Chapter Six-Legend

The butterfly's wings pumped cheerily, its meandering flight taking it swiftly through the air in front of the window. The wind blew it slightly off its original flight path, but it didn't seem to mind this much, as it continued on without looking too discouraged.

Kojau envied it. It probably didn't have to think too much about its various troubles or problems, and it was just so free and simple, having but one direction and goal in mind. It had no complex, odd worries or situations, for it wasn't meant to, being made to play a smaller part in the world than pokemon like Kojau.

The mightyena was currently laying out in front of a window up in one of the building's many rooms. This had become her favorite retreat over the past several days she had been here. A small, cheery room, it was located at the end of a long hall on the building's top floor, high above the ground. It was a bit hard to get to, for one had to go all the way to the top of the building and access the roof through a hole in the ceiling, for the hall that had been used originally to get to this room had caved in long ago. From the roof, one had to drop down another hole and navigate cumbersomely through the dark attic before dropping through the ceiling into the hall that actually led to the room.

All in all, that meant not many of the eons came her regularly, though it wasn't all that hard to get to, not when you got the hang of the attic's maze. Kojau had stumbled upon it quite by accident the day after she had gotten to the building. Tired of the constant bustle in the more used rooms, she had desired a bit of peace and quiet, and so had gone searching for a quiet place she wouldn't be disturbed at. She had found the room later in the evening of that day, after a good bit of searching.

It was a very nice room, she thought. Airy and small, the window in it had shattered or fallen off some time in the past, and now the large opening let in the breeze and sunshine freely. The walls were a white color, and the carpeting was old and soft and worn. There was a quaint, broken dresser to the side, and its sagging doors revealed old child's toys. The room had an innocent feel to it, and Kojau found she could truly clear her mind here, could keep herself from being intimidated by the world and instead look at it as a place of beauty and hope.

This room was situated at the front of the building, and there was a grand view of the bustling city from it. But what Kojau found most appealing was that one could see the sea stretching out in the distance, see the setting sun glimmering off the water and the shine stretching past anyone's range of sight…

Kojau closed her eyes, shutting the view out for a moment and seeing it in her mind's eye, feeling the breezes blowing in from the sea ruffling the shaggy black fur of her mane. She knew there was something important waiting for her beyond that sea, but for now she was content with just knowing it was there, something constant and everlasting. It was life.

A soft footfall and a faint heat from behind her alerted Kojau to the fact that Firra had entered the room. The flareon had a sort of presence to her, an unmistakable hardy, lasting aura that reminded one of a warm fire on a cold night, and brought feelings of determination and hope.

The flareon padded softly up to where the mightyena lay in front of the window and sat down beside her, radiating a soothing heat. For a good while, the two just remained there side by side, content in one another's presence and the general good feeling in the room.

It was Firra who broke the silence first, long after she had come. But then, time seemed to stand still in the room, so who knew for sure? "Nice place, this. I could see how it would suit you."

Kojau mulled her words over in her mind for a while, wondering what her purpose was. She mentally scolded herself soon after for being so suspicious and looking for some reason for the flareon to be here. She had every reason to trust Firra. "Yes, it is nice." The mightyena's voice came out soft and smooth, cleansed of the worry that had been heavy in it several days ago. "I can sort of feel the ocean from here, and it gives me a sense of balance."

She opened her eyes finally to see Firra smiling and nodding slowly. "Yes, the sea holds a certain intrigue for me as well, though I am a fire pokemon." She chuckled richly. "But I suppose the fact that I have no outward flames helps out a good bit."

Kojau gave only a faint smiled in return, and the two lapsed into silence once more. Their gazes stretched out into the distance, Kojau's on the sea and Firra's on the buildings and cars and people, as if trying to see something hidden in it all. Eventually the eon spoke once more.

"It's a good feeling to be able to see people and pokemon, but know they cannot see you, eh?" She blinked slowly, looking thoughtful. "I have often felt I could become trapped in the feeling of being able to watch and not be watched myself, as if I was there but not part of the world. It has a way of washing away one's worries."

Kojau thought to herself for a moment, pondering the flareon's words. "I suppose. But then, what if you saw something bad happening and you couldn't do anything about it because it was so far away? If you were removed from everything, then I would think you would feel helpless to do anything, and wouldn't be able to interact when you felt the need to." She paused for a moment before speaking again. "I would think it could get very lonely, and frustrating as well."

Firra looked sideways at her. "Yet here you are, purposefully removed from everyone else here, and you do not look frustrated or lonely in the least." Her words seemed to hang in the air between the two, as if they carried a great deal of meaning.

Kojau took a moment to find her tongue, feeling a bit guilty suddenly. It was becoming a very familiar feeling, she reflected wryly. "I…I'm sorry for removing myself from you like this. I really ought to have been more considerate…" She realized suddenly that she had been spending a lot of time on her own, even though the eons were never anything but kind to her, making sure she was 'fed up,' as they put it. Indeed, her coat was becoming glossier and her frame filling out in the slightest bit since she had started eating good meals at least once a day. Azour had jokingly told her she was evolving from a skeleton into a pokemon at last yesterday.

"Oh, don't take it like that!" Firra laughed, lightening the atmosphere once more. "I didn't mean it in that way. I know you're more of a thinker who would usually rather watch than take part in things, though I don't think Kiete understands that too well."

Kojau laughed as well, surprising herself. "Yes, Kiete is quite demanding." A fond look came across her face as she thought of the energetic little shining umbreon and his antics. "I just…I can't keep up with him!" She trailed off, grinning. "He's so energetic and happy, and he seems to always want to take part in something active."

"He likes you, you know." Firra spoke softly, though her tone was still a bit humorous. "He's really taken to you, and he looks up to you. I don't think I've ever seen him become so adoring of anyone like he has you." She seemed to think for a moment. "You know…his parents were caught and taken away by humans a long while, back, when he was very, very young."

Kojau started. "Caught…you mean, caught by humans?" Her eyes were wide as she thought about this, about what such an existence would mean, especially to a pokemon used to being wild and free.

"Yes." Firra looked truly subdued for the first time since Kojau had met her, and the heat around her died down just a bit. "He's always talking about how someday he will go and rescue them." She laughed bitterly. "He barely even remembers what they look like, though. An umbreon and an espeon. What an unlikely liaison…"

"I though psychic types didn't like dark types." Kojau peered up at Firra. Once again, there was that nagging, irritating feeling that she had no idea where and how she had stumbled upon that bit of information. It was just…there. She didn't really care to think too deeply on it, though, for whenever she started to try to really think about something from her clouded past, that odd tingling feeling in her spine became stronger. It was a very odd feeling, and Kojau didn't like it at all.

Firra nodded, as if to herself. "Well, they are radically different, but so far I haven't noticed any sort of hatred or even natural dislike between them." She peered over at Kojau questioningly. "Where did you hear that they didn't like each other?"

"I…don't remember," the pokemon answered truthfully, silently cheering herself. She hadn't had to lie that time!

Firra still looked a bit questioning, but nodded anyway. She moved a bit closer to the window and placed her paws on the edge of it, peering down at the ground. There were no eons out there currently, but once in a while, if you listened closely, you could hear the faint bustle of the eons inside the building and occasionally Kiete's rather shrill voice shouting something or other.

"Is he ever quiet?" Kojau's face took on a faintly amused expression. Kiete must have been feeling energetic today. She was suddenly very glad she wasn't down there at the moment…

"Only in his sleep." Firra sighed, smiling. "He can get quite annoying sometimes, I'll say that. But he's loving and loyal, and actually quite sharp. He has excellent senses. In fact, he'll probably end up finding this little retreat of yours soon enough…"

Kojau blanched. "He…you won't tell him, will you?" Her voice took on a pleading tone as she looked at the flareon beside her, desperation in her eyes. "I mean…he sort of drives me insane at times." There wasn't even a bit of untruth in that statement.

Firra laughed again. "Oh, don't worry, I won't reveal you. I would just be very, very careful if I were you when leaving or entering this place, though. Kiete would not be above tracking you here and finding out where your retreat is."

Kojau smiled. "Thank you," she said gratefully, feeling very thankful indeed. "I am indebted to you."

Firra smirked. "Well, you can pay off that debt by coming down a bit more than you do. We'd all like to get to know you a little better, I think." Her tone could not possibly be more gentle, and Kojau could not sense any pushiness or exasperation in it at all.

"I'll try." The mightyena sighed to herself, letting the breeze caress her body, tousling the shaggy black fur going down her back and to her tail. "It's just…well, it's hard for me. I'm not really used to being around other pokemon, and I'm always afraid that…that…" She stopped, feeling disoriented suddenly and wondering about herself.

"Afraid of what?" Firra peered down at her from her sitting position, eyes soft and unassuming. "Kojau, we're not going to bite you when your back is turned."

"I know…I…" Kojau let out a great shuddering breath, wanting desperately to change the subject. The flareon only looked at her sympathetically.

"Well. You were wondering about that legend?" Firra spoke after a short silence, taking them back onto safer ground. "You were asking about it yesterday, and how it related to little Kiete and these foreign words I use."

Kojau looked relived. "Yes. Yes, it sounded interesting to me." She looked up at the flareon from her position on the ground, eyes bright. "I would love to hear it if you would tell it."

Firra gave herself a little shake, the bushy fur of her mane ruffling out a bit. "Well, I don't know all the intricacies of it, and Aruva could tell it to you better than I. But I suppose I'll take a shot at it." She settled herself into a more comfortable position as Kojau watched her, happily anticipating a good story.

"This is the legend of the olden times," Firra began finally, after drawing out the suspense for a few moments and collecting herself. "It was back when all pokemon spoke one language. Humans either were on a different part of the world or didn't exist yet, and there was harmony among all pokemon." She paused for a moment, as if wondering how to explain the next part. "There was a sort of place, a different dimension all pokemon could access that put them in harmony with one another and the world around them. It was a sort of dream time, a sacred place of higher consciousness that the pokemon then could somehow trance themselves into, could ascend to. It…supposedly, it held the power to influence things, because it was an overview of the world, for it tapped into the life stream of living things and the consciousness of the earth. Through this, it was possible to do the impossible, to heal the wounded and transport oneself to different places and perhaps even to different times." Firra frowned to herself. "As I said, I don't really know all the intricacies of it, only that it was sort of like-

"A desert." Kojau had no idea she had spoken until the words had left her mouth, and then there was no taking them back. She went on hurriedly as Firra gave her an odd, surprised look. "A white desert, with shifting white sands, and where it is always nighttime. The stars there are brighter and closer than they are here, and they are always out." She stopped, feeling frazzled. She had often imagined that sort of place, and it gave her peace when she had none.

"Yeeees…" Firra was giving her a penetrating look, but she said nothing of it, which relieved her companion beyond measure. "Yes, that was how it was. And as I said, all pokemon had the power to tap into it, but only the shining pokemon had the power to directly use it. It was said that they were born with a piece of the higher place's starlight in their souls, a connection that gave them their odd radiance and different coloration. Shining pokemon back then were vastly more common that they are now, and they used their power over the higher place for the good of all pokemon. It wasn't in their nature to use it for evil. They were the balancers of the pokemon world, the connection, the calmness, the healers." Firra sighed to herself. "But alas, good things cannot last. This is probably the part of the legend that is hardest to make out or tell, but I shall try as best I can. Supposedly, there was some sort of evil that corrupted the consciousness and harmony, a lust for power and an urge to use the higher place for evil. I don't know exactly how it happened, but the higher place was fatally tampered with and sealed off forever. It wiped itself completely from the normal pokemons' minds, and the shining pokemon wasted away and died soon afterward. Along with the removal of the higher consciousness came the different languages, branching off from the universal language and making it so all pokemon could only use their names to speak, though they could usually understand one another. The only reason I know some words in this language is that I met a seer a while back, and lived with him long enough to learn a few words." Firra paused for a breath, then continued. "It…it is said that the extremely rare shining pokemon can connect to the higher place somehow, though I have never met or heard of one who could." She frowned. "And I have never told Kiete. I beseech you to refrain from telling him that part of the legend. It is better for him to think that all pokemon, even the shining ones, had equal access to the power, and that it was wiped from all their minds back then." She fell silent then, leaving Kojau to contemplate her words.

The mightyena had a lot to contemplate indeed. That tingle in her spine had grown more prominent with every word Firra had spoken, and the mention of the white desert…it left her feeling very confused indeed. She found herself yearning after answers that just weren't there, and confused, hazy images that floated just out of her reach.

She did nothing as Firra silently got to her paws and padded toward the exit of the room, the familiar heat fading away.

Only when the flareon turned and looked back at her did she look up and meet her eyes, and found only concern and understanding there. "Kojau…" Firra began hesitantly. "If…if you ever need any help, you would like to have someone trustworthy to talk to, do not hesitate to hunt down Azour or me. We…we won't betray your trust." And with those odd words, she was gone, moving away from the entrance to the room and vanishing as if she had never been there, leaving a very disturbed, pensive Kojau in her wake.

The night was cool and somehow bright. The stars were out, and the moon was full and lit up the night with a pale, ghostly light. The building stood like a huge sentinel in the darkness, and Kojau paused for a moment to peer up at it, feeling confused.

What was she doing out here, anyway? She had found herself leaving the room shortly after evening had set in, mind in a whirl. She had felt that she needed to do something, something to get her mind off Firra's words. And now here she was, having snuck down to the eastern exit of the building, using a roundabout way to avoid notice.

She just needed to get away for a bit, she decided as she turned and padded off into the night, for once paying the shadows no mind. She would return soon, before anyone noticed she was gone.

The mightyena trotted steadily along for a while, taking the alleys she found naturally to avoid any notice, heading toward the outskirts of the city where she knew she could find some peace and quiet in the scant neighborhoods. She had no idea how long she had been walking when she finally emerged onto one of the long sidewalks, staring out at the road that intersected the two sidewalk lanes. Rows of small houses gleamed in the moonlight, faint noises coming from some.

Kojau stepped out onto the right sidewalk, pausing in her walking and reflecting just how much this neighborhood seemed like the one she had seen the battle in, though she knew it wasn't. City humans must have an affinity for uniformity, she decided as she regarded the moonlit neighborhood.

There was something watching her from behind, she realized. It was not altogether an unfamiliar feeling, and she remembered it from that time when she had wavered in entering the building. Kiete.

Kojau turned around slowly. The first thing she made out were the two blue rings floating around in the air and the one ring between them. Then she saw the large golden eyes and the small, lithe black body.

"Hello, Kiete." She spoke softly as the little umbreon came up beside her, peering at her questioningly. "You…umm…you better turn those rings down."

"Ooooh…right!" The little umbreon spoke loudly at first, then dropped his voice and the brightness of his rings at the same time, almost fading them out altogether. Kojau blinked in surprise, startled. She found she could just barely see a faint glow coming off the rings when she squinted, along with that peculiar radiance he had that she couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Why are you out here?" Kiete sat down when he realized she wasn't going to move on, shaking himself a bit, fur fluffing up and long ears banging against the sides of his head. "You aren't leaving us, right?" His eyes were large and hopeful as he looked up at her, and they seemed to melt her. "I don't want you to leave." His voice was barely a whisper, and it held a pitiable, pleading note in it, as if he would die should she opt to leave.

Kojau found herself sitting down beside him, letting out a long breath. "No," she replied finally, scuffing a paw around in the dust on the sidewalk. "No, I'm not leaving. I just…I just needed to get away for a bit, you know? I've heard some things lately that disturbed me, and I needed to think about them."

Kiete looked to be thinking about her words, and Kojau was quite surprised that he could actually adopt a truly pensive expression, being as hyperactive as he was. She thought perhaps he understood-for a full five seconds. Then, that thoughtful look left his face as quickly as it had come, and Kojau flinched a bit as that energetic light entered his eyes again, like static flickering around to shock anyone who came near. "Can I think about it with you?" His voice was as high pitched as ever, but Kojau though she ought to be glad that he was actually making a conscious effort to keep its volume down.

"Well, I guess you could." The mightyena found herself wondering just how he thought he would be able to do that. "I can't exactly share it, though. I'm not ready." She gazed up at the cold, unfeeling stars above, as if they could give her the answers she so desperately craved.

"That's Ok." The young umbreon peered up at her, cocking his head in a cute way that melted her heart all over again. "C'mon, 'Ko, be happy!" He bounced to his feet, bonking his shoulder against the dismayed mightyena next to him. "I hear a TV across the street. Sometimes, if you're really careful not to get caught, you can peer into a house's window and watch the TV, then run away really quickly. It's great fun!" Kojau blinked after him as he gleefully raced across the street and up to one of the many houses. From there, he turned toward her and grinned, though he said nothing, probably to avoid alerting the humans in the house.

Kojau shook her head in exasperation, though she did feel a bit better than before. Kiete had a way of cheering her up. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to go 'watch TV,' so she started across the moonlit street, running lightly forward until she stood next to her young friend.

"See, see…!" The umbreon reared up placed his paws against the window, just barely peeking over, golden eyes sparkling. Feeling misgivings about the whole thing, Kojau peered very carefully over as well.

She found herself looking into a large, cozy, well lit room, illuminated warmly. There was a human there, sitting in a chair, the chair's back turned toward them. A TV was in front of him, and Kojau stared in amazement at the images flickering across the screen, completely forgetting to listen to the news reporter's words for a moment.

"…In other news, the war going on overseas has leaked over to our country, though they had promised to keep their battles over on their side. It seems a shipment of odd, genetically modified pokemon and others of the like have somehow gotten overseas and are here. The people responsible have sent over several qualified trainers to take care of this mess, but we can only hope nothing bad will come if it all. If you see any pokemon like this, be sure to alert your local authorities…"

Kojau wasn't listening. Her attention had become completely riveted on the picture on the screen. It was a 3-D image of an absol, the sleek white fur and claws unmistakable. But there was something odd about it. There seemed to be some sort of machinery strapped onto it, going into its body and…

Kojau found her mouth gaping as a sudden bright light took over her vision. Her jaws opened and spread apart in a silent howl as the odd tingle going from her head to her backbone broke its imaginary bonds, immersing her body in a horrible feeling of power and being unable to control it. It…twisted…ah…NOOO!

"Kojau!" Kiete's voice, sounding panicked, came to her ears as she reeled backward, feeling as though the bright light and unbearable sensation was spreading through her whole being, consuming her. Shadows…cries of pain, oh let it not be them, please not them…

She was not even conscious of hitting the ground as her head seemed to explode, though it wasn't pain…it was just the light, the bright, raw current of light traveling through her whole being. It was a part of her, but it was going to consume her, and then there would be nothing more of herself, only a shell. And the shadows, oh, the shadows would have her then…

Kiete was nudging her, trying to awaken her, calling to her. But his voice was calling across a void of endless space, and she was drawing away from him, falling, twisting through time and light to fall into darkness. Her sight was completely taken up by the blinding light now, and she closed her eyes when it threatened to do away with her vision. There was a roaring in her ears, and she convulsed helplessly on the sidewalk as it reached an unbearable level, muting out any other sound. She was fading, dwindling away to nothing as the current flowing through her body pushed her soul and being further and further away from herself…she could not support it…

Kiete worried about her, whimpering to himself. She had seemed fine before, but then suddenly seemed to go insane, eyes gaining an odd, fervent light, fur standing on end like a jolteon's when it was about to attack. She had staggered and swayed on her feet for a few moments, seeming unable to utter any noise, eyes staring blindly right through him. Now she was convulsing on the sidewalk, frothing at the mouth and seeming for all the world not herself anymore.

Kiete didn't know what to do. He could see how his friend was pained, see how her face contorted into a frozen expression of silent agony. He could almost feel her life force dwindling away under the pressure of something that she couldn't control. Sobbing, the umbreon fell upon her in a last desperate move and pressed his head to hers, trying to hold her down. There was a sudden flash in his consciousness, and he sensed an odd struggle. Then it was gone, and the mightyena gave one last heave and lay deathly still.

Kojau had almost faded all the way. She had been mere inches from leaving her body forever when she had felt another light pouring into her mind, soothing away the raw power coursing through her in a millisecond before winking out as quickly as it had come. There was still a void there, but she could tell by her trembling breathing that she was still of her body, though just barely. And, right before the darkness claimed her, she came to the conclusion that there was something very, very wrong…

Thank you for reviewing, everyone! Negrek, I saw that whole 'mates/siblings'mistake after I submitted my chapter...AH! I though, 'Uh-oh, Negrek's gonna catch that for sure...' Oh, the horror...XD Anyway, I don't think there are too many mistakes in this chapter, but if you find another one like that, don't hesitate to mention it. (Oh, and by the way, Kojau's name is pronounced Ko-jow, as in ow, with a long o, as in cobra. Kiete's in either pronounced Kie-et-ae with a short e, or Kie-tae, however you prefer. Just decided to put this because I tend to make up names that are very hard to figure out. o.0)