He is Real

Chapter 46

Warnings: (Can't find the lemon) gore, language

*Author's Note: I feel like finishing the story today, so I guess I'll just put up the rest of the chapters.......

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Barking. Was that the noise? You didn't know, but it sounded vaguely familiar. Were you sleeping? No, it didn't feel like it. What time was it? It was still night, some how you could tell from the darkness that overlapped your eyelids, no light was trying to seep through. Why was their barking this early? The more you heard, the more you began to awaken. You groaned with protest, no, you didn't want to get up yet. But figuring that there was no way of ignoring the sounds you slowly opened your eyelids. They became half shut, the heaviness overpowering. You closed them again, slightly shifting your position. Your head was rested upon Leon's shoulder, your arm wrapped around his waist, while he had his loosely around your shoulders.

"Leon?" you whispered.

"Hm?" he answered after a moment.

"Do you hear that, or is that just me?" you asked. You both stayed in silence, listening for the noise. Soon after it was heard once again, Leon let out a breath.

"What time is it?" he wondered.

You sighed, turning from him. "I don't know." You were both half asleep, not as alarmed as you should be. Just as you were sitting up to investigate banging was heard from the door followed by shouts.

"________! Wake up! Please! Open the door!" That was Emily's voice. Completely awakened, you jumped off the bed, almost losing your footing as you unlocked and threw the door open. Emily stood there, ash marks on her face, her eyes big and watery. She was crying.

"Emily, what's the matter?" you gasped. You looked up from her, noticing Pongo running this way. Yes, it was indeed still night, but that wasn't what caught your attention. Your eyes widened as they set on the brightness of flames in the distance. The many buildings were catching the hot blaze, collapsing and turning into ash from the immense heat. "Leon!" you shouted, calling his attention to the scene, "the town's on fire!" You heard Leon cuss then the sound of his rustling.

You gazed back down to Emily, bending down to her level and placing your palms on her shoulders. "Emily, I need you to go and wake up Jessica and Luis, can you do that for me?" She nodded her head and ran to their room. You quickly stood and searched for some clothes, the fire itching ever so closer. You pulled on some light blue jeans, looking everywhere for a shirt in panic. As if on cue Leon threw you a shirt as he was adjusting his jeans. You threw the indigo blue tank top over your head, running towards your TMP. Having difficulty in strapping the holster, you growled in frustration.

Leon came up to you. "I'll strap your holster, you help with my belt," he ordered. You nodded, leaving him to strap the holster around your thigh as you worked on his belt that held the first aid sprays and grenades. You secured the buckle just as Leon finished with your holster, securing the gun. He walked towards the pile of rifles and shotguns, throwing you one. You strapped it over your shoulder, catching another one he threw. He strapped one behind his back, holding the other in his palm as he grabbed your hand, pulling you towards the exit and to the outside. The fire had traveled towards the buildings near the motel in amazing speed.

Foot steps were heard from your left. "Amigos!" Luis shouted.

"Here," Leon threw him a shotgun. You handed the rifle to Jessica.

"What the hell is going on?" she asked.

"I don't know. Emily, when did you notice the fire?" you questioned.

She frowned, afraid. "Pongo noticed it first; he kept barking and woke me up."

"You didn't leave a stove on, did you?" Luis asked. You shook your head.

"This could only mean one thing..." Leon spoke.

"Rivera," everyone had answered in unison. The flames continued to spread, becoming dangerously close, beginning to catch the roof of the motel on fire.

"We can't escape from the main route," Leon stated. Even the trees around the town were going in flames. All of you seemed to be surrounded by the orange and yellow blaze. Leon began to look around for another exit.

"I know another way," Emily said. Everyone looked towards her, her gaze now lowered from the many stares.

"Where, Emily?"

"It's a secret path that goes to an openin' of the forest," she replied.

"Show us," you told her. She nodded her head in response, her courage building up.

"It's this way!" She ran towards a direction near her grandmother's home. You took the safety off of your rifle you were given, getting ready in case Rivera's men were near. Pongo barked, running with you all. Emily stopped in front of the house, pointing towards a small alley between it and a shop. There weren't much flames invading at that precise area, but still enough for all of you to feel the heat and or even get a little burned.

"Emily, be careful," you told her as she ran into the alley. Her small size was enough to get away from the flames. You winced as you felt your shoulder brush against the fury of a flare. At the end of the alley it led into an opening of the forest, you sighed with relief as your feet hit the dirt. Emily continued to run, possibly to the opening she had told about.

"C'mon!" she shouted, gestured all of you to run a little faster. You all obeyed obediently, reaching the entrance of the opening, she instantly stopped once she was a few feet away. You all slowed down, walking towards her. The crackles of the fire far behind you could be still heard. But suddenly their was a new sound, like the disturbance of the grass.

Snickering was also heard.

"Shit!" Leon said.

You looked around, many men and woman beginning to surround you, there weapons at the ready. "No..." you snapped your head to Emily, "Emily! Get over here!" She didn't listen. She continued to gaze at the opposite direction. "Emily!" you called to her, taking a few steps but the people that surrounded you all were beginning to trap.

"Emily!" Jessica shouted with you, taking a few steps back as the Las Plagas numbers came closer. Strangely though, the Las Plagas seem to be ignoring Emily and only paying their attention to the four of you. Pongo stayed by your side, growling viciously at the enemies, his canines exposed. You began to go forward, when a hand pulled you back.

"Don't," Leon advised. His brows furrowed in worry.

"But..." you trailed off when a sickening laugh was heard, a woman's laugh. You watched as a figure stepped away from the shadows of the night, stepping in front of Emily. That ghostly skin glowed in the moon's light, those eyes giving off there own glow--at least it seemed they were. "Emily! Get away from her!" you yelled. Rivera laughed again. She stepped to Emily's side, turning the little girl around. You gasped as you gazed into her big brown eyes. No longer were they full of life and color, now they seemed dull, distance, so lifeless. "Emily...?" Still the young child didn't answer.

Rivera placed her hand on the child's head, grinning. "Heh, funny how the sight of a mere child can bring down your most powerful of barriers. She had you all fooled, even the dog didn't suspect a thing."

"What are you talking about?" Leon asked.

Rivera's grin grew wider. "Isn't Emily such a marvelous actor? Taking on the part as a young lost girl, alone and afraid.

But of course she couldn't do it without a little something added to the mix."

"What did you do to her?!" you demanded.

"My, are you that clueless? I had a parasite enter her body, shame, though, that her body is so small that the Las Plagas could not lay any eggs, but no matter. She was very useful, giving me the information I needed, your plans and hopes of destroying me. And once I heard that you were leaving the next morning, I just couldn't wait for your visit. So, I visited you all myself."

"How could you do that? To a child!" Jessica exclaimed.

"How couldn't I do it? It was the best plan I had yet. Have you all become attached to her, and then once the time is right, she leads you all to me, isn't it just wonderful?"

You narrowed your eyes dangerously. "First, my village, family and friends, and now this? I won't stand for it! Not anymore!" You lifted the rifle, aiming towards her head. "This ends now!" You put your finger to the trigger, ready to pull it back.

"_________!" Leon shouted as Rivera vanished from your sight. You gasped as she suddenly appeared in front of you, smacking the gun out of your hand. She grasped your neck pushing you hard against the truck of a tree that was only a few feet behind you. You began coughing aloud, gasping for breath.

"Maybe I'll just finish what I started with you. Enough with this happy welcoming," she gazed back at her minions.

"Attack!" Her grasp continued to tighten, your eyelids pinched shut. You could only barely hear Leon shouting your name then the sound of a bullet shot. The grip on your neck was retracted and you immediately fell to the floor, coughing out blood. Rivera stood in front of you, leaning down to grab you once again when you heard her cry out. Slowly, you opened your eyes, watching as Pongo locked his jaw against her ankle. This just couldn't be happening; everything was going fine until now.

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*Author's Note: See, finally, we get to the action! Emily was important after all, no matter how much I dislike her for having a crush on Leon, I guess she was important. Hmm, I feel like I'm over-looking a lot of errors in the rest of these chapters. If there's more than usual, I'm sorry.