^ "Underwater Fire" (6-28-20)

—

NERO

Friday, April 13, 2018

Simeon woke me up at 6 AM again, and for the first time since I'd been taken home from hospital, I was grateful. Another bad dream had come to me early in the morning, of course about Jude and Mag, what was happening to them, what they were doing. This time, Jude's tail had gotten cut in half by a hungry Crawdaunt, and his blood had turned the sea... Green, not red.

It was a bit of silliness that failed to make the dream any less terrifying: Jude was weak. Mag was injured, probably getting more and more fatigued the farther they traveled. What if they did come across a hungry Crawdaunt that—?

I ground my teeth as Simeon helped me dress, hoping the crunching sound would crowd out my increasingly paranoid thoughts.

It also distracted me from the fact that Simeon had to help me dress, though the embarrassment wasn't as severe as on my first day with the Lilycove City Seawatchers. I didn't have a choice, after all: despite being out of the hospital for nearly five days now, I was still shaky and weak on my feet, despite the fact that I'd been given a transfusion at the hospital. Simeon assured me that they'd pumped the right blood type into me, but I had to wonder: I'd been feeling weird and off-kilter the past week, like my old blood was warring with the new dose.

Besides that, my injured arm still hadn't regained its full autonomy: there was an alarming numbness gripping my forearm and most of my fingers, making them hard to move. Both Kara and Simeon suspected some kind of nerve damage, and I prayed that it was temporary. I had an appointment with the doctor in — twitch — three days, and they would tell me more then, Simeon said.

I wasn't sure I could stand to wait around in this place for another three hours.

But again, no choice: besides the bad blood and the bad arm, my body had also taken the opportunity to crash into a full-blown Drought — I could tell because the low fever that had rested somewhere in the back of my skull, telling me that I needed to return to the sea soon, had disappeared, and so had the debilitating thirst pushing me towards water. Instead, I'd been wracked with chills — my body wanted the sun, the kind of sun you couldn't find underwater.

Stuck. Again. I couldn't believe I'd almost forgotten how horrifying it was. But a traitorous part of me was relieved: even if I really wanted to go somewhere... Goddamn, I was beat. Still beat, even after five days of sleeping nonstop in a plush bed, being delivered meals by Kara and Simeon.

After I finished dressing — black, meshy running pants today, along with a sleeveless green top — Simeon led me into the kitchen of the Lilycove City Sea House. Emphasis on house — where Slateport City had its expansive premises of fancy buildings and beachfront property, here in Lilycove City the Seawatchers called a small manor their home base, one sitting up-shore from a lake pushing out into the ocean. To the northeast was that tall, bleak-looking mountain: Mount Pyre, according to Simeon.

The house was large, but it had a small, homey, almost too cozy personality. I suspected it was all the wood: wooden walls, wooden floor and ceiling, wooden cabinets, wooden doors, wooden shelves, wooden flower pots... Even the table and chairs in the kitchen spacious were wooden. According to Simeon, Kara's husband's father had built the place, and the husband himself had constructed many of the furnishings. And that was nice and all... But this tinderbox was just asking for a match to be thrown in the wrong place.

Thank Arceus my powers only worked underwater.

Today, Kara was at the stove, stirring something in a pot. By the smell, I had to guess that it was beans again, same as yesterday: beans, hamburger, and collards, all foods to help me regenerate my lost blood supply. I prayed I had room to stomach it all again.

Simeon poured me a jug of orange juice, and Kara came over with the meal, setting three platters of food before me. Just like the last five times I'd sat down at this table, I felt hugely guilty as I took my first bite: had Jude eaten today? Or yesterday? Here I was, with a huge meal before me, but had he had a chance to swallow down anything Mag might've caught? I put the hamburger in my mouth. It was delicious... My mood made it taste like sludge.

Kara left the room, and I said, "Is there any news from Slateport City?"

Simeon shook his head — he'd taken a seat at the opposite end of the table. "Not yet," he said, staring out the open patio doors and to Mount Pyre's lightening bay — two Wingulls had arrayed themselves on the patio railing, preening and squawking at one another "No calls came during the night, but Kara should be reaching out to them in a few minutes to see if they've heard anything from Delphirius."

The food jammed in my throat. It had been five days, and there was still no sign of Mag and Jude at the Slateport City Sea House? It hadn't taken us this long to get out here... Had something happened? No. The sea is a big place. That didn't make me feel better either. Could it be that Mag had forgotten the way back? Were they lost?

Don't think about it. There's nothing you can do.

But it was all I could think about. That, and how I could've prevented this disaster.

Trust Mag. She'll get him there.

I looked to Simeon, desperate for reassurance. But there was no reassurance to be had here — I was in no state to run up and down the sea looking for them. I had to wait, and hope that they would find their way back to Delphirius on their own. It was maddening.

I think Simeon could see the heat of insanity growing in my eyes, because he said hastily, "Nadia checked in this morning though."

"Nadia?"

"You know. From Silin." He frowned. "She's another Seawatcher Liaison for this Sea House. I sent her to inquire about the soldiers, remember?"

Right. He'd mentioned that... But the storm that had taken up residence in my skull must've drowned him out at the time. "What did she have to say? Do you believe me now?"

Simeon looked insulted. "I believed you in the first place," he said, sounding slightly annoyed. "But I'd never seen the soldiers myself. I wanted some confirmation... And I wanted to inquire as to their activities in the area."

"Did she verify their existence?"

"Yes, and like you said, they're camped out a couple of miles from the northeastern edge of Litter's Seamount. Nadia said she spoke to a few of them, and they all said that they're searching for a teenaged Milotica with peculiar abilities. Apparently, you were last seen in a nearby trench."

I nodded as I got to work on the beans. "After I was injured, I hid there, and left when they were seen off by a pod of Sharpedoes." I swallowed another bite. "Where are they searching?"

"All over. According to Nadia, they plundered that trench from end to end, and are now expanding their search to the surrounding seafloor. With an injury like yours, they assume you haven't gotten far."

The spoon paused halfway to my mouth. "Are they anywhere near here? Near this Sea House?"

"According to Nadia, not yet. Though I wouldn't be surprised if they pushed into the bay."

"Does Nadia know that I'm the person they're looking for?" I demanded.

Simeon became indignant again. "No. Even if she did, she wouldn't—"

"Why not? They're merfolk, aren't they? Why wouldn't she help them? Why wouldn't Kara help them?" I glowered at him, sudden stricken with a frightening doubt.  "Why wouldn't you help them?"

He huffed. "Given what you've told me—"

"Why would you believe me over them?" It felt like a bad idea to question Simeon's motives, his integrity. But I had to know. I was weak, and I was alone — if Titus's Army streamed into the bay and came knocking, how would I know that Simeon wouldn't sell me out? "I told you what I did to them," I said, pushing harder. "How I..." The hamburger in my gut turned rancid at the memory of that Milotica disintegrating within my boiling waves. "How I ended them."

Simeon's face became unreadable. "To save yourself."

"So? They were merfolk. I... I ended one of my own kind. Injured more. They have the moral high ground. So why are you choosing to support me instead of them?"

Simeon tapped his finger against the table. "I've known you longer."

"Known? You don't know me, Simeon, any more than you know the soldiers camping out by Litter's Seamount. And what you do know..." I shook my head. "Is that I make trouble, don't listen to anyone, and tell tales about powers and soldiers and resurrecting Kyogre to explain my actions."

His brow hardened. "Those were tales?"

"As far as you know, they are. I could've made it all up, to cover for the fact that I killed several merfolk of my own volition. So why are you helping me, Simeon?"

He stared at me a moment, and I stared at him, food forgotten. His face shifted ever so slightly, becoming lost.

"Why do you want to fight over this?" he asked quietly.

Because I needed help — that much was clear, after more than a week in the open ocean. And I wasn't talking about food, or a bed, or medical attention — I was talking about the kind of help Jude had been talking about, help against Titus. I'd relied only on myself and Mag for so long that I wasn't sure how to ask for it anymore. Or accept it — Simeon, Kuma, Cora... They'd all extended their hands out to me before, but only now was I ready to take what they had to offer. But I had to be sure. I'd taken the first step and told Simeon about Titus, about the soldiers, about Kyogre... Some of it, at least. But I needed more. I needed reassurance that he could take my weight. That he wanted to take my weight.

A small shiver went down my spine. Are you ready to give your weight?

Simeon looked back to the patio again. The sun was slipping up the side of Mount Pyre at this point, and the Wingulls had left, probably off to find their own breakfast. I pulled the beans back towards me. They'd gone cold, but I wasn't one to waste food, so I scooped up another spoonful.

After two swallows, Simeon said, "Nero, did Kuma ever tell you that I'm not from Delphirius?"

"No." I scraped another spoonful together.

"I'm actually from Triteloch — it's the community closest to the Evergrande Isle. I ran away from home when I was fourteen — Triteloch has a pretty archaic culture, so before I even grew interested in women, my parents had me set up with someone. They talked about it endlessly as I grew up: the cave we'd live in, how many children we'd have, how many would be Milotica and how many would be Karpon... It grew unbearable, and was made only worse because I had no interest in marriage or kids — only speed-swimming, diving, and breaking athletic records. So I packed a knapsack and left."

I said nothing.

"I didn't mean to head for Delphirius... But after a hellish journey, I wound up there. Not immediately, either. First, I got lost. Then I ran out of food. Then I got chased and bitten by a Huntail. I was close to death at one point, and contemplated going home. But I couldn't — I was stubborn, and convinced myself that I couldn't go back and face my furious parents. I was sure they would lock me up and never let me see the light of day again, till the day I was married. So I soldiered on. I didn't feel like I had another choice.

"I wouldn't have survived if the Delphiri sentries hadn't found me, and certainly not without Kuma's medical expertise, and the care and coordination between Delphirius and the Seawatchers."

I stared down at my beans — I had about two bites left, but my throat had grown dry. "Did you...ever see your parents after that?" I asked quietly.

"Sure," Simeon said. "I've journeyed back to Triteloch many times to see how they're doing, and to assure them that I'm okay. But not because of my own strength or kindness — because of Delphirius. Because of the Seawatchers. That's why I became a Seawatcher, you know — I'm sure there're a lot of other people out there just like me."

"Wandering the sea alone, with a swelled head?" I asked.

He raised a brow, then gave a slight smile. "That," he agreed, "and there're plenty of merfolk that are lost, or out of their depth. Given my experience, you can probably understand why it's easy for me to spot someone who obviously needs help." His smile vanished. "And not the kind of help the soldiers need in hunting someone down. I'm not blind or naïve either, Nero, as to think that the merfolk are an oppressed monolith. There are bad people underwater as well as above it. The jury is still out on whether or not these soldiers fall into that category...but for sure you don't, no matter what you've done."

"Even if I—"

"You've caused mayhem and misery looking for your Sharpedo, and I know you'd kill anyone who even looks at Jude funny. It wasn't fun, cleaning up the mess you caused with Mr. Briney's grandson... But I understand why you did it. I assume that's why you...ended...those merfolk you were talking about. Right?"

I swallowed around a patchy throat, and wound my fingers around the spoon. Both hands were ungloved now, but despite not being submerged in water, I could feel heat rising in my body, in my head, even behind my eyes.

"I..." Another swallow. "I meant what I said in the hospital. About Titus. About Kyogre. About the soldiers. It's all true. I swear."

"I told you, Nero. I believe you." He rose from his seat. "I want to get the story straight, though. Do you want to go on a walk? You can stretch your legs, and we can talk as we go."

I nodded, and he went to get out shoes. Talk. The proposition should've filled me with dread. But for the first time in...forever, I felt like I might actually be able to say it.

Most of it.

***

Simeon went and got our shoes, and we headed outside. Kara was on the porch, sweeping. She told us that she'd called the Slateport City Sea House, and there was still no sign of Jude or Magdalene. I tried not to take it as bad news, but it was hard. Again, this didn't mean that they were dead. It meant...that we didn't know.

Simeon helped me down the porch steps, and we started on a well-trodden path that went high around the shore of the bay, into the nearby woodland. The lake house looked small and lonely from this vantage point, and it reminded me that the chapter of Seawatchers out on this coast was quite small, and less organized. According to Simeon, besides Kara, Kara's husband Rick, the mermaid Nadia, a small flock of Wingulls, and a couple of Kara's relatives, there were no other personnel housing merfolk waylaid by Drought or giving them assistance on this side of Hoenn. There were also no scheduled activities, classes, book-readings, or meals, which actually made it my kind of Sea House — merfolk brought here were usually put up and left to their own devices. Then, when the Drought was over, they went back to the sea. No poking or prodding or in-your-face hospitality.

Simeon didn't speak until we reached a fork in the path — one went further into the woods, and the other led out to a pier stretching over the black waters of the bay. There were no chairs at the end, so we sat right down on the wood. I stretched, earning myself a good hurt — the muscles in my calves and thighs had started to set from so much lying around, and they woke up pretty quickly to complain when I reached for my toes. A pity my numb right arm couldn't do the same.

"I think everybody's heard that story so many times that they've actually forgotten it," Simeon muttered. He was sitting cross-legged, and began jimmying his knee up and down.

I grunted. "I guess no one thinks it'll happen in their lifetime."

"And no one wants it to. I thought Kyogre was only supposed to rise again in a time of great crisis for the merkfolk."

"Titus thinks it's a time of great crisis."

"What other proof does he have, though?"

I was silent a moment. "He knows the other Kin are alive."

"Is that what you call them? The merfolk like you?"

"Like me, like him."

"So he can... What, boil water like you can?"

A brittle smile came to my face. He made it sound insignificant. "No. Each of the Kin has a different set of abilities. Underwater water, underwater earth, underwater fire, underwater wind. He's water, I'm fire."

Simeon frowned. "That wasn't in the story... The tales say that after the cataclysmic battle between Groudon and Kyogre, where they struck each other mortal blows, Kyogre used his remaining energy to divide his spirit into pieces, and imbue four chosen merfolk with them. The spirit turned them into powerful sorcerers that enabled them to cast spells and perform enchantments." Simeon nodded, as though the more he spoke, the more he remembered. "Yeah... Kygriss, Anuris, Triterei, Hydris were their names, right?"

I shrugged. "Yeah. But someone got it wrong about what we can do."

"But it's true that they passed these abilities down through their offspring?"

"So they say. And it's supposed to be really significant when more than one merperson with Kin powers are alive in the same lifetime. That's what's got Titus's tail in a knot."

"So what line are you from?"

"I'm not from any line."

His eyes went wide. "Are you sure?"

"If I am, my parents never mentioned it."

"Then how can you utilize...underwater fire?"

"Ask Kyogre."

He peered at me, his eyes suddenly intense. "Can you show me?" he asked.

I couldn't blame him for wanting more proof — this was a weird story to stitch together. So grudgingly, I went to the edge of the pier and lay flat on my stomach before placing my good hand into the water. Immediately, I felt a dangerous heat appear in my palm...but nothing happened. Not even a bubble appeared, and the heat slaked off a second later.

Grunting I sat up. "It won't work unless I'm more or less completely submerged. That's why it's called underwater fire."

"I guess you'll have to show me when your Drought ends." He didn't sound disappointed, though. "What else can you do, besides boil water?"

"I don't know." I sat back up, and rubbed my cool palm on the back of my pants legs. "I haven't experimented. I only use it when I have to."

"Why?" Before I could answer, he said, "Ah. Mister Titus."

"Yeah. If I never use it, he never hears about it."

"Is that how he found out about the other two Kin?"

I remained silent.

"Nero?" he raised a brow. "Do you know who they are?"

"Ask a different question." It still felt unwise to talk to anyone about that.

"Okay." Reluctantly, he backed off. "You and Titus... How do you know him?"

"I was once in his Army."

Surprise. "Really? Why... Why did you leave? Was it because you found out that you were on of the Kin?"

"No. That came a while after."

"Why did you leave then?"

I shifted edgily. "I just... Didn't like what he was planning. A lot of the other soldiers at the time didn't as well, and left too."

"How did you find out? How did he find out?"

More shifting. "It's a long story."

"Your doctor's appointment is in three days."

"Ask another question."

His lips twisted, but he said, "So you left because you got wind of what he was planning... What is he planning?"

"To raise Kyogre?"

"Don't be smart. What about after that?"

I gazed out at the bay, the lake house, and towering above it, Mount Pyre. The mountain seemed to pierce the sky, and I tried to imagine it underwater: the sea coming in a colossal wall, consuming this place, consuming the mountain, until not even the peak pierced the waves.

"I think he wants something like a second Cataclysm," I said.

Simeon sucked in a breath. "So... He wants Kyogre to face Groudon? He wants the humans to fight against the merfolk? He wants to flood the world, put it underwater?"

"All of that, without Groudon. He thinks that the merfolk have been weakened by being under the boots of humans for so long, and he's ashamed at our culture of secrecy and hiding. He wants to confront the problem directly, balance the scale."

Simeon took a moment to process that. While he did, I picked at the shoelaces of my borrowed sneakers, again trying to imagine everything up to the sky underwater, and merfolk swimming through the air.

"I...understand that," he said at last. "But that seems too radical." He scratched his head. "I mean, I'm not saying there shouldn't be change, because I definitely think that the relations between humans and merfolk needs improvement... But raising Kyogre? Flooding the world? That's not right... And not just because that would make us no better than the humans."

"Do tell," I said, still picking.

Simeon gestured. "This might sound a little blunt... But the merfolk need the land, and the humans need the sea. Our existences are intertwined, you understand? Humans need water, they need food from the waters, they need oxygen from the waters—"

"They need places to dump their trash," I reminded him.

His face soured. "Yes, that. But we...we kind of need that trash." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I mean, we scavenge for a reason. You can't get cloth underwater. You can't get plastic underwater. You can't get waterproof flashlights or rope or cardboard or wood underwater. It's hard to explain, but even though humans dumping their stuff into the water is bad... A lot of times it also makes our lives easier." He chuckled. "That sounds bad, doesn't it? But it's true. And I guess those things aren't mutually exclusive. Humans can be destructive to the sea and give us a handout at the same time."

"I wish Titus could hear this," I muttered. "He'd put you on the latrines for two weeks."

"But am I wrong? Like I said, we're kind of sewn together, Nero — the humans need the sea, and the merfolk need the land. I think that destroying one will destroy the other."

"I think most merfolk would disagree."

"Do you disagree?"

"I disagree with using Kyogre to solve this problem. Like you said." I closed my eyes a moment. "I don't want to kill a single other person, much less cause the genocide of the human race."

Simeon nodded, and refolded his legs. "So how is it done?" he asked. "Resurrecting Kyogre? I assume it's slightly different than what the stories posit."

"Maybe, maybe not. I know for certain that all four Kin are required — our powers are a manifestation of spirit that Kyogre bestowed upon the original four Kin, and if Kyogre is going to come back to life, that spirit has to be combined again."

"But something else is involved too, right? In the stories, there was the Orb."

I shuddered a little. "Yeah."

"What does it do?"

"I...have no idea, but it's necessary for it all to work. And I know that Titus is actively looking for it." I told him about Izri, and how the young soldier had explained that the Army was looking not only for Kin, but for priceless gems and secret places.

"Secret places?" Simeon asked.

"That's another puzzle piece: this ceremony has to take place in a specific location."

"That's right. Where the merfolk first summoned Kyogre, right? Where is that?"

"I don't know. I don't think Titus does either, not yet." But if I knew him, he was on his way to figuring it out, if he hadn't already.

"What about the Orb? Does he know where it is?"

"Orbs. There's more than one."

"There is?" Simeon paused. "Oh wait, right, the legend did mention two different colored Orbs, the Red one and the Blue one."

I took a moment before saying, "It's actually the same Orb, but broken into pieces."

His eyebrows jumped back up. "That's also not in the legend."

"It must've happened sometime after the seas stopped boiling after the Cataclysm. I don't know who broke it... But it's broken, and scattered across the seabottom. When I left the Army, Titus was still looking for them."

"Did he succeed?"

I remained silent.

Simeon was silent too, for a long while. We watched the black waters of the bay swish back and forth on the currents, and boats trail across the surface to and from a far-off harbor.

Eventually, Simeon said, "So since these soldiers by Silin know about you... Can we assume that Titus also knows that you're in this area?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if he's on his way."

"What will he do when he gets here?"

I hated to think about that. "It's going to be a very ugly reunion."

"What will you do?"

I didn't like the way he phrased that — it made it sound like I was standing on my own. Which I was. But I didn't want to...not after finding out about Kuma, seeing how close his Army had gotten, and being separated from Jude and Mag once again. But I also didn't want to lean on someone who didn't want my weight.

"Jude thinks I should fight," I muttered.

"Jude knows about this?"

"He's always known."

He stared at me a moment, but didn't prod. Instead he said, "What do you think?"

"I don't think I can fight Titus. I've seen what he can do, and even though he can't kill me if he wants Kyogre, he could, very easily." I knotted my fingers together. "But I...also don't want to run. I thought I could make it through the soldiers...and I think we almost did. But even if we had, we'd just continue running, forever, until Titus finally gave up the ghost. Jude doesn't want that... And I don't want that either, not for him. I want him to find a woman, marry, have kids." I scratched my temple. "And...me too."

Simeon said nothing; I think he could sense that I wasn't finished.

"I need to hide," I said. "For now, me and Jude, we need to hide. Maybe if we stopped running, stayed in place, and hid really well, Titus would lose the trail. He's only known me to run, so maybe after he searches Hoenn and turns up nothing, he'll keep going, and Jude and I can live in peace." I looked away from him, feeling heat rise to my face. "But I still don't know much about Hoenn... So maybe... Maybe you and Delphirius and the Seawatchers could help us. I'm...kinda out of my depth, like you were."

I ended on a little groan, pained that I had to beg... But it went away when Simeon placed a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm glad you told me all this," he said. "Really, Nero — it couldn't have been easy, keeping mum on all of this for so long, knowing the consequences. And on behalf of the Seawatchers, I'm pleased to say that we're at your service. After you're fully healed, let's take a bus back to Slateport City together. We can sit down with Lyle and Ms. Gray and some of the others at the Sea House and talk about how to coordinate this effort. We'll do something about finding Jude and your Sharpedo too."

I stiffened. "We can't tell them about this."

He arched a brow. "You don't think that this affects them, as well as you?"

I opened my mouth...and closed it. He was right. What Titus wanted to unleash upon the world affected humans most of all. And, as humans who had styled themselves as liaisons between merfolk and other humans, shouldn't they be directly involved in mediating what could be a coming disaster?

It was a struggle, but I nodded. "Fine."

"All right. Then that's it." Simeon stood. "It's done, Nero, we're going to handle it. So stop stressing over it, and stop tossing and turning at night. You can rest easy now."

I thought he was joking, but that night, after another hearty meal cooked up by Kara, I actually did sleep well. I slept so hard, in fact, that I might as well have been dead. Because someone else know. Someone else know, and they were going to help. I didn't have to make all the decisions anymore. I didn't have to make any more mistakes.

It was a miracle.

Until we got a call at midnight.

***

It was Kara that woke me up this time.

She led me into the kitchen, where she, her husband Rick, Simeon, and a cup of tea were waiting for me. I ignored the tea — Simeon's face was pale, which told me I was about to swallow some bad news.

"What's happened?" I asked. Just barely, I managed to keep my voice from shaking. Please tell me they aren't dead. Please, Arceus, God, whoever — please.

"We just got a call from the Slateport City Sea House," Kara said. "Just a routine update from Ms. Gray, but when I told Simeon, he said you would want to know."

She paused and looked at Simeon. He looked at me. "Soldiers, Nero," he said.

A bolt of dread shot from my head straight down to my stomach. "In Delphirius."

"Yes. Apparently, they met with the Elders. No information on what they want, but it's estimated that around two hundred of them are making camp in the kelp forest surrounding Delphirius."

My head was spinning. "Jude?" I rasped. "Mag?"

"Still no sign," Simeon said.

And if they showed up now, Mag would be dead immediately. Worse, it was possible that someone — Cora or Kuma, most likely — would try to stop it, and the soldiers would wonder why. Somehow, they would figure out that Mag and I were friends, and then... Oh Arceus, then all manner of things could happen, not the least of which was Jude being held hostage until I surrendered myself to them. It was a disaster in the making.

"I have to get out of here," I gasped. I'd wanted to hide, but I couldn't, not now—right now, I had to get out there and find Jude and Mag before the soldiers did. Even though I had no goddamned idea where they were!

Simeon rose from his seat. "Nero," he said.

I grabbed the front of his T-shirt, my fingers sinking in. "Take me back to Delphirius," I demanded. "I can't swim, not now, not while I'm Drought. I need a car or something. Now!"

"Nero, your stitches—" Kara started.

"Arceus take my stitches! I can't wait around here when Jude and Mag could be swimming straight for a trap! Simeon!" Desperation leeched into my voice. "Please!"

He met my feverish stare and slowly unwound my fingers from the fabric of his T-shirt. "Calm yourself, Nero," he said. "We can't do anything if you gin yourself up into a panic. Can you take a breath for a second?"

No — in fact, I was ready to breathe fire, throttle Simeon, or both. But... You can't swim back Nero. Stop. You need him. I gnashed my teeth and swallowed a strangled breath before collapsing into the chair beside the dinner table. I slammed my fist onto the table and knotted my fingers into my hair.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then Rick, who'd been leaning against the counter, said, "Simeon?"

He was thinking, staring at the wood grain in the table as he rapidly tapped his fingers. "All right," he said eventually. "We're going back to Slateport City."

I felt myself deflate in relief. Thank Arceus.

"I'll buy us a couple of bus tickets," Simeon said. "We can leave first thing in the morning."

"What about his stitches?" Kara asked.

"We'll give them a good cleaning in a couple of hours, and hope they hold," he said. "Kuma can see after him once we get to the Sea House." He looked from Kara to Rick apologetically and said, "I'm sorry to impose on you guys... But can we borrow some clothes and shoes? I'll have you reimbursed through our spending account."

"No need," Rick said, pushing away from the counter. "My nephew's about Nero's age, and I think I've got some things of his from the last time he stayed over. Want me to pack them for you?"

Simeon gave him a grateful look, and he and Kara both left the kitchen. Then he said, "I assume you aren't going back to sleep."

"Not until I'm dead. What else do you need done?"

"Drink that tea, and go stretch. It's going to be a long ride back to Slateport City."  

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