Hi everyone!!  SK here.

After Ash's choice, I'm sure you've all been waiting for the next chapter- well, good news, because here it is!!  This should be the start of weekly updates for this book again, yay!!  

Also.  I just realized that if I was faster with updates, I could have lined these parts up with Ash's actual birthday (because it is the day before his birthday in this part).  This will be one of my regrets in life lol.

Anyway, this chapter has a lot of stuff happening in it, so I won't waste time talking before the chapter.

I hope you enjoy it!!

Ash

I wake up to the beeping of my alarm clock.  I groan, pushing the button to silence it.  Thankfully I don't wake up anyone else, because Clemont is sleeping downstairs and my mom had her own room to sleep in.  It's about 7:00 AM, bright and early.  The truth is, I don't want anybody to see me before I leave.  I know that I won't be able to make it out of that door if that were to happen.

I roll out of bed and change into my clothes.  I put my trusty red cap on my head, giving one last smile at the mirror.  Since the sun has risen already I'm able to see around my room without turning the lights on.  However, before I grab my backpack, there is something I need to do.  I take a look at all of my PokeBalls, the ones I had collected during Kalos specifically.  Hawlucha.  Noivern.  Talonflame.  Greninja.  I know Goodra is somewhere far away in the wetlands, but he isn't what I'm thinking about now.  Serena said bring one Pokemon... but I know in my heart I can't just bring one.  I have to bring Pikachu, but I also want to bring Greninja as well; something tells me that I'll need him one day.  Gingerly, I pick up his PokeBall, along with Pikachu's.  I slowly and gently wake up my partner, who instantly recognizes what is happening.  Without putting up any kind resistance he allows me to return him inside his Pokeball; that alone is odd, but I suppose that he recognizes what the situation is.  I slip the two of them on my belt, then grab my backpack and the letter.  

I'm about to leave my room when I pause.  I turn back and gaze at the place where I grew up, my home for the first almost twenty years of my life.  I mean, my birthday is tomorrow, so I'm technically not twenty.  But still, it's sad leaving the place that you've called home for the longest time.  Giving a regretful smile, I gently close the door behind me.  I hope someone will keep my belongings safe after I'm gone, or give them to someone that needs them.  I won't be needing them anymore.

I tip-toe down the stairs because I know that Clemont is still sleeping.  I walk over the kitchen and leave the letter on the counter.  It's very vague, because even I know that fairies are supposed to be kept a secret, but it explains a little bit of the reason why I'm leaving.  Looking back at it, I realize that it might look like a suicide note, but now that I think about it, my previous self is now dying.  My life is going to be different from now on... I'm going to be different from now on.

Well, that's a lie.  I've changed since the very day Serena "died".

I feel tears come to my eyes as I slip out the backdoor of my house- now my old house.  I look at it, and before I know what I'm doing, I run out to the hill at the edge of town.  I stand on top of it, looking down at the place that I've known to be home for the entirety of my life.  I then turn my head and look at the forest, my home for many years to come.  Before I know it, I start to cry, I can't help myself.  I know I shouldn't be crying; sure, what I'm doing is very heart wrenching, but I at least get to see Serena again.  I get to see all of my old friends- my other family.  

And with that thought, I finally walk towards the forest.

When I become fully surrounded in the greenery, it's final for me.  I've crossed the point of no-return.  I'm doing this.  I'm doing this, I tell myself, trying to remain hopeful about my choice.  However, when I reach the tree where I met Serena yesterday, I begin to have doubts.  We didn't arrange a time... what if I'm waiting here forever and someone finds me?  What if someone finds Serena?  What if someone finds us?

Unable to stop myself, more thoughts flow inside my head.  Maybe Serena thought that I would remain loyal to the people who I still had left.  Maybe she's not even coming.  Maybe-

Before anymore thoughts come, the ground starts growing below me, and I smile, happy at last.  I turn, and to my delight, Serena's there, smiling at me.  Happily, I run over to her, and I pull her into a giant hug.  She doesn't do anything to stop me, and she laughs, but not in a mocking kind of way.  I almost want to kiss her, but I would never want to do anything that she wouldn't agree to.  But I am going to tell her about my feelings- by tomorrow.  This is the promise I'm making to myself.  For now, we break apart, and Serena looks at me fondly.

"I certainly didn't expect to see you this early," she admits.  "Usually, unless you were training, I wouldn't see you awake until noon!"

"Oh!  Well, I, uh... I wanted to leave before anyone saw me," I admit.  

"Oh, well, that's understandable," Serena tells me, sympathy laced into her voice.  She now holds out a hand to me.  "Come with me, your new life awaits!"

I gladly take her hand, walking with her.  I marveled at how everything looked from a fairy's perspective- definitely different from how I usually see things!

Serena looks at me, a twinkle in her eye.  "Usually we fly, so things look more, er, normal," she explained.  "But I assumed that you didn't want me dragging you around in the air, so..."

I shrug.  "Don't worry about it, Serena.  I'm sure we'll get there soon," I encourage.  She blushes and gives me a little smile, which in turn causes me to turn scarlet as well.  She's beautiful when she blushes... well, she's beautiful in general, what am I saying!?

"Do other pe- er, fairies know that I'm coming?" I ask, trying to spark some sort of conversation with her.

"Oh!  Well, it's kind of a long story," Serena tells me.  Then, she looks at me cheekily and adds, "But, we've got time, don't we?"

I flash a grin at her.  "That we do."

Serena laughed a little at my change in wording.  "You sound just like Heliux- my Magic Minister," she explains.  "He's from a previous generation of fairies.  Well, previous-previous generation- it's sort of hard to explain, but he's not like regular fairies."

"Oh?" I ask.  "How so?"

"To put it short, each fairy lives up to a thousand years- we don't age past twenty though.  Anyway, when the Leader- that's what I am- dies, the fairies that were alive during their reign slowly start to be replaced."  

"Since you're a Leader, does that mean you have the highest position amongst the fairies?" I ask her, becoming a little intimidated at the thought of it.

She shakes her head.  "No, we have a Queen who doesn't live with us; she's the most powerful fairy, and-" she breaks off, smiling sheepishly.  "I'm going to stop now before I continue to ramble."

I grin.  "I'm going to find out about this eventually, so I don't mind."

She smiles back, continuing on.  "Where was I?  Anyway, there are exceptions, like if a Leader dies too early- but yeah.  About half of the fairies in my camp are from the old generation, and have yet to be replaced with new fairies," she adds positively.

"So wait... when a Leader dies, everyone just willingly gives up their life to the new fairy!?" I asked incredulously, because what if I wanted to live longer?

"It's important to keep the cycle running," she huffs, and I can tell that she finds it odd herself.  "Like I said, Heliux is different though- he and the Darks' Minister have served since the very first generation of fairies.  Lita, the first leader of the Lights- my group of fairies- blessed them both with immortality, or at least that's the story Heliux tells me, to be able to teach each fairy magic and how to use their Element.  Isn't that cool!?" Serena asks excitedly.

"I'm sure I'd find it amazing if I knew exactly what you were talking about," I offer kindly.  "But wait- there's more than one group of fairies?  Who are the Darks?  I thought there was just yours...?"

"Oh.  Yes, there are two groups of fairies.  The group that I rule over is called the Lights, or the Light Fairies.  The second group is called the Darks, or the Dark Fairies.  Thousands of years ago, the both of us lived side by side, in harmony- sorry, this is going to sound like a bed-time story," she jokingly warns.  

"Just don't make me fall asleep, I'm still kinda tired from getting up so early," I reply with a small chuckle.

She rolls her eyes.  "Anyway, tensions started growing, and one thing led to another and bam! the two sides were in war.  We separated, since the Lights won and got to keep the original Colony, and the Darks became hostile and cruel.  From the stories that Heliux tells me, they weren't always like that- the only reason we're called the Lights is because for us, fairy magic manifests within a few seconds after becoming a fairy; our name comes from the fact that magic glows and because we can learn it the fastest.  For Darks, it can take longer than a week, because they have stronger magic.  That's why their wings are darker than ours; although, now that I think about it, I think us fairies are just named by our wings..."

"You didn't notice that?" I question.

"I think that fact just slipped past my mind," she says, sounding slightly embarrassed.  "Although, you have to admit that it's very sad what happened to them," she adds sadly.  "I've tried making peace with Rin, the Dark Leader, and believe me, I've tried... but he doesn't seem to want peace.  If anything, he's planning another war or something," she says nervously, sounding tense.  I pick up on her stress instantly, so I need to reassure her.

"Don't worry Serena.  I'll do my best to help you any way that I can," I pledge.  I always want Serena to be safe- I love her too much.  Besides, I don't really think a war breaking out is a good idea.  "Just a question- since fairies stop aging at twenty, does that mean people become fairies at twenty?  If that's the case, why did they take you away so early?"

"Thank you Ash," she breathes.  "To answer your question, that's what's supposed to happen.  Your twentieth birthday is supposed to be your arrival date, but some fairies are recruited early because of emergencies.  I became a fairy early because Aria died; if she hadn't died, I wouldn't have been a fairy at all," she admits.  I must still look confused, so she adds, "And don't worry, when you get there, I'll have Brock and Heliux explain everything to you."

"Wait... Brock?  As in the Brock I travelled with?" I ask, and I could feel tears start to well up in my eyes at the thought of reuniting with all of them after so long.

"Yes!  Yes he is, Ash.  And there's so much more too... Misty, May, Dawn, Iris, and much more- I've heard many stories about your travels from them," she says earnestly.  

My heart feels lighter than air.  Finally, I'm going to see all of my old friends again.  I smile happily, suddenly very impatient for our arrival.  Fortunately, it seems like I don't have to wait long, because after a few more minutes of idle chatter Serena stops.  She flashes a grin at me and conjures up some magic that causes one of her hands to glow like stars.  The fairy closes her eyes, clearly focusing intently, and suddenly the orb in Serena's hand grows and grows until it almost looks like a doorway.  I grip Serena's other hand tight, suddenly feeling slightly afraid.

"This is it, Ash.  Are you ready?" she checks with me, her eyes shining with hope.

Part of me is still stuck in my past, but then I remember that being with Serena is my future.  I know that there will always be some part of me stuck in the past, but the part of me that is here in the now will make that future come true.  Don't look back, don't look back.

"Definitely," I answer with confidence, and together we walk through the door of light.

"Welcome to the Colony," Serena tells me with a bright golden smile.

I feel blinded at first, but when I can see again, I'm completely in shock.  We're standing in the middle of the fairies' camp- Colony?  Colony.  I can see so many of them busy with their work, some of them are relaxing, and some of them are practicing their magic.  However, they turn their eyes when they see me, and suddenly I become overwhelmed with the amount of familiar faces who rush towards me.  I'm tackled with hugs and joyful greetings, and I feel lighter than air.

If I hadn't realized it before, it's when the door of light closes behind us that I finally do.

This is where I'm meant to be.

Wow this chapter is over 2000 words.  It's a little long, but I'd rather have a longer chapter than a shorter chapter, right?  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it.

Meanwhile, I have to go work on three assignments that are all worth at least 10% of my grade and study for a huge test... aaAAAHHHH I'M STRESSED (_/X△ X)_/

I have to go do that stuff right now.  See you all in the next chapter everyone!!