Forewords: I had originally intended this writing to be in second person, this was before I read the rules and before I had the conviction to commit my inner fantasy to digital paper. Instead I propose you read this story as if it were one of your memories.
Still really sorry about the lack of quality on the first upload of this chapter. You have no idea how much it hurt for me to leave it up as long as I did. This time I went for less gore and more hopelessness, which is much more nightmarish than any murder I can think of (and I can think up some really REALLY morbid shit).
Chapter 7: Nightmare
I was walking through the familiar paths of my training grounds, hearing the crunch of gravel and dirt underneath my feet, taking in the sights and sounds of the forest as I headed towards the grasslands, I inhaled the crisp mountain air and broke from the tree line into the sea of waving grass; running my hands through the walls of dancing grass that bordered my pathway, and letting the warm sunlight fall on my face as I walked my eyes closed through the memorized passage, the familiar clink of Zaelot in his sheath comforting my ears every now and then as my feet fell on the hard earth.
I reached the clearing that I had made and sloughed off my pack, drawing Zaelot as I lay in the sun, feeling his archaic wisdom flow through me once more. We made idle conversation about what life was like for him in the Kalos region when he was human. In all honesty, I was eternally thankful that I finally had another man to speak with. While I loved talking with my girls, sometimes the difference in our genders prevented me from fully opening up and enjoying them. Plus it was nice to finally have a bit more testosterone to balance out all the estrogen.
No sooner had he finished explaining to me how he and his forces managed to defeat a much larger force and save their village, than I heard a noise and sprang up, positioning Zaelot towards where I believed it to be coming from. Off of instinct, I turned Zaelot to where his eye was able to see behind me, and he warned of a creature approaching slowly. I sprang to the side, swinging at his signal, just in time to dodge Suicune's head butt and give him a bit of a haircut, sending a large clump of his purple mane crashing to the ground with a bit of blood.
"I see you've gotten better since we last crossed paths," he said with a growl as he licked his wound.
"HA, you got lucky last time, I made a mistake that cost me our fight. Simple as that." I said, pointing Zaelot his way.
"You talk big for such a worthless piece of human trash," he growled.
"What's the matter Suicune, to afraid to call me a half-breed," I taunted, making him gulp. I looked at his feet, noticing a strange shift in his shadow… "Zaelot, did you notice something weird in his shadow?"
"Hmm, no… no I didn't… But I wasn't really looking," he said aloud in his deep metallic voice.
Suicune leered at Zaelot, "So that's how you dodged my attack… I'll have to admit, there's no way in hell that I'd be able to best you with a sentient blade by your side," he said turning to leave.
"I wouldn't advise turning your back on me Suicune. Don't think that I'm going to let you leave here with that pretty mane of yours after such a cowardly move as attacking me from behind," I warned, swinging Zaelot to create a wind that moved the grass in front of Suicune's canine face, making him stop dead in his tracks.
"You're not my target this time whelp," he said cryptically turning his head, "After all you're nothing more than a half-" He was cut short by his own yelp of pain as I sent a slash of air towards him with a mighty swing of Zaelot, slicing one of his ribbons in two.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" I asked, raising Zaelot once more. The gentle breeze stopped and I tried to dodge out of the path of what I knew came next, but it was an exercise in futility as my body was ravaged by a powerful stream of air. I was flung back, slamming into a tree. I had just managed to regain my footing when another powerful blast of air pinned me to the tree.
"See how easy you are human… I could kill you right here if I wanted… But I think I will destroy you instead," he said, turning away from me.
"And what in the name of Arceus is that supposed to mean you bastard," I said stopping him once more.
"Did you think that I wouldn't follow you… Attack you when you when and where you are most vulnerable," he said with a smirk as my eyes widened, "Oh yes that's right human, I know full well about your lodging at the Harbor Inn… I also know that you came on this little excursion alone, leaving your little harem without protection."
"You leave them out of this you icy bastard," I said, struggling against the force of the wind. He laughed and stalked off in the direction of the inn. "Zaelot go!" I shouted, dropping the possessed blade, he was able to pass through the current of air and I heard a yelp and an explosion as I dropped from the tree. I ran over to be confronted with a blood-soaked Zaelot encased in a block of ice.
He reached out to my mind, "Don't worry about me master, I'm perfectly fine… I don't feel a thing in fact, but it would take too much time to chip me out… Just GO," he shouted and I ran off using extreme speed.
I reached Lake Verity again and, instead of using my ice bridge, jumped and used my psi to carry me to the center island. I hit the ground with another burst of extreme speed and launched myself to the opposite shore, continuing my sprint. I broke through the treelike as the sky darkened with thunderclouds, and bolted into Canalave, stopping dead in my tracks as the desolate scene unfolded before my eyes.
I walked slowly, the ground spotted with potholes from various battles and the frozen, shattered remains of many a trainer and Pokèmon lay scattered about on the blood-soaked battleground that remained of this once peaceful and happy town. I walked cautiously, jumping at every sound and clap of thunder… I saw the looks of fear and pain on the faces of Suicune's victims till my eyes fell upon the shattered remains of Officer Jenny and her partner, forcing me to cover my mouth and recoil in horror. I shielded my eyes from her face as I sped past, but I was confronted with another horror when I almost ran into the frozen form of Chansey, who was kneeling next to a frozen Pokèmon and trainer… she must've been trying her best to save their lives when Suicune froze her solid for attempting to help.
I turned towards the Pokèmon Center with my eyes on the ground and felt a pang of guilt, knowing that they all died to unknowingly protect my girls… my family… to fight my battle… I looked up and saw that the Pokèmart had been completely demolished during the battle. The remains of a Steelix lay in the center of the little store. As I drew near, I spotted the clerk half crushed between the Steelix and the counter, laying on his back… His eyes were open and they stared into my soul as I passed, his teeth clenched in pain and shock, his usually happy face was caked with several tracks of dried blood. The image burned itself into my mind and I wretched, throwing up my meager breakfast. I closed my eyes but I could still see his face… Asking me 'Why?'
I stopped myself from shivering and heard Celest's roar, sighting a jet of flame shooting out of the forest. She must've been fighting with Suicune at that very moment, but even with all my girls at full strength, they only just managed to drive him away… And he was already injured when they accomplished that feat… Disregarding whatever wound Zaelot had inflicted upon him, I knew that he would be fighting with most, if not all of his strength; and now that he knew my weaknesses, I doubt that I would have been able to fight him off without Zaelot and at least two other fighters.
I passed the Pokèmart, closing the clerk's eyes with my telekinesis, and what was left of the farmer's market greeted my eyes with fresh horror. Dead bodies littered the ground along with the remains of the stalls and wares from this once prosperous market. Bags, boots, berries, and bodies alike… All piled in the wake of Suicune's vengeance… All piled onto my conscience. 'No… This is not my fault,' I thought trying to ease the pain I was feeling… But I truly believed that it was… that I brought Suicune's icy vengeance upon these innocent people… I closed my eyes and could see all the faces of the people who's deaths I had caused, staring into me with dead, unapologetic eyes. I opened my eyes when I heard Celest roar from above, telling me to hide. I dove behind and under one of the stalls just as Suicune charged out of the forest after the flying dragoness. I breathed a sigh of relief and turned my head, only to be confronted with the blank stare of a dead child. A little girl barely four years old whom had hidden underneath the same stall as me when all the killing started. She had a look of benign innocence on her face and I wept as quietly as I could till Celest managed to lead Suicune back into the forest. I closed the eyes of the child and said a quick prayer before continuing on my journey towards my girls, the smell of smoke filling my lungs as I continued onwards.
My heart sank as I once more as I saw fire spewing from a gaping hole in the Pokèmon Center… It had clearly been caught in the crossfire of someone attempting to stop Suicune's rampage, destroying much of the front face of the building. I prayed quickly that Arceus accept these innocents into her arms and when I opened my eyes I gasped in horror… Celest was falling out of the sky, one of her wings was badly torn and it looked as if Suicune had frozen her left leg. She locked eyes with me apologetically as she shed a tear of fear and pain, disappearing behind the Pokèmon Center and landing head-first with a bone-chilling crunch. I fell to my knees and clasped my hands firmly over my ears as the fatal noise bounced around inside of my head, adding a sort of music to the symphony of death and destruction that was swarming in my mind.
I snapped back to sanity as I heard my sister cry out in fear, and bolted around the Pokèmon Center, bringing the half-destroyed Harbor Inn within my sight. Suicune was limping out of the trees to the right of the inn, there was a large slash on his side that was most likely from Zaelot and it looked as if Celest had managed to scorch one of his back legs. I looked to the crumpled dragoness as I ran and instantly wished that I hadn't, she lay on the ground a meter or two away, eyes were still streaming tears of sorrow and her neck was twisted oddly, making me want to vomit once more. I looked away and ran forward, smacking face first into an invisible wall of ice, knocking me onto my ass. I shook my head and stood up, pressing myself against the frozen barrier, pounding my hands against the surface in futility. Suicune spotted me and smiled, roaring frightfully as thunder and lightning cracked the sky in the distance.
My sister picked up some of the boards from the inn with her telekinesis and used them to erect a makeshift barricade around herself and the unconscious pair of Amy and Onyx. But Suicune showed no mercy, blowing my sister and her flimsy barrier away with a powerful stream of air. I saw one of the boards knock into her head as she flew out to sea, causing her to dizzily wince in pain, fighting to stay awake. I covered my ears helplessly while I heard my little sister scream and beg for help as she struggled to stay afloat and stay conscious… Her screams faded and I sobbed loudly as Suicune laughed.
I punched the frigid barrier as hard as I could as tears of pain and loss blurred my vision. I tore through the skin on my knuckles, smearing the arctic crystalline barricade with my blood fruitlessly. Jess started punching from her side, her thick skinned knuckles and fiery punches making quick work of the ice… By the time Suicune saw the steam she had been half way through his barrier, but was unable to continue as Suicune had no intentions of letting any one of them leave alive. She cried out in pain and despair as Suicune froze her into the center of his wall, sealing her in the icy tomb that she had dug herself, her beautiful face forever twisted in pain… He made short work of the unconscious Onyx and Amy, freezing them solid with his iridescent beam before shattering their bodies with a mighty stomp.
I slid down the ice slowly, sobbing loudly as I spotted bluebell creeping up from behind him. I wanted to tell her no, wanted to scream for my fiancé to flee, but I knew that if I spoke out then she would be a goner for sure, so against my better judgment, I kept my mouth shut. Suicune flashed me a devious smile, and my eyes adjusted and transfixed upon my own reflection, realizing that he could see Bluebell sneaking up on him from behind.
I shook my head "No… No No… NO! RUN JUST RUN! RUN!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, but the ice muffled my warning… She sprang forward and he dodged her effortlessly, causing Bluebell to slam head-first into the wall of ice; snapping off her left fang at the base… The glint from the diamonds fixed in her engagement ring caught my eye as they and the fang clattered to the ground. Bluebell tried weakly to stand, having obviously put all her force into that attack, but Suicune planted his forepaw on her head, grinding it slowly into the ground. He charged an aurora beam and Bluebell locked her beautiful blue eyes with mine, and even through the ice I could hear her cry my name. I kissed the freezing wall before me to be closer to her, forcing myself to watch as she was frozen slowly from tail to head, shrieking from pain and writhing under Suicune's paw.
I wanted nothing more than to look away, then to hide my face from the hellish vision I saw before me, but I needed to be by my lover's side, locking my eyes with hers till she drew her last breath.
The ice barrier slowly faded and my soul became a hollow shell of pain and suffering. I crawled forward, gabbing hold of my Bluebell's fang and pulling it close to me, looking fondly towards the wedding that I had planned as I stared at her engagement ring… I raised to my knees and swung the dangerous incisor at Suicune limply, but he easily blocked my attack and the fang fell to the ground once more. I pounded lightly on his head, pawing at him lightly as he looked me coldly in the eyes till I broke down, burying my face in his mane, practically hugging him around the neck as I sobbed loudly and beat lightly on his back. "WHY?" I called with enough anguish in my voice to make the remaining handful of survivors, including Nurse Joy, come slowly out of hiding. I weakly grabbed a handful of his mane and continued between sobs with enough pain in my broken voice to make even Suicune shiver, "Y… You… Bas-bastard… All those innocent people… my bab… my baby sister… my fiancé… This was… was… between you and… and meeeeeeeee…."
The crowd started to cry with me, feeling the universe of pain that now filled my heart. "Let that be a lesson for you… Do NOT cross me again," he said coldly, shaking me off of his shoulders into a blubbering heap as he limped off towards lake Verity.
Nurse Joy ran over and held me in her arms in an attempt to comfort me, and I grabbed tightly onto her shoulder, crying into her breasts as I recounted he atrocities that I had witnessed: Officer Jenny… Chansey… The shopkeeper… The child… And finally the deaths of my loved ones… I wailed loudly till I heard a whimper and looked up to see Holly crawling out of the woods, her back legs had been frozen and broken off, and she looked badly beaten, but other than that she was alive.
I scrambled over to her and set her head in my lap, stroking her fur as she breathed heavily. "P… Please…" she said weakly, "The… The pain is… just too…" she winced in agony and I screamed for help.
"There's nothing I can do," Nurse Joy said, with a scoff of defeat. "The explosion at the Pokèmon Center destroyed most of our medical supplies… There's noting you can do for her now…" She continued and the crowd gasped.
I wiped my tears away and spoke painfully, fighting off my anguish, "No… No that's not true… There is one last thing that I can do for her…" At that moment, Bluebell's bejeweled fang flew into my hand and I asked Holly if she was ready. She nodded and closed her eyes, bracing herself for the pain. I Closed my own eyes and thrusted the fang downward, hearing a yelp and feeling her muscles tense and relax as the fang severed her spinal cord.
I put her head down after giving it a kiss and closing her eyes, crawling over to the now thawed Bluebell and taking her into my arms. "Arceus," I cried throwing my head back… "If you can hear me, grant me this… my… my final wish… take me instead…" I said, dropping Bluebell's corpse and positioning the fang over my heart.
Nurse Joy sprang into action and the rest of the crowed followed, all of them fighting to keep me from ending my pain as I did Holly's. "NO NO NO, JUST LET ME GO… BLUEBELL, BLUEBELL… BLUEBELL…" I cried out and felt the icy sting of a hard slap on my cheek, opening my eyes to a strange man standing over me, silhouetted by the light of an eclipsed moon…
I'm sorry that the first attempt at this chapter was such a failure… But I think I figured out why: whenever I create a character ( as I'm sure all of you have experienced) I form an emotional connection with said character on a level akin to that of a real life relationship. It actually hurts my heart to have anything bad happen to my creations like it hurts a parent to see their children struggle and fall. I wanted to shy away from the pain that my characters felt, and thusly created a dream, not a nightmare. In a nightmare, you have no control over what you see, you are at the mercy of the dream and whatever it wants to show you. So by my character torturing Suicune in the last rendition of this chapter, I was in essence handing control over to him. Subconsciously punishing Suicune for harming my characters… I still have no excuse for the evil MC scene though… That was just shit and I am sorry. I hope you enjoyed this improved rendition of the nightmare.
