About 10 years ago -

"Huff huff huff" A large canine creature was running exhausted but running as guards were chasing him on foot. "I must get out of here," he says running into another dead end and wall hopping up and out. "There's a boat," he says as he dashes in and throws a spark bomb he created onto the docks before pulling out quickly he then presses a button and the other ships sink into the ground.

"Damn he destroyed our ships," A guard says as he can do nothing but watch lyre drive away on a boat to the shore he then spark bombs it and runs into the forest eating some berries to get his stamina up…

"Hahaha, Finally off that island," Lyre says quite tiredly before turning to face the massive forest. "I need to go grab my spark bone and my wind rod from the hidden grotto I hid in a long time ago more than likely there will be guards around, They'll be looking for me for sure now," Lyre says angrily as he heads deep into the forest. Suddenly he hears a familiar voice.

"Ahahaha You think you've escaped from the island hmm? Let's see if you can escape from me!"

"Who are you! Lyre almost yells out."

"Awww I'm sad you don't remember me… It's me your best friend and worst enemy, Neo"

Lyre Growls… "Neo! You better not be thinking of fighting me."

"Oh not at all… I'm actually here with your weapons but I've been captured just look up."

"Huh?" lyre looks up to see Neo in a net trap with his spark bone and wind rod."

"Haha how'd you get stuck up there?" Lyre asks Neo.

"I don't know but You might need to get me down." Neo says to Lyre.

"Very well Neo…" Lyre says as he jumps and slashes the ropes freeing Neo.

"Thanks Lyre now let's get… Whoa watch out…" Neo says as he jumps in front of a psybeam.

Lyre turns quickly and fires a dark pulse at the direction and out stumbles an espeon. "Ugh…"

Lyre gasps as he quickly recognizes this espeon as his old friend, Kari.

"Kari? What are you doing here?"

"Finding you and neo here and I watched a psybeam fire past me and hit neo."

I wonder who fired it? Lyre thinks to himself.

"Ugh," Neo pants as he looks up.

"I believe It would be me My dear enemy," says a hooded figure with a red X on his outfit.

"Traitor, He says and points at Neo his finger glowing and charging a fire blast."

"Now you can either take his place or your friend can die."

"How about neither and I kick your butt?" Lyre says as his paws glow white with power becoming solid iron fists."

"Fine if you desire to die alongside your friend then I will oblige."

"Lyre, let's work together," Kari tells him and he smiles and gives a nod.

"Time for a 2v1 then," Lyre says.

"Oh nooooo what will I do I'm out numbered… hehe!" says the hooded figure as he pulls out an equilibrum and a copy appears.

"Using a copy of yourself to bring more won't help you here my enemy," Lyre says as kari's eyes glow and hold them in place and lyre begins to charge a large aura sphere.

"Hehe~ You can't win this battle," Lyre says as he fires the ball.

"Ahhhhhh," The man says as he is killed by the aura sphere.

His equilibrium falls to the ground when it hits the ground it breaks, "And that's the end of that." Lyre says as he looks at the dead man on the ground.

"Now then, Neo hold on," Kari says as she rubs some solution into his wounds helping him heal up."

"Ugh I've never been so humiliated," Neo says as he shakes off.

"What did he mean by traitor?" Kari asks Neo.

"Well I used to work for the people on the island but when I gave you your weapons I was considered a traitor." Neo responds.

"Ahhh that makes sense now," Kari says as she stands alongside Neo.

"What should we do now Kari?" neo asks her with a look of disbelief…"

"We should Find V have him help."

"Really? Kari! V is the master of shadows if he wanted he could turn us to dust."

"Yes but think about what could happen should we deliver Zero to him..."

Money signs hit the eyes of the 2. "True… let's get to work on capturing Zero then and finding V." Neo and Lyre tell kari.

"Let's get moving Then you 2." Kari says gently.

"Right!" They say simultaneously.

"So where should we look for V Kari?" Lyre asks.

"Last place I saw him was shadow cliff we should search there."

"Makes sense," says Lyre and they head off to shadow cliff.

Back to Zero, Rio, and Ali present day

Zero let's out a loud yawn as she awakens from her sleep after her shock from transformation. "Morning… Rio," Zero says to him as she wakes up.

"Morning Zero…" Rio says to her as he hands her a berry to which she nibbles on.

"Nnnnn~" Zero nibbles on the berry quite hungrily not having eaten since yesterday.

"You feeling better now?" Rio asks Zero caringly as she eats.

"A little…" She responds before giving a visible shudder.

"Cold?" Rio asks her concerned especially for her health.

"Y-Yeah…" Zero says as Rio then picks her up and holds her close to keep her warm.

"Nnnn~" Zero begins to purr as Rio holds her close.

"Better?" Rio asks her as he runs his hands along her back and ears.

"Yeah…" Zero says as she leans into his touches.

Rio pets Zero along her tail and ears gently as time passes unawaringly from their own selves.

"Let's hope the future seems to be bright for us…" Rio says as he pets Zero some more.

"Yes…" Zero says as she falls asleep once again.

"Sleep well, Zero" Rio says as she sleeps in his arms.

Author notes:

I'm just gonna use the author notes as filler content to be able to upload my apparently 1013 word long chapter here since it apparently hates me Jeez I mean I have long chapters at least every single one is 1000 words long