---==SOMEWHERE IN RABITE FOREST...==---


With little fanfare, the peaceful inhabitants of Rabite Forest were suddenly alerted to a thin column of white line beaming down from the heavens, touching down at some undisclosed location between the trees and elongated into a young male persona. The world through his eyes blurred briefly as senses and form once again became his, where Ambience came into focus about his surroundings, clad in thin leather armor and a gleaming, glassy-polished hilt of some ornate weapon sheathed tightly across his back. He stopped there for several moments without moving, possibly testing something; a few dull green wisps of light encircled his youthful frame, darting here and there but never leaving Ambience's immediate vicinity.

Sitting on a perch of a massive tree with a hollowed out inside, Kalin gazed over the road connecting Truce to Rocket Town with a mind full of thoughts and concerns. Spending the past couple of days with his new house guests had gotten his mind off of his missing friend, the questionable mental state of another, and the carnage of the village that once was. '..Guess I'll head back..' thought the Eevee as he turned around to return to his cave, the day's search a failure.

This course of action was halted however as the Eevee spotted an unfamiliar figure standing within the forest while the exitting the bottom of the hollowed out tree. Immediately cautious, Kalin ducked down and observed the indivual, upset that nearest bush was more than several feet away.

The boy seems to be confused that he's not seeing anything in his immediate surroundings, knitting his brows accordingly. "I can feel th' blessings, but I don't see who they b'long to. Can you two find out for me?" Ambience appeared to be speaking to nobody; that is, until the two dull wisps of light literally -pop-'d into existence as identical, tiny tree-shaped women with wooden bodies and leafy hair. They hovered over into position in front of him as Ambience's request, and proceeded to look at each other blankly for a moment, then back at the boy, all without saying a word. Ambience sighed, looking a little frustrated; mana spirits could be a bit oblivious at times. "Mama said she knew of two, but had met one of 'em. Somethin' about being a furry little thing, like a fox or a dog or somethin'. You guys saw 'im before, right?"

Kalin's ears twitched as the boy began to speak, but he couldn't quite hear what he was saying from his position. But at the appearance of the leafy ladies, the Eevee's eyes widened. Were those really the two Dryad spirits who helped him before? Kalin cautiously rose up and advanced towards the boy, curious. A tightening feeling ran through his chest as he drew closer, he had been curious for some time of the Agents of Mana were aware of his return to the cleft.

As Eevee drew closer, the blessings he yet carried with him would be what gave him away, as both Dryads turned in unison toward his direction, without saying or doing anything otherwise. They don't have to, really, because Ambience isn't dumb enough NOT to look where they are gazing; the sword on his back pulses softly, emitting a soft, almost unhearable chiming sound that seems to resonate with the innate mana power that Eevee has acquired through his long-ago meeting with the spirits. The Dryads seem to appreciate this, waving tiny little arms in the air in a gesture of pleasant tidings; Ambience, meanwhile, only tilts his head. He didn't know what he was looking for, but it took him by surprise to see Eevee in person. Uh, in pokemon.

Enraptured by the pulsing of the sword, Kalin was slow to raise a paw to the little trees. That blade...hah, and to think that Darkrai thought he could get his smelly hands on it. Yet the words of the wind he once heard rested on the front of his mind. As overjoyed as he was to see it once more, he knew that it wasn't there for good reasons.

Ambience watched the creature raise a paw, and whether to him or otherwise, at least realized that it was intelligent enough to know that they weren't a threat. Now, for the obvious inference; "Hey, uh... can you talk?" It was a mundane question, but it got to the point. The Dryads themselves departed from Ambience's nearness, bouncing through the air over toward the Eevee, their usually-wide green eyes turning to small crescents of happiness at seeing him alive and well.

In response to the question, Kalin's ears drooped low as he remembered that the lady from before had to rely on the Dryad spirits. "..Eevee.. (..Erm..yes, but you probably can't understand me..)" said the Eevee, instinctively glancing skyward for a second before returning his gaze back to the boy. The moon wasn't out, so Lunar Vision wasn't an option.

Indeed, it wouldn't be an issue for him, either. As the eponymous word came forth, one of the Dryads wave a tiny arm, from her placement near Eevee, back at Ambience, to which he nodded and attempted to move closer to the three of them. "I should'a figured you had your own words. My name's 'Ambience'; I think you met mama, awhile ago. She said you had a big problem, and she 'n' miss Lillian had t'help you out." He pauses, red irises searching for something, and Ambience allowed himself a small grin. "I can see why they didn't hesitate much. They're all there; you really did meet all of 'em, didn't'cha?"

'Mama'? So, the boy was her son! The Eevee's caution and concern seemed to completely disappear as his ears perked up. He enjoyed talking about those adventures with Mogwai every chance he got.

"Eevee! Veeeee, eevee. (I sure did! My name's Kalin, it's good to meet you. I'm thankful that your mother allowed me to go home, but um..things didn't really turn out as I planned them. But without the three oppressive rulers enslaving the world, my people can fight back against the Sableeye and live in peace. Thanks to her, there's hope.)" Kalin's eyes veered towards the sword again. "..Veeee?.. (..That's it, isn't it? The sword in the tree..)"

The Dryads translated for him, gesturing and motion in probably words only the three of them could understand. Most of it pretty much went right over Ambience's head, but the sounds of it gave the impression that Ms. Lillian and his tribe had done the critter a great service. It pleased him to know that, unlike what Haut had consistently depicted, his tribe were not heartless bigots. His grin grew at the thought, and he nodded. "I'm happy to hear that we were able t'help you, Kalin. And yeah.

And yeah..." Ambience paused, crouching down somewhere as he got near enough. "It is the Sword. It's... needed. And related events are the reason I needed to find you. At least to pass a word on." Ambience's grin faltered, handling with the seriousness of the situation he now spoke of.

Of course it was needed. Kalin fully believed that one would draw the sword and smite the oppressive monster in the sky when he left its metallic surface.

"Eeevee, vee. (It looks like it's in good hands. I'd like to pass a word on, too. There's a dark pokemon somewhere in this world who is out to get it. He's a manipulating jerk, but I don't think he'll strike again in some time.)" Kalin didn't feel the need to share every detail, but he wanted for the Agents of Mana to know that selfish beings like Darkrai had their eyes on it.

What baffled him however was the need for Ambience to see him. What could a little Eevee possibly have to do with anything..?

Ambience considered, his expression changing from one to another as the Dryads conveyed Eevee's message for him, and he cracked something of a sardonic half-smile. "Well. Given what we're 'bout to go up against, I'm not super worried. The Sword is normally sleepin' at the foot of the Mana Tree, and nothin' can even get INTO the Holyland without a member of the Tribe's help." Oh course, this was a half-truth. There WERE other ways, much more malevolent in design, but opting to leave nothing to chance in who might be listening, Ambience left them in the shadows of secrecy. "But thanks for the warning." He straightened, standing up. "I needed to let you know pretty much what you seem to've already guessed. Yeah, a couple of us are going to take down th' Fortress and the Sinistrals inside of it. I needed t'find a way to let th' people of this realm know. And, 'stead of finding a random person to start with, I thought it'd be best to find one the spirits themselves chose to give their trust to. You have friends, right? You can start by telling them; and, uh." Ambience scratches his head, looking skyward for a moment. "Maybe it'd be best if you didn't try anything like that again, too? That was really dangerous, and I'd have felt even worse than I do about that village if more people'd gotten themselves killed. You can't get into th' Fortress without this Sword to break the barrier. It's been like that for all times, in every instance the Fortress has come back... at least, in the stories mama told me, anyway."

'Sinistrals'? Were those individuals who were responsible for it? Kalin was a little surprised to see that they knew about his trip to the fortress. "Veeee. (O-okay..I'll warn everyone I can.)" Kalin bit his lip for a second, as if he had more to say. In a sudden 180 to the ground that he and Mogwai sat together, a determined look conquered the Eevee's face. Perhaps it wasn't sudden at all, as deep down, Kalin didn't want to run from the thing like Mogwai did.

"Vee! (I want to fight, too! This world is my home now. I know I can't hold a sword or anything, but..your mother and the other spirits have done so much for me..I want to help!)" The Eevee battled his internal conflict as he kept a firm gaze on your face. What was he doing? He couldn't go off with them..what about Candice and Julexa? And Mogwai?

Ambience sighs. Not again. He'd already been cornered with this same prospect by Twilight Sparkle. He didn't want to wind up being the bad guy by doign what he thought was right, but this was something that left no room for 'maybe'. "I can't take you with us. I could tell you it's too dangerous, but I'm guessin' that wouldn't be much of a threat. These aren't.. normal.. people. I don't even really know.. if I'm even.." He let it go, there. He didn't need his own insecurities surfacing now. "You can help the most by raising the hope of people here. Tell them that, if they want to help, to pray for us. Hope that we are strong enough to do what we need t'do, and make it back safely. I don't wanna be responsible for anyone else... mama's already crying because I have t'go." Ambience looked a little somber, himself, rapidly losing that battle of will. "Its hard on a lot of people. You can be the most help, here, by getting everyone's spirits up. This realm doesn't need another reason t'be depressed. Let them know that we're going to help them all."

Initially, the Eevee's ears fell back a little at the rejection, his eyes staring at the ground. But you was right..he could fight back in his own way. Kalin lifted his head up and gave you a firm nod. "Vee..eevee! Vee! (Alright..I'll do that. We'll pray for you every second. It'll be easy to get spirits up if people know that a hero like you is standing up to it! You're probably not as good as Finn, but I think you'll smash that fortress away and save us all, Ambience!)"

Kalin smiled. He supposed that you did remind of Finn in many ways. "Eeeveee? (Will we ever meet again? After you guys win?)" he asked, glancing between you and the two Dryad Spirits.

Ambience thinks for a moment. He didn't know who Finn was, but he wasn't attempting to be better than anyone. In fact, if he'd had a real choice, he wouldn't be going. But this was Haut's quest, not his; he merely needed the Sword to get inside. Really, that's all Ambience was; a Sword-bearer. Nothing more. It gave him goosebumps to be called a hero right to his face, though. And then there was the other part... he fought back to keep from saying "You mean 'if we win'", because that kind of pessimism wasn't really needed right now. Beyond the Sinistrals, he was going to be needed for one more thing... one thing he kept forgetting. Could he really kill a Flammie? Manabeast or otherwise? Ugh, the more he thought of it, the more he wanted to tell Haut and his mother to try and find someone else. But... "Prob'ly. I don't live here, in the middle realm, but I come and go alot. If y'want, I'll come and see you after we beat 'em. That way you'll know for sure. How's that?" Ambience tried his best to smile, but it was noticeably forced. There was a lot going through him right now.

Kalin nodded fiercely, completely oblivious to Ambience's concern. "Vee! (Alright! I'll travel the whole world if I have to. You can count on me, we'll all have hope.)"

Ambience's smile grows slightly more genuine, and he shakes his head slightly, inwardly thankful for the Dryads' inherent helpfulness. "You don't have'ta go quite that far. If you let your friends know, they'll let other people no, and it'll spread quickly. I basically just don't want anyone else t'panic, is th' thing. The guy I'm with saved Monstro Town; you saw that second blast from the Fortress, right? He had some kinda machine that absorbed the blast, and saved th' town." Ambience nod

Ambience nods emphatically. "But thanks. We'll do our best t'protect everyone. And you all protect each other, too. This world is... precious to all of us. Like you said."

"Vee..eevee! Vee? (Whoa..cool! I wondered where that second blast went..er..what's Monstro Town?)" asked the Eevee, clueless and curious. It wasn't a place he'd heard of yet.

Ambience thinks on how to describe it. Other than the place where Mollianne spends a lot of time at because of it being inhabited by people like her, there wasn't much to go on it. But maybe that was it. "Th' name kinda speaks for itself. It's a place where monsters live, but they're not really monsters. They're just not, y'know, people. They live there so people won't bother 'em, 'cause they're dif'rent."

Kalin's eyes instantly lit up at Ambience's explanation of the town. So such a place -did- exist! "Vee..? Eeevee? (There's a place like that..? Where is it?)" Kalin shouldn't have been surprised. The Agents of Mana were like miracle workers for him..sending him home, saving the world, and now putting him one step closer to his dream of finding a paradise.

Ambience blinks at such a surprise. He glances over his shoulder for a moment, then up toward the treetops. "From here.. hm. If y'know where Viorar is, it's pretty much jus' straight south. Follow the highway 'til you get to an island, and on th' island, there's a cave. In the cave is a door, and Monstro Town's on th' other side. Viorar is.. uh, on the other side of the realm, kinda. But they have a boat that can take people there, from Truce." Ambience looks back at Eevee, knowingly; he hadn't l lived here long enough to know is geography very well from THEIR standpoint, but being able to look down upon the middle realm from the Holyland tended to have its advantages.

"Vee..Eevee. (Oh..I know where that is. Alright Ambience, I'll start by spreading the word around here then I'll hit every place along the way to Monstro Town.)" For once, Kalin wasn't worried about communication. He'd do whatever it would take, be waiting until nightfall and transmitting his thoughts to hundreds or getting Mogwai and Gizmo to help, not that latter would do anything that wouldn't disrupt the space-time continuum.

"Eevee. Vee! (Thanks for everything, good luck up there. I'll see you again after you and your friends have destroyed it!)" said the Eevee with a fierce nod, glancing off towards the west where his cave rested. Candice and Julexa would be the first to know his plans.

Ambience smiles a little nervous. This had gone possibly better than he expected; he knew of the weight that was on Haut and his shoulders, but now it seems like there was going to be a lot of people fully expecting them not to fail. He nodded in response, hoping to the Goddess that he wouldn't let them down... or, to that end, Haut, either. "Thank you, Kalin. Please take care of yourself, and your friends. We'll do our best for everyone, I promise."

Ambience gestures briefly, putting a hand flat-palmed to his chest as the Dryads came flitting back to him, and simply... faded away. Literally and completely, all three of them. The grass at his feet unbends as his weight is no longer there to trample upon it.

Kalin watched with determination as Ambience and his Dryad spirits disappeared, running quickly towards the west past some confused rabites. The time for hopelessness was over; heroes above were preparing to strike back. More than that, Kalin's eyes were on the future now more than ever. The oppression of the fortress would not last, and he would see to it that every soul he'd encounter would see the vision that he'd had: Ambience and his friends standing triumphantly over the wreckage of a fallen fortress.