It was still afternoon, and the weather on Avalu Peaks was agreeable. A fair number of clouds around, but they hung above at a lazy pace. The winds were rather tame as well, considering how fierce they can get at the height Rigel's home was at. The model shrine Rigel had put out began to glow with a blue aura...

[i]Fwip![/i]

Gali blinked in, landing on the small patio overlooking the cliff. On her shoulders were Lost and Found, clinging on as a mild gust blew in, blowing their hair back.

"Wa-ahhh! H-high up...!" Lost tightened his grip. Both of the small Celebi surveyed the land below them.

"Oh, don't worry. I've got you both. The person I was talking about before lives right here." As Gali makes her way around to the door, the small shrine loses its glow, both Found and Lost not having noticed it. With Gali moving, the two were inclined to look over the nearby items new to them: decals, the rocky cliff, the weird structure they were near.

"What a weird place..." Found was about to lift off from the shoulder to inspect the weird objects in front of the door, her wings flapping, but a gust of wind put her right back down. "Eep!"

"Hold on, let's just wait 'til we get inside, alright?" A small chuckle. She knocks at the door.

A banging sound comes from within, and a few seconds later the door clicks open. A disheveled Rigel answers, looking as if he had just woken from a nap. He groans before he fully notices who it was that was standing before him. "Unh...Gali? What is..."

The two Celebi stare right at him. He stares back.

"WHAAAT?!" He recoils back. "I turn away for less than twenty-four hours and you've brought back TWO more?!"

"Nonono hold on! You need to listen to the full story!"

"You'd better have a good explanation!" Gali follows the Jirachi in...

...

Gali and Rigel sit across from each other. While Found is flitting about, floating over and around and exploring all the unique objects scattered around the room, Lost sits on the table near Gali.

"So that's it..." Rigel's arms were on the table, and his hands were in a similar position as they were before when he had interrogated Gali. Though this time, he seemed more in thought. "Your dream really was a portent...not a sign of the future, but of a reality parallel to ours."

"And I'm...living proof of that, I guess. Since my powers were taken, I can't prove it, but...I-I don't really know how otherwise, besides, uhm..."

"Shh, it's okay. That's not you now." Gali put a hand on Lost's shoulder. "You don't have to be the Celebi you were before. It's okay to show it, as long as you know you can grow from it."

The blue-tipped Celebi was shuddering, fear in its eyes. Rigel raised an eyebrow.

"You've lived through enough pain. You don't have to prove anything if you don't want to." The larger Bibi assured him.

"No, I..." Lost made a hand into a fist. "I've gotta face my past head-on." He turns back towards Gali. "Just like you said back then, right?"

Gali took a moment to think back to it. Thinking it was cute, but also warranted that he took a lot of inspiration from that fight, she nodded with a smile. "That's more courage than some would like to admit."

"Truth be told..." Rigel spoke, from across the table. "If it's anything like the dream you shared before, that may be just a summary of it all. What's important is...you're alive and in this world now, of course. No thanks to that meddling Celebi you've befriended."

Gali grinned wide. "What can I say? I had to help out."

"Well," Rigel paused, sighing, "if at the end of the day this means these Celebi were brought here to live with you, then I just want your assurances about the things we talked about before."

"About the shrine stuff, right?" He nodded. "Actually, that's one of the reasons why I think living on Luani will be good for them. Just as it was for me, it's a totally different landscape from what someone would expect we'd live in."

Gali looks over at Found, who was look at a globe. "It'll be challenging, but...they're relatively new and not really accustomed to the world. It's like they're starting from scratch. And..." She looks back down at Lost. "...they need someone to look after them. To help hone their powers in the right direction."

Lost crossed his arms, pouting. "I-I don't need to be babied...I just need some help, is all."

Found floated over, hovering over Lost. "C'mooon, don't pretend you didn't like it! When you got someone taking care of you, everything just feels so precious..."

Lost playfully swiped up at her. "Nuh! D-don't spread lies!"

The red Celebi giggled, her hands behind her back and leaning forward just out of reach. "Then why's it I felt your heart jump when Gali was holding you, huh?"

Lost covered his mouth. "Y-you felt that? ...I mean, no! That was [i]your[/i] heart!"

"Might I suggest it may be both?" Rigel laughed at the exchange. "It's certainly unique that a Celebi - or any Pokemon, really - be created in such a way. And the way you heal, Gali...it really is extraordinary. Perhaps it's because of how you healed, and that the two Celebi you have with you are, in fact, part of one...that they feel each other's emotions."

Gali nodded. "My thoughts exactly. So that's all why I can't just leave them be, and why I can't just take one. They both need help - from a fellow Celebi." She leaned forward, placing her arms around Lost on the table. Found hovered over Gali's head, setting herself down onto the larger Bibi's green hair.

Rigel sighed, leaning back into his chair and crossing his arms. "Ohhh, to praise or to chide. Witnessing the healing powers of a Celebi, while trying to keep the island protected from outside sources. What am I to do with you..."?

She wags a finger. "No shrines. If we really need the one, we'll just teleport to the one we were at, but...I think it'll be a while 'til we go back there."

The Jirachi closed his eyes. He scrunched his face, looking as if he was troubled by it all. Another sigh, his tension relieved. "Look. Here's what...we'll do. If you can promise me they'll stay with you, then I can rest easy at night knowing nobody's gonna build anything on top of whatever relics we've still yet to uncover on the island. I only ask that we respect the history here as best we can."

Gali giggles, reaching up and petting Found's head. She giggles herself; Lost smiles softly, watching. "You don't have to worry about that. I've got a lot to teach, and they've got a lot to learn about this new world they're in. Maybe someday you can help them out in that regard, too. No doubt you'd like to probe the mind of a Celebi not from this reality, hm?"

"H-huh? Do you mean that..." Lost looks apprehensive.

"Nooo, silly." Gali ruffles the blue Celebi's hair. "It's not what you think. More that we Celebi have unique powers, and someone like Rigel here who likes learning about special Pokemon like us can learn a lot about the world by studying us. Asking questions, trying to understand our culture...things like that."

She rests her hand once more, with Found playfully messing up Gali's own hair, cackling cutely. "But since we don't have much of a culture, since we don't have a shrine we use often - hey, cut it out~! - we have something even more unique about us. Like why we'd choose to live outside the forest."

"That's easy!" Found grinned wide, jutting herself up off of Gali's head, strands of green hair covering her face. "There's lots of things I've been missing in life...and I wanna live it! Maybe it doesn't make me a good Celebi, but if the roots are all that matters, I've got them."

"Yeah..." Lost stands up on the table. "But I'm still not sure what to make of mine. I'm thankful for the clean slate...but there's a lot to the world that I was oblivious to. All that experience, all those years...and I don't have much to show for it now." He looks at his hands. "I've been thinking how I could do anything different, and it's...bogging me down, really. Not remembering how to do that, but then knowing that I shouldn't, and trying to think of what else I could do."

"Lost..."

"...heh, I know. Who I was before doesn't define who I am today." He turns back towards Gali, a smile on his face. "So then, I guess I'll just have to try a bit of everything. Not just 'cause I can prove it, but...there's a million things I'd rather be doing than hanging around in a graveyard. And it took one and a half Celebi to teach me that, of all things."

Gali looks annoyed but smug for a brief second. Found hops off, hovering above Gali's head, wings flapping. "And I know what I'll be doing, too!"

"Yeah, what?" Lost's turn to be smug. Found lands close, grabbing one of Lost's hands and holding it between her own. He's immediately defensive, but doesn't yank it away.

"Being with you. Being your foil." She looks down, a blush emerging.

The blue Celebi's expression changed, smiling too, bringing his other hand to set on top of Found's. "I wouldn't expect my other half to do anything else. It's reassuring to know I have...myself, I guess, to be there by my side." He turns towards Gali. "And you, too, Gali. To guide us, protect us, watch us."

Found went wide-eyed. "You've still gotta show us how you made that cool-looking blade. I wanna see if I can do it too!"

From the other side of the table, a chuckle. "Seems you have your hands full, Gali."

The Celebi merely grinned. "That I do. We'll be so busy exploring all of these avenues of life that we'll probably just blend in with everyone else on the island. Though I think we should keep this whole origin story kept between...a few people. There's a good friend of mine who I see often, she'll probably flip out once I tell her since she's trustable, but...you guys'll like her. And that can be the start of your new journey."

"Then...so long as they're under your care, I think I'll be satisfied." Rigel gets up from his chair. "This has been quite the day for you all. It's getting quite late, so if you want to make the return trip to Sonnige, you'd better leave now before it gets too dark - and cold."

"Oh!" Gali looks out the window, noticing the familiar orange tint starting to take up the sky. "Yeah, we'd better go before night comes." She gets up from her seat, picking up Lost while Found floats up and rests on the Bibi's head. She makes her way to the door.

"Ah, and Gali..."

"Yes?" She turns.

"Do take care. And visit sometime again, hm? Hopefully on a more peaceful day for you."

A giggle. Found grins wide, showing a peace sign. "You can count on it."

- - -

As the trio fly their way back to Karina's, night falls. They watch the sun set across the ocean, and the lights of homes and streetlamps turning on below them. The colors changing on the clouds, the first glimpses of stars in the young night sky - the two smaller Celebi were awestruck, and didn't say a word as they travelled. Mesmerized they were, they barely noticed the chill of the air until they landed.

"Wow..." Lost was the first to break the silence. "I had no idea such a place could exist..."

"Really makes you think about what we missed out on..." Even Found was made somber, though Gali could tell tiredness was setting in. She, too, was getting sleepy - and hungry.

"Yeah...on a grand scale, I guess it is. I haven't really gotten to enjoy a sunset like that before." She holds Lost with one arm, knocking at the door. "And there's more where that came from. This island is full of surprises."

"Like this shrine? I thought that guy said there weren't any..." Found was just about to float up to see above the house when the door opened. She fell right in the field of vision of Abby, who made a brief shriek.

"AH! Oh, Gali!" She laughed. "Goodness, you scared me!" The Mawile lifted a hand, nearly touching the red Celebi's cheek. The Bi merely floated in place, somewhat amused. "And you brought friends! Hello, dearies, come on in!"

Making their way inside, Found floated close to Gali, still looking around. Lost as well, though he didn't have the angle his counterpart had.

"So, may I ask who the little ones are? And would you like some pie? Just bought it today!"

The two look at Gali, who nodded.

"I'm Lost." "I'm Found."

Abby took a second to register what she was hearing. "...Oh! Pet names? Well, there's a reason for everything."

Gali bounced Lost in her grasp. "It's a long story. Pie sounds nice, yes."

"Perfect. Do you wanna hang out for a sec while I get your plates ready?"

"Sure." Gali sets Lost down on the table, who is more than enthusiastic to hop out and stand on solid ground.

"Agh, not having Psychic powers kinda sucks..." He stretches his arms up. Found lands near him.

"Maybe you'll feel better after having something to eat. Can't train without getting your fill!"

"Eat?" A low grumble comes from somewhere. Lost goes on the defensive before realizing it was coming from him.

"A-aheh...yeah, your stomach. Gotta eat to keep your energy up." With Abby nearby, it was most certainly awkward for Gali to have to explain the concept of eating without it coming off as weird...

"Here ya gooo~." Abby brings over three plates, each with a slice of cherry pie, and three forks. "You guys headin' in to see Karina? Oh, of course ya are, Gali." She was quick to dismiss it with a hand wave.

"Heh, yeah...she in tonight?" Gali holds out a hand, taking all the plates with her Psychic and floating them nearby. Found went to grab one, but decided against it as they were enveloped by a pink aura.

"Yeap, she just got up a bit ago. Haven't heard her talking much, though, so I don't think she's doing her streaming thing. Enjoy yourselves~!" Chipper as always, she headed off.

"Shall we go, guys?" Gali holds her arms out, inviting Lost in. He obliged; even with his full weight behind his jump, the Celebi barely recoiled. Found floated nearby, eyeing the pie.

"Such control over your Psychic..." The red Celebi watched on. Reaching another door, Gali opened it.

There Karina was at her computer, her long hair and maw hanging over the back of her chair. She had her headphones on, pulsing with color. A white plate with crumbs on it sat on the desk, opposite of her mouse. "Karinaaa? I'm baaack!"

She appeared to fritz around with the screen, pausing her video and taking off her headphones so she can look over. Noticing Gali back, she was about to wave, but had noticed the two extra Celebi with her and immediately had questions.

"Hi Galiiiiii-what the heck. Where did...- How did...-"

"I'll explain everything in just a sec. Would you mind if I sat them down first?"

"Oh, uh...no, go right ahead. Just don't make a mess on the couch, alright?" Karina looks back to her computer, closing down a few programs. Something caught her attention, turning her body towards the desk again.

Gali sat on the couch, with Found following suit, and placing Lost on the other side. She floats the plates of pie down, as well as the forks. "This is...the first time you guys have eaten this, yeah?"

"I can't remember if I ever had anything like this, no." "Nuh-uh."

Gali smiled. Beyond that smile was the pain of reteaching such basic, daily things. "So, you take your fork like this...and do this, scoop it up...hold it like this so it doesn't fall off, and...!" Oh, how the first bite invigorated her. The Bibi's body jolts up. "[i]Oooo[/i]...now you guys try. Use your fingers if you gotta, but don't wipe on the couch."

She surveyed them as they attempted. Found was the first to find success, and was taken quite aback with the sensation. "W..waa...waaaooow~!"

Lost was a little slower, having been frozen in place after poking the pie with his fork and seeing the cherry filling spill out somewhat.

"Just like that, Lost. A little harder..."

"B-buh...but..." Fear filled his voice. "Re- r-red..."

Gali took a few seconds to understand. "O-oh! That's the cherry filling. You know, cherry? It's red, and it's got this real sweet taste. It's not what you think, trust me. Kinda like the insides of berries."

"It'shh...real ghood...!" Found had already taken another bite.

"Now now, no talking with your mouth full."

Inspired, Lost stuck his fork in, then pulled up a small piece of it. Closing his eyes, he too took it in his mouth...and its savory goodness swept away any fears he had. His antennae conveyed how he felt with their wavy movements, his eyes no longer tensed and his back slowly lowering.

"This is...h-how could I have lived so long without this? I-is...do you have this [i]often[/i]?"

"Not very. It's meant to be a dessert, a treat after a long day's work. I think after today, we've earned it." She takes another bite.

Karina stepped in front of them, hands on her hips. "And I suppose it was your treat to have too, huh?"

Gali giggled. "Not my fault your mom had it out still. She even offered." She taps the plate with her fork. "Didn't rummage through your pantry this time."

The Mawile huffed. "You've still got to explain why you brought them over. How long have you known them?"

"Since last night." Another bite. Lost nodded, looking livelier by the second.

"Wha? You mean...the Celebi from your dream?"

Another nod. Gali motions to the blue Celebi. "Lost, the lost Celebi," then over to the red one, "and Found, the other half." Found smiles wide and waves, pie crumbs and a bit of cherry on her cheeks.

"...Please tell me those are their actual names, and that you didn't name them yourself."

"I wish I had a name before..." And just like that, Lost's looking down again.

"Ohhh, Lost...it's alright now. Just focus on eating that pie, alright?"

Karina sighed, looking down and shaking her head. "Well, if it really was true, then...I guess you being gone the last day or so was part of why they're here?"

"More or less. You ready for the story?"

- - -

Gali went about explaining the whole thing once more - from her time travelling, to her neck ring helping out, to nearly getting erased, and finally getting the blessing of Dialga for the Celebi to exist, and from Rigel for them to live with her. By the time she was finished, the Celebi had all eaten their slice of pie, and the two small ones had rested up against Gali, heads on her lap as they struggled to stay awake.

"Yeah, so he did turn out to be...a little different than what I thought, for sure." Gali rubbed the heads of the Celebi on her lap. Karina had taken a seat on the couch as well, though she kept her hands to herself for the most part, beyond putting the plates on the small table in front of them.

"I guess I should've seen it coming. But at least he was understanding. I...we, don't need a shrine any more than he needs one of those wishing rocks. Or a Mawile and their..."

"...?"

"...y-y'know, I'm not sure if I should...okay, no, [i]cave[/i]."

Karina playfully pushes Gali's shoulder. "You little Rattata. I knew that's where you were going with that!"

"Ehehe! But yeah...it's a wonderful feeling. Saving these little ones, and being responsible for their healing, until their powers return..." She caresses the red Celebi's cheeks. A light trill can be heard...

"Sounds like another full-time job for the nurse. You sure you'll have enough...[i]time[/i]?"

Gali's turn to playfully push back. "Wouldn't have done it if I didn't want to put in the effort! And besides, we have all the time in the world. Speaking of which, though..."

Lost yawns. He shifts position, resting the other side of his head on Gali's leg.

"...yeah, I guess we do need to crash here tonight. Would you mind if we...?"

Karina smiled. "Gali. Gali, Gali, Gali..." She shook her head.

"Eh?"

"Gali, you've done more in a single day than most would do their whole lives. And off of a dream, no less." She raises her hand towards the Celebi, holding her chin. "Do you know how worried I would be if you just...never came home? If things didn't turn out how they did, and you were..."

The Celebi on her lap stirred. Gali slowly blinked, a hand softly grabbing hold of the Mawile's arm. "I know. It was...something I was willing to do. And I'd have done it a hundred times over if it meant saving their lives."

Found giggled. "I'm just...glad to be alive again. I don't think I'll ever get over that..."

"Me neither. Thank you, Gali." Lost nuzzled his face into Gali's thigh, prompting Karina to look down.

"I think you should see a seamstress about that cut, Gali..."

"Eh? She looked down. The cut in her onesie where Audun's dagger cut her before was still there, though the skin underneath was healed. "Oh goodness, I hadn't noticed...uh, yeah, I should. Uhm, do you think I could borrow a dress or..."

Karina waved a finger. "I'll do some digging overnight. Soon as you're up I'll tell ya what I find. ...but that's after I get some hours in on my game." She winks. "You should probably get some sleep. Leave the small stuff to me."

Gali smiles, nodding. "Yeah." She takes hold of the Celebi on her lap, propping them up as they laze about. "Come on, little ones. We'll sleep together."

"And Gali..." Karina closed her eyes. She took a few seconds, sighing. "...it's good to have you back home."

"Kari..." Gali leans down, kissing the Mawile's forehead. "I'll always be with you, so long as you keep me in your heart."

She nodded. "And I'm with you."

Gali floats over to the bed, resting on her side. She rests Lost in front of her, a hand over him and cuddling him close. Found originally rested on the pillow behind Lost, but got up so she could lay on Gali's torso. She didn't seem to mind this, as Gali rested her arm on Found as well, huddling them close. Soon, Karina's quieted TV lulled the three to sleep.

- - -

A forest of autumn trees, the ground littered with red. The orange sky above generating a static noise.

Lost found himself walking amongst the leaves. He cared not if he stepped on a few, their cracks barely noticeable as he made his way...somewhere.

A lone tree, small and withering without its leaves. One might mistake it for having already shed itself for the coming winter, but Lost could sense that was not the case. The absence of leaves surrounding it held credence to the theory. He walked up to this tree, its clearing surrounded by red on all sides.

He looked up at the tree. A sad fate that in such a large forest, it was but a small tree. Never to get the light its needs to grow, as those taller than it would steal its light. The rain would filter down through the other trees and their larger root systems, leaving it dry. Lost felt a pang of sadness as he studied its branches, as if he was living through the tree itself.

A flash of white, and then all is black. The sun had fully set, and only the stars lit up the forest already shaded by the hands above. Lost looked around. It appeared as though the sea of red leaves had disappeared as well - or, rather, anything beyond the little clearing with the single tree had turned to blackness, save for the high-rising trees.

A light shines in the darkness. Green. Lost knew all too well what it was.

A single, green light...then another. He looks around; more appear, shrouded in the darkness surrounding him. A low voice forms from somewhere, unintelligible.

One of the eyes appears to get closer, and Lost instantly knew...it was himself. Half of a shiny Celebi, barely lit in the clearing. A few leaves blew into the clearing from behind it.

Its eye pulsed. A telepathic message rung out.

"YOU ARE...ONE..."

A second Celebi emerged from the darkness on the other side of the clearing, identical to the first. They all closed in, slowly, inching forward with nary a movement.

"ONE OF...US..."

Lost backed up until he was against the tree. "No...I'm not! I've stopped! I'm changed!"

More eyes appeared in the pitch blackness. Some began moving around, not just towards Lost. It was as if an ocean wave had hit them, carrying them in its movement. Acting as one. Other eyes, caught in their own waves. Lights barely visible as they twist and turn amongst the trees hidden in the dark.

"NO MATTER...WHERE YOU ARE...
...WHEN YOU ARE...
...OR EVEN...WHO YOU ARE...
...YOU WILL...ALWAYS...
...BRING DEATH..."

"No! That's not me!" Lost briefly lights up with a blue aura. More Celebi enter the clearing, an unknown wind blowing more leaves towards Lost and the lone tree. The leaves come to rest under the Celebi's feet. All were notched.

"YOUR BODY...MAY CHANGE...
...BUT YOU...WILL ALWAYS...
...REMEMBER...WHAT IT IS LIKE...
...REMEMBER...HOW TO KILL..."

The light beyond the trees grew. The eyes that were moving as one were gathering in a gigantic mass of red. Beyond that, Lost could not see. Unknown sounds of mass moving around played out all around him.

Lost, instilled in fear once more, grits his teeth. "I'm...I'm not the same Celebi! I'm not...I'm not..."

"YOUR MEMORIES...
...WILL NEVER...FADE...
...YOU WILL...BE CURSED...
...WITH US...ALWAYS..."

A shrieking sound echos through the forest. Movement among the scattered leaves beyond the veil of darkness, the sound of something sharp being thrust into the ground repeatedly, as if it were footsteps. The mass of red just beyond Lost's eyesight swirled, becoming tangible. It was...a head. Multiple of these heads formed against the wall of black, all with shining green eyes scattered around. No mouths, empty eyes themselves.

"I-I..."

"DO YOU...DENY IT...?
...YOUR FATE...NO MATTER...
...WHICH REALITY...YOU ARE IN...
...IT IS...WITH US..."

"I'm..." Lost's knees buckled, falling back against the tree with his arms wide out. The half-Celebi that had approached were mere feet away. He could make out all of their features, despite how much he didn't want to. And no matter where he looked, there were more. More Celebi halves. More undefined masses in the distance.

"I'm...not...s-scared..."

The sounds of sharp footsteps grows closer, and it enters the clearing's dim light. A four-legged humanoid creature whose long, thin root-like legs and tree-like body were accentuated by masses of red flesh that seemed...incomplete. Its large body, made thicker by its spider-like posture, was taller than the tree Lost had backed up against. Its body jerked with every movement it made, a single large arm ending with a blade of darkness. One half of its head was replaced by tree bark, acting like flesh with a seamless transition down the middle of its face. Lost couldn't make out any details of its torso beyond its visible, pulsating heart in a cage of branches.

As it entered Lost's vision, it shrieked again. Its jittering movements made it hard to get a good look at it. His body froze up in terror, its unpredictable shaking making it hard to judge how it was going to move.

Within a second, its knife legs sped up, and it charged at Lost with its arm raised. He could see its rows of sharp teeth, the emptiness of its eye sockets. He closed his eyes, hoping for one last second that it would go away if he couldn't see it.

The blade came down.

Another bright light. A being rushes forward from behind Lost, as if coming from the tree itself.

A clash of blades, one of sharpened red and one of green light.

"Lost!" That voice...it was familiar.

Opening his eyes, he sees a humanoid creature with two legs, bathed in light, fending off the creature despite being less than half its height. Lost notices its antennae and wings; a Celebi. The monster twitches uncontrollably as it pushes its blade forward, its incomplete, mashed-together form visible in this new light. After a few moments of back and forth, the green Celebi prevailed, forcing it back.

The new Celebi landed in front of him. Leaves scattered on the ground, as if the fiercely burning light of its body repelled them. "Look in your heart, Lost! Let your rekindled emotions be your weapon!"

"ARE YOU...CERTAIN...
...YOU CAN...TRUST...?
...YOUR BODY...IS USED...
...TO KILLING...TO SUFFERING..."

Lost still hadn't moved an inch. The shiny Celebi halves spread out across the clearing come closer still. The green-lit Celebi seemed only interested in fending off the larger monstrosity, and the Celebi halves were only interested in Lost.

"Lost! Is that you?"

From behind the tree, a voice. It knew that voice well - it was its own. He finally gains control of his body, and looks behind himself. There was a Celebi half, but...it was the other side. And on the other side of the clearing behind it, many shiny Celebi halves that were also that side.

There, too, was another light-enveloped Celebi, fighting off another monster. Another monster Lost couldn't accurately describe, a fog of blackness, as if it wasn't for him to comprehend. "Found! You don't have to be lonely anymore! Let your life energy burn bright!"

"YOUR HEART...REMAINS EMPTY...
...ALONE...FOREVER...
...NO LIGHT...CAN HELP...
...NOBODY...IS...YOUR FRIEND..."

Two Celebi, back to back on this tree. "My other half...my other half is with me..." Lost looks like he figured out something. "That's it! Found! It's us together!"

The red and blue Celebi touch hands. The tree began to glow, and from their bodies beings of light flew out, glowing much like the larger Celebi figure from before. These lights were smaller - their own Celebi halves. The beings flew unpredictably across the clearing, ramming into the shiny Celebi halves bathed in darkness.

As the two halves meet, they become one, a single pink Celebi. Each float upwards before disappearing into the darkness. The two larger monsters roared, the background beyond the clearing becoming more distorted and the faces within the darkness multiplying as the Celebi halves in the clearing were neutralized.

"I WILL...LIVE ON...
...IN YOUR...HEART...
...NO MATTER...HOW MUCH...
...LIGHT...YOU ABSORB..."

The Celebi monster, as well as the void being, retreat slowly into the darkness. The cutting sound of its sharp legs jutting into the ground bore into Lost's mind, even as it became quieter and its body disappeared from sight. The two shining Celebi's bodies glowed even brighter, ensuring they would think twice about returning.

Lost and Found, still terrified beyond all belief in their little pocket of light, both approached their respective savior.

Each of the light Celebi turned, shedding their white cloak to reveal one half of Gali's body on each. Just like them before: halves.

"There's not much time." "Take my light...and fill the tree with life."

"B-but! Won't you disappear?" "Who will protect us?"

"I...am but a small part of your journey." "You already have the strength...you just need to reach in and take it."

"So take my light...before the darkness reaches us again." "Only you can defeat the demons in your heart."

The two colored Celebi didn't know what to do. Something in their bodies told them to reach for the light on the body in front of them...so they did. Light gathered in their hands, a ball of light energy forming, absorbing the energy from the one before them.

"W-why...? Why are you leaving me again? I-it's...not fair...!" Lost teared up, as the Celebi's non-lit half began to fade.

"Silly Lost...did you already forget?" The light part of its body had nearly completely been absorbed. "I'm...always a part...of your heart..."

With the last of its light absorbed into the sphere in each Celebi's hands, the halves of the figure become lifeless, falling to the ground as a pile of leaves. They take a moment to mourn. A different type of pain for them to learn, to burden.

They turn to each other. "How do we...?" "Use...them..."

"YOU DO NOT.
YOU EXTINGUISH IT.
ALL LIGHT...
ALL HOPE..."

The ground begins to shake. The ominous red faces in the mist beyond disappear, and a figure looms overhead - way overhead. It eclipsed even the trees, no light beyond the dark blue sky and stars above to tell what exactly it was.

The blue Celebi backed up. The being above turned its head down. An indiscernible feeling washed over Lost, as if its stare alone was causing him pain. A low rumble reverberates through the area, red leaves blowing in out of nowhere. Dirt kicks up off the ground by itself.

"Lost! We have to do it together!"

He turns towards the red Celebi, having reformed. He, too, in her eyes, was made whole. The sight of each other holding the orbs spurred a burning sensation to course through Lost. He gripped his chest with his free hand.

"We...we have to...! Found! With me!"

The two Celebi flew upwards, circling the tree, then each other. Taking the orbs of light with them, the two held their hands up, merging the two orbs together.

"I...I am in charge of my OWN fate!" "I will purge this darkness from my heart!"

The two plunge their hands downwards, sending the enlarged ball of light down onto the tree. The orb took the tree into it, growing even larger so as to keep its shape while absorbing all its branches down to its roots.

Colors began swirling around inside. Light began spreading on the ground, green grass and flowers sprouting where leaves lay. The orb itself began to morph, becoming a closed bud with bright colors; a giant flower, ready to bloom.

The Celebi looked towards each other, floating above the bud's opening. They nodded.

And dove into the petals.

A wind blew, taking the sprouted flowers up into the air and forcing them close to the bud. A light shone from inside the bud, and it began to bloom.

Out came a single Celebi - giant, growing. Humanoid. Green and pink accentuates its body, a crown of leaves, a multicolor dress that shimmered. Growing tall, above the trees. Glowing with power.

The world became two halves. The monster from before stood before the new Celebi, flanked by darkness on all sides, even being cloaked in darkness itself. The Celebi's presence was enough to instill life in the trees at its knees, a bright and sunny day on its side. Yet in the middle of the two, dawn and sunset fought.

The Celebi opened its eyes. Red and blue gems, shining with purpose.

It spoke, many echoes in its voice. "They will never live so long as you exist in their hearts."

"I AM...THEIR DARKNESS...
...I AM...THEM...
...YOU...HAVE NO...RIGHT...
...TO...INTER...FERE..."

The Celebi shook its head. It splayed its hands, as if basking in the sunlight it had created for itself. It still faced the dark being before it. "You will be bathed in light and shown the error of your ways. Every last bit of you will be expelled, so that they may find happiness without doubt."

"I WILL...EXIST...
...FOREVER...INSIDE...
...THEIR HEART...THEIR MIND...
...EVER PRESENT...

...IF YOU...STAY...
...I WILL...ENJOY...
...CONSUMING...YOUR SOUL...
...AFTER...THEIRS..."

A light begins shining from the Celebi's chest. "You'll never take us. Every wound will be healed. Every bit of doubt will be expelled."

"I...WILL...
PULL...YOU...
TO THE DEPTHS...
OF HELL!"

A blade shoots forward from the darkness, aimed at the Celebi's chest.

Right as it touched, the light grew even more intense. Great rays shot forth from its heart, exposing the dark being for what it was. Its bloodied body evaporated in the light, letting out a petrified shriek as the inky blackness it was surrounded in gave way to the million lights the Celebi's heart was shining onto it.

But even as the demon's body whittled away to nothing, the dark void in which it emerged stayed, even as it was pierced through. Green eyes coming from the darkness invaded the light. Dark tendrils followed the eyes as the wall of darkness inched forward with them.

The Celebi's light couldn't last. A gush of red sprouts from where its chest was pierced. Falling, falling.
From that hole, Lost and Found were ejected. Unconscious, they fell amongst the leaves,
eventually becoming leaves themselves.

Falling, falling.
Until naught but their notched wings
remained under the lone green tree
isolated in the autumn forest.

- - -

A whimper. Gali can barely tell what it was. Her consciousness, still fading in.

The lights were off. The pulsing from Karina's computer lights was all that remained. And yet, things were calm. No fear, she felt, even as she opened her eyes and was met with the dimly lit room.

Something moved against her hand. Lost was turning about, huddled close to her, curled up. She could feel...hear, his breathing. Erratic.

"G-...gali..."

A voice from her side. She turns, Found having woken up. She was hugging Gali's side, trying her best to be as close as she could.

"What's wrong, little one?" Gali kept a quiet voice.

"I-I dreamed..." Tears welled in the corner of her eyes. "I dreamed...you..."

"Y-you..." Lost spoke up, still holding his eyes shut. His breathing was so heavy that he was trying to speak with no air to sound out his words. "Th-the...darkness..."

"Shhh...it's okay. Let it out. Gali's here." She slowly raised her arm, placing it over the red Celebi; her other arm held the blue Celebi close, resting her head on his.

They nuzzled into her embrace.

And softly cried until morning came.
