Chapter 25: Reunited
Just as Flyaway had told them their next destination was indeed a day and a half's walk north of Scarlet's forest. Everyone was walking at as casual pace. Firefly on the other hand was walking well ahead of the group, her pace much faster.
"Hey Firefly, slow down!" Ironside yelled. "Moonrise Plains aren't going anywhere!"
"I can't slow down!" Firefly responded.
"What's the big rush, anyway?" Rubic asked.
"Yeah, what's so important that we can't take our time?" Mayim added.
"I'll know when I get there," Firefly answered, never once looking back. "I know it may not seem that important, but I have to get there no matter what." With that she continued on, her pace quicker than before. The others stood there and watched, wondering what was going on.
"What did she mean when she said she 'had to get there no matter what'?" Rubic asked.
"I don't know," Indigo replied. "I don't know why this place is so important to her but I have a feeling we'll find out when we get there." He then resumed his trek to catch up to Firefly, his pace quicker than before. Everyone else followed shortly after.
Firefly had put quite a bit of distance between herself and the others. As she continued on a few trees and rocks began to pop up, each one catching her attention.
"This tree… this is… and that rock is where…" Everything she saw gave her an indication of where she was. She looked ahead and saw that she was coming up on the top of a hill.
"Just a bit further. I'm almost there," she told herself. With growing expectations Firefly hurried to the top of the hill. When she got there she paused to take in the view.
"It's just as I remember," she said. The view before her was breath-taking. There were beautiful plains that seemed to go on forever. A forest was to the right, and in the distance were hills that seemed to reach into the sky. Firefly was so absorbed in the view that she almost didn't notice that everyone had caught up with her.
"Finally," Rusty gasped, breathing heavily. "Next time how about letting us know whey you decide to turn this into a marathon. I think I lost a few pounds back there."
"You could afford to drop a few," Pearl commented.
"I agree," Rubic added. While they spoke a few of the others approached Firefly.
"Okay, now that we're here you mind telling us what the rush was," Ironside said. The Vulpix was in a bit of a trance and when Ironside spoke to her she snapped out of it.
"Huh, wha?" she said.
"You looked like you were spacing out there for a while," Aqua said. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Firefly responded. She then went back to looking out over the plains in front of them again. Figuring they weren't going to get an answer out of her Ironside and Aqua followed her gaze out over the plains and, like her, were awe-struck.
"Such beauty… no wonder you wanted to arrive so quickly," Aqua said.
"Now this is a place I could get used to," Ironside commented. Moments later Indigo walked up next to Firefly. He looked out over the plains and like the others was amazed by what he saw.
"No wonder you wanted to get here so fast," he said. One by one the others came to the top of the hill and were mesmerized by the view. All while this was happening Firefly's mind was a whirlwind of emotion. After many long years she was standing on top of a hill looking over a place that was very dear to her heart.
"I made it… I really made it…"
The group of Pokémon soon made their way down the other side of the hill into the plains. Everyone agreed that it was even more beautiful up close.
"Amazing," Farris said. "This place… it's a paradise for Pokémon."
"I'll say," Mayim added. "I can see why Firefly was so desperate to get here." Firefly took a few steps towards the forest and paused.
"That's… not the reason I wanted to get here," she admitted.
"It wasn't?" Shadow asked, Firefly answering by shaking her head.
"Then, what was the reason?" the Pikachu inquired. Firefly took a deep breath and smiled.
"You see… this place… this is the place where I was born," she said. Everyone let out a collective gasp.
"This place… Moonrise Plains… is your birthplace?" Farris asked, making sure she heard correctly. Firefly smiled and nodded.
"So that's why this place is so important," Indigo said.
"It's more than just our next destination… it's your home," Aqua said.
"It is," Firefly said. "I've… go so many memories of this place… so many good memories…"
"What's your favorite one, Mommy?" Summer asked. Firefly paused to think for a bit. She had so many good memories from her childhood here that she wasn't sure how to answer Summer's question.
"Let's see… oh! I know! There was this time that…"
"Hey! If anyone can hear me I need some help!" Everyone's heads snapped up as they looked around, trying to find where the call for help came from.
"Can you tell where the voice came from?" Indigo asked.
"No," Aqua replied.
"Me neither," Indigo said. "How about you, Firefly?"
"I couldn't make it out either," she said.
"Hey! Is there anyone out there?" Indigo called.
"Yes! Yes, I'm here!"
"Where are you?" Indigo called.
"In the forest! I'm trapped!"
"Okay! Just sit tight! We're coming!" With Indigo in the lead the group headed towards the forest to aid whoever was calling for help. Unknown to the rest of them Firefly had something on her mind.
"That voice… why did it sound so familiar?" Firefly didn't have time to think for they arrived at the edge of the forest shortly. Upon getting there they discovered why someone would need help.
"Holy… would you look at this," Aqua said. The entire forest floor was overgrown with thick vines, making it nearly impossible to travel through without getting stuck.
"Hey! Just where are you in this mess?" Indigo called. The voice didn't respond but Firefly did hear something. She scanned the thick overgrowth and spotted some vines that appeared to be moving along with the sound of something struggling.
"Indigo, over there," she said, pointing to the rustling overgrowth.
"Is that you?" Indigo asked.
"Yeah! Can you get me out?" the voice called.
"We're going to try!" Indigo replied.
"Okay! Please hurry!" With a promise to free whoever was trapped Indigo turned to Firefly and the others.
"Anybody got any idea on how we're going to free whoever's trapped in there?" he asked. Everyone paused to try and think of a way to free the trapped victim.
"Hey! Why don't we burn the vines," Rusty suggested.
"That's not very wise," Aqua said. "One stray ember could set this whole forest ablaze."
"If we can't use fire then how about I freeze it with a blast from my Blizzard attack," Pearl suggested.
"That would be a good alternative, but do we even know what type of Pokémon this is?" Hoshiko pointed out. "Depending on what type it is those attacks could cause more harm than good."
"Oops… we never even considered that," Pearl admitted. While they considered different options Firefly and Indigo were coming up with their own rescue plan.
"So, got anything in mind?" the Growlithe asked.
"If we charge in there we'll get caught in there as well," Firefly said.
"So we'll have to take this from a distance," Indigo commented. "That's not making it easy for us."
"No, but it's by no means impossible," Firefly said.
"So does that mean you have an idea?" Indigo asked.
"Yeah, but I'm not sure it's going to work," she said.
"Well right now it's all we've got. I say let's give it a try," Indigo urged. Firefly nodded and stepped forward. She held her wings out to her sides and closed her eyes. Seconds later her wings gave off a bright silver glow, catching the attention of the others.
"Where's that light coming from?" Pearl asked. "Is that… Firefly?"
"That looks like her Firestorm attack," Shadow commented.
"It looks like it, but it's not. This is something different," Aqua said. Firefly opened her eyes and looked ahead, her wings still glowing.
"Okay, we're going to try something!" she called.
"Okay!" Firefly focused on her target. She knew that one wrong move could injure whoever was trapped within. After taking a moment to gather her confidence Firefly flapped her wings, sending a volley of steel feathers hurtling towards the overgrowth of vines. The feathers sliced through the vines, tearing them to pieces.
"Can you get out?" she asked.
"I… I think so…" The struggling resumed, but with the vines now cut up it appeared as though whoever was trapped was making progress in their escape. After waiting for a few seconds a few of the vine pieces were seen being thrown into the air. Moments later a tail shot up out of them.
"That looks like… an Aipom tail," Indigo commented.
"That is an Aipom tail… is that…" Moments later a head emerged. It was indeed an Aipom.
"Whew… thanks for helping me out there," she said. She looked up and paused briefly. She had a flower tucked behind her ear. Firefly's eyes grew wide when she saw the Aipom's face.
"It… is her…"
"Umm… is there something wrong?" Indigo asked. That snapped the Aipom out of her trance.
"Oh, sorry. It's just that… you guys looked really strange," the Aipom replied. "No offense."
"None taken," Indigo replied. "We get that reaction a lot."
"Still that was quite rude of me," the Aipom said. "Oh, where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself. My name is…"
"Saya?" Everyone turned to Firefly, who surprisingly seemed to know the Aipom's name.
"Is that… really you, Saya?" she asked. The Aipom named Saya looked at her, shock written all over her face.
"Y-Yeah," she said. "That's my name… but how did you know that?"
"It's me, Saya… Firefly…" Saya's eyes grew as wide as Poké Balls. She slowly and cautiously approached Firefly.
"F-Firefly?" she stuttered. "I… knew a Vulpix named Firefly once… but she was taken by Team Rocket in a raid years ago. There's no way…"
"It's me, Saya. I escaped," Firefly said. Both Pokémon locked eyes. After a few seconds Saya's eyes filled with tears and her lips curved into a smile.
"I… I don't believe it… it's you! Firefly, it's really you!" Overcome with joy Saya threw her arms around Firefly, hugging her tightly. Firefly was more than eager to return her hug, tears filling her eyes as well.
"It's you! You're alive!" she cried. "Oh Mew… I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"
"It's okay, Saya… I'm back now," Firefly said, trying her best to comfort her friend while keeping her own composure. Saya stepped back and wiped her eyes.
"When Team Rocket came and took you we… we thought you were done for," she said. "We were sure they'd kill you or something."
"Believe me they tried, but as you can see they couldn't get the job done," Firefly bragged.
"I can see," Saya said. "Oh man… the others are going to be shocked to see you."
"Others… you mean?" Firefly gasped.
"Yup, they're still here," Saya said. "In fact they never stopped believing that you'd find your way back here. Especially…"
"Saya! Where are you?"
"Down here, Melody!" Saya replied. Firefly looked up in shock.
"M-Melody?" she gasped. "Melody's still here?" Her question was answered when a Swablu flew down and landed next to Saya. She was breathing heavily.
"We… We've got a problem!" she said.
"What is it?" Saya asked, her voice filled with worry.
"It's… Keiba and his gang!" Melody said. "They've… got them cornered!"
"They've got who cornered?" Saya asked.
"Shadowfire and the others!" Melody replied. Firefly gasped when she heard the name Melody spoke.
"Not again," Saya grumbled. "Are they okay?"
"Not really," Melody said. "They got Firestar singled out, and I think they're trying to…" That was all Firefly needed to hear.
"Where are they?" she asked. Melody looked to her, confused as to why she would care.
"Umm… they're just up ahead beyond the forest," she said. Firefly jumped to her feet and, with one flap of her wings, took to the sky.
"Hold on! Where are you going?" Melody called.
"We'll talk later, Melody! Right now I've got to stop them!" Firefly called. She continued on and was out of sight within seconds. Melody kept staring, extremely confused.
"Okay, could you tell me what's going on," she said to Saya.
"Alright, but I think you should brace yourself for what I'm about to tell you," the Aipom said. "You see, that Vulpix was…"
Firefly darted through the forest on route to her destination. Memories of days she spent in this forest as a child quickly came back to her, allowing her to know where every tree was even though it had been years since she had last been there.
"I should be nearing the edge of the forest now," Firefly said. Sure enough she could see the trees thinning ahead of her.
"Almost there," she said. The closer she got the faster she seemed to go, almost as if she was being drawn towards something. Then, with one last burst of speed, Firefly emerged from the forest. She hovered in the air for a while, taking in the view. Just as it was on the other side of the forest there were rolling plains as far as the eye could see.
"Wow… it looks so much different from up here," she said.
"No! Get off me!" Upon hearing the voice Firefly looked around for whoever was in trouble, but soon realized how noticeable she was. Fortunately it didn't take her long to find a hiding spot in the form of some nearby bushes. After concealing herself Firefly looked around to see if she could find whoever it was that cried out earlier. She soon spotted a bit of commotion a few yards away. Her face was one of shock when she realized who it was involving.
"T-That's…" Ahead of her were six Pokémon, three Houndour and three Vulpix. Firefly recognized all six of them from her childhood, but she didn't like what she was looking at. The Houndour had one of the Vulpix, a female, separated from the others. Two of them were keeping the other two Vulpix at bay while the third was trying to force himself on the single Vulpix.
"Come on, don't fight it," the Houndour said. "Things will go much easier if you just accept it."
"Not a chance!" the Vulpix replied. "I'll never concede to this!"
"Having trouble back there, Keiba?" one of the other Houndour asked.
"Nothing you need to worry about, Musha," Keiba replied. "You and Nova just need to make sure those two don't try anything until I'm done."
"You got it," Musha replied. "You hear that, Shadowfire? As long as you and Solarflare don't try anything Keiba will be done with Firestar that much sooner."
"I don't care if he's done with her or not! Let our sister go, now!" Shadowfire demanded.
"You don't get it, do you?" Nova said. "You're not in any position to make demands here. Now you can either sit there and wait or we'll have to make an example out of you two."
"Or we could just make an example out of Shadowfire and… have a bit of fun with Solarflare," Musha suggested. The two Houndour looked at Solarflare, hunger present in their eyes. The female cowered behind her brother.
"You're not going to lay a paw on her!" Shadowfire barked.
"And just how do you plan on stopping us?" Nova asked. He and Musha took a few steps towards them.
"Shadowfire… I'm scared," Solarflare whimpered.
"Don't worry. They're going to have to get through me to get to you," Shadowfire said. Unfortunately that appeared to be just what they planned on doing. The two Houndour moved to circle them, Nova on the left and Musha on the right. Shadowfire's eyes darted from left to right, trying to keep an eye on both of the Houndour. Of course that was easier said than done. Every time he saw one make a move he went to cut him off, but that allowed the other to make a move for Solarflare.
"No! Stay away!" she screamed. This was turning into a battle that Shadowfire was destined to lose, but also one he couldn't lose. If he did Solarflare would end up suffering the same fate as Firestar.
"There has to be other Pokémon you can mate with around here, so go after one of them!" Shadowfire demanded.
"That's just it… there aren't any," Musha explained. "Your sisters are the only Pokémon around that we can mate with, and the fact that they constantly refuse means that it'll be that much harder to re-populate this area."
"So why don't you just go somewhere else like the others did?" Shadowfire yelled.
"Because we don't want to," Nova answered. "Besides, your sisters are quite attractive."
"We've had our eyes on them for some time now, but we knew that if we tried anything your parents would have stepped in," Musha said. "But now, we're free to pursue them as we please."
"We're not some prey that you can just hunt!" Solarflare yelled.
"Oh yes you are," Musha replied. "You're the only prey that can satisfy our… urges." While Shadowfire was doing his best to protect Solarflare from Musha and Nova their sister Firestar was slowly wearing out from trying to defend herself from Keiba. Her struggles were weakening, and Keiba knew it wouldn't be long now.
"You're growing weak from your constant struggling. You'll be mine soon enough," Keiba said.
"Please… please don't… just let me go…" Firestar cried, tears forming in her eyes. She knew that once she ran out of strength she wouldn't be able to prevent Keiba from having his way with her, and that scared her more than anything.
"You expect me to just let you go after everything I did to get you? I don't think so," the Houndour replied. "Face it… you're going to be mine and there's no one who can save you."
"That's what you think." Firefly had seen enough. She was ready to go and teach Keiba and his gang a lesson, and she knew just how to do it.
"No! Stop it, please!" Firestar begged.
"Beg all you want, it won't help!" Keiba said. "You'll be mine one way or another!"
"No!" Firestar screamed.
"Hey! Why don't you guys try me on for size!" Keiba stopped and looked around. Musha and Nova also looked around, taking their eyes off of Shadowfire and Solarflare.
"Who said that?" Keiba called.
"Hey, get a load of her," Musha said. Approaching them was another female Vulpix, and in their opinion she was quite the looker. Keiba got off of Firestar, letting her get up and run to her brother and sister.
"Can we… help you?" the Houndour asked.
"I couldn't help but notice you were engaged in some… hot activity here," the Vulpix said. "Do you think I could get in on it?" The three Houndour circled her, looking her over. All three of them liked what they saw.
"Oh yeah, I think we could squeeze you in," Keiba said. The Vulpix, who no one knew was Firefly, watched as the Houndour continued to look her over.
"That's right… come and get it, bozos," she said. Musha decided to get a closer look at her. He walked next to her and immediately noticed her wings.
"What the… how did a Vulpix end up with wings?" he asked. Keiba and Nova walked next to him, also noticing Firefly's wings.
"Damn… you are one freaky Vulpix," Keiba commented. In response Firefly stretched her wing out and brushed the tip underneath Keiba's jaw, sending a shiver down the Houndour's spine.
"I hope that doesn't turn you off," she said. "I'd really hate to miss out on all the fun."
"Oh no, I'm not turned off," Keiba said. "I've just never met a Pokémon as… unique as you."
"Well I can assure you that no other Pokémon can do the things I can," Firefly replied, a mischievous smile on her face.
"I'd like to find out for myself," Keiba said.
"So would I," Musha added.
"Well then, why don't we get down to business," Firefly said. She lowered herself to the ground and glanced back, inviting Keiba to mount her. Of course the Houndour was more than happy to oblige.
"Okay, let's get this thing started!" Keiba said. He mounted Firefly from behind. Musha stood to the left while Nova was on the right.
"Hey, don't wear her out too much. We want some of her too," Musha said. Firefly extended her wings and brushed them against Musha and Nova's jaws.
"Don't worry, boys. I don't wear out that easily," she said.
"We're about to find out," Keiba said.
"Before we get started there's something I have to know," Firefly said.
"What's that?' Keiba asked.
"There's an old saying that goes with this," she said. "Do you know what it is?" Musha and Nova shook their heads.
"Not a clue," Keiba answered.
"Would you like me to tell you?" Firefly asked.
"As long as we get to have our fun afterwards go ahead," Keiba replied. Firefly smiled as her wings and tails gave off a slight glow.
"Whoa…" Musha said, completely mesmerized by what he was witnessing.
"The saying is "Play with fire…" Before she finished Firefly's wings and tails transformed into vines.
"What the?" Before any of them could react Firefly caught Keiba, Musha and Nova, wrapping a vine tightly around them.
"What the hell are you doing?" Keiba yelled. The smile on Firefly's face soon became a menacing grin.
"Like I was saying… 'Play with fire… and you're going to get burned'!"
With Saya and Melody leading them through the forest Indigo and the others were finally going to catch up with Firefly. Because not all of them could fly it was taking a bit longer for them to traverse the forest than it had Firefly, but they were making good progress.
"We should be nearing the edge of the forest soon," Saya said.
"That's good," Indigo said. "The sooner we do the sooner we can make sure Firefly's safe."
"I still can't believe it," Melody commented. "I mean I knew there was a chance, but for her to actually be back…"
"I know what you mean," Saya said. "I didn't know what to think at first myself, but it's her."
"Man, are the others going to be shocked when they find out," Melody said.
"They are, and that's why we have to hurry and catch up with her," Saya said.
"Hey! I think we're just about out of here!" Shadow said. Looking ahead they all saw the trees start to thin.
"You're right," Saya said.
"Okay, everyone! Let's go!" Indigo said. With the forest edge in view the group picked up their pace. They emerged a few seconds later, but the sight that greeted them was one they weren't expecting. Just a few feet away Nova and Musha came crashing to the ground.
"What happened to them?" Melody asked.
"I think I know," Aqua answered. He pointed out towards the center of the field where Firefly still had a grip on Keiba, her vine-like tail still wrapped around his neck.
"Hey! Let me go!" the Houndour yelled.
"Whatever you say," Firefly replied. She swung her tail forward and released him, sending his crashing to the ground next to Musha and Nova. The three Houndour slowly got up and glared at Firefly.
"How the hell did you do that?" Keiba asked.
"That's what I'd like to know," Saya said, both her and Melody wondering the same thing Keiba was.
"You… you're some kind of freak, aren't you?" Musha yelled.
"Now now, boys. Name-calling isn't anyway to treat a lady," Firefly teased. Because of Firefly's teasing Keiba let his temper get the best of him, as did Musha and Nova.
"We'll show you! Musha! Nova! Teach that bitch a lesson!" Keiba barked. The other two were more than happy to oblige as they charged towards Firefly, their fangs bared.
"Funny. You speak of teaching lessons, yet you are the ones who has shown the need to be taught," Firefly commented. "Fortunately for you, class is in session!" Spreading her wings Firefly took flight, speeding towards the charging Houndour. Right before they clashed Firefly's wings took on a silvery glow. Seconds later both Musha and Nova were slammed by her Steel Wing and sent hurtling back where they came. Keiba looked back and forth at the two of them, disappointment on his face.
"You two are USELESS!" he barked.
"Hey! Why don't you fight me yourself!" Firefly challenged. Keiba looked up at Firefly.
"If you thinks you're so bad-ass why don't you fight me yourself!" she said, motioning with her paw for him to bring it on. Keiba growled as he slowly advanced on her.
"You want me… YOU'VE GOT ME!" he barked. His slow advance turned into a vicious charge as he engaged Firefly in battle. Shadowfire, Firestar and Solarflare, who had so far been nothing more than spectators, started getting worried about the battle.
"Should we go help her, brother?" Firestar asked.
"I don't think that's necessary," Shadowfire replied. "She appears capable of holding her own against them. However, I think we can agree on being ready in case she does need out help." Solarflare and Firestar nodded in agreement as they brought their attention back to the battle. As they watched Shadowfire couldn't help but think about the strange winged Vulpix that was battling Keiba.
"That Vulpix… why do I feel like I know her?" Saya and Melody were also concerned with Firefly's well-being as she battled the three Houndour.
"Are you sure she can handle them by herself?" Melody asked. "I mean, she is in a three-on-one situation."
"Firefly can take care of those three with her eyes closed and one paw tied behind her back," Rusty bragged. His words proved to be true once Keiba and Firefly engaged in battle. The Houndour tried his best to hit her, swiping at her with his claws or biting at her. However, Firefly made him look like an amateur, easily dodging his attacks.
"Hold still!" Keiba roared. He continued his furious assault, swinging like made at Firefly.
"You're not very good at this, are you," Firefly teased. Her words only served to further enrage him, causing his swings to grow even more wild. Though she was still holding her own Firefly was finding it more difficult to dodge his attacks. She managed to dodge one of his swipes, but that left her wide-open for his follow up attack. He swung at her again, giving Firefly no choice but to bring her paw up and block his attack. But Keiba refused to be denied and tried to push through her defense.
"You can't overpower me!" he roared.
"Nor do I have to!" Firefly replied. Her paw took on a white glow and changed into a hand. She grabbed his paw and flew into the air, taking him with her.
"What the hell are you doing? Put me down!" he demanded. Firefly looked at him and smirked.
"Okay, if that's what you really want," she said. She threw him down towards the ground, right at Musha and Nova who were just getting back to their feet.
"Am I the only one with a headache?" Musha asked.
"I'll let you know once everything stops spinning," Nova answered.
"Incoming!" The two of them looked up just in time to see Keiba plummeting down towards them, but not soon enough for them to get out of the way. Keiba slammed into the ground, collecting the other two in the crash and blanketing all three of them in a cloud of dust. The dust settled moments later, revealing all three Houndour in a heap.
"Damn… what hit us?" Nova asked.
"I think it was Keiba," Musha answered. The Houndour in question didn't reply as he was just now recovering. A gentle gust of wind caused them to look in front of them. Firefly was now hovering a few feet in front of them. They stared up in fear.
"Okay, I'm only going to say this once… I don't ever want to catch you three trying this again," she said. "If I do… I'll make you regret it. Have I made myself clear?" Though her voice was calm Firefly's eyes showed an intensity that shook the Houndour to their core. Unable to find their voices the Houndour nodded.
"Good," Firefly said. "Now… GIT!" They may not have been able to talk but the one thing they could still do was run, and run they did. The fear of suffering Firefly's wrath once again was enough to get them on their feet and going. Within a few seconds the three Houndour had run out of sight. Now that they had gone Firefly allowed herself to relax.
"Glad that's over," she said to herself. "I doubt if they'll come back anytime soon." She stood there for a while letting her adrenaline get back to normal. During this she felt someone approaching her from behind. Turning around she was met with Shadowfire, Firestar and Solarflare.
"Umm… thank you for helping us," Solarflare said.
"Yes, thank you," Shadowfire added. "Those three have been after my sisters for a while now."
"It was nothing,' Firefly replied. She wanted nothing more than to let them know who she was, but she decided to see if they would recognize her first.
"You know, you're quite the unique Pokémon," Shadowfire commented. "Just how did you get to be the way you are?" Firefly closed her eyes. She knew what she was about to tell them would probably lead to them finding out who she was.
"Well, if you must know, I was captured and experimented on by Team Rocket," she said.
"Oh my," Firestar gasped. "Shadowfire, that's…"
"I know," her brother replied. "That sounds just like what happened to her."
"Sounds like what happened to who?" Firefly asked, though she knew what they were going to say next.
"You see, Team Rocket came here a few years back and attacked," Shadowfire explained. "They captured a lot of our friends for Mew knows what."
"One of the Pokémon they captured… was someone who was really close to us," Solarflare said.
"We keep hoping that she'll come back to us one day, but after so long we… we're starting to doubt if she ever will," Firestar said. Firefly could tell they were getting a bit depressed with this subject. Of course their mood would make a complete 180 once she revealed who she was, and she knew the time to do that was now.
"Don't give up hope," she said. "I'm confident that you'll see her again."
"I don't know," Shadowfire replied. "Like we said it's been years since she was captured. I doubt if she even remembers us anymore."
"I'm sure she does," Firefly said.
"How do figure?" Firestar asked.
"Because while you may think she's far away… she's actually much closer than you realize." The three of them looked at her in confusion.
"Huh? What do you mean?" Firestar asked. They had no idea what she meant when she said their friend was closer than they thought. While Shadowfire and Firestar tried to figure out the meaning behind Firefly's words Solarflare looked at her. Something told her she knew she this was. She took a few steps towards her, getting the attention of her brother and sister.
"Solarflare?" Firestar called.
"What is it?" Shadowfire asked. Solarflare didn't reply, instead continuing to focus her attention on the Vulpix in front of her. She focused on her face, trying to find something that would give her an idea if she knew who she was or not. Seconds later her eyes got big, a sudden realization hitting her.
"… Firefly?" Upon hearing their sister say that name Shadowfire and Firestar looked up, their eyes wide in shock.
"Say what?" Firestar exclaimed.
"Are… are you sure?" Shadowfire asked.
"I don't know, but she… she looks just like her," Solarflare replied. "Please, I have to know… are you her?" Firefly could see the desperation in her eyes. She smiled and brought a paw to her cheek.
"Like I said… I was much closer than you realized," she said. That was all the confirmation she needed. Overcome with emotions Solarflare threw her paws around her.
"Firefly! It is you!" she cried, tears of joy in her eyes. "I… I didn't think I'd ever see you again!"
"There wasn't a day that went by I didn't think of you guys," Firefly said, her eyes also filling with tears.
"I missed you so much," Solarflare cried.
"I missed you too," Firefly said. Firestar and Shadowfire were rooted to the spot. They had no idea what to think. It had been years since Firefly was taken from them, but here she was, back in their lives again. Firefly looked up and saw them standing back.
"What's wrong, guys? It hasn't been that long, has it?" she asked.
"Firefly… is that really you?" Firestar asked.
"It's really me, Firestar," she replied.
"But… we thought you were gone for good," Shadowfire said.
"So did I, but there wasn't anything that was going to keep us apart, especially not Team Rocket," Firefly said. "After all, we're inseparable." And that was when it set in that this was Firefly and she had returned to them. Just as Solarflare had done the two of them ran to Firefly, all four Vulpix meeting in a group hug.
"Oh Mew, you've really come back to us!" Firestar cried. Off in the background Indigo and the others were watching. They didn't know what was going on, but seeing Firefly so happy made them all feel good.
"I can't remember the last time I saw Firefly so happy," Farris commented.
"Neither can I," Aqua said. "I wonder what her relationship with those three Vulpix are."
"You mean she didn't tell you?" Saya asked.
"Tell us what?" Indigo asked. Before she answered they heard Firefly and the other Vulpix talking again.
"I'd like to know how you got out," Shadowfire said.
"So would I," Firestar added.
"And I'd be glad to tell you, but first I need to arrange for me and my friends to have a place to rest," Firefly said. "Is our old cave still livable?"
"Of course," Shadowfire replied. "That's where we've been living."
"I should have figured," Firefly commented. "Man, it feels great to be back."
"And it great to have you back, sis," Solarflare said. Indigo and the others heard that last part and were taken completely by surprise.
"Sis? You mean…"
"That's right. Shadowfire, Firestar and Solarflare are her brother and sisters," Melody told them. "I'm surprised Firefly never told you."
"She mentioned something about having siblings, but it never dawned on us that they were them," Indigo replied.
"They've been praying and hoping everyday that Firefly would somehow find her way back to them," Saya said. "I'm just glad that their prayers were finally answered." The others, seeing how happy Firefly was, were glad as well. After everything they had been through it was good to find some bit of good news, and the reuniting of Firefly with her brother and sisters was just that bit of good news they were looking for.
Arriving at Moonrise Plains turned out be more eventful than they realized with Firefly being reunited with not only a few old friends but her brother and sisters as well. With this little development things are certainly going to get much more interesting. Find out just how interesting in the next chapter of Firefly: Queen of the New Breed!
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