Chapter 14- The Great Schism
Dusk was setting in over the maroon sky, as the sunsets for the night once more. The moon was visible, but distant and dull as the sun's final rays hold it at bay for a few hours longer. Sebastian can't help but look up at the pinkish hue that covers the sky, a thing of beauty in his mind as he and his friends travel across a wooded path.
Damon has been leading them deep into the woods ever since leaving Leichi. "We need to toughen up a bit." He remarked as the reasoning behind this. Even though the roads are more direct to the nearest towns, Damon persisted this is a better plan.
Now, Sebastian is beginning to question his judgment. Ken and Sophie have already expressed how ridiculous this idea was, and in true fashion, used a lot of yelling and arguments to make their cases. Sebastian was hoping to get a good view of some pokemon, but thus far only weak leveled Cateripes and Pidgeys have been seen. Now in their fourth day in the wild, he too is getting restless.
'Maybe Ken is right this time.' Sebastian pondered. 'Maybe we should of stayed on the roads.'
"So, fearless leader." Ken remarked sarcastically, breaking Sebastian's own thoughts.
Damon sighed before facing Ken eye to eye. "Yes, Ken? Another complaint, like always?" he said nonchalantly.
"Oh no…I don't mean to complain at all." Chided Ken.
"In fact, I want to thank you, because this has been a great waste of time and if it wasn't for you, we could of made great progress in the past four days."
"Oh but we are…"
"Not this again!" snapped Ken. "Not this whole "for the experience" crap!" I know it's a lie, your probably just leading us out into the woods so we can rot or something like that."
"Ken, don't be stupid." Damon replied calmly. "If I wanted to do that, I would of never given you pokemon when we met. Plus, I would of abandoned you in Ridge Woods and in Liechi. You really need to stop the drama, Ken. It gets you nowhere."
Sophie began giggling a bit, while Ken shot her a hasty glare of anger. He then turned to Sebastian, who was just shaking his head in disgust.
"You really need to calm down, Ken." Sophie said, breaking the awkward silence.
"Ok, ok. You wouldn't do that." Conceded Ken. "But where are you leading us then?"
"Well…" Damon began, before Ken cut him off.
"Stop with the secrets already! That annoys me more." Ken said in disgust.
Damon was no longer calm. His face scrunched up, his hands clenched into tight fists as his lip quivered to the rhythm of his beating heart. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
Sebastian, for the first time, knew Damon was going to snap.
"Um guys…" Sebastian said finally. He was hoping that another petty argument would just blow over, but it seems like this one might lead to unnecessary violence in his eyes.
"No, Sebastian. Too late for some peace." Damon said harshly.
"Is that so?" Ken remarked.
"You think I keep secrets from you?" Damon asked.
"Yes."
"Then how hypocritical are you then, Ken?"
Ken thought for a moment, but before he could answer, Damon started again.
"No need to answer, because I know what you will say." Ken looked more confused.
"You do?" he asked softly.
"Oh, I do." Damon said, before moving so close to Ken his face was now inches from Ken's. Ken now was wide eyed, and he began to shake in nervousness with Damon's advanced.
"Damon don't…" started Sebastian, but Damon just shot him a dirty look, which quickly repelled any reply. Damon quickly turned back to Ken, who was still shaking out of anticipation of what he likely deserved.
"Everyone harbors secrets, Ken. Desires, problems, even things that are just left unsaid. Sometimes it is for a good cause, and other times it can do harm to someone, even yourself if you leave it closed for too long. I suggest that you stop making quick accusations towards people, because one day someone won't hold back when they feel like punching you in the gut!"
Damon raised his fists up, as Ken jerked his head, flinching downwards. Damon kept an icy gaze on him, before claming himself and walking away. Ken was now sitting on the ground, his head buried in his arms. Sophie and Sebastian, both onlookers towards the exchange, were relieved it was over.
"Ok, guys." Sophie said, easing the tension some more. "I think we have had enough. The sun is almost gone and stuff, and we should set up camp."
"Good idea." Replied Damon in his usual, emotionless tone.
BOOM!
Before anyone could unpack their sleeping bags, a large crack of thunder erupted in the sky. Everyone jumped in freight by the sudden noise. Shortly after, a brilliant flash of light, like a supernova, filled the sky and covered the pinkish hue with nothing but white, before receding away from it's source; a large, scraggly lightning bolt that likely touch downed in the woods nearby.
"Forget the camp, follow me." Damon said quickly, grabbing his pack and lightly jogging to the east. Sophie followed suit, while Sebastian repacked his supplied. Ken, still sitting on the ground, seemed oblivious to the entire scenario. Sebastian noticed this, as he began rocking his friend in the arm, hoping to wake him up from this trance-like state.
"Come on Ken. We gotta go." Sebastian pleaded, but Ken never looked up at his friend, he kept his head downwards past his knees, wallowing in his own shame.
"Leave me." He said weakly.
"Don't be dumb, just come on…"
"I SAID LEAVE ME!" Ken shouted back, this time moving his head upwards.
BOOM!
"Why should I leave my friend?" Sebastian asked.
"I am not a good friend. I am just causing trouble." Ken said back.
"Dude it's ok, everyone gets frustrated at times…"
"NO! It's not ok. I keep doing this to you guys because I don't trust him at all. It's obvious that he is not leaving, so he can take my place. So just leave me!"
BOOM!
"Dude, stop it. No one can take your place here! Please come on, there's a thunderstorm coming. We need to get out of here."
"Id rather stay here."
"Stop this self-pity shit!" snapped Sebastian. "Just stop it! You're a better guy than this Ken, you need to just calm down a bit."
"How the hell can I calm down when my BEST FRIEND is going off with some jerk and a girl he likes over ME?" Ken shouted back.
BOOM!
Sebastian was taken back by Ken's words, but now was worried because the thunder was coming closer every minute they waste. He could feel a few droplets of fresh rain sprinkle on his head; he needs to hurry.
"That is not what this is about, Ken. I made a promise that we would do this together!"
"Why aren't you keeping it then?" Ken asked, as tears were visibly forming in his eyes. "Why bring these guys onto what we wanted to do together? This was all about you and me, best friends toughing it out! Why the fuck are strangers with us? What happened dude? What happened?"
BOOM!
Sebastian didn't know what to say. He sniffled a bit, before rubbing his eyes to wipe away the visible tears as well. By now the rain was fully coming down, soaking the two teens. In the distance, Sebastian can hear Sophie calling them to hurry up.
"I am sorry, Ken." Was all Sebastian said, as Ken wiped his wet face of the salty tears and cascading rainwater. Ken just looked up and nodded, before Sebastian grabbed his arm and helped him up from the now flooded ground.
"I just wanted it to be us, dude." Ken said softly.
BOOM!
"Let's talk about this later." Sebastian said, before running off to the east. Ken followed suit, running behind him, the two hoping to out chase the oncoming storm.
They finally caught up to Sophie and Damon, who were starting to shiver from the cold rain that was falling over their heads. Wet and tired, the two teens were in awe of what was before them; a stone structure, charcoal gray in color and fittingly irregular in shape. Boulders the size of giant houses were strewn on the ground, with moss overgrown on the sides and weeds found all over the gray backs of the rough stone. In the center was a giant hole, like a mouth gaping open in a frozen yawn, beckoning, or frightening, anyone who may dare enter inside.
"What is this place?" Sebastian asked.
"It's a cave I discovered a few years back!" Damon replied. "It's pretty big inside, a lot of tunnels, I think some Onix lived in here, but I never saw one."
"Hurry up, I'm getting chills now!" Sophie cried.
BOOM!
The four dashed into the cavern's entrance, as darkness fully engulfed them. Outside, they can see the droplets of rain and the flashes of lightning through their opening, giving some brief light to where they are going.
Damon was the first to grab his pokeball, before releasing it onto the cavern's floor. In a flash, his Flaaffy, Amp, emitted a light, soothing baa before lighting the cavern with its tail. Sebastian shielded his eyes briefly, before adjusting to the grisly sight before him. The cave was bare and cold; it's caverns deep and dull, oval in shape and perfectly formed. The group moved inside the cave, getting as far as they can from the entrance and the flashes of light, before the cave's mouth was a distant sight to them.
"Ok, we should camp here." Damon said.
"Good idea, I'm still shivering." Sophie remarked, rubbing her arms around her body, her clothing drenched from the rain.
Ken released his Magby from his pokeball, as he gathered some sticks strewn inside the cave. Few they were, but sufficient enough to make a small fire. The baby pokemon burped a tiny ember onto the dry wood, which was quickly engulfed in a roaring flame, warming the trainers immensely.
"Good job, Magby." Ken complimented his pokemon. The baby duck cooed as Ken returned it to it's home. Sebastian sat down near the fire, extending his arms outward to warm his body up.
"That was real sudden, wasn't it?" Sebastian remarked.
"Very much so." Sophie said, sitting next to Sebastian and emulating his actions.
" That's the way the weather is. All a part of being prepared and expecting the unexpected." Damon chimed in.
"Although, it would have been better if we were on the main road." Ken said.
Sophie just began giggling. "Stop, Ken. No need for this again." She said.
Ken just laughed. "I'm over it. I was just saying guys…"
"It's fine." Said Damon, as he put his backpack down and took off his leather jacket, placing it on an overturned rock next to the fire. He unzipped the backpack and began rummaging through it's hidden contents, before grabbing a dry shirt and pants set from the overstuffed bag.
"I suggest we all get something warm on, so we don't freeze." Damon said, before taking hit drenched shirt off. He sat down on the floor and unlaced his black boots and peeled his dirty socks off as well.
"WOAH, hold on a second!" Sophie said, jumping up as Damon removed his socks.
"What is it?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that your all guys and I'm a girl?"
Ken began to laugh. "It's no big deal, Sophie. I didn't plan on stripping naked or anything." Ken, like Damon, already had his sneakers and socks off, and was beginning lift his shirt up.
"THAT'S NOT THE PROBLEM!" Sophie shouted in anger."What the hell am I going to do, I am not getting dressed in front of you all!"
"Relax." Sebastian said calmly. "Just walk down in the cave a bit and come back. I promise we won't look."
"Speak for yourself." Ken said softly.
"I HEARD THAT!"
Ken just laughed a bit more. "It's a joke, Sophie. Calm down. I promise I will stay here."
Sophie was clearly agitated, grabbing her backpack with anger and removing her wet sandals from her feet.
"How will I see though?" She asked.
"Amp, go with her so she can see." Damon said. The sheep pokemon nodded its pink head, before standing next to Sophie's side, ready to depart.
"You all better stay here." She said angrily, before walking deeper into the cave, Amp following close behind.
The three boys began to laugh a bit. By now, Damon and Ken were now in their boxers and throwing their fresh clothes on, while Sebastian has just begun to remove his wet shirt.
"I am surprised about that." Damon said heartily.
"Why?" Sebastian asked.
"She act's like tomboy, but is so modest when we are around."
"She's a girl. That's the way girls are." Remarked Ken.
"Not true at all." Replied Sebastian. "Remember Alisa Janis back in Ganlon? She was always climbing trees and playing tag with the guys. She was also topless when we went swimming together."
"Dude that was when we were ten. It was innocent back then."
"I know, but still…" Sebastian began.
"You guys must have had a good childhood with your friends." Damon asked.
"Yeah, we had fun back then. It was somewhat simple back then too. School, and games around the town." Sebastian said. Sighing a bit.
"Homesick yet, Seb?" Ken chided him.
" A bit, I guess, but your also missing your family as much as I am, Ken." Sebastian shot back.
Ken laughed weakly, before grabbing his sleeping bag from the soaked backpack and rolling it out, ready for bed. Damon was already lying down on his back, looking at the coarse ceiling above him as the fire flickered the shadows in the crevices. Sebastian, now fully dressed and welcome dry, kept his hands near the fire, warming his body up some more before laying down.
"I wonder what is taking Sophie so long?" Ken said.
"Yeah, she has been gone for a while now." Sebastian said.
"Go check on her, Sebastian." Suggested Damon.
Sebastian looked up at Damon, who was still looking at the ceiling of the cavern.
"Why me?"
"I can think of many reasons." Ken said, chuckling.
"Shut up, Ken!" Sebastian said, his face turning red. " I am sure she's fine, I mean I would be invading her privacy if I went to get her."
"True, I guess. Give her a few minutes though." Said Damon.
"Oh hell, I'll go look for her." Ken said, standing up from his sleeping bag.
"No, just leave her…." Damon began. Before loud rumble quaked the cavern. The three teens sat up immediately, looking around their dimly lit area for a source of the sound.
"What the hell was that?" Sebastian asked.
"I don't know and I don't want to find out, Seb." Ken replied.
Another tremor shook the cavern, this time making small pebbles fall to the ground. Then a loud shriek was heard.
"AAAAIHHHH!"
"SOPHIE!" Sebastian shouted, before he grabbed his backpack and headed towards Sophie's direction.
"SEBASTIAN, WAIT!" Damon shouted, but it was too late. As the teen was already off into the dark cave on his own.
"Let's go, we got to follow him." Ken said. The two grabbed their packs and began to run after him, but another, more sinister shriek emitted from the cavern, before the ceiling of the pathway Sebastian ran down collapsed in front of them. Ken and Damon covered their heads with their arms as the rocks fell downward, inches from their location as boulders that would easily crush them tumbled from the top.
The cave in was quick and continued to shake the foundations. Ken and Damon ran back to their campsite, the dimly lit fire almost eradicated by falling dust from the rocks above. Another tremor rocked the two trainers, and this time, the side of the cavern bursted open, like a blast from a demolition. Rocks flew everywhere, one striking Ken in the stomach and hurling him to the ground. As Damon rushed to help the fallen teen, out of the corner of his eye he could see something, a dark shape, moving near them.