Authors note: This origionally intended to be a short story, no more than 3 or 4k words long, but my mind thought other wise was forced to separate into chapters. So without further ado, enjoy.


It was a misty, shady night. The leaves blew slowly in the breeze within the dense forest. A few bushes started to rustle in the distance as a tiny, small brown fox pop his head through and head towards a small clearing in the distance. It seemed to be peaceful enjoying the cool nightly wind as it approached a small pond near the end of the clearing lapping at the water taking in the cold, icy feel. Across the clearing away from the Eevee's peripheral, a light purple solid fog covers a bush as it rustles loudly, blocked by the fog. A green figure emerges from the bush, blending into the background as it holds its stealthy stance. The figure makes its way towards the Eevee having its pupil-less eyes locked onto the now laying Eevee.

The green figure slowly moves across the opening moving slowly as it tries not to make a noise upon the unnoticing Eevee. It pauses as the Eevee moves slightly to groom its brown smooth fur, then after confirming that it hasn't been noticed goes into a dash before leaping onto its prey. The green figure pinned the Eevee with one paw clawing into its left paw and the other paw pinning the Eevee's head pushing down hard. The Eevee started to squirm as tears started to roll down its fur as it struggled for life. The green figure, now dominant, saw the tears and weakened its grip as it tried to end its life by a bite to the neck.

The Eevee felt the weakness and used Iron Tail to knock the back leg of the beast and set it off balance and added Bite to its forearm that was holding its paw down. It was enough damage to be released from its grip, the Eevee stood up and used a Quick Attack setting its opponent on its back. The Eevee started to glow a bright white that demolished and wiped the darkness that the night brought upon the Earth. The Eevee got taller and its ears rounded off, its tail started to shrink, and it gotten leaner. The white started to fade away showing its newly gained rights around its ears, tail, on all four of its legs and one distinguishable golden ring on its head.

The, newly evolved, Umbreon started to walk towards its opponent. The moonlight shown on the green figure showing off its beautiful features, it had silky green fur, a long wavy forked tail, and a reflective bright crimson red gem on its forehead. The Espeon curved her tail around her nether regions to cover it from the oncoming Umbreon. The Umbreon licked its lips as it came forward looking upon the females body, fear and tears filled the Espeons eyes as it approached her in a deviant manner, her cheeks now clearly red, contrast to her fur, just laid there paralyzed. Although, to the Espeon's surprise, it didn't seem to have interest on her lower tail, but at her shape.

Upon closer inspection, her chest showed her ribs exposed behind her silky fur as if she hadn't have a meal for a week or two. Her fur now showed filth and how ragged it was from the wilderness. The Umbreon just simply sat down and scratched the back of its ear and spoke with a deep calming tone to the scared Espeon.

"I would like to ask, why did you attack me with your condition?" The Espeon was dumbfounded onto how he found out that she was starving, many thoughts were whishing in her mind as she remembered that he observed her.

"I-I" She couldn't find the words to say as he glared at her with his piercing red eyes. "I… I'm sorry!" The words came out as a loud whisper as she broke into tears. The Umbreon looked at her, somewhat understanding why she would be crying, she continued to cry and apologizing.

"I'm so sorry! Yes, I was desperate and you were there, but I couldn't do it. I'm weak, kill me if you wish, I never deserved to live anyways!"

"Now I can see why you attacked me, but I can't see why you don't deserve to live." The Umbreon said, trying to sooth her.

"Listen, if you want I can take you to a berry patch to feed you so that you can live and get stronger. Just follow me." He let out a soft smile towards the Espeon as she slowly calmed her scattered breathing. She stood up wiping her tears off of her eyes.

"Why are you offering to help me? I'm useless to waste your food." She said with a depressed tone.

"Because, everyone deserves a second chance. Plus, you never intended to kill me." This caught the Espeon off guard as she looked upon the Umbreon with a confused gaze as he continued. "After you saw my tears, you loosened your grip on me and were really hesitant trying to bite my neck. I'm not sure why, but I figure that you really didn't intend to kill me." He explained. "Please, follow me for those berries."

"You don't have too, I'll be fine on my own." Espeon tried to persuade.

"You're not fine, trust me. I see you now and how you acted, if you tried to go out again you'll die." He said with a stern attitude.

"O-okay, thank you…" Espeon said hesitantly as she began to follow the Umbreon out of the clearing.

The Umbreon began to speak again, turning his head, not seeming to like the silence. "I kind of forgot to introduce myself, I'm Eric."

Eric the name echoed in the Espeon's head as she continued the conversation. "My name…" She paused as she didn't trust her own name to be held. "I don't like to say…"

Eric turned his head back and sniffed the air. "That's fine if you don't want to say, let me call you Espeon until then, okay?"

Espeon replied with a hesitant 'okay' and continued to follow Eric hanging her head in shame.

They reached this bush filled with tones of blue and pink berries. Eric carefully dug his head into the bush biting a branch, making a large cracking noise as he retreated with the branch. It carried five berries on it all blue with a round shape and multiple small dents around its skin. Eric started to pluck the berries off and rolling them to Espeon with his paw. He then grabbed another branch and repeated the same process without rolling them, for it was for himself. They both laid down a small distance away from each other quietly biting into the ripe, juicy berry that covered a small portion of their muzzles.

"How did you end up here?" Eric broke the silence, "Sorry, I meant, how you managed to end up here alone?" Not trying to sound rude or too personal.

Espeon already knew that it was best to get open to someone that potentially saved her life, she started slowly. "A week ago I came from a clan that I was in, well used to be in. They live in between the mountains in the valley and there are multiple clans who fight for territory and to be the most respected and feared, there is around 5 different clans. I, specifically, am from the Winds of the West on the West side of the mountains." Eric seemed more and more interested as his rounded ears perked upwards seemingly pointing towards Espeon, as she continued with her story.

"I was born differently than the others, as a silver Eevee other than a brown one. Everyone looked at me differently, thought I was some monster, they avoided me entirely. The other clan soon found out and started a war to get rid of me, thinking I was a curse. They even had experts at healing come to me to find out what was wrong with me." She let out a huff before continuing.

"You'd think that the daughter of the chief wouldn't be questioned and act as a good luck charm, but even my father… A Jolteon, Chief Storm of the Clouds, hated me. He abandoned me and personally set me off." Espeon started to have tears form in her eyes which rolled down her cheek.

"You're wrong with your father." Eric said, now closer to Espeon, picking Espeon's head up with his paw. "He must have loved you to an extent to send you off other than kill you as the other clans probably wanted."

Espeon let out a smile, "I guess you have point." She continued, "After they kicked me out I barely could survive, they never teach me to hunt, don't know how to protect myself, all I could do was run. Except recently when I was very hungry and decided to take a risk."

"And that's when you attacked me…" Eric said finishing her explanation. "Did they not give you a name at least?"

Espeon sighed, "They have given me a name. Names are given before the egg even hatches. The one that was assigned to me was…" She hesitated as Eric's attention was completely on her making her blush a bit. "It is Zen… Zen Mist as the Calming Mist of the West."

Eric smiled at her and cheerfully commented, "That's a nice name, don't know why you didn't want to say before."

Espeon replied, "It's because I don't even think I deserve that name anymore…"

"Then, is it okay if I didn't call you Zen Mist, but Zen? It fits you well, you know." Eric said while letting out a small giggle, trying to hide a blush behind his jet black fur.

Zen smiled and they both finished up with their berries.

"T-thank you for this. I'm sorry if I don't know how to react to this kindness…" Zen shyly said.

"It's completely fine, what I am worried about is what you're going to do now?" Eric asked.

"Err… I…" Zen was caught off guard as she didn't have a plan, even when she was kicked out of the clan she didn't know where to go. Something popped in her head in realization, what did he mean with 'worried'? She shook off the thought and replied, "I have nowhere to go, I started wandering mindlessly ever since that day around a week ago…"

"You can come with me then, if you want." Eric offered.

Zen was in slight shock, how can he? Why would he? The thought of the sudden offer raced through her head. "But… I tried to kill you!" Zen exclaimed.

"You tried, but inside you knew you couldn't. It's also why I spared your life because you really never meant to hurt me." Reassuring again that he was fine with the recent events. "Now, would you come with me?"

"I'll be a burden…" Zen said looking at her paws. She personally thought it was true, that she'll just be more weight that will pile up on Eric, she didn't want to put that on him.

"Not to me you wouldn't. Before as an Eevee I could only care for myself, now." Taking a deep breath and exhaling with his evolved form. "Now, I feel like someone new who can change others for the better."

"But, I don't know how to fight, hunt, and even look for food. How would you be able to work with that?"

"Easy, I'll teach you."

"Teach?"

"Yes, I'll take you out every day and teach you what I know. Wouldn't you like that?"

"Y-yes I would." Zen got a bit excited with the thought of someone actually caring for her enough to take her in and teach her.

"Now, will you come with me, Zen?"

Zen gave this a quick thought and nodded her head. Eric looked at her with a warming smile as he stood up and walked a short distance before looking back if Zen would follow. Zen got up and stretched a little before following Eric again. After a while a thought popped up in her head onto where they were going, Eric said he had a den a short while away. A den? Is it big enough for the both of us? We're going to be in a den together? These thoughts flowed through Zen's head while they walked, but she quickly shook the thoughts away as she didn't want to lose this opportunity to get another chance at life.

"Can I ask you something, Eric?" Zen asked, breaking the silence.

"Of course, Zen, ask away" He said without turning his head.

"Back then, when you said, 'worried', what did you mean by that?" Zen asked, not being able to erase the words from her head. It took Eric by surprised as he didn't realized that he even said something close to that before.

"Err, because, I…" Eric hesitated as he looked for a proper response. He stopped and turned to look at Zen. "Because I want to help you, that's all." He stated as he tried to get the question out of the way and move on.

"Okay." Zen doughtily said before they moved on.

Silence grew again until they managed to reach Eric's den. They stood in front of it as Eric turned to look at Zen.

"Welcome to my den." Eric said happily. "Now tomorrow we're going to start training, so make sure to rest up, okay?"

"Sure thing." Zen said weakly as she now feels the exhaustion that was strained through her whole body. She started to walk after Eric and managed to bump her head on the tree's base which Eric's den was dug under. She rubbed her head before continuing hearing a small giggle come from Eric, she continued to walk embarrassed towards the center of the den. Zen didn't look at the interior nor did she care to pay attention at the moment, all she can feel is the warmth and comfort it brought to her. Eric took his spot on plain dirt, leaving a moss and leaf filled bed just for her.

"Err, don't you sleep there?" Zen asked.

"You can sleep there tonight till tomorrow I get the supplies to make you a bed." Eric replied.

"Oh, you don't have to, you know."

"Don't worry about it, trust me, it's just for tonight."

Zen smiled and stepped on the moss bedding and looked at Eric who seemed uncomfortable. Zen felt a bit bad for just meeting him and practically taking his bed for the night until she spoke her mind. "We could, err, share if you wish." She didn't think twice on it and when she realized what she said red started to appear near her cheeks as her gem slowly grew brighter. Eric showed a similar response as he looked at her is slight disbelief. His rings around his body grew brighter and a slight red, which was hard to mask out from his fur, showed on his cheeks.

'Uhh' is the only sound that came out of his mouth before shaking his head to get his mind straight. "I mean, if you really don't mind, its fine really." He said trying to clear her sudden question.

Zen nervously giggled and said that it was fine for him to sleep next to her, since it was his bed and den. Eric just nodded slightly then walked over to Zen where she was already settled down in the moss bed near the corner allowing enough space for Eric to sleep on. Eric stepped on the bed and stepped on it a bit before settling down on it with his fur touching Zen's.

"Thank you for all of this, Eric." Zen said yawning. Eric was about to reply, but stopped as he heard Zen's soft breathing as she drifted to a soft sleep.

"She's evil I say! She will bring nothing but trouble!" The words echoed around as other loud commotion erupted.

"Please! She's my daughter, you have to understand where I'm coming from!" A yellow spiky creature came out as it said these words.

"Banish her!" "Kill her!" The sounds are getting louder as the Jolteon sighs as he turns back into the den. Soon enough a loud thunder clashed to the surface as a green figure is sent out of the den with bruises and burn marks.

"Don't let her escape!" A yell came from the den. As the Jolteon reappeared with rage filled eyes.

Thunder clashed again as the green feline creature makes its way as far away from the place that she once called home. She only lasted a few hours running before passing out in a nearby bush. Thunder clashed once more with the surface.

"Zen? Zen!" The words brought Zen back into reality as she noticed that her heart was pounding. "Oh, I was a bit worried, you were shifting in your sleep while talking." Eric said smoothly to calm Zen.

"Oh, I'm sorry… it was another nightmare. It has been reoccurring since that day…"

Eric just gave her a comforting pat on the back with his tail which made her blush a little bit. "Okay, hopefully you don't get anymore." He said as he smiled at her before going back to sleep.