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Sol's sleep that night was far from restful.

In truth, it seemed like every night had become restless for him ever since he had returned to Azure. He was no stranger to haunting dreams, particularly those that made him see the ghosts of his past, refusing to stay locked away... Until now. Until he had come home, and now his dreams were filled with fonder memories - better memories of the days with his family.

Before everything had gone so wrong.

He remembered the time he spent with his father, the first person to truly welcome him home to Azure. Even now he could still recall his breaking down in front of Nido and collapsing into the arms of the father he had thought he resented for so long, never realizing how much Nido had missed him until they had that moment. Yet even then, he still didn't feel complete... There was still one more person, one more family member who he still longed to see...

The name was on his lips as his eyes opened, awakening from his dreams again. "Luna..."

Even after reconciling with Nido, Sol still had yet to meet with the Zangoose who had adored him so much while they had grown up together. Luna surely knew by now that Sol was back in Azure - likely most of the town knew, and he was sure that it was only because they felt safe under the watchful eyes of Team Valiant and Team Phalanx that the Typhlosion hadn't been chased out. Yet, Nido had come to him for reconciliation - why hadn't Luna?

Of course he knew the answer - just another of those things he'd never admit aloud. Nido had come to him, because Nido sought to make up for what _he_had done, for what he felt was his own failure as a father. But with Luna, it was the opposite; it was Sol who needed to seek forgiveness this time, for his own failing. With that said, even with Reshiram's nagging he couldn't bring himself to seek Luna out. Aside from the fact that Luna might not want to see him after so long, Sol could not escape the guilt that hung over him like a heavy cloak. He couldn't face his brother - at least not by himself anyway.

He loathed the idea, but he had no other choice. He was going to need help in trying to make things up with his older brother, and there was only one Pokémon he trusted enough to go to for the help he needed.

Sol left his cabin aboard the airship, not caring if his heavy footsteps down the narrow corridor woke anyone. The passage was so narrow in fact he almost filled the hall entirely and had to keep his arms tucked in and his head bowed low so as not to become wedged in the passage. When he left the ship, his first stop was at the construction site of Team Phalanx's houses.

To his dismay though, only two of the team were there. Tristan and Katsumoto were hard at work, piling freshly cut logs for the next cabin. Sol was due to have a house of his own soon too - he was after Volcan in fact, since Serena was living with Katsu now, and Lashanne insisted she could keep living aboard her ship. Sol's stiff back had him wondering what the Delphox could be thinking, wanting to live aboard that creaky floating tub full time...

He approached the two, who had not noticed him until he spoke up. "Oi." He called, and they turned to him.

Katsu instinctively hovered a hand over one of his blades, ready to draw in case Sol was here to cause trouble, but Tristan showed no such fear turning to Sol and nodding in greeting to him. "Mornin'," the Aggron said casually.

"Hey." Sol remarked before shooting Katsu a glance. "Put the toy away, I ain't here for a scrap so relax." He added irritably before turning his gaze back to Tristan. "Where's the Kung Fu Chicken at?" He asked.

"Volc? He took Caulin out into the woods for some trainin'," replied Tristan, pointing to the forest. "Wanted to get a few rounds in before we got to work today."

"Cool," Sol returned quickly as he resumed walking, heading for the trees without another word.

As he passed Katsumoto, the Samurott noted the tired look in Sol's eyes and his body language. His eyes were partially lidded, and his body language suggested fatigue, his steps dragging and displaying none of the strength that Sol normally exhibited even when walking upright.

When Sol was out of earshot, Katsumoto turned to Tristan. "Is it just me, or does the lad seem... off today?" He asked the Aggron.

Tristan shrugged. "Bad sleep, maybe?" He offered. "Can't imagine sleeping on that cot in the ship full time is restful."

Katsu hummed to himself in thought as he looked out to the forest again, watching Sol until the Typhlosion was gone from sight. With that, he went back to work, picking up the log he'd been carrying again and adding it to the stack.

Sol made his way into the forest, having a good idea where he might find the Blaziken. He knew of a spacious clearing not far into the trees that would make an ideal training ground. To his credit, he was correct, finding Volcan and Caulin exactly where he expected, going through the motions of honing their technique. Volcan was making several snapping kicks to the air, with Caulin doing his best to follow them to the letter. Volcan was faster and more precise, having had much more time to practice these techniques, but to Sol the young Riolu seemed to have a good grasp of the motions - he didn't have the power or speed down yet, but that would come with time.

They exploded into motion, Caulin a mirror of Volcan's movements, matching his high kicks and acrobatics until they concluded with a backflip. They both landed gracefully on their feet, but then Caulin stumbled and landed on his backside, panting for breath. Despite his fatigue, he was back up in a second, shaking his head.

"C-C'mon! One more... time!" He said between gasps "I'll get... it... this time!"

"Take a moment, Caulin," Volcan urged him, kneeling beside him and offering him a flask of water. "Catch your breath and rehydrate."

The Riolu huffed and panted, taking the flask and taking a few gulps. He didn't waste a minute - as soon as he had his second wind, he urged Volcan to let him try the combo again. Off in the distance, Sol watched the Riolu's training with mild interest as the two burst into motion again. He smirked softly as he saw his Quilava self in Caulin's place, reminiscing the times where he would train all on his own in order to master the next new move he picked up in his arsenal of attacks.

'Certainly got spunk, I'll give him that...' The Typhlosion thought with a slight nod, crossing his arms as he waited for their training to come to a close.

High kick, low kick, low sweep, hop and kick. Caulin followed Volcan's lighting-fast movements, going until they reached the backflip, where this time Caulin remained on his feet. Both of them took a moment to catch their breath, and then relaxed.

Volcan turned to Caulin, wearing a proud smile as he regarded the Riolu. "Alright, you seem to just about have that one," he said, nodding in approval. "Good job, kiddo."

Caulin didn't seem to share in his optimism. Volcan could see a scowl present on Caulin's face as he lifted his paw, staring at it before clenching it tightly. "...It's not enough," he said softly as he loosened his paw.

"Caulin?" Volcan asked, moving to stand in front of the Riolu and squatting down to put himself at eye level with him. "What's the matter?"

The Riolu didn't meet his gaze, his eyes still on the ground as he took a few long breaths. "...How'd you do it?" He asked suddenly, only then lifting his gaze to meet Volcan's eyes, wearing the most serious expression he likely ever had. "How'd you get to where you are now, and how long did it take?" He asked.

Volcan took a moment to consider the question, frowning as he lifted a hand to rub the back of his head, creasing his feathered crests in the act. "Well, when I _started_is unfortunately a little fuzzy," he admitted. "I only know I was doing it before I met your dad so I've been practising and training for at least twelve years, give or take one."

"Were there any shortcuts that you took, or at least considered taking, in order to get stronger?" The Riolu asked.

Volcan took his hand from the back his head and looked at Caulin. "Shortcuts?" He asked.

"There has to be a way to get stronger faster, right?" Caulin asked, pumping his arms eagerly. "You gotta know something I could do! Some way to be as tough as my dad."

Volcan frowned. "You can't take shortcuts like that, Caulin," he said.

"What about your mega stone?" Caulin asked, pointing his paw accusingly at Volcan's harness.

"That could be considered a crutch, yes," Volcan admitted. "Your dad certainly thinks so. But it's not the same as what you are asking."

"How's it any different?" Caulin demanded, sounding annoyed.

Volcan sighed. "Because shortcuts to power only end two ways," he said. "Power can be intoxicating, Caulin. It can change you, and not for the better." Caulin's expression softened at that, and Volcan continued. "Shortcuts to power only end two ways. They either destroy you, because you lacked the discipline or fortitude to control it - something that could have happened to me if I had not been ready when I used this stone for the first time," he gingerly touched the metal plate that housed the Blazikenite.

"And... the other path?" Caulin asked.

"The other path... you become like Calhoun," he said. "Gaining that power was so easy, and it's so thrilling to know you can defeat anyone in your path, that you think you can do whatever you want. From there, comes the inevitable downward spiral, and you cross lines that you never would've thought to before."

Though Volcan had been speaking about Calhoun, Sol knew that that Blaziken was talking about him as well. He'd shared such words with the Typhlosion before when they had first met. Sol had fallen down that second path - the path that made him live by his rage, doing whatever he wanted without fear of reprisal... All because he was the strongest now. It made Sol wonder for a moment... could he have turned out like Calhoun? Or maybe, even something worse than the Dark Blaziken?

Caulin took in Volcan's words, biting his cheek as he understood the logic behind the Blaziken's caution. "It's just... Effort doesn't seem to be enough," he said. "It seems like no matter how much we train we can't beat him. I mean, even my dad couldn't beat him, yanno? He's been doing this for so long yet even he couldn't win..."

"Take it from me kid." Sol finally piped up, revealing his presence to the two of them as he stepped out from the shadows, making his way slowly toward them. "The only way yer gonna get any stronger is if you really push your limits and break through 'em. You start thinking otherwise and you might as well hang up the weights and give up right now."

"Oh, hey Sol," Volcan said casually as stood up at his full height again. "Didn't see you over there. Sleep well?"

"As well as a sleepless Slowbro." Sol answered with a groan, pinching his eyes a bit with his paw to try and rub away some of the fatigue he still felt.

Volcan tilted his head curiously. "You okay?" He asked, concerned.

Sol scoffed. "Yea, I'm on cloud nine," he returned sarcastically before adding in his usual abrasive tone. "No, I'm not okay. Do I_look_ fucking okay to you?"

Volcan narrowed his eyes at Sol with clear disapproval, crossing his arms. "Did I do something to offend?" He asked, his voice not carrying the same caring curiosity he had with his previous question.

Sol winced as if he were smacked on the back of the head, sighing in irritation before spoke again. "No, you didn't do anything wrong, it's just..." He glanced to Caulin for a moment. "Tell the squirt to scram first, then I'll talk."

Volcan looked down at Caulin, gauging his response to the request. The Riolu glanced between Volcan and Sol for a brief moment, then shrugged. "Okay. I'll just head back to see if Tristan and the big Samurott guy need anything," he said as he turned and started toward the trees.

"I'll see you in a bit Caulin," promised Volcan, waiting until the Riolu was out of earshot before he turned to Sol again. "Alright, let's have it," he said. "What's on your mind?"

The Typhlosion's expression softened, just a little, when they were alone. "...I need yer help." He admitted. "Don't let it get to your head - this is a one-time thing, you understand?" He added quickly before continuing. "As ya know, my dad came to me and we made peace with each other before he just up and left, but I've yet to make peace with my brother, and frankly... I can't do it." He explained.

"Why not?" Volcan asked. "Is it because Luna lives in town and you can't enter without one of us?"

"Hell no!" Sol exclaimed. "I couldn't care less if I were allowed back in Azure or not. The reason why I can't is because...." He trailed off, feeling all of the guilt starting to rise up to the surface again. "Because when I went on a rampage, I hurt him. Like,_really_bad - I thought I might've even killed him. All that pent up anger and hatred I felt for him came out in the form of a full force Blast Burn and he took it head on," Sol lowered his head, fighting back tears that he refused to let anyone see "That was the moment where I knew I fucked up, and that loathing toward him started to redirect itself back at me... After I was kicked out by Dad, I kept telling myself I couldn't go back, because of what I did to Luna."

"But you still want to make amends for it," Volcan replied, not in question but in statement. He knew where Sol was going.

He nodded back. "I realized that Dad gave me the boot because he was tryin' to teach me a lesson, not because he hated me or because of what I did. He came to me because he wanted closure, to see the man I've become and to explain himself to me. I gotta follow my old man's example and patch things up with Luna, but... I just can't."

Volcan grimaced at that, considering how best to answer the Typhlosion. "I don't really know Luna yet. I never got the chance to meet him," he said. "Most of what I've heard came from Luke and Hank." He tried then to recount what Luke had told him about the Zangoose - more in effort to push away thoughts of his lover that tried to force themselves to the forefront of his mind.

"Well, that's where you come in." Sol answered. "Luna lives in a house on the far end of the town's Southern Border. It's a large two-story place, can't miss it." He explained. "You go over there and tell him that his brother's got some words fer him."

Volcan looked at Sol quizzically. "Sol, Luna doesn't even _know_me," he reminded. "If some random Blaziken showed up at your door and said someone wanted to see him, would you be so quick to trust? I may not know how Luna is, beyond hearsay, but I know that if someone did that with my brother he'd be suspicious from the get-go."

"Normally you'd be right." Sol concurred. "But when I'm the topic of the discussion, he'll buy just about anything you throw at him, he's that naive." He said with mild disgust. "Just... do this fer me, alright? I'm actually asking you fer a favour as a friend and not as a convict on parole. Just get him over here and stick around when we start talking. That's all I ask."

Volcan let out a sigh. "Sol, straight up, this won't work," he stated. "If you aren't willing to show the initiative to try to patch things up with him yourself, he's not going to think you're genuine." He pointed at the Typhlosion. "It has to come from you, not me. I can walk with you there, but if you want to make amends to your brother you need to be looking him in the eyes from the start."

"Fuck's sake." Sol grumbled, sucking in a deep breath and holding it for a moment before letting out a long sigh, with steam emanating from his nostrils as he did. "You _do_realize that if I walk with you to his place, people are gonna lose their shit, right? There's a reason why I was once called the Devil of Azure..." He pointed out.

"Leave that part to me," he replied with a confident smirk.

Sol stared intently at Volcan, trying to get a read on his expression. "...I'm not gonna like where this is going, am I?" He growled, feeling a bit uneasy just from that smirk alone.

"Probably not," he replied bluntly. "I'll get you to Luna's house and keep any people looking to start trouble off your back. But you have to make damn sure you don't react - no matter what they say, or do, you have to stay in control."

Sol growled, and then threw back his head and bellowed. "Alright FINE!"

"Not off to a good start," the Blaziken scolded.

Sol grumbled under his breath, taking a few breaths in an effort to steady himself "Just get me there quickly, okay? The faster we move, the less likely I am to snap," he said.

"We'll take a less direct route. You said Luna's house is on the southern edge of town, right?" He looked west, back toward Azure. "We'll take a wide southwest berth around the town - should be a lot fewer people to run into there and work our way in from that side. You can point the place out, right?"

"Yea I can. I used to live in that house after all." Sol remarked with a shrug. "Let's just get this over with, okay?"

Volcan nodded. "Alright. This way," he bade, and started to walk, heading back toward Azure with Sol following.

As Volcan had suggested, once the two of them were in sight of Azure, he started taking a wide route around town with Sol in tow. They stayed to the town's outer edge to make their way to the southern side. It was still the early morning and crowds were few - the largest accumulation being at the town's central market, but they were staying well away from that.

Of course, that did not mean they wouldn't encounter a few people along the way. Gatherers and woodcutters who worked in the forest were on their way out or back and saw the two as they travelled. Those who recognized Sol were immediately apparent, becoming rigid at the sight of him. A few were brave enough to not make a fuss and simply gave him plenty of room, but others ran back into town, a few shouting frantically as they sprinted down the streets.

"And it begins..." Sol muttered under his breath as he watched those that saw him flee back into town, no doubt going to scream bloody murder about his return to the rest of the townsfolk and cause an uproar at some point. "I give it about five minutes before I start getting rotten Pecha Berries thrown at me."

"Just remember what I said," Volcan cautioned. "If you want them to trust you again - and don't pretend you don't care," he added sternly, stealing Sol's predictable retort, "then this is the first step."

He stayed silent after that, clenching his fists at his sides to the point where they were shaking heavily as they kept on their path, only speaking occasionally to help guide Volcan down the correct path to Luna's house. 'I must say, you're doing a fine job at controlling your temper.'_Reshiram spoke to him mentally. _'Those stress exercises I recommended seem to be paying off.'

'Lady, I swear to fucking Arceus, you are not_helping!'_ Sol snapped back. 'Just shut up and let me concentrate...'

Soon, they approached the home of his brother, exactly as Sol said it would be. Before them stood a large two-story house that looked more like an inn rather than an actual residence. The structure of the house was deceptively simple when looking at it from the outside, but Sol assured the Blaziken that it was much different on the inside. The closer they got to the house, the more apprehensive and unnerved Sol became, taking smaller and smaller steps as they approached the front door until he was practically lagging behind the Blaziken.

He began cursing at himself internally, trying to push himself forward and face his brother like he knew he should, but the guilt was becoming too much for him to bear. He finally reached his breaking point when they were standing just outside the front door of the house.

"Fucking hell, I can't-!" Sol grumbled, trying to turn away from the door and proceed back the way he came.

"Hang on!" Volcan said sharply, dashing in front of the Typhlosion to block his path. "You're at the finish line here and you're going to turn back now?"

"Buddy, you have no idea the amount of guilt I'm feeling right now. I can't face him after what I did." Sol quickly shot back at Volcan.

"It took you courage to come here, to even make it this far," Volcan scolded him. "If you turn back now when you're this close, you might never find it again."

"If you knew the fucking weight I was carrying right now, you'd understand why I'm suddenly getting cold feet!" Sol shot back. "Now move, before I-!"

"Sol?"

Sol went immediately still at the sound of the voice, his words dying in his throat. His eyes were wide, his fur standing on end and his body completely rigid with shock. Slowly, he summoned the strength to turn around to face the owner of the voice. A small, innocent looking Zangoose stood at the doorstep of the house, having heard their argument and stepping out to see what was happening. The expression on his face was one of mild shock at first, fixed upon Sol's own and practically paralyzing the Typhlosion.

"Is... Is that you, Sol?" He asked in a much softer tone, his voice almost cracking as he spoke.

Sol's throat felt like he had a Froakie stuck inside of it, for every attempt he made to try to speak ended up as a choked gasp instead, followed by him swallowing heavily to try and clear his throat so he could speak up. He felt Volcan give him a light push and snapped his head back to glare at the Blaziken, but Volcan did not flinch, arms crossed and cocking his head toward the Zangoose as he waited. He continued to glare back at Volcan for a few moments longer before he finally relented, sighing heavily and turning his attention back toward the Zangoose before him...

He didn't even have the chance to speak before Luna was suddenly flying at him. Sol flinched, then wheezed when Luna's arms closed around him, squeezing him tightly as the Zangoose squealed in an almost girlish delight. "It IS you!! Oh, Zekrom be praised, it really IS you!!!" Luna exclaimed as he burst into tears of joy, nuzzling hard into Sol's chest, already practically bawling his eyes out and staining Sol's beige underbelly with his tears.

Sol grunted, instinctively scrambling to try and pry Luna off of him, but his brother had a death grip on his back with those sharp claws of his. "Fucking- GET OFF ME!!" He hollered angrily in protest.

"I've missed you so much, Sol!!" Luna continued to cry out, his voice muffled in Sol's chest as he spoke before he pulled back and looked at him square in the eyes. It was then he noticed how discoloured they were since last time they spoke. "Wait, why are your eyes so weird?" He demanded, going from bawling tears of joy to becoming a concerned, overprotective sibling in the blink of an eye. "What's this stone doing in your chest?? What happened?"

"I- It's... It's a long story." Sol admitted, averting his gaze and scoffing angrily, his cheeks a bright shade of red from how embarrassed he felt at that moment.

"Well then tell me about it!" Luna stated quickly as he got off of the Typhlosion, finally allowing him to stand back on his feet once more. It was then he noticed Volcan and looked at him inquisitively. "...And you are?" He asked, cautiously but not without having a certain bubbliness in his tone.

"My name's Volcan," replied the Blaziken. "We haven't had the chance to meet, but I've heard a lot about you, Luna."

At that, the Zangoose started to blush, his demeanour quickly becoming rather meek and shy. "O-Oh? From who?" He asked. "Was it Hank? Or maybe Kage's been spreading rumours again?" He asked.

"Little of both," replied Volcan. "I'm good friends with most of Team Valiant. I'm actually dating one of them."

"Oh really? Who?" He asked excitedly. "N-Nevermind, it can wait for now. Please come on in!" He said as he grabbed Sol by his paw and practically dragged him in with him. "Nami! We have company!!" He exclaimed happily into the house.

"Dude, lemme go! I can walk just fine!!" Sol retorted, trying to pull his paw away as he was practically dragged after Luna into the house.

"Should I leave you two be?" Volcan asked, calling after them. "I can wait out here while you catch up."

"Oh no, please come on in!" Luna called back happily. "Any friend of my brother's a friend of mine~!"

Sol looked back at Volcan with a pleading look in his eyes, practically begging him to get him out of this awkward situation. Volcan gave a helpless shrug and a smirk, as if to say, 'You wanted this,' before following the two inside.

Luna practically dragged the two of them deeper into the house once they were all inside, and it was there that Volcan could really get an idea of Luna's living conditions. While the exterior of the house was simple in design, the interior was quite a sight to behold. The Foyer of the place was large enough to rival that of a mansion's, with decorations lining the walls and other articles of furniture that only added to the 'wow' factor of the place.

They veered off to the left, heading straight for the living room. The whole time they were dragged along by Luna, Sol had the most anxious expression on his face. Everywhere he looked brought back memories of the past before his exile, and even just merely being in the presence of his brother left him _very_on edge. Even with Volcan present with him, and Reshiram trying to help him calm down internally with her soft words, he looked as if he was about ready to pass out.

When they entered the living room, they were greeted with the sight of two more Pokémon sitting across from one another, specifically a Frogadier and a female Greninja. Sol knew these two, recognizing them as Luna's girlfriend, Nami, and their adopted son, Tyde. What made Tyde stand out though, was the fact that he literally had no arms, and his left eye seemed to be missing as well. With such a massive handicap about him.

They were in the midst of a practice session when the three men entered. The Greninja - apparently Nami, was working to help the younger frog Pokémon better control the use of his aquatic powers so that he didn't drip water everywhere when he used them to manifest arms. They stopped their activity when the three Pokémon walked in, with Nami opening her arms and hugging Luna tightly when he trotted over to her. But when Nami noticed Sol, her demeanour immediately changed. She became defensive and demanded why he was even here, but Luna quickly eased her concerns by explaining that Sol had come of his own volition, to which Luna looked back to Sol for confirmation, but the Typhlosion was practically a statue, standing completely still and silent and not daring meet Nami's eyes. It took some convincing from Volcan's end to help Nami calm down. Eventually, she left the room with Tyde, leaving them the living room to catch up in.

Luna then took a seat on the sofa across from his guests with a sigh. "Please, have a seat. There's so much I wanna discuss with you!" He stated, gesturing for Volcan and Sol to take a seat in front of him. "You said your name was Volcan right? How'd you run into my brother~?" He asked, leaning forward with his claws on his knees, his bushy tail wagging quickly behind him.

"Uh..." Volcan rubbed the back of his head. "Should I start with when I first saw him, or... when I met him the second time?" He looked at Sol, gauging his response.

The Blaziken was concerned with divulging too much and making things worse for Sol. The first time Volcan had seen Sol was at Team Warmachine's tournament, where he was on a rampage and was taken down by Torolf. The second time was following a prison break where Volcan was sent to capture Sol, to return him to chains; Volcan held no delusion that either one could be considered a flattering tale to tell his brother...

Sol shot Volcan a look, lightly shaking his head and making a slashing notion with his paw to indicate that he shouldn't tell Luna. The Zangoose however, with his keen eyes, saw the motion out of the corner of his gaze, and his smile faded somewhat. "Did...you two meet on bad terms?" He further inquired.

Volcan let out a sigh. 'Okay, this is going to be hard. Despite his childish nature, I can tell Luna is not going to be easily fooled.'

He took in a breath, sitting up straight and looking squarely at Luna. "Luna, I'm not going to lie to you, but before I go into detail it's only to fair to warn you that you may not like what you hear," he caught Sol tensing out of the corner of his eye and could practically feel the Typhlosion glaring at him again, but he continued without looking at him. "Just remember that Sol came here in the hopes of making up for his mistakes. Your father has already helped him find this path to redemption, and for him, coming to you is the next step."

Luna's smile faded completely after hearing that, but he still nodded in understanding regardless and rested his head in his claws. "Okay..." He agreed, then gestured for Volcan to continue.

Volcan looked at Sol again, gauging his current response before he continued. Sol let out a heavy sigh, his ears flattening and his gaze lowering to the ground in shame but motioning with his paw for Volcan to go ahead.

With his permission, Volcan began his story, starting with when he had first seen Sol at Team Warmachine's tournament. Sol had entered as a competitor, and soundly won his first match, but he had tried to kill his opponent even after the fight was over. He skimmed over most of the details of Torolf's fight with Sol, having not witnessed it himself, but did clarify that at the end of it, Sol was sent to the Siphon Prison to serve time for his rampage. Then, they came to the prison break, where Sol and several other prisoners were sprung by Calhoun and that Volcan's team was sent to retrieve the escaped prisoners, joined by Team Kama of Bluegrove.

"Sol was the last one left to capture," Volcan explained. "But when we found him, we suddenly realized he was under mind control and not working for Calhoun willingly. He still fought back, even after my friends Minato and Lashanne freed him, but in the end he surrendered. I then appealed to the new Guild Council to grant him parole - he was supposed to be placed under Team Valiant, but at his request he was put under my team - Team Phalanx, instead. And he's already done some good with us." He offered a reassuring smile, and waited for everything to sink in with Luna, watching the Zangoose closely.

At first, Luna's expression was quite saddened once everything had registered with him, casting a gaze at Sol and leaning back against the sofa he sat in. "Sol... Why?" He asked softly. "Why'd you cause so much destruction?"

"Because it's how I fucking cope with stress. You should know that about me already," Sol abrasively replied, trying to shrug off Luna's question.

"But there was more to it, wasn't there?" Luna asked, not satisfied. "I mean... I had a feeling that, even before you went on your rampage that made Dad kick you out, you held onto some sort of resentment towards me... Is that also the reason why you went on your rampages within and outside of Azure? Because you hated me?"

Sol didn't answer, his scowl growing more apparent and his gaze drifting to his immediate left, tapping his foot on the floor impatiently.

"...If you won't answer that question, then answer this one for me." Luna pleaded, his eyes already starting to water up a little. "..._Why_did you hate me, Sol? Tell me what I did to earn your contempt... please!"

Volcan looked at Sol, studying him carefully to try to get a sense of where his mind was at. The Typhlosion then slowly stood up from his seat, still keeping his gaze away from Luna as he rose to his feet.

"That's fer me to know, Luna." Sol remarked in a low tone, gritting his teeth slightly. "Why I hated you doesn't matter anymore... The point is I'm back and I'm trying to change, fer better or worse."

Luna's heart felt like it was ready to break at that point, his expression saddening even more as he watched Sol turn his back to him and start to leave the room, even with Volcan calling after him. After about three steps, Luna finally shot to his feet with a light _thump,_with his claws clenched at his sides.

"Damnit Sol! Don't do this to me now!!" He hollered at the Typhlosion, making him stop in his tracks. "You always do this when you've done something you know you shouldn't have, and it's the one thing about you that drives me crazy! You came all this way to see me, and I deserve the right to know why you held onto all of this-this-this... loathing!" He said, stopping and taking a moment to try and regain his composure before continuing.

"Sol... I was really sad when Dad told me he kicked you out of Azure. I didn't care about all the things you did, or the fact you hurt me during one of your outbursts. Every day I worried about you, pleaded to the Gods to make sure you were okay, and that you'd return home one day... I really _really_missed you!"

When Luna made mention of the incident that earned him his exile, Sol's neck vents started to smoke heavily, indicating he was starting to lose his temper again. In a quick motion, the Typhlosion spun on his heel and glared angrily back at Luna.

"Dear fucking Arceus, SHUT UP!!" He hollered back at Luna. "Just shut the fuck up, you whiny little shit! Every fucking time something like this happens, you get all modest and meek! It's sickening! You wanna know why I hated you so damn much, fine!" Sol went on, his neck vents now igniting from how furious he was. "You could do anything, and you still acted as if everyone were better than you! You're cowardly, you don't stand up for yourself, and whenever something awful comes your way, you'd rather curl up in a little ball and cry your eyes out rather than _do_something about it!!"

"Sol-!" Volcan started in a warning tone as he saw the Typhlosion's neck vents igniting, already reaching for his harness. 'Arceus damn it am I going to have to do this again? I can't take this guy by myself!'

Sol continued on with his tirade against Luna despite Volcan warning him to stop. "The ONLY time you ever stand up for yourself is when you're literally backed into a corner! You always hide behind your friends and shit - hell you constantly hid behind me and I always had to bail you out, and in the end all that did was get you hurt, by _me_out of all Pokémon!!"

"A-And I was thankful for that, really!" Luna returned, taking a step back from Sol when his temper started to reach its peak. "S-Sol, I'm sorry for making you feel inferior or unappreciated! I never meant to do that; I swear!" He pleaded, tears freely running down his cheeks now as both fear and sadness started to take over. "I never resented you for hurting me either! I made you angry, I know that! I forgave you for that, really I did!"

"I don't give a Rattata's ass whether you forgave me or not!" Sol hollered. "I didn't come back because I couldn't forgive_myself!!_"

There it was. The bombshell that Sol harboured within him since the day Nido kicked him out. It was at that moment both Luna and Volcan understood why Sol was so aggressive all the time, and why he always felt so guilty when discussing topics related to his brother... He never hated Luna. He hated himself.

"W-What?" Luna whispered softly. "You couldn't... forgive yourself? I don't understand."

Volcan took his hand away from his mega stone slowly but didn't take his eyes from Sol as he watched the Typhlosion lose his composure, the mask of rage crumbling behind the wave of guilt. 'So... this is how bad it was,' thought the Blaziken. 'It wasn't Luna he hated at all.'

Sol's neck flames slowly fizzled out, reduced to a light smoke as his guilt came crashing through full force. "That fuckin moment I scorched you with my Blast Burn, I thought I killed_you! For everything that made me so spiteful of you, never in a million fucking years did I ever want you dead!" He exclaimed as tears of his own started to well up in his eyes. "You're still my brother... And you're still one of the few people I could ever respect! Yet it always felt like you didn't care about living up to your better potential! I was pissed off because you wouldn't man up! I rampaged because deep down, I wanted _you to be the one that stepped up and subdued me! Not Dad, and especially not that blue Fuzzball and his prissy ass Team!"

"Then that day came... when you finally showed up and I thought you'd finally man up and take a stand. But you didn't! You just stood there, trying to talk me out of it! I couldn't take your passiveness anymore, and I... I snapped!" Sol explained further, his tone growing less and less aggressive the longer he went on. "When I came to, there you were...motionless and burned. You can't_begin_to imagine how I felt right at that moment... All that rage was gone, and all I felt was hate for myself! Resent, and guilt... it was too much! I could-"

Sol wasn't given the chance to finish his sentence, as Luna had suddenly shot forward and latched onto Sol as tightly as he could, hugging around his neck and idly rubbing his cheek along with Sol's. He was completely caught off guard by the gesture, blinking a few times as his mind registered what just happened.

Then Luna whispered softly into Sol's ear, something that made him freeze completely in place. "...I didn't care about all of that... I never stopped loving you, Sol. I just- I just wanted my brother back. It's all I've ever wanted, even after all this time..."

Sol's eyes shrunk to beads as those words sunk in, his tears that he was desperately trying to hold back slowly started to roll down his cheeks, and his bottom lip started to quiver uncontrollably soon after. His paws soon began to move on their own, lifting up from his sides until they firmly grasped Luna's back, and he sank to his knees as his emotions finally rushed forward. He sobbed and shuddered as they held one another, feeling all of that guilt and self loathing he had bottled up for several years finally started to wash away with his tears, and his shoulders felt much lighter in the process.

Volcan relaxed as he watched the two practically collapse into each other, and he stepped out of the living room to give them some privacy. He stepped into the next available room - the kitchen, to put a wall between him and them, but not too far so that he could listen in if things escalated again.

"...I fucking _hate_you, Luna..." Sol said softly, though despite the harshness of his tone he didn't truly mean the words he spoke.

Of course, Luna knew that as well. "I love you too, Sol... Welcome home..." Luna whispered back, still clinging tightly to his brother.

There was then a sudden, sharp sound that interrupted the moment between the two brothers, followed by Luna shrieking in fright and falling onto his backside against the floor after, following the sound akin to the cracking of a pane of glass. Volcan reacted purely on instinct, turning and running back into the room, expecting to find a fight, but what he saw was far more shocking.

The stone that was embedded into Sol's chest had cracked and continued to spider-web even as Sol sat there, frozen like he was paralyzed. The glow that it cast was now gone, and before their eyes it seemed to turn into dust and fell away from Sol's body, leaving only a small scar around where his heart rested. The Typhlosion, for his part, shut his eyes then and leaned his head back, letting out a long, steady breath - like one relieved of the heaviest of burdens.

'Well done, Sol...' Reshiram spoke to him internally with immense pride in her tone. 'You've finally let go of all your hatred, and now we can properly begin to forge a mutual bond...'

'...Way to ruin the moment.' Was all Sol retorted with, opening his eyes again and lowering his head to look at Luna again as his brother spoke.

"S-Sol, what just happened?" Luna asked after the whole ordeal was over.

"Words right out of my own beak," agreed Volcan. "Sol, you okay?"

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine." Sol returned, shrugging the whole ordeal off as he slowly got back to his feet. "Just a bit spooked."

"That makes three of us, clearly," Volcan added, moving over to help the Typhlosion stand up, and jolting when he saw his face. "Hey... Your eyes..." Volcan started to say.

"Eh?" He asked. "What about em?"

"They've... Changed," he said. "They look normal now." He looked around for a mirror or similar.

Luna quickly found one in the nearby dresser and handed it to Sol, who took it and looked at his own reflection. Sure enough, his eyes had returned to their original colours of red, with the whites having returned to normal as well instead of the void-like blackness that they had been for as far back as he could remember..

"...Huh. How bout that." He remarked casually, then tossed the mirror over his shoulder with a shrug. It hit the wall and shattered, crumbling to pieces to the floor.

"Sol! That mirror was expensive!" Luna whined.

"Seven years bad luck?" Volcan asked, arching a brow at the Typhlosion.

"That's if it breaks while I'm looking at it, dumbass," Sol retorted.

Volcan cast a smirk in return. "Never knew you were superstitious," he remarked, teasingly.

"More like 'stupidstitous, and no I'm not. I just know of it cause some shitstain kept going on about it when a mirror broke in front of him during my travels," He retorted with a snort. "Anyway, I'd say we're just about done here."

"W-Wait, Sol!" Luna remarked quickly. "Don't you wanna stick around a little longer? I could make lunch for you if you want!" He added optimistically.

"Sorry, but the last time I had something from you, I nearly puked." Sol remarked abrasively, which made Luna's ears wilt a little. Seeing this, Sol's expression softened a little, then he turned his gaze away slightly and scratched his cheek with a finger. "...That said... We could grab a bite or somethin tomorrow from a cafe or... something," he added as a compromise.

Luna beamed at that idea. "Sure! I'd be down for that!" Luna returned happily.

Volcan nodded in approval to Sol, as if to tell him he had made the right choice, and then turned his attention to the pieces of the broken mirror. "Hey, Luna. Got a broom and dustpan? Should clean up that glass before someone steps in it." He said, moving over to it to start picking up the pieces.

"Yes, I have one in the Broom Closet." He returned with a nod. "I'll take care of the mess. You guys can head out if you want." He added politely, then offered his claw to Volcan. "It was nice to meet you! Maybe I could make lunch for you sometime in the near future~"

"I'd be happy to," Volcan returned, keeping aside what glass he had picked up and shook Luna's paw with his free hand. "I'm glad I finally got to meet you."

"The pleasure's mine," he returned, shaking Volcan's hand quickly. "Take care you two!" He bade as they took their leave.

Tossing the broken glass into the garbage as he passed, Volcan made his way out of the house with Sol, waving to Luna as he saw them out and they started on their way back to the construction site.

"I got worried for a bit there," admitted Volcan. "But, I'd say it went well in the end." He smirked at Sol. "Your brother's nice."

"Yeah..." Sol returned softly, keeping his gaze forward as they walked, absently placing a paw over the scar that was once where the stone rested on his chest. "A little _too_nice sometimes..."

"So he's a pacifist. Have you met my team healer?" Volcan asked with a chuckle. "Some people don't have it in them to be unkind, and that's what I get from Luna. I can tell he is stronger than he looks, but I don't think he'll ever use that power except in his own defense, or in the defense of those he loves."

"Even then, he barely ever attacks back." Sol returned with a sigh. "Whatever... We made up and we're a family again. Now we can move onto bigger, more important things." He added, glancing to Volcan. "Like patching your shit up with the Fuzzball."

Volcan let out a sigh. "Working on it. I haven't seen him around town lately - I'm thinking he's sticking to his mother's house." He grimaced. "Since Luminara probably blames me for her falling out with Nido, I don't imagine she'll be happy to see me." He rubbed his chin. "I'll try writing a letter, maybe have Mikhail give it to him - at least he doesn't seem to be angry with me."

"Whatever floats yer boat." Sol remarked with a shrug. "So what next? We gonna just go back to workin' on your house?"

"Not much else to do," replied Volcan. "Until the next missions come up, we're here full-time." He put his arms behind his head. "I've been trying to come up with some idea that might help us track down Calhoun, but I've been turning up blank. The guy is such an enigma. The only thing we know about him is that he's a former Warrior Monk from the north continent, but I don't even know where from or how he got corrupted - how he became a Shadow Pokémon, or more so, why it is he retained his sapience and can transfer that curse onto others and control them! None of it makes any sense," He scratched his head furiously. "The fucking bastard is one big mystery and so far the only clue we have to fighting him is that the corruption manifests as a Dark Aura in the ones he infects."

"That, and it fuckin' hurts like a bitch when he's tryin' to pull you over to his side." Sol remarked off-handedly, still rubbing his chest idly. "If it weren't fer Reshie, I'd probably be another of that fuckwit's puppets instead of back home..."

Volcan stopped so suddenly, Sol could almost imagine him letting out a twang like a plucked guitar string as he came to a stop, standing upright like a stick out of mud. Slowly, his head turned to look at Sol, who stood watching dumbfounded at the Blaziken's sudden kookiness.

"Mind running that by me again?" He said, his shocked expression unchanging.

Sol blinked twice before answering. "I said if it weren't fer Reshie, I'd be corrupted like-" Sol then flinched and his expression shifted from dumbfounded to realization. "Oh shit."

"You're immune?" The Blaziken practically demanded. "Calhoun couldn't corrupt you?!" He sounded almost giddy, as if he had found an answer to a question that had been plaguing him for a long time - in this case, likely an accurate assessment.

"Well, I guess?" Sol answered. "I mean, all I really remember is that I felt it seepin' into my body, then I heard Reshie's voice crying out, then I blacked out. When I came to, my throat was raw and I was panting as if I just ran around the world and back."

Volcan put a finger to his chin, considering what Sol had told him. "That explains why Calhoun had Bialo mind-control you. You didn't side with him willingly, and he couldn't control you himself," he said, and then saw Sol's frown. "Sorry - just recounting. Anyway..."

"So what's your grand plan now?" Sol inquired.

"Not sure yet. Right now we just found out one other means to fight Calhoun, but at the same time you are literally the only one we know who possesses those means," said Volcan. "It's not like we can ask Reshiram to bless the whole world, or even the team. I may not know much about being bonded to a Legendary but I'm not dumb enough to think it'd be that simple."

"From what I remember, a blessed can only be bonded to one Legendary at a time, and even then the conditions are pretty steep," Sol explained. "Only reason I bypassed most of the steps was cuz my bond was forced upon me."

"Luke mentioned that, yeah," Volcan replied with a nod. "So your bond with Reshiram was forced. But..." he stopped and let out a grunt. "Eh... it's too soon to be considering this. I need more info first." He turned to Sol. "For now you've given me something else to consider. Thank you," he said nodding. "When we go for lunch later, it's my treat - as much as you like from anywhere you want."

Sol smirked back at Volcan deviously. "You better have some deep pockets on ya then..." He warned. "Cuz a guy like me _loves_to eat."

"As a fellow fire type, I can relate," he said. "But after today you've definitely earned it."

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn ya." the Typhlosion remarked with a shrug as he fell into step with the Blaziken again.

He was smiling... Sol could hardly believe it himself when he became aware of it, but he actually felt... happy. Like things, for the first time that he could recall, were finally starting to work out for him. His father had made amends with him, and now Sol had made amends himself with his brother. In Volcan, he had found a friend - a _true_friend, putting Sol's needs before his own and helping him find the courage he needed to make those amends.

Perhaps there was a future to look forward to for him after all...