(Author's Note): I apologize for any confusion regarding what used to be "Chapter 2: Downriver Visit". I'm still trying to get used to this screwy layout. I'm almost (almost) positive as to how it works now, so hopefully this won't happen again. Here's the proper chapter.
I scampered inside the hole, eager to eat. My mom would still have to add the berries to whatever she was cooking, but the sooner I delivered the berries, the sooner lunch would be done. But when I arrived my mother looked up, startled by my sudden arrival (as are most people). I had momentarily forgotten that I was back so early.
"Oh, hi honey." She said, recovering from her momentary shock. "I didn't expect you to be back so early." Her smile became more warm and welcoming as she regained her wits. "I swear, you're getting faster every day."
"Yup!" I answered enthusiastically. I bounded over to my sister, who was just beginning to wake up. Abbey is only old enough to use very few and simple words, but she still likes to play with me. She mewed excitedly as she saw me. We spent the next hour playing around in the cozy little burrow while mom prepared lunch.
As we sat down Abbey looked curiously at her own bowl of soup. Once she discovered what it was, she began to enjoy hers noisily. My mom and I watched affectionately.
"She's growing bigger every day, isn't she?" Commented my mom. "I was thinking about taking her on her first trip outside the burrow sometime next week…"
"Aww, cool, can I come!?" I asked excitedly.
"Certainly." My mother smiled. "In the meantime, though, I've got a surprise for you…" She walked around to the other side of the burrow, and retrieved a rolled-up piece of parchment. "A Pidgey messenger came earlier today. It delivered this: It's from Aunt Tina."
Aunt Tina, needless to say is my aunt. She's still an Eevee. When I asked her why, she said she never really wanted to grow up, and even though she had gotten older and wiser, at heart she had stayed the same by remaing an Eevee. If she had sent a message, it was probably to set up a play date with my cousin.
"She was wondering if you could come over and play with Illumination." Just as I thought. Illumination is my cousin. His mom named him that because she wanted him to enlighten others with his good example. He hates the name, so he changes it every time I come over. Last time, (actually he was the one coming over here that time) he was Black Moon. He thinks it sounds cool, but I say it sounds weird.
"If you leave now, you can be there before sundown" Said my mom, smiling at my excitement. There was something about her wording that seemed wrong, though…
"Hey mom?" I asked worriedly, "Who's going to escort me?" Whenever me or Illumination go over to the others' to play, we have to be escorted by our mothers or another adult Pokemon. Our stretch of woodland is relatively safe, but bad Pokemon wander in every once in a while (actually, I was trying to sneak over to my cousin's when that Mightyena attacked me. Luckily, my mom was too busy thanking Mr. Harry to bust me for that one). Abbey can't be left alone, so mainly it was Aunt Tina's job to do this. However, my mom's wording made it sound like I was going alone. Which was impossible, of course. That was something I could do one I was older, when I was strong and brave and invincible.
"Ah, yes, about that, honey." My mom's smile grew wider, as if she was on the verge of revealing some wonderful gift. "I've talked about that to Aunt Tina, and I think that you're old enough to go over there by yourself."
For a few seconds, I just stood there, not daring to believe it. Then, with a mighty whoop, I started to run around the room, shouting as I went: "I'm going by myself! I'm going by myself! Yippee! I'm going by myself! Whoohoo! I'm going by myself…"
Abbey watched me zoom around the room curiously, mewing as though asking what all the excitement was about.
"Slow down, Honey! You're going to knock over something!" warned my mother, smiling all the same. "I still think it'd be safer if you brought a friend along, so maybe you should go find Henry, and ask him to come along."
"Double Whoohoo!" I yelled, running out the burrow without further ado. I had agreed to play with Henry anyway, so this was perfect. I found him at the prearranged site, just like we had planed. I quickly explained what was going on, and he agreed to come.
Henry doesn't have to ask permission from his parents, because he doesn't have any. He's been an orphan for as long as I can remember. Most of the time he lives in the wild alone, but especially when he was younger, he lived with woodlanders who were sympathetic towards him (which was most; even though things had gotten rougher and more lawless since the majority of my clan left, most of the woodlanders are still a happy, open, gentle bunch). I actually met him when my mom offered to watch him for a week. We've been friends ever since. He refuses to talk about his parents or how they died when I ask him about it, and eventually I decided to respect his privacy and drop it.
I realized that in my haste I had forgotten to get any supplies or even say good by, so I hurried back home (somewhat slower than usual, 'cause I had to wait for Henry) to do so. My mom gave us supplies (mainly snacks; moms are nice like that, to know exactly what you need without even telling them) in a big, blue, white polka-dotted knapsack. Then she hugged me and kissed me goodbye, and then we were on our way.
Sometimes I still think about that; the last moment in my life that I could truly be considered "normal." I wonder sometimes whether it was destiny that could be so cruel, or whether it was the work of an unconscious, uncaring universe, and that I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. But I get a feeling that it was supposed to happen. Maybe I'm cursed. Maybe if I stayed, even greater calamity would have befallen my compassionate, caring Mother, my cute, sweet little Sister, and the rest of the woodlanders.
Within a few hours, whether I liked it or not, I would start a path to great power. But with that power would come a terrible price…