Kari's arm whipped out, a vine uncurling from his wrist to reach for the canteen I tossed into the air. The vine's end reached out like a hand and wrapped around the canteen, grabbing it. His shoulders hunched as he let out a sigh of relief.

"I... actually grabbed it this time!" he breathed. The vine retracted, bringing the canteen to his outstretched hand.

"You did. Nice job!" I praised while Dew squeaked her approval from my shoulder. Kari's skills with Vine Whip were coming along more quickly than we both expected. After what happened in Nelthe, he'd insisted on trying to strengthen his offensive potential. And yeah, I could admit that I was proud of him for how much work he was putting into it.

Kari held the canteen to his chest, the vine slithering back into his wrist as he did so. I winced when I saw that he could only bend his arm halfway when he moved it.

"I-I wanna try a couple more times, at least until I can grab it again," he said, holding the canteen out to me. He had to turn his whole arm to hand it over, the twisting mobility of his forearm almost nonexistent now. I couldn't help but stare. Compared to Kari, I'd gotten off easy with the gash on my face. At least an ugly scar didn't restrict any movement. "Hey, stop it!" he said, the snappiness in his voice averting my gaze from his arm. "It's been almost three weeks since that happened, and I've gotten pretty used to it. I'm happy I can even use it in the first place."

I sighed. "Yeah, you're right," I said. "I just can't help it. Anyways, as long as you're feelin' okay, then you can practice a bit more." Casting spells that weren't used often, or casting an abundance of spells at once in general, tended to tire a magician out. Back in Nelthe, Kari probably would've stayed conscious if he hadn't cast Vine Whip.

"Maybe I should try throwing it next," Kari suggested. "Then you can get more practice with moving targets."

"I think the twenty or whatever bird Pokémon I've shot down can say I'm good enough," I said with a smirk. Kari laughed, and I tried to do so too, only to be overcome and interrupted by the scratchiness that had been building in my throat until then. I covered my mouth with the back of my hand, shoulders tensing as I was briefly wracked by a coughing fit.

"You still have that cold?" Kari said, concerned.

I nodded, sniffling loudly. "Thought it would've gone by now." I'd been unlucky enough to pick up a cold from someone in a town we passed through, probably Mayess since I started coughing the day after we left there.

After the lucky break in Nelthe, our visits to other towns had proved fruitless in terms of information about the purple-eyed man. All we knew was that he had a Vere-sounding name, was around six feet tall, wore heavy boots and a brown cloak, had dark hair and skin, and (obviously) had narrow purple eyes. Kari was of course ecstatic about how much information we'd collected, but I still had a more than healthy amount of skepticism and worry weighing on me. I tried to act positive though, because I knew Kari appreciated it.

"Then maybe we can try and get you some medicine or something when we get to Waywyn. If not there, then Hillcot or Veylei since they're so close by."

"Let's wait on Veylei. From what I've read, it's like another Erinne: a city, and a coastal city at that."

Kari nodded. "All right. So go for another throw?"

I raised my arm, preparing to throw overhand this time. "Yep."

We weren't lucky enough to catch a Pokémon that night. They'd been more scarce now, thanks to the growing cold. We ended up having to dig into some of the precious dried meat Kari had been trying to stockpile. He theorized that winter was just around the corner. With that, we might have to extend our stay in Waywyn since it wasn't too smart to be out in the open with no shelter. I didn't like that, but I didn't want to be caught dead in a snowstorm, both figuratively and literally.

"You're not eating?" Kari asked when he noticed I'd only given him and Dew food.

I shook my head. "I haven't been feelin' hungry today."

Kari raised an eyebrow. "You aren't hungry? Loto, are you really feeling okay?"

I shrugged. "I mean, I'm a bit more tired than usual. But I think it's because we've been moving about so much." Kari frowned and reached out a hand, touching my forehead before I could react. I jerked back. "What're you doing?"

"S-sorry. I should've asked," Kari apologized. "But you're warm... Maybe we should stop in Veylei first. A bigger town means we might have a better chance of finding someplace that sells medicine if you're really getting sick."

"Waywyn first, then Veylei," I insisted. "We're closer by, and Veylei's only a few hours from there."

"Fine," Kari sighed.

"I'll just fight it if I have to. I can't help you if I'm outta commision, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, you're right," he said, nodding. "That's pretty positive thinking there comin' from you," he joked.

I gave him a half-smile. "Maybe your demeanor's rubbing off on me or somethin'."

"It's about time," he said with a grin. "So that means when you find that man and learn who you are, you won't have any excuse not to smile!"

I shrugged, managing to laugh a bit. "I guess I won't."

The next morning I awoke to Kari calling my name. He almost always had to wake me up, and I'd be quick to do so. But I found it harder to get up this morning. I slowly pushed myself up into a sitting position, a hand flying to my head as a dull pain pulsed behind my eyes. I couldn't tell if it was a genuine headache or just pressure built up in my sinuses.

Of course, Kari was instantly worried. "You okay?"

"My head hurts," I muttered, massaging my closed eyelids with my thumb and index finger. "But it's fine," I lied, hoping Kari wouldn't say otherwise. "We can—" That plan was ruined when I broke down into a coughing fit. I flinched slightly as sharp stabs struck my chest with each cough.

"Yeah, no, forget Waywyn," Kari said. "We're going to Veylei."

"No!" I refused, my eyes narrowing into a glare. "I'm not goin' to another damn coastal town."

"Why not? It would only help us!" Kari said.

I shook my head. "You're the one who's with me, so I say where we go. We're headin' to Waywyn, and that's final!"

I didn't need to see Kari's and Dew's expressions to know I'd screwed up there. Kari looked crestfallen while electricity started to crackle at Dew's whiskers, her gaze spearing me with anger. Our improving relationship meant nothing in the face of Kari being hurt, and I knew that.

"I-I'm sorry!" I instantly apologized. "I shouldn't've yelled. I'm..." I hesitated. "I'm afraid of goin' to another coastal town." Given what had happened in Erinne and Nelthe, who wouldn't be? "There seem to be less guards in smaller towns," and almost no pirates, "so that's why I'm so insistent."

Kari perked up before sighing loudly. "You could've just said that before!" he said, exasperated.

"I didn't want to..." I said.

Kari flung his hands out to the side. "Obviously!" he exclaimed. His overreaction made me laugh a bit, which brightened Kari's attitude a little. "Can you eat something before we go? You hadn't eaten since yesterday." I refused, actually feeling a bit queasy at the thought. "Then drink something. Aster told me that you need to drink a lot of water when you're sick." He took the canteen out of my bag and practically shoved it into my hands.

"All right, fine." I poured some water into my hand before drinking it. If I hadn't already contaminated the water, I wasn't about to do it now.

After maybe three or so handfuls I put the canteen away and immediately buried my hands under my arms, clenching and unclenching my freezing fingers to work some feeling back into them. It was so cold out now.

"I had my water, let's go," I said, trying to smirk. Kari rolled his eyes, and I couldn't help but tousle his hair, messing it up more than it already was.

   Tucked away between the gently rolling hills and some farmland was the town of Waywyn. Despite the buildings being the same cobblestone I'd grown used to seeing in Tranquelum's other towns, Waywyn also looked like it was being swallowed by nature. Many of the buildings were covered in browning ivy vines, and dirt paths were more abundant than stone. It was a nice change of scenery, which was appreciated since the surrounding land was so unchanging.

Kari insisted on sticking with me as we searched for information, though I could tell that he was more focused on other things. The town's apothecary really caught his interest, and the determined glint in his eye already told me what he wanted to do.

"I thought you didn't like stealing," I said.

Kari frowned. "I don't. But if it'll help you, then I will," he said.

"Then wait until later," I said. "Let's get all the info we can before we start drawin' attention to ourselves." Kari glanced from me to the shop before sighing and following me.

The day drew to a close with nothing to show for it. I cursed under my breath between coughs. Kari was right, we should've just gone to Veylei first. Well, we couldn't go back in time, so we just had to accept that this had been a waste.

Evening brought a freezing wind, one that would put out a fire in seconds if it were lit outside. Despite my refusals, Kari insisted that we stay the night in what he thought was an abandoned woodshed. It was situated behind one of the more rundown-looking homes close to the edge of town. The holes in the roof were probably what made him think it was abandoned. It made for half-decent shelter, something that was nearly foreign in my mind.

Like usual, Kari started making a fire. Leftover chunks of wood in the shed combined with part of a shirt we'd stolen from a clothesline made for half-decent kindling. I would've objected to a fire, but there were more than enough places for smoke to escape from. Also, what Kari was setting up was small, not enough to catch the place on fire.

The moment the fire got going, Kari started to leave. "I'll be back in a bit. Stay with him, Dew," he said. "Don't go anywhere," he told me.

"Like hell I won't," I scoffed. "If you're gonna rob that apothecary, then let me help."

"No, you're gonna rest. We need to get rid of this before it gets worse, and you tiring yourself out won't help things."

Why did he have to be right? "Then take Dew with you. Her Nuzzle would help you more than me." Kari seemed reluctant, but he eventually gave in and left, Dew perched on one shoulder and my satchel slung over his other.

I sighed and sat down, leaning back against the wall. I was secretly glad I didn't go. My whole body ached, dull, nagging pain digging at my arms and legs. Putting a hand to my forehead, I was disheartened and frustrated to feel definite heat. But in spite of the fever, I was cold. Really cold. I pulled up my hood before trying to cocoon myself in my cloak. Some warmth began to build because of the enclosed space I'd made, and combined with the fire, the shivering that had been plaguing me started to lessen.

"Dammit," I groaned. That cold had been annoying enough, and now it was turning into this? Even if Kari brought something back, would it work? Was it already too late? Eventually my head began to grow foggy as fatigue started to win over me, but I forced myself to stay awake. I needed to make sure Kari came back.

I nearly found myself dozing off when sudden footsteps outside jolted me awake. A couple wild Sentret had passed by earlier, but they hadn't come this close. Fear fought through the haze in my head at who it could be. Relief then struck me when I heard Kari whispering my name. I tried to respond with a "yeah," and a cough came out instead. This was good enough for Kari though, as he and Dew entered the shed. The boy had a hopeful smile on his face, and he held my satchel close to him.

"I did it! I got something," he whispered excitedly, falling to his knees next to me. He began digging in the satchel, pulling out some kind of small bottle filled with dark liquid. Then, to my surprise, he took out a couple bread rolls. "You were right when you said that they throw this stuff out," Kari said.

"Of course I am," I tried to say brightly. "Where'd you think I got that stuff in Canen last week?"

He smiled, holding one out in my direction. "It's pretty stale, but that's fine, right?" I stared at the roll, swallowing thickly. Kari frowned. "Come on, Loto. You need to eat something." He struggled to tear it, soon managing to roughly rip it in half. "Even if it's not a whole one, okay?" Just to make him happy I took it, only eating it in small crumbs.

"So what'd else you get?" I asked.

Kari read the label on the bottle. "Um, it's Bluk berry syrup. I remember Aster telling me that it's supposed to alleviate flu symptoms, and hopefully that's all you have. I asked the store owner if I was right before Dew used Nuzzle on her."

Dew squeaked, looking proud of herself.

"Okay. But... what if this doesn't work?" I asked with slight worry. Healers weren't really an option for us. Nobody would treat a street urchin, since it would be a waste of supplies. And worse would happen if we had to go to a healer and they found out we were magicians.

"Then you'll fight through it, like you said," Kari tried joking. "But if not, we'll just think of somethin' else. We've found ways to get around a lot of things, right?" He smiled. "Since we don't have a way of measuring this stuff, try to take half a mouthful or something."

I nodded and took a small swig of the syrup, surprised at how sweet it was. "Wow, wasn't expecting that," I said with a cough, wiping my mouth. Kari didn't answer, and I looked to see what he was doing. He wasn't looking at me, but at the dirt floor. He was almost transfixed, like he wasn't even here. I snapped my fingers loudly, which managed to bring him back to attention. "Let me turn the tables and ask you this," I started, "are you okay? You looked like you were someplace else."

"Oh, I was thinking about the apothecary," he said, his eyes lighting up. "You should've seen it, it was amazing. It was just a single room, but it was packed with herbs and tonics and powders and everything a healer could want! I really wish I could've stayed longer and tried to learn more about everything there..."

My heart sank. "You could've stayed if you really wanted to," I said. "I wasn't gonna go anywhere."

"But I had to get back here to you. I wanna make sure you're gonna be okay, because..." He hesitated, looking sheepish. "You're important to me. Really, really important. Is that weird to say?"

"O-of course not!" I shook my head. "I care about you too, and because of that I don't want you to sacrifice your happiness. I've already done that enough by dragging you around the Far Plains with me on this crazy chase."

"Why do you think I stayed? It's because of you," he said, smiling.

My face fell slack at that, my mouth dropping open a bit. I knew he cared, but not that much. My jaw hardened as I smiled, my eyes clenched shut so I wouldn't tear up. "Thanks, Kari."

—~*~—

Cold. I was so cold. It was like the cold that filled me when I transformed, but it was somehow more visceral. I curled up into a ball, wrapping my cloak around me as my body was wracked by horrible shudders. Lukewarm air barely heated the enclosed space, provided by breaths that had been filtered by invisible, throat-stabbing needles that gouged whenever I dared to try and swallow.

A painful spasm started in my chest, building until I had to release it in a lung-wrenching cough. With the cough came a horrid-tasting substance that contaminated my mouth. Disgusted, I ungracefully spat it out onto the ground.

"Loto?" Kari asked tiredly, surely having been awoken by me.

No, it wasn't enough. I kept coughing, trying to rid myself of the vile stuff before collapsing into a wretched heap. Although I'd wrung myself out like a rag, there was still more, bubbling and cracking in my chest with each breath I took.

"Loto!" Kari's voice was more alert now. He was by my side in an instant. "I'm going to touch you, okay? I need to check your fever."

Even with the warning, I still flinched when Kari's fingers lightly brushed aside the layers of damp hair that had spilled from my Ponyta-tail and clung to my face. "This would be easier if you cut your hair, y'know?" he tried to joke, but the attempt was instantly lost. His fingers then touched my forehead, and they jerked back like he'd been shocked. "You're burning up!" he gasped.

   It sure as hell doesn't feel like it, I thought with a faint groan.

Kari's voice fell into a frantic mutter. "Wh-what did Aster say? Uh, cool compresses and coolness in general. So, um, that means..." I dimly watched as he dug through my stachel, taking out the canteen and the cleanest of my bandages. He wadded them up before wetting them with water. "Here, I need to place these on your forehead."

I shrunk back. "A-are you crazy? It's so cold," I refused, turning my face away from the freezing air.

"I know," Kari said. I could hear the worry in his voice. His tone then strengthened. "But we have to do this. We need to break your fever, and keeping you cool is the only way we can do it. I don't think the air itself is cold enough for this. Just at least let me do this, please."

I nodded, embarrassed for acting like such a child. I let out a wheeze of a gasp when he placed the makeshift compress on my forehead. The new source of cold was horrible yet brought an odd sense of relief at the same time.

"With the air like this, it should be enough to keep that cool, so we aren't using more water than we should." Kari had gone back to his muttering, his face twisted in nervous concentration. "But the fire's low, and there's no more wood..." He looked at me and said more loudly, "Um, I-I'll be back in a few minutes. Dew, watch him." Kari sprung to his feet and ran out of the shed, leaving Dew in the dust. She looked from me to the door, unsure.

"Go with him, I-I'll be fine," I said. Dew looked at me appreciatively before running after her partner.

For what felt like hours I laid there, unable to stop shivering. Still, I could feel the sweat slowly dripping down my face. Even when I forced myself to sit up, fatigue dragged at my consciousness, threatening to pull it away from me. But I couldn't fall asleep, not without knowing that Dew and Kari were okay.

It was difficult, but I did fight it until they returned. Somehow, this kid had managed to haul a sizable hunk of firewood back here. Seeing that, I just hoped that nobody would catch on to the fact that someone was stealing their wood. But Kari didn't look too happy.

"Loto, you should be laying down!" he said. "And did you tell Dew to come find me? I thought something was wrong!"

"I didn't want you to be alone out there," I said. "I obviously can't go with you..."

Kari's expression softened. "Thank you, but I'm not the sick one here. You're higher priority than me." He added the log to the fire, and the dim glow that had lit the room soon brightened, bringing with it a warmth that was barely felt by me. Then Kari turned back to me, holding out the canteen. "Since you're sitting up, here, I filled the canteen while I was out." I'd been thirsty for a little while now, but I couldn't bring myself to drink.

"I-I'll get you sick," I objected, trying to push it away. But Kari persisted.

"You need to drink," he said firmly, his eyes holding that authoritative look I knew well.

I relented and took the canteen, which was absolutely frigid in my hands. But after taking a sip, I didn't care. The water was the only thing I didn't mind was cold, freezing my throat but soothing it at the same time. I kept drinking, relieved to finally be able to swallow properly without choking on invisible needles or mucus.

"We should save a bit," Kari said. "Do you think you can eat something?" I forced myself to eat, knowing I had to. That seemed to bring some relief to Kari. "You should sleep now," he said. "I'll keep the fire going no matter what." I nodded, slumping back down onto the ground. Darkness lapped at the corners of my vision, though I still wasn't ready to surrender to it.

"I'm sorry," I said with a cough. "I said I'd fight this, b-but already I can't."

"You don't need to apologize," Kari said as he put the canteen away. "And thanks to your help training me, I think I can handle things now if I need to defend myself."

The pride I felt for him almost hurt, though it was a pain I would've welcomed. "Y-you're right. Still... don't do anything stupid," I said. I reached out and grabbed his hand, making him look at me. "Please," I pleaded.

Kari smiled, moving his other hand to mine. He held my hand with both of his, giving it a brief squeeze. "I won't. Now get some sleep." He didn't need to say any more as my eyes unwillingly shut then, the darkness accepting me into its numb embrace.

Sleep was usually warm. But this time it was cold, like I was submerged in ice-water. I was aware of the blackness around me, deep and viscous. My throat was seizing, chest aching as my lungs struggled to take in air, but it wasn't because I was drowning.

   I didn't like this. I had to escape, and the surface was somewhere. But no matter how much I flailed, I couldn't reach it. Words and sensations leaked through the iciness to me, images flickering in my peripheries, though I wasn't sure if they were real or not.

"Stay with him this time."

The vague warmth of fire. It was just out of reach, however.

"I couldn't get them to dismiss this, Natia."

Flashes of lamplight, rain pouring outside. It always rained this time of year.

"If they catch you, they'll likely suspect him as well!"

I ducked out of sight, my heart pounding. Confusion, utter cluelessness. Did I know this voice?

"Please, Dew."

I knew that voice. I thought I'd told him to take her with him...

"We're leaving, Loto. We'll be safer."

Navy tresses falling over darkly tanned skin. Gentle green eyes, wrinkles tugging at their corners. Worry. What?

"Hopefully she can meet us there."

"Who?" I tried asking, but the word was lost before I could even open my mouth.

"Are you still asleep?"

Someone was nearby, next to me. I couldn't see them. I didn't need to worry though. I knew them, didn't I?

"Please, you need to drink something. It's been too long."

I then broke through the surface, coughing and hacking. Sour sludge spilled from my mouth with saliva, wrung from my lungs. Once I finished, I felt a hard rim press against my lips. I knew what it was. Water. Real, tangible water. I was so thirsty that I almost inhaled it, desperate to relieve the agony in my throat. It was good, it was so damn good. I whimpered when the canteen was taken away, blindly reaching out for it.

"Th-there's no more, Loto. I'll have to go fill it up." My eyes opened a sliver, and Kari's face swam in my vision. Why did he look so tired? He'd looked fine before. I slipped beneath the surface again before I could ask, and I floated away.

   I didn't know how long I spent in that blackness, suspended on a strange border between awareness and unawareness. I hated it, but I figured it was my home now. I spent what felt like years there, resurfacing every so often only to accept water from Kari or try and fail to speak to him.

Kari, Dew... I missed them. Here, I was alone again.

In this place, I didn't know hunger for once. There was no thirst or exhaustion either, just a strange limbo. Instead of comforting me, it scared me. What would happen to me if I stayed here? What would happen to Kari and Dew? The worst things could be happening to them, and I wouldn't know.

No, I can't stay here any longer!

I summoned all the strength I could and yet again tried to fight against the blackness, struggling with all my might. I had to get out of here, I had to make sure they were okay. Then after far too long, I broke through.

I jolted awake, my eyes only opening halfway before the urge to sink back down struck me. I still fought it, forcing my limbs to move, pushing me up onto my elbows. No firelight greeted me, neither did Kari. Instead, Dew awoke with a start. She'd been sleeping next to me, waking when I had. I ignored her concerned squeaks and blearily glanced about the shed.

The fire had gone out, only a faint red glow remaining in the embers. The world beyond the hole in the roof said that it was either sunset or sunrise, faded orange filtering through gray clouds. Wind howled, beating against the walls of the shed. But most worrying of all, Kari was nowhere to be seen.

"D-Dew, where—" I collapsed into coughing, my eyes watering. "Wh-where is... K-Kari?" I wheezed. She too looked around before turning back to me, her eyes filled with worry. My heart twisted. "Kari..!" My legs shook as I stood, and I leaned against the wall for support. Weakness and pain consumed every part of me, but I started to move for the door. Dew squeaked before climbing up to my shoulder.

I pushed open the thin slab of wood serving as the door, only to be blasted with an icy gale. Dew buried her face into my shoulder, and I threw up my hands to cover my face. Cold specks peppered my hands and face where I wasn't covering it. When I peered through my fingers, I was greeted with a brown, dead landscape with flecks of white whirling through the air at a harsh speed.

Snow. It was snow.

Besides the snow and the shapes of the houses, I didn't see anything else, least of all a small, blonde Grass magician.

"Kari?" My voice came out ragged and weak, buried under the wind. I dared to step out. "Kari, a-are you out there?" Still nothing. I continued to walk, yelling Kari's name as loud as I could. Being seen be damned, none of that mattered right now.

I didn't see my satchel when I looked around the shed. Maybe he'd gone to the well to refill the canteen, and the storm had caught him off-guard, so he'd decided to lay low. That had to be it. The well was near the center of town, so I lowered my head and walked into the wind.

The road felt like it was so far away from where I was. I was moving at such a slow pace, and it killed me. One painfully small step after another, but it was all I could manage.

   My breath hitched before I started a coughing fit, falling to my knees as my strength was diverted to help expel the gunk from my lungs. I felt Dew's paw on my face as she patted it comfortingly. I coughed a small "thanks" to her, genuinely appreciative of the gesture.

Minutes seemed to pass before I recovered, finding it hard to even straighten up as I felt too cold to move. But when I did, my eyes widened. Somebody was collapsed on the ground ahead, just visible around the corner of a house. Wisps of blonde hair whipped about in the wind.

"Kari!" I launched myself forwards, crawling through the dusting of snow in a desperate scramble to reach him. I grabbed his shoulder as soon as I was close enough, shaking him. "K-Kari?" I got no response. I rolled him over, seeing his closed eyes. He was... unconscious? "Kari, w-wake up!" I called, shaking him again.

Dew leapt down onto his chest, scampering up to his face. "De!" She whirled around, looking panicked. She tapped his cheek while staring at me. Confused, I put a hand to his face. Where I expected warm skin, I felt none of that. He was cold, way too cold, and the breaths escaping him were very faint.

"Kari?" I laughed nervously, my frozen lips struggling to stretch into a smile. "C-c'mon, Kari. Wake up."

Just take him back, my mind said. I tried to stand and pull him with me, but to no avail. I had no strength left, not even to stand up myself. What the hell was this? I was able to drag him a couple weeks ago, and I couldn't even attempt it now!

I looked at Dew. "Go find s-somebody," I demanded. Dew flinched, startled and confused. "I know, but I don't care, dammit! Find somebody now! I-I'll keep him warm." Without hesitation she ran off, an orange flash vanishing into brown and white.

There was no way I was leaving Kari out in the open like this while I waited for Dew. I pulled him close to me, opening my cloak so I could try and cover him while wrapping my arms around him. The cloak was big enough thankfully. "C'mon, wake up," I muttered. "I'm here, y-you're here, we're both here. So wake up..!"

I kept shaking him, calling his name, trying to wake him up. I even resorted to slapping him. Just something, anything. But still, nothing. His body grew colder in my arms, his breaths slowing.

   A new pain had been building in my chest this whole time, and I finally let it out. A sob.

"K-Kari, don't you dare do this to me!" I cried. "Y-you're still breathing, s-so wake up! Wake up so I-I can see that s-smile of yours! Wake the hell up, d-dammit!" I clutched him to my chest, sobbing. "Wake up..!"

I didn't know how long we sat there in the snow like that, me holding Kari while I cried and coughed. The blackness started its pull again, and part of me wanted to give in. I was so tired, I hurt so much, I was so cold. But I couldn't. I had to make sure Kari would be okay no matter what. I sobbed more, purposefully coughed as hard as I could, using the wracking motions to keep me awake.

But soon my remaining strength started to die out as I grew numb. Eventually, I couldn't feel Kari in my arms anymore. I slumped over onto the ground, and fortunately I was holding Kari so tightly that he still remained close to me, even in spite of my grip going limp. I'd ceased to sob, the only sounds being the howling wind and what sounded like somebody's voice in the distance. But they were too far away for me to even try to call to.

Kari, I'm... so sorry, I thought blearily. My eyelashes were encrusted with snow, obscuring what little vision I had left. But I could still make out part of Kari's face, being his closed eyes as the rest of his face was buried in my shirt. I wanted to close my eyes too. I was just so tired...

My mind started to spiral. Maybe it was for the best that I went to sleep. I'd wake up eventually, and Kari would be there. Maybe he'd be smiling this time. He knew how much I loved to see him smile, and I'd smile back because I knew the same could be said for him. I'd smile so damn much for him because I knew he wanted me to.

With that thought, my mind gave out. That small glimpse of Kari's face was lost, and I succumbed to the cold once again.

—~*~—

I didn't expect to wake again, but when I did, I was greeted with a feeling of warmth. Wherever I was, it was warm, beautifully, amazingly warm. I stirred, hesitantly feeling about with my fingers. I was laying on something soft, and something else was covering me from the chin down. It couldn't have been my cloak, the material wasn't as thick as this.

My eyes fluttered open, and my vision was graced by gentle yellow light. It took me a minute to process things since my head felt like it was full of Mareep wool, but the gears soon started turning again.

Groggily, my gaze wandered about, quickly landing on the oil lantern placed on a small table next to the bed I was in. Wait, bed? I pushed myself up onto my elbows, wincing at the aches that shot through my muscles.

The room, obviously a bedroom, was furnished simply. A dresser and bookshelf were the only other pieces of furniture in here. Walls with wooden support beams were positioned at each corner and stretched across the ceiling, and a single window was concealed by deep green curtains. Where exactly was I?

   I looked down at myself, seeing that I was dressed in a simple, light, long-sleeved shirt and pants. Looking at my hands, there was no dirt or dust on them whatsoever. I then ran a hand through my hair that hung loose about my shoulders, surprised at the texture. It was... clean. A deep shudder ran through me, disgust accompanying it. Somebody had obviously cleaned and redressed me. The gesture seemed to have no ill intent behind it at the moment, but that didn't relieve the horrible sense of violation I felt.

The door creaked open, and my head snapped to face it. Nobody entered, which unnerved me further.

   "H-hello?" I called nervously. There was no answer until a blur of brown and tan leapt onto the bed. Yeah, I could admit that I screamed when that happened. I was baffled when I met the wide-eyed gaze of a Lillipup.

   I didn't say anything, and it didn't say anything, just stared at me. Then its tongue lolled out of its mouth as it let out a loud sniff. It moved closer to me, its movements toddled by the fact that it was actually missing a leg, the right front one. In spite of the dog appearing harmless, that didn't stop me from trying to back away as ice instinctually seeped through my veins.

   "No, Bard! How did you get in here?" a voice whispered harshly. Someone else entered the room, being a child. For a moment my heart leapt with relief and joy as I thought it was Kari. Then it fell when it became clear that it wasn't him. This kid had silver eyes and ash-blonde hair, even a similar facial structure to Kari, but it wasn't him. In fact, I couldn't really tell if the kid was a boy or a girl. Also, a Pidgey of all Pokémon was perched on their shoulder.

Before I could say or do anything, the kid looked at me. Their eyes widened in surprise, and they turned to look out of the room.

"Mother, Father, he's awake!" the kid called out, the sudden noise making the Pidgey startle. With a squawk, the bird leapt from the kid's shoulder and relocated to the bookcase. The kid ignored their Pokémon's outcry, turning back to me and smiling. "Hello. I'm sorry if I startled you with that, but my parents told me to call for them when you awoke," they said apologetically, shooing the Lillipup off the bed. "How are you feeling?"

I was caught off-guard by the kid's formal tone. "Um, I-I'm fine, surprisingly." I coughed then, and it wasn't at all violent or painful, nor did I hack up anything with it.

"That's good to hear," the kid said. "You were in a terrible state when I found you. Half-frozen, fever through the roof, far much more. It was rather frightening. You weren't even responsive the first few days you were here. Now two weeks later you're sitting up and talking." There was a degree of reverence and admiration in their voice.

   "T-two weeks?" I was trying to process that when a familiar Dedenne climbed up onto the bed. "Hey, Dew," I said with a relieved smile. "Seems like you're okay. But why isn't Kari with you? Is he sleeping?" Dew's face fell, her ears drooping. "Dew..?" She said nothing, slowly shaking her head. My heart began pounding, my stomach churning with dread. I looked up at the kid, my voice cold but frantic when I spoke. "There was a boy with me, looked a lot like you. Where is he? Is he okay?"

The kid visibly tensed. "I-I don't think I should—"

Two more people joined the kid at the door, probably their parents. The father looked the most like the kid, except his eyes were dark brown instead of silver. Those eyes had come from the mother, who had long, light brown hair done up in a braid. The mother smiled warmly at me when we made eye contact.

"Hello there. I'm sure you must be confused about where you are and who we are," she said. "You're still in Waywyn, on the north side. My name is Iga Nosek. This is my husband Alan, and that is our child Cyryl." Alan nodded when his name was mentioned, smiling as well. In contrast to their parents' sunniness, Cyryl looked very uncomfortable.

"Mother, he asked about the other boy..." they said. Iga's expression fell, and her husband's mouth formed into a tight line as he looked away. I already knew something was wrong, and this reaffirmed it. The churning in my gut tightened into a sickening knot.

"Wh-what happened to Kari?" I asked.

Iga let out a breath. "I don't know how to say this gently... but your friend passed away," she said. "It happened just before we brought you here. I'm very sorry."