All Dogs go to Heaven: The Charlie Chronicles
Ninetales' Trip down a Chain of Memories
By: Darkraptor and Ninetalesuk
Author's note: Okay, this story is my longest one yet, but it couldn't have been possible without the help of Ninetalesuk. Thank you for helping out with this story and letting me use your characters. Also, this is almost based on the Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories game, so, if necessary, Kingdom Hearts is copyrighted to Square Enix. Now, let's begin, shall we?
Prologue
The battle between Necro-Ninetales and Angel Charlie has ended. Ninetales is back to his old self and everyone that witnessed it had their memories wiped from it. Angel Charlie had sacrificed his life, almost, to save his new friend. With the encouragement of Shaina and his mother, Colleen, Ninetales was able to defeat Sultrie and regain his mind, but something was left undone, which begins this story.
"To find is to lose, and to lose is to find"
-Marluxia, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Unknown Location
"Is he waking up?" said a familiar voice.
Ninetales was beginning to wake up from his last battle, but something held him back. He knew that Angel Charlie was in a coma-like state, thanks to him, or Necro-Ninetales. He kept thinking that if he wasn't weak, he wouldn't have allowed Sultrie or her Shadow Leech to take over him.
"If he doesn't wake up soon, he may miss Christmas", said another voice, "Vaporeon, use your Water Gun on him".
"No way", replied the other voice, which was Vaporeon, "For two reasons: One, it isn't Christmas yet. And two, he's going to be mad if I do".
"No need", said Ninetales, opening his eyes.
"Ninetales", said Vaporeon, "Glad that your awake".
"Where am I?" yawned Ninetales, trying to focus his vision. He only saw a blurry room with a blurred Vaporeon, a brown one which he knew must be Eevee, and a yellow one, which could only be Jolteon.
"In a room in the Dog Heavens", said Jolteon, "It was the only place to go for treatment after a dark battle from the shore".
"Shore?" said Ninetales, then he remembered, "Charlie! How is he?".
"Well", said Vaporeon, "I see you're feeling better, so I better go".
"Not until you answer my question", said Ninetales, glaring at the now clear Vaporeon.
"Fine", said Vaporeon, "Fine, just bandaged up and healing from the burn".
"Oh", said Ninetales, "Did I do that to him?"
"Yes", said Jolteon, "And no".
"What?"
"You see, you weren't yourself when you burned Charlie, it was Sultrie. She made you fire a black colored Fire Blast towards Shaina and Sasha, but Charlie stepped in front of it and took the hit for them".
"Really? Our Charlie?"
"Yeah. Seems he really does care for Sasha that he risked his own life to save hers".
"Now that's love", said Eevee.
"Yeah", said Ninetales, "But what about the other one, the one who was fighting me?"
Eevee, Jolteon, and Vaporeon just lowered their heads. Ninetales turned pale.
"Please don't tell me… I killed him", said Ninetales.
"Not exactly", said Jolteon, "We don't know what you did, but he's in a coma. He doesn't seem to want to wake up".
"Where is he?" said Ninetales.
"He's in a different room", said Vaporeon, "Sasha is with him".
"The other Sasha?" said Ninetales.
"Yeah", said Eevee, "And also, I think Shaina should be here to see you in about…"
There was a knock on the door.
"Wow, a second".
Eevee went to answer the door, and sure enough, there was Shaina.
"Hi Eevee", said Shaina, "Came by to see how Ninetales is doing?"
"Well", said Eevee, opening the door to reveal Ninetales, "See for yourself".
"Oh, Ninetales. How are you feeling?"
"Okay", said Ninetales, smiling.
Shaina approached him and kissed him on his muzzle.
"Okay", said Eevee, beginning to push Vaporeon and Jolteon out, "I see you two want to be left alone. If you need us, we'll be in the waiting room".
"Um", said Vaporeon, "I don't think Annabelle has a waiting room in this place".
"Then let's explore until we find one".
"Why didn't you say so, let's get going".
"Onward to the unknown"
"What unknown?"
With that, the three pokemon friends left the room, leaving Ninetales alone with Shaina.
"Shaina", said Ninetales, "I'm sorry for what I did to you and everyone else".
"No need", said Shaina, hugging Ninetales, "We all know it wasn't your fault, so don't blame yourself for something you didn't do. Please, I don't want to lose you, like I almost did last time when you first met Belladonna".
Ninetales shuddered when he remember what happened that day, but strange thing was…
"Funny", said Ninetales, trying to think on that day.
"What's funny?" said Shaina, looking at him.
"Nothing", said Ninetales.
"It's something, Ninetales", said Shaina, looking away, "Please, stop trying to make me feel better by saying that. I'm here to help you anyway possible, you know that".
Ninetales lowered his head, "I'm sorry Shaina. You're right, I mean, after all, Charlie, the other one, said that he and Sasha never kept secrets from each other, and so should I".
Ninetales looked at his left arm, which suddenly felt a bit strange, like a familiar strange.
"Well", said Shaina, "What was it you thought was funny?"
"Oh", said Ninetales, now looking at Shaina, "It was when I tried to remember that day, when Belladonna almost crushed my spirit with my past. When I tried to remember what happened that day, I kind of, almost felt the pain I endured that same day, like I was reliving it all over again".
"That is strange".
"I know, but also, when I tried thinking of that same memory's aftermath, I kind of… forgot about it".
"What do you mean? It was after you woke up that you told me about your past to me. How you said that your parents died saving you, how you know they're watching you from Heaven, and how you will cherish sunsets as a reminder of their bravery".
"All that happened?" said Ninetales puzzled.
"Stop that".
"Stop what?"
"Pretending you don't remember that day. It's frightening me".
"I'm sorry if I am, but I'm not lying. Something's wrong with me again".
"How's that possible?"
"I don't know… I simply- OUCH!"
Ninetales soothed his head when he tried to scratch it with his left paw again. Just as he was soothing, he heard Shaina shriek.
"EEEK!" shrieked Shaina, pointing, "NINETALES! YOUR ARM!"
"What about… OH MY GOSH!"
Ninetales' left arm had the purple markings again, just like when he became Necro-Ninetales.
"HOW'S THIS POSSIBLE?!" shouted Ninetales, holding and examining his arm.
"I dunno", said Shaina, crying, "But I don't want to lose you again like last time. We better find Annabelle at once".
With that, the setter and pokemon rushed out of the room.
Angel Charlie's Room
"Oh, Charlie", cried Angel Sasha as she held Angel Charlie's paw. Angel Charlie has been defeated by Necro-Ninetales, but he hasn't given up living. He's alive, but barley. As Angel Sasha continues to watch over him, Sasha and Charlie, bandaged up, were waiting outside with Flareon, Flo and Angel Bess. The others decided to stay and run the café. While waiting, Flo was watching Angel Bess finish a cross word puzzle without making a single mistake.
"How is it you're good at these?" said Flo.
"Experience and talent, really", said Angel Bess.
"What's up with you two?" asked Charlie.
"Oh", said Flo, "Well, you see, I live with Bess and Itchy, so whenever we're not doing anything, me and Itchy give Bess here a puzzle to solve. Funny thing is, she has solved all the puzzles we give her".
"Not all of them", said Angel Bess, "Remember that puzzle you gave me, the one you found with the Christmas items?"
"Oh yeah. I forgot that was the day I triumphed over you".
Just as the two friends were having a pleasant conversation, Eevee and the others turned up.
"Anyone up for a duel?" said Eevee, getting his deck out. Eevee and the others keep their decks in a deck box tied with a shoelace, since they have no pockets.
"A what?" said Flo.
"A duel", replied Angel Bess before Eevee could answer, "Don't you remember that anime we always watched on Saturday mornings?"
"Oh", said Flo, "Yu-Gi-OH!"
"Right", said Angel Bess, pulling a deck out, "And let's just say we also have that game in our world".
"Neat", said Vaporeon, "A battle between two similar worlds".
With the setting of the mat, Angel Bess and Eevee were set to duel.
"Get your game on!" both of them said at the same time.
"Man, that saying is getting annoying", muttered Flareon, but no one seemed to have heard him.
"You go first", said Angel Bess to Eevee.
"Fine", said Eevee, drawing a card, "I start off by…"
"WHERE'S ANNABELLE!?" shouted a voice behind them that made Eevee jump and lose his hand.
"What's the matter?" said Sasha as she went to Shaina. She noticed that Ninetales was behind her, but before she could say "Hi, Ninetales, feeling better?", she noticed that their faces were pale white.
"This", said Ninetales, showing them his left arm, "is the matter".
Everyone gasped as Sasha and Shaina ran off to find Annabelle.
"I can't believe I forgot about it", said Annabelle, examining Ninetales' arm. Angel Annabelle, Colleen, and Edward were there, looking worried at their son's condition.
"Forgot about what?" said Eevee, looking at Ninetales' arm, "That Ninetales got a cool tattoo?"
"No", said Ninetales, glaring hard at Eevee.
"It's the Shadow Leech", continued Annabelle, "When we went into Ninetales, we only got rid of Sultrie…"
"Excuse me", interrupted Eevee again, "Don't you mean 'exorcise'?"
"Very well", said Annabelle, a little annoyed for being interrupted, "exorcised Sultrie, we forgot to rid…"
"Exorcise"
"Ugh… Exorcise… the Leech. It was dormant from the point that Sultrie took over, so we couldn't see it when we went in".
"Let's just get another snowflake from Stormella and get that little sucker out", said Charlie.
"I'm afraid that this one isn't going to be that easy", said Angel Annabelle, passing a blue light over Ninetales, "It's adapting".
"You mean", said Charleon, "That it's going to get kids and live in Ninetales?"
Sasha and Shaina both slapped Charleon over the head.
"Idiot", said Sasha, "Adapting, not adopting".
"It means that the leech got smart to not fall for the same thing twice", said Angel Bess, "May I?"
"Go for it", said Sasha as Angel Bess slapped Charleon over the head too, "It really makes the anger go away".
"HEY!" said Charleon, "What do I look like, a punching bag?"
"Well…" said Flareon, rolling his eyes.
"Um…" said Colleen, "If all of you are done slapping Charleon, may Annabelle continue?"
"Sure", said Sasha, "We're done".
"Now, no more interruptions, please", said Angel Annabelle, now concentrating her paw on Ninetales head, "Hmm… I located it".
"Where?" said Shaina and Colleen.
"Inside his mind", said Angel Annabelle, "of his memories".
Everyone stood silent, except Charleon, who was soothing his head.
"Ninetales", said Angel Annabelle, "Did you experience anything unusual since you first noticed your arm?"
"Yeah", said Ninetales, "When I was remembering a painful memory, it made my whole body seem to experience it again, like reliving it".
"I see. Anything else?"
"Well, when I tried remembering a happy one, it sort of… began fading away".
"I suspected as much. Ninetales, the leech is messing with your memories".
Ninetales got up with a shocked look on his face.
"WHAT?!" said Ninetales, his eyes wide, "Are you saying that thing is making me lose my memories?"
"Not exactly", said Angel Annabelle, "It seems to feed off them. It's making the painful memories stronger while neutralizing your content and joyful ones".
Shaina went to Ninetales, took his right paw, and began stroking it softly.
"Is there any way we can help him?" said Shaina.
"Yes", said Angel Annabelle, "But it maybe risky".
"I don't care if it's dangerous", said Colleen, "I don't want my son to go through that ordeal again".
"Very well", said Angel Annabelle, "Please, follow me".
Chamber of Dreams
"Welcome to the Chamber of Dreams", said Annabelle as she opened the door.
The room was a spectacular place to behold: it held a starry ceiling with actual shooting stars, blue crystal walls, and a running fountain with an angel shooting water from it was centered in the middle. Everyone gazed at the magnificence of it.
"Wow", said Shaina as she leaned on Ninetales' right side (she's avoiding the left side).
"Annabelle", said Ninetales, "It's a beautiful room, but dreams? I thought we were going to do something about my memories?"
"We are", said Annabelle, "Where do you think dreams come from? Memories. All the happy memories we enjoyed are made into dreams for us to be in, but alas, all the sad and bad memories we endured also make the bad dreams, or nightmares".
"In other words", said Angel Annabelle, "This place is where we're going to fight that leech inside of you".
With a clap of her paws, a long bed-like formation formed from the crystal floor.
"Lie here", said Annabelle to Ninetales. Ninetales complied as he jumped on and laid on the crystal bed. He expected it to be hard and cold, but the bed was actually warm and liquid-like, as if he was on a water bed.
"Here", continued Annabelle, "You'll be able to travel in your mind, so you'll be able to take out that leech".
"All by myself?" said Ninetales, nervous.
"No", said Annabelle as she clapped her paws and four more beds materialized out of the floors, "Only four others can go into your dreams with you".
"I'll go", volunteered Eevee.
"No thanks", said Ninetales, "You, Charleon, and the Three Stooges…"
"Hey!" said Jolteon, Vaporeon, and Flareon.
"… are the last ones to be considered to enter my mind".
"I'll go", said Shaina, hopping onto the next one.
"But Shaina", said Ninetales, "I don't want you to get hurt".
"That's okay", said Shaina, holding his paw, "Remember, we're in this together".
"Guess I'll go too", said Colleen, hopping into the other one next to Ninetales, "After all, you are my baby".
"Mom", said Ninetales as the others chuckled.
"What about you, Edward?" said Colleen to her husband.
"Think I'll set this one out", said Edward, "Don't take me wrong, but I'll stay here in case that thing turns our son back into a demon again".
"He's right, you know", said Annabelle to Colleen, "Who knows how long it may take, so he's better off here".
"I'll go", said Charlie, but Sasha stopped him.
"Charlie", said Sasha to him, "You're in no condition to fight, so I'm going instead".
"What?!" said Charlie as Sasha hopped into the third one, "But Sasha…"
"What?" said Sasha, "Think I can't do it?"
Charlie just stood silent for a moment and said, "Be careful".
"Okay", said Annabelle, "We need one more".
"I'll go", said a voice behind them. Turning around, they saw Angel Sasha walking up to the final bed.
"But Sasha", said Angel Annabelle, "Why aren't you with Charles?"
"I don't know", said Angel Sasha, "But something came over me. It was a voice, saying to go with Ninetales. I can't really explain, so I'm here".
"Very well", said Angel Annabelle.
As the five were set, Annabelle made the room grow dark, so only the ceiling was lit.
"Cool", said Eevee, "Hey Annabelle, think we can have a slumber party here?"
"Now's not the time, Eevee", said Annabelle as she was performing a prayer of some kind.
Suddenly, Ninetales and the others felt drowsy. They saw the room begin to spin as sleep took over them.
To Be Continued...
