Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon, but Zora and Hunter are straight from my imagination.

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Zora sat in class, staring out the window, paying no heed to the teacher as she talked. It wasn't that the teacher was boring; it was that Zora knew the material covered in the class. There was a knock on the closed door and Lance came in.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Abby, but I must speak to Zora," he said. The teacher nodded and Zora sighed as she stood. She walked to the door and followed Lance out. He led her down the hall.

"Care to explain why your 'walk' took a week?" he said.

"I hate being here. It's so much better outside then in the Stadium,"

"You must train and learn, Zora," the master said. "Your father passed his position and rights on to you. You, with those and your bloodline, are the only one capable of being the Fire Balance." They turned the corner and came into the courtyard. The fountain in the center sprayed water high and the few patches of grass were well cared for. She took her shoes off, carrying them as she jumped from patch to patch.

"But I don't want to a Balance... I want to be free,"

"I know you do. You've wanted that since you were a child. But you cannot be. You're place is here," Lance said. She turned her head. He took her hand and placed her communicator in it. "I will not ask how you lost; knowing you, you threw it away on purpose." He turned and walked away, leaving her to drown in the responsibility that'd been placed on her shoulders. Hunter was so lucky... he was free...

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Hunter kneeled in the shadows of the Elite Stadium. Flamer sat patiently next to him as they watched the guard go around and around on his small routine. Hunter knew it wouldn't be easy to get Zora and her pokemon out, but he had to. Everything was ready for them. They'd live happily ever after... The camouflage he'd set up to protect them from Lance and the other elites; from his past as a bandit and all the people that would have him thrown in prison for one reason or another, surely that'd be enough.

Lance emerged from one of the buildings, walking with one of his elite friends. Hunter pushed his hearing device into his ear and pushed the button.

"She will be the destruction of the Balance," the friend said. "If she is allowed to leave, or stray away with the bandit,"

"I have increased the security—she's never alone now. I doubt she will go anywhere,"

"She mustn't, Lance, you must understand this. As the overseer to the Balance Heirs, you must keep her in line. Her element is one of the basics."

"I know, Kane. I know,"

"How are the other Heirs fairing?"

"They are all slaving over their studies,"

"Good,"

"You speak too boldly, Kane. Remember that you are only fourth in command here,"

"The two who hold higher positions then me need to be removed..."

Hunter removed the ear piece as the moved out of range. He knew they were talking about Zora.

"Flamer... I'm going to need your help. Can you manage distracting the guards in my path and getting Ember out?"

"Nine-Ninetales," he said firmly.

"If things go well, Ember will stay with Zora and me, but just incase, since Zora refuses the poke ball for her, she's in your care, understand?" the fire pokemon nodded.

"Let's go then,"

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Zora walked slowly in her chambers, her arms wrapped around her. Lance had made her a prisoner and she was mad. Ember laid on the bed, spread out, ready to nap. Zora let her be as there was little they could do. They had escorts to all the classes she had to take and when they were not in class, she had to stay in her room. Zora went to the balcony and threw open the glass doors. She stepped out and leaned over the railing. Guards lined the wall three stories below and littered the court yard. The fountain in the center of the winding and bending stone paths sprayed water into the hot afternoon, producing the only sounds. She leaned on the railing with her elbows and sighed. Ember joined her, sitting at her feet. Zora rubbed her head.

"We have to find a way out of here, Ember,"

"Ninetales," she said sadly, nodding.

"Where would we go, though? I don't know. We've been trained too much to be ordinary among the trainers. We're branded with the strength, speed, power and defense of the Elite Balance..." she sighed again.

Zora caught a flash of a Ninetales's tail right below her balcony. It had vanished into the bushes. Ember stood up and leaned her head out the bars of the railing.

"Flamer," Zora leaned over the railing more, but couldn't find him. "Oh... where'd he go?"

Nothing happened for a few more minutes. But just as the clock struck four in the afternoon, Zora heard the guards speak in alarmed voices.

"Hey, isn't that Ember?" one said. Zora crept to the door and pressed her ear to it.

"If Ember is out, then Zora must be too!"

"Should we follow her?"

"Yes,"

"But what if Zora is still inside her room?"

"You idiot! If Ember found a way out, don't you think Zora would take it too!"

"Oh... you're right. Let's go," Zora listened to their footsteps. They headed down the hall then the stairs. She listened until she couldn't hear them anymore. Sighing, she returned to the balcony, standing next to Ember, who hadn't moved since seeing Flamer below. Just because those guards were gone didn't mean they were all off guard...

"He'll be okay, girl," Zora rubbed her head. "Both our boys are clever,"

"Nine-Ninetales, Ninetales,"

"Yeah, I think they're staging a rescue too," Zora watched the court yard guards for a few more minutes. Her door opened and she turned, seeing Hunter there. She ran to him and they hugged, then kissed.

"What took you so long?"

"You know how tight security is?"

"Really tight,"

"Ninetales?" Hunter smiled.

"He's okay, Ember. We're gonna pick him up on the way out," he turned back to Zora. "Do you have more civilian-like clothes?"

"Yes, somewhere,"

"Hurry, then," he said. Zora hurried to her closet and pulled some clothes out. Hunter turned his back to allow her privacy. When he turned he looked her over carefully. She wore light blue pants with a matching shirt that showed a lot of her boney shoulders and a matching crochet shawl. He nodded.

"That'll do," he said. She smiled and followed him to the door, Ember close on her heels. Hunter peeked out the door and motioned them on. "Stay close," he mumbled as they reached the stairs. They were half way down the first flight of stairs when Hunter froze in his tracks. The guards were coming back. He turned. "Go back, quietly," he pushed them on as fast but a quietly as they could go. They hid on opposite sides of the stairs, each behind the potted plants that framed the exit of that level. Ember squeezed in behind the plant with Zora, tucking her tails in around her, even though she hated being confined like that. The guards took a painfully long time passing them. They talked about having their pay reduced for allowing Zora to escape and how angry Lance was for it. Kane had apparently organized a search party, and these two weren't part of it, and that made them mad.

Once they were safely at the other end of the hall, and still fuming over their loss, Hunter led Zora and Ember back down the stairs. They reached the bottom and Hunter's hand stopped them where they rounded the corner. He peeked his head around the corner, then jerked back.

"Lance," he mumbled. Zora stood frozen for those few seconds. If they were caught now, she'd never be free and poor Hunter would end up in jail or something. Sure, he'd done questionable things, but he was not one who hurt people or pokemon.

Zora watched Hunter pull something off his belt. He pushed the button on the palm size square and tossed it into the bushes on the far side of the opposite wall. Zora heard bushes moving, though they were still. Lance was there searching the bushes within seconds.

"Now," Hunter took off running, crouched down and in the shadows. Zora followed without hesitation. They were doing well; mostly out of Lance's reach, still in shadows, the gate to the Stadium close, and even open. Zora was breathing hard and her heart pounded. She looked back to make sure Ember was still following. She was. Then the cry went up.

"There they are!" Every eye turned toward them. Hunter grabbed Zora's hand and pulled her on, watching the guards and trainers surround them.

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ObsidianSpires: Thank you for your review. Looking back over the chapter now, I do see the lack of discription. It takes me many times going over any of my writings to get them to say what I want. Need to work on that... anyway, thanks again!