloud. "Articuno's jewel! Why do they have it?!" A tribesman started to rush in to snatch it, causing Zoey to growl, but the Shaman rushed in to wave the man back by bellowing out. "Stay back!" Immediately, the tribesman bowed his head to her and stepped back. The Shaman then waved her hands to shoo Zoey away. Zoey was reluctant but made room to let her closer to Mark. The old shaman woman kneeled down then, placing a hand on Mark's shoulder as she asked him curiously. "What did you see?" Sean looked from Mark to the Shaman with a lost expression. Sniffling, Mark told her a bit shakily. "I didn't see much of anything... I just... I heard... My dad." Mark's fragile eyes turned to her, asking in a hopeful voice. "But that's not possible, right? He's been dead for years..."

The Shaman rubbed Mark's shoulders to comfort him as she gently told him. "If he's dead. Then he can anywhere he wants to be. What did he say to you?" Mark shrugged, replying in a strained voice. "Something about looking deeper than the surface. That great wisdom comes from looking into the eyes of another. Why?" The Shaman locked eyes with his for a long moment like she was trying to see something in them. When she finally looked away and slowly stood up, she told her tribesmen. "The prophecy has come around once again. Only this time... for curious reasons... we were not picked to be the chosen ones." A young tribe woman stepped forward to ask with worry. "Why? Have we angered them by allowing the Teams their place here?!" An older tribe man moved forward then to ask aloud. "No outsider has EVER been one of the Chosen! Why now? You see things, Shaman... What does your vision see? Should we fear this change?" Sean shuffled his feet uncomfortably. Looking to Pryce, he saw the tribe warriors drag in the prisoner from out of the rain in order to hear better.

The old woman raised her hands to calm the tribe, then kneeled again to let her hands hover over the jewel. The dim blue jewel began to pulse softly, seeming to send energy or warning to her. Moving her hands, she took ahold of Mark's wrists and told him in a calm voice. "Do not be afraid." She moved Mark's hands on either side of the jewel, before telling him coolly. "Clear your mind and open your heart. Become like water. Let the memories flow through you. Let Articuno show you what he wants you to see. Take him inside... but don't hold onto him. As a Ranger... you know how dangerous bonding with him can be... but you are chosen. So, remember your training... and let him guide you." Mark took a deep breath, then nodded to her. The Shaman nodded back, then pushed his hands against the jewel. Sean gasped loudly with the onlooking tribesmen as the jewel began to glow like a star. Mark's eyes rolled back and began to glow with a bright blue light. The Shaman began to hum a beautiful song in a kind of chant. Otherwise, only her song with the sound of the heavy rain and the crackling fire could be heard.

Mark sat every still, but he was clearing watching things pass rapidly before him that no one else could see or hear. Mark's arms soon started shaking and from Mark's mouth puffs of his icy cold breath started to show. When frost started to appear over Mark's fingers from clutching the jewel, the shaman stopped humming and began to say with worry. "Mark...? What's happening?" Mark began to shake more violently and began to groan in pain. The Shaman laid Mark back across the bed, cupping his face as she commanded in a powerful voice. "Mark! Can you hear me?! ARTICUNO LET HIM GO!" Sean moved closer but felt helpless to do anything. Mark looked like he was starting to freeze to death. Then without warning, Mark arched his back and let out a scream that was anything except human! It was a mix between Articuno's screech before turning deeper into a more powerful scream. The Shaman released Mark's face with tears spilling from her eyes, seconds before the same deep scream echoed loudly from outside.

The tribesmen all gasped and hugged themselves with worried looks. Sean didn't understand, until Zoey hugged herself and uttered out through tears of her own. "Lugia... He's in so much pain... I can feel him..." Zoey fell to all fours, starting to whine as the jewel in Mark's hand pulsed. Mark stopped screaming as the jewel pulsed harder. Mark couldn't seem to handle it anymore and passed out, his hands falling to his sides. The glowing blue jewel rolled across the dirt floor a little ways from Mark's fingers and let out one last strong pulse. The pulse made the large fire dim to coals while another starry light began to shine from their prisoner's pocket. The prisoner reached into his pocket to pull it out. The tribesmen holding him didn't get a chance to react before the prisoner screamed. The yellow jewel in his hand sparked wildly with thin strands of lightning! Forcing him to drop it onto the ground as it seared his hand. Then all at once, both jewels faded back to their dim glossy color.

Everyone in the cave was silent, watching merely as the fire slowly puffed back to its large crackling flames of warmth. The Shaman looked over Mark, then tucked the blanket around him. With a heavy sigh, she addressed the silence in a commanding voice. "Lugia is reaching out for help... We must find the last jewel and bring them together. If we don't... I'm afraid the parasite that has attached itself to him will kill him..." Pryce moved to pick up the yellow jewel, but the Shaman snapped out to everyone. "Don't touch it! Don't touch any of them!" The Shaman snatched strips of cloth off nearby rocks and rushed to the jewels. Dropping the cloth over them, she gathered them up and told everyone. "Only the chosen ones should touch them. To do otherwise, could cost you your life. Now... any word on the last jewel?" Pryce shook his head, telling her promptly. "Nothing. We managed to get him before a group of Team Rockets men did... but there is something wrong with him... Your men wanted to bring him to you."

The Shaman set the wrapped jewels on a rocky shelf, then walked over to look at the prisoner. Sean quickly followed her. He wanted to know what she thought of his strange behavior too. The Shaman took the young man's chin in her hand, tilting his head up. The young man's eyes were distant and when she asked his name, he answered in a distant mumble. "I'm Lewis. I need to see the jewel. Let me pass." The Shaman looked him over, touching his clothes and his arms. After a minute, she told them seriously. "He may be dressed like an Instinct... but this man is Valor." Sean blinked, cutting in. "Are you sure?" She grabbed the man's wrist, lifting it to show that the jacket didn't fit him properly and tattooed on his exposed wrist was the Valor symbol of Moltres. The Shaman then snapped her fingers in front of the man's face, before adding swiftly. "This man is under hypnosis. Whoever did this knew what they were doing. I'd say he ran into a Slowpoke... but a Slowpoke wouldn't play dress up with him, or tell him to go get a jewel. This had to be the work of a trainer. I'll know more after I wake him."

The Shaman straightened herself up, telling her men to tie him up someplace comfortable. Then she turned to the women close by her and said quickly. "I'll need the herbs to making an awakening draft. Please fetch them for me?" The women bowed and raced off toward the back of the cave. Pryce looked to Sean to say aloud. "I'll bet anything Giovanni was behind it. But if he put a Valor in an Instinct uniform... Then he had to have an Instinct member." Sean bowed his head with defeat, grumbling out. "If the Instinct member is in the same shape as this guy... He'll have been caught. Team Valor are like soldiers. They'll know he isn't one of their own. And if they have him... We'll never get him." Pryce nodded, but told Sean hopefully. "But that can be a blessing in disguise. If the person got caught, then Valor's jewel is still there on Fire Island." Sean's eyes widened when he anxiously said. "Ya... and probably heavily guarded now. We'll never get to it. I've never even been there. I wouldn't know where they'd keep it."

Behind him, Zoey slipped in sweetly. "I know someone that has." They turned to look at her and she turned to look at Nate who was still resting. Pryce shook his head, snapping out. "NO! I'd rather use the Valor punk to get us in there! After what Nate did?! He's a lose cannon!" Zoey stiffened, snapping back in Nate's defense. "That wasn't his fault! The Ranger Styler required training that neither Sean nor Nate possessed! Nate was heartbroken! His Aerodactyl didn't want to feel the pain of his heartbreak. So, he latched onto his anger and they shared in that! Blame Aerodactyl for pushing Nate!" Pryce stepped closer to Zoey, retorting back darkly. "You can defend him all you want. But if Aerodactyl fueled Nate's anger... then that means Nate had anger in him at the start. And no offence... but this wouldn't be the first time he's abandoned us. Once a bad kid... ALWAYS a bad kid!" Sean felt a sting of pain at that. Pryce was upset, but he was taking his own anger out on Nate and that wasn't fair. Sean didn't think Pryce saw how his own pain was starting to mix into his blame toward Nate.

Sean was going to say something about it, until Zoey sharply inhaled and yelled out with surprise. "NATE!" They turned to look at where Zoey was, spotting Nate at the entrance of the cave. Giving them an unreadable expression, Nate flipped up the hood of his jacket and limped out into the rain. Pryce's shoulders dropped as he uttered out. "Oh shit..." Zoey growled at Pryce, but Sean put his hands up to tell them both seriously. "Stop it! Stay here. He won't go far without his stuff." Without another word, Sean dropped his hands and ran out after Nate. Pryce tried to call him back, but Sean flipped the hood of his own jacket up and walked back out into the rain. He could see the muddy footprints in the wet ground and tried to follow the ones that looked the freshest while looking around. The crafted huts and teepees outside the cave were empty since the locals had moved into the cave to keep everyone warm by a nice fire. It was something he didn't know about them. They were so close. Like a large family. They looked out for each other.

Upon passing one of the big huts, Sean saw Nate sitting just inside it. Walking up to him, Sean told him in a loving voice. "Pryce didn't mean that, Nate. He's been out of sorts since we reached shore. I think being trapped in this time period that he feels responsible for is wearing on him. I think he's getting scared that he may never go home... Doesn't excuse what he said. But I honestly don't think he meant it." Nate kept his head down to hide his features within his dark hood, upon saying in a numb tone. "He meant them enough to think them in the first place. Anyway, it doesn't matter. He's right... This is all my fault." Sean slipped in to sit down beside him, telling him seriously. "No. It's not." Nate jerked his head up, snapping out bitterly. "Yes, it is! 'I' told Giovanni about the damn jewels. It is MY plan that he followed to get them! All Pryce did was bring a fucking space pokemon here!" Nate raised his knees to rest his head on them, wrapping his arms around his legs as he angrily muttered out. "I DID THIS! He should have left me to Giovanni's mercy... I deserve it..."

Sean watched his body rock from the silent tears he was trying to hide. Leaning against his side, Sean pressed his cheek to Nate's arm and wrapped an arm around his back. For a bit they sat in silence listening to the rain. Watching the rain splash across the wet ground, Sean told Nate in a warm voice. "You know... My granny used to say that in times when you are at your absolute best. You still won't be good enough for the wrong person. But when you are at your lowest, you'll be priceless to the right one." Nate looked at him, asking in a broken voice. "What does that have to do with anything...?" Sean sat up a little to look at him, answering gently. "Nate, you got your heart broken... and when the next guy that came around made you feel special again. You gave him your broken heart expecting him to fix it... and instead he gave it back to you in more pieces than it had been in before." Sean reached up to very lightly touch Nate's blackeye, watching him wince from even the lightest touch. His blackeye was worse now than it had been a few hours ago. The color of it was dark and aggressive looking.

Sliding his fingers down to Nate's neck, Sean leaned in to whisper to him lovingly. "Stop looking for happiness in the place you lost it, Nate. Give your heart the time and distance it needs to heal. In my experience, the best way to heal it is to keep moving through the pain until it goes away, because if you give up and sit in misery... your heart will harden itself with it and it will be good to no one." Nate pushed Sean's hand off him, saying grimly. "There shouldn't be much left of my heart to break anyway." Sean shook his head, informing him firmly. "Despite what you think. Your heart is still beating. They may have broken your heart... but if you let that pain change who are inside. They win." Sean leaned back on his hands, staring up at the roof of the hut as he added with a small broken smile. "When my ex dislocated my arm and hit me... I blamed myself for upsetting him. My father was a mean drunk... My ex was the same. I figured it was normal. Let their words and fists beat me down... After a while, I felt like it was the world's way of saying I deserved it."

Sean clawed the fur blankets his hands rested on, telling him in a cool tone. "I let everyone tell me what my life was worth. Then one day, I was fixing my ex's truck and found myself staring at the sunrise. Because... if I was such a mess... why would the sun keep coming up? Why would the warmth make me feel something good? So, I hoped in the truck and drove it as far as the tank of gas would take me. Ran into a Mystic recruiter and never looked back." Looking back out at the rain, Sean told him without flinching. "So, these arseholes set you up to take the fall. If it wasn't you, it would have been someone else. I hate to say it... but there is no one that will save us. No knights in shining armor. No superheroes. You have to save yourself and stand tall when others shoot you down. When they knock you down, you have to show what you are made of and come back with everything you've got. Or else they win, and they'll keep pushing you down because you let them. You know what I mean?"

Sean's eyes drifted to see if Nate was listening to him. Jumping a little when he realized how close Nate was all of a sudden, Sean put a hand on Nate's good shoulder. Nate leaned into Sean, causing him to fall back across the warm fur rug. Nate's fingers brushed over his cheek, keeping him looking at him. Sean's heart skipped around his ribcage as he stared into Nate's soft fragile doe brown eyes. Nate's free hand pushed the hood of his jacket off his head, freeing his long black bangs to hang over his eyes. Nate brought his lips over Sean's, whispering to him in a low purring voice that he didn't know Nate had. "I understand. Thank you." Sean felt Nate's warm breath on his skin and closed his eyes to savor it. He couldn't hear the rain anymore or even remember where he was. All he saw and felt was Nate. He leaned in slightly to kiss him, but Nate only brushed his lips lightly against his before slowly retreating. Grabbing the fabric of Nate's jacket, he kept him from backing away too far from him. Bring his lips to Nate's, he breathlessly pleading softly to him. "Hold on..."

Nate paused, then slowly brought his lips to his in a kiss that stole Sean's breath away. There was no lust in it. No fear. No pain. It was simple and tender. It warmed Sean from head to toe. It gave him butterflies and made the world stand still. He had never had a kiss quite like it. He wished it had been his first but was happy it wasn't, because then no other kiss could have compared to it. When Nate pulled his lips off his, he told him in a loving voice. "I'm sorry. I just couldn't resist that broken smile of yours." Sean chuckled softly, then his eyes drifted to Nate's bare chest beneath his jacket. His ribs were bruised up and he was starting to shake from the cold. Taking Nate's hand, Sean kissed it as he sat up. Climbing up to his feet, he told Nate hopefully with a small smile. "Come on. Let's get you back before you catch a cold." To Be Continued...