Suppose I should quickly explain why I felt the need to start another side project. I'm sure everyone who cares saw the little Scyther one shot I did about a year or two ago, as I didn't feel like I'd ever get a chance to show it in ToF proper. Well, as it turns out, I have more than a few things like that.
So here we are, a little place I can put all the scenes I'd like to do but can't fit into the main plot very easily. Mainly just character studies and filling holes in the narrative but, who knows, might get a full fledges side-story arc thing going on someday. We'll take it as it comes.
Anyway, I'm expecting about three or four parts to this particular side story. And they're all forthcoming, I'm just splitting it into smaller parts to keep an update speed going (and for feedback too, I suppose. Because even after all these years, I'm still self-conscious like that)
Finally, I'm going to apolagise in advance. Both for what I'm going to do and for not being anywhere near a good enough writer way back when to have done this particular character justice when I should have.
Tales of Flame - Side Stories
Hazel - The Twins
While everyone in Cerulean City were familiar with the grand Nugget Bridge leading into Route 24, very few people paid much attention to the lake that it crossed. Which meant that next to no one knew that, in a certain spot under the calm waters, there was a small tunnel leading into a grand cave. It's entrance from the land on Route 24 itself was similarly unknown. Meaning that, for the Vaporeon who called it home, there was only really one regular visitor. So he found himself quite confused when, after returning from the lake to find food, he found her staring into space at the edge the water, back to the small campfire she'd lit. Not even the slightest reaction as he pulled himself up onto dry land, dripping wet as he said down beside her. Not even when he spat out the two trout he'd caught for breakfast.
"Hazel? Hello?" Vapor leaned across and waved a blue paw in front of her face to no reaction. "Any one in there at all? No? Okay then."
He dropped his paw back to the ground, rocking back and forth on them for a moment before arching his spine in a pantomime of a stretch, complete with loud and exaggerated yawn. Still no response. Which was unfortunate, as that meant she didn't notice the small grin that over took the water Eon's face as he made use of his pose to swing his tail-fin and give her a light push from behind. That got her attention, the cave resounding with a panicked squeal as she jumped nearly out of her fur. Followed by a second as she promptly lost her balance and tipped forward into the water. Vapor rolled his eyes, unable to say anything as he ducked his head under the water and hauled a soaking wet Flareon out by the scruff of her neck.
"I don't know why you're mad at me!" He insisted a few minutes later at his scowling sibling as she tried to get the sodden yellow fur on her head to stay out of her eyes as she sat almost inside the small campfire, "you weren't responding to anything else. Had to make sure you were alive somehow."
"By trying to drown me?" Hazel grumbled, giving up at getting her head tuft back into place and just glaring at her brother. Who found it hard to take seriously with her fur still dripping water and clinging to her.
"I only tapped you, it's your own stupid fault you fell in." He idly batted a pebble around, "can't you just put up your body temperature so you dry instantly?"
Hazel didn't answer. Not verbally. She just glanced down at her belly before returning her glare to her brother, adding a layer of "are you really that stupid" ontop of it.
"Ah..." Vapor got the hint. Of course she couldn't rocket up her body temperature. While a Flareon could take it, the Eevee in her womb most certainly couldn't. She was going to have to sit and wait for her fur to dry the slow way. "Sorry?"
"It's fine. No harm done." Hazel's expression suddenly lightened now she had her apology, as she glanced down towards the fish he'd caught, "pass me one of those and we'll call it even."
Vapor faked musing on it for longer than strictly necessary, especially considering he'd caught two fish specifically so he'd have one to share, but he eventually nudged the largest of his catch forwards. For a soaking-wet, pregnant Flareon; Hazel could be decidedly agile when she felt like it. It took only a second for her to swipe the fish and back up to a safe distance.
Vapor had to shield his eyes with a paw as his cave was brightened even more when she threw her meal into the air and roasted it with an Ember. His aversion to sunlight had left his vision remarkebly sensitive to bright light, even the campfire his sister needed to see was difficult to look at directly, but thankfully the plume of fire only lasted a few seconds and faded away before Hazel accidentaly blinded him. Again. If she noticed his discomfort, she didn't show it, not even letting the roasted fish hit the ground before tucking in.
"Nice to see your eating habits haven't changed." Vapor mused.
His sister looking more like a ravenous Feraligatr than a Flareon as she tore it apart, not even sparing him a glance when she replied, "'ope."
"...At least swallow what you're eating before talking."
"Oh, 'orry." Crunch went a fishbone, before she looked up at him, "you gonna eat that one?"
A flick of his tail catapulted the second trout towards her. This time he was ready for the burst of flames, not even flinching. The fish dropped through the jet of fire and plopped straight next to the first. She barely got out a thanks before going back to her meal, Vapor merely rolling his eyes in mock annoyance. He could always go catch another meal later, after all, and his sister was eating for at least two. Rather than try and spark up a conversation, especially considering Hazel had a hard time seperating speech and chewing, he passed the time launching pebbles across the water with his tail.
It was something he'd had quite a bit of practice at. He glanced across the still pool of the water, dropping into a half crouch as his tail-fin scooped up a round stone and launched it into the air. He followed it arc through the corner of his eye, shifting his weight and hips when it started to fall back to earth. He took a breath, holding it for a second as the rock fell and his powerful tail swung and fired it over the water. He counted eight bounces before the stone sunk.
"Huh, must be out of practice."
He'd managed to get back up to ten before Hazel finished eating and walked over to join him, the two of them watching the ripples racing across the otherwise still pool.
"All finished now?" Vapor said, laying down and running a paw through the water.
"Stomach's quiet now, yup," she beamed, "although now the kits are kicking me."
"I still can't see you as a mom. I still picture you as that silly little Eevee gnawing on acorns all the time."
"Well this silly little Eevee's gone and grown up, mister playing-in-puddles-all-the-time."
Her ability to banter hadn't improved any though. Some things never change.
"Still like eating nuts though." She mused to herself.
"You'd have to change your name if you didn't." He laughed.
"Mom wasn't very imaginative." She joined in laughing.
"Nope. Would have been awkward if I hadn't become a Vaporeon, wouldn't it? A Jolteon called Vapor, it'd have been rediculous."
The laughter stopped. Hazel recognized the bitterness sneaking into her brother's voice. His condition, which caused his skin to blister and crack horribly whenever he was exposed to direct sunlight, had only kicked in after he had evolved. If she hadn't been with him at the time then it would have killed him. She'd only been an Eevee at the time, and had evolved herself just to get the strength to be able to drag him towards the cave entrance they'd discovered while playing as kits.
A cave he'd been living in ever since. Unfortunately Flareon's eyes were not as well suited to the darkness of the caverns, nor could she live on just fish, so she'd had to leave him when he'd recovered and live out in the open air. She visited when she could but, with kits of her own on the way, he was having to spend more and more time alone.
"C'm'ere." She insisted, wrapping her paws around her brother and pulling him into a hug. Thankfully her fur had mostly dried by then and he didn't fight it. "It'll be okay. It'll all be okay, I promise."
A part of him was annoyed at that, her making promises she had no idea how to keep... and the slightly patronizing pat on the head he was getting. But the rest of him knew she was simply trying to help, the way she always had.
"Thanks sis," he mumbled, trying not to get a mouthful of fur in the process. Any further comment was cut off as he suddenly pulled back with an "ooh," his gaze flicking between her belly and her eyes.
"Did you feel that?" He asked her, managing a small smile after having felt a tiny movement against his cheek.
"Yup," the mother-to-be nodded, "the little ones want to give you hugs too."
"Or slap me around the face for being mopey."
"Or both." She grinned, giving him a playing cuff around the ear-fin. "Now get off, I'm losing feeling in my leg."
He moved back, letting her lean on him as she pulled herself up with a groan.
"You doing okay there?" Vapor asked, even as she pulled away and shook out her back left leg gingerly before putting her weight back on it.
"Getting a little tired." Hazel shrugged, "I think I ate too much."
"Y'think?" The blue eon's head tilted quizzically.
"There you are!" She beamed, "back being a grumpy sourpuss again, instead of a sad one."
"I will push you in the water again." He managed to joke.
The two Eon's shared a grin and a chuckle, before Hazel turned to look towards the tunnel leading back to the surface. Vapor followed her gaze. His smile wavered for only a second before he stepped up beside the smaller Flareon and nudged her forwards.
"Go."
"You sure?" She asked, "I can probably stay a little longer-"
"It's fine. You need to get some rest. After all, the little ones are coming soon, right? If they're anything like we were, you'll need all the strength you can get."
"I suppose. But I probably won't be able to visit again until after I've-"
"I know." He smiled again, giving her a quick hug of her own.
Hazel bumped foreheads with him as he pulled back, their traditional goodbye.
"I'll come as soon as they're big enough to travel," she promised as he walked her towards the exit.
"I'll try not to scare them."
"Or dunk them in water."
"Or dunk them. Or be mean in any-way-shape-or-form. Eon's honour." Vapor held a paw up to his chest. Getting a level stare in return, he kept a perfectly sincere and straight face. And started waggling his ear-fins until Hazel broke into laughter again.
"You are such a goofball sometimes," she said inbetween giggles.
"Yup."
Hazel got herself back under control as they reached the tunnel that she'd have to climb back up to the surface. She stopped at its entrance, turning back to her brother and giving him a beaming smile.
"I notice you didn't promise not to dunk or be mean to me."
"Nope." He beamed back. Typical Vapor, really.
"You're gonna have to help me name 'em when I bring them, you know?"
"Figured as much," now it was his turn to break into laughter, "but only if you finally tell me about their father."
"Hmm," Hazel tapped a paw to her muzzle, thinking it over, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Sure."
"Good. Now go. I've got to go catch lunch, as you kinda ate mine."
"Hehe... oops?"
Another hug and head-bump as the Flareon started to climb the steep rock path out. Vapor turned away so she wouldn't get embarrased if she lost her grip and had to scramble for purchase. Again. He sat himself next to the tunnel though, keeping a careful ear out just in case she did need help. Thankfully, pregnant or not, she was able to make it out without any problems.
"Vapor!" He heard her calling from the exit, "I'll come see you as soon as I can, I promise."
"I'll get the fish ready!" He called back, "now go get some rest, that's an order!"
"Yes little brother!" She replied in a sing-song tone, before all finally went quiet.
Vapor sat there for a few more moments, looking towards the fire Hazel had lit. Smiling to himself for the first time all week, he got up and moved towards it. A quick Water Gun extinquished the flames and plunged the cavern back into it's usual darkness, his eyes taking only moments to adjust and pick out the clear pool of water leading into the lake.
"Well, time for lunch. Again." He chuckled to himself, running straight towards the pool, diving out into the open air and vanishing beneath the water without even a splash.
-To Be Continued-