Chapter 1: Anguish
Chapter 2: Uncertainty
Chapter 3: Questions
Chapter 4: Lament
Chapter 5: Grind
Chapter 6: Pack
Chapter 7: Reunite (You are here)
Epilogue

"Awww, why the cold shoulder?" Rai heard one of the voices taunt him. "I was looking forward to picking up where we left off. With us kicking your big yellow ass!"
"You might as well come out." Another one joined in. "You're only making this worse for yourself."

'The fuck?! They can actually talk now?!' Rai thought for a moment, but then he shook his head. 'No. It doesn't matter!'

"You won't take me alive!" Rai yelled back. 

"Fine by us." He hears one of them shout back. "Less messy on our end anyway."

Rai's head turned from side to side as he desperately searched his cabin for something to barricade the door with. His eyes laid on a table-

"You know that isn't going to work." Another one of the voices taunted. "We can just break through the roof. Like last time, remember?"

Rai looked up to the freshly patched roof, suddenly remembering how this all started the last time, when the blue bird guy just leapt through it and started fighting him.

'... Fuck!' Even if he could successfully barricade the door against the birds, let alone that big huge dog guy, he knew there was no way he was going to barricade the roof.

"Uuughhh..." A voice distracted his thoughts. It belonged to the Jolteon... 'Veera', was it? He couldn't remember her name with the current excitement. "What's... what's going on?"

"You shut up!" Rai yelled at his captive.

His mind was in an absolute panic as he thought about what to do. Every idea he had led nowhere, and he knew he was running out of time. 

He briefly looked at his Jolteon slave. An idea briefly flashed through his mind. 
'Maybe if I take her hostage, hold my sword to her throat, and started to walk out-'
Rai shook his head. 
'No. They're here for meat. I'm sure of it. If anything, it'd just make me a slow moving target. And even if they aren't, she'd just be a liability as I wouldn't be able to check my rear-'

"Alright, so do we go in through the roof like last time, or do we blow the door open?" He overheard one of them say to, presumably, his compatriot.

'Blow the door open? They can do that? ... Wait, what am I thinking? They're aliens, of course they can.' That meant he wasn't safe where he was. 

'Shit, shit, shit! what do I do?' He thought frantically to himself. He couldn't sit here, that much was obvious. The only option was... Fight his way through? No. Last time they fought, he'd been able to take on the two of the bird guys and hold his own. But then that big dog showed up and kicked the crap out of him, and he had to run.

'Run?... Run.' Yes. Running was the only way out. It worked last time, it would work this time too.

"Sorry girls" He said with a chuckle to his two captives, of which only one was awake to even hear it. "But I've gotta run. Enjoy the rest of your lives. Or what's left of it."

"What? Where-" The Jolteon started to ask, but Rai didn't even bother to answer her before he turned, and charged Agility, using it to bolt out the door in a single spurt. 

"What the?!" "The hell?!"  

He landed some distance away, and shouted over his shoulder.

"Using my special move again. See ya, suckers!" He taunted. 

Rai heard them shout something at him, but he didn't even bother to make it out. Freedom and life were right around the corner. 

'Once I get out of here, I'm moving to Red Gulch.' He thought as he rounded the corner. 'I'm done with this shit-'

And slammed into something, hard.

"OW!" He yelled as the energy from the impact reflected back on him, sending the raichu down flat on his ass. He rubbed his face.

'Son of a bitch, just like me to run into a-' he opened his eyes, and looked up, expecting to, hoping to find a solid rock '...wall?'

Unfortunately for Rai, what was right in front of him, what he'd just ran into, wasn't the rock wall of the maze. 

"No... NO!!" He yelled as frantically rose to his feet as quickly as he could.

What was in front of him was the thing he was least hoping to see.
That giant dog-machine-monster, staring down at him with its black and blue 'face', an expression of annoyance clearly displayed upon it.

With horror, Rai saw the dog reach out for his face. He reached for his blade, but just like before, it was too late. His vision went dark as the paw enveloped both of his eyes, he felt the hard steel and fur grip his face, and felt himself being lifted off the ground.

Out of instinct, Rai's limbs flailed about as he tried to wiggle his way out of the beast's grasp. However, it was a futile effort, and the beast's grip held strong. 

"Not this time, rat-raider." He heard the creature growl at him.

Rai felt his paw rub up against something. The familiar feeling of Iron near his back. He made a grab for it. But just as he felt the comforting feeling of his salvation: the hilt of his blade in his paw, he felt himself being lifted.

Light reentered his vision as he felt his body soar through the air. He was flying, or rather, falling. He saw the skies, the rocks speeding by, and finally...

"Oof!" He felt himself hit the ground, and felt his skin scratch as the sands ground against his body, he landed and slid, before he came to a halt. Rai quickly bolted to his feet, and looked around.

The not-mightyena was blocking the exit he'd tried to take. He immediately turned, only to see the two not-birds block his only other way out. 

"You aren't going anywhere from here." The brown one taunted, his own blade out and held at the ready to the side.

"We let you run last time." The blue one chirped in, his blade also ready. "A big mistake."

"And it's one we intend to correct." The dog-monster finished. His hammer twirled in his hands before he slammed the business end of it into the sands.

Rai gulped. He tried to go over the possibilities in his head. Fighting all three at once was hopeless. His gaze went back to the shed. 

'I've already established that taking a hostage would be useless.' He thought as he remembered what they did to Shia. 'Not only would they surround me and kill me, they'll probably just do the same to the other two anyway....'

'I could try to fight my way through the not-birds.' Rai thought as he tried to form something involving a strategy of escape. 'Then again, I probably won't last long against those two.' He looked at the one blocking his other way out of this area of the maze. 'Though I'll certainly last longer against them than I will up against that giant dog thing...' He looked back at the pair of feathered raptor things. 'And if I'm lucky, I might just take one of them with me-'

Suddenly, his thoughts were interrupted as his ears picked up a noise. He looked up, only to see a grey blur slam into the ground  a short distance away from him, kicking up a cloud of sand in the process. The raichu covered his eyes as it reached him. Having lived in the sands for his whole life, he knew better than to try to breathe in or open his mouth as the sands and dust were still in the air.

As the dust cleared, Rai lowered his paw, and saw what had kicked it up in the first place.

It was a figure. Slightly smaller than him, and armored, much like the birds were now, except this one's body shape was much different, and it was wearing some sort of helmet that covered his whole face. Rai could see no holes in the helmet, so he had to wonder how it could even see. IF it could even see. It seemed as if it could, as it was staring right at him.

'Great, there's four of them now?!' He thought in a panic as the newcomer got off of its hands and knees and rose to its feet.

"I'll handle this..." The armored... whatever it was, spoke in a voice not too dissimilar to the one the dog had. However, there was something... familiar about the tone that Rai could not quite place. "...Myself." it finished as it took one knuckle into its hand. Rai could hear it crack its knuckles.

"Are you sure about that?" The brown feathered creature questioned.

"... All by yourself? Rai heard the dog question from its own post.

"It'll go a lot faster if we take him four on one." The blue feathered one added in.

"No." The stranger shut them down. "I have got this. Besides... I need this."

"... I understand." The dog relented.
"Good luck, buddy." The blue not-bird said.
"Kick his ass!" The brown bird cheered, much to Rai's chagrin.

 'Those little bastards!' Rai cursed internally. 'They played the same trick on me, twice now!' Last time they'd 'fought', the two birds had delayed him long enough for the dog to show up and kicked his ass. This time, they'd played the same trick on him allowing this forth guy to show up to fight him by himself.

Although, truth be told, Rai was a little relieved. For the moment anyway, it appeared he only needed to fight this guy. If he beat him, maybe there'd be an opening for him to escape? Hopefully?

'Still'... Rai thought as he placed a paw on his blade. 'There's something very... off about this guy. Something familiar, but...'

He shook that feeling off. There was no time for thinking now. It was time to fight.

"One on one, huh?" Rai said as he drew his blade. "Works for me."

"Still relying on Iron, I see?" The figure said in response. "It won't help you. Not this time."

The figure clenched its knuckles on either side of it. 

"You're not drawing a weapon of your own?" Rai commented boastfully. 

"I don't need one." The figure responded, without a hint of emotion in its distorted voice. "Not this time."

'There it is again. 'This time'. How does he know me? He wasn't here the last time.' Rai noted.

"'This time' what?!" Rai replied back with a small part of anger in his voice. "What are you going on about?"

"I'm saying I don't need Iron to beat you." The figure responded as it lifted its fists in front of it, getting into a fighting stance.

Rai chuckled a bit at that boast.

"Yeah, that's what the last bitch said too. Before I killed her in cold blood."

This caused the figure to pause.

"Oh yes, this blade isn't for show... whoever or whatever you are." Rai laughed threateningly. "I've taken lives with it before, and I'll take yours too!"

He leapt at the stranger with a yell, with an overhead chop. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the figure casually sidestep the attack. This caused Rai to growl menacingly.

"Will you. Just. Sit. Still?! Rai yelled as he attempted another chop, followed by a horizontal swing, and then a forward thrust. The stranger sidestepped and backstepped each one. The 'armor', if it even was armor, didn't seem to slow him, her, or it, down in the slightest.

He attempted another thrust, only to miss again. 

This time however, his attack did not go unanswered, as his cheek exploding with pain made evidently clear. The stranger's punch sent him flying off to the side, and set him back side first into the sands.

"Pathetic." The armored person replied.

'This is starting to be just like the last fight I had. With that breloom bitch.' He thought as he stealthily scooped up some sand in his paw. 'She was similarly arrogant and fighty as well. Maybe... just maybe'

The figure approached as Rai rose to his feet. Suddenly, Rai threw the sand into the stranger's face, and took a horizontal swing immediately after, intent on chopping off his braggart's head, just like he had with that 'Brene' person, if he remembered her name right.

Only to hit dead air.

"Nice try, but this helmet comes with alternate viewing options." The stranger threw another punch. Rai was barely able to avoid it by swinging his head back.

'Actually, that didn't quite work on her either.' Rai thought. 

The two of them continued to fight in a deadlock, with Rai swinging his blade and the stranger dodging every one of them, and the stranger likewise tried to throw punches at Rai, only for him to dodge as well. Rai's cheeks began to slowly charge with power as the fight dragged on.

'Yeah, this is just like that fight.' He thought proudly to himself. 'Soon, my agility boost will be ready. I'll end this... now'.

He took another swing, only to miss again. It didn't bother him.

'Yeah, just like last time. He'll make the swing this way...'

Sure enough, the stranger attempted a straight jab, leaving himself open. Rai used his ability to call upon a burst of agility, increasing his speed.

'Then I'll just get to the side, like this...'

And then, Rai was at the stranger’s side. He thrust his blade under the stranger's outstretched arm.

'And I'll do this underswing right under the arm, and-'

He brought his blade upwards, as hard as he could, fully expecting the outstretched hand to fly into the air, just as it had during his last fight with the guildie that had accompanied his jolteon slave here. His eyes were glued to his blade, staring up into the sky as it finished its swing.

'And then I-' His thoughts were interrupted as he noticed a small detail. Something that was terribly off script.

There was no blood on the blade. 

'Wait... where's the blood?! Where's'

Rai's gaze shifted back to eye level, and to his horror he saw... nothing! The stranger had disappeared, seemingly into thin air.

'You have GOT to be KIDDING ME!!' Rai panicked internally as he frantically looked around the 'arena' for his opponent. The two bird-things were still there. The dog was still there. But the armored guy was gone. He couldn't see him anywhere!

'Where did he go?!' Rai thought as he held his sword out in front of him. His ears were perked up, trying to detect the slightest noise. 'Don't tell me this asshole has some sort of invisibility thing?!'

He certainly couldn't rule out that possibility, given the fact that he was fighting aliens.

He felt something bump at his feet. Something hard and metallic.

'What the?!'

He looked down, and saw a strange, large metal ball sitting at his toe.

"Wait, where'd this thing come from?!" He said as he stared at it.

Suddenly it glowed.

At that moment, Rai felt like an idiot. It was clearly a trap, and like a moron, he'd just fallen for it! 
Sure enough, he felt a pain erupt from his lower jaw, and felt himself flying through the air, straight up. He opened his eyes, just in time to see himself fall, and felt himself land on his back into the sands.

As he began to get up, he saw the figure dash right at him, a trail of blue blazing behind him. In a desperate bid, Rai let loose the power stored in his cheeks, letting loose a mighty discharge of electricity that exploded in a bubble and expanded outwards.

He saw his opponent come to a stop before the discharge hit him, and witnessed as it transformed into a ball and rolled as quickly away from it as it could, quickly ducking behind the cabin and using the corner of it as shelter as the discharge faded as it ran out of strength.

"Son of a bitch!" Rai grumbled to himself. He rubbed his sore jaw as he got up. 

'Though, judging from the way he reacted to that discharge... I wonder...'

His eyes went wide with realization.

'Of course. I should have done this from the beginning. Did I really think that blade would even penetrate that armor of theirs? If I keep swinging that sword around like this, I'm just going to lose. And then...'

For the first time in his life, Iron had failed him. 

'No matter. I'm an electric type. And they're wearing metal armor. Say goodbye, whoever you are!'

His cheeks sparkled and glowed with power as the stranger once again approached, using that glowing blue dash to close the gap to where it had been before the discharge.

"EAAAT THIIISSSS!!" He yelled as the stranger was within striking distance. He let loose the most powerful thunderbolt he could muster.

'... You have GOT to be KIDDING me!!' He yelled internally as he saw the stranger stretch out both of his hands, not only tanking the attack, but also returning fire with his own electric attack.

"Two can play at this game, Rai," it said. The glow in Rai's cheeks intensified as he attempted to pour more power into the attack. The stranger did the same, their electrical bolts met each other and pushed against each other in a titanic struggle of power.

Rai grit his teeth, attempting to draw ever more power from his electric body, as slowly, step by step, the stranger drew closer. Bolts of stray power hit the walls, smoldering and even cracking some of the rocks they hit. Fingers of electricity danced between his cheeks and the stranger's fingertips, and scattered among the sands, singing the tiny pebbles with each hit. 

Suddenly, when the armored person was right within his face, their struggle broke. Rai gripped his blade tightly, as he attempted one last final swing. At this close distance, he could not help but hit, hopefully chopping straight through the gap between his helmet and his upper body, lopping it off with one fell swoop.

But the stranger did something he didn't expect. With his free, armored hand, he grabbed the blade out of thin air, stopping it mid-swing and hanging on tightly.

"W-What?!" Rai yelled as he pulled and pushed, trying to free the Iron from the strangers grasp. Before he could react, he saw his opponent raise his other hand over his head, the armored hand extending into an open palm. By the time the raichu understood what he was doing, his arm was already in pain. With a yelp, he pulled his arm back tending to it with his other hand.

Only to realize a split second later a horrifying fact: he had let go of the blade.

Sure enough, his gaze returned to the stranger from his arm, and saw the stranger grip the sword properly.

'Nonono!' Rai thought in a panic. 'This is it, he's going to cut me down here and now. Dammit!!'

Rai's eyes remained fixed upon his opponent as he nursed his arm, fully expecting the stranger to strike at any moment. However, what it did instead both surprised, and enraged him.

The armored opponent turned to its side, and with one hard throw, chucked the blade as far as it could throw it. Rai watched as his precious Iron flew, well over the wall of the maze, to parts unknown. He heard it land somewhere else. Somewhere far out of his reach.

Seeing his precious blade being thrown like that put him in a rage. 'How... How DARE they?!' He growled as his paw curled into a fist. Electricity sparked from it as he threw a thunder punch to the stranger's helmet. And for the first time since they fought, he actually hit his opponent, the armored figure reeled back.

It seemed that attack actually worked, for once.

"So it's come down to this." His armored opponent spoke. "Good."

The stranger likewise curled his own fist, and the familiar pain in the raichu's cheek was back as the fist impacted the right side of his face.

"No more Iron. No more techs. No more moves. Just a straight fight." The stranger reeled as Rai delivered a charged punch to the stranger's abdomen.

"If that's how you want to play it, then fine!" Rai growled back.

"The way it should be." The figure replied as it countered his punch with one of his own. 

Rai delivered another punch to the armored opponent, who in turn returned one of their own. And then another, and another. 

'Is... Is this guy delivering megapunches?!' Rai thought bitterly as he threw another punch, only to have another one slam into his stomach. He was sent to one knee, his body tired out, exhausted from his struggle to win this fight.

He refused to admit it, but deep down, knew he could not win.

He shakily rose to his feet, only to see a raised fist slam into his face one more time, sending him falling backwards, and onto his back.

Rai's eyes closed in pain. He tried to get up, only to feel an armored foot pressed against his chest. He tried to draw what strength remained to lift the foot off. But it was of no avail. There was none left for him to draw.

"Welp, looks like that's over." His ears picked up one of the birds state the obvious.

Rai knew. It was over.

"So..." He spat up at his opponent, who stared down at him. Even with that helmet on, Rai could sense the hatred and disgust looking down upon him. "Are you going to kill me now, or do you fucks prefer 'live meat?'" 

"Live meat? Wha?" He heard one of the birds speak.

"What is he going on about?" The other one said at the same time.

"You must think I'm really stupid." Rai growled from under his victor's boot. "I know exactly why you're here. Yes.. yes it all makes sense. You wanted me to find pets to have so you'd have a bigger haul when you came back for me. So that way you wouldn't have to hunt down the meat yourself. That's why you waited a month. You used me like a pawn"

"You're one to talk about using people, Rai." His captor growled above him. 

"After what you did that poor boy-" The dog growled.

"Oh shut up you pricks!" Rai yelled. "You aren't fooling me! I saw what you did to him right before you left the last time!"

"Wait, he was watching us?!" One of the birds questioned. Rai couldn't tell which one, only what direction it came from. "But you fled the scene the last time."

"I merely got enough distance away to make you think I'd left. After you hit me with the iron-throwing thing, whatever it is."

Rai saw out of the corner of his eye, the brown raptor take out the very thing he'd been fearing: that white and black angled iron-shooting thing.

"You mean my gauss pistol here?" He questioned.

"Is that what it's called? Hph, no matter." Rai grumbled back. "Once I was out of earshot, I watched you drag poor Shia's carcass back to your flying thing."

The aliens looked at each other.

"Well, did he taste good?" Rai growled. "Did he? Answer me!"

The aliens stared at each other for another moment, before doing something that surprised and enraged the defeated raichu: they howled with laughter. The two raptor-birds threw their heads back, and laughed into the sky, while the dog put a hand over his 'face'. The stranger above him chuckled as well, though its 'gaze' didn't leave its prey below it.

"WHAT IS SO FUCKING FUNNY?!" Rai bellowed at all of them.

"You!" The blue feathered raptor replied. "You actually think we... Killed Shia?!" He howled with another round of laughter. "Let alone eat him. Wow... just... wow."

"The very notion that we killed Shia is downright laughable." The giant not-mightyena responded flatly. "Tell me... who do you think you've been fighting this whole time?"

Rai saw him nod to the figure, and saw the not-birds do the same.

'No... it can't be...'

He saw the stranger reach for his helmet, grasping it on either side and lift up, slowly. Black, and then blue fur poked out from under the lifting metal, two very large, oval ears, a black nose, and finally a pair of deep red eyes stared back at him with equal parts malice and annoyance as the helmet was lifted completely off. 

"No... this can't be true..." Rai yelled with disbelief, his pupils growing small as his captor let the helmet fall to his side into the sand. "IT'S NOT POSSIBLE!!"

"And why not?" The red-eyed Shinx asked back, flatly. "Is it really that hard to believe?"

"Think, rat, think!" The brown one shouted. "There were only three of us the last time. And now there's four of us. This should have been obvious right from the start."

"But... But I saw them take you... You were dead!" Rai protested. "You were laying over the dog-thing's shoulders"

"They merely knocked me out. I was asleep." Shia responded flatly and matter-of-factly. "And looking back on it, it was for my own good." Shia narrowed his eyes, the malice boring straight into Rai's pin-pricked pupils. "Your abuse left me in such a broken, scared state back then that I didn't even recognize a rescue happening in front of me. They couldn't understand me or vice versa. And had they tried to take me back conscious, I might have simply tried to run. And just run right into you again. And I think we both know what that would have led to."

"But... How?" Rai whined as he weakly attempted to free himself from the oppressive pressure of Shia's armored foot. "When... I last saw you... you were just a weak, submissive little butt-slut. A victim."

"We took him under our wing." The brown bird informed him.

"Figuratively and quite literally." The blue one added.

"They took me in as one of their own. Fed me, comforted me, and when I asked them to help me get stronger, For. This. Very. Reason." Shia spat those last words at his opponent. "They trained me. It wasn't easy, and I'm still not done. But..."

The shinx above him let out a long sigh.

"To be honest, Rai." Shia said to him as he drew himself closer to his fallen opponent, their eyes getting closer. "You disappoint me. After all you put me through. After all the pain. After all the rape. After what you and your buddies put my friends through, and after all that training. I was hoping, no, expecting you to last a little longer. I even handycapped myself by not using this..."

Rai's eyes were drawn to Shia's paw, which pointed to a belt. It held a sheathed knife, something Rai kicked himself mentally for not noticing before.

"And even then, I wasn't even taking this fight seriously. And you were still not much of a challenge."

"So that's it, then?" Rai sighed. "You're going to kill me now, aren't you, Shia? The little victim finally killing his tormentor. Makes for a good story."

"I'd like to." Shia growled. "After all you put me through, the temptation is very strong."

He paused, and Rai thought for sure that he was going to draw that knife, and stick it through him, or slash his throat. But Shia didn't move. He continued to stare at him, angrily, and spitefully.

"But I'm here for one thing, and one thing only." He finished. "So I'm only going to ask this once."

The shinx's red eyes narrowed.

"Where. Are. My. Friends?!"

Rai looked up at him in disbelief at what he'd just asked. A smirk appeared over his injured lips, before a chuckle escaped from his maw, followed by a hearty laugh.

This was not the response Shia had apparently wanted, as Rai felt a pair of armored paws around his throat, turning his laughs into chokes as his attacker's red eyes bore into his orange ones.

"What is so funny? ANSWER ME!!" He screamed at Rai.

"THAT'S what this is all about?" Rai continued to laugh despite the chokehold. "Well... Funniest thing. They're right in the cabin behind you" Rai gasped for whatever air he could manage. "But I don't... Think you'll like what you find."

"So... They're..." Rai felt Shia's grip on his throat lighten as the latter spoke. "They're here... just like the dream..."

For a moment, Rai thought he was going to let him go. But he felt his cuff being grabbed, as Shia's threatening gaze returned. "What did you do to them, you beast!!?" He screamed. 

Rai could only let out a few more laughs, much to Shia's apparent irritation. Rai continued to laugh as Shia shook him furiously. "I WANT ANSWERS!!" He yelled.

"You mean the linoone and the eevee, right?" Rai chuckled. Shia remained silent as the raichu continued. "Oh, your linoone 'friend' came here alright. She came with a knife, trying to kill me."

"A shame she didn't succeed." He heard one of the feathered freaks comment.

"She.... She came here trying to save me?" Shia responded sadly. 

Rai just chuckled at that notion.

"Don't kid yourself." Rai smiled as answered Shia. "She didn't give a fuck about you. Hell, I cared more about you than she ever did!"

"You're lying!" Shia growled.

"I wish I was." Rai replied back. "Stupid bitch was so concentrated on her own revenge that she barely even acknowledged you. When I lured her into my cabin during the 'fight', I had to actually point out to her stupid face that you weren't even here. When she finally did catch on to the fact you weren't here, I knocked her out, I tied her to the bed, and I've been fucking that pussy ever since!"

He closed his eyes as he laughed.

"I can see why you wanted to fuck that cunt so badly. She's fun to try to break-"

Rai stopped mid-sentence as felt a metallic fist slam into his face.

"SHUT UP!" Shia yelled at him. "I don't believe you!"

"Well.. " Rai replied back. "You can believe what you want to believe. Not like it matters to me anymore either way." He laughed yet again, ignoring the pain of doing so.

"... Or, was it the other one you wanted to fuck so badly? I forget. The weak little eevee."

"Veera...." Shia growled.

"Is that her name? It's so easy to forget. I don't think that name's appropriate anymore though."

"What do you mean?" Shia asked angrily.

"You'll see what I mean soon enough." Rai responded. "Unlike your other so-called 'friend', she actually tried to save you." 

"No... Veera... Why?" Shia replied, but not to Rai directly. His tone was regretful and sad. "Why'd you come all by yourself, just to try and save me?"

"Ehh, not quite." Rai corrected him. "Even she wasn't that stupid. She showed up with some hot-headed breloom guildie bitch."

"Er, what's a breloom?" The downed raichu heard one of the not-birds ask. He didn't see which one, and he didn't care either. Whoever asked didn't get a reply either way.

"Unlike your two friends, that guildie was a good fight. Almost as good as you, Shia."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." The dog responded in a harsh, distorted tone.

"Too bad it ended with me lopping off her head! Ha ha!" Rai laughed, but stopped as he felt himself choke. He tilted his head to the side as he coughed, the metallic taste of blood filling his mouth before he coughed it up onto the sands. "Damn, Shia..." He coughed again. "You've really learned to hurt a mon, haven't you?"

"And I'll do it again if you don't tell me what you did to Veera!" Shia yelled above him as he clenched his fist and pulled it back past his head threateningly. "By the Nexus, I swear I'll-"

"Nexus?" Rai asked with a smile. "What? Is that some alien version of The Maze or The Drought? Some sort of weird interstellar god?"

"It's the god of none of your damn business." He heard one of the raptors quip. "So shut the hell up and answer his questions."

"Whatever." Rai replied flatly to the not-bird. "But back to Veera then? Oh, breaking her was too easy. All I had to do was kill her friend, and tell her that you were dead, and maybe rape her once or twice, and she was broken forever." 

Shia's expression grew more enraged by every word of Rai's confession. Something that filled the raichu with a sadistic glee.

"I don't think she'll ever be the friend you knew her as. Neither of them will." Rai chuckled triumphantly as he finished. He was content in knowing that even though Shia had beaten him, he'd still won in the end. "Anything else you wanted to know?" He asked with wide eyes and a grin.

He fully expected Shia to hit him again, after that confession. But he didn't. Shia said nothing.

To Rai's surprise, it was the dog that spoke up. "And how many other lives have you ruined like this? How many more do you plan on wrecking?"

Rai didn't answer. This earned him a punch to the side of the face from a very angry shinx.

"Answer him!" Shia demanded. 

"Lost count, and as many as I want to." Rai replied truthfully with a sadistic laugh. "What does it matter in this cursed world of ours? This world where nobles send hunters out into the maze to kill savages for a night's feast. This world where slavery is banned on the surface only, enforced by guildies that couldn't care less and would gladly rape the very people they're supposed to protect? In this world, it's use or be used. It's not like anyone can change anything around here. It's all just-"

"A problem too big to solve, right?" Shia growled. "So you just 'spin the wheel?'"

"Exactly right. Although..." He added thoughtfully, "I don't think I recall ever using that term with you. Curious."

Rai paused as he took a breath, an awkward silence hung in the air between the five of them before Rai spoke again.

"And why do you even care, anyway? You've won. You're going to either kill me out of revenge, or 'justice', or some other bullshit thinly veiled over mere bloodlust, or you won't. You'll take your shitty friends, or you won't, and then you'll leave. Am I right? Why do you care about mons you've never met, nor ever will?"

Shia paused for a moment, and Rai thought he had finally got to him in this conversation, before the shinx spoke again.

"You know... you could ask them the same question." The electric feline looked at his new friends, the ones that had made all this possible. "They had nothing to gain from this either. They had no reason to help me, and yet they did." Shia narrowed his eyes once more as he looked upon his hated foe. "If this world's gone to shit, it's because of assholes like you 'spinning the wheel' instead of stopping it in its tracks."

Rai tried to find the words to reply, but he could not. Nor did he particularly care to at this point.

"You know..." Shia spoke finally and flatly. "For a moment there, I was actually considering letting you go. I had considered grabbing my friends, leaving you here to stew in this place, and forgetting all of this mess while we sped off to whatever new adventure awaits us up there."

The shinx paused before his eyes narrowed again. 

"But now..." Rai watched as the shinx's paw went to the knife, still secure in its holster. He watched as Shia undid the holster on his knife, and drew it out, the cold iron or whatever else this knife was made of was pressed against his neck. "... Now I can't do that."

"So this is it, huh?" Rai asked. "You're going to kill me, be the big hero, slay the big bad rai, save your friends, and be on your way? Well... I guess that's it then."

Rai returned the shinx's hard glare with his own.

"What? Did you expect me to beg and grovel for my life? Were you expecting me to say something like 'No please spare my life I'll give you anything! I'll let them go, I'll give you money, I'll suck your cock!' ... Something like that?"

Rai chuckled at him.

"Well, sorry to break your fantasy my dear Shia, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to deny you that satisfaction. Because what's the point? You're going to do whatever you have planned regardless of what I offer you, aren't you? Just like if our situations were reversed, I would do the same."

He tried to let out another laugh, but all that came out was a cough.

"You really... Are... Spinning the wheel." Rai wheezed. "Just... Not in the way... I thought you would."

"I'd really like to kill you here and now, as I said." Shia replied as he still held the knife to Rai's throat. "But..." 

Rai watched as Shia slid the knife back into his holster, and secured it again without even looking.

"I, no, we have other plans." 

She looked up, towards the dog, and nodded.

At long last, Rai felt, and saw Shia get up off of him.

'Fool!' Rai thought. He prepared to charge an attack, to take advantage of Shia's naive mercy. One last attack to hammer his points home. But before he could swing into action, he felt himself being roughly lifted, by a pair of metallic, furred paws.

'Aww crap.' Was the raichu's last thoughts before everything went dark.

--------------

"I'm surprised you let him live." Nine remarked as he set the unconscious Rai down onto the sands face down. "Any particular reason? Didn't want to sink to his level? Or?"

"Not really. I just spared him out of morbid curiosity." Shia answered. "I want to know how Rai got that way, and I'm guessing you guys do too."

"So I'm to assume you intend to stick him in the brain scanner, then?" Khaun asked as he and Eilumi came over from where they had been standing.

"Of course I do." Shia answered as they arrived.

"And then what?" Khaun asked in response.

Shia paused for a moment, and shrugged. 

"I don't know. To be honest, I haven't thought that far ahead." Shia admitted.

"I guess we'll figure it out later." Eilumi grumbled. 

Nine had already gotten some rope out and had begun to tie the captive's hands and feet.

"I had a feeling we might need this." Nine explained as he finished binding the latter. "So I came prepared."

"Good thinking, Nine." Eilumi replied. "Erm, what are you doing with those electrical cords and collar?"

"Grounding cables." Nine explained as he clamped the collar around Rai's neck, and attached the cables for it. "So he doesn't wake up and short out everything on the ship."

"Good thinking." Eilumi muttered under his breath. Shia however had already gotten up, and was heading for the shack door.

"Well..." Shia said with a sigh. "Moment of truth."

He had no reason to doubt that Rai was lying about them being here, of course. Not after all of that. But with him, well, one might never truly know. And if they were there, he didn't really know what to expect.

'So many horrible memories in this place.' He thought to himself. 'I can only hope for the best, but expect the worst.'

He felt a pair of talons on his armored shoulder. He looked over, and saw Khaun and Eilumi on either side of him. They nodded with encouragement at him, a serious frown on their faces.

Shia nodded back, and with a shove, he pushed open the door, and entered. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the darkness of the room, but only a second. When his vision came to he saw the room in its entirety, and the occupants that lay within.

Rai hadn't lied. There were two others in the room.

"L-Loona? Veera?" Shia called out weakly as he looked at the two others.

Sure enough, one of them was definitely Loona. His Loona. In a pained, troubled sleep, her mouth wide open in a silent scream. She was bound to the bed, her limbs spread apart by ropes. Her coat was messy  and matted with dried cum, and, from what he could see, even a bit of dried blood. Her lower orifice dripped, leaked white spunk.

He could only assume that the rat-bastard had put it into her recently. The sight filled him with a renewed rage, he was tempted to march back outside and beat Rai awake, just so he could beat him back into unconsciousness again.

'... Later.' Shia thought darkly. 'I have friends to save now.'

However, the room's other occupant was a complete mystery to him. It wasn't the eevee he remembered. It was a female jolteon, bound to the wall by merely a rope tied to a collar. She was in similarly bad shape as Loona was, her fur matted with cum, long dried.

'Did Rai lie about Veera? Did he let her go already? Was he mistaken?' Shia thought to himself as he continued to look for his other friend.

'... Or...?'

A cough broke his thoughts. A cough that came from the jolteon in question. Her green eyes opened, weakly, and she looked up at the armored shinx.

'S-...Shia?' She groaned out weakly. In a voice that Shia would recognize anywhere. The reality of the situation hit him like a Tauros stampede.

"V-Veera?!" Shia called out, as he rushed to her side."

"S... Shia?!" Veera asked meekly. "B-But no... You're dead." She cried. "D... Does this mean.... Am... Am I dead?"

"No!" Shia cried back. "You're alive. I'm alive."

"B... But that's... Rai said-"

"Rai was wrong!" He shouted before she could go on. Tears were flowing down his eyes as he gripped her body tightly. "By the Nexus, what did he do to you?!"

His eyes immediately shifted to the collar. He wasted no further time, drew his knife and slid it under her collar, cutting it off with a few short sawing strokes. Once it was cut and off her body, Shia simply tossed it aside like the garbage it was.

"N-Nexus?" Veera asked feebly. "W-what? What is going on? I..."

Shia wrapped his right arm around her back and gripped the back of her head with his left, and pulled her into a tight warm hug. He heard her sob as he felt her hug him as well.

"Shhh, shh... You are going to be alright, Veera. It's over now. The nightmare's over. I'm here. It's going to be alright."

Tears fell down both of their cheeks as they held one another, like a lost brother and sister reunited at long last. Shia was barely made aware of two pairs of footsteps entering the room behind him.

"Are these your friends?" He heard Eilumi ask solemnly behind him.

Shia only nodded in response, without even looking back.

"Tend to Veera here. I've still got to get Loona." Shia ordered softly. He let go of Veera, and stood up, knife in hand, despite Veera's attempts to grab him back into the hug. 

He'd barely turned around to face the Linoone, still sleeping unsoundly on the ramshackle green 'bed' when he heard Veera whine behind him.

"W-Wha? Who are you? What's going on?" He heard her say in a panic. "Shia?"

Shia looked back, and saw Veera's panicked state. He was reminded of himself, that long month ago, when he'd first encountered Eilumi and his crew, as they came towards him.

He could understand what kind of state Veera was in, and her fear of these strangers.

"Don't worry, Veera." He told her reassuringly. "They're my friends. They aren't going to hurt you."

"But-" Veera protested weakly.

"I'll explain later." Shia said as he saw them help the traumatized eevee turned jolteon to her feet. "But for now, suffice it to say that they can be trusted."

"We're here to help you... Veera, was it?" Khaun told her softly. Eilumi, for once, said nothing, but simply nodded in agreement.

He saw Veera look at them, one and then the other, scared and frightened of them. But she looked back to Shia. She nodded, and let the two avali help her onto her feet. 

Shia turned back toward Loona as his packmates began to tend to Veera, their murmurs and actions unknown to him. He carefully climbed onto the bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping Loona. He was overtop of her, his knees positioned on either side of her body, careful not to touch her. Whatever she'd been through, he resolved it was best to let her sleep for the time being. Better to wake up in the safety of the ship than here.

He slipped his knife over one of the ropes, and sawed through it. They were on her tight, so he didn't need to hold it. The rope split with a snap as soon as it was weak enough. Shia turned his attention to the other hand, and placed the knife over top the rope, and once again began to saw through the twine material.

"Nnnghh... uhhhgh.."

Shia felt the form under him stir and shift under him.

"W-Wha?"

He stopped what he was doing, looked down at her as her eyes slowly opened. Before he could react, he felt her free hand slap his face and push against it.

"GET OFF ME YOU PRICK!!" His large ears heard her scream. Before he could utter a word of protest, he felt her shove him off her. He tumbled off the bed, and landed on his back.

"Shia!!" He heard Veera shout.

"I'm fine." He grumbled as he pushed himself up by his paws. The shinx looked up at the bed, and saw that Loona was already sawing away at the rope holding down her remaining arm.

"Loona, wait!" Shia protested as he stood up. "It's me!" 

Their eyes locked as she sat up, both of her arms were now free. Her angry aqua eyes locked with his worried red ones.

"W-what?" She said, and for a moment, Shia thought he had gotten through to her. At that moment however, she shook her head, and growled. "What is this, some new attempt to break me?! Well, it won't work, Rai! Show yourself, you piece of shit!"

Shia heard a snap as he rose to his feet, and saw her slicing away at the last remaining rope. "Just wait till I get outta here, I'll rip you to shreds!"

Shia heard a pair of metallic footsteps behind him, but he stretched his hand out to the side to stop them. "No, don't." He warned. He looked back and saw that Khaun was just about to reach into his jacket. He wasn't sure what his packmate had intended to take out, but he wouldn't allow it either way.

He turned back, only to see the linoone leap upon him. He felt the cold of the carbon blade press against his throat, as his eyes once again locked with hers.

"I don't know who or what you are, or how much he's paid you, but it won't work, I tell you."

"It's not a trick, Loona!" Shia pleaded with her. "It's really me! I'm Shia! I'm alive! I'm here to save you!"

"S-Shia..."  Loona paused. "N-No! You're dead! Rai... He saw you die-"

"He was wrong, Loona. I'm alive. The aliens, they didn't kill me, they helped me!"

"No! No this is a trick of some sort. Y-Youre a zoroark, or a ditto, or something else! Or some lookalike-"

"You have a habit of looking up at the night sky." Shia told her. "It gives you comfort in hard times. I teased you about it before all this started. All in good fun of course. When you evolved, I called you 'Loony Loona.' You took the last part as your name, as an in-joke between us, and never looked back."

She stared at him as he said that. The tension in the room was thicker than anything. Shia stared back, praying that it worked.

Loona began to shake. Her arm dropped, and there was a clatter as the knife slid out of her hand onto the wooden floor.

Shia felt his armored body being pulled into the tightest hug he ever felt. His large ears heard her loud sobs as her tears fell onto his shoulder, the wet liquid pouring out in such amounts that it began to seep into the gaps in his armor, making the material wet, and by extension, his fur.

"It... It really IS you, Shia!" Loona cried. Shia felt himself tear up as well. He hugged her back as tightly as he could, and they held their bodies as close as they could against one another's.

"I tried to save you, Shia. I..."

Loona sniffled.

"... No. That's a lie. I ... I didn't even think of you much when I came here, I... I came here to get revenge. For what he did to us. For everything that happened to me after. I mean... I had intended to save you, but.. I..."

The shinx's large ears heard her choke another sob.

"I'm a terrible friend."

"Shhh... Shhh." Shia petted her head as she cried. "I don't blame you, Loona. I don't hold it against you." He said comfortingly. "Just let it out."

Loona simply sobbed into his shoulder, and the two of them held each other, neither of them speaking a further word. Neither had any left to say, and none were necessary. Only the raw emotion shared by the pair was there in that moment.

He felt another form wrap its arms around him, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the yellow and white fur of Veera.

The shinx closed his eyes as both of his old friends embraced him, as his new friends watched.

It was only after a long moment of silence that Shia finally found the words to speak. To both of them.

"I... I can't even begin to imagine what that bastard has put you through here." He said sadly. "He's hurt all of us in so many ways. I know it'll be a long way to fix what happened to us, and we may not even be able to. Not completely. And I know the three of us... we can't simply go back to the way things were, no matter how much we might want them to. Although, if I'm perfectly honest, after all I've been through, with my new friends- no, my new packmates...."

He lifted his gaze, and smiled at the three of them. Eilumi, Khaun, and Nine, who had somehow entered without him even noticing in the moment of silence. The three smiled back, and nodded in turn.

"...I don't think I'd want to, either. I think we should look to the future, instead of the past. And... I want my friends to be a part of that future."

"Shia... what are you saying?" Veera asked weakly. Shia saw her stare at the sight Nine, and begin to shake again.

By now, he had forgotten just how intimidating Nine could be, especially to people who never saw him before.

"W-Who are they?" Veera finished.

"A-And what are they?" Loona asked fearfully

"I'll explain more fully later, but to make a long story short: they're the ones who saved me, and the reason I wasn't here when you came for me. They're travelers from beyond the skies."

Shia looked at Veera, and saw her shake. 

"Don't worry, I was afraid of them too at first." He reassured her. "But believe me, you have nothing to fear from them. Quite the contrary."

"Beyond... the skies?" Loona asked. "You don't mean-"

"Loona..." Shia took her hand in his. She stared at the gesture, and then at him. "You always had an obsession with the night's sky. It's always brought you comfort."

He paused, almost expecting Loona to say something. When she didn't, he continued. 

"... How would you like to go up there, and see it up close?"

----------
And so, our lives on that world ended. We took my two old friends out of that awful place, and back to the ship. 

Loona took to it better than Veera did.  She spent all of that first day staring out into space with equal parts wonderment and fear. Just like the times of old, she said it gave her comfort, after everything that happened.

I had thought at the time that she simply meant what happened when she tried to fight Rai. Oh, if only that was the case.

Veera's reaction was not unlike my own that first day. However, unlike myself, she had me to help her through the adjustment process - someone that had been in the same position a month ago, and knew what it was like.
It also helped matters that the translation software wasn't an issue anymore. 

I fully explained what had happened to me that day, better than I could when I was still there. They were shocked, to say the least.

Veera had excused herself, right after that, and for a moment, I was worried. That is, until I found her with Khaun and Eilumi. I saw her crying her eyes out, and heard her whisper into both of their ears two simple words:

"Thank you."

I saw Khaun hug her in turn and pat her on the back. It was comforting, to both of us.

It took some doing, but we convinced the two of them to undergo a brain scan. If we had thought they'd been through hell when we first saw them... We weren't wrong. But the true depths of what they were forced to go through were only brought to light on that chair.

And on my behalf, no less. The fact that they suffered all of this cruelty for me... It is a guilty feeling that eats at me to no end.

Loona had, to my horror, tried to join the Sandstone Guild. My worst fears regarding that incident we saw in the guildmaster's memories had been confirmed at that moment. That pignite, the one that was killed, had raped her, in broad daylight, without a second thought after beating her. She had been the one to kill him.

Had she left him alive, or had the pignite mysteriously survived, I would have killed him myself.

Regarding that charmander that sent her off on that fool's errand, we had seen him before in various memories, but until now, we had thought nothing of it. Now... part of me wants to hunt the little bastard down and shake him until his head falls off. What kind of 'friend' sends a person off on a vengeance quest, alone, with no training, and nothing but a measly dagger for defense, against an enemy far more experienced with a better weapon? But... It's not to be. It would take months, maybe even years to hunt him down. Time we don't intend to spend on this world anymore. Heck, we had enough trouble finding my two friends, let alone this strange charmander person. 

My thoughts turn to Veera.
Oh Veera. My poor Veera... The things she was forced to do to try and rescue me. Trying to get a job at a bar. Having to give that flygon asshole a blowjob for a few measly coins, just to pay for a rescue mission, because the guilds had gotten greedy and started demanding payment just to post a mission, let alone complete it.

Anger hit when I realized something. That fucker lied to me! I told her that we'd asked him about her, and told her that 'Igon' had told us that he didn't know her. She was taken aback, but told me not to blame him.

That... is something I cannot do. After all, if he had told us the truth, we might have even been able to save them sooner. By The Nexus, her 'Brene' friend might still be alive. Her death and Veera's suffering at the hands of Rai lie solely on that 'Igon' asshole's lie. 

At least she made a friend in all of this though. Brene. Though what Veera did for her... what she went through at that manor... If I didn't already think that leaving this world was the right choice then, I know it is now. 

The brain scans of before had shown us that there was nothing redeemable about these 'nobles', and this simply confirms it. Those poor other souls this 'Gaben' is keeping to himself. I wish we could do something. But we can't... not at the moment.

And to top it all off, just when things looked up, when it looked like she might have found some happiness in her life, that bastard Rai took it all away and subjected her to a worse hell than even 'Gaben' had. Hell, he had plans to sell her back to Gaben after he had grown bored with her.

It took Nine to stop me from marching down to his cell and beating the consciousness right out of him after seeing that.

Bringing back the memory of Brene's death hurt Veera all the more. I comforted her the best I could in that moment, like the times of old. But I'm not sure if I succeeded or not. If only she'd been alive to come with her. From what it sounds like, she might have enjoyed seeing these outer worlds with us.

I wish I could help this 'Shrewn' guy in some way. Without him, Veera would still have been trapped in that bastard 'Lord's house as a sex slave. I feel I've let him down by making him stay there, but there is nothing we can do.
... At least, nothing that doesn't involve tons of innocent bloodshed.
Hope is not completely lost on that front though. Eilumi has told me that the Reborn Illuminate has plans for this world. Though what they are and how they attempt to carry them out, he doesn't know. 
All in good time on that front, I suppose.

Igon can fuck right off though. Hope his shop fails and he dies in a street corner somewhere. It would serve him right.

We said we'd leave in a day or so. But there were things here that still needed to be done. Loose ends that needed to be tied up.
------

Nine diligently tended to the last subject the brain scanner would ever scan from this world: A certain yellow rat, tied tightly to the chair. He had been... oddly cooperative getting in, but Nine was on his guard. He knew that if he did not keep vigil any moment, 'Rai' could attempt to pull a fast one, and/or an escape attempt. There were grounding wires, just for extra protection.

It was almost over, and what Nine had seen so far had sickened him. If he didn't associate these 'nobles' and 'guildies' of this world with the Miniknog already, he certainly did now. In many ways, they were one in the same. Perhaps even worse. The Miniknog at least did their monstrous experiments with the purported reason of scientific, and by extension, societal advancement. It was bullshit of course, for the most part.
These 'Nobles', and their guild toadies, figuratively and literally sometimes, didn't even have that. They did what they did because they could, brazenly in fact. 
They'd supposedly stopped the slave trade, true. Back when the guilds were more noble. Or was that less 'Noble'? ...Less inclined to simply do what the nobility wanted. 

However, those days were waning. If the one that abused Miss Loona was of any indication, the guilds had been slipping into corruption and decadance since the apparent death of the 'human' that 'destroyed' the slave trade. And it wasn't getting any better.

In a manner of speaking, Nine wondered if Rai could really be blamed for turning out the way he did.

And yet, he knew Rai couldn't be redeemed, nor forgiven for what he did. His abuses ran deeper than just Loona, Veera, and Shia. He had a long list of people he hurt, abused, raped, twisted, and even caused the death of. This 'wheel spinning' of his was almost cult-like, and he was determined to spread it as far as possible, though for what reason Nine could still not discern. Rai was 'happy' in his position, and he had made it perfectly clear: he regretted none of it.

And on top of that, the crew would never allow him to have any sort of rehabilitation anyway, even if Rai had accepted it.

He had to wonder if he himself would have turned out like this had Renali simply abandoned him instead of caring for him, or if he'd somehow fled the destroyed facility instead of being captured by them. It was a question he asked himself many times, but it was at the forefront again. The protogen even began to wonder if Shia might have turned out like this given enough time, had Eilumi and crew not intervened in his life and changed his course before it ever had a chance of going astray.

A cough grabbed him out of his thoughts. Rai was back in the waking world, and the scan was done.

With a heavy sigh, he removed the scanner from the rat's head. He didn't take his 'eyes' off the rat as the device retreated back into the ceiling.

 "What the FUCK was all that?! Tell me now!" Rai demanded.

"It's like I told you earlier. That device was known as a 'brain scanner', and we use it for scanning memories."

"So you use it to dig around inside people's heads, huh? Like some sort of psychic type mon?"

"About the size of it." Nine confirmed. He still didn't quite understand the true extent of a 'psychic type's' powers, but previous brain scans on various subjects had given them the basic gist of it.

"Heh." Rai laughed. "I hope you found what you were looking for when you went digging around in mine, then." He let out a chuckle. "Looking back on it, I should have electrocuted you when I had the chance, and maybe then I would have been able to escape."

"It would not have helped you in the long run." Nine replied dryly. "If you had killed me, the others would have hunted you down and killed you on the spot once they found you. Either on foot or by air."

"Isn't that what you're going to do now anyway?" Rai questioned. "It's apparent the only thing you wanted me for is this whole 'brain scan' thing, and now that you have it, there's no point in keeping me alive anymore, is there? So how's it going to go? Do I die in this chair, are you going to kill me in my sleep as per my late master's wishes, or do you have something more slow and painful in mind? Like I 'deserve'?"

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer for that." Nine responded. "It's still to be determined what exactly is to be done with you."

"Figures." Rai sighed. "It'll be nothing pleasant, though. Am I right, or am I right?"

"I'm afraid so." Nine confirmed. "Though in the meantime, you are to be taken back to the brig, while we decide on what to do with you."

Rai didn't resist as he was unshackled from the chair, and obeyed as he was marched back into the cell, with a bed, toilet, and a single window to stare endlessly out of.

As he left the raichu in his new 'home' Nine thought about what they were going to do with him. The two most likely outcomes were either the airlock, or marooning. There was also the possibility of attempting to hand him over to the Peacekeepers, but that was an iffy proposition. Even if they did take him, which was a big if, at best they'd hold him for a few years and then release him again.

Shia and especially Miss Loona had their hearts dead-set on eliminating Rai. That was clear. Though personally, he would vouch for marooning. Putting him in a place where he could do no more possible harm, and no harm could come to him. Nine believed that this was the best solution for all involved. 

It was just a matter of convincing the others. And finding a place to dump him off.
-------

"You don't have to do this... Khaun, was it?"

"I couldn't very well leave you all by yourself during this, Miss Veera." The blue featured creature by her side, the 'avali' as she recently learned to call them, replied back to her. "And yes, Khaun is my name."

Veera felt him tap her shoulder comfortingly. She looked at him, and saw him give her a warm, reassuring smile. A bright spot in the sands they currently stood in, amidst the somber mood of the task ahead of them.

"Shia would have wanted to be beside you during this trying time, but he's still tying up a few loose ends of his own around here."

"Do I... really want to know?" Veera asked.

"I can't speak for your own curiosity, but personally speaking, my advice would have to be..." Khaun paused as his eyes narrowed, and a small frown appeared on his lips. "... No."

From that flat tone, the jolteon decided it was in fact, best not to ask. 

'I just hope he doesn't do anything too drastic'. She thought sadly. She still remembered how angry he was when he learned about what had happened with Gaben. Not angry with her, of course. It was just him being protective of her, as he always had been.

She thought it was sweet of him, but it also worried her that he might do something he really should not. Well, either way, there was nothing she could do at the moment as she and her avali escort arrived at their destination.

The familiar bar/bordello/'bardello' loomed in front of them. Veera let out a sad sigh as she closed her eyes.

Veera felt a woosh go by her, and when she suddenly opened her eyes, she swore she could see a blur of darkish purple brush by her. She felt herself shutter.

'Was that....??' 

She turned around, only to see Khaun standing where he had been. His own body was blocking her view of... whoever that was that just went by her. 

"Is something wrong?" She heard Khaun ask her with concern in his tone.

'Everything is wrong, and it's been wrong since this all started.' She suddenly thought to herself. 'But...'

"No, it's nothing." Veera replied with a sorrowful sigh. "Let's just get this over with."

"Agreed." Khaun replied.

The jolteon felt him put an arm around her, comfortingly. She didn't say it, but she was glad she had someone beside her during this troubled moment. She couldn't imagine what she'd be feeling if she had to do this all by herself.

She nodded at him, and he in return, and the two of them pushed through the door. All of Veera's senses were greeted by the all too familiar scene. The sight of pokemon fucking in the open without a care in the world, the smells of cum and sex, the sounds of conversation of and moans, real and fake. Veera swore she could even taste the alcohol and sweat in the air, though that last one might have just been her imagination.

Veera briefly looked at the girls engaged in various sex acts around her. During her brief employment here, she never really got to know any of them in any sort of capacity. 
It was perhaps a blessing in disguise, as having to say her goodbyes to all of them would just have made this all the more painful. 

'No offense to any of them, of course.' She thought. 'I only wish the best in their lives.'

The pair weren't here for any of them, though. No, they were here for one specific reason.

"Warm days!" Said reason, cheerfully called out from the bar in a very familiar voice. The pair looked over to the source: An abra with a black vest sitting cross-legged on the counter.

Just as she usually was.

"Ara..." Veera called out to her.

"By The Drought, Veera!" Ara yelled cheerfully as she jumped off the bar, and ran over and hugged her jolteon friend, and former employee, as tightly as the little psychic type could manage. Veera was taken aback. Tears dripped from her eyes as she hugged her friend and former employer in turn.

"When you and Brene didn't come back, I got really worried." She cried. "I began to fear the worst."

Veera looked off to the side in shame upon hearing that name. She couldn't bring herself to do what she'd come here to do, to admit her failure to her friend. After a few moments, the sorrow-filled jolteon thought she had gathered up the courage to speak to her again, but Ara beat her to the punch.

"So, did you save your friend?" She asked eagerly. "Where are they, and-"

Ara stopped as her squinted eyes rested upon the sight of Khaun. She let go of Veera and she did the same.

"Oh, it's you guys again." Ara replied apologetically. "Listen, sorry I wasn't there when your other buddy was here. I would have told him where to find her."

"Yeah, It would have spared her quite a lot of suffering." Khaun replied sadly.

"W-what do you mean?" Ara started to look around frantically. "Where's your friend you were trying to save? Where's...."

Her smile began to fade, and her squinted eyes turn upwards into an expression of grave concern. Veera wasn't a psychic type by any stretch, she didn't get lucky enough to become an Espeon thanks to Gaben, but she could still feel the aura coming off of the psychic type in front of her.

It just made what she was about to tell her all the harder to do so.

"... Where's Brene?" She asked. 

Veera looked down in shame. She felt Khaun slip something into her hand. Slowly, she looked up, and held it out for Ara.

"N...No..." Ara cried as she took it from Veera. Tears ran down the abra's face as she 'looked' at the object in question:

A guild badge. Brene's guild badge. Or, at least they assumed it was hers. They discovered it amongst Rai's things in the shack. They had made the assumption that Rai had stolen it off her corpse once he knocked Veera out. It only made sense, as guild badges were not something one tends to leave lying around. They were rare and granted a lot of privilege in this world.
A bit like Iron itself.
And if it wasn't her badge... Well, either way, it was the best they could do. They couldn't bring her body back, as they couldn't find it at the time. Nine's brain scan had shown that Brene's killer had in fact buried her corpse. Though where, they still couldn't be certain, as the maze shifted itself so often. Even if that wasn't the case, it was decided to leave it where it was out of respect. That, and the fact that it was most likely at least partially decomposed by now.

"I told her..." Ara sobbed. 

Veera reached out a hand to comfort her, but she swatted it away.

"I FUCKING TOLD HER!!" Ara screamed out, a small rumble of stray psychic energy shook the building. This caused everyone, patron and employee alike, to stop what they were doing to look over at the drama that was currently unfolding.
"I told her that this would happen to her one day." She said as tears fell from her closed eyes like a river. "I told her to retire, to put all of this behind. That this thing was a fool's errand. I told her that we should have settled down."

"A... Ara?" Veera asked, but the abra continued to simply sob in front of her. 

Slowly the patrons began to go back to what they were doing, leaving only the trio in the center to wallow in their own misery.

"This is all my fault." Veera sobbed, her cries joining Ara's. "I.... I should have gotten more help. I shouldn't have asked her for help. I shouldn't have tried to get her out of that cushy contract. I... I..."

Veera felt a hand on her shoulder, and looked over to see Khaun giving her a weak, yet reassuring smile. "No, Veera, it's not your fault. You had no way of knowing this would happen."

"He's right." Ara sniffled. "This isn't your fault, Veera. If anything..." She sniffled. "...It's mine."

"Ara?!" Veera questioned as she reached out to place a paw on her shoulder.

"I should have come with you."

"Ara, you couldn't have-" Ara tried to protest, but Ara shook her head.

"I most certainly could have. You forget, before I settled down here in Sandstone, I was a pirate. A pirate! I could have most certainly handled myself in a fight. I could have delegated petunia or someone else to run the place while I was gone. And failing that, I could have teleported over to Igon's and told him to get off his self-pitying flygon ass and help you himself, and reminded him of all his tabs if he didn't cooperate."

"Ara, I don't think-" Veera tried again to protest, but Ara shushed her. Her gaze shifted to Khaun, who tilted his head as he wondered what she'd say next.

"... No. I know what I should really have done. When your friend came here, looking for Veera." 

"You mean Eilumi, right?" Khaun asked, and Ara nodded her head.

"I was in the middle of a 'business meeting'. I had Petunia operating the bar." Ara admitted sadly. "When she came to me and told me that there was someone looking for you, I should have teleported out and greeted him myself, not told her to tell him 'no.' I was so preoccupied with my... client, that I didn't even think about it until they were long gone."

She looked at the two of them, her expression full of regret.

"If I had done that, you guys might have found her far sooner. You might have prevented this. I..."

She sighs.

"Ara, I don't think-" Now it was Khaun's turn to protest, only to be shut down as well, this time with a sigh.

"I'm sorry, Veera." She sniffled. "But... I need to be alone. I ... I hope for the best for you and your new friends. I really do."

"I..." Veera stuttered. "I understand."

"I sense you have no desire to stay here in Sandstone." Ara stated solemnly. 

"No... I don't." Veera confirmed to her.

"I can't say I blame you." Ara sighed sadly. "So it's goodbye then?"

"I... I'm afraid so, Ara." Veera answered sadly. "I'm leaving with Shia and his new friends."

"We're going far, far away. Never to return." Khaun finished.

"Then... Goodbye, Veera. I wish you the best of luck." Ara turned to leave. She held the badge close to her chest.

But Veera couldn't let her leave just yet. She had one more thing.

"Wait! Ara! I have to ask you something!" Veera managed to ask just in the nick of time. 

"Yes?" Ara asked sorrowfully, she didn't turn around.

"I just wanted to know, what happened to Igon? We tried looking at his shop before we came here, but he wasn't there."

Ara remained silent, and for a moment Veera was afraid she was not going to get her answer. But with a sigh, Ara replied.

"Igon..." She began. "Couldn't keep the shop running. He closed up the day your new friends came looking for you. He left soon after, and I have no idea where he went. I... I am sorry, Veera."

At that moment, she turned around, and looked, not at her, but at Khaun.

"Khaun... take care of her," she said. 

"Wait, how do you know my-"

Before Khaun could get the words out, the abra was gone with a pop, vanishing into thin air.

"I.. we will." Veera heard Khaun reply softly to the empty space where Ara once stood.

Khaun turned to the Jolten by his side.

"Are you alright, Veera?" He asked.

Veera shook her head.

"No... I'm not alright." She said with a sniffle. "Everything has gone wrong. I feel so alone. I mean... I know I still have Shia and Loona still, but every friend I've made here... is either out of reach, gone, or dead. And... And I feel like it's my fault."

"Veera, it's-"

"I know, Khaun, I know. But I still feel like it is."

At that moment, she felt herself being pulled and held tightly against the avali's fluffy and feathery body.

"You still have us, Veera. You still have me."

Veera didn't say anything in response. She just let herself remain like that. The two of them stayed hugged like that for the longest while, the both of them ignoring the goings-on of the bardello around them. The moans, the fake orgasms of the girls, the real ones of the patrons, the murmurs and slurs of more inebriated patrons. They meant nothing to her in this mo

As much as she tried to drown it out however, the awareness of the current reality creeped its way back to her consciousness. Khaun must have felt the same, as he slowly let go of her, and she slowly pulled away.

"Erm.... We should... go now." She told Khaun awkwardly.

Khaun nodded in agreement. She felt him place an arm around her shoulder protectively as they both headed out.

"Is there anything else that you need or want to do before we leave?" She heard him ask her as soon as they stepped outside.

Veera took a look towards the closed shop, the very first place she went to, and the very first person she encountered when she was brought to this sorry town by the oshawott and his other guild members. Where she first met Igon. It seemed like such a long time ago, like a distant memory, even though she knew it was not that long ago.

Her thoughts wandered. She thought of all she went through here, and with it, wandered to a certain individual, still trapped in slavery. 

'I wonder if...' 

"... No." She shook her head with a sigh after a bit more thought. "There is nothing else. We can leave now."

As much as she'd love to help him in return for helping her, she had decided against it. She did not want to get Shia's new friends involved with something that would cause more bloodshed. And she knew there was no way to get him out of there in a way that didn't involve any. Just getting Veera out took some fast thinking on his part, and only worked because of a technicality. She somehow doubted a few aliens would be able to convince them to let him go.
... And the only other option was something Shrewn would not approve of.

"Very well." Khaun said, snapping her back to reality. She felt him take her hand into his. It was only a small gesture, but it did cause her to blush ever so slightly.

Light surrounded the two of them, and not even a second later, the sands disappeared from her vision. Never to be seen again.

---

Arid winds blew across the town, halted only by a partially wood, partially stone building. One past its prime, and one boarded up with a 'for sale' sign on the front. 

"Figures." A lone, cloaked figure said to itself. "I'm not sure what I was hoping to find here. Maybe that 'Ansel' guy. But it looks like he's long gone."

The cloaked person turned, and left the area. They began to wander around town, looking for... Something? Anything? ... Nothing?

"What am I even doing here?" It grumbled to itself. "Shrewn is out of reach. Veera's dealing with 'Ara' at the moment. Igon... He's gone too. Though fuck him."

After a moment of wandering by itself, it found itself near the former Sandstone Guild once again.

"This is stupid." It grumbled to itself. "I should just return, and be done with it."

At that moment, he bumped into something. Or something bumped into him.

"HEY!!" The 'mon in question, a gabite with a brown vest and dual red scarves yelled at the figure. "I'm walking here!"

"Oh... my apologies." The figure replied flatly. "Mr..."

"Gaben. LORD Gaben to you, peasant!" The gabite growled at him, their noble badge clearly visible on display for the figure to see.

"Ah... Yes. I've heard of you. You are the son of this town's Lord, correct?"

"That's right!" Gaben replied boastfully. "And don't you forget it! Or I'll have you thrown in the dungeon, or worse!"

"I certainly won't forget." The figure replied without a hint of emotion. "But as long as I am in your presence, would you do me the one favor of telling me... does the name 'Veera' mean anything to you?"

"Veera?!" Gaben seemed offended at even hearing the name. "PAH! Fucking little slut. Came over to my mansion wanting to get poor old Brene the bitch out of her contract, but couldn't even handle one little dicking before she cried like the little savage bitch she was."

The figure said nothing in response.

"Then when I graciously gave her a thunderstone to evolve, something that cost me a LOT of money mind you, she had the gall to complain about it. Ungrateful cunt. She even tried to run off and make lovey-dovey with that dickless prune of mine. Stupid cunt, her and Brene both!" The noble brat growled. "Though that reminds me," he added quickly under his breath, though the figure could clearly hear him. "I still have to find a way to get back at Shrewn. Hmph. Especially after the guards caught him making out with that Vaporeon of mine..."

Gaben growled with jealousy.

"This conversation is tiresome, so if you'll excuse me, I gotta go." He finished, and quickly turned on his heel to leave.

"Yes... yes you do." The stranger replied darkly. Gaben didn't see the stranger reach into its cloak as he walked away.

Suddenly, a loud bang rang out.

Gaben's eyes flew open in shock. He fell to his knees, and then fell face first into the sands. There was a small, but very bloody hole in his jacket, right where one might expect to find the dragon type's left lung. Blood leaked out from the wound, absorbed by the sands at first. But before long it began to pool around his body.

The figure was holding an object, pointed directly at the fallen dragon type. A white and black, angled object, one that's tip glowed with a strange blue energy.

Gaben's body shook weakly, his hand reaching out across the sands. He tried to reach out, to grab at... something... anything. Tried to cling onto the last bits of life that were quickly fading from his body.

Another few shots rang out, one after the other. A blue flame erupted from the device. 

Gaben's body then lay lifeless in the sand, a few new holes added to his back.

Apparently satisfied, the stranger put the device back in their cloak.

"...And nothing of value was lost."  It said to itself.

They knew that was not entirely true. This mon was something of value... to the lord of Sandstone at least. No doubt, he would be pissed. He'd probably order the town on lockdown to try to find the assassin. Or maybe he blamed another lord over it. Or the Wallbreakers. Regardless, they'll spend a lot of time and money trying to find the assassin. 

Trying to find this mysterious figure.

"It doesn't matter." The cloaked one muttered to itself. "By the time they figure out he's even dead, me and my packmates will be long gone. Far, far away from here, lightyears away from this planet."

In the grand scheme of things though, the stranger's original words would hold true. Nothing of any real value would be lost. 'Gaben' would be but a footnote in history, if that even. The world would forget him.

"And besides..." The stranger muttered. "He'd probably end up like this someday, one way or another. Whether it's me, or the next crew sent to deal with this mess of a world, the Wallbreakers, or something else. It's all the same result."

The figure paused, and let out a sigh.

"... His bodyguard, I presume?" He spoke aloud.

At that moment, another stranger, one clad in attire that might cause one to call the newcomer a 'ninja', emerged from a nearby alleyway.

"Hardly." The 'ninja', clearly an umbreon under that garb, spoke. "In fact, you just stole my kill."

"My apologies." The cloaked one said. "In that case, am I to presume you are one of those 'wall breakers' I heard of?"

The umbreon gave a scoff in response.

"My good 'mon," The umbreon replied, "you wound me. Wallbreakers are loud and brazen. Useful, but not really effective."

"Oh... I see now." The figure chuckled. "Again, my mistake. You are no Wallbreaker. You are a 'Slink'. Another thing we learned about from..." The figure paused, trying to choose its next word carefully. "... Sources. But I thought you people only operated in the far north."

"Normally, we do." The umbreon replied. "But this mission is special... And, if I may, more than a bit personal."

"You are referring to the eeveelutions held captive as part of his 'horde', are you not?" The cloaked stranger guessed. The Slink gave a nod.

"My sister, specifically." The umbreon responded as he curled a paw into a fist. "What he did to her..."

"I fully understand. I had a friend that he did the same to." The cloaked one explained. "And again, I do apologise for taking his life before you had the chance. Had I known you had been hunting him, I would have left him for you."

"You are too kind. Do not worry, I hold no ill will towards you for your actions." The Slink gave a slight bow as a sign of sincerity.

"I suspect you will go after his father next? Do not worry, I will not get in your way."

"Quite so." The umbreon said. It offered a paw. "You know, there could be a future in this for you-"

"I appreciate the offer." The figure raised both of its hands in front of them in refusal. "But I must decline. You could say I have a... higher calling. Speaking of, I'm afraid I must leave. Best of luck in your endeavor, Slink."

The cloaked one raised its hand, apparently ready to leave. But it lingered for one more moment.

"There is... one more thing, if you would listen. A small favor to ask, if you will." The stranger spoke. "There is a pruned in the manor. His name is Shrewn."

"I am aware." The umbreon replied. 

"I see. Well, he helped my friend escape. So, if you would be so kind, look after him, would you? That is all."

Before the umbreon Slink could reply, the figure was surrounded by light, and it vanished not even a second later.

----
The linoone, Loona, stared out the window. She saw the world below her, the stars, the moon. It captivated her, entranced her, took her mind off her recent troubles. Looking at the night sky has always captivated her, it's how she got her name after all. But seeing it 'up close' like this, it was something else all together.
Unnerving, yet calming. Strange, yet beautiful. Sitting there, staring at her homeworld from on high like this, it looked... pretty. The blue ball full of shades of green, white, and brown, seeing lands she didn't know even existed, it looked so much different from up here. So tranquil-looking, it almost made her forget that said world was a cespit filled with raping, uncaring scumbags whose only thoughts were to use whoever they can, then toss them aside once they were done.
... Almost.

'Has it been a day since I was brought up here? Or several? It's hard to keep track of the time in this place.' Shia and Veera had both gone back to the planet for one last time for each of their own reasons. Loona however had no such reasons. Veera had 'friends' to check up on and say goodbye to before they left. Shia had some 'loose ends' to tie up. Loona had thought so too, until Rai's 'brain scan' had revealed that he'd already taken care of that himself, before she'd even 'fought' him on that day. He'd killed the two she'd intended to kill out of revenge, for 'meat money' to fix up that ramshackle shack of his.

The thought of that rat stewing in the 'brig' soured her mood. How could it not? The things he put her through, the beatings the torture, the near constant rape. He used her like a prize, treated her like something to 'break'. Day in and day out. She'd put on a brave face throughout it all, refusing to give him the satisfaction of 'winning.'

But looking back on it, she realized that this is exactly what he'd wanted. It was all a game to him. And the more she resisted him, the more fun it was to him. 

The truth was, she had lost any and all hope of getting out of that hell. She had thought she would die there. Tied to that bed. A victim. Especially since the only person left in her life that had cared about her had tried to fight him, but failed. He even made said friend eat her out while she watched that bastard rape her as well.

When she saw what had become of Veera in those few days, part of her wondered if it would have been better to give up, to break as she had, so that Rai would get bored and leave her alone. But she couldn't bring herself to break, she was too damn proud. Too damn angry.

... And then, Shia came back. Not only alive, unlike what she'd been led to believe, but packing a full crew of his own. He'd kicked Rai's ass so hard that he'd lost any will to fight. 

'Ironic.' She thought to herself with a smirk.

Loona's thoughts shifted to Shia's crew.

'Well, my crew now too, I suppose.'

Truth be told, she didn't quite know what to think of them yet. 

Nine scared her. She put on a brave face as always and didn't admit it outright, but he frightened her. Luckily she saw little of him for the moment and he hadn't made any sort of moves to frighten her further, though she knew the former would not stay that way forever.

Then there was Khaun. She really didn't know what to think of him yet. Like the other avali, he was... weird. Loona hadn't had a lot of contact with him, outside of his initial examination of her, at Shia's request, and the whole 'brain scan' thing. The thought of that ordeal put a sour taste in her mouth.
However, Veera seemed to like him, and had chosen him to accompany her back to Sandstone with her to do... whatever it was she was doing down there. 
'That's good, I guess,' she thought to herself.

And finally there was Eilumi, whom she had mixed feelings about, to say the least. He was the most chatty of the bunch.
'And the most annoying.' She thought irritably.
He hadn't done or said anything explicit to her yet, but she could tell he was trying to get in between her legs, and she didn't appreciate it one bit.
Though on the other hand, he was Shia's little buddy, even if he was a little pervert. In fact, if their story was to be believed, if it wasn't for him, Shia would not have been saved, and by extension, neither would she and Veera.

'Shia...'

She closed her eyes and sighed deeply to herself.

If there was one regret she had in all of this, it was him. Looking back, she'd been selfish. Back when they were still a group of happy-go-lucky friends, she'd taken him for granted. And then, everything went to hell. And after her rape by that guild member in broad daylight, she'd lost sight of what she had been trying to even accomplish by joining said guild in the first place: trying to save him from Rai.
She'd become so filled with rage and lust for revenge that Rai had to point out the fact that he wasn't even there. A fact that now filled her with shame.

And then there was Shia himself. Shia had always been the self-proclaimed 'protector' of their little group. Something to a certain extent had been true, even with their evolution. He'd been the only one to even try to fight their three attackers on that horrible night, only for Rai to stop him dead with that blade of his.
Now though, he'd changed quite a lot, in ways she couldn't quite put her paw on. He seemed... braver? Stronger? Something like that?

'I'm surprised he hasn't evolved.'

"Staring at the stars again, I see?"

'And speak of the mon himself...'

"It... Gives me comfort." Loona replied. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him toss a black cloak off to the side as he came over and sat next to her.

"I know." Shia said as he too looked out onto the stars.

"Heh..." Loona heard him chuckle after a while. "Would you believe that the first time I saw this, I actually got scared and bolted out of the room?"

"Wait... Really?" Loona smiled. She had to restrain herself to keep from laughing.

"Yes... ridiculous, isn't it?" Shia laughed. "Such a pretty sight like this, and my response was to run away. It seems so silly now, doesn't it?"

"And... Now?" Loona asked curiously.

"Now..." She saw him smile out of the corner of her eye. "I'm beginning to see why this brings you comfort."

For a while, they stayed like this, staring out into the abyss, enjoying the sight, and each other's presence.

"Everything looks so different from up here, doesn't it?" Shia asked.

"Yeah... It does." Loona replied.

"Whenever I looked at the planet, as soon as I understood what it was, of course..." Shia said as he continued to stare at it, "I thought of you."

"You thought of... Me?" She asked curiously as turned her head towards him.

"Every day." Shia answered, still not averting his own gaze from the window. "Rai told me you were all dead or enslaved by those that interfered."

"... And you believed him?" Loona asked, shocked at such a thing.

"Well... Yes." Shia sighed. "Kind of. I mean, knowing nothing about the outside of the dungeon, I couldn't exactly disprove him. And the situation I was in didn't exactly help either."

Loona took a moment to absorb this all in. Truth be told, Loona had not even been Rai's first choice. Otherwise he would have made off with her that night instead of Shia. And given the way he treated her once she'd become his 'consolation prize', she could only imagine the horrors Shia had to go through during that trying time.
"But then..." Shia raised a pointed finger to the air. "Eilumi bumbled into the situation, and then Khaun and Nine showed up and sent him running. I got taken back to the ship, and well, I already explained most of what happened after that."

Loona nodded, having heard this tale when they arrived on the ship.

"Though, as I became a lot more comfortable around the crew, and then started to train with them, I began to question whether what Rai had said about you two being dead was really true.  I mean, there was always a part of me that didn't believe him, and I certainly didn't want to believe him either. I hoped that you and Veera were alive, so we tried to look for you in Sandstone, but found no evidence of either of you ever being there."

Loona rubbed her head. The only evidence that anyone would have of her would be ironically the guild pignite she killed, something she'd done specifically in the night to ensure that no one was there to see her do it.

"Though even when I started to lose hope again after that, I never stopped thinking about either of you."

"But... Wh, Shia?" Loona sighed. "We were... are... just friends. Good friends, but still just friends."

"Yeah... About that..."

Loona watched as he got up and shifted himself so that he was sitting on one knee in front of her. She felt him gently take her hand under his, and then place his other over the top. Her eyes were locked into his as he spoke.

"That day, before everything went to shit, I had been working up the courage to tell you how I truly felt. To say something I'd been trying to work up the courage so say ever since you evolved, but I never had the courage to say it. Funny... I had the courage to stand up to bad 'mons, but I could never say a simple thing to you. And now..."

He closed his eyes as he gave a heavy sigh.

"With all that's happened to you during this past month, I don't even feel like I have the right to ask."

"Shia..." Loona told him softly. "Please... tell me."

Shia slowly opened his eyes and she saw those red orbs lock onto hers again.

"I was going to ask to be your mate."

Loona sat there, stunned. A blush creeped over her face. She had never thought Shia even had these kinds of feelings for her. And... he said he wanted to ask her... for a long time?

"Ever since you evolved, I... I've felt differently about you. Desired you, as more than a friend. You're the most beautiful 'mon I known, Loona, and I've always thought that."

He gave another sad sigh.

"I know, I know, it probably scares you or at least creeps you out to hear this now. I'm sorry." He sighed sadly again.

"You mean, those nights... when you said you had to... you were actually..." Her blush deepened.

"Yeah..." Shia looked down in shame, a blush appeared on his own cheeks. "...I was."

"Shia... I... I..." Loona found herself unable to think of what to say to all of this.

"I understand. I shouldn't have said anything." Shia sighed as he let go of her hand, and began to get up. "Forget I ask-"

But before he could leave her, the linoone grabbed his hand and pulled him back down to her.

"Loona, wha-"

And before he could continue, she pulled him into a deep kiss, hugging him tightly as her lips pressed against his. This took her friend off guard, as she could feel by his instinctive struggle. It quickly died as the shinx accepted her kiss. His mouth opened, and hers did in return. Their tongues danced in each other's mouths, running along each other as Shia moaned into her mouth, and she did the same.

Slowly, she broke the kiss, pulling away as a trail of saliva bridged the two as they stared into each other's eyes.

"Loona..." Shia said shakily.

"Shia..." She told him. "...I accept."

"But... But..." Shia protested. "After everything that happened to you-"

"I know." Loona said. "I... I don't think I'm ready to go that far with you yet. I still need a bit of time. But after what you did for us, How could I say no?"

"I... I..."

Their moment was interrupted by a loud clapping from the side. 
"Well, congrats big guy."

Loona turned, as did Shia, and both saw a certain brown-feathered avali grinning back at them while he continued to clap.

"H-How long have you been listening, Eilumi?" Shia asked, his tone a little irritated, a fact that seemed to not phaze the avali in the slightest as he finally stopped clapping.

"You mean besides the fact that all packmates can hear each other at all times thanks to the neural jacks?" Eilumi chuckled. "Around when you said 'I never stopped thinking about either of you.' I figured I'd let you have your little moment before I came in here."

"... Thanks." Shia replied flatly.

"Neural Jack?" Loona asked. "Shia, what is he talking about?"

"... I'll explain later." Shia answered her, just as flatly.

"Anyway, congrats, Shia." He chirped cheerfully. "Also, I-"

He too was interrupted as another pair stepped onto the bridge.

"Oh, you're back," Eilumi turned around and greeted them. "Khaun, and" Loona watched as the brown avali took the yellow paw and kissed it, causing a blush to appear on the Jolteon's face. "Veera."

"Umm... Yeah, Hi Eilumi." Veera replied with a bit of embarrassment as he gently lowered her paw and let go of it.

"So, don't keep me waiting, you two." Eilumi told the two. "How'd it go?"

Veera sighed and looked down, and Khaun patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"About as well as one might expect." Khaun reported.

'In other words, not well.' Loona thought to herself as she and Shia watched.

"Aaaand how were things on your end?" Eilumi asked Shia as he turned to him. "Did you find what you were looking for? Whatever it was? You didn't really tell us what you were looking for when you left."

"Eh, that's because I wasn't really 'looking' for anything, to be honest." Shia sighed. "I don't know, I guess I just wanted to wander The Sands one last time."

Loone could tell from the way he shifted his eyes that Shia was hiding something. But, she decided not to question it. Whatever happened down there was none of her business anymore.

"Well... Whatever." Eilumi replied dismissively. It wasn't clear to Loona whether Eilumi caught on to Shia's white lie or not. If he had, he seemed as disinterested in it as she was. 

The metallic footfalls of a certain giant dog was the last one to enter the bridge.

"Aaaand there's the big fluffy dog himself. How's our... guest?"

Nine groaned heavily. 

"Secure in the brig. He's not going anywhere. Nothing further to report." Nine told everyone.

"Well, that's good." Eilumi replied dismissively. "We'll find a place to dump his sorry ass off. A desert island or something on some ocean world. Or maybe a penumbral world if we're feeling particularly nasty."

"If we want to kill him, wouldn't it be simpler to just cycle him out the airlock?" Nine suggested. "It's not like-"

"Ehhh... we'll discuss it later." Eilumi dismissed him with a hand wave. "Now that we're all here though, I've been thinking that once we head back to known space, and... taken care of our... guest, we'll head over to Mintaka Nether III, a nice little Eden world a couple of thousand of light years away. Nice place to kick back, relax, and take a load off after all that's happened. Good for everyone, especially our newest members, after everything that's happened and all. It'll take us a week or two to get there, but still..."

"That's a good idea and everything." Shia said. "But... what brought you up here in the first place.?" Shia asked the brown avali.

"Well, this is the bridge, and I do need to be up here in order to move the ship."

"Oh, right." Shia deadpanned.

"Speaking of, Last Call on this planet. If there is any last remaining business or sights you wanted to see or if you had any second thoughts about this whole 'joining our pack' stuff, say your piece now, because once we leave this system, we are not coming back, ever again." Eilumi said with special emphasis on the last part.

Loona, Shia, and Veera all looked at each other.

"You have my answer already." Shia told him.

"I have nothing. Good riddance to this world." Loona said.

"I... Don't have anything else down there." Veera sighed. "And besides, I would like to see something else other than the Sands. And if Shia and Loona are both coming with you, I have no reason not to."

"Best friends forever." Shia said, as Loona felt herself being pulled into a joint hug with him and Veera both.

"Well alrighty then." Eilumi said with a tone of finality as he scooted over to the captain's seat. "Oh and girls?" He said as he plopped down into the chair. "I know we've already welcomed you aboard officially earlier, but... Welcome to the crew. Welcome to the great beyond."

They watched as Eilumi turned the seat around. Some yellow holograms appeared in front of him, and he operated them with his claws. 

Loona heard a whir, and the world and moon both vanished from sight of the windows as the ship lifted up. The trio were only able to see the stars out of the windows. And then, the stars themselves began to glow brightly, and then morph into long lines as the ship took off, leaving their world's orbit faster than the speed of light.

Never to return, ever again.

Chapter 1: Anguish
Chapter 2: Uncertainty
Chapter 3: Questions
Chapter 4: Lament
Chapter 5: Grind
Chapter 6: Pack
Chapter 7: Reunite (You are here)
Epilogue