Sean tried to hide his slight jealousy over Mark getting confronted by Mew. He had worked so hard to become the shrine keeper and the best Mystic that he could be. To have Mew tell Mark that HE was the wise one had hurt, but he tried to push his emotions down. He had studied Pokemon long enough to know that legendary pokemon always had their reasons for choosing people. It didn't stop his thoughts from drifting to a dark place though. Had his father been right? Was there something wrong with him? Sure, Mark seemed no different from him, but Mew had chosen him. Didn't that mean he had done something wrong somehow? Bowing his head, he stared at the restless waves with a distant look. His father's words echoing in his mind, until he had to curl his fingers into fists to keep his hands from shaking. Mark touched his shoulder, asking a little worried. "Sean? Everything ok?" Sean jerked his head up, straightening himself up as he said curtly. "Fine. Just... Just thinking."

Mark didn't seem to believe him. Mark's hand reached out to brush a tear from the corner of Sean's eye. Surprised, Sean sniffled and raised his hands to wipe his eyes with his sleeves. When had he started crying? He hadn't felt them. Mark opened his mouth to say something, but got distracted by a snowflake that drifted between them. Mark's hand went to catch the snowflake with a stunned look. From the front of the Lapras, Pryce said aloud in a soothing voice. "Simply beautiful." Sean looked up more to see the familiar snow falling from the cloudy sky around Ice island. It wasn't unusual to see. Articuno often made it snow around the island and just off the coast. The scientists guessed it was a way of Articuno marking the borders of his territory. Although, others wondered if he did it to keep the island and the water around it from getting too warm. In either case, it was beautiful. Lapras dodged around the small glaciers around the coast, powering through a few of the smaller whirlpools. The water cyclones were dancing around the back of the island at the moment, giving them a clear opening to the docks.

Gripping a spike of Lapras's shell, Sean stood up to get a better view of the island. Ice island looked like a single massive mountain from the shore of Shamouti, but it was deceptive. Only the shell of it looked like a mountain. There was only one way to get on Ice island by water and that was because the rest was just jagged unclimbable icy snow covered rocks that stretched miles into the sky. Mark gawked at the mountain, uttering out in amazement. "Holy shit... How do people leave here? Are you people part goat?" Sean chuckled, pointing to the icy dock as he said excitedly. "No. You'll see. Ice island is more than you see." As Lapras drew closer to the docks, Sean's breath began to puff before his face in a misty frost of air. Pryce stood up, pointing to the St. Anne that was anchored before the jagged glacier coast on the far side. Sean knew they couldn't get a ship that big too close, but wondered how they got passed the whirlpools. Looking ahead to the dock, he saw a dingy boat with two Sharpedos harnessed to the front.

The Sharpedos snapped their shark jaws down on their metal bits, thrashing restlessly as a sailor sat in the boat and began to play a pan flute to calm them. Pryce noticed it too, saying coolly back to them. "They are here. We have to move quickly." Sean nodded, telling them seriously. "Stay by me. I know where they are going." Lapras pulled up to the dock that was nothing more than an icy staircase leading down into the ocean and up to an icy looking cave tunnel with a carved archway. Pryce hesitantly put a foot on a stair to test how slippery the stairs were, but Sean just hopped straight off and onto it without fear. There was a trick to the stairs. Most of the stairs were slippery to act as a defense. However, there were a few steps that were actually just decorated to blend in with the ice. Allowing those who knew where to look an easy way up. He'd traveled it so much that he knew the pattern by heart. He could see the difference easily. Reaching out for Pryce's hand, he started to tell him about the steps... When Mark hopped down like he had... in the wrong spot.

Mark's feet landed on the icy steps, his feet instantly sliding out from under him, causing him to fall to his side and bounce rapidly down the steps with a startled scream. Sean pulled Pryce to a safe spot, then rushed down the steps after Mark. Mark's shoes just splashed into the icy water as Sean grabbed his arm. Mark clung to Sean's arm, panting out completely rattled. "Nice catch." Sean blushed, mumbling out guiltily. "Sorry. I should have told you about the steps faster." Sean pulled Mark up to his feet, telling him where to put his feet. Once Mark was up, he clutched his side and grumbled out. "Fuck that hurt. I knew you guys were introverts... but you take keeping people out to a new level." Sean chuckled, telling him honestly. "We like are privacy. Besides, we have a lot of... rare pokemon around. We try to make them feel safe." Pryce kneeled to touch the different steps, his eyes as big as saucers as he said in a voice filled with fascination. "Oh, I love this! As an Ice Gym Leader, I approve! Look at the detail and level of creativity! Who made this?!"

Without thinking too hard, he answered without a second thought. "Lorelei. She designed most of the traps and decorations on the island." Pryce jerked his hand off the steps, blurting out. "Lorelei? From Kanto's Elite four? My little sister? But that's not..." Pryce suddenly fell silent as it slowly sank in and he said to himself. "No... She'd be too young right now... My mother...?" Pryce suddenly covered his mouth, his eyes brimming with tears as his hands shook. Hopping up the steps, Sean was a bit distracted leading Mark up as he said coolly. "Now that you mention it... I do recall her saying something about having a son named Pryce. She took time off because... " Sean stopped short, looking to Pryce's watery eyes as he finished more gently. "Because he was coming to visit... Pryce? You ok?" Pryce sniffled, lowering his hand as he said in a shaky voice. "Ya... I just forgot. It's been... so long." Pryce looked to his Lapras, who appeared to share a sad look with him. Reaching out, Pryce touched the Lapras's big nose, uttering out softly. "If there are two of me here... Then there are two of you, my friend. We must tread lightly."

Pryce sniffled, removing his pokeball to recall Lapras, but Lapras swatted the pokeball back at Pryce with his nose. Pryce straightened up, glaring at Lapras as he told him seriously. "My friend, don't do this. I miss her too... but you can't change what happened to her." Lapras bellowed out a distressed whine, causing Pryce to snap out. "Look at what changing things has done?! By saving you... I've ruined everything. If we save her... everything will fall apart. La Prus... Please. We can't. I have to fix this." Lapras bellowed out a sad cry but let Pryce recall him back into the pokeball. Cradling the pokeball in his hands, Pryce stood hunched over a bit in silence. Moving closer to him, Sean put a hand on his shoulder and told him honestly. "If you want to stay behind on this one. I'll understand." Pryce took a deep breath, putting the pokeball away on his belt within his robe. Removing two others, he looked at Sean to say more collected. "Go. My age will slow you down. I'll watch the docks. They aren't leaving with that jewel." Pryce then turned to face the sailor, tossing up his pokeballs as he announced sternly. "Hey, Sailor! Let's battle for that boat you got there!"

From Pryce's pokeballs came forth two pokemon that Sean didn't know Pryce had. One splashed into the water before the Sharpedos, rising to bellow a loud echoing call. It was a gorgeous Dewgong with glittering white skin that reflected how healthy it was. Sean had never seen such a well kept Dewgong. On the stairs by Dewgong, a chubby looking red and white penguin bird appeared with a sharper war cry. A Delibird. The Delibird puffed himself up to look ferocious, while the sailor slowly put away his pan flute to rise to the challenge. Sean wanted to stay and watch, but Pryce was right. They needed to hurry. Taking Mark's hand, Sean led him up the stairs quickly and into the dark cave tunnel. They only got a few feet into the tunnel, when they came to an iron gate that was covered in ice and snow. Mark grabbed the gate, shaking it hard. Sean patted his arm to stop him, looking for the watchtower guard. From a little station built into the rocky wall, a man dressed in a fur lined Mystic uniform stepped out of his brightly lit nook. Sean could smell the wood fire burning in there to keep him warm and the fresh scent of coffee.

Sean raised his trainer ID bracelet, telling the man coolly. "I'm Sean Mcloughlin. This is my guest." The man extended a hand, forcing Sean to slip his hand through the bars. The man grabbed his wrist firmly, making Sean flinch but he stayed as still as he could. The man removed a device from his pocket to scan the bracelet, then checked the tiny scan on it. When it went through, the guard released his hand and said nicely. "Welcome back, Sean." The man moved to press a button in his nook, letting the gates open. Sean nodded to the man, asking in a bit of rush. "Did a man come through here? A man named Nathan? Dark hair. Gauges in his ears. Tattoos along his arms?" The man thought a minute, then answered with a shrug. "Two men came in here recently. Claimed they were here to talk to Blanche about some business offer. One wore a suit, had dark hair, but he wasn't wearing gauges. His companion though... I didn't see his face under his hat or even get his name. But he had gauges in his ears and was walking with a strange black fox."

Sean and Mark shared a look, before running onward. Nate was here with Zoey and Giovanni. Sean led Mark into the heart of the cave, before skidding to a stop. He had forgotten about the ice maze. Stopping at the edge of the maze, Sean tried to stop Mark by saying in a panic. "Mark! Stop!" Mark had been running too fast to stop and headed directly toward what he saw was the clear path to the exit. Until he slammed into a thick sheer block of ice wall. Mark fell back on his ass, holding his nose as he turned slowly to look at Sean with a soft glare. Sean blushed, shrugging innocently. "I forgot... I don't usually enter this way." Mark tilted his head back as his nose began to bleed, uttering out a bit muffled. "You Mystics have a sick sense of humor..." Sean chuckled nervously, mumbling out guilty. "This was built for the pokemon's amusement... but it's mostly for fun." Sean helped Mark up, then bent to gather up some of the fresh snow on the ground. Forming the snow into a ball, he handed it to Mark for his nose. Mark looked over the snowball, then put it to his nose, asking confused. "There is snow in here?"

Sean flipped a switch on the wall, causing the maze to light up in twinkling golden lights. The walls of the see through maze were high, but the circular ceiling went higher and was open to the elements, allowing the heavy snow to fall inside. The dim lighting cast an almost romantic and warm feeling about the cave. Sean used to love walking through it around the holidays. The ice pokemon tended to use it as a playground. Enjoying the thrill of getting lost and bumping into others unexpectedly. Clearing his throat, Sean gestured to the left, saying under his breath. "I think it was this way." Mark's eyes widened as he stated out in shock. "You think? You don't know?!" Sean rubbed his arms, admitting reluctantly. "It's been a long time since I came in here, ok? The pokemon change it every so often to keep it interesting..." Mark groaned but tagged along after him. For bit, the sound of crunching snow under their feet and the sounds of giggling pokemon in the maze was all they heard.

Sean was just too focused on navigating the maze. Mark jumped at every scurrying shadow he saw on the other sides of the sheer maze walls. Before mumbling out after too long to himself. "This is a horror maze... Who would enjoy this? It's creepy." Sean rolled his eyes, saying a bit defensively in a low tone. "It's quite romantic actually... They say a lonely pokemon made it to hide himself from the world. And then one day a female came and navigated the maze for fun. She bumped into him... and they fell in love. It's become a fun little mating ritual for the pokemon here." Mark's voice came out a little deeper when he asked him. "Is it true?" Sean glanced back, asking in return. "Is what true?" Mark lowered the bloody snowball from his nose, asking curiously. "The story. Is it true?" Sean shrugged, innocently mumbling out. "I don't know. It's just what they say." Blushing a deep red, Sean quickly turned away and slipped around the wall to put something between him and Mark. Mark's hand pressed against the sheer wall, causing Sean to pause for a second.

Leaning around the corner, Mark asked him with devilish smirk. "Is that why you came here?" Sean tensed, huffing out a bit guiltily. "What? No!" Sean picked up his pace to try and get out faster, but Mark kept up with him easily. Teasing out from behind him in a wicked tone. "I don't believe you." Sean scoffed, grumbling out without looking back at him. "Then I don't know what to tell you. I'm not going to argue with you." Sean sidestepped a Glaceon that ran past him, making excited wails of glee. Mark had no choice but to jump as Glaceon dashed around the corner so fast that it nearly hit his shins in its bliss. Sean chuckled, then cleared his throat when Mark locked eyes with him. Something about the way Mark smiled at him made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. It was a feeling he refused to let himself enjoy. He couldn't do this to himself again. Forbidden love was his curse. It never ended well. Turning away quickly, he slipped behind another wall. From the other side, Mark cooed out to him. "You know what I think?" Sean stared at his clouded silhouette from the other side, shaking his head as his only response.

Mark put his hands on the ice wall, his cloudy expression unreadable, but his voice was as warm and smooth as butter when said. "I think you were testing the rumor. Just like all the pokemon here." Sean backed up to press his back to the far wall, shaking his head as he retorted in a wispy voice. "You're wrong... I've had my fill of disappointment. I came here to get lost. To get away from people like you." Mark stepped around the wall, leaning his shoulder against the corner as he crossed his burly arms over his chest and retorted back in a sweet tone. "Oh, Sean... I can see right through you. You're like this maze. Walls of ice... but what will I find at your center?" Sean tensed, shoving off the wall to storm onward as he snapped out over his shoulder. "Will you focus! We don't have time for this crap!" Sean stumbled on a hidden Swinub that had been buried in a snow mound. To keep himself from stepping on it, he shifted his weight too fast to his other leg and lost his balance. Falling across the snow covered floor, Sean sat up and exhaled heavily to blow his bangs out of his eyes.

Grabbing his hat, he yanked it off to adjust his hair. Setting his hat back on, he looked up to see Mark's hand offering to help him up. Locking his jaw, Sean reluctantly accepted his help. Mark pulled him to his feet, then pulled him close to say next to his ear in a low warm voice. "I think you missed the point of that story. He shut himself off... but left a part of himself open enough let someone else in. It's a story about a hopeful romantic." Sean bowed his head, closing his eyes as Mark's warm breath tickled his ear. He hated that he liked the way Mark smelled. So warm and inviting. Forcing his head to turn away from Mark's chest, he swallowed as Mark pressed his forehead to the side of his head and added in a loving whisper. "I think you came here hoping to be found." Taking a deep breath, Sean pulled away from him carefully. Standing before the exit of the maze, Sean turned to face Mark, telling him in a brokenhearted voice. "And no one came. Now can we drop this?"

Sean stepped out of the cave to look out at the snow covered cottage homes that lined the vast open landscape. The homes started from around the tunnel exit and angled just enough to lead up to the shrine at the highest point of the land. Where at the very top, a massive frozen statue in the shape of a tree stood. Sean marveled at the warm lights that came from the homes and even the labs that were nestled around the outskirts of the village. The place always reminded Sean of a Christmas postcard. Glancing behind him to see if Mark was following him, he shuffled his feet uneasily. Mark wasn't looking at the village behind him... He was staring at him with a sad look. Placing a hand on the archway, Mark told him in a casual voice. "I know you think you are protecting your heart from something... but you're not." Mark moved forward, sliding his hand off the wall to touch Sean's chest. Sean took a step back, but Mark kept his handover his heart. Leaning in, Mark whispered to him gently. "Punishing your heart for feeling only makes it hurt more. Trust me." Mark patted his chest gently, then stepped around him to take in the view. To Be Continued...