(Hey guys! This Xybur7! The school year's almost done! (for me at least ^,^) I can't wait for summer. I hope you guys like this short chapter. The next few will be on the long side so I hope you can forgive me. This one will be short but sweet.
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own anything but the plot. Any and all characters/places/objects belong to their respective owners.)
Chapter 4: Close to the Heart
Lucario's focus jumped from aura to aura. Many auras were together in the broken Mushroom castle. There were a couple here and there slowly making their way for that castle. 'So that's the natural place to meet…' he thought, then hopped off the top of the tall tree and jumped down to the ground. Red sat crossed-legged below, carefully sipping some soup from a cup. He spat and stuck out his tongue. His bruised face looked better with now only a couple of band-aids on his cheek.
"Ah puh teh raaght eb in… Wha's it tassth so bad?…" Red complained.
"The herb I got for you will make you feel better. It smelled correct. It's medicine," Lucario stated.
"Whai's it tassth so bad?"
"Medicine doesn't have to taste good." Lucario sighed and kneeled. "Master, I'm sorry I wasn't there. If only I was faster… If I had paid more attention…"
Red slurped up the last bit and coughed a little. "I've… Kuff, kuff… I've been worse. Don't put all the blame on yourself, buddy." Red grinned. "I didn't expect it either. It was a surprise for everyone." He cleaned out the cup, stuffed it in his backpack, and stood up. "So, where we goin'?"
"Many people are heading for Princess Peach's castle," the aura pokémon reported. Pikachu hopped up onto Red's shoulder and nodded.
"Right then," Red decided. "Princess Peach's it is." The group started through the thick woods. They slowly picked up the pace toward the distant castle.
"Sooooo…" Pikachu chirped. "What the heck was that purple lightning? That was totally weird." She turned to Red. "How'd you know to draw the guys back, Red?"
"Huh?" Red looked at Pikachu, confused. Lucario translated. "Oh!" He answered. "I thought it was a lightning attack from an opponent. I've seen Pikachu's Thunder so I thought that's what it was. The most likely targets were my guys so I withdrew them 'cuz I had to act fast. I guess it wasn't enemy Thunder, was it?..."
"No," Lucario answered. "But you did well to withdraw them out of harm's way. That primid was strong… and ruthless. I don't remember them being that active and violent." The trees rustled. Lucario put his arm in front of the trainer and looked directly up. He stared at the slightly vibrating spot in the leaves.
"What is that up there?" Pikachu whispered. Lucario closed his eyes and focused his mind on the moving spot. Twisted aura flickered off of a bird with razor wings and a long pointed beak.
"Not a primid," he confirmed. "An Auroros."
"The birds?" Pikachu asked.
"A bird."
"A flying bird?" Pikachu started to grin deviously. Lucario caught the grin and gave a little smirk himself. He offered his paw to Pikachu who hopped on and started charging electricity.
"On my mark." Red readied himself and kept his eyes on the patch of leaves.
"Yes sir," both pokémon answered. Lucario crouched.
"Leap!" Red ordered. Lucario followed the order and jumped high into the air, getting close to the top of the tree. He kept the momentum by putting his feet on the tree's trunk and running up. He held Pikachu out and pulled her back, preparing for the next signal.
"Throw!" Red shouted. Lucario hurled Pikachu into the air as high as he could to get her close to the hiding Auroros. She flew high up and rustled the leaves. The Auroros startled and began to fly. A white bird with rainbow blade wing and tail feathers and long sharp beak burst through the leaves. The bird flipped and started to plummet like a spear right above the sparky mouse.
"Now! THUNDER!" Red commanded. Pikachu unleashed the pent up energy, summoned storm clouds, and shocked the Auroros with an enormous bolt of brilliant yellow lightning. The Auroros jerked and fell to the ground, burning to a crisp. Red exclaimed with glee and Lucario gave a small applause.
1…
Pikachu landed on a top-most branch, looked down at the aura pokémon and blushed like crazy. Lucario saw Pikachu's aura flush with excitement, embarrassment, and giddiness.
2…
Lucario sniffed the air. His fur pricked up on end. Violet flashes started appearing in the dark clouds.
3…
Lucario's smile faded. His heart beneath his steel chest spike skipped a beat.
"PIKACHU!" he realized, rushed up, filled up his paw with aura, and palmed the tree as hard as he could.
4…
Pikachu wobbled and fell off the branch.
5…
Violet lightning came down and struck branch where Pikachu was perched. The branch fell like the stone it now was. Lucario rushed up the tree, shattered the stone branch, and swiftly scooped up the falling Pikachu. He landed softly back on the ground next to the panicking Red who had a spray bottle potion and cheri berry in hand, ready. The normally calm Lucario himself was breathing hard with panic. He cradled Pikachu and slightly rocked her. Pikachu squirmed a little. Lucario shook her gently in his arms and Red came in with a small squirt from the potion bottle.
"Pikachu?..." Lucario whispered softly. His straight, pointed ears drooped a little. 'Oh, great Arceus… please, please, please… Wake up… Please, Pikachu. Wake up…'
"Ooo...ar...ee…oh…mmm" Pikachu mumbled, and then jolted awake. "HOLY HO-OH! What was THAT?" Lucario let out such a huge sigh of relief, his shoulders sagged as his tension was released. "DIDJA SEE THAT?" Pikachu kept going on. "I did Thunder and the birdie went bye-bye and I was up top and I nearly got struck by my own lightning and I fell and the branch fell and the tree rumbled and the- and the… Someone tell me what happened."
"That wasn't your lightning… That was the violet one…" Lucario breathed out.
"'What happened?'" Red tried to translate. "You used Thunder, then something tried to zap you… and turned the branch to stone… Yeah, that doesn't make sense. Why would lightning petrify? Lucario made you fall out of the way and-"
"Nothing happened." Both Red and Pikachu looked at Lucario, caught off guard by his surprising response.
"Right… Nothing bad happened… and that's all that matters, right?" Red tried to smile. "Let's, uh, keep going, shall we?" He backed up and started to lead the way. Lucario stood up but didn't let go of the electric mouse in his arms.
"Uuuuh, Lucario?" Pikachu tilted her head. "Are you okay?"
"I'm still calming down," Lucario breathed out.
"Um…" Pikachu's red cheeks sparked once and the red spread across her face. "I need to stay by Red…"
"I've got my eye on him. I won't let him get hurt again," the aura pokémon assured. "Not on my watch." Lucario brought Pikachu a little closer. "Just… let me keep you close for a while…" His eyes went distant. 'I don't want to lose you…' He thought to himself. 'I've lost my home… I've lost my master… My friends… My entire past… Pikachu. Red. You're practically all I have left. I can't lose you. I won't lose you. I swear on my life.'
"You deserve a second chance."
Lucario blinked and smiled sadly. 'I won't let you down, my friend. I promised I wouldn't waste it.'
"Lucario, are you scared?"
The aura guardian glanced down at the tiny, fragile pokémon in his arms who brought him back to reality. His heart pounded but not for fear or anxiety. He felt his muscles relax and allowed his aura to flow. The faint blue fire appeared as a small flame in each paw beside Pikachu that glowed, not flickered. Lucario took a deep breath in and out, looked the cradled pokémon in the eyes, and spoke the truth. He answered strongly but gently, hard but soft, controlled yet unrestrained.
"Not anymore."
/
3
(If this doesn't wave a big pink heart-shaped flag in your face and make you go "Aww" I don't know what will. Remember to leave me a review about how I did and what I need to fix. Thank you for taking the time of day to read my story. It really does mean a lot to me to know that at least someone out there likes it. Thank you all. Your support gives me all the motivation I need to keep writing.)