Disclaimer: Nope, I haven't seen my name slapped onto a random Pokémon
product next to the copyright information.
SC: ... Man, do I feel bad about this. I'M SO SORRY! BUT SCHOOL MUST COME FIRST! (That, and it's softball season, which means I have even more on my plate right now.) You know what? I'm just gonna' be quiet. You don't want to hear my excuses.
For this chapter, I have created a few phrases of my own original language. Rather than giving the translations during the story, I have made a key at the end of the chapter with English equivalents. A note on the pronunciation of my language: imagine a cross between French and Japanese that sounds like German when read aloud quickly. Yeah. Hope that helps, assuming that it helps at all.
By the way, has anyone noticed how much my version of Wattson is like Dumbledore from the Harry Potter Books? Maybe it's my imagination.
~*~*~
After exiting Wattson's office and closing the door softly behind him, Kris sighed and kicked the floor. What a week it's been, he thought. And now, I've been roped into going to Fallarbor on some wild goose chase. Sheesh, I'm not even sure what Wattson's yapping about, the old coot. Assuming that my Poké-parents are still alive, they're probably long gone from Fallarbor. Stupid geezer.
Meanwhile, scattered sounds filtered through the air and reached his ear. Kris could hear his "real" parents talking from within the next room. He heard his mother's worried chitters, and his father's deeper, reassuring comments trailing behind.
"I just don't think it's a good idea." Pam's voice sounded quite nervous, almost desperate.
"I'm sure he'll be fine, dear," Ed replied comfortingly, attempting to instill calm in his wife.
Pam didn't even bother with manners as she snapped back at him. "Don't you 'dear' me! What if the same thing happens again? You heard his explanation of how his wings just 'appeared' out of thin air! What would happen if something else like that befell him while he was away? What would the people who saw him do? I just can't bear to think about it!" she cried, nearly weeping.
Kris moved up next to the door and pressed his ear against the wood. Promptly, the sounds from the other side sharpened and became less faint. "Honey, come on. He was facing what must have felt like mortal peril at the time. I trust that our son can take care of himself." The sound of Ed's footsteps crossing the room was followed by a soft sob from Pam. Kris was aghast, for he had never seen, or in this case heard, his mother cry before. On any normal day, she would remain perky even in the face of conflict. Sure, she was a bit overprotective at times, but still, he couldn't believe that all this ruckus was about him.
Slowly, the youth edged silently away from the room where his parents were and scooted down the hall on tiptoe. Once he was far enough away from the room so that his parents couldn't hear him, he broke into an all-out run. Kris tore through the halls and slammed into the glass double doors, nearly winding himself as he escaped into the outside. He ran and ran through the fading sun's light till he reached his own familiar home.
The fence acted as a hurdle, allowing Kris to leap over it as a professional sprinter would. The back door remained unlocked, and he finally slowed his pace to turn the brass handle and enter the abode. Huffing for breath, Kris stood for a moment in the kitchen to shut the door behind him, and then wasted no time in heading for his room. The stairs seemed taller and took longer to climb, but finally he was in his room, wherein he broke down on his bed, in hysterics. Melancholy mixed with anger and pride as he mentally cursed his parents, or, particularly, his mom, for being so negative about his own abilities. It made him feel so insignificant, so worthless, to hear his own mother downgrade him so.
Kris spent five minutes half sobbing and half fuming, until what anger had filled him had flowed away. He quieted down, and then rested in silence for a minute. What was their problem, anyway? He hadn't even told them about how angry he'd been at Jeremy at the time. Then gradually, it dawned on him. "Anger," Kris said slowly, remembering back to his confrontation with the pompous bully. Brief flashes of memories took him back to the moment his wings had grown, to the sensation of lava in his veins. "It was the anger... that fiery feeling... that made me go berserk." He sat still for a moment, pondering. "Mom and Dad don't know that...
"And they don't need to." Kris stood abruptly, and grabbed his backpack from the desk beside his bed. He began filling it with the clothes that littered the floor. Digging into the closet, he even broke into his savings, opening the jar and spilling the loose coins and bills into the front pocket of the bag. Then Kris turned and leapt down the stairs two at a time, heading for the kitchen, where he stuffed packages of crackers, chips, and even a can of lima beans amongst his clothes.
The backpack zipped roughly closed, and Kris was almost out the door when something made him turn back to face the house. Ziggy was blinking up at the youth, sniffling his nose and making a soft whining sound. The Pokémon knew what Kris was up to, and it also knew that it could not stop him. He had merely come to say goodbye. Kris leaned over and massaged Ziggy's neck firmly. Ziggy's eyes closed lazily, and he basked in Kris's attention for a long while before Kris pulled away.
"I'm sorry, Ziggy," he began, "but I'm going to leave. I have to. I don't know what I'll find, but I know it will be a hard way's going. Will you take care of Mom and Dad while I'm away?" Ziggy nodded, uttering a few yips and barks. For some reason, Kris could no longer understand the Pokémon's speech, but that didn't matter right now. He flashed a grin. "Thanks, buddy. Especially Mom, 'cause I know she'll be distraught about my leaving."
Kris moved toward the door, but was made to stop as Ziggy tugged on his pant leg. It was a futile effort, one last "Don't go!" He smiled, and leaned over to give his only friend in the world one last pat on the head. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine where I'm going. All you have to worry about is what you'll do around here while I'm gone." Kris paused for a moment as he chuckled at the thought. "I promise I'll come back safe, okay? Just don't forget me." With that he turned, and pulling the door shut behind him he heard what he thought was a faint "Goodbye," and then he was gone, off on his journey.
~*~*~
If only he had known, back when he had left behind his quaint house on the edge of Mauville, that the going would be a lot harder than he thought. For one thing, Kris had absolutely no experience at being out in the wild. Sure, he had been in Scouting for a year or two, but only when he was very young, about seven, and he had never made it past the Growlithe level. Secondly, and this was most likely his biggest problem, Kris had no earthly idea where Fallarbor was, except that it was to the northwest of where he lived. And so, having very little to go on, Kris trekked onward with his low morale.
"Accursed rocks," he spat, kicking at the pebbles and stones that littered the path before him. They caused him a lot of problems lately. Contrary to his own belief, there was not a huge forest west of Mauville; rather, there was a rocky grade dotted sparsely with gnarled trees. For a whole day Kris had been walking uphill through the abundant rocks that slowed his progress.
He continued on in this same manner for a few hours until the sun climbed to the top of the sky at high noon, when he chose to rest under the shade of a large boulder lying nearby. Cracking open a bag of chips, Kris chowed down in solitude when a young picnicking boy appeared on the edge of the hill, climbing up the bumpy slope just as Kris had done a few minutes ago. He wore olive green shorts that matched his uniform-like shirt. Every so often he would bring a hand across his forehead and wipe up the sweat that formed under his hat. Slung over his shoulder lay a bulky pack, seemingly full of square packages. Trying to avoid being seen, Kris attempted to put away his chips quietly; however, the bag made a loud rustling sound and the boy spotted him milling under the boulder. He rushed over excitedly.
"Hiya! How ya' doing there, buddy?" the boy chimed in a perky, energetic voice. Kris rolled his eyes. Clearly, this was one of those types of people who never shut up. "Are you a Pokémon trainer? Do ya' want to battle?"
"Sorry," Kris answered, not sounding regretful at all. "I'm not a trainer."
"Oh," the boy's face fell, "okay. Sorry to bother you, then. Later." He trotted off to resume his scale up the mountain.
Stupid idiot, thought Kris. He probably doesn't even know where he's going, like me... A sudden idea struck Kris. "Hey kid, wait!" he called. The boy paused and turned to look back. "Hey kid, do you happen to know which way Fallarbor town is from here?" It wouldn't hurt to ask.
A grin blossomed across the picnicker's face. "Sure I do! I carry messages back and forth between here and Fallarbor all the time! See, we're on Mt. Chimney right now," he waved his hand at the expanse of the rocks around him, "but to climb over the mountain would take days. It's much easier to go around the left-hand side of the mountain, where the forest is." He pointed off to the west, and surely enough Kris could see the tops of the tallest trees, just visible on the horizon.
Kris re-zipped his backpack and stood up. "Thanks, kid." He turned and started for the strip of green laying in the west. Behind him he heard the boy's scrunching footsteps as he struggled to catch up.
"Wait! Do you want to walk with me? I've traveled this route many times before, and obviously you haven't..." The boy huffed, a bit out of breath. "I can help you out!"
Quickening his pace, Kris called over his shoulder, "No thanks! I have some... personal things to deal with. I'd rather be alone when I do them, thank you." He kept walking. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime."
"Sure thing!" the boy called back. "The name's Ian! Look me up when you get to Fallarbor, okay? I'll be there!"
"Whatever," Kris mumbled, jogging away until he was out of Ian's sight. "Yeah, I'll look you up, Ian, if I need my brain to explode from annoyance."
Glad to be away from the trainer and out of that mess, Kris slowed his pace. All too soon the forest was looming in front of him, seemingly beckoning him into its shadowy confines. Actually, Kris liked being in the forest, at least now there were trees to blot out the harsh rays of the sun. The dappled light played on his face as he traipsed through the woods' soothing calm. Later, he ended up having to pull out his jacket and put it on as the evening drew nearer and the temperature dropped.
Night fell, replacing the sun's warm light with the moon's wintry beams. Shivering, Kris found a small alcove of protective trees, where he planned to spend the night. Their thick trunks formed a wall behind him, and their pliant roots arched gracefully overhead. He pulled out his extra clothes and laid them across himself to act as a blanket. Then, feeling the fatigue of the day catch up with him, Kris's eyelids drooped, and then all was veiled in the fog of sleep.
~*~*~
Sha-kish! Sha-kish!
Kris sat up. It was the dead of night, and all was still in the forest around him. Not a cricket chirped, and not a mouse scurried over dry leaves. There was no noise at all except for a distant rustling that carried on the breeze.
Sha-kish! Sh-sh-sha-kish!
The sound had grown closer now. Kris felt unsure of what to do. What if the thing making the noise was a Pokémon? He had nothing to defend himself with but his bare fists, and the trees surrounded him on three sides, leaving only one way in and out of the alcove. Kris thought he heard rapid hissing noises just beyond the bushes in front of him. Straining to see in the overhanging darkness, Kris stared ahead, looking for the source of the noises. Glowing yellow eyes laced with red appeared slowly, looming in front of him. "Oh, crud!" he cried, backing away from whatever it was. The thing paused, considering its options, and then its eyes turned blood red. A painful, blinding light filled Kris's head, sending spasms of pain shooting down his limbs. "Aah!" he yelled, falling back. He brought up his hands to attempt to block the light, but still it came, and still the throbbing pain filled his head. Kris felt his body numb, his arms and legs slacken, and then he fell over, unconscious.
* * *
"Ugh," Kris muttered, face in the dirt. He felt like he had been hit with a lead weight. His arms seemed too heavy to lift, and he was aware that the air had turned dank and musty. Struggling to move his head, Kris managed to roll over onto his back and stare at the ceiling of wherever he was. Strangely, his eyes were filled with flashing spots of light, like what happens when you take a flash picture. But even without his vision, he could tell where he was by the temperature and dampness of the air. It seemed he was in an underground cave, carved from the dirt of the forest above him. Vaguely aware of a dim conversation behind him, Kris sluggishly moved his head, allowing his ear to listen in on the voices.
"Karra-shik has nés?"
"Èrre reine isht taike."
The sentences in a different language confused, almost surprised him. "Wha- what?" Kris asked, trying to focus his eyes on the two speakers.
Whoever or whatever they were, they seemed startled by his response. "Has- sé kèrile! Fachte Pyrraine!" The first thing had obviously told the second to go and get something, for Kris heard one of them skitter down the tunnel feverishly.
Kris struggled to sit up and force his eyes to single out the thing in front of him, but they wouldn't obey. "'Fachte Pyrraine?' What?" Somehow, in the slow, foggy corners of his mind, the words found a meaning to him. He could understand! Not really sure of why this was so, Kris pulled out an answer. "Kahi'isht Pyrraine? Daré ikst sei nés ici?"
"He speaks our language! Unforgivable!" The thing sounded appalled that a mere human could answer him. By now, Kris could pretty much tell that the thing wasn't a human, even if his eyes could not verify that fact. The mysterious being snapped some words at someone who was coming up the tunnel. "Pyrraine! Has loku nosé silvre! He speaks our language! Explain how a human can do such a thing!"
"Denamu." Another of the things had arrived to their nook of the tunnel, and judging by the tone of his voice he was an elder. He spoke softly, and though Kris could not see outlines he could tell that its movement was slow. The being slid a bowl of some kind of liquid across the ground to Kris, and said in the language from earlier, "Burèkst. It will help your vision."
Could Kris trust this person? Did he really have any other choice? Ah well. Unable to maneuver his hands, Kris was forced to slurp it up noisily in a cat-like manner. The liquid slid down his throat like syrup. Sharply, the flavor of cherries tantalized his tongue. A warm feeling seeped through Kris's body and amazingly his arms and legs felt lighter and easy to move. He propped himself into a sitting position, so that ridge on his back where his wings were attached lightly touched the dirt wall behind him. His eyes refocused on the one who had brought him the miracle medicine.
"Holy...!" Kris exclaimed, nearly kicking the bowl over on the floor. The one called 'Pyrraine' was an elder, as Kris had guessed, but he was an elderly _Seviper_. The black of his scales had aged to silver, and his fangs showed the scars of many battles long ago fought. His eyes shone a deep navy blue, sparkling like the night sky with all its wisdom. He seemed to be smiling, although the other Seviper next to him, presumably a guard, did quite the opposite. The one who had sent for Pyrraine earlier looked like any other Seviper, but with a loopy clover-shaped symbol carved deftly onto his chest. It was the mark of an officer, a very dignified and hard-to-get position. He looked shocked, backed up against the tunnel war for fear of being "contaminated" by this horrible creature.
Sensing his tension, the elder spoke reassuringly to the officer. "It is all right, Captain. You need not fear this boy," Pyrraine informed him. "There is nothing this boy can do to you."
Through the bars of his cell, for he was indeed imprisoned, Kris watched the officer drop all sense of formality as he replied. "Sorry sir, but are you nuts? This 'boy,' as you say, speaks our language perfectly! And he came from the human world, where not even wild Pokémon know of our secrets! Surely he is a demon of some sort, or a trick sent by the Zangeese!"
Pyrraine gave an exasperated sigh. "You overreact, Captain. You brought this boy here when you found him on your rounds, correct?" The other Seviper nodded. "Then how can he be sent by the Zangeese? If he had been, then he'd have been looking for us." He turned a wise eye on Kris. "However, I see no need to stand guard over the captive anymore, now that he is awake. You are relieved of your duty for the night, Captain."
"Yes Sir!" Captain enunciated clearly, then slithered off quickly, heading somewhere down the tunnel away from the "harmless" boy.
"Now then, boy, what is your name?" Pyrraine inquired softly.
Kris jumped at being addressed. Thus far he had only been listening. "M-Me sir?"
"Do you see any other boys in that cell with you?"
"No sir. Uh, my name is Kris, sir," he recited.
"Kris. I like it." Pyrraine gave a comforting smile. "It has a very nice sound to it. Almost like it came straight from our language. Speaking of which," he changed the subject, "how is it that you understand our traditional speech?"
"I just... I don't know how, I just can." Kris looked at the floor.
"To be able to know a dialect as ancient as this one instantly... Hmm. You may be the one... I may have to look into this. How old are you, Kris?"
"Fifteen, sir."
"Yes, that's about right..." Pyrraine trailed off in thought. "Am I right in guessing that you live somewhere near Mauville City?"
"Uh, yeah, that's right sir," Kris answered.
"You can cut the 'sirs.' I'm not that worthy. Anyway, yes, you seem to fit the descriptions perfectly... Even down to the eyes."
Kris's face grew red with annoyance as the old Pokémon muttered on. "What 'descriptions?' What about my eyes? Just what the heck are you talking about, Snakey?"
He half expected Pyrraine to retaliate, yet all he did was look up and, strangely, beam. "My, my, what an anxious boy! You're going to have to learn to be patient. However, we must save that for another day. Right now, there's someone I think you should meet."
Pyrraine inserted his tail blade into a mechanism attached to the door and twisted it, unlocking the cell. Once Kris had gotten out and dusted himself off, Pyrraine turned, leading him down a series of twisting and turning tunnels that snaked about almost as much as a real Seviper. As they walked on, Kris made a note of his surroundings. They were indeed in a cave, roots from the trees above poking through the walls here and there. A city of tunnels that seemed to multiply exponentially filled his plane of vision. Dozens of smaller roads blossomed off the larger ones. Sometimes the paths were wide, like highways, where he saw hundreds of other Sevipers stop and stare as the two walked (or in Pyrraine's case, slithered) by. Other times the road grew so narrow that Kris had to get down on his hands and knees and crawl through until it grew wider again. Eventually, the two reached an area where there were no other Sevipers. It was here, alone in an isolated tunnel that Pyrraine stopped and spoke to Kris.
"Do you know why you were brought here by the Captain?" the elder inquired. Kris shook his head, his blond-tipped spikes swaying in the breeze the action created. "You were taken from the forest into our city because of your scent. You have the Seviperian gene almost floating in the air around you. You 'smell' like us, and now, upon examining you, I have reason to believe that you _are_ us."
Anticipating the youth's reaction, Pyrraine held up his tail blade just as Kris opened his mouth to contradict him. "Now, now, let's not be so hasty to deny the truth. The second reason you were brought here is because the Captain saw those interesting wings of yours." Kris glanced over his shoulder and looked over the cerulean, fin-like wings that cascaded down his back. Was it just him, or did they seem longer? Oh well, now's not the time. "Fearing that you might cause trouble," Pyrraine went on, "he used a Glare attack to paralyze you before you could find our home."
The two began moving again, and Kris noticed how the air kept getting more and more humid as they traipsed onward. "And finally, the third reason, which brings us to why we are going to see my old friend." Pyrraine led Kris into an offset, cave-like room. The middle of the floor housed a grand lake, pure and shimmering with each drip of water from above. Kris peered into it and found that the lake went too deep to see the bottom, even though the water was crystal clear. He turned and looked at Pyrraine. "Whom can we meet here?" he wondered aloud.
"Someone who I have been listening to the troubles of for years, and who should know about your arrival," the aged serpent answered. Dipping his tail into the icy water and waving it a bit, Pyrraine called out into the open air of the room: "Kairyu! It's me, Pyrraine!" Almost in response to the cry, a lone bubble floated up to the surface of the lake and popped noiselessly. "Come on up now! I need to speak to you!" Pip-pop! Two bubbles broke the surface nonchalantly. "Women," Pyrraine muttered, for the first time sounding annoyed. He brought the battered blade of his tail down with a splash. "Kairyu! I'll have none of your nonsense! Get up here and meet the guest I've brought, you selfish old clam!"
The surface of the lake went wild with frantic bubbles everywhere. Kris could barely make out a shadowy something moving in the water's depths, stirring after what must have been a long rest. Whatever it was moved closer to the surface fiercely and rapidly. Fighting the urge to back away frightfully, Kris gasped when it broke the surface. An elegant, navy blue sea serpent raised itself out of the water, curling its tail behind it and blinking the water out of its soft amethyst eyes. Small rivulets of water ran down the lime green fin adorning its back and over the lighter blue markings on its sides as it glided across the lake to the shore. Two glimmering steel blades swept back in a fin shape crowned its tail, and edging each fang was a smaller version of the ridge on its back.
As Kris gaped at this majestic creature, he noticed the sheer annoyance painted across her face. The watery entity slithered out of the pool and made for Pyrraine. "There was no need to call me names, Pyrraine. You merely may have said that we had a guest. Or, to be honest, I was waiting for you to say 'please.'" Pushing right by Kris, not even noticing him, the middle-aged serpent scooted towards the entrance to the room, peering inside the tunnel anxiously. "Well, Pyrraine? Just where is this guest?"
"You just walked past him," he answered with an amused smile. Kairyu whirled around and saw Kris, who was currently looking at the floor, for the first time. She panicked, her eyes wide with fear.
"A human! Here! In our sacred city!" Kris jerked his head upward in time to see a flash of light reflect off the steel blades rushing towards him. He tried to dodge, but he didn't move fast enough and was nicked on the arm. A crimson line drew itself on his flesh, but Kris didn't have time to tend to the cut as Kairyu lashed out again with her tail.
"Geez, lady! Stop killing me! _He's_ the one who brought me here; go attack him!" Kris yelled angrily, pointing at Pyrraine while simultaneously dodging another blow.
The enraged serpent faltered. "He did what?" Kairyu turned her fierce gaze on Pyrraine. "You brought the human here? You traitor! You deserve to have your tail ripped off by a Houndoom!" she screeched.
"Hear now," Pyrraine countered calmly. "I did not bring him here for just any reason." He brought his scarred blade around and pressed Kairyu's down so that she would not strike. "Take a look at his eyes, dear. See for yourself."
Kairyu rounded so swiftly that she nearly cut Pyrraine's tail with her own. Next she leaned in so close to Kris that he could scarcely breathe. Their eyes were only two inches apart, and he could see his cold, auric orbs reflected in Kairyu's contrasting soft, violet ones.
CLANG!
The echoing sound of metal on rock rang out loudly as the sea serpent's tail slumped to the ground. Kairyu's expression flowed with disbelief. "Those eyes... they're just like his... Oh, Auron! I have found him! He has returned!
She broke down in joyous sobs. Kris could only lean over her, blinking in confusion. He caught sight of Pyrraine and edged over to him, leaving Kairyu to tears. "Psst! Hey Pyrraine, what's up with her?" he whispered.
"Ah yes, you'll have to excuse her," he replied. Kris saw that Pyrraine was watching Kairyu fondly, navy eyes sparkling with reflected joy. "She has gone through a lot of emotional pain these past few years, and one often feels joy when it is lifted..."
"Sei-en hyios," Kairyu whispered, turning her dampened gaze on Kris.
"After all," Pyrraine continued, "she has just found her son."
~*~*~
English equivalents of Seviperian phrases:
"Karra-shik has nés?" = "How is he doing?"
"Èrre reine isht taike." = (The) Human boy is asleep.
"Has-sé kèrile! Fachte Pyrraine!" = "He has awakened! Fetch Pyrraine!"
"Kahi'isht Pyrraine? Daré ikst sei nés ici?" = "Who is Pyrraine? What am I doing here?"
"Has loku nosé silvre!" = "He speaks our language!"
"Denamu." = "Hush."
"Burèkst." = "Drink."
"Sei-en hyios." = My son.
Pronunciation of Seviper names:
Pyrraine = PEER-enn
Kairyu = KEYE-ree-oo (It's a Japanese name. I'm sure many of you can recognize Japanese syllables.)
SC: Wow, that came out shorter than I thought. And so, the plot thickens. Who is this "Auron" I mentioned earlier? Why is Kairyu different than other Sevipers? Will I update faster next time? AH HA HA HA HA! I have left you with an evil cliffhanger! BWA HA HA! *cough* Sorry, didn't mean to be evil there. Anyway, I am really, really, REALLY SORRY for such a long delay! There's just been project after project at school recently... And then there's the ever-looming TAKS test... Stupid state administered assessments. -__-;
Since I feel so bad, I want to make a note here. I –NEVER- forget about my stories. I'm –ALWAYS- writing _something_ or another, it just may not be this particular story. For example, recently I've been planning out ideas for a seven story fanfiction series about Yu-gi-oh... *holds up notebook* ... but I don't deny that this has been neglected. In the future, if you think I'm taking too long to update, don't hesitate to e-mail me and make sure I'm on track. I will do my part to stop making up new story ideas so that this one will get done. Thanks for reading and reviewing! ^__~
~SC
SC: ... Man, do I feel bad about this. I'M SO SORRY! BUT SCHOOL MUST COME FIRST! (That, and it's softball season, which means I have even more on my plate right now.) You know what? I'm just gonna' be quiet. You don't want to hear my excuses.
For this chapter, I have created a few phrases of my own original language. Rather than giving the translations during the story, I have made a key at the end of the chapter with English equivalents. A note on the pronunciation of my language: imagine a cross between French and Japanese that sounds like German when read aloud quickly. Yeah. Hope that helps, assuming that it helps at all.
By the way, has anyone noticed how much my version of Wattson is like Dumbledore from the Harry Potter Books? Maybe it's my imagination.
~*~*~
After exiting Wattson's office and closing the door softly behind him, Kris sighed and kicked the floor. What a week it's been, he thought. And now, I've been roped into going to Fallarbor on some wild goose chase. Sheesh, I'm not even sure what Wattson's yapping about, the old coot. Assuming that my Poké-parents are still alive, they're probably long gone from Fallarbor. Stupid geezer.
Meanwhile, scattered sounds filtered through the air and reached his ear. Kris could hear his "real" parents talking from within the next room. He heard his mother's worried chitters, and his father's deeper, reassuring comments trailing behind.
"I just don't think it's a good idea." Pam's voice sounded quite nervous, almost desperate.
"I'm sure he'll be fine, dear," Ed replied comfortingly, attempting to instill calm in his wife.
Pam didn't even bother with manners as she snapped back at him. "Don't you 'dear' me! What if the same thing happens again? You heard his explanation of how his wings just 'appeared' out of thin air! What would happen if something else like that befell him while he was away? What would the people who saw him do? I just can't bear to think about it!" she cried, nearly weeping.
Kris moved up next to the door and pressed his ear against the wood. Promptly, the sounds from the other side sharpened and became less faint. "Honey, come on. He was facing what must have felt like mortal peril at the time. I trust that our son can take care of himself." The sound of Ed's footsteps crossing the room was followed by a soft sob from Pam. Kris was aghast, for he had never seen, or in this case heard, his mother cry before. On any normal day, she would remain perky even in the face of conflict. Sure, she was a bit overprotective at times, but still, he couldn't believe that all this ruckus was about him.
Slowly, the youth edged silently away from the room where his parents were and scooted down the hall on tiptoe. Once he was far enough away from the room so that his parents couldn't hear him, he broke into an all-out run. Kris tore through the halls and slammed into the glass double doors, nearly winding himself as he escaped into the outside. He ran and ran through the fading sun's light till he reached his own familiar home.
The fence acted as a hurdle, allowing Kris to leap over it as a professional sprinter would. The back door remained unlocked, and he finally slowed his pace to turn the brass handle and enter the abode. Huffing for breath, Kris stood for a moment in the kitchen to shut the door behind him, and then wasted no time in heading for his room. The stairs seemed taller and took longer to climb, but finally he was in his room, wherein he broke down on his bed, in hysterics. Melancholy mixed with anger and pride as he mentally cursed his parents, or, particularly, his mom, for being so negative about his own abilities. It made him feel so insignificant, so worthless, to hear his own mother downgrade him so.
Kris spent five minutes half sobbing and half fuming, until what anger had filled him had flowed away. He quieted down, and then rested in silence for a minute. What was their problem, anyway? He hadn't even told them about how angry he'd been at Jeremy at the time. Then gradually, it dawned on him. "Anger," Kris said slowly, remembering back to his confrontation with the pompous bully. Brief flashes of memories took him back to the moment his wings had grown, to the sensation of lava in his veins. "It was the anger... that fiery feeling... that made me go berserk." He sat still for a moment, pondering. "Mom and Dad don't know that...
"And they don't need to." Kris stood abruptly, and grabbed his backpack from the desk beside his bed. He began filling it with the clothes that littered the floor. Digging into the closet, he even broke into his savings, opening the jar and spilling the loose coins and bills into the front pocket of the bag. Then Kris turned and leapt down the stairs two at a time, heading for the kitchen, where he stuffed packages of crackers, chips, and even a can of lima beans amongst his clothes.
The backpack zipped roughly closed, and Kris was almost out the door when something made him turn back to face the house. Ziggy was blinking up at the youth, sniffling his nose and making a soft whining sound. The Pokémon knew what Kris was up to, and it also knew that it could not stop him. He had merely come to say goodbye. Kris leaned over and massaged Ziggy's neck firmly. Ziggy's eyes closed lazily, and he basked in Kris's attention for a long while before Kris pulled away.
"I'm sorry, Ziggy," he began, "but I'm going to leave. I have to. I don't know what I'll find, but I know it will be a hard way's going. Will you take care of Mom and Dad while I'm away?" Ziggy nodded, uttering a few yips and barks. For some reason, Kris could no longer understand the Pokémon's speech, but that didn't matter right now. He flashed a grin. "Thanks, buddy. Especially Mom, 'cause I know she'll be distraught about my leaving."
Kris moved toward the door, but was made to stop as Ziggy tugged on his pant leg. It was a futile effort, one last "Don't go!" He smiled, and leaned over to give his only friend in the world one last pat on the head. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine where I'm going. All you have to worry about is what you'll do around here while I'm gone." Kris paused for a moment as he chuckled at the thought. "I promise I'll come back safe, okay? Just don't forget me." With that he turned, and pulling the door shut behind him he heard what he thought was a faint "Goodbye," and then he was gone, off on his journey.
~*~*~
If only he had known, back when he had left behind his quaint house on the edge of Mauville, that the going would be a lot harder than he thought. For one thing, Kris had absolutely no experience at being out in the wild. Sure, he had been in Scouting for a year or two, but only when he was very young, about seven, and he had never made it past the Growlithe level. Secondly, and this was most likely his biggest problem, Kris had no earthly idea where Fallarbor was, except that it was to the northwest of where he lived. And so, having very little to go on, Kris trekked onward with his low morale.
"Accursed rocks," he spat, kicking at the pebbles and stones that littered the path before him. They caused him a lot of problems lately. Contrary to his own belief, there was not a huge forest west of Mauville; rather, there was a rocky grade dotted sparsely with gnarled trees. For a whole day Kris had been walking uphill through the abundant rocks that slowed his progress.
He continued on in this same manner for a few hours until the sun climbed to the top of the sky at high noon, when he chose to rest under the shade of a large boulder lying nearby. Cracking open a bag of chips, Kris chowed down in solitude when a young picnicking boy appeared on the edge of the hill, climbing up the bumpy slope just as Kris had done a few minutes ago. He wore olive green shorts that matched his uniform-like shirt. Every so often he would bring a hand across his forehead and wipe up the sweat that formed under his hat. Slung over his shoulder lay a bulky pack, seemingly full of square packages. Trying to avoid being seen, Kris attempted to put away his chips quietly; however, the bag made a loud rustling sound and the boy spotted him milling under the boulder. He rushed over excitedly.
"Hiya! How ya' doing there, buddy?" the boy chimed in a perky, energetic voice. Kris rolled his eyes. Clearly, this was one of those types of people who never shut up. "Are you a Pokémon trainer? Do ya' want to battle?"
"Sorry," Kris answered, not sounding regretful at all. "I'm not a trainer."
"Oh," the boy's face fell, "okay. Sorry to bother you, then. Later." He trotted off to resume his scale up the mountain.
Stupid idiot, thought Kris. He probably doesn't even know where he's going, like me... A sudden idea struck Kris. "Hey kid, wait!" he called. The boy paused and turned to look back. "Hey kid, do you happen to know which way Fallarbor town is from here?" It wouldn't hurt to ask.
A grin blossomed across the picnicker's face. "Sure I do! I carry messages back and forth between here and Fallarbor all the time! See, we're on Mt. Chimney right now," he waved his hand at the expanse of the rocks around him, "but to climb over the mountain would take days. It's much easier to go around the left-hand side of the mountain, where the forest is." He pointed off to the west, and surely enough Kris could see the tops of the tallest trees, just visible on the horizon.
Kris re-zipped his backpack and stood up. "Thanks, kid." He turned and started for the strip of green laying in the west. Behind him he heard the boy's scrunching footsteps as he struggled to catch up.
"Wait! Do you want to walk with me? I've traveled this route many times before, and obviously you haven't..." The boy huffed, a bit out of breath. "I can help you out!"
Quickening his pace, Kris called over his shoulder, "No thanks! I have some... personal things to deal with. I'd rather be alone when I do them, thank you." He kept walking. "Maybe I'll see you around sometime."
"Sure thing!" the boy called back. "The name's Ian! Look me up when you get to Fallarbor, okay? I'll be there!"
"Whatever," Kris mumbled, jogging away until he was out of Ian's sight. "Yeah, I'll look you up, Ian, if I need my brain to explode from annoyance."
Glad to be away from the trainer and out of that mess, Kris slowed his pace. All too soon the forest was looming in front of him, seemingly beckoning him into its shadowy confines. Actually, Kris liked being in the forest, at least now there were trees to blot out the harsh rays of the sun. The dappled light played on his face as he traipsed through the woods' soothing calm. Later, he ended up having to pull out his jacket and put it on as the evening drew nearer and the temperature dropped.
Night fell, replacing the sun's warm light with the moon's wintry beams. Shivering, Kris found a small alcove of protective trees, where he planned to spend the night. Their thick trunks formed a wall behind him, and their pliant roots arched gracefully overhead. He pulled out his extra clothes and laid them across himself to act as a blanket. Then, feeling the fatigue of the day catch up with him, Kris's eyelids drooped, and then all was veiled in the fog of sleep.
~*~*~
Sha-kish! Sha-kish!
Kris sat up. It was the dead of night, and all was still in the forest around him. Not a cricket chirped, and not a mouse scurried over dry leaves. There was no noise at all except for a distant rustling that carried on the breeze.
Sha-kish! Sh-sh-sha-kish!
The sound had grown closer now. Kris felt unsure of what to do. What if the thing making the noise was a Pokémon? He had nothing to defend himself with but his bare fists, and the trees surrounded him on three sides, leaving only one way in and out of the alcove. Kris thought he heard rapid hissing noises just beyond the bushes in front of him. Straining to see in the overhanging darkness, Kris stared ahead, looking for the source of the noises. Glowing yellow eyes laced with red appeared slowly, looming in front of him. "Oh, crud!" he cried, backing away from whatever it was. The thing paused, considering its options, and then its eyes turned blood red. A painful, blinding light filled Kris's head, sending spasms of pain shooting down his limbs. "Aah!" he yelled, falling back. He brought up his hands to attempt to block the light, but still it came, and still the throbbing pain filled his head. Kris felt his body numb, his arms and legs slacken, and then he fell over, unconscious.
* * *
"Ugh," Kris muttered, face in the dirt. He felt like he had been hit with a lead weight. His arms seemed too heavy to lift, and he was aware that the air had turned dank and musty. Struggling to move his head, Kris managed to roll over onto his back and stare at the ceiling of wherever he was. Strangely, his eyes were filled with flashing spots of light, like what happens when you take a flash picture. But even without his vision, he could tell where he was by the temperature and dampness of the air. It seemed he was in an underground cave, carved from the dirt of the forest above him. Vaguely aware of a dim conversation behind him, Kris sluggishly moved his head, allowing his ear to listen in on the voices.
"Karra-shik has nés?"
"Èrre reine isht taike."
The sentences in a different language confused, almost surprised him. "Wha- what?" Kris asked, trying to focus his eyes on the two speakers.
Whoever or whatever they were, they seemed startled by his response. "Has- sé kèrile! Fachte Pyrraine!" The first thing had obviously told the second to go and get something, for Kris heard one of them skitter down the tunnel feverishly.
Kris struggled to sit up and force his eyes to single out the thing in front of him, but they wouldn't obey. "'Fachte Pyrraine?' What?" Somehow, in the slow, foggy corners of his mind, the words found a meaning to him. He could understand! Not really sure of why this was so, Kris pulled out an answer. "Kahi'isht Pyrraine? Daré ikst sei nés ici?"
"He speaks our language! Unforgivable!" The thing sounded appalled that a mere human could answer him. By now, Kris could pretty much tell that the thing wasn't a human, even if his eyes could not verify that fact. The mysterious being snapped some words at someone who was coming up the tunnel. "Pyrraine! Has loku nosé silvre! He speaks our language! Explain how a human can do such a thing!"
"Denamu." Another of the things had arrived to their nook of the tunnel, and judging by the tone of his voice he was an elder. He spoke softly, and though Kris could not see outlines he could tell that its movement was slow. The being slid a bowl of some kind of liquid across the ground to Kris, and said in the language from earlier, "Burèkst. It will help your vision."
Could Kris trust this person? Did he really have any other choice? Ah well. Unable to maneuver his hands, Kris was forced to slurp it up noisily in a cat-like manner. The liquid slid down his throat like syrup. Sharply, the flavor of cherries tantalized his tongue. A warm feeling seeped through Kris's body and amazingly his arms and legs felt lighter and easy to move. He propped himself into a sitting position, so that ridge on his back where his wings were attached lightly touched the dirt wall behind him. His eyes refocused on the one who had brought him the miracle medicine.
"Holy...!" Kris exclaimed, nearly kicking the bowl over on the floor. The one called 'Pyrraine' was an elder, as Kris had guessed, but he was an elderly _Seviper_. The black of his scales had aged to silver, and his fangs showed the scars of many battles long ago fought. His eyes shone a deep navy blue, sparkling like the night sky with all its wisdom. He seemed to be smiling, although the other Seviper next to him, presumably a guard, did quite the opposite. The one who had sent for Pyrraine earlier looked like any other Seviper, but with a loopy clover-shaped symbol carved deftly onto his chest. It was the mark of an officer, a very dignified and hard-to-get position. He looked shocked, backed up against the tunnel war for fear of being "contaminated" by this horrible creature.
Sensing his tension, the elder spoke reassuringly to the officer. "It is all right, Captain. You need not fear this boy," Pyrraine informed him. "There is nothing this boy can do to you."
Through the bars of his cell, for he was indeed imprisoned, Kris watched the officer drop all sense of formality as he replied. "Sorry sir, but are you nuts? This 'boy,' as you say, speaks our language perfectly! And he came from the human world, where not even wild Pokémon know of our secrets! Surely he is a demon of some sort, or a trick sent by the Zangeese!"
Pyrraine gave an exasperated sigh. "You overreact, Captain. You brought this boy here when you found him on your rounds, correct?" The other Seviper nodded. "Then how can he be sent by the Zangeese? If he had been, then he'd have been looking for us." He turned a wise eye on Kris. "However, I see no need to stand guard over the captive anymore, now that he is awake. You are relieved of your duty for the night, Captain."
"Yes Sir!" Captain enunciated clearly, then slithered off quickly, heading somewhere down the tunnel away from the "harmless" boy.
"Now then, boy, what is your name?" Pyrraine inquired softly.
Kris jumped at being addressed. Thus far he had only been listening. "M-Me sir?"
"Do you see any other boys in that cell with you?"
"No sir. Uh, my name is Kris, sir," he recited.
"Kris. I like it." Pyrraine gave a comforting smile. "It has a very nice sound to it. Almost like it came straight from our language. Speaking of which," he changed the subject, "how is it that you understand our traditional speech?"
"I just... I don't know how, I just can." Kris looked at the floor.
"To be able to know a dialect as ancient as this one instantly... Hmm. You may be the one... I may have to look into this. How old are you, Kris?"
"Fifteen, sir."
"Yes, that's about right..." Pyrraine trailed off in thought. "Am I right in guessing that you live somewhere near Mauville City?"
"Uh, yeah, that's right sir," Kris answered.
"You can cut the 'sirs.' I'm not that worthy. Anyway, yes, you seem to fit the descriptions perfectly... Even down to the eyes."
Kris's face grew red with annoyance as the old Pokémon muttered on. "What 'descriptions?' What about my eyes? Just what the heck are you talking about, Snakey?"
He half expected Pyrraine to retaliate, yet all he did was look up and, strangely, beam. "My, my, what an anxious boy! You're going to have to learn to be patient. However, we must save that for another day. Right now, there's someone I think you should meet."
Pyrraine inserted his tail blade into a mechanism attached to the door and twisted it, unlocking the cell. Once Kris had gotten out and dusted himself off, Pyrraine turned, leading him down a series of twisting and turning tunnels that snaked about almost as much as a real Seviper. As they walked on, Kris made a note of his surroundings. They were indeed in a cave, roots from the trees above poking through the walls here and there. A city of tunnels that seemed to multiply exponentially filled his plane of vision. Dozens of smaller roads blossomed off the larger ones. Sometimes the paths were wide, like highways, where he saw hundreds of other Sevipers stop and stare as the two walked (or in Pyrraine's case, slithered) by. Other times the road grew so narrow that Kris had to get down on his hands and knees and crawl through until it grew wider again. Eventually, the two reached an area where there were no other Sevipers. It was here, alone in an isolated tunnel that Pyrraine stopped and spoke to Kris.
"Do you know why you were brought here by the Captain?" the elder inquired. Kris shook his head, his blond-tipped spikes swaying in the breeze the action created. "You were taken from the forest into our city because of your scent. You have the Seviperian gene almost floating in the air around you. You 'smell' like us, and now, upon examining you, I have reason to believe that you _are_ us."
Anticipating the youth's reaction, Pyrraine held up his tail blade just as Kris opened his mouth to contradict him. "Now, now, let's not be so hasty to deny the truth. The second reason you were brought here is because the Captain saw those interesting wings of yours." Kris glanced over his shoulder and looked over the cerulean, fin-like wings that cascaded down his back. Was it just him, or did they seem longer? Oh well, now's not the time. "Fearing that you might cause trouble," Pyrraine went on, "he used a Glare attack to paralyze you before you could find our home."
The two began moving again, and Kris noticed how the air kept getting more and more humid as they traipsed onward. "And finally, the third reason, which brings us to why we are going to see my old friend." Pyrraine led Kris into an offset, cave-like room. The middle of the floor housed a grand lake, pure and shimmering with each drip of water from above. Kris peered into it and found that the lake went too deep to see the bottom, even though the water was crystal clear. He turned and looked at Pyrraine. "Whom can we meet here?" he wondered aloud.
"Someone who I have been listening to the troubles of for years, and who should know about your arrival," the aged serpent answered. Dipping his tail into the icy water and waving it a bit, Pyrraine called out into the open air of the room: "Kairyu! It's me, Pyrraine!" Almost in response to the cry, a lone bubble floated up to the surface of the lake and popped noiselessly. "Come on up now! I need to speak to you!" Pip-pop! Two bubbles broke the surface nonchalantly. "Women," Pyrraine muttered, for the first time sounding annoyed. He brought the battered blade of his tail down with a splash. "Kairyu! I'll have none of your nonsense! Get up here and meet the guest I've brought, you selfish old clam!"
The surface of the lake went wild with frantic bubbles everywhere. Kris could barely make out a shadowy something moving in the water's depths, stirring after what must have been a long rest. Whatever it was moved closer to the surface fiercely and rapidly. Fighting the urge to back away frightfully, Kris gasped when it broke the surface. An elegant, navy blue sea serpent raised itself out of the water, curling its tail behind it and blinking the water out of its soft amethyst eyes. Small rivulets of water ran down the lime green fin adorning its back and over the lighter blue markings on its sides as it glided across the lake to the shore. Two glimmering steel blades swept back in a fin shape crowned its tail, and edging each fang was a smaller version of the ridge on its back.
As Kris gaped at this majestic creature, he noticed the sheer annoyance painted across her face. The watery entity slithered out of the pool and made for Pyrraine. "There was no need to call me names, Pyrraine. You merely may have said that we had a guest. Or, to be honest, I was waiting for you to say 'please.'" Pushing right by Kris, not even noticing him, the middle-aged serpent scooted towards the entrance to the room, peering inside the tunnel anxiously. "Well, Pyrraine? Just where is this guest?"
"You just walked past him," he answered with an amused smile. Kairyu whirled around and saw Kris, who was currently looking at the floor, for the first time. She panicked, her eyes wide with fear.
"A human! Here! In our sacred city!" Kris jerked his head upward in time to see a flash of light reflect off the steel blades rushing towards him. He tried to dodge, but he didn't move fast enough and was nicked on the arm. A crimson line drew itself on his flesh, but Kris didn't have time to tend to the cut as Kairyu lashed out again with her tail.
"Geez, lady! Stop killing me! _He's_ the one who brought me here; go attack him!" Kris yelled angrily, pointing at Pyrraine while simultaneously dodging another blow.
The enraged serpent faltered. "He did what?" Kairyu turned her fierce gaze on Pyrraine. "You brought the human here? You traitor! You deserve to have your tail ripped off by a Houndoom!" she screeched.
"Hear now," Pyrraine countered calmly. "I did not bring him here for just any reason." He brought his scarred blade around and pressed Kairyu's down so that she would not strike. "Take a look at his eyes, dear. See for yourself."
Kairyu rounded so swiftly that she nearly cut Pyrraine's tail with her own. Next she leaned in so close to Kris that he could scarcely breathe. Their eyes were only two inches apart, and he could see his cold, auric orbs reflected in Kairyu's contrasting soft, violet ones.
CLANG!
The echoing sound of metal on rock rang out loudly as the sea serpent's tail slumped to the ground. Kairyu's expression flowed with disbelief. "Those eyes... they're just like his... Oh, Auron! I have found him! He has returned!
She broke down in joyous sobs. Kris could only lean over her, blinking in confusion. He caught sight of Pyrraine and edged over to him, leaving Kairyu to tears. "Psst! Hey Pyrraine, what's up with her?" he whispered.
"Ah yes, you'll have to excuse her," he replied. Kris saw that Pyrraine was watching Kairyu fondly, navy eyes sparkling with reflected joy. "She has gone through a lot of emotional pain these past few years, and one often feels joy when it is lifted..."
"Sei-en hyios," Kairyu whispered, turning her dampened gaze on Kris.
"After all," Pyrraine continued, "she has just found her son."
~*~*~
English equivalents of Seviperian phrases:
"Karra-shik has nés?" = "How is he doing?"
"Èrre reine isht taike." = (The) Human boy is asleep.
"Has-sé kèrile! Fachte Pyrraine!" = "He has awakened! Fetch Pyrraine!"
"Kahi'isht Pyrraine? Daré ikst sei nés ici?" = "Who is Pyrraine? What am I doing here?"
"Has loku nosé silvre!" = "He speaks our language!"
"Denamu." = "Hush."
"Burèkst." = "Drink."
"Sei-en hyios." = My son.
Pronunciation of Seviper names:
Pyrraine = PEER-enn
Kairyu = KEYE-ree-oo (It's a Japanese name. I'm sure many of you can recognize Japanese syllables.)
SC: Wow, that came out shorter than I thought. And so, the plot thickens. Who is this "Auron" I mentioned earlier? Why is Kairyu different than other Sevipers? Will I update faster next time? AH HA HA HA HA! I have left you with an evil cliffhanger! BWA HA HA! *cough* Sorry, didn't mean to be evil there. Anyway, I am really, really, REALLY SORRY for such a long delay! There's just been project after project at school recently... And then there's the ever-looming TAKS test... Stupid state administered assessments. -__-;
Since I feel so bad, I want to make a note here. I –NEVER- forget about my stories. I'm –ALWAYS- writing _something_ or another, it just may not be this particular story. For example, recently I've been planning out ideas for a seven story fanfiction series about Yu-gi-oh... *holds up notebook* ... but I don't deny that this has been neglected. In the future, if you think I'm taking too long to update, don't hesitate to e-mail me and make sure I'm on track. I will do my part to stop making up new story ideas so that this one will get done. Thanks for reading and reviewing! ^__~
~SC