Drip.

Drip. Drip.

The vision of white faded into a darkness that quickly flickered to dim light. A chill blew against my skin and as I breathed, a cloud escaped my lips and soared into the air before swiftly perishing. My surroundings were rock. I could only assume that I was in a cave.

"Careful with the water, little one." A voice echoed off the cold walls and reached my ears, causing my body to tense up in a panic.

I turned to where the voice came from and quickly stepped into the shadows. The only light leaked through the cracked stone roof. In fear, I sunk deeper into the darkness and held my breath.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

"Are we almost there?" A much younger voice asked in curiosity as the echo of the owner's footsteps grew closer.

"Be patient." The older voice chided softly. "We entered only a few minutes ago."

I watched as a warm source of light started to slowly grow as the two individuals approached. For a moment, I feared that the two would spot me but then reassured myself that I was far enough to not draw attention.

Once the identity of the two was revealed, I felt my breath hitch. Despite them being much younger, I knew who they were.

Zinnia and her grandmother.

Splash.

"Eep!" Zinnia exclaimed as she almost stumbled into a puddle of clear water. Her grandmother was quick, grabbing the smaller girl by Zinnia's shirt to prevent her from getting herself wet.

"I told you to be careful," Zinnia's grandmother sighed and shone the torch, that she carried, forward. "Onwards, little dragon."

Young Zinnia quickened her pace and made a face of determination. It was adorable considering this was a child trying to be serious and mature. As they disappeared from my vision, I started to follow them, making sure to stay in the shadows.

The slow walk came to an end in a few short minutes as the tunnel of the cave led into an opening. Space contained a waterfall and carved walls with an unknown language and cryptic drawings. In the center, there was a broad smooth rectangular-shaped stone. Above a small opening allowed moonlight to flood through onto a girl who sat cross-legged. She seemed to be a teenager.

Zinnia's grandmother slowed down as they grew closer to the teenager. Zinnia instinctively went to grab her grandmother's hand as there was a sudden shift in the atmosphere. Zinnia looked at the unknown teenager with a look of wonder. Her grandmother's eyes were flooded with respect as she stopped a small distance from the stone the girl sat on.

"Aster," The elder dipped down to the girl. Zinnia stood there frozen for a moment before she was nudged by her grandmother to copy her stance. The young girl obeyed and mimicked the position with a clumsiness.

Aster looked at them with analytical concentration. Her light blue eyes made her seem wiser and older despite her looks. She motioned a hand, requesting the two to straighten themselves and then she parted her lips to speak. "Is this the seven-year-old that the village has been discussing with me?"

"Ye-"

"Hello, my name is Zinnia!"

The elder's expression was one of shock and fear as her granddaughter spoke out of turn. She looked in panic at Zinnia then towards Aster.

"Zinnia." The lorekeeper echoed and stared off distantly. Her eyes searched for a moment and then seemed to land on me. My body stiffened in response and for a second, I thought she would call out to me. Instead, her gaze focused back on the two Draconids in front of her. "Your name is a flower in the Hoenn region."

Zinnia's grandmother seemed rather relieved that Aster reacted in a much more calmer way than probably expected. Her granddaughter looked at Aster with an interest at the mention of Hoenn. "Where is that?"

"Not far from here," Aster replied simply.

"Can I go there?"

"One day."

"When?"

"Not anytime soon," Aster then turned her attention to Zinnia's grandmother. "Has she shown any signs of abilities?"

"She has night terrors," The elder replied then paused for a moment as she glanced at Zinnia. The girl's focus was now on the waterfall as she gazed thoughtfully at it. "She tends to exclaim things about a meteorite and The Dragonhark Altar. When I ask her about her outbursts, she never shows any sign of remembering them."

Aster's eyes widened for a moment then she immediately calmed. "So, she is the one. The one in the prophecy. She will be the one to summon the mighty legendary Rayquaza."

"Yes, I believe so."

"I feel a sense of pleasure to know that my apprentice will be of your blood," Aster hummed with a soft expression. "I am in your debt after everything you have done for me."

"It is what your parents would have wanted."

Aster blinked and then looked towards Zinnia, who had strayed from her grandmother's side and was near the waterfall now. The elder was immediately alarmed at the realization and made a movement to go retrieve her. Aster signaled for the older woman to leave her be. "She is a curious one. Her nature will be perfect for her apprenticeship."

"It is hard to keep her in the village. She always journeys off with my Flygon. Thankfully Flygon has managed to keep her safe."

"She needs her own pokemon."

"I believe Zinnia is a little too young for one."

Aster's eyes flashed for a moment and a frown formed on her lips. "No one is ever too young to own a pokemon. That is a custom, modern society has decided. There is nothing wrong with a child being given responsibility."

"Aster, I didn't mean anything like that."

"Silence," Aster said and then called to Zinnia. "Come here, Vibrant Flower!"

Zinnia turned towards them, a look of confusion plastered on her face in response to the name. She paused for a moment then approached the two older individuals. "Yes?"

Aster gave a look of sudden intensity at the red-eyed girl. "From this moment on, you are my student. You will follow every one of my commands and if you fail to accomplish my orders, there will be consequences. Zinnia, you are an heiress, you will be a fully trained lorekeeper by the time I give to the ground."

I winced at the serious words. It seemed a little too much for a seven-year-old. You could practically feel the weight in every word Aster had said. Even Zinnia's grandmother seemed overwhelmed as if she was the one in Zinnia's position.

"Okay!" Zinnia replied to Aster as if what she had been told was a normal thing. A smile, that was familiar to me, spread across her face and the girl gave an excited bounce. "What are we doing first?"

Aster's brows furrowed for a moment then the teenager gave a huff. "You are definitely special."

"Hm?" Zinnia tilted her head at the lorekeeper's words.

Ignoring the younger girl, Aster turned to the elder and gave a curt nod. "Leave us be. You can come to retrieve her once it is sunlight. She is staying with me tonight."

Zinnia's grandmother looked almost as if she was about to refuse then thought against it and gave a nod of understanding. "Please, don't go too hard on her, she is still a child, she's naive...and I refuse to be afraid to mention that you are fairly young yourself."

"You're done here, go."

"Yes, Aster." Zinnia's grandmother knelt down for a moment to rest a hand on her granddaughter's shoulder, promising a return. Zinnia just gave a wide smile in reply. The elder shook her head slightly and lifted herself to depart from the two girls. She strode past me, my head turning to follow her. As she disappeared into the distance, I switched back to the two, to see what would happen next. Instead, I found myself in a daylit clearing in the woods, standing in tall grass and slightly behind a tree.

"Noibat, Razor Wind!"

"Dragonite, Dragon Tail!"

As a tiny Noibat sent a powerful blast of wind, a Dragonnite's tail cut through the force and knocked the much smaller Pokemon down.

"No!" Zinnia, who looked a little older compared to when she was first introduced to Aster, exclaimed and quickly rushed to the knocked out Noibat. As she ducked down to cater to her Pokemon, Aster nodded to her Dragonite and the larger Pokemon went to land a move on Zinnia. Zinnia looked up in surprise and quickly rolled away from the Pokemon. As Dragonite impacted the ground, Zinnia gulped with wide eyes as she sat a mere few inches from the strong Pokemon's claws.

"Never let your guard down, some opponents won't show mercy and will not hesitate to kill." Aster, looking more like a young adult, stated as she adjusted her red hair.

What the hell has she been teaching her these past few years? I couldn't help but wonder. I knew Aster had a point but it was still hard to fathom an individual who was that brutal. Despite the people I have faced, they were never cold-blooded monsters, Team Magma and Team Aqua were redeemable.

"You almost killed me!" Young Zinnia yelped as she hopped to her feet. Her expression was bewildered as she assisted her Noibat. The small bat pokemon shook its head as it broke out of its daze and flew up to sit on Zinnia's shoulder. "We only started this training quite recently, why do you assume I know these things?"

"I don't assume," Aster said firmly with a snort. "My preference for training is going along with the motions. Besides, my intention was not to kill you, you were just going to be mildly injured."

Zinnia stuck her tongue out in reply, earning a glare from the red-haired lorekeeper. "You have been training with me for 3 years now, I would prefer more respect."

"I am still a kid," Zinnia replied lightly and rubbed her Noibat's head.

"I was only a little older than you when I started my training."

"And let me guess, you were the perfect student?"

"Precisely!" Aster smirked and then waved her hand. "Now, let's do that again, this time I will go a little easier on you."

Zinnia rolled her eyes which went unnoticed by the lorekeeper. "I saw that, Vibrant Flower. It's surprising in a way, you have quite the attitude despite only being ten years old, you are not even a teenager yet."

"Well, you act quite old for only being nineteen."

For a second, Aster's eye color went grey then brightened again. "Once you go through the things I have endured, you will grow an understanding and most likely end up similar to me."

"What exactly have you been through?" Zinnia inquired, expressing genuine curiosity.

Aster shook her head. "That is a story for when you are older," She said calmly then gestured to her Dragonite to prepare itself for another battle. "Shall we get back to our task or would you rather be lectured about our Draconid history once more, Vibrant Flower?"

Zinnia gulped and motioned for her own Pokemon to brace itself. "We can proceed, my dear Aster."

It was odd seeing their relationship but the way the two interacted was natural. It was obvious they had a close bond that was more than just being a mentor and apprentice. It wasn't what I expected but I never really thought about Aster, personality-wise. I was always more curious about her identity than how she acted and behaved. She seemed unique.

I closed my eyes for a moment, gathering myself but when I opened my eyes, I was taken to the edge of a village.

The sun shone above me as I stood in tall lush grass. As I used my senses, I could make out the constant chatter of people close by. In curiosity, I walked through a dirt path between two buildings and peered carefully out into the open.

All around, I could see many people dressed in tribal clothing, working on certain tasks or bonding with each other. A couple of kids even weaved through busy adults as they chased each other around. This part of the village seemed to be extremely vibrant. A few Pokemon roamed around usually stuck by a person's side and assisting them. There were few stands that looked like mini markets with lined up foods, mainly fruits, and tools. Instead of people exchanging money for the items, they took them for free, the individuals running the stands giving friendly smiles as they handed materials and foods.

I could only assume that these weren't actually markets and this village probably did not have an economic system. It seemed to be true as I started to notice each task a person did was benefiting others. These people had to all care for each other and there was probably more freedom due to the lack of authority concerning an economy.

"Here," Zinnia's voice caught my attention and I glanced over to see the Draconid girl holding up a necklace to her mentor. "I made this by myself!"

Aster looked down at the item that seemed to be crafted out of minerals and shells. An eyebrow raised, she took the necklace and examined it. "You seem a little old to be doing Arts n Crafts."

"There was plenty of 11-year-olds attending!" Zinnia defended and tried to take her belongings back "If you are going to be so rude about it, I will happily take it back."

Aster snorted, lifting an arm up to hang Zinnia's craft over her head. "I would find pleasure in watching you try."

Zinnia hopped up and down several times trying to get the necklace until one of her feet landing on the ground wrong and caused her to stumble backward. The Draconid girl let out a soft "oof" as she hit the ground, her eyes closing in pain.

"Well, that was certainly delightful." Aster snickered, as she stood above her apprentice. "Must you be so clumsy, Vibrant Flower?" The older girl offered a hand to Zinnia, who grumpily took it.

As Zinnia wiped the dust off her shorts, an elder with white hair approached the two.

"Excuse me, may I speak with you Aster? We have a problem with the water well." His mustache was faded and thick as it moved along with his lips. He expressed urgency as he spoke to the lorekeeper.

Aster nodded to him and commanded to Zinnia, "I will return, you can look around for now, do not wander too far."

Zinnia agreed with obedience and started to look around as Aster went off. Her red eyes shone with uncontained excitement as she started to explore the street. I watched her, following behind the buildings so she would not see me. The girl stopped at almost every stand with materials, always telling the people there she was looking when they asked if she needed anything. She eventually made it to a fruit stand and gladly accepted a pear as it was offered.

As she traveled along, with a mouthful of fruit, a scraggly looking kid bumped into her. Zinnia did not fall at the impact but the boy did. She looked down in worry as he grabbed at his head. "Are you okay?"

Instead of speaking, the little boy scrambled away, causing Zinnia to squeak in surprise. As he slipped around the corner, a group of kids with a Growlithe appeared from the opposite side, seeming to be looking for something. By the expressions on their faces, it had to be the boy that Zinnia just encountered.

"Where is he, boy?" A thick kid, who seemed to be the leader of the group of kids, said to the Pokemon. As the Pokemon caught the scent, Growlithe gave an excited noise and lead them towards where the boy disappeared. Zinnia looked with shock. Quickly pocketing the remains of her pear, she followed after them.

When I reached around the corner, I spot the unknown boy cornered by the other kids. Zinnia and just made it as the bullies had rocks in their hands, ready to throw.

"What are you doing?!" Zinnia yelled, standing in front of the scraggly boy. She stood in a protective stance, seeming ready to take the hits for the bullied kid.

"Hey, aren't you that kid that hangs out with Aster all the time?!" One of the children chirped as the group looked at Zinnia with a mixture of annoyance and surprise.

"Yeah, I think she is the one!" Another inputted.

"My name is Zinnia, I am an apprentice of Aster, the village's lorekeeper. And I, for one, do not take kindly to bullies like you!" The Draconid announced to her kind. Her act of bravery caught me off guard. There was hardly any times when I had seen Zinnia seem adventurous and courageous. It was nice to know a little bit more about her but it also gave me feelings of anger and sadness as I knew Zinnia was practically a stranger.

"Is that how you introduce yourself to everyone?" The leader of the group took a step forward, glowering at Zinnia. Zinnia stood her ground, returning the look. "This isn't your business, butt out!"

"I refuse to!" Zinnia gestured to the boy who trembled behind her. "You have no right to treat him in such a cruel way and I will not stand by and let you continue doing so!"

The thick kid crossed his arms, scowling. "You don't even know him. Why defend him?"

"Because that is what good people do," Zinnia gave a powerful glare to the kids in front of her. "And it seems to me, that you guys are far from it."

"Well, you seem to be a little too delusional." The leader countered, a smirk suddenly forming on his lips. "I get it now, you think you're better than us, don't you? Am I right, guys?"

"You're right!" One kid barked.

"She thinks just because Aster trains her, she is super cooler than us!" A younger child yipped.

"You are getting the wrong Ide-," Zinnia was interrupted by a rock being thrown towards her. The chunk landed right by her feet before bouncing away. "W-wait a minute!"

The leader of the group grabbed another rock from the ground and threatened to throw it at Zinnia's face. As the girl cringed away, he gave a cackle and stepped into her space. "You will never be a better lorekeeper than Aster. Aster isn't afraid like the way you are. Someone like you is never going anywhere in life. You're a loser."

The two stood face to face, neither for one moving for a few seconds. The bigger boy's hand stays clenched on the rock, seeming ready to throw it if Zinnia made the wrong move. Zinnia held her ground though. She glared defiantly, a clear hatred flaring in her eyes. The boy took notice of this, figuring out that Zinnia would not stand down. His facial expression turned into one of disgust and anger. The hand with the rock rose up and readied itself to strike.

"Hey!" The voice of Aster sounded behind the current situation involving the children. They all turned their attention on the lorekeeper, most of the unknown children starting to show instant signs of regret. The main bully dropped the rock in alarm. "What is this predicament about and why does it involve my apprentice?"

"Aster!" Zinnia gave a sigh of relief and glanced over to the boy behind her. She gave a quick smile to the spectator she was protecting and then kept her focus in the front. "These kids were terrorizing the boy behind me."

Aster perked an eyebrow with a deep frown. Her light blue eyes gazed down at the group of bullies, the kids automatically growing nervous. "Does she speak the truth?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Everyone but the leader yelped in unison.

Aster closed her eyes for a moment and, with a deep breath, replied. "I will give you ten seconds to quickly apologize and scamper off. If you fail to do so in that amount of time, I will be extremely open to giving a talk to your parents about your behavior."

Each face contained wide eyes and once Aster started the countdown, they all gave quick apologies to the scraggly bewildered boy and scurried away. One of the children even tripped and had to use assistance from a friend to run away in time.

"Little twerps," Aster hissed quietly then made her way to Zinnia and the boy who was a victim to the bullying. "Did they harm you, little one?"

The boy shook his head and got to his feet. He still seemed shaken up and was hesitant to look in either of the girls' eyes.

"Aster can help you," Zinnia informed the boy kindly.

"In fact, if you allow us, we can walk you home," Aster added, kneeling down to his eye level. "I believe I know your father. Does he go by the name Antreas by any chance?"

The boy's eyes lit up at the sound of the name and he gave a nod of confirmation. "Y-you can take m-me," He squeaked out timidly. "M-my name is G-Goran…"

"Nice to meet you, Goran!" Zinnia grinned and offered a hand for the boy to shake. "I go by Zinnia!"

I took a moment to regather myself and tore my eyes away from the three Draconids. Taking a deep breath, I tapped my head against the wall I was hiding behind and readied myself to see what was going to happen next.

I was in different scenery. It was the same village. The problem was, it was on fire and there were rubble and debris everywhere. As my senses clicked in, I heard screaming all around me.

I turned around, examining my surroundings and quickly went to a wooden stand that looked like was built to sell things. I ducked under the counter that hid me from being seen and took a deep breath. Despite the smoky air, my lungs didn't burn and I had no need to cough.

"Zinnia, no!" A familiar voice shouted in distraught.

I shifted myself to peer over the counter and saw Zinnia's grandmother reaching out as the Draconid girl raced away from her. Her Noibat flew above her, seeming to scan the area.

As Zinnia grew farther away from her grandmother, Aster ran up to the elder. The elder explained something to Aster quickly and the lorekeeper told her to head to safety with the other villagers while she went after Zinnia. Zinnia's grandmother nodded and the two tore away from each other in opposite directions.

"Vibrant Flower, do you happen to be crazy?! What, in Arceus's name, are you doing!?" Aster screamed as she started to catch up to the girl.

Zinnia didn't reply as they disappeared from sight. I swiftly moved onto the next torn structures and started to catch up to them so I could watch.

Zinnia stood in front of a large building that looked similar to a public center. The building stood ablaze and on top of the roof stood three aggravated looking Druddigons.

"Noibat, Shadow Ball!" Zinnia shouted as the three Pokemon noticed her presence. The small bat Pokemon let out a dark sphere, aiming towards the Druddigon, causing them to leave the roof. The three placed themselves in front of the young teenager and gazed down menacingly at her.

Aster caught up to her apprentice and clenched her fist, staring at the three dragon-types. "Stop this at once, Vibrant Flower. You are only making this situation worse. We need to get out of here!"

"They chased our people out of our village!" Zinnia exclaimed with a passion that I have never seen in her before. "They asked for this fight even though we did nothing wrong! Noibat, Razor Wind!"

Noibat flapped its wings, the move blasting towards the middle Druddigon. The larger Pokemon hardly flinched and took one step forward. Its gaping mouth started to glow as it prepared to unleash a move.

"Situations occur like this all the time! We can not do anything and we can always rebuild! You're being extremely foolish!" Aster scolded as she moved forward to push Zinnia away from the attack. The two stumbled sideways, barely avoiding the destructive move. Aster had Zinnia pinned beneath her, the young Draconid struggling to escape. "You will be killed, stop it!"

"No! I refuse to back down!" Zinnia replied almost desperately. "Noibat, Air Slash!"

Noibat seemed hesitant as the two wrestled on the ground. But being loyal, the flying-dragon type sent the attack. In return, the small Pokemon was met by a power claw that slammed it down to the ground.

Zinnia screamed underneath Aster as she watched what happened. The lorekeeper made an expression of regret then got up, grabbing the girl and dragging her away from the scene to safety. The three Druddigon took notice of this and went after them. In sync, the dragon types charged up moves, ready to attack. Aster's expressed alarm as Zinnia cried and fought in her grip. As the three looked prepared to let out their merciless attack, Aster quickly hovered over Zinnia to protect her from the worst of the damage. My heart was in my throat as I watched the scene. I stood up quickly, bracing myself to run towards them.

Before I could move, a figure flew in front of them as the attack was released. Immediately, a bright blue light erupted around the figure and expanded as the attacks were quickly knocked back towards the Druddigon. The three Pokemon panicked as their beams aimed towards them and they tried to dodge. Two of them were fortunate while the third one took the attack. A giant cloud of smoke exploded into the clearing, blinding me from what was happening. I ducked down to avoid damaging my eyes and waited it out a bit. My heart was beating rapidly along with blood pulsing in my ears as I sat with my mouth covered. After a few long moments, I resurfaced and what I saw was breathtaking.

Once the smoke cleared out, a Noivern stood in front of Aster and Zinnia. The large Pokemon held its head high and glared with intimidation at its enemies. Noivern raised its large wings, standing on its hind legs, it gave a mighty roar and released a hurricane of damaging wind. The hurricane charged towards the two remaining Druddigon, effectively damaging the malicious Pokemon. Falling limp to the ground, the three threats fainted.

Zinnia watched with a shocked expression, her tears drying. Frozen in place, the emotion drained from her face for the smallest of moments before Aster shook her to life.

"You are insane! You idiotic child! You are ridiculous ...you are alive." Aster's shouts died to a sigh and the lorekeeper hugged her apprentice tightly. Zinnia stiffened for a moment in her embrace before relaxing and returning it.

"I am sorry, Aster…." Zinnia whimpered, her eyes closing and digging her face into the crook of her mentor's neck. "I am so sorry…."

Aster's hand ran threw Zinnia's short hair, with a look of pure affection and relief. "Why did you do it, my Vibrant Flower?"

Zinnia withdrew and her red orbs met Aster's light blue. "The other kids….th-they were discussing about me. They sa-say I am not worthy to b-be a lorekeeper, th-that I can never live up to y-you," Zinnia admitted with a choked sob. Tears glistened in her eyes as she tried to keep her composure. I could only assume that Zinnia ended up being picked on a lot after the first encounter with the village's children. "I had to show them."

"Oh…." Aster looked at her apprentice with emotion and spoke softly, "You're special. Is it not obvious? You will never be me because you will be even more than what I am. Vibrant Flower, you are the savior of everyone's future. I-...I care for you too much to see you beat yourself up like this."

"A-Aster…" Zinnia breathed quietly and hugged the lorekeeper again. Aster gladly accepted it and they stayed there for a few moments as the fire burned around them.

Finally, Aster moved away, getting up. "And you," Aster walked up to Noivern. "You were amazing. I am extremely pleased that I gave you to her." Noivern's large round ears twitched and it gave a happy trill.

"Thank you, girl." Zinnia placed a hand on the fur around Noivern's neck and brushed it briefly. "We appreciate what you did." Noivern gave a soft cry of acceptance and nudged Zinnia affectionately with her head, earning a giggle from the Draconid girl.

I didn't know I was tense until I let out a sigh of relief. I rolled my shoulders and looked into the sky. The smoke soared upwards until it dissolved, revealing a starry night sky. As I stared upwards, a flash caught my eye and I knew it was a shooting star.

"Did you see that, Aster?" Zinnia's voice drew my attention. The black-haired girl looked up at the beautiful sky with excitement. The two both sat on a quilt, both tilting their heads to view the stars. The grass was extremely rich with a deep green around them and the trees around them arched with a welcoming appearance. Standing a few feet away was Aster's Dragonite who seemed to be keeping guard. "It has been a fair amount of time since we have done this."

"That is because someone decided to confront the enemy and cause more damage to the village," Aster replied sharply. There was a faint smirk shadowing her face, telling me that the lorekeeper didn't genuinely mean the harsh statement. "We have to take advantage of our time with the foreigners who have offered their help, free of pay. Besides, the sooner they go, the better."

Zinnia glanced at Aster, frowning. "You seem to really take displeasure with their presence. I have a hard time understanding that, dear Aster. What do you have against them? They all express the qualities of a good person."

"When you deal with them as much as I do, you learn to dislike them." Aster kept her light blue eyes glued to the night sky, not bothering to look at her apprentice. "I understand that they have only been here for a month but it's still enough to put me on edge. I've heard plenty of times that their kind have talented abilities when it comes to architecture, it amazes me that it's taking them this long despite their tendencies to boast about how swift they can be at certain tasks."

"Aster, the foreigners are doing more than mending the damage, they have been introducing our healers to modern practices and been teaching some of the younger ones how to care for Pokemon properly."

Aster's eyes flashed with intensity and her lip curled. "So they are disrupting our culture." The lorekeeper stood up and clenched her fist, seeming extremely upset. "I should have been more aware, I've already caught you a couple of times with their items, I should have expected the villagers to be participating too. That is enough. I am going to tell those foreigners that their stay will end by the end of this week, if they are not finished with their job by then, there will be consequences."

Zinnia seemed to shrink down at the dark look that shadowed her mentor's face. She stood up and reached for the woman's hand. "All they have been is kind and you are always harsh on them. I honestly see no wrongs, dear Aster. Besides, we can not ban them as punishment, we depend on them for trade."

"I have the authority here!" Aster tore her hand away from the younger girl. She glared fiercely at Zinnia and scowled. "I have said multiple times that our culture is something that should not be messed with. I taught you every lesson there is and explained the rules several times to you over and over again on how a Draconid should behave. If you break the roots, you tear up forces that run in your blood. The more you interfere with these moderns, the more you will become less of a Draconid! Arceus forbid that because if you are not a Draconid, you are not going to be a lorekeeper! And I refuse to waste on this time training, only to have you turn your back on your own kind!"

Zinnia's face was of shock and her lip trembled in great emotion. "A-Aster, I would never do tha-"

"Silence!" Aster cut Zinnia off, her light blues were now a stormy grey that seemed to cut through Zinnia's red orbs. "Do you even know why you're special? There is a reason for everything I do and lately, you have been disrespecting me over and over again. First the fight with the Druddigon and now you are running off every moment you get to interact with the foreigners. You can not even understand what they are saying, you have no ability to speak their language and I refuse to teach you if you continue this way! You are worthless as long as you deny your Draconid abilities!"

Zinnia froze up, staring at her mentor. All emotion seemed to drain from her body and she seemed to look like a statue made of stone. It was almost chilling. It looked as if Zinnia had completely shut down. She looked suddenly cold and lifeless. Aster did not even react, she just stood there, heaving as she caught her breath. The lorekeeper seemed a lot older now as she shook with fury.

Then Zinnia fled. She scrambled away, running far from Aster and into the woods, towards me. In a frenzy, I quickly ducked away, barely avoiding her as she trampled past me. I waited in the darkness for a moment, my heart rapidly pounding. Finally, when I calmed, I broke my crouching position to get a view of Aster.

The red-haired lorekeeper stared straight at me. Her expression of anger gone and her eyes were misty. Her light blue eyes were a darker grey than before and her gaze analyzed me. As quick as it appeared, her eyes cleared up and she parted her lips, uttering one sentence. "She needs you."

I took a step backward, disturbed by the lorekeeper. I ended up losing my balance, toppling over. The impact of the ground caused the breath to be knocked out of my body. It hurt for the briefest of moments before the pain went away and the starry sky above me turned into a dark cave.

I sat up, my hands pressing against the cold stone. My eyes took a few heartbeats to adjust to the darkness. After recovery and adjustment, I could make out the silhouette of an older Aster and Zinnia sitting cross-legged. They sat closely, almost touching as Zinnia seemed to mutter something. I took a few steps closer to hear what the girl was saying.

"With jewel bright and taken might from the souls of the departed. Through sacred rite, in the great vision, of my life as well I offer. I call thee to assist-," Zinnia paused and opened her eyes, making a look of disappointment. She looked almost around the age when I first met her. Maybe sixteen. Aster, who sat beside, I could only assume who was in her twenties, though she looked almost middle-aged. She seemed drained as if something was taking the life-force away from her. Zinnia turned to the lorekeeper. "I got that wrong, did I not?"

Aster nodded slowly, seeming calmer than I have ever seen her. "It should be, 'With jewel bright and borrowed might from the spirits of the departed. Through sacred rite, in the great sight, of my life as well I offer. I summon thee to aid this fight and save us from disaster.'"

"Sometimes I believe that I am not fit to do this particular task." Zinnia let out a weary sigh as she confessed to her mentor. " I refuse to accept that I will be the one to summon Rayquaza when you clearly know these verses better than I ever will."

"Practice makes perfect, Vibrant Flower. Besides, I was not the one part of the prophecy, you were." Aster gently explained, her eyes expressing kindness. It shook me to the core to see this. All this time I had seen Aster as a person with a sharp personality and a no-nonsense individual but now she treated Zinnia as if she was a caring mother talking to her child. "Your time is near."

"My time is near," Zinnia echoed with a nod then continued speaking the verses she had spoken on top of The Sky Pillar that fateful day.

Aster barely had energy by the looks of it, and her eye color seemed to be permanently grey. She sighed deeply then went into a meditating position. Her posture relaxing as she focused on silence.

I closed my eyes for a few heartbeats and then I was taken to the forest. The sun shone quite brightly as it caused me to shield my eyes. My vision adjusting to the light, I glanced around noticing the stripped trees and the blanket of snow on the ground. I realized I stood by a path as the snow was dug out there. I could spy the imprints of freshly made footprints and I followed them.

The trail led into a clearing and I could see the figures of Aster and Zinnia. Instinctively, I went into hiding and stayed quiet as I started to spectate them.

Aster and Zinnia looked around as if they were searching for something. Both of them wore cloaks to help keep them warm. Aster, particularly, looked extremely cold as she held the article of clothing tightly around her body. She looked fragile.

"You did not have to come out here, you know," Zinnia said softly to her mentor as she scanned the ground. "I would have been fine searching for it by myself or with a friend."

"I rather be out here with you than have you alone with that Goran kid," Aster grumbled, but the absence of her usual sharp tone made the words seem off. She shuffled around, kicking up snow. "Besides, the necklace you had gifted me a few years is the item that is missing."

"Are you serious?" Zinnia asked with surprise.

"For both statements? Yes."

"No...well I mean that too, but I have a hard time believing you kept the craft I gifted you when I was younger." Zinnia explained, staring at Aster with the slightest of smiles. "I never saw it wear it."

"Just because I never wore it does not mean I threw it away," Aster replied, her grey eyes not meeting Zinnia's.

"I-..." Zinnia bit her lip then gave a curt nod. "Thank you for keeping it. It means a lot to me."

Aster's eyes flashed for a moment then she lifted her head slightly to look at her apprentice. The lorekeeper didn't say anything, she just stared then continued looking for her missing belonging.

"About your former statement," Zinnia started as she shifted her attention back to the snow and the roots of the trees. "Considering our Draconid roots, my body has not responded to him the way it should if he was the one."

"Is that so," Aster mused.

"Grandmother said there is a click when you meet the one. You feel all sorts of emotions. I have not been that way with Goran, I know for sure this is just friendship. He seems to know that too considering he has not attempted any romantic gestures."

"Well if your grandmother told you so, then she must be right. She does have experience. Your grandfather was definitely the one and only for her. It is a shame he passed too soon but I am relieved your grandmother did not follow after him."

"Grandmother told me she stayed because her purpose was stronger than her bond with Grandfather. Deep inside, she knew if she went after Grandfather it would be a mistake. She knew there were others who needed her."

"Those others must be me and you."

"Yeah," Zinnia gave a soft smile. "That is what I was thinking. She told me that she would never be able to fall in love again despite him departing. I find it quite fascinating that most of the time, our people fall in love only once in their lifetimes." Her eyes glistened in a dreamy way that my heart pound. I couldn't help but think back to the night that she told me those words. That a Draconid could only fall in love once. I suddenly felt a rush of stupidity rush over me. I am an idiot…

Aster's lips curled and she did not reply to Zinnia.

Zinnia perked at this, giving an expression of curiosity. "You know, Aster," Zinnia kept watch on her mentor to see how she would respond. "Have you ever fallen in love? I can not recall you ever mentioning something along those lines."

"I found it!"

"The necklace?" Zinnia dropped the topic and made her way to where the lorekeeper was looking. As she reached the place, she knelt down to pick up the item. As the necklace laced around her fingers and her hand lifted upwards, something caught onto the piece of jewelry. Zinnia gave a surprise puff of air and reached out another hand to grab the snow-covered thing. As she stood up, the necklace rested in one hand and a cape in the other. I immediately recognized the cape as it was the one she wore all the time. It looked brand new and much cleaner. It wasn't torn or worn out. "A cape?"

"For you," Aster said as she took her necklace away from Zinnia and put it in her pocket. "Put it on, Vibrant Flower."

Zinnia obeyed, putting it on over her cloak. Once it was on, Aster hummed in satisfaction. "It suits you."

"Really?" Zinnia brightened up at the compliment and a childish grin appeared on her face. "I love it."

"Good," Aster smirked. "I figured you would." The woman then let out a yawn and stretched. "We should head back, this cold is making my bones ache."

Zinnia nodded and quickly went to stand by Aster's side. "I appreciate the unexpected gift."

"I had to return the favor someday," The way Aster said those words made it seem as she was not meaning the fact that Zinnia had given her a necklace all those years ago. As they headed towards my way, I quickly backed deeper into the bare forest. As my feet stepped silently in the snow, the ground started to transform.

The snow melted away into a stone flooring and as I looked up, I instantly knew where I was.

It was the Sky Pillar.

I stood on one of the floors with the ancient paintings. It was a familiar sight as I have been here a fair amount of times. I took a moment to take a breath, not knowing why I was here, but as I drew in air, I caught the scent of smoke. I coughed and reacted by covering my mouth. I was starting to grow a strong dislike for fire as I looked around and noticed the raging flames.

"Aster!" The familiar voice of Zinnia called out in the distance. The sound was raw and frantic. "Aster, where are you?!" I quickly went for cover, hiding from Zinnia's vision. She appeared the moment I found a spot.

"Aster!" The apprentice looked towards the ladder that would lead to the steps of the top of The Sky Pillar. As her red orbs rested there, an unknown roar of a Pokemon erupted from a top. "Aster, I am coming!" Zinnia moved her fingers to her mouth to whistle. "Noivern, over here!"

The mentioned Pokemon appeared from the smoke, seeming to come from the previous floor. The large bat-like creature's ears twitched as she looked forward. Another roar mixed with the sizzling and cracking of the fire struck through the air. Noivern swiftly went to Zinnia and the two made their way upwards.

I waited for a moment, then followed after. I was getting a feeling about what this memory was. I had heard Zinnia's vague statements enough to know that Aster no longer roamed in the present. I had a feeling things would have been different if Aster was alive. I felt my heartache in grief for the slightest of seconds. I could only imagine how destroyed Zinnia would feel once she caught sight of the lorekeeper.

When I stood at the stairs, a nostalgic feeling rushed over me. The first time I had done this the wind was cool. Now there was no wind. It was smoky. It wasn't night either despite how bright the flames seemed. These flames must have damaged a lot considering the first time I saw The Sky Pillar. I clenched a fist by my side and made my way up.

"A-ASTER!" Her wail was suddenly the only thing I heard as I finally caught sight of her. Her Noivern looked shocked as she watched the scene but then shook her head and flew off, most likely going for help.

Aster's head was in her lap as Zinnia had two bloody hands pressed against a wound. Their gaze stayed glued to each other as Aster weakly looked at her apprentice. Her chest hardly moved, expressing the lack of oxygen filling her lungs. Her eyes were barely open and the lorekeeper was obviously struggling to stay conscious.

"Please...hang on.." Zinnia begged as she moved to take off her cape and used it to stop the blood. She was helpless. Her body trembled. "Noivern is getting help."

One of Aster's hands twitched and it slowly moved to touch Zinnia's cheek. The touch was brief, barely coming into contact with her skin. The lorekeeper's lips parted but as she tried to say something, blood spluttered out. The liquid fell from the corners of her mouth as she started to choke. Zinnia let out a sob at the sight and she cradled Aster's head. "W-we can make it….please...just s-stay awake." My heart twisted at the sight, heavy emotion wrapping around my throat, making it hard to swallow.

"Z-Zinnia…"

"Please...do not w-waste your breath on m-me," Zinnia begged, moving a finger to rest it on Aster's lips. "Save your energy…" Her eyes were wet as she looked down at her mentor with fear and sadness. She seemed to shudder at every breath she took, each tear falling even heavier than the first. Aster's lips closed, a final spill of blood managing to pour out. A look of pain flashed upon her facial expressions.

Zinnia's fingers moved to brush through Aster's air, a motion of comfort. She gave small upset puffs of air as she sat with Aster. She knew she couldn't do anything. That the two could only wait. I spectated, standing there with a mixture of emotions as I watched Zinnia spend her final moments with the dying Aster. I wished I could do something but it was only a memory. I could only watch this scene play out.

As the sky started to grow dark with clouds above them, the lorekeeper broke the sound of Zinnia's crying for a few seconds. "Y-you….will be g-great…"

Zinnia shook her head, refusing to listen to Aster's words. "Please s-stop….don't say things like th-that."

Aster gave a weak smile. "Y-you will...you will...be fine." Her voice was raspy. Her grey eyes seemed to grow dull at every second that passed by. Her head leaned into Zinnia's lap as the girl stayed hunched over her.

"I won't, A-Aster," Zinnia confessed heavily. "I cannot do this w-without you. I...I n-need you." A tear dropped onto the older girl's face and Zinnia quickly wiped it off with shaky fingers.

Instead of another reply, the lorekeeper gave a heavy sigh and closed her eyes. Her pained expression relaxed and she sunk into Zinnia's lap. Her chest no longer moved. Her fingers uncurled to touch the ground. The cape that rested on her wound, unwinded and fell. Aster stopped breathing. There was no heartbeat as Zinnia pressed her ear against the woman.

Gripping Aster's shirt, Zinnia lifted her head to the sky as it started to pour. Her mouth opened to let out the most heart-wrenching cry. It was throaty and raw with emotion. The sky roared above her. The rain coming down hard. Flashes of lighting seemed to come from everywhere and the world felt as if it was falling apart.

She didn't care though. She continued to cry. Screaming to whatever was up there. Her tears covered her face along with the rain. She didn't bother to wipe any of it away, she just went on. On and on. No mercy on her throat as she grieved for the woman who would not come back. Life wasn't fair. Life was cruel. Life would take away the things you care about the most. No matter who you were.

Above, the storm rumbled and as I looked up, I saw the sky come crashing down on me with all the force it could muster and then...I saw white.