CH 10: Under the GraveSnow crunched underfoot as Grey and Oaken wandered through the Long Woods. Every breath the two kids took were visible puffs. And the snow seemed endless. Although monsters have joined the side of good, the real threat to them were Zompos, zombie moles who live underground, and only fight when they're disturbed. Unfortunately, the only way to get rid of them is to whack them with a huge hammer. The only one who has a big mallet was Oaken, given to him by Bachi in case of emergencies. But the merchant knows that the disguised princess would make better use of the weapon than him. Grey gently kicked his toes to the manor steps, knocking the snow off his red boots. Walking inside, ghosts were hovering back and forth with underhero business or hanging out with friends. The human children waved to the specters passing by. Oaken felt chills down his spine and looked at the ghosts nervously. He knew they're harmless now, mostly, but ghosts always made him anxious. He wasn't sure why. Back to treading through the snow, now was the time to really be careful. "Watch the ground as you step." Grey warned. Oaken nods. "If a Zompo pops up and grabs you, whack it with a hammer!" "And if you get attacked?" Oaken asked. "Toss it to me so I can whack it, of course." Grey answered. "Right." The brown-haired boy nodded. "Um... Hey, if you don't mind me asking, where did you get the name Grey?" Grey paused for a moment, thinking back on his first battle with Mouse and Elizabeth. *"Hold it right there!" Grey Kid snapped. He held his rapier to Mouse's throat. "You are the one who took the legendary weapon of the hero! Give it to me, immediately!" Mouse gulped, feeling a shudder go down their spine. "Ah! Do you know what this means, kid?!" Elizabeth asked. The smaller masked kid tilted their head in confusion. "You have a rival now!!! You're one step closer to becoming a true hero!" "SILENCE! I'm no one's rival! You're not strong enough to even be called MY rival!" Grey sneered. Elizabeth was clearly amused by this kid's attempt to be tough. "He's so full of himself, too!" Elizabeth joyful demeanor changed, as she sobbed happily. "I'm so proud of you, kid." "Enough!" Grey snapped. "You will give me the weapon or you will die here!" Elizabeth scoffed at this. "Sure, bring it on, Grey Kid. Let's see if you're 'worthy'." The hilt then proceeded to laugh. "Um, excuse the intrusion, but are you perhaps... fighting, by any chance?" A chubby ghost asked. Grey, unphased and unmoving just shouted, "Stay out of this, you blob." "Just like I thought! AHEM!" The ghost turned to the ghost party and shouted, "YO! YOU GUYS!!! THERES A FIGHT OVER HERE!!!" A huge cluster of ghosts gathered and started chanting "FIGHT!" over and over. Grey lowered his weapon and groaned with annoyance along with Elizabeth.* "Elizabeth called me Grey Kid when I blocked their path, and... I guess the name stuck." Grey explained. Suddenly, a hand popped out of the ground and grabbed Grey's ankle. The Zompo emerged and groaned, holding on to Grey's leg with both claws. Oaken grabbed his hammer and slammed it on the zombie mole. The undead creature let go, leaving a scratch in the process. Grey and Oaken ran for the trees as the monster was dazed. Sitting high in the branches, Oaken and Grey were able to catch their breath. Blood was dripping from the Grey Kid's wounded ankle. He noticed this and wrapped a bandage around it and downed a potion. "Thank Fate those things don't carry a deadly virus." Grey sighed. He looked at his bandaged ankle. "Think it'll leave a scar?" "If it's deep enough." Oaken said, scratching the back of his neck. "... Do you... want a scar?" Grey smiled and nodded. "They're cool! It shows how tough you are, and that you're a survivor." "I never thought of scars like that before." Oaken said. "I always thought they were just marks, not a symbol of bravery." "Whether it's surgical or from a fight, all scars have a story." Grey though aloud. Grey got up on the branch he was on and looked around, trying to remember the path he took for the icy pond. "This way!" The Grey Kid pointed, then he started jumping off branch after branch, and motioned Oaken to follow. The scarfed boy did, the best he could. I was never good at climbing trees. He thought to himself. Maybe I did when I was the hero. But, I don't want to think about that. I make a good living with Mr. Bachi and I don't want to ruin it with unwanted memories. As Grey jumped off the last tree, landing on his feet, and Oaken fell on his face. Thankfully, the snow cushioned the impact. He got up, wiping the snow off, and followed Grey to the lake. Bright flashing lights could be seen and blaring music was heard as the duo got closer to the Oblivion Party. "I'm sorry, kiddos, but only ghosts and bats are allowed in this party." The bouncer ghost said. "Princess! Oaken!" Bella exclaimed. The little candle held by a disembodied hand flew over to the ghost. "You can let these two in they're my friends!" "We're not here to party," Grey waved his hand. "We just need to pass by to the lake." "Permission to pass, granted!" The ghost moved out of the way. "The lake is dead ahead." "Thank you." Grey bows his head. The two children walked past the flashing lights and blaring music. Some ghosts were chatting happily and loudly, and others were singing horribly. Grey steps on the lake, and immediately starts slipping! "WHOA!" He shouts as he falls on his hands and knees as he tries to pick himself up, to little success. The brown-haired boy hops down, and the same thing happened! Except Oaken falls on his butt. "You- whoa..." Oaken tried to stand up as he spoke. "You fought Mouse and Elizabeth here?! How-?!" He feel on his face. "I d-didn't have this hard a time when I was here ab-bout almost year ago...!" Grey said as he slid to the other side of the lake. He sighed with relief as he got back on the non-slippery ground. "Grey! GREY!" Oaken screamed as he slid towards the Grey Kid. Slamming straight into him. "Sorry..." The former hero chuckles sheepishly. "It's fine, wasn't the first time you fell on top of me, I don't think it'll be the last." Grey got up and dusted himself off. "R-really?" Oaken looked at the rogue in surprise. "Yeah." Grey said. "But, that's a story for another day." The disguised princess started walking to the mausoleum. "How do you know that T. Bur and Stitches are under there?" Oaken asked, following him. "Best to search the obvious spots first." Grey replied. "If they're not here, we search under the bleachers near the ice skating rink." He clears his throat and speaks firmly. "This is Princess Cereza Castana, sole heir to the Chestnut Kingdom. I have a guest, Oaken the former hero." The kids waited... and waited... and waited... "Maybe you didn't say it loud enough." Oaken suggested. "Oh, maybe they're not here." Grey sighed. And as the two were about to leave, there was a loud rumble and stone grinding noise as the stone coffin moved to the side, revealing a set of stairs. The grey hooded child looked closely down the stairs. He heard a door open, followed by a voice. "Princess?" That familiar voice... That voice belonged to the once evil monster that used to terrorize the Chestnut kingdom. Of course, that was not of Stitches' choice, as he peered out of the stairwell. "T. Bur knew you'd be coming." "I found his encrypted note." Grey nodded. The patched up monster turn to Oaken. "I just didn't know you'd bring the former hero." "I didn't know it was a crime for my friend to make sure I didn't get hurt." Grey smirked. "Though..." He shows the former evil beast his bandaged ankle. "Too late for that." Mr. Stitches stepped out of the way, gesturing to the stairs. "We have a lot to discus. T. Bur suspects he's close to finding the kid and Elizabeth's location." Grey and Oaken walk down the stairs, followed by Stitches as the grave slowly shut, as if it never moved.Illusioned Take DownJulius stomped around, plotting. He still blames Team Maelstrom for his predicament. He knew getting back at them would be easy, executing his plan, however will be a challenge. If he could get the group's demise to look like an accident, everyone would be none the wiser. But he had to be careful, since there was a bounty on his head. Suddenly, he heard voices coming from the right of him. It was them... Team Maelstrom. Now's his chance to eliminate them once and for all! Rune stops, causing a concern amongst the group. "What is it?" Daelle asked. "Someone is following us." Rune answered. Inigo looked around. "I don't see anything." He shrugged. "Well, what do we have here?" Julius grinned. He turned his attention to Malachi. "Having fun playing leader, pet?" Malachi said nothing as he arched his back, and started growling. "You do know that word is degrading to former wild ones, right?" Inigo asked. "I don't care if it's degrading or not." Julius snorted. "All I care about is making sure that ferals, like you, are at the bottom of the food chain." The Skuntank stomped towards Malachi, earning a hiss from the frightened Shinx. "Hey! Back off!" Maelstrom snapped, making larger mon recoil. "You have place to tell me what to do, pebble!" Julius barked back. He stood up, and brought his huge paw down on Mouse! (Julius used Night Slash !) Rune jumped to protect her friend, only to take the powerful blow. However... (It's not very effective! ) Rune's image faded as a masked Zorua tumbled on the ground. (Grey's illusion faded!) "For not being very effective, that really hurt!" Grey snarled. "The gig is up, guys. Grey's illusion is broken!" Deille said as her appearance shifted to a masked Sprigatito. Inigo growled as his form shifted to a Cyclizar. Malachi stood up as he grabbed Maelstrom from his neck, and Julius watched as the rock became a green hilt, and a blade materialized, from her. And Malachi, no, Mouse, an Eevee, lunged at the Skuntank and swung their blade at him. (Mouse used Sacred Sword .) "It's gonna take more than just a little swipe from a letter opener to knock me down!" Julius bellowed. Claudia, the Cyclizar swung her tail at Julius, knocking off his feet. (Claudia used Breaking Swipe !) "Okay, at first, I was amused, now, I'm angry..." The Skuntank growled. "Time for a little Noxious Gas !" He released a disgusting stench (Julius used Toxic and Venoshock , It's super effective on Tunip, the Sprigatito), expecting everyone to be severely poisoned, but to his dismay, his adversaries were one step ahead of him. "Gross!" Elizabeth gagged. "You guys should be writhing in agony! What gives!?" Julius yelled. Grey dry heaved as she answered. "Pecha Scarf, stupid!" she shows the piece of cloth tied to her mask strap. Julius looked around and realized the whole team were all wearing a poison preventing Pecha Scarf. "It doesn't stop it from doing severe damage to me." Tunip groaned. She ran up to the Skuntank and smacked mud in his face. (Tunip used Mud Slap . It's super effective !) "But we can worry about that once we subdue this outlaw!" "You heard Tunip, Mouse! Time we finished him off!" Grey called as he grabbed Julius' paw as he tried to attack, and threw him to the ground. (Grey used Foul Play .) "Oh, crap..." Julius whispered, as Mouse charged up their attack and swung a massive hammer at him. (Mouse used Gigaton Hammer .) Julius tried to keep his balance, but his legs gave in from under him, and he collapsed. "Now, let's tie up the stinker before he wakes up." Elizabeth said.Rooming with a MewtwoIt was a pleasant day, the weather wasn't to hot or too cold. Jericho let out a slow beath out his nose, a content smile on his face. "You were right, Latoka. The fresh air and walk was just what I needed." The Mewtwo smiled. "Told you, Jeo." The human woman smiled, walking close to her treasured Charizard. "And, people hardly walk down this route." Undenounced to them, a young child was running from their pursuer. The dark-haired child was out of breath, his heart was pounding against his ribs, and his legs were screaming at him to stop. But he couldn't stop. His little Eevee, with a horned mask, running close to his boots, the poor thing was crying. "You and your Eevee can't run forever!" The antagonistic man laughed. Jericho stopped sensing the distressed child. "Lakota, I thought you said nobody goes down this way." "I said this route was hardly used." Lakota corrected. The Mewtwo's eyes dilated, sensing the danger of the situation. And he darted off in the direction of trouble. "Jericho! Wait!" Lakota and Argon followed him. The kid ran until he tripped over an unseen hole in the ground. "AH!" He screamed as he fell face first on the ground. The masked Eevee stopped and turned to their felled trainer. As the ran up to help, the poor Pokémon was caught in a loop catcher. and held down with another chaser's boot. "Mouse!" The kid tries to get up, but the first asailent pushed him back down, pressing his shoe hard on his back. and instead of keeping him down. the man pressed his boot harder on the poor kid's back. "St-stop..." The child coughed. "Cliff, we don't want to kill the child. The boss wants him and this Eevee alive! Remember?" The smaller man growled. "You're doing the same thing, Arlo!" Cliff argued. "I'm only restraining our prey. You're suffocating the Zorua!" Arlo corrected. "I'm only going to keep the pressure until he gives up the illusion." Cliff argued again. The grey child's ribs were pressing to hard against his lungs and heart, he can't catch a proper breath. He's going to kill me... The child thought as the men continued to bicker. I'm not going to give in, but... Fear began to get a hold of his heart, and he started tearing up. I don't want to die, either... "HEY!" A woman's voice can be heard. "What do you think you're doing to this poor kid and their partner?!" "Mind your business, lady this doesn't concern..." Cliff trailed off when he saw Jericho. "Is that...?" "Mewtwo..." Arlo finished. "The one wo escaped the boss if i remember right..." "This is great!" Cliff cheered. "We got two stronger than usual young mons, now we've nabbed ourselves a Mewtwo!" "I wouldn't celebrate too soon..." Jericho warned. "You won't remember what happened anyway..." His eyes glowed a bright blue, as Arlo and Cliff just stared in confusion, and suddenly, they were no longer apprehending a kid and their Pokémon. Arlo just held his head, trying to remember what he was doing. "Um, Arlo..." Cliff began "What are we doing in the middle of the forest again?" Arlo tried to think of something to say, but shook his head and pushed past the bulkier man. "Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter. Sierra's waiting for us!" "I know she's going to give us an earful for being late again." Cliff mumbled sadly. Meanwhile, back with the grey kid and his Eevee... Lakota, argon, and Jericho stuck around to make sure the two were okay. "Are you breathing better...?" The lady asked worriedly. After a few slow steady breaths, the grey child nodded. "Much better! That partner of yours really is something." Lakota laughed in agreement. "He truly is..." Her smile faded. "What's wrong." The dark-haired kid asked. "He's going to erase your memories of our encounter too..." Lakota said. "Oh, please no..." A third voice piped in. "I'd rather swallow shards of glass than have my memory erased again!" When Mouse shifted their body a little, the voice was revealed to be a green hilt. Mouse's ears lowered upon hearing the memory wipe. "If it means keeping what ever secret safe, than I'm afraid we have no say, Elizabeth." The grey hooded kid said, standing up. But in doing so, he screamed in pain and fell back down. Mouse ran up to him with worry. "What's wrong?!" Lakota asked with worry. "My ankle hurts..." The kid responded. Jericho hovered to the kid and scanned his ankle. It was red and swollen, and Jericho could see a contortion in his ankle. "He twisted his ankle." Jericho said. "We can't leave him alone like this." But as he looked closer, this child didn't seem human. However, he decided to keep quiet. Thinking quickly... "Argon, let the kid hop on." Argon nodded, and lowered his neck so the kid and his Eevee hopped on. "You and Eevee an stay with us for a while." Jericho balked at this. "WHAT?!" "You said it yourself, Jericho, we can't leave them like this." Lakota said. "Also, since you'll be staying with us for a while, we may as well introduce ourselves. I'm Lakota. The grouch over there is Jericho. And this big baby..." She smiled as she scratched the Charizrd's chin, making him purr. Well, not really purring, but it was a low enough growling sound that could be considered purring. "Is Argon." "I'm Grey. And this tiny fluffball, is Mouse." Grey said. "And I'm their guardian, Elizabeth." The hilt said. Back at Lakota's home, Amber was teaching her little cousin to walk. To say there was progress was a major understatement. Anytime Amber would let go, Blu would fall on his butt and laugh hysterically. "I swear he stood up without help, Auntie!" Amber exclaimed. "I believe you, Amber." Sivith smiled. "But remember that he's just a baby." "He'll be able to walk and cause mischief with you soon." Gwen pat Amber's shoulder. "And besides, he thinks it's a fun game." The psychic pokemon turned to the front door opening. The group was surprised to see a limping child in a grey hood being supported by Lakota. "Lakota..." Sivith started. "Who is this?" "This is Grey. He has a twisted ankle." Lakota said as she led Grey to the couch. When Grey sat down, Mouse hopped up and laid their head against their trainer. Mouse brought their paw to the chin of their mask, and lowered it. "They said thank you." "Aww... you taught your Eevee sign language to communicate?" Lakota smiled. "That's so cute!" Grey put up a fake smile as he nodded. "Y-yeah. Mouse can hear just fine, I just find that sign language is a great way talk to them. Since they're so shy." "That Eevee is smaller than any other Eevee I've seen." Sivith said, looking closely at Mouse. "That's why their name is Mouse." Elizabeth said. "So... What brings you to our home?" Sivith asks, as Lakota left to get an ice pack. "We were being chased by a bunch of thugs. They were after me and poor Mouse." Elizabeth huffed. "They interrupted our training!" Grey groaned. "And they heard and saw things they shouldn't have." Amber slowly floated up to the new group. "What kind of things?" Grey had an anxious look on his face, and avoided eye contact. "We can't tell you..." "And why not...?" Sivith asked suspiciously. Grey held Mouse close to his chest. "We just met you! How do we know we can trust you?" He growled. The more Sivith looked at the scared children, the more she thought about what they could have went through. "We have our fair share of secrets. I don't know what you went through, but I can tell it wasn't pleasant." "Besides, it doesn't matter if we tell you or not." The kid said quietly. "We won't remember you anyway..." Hearing that made Jericho feel a little guilty. "Maybe... you guys can keep a secret." "Buddy, the secrets we have stowed away will want you to put us in therapy." Elizabeth rolled her eyes. Lakota returns with an ice pack, placing it on Grey's sore ankle. "I'm assuming you and the Eevee are hungry?" "Starving!" Grey sighed. Mouse's tail wagged like crazy at the promise of food. After the meal, Lakota helped Grey to the guest room. "The bathroom is just across the hall, to the left." She explained. "And if you need anything, don't be afraid to knock on my door." "Thank you, Miss Lakota." Grey bowed. "Oh, you're very much welcome." Lakota smiled. "Good night, you three." "Night." Grey half-heartedly waved, then closed the door. When they knew the woman was gone, Grey suddenly transformed into a Shiny Zorua. He was still limping on his hind paw. Mouse helped Grey up on the bed, but still whined, looking at their friend's back leg. "Don't worry, Green Boots. I'll be okay." Grey nudged his friend's masked face. "Now, let's get some sleep. Night Mouse and Ellie." Mouse nodded and laid down, next to their friend. "Good night..." "Good night." Elizabeth yawned. During the night, Jericho quietly entered the guest room, a voice nagging in the back of his mind to stop. But upon entry, he wasn't the least bit surprised to see a Zorua sleeping with the masked Eevee, even though he feels like he should. The little tricky fox shared the same aura as that little kid he and his human friend helped. The trainer was a Zorua all this time. Why? He has no clue. He promised not to erase the trio's memories. But he was curious what secrets these three did keep. Surely, a peek wouldn't hurt. But what Jericho saw shocked him... "...really killed the... hero? But..." "You mean this is the same hero that died a few days ago?" "It was all or nothing, kill or be killed." "...were a lie?! It was all you?!" "I always knew you were a useless hero..." "You are a... clone?!" Jericho backed up in shock... he quietly made his exit. Elizabeth woke for a moment... She looked at Mouse, their body quietly rising and falling as they slept. And Grey, the same thing. The hilt shut her eyes, falling back asleep. The next morning rolled around, and Lakota filled the kids up on a quick breakfast. Grey called out his Slither Wing, and jumped on. "You sure you'll be alright out there?" Lakota asks. "Yeah, I'm sure. Me and Mouse are stronger than we look!" Grey smirks as he holds up a fist. "It was nice to meet you, Mx. Grey." Amber smiled. "I hope we can meet again soon." Grey nods. "I hope so too. You take care of your family." Grey lowered himself to pat the giant bug's face. "Let's get going, Mayfly." Mayfly buzzed loudly and started moving. But when they were out of earshot... "Those kids did go through a lot..." Jericho told Lakota. Making the lady whip her head to the Mewtwo. "I just wanted to have a peek, but... one memory led to another... It wasn't horrible, but it still wasn't what I expected. But Grey was right. They are stronger than they seem. They'll be okay."gifgifgifgifgifChapter 6: DespairGrey walked quickly, pulling the scarfed boy by the wrist, practically dragging him along. "Prin- Grey, I think we can slow down." Oaken suggested. "The guards are probably far enough that we can rest." But the suggestion fell on deaf ears, Grey didn't slow down, nor did he want to. Because he knew that if he were caught, then it's all over. He'd be found out and never allowed to be by himself again. The duo crossed cold rivers and carefully slid down slopes. Grey's feet started to get sore, so he led Oaken to a bundle of bushes, perfect size for two children to hide under. Now, this was the proper spot to rest. "Where... where are we going again?" The brown haired boy asked. "The Stitched Castle. I want to find at least a clue on where Stitches and T. Bur went." Grey explained. "If we find those two, we find Green Boots and Elizabeth." "Wish they at least left us a hint to where they're going." The brown-haired boy panted. "Then again, those two probably didn't plan on or want anyone following them." "They left... thinking they could do it themselves. But they've been gone for nearly a year!" Grey added. His face was slowly getting more pained. As Oaken spoke about how Stitches and T. Bur could find Mouse and Elizabeth by themselves. As Grey's mind spiraled further and further into despair. Doubt started to outweigh his hope. Maybe he can't find them. "Grey...?" The disguised princess didn't respond. "Hey, we'll find-" "IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!!!" Grey finally snapped. "If... if I had taken Elizabeth, Green Boots wouldn't have gone missing... They would have... But why them? Of all people... why did it have to be them..." Grey's hands started to shake along with his voice. Not knowing what else to do, Oaken held on to Grey's hands. "You would've been the one who was lost. Now, I may not know or remember what happened between you guys, but what I am absolutely certain of, is that those two are safe and alive." "How could you know that...?" Grey asked between sobs. "Because like you, I have complete faith that they're okay. And you losing faith like this doesn't match who you are." Oaken said. "This isn't like you! Not too long ago, you were determined to find the Masked Kid and Elizabeth. You can't give up now!" Grey felt like she was slapped in the face from what Oaken said. "Y-you're right..." He sobbed. "I'm sorry... I'm just... so tired..." He was indeed tired, not just tired of waiting, but also physically exhausted. He just rested his head on his knees. Oaken rubbed Grey's back to comfort her. The brown-haired boy looked around one more time to make sure that they weren't being followed. Knights would probably have search dogs hunting them down. Oaken looked for a path that would guarantee a secure hiding place. However, this led him to fall into an unexpected hole with a yelp. "Oak?" Grey looked around and fell in the same hole his friend fell in. He fell with a reactive squeal, but at a certain point, he felt gravity shift as a trapdoor opened up. "Where are we...?" Oaken asked. Grey blinked a few times as memories flooded back. "We're in the old minions shortcut!" The dark-haired child motioned for Oaken to follow. An aminoguana looking at a clipboard marched through the halls. The three bumped into each other. "Be careful, young ones!" He grumbled. "Oh, sorry, Francis!" Grey apologized as he helps the old lizard up. "It's fine, just be careful, masked... princess..." Francis was about to say 'kid' but he quickly changed the word and tone, upon seeing the young princess' face. "Sorry, it's late, and you kids should get some rest. There's some space in the apartments if you wanna sleep. Children like you two need as much rest as you can get. Again, sorry for bumping in to you." "It's alright, I wasn't paying attention." Grey laughed. Now that Frankie mentioned it, he and Oaken were getting tired. He looked at the elevator and lead the brown haired boy there and pressed the first button. The two waited in silence as the elevator slowly descended. Once the doors opened the two walked out and headed to the left. Grey opens the door marked 1-A, and Oaken heads to the door marked 1-B. "Good night, Grey." Oaken smiled. "Night." Grey responded. He shut the door behind him. "Hope you don't mind me using your room, green boots. I have to be at my best to find you and Elizabeth." He looked around the room, there wasn't much in the way of decorations. There were a few posters, and some hoodies hanging from a steel rack, and shoes just piled underneath. The sheets on the bed were tossed to the side, as the last time the owner of this room was here, they were on their way to battle Grey from a letter falsely signed by Stitches. Looking back, he did feel bad for tricking them and nearly killing them. Grey finally laid down on the bed, feeling pained but hopeful. With a tear roll down his face, he shut his eyes, and finally fell asleep.CH 4: Sneaking OutBack at the Chestnut Kingdom, Princess Cereza looked out her bedroom window with a crestfallen look. All she could think about was her friends she knew for a short time. She gazes into the sunset as if Mouse and Ellie would suddenly appear over the horizon. It's been months since their disappearance. The princess felt hopelessness clutch her heart. But she refused to let it completely take hold of her. Some people would tell her that it was just a few days and to just forget about them, but what would they know? They weren't the ones who masqueraded as a masked kid to find the hero's weapon and wanted to battle Lord Stitches. Cereza thought about writing again to Mouse and Ellie, but she's started running out of interesting things to talk about, to her at least. And the unsent letters were starting to pile up. She can't keep doing this... She can't keep sitting here and do nothing! Cereza then looks at her Grey Kid outfit. Feeling the smooth glass-like surface of the mask, made her get a sense of nostalgia. Oh, how she longed to go venturing as the mysterious Grey Kid again. A knock on the door made the princess hid the costume in her closet. "C-come in!" Cereza tried to hide the panic in her voice. The door opens and She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Oaken walk enter the room. "Oaken... Thank the gods its just you!" "Yeah, I asked the guards if I could visit, and they told me you were in here." The brown-haired boy said. "What were you doing?" "Oh, you know... Staring our into the sunset for what feels like years... You know, princess stuff!" Cereza grimaced. "You're still thinking about them, aren't you?" Oaken frowned. "It was that obvious?" Cereza asked. Oaken just nodded. "I just... I just feel so helpless. I want to help, but I don't know what to do..." Tears were threatening to fall, but she refused to acknowledge them. "I haven't felt this helpless since Stitches kidnapped me. Back when he was a puppet to that dice head..." She breathed out. A tear finally fell from her face. Despair started to sink in, but not for long. Her sad face shifted into one with determination. Like a fire started in her heart. Her mind was set! She knew what she wanted to do. "I want to be the Grey Kid again." Cereza said with a firm tone. Oaken just stared at the princess. "I want to be the Grey Kid again." She repeated. "I know this is selfish, but I'm desperate to see them again. I never even knew Green Boot's name." "So, when do you plan to sneak out?" Oaken asked. "Tonight, you don't have to go if you don't want to." Cereza said. "But just know, you're not stopping me!" "But what if I want to go with you?" Oaken asked. As Cereza writes something, she pauses and turns to her friend. "Are-are you sure?" The dark haired boy nods. "Okay, while I'm getting ready, guard my door. Knock three times to warn me when someone approaches." Understanding his task, Oaken leaves the princess' room, allowing her to get changed. Her gown neatly hung in her closet, and the grey hoodie took it's place. She always felt comfortable in it anyway, she's long since washed it. The red gloves and red boots fit nice and snug. Placing her crown on her desk, She hides her face with the horned mask. Finally her rapier, she always felt secure holding this weapon. Cereza checked the tip to make sure it was sharp. Princess Cereza was now the mysterious Grey Kid again. After no warning knock, the disguised princess opened the door, and tapped Oaken on the shoulder. "All set!" She whispered. Oaken followed Cereza inside. "Remember, not to call me by Princess Cereza when I'm like this. I'm just Grey." "Got it!" Oaken nodded. Grey tied his bed sheets together and threw it down his window for Oaken, since he doesn't have a hoodiechute like Grey. He looked at his unsent letters and decided to take the small pile with him, tucking them into his pouch. The Grey Kid sat on their window sill as Oaken got ready for his decent. Just as Grey was about to take off, she heard her doorknob shaking, leaping off the window as quick as she could, as the door opened. One of the knights looked around her room, looking for Cereza. Pulling the sheets off her bed, only to see a bunch of pillows that looked like a person was sleeping. He looked under her bed and desk, in her closet. "Princess? Princess!" The knight looked out the window as Grey hovered to the ground. "You! Grey child! Stop at once!" You've got to be kidding me! Grey thought to himself. Thankfully, Oaken hid himself under the bushes until the knight looked away. Grey looked back, just in time to see the castle light up, and Oaken catching up to her. "I bet you they think I kidnapped myself!" Grey laughed. Oaken smiled at that, and followed the grey kid into the woods behind the castle. The guards, although to far away to catch up, chased after them and split up.