The New Kids on the Block: Chapter Thirteen

Random- "The Search"

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Iceblink House

Thornton, Silver Millennium

June 3, 2028

I watched as the smoke curled up into the chimney from the crackling hearth. The flames danced, skipping over different logs, causing the edges to glow a bright red before turning into gray ash, like that from a cigarette. The heat surged outwards, towards me, making me feel less sick; but, it did not make me feel any better, if you know what I mean.

There was still no sign of the people who I cared for and I was worried, very worried. Quinn and Blake, I knew that they could get themselves out of anything, or at least, I hoped that they could. Raja, poor Raja, he wasn't cut out for this cool weather. I wish I would have remembered to buy him a sweater or something. I could almost see him shivering in the cold right now. It wasn't a good vision.

I could barely remember the night before, surprisingly. I had blacked out when I was on the comfortable chaise lounge in the parlor where we sat last night. The grips of morning hunger tugged at my belly, which reminded me that I'd never ate that soup or drunk that tea that Mrs. Iceblink had gone to prepare. She must've been disappointed. She seemed like the homemaker-type.

The morning sun gently shone from behind the clouds. The sky was white, like a typical winter morning, and I could see small crystals forming on the window-ledge. The window looked wet too.

Someone must've gotten me up the stairs, but I couldn't imagine who did, for I was laying once more in the pink room. Char was completely out of the question, she was much to small, as was Mrs. Iceblink. I don't think Serenity was strong enough, so I eliminated her, which left Blair, who was fully capable of doing it. Perhaps she did. It was very nice of her.

Not wanting to stay in the bed and sulk all day, which wouldn't have been to hard if I wanted to, I once again spent a laborious amount of time washing up and putting another snugly-fitting frock. This time, it was white cotton with small violets appliquéd upon it.

I hobbled my way down the stairs, pausing at the landing to catch my breath. It's harder than you might think. Besides, with no sustenance to get me through the task, I felt positively weak. Sooner or later, I made it to the parlor, where everyone but Blair (a.k.a. Amazon Girl) sat eating something in beautiful ceramic bowls and drinking out of little teacups, like the ones I had as a child.

"Good morning Miss Briarcliffe," greeted the elderly lady. "Do have a seat, I've already made you the Silver Millennium Traditional Breakfast!"

She ushered me to a nearby seat and hurried over to a large table, where she pulled out a bronze tray with similar china, and carried it over to me. A bounce was still in her step, and I believe I saw the slightest red hue in her hair. I deduced that the women on this planet aged much better than the others.

I thanked her before eyeing the contents in the bowl. There was some odd blue triangles in there, with lime green seeds and some red strawberries sliced into halves. There was also some sliced banana and crumbles of a tan substance.

"What is this?"

Mrs. Iceblink cleared her throat before proudly piping out the name. "That, my dear, is called the Millennium Delight, also called, enfui. Don't be puzzled child, there now, take a bite. You're sure to like it."

I stared at it once more. It sure was...colorful. "What is the blue stuff in here?"

"Stuff?" She sounded offended; I wished that I had kept my mouth shut, but I just couldn't help it. "That is called fava fruit. It grows all along Silver Millennium, you know. It mainly thrives in wet environments." Lines appeared across her forehead. "I am sure that my trees have been devastated. They die in cold weather. I hope that it doesn't last any longer. It always seems to snow whenever Blair comes 'round for a visit."

I nodded to show that I was listening. Then, I took a hesitant bite and chewed very slowly, savoring the taste. It was actually pretty good. It tasted like those little tan bits were actually pieces of granola. I like granola very much.

"Any word from my brother or Blake, or Brian?" I asked my friends as I took a swig of the beverage that happened to be some Moo-Moo Milk. It was so thick and tasty, like a vanilla milkshake, something I hadn't had in a long time.

Serenity shook her head. "I hope that Brian and Dracara are all right. I can't bear the thought of something ever happening to them. Dracara isn't that fit to be in this environment. She's a cold blooded pokémon."

I knew exactly what she meant. Dracara could be tucked in a fetal position right then, knocked out cold, her bodily systems halted. She was probably in the worse condition right now.

"You're right." I looked to Charlize and said, "Well...at least you don't have to worry about Selene or Pip, they have fur. And Purin, who knows how she might be doing."

"She's probably making everyone else's life a living hell. That's what Quinn does: she gets it from him."

I looked at the grown, my heart began to sink. I missed all of them very much. I hoped that they could develop some sort of plan to come and get us. I needed them to feel complete, like a family.

"Don't worry lasses," Mrs. Iceblink said in a gentle tone. "Everything shall run smoothly."

I raised an eyebrow. There was a suspicious note in her voice.

"Blair will help," she chimed with a snug smile.

She was very confident in her granddaughter. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that much. And I sensed that she really cared for Blair, but at times, Blair was quite fed up with her I-can-do-anything attitude. It was obvious that they loved one another. I began to think of my grandmother for a few short moments.

"You make it seem like Blair is Superwoman or something, Mrs. Iceblink," Charlize told her.

"Oh, but she is. She is my granddaughter and I don't consider to be anything less than extraordinary."

Wow.

"But isn't that a lot of pressure on one person?" Serenity asked hesitantly.

"Hogwash! A little pressure never hurt anyone."

Boy was she wrong. Pressure was what fractured my wrist and twisted my ankle.

Just then, Blair strode into the room and yanked off her wool scarf and knit cap, and wet boots. She placed them near the hearth and hung her parka behind the door. She fell on an overstuffed chair and pulled off her rubbed her hands together. Her face was fully flushed. The glaive emulated the flames of the hearth on its metallic exterior. A ring of blue topaz glowed slightly, catching my eye. It was if it had been engraved into the glaive, right near the blade. It was as if it were—

A ring!

Blair had a ring, like Collin's, and like—mine! I looked down at my own sapphire ring, it was glowing dimly also. I sensed that it was reacting with the other ring—but why?

I frowned in wonderment. Were they linked together somehow? Was it just the way that the fire cast its light upon it? It was very confusing.

"I have a plan," Blair nonchalantly said, as if she didn't care if anybody listened to what she had to say.

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At first, the only thing that I could see was darkness. When I realized that that was the only thing I saw, I opened my eyelids. The horribly white sky blinded me for a short moment before I could fully regain my senses. I forced myself to my feet, swaying a bit before regaining my balance.

"Raja! You're awake! You're alive!" Pip cried as he dashed over to where I was standing and affectionately placed his yellow cheek to mine, a jovial smile spread across his tiny mouth.

"Thanks Pip," I said in a tiny voice. It was so cold that my body was completely numb, I couldn't feel anything. It was almost as if I had gotten used to the cold during the night.

"I'm glad you're awake," Selene said. "We were all worried about you. You just fell to the ground and didn't wake up. Luckily, you were still breathing."

"I'm glad you're not dead."

I accepted Purin's statement as a compliment. After all, I don't think that she was the affectionate type, just like Quinn.

"Unfortunately," she said, her gaze leering over to Dracara. "I can't say the same for her. She went unconscious shortly after you did and for some reason, I don't think she'll be waking up until we find someplace warm."

How sad. I crawled over towards Dracara and nudged her with my trunk. I wrapped it around her body and placed her onto my back. "The only thing we can do right now is to start moving. If we stay here, then we'll just get even more cold."

Purin agreed without any debate. Pip jumped into Selene's arms. I'd rather him, the youngest, to be warmer than the rest of us. Purin gradually huddled close to me to share what little warmth that I had.

We trudged along in the two-inch thick snow, all of sneezing every few minutes, in order. It was kind of funny. I usually sneezed first, then it would transfer to Purin, and then to Selene, finishing with Pip, who let out the cutest sneeze in the world.

We continued in some random path, the snow causing my smelling not to be as keen, however, my hearing was superb. I even heard the delicate footsteps of some random pokémon passing along; but this pokémon didn't just continue on its merry way; instead, it just followed us.

I stopped, filled with a sudden courage that I thought I hadn't possessed before. I belted out, "who is there? Show yourself this instant!"

A breeze of wind filled with intricate snowflakes was all that I needed to know that something was there. I barely saw the snow white pokémon appear until it was right up on us.

It was unlike any pokémon I had ever laid eyes on before. I don't think that this species even existed on my planet, that it was indigenous to this one instead. Like I said before, its body was snow white. Its eyes were an enchanting ice blue. Its body was shaped like a feline's; it was about three feet tall. On its head there three spikes of hair, like a bang, that were tipped with ice blue. Its pointy ears were like a caracal's, tufts of hair poked out of it. They were shaped like fleur-de-lis's, as was the end of its long tail. And at the base of its neck, there was a ruff, thought not exactly a ruff, with two spikes that curved upwards, and two that curved downwards. It was a beautiful pokémon.

"Hi," he said in a friendly voice, it sounded like a little kid's voice, but he wasn't as young as Pip. He was around my age, I could tell. "My name is Akiral. What's your names?"

"I'm Raja," I told him, he seemed friendly enough.

"I'm Selene."

And so on and so forth until everyone was introduced.

"What are you, Akiral?"

He flashed a toothy grin, "I'm a Meowsa. We only live here in this country. I'm here because the snow is here. I love the snow! How about you?"

"We're lost, can you help us find our trainers?"

"You mean," he said, looking at us in disbelief, "that you aren't wild pokémon?" He backed away fearfully, his hair standing on end as he performed the action.

I slightly frowned as I cautiously advanced a few paces. I wonder why the sudden change of attitude. He was really nice at first, now he's pawing and hissing at us.

"Stay away, my daddy always told me to stay away from pokémon like you! Step back, or I'll be forced to retaliate!" he forewarned us as he retreated a few more steps.

"Listen buddy," Purin bit out. "We don't have time for foolish games. We're lost and it is cold. Why would we ever want to waste our energy attacking you? Now would you please just forget what your father said right now, and help us? Please?"

I looked at Purin. She actually used "we" instead of "I": something that she'd been doing for the longest time. Perhaps she was starting to think about other people instead of just herself. I smiled at the prospect of a caring Purin. The world would be a much better place.

Akiral lifted up his chin snootily, the sharp tips of his canines glistened in what little light it could reflect. His eyes we're half-closed and his posture was stiff and erect. "Fine," he said haughtily. "I'll help you. Just this one time though."

"Whatever you say," Purin said with a sigh. "I just want to get out of here this instant. My partners would agree."

I nodded my head for emphasis.

"Firstly, you have to tell me exactly what you're looking for."

I decided to speak up. "Yesterday, we fell down this really tall hill or mountain, something like that. On one side, it was covered in vines. And that's all I can remember."

"Me too," everyone agreed.

He looked down at the ground with a wistful expression on his faces. A pink tongue licked his lips and he yawned, like a typical feline. Then, his head shot up. "You mean Death Hill?"

Purin shrugged. "How are we supposed to know. We don't look like we're from around hear, do we?"

"Hey," he grumbled, "I'm helping you out ."

"Well act like it."

He grunted as he swiftly pointed his body north-west. "Follow me. We have to go there first, look for any lost items, and then, I can pick up the scent and try to lead you to your humans." He executed a graceful leap over a mound of fluffy white snow. "Come along—try to keep up!"

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"Welcome to the Thornton Pokémon Center, how may I help you?" a cheery Nurse Felicity said, who, upon looking at my face blushed, and then, rushed from behind the desk and stood in front of us, a worried look on her face.

"Oh dear! You all look horrible. And you," she pointed to me and at my shoulder. "You've been frostbitten. Quick! Hurry into the examination room so that I can give you some ointments, and I'll have Blissey whip up some tomato soup for you all."

It's amazing how alike, yet different the Felicities could be. I could tell that she blushed because of me, but at least she got to work and didn't waste time trying to flirt.

She clutched my freezing arm and lead me to the room. I followed obediently. My teeth were chattering loudly and I had the chills. Who knows where else I might've had a frostbite and I was cold. I didn't mind being treated like a job.

I sat onto the metal table, feeling much like a six year old about to get an tetanus shot, anxious. But not in the good way. I was too numb to feel the pain but I knew that it would be there later. It always is. I've had it before. She dabbed some ointments on it and checked my temperature and took my pulse.

"Now," she said, walking over to a tray across the room. "Take off your shirt."

I took it off in an instant, but I felt colder than before. Yet, it all the same. The only thing that I wanted was to be warm and to find Celeste and Purin as soon as possible. Everything else was irrelevant. Nothing else mattered, not even my own health.

She gasped, but quickly removed herself over to where I was, her face professional. She applied the cold metal to my back and held it there for a minute, checking my breathing pattern.

"Cough."

I coughed.

She pulled off her plastic gloves and said, "you have a buildup of phlegm in your lungs. I hope that you do not end up with pneumonia." Then, she raised her eyebrow. "Exactly why were you outside and, more importantly, wearing a wife-beater and shorts."

I stared at her through snowy eyelashes. It was freezing in there. The stare was my obvious reply. I didn't feel like relaying the day's events. It would drain me of what little energy I had. I hadn't slept or ate in the past day. I just stayed awake, and walked. And when the others were tired, I still stayed awake.

"I suppose that you would like some warm clothes to wear," she said as she patted me on the shoulder. Her touch was warm. I wanted her to touch me again. I craved the warmth. She wandered over to a closet and said, "Considering your size and build, I'd say you wear an XL? Yeah, that's your size." She pulled out a thick black sweater and some jeans and thermal underwear.

She handed me the garments, I put the sweater on, savoring the manufactured warmth. I began to unbuckle my pants, unconscious that she was still standing there.

"Oh! I'll leave the room!"

She dashed out of the room.

I finished dressing, feeling almost better.

Then I walked out of the room and found Blake and Brian, who were busy eating. I didn't have time to be proper. I down the hot soup in practically one gulp and I wolfed down a slice of pumpernickel, drowning it all with a Powerade, to replenish my electrolytes.

"I'm calling Celeste now," I announced as I whipped out my 'talky and punched in her number. I looked at the screen, waiting for a picture to appear.

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I tried my best to hurry to my bag, which was just across the room. I ended up falling on my face and using my left side to drag myself across the floor. It took me about a minute. Luckily, the phone was still ringing. I pressed the TALK button and held it out in front of me. A disgruntled Quinn appeared.

My heart was so light that it levitated from my fallen body and shone in the light. I felt like sing some choral hymn or something. I was just so relieved. I cried out his name:

"Quinn!"

"Celeste!" he said, a bit more enthusiastically than what I was used to hearing, but hey, I didn't care. I was just glad that he was there, on the phone. I was glad that I had two less people to worry about (that was when I heard the other two men cry my name).

"Where are you?"

"I'm at Iceblink House. I don't know what street it is, but you can find the way, right? Where are you?"

"I'm at the Thornton Pokémon Center right now. We'll be right there. Where's Purin?"

"I don't know," I sadly replied.

"What do you mean?" A frown appeared on his face.

I just stared at the ground. "They're all lost." I lifted my head, "but Blair, Charlize, and Serenity are out there right now, looking for them. Blair had the most incredible Char—"

"Who the hell is Blair?" he snapped.

"You know, Amazon Girl. Tall, fiery red hair, green eyes: the one that was at Hyacinthe's Lab—yeah, that one."

"This isn't adding together, I mean—"

"I'll discuss it later. Just bring your ass here as soon as possible. I need you here, bro."

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The meeting that took place when all members of the New Kids Family was very warm and bittersweet. There were many hugs and many kisses passed along. Everyone was just happy to be where they were.

"Look at your leg and your wrist," Blake whined. "How are we supposed to make love now?"

He looked genuinely disappointed at Celeste's condition. His lip was poked out and he sighed, his shoulders rose and fell.

"Don't worry bud. We'll be at it again soon, you watch. I'll be a little tigress," Celeste joked as she made a clawing motion. She looked at the silhouette of a feline against the darkening window. It turned on its heel and scampered off, pausing to take one more look. She wondered what it was, probably a Persian, or something.

Quinn and Blair sunk deeper into their seats. Quinn rolled his eyes, trying to inconspicuously rubbing his frostbite. Blair stared off into the distance. Mrs. Iceblink had long since retired to her bedroom.

The pokémon clung to their trainers, rejoicing.

The night would be a pleasant one.

At the end of the night, Celeste hugged her brother as best she could and said, " You have no idea."

He hugged her close and said, "I think I have an even better idea than you."

They both grinned.

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That's it. The chapter is done. I'm sorry if I breezed over the end, I just wanted to be through with it, not saying that I disliked writing it. It was actually pretty fun. But I wanted some finality, if you know what I mean. Thanks to those who reviewed and are still reviewing (Dynamite Raver, Elemental Trainer, where are you buds? I need your input. Don't pull out on me yet! ) Oh, I'm running out of new trainers so feel free to send in more. I don't mind one bit. Your modest author— The Duke of Briarcliffe