"Lucario!" I looked up to see Aurora waving at me, hanging upside down from a tree with her sleek, black legs. I looked around at the dense canopy surrounding her and scowled. I never liked the forest, it is so cramped with limiting moving space. I liked it better in the mountains, but Aurora insisted that we should continue our wanderings here – besides, she had said, that we need to find something to eat. I found that as a lame excuse, because there were plenty of mountain berry bushes as we descended; I think why Aurora really wanted to come to the roofed trees was so she could fool around.
"Aurora, I do not think that looks too promising." I warned, looking at her slowly dipping down. She was loosing her grasp.
"Aurora, be careful." I said again, and Aurora finally glanced at her hold with the tree. Her glowing eyes widened, and she gasped.
"Oh no." She mumbled softly, and swung her body back onto the branch. She steadied herself, and started walking along it, smiling in self-pleasure. I rolled my eyes.
"Did you not say something about needing to pick berries?" I said. Aurora leaped higher into the dense clumps of leaves, rustling and shaking them as she went. Then there was silence.
"Aurora?" I called out, wondering where she was. No one answered, nothing but silence. I walked over to where Aurora was and peered upwards, trying to see through the shady vegetation.
"Aurora?" I called out again, becoming slightly annoyed, and surprisingly, a little worried. I placed my paws on the trunk.
"Hello!" I jumped and turned around quickly, only to find Aurora hanging upside down in front of me, our noses inches apart. I stepped back, surprised. She grinned, her paws behind her back.
"Aurora!" I scolded, "Stop playing games with me like that! Not when we are supposed to find breakfast." I thought miserably – we haven't ate last night nor this morning, and I'll have to admit I was ready to eat the entire tree Aurora was hanging from. Aurora laughed, her eyes sparkling brightly, even in the dim light.
"How about an apple? Apples are good, too." She said, and brought out an apple from behind her back, holding it out to me. Cautiously, I reached out for it.
"What's the matter? I didn't poison it, Lucario." Aurora tossed the fruit to me, and I caught it. I looked down upon the apple in my paws, guiltily. I cannot eat this in front of Aurora while she was hungry. I looked back up at her.
"What are you going to eat?" I asked slowly. Aurora tilted her head to the side, and pointed up towards the canopy. Her eyes darted back to me, her magenta eyes flickering. Whatever she was trying to tell me, I did not understand.
"You are going to eat the leaves?" I guessed lamely, shrugging. Aurora pinched her facial expression in obvious disgust.
"No, silly," she laughed, "There are more apples." She swung back up into the canopy, disappearing with the greenery. There was more rustling, and I looked up, still holding the apple in my paws. I saw a flash of red, and I quickly stepped aside before several apples came crashing down, and landed on the ground with soft "thud"s. I glanced down at the pile, and looked back upwards to see Aurora climbing down. She reached the lowest branch and she jumped, landing neatly on the forest floor. Walking over, she picked up an apple from the small pile on the ground and with one sweep, she tore a small chunk out of the savory fruit. She looked meaningfully at me, magenta ripples mixing harmoniously with flame, waiting for me to eat. The longer she stared at me, the more fear I gained from the intensity of those eyes, so I wasted no time in eating. I raised the apple in my paws and bit into it with my canines. Sweetness flooded my senses, and I closed my eyes, enjoying the satisfying taste. I pulled the apple away from my mouth, and chewed thoughtfully, thinking about how Aurora hung from the tree, presenting this fruit to me. I felt my mouth curl into a crooked smile, thinking about how amusing it was to see her dangling like that. She was brimming with pure, childish, happiness. I watched her take another bite of her apple, wondering about how amazing it was that Aurora could keep herself from breaking, could stay happy and bright even with the terrible loneliness of her past haunting her from the shadows of her heart. I blinked, seeing her look back up at me with those teardrop-shaped eyes, the fire dancing and flashing in magenta pools. I felt a shiver run up my spine, but this time, I didn't feel fear. I blinked again, contemplating why I felt different – was I happy? I never felt happy about those eyes, but what I was feeling now was very different from fear. No, it can't be happiness; happiness felt a little different than this, but they are quite similar.
"Hey, are you going to eat your apple or what?" I snapped out of my trance, and Aurora looked at me, eyebrow raised. Embarrassed, I bit sullenly out of my apple, confused with my feelings. I found myself thinking about those magenta eyes again, pausing between bites. If I thought about it in another point of view, I actually thought those stunning eyes are beautiful, unmatched by none other I have seen. They had the qualities of two majestic elements: fire and water. And the way they swirl, flicker, and dance about was so graceful, dancing with Aurora's emotions. They matched Aurora's wild grace in unique harmony.
What am I thinking? I shook my head fiercely, trying to shake out the thoughts. Those pair of eyes were frightening, the very opposite of beauty. What was I thinking? Maybe the apple had been fermented too long; maybe I should stop eating. My mind wandered back to when Aurora was hanging from the tree, smiling with the fire in her eyes dancing wildly. The way she smiled then, that characteristic half smile gave me a soft, warm feeling, seeping into my soul. I blinked in surprise; this new, warm feeling, was foreign to me, but I found myself smiling in pleasure.
What is happening to me? By now I had finished the apple, looking at the neatly trimmed core.
"Do you want another apple, Lucario?" I looked up to see Aurora, holding out another apple, eyes curved gently from her playful, half turned smile. I looked at the apple, and back up at her, shyly. Somehow, she was different, so new and unfamiliar. It was like I had never known her, but I had traveled with her for eight years already. How could this be?
It had to be the apple. I jerkily shook my head, declining the offer. Aurora frowned, and then threw the apple over her shoulder.
"Okay, if you so insist." she said, "Are you sure you don't want it?" I nodded, silently, still quite lightheaded from my thoughts.
"It's gone anyways," she shrugged casually, and then frowned again.
"Are you okay? Are you feeling well?" Aurora asked, and she reached forward and gently touched my forehead, like I do when she didn't feel well. I felt tingling in my limbs, and I couldn't breathe. My heart felt like it had transformed into a chatot and was now flapping crazily within me. No, I definitely did not feel well, but with the worried look Aurora had on her face, the way the fire dimmed low, made me think twice about what I was about to answer. I did not want her to worry, partially because I felt embarrassed about having to be cared for and partially because I did not want to put more stress onto her burdened mind.
"No, I am all right, thank you." I said softly, smiling reassuringly. Aurora pulled back her paw, and the soft weight was lifted off of my head.
"Are you sure? We can rest if you like?" she asked, her eyes searching mine for an answer. I hoped she was not reading my thoughts again, because I was thinking about her eyes again.
"No, I'm fine, Aurora, really." I confirmed, and turned to walk on. I looked back to see the female looking curiously at me, head tilted to the side.
"Are you coming?" I asked her. She blinked and sighed,
"Yes, but I was wondering what the world looked like on its side," she laughed, "I mean, I have seen it from upside-down and right-side up but not sideways." I snorted; the old Aurora was back, as amusing as ever.
~*~
As the day progressed, I felt as though I am not recovering. My breath always tightens, and my heart will not stop flapping. I was beginning to wonder if I accidentally ate something that lived inside the apple that Aurora gave me. I feel queasy at the thought of that – maybe I swallowed a silcoon by accident, and it evolved into a beautifly in my stomach; but silcoons are not that small. I watched Aurora, carefree as usual, the "beautifly" flapping horrendously. She ran around, darting through the trees, winding in and out of view. Finally, she came back to my side with no signs of being tired.
"Lucario," she said, studying my face, but I looked away – the beautifly becomes restless when I see Aurora.
"Lucario," she said again, but softer, "you have been awfully quiet lately."
"Is there something wrong with that?" I asked her, still avoiding eye contact.
"Yes," she said matter of factly, "usually you point out my mistakes, and tell me to stop fooling around, but now you are quiet." I blinked – I did not realize my silence.
"I do not want to scold you on your birthday, Aurora." I said, trying to make up for my silence.
"But you told me to stop climbing around earlier, remember?" she said, "Why are you being so quiet, now?" She had me trapped, not knowing how to answer that. I opened and closed my mouth, speechless, as Aurora looked on, demanding an explanation with her eyes.
Luckily, my saving grace came as a sound.
There was a yelp, far off, but not too far. The cry was followed shortly with crashing of leaves and branches, and turning to the epicenter of the racket, I saw a blur fall into the undergrowth. My senses, once nulled by the sweetness of the apple, was immediately sharpened, alert and keen. I stared intently at the spot where the thing had fallen into, ears pricked.
"What is it?" Aurora hissed from behind me.
"Quiet." I told her calmly, gesturing for her to keep quiet while my gaze still fixed upon that spot. I pulled an arm forward, blue wisps of aura issuing from my palms, and slowly walked forward. I hovered a paw over the disturbed, broken patch of bush, unsure of what will happen next. It was as if the whole world was holding its breath to see what will happen next. I decided not to suffocate the world, and quickly yanked away the leaves to reveal -
"AH!" Something bright and metallic rolled past me, like a disk except with an angular hole cut into it. I quickly looked back to see what it was.
"Great, you pulled off my mask!" I blinked in shock; a grumbling, navy blue ball sporting a fancy cloth on the backside pushed past me with stubby arms. I looked up to see Aurora equally shocked. The thing picked up the metallic disk and pushed it in its face, shifting it around until it turned around. It looked back at me, the mask enhancing a dignified effect. The angular cuts in the disk had a sharp slant over the thing's yellow, glowing, pupil-less eyes. I had never imagined anyone, asides Aurora, having frightening eyes, but these glared back, sharp and expressionless. They pierced through me, the same feeling when I think Aurora could see through me, but even more spine chilling. This time, I am sure it can see right through me.
Aurora had other ideas, though.
"Oh, you are really cute!" she said, laughing. The thing turned around.
"What, me?" it said, disbelief evident in the voice. As far as I could tell, it sounded young and like a male. Aurora laughed, not deterred by the stabbing glances of this creature.
"Yeah, you." she said, "What kind of pokemon are you?"
"Pokemon?" he said, "what's that?"
"Are you crazy?" Aurora asked, "Aren't you a pokemon, because you do not look like a human, either."
"I'm neither, whatever a pokemon is." he said, "Are you guys walking blue dogs or something? Oh my, this has been a really weird day." I was trying to comprehend all he said – he's not a pokemon, nor a human? If he was neither, what possibly could he be?
"Who are you?" I asked, breaking the silence. The thing looked back at me with his yellow gaze. Despite his short height, I had the impression that he was still lethal.
"My name is Mandite."
Whoo! It is hard to write in a guy's perspective, being a girl.
So Yay or Nay? Rate and Review!
As far as I am concerned, I guess I could keep this story out for a while longer. Thanks Lupyne! ^^