Transformation: New Dawn
Chapter 14: Return
Disclaimer: The last chapter was indeed a dark one, and I was glad it hit the shock level I was aiming for. So enjoy this update. MEE-YAA!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own pokemon, Nintendo does. I also do not own the Transformation universe established by TurtlesandMonkeys; I am only borrowing it with her permission. John belongs to Swack16 and Akira belongs to Lord Nalthren. I own Cindy.
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Sarah was leering at the Weavile who was licking his claws with Sophie underneath his foot. The little Silcoon had not stopped crying since Cindy left. Steve was curled up rocking back and forth, his little eyes shut tight. Hakura just leered at the Ariados. The boy and girl who were in the ball were already transformed into a Snorunt and Chimecho, their transformation signaling the coming of midnight. Right now they were chewing out of their web trapping with snarls, Sarah knowing their fragile minds didn't survive the transformation. The transformation itself was grotesque and Sarah had rarely seen one. She understood then how terrible this virus was. And Cindy is going out to do it to someone else just to save us…Sarah trembled with rage at how Wilhelm used her friends just to get to Cindy. She looked at the Weavile. "Hey!" He looked at her with a non-interested look. "If Cindy does your dirty little deal, will you let us go then?"
He closed his eyes and turned away from her. "Only you and the others are free to get out of my sight, but she stays."
Sarah growled. "What? Why? Why do you want her?"
Wilhelm stood up and caressed Sophie's cocoon body. "You wouldn't understand. Of course you are welcome to stay with her if you are willing to help the cause." He smirked.
Sarah spat at his general area. "That's what I think of your little 'liberation front'. This is not liberation…it's pure extortion. It's either join or die, right?" Wilhelm snorted. "The only reason you still breath now is because of that Quilava girl. When she returns, you are free to go, but she is mine."
Sarah leered at him harder than she ever did at anything before. "When this is over, I'll be sure to pound you into a pulp and have my master trap you inside a pathetic Pokeball and store you away forever." She snarled menacingly.
Wilhelm only laughed. "Let him try, besides I bet he's only been liberated recently and embracing the gift bestowed upon him."
Sarah growled and was about to shoot something off when Hakura walked by and shook her head. "She's returning." She said with a solemn tone and Sarah saw the bushes rustle. A very sad Quilava returned, a hollow look in her eyes.
"Cindy..." Sarah began before noticing the tears running down Cindy's scar. She looked to them as her friends surrounded her. "Sarah...I did it…I-I…" She began. Sarah put a paw on Cindy's back and rubbed it reassuringly. "It's ok…it's going to be all right…"
"I'm a monster…" Cindy whispered looking down. Sarah shook her head. "No you're not…I've seen true monsters…." She directed her stare toward Wilhelm, who only smirked.
The Staraptor flew by Wilhelm. "Sir, the Quilava turned one of the humans at the camp, just as ordered." Wilhelm looked at Cindy with narrow eyes and an unpleasant smile. "Excellent. I take it you had no problem."
The Ninetales shot a disapproving look at Cindy. "She attacked me when I told her to do it and only did it at the last moment when I said that the bargain was now forfeited."
Wilhelm held a claw up to silence her and closed his eyes. "Only I say if anything is on or off." The Ninetales only huffed to herself. Wilhelm hopped over to Cindy and ignored Sarah's stare as he approached them.
"I must say, I'm really impressed, even though you needed a little persuasion, but still you did it." He lifted her chin up. "You proved your loyalty." He closed his eyes. "As promised, your friends shall live and are free to go." He opened his eyes. "However, you must stay with me and the liberation front."
Steve gasped. "What?" Wilhelm ignored him. "Do you understand? If you want the deal to carry through, you must agree to this, other wise the deal is off and you all shall die."
Cindy only sated down at the ground, her flames burning dimmer and slower. "Any objections?" He asked at the silent Quilava. Warren's horns flashed for a brief second and he cocked his head as he began to sense something and started to rub his arms as if cold. "Whoa, what was that?"
Hakura looked at Cindy while standing next to warren. " Ralts can sense the emotions of others and right now you are sensing Cindy's negative energy."
Wilhelm crossed his arms. "Any objections?" Cindy remained silent.
"I guess that's a no." He then turned away. "Let them go, she stays."
The Ariados fired a web at them and began to wrap them all up, he held Sophie in his jaws. He looked to Wilhelm. "If she so as much tries to escape toward them…poison the Silcoon." The Ariados nodded and began to move. "Cindy!" Steve called out through the web, reaching for her.
"Cindy don't do this!" This came from Warren, watching helplessly as they were dragged away. "Cindy!" Hakura began to bark. Cindy still looked down and trembled. Sophie just watched as they were being carried away. Cindy…
Sarah then began to thrash at the web. "Don't let him do this to you! Think of us…of John!" The Shiftry came by and slammed his arm at Sarah. "Quite!" he ordered.
Cindy closed her eyes and covered her ears. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry…I'm sorry…"
She thought of that boy, Aki, crying for his transformed brother, the one that she bit. She thought of poor Sophie, trapped where she can't do anything about it. She thought of Lina, Umi, Maku…all gone because she couldn't do anything. Maybe I should just go away…
She felt lightheaded as a haze began to form in the corner of her mind. What's this? Whatever it was, it made her feel, welcomed and it beckoned her. She didn't know what to do but she could feel everything beginning to fade from her vision. Is this it? She sighed as she began to feel the lightheadedness increase. She began to wobble.
A voice penetrated her head. Cindy! She opened her eyes as the haze snapped.
"John?"
The Ariados stopped as he felt the Silcoon grow heavy and close its eyes as it hung limp from its jaws. He had a confused look in his eyes and put it down. "Huh?" Did it die already? The Ariados tapped at the cocoon with a spindly arm and didn't see it respond. He shrugged.
The Silcoon then snapped its eyes opened and fired a poison sting at the Ariados's face, hitting near his eye. He screeched and reared back. His comrades were confused and that gave Sarah the opening she needed. Her claws then lengthened and she slashed at the net and they tumbled forward, Sarah rolling forward and tackling the Ninetales, who was preparing a blast at them. The Shiftry then leapt at Sarah but got repelled by a flamethrower from Hakura. Steve then unleashed a screech attack at the Shiftry and Warren held his hands out and watched as the air rippled in front of him as psychic energy slammed into the spider and forest pokemon sending them back. They slumped unconsciously. Warren was knocked back and smiled as Hakura helped him up. Wilhelm growled.
"Kill them!" He yelled at his fallen minions. A flamethrower then struck his face and he reeled back, Cindy's flames ruffling with determination. The Ninetales kicked Sarah off of her and her eye flowed as she fired a hazy mist at Sarah. Sarah coughed and her eyes began to glow yellow as she used them to pierce the haze and saw the Ninetales coming. Steve then leapt and landed on the back of the Ninetales and began to cling to her fur as she bucked to get the Larvitar off of her. Steve then grew stiff as he hardened and the Ninetales began to rear back from the heavy object on her back. Sarah then let electricity form on her mouth and ran and used a thunder fang on the Ninetales, chomping down and sending electricity coursing through the fox's body, the stone hard Larvitar not being affected. The Ninetales fell with singed fur and collapsed, Steve rolling off. He unhardened. Sarah smiled. "Thanks for the help." Steve rubbed the back of his head and smiled a bashful smile.
They heard Warren and Hakura struggling with the flying Staraptor and Sarah came by and fired a thunderbolt at the bird, making a direct hit and it fell to the ground in a crumpled heap.
Cindy walked over to her friends and they smiled at her. "Come on Cindy lets go." Steve said waving his arms. Cindy looked to the fallen pokemon and at Wilhelm and back. She nodded. "Right."
Wilhelm began to stir. "No…she is …mine..." He snarled. He then leapt up and began to fly at Cindy with his claws outstretched. Sarah fired a thunderbolt and he fell back, but rolled up and crossed his hands to his shoulder as he charged up an attack and opened them when he sent a blizzard toward them. Cindy and the others closed their eyes as the snow and wind began to push them back and sent them in a tumble of bodies and snow.
Cindy popped her head out of the snow and her flames re-ignited themselves. Wilhelm then hopped form tree to tree and slashed at Sarah who was beginning to get up. She screamed as her arm got slashed and a mist of blood appeared on the snow, turning it red. Wilhelm then did a cross slash and caught Sarah in the chest. Sarah fell back and curled her self, trying to stop the icy chill from stinging her exposed wounds.
"Sarah!" Cindy called out and she rushed at the Weavile but he leapt aside. He stared at her. "You could have been a hero among pokemon…you could have been with me…"he flared his claws out. "But now, you will join her in death!" He raised his claw high above Sarah and Cindy tackled him from the back. He swung her off and leapt at her exposed underbelly with his claws. She gasped and closed her eyes.
A poison sting hit his shoulder and threw him off course. He rebounded and glared at Sophie, lying upside down but still staring him down.
"You…" he snarled before leaping in the air as she fired another sting but he dodged it and brought his claws down on her hard shell, the silicon armor splintering from the impact and her eyes widened as she felt a shock jolt through her system from the impact and watch a piece of her shatter and crumble on the snow, leaving a large chink in her body. She rolled back and her eyes closed slowly as she felt a soft wave travel through her body. At least...l was able...to save…her…
She thought before she let the wave cover her thoughts.
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Cindy saw Wilhelm strike at the Silcoon and hit her underside, the side of her armor splintering as the shock traveled through her eyes and she rolled back and closed them slowly.
"SOPHIE!" She heard herself cry out. Wilhelm turned toward Cindy. "You're next!" He reared his claws back when Cindy planted her feat and screamed out loud as she fired a very large blast of flame at the Weavile. Wilhelm got hit and impacted on a tree, several harsh burns appearing in his body. The embers struck some leaves and wood and a small blaze began to spark, the burning branches falling and burning on the ground. Wilhelm stood up and saw Cindy rush forward with flames surrounding her and cried out when she tackled him, the burns growing more severe. Cindy then pushed against his throat with her paw. "You...you..." She said with tears falling through her narrow eyes. Her flames began to grow brighter.
"Now-now now…mercy…" Wilhelm pleaded.
Cindy stared him in the eyes. "You ask for mercy when you don't give any of your own…you really are a pathetic creature…you killed my friend…tried to kill my other friends…tried to kill me." She trembled. She got closer. "You will not kill me."
She then reared her head back and delivered a blow to his head, the flames contacting with his head and forming a burn there and he collapsed with a sigh. Cindy stared at him and stepped off. Steve walked by Cindy. "Is he dead?'
Cindy shook her head. "I am not like him, I am not a murderer…" She looked down. "Sophie…" She began and Steve hugged her. Hakura walked by Sarah and helped her up and Warren was walking over to Sophie. "No…no…" he said, staring at her still form. The others caught up with him. Cindy looked at Sophie's closed eyes. "So peaceful…she saved my life…" Hakura looked at Sophie and looked at her cracked armor. "Huh?" She sniffed closer. "Come take a look." They all looked and saw that underneath the layer of armor was a sort of pattern, yellow spots on something.
"Could that mean…?" Hakura began when the little cocoon began to stir and crack, a light pouring through them. The group stood back and watched with awe as the light cocoon cracked and a pair of wings unfurled, the silhouette of a body seen emerging from the chrysalis. The light cleared and a beautiful butterfly was hovering over the cocoon, its eyes beginning to open to reveal great blue eyes.
"Sophie?" Warren asked the Beautifly.
"Hi guys." Sophie said back with a tearful voice as tears began to form. Cindy felt some approach her own eyes as she smiled at probably the most beautiful thing she has ever seen. "Congratulations..."
Sophie now had a small silver-gray body with big blue eyes and a long curled straw-like mouth. Her wings had colorful patterns and fluttered as she moved forward toward her group and landed in front of her circle of friends. Steve tackled her back and hugged her as tears rolled down his face. "Oh Sophie we thought you were dead!"
"For a second there I thought I was dead...but..." She smiled with her eyes and fluttered her wings. "Here I am!" Cindy stood in front of Sophie and smiled. "You look very beautiful." Sophie looked at her body and her wings. "Yeah, but I still would like to be human." Cindy nodded. "I think we all do...come on."
Sarah looked to the fallen Weavile. "What about him?"
Cindy didn't glance at him. "Leave him. Come on lets go."
Warren walked by Sophie and blushed. "So…uh…how was it?" Sophie looked to him and cocked her head to the side. "How was what?"
"Evolving…did it hurt or anything?" Sophie shook her head. "It was actually quite peaceful feeling…but then again I thought I was dying…"
Warren hugged her. "I'm glad you didn't…"
Sophie was surprised but hugged back. She looked at the empty shell that used to be her body. "I can't believe that used to be my body…I don't ever want to go through that again."
She flapped her wings and Warren nodded and they began to walk with the group. Sophie fluttered by Cindy. "Cindy…I'm sorry…"
Cindy looked to her. "For what?"
"If he hadn't got me, he wouldn't have used me to get to you and…"
Cindy shook her head and smiled. "Forget it. You saved my life so I'd say we were about even." Sophie nodded and began to flutter higher with the group, Sarah walking by with leaves placed on her by Hakura. Cindy looked ahead as she tried to put Wilhelm and her ordeal behind her. She knew that wasn't going to be easy.
That haze…I think I'm getting worse…and that bite didn't help at all…
She thought back to her rage when she pinned Wilhelm down. I was still me. I am not like that monster…
She sighed and felt her flames ruffle up. John…I'll keep fighting…for you…
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And that's the end of that! I thought I would finally have Sophie evolve in this chapter rather than being a helpless invalid during the course of the story. Sure it may seem fast to some, but remember that Ash's Metapod evolved rather quickly in the original Pokemon anime series, so I thought I would reference that. The thing with Sophie in the middle was meant to imply that something horrible happened and that she may have died. That was needed to get Cindy all riled up for her confrontation with Wilhelm. Movie fans may recognize the lines that Wilhelm and Cindy exchanged to each other before she knocked him out. (The "Mercy" quote came from one source and the "You will not kill me" came from a more recent one…XD) I just liked the moment when Sophie evolved and her friends were happy to see her, especially Warren. Cindy's haze was a sign of the virus attempting to claim her but her thoughts of John saved her. Still she carries real scars and mental scars from her ordeal with Wilhelm. Well, please review! Jonseycat, put! MEE-YAA!