A/N: Thank you all for the nice and lovely reviews that you wonderful people keep giving me. –cries- I love you all!!! –hands out cookies-
Disclaimer: Yadda, yadda…
Freedom
Freedom has many forms
"Chrys!" Ember shouted, fresh tears rolling down her cheeks as she held the blood covered hybrid "Chrysies, wake up"
The fight between Darkfire, Fifteen and herself had been brutal. The scythes from Fifteen had finally struck the last blow upon the Typhlosion hybrid. Covered mostly with her own blood, and burns, her own flames had died from all but her eyes. But that light too, was soon to die. Tear drops fell onto her form from Ember's red eyes. One hand cradled Chrysies' head, while the other gripped her hand tightly.
"Chrys, please…Wake up" she pleaded.
Groaning, the hybrid slowly opened her eyes and smiled up at Ember. "Heya, Em'"
"Oh Chrys! Your alright!"
Chrysies coughed slightly, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth. "Not for long Em"
"But…"
"Ember, Chrysies is too weak to make it out. I'm sorry, but, she's dying" Jale said as he knelt at the dying hybrid's side
Ember looked over at him, fear and sadness in her eyes.
"You can help her Jale! People like you made us, you can help make her better!"
"I can't Ember. It's beyond my power. I have no control over death"
"But you have control over life?"
"It was never my decision Ember. I was only here to helps study how you acted, now how you were made"
"Em…Leave him be" Chrys coughed, barely able to speak.
"But, Chrys, your…"
"I know Em, don't worry"
"You shouldn't of listened to him! You shouldn't of attacked!" the Ninetales said, almost unable to speak herself since the tears flowed freely down her face.
"I didn't have to do what he told me to do, I just felt I had to. Ember, you never did, but, please, promise me you'll get out of here alive? Don't any of you do what I did. Do what you think is right, not what he tells you to do"
"Chrys…"
Gripping Ember's hand tightly, Chrysies gave Ember a warm smile, one that was much the same as the one she'd shown the girl when the pair first met. Chrys had just come back from the torture, and Ember had only just left Jale. She made Ember feel so welcome, she understood, no matter what, even if she had no true knowledge of it. She was willing to drag Jale back by his heels when Ember cried. Chrys would stop at nothing to help others, but, the help she gave, the smiles, the words she spoke, they only now existed in the memories of those she knew. Still crying, Ember looked deep into the Typhlosion's eyes, watching those flames that burned brightly slow fade. The grip upon her hand fell, and the flame vanished.
"Chrys!" Ember screamed. "Wake up! Please wake up!"
Watching the creature he loved most in the world suffer, Jale could do nothing to help ease her pain. Placing his hand upon Ember's shoulder, he just watched in silence as the hybrid cried every tear that she could. Wrapping his arms around her shaking form when she dropped Chrys' hand and clung to him, all Jale could do was hold her tightly.
Pacing around outside, Sam watched the building she had spent so long in, burn down within flames created by the creations she had helped to develop. Fire crews ran past her, carry hoses ready to quench the flames and search for any left within the building. Sirens flooded the air as every emergency service made it's way to the facility. But, she couldn't hear the sounds of those around her, she was lost within her own thoughts. Until she was pulled back to reality by a hand placing itself upon her shoulder. Spinning around, she stared up at the Charizard boy's eyes.
"Bret…" she muttered
"Ember, Chrysies, Darkfire and Jale still haven't come. Asel and her brother have just left. I'm worried. Melete said something bad has happened" he replied, removing his hand from her shoulder.
"What went wrong in there?"
"Asel said Darkfire refused to follow the orders he was given. Jale went to get them out. Azure brought the little girl instead"
"That boy always had been a problem right from the start" she said, although mostly to herself. Looking at the burning building, she wondered what was going on inside. "Send Azure to help them put out those flames. Drake might be able to help too"
Nodding, Bret turned to give the orders to the two hybrids she'd mentioned. Sam was too buy watching the building to notice he'd gone, and who had replaced him.
"It's burning. What's so great about it? Flames hurt"
Looking at Airia, she sighed sadly. She knew of everything the girl had gone through, and all the pain she had suffered. Her body still held the scars underneath the blanket that was wrapped around her form. Nodding slowly, Samantha returned her gaze once more to the building.
"There are still some inside" she said
"Everything is in chaos, all is in ruins. Everything you worked for, has all gone. Why help us?"
"Jale made me" she said, laughing slightly
"You and him are good friends are you not?"
Sam nodded "I've known him for a very long time. We grew up together"
"At least you had a childhood"
"You were never planned to break free. It was your human emotions and need to be free that led to this"
Amoura sighed, nodding slowly "So what now?"
"Your free, I suppose, but you'll probably have to go into hiding"
"Oh yeah, like your going to be able to hide me. I stand out in a crowd no matter what I do. I have a feathered tail, wings and a beak for heaven's sake! Do you not think someone is going to notice?" came a voice as Circe joined the pair.
The scientist sighed, nodding slightly "I know. Maybe you won't have to. This is going to be on the news worldwide"
"We all stand out Circe, even me. I doubt there will be any humans out there with petals growing from their necks"
"There are any" Sam said slowly
"See what I mean? Chop off Melete's tail and ears, and you have a perfect human" came Amoura's voice, emotionless as always.
"She still has a few differences" Sam said
"Like what? Being able to float and read minds?"
"You were never planned to have this kind of freedom Amoura, so don't blame me for your appearance" Samantha said as she turned on her heel and walked away from the pair.
"You succeed in upsetting everyone you meet Amoura"
Amoura grinned at Circe "That I do"
Sighing, Circe spread her wings and headed of to circle the burning building again.
The flames were growing even higher as Jale tried to pull Ember away from Chrysies' body. He had succeeded in getting Fifteen unconscious, and after a long argument with him, Darkfire was carrying the hybrid upon his back. Holding Ember's hand tightly, he led her through the burning building, although most of the exits were blocked, and none of the Anthros had enough energy to blast through the walls. Well, Ember did, but she refused.
"Ember, we're gonna have to hurry" he said, pulling her closer as the ran along
"What's the point Jale? She never got the freedom we were promised"
Sighing, Jale stopped and looked at her "Ember, freedom has many forms. You were all promised freedom from the torture, and that's what Chrys got. No more torture, no more pain. She's in a better place now"
"Is she Jale? Can you prove it?"
"Ember, sometimes, things can't be proven, you just have to believe it's real"
"By believing she's alive won't bring her back"
"Not everything works like that Ember. Sometimes, no matter how much you believe in something, it'll never happen. No, death is something that is real, not something that is believed. But the place one goes after death, now that's where believing comes in"
"What do you mean?" she asked, confusion showing in her tear filled eyes
"When a person dies, the soul, the part that makes someone who the are, goes to a place that has no pain, no suffering. When the body dies, the soul is freed. Science cannot create a soul, is creates itself. You made your own soul Ember, not science. Chrys made her own, and now, her soul is free from the body, allowed to go where she wishes. We are all freed at some point, but now is not our time. We have to keep moving"
Blinking slowly, she turned and looked at the wall behind her. Taking a deep breath, she let out a burst of flame that blasted through the entire wall. Wind rushed over the group, and Jale could hear the sirens and people outside. He felt Ember pull on his hand and he ran with her. Darkfire, holding the Fifteen upon his back, followed the lovers, glad to feel something new beneath his bare feet. It was a strange, green thing. Grass.
Spotting the small group running from the burning building, Circe let out a loud, screech, and an ambulance team ran straight for them. Taking Fifteen from Darkfire, the boy was placed upon a stretcher and taken away. Blankets were wrapped around the three, and Jale pulled Ember in with him. Looking upwards, he smiled, then gripped her hand.
"Look up Em" he whispered.
Doing as he said, Ember let her gaze head towards the heavens. Gasping slightly, the raven black sky reflected within the red of her eyes. Stars glittered within the night sky. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
"What are they?" she asked in a whisper
"Stars"
"Stars? They're so beautiful"
"I believe, that when a person dies, their soul becomes a star"
"Do you believe Chrys became a star?"
He nodded in reply "Yes. One of the most beautiful and brightest of all"
She smiled and huddled closer to him as they walked towards the others, her gaze still looking over the stars in the sky.
Running up the pair, Samantha smiled at her old friend, then raised a brow slightly
"Your missing one" she said
Jale sighed sadly, shaking his head slowly
"Chrys became a star" Ember said
"What?" the female asked, giving Jale a quizzical look
"We lost Chrysies" he said sadly "But her soul became a star"
Nodding slowly, and only half understanding what he said, Samantha bit her lower lip slightly
"So all but her are out then?"
Jale nodded "Everyone else is out as far as I know"
Looking over them both, Samantha smiled and moved out of the way for the pair to walk past and head for the ambulance. Sitting in the back, Jale watched Ember watch the stars.
"There are more beautiful things in this world than stars" he told her
She looked down at him and smiled "Like what?"
"Well, for starters, there's you"
She laughed slightly
"And then, there are things like waterfalls, where water flows down a mountain side. There is so much in this world, but the most beautiful of all, would be you"
"I'd love to see these waterfalls"
"I'll take you some day"
"Your not leaving me?"
"Not now, not ever. I will be with forever"
"How long is forever?" she asked.
Jale didn't reply at first. Instead, his lips gently kissed her's. Pulling away, he rested his head upon her forehead and looked down into her eyes.
"Longer than time itself"
A/N: Nope, Freedom is not finished just yet! There is still lots and lots to put. If you have any ideas on what our hybrids should do with their new freedom, I'd love to hear it, as well as other comments.