And here we are.
Sorry to leave you hanging like that, but I only had about a third of the chapter finished by the upload date last month. Anyhow I'm here now, so no harm done.
Before we get started, I want to direct your attention to my new "story" PMD: The Dreamstone - Bonus Chapters. It is going to be a collection of one-shots, monthly prompts, and bonus chapters that happen in and around the main story. Go check it out if you haven't already.
With that out of the way, let's get back to the story.
"Slink? Slink?! Slink!"
Vix. Vix. VIX! No I couldn't let it end here. For the first time in weeks I felt Fire fill my veins as I forced myself to my feet. That Mightyena was going to pay for what he did to me, to Vix! I took a single step forward, the grass where my paw had been charred and black.
"Slink, please," Eve cried, "Abby is hurt."
I half glanced back at them. Through the shimmer of heat that surrounded me I could see Sierra and Eve leaning over Abby. The younger Absol was laying on the ground, and she wasn't moving. "But...Vix…" I protested weakly. My entire being was screaming at me to go after Enzo.
"I know," Eve said, her voice cracking, "but we need to help Abby first!"
My power faded, my body growing colder as the Fire left me. As soon as I felt it leaving, I snatched at it, trying to hold on. Maybe I didn't need it now, but when we caught up to Enzo I needed every bit. The power slipped right through my grasp and vanished.
As soon as it was gone I stumbled. Enzo's attacks had drained me more than I thought. My legs nearly buckled, and I had only taken half a step. Psychic hadn't returned yet and Fire was gone. All I had left was me to hold my body up, and even that wasn't working.
Vix.
I forced myself to take another step. If willpower was all I had, fine. I was going to keep moving, and I was going to get Vix back! Still it was all I could do to keep putting one foot in front of the other until I had reached the others.
"What's wrong," I grunted out through gritted teeth.
"It was those damn spiders," Sierra snarled. He gestured at Abby's left hind leg. The flesh just above her paw was swollen and far more red than normal. Two small punctures marred her swollen flesh, the fur around them glazed with a nasty purple liquid.
"Poison," Eve clarified, a note of panic in her voice. "Slink I don't have any Pecha berries."
"I do." I admitted numbly. I always had a personal stash to snack on when I wanted. Sierra lunged at me, claws extended ready to rip into my bag if that would get Abby the berry one minute sooner. I stumbled aside, nearly falling over. Eve caught me with her tail, and yanked me back onto my feet.
"Sierra, calm down." She commanded. Meanwhile I dug around in my bag trying to find the largest Pecha I had. It was gone as soon as I produced it. Sierra snatched it right off my paw, smashing the berry and letting the juice dribble into Abby's mouth. The Absol instinctively swallowed to avoid choking. We all waited, holding our breath and watching. The swelling slowly, painfully slowly, went down. The flesh returning to its normal shade of red. Still, the wound remained, and Abby still wasn't responding.
"The Pecha stopped the poison, but it can't heal what the poison did. She's gonna need some medical attention." Eve's voice was shaky, but each word was painstakingly placed. I knew exactly what she was doing. She was in crisis, and was trying to focus on what she could actually fix.
"Well what are you waiting for," Sierra panicked. "Give her an Oran berry or something."
"That's like asking us to put bandages on a severed limb," I said, my brain still feeling a bit sluggish. "All of the Oran berries we have won't help her. She needs to go home!"
Sierra nodded, fumbling with his badge. "I'll send her home and then I'll…" I think we all realized the problem at the exact same time. With my Fire out of commission, Sierra was the only one out of the three of us who stood a chance against Enzo. If...no, when we caught up to him, we would need him to get Vix back. But if he needed to go back with Abby…
Eve, at least, was still thinking clearly. She had pulled the Expedition Gadget out of her bag. The screen was alight as she tapped on it a few times, before suddenly Kegan's voice rang out from the device. "Hello? Eve? Slink?"
"Kegan! We need backup. Do you know where we are?"
"Eve, please calm down. Explain the situation for me." Kegan's voice had become soothing, yet authoritative in response to Eve's panic.
I stepped forward. "The client we rescued turned out to be Vix's father. He kidnapped her, and I'm not sure we can take him when we catch him."
"Plus," Sierra butted in, "Abby was poisoned, and she needs medical attention."
The Gadget was silent for a long while. "Even without the Hatred you guys are neck deep in trouble. What do you need from us?"
"Kegan can you send a team or two, preferably Fighting Types to the exit of the Dungeon? That way if we can't catch them, they can't get far?"
"Certainly, but Eve that only works if they leave the Dungeon."
"What are you talking about?" I growled.
"If they stall until nightfall and get purged from the Dungeon, they could end up anywhere. And at night they would be able to slip away easily. You guys need to chase them, pressure the kidnapper and keep him moving."
"But," Eve whimpered, "he's got Vix. We have to assume he knows every inch of the Dungeon. He could give us the run around for hours."
"I don't know what to say Eve. For kidnapping, and the assault of Society members I can put a large bounty on him, but that won't guarantee the safety of Vix." He paused. "I will do everything I can to get Vix back, but there is only so much I can do. This will all depend on if you can get the kidnapper out of the Dungeon." With that, the line went dead.
Eve stared at me, her gaze blank and broken. "H-how… how…" she couldn't even finish the thought. How were we supposed to catch them, much less get them to do what we needed.
Vix.
"We will figure it out, and besides Vix won't help him if she can help it. She will stall and fight and divert when she can. Besides we don't know if Enzo knows about her abilities or not. He might be just as lost as we are. We can do this!" Honestly I sounded more confident than I felt, but being negative wasn't doing anything. I had to hold on to the hope we could rescue the Vulpix.. As I spoke I watched as Eve's expression slowly morphed from panic to determination.
I turned to Sierra. His eyes darted between Abby and us. "Go. We'll be fine, but Abby needs you. Go with her. Get her to Candice." He hesitated before nodding uneasily.
"You ready?" I turned to Eve, only to find that she had already started off. I scrambled to catch up with her. "What's gotten into you?"
"I'm not about to let another Dark Type tear us apart!" She snapped before accelerating her pace. Honestly I'm not sure if Eve knew where the portal was, or where she was going. At the very least we had to have been close to the portal before we were diverted because of the storm. Enzo would have at least moved to the next floor before stopping to come up with a plan, assuming he could find the next floor. Our problems with out... well... foxing them would start on the next floor.
We covered in ten minutes what it would've taken Vix only one. Ours was certainly the most round-about path to the portal, but we eventually reached the stone platform. Eve half glanced back as we entered the room with the portal, and I think she was relieved to see me following her.
Psychic was slowly filtering back to me, and Fire was nowhere to be found. I had been in a sort of haze since Enzo had left. My whole life, I had always had the cold clarity of Psychic to fall back on or the driven determination of Fire to guide me. Without either I could only muddle through without anything. I hated that sensation, but at least I had Eve to rely on.
And maybe more. The sound of running footsteps echoed down the stone corridors. "Wait, don't go yet!" Sierra galloped into view before standing there panting. "I'm coming with you!"
Eve and I exchanged a glance. "But what about Abby? She needs you."
Sierra shook his head. "She has Candice and her apprentices. They won't let her die just because I'm not there. Besides, Vix needs me more." Eve opened her mouth to say something, but ultimately decided against it. I simply met eyes with Sierra and gave him a small nod. We both knew that there were no words to express the amount of gratitude I felt.
Together we stepped onto the stone platform, and moved on to the next floor.
We landed in a small clearing, surrounded by tall stone walls but not entirely a cave. The walls were dotted with alcoves. Some of them were deep enough to be considered dens, but none were deep enough for Enzo and Vix to hide. There was only one exit from the room, to the north. Taking that path, it took us nearly ten minutes to reach our first crossroads. There was the path we had come from, and three options for where we could go next. We stopped, looking around. Which way first? Without Vix we couldn't know which way would lead to a dead-end, a loop, or the portal. How would we know where we had searched and where we hadn't?
The sudden realization sent a shiver down my spine. Vix had made us soft when it came to traversing Dungeons. We simply didn't know how to do it without her. A sense of panic slowly crept up my spine, but before it could overwhelm me, Sierra called out.
"Guys, check this out!" He was standing on the left path, cupping something in his forepaw. A lime-green glow reflected off of his paw-pads, an Expedition Society badge.
"Enzo must have ripped it away from her once they were clear." he said glancing down the path. "They must have gone this way." I nodded as I took the badge from him and placed it in my bag.
"Wait!" Eve called. She looked around as if she half-expected to see Vix hiding in the tall grass around us. "Its too easy. Enzo knows we would follow him, he would be an idiot not to. This has to be a false trail." She stepped back. Her back foot hit something, the ground crumbling under her paw.
My mind reacted on instinct, grabbing Eve and levitating her away from what I assumed was a trap. As soon as she was safe I looked back, to find a two inch rut had collapsed in on itself. From the shape, it looked like… I pressed down on it with my power, collapsing the whole thing revealing an arrow pointing towards the right path.
"I was right…" Eve muttered as she saw the arrow. "They went that way."
"Hold on," Sierra protested. "The hidden badge was a trap, but the giant obvious arrow isn't? Eve that doesn't make sense."
"The arrow has to be Vix. She manipulated the Dungeon, how else did the dirt disappear except the surface?" Eve glanced at me desperately, hoping I would side with her.
I hesitated, my mind spinning. Both ways seemed like they could be right. Right? How could I know which was the correct path? In the silence Sierra rushed in to drive home his point.
"From what you guys told me, when she used her powers in the Hatred base for the first time she almost passed out afterwards. She was already exhausted when Enzo took her. There is no way she had the energy to do this."
I shook my head. "Not exactly. That was when she had to tunnel through a wall. This is just leaving a mark. I don't think this would cost her nearly as much."
Eve beamed at me a sparkle appearing in her eyes. "So, you agree, Slink. Let's go."
"But-" Sierra tried to protest.
Vix.
"No. This is Vix. I'm certain of it." Was I actually certain? No. Did Sierra need to know that? No. Would I end up regretting this decision? That remained to be seen.
The path the arrow had directed us to was long. We followed it, twisting and turning for several minutes until finally we reached another fork in the road. This one was shaped like a "Y" with only two other branches. I reached out with Psychic, hoping rather than expecting that I would find another sign. Thankfully, Vix didn't let me down. The ground crumbled again revealing another arrow distinctly pointing to the left.
"If this was Enzo leading us on a feral Yungoos chase, why would he leave two signs? This has to be Vix!" Eve was practically dancing with excitement. A tiny voice in the back of my head raised some doubts, and I knew that Sierra remained unconvinced, but I pushed both of them down. I trusted Eve, and she believed this.
This second path was short so it was only about a minute before it dead-ended with the stone platform. Another arrow just in front of the portal directed us to head right on through.
Before we could even come close to the platform, Sierra sprinted forward blocking us. "Guys, we can't move on yet. Unless we know for certain who made these arrows. I mean, what if Enzo put us onto a path to the portal, sent us through, and then he and Vix stayed on this floor. They would have free reign until nightfall and we wouldn't be able to come back to this floor. Please let's just check this floor better before moving on."
"No," Eve protested, "I know this is Vix. Every second we wait, they just get further and further away. We can't waste time or we may never catch them!" She looked around, the hair raising along her back. "There has to be some...some way to… to… Slink, look at that."
I followed her gaze to a point on the wall behind the portal. It was just a few inches above the platform. Gouged out of the stone was a single word. Even if a Pokemon had carved it using a move or by hand, they would have to stand on the portal to do it. Only Vix could have carved it with her powers. Plus there was the actual word. "Dreamstone," I read breathlessly.
"There is no way Enzo knows about that, or even your connection to it. This has to be Vix. It has to. This is her telling us to trust her marks." Eve said excitedly.
"Wait, wait," Sierra butted in, "what is a Dreamstone? And how are you so certain that Vix left that word?"
I forgot that Eve and I hadn't let Sierra or Abby in on the Dreamstone search. "Its...something my father mentioned once to me, the night he died. I told Vix the story. She would know what that word means to me." All three of us were silent for a moment. "We proved it was Vix," I grumbled. "Can we please move on now?"
Without waiting for a response, I pushed past them, through the portal, and onto the next floor. Already there was an arrow in the ground directing me forward, like Vix was waiting for us. That is the way it went for another two floors, each crossroad containing a hidden sign. At the same time though, things were changing. The arrows that had started two inches deep and three feet long, were only a half inch deep and barely a foot long four floors later.
"She's getting weaker," I said, staring in horror at the shrinking arrows. "She was exhausted to start with. Will she even be conscious when we find her? Either way, I don't think we can count on her help for much longer."
This revelation only led us to move faster, but Eve crossed the line into frantic. She was almost sprinting through the Dungeon, half glancing at each arrow with each intersection. Sierra and I were left to be left behind or run to catch up.
The clouds above echoed her darkening mood. The storm was truly upon us at that point. The clouds boiled, lightning flickering among and between them. Sierra flinched with every flash, but he didn't say anything. The wind started to blow, small gusts at first but soon enough we had to brace ourselves to avoid being knocked over.
The rain started, first a tiny drizzle but it steadily grew worse until eventually we could barely see two feet in front of us from the downpour.
"Guys," Sierra had to shout to be heard over the rain, "my horn is killing me. We are in danger! We have to find shelter and let this pass!"
As much as I wanted to keep up the chase I knew Sierra was right. I also knew that Eve wasn't going to quit. I reached out, just barely managing to catch the end of her tail. "Eve, we have to stop!"
"I'm not stopping, not while Vix is still with that…" the last word was lost in the noise of the storm.
"Eve, we can't help her if we are dead. We have to wait. Besides, Enzo isn't stupid or sucidal. They had to have stopped too." She bit her lip, looking off into the Dungeon as if Vix was just a few feet away. Then lightning struck the ground only about ten feet from us and Eve jumped nearly a foot in the air.
"Fine," she acknowledged. We turned following a blue blob that was just recognizable as Sierra. He guided us into one of the deeper alcoves, just large enough for the three of us to huddle within.
We stood there dripping wet in the tiny cavern. Sierra had gone in first and was laying on his belly across the back. Eve and I were hugging the walls on either side of the mouth of the cave. The wind howled past the mouth of the cave, and while it didn't carry any of the rain into the alcove with us, it still sucked away the heat leaving all three of us shivering.
"S-s-s-Slink," Sierra chattered, "w-w-w-w-we could r-r-really use a-a-a-a-a a fire." A surge of guilt shot through my gut as I looked at the Absol. His thick fur was acting like a sponge. He was so sodden that with every movement, water trickled down his legs and puddled on the floor. He couldn't even shake himself to dry because of the confines of the cavern. "I-if not to get w-w-warmer, maybe t-t-to dry o-o-off?"
"I'm sorry, I can't." I shivered. The cold had never really bothered me before. My entire life I could just shift into Fire and let that keep me warm. This violent shivering I was experiencing was a new experience for me, and it was scary.
Nobody spoke, although we all shuffled a bit closer to one another. Sure we didn't have my Fire, but body heat would at least keep us alive until the storm had passed. Eventually Eve spoke. "Slink, are you okay?"
"What do you mean?" I grumbled. "Vix is gone and we are squatting in a frigid cave. Is there any reason why I should be okay right now?"
Eve glared at me. "I'm worried about you, Slink. It isn't normal that you can't access one of your elements. Something is wrong here Slink, don't you get that?"
"Yes, I get that," I growled back, "but I can't do anything about that. What I can do is keep going, save Vix, keep working, until maybe someday my Fire will come back!"
"You are rationalizing Slink," Eve replied, "that is the Psychic in you talking. If I couldn't control my powers anymore, I'd be freaking out. Why aren't you? Where is that Fire?"
"I don't know," I begged. "Eve, please. I've tried. I don't know what to do. Why does this matter to you so much?"
"Because I'm worried about you, dumbass!" Even Sierra flinched at Eve's words. "And whether you like it or not, we are going to need your Fire, Vix is going to need your Fire. Come on Slink!"
"What do you want me to do?" I asked.
The Espeon met my gaze, almost pleading. "Can you try again, just one more time? Please."
I rolled my eyes, but I did as she asked. I closed my eyes, concentrating. It wasn't hard to think of things that should ignite my Fire. Any other day, just the mental image of Enzo's face would be enough to turn me into a nuclear firestorm. Still, it at least started slowly heating me up.
My guard went up instantly as I felt another mind brush against mine, but it was just Eve. I felt far more self-conscious with her watching, but I kept trying to push myself into Fire. As had become usual, even as the heat within me grew my Psychic didn't fade. The hot and cold reached a balance, but just as it reached the tipping point where Fire would take over that cursed image flickered through my mind. My whole body turned cold, Psychic pushing away Fire once again.
"Uggh," I snapped, turning and sending a blast of Psychic out into the rain. It hit a tree high above, snapping off three of its limbs. "It doesn't work! I told you it doesn't work!"
Eve raised a paw. "Calm down. Look, I was watching, I could feel your power growing. But then Psychic took over again. You told me before that you can't use both at the same time. Maybe your Psychic is stopping your Fire."
Sierra looked at me. "She's right. Earlier, you used Fire. Enzo used Bite on you twice. He took away your Psychic and suddenly your Fire was back. That can't just be a coincidence."
I turned away, staring out into the driving rain. "That's ridiculous. It's me. It's my power. Why would my Psychic be doing this?"
Eve walked up, standing next to me. She faced out into the rain, watching it fall, taking in the clean smell. "Slink, I know what you saw. I know what you see every time you call on Fire."
"What are you talking about?" I tried to dodge.
"I know you still feel guilty Slink. I understand that you don't want to repeat it-"
"No, you don't understand," I snapped. My body shuddered as I felt myself shift between Fire and Psychic, cold and hot, angry and ashamed. "You can't understand Eve. Your power is clarity. I know that, because sometimes the only time I feel things are clear are when I'm using Psychic. You've never lost control of yourself, of your power. You've never been unable to stop yourself from doing something you will have to think about every Arceus damn day for the rest of your life Eve!" I was shouting at that point, the temperature swings within my body becoming so drastic that I actually started to feel nauseous. "I can't lose myself again! What happens if my power spirals out again? What happens if I come back and find that I've...hurt you? Or Vix? Or Abby, or Sierra, or, or, or?"
Words were just coming out of my mouth, and no matter what I did, I couldn't stop them. Eve figured it out, because I immediately shut up once she licked my cheek. "Slink, I've known you for nearly a year and a half now. I can't count the amount of times you've used Fire. You never lost control, and you helped keep all of us safe with it. Fire is a tool and like any tool it can hurt others if it isn't used right. Slink you only lost control because Stanley pushed you to the edge. Anyone would have snapped under those circumstances. Slink, I know you don't trust yourself, but I trust you. Vix trusts you."
There were no words. I didn't know what to say. Sierra did. "I have an idea," he said. Eve and I both turned to him. "The answer is simple. Slink, you had Fire right after Enzo attacked you. He drained your Psychic and let Fire out. All I have to do is use a Dark Type move on you, and it should bring your Fire back."
"What? Out of the question!" Eve snapped.
"Why not. I know you saw it too Eve. Psychic is suppressing Fire, we need Fire. If we get rid of Psychic, Fire comes out to play. If Slink can't do it himself, we can help him."
"No," Eve said.
"Yes," I said.
Eve and I stared at each other. "Slink, this is idiotic."
"How? You said it yourself, the only way we stand a chance against Enzo is if I have Fire. I think we have established pretty clearly that I can't bring it out. If this is the only way, then we have to do it."
"For someone who is supposedly thinking clearly, this is a bonehead move!" Eve growled. "Yes, Sierra could probably bring out your Fire, but anything he does will also hurt you! Even if it turns out fine, this isn't healthy. And what if it doesn't turn out fine? You could get seriously hurt."
"Doesn't matter," I protested. "I will do anything to help Vix. If this is the only way for me to get Fire, I'll do it." My ears perked up, something had changed. The thunder of rain outside had lessened somewhat. It was still a downpour, but slowly it was starting to let up. "Come on guys. Enzo's going to move the second it is safe. We have to be ready to go."
I half expected Eve to argue, to try and bring me to her side in the debate about my Fire, but instead her expression had hardened into one of complete and utter drive and determination. Still, she shot me a look that I knew very well at this point. We will talk about this later. The rain hadn't even stopped when Eve lead us out of our cave.
By the next intersection, we hit a little snag. Vix's mark was still there in the soil, but the rain had battered it and twisted it until it was completely indecipherable. It was just a small, shapeless dent in the ground. "What next?" I asked looking around. There had to be a way to figure out where to go next.
"Do we split up?" Sierra asked. "Three paths, three of us. Maybe one of us can find the portal. Then we…huh. You two could talk to each other, but not with me." He huffed. "Any other ideas."
Desperately I sent out my psychic in every direction probing every wall, the floors, everything for some sign, anything that would tell me where they had gone. I sent out more and more energy further and further. There had to be something? How the hell were we supposed to find them otherwise?
I wasn't ready to give up though. "Let me try something," I reached out with psychic, hoping more than expecting I would find...something. Maybe Vix, maybe a feral who had encountered them. Any sign of where they had gone. Then, I felt it. The mental energy was weak, but it was still a mind. Slowly I entered, reading everything I could. Whoever it was was exhausted, but I could still feel everything. There was only mind it could be...
Vix.
"I found her," I called to the others, but keeping my mind on Vix. "They are still on this floor!"
"What? Where are they? Is she okay?" Eve asked frantically. I didn't answer waving a paw. I wiggled a bit deeper into Vix's mind, finding the part of her head connected to her eyes and ears.
"-father!" I jumped at Vix's voice. I had no idea what the conversation had been, but now at least I could hear it.
"Just keep moving," Enzo growled. "We need to get those Society idiots off our tails."
"I'm good," Vix protested sarcastically, "I don't really need them off my tails. In fact if you just want to leave me here that would certainly stop them chasing you."
"Funny," Enzo grumbled. "You know that there is no way I'm letting you go now, especially since I just got you back."
"Then maybe you shouldn't have left the first time!" Vix snapped, sparks flickering in her fur.
Enzo finally stopped moving, and Vix froze as well. I can safely say that neither of us knew what Enzo's reaction was going to be. His expression even remained neutral as he slowly turned to face the Vulpix. "I'm sorry about that. I really am. I know you don't believe me or trust me right now, but I hope if you give me a chance you will understand someday."
"Fat chance," Vix snapped. "You had a choice, and you didn't choose me. That is all I need to know!"
"It isn't that simple," Enzo pleaded, "Vix you have to understand."
"Then why? Why did you abandon me?" Vix growled.
"Because I wasn't strong enough!" Enzo howled. He hung his head. Vix and I had no idea how to react.
"What do you mean?" Vix finally asked. There was no give in her voice. It was still as hard and as cold as ice.
Enzo didn't even look up. "Your mother… my Rose...she was everything. You couldn't understand how much I loved her. She was everything I had."
"So then why did you leave her!" Vix was trying to keep her voice hard and angry, but I could hear her wavering tone. Desperation was creeping into her words, a desperation to understand. To make sense of why she had spent so much of her life alone. If I could have backed out of her mind in that moment, I would've. I was extremely aware that I was in Vix's head, listening in on this private conversation. But with every second I spent in her head the better idea I had of where she was.
"I didn't want to," Enzo sighed, "and to this day I wish I hadn't. If I had known she was carrying you when I left, even Giratina himself wouldn't have been able to drag me away. It was simply supposed to be a short, four-day trip to the Water Continent. I was trying to find us a place we could be safe, away from both of our pasts."
"What could you possibly be running from?" Vix asked, the malice all but missing from her voice. She was far too invested in the story to care.
Enzo chuckled. "Remember the first thing I ever taught you. 'If you are going to steal, be sure to steal from the right people.' Unfortunately I pick-pocketed the wrong person, and it nearly cost me my life. I'll never forget that Poliwrath, and I know he never forgot me. He is still why I can't set foot in Festive Town." He glanced at Vix, and grimaced. "I guess that makes two reasons now."
"And mother?" Vix questioned, asking after a side of her mother that she had never seen.
"Her parents." Enzo growled. Vix flinched, but relaxed as she realized he wasn't mad at her. He was angry at the memory. "They tried to control everything about her life, who she could talk to what she could do. She told me once that they nearly killed her when she evolved. She had to sneak out of the house to find a Firestone, and they were not happy she had made that choice for herself. It was all she wanted to get away, and it was all I wanted to do to help her."
"And then? Why were you gone so long?" Vix had no pity for the Mightyena. She was only concerned with the story. "You said it was supposed to be only a four day trip."
Enzo laughed bitterly. "The Hatred happened. Isn't that always the case. They staged an attack on Lapras Port. Nobody was hurt, but it scared the Expedition Society. They closed all ports, sending all Lapras away from the Continent with the warning not to return until they sent a Peliper. In some way, I was lucky that I was stranded on a Continent with the other branch of the Expedition Society. I kept an ear to the ground the entire time I was there, cursing as the Society scrambled, trying to figure out what to do. It took the bastards more than six months to sort things out. I made sure I was on one of the first Lapras back to the Fire Continent. I even risked landing in Festive Town, just so I could get home that much earlier."
"But we weren't there," Vix whispered. "Mother moved me to the mountains...to hide me."
"Rose was gone." Enzo agreed. "That was the first time I lost her. I waited in her house, our house, for two days, but she never returned. Eventually even I had to admit that she wasn't coming back. I didn't know what happened, but I was determined to find her again. I started in the village she had lived, asking if anyone had seen her leave or if she had said anything. All I got was that she had been moody and kept to herself for weeks before suddenly vanishing. I guess that was when you were born.
"I spent years looking for you," Enzo continued. "And even when I found my Rose it was too late. She had been gone for weeks by the time I finally found you. You acted just like her Vix. But this turned out to be a blessing and a curse. You were her, and yet you didn't recognize me. It was torture. And then things got worse.
"That damned Polywrath never stopped hunting me. Every time I tried to go back to town, to get supplies, he and his goons got closer and closer to me. Vix, I wish I hadn't, and I wish I could change things, but at the time I was in a place I hated and it wasn't safe for me to stay. I had to get away, so I did what I could for you and then I left. I ran away, because I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't be near you anymore."
Vix was silent. Even in her head I had no idea how she was feeling. It was just blank emotionless nothing. Then in an instant I was nearly forced from her head as she burst into flames, the fire going from red to blue to white in an instant. "It was torture for you? What do you think it was for me? Did you even care? Did that thought ever cross your mind? I would've died in that burrow had Slink and Eve never found me! All because you were too much of a coward to stay with me!"
Vix, wait Vix! I tried with all I had to talk to her, but she couldn't hear me. She wasn't listening. Part of me was afraid that she would indulge her anger, but more of me was concerned with how fast she was burning through what energy she had left. Soon she would pass out and we would have no idea where she was. I'm sorry I whispered, hoping at least some part of Vix could hear me before I dove deeper into her head retreading familiar ground to get to her recent memories. I madly flicked through her memories, retracing her steps since she had landed on the floor.
I found the intersection Eve, Sierra, and I were at and carefully sorted forwards through her memories, memorizing the route she had taken. Then I felt it. Vix's flames were snuffed out like a candle. The Vulpix gave a pained gasp before collapsing. Things started to get a bit fuzzy in her head, but we were both aware of Enzo approaching the Vulpix.
"I'm sorry Vix," Enzo whispered as he approached. "I know you can't forgive me now, but give me time. When you wake up we'll be in a safer place, and we can start over." The connection faded along with Vix until I found myself back in my own head.
"We need to go," I said opening my eyes, trying to orient myself with Vix's memory. I barely paid attention to Eve or Sierra as I turned slowly. Middle path, middle path.
"Slink, wait," Eve said, "what is happening? You said you found Vix."
I nodded. "She and Enzo had an argument. She tried to use Fire, but passed out. I figured out how to get to her, now let's go. Enzo is carrying Vix now. That has to slow him down. This is our best chance to catch him."
Sierra and Eve scrambled to follow me as I took off, half-running down the corridor. "Do we have a plan?" Sierra called.
"Let's catch them first, then we can come up with a plan." Eve growled. She practically glowed with power. Despite the fact that she couldn't even touch Enzo, I still knew that there would be hell to pay for the Mightyena.
I tried to stay focused on retracing Vix's steps, but I couldn't help but think about Enzo's story. I didn't like him, but I could empathize with him. He had been screwed over by the Hatred, and he seemed to still be paying for it.
"Slink, what happened?" Eve suddenly asked. "You said that they had an argument. Why now? Why'd Vix decide that now was the time to use Fire?"
"Vix asked him why he left her, and he answered." I briefly described the entirety of Enzo's story and Vix's reactions to it. "I can't stop thinking about this, Eve. All he's doing is trying to hold on to the last bit of family he has. I can understand that," I finished quietly.
Eve was silent for a while. "It doesn't matter what he has been through. I'll be damned before I let him tear us apart."
After that, I just got back to navigating as best I could. Sure Enzo was also moving, but he also had to carry Vix. This was our best chance to catch him. Eventually though we reached the point where Vix had been. Thankfully, the path didn't branch for quite a while yet. In fact the whole thing ended in the stone platform.
When we landed on the next floor, we nearly ran right into the escaping pair. The point we landed at was within a small square room. A short corridor connected it to a larger room where Enzo sat waiting.
I froze in the mouth of the corridor, unsure if it was too late for us to hide. Had Enzo seen us yet? But he wasn't waiting for us, in fact he wasn't even facing us. I hadn't noticed at first that Vix was curled up on the ground at his feet. Her eyes were fluttering halfway open, and every once in a while her legs would twitch. She was waking up.
The three of us ducked back into the corridor, just in case Enzo did look back. "Is it plan time yet?" Sierra asked sarcastically.
Eve nodded. "This is our best chance. He is off his guard. Sierra, if you were to charge him you could probably get a hit in before he even knows we are here. Even if you can't knock him out it would give us enough time to grab Vix and get away."
"Do we wait for Vix to wake up, or do we go now?" Sierra asked.
"Wait," I answered after a moment of hesitation. "Vix has a tendency to attack when she wakes up after being captured." I grimaced. That is not information anyone should know or have to use more than once.
I glanced back around the corner. Enzo was shifting about while sitting, ready to start moving again. I had no idea why he didn't just pick Vix up again and let her wake up on the go. The Vulpix shifted on the ground stretching. I held up a paw, ready to signal my team as soon as Vix was ready.
"Whaa… wha… what happened?" Vix slurred as she fought to wake up. She looked around, and immediately bolted to her feet. "Where are we? Where did you take me? I told you not to touch me."
"Vix, calm down. I had to move you. We couldn't afford to stand around too-" While he spoke he was stepping closer to the Vulpix. I saw exactly what was about to happen, but I also knew I would be too late to stop it. Vix panicked and instinctively spat an ember at Enzo. It was small, but Vix's aim was pretty good. The red-hot spark bursting against the Mightyena's snout and splashing into his eyes.
Enzo reeled back, his paw swiping out automatically to swat away what had "stung him". I forgot about the plan, forgot that I had nothing to fight Enzo with. I wasn't about to let him hurt Vix.
I moved faster than I ever had without Fire, vaulting over Enzo and landing on my feet sheltering Vix. His swipe glanced off my shoulder like it was nothing. Enzo stared at me, surprised at the least with my sudden appearance. As soon as he figured out what had happened, he swiped again, but this time with his claws extended each of them coated in a dark flame.
There was nowhere to dodge, nothing I could do to avoid the attack, but I wasn't trying to avoid it. He struck me low across my jaw, his claws leaving three shallow cuts across my cheek. Vix whimpered beneath me as she saw me take the blow, but I wasn't about to move.
"Let that be a lesson Fennekin. Let us go, or I'll do more." Enzo snarled. There was a tremor to his voice, and I wasn't sure whether it was from anger or nervousness. "And you," he snapped at Vix, "I didn't teach you to cower girl. Stand up, we are leaving."
"Well I taught her she could rely on me." I growled my voice dripping with Flame. I wanted to scream from the sensation of Darkness eating away at my Psychic, but like Sierra had said, it did unlock my Fire.
And I was ready to use it.
My body became cloaked in Flames as I charged into the Mightyena. I didn't have much time to build up speed, but the force was enough to knock him back a few steps, giving me room to work. Before I could strike again, Eve and Sierra were at my side. The Espeon was quick to coax the terrified and confused Vix out from under me. "We've got you Vix, but we have to move now." Her voice was more soothing than normal, she was probably augmenting it with Psychic. "Sierra, I got her. Cover me. Slink… you got this?"
"For the moment," I growled. Sure I had Fire now, but eventually Psychic would come back and I'd have a whole new problem. Still, I could certainly stall long enough for them to get Vix out of there.
Enzo snarled as he charged, his mouth filled with shadow. I planted my feet and spewed a wall of Flame towards him. At the last second he rolled aside, avoiding the attack. I braced myself to take the bite. Heck I welcomed it. As long as he didn't knock me out, more Darkness would just keep my Psychic from interfering. He shot past me, not even coming close to hitting me. He wasn't trying to, though. His entire being was focused on Eve, the last thing between him and Vix. I started my own charge, my fur bursting into Flames, but there was no way I'd reach the Mightyena or the Espeon in time. "Eve!" I shouted.
A blue figure appeared just before Enzo struck. Sierra lowered his head and caught Enzo's bite on his horn. The two struggled for a moment, Enzo twisted and turned, trying to push Sierra over. The Absol resisted as best he could, trying to push the Mightyena back . Thankfully I was there to tip the scales. I rammed into Enzo's side, searing away some of his fur and knocking him into the wall.
It didn't even stun him. He snarled at me before charging again, once more aiming at Eve. This time though, Sierra was prepared. He stood right in the Mightyena's path, head bowed. As soon as Enzo got within two steps of the Absol, Sierra slashed with his horn, leaving a deep scratch. Enzo lept back before Sierra could land another blow. I circled around him, moving closer to the Absol. Behind us, Eve and Vix had nearly reached the exit to the room. It was almost over.
Enzo wasn't ready to give up yet. His eyes flashed dark purple, almost black. He opened his maw and a horrible screeching sound burst out of it. I slammed my large ears down, trying to block out the noise. The very air seemed to vibrate with darkness at the horrible noise. I started to feel dizzy as it went on, and I wasn't even the target.
Eve screamed as the Dark sound struck her. Her gem flickered for a moment as she stood frozen, unable to even cover her ears. Finally though her gem died and she collapsed. I don't think she was unconscious, just stunned, but she wasn't moving. I was so distracted by the sound and my worry for Eve, I didn't see the Mightyena coming. He wasn't using a move, but that didn't mean that it didn't hurt as he plowed into me. I was knocked off balance, and Enzo took the opportunity to slip past. Vix was all alone, confused and barely able to keep herself awake. Enzo was practically dripping with Darkness. He was aiming to knock the girl out. Maybe he figured it would be easier to escape with her that way.
Sierra was faster though. Somehow he managed to keep pace with Enzo, running right at his side. Sierra glanced at the Mightyena and then back at me before he put on another burst of speed, pulling just ahead of Enzo. Sierra leapt aside right into Enzo's path. The Mightyena couldn't stop in time and plowed right over the Absol. Eventually the pair rolled to a stop. Enzo was battered, but still he was pushing himself to his feet. Sierra on the other hand was still on the ground, his limp limbs splayed out at awkward angles.
I was the last thing between Enzo and Vix. The Mightyena was battered, limping every other step, but he had an almost crazed gleam in his eye. I took a deep breath, preparing Fire Spin, a prison of Flames that would hopefully stop him for good. A tiny tongue of Flame spurted from my mouth before fizzling out.
A chill ran down my spine. No not yet. I couldn't lose my Fire yet. Not now when I was all alone. I thought quickly, easier now that my Psychic had returned, trying to come up with a plan. "That's enough Enzo," I growled, trying to buy some time, "If you leave now I won't hurt you. You can go, free and clear."
"Never," Enzo snarled getting even closer to me. It took everything I had not to back away from him. Any sign of weakness and it would be over. "How about this, you let us go, leave us alone, and I don't destroy you!"
A flicker of movement behind Enzo caught my attention. Eve was back on her feet, but she wasn't heading towards the exit. She and Vix stood frozen, watching in horror at the Mightyena. Eve would have sensed my Psychic return. She would know that I was defenseless.
"I'm not afraid of you Slink," Enzo grinned as he stepped closer. He was only about arms reach away from me. At any moment he could strike out at me and I wouldn't have enough time to be able to react. Enzo leaned in, grinning. "At least, I'm not afraid anymore. You're having Fire problems aren't you." He grinned, "Poor Vix talks in her sleep. I wondered why you didn't use Fire against all of the Ariados before."
I was trapped between a rock wall and a Mightyena who held my life in his hands. "Its a shame," Enzo said, and I was surprised to find he was being sincere, "I honestly would've preferred a fairer fight. I promise I'll take care of Vix. You have my word on that." Before I could say anything he lunged forward, his jaws closing around my shoulder. The pain was excruciating, the whole time I expected to feel the burrowing acidic pain of Darkness, but it never came. Enzo was smart enough to not use his Type, not to give me back my Fire. "Remember, Vix is my daughter!"
"Stop," Vix screamed, "please Enzo, father, stop!"
Enzo froze, that one word seeming to get to him where nothing else could. His jaws opened, and I collapsed on the ground, not even attempting to catch myself. Behind Enzo I could see Vix sitting just in front of Eve. I'd seen her miserable, angry, devastated, but I don't think I've ever seen her defeated. "Don't hurt him. Please. You don't have to."
Enzo shook his head, glancing back at me sadly. "I wish I didn't Vix, but you and I both know he isn't going to give up. We still have several hours until sunset. He'll just rest up and come back again and again. This is the only way that we'll be safe."
I couldn't know Enzo's mind, but I knew exactly what he wasn't saying. As long as I was around, Vix would never really be Enzo's daughter. We both knew that.
"You don't have to," Vix repeated. "Please let him go and I won't fight anymore. I'll go with you. I'll do everything I can to find us a safe place to hide. Let him go, and I will help you escape."
"Vix, no," Eve whimpered. "You don't have to-"
"Yes, I do." Vix snapped. "If I don't Slink is dead. You both have risked everything for me. Now it is my turn."
Enzo grinned. "Deal. But don't sound so melodramatic daughter. Trust me, things will get better. You will come to love me, I know it. "
My vision was blurry, but I knew exactly what was happening. Eve had stepped in front of Vix, a last-ditch, fruitless effort to try and save her. The image of the Mightyena prowling closer and closer to the two Pokemon I loved most in the world burned itself into my mind, seeming to play out in slow motion.
My vision flickered, the world seeming to telescope around me. In an instant it was that night again, I was back in that wooden box peering through a keyhole, watching Smoke and Shane leering over my family.
Not again. Not again.
Never again.
Fwoosh. The grass beneath me burst into flames as a wave of heat pulsed out of me. A mellow warmth filled my chest. It wasn't Fire, and it sure as hell wasn't Psychic, but it was still familiar. I'd felt this before, although never this intense. The sensation grew, almost becoming painful, spreading out through my body and limbs. It was like stepping into a warm bath. At least in the moment my pain faded away and I was filled with a new strength.
I lifted myself up, literally using Psychic to levitate until I was floating above the ground. "Get away from them!" I shouted, my mind only partially aware of the flames still boiling across my back and shoulders.
The Mightyena turned to me, rolling his eyes. "You just don't know when to quit do you Fennekin?" He bared his teeth at me. "You think this is going to change anything?"
At his words, I felt an itching sensation in my throat. Opening out I produced a stream of Flame from my throat. It wasn't nearly as large as a normal Flame thrower, but from Enzo's cry of pain, it was just as powerful. The Mightyena's red eyes flashed dangerously, his lips curling back from his teeth in anger.
Black smoke poured off of him, collecting in front of his snout into a tiny pinprick of Darkness. He howled, tendrils of Darkness exploding out, all headed towards me. I answered with Fire, my Flames vaporizing his Darkness and rushing onwards towards him.
Enzo rolled just in time, narrowly avoiding being incinerated. He circled me, looking for some opening to strike. He dismissively stepped over Sierra's prone body before planting his feet and tossing his head back. Deep purple energy surrounded his muzzle as once again an unearthly sound shook the world around me. Without thinking I struck, Fire exploding from my mouth. The sound of the rushing Flames drowned out the worst of his attack, but then I realized my new problem. At their current trajectory my attack would hit Enzo, but also Sierra.
So I stopped them. I had no idea how, but just before the Flames washed over Sierra, a pink barrier appeared, directing the Fire away from the Absol. My mind buzzed from the effort, but I never let up in my attack.
Fire.
And Psychic.
Together.
Impossible. That is what I had always thought, but now…
I reached out with my mind, experimentally feeling for the Flames. I had never done this before, I'd never had the chance. The Flames felt like water, a constant chaotic stream. And just like water, I realized, it could be directed.
I pulled two flames towards me, attempting something I'd seen my family do a hundred times or more. I molded the flames with Psychic, while continuing to fuel them with my Fire. It tested my concentration, but eventually I had two rings of flame floating before me. I grinned as the flames around me seemed to react, almost gravitating towards the rings. I took a deep breath and unleashed a Flamethrower at the floating rings. The wide splash of flame I created narrowed and concentrated as it was pulled through the rings as it passed out of the other side it had been compacted almost into a beam.
For a moment I was breathless after my first Mystical Fire. Normally you needed a wand to direct the flames. I doubted any Fennekin or Delphox could say that they'd done that.
Enzo was hurt, tired, done. Yet, as he regained his feet after my last attack he growled at me. He tried gathering darkness around him, but it flickered and dissipated before he could do anything with it.
I didn't want to kill him, but I was also certain that he wasn't about to give up. I had one last idea to try though.
Flame Spin was easy to pull off, especially since I didn't have to start small. Honestly it was more like another Flamethrower, but with Psychic I was able to pull and shape the flames, stretching them into a ring around Enzo.
I walked forward, forcing the Flames to part before me, closing like a curtain after I had passed. Enzo stared at me, finally fearful. The Fire within me roared, the ring of Flames around us growing taller and taller. I walked right up to the Mightyena, the Dark Type too afraid to do anything. I lifted myself up so we were eye to eye, pushing closer until our snouts touched, speaking slowly and carefully. "How about this, Enzo, you let us go, leave us alone, and I don't destroy you!" I spit an ember into his face, just like Vix had. The Dark Type was too terrified to do anything as I leaned even closer, my snout just about touching his ear. "Remember this too, Vix is my daughter!"
We stayed that way for a few seconds, eye to eye. Then he took a step back, and then another, and then another. He turned tail and fled from me. I instantly smothered the ring of Flame with a burst of Psychic, allowing him to go. He didn't even hesitate as he passed over the scorched ring of Earth.
Enzo ran until he came to the exit of the room. There he stopped, taking one last look over his shoulder where Vix sat. There was no sadness or pity in her face, only cold dismissal. I growled softly in my throat, a final warning to the Mightyena. Enzo shook his head before fleeing deeper into the Dungeon.
As soon as he left, so too did the warmth in my chest. I stumbled slightly as the odd strength vanished with it. I closed my eyes, resting my head on the ground, even for just a moment. My body felt hollow, empty. I hated the feeling.
A new form of warmth filled my chest as I felt a paw on my shoulder. I looked up to find Vix standing over me. Her eyes glistened with tears, but she still offered me a weak smile. "Slink," she muttered softly.
I pulled myself to my feet, pulling her to me tightly. "Vix," I replied returning her smile. "It's over." I laughed softly, relief nearly bringing me to tears. "You're safe. It is over."
Kegan and Candice were there to meet us as soon as we warped back. The Blissey immediately pulled Vix aside to start checking her over. She honestly shouldn't have bothered because Eve and I weren't about to let the Vulpix out of our sight. While Candice did her job, Eve and I explained as best we could exactly what had happened from the moment we saved Enzo from the spiders, to the final battle. For the most part I let Eve tell the story, especially once Candice pulled me aside to give me a check up. She carefully traced her fingers over the cuts Enzo had given me and carefully massaged my legs and back, checking for any damage from the darkness I had been exposed to.
"You should be fine," she concluded. "Your partner knows 'Morning Sun', correct? She should perform it on you as soon as you get home." She turned to leave only to find a frantic Sierra in her path. "Your daughter is fine. The Pecha Berry did most of the work, she just needed some rest. Come with me, and we'll go see her."
She turned to leave, but Sierra hesitated looking back at us. "Go ahead," I smiled, "we'll meet you, and hopefully Abby, at home." The Absol nodded, but before he could leave, Eve grabbed his tail.
"Thank you," she said softly. "I don't know what I'd do if we lost her. Thank you for helping us."
Sierra leaned in, pressing his forehead to her's and wrapping a foreleg over her shoulder. "It's the least I could do. We're family, right?" With that he ran off after Candice.
The three of us were dismissed, and all we wanted was to go home. Vix insisted on walking, but she could barely make it upstairs to the main lobby. Without a word, I lifted her onto my back where she curled up, purring softly. She was asleep before we even left the building.
It took us only a few minutes to get back home, although getting to our apartment was a bit difficult without disturbing Vix. For the moment at least she was sleeping peacefully, and she deserved it. As soon as we got inside, Eve used Morning Sun on the both of us, her body glowing orange with the light of the sunset outside. I'm glad Candice had recommended it, because I hadn't realized how sore I was until it all went away. Besides, the relief allowed me to relax.
Eve carefully lifted Vix from my back, keeping her supported as she transferred her to the bed. We didn't move far, both of us settling on our bed for the time being. Neither of us said anything, but I knew we both were finding comfort in simply seeing Vix safe and asleep.
Eventually though, Eve asked the question I knew was coming. "What was that back there? Against Enzo? You told me that you couldn't use Fire and Psychic at the same time."
"I can't," I answered automatically. "I mean, I shouldn't be able to. I don't know."
We were both silent for a moment, both thinking, trying to wrap our heads around what had happened. "It's happened before," I said softly the dots suddenly connecting in my mind. "There was this warm feeling, I know I've felt it before."
"Isn't that just Fire?" Eve questioned. "When did you feel it?"
"No, this is different. Fire is heat. You know when you get into the bath, but the water is too hot, where it feels so hot that it almost feels cold? This is warmth, like a blanket, like when I'm with Vix. Like when I'm with you." I turned to Eve, to find her smiling at me. I pressed my nose against hers. "I mean this thing, whatever it is, saved you so how bad could it be?"
"What do you mean?" Eve asked.
My heart stopped, as I suddenly realized I had never told Eve everything about that day. I'd never told her that my blood had the same chance of killing her or saving her.
"Remember that day we first met Sierra and Abby? Smoke... hurt you and you needed blood?" Eve nodded.
"Well… I was the only one who could give you blood, but there was still a risk. Only my Psychic blood could help you. My Fire blood…" I grimaced looking away. "My Fire blood would have killed you, and none of us knew which side of me was which. I was overwhelmed and confused, but then that warmth appeared. I felt it shift to my right, and I trusted that that was my Psychic side."
I felt petrified in that position, unable, or maybe I was just unwilling, to turn back and gauge Eve's reaction. I heard her shift beside me before her paw came down on my shoulder. "Why didn't you tell me before?" Her voice wasn't accusatory, merely curious.
"You survived. I got it right. With all of that, it didn't really seem to matter anymore." I shrugged, glancing back nervously to meet her gaze. "Honestly, I was also afraid of what you would think."
"Here's what I think," Eve said simply, "I really don't mind Slink, it doesn't matter. Like you said: I'm alive. If I had been there with you, I'd have told you to make the same decision." She dropped her paw from my shoulder, laying it on top of mine. "What I'm curious about is what this 'warmth' is. Why did it apparently tell you where your Psychic side was? How can it let you do something that you yourself said is impossible?"
"I don't know." I replied, but before I could elaborate I was interrupted by a sharp whimper. Eve and I jumped turning to Vix. She had rolled over in her sleep to face us. Her expression twisted into a grimace as she kicked out fitfully with her feet. She whimpered again, her tails lashing out.
Another nightmare. I cursed softly to myself. Could she not get one restful night of sleep?
"Should we wake her up?" Eve asked as she pushed herself into a sitting position.
"No, she deserves some uninterrupted sleep. Look, let's just go into her head and clear away the nightmare."
Eve bit her tongue. "She asked us not to go in her head. I don't know why she would ask that, but she must have a good reason. Maybe we should ask her about it when she wakes up."
Vix cried out, an actual shout of pain or fear. My heart leapt into my throat and I stood up. "Enough is enough," I grumbled. "I'm going to help her. If she hates me later, oh well. I can't just watch." I started to reach out with my power, but I paused as I felt Eve do the same thing beside me. "Eve, I think you should wait."
"And why is that?" The Espeon huffed.
Honestly, I figured that Vix would probably be more comfortable with me in her head over Eve. What I said was, "Like you said, she probably has a reason to not want us in her head. Plus you know how stubborn she can be when she gets angry. If this goes sideways, better she only be pissed at one of us."
Eve scowled, but eventually she conceded. "Fine. Just get in there, clear things out, and come back. Understand?" I nodded, as I slowly extended my power passing effortlessly into Vix's unconscious mind.
I'd been in here before, several times. Instead of the familiar space I remembered though, every nook and cranny of Vix's mind was filled with a thick dark cloud. Slowly I approached the swirling Darkness, reaching out to touch it. The instant I made contact, I was enveloped and everything faded around me.
I'd shared memories before, I'd shared the senses of another, but I'd never shared a dream. It was certainly a unique experience. Unlike a memory, I retained my sense of self, but I could still feel Vix's every thought and feeling. At the same time it was like we were sharing senses, yet the stimuli I received through her was muffled and dull. Really that was the only sign that all of this wasn't real.
Through Vix's eyes I could see that the dream had brought her back to where it had all began. The sun hung low in the sky just above the tall pine trees that lined the stone walls. Tall grass whispered as a slight breeze combed through it. I knew exactly where we were. If Vix were to turn around we would see her old den, but Vix had something else to focus on in the moment.
Sitting before her was her mother, Rose. The Ninetales sat still, her eyes fixed on Vix, a huge smile splitting her snout. Vix returned the smile, tears filling her eyes. Pure relief and joy at the memory of her mother rippled through her being. For a brief moment, I wondered why this was Vix's nightmare.
Then things changed. "I have to leave for a moment, my love," the Ninetales said softly. Her smile remained, although it had faded somewhat, becoming strained. There were tears in her eyes along with a new Fire. "Don't worry, I'll be back by the time the sun sets." More than a year later and these words still held so much power for Vix. They echoed in the empty air, resonating within her mind, and their power even briefly tore a hole in Vix's dream world.
"Mother? Mother wait!" Icy dread shot through Vix as she spoke, trying to prevent what she knew was about to happen. "Please… stay with me."
Rose stood up, moving closer to her daughter. "I love you. Don't ever forget that. But this is something I have to do."
The Ninetales nuzzled against Vix, her muzzle sweeping past the Vulpix's before Rose suddenly turned tails and vanished into the tall grass. Vix sat by the mouth of the den, staring at the point where her mother had vanished. Flames flickered across her tails as she whimpered. She was tense, her muscles bunched up ready to move. Finally she pushed herself to her feet, a fire burning in her heart. She was going after her mother.
The Vulpix wasn't nearly as graceful as her mother had been. Vix awkwardly waded through the grass where her mother had effortlessly drifted through it. Rose had passed through the grass so smoothly that she hadn't even left a trail for Vix to follow. The Vulpix craned her neck, looking around, trying to find some clue as to where her mother had gone.
It was in that moment that I realized that this Vix, the version in her dreams, wasn't the three-year-old that had originally lived this memory. At the same time though, she wasn't my Vix either. She was more muscular, but her fur wasn't nearly as clean or healthy. Tiny blue whisps of flame flickered around her tails, and yet she definitely had more control of them than my Vix would have. This was a Vix that had lived her whole life here on the mountain with her mother.
Vix's ears flicked up as a sound came from the path on her right. The sun had sunk closer to the horizon, now well below the treetops. In the growing shadows, Vix could just see a red-orange glow filling the clearing.
Rose stood crouched, ready for a fight. The light emanating from her tails and the Flames that sizzled between them. "Threaten and bully me all you want," the Ninetales shouted into the night, "but stay the hell away from my child!" Her tails writhed behind her like snakes, the light from them growing brighter as the heat and her anger grew. Around her shadowy figures, little more than silhouettes, circled, preparing to pounce.
As Vix watched, she started to heat up too. She could help. She wanted to help. Deep down, in the corner of her mind she knew what would happen if she didn't help. She could save her. She had to.
A sharp pain bloomed between Vix's shoulders as she was ripped off her feet. A scaly paw clamped her muzzle shut before she could cry out. A thick arm wrapped around her middle, pulling her tight to whomever had grabbed her. "What have we got here?" a harsh voice whispered. Vix lashed out, beating her flaming tails against her attacker, but it didn't seem to affect him.
"Hello Vulpix. We've been looking for you. How kind of you to come find us." Vix arched her back, trying to wiggle away. Out of the corner of her eye she was just able to catch a glimpse of her attacker. Her dream self couldn't recognize him, but I did. Quake.
"Smoke, I got her!" The Ninetales flinched, her head turning slightly at the call. It was an opening that one of the shadows couldn't possibly miss. They were almost too fast for Vix to see as they shot across the clearing. Rose barely had a chance to scream before there was a wet thock. Vix froze, staring in horror at a leering Smoke standing over Rose with a blade of water buried in her chest.
The world faded to black, empty except for Vix's scream.
She was back in the den, sheltering in a small nest of grass from the earth-shaking booms above. A legendary storm was shaking the world above ground, rain finding its way into the burrow turning the whole place into a muddy mess. Vix was trying to sleep, but the chill in the air combined with the thunder outside made that impossible. The Vulpix tossed and turned, eventually rolling over to face something that made my stomach twist.
Crouched in the back corner on one of the only patches of dry earth was a hulking mass of black and grey hair. Red eyes glowered from within the unkept, matted, pile of fur. Enzo seemed just as, if not more, miserable than Vix from the storm.
Vix sat up slowly, keeping on top of the slightly damp pile of grass that was her bed. She opened her mouth carefully, before pausing. The Mightyena had been around for a month now, and Vix still had no idea what to call him. It had taken him a week to tell her his name, and he would glare at him whenever she spoke it. Vix knew what he was to her, but he seemed to outright resent the titles of "Father" or "Dad". Vix grimaced. "Mightyena," she eventually said pausing to wait for his response. Enzo blinked, the only indication he had heard anything. "Why are you staring at me? What is wrong?"
The Mightyena curled his lip at the question. "Nothing is wrong Little Vixen. Everything is just fine." There was a hint of venom in his voice.
"I hope this storm stops soon," Vix said in an ineffectual attempt to start a conversation. "Its nearly sunset…" she finished lamely. The Mightyena simply rolled his eyes.
"Do you have to watch every night?" He snapped.
"Yes," Vix insisted stubbornly.
The Mightyena sniffed, huffing. "You know what, I was thinking. I think it is time for me to make another run. I'll only be gone for a couple of days." He looked away from Vix at the last sentence, staring at the entrance to the den.
"Now?" Vix asked curiously. Enzo had made a few "supply runs" over the last month. He always came back with odd treasures that Vix usually hadn't ever seen. Odd berries that were different than the Oran and Pecha that grew nearby. There were also strange combination foods. Meat and berries, berries and bread, things that Vix couldn't even imagine how they were made. Enzo occasionally also brought strange things made of paper with weird black figures that he was using to teach her to read.
Things had changed though, especially in the last week. After he had come back from his last "run" he had been moodier than normal, angrier. Vix had checked his bag when he returned, hoping for a treat or maybe more material to read. The only paper she had found was a single page with a scratchy picture of Enzo on the front. Below was what she recognized as a number with a letter, P, in front of it. Other than that it had been blank.
"Yes, now." Enzo insisted with a growl. "There are a couple of things that cannot wait until tomorrow. I have to go now."
Vix cocked her head. "Where do you go? Where do you get all of that stuff?" Enzo didn't answer. He simply stood, shaking some of the water and mud out of his fur. He stomped past Vix, scooping up his grey-leather bag as he went. A small thrill of fear ran through Vix. She scrambled to her feet and hurried to intercept him. She nuzzled his chest like she had with me a hundred times.
Enzo stumbled backwards, nearly falling over into the mud in his rush to get away from Vix. He stared at her, a mix of pain and anger on his face. He lowered his head and pushed past Vix, forcing himself through the den's exit and was gone. Vix remained where she was, frozen.
Suddenly the rain was gone. Light was pouring down through the same tunnel that Enzo had left through. In the sudden light, everything was dry again, as if it had never rained. Vix didn't even seem to notice this change as she threw herself into the tunnel, dragging herself up to the surface so she wouldn't miss the sunset. A tingling feeling rose in her stomach, a mix of excitement and dread.
The place looked the same as it had the night Rose had been killed, the world suffused in a golden glow as the sun began to sink. Vix sat down just outside the mouth of her den and froze. I felt it the same as her. She was paralyzed. No matter how hard she tried her muscles wouldn't respond.
The wind started to blow, the tall grass moving in waves around Vix. Above, the sun started to sink seeming to move faster and faster as it inched towards the horizon. The world around Vix got darker and darker, the moon slowly rising but still the Vulpix didn't move. She stared off into the darkness showing no signs of exhaustion or worry. She just sat there, unblinking.
She was in the same position as the sun came up the next morning. The Vulpix was sitting so still that dew formed in her fur, and she couldn't even move to shake it off. The day quickly grew hot, the grass drying out to rustle as wind pushed through it. Still the Vulpix sat, unmoving.
Night came again, and then day. Night and day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day.
Vix remained where she sat. Dust started collecting in her fur, staining it an even deeper brown. Her tails lay flat below her on the ground, practically caked together with mud.
Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day.
The rains came, soaking the Vulpix to the skin. Her fur hung off of her raggedly, the ground beneath her becoming a slimy marsh. Behind her, the mouth of her den collapsed but Vix didn't move. She didn't blink even as rain filled her eyes. She just sat there waiting.
Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day.
The sun came again, the knee deep mud Vix had been wallowing in hardened into concrete. The ground was slowly swallowing the Vulpix. She herself had begun to deteriorate as well. Large patches of her fur were simply missing, scratched away by the blowing sand. She was thinner, her skin pulling tight to her bones in places. Vix, I called out to her, but my words held no power. I wasn't a part of this dream.
Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night. Day. Night.
Soon the world was crumbling around her. The sun came up and night, and the moon never set. The grass shriveled, turning brown despite the constant rain. The wind carved away the rocks around her, the mountain itself seeming to melt like ice.
Day. Day. Day. Day. Day. Day. Day. Day. Day. Day. Day. Day. Day. Day. Day.
Vix's muscles finally relaxed, letting the Vulpix collapse onto her belly. As she blacked out, her only thought was that Enzo had never come back.
Vix was angry, I could feel that before she even opened her eyes. Waves of anger and frustration poured off of her. She walked with her shoulders hunched, almost absently gliding briskly down the corridor of a dungeon. In the background I could hear hurried footsteps as someone tried to catch up.
"Vix," I jumped. It was odd to hear my own voice saying something I hadn't said. It was even more surreal to see myself sprint into Vix's line of sight and sit down in front of her. "Vix, wait. I'm sorry."
"What is there to be sorry about," Vix grumbled pushing past me. She continued on, and from within her head I could see the tears forming in her eyes. "You just told me that I should evolve because you don't need me anymore."
"That isn't what we said," Eve's voice rang out, seeming on the verge of tears. "Vix, please just talk to us."
Vix spun around, Eve and I stopping in our tracks. "You asked me what I wanted, and I told you. I don't want to Evolve yet. That's it!"
Vix looked at me, almost challenging me to argue with her. "Vix," I said softly. "All I said is that you don't have to feel obligated to stay a Vulpix, or a Navigator anymore. I also said that it is your choice. I love you, and I want what you want."
"You know we'd never make you Evolve if you didn't want to." Eve chimed in. "We just wanted to know if you have a plan. Especially since we aren't going to be going on missions much anymore." Eve flashed a slight smile. "I seriously don't see you at a desk-job."
The sour mood vanished instantly as even Vix flashed a smile. "Oh, what makes you say that?" She giggled.
The three of us continued on, Vix in the lead and still chuckling to herself. Perhaps that is why it took her a second to register when the ground suddenly gave in under her feet. Time seemed to slow down for the Vulpix, as the map of the Dungeon suddenly appeared in her head, the trap she had just activated glowing brighter and brighter.
Pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft, pfft: Vix attention was instantly drawn to the end of the corridor where thick iron spikes were being fired out of the wall. Eve and I were still oblivious. Vix had seconds to warn us, but she didn't have enough to get any words out. She threw herself in front of us, her tails fanned out as wide as she could before the first spike hit.
Pain. So much pain. The world spun with with it, was filled with it. Was made of it.
Light. So much light. The world was filled with it, and as the brilliant white glow expanded it drove away the pain.
The ceiling of the hospital swam into view as Vix slowly returned to consciousness. She lay there for a moment, before everything rushed back to her in a fraction of a second. She leapt to her feet, looking around frantically for Eve and me.
A sudden hand between her shoulder blades forced her to lay back down. "Vix, Vix, calm down. Calm down!" Candice's voice would have been soothing any other time, but the sheer panic Vix was feeling couldn't be smothered.
"Where are they?! Where are they?! Take me to them, please! Are they…?" Vix was so panicked that she couldn't really focus on much, even the fact that her voice sounded funny; deeper somehow.
"Vix, calm down!" Candice ordered. "Pele, David, a little help," she called for her apprentices.
Vix turned so Candice was face to face with her sharp teeth. "Answer the question!"
"They are alive," Candice said firmly. "Slink and Eve are alive. They will recover, for the most part."
"What does that mean?" Vix asked, pulling away from Candice. Her anger had vanished, leaving only worry. And guilt. An all-encompassing guilt.
"There were a few...problems." Candice took a deep breath before continuing. "Slink… he took a lot of damage. Most of it to his front right leg. There was nothing I could do…" she didn't need to finish.
"And Eve," Vix whimpered her voice quavering.
"Her injuries were less, but she was just unlucky. One of the prongs of her tail was torn off, but one of the spikes cracked her gem."
"What does that mean?"
Candice bit her lip. "I'm no Psychic, but Kegan thinks that it might make Eve's power unstable. Probably not dangerously so, but it won't be as precise as it was before."
Vix turned away, the bedsprings creaking under her weight. "Vix, I know how you feel, but you were hurt pretty badly too. You have to rest."
"You don't know how I feel." Vix snapped. "And I feel fine!" She collapsed onto her belly, shivering. "This is all my fault. I should have seen the trap."
"Vix, it wasn't your fault-" Candice tried to protest, but Vix stopped listening at those words. Because it was her fault. She had been distracted, and now the two Pokemon she loved most in the world were hurt, badly, because of her.
"No, no, no, no, no," Vix whimpered burying her head in her paws. "No, no, no, no, no."
"-and just because you don't feel hurt doesn't mean you don't need rest. Its because I had to take...desperate measures..." Candice finished nervously.
"No, no, no, no...no.." Vix stopped running her paws over her head. Things felt different. Her muzzle was longer and thinner than it should have been. Instead of soft curls of long fur on top her head, she felt a wiry crest of hair. "No, no, no, no, no, no."
"I had to induce evolution," Candice said softly, "it was the only way to save you."
Vix remained frozen, absolutely frozen. Even her mind had stopped.
"Vix I know that this is disorienting. I know this is hard. I'll sing you to sleep, give you a little time before you have to deal with this again." She placed her hand on Vix's back, stroking softly. "Maybe when you wake up, Slink and Eve will be awake. They'll want to see you. I know they will."
Not like this. Never like this. Before Candice could react, Vix was up and running out the door. Out of the building. Out of the town. Running. Running. Running.
Enough!
I siphoned together as much Psychic power as I could, and pushed it into that word. The dream world shredded like paper.
I opened my eyes, back in my own body. Vix leapt up (thankfully still a Vulpix), her hackles raised, her tails flickering with flame. She was disoriented, afraid. Slowly she turned, meeting my gaze, before bursting into tears.
I half expected her to yell, to scream at me for going into her head, but she didn't. She leapt from her bed over to ours, scaring Eve and myself before pulling herself to me, getting as close as possible. The entire time, tears ran freely down her cheeks.
"Vix, its okay," I whispered to her as I tentatively placed a paw on her back.
"No, its not!" She sobbed. "I-I-I didn't want you t-t-t-to see me like that. I didn't want you to see me hurt you."
"You could never hurt me." I said. "And I could never hate you even if you did. Vix, I care about you. After all that we've been through how could I not?" I nuzzled my nose against the top of her head, pulling her even closer. "You are my daughter Vix. You should never be afraid of losing me."
"I know! Slink, I know but…" she stared up at me, her brown eyes glistening. "Everyone who has ever cared about me, I've lost. My mother… my father."
I shook my head. "I get it, the same thing happened to me too remember. But I found new people to care about me. You and Eve. Vix, I worry every day that something might take you both away from me. That is why I fight so hard for you guys, so that if I ever fail it's not from lack of trying. Your mother fought so hard for you, and Enzo… he stopped fighting. He doesn't deserve to be called your father."
I paused, but the Vulpix just continued to stare at me, trying to process what I had said. "Trust me, I will never stop fighting for you Vix, no matter what. That is one thing you don't have to be afraid of."
Vix nodded softly, as my words sunk in. She rested the side of her head against me, two of her tails absently rubbing up against my forelegs. Finally she glanced up at me, giving me as much of a smile as she could manage. "Thank you," she whimpered. "Thank you, dad."