And so did the Original One look out to see His creation shattered, and He despaired, for He knew the cause. With sorrowful wrath He passed Judgement upon the Firstborn, and struck His child down.

"Come on, Artemis! We gotta go faster!"

"I'm running… as fast… as I can!" I snarled between breaths. I was sprinting through the forest, dodging trees and leaping over bushes as I hurried towards Reticent Grove. My lungs screamed for air, my bad leg felt like it was on fire, and I couldn't quite shake the cloud of stars at the edges of my vision, but I ran. After the first few treacherous seconds, an unusual calm had washed over me. It still hurt more than a slugma's tackle, but my legs always seemed to keep me moving forward - I suspect the faintly glowing psychic that clung to my back might've had something to do with that - and I'd covered the distance between the river and the grove in record time.

I burst into the clearing, nearly sending Meowstic flying as I skidded to a stop in front of the zoroark's hideout. There were countless bits of trash scattered throughout the grass, and the place stank - I'd met stunky who'd smelled nicer - but that wasn't what caught my attention.

Darkrai was sprawled out in the grass alongside the zoroark, and both were unconscious. Darkrai looked like he'd taken a beating - several deep claw marks ran across his chest, and his entire left side was covered in burns and blisters. The treasure bag he'd borrowed from Galvantula bore similar scars, having obviously been torn from his shoulder during the fight. The zoroark, meanwhile, was unbound, and aside from a jagged cut that had sheared off most of his mane, he seemed largely unharmed.

Flora stood over the two, having dropped the vine she'd been wrapping around Darkrai's wrists and ankles. "Don't scare me like that!" she said with a laugh once she recognized me. "You're Artemis, right? I'm surprised the guild would send you after us, but I guess-"

"What did you do to my teammate?" I demanded, prowling towards the bayleaf.

Apparently my expression wasn't a friendly one, because she took a small step backwards. "This is your teammate?" she asked, surprised. "Darkrai had him pinned up against a wall when we got here. We stopped him before he did any real damage, but I'm guessing he passed out during the fight." She smiled. "Aside from the haircut, he should be fine once he wakes up!"

I don't know how I kept myself from gutting the bayleaf on the spot. "You idiot!" I snarled. "Darkrai is my teammate! That zoroark is the outlaw we've spent months trying to catch!"

Flora fumbled for words, eyes darting between the two unconscious pokémon. "I don't- Darkrai can't be your teammate!"

"Why not?" I growled, my face just a hair's breadth away from hers.

"Because he's evil!" Flora shouted. "He tried to destroy Temporal Tower, then he tried to kill us when we stopped him!"

"No," I snapped, "that's not Darkrai. Sure, he's a nutcase, but he wouldn't do something like that!"

"Are you really so sure, Artemis?"

I turned to find Talonflame hobbling out of the cave, his right wing bound to his side in a crude splint. Kellyn followed alongside him, one hand resting on the bird's good wing.

"Consider the situation," Talonflame continued. "Darkrai just showed up outside the guild one night, conveniently with no memory of his past or knowledge of his true identity. Being an explorer, you naturally try to help him, bringing him to our guild and, in doing so, allowing him into our ranks. Then, when the leader of the world's most famous and heroic exploration team who, need I remind you, saved every last one of us from a nightmarish future, personally comes to capture him, you step up in his defense, just as I'm sure many of our guildmates would." He tilted his head slightly to one side. "What better way is there for Darkrai to protect himself than to have an entire exploration guild vouching for him?"

The charmeleon stepped forward. "This is what he does. He tricks to people, makes them think he's something he's not. He's a liar, Artemis."

"Maybe he is," I said softly, "but he's also my teammate. And I do not abandon my teammates!"

That's when I decided attacking one of the most powerful pokémon I'd ever met was a good idea. It really wasn't that hard - I don't think Kellyn was expecting a hundred pounds of angry absol to come flying at him berserker-style - and I was quickly able to knock him to the ground. He took a few swipes at me before I could pin his arms beneath my claws, and when I saw him sucking in a breath to spit fire in my face, I slammed my forehead into his snout.

It seemed like a good idea at the time, okay?

The attack left me a little dazed, sure, but it also stopped whatever the charmeleon was planning cold. A small cloud of smoke and a handful of embers burst from between his jaws, stinging my eyes but doing no real harm. Unfortunately for me, Flora didn't take to my attacking her teammate too well, and she slammed into my side a moment later, knocking the breath from my lungs and sending me tumbling away. I tried to catch myself, but my bad leg decided enough was enough and sent me sprawling back to the ground again.

I snarled, lifting my head defiantly to face down the bayleaf's next attack. She drew back her head, and several of the leaves around her neck broke off and shot towards me. I braced myself for the blow, but it never came. Instead, there was a blinding flash of blue light, and the leaves froze, suspended in mid-air.

I blinked. Looking past the leaves, I found both of Team Fragment's members enveloped in a soft blue glow, dangling helplessly a few feet off the ground. Meowstic, I realized, stood beside me, one of his tiny arms raised and his expression set with fierce determination.

It was kind of adorable, if you ignored the glowing eyes and the fact that the kid had just singlehandedly disarmed a top-ranked exploration team.

"Artemis and Darkrai are my friends," he said in a tone that I hadn't thought the little psychic could manage before. "They saved my life. They helped me evolve. They bought me pies." He narrowed his eyes. "Be nice to them."

He lowered his arm and released the field, sending the explorers tumbling to the ground.

"Ow…" Flora groaned as she lay in the grass. "He hits hard."

Talonflame, who up until this point had been watching events unfold with an unreadable expression, walked towards the fallen explorers. He made no attempt to help them rise.

"I am terribly sorry that this happened," he said in a tone that was anything but apologetic. "Artemis has always been quite the troublemaker within our guild, and it's little surprise she's become tangled up in this mess. Rest assured, if your claims about Darkrai are true, he will face justice." He looked around, as if noticing something for the first time. "Where… where is my teammate? She was supposed to be keeping watch."

"The pidgeot?" Flora asked, carefully picking out a rotten berry carcass that had wedged itself under one of her leaves. "She flew down just after I came out of the cave with these two," she waved a vine at the still-unconscious pokémon on the ground. "She seemed a little surprised when I told her what had happened, but she offered to get word to the guild so they could send another team out to help, just in case." The bayleaf glanced in my direction. "I, um… I thought you were who they sent, actually.

"I am... surprised that a team of your caliber would need to ask for help," Talonflame said slowly. "So the Guildmaster has already been notified?"

"Yep," Flora replied.

"I see," Talonflame said after a moment. "Then it seems we will need to bring both of them to the guild immediately." He almost seemed… disappointed?

"Wait a minute," I interjected, stepping forward. "You can't seriously be saying you want to lock Darkrai up like a criminal."

"He is a criminal," Kellyn muttered.

"He is a suspect," Talonflame corrected him. "If Team Fragment's claims are true, then he is far too dangerous to be allowed to roam free. We will take him to the guild, as the Federation's rules require. What happens then is the Guildmaster's decision."

The moment I woke up, I became aware of my body's dozens of protests. The cuts on my arms and chest were fighting a losing battle for my attention with the series of painful welts that spread from my torso to the back of my head, as though neither group realized how hopelessly outclassed they were by the massive burn that covered my left side. I was on a bed, which was a good sign, but it wasn't a very nice one - it consisted only of a thin layer of straw and a worn blanket set on a hard stone floor. It certainly wasn't the worst place I'd woken up in recently, but it was far from the best.

The fact that I'd done this often enough to actually criticise it was probably not a good sign.

I groaned and began to sit upright - slowly, so I wouldn't make the quiet pounding in my head any worse - only to stop as heavy cloth bandages rubbed painfully against my raw skin.

"So, the valiant explorer finally awakens."

I shot upright at the sound, ignoring the wave of pain the action caused, and looked around. I knew that voice.

I was in a prison. The room had been dug into living rock, and its walls, floor, and ceiling were all one seamless piece of stone. It had been divided into sections by rows of heavy iron bars, and at the center of each cell was a small blue orb, set halfway into the ceiling and encased in a protective cage. The place was lit not with the guild's familiar white, smokeless torches, but with heavy metal braziers that lined the corridor between the cells.

The cell across from me was occupied by the zoroark. He sat quietly against the far wall, with several bandages on his neck, arms, and head. Part of his mane had been cut short at an odd angle, and he had the rest wrapped around him like a blanket.

As much as I would've liked to stand up and try to rip his face off, I was pretty sure I'd seriously regret the attempt, given my current condition. Instead, I had to settle for an angry glare.

"I gotta admit," the zoroark continued, "I wasn't expecting to have any company down here, let alone you." He sighed and stretched, wincing briefly. "Then again, with me out of the picture, I guess you're the biggest threat around. Makes sense for old Torterra to get two birds with one stone."

I folded my arms. "That's not what's going on here."

The zoroark raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then how else do you explain this?"

"I'm not sure," I replied, "but I know that charmeleon has something to do with it. He knows me somehow, and I get the feeling he'd be more than happy to tear me limb from limb. But you'd know more about that than I would, I'd guess.'

He shook his head, chuckling quietly. "Typical. You've been with the guild for what, a month now? They've already got you marching in line, hanging on the wise and powerful Torterra's every word." Slowly, he rose to his feet, reaching around into the tangle of hair at the base of his skull. "I told you before, I don't know anything about you. If you want answers, I'm afraid you'll have to look elsewhere." Walking towards the cell bars, he drew a small piece of folded brown parchment. "Your little friends in the guild might be a good place to start. After all, they clearly know more about this than I do." With that, he flicked the paper towards me.

I picked it up and unfolded it. It was worn ragged, torn at the edges and flecked with stains, and the ink had faded in places. It was still clear enough to make out the message that had been written on it in neat, precise footprint runes:

Zoroark,

By now you will have discovered Elder Marowak's absence. Rest assured, he is unharmed. You will obey these instructions to the letter if you want to keep him that way.

Next to this letter is a package containing a small yellow gemstone. You will take this gemstone to a small cave at the heart of the Reticent Grove mystery dungeon - the area will present no difficulty to you. Inside, you will find a basic stockpile of supplies. This will be your only handout, and you will be expected to procure any additional equipment through your own means. You will remain in this cave until the gemstone begins to glow - when it does so, you will hold it and receive further instructions.

Do not attempt to contact any explorers or residents of Shimmerlake. I have already taken steps to ensure the guild regards you as a dangerous criminal, and you will receive no help from them.

Cooperate and the Elder will be returned to you.

"This is ridiculous," I said, scanning the letter once more. "You probably just wrote this yourself..."

The words died on my tongue as I noticed the faded symbol in the letter's bottom left corner. It had weathered much more poorly than the script, but I could just barely make out the shape of an ornate, fruit-laden tree. There was no mistaking it - it was the guild's emblem, the same one that adorned the Golden Tree's front gates and the gongs on each of Shimmerlake's docks, the same one embroidered on the ragged cloth band wrapped around my wrist.

Someone in the guild had written this letter.

I looked over towards the zoroark, who only nodded quietly in return. Before I could find something to say, however, a wave of sunlight flooded the room. Blinking at the sudden change in brightness, I could make out the familiar figures of Zen and Sev descending a narrow stone staircase at the jail's far end. Zen's eyes widened as he realized both of us were awake, and for a moment it seemed as if he expected us to start trying to kill one another any second. Sev, meanwhile, pointedly ignored the zoroark and made his way directly to my cell, with Zen following close behind.

"Darkrai," the seviper said in a hushed tone, "glad to see you're awake. Audino says you took quite a beating."

"I can feel as much," I replied, furtively tucking the note underneath a bandage on my back. "What I don't understand is why I'm locked down here."

"I'm just as confused about this as you are," Sev said. "We got out there to find you out cold with none other than Team Fragment standing watch. Talonflame told us we needed to bring both you and the zoroark down here until the Guildmaster told us otherwise."

"Yeah, and Artemis just about ripped our heads off when we went along with it!" Zen chimed in. Lowering his voice, he added "Honestly, I think this is pretty messed up. I mean, Team Fragment's supposed to be these big heroes, right? Then they just toss you in jail right along with that nutcase-"

"This nutcase can still hear you," the zoroark interrupted, causing Zen to nearly jump out of his skin.

"Quiet, you!" Sev hissed before turning back towards me. "Anyway, the Guildmaster wants you brought up to her office right way. She was going to ask Sheriff Magneton to escort you, but we…" the seviper cracked a smile. "We convinced him if anyone was going to march you around, it should be someone in the guild."

"I'm not sure if I should thank you for that," I replied, earning a laugh from Zen that he quickly stifled by shoving a claw in his mouth. The zangoose unlocked my cell door, and I followed the two out of the prison.

As it turned out, Shimmerlake's jail was built directly underneath the guild, with its entrance set into the Golden Tree's side a short distance from the main gate. The sun was drifting low towards the horizon, and I caught a brief glimpse of its orange light glinting off the lake's surface. I didn't get a chance to appreciate the sight, however, as Team Nemesis led me directly into the guild's main hall. Cleo and Chess were just inside, having a furious but hushed discussion. Dewott was also there, just in front of Galvantula's kiosk, apparently haggling with the Quartermaster over some supply issue. All eyes turned to me the moment I entered the room, and nobody said a word.

Because, you know, it wasn't already awkward enough.

We climbed the ramp all the way up to the Guildmaster's quarters, where the sounds of heated debate could be heard inside. Zen threw open the door before Sev could stop him.

Guildmaster Torterra was seated on her dias, with Reuniclus hovering just over one shoulder. Standing before her were Talonflame, Flora, and Kellyn, the latter of whom was responsible for much of the noise.

"Guildmaster, you can't be serious," he was saying, his tail flicking back and forth in agitation. "Darkrai caused the temporal crisis, and he knew exactly what he was doing when he did it." He threw a hand back, pointing a clawed finger directly at me. "That monster will turn on you the moment he gets the chance!"

"Is that so?" Torterra asked, her voice level. "Because if he is truly as dangerous as you say, then surely you reported him to the Exploration Team Federation." Looking over her shoulder, she added "Reuniclus, have we received any reports of an outlaw matching Darkrai's description?"

The blob-like psychic smiled faintly. "No, Guildmaster. I checked our notice boards and archives as soon as Team Fragment voiced their concerns."

"Then I fail to see the problem," Torterra said calmly. "If he's not an outlaw, you can't expect me to treat him like one, can you?"

"You can't just ignore this!" Flora shouted. "Darkrai tried to destroy the world! He attacked Temporal Tower, nearly killed Kellyn, and made Gro-" she choked on the word. After a moment, she added in a whisper: "And he took Grovyle and Celebi away from us."

"If you had any idea what he's done," Kellyn growled, "any idea how many people he's hurt, how much damage he's caused, how much of a threat he really is, you'd-"

"I'd what?" Torterra interrupted. "Let you drag him off to Arceus-knows where in the name of petty vengeance?" The Guildmaster rose to her feet, and even Kellyn seemed intimidated by her posture. "I am very much aware of Darkrai's past actions," she said quietly. "But if I do as you ask and turn him over to the Federation, the only outcome will be more senseless violence. I refuse to allow that to happen. Until I receive word from the Federation saying otherwise, Darkrai is an upstanding explorer and member of this guild, and I will continue to treat him as such."

"Then we'll send a message to the Federation!" Flora shot back. "We'll get an official outlaw report and everything!"

"I cannot stop you from doing so," Torterra replied. "But until that report arrives, I will abide no further harm to Darkrai."

Growling in frustration, Kellyn turned and stormed towards the door. "Kellyn," Torterra called out after him, "I had an apprentice, many years ago. He told me something once that I think you ought to consider: there are no truly evil pokémon in this world. Sometimes, we simply lose our way."

The charmeleon froze for just a moment, then continued out the door, never once making eye contact with any of us. Flora followed close behind, and Talonflame stopped to shoot me a venomous glare before leaving as well. With the three of them gone, Torterra settled back down onto her dias. I stepped forward.

"You knew," I said flatly. "You knew what really happened to me, all this time. You lied to me."

Torterra sighed. "I did not lie to you, Darkrai. When we spoke the night you arrived here, I told you I did not know who you are." She closed her eyes. "That does not mean I did not know who you were."

I folded my arms and glared up at her. "Don't play word games with me," I snapped, "I get that enough from Virgil. You kept me in the dark when you knew what happened to me."

The Guildmaster nodded. "I did. But it was not without reason."

"Why, then?" I demanded.

She locked eyes with me. Even having known her for weeks, the Guildmaster's gaze was just as piercing as the night I'd first spoken with her. "I chose to keep your past from you that night because of what you were. The creature that called itself Darkrai… it was a bringer of death. It sabotaged Temporal Tower, seeking to undo the flow of time itself and plunge the world into unending darkness. And yet, this was only the most recent of its crimes. Time and time again, the being known as Darkrai brought untold destruction to the world. To what end, I do not know. But then… you came here."

Torterra sighed. "When you first appeared, I feared the worst. And yet, when you stood before me, I didn't see the malevolent creature of legend. I saw someone lost and alone, frightened and seeking a place in the world. I saw someone with tremendous power, yes, but power itself is never evil - it all depends on how it is used. In your case, I dared to hope that power might be used for something good." She rose once more, climbing down from her dais to stand eye-to-eye with me. "I can tell you who you were, Darkrai," she said quietly, "but only you can tell you who you are."

"So what," I said, trying to keep the edge out of my voice, "I'm just supposed to pretend this never happened? Go merrily on my way as an explorer and forget that I used to be some kind of psychopathic monster?"

"You and I both know that's not an option," Torterra replied. "You can't change the past, Darkrai. Your actions, even now, have consequences, and you'll have to decide how to bear them. I had hoped to speak to Kellyn and Flora before they met you, in the hopes that they could help you come to terms with your past, but it seems that is not to be. Once Team Fragment gets word to the Exploration Team Federation, I will have no choice but to hand you over to them. Come tomorrow morning, you will likely be a wanted criminal."

I took a step back. "You're just going to let them drag me off?" I asked.

"I'll have to," Torterra said, an odd glint in her eyes, "unless, of course, you aren't here."

I blinked. "What?"

Torterra smiled. "Darkrai, until I get a message explicitly declaring you an outlaw, you're just another member of my guild. As such, I'm well within my rights to give you an assignment... even if that assignment requires sending you well away from Shimmerlake. Reuniclus?"

The psychic drifted forward. "After Zoroark's capture, we discovered an object inside his cave." Waving an arm, Reuniclus summoned a nearby box to him. He opened it cautiously, as if expecting it to explode at any moment, and turned it towards me.

Inside the box was a large yellow gemstone, covered in smooth facets and jagged angles. An oily darkness writhed just beneath its surface, and the stone seemed to hum with power. I couldn't help but shiver at the sight - the thing was creepy.

"Virgil was able to identify it as something called the Griseous Orb," Reuniclus explained. "We believe this is what allowed the zoroark to communicate with Giratina."

"The Griseous Orb was supposedly destroyed thousands of years ago," Torterra added. "It looks like Zoroark was trying to rebuild it, and as far as we can tell, he succeeded."

Reuniclus nodded. "However, we have no information as to why he rebuilt the Orb. Given its connection to Giratina, however, we believe it may have something to do with the rapid increase in mystery dungeon instability we've seen over these past few years. Whatever the case may be, we need to find out more about Giratina as quickly as possible."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" I asked, still not seeing the point.

Torterra and Reuniclus traded glances. The psychic spoke first.

"Well, we have only a single lead on what Giratina is planning." Reuniclus gave me an odd look. "That lead is you."

I blinked. "What?"

"It's obvious that Giratina is interested in you," Torterra explained. "You're the only one it has spoken to, and its actions lead me to believe it was somehow involved in your past. If we can find some way to restore your memory, we stand a good chance of discovering what Giratina is planning."

"That sounds like a great plan," I retorted, "but haven't we spent the past month trying to do exactly that?"

"Which is why I'm willing to suggest a possible solution," Reuniclus said. "Since you arrived, I've been researching ways to possibly restore your memory - mostly because I feared Audino would lose what little sanity she has left if she couldn't solve this particular puzzle - and I found a Federation report that offers a glimmer of hope." Summoning a roll of paper to his hand, the psychic unfurled it and scanned the page briefly. "This article mentions a being known as Cresselia that has taken up residence in Treasure Town. As I understand it, she has been providing medical assistance to the town, and is reportedly able to cure any injury. It's not out of the question that she could restore your memories."

Torterra smiled. "Treasure Town is about a week's journey from here. Virgil will carry you across the sea, but you'll have to make the rest of the trip on foot. Since this is such an urgent mission, I'd suggest you set out tonight."

I raised an eyebrow. "Which means I'll be long gone by the time I'm declared an outlaw."

"I would never intentionally obstruct the Federation's attempts to bring a criminal to justice," Torterra replied with a smirk. "If, through some unlikely turn of events, you should be declared an outlaw after you leave, I strongly doubt I could do much to apprehend you. The other teams will be quite preoccupied with the Lifegiver's Festival, after all."

"So," I said, "I leave, get this Cresselia to fix my memories, and find out what Giratina wants with me. What then?"

"I can't say for certain," Torterra answered, "but I doubt Giratina's plans will be for our benefit. Once you discover what it's doing, I'll be counting on you to decide the best course of action." She turned and climbed back onto her platform, settling down to face me once more. "Team Fragment thinks you're still the monster they met before. I suggest you prove them wrong."

Quartermaster Galvantula made a strange chattering sound that I think was supposed to be a sign of disappointment. "A perfectly good treasure bag, and you ruin it on the first mission." He sighed, brushing the torn bag off his counter with one leg.

"Things got out of hand," I explained.

"They always do," the Quartermaster replied curtly. "You explorers are supposed to be used to that." Ducking down below the counter's surface, he began rummaging around, tossing pouches and bits of cloth right and left. After a few moments, he made a quick, excited screech, and threw a bright yellow sack down in front of me.

"You're joking, right?" I asked, picking up the sack in one hand. In addition to its hideous shade of yellow, the bag consisted of a single pouch held closed by a thin loop of string. A larger cord had been run through it, evidently to serve as a strap.

"Only treasure bag I have left in stock," Galvantula said, his tone one of complete apathy.

"This isn't a treasure bag," I pointed out, "it's a blanket with a rope tied to it." I set the bag back down on the counter. "A very ugly blanket."

The Quartermaster shook his head. "You'll have to make due. Now stay here while I get the rest of your supplies." With that, he skittered off into the maze of crates behind his kiosk.

"I dunno, I think it kinda fits your personality."

Artemis, naturally, had shown up at the worst possible time.

"I mean, you're such a ball of sunshine, after all," she said nonchalantly.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Wondering how long you're going to try to keep me from finding out about the Guildmaster's super secret mission," she said with a smile.

I sighed and pressed a hand against my forehead. "How much of that conversation did you hear?"

"The whole thing," she replied. "I mean, honestly. Those Team Fragment weirdos come storming out of the room like that and you expect me not to listen in?"

"You know you can't come with me," I said flatly.

Her eyes lit up, and I immediately regretted my comment. "Why, because I'm a fragile little thing who needs her bedrest?" She looked me over. "I could still knock you out cold in a heartbeat, and in case you haven't noticed, you're not in much better shape than I am."

I tugged briefly at the bandages wound around my shoulder. "Point taken. But is this something you really want to do? I mean, if you're with me, chances are you'll wind up an outlaw, too."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Yeah, because I've always been so worried about looking like a saint. The way I see it, Giratina needs stopping, and unlike Torterra, I'm not so sure you can pull it off on your own. I have seen you fight, after all."

"Fine. But only because you've got an actual treasure bag."

Artemis flashed a victory grin. Galvantula returned a moment later with my equipment, and after a brief tirade from him once he realized he'd need to give us supplies for a second person, we set off towards Shimmerlake's dock. The sun had sunk beneath the trees, and the road outside the guild was deserted. It gave the place a strangely lonely feeling.

Virgil was waiting for us at the water's edge. He greeted us with a smile as we approached. "I warned Torterra there would be no leaving you behind, Artemis," he said, his voice tinged with mirth.

"I'm all kinds of persuasive," Artemis said without a hint of sarcasm.

"Persuasive isn't the word I would've chosen," I remarked, stepping out onto the gyarados' back.

"That's just 'cause you're jealous of my natural charisma," Artemis replied. To the gyarados, she added: "So, Virgil, you're taking us all the way across the sea, right?"

Virgil nodded. "Indeed. The river will carry us down south, and I expect we'll reach the coast by tomorrow morning."

Artemis yawned and sat down on the gyarados' back. "Then I guess I'll be getting a little extra sleep. Wake me up when something happens-"

"And just where do you think you're going?"

Artemis bolted upright, eyes wide. At the sound of that voice, I couldn't help but share her alarm.

It was Audino. The doctor was marching out onto the dock, a satchel crammed full of supplies slung over one shoulder. Even in the fading light, I could tell she was not amused.

"The two of you run off and get yourselves beaten senseless," she continued, "then, the one of you that managed to not suffer permanent injuries runs off and picks a fight with one of the most powerful exploration teams in existence, getting himself thrown in jail and forcing me to come down to that abysmal little cave to treat him in the process, and now you expect to just slip out of here in the night?"

"Muse," Virgil began cautiously, "they are on a mission of the utmost importance-"

"I don't care of Arceus himself descended from the heavens to give you your orders!" Audino snapped. "Both of you should be in the infirmary, lashed to a bed to protect you from your own stupidity, not out running around on yet another suicidal escapade!"

"Audino, if you try to drag us back to the infirmary, I'm throwing you in the lake," Artemis said dryly.

The doctor snorted in annoyance. "Of course. You two are nothing but trouble, and unlike you, I actually learn from my mistakes." She patted the overstuffed bag at her side. "Because I know how pointless it would be to try and make you two cooperate, I'll be coming with you."

"What?" we all shouted in unison.

"You gotta be kidding me."

"Muse, surely you realize that this-"

"Audino, I really don't think that's a good idea-"

"Quiet!" Audino shouted. "For every objection you have, I've got two more. Believe me when I say I would not be doing this if I didn't sincerely believe you'd get yourselves killed out there." She stormed out onto Virgil's back and sat down with a huff. "So don't even try to make me change my mind."

After a couple minutes of further arguments and a few choice remarks from Artemis, we decided that Audino might have had a valid reason to come along. With everyone settled in place on his back, Virgil pushed off from the dock and began making his way across the lake. Despite the late hour, the sounds of activity from Shimmerlake Village could be heard drifting across the water, a buzz of conversation and excitement. Suddenly, a streak of light out over our heads, cutting an arc against the night sky before bursting into a brilliant cloud of green light.

"And so the Lifegiver's Festival begins," Virgil said.

Artemis chuckled. "It's a shame we're going to miss it this year. I was looking forward to seeing Darkrai with a few jugs of berry juice in him."

I tried to reply, but was cut off as another firework burst overhead. Soon, they were launching in waves, rising up into the gigantic tree's branches before exploding with colorful light.

"Okay, am I the only one here who thinks that launching fireworks into a tree is stupidly dangerous?" I shouted over the din.

"If this were an ordinary tree, you would be correct," Virgil answered, his rumbling voice having no trouble overpowering the fireworks. "The Golden Tree, however, does not burn. If it did, our guild would have ceased to be when the first thunderstorm came around." He turned his gaze up towards the enormous branches overhead and smiled. "And now, it seems, you'll get a chance to see where the Tree earns its name."

I looked up. Sure enough, as the fireworks lit the leafy canopy overhead, I could see tiny glints of gold spread like stars through the tree's branches. As I watched, several of the golden flashes seemed to break free and plummet towards the lake. It took me a moment to realize that they were actually fruits of some kind, knocked loose by the colorful explosions. One of them shook itself free and, with a tremendous splash, landed in the lake just ahead of us. I reached out and scooped it up as we passed.

I would've called it an apple, but apples usually aren't made of gold. Its surface was flawlessly smooth, and I could see myself reflected in it like a mirror.

"Golden apples," Artemis explained, seeing my confusion. "They only grow on the Golden Tree, and this is the only time of year they can be harvested. They never spoil, and they taste amazing." Artemis' gaze drifted off, as if she was lost in thought. "You should see what Cleo and Chess can do with these things. Golden cobbler, goldskin magikarp fillets, berrygold pie..." She let the sentence trail off before shaking her head. "Well, what are you waiting for?" she demanded. "Start grabbing them!"

The next few minutes were spent frantically trying to fish as many golden apples as we could out of the water, which was no easy task even for those of us with hands. Still, by the time we reached the mouth of the river, we had a sizeable harvest stuffed in our bags. I didn't know what the next few days would mean for us, but as the enormous tree fell further and further behind us, the sight of the shining apples was oddly reassuring.

Whatever happened next, I'd have a piece of home with me.