A/N: Weeeeeeeell, I owe all of you an apology for updating almost an entire week late. And an additional one to tell you that the next chapter won't be until the next Saturday after tomorrow. XD SORRY! I ended up being unable to work on this last weekend because of some stuff I had to do, and then when I got un-busy I just couldn't get the inspiration to hit me. And then I had to go somewhere for a bit again, and I finally got my inspiration back just now. XD I know it's short, but it's because the next chapter is going to be REEEALLY long, if all plans go right. It seemed like I had something important to say . . . uh . . . maybe I'll remember at the end of the chapter for Announcements. XD Enjoy~

Chapter 29: Fire

White hot pain courses though Ven's nerves, and he lets out a snarl of agony. The fox's good eye slams shut as he writhes. He slices reflexively at whatever he can and tears easily through flesh. Someone lets out a piercing cry. He's delirious with the satisfaction that someone else is hurting. The fox strikes out a second time, and this time he's cast away from his fiery fetter. More screams. Relief surges through him as the heat subsides, but it doesn't altogether leave him. He can hear people scrambling around the room. The slick surface he lands on whisks his claws out from beneath him. In the scramble to secure himself, Ven's paws snag on someone's jeans just as they jerk away, and he's lobbed across the room. Flailing, confused Ven sails into something soft and liquid that flails back at him. Bearing his fangs and slashing at the liquid form defensively, he tries to wriggle away to someplace safe, but he can't make any headway across the carpet. Finally, he gives up his escapist strategies and throws his entire being into fighting off the fierce creature attacking him. His eyes remain closed as he rips and slashes at the pure liquid opponent, yet his sensitive ears perceive each deadly movement coming his way.

Someone tries to pry Ven away from his battle, but a quick snap at their delicate fingers drives them away. A second liquid form rams into him in attempt to cripple him. He struggles with them a moment, then swings an Iron Tail into their side and follows up with a bone-shattering Quick Attack. His original foe Tackles him again, and Ven lets out a terrifying battle cry before he practically rips them apart. Fire pulses through his veins and pains him more greatly with every attack. His fur is burnt. No, his fur is singed. Singed. Singed like . . . like . . .

Ven freezes up and cracks an eye.

"'Singe my fur,'" The Eevee whispers eerily.

"What . . . did you say?" His foe croaks in reply. Ven's eye snaps open in horror at the voice. Ebonum, his father, lies in a smoldering heap before him. Deep crimson blood is streaked across his fur and his breathing has been reduced to shudders.

The humans cradle Lavendeau in the other room, who was terribly broken in her attempt to quail the death match. Mabel's arms and stomach are covered in a latticework of scratches, as well. Cinders and shreds flit about the room like an evil snow.

Ven's gaze slowly falls upon his paws, which have left charred prints in the cream carpet. For a moment, his eyes widen in realization. Then the horror of the situation overtakes him. Comprehension leaves him, as does spirit. His will to resist evaporates when a loop is thrown around his neck and tightened. Shock has completely filled his mind. The humans never protest once when he's taken from the comfort of their home and into the thick, steely cold of the rain. Ven shifts once more, this time from his state of shock to one of exhaustion as the needles of liquid cut through him. The cold burns him and makes him ache.

He's abruptly thrown out of the piercing rain in a single, rough motion. Ven finds himself locked inside a cramped box that faintly reminds him of the time he attempted to explore the freezer. He begins shivering. Slits are cut into a single wall of his newfound prison, and they allow just enough of the outside world to trickle through for him to see his birthplace slip away from him forever. Ven stares sadly as the rain blurred world flies away from him. A question faintly reverberates throughout his mind as he begins succumbing to his exhaustion. What has he done?

At last, sleep draws him away from the waking world and swallows him up in an abyss of nothingness.

As Ven is taken by the pound to be euthanized for being deranged and dangerous, a faint glow emits from the mark on his forehead. For a moment, it seems to be nothing more than it appears. A useless light. Then, it suddenly begins to spread throughout his entire body. He stops shivering uncontrollably. Intertwining with fur and skin and bone, it fills Ven's entire being with a warmth that stays with him even after the light dissipates.

When the one who led Ven from the only home he ever knew comes to take him to the dwelling of his doom, he is very much surprised to discover that the Eevee in question . . . is no longer an Eevee.

A/N: Ah, the joys of being a mean author. Well, haven't remembered what I needed to tell you so far. Hmm . . . gah, I'll just tell you stuff off the top of my head and hope I get it right. I'm too lazy to look at the polls right now, so just assume it's the same.

1- Next chappie is Ven's last chapter. It's also gonna be really long. Oh, that might've been it. I was going to say that if it gets REALLY long the update time might be delayed a bit again. Oh, and I just remembered the other really important thing. It had to do with OCs.

2- Uh, I've decided to stop accepting OCs at the end of Stage 1. I've already got more than enough of them, and thanks BUNCHES to everyone who sent me one or more, but I've decided that I'll still be officially accepting them until I click the 'Complete' button on this fic. For all of you who submitted, they will FINALLY be making appearances in Stage 2. XD Sorry it's taken so long.

3- I think Invader Zim abducted my brain, because I can't remember anything else I'm supposed to announce. XD Thanks for reading this far, I guess. Meh, that's about it.

~Autumnchronicles