[The tape keeps on recording, and minutes pass with no sound except Tulip's harsh, deep breathing occasionally interrupted by a wince or a cry of pain as she tries to move her leg. There are further echoes. Sounds of water dripping against rock in the distance, but they're heavily muffled by Tulip's pocket.

Time passes. Tulip sobs, then harshly insults herself under her breath and says nothing for a while, simply breathing and shaking. At some point, she drags herself to lay against a wall and takes a sip from a bottle of water hidden in her backpack.

Only after almost an hour of silence does Tulip speak again, her voice sounding utterly spent, without energy.]

"…Do I have anything to make a splint with?"

[After shuffling through the inside of her backpack, she sighs in relief and pulls out something that sounds long and woolen. She places it on the ground next to her and stays silent for a while.]

"I guess a rolled-up towel will have to do. Thank Mew I brought some gauze too."

[For the next few minutes, all that can be heard are Tulip's pained grunts and the sharp swish of gauze against cloth and skin as she makes a splint around her leg. Judging by the screams and profanities, she has difficulty tying the knot. She tries a few times and ends up letting go once she feels the pressure and pain. In the end, taking a deep breath, she bites onto the fabric of her collar and ties it in one quick motion.

Even muffled, her scream peaks the audio of the tape.

Through a storm of curses and sobs, Tulip slowly calms herself back to normal, but by then another twenty minutes have passed. Finally, she hoists the backpack over her shoulder and turns to face the rocky wall.]

"Hghk… s-secured, looks like. C-come on now…"

[Tulip grabs onto the rock and slowly drags herself to her feet, stopping every few seconds to breathe and wince through the pain. After about three minutes, she manages it. A loud, deep sigh is heard as she presses tightly against the wall, standing on one foot.]

"H-ha… Never, n-never even tried making a splint before. Pretty sure this is the first time I've broken a bone, too. Or… had someone else break one, I guess."

[A few seconds of breathing pass.]

"… I don't remember, but I know I heard someone talk about knowing how to make splints. And now I'm starting to ramble like Lynn does, too. And those things I said before…"

[She swallows hard enough for the tape to pick it up, then curses under her breath again and shakes her head.]

"I-I can't… not right now. I have to… agh, get moving before…"

[There's a sound of skin against rock, followed by a grunt and a stomp. Tulip breathes heavily for a short time before continuing.]

"Right… should be able to walk along the wall if I hold on with one arm. It'll take a while but…"

[The heavy, discordant steps echo a few more times as Tulip slowly makes her way forward. After a minute or so, she stops to breathe and grabs the tape from her pocket with her free hand.]

"Hha… Hey. Sorry, forgot this was still on… heat of the moment and all. So I guess you had to hear all that… or a future transcription of it, should I keep myself alive for the next… five minutes, or so."

[She laughs bitterly.]

"If you're Malva listening to this while drinking your coffee or whatever after you killed me, then… well, fuck you I guess. Get a hangnail and die, all that."

[Tulip lowers the tape for a moment, seemingly looking ahead.]

"Laugh through the pain… that's what Lynne would say. Poor bastard."

[Her voice sounds saddened, bitter, as she says that.]

"I… don't get it. Why did she take him alive? What do they need him for? About all that fucking git's good for is cooking, nothing more."

[She huffs. Then breathes angrily, in and out, quickly.]

"…I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Lynne."

[A laugh leaves her lips.]

"Though if that note's true, maybe you're not the first I…"

[After a few moments of silence, Tulip continues forward, sometimes dragging her feet, others making small jumps. It's loud and slow.]

"Won't have time to worry about that unless I leave here alive, I guess. Judging by what Malva said, that… thing, that Gardevoir's probably still roaming these tunnels. She got me the last time… I think. If that video's accurate. Won't have much of a chance if I run into her, dragging myself across the wall, one leg broken, both hands occupied.

But I guess we'll fall down that bridge when we get to it."

[Tulip shakes the tape recorder for a second. When that doesn't work, she turns it slightly around and presses a button on the back.]

"There we go. Gonna have to thank Lynne for recommending me the one with a light. Even if it cost almost double.

Of course, the real light in this tunnel are the memories and wishes of all my wonderful readers."

[She can barely make it through the sentence before falling into a burst of self-hating laughter. When she speaks again, though, she sounds better.]

"Sorry. I'm not kidding, though. If, and that's a Snorlax-size fucking 'if' there, I survive this and end up posting this transcription, then I'll write a love letter for all of you. I'm serious. The sappiest shit I can possibly write down on paper."

[She sighs, whether dreamily or in irritation it's hard to tell.]

"…So keep me in your thoughts and prayers, will you?"

[There's silence for a few more minutes of agonizingly slow walking, until Tulip finally stops, breath quick and erratic. The sound in the tunnel changes. It's coming from different directions now.]

"Fork in the road… fancy that."

[She stays silent, in thought.]

"Right… Agh. Let's see… if this were the branch of the tunnel I used before, I'd be shit for luck. That'd be at least an entire day of walking like this. But this entrance was in the Miller's house, not in the mountains off the side of Wysteria. So that means…"

[She counts under her breath.]

"It's at least… six or seven kilometers I'm saving myself here, assuming I'm doing the math right. The Miller's house was northwest of town, and the dock where the lighthouse was located was… southeast, I think? Definitely the other extreme of town. And since the entrance to the tunnel was on the right wall when we went down that cellar and has gone straight since…

"…Okay. Right it is."

[There's a slower, more expansive echo to her steps as she continues, indicating that the passage has widened considerably. Her advance is slow.]

"Hgk… I don't know if it's even a good idea to keep going. Even if I make it to… where I got last time, and even if by some miracle I'm not killed or taken by that Gardevoir, there's still no exit. The lighthouse collapsed. Might be another path further down but… I'd doubt it.

"Might at least find… something. Answers, a stick I can use as a cane, a gun I can shoot myself with. Anything is better than laying down and taking it, I suppose."

[She stops for a moment, not only to breathe but to retrieve something from her backpack as well. There's a swish of fabric against fabric as the tape recorder is moved around, then finally placed somewhere other than her hand.]

"There. Breast pocket should be thin enough that it still picks up my voice. And it frees my hand for this."

[There's a click, followed by a sharp sound of metal against plastic as the switchblade is unfolded.]

"Doubt it will be much use against a psychic Pokemon, but it's one option more than zero. Between this and the one Pokeball I could afford from my pal back in Vermillion… might have a chance. I'd say I've gotten handy with one of these but… in all honesty, I can't remember where that experience's come from.

"…Same with a lot of things."

[Her next breath comes out as a sigh.]

"I'm sorry. For whatever any of you still think of my honesty, I swear I haven't been keeping things from you. Not consciously. I just… I still don't… understand…"

[A grunt of pain leaves Tulip's lips, but it's different from the ones before. It's longer, more persistent. Less sudden.]

"Ugh… almost pressed my hand against my head it hurt so badly. Would've been a great way to get ahead of the curve and give myself a lobotomy with this knife before Gardevoir has any chance to.

"It's… the same as back in the house. I swear I'm not lying; my house, my family, what I was getting ready to tell you all… it's all real. It happened, I fucking swear. But the more I try to look back and think about it the less… agh! The more I… forget. It's everything. Everything from before I started doing this, my life and… the people I knew. It's all so blurry…

"I can't remember my parent's names, or what my house looked like. What I told Lynne… what he said was his house, I… I'm starting to forget it too. Forget everything he told me about it. Can't remember what my job was before this. I know I had some… secretarial duties? Or, no, fuck… minute keeping? Yeah, yeah that's it. That's… it has to be that. It was… a court? Or an office? I know it was something like…"

[Tulip stops, groaning more strongly, her breathing hitching up.]

"A-ah… god… I c-can't… come on you stupid fucking brain, I know what it is. That's where I met my first girlfriend. That's where I worked for years before I…"

[Several seconds pass in silence, to the soundless sound of Tulip trying her hardest to concentrate. When she finally breathes out, the result is no wonder. The sigh is filled with disappointment.]

"…There's nothing. I almost feel like it's there when I reach out to it but the more I try… agh, I'm repeating myself."

[She doesn't speak or move for a short time.]

"There's… other things. That don't disappear. There's memories I can still recall perfectly, no matter how many times I do it. They're clear like they just happened. So clear that it's almost… blinding, but that doesn't make sense. I…"

"It's the interviews. The tapes, the written statements, everything I ever did and heard while working on the Wysteria files. Kate, Monika, Horace, Podvik… Marie and Lynne… everything about them is still there. It's the only thing that's firmly there. I can only remember them, but when I try to remember myself…

"I know… I like books, and dry alcohol and women with bangs and documentaries. Curry is my favorite food. Purple is my favorite color. I still remember those things, I'm still myself but… they're not like the memories related to this project. They're stronger but… not strong enough. I can feel them getting blurrier every time I remember them. It's…

"It's… well, you can probably guess what it feels like, at least a little bit. Exercise those imagination muscles, I guess. Fucking hell."

[She scoffs, then lets out a sound almost like laughter, only drier, more desperate]

"God…

"…No, no I'm not fucking stopping. Even if Gardevoir or Malva or whatever is coming for me I'm making sure I take out as much of this anger as possible on them before they get me. I am not going down without a fight, not after all this, for fuck's sake.

"So come on, you stupid leg. Get me out of here faster. Enjoy the time you have left before you're broken too, I guess."

[It's a few long minutes of slow dragging and hopping while pressed against the rocky wall before Tulip says anything again. Even then, it's mostly unintelligible. She whispers and mutters to herself after a while of being deep in thought. A few times, she scoffs or clicks her tongue or curses, mostly at herself. Few words are picked up by the recording like 'stigma' or 'blossoming' or 'coalescence', which indicates she's running through information in her head over and over. Looking for an answer. Something she hadn't seen before, perhaps. Not much progress is done, evidently.

Lost in thought, for a while she seems too distracted to notice the exhaustion and keeps going for twenty minutes before having to stop for a quick breath and a drink of water. This repeats twice, though the distance traveled is slightly shorter each time.

Tulip takes another sip, quick and not very substantial, mostly just to combat the dryness in her throat. Then she sighs.]

"I… have to say. This is actually easier than I thought it'd be. Turns out you can walk pretty damn far with one foot if you have a wall to press up against. I'd thank Malva for dropping me in a place that's nothing but walls, but… yeah, no. There's a lot of things I want to give that fucking redhead, but credit isn't one of them."

[She resumes her hopping, slowly, wincing and grunting through it.]

"I still can't believe my hunch was right. I haven't been around the internet for long but even I've seen a bunch of conspiracy nutters claiming some Champion or Elite Four member was an alien or a lizard person or part of a secret society. Never paid much attention to it. To me, rich and powerful people didn't get to where they are because they're secret geniuses, they're just opportunist assholes who had a bit of luck along the way. But I guess Malva is the exception to the rule.

"…And considering there's five other Stigma I know nothing about, I can only wonder what other big shot has their finger in that particular pie. I'd have thought Cynthia for sure if Shadi hadn't disproven it for me. She always seemed so shifty and…"

[Tulip stops herself, going from fast talking to a really sudden and angry sigh.]

"God… Shadi. Almost managed to forget about her for a while. The one woman in almost ten years that seemed interested in me and it was the smuggest, slimiest Adrian Veidt-like piece of shit I've ever met.

"Ugh. Sorry if I'm kinda rambling here, folks. I've got nothing but time and a working tape recorder and a bunch of really awful shit I'd rather talk over and not think about right now. So you'll forgive me, I hope."

[She laughs bitterly.]

"…I still wonder what that thing was. That… piece of ember, the Griseous Orb I think she called it? Can't believe she took it with her. I know I had no idea how to use it but still… having a draw four in a game of poker would be weird, but still better than no cards at all."

[There's a few more seconds of sighing and angry mumbling until Tulip stops again, this time more suddenly, not to rest. She stays silent for a moment, then grunts as she tries to grab the recorder as well as the knife and point the light farther.]

"Passage's getting narrower, and it smells… different. Wetter? There's less dust in the air. It feels… familiar."

[She swallows nervously.]

"Maybe that's what the me in that video smelled before reaching the…"

[She trails off, then mutters something. She takes a quick hop forward, and it sounds as though she raises the light higher.]

"…There it is. That's that metal door from the video, the busted up one. But it's not…"

[She hops a few steps closer, until the acoustics of the tunnel are clearly different, making each echo stronger, closer.]

"This one's not broken. Hm."

[Tulip remains lost in thought for a short time.]

"What was under the lighthouse… the center of these tunnels, whatever it is, must have an entrance for each of the branches. Like a big underground bunker, or blast chamber. In the video it opened up to that… communal bathroom looking place. There was that note that warned about Gardevoir, and then a long hallway full of doors that were all locked. That must've been… west of here. So this door should lead to a different room.

"…Assuming it's not locked. That'd be a bit of a pisser."

[After a moment of realization, she groans at herself.]

"Pisser? Mew, I've really spent too much time around Lynne. Here, let's just…"

[Despite the short distance, Tulip takes about a minute to get to the door, and by the time she does she needs a moment to sheathe the knife and save it in her breast pocket, alongside the recorder. Then she gives another hop and presses her now free left hand against the metallic door. It echoes hollowly.

There's a tug, gentle at first. Then strong, then desperate and frantic. The door does not open.]

"… No."

[She lets out a grunt from deep in her belly and pushes and pulls as fast as she possibly can, grinding the metal inside the lock into a whirr. It doesn't work.]

"That wasn't mean to be a challenge! Come! On! Fuck!"

[Her last pull is so strong her fingers slip and she sends herself tumbling back a step and a half, accidentally stepping on her broken knee if the sudden, sharp scream of agony is any indication.]

"FGH-AAGH! SHIT!"

[She practically collapses against the door, shaking and breathing heavily. The knife and the recorder rattle inside her breast pocket, peaking the audio.]

"Ffff… n-no… this can't… the door can't be fucking locked, come on! What am I supposed to do!? I can't…!"

[Tulip's angry rant is interrupted by a sudden, powerful slam against the other side of the metallic door. It's expansive, as though every inch of it was hit by an invisible force. Tulip yelps and jumps back, throwing herself back and against the wall as the slam echoes and the audio goes blurry with static for a moment.]

"W-wh…!"

[A second, stronger impact is heard, followed by a third. It doesn't sound like a physical object hitting the door, but more like a force, like an unnaturally powerful gust of wind. Two more impacts follow, each one echoing deeply like the gong of a bell. Through that sound, another can be made out, subtler at first, yet gaining volume with every boom.

The metal, bending.]

"O-oh…"

[Something breaks with the next impact, the cry of shattering metal echoing down the tunnels. The door sounds looser.]

"N-no, nonono I-n…. f-fuck wh–"

[The next hit is finally the one to break the lock. The door creaks as it dislodges, but its hinges still hold strong, stuck against the rocky walls by the bending of the metal itself. Broken, but still closed, if only for a moment.]

"P-pokeball, where's the… c-come on, where's the… agh, here! F–!"

[With a deep, echoing echo, the door is blown off its hinges as though it were made of cardboard. Tulip screams in terror. She throws herself against the wall as the slab of metal bounces once, then twice, then slams against the ground with enough force for the vibration to be perfectly heard through the tape.

A sudden static creeps into the recording, muffling the quieter noises, leaving only Tulip's terrified mumbles and the crackle of psychic energy to be heard.

Keeping herself above ground through its own psychic power, the creature makes no noise other than the growing static as she floats over the opening and closer to Tulip.]

"W-what? What are y… s-saying?"

[Whatever Tulip hears from the creature, it is not picked up in any way by the recording.]

"N-no, nono I'm not… I've… been here, I c –"

[The static grows stronger, sharper.]

"Stay away! Stay away or I'll–!"

[It's a sudden burst, like an explosion of white noise as the creature lunges for Tulip.]

"NO!"

[A thump is heard, and the creature finally makes a noise; a low, barely hearable grunt of pain.

Then, the familiar sound of a Pokeball opening is heard, and as the beam swallows her, the static completely disappears from the recording.]

"S-shit! I…!"

[Tulip wastes no time in running. She hops over to the blasted open entrance and jumps to the other side, stopping for only an instant to breathe before continuing. The first beep of the Pokeball echoes behind her.]

"H-aah, hhah, c-come on come on!"

[It's a frenetic pace, jumping and jumping again almost before she's done landing. Both of her hands press against the wall. It's easier, quicker to advance this way, even if it leaves her defenseless.

The Pokeball beeps for the second time in the distance.

Tulip quickens her pace even further, so much that she almost trips at first. Her hops echo much farther and more rhythmically than before, and the shape and depth of their sound indicates that she's now stepping on floor tiles instead of rock. Rushing wind can be barely made out in the distance.]

"Ah-hhah, I-I–!"

[The third beep never comes, replaced instead by a sharp electronic whirr as the creature frees herself from the Pokeball. The static rushes back, but it's subtler this time, farther away. Tulip has created a good distance between them, and she extends it further with each second that passes, each second that Gardevoir remains floating there, confused, looking for her prey.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

It doesn't last long. That frayed, painfully echoing cry fills the room even from afar, and the rushing of fabric against floor is heard. The static slowly increases as Gardevoir approaches.]

"N-nonono stay away! S-stay away!"

[All semblance of control is gone from Tulip's voice. She makes her escape as fast as her one leg allows her, but it's not quick enough. The static grows, and the song-like cry of her pursuer echoes deeper into the hallway.]

"G-gh… c-come on, don't…"

[A gasp leaves Tulip's mouth.]

"Door! D-doo–!"

[There's a sound like a powerful gust of wind, and Tulip's words are knocked out of her mouth as an invisible force slams against her from behind. She grunts and lurches forward involuntarily, crashing against something hollow and metallic. Another door.

Tulip begins to slide, but she comes back to herself and grabs onto the door for dear life, pushing herself up in the few moments it takes Gardevoir to reach her. The static grows so sharp it almost swallows every other sound. Tulip is heard taking a quick, sudden breath, and then she yells from the depth of her chest.]

"HAAAAAAH!"

[She slams her shoulder against the door and, miraculously, it opens. Tulip doesn't so much cross it as she tumbles to the other side, but she doesn't fall. Landing on uneven foot, she instantly turns around and slams the door closed, pressing against it with all of her weight. The static gets slightly weaker.]

"Hgh.. haah… w-what t–!"

[A boom shakes through the room, but this one is weaker, not all-encompassing. It sounds more like Gardevoir simply crashed against the door with her own body.

Tulip doesn't waste the little time that gives her.]

"Knife, knife c-come on where did I… h-here, here!"

[She unsheathes the knife with one hand and stays pressed against the door, breathing so quickly it's hard to say if she's inhaling any air at all.]

"C-can't see… can't see behind me, it's another room but it's a-all dark, I don't know if I can keep…!"

[She stops herself as she hears the sound of Gardevoir rising again, the static growing in power. Tulip lets out a sound almost like a sob and breathes in deep.]

"I h-have to get her with the knife. W-when she opens the door, I only have one ch–"

[Gardevoir doesn't give her time to prepare or finish her sentence, and she doesn't as much open the door as she instantly blasts it with another burst of psychic energy, so sudden and powerful that the smaller door is instantly blown off its hinges, taking Tulip flying alongside it.

The impact of steel against floor reverberates for a moment, drowning both the static and Tulip's scream of pain as the door bounces off her body and onto the side. She tries to incorporate, but her hand slips and she falls again, crushing and muffling the recorder with her own body.]

"GHK!"

[Unable to push herself up, Tulip desperately claws at the floor and tries to drag herself forward, but every inch gained seems to pull at her wound, earning sobs and cries of pain occasionally interrupted by curses. The static grows to almost swallow every other sound as Gardevoir hovers closer. By the time she's upon her, Tulip's voice and the sound as she flicks her switchblade is almost unintelligible.]

"G-get a,a,way, get away! P-please n–

HGHK! GHAAAH!"

[There's a sweep-like sound as Tulip's body is lifted off the ground with violent ease. The knife and the recorder both fall to the ground, bouncing a few feet away.

Tulip is heard from farther away, but clearer as the static weakens ever so slightly due to the distance. She thrashes against the invisible force, but only for a second. There's a gasp, followed by a thinness in her voice as she is suddenly unable to speak or breathe. She claws at her throat, frenzied, but nothing changes.

Gardevoir hums. It's like the sound a bell makes, only stretched out, interminable. It drowns over both the audio and Tulip herself as her gasps and struggles weaken, slowly, second by second. In no time at all, her hands are heard falling against her sides. The only sound that remains is a single, long gasp for air that won't come, a thin thread of sound instants from being severed.´

The hum intensifies. Tulip's voice goes out, but another, more distant sound replaces it. Steps. Slow, deliberate, stealthy.

Gardevoir is too preoccupied to notice the sudden presence until it's too late.]

HHAH!

[The steps get quicker as someone approaches, then grunts and slams something thin and metallic against what sounds like Gardevoir's head. The impact is strong enough to shatter the weapon in two.

Gardevoir's hum explodes into a sharp cry as she falls into a heap on the ground, followed soon enough by Tulip. Two more steps are heard, strong and deliberate. Gardevoir is heard turning on the ground and lets out a confused and pained hum, but it's interrupted as heavy boots fall upon her stick-like arms, breaking them like glass.]

"W-WHA–!"

[Tulip's voice is interrupted by the ghastly shriek that comes out of Gardevoir's mouth, so sharp and powerful it peaks the audio to its limits. The new arrival says something, but her voice is lost amidst the scream.

Regardless, she raises the long, thin piece of metal and holds it in place for a moment before driving it down. The squelch it makes as it drives into what little remains of Gardevoir's flesh is wet and crackly, like stepping on soaking branches. The person does it once, then twice, then a third time for good measure, until the struggling stops and the cries die down.]

…There, that should do it.

[The person takes a step back from the corpse, pressing the piece of metal against the ground like a baseball player resting its bat. She takes a few quick breaths.]

I never imagined you'd have the nerve to show yourself here again.

[The woman says that without moving, without turning to look at Tulip, who's too busy shaking and hyperventilating to reply right away. Only unintelligible mutters come out.]

"Y-y…wh-wha…re you…"

[The piece of metal scrapes against the floor as the woman lifts it up and takes two steps toward Tulip, letting out a sigh.]

Do you recognize me?

"M… Marie?"

[A breath leaves Marie, though it's hard to tell if it's a gasp or a sigh.]

So you do. You haven't forgotten that much, yet.

"Wh… why are you h–?"

[Marie swings the piece of metal down toward Tulip, making it whistle as it cuts through the air.]

"GH-AAH!"

[It doesn't connect, but only because Marie stops it before actually hitting Tulip. There is a short, poignant silence before the woman speaks.]

On your back. Don't try to get up.

[Tulip obeys immediately, turning to lay on her back, her breathing quick and fearful.]

Good. Now, don't speak and listen carefully… Tulip.

[There's a rise of anger and disgust in her face as she pronounces that name, as though she wished she could use any other to refer to Tulip]

There's a part of me that's telling me to kill you now, and not give you a chance to try anything. There's another part that's telling me I could use you. Both as bait and to answer my questions, and… the latter only slightly outweighs the former. So I'm going to lay down a rule, and if you break it, the balance will shift. Nod if you understand.

[Tulip nods, uncertain hums echoing in her throat.]

Perfect. Then, here's the rule.

You'll ask no questions of any kind. No direct questions, no leading questions, no statements that could be inquisitive in nature. Nothing that would activate your powers, nothing that would trick me into giving you information or memories I don't want you to have.

"M-my pow…?"

[There's a sharp inhale, and Tulip immediately realizes her mistake.]

"Y-yes, I understand! I won't ask anything!"

[Marie says nothing for a few seconds, still holding the piece of metal down against Tulip. Finally, however, she sighs and lowers it. Exhaustion is clear in her voice.]

I… understand it won't be an easy habit to break, even if you actively try to. So as long as you catch yourself before fully asking a question…

"R-right…"

[An awkward silence grows between them for a few seconds. Tulip is most likely trying to think of what to say without being inquisitive.]

…It's alright I'm good at reading people, and even if I weren't, it'd be easy to guess what you want to ask me. As long as you don't voice the questions out loud, I can give you the answers, if I think you've earned them. Understand?

"Yes. Y-yes, I get it."

Mhm. Now…

[Marie takes a step closer, leaning down slightly.]

Can you get up?

[Tulip mumbles a few half-broken words before she can get the correct ones out.]

"I… I think my splint got loose. I didn't l-land on that foot, but the fall…"

Stay still. I'll secure it.

[Marie lowers to her knees in front of Tulip, but she doesn't let go of the long piece of metal for a good few seconds.]

…This is not the only weapon I have, in case you're thinking of trying anything.

"I-I won't! Why woul…?"

[Tulip stops herself again, barely in time. Marie lets out an annoyed breath.]

In that case, bite on your sleeve or any piece of fabric. This will hurt.

[It must, judging by the muffled, extended cry of pain that leaves Tulip's mouth once Marie secures the splint in place again. Scratching is heard as Tulip drags the fingers of her free hand through the rocky ground underneath her, body shaking violently for a few seconds.

Once finished, Marie stands up and walks to Tulip's side, kneeling again to offer her support.]

Here.

"A-ah… t-thank you."

[Tulip is raised to her feet with a grunt, and she immediately throws herself against the nearest wall, using it as a crutch. She presses against it for a while, breathing, in and out. ]

So that's how you made it so far, even with a broken leg. Clever.

"Y…yeah…"

Hm. Here, don't forget this.

[The audio rattles as Marie kneels down to pick the recorder. She spins it around for a moment, then hands it over to Tulip.]

"Thanks."

Don't mention it.

[Another, even longer awkward silence grows between the two women. Seconds pass, almost turning into a minute before Tulip finally breaks the ice.]

"I'm… glad to see you. Alive. Even if… you threatened to kill me."

[Marie makes a sound that could almost be construed as a chuckle.]

Seeing you again didn't make me feel as eager to kill you as I thought it would, for whatever that's worth.

"A sentimental reunion all around, it seems."

Hm. So quick to jump back on the sass. That is not a habit of yours I miss, if you must know.

"Yeah, well… I have to cope somehow. Kind of… a lot going on right now, ha."

No doubt.

[Marie grunts tiredly as she leans down to pick up the metal stick again, and hoists it over her shoulder.]

Can you move along the wall? It'd be best to keep moving as we talk.

"I think so, yes. It hurts, but…"

[Tulip makes a mumbling sound that seems to say 'What can you do?']

Good. Come on, then.

[Tulip's short hops resume again, this time accompanied by Marie's steps as they make their way through the narrow hallway. They advance slowly, carefully. Might be to keep an eye out, may be so that they don't run out of breath as they talk.]

…I'm surprised you made it here again, after what happened. Do you remember what this place is?

"I-yes. Not this hallway s-specifically but… ah, this is kind of a big bunker, right? It's the center that all the tunnels connect to. I found one of the other entrances last time. In that footage I… must've shown you."

[Marie says nothing, and a very poignant, heavy silence fills the hallway. Tulip opens her mouth, most likely to ask what was wrong, but stops herself, remembering the woman's rule.]

Yes, that's right. This… bunker, as you called it, is situated under the east shore of Wysteria, half underground, half sub-fluvial, and it has a diameter of about three-quarters of a kilometer.

[Tulip doesn't ask, but her silence is heavy with the question, which Marie notices.]

I had more than enough time to mentally map out the place during the time I've been here.

"Then…"

You're wondering if I've been here ever since you woke up in that hotel room, bereft of a good number of your memories? No, not for quite that long. I've arrived here only recently, when my options ran out.

[Tulip stops in place, and shortly after Marie does too, her foot shuffling slightly as she turns to look at her.]

"…I–"

You remember nothing from the last two years, is that right?

[Tulip swallows audibly.]

"You read the fragments."

Yes. Not all of them. As you can guess, internet is hard to come by down here, but still.

"Which…?"

[Again, Tulip stops herself, but it's clear she's finding it harder and harder each time. The hand holding the recorder shakes with anxiousness.]

Is it true, then? When you woke up, was Alakazam really…?

"I… I'm sorry. I don't remember what happened, I…"

…I see.

[It's only there for a moment. A hint of pain, a wobble in Marie's voice. She snuffs it out quickly by clearing her throat, and then turns around and takes a step forward, urging Tulip to follow. She does, after a moment, and they both continue as the woman speaks.]

It seems that over these past few weeks, you've gathered most of the information it took… us, almost two years to obtain. Regarding the Institute, their Stigmas, and the reason behind their experiments on Wysteria's people.

"Y-yes. I'm guessing none of those entries was any surprise to you, then."

One of them was. Your interview with that girl… Shadi Dawn.

"I… right. I figured…"

Said interview took place in the week between our first separation and our last meeting, so I never had the chance to read it until recently. Its contents were… bafflingly illuminating, to be honest. After reading it, everything seemed to finally click into place.

"I don't think I… follow."

[Marie stays silent for a few moments, only the sound of their uneven footsteps echoing down the hallway.]

We investigated together for two years, searching every nook and cranny for information regarding the Institute, all the while keeping ourselves hidden from their eyes. But after some time, the well simply ran dry. There were no more survivors, no more ex-citizens. There were no more crumbs for us to pick up, and as such the only source of information still available to us…

"Was the town itself."

The tunnels, more specifically. The idea surfaced more than a few times, and each one I argued against it, claiming that our safety was paramount, and that another visit to those tunnels should be a last resort. Eventually, though, said resort was all we had left.

"We came here, then."

It was foolhardy, but we were desperate. I came along despite the protests, and brought Alakazam with me in case that Gardevoir from that footage was still down here. And… she was, but she was not alone. One of the Stigma accompanied her.

"Wh–was…? I mean…"

It was not the Fourth, nor the Third, nor any I'd met before. She was young, had a grim look to her and… despite our fears, seemed much more open to talk than anyone from the Institute should have. Of course, you… wouldn't have it. I tried to argue for a temporary truce, but by the time I'd opened my mouth you were already charging at her, knife in hand.

"That…"

[Tulip lets out a sound halfway between a sigh and a chuckle.]

"…sounds like me, yeah."

It was an understandably short peace talk, and despite her previous willingness to talk, the girl did not hold back when it came to defending herself. Alakazam and I… well, I don't need to tell you how powerful a member of his species can be. But even then, we stood no chance.

We escaped with our lives… barely. You didn't make it in time to teleport alongside us, but you clearly managed to escape nonetheless… somehow.

"And after that… Shadi approached me for that interview."

I assume so. Which is what gave you the idea to go back to the town itself, to revisit your past at her behest. I didn't know this, of course, but I figured you'd head there anyhow. It was, after all, our agreed-upon meeting place should we be forcefully separated. Your idea.

"I… feel like I would've much sooner nominated your hideout as a meeting place."

You did, and I refuted the idea. I trusted you, but not as far as letting you know where said hideout was, which is why Alakazam had to teleport you out and then back in whenever you left. I am a very cautious woman, as you know.

"…Right. So I'm guessing we had a specific meeting point in the town itself."

Yes. An address you yourself gave me, claiming it to be your old home. Imagine my surprise when I headed there and found the Miller's residence instead.

[A heavy silence follows those words. Tulip doesn't say anything for a while.]

The same happened today, didn't it?

"That's… my home is out there, I know. I just… got my memories confused or something."

…You're half right.

[Tulip opens her mouth, and then again stops herself just before letting the question out. This time, though, Marie doesn't entertain it.]

I got there a bit before you and, confused as I was, wasted no time in investigating the house itself. And what I found there was… in all honesty, more than I could have ever hoped to dream.

[Tulip stays quiet, but her curiosity can almost be heard through the recorder. Marie obliges, after a moment of silence.]

I found the entrance to these tunnels, thanks to Alakazam's psychic abilities, but that was not all. Upstairs, in what I could only assume was the Miller's bedroom, I found two peculiar objects. The first was a tape. The kind that would be played by that recorder in your hand.

"Wait…"

And the second was… well, it was hard to describe. An object mired in nothingness. Every one of its angles and surfaces almost impossible to discern by the naked eye. A true anomaly, if I do say so myself.

[Tulip stops walking and, expecting so, Marie does the same. They turn to look at each other.]

"That's… the Griseous Orb."

So you remember.

"N-no, I… A-agh!"

[Tulip takes a sudden tumble back, pressing her back against the wall and grabbing at her head with a hand, groaning in pain.]

"Pl-ease… j-just stop dancing around it and tell me what happened."

…Dear Mew…

[She speaks those words in exasperation, letting out a sigh.]

You should know by now. I knew little of the second object, but I was able to listen to the tape before you arrived. Its contents were… baffling. But illuminating. It was a tape recorded here, in the center of this very underground bunker. Starring none other than Tulip. It took place shortly after that footage you showed me, I'm sure.

"Wh… then…"

[The hand holding the recorder moves to press against Tulip's pocket, where the tape she was given by Lynne rests.]

After listening to it, I of course had a few choice questions I wanted to ask you… preferably with Alakazam at my side. Luckily for me, it didn't take you long to arrive after that. But I couldn't quite question you, as there was… another problem. You were confused, furious, yelling at everything around you. Unraveling at the seams, if I were to guess. Seeing that house where your home would have been must've been quite the shock to you.

"I… the same thing happened… today. When Lynne…"

It was… chaos. Fear and paranoia gripped us and… even I acted foolishly, I admit. I aired my own grievances born from listening to that tape, and you countered with your usual inability to handle your own negative emotions. It's no wonder a fight soon broke out.

"I… a fight?"

It didn't last long. Alakazam doubted when he should've immobilized you, but only for a moment. But then you… you saw that second object falling from my pocket. The Griseous Orb, you called it. Suddenly, something in you… changed. You didn't seem like the same person as before, and your eyes…

[Marie holds her tongue for a moment, trying to find the words.]

They were… wrong. You got up and stopped trying to fight or resist me. You just stood there, staring, until you said… you said you remembered something.

Then with… a speed I wouldn't have thought possible from you, you took the Griseous Orb and ran toward the foyer. Alakazam helped me up to my feet and we followed you. By the time we got there, you'd finished… writing a note, I believe. Then…

[Marie closes her mouth and makes a strange, irritated sound.]

The… memory is fuzzy, for some reason. I know you did something with the Orb, but…

"I gave it to Lynne."

[Marie says nothing. Tulip swallows, and when she speaks there's a clear fear in her voice.]

"That's… what the note said. But then I… when he gave it back to me, I lost it again. Shadi took it. She probably still has it."

[Another silence follows, heavier, tenser. Something in Marie shuffles; she lowers her weapon and presses a hand against what sounds like a pocket.]

She doesn't.

"Wh–"

[Nonchalantly, she pulls an object out of her pocket that sounds like… nothing. It's like there's a hole in the recording. No sound seems to emanate from Marie's hand anymore, even when she moves it.]

"T… that's the…"

How do you think I managed to avoid that Gardevoir for the past few days? Just holding it seems to hide my presence to all near.

"I… c-come on, I know I can't ask questions but…"

[She doesn't say anything else, but her question is clear.]

I simply… found it. Here, in the heart of these tunnels, after I had no choice but to hide down here. I was being pursued by Gardevoir at the time. I hid myself in one of the many rooms littered throughout the complex and… there atop an old, abandoned table, I found it. As though whoever left there had somehow known I'd choose that room out of all the dozens to hide in.

There was a note next to it. Written in rather handsome calligraphy, it read… 'Don't worry, Shadi no longer needs this. Make use of it as you see fit.' It was signed by nothing more than the number 7.

"T… the seventh…"

Most likely. I care not for her reasons, nor whatever in-group disagreements might have led her to lending me a hand. I'm just happy to be alive.

"I…"

[Tulip is without words. She mumbles to herself for a moment, and Marie lets out another sigh.]

What led me down here… is, I imagine, much the same as what happened to you today.

"I was… Lynne and I…"

Fought because of something he'd discovered about you, and your ensuing outburst attracted the attention of the Third. Is that right?

"Then that's it? She…"

It was… chaotic, even more so amidst the chaos we were already in. Her Delphox was too strong, much stronger than Alakazam, and there wasn't much we could do other than try to escape. But… she didn't make it easy for us. I think the only reason we survived the encounter was because she wasn't after me, and that meant I had a few more seconds to think than anyone else.

I was near the entrance door with Alakazam. He was… hurt, barely keeping himself standing. And not too far, in the middle of the foyer, were you and the Third. Her Delphox had you pinned a few inches off the ground with her psychic powers. The Third walked up to you and… extended her hand to touch your face. A hand hemmed in black flames.

[Tulip lets go of the breath she's been holding. She takes a step back, swallowing.]

"So that's it. That's why I couldn't remember…"

I'm guessing you already put together what the Third's blossoming granted her.

"Yes. It's… her Pokemon of choice was a Chandelure, a-and the way she did it… she can erase people, can't she. Or, well not people but…"

Soul, spirit, anima, whichever word you'd rather use. Much like a Chandelure could, the Third seems capable of using those flames to erase any part she wants of a person's… self, including memories, emotions and goals. At her strongest, she might be able to reduce someone to a soulless husk.

"…Then she got me."

Only the last two years. She would have gotten a lot more out of you if Alakazam hadn't intervened in time. I… hesitated, I admit. I might've saved you from more of it had I not, but after what I'd learned…

[There's a hint of guilt in Marie's face, but she's quick to erase it.]

Regardless, I decided you were of more use to me alive than dead. I instructed Alakazam to attack Delphox. She repelled it without much effort, but had to let go of you to do so. He used that moment to teleport in between you and the Third and grab you, with all the intent of teleporting you to a certain location in Cerulean where we could meet up soon after.

I… by this point, I was of course long gone. It wouldn't do for the Third to realize you were gone, only to have the person responsible mere feet from her. I was already running as fast as my legs could carry me, so I didn't see… I didn't see what happened, but judging by your description of Alakazam's state in the first of your fragments… he barely got you out of there, and only by paying with his life.

[Neither of them say anything for a few seconds. Tulip swallows, and the recorder creaks a bit as her grip on it tightens.]

"So that's what happened."

[Marie lets out a huffy grunt.]

You could've learned this much sooner had you stayed in that hotel in Cerulean and waited for me instead of running off… though I understand why you did it.

"You mean other than because I woke up confused and amnesiac next to a corpse."

Mhm.

"So then when you came over and didn't find me…"

You hadn't uploaded that first fragment yet, and knowing you I had no reason to believe you still remained within the city. Besides, it's not like time or patience were on my side. I was on the run -closely followed by the Third- and would continue to be so for a time until I finally decided to hide within these tunnels.

"But I don't…"

[Tulip trails off. There's that sudden inhalation that comes with realization, and when she talks again she sounds careful, confused.]

"You… haven't mentioned anything about Lynne all this time. He would've escaped with me, right? He ended up in Cerulean too, and he didn't remember anything either."

[Marie says nothing. She simply breathes in then out in a way that sounds like a tired sigh.

Then, she starts walking again.]

Come on, we're not too far now.

"Wh–hey, wait! What's…!?"

[Tulip follows as quickly as she can, and is soon cut off by Marie.]

There's a better answer to that question… and many others you probably wouldn't want to ask, than I could give you. And they are all in that tape you found.

"But… t-then, I have the recorder right here, I could just…"

There's something you have to see first. The center of this place. Like I said, we're not too far now. Here…

[Marie walks a few more steps, then there's a clanking sound as she raises her hand and opens the door at the end of the hallway, inviting in a gust of air that is picked up by the recorder. The echoing of Marie's steps as she walks through indicates that this room is much taller and wider. Tulip maneuvers around the wall and steps out too.]

"Wh–the fuck? Are those chairs? This looks like…"

An auditorium, yes. See how the floor slopes downward and the walls narrow?

"But… this is…"

Why would there be an auditorium in a place like this? I asked myself the same question, until I did some exploring and realized it is not an auditorium at all. It is a waiting room. That's what the chairs are for, I suppose.

"W-waiting…"

See how there are many other doors that lead here? That'd be the other rooms in the bunker, each of which lead to a different tunnel. This is the center. All the other rooms and facilities were likely there to keep the people of Wysteria healthy and alive after they were taken here. But this… this is what awaited them all. And see that wall there at the end? That door?

That's our destination.

[Marie starts walking down the small steps, and Tulip follows soon after, frantic.]

Let's make haste. You can use the chairs as crutches to go along.

"I-y-yeah I know, I'm going but… couldn't you…?"

[They advance slowly, mostly because Marie has to wait for Tulip. Even so, she stays silent for a while. Reluctant to answer Tulip's implicit question, perhaps.

A few seconds pass, and the two women make it halfway down, closer to the door on the opposite side of the room. Marie finally opens her mouth to speak.]

I've found it curious, you know. Ever since I heard the contents of that tape. I have memories of you bringing Lynne along one day and declaring him to be… your assistant. I remember our conversation on the subject. How, despite all odds, you managed to convince me, even though I deemed just your knowledge of my hideout to be dangerous. And yet, every time I'd look back on it, your words would placate me. It just made sense. Of course it was a good idea to bring him along, to have the two of you work together. Even if I couldn't quite remember how the two of you had met. Even if I knew nothing about him. Even if it was odd that he stayed with us despite my place only having two rooms and two beds.

Even if… reading and hearing those past entries and interviews, he was never there. He never spoke, was never mentioned by either of us.

I found it curious indeed.

[Tulip struggles to keep up with Marie's pace. Yet her breathing gets slower, quieter, with every word the woman speaks, unconsciously holding her breath. She lets go of it once Marie stops in front of the door. Tulip hunches over forward, pressing against the wall, and stays silent for a long moment.]

"What… what are you saying?"

[It's not clear, but the sound of shuffling hair and the sudden grip of Tulip's fingers on the recorder hint that Marie turns to look straight at her.]

I'm saying I know what you are, Tulip. Both of you. And if I must, I suppose I will congratulate you on a job well done. I am a hard woman to deceive, but you really went the extra mile. No hard feelings, though. I would've done the same.

"Wh… I'm… not everything revolves around you. I have no idea what you're talking about."

No. I suppose, from your perspective, everything revolves around you, doesn't it? In more ways than you're conscious of.

"W-what?"

Say, I don't remember you wearing gloves before. Is there something in your palms you're hiding from me? Or perhaps… you're trying to hide it from yourself?

[Tulip's breathing ceases. She stays perfectly still, the only sound that can be heard that of a distant, weak underlying static on the edge of the recording.]

"That's… they put it on me. Some sort of joke. They wanted to… make fun of me. Of my mission, and…"

[Marie doesn't respond. She simply sighs and takes a step forward, grabbing the handle of the door.]

It doesn't matter whether you've accepted it or not. Come on.

[The door screeches open, rusty hinges groaning and creaking. Marie steps in first and, making her way through the edge of the wall, Tulip enters soon after.

That odd static permeates through the recording, stronger this time, pulsing on and off like a heartbeat.

Neither of them say anything for a few seconds. Tulip is the first one to speak.]

"It's… like an interrogation room."

Small room, concrete walls, a small table and two chairs… not like, that is exactly what it is. I've been in plenty of rooms like this before. Though I must say… that wide hole from wall to wall is a new addition.

[The static pulses again, as though replying to Marie's acknowledgment. It seems to come from the back of the room, most likely said hole she mentions.]

"I don't… get it. This just looks like a norm–AGH!"

[Tulip takes a single step forward, and the static in the room bursts like an explosion of noise and pitch. At the same time, Tulip shrieks in pain and falls to her knees. She does not let go of the recorder, but it creaks loudly under her grip.]

"W-what was… that? What did I just…?"

You had a vision, I assume? A memory of this place.

[Tulip can't stop shaking. It takes her a few seconds to be able to reply.]

"I… I saw my…self. The one from that footage, here. S-sitting in that…"

So I figured.

"What is…? I-it came from that… it c-came from that hole in the back there. What's…?"

Pay no mind to it for now. Knowing would just make this next part difficult, so for now…

[Marie kneels and puts Tulip's arm around her shoulders, lifting her up effortlessly. Tulip can't reply or refuse the help. She's too busy shaking like a leaf, incoherent mumbles leaving her mouth.

Slowly, Marie helps her across the room and sits her down in one of the chairs. The one overlooking the door, judging by the sound. Then she goes around and sits on the other one, gently placing her hands atop the table.]

How about we get started on that tape?