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Valor opened his eyes, yawned, and opened them again. He blinked in surprise as he realised Tamash? was still asleep beside him. That confused him, until memories of the previous night cam flooding back. He smirked, wondering how she would feel when she woke up. Though he didn't want to see her in pain, there was something amusing about the idea of a Lucario with a hangover.

It was still rather early, but since she was normally already awake, he really had no idea how long she would sleep for. Guess I'll just have to wait for a bit, he thought.

As he couldn't move without waking her, all he could do was lie there, thinking. Of course, when one's life has become as complicated as theirs had, one often thinks of less than pleasant things, as was the case for Valor at that moment. He didn't consider anything specific, but he did spend the next half hour or so reviewing everything that had happened over the last few months.

It occurred to him that if he and Tamash? hadn't gone to Twinleaf, they may not have been sent to Lily Cove, and may not have wound up in their current situation. It was kind of an interesting line of thought. When he thought about it, there were a lot of things that-had they not taken place-probably would have changed how things were now. He let out a small sigh. Unfortunately, events had lead to this, and there was certainly no changing it now.

"I suppose we'll just have to deal with it." he whispered as much to his somnolent mate as to himself.

Her ear twitched slightly in response to the quiet sound and the light brush of his breath against it. Valor gulped. He had wanted to avoid waking her up. Now he held his breath, hoping she would stay asleep for just a bit longer.

He cursed silently when her eyes fluttered briefly, then opened and she gave her all too familiar, entirely too adorable toothy yawn. Snuggling closer to him she made an equally cute grumbling sound. "Ugh...why does my head hurt?"

Valor fought to keep himself from laughing, causing her to wince at the sound. "Umm...how much of last night to you remember?"

Closing her slightly bloodshot eyes to block out the light of the sunrise streaming in between the curtains, she shook her head in response. "Not... much. Right now my memory is about as fuzzy as my tongue feels."

Valor desperately tried to look concerned for her, but wound up with a sincere look in his eyes being mismatched by a smirk on his lips. "Well, I can tell you why that is, if you would like."

"Fine...just do it quietly. Noise hurts."

Valor nodded. "Well, last night Zyle offered you some kind of alcohol-"

"Yeah, that I remember. And I remember downing it. Don't remember anything after that."

"And this is what happens after you get drunk...or mildly drunk in your case. It's called a hangover."

She slightly opened her eyes, looking at him with mild interest and confusion. "Hangover?"

"Uh huh. Headache...light and sound make it worse...and you feel like crap. And from what you've said...I guess it also make your tongue feel fuzzy. It's your body's way of getting back at you after drinking."

"Ugh...if I had known...I am NEVER drinking again. It's too bad it felt good before now."

Valor raised an eyebrow. "I thought you couldn't remember anything about it."

"It's coming back a little bit. I remember it felt good...and that's it. I didn't do anything embarrassing, did I?"

"Uh...well, you kept your paw on my crotch for most of the night."

She smirked. "I said embarrassing Valor. I might've done that without the drinking."

The smirk changed to a wince as she was once again assailed by the incoming sunlight. Deciding she had suffered enough, he extricated himself from her embrace and pulled the curtains fully closed. Seeing the change in light through her eye lids, she dared to open them again. "Thank you. Light...noise...anything else I should watch out for while I have this...hangover thing?"

He shrugged. "I don't really know. My knowledge on it is limited to stuff like movies. I've never even had a drink...let alone a hangover."

He sat back down next to her, at which point she essentially crawled into his lap, snuggling back up to him. "Well...I can add to what you know. Hangovers SUCK."

Valor laughed. "I already knew that."

When she winced again at the sound of his laughter, he wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry you feel so bad sweetheart."

"I'm sorry I feel bad too. Do you know how long these-" She stopped as she spotted the little length of rope on the sheets. "Valor...what did WE do last night?"

Valor blushed. "Well...you kinda talked me into sex...and then...I guess you had a flash of kinky inspiration or something...cause you asked if we had any rope...then you tied my hands behind my back."

"Oh." She started giggling. "Great, I've always wanted to do that...and I can't even remember it."

Valor turned a slightly deeper shade of red. "You...always wanted to do that?"

"Well...maybe not always...but I have thought it would be kinda fun for a while now. I just didn't know how you would react to the idea. Guess you took it pretty well."

Valor cleared his throat. "Yeah...well...I...might not say no if you were to suggest it again. Let's just leave it at that."

"I'll keep that in mind." She winced again. "If my head ever stops throbbing."

He kissed the top of her head. "It'll pass. It just takes a little while. Actually...I think coffee is supposed to help with these things. If you like I can go down and see about that. Maybe have a nice hot cup ready for you when you can manage to crawl out of bed."

"Yeah...that would be-" She stopped. Something about the word 'hot' had set off something in her mind, foggy though it was. Hot. She felt kind of hot. Why hot? It was a familiar kind of hot...but why? And then it clicked.

She looked up to Valor, a salacious smile forming on her lips. "Valor...I think the coffee should wait."

He furrowed his brow. Surely she wanted to do everything in her power to get rid of the symptoms plaguing her. And what was with that look she was giving him? She looked like she had sex in mind...but right now? "Why?"

She gently grabbed him by the wrist, and guided his hand down to her nethers. "That's why."

He faltered for a second. What was why? It was then that he realised what was different. There was an abnormal amount of heat coming off her. He gulped, and, seeing that he got the message, she pinned him, desperately trying to ignore the throbbing in her head in order to try to satisfy the throbbing in her loins.

"Hold on! Hold on!"

She gave a 'harrumph' in response. "Why? Dammit Valor, my hormones are screaming at me right now! Besides, you know the rule: no saying no when I'm in heat!"

"I know. But you're hung over, and I haven't eaten in entirely too long. So, let's get some food, get you something for that headache...then we can deal with your hormones."

She grumbled. She didn't want to wait...but he did make a good point. Her stomach was empty too. "Fine! But if we aren't back up here in half an hour, I swear to Arceus I will pin you down and breed with you wherever we are at that moment."

Valor gulped. "I don't doubt it. Half an hour then."

With that agreement made, she let him up, and the two made their way downstairs. That is to say, Valor made his way down stair with the still hung-over Tamash? hanging onto him to support herself.

When they arrived in the kitchen Quinn was there-as he often seemed to be-and was cleaning off a few dishes in the sink. He looked away briefly at their approach, chuckled, and turned back to the sink. "Surprised she's even out of bed after last night."

Tamash? winced slightly. "Quiet please!"

She quickly sat herself down at the table, holding her paws over her ears. "Please tell me that all that doctor experience has taught you a way to deal with hang-overs."

The old doctor chuckled again. "Sorry to say that the only real way is to just let it fade naturally. You can lessen the effect, but that's about it. Besides, from what I saw, you didn't have all that much. Shouldn't take too long."

Valor, now seated as well, cleared his throat. "Based on what I saw last night, it doesn't take much to get her drunk. I would guess it's the same when it comes to the afterward."

Quinn shrugged. "Maybe. I don't know everything. I would recommend you get some food in you, and maybe try a cup of coffee."

Tamash? shook her head. "I'm not to sure about that. I don't care for how that stuff smells."

"Well, you could also take some anti-inflammatory meds."

"Some what?"

"Pain killers, sweetheart." Valor answered, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Oh. So...is that it?"

Quinn cleared his throat, looking a bit embarrassed, which seemed unusual for him. "Well...I was guilty of more than one hangover in my youth. I often found that I felt better after...some time alone with my mate."

Valor's eyes widened slightly at the suggestion, and Tamash? giggled for a moment before wincing from the pain again. Looking over to Valor she said, "I think that one was gonna happen one way or another."

Quinn looked back and forth between them for a moment, then recognized something about Tamash?'s demeanour. She was definitely hung over, but there was something else there as well. Something he hadn't seen in years. "I see. Well, you two do me a favour, and try not to make too much of a mess of that room over the next few days, alright?"

Valor blushed and Tamash? once again went through a cycle of giggling followed by wincing. When she had recovered from that, she smirked. "Wow, you really are good."

Quinn scoffed. "I spent twelve years with a female Lucario sharing my bed. Don't you think I can tell when one is in heat?"

Valor sighed. "Of course you can. Because things are never awkward enough."

Quinn shook his head. "Skip it. We need to get you two some breakfast, and then you need to deal with her before her hormones completely override her hang-over."

Neither of them had an argument for that, so they simply complied, and-much to Tamash?'s pleasure-made their way back up stairs less than half an hour later, tightly closing the door behind them.

***

Zyle's eyes fluttered for a moment before opening. He was in a bed. But not his bed at the little inn where he had been staying. He was certainly no stranger to waking up in unfamiliar beds, but something was different this time. He just couldn't place his finger on it. Then the memory came to him.

He had spent last night with...no. That couldn't be right. He turned his head to the left, and his memories were proven accurate. He laid his head back against the pillow. He HAD spent the previous night with Gabriela.

"Well...that is...unexpected." He whispered to himself.

Oddly, he felt...at peace. Normally after spending a night with any given woman he would try to get out of the situation as quickly as possible. But now...for some reason, he didn't feel the need to do that. He actually felt like he would be perfectly content to just...stay right where he was.

That was far from normal. He hadn't felt like that in years. Not since he had gotten his heart broken anyway. And then it struck him. He felt the same way next to Gabriela that he had felt next to Ileana after his first time with her. Now THAT was odd.

But good odd. He liked that feeling. He had forgotten what it was like, to be happy to see someone first thing in the morning when you wake up. He smiled. He had never really thought he would feel like that again.

He was distracted from his thoughts by Gabriela stirring. She grumbled for a moment, then reluctantly pushed herself up into a sitting position, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, not caring that the blanket fell away from her, exposing her bare chest. "What the hell did I do last night?"

Zyle cleared his throat. "I think it's more a matter of 'who', than 'what'."

She slowly turned to look at him, and her eyes went wide. "I see."

Suddenly realising that she was rather exposed, she hurriedly pulled the blanket up to cover herself, as Zyle sat up. She stared at him, and he stared back. She sighed. "So we uh..."

"Yep. So covering yourself is a bit pointless. I've already seen it. They're very nice, by the way."

She scowled. "You pervert!"

He shrugged. "At least I'm honest."

"I...you are unbelievable!" She sat back against the headboard with a 'humph'.

Zyle absentmindedly ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know that I would go that far."

"You're right. Neither would I." With a smirk she added, "Especially after last night."

He blushed. "You...bitch."

Imitating him she shrugged and said, "At least I'm honest."

Zyle faltered, then started laughing. "Okay I guess I asked for that."

"I would have to agree." She considered it for a moment, then leaned against him. "So...what now?"

"Uh...I don't know." He admitted. He really didn't know what to do now. He chose to simply tell the truth. "Honestly...I'm perfectly happy to just...stay like this."

She gave him an odd look. "Well...that is a surprise."

She hesitated for a moment, then added, "But a nice one."

***

Valor groaned as Tamash? rolled off him, a happy smile on her lips. Valor smiled weakly. "Well that was a bit...rough."

"Blame my hormones. Besides, you can handle it. And my head feels better now too!" She replied with an accompanying giggle.

He shook his head. He was glad she was feeling better, but... "You can't blame your hormones for everything. And just because I can handle it doesn't mean I want bruises."

"Aww...come on. I can barely control myself sometimes normally. You can't blame me for it now!"

He chuckled. "Alright, fair enough."

"Good." She snuggled up to him, then added, "Besides...we want pups, don't we? If we keep doing what we just did...it could happen."

Valor shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah...right."

She leaned away from him, narrowing her eyes. "Valor...what's wrong? You sound almost like...you don't want to have children..."

"Uh...well...okay, promise you won't be mad at me for what I say next."

She folded her arms. "I promise to hear you out. I will not however, promise to control my emotions."

Valor gulped nervously. It was the best he would get out of her. "Okay...I DO want to have children...but...I don't think it's a good idea...right now."

"Explain yourself."

"Well...think about our situation. Half the world seems to be after us, including some very powerful people. I just don't think it would be a good idea to be trying to bring children into that."

He went quiet when he finished, avoiding her gaze. He was mildly surprised when she snuggled back up to him. "Damn...you're right. I hadn't really thought of that. But...that doesn't mean no more sex, does it?"

Valor laughed. "Such a one track mind. That depends. Do you...have anything against me using a-"

"Finish that sentence and you will regret it. I will not have a piece of rubber between us. Am I understood?"

His shoulders slumped. "But then..."

"Look...we...don't have a very high chance-if...any-of conceiving...so it shouldn't be a problem."

Valor pulled her in close, seeing that admitting that was painful for her. She didn't have to say it for him to know that she wanted children more than almost anything else. He didn't like it much either, how low their chances were. He smiled gently. "Alright. I get it we'll just keep doing what we're doing."

"But I guess that doesn't really work...I mean what if we do..."

"If it happens it happens. We just...won't hope for it too much right now. Okay?"

"No...not okay...but really the only thing we can do." She snuggled in closer to him. Hoping not to get pregnant? She couldn't do that. Not in her current state anyway. She let out a sigh. She would just have to try.

She surprised herself then with a yawn. "I guess...I'm kinda tired out."

Valor laughed. "I would be too if I were you. Good thing sex is so good at making people sleepy."

She nuzzled him briefly in response. "Yeah. It is a good thing."

It didn't take long for her to drift off after that. Valor felt neither desire, nor need to sleep. He felt a bit guilty, in reality. He hated reminding her of how unlikely it was for them to become parents. It always seemed to depress her these days. Which was exactly why he avoided bringing it up whenever possible. He sometimes worried about how she would feel if it never happened.

He sighed. Why did he do that to himself? It always depressed him to think about her being upset. He just wanted her to be happy.

He shook his head, trying to clear those thoughts from his mind. Getting depressed wasn't helping anyone.

Just then Tamash? rolled away from him in her sleep, grumbling slightly. As usual, her cute behaviour brought a smile to his face. Well, he would just have to do his best to make her happy. She at least deserved his best effort.

Doing it slowly and softly so as not to wake her, he moved so he was against her again, and, eventually he dozed off as well.

***

The wind and sea were relatively still and quiet at Aqua Resort. A single ship was pulling into the harbour. It was a cruise liner, its faded white paint reflecting the sunlight. It was neither as large nor luxurious as the St. Anne. It was small, and meant for quicker, direct trips in relative comfort. The gangplank lowered and the passengers began to disembark. Among the last to leave the ship behind was a man wearing a coat stretching down to his mid thigh, with a collar that stretched up to the base of his skull.

As he made his way along the docks he looked about, as though searching for someone. He sighed. It was too hot for this. There were too many places to hide among these islands. All in all, this task was set to be a total pain in the ass. The very thought of it irritated him. But, such was his lot in life. He was merely a subordinate to a far more powerful entity, and he had been given a job to do.

Though the work involved irritated him, the end goal his master had assigned was far more entertaining to consider. He was to hunt down and capture the two in the abominable relationship. What were there names again? Valor and Tamash?. Yes, those were their names. And when they were captured, the final stage of his master's plan could be set in motion, or so he was told.

He didn't care much for that though. What thrilled him was the idea of bringing judgment upon two who had committed such an atrocious sin. But then, most humans were sinners, weren't they? Even he was, in some way or another. That was the simple truth of the human race.

He smiled. Yes, and he would do everything in his power to punish them for their indiscretions. That was his goal. That was the idea that thrilled him. His purpose for living.

He continued to smile, almost wickedly, as he made his way into the crowd of tourists and travellers. He would find them, and they would be punished no matter who or what stood in his way.

***

When Valor's eyes opened again, he was surprised to see that it was almost mid day. So much for not wanting to fall asleep, he thought.

He let out a long, slow breath. He blinked in surprise as he realised he was feeling hungry. Tamash? was still asleep, and he didn't want to disturb her, but he also knew that the moment she woke up it would lead almost immediately t another round of cooling her heat. So, moving carefully to prevent his somnolent mate from waking, he untangled himself from his embrace of her, and got out of bed.

He quickly gathered up and donned his clothing before making his way out of the room and down the stairs. The whole of Quinn's house was quiet, and Valor found himself unintentionally moving in such a way as to avoid making any noise.

Upon arriving in the kitchen he paused for a moment. The idea of rummaging around in someone else's kitchen felt a bit odd to him, but after a minute or two of consideration, his hunger overrode any qualms he had, and he began to search around the room for something he could make that would be relatively quick and quiet.

Eventually he settled on throwing together a sandwich, which he sat down at the table to eat. About halfway through the simple meal he stopped, hearing a slight tap on the wood floors every few seconds, accompanied by a shuffling sort of sound.

The source of the sound became apparent when Quinn entered the kitchen a few a minute later, the tapping sounds coinciding with his cane touching the floor. The doctor stopped to look at him when he entered the room, raising one of his eyebrows slightly. "Shirt backwards, hair a mess, and scarfing down food. I'm guessing you're taking a rare moment to eat between her moments of need."

Valor nodded. "Yeah. She's asleep right now, so it seemed like a good time."

Quinn smirked as he took the seat across from Valor. "As I remember, opportunities to deal with your own needs are rare when one's mate is in heat."

"That's one way to put it." Valor replied between hastily taken bites of his food. "By the way, I uh...well I'm sorry if we're imposing on you in any way. I'm sure having us here eating your food isn't doing you any good."

Quinn chuckled. "Don't worry about it. You needed my help. I wouldn't be a very good doctor if I didn't try to help those in need. Though...I can't help but wonder what it is that brought you to these islands. You and Tamash? by yourselves would be one thing. But that other one, Zyle, he doesn't seem to match very well. I doubt the three of you would be traveling together for the hell of it. Not only that, but based on his general bearing, I would guess he's ex-law enforcement, not the kind of person who should know about your relationship. So...what are you doing here?"

Valor gulped. He didn't want to tell someone else about all that was going on with him and Tamash?...but then, Quinn certainly seemed smart enough to work it out on his own. And Valor didn't really have any reason not to trust him. Valor finished off the last of his food, then began to tell the story of all that had happened over the last couple of months.

When he was done almost half an hour later, he went totally silent, waiting for Quinn to respond. Eventually, Quinn sat up straighter, and cleared his throat. "I had hoped that maybe the two of you would be able to avoid what happened to me and my mate. Suddenly, that seems very unlikely. You've certainly been through a lot recently, and for that you both have my sympathy. However, be warned, this world is only so large, and there are only so many places you can hide. I don't mean to sound morbid, but more likely than not, you will have to face those who are after you sooner or later."

Valor nodded. "I know. And when that time comes, I'm gonna fight with everything I have, because I don't intend to lose her."

"Well, I hope for both of you that the enemies you have to face aren't too much for you to handle. I've lived a long life, and I can say with the utmost certainty that nothing hurts quite like or quite as much losing the one you love." Any joy or happiness there had been in Quinn's eyes seemed to disappear as he said that, leaving Valor to wonder just how deep his wounds ran.

Quinn cleared his throat once again. "Well, I would suggest that you-"

He stopped cold as Tamash?'s telepathic voice rang out in both of their minds. "Valor you had better get your ass back up here within two minutes or so help me I will hunt you down and fuck you in plain view of whoever may be present!"

Valor gulped and Quinn burst out laughing in response to the sudden intrusion to their conversation.

"As I was saying, I would suggest you get back up there so she doesn't have a reason to be upset with you."

Valor nodded. "Don't have to tell me twice. With her...I doubt that's an idle threat."

Valor quickly left the table, hurrying upstairs to make sure Tamash? didn't go completely insane from her own instinct and urges. Quinn shook his head as he got up and took Valor's abandoned plate over to the sink, his mind a web of memories of those times when Marina had suffered from the same condition.

***

The day passed in a much similar fashion for Valor and Tamash?, with plenty of sleeping and, more importantly, plenty of sex.

It was around ten o'clock that night that Valor stumbled wearily into the room he and Tamash? shared, having just gone to use one of his rare breaks to relieve himself. Without a word Tamash? rushed past him, apparently intending to do the same.

He walked over to, and collapsed on top of, the bed, exhausted. He enjoyed sleeping with Tamash?, but when she was in heat, it sometimes felt more like a chore. She tended to be less gentle, and wanted it almost any time that she was awake.

He smirked. At least he was only tired out. After his first experience with her in heat, he had been sore and bruised for almost a week afterward. It had been far from enjoyable, but he was glad to find he was tougher now. The benefit of experience, he thought to himself.

He raised his head when the door opened and she walked back in, looking to be in far less of a rush. Why would she rush though? The very thing she wanted was sprawled out on the bed right in front of her. He certainly wasn't able to go anywhere by this point.

Her eyes narrowed a bit. She licked her lips, and her tail was flicking back and forth excitedly. Valor sighed. "Let me guess...you want me to take my clothes off again?"

"Yes."

He grunted slightly as he pushed himself off the bed and began to strip back down to nothing. Tamash? grimaced as it occurred to her that with everything that had been going on, he must be absolutely exhausted. Maybe there's something we can do about that, she thought.

"Valor?"

He looked up curiously, half way through sliding of his jeans. "Yes?"

"I was thinking...in the past...I've woken you up in the middle of the night when my heat was too much for me."

"Yeah...you have. So?"

"Well...I was just thinking...that if you could satisfy me enough now, we might both be able to sleep through the night. What do you think?"

Valor stopped and thought for a second, then asked, "What did you have in mind?"

"Well...I'll make you a deal. I f you can get me to orgasm three times, then I won't wake you up in the night. 'Kay?" She put on a sweet smile as she said this, apparently trying to come of as innocent.

Valor smiled. "Well, I suppose I can accomplish-"

She held up a paw, stopping him. "However...I can't make it too easy on you. You have to use a different method to induce each one."

Valor sighed. "Of course there's a catch. Alright, fine, just give me a few minutes to think about how I'll do this."

"As you like. Just don't take too long. I'm still rather needy." She slid into the bed and sat back against the headboard, content to wait, at least for a few minutes.

Valor was tempted to make a joke about her calling herself 'needy', but decided against it and instead chose to think about how he would approach her challenge. Obviously he could get her off through conventional intercourse, and he could easily do it with oral too. But what about the third orgasm? He would have to think of something else for that.

He shifted through his memories of her, trying to think if she had any spots he could use to induce orgasm besides the obvious. He new she liked it when he scratched her behind her right ear...but that was hardly a big spot, and he doubted he could get her off with that.

He continued to think for a few moments, until it became apparent that she was becoming impatient. Looking over to her he could see that her head was turned away from him, and she was looking out the window, fidgeting a bit. He quickly looked over the whole of her body, trying to think of something that he could do. Then, an idea came to him as his eyes flicked up to the back of her head. Now THAT could be interesting.

Valor slid into bed beside her, wrapping his arms around her. Leaning in close he whispered, "Alright, I'm ready when you are."

She turned her head, giving him a less than amused look. "I've been ready Valor."

He shrugged. "Alright then. Let's get started. Now, I want you to come and sit in front of me."

She quirked an eyebrow at that. "Sit in front of you? What will that accomplish?"

He simply smiled in response. "Just trust me. I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this."

Feeling a bit doubtful, she complied and moved so that she was sitting in front of him in a cross legged position. He adjusted himself so he was directly behind her in a similar position. He then placed his hands on her shoulders, causing her to tense up slightly. What was he up to?

Valor shook his head. "This will go much better if you relax. Don't worry, I'm not gonna do anything I know you don't like."

She took in a deep breath. "Alright. Just...know that I reserve the right to smack you if you do something I don't like."

He smirked. It probably wasn't an idle threat, but it still amused him. "Well...for my sake I hope you like this then."

With her now a bit more relaxed, he began to press his thumbs into her shoulders lightly, moving them in consistent circular motions. She wiggled slightly at the sensation, then looked over her shoulder at him. "This is your plan? A little massage? How is that going to get me off?"

He simply smiled and said, "Just wait. You'll see."

So she sat there, waiting, as he continued. After a while he began to move down her back, massaging her shoulder blades, the small of her back, and the area where her tail joined her body. While she had to admit it was a very pleasant experience, it wasn't exactly worthy of an orgasm. After he finished went back up and began applying a lighter massage to her neck, which she also found enjoyable, to the point where she was almost disappointed when he pulled his hands away.

He leaned in close to her ear and said, barely louder than a whisper, "Alright, now lean back against me, okay?"

Curious to see where he was going with that, she complied, lying back against him. When she did, he smiled. As he had expected, she was holding her head ever so slightly off his body. The reason why was simple: the sensory organs on the back of her head. He knew for a fact that they were very sensitive to pressure and touch, as he had once accidently put his head down on one, only for her to cry out in pain. At the time he had felt horrible about it, but now that memory had given him the idea of using that sensitivity to do something a bit more pleasurable.

To throw her off what he was actually planning, he reached up and began scratching her behind her right ear, which of course she liked. Though, she was still of the opinion that whatever it was he was doing, it wasn't likely to get her off.

Then, he trailed his hand down her head, and, with only the lightest pressure, stroked one of her tendrils. The effect was more than he would have hoped for, as she let out a surprised yip and a shudder went through her whole body. She gave him a rather venomous look over her shoulder, accompanied by a wry smile as she said, "You cheater."

To that he simply chuckled and repeated the action. While she was prepared for it this time, it didn't prevent her from shuddering as the touch sent another ripple of pleasure through her. As he continued on one of the right ones, he reached up with his left hand and began to do the same to another of the sensitive Aura sensing organs.

For her it was ridiculously enjoyable, to the point where she almost hated him for having found such a sensitive spot to stimulate her with. She resisted for as long as she could, but eventually the sensations proved too much for her, and an orgasm hit her, soaking the spot on the sheets directly in front of her.

Huffing slightly, she looked over her shoulder at him again. "You...cheater..."

He grinned. "How did I cheat? You never banned me from touching you there."

"Ugh...fine. One down. Two to go."

"I'll get right on that...once you admit that you enjoyed what I just did."

She let out a sigh, then smiled. "Yes...it was very enjoyable. Now, enough talking."

"Alright then. I suggest you turn around and get on your back."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "My my...so demanding."

He shrugged. "You were the one that challenged me to do this."

"Fair enough." Without another word she complied, turning her whole body around and lying back.

Valor got on his hands and knees and moved between her legs, which she had spread to allow him access to her still dripping sex. He grinned and looked up to her. "Ready for round two?"

She nodded and smiled back. "Go ahead."

Without hesitation he covered the last few inches between them, wasting no time in applying his tongue to her lower lips. She gave a contented sigh as that blissful sensation overtook her. She gave herself to it quite willingly, closing her eyes as he continued to lavish his attention on her, sliding his tongue along the sensitive and slightly swollen flesh in slow, deliberate movements. She started squirming slightly as he switched his attention to he swollen clit, using the tip of his tongue on every bit of the sensitive nub.

He smiled then and took her clit between his teeth, applying light pressure, causing her to whimper quietly. He started flicking the tip with his tongue, until finally she clenched her paws and her eyes as her second orgasm washed over her, causing Valor to jerk back so as to avoid being soaked by her fluids.

She opened her eyes and smiled wearily. "Alright...two down. You still up for one more?"

Valor yawned, but nodded. "Yeah. So, I figured conventional method for the last one. You wanna be on top?"

She smirked. "Don't I usually?"

He smiled back at the telepathic question. It was rhetorical, but he chose to respond by saying, "Just though I'd ask."

As she had done he lied back, his long since erect length standing straight up, a bead of pre already on the tip. Tamash? licked her lips at the sight, and reoriented herself so she was on all fours. Slowly, and with all the sensual grace of a stalking predator, she crawled toward him, a smouldering look in her eyes. She kept moving toward him until her face was an only an inch from his, bright blue eyes locked in intimate contact with sparkling red.

Without a word she reached down between them, holding him steady as she began to slowly slide herself down along his shaft. It took all of his willpower to hold himself back from finishing then and there as each agonisingly pleasurable second passed, her fur brushing against every inch of him.

She too found it difficult to hold herself off, even in the wake of her previous two orgasms. She shuddered slightly as she hilted him, pausing for a moment to enjoy the feel of him being fully buried within her. Taking in a deep breath she began grinding against him, at a pace that was less than normal for her when she was in heat, highlighting the fact that she was already tired.

He smiled to himself, slightly pleased with himself that he had managed to tire her out. He didn't have long to enjoy that thought though, as he was over taken by the unexpected pleasure of her teeth sinking into his shoulder, quite moans emitting from between her lips as she fought to quite herself.

As she continued to grind against him, each motion taking him in and out of her, brushing against her lower lips and inner walls, he slid his hands down along her body, caressing every curve of her form until he reached her firm, rear, taking hold of her, which only served to spur her on. She picked up her pace a bit, becoming a bit rougher in the process, a change to which he had no complaint.

Both were close to their finish. He was groaning quietly as he fought to control himself, and her breathing was coming in ragged gasps. Having not had quite so many recent orgasms as she had, he was the first to lose control, firing what little reserves of his seed he had left after the day they had had together, which was so little it was almost a dry orgasm.

Feeling the additional twitching and spasming of his manhood within her only made it harder for her to hold back until finally she was pushed over the edge, experiencing her third orgasm within the last hour and a half.

She lowered herself onto him, releasing her hold on his shoulder, and he likewise dropped his hands to his sides. Both were breathing heavily, but both were smiling, albeit wearily. Tamash? nuzzled his neck and chin happily, her tail slowly waving back and forth. "Well...that was three."

She yawned. "Guess no midnight sex then. 'Course, I'll probably be too busy sleeping anyway."

Valor hugged her, holding her closer to him. "Glad you liked it."

Without another word the two of them drifted off to sleep, and, good to her promise, both of them slept through the night.

***

Zyle yawned widely as he woke, awakened by the sunlight coming into Gabriela's room. He smiled. He had spent the whole previous day and the previous night with her. I think that may be a record, he thought to himself.

He sat up and stretched, then stopped mid stretch and blinked in surprise. Where was Gabriela? She wasn't beside him. He wondered when she had managed to slip away, as well as how. It disturbed him a bit that someone had been able to sneak away from him.

He shook his head. What did it matter? Strangely, he only really cared about finding her. He smiled again. "Man...what is this woman doing to me?"

He slid out of the bed and got dressed, setting out to find her, planning on searching every room of her smallish house. Exiting the bedroom he had a perfect view of the living room, and he could see the kitchen through a doorway at the other end of the room. Gabriela was visible through that door, standing at the stove, apparently cooking.

He gulped slightly. He had tasted her cooking the previous day. While she clearly tried her best, a five star chef she was not. He was smart enough not to say as much to her, and it wasn't as if she was totally hopeless, but he still wasn't fond of the idea of eating another meal made by her hands.

He sighed with a slight smile. "It's a good thing I'm decent at cooking," he whispered to himself. He would just have to find a way to either teach her better, or take her place in the kitchen eventually.

He surprised himself. There he stood, a man who hadn't had a serious relationship in years, and he was thinking about the future of his current one. Really, what was happening to him? Did he really care about her that much? And so quickly no less?

The answer to that question was already formed as soon as the question occurred to him. He DID care about her that much. It was just that simple. Somehow, there was something about her that made him want to be around her. He actually liked the idea of spending ALL of his time with her. "Dear Arceus...I'm turning into Valor."

Gabriela still hadn't noticed that he was standing there, and he suddenly smiled and fought the urge to giggle as he realised she was wearing nothing but her jeans and an apron. Well, there's one good thing about breakfast, he thought.

He quietly walked across the living room and stopped in the doorway into the kitchen, leaning against the door jamb. He waited for a moment, and when she didn't seem to notice him he cleared his throat and said, "Good morning."

As opposed to reacting with surprise as he had expected, she replied, saying, "And good morning to you too."

Zyle simply stood there, mouth gaping. Had she noticed him? But how? He had been so quiet!

As though sensing the question in his mind, she turned to face him, flashing a huge grin. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice you?"

She took a few steps forward, planted a kiss on his nose, then turned and walked back to the stove, resuming what she had been doing before. Scrambling eggs, from what he could tell. He simply stared at her. "But how...?"

She giggled. "This is MY house. I know what it usually sounds like in the morning. And you breath too loud to be unnoticeable."

Zyle's shoulders slumped. His breathing? That was all it had taken? "Have you ever considered police work? That was...amazing, frankly."

She laughed lightly. "No...I don't think I would do so well in an unfamiliar place. Besides, I don't much like the idea of carrying a gun."

He noticed she placed a particular emphasis on that last bit, making him wince. She had made it clear the previous day that she disapproved of weapons, and she didn't like that he carried them, even if she did understand the necessity.

He decided to avoid bringing up the topic again, and instead asked, "So...what made you decide on cooking in that particular outfit?"

She giggled again. "Do you like it? I thought it might...spice things up a bit."

He shook his head with a laugh. "That was a horrible joke."

"Perhaps...would you prefer one about 'heating things up'?"

He laughed a bit harder at that. "Why are you in such a mood today?"

She looked over her shoulder and flashed a coquettish smile. "Who's knows?"

She returned her attention to the food cooking in front of her, which-despite his past experience with her work in the kitchen-Zyle had to admit smelled appealing. Still focusing on her work she said, "So I was thinking it would be nice to go somewhere today, as opposed to just hanging around here all the time. So, I figured we could take a little trip over to Aqua Resort. I'm sure we could find something there to do."

Zyle nodded. "Sounds like a good idea to me."

She was pleased with his response, and he was happy that she was pleased. It was only another few minutes before the food was ready. They sat at the smallish table in her smallish dining room and ate the meal in a comfortable silence, occasionally glancing at each other, exchanging looks and smiles like two teenagers on a date. And, much to Zyle's pleasant surprise, the food wasn't too bad either.

An hour later he stood on her porch, waiting for her to finish getting ready so they could catch on of the little motor boats that made hourly runs to Sophian Island. It was a nice day. It was slightly overcast, but still sunny for the most part. It made for pleasant weather that wasn't too bad for walking around in.

He glanced over to the front door of her house as it opened, Gabriela coming out. He did a double take as he realised she was wearing a light scarf around her neck. He quirked a brow and asked, "A bit warm for winter clothing, don't you think?"

She hesitated, reaching up to touch the fabric around her neck. "It is...but I'd rather not have these bruises showing."

Zyle looked away, feeling a bit ashamed. He had forgotten about those. All he could manage to say in reply was, "Oh...right."

Gabriela shook her head with a soft smile. "Don't feel bad. It's not your fault this happened. It was my own stupidity."

Zyle dared to meet her eyes, smiling back. "It was brave, admirable really."

"Maybe...but it was still stupid."

He didn't have any other argument to make, so he simply moved past the subject by jerking his head toward the path out of the village to Lapras Beach and asking, "Shall we?"

She nodded, still smiling a bit. Together they pent several quiet minutes walking through the village. It wasn't just they who were quiet though. It was still early, so the entire village had a sort of surreal silence over it.

They had almost reached the beach when Zyle stopped suddenly and asked, "How much time do we have 'til the next boat comes?"

"Almost half an hour. Why?"

Zyle hesitated, then said, "I want to go check in on Valor and Tamash? real quick. They seem to get into trouble when no one is watching them."

Gabriela smirked, "Alright then. But hurry. I'll be right here."

Zyle nodded and took off back into the village, not quite running, but certainly moving quickly. It took him several minutes to reach Quinn's house, and when he did, his lip curled slightly in distaste. The doctor seemed rather hostile toward Zyle, not in a malicious way, but in more of a disappointed or disapproving way.

He shook his head, swallowed his pride and walked through the door. As though he had been expecting Zyle to come, Quinn walked out of an adjacent room, a scowl on his face. "What are you doing here?"

Zyle frowned slightly, but otherwise tried his best to remain neutral. "I just came to check up on Valor and Tamash?. I'll leave as soon as I'm done with that."

Felling a bit daring for half a second he added, "Maybe then you'll find a reason to stop being so sour."

Quinn's scowl deepened a bit. "If I'm sour when you are around, it's only because you are a waste of potential. But that doesn't matter, or it wouldn't matter to you anyway. They're upstairs. I would recommend knocking first."

He then turned and shuffled his way deeper into the house, leaving Zyle to wonder what he meant by 'a waste of potential'. He shook his head, and made his way up the stairs, his eyes immediately locking on to the only closed doo on that floor. When he reached the door he paused, and decided to follow Quinn's advice, knocking on the door.

There was no immediate response, but Zyle thought he heard whispering and rushed movement inside. Then Valor's voice called, "Come in, but make it quick please."

Feeling a bit concerned, Zyle opened the door, sliding through the opening and into the room, keeping his hand on the knob the whole time. He sighed with a shake of his head at the sight that greeted him. "Don't you two ever stop?"

Valor and Tamash? were sitting in bed, covered for the most part by a blanket, but it was rather clear to Zyle that he had interrupted something. Valor cleared his throat. "Yes, we do, but she's uh...'in heat' so she needs more frequent attention."

She nodded with a smile. "Yep. Otherwise my hormones drive me up a wall!"

Zyle smiled weakly. "Well...I just wanted to check in on you two. I'm not gonna be around today, so you should probably do your best to stay out of trouble."

Valor nodded. "Where are you going exactly?"

Tamash? threw him a dirty look. "Valor! Come on! Just let him go so we can get back to...well, you know!"

Zyle snickered. "I'll make it quick. I'm just heading to Aqua Resort with Gabriela."

Both Valor and Tamash? appeared very surprised. Tamash? shook her head, looking at him with a rather confused expression. "Hold on, now I'm interested. Don't you two hate each other?"

Zyle rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well...you spend a few nights with someone and the line between hate and love becomes very thin."

They simply continued to stare at him in disbelief. It was Valor who spoke next, asking, "So you two are like...what, a couple now?"

Zyle nodded. "I guess so. Look, she's waiting for me, and you two are busy...so I'm gonna go, okay?"

Valor and Tamash? exchanged looks, something passing between them that Zyle couldn't comprehend. Then both looked back to him, smiling. Tamash?'s telepathic voice rang out then with a mocking sort of tone. "Well, congratulations. Nice to know you aren't a man whore any more."

Valor snickered. "Yep. Now go enjoy your date."

Zyle scowled. "I...I'm not going to stand here and be mocked. You two enjoy your...uh..."

"Sex?" Tamash? suggested, making Zyle feel rather awkward at the thought of it.

"Yeah that." Without giving them the chance to say anything else he turned around and closed the door behind him. Then, picking up his pace, he made his way out of the house and back across the village to where Gabriela still stood, patiently waiting for his return. "So, how are they?"

Zyle shook his head. "Acting like a couple or horny teenagers. So, fine, in other words."

She giggled at that. "Well, at least they're having fun."

He shrugged. "I suppose. But enough about them."

He offered her his arm in a most gentlemanly manner and asked, "Shall we, ma lady?"

She giggled again and nodded, stepping up next to him and taking him by the arm. "We shall."

With that they set off once more for the beach, arm and arm, and happy as could be in each other's company.

***

About an hour after their brief conversation with Zyle, Valor lay awake in the bed they shared, Tamash? contently napping beside him. He couldn't help but smile. There was something oddly adorable about an exhausted Lucario curled up for a nap. Not that he could exactly blame her for being tired out, not after the past two days. Hell, he was pretty tired too. At least he didn't have to deal with the hormonal stuff that she did.

He canted his head slightly as he watched her sleep. He wanted to do something for her. Something romantic, to break up the monotony of the last forty-eight hours, and because he figured she would enjoy it as well. Normally while in this state she tended to be rather dead set on skipping the formalities and heading straight for sex, but he had also found that as her heat wears on, she becomes tired out, and a bit more tractable when it comes to deviating from the standard 'sex then nap then sex' pattern.

But what could he do? What did he have at his disposal? His first thought was the night they had spent on the beach in Undella Town. That had been rather romantic, not to mention being rather stimulating as well. He frowned. The beaches of Renbow Island seemed far more open than the ones near Undella Town. They would have trouble finding any kind of private spot where they were unlikely to be bothered.

He wanted to do something outdoors. He knew himself and-more importantly-he knew her well enough to know that they would both enjoy an outdoor experience. But the problem was finding a secluded spot that would be both romantic and nice to be in, but wasn't too out in the open or too easy to reach. In what little time they had spent in Oblivia, they had done very little actual traveling. They had explored some, but not everywhere. Even on their first day on the island, the only thing they had really come across of any interest was the field of Gracedia Flowers...

Valor's smile became a broad grin, and he felt a bit stupid for not having come up with it sooner. He HAD promised her that they would return to that field while they were on the island. What better reason was there than for a romantic afternoon together?

Being as quiet as he could, he slid out of bed, threw on his clothes, and swiftly stole downstairs. If he was going to do something like that, he certainly wasn't just going to take her there and say 'let's fuck here, it'll be romantic'. No, he would need to put in a bit more effort.

Stretching out he quickly found Quinn's orange hued Aura, heading straight for the doctor. He entered in the back half of the house where Quinn sat at a small desk, apparently examining the book that was laid out in front of him. The old doctor raised a brow when Valor walked in. "So...do you not pay attention when you put your clothes on?"

Valor faltered, confused. He then looked down and realised that in his rush, he had somehow wound up putting his jeans on inside out, and is shirt was backwards. He shook his head. "How...how do I keep doing this?"

Quinn snorted with amusement. "I imagine your mind is on other things."

Valor nodded. "Yeah. Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you for something. I mean...I know you don't owe me anything...and I don't really have anyway to repay you for...well anything you've done, but-"

Quinn held up a hand, stopping him. "Just ask what you need to ask for."

"Uh right...well, you don't happen to have a picnic basket and a similar blanket, do you?"

Quinn gave him an odd look. "What kind of sex have you two been having?"

Valor blushed. "Its nothing like...kinky. I was thinking of doing something kinda romantic for her. See, we found this field of Gracedias on our first day here on the island, and I promised we would go back to it at some point while we're here, so I figured this would be a good way to do it."

"So, you found it too then."

Valor blinked in surprise. That wasn't the response he was expecting. "Wait...you mean you know about the flowers?"

Quinn nodded. "I found them around a year after I arrived here on the island, although the field was far smaller then. I was out for a walk, back before my leg really started to limit my mobility, and...I could have sworn I...well I thought I saw Marina. Even after having lost her nearly two years before that, I was still grieving. How could I not be?

But, that isn't my point. I followed what I thought looked like her, catching only fleeting glimpses as I did. Eventually, I followed that shade to where that field is. Whatever it was I had been following was nowhere to be seen, but there was something that settled over me then. A feeling, like she was trying to tell me something. Like she was trying to express her gratitude toward me, and like she was telling me to let go of my regrets. I've returned there a few times over the years, but I've never had that same experience again."

Valor didn't know how to reply to all of that. How does one respond to something like that? Eventually he decided on, "Maybe that was just her way of saying goodbye."

Quinn nodded. "Probably. But there is something magical about that field. I want you to promise me something. I'll give you the basket and the blanket, but promise me you won't make a mess of that place, alright?"

Valor nodded. He completely understood how important this was to Quinn, and was all too willing to comply. "I promise."

***

The short boat ride to Aqua Resort passed as peacefully as a ride aboard a speedboat could. When Zyle and Gabriela disembarked half an hour after leaving Renbow Island, they realised that their plan of spending the day at Aqua resort had a slight flaw: the hadn't actually planned to do anything.

Gabriela let out a weary sigh when they made that realisation. "Well...I can't actually say I know much about what we can do here. Far as I know, all there is around here is restaurants and gift shops."

Zyle snickered. "Great. Shopping and eating. Sounds real fun."

She scowled. "Well you come up with something better then!"

He shrugged by way of a response. "I don't really care. We could just walk around all day and I'd be perfectly happy with that. The weather is nice, so it seems like a good day to just enjoy seeing what we can see."

She gave him an odd sort of smile. "You know...the more time I spend with you...the more you surprise me." Speaking a bit quieter she added, "And I feel like more of a bitch for how I treated you when we first met."

He shook his head with a smile and pulled her into a soft embrace, kissing her briefly. "Don't worry about that. It's in the past."

She nodded with a laugh. "Alright then."

Extricating herself from his arms she said, "Well, as opposed to just wandering around, why don't we go to the south part of town. There's some nice restaurants and you get some great views of the ocean."

He nodded in agreement, and they set off through the port and into Aqua Resort. As they walked along the stone paved paths they couldn't help but enjoy the perfect weather created by the combination of the sun shining above and the cooling breeze coming off the ocean. They wound their way through the roads and alleyways in a general southward direction, gladly taking their time to reach their destination, not even really noticing the passage of time. They were in a state of simple bliss, ignorant of everything but the pleasant conditions and each other.

So ensconced were they in their own little world that it came as a complete shock when they turned a corner and Zyle quite literally bumped into someone, knocking the other person to the ground. Naturally, that occurrence brought them back to the real world, and Zyle immediately knelt down by the person he had knocked down, a man, who was rubbing one of his elbows like he had landed on it.

Offering him a hand Zyle said, "Sorry about that. We weren't really paying attention. Are you alright?"

He nodded, accepting Zyle's hand and pulling himself up. "No worries. I wasn't paying much attention myself."

The man was about two inches shorter than Zyle, but he was also rather thin, accounting for the ease with which he had been knocked over. He smiled at them, then said, "Actually, maybe you could help me. I'm looking for a friend of mine. Perhaps you've seen him?"

Gabriela shrugged. "We haven't been here for terribly long, but we might have seen him. What does he look like?"

The man paused, then said, "He's got black hair, and is usually with a Lucario. His name is Valor. Have you seen him?"

Zyle was the first to answer, saying, "Doesn't sound familiar, and I can't remember the last time I saw a Lucario."

Gabriela was silent. While she wondered why Zyle was lying, she didn't question it, knowing that whether he wanted to or not, Zyle would explain it to her later.

The man looked a bit crestfallen. "Well that's too bad. Well, I won't keep you any longer then. Farewell."

Without another word he walked past them, quickly leaving them behind. Once he was out of sight, Zyle took Gabriela by the shoulders and started guiding her away from the area. Much to his surprise, she took a hold of him and roughly pushed him down a nearby alley. Wheeling around to face her, he had an almost hurt expression on his face. "Gabby, what the hell?!"

Getting right in his face she raised a finger to him, pointing it right at him. "I could ask you the same thing! Why did you lie to that man? What aren't you telling me Zyle?"

Zyle sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Alright...alright I uh...I guess I can tell you. See...as you may have guessed, it all has to do with Valor and Tamash?."

She folded her arms taking a step back from him. With an air of obvious sarcasm she said, "Really? I couldn't tell."

He hesitated, considering responding with sarcasm of his own. Then, thinking better of it he said, "Look, as you may be aware, their relationship is...well illegal."

She nodded, then her eyes went wide. "Oh hell...you guys are here because they were found out and they're running from...well everyone, aren't you?"

Zyle stared open mouthed at her. "Okay...seriously...you would be a great officer."

She gave a wry smile. "Gee thanks. And I take it that man back there IS an officer, yeah?"

Zyle shook his head. "No. I can tell an officer when I see one. He wasn't police. And judging by the lack of rage and black flames, he wasn't one of those dark Aura people either. Which just leave one group he could belong to: the Guardians of Aura."

She quirked a brow questioningly. "Guardians of Aura?"

"Yeah people who can control Aura like Valor can. And they take an even stronger stance on human/pokémon relationships than the law does, or so I understand. If they know Valor and Tamash? are here, then we can't waste any time. We need to get out of here."

Without another word Zyle rushed past her, starting back the way they had come. He stopped almost immediately when from behind him he heard. "Um...Zyle, can I ask you one more thing?"

He turned around to look at her, and was surprised to see her back facing him. "Uh...sure."

She hesitated fro a moment, turned to face him, and with the most vulnerable kind of look in her eyes asked, "When you said 'We need to get out of here'...was that just you three...or does it include me?"

***

Tamash? tapped her foot impatiently, waiting outside on the porch of Quinn's home. When Valor appeared from inside she gave him a hard look and gave a sigh that was both telepathic and audible. "I hope that whatever you have planned is worth it, because this whole not having sex thing is killing me right now."

Valor smiled apologetically. "Sorry sweetheart. You won't have to wait much longer. And I'm pretty sure it'll be worth it. Now, I want you to put this on."

Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a strip of black cloth, proffering it to her. She eyed it warily, then took the fabric, looking at him oddly. "Put it on how?"

His lip twitched slightly, as though in amusement. "Over your eyes. I want this to be as much of a surprise as possible."

She let out an amused snort, then with a salacious wink said, "A blindfold huh? Do you plan on adding some hand cuffs and a gag to that...cause I might be inclined to go along with that kind of surprise."

He laughed at her question as she proceeded with tying the cloth over her eyes. "You know...sometimes I forget how open you are to kinky stuff." Then with a slightly less amused expression he added under his breath, "Unless I bring up trying anal..."

She crossed her arms, placing each paw on the opposite arm's elbow. "I heard that Valor. And we've discussed this before. I don't even like the idea, so just drop it."

He blushed, wishing she hadn't heard him. With a sigh he said, "Right...fine. Anyway, wait there for just a second okay? I'll be right back."

Before she could answer he stole back inside, leaving her alone again. She sighed. Alone, AND blindfolded. She flicked her tail in annoyance. While she appreciated that he tried to do romantic things from time to time, she rather wished that he wasn't trying to do so while she was in heat. It-at least for the moment-only served to frustrate her.

When he returned a few moments later he was carrying a wicker basket that Quinn had provided, which contained, along with a blanket, some food, drinks, and another little surprise Valor had thought to bring along at the last minute.

Taking her paw in one hand and carrying the basket in the other he simply said, "Come with me." And off they went, walking through the village, the sight of him leading a blindfolded Lucario along drawing the occasional strange look or double take.

He continued to guide her along, taking her out of the village and down Lapras Beach, heading for the area where the little red and white striped bridge was, since he knew the Gracedia field was somewhere in that general area. As they went along he silently hoped that she wouldn't use her Aura senses to find out where they were going, also hoping that the smell of the flowers wouldn't give it away either.

When they reached the little stream, and crossed the little striped bridge, Valor was filled with silent relief. By all outward appearances, Tamash? still hadn't figured out where they were going, and was making no attempts to hide her increasing frustration with having to endure the torture her loins were subjecting her to at that moment. "Valor...how much farther is it? I can't take much more of this!"

He laid a hand on her shoulder, seeking to sooth her, at least a bit. "Don't worry, its not gonna be much farther."

He took her by the paw again and led her off the path, picking a path through the nearby trees, steadily making their way toward the Gracedia field. When they reached the break in the trees that opened up into the field, Valor took Tamash? by the shoulder, bringing her up to stand beside him before reaching up and untying the blindfold.

She blinked for a second as her eyes adjusted to the light. Then her eyes flew open wide in delight. "The Gracedia field!"

Valor nodded. "Yep. I thought it would be a nice way to spend some time together. Besides, I did promise to-"

He never got to finish that sentence as Tamash? chose that moment to kiss him quite forcefully, making him lose his balance for just a second. She pulled back from the kiss and nuzzled him quite lovingly, projecting her thoughts into his mind to say, "I love you...but please save this stuff for the times when I'm not in heat okay?"

He laughed. "Yeah alright. Just this once then."

She bobbed her head in agreement. "Just this once."

Together they set out into the filed of pink flowers, eventually coming to rest near the stream flowing nearby, laying out the blanket from the basket in a small, almost circular area where there were no flowers. With the blanket in place, Valor reached into the basket once again, producing two bottles of lemonade and some sandwiches. "It's not much, but I figured it'll do alright."

Tamash? giggled. "You know me. I'm a simple kinda female. Just the thought is enough."

He smiled. "Well then here's a thought for you: sex first, or food?"

She gave him a look that simply said 'Do you really have to ask?'. "Sex, of course. My stomach can wait for a bit."

He smiled. "Alright then. Since that's the case, then I think we may want to make use of this."

Reaching into the basket one last time, he produced the rope they had made use of two nights before, much to her delight. "Wow...now we really only need that gag."

Valor snickered. "Don't have that sadly."

She shrugged. "Oh well. We'll make due."

He nodded in agreement and handed the rope to her before removing his clothes as quickly as possible so as not to keep her waiting. He couldn't help but notice her lip twitching in amusement as she told him to turn around so she could make proper use of his little surprise, taking a few moments to tie him up, the process being made slightly more difficult by her lack of thumbs. Once he was bound to her satisfaction, she allowed him to turn around so they were face to face once more. She sat down before him, a smirk on her lips. "So...what do I make you do first?"

He sighed. "Anything you want, I suppose. I'm not in much of a position to resist."

She giggled. "True enough. Alright, you can start with your tongue!"

Leaning back she spread her legs, a most inviting pose to take. Struggling to move a bit without the use of his arms, he managed to get down to her level, and positioned himself within tongues reach of her sex, which was presently radiating a quite intense heat. Licking his lips once he delved headlong into her folds, lavishing his attention on every bit of her that he could reach. He made a point of not lingering on a single spot for too long so as to keep her from becoming complacent. Eventually she allowed herself to relax completely and enjoy the simply pleasurable sensation of her mate's ministrations, placing one paw on the back of his head as he worked.

As time went on she began panting heavily, and lightly holding his head between her thighs, desperately trying to avoid reaching her climax too soon. Much as she wanted to calm her instincts, she couldn't help but long for the experience of her mate sliding his tongue through her folds to continue for just a bit longer.

Recognising that she was so close, he pressed his advantage, applying more vigorous attention to her, going for her hot and swollen clit with ever increasing frequency. With a final flick of his tongue and a gentle but persistent bit to the sensitive nubbin she found herself unable to maintain control, her orgasm washing over her like a cooling wave.

She laid back with a contented sort of smile on her face as he struggled to return to a sitting position. He grinned, just a bit pleased with the results of his efforts. "Felling better now?"

She nodded, sitting back up as well. "Yep."

Reaching up to her neck she tweaked her Soothe Bell and with a quite salacious wink said, "And now I'd very much like it if you would jingle my bell."

He burst out laughing. Even knowing it was meant as her way of saying it was time for actual sex, he couldn't contain his mirth at how simply horrible a joke it had been. "I'm sorry...but even by your standards that was..."

He shook his head, not quite sure how to finish that thought.

She sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Now shut up and screw me!"

Before he could respond she pounced, pinning him to the ground with a muffled thud. Wincing a bit in pain he stared up into her eyes, noting the hungry look in her eyes, as though she were before a feast after fasting for a week. He sighed. "Always so forward, aren't you? Oh well. Guess I have no choice but to submit to your whims."

"And don't you forget it!" She punctuated that by locking her lips with his, her tongue sliding in to his mouth, tasting the still lingering flavour of her own fluids as she went. She pulled back, licking her lips, then flashed a smile at him.

Without a word she lifted herself off him just enough to allow his erection to spring to attention, before gently sliding down him in one smooth motion. She let out a contented sigh at the feeling of him filling her so completely. She really never got tired of that familiar feeling of human manhood deep inside of her.

She began tha likewise familiar pattern of grinding against him, enjoying that he was even more at her mercy than usual. From what she could tell he was enjoying it as well, for with every downward motion on her part he would thrust up against her, as though endeavouring to get just a little bit deeper. The longer this went on the more aroused she became, and the faster her pace became, until her Soothe Bell really was jingling and ringing with nearly every motion.

Lying against him she placed her paws on his buttocks, trying to pull him closer to her and deeper into her. At the same time she bit into him ever so lightly, just enough to keep him going without completely sending him over the edge. They continued on, both panting heavily, and both mustering all of their willpower to keep such wonderful sensations going for as long as possible.

They allowed each others energies to mix and mingle, their Auras almost becoming one as they enjoyed the most intimate of pleasures available to them.

Her tail flicked back and forth in anticipation and his eyes were closed in concentration, both beginning to feel the tell tale signs that the experience would soon reach its end. He wanted her to enjoy it as much as possible, and to that end he began thrusting more assertively, determined to push through her cervix, as he knew that such was perhaps her favourite physical sensation when it came to mating.

With one final thrust he achieved his goal, his member pushing through the small muscle as it dilated, then closed around him just beneath his glans. That familiar sensation of their bodies becoming locked together was enough to cause her to lose what little control she had left, letting out a gasp of sheer ecstasy as her orgasm hit her.

Her muscles contracting around him, trying to pull him in just that much deeper had a similar effect on him, causing him to release what little reserves of his seed he had left by that point.

Exhausted he laid his head back as she laid herself down on him. Lifting his head just a bit he smiled at her. "That was certainly...entertaining."

She giggled a wearily nodded in agreement. "Yeah...it was. I love you Valor."

With a bit of wiggling he managed to pull his arms apart, hugging her gently as he replied, "I love you too."

***

Zyle and Gabriela hurried through the winding roads of Aqua Resort, making their way back toward the harbour. They moved as fast as they could without outright running, not wanting to draw undue attention to themselves. As they walked Zyle took the time to give her a more in depth explanation as to the situation she was rapidly becoming a part of, starting with Lawrence and everything leading up to the arrival of him, Valor and Tamash? on Renbow Island.

When he finished she asked, "So why exactly would it be bad if the Guardians found them?"

Zyle hesitated. "They are apparently very strict about not having Guardians and Lucarios as couples. My understanding is that they would basically remove Valor from their order...and they would execute Tamash?."

Gabriela stopped cold, all of their previous haste forgotten. "They...would...execute her? But...how...how could they do something so...awful?! Even if the police were to catch him the punishment would only be...well I don't know, but no one would be killed!"

Zyle sighed. "If the police caught them, several things would happen. Valor's Trainer Card would be permanently revoked, and he would be forbidden from ever owning a Pokémon again. His Pokémon would then either be released, or be given into the care of more "trustworthy" trainers. Valor would also face a minimum of five years in prison. Ten if it had been outright rape."

She blinked in surprise at the sudden flood of information. "Uh well...yeah. See, no deaths!"

Zyle nodded. "I wasn't disagreeing with you. It's cruel and unusual, and if I ever get my hands on the moron who came up with that execution bit, I may well kill them myself. But we can't worry about that now. Right now we have to get back to Valor and Tamash?, and get them out of Oblivia."

Without another word they set off again, silently agreeing that speed was key. They arrived at the docks about ten minutes later, and set to finding the boat-or really any boat-that could get them back to Renbow Island. Both felt a wave of relief wash over them as they caught sight of the little speed boat that ferried small groups between the islands. They were even more relieved to find out that the boat was being prepped to head over to Renbow.

"I'll be ready to head 'er over there in about five minutes." They were told by the 'Captain' of the boat, a tan skinned man who had a weathered appearance, as though years at sea had taken their toll on him.

They whirled around as a came from behind them. "I'm afraid you'll have to speed up that launch time. I'm in a bit of a hurry."

Standing before them was the man that Zyle had knocked over before, a malicious grin distorting his features. "I thought you were lying to me before. Turns out, I was right. Valor, and Tamash?, they're on Renbow Island, aren't they?"

Zyle took a step toward the man, but stopped as quickly as he started when one of the man's hands started glowing with energy of a washed out blue colour. "Now, now, no need to get violent. I'd rather not harm you if I don't have to. Just stay out of my way and you'll walk away from this with your life intact."

Zyle smirked. "Sorry, I'm not the kind who just gets out of a dangerous person's way."

Reaching under his coat and to his back, Zyle produced his pistols, aiming them squarely at the Guardian's chest. "Who holds the high ground now, I wonder?"

The Guardian laughed. "Yes, let's pit the power of your fire arms against the power of life itself. Which do you think is more powerful?"

Zyle scowled. "I've taken a few lives with these weapons. I'm not proud of that. In fact it sickens me what I've had to do for the greater good at times. But I dare say that in this instance, these are stronger than life."

Gabriela watched in silence. All the times over the past few days she had criticised his use of those weapons, and she had never known just how much he hated what pain they caused.

Once again, a laugh was the Guardian's reply. "And those deaths are your sins. Someday you will have to be punished for them." The Guardian's face darkened. "And unless you get out of my way, I will see to your punishment personally."

Zyle shook his head. "Better men than you have tried to put an end to me. I refuse to let you have your way. I won't move."

The Guardian sighed. "Very well then. You've forced my hand, I suppose."

With next to no warning a pulse of Aura was loosed from the Guardian's body, knocking both Zyle and Gabriela off their feet. Strolling past them, the Guardian picked the captain up off his feet and simply said, "I am commandeering your vessel. You have no say in the matter."

The Guardian tossed him out on to the dock, and proceeded to start the boat, sending it rocketing off toward Renbow Island.

Feeling sore all over, Zyle pushed himself to his feet, then rushed over to Gabriela, who was having difficulty getting back to her own feet. "You alright?"

She nodded. "Yeah. Just a few more bruises."

Once Zyle had confirmed her health, he went to check on the boat's owner. "What about you, are you okay?"

The man nodded wearily. "I been tossed around by the sea worse than what he did."

Zyle nodded. "Good. Now, this is very important. Do you have another boat, or do you know someone else who could take us to Renbow?"

The man nodded with a smile. "Oh, I got another boat. And I'll gladly take you to Renbow, so long as ya promise to give it good to that son of a bitch."

Zyle nodded. "Gladly."

***

The sun was hanging low in the sky as Valor and Tamash? packed up the remnants of their time at the Gracedia field, and began the walk back toward Cocona Village. Valor couldn't help but notice that Tamash? seemed particularly pleased, each step she took having just the slightest bounce to it. He smiled as he said. "You seem to be in a good mood."

She smiled back at him. "Why shouldn't I be? We had a great afternoon together, and my heat has started fading a bit as well. It'll be nice to have my usual sex drive back."

Valor laughed. "Especially for me. I don't think my balls have anything left in them."

Tamash? smirked. "You're not out of the woods yet. The next twelve hours or so will be calmer, but you'll still have to keep me well satisfied."

He sighed in response. "Yeah...I've learned how this works by now. At least it won't be completely unending sex now."

"Nope. Now you might get more than two breaks in a day!"

They both laughed then, enjoying that for the moment at least, the worst they had to worry about was their sex life. As they continued to walk along the jungle oaths that led back to Lapras beach they continued with similar such jokes and bantering, enjoying the almost normal feeling their time in Oblivia had led to. Arriving at the beach they turned to the West, following the sun as it sank lower toward the horizon.

Part way down the beach they saw two figures running toward them. As they approached the figures became more detailed, revealing Zyle and Gabriela, both of whom looked rather flustered and concerned. More confusing than that though was the fact that Zyle seemed to be carrying Valor's back pack with him.

Valor and Tamash? picked up their pace and upon getting within speaking distance of the other pair Valor asked, "Zyle, what's going on? Why do you have my stuff, and why do you two look so flustered?"

Zyle paused for a moment to catch his breath, then said, "Because we need to get out of Oblivia. There's a Guardian here, and he's looking for the two of you. He's already here on Renbow Island. Honestly, I'm thanking Arceus right about now that we found you guys first."

Valor looked over at Tamash?, who suddenly looked very worried, all of her previous cheer evaporating in an instant. Turning back to Zyle he said, "Alright...then we need to go. But, how did you find us."

Zyle rolled his eyes, clearly impatient. "We went to Quinn's house and explained the situation once we realised you weren't there. He told us you had gone to that field of flowers we found, so I grabbed your stuff and we came out here to find you."

Valor nodded. "Is that it?"

Zyle shook his head. "The old man wanted to wish you both good luck, and he told me to tell you that what ever happens you have to protect Tamash?, and not fail her the way he failed...uh..." "Marina," Gabriela interjected, supplying the name.

"Zyle nodded. "Right, that."

Valor looked to Tamash? again, who seemed to have gone from worried to being filled with resolve in nothing flat. The exchanged a quick glance, then Valor again turned back to Zyle. "Well what are we waiting for? Let's get the hell outta here! What's the plan?"

"We're gonna head back to Aqua Resort, and the four of us are gonna board the very next ship that's going anywhere else."

Valor started to nod, then stopped. Something about what Zyle had just said didn't add up. Tamash? figured it out half a second before Valor did, telepathically asking, "Zyle, did you say the four of us?"

Zyle exchanged a look with Gabriela then said, "Yeah. She's coming with us."

Gabriela nodded. "Zyle told me everything...and I know its dangerous, but I want to help you, and...well..." Looking to Zyle she said, "I also finally found a good reason for leaving these islands."

Tamash? smiled at the two of them. "Well, good a reason as any to throw yourself into a dangerous situation. Besides, it'll be nice to have another female around to talk to."

Valor sighed. "Fine then. As long as it's fine with Tamash?, it's okay with me. Now let's get moving, shall we?"

The other three nodded in agreement, and together they set off down the beach toward the little dock where-as Zyle quickly explained-the boat captain was waiting with what could only be described as a faster version of his usual vessel.

They had barely made it twenty yards when a wall of washed out blue energy appeared before them, blocking their path. They all turned at the sound of maniacal laughter from behind them. "I finally found you!"

The Guardian walked toward them, and twisted smirk on his lips. "And now you can be punished for your sins."

Valor scowled. "Who the hell are you?"

The Guardian smiled. "I am Nestor, and I am here to ensure that the transgressions of you and your Lucario are dealt with properly."

Faster than any but Tamash? could follow with their eyes, Zyle once more produced his weapons, firing them point blank at the barrier blocking their path. The energy field shattered, prompting Zyle to say, "You three run. I'll put an end to this one way or another. Go hide out somewhere. I don't want you guys on the way. I'll come find you once I'm finished here."

Valor hesitated. "But Zyle-"

"Just go! I've got a bone to pick with 'Nestor' anyway."

Valor nodded. "You better come back."

Zyle smirked. "Now why must you doubt me?"

Turning to Gabriela he said, "You too. I don't want you getting hurt."

She nodded. "Promise me you'll stay safe."

"I promise. Now go!"

The three of them set off toward the jungle, leaving Zyle alone with Nestor. Turning back to face the Guardian, Zyle had an almost curious expression on his face. "I can't help but wonder why you didn't try to stop them."

Nestor smirked. "Because I will catch them soon enough. This is only a delay to fulfil a death wish. And then they too will be-"

"What is it with you and this punishments for sins shit?"

Nestor seemed taken aback for a moment before he chose to respond. "We are all sinners. Every last one of us, in some way or another. Even I am. Some sins matter not, and are outweighed by the good in the person. But when the sin outweighs any good that person may do, they simply must be punished for their actions. That was why I became Guardian. To deal with the sinners in this world. It is my one and only ambition, and those two are so heavily tainted by sin. I care not that my master wants them destroyed for his own plans to succeed. I simply want their sin erased."

Zyle quirked a brow. "Your master...?"

And then it hit him. "You...you're allied with those Dark Aura guys, aren't you?"

Nestor laughed. "Give the man a prize. How clever of you. Yes, they gave me all the power I could ever need to carry out my ambitions. But I believe I have told you enough now. It is time for me to erase your sin, so that I can deal with the far more tainted targets. After all, you admitted yourself that you have killed. Shouldn't you be punished for that?"

Zyle tightened his grip on each of his weapons. "Perhaps, but I've also saved and protected a lot of people as well. And now, I'm going to add one more kill to my list, so I can protect again."

Nestor smiled maliciously. "Worry less about protecting them, and more about protecting yourself. Not that it will do you any good either way. You won't walk away from this fight."

Neither of them said another word, and neither moved a muscle as an unnatural silence fell between them. For the briefest of moments, it was as if the whole world had gone quite.

All hell broke loose in an instant as Zyle whipped his pistols up to point straight at his opponent, firing but a single shot from each. Moving only a split second faster than Zyle, Nestor charged and fired an Aura sphere, the orb of energy creating a wind that tore at the sand below as it sped toward Zyle.

The metal projectiles met the blue Aura, setting off a small explosion that buffeted both combatants. When the dust settled both were still standing and the afternoon sun was glinting off the bullets, which now lay on the ground only a few feet from Nestor. Zyle grimaced at the sight. "Not bad. A little slower and you would be dead right now."

Nestor gave him a complacent, almost condescending look. "You may try all you like, but I fear you won't be able to move fast enough to best me."

Zyle scowled. "Just shut up. It's nothing but the same bull shit from you over and over again."

Nestor chose to respond by firing a single bolt of bluish energy at Zyle, who managed to avoid it at the last second, reflexively diving to the ground to avoid being hit. Jumping back to his feet Zyle quickly trained his weapons on his foe and pulled both triggers.

Or rather, he tried to pull them. It suddenly felt as though the triggers were locked in position. Looking down at his weapons he could see a very thin layer of blue energy behind each curved piece of metal, effectively making the weapons unusable.

"Something wrong with your toys?" Nestor asked with a mocking tone and a matching smirk.

As fire arms maybe, Zyle thought. Flipping around the gun in his left hand, he grabbed it by the barrel an hurled it at Nestor as hard as he could, hoping to break the other man's concentration enough to over power the barrier on the trigger of the weapon that still sat in his right hand.

Nestor flinched, narrowly avoiding the oncoming gun. In that instant that his enemy was distracted Zyle pulled as hard as he could on the trigger of his remaining gun, and fired of a single shot with great satisfaction. The bullet went wild and missed Nestor completely, but Zyle was more than happy to have a defence back.

Taking a two handed grip on his gun, Zyle widened his stance for greater stability and fired off two more shots. One shot missed, but Zyle felt a sort of sick satisfaction as Nestor hissed in pain and gripped his right fore arm, where a bullet had apparently grazed him.

Zyle took a few steps forward, keeping his gun levelled at the wounded Guardian. "It's over Nestor. Just back down. I don't want to kill you."

Nestor simply chuckled in response.

Zyle scowled. "Are you going to surrender or not?"

"No. Why would I surrender? As you said, it's over."

Nestor whipped up what Zyle had thought was his injured arm and fired a single blast of energy at Zyle's hands, knocking away his remaining weapon and sending it flying out of Zyle's reach. Before Zyle could so much as react to the loss of his only weapon, Nestor rushed forward, and proceeded to fire a single Aura sphere at Zyle's torso from point blank range.

Zyle immediately fell to his knees, feeling an explosive pain just underneath his ribs. His whole body began shaking convulsively and his vision started to blur. Nestor knelt down in front of him, a wicked smile on his lips. "I imagine you're in a lot of pain. But then, ruptured organs will do that. As I said, you won't walk away from this fight. This, is your punishment for your sins."

Placing his hand on the side of Zyle's face, Nestor pushed him to the ground, then got to his feet and left Zyle where he lay, following the tracks left by the other three.

***

After running for only a handful of minutes they stopped, both Valor and Gabriela breathing heavily, while Tamash? seemed at least a bit winded. In between breaths Valor said, "We can wait here. I'm sure...he'll be along soon."

Tamash? nodded in agreement, sitting down against a nearby tree. Gabriela on the other hand, did not appear so relaxed. "Valor...will he be okay?"

He nodded in response. "He should be fine. Only me and one other Guardian know how to block bullets...so it shouldn't be a challenge for Zyle to take him down."

She didn't look terribly comforted by that, but fell silent, hoping that Valor was right. All was silent for a few moments, except for the sounds of the jungle. Then came the sounds of gunshots. An explosion followed then three more shots a half a minute of after that. Then silence fell once more.

After a few minutes of silence Valor let out a sigh of relief. "Well, guess that's over then."

Tamash? canted her head. "Should we go back?"

"I suppose-"

Valor stopped cold as a barrier of bluish energy appeared behind them. They all turned to look to down the path they had come through. Quietly, darkly chuckling, Nestor came into view.

Before anyone else could react Gabriela-with nought but dread in her voice-asked. "Where's Zyle?!"

Nestor shook his head. "The one with the guns? Dead or soon to be on the beach where I left him. He took an Aura Sphere right below his rib cage, and unless I'm mistaken it caused a few ruptures."

Gabriela began shaking ever so slightly. "No...he can't be..."

Valor took a step forward, moving toward Nestor. "Gabriela...go to Zyle. He may be unconscious, but I'm sure he'll live. I've been hit like that with an Aura sphere before. It hurts, but he should be fine."

Gabriela nodded and ran past both Valor and Nestor, giving the latter a wide berth as she rushed off to find Zyle. Once she was gone Tamash? stepped up next to Valor. "Valor...that attack I hit you with in Twinleaf was relatively weak. If Zyle was hit by something stronger in the same way it could-"

"I know, but that's not what she needed to hear."

Nestor laughed. "Another lie to add to your list of sins then. That...Zyle...has already been punished, and it won't be long before you are as well."

Tamash? began growling softly, and Valor scowled. "Say what ever you want, we're going to make sure that you pay for what you've done. And...I refuse to let you bring ant harm to any one else today!"

Tamash? smirked. "When the hell did you get so confident?"

He glanced over to her. "Hey, you're the one who keeps forcing me to get tougher just to survive in the bedroom with you."

Nestor snarled. "You speak of your greatest sin so casually. I may not be permitted to rid the world of it myself, but I will ensure that my master's plans reach fruition so that such a vile thing is erased."

Tamash? looked at Nestor then with something that was almost pity. "How is love a sin?"

He shook his head in response. "You don't understand. I pray that Arceus will have mercy upon you both when you are punished."

Valor sighed. "Why do people always have to get religious about things like this?"

"Don't mock powers beyond your comprehension boy. I will capture you, and you will see for yourself the judgment that Arceus brings upon those like you!" Nestor punctuated that by firing off a rapidly charged Aura sphere at the both of them.

Caught unprepared they both dove out of the way as quick as they could, narrowly avoiding the attack. Jumping to his feet Valor created a shimmering emerald shield in front of him and called out, "Get behind me!"

Tamash? snarled. "Valor, we're not doing this whole, you trying to fight on your own thing. Not this time!"

"I agree. I want you to charge up as much power as you can while I block his attacks. Then you hit him with everything you can."

She nodded with a smile. "Right."

Taking a meditative pose she began focusing her power as he had said, while Valor continued to fend of Nestor's increasingly frustrated attacks.

"Stop cowering and face me damn you!" He continued lashing out, several blasts of blue energy splashing against Valor's shield every minute.

Then without warning the attacks stopped. "Fine then. Let's see how you like handle this."

Nestor's blue Aura faded from sight, a few seconds passed, then black energy exploded outward from Nestor's body, surrounding his body in a nimbus of black flames. Without missing a beat Nestor formed a black Aura sphere and fired it at Valor's shield. Valor braced himself, pouring all he had into his shield in the split second before the black energy hit.

The black orb span against the bright green barrier for a single instant, then the shield shattered, blasting Valor back several feet, causing him to hit his head on the ground, knocking him out cold.

Tamash?'s eyes snapped open and she rushed toward Nestor, snarling as her entire body glowed with green light. She struck out at him with an open palmed strike, which he blocked by crossing his arms, green Aura and black flames whirling around each other in a two coloured kaleidoscope.

She jumped back from Nestor, growling fiercely. "You bastard! You'll pay dearly for that!"

She rushed toward him and he responded in kind, the two meeting in the middle of the space between them, rapidly trading blows as each tried to land some amount of damage on the other. Blinded by her rage, Tamash? failed to notice as Nestor moved one foot around to where it was just past her own ankle. In a single blindingly fast move he pulled her leg out from under her, and loosed a single, relatively weak pulse of Aura to stun her as she fell.

Breathing heavily, he smiled darkly. "And that is the end of you both. Or it will be, once I deliver you to the Guardians."

***

Gabriela ran as fast as she could, desperately trying to reach Zyle, hoping beyond hope that Valor had been right.

After only a few minutes she arrived at the beach, faltering to a stop mid stride as she spotted Zyle's prone form on the sand. Her heart filled with fear as she covered the last few yards between them, arriving at his side. His eyes were closed, and his breaths were coming in shallow, ragged gasps. "Zyle? Zyle can you hear me?"

His eyes fluttered, then opened. A smile came across his face as his eyes focused on her. "Yeah...I can hear you..."

She began tearing up as she smiled back at him. "Thank goodness. Valor said you would be alright. Can...can you get up? Or should I go get help?"

His brow furrowed in confusion. "Valor said...?" He shook his head weakly. "Gabby...I've...I've been at enough crime scenes to know...that I'm not gonna last much longer..."

Her smile vanished and her eyes widened. "But...you can't..."

He smiled sadly, reaching up with what little strength he had to place a hand on her cheek, wiping away one of the tears that had begun flowing. "Sorry...but...I wasn't good enough. I got beat...and I'm paying for it. And just when I finally found someone worth fighting for..."

"Zyle...please...you can't...you just can't..."

"Sorry...it's already too late...I..."

He grimaced and took his hand from her face to grip at his stomach, his face twisting in pain for a brief moment. He relaxed after a second. With his last little bit of strength he opened his eyes, smiling one last time. "I...love you..."

His smile faded and his eyes closed then. Her vision almost completely obscured by her tears, Gabriela placed her forehead against his chest and quietly whispered, "I love you too."

And so as the sun set on the Oblivia Region, Zyle drew his last breath, and Valor and Tamash? were spirited away, being taken unwillingly toward their fate.