Me: This is sooo overdue... No, I won't waste my time apologizing. That will just take up more space than necessary.
The only thing I can say, is that the seventeenth through the twenty first are accounted for by me meeting some family that I didn't know I had. Nor did I know if they were still alive, until we found each other.
But! All that aside, I hope you can enjoy what little I am able to provide you in this chapter. Also, I was feeling very distracted up until about yesterday, but I'm pretty sure I have recovered a small portion of my mojo by now. (At least... If I was able to finally get back into writing, that is...)
So, yeah... Read on!
Riley: Oh, finally! I was wondering when you'd quit yapping...
Me: I still have the super-reinforced card-board box... And I'm not afraid to use it, either!
Riley: You keep that thing away from me! *Runs*and*hides*
Me: Good. That's gotten rid of him... for a while, at least.
And now... The disclaimer!
Cinders the Cydaquil: Cyn-cynda, qu~il! Qui-Cynda! Cynda, Quil, Cyndaquil-cyn...Da! Cyn da, Quil-quil, Cynd.
Me: Isn't he precious? I just love this little guy! He's my starter for SoulSilver. So be nice!
Anyway, enjoy your reading! ;)
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Chapter Seven:
Questionable Clarity
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At the coastal town, Infina, a young woman sat outside her home while the nighttime haze rolled in off the western sea. Breathing in and exhaling slowly, she concentrated on the image of her Pidgeot, as it cut the starry sky over the heart of the southern forest. Though she could not actually see the proud bird Pokemon, she knew precisely where it was, and where it turned on the night's gentle breeze. To anyone who happened to pass her, she appeared as though she were staring into space.
It was now two days since the Knight from headquarters failed to show, and she was beginning to worry. Neither she, nor her Pokemon, would admit it, but they knew in their hearts that something had happened.
"Come back, Pidgeot..." she sighed suddenly, "It's no use. It's too dark to see anything anymore."
Wheeling on the next thermal, Pidgeot turned toward home, still scanning the ground for even the smallest hint that the Knight had been nearby, like they believed.
Passing over the northern Eterna gorge, the Pokemon noticed some recently disturbed rocks and sediment. Pidgeot swooped in for a closer look, and noticed signs of a fierce struggle; Deep, gouged out scratches covered one of the cliff sides, up to a narrow hollow where they suddenly stopped. The ground was partially torn up as well, and there were large rocks set in circles several yards away... This was the site of a powerful battle!
But at the surface, the result of what had happened wasn't clear. This was something to report! And immediately, at that!
Pidgeot took off again. This time, it returned home with a lot more speed and determination.
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Later...
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The sun had risen, and the members of the Grand Aura Knight's Council were all feeling exhausted, by debate and worry. To them, lack of sleep was small compared to the fact that one of their own was 'missing in action'.
"I was afraid of this," High Councilman Starr, said at last, "But there have been times, when a Knight of our Order chooses to make themselves scarce, for the sake of the mission at hand."
"Be that as it may, Starr, Riley is one of our top members. He would not vanish suddenly without reason. And he always reports in whenever he can, because he knows how much it puts our minds at ease!" Lady Sharinn had spoken up with a highly upset tone. Most of the other members nodded in silent agreement of this.
"And what would you have me do, good Lady? Send another Knight after him, when he could well need the camouflage he's taken, even from us?" Starr replied, looking about himself at the others
There was much uncomfortable shifting as his eyes wandered the room. Finally, Councilman Gregor, the most grizzled and battle scarred among all of them, stood up and said, "High Councilman... My old friend, I think we both know he didn't just vanish for the sake of the mission." he shook his head slowly, and seriously, "We all know that isn't true... Riley is one of the most skilled Knights in our midst. He would have found a way to tell us if he was going undercover for a while..."
A heavy silence met these words. After Starr himself, Gregor was the most intuitive of the AKC, and would face hard facts with the blunt determination to do something about them.
Then, Starr smiled, "You could be right, my dear friend. And I may be acting too optimistic for the sake of the others, though, it's hardly as useful as your impression of the situation. What would you do in my position?"
Unabashed at being asked such an important question, Gregor answered, "The first thing to do is gather more intelligence about the situation. If Riley is safe, and in no immediate danger, then we will do nothing more until he returns." a few members nodded agreement to this, and listened to the next part of Gregor's plan, "If, however, Riley is in danger, and can no more contact us than try to escape his predicament, then, with the knowledge we gathered about his captors, we organize a way of rescuing him."
Gregor's words were met with hearty approval, and it was some time before the Council members were calm enough to hear Starr's verdict. Raising a hand for silence, Starr spoke out calmly, "In all our years of rivalry, I never did learn to be as solid a rock of sense, as you my friend. Your plan is sound and true. The Lady Knight positioned near where we lost contact with Riley, will continue to investigate until we can send another Knight to take over, and, possibly, track the situation."
With the plan set, the AK Councilors adjourned for the day, and set off to their normal tasks of raising the Pages, training the Squires, and guiding their Knights. As well as tending to Pokemon, but, more often than not, a Pokemon belonging to an Aura Knight, can take care of itself!
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XXX
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The ceiling of the guest dorm in the Pokemon Center was low and homely. The window on the far wall of the room, let in soft moonlight that washed over Allan's pale face as he watched the night roll steadily on, and the soft snores of his neighbors were only interrupted by the occasional snuffle as they turned over in their dreams.
'You should be asleep, Allan...'
'I would love to, ' was the sarcastic response, 'But even though I've calmed down a lot since then, I can't seem to shut my eyes...'
'Try,' Gallade, from within his Pokeball, yawned tiredly and waited
'I am, at least, resting,' Allan sounded a little grumpy
But then, the previous events of the night were quite a lot to take in, all at once. That Allan had managed to calm himself to the point where he wasn't really thinking at all, was a feat in itself, and maybe things would start to make a little more sense with dawn's first light.
Allan sighed and closed his eyes, but didn't sleep. Even without coherent thinking, his mind was still racing, with an occasionally clear thought coming through. When they occurred, he frowned but didn't focus on them. It was better to just let them pass until he had the energy to really reflect on his circumstances. And then... 'The Knight...'
'What about him?' Gallade asked, still tired
'Everything that's happened since we arrived at the outskirts of this city, almost drove me to forget why we originally came here in the first place.'
'Oh...' the Pokemon seemed thoughtful, 'You're right, as usual, Master Allan.'
'... Stop it with the 'Master' thing, already!' Allan groaned a little, and turned onto his side to get more comfortable, 'And my remembering at the last second has nothing to do with being right... We're wasting time here.' Allan shifted his position again, and moved to rise
'Wha- Allan! You promised you would get some sleep!' Gallade cried reprovingly, fully awake at last
'I will. But this subject has broken my concentration on relaxing, and not thinking.' Allan dropped lithely from the upper bunk he'd been resting on, and, cat-like, moved quietly toward the guest dormitory's door.
'Not thinking... That seems about right...' Gallade sighed
Out in the hall of the Pokemon Center, Allan turned toward the nearest exit and listened for anyone who might still be awake. Ducking down into a doorway, he watched a Chansey pushing a small cart from one side of the hall to the other, into an adjoining entryway that led to the front of the building. 'Well, that's one direction I won't be going tonight,' he thought to himself.
'I wish you would reconsider and go back to bed.'
'I just need to walk around for a bit. It's not like I plan on leaving, to go off and find some Galactic goons.' Allan quipped in response to the Pokemon's distress
'I'd feel better if you would stay in the room and sleep!' Gallade insisted
"There isn't a whole lot I can do about that, Gallade. I need to move around a little, or I'll never settle down." Allan chose to whisper this time, to see if that would make his Pokemon worried enough that he'd leave him alone.
'Allan, please!' Gallade dithered, thoroughly upset by Allan's choice
Allan reverted to telepathy to calm his friend's panic, 'Just a walk... Would you feel better if I had you out to walk with me?'
'... I don't want to get caught by that nurse... She looks more than formidable, when it concerns refusal to sleep in bed properly.'
Allan almost laughed out loud! Catching himself in time, he stifled loud chuckles as he tried to think coherently, 'Yo-heehee- You were worried about-snort-h...-hahaha- her? You were worried about her?'
'That isn't funny, Allan! What if she's really stern?' Gallade knew his excuse was pathetic, but he really couldn't think of anything better. Allan had promised...
'Okay, okay... I'll go back. But only because you got me to laugh my stress out!'
Allan was still smiling as he wandered over to the bunk he'd been occupying, turning the sheet down, he looked at the window and sighed, 'But, still... That Knight is in trouble. He would have come after me by now... If he were in any position to.'
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XXX
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"Do you believe I can be forgiven yet?" Riley asked calmly, two hours later
'No!' Was the irate reply of the Pokemon sitting kitty-corner to him, across the cargo bay of the truck.
"We don't really have time to be antagonistic to each other. We need each other to survive in this situation..."
'... I know...' Lucario looked back, not revealing her feelings through an open expression, 'What I don't know, is why you're acting so 'macho' lately.'
"'Macho'?" Riley blinked. He'd been called many things in his career as an Aura Knight, but never 'macho'.
'Okay, maybe 'macho' isn't exactly right... But I know you haven't been relying on me, as your partner.' She looked him in the eyes, 'What is it about this mission, that holds you back from leaning on me as your support?'
Riley looked, and really looked, at his Pokemon partner. Worry. Frustration. Fatigue. They all showed clearly on her face as she waited for his answer...
"You know that I've been having strange dreams lately," He waited for her acknowledging nod and continued, "Every time I wake up from these dreams, I get the feeling that they're all somehow connected to the mission. Intimately."
'Whenever I 'sync in' to check how your dreams have been, I can sense that too. But what I don't get, is why it has to cloud your focus so.' She glared accusingly, and waited once more, for his answer
Riley thought to answer quickly, but just as he was about to speak, he reflexively called Lucario back to her Pokeball and stowed it away.
The truck had stopped, and that meant it could only be a matter of seconds 'til the door to his improvised transport prison, was pushed up to reveal an unpleasant fate. Yet, whole minutes, and then an hour passed, and there was still silence, or rather, stillness.
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XXX
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"Puu..." Sighed a small Budew, as it watched a favorite puddle shrinking away until the next rain fall came to revive it.
Looking up suddenly when it sensed something unusual, it hopped away into the forest to escape the odd vibes it was getting about the area near it's favorite puddle. Although the sensation wasn't one that indicated 'danger', it was still disturbing enough that the little Pokemon couldn't risk staying to discover the source of the oddness. It continued to hop deeper into it's forest home, without once looking back to where it had been.
"Puu..." it sighed sadly once again, as it knew secretly that it might be a very long time indeed, before it's favorite play spot reappeared.
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XXX
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Morning had broken over Eterna city. Daytime Pokemon rose from their dens, nests and hideaways, off once again to go about their daily lives as the undercurrent of the old city's residents. The nocturnal ones had long laid themselves to rest for the day ahead, as the Morning Glory's in several well tended gardens lifted their petals to greet a kiss from the sun.
The day had arrived.
A small family waited in the lobby of the Pokemon Center. Although slightly anxious, they were patient, as they awaited the one they were expecting to walk out of the guest rooms of the building.
"Kururu!" Chirruped a small Ralts, as Allan walked out to the front desk to properly check himself out.
Allan, who hadn't been aware of the family's presence until right when they approached, forced himself to remain calm as he turned to them.
"Before you say anything, hear us out." Harv said swiftly, putting up a hand for emphasis
Inez put her hand on her husband's arm, and continued on their behalf, "Perhaps inviting you over yesterday, was too much too sudden... But we never meant to hurt you, or frighten you off."
"Yeah," Emma interrupted, "Mista Allen, if Emma's really really good, will Mista Allen come back?"
"Emma! That's too much!" Suzie admonished, coloring slightly
"What's 'too much'...?" Emma blinked and turned to Allan again, "Emma just wants Mista Allen to come and live with us!"
Although odd, Emma was speaking in the third person today... Allan had only seen this behavior once or twice, when teenage girls thought that it made them sound cute, which was hardly the result they'd get with someone as serious as him. But more than that, Emma had actually suggested something that made Allan feel almost numb with shock!
"Well? Doesn't Mista Allen want to live with Emma?" Allan suppressed a shiver
Earl stepped in, "Now hold on there, child of mine! That's not something that he can just do, not with the way he bolted yesterday!"
"But- Mista Allen, didn't say no!" Emma cried, looking up at Allan for affirmation.
"I'm sorry..." Allan found he could only look down, "Your dad's right. I can't just do something rash like that... For me, things aren't that simple."
He just couldn't take it in. Their faces showed neither suspicion, nor offense, or anger. Just varying degrees of concern, which were more than he could handle at the moment.
And it hit him, a dark memory that had been pushed back, far away where Allan could no longer sense it: 'What is the element that all Dark Knights must cut from their hearts?' Roserade ceased it's thorny vined thrashing, and waited for the signal to continue.
'Family...' Was the quiet, raspy reply.
'Ah, an interesting answer that, my Squire.' Raze signaled for just one more strike, to emphasize his point.
Allan could barely lift his head to meet the man's eyes, looking for anything that might reveal the last words to be a lie, 'Squire? Your Squire? I haven't even been initiated yet. I haven't taken a test, or done something to prove myself... I'm being punished for asking what you people think, is a stupid question!' Roserade began lashing him furiously.
When Raze's Roserade stopped; When Allan lost consciousness; And when he came to, to find himself being forced to look Master Raze in the eyes, Allan could never be sure. The memory had been suppressed for so long now, it seemed more like a bad nightmare.
Looking up now, at the confused expressions of concern that were all for his well being, it was all so surreal. 'Family is like this?'
'I believe so, Master Allan.'
'Then the least I could do, would be to turn them down politely...'
'Yes,' Gallade was nodding in his Pokeball, 'I know you can manage that, easily enough.'
Allan almost frowned openly at that, 'What is that supposed to mean?'
Smiling Gallade answered, 'Nothing. Just talk to them before they think you're too tongue-tied, to do so!'
'Shut up!' Allan looked down at Emma, who was in tears over his answer. This surprised him, somewhat. He didn't really think a little girl could get so attached after only a few hours!
Kneeling down to her level, he carefully lifted her chin and looked at her calmly, "Emma, I can't because I have some very important... 'Hero work', I have to do. It may lead me very far away... But I think I would like to come back and visit sometime. Is that alright?"
She looked up at her dad and sister, then her aunt and uncle. Inez smiled readily, Harv was a little more hesitant. Earl winked at his older daughter and said, "I don't know, Emma... He may be married by the time he comes back to the Eterna city area."
Not missing a beat, Suzie added, "Or maybe he'll forget. Heroes have lots of fans and he might lose track of the time, or even forget, if he doesn't come back in a year or two."
"No he won't! Mista Allen's too smart to forget things like Grandma!" Emma cried unhappily
"Emma! Grandmother doesn't 'forget things', she just loses track of them!" Suzie huffed annoyed
"Girls, stop it right there, and let Allan get a word in edgewise." Inez said, gently breaking it up.
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Later...
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'Master Allan. What was it that made you get a grip on the situation, back there?' Gallade asked when they were outside, heading for the northern half of Eterna city, where a supposed, 'base of operations' for Team Galactic was located.
"I remembered something about my time apart from everyone else. When, as a page, I disappeared for a while, and then came back as Master Raze's personal Squire."
'How could that be the thing that calms you!?' Cried a shocked Gallade, as he walked beside Allan, northward.
"I had asked a simple question. True, it was somewhat defiant, but it never warranted such a severe punishment, as I had received anyway." Allan paced faster, still speaking, "Mid-torture, I was still able to defy his will... Maybe my punishment was nearing it's end, by the timing of the situation. But the thing that really cooled me down, was what was being said in the memory."
'Said?'
"Master Raze was drilling me on the values of a Dark Knight." Allan paused and snorted at the irony of these words, "He was asking me what element had to be cut from the heart of a Dark Knight. In my memory, I answered this; 'Family'. After that, he called me his Squire, and I denied that I had done anything to deserve it. I don't really remember anything important happening afterward."
'Maybe something in your answer called to his, 'good humor'.'
"Maybe. And maybe he had been planning it all along. Who can tell, with that guy..."
'Not to mention that you were two years underage for the title, Squire.' Lapras smiled up from his Pokeball at Allan, 'And that, Alvin, has been jealous of you ever since!'
"Glad to see someone is amused by this, because I'm not." Allan stopped walking to check their surroundings
'Over there,' Gallade pointed to a gaudy looking roof, sticking way out above the other buildings in the area, 'That place just reeks of dark Auras and cruelty... Not as bad as some places, but that is definitely the impression it's inhabitants are leaving behind.'
"This is the only one in the whole city, right?" Allan asked, looking at Gallade seriously
'As far as my senses can tell, this is the only one in Eterna city. And there isn't another impression this bad, for miles.'
"And certainly not within the early reaches of Aura farsite's range." Allan finally agreed, moving into the shadow of a darkened ally, "But just be sure to keep your senses up, as we approach more closely to our target."
Gallade nodded quietly. After the hunt begins, any and every circumstance is business. No mistakes, and no detours. The mission at hand, is everything. These are virtues that have carried them through some of the toughest assignments they'd ever had to pull off. In place once again, they are all that Allan and Gallade know, now that the hunt is on!
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XXX
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The stillness was unnerving. Nothing seemed to change for hours. The truck just sat, quietly in it's place.
Finally deciding to break the silence, Riley said in an casual way, "You know, we haven't eaten in over two days."
'Really? With all the excitement that's been going on, I honestly hadn't noticed.'
Lucario was handling the situation more calmly than Riley had first thought. It provided a small gleam of relief to his gloomy conscience, although she might've just been trying to lighten the mood a bit.
'Should we order soup or a salad to start with, or just some fries?'
Riley chuckled, "I think I'd prefer a salad myself. Do you believe they have good lasagna or maybe some zesty enchiladas?"
'Oh, the lasagna for sure! Followed up by a thick, creamy chocolate shake.'
"That's not right, Lucario... You're makin' me hungry!"
'Sure thing. One extra fresh salad with plenty of ranch dressing, coming right up!'
"Are you punishing me for the 'enchiladas' comment?" Lucario rolled her eyes, "I'm serious, Lucario."
'No. Just bored.' the Pokemon answered dryly
Suddenly, the truck gave a shuddering growl, as it rumbled back to life. They were moving again, but as to where, only time would tell.
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Later...
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The truck's engine was still grumbling when the swaying, that indicated motion, ceased.
'So they haven't turned the engine off, but we're not really going anywhere either...' Lucario, having healed most of her worst wounds completely, was using the power of her Aura to sense the truck's surroundings, 'Although it's a bit faint, sensing anything through this soundproofed box, I think that we're actually within a major city... But what I can't tell offhand, is if we're still west of Mt. Coronet.'
"With how long we've been in here, it's safe to say that we could be anywhere. But what I want to know, is if this city has any way we can contact headquarters. To let them know that we're still alive." Riley paused, and grunted quietly; The pain in his right elbow was starting to spread, and become unbearable, "This, might pose a slight problem though."
Lucario winced in sympathy. Riley's Aura was normally bright-to-dark shades of blue, with a dark purple edge. Now, most of it was mottled with green, except where the break in his elbow showed as a dark, bloody-brown color, that poisoned everything else in his body. Although he wasn't showing it by much, it was obvious to the practiced Aura reader, that he was in very real pain. A high fever was also very likely, if not a fact about his condition.
"Lucario, come here for a second. I've got an idea that's just crazy enough to work."
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Meanwhile...
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"Alright you slouches! Get over here and stand up straight!" Comdr Mars screeched irritably
Traveling had not done her temper any good. Neither had the overheated engine, that stopped them in the middle of nowhere, waiting for it to cool down. The grunts she chose to vent her spleen on, were home base members, standing guard at the rear entrance to their main base of operations.
"Didn't you hear me!?" she bellowed at the hapless grunts, who were still standing by at their assigned posts, "I commanded you to come over here and stand at the ready! We've got a prisoner in this truck that's too tricky to be taken lightly!!!"
Not wanting to provoke her ire anymore than they had by obeying their first orders, several of them ran quickly to flank the rear of the truck, a couple of them tripping on their overlong buzz javelins.
Rolling her eyes, Mars moved to stand by the truck's rear door, and gave the signal to her top three subordinates to open it and grab their captive.
In the next instant, three things happened so fast, that many of the grunts who bore witness, still have trouble believing it really occured.
"Open the truck's hold... Now!" Mars commanded
"Go!" Riley shouted, as he unleashed a bright burst of Aura light
'I'll not fail you, Riley!' Lucario cried, as she burst out of the truck, flew clear over heads of most of the grunts standing by, and dashed swiftly into the shadows of evening.
"What just happened?" the grunt called 'Benny' asked, completely dumbfounded
"YOU IDIOTS!" Mars exploded, after making sure that Riley was incapable of escape, "HOW DARE YOU LET THAT POKEMON ESCAPE FROM RIGHT UNDER YOUR STUPID NOSES!!!"
Unfortunately, this caused just about every grunt present, to scatter into hiding. Panting with rage, she grabbed Riley up and said in a remarkably calm tone, "Welcome to our headquarters. Please, enjoy your stay."
If Riley hadn't been worried before, he was starting to get more than a little anxious now. 'My only hope, is to trust in Lucario!' he thought determinedly, 'If anyone can pull this off, it's her!'
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Someplace else...
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Lucario was feeling a little turned around in the back streets of the city, but she was pretty sure she knew where she was in relation to Riley, and the nearest ones who could help.
Casting her senses left and right, she carefully caught her breath as she bent down into a kneeling position, and gathered her thoughts.
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Me: And that wraps up an overdue chappy, that I promised more than half a month ago. But! I don't plan on waiting too long to get you the next installment. I don't promise that I'll have it to you in a matter of hours, or even a couple pf days, but I will have it out soon. Count on that! I promised you all at least three chapters this month, and with a little encouragement, I'll see if I can pull that big whopper off!
Riley: You're biting off more than you can chew. Even if they were to inspire you by writing heartfelt reviews, new chapters to their stories, or make new fan fictions altogether, you still couldn't write three set of fourteen page chapters in April alone!
Me: I said, 'With encouragement'. That means they have to keep up with me, or I won't really feel like it. I am actually bothering to post something I think is too short, and severely unfinished!
Riley: That's because you probably have a small case of OCD.
Me: You know, I really want to burst out laughing until I cry! Did you just call me obsessive compulsive? You!?
Riley: What?
Me: You just keep right on living in ignorance, buddy; It doesn't seem to be killing you.
Anyway all, I thank each and every one of you for reviewing my last chapter. I really appreciate it! I won't type up the review call this time, but I most definitely will for the next chapter, and if you reviewed, your user I.D. will show up! Thanks again for reading!
Riley: (Just what the heck was she going on about!?)
