*The future is never written…*
*What will come will come, and when it does…*
*We will meet it, when it does…*
=Chapter 32 – Goodbye Elder Isis=
"I will not let this stand… you will pay for your crimes, even if I must do it myself!"
"You, what can you do you old 'infertile', you barely have strength to walk!"
She gasped for breath, knowing it was true, the journey had drained her strength, she barely had stamina to stand properly. Yet she still had power, her powers that she never stopped storing.
"I know your future… he who is forever scarred… the path you would lead is one of darkness for us… Yet the path 'he' offers, gives light, and it is that light which will bring you to defeat. I cannot let you live… I cannot let you threaten that future."
"Your 'future' vision is worthless… as is your life."
"I will not let you threaten my pack… I will not let you harm them… the 'family' that journeys together. My pack depends on me winning here… and I will not fail them!"
She closed her eyes and opened them again, seeing nothing but a sea of flames in the shape of a Houndoom, consumed in that fire was darkness. Yet atop her forehead was a beacon of light, and she prepared to once again unleash her power for the very last time…
She had to… if she failed here, the vision would come true, and death and despair would befall the bright and joyful light that her pack now enjoys.
"DIE!" He yelled as he charged, leaping at her.
"Dazzling Gleam!" She screamed out loud, determined to blind his sight, as she once did to herself.
(Isis' PoV)
*Gasp*
She opened her eyes in panic as she looked around her cave room, but alas all she saw was darkness. She was as alone in this small den as she always was, as she always will be.
"My dreams have been speaking to me greatly, and clearly, these past few weeks…" She whispered to herself as her breathing slowly settled. "The vision I saw before, the fearsome flame that seeks to burn our future… yet a faint ray of hope continues to appear. Why do 'I' appear in the vision… why am 'I' the one who is destined to stare down Scar?"
She was an Elder, a very old Pokemon, the oldest of all the elders in Pack David. She has seen the beginning and end of many Pack Leaders in her pack, from her youth to her old age of, in human years, sixty-four. She has counselled many, many members of the pack, some to happiness, and some to sadness.
In her youth, she was a strong Pokemon, more than a match for any opponent, yet in her old age she barely had strength to walk and stand for any given period.
Even now as she tried to wearily stand up and head for the council meeting chamber for their usual meeting time, she was struggling to get up and move.
"Oh… come on my old bones and muscles… we do this every day…" She muttered as she wearily stood up, and began to slowly walk forward. "I can barely still walk… how am I supposed to journey outside of the den?"
In her old age, her dreams were psychic visions of the future, her powers had developed so strongly that she could see events as they were destined to happen if certain courses stayed the same. This was how she saw that her pack would have a new leader, one who would bring strength and prosperity to their pack that would outshine any previous pack leader.
And it was as she foresaw, the sheer number of offspring that were given birth this winter and the number of new mothers was much higher than under previous leaders, even Scar. Despite Scar's use of the 'mating' rite he had and 'honor' that females gained by mating him, the number of mothers that became pregnant overall was double under David's rule than it was under Scar's rule.
Yes, the pack leader himself had only impregnated 'two' mothers by the end of winter, yet the sheer number of pups to come by summer's beginning, was already twice the number of expectant mothers compared to last summer. His decrees changed how females looked to the Pack Leader in regards to mating, and this resulted in them more than willing to give birth to many newborn pups.
This was good, the more pack members there were the stronger the pack becomes.
"Our leader truly has grown our pack…" She commented as she left her den, and began the slow walk toward the Council Chamber.
It had been six weeks since Winter finally ended, and the pack has resumed its normal duties. There were new foraging teams which had been created thanks to pups coming of age and joining the foraging teams, new warriors had been trained thanks to the Pack Leader's Braixen bodyguard training them.
Yet most of all, as far as 'some' were concerned, a few more females had become pregnant in the last three weeks thanks to mating with the Pack Leader.
First was Icicle the Glaceon, whom had gone through another heat just as Winter ended, and having enjoyed the session she had last with him, requested another mating session since there weren't any males she fancied yet. Four days after mating him, she had felt the telltale signs of pregnancy, and it was confirmed by another Espeon in the pack that she was pregnant.
The second was a female houndoom, who had also gone into heat and sought out the Pack Leader's assistance, as he was considered the strongest 'male' in her species' minds. A week later, she began to feel pains similar to Icicle, and was confirmed to also have gotten pregnant.
Third and final, was the Mightyena Lula, whom had requested a mating session for her first heat weeks prior to Winter ending. Five weeks later, her belly was growing larger, indicating that she was indeed pregnant with the Pack Leader's pup.
"Humans are so afraid of the prospect of breeding, the silly youth~." She joked as she walked past several den entrances and various Pack Members going about their business.
David had asked for a council with her, as she was the oldest, and voiced his concerns and fears yet again about 'mating' so many females and his fear of getting them pregnant.
His concerns were noticeable and very worrisome to him, as he feared that years later, if he still remained their Pack Leader, especially for 'many many' years to come, he would eventually breed with his own offspring.
She counseled him though, and told him that, while it is indeed 'inappropriate' for him to breed with his 'kin', that was only when it came to 'humans'. For Pokemon, they were not ashamed or did not mind the prospect of breeding within their own bloodlines, at least 'some' weren't. Most didn't approve of it, but they also did not try to stop those who practiced it, unless it was being done for reason outside of 'love'.
She herself was the product of her mother breeding with her very own father.
Her mother had told her that, after her father lost his mate in a battle with Pack Logan, at the time called Pack Silas, and was so distressed that he lost all will to keep going. Yet her mother, though his own flesh and blood daughter, still loved and cared for him and wanted him to keep living, and so one night, a confrontation and a confession later, found them both in love with each other.
Thus, she was born, and she was as healthy as any normal pup being born to two parents not related by blood.
It was still a taboo, but they did not punish the taboo nearly as severely as they punished other things.
Unlike humans, Pokemon do not suffer any such, 'defects' when breeding among their own, as humans might suffer, which she told him proudly while also sharing her story.
Also, while he may indeed 'father' a pup, he is still not considered the 'father' because it was created by coincidence, and not because he and the mother intended to create a pup.
She walked down a side tunnel toward the meeting chamber, and as she did she watched a small group of foragers walking toward her, heading for the lake chamber. They were dragging a sac made of Ariados webbing, stuffed with berries and fruits to be stored in the Winter Reserves.
"Our pack grows stronger, and our food is plentiful, with the 'Life Giver' and the bountiful grove she created… we can grow even larger than we ever have." She whispered warmly as she watched the foragers and their guard pass by.
To her, they were vibrant colors, one blue, one orange, and another green, all mixed with bits of purple and yellow. There was a time under Scar's rule that those colors had 'sad' colors mixed in with some of the pack's members. Now however, life was positive among them, there was not a single spark of life in the den that did not disapprove of their pack leader.
Even if he was human.
Their pack had also grown immensely, new wild Pokemon nearby had heard of the growth of their pack from traveling Wingulls and Pidgeottos. Pokemon that had been pushed out of their native locations found a new home among the packs, in particular theirs.
An Onix had moved in from the Glittering Cave, and in exchange for the safety of the pack's strength and secured borders, agreed to help excavate further tunnels and dens, and improve their sewer system. They allowed it to create a den far below even the Winter Reserve's deepest catacombs, to eat and live, and once or twice a day would come up to ask if the pack needed it for anything.
With this Onix's help, there was going to be more space for further additions to the pack.
A group of Luxios and even a Luxray had roamed in, and asked to join the pack. Several other Ariados, pushed out by roaming Pidgeottos, requested to join, as did a few more Sevipers and even a pair of Absol from Lucy's mountain home.
In total, their pack had gained forty more members in such a short time, and was expected to grow even more with new pups being born soon, and new expectant mothers by summer's beginning.
With the help of the grove Xerneas created, that was so bountiful that it alone could feed their original numbers when David took charge, that their old foraging places simply added to the food piles allowing a surplus to occur. This surplus meant that they could grow even more, and insured that any member would grow hungry again.
"Isis, your looking well…" Yin said suddenly in front of her.
She looked up out of her deep thinking and walking, only noticing the aging Umbreon as an array of dark purple and white colors. To her, all living Pokemon and Humans were simply strange colors in various forms, she only knew a species by the overall shape they appeared to be.
Yin was the second oldest Elder and though wise in his own regard, he was as stubborn as Kuma in regards to pack rules and rituals. But at least in her mind, he was more 'temperamental' than Kuma was.
"Yin, how good to see you, has the Pack Leader returned yet?" She questioned as they walked together to the meeting chamber.
"Not yet, his meeting with Pack Delica about forging an alliance is taking longer than it should…" He replied worriedly.
"I do not foresee him coming to harm in this venture." She replied calmly. "No, I sense no harmful future nearby…"
"If the Prime Mate had any other say, you'd think Giratina itself were about to descend upon us!" Yin said jokingly, but it was true.
Ever since Pack Leader David left three days ago, Lucy the first Prime Mate had been going hysteric with each passing day that he did not return. The reason was that her belly was causing her pains, the final signs that she was to give birth soon. She wanted him present for when their first egg together came, and with it the birth of their son and heir to the pack. She was constantly yelling, assigning roles and furiously attacking her duties as Prime Mate, anything to distract her from the fact that she was to give birth and her mate was 'not' there.
The Second Prime Mate, Sophia, wasn't there either, along with Bodyguard Karen. Both had gone along to keep the Pack Leader company with Yara and Nera in his journey to Pack Delica. Karen, Yara and Nera to keep him safe, and Sophia to be his 'mate for the night' should he require release or simply wish to mate with her.
Only Lancelot was able to keep the rowdy Prime Mate calm, even Terrance could do nothing to calm her down.
And Xerneas the Life Giver did not ever leave her small cave in the underground lake chamber.
Despite her best efforts to counsel her, Lucy would not calm down until David returned to her. Though the one time she did calm herself, was to tell her how much she loved the idea of giving birth to her first son. Though she knew it would be painful to give birth to an egg, she wanted nothing more than to bring a new life she created with her beloved human into the world.
They walked into the meeting chamber, just as Nayru the Ninetales Elder, Jen the Furfrou Elder, Kuma the Mightyena Elder, and finally Spinner the Ariados Elder were settling down for their meeting.
They both took their allotted seats and she prepared to call their meeting to order.
"Now, let us begin my fellow Elders… for we have 'much' to discuss." She said, looking blindly at all of them.
"Indeed, yesterday's events have brought troubling news…" Nayru said quietly. "The Mightyena couple that arrived here… battered and bleeding, have told us a great many things."
She nodded in agreement.
Yesterday, two new Mightyena arrived in their pack's borders, a female with white fur, indicating she was an albino, or an 'infertile' as many Pokemon know them as who went by the name 'Adiva'. The other was a normal Mightyena, but covered in many cuts and bruises and bleeding fiercely called 'Ming'.
They had told the Council that they were seeking safety from 'Pack Flare's' Leader. The reason for this, was that the male, Ming, had attacked and injured a Houndoom in Flare's pack, a Houndoom they knew full well as Scar. His reason was because Scar had raped and violated Adiva, taking her purity by force and leaving her sobbing and broken.
Ming, in vengeance for Adiva's dishonor, attacked Scar wishing to bring justice to him. However, Scar overpowered him, and because his act was not 'punishable' under Flare's rule, since he mated with an 'infertile', Ming was punished instead.
He would have been killed had Adiva not fought him out, and together ran away from Pack Flare's territory, but not without fighting the many sentries along Route 10. They escaped the territory, barely, and only thanks to barely scraping through Pack Delica's borders did they arrive at Pack David's territory.
"Scar may try to use this as an excuse to convince Flare to declare war on us… according to Adiva, by Pack Flare's laws, the only punishment for this crime is 'death', by 'his' claws." Elder Nayru said quietly.
"Indeed, we should send these two away as swiftly as possible." Elder Spinner said instantly. "Our pack may be strong, but even as we are, we are no match for the combined might of Pack Flare, which controls a territory three times the size 'we' do, and has five times the number of warriors. We cannot risk a pack war with them."
"But at the same time, we cannot just turn two desperate Pokemon away!" Elder Jen barked. "They may be outlaws, but they are still living Pokemon, trying to live! Can you blame them for seeking sanctuary?"
"Regardless, this is the future of our pack we are talking about, and despite the situation, they broke the laws of a pack, we cannot protect them without forcing a possible pack war!" Elder Kuma growled.
"We may not like what has occurred, but regardless, Scar is an outlaw to 'our' pack, I doubt Flare would go to such lengths to get revenge on two Mightyena, one of whom cannot even 'breed'." Elder Yin said. "Even if he wanted, this is 'Scar' we are talking about, his ambitions are obvious, but his ways will only bring destruction. Flare surely sees this as well, by what right would Flare believe in Scar's words and commit his pack to a confrontation, when we are so very far away…"
"We should not underestimate the lengths Scar will go to, to re-secure his control over his former pack." She said calmly, catching all of their eyes and ears instantly. "He was able to convince 'seven' Linoones under Flare's command, to follow his son, and raid our food during the Winter Season. That time of the year is the one time of year, we should be safest, when all Pokemon unsuited to cold remain stationary. Even Humans, more suited to rapidly adapting to any climate than even 'we' Pokemon are, tend to stay stationary in the winter season. You saw the damage he did, he assaulted our food reserves directly, and though the loss was small, we still lost food in that chamber. The loss of any food during the winter months is a devastating blow for our pack, no matter how small the amount."
She glanced to them all and felt her words seeping into their minds.
"We cannot let Scar reclaim control of this pack, of this my visions tell me… should he do so, many sons will die with his return. Life itself will be threatened, as if Pack Leader David dies, so too will Xerneas… and if she dies… Arceus will no doubt, unleash its wrath upon all the world for the death of such a necessary part of the world's survival." She whispered worriedly. "But that is merely the fate that will befall the world, for us, our pack member's fates… we all know what will happen. Those offspring David has sired, willingly or not, will be killed. Those who favored him, killed or raped until they change their minds… you all know how Scar thinks. He will not rest until all evidence of Pack Leader David is gone. And as we all know from the whispers we hear in passing, many females favor him greatly, many mothers and fathers are happy with him. Fathers of daughters willing to let him mate with their daughters, mothers of his offspring are proud to become so… should Scar take over again…"
She sighed and imagined the many smiling, joyous lights she sees every day now, being snuffed out…
"All… will die. And with them, the future prosperity of our pack."
Silence reined as everyone contemplated her words, thought about them carefully, before finally Elder Jen spoke up.
"What do we do then Isis… what do your future seeing eyes see?" Jen barked hopefully.
Isis sighed softly, before glancing at her.
"I will go to Pack Flare… and tell Flare of Scar's treachery, of his intents, and his motives and means for the actions he takes against us…" She declared softly. "Flare will no doubt, listen to the words of an Elder, far more than he will listen to the words of a 'Human'. My visions tell me so… He will 'never' listen to just any human. Let alone our Pack Leader. They tell me I must go…"
"You go, 'you' go?" Yin asked incredulously. "Elder Isis, have you gone… mad?"
"Indeed, you are the oldest of us, you are the wisest, you cannot possibly go… the pack needs your wisdom! If you go out beyond the den at your age, you might not survive the journey!" Kuma barked.
"And that is only half the issue, 'IF' you make it to Flare, how can you be sure you can convince him… you are only an Elder Pokemon, not of his pack…" Jen yipped nervously.
"And even if you could reach Pack Flare, how would you get back to us, the journey alone would take a healthy Pokemon almost seven days! At your age, you can barely manage a trip to the lake chamber for a drink in an hour's time!" Nayru said.
"Yes… the journey is too risky for you, you see the pack's future, your wisdom is too great to risk losing, please… do not consider this journey!" Spinner hissed.
She chuckled slightly, but only slightly because it was hard for her to chuckle very hard.
"Elders… I am the daughter of a father and his daughter… as you all know." She whispered softly to them. "I am a descendent of a lineage, proud to have been in this pack since its founding… Yet my visions call me, and tell me that this is the path we 'must' take to ensure the future of our pack."
She looked up at them and pictured their worried expressions.
"I have seen many things that would take ten lifetimes to explain, I have guided our pack to where it is now, and I have seen more than any of you have seen… Still my visions call me, and tell me that I must leave to keep our path going!"
She wearily got up and walked over to each of them, first with Yin, slowly nuzzling his cheek, knowing that at one point in their youth, he fancied her greatly. Even though she was older.
"Our time on this world is finite, we cannot endure forever…" She whispered softly, hearing him give a purr that showed his pleasure at being nuzzled.
"I will never forget what we've done, in this pack together…" She whispered as she nuzzled Nayru, who cooed as it reminded her of her former lover, whom Scar defiled and murdered.
"Though we will someday part, we must treasure our lives as they are all we have…" She whispered while nuzzling Jen, who nodded in understanding, having lost her son when the previous leader to Scar killed her son.
"We are proud of who we are, and what we are, but even 'we' must be willing to change…" She whispered as she nuzzled Kuma, who grunted in 'restrained' pleasure, trying to act tough in front of her.
"And though I wish we could live a hundred lives… I know our time will eventually come…" She whispered to Spinner, even as she nuzzled the Ariados, who listened to her every word as he was the youngest Elder.
"My dreams call to me, and tell me I must go to ensure the future of our pack! I trust in my visions, that tell me the future as it will be, and they say to go to Pack Flare." She said, before walking back to her old spot. "I know my way… and the path I must take, I have guided us this far but now it is time I guide myself once more. This is the way it must be… I must go, and leave our Pack."
She looked back at the other Elders and smiled nervously, because she was hiding one single fact… that her visions foresaw her in a battle.
A battle between a healthy and strong Houndoom, and an old and weak, blind and tired Espeon.
"I will come back, of this I swear… as Elder Isis, of Pack David." She declared.
As she finished her declaration, there was a commotion outside and through the corridors of the den.
"I believe Pack Leader David has returned." She said warmly, before turning and walking to the entrance to their chamber, and stopping a Growlithe from running to carry a message to David.
(David's PoV)
David walked into the main chamber of the den surrounded by all his Pack Members, many of them Vulpix, a few Ninetales, Luxrays and Luxios, Growlithes, Eevees and other Eeveelutions, Houndours and Houndooms, Poochyena and Mightyenas, Sevipers and other Pokemon. All of them happy to see him back among them.
It was a commotion of sounds from all of his Pack's Pokemon members, as all of them were talking and either greeting him back or questioning him of his mission to Pack Delica.
"Calm down everyone, I will explain in a moment!" He yelled loudly as Yara, Nera and Karen formed a triangle to keep some distance between them and him and Sophia.
As he approached his usual sitting place when it came to the meetings his pack had, he saw Lucy smiling confidently, waiting for him to join her. Behind her was Lancelot, kneeling behind and off to the side of Lucy, smiling warmly as he approached.
(Master, it is good you returned, Lucy has been… very aggressive about wanting you to return.) Lancelot said with a chuckle.
"Aggressive?" He asked, knowing his Lucario could hear him easily.
"Oh dear, Notre première femme chérie is all uppity at missing her husband?" Sophia barked.
"Shut it Second Prime Mate!" Lucy growled as David sat next to her, and she instantly nuzzled onto his lap and proceeded to hold his tongue hostage with her own mouth. "Mmm… hmhmm…"
When she 'finally' let him go, she was blushing warmly and smiling lovingly at him.
"I'm to give birth soon love… I didn't want you away when it happens…"
"You really need to stop worrying… and being so aggressive with Sophia…" He commented, bopping her on the nose.
"Oh shut up, the moment we get back to our room, I want you to fuck me so hard that my pussy 'bleeds' again…" She growled seductively under her breath.
"But… what about our son…" He whispered, very nervous about how she sounded.
She was acting very 'aggressive' indeed, Lancelots warning was obviously an understatement.
At his words, she softened her expression and shook her head. "Sorry… this pain and worrying about you got to my head…" She whispered apologetically.
"And you say 'I'm' the sex crazed member of the team…" Karen chuckled. "At least I tell master David to simply bang me all night long. I don't tell him to make me bleed."
"Enough… we have a meeting to begin…" Sophia barked.
He nodded and looked out at his pack. "Attention members of Pack David!" He declared, and at his words silence happened. "As you know, I left three days ago to visit Pack Delica, and negotiate with her a treaty to unite our packs and form an alliance of mutual assurance and protection. This alliance would not only give us access to something we lack, knowledge about creating a more stable and cleaner 'sewer system' that while we have, is very basic, but also secure a border and allow us to divert our pack's warriors to other locations."
He smiled and let the knowledge sink in before continuing.
"I am happy to announce that with this visit, I was successful in forging an alliance between Pack David, and Pack Delica! Our two packs and the territories we control are now joined together in a joint effort of mutual benefit. Should one of us be threatened, the other will aid them in any way. Our pack's foragers can safely venture near their borders without the need of heavy escorts, as they have granted us access to their foraging spots and we theirs!"
He smiled as he watched his pack celebrating and cheering.
In truth, it didn't take much to convince her, the last winter had hit her pack hard, and they barely survived it with their food stores very depleted. In exchange for joint harvesting Xerneas' grove, she offered to send her pack's members to help protect any foragers that venture close to their territory.
Though he refrained from letting anyone else know that, Pack Delica had a time-honored tradition when it came to forging treaties, one he unfortunately had to break for the sake of Sophia.
When Pack Delica made any agreement that both packs liked, her pack's leaders shared their prime mates with each other and the leaders shared each other in a round of mating. It was supposed to 'form a lasting bond' between the two packs, but Sophia was outraged and refused… and David managed to get Delica to agree to not force it on Sophia.
But she did however tell him that unless he absolutely wanted to go back without agreeing to a treaty, he had to at least mate her 'twice' to make up for Sophia not allowing Purrson, her Liepard Prime Mate to mate his Furfrou Second Prime Mate.
Needless to say, he had no choice but to accept, and he did not return to his and Sophia's chamber for at least two hours.
His only thought was, how did a Delcatty that spent most of its time lying about cleaning herself, have the stamina to last an hour's worth of endless sex?
And do it 'twice' in one night?
He had released four times inside of her to her 'two'.
He was just glad she wasn't in heat, he did not want to have to get 'another' female pregnant, especially the leader of another pack, on top of the three he recently got pregnant in his own pack. An issue Lucy laughed at and Sophia was getting very annoyed at him with.
"At least 'try' to pull out you Idiot de pompage de sperme!" She barked at him after finding out he got Lula the mightyena pregnant, a day after Icicle and a Houndoom female told him the 'good news'. "Learn some self-restraint, and don't cum inside every single womb that you stick your dick into if your so concerned!"
Lucy meanwhile had laughed hysterically at Sophia's comments, but said she didn't mind how many pups he bred with the 'other' girls.
"As long as he makes sure to fill my womb each time he mates a female, I don't mind how many girls he knocks up!" She said with a grin.
"That is all I have to announce members of Pack David!" He declared.
"Dismissed!" Yara and Nera said proudly in unison.
Just as he and everyone began to leave, a Growlithe ran up to him and spoke up.
"Pack Leader, the Elders request an audience with you!" The Growlithe said.
"Alright, thank you very much." He said, and the Growlithe nodded and left.
"Lovely, just when I had everything planned out…" Lucy complained.
"Let's just go find out what the Elders want." He said politely.
"If you ask me those old timers need to learn to get a life." Karen said smugly.
(And you should learn to respect them more.) Lancelot said stubbornly.
"How is Terrance by the way Lancelot?" He asked as they walked, while Nera and Yara went to their chamber to rest.
(He is quite well, he asked to talk to you about something when you get the chance.)
"Does it have anything to do with the fact that his mate somehow found her way here?" He asked nervously.
A day before he and the others left for Pack Delica, the whole lake chamber was surprised at the appearance of 'another' Lapras rising to the surface. None more so than Terrance the water guardian. Terrance's mate had just left her pack, after their offspring had grown up, and followed in their father's footsteps, and found trainers to join on their journey. With no more family to tie her down and their pod obviously not journeying anywhere, Terrance's mate Serene had gone on a journey of her own, to find him.
Needless to say, this was a shocker for him, as how she found him was shocking, having traced his route, asking some water Pokemon, and listening to the words of people led her to that underwater route.
Since then Seren and Terrance have been talking, discussing, and conversing about things he felt he didn't want to talk about with 'them'.
"Maybe he wants to ask Xerneas to let Serene join in our pact?" Sophia asked hopefully.
"I don't like where this is going." Karen said.
He didn't like it either, but he wanted Terrance to be happy, and while he knew Terrance was happy having his 'family' with him, he knew he wanted his 'other family'. The one he sacrificed to find him and the others. The mate he left behind, to be with his friends from a past life.
They entered the meeting chamber of the Elders, Lancelot and Karen waiting outside while he, Lucy and Sophia went inside.
"Greetings Elders." He said to them.
"Greetings Pack Leader… we have much to discuss." Isis the Espeon Elder said calmly, staring at him with her blind eyes.
Twenty minutes later he had been caught up on all of the recent events that happened, the two Mightyena that found their way to his Pack's territory, Scar's actions and Pack Flare's aggressions against his pack. Finally, Isis' declaration that she had to go to Pack Flare, to speak for his pack and ensure the safety and future of Pack David.
He was not enthusiastic about the decision Isis had come to.
"Elder Isis, can't we send 'me' instead?" He asked politely. "I know your logic sounds… well 'sound'. But can we really risk you going? At your age…"
"Yes… it sounds weird… but believe me, it is what it must be." She said softly. "Flare will not listen to the words of 'any' human, not even 'you'. However, he may listen to the words of an Elder, a Pokemon so old and weak, that it will offer no harm to him and poses no threat. If I cannot convince him to not listen to Scars words, and open his eyes to his treachery… then nobody will."
"But… must you go?" He asked once ago.
The aging Espeon nodded sadly.
"Yes, I must. My visions tell me I must go, they foresaw you becoming Pack Leader, they Foresaw you and Xerneas coming together and completing the bond, they foresaw the dangers of Scar and his ambitions… and they have foreseen my journey. I trust in my visions of the future… trust in me Leader…"
He sighed again and looked at her.
"Very well… but you will take Lancelot and…"
"No, I must not have your body guards Pack Leader!" She said instantly, cutting off his words. "They must stay here; my vision sees them more needed here… protecting you!"
"But…" He began to say again, before being cut off.
"I have already made arrangements for my guard… a young Espeon I am related to, he will be my escort." She declared. "That is all I need."
He sighed quietly as he heard how much thought and planning she had put into this journey.
"Very well… if you must Isis…" He whispered nervously.
"I must…" She said with a smile.
Ten minutes later the pack had gathered upon hearing word that Elder Isis was leaving on a journey. Many offered to join her, to protect her, but she refused all, saying that she must go alone with her chosen bodyguard.
David was among them, as he watched her preparing to leave.
"David… come close." She whispered as she and her cousin, an Espeon called Alvin.
He kneeled to listen to her as she wearily put a paw on his leg.
"David, Pack Leader David… I have lit your path, and lit the path of this pack… I know you doubt this journey, but please… believe in my words. I have guided us for many years, longer than you know." She said warmly, amid the worried looks of all the pack members. "I have guided you this far, but now you must light your own path… light 'our' pack's path while I am gone… I will return. Trust me."
Then she smiled and managed a gentle, and very soft lick of his cheek, as she beckoned him to lean closer.
"When you face the darkness, know that I have already 'lit' your path… remember that, my Pack Leader." She whispered very quietly, so quietly only he could hear.
With that she coughed ever slightly and turned to her cousin. "Ready Alvin?"
"I'm ready auntie!" He said cheerfully. "Don't worry leader, I will keep Auntie Elder Isis safe!"
"Keep that up and you'll get us in trouble!" She chuckled, as she slowly walked to the entrance of the den.
"Goodbye Elder Isis!"
"Come back safely Elder Isis!"
"Be safe Elder Isis!"
Everyone cried and called those words, but David thought about her last words, and felt that she was saying them… as if she were saying her final goodbye to him.
He shook his head and watched the very old Espeon walking away, and called out in one loud voice.
"Goodbye Elder Isis, come back home soon!"