"Guys, get to the staircase." Snivy's voice was calm and deadly.

"We're not leaving you!" Kip cried, moving forward, but Charmander picked him up and held him back. Serperiour regained her composure and stared at Snivy hard.

"Kip I'll be fine, I just need to have a little chat with my mother." Snivy's voice was still calm.

She met my eyes, and her's were sharp. I knew that face; it was her battle face.

"You're not going ANYWHERE!" Sereriour roared and swung her tail, lashing embers across one of our paths. Snivy roared and leaped forward, Leaf Blade clashing with the Queen's, shedding emerald sparks into the flames.

"Go! Hurry!" Our friend yelled. We turned and dashed through the smoke and to the base of the staircase.

"We can't leave her!" Kip yelled, struggling against Charmander's hold. I turned and saw the battle was clearing the smoke away as the two grass types fought.

"Look out!" Ace yelled suddenly, moving in front of us and beating his wings to keep the approaching flames at bay. Psyduck, Pidgey and Kip also tried to douse the fire as it rose.

"How dare you disrespect your mother this way!" Serperiour hissed, swinging her tail at Snivy. She jumped over it and lashed out with her own.

"You can't treat people like this!" Snivy shouted, eyes flaring, tail glowing.

"A princess does not RAISE HER VOICE!" Serperiour shouted, sending a volley of razor sharp leaves at her daughter. Snivy rolled away as the leaves sank into the wall behind her.

"I don't want to be a princess! I never did!" Snivy yelled, running straight at the Queen and slamming into her. The snake like Pokemon bent over in a wheeze, trying to catch her breath. She looked up to see Snivy standing over her.

"I am the General of the Freedom Fighters and the Commander of Eevee's army Mother. And for once, I will talk and you will listen."

The Queen's eyes went cold.

"You are a selfish tyrant who only cared her own needs. You only taught me that to rule you had to do it through power and fear. You were never my mother. You were a warden. A jail keeper. You are a bigger monster than any human could be. And I hate you!"

Snivy was screaming now as the Queen rose up to her full height.

"I HATE YOU!"

Snivy looked up at her mother and tears streamed down her face, "You've been this way since Dad died!" The Queen went utterly still, her red eyes hollow.

We all froze, and even the flames seemed to fall quiet. Suddenly an incomprehensible look of rage crossed the Queen's face.

"Don't EVER speak of your father." The Queen snarled, tail coiling up. Snivy still had hot angry tears running down her face, fire making them look like molten gold.

"NO! STOP AVOIDING IT! YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND YOU CAN'T CONTROL EVERYTHING! NOT GUARDS, OR DAD DYING OR ME!"

Snivy broke then, going quiet and sniffling, still looking up at her mother who's face was angry and hurt, "You don't control the things you love Mom." Snivy croaked, flames dying down, "Did you ever even love me?" She asked finally.

The Queen's eyes shone.

Then went flat.

"Maybe once. Now you are a traitor and useless to me."

Snivy shrank from her parent, "Mother..."

"I AM NOT THE MOTHER OF AN UTLAGA! And the punishment for treason, is DEATH!" And Serperiour's eyes turned green, smoking emerald vapor and a ghoulish light spread out on the wood from underneath her and across her skin.

"No... It can't be..." Pidgey whispered.

The Queen screamed and Snivy dashed away, huge brown brambles erupting from the ground. I took in a breath of shock and horror.

"FRENZY PLANT!" I howled, grabbing Kip by the scruff of the neck and dragging him up the staircase.

"An ultimate move." Pidgey breathed, almost in a daze as the wave of thorns crashed towards him.

Charmander grabbed his leg and pulled him back at the last second before the ground before him erupted with brown vines smoking noxious green vapor.

"We can't leave Snivy!" Kip cried, kicking against my hold. I looked down to see her running over the floor in an attempt to evade the vines.

"Up here!" Psyduck waved. Snivy immediately changed course towards us and Pidgey reached out a wing to her, but another wall of brambles leaped up in front us.

I looked through the thorny vines to see Snivy had skidded to a halt, then ran left.

Another wall.

She spun right to be cornered by more thorns.

Finally she turned and made a break through an narrow empty space and launched herself up towards us...

Right as a giant bramble sprouted in front of her, catching her across the face.

Kip screamed and Charmander let out a anguished cry as Snivy fell without a sound towards the ground. Suddenly the green fire faded from the Queen's eyes and the rancid smell of rotting vegetation stopped emitting from the brambles as her daughter fell.

Her face turned into an expression of horror, "No..." She breathed.

And before I could even blink, Serperiour was rushing forward, ever folded arms coming out from behind her back to catch her daughter, "What have I done -- Snivy! Snivy it's me! Snivy please, I -- I'm sorry -- What have I done..."

The Queen sobbed, holding her daughter close in the forest of thorns as fire died. Then, very quietly one of Snivy's eyes cracked open, then narrowed, and Snivy exploded up in a whirlwind of leaves.

The Queen shrieked, stumbling back from the Leaf Tornado, and Snivy started to fall again, until I heard a shriek of defiance and wind rushed past my ear. Snivy was suddenly lifted up in Ace's talons as he soared back towards us, and the Queen still clawed at her eyes, wailing.

The Taillow landed next to us and put Snivy gently on the ground, "Oh Arceus, no, no, no, this isn't good." Pidgey murmured.

One side of Snivy's face was bleeding. A lot.

"She's not moving!" Charmander cried.

"This way! Hurry." Ace commanded, pulling at a door in the wall. Charmander scooped up Snivy as we all ran through into the dark room. Ace grabbed a torch from the wall and pushed open another door, leading us down a flight a of dark stairs.

"Where are we now?" I asked. It started to smell like earth and dirt as the stair case came to a wooden floor and we ran along a tunnel.

"In the tree's roots. They spread out for miles, but I know one that will take us up near a stream and away from the palace so we can rest." Ace said, voice echoing off the walls.

"Thank you for saving her. That's something I won't forget." I told him quietly. He gave a nod.

"Hang on Snivy." Zoura muttered to his friend.

***

"Geesh."

"Yikes."

"Maybe she won't notice?"

"Are you sure it's permanent?"

Psyduck looked at his feet, "Yep. Scars don't heal. That there's the truth, clearer than Mystic Water."

I sat down on one of the stones of the riverbed, trying to take it all in. The tunnel had led us out, just like Ace said, and once we reached the surface, Psyduck had gotten to work on Snivy's wounds. He may not be able to put one foot in front of the other, but the Water type was a genius with medicene.

It was about nine in the morning and Snivy still hadn't woken up. We had put her on a makeshift bed of river moss and leaves for now, and Ace was still there, saying he would watch until she woke up. Bandages had been wrapped around the side of her face that had been injured, and the scar was pretty big.

"Mmmph. Guys? Ugh my head..."

We all rushed over to Snivy as she sat up, "What happened, I remember the tree burning, and running, and then that stupid branch hit me in the..."

She had came to the bandages covering her eye, "...face... "

"Snivy, listen to me," Pidgey began, placing a wing on her shoulder, "That bramble was from a Frenzy Plant, meaning the toxins found in the vines are highly volatile. Normally you would have no trouble healing from the cut, but since this was a Frenzy Plant..." He trailed off.

"I have a scar!?" She blurted.

"It's not that bad!" Charmander reassured.

"Yeah, it's only noticeable if someone looks at your face -- ow!" Psyduck's comment was cut off by my stamping on his foot. He sulked away, going to start making breakfast.

Snivy reached up and roughly ripped the bandages off while we stood in tense silence. I quietly handed her a shiny black rock and she stared at her reflection. Her paw reached up and traced the white crescent line that curved over one eye.

"It's a miracle we could save your eye, so you can still see out of it!" Pidgey said, trying to elicit a response.

"And you look really cool! Like before, people were like, 'Oh hey she might be tough, but let's be stupid and mess with her anyway', but now they'll be all like, 'Whoa man! She's got a kickass scar like some crazy bounty hunter or something, run awayyyyyy!'" Charmander mimed the whole scene with paw gestures and deep voices.

Snivy cracked a smile, "It does look tough doesn't it?" She asked.

I smiled, "I'd trade gold eyes for that anyday."

Zoura pouted, "Why do the girls get all the super cool souvenirs! I want some kind of crazy tattoo or something."

Kip crawled up next to Snivy and snuggled into her side, looking up at her with an expression that would make and ice-type's heart melt, "I'm glad you're okay. We missed you."

"Ahem, ahem, no praise for the rescuer? I do believe I played a small part in saving your life." Ace coughed.

Snivy raised an eyebrow, "So you're a Freedom Fighter now?"

Ace perked up, "Absolutely."

"Good. I'm the General and you will address me as Commander Snivy, rookie. As of now, I practically own you."

Ace still grinned, "I wouldn't have it any other way, Commander."

Snivy stood up. "Really? Are you ready to go through what could probably be the most dangerous adventure of your life? To fight against humans? To put your life on the line? Do you reallly want to be a Freedom Fighter? Or should I send you flying back to Freedom Island with your tail feathers between your legs?"

Ace puffed himself up, "I worked for your mom for years and she had never terriffied me as much as you. It would be an absolute honor."

Snivy grinned begruingly, "Good. You've got guts. Let's hope no one tries to rip them out of you." Snivy turned back towards me, looking at the ground, "I'm sorry, and I know I should've told you guy's about my mom, but I just freaked out. When I ran away the first time, I figured I wouldn't be coming back."

I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded, "We've all got our demons." I said, smirking.

Zoura nodded, "Man you guys shouldv'e met my Mom! She had some issues..." We laughed and Psyduck waved us over.

"Guys, dinner is almost ready! Oh... Is an oran berry supposed to bleed that much?" Psyduck asked, sounding puzzled.

"No. But your thumb is." Zoura told him, leaning over to look at the cutting board.

"Oh... Oh dear." With that Psyduck passed out.

Charmander sighed and started to drag him to the river, "And Commander, I'm sorry about attacking you earlier. I think I hurt your hand. Is it okay?" Ace inquired Snivy, hopping closer to her. Snivy flexed her hand.

"Yeah I think so." With that she punched Ace between the eyes and sent him sprawling on the ground, "Good work. Now we know you can take a punch." With that she reached back and tore a white piece of cloth from her ribbon and dropped it on his dazed face, and went to help Charmander with Psyduck.

Zoura grinned, "I think she likes you. You okay man?" Ace was still on the ground, but now he was smiling.

He pulled the cloth off his eyes and stared sleepily up at the sky, "What a woman."