FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Romulus snorted smoke from his nostrils as he finished reading the letter, and then roughly pushed it aside with a snarl. "Dammit!" He cursed. "How could this happen?!" He slammed his paws on the table.

The plan should have worked... A small, elite detachment, to move in, capture and bring back a member of the Dark Crusade. But as always seemed to be the case, Calhoun and his lackeys were one step ahead. The team's approach had been silent, invisible, yet somehow Asya had still known of their arrival and captured the entire team.

"Damn them... Damn them all!" He roared, a gout of fire erupting from his maw, though quickly dissipating. He hunched over the table, trying to calm himself. Behind the mask of rage, he felt regret, certain now that he had sent five of the finest fighters in the Guilds to their doom.

He looked at his frightened assistant, who had, in a remarkable show of courage, remained even through Romulus' outburst. He took a few deep breaths to collect himself. "Find me a list of available teams," he told her. "We must prepare a rescue. Salvaging this mission may yet be possible but my first priority is to get those men back."

"Y-Yes sir," she replied, running out of the room as though her life were in danger.

Romulus collapsed into his seat, paws crossed on the table as he glared down at the wooden surface before him. He cursed it for not offering him any solace or some answer to what he should do, or where he could have gone wrong... his actions, and methods. He was certain that in the long run they served the greater good, but now he was starting to second guess his decisions. He'd never felt such hesitation, not since the day he'd had the opportunity to execute the five men who had made his life - and the lives of many others, a living hell... He'd been certain of his decisions then.

To fight a monster, you have to be able to become a monster. He had done this in his life, and managed to bring himself back from the brink.

But unfortunately, as he was learning... When one monster fought another, the _worse_monster... Was usually the winner. If he went down to Calhoun's level, he knew beyond a doubt he'd never come back from that.

~~~~~

The following morning, Volcan, Luke, Katsu and their new companions, the Shifu Brothers, travelled back to the cave where Zheng had been hiding out. Evidently, also where Calhoun himself had been hiding during his bout with the shadow curse. Enroute, Zheng explained how he had become corrupted upon entering the cave, while Chen and, at the time, Qiang, had both remained outside. There had been enough residual corruption within the cave that despite Calhoun having left it for more than eighteen months, it overwhelmed Zheng, and took control of him.

"So you were using the same techniques Calhoun was, trying to keep the corruption from taking you completely?" Volcan asked as Zheng explained his misfortune.

"Indeed. I managed to stave off the evil trying to overtake me by focusing all of my inner aura into where the darkness was most concentrated and containing it there until it was weakened enough for me to expel it on my own." Zheng explained to Volcan, looking at his own claw for a moment before giving a heavy sigh. "Alas, the darkness was too great to fully quell. I only postponed the inevitable, and eventually I too was claimed..."

"It's honestly a miracle that you held out for that long." Luke offered. "I guess we were fortunate to be in the area just as you were fully corrupted."

Zheng looked to Luke with a look of regret in his eyes. "Be that as it may, I regret the actions I took upon you during my crazed state... I hope you all can find it within yourselves to forgive my transgressions."

Luke shook his head softly. "You don't owe us anything, Master Zheng. It's my duty to save the lives of those around me, even if they're halfway across the world." He assured the Urshifu. "Honestly, seeing you reunite with your son will be rewarding enough as it is."

Zheng started to smile at Luke at that. "...Truly a noble soul, you are. You would have made for an outstanding monk had you found us long before this crisis ensued."

"I uh... I don't think I'd be monk material." Luke remarked. "Saving lives is my job, yes, but I've always liked meeting a challenge. Perhaps _too_much sometimes. I guess I have my best friend to thank for that."

"Besides, if he lived his life in a monastery, I might never have met him," Volcan chimed in, putting an arm around Luke and holding him tightly.

"That too... And I'd never trade my fiance for the world." Luke added, smiling back up at Volcan and leaning against him lovingly.

"Aye, nor would he have reunited with his own friends and family, or have made new ones back home." Katsu remarked while flexing his arm triumphantly. "And I would never have met the young, beautiful lass I now call my fair maiden of the seas..."

"It seems that many lives became intertwined when you two met," Chen remarked with a light smile. "I have to agree with him, brother. He would be wasted as a monk, for he does far more good in the world."

"I suppose you are right, brother." Zheng returned with a relenting nod, then sighed heavily. "I still cannot believe that our most promising monk has done so much damage after being corrupted... He was such a kind soul during his time with us, and now our monastery is nothing but rubble."

"We will stop him, Master Zheng. You have my word on that." Luke firmly stated. "We'll honour the man he once was by defeating the monster he's become now."

Zheng gave another smile toward Luke. "It is a relief to see that there are still pokemon out there that care for the well being of others more so than their own selfish desires. It's very... inspirational."

"Come to Azure sometime. You'll meet quite a few more," Volcan replied with a chuckle.

Coming over a rise, they finally came in sight of the cave. The light mood faded as they looked upon the mouth of darkness before them, knowing what lay within. Chen took a step forward, and motioned for the others to remain.

"I shall proceed alone," he said. "If more of the corruption yet lingers within this cave, only I will be spared. I'll retrieve what we came for."

"Be careful, Master Chen." Katsu stated. "And do try not to take very long."

That made Luke look up at Katsu with a raised eyebrow, but he dare not say anything about it... Aleast not yet. Chen stepped forward, venturing into the cave and leaving the others to wait for him, with Zheng staring worriedly after his brother. Even knowing Chen was immune to the corruption - yet no one understood _how_he was, he still feared for him.

Once Chen was inside, Luke finally spoke up and broke the silence. "I'm still perplexed as to how he was able to extract and destroy the Shadow Energy without being overtaken himself. I consider myself to be pretty damn skilled at manipulating aura, and yet I was still corrupted. What makes _him_so special?"

"The way you described it, it doesn't sound like he was even resisting it," said Volcan. "It seems more like he's just... Immune to the curse. But I don't know how."

"The funny thing is that... I seem to remember the sensation I felt when our aura's intermingled." Luke went on to say. "When I sense Aura, I'm able to discern it through both colour and shape. Most normal pokemon have blue aura, like you and I. Those that are Blessed have a bright shining aura, almost blinding to even look at..."

"And what of my brother's?" Zheng inquired. "What colour was his?"

"It was like... a static grey colour. It emitted no light, yet it wasn't shrouded in darkness either. It was just there." Luke went on to explain. "When the Shadow Energy went to attack him, it just disintegrated upon contact with his aura."

Katsu hummed a little in thought, rubbing his whiskers as he racked his brain for an answer of his own. He had only seen two shadow pokemon during this whole crisis, that being Calhoun himself, and Mewtwo when he was sent to attack them during the raid on their old fortress. He thought about their typing for a moment. Calhoun was a Blaziken; A Fire/Fighting type, and Mewtwo was a Psychic type. From what he could understand, the Shadow Energy affected everyone it came into contact with, so why was Chen the exception to this...?"

"...Pardon me for asking, Master Zheng." Katsu finally piped up, catching the Urshifu's attention. "Your brother mentioned to me that you are a practitioner of the 'Rapid Style' martial art, and that you are indeed Water and Fighting Type. May I ask what your brother's fighting style is and his typing?"

"Of course." Zheng returned with a nod. "My brother has taken a different approach than I. While I practice the Rapid Strike form, Chen practices the art of the 'Single Style,' which entails singular, powerful blows dedicated to ending a battle in one swift stroke." He explained. "As for his typing. While he and I do look similar, he is of the Fighting and Dark typing."

Luke suddenly froze, his eyes went wide as dinner plates when the word 'Dark' hit his ears. Immediately he thought back to earlier missions, long before he ever met Volcan and his allies, and whenever he sensed either Kage's or Hank's aura, they always appeared different than the rest of his allies. Eagle Eye, Doug and Katsu all had blue auras... but Hank's and Kage's auras were always an odd shade of grey...

The answer hit him as if he had just been punched in the face.

"...Dark Types... are immune..." He whispered softly.

"Wait what?" Volcan asked. "You think that the typing is the answer?"

"It has to be! There's really no other explanation saying otherwise!" Luke exclaimed, then he started to chuckle a bit and place his paw atop his forehead. "I can't believe it... The answer was right in front of us the whole time!"

"But, how is that possible?" Zheng asked. "The Shadow energy is a manifestation of pure evil that twists the minds of those it infects."

"Exactly!" Luke answered, which only confused the large bear pokemon even further. "When one thinks about darkness, one of the main things pokemon associate it with is evil. Dark Types must have some sort of immunity because of the inherent nature of a Dark Type. A lot of ferals of the typing are malicious, more so than other types of Pokemon, and if you think about it, you can't corrupt something that, in a way, is already corrupted!"

"...Luke." Katsu piped up, his expression starting to show the same glee that Luke was currently displaying. "Does this mean what I think it means?"

He looked back at Katsu, nodding feverishly. "We have a way to fight back against the Dark Crusade! And it's all thanks to Master Chen!" He exclaimed happily.

"Dark-types are immune," said Volcan, rubbing his chin. "Well that's good for knowing we have an edge but we can't really send a Dark-type against Calhoun himself."

Luke paused, then his expression soured as he realized Volcan had a point. "...Yea you're right. Dark Types may be immune to corruption, but they're still vulnerable to Fighting Type attacks, and Calhoun is a Blaziken." He remarked, then growled in annoyance. "Dammit. So much for that idea..."

"Don't give up yet," Chen's voice reached them as the Urshifu returned from the cave, carrying another diary in his paw. "That advantage may yet help you in the fight. For now, here," he offered the diary to Luke. "This is the other diary. It's the one Calhoun was writing in when he left the monastery. It should tell of everything leading up to the second diary."

Luke gently took the diary into his paws, nodding to the Urshifu in thanks. He then lowered his gaze slightly as he began to voice another thought in his head. "...You know, we could use all the help we can get in this fight." He remarked. "It's not really my place to say that, but given what we're going through right now, I guess there'd be no harm in asking." He went on before lifting his gaze to Chen. "Would you and your brother consider fighting on our side against Calhoun?"

Chen took a moment to look at his brother, considering the question. He saw the sorrowful look on his brother's face, and then huffed as he looked at them again. "I will consider it," he said. "But, there is something Zheng and I have to do first. And, we still have a job to do here. Calhoun's diary mentions a strange underground shrine he found up in the mountains." He looked up to the peaks above. "He thinks it was uncovered in the landslide that happened that day, the one where we thought he had perished. It is after that his diary entries become erratic. It must be connected in some way."

"And of course, I still have Qiang to return to. I am certain he has been worried for my safety ever since the day our monastery was destroyed, and I was afflicted by the corruption." Zheng explained. "Alas, as my brother stated, I will consider possibly joining your fight. For now, we have other pressing matters to attend to first."

Luke nodded back. "I understand." He said, slightly downtrodden that they wouldn't join their fight immediately, but he respected that they had other things to do first before they made that call. "Thank you for all of your help, Master Chen."

"It is we who owe you thanks," replied Chen. "Had you not come when you had, I may have lost my brother. And my dear nephew would have to grow up without a father."

"Again, it's part of my job." Luke returned with a nod, then he lowered his gaze again. "...A son should never have to live a life without their father... I would know." He added in a more solemn tone.

Volcan pulled Luke tight to his side, comforting him. "I know the feeling," he said, rubbing his back.

Chen let them have a moment before he spoke up again. "I'll lead the way to the shrine. By the description he left in the diary, I have a rough idea where to start looking."

"Then I shall return to the capital and reunite with my son." Zheng answered. "Now that we know you are immune to the corruption, you stand a better chance at finding the source than I do."

Chen nodded. "I will join you when we are finished. Make sure Qiang knows I will be there soon."

Zheng nodded, then he approached Chen and gave him a hearty embrace, clapping his hand along his back a couple times. "Take care, Brother." He said softly.

Volcan turned to regard Katsu, his eyes falling to the bandaged injury on his midriff. "Can you make the climb with that wound?" He asked. "If you wanted, you could return to Calygrad with Master Zheng."

"'Tis but a scratch, my friend." Katsu assured him, gently patting his stomach with his paw. "I will be alright. After all, I still have an oath I must uphold."

"Not at the expense of your health, Katsu." Luke remarked firmly. "If you're struggling, then return to Calygrad. I don't want any more harm coming your way because of me."

"Ah Luke... I've told you before that I would lay my life down for you if it meant your safety."

"Katsu... don't." Luke pleaded, already starting to become more saddened as he still was haunted by what he did to Katsu while corrupted, even with Chen firmly assuring him he wasn't at fault.

"Katsu, we just want what's better for you," assured Volcan. "Taking care of yourself won't break your oath."

The Samurott looked between Volcan and Luke, gauging their expressions silently before finally relenting with a heavy sigh. "Alright then..." He said softly. "If it will ease your worries, I will return to Calygrad..."

"Thank you Katsu." Luke said, trying to hold back a whimper as he spoke up. "W-we'll see you there. Go get some rest in the meantime."

"Be safe, my captain." Katsu returned with a respectful bow, then fell in with Master Zheng as the two began their return to Calygrad.

Luke sighed and slumped his shoulders heavily, wiping his eyes with his paw to keep his tears hidden. Volcan immediately took Luke in his arms, embracing him comfortingly and gently shushing him.

"It wasn't your fault, Luke," he whispered.

"I know." Luke whimpered softly. "Still, it... It hurts that Katsu got injured like that. I-I thought that I could do it... that I could..." He trailed off, choking slightly on his words as he felt despair starting to build up inside of him.

"We knew there was a risk involved Luke," Volcan assured him. "But Katsu's fine now, and equally important, so are you." He held him tighter.

Luke threw his arms tightly around Volcan, clenching his eyes shut as tears ran down his cheeks freely. "I'm sorry I worried you, my love...I'm so so sorry..." He whimpered.

Volcan held Luke firmly in his arms, letting his lover release his woes in the feathers of his chest. "It's alright, Luke," he said, leaning his head down and pecking the top of his head. "All that matters to me is that you are still here."

Luke nodded quickly in return, sniffling a few times as he pulled his head back to look up at Volcan. "I'll always be here with you, Volcan..." He answered, placing his paw atop his chest. "I made a promise after all..."

"And I'll always hold you to it," he reminded the Lucario playfully, lightly tapping him on the nose and giving him a wink.

He blushed and started to smile again at Volcan. "...When we get back to Calygrad, I'm kissing you so damn hard." He warned, "And I won't stop until I'm blue in the face..."

"You're already blue," Volcan joked, pulling back from the embrace and starting to walk ahead to Master Chen, who waited patiently for them.

Luke scratched the back of his head and looked awkwardly at the Urshifu. "Sorry for the delay, Master Chen. Just... needed to clear away some grievances."

"I understand," he replied with a reassuring nod. "Now, shall we?" He asked as he gestured up the slope.

"Let's." Luke returned with a firm nod. "The sooner we find what we're looking for, the sooner we can leave."

The climb up the summit proved more of a workout than originally expected. Chen was clearly more conditioned to such a climb, keeping well ahead of his two companions. Volcan's longer stride gave him some leverage, but he still found himself catching his breath more often as they climbed. He always made sure Luke was keeping up with him, so that they could talk while they walked.

"Huh... This could be... Good... Stamina training," he said between breaths. "Are there any... Big hills... Near Azure?"

"I'm sure... there's some around... Maybe deeper in the woods." Luke answered, panting a bit himself as he pressed on. "Could use... A bit of a boost... Myself, heh. Just imagine how... I'd be able to run... With nearly limitless stamina."

"Let's add it... To our... Routine..." Volcan replied.

They caught up to Master Chen, who had stopped at the crest of the hill, taking in his surroundings. Ahead of them sat a huge lake, overflowing with water from the recent melt, and sending small rivers cascading down the hillside to their left. Chen rubbed his chin, perplexed.

"This complicates things," he said, eyeing the overflow. "The place Calhoun described in his diary is beyond this lake, over there," he pointed to a passage running between two mountains behind the lake. "Crossing the overflow is dangerous. One slip and we'll fall all the way down to the base of the summit."

"Is there any other way?" Luke asked, looking toward Chen hopefully. "Or any other choice for that matter?"

Chen hummed as he considered their options, looking around the other side of the lake, which turned to a steep incline. "It's still risky... but we could go around that way," he suggested. "There may be some ice left on the slope but there may be another way up behind the ridge."

"If it's the safer option, then I say we take it." Luke answered firmly. "Besides, Volcan's a Fire Type and I know Blaze Kick. We could melt the ice if it gets too dangerous to traverse normally."

"Worth a try," replied Chen. "We must try not to fall into the lake. That water will be very cold."

"We'll be careful." Luke assured. "Unless you know any Fire moves yourself, would you be okay with us taking the lead?"

"I do not," he replied. "Please, proceed."

The two younger fighters took the lead, approaching the side of the lake with the slope. As they climbed over, Volcan took point, and walked sideways with his back to the lake and hands grasping the steep wall in front of him. He inhaled and shot a flamethrower at some ice in their path, melting it off and letting it fall before he continued on, with Luke and Chen following at a safe distance.

Slowly and cautiously, they made their way over, and rounded the low peak behind the lake. But their progress was quickly halted by the cliff face in front of them. An almost straight shot up, and measuring at least thirty feet.

"Can you guys make that jump?" Volcan asked.

"I could if I rebounded off another surface," replied Chen, looking around the area near the cliff face, mostly open air with few other surfaces. "Nothing is close enough."

"I could probably use Extreme Speed to hop from foothold to foothold." Luke answered, then looked back to Chen. "Can you manipulate your aura into your limbs to increase their overall strength? Like, into your legs in this case?"

Chen hummed in thought. "I usually concentrate it into my fists, but, I will try," he replied, and then straightened his posture, putting his hands together as he began to concentrate.

"I'll wait at the top, ready to help if you guys need it," said Volcan. He hopped in place a few times before dropping low, and launching himself skyward, clearing the cliff face easily with a single, powerful leap.

"I need to learn how to do that..." Luke muttered to himself, then he crouched low himself before leaping at the cliff, aiming for the closest foothold. Once he was on the cliff face, he started leaping from each step at a rapid pace with his Extreme Speed, keeping his footing light so that he didn't cause any of his footholds to break.

He reached the last foothold and leaped up toward Volcan, but when his foot pushed off, the rock broke off and affected his jump greatly. He yelped from his loss of momentum, quickly reaching up toward Volcan as he neared the peak of his hampered jump. Volcan reacted immediately, dropping onto his belly and catching Luke's paw before Luke fell too far.

"Got you," he said, and started to pull him up.

Slowly, he got back to his feet as he lifted Luke over the crest of the wall, and gently moved away from the edge before he let go of his paw. "You okay?"

"Y-Yea, just a little startled." Luke answered, panting softly and placing his paw over his own chest. "That was too close... Thanks, love."

"Anytime."

There was a bellow of effort from below, and Chen came flying up the cliff face. He didn't quite reach the top, but he made it far enough that he caught it with his paws, and with a heave, lifted himself over and dropped into a roll, returning to his feet.

"I have grown weaker," He said with laboured breath. "All that time in recovery... My strength has waned."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it for now." Luke answered. "We all made it. Let's take what we can get and press on." He urged as he pushed himself back to his feet.

"Right with you, love," Volcan called.

Fortune it seemed, favoured them. They came up to the same rise that Chen had pointed out before, overlooking the lake below, where they could still see the cascading water from the overflow, sliding down the summit to another lake below, which fed into a river. Luke briefly wondered if the river led to Calygrad, before he fell back into step with his companions and continued the climb up the summit.

They soon came to another ridge, and here Chen took an especially studious look of the area, his eyes narrowing as he found they had reached the top of a high ridge, shadowed by the light of a single lone peak, overlooking a great drop ahead, which the ridge seemed to encircle like a pair of arms, stretching many hour's walk to either side. They approached the edge of the chasm, opening like an enormous mouth in the surface of the world itself. Luke briefly imagined the sight from above, thinking the peak and chasm in combination might resembled a horned beast, mouth wide open to roar or consume the sun which lay overhead.

"This is it," said Chen, sounding pleased. "It is exactly as Calhoun described. Top of the ridge behind the twin peaks, in the shadow the highest peak with the chasm beneath. Down there in that chasm is where the landslide we heard that day fell. It's all in his journal."

"Which means whatever corrupted him is also still down there." Luke added, swallowing nervously as he regarded the deep, gaping valley before them. "We'll need to be doubly careful from this point on."

"Is there a safe way down?" Volcan asked, warily. Even with multiple landings that he could see, the Blaziken wasn't about to attempt such dangerous, precise jumps.

"We've never had any reason to go down into it, so I know not of any ramps or-" he paused as something caught his eye. "Wait... What is that?" He asked, pointing down to the opposite cliff face.

They followed his finger, and found he was pointing at an open gap in the cliff, but it was strange. The opening of a cave, so oddly placed, and even from a distance they could see something was strange about it. "It... looks like an opening." Luke answered, squinting his eyes to get a better look at the unnatural entrance.

"I have been up this mountain a thousand times," Chen stated, his voice carrying a tone of curiosity... And wariness. "I have _never_seen a cave down there before..."

"It must've been uncovered by that landslide you spoke of," Luke remarked.

"And I bet anything that's where Calhoun found whatever changed him," added Volcan.

"Sheer curiosity would drive anyone to explore such a cave," agreed Chen. "Let's see if we can find a way down."

Eventually, they managed to find their way down, having to do a bit of climbing and making a long jump over the chasm where it was a little narrower, allowing Volcan to make the jump and aid the other two, until they made it to the opposit side safely. More climbing followed, and they reached the ledge where the opening was located. The air in the chasm was still, and eerily silent, with only the sound of falling water from the lake over the ridge, but even that sounded faint and distant.

"...I am sure of it now," stated Chen. "This is no natural cave."

"Agreed," added Volcan. "The opening is too symmetrical - someone dug this."

Luke quickly flipped open the journal he was given by Chen earlier, flipping through the pages to see if there was an entry that described anything similar about this place, or what he found that caused him to become infected. In the third-last entry in the journal, a passage stood out to him. He was rewarded when he found a sketch of the cave opening itself, along with two erntries that spoke of Calhoun's venture inside, all compiled on the last two pages...

"Arceus above! The landslide swept away a section of the cliff face and opened up what first I thought was a cave, but when I got down to it, I realized this was no natural opening! Someone carved a passageway here... But why bury it after? I've decided to investigate it, then report back to Master Zheng when I return to the monastery. I wonder what lays in here?"

The next passage...

"I have no idea who it was, but someone attacked me. A strange Pokemon, short in height but it hit like a hammer. It had these red and yellow eyes and seemed to move like a shadow. Still, I managed to land a Night Slash on it which seemed to work. It was definitely a Ghost-type Pokemon of some kind. I'll have to ask Master Zheng. But, what was it so intent on protecting that it would attack me without any provocation?"

Then, the last entry in the diary...

"I... I can't remember the last few minutes. Only by this diary do I know what I was doing here. I woke up in this chamber and-" The sentence was broken, and crossed out before moving on. "-and my whole body feels like it's on fire! There's this... feral rage inside of me, trying to claw its way out of my head! I... I have to get out of this place... this cave is evil! I have to get home-" more scrawling and crossing out. _"I cannot go home... whatever this evil is that's inside me I can't let it get into the temple! I'll go to my old hiding place down by the fields! No one ever found that place. I can keep everyone safe there until I find a way to expel this-"_He did not finish the sentence, a splotch of ink trailing away from where it ended all that remained...

Luke closed the book shortly after reading the entry, his expression growing more pained by the second. He now knew what this place was, or at least what it contained. "...And this journal confirms that _this_is where he was corrupted." Luke muttered softly, lifting his gaze to the tunnel ahead. "His curiosity got the better of him... And he paid for it dearly."

"But if this is the place, why do I sense nothing?" Chen asked. "The air is clear here..." He narrowed his eyes, and then held out his paw, motioning for them to wait as he walked slowly into the darkness of the doorway.

"Be careful, Chen." Luke called after him as he ventured deeper into the cave. He then scoffed and lowered his gaze, not liking the idea of feeling powerless in this situation. He wanted to venture forth with him, and help him uncover and quell whatever might be lying in wait ahead of them, but after his last failure at purifying a Shadow Pokemon, he had his trepidations. Volcan stood beside Luke, his body tense as they waited for some sign of the Urshifu master to return.

After a long moment of silence, the Urshifu emerged from the darkness, but the perplexed look on his face did not spell good news. "There is some... Residual power here, but it is faint," he replied. "Otherwise, if there was something here, it's gone now."

"Luke, you said the corruption manifests like Aura," said Volcan, turning to look at his lover. "Would you be able to see if there was anything left in there?"

"I can try." Luke answered, rolling his head along his shoulders and closing his eyes, focusing his mind as he tuned to his aura sense.

He ventured into the cave through his senses, seeking any sign of the corruption. He sensed Volcan and Chen's auras next to him, and he detected a bird Pokemon in the vicinity, flying high over them, too far to be of any interest to them. But for the aura of the corruption, he sensed... nothing. There was residual energy as Chen had said, but it was so faint as to be little more than a vapour. The darkness, had there been any, had seemingly been emptied from this shrine...

Sighing, Luke opened his eyes and tuned out of his aura sense, shaking his head in disappointment. "There's nothing here." Luke answered, his perplexion mirrioring Chen's. "As Master Chen said, there are only trace amounts. Nowhere near enough to corrupt us."

"Then it's safe to enter," said Chen. "Volcan, can you provide us with light?"

"Sure," replied Volcan, lifting his hand and focusing on it, channelling his energy into it to make his wrist ignite, coating his hand in fire. With that, Volcan led the way inside, followed closely by Luke and Chen.

But, they did not go five steps before Chen stopped dead in his tracks. "What's this?" He asked, turning to something on the wall, over which he ran his paw. "This symbol... it looks familiar to me..."

Volcan came over, giving the Urshifu more light to study the symbol on the wall. It was a strange pattern, almost incomprehensible, as though someone had been cutting randomly at the wall and creating an array of intersecting lines, all surrounding a single dark circle, marked by an embedded piece of jet. The moment Chen saw the symbol in full, he recoiled from it as though it had attacked him, putting Luke and Volcan on immediate alert.

"No... No it can't be...!" He exclaimed. "They can't be real!" Without a word, he suddenly ran past the two and charged deeper into the shrine, looking like he was on the verge of panic.

"Hey, wait! Chen!!" Luke hollered after the Urshifu, rushing past Volcan and almost knocking him over as he did. "Hold on! Don't get too far ahead!!"

"Slow down! You can't even see where you're going!" Volcan called as he strode after both of them.

Chen ran blindly through the corridor, nearly slamming into a wall as the tunnel bent in a turn but somehow keeping on the right path until he entered an open chamber. It was so dark inside, he could not see the walls of the room until Luke and Volcan caught up, bringing light with them. What awaited them was the signs of a battle - not a recent one, from the dust that had settled, but a vicious one nonetheless. Multiple braziers had been knocked to the floor, though it was clear th had not been lit in many years. They were covered in battle damage, denting their metal frames and leaving some of them in pieces.

"What the hell happened in here?" Luke asked out loud as he stepped further into the chamber, kneeling down to gently pick up and look at one of the damaged braziers more closely. "Is this.. His handiwork?"

"The diary said he was in a fight, right?" Volcan asked. "Maybe it happened in here?"

"It seems likely." Luke answered, looking to the diary and flipping to the entry where it described that Calhoun encountered some strange enemy within these caverns. He then looked up to the Urshifu, seeing that he was still rather distressed about what he saw on the wall in the cave.

"Master Chen?" Luke asked, walking over and touching his arm.

"This place..." he said in a hush voice. "There's... a legend spoken of, here in the north. About places where the barriers between our worlds in another begin to thin. These locations were sealed, because they contained a dark power within them, passing over from this other world This dark power is believed to be what creates Shadow Pokemon. Until now I always believed that the shadow curse was random, or that it moved like some sort of miasma infecting Pokemon caught in it. But finding out this place is real..."

With that, he started walking toward the door on the other side of the room, stepping over a fallen brazier as he went. Volcan and Luke, unsure what else to do, followed him through the open door on the other side, where they entered a second chamber, as big as the first, and largely empty except for a stone platform with an archway in the center of the room. A plain archway, seemingly with nothing in it. The battle signs from outside had not made it to this room.

Chen stared up at the archway, his fists clenching. "I now understand... what happened to Calhoun."

"So you're saying that this is some kind of Nexus?" Luke asked as he stepped closer to the archway himself. "A place where the Shadow Energy manifests... and Calhoun just happened to stumble upon it during his journey?"

"It would seem that is the case," said Chen. "The legends said that these places are supposed to have been sealed, buried by heroes of the past, and entrusted by their descendants. Four powerful Pokemon guarded these places, to ensure no one could ever be threatened by them should they be uncovered."

"The one Calhoun fought in the journal," said Volcan.

"Undoubtedly, the Spirit Warrior, Marshadow," replied Chen. "I do not know if it was the same one who sealed this place - even Ghost-types don't live forever. But, it cannot be a coincidence. This place must have been uncovered by the landslide. Calhoun came down here to investigate this opening, and was attacked by Marshadow."

"We didn't see anybody in the other room..." Volcan remarked. "Could Calhoun have killed him?"

"Unlikely. At least, not until after he would have come in here..." replied Chen.

"Is it possible that this Marshadow being was corrupted as well? And that it attacked him out of an instinct to kill rather than to drive him away?" Luke asked.

"That is also possible, but as ghosts can pass through walls, I see no reason Marshadow would have stayed here once it was corrupted," replied Chen, looking back at the stone doors. "Perhaps that door was sealing the energy inside as well. It was open when we arrived." He studied the stone platform again. "I have a theory that this archway must have been designed to contain the energy coming through the Nexus, but of course the energy built up overtime. It is like pumping too much air into a container, eventually a rupture will happen. These ruptures cause seismic activity, and following unexplained quakes like this is when Shadow Pokemon usually appear. This time though, the seismic activity revealed one of the sources."

Luke's ears perked up and his eyes widened in an unexplained feeling of fright. "...Wait, one?" He asked, quickly looking at Chen. "How many more of these gateways are there?" He further inquired, though he feared the answer he might get in return.

"There is supposedly one at each compass point of our world," replied Chen. "This one would have been the north."

"Then there are three more places like this?" Volcan asked.

"That is correct. Each one guarded by a descendant of the mythical warriors who sealed them. Warriors of Spirit, of Storm, of the Forest and of Light, if memory serves."

Luke hummed as he had a thought. "The Warrior of the Forest would most likely be in the East. Almost half of the continent is covered in an extensive forest that carries on from the middle all the way to the north - it's the largest woodland in the known world."

"That does seem plausible," replied Chen, nodding. "I do not know who they are, but where these Nexi are, the guardians will be found."

Volcan was the next one to voice a question. "Master Chen... You also said these Nexuses are passageways to another world. Are we talking like another reality? Some dark mirror image of our own world?"

Chen shook his head. "Much worse than that," he replied. "This dark power is born of the world created by our creator's nemesis."

Volcan and Luke both felt their hearts skip a beat, but it was Luke who found the courage to speak first. "You're kidding..." Luke said, almost whimpering in utter fear at the insinuation. "These Nexuses carry power from the Distortion World??"

"If the legend is to be believed, yes," replied Chen. "A being of Giratina's power is not so easily sealed away. These four locations, focal points where the barriers thinned and the dark power of his world seeped into our own, were created with the purpose of serving as anchors to keep Giratina and his power both contained. But then cultists who worshipped Giratina built these," he gestured to the arching stones, "on top of the anchors. It was they who created these nexuses, with their ultimate intent to use the shadow energy that each one containined, and open a gateway to the distortion world.

"If the legend is to be believed, they nearly succeeded. But the cultists were defeated in the end, and the Nexuses sealed away to ensure they could never be used. Unfortunately the ancient heroes who bested them could not destroy the Nexuses themselves, so instead they vowed to guard them, so the legend says."

"So the fact that Calhoun is trying to find these gateways..." Luke trailed off, tapping his paw against his chin slightly. "Is he one of the cultists? Or, some kind of descendent of them?"

"I have no reason to believe he is," Chen replied with absolute certainty. "There is no way he could know of them. Least of all when he was left with us as a child twenty years ago."

"Still. The kidnappings... the attack on Arc Island... They all seem to be part of a bigger scheme," said Volcan. "What could it all mean? Is he after another Nexus - is that his true goal?"

"That, I fear, only he could know the answer to," replied Chen, letting out a sigh. "But it doesn't matter. If he bonded with this dark power so well, and now is using it to carry out a twisted ideal - whatever it may be... then he really is beyond saving." He put a paw over his heart. "Dear brother, I am sorry... Your student is truly gone."

"...We have to go back." Luke said with immense urgency in his tone. "We need to warn everyone we can - every Guild Branch needs to know about this!"

"I agree," said Chen, turning his back on the shrine. "Calhoun must be stopped, at any cost. If he absorbs another source, or somehow uses it to make another like him - whatever his cause may be, there will be no stopping him if even one of these remain. But first," he looked around the room, his eyes furrowed as he took it in. "We must seal this place again. This focal point could restore itself eventually - we must ensure nobody can get to it and be consumed again."

"How?" Volcan asked.

"We're going to bring the ceiling down," replied Chen, a deep rumbling growl echoing from his throat even as he spoke. "Better yet if we can bring down the entire mountain. Either way, it must be done."

He ushered them out of the room, pulling the stone doors shut once again, and moving to the middle of the main chamber where he began to scan the ceiling for weak points. Luke and Volcan joined in the search, and it was Luke who saw them first.

"There." Luke pointed to a few spots along the interior of the chamber. There were some fractures along the walls and the ceiling above, and Luke was already prepping an Aura Sphere in his paw after pointing them all out. "If we hit those weak spots, the chamber should at least collapse in on itself."

"I will increase the fracture, if the two of you can do the rest," offered Chen as he slid his feet apart, taking a few deep breaths as he held out one arm, fist turned toward the ceiling and igniting with a Focus Punch.

"Will do." Luke answered with a nod. "Volcan?" He said, turning to the Blaziken.

"Right with you," Volcan returned with certainty, widening his stance and forming a circle with his hands at his core, a Focus Blast already forming between his hands.

Chen took another deep breath, a growl escaping his throat as he breathed out again, the glow of his fist intensifying as he eyed the ceiling. Then, very suddenly, he moved. The massive Urshifu launched himself up to the corner to his right, his fist slamming into the stone and causing it to spiderweb. Then, as though in defiance of gravity itself, he jumped off the side wall, his punch still charged, and soared at the opposite wall as though he had been fired out of a cannon, striking the second crack. Only then did he finally return to the floor, landing on his hands and springing back to the center of the room. There, he began to charge again.

Luke and Volcan both cast Focus Blasts at the fractures created by Chen, the explosive impacts of each blast increasing the size of the fractures. Every punch by Chen created more, and gave Luke and Volcan new targets until they were spent from overusing the Focus Blasts. But it didn't seem like they needed to do any more.

After a final Focus Punch from Chen, the ceiling began to give. Stones began to fall, and the room began to fill with dust. "That's enough! Go!" Chen shouted, turning and running for the exit.

Luke and Volcan turned and ran, heading down the corridor leading outside as the ceiling in the first chamber began to collapse. The whole mountain was shaking, as the room caved in on itself, and their feet pumped harder at the fear of being buried alive. Even in the corridor, they saw cracks forming in the ceiling, motivating them to move with all speed. A cloud of dust followed behind them, filling the corridor and closing in on Chen as the light coming in the exit illuminated all three of them.

They just barely made it outside before a shockwave erupted down the corridor, throwing dust - and them, out onto the ledge beyond. Volcan was hurled almost right to the edge, but managed to catch himself, his clawed fingers scraping on the stone as he slid, stopping just as his legs hung over the ledge. Luke had to use his Metal Claws to stop his slide, ending it just before his feet went over the edge as well and breathing a huge sigh of relief. Slowly he rolled onto his back and placed a paw over his own chest, trying to steady his rapidly beating heart.

"That... was _too_close." He remarked, turning his gaze to meet Volcan's.

Volcan swung his legs over his head into a somersault, rolling back to put himself on his feet, safely away from the edge. He pushed himself up on his hands, shaking his head and looking back at Luke. "That might've been the most reckless thing we've ever done," he remarked.

"Let's try not to repeat it," Luke returned, slowly sitting up and scooting away from the ledge himself. "...Wait, where's Master Chen?" Luke asked, looking around their immediate area with mild alarm.

They heard a cough coming from the entrance, and a bulky form stepped out of the dust cloud. "Worry not, I'm alright," answered Chen, trying to wave the dust away. "That shockwave caught me off guard." He looked back at the entrance, still obscured behind the cloud of dust. "The corridor is now filled with rubble as is the central chamber. It is now impossible to reach that shrine without tunnelling."

"You think that's the end of it, Master Chen?" Volcan asked.

"Frankly, Volcan, I don't know," he replied, shaking his head. "But it is the best we can do. No one can reach this place again for the foreseeable future."

"There is... No risk of a Ground-type digging through the mountain and finding it, is there?" Luke asked.

Chen let out a laugh. "None whatsoever. There are no Ground-types that call this area home," said Chen. "What few Ground-types live on this continent dwell further south, away from these mountains - it is too cold for them here most of the year, and food is too scarce for them."

Luke let out a relieved sigh. "Then at least for now, it's safe. We can always return to reinforce it at a later time if need be." Luke remarked. "We've done what we can here. Now it's time to inform King Calyrex on what has happened, then we can present our findings to the guilds."

"Yes," agreed Chen. "The world must be warned of what has happened here." He looked at the two. "We should have just enough daylight to make it back to my cave. Let us return, then we will rest there for the night. On the morrow we can start for Calygrad, reunite with my brother and your friend and seek an audience with the King."

By noon of the following day, Luke, Volcan and Chen reached Calygrad, and were welcomed inside by the guards who apparently were expecting them. They directed them immediately to the palace, telling them that Calyrex had asked for them the moment they returned. Diverting their course, they arrived at the courtyard. They found a familiar figure waiting for them at the central boulevard, seated by the fountain.

Katsumoto heard their footsteps and turned to see them approach. The Samurott's face lit up at the sight of his friends - he shot to his feet, running over to take both Luke and Volcan in a mighty bearhug. "Haha! The Gods above have granted you a safe return!" He exclaimed in a celebratory manner. "Good to see you are all in good health, my friends!"

Luke hurked as he was squeezed so aggressively against Katsu's chest. "T-That might change... if you don't ease up a little, big guy." He wheezed, quickly tapping his arm to get his attention.

Katsu quickly caught on and released the two of them from his embrace. "My apologies. I got carried away in the moment."

Volcan chuckled as he gasped. "Deja vu... I think I went through this with Tristan when we came home from the west." He remarked before turning to Katsu. That was when Volcan noticed an absence on Katsu's abdomen. "Wait, your wound. It's... gone?" He asked, puzzled.

"Ah yes! His majesty, King Calyrex tended to my wounds personally after I arrived with Master Zheng." Katsu returned, patting his torso where his wound once was. "He has quite the healing capabilites. There wasn't even the faintest traces of a scar after he was finished."

"That's quite the healing ability. More potent than Mikhail's Heal Pulse, and he's a trained surgeon." Luke remarked, quite impressed to hear of King Calyrex's healing powers. "Speaking of, we're just about to go meet with him, then we're hightailing back home as soon as we can."

"I take it you found the answers you sought?" Katsu asked, his expression growing more serious this time.

"Yes, and the implications for them are _not_enticing," replied Volcan. "We'll fill you in when we see the King. He needs to know about this too. After that, our next stop is the guild, and then back to Valvatna to get a boat. We're going home ASAP."

With that, they headed for the palace. They stepped through the doors, and met another of the guards who said the King would meet them in the grand dining hall. He directed them there, and when they stepped through the door, they found themselves in a room as vast as the throne room. A long table filled the middle of the room, one end of it covered with a significant spread and occupied by only three - the King, Zheng and Qiang, all of whom had filled their plates.

Qiang looked up the moment the door opened, and his face brightened. "Uncle Chen!" He called, leaping out of his chair and running to the door.

Chen opened his arms and caught the Kubfu as he practically launched himself over the table and landed in his uncle's embrace. "Hello, Qiang," he said, smiling. "I am glad to see you are well."

"I missed you, uncle," replied the youngling.

"Volcan, Luke," Calyrex called from his seat at the table. "Welcome back. You must be starving. Please, come join us."

"Honestly, after what we've been through, an actual meal would be pretty welcome right about now." Luke remarked, jumping on the offer and moving toward the first available seat at the table. "Been getting tired of rations and non perishable food lately."

Calyrex laughed. "Well, there shall be none of that here," he said, gesturing to the table in front of him. "Be sure to save room for dessert. My cook makes a sticky toffee pudding that is simply to _die_for." He said as he dug into his own meal, taking a piece of fruit off the end of his fork into his mouth.

"That sounds great," agreed Volcan, as he seated himself next to Luke. He took a moment to look himself over. "Er... maybe we shoueld wash up first?"

"Think nothing of it," replied Calyrex. "You're fresh off the road so it's to be expected." He let out a call, and a servant brought over a bowl of water with a bar of soap and a towel, placing it on the table in front of them, and retrieving another for Chen as he sat beside his brother and nephew.

Volcan, catching the meaning, dipped his hands into the water. He applied soap to his hands, lathering them well before dipping again to rinse off the suds. He slid the bowl over to Luke before picking up the town to dry his hands, and then also passed him the towel. Luke followed his husband's example, washing his paws and dabbing his face with the moistened towel. Once they were clean and sud free, they wasted no time filling their plates and began digging in eagerly."

"...Goodness, they are hungry." Zheng pointed out, blinking in astonishment.

"We tapped out our rations after we... Well, for lack of a better term, caused a collapse in a mountain," Chen remarked as he finished washing his paws. "We have not eaten much for nearly a day."

Calyrex looked at him quizzically. "I beg your pardon, collapsed a mountain?" He asked.

"I will tell you everything," Chen replied. "For now, I'd like to let these two have a moment to regain their strength."

Calyrex nodded slowly. "Very well," he said. "Master Zheng filled me in on most of the details, particularly of how Luke managed to free him of the Shadow Curse." He turned his head to look at Luke. "For which, you are to be commended, young man. You saved a great man from damnation."

Luke paused for a moment and glanced back at the king, then looked away as if he were ashamed. "I didn't exactly free him..." He remarked somberly. "When I went to cleanse Master Zheng from the curse, it managed to catch me off guard and transferred into me before I could properly react." He explained. "Needless to say, for a few minutes, I was corrupted as well and would have been forever if it weren't for Master Chen."

"I am aware," replied Calyrex. "But, were it not for Master Chen's intervention we might not know what we do now. Apparently Pokemon of the Dark-type like himself are unaffected by the curse."

"Yes, your majesty," replied Chen. "I did not know either... I was fully prepared to give my life to save Luke's in return for rescuing my brother."

"Uncle?' Qiang asked, worriedly.

Chen reached over and patted Qiang's head. "Fortunately, it did not come to that," he added in reassurance.

As Luke and Volcan ate their fill, Chen told the full story of what happened after they parted ways with Zheng and Katsu. He left out no details, telling them of how they found the shrine, and what evidence was there as they came to understand what the place was. Calreyx and Zheng both visibly paled at the explanation as they understood what Chen was telling them. At the end of it all, Calyrex sank back in his seat, and asked his servant to bring him a bottle of the strongest wine they had in the cellar.

"The Four Focal Points... The Dark Gates to the Distortion would," he said, his voice coming out in barely more than a whisper. "I thought them only a myth. One of those damnable places was here all this time, practically right under my very nose." He lay a paw across his eyes. "This is much to take in."

"I am sorry to bring such dire news, your majesty, truly," said Chen. "But... this is the reality we now face."

"Rest assured though, your highness. We will do everything in our power to make sure Calhoun doesn't get his hands on the rest of those sights." Luke responded firmly after wiping his mouth on his napkin. "We _will_stop him, and honour the man he once was before becoming the monster he is today. Now that we have an idea on how he became a Shadow Pokemon and what his plans are, we can start making a plan of our own to counter his."

Chen cast a sidelong look at Zheng, wondering how his brother was taking the news about his fallen apprentice. He did indeed look rather devastated, his expression saddened as he gazed down at the table, contemplating on what should be done next. He now understood the gravity of the situation, and after being subjected to the Shadow Energy himself, he felt he couldn't just sit by and watch his former apprentice cast a shadow of evil over the world.

He slowly stood up from his seat, heaving a heavy sigh before he looked over to Luke and the others. "...I cannot join you on this quest, not if it means facing my former pupil." He said firmly, his saddened gaze replaced with a look of fierce determination. "But I believe I can still help you. Calhoun was my student... As his master, it is my responsibility to at least assist you in righting the wrongs he is committing across the world. I would never be able to find true peace until I know for certain he will never threaten this world again, even if it will not be by my hand he meets his defeat."

Zheng felt a touch on his arm, and turned to see his son standing up in his seat, his tiny paws resting on his father's forearm as he looked at him, trying to be supportive to his father. Zheng smiled softly at Qiang, then scooped the young Kubfu into his arm and held him at his eye level. "What say you, my dear son? Feel like taking a small adventure outside these castle walls and into a new world?"

"We have been apart for half a year, father," replied Qiang. "There is nothing here for us now in the North, regardless of what we choose to do. Henceforth, I go where you go."

"As do I," declared Chen. "We will not simply stand by and let the world be endangered. Not now, not ever." He looked at Volcan and Luke. "We have some matters we'll need to tend to first, but as soon as that is done, I make you this promise. We will aid you against the Dark Crusade, both directly and indirectly. My brother and I will help with your training, to help you all become stronger."

Luke smiled more confidently this time, standing up from his seat and approaching the two brothers and the young Kubfu. "We'd appreciate that, truly. Thank you." He responded, then rather than offer his paw to shake, he put his paws together and gave them a formal bow.

The two brothers blinked slightly, but they quickly returned the gesture and bowed back to Luke with a resounding "Osu!" that echoed throughout the dining hall.

Volcan leaned over to Katsu, smiling with a confidence he hadn't felt in a long time. "I think we just got ourselves a really big advantage for this conflict," he said in a low voice.

~~~~~

By the early afternoon, Luke, Volcan and Katsu were prepared to depart. They met with the King and the Shifu brothers in the yard, their packs swelled with fresh supplies, water canteens and warmer blankets, provided generously by King Calyrex. He had even given them a writ for the ship captain who took them home, letting them know to forward the expenses for their passage to the crown.

"Consider it your reward for taking the mission I offered you," Calyrex said. "There is little other help I can offer you. I must tend to my realm, but I promise you this. Should that north focal point awaken, I will see to it that no one is threatened by it again."

"My brother and I will make our way to Valvatna as well, and charter a boat to take us to Westport," Chen informed them. "From there, we intend to contact others of our order, to let them know what happened. I understand some of our order are also members of the Guilds as well."

"Where will you go after that?" Volcan asked.

"We are yet undecided," answered Chen. "You said you live in Port Azure, yes?"

"Yeah?"

Chen smiled. "Then you will see us again soon enough," he promised.

"Alright. We look forward to hearing from you." Luke answered with a nod. "I know I've said this before, but thank you both for your help. We came to this land seeking information, with little hope in finding any... But our mission was a success in the end, and it is thanks to you."

The brothers nodded, and Qiang - standing proudly between them, gave a bow.

"There is one last thing I will do to assist you," Calyrex said. "It should be coming any moment now..."

They waited, and soon heard the sound of hoofbeats on the cobblestone. Turning toward the sound, they saw two large equine Pokemon racing toward them, coming from the gate. The two steeds were an unusual sight - one of them was jet black, with a mane of deep violet and a highlight of a lighter purple, with its tail to match. Perhaps more startling, the steed's hooves seemed... immaterial, and disembodied. Its legs did not even connect to the hooves, which were emitting a ghostly fog. They also could not see its eyes, if it indeed had any.

The second steed was by contrast a snowy white, and largely plain except for its frozen features. Its head was encased in a mask of ice, and its hooves similarly armoured and doubled in size by the ice that encased. Unlike its spectral counterpart, this steed had eyes, shining through its frozen face, and a shorter tail than the other.

"Meet my two valiant steeds - comrades across the ages of my reign. Spectrier and Glastrier," Calyrex introduced the two horses, who dipped their heads to the companions.

"...I swear, we meet new species of pokemon every time we venture beyond Azure's borders." Luke remarked before he started to chuckle. "What's next, a Snake-like pokemon that can whip up Sandstorms?" He joked.

"That would be a Sandaconda," Calyrex remarked without missing a beat.

Luke's smile faded into a blank expression. "Wait, that's actually a Pokemon??" Luke blurted out. "Jeez, I was just joking when I said that!"

"Every day's an adventure, right?" Volcan asked, regarding the horses.

He approached the darker one, lifting his hand slowly. Spectrier lowered its head and let Volcan rest his hand on it. The steed was cool to the touch, and he realized the creature did indeed have eyes when it blinked at him. The eyes were as dark as its fur, marked only by light purple highlights below them but otherwise completely camouflaged by its natural colour.

"So... we'll be riding these guys to Valvatna?" Volcan asked.

"They will carry you there in half the time," replied Calyrex. "No need to learn how to ride. They know the way. Simply hold on, and they will do the rest. Oh, and, for Spectrier, make sure you stay on the saddle - slide off, and you will pass right through him."

Luke approached the Icier looking horse pokemon, smiling at it as he lightly ran his paw along its snout, causing it to huff and nudge back against him gently. "They're kinda cool, actually." Luke admitted, then looked over to Katsu with a grin. "Think you can handle this one? I feel like sharing a ride rather than going solo."

"Hahaha! If that is a challenge, then I accept!" Katsu remarked as he walked over to Glastrier, rearing up on his hind legs and climbing aboard the ice horse. He struggled slightly as he mounted it, unsure of how he should proceed, but eventually found a way to comfortably sit on the horse's back. "Hmm... this will take some getting used to, but I shall acclimate."

Luke chuckled softly as he walked over to Volcan and Spectrier. "Care to give me a boost, my prince~?" Luke teased playfully to the Blaziken.

Volcan chuckled. "Why, certainly," he replied, kneeling beside the horse and cupping his hands for Luke to use as a foothold. The Lucario gently stepped on Volcan's hands, then pushed off of them and swung his other leg around the steed so that he sat comfortably on its back, then offered his own paw to Volcan so that he could mount it as well.

"You know... I think I might want to try a bit of horseback riding for our honeymoon." He remarked with a chuckle. "Just the two of us on horseback, walking along the beach in the moonlight...~"

Volcan smiled at that, reaching his arms around Luke to take the reins of Spectrier and give his lover a bit more security. "We'll add it to the plan book. Maybe Spectrier here will be our steed for that?"

Spectrier nickered, turning its head to look back at them quizzically.

"Just a joke," said Volcan.

"Safe journey to you, my friends," Chen declared as he and his family bowed in unison. "I look forward to seeing you all soon."

"As we hope to see you again as well, Master Chen." Luke called back, smiling as he looked over his shoulder to the family of Urshifu and their young Kubfu. He then looked to Volcan and gave him a small peck on his beak. "Let's go home..."

"The speed of the god of the sky go with you, my friends," Calyrex bade them, before he turned to the side and pointed his paw toward the gate. "Now, my steeds. To Valvatna, with all haste!"

The two horses whinnied and made a one-eighty turns, breaking into brisk trots as they headed for the gate with their new passengers in tow. They raced through the city streets, crowds parting with practiced ease as they made a path for the stallions to race through the city. Many cheering when they saw the horses, others eyed their passengers with curiosity. They could do little more than wave to the crowds, feeling somewhat enclosed by all the attention. But, the swiftness of the horses soon had them out of the city and on the road, riding hard for Valvatna...

A trek that previously had taken five days was reduced to two, as the steeds even rode through the first night. Developing saddle sores, the passengers stopped at one of the inns to rest and let the horses graze as needed before they mounted up again and pressed on. They reached Valvatna by the evening of the second day, and bid goodbye to the steeds who had carried them so far. With a unified bow of their heads, the two departed the city and galloped back home to Calygrad, while the companions chartered the boat home.

Upon reaching the equatorial islands, they returned to the port where they had left the Phalanx boat. They wasted no time getting underway, sailing home and discussing their adventures in the north. LIke the west continent before, it was a land of many mysteries - one they hoped one day they could see more of. They had even made a friend in the most famous and powerful figure among the northern communities - a King! That would make for quite a story to tell their friends when they returned home.

Finally, on the fifth day since they left Calygrad, the companions were in sight of the mainland again, hopefully only hours from Azure. "We'll be home soon," Volcan told them as he steered the boat along. "Man, what a trip we've had... Not even the longest of the adventures we've faced yet somehow it's standing out the most to me."

"It certainly feels like it has been a long time." Katsu remarked as he gazed out to the horizon in front of them. "I just wish this vessel could move faster... I have been away from my maiden for far too long, and I yearn for her touch..."

"We're almost there, big guy. Try to hang on just a bit more." Luke offered, patting his back lightly. "We could always pass the time with a game of chess if you want."

"I shall pass this time." Katsu remarked. "Despite you teaching the game to me, I still struggle with the tactical aspect of it. I fear it is just not a game for me..." He then looked up slightly as if a thought crossed his mind. "Although... I suppose Shogi is akin to chess, and I have been keen on learning that game..."

"They are more or less the same, with a few differences," Volcan chimed in. "Minato used to play it sometimes with Victor. The board is a little bigger for shogi - nine by nine instead of eight by eight, and there a few pieces in shogi that aren't in chess, such as the Gold and Silver Generals, and shogi has no counterpart to the Queen piece."

"I suppose I will have to ask either of them if they would be willing to teach me how to play then." Katsu remarked with a nod. "...After I reunite with my maiden, of course."

Luke laughed. "Man, you're as obsessed with Serena as I am with Volcan. Honestly I never really saw you as a lover."

"Neither did I, until my eyes met hers." He replied with a blissful sigh, already picturing them embracing each other when they arrived home.

"She does have pretty eyes," remarked Volcan, smiling slyly over his shoulder at the Samurott.

"Aye, indeed she does... Like looking into a pair of emeralds." He concurred, losing himself more to bliss the longer he thought about her.

"...Love, we're losing him." Luke remarked.

"Not to worry. He'll come around soon," replied Volcan with a snicker. "We're only an hour from the port now."

"An hour eh?" Luke repeated, moving around and slipping between the Blaziken and the helm, grinning back up at him. "Seems like quite a ways off if you ask me~"

Volcan snickered, looking down at him with a grin. "You'll have to be patient too," he said, before he added in a whisper. "But rest assured I'll have you howling my name before this day is out." He said with a wiggle of his brow.

The Lucario growled playfully as he traced his paw along his lover's chest. "And what if I don't _want_to wait~?" He asked playfully, leaning up closer to Volcan with an inviting gaze.

"Because you don't want us to run aground," he replied pointedly, but still met Luke's lips in a tender kiss.

"Mmhhh.. Surely you can keep your eyes ahead of you during this moment..." He whispered during their kiss, sliding his arms around Volcan's neck to hold him dearly.

"Impossible with such a handsome creature hanging off me like this," he teased back.

Eventually, Luke had to give up his advances, settling instead with taking the helm from his love while Volcan stood behind him, holding him lovingly as Luke steered the rest of the way home. Soon, Azure's docks were drawing closer, and they made a wide birth approach to the first available pier they could find. Volcan left Luke to head outside and get the line ready to secure the boat to the pier, assisted by Katsu. Luke had only a little practice bringing a boat into port, but fortunately he didn't need to be precise - just to get close enough for Volcan to hop over to the pier, catch the line from Katsu and reel them in the rest of the way before both of them tied it up.

As Luke cut the engine and stepped out to join them, they already saw a welcome party coming their way. Minato, Serena, Lashanne and Caulin were walking toward the docs, one of them apparently having seen their approach. Caulin was already running up to Volcan full sprint, leaping at the Blaziken just as he finished tying the ship to the dock.

"Uncle Volcan!!" He exclaimed gleefully, latching onto the Blaziken as he tackled into him full force and rubbing his cheek frantically against his chest. "You're finally back!"

"Hey hey sport," Volcan returned, hugging the Riolu tightly and even spinning on his heel as he held him. "You been good while I'm gone, keeping outta trouble?"

"Mhmm! Sure have!" Caulin answered right away. "Been helping mom organize her room back at the house, and Gramma was helping me practice Psychic! Oh! And Grampa let me take Bellator for a spin too!"

"He's been keeping busy while you were gone, that much is clear." Minato remarked as he, Serena and Lashanne stepped forward to greet their captain, holding his paw out for a firm clap much like friendly rivals would after a fight. "How did it go out there?"

Volcan let out a breath. "A _lot_to recount," he said as his hand clapped with Minato's paw "More than I care to repeat more than once if possible. We'll have to arrange a group meeting for everybody and I'll fill you in on everything. One thing I can say is, we've made some _mighty_new friends." He grinned. "I think you'll love these guys when they get here."

His ears perked up, and a small smile that Volcan recognized all too well started forming across his face. "Oh really?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Katsumoto!" Serena called, leaping clear across the water to the boat to land in the arms of her lover who was still disembarking.

Katsu smiled joyfully as he caught the Vaporeon, even allowing himself to fall onto his back as he wrapped his large arms around her and cuddled into her affectionately. "Oh Serena, my fair maiden. How I've missed you so." He said in a small whisper, a few tears of joy running down his cheeks.

"I have missed you as well," she said almost in a sob, her forelegs holding him tightly around his neck. "Welcome home."

"Glad to see you all back safe and sound," said Lashanne, nodding to Luke as she offered a paw to help him over to the pier.

"Thanks Lashanne." Luke answered, taking her paw and hopping off the ship onto the dock. "How's things been since we left? Any changes?"

"None, been pretty quiet," she replied. "Although your mother came to see us earlier. She said she wanted you and Volcan to head to her place as soon as you got back so we were watching for you."

Volcan visibly tensed. "Luminara... Wants to see us?" He asked, worriedly.

Lashanne nodded. "Someone from the guilds apparently showed up here yesterday, asking for you. She's putting them up while they're here since it's you they're looking for."

"From the Guilds?" Luke asked, looking to Volcan for a moment. "I guess it must be pretty important... Still, if she's even allowing you to join in, then maybe she's willing to give you another chance." He added hopefully.

Volcan swallowed nervously. "I guess there's only one way to know," he replied, and gently set Caulin down on the pier. "Minato uh... Can you let everyone know to gather at my place in an hour or so? We'll fill you in on the trip north there. First, we'll head to see Luminara." He produced his house key from a pocket on his harness and offered it to Minato. "Just let yourselves in."

"Will do." Minato returned, taking the key from Volcan and gesturing for Caulin to follow. "Cmon kiddo."

"Kay. See you around, Uncle Volcan." Caulin called back to the Blaziken as he and his parents headed off of the pier and back toward town.

"Katsu and I will head there too," Serena offered. "We'll catch up with you there."

Volcan nodded to her, and he and Luke said goodbye to them before they too headed into town, leaving just the Blaziken and Lucario on the pier.

Luke approached Volcan and lightly looped his arm around Volcan's. "Shall we?" He asked with a loving smile.

Volcan nodded. "I'm glad she's willing to talk," he said. "I know I have to face her sooner or later but..." he shifted uncomfortably. "I just don't want to make things worse..."

Luke gently rubbed his side against Volcan's. "I'm sure she's willing to listen to whatever you have to say." He assured his beloved. "I'm sure everyone knows we're back together again, and Mother doesn't really hold grudges. At least not for very long."

"I tore your family apart, Luke. That's a pretty big offense, especially to someone like your mother who puts family above all."

"And now, we're going to try and put it back together again." Luke answered back with a firm nod. "Just relax, okay? Everything will be fine."

Volcan swallowed, but took some courage from Luke's words, and they walked together to Lumina's home...

They arrived all too soon for the nervous Blaziken, but once they were at the front door, they forced themself on. They saw the front door was open to let in some air, and Luke called inside to let his mother know they were there. She called them in, and they stepped inside, all the while Volcan walked stiffly but pressing forward.

They entered the living room, and Luke started to greet his mother, seeing her seated in a chair. But the words died in his throat immediately when he saw another figure seated opposite her. A figure he recognized all too well, and sent his teeth immediately on edge at the sight of them, the words he had for his mother disappearing in an instant. When his eyes met the two burning orange orbs looking back at him, he felt a boiling anger starting to rise up within him, and his breathing started to increase.

"I know my face is probably the last you want to see, Captain Luke," Romulus stated flatly, unmoving from his position on the sofa as he regarded the Lucario. "But you and I need to talk."