Grey felt a sense of unease sweep through him as he paced back and forth across the Carina camp. Who was that black Absol that they saw earlier? The Umbreon was almost sure that he's heard his voice sometime before. Who was he? And how did he know Cloud? The two of them seemed to know each other quite well. And this Absol known as Night…he was definitely strong. Grey could practically feel the vibes of energy coming off of him almost burning up the air. He certainly hoped the two Eons facing him would be ok—
"GREEEEYYYYY~"
"The hell—?" The blind healer jumped in shock. Fern was prancing his way toward the camp with that idiotic smile plastered across his face. Cloud was not far behind. "How heck did you guys get back so quickly?! Did you beat Night?"
"Haha! Of course we did! It was a piece of cake," Fern laughed jovially. "That guy dropped like a sack of potatoes!"
"That's only because you kicked him in the… nevermind," Cloud heaved an exasperated sigh. Looking toward Grey, his face turned serious. "How's Frost doing?"
"He's alive and stable, if that's what you mean." The Umbreon sighed and jerked his head toward the medicine den. "The kid was practically a nervous wreck when he woke up. Ren managed to calm him down, but the real problem is his eyes. There's no way I can think of to heal them completely. It doesn't look like he'll see out of them ever again."
"Oh don't worry. I have a plan," Fern grinned. "There is a way of giving him back his eyes." The happy-go-lucky healer's expression suddenly turned solemn. He glanced toward his mate and a silent exchange was made. Grey narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
"What are you planning to do?" The dark-type asked in a low voice. Fern immediately reverted back to his stupid grin.
"Oh you'll see~ In the meantime, Cloud and I will need to be alone with Frost in the medicine den in order to do what we need to do. Could you ask Kara and Noru to make sure no one disturbs us?"
"Sure but…" Grey sighed and looked away. "…just don't do anything stupid, alright?"
Fern looked confused, before suddenly laughing like an idiot. "Aw, Grey! You do care~"
"Sh-shut up!" The blind healer scowled before scurrying toward Kara and Noru's den. Though he'd hate to admit it, he felt the weight on his chest lighten slightly from his stupid mentor's cheery antics. They better not do something stupid though. He has enough to worry about as it is.
Without bothering to knock, Grey poked his head into the Ninetails twins' den, only to be met with the sound faint groans. After first he thought one of them was hurt, but after closer observation the sounds they made were rather…sensual. Sighing tiredly, he cleared his throat.
"I'd hate to interrupt you lovebirds, but Fern told me to tell you two something—"
"EEEEKKK!" Noru shrieked and desperately attempted to cover himself (it's not like Grey could see them anyway). That of course was impossible since the Ninetails was pinned down in a quite revealing position by his brother. The smell of musk and sex was heavy in the air and Grey didn't want to even think of what they were doing together.
Kara glared at the healer from on top of his brother, a couple specks of white hanging from his chin. "Kid, you mind?"
"-Fern said that you two need to make sure no one enters or disturbs the medicine den until he says so." Grey continued, not even fazed. "I would recommend that you finish up quickly and DO YOUR FUCKING JOB INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY FUCKING!"
A thick, awkward silence hung in the air. The Ninetails twins gaped in horror as half the clan heard Grey's little outburst. The Umbreon left the den with a satisfied grin on his face as a rather large crowd began gathering around the enclosure, all wanting to get a good look. Served them right for being such idiots.
Grey sighed and made his way out into the forest. Maybe a short stroll would clear his mind.
(…)
Chester shivered nervously as he dashed through the forest vegetation. He teleported another eighty meters further into Carina territory before pausing for a bit, panting slightly. It's been about a quarter of an hour since he left Dicentra, but he still hasn't found this 'Grey' that the Buizel was talking about.
Apparently he was a grumpy Umbreon, but that wasn't much to go off of. Chester leaped up into a tree and glanced around apprehensively. If he was caught by someone other than this 'Grey', he would be treated as an enemy, no questions asked. To be honest, he wasn't even sure he should even find this Grey. Why would a Carina go out of his way to help him? Despite all the possibilities, he could help but think about how small the chances would be.
Glancing down, the Espeon gasped in surprise as he spotted a dark figure wading his way through the thickets of the forest. Was it him? Chester was about to move closer when a sudden sharp pain permeated his skull. The world spun around him wildly. His breath caught in his throat as he plummeted from his perch and onto the forest floor.
"Hmph, I thought I heard someone sneaking around," an annoyed voice grumbled. Chester looked up hesitantly and found himself face to face with the glaring grey eyes of an Umbreon. He gulped and shivered as the other eon studied him carefully. "…you're from the Ishi, aren't you?"
The dark-type's tone wasn't threatening. In fact it sounded more like bored exasperation.
"So, what are you doing here in Carina territory? What do you want?" The Umbreon huffed.
"I-I was told t-to find s-someone called G-Grey!" Chester squeaked, shaking violently as he tried to inch away from him. The Umbreon sighed.
"I used Mean Look earlier, so don't even think about escaping. Now, who sent you here?"
"U-um, I think his n-name was D-Dicentra. He s-said to go f-find a 'cute feisty Umbreon' and-"
The Carina's nostrils flared and a vein seemed to pop on his forehead. "WHAT THE HELL DID HE CALL ME?!"
Chester nearly jumped ten feet in shock. But nevermind that. The small bubble of hope that had been swelling inside of him popped. This is Grey? This mean-looking grump was supposed to help him?! What was Dicentra thinking?! The Espeon dug in his mind for anything useful that the Buizel has said.
"Um… uh… Your 'sweet Dicentra' said that you'd help us!" Chester blurted out suddenly. He closed his eyes and reared back, ready for another outburst. But nothing happened. Looking back up, he saw the Umbreon's face swelled with an interesting shade of scarlet. He looked like he wanted to yell or something, but gave up with a sigh.
"That little son of a— I'm gonna murder him when find him," The dark-type hissed to no one in particular. He turned towards Chester. "Anyway, I'm Grey and I can't say that I'm glad to meet you. Now what does that bitch want with me?"
"Uh…um…" Chester shuffled his paws nervously. "Well, I think the Ishi's trying to kill Dicentra for some reason, so we tried to teleport away. But then we got caught and—"
"Where is he?" Grey snapped, suddenly serious. Chester stared into the other eon's eyes. As grumpy and annoyed as he was, those grey eyes showed a slight bit of worry. A small smile slid across the Espeon's face as he continued.
"H-he's by the river, fighting the other Ishi warriors. They're—" Before he could even finish his sentence, the dark-type was gone, leaving nothing but a trail of dust.
(…)
Grey's paws hit the forest floor at a rapid pace as he dashed toward the river bordering the two clan territories. His thoughts raced with anxiety and confusion. Dicentra was strong, no doubt, but he couldn't help distressing over his safety- ugh, why would he care? It's not like he was worried about him or anything! He wouldn't give a shit if Dicentra dropped dead and got eaten-
The blind healer gritted his teeth as he kept on running. All personal thoughts aside, he was probably the cause for Dicentra's current predicament. That idiot decided to lie to his Alpha for him didn't he? He's just helping out because he's partially responsible for this mess, not because he cares about Dicentra's wellbeing. Never.
Grey skidded to a halt as he neared the river. The smell of blood was thick in the air and the grass was moist with the coppery liquid. Was the battle already over? The blind perked his head up as the Espeon from earlier teleported next to him. The little guy 'eeped!' in shock and had to stop himself from retching. He ignored him.
Closing his eyes, the dark-type reached out with his mind. The vibes weaving through his mind were obviously those of the dead. Their wounds were rather deep and vicious, clearly made with killing intent. The injuries were all very similar too; a sharp gash from the back of the neck and back that broke the spine with a clean slash. Blood pooled out of the bodies and trickled into the river, dyeing it scarlet. It doesn't seem like there were any survivors…
A hesitant poke on the shoulder brought Grey out of his thoughts. The Espeon (Chester, right?) was shivering with shock, pointing at something floating in the now red river. The healer frowned suspiciously before narrowing his senses into that general area. Grey gasped.
"Dicentra!" He bolted into the stream, struggling frantically against the current toward the motionless body submerged in the water. Grabbing the Buizel by the scruff of the neck, he dragged him carefully to shore, making sure not to hurt him. The water-type slumped on the forest floor, looking more like a soaked bundle of tangled fur than an actual living being.
"I-is he alright?" Chester stuttered anxiously, hovering his head over the unconscious Ishi.
Grey barely registered what the psychic-type said. He immediately pressed his ear against Dicentra's drenched chest, sighing in relief when a soft heartbeat replied. The healer looked up at Chester, his mind going a mile a minute.
"He's alive but we need to get him help right away," Grey said, chewing on his lip. "Can you teleport us to one of my secret dens? It's a little bit away from here."
Chester nodded nervously before putting a paw on both Grey and Dicentra, concentrating on the landscape. Suddenly, they were standing at the mouth of a small den made against the side of a cliff. The wind was whistling gently overhead and the soft grass under their feet gave off a warm, refreshing scent.
Grey immediately got to work carrying the comatose Dicentra into the den, laying him down on a bed of cozy grass and Caterpie silk. Looking over him quickly, the healer felt the weight on his heat lighten a bit. The Buizel had a dark bruise on his shoulder, along with several deep cuts going down his back. Although they looked very painful, they weren't life-threatening.
Grey looked up. The ceiling of the den was decorated with countless numbers of small stones, all of them glimmering in what seemed like liquid moonlight. He quietly plucked one from the structure and placed it next to the sleeping water-type. And with that, he was ready.
Pressing his head against his patient's forehead, he closed his eyes and concentrated. Gradually, his heartbeat slowed to match the low beating of the sleeping Buizel's chest. Grey's glowing yellow rings began illuminating the dimly lit den and mixed in with the milky shine of the stone that lay beside them, filling the room with warmth. A soft hiss was heard and gradually, the wounds littering Dicentra's body began closing up, looking as though they were at least a week old. The water-type's breathing slowly evened out and the color returned to his face.
Leaning back from his patient, Grey took a deep breath and looked over his handiwork. This dumbass never stays out of trouble, does he? The healer sighed with a small smile etched across his face. Dicentra looked so peaceful when he was asleep. Before he realized what he was doing, the Umbreon had placed a soft kiss on the unconscious water-type's cheek.
"EEP!"
Oh shit, Grey cursed angrily. He completely forgot that Chester was still here. The Espeon's eyes were as wide as dinner plates, eyes darting between him and the prone Buizel lying on his lap. His face suddenly burned with an indignant blush.
"W-what? Got a problem?!" Grey snapped, his voice jumping an octave higher than usual. Chester stared at the dark-type incredulously, his gaze falling on a faded scar on his shoulder.
"Y-y-you're marked!" The Espeon gaped. "D-does that m-mean you two are mates?!"
"MATES?!"
If looks could kill, Chester would have died five times before hitting the ground. Grey's face was glowing with a rather interesting shade of scarlet as he glared at the psychic-type with a mixed expression. Despite the healer's annoyance, his face was completely hilarious. Kind of cute too.
"W-who would want to be mates with this asshole?" Grey's stuttering made him sound exactly like Aster. "He's an obnoxious idiot! I-I-I'm just helping because…because I'm a just trying to be nice! T-that's it!"
Chester continued to stare, a teasing smile slowly stretching across his face. "Reeeeally? Then why did you kiss him just now?"
"T-that's b-b-because—" Grey felt his brain fry up from the heat burning at his face. "It's none of your business!" The blind healer took long deep breaths, trying his best to stop his heart from going on overdrive. "A-anyway, who are you? A friend of his?"
The smile immediately faded from the other eon's face. The Espeon suddenly found the rocks at his feet incredibly fascinating and stared at them like his life depended on it.
"Are you going to answer or not?" Grey pressed, a tinge of impatience in his tone. Chester sighed.
"I-I'm just an Ishi sex slave," he whispered, his voice barely audible. He started shivering again. Was he going to hate him? Be disgusted? He wanted to just run out of the den and disappear. But before he could even take a single step, he heard a funny choking sound coming from the other eon.
Chester looked up, confused. Grey had a look of absolute horror mixed with confusion and embarrassment plastered on his scarlet face. His mouth was hanging open in shock, his eyes darting between the Espeon and the Dicentra's sleeping form.
"Y-y-y-you! A-a-and h-h-h-him—!"
Realization suddenly dawned on him.
"W-what? No! We never did anything weird or—"
"Gah! You Ishi are a bunch of perverts!"
"Hey! It's n-n-not like I wanted to live like this!"
"Yeah right! I bet you secretly enjoy your job!"
"What kind of person s-s-says stuff like that?!"
A loud groan interrupted their little argument. Dicentra had a paw over his eyes, a tired moan rumbling from his throat. He glanced up at Grey, and then to Chester. He covered his eyes again.
"You two are cute, but way too loud." The Buizel chuckled and buried his head into his mate's furry chest. "You're lucky I like you so much~"
"And you're lucky that you're not dead," Grey hissed with annoyance, though his voice betrayed a bit of relief. "You seem to like getting yourself into trouble, don't you?"
"Well, at least I know my sweet, feisty mate will always be here to help out~" Dicentra smirked pleasantly before giving the Umbreon a friendly lick on the cheek.
Grey's face jumped another shade of red. "I'M NOT YOUR MATE! A-a-anyway, why are you hanging around with someone like him?" He jerked his head toward Chester. The Espeon's ears drooped.
Dicentra glanced at the other Ishi and raised an eyebrow, a knowing grin etched across his face. "Oh? Don't tell me you're jealous?"
"Jealous?! Of course n-not! Why the hell would I be jealous—"
"You're jealous~" The Buizel decided and gave the healer a quick peck on the lips. "But don't worry! You'll always be my loving mate~"
Grey averted his eyes and hoped to Arceus that his blush wasn't showing through his fur. "I really hate you, you know that?"
"Love you too my love," Dicentra cooed.
(…)
Grey learned something very important today. Dicentra was very long winded. He went into a bit too much detail telling about how he and Chester escaped. He seemed to enjoy explaining exactly what happened between Chester and the Mightyena, describing every aspect and even went as far as imitating the sounds the two of them made.
Needless to say, the Espeon was an embarrassed mess by the time he was finished. Grey glanced at him sympathetically, thinking back about his encounters with Dicentra. The Buizel pretty much did the same thing to him, didn't he? Of course, in Grey's case, he liked it- hell no. Did he just think that?
Grey shook his head, attempting to clear his thoughts. No, he had to focus on a more pressing matter. What was he going to do with the two Ishi? It's not as if he could bring them into the Carina camp (unless of course if they wanted to die). Maybe they can stay here until Dicentra fully recovered. But then what? Grey's head was swimming with wild, confused thoughts.
"Something wrong?" Dicentra suddenly piped up, draping an arm over Grey's shoulder. The Umbreon tensed from the close contact. "You look a bit stressed out, love."
Since when was my name 'love'?! Grey sighed with exasperation. "No, nothing's wrong. Just shut up and let me think."
"Are you worried about what to do with us?" The Buizel said suddenly, his face etched with a soft smile. "Heh, don't worry! I don't need a clan to survive. As soon as I'm well enough again, we can just go off on our own. Being loners doesn't sound too bad, and I can come visit you from time to time. Plus, I'm the strongest warrior there is! There's nothing that can trouble me!"
"That cocky attitude of yours will get you killed one of these days," Grey sighed while hiding a smile. "Alright, but make sure to come back every so often, ok?"
"Aw, you do care~"
"S-shut up!" The healer stuttered. "I-It's just that I-I'm a healer and I'm supposed to be taking care of my patients!"
"Ok, whatever you say my lo-"
A sudden crash from the outside of the den interrupted their conversation. Chester came running into the enclosure wearing a panicked look, sweat gleaming from his forehead. He skid to a stop in front of the other two, gasping deeply for breath. Grey placed a paw on the other Eon's back, stroking his fur slowly as to calm him down. Dicentra gave his fellow fugitive a look of concern.
"Hey, something wrong? Do you need some water or-"
Chester shook his head forcefully, a dark and serious expression shadowing his eyes. After finally catching his breath, the psychic type managed to finally gasp out the new.
"Th-they're b-being attacked! The Ishi and Bosque are besieging the Carina!"