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Kage stirred uncomfortably in his sleep. He felt like he was floating, yet in his dreams he was trapped in a cell. A cell in which the longer he stayed, the weaker he felt. His comrades, Fisher and Reaper, trapped in neighboring cells looking as ill as he felt, their moans of agony filling his ears despite his every attempt to blot them out, torturing him with his inability to help them.

Worse still, in the fell directly across from him, stood Shamshir, bound in chains and with the crimson form of Asya standing over him. Finally his ears were relieved of the moans of his comrades, only to be replaced by the sickening sound of claws piercing metal, and the death throes of Shamshir that'd be forever burned into his memory. Again and again he heard it, while Asya's arm continued to lift, and come down like the thrust of a dagger.

All the while Asya wore a sadistic grin, as if taking delight in every thrust of her claws into the helpless Shamshir's chest. Despite how many wounds he suffered the Scizor wouldn't die, forced to endure the wound that took his life again and again. All the while Kage could not silence his throes or look away from the torture.

He felt something touch him. Something cold, and moist, and suddenly he was jerked awake. When his eyes opened, someone was standing over him! Adrenaline surged through Kage's body, fearing an enemy had come to finish him, and with a gasp, he quickly sat up in an attempt to push whoever was touching him away.

"Grab him!" A voice commanded, and Kage quickly found himself being subdued by two other figures, both of them pressing their weight on him and holding him by the arms to stop him from flailing about and accidentally striking anyone else that was present in the room.

Kage grunted as he continued to struggle, though as his vision cleared, he got a better look at the two subduing him. His eyes narrowed for a moment as he seemed to recognize the large form of a Samurott and the lithe form of a Greninja, and when they backed up slightly, he saw their faces clear as day, making him gasp lightly in shock before uttering their names.

"...Wade...? Hageshi...?"

The Samurott smiled in response, gently placing his paw over the Greninja's head. "Yes, Shishio. It's us." He whispered gently. "Just relax. You're no longer in enemy hands."

"How did you...?" Kage began to ask, then took a second to look around his surroundings. "Where... am I?"

"Lashanne's airship." Hageshi pointedly answered. "Don't try to struggle. Your body is still recovering from malnourishment."

Serena reappeared after getting past the initial shock of Kage's abrupt awakening. She lifted a paw to touch his forehead, holding it for a few seconds. "His fever has reduced," she said, turning away. She went over to the table at the foot of his bed, picking up a bowl between her paws and, in a remarkable display of dexterity, walked on her hind legs and offered the bowl to Hageshi.

"It's broth. Help him drink it," she said as Hageshi took the bowl, letting her go check the other two patients.

Fisher and Reaper lay on the other beds, resting. They looked to be in a similar health to Kage, but he could see their chests rising and falling as they breathed. They were alive. He let out a small sigh of relief before he started to ingest the broth with Hageshi's help, though when he finished, that look of disdain returned to his face again as he recalled the events that took place before he was knocked out.

"So Skyler managed to inform the Guilds of our situation...and they sent you to retrieve us?" He asked in a low tone.

"Not... Necessarily. We came of our own volition." Wade answered. "Luke had heard about your capture from Captain Romulus, and...well-"

Hageshi cut in, a scowl visible on his face. "He let his emotions blind his judgment and gathered up his and Volcan's teams to attempt to rescue you," he said, ignoring the glare from Wade. "I came with them in order to assist in rescuing you, but in the end it didn't matter... Romulus and his team ended up coming to all of our rescues in the end."

"...So you fell for the trap then..." Kage stated, keeping his eyes away from his son and his pupil.

"I...Yes. We did..." Wade answered softly. "And we nearly paid for it with our lives..."

At that, Kage scoffed. "..Careless... You should haven't even bothered to come at all..."

That made the two of them look at Kage incredulously, with Wade frowning firmly as he stood back on his hind legs. "That's your response? After nearly giving our lives to rescue you, your response is that we shouldn't have even_bothered?_" He exclaimed. "I knew you were many things, Shishio, but being ungrateful was never among those things!"

"For once, I agree with Wade..." Hageshi added spitefully. "I voluntarily joined this rag tag group of rescuers in order to save your hide and bring you back home to Mother, and this is how you thank us?"

"Sounds like the extended stay inside the soul sucking castle didn't improve his personality too much."

At the doorway, there stood a familiar Blaziken, leaning against the frame with crossed arms, eyeing Kage disdainfully.

"Apparently not... If anything, it made it worse." Hageshi added spitefully, leering back at his father out of the corner of his eye. "Perhaps I should have just stayed home like he said. It wouldn't have made a difference either way." He added before he began storming out of the room, brushing past Volcan as he did.

Wade scoffed in disdain down at his master, paws clenched tightly at his sides. "In our defense, we had no idea about the Palossand until after it trapped us... but I guess that doesn't matter much to you." He added as he began to turn away. "...Hageshi came with us of his own accord to try and save you... Your own son...I would have guessed you'd at least be glad to see him again." He added before taking his leave as well, gently excusing himself as he walked past Volcan.

Volcan moved aside to let Wade pass. After Wade had moved though, his absence revealed another figure in the room, who previously he'd been blocking from view. Standing over by the door, at the foot of Reaper's bed, Kage saw another, less familiar figure. One far more alarming to behold.

Seated quietly in a chair sat the Zeraora his temporary team had encountered before they'd located the Crusade's castle. His eyes widened slightly at the sight, and instinctively he reached behind him as if to grab his sword, only to realize it wasn't there. He quickly glanced behind him when his hand couldn't find its hilt, then searched quickly for it among the room, but saw no sign of his weapon or his tools for that matter.

His gaze returned back to the Zeraora, half expecting the creature to attack him the second their eyes met. But the Zeraora remained passive, even when he saw Kage with clear recognition. His eyes narrowed, but he did not move.

"Yeah, he was not a happy one when he saw you three - I can only guess the reason," Volcan remarked. "But he did give you his bed." He added, gesturing to the mattress Kage rested on.

The Greninja glanced down at the mattress he lay on, then slowly began to lay back and sigh heavily as he let himself relax for a moment, now realizing he wasn't in any immediate danger. After a few moments of silence, Kage's eyes travelled to Volcan, meeting his disdainful look with a firm glare of his own.

"Why did you let him do it?" He asked suddenly. "Why did you allow him to let his emotions guide his actions?"

Volcan's frown turned to a scowl. "Are you being serious right now?" He asked. "First you blow off both your son, your student, now you're going after Luke for wanting to save your ungrateful hide?"

"You of all Pokémon know how rash he can be whenever he lets his emotions drive his intentions." Kage snapped back at Volcan. "Look at what happened when you were kidnapped by that despicable Emboar. Rather than think things through methodically, he acted purely on impulse to save your life himself. Granted it paid off in the end, but lightning doesn't strike the same spot twice." He added firmly. "He should have waited for reinforcements before charging head first to find us... Because of his reckless abandon, it's my understanding you all nearly perished trying to save just the three of us..."

"A rescue was already coming. We just arrived first," Volcan shot back. "Romulus came to us to invite us along, but yes, Luke got carried away and Romulus ended up saving us along with you. But if you knew the shit we went through before finally finding you," his voice raised briefly as he spoke, "you might consider dialing back being an asshole for a bit. We made a mistake - I'm not denying that. But we did it to get you back."

Kage stared back in silence at Volcan for an uncomfortable amount of time, then his gaze shifted to the side before he spoke up again. "...We already lost _one_warrior to Calhoun's forces... The last thing I want is to add to that body count."

"We know," Volcan said, more softly this time while lowering his gaze to the floor. "Romulus has Shamshir's body now. He's taking it back to Team Warmachine."

Before Kage could speak up, there was movement from Fisher, catching all of their attention. Serena darted over to the Inteleon's bedside. "Fisher?" She asked, seeing if he responded to his name.

The Inteleon grumbled slightly as his name was called, shifting slightly in his bed before his eyes started to flutter open. His vision cleared enough to see the Vaporeon gazing down at him, and he started to smile as he titled his head to look directly at her.

"My my. Did they send an angel to retrieve me, or am I still dreaming?" He asked with a smile.

She blushed slightly at the compliment, but maintained her professional attitude as she continued. "My name is Serena, I'm the medic for Team Phalanx," she said, placing her paw on his head to check his temperature. "Fever is down. And evidently your sight and hearing are okay. Good. Any pain?"

"Only a wounded pride, m'lady." Fisher answered, still maintaining that suave disposition as he slowly pushed himself up onto his elbows. He took a moment to take in his new surroundings, arching an eye ridge slightly. "This is a sight better than that dry prison they left us in... Where exactly am I?"

"You're aboard our airship," Volcan spoke up, bringing over a bowl of broth for Fisher. "We came out here to rescue our colleague from Team Valiant," he jerked the thumb of his free hand toward Kage. "Picked you guys up as well. Glad you're still with us." He added as he offered the bowl of broth to Fisher, allowing him to smell the herbs it was steeped with.

"So I have you to thank for our rescue." Fisher remarked, accepting the broth and sounding much more grateful than Kage as he sipped the concoction. "Much obliged, erm... Volcan, was it? The esteemed Captain of Team Phalanx?"

"That's correct," replied the Blaziken. "You've heard of me?"

"Pretty much the whole _world_has heard of you and your exploits with Team Valiant." Fisher answered calmly. "It's a privilege to be in your presence, Captain." He added, then glanced at Serena and smiled. "As it is to be in yours, my dear." He said in a suave manner, winking back at the Vaporeon intimately.

"I'd tread carefully, Fisher," Volcan put in even as Serena blushed. "This lovely lady is spoken for by a big Samurott, who packs a mean swing."

"...Ah. Well then." Fisher cleared his throat and nodded to Serena in a more cordial fashion. "My congratulations then, miss."

"Thank you," she replied, nodding to him.

Volcan looked over at the other bed, hearing a groan. "Sounds like he's waking up as well," he said, which prompted Serena to move over to the Weavile's side.

"This one's... Reaper, right?" Serena asked, looking to Fisher for clarification.

"Correct. Do be careful with that one though, he can be a bit... Skittish." The Inteleon answered, rolling his eyes to the side slightly.

"Sounds like I better standby," said Volcan.

"Reaper?" Serena asked, going through the motions as she had with Fisher. The Weavile sat up slowly, and for most of Serena's questions he waved her off, assuring her that he was fine. When he raised his head and opened his eyes though, he caught sight of Koa at the foot of his bed, sending him immediately on the alert when the scowling cat met his eyes.

The Weavile suddenly shot up from his bed and bared his fangs at the Zeraora, brandishing his claws and leaning forward as if to lunge at Koa.

"Reaper! Stand down!" Fisher exclaimed, but his words fell upon deaf ears. The Weavile was in fight or flight mode, and his instincts were leaning toward fight as he glared at the Zeraora.

"Hey!" Volcan barked, moving to stand between the Weavile and Koa, who was halfway out of his chair ready to protect himself. "Simmer down." Volcan warned the Weavile, glaring at him.

"And you are?" The Weavile hissed dangerously.

"One of the men that saved your life..." Kage pointed out, causing Reaper to glance in his direction. "That is Volcan of Team Phalanx. He, as well as my Captain and his team, are one of the reasons we still live, and are now free of Calhoun's clutches."

"Then explain why that savage is standing before me!" The Weavile growled, pointing at Koa.

"Like yourselves, we rescued him," Volcan replied. "The Crusade attacked the island he was guarding. An island I get the impression you all ventured to before us, and that Skyler told us to avoid - though when we saw signs of a fight happening there, we ended up going anyway."

Skyler had made it home. Even though Kage had already guessed it, it was a relief to hear in Volcan's own words that their fifth teammate had managed to escape and warn the guilds about what they had found. That said, the Weavile took another gander around the room, noticing that they were missing a teammate.

"...Where is Shamshir...?" He asked cautiously.

Reaper saw it on his teammates' faces and those of Volcan and Serena before the Blaziken mustered the courage to answer his question. "He... Didn't make it," said Volcan, a hand resting against his chest as he spoke, as though it hurt just to say it.

"He..." Reaper went on to repeat what Volcan had said, but the shock of the news made him hold his tongue as the realization set in. Slowly he lowered his claws and looked toward the floor sombrely. "I see... That is unfortunate."

Kage's hands clenched tightly against his bed sheets, then in a flurry of movement, he tossed the covers off of him and began stumbling out of bed, using one of the walls for balance. Volcan heard the Greninja stumbling and spun to look at him.

"H-Hey, Kage! You shouldn't be up yet!" Volcan exclaimed, moving to his side to catch the Greninja in case he fell.

The Greninja only shoved Volcan back when he tried to help him, taking a moment to regain his balance before he dared to step forward. He took three steps and stumbled, but quickly caught himself along the door frame before he fell on his face.

"I need air," He said in a low, dangerous tone as he tried to step out of the room.

"Kage, you need some rest. You're staggering enough as it is." Fisher called after him.

"I'll sleep when I'm dead," Kage sharply retorted, continuing on his way out.

"Volcan, stop him," Serena pleaded.

"He's not going to listen," Volcan replied plainly as Kage departed the room, leaving only his colleagues, along with the quiet but observant Koa staring after him. "And though I'd like to, I don't think knocking him out will do any favours either.

"...I get the feeling this has to do with the loss of Shamshir." Reaper piped up after a long silence. "He was abrasive when we started working together, but now he just sounds suicidal."

Volcan let out a sigh. "From what Luke has told me, he doesn't handle loss well," he said, turning to look at the two again. "Shamshir's death will likely hit him hard for some time. We recovered his body - it's being returned to Team Warmachine, where they'll give him a proper funeral."

"I think out of respect, we should all attend that funeral." Fisher suggested. "We may not have known him as long as you have, but he kept our team working like a well oiled machine. It would do him a great disservice not to attend."

"I concur." Reaper added with a nod. "He taught us much in the little time we knew him..."

Volcan nodded. "I'm sure Team Warmachine will welcome anyone wishing to pay respects to their fallen comrade," he said with confidence.

"In the meantime." Fisher stated as he let himself lie back on his bed. "I think it would be best to retire for now, unlike our brooding amphibian friend."

"I'll leave you guys to it then," Volcan said, retrieving the last bowl of broth, intended for Reaper, offering it to the Weavile. "Here. It'll help you get some strength back."

He nodded in thanks, taking the broth and sipping it a few times before letting it settle on his stomach, then he took his time finishing it before he joined Fisher in sleeping for the rest of the journey, sighing as he relaxed into the bedsheets.

Up on the deck, Kage stepped out through the hold doors, where he was spotted by his comrades milling about the deck. They quickly went to gather around him, even offer him some support when they saw him stumbling, but the Greninja quickly dismissed their attempts to help him and went to move as far from his allies as he could.

"Jeez, what the hell's _his_beef?" Eagle Eye remarked while tilting his head to the side. "What, he doesn't like the fact we're concerned about him?"

"Or the fact we literally risked life and limb to save his ass?" Hank pointed out, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "At least have the decency to say 'thanks,' ya fuckin prood!" He yelled after the Greninja.

Luke however had an idea on why he was being so dismissive. He frowned slightly, thinking it might have something to do with Shamshir's passing, and knowing his past, he was probably taking the loss incredibly hard.

"I think we ought to just give him time to grieve." Luke stated to his allies. "We've lost a great warrior and a dear friend to the Dark Crusade, and you all know how Kage deals with loss."

"Aye... T'would be best to give him a wide berth for now." Katsu concurred with a nod.

Hank scoffed a little in response. "Doesn't mean he had to blow off his pals..." The Zoroark remarked before turning heading below decks to check on their rescue pup. The others followed suit, with Katsu taking Doug to another part of the ship before going to check on Serena, and Eagle Eye taking off into the air to perform a routine patrol over the vessel.

A moment later, Volcan stepped out of the hold as well, looking around the deck until he spotted Luke. He also saw Kage, but he approached the former rather than the latter, walking up slowly and putting a hand on his lover's shoulder to get his attention.

"Hey," he said. "Kage say anything to any of you? He stormed out of the infirmary despite all our protests."

"Nope." Luke answered with a heavy sigh. "He just brushed us all off when we got close to him. Everyone kind of took offense to it but..." Luke kept his gaze on the Greninja from afar. "...He's really suffering inside, I can tell."

"Yeah, pretty clear to me too," Volcan agreed, crossing his arms. "The way he talked to Hageshi and Wade, and about all of us for that matter... I know he's got a stone face, but that was just cold."

"He was abrasive to his own son and pupil?" Luke asked curiously. "...What did he say specifically?"

"That they shouldn't have come for him, called them careless when he found out about us falling into the trap. I only caught the tail of the conversation but that much I heard," said Volcan. "After they stormed out he went on to say the same thing about you, even got on my case for not stopping you."

At that, Luke sighed sadly and lowered his gaze to the ship's deck. "He's... Not exactly wrong." He remarked softly. "I should have waited for Romulus' reinforcements to arrive. Maybe then we could have avoided the trap, or at least have been better prepared for it..." He added, then clenched his eyes tightly. "We almost died because of my negligence..."

"Hey, now," Volcan said, putting his arm around Luke. "Don't go there. You made a mistake, but you just wanted to save your friend. The rest of us went along with it. Even with our growing reputations, love, we're not infallible."

"I still needlessly risked all of our lives..." Luke answered, leaning into Volcan gently. "I needlessly risked your life. That is just unacceptable, both as a Team Captain and as your soon-to-be husband..."

"It was a hard lesson to learn. But it's a mistake we won't make again," Volcan assured him..

"Yeah, you're right." Luke answered, gently pressing against Volcan's chest more. Then he pulled back to look at him with a gentle smile, which then turned into a curious expression as he looked skyward. "...It did feel kind of nice though."

Volcan pulled back to look at his husband, horrified. "What?!" He asked, his voice breaking with shock.

Luke then started to laugh and gently slap Volcan's chest. "I'm kidding, love!" He said as he continued to laugh. "You are just so easy to tease, it's hilarious!"

"Geez, don't do that to me!" Volcan said, patting his chest with his hand. "Dying in a sand trap did not feel good."

"Well, the dying part I agree with; could definitely do without that." Luke concurred, his gaze shifting to the side slightly. He grimaced a little as a thought entered his mind, one that he pushed back immediately and shook his head quickly. "Let's just forget I said anything... It was a bad joke, anyway."

"Right. Anyway," said Volcan. "So... We know we're taking that little Rockruff with us. What do we do about Koa?"

Luke rubbed his arm gently with his opposing paw. "Honestly, I'm not really sure." He answered. "The simplest answer I could suggest is that he stays with Jora for the time being, so that he can learn more about our culture and our way of life."

"But is that what _he_wants? We have no right to keep him. The Rockruff is still a pup but Koa's old enough to think for himself." He looked over his shoulder. "Maybe we should ask him. I imagine he has a home somewhere - his people. He may want to go back to them."

"Well, only one way to find out." Luke remarked. "Let's find Jora and get her to translate for us as we're laying the cards down for him."

After a quick search, they found Jora resting in the hold in the cabin she had been given for herself. More of a closet due to the severely limited space aboard the airship, it was enough for their guide to have a bed to sleep on and a room where she felt safe and comfortable. The idea of gender specified bunks had crossed their minds, but among the entire crew, only three were women and two of those three were in relationships - Minato shared Lashanne's quarters on the upper deck and Serena usually slept in the infirmary, so the idea was pointless.

Jora happily accepted the two's request to translate for them when they spoke to Koa, who was still waiting in the infirmary. There had thankfully been no other altercations between him or Reaper, according to Serena. Fisher was sleeping soundly on his bed while the Weavile was trying to occupy himself, though his boredom was apparent.

The four made their way back up to the deck, and seated themselves at the bow of the ship, where it was the most private - as private as it could get with such limited space. Jora seated herself beside Koa, saying something to him in their native dialect, which earned Luke and Volcan his full attention, now aware of why he was there.

"So, Koa," Volcan began, with Jora translating his words to the cat. "We were wondering if there was somewhere you'd like us to take you. Our journey will take us away from these islands soon, but you don't have to come with us. We could take you home, if you like. Back to your people."

Koa listened to Jora as she translated Volcan's words for him. As she finished however, Koa's face darkened, as though something Volcan said bothered him. He began to speak, and Jora translated his words for him.

"'Returning to my people would be a poor decision. To be charged as Guardian is to honour the gods by fulfilling a sacred oath. To protect the dark place and never let it be found by outsiders'."

"But the Nexus... The Dark Place, is no more," Luke chimed in. "You no longer have to guard it. Surely they'd welcome you home if the oath is fulfilled."

Another pause as Jora translated, but Koa only shook his head.

"'The oath is not fulfilled. Outsiders bested me in combat, reached the dark place. It does not matter to the elders how many sides were involved - they see all outsiders the same, even if one sought to cleanse it and the other sought to control it. To the elders, I will have failed, and that is a grave dishonour. Nor does it matter even if there is no longer a place to protect'."

"'To take on the role of a Guardian is a lifelong'-" Jora paused, seemingly struggling to find the correct word. "I think the correct word would be... obligation, commitment?" She asked.

"Lifelong obligations mean that once you start on the path, there is no turning back." Volcan stated.

Jora nodded. "Yes," she said, and went to translate the rest of what Koa had said during their pause. "And the price of accepting this task is to never return to the village or leave the post. To have failed as Guardian, that would have him banished. But if they see us bringing him, even just glimpse him coming off the airship... They will kill him, and likely us as well."

"You're joking!" Luke exclaimed in both shock and disgust, looking at Koa in horror.

"It is how they protect themselves. We might take him to one of their outer colonies where we would not be harmed, but it would not save him," Jora replied. "He has nowhere to go now..."

Luke didn't take long to decide that was unacceptable to him. He cleared his throat and spoke up. "Well, with that taken into consideration, do you want to come with us then? Start a new life with us," He asked.

Jora relayed the question to Koa, who tilted his head in thought before answering. "'You have need of a warrior?'"

"Nothing says you have to be a warrior," said Volcan. "Out there you can decide for yourself."

When Jora translated, Koa looked uncertain. "'I am a warrior. I was raised to be one. I know nothing else.'"

"Well..." Luke glanced at Jora for a moment. "Maybe we could help you find another purpose, if you'd be willing to learn our culture and our language." He offered.

Koa considered the suggestion for a time, his large paws resting on his knees as he thought. Finally, he spoke, and Jora actually smiled. "'At this time, the alternative would be to wander alone and aimless in a world I barely know. I do not see a better option available to me for now. At least with all of you, I might still have something to eat.'" He looked at Luke when he had said this, and still was even as Jora translated.

"Even people from across the world love your cooking, Luke," Volcan remarked.

Luke smiled and crossed his arms across his chest. "Well, if you like my cooking that much, just wait until you try my signature dish," he said, a hint of pride in his tone. "You know, Maybe I ought to open up a restaurant at some point, if my food's getting such great reviews from even an islander." He thought out loud.

"I'm sure my mom would still take you on as a cook once she opens hers," Volcan reminded him.

"Well, then I have a retirement plan in the works." Luke added with a laugh.

"Or at least a part-time job when we're not saving the world, apparently. You did rock kitchen work pretty well back in Princeport, when we had to earn some money."

Luke nodded softly. "True, there's that." He acknowledged. "But we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Right now, let's just focus on getting everyone back where they belong. We've earned ourselves a fair bit of downtime after what we've been through."

"Agreed," said Volcan. "We have a lot of planning to do, don't we?" He added with a smile to Luke.

"That's putting it mildly." Luke answered, smiling just as brightly. "It'll be a big day for the both of us when it arrives. Though uhm... If it's alright with you, love, do you think we could... push the date back just a bit further...?"

"More time means more preparation, so sure. But, how long do you want to wait?" Volcan asked. "We're just entering summer now."

"I'm sorry, what're you two referring to?" Jora spoke up, reminding them both that she was still there.

Luke turned to Jora, eying her quizzically for a moment before he slapped his forehead. "Right. Different culture, different traditions." He muttered before clearing his throat. "Well to put it simply, you know that Volcan and I are in love with each other, right? Well, the night before we arrived at the castle, Volcan and I decided that it was time to properly tie the knot, so to speak." He said as he held Volcan's hand tightly in his paw. "In other words, we're taking our relationship to the next level, and are getting married."

"Ah yes. I did learn a little of your marriage customs while I was staying in Hadleigh," said Jora. "I may not fully understand it, but I do understand it is a very important step for two who have sworn themselves to each other. So, I offer my congratulations."

"Right now you're the only one who knows," said Volcan. "We're saving it as a surprise, for the right time."

"Which will probably be about a week after we get properly settled back home." Luke added. "We all deserve a break after the shit we went through at Kia He... No offense."

"If that is to insinuate you did not enjoy your time there," she said, laying a claw against her chest, but didn't need to say more.

"Yeah - she has a point there," Volcan remarked, remembering the scene he had stumbled upon when he found Raguram trying to devour her.

"...OOOOkay, moving on." Luke exclaimed suddenly. "So, yeeaaah. Marriage. Fun times. We'll uh... we'll send you an invitation once we get everything all sorted out." He offered to Jora.

"That is very kind, but..." She frowned. "I don't know how you will find me. I will likely be relocating from Hadleigh's vicinity as the seasons change."

"Keeping the nomadic lifestyle?" Volcan asked.

"I can think of nowhere else to go," said Jora, then she blushed as a thought occurred to her. "Unless... I might be welcome... Where you live?" She asked.

Luke then smiled brightly. "Of course you would." He assured her, stepping up and placing his paw on the Salazzle's shoulder. "Azure's a small town, but we can help you find or even build some accommodations for you and your clan."

"It may be a selfish reason, but if I am being truthful... I want to stay close to my... friends, I think is the word?" She asked. "Especially the two of you. You both have done much for me, and I do not feel I am ready to leave either of you. I feel safe, knowing you two are near." She lowered her gaze. "A feeling I fear I am... No longer accustomed to."

Luke's heart both sank and skipped a beat at her confession, his jovial expression to one of sympathy as he stepped closer and pulled the Salazzle close to his chest, embracing her warmly.

"It's not selfish to seek safety with those you trust." He whispered to Jora. "We'd be more than happy to provide you in such a way... You're our friend after all, and that's what friends do for each other."

She put her arms around Luke and hugged him tightly, lifting her gaze as Volcan joined the two, embracing them both in his arms. She smiled, and even shed a tear as she relaxed in their arms, enjoying their warmth and the comfort it brought her.

When they pulled apart, Jora let out a sigh. "I will need to prepare my clan to relocate," she said. "Perhaps I should visit Aerendyl as well, to learn more about... Agriculture, I think he called it? I will have to learn more about making a sustainable life if I am to remain in one place henceforth."

Luke nodded softly in response. "Take as long as you need, Jora. Our borders will always be open to you and your clan when you arrive."

"In the meantime, I will keep Koa with me," said Jora. "He will need time to... Oh yes; acclimate to this new place. I will begin teaching him as much as I can about your language as well."

The Lucario nodded. "If anyone can teach him about our ways most effectively, it's you."

"I will do my best," she promised.

"I know you will." Luke answered with confidence.

~~~~~

After a journey that felt much longer than it likely was, the airship was flying once again over a familiar landscape. In the distance, the city of Hadleigh loomed, rising from the open plains that surrounded it. The teams were eager for some off-time from the ship, having been confined aboard it for a long time, and Volcan and Luke agreed that a bit of shore leave before they returned to Azure might do the crew some good.

Besides, they wanted to see some more friends while they were there. They knew Neilla would never forgive them if they stopped in Hadleigh and did not at least try to visit her.

They touched down in the park. The others got ready to depart, while Volcan and Luke took it upon themselves to see Fisher and Reaper on their way. It was the first time the two specialists had been out of the infirmary, and it showcased their miraculous recovery from their ordeals.

"Well, you guys haven't spiked a faceplant," Volcan joked as they crossed the deck. "I'd say that's a good sign."

"Indeed. I think with a bit more bed rest in some more comfortable lodgings, I should be fit to return to active duty in a few more days at least." Fisher answered.

"Unfortunately I do not share the same sentiment as you, Agent Fisher." Reaper remarked. "I'm behind on contracts thanks to this excursion, so I must return to work posthaste."

"We wish you luck, then," said Volcan. "Thanks for standing by Kage, for what it's worth. Even if he's not here to see you guys off." He looked across the ship deck for any sign of the Greninja, but he was nowhere in sight.

"He has his reasons." Reaper answered in understanding. "I imagine we'll meet again in the near future..." He then flashed a small grin at Luke and Volcan. "Provided you two don't become contracts..."

Luke gave Reaper a shocked expression at that, followed by an audible gulp afterward. Fisher stepped up and patted the Weavile atop his head. "Now now, don't go scaring them, Reaper." He cautioned the Weavile.

"Old habits." The smaller Pokémon responded.

"...I can't tell if he's serious and that's very concerning," Volcan remarked dryly, eye twitching.

"Let's... Assume he's joking and leave it at that." Luke offered with a nervous chuckle.

"In any case." The Inteleon gave the two of them a cordial nod of his head. "Until our next encounter, I bid you both adieu." He said before he started walking past the two of them, stopping next to Volcan and whispering to him. "Your healer is quite a fine lady... I can't help but feel a tad jealous that she is already spoken for, else I'd treat her to a dinner fit for a queen." He said with a wink.

"You're not the first guy I've met who liked her, but she made her choice," said Volcan.

"And I respect her for that." He answered. "Au Revoir, Captain." He added as he continued walking.

Reaper said nothing more as he turned and ventured in another direction, leaving the two to decide their next move while the airship was being restocked and the others had a chance to stretch their legs.

"Well. Suppose we ought to go visit our favourite spunky rabbit?" Volcan asked.

"That sounds like a good idea." Luke agreed, taking Volcan's hand in his paw. "Think we should spoil the surprise for her as well~?"

"Eh, if the opportunity arises, but I planned to invite her so she'll find out either way," replied Volcan. "Now, lead's yours love - you've been to her house before but I haven't."

"Right this way." Luke said, gesturing for Volcan to follow as he started off in a walk, which soon turned into a jog as he headed deeper into the city. He cut through a few twists and turns until they were back on the Main Street, then the two made a beeline straight for said Lopunny's house at the top of the hill near the park.

Even though he'd only been there a few times, Luke remembered which house was Neilla's when they reached her neighbourhood. He had to go by the house numbers, as her house looked very much like the others around it, with the same colour and roof tiles. But while other owners on the block took the time to decorate their front yards, Neilla's was fairly featureless, with only a hedge lining the fence - no flowers or lawn decorations. Things that really did not interest her, or that she had little time for.

Upon approaching the door, Luke knocked, and they waited. Shortly, the door opened, and Neilla stepped into view, looking her usual self with her ears tied behind her to keep them out of her face. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the two, her mouth stretching into a grin.

"Well hello there!" She exclaimed, stepping forward and hugging Luke in greeting. "Haven't seen you two in a few months - how have you been?"

"We've been alright for the most part." Luke answered, returning her embrace and rubbing his cheek with hers. "We're just coming back from a mission of our own and we needed to make a pit stop here in Hadleigh to resupply. Figured we'd stop by and see our favourite Scrapper."

"Glad you did," she said before moving to Volcan to share a hug with him as well. "Hey big fella!"

"Hi Neilla," Volcan replied, returning her hug.

"Well, come on in. I'll make some tea while you tell me about it," Neilla offered as she pulled back from Volcan and stepped back into her house, holding the door open for them until they were inside, where she shut it. "So where were you guys before you landed here?"

"Couple of places, actually," replied Volcan. "Not two weeks ago, we went up North - and I mean, to the North Continent."

"What were you doing up there?" Neilla asked, filling a kettle with water.

"We were following a lead that Ms. Meilin sent our way. There was a monastery up in the Northern Continent that we suspected could hold clues as to how Calhoun became a Shadow Blaziken, and uh... let's just say we found out his entire origin and more."

She turned, an alarmed look on her face. "You know where he came from?" She asked.

"Long story. Let's start at the beginning," said Volcan.

As Neilla served them their tea, they explained to her in detail what they had found up north, skimming over the journey between Valvatna and Calygrad. When they got to the sovereign kingdom, they had met King Calyrex himself, who tasked them with locating the missing masters of the Order of the Fist, who happened to have formerly been Calhoun's teachers. Neilla had to pause to let her mind catch up with that idea, but eventually let them continue.

They explained the fight with Master Zheng, freeing him from the Shadow Curse - though they didn't leave out how it backfired and caused Luke to become one briefly, which brought a shocked look to the Lopunny's face.

"You... You were turned?" She asked. "Who saved you? Did you guys have Minato with you?"

"No, actually, it was Master Zheng's brother, Chen, who saved him," said Volcan. "Which leads into something else we learned. Dark-type Pokémon are apparently immune to the Shadow Curse. Chen happened to be one - he used his own mastery of Aura to free Luke as Luke had done for Zheng, but it didn't corrupt him."

"After that debacle, Master Chen ventured with us to where they last sent Calhoun, and after a treacherous hike through the mountains, we stumbled upon a cave entrance that... well, it wasn't a natural cave. Something had carved its way into it, and I could feel trace amounts of the Shadow Energy permeating from within." Luke went on to explain. "Once inside, we discovered what we believe to be one of the sources of the Shadow Corruption, which matched a description Calhoun left of it in one of his diaries."

"Source? What kind of source?" Neilla asked, her curiosity piqued.

"It's... A bit hard to explain so I'll try to quote Master Chen's explanation," offered Volcan. "The source we discovered, was like a sort of focal point. Apparently the Shadow Curse, which we know already manifests as a corrupted Aura, occasionally leaks into our world from the Distortion World, the realm of Giratina, and that's what creates a Shadow Pokémon. This focal point is where the barriers are thinnest, and more of the curse leaks out from there."

"At some point in the ancient past these focal points were sealed, only later to be rediscovered by some cult who worshipped Giratina, who built these Nexuses on top of the focal points to collect the leaking energy of the curse."

"Wait, you lost me," said Neilla. "This dark aura... comes from Giratina's world, and these cultists built some kind of devices to harness it?"

"Close enough," Volcan replied. "Anyway, the cultists were defeated and the Nexuses sealed again, this time with guards to watch over them. Calhoun stumbled across the cave by pure accident, and became infested with the dark power the Nexus contained, turning him into a Shadow Pokémon."

"An accident?" Neilla echoed in disbelief. "The guy who attacked the guilds and nearly brought them down completely, was born of an accident?"

"Trust me, I was just as blown away as you are." Luke answered. "The reality of is that...Calhoun was actually a really nice individual once. He was Master Zheng's star pupil, and their most promising monks. If anything, I'd go so far as to say he was more altruistic than even I am..."

Neilla sank back in her chair, a clenched paw resting against her temple as she leaned on the arm. "I still haven't laid eyes on Calhoun myself yet... But after seeing Lugia as a Shadow Pokémon, and everything Calhoun's cronies tried to do here, it's hard picturing him as anything more than a maniac. But, I'll take your word for it." Neilla stipped her tea briefly. "So... This Nexus is gone then? It's over?"

"If only," said Volcan, shaking his head. "That Nexus is but one of four, each one located at one of the compass points of the world. That, just happened to be the North one."

"So there's three more of these things?"

"Actually," Volcan said, sharing a confident look with Luke. "Just two."

With that, the conversation continued into their journey to the south. After learning from Romulus that Kage had been captured by the enemy, they had put together a hasty rescue plan and ventured to the Great South Islands in search of him. On the way, however, they had discovered a battle taking place on a seemingly unremarkable island, removed from the main body of isles. There, they found the Crusade locked in battle with a Zeraora - which they had to explain to Neilla what a Zeraora was, and that it turned out he was the guardian of the South Nexus.

"Talk about a lucky break!" Neilla exclaimed.

"Both good and bad," said Volcan. "We found out later that the Crusade only found the island because Kage's team had landed there by chance, and they extracted the knowledge from Fisher. Our timing is the only reason the Guardian isn't a Shadow Pokémon, or dead, by now. But we had a really hard battle to follow after that, which damaged the ship. We had to land on Kia He for repairs - get to that later, if you don't mind."

"Go on."

Finally, they reached the part of their journey where everything had gone wrong. The trap, lain by the Crusade, sprung just as they were extracting Kage and his team. Neilla listened with keen interest that soon turned to horrified fascination as they described their attack on the castle, only to have it come alive, and Romulus coming to their rescue. Yet another stroke of luck...

"The castle was a Pokémon?" Neilla asked.

"Jora called it a Palossand, though she admitted she'd never seen one so enormous," Volcan answered.

"And Calhoun managed to corrupt it and set up an elaborate trap for when we inevitably came to rescue Kage and the others." Luke went on. "They counted on us coming, and as a result, we all nearly died because of it..." He concluded, lowering his head slightly and frowning as he recalled that incident.

"Gods above..." Neilla said, shaking her head. "It's damn lucky Romulus was there- wait... What was he doing there?"

Luke frowned even harder after Neilla posed her question. "He was there to save Kage and the others as well..." He eventually answered, clenching his paws in his lap. "After we got back from our trip up North, we found Romulus at my Mother's place, waiting for us to return. Needless to say, I was less than pleased to see him again. When he explained the reason for his visit, in my rage, I snapped and attacked him, cursing him for putting my friend in danger the way he did..."

Luke sighed and shook his head slowly. "What I didn't know, or rather, what I didn't want_to know at the time, was that Romulus _knew about the trap, and wanted to include me in his rescue operation." He grit his teeth tightly as he fought back the self loathing building up in his chest. "Romulus came to me to offer his help, and I blew him off because of my resentment for him... and in the end I nearly got us all killed because of my negligence..." He berated himself, shaking his head once again.

A silence fell over the three for a time, Neilla's face an unreadable mask. For a while, Luke feared that her opinion of him might have been forever changed for the worst upon hearing this story of his failure. Finding out how prone to outburst he was, or taking rash action.

She let out a long sigh. Then asked, "Did everyone make it back?" She asked.

"All but one," Volcan replied sadly. "Shamshir from Team Warmachine... He didn't make it."

Neilla frowned at that, taking another moment before she spoke again. "For now we can only be thankful that no one else was lost," she said before turning on Luke, getting his attention. "I can't deny I'm a bit disappointed in you, Luke. You and Romulus fought together against the Black Titan, who no one else could stop - not even Torolf or my whole team. Romulus came to help you again, of his own choosing, to help you get Kage back, but you all but spat in his face."

She was not holding back in her criticism, which didn't do wonders for Luke's confidence, but he listened - because she was right. "I know he wronged you, but this time the wrong was yours. An old saying comes to mind here; an eye for an eye..." she left it there, seeing if he could finish it.

"A tooth for a tooth..." Luke finished, slumping his shoulders heavily. "Yes... This whole thing_was_ my fault, and I'll carry that for the rest of my life." He said. Though before anyone could try to console him, he lifted his head and sucked in a deep breath. "I can't let that happen again. I need to be better than that, for everyone's sake..."

"We've been lucky all this time," said Volcan. "Our first run in with Shadow Mewtwo, our surviving in the west, our journey to the north and the south alike, and everything that happened... it's honestly a miracle none of us have died. Even more so for Koa and that pup we found... but eventually that luck is going to run out. We can't keep depending on it anymore."

"So what's the next move?" Neilla asked. "You know about these Nexuses, and you know you can cleanse them. Any idea where the other two are?"

"Well..." Volcan began, sharing a look with his future husband, whose expression matched his. "We have no idea."

"That being said, one thing we do know is that we aren't ready to pursue these Nexus'; not yet anyway." Luke pointed out firmly. "We can't rely on luck any longer, and this isn't a fight against some crazed thug that wants to watch the world burn... This is a full on war against Calhoun, and we need to be able to fight back not just to survive, but to take Calhoun down for good!"

Neilla smiled and let out a light laugh. "Now you're talking," she said, finishing her tea before she rose from her chair. "Well, then there's only one thing to do. Let's get over to Aerendyl's."

Luke looked at her and nodded firmly. "Good idea. If anyone has knowledge about these Nexuses, it would be in Aerendyl's Library." He said, feeling his confidence returning full force. "We still have time before we have to head out. Let's see what we can dig up."

"Right with you guys," said Volcan.

Neilla collected their cups and took them into the kitchen to leave in the sink for later. With that, they then headed out of the house, letting her lock the door before taking the lead on the fastest route to Aerendyl's.

Upon their arrival at the library, they met Aerendyl at the front counter and filled him in on the events. The Espeon seemed eager for the challenge, and hopped out of his chair to lead them into the sections, asking Volcan to bring a cart with them from the front. As he led them further to the back of the library, they began to see - from the titles on the spines - a collective of books on ancient lore, ranging from mythology to departed cultures, predating any known today.

"What'd I tell you? He's totally the one to know," said Neilla.

Aerendyl began grasping books with his telekinesis, lifting them from the shelves and giving their covers a cursory glance. Most he put back where he found them, but others he placed on the cart wheeled by Volcan. The books ranged in density, some being fairly narrow but others nearly as thick as Luke's paw.

"If you see any you want, feel free to select them, but please be sure to put them back exactly as you found them - I have a system." Aerendyl commented, opening another book and flipping through it briefly before adding it to the cart.

"Will do." Luke answered with a nod. "Thanks so much for letting us use your library, Aerendyl. Here's to hoping we find something we can use against the Dark Crusade in any of these." He said gratefully, taking the first book in his paws and flipping it open.

"These 'Nexuses' you mention are frightening, but fascinating," said Aerendyl. "The legend you spoke of by Master Chen has to have originated from almost a thousand years ago, if it predates even the order of the fist. I'm surprised he knew of it, truly, if such steps were taken to conceal them as you've described."

"Concealed, and protected," added Volcan. "They didn't want anyone getting near them."

"Perhaps a few passages from up north as well..." Aerendyl mumbled go himself as he scampered up a step ladder to look at more of the books, selecting a few more and adding them to the growing pile. "Alright! That should do it then, let's take these up front and start our search."

They returned to the main area of the library, to the couch and tables where readers could sit comfortably while studying. Each of them opened a book and began reading, leafing through - with Aerendyl commenting about being gentle with the pages when Volcan turned one too sharply - and studying the contents.

"So," Aerendyl began, as he looked over to his desk, retrieving a notepad and pencil for some inexplicable reason and placing them on the table. "You two were at the Great South Islands? What were they like?"

"Beautiful but, I wouldn't pick them as a vacation spot," Volcan commented bitterly.

"Yea, the Fauna there have ways of messing you up in multiple ways." Luke added with equal bitterness in his tone. "Definitely a zero star resort if I were to give it a rating..."

"Ah. How unfortunate," said Aerendyl, sounding disappointed. "How many did you encounter?"

"Well, for starters, we ran into a Kommo-o Warband attacking a pack of Lycanroc... They would have killed them had we not stepped in, and even then they suffered casualties." Luke explained. "Among the survivors was a young Rockruff pup... The rest of the pack wasn't coming back for him, so we took him under our care."

Luke then grimaced slightly. "Then there was a Salazzle Matron and her entourage of Salandits that decided to mess with us..." He added spitefully. "She forced us into making a deal; that as payment for intruding on her territory, one of us had to spend the night with her. In exchange, they wouldn't attack us until dawn." Luke added. "Guess who just happened to be the unlucky guest...?"

Neilla lifted her gaze from the book she was reading, and looked at Luke. "Oh my God, she picked you?" She asked, casting a glance at Volcan who nodded. "With him standing right there?" She added, pointing at Volcan.

"We didn't really have a choice. She was going to burn our ship," said Volcan. "And here's an extra kicker. That Salazzle? Was Jora's older sister."

Aerendyl looked up from his book. "Miss Jora has a sister?" He asked, surprised.

"Yeah and she's a conniving piece of work," replied Volcan. "She broke her word when she allowed her mate to go after Jora. I fortunately found them while he was doing the deed and stopped him, but... the sick bastard was trying to eat her alive."

Neilla put a paw over her mouth as she gasped. "And her sister allowed that?!" She practically screamed.

"She was a harlot that only cared about getting what she wanted." Luke added spitefully, clenching his paws at his sides tightly. "When I discovered she broke her word, I went after her. Left her with a black eye and spat in her face before returning to the airship."

"She's lucky that's all she got," said Volcan, spitefully.

"I'd have probably beaten her so bloody no man would ever go near her again!" Neilla exclaimed. "What a cunt! Not enough she forced herself on Luke she let her mate try to eat her own sister?!"

"This is even worse than the scholars who wrote about the islands said about the Matrons," said Aerendyl, writing down on his notepad. "Is Jora alright?"

"Yes, she's alright. She still has the occasional night terror, but she's at peace while in our company." Luke explained, then he sighed heavily. "And then, we come to the island we were initially heading for..."

"Right... The Palossand," said Neilla.

Aerendyl's head jerked up again. "You encountered a Palossand?"

"A big one," said Volcan, repeating the earlier story they had shared with Neilla about the castle that was really a Pokémon.

Aerendyl was stunned, putting down the book he was reading to write furiously on his notepad, the pencil moving fast under his telekinesis. "Unbelievable... I was not even sure such a Pokémon existed let alone for one to get to that size! It must be ancient."

"Was ancient. Romulus had to kill it to save us," said Volcan.

Aerendyl couldn't hide his disappointment at the revelation, but with a shake of his head, he said, "Perhaps for the best. If it could get that large it could keep growing until it became a threat to the entire island, not just those who wandered onto the beach. A whole ecosystem could have perished."

Luke shuddered slightly as he recalled that event, watching everyone he loved slowly sinking into the Palossand's shifting sands until he went under himself. "Let's... Get off this topic, before I start feeling guilty about what happened again." He pleaded, quickly going back to his book.

"Right. My apologies," said Aerendyl, setting down his notepad. "I was so curious... There have been many inconsistencies surrounding expeditions to the islands. But thank you for indulging me, even if it was not a pleasant experience."

"You're welcome." Luke answered, nodding to the Espeon as he set down the book he was reading to grab another, not finding anything worth noting in the previous book.

They went through multiple books before anyone found anything of interest, and it was Luke who found something first. "...Hey, I think I found something." He called to the others as he lay the book flat on the table. They all gathered around Luke and gaze at the entry he found, with the Lucario running his paw along a journal entry.

"There's an entry here from a... Professor Ling, in regards to a temple he found while venturing into a 'forbidden place.'" He explained, leaning back to let the others take a look at it.

"In what was possibly one of the greatest and most frightening expeditions of my life, remains a mystery even now as to what it was I encountered in this forbidden land. Now, I cannot disclose exactly where I went, for fear that my admittance could lead to a criminal charge. I can however say it is a treacherous place.

After venturing through for many days, in search of the ancient ruins of a long lost civilization, I soon began to see signs of the culture which I sought, in ancient ruins that nature was in the process of reclaiming. I knew I had to be getting close, and indeed I was. For not a day later from the first ruins I found, I saw it. The temple, and the last surviving architecture of a civilization predating even my own homeland.

But that is where it all took a strange turn. The temple was not vacant as I expected it to be. As I approached and sought the means to access it - to avoid the treacherous quicksand moat that surrounded it, I was accosted by these cloaked beings. Greninja, I realized, bearing blades of forged steel.

But they were not alone, for at the doors of the temple stood a being unlike any I had ever seen. A giant, cloaked in shadow, but with vines seemingly growing from his very arms. As I watched, this strange creature drove his fists into the earth, and the woodlands and foliage around me came alive! It was as though he had power over the very land around me, turning a tree into a giant made that would have crushed me if not for my quick reactions.

I barely escaped with my life. The Greninja pursued me, and I could not outrun them. Never had I been so thankful to be born an Abra, and remained practiced in the use of Teleport. I managed to elude my pursuers, and returned home to inform my colleagues of what I had found.

I wanted so badly to go back to the temple and complete my expedition. But sadly my research grants were spent, and I could not afford to bring protection with me. The assassins I saw... I am almost certain they were the Kaeru assassins, defeated not fifty years ago and driven into the wilderness by the Kingdom of Nido-"

"Nido?" Volcan cut in suddenly, interrupting their reading. "Like, as in your Nido?" He asked Luke. "Your mom's ex?"

"I... As far as I know, there's no correlation." Luke answered. "Nido never mentioned that he might have been from any royal lineage, and considering how he behaves, I'm inclined to further refute that claim. Nido is _not_a man of royalty."

"A coincidence perhaps," Aerendyl offered. "Perhaps his father dabbled in history, came upon the name and offered it to him?"

"I suppose only Nido himself could answer that," said Volcan. "Alright, let's assume there's no correlation then."

They went back to reading.

"-by the Kingdom of Nido. I am sure of it! All Greninja, all trained ithe arts of assassination. They were skilled, and relentless in their pursuit of me. I once again am thankful for my heritage, for it is the only reason I am alive to make this record of my expedition. I have every hope that one day I might..."

"Wait, it just stops?" Neilla asked.

The paragraph had ended suddenly, with a light scrawl indicating the writer had been in the process of continuing when something had taken him from his work.

"That's odd... Turn the page, Luke. Maybe he ran out of ink or forgot to continue this passage," said Aerendyl.

Luke did as instructed and flipped over to the next page, and indeed there was more written, but it was in a completely different handwriting.

"This excerpt from the autobiography of Professor Ling, regrettably, ends here, for he was met with a terrible fate the night of his writing. We of the Exploration Society publish this segment to honour his many great contributions to our work, and we hope the professor may rest in peace.

Professor Atreus, vice chancellor of the Exploration Society of Hadleigh."

The four sat in stunned silence for a moment, taken aback by the very sudden end. "Well, that was anticlimactic," Volcan remarked.

"...The Kaeru Assassins..." Luke muttered softly, rubbing his chin in thought. "A group of Greninja... That seems very closely related to Kage's past, but I can't say for certain, not without confirming it with him."

"You think Kage might know who they are?" Neilla asked.

"He's our best way of knowing, considering he's always stated to be a former assassin." Luke answered. "Come to think of it, his reasons for joining Team Valiant always struck me as odd... When I asked him back when we first registered, he said something about 'turning over a new leaf.'"

"Vague and cryptic. Yep, that's Kage for you," Neilla said with a roll of her eyes.

"That creature Ling described though," Volcan said. "Power over the very nature around it... We know one of the guardians is one tied to the Forest."

"Not much of a clue, Volcan - half of the East Continent is covered in forest," Aerendyl pointed out. "What makes you think there's a connection between this creature and the legend?"

"It may be a stretch. But we just met one of the guardians in person - a warrior with power over storms," said Volcan. "The myth points to four guardians. One was called Marshadow, which Calhoun fought up north when he stumbled upon the Nexus. Then we met Koa, when we found the southern Nexus, after seeing his powers from so far away. It really looked like a storm was forming over him. I don't know of many Pokémon with that kind of power. "

"Not many that can manipulate the land around them as that passage described either," Neilla agreed, seeing Volcan's point. "It is a stretch, like you said. But it's possible."

"Be that as it may, we at least know two things." Luke pointed out. "One, that the Kaeru Assassins have something to do with the Guardian Pokémon of the Eastern Continent. And two..." He gulped audibly before he continued. "...That their temple is located in a swamp of some kind."

"Quicksand moat. It's certainly possible," said Volcan. "But that also doesn't narrow it down much. There are plenty of swamps in this land too, and Ling couldn't specify which one."

"Still, why did it have to be a swamp?" Luke bemoaned, throwing his head back. "We've literally just come back from being rescued from another quicksand trap down south! Seriously, it's like our bad luck is following us everywhere we go!"

"Easy, love," Volcan said. "Let's worry about that after we find the place. Right now the only real lead we have are these Kaeru assassins. If this creature Ling mentioned is the guardian, and they're sharing a space with him..."

"Find them, you find him," said Neilla. "Find him, and you've found the Nexus."

"Exactly." Luke answered. "It's just a matter of where to look first..." He muttered, taking another gander at the journal entry for any sort of clues. "..The Kingdom of Nido. They were longtime rivals of the Kaeru Assassins, judging from this entry. That might be a good place to start looking."

"I will do some research," offered Aerendyl. "I'll look into both the assassins and the kingdom, see if I can find any sort of clues as to where the assassins went. Perhaps even their place of origin."

"We'd appreciate that greatly, Aerendyl." Luke responded with a nod, closing the book in front of him and returning it to the pile as he found it.

"It's definitely a start," agreed Volcan as he closed his own book. "We should talk to Kage too. If he knows anything about these assassins, it might go a long way in narrowing the gap and finding out where they are."

"If he's even willing to talk..." Luke pointed out. "Otherwise we'll have to wait until he's ready. We can't force him to tell us."

"Right. Let's hope he isn't totally closed off," said Volcan as he rose from his seat. "Neilla, glad to see you as always."

"You too, Volcan," she said.

"And Aerendyl, thank you for your help."

"Of course," the Espeon replied joyfully. "Anything for our friends."

Luke stood tall with his lover, gently looping his arm around the Blaziken's. "The ship's most likely restocked by now. Shall we head back, my love?" He asked with a smile.

"Right with you," said Volcan as he walked in tandem with Luke as they headed for the main doors.

Behind them, Neilla grinned. "Oh and, don't forget to send me my invitation to the wedding."

The two jerked to an immediate halt at Neilla's words, a look of surprise shared between them "Wha-" Volcan asked, looking down at Luke in wonderment. "How-?"

"How did you know?!" The Lucario turned, gawking at Neilla in utter shock. "We hadn't even hinted about it to you!"

"Luke, you and I practically lived together for several weeks," said Neilla. "You wear your emotions like a cheap souvenir mask."

"I-" Luke trailed off, his mouth open to speak but the words dying in his throat. He quickly closed his mouth and wore a flat expression as he realized she had a point. "...Touché, Neilla."

"Great, now we have two_Lashannes,_ reading us like the books in this library," Volcan grumbled, urging Luke toward the door more insistently. "Let's check ourselves out before she surprises us with something else."

"Agreed." Luke concurred. "I can't wait to return to the comfort of our own soft bed when we get home... Those cots get very cramped after a while."

"Oh god yes," replied Volcan. "And while your cooking remains top notch, love, I can't wait until you have some fresh ingredients to work with again. How do you ever manage to work in that teensy kitchen on that ship?"

"You gotta make do with what you have at the time, love. It's called adaptability." Luke answered, grinning. "And you know firsthand that I can adapt _very_quickly~"

"Fair enough."

The two returned to the airship after taking their time crossing the city, taking in the new buildings that had been constructed to replace the ones lost in the siege of Hadleigh. Much of the construction was still underway, even after the battle had ended months ago, but the city was recovering well as less people had to live in temporary shelters and were allowed to return to life with a solid roof again.

When they reached the ship, they found not everyone had returned from their own tours of the city. The only ones on the deck were Hank, still accompanied by the Rockruff, and Kage sitting quietly on the ship's foremast - technically useless as the ship had no forward sail but it had been kept on even when the ship was modified into the dirigible it was now.

"Suppose we should try talking to him now?" Volcan asked.

Luke sighed. "It's worth a shot I guess." He said with a shrug. "If he's ready to talk, then we'll run it past him. Otherwise... we'll just have to give him more time." He added.

"Alright. Let's get up there and get his attention then."

Luke nodded softly, walking over to the rope ladder along the port side of the ship and climbing up to the boat deck, with Volcan making a jump up to the deck instead, helping Luke over the ladder once he was at the top. Now aboard, the two of them approached the stoic Greninja from an angle so that he saw them coming.

Kage cast a glance their way, noticing their expressions before rolling his eyes. He contemplated pushing away from the post he was leaning on, but opted against it at the last minute, knowing that there was no avoiding the conversation he suspected was coming. He kept his gaze averted from them as Luke and Volcan stood before him, a long silence falling over them before the Greninja broke the ice first.

"...Come to reprimand me in person, I take it..." He remarked snidely.

"On the contrary." Luke answered softly. "There's something we need to talk to you about; something that could possibly relate to the Dark Crusade. But before we get into that, I just... I need to know if you're alright, Kage." He said with a concerned expression on his face.

"No." Kage pointedly responded. "We've lost a comrade in arms, and you nearly got all of us killed because of your impulsiveness and negligence... My stance on your rescue mission hasn't changed. You should never have come for me, at least without a concrete plan."

"Don't you think I _know_that?!" Luke suddenly shouted at Kage, making him quickly glance at his Captain. He saw the despair in his eyes as he looked back at him, fighting desperately not to snap at Kage for his abrasiveness.

"I know you're still grieving, Kage, but that doesn't give you an excuse to rub it in my face like that! I know what I did was stupid, and I know I acted impusively... I've accepted the consequences of my actions, and..." The Lucario looked down slightly, his ears wilting to the sides. "I owe you an apology... You were right, Kage - you were always right. I'm too impulsive, and I'm always thinking with my emotions rather than my logic. If I had just accepted Romulus' help, I wouldn't have endangered us all the way I did."

Kage stared silently at Luke, never taking his eyes off of him as Luke poured his heart out to him. He could tell Luke meant what he said. He wasn't a liar and Kage knew it... His apology did put his mind at ease, albeit slightly, as he listened to his Captain understand his shortcomings as of late.

With a scoff, Kage tore his gaze away from Luke, his expression softening slightly as he gave his response. "...I'm not the one you should be apologizing to..." He remarked. "...But I accept your apology nonetheless..."

Volcan stepped forward. "You still owe an apology to your son and pupil, though," he stated. "What you said cut pretty deep, Kage. Those two were willing to go to hell and back for you, as they know you would have done for them."

"...I will talk to them when we land," Kage returned to Volcan, still keeping his gaze away from the two of them. "Is that all you've come to say, or are we done here?"

"Not quite... We have a question we'd like you to answer." Luke answered, then took a moment to think his words through before speaking again. "We just came out of Aerendyl's library after doing a bit of research in regards to the Nexuses and where to find them, and we stumbled upon a journal entry that might have been a hint of some kind." He began. "...Does the group known as the Kaeru Assassins ring any bells?"

Kage's expression went from neutral to utterly shocked in a heartbeat, his eyes actually widening and his pupils shrinking down to beads as those words resonated with his psyche. Slowly he turned to look at Luke and Volcan, his gaze almost a mixture of outright and shock and borderline murderous as he glared back at them.

"Yep, he has definitely heard of them," Volcan muttered out of the corner of his mouth. That expression spoke volumes.

"What gave it away, I wonder?" Luke muttered back sarcastically before turning his attention back to Kage. "So... you know of them, then?"

Kage kept staring at them intensely for quite some time before he started pushing off from the pole he was leaning against. "...We're not having this conversation." He said in a low growl. "Do not pursue this topic with me again, do you-"

Luke suddenly appeared in front of Kage via Extreme Speed, pressing his arm against the Greninja's neck and pinning him back against the pillar, with a glare on his face that matched the Greninja's as he practically bore holes into his eyes.

"We are having this conversation, and you will tell us what you know, Kage..." Luke growled threateningly.

"Whoa, Luke," Volcan piped up, stepping up and resting a hand on his lover's shoulder. "Dial it back. Kage's not an enemy here."

Luke glanced back to Volcan for a moment, then slowly eased off of Kage and let out a long sigh. "Sorry, love... I just..." He trailed off as he leaned against the Blaziken.

"You're stressed, we know," Volcan stated, before lifting his gaze to look at Kage, stern. "A biography we found at Aerendyl's possibly connects the assassins to the Guardian of the East Nexus. If we can find them, we might be able to get to the Nexus and destroy it. If we don't, Calhoun will find it first."

Luke let out a sigh and looked at Kage apologetically as he explained himself. "I don't know if you realize this, but now that we know about these Nexuses and what Calhoun is planning to do with them, we cannot afford to keep secrets about our pasts anymore... If you know something about the Kaeru assassins... We need to know it - they may be our only chance of stopping this."

Kage stared in silence at the two of them, his eyes darting between Luke and Volcan as he began to understand the gravity of the situation. He sighed heavily and let his shoulders slump a bit as he spoke up."...I suppose it was only a matter of time before my past finally caught up to me." He remarked with great melancholy in his tone. "...Fine. I'll fill you in on who they are."

"Let's start with how you know them." Luke began, nodding for Kage to start his explanation. "You always used to mention you were once a former assassin before you joined our team. When I asked why, you only said something about 'turning over a new leaf.'" He stated, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Did you used to do work with them? Were you an ally to them?"

"All of the above..." Kage answered cryptically at first. "They were allies, and I worked with them. I know of them as well as I do... because I was once a Kaeru Assassin myself..."

"Well, that does match what we read about them all being Greninja," said Volcan. "How long since you left them?"

"It was many years ago. At least twenty or so." Kage answered. "I wasn't just one of their ranks... I was the Meishu's son, and the next in line to inherit the mantle once my father decided it was time."

"What made you want to leave?" Luke asked softly.

"I didn't agree with their methods once I saw what they were conducting during an undercover operation. We assassinated the target, but we were compromised. Rather than use our skills of deception to escape, Meishu Fusaku ordered us to eliminate everyone on sight - combatants and civilians alike... and yes, even the women and children became victims of the crossfire." He explained somberly.

Volcan visibly stiffened at that, muscles tensing. "...That explains a lot, actually," he said. "Such as your own stance against killing unless absolutely necessary. I can see such actions as those could make one lose their taste for it."

"When we returned to the temple, I confronted my father about his decision... Needless to say, the conversation ended poorly. I was threatened with ostracization for speaking out of line, and threatened to have my tongue slashed off for my insolence... And yes, that was an actual punishment for disobedience."

"I decided that night it was time to leave... I put together an escape plan and waited until the dead of night to execute it, keeping the casualties to a minimum as I made my escape." He paused for a moment. "The plan was almost perfectly executed, but I failed to take into account one minor detail... Mizu had caught onto my plan and followed after me until I managed to cross the moat... She fell into the quicksand after trying to leap after me, which gave away my position and alerted the guards to our presence. I was faced with a choice... Continue on my way and leave her to drown, or help her and risk the guards catching up to us."

"Mizu?" Volcan asked.

"His wife," answered Luke.

"Oh. And, obviously, you chose to save her," said Volcan. "How did you get away after that?"

"It was difficult, and we did not make it without injuries" Kage answered. "After we were certain we escaped, we settled under a canopy where she tended to my wounds..." He then glanced to the side and lidded his eyes half shut as he recalled that night. "It was also the first time we... shared our passions with one another. We've had feelings for each other for a while, but the code forbade attachment to fellow assassins, claiming it was an exploitable weakness... Once we were free from the brotherhood, there was nothing holding us back from committing to each other... That is how Hageshi came to be..."

"What happened afterward? Luke asked softly.

"We wandered aimlessly for a long time, hiding in the wilderness. Eventually we left the gloomy environment of the bogs and arriving in a more temperate setting, with fewer dangers and aggressive fauna to worry about." Kage explained. "We had no place to settle down. We were constantly on the move and we were low on food and water... I was half tempted to head into the closest town and steal some in order to feed my mate and my child."

Kage then glanced at Luke directly. "Little did I know that the town I stumbled upon happened to be a simple little backwater town known as Port Azure... which is where I ran into young Luna, and by extension, you. We had already left the swamps and wandered the woods for a time before I happened upon Azure."

"You were wandering the swamps for that long?" Luke exclaimed. "...And I thought I had it rough when I was forced to survive off the fat of the land with Nido..."

Volcan blinked in surprise, visibly struggling to come to terms with what Kage was saying. "How long were you out there?" He asked, looking at Luke as his mind struggled to fill the gaps.

"It took us that long to eventually run into Port Azure..." Kage replied. "Need I remind you that I am the eldest among Team Valiant's ranks. I was a young adult when I abandoned my brotherhood, only a few months after I evolved into a Greninja..."

Volcan had to shake his head to clear it. "Questions for later... Twenty years. I suppose it'd be a stretch to assume you remember how to find the assassin's base of operations?"

Wandering for as long as he had, it was a safe bet Kage's sense of direction would have been challenged significantly, especially in the seemingly endless woodlands of the East Continent, and the Greninja's answer confirmed it. "The memory is... Hazy at best." Kage admitted. "Wandering the boglands for as long as I did... I can't be sure of where the base itself is, or if it is even still there - or even where the swamps itself were." Kage shook his head. "However, as I said it was only a matter of time before my past would catch up to me... Now I have no choice but to face it head on..."

"You're not alone in this, Kage." Luke assured the Greninja. "You have friends and family to back you up this time. You know we'd help you with anything."

"This is something none of you can help me with. If I'm to retrace my steps, I must do so on my own. You all would slow me down, and you do not know the dangers of the swamps as I do..."

"We'll have to learn fast, because our only hope of stopping Calhoun lies out there in that treacherous land," said Volcan. "But before we do that, we need to prepare. It's safe to assume Calhoun doesn't actually know where the Nexuses are, otherwise he wouldn't have needed to take that knowledge from Fisher. That buys us time, so for now we need to make use of this time."

"I take it you have a plan?"

"Somewhat, but... I'd rather wait until everyone is present and rested before I reveal it." Luke answered. "We've all been through hell and back... We could use a few days' worth of rest before we get back to brass tacks."

"Fortunately we'll have those few days on the way back t- hey!" Volcan jumped suddenly as something dashed between his feet, stumbling him.

Below him, the Rockruff ran in circles around the startled Blaziken, yapping excitedly while Hank ran over to try to catch the energetic pup. "Get back here, ya little scamp!" Hank shouted as he chased after the Rockruff, trying to run around Volcan to catch up to him, but the pup ran through the Zoroark's legs and ended up making him tumble and fall onto his side as a result.

"Gah, little guy's an elusive pupper..." Hank remarked as he propped himself up onto his claws.

"...Such a graceful landing." Kage remarked sarcastically, earning him a scathing look from the Zoroark.

"Bite me, you stuck-up pile of ass." Hank retorted venomously.

The Rockruff continued to yip as it ran between Luke and Volcan, literally dodging around their every attempt to catch him until Volcan, thinking creatively, dropped behind Luke as the pup dashed between his legs and managed to finally intercept the wily wolf. He caught him in between his hands and picked him up as he sat up, the pup barking excitedly.

"He's been cooped up on the ship for days," said Volcan. "I guess it makes sense he'd have a bit of cabin fever - he's not used to this. Can take the pup outta the wild, but can't take the wild outta the pup, right?" He glanced at Hank with a smile.

"Ehh, yea I guess you got a point." Hank admitted as he rose to his feet, dusting himself off and watching Volcan hold the Rockruff in his arms. He then snickered when he saw the pup start attacking Volcan's face with licks, yipping excitedly in between his attacks. "Heh, well he seems to have warmed up to ya enough to give you his little kisses."

"Seems so," said Volcan as he got to his feet, holding the pup up in his hands and smiling as he saw him panting excitedly. "He's totally adorable, you know?" He asked, looking at Luke. The Blaziken looked surprisingly content holding the pup. "Reminds me a lot of Caulin when he was about this age. Same energy too - endless."

"Can I hold him?" Luke asked softly, stepping closer to Volcan and holding his paws up to him.

Volcan looked at the pup and slowly handed him to Luke. "Hope he doesn't mind being passed around. Some kids hate that."

"Oh, I don't think he'll mind all that much." Luke said confidently as he took the Rockruff into his arms. The pup looked back at Luke inquisitively, leading to Luke smiling and cradling him gently in his arms. "Hey there, little guy..." He whispered in a soothing manner.

The Rockruff seemed a bit apprehensive at first, but when Luke nuzzled the top of his head with his snout, he started to quickly warm up to Luke, so much that the pup ended up rearing up onto his hind legs and placed both his paws along Luke's muzzle, his tail wagging behind him as he essentially 'hugged' Luke's face.

"Heh, fuckin' knew it..." Hank remarked with a grin. "Luke's always had a way with kids. Glad to see he's still got the magic touch."

"Evidently," Kage added stoically.

Luke continued to nuzzle and rock the pup in his arms, stepping closer to Volcan and letting him pet along his head gently. The sight of the two of them doting on the Rockruff melted Hank's heart, and it was in that moment he came to a decision.

"Ehh... I was gonna wait till we arrived home to ask this, but seeing as you two are bonding so well with him, I may as well drop the bomb." The Zoroark stated. "How'd you two like to adopt this little bugger?"

Volcan sputtered as he turned to Hank, surprised. "Us?" He asked. "You want us to take him?"

"Yea. You guys are perfect fer the job." Hank answered casually. "Look, the tyke needs a home - a_good_ home. Luke's already fathered two kids already, so he's pretty much set for the job, and the tyke clearly trusts you enough to let you hold him." Hank reasoned.

"...I mean, he's not wrong." Luke pointed out, looking at the puppy in his arms. "But... Do you think we're ready to take on a child now?"

"Especially me... The only experience I have with kids was when I babysat Caulin," Volcan added. "I don't know anything about being a father."

"Well, never too late to learn, Legs." Hank remarked with a snicker.

Luke gazed down at the Rockruff once again, seeing his smiling face beaming back at him and making his heart melt inside. He couldn't help but smile back and gently stroke down his back with his paw. "Well... In reality, no one ever truly is ready to be a parent until they've done it, and I've fathered two kids before." Luke stated, glancing up at his lover. "I think we can manage it."

"I don't know... I have no real example of fatherhood to follow," Volcan said nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "I mean, my dad left when I was a newly hatched Torchic. I don't even remember what he looked like - I just know he's a Zapdos."

"Don't worry, love." Luke assured Volcan with a warm smile. "I'll be there to help you every step of the way. Besides, Hank's right - he needs a home. We can't just let him run wild in our little neighbourhood."

Volcan looked back at the Rockruff, meeting his eyes. The pup's sky blue eyes were so close in colour to Volcan's own... He could see that the pup was comfortable around him, at least. Volcan couldn't deny he felt an obligation to ensure the Rockruff's happiness... He'd been through a terrible tragedy, one that he might be too young to remember for long. But the poor little one needed a home, and someone to care for him.

"He definitely deserves better than just being left on his own," Volcan agreed, reaching out to the pup to let him smell his hand again. "And... I suppose it'd be... Better than taking him to Kima's and leave his fate to chance..." he let out a light laughter as the Rockruff nuzzled his hand. "Wow... we're really doing this, aren't we?"

"Yes... yes we are." Luke answered, smiling more broadly, then lifted his gaze quizzically. "Of course, if we're really going to take him in as our son, he's going to need a name."

"Should we ask Jora about common Lycanroc names?" Volcan suggested. "Or at least something for his heritage as an islander."

"I mean, I had a few myself." Hank piped up, raising a claw to catch their attention. "I juggled with a few while you guys were out and about, and well... I thought he could be called somethin' like Dash, or maybe Rufus."

Luke cringed a bit. "No offense, but those sound so... well... boring." He said, then looked at the Rockruff again. "Hmmm. He is a Rock-Type if memory serves, and there are several types of rocks in the world." He thought out loud, looking skyward as he wracked his brain for a possible answer.

His ears twitched once as a name came to mind, making him smile somewhat before he spoke. "How about... Ignus? As in Igneous Rock?"

"Ignus," Volcan repeated, rolling the name off his tongue as if to test it. "I like it. Simple, but strong." He looked down at the pup. "What do you think of that, kiddo? Ignus."

Of course the pup couldn't actually understand him - besides the obvious language barrier. He was probably still learning to speak in general, and even then only in whatever language that Lycanroc packs used themselves. They knew Lycanroc could speak - they had heard Asya speak in their encounters with her. No reason it couldn't extend to the second species as well.

Despite that, the pup seemed to respond to the name, his floppy ears perking up as he tilted his head at the two of them. When Luke whispered the name again, he reacted once more, then started attacking Luke's face with licks just like he did with Volcan.

"I think he likes it too." Luke said, chuckling as he tried turning his head away from the Rockruff's kissing assault.

"Ignus it is then," said Volcan, rubbing the Rockruff's small belly. "Welcome to our family, Ignus."

"Welp. Guess my job's done then." Hank stated with a smirk, then held his claw out to them. "That'll be a hundred Poks, please."

"Excuse you?" Luke asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, I matched you two together, even saved your relationship, and now I've blessed you with a child. I think I deserve to be compensated a little bit, dontcha think?" The Zoroark explained with a wry smirk.

"You can come to dinner anytime, " Volcan offered. "The pup already sees you as family. You've decided not to be his father, may as well take the role of a doting uncle, eh?"

"Hmm," The Zoroark hummed in thought for a moment, then shrugged his shoulders and grinned. "Eh, I'll take it. Only thing better than free food is this guy's food." Hank added, clapping a claw on Luke's shoulder.

"I better see to it that we have a couple more chairs in the dining room when we get home." Luke joked, grinning happily.

"I'll have to look into converting our guest room into a room for our new boy," added Volcan. "Maybe I should consider an extension too, for a new guest room. Gotta give our visitors somewhere to sleep if they need to stay overnight."

Luke began to chuckle louder, shaking his head from side to side. "Man... we've got a lot on our plate already, and we only just adopted him."

"Right. There will be time for that," agreed Volcan. "I see some of the others coming back now. Seems we'll be off soon."

"Thank Arceus... I was wondering if we'd ever take off again." Luke added, tilting his head back slightly. "As much as I love this place, I just want to go home."

"You and me both, love."