Here's a Chapter I finished a long time ago that for some reason wasn't uploaded...

Sorry for the formatting issues, it detracts from the Starbound scenes, unfortunately...

You can always check out the Smashboards version if you do so desire to have it preserved...

51- A Reason

The magnificent building before her was a beautiful establishment beyond anything Frankie had ever seen back home. Sparkling water that looked like liquid mother-of-pearl slowly flowed in a deep moat around it, and a finely cut lawn of black grass ran across the academy's yard, with all types of flowers arranged in intricate and ornate patterns in patches of color.

"Star Haven Academy of Magic…" Frankie murmured, reading the bold and elegant sign aloud. The eye-catching sign stood proudly above the large, glass double doors, their golden text acting as a large arm to reach out and welcome in students and guests alike.

Frankie paused before the glossy doors, staring inside at the children who were chatting in the main lobby, which was, as near as she could tell, breathtaking. The small taste she took in through her eyes numbed her body into a dumbfounded awe, and her hand clung to the brass door handle for a few moments, until she willed herself to push on it and propel herself into the beyond that was the greatest school in all of Stellon.

Her feet moved like lead as she pushed herself onward, struggling not to be overcome by the…stunning masterpiece that was the fountain, or the…the…heavenly painting that watched over her from the ceiling. Frankie couldn't seem to think of words that could describe the images and give them justice at the same time. Heavenly? Meh, that was about as close as she could get.

Then she remembered something: she was, technically speaking, in the 'heavens' already. Star Road could certainly be qualified as the 'heavens,' she thought. She was drawn upward, into the ceiling's majesty, like a deity's hand was tugging her. She was so captured by the flood of royal jelly that her mind couldn't eat it all fast enough.

"Miss? Watch out, Miss, you'll—"

Frankie was thrown off of her balance when her right foot bumped into something hard, causing her body to stumble forth. Her arms haphazardly lunged forth, splashing into a half foot of water. Her arms were smattered with the sparkling, unworldly liquid, and she found herself on her knees, her body arcing over a stone rail. She'd almost walked straight into a fountain. As she recovered from the shock, she slowly stood up, whipping droplets from her hands. A young boy—about twelve, she would have guessed—was at her side, checking to make sure she wasn't injured.

"Are you OK, Miss? Geez, you gotta be more careful!"

Frankie, whose sight had congealed with the mystical fountain, pried her eyes to the boy, a precious little guy with glimmering sapphire eyes and hair as white as snow—a very messy, soft-spiked set of snow. He was wearing a loose black T-shirt and denim black jeans, and had a yo-yo strapped to his finger.

Frankie chuckled in spite of herself, replying with a nod, "Yea, I guess so…" She couldn't help but steal another glance at that fountain. It was amazing…It was crafted of some mother of pearl-like material, and was carved in the shape of two small children. The image of the boy wore a straw hat, big, floppy shoes, gloves that looked better fit on a scarecrow than anything, and held a ragged, wooden staff. His face wasn't recognizable, though two vertical slits for eyes were etched into the orb of a head. Something about those simple eyes expressed sorrow, anger, and loneliness. The other figure, who stood at his side, was a little girl in a white priestess cloak with triangular patterns caressing every egde of the cloth. Her elegance was portrayed in the way she clasped a delicate hand to her chest. Her closed eyes and somber expression radiated grace. Two locks of thick hair tumbled over her ears and down her cheeks, while the rest of her head was covered by the hood she wore, which had triangles etched onto its edge, as well. A ghostly figure of innocence, she held her staff to the middle of the fountain to touch the other wizard's, both objects identical in appearance. They marked as a welcoming to all who entered, and water mysteriously flowed from a spot in midair, just above the touching staves. It shot a light spray into the air, and the majestic sight almost made Frankie want to cry.

"So, can I help you, Miss?" the boy piped up after a few awkward seconds of silence. He fiddled with his little yo-yo for a moment as he waited for a response.

"Oh!" Frankie mentally smacked herself and snapped her brain to the boy. "Um, yea…" She suddenly came to realize that the boy's physical appearance was very much like her own. "Hey, looks like you're a human, too," she cheerily pointed out, beaming. "You're one of the first I've met here, ya know."

The boy's yo-yo seemed to whither in some way, hanging drearily from his finger. His eyes glazed over a bit, and he mumbled something inaudible as he struggled to regain his composure. What had she said? Oh, man, he really looked upset. In her instinct, Frankie sunk to her knees and placed two compassionate hands on the boy's shoulders.

"Hey, what's wrong? Did I say something? I'm sorry," she quickly spat out, hoping that some part of that would get through. It seemed to work, as the boy managed to fake a smile her way. Frankie knew better, but she decided to play along, as whatever had crumbled in the boy's heart was probably not her business.

"I'm OK," he mumbled, doing his best to sound unshaken. "Umm…So, do you need any help, Miss…-?"

"Just call me Frankie," she told him with a grin.

The boy bobbed his head slightly in respect and answered, "My name's Genis."

"All right, then, Genis," Frankie casually got back to her feet. She was so used to going from her feet to knees and back that it was a wonder her knees still WORKED. "Can you help me find someone named Professor Raine?"

Genis' face had a smirk smeared across it at that comment, and he sneakily replied, "Of course I can."

---

They walked, and walked, and walked…It felt like forever. But, then again, doing anything kind of felt like forever in this place…Was it even a place? It felt more like…nothing. Questions irritated her one by one as time passed, each one an unwelcome splinter. Ow. Ouch. Ow! Ehhh!

The whimper actually escaped her in a verbal sense, causing her guide to pause in his relentless march through the emptiness. His gloved hand gripped her arm with firm diligence, but it loosened slightly when that insipid little moan spilled from her lips.

"What's wrong?" the grim, rough voice of the furry, spiky-headed creature before her asked. She stared at him with two critical, dark green eyes glazed over with fear.

"Wh-where are we?" she whispered, forcing the murmuring out of her mouth. Her escort could feel her supple hand quivering within his own. His crimson retinas, set within large, slanted eyes, pierced through her very being, jolting her with a bizarre mixture of fear and trust.

"I can't give you an accurate answer to—"

"Wh-what am I doing here?" she interrupted, a hysterical confusion slowly wrapping itself around her, like a set of thorny vines. "Who…who ARE you?" she demanded, her trembling voice picking up force, a snowball of doubt rampaging down a steep incline. She tore her hand from his with a sharp jerk, her lithe arm having no trouble with such a task. Recoiling in fear, she glared at him, her arms shaking so much so that it was visible from a few feet away. "I-I-I don't understand…Wh-what's going on? Where are you taking me? What's wrong with me?"

The being before her, only half her height, maybe a bit more, crossed his thin arms over the ruffle of white fur on chest. He let out a long, irritated sigh as he ran his hand over the black spines that protruded from his head like hair. He proceeded to drawl on in monotone to the girl, responding to every question in quick succession.

"You are being led to the headquarters of the agency I work for. My name is Shadow the Hedgehog—I'm from a nearby planet called Mobius. You don't understand the situation because you no longer possess a mind in the literal sense, and thus you cannot retrieve your memories as readily as normal."

The horrified eyes of the girl widened, while the pupils seemed to shrink. No mind…?

"What's going on, you ask? You died rather recently, and I'm here to take your worthy soul to a place where it can be put to good use rather than being sucked back into the Life Stream of your world…" Shadow continued to droll onward, not taking a breath, it seemed, to let the poor soul behind him comprehend it all. "I've already told you where I'm taking you. You are no doubt experiencing very powerful emotions of fear, anxiety, frustration…-" He tossed his arm casually. "This is normal. You are currently going through a phase we at the agency refer to as 'Extra Life Shock.' Having your soul ripped from its home and coming 'back to life' can be a very traumatic experience to endure."

Shadow left the matter for Rebecca to sort out herself from then on. As he dragged her onward through the nothingness, he carefully examined her face-tear-stained cheeks composed of porcelain skin, somehow visible, though there was physically no light present. Her eyes were still dripping, and her body quivered and quaked in confusion and fear, just as he had expected. Shadow nodded mechanically, but ended the rushed conversation with a blunt, somber, and genuine clincher: "I know exactly how you feel."

---

"We understand your concerns, Sir Hyblaze, but…This is indeed a price to pay. Are you sure such an undertaking is worth the effort?"

"Honorable Eldstar, I comprehend the hefty request I burden you with, but I assure you that such an investment will prove to be rewarding in the end. I do not mean to lecture you, but I'm sure you realize the dire need we have for warriors. How can we accomplish our goals with such little resources to work with?"

The council of Honorable Star Spirits circled him, each one on a glimmering podium. Hyblaze, the well-respected Charizard of Star Road, expressed his need to the group of critical spirits.

"Merely 48 hours ago-less, even-our home was put under attack by forces whose identity we have no solid confirmation on. They destroyed Star Way and various parts of our state. Who is to say that tomorrow they won't strike again? In said case, are we prepared?" The bold, sharp tongue of the Charizard lashed at the leaders of Star Road, and he was treated with contrite shakes of the head, while others simply continued to stare critically at his sculpted face.

"Sir Hyblaze," began Eldstar, his eyes glancing stubbornly at the scroll that hovered before him, "we acknowledge the points of your plans, and we welcome them to congeal with our own. However, as much as the benefits may outweigh the cons, the truth of the matter is that we simply do not have the resources to go about such an undertaking."

"Then we must come up with such resources!"

"This is foolishness!" another Star Spirit—one with a small mustache of straight black hairs—declared. "We should be focusing our energies on strengthening the cards in our hand, not hitting up for more and counting on the luck of the draw!"

"Indeed," a Spirit with bifocals murmured, a stingy nod disproving Hyblaze's call to action. He rambled for a bland second or two, his tone packed with doubt. "If you are concerned about another attack, what good do you think swordsmanship will do against armed spacecraft?"

Before the Charizard could reply, Eldstar fired another cannon at his damaged battleship.

"What need have we for such beings? Yes, they are noble, loyal…Their souls are as worthy as any other. But what good are they to our cause? For every soul we borrow from a planet, that planet becomes that much weaker."

"And if we don't do this, then those planets will fall!" Hyblaze roared in frustration. "What good is a worthy soul if it cannot protect? By contracting to take Essence from Emblina, or anywhere else, we are taking energy that would otherwise be wasted. The planets themselves can only do so much with what they have. It is our job to harness the true potential of that power and sharpen it so that we may help Emblina protect itself."

There were a few moments of taught silence, and the council grew dead silent, entering a phase of debate with one another through telepathy of some sort.

Hyblaze KNEW what he was talking about…How could the Star Spirits not see that? Then, before he could reflect further, he received his answer.

"Very well then, Sir Hyblaze. You may continue your duties as you deem fit." Relief swept over the Charizard, and he bowed in gratitude. "However," Eldstar strictly adhered, "You will make sure that the contracts are well documented. You will report to us on a bi-daily basis with your progress, and, most importantly, you will ensure that these beings prove to be as necessary as you proclaim. You have a week to show us results, and we know you well enough to expect that you will not disappoint. You are dismissed."

"Thank you, Honorable One. Your decision will lead to good things, Council. This I promise."

---

"Her office is right there-see?" Genis' stubby finger jabbed through the air gently, poking toward the green door down the hallway.

Frankie nodded, staring at the entrance in the distance. "Yea, thanks," she murmured, awed by the smooth walls, their glossy surfaces drowned in murals of all kinds-one to her left looked to be painted by young children, while one to her right possessed the refined details of the adolescent, and the ceiling was even further developed.

The flowing paint strokes curved around the doorways and hugged their edges, threatening to crawl over the doors themselves. Frankie slowly waded through the colors with caution, careful not to slip and fall into the vortex around her.

"Professor Raine Sage," read the gold sign plastered to the door. It was written in a stylish cursive-legible, but elegant at the same time. Frankie stood in awkward silence for a moment, the door's face her only company. It certainly wasn't being very social. Was the professor working? She'd hate to interrupt the woman's work…But Miss Sage was expecting her, right? Yea. So it'd be fine…hopefully…

Frankie forced out her worries in a single huff and rapped at the door with her knuckles four times. Her light, reluctant taps reverberated off the stone walls, the resulting echo far stronger than expected. A tense silence was followed by the clicking sound of the doorknob being rotated. The clean green doorway slowly revealed the room it concealed with a silky motion and no sound. The curious face of a woman who looked the same age as Frankie appeared. Frankie was surprised—this woman could be no more than 25 years old…She was expecting someone…older…being a professor and all. When she'd been in college, there wasn't a single professor under 35. This lady must've been really smart, Frankie deduced.

The two stared at one another for a couple of moments, their wide eyes expectant and puzzled.

"Um…-"

"Oh!" the professor cried out in realization. Eureka, she'd found it-her memory, that was. "You must be Miss Foster." Her voice was stern but soft. She certainly sounded like the scholarly type.

"Yea," Frankie murmured shakily. "I-I'm not interrupting something, am I?"

Raine gave her desk a quick glance and shrugged. She paused, then corrected her gesture and shook her head quickly to her guest. Removing herself from the doorway, she bid Frankie to come inside. It was an interesting office, if anything. It was rather sloppy, as a matter of fact. Yellow sticky notes were plastered all over, various papers were stacked in every free corner of the room, and folders littered the shelves.

Raine herself, however, didn't exactly reflect her office-she was rather attractive, Frankie decided, surprised. She had never had a professor in college that was so young and beautiful. Then again, she didn't think she'd had any professors that weren't ugly, for that matter.

She had soft blue eyes the color of icicles and fluffy, spiked hair that flowed over her head in pointed waves, white as snow. Her face was gentle and kind, as was her demeanor. But beneath it, Frankie could sense the slight bitter cold of ice itself. She wore a very simple outfit at the time, which didn't draw much attention to her figure. She was garbed in a pair of slick black pants, red business shoes, and a white sweatshirt with the insignia of the academy she was teaching at painstakingly sewn into it.

"Please, please, have a seat," she insisted in a hasty rush, shoving a wooden chair from a corner of the room beside her desk.

Frankie smiled at the poor woman's embarrassment as she placed herself into the chair and found a comfortable position.

"I apologize for the mess, Miss Foster," she fumbled out. Her brows furrowed in self-frustration as she sighed an exhausted sigh and fell into her black leather swivel chair.

"No, it's fine," Frankie chuckled. "My workplace is worse than this. Anyway, just call me Frankie."

Professor Sage nodded courteously and held out her delicate hand. "You may call me Raine. It's nice to meet you, Frankie."

"Likewise." Frankie eagerly took her hand, and they exchanged a gentle gesture.

"Now, then…" Raine's eyes froze on Frankie's face as her brain ran its clockwork, retrieving the memory it required. "Ah! Yes." Those icicle eyes lit up with delight as she came to the present situation. "Your question-about your home."

With a casual nod, Frankie let Raine continue. Sage was certainly more energetic than most professors she knew of.

"OK. I've done pondering about it, and I think I may have an explanation. But first, tell me what happened, exactly." With content ears, Raine awaited the story.

Frankie could feel her insides twist as recent memories trickled to her.

"Well…It all started this one day when one of the imaginary friends at our…institution…started to act…very different."

The image flashed through her mind-a hulking purple monstrosity crashing through walls, his bloodshot eyes thirsting for destruction.

"He was such a…gentle guy, ya know?" She glanced at Raine with remorse plaguing her expression. "But, out of nowhere, he just started acting…so violent…he went and…-" Frankie forced herself to stop before tears came welling up. She shut her eyes and sucked in a deep breath, her voice quivering as she went on, barely containing the acidic liquid pressuring its way outward. "But it didn't end with him. Within a few days…it was as if every single imaginary friend in sight was just…unpredictable. The mean ones started acting nice, the happy ones…got all depressed…and so many of them were violent." Her eyes slowly opened, and she brushed at her eyes with her sleeves, regaining some composure.

"There were even some that simply…ceased to exist," Raine added with dark foreknowledge. Frankie gave the professor a contrite nod. "Just as I thought…" Raine murmured conclusively. As Raine took a deep breath to ease herself, Frankie followed suit, and both tried to climb out of the hole of regret and sorrow they'd tripped into.

"I see," mumbled Raine, folding her palms together. "Well, Frankie…First, we have to review the concept of Universal Mana."

Frankie's brows lifted in awe and confusion, and Raine smiled weakly.

"I didn't think you'd know what that was. You see," she explained gently, "it's something we first introduce to our Level 6 students in our science curriculum." Still receiving a completely blank and wondrous stare, Raine hastily fumbled, "Uh, it's the equivalent of what you would call 'Fifth Grade' material. So it's rather elementary to explain."

Frankie nodded in a daze. After what had happened to her in the past few months, she had been forced to realize that there was much more to the universe than what she had known on her home-while it had existed, at least.

"All right," Raine whispered to herself as she formulated a simple way to explain. "Mana is…energy. It's the essence of, well…everything with life. It's spirit. Every living thing lives by mana." She waited, giving Frankie an expectant glance, and Frankie replied with a comprehending nod. "So, you see, a planet has its own mana-we call the mana that runs directly through and a around a planet its Life Stream. When anything with life is born, the Life Stream gives up some of its mana, and whenever something dies, the mana returns to the Life Stream. Are you with me so far?"

"Yea…I think so," Frankie mumbled with a dubious shrug.

"It seems simple, but you really must grasp this concept-it's important. You're sure you understand?" Raine's nervous eyes were patient and concerned.

"No, I-I understand," Frankie insisted. "I just need to…come to grips with it, I guess…I wasn't raised with that, so…it just sounds a little…fairy-tale-ish." Who was she kidding? EVERYTHING sounded fairy-tale-ish right now. But Frankie was very quickly adjusting to the reality of fairy tale. The difficulty of such a task was lessened severely when one was within what seemed to be a fairy tale.

"I know," Raine agreed. "Many things I've come to learn sound fairy-tale-ish. You'll come to truly understand it, sooner or later. Now then…" She jumped from that to where the idea was leading to. "On your planet, people could imagine a creature, and it would appear, correct?"

"Yea. People would create imaginary friends."

"And how did imaginary friends die?"

"…Um…Well…They could be killed, just like people…"

"Mm…yes…" Raine nodded. "So, would you say there were more imaginary friends born each day than those who died?"

Frankie shrugged, having no idea. "Sure. That sounds right." It clicked, right then and there, and her expression froze. "Oh…"

"You see now, what I'm getting at," Raine noticed, letting her hands slip to her lap. "Those imaginary friends were born of mana, but the people of your planet could use their minds to directly control it and form it into a living being. The problem must've been that so many imaginary friends were created, it upset the balance of mana in the Life Stream. There were many natural disasters just before everything collapsed, weren't there?"

Frankie's mind was blasted by the final days on he planet, and it all made sense now.

"Yea…" she mumbled, dazed by it all.

"Then there was little anyone could do about it," Raine admitted regrettably. "It sounds to me that your world was doomed from the start…"

Frankie's face shifted to a shadowy anger. "Why wasn't I?" she seethed, confused. "Why was I spared?"

Raine's tone dimmed to sorrow as Frankie's frustration, and she placed a consoling hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I ask myself that question sometimes…The only answer I can give you is that I think you were spared for a reason. I know I was."

Frankie sniffed and dabbed her sleeve at her face some more, painful thoughts battering her heart and mind. Raine continued to try and ease her.

"Either way, Frankie, here you are. Don't waste the life that you still have. Do something with it."

Frankie grumbled, "I've spent the past weeks babysitting…"

"And imagine what you're doing for those children, Frankie!" Raine insisted, grasping her shoulder tenderly. "You're giving those children love and care. You're helping to form them into the people they will be someday…Just as I am through my teaching. Believe me, Frankie, I know you've done more than you give yourself credit for."

"…Thanks," Frankie choked out with a half-hearted smile.

"I know it's difficult, but believe me, as long as you never give up on yourself, you won't give up on others. I'm relatively new to this community, as well, but I can tell you with sheer certainty that you are here for a reason, your work is appreciated, and that this place is full of people who understand your pain and can help you."

"…Yea…" Frankie moaned. "I've just been so lonely. I lost everything…"

"Many here have lost everything. Now we have each other. Don't forget that. I know you have friends here. After all, one of them introduced you to myself, remember? And now you have me."

Frankie's cheeks turned pink at the Raine's kind words reaching out to her.

"Thanks, Raine…" she whispered. "I'm glad we met."

Raine returned her weak grin with a compassionate nod and a smile to match. "Me, too, Frankie. I'm glad I was able to help. And I'll be here if ever you should need me."

Frankie stood up from her chair and brushed at her face again. "I guess I'll see you around, then…"

"My door is always open," Raine assured. "Oh, and-" she stuck out her index finger as Frankie went to leave. "-could you tell my little brother that we're going to eat lunch in ten minutes?"

"Sure," Frankie answered. "He's a cute little guy."

Raine beamed with pride. "He's a smart one, too."

"Just like his big sister, huh?"

Raine shrugged modestly and waved. "Have a good day, Frankie."

"You, too, Raine."

---

The peaceful waves rolled across the fine sands, hypnotizing May with their rhythmic motion. Standing there at the shore, she was beginning to have doubts about her decision. It was a little rash, wasn't it? How could she make such a decision on a spur of the moment?

But this is my only chance, she told herself. This feels right…

It may have felt right, but it didn't mean there weren't any worries. She would be leaving so much behind…And what about her little brother? Her insides churned as she dwelled on that thought, but something she couldn't explain was tugging at her to remain here. She knew she was giving up so much, but somehow, something told her it was worth it.

"Hellooooo!"

Hm? What was that? Oh, right…It was that little Meowth. What was her name again? Claws? Yea, that was right.

"Oh, hi," May mumbled, awakening from her worries. "What is it, Claws?"

The snappy Meowth rubbed the golden charm on her head and gave the girl a warm smile. Such a cute girl, she thought. A bit cloudy in the head, maybe, but there's nothing wrong with that. It kinda makes her more charming,

"Your friends are getting ready to leave," the cat Pokemon informed calmly. "Gabe told me I should come get you."

"Oh! Th…they're leaving…?" May whimpered in shock. "Already?" Claws' eye brows curved in sympathy and she nodded.

"Yea. You should get down to the beach," May fumbled with the bag strapped around her waist, noting the empty pokeballs within.

"Where are my Pokemon?" she cried out in fret. They could be anywhere! How could she be so foolish and lose track of time?

"May, calm down!" Claws insisted. "They're not going to leave without you-they don't know you're staying." May's heart was shaken as she realized that she still had to tell them her decision. It wasn't going to be fun, she was sure of that. "Your Pokemon are at the beach waiting for you."

"Oh, oh, um…right…" she sputtered, her hands trembling with worry. "OK…thanks, Claws. I, um, I'll see you, um…later," May spat out in a nervous rush, shaking out a wave.

Claws chuckled and nodded warmly, returning the gesture. "Good luck, May. I'm glad we'll be seeing more of you." Claws reflected on the thought, Such a sweet girl. Such a klutz, too! Ohhh, they were going to be rather cute together, for sure.

As May went sprinting from where she had been pacing moments before toward the magnificent beaches to the north, her friends were waiting for her. Along the way, she happened upon Gabe's Ponyta, Speed, who noticed her haste and graciously gave her a lift.

As the flaming steed approached the dock, May's traveling companions were lined up on the beach, greeting her with enthusiasm and calling her.

"Hey, May," Max cried out. "What took you so long?"

"Yea, we've been waiting for you," Ash added, tightening his backpack.

"Y-yea, um, sorry, guys." May scrambled shoddily from Speed's back, nearly falling flat on her face. Swiftly rising from her knees, she sucked in a deep breath and grinned a plastic grin. She shot Gabe a petrified glance, pleading for help, and her pleas were answered by a reassuring nod and a palm to help pull her up.

"May, May! It's not true! It's not true, is it?" shrieked a Torchic, scrambling to her side and clinging to her ankle. Of course, May couldn't comprehend a word of it, but didn't need the words to understand.

"Torchic," she whimpered, her eyebrows curving in sympathy. She knelt down to pet her friend on the head. Her bright blue eyes were dulled and damp, and though she didn't know what the Pokemon had asked, the bird certainly knew what the answer was.

As May began rounding up her Pokemon, her friends seemed a bit confused-she was acting very sentimental, and it wasn't like her. As she wrapped up her good-byes, she wiped away a tear. "Max," she sniffled, unable to gaze at his face.

"Yea?" Max felt his insides quivering as he stumbled to his older sister's side. He was shocked when May shoved her hand in Max's face—a few pokeballs rested within. "Wh…-?" Max was left speechless.

"Please take good care of them, Max…" May whispered.

"Wh-what are you talking about, Sis?" Max stammered, his jaw agape.

May turned her head to his, still bent down on her knees, and gazed into his eyes.

"I'm staying here," she simply replied. Before anyone could object, she explained. "I'm not sure why, but something is telling me to stay here. But my Pokemon still need to keep growing and seeing new people and places."

The drained face of May's little brother was begging her to come—he clearly couldn't understand why she would break the group apart.

"Max," May insisted, "I'm really sorry. But I think it'd be good for you to…ya know…" She let out a sigh of regret. "I think it'd be good for you if I wasn't pushing you around. You need some more space so you can grow, too."

With Ash and Brock staring in awe and doubt behind them, Max and May shared a moment of teary-eyed silence. May shattered the tranquility by squeezing Max in a tight hug, letting her teardrops trickle down his shoulder.

"I love you, Max." May's shaky voice squeaked as she added, "Don't forget that, OK?"

"OK," Max choked back. "I love you, too, Sis…I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you," May assured as she let him go. This would be the first time Max had ever really gone anywhere without someone in his family to watch over him. He was growing up, and he needed some more space, even if he didn't really realize it yet. That was how May rationalized it, anyway.

May wiped at her face with her sleeve and, with her hand over Max's shoulder, eased him over to his group. She gave Ash and Brock a weak smile. "I'm going to miss you guys, too."

Gabe slipped onto the boat unnoticed to let them say their goodbyes, and both Ash and Brock received a hug from the torn girl. He sat at the steering wheel, reflecting on whether or not May was making the right decision. Maybe it would've been better for him to not have made the offer he had. Why had he, anyway? Maybe the same reason May had chosen to accept it.

---

"If we're to have any hopes of saving them, we're going to have to leave soon."

"I know, Lyndis…Be patient. Sir Hyblaze is arranging a search party."

"Elliwood's right, Lyn. Simmer down. We'd be better going as one large unit than in waves."

"I suppose…"

"Ah! Sir Hyblaze! Come hither!"

"Haha! Sir Elliwood! Eager as always, I see." The Charizard swiftly glided to his comrades. "I'm sure you're all concerned. Worry not, as preparations are nearly complete. We'll be departing soon."

"Wonderful!" Lyndis exclaimed.

"Indeed," Hyblaze agreed with a quick nod.

Before any more plans could be discussed, however, the ringleader of the operation turned to welcome the two figures who had been following him. One was a black hedgehog, and the other was a green-haired young woman.

Rebecca, having had the situation explained to her on her journey from Pherae to…wherever…was feeling better, but was certainly afraid and worried as to what would become of her. The three familiar faces presented before her brightened her mood almost immediately.

"Shadow was able to go in and rescue an old friend of yours-if all goes well, she'll be joined by many of your comrades from Pherae."

Rebecca bumbled away from Shadow, who smirked and gave Sir Hyblaze a brief salute. His gesture was received with a nod, and as the Charizard approached him to brief the situation, Rebecca stood in dumbfounded awe at the three figures before her.

On the left was a beautiful woman with a long, flowing ponytail of green. She had a gentle face and radiant eyes of emerald, and wore green apparel of flowing cloth. Her name was Lyndis.

At her side was a brutish man with a fierce physique and short, clean blue hair. A goatee of that deep blue accented his strong chin. Adorned upon his hulking figure was a black chest plate and various pieces of armor to match. Sir Hector was his name, and his smirk was riddle with arrogance.

The third of the trio was the one closest and most recognizable to Rebecca-Sir Elliwood, the man whose kingdom she had served. The man whom she had sworn her life to serve. The father of Roy, Elliwood was once the lord of the kingdom. Rebecca had been his most acknowledged retainer and a dear and close friend. A slender man with rough red hair like his son (though not quite as wild), Elliwood wore a dignified cape of navy blue and a suit of white.

"Sir Elliwood," Rebecca gasped out, her eyes bulging from her skull. The girl could feel her heartbeat quicken with excitement as a face engraved in her memories smiled at her.

"Rebecca," he called out cheerily, having expected to see her. With a face warm as the rising sun plastered on his face, Elliwood stretched his arms out to catch the tear-stained girl, who eagerly tackled him.

"Lord, I missed you," Rebecca murmured, squeezing his back tightly.

"And I, you," he responded with a melancholy sigh. What had she been through since his death? What had she lost?

"All right," Hyblaze bellowed, breaking the moment. "We must depart—every second matters at this point. Time is short."

Elliwood had to let his loyal friend go. With hands on her shoulders, he explained, "We'll catch up later, Rebecca. I must leave now."

Rebecca's face was pale and full of anxiety at his words. She had just found someone so familiar in this time of doubt and loss, and now he was being taken away. Why? When would she see him again?

"We'll see you tomorrow," Lyndis assured her. "We have very important matters to resolve." Staring into her cold, petrified eyes of emerald, Lyndis felt her insides tie in a knot.

"Come, Rebecca," Shadow called, gliding to her side on his rocket-sneakers. "You'll see your friends later. For now, we need to take you to your temporary residence."

Rebecca felt like a child who had been given an ice cream cone, and just as she had licked it and tasted the luscious memories, only to have the cone snatched away from her. Powerless and still in a state of shock, Rebecca could do nothing but submit to the forces around her and continue to let the black being lead her away.

---

Starbound V7.0

Username: AdoptImagination
Password:

Logging in…

Welcome, Frances. You have 1 new message in your inbox.

L17713L05TS0UL says:
WASSUP?1!1
AdoptImagination says:
Oh, hi, Cirrus! How are you?
L17713L05TS0UL says:
im good im good .but how did j00r trp to rains go?
Sparx343 has joined the conversation.
AdoptImagination says:
It went great. Thanks a lot for hooking us up.
Sparx343 says:
Heee! Next, we have to hook you up with a cute guy!
Sparx343 says:
It's nice to meet you, Franky. Cirrus has told me all about you.
L17713L05TS0UL says:
no prob Frankie
AdoptImagination says:
Nice to meet you, too, um…Sparkle, right?
Sparx343 says:
That's me!
L17713L05TS0UL says:
luna shood be on soon
L17713L05TS0UL says:
d00d we n33d to m33t l4t3r!
AdoptImagination says:
What…?
Sparx343 says:
Heehee! She said we should hang out today sometime.
AdoptImagination says:
Oh, all right. Yea, that sounds great! I'd love to meet you in person.
o0LunarEclipse0o is online.
Sparx343 says:
Same here!
o0LunarEclipse0o has joined the conversation.
o0LunarEclipse0o says:
Hey guys what's goin on?
o0LunarEclipse0o says:
Oh, Frankie right? Hi nice to met you.
AdoptImagination says:
Yea, you, too. So when are we going to get together, and what are we gonna do?
Sparx343 says:
Hiya, Luna.
L17713L05TS0UL says:
y0 luna
Sparx343 says:
Hey, let's go and find Frankie a boyfriend! ;P
o0LunarEclipse0o says:
Hey lets not!
AdoptImagination says:
OO Um, I don't think that's such a good idea…
L17713L05TS0UL says:
lol
Sparx343 says:
Sorry! ' Can't help myself.
o0LunarEclipse0o says:
Well why don't ya get a boyfreind for YOU before you wrry about people ya dont even know?
AdoptImagination says:
Haha. Sounds like she has a point.
Sparx343 says:
Yea, good point.
L17713L05TS0UL says:
hey lets play cards at my place!
Sparx343 says:
Your place? Why not mine?
o0LunarEclipse0o says:
Why not Frankies?
AdoptImagination says:
What? Mine? But I just moved in…
L17713L05TS0UL says:
oms oms! Dats p3rf3ct!1
Sparx343 says:
Oh my Stars, yea, we could help you out and spruce your place up a bit.
Sparx343 says:
If that's OK with you, of course.
AdoptImagination says:
That's fine. That'd actually be really cool.
o0LunarEclipse0o says:
He he he
Sparx343 says:
Totally awesome! What time, then?
AdoptImagination says:
Well, it'd have to be kind of late.
L17713L05TS0UL says:
ya we gt outta work late
Sparx343 says:
That's fine with me.
o0LunarEclipse0o says:
Yea i can come.
AdoptImagination says:
OK, um…Then we'll meet at about midnight, all right?
o0LunarEclipse0o says:
Kay.
Sparx343 says:
Can't wait! o
L17713L05TS0UL says:
sw33t
o0LunarEclipse0o says:
Well Ive got stuff to do before then. So I'll see you guys later.
o0LunarEclipse0o has signed off.
Sparx343 says:
Time for lunch Byes!
Sparx343 has signed off.
L17713L05TS0UL says:
b33rt!m3 for me!
L17713L05TS0UL has signed off.

Frances,
You have received 1 message from:

Subject: Temporary Resident

Dear Ms. Foster,

You have been selected to provide housing for an incoming resident of Star Haven. We are currently experiencing a wave of newcomers beyond our anticipation and require the aid of local residents to help provide temporary housing. We implore you to cooperate—food and capital will be provided.

We thank you for your cooperation as we work through these difficult times.

Here is information on the resident you will be housing:

Name: Rebecca (last name unknown)

This resident is a special case. As she has just recently been revived from her planet's Life Stream, her spirit shell and mental state are distorted from her true age. Because of this, she may suffer from Extra Life Shock, and may remember memories from her past life. She may require attention and support beyond a normal resident.
You have been recognized as a Haven Spirit with special skills useful for helping such a patient.
We thank you for your aid and wait to see good things from you.
We hope that friendship will be fostered and that your resident will feel welcomed here.

The Stars bless you.
Have a good evening.

President Hyblaze
The 1Up Agency

Do you wish to sign off?
Starbound V7.0 signing off…

Knock! Knock!

---

"It's almost like…Jirachi granted a wish, or something…"

"Jirachi, huh?" A chuckle poured out into the dreamy afternoon air. "When I first came here, I realized this whole island was a dream come true…"

May, her body resting in the sand as she gazed up into the playful clouds of cumulus above, giggled and shook her awe-filled head.

"I just can't believe I'm having a conversation with Pokemon…"

The paw of a Pikachu patted her head a few times as its owner told her with a grin, "If you're going to stay here with us, you'd better get used to it, then!"

"I know!" she cried back in excitement. "It's just so wild…" She dusted sand off her back and she sat up to stare at the faces of her new friends. "I kind of feel like I've been missing out on something," she admitted. "I've never been able to talk with my Pokemon like this…"

No one seemed to know what to say to that, and if anyone did, they didn't, as something seemed to cause them all to grow silent. May was perplexed by their faces as they seemed to bottle up laughter inside—as if someone was doing something behind her. Her brow arced, she turned her head to see a pair of denim overalls. Before she could look up, she was blinded by a splash of white liquid being spilled over her face. She shrieked in surprise and wiped at her face to remove the liquid—which seemed to be milk of some kind.

The figure that had dumped coconut milk upon her head in a joking manner now realized that May didn't find it terribly funny. As Snorkel, Gabe's Squirtle, blasted water at May to clean her of the milk, the man scratched at his mustache and shrugged with regret.

"Don't think she appreciates that kind of humor," Thunder jabbed at him, rolling her eyes and smiling at him.

"No, it's OK," May muttered, dripping wet. "I just wasn't expecting it, and…" Her voice trailed off as she tried to absorb the image of the man before her.

"Sorry about that," he mumbled, extending his hand down to her. She shook it with a wary motion, and he introduced himself. "The name's Mario, Miss. You must be this 'May' I keep hearing about, huh?"

"Yea," she moaned, very dissatisfied with the fact that she was drenched. Her body was quickly warmed up as Torch blew warm hair at her like a gentle blow-dryer, causing her to smile and giggle at the action. "Thank you, guys."

"Hey, you're on our island now, so we'll look after you," Torch assured, arms crossed. He accompanied his comment with a wink, and May snickered some more, charmed by is attitude.

"So what's a girl like you doing here?" Mario wondered. Before May could answer, Thunder piped up, pinching May's cheek playfully.

"She's here because our little Gabe gets her twitterpated," Thunder coyly explained, adding a devilish "hee" at the end. May's face lit up like a Christmas tree. A Christmas tree that only had red lights, anyway—and red needles. A flurry of laughs and friendly jabs barraged May, and she shielded her blushed face in embarrassment.

"OK, I admit it, I like him," she whimpered. "I like him a lot. I don't know why, it's really strange, so don't pick on me." Her shaky voice concealed her confusion and anxiety. The Pokemon around her exchanged glances, many of them sharing the sentiment of how adorable the girl was.

"I think he likes you, too," Falco slyly assured her. "Other girls have tried making moves on him, but you're the first I've ever seen him let get away with it."

May's face lit up with hope and her arms fell as she gazed with wide-eyes at the Pidgeotto as the bird flapped her way to the top of a nearby palm tree.

"You really think so?"

"May, Gabe has never given anyone the same sort of invitation he's given you," Snorkel explained. "I mean, I don't know for sure if he likes you, ya know, that way, but he certainly must like you in one way or another."

"You two would make a wonderful couple," Thunder decided, nodding with approval at her own suggestion.

"Really?" May shyly wondered, her heart fluttering. She was met with a collection of smiles, nods, and approving comments.

"We want to see you two get together as much as you to," Rubee, Gabe's Ninetales, chimed in.

"Speaking of which," Falco called out from her palm tree perch, "I think I see Gabe on his way here now."

"We're not sure exactly why you're here, May," Torch told as everyone rose to their feet. "But I'm sure you're here for a reason."

"Oh, she is," Mario agreed with a confident nod. "We all are." He gave May a pat on the shoulder. "If I was you, I'd be enjoying this vacation while you can, 'cuz it ain't gonna last forever." With that said, Mario's gaze wandered to the heaven's above, their bright blue expanse calling to him like a war horn.