Chapter 1- Shooting Star
Well here it is. Five months after I started writing the original story I'm back doing the same thing. Except this time I hope it's much better. My writing style has drastically changed in the last few months and I feel I can do a far better job now, which is why I've decided to rewrite this story. I really hope you enjoy it, the first few chapters have the same basic ideas in as the original, but they've been greatly expanded with more events and new detail. So sit back, grab a hot drink and a blanket, and enjoy the rewritten version of A Light In The Darkness!
Have an awesome day :D
Disclaimer- I don't own Pokémon, just my OCs.
? PoV, early hours of the morning, in a forest
I jolted awake instantly with a terrified scream, still seeing the blade piercing her, still hearing the cry of agony. I shivered and buried my face in the dirt, tears dripping down my face as the scene continued to haunt me even in the waking world. "W-why… why did they do it! Whyyyyyyy!" I bawled, not in any kind of mindset to worry about the noise attracting wild pokemon.
After a while I just lay there shivering and sniffling, unable to even cry any more. It felt like I should move, and as I turned my head to stare up into the sky the stars twinkled in a friendly manner, as if trying to give strength to me. I squinted up at them, having always found the night sky to be a comfort- I never really did understand why, whether it was the soft blue glow of the horizon, the bright white of the shining moon or the happy glowing of the stars all across the sky. And as I gazed up into the vast expanse a flash of light caught my attention and I curiously shifted my gaze across to it.
There it was- I'd never seen one before but I was sure I knew what it was- "A shooting star…" I whispered in the darkness, watching in awe as it added across the sky. "It's… it's beautiful!" And indeed it was, so much so that I couldn't seem to take my eyes off it as it glimmered and swooped down, getting lower and lower until it disappeared behind the trees. And somehow I felt my spirits lift, the weight of my burden becoming just a little lighter than before. Maybe I felt a connection to it through my name- we were one and the same after all- but whatever the case I felt resolved to head in the direction that it fell in. I knew I wouldn't find it on the floor, that much was a given, but I also wasn't about to ignore the motivation I now felt.
I rose to my paws, brushing off the worst of the dirt from my coat. I wasn't specifically a dirty pokémon - I took pride in my fur, and it had a healthy light brown colour, with a huge fluffy tan tail and a ruff of thick fur around my neck, both a creamy white colour- but living in the wild for so long meant it was hard to keep it clean when I didn't even know what the days held in store! Shaking myself off to throw out any excess dirt that was loose I took a quick look around for danger, and satisfied with the results began to head off through the forest. Of course, there could still be predators around so I couldn't truly let my guard down.
As I padded through the forest, trying to be as quiet as possible, I could help but marvel at my surroundings- I'd come a very long way from what was once my home and whilst I knew I could never make myself go back, it still hurt thinking about those rolling fields and the woods next to the family den. It used to bring happiness and joy with every day, but now it just tore me apart to even try and think of. I shook my head- focus! Follow the star, keep your mind occupied! These days, a distraction was always a welcoming presence.
Even though I'd been travelling for a long time though it still amazed me just looking around- even the trees looked different! They looked healthy, a vibrant green colour that did actually help me keep my spirits up. There was the usual faint chittering of bug Pokémon and chirping of early-rising birds but it was a peaceful ambience to what was undoubtedly one of the better forests I'd been in.
And for a while it seemed to stay like this; it wasn't often I was actually able to let my guard down even a little but subconsciously I found myself doing so as I walked, letting myself be distracted by the surroundings. This in turn would prove to be short-lived, and the sun was just beginning to rise when the first snap of a twig was heard. I froze, looking around for a moment, but didn't hear anything. I continued onwards, dismissing the sound as my hyperactive imagination, and a few short minutes later I came to a clearing. It wasn't just any old clearing either, for it had a certain feature right in the middle.
A bush- an oran berry bush- sat directly in my path, almost as if begging me to eat it. My eyes widened, for oran berries were one of my favourite berries, and I wasted no time in scampering over to it and eying the plump blue berries hungrily. I took a quick glance around and then gently pulled one off the bush and stared at it for a moment before taking a bite. Immediately the sweet juices flowed out and filled my mouth with that delicious taste I'd been dying to enjoy again, and with no further hesitation I proceeded to eat the rest of the berry with gusto! Just as I was reaching to take another berry I heard another snap of twigs and turned, expecting to see nothing again.
It wasn't, not even close. A growling grey and black pokémon with dark shaggy fur and a less-than-friendly look in its eyes stood just a few places away, and I felt my body seize up in fear. The Poochyena stalked towards me and growled "What do you think you are doing, thief?" I squeaked in horror, realising my mistake and started to back away, managing to regain control over my limbs. "I-I'm s-sorry! I d-don't realise they w-were your b-berries!" I stammered, moving backwards towards the edge of the clearing- this was not the right answer, as denoted by the pokémon jumping forwards to land just in front of me, fangs bared menacingly.
"Liar!" it hissed, stalking ever closer, to the point where I doubted my chances if I tried to run for it. "P-please, y-you have to b-believe me!" I begged, willing this nightmare to end but knowing full well it wouldn't be that easy. I raised my front paws to try and show I wasn't violent… and it lunged forwards, grabbing my paws and shoving me backwards into the dirt as it prowled forwards and placed a hard paw on my chest, sealing any chance of escape.
I gave a terrified whimper as it leaned over me, jaws wide open to expose a set of razor sharp canines that would have no trouble shredding me apart. "This is for stealing my berries! Say goodbye little one," the Poochyena growled, and I closed my eyes as those jaws came closer, waiting for the end in terrifying suspense- this was it, I was going to die.
I heard a snarl and a rush of wind as something fast hurtled into the clearing, but it didn't matter to me anymore… but the final blow never came! I opened my eyes and was astonished to find another Poochyena in the clearing, and it seemed to be in a standoff with my would-be killer. "Get your paws away from that Eevee you little runt! She's mine!" a feminine voice ordered, and the first Poochyena snarled and took a heavy step forward, saying "Those are my berries- that Eevee is mine to kill!" My eyes widened even more at this- they were fighting over who got to kill me!
The female bared its fangs at the other enemy and pounced, grabbing it by the neck and swinging it around to smash into a tree. "I warned you," she said and turned to me; "Now, you and I are going to have a little talk." I knew for a fact this wouldn't just be a talk- she was going to kill me, no doubt about it. As she stalked towards me, a blur flew out of the bushes as the younger Poochyena viciously tackled her, sending her sprawling a few feet away. An idea formed- what if I could run as they were fighting? Maybe that could work!
The female rose to her feet once again and charged her assailant who met her head on as they began to properly fight, teeth and claws whirling and slicing at the close quarters. This is the best chance I've got right now I thought, and without another moment to consider it I turned and ran for it, my small legs carrying me as fast as possible in a gamble to escape. Almost as if they'd heard her thoughts, the two dog Pokémon stopped fighting just a few seconds later and turned in my direction- there was no way they didn't know where I was, I couldn't help making noise as I hurried through the bushes to try and get away.
"Get back here you little thief!" the first Poochyena roared, and I heard branches snapping and leaves crunching beneath paws as they both gave chase, each wanting to get to me first for a different reason. I whimpered and ran faster, willing my legs not to fail me now or it really would be the end this time! I kept running, ignoring the scenery I had been admiring just minutes earlier and just focusing on the thumping of my paws on the dirt and dried leaves for a while; but I quickly began to notice something- the crashing behind me was getting louder as the bigger bodies of my pursuers got closer and closer to their brown-furred goal.
I couldn't help emitting another admittedly pitiful whimper- this was all because of a stupid mistake, and now my very life was at risk. Realising I clearly wasn't going to get away, I skidded to a halt and looked around wildly, trying to find somewhere to hide. My eyes darted around the trees and bushes in a panicked state as I heard the crashing get ever louder behind me. Finally, just as I was expecting something to pounce on me I found it- a small collapsed tree trunk that was half covered in moss and leaves, and it could just be my salvation!
Unable to afford myself even a moment of hesitation, I scurried over and crawled quickly into the trunk, inching myself in as far as I dared. And then all that remained was to wait with baited breath and hope they didn't find me… Just a few seconds later I heard the two dog pokemon enter the clearing, and I hardly dared to even breathe as I heard them moving around far too close to me.
The sounds of sniffing could be heard as they attempted to catch my scent, and my heart skipped a beat- I hadn't realised they would try that! The female gave a frustrated growl and I heard a crash that probably signified a frustrated Poochyena. A few more moments went by, and at least one of them was right next to me for a second, before the footsteps seemed to recede. My eyes widened in shock; they seemed to be leaving! I didn't dare to move for a full five minutes, just in case I was wrong, but eventually I poked my head out of the log- half expecting a heavy paw to grab me- and looked around.
My suspicions were true, for the pursuing pokémon really had left! I climbed out of the fallen tree trunk and sat down, willing myself not to burst into tears at the encounter I'd somehow just survived. I… I don't know how much longer I can take this… so many years… I despaired, my thoughts flashing back to when- wait, the star! How could I forget! I had to keep going, find the fallen star, or at least where it would have crashed- this was a distraction from my problems, and one I was glad to stick with at least for the time being.
My mind at least somewhat satisfied, I turned attention to another issue: water. Fortunately I could hear a stream nearby and I remembered glimpsing the water as I was running earlier. I set off, not specifically happy but at least I didn't feel like I wanted to sit down and sob quite as much right now. Within a couple of minutes my suspicions proved true, as I pushed aside some big leaves and got a proper view of the stream. By now it was coming towards dawn- I estimated maybe another hour- and the small light on the horizon flashed across the water, giving the surface a soft and rather pretty glow.
I knelt by the stream and took a few sips, immediately feeling the coolness revitalise me and shake of any exhaustion I had been feeling before. For me, small things like this were a godsend and so far the early hours of the morning had contained both good and bad. Hopefully all my troubles had ended for at least a few hours though, or so I told myself anyway- things often had a way of failing to live up to my hopes…
Once I had drunk my fill, I tentatively lowered myself into the water, letting out a small gasp at how cold it felt on my whole body. I stood for a few moments and allowed myself to adjust to the temperature, and then I began the laborious task of trying to wash out the days of dirt and mud that had gotten into my fur and matted it into a disgusting mess- these streams weren't just brilliant for my thirst! The water was cold but after a second it felt fine, as I proceeded to clean every inch of my fur of the dirt and mud that I had accumulated over the last couple of days since I encountered a stream like this.
Some time later, I climbed out of the water and shook off my fur, then began to groom it carefully and methodically as I let my mind wander; what actually did become of shooting stars when they fell? And would I find anything as I trekked through the forest? I had to tell myself something would be there, if only as a comfort thought to help me keep going on- these kinds of goals were what had always kept me going, and today would be no exception! Once my fur was satisfying to me, I made sure my glasses looked okay, adjusted my bow and set off into the undergrowth once more to continue my search through this part of the forest…
A few minutes later, as I was walking, I began to notice a strange glow in the area; it wasn't light enough yet to be dawn, and I didn't expect any natural light to be shining like that so I was certainly curious. I slowed down, taking time for my eyes to five more carefully around the area, but it seemed like the glow was somewhere in front of me. I stumbled through some thick bushes and came into a clearing. Nothing could have prepared me for what I found! A small crater sat in the middle of the area, with soft puffs of smoke drifting up from the hole. The crater itself was only a couple of feet deep and not very wide, but the glow seemed to be coming from there, so I stepped forward cautiously to look.
Nestled comfortably was a small stone of some kind, pulsing with that soft white light I'd been following, and distracted by my curiosity I reached out a paw and gently tugged the object free to look closer. The stone was smooth and appeared grey, but on inspection it seemed to have very faint colours mixed in- grassy green, ocean blue, midnight black, flame red, a friendly light pink, a deep purple and a brilliant yellow. The stone itself had a slightly jagged edge on one side and a series of shallow grooves set into the same side, as if it had been struck by an impact as it hit the ground. Immediately I thought of the shooting star and gasped as I realised this must be the star! I felt a surge of warmth emanate from the stone, as if somehow it was resonating with my feelings, and with a big smile on my face I started walking, stone stored safely within my creamy neck fur as it continued to pulse out a gentle heat.