Day 229

[from Pokémon: Shattered Crystal]

The morning after arriving at Violet City, I head back out to Route 31 to get some much-needed training. I can't rely on just Firebrand to win the battle: I'll need Dusk, Banshee and Dizzy to do their best for me as well. I'll have to be careful while training them, though, as they're currently pretty weak, and if I push them too hard, it'll end in disaster.

Over the course of the training session, my Pokémon and I knock out some thirty wild Pokémon¹. Their unconscious bodies start to litter the area, and some even wake up only to be beaten back into submission. I feel kind of sorry for them all, being beaten so ruthlessly, but with no trainers in sight, it's the only way I can make my Pokémon stronger. I at least have the decency not to kill any of them. I don't want to get stronger at the cost of others' lives.

Early in my training, I'm interrupted by a phone call from Joey asking for a rematch. Eager to break up the monotony of training, I agree, and head back to Route 30 to face him. While my team has improved since our last meeting yesterday, his Rattata still seems to be at the same strength, and Dusk dispatches it in two hits without sustaining any damage in reply. With Joey defeated once more, I head off to resume my training.

In the end, the only major incident is when a Spinarak poisons both Dizzy and Dusk, and I'm forced to use up two of my Antidotes on them. Other than that, the training goes without a hitch. I make regular trips back to Violet City to heal my Pokémon at the Pokémon Centre, in order to conserve my Potions for the battle ahead. While this approach helps protect my Pokémon from danger, it also slows down my training somewhat, and it takes me a solid hour of training² before I feel that my entire team is ready to face the first Gym.

After healing my team once more at the Pokémon Centre, I head towards Violet City Gym in pursuit of my first Gym Badge. I'm quietly confident about my chances, but it seems that before I'm allowed to take on the Gym Leader himself, I must defeat two of his pupils. Undaunted, I prepare my strategy and then make my way inside.

The first trainer ambushes me soon after I make my way inside. "Let's see if you're good enough to face Falkner!" he says. "Go, Spearow!" The bird Pokémon bursts out of its Poké Ball, and I can tell at once that it's a more formidable opponent than any I've faced before now. Nonetheless, I send out Dizzy and put my plan into action.

"Dizzy," I call out, "use Hypnosis!" Dizzy promptly uses hypnotic suggestion to put the Spearow to sleep, and I take advantage of my foe's slumber to switch in Firebrand. Just as Firebrand charges in to land his first hit, however, Spearow wakes up and dishes out a hit of its own. This really is going to be a formidable fight.

Firebrand and the Spearow fight hard, matching each other blow-for-blow. Soon both Pokémon are limping, and I'm forced to use one of my precious Potions on Firebrand, just to pull him through. It works, and with one last blow, Firebrand knocks the Spearow out, and my first challenger is defeated. "Pathetic," he sneers. "Losing to a rookie trainer like you… you still don't stand a chance against Falkner!"

"We'll see about that," I retort, before making my way on to the second trainer.

This second trainer has two Pokémon, the first of which is a Pidgey. I put the same tactic into action, sending out Dizzy to send the Pidgey to sleep with Hypnosis before switching in Firebrand to deal the damage. It backfires again, however: Pidgey wakes up before Firebrand can land a blow, and doles out one of its own. Firebrand is still a little wounded from the last fight, and I'm forced to use a second Potion to pull him through. Re-energized, the Pidgey is defeated, and I sense Dizzy and Firebrand both grow stronger from their combat experience.

The second Pokémon turns out to be merely another Pidgey. With my strategy called into question, I keep Firebrand out and opt for all-out attack this time. It works: a powerful strike to Pidgey's weak spot cripples it, and a second blow is all it takes to finish it off. Now Falkner is the only one standing between me and the first Gym Bdge.

The second trainer takes defeat about as well as the first. "Don't get cocky just because you beat me, kid!" he says. "Falkner's skills are for real! He'll show you!" The trainers here really seem to believe in Falkner's skills. I'll just have to believe that my own skills are stronger.

Before facing Falkner, I head back out of the Gym and heal my Pokémon once more at the Pokémon Centre, before heading to the Poké Mart and buying some more supplies with the winnings I got from beating Falkner's students. You can’t be too careful. I can't imagine this Falkner will be as shy about hurting my Pokémon as I was about hurting the wild Pokémon in Route 31.

Heading back into the Violet Gym, I make my way toeards the back, where Falkner waits for me. He is a young man with blue hair that drapes over one eye, hiding it from view. The one visible eye is a steely grey-blue. I can expect no mercy from this man. Swallowing my nerves, I step forward to face him.

"Congratulations on making it this far," Falkner says, as he steps forward to meet my challenge. "I'm Falkner, the Violet City Pokémon Gym Leader. I'm a staunch believer in the power of Flying-type Pokémon. They say you can clip a Flying-type's wings with a jolt of electricity, but I believe they are much stronger than that. I won't allow such an insult to them!" He sweeps an arm dramatically at me. "Prepare yourself, challenger! I will show you the true power of the magnificent bird Pokémon! Go, Pidgey!"

Falkner sends out his first Pokémon, Pidgey, and I send out Dizzy. I don't intend for Dizzy to send it to sleep this time; merely to deal some damage and take a few blows before I send in Firebrand. It's a risky strategy, but what isn't? "Dizzy," I call out, "use Bubble!"

To my surprise and delight, Dizzy is able to hold its own against Pidgey, resisting its blows and dishing out powerful Bubble blasts of its own. In the end, Firebrand is not needed: Dizzy dispatches the Pidgey all on its own, though not without taking some punishment in return. "Nice job, Dizzy," I say. "Come back!"

Falkner isn't happy about one of his Pokémon falling. "Not bad," he says. "I guess I don't have to hold back against you, then." He plucks the second Poké Ball from his belt with a smirk. "Go, Pidgeotto!"

This is not good. Pidgeys I could handle, but I'm now up against Pidgey's evolved form. I've come this far, though: I have to try. "Go, Firebrand!" Firebrand bursts from his Poké Ball and immediately lands a strong hit against Pidgeotto. A mere Pidgey would have been crippled by the strike, but Pidgeotto remains standing. This is so not good.

"Pidgeotto, use Gust!" says Falkner. The wind attack catches Firebrand off-guard, and sends it tumbling backwards. Staggering to its feet, Firebrand defiantly launches another Tackle, but again it seems to just bounce off. Pidgeotto sweeps its wings in another Gust attack, sending Firebrand skidding away. "Not bad at all," remarks Falkner. "But your Cyndaquil's attacks are weak."

"Its defences aren't," I retort. "And neither were my preparations." Firebrand, on cue, proceeds to take out a Berry I'd given it beforehand and happily munch it down, restoring its vitality in a jiffy. It then heartily resumes the struggle against Pidgeotto, and after sustaining another strike to its vitals, the bird Pokémon's resistance finally cracks. It lets out a cry of pain and staggers backwards, clearly on its last legs.

"Firebrand," I command, "finish him off!" With its power now peaking, Firebrand forgoes Tackling the Pidgeotto and instead finishes it off with a blast of flame. The exhausted Pidgeotto collapses to the ground, and Falkner is defeated. Victory is mine.

Falkner is left speechless by the defeat at first. "My bird Pokémon…" he mutters in disbelief. After taking a moment to compose himself, he takes a deep breath and smiles at me for the first time. "All right," he says. "It seems like I underestimated you, youngster. Here. Take this." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small badge in the shape of a pair of wings. "It's the official Pokémon League Zephyr Badge," he explains. "This Badge proves that you've defeated my Gym. It will also raise your Pokémon's attack power."

As the thrill of my victory starts to wear off, I take the badge from Falkner and pin it to my lapel. My first Pokémon League Gym Badge. The first of many, I hope. But Falkner is not done with me yet. "Here," he says. "Take this too." He hands me what appears to be a small CD in a case. "This is a Technical Machine, or TM," he explains, sensing my puzzlement. "It can be used to instantly teach your Pokémon a new move, but think carefully before using it - TMs can only be used once. This one contains Mud-Slap, which reduces the opponent's accuracy while dealing damage. It's useful both defensively and offensively."

"I see," I say, taking the TM disc. "Thank you. I'm sure this will come in handy."

Falkner nods. "I assume you are taking the Gym Challenge?" he asks.

"I am indeed," I tell him, as I put the disc away.

"Good," said Falkner. "You should continue to test your skills. As for me…" He recalls his unconscious Pidgeotto and places its Poké Ball back on his belt. "I'm going to keep training to become the world's greatest bird master!"

"Good luck with that," I tell him. "And… thank you."

"You are welcome, trainer," says Falkner. "Now, go. There are gyms all across Johto that are waiting for you."

I nod, and take my leave. As I step outside, the Violet City air tastes that little bit sweeter. Now that I've defeated one Pokémon Gym, my confidence is sky-high. I know I can take the other seven now. It's just a matter of training.

[FOOTNOTES]

¹Yes, I counted.

²It only took me 45 minutes to beat the Gym itself and write the 1400-word summary of its events. I hate grinding.

Day 228

[from Pokémon xTreme]

By the time the group landed outside the entrance to the Mt. Moon cave system, Emma's erratic flying had made Taylor extremely dizzy and she was close to vomiting. "That settles it," she said, as she staggered off of Charizard's back, trying not to topple over. "Next time we have to go anywhere, I'm taking a taxi."

"I'm sorry," said Emma, as she slid off of Charizard's back. "I didn't realize you had air sickness. I'll be more gentle next time."

"There won't be a next time…" Taylor placed her hands against a nearby tree to steady herself and bent over, holding back a retch.

Brandon shook his head with amusement. "Well, that at least oughta make our travel arrangements easier," he said as he withdrew his Charizard. "Emma and I can fly on Charizard while you take the cab, or whatever."

"Sounds good to me," said Emma, withdrawing Crobat and then latching onto Brandon's arm.

"Alright then," said Brandon. "As soon as Taylor's feeling better, we can get going. You'll be alright, won't you, Taylor?"

Taylor nodded, raising a hand. "Yeah, just… give me a minute…"

As Taylor continued to steady herself, Brandon watched on with mild concern. "Damn," he muttered to himself. "I've never met someone who hated flying so much."

"Don't take it personally, dear," Emma said. "Not everyone enjoys flying as much as you do. Some people just aren't cut out for it."

"Yeah, I guess not," said Brandon. "Don't take that personally either, Taylor."

"No offence taken," said Taylor, finally straightening herself and stepping away from the tree, albeit still a little shakily. "Let's go."

***

The caves within Mt. Moon had been illuminated by bright torches mounted on the walls, and so the trio were able to make their way through without any problem. "There should be other trainers in here," said Brandon. "Let me go ahead, see if I can smoke some of them out for you to battle."

Somehow, Taylor felt uneasy at the idea of being left alone with Emma. Maybe it was just the poor first impression she'd received, courtesy of the wild flight there. "No, that's okay," she said, "we'll find some eventually. Besides, there's plenty of Pokémon here to fight. Any worth catching?"

"Well, like I said earlier, we might be able to find a Paras in here," said Brandon. "Although now that I come to think about it, I don't think Paras learns any useful Grass-type moves for a while, so it wouldn't actually be of any use against Lisa."

"So… I shouldn't bother catching any of these Pokémon?" asked Taylor.

"Oh, you can if you want to," said Brandon. "Remember, the more, the merrier, and some of them might come in handy later on down the line. But yeah, none of them will be useful against Lisa, or the guy who comes after her."

"Why?" asked Taylor. "Who's the guy who comes after?"

Brandon grinned. "Trust me: if I tell you, you'll be shitting bricks from here to Vermillion," said Brandon. "I'll tell you when the time comes, but for now, let's just focus on preparing to face Lisa, alright?"

Before Taylor could answer, the group was suddenly waylaid by a man holding a tape recorder up to Brandon's face - apparently a journalist. "Mr. Wells!" he said. "Jonathan Oakes, Kanto Times. Care to comment on the rumours surrounding your relationship with Emma Williams? Is it true that you got her pregnant?"

Brandon pulled a pained expression and closed his eyes, as though trying to make the journalist actually disappear. "Fucking hell," he muttered under his breath. "Even in a cave, I can’t get rid of them."

Emma took advantage of Brandon's frustration to answer in his stead. "I can confirm that I am currently pregnant with Brandon's child," she said, smiling sweetly.

The barrage of questions was now directed at Emma instead. "Do you know how far along you currently are?" asked Jonathan. "And are you planning to bring the baby to term?"

"We most certainly are," said Emma. "And I'm about six weeks gone."

With her mentor and his girlfriend now occupied by the interview, Taylor sighed and slunk off to train by herself. It didn't take her long to spot a Zubat hovering nearby. She plucked Eevee's Poké Ball from her belt, but before she could send it out, the Zubat was suddenly felled by a bolt of lightning that shot from nowhere.

A familiar-sounding voice then called out. "Nice job, Elekid!" it said. "Come back!"

Taylor soon realized who the voice was. It was Kieran Anderson, the boy she had met and battled when she first got Eevee. Sensing that they would make better company than Brandon and Emma at the moment, not to mention the potential opportunity for a battle, Taylor quickly headed over to them.

Upon seeing Taylor, Seth waved genially to her. "Oh, hey, Taylor!" he said. "Guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you here. I heard you already took down Graham."

"That I did," said Taylor. She pointed to the Venom Badge pinned onto her lapel.

"Well, so did I," said Kieran proudly, showing off his own Venom Badge. "I reckon my Elekid's already strong enough to trash Lisa's Gym, but Seth's making me train already."

"I told you," said Seth. "Type advantages are great, but they ain't everything. A truly great trainer can actually overcome type advantages. Like Brandon does every time he beats me." Taylor couldn't tell whether he was praising Brandon, belittling himself, or simply embittered at having lost to Brandon during their last encounter. "Anyway," he continued, "speaking of Brandon, where is he?"

Taylor's expression soured a little. "Some journalist cornered him and his girlfriend," she said, "they're busy doing an interview."

"Damn, the paps are even following them around in here?" said Seth. "I'm glad I don't have his level of fame, I couldn't put up with that bullshit. So is it true then? That he knocked up Nicole's little sister?"

Taylor nodded. "Apparently," she said.

Seth was unable to suppress a grin. "Oh, man, he is so dead," he said. "Nicole is gonna fucking kill him. She already find out?"

Taylor nodded again. "Yeah," she said. "She wasn't very happy about it."

"Oh man!" Seth was holding back a chuckle at this point. "I bet she wasn't! Did she try to set him on fire?"

"Tried to set us both on fire," said Taylor.

Seth's stifled chuckling abruptly stopped and he winced a little. "Ouch," he said. "Sorry to hear that. But… oh, man, I am so teasing him about this. Actually, I'll be right back. He's right over there, isn't he?" Seth pointed down the way Brandon had come.

"Yeah, he and Emma are over that way," said Taylor. "I dunno if they're still doing that interview, or… oh, no, here they come." Brandon and Emma were indeed on their way over, happily talking to each other. As far as Taylor could tell, they hadn't even noticed she had gone.

"Watch this, watch this," said Seth. With his grin once more firmly plastered across his face, Seth walked towards the lovestruck couple and began to sing "Cat's In The Cradle" at the top of his lungs. [For reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUwjNBjqR-c ]

Brandon facepalmed as he realized what was happening. "Oh, for fuck's sake," he said. "Could you… could you not, please, Seth-"

"Could you not swear in front of the baby, please?" joked Seth. "It shouldn't be hearing that kind of language at its age."

"It's a clump of cells at its age!" protested Brandon. "It can't hear shit!"

Seth did not relent with his jibes. "You're gonna name that clump of cells after me, right?" he asked. "'Seth Wells'… you gotta admit, it's got a ring to it-"

"Dude, just stop, please," said Brandon. "I'm not in the mood for your stupid jokes, alright? I'm still trying to get to grips with all this."

Seth, realizing he had pushed Brandon too far, raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, I'm sorry, man," he said. "It's just… damn! Of all the girls for you to knock up, it had to be Nicole's little sis, didn't it?"

"Tell me about it," said Brandon, shaking his head. "Oh, boy, was she ever pissed."

"I almost wish I coulda been there to see the look on her face," said Seth. "Probably looked something like this." Seth pulled a mock angry face which managed to elicit a laugh from his weary rival.

"Yeah, something like that," said Brandon. "Anyway, sorry about the disturbance there, Taylor," said Brandon, turning back to his protégé. "I tried to shake the guy off as quickly as I could, but Emma hasn't mastered the skill of ignoring journalists yet."

"But I want the world to know about us!" said Emma, looking cutely up at Brandon.

"Well, I don't want the world waiting outside my house at 5am to ask me the same questions a hundred times over," said Brandon. "Anyway, let's get back to what we came here for: training. Taylor, you ready to go?"

"Actually…" Taylor turned to Kieran, who had been staring expectantly at her for most of the time she had been there. "…you fancy a battle, Kieran?"

Kieran's expression immediately turned into an eager smile. "I thought you'd never ask," he said. "I've got a score to settle from last time!"

"We'll see about that," said Taylor. "Go, Eevee!"

Day 227

[from Aura of Chaos]

The girl led Xeron and Tara through the Lower Quarter, winding her way through the back alleys and skilfully avoiding any potential trouble. Once or twice a street ruffian would glance over at them, then see that the girl was with them and look away again with a nod, as though silently understanding the situation.

"So, uhh… what's your name?" asked Tara after a little while.

"Martina," said the girl.

"I'm Tara," said Tara. "My friend here is Xeron." She gestured in Xeron's direction.

"Pleasure to meet you, I guess," said Martina.

"So… I'm guessing this place is somewhere here in the Lower Quarter?" asked Tara.

"Well… kinda," said Martina. "It sorta is, and it sorta isn't. You'll see what I mean in a minute. It ain't that far now."

 Sure enough, only a couple of minutes later, Martina came to a halt outside what appeared to be an ordinary herbal remedies shop. "Alright, here we are," she said, lowering her voice. "I gotta tell ya, though, this place is top-secret. Tell nobody about it unless you know they're a Witch. Got that?"

Tara nodded. She was well aware of the need for secrecy among the Witch community, and the potential consequences if the secret ever got out. "Alright, good," said Martina. "Now, follow my lead."

The trio entered the shop. Even now they were inside, it still appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary herbal remedies shop. The air was filled with the scents of dozens of different wild herbs and spices, mixing together into a mild, soothing aroma. It was a very pleasant atmosphere, and much unlike the emporium of arcane books and artefacts that Tara had been expecting. Now that she thought about it, of course, the magical items were most likely kept out back, away from view; putting them on display would be suicide.

Martina strode purposefully towards the elderly man at the front desk, and Xeron and Tara silently followed behind. "Good afternoon," said the old man, bowing slightly. "How may I help you?"

"I'm looking for a spice that reminds me of home," said Martina. "You got anything like that?"

 The old man gave her a knowing smile. "I'm sure I can find something out back," he said. "Are your two friends after such a spice as well?"

Martina nodded. "We all miss our homes very much," she said.

The old man nodded, and pulled a hidden lever under his desk. A small passageway silently opened in the wall behind him, seemingly leading underground. "Then I hope you find what you are looking for," he says. "Go quickly."

"Thanks," said Martina, before heading through the passageway. Xeron and Tara also extended their thanks to the man, before heading in after her.

The passageway did indeed lead underground, and quite some way; there were no lights, and it was hard to see where they were going, especially after the entrance to the passageway slid silently shut behind them. "Will we be able to get back out again?" asked Tara.

"Oh, of course," said Martina. "There's a special knock you'll have to do; I'll show you that on the way out."

"I assume what you told him was some kind of secret code?" said Xeron.

"The stuff about a spice that reminds me of home?" asked Martina. "Yeah, that's the entry code. It's shows you're a Witch… or at least, someone who can be trusted. If you don't know the code, this is just a place that sells herbal remedies. But if you do…"

Xeron and Tara noticed that the tunnel was starting to get lighter, and as the path levelled out, they suddenly found themselves in what could only be described as an underground marketplace, carved out into the rock and dirt several metres below the city. All around them were shops catering to both Black and White Witches, spelling spell books, potions, conjuring staffs, magical garments, and just about anything else a Witch could ever want. Dozens of Witches milled around the square, some carrying small sacks of goods, others clutching spell books or staves. The whole area was lit with blue torches that were no doubt magical in nature.

"…it becomes a whole lot more," Martina finished triumphantly.

Tara let out a gasp. "Wow… this place is amazing!" she said.

"Sure is," said Martina. "Welcome to the Reservoir: the greatest underground network of Witches in all of Albion. Whatever it is you want - books, staffs, whatever - you'll find it here." She turned to Xeron and Tara, revelling in the looks of awe on their faces. "So, we good now? All forgiven?"

Xeron nodded, an awestruck grin spreading across his face. "Yeah," he said. "We're good."

"Sweet," said Martina. "I'll go talk to my buddies, let 'em know you guys are off-limits. I'll leave you to your shopping; I'll be in the entrance tunnel waiting for you when you're done."

"Okay," said Tara. "Thanks, Martina. I don't know how we would have found this place without you."

"You wouldn't," said Martina, a hint of smugness passing into her expression. "Alright, see ya later then." With that, she headed off, and Xeron and Tara were left alone.

"So… you're the Witch here," said Xeron. "Where do you wanna go first?"

Tara had never been confronted with so many magical items for sale before. She had no idea where to start. She looked all around, taking in the various sights and smells of the Reservoir, growing more bewildered with every glance. "Uhh…"

Day 226

[from I Watch You Sleeping]

Compared to the morning homeroom session, the first couple of lessons pass rather uneventfully. During the short break after our second lesson, I decide to go outside to stretch my legs and go to the bathroom. As I head back towards the classroom, something suddenly collides with me with tremendous force, almost knocking me over.

"Aah! Sorry, sorry!" says a voice, that I soon recognize as Meiko's. "I should have known that was going to happen!"

Meiko turns round to face me, looking apologetic and a little embarrassed, and very quickly I realize three things. One, in order for her to have hit me with such force, she must have been running in the corridors, which is against school rules. Two, she's holding her camcorder in one hand, and a compact mirror in the other. She must have been filming something while she was running. Three, in order for her to have had to turn to face me after colliding with me, she must have been running backwards. The first seems normal for the rather energetic Meiko. The second is a bit of a stretch, but running backwards…?

"Are you okay, Ken?" Meiko asks me.

"Why were you running backwards just now?" I blurt out.

"Huh? Hey, I asked you a question first!" says Meiko.

"Yes, Meiko, I'm alright," I reassure her. "Now, why were you-"

"Running backwards?" says Meiko. "I'm experimenting!"

"Experimenting with… what, may I ask?"

Meiko seems pleased by my apparent interest. I wouldn't say I'm interested, per se, more confused. Nonetheless, she immediately launches into an explanation. "Well, you know those scenes in horror movies where the guy's getting chased by the monster through a dark forest or something?" she begins. "There's always a first-person bit where the camera angle looks ahead of him, showing the area he's running through. But I figured, wouldn't it be better to have it looking backwards while he's running? It'd place more emphasis on the fact that he's being chased by something, rather than just the fact that he's fleeing. Also, it'd make it seem like he's looking back over his shoulder at whatever's chasing him, emphasizing how scared of it he is. Add in some extremely fleeting glimpses of the monster - or monsters, or whatever - and you have one scary chase scene."

It really seems like Meiko has thought this theory of hers through. But… "Shouldn't you be testing that theory somewhere scarier, and with less people to bump into?" I ask. "Like a dark forest, for instance?"

"Well, I thought of the idea just now during second period, and I was so excited, I wanted to try it out right away!" says Meiko. "I reckon it'd work… assuming you don't run into anything while filming, of course. But then, that's what I have the compact mirror for." She holds up the mirror. It can't be more than three inches in diameter. There's no way she can see where she's going using that.

"Didn't exactly work, though, did it?" I point out.

Meiko lets out an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of her neck. "Yeah, I guess not, heh…" She shrugs nonchalantly. "I'll work something out." She always seems so cheerful and carefree, so full of energy. It's like there's caffeine and candy floss flowing through her veins instead of blood. It's weird to think that there's still a chance she's my stalker.

"Well, I hope so," I tell her, "if it'll stop you from running in the corridors. There's rules against that, you know."

"There's rules against running forwards in the corridors," Meiko says with a mischievous grin. "Nobody ever said anything about running backwards!" I shake my head in disbelief at the sheer audacity of Meiko's actions. I don't think I'll ever meet another girl like her for as long as I live.

Before I can lecture Meiko any further, the bell rings to signal the end of break. "Oh crap!" says Meiko suddenly, her face turning pale. "I need to put the camcorder away, and then get to class, pronto! Well, anyway, it was fun talking to you, Ken! See you in class!"

Meiko dashes off, completely ignoring what I'd told her five seconds ago about running in the corridors being against school rules. Well, at least she doesn't run into anyone this time. I, meanwhile, head off for the classroom at a much more leisurely pace, arriving with plenty of time to spare before the bell rings again for the start of our next class.

Day 225

[from The Ember Stone]

It did not take Erica long to locate the second of the Ember Shards. It had landed in one of the abandoned temples in the desert wastes, north of where she had encountered Jacob and Caerulea. She hoped that she wouldn't encounter any of Vaz'qui's minions at the temple, but she knew better than to let her guard down. If there were any enemies waiting for her at the temple, she'd be ready for them.

Being a powerful fire-wielder, Erica did not mind the scorching heat of the desert; in fact, she felt her powers growing stronger with every step she took under the blazing sun. The sand, however, frustrated her to no end. Though she was able to cover her mouth, she could not stop the sand from getting into her eyes, and after a while of blinking away tears of irritation, she had to resist the temptation to turn the entire desert to glass. "I should have brought goggles," she muttered to herself.

Finally, the temple became visible through the swirling sands, and Erica knew she was finally close. Even at this distance, she could feel the Ember Shard's energy radiating from within the stone walls of the temple. It was a large temple, and no doubt filled with false passageways designed to make her lose her way, or traps that would somehow still be operative despite having lain dormant for centuries. Her own temple had been no different, after all. Even if she had managed to beat Vaz'qui and his minions here, she would still have to be very careful as she made her way through.

As she approached, Erica pondered which would be worse: the temple door being open, or the temple door being shut. If it was open, that would most likely mean she had not been the first to arrive. If it was shut, there might not be an easy way inside. She was thus both relieved and frustrated to find that it was shut tight, without a button or door handle in sight. "Now how am I supposed to get in…?" she wondered to herself.

Erica decided to try the simple "hidden switch" approach. She slowly started patting down the walls either side of the door, hoping that something would happen. As luck would have it, part of the wall suddenly sank beneath her hand, and as it did so the door shuddered and began to slowly rise up into the ceiling. Behind it lay a dimly-lit sandstone passageway, leading further in than she could make out. If someone had come here before her, they had left no obvious trace of themselves.

Cautiously, Erica proceeded through the entrance. Not three steps in, she felt a floor tile give way under her foot and instinctively dropped to the floor, expecting a sudden volley of arrows or perhaps a giant swinging pendulum. Instead, the front door promptly slammed shut, leaving her trapped inside the now pitch-black corridor. She was not concerned about the lack of light - she could create fire, after all - but she was concerned about how she was going to get back out of the temple, with the door now closed behind her. Maybe there's another exit here somewhere, she thought to herself. Or maybe I'll just have to glass the whole temple and smash my way out.

Igniting bright flames around both of her hands to light the way, Erica started to make her way through the temple, paying extremely close attention to her surroundings in case of any more traps. Every footstep was tentative, ready to draw her foot away in an instant if she felt the floor start to give way again. If there were any more traps, she managed to avoid them, and soon she found herself at an intersection, with corridors leading off in four different directions.

Erica did not panic. Instead, she simply concentrated on the power resonating from the Ember Shard, trying to sense which direction it was coming from. "That way," she said after a moment, pointing down the third corridor from the left. She continued onwards down that corridor, but remained vigilant. There was no telling what other traps lay in store.

Through the firelight, Erica suddenly made out a series of holes in the walls either side of her. The good-old-fashioned arrow trap. Not today, she thought to herself. Suddenly abandoning her cautious attitude, she sprinted forwards and, as she felt a floor tile give way under her, immediately unleashed a burst of fire in all directions. A hail of arrows burst forth from the holes only to be immediately knocked off course by the fiery explosion, spinning away and scattering harmlessly across the sandstone floor.

With the arrow trap successfully dodged, Erica continued on her way, and only a short time later she found herself in a small room. There was a small hole in the ceiling, and a bright ray of sunlight shone through, lighting up the immediate area. At the bottom of the sunbeam lay the second of the Ember Shards, glittering scarlet amongst the gloom. There were no traps guarding it; it simply lay there, ready for the taking. "Too easy," she said with a grin, as she stepped forward to retrieve it.

"That's far enough, Ember Guardian!"

Erica froze, one hand already reaching out to grasp the Ember Shard. "Shoulda known," she muttered to herself. Snatching up the stone, she straightened up and turned round to face the interloper. She had short, spiky emerald-green hair, and wore a knee-length brown dress with white detailing. Erica could guess at once who this woman was. "I really shoulda known," she muttered. "Viridia, isn't it?"

"That's 'Viridia, Mistress of the Earth' to you!" retorted the woman with a grin.

"In that case," said Erica, "you'll have to call me 'Erica, Guardian of the Ember Stone, who also got here before you'." She waved the Ember Shard at Viridia, grinning confidently.

"You getting here first means diddly squat," said Viridia. "I'm here now too, and this is the desert: my domain. You're not getting out of her alive, Erica, and that Ember Shard is mine!"

"Firstly, even if you do somehow take it from me - and you won't - it'd be Vaz'qui's, not yours," Erica began. "And secondly…" Clutching the Shard tightly in her hand, Erica assumed a combat stance. "-you're forgetting that the Ember Stone increases my power. Just this one Shard gives me enough power to fry you alive. So bring it on, bitch. I'm more than ready for you."

"We'll see about that!" said Viridia, and with a wave of her hand she sent the entire ceiling crashing down towards Erica.

Day 224

[from StarLight]

Sanae's parents had decided to surprise her with a visit one afternoon. It was five o'clock as they arrived at the house, so they knew she would be home from school by now. They did not, however, expect to find their daughter fast asleep on the sofa, happily dreaming.

"Aww, look at her," said Sanae's mother. "All tuckered out from school."

"I'll go and bring her down some blankets, so she doesn't catch a cold," said Sanae's father.

Sanae's mother decided not to wake her daughter. Instead, she sat by her side and silently watched her sleep. Actually, it sounds kind of creepy when you put it like that, she suddenly thought to herself. I guess I shouldn't do that. Hmm… I wonder what happened today to make her so exhausted…

***

FIFTEEN HOURS EARLIER

"Sanae! Time to wake up!"

Sanae's eyelids slowly slid open in response to Kousen's quiet but shrill voice. She blinked drowsily, looking at the mentor with unfocused eyes. "What time is it?" she moaned groggily.

Kousen peered curiously at the digital alarm clock. "Two-hundred and fourteen," she said.

Sanae rolled over, pressing her face against the pillow. "I'm not waking up at two-fifteen in the morning," she mumbled.

"You have to," Kousen replied. "A monster has appeared on the edge of town, and it's your duty to fight it before it causes serious damage."

"I'm not fighting a monster at two in the morning," muttered Sanae. "I'm tired, and as an anime protagonist, I need my beauty sleep."

"What's more important, your beauty or the safety of Mitsuzawa's inhabitants?" asked Kousen indignantly. Sanae's response was to throw a pillow at the youkai's face. "Sanae-"

"You go fight it, if you’re so eager," mumbled Sanae.

With a weary sigh, Kousen seized Sanae's hand, which was dangling off the edge of the bed, and tried to pull her off. "You're fighting this monster," she stated, "and that's final."

"I'm not fighting it," retorted Sanae, "and that's final."

                                                                                                ***

"Time to let the… light of…" White Star's head lolled forwards and then promptly jerked back as she tried to stay awake. "Oh, what's the point of saying the catchphrase if there's no-one awake to hear me say it? I mean sure, there's the readers… all twelve of them…"

Having essentially been dragged out of bed by Kousen, Sanae had transformed into White Star, drowsily flown over to the suburbs (narrowly missing several tall buildings) and was about to confront the monster, a large black bird with a ten-foot wingspan, razor-sharp beak and flaming red eyes. "Well, I guess you're here too," White Star added bitterly, looking the bird in the eye, "but I doubt you give a damn."

The bird's response was a shrill cry, followed by a direct swoop right at White Star's head. White Star dropped down by about ten feet a split second before the bird's beak sliced through the air right where her head had been. "Be careful, Sanae!" shouted Kousen, watching as ever from the sidelines.

The bird circled round, preparing for another attack. "Don't worry," said White Star, "I got this." She lazily raised her wand, pointing roughly at the bird. "Star Shower!"

A series of glowing stars sprayed out of the end of the White Star Wand. Every single one missed, bouncing off a nearby skyscraper and dissipating. "Did I get it?" asked White Star, a second before the bird's beak slammed straight into her stomach, carrying her with it. "Nope. Didn't get it," she wheezed.

Other than being severely winded, Sanae was unharmed, but certainly none too pleased about being hit. "Alright," she growled, "now I'm tired, pissed off and in pain. Big mistake, feathers." White Star jammed the end of the wand into the side of the bird's head, and growled, "WHITE STAR BEAM!"

A blinding white light exploded in the night sky, and the monster was incinerated, its Black Heart falling to the street below. Sanae, carried by the bird's momentum and the force of the blast, was sent flying backwards, clutching the Emblem for dear life. Kousen caught her comfortably in mid-air. "Sanae, are you alright?"

White Star's head continued to gently sway back and forth as she tried to stave off her tiredness. "I think I… got 'em that time…" she mumbled. "Which way is bed? I need bed…"

Day 223

[from A Thousand Miles to San Francisco]

[AUTHOR NOTES: This is one of the most critical scenes in the entire novel. I want to get across the chaos and confusion that ensues after such a tragic event. Someday, if it's possible, I want to travel to Aurora and interview those who survived the shooting, as well as their loved ones, so I can get a sense of what it was truly like for them in the aftermath of the shooting. For now, this is merely my best guess.]

As luck would have it, Dawn was indeed being treated at the Medical Centre of Aurora, at its main campus on South Potomac Street. From what the operator had said, Samantha guessed that her friend was still alive, but she felt that she had to make sure. She hurried out into the driveway and got into her car, a blue 2004 Ford Focus. The roads were always fairly busy on Friday mornings, and it would probably be even worse today given what had happened, but Samantha was not concerned about this. All she was concerned about was Dawn, and whether she was okay.

It took Samantha about half an hour to drive to the hospital, with the traffic becoming worse and worse the closer she got. After all, she couldn't have been the only one who was headed to the hospital in search of their loved ones. Mercifully, there were still a few parking spaces available, and Samantha quickly pulled into the nearest one she could find. Her parking wasn't exactly straight, but again, she was not concerned about this. She had bigger things on her mind than parking etiquette.

Samantha got out of the car and hurried to the entrance, whereupon she found that the queue for the reception desk had been split into two. Presumably, one line was for those who were actually sick, and the other was for those who were only here to visit. Most of the chairs in the waiting area were also occupied. Samantha saw a man sitting there with his arm in a bloodied sling, and wondered whether he had been one of the victims of the shooting. Sitting nearby, she saw a woman, still wearing her dressing gown, sobbing uncontrollably as an orderly tried in vain to console her. It was a horrifying, morbid scene, one that Samantha had only ever seen in news footage before, and one that she had never expected to experience in real life.

Her solemn reflection was suddenly interrupted by a female nurse approaching her. "Excuse me," she asked. "Are you here to visit a casualty, or are you here for an emergency appointment?"

"I'm here to visit my friend," said Samantha. "She was, uhh… you know… in the…" Samantha found herself unable to say it, and her voice trailed off.

"It's okay," said the nurse, giving her a gentle hug. "If you'd please like to go into this queue here, okay? Just to speed things up a bit for everyone."

Samantha nodded, and allowed the nurse to shepherd her into the longer of the two queues. She then found herself waiting for almost an hour, a wait that seemed both interminable and unbearable. At one stage, an elderly man, perhaps a grandfather, was suddenly led away from the front of the queue as he began to weep and moan with sorrow, having no doubt received the worst possible news. This only intensified the dread within Samantha's own heart, and the wait became all the more agonizing.

Finally, she was at the front of the queue, faced with a nurse who looked like she was trying her best to force a smile but was finding it increasingly hard to. Samantha couldn't really blame her, given the sombre atmosphere in the hospital, and the sheer volume of visitors. "Good morning," said the receptionist. "Who are you here to see?"

Samantha's voice caught in her throat for a moment before she responded. "Dawn… Dawn Harvey. I heard she was brought in this morning after the…?"

The receptionist nodded, typing Dawn's name into her computer. "Let's see… ah, yes. She was admitted several hours ago. She's in a stable condition, and should make a full recovery."

Samantha breathed a heavy sigh of relief, feeling her worries evaporate. "Thank goodness… where is she?"

***

After several minutes of walking through corridors, Samantha found herself in a large ward containing over a dozen beds. She made her way through, glancing at each patient in turn as she passed them, checking to see if they were Dawn. Finally, she located her friend near the centre of the ward.

Dawn was lying awake in her hospital bed, and although her face was partly hidden by her phone, held in her right hand, Samantha could see that she was in some discomfort. The source of this pain was immediately and shockingly clear: a bandaged wound on her shoulder that was no doubt the work of the shooter. It had been wrapped neatly in bandages, but the blood had soaked through them, even staining the sheets and pillow slightly as well. Absorbed by whatever was on her phone screen, and no doubt distracted by her pain, Dawn had not noticed her friend's arrival.

The whole ward suddenly seemed deafeningly silent to Samantha, save for the relentless, rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor at Dawn's bedside, telling her that her friend was still alive. Even Samantha's own footsteps seemed to fall silent as she slowly approached the cubicle. Dawn seemed to have heard the footsteps, however, for she suddenly looked up from her phone, looking mildly surprised. "Samantha," she said, putting down her phone. "What are you doing here?"

Samantha felt a sudden, immeasurable relief at hearing Samantha's voice again. It was the final, ultimate proof that her friend really was going to be alright. She rushed to her friend's side and give her a tight hug. "I'm visiting my best friend," she said.