Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

~Psalms 23:4

*~*~*

Sky Blue's breath came in short painful gasps as he ran through the black twisted trees. He kept using what was left of his aura to sense for life forms besides himself. Of course the only true life form in this never ending nightmare was Blood Red.

Once he felt somewhat safe, Sky skidded to a stop and collapsed on the muddy ground, trying to regain his breath. He had never felt so restless in his life. He had been in this nightmare for countless nights. Ever since he gave up control to Blood Red, he had been locked inside his own head, living in the shadows like his counterpart.

Not only was did he lose control of his body, but he lost all his "strength", resulting in his appearance being reserved. Sky was now the equivalent of his nine to ten year old self, both appearance and voice.

Blood Red, however, seemed to absorb his strength. Blood Red never showed his true appearance, but he wasn't human. He was a monster; a scavenger, something inhuman. While Sky was a tired little boy, Blood was a strong and ruthless creature.

Sky jumped as the wind blew through the trees around him, causing the branches the creak eerily. He shivered and retreated into the notting tree roots behind him. He curled up among the decaying roots, hoping that Blood Red wouldn't come for him. He just wanted to finally retrieve the unattainable rest he longed for, even for a few minutes.

I brought this upon myself, though, Sky thought bitterly and angrily while pressing his hands against his eyes. I was scared and I made a deal with the devil instead...how could I have been so stupid?

However he already knew the answer; greed. Plain and simple. He needed- no, he wanted power. He wanted to finally stand up and fight for himself and others, to show people what he was really capable of. He wanted people to know that they couldn't push him without being bit.

But now he had nothing. He wasn't even controlling his own body. It was in the hands of a darker aspect of himself that wouldn't hesitate to kill someone. So where was he now? He couldn't see or hear of the things in reality, only Blood Red could interact with people there. He could only imagine what was happening, and none of it was good. He could be wandering the wild, restrained, or worse; killing.

Don't think like that now! The now young boy thought to himself harshly. Just go to sleep or whatever, we can worry about that when we take down Blood Red! It'll be no good facing him like this!

Sky's worries didn't fully silence, however. He didn't know if he actually fell asleep, or his dreads turned into nightmares. He knew nightmares or not, his fears were lurking in the corners of his consciousness. Corpses of familiar faces littered the ground he walked, blood smeared on his hands, dark black, blue, and red aura dancing around him. Power and frightening satisfaction ran through his veins as a bloodcurdling howl erupted from nowhere.

"NO!"

The boy jerked to reality with a yell and bolted up right. He gave a startled gasp as he realized he wasn't alone. For one heart stopping moment, Sky thought the creature was Blood Red, but he realized it didn't have the same frightening appearance. A huge Pyroar towered over him, it's fiery mane blowing in the breeze. The Pyroar was almost blinding to look at. Sky Blue had not seen anything so colorful in forever.

"Calm yourself, my child," the Pyroar told Sky reassuringly in a low voice while placing its large paw on his shoulder. "There is no need to be afraid. I will not hurt you."

"W-Who are you?!" Sky stammered in his now squeaky voice. "W-Why didn't I know you were here?"

"I have many names, some of which you know. I am not like the beast you call Blood Red. I am not chained to this world as he or you are. You cannot sense me like you do Blood Red."

"You know about him?"

"I am very much familiar with him. The two of you are the reason why I'm here. I will explain it all if you come with me."

"Hold on!" Sky blurted out as the Pyroar knelt down low enough for him to climb onto his back. "I just met you! What's going on?! Where are we going?! I can't go near him, he'll kill me!"

"He is currently no more dangerous than you are," the Pyroar responded calmly. "But we must hurry. My boy, Blood Red is dying."

Sky never thought he'd hear those three words all in one sentence. Blood Red? Dying? How was that possible?

"I-I don't understand, how could he be dying?" The boy asked, trying to make sense of it all.

The ground suddenly began to rumble, causing Sky to help with fright as the trees shook and threatened to fall. However the Pyroar was unphased, and repeated, "Skyler Azul, I have been with you since the beginning, and I have not lied to you, nor will I ever. Trust me as you've always had."

Sky Blue didn't quite understand why but all his doubts seemed to wash away. He knew that the Pyroar meant well, and if there was anyone here he could trust, it would be him.

Once he got on the Pyroar's back, it began to stride swiftly through the dead trees. Sky was astonished to see that every step the Pyroar took caused the dead grass to turn green and lush. Flowers sprung from the paw prints, leaving a path of colorful flowers in its wake.

"Blood Red is the dark side of your human psyche that you allowed to consume your judgement," The Pyroar explained in a serious tone while turning to look at the boy. "That left your main consciousness in the place Blood Red was for many years. But Blood Red isn't functioning anymore in human reality. Not only is he losing control of the human body, but outside forces have been causing him even more emotional and physical suffering. He is only hanging by a thread, which is why he needs you."

"I don't want to see him!" Sky snapped rather harshly, shuddering at the thought of the pointed teeth a glowing red eye of Blood Red. "He's not who I am!"

"He is apart of you, just as you are apart of him. Neither of you can survive without the other. You must become one person in order to fight back against your enemies."

Sky felt puzzled and repeated, "Enemies? What's happened since I've been out of it?"

"All in due time, but not too far. We're almost there."

The trees opened up and revealed the world that Sky had averted for so long. The sky was stormy with black clouds, often revealing lightning of blue, red, and violet. The forest dropped off suddenly at the side of a small ravine. For the first time Sky could see a twisted sort of garden on the other side. Large wild hedges were all he could see around it.

"W-We're going in there...?" Sky Blue stammered, grasping the Pyroar's mane tightly.

"It is where Blood Red resides right now," the Pyroar confirmed, but added softly. "I will, and always will remain here by your side. Nothing here will harm you while I'm here. Now hold on, the road becomes rough from here on."

The boy winced as the lion Pokemon suddenly backed up and leapt over the ravine. Sky's grip on the mane tightened and he leaned closer in so he could remain seated. When the Pyroar landed on the firm ground of the other side, the Pokemon pelted up the dark grassy hillside and up toward the twisted garden.

If the garden was not all in his mind, he would've believed it was haunted. Behind the hedges was a vast dead maze. The stone paths were cracked, and all the plant life from flowers to trees were long dead. It was life the place had not been attended to for years.

"Where is he?" Sky Blue whispered to the Pokemon while his body tensed from the suspense. "Did he go away or something?"

"He is here, but he is not nearby," the Pyroar replied in his low speaking voice, sounding completely unafraid as he continued to stride down the cracked stone path. "I believe we will find him at the center. Either way, he is in no condition to jump out and attack. Tell me, what do you sense nearby?"

The boy hesitated before trying to use his aura to sense the surrounding area. He still couldn't sense the Pyroar's presence, but there was one life-form present in the garden. At the center was a powerful dark presence, though it flickered like a candle flame dying out.

"I don't sense you still, but someone is here," Sky informed the Pokemon. "Whoever it is is very weak, I guess you are right..."

He hesitated before asking slowly, "What will happen to me if Blood Red dies...?"

"He will not die, so it is nothing to worry about. You both will become one, and you will move forward."

Sky wanted to argue but he suddenly noticed the change in surroundings. The air was cold like ice, and a fog rolled over the two. He felt vulnerable, for he could only see the back of the Pyroar's head.

The Pokemon suddenly stopped in the middle of the fog. Sky looked down to see the Pyroar pawing the ground and started to growl. He then flinched and winced as it gave a monstrous roar. The mist subsided in a blink, and the mist revealed the environment they were now in.

The garden looked like it could've been a grave yard. The many dead flowers in flower beds, the continual light mist, and blue, purple, and red lightning cracking across the sky. Most horrifying of all was the creature Sky had grown to both fear and despise, sitting at the center in a large dead oak tree twisted into a throne, which sprouted large flowers of blue and red on each side respectively.

A Mega Lucario was slumped in the throne. He was holding his head up with his paw, and he was breathing off center. His left eye was closed, but where his right eye was instead a large gash. He was much taller than Lucarios Sky had met in past, this one being taller than himself in reality.

Blood Red barely noticed the Pyroar approaching, but his red eye opened a sliver as the Pyroar stopped a few feet in front of him. He seemed to not care less about the visitor. However Sky noticed that the fur was stained with tears, and his eye was bloodshot.

He had been crying.

"My child, why are you in distress?" The Pyroar adressed Blood Red, much like how he adressed Sky Blue. "Why do you weep?"

The Mega Lucario growled and snarled in the same but more twisted and lower voice of Sky's, "Leave me alone... I have no business with you."

"What's wrong with you?" Sky asked bluntly, causing the Lucario to growl threateningly. "Why aren't you, I don't know, eating me...?"

The Lucario didn't answer right then, but to Sky's astonishment, tears suddenly leaked out from his eyes.

"She won't stop crying," Blood Red said quietly, covering his face with his paw.

"Who?"

"The only friend I have...she cries when she thinks I'm not looking. I make her sad, she's repulsed by me!"

"She cries because she loves you," the Pyroar corrected, stepping up to the Mega Lucario. "She cries because she misses you."

"She can't miss me when I'm already here! I'm the same person!"

"Are you? Are you the same person? You don't talk, you have molded yourself into what the world wants you to be, not who you are."

When there was a break, Sky repeated more urgently, "Who is with us? What's going on? Is it Mira? White?"

The Pyroar shook his head and replied "Neither. The group, Team Flare, not only captured you, but Leia as well. You both have been imprisoned for a long period of time."

"Not for long," growled the Lucario, anger sithing in his voice. "They're separating us in a few days, I know it...I heard the guards talk. They'll make me forget everything, who I am, what it was like to be human..."

"Make me...forget?" Sky started, his heart skipping a beat. "But...you can't let them do that! You have to do something!"

"There is nothing I can do. I cannot break free, and I'm not physically fit..."

"But you can't let them win! What about Leia?! She needs you more than ever! She needs your help! You can't sit by and let them do all this! I thought you were the brave one!"

The Mega Lucario raised its fierce head, his nostrils flaring. Sky had forgotten how terrifying Blood Red was when angry, but he held his ground. This was no time to keep quiet.

"I can't save us," Blood Red growled, turning his head away from the boy. "I don't know how...I'm already in so much pain as it is..."

Sky jumped off the Pyroar's safe back and leapt on the ground. He approached Blood Red and half shouted, "Then let me do it! Let me save us! At least we'll die trying! You may be me, but I don't want to be like you! We both hate each other, but it's clear that we both have one thing in common; we both care for Leia! We both want her to be happy! If you truly care for Leia, than stop mopping!"

Sky paused before continuing seriously, "Let's make an alliance. Everyone was right about one thing, we can't survive on uneven terms like this. But if we unite and combine our power, we can save Leia and get back to the others. You're the brawn and I'm the brain; we're unstoppable together! We may not like each other, but we do need each other!"

The boy held his breath as the giant Lucario looked down at him suspiciously. He was sure Blood Red was unsure of Sky's intentions. After all, Sky was much clever than Blood Red while the Pokemon was stronger.

"How do I know you won't suppress me once we escape?" The Lucario snarled after a moment. "You hid me for eight years, what will prevent you from doing so again?"

The human looked down at the dead ground. He had thought of hiding him again. That way nobody would see the monster he really was. But he had thought against it, and now he had to prove he wasn't going to betray himself.

The Lucario watched as Sky held out his hands while a sky blue aura whisped around in his palms. The aura twisted and writhed before molding into a large navy blue flower. Sky then stepped up the throne steps, and once Blood Red bent his head to look at the flower, the boy placed it over the scarred right eye.

"I won't lie, it did occur to me to just suppress you," he admitted as he stepped back, looking straight into the Mega Lucario's now flower donned face. "I'm not proud of the anger and hate I have. No one likes that side of them, at least anyone who isn't a complete psychopath. But suppressing you was never the answer. I was always meant to accept my heritage, to tame the power you represent.

"I'm an Aura Guardian, as well as a Dark Aura Guardian. It's who I am, and I need to stop running from it. I guess...sometimes you just have to embrace the monster, just as long as you use that power responsibly. I just wish I had realized it sooner..."

Sky waited for Blood Red's response. For a split second, he could've sworn that the Lucario's one wide eye turned from red straight to blue.

Blood Red stood up slowly while looking down at the boy. He then knelt down and touched Sky's nose with his own muzzle.

"I think...we both understand each other for the first time," Blood Red told him quietly before straightening up. "I don't want my friend, Leia, to cry anymore. They say that if you love someone, let them go. I will let go of her and give you back your life."

"Y-You will?" Sky stammered, surprised at such a change. "After all that's happened?"

"As you said, we may not like each other, but she deserves better. I will lend you my power, but in exchange, you must protect her with our lives."

"I...I wouldn't have it any other way."

Sky then realized that the Pyroar had gone silent. He turned around swiftly, only to see that the area was empty of anyone else other than he and Blood Red.

"Where did he go?" He asked with confusion, looking to the Lucario for an answer.

"He had done his duty," Blood Red answered swiftly. "Do not worry, he still resides here. But there is no time to waste, I must restore your consciousness to its rightful place."

The Lucario suddenly pressed his paw against Sky's face. A rush of aura, both his and Blood Red's, surrounded the two of them. The boy couldn't help but gasp as pain ran in and out of his body like fire. The last thing he saw before everything went dark was the navy blue flower and blood red eye.

*~*~*

Sky Blue never felt so beat up in his life. It took him a moment to remember what had happened. Did it work? Was he really back to his normal body?

He winced as he forced his eyes, or now the one eye, to open. Everything was blurry and dark, he almost thought he still had his eye closed. But there was no doubt in his mind at what had happened.

He was in reality once again.

Sky tried pushing himself up but searing pain shot through him, causing him to gasp and collapse back onto the cold hard floor. He tried moving his hand up to his face, only to find a metal cuff of a shackle chained to his wrist, as well as the other wrist. He now understood why Blood Red was so exhausted.

The pressure on his back began to become more evident and Sky turned his head the best he could to see what was causing the weight. Leia was curled up on his other side, her arms crossed on his back while her head rested on top. She was sound asleep, but he could tell from the marks on her face that she had cried to sleep.

Despite wishing not to wake here, Sky forced himself into a sitting position despite the pain and discomfort he felt. It was then he realized that his t-shirt was rags and his skin was covered in badges and bruises.

He looked up when he heard a slight gasp as Leia woke up abruptly from the loss of her pillow. She bolted up right and blurted, "What's wrong?! Are they back?! Did I hurt you?! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you if I did!"

The one-eyed trainer was taken aback by this statement so he just stared at Leia's stricken face before saying in a surprisingly raspy and hoarse voice, "What are you on about?"

Leia froze with disbelief, her eyes wide and her mouth slightly open in surprise. Sky then realized that he probably hadn't spoken since whenever they were taken in, and he should have thought more about his first words.

"Did...did you say something...?" Leia stammered, sounding as if this was all too good to be true.

"Well, yes, but if I need to shut up-"

He made a noise of both pain and surprise as Leia flung herself onto him and caused him to topple backwards onto his swore back. He could hear her sobbing uncontrollably in his shoulder while she squeezed him harder than Mira ever did in his lifetime.

"Oh my gosh, it's really you!" She sobbed with joy in a muffle voice. "Please don't stop talking, you've been quiet for far too long! It was unbearable!"

"Was I really that bad...?" Sky asked rather uncertainly, wondering what the heck Blood Red did to possibly make Leia so distressed.

"Silence is not something you want from your only friend during times like this," Leia admitted in a sniff, releasing Sky and backing away while wiping away her tears. "But I know you can't remember anything you do when you're, well..."

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize! You had no idea! I'm just...I'm just so happy you're back now! I mean... you don't remember what's been going on, do you?"

"No, I'm afraid not, you'll have to catch me up to speed."

Sky was surprised at how quickly Leia began to babble about everything that's happened since he was out. It seemed that she also knew very little, but what she did know brought tears to her eyes. The young man felt disturbed by everything described to him, how inhuman he was and how inhumane he was treated.

"A-And now it's only a matter of time before they take you away again, and I-I don't know what will happen now since you're back to normal!" Leia finished, hiding her face in her hands.

"We won't find out," Sky cut across. "We're going to escape, now more than ever."

"But you've already tried breaking the chains, their too strong, and what about the door?"

"There's always a weakness, Leia. Brute strength might not break the chains, I assume these were specifically made so I can't break them. But I do know a lot about locks that I probably didn't think of before. Besides, the door will be the easiest part after the chains."

Leia did not object, but instead looked somewhat more hopeful that Sky was so optimistic. When inspecting the chains on his wrists, he did notice that the locks were breakable- at least with some other tools.

"Do you have a thin wire, or even a hair pin?" He asked, still looking for other weaknesses.

A few minutes later he was handed a thin metal wire, which he quickly took and bent it swiftly into a proper shape. He then inserted the wire into the lock and began to work while explaining, "These chains are quite strong, but they fortunately overlooked the lock holding it together. I think I can open it easily."

"Where did you learn to do all this?" Leia asked curiously, her gaze fixed on the lock he was working.

"I was in and out of trouble a lot when I was younger," Sky replied. "I broke into more buildings than White ever did, and despite everyone knowing I was the one doing it all, they didn't have much proof. Not to mention I was threatened that I would be locked up proof or no proof, so I assumed it would be best to learn how to open locks more than ever. There it goes."

The lock clicked open and Sky was able to let it land of the ground with the cuff. He saw Leia clap her hands to her mouth, causing him to smile as he worked on the second cuff. In another few minutes, it too fell with a ringing clank.

"I can't believe that worked!" Leia squeaked while Sky rubbed his now free but badly bruised wrist. "After all their precautions, they simplified the lock?"

"They probably thought neither of us would notice since I was out of whack, but let's be grateful for that slip up and finally get the heck out of this Distortion-hole!" The one-eyed trainer added before forcing himself to stand up, fighting against the pain.

He was secretly grateful that he had Leia there with him instead of White as the young trainer helped him to his feet. White may know more about him than anyone, but the woman was still less sympathetic than Leia or even Mira.

"What about the door?" Leia inquired as she helped Sky over to the only gateway to freedom. "We don't have the materials to open it from here!"

But Sky knew how he was going to open it. He knew the answer right when freeing himself. The question was, was he strong enough?

"Give me your hands," Sky hold her while suddenly grasping Leia's hands.

"Sky what are you-"

"I need to borrow your aura, or at least some of it. I need to regain my strength to break the door down, but I need another's aura to make mine stronger!"

"H-how...?"

"Just...just give it willingly. I can't describe it. Think...think about freedom! Think about the people waiting for us! Just let me do the rest!"

He could tell Leia was scared as he closed his eyes and concentrated hard on his aura. He had used his aura before, but he barely remembered how he did it. All he could do was pray that he and Leia had enough aura to bring everything down.

My Pokemon, Mira, White, the others... they're all I have. They're all this monster has. I don't deserve them... but I can't live without them! I need to see them, I need to save them!

I need them to save me!

Sky suddenly felt a roar escape his throat as a strong burst of pale gold, blue, red, and black aura slammed out of his chest. At top speed, the two auras pounded through the cell door while Leia screamed and ducked behind Sky. Debris was everywhere, and rubble scattered both in and out of the cell. Sky could now see light for the first time in forever.

Piercing howls and barks burst through the air over the debris settling, causing both humans to wince. Caged Pokemon were all kept nearby, all whining with fright and pain. Sky was horrified at the conditions they were in- probably the same conditions he had been and lived in. Only monsters could leave these Pokemon starved and caged like this.

"We aren't leaving them here, are we?" Leia asked, looking horrified at the thought of abandoning the poor creatures.

But Sky shook his head weakly and growled in his darkest voice yet, "No...they don't deserve this. They deserve to be free. But the people who did this to them, to us, it's about time we fight back and give them a taste of their own medicine."

*~*~*

"So you're telling me you can't just pull a jackhammer randomly out of a hat and have it be socially acceptable? I have seen some pretty impossible things in my time, and believe me, pulling a jackhammer out from your sleeve isn't one of them."

N was ready to slam his own head into the wall at White's rather stupid comment. He turned his head to look at his delusional sister before saying in a voice of forced calm, "White... sis... I'm not a magician, I'm merely a broke, Pokémon-less man. I barely have the medicine to keep you semi-functioning. In short, I don't have a jackhammer."

He heard White give a huff, but he did his best to ignore her as he ran his fingers over a crack he found in the cell wall. He had spent most of his time looking for signs of the supposed escape route out of the cell and up to the land above. He thought he might have found it at last after who knew how long of looking in the dark. Part of the cemented wall didn't match the rest, and he found a small crack here and there around the space. 

"Ok, well how do you plan to get that hole to open?" White asked sneeringly. "Ask for a spoon and dig your way out?"

"Amethyst or Fiona were going to get our Pokémon, so hopefully we won't wait too long," N answered. "One of our Pokémon could probably break it open."

"What if the tunnel is too small or the exit is blocked off?"

N paused before saying hesitantly, "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. How have you been feeling anyway, apart from acting like a total sloth?" 

White shrugged unhelpfully and said, "I feel like my back and butt bones are going to fall to pieces, but you know, that's only to be expected."

"Then stand-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence, because it hurts to stand up, you idiot!"

"It wouldn't hurt if you walked around instead of sitting away the hours!"

Before White could retort, a loud scraping noise echoed on the other side of the door. It sounded like someone was struggling to get the keys into the lock as if in a hurry. No ordinary guard would unlock the door in such a rush unless their life depended on it.

The door finally swung open and both Amethyst, Fiona, and Fiona's Ivysaur flung themselves into the room while Amethyst said loudly and quickly, "I hope you found that tunnel because we have a change in plans!"

"What do you mean, what happened?" N asked, feeling anxiety rise inside him at the look of the two girl's panic stricken faces.

"It's Sky Blue and Leia!" Fiona piped up breathlessly. "They've escaped- or at least, they've started they're escape!"

"It seems that I didn't misplace my faith in that man after all," Amethyst added as she bent down to check the spot in the wall N had shown her. "They got out of the cell, and, well, let's say they gathered some help. Lysandre went to go there in person to stop them, and the rest of the idiots here are too busy to notice anything we do down here. It's a now or never scenario. Yes, I think this is the tun-"

"They'll be alright, won't they?!" White interrupted urgently, forcing herself to stand and grasping Fiona's shoulder with her one hand to steady herself. "What if they get recaptured?" 

"I don't know, but if something happens, I'll do the best to sort it out," Amethyst told her reassuringly while pulling things out of the bag around her shoulder. "Here are your Pokémon, they should be healthy enough to fight if it comes down to it. Oh, and I assume you'll need this. I don't know how you can wear this thing, it's so freaking heavy! I'm not a mechanic, so if it's broken, it's not my fault."

Amethyst grunted slightly as she pulled out White's metallic arm. It looked rather beat up and seemed to be missing a few parts. However White took her metal arm and belt with ease, and replied confidently, "I think I can manage it, thanks."

"Fiona, can your Ivysaur knock this down?" N asked the young girl, gesturing to the wall. 

Fiona gave a rather sly smile and said confidently, "Green Ivy can do anything! Use Take Down!"

The humans fled to the four corners of the room as the Ivysaur gave a small roar and charged at the wall. The cell shook as the Pokémon continued to crash into the wall. When the debris cleared, a large hollow opening was left in the space. There was no light in the tunnel, and there was no visible end. 

"You're positive there's an exit at the end of this?" White questioned skeptically, kneeling on the ground to see the tunnel while strapping on her metal arm. "I don't want to find out the entrance is blocked and come back to find this is blocked too."

"I will make sure nothing happens to this end so you're not buried alive," Amethyst assured them. "But if Ivysaur goes first, I think he can remove any obstacles. I'll try and stall any visits in here for now, at least to give you time to get through the tunnel."

"Amethyst, you don't know how much this means to us all," N told the young woman. "We're so grateful for all you've done for us, I just wish there was something we could do for you."

Amethyst hesitated before continuing slowly, "There is...one thing you can do, or at least White can." 

She slipped the bag off from around her shoulders and held it out to White. His sister took it questioningly and pulled out one of the things left inside. Her performer's outfit was neatly folded inside a clear bag, as well as her Zorua mask and top hat.

"I'm a rather big fan of the performer who once called herself Maya," Amethyst told White, who looked shocked to see her outfit in one piece. "You can understand my surprise to find this. I understand why you hid behind a mask, but if they are true fans, than they will adjust to see that you were always Maya, but just with another face. As someone once told me, masks don't hide who you are, but show who you really are. I expect VIP treatment from now on."

"Well," White replied softly as she placed her costume back in the bag. "That's seems affordable, even though it doesn't quite compare to what you've done for us."

"On the contrary, it means a lot to me, and as you said, it's affordable with your current budget. Now, you should get going. I have my own plans to put into motion."

"Right, we should go too," N added hurriedly, turning to his two sisters. "Green Ivy goes first, than it will be Fiona, then White. I'll go last. That is, if you want to come. I would understand if you want to stay-"

But Fiona shook her head vigorously and said flat out, "No, I want to go with you! I-I... I don't want to be with Père! Not after he's hurt my friends, the people who care about me most..." 

White placed her fake arm around Fiona and gave her brother a look that said if-you-make-her-stay-I'll-kill-you. N sighed and said as he gestured to the tunnel, "Alright, alright, well ladies first."

Green Ivy gave a high pitch growl before he darted into the large tunnel. They waited a moment, listening to the Ivysaur scrambling among the debris and rocks before Fiona crawled in after him. White gave a nod of thanks to Amethyst before following in after the little girl. N prepared to get in after her, but stopped to look back at Amethyst. 

"I wish you the best of luck," N told her quietly. "I hope we can meet again."

Amethyst nodded and replied, "I'm sure we will. At least, that is if you attend your sister's performances. You should hurry now, don't let me hold you back."

N paused but nodded as he ducked into the tunnel. He gave her one last look before moving into the dark, away from the prison that held them for so long. 

~~~

Once I finish Leia or Sky's POV I have no desire to write N or White's. Probably because I like Sky more, just like every other reader. He's my baby boy don't touch him.

Ok, so two things; "The Definition of Being Human", my Pokémon Sun/Ultra Sun Fanfiction, is now out! The Prologue is out and if I'm quick, I will have chapter one out within the next few days!

Next is super important; I have made an updating schedule. Whether I can stick to it remains to be seen, but I think I can make it work for at least SWS3. 

So every Thursday, like today, there will be an update, but it will either be an SWS3 or TDOBH update. The two will take turns updating, so next week Thursday will be TDOBH, and the one after that is SWS3.

HOWEVER, the updates don't end. Every Saturday will also be a TDOBH update, so between every SWS3 update, there will be three TDOBH updates. There are so many TDOBH updates over SWS3 because those chapters were meant to be shorter than chapters of SWS3. While Searching Without Shame is about 5,000 words average, The Definition of Being Human has 3,000 words average. Besides that, I wanted to enter TDOBH in the Pokémon Watty Awards, but because of the new rules, I cannot enter unless it's complete. 

So, it's SWS3 and TDOBH updates every other Thursday, and TDOBH update every Saturday. Hopefully this schedule will work out for me and satisfy both groups of readers. 

Also, I've been reading your comments, and though I don't reply directly, I want to thank you all for your kind words. I will try to do better at responding to them, but usually I'm at a loss of words and I don't know how to respond. I know many people commented on my improved writing style in TDOBH and were really encouraging about my growth. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support. It means so much to me ;)

Now I won't see SWS3 readers for another two weeks, which if my memory right (usually it isn't), the next SWS3 update is on January 18. The Definition of Being Human will hopefully be updated January 6, 11, and 13. 

Whoops almost forgot, I made book banners for ALL my books, they're ones I drew so go check them out if you haven't seen them already. They're on the beginning notes and first chapters. Sorry I'm really proud of them, especially the one for this book =v=

So until then, I'll say goodbye now!