HELLOOOOOOOO! You are looking at one happy authoress -I now am the proud owner of a copy of Pokemon: XD! LUGIA! I FINALLY GET MY LUGIAAAA! shouts and dances in joy October 3rd… October 3rd is the day, my fellow pokemaniacs! BASK IN THE AWESOMENESS OF THE XD!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA!

…sorry.

ANYway, I think a lot of you will like this chappie. It's short, but it makes up for it in the content. :smiles: Prepare your teeth for hurtage.

Price For Freedom

Chapter 24

Recollections

I was in the wonderfully shaded, covered trail that was my home. It was a sunny spring day. Masquerain and beautifly fluttered about. I watched in amazement as they flew -how could they fly so effortlessly? I turned to my mother, who was busy gathering berries for the upcoming storm. "Mama," I began in my soft little voice, "how do they fly?"

She looked at me with the wisdom that all parents have and said, "The gods made them that way."

I cocked my head. "But… we don't have any."

She shook her head slightly. "But that doesn't mean that there aren't any in the first place."

For the moment, my childish curiosity was sated. I looked back to the field and then, a marill who was simply passing by, saw me out of the corner of his eye. My face brightened and I stood on my frail, weak legs. "Hello! Are you saving up food for the storm?"

He looked to the sky, which held no clouds, and then snarled at me. "What storm? There's not a cloud in the sky!"

I smiled and said proudly, "Mama says there's going to be one soon. In a few days. She's always right."

The marill snarled and then threw a rock at my head with his tail. It hit, and then I began to whimper as he retorted, "Bastard Darkling! How dare you go and spout out nonsense like that! Godless garbage, stop brewing trouble!" He was about to throw another rock, but Mama got in front of me.

"She meant nothing by it," Mama warned. The marill hesitated, since he was now facing a full-grown absol instead of a pup, and then went on about his business. When he left, Mama turned back to me and began to lick my supple head.

I sniffled at the stinging her tongue made. "Why did he say all those things?" I looked up at Mama. "Why did he hit me?"

She looked at me for a long time, then replied, "He… didn't want to listen to you, baby."

Angered, I demanded, "But why? I was telling the truth!"

Mama purred against my head to calm me down. "I know, baby, but he doesn't. He doesn't trust us. Now come on, we need to get berries…"

I wasn't satisfied by this. "Why won't he trust us? Did we do something wrong?"

She sighed deeply and then began to walk back to her bush. "It's because we don't have a god to pray to. One of our own element. Because of that, other pokemon believe that we are a hated race by the gods."

I looked around for a moment. "Are we?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then why don't we have a god?" I asked abruptly.

She hesitated, then said, "Because the humans killed him. Now go on and gather berries…"

Shocked and angered, I cried, "Why did they kill him!"

My mother turned back to me, a sad smile on her face. "Because he was a Darkling…"

………………………………

Pain. That's all there was for too long of a time. It was unbearable. What had happened?

Then, flashes of a battle with a mightyena… Hicha… I had killed him… My heart stuttered in realization. How could I do such a thing? How could I have killed the only friend I had in that lonely forest? How…?

My limbs ached and throbbed. My mind scattered from memory to memory and then back to the horrible pain. Hicha was my best friend… my best friend…

His blood made itself known in my mouth. I almost vomited at the taste of the old, bitter, coppery taste of his dead blood in my mouth. I had to get it out. I coughed -the air racked through my tired lungs and body. More pain for me to enjoy.

I wanted to die. I really did. How could I live with myself for killing my best friend -the only friend I had in the forest? How could I stand to bear the weight of his life on my shoulders? I wasn't made for that kind of burden…

Then, a small amount of relief entered my body and soul. I felt something take away the pain -and replace it with peace. Who…?

I opened my eyes to see Kaiyou's worried face and Kuvai, standing on the opposite side of my Lord. The undead being was glowing ever so slightly, and he was chanting something softly. Kaiyou's face relaxed at my open eye.

"Thank goodness you're awake," he said softly. "When I felt all of that pain, I worried it was you. I tried to help, but I couldn't get close. So Kuvai began to heal you -that's what he's doing now. You're healthy enough to the point where I can stand to be around you." Then, he paused. "The mightyena… who was he?"

My mind exploded into pain again. Guilt ripped my heart apart. "I…" I started quietly. For some reason, I couldn't bring myself to identify him. "I…"

A look of calm realization dawned in his golden eyes, and he placed a comforting hand on my fur. "It's okay," he whispered, "you don't have to tell me." Then, he turned to Kuvai. "How is she?"

I saw Kuvai open his eyes slightly. "Pretty banged up. Unfortunately, her body can't withstand my full power, even to heal, so I have to do this slowly. It'll take some time." He closed his eyes again and said, "but nothing to worry about."

Kaiyou sighed and stood up. His hand was still on my fur when he began to leave. "I'm going to check on Tai and Shayla. I'll be back in a moment."

Both my eyes widened. TAI! "Is he okay?" I almost shouted. "Is he alive?"

I suppose Kaiyou was startled by my outburst, but the shock didn't stay for long. "He's fine. He's already been healed -I'm just going to make sure none of them are in shock. I'll be back in a moment." He looked at Kuvai, nodded slightly, then left.

For the moment, I was alone with Kuvai. It was more than a little unsettling, but had I not been in shock myself, I would have probably tried to create conversation. However, he generated it for me.

"That mightyena did a number on you," he said without caution. "Were you holding back as you were fighting him?"

Angered by his bluntness, I retorted, "What do you care? It's my business."

Kuvai opened his eyes -both were deep, crimson red. He smirked. "Really?"

I glared. "Yes, it is."

His eyebrows went up and he closed his eyes again. "Kaiyou's been very worried. Especially since it hurt him too much to come in contact with you. Yasille wanted to help, but her mere aura might have made you die and that made him even more distressed. And when he's distressed, Yasille gets even more worried. And when she's worried, so am I." He paused and opened his eyes again. "So, since you made my friends and I so worried about you, I'd say that it is my business. And the fact that I'm healing you right now."

I grimaced. I didn't want to talk to him all that much. The fact that he kept on cornering me in the conversation was more than a little irritating. "He… I…" I paused, and then said softly, "His name was Hicha. He was… a friend…"

I looked back up to his face, which held no expression, and continued in answering his ever-so-tactful question. "I killed him didn't I? I'd say I didn't go easy on him." For some reason, saying what I did seemed to make it real, make it hurt even worse. Kuvai didn't pay any heed to this.

"Why did you kill him?" he asked, and I glared back up at him.

"Why are you asking these questions?" I almost shouted. "I don't want to talk about it!"

He half-glared. "Why are you trying to avoid the answers? You know them. I know them. Why can't you accept them? Trying to deny the past is going to hinder your growth, and pretty soon, you're old, weak and stupid. Accept your deed and move on. Otherwise, the person you did that for isn't going to be around anymore."

"Can't I have any time to grieve?" I retorted angrily. That wound is too fresh -I can't move on right now… I looked down at the white bed sheets under me and sank into my pillow. "I can't…"

I heard Kuvai sigh heavily. "Just make sure you don't grieve too long…"

For a long time, niether of us said anything, and the next person to break the silence was Kaiyou when he returned. I looked up at my Lord to see Tai at his heel. Tai was limping badly and was bandaged around his eye and throat. The battered jolteon looked up at me and said, "You're worse off than I am, aren't you?"

Kuvai answered. "She's taking me longer to heal than you, if that's what you mean." Tai's face fell, and I felt compelled to lift it back up.

I scoffed and said, "I'm fine, Tai," I said cockily. "I'll be back on my feet in no time." I looked back at the jolteon for a moment, to see his reaction, and was a little surprised. He wore only a small smile, but in his eyes were sorrow and pity. Were those for me?

Kaiyou looked at Kuvai and said, "Hey, Yasille's calling you." Kuvai looked up at him, curious, and cocked his head. At this, my Lord continued. Kaiyou stretched out his arms and said, "Yeah, you might want to get to her. She says that she wants to find out what happens when she pushes the big button on the blender." My Lord looked at Kuvai again and said, "She says she has her hand inside."

Kuvai's eyes widened to ludicrous proportions, and he ran out of the room, screaming, "Yasille! Don't push the button!" Kaiyou chuckled as he watched his friend dash out, and then turned to Tai and myself. He winked, then left the room, leaving us alone.

Tai struggled to get onto my bed with me, but he made it eventually. I took a better look at him -he was utterly exhausted. The sparkle in his chocolate brown eyes was gone. He sat there in front of me for a long time, as if trying to find something to say. Since he was having trouble, I started the conversation.

"Um…" I began softly, "…You were hurt pretty badly. Are you… okay?"

He looked at me and smiled -genuinely- and replied as soft as I, "Yeah. My leg hurts…" I winced at the hoarseness of his voice, "and my throat… but I'm okay." He watched me carefully as he added, "But I'm really concerned about…" he had trouble saying this, "about you…"

I cocked my head and he shuffled his front paws. His ears drooped a little and suddenly, he found his paws fascinating. "I mean," he added quickly, "I… well, I mean, you were hurt pretty… pretty badly… and… well…"

A small smile came to my own face. When he wasn't being a jackass, he could be really cute… A little red flag spurred in my mind and I shook the thought out. Not the time to think like that… I took a deep breath and interrupted Tai from making his incoherent explanation.

"I know what you're trying to say, Tai," I began, "but really, you don't have to worry." I mustered up all my courage and smiled. "I'm fine."

He glared and looked at me in suspicion. "…No, you're not."

Shocked by his accusation, I looked back at him in surprise. "What are you talking about? I'm… I'm fine."

For a moment, he looked hurt. "Why are you lying to me? I can see and smell that you're not okay. Why can't you admit it?"

As I searched for another answer to that question, I stumbled over sentences and felt the inside of my snout grow pressured and hot. "Because… you don't…" I mumbled softly. And even as I searched and searched for another answer than the truth, that truth kept on growing and growing inside of my mind. Before I knew it, my vision was blurry and hot tears dropped onto my paws.

I cried like a small child would. I just sat there, in front of Tai, bawling. He didn't make a move to stop me, or poke fun at me -he just sat there and watched. My head was down for the whole time, but after a while, I felt his cheek up against mine and he whispered, "It's going to be okay. You'll see."

Despite his kind words, I continued to cry and cry. Somehow, I felt that I was letting out more than my grief, but some kind of burden I had been keeping. I don't know what that burden was, whether it be Hicha's death, the fact that I got captured, guilt for Saji's death, or anything else, but I felt it lift as I cried. And the fact that Tai was there with me made the feeling that much greater.

Tai scooted to my side and began to gently nuzzle my cheek again. He placed his paw on mine and whispered, "It 's okay, Ayako. I'll take care of you."

……………………….

Wow… that was so full of corn… CORN! Munch on the sugary corn!

Anywho, I hope I sated some of your hunger for fluff. I don't pride myself with corn-writing abilities… I think that I suck… but that should be good enough. And Steph, there's more Kuvai for you. Now shut up.

Just kidding.

ja