Inside the ring was pain and misery. The people lay clutching their pokemon, or clutched by them. The four that ran the perimeter were tiring, and soon their only security would falter and fail, and the vagrant would watch the people within the circle be ripped apart for his stupidity. He'd argued to let them in, let them fight. And now they would die alongside the police they'd come to help. The first to falter was one of Shauna's, but he could not tell whom. And when they fell, through burst a wave of slime creatures, washing into the ring to infect the people seeking solace. "Volley" In desperation he pointed at them, hoping his team were not too weakened to fight at his word. A couple weak fireballs flicked past him, scoring several of the creatures but not enough to make any sort of impact. He didn't have the time to call for another shot, a magnificent shimmering wall sprung up, forcing the air between the large man and the creatures apart. As soon as the wall started between them, it slowly spread to the left and right. The patrollers fell quickly back and were secured behind this shimmering ring wall, held fast by four pokemon at its edge. Annwn stood closest to Ryan, the end of his wand pressed against the wall and a look of fierce determination on his face. At each of what would be the corners of a square around this circular wall, stood three more; large golden creatures with star shaped heads and sporting twisted metal spoons they had pressed against the barrier. It was secure, and everyone inside was safe. The light distorted through the rippling shield, but the vagrant could see beyond the canine's patrolling the edge, biting at the shield but never really affecting it. A dome, they were locked inside a protective dome, whilst the teacher watched the enormous crystalline flower before them begin to bloom. The beautiful shimmering petals, larger than houses, lowered to crush the buildings around them. And the motions inside grew more frantic as Ryan watched. The time was upon them. He had lost, and would now suffer the punishment.
Stepping away from the wall, the vagrant turned and counted his companions; Annwn, Shauna, Chuey, Leveyr, Embeee, the chandelier, Blargg, he looked down at the snail-like creature seemingly made of molten rock. "Aren't you suppose to be-" Ryan's head almost snapped up as he scanned the area for the tree he'd hidden Fyre behind. No, No, No, there it was. A lone tree on the outskirt of the town, outside the barrier. He ran to the section of wall closest the tree, shuffling sideways to try and get a better view around the trunk to check on the little ball of fluff. When he saw, his heart sank. By happenstance he'd looked right, back toward the main town, and saw an old maroon dog waddling slowly along with its fluffy white tufts of fur sagging slightly around it. "FEAR!" He screamed, hands ever on the barrier as he shuffled sideways, almost crab running along the wall to get to the old dog. Fyre was walking about three meters away from the edge of the barrier, sniffing the ground and following something the vagrant couldn't see. "FEAR! FEAR come here!" He banged on the firm, immovable wall of light. "FEAR" The vagrant's voice shook a little, watching the little canine sniffing a body before continuing on his merry way, one ear drooping as he sniffed along. "Annwn! Let me out" He shouted to the pokemon closest, its wand pressed against the barrier. "Let me get him, then I'll be back". Nothing happened. "Annwn! FEAR!" He shouted, banging on the barrier. He couldn't even get a handhold as the surface seemed perfectly smooth to him. The large man dropped to his knees, clawing at the dirt at the base of the barrier. Behind every handful of dirt, every rock he moved, stood the barrier reaching down. His forehead rested against the shield as he screamed through it. "FEAR! COME HERE, FEAR" He ignored the shaking in his own voice. The old dog sat, Ryan had a chance, perhaps he could hear him afterall. "FEAR!" No reaction. The little head lifted to sniff the air. Ryan could see the dark shapes beginning to pace around the innocent little ball. When he drew his fist back to slam the wall again, a ball of fire flew past him and easily through the force out into the area beyond. Looking over his shoulder showed the lioness charging another shot, flames licking her upper muzzle as another ball built within. "What are you-? Yes! Protect him, good girl!" Another ball soared past him, followed in rapid succession by more from others. Each of his pokemon had begun spitting fire through the barrier at around Fyre. Only Annwn stood resolute. "The fire won't hurt him." He smiled a little before the arms grabbed him around the waist. Four huge arms from a creature at least three heads taller than the large vagrant pulled him away from where he'd been kneeling. Shouts of confusion met the flashes of light around them as every battered and wounded pokemon capable of throwing fire unleashed themselves to help. Looking through the hot but solid wall the vagrant watched as these attacks seemed entirely too accurate. Though not to the black shapes. "FEAR! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" He struggled in this things arms, trying his best to twist himself free or break an arm to escape. "Stop it, he can't withstand that, he's too old! Stop that you're hurting him. FEAR!" steam was rolling over his eyes as his tears evaporated almost instantly. "FEAR!"
Ryan thrashed like a madman, screaming at Annwn, screaming at the mass of attackers needlessly attacking his old friend. Fyre wasn't part of the team. He wasn't suppose to be part of battles. "Ryan?" A voice echoed in his mind. The vagrant froze, looking down at the purple furred canine, the one who had originally shared to him Fyre's thoughts. "Can he hear me?" the voice continued. "Fear?" More steam rolled over his eyes. "Ryan hears me!" The warmth in the voice almost sounded like the excitement of a wagging tail. "I happy Ryan. You kept the promise!" He couldn't help it as the memory rose to mind.
A little boy kneeled in the grass behind an untouched and beautiful menhir stone. Slowly he crawled a step forward, then another. Inching forward to look around the rock at a brown dog sitting with its back to him. Another small step, have to be quiet. And he pounced. The dog's bark was excited and happy. The boy missed grabbing him but the brown puppy rolled over anyway, yipping and wagging its tail excitedly. "You're so silly Fyr" the boy smiled, scruffing and rubbing the exposed belly as the little dog's whole back end wiggled along with its tail. The puppy rolled over and bounced around before licking the boys face excitedly. He couldn't stop giggling. It was only when a flash of light nearby grabbed the dogs attention did he have a moment to calm down and breathe. A grown up was standing nearby, looking down at a puppy like fyre, though it was a little bigger. Ryan knew what the man would say, and even mouthed along with him. A set of words so often repeated they'd become almost sacred here. "Here, it is your choice to evolve. If you want to, I won't stop you. If you don't, I won't be mad" The other dog's fur started turning a yellow colour as little arcs of light jumped to it from the big stones around them. Its yellow pelt grew sharp and jagged, while it gained what almost seemed a streamlined appearance. "That's a trainer, fyr" The young Ryan whispered. "They travel all over, meeting new people and seeing beautiful far off lands. I want to do that some day." The brown pup licked his cheek, He was already smiling but that just made it bigger. "We'll do that some day Fyr, you and me!" The boy puffed out his chest. "We'll travel, and meet new people and see new places. Would you like that?" Fyr barked, his tongue lolling out one side of his muzzle. "Me too. I have school though. I promise we will Fyr! After school we'll go travelling." The man walked off with his pet, but Ryan wasn't watching. They were going to go adventure, someday.
"Ryan is a good boy" the voice continued in his mind, the purple creatures eyes locked on the vagrants. He couldn't bring himself to look away and at Fyr, out there under fire. "Now I keep my promise" His promise? Ryan never asked Fyr to promise anything. Let alone anything that would cause him to sit out there and let himself be bombarded over and over again.
The excited boy sat on the floor of the cozy lounge room under a sparkling green tree covered in tinsel and baubles. "That one next" the man pointed to a present. The little boy smiled as he passed the wrapped present to the woman sitting on the lounge while smiling at the man. A new set of paints was what she'd been wanting for the past few months. "Right. Last one" The man smiled, it was a small present, big enough for at best a card. The boy had already gotten a physics textbook and calculator, odd presents for someone as young as he was, but he liked them. The small package was labelled "Ryan. From Gramma and Grandpa" He ripped it open as the man got up from the lounge and scurried away in his silly 'quiet' walk. Out fell a small Christmas card. 'Merry Christmas Ryan. We think you're old enough now, turn around.' The boy spun on the spot the moment he finished reading, coming face to face to an excited little brown dog. It barked as its tail thumped the ground loudly and put its paws on the boys lap. Ryan flung his arms around the dog, hugging excitedly. "He needs a name lad, Any ideas?" The man had let go of the puppy and was sitting on his haunches watching them. Ryan was already on his back holding the puppy in the air, playgrowling at it only to be licked excitedly in response. After a couple minutes the boy finally laughed out an answer. "Fear?" No, that wasn't right, Ryan spelt it for him. "F.Y.R, but pronounced 'Fear'?" The boy smiled and nodded, patting the puppy in his lap. "Well hello Fyr" the man reached over to pat the pup as well. "You be a good boy, okay? You protect Ryan. Make sure nothing happens to him. Got that?" The puppy barked once, tail swishing as if wanting to sweep the floor as the muzzle lifted to nuzzle the boys chin happily.
Ryan was finally able to rip himself out of the grip of the four arms to rush over to the wall. "FEAR DON'T" the large fists bashed on the protective barrier as the fires died down. A clearing had formed around the little doggy, none had dared approached as the fire had flown forward. But Ryan didn't notice that, all he could see was Fyre. The little dog was laying down on the spot, parts of his fur actually singed despite their immense resistance to fire. "FEAR" He was on his knees bashing at the door. Though he wasn't alone. Chuey was beside him trying to cut the barrier with her knife, shouting at Annwn that she would cut him if they weren't let through. But all Ryan saw was Fyr, and the shadows of people moving in around him. It was almost like the people out there knew he was watching. Nothing passed by his view of fyr, no big black dog, no person walked between them. Though the shape of one man walked, almost strutted into the ring to stand over Fyr, the man's foot swung back, and then into the dogs side. Fyr rolled sideways but barely moved thereafter. "FEAR!" The roar was so loud that Chuey had to cover her ears in anticipation of more, and the people on the other side of the barrier actually looked his way. The smell of burning fabric assaulted his nose, but Ryan didn't care. He ignored the flames bursting from the back of his neck for at least twenty centimeters in a ring as if his collar. All he cared about was breaking through the barrier. Again and again he bashed against it. Fists, feet, even throwing his whole weight behind his shoulder. "FEAR" Nothing would budge the wall. "Don't you fucking touch him. I'll fucking kill you! FEAR!" He wouldn't stop, perhaps at some time his shoulder would shatter under this force, but he would not stop. "Let me out! FEAR!" His shouts were staggering those around him as he desperately just pressed against the wall, pushing hard as if he could drag the whole dome with himself inside it. To no avail.
"Ryan" The voice was weak and distant. But he could hear it in his mind. The pain its condition brought him redoubled his efforts to break the barrier and run to him. "Was I a good boy?" What's it like to hear your own heart break? To hear a voice you hoped would never sound like that, ask a question you know you could never bring yourself to answer. "Fyr..." "Was I a good boy?" His head hung almost limply. The large man's hands pressed against the force above his head, the pushing stopped. "Yes. You are a good boy." It was almost instant. The moment the large man had whispered his reply, the ground shook beneath this feet. The sound of a blast so loud it could not only be heard within the dome, but felt in the bones of everyone around. White fire rolling like crashing waves over the shimmering dome. It's beauty was pain to him. Weak and quiet were the screams that managed to pierce the weakening barrier. Even after the flames outside died away, those around the vagrants neck refused to. Ash and rubble met his eyes. The grass was all gone, every blade disintegrated. Dried-ashen husks littered the ground standing no closer than 8 meters. Smoke rolled through the area silently, drifting in the wind. The great crystalline flower stood unmarked, looming over the scene as if this was a picture it had been drawn in once before. The shimmering wall faded away slowly, allowing the clouds of ash to roll into the only ring of colour anyone could see. Ryan didn't care. Slowly he rose to his feet. As best he could at any rate. His knees shook and only carried him three steps before dropping him back down. He didn't care how pathetic he looked. The large man would crawl to Fyr if need be. The ground was still hot, so much that the people who had been within the dome with him stayed where they were, unwilling to set foot out. His hand pressed down onto a scalding piece of metal, a mangled white hot piece of some unknowable technology that he brushed away to keep on his path to the only mound in the center of the sixteen meter ring of utter destruction. The small body of Fyr that lay among the ash in front of him. The vagrant was shuffling on his knees as he grew closer, deaf to all sounds in the distance around him. Blind to the motions inside the crystal machine. Only Fyr mattered.
His hand gently brushed across the fur, it was still fluffy as the ash wafted out of it into a cloud around him. Very gently and carefully, Ryan brushed Fyr's fur clean. Fyr didn't like being dirty. His hands were suprisingly steady for his state as he scooped Fyre up onto his arms. Very gently holding the ball against him and pressing his face into the fluff. "I'm sorry" He whispered, ignoring steam rolling off his eyes. He lifted Fyr's chin to lightly press his nose against the old pups, to no reaction. His huge arms cradled the little ball as one would hold a newborn baby. On his knees the man lightly rocked back and forth where he sat, whole body shaking as his crying roar echoed around him. The large man couldn't see for the could of steam over his eyes, but he didn't need to. All he needed right now was to let it out. At times he could swear his wasn't the only wailing, that another voice beside him was just as heartbroken at the sight in his arms.