A/N - It's finally here! Cleo and Spark's origin story! This one, like most of this story, has had a huge overhaul. The general premise is the same, but originally it was a very short and fleeting story. I've fleshed it out a lot, showcasing the dynamic between a cat and mouse becoming friends.

IF YOU DON'T LIKE SPOILERS PLEASE DON'T READ THE CONTENT WARNING. If you are of a sensitive disposition, then please do.

Content warning - Death, injury, and reference to meat-eating predators.

Thanks for all reads, reviews, faves and follows! =D

Ashes

Smoke billowed into the air like a heavy cloud as the flames consumed everything in their path. Wood crackled and popped and heavy branches gave up all hope and dropped onto the forest floor. A small espurr scrambled over scorched ground, her tiny paws clasped over her muzzle. The smell of burning wood and flesh was overwhelming, and she daren't pay much attention to the smoldering mess that surrounded her. She choked and spluttered, gulping in tainted air.

"Mum!" she yowled. "Dad!"

She slumped against the rough bark of a hollowed sycamore and coughed into her paw.

"Mum…" Her voice cracked and she swallowed around a lump in her throat.

She knew it was hopeless. The flames swept forwards, urged on by the wind. Howls faded into the distance as the dark canine forms raced on ahead of the blaze. She could still see that awful shape in her mind. The tall, lithe canine, its head crowned with two curving horns. Flames reflected in its red eyes before it tossed its head back and let out a chilling howl. Then the flames had followed. Flamethrowers launched from the jaws of his houndour pack as the houndoom raced on, burning all in his path.

The espurr's father had scooped her up and lowered her from a window much too small for her parents to escape from. "Run, Cleo. Run and don't look back."

Of course she'd looked back. Why hadn't they come with her? Why leave her to escape on her own? Her answer came when she saw the smoldering remains of her family's wooden door. The barrier of fire was impossible to break through. Her heart raced as she fled, desperate to find any trace of her family. Her desperation had taken her into the thick of the blaze, and she was surrounded by towering flames.

"Where are you?!"

Her yowls rose over the crackling wood, and another bough broke away from its trunk and crashed down only several feet away. Embers sprayed up from it, splattering Cleo's thin grey coat. She raised a paw to protect her eyes and choked back a sob. It escaped regardless. Her entire body shook as it took over and she sank down against the hot sycamore bark.

"Why?" she gasped, covering her eyes with her paws. "Why didn't you come with me?!"

The blaze continued around her, eating up what remained of her home. She hugged her knees into her chest, gasping against the sobs that took over her body. Her lungs burned and her dry eyes stung, unable to shed any more tears.

"Mum!"

Cleo's head jerked up towards the squeaky voice.

"Dad! Where are you!"

A tiny dedenne scrambled over the scorched ground, her orange fur thick with black soot. She stopped and raised her head, sniffing at the air. Then she coughed.

"Mum!" She called again, turning around on her feet. "Da-" Her eyes landed on Cleo and the rodent froze.

Cleo stared back, meeting the dedenne's large black eyes. The dedenne stiffened with primal fear, remaining perfectly still regardless of the flames that threatened to consume her. Her black eyes glowed orange in the firelight and suddenly her nose twitched. Then she turned and bolted through the flames.

"Wait!"

Cleo pushed herself up chasing after the dedenne. She spotted her tail vanishing between two large trees and the dry, brown grass beyond it swayed as she raced away. Cleo's heart did a flip. The gap seemed so small even to her. One of the oaks was burned up one side as flames continued to eat away at it. Cleo forced her way through the gap, sucking in her breath in a bid to make herself smaller. Rough bark scraped her fur and the heat from the fire made her gasp. But finally she was out. She followed the dedenne's trail, but there was no sign of the small rodent. Then, in the distance, she heard her cry again as she sought her parents.

Cleo's heart went out to her, and she found herself calling for her own parents once more. The flames thinned out as she reached the edge of the forest. Her paws raced over hot stones until she found herself standing on the cool grass of the Rocky Plains. Cleo turned, throwing her voice back into the blaze.

"Mum! Dad!" Her voice choked off and she doubled over, placing her paws on her knees. Her energy left her and she sank to her bottom, staring wide-eyed at what remained of the Sparkling Forest. Once a lush forest made of ancient trees it was now a skeletal, blazing mass against the night sky. The branches of the trees reached up like claws, permanently frozen in a silent scream for help. Once bustling with psychic- and electric-type pokemon, the forest glowed red. No jovial cries filled the air, just the roar of flames and the popping of dying wood.

The short grass rustled beside Cleo and she turned to see the dedenne shuffling over the rocks. She was tiny, standing not much taller than Cleo's knee. Her large eyes were fixed on the blaze, glistening with tears. Side by side they watched their home burn. Neither of them knew where to go. Both of them were too young. Cleo had never been beyond the Rocky Plains. Her heart broke and she let out a guttural sob, lowering her head into her paws.

"It's all gone." The dedenne's quiet voice shook. "Our home. Gone."

Over the roar of flames a piercing howl rent the night air. Cleo's spine bristled and she looked up sharply, swiping the tears from her eyes. She thought she saw the shadowy dark canine shapes racing through the flames. Or was it a tree falling? Whatever it was, she didn't want to stand around and find out.

"We need to get out of here." Cleo pushed herself to her feet. "How fast can you run?"

The dedenne frowned up at her and her whiskers crackled with electricity. "Fast enough to outrun you."

"Fast then." Cleo smoothed out her fur and looked down at the little rodent. "My parents told me about a group called the Outcasts. They have a Guild. If we can find them, then-"

"We?" The dedenne balled her fists and electricity bounced over her fur, vanishing into the soft ground. "What makes you think there's a 'we'? I'm not gonna stick with some dirty predator!"

"Dirty?" Cleo scoffed.

"Your kind hunts us!" The dedenne jabbed a claw into her chest. "There's no 'we', feline. I might have shown you a way out of that blaze, but now you're on your own."

The dedenne turned to race away and Cleo's heart lurched. Alone.

Another howl filled the air and the dedenne froze, lowering herself to the ground. Cleo's fur fluffed out and she held her breath until the unearthly wail petered out.

"There's safety in numbers." Her quiet voice still reached the dedenne's large ears.

The dedenne rose to her feet and stood still for a moment, then stomped a tiny paw.

Turning to face Cleo, the dedenne's nose crinkled in a frown. "Fine. But only as far as the Guild."

Cleo trotted to join the rodent's side and tried to force a polite smile. "Thank you." She paused as the dedenne marched on ahead. She'd heard the espurr's thanks but showed no indication of it. "My name's Cleo. What's yours?"

The dedenne twitched her nose at Cleo as she caught up with her. "Spark."

"Fitting," said Cleo.

Spark grunted, letting stray static scatter off her whiskers.

The unlikely duo continued on in silence, their ears straining for any hint of the Wildfires. The hungry crackle faded out as they moved away from the inferno. With each step Cleo's heart ached. Every time she closed her eyes she expected to find herself back in her familiar home, but she'd open them again and still be outside, walking over the coarse grass of the Rocky Plains. That little wooden house she'd called home wouldn't have stood a chance in that fire.

"I can't believe it's all gone."

Cleo's heart leapt at the dedenne's voice. She jerked her head back to search behind them, half expecting someone to leap out at them.

Spark plodded on, seemingly oblivious. "Who knows how long it'll take us to get to the Guild? I mean… we're in the wide open out here. I wouldn't be surprised if a pidgeot swooped down and nabbed me."

Cleo smoothed out her bristling fur and forced an air of confidence. "I wouldn't let it."

Spark scoffed and fired her a scathing look. "Like you could take a pidgeot?"

"I could give it a hard time."

"Yeah! Right!" Spark laughed and shook her little head. "I've heard stories of pidgeot snatching espurr kits before. You're not small or nimble enough to slip out of its wicked talons."

Cleo boiled with indignation. She clenched her fists and held back the urge to bare her canines. "I've never heard such tales."

"Maybe your parents just didn't want to scare you?" Spark spread her paws in a shrug. "We dedenne are warned from the day we hatch from our eggs what threats to avoid. Number one - meowstic. Number two - pidgeot. Number three-"

"What kind of tall tales did your parents feed you?" Cleo scoffed.

"They warned us what would try to eat us," Spark explained, scanning Cleo with a probing gaze. "Come to think of it, you're too small to be a threat."

"And you're too small to be much more than a snack."

Spark's whiskers crackled and she rounded on Cleo with a shrill hiss. "What did you just call me?!"

"Small?"

The espurr shrieked as hot electricity seared through her body. Her muscles locked and she toppled back onto her bottom, landing painfully on her stumpy tail. It only lasted an instant but it was enough to leave her gasping for breath.

Spark glared up at her, whiskers crackling with residual static. "Never… call me small."

"Noted." Cleo rubbed her sore limbs as she staggered back to her feet.

Her mother's words echoed around her head as she was brought back to a distant memory on the river bank. 'Sometimes it's the smallest fish that have the fiercest bite.' Cleo shook her head as she watched Spark's soot-stained body hopping away over the rocky ground. 'Fierce' was glossing over it a bit.

Cleo forced herself on, every muscle complaining with the effort. After a few minutes however her limbs began to ease and she managed to catch up with Spark. But she let the dedenne continue on ahead a foot or so, not willing to put herself at risk of another thundershock.

The further they moved from the forest the cooler the air became. Cleo noted Spark's shadow spreading out behind her, much longer than her little body. Cleo's gaze wandered to the sky and her heart sank. Pretty soon the sun would be setting beyond the blazing forest, plunging the Rocky Plains into darkness. Soon, the two little hatchlings would find themselves wandering around in the dark.

"We need to find somewhere to sleep." Cleo's voice came out as a near whisper.

Spark stopped and stood tall to look back at her. "Where? This place is barren."

Cleo marched past her, searching over the sparse horizon. "There's got to be a thicket or something somewhere."

"You expect me to sleep in a bush?" Spark scoffed.

"Neither of us have much choice," Cleo retorted.

Spark sighed and scampered to keep up with her companion. "I really miss my little tree house."

Cleo cast her a sympathetic glance. Spark wasn't alone there. Cleo would give anything to undo the destruction of her home. She pressed on, keeping her wits about her as the sky darkened above them. Long shadows stretched out from the wiry plants that forced their way between the rocks.

Spark stopped suddenly in one of the shadows and dropped to a crouch. Cleo stifled a yell of surprise as the dedenne's head vanished out of sight. Spark's long tail swished from side to side and a curious squeak came from beyond the shadows. She stood again and scanned Cleo with her eyes.

"Suppose you wouldn't fit in here, huh?" She nodded to a crevice created by the persistent trunk of a sapling.

Cleo gave it one glance and shook her head.

Reluctantly Spark left the promising shelter behind and kept pace beside the espurr.

A low howl rumbled through the air, freezing the pair to the spot. Their ears swivelled forwards as they stared off towards the noise. It was difficult to pinpoint, and Cleo found her gaze wandering back the way they'd come. Their former home was no more than an orange hue on the horizon. Above it, the sky was painted a deep blue with the first stars of the evening poking through.

"That wasn't the Wildfires was it?" Spark asked.

The dedenne's gaze was still trained on the path ahead of them. Cleo shook her head slowly, and kept her voice low.

"No. It didn't sound right." She scratched behind her ear and narrowed her eyes. "I think it might have been the Howling Gorge."

Spark shuddered and hugged her arms around herself. "It sounds horrible."

Cleo glanced down at her little companion and relaxed. The pair of them had never been any further than they had come that day. Cleo had only heard stories of the Howling Gorge. It was the main obstacle separating the Sparkling Forest from Guild territory. It wasn't impossible to cross. Pokemon came and went with ease. The only major risk was the wind that tore through it with the force of a gale, whisking unsuspecting pokemon off their feet.

Cleo nodded at Spark and moved on ahead. "Come on. We might find shelter nearer the gorge."

Spark trotted along beside her on all fours, keeping her belly close to the ground. If Cleo hadn't known she was there she would have lost her.

Another low howl reached their ears, and Cleo became more convinced it was nothing but the wind. Before long she could make out the deep gouge in the plains as it spread out before them. It looked like a river had once cut through it many years ago. The steep slope was almost a vertical drop on the far side, while the ground at their feet sloped down dramatically. It was much too wide to leap across even for a pokemon like arcanine, and the drop would have killed anyone instantly. Cleo had to squint to see the bottom through the oncoming dark of night.

She stood back and looked left and right. "There is meant to be a bridge along here somewhere."

"Oh good," said Spark. "I was beginning to wonder if I had to sprout wings."

Cleo narrowed her eyes as something caught her eye to her left. She nudged Spark to follow her and scampered along the length of the ravine. Her heart leapt as what she'd made out began to sway in the wind.

"There it is!" she gasped.

A rope bridge stretched out across the chasm, swaying as the wind washed over it. Wooden slats spread out across it, but large gaps remained where the wild winds had torn several of the planks free, leaving a free drop right down into the gorge.

"I don't like the look of that," Cleo muttered, hesitating at the entrance to the bridge.

Spark paid no attention to the espurr. The little dedenne hopped onto the bridge and bounded across it, building up a running jump to land nimbly on the rope. That way, she didn't have to brave the gaps.

Cleo's heart raced. There was no turning back now. There was nowhere else for her to go. Swallowing around a dry lump in her throat, Cleo stepped gingerly onto the bridge. It creaked slightly but held her weight. Creeping one paw in front of the other, Cleo followed after Spark. Her companion was already half way across, scurrying along the rope on all-fours.

A deep howl reached Cleo's ears and her heart sank. There was no time to abandon the bridge. The wind roared through the chasm, buffeting the bridge and the hatchlings perched upon it. It swung wildly from side to side, sending Cleo onto her bottom. A sharp cry jerked her head up. Spark was clinging to the rope with her forepaws, her little claws tearing across the frayed surface. The merciless wind whipped the dedenne clean off the rope, threatening to drag her along into the ravine. Spark screamed, her eyes screwed shut tight as she somersaulted through the air.

"Spark!" Cleo uncurled her ears, trapping the little rodent in a purple bubble.

Spark eyes flew open, staring around her as she hovered several feet away from the bridge. She met Cleo's focused stare as the espurr dragged her back towards her. The wind buffeted Cleo's grey fur and she dug her claws into the wood to stop herself being dragged from it. The swaying of the rope bridge made concentrating difficult, but Spark was soon safely hovering above Cleo.

The wind died back down and Cleo let out the breath she'd been holding. Once the bridge had stopped swinging, she lowered Spark at her feet.

The dedenne trembled from ear to tail, her large black eyes staring out across the chasm. "I thought I was dead."

Cleo pushed herself to her feet and stepped past Spark. "Let's get a move on before it tries it again?"

Spark skipped along after her, and bounded over a wooden gap. She landed ahead of Cleo as the espurr braced herself to leap across it. It wasn't wide, but the thought of the wind picking up and knocking her hundreds of feet to her death didn't settle well with her.

Spark took a step back, patiently waiting for Cleo to make her move. The espurr leapt and landed in a crouch. Spark beamed up at her and turned to finish crossing the bridge. Feeling more confident, Cleo managed to leap the rest of the gaps. As they reached the other side, the wind began to pick up again. Cleo leapt the last of the way, rolling to a stop on the cool, welcoming grass. The rope bridge creaked ominously, and Cleo looked back to see one of the slats torn free with a loud snap.

Spark paled and shuffled backwards, away from the bridge. "Well… I can safely say I don't wanna do that again."

"Ditto." Cleo pushed herself up and shook out her fur. It was still on end from the whole ordeal.

She became increasingly aware of Spark watching her. Unwilling to meet her gaze, Cleo turned to orient herself. Where were they meant to go from here? The grassy plains were less rocky on this side of the ravine, and they ended in a large woodland Cleo was unfamiliar with.

"Thanks."

Cleo jerked around to meet Spark's gaze.

The dedenne nodded back towards the bridge and wound her little paws together. "For saving me back there. If it weren't for you… well, I don't really wanna think about it."

Cleo nodded and a small smile adorned her muzzle. "Don't mention it. You did save me from the blaze after all."

"So we're even?" Spark shuffled past her and motioned with a paw. "'Cos I don't really wanna save you again, or vice versa. I think I'd rather we made it to the Guild without any more danger, don't you?"

Cleo laughed and caught up with the dedenne. "That would be great."

Spark came to an abrupt stop and tensed. "Do you know where to go from here? I… don't like the look of those woods."

Dark trees stretched out before them, their branches spiking like jagged shadows against the darkening sky. Stars spread out like a sparkling blanket over a deep blue backdrop which seemed to blacken by the second.

"We might not have much choice," Cleo explained. "Besides, the only place we might find shelter is closer to the woods. I can't see any bushes nearby."

"We might find a burrow?" Spark suggested.

Cleo didn't really want to waste time they didn't have searching for a burrow. There was also the possibility any would be occupied, and not necessarily by a welcoming inhabitant. Spark kept her eyes on the sky, eyeing the canopy warily. The little hatchling's primal fear of aerial predators was becoming more and more apparent. Sheltering in the woods at night was more of a threat than the wide open plains. Everyone knew murkrow liked to keep watch for their prey at night, hidden in the shadows of the leaves.

"We could try and go around the woods?" Cleo offered. "It will take us longer to find the Outcast town that way, but it will keep us out of the way of murkrow." 'Hopefully' she added silently.

Spark nodded and turned stiffly away from the tree line. The pair followed the invisible path around the woods, searching for any shelter that could offer them a good night's rest. Faint caws echoed through the night sky, setting Cleo's fur on end. She found herself walking low to the ground, occasionally dropping onto all-fours. Spark was almost invisible in the rough grass, trying to hide among the rocks.

Soon only faint moonlight shone on the plains, turning the grass silver. The dark shadows of the trees spread out on their right, while the plains stretched on as far as Cleo could see to their left. Cleo still felt following the tree-line was the safest option. She feared they'd get hopelessly lost wandering over the plains. Her eyes fell on a spiky mound trailing out only a few feet from the woods. Long thorny branches draped down over the knotted roots of the trees beyond it.

Cleo hissed to get Spark's attention and pointed a paw towards it. Spark twitched her nose uncertainly, her gaze trailing up the towering trees behind the hawthorn. Cleo beckoned for her to follow, and Spark gingerly scurried behind, her ears trained on the woods.

The hawthorn wasn't especially tall, but its long branches were decked out with slender thorns that would deter persistent predators. She found a crook in one of its sturdier branches and pulled herself up into it. Spark leapt up and clung to her tail, then scampered over her back to land on the branch beside her. The dedenne looked over it with a snort of disdain, then nodded.

"It'll do," she whispered, followed by a wide yawn. "Good grief am I hungry. Think we can find some berries soon?"

Cleo caught the dedenne's yawn, covering her mouth with a paw. "Sure. We can find a razz bush or something."

She settled back against the trunk and closed her eyes. The blaze roared through her mind and her heart ached. It felt like so long ago, but it was still fresh in her mind. She couldn't believe it had only happened a matter of hours ago. Her parent's… tears pricked her eyes and she placed a paw on her stomach as nausea flooded over her. She wasn't remotely hungry.

Spark let out a shrill shriek and Cleo's eyes snapped open. The dedenne walked backwards along the branch until her back pressed into Cleo's foot. Cleo followed her gaze, heart pounding. Stretched across the branch were the skeletal remains of a ratatta. A long thorn poked out from between its ribs. Some of the bones had fallen away, leaving nothing but the head and torso, but the implications were unmistakable.

Cleo licked her dry lips. "I'm sorry, Spark."

"This was a fletchinder's larder…" Spark sank to her bottom, keeping her trembling spine against Cleo's paw. "Why… why are you predators so cruel?"

Cleo closed her eyes and sighed. "Everyone's got to eat."

"I can't…" Spark shook her head sharply and turned away from the espurr. "I can't… stay here… not with you. I have to go!"

The dedenne leapt from the tree, landing in the thick foliage below.

"Spark, wait!" Cleo hissed.

Nothing but the rustle of grass answered her. She couldn't see Spark in the darkness. Cleo's heart twisted in her chest as she warred with the decision to chase after the dedenne or stay sheltered in the protection of the hawthorn.

Faint caws echoed from the trees behind her, washing over her with a cold dread. She couldn't leave Spark out there on her own. She'd be picked clean by the Darkness long before dawn broke. Muttering under her breath, Cleo pushed herself from the tree and landed awkwardly. The resulting thud made her sound a lot larger than she was. The cawing cut out, plunging the plains into an eerie silence.

Cleo's ears strained to pick up any sign of Spark. For a long moment she thought she'd lost the dedenne completely, but a faint rustle came from the grass a few feet away. Cleo took off after it, trying to keep her steps light. Pain throbbed in her right ankle and she staggered, forcing herself onto all-fours again. Limping on three legs she followed the sound, but it wasn't long before she lost it.

Cleo froze, her ears twitching back and forth. The caws returned, louder this time, followed by the unmistakable sound of birds taking to the air. The beating of their wings was like a thunderclap over the silent plains. Cleo turned her head back slowly, her eyes widening. A huge black cloud rose from the canopy of the woods making a beeline straight for her. Red eyes shone in the moonlight, shooting down towards her like falling stars. A loud feline wail left her throat and she turned, bolting blindly across the plains. Her ankle complained with each step until she had to force herself to keep it tucked beneath her belly.

The loud cries from the murkrow grew louder as the flock swarmed towards her. The wind from their wings whipped up around her and she pressed herself on, racing as fast as three legs would allow. Her fore-paw struck something solid, sending her sprawling across the uneven ground. She leapt back to her feet, but was knocked back to her stomach as sharp talons plunged into her back. She screamed, rolling with claws flailing to dislodge her assailant. All she saw was black. Wings beat at her face as talons flashed before her eyes. The murkrow shrieked their caws, hidden insults spat out in their own raucous language.

Cleo's eyes flashed and she bared her canines at the murkrow poised on her chest. She wailed out her own reply in an unearthly yowl that could chill any bird to the core. The murkrow was unfazed, lashing out with its talons. Cleo lunged forwards, her teeth flashing before its throat.

'Why are you predators so cruel?'

She hesitated, her eyes widening. The murkrow's wing smashed across her face, sending her sprawling sideways. The rest of the flock rained down on her, slicing with their beaks and talons. Cleo shrieked and raised her paws to protect her face.

"Get off her!"

The sky lit up and the murkrow screeched, dropping off Cleo like rocks. Sparks danced over their oily feathers and their wings jerked uncomfortably. It wasn't all of them, but it was enough to allow Cleo back to her feet. Spark raced over the grass, her whiskers crackling for another attack. The murkrow turned from Cleo, interested only in the electrical threat racing towards them. They lunged at the dedenne, and a streak of lightning parted the black cloud. Murkrow rained down from it, ignored by those that could still fly. Soon Spark was buried beneath their screeching, violent bodies. Another sputter of electricity danced through the cloud, shocking a couple more of the birds. But the dedenne was overwhelmed, her shrill voice drowned out by the excited caws of the Darkness.

Cleo rubbed her bloodied arm and fought for breath. All she could do was stare. How on earth was she meant to deal with those murkrow? Her psychic attacks wouldn't so much as tickle them. She had to do something. Spark needed her. She'd saved her. Cleo couldn't let her die. Her claws flexed out from her paws and she took in a deep, painful breath. Then she leapt into the fray with a loud yowl. Her claws swiped over the backs of two of the murkrow who shrieked with pain. They turned to beat her with their wings, but Cleo clipped one of them with her claws. It fell at her feet and she tore into it violent slashes. The other tore at her ears and she wailed, batting it with the back of her paw.

A scream came from the flock, followed by a huge jolt of lightning. It exploded out through the murkrow flock and washed over Cleo, stiffening every muscle in her body. The flock flew into a frenzy, rising up into the air like a black tornado. Many murkrow lay prone, sparking and bloodied.

Cleo flopped to the ground, unable to move. Every muscle jerked, hot with electricity. Spark lay in the midst of the murkrow, her eyes screwed shut. Red welts marred her soot-stained fur. The dedenne's whiskers crackled with static. Then she went limp.

"Spark…" Cleo whispered.

The world turned blurry, and the murkrows cries sounded distant in her head. But she could still feel them circling over her, the beat of their wings.

Cleo's last thought before she lost consciousness was of her parents. Soon, soon she'd see them again. She just wished she'd been able to prove to Spark that not all predators are heartless killers.

...

Cleo roused to gentle rocking and the sound of rocks scattering beneath her. She sat up, rubbing a paw over her bleary eyes. Soft voices formed over the clattering. Excitement swelled inside her. It was all a bad dream. She was home! But as she opened her mouth to shout for her mother, the name died on her tongue. A riolu sat a few feet away, talking to a marshtomp. The latter was holding a pair of reins while an arcanine raced along ahead of them. Cleo was sat in a wooden cart wedged between two large lumpy sacks. She turned her head, causing the world to spin. She cradled a paw to her sore ear and blinked a few times to clear the fog away. Another pokemon sat near the back of the cart. An audino, cradling Spark's beaten body. A soft pink glow came from the rabbit-like pokemon, washing over the tiny dedenne.

"Where am I?" Cleo's voice sounded bleary despite the confusion racing around her head at top knot.

The three pokemon looked up, and the riolu's eyes widened. Only one of his eyes seemed to respond to her, while the other looked vaguely off to her left.

"You're awake!" He didn't sound much older than she was. He leaned forwards on his knees and tipped his head on one side to examine her. "How are you feeling? Do you need any more help?"

"Any more?" Cleo rubbed a paw over her ears. Her arms felt sore, but the wounds were already healing. She cast a curious glance at the audino. Then her gaze fell on the sun-shaped badge pinned to the pink pokemon's scarf. "Are you… with the Outcasts Guild?"

"Yes," said the riolu, drawing Cleo's gaze back to him. "I'm Tinker. I'm the one currently running the Guild, and-"

"Give yeseln more credit, Tink," said the marshtomp. "Ignore thissun, kitty. 'E's th' Guild leader 'n' commander, right enough."

"Acting leader and commander," Tinker hissed. "My position is temporary, Finley, and you know it."

The marshtomp chortled merry laughter, which was echoed by the arcanine. Cleo didn't laugh. She stared blankly at the riolu. In charge? But… he was just a hatchling like her and Spark. How could he be running the Guild?

"You're lucky we found you," Tinker told Cleo, jolting her out of her thoughts. "I was nearby at the time, gathering supplies from an orchard just north of your home. I'd got wind of the attack on the Sparkling Forest and had gone there to check for survivors, but…" His eye misted over, stifling any hope Cleo was starting to form. "I'm so sorry. You're both too young to have gone through that."

Cleo diverted her gaze to the passing scenery. There was something in his voice that told her he deeply understood. She found herself wondering again how someone so young had been put in charge of an entire guild of Outcasts. However, she couldn't find the nerve to ask him. They were travelling down a mountain slope towards a massive moorland. It shone like a green gem amid the rocky landscape.

"Thank you for rescuing us," she said. "Is Spark…?"

"Your friend is alive, just very weak," Tinker explained. "I fear if we hadn't heard the murkrow attack then you both wouldn't have made it."

Cleo's heart ached. All she could do was watch the audino continue her healing of Cleo's tiny companion. She had no idea how far they were from the Sparkling Forest now. How long had she been unconscious?

"Where are you taking us?" she asked.

Tinker met her gaze and gave a small, weak smile. "You'll see soon enough."

As Cleo watched the mountain trundle past she felt her strength begin to wane. Before she knew it, she was out like a light, with only the rattle of the cart replacing her absent dreams.

...

When Cleo woke again, she was lying in a soft bed of hay. For a fleeting moment she thought it was her own bed, but the smells were all wrong. Sharp medicinal berries wafted through the air, and the light padding of paws trotted over dry earth. Cleo pushed herself up slightly, blinking away the fog of sleep. The audino she'd seen in the cart paced back and forth, checking over the nest beside her. She spoke softly, cheerfully. As she stepped aside, Cleo spotted Spark sitting up in a nest much too big for her. A large plate of berries lay at her feet, or would have been if the dedenne didn't have to hop onto it to reach her meal. The berries were almost the same size as her, and she tucked into a massive cheri with relish.

"Spark!" Cleo squeaked, feeling an uncanny happiness swelling inside her chest.

The dedenne turned to look at her and beamed. She licked juice from her whiskers and nodded. "You're awake then?"

Cleo nodded. "I can see you are too. I'm so glad. I thought…" She trailed off and stared down at her paws.

"Eh." Spark waved a paw and turned to her meal. "We reached the Guild at least. Good eatings, too."

The audino chuckled at that. "You've got a large appetite that far outweighs your size! It must be all that energy you spent fighting those murkrow."

"I gave 'em what for," said Spark around a full mouth. "Pokemon shouldn't pick on those smaller than them."

"Well, that's Hydreigon for you," said the audino. "He's just one big bully."

"Totally."

Cleo wound her paws together in her lap. "Did you really find no more survivors?"

"No." The audino wiped her paws on her apron and shook her head sadly. "Just you two. It seems that murkrow flock was stationed there to pick off any survivors who fled."

"So there was really no one else?" Spark asked, her eyes widening. "No one else managed to get out of that blaze?"

"There might have been," said the nurse. "You have to remember, there was only four of us travelling through and we weren't on a rescue mission. If we had been, we would have sent a much larger number of soldiers. The only reason I was with Tinker was because I needed medicinal berries and wanted to select them myself." She chuckled. "He worries more about keeping things cheap than effective, but he'll learn in time." She gave the pair a fond smile. "I'll get you some breakfast, Cleo, and I'll let Tinker know you're awake."

Cleo watched the audino shuffle towards a little wooden box situated in the wall. It rattled up and out of sight as she pulled on a thick rope. Blinking back her surprise, Cleo turned to Spark.

"You've been awake a while then?" she asked.

Spark swallowed her mouthful and nodded. "Dunno how long though." Her expression changed to one of concern and she turned fully to face the espurr. "How are you feelin'?"

"A little sore." Cleo rubbed her arm, tracing her claws over the raw scars. Her fur smelled like sitrus berries. "What about you? You took a real beating yourself."

"I had a headache, but I ate it away." Spark licked juice off her paws and selected another berry. This time an oran. "Berries are good for healing as well as filling your stomach."

A small smile spread across Cleo's muzzle. "Do all dedenne eat so much?"

Spark snorted and twitched her whiskers. "We gotta. Fast metabolism to outrun you lot."

Cleo's heart sank and she lowered her head onto her knees. How on earth would she be able to convince this pokemon that she wasn't a threat to her?

"You really came through for me," said Spark.

Cleo turned her head on her knees to meet the dedenne's fleeting glance.

"More than once," Spark added. "Thanks."

"You helped me, too," said Cleo. "I mean… I can't really do anything to murkrow. My attacks don't work on them. I have to use my claws."

"Sounds like you could use some electric moves in your arsenal." A smirk tugged at the corner of Spark's mouth and she plunged back into the plate of berries.

The box rattled again as the audino came back down into the ward. She cradled a plate in one paw while hoisting on the rope with the other. As she stepped out, the smell of smoked meats tickled Cleo's nose and her stomach growled. She hadn't realised she was hungry, yet the thought of eating made her feel sick. She watched the plate as the nurse placed it on a little table beside her nest. A selection of berries and dried meat lay before her. Meat of varying colour from white to brown. Cleo's paw hovered over the plate and she looked up at the audino. Spark hovered at the edge of her vision, watching her with her ears pricked. Her long tail swished with uncertainty over the hay.

"I only eat fish," Cleo told the nurse.

"Oh!" The audino's eyes widened and she trotted over to the plate. "I did put some on there. I'm very sorry, I'll take away the rest."

Cleo muttered her thanks and told the nurse not to worry about it. The audino took the darker meat from the plate and apologised again as she trotted back to the box.

Cleo took one of the strips of fish. It wasn't as if she'd never eaten other meat before, but now it just felt… wrong. She caught Spark's gaze. A knowing look glittered in the dedenne's large eyes and she nodded.

"Thank you," she said.

Cleo nodded back to her and tucked into her breakfast. They sat in silence for a while, Spark gulping down one berry after the other while Cleo picked at the contents of her plate.

"Yanno." Spark flopped back onto her bottom and stretched her little arms over her head. "After all this, it's made me think. What they did was pretty awesome, yanno."

"You mean saving us?" Cleo asked.

"Not just that but looking for survivors!" Spark looked up at her and twitched her nose. "This Guild is filled with all kinds of pokemon, it's not like home. It's gonna be weird walking around this place seeing pokemon so much bigger than me. Bigger than you even! But I think what they do is amazing."

Cleo's gaze wandered to the foot of her bed, although she wasn't looking at it. "It really is."

"You all right? You don't sound amazed."

"Sorry," said Cleo. "At the moment I'm just… stuck in that blaze."

"Me too." Spark licked her paws and wiped them over her whiskers. "But if it weren't for the Outcasts Guild…"

"I know."

Spark sat back on her paws and twitched her feet back and forth. "I think… I might ask them if I can join."

Cleo looked up at her, but Spark continued to stare across the room.

"Going out there," Spark went on, "helping pokemon like us. That's what they do, right?" She looked up at Cleo with wide eyes.

Cleo nodded. "Yeah. That's what they do."

"We hadn't done anything to the Wildfires or those murkrow." Spark's whiskers began to crackle and she swished her tail from side to side. "Yet they just stormed through our home and destroyed it! Then those birds had the nerve to pick on little hatchlings?! It makes me so angry to see pokemon be persecuted like that! We'd done nothing to them!" She looked up, meeting Cleo's surprised stare. "There are so many like us out there and I wanna help them."

The dedenne's words had resonated with Cleo. She raised her head and nodded, sitting back on her paws. "So do I. But… the Darkness is full of dark-types."

"And dragons," said Spark. "My electricity struggles with dragons." She scratched behind her ear, keeping one eye on Cleo. "I know I'm small. I've always been small! But I pack a punch! And I think if we worked together, with my lightning and your psychic skills, we could really make a difference out there."

Cleo's eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"You want to work with a pokemon you don't trust?" Cleo asked. "You said you don't trust predators."

"I was always raised to believe that," said Spark. "But I think if my parents met you, if they knew you'd rushed to save me, then they'd change their minds in a heartbeat."

A small chuckle left Cleo's throat and she closed her eyes in a smile. "All right. I'd be glad to team up with you. Let's ask Tinker about it later."

"Ask Tinker about what?" The voice came from the wooden box. Cleo hadn't noticed it rattle down into the ward.

Tinker leaned from it, eyeing the two girls curiously.

"We're thinkin' of signing up with the Guild," said Spark.

"You want to sign up as warriors?" Tinker asked with some surprise. "You're barely out of your eggs."

"Probably about the same age as you, actually," said Spark.

"It's not about age," said Tinker. "It's about experience. You've been raised in a woodland environment with barely any experience of what the Darkness can do. I doubt you've had much battle practice?"

"I squabbled with my siblings a lot," said Spark.

"I don't doubt it," said Tinker.

Spark's whiskers crackled and she stood, spine bristling. "Want me to demonstrate?"

Tinker raised a paw to dismiss her and turned to Cleo. "Are you both certain of this? You want to train to be Guild Warriors?"

Cleo bit her lip and glanced aside. It was a huge decision. One conversation with Spark, a pokemon she'd only just met, wasn't enough to decide that. Was it? Her home, destroyed. Spark was right. They weren't the only ones to suffer like that. It happened every day. It had only been a matter of time before Hydreigon turned his sights on her home. Which one would be next?

"I think… I'd like to give it a try," she said.

To her surprise, a smile spread across the riolu's muzzle. "Very well. I'll have you signed up for training immediately."

She snapped her gaze onto his, and Spark's whiskers ceased sparking as her arms flopped at her sides.

"You serious?" Spark asked.

"If you are, then yes," Tinker replied. "Once you are fit and ready you can start training. At your age, you'll grow into fine warriors in no time."

Cleo and Spark exchanged beaming glances. So it was decided. The unlikely duo would strive to become a formidable team, and hopefully form a strong friendship in the process.

Tinker strutted from the room, leaving Cleo and Spark in an excited conversation about what the future might hold for them as warriors.

...

Review Replies:

Williamlap - I'm also a little biased. I'm very fond of both Harlequin and Enigma. And also Cleo and Spark. I hope you enjoyed their origin story =D

Thanks for reading! Please R&R! =D