Frontier Town Frontier Town Outskirts

[Phoenixsong]

Blue looked around for a second, confused. Still nothing but the dusty road out of town behind him and a pile of sticks that were definitely very lightly singed if you squinted at them, definitely. The only smoke was the bit still trickling from his mouth after he'd freaking choked. Don't cause an inferno? Like there was any serious chance of that happening? God, if this dude seriously rolled up just to rub his nose in it...

...it didn't really sound like it, though? Not entirely. Just bad at minding his own business. He covered one last cough by pretending it was an exasperated snort, which was mostly also true anyway. "I'm not an idiot. Practicing Fire Moves 101 is you don't do it without a way to extinguish any accidents." He gestured at a bucket of sand sitting nearby. "Spent enough time around a nervous charmander to learn that the hard way."

The weird sneasel's last question did make his ears prick up. Former human too. According to Leaf a solid chunk of these Wayfarer guys were supposed to be, though that was no guarantee they were from anyplace that was actually normal. Silver, huh. "Yeah, I guess." Just casually talking about how they weren't human any more. God. "Name's Blue."

 

[Cresselia92]

It was such a simple name, and yet Silver felt his brain frying from a sudden and sharp influx of contradicting information.

That guy said his name was Blue, right? But then, why was his brain insisting that his true name was Green? Silver knew a Green and a Blue in his world’s Kanto — because Kantonian people love to name their children after colors and plants for whatever reason — but the Green he knew was a guy while Blue was a gal. However, this Growlithe was a guy named Blue, and… uuuugh!

Stupid multiverse crap! No wonder Lyra Kotone had decided to let people call her however they preferred if that was how her brain burned if she pondered that too hard. “Think of it like your name suddenly gaining multiple synonyms”, she had explained one day. “Just lean into it and don’t overthink this weirdness like you always do.”

Okay. Whatever. That was confusing as hell, but okay. He was going to ‘lean into it’, then.

“Wait… you’re that Blue?” he asked, his eyes widening a smidge and showing interest. “Like, the current Viridian Gym Leader?”

 

[Phoenixsong]

Blue said "my name's Blue". Silver stared into space like that gif of the gothorita with a bunch of astronomical equations flying around her head. Ooookay then. Was that Betel guy taking a nap instead of translating again? It took a second, but the concept of "how basic introductions work" did seem to return to the guy eventually. Along with something else.

"Yeah... yeah, I'm the gym leader, that's right. Blue Oak," he said. His tail twitched a little on its own—finally, maybe somebody who recognized how important he was, maybe some actual respect around here—but he couldn't let his guard down just yet. Last time someone'd "recognized" him they'd also said he was supposed to be old. "Took over a year and a half ago, after they finally figured out the previous shining monument to human decency was actually Rocket trash. Why, are you, uh..." (Are you? Were you??? He was talking to a sneasel, what even was the etiquette in this nonsense scenario.) "Are you a pokémon trainer or something?"

 

[Cresselia92]

So he’s really that guy! Or at least, a version of him… geez, that’s gonna get both confusing and interesting real soon, isn’t it? I wonder what he’s gonna think once he finds out that there is a Red here who is a Mew!

Silver smirked proudly, lowering a hand to his hip. “Oh, you bet! Actually got the title of Ace Trainer not too long ago, back in my world, but I’m aiming for much higher than that!” He glanced away and began grumbling to himself, although he was still loud enough to be heard if someone paid attention. “I’d only need to beat that idiot Ethan at least once…”

Knowing well that getting angry about an impossible scenario wouldn’t have helped at all, he huffed to dismiss the matter and focused once more on Blue. “Anyway, yeah, I’ve heard plenty about you… or, well, a you, if you catch my drift? After all,” he cocked a brow, a knowing gleam flashing in his gaze, “why shouldn’t I be interested in the Trainer who took over my father’s gym?”

 

[Phoenixsong]

"Big fancy title, huh? 'S not bad." Not bad at all, actually. Blue almost wanted to see if the guy could put his money where his mouth was, but Super Kidnapping Action Magic Space Porygon hadn't had the courtesy to bring his team here along with him. (Or tell him how long it'd be before he'd see them again.) And as for actually battling themselves, well... already frustrating enough that Linden could just shrug off everything he tried when they sparred like she didn't even notice it. If this dude had been stuck here as long as her with nothing better to do than punch god about it, that was just asking to get run over.

(Growlithe Brain itched, a tiny, persistent little dog whine of try anyway, try harder, get stronger, run faster, burn hotter, you can. He reminded Growlithe Brain that he had no interest in making a fool of himself, and also that was not what they were talking about right now. They were talking about—)

His eyes went wide as Exeggutor's heads. No way his dad was...? But he'd just nodded along even after Blue'd said he was talking about the Rocket boss. So, what, not only was there another him and another Red (but not another Leaf???), but now he was supposed to believe there was another Giovanni out there? Come on. How many Giovannis could there possibly be?

Something still bugged him, though. "...Thiiiink I've seen you before," Blue said, squinting. "A you. Whatever." Yep, still hate this. "There was some... redhead kid, couple months ago, like halfway through the off season. Bell and Salma caught him skulking around the gym, then he started mouthing off about needing to see inside." He shrugged, polished his claws on his chest ruff with affected indifference. "I said he could come back as an actual challenger if he wanted to prove he was worth bein' in the same postcode as my arena. And if he wanted anywhere near my office then—with all due respect, of course—hell no, but Machamp would be thrilled to give him and his team an up close and personal tour of the dumpster out back instead. Swore he'd return, blah blah blah, somethin' about showing he was stronger than some chick and this gym, yeah okay buddy, but..."

He frowned. Trying to jump the line for a badge was one thing, but what sort of little weirdo wanted to root around in a gym's offices? Had to be some kinda reason. Like, not a good reason; he wasn't gonna find anything. The League and the cops cleaned out whatever looked relevant to the Rocket scandal ages ago. (And left all the swanky decor and the fancy big screen and the intimidating desk and executive chair that made him look way taller, hell yeah.) But a reason, for sure. And if this Silver guy really was the minus world version of that one...

Blue's expression darkened, a mix of wariness and tiredness and something harder to place. "Don't suppose it'd be a bad guess if I said he was tryin' to dig up dirt on a guy named Giovanni, would it?" (Please say no. For the sake of his blood pressure, if nothing else. Please.)

 

[Cresselia92]

Probably Silver was supposed to react to the information with contempt, nod a few times and say something like, ‘yeah, that guy sure sounds like a jerk!’ Instead, his reaction regarding that whole situation made him simply raise an eyebrow and mutter a lone ‘huh’, and he mentally scoffed at the notion that the other Silver was caught red-handed. (Seriously? How could his counterpart mess up so badly? Did he — or both — lose their touch?)

Hence, when Blue asked for his own opinion, Silver found himself at quite the unusual crossroads.

Would trying to psyche out what that other Silver was trying to do — which supposedly should be something as easy as pie if they had a similar thought and logic process — equate to (sorta?) incriminating himself and putting a target on the back of his twin from another universe?

Sure, he miiiiight not entirely approve what his counterpart tried to do because damn it, they were supposed to be better than that and not behave like criminals anymore! And yet, he could also kinda understand why the other Silver would resort to using those ol’ Team Rocket’s tricks to barge into a private and guarded property, especially the Viridian Gym. It’d be an attempt worth the risk, according to the farthest and darkest side of his mind, and Silver guessed that was what the other guy believed, too.

Regardless, it’s not like either of them would remember this entire conversation ever happening and he didn’t want to get marked with red flags for not replying the question, so…

Silver rubbed his chin with a claw, his eyes narrowing. “Nah, I don’t think so. If I were that other redhead, which I suppose I am, then I wouldn’t be breaking in to search for dirt. More like…” He paused, wondering for a moment if he was on the right track, then sighed and shook his head. “Closure, I’d say. Whether it would be to put an end to that chapter of my life or to find out what happened to Giovanni after the whole ‘oh-so-powerful yakuza boss lost to a simple kid and vanished in thin air’ deal, I wouldn’t quite know. Maybe… a mix of both?”

He huffed and crossed his arms. “Simply put, I wouldn’t really have a reason to dig out dirt about Giovanni. What for? To drop further evidence to the Interpol and risk having the agents interrogating me again about my connections with Team Rocket and their potential plans or whatever?”

Silver shook his head again, focusing his thoughts on a single focal point. “No. I’d do something like that for a specific reason.” He preemptively held out a hand in self-defense. “And no, I’m not endorsing those actions or anything! I left that moronic delinquent life behind me a long time ago! Still,” he lowered his hand and his gaze grew stormy in an instant, “the only reason I’d willingly relapse… it would be to find my father by myself, utterly crush him in a battle, and relish immensely as I spit on his face what a bastard and pathetic loser he really is!”

 

[Phoenixsong]

Fortunately for Silver, feeling judgy about his apparent checkered past wasn't really on Blue's radar right this second. He was a little bit distracted by the edge that'd come over the guy's tone outta nowhere, something harsh and hollow and raw that pinned his ears back against his head. Frozen claws pricked at the inside of his chest where there should only have been fire. Just for a second; then it was gone. The sense of something off took a little longer to recede.

"Dude, chill," he said, taking another half-step back without really thinking about it. "'S not like I'm a cop or anything, I was just asking, sheesh." What the hell was that?

He did his best to shake off the sudden nerves and give himself a sec to think, since for all the weird distortion it didn't look like Silver's head was about to start spinning around on his neck or anything. (Yet.) There was no love lost between this kid and Giovanni. Somehow, just a hunch, just a teeny-tiny nails-on-a-chalkboard hunch, he was pretty sure that part was sincere. So probably he wasn't actually going around stealing stuff? (Good to know there weren't two active criminals on this happy little field trip, at least.) Part of him wondered how much of all that applied to the little dumpster punk back home. Wasn't really the point now, though.

"S'pose you can't actually tell me what some guy in a whole other world was after. Not like it matters. He didn't do anything other than talk a big game he couldn't back up, not really. But, uh. I'm... sorry? That your dad sucks?" Blue shrugged awkwardly, but there was a hint of sympathy buried somewhere under there. "Personally, if I never see the guy again it'll be too soon. Got more'n enough work to do turnin' the joke he left behind into a real gym. But I guess I ain't the one who needs, like... closure?"

This whole conversation was a hard left from the 'wow, aren't you that super cool gym leader' he'd been expecting. Hell of an icebreaker you picked there, Oak. Good job.

"Uh," he continued lamely, "if, uh, if you're that set on humiliating Giovanni, then what're you doing mucking around some completely unrelated... universe?" He gestured broadly at the town behind them. "I dunno, I feel like if I was that passionate about kicking my old man down the stairs, it'd mean I had better things to do than run around cleaning up Yeehaw Junction or whatever." (Probably the demon possessing him wouldn't appreciate the distraction, either.)

 

[Cresselia92]

Blue’s reaction didn’t slip Silver’s acute gaze, and this made him realize that he was slightly getting carried away by his resentment (ugh, freaking Shadow, why couldn’t he get a little angry without risking to get heated and then sound like some cursed demon?). He sighed and ran a pair of claws through his red mane, and the motion cooled his emotions.

“…I’m not going schizo or turning into some kinda hell-beast, just so you know,” he muttered evenly, keeping a neutral expression on his face. “That was some… Shadow, a lovely gift given to all of us by the almighty dark patron of all edgelords. Some kinda power that augments negative emotions and stuff.” He shrugged. “Everyone in the team has that weird junk, so the sooner you know ‘bout it, the better?”

When Blue expressed his sympathy regarding his relationship with Giovanni (a kinda crude way to show that, but Silver appreciated the effort, anyway), the Sneasel scratched the back of his head and looked away, unsure how to respond.

“Um… thanks? That’s just the story of my life so, huh, I’ve got plenty of years to get used to it. It’s no big deal. And yeah, I know ‘bout the Gym’s traps and secret passages and all those lovely little things.” He snorted. “So I can imagine all the headaches and how terrible it must be to fix everything. So, um, sorry you’ve got to deal with my alternate father’s mess…?”

Jeez, how come the conversation had shifted to Giovanni so quickly? Silver was so ready to move on and talk about something else, aaand nope! More Giovanni nonsense, even if there was a little of something else. Why did he agree to help Forlas, again?

Silver sighed again, this time with a hint of exasperation. “Okay, look, as cathartic as it would be to kick my old man’s ass, that’s not the first of my priorities, y’see?” He shifted slightly, his hands moving to his hips. “Before I got dragged into this whole cowboy nonsense, I was working on my dream: becoming the strongest Trainer in my world. And, also, I was more worried about cleansing my… well, far-from-immaculate rap sheet. I don’t wanna be seen as a delinquent anymore, but it’s kinda hard when people keep treating you as one…?”

Silver paused, temporarily wondering if he should leave it like that, but ultimately decided to push forward. No more hiding or deflecting.

“So, when Betel asked for my help alongside everyone else’s… I guess I saw a chance to prove that I’m not some irredeemable jerkass? If I could help save some world then, maybe, that would have been the proof that there was some good in me? I could have proved to myself that there is some good in me?” He looked away. “That’s probably kinda selfish in retrospect, but at the end I found some people who understand so it’s not all that bad…”

Okay, that was more than enough heart-pouring to some total stranger who surely wasn’t going to think weirdly about him now. Starting to feel the unease from his confession, Silver stared at Blue, his eyes shining with curiosity.

“But what about you? Why did you accept… um, your summoner’s call? D’you need some break from all that Gym paperwork and whatnot?”

 

[Phoenixsong]

Everyone here has it, he said. Get used to it. What the hell had these morons gotten themselves into? (And did "everyone" mean just the ones who'd been here for ages already, or... What the hell had they gotten him into?)

Blue almost laughed when Silver asked why he'd landed here. "Hm, let's see. I could be kicking back at my huge, expensive, cushy desk, winding down after a good day of training with my guys, reviewing some easy, boring plans for new ref classes." He held up both front paws like he was weighing the options. "Or I could get turned into a dog, dropped down a muddy hole with a pile of liars and gun-toting maniacs who don't understand a word I'm saying, and wind up dragged into a plot to piss off a different bunch of gun-toting, sword-waving maniacs where all I can do is hope my head's still attached to my neck by the end of it. Oh, boy! How could I ever possibly decide?

"I didn't 'accept' anything, pal. I heard a bunch of vague, distant mumbling about my friend needing help, I got worried, turns out she's havin' the time of her life actually, and now I'm stuck in this nightmare for my trouble." He scowled, but he looked more tired than angry. "So yeah, paperwork sounds like heaven, thanks."

He listened to Silver's own story while he tried to stuff the irritation back down. "Nothin' wrong with a guy cleanin' up his reputation," he admitted. "Can't exactly say I'm a stranger to damage control. And I s'pose going to some whole other world to do it does sound pretty... noble?"

There were, perhaps, other words for blindly tossing yourself across the multiverse into a dangerous mess that had nothing to do with you, but Blue was just about polite enough to keep them to himself. Apparently he was outnumbered, anyway. Sure seemed like wanting to play hero was contagious around here. Or maybe, given the fact that Space Porygon was supposed to have explained itself first, the group had just self-selected to be a bunch of people with a pathological need to insert themselves into other people's problems. Bunch of high-and-mighty jerks who'll just think that makes them better than you.

Blue's ear twitched. Then he shook himself again, and the nasty little itch was gone. Weird. Whatever. "Well. Good luck with all that, I guess." He stretched, big enough to hopefully signal 'this super-fun conversation can end now, thanks'. "This has been absolutely delightful for both of us, I'm sure, but I've gotta get back to..."

He frowned as he looked down at the resolutely un-singed kindling bundle. Get back to what? Accomplishing absolutely nothing? Choking on his own smoke? With his mood even sunnier than it had been when he'd started? Fat chance. This wasn't gonna go anywhere today.

"...Screw this," he huffed, finally standing up and turning back toward town. "Training's over. I'm gettin' lunch." The little maus things that were apparently hotel staff and not a catastrophic health inspection violation had probably brought out the midday buffet at this point.

"Nice meeting you, Silver," he muttered, as the sneasel waved and headed off. Nice-adjacent, at least. Somehow the former Rocket with the D-horror–tier voice modulator freakout was not the worst or most obnoxious person Blue had met here. Incredible.

<><><><><>​

 

[Chibi Pika]

(Shortly after the events of Prism Hollow...)

Yep, Jade was feeling it now. She'd been relatively sure that the only thing keeping her going this far was the residual adrenaline of the battle combined with the post-evolution high.

It'd been a pretty easy walk back back from the mission, all things considered. No one gave the Wayfarers any trouble at the manor, given that they'd managed to rescue all the staff that'd been stranded underground for months. It was a thoroughly awkward parting, but one that was over quickly, and Betel's Waypoints made for a short trip home.

(Starr couldn't use the Waypoints, and wouldn't be returning to Frontier Town. Brisa had promised to look after her. The two of them were probably on the train to Novelux by now. Jade couldn't help thinking about them.)

In any case, now that the end was within sight, the bone-deep exhaustion of everything they'd been through was creeping up on her all at once, along with the residual echoes of what had felt like every bone in her body shattering. Not to mention the awkward, ungainly sensation of walking with too-long limbs that weren't balanced right for standing on hind legs anymore. She'd gotten used to being a Meowth, and now she'd have to get used to a new body all over again.

But that could wait. Jade was ready to sleep for a week. And then maybe after that she could start thinking about how to approach things with Starr.

Virga walked slightly behind Jade on the well-worn trail that led into Frontier Town. Lyra had done a good job healing her mangled wing, but now it needed rest, which meant flying was off the table for a few days at least. The Corvisquire had been oddly silent since the mission's end, not that Jade had much to talk about on her end either. She kept catching weird flickers of aggravation through their link, though.

"Doing alright?" Jade asked idly.

"It's nothing," Virga said with a huff, which meant that it wasn't. "I just hope that by the next time we see combat, I'll have attained greater strength."

Ah, the usual. Jade folded her arms behind her head and replied, "Well, you guys are growing pretty quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if you evolve again soon."

Virga glanced away, clacking her beak. "I also hope to finally regain my true power. That otter was able to reclaim his. There's no reason I shouldn't be able to."

Oh, right, Dustin. The Aeroblast at the river training. Jade still wasn't too sure what determined how much an offworlder could draw on their powers from back home. Several members of the group had managed it, so... she couldn't think of any reason why Virga wouldn't be able to.

"It'll probably come to you at some point," Jade said.

"Mm," Virga replied noncommittally.

Jade furrowed her brow. Something else, then. Well, she wasn't in the mood to pry it out, so she was content to just igno—

"You were able to use my power," Virga said flatly, eyes narrowed.

Here it comes. Jade let out a tired sigh, running a paw down her face. "That's just, like, my thing here."

"Your 'thing'?"

"Yeah, like... I can reach for my teammates' energy and copy it like it's mine. I've done it a bunch, I just... wasn't expecting that to be something I could copy."

Virga stopped walking mid-step and blinked at her, clearly taken aback. "That's it?"

"That's it," Jade echoed. "If anything, that just proves you do still have that power, deep down. If I was able to copy it."

Virga was silent for a long moment. "I... see." The Corvisquire resumed walking, head held noticeably higher. "It must be close, then. I'll have to resume my training as soon as this wing has healed."

Jade trailed behind her, rolling her eyes once she was sure she wouldn't be seen. Somehow, that'd gone better than she'd been expecting.

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[canisaries]

Ben didn't know what exactly had possessed him to come out here.

He'd found a letter slipped underneath his door at the Haus this morning. It was short, and it had read the following:

Hi, Ben. It's Andre.

It seems that our time here is soon coming to a close.

If we have anything to say to one another before we forget all this, we should say it now. If there is anything we want to do, we should do it now.

Come meet me at the specified location at 3 PM today.

Thanks in advance,
Andre Duval

There had been a little map of Frontier Town attached, one Ben supposed Andre must have traced from another map, drawing in the most distinct locations and leaving the rest as blobs of buildings. A red X marked a spot on the outskirts.

Ben carried that map now, and had followed it to the marked location. He had no way to tell the exact time, but he believed it was near 3 PM. Andre should be showing up soon.

Ben, of course, hadn't come unprepared. He'd packed plenty of healing items in case this monster of a man was going to ambush him. He'd also informed quite a few people of where he was going and who was going to be there, so if he went missing, they'd know who to blame.

But, in all honesty, Ben didn't really think Andre would attack him. The human-turned-deerling would surely know that killing or hurting Ben here would accomplish nothing. That, and Ben reluctantly had to admit that Andre had never actively wished harm upon him in particular - only his trainer.

He shoved the map into his satchel and waited. It wasn't long before a familiar lanky quadruped appeared from deeper into the town. The deerling, spotting Ben, trotted over. He slowed down and stopped a few meters away as he noticed Ben tensing up.

"Hey," he greeted, looking ashamed.

"Hey yourself," Ben said, offering no sympathy.

"Thank you… for coming," Andre said. "I'm sure it wasn't easy."

"Cut to the chase," the teddi grunted.

Andre sighed. "I said in my letter that we should say the things we need to say to one another now," he began. "Of course, I've said what I've wanted to say multiple times by now. It's that I'm sorry."

"And I've told you multiple times that it's not good enough."

"I know."

A beat of silence.

"What would be good enough, Ben?" Andre then asked.

Ben wasn't sure what to say. 'Bring back Mike' wasn't possible. 'Have yourself committed' was something Andre had already tried. 'Kill yourself'? He'd apparently also tried that, and despite how much Ben loathed Andre, it felt like a ghoulish suggestion anyway.

"I don't know," Ben said. "I don't think there's anything good enough."

Andre was quiet for a spell. Then he spoke up again. "We can try something."

Ben frowned. "And what would that be?"

Andre sprouted a vine and grabbed his glasses. He walked a few meters away and set them down on the dusty ground alongside the rest of the belongings on his person before returning. Ben's brow quirked.

"Hurt me," Andre said.

Ben blinked. "What?"

"Hurt me," Andre repeated, now more emphatically.

"...No," Ben said - though he found himself questioning why he was turning this opportunity down quite quickly.

"Think about it, Ben," the deerling said. "This is the only chance you'll have of hurting me for the rest of your life. This is the only chance you have to make me feel even just a tiny bit of the suffering I inflicted upon Mike. Do you really want to throw this away?"

Ben hesitated. "Well, the last time I attacked you, you --"

"I stabbed you. I know. It won't happen this time. I'm unarmed, and I'm used to battling from my time on Forlas."

"What about the battles to come? Won't you need to be in good shape for those?"

"People heal faster here," Andre said. "Especially us Wayfarers with how strong we are by now. I'll be fine."

Ben grasped a paw. He really didn't know what to do…

"I'll make it easy for you," Andre said.

"What do you mea-"

"I'm the reason Mike is dead, Ben."

Ben's jaw clenched.

"I'm the reason Mike is nothing now. Everything he was, every memory he had, every dream and aspiration - gone."

The deerling's words struck deep. The teddi swallowed. "Shut up," he said.

"Anything he might have gone on to do will never happen. Anything he would have told you - any words of affection or encouragement - you'll never hear it now."

"Shut up!" Ben said, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

Andre, however, was unfazed. All he did was hold that cold, resigned stare and keep saying the worst words imaginable. "He will never congratulate you on a match well fought again. He will not celebrate with you. He will not even hold a gaze on you."

As Ben sniffled, sorrow began to morph into rage. How dare he say these things? How dare he add such insult to injury? Doesn't he know how much it hurts?

"His body is not in a grave, and it never will be. It was cut up into pieces and handed over to a bunch of professional criminals. It was probably thrown in a river, or maybe broken down by acids in a bathtub in a warehouse somewhere."

"Shut up!" snapped Ben, stepping up to Andre. "Shut the fuck up! You don't have the right to say these things!"

But Andre only stared, his face blank.

"He," the deerling said, "will never know you were in love with him."

Before Ben could understand what was happening, his claws had already torn three gashes across Andre's face.

The deerling had whined and winced, but not lost his footing. He kept standing, and he looked at Ben through squinted eyes.

Ben looked at his claws. Blood. It had been a while since he'd drawn it. Usually any opponents he faced in battle had been charged up to their battle state which shielded the body from sharp attacks.

He recalled the words of his tutor.

"Once blood has been drawn, the battle's over."

"Did that feel good?" Andre asked. His voice wavered. "You can do it again. As many times as it takes."

Ben glanced at the deerling.

For the first time since he'd recognized Andre on Forlas, he didn't see a monster.

He saw a pathetic, pathetic creature who simply didn't understand. Didn't understand people, didn't understand love, didn't understand justice. A creature that now knew he didn't understand those things, but had come no closer to doing so. A creature that would never understand.

Ben could no longer hate such a creature. It would have been like hating a feral dragon for trying to hunt people. Instead, he only felt pity.

Something odd then happened.

A warmth spread through Ben's body. His fur began to glow. The white light overtook his body, blinded his vision, remolded him.

When he saw again, he looked down on Andre from the height of an ursaring.

"What…" he got out, and noticed his voice had grown just a bit deeper, more resounding. Like it had been at home.

"Oh," said Andre. "Congratulations…"

Ben felt an absence on his hip and looked down to see his satchel on the ground, its strap torn. He picked it up. It seemed so small now in his new paws…

He then looked back to Andre.

"So, will you… will you hurt me some more?" the deerling asked. He sounded like he really didn't want to be hurt anymore, and yet also like he did.

Ben eyed Andre. "No," he then said. "There's no point. And it's not the person I am." He turned towards the city and began walking off.

"But…" Andre still tried. "You won't get to hurt me any more after this. You won't get to make me suffer. You won't get to avenge Mike!"

Ben threw a stern glance at the wounded deerling, and he shrank.

"You don't understand," said Ben. "I'm not like you."

With that, he left, not looking back.

He didn't meet Andre again for the next few days.

<><><>​