"Wanna get out of here?" Winter asked.

"Huh?"

"That or we could stay on this island until we locate the gate to Khlivern or we could head back to Flower Paradise," Heart sighed, looking off at the distant figure of Canalave in the distance, "either way, Whitley and Blake are waiting."

"I..." Winter sighed and looked away, "I need to talk to Adrian and discuss with him."

"Winter, we need to talk this over with everyone," Heart suggested.

"I just want him to know what's happening," Winter stood up and began to walk off, making sure she was as far as she could be from the other two.

Hesitating as her finger hovered over the plasma screen, ready to call Adrian, Winter sighed, clenching her fist and shaking her head, unable to do it. She simply stood there for a few minutes and made her way back.

"So?" Heart asked.

"Let's go meet Blake and Whitley first," Winter smiled, "then we make the decision as a complete group."

~~~~~

"Hey, you're enjoying this, aren't you, Dake-chan?" Whitley giggled, watching the little Foongus munch down his food. Dake-chan cheered, agreeing eagerly as he continued to munch through the food.

Whitley pet Aphrodite, who was snoozing by her side. They were outside the Pokemon centre, watching people battle or just spend time with their Pokemon.

That was until someone came up to them.

"So, um, this is kinda awkward but does your Foongus have a scar under its eye?" the Ace Trainer asked.

"Um, yes, why?" Whitley answered hesitantly, Dake-chan still chomping down on his food.

"Well, I think that's my Foongus then," he explained calmly, "Did this Foongus come from Unova?"

Whitley bit her lip and nodded.

"My Foongus was liberated by Team Plasma in Unova," he spoke sadly, as if reminiscing the times he spent with the Foongus, "I'm grateful for you taking care of him for so long, but I'd like to have my Kyra back," softly said, as if he was afraid to scare her off.

Whitley looked like a Deerling caught in headlights, unable to form words or even speak properly. Someone cut in for her.

"Whitley, I think you should return his Foongus,"

Whitley looked up, shocked as she looked at all the silent anger displayed on his face.

"Bl-blake," she spluttered, reaching for his hand when he stood close enough, wanting to play with them like she always had when she was nervous. Blake's hands flew away from her grasp, leaving her to anxiously fiddle with her own hands.

"Whitley, it's the right thing to do," Blake urged, unhappy frown prominent on his face.

Tears filling her eyes, Whitley looked at Dake-chan, who had just finished his food and looking around in confusion. Aphrodite yawned, blinking her eyes open. The Ace Trainer and Blake stayed silent, waiting on Whitley's reply.

Whitley's nails dug into her skin, eyes squeezed shut, not knowing what to do. Her heartbeat kept going faster, hyperventilating and then-

blank.

She saw Blake, his lips moving, heard voices and made out the words, but she couldn't think, she processed everything she heard and saw but was unable to do anything with that information. Her hands moved slowly, clutching her head as her eyes remained on Blake, wide eyed, unable to breathe properly as her heartbeat reverberated in her ear.

Breathe.

Breathe.

Keep breathing.

You're alive, so breathe.

She felt tears fall from her eyes, her soft voice asking one question.

"Why?"

She stood an unsteady step backwards, to a wall, subconsciously wanting to be grounded.

"Whitley?" Winter shouted, sprinting over to Whitley but standing a few paces back, not wanting to upset Whitley anymore.

"Treas? What's happening?" Whitley whimpered.

Winter saw Aphrodite, about to run up to Whitley and grabbed her by the tail, picking up the Eevee quickly before it could do anything stupid. The Eevee whined, crying out as Winter whispered her apologies for grabbing her tail.

"Whitley, are you alright?" Winter asked soothingly, noting how Whitley seemed to calm down a little but still visibly shaken.

"Y-yeah," Whitley murmured, shaking her head.

"Sorry, I just asked her for my Foongus back," the Ace Trainer mumbled guiltily.

"I think Whitley, your Foongus' current trainer needs to think the decision over," Winter forced out a smile, "can you give her a bit of time?"

"I'm here for another week, gotta defeat Byron," the trainer smiled, "I'll be staying in room 243, so just come knock or slip a note in whenever. I really hope you agree to it, I really miss having Kyra around. Had him for a few years before Team Plasma took her."

"Yeah, but this Foongus has developed new feelings for his new trainer," Winter countered, "Foongus' feelings must be considered along with yours and Whitley's."

"Yeah, of course," the trainer nodded in agreement, "I'll leave you guys to it."

"Treas?" Whitley whispered, "what am I gonna do?"

"Give Dake-chan back! He was never yours to begin with!" Blake snapped.

"Blake!" Heart yelled scoldingly, walking in on the scene in shock.

"She hasn't changed! She's still a- a..." Blake gave a shout of frustration, eyes glaring and full of hatred, "you're just another fucking Plasma! You haven't changed at all! I was wrong to even think for a second that you were different!"

"Blake! That's out of line!" Heart cried.

"Guys," Winter cut in before a shouting match could begin, "if we're gonna argue about this, let's do it somewhere where no one can overhear the shit we say. And also, let's all go and cool down before we start to fight again."

"But Winter!" Blake cried, wanting to argue now while his heart was overfilling with emotions, as if he wouldn't have the heart to yell at Whitley anymore after this.

"Don't but me Blake," Winter glared sharply, "I know you think that I am taking Whitley's side right now because I've known her longer, but I just want everyone to be emotionally stable while we fight this out. It's normal for us to fight, but we need to work this out as a team."

"I'm calling Red about this," Winter finished, watching Blake's face drop in dismay. He could do nothing but nod as he watched Heart guide Whitley away.

"Raios, sorry about this mess," Winter shrugged lamely, not knowing what to say or do.

"These two will be fine," Raios said casually, "you're doing the right thing."

Winter breathed out, sighing in relief, glad that Raios felt that way. "Raios, meet Blake and Blake, meet Raios. Let's go to New Moon Island and have a chat, yes?"

"Alright," Blake grumbled, glaring holes into the ground.

The trip there was silent, dead silent. Winter had scribbled a note and sent it under their room at the Pokemon centre using her magic before they quietly made their way back to the island. No one seemed to mind too much, there were just too many thoughts running through their heads.

"Blake, I'm not going to stand up for Whi if she's wrong, but I'm not going to take sides. This argument was going to come one day and it's better for you two to scream it out now," Winter spoke up at last, "so if you want to say anything, say it. I'm not going to interfere, this is between you and Whitley as it always has been. We won't be like Black and White hovering over you, hell I won't even tell Red unless you two fuck with the group dynamics, but you need to sort your shit out. Go on, scream about it."

"We were doing so well," Blake murmured, "you saw it Winter, you saw how we were doing, but I just don't think... URGH! I'm just mad at the thought of it! She had that Foongus for so long and she claims to have changed and she never returned or tried to even return that Foongus! Its old trainer had to ask her for it back and it just-- I thought she changed!"

Blake didn't speak for a few moments, but then spoke up again.

"It's shit, I trusted her and then I found out she was a Plasma. We put this behind us, we moved on and we trusted each other, we were close, I protected her but... now this happens. I want to, like, trust her, but I just can't get over all of these feelings!"

"Like I just feel angry!" Blake yelled, "she had that fucking Foongus for so long and now we find out that it was never hers to begin with? That she just claimed a stolen Pokemon as her own? This is the shit I used to arrest people for and I find out that the person I am meant to be the closest to in my life is also the person who goes against my morals like this? What the fuck do you want from me?"

"Like why hasn't she mentioned it before? Why didn't she say something earlier? Why did I have to find out about this like this? Did she even care about how I feel?" Blake cried out in pain, tears filling his eyes but never shedding them.

The raw emotion in his voice made Winter feel protective, so protective of Blake and wanted to protect him from the pain he felt. Still, Winter didn't say anything, allowing Blake to collect his thoughts and maybe scream a bit more until he was done.

"I want to be alone," Blake almost whimpered, "I don't want you guys to see me like this, I don't want to say anything wrong and make you guys hate me."

Winter wordlessly opened her arms and wrapped them around Blake as best she could. Blake nuzzled his head into her shoulder, bending down to her height in an attempt to hide.

"I'm just so angry," he whispered weakly, "didn't she trust me enough to tell me? I tried! I tried to do everything I could to make it up to her and she just goes behind my back like that?"

"Winter, haven't we hurt each other enough? Why do we keep hurting each other like this? It just hurts so much - oh my god, you probably think I'm weak because of this right? I don't deserve to be a guardian because I'm just so hurt and it's like it's hard to breathe. It feels like she just stabbed me in the heart all those years ago and now she chooses to twist the knife and pour the salt to spite me,"

"Shh, you're brave Blake... this vulnerability makes you strong Blake. Thank you, for sharing this pain with me," Winter whispered, swaying them from side to side, fingers running through Blake's hair in an attempt to comfort him, "you know, people who keep all of these feelings locked inside their heart are sadder than those who just let it out like you."

"Even if it seems to be a feminine thing, to cry and rant about your feelings, it's not a feminine thing. It's a sign of strength, the ability to be vulnerable by spilling all your emotions out on the table, it's an ability that I envy truthfully. Because all my problems can be solved so much sooner if only I had the courage to tell someone, anyone about them," Winter crooned, "so cry it all out and yell at Whitley if you must."

"Winter, it hurts so badly. I thought she trusted me, I thought we were getting better, that we were healing but didn't I do enough? How could she keep this from me? She's my partner! She's my... partner," he croaked, finally allowing the tears to fall.

"And to keep something so big from me," Blake took a gulping breath, "she knows how important the International Police was to me and she just... spits in my face about it. I know she had good intentions, but... I just can't help but feel like she just didn't care!"

No one said anything for a few minutes.

"Blake, you're scared of hurting her, aren't you?" Winter murmured, "that's why you're so brave. You don't want to cause her anymore pain, right? So you're scared, that's all. And it's okay to be afraid, Arceus, we don't deserve you Blake, but this isn't something you can ignore, for the sake of the group, you're better off yelling and screaming at Whitley rather than leaving her to wonder what she did wrong and tip toe around you."

"Whether Whitley decides to keep the Foongus is between her and the Foongus, remember that you have no say in it and the rest of us don't either. If this escalates, we're bringing this back to Flower Paradise. But, tell me about it? What are you feeling?"

"Empty," Blake couldn't describe it any other way. He just simply felt empty.

Winter held onto him a little tighter, fingers never stopping their soothing pattern across his scalp.

"It's just cold and empty, like a hole that's so big and only growing, a black hole that's gonna swallow me whole eventually. It feels like a dream almost, like this isn't happening, like Whitley wouldn't do that to me, right? She would've told me, right?" Blake cried, "I don't know anymore. It just hurts Winter."

Winter simply held onto him a little tighter, stretching her arms around Blake's body and ruffling his hair comfortingly, "I know it hurts Blake, I know...."

"I just don't get why she didn't say anything," Blake choked out, eyes squeezed shut in pain, "I don't get why she did that. It's so important to me and she hid it, I don't understand why she didn't tell me. She should've said something!"

"I know... she was scared of my reaction, I tried to let her know that she could tell me anything and I would try not to hold it against her. I can't hate her for being honest with me, I've haven't been a saint either in this, I can't hate her for hiding it, whether it was because she thought it wasn't important or otherwise, but I still feel so hurt and betrayed by it, like I'm powerless."

"But I can't hate Whitley for being herself, I just can't, I'm at fault for it too. I shouldn't have blown up on her like that earlier, I want to take it back, I need to take it back. I can't just hurt her like that, it's not-"

"Blake," Winter crooned, "Whitley's not a complete saint in this either. You've both made mistakes and that's okay. You're right, Whitley and you should've discussed this sooner and come clean about things, like how that Foongus was taken as a liberated Pokemon or how you pulled strings to get her acquitted for her crimes as a Plasma and then immediately quit."

"How do you know?" Blake whispered, "how do you know what I was doing? No one knows, no one!"

"Blake, I knew that Whitley was struggling, so I pulled strings, making sure that she would be acquitted," Winter admitted, "there are things from back there we need to sort out together, because Cynthia, Solar Lunar and I did things you and Whitley don't know about, things that I think we should tell you."

"But Blake, you're feelings are all messed up right now, you're not thinking clearly. Do you want a moment?" Winter offered.

Blake nodded, stepping back.

Winter looked to Raios and smiled weakly, "Blake, come find us when you're ready, " with that, Winter and Raios left Blake alone, walking off to the other side of the island.

"Tell me what you're thinking," Winter finally spoke up, feet rested in the clear sea water as she stared out into the horizon.

"It's overwhelming," Raios admitted, sitting in the sand behind Winter, "I almost don't know what to think or even how to do it. But I feel like we're in this for the long run and as painful as it may be, we're going to live, thrive and it's going to be beautiful. I can already see it, almost I guess."

Winter hid her smile, looking at a passing ship, "you think so?"

"It's scary, all of this, but life is like that, where you might not always get what you want, but it's there and it's beautiful if only the right people are there to show you the way. And even if I haven't met all of you yet, it feels like the sun is shining a little brighter, that the days are getting warmer, it feels like I'm going where I need to go, like all the puzzle pieces have finally been collected and now, it's just a matter of placing them in the right places," Raios smiled wistfully.

"I get what Blake's saying, you can't blame things for the way they are, but at the same time, you can't stop this petty anger in your chest. I felt the same for so long, unable to unleash this anger because then I'd be hurt, locked up, starved."

Winter whirled around immediately, looking concerned, only able to voice a single word, "why?"

Raios shrugged, looking off behind Winter.

"People don't like 'different'," he said.

Winter softened, frowning, "interesting, right? Anything 'new' or 'different' is interesting until fear settles in. Then, this 'different' becomes scary, a potential threat and people begin to hate and scorn."

"Things like the colour of your skin to your sexuality, harmless things."

"Sexualities, am I right?" Winter chuckled, "I mean, what's wrong with love? Is it wrong to love someone just because of their gender? Why is it wrong? Why is love wrong? How can love be wrong? That's something I never quite understood. Love to me is love, it doesn't need any further definition from that, whether it's romantic or platonic, it doesn't matter, the people know how they feel and if that love makes them happy, then that's all that matters."

Raios let out a breath he had no idea he was holding.

"It's scary enough to be different for loving someone of your own gender, but if I was hit on by a girl, honestly, it'd be a compliment to me. I see how it could make people uncomfortable - to be hit on by someone of your own gender for a date or a quick fuck, but regardless, it's love and it's brave of someone to come up to you and ask for somethng. If you don't like it, reject them and move on, that's all there is to it. Don't make your life or theirs any harder than it has to be."

"It's hypocritical how everyone says to spread love, only to spread hate when the topic of homosexuality rolls around. Love is love and it can't be a crime to love. Whatever god is out there telling us that it's wrong, he, she or they are wrong. Love can't be a crime, love is beautiful regardless."

"But, but," Raios spoke up, a lazy grin on his face, "pedophilia."

Winter smiled, "that's the only love I can't accept. Usually due to how it's one sided. Love requires consent and no matter how mature a child believes themselves to be, they can't consent to something they have no idea about. Plus, old men who prey on kids are creepy."

"Love is love, but love still has conditions," Winter breathed out, "but isn't it easier to just say that love is love? Pretend that it's perfect regardless of the times it's not. Love isn't simple though, it's complicated. It's so complicated that love can't be defined with any other words, it's just love. It's so complicated that somehow, it's simple."

Raios smiled.

"Love is love."

Winter broke out into a cute smile, tugging her jacket closer around herself, "isn't it easier? Just to know love as love, without needing to define your feelings any further. It's a word that should bring warmth, happiness, freedom and safety. When I think of love, I see 9 other faces in my head and it's all of you. To me, the nine of you are the definition of love."

"So I'm not worried about Blake and Whitley. Well, I am, but I know that they're going to fight to stay together and work through it and even harder if they're torn away from each other. They love enough to make it work, so we shouldn't take their feelings lightly. They care more about the other than they care for themselves, to the point they're willing to cut off a limb just to apologise."

"And you?"

"I'd die before I'd let anyone harm you," Winter smiled.

"15, right?" Raios asked hesitantly, "you're just 15. right?"

Winter hummed, looking at the horizon over her shoulder, "Age is just a number in times like this, we were all forced to grow up too early, too soon and I'm not the only one. Survival of the fittest. But still, once this fight's over, once all of these feelings are sorted, it'll be worth it, don't you think?"

Raios couldn't help but agree, submit to the aura that Winter gave. The little girl with a little too much on her shoulders, he'll bear the weight of the world too, if he could see this little girl smile like that. He'd do anything for her.

Then he realised that Winter probably had everyone wrapped around her little fingers and smiled. It suited her. The power that she held, it suited her. He could see why she was chosen to bear Kasumi's soul, not because she was powerful or intelligent. But because she was emotional and empathetic, because she struggled, because she needed to be guided by others, because she was a wreck and chose to hide it instead of speak of it, because she was simple, because she was blunt and quick to run and hide, because she was reckless and cared little for herself.

Winter was chosen not because she was strong, but because she was weak. Weak but willing to adapt, to learn and grow and turn that weakness into power.

"Raios, we're a mess, the 10 of us," Winter chuckled, "but are you coming along for the ride?"

"Wouldn't want to do anything else," Raios grinned, "All abroad the train wreck!"

Winter giggled, hand covering her mouth, "you don't mind us hijacking this island, right?"

"Go ahead, my home is yours."

Winter looked around and saw Blake, trudging toward them. She smiled at him and waved, beckoning him closer. Without asking any questions, Winter opened up her arms, offering a safe place for Blake.

"Didn't wanna be alone," Blake mumbled, leaning down to bury his face in Winter's shoulder.

"Never said you had to be," she mused, stroking his hair fondly.

Blake wanted to say something because that's what people would ask next. Questions, questions and more questions, trying to read into his mind, delve into that abyss to satisfy their own curiosity.

But no one said anything.

No one spoke and Blake wanted to say something. He could feel it, they were about to ask him, dissect his mind for an inkling of how he truly felt.

"Blake, you're stressing out, don't talk if you don't want to. You have no obligations, just breathe, keep these thoughts to yourself and if you want to share, you're welcome to. Just know that if you don't want to talk, it's okay, we get it."

Blake relaxed, smiling. His knees were still bent awkwardly as he leaned down to reach Winter's shoulder.

"Winter?"

"Hmm?"

"I want to fix this," Blake murmured, "I want to tell you everything, everything."

"What's stopping you?"

"Fear," Blake whispered, "this fear grips me and it feels suffocating like I can't breathe for some reason. I can't move, I can't say anything to her, I'm scared."

"Of what?"

"I-i don't know," Blake cried out helplessly.

"It's okay if you don't know," Winter told him, "but don't let that fear hold you and tell you things that aren't true. Make that fear bow to your whims, I know you can, if anyone can do it, it's you. I believe in you."

"And if I can't?"

"I wouldn't be any less proud."

* * * * *

Urgh, Raios and Winter discussing love makes me all soft inside because it's some serious BEEP and makes me think of BEEP and BEEP and how BEEP just has so much shit that URGHHH.

Winter is the person that I always needed when I have panic attacks or I'm upset. Did I mention Whitley's panic attacks are exactly like mine? Blake talking about his problems are kinda like me as well - to someone trusted of course. I don't want to have a giant discussion on mental health sooo

But I'm back? Kinda? It's been rough this past month, hopefully it gets better but idk?

I have forgotten how to author. let's be real.

Oh about the name of the chapter, Falu is a deep red with cool undertones. I quite like it tbh. Suits the chapter.