Ancient Society: Ascension

Chapter 12: Returning home

A/N: HI! I'm back with this story! XD! In the last chapter we met Moro and her guardians Zhao Yun and Kai Yi Ping. Let's see where this meeting will lead.

Disclaimer: TurtlesandMonkeys owns Demetrie, the Ancient Society, and the Transformation virus. I am only borrowing with permission. Felix and Ebony belong to Felix the Eevee trainer. Moro belongs to Lord Nalthren. Zhao Yun and his family belong to Swack16. I own Ryoko.

-0-

A crowd of younglings gathered to greet their Elder and their new brethren. Moro smiled at seeing all the happy children and pokemon meeting the return of their elder with such joy. Ryoko was glad to be home and Felix was glad that there was no more walking involved. Ebony still shot sour looks whenever Felix looked at her. Demetrie raised his arms. "Young ones, I have returned with even more to add to our numbers. We also have a guest among us." He stood aside and gestured to Moro. "The Chronicler, Moro." All the young ones raised there arms and cheered.

Moro smiled and raised an arm to silence the cheering. "I have to say, it brings me such joy to see so many young hearts gathered here for their elder. It shows you all have respect and that is one thing that must not diminish for the coming of the promised day. I can sense that he will lead you into bold frontiers and that his devotion to the sacred laws will allow for all of us to prosper joyously into the new age." She bowed at her last line and many children continued to cheer again. She smiled. "Now run along and play, younglings."

The children began to disperse and Demetrie walked by Moro. "I must thank you for your words." He bowed. Moro smiled again. "I can sense an inner flame burning in you and I know it will only burn with the passion for the laws that you have." Demetrie nodded. "Thank you, my lady."

Ryoko watched as Demetrie talked with the woman, Moro. Ryoko couldn't help but wonder why she felt something about this woman that she couldn't place her finger on. Felix walked by her. "Hey Ryoko, me and Ebony are going to lounge by the lake, wanna come?"

Ryoko looked at him and smiled. "Thank you, that is a very kind offer, but I think I'll pass. Wouldn't want to egg her on any further." She giggled. Felix scratched his head. "Who?"

His black Espeon tackled him to the floor. "Espy Esp? (Who do you think?)

Ebony's eyes began to glow and Felix could feel a force like knuckles scratching into his head.

"All right all right!" Felix began to laugh as he rolled with his Espeon.

Moro and Demetrie began to walk back to his personal hut where Zhao Yun and Kai Yi followed. Demetrie looked to her. "So your guardians, they follow you where ever you go?" Moro smiled. "Only when I travel. We come from a land beyond the sea to reach over here and one doesn't know what to expect to encounter here, so it is better to have a window of safety." She gestured to Zhao Yun and Kai. "It is quite all right here though." She smiled at them and nodded. "Go take a brief rest and return to your families. I'm sure they are resting by the pond." Zhao Yun and Kai Yi nodded. "Yes my lady." Zhao Yun said as he bowed. Kai stepped out and Zhao Yun cast one final glance at Moro and Demetrie before stepping out. Moro chuckled. "They may watch me like a mother Speerow watches her chicks but they are truly loyal and gentle like an Arcanine."

Demetrie sat on his mat cross-legged and looked at her. "Hmm, you don't say."

Moro sat too across from him, the small fire pit between them. "Their family is among the greatest warriors ever to serve the society and with my status, I need the best."

Demetrie looked to her and reached form some wood he had laying around and placed it in the pit. Demetrie then took his Pokeball out and cranked it open to have his Vulpix come out. The little fox blinked. "Vulpix." Moro's expression seemed to change to one of recognition but soon eroded back into her warm smile. "A Vulpix, understandable." Demetrie nodded and looked to it. "If you will, ancient one." The Vulpix nodded and stepped forward and fired a small flame at the wood, the wood igniting in a soft glow.

"Thank you." Demetrie said as he reached for a ceramic kettle with water and placed it over the flames hanging off a stick that hung over the flames. The Vulpix sat by him and nuzzled him. "Vulpix vul."

Moro smiled. "So how does it feel, to be elder I mean." Demetrie closed his eyes. "Like a great task that I must accomplish with the fullest set of grace and responsibility." Moro cocked her head. "Hmm, don't you feel any joy at all?" Demetrie smirked. "Well being chosen has granted me many joys." Moro chuckled. "The boy, he carries the mark of foresight."

Demetrie stared downward. "Ah yes, the prophecy bearer." He reached for some cups near by and took out some tealeaves from an urn he kept.

"He leaves quite an impression, he was an outsider who was converted, am I not mistaken?" Moro asked. Demetrie nodded as he placed the leaves in the kettle as he lifted the top. "Yes he was an outsider. He and his black Espeon were brought here by Ryoko and we initiated him into our clan."

"Ryoko…she too was an outsider, right?" Moro asked. Demetrie kept a silence up before nodding. "Yes, I brought her here to save her life when she was poisoned in the forest." He brought the kettle out of the fire and poured the tea into small cups and bowed and presented it to Moro. Moro nodded and took the cup. "You did, has she thanked you?"

Demetrie stared at his cup. "She has known me for most of her life and I sense her respect for me."

Moro smiled. "Is that all you sense?"

Demetrie snapped from his cup. "What do you mean?" Moro smiled and took another sip.

"It's just, I think there is more that you can sense from her than just respect and gratitude."

Demetrie stared at her with confusion before looking back at his cup and taking another drink. Demetrie looked down. "Your powers of perception are very great."

Moro chuckled. "No, when you have seen what I seen, you tend to recognize these sorts of things. Any way my task is to observe and record everything, so of course I have to be a good observer. Which reminds me."

She turned around and reached into a handbag she had handy and unrolled a fresh piece of parchment. Demetrie could see other pages with writing on them sticking from the bag. Moro reached into her hair and pulled out a Pidgeotto Feather and brought out a tiny urn and removed the lid and stuck the quill inside. "Now, tell me about the procession of Elder Karu's final ceremony."

-0-

Zhao Yun and Kai Yi walked down the village and smiled when they came to a small group by the lake. A woman with black hair and a satin outfit decorated with flames stepped forward and hugged Zhao Yun and Kissed him. "Welcome back my Airen." She said as Zhao Yun smiled. "Shou Wha…" He began and looked to the young man of 17 behind her, sitting with young woman with orange reddish hair. He stepped up and bowed. "Father." Zhao Yun held Shou Wha in his arm while nodding at his son. "Shu Wei, can you place this where it belongs." He held the spear out. Shou Wei nodded. "Yes father." He took the weapon and slowly began to walk with it. He walked to his uncle Kai and took his spear too. Kai smiled at him. "Say, is that Kasumi over there? " He gestured to the girl that sat by Shu. Shu nodded with a grin. "Yes, you remember her when we were younger, do you?"

Kai chuckled. "I remember you always hunting for the right flower to give for her and getting yourself injured many times before she said decided to start seeing you." He laughed out loud while Shu's face flushed with embarrassment. Kai shook his nephew's shoulder. "Come on, at least you got her." Shu took the spears off to be properly stored while Kai walked to the pond and released a Pokeball with a water drop on it. "Ok Hikari, time for a swim." The ball erupted into a beautiful light blue pokemon with a mermaid tail and a fin around its neck. "Vaporeon vap!" she exclaimed as she dived into the water and surfaced with a joyous expression, splashing Kai with water. Kai laughed.

"Ok, here I come!" he shed his armor off and removed his boots and jumped with only his pants on into the water, splashing next to the Vaporeon. The Vaporeon laughed while Kai swam alongside it, gracefully stroking through the water with his pokemon.

Zhao Yun smiled at this and sat with his wife. "What a glorious day to live." He said to himself as he watched his brother swim and his wife rest her head against his shoulder.

"So where is lady Moro?" She asked. Zhao Yun looked to the sky while he responded. "Sitting with the new Elder Boy and possibly chronicling it in her journals."

Shou Wha ran a hand across his chest to his chin. "Well I think he seems like he'll lead just as well as Elder Karu. I've heard from some younglings here that he has so far."

Zhao Yun shrugged. "Maybe, but I think he is far to young to lead at this point in life."

Shou Wha laughed. "And how young were you before you devoted your life to the guardians?" Zhao Yun chuckled. "That was different, I didn't have to lead the village, only protect it."

Shou Wha smiled and took her Pokeball out and released an orange pokemon with yellow fur on its head and tale. "Flareon." It said. Shou Wha looked to Zhao Yun. "She wants to see her mate too." Zhao Yun smiled and took his out with a lightning bolt and flung it, a yellow pokemon with spiky fur coming out. "Jolteon Jolt!" The Flareon walked to the Jolteon and nuzzled it, purring with delight.

Zhao Yun smiled and kissed his wife on the cheek as they both watched the two pokemon show their affection for each other.

-0-

Shu had put the spears by the hut they were going to be staying at for the night. He heard someone behind him and turned to see Kasumi there with a smile.

"It will be nice to sleep in a shelter again after sleeping outside for all these days." She said. Shu Wei smiled. "Hey but least we had a good view of the stars. Remember when we were children what we would do on a clear night?" Kasumi smiled and put her hands behind her coyly. "I remember." She walked up to him slowly. "We would go to the tallest hill in the village…" She was in front of him now. "And then we'd lay side by side and count the stars..." she closed hr eyes and slowly kissed him. Shu Wei put his arm around her and was about to walk out when he stopped. "Oh, before I forget…" He walked to their bag and pulled out a small Pokeball and opened it, releasing a little brown Eevee.

"Vee." It mewed. Shou Wei smiled. "It's been a long journey, my friend. Now go along and play. I think you mother and father are with mine." The Eevee voiced its approval and put its paws on his legs and Kasumi picked it up and began to stroke its fur.

Kasumi laughed at the soft touch. "So when are you going to evolve him again?"

Shu smiled and pulled out a necklace with a brown stone. "When this changes to its proper color, then he'll mature along with me, but for now we still learn."

Kasumi smiled and stroked the Eevee some more. "In the mean time, I'll just enjoy his cute immature self." She did a playful stroke in Shu's hair. "Oh, and the Eevee too."

Shu laughed. "Not funny."

-0-

Felix was lying on his back as he stared at the clouds again with a carefree smile and Ebony was nearby stroking herself clean. Felix heard a splash and got up and met face to face with a wet Vaporeon as it began to shake itself free of water, wetting ebony and Felix in the process. Felix laughed while Ebony protested to this surprise shower. "Esp! Espeon esp esp!" She fumed as she began to shake herself dry while a young man with a headband and black hair surfaced laughing. "Ha ha! Good on Hikari!"

Felix laughed as he sat up. "Yeah, that was a good one." He motioned to pet the Vaporeon but it had already ran back into the water to join its master.

"You're one of those guardians with the lady in silver, right?" Felix asked.

The man nodded. "Yeah, Kai Yi Ping." He raised a hand from the water only to be tackled down by his Vaporeon. He surfaced again and moved the wet hair from his eyes, laughing.

"Oh, I'm Felix…bearer of something…" He said with a smile. Kai began to swim to the surface and got out of the water. Felix could see that this guy was in pretty good shape, not hulking, but definitely not frail or flabby. Felix looked down to his small gut under his shirt and looked back at Kai, feeling a little inadequate. He smiled nonetheless.

Kai sat by him as he began to dry. "Ah that was refreshing, right Hikari!" he called to his Vaporeon still in the water.

"Vap Vap! It called back with joy.

Kai settled back and saw Felix's mark on his head. "Ah, foresight. You probably can tell the future then."

Felix looked up. "Well actually I think only in my dreams. I think I get it from Ebony being near me al the time."

Kai looked to the black Espeon. "That dark Espeon over there? " Felix nodded. "Yeah, she's my only friend in all this and I am as attached to her as she is to me."

Kai chuckled. "Yeah? Well me and Hikari are the same way, right Hikari?" The Vaporeon did a flip in approval and splashed again, Ebony dodging to avoid getting wet. Kai laughed along with Felix.

Felix looked at his chest before looking at Kai again. "Um, Kai. Can I call you Kai?"

Kai nodded. Felix continued. "Have you ever had a girlfriend before?"

Kai chuckled. "Well my line of work doesn't allow for much time for that. Sure my brother got married and my nephew has one of his own, but the only companionship I need is Hikari and my duty. Besides, I have more time to train rather than worrying about picking a certain flower for my girlfriend or something. I plan for that stuff after I had a good run in being a guardian."

Felix looked at him. "But have you ever fallen in love?"

Kai stopped and looked to the side. "Once, but it didn't work out. We seemed so right for each other until soon we couldn't say I love you anymore."

Felix looked up. "Oh, she dumped you?"

"No, she underwent the rite and lost herself completely. Sure I could have had her as a pokemon but I know that she wasn't the same, so I let her go."

Felix looked down. "Oh."

Kai smiled. "However, Hikari has always had the same love for me that she had since I raised her from a little Eevee kit." He sat up.

"Plus we always have a blast competing against her brother and mine."

Felix sat up too. "Oh, what does he have?"

Kai smirked. "A Jolteon. Hikari always loved water when she was a kit so it was only natural she became a Vaporeon." Felix looked at Ebony. "Hmm, would you have liked to be another form besides an Espeon?" Ebony shook her head. "Espy Espeon esp espy. " (No, I don't want to smell like fish, I like myself the way I am.)

Felix chuckled at her comment. Kai looked at him. "What, don't tell me you knew what she said?" He asked with a grin.

Felix nodded. "Yup." Kai laughed. "So what did she say that was so funny?"

Felix grinned. "She didn't want to smell like fish."

Kai and Felix erupted into laughter while Hikari came out of the water and looked at Ebony with a scowl. "Vap!"

Kai patted her head. "Oh come on Hikari, we both know you don't smell like fish."

The Vaporeon purred her approval.

Ebony walked by Felix and gave him a slight Psybeam to his arm, which numbed it. Kai raised an eyebrow. "Um, doesn't that hurt?"

Felix just shook his head and smiled a relaxed smile. "No, that's her way of showing her affection for me."

Kai whistled. "Talk about tough love."

The boys erupted into laughter again, the pokemon joining too.

Ryoko watched this with a smile and put her hand to her heart. How sweet...the two get along so well…

She turned and saw Demetrie coming out of his hut with Moro and walking toward the lake. She felt that feeling again, like the feeling of being torn apart.

Moro walked to Kai. "Found a new friend Kai?" She asked with a gentle smile. Kai nodded. "This Felix guy is one odd guy but he's pretty ok."

Moro nodded with a laugh. "That he is." She looked to Ryoko. "And you, how are you?"

Ryoko perked up. "Oh, well I put my things back and got settled and thought I would meet some of the travelers and make them feel welcomed." Moro nodded. "I just finished recording a new chapter for the book of the Beholder."

Ryoko blinked. "The book of the…?"

Moro came to a realization and laughed. "Oh, excuse me, you must have not..." She cleared her throat. "The Book of the beholder was something I have the task of writing for all my life."

"Why?"

Moro smiled. "Why does the wind blow, why does the sun go down, why does the river flow? Because they do, and just so it is with my writing of this chronicle. Otherwise, if we don't know about important events, how will we be remembered? I write because some one has too and I am that chosen person."

Ryoko thought about it some more. Moro chuckled and placed a hand on Ryoko's shoulder. "It's quite all right, you'll understand sometime."

Ryoko nodded and Moro turned her around. "Now I'll introduce you to my Guardian's family and some of our young ones." Ryoko nodded. Demetrie was already talking with the man with black hair and Jolteon at his side.

"So you protect lady Moro with your arbiter?" he asked. Zhao Yun nodded. "That and ourselves. My family has been trained in generations in the art of self-defense."

Demetrie nodded. "Which makes you an effective guardian, correct?"

Zhao Yun nodded. "Yes. The human body can become a skilled weapon if honed properly with skill and discipline."

Demetrie looked at his own arm. "And strength?"

Zhao Yun nodded. "That is only part of it. You must have a proper balance and a set discipline to learn the arts. Strength alone can't conquer all."

Demetrie took this in and looked at Zhao Yun. "This art…what do you use it for exactly?"

Zhao Yun looked into his eyes. "We use it not only for self defense but to protect others. But it isn't just about skill and technique. It's about loyalties to ones friends, devotion to ones loves, faithfulness to yourself and your family, and a respect for all life."

Demetrie nodded and began to think with in himself. "…Can you teach me this art?"

Zhao Yun looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Teach you?"

Demetrie nodded. "I would like to grow stronger as a leader and find out myself. Can it help so in doing that?"

Zhao Yun put a hand on his shoulder. "If it's for strength alone, then you misunderstand me. But if it's to learn about the balance with in you, I will teach you the arts."

Demetrie's eyes burned with determination. "But I have something of mine that I want to protect, and you said it can aid me in protecting those that I care about."

Zhao Yun looked in his eyes. "…All right, I take you in as my apprentice."

-0-

Moro sat by a tree and wrote in her own personal diary she kept. "Today I sat with the boy Demetrie and saw my sister for the first time in years. She seems to have forgotten me completely while I have not forgotten her…"

Moro looked up and took a breath, and smiled seeing the children play with their pokemon in harmony.

"...I recorded what I should have and walked around. It makes me happy to see pokemon and humans in such harmony, may that splendor never fade…"

She looked up and saw they boy Felix rolling with his Espeon and smiled.

"The boy Felix and the girl Ryoko have my attention the most. Both were once outsiders, yet they seem so intermingled with the society as if they were born with it. Or at least that is how it appears. I can sense something in the girl about the boys Demetrie and Felix, and I could only pray to Lugia that she doesn't find herself torn in two between loves."

She looked at the setting sun and started to write her final paragraph for that time.

" The boy Demetrie strikes me as...very devoted to the sacred word, which will aid him well as elder. He is indeed blood related to me, yet I have not seen this type of fire in him among any of my kin. It makes me wonder what will be in store for him in the future. I understand Zhao Yun has taken him under his wing to teach him the arts his family knew…

Zhao Yun…"

Moro closed her book and sat up and began to walk toward her hut as a youngling ran by with a Torchick, lighting up the torches strung through out the village as night began to creep in.

-0-

And there! I liked this chapter as it brought a more lighthearted tone to this story that was greatly needed. I wanted to show more of Moro and her guardians the Pings and possibly hint where Demetrie learned some of his skills. I also touched on the subject of the Pings being very integrated with the Eevee's and their eon forms, as most of the Family has either and Eevee or an evolved Eevee. The thing with Hikari splashing Felix was a sort of reference to the actions Missy's Vaporeon did in the first story. The thing with Moro's personal Diary gives a little insight into her head. I also enjoyed writing the interaction between Felix and Kai Yi and also the discussion between Zhao Yun and Demetrie. Well, please review! Jonseycat out! MEE-YAA!