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Grace would feel that the helmet's texture... was just stone. Perhaps not too different from some of the foundations of Frontier Town's assorted buildings. Or parts of the railroad construction site. And yet simple stone had somehow managed to cause Nova problems all this time.

While the mask itself didn't seem to budge much, a couple of the pieces from the already broken base dropped into the dirt. And Nova... started kicking at the air with his left hind leg. Repeatedly.

"That's... nice, whatever that is."
 
Grace giggled softly, and the hope in her chest soared. "Do you think the rest might fall off...? Um, if it doesn't all come off now, you have to show me your face later, okay?" she eagerly spread more of her life dew around the base, wondering and hoping for more pieces to come off. "Otherwise, um, maybe it'll come off in a fight or something!"
 
"Show my face?" Nova had to admit how ridiculous it sounded out loud. "Yeah. I can do that." He gave a weak chuckle. "It's gotta be close. Just needs another nudge of... something."
 
"Hmm... I don't have much force or strength..." Grace sounded disappointed as she gave him his space back. "I'm sorry I can't get it to come off more, Nova... but it shouldn't be much longer, just keep trying different things!"
 
"I will." Nova nodded slowly. "After getting some rest, though. Been a long day." After one hell of a long night, to boot.

"Thank you, though. I think this was helpful."
 
"That's good!" chirped Grace, smiling. "I need to get back to my room as well... but, I hope you can sleep closer to us soon...! I'll look for something for sure. Until then, take care, Nova!"

After they exchanged goodbyes, Grace took flight and headed back the way she came. Even if Nova's mask didn't fully come off... she was hopeful that the rest would crumble in time.

<><><>
 
Ch04: Long Thyme No See (Koa & Mhynt)
  • Threadmarks
    • The thought of what Koa needed to do weighed heavy in his steps, but he couldn't put it off any more. In the chaos of the last few days he'd nearly forgotten but he needed the full picture.

    His steps slowed as he approached the bullentin board that Mhynt apparently frequented. A familiar splash of green caught his eyes except... When had she evolved? Now that he properly considered it, he hadn't really spoken to her in awhile either.

    "Hey Mhynt," he called as he approached. As a Grovyle she was now taller than him, and he had to look up at her. "Congratulations," he added, nodding to her new form. Why hadn't he evolved?
     
  • Threadmarks
    • There was the faintest twinge of... some negative emotion when Koa congratulated her. However, she mostly masked it with a firm nod and said, "Hello, Koa. Thank you. Are you here to pick up a mission?" She glanced at the board. "The only one left is that one seeking a Moon Stone. I think the reward went up since last time..."
     
    "Actually, no," he admitted. It would have been nice to do a mission. Probably he should skip small talk, no point delaying what needed to be said. "I was hoping to talk to you. About Alex. I ran into him once already and..."
    He sighed heavily. Prying into her past, even if he didn't know her, made his pelt itch.

    "I know you have a history. You don't have to but I was hoping you could tell me more. Anything that might help the team."
     
    The Grovyle tensed at the question and nodded, eyes closed. She didn't like to revisit it. But this question was going to become more and more relevant as time went on.

    Thankfully, the important parts were easy to summarize.

    "He likes dominance and control. He knows how to act covertly and carefully but that isn't his first choice if he can afford something straightforward. And... he's someone we should kill without hesitation. I should have been more vigilant."
     
    There it was again. She thought they needed to kill Alex. He couldn't blame her after what he'd seen, if she had a history with him but whatever it was must have been bad. "Why?" The question came out before he could find a better way to word it. He bit his lip. In another situation he would have just let it go. But Alex had taken too much for him to let this go.

    "You don't have to tell me your whole story," he said awkwardly. "But he's up to something here. If I knew more, we could try to figure out what he's doing. Get ahead of him."
     
    "...Alexander and Shadows are a deadly combination. The fact that he carries it with him at all is horrible," she stated, relaxing enough to get back to her formal stance while standing guard at the board. "I can't be sure how much of that power carried here. But after that jailbreak and... it being attributed to him, maybe more of it than we'd ever want.

    "He can use his powers to seep into the hearts of Pokemon and control them. Sometimes against their will. It doesn't matter how much a being of light you are, either... Because I was one of his victims. I was given a choice. To... follow his commands by choice... any of his commands, or be reduced to a mindless puppet and follow them anyway.

    "That was my existence. And that may be the existence of Owen, who chose... not to follow him." Her voice became quieter. "Something I never had the courage to do. But now, Owen is..."
     
    Mhynt's words sent chills down his spine. Alex could... control others? What about Archie and him? Had their brief contact with Alex exposed them somehow? What about Powehi's blessing, would that protect them? With a start, he wondered if he'd lied, if that power had been how he broke through to Drapion. And Alex had controlled her and followed her here? It sounded bad. Somehow he was reminded of Nova a little. What a terrible world... And now Owen was probably under his control too.

    "How?" he asked. "How does he control others? Archie and I met him personally before. Is there a chance that..."
     
    "I don't know if it's the same here or not," said Mhynt. "But it could be as simple as a touch with his power. I'd... certainly think it's not that easy. ...Why? Do you think he has you, right now?" Her countenance had become... guarded, but not hostile. Perhaps she was thinking.
     
    So Alex had used some kind of power to control Drapion. Koa ducked his head. "I don't know," he said. Alex hadn't physically touched either of them...

    "When we met him he threatened us. Then used some kind of shadow lightning near us. It felt weird, but I don't feel any different now. Is he able to control someone without them knowing? Would I feel if he had done something?"
     
    Mhynt's expression looked like she already saw Koa as a demon, but once again, the expression only lasted an instant. She closed her eyes and focused on her security stance.

    "...I don't know how it works here," she said. "But yes. He could implant a 'hook' into someone's spirit without them realizing. It's why we need to kill him. He's too dangerous to leave alive here."
     
    He swore she gave him some kind of look, but then, he could hardly blame her. What if Alex had his hooks in them? Or the others? Or even Odette? Then a much more horrifying thought followed. Could it affect the team through Betel? Fighting back his worries, he considered her words. "Maybe it's different here but could a powerful psychic detect these hooks? Or was there was a way to tell back home?"

    She was still convinced that killing him was the only way, and some part of him wondered if she was right. The idea was unpleasant and yet what if they didn't have a choice? "And... You should consider sharing with the team. Whatever you choose to do you can't do alone. If the team knows to be on the lookout we can make sure to be ready for him."
     
    "They already know," Mhynt said, nodding. "...But... I could emphasize it. Yes. That ability to control."

    A hot wind blew over them and Mhynt's leaves shriveled in response. She exhaled to herself.

    "We need a better climate," she murmured. "...In any case... The way to tell back home was a very good aura reader. Someone who specialized in looking for darkness. And treatment... That wasn't as easy. You needed a Shadow user of equal control... and the risk there was becoming their puppet instead if they had the same powers. I suppose Radiance could also counter it..."
     
    That was a start. But where would he possibly find an aura reader? His thoughts flashed to Mew again, and Mewtwo. It'd been so long since he visited he wasn't even sure if Mewtwo's offer still stood, but perhaps they would know something helpful. The rest of her words brought little comfort. Mhynt looked even less pleased about having to discuss everything.

    You're tainted. He nodded, keeping his calm. "I see. Thank you... Do you mind if I tell the others what you told me about Alex?" Another question lingered at the back of his mind, but he wasn't sure how to ask it.
     
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    "By all means," Mhynt said with a nod. "We need to be on the same page on this or Alexander will pick away at us one by one. Perhaps now he will be... more careful, though. Surely he knows we're onto him."

    She paused, narrowing her eyes.

    "Does he?" she suddenly wondered aloud.
     
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