He saw much fewer, had lived through much less than many, yet had a wisdom that seemed to defy what was called impossible and grow much higher than what should be possible for a fourteen year old boy.

He had journeyed from a place no one in this world had ever heard of, had come by fate and destiny alone, had accepted his predicament, as confusing and frightening as it was, and acted for the best and what would save others regardless of his own self. He had faults, yes, but they were outweighed immensely, almost impossibly, by his good, brave heart. He was loving, and hateful of those who were evil, and cautious. He could do things with nature as none could ever do before, and it was as if the weight of the world on his shoulders was as light as the backpack he wore.

He had died in a place unfamiliar to him, alone.

It was not right, not as things should be.

And things that were not right seemed to have a way of turning around when they happened to be around Erik Masters.

<><><>

Laury felt tears forming in her eyes, and willed them back, blinking. The group was mournfully silent, and she could understand why. But of them all, she felt the worst. She thought. Because they had lost a good friend; she had lost her love.

Love? You’re fourteen, girl!

So what? She wasn’t any fourteen year old girl. Besides, with what limited psychic powers she had, she felt…something different about that boy. He was destined to something other than what had happened, and she knew it was wrong.

"Laury?"

She jumped. Isako’s choked voice had cut her deep thoughts like a blade through water. "What?" She was surprised when her voice came out cracking.

"The first Stone should be over there, in that building."

Laury turned towards Isako’s point; she hadn’t even noticed they had entered the city. Her thoughts dwelled on Erik, how she would never see him again, how—

No! Laury forced herself to concentrate. She steeled her voice. "Then what are we waiting for?"

She started towards the building.

"Hey," Will said quietly to Isako.

"What?" Laury turned.

"Uh, slow down, we aren’t in a race here…" he said. Lowering his voice, he continued speaking to Isako. "She means one of the stones, right?"

"Yes… your point?" Isako said impatiently.

"Aren’t they like all powerful?" Will asked.

"No. And they can’t bring someone back to life. I’ve already thought of that." She said irritably.

"Not even all five?"

"No. They can alter existing matter, but not give back life; even if they could bring Erik’s body back alive, he would have no soul."

"You believe in spirits and that stuff?" Will asked, surprised.

"Do you?"

"Yes. I just didn’t expect you to."

Isako was taken aback. "And why not?" she asked indignantly.

"Well, you’re the Master of Psychic, right? So I figured you might not believe in God."

"I do; I’m not that powerful."

"Okay. So where is it?" he asked, spreading his arms towards the inside of the building they were in. It was only one story, which surprised Isako.

"Is this it?" Josh yelled.

Isako turned to see him across the room, holding up a small, oval jewel about the length of his thumb. It was blood-red and seemed to catch and hold the light, yet glowed somehow. Isako felt her stomach flutter.

"Yes!" She said, running over to Josh.

"Here; you better hold them." Josh said, handing her the small, seemingly harmless stone.

Isako nodded and dropped the stone into an obscure inner pocket of her robe.

"Where to next?"

Isako’s heart leapt out to her friend. Laury’s voice sounded too heavy for its own good; it seemed on the bring of breaking into tears. Isako knew it was only a matter of time until Laury had to confront herself; she couldn’t live inside that shell forever.

"The next Stone should be in…" Isako closed her eyes, trying to find it. The feeling she had was stronger, and she knew where all of the rest of the stones were, but something very faint was annoying her. It was…something…elsewhere…

"Isako?" Josh asked.

"Oh…my…"

"Isako? What is it?" Josh was concerned now.

"The other four stones…they…they’re at the League battling platform."

"The what?" Matt was confused, and hurt; he had known Erik longer than any of them. Laury had met him first, but he had known him longer. And even that was much too short.

"Here, we’ve been battling with Pokémon, training them for so long, that we have a whole, town-sized coliseum for battles. Lots of little arenas, but one huge one."

"I thought Julius had at least one Stone. And we have one. So that would leave three." Rachel added.

"Three unaccounted for, until now." Isako said, her voice cold.

Realization dawned on Matt’s face, and he colorfully voiced his two-word thought.

"Yes." Isako said, he voice a whisper. "Julius has the other four stones."

Matt repeated what he had just said.

<><><>

While the late Erik Masters’s group set out a new spot, Isako too weak to teleport them any closer than three-quarters the distance, Erik Masters himself saw things while he was dead.

He saw his group, for one thing, his parents, everyone he knew. He focused on his friends, saw what had happened, witnessed everything.

A suddenly as the sword had run him through, it was all gone. There was nothing but blackness.

Am I dead? No, I can’t be, he thought, I’m thinking. But I am.

Suddenly there was a dark mist, and a tall figure in a sweeping cloak, shown only by thick, liquid moonlight, was there in front of him.

No. I’m dreaming. But…I’m dead…

The figure reached a hand into his cloak, and for a moment Erik thought he was reaching for a weapon. He groped for Gassiter, but it was not there. Erik could not see the mysterious figure’s face, it was too dark, and the cloaked man was but a dark outline.

Erik waited, and the man pulled hand away. In his upward palm, there was a large timer, the old sand kind… Erik watched mesmerized, as the sand that fell seemed to neither decease above, nor increase below. Slowly, ever so slowly, the sand became a bright, liquid green glow, still falling, and though the white-hot light shined brighter than anything Erik had ever seen, it did not penetrate the shadows of the hooded cloak.

The sand, defying gravity, fell slower, and slower, then stopped. Erik was totally immersed, the figure forgotten, as the green glow grew brighter. Suddenly, it exploded.

But didn’t. It was confusing. For one instant, the liquid glow was there, then the next it was everywhere, even Erik himself immersed it, and the next, it was gone, and he was looking at what he knew were the strings of time itself. An uncountable number of liquid green strings were everywhere, each representing every life, down to the unknown bacteria in his teeth. No, it wasn’t gone, he was in it.

Erik looked on, and those millions of millions and still more strings converged, making larger strings, some fading into the non-existent horizon, until there were sixteen, eight traveling together, waiting somehow, an aura of evil surrounding them.

The other eight, Erik knew, somehow, were them. His friends, his group. One of the stings stopped suddenly, ending in a swinging ball of light that burned his eyes, and the seven kept going, meeting the other eight in…something. He didn’t know. Not permitted to know, he corrected himself.

He watched, and saw both the strings of life and the hourglass at the same time, saw the liquid move upwards, then fall, and move up again.

At the same time, he saw the stream that was his own streak out again, from that blinding ball of light a arrow of light, the shaft being trailed by a string flying too fast, towards the others. Then, he saw sand fall up, and all was dark.

The wind blew, and Erik felt Gassiter clutched tightly against his side. His robe ruffled, his hood closed over his face.

Erik Masters opened his eyes.

And saw, once again, a window of blue sky. A window that did not close.