This was it. After countless hours and years spent wondering and daydreaming and speculating about what was outside the paneled walls and stone boundaries that made up his entire world, he was finally getting answers. Variables would cease to be so, and his equations would be that much more accurate and defined. No longer would he be powerless to stop the injustices heaped upon his friends, either. Finally, the day had come when he was ready; ready to fulfill his destiny, to prove himself worthy of the honor he had been bestowed with only days ago, but had been preparing for his entire life.

N Harmonia took a deep breath and consciously forced his steps to remain even and paced perfectly with his father's. It would not do to seem overeager. That would be childish, and if there was one thing a king shouldn't be, it was childish. He no longer had the luxury of childhood and no heavier burdens than deciding if he should play with his trains or basketball next. He was a king now, the King of a noble organization made up of valiant men and women that would look to him for guidance. He had to make sure he could give them such, and to do that, he must look the part of the wise and just king.

Staircase after staircase the two descended, twisting through hallways and past dark corridors N had never dared to explore. Soon the halls he had become familiar with over the years were left behind, and it was an entirely new section of his castle that he was being led through, steadily sinking lower and lower. The young man nearly faltered in his steps, slightly nervous from his lack of recognition of these walls and floors, but he managed to maintain a cool and confident expression. His father knew where they were going, and that should be good enough for him. Besides, he was about to venture into completely unknown territory alone. It would be best to get used to the feeling of not knowing where he was now.

His father had stopped, and N did as well. They stood before a simple wooden ladder that rose to a rectangle of roof that was shaded slightly lighter than the surrounding tiles. A thin crack separated this rectangle from its surroundings, and hints of light flowed through it.

"My king," Ghetsis addressed simply, "this is the only way to the outside world from the castle. Step through the trapdoor, and begin your journey."

N bowed his head in understanding. He willed his voice to be as calm and smooth as his father's. "Thank for your guidance, Sage Ghetsis." He had felt tempted to refer to the older man next to him as Father, but a lifetime of conditioning against it squashed the feeling the moment had inspired.

He reached a pale hand out and curled it around one of the ladders rungs. His right foot, clad in a brand-new green sneaker, rested itself on the bottom rung, and slowly, N climbed up to the hidden trapdoor.

He laid his palms flat against the wooden rectangle, the area worn smooth from constant use. Only then did Ghetsis speak again.

"You will find yourself at the base of a mountain. This mountain is riddled with caves and infested with trainers." Disgust filled the final word, disgust N felt every bit as strongly. "You will not have to travel through it, though. Head in the opposite direction, and you will reach a tunnel that will lead you to a path that will take you down to a town called Opelucid City. West of the city is a large bridge - the Tubeline Bridge. Cross it, and you will be at the Moors of Iccirus. Team Plasma will be assembling there and beginning our campaign across Unova."

N nodded. "How long is the trip?"

"If you are quick about it, you should arrive before night falls." There was something in Ghetsis' voice, though, something that hinted at discontent in his words.

N frowned. "Is there any reason why I would not be quick about it?"

Ghetsis narrowed his eyes. "You have never been to a city before, my king, and you barely remember anything about the countryside you lived in before I brought you here. I simply worry that you will become distracted by all the sights and sounds and lose your way."

N scowled. "I am not a child anymore, Sage Ghetsis. I will not be so easily diverted from our ideals by pretty lights and trees."

"I do not doubt your dedication, my king -" Ghetsis began to weave his delicate words (an ability N often admired in his advisor - he himself was nowhere near as skilled with the art of speech-making), but N cut him off.

"Then I shall proceed as planned. We have spoken of this before, and my answer remains the same. I need to experience the world without you by my side, for one day you will not be available for me to call upon. It is best that I learn to function on my own, and now is the best time to start. That is an order, Sage Ghetsis." N added a bit firmly. He was king, after all; his word was final, no matter what Ghetsis thought.

Ghetsis sighed. "Very well, my king."

"Thank you. I shall take my leave now." Turning back to the trapdoor, N balanced his weight on the rung he stood on and used both hands to push against the door. Slowly, the door rose up, opening into cool night air. Quickly, N gave another push, and heard the door thud against the ground, the hinges creaking slightly in protest. He laid his hands on the ground outside, feeling something tickle his palms as he did, and quickly pulled himself out of the hallway, taking his first steps out of the castle in over 14 years.

He shut the trapdoor back, and in the tunnel below, Ghetsis finally let himself scowl. He opened his mouth to bark a command, but the ones he sought were already at his side, appearing from the shadows like wraiths.

Three hazy figures, clothed in gray and black with only the paleness of their skin and their shocks of white hair to break the darkness, stood side by side before falling to their knees and bowing.

". . . Yes?" The figure in the center rasped.

"Follow the boy. Make sure he does not wind up in any trouble or attracting the wrong kind of attention with his foolish ways."

". . . Yes, Lord Ghetsis." The figures spoke in unison, before rising to their feet and melting into the shadows.

N automatically shut the trapdoor behind him, then turned to look at his surroundings. It was night; a dazzling full moon almost glaringly bright hung in the sky, and specks of stars dotted across the navy canvas of sky. A forest of trees stood off to the distance on his left, and straight in front of him indeed sat a large mountain, dozens of Pokémon voices clamoring inside; a few, N noted with distaste, spoke of trainers that had passed through early that day. To his right, a path ran from the north, past him, and in the opposite direction of the mountain. This must be the trail Ghetsis had told him about.

N took a breath, and fresh air flooded his lungs. Fresh air . . . it caught in his throat in shock, and he quickly took in another great gulp of the chilled night air. He had not tasted fresh air in so long . . . he had forgotten what it smelled like.

Wind curled around his feet, flapping the ends of his khaki pants gently, and weaved its fingers through his long hair, teasing the green locks as it attempted to carry them away with it. Cold breeze graced the back of his neck and caused his shirt to bellow slightly open, making chills run down his spine. He let out a soft giggle at the almost giddy feeling rising from his stomach. The wind! How could he have forgotten what the wind felt like trailing along his skin?

It was so open here. There were no walls, no ceiling, no confines of any type. N spread his arms out wide, reveling in the space. He could move in any direction and never have to stop, he realized.

He took a step forward, and felt something squish beneath his foot. Dew-spotted grass, glimmering just like the stars above. The 19-year-old sunk to his knees and curled his fingers in the damp grass, rubbing the blades between his fingers. He bent closer to the ground and took another deep breath, letting the nearly-forgotten and greatly missed smells of dirt and plants and earth fill him up.

Home. That was the only word that he could think of to describe the feeling swelling up inside of him. He was home.

He tried to dismiss that disloyal thought - the castle was his home, it had been for a good 14 years - but still the feeling of returning to where he belonged clouded his mind. Had the woods really made that lasting an impression on him? He consciously remembered very little about his five years among the wild Pokémon of Unova, but everything about the outdoors was screaming at him Welcome back!

"Do you remember?" A voice spoke to him. N jumped - he had nearly forgotten. He was not alone.

"Almost." He answered. "It's on the tip of my tongue. Nearly there, but not quite, like trying to remember the next number in the Fibonacci Sequence."

A black foxlike Pokémon poked its head out from where it was burrowed in N's mane of hair. "Well, you were young. I'm surprised you remember as much as you do."

"How I could forget Woobat, Darmanitan, and you finding me in the woods and taking me in?"

"True, but that's about it, isn't it?" Zorua inquired.

N reluctantly nodded as he stood. "Yes, I remember bits and pieces of life between then and Ghetsis finding us, but not much about the woods themselves, mainly you three and the other Pokémon we had met. It's . . . a shock, coming back. I believe I've missed it."

"I should hope so. How could you ever compare the world to that room of yours?" Zorua leapt down to the ground and stretched out.

"You know very well I stayed in that room so I would be safe." N sighed, not wanting to start up the years-old argument.

"Whatever." Zorua dismissed. "Where to?"

"Ghetsis said that this trail would take us down to the nearest town, and then going west would bring us to the Moors of Iccirus, where other members of Team Plasma are gathering to move out around the region. I assume we will learn more about how we will carry out our mission there."

"Well then, let's go." Zorua padded across the grass to the firmly packed dirt path and began walking down it. N followed, and after only a short hesitation, stepped onto the path to the outside world as well.