Chapter Thirty Three: The Living Legends
In the woods, she saw a green figure sitting alone in a clearing nearby, apparently meditating. His dark green ruff and slightly larger forearms told the Squirrage that she had found her target at last. Moving forwards, with no sound so as to keep herself hidden, she moved to stand a few feet away from her target, her golden eyes blank and impassive.
Hello, Laef, she said calmly, raising the energy sword high. Long time, no see.
She brought the blade down swiftly and met... dirt.
Allowing herself a small smile, she looked up into the nearest tree and saw the other Squirrage look down at her first with annoyance and then with mingled shock and disbelief.
Who are you? Anuvi said warily, ready to spring at the slightest sign of movement in his assailant. And what are you doing with that attack? Are you with Zula?
I dunno what the bigger shock is, the Squirrage said in a voice full of mock sorrow. That you gave such a beautiful attack such an ugly name... its name is Acciaio del Selva now. Or that, she paused for dramatic effect, the rapier in her hand giving off an unearthly hum.
Anuvi's world was about to be turned on its head by what she said next.
... you don't even recognise your only sister.
Silence seemed to smother the clearing as Anuvi struggled to find words to express his utter shock at what the attacking Squirrage had uttered.
My... sister? He finally managed to croak, his voice suddenly hoarse and distant.
Swinging the rapier around carelessly, the other Squirrage looked up calmly and said, Duh, Laef. What? The fact that I'm using your name right now doesn't prove it?
Anuvi couldn't believe it. After so long... they were finally reunited. His heart and emotions were urging him on to embrace her, yet Reason, that tiny, cold, hard voice that spoke with fact, kept him glued to the tree.
Are you Fawna? Are you really Fawna? he asked, a note of desperation in his voice. And how do you have Yaiba no Hayashi? I thought the attack was lost when Zula... wait a second... he faltered, as he stared into the other Squirrage's eyes.
Poor, foolish Laef. I wish it didn't have to come to this, but...
In the next split second, several things happened in rapid and overlapping succession: Fawna sprang up and covered the distance between herself and Anuvi in half the blink of an eye. The energy sword in her hand flashed through the leaf-strewn air towards Anuvi's torso. Anuvi, a split second too late, got blasted through the air, pure battle instinct the only thing keeping Fawna from cleaving him in two as a ribbon of green furred skin was sent flying from his side followed by a paper thin trail of blood.
Anuvi landed heavily on three paws and winced heavily as his right forepaw clutched his side, a cloud of dirt and fallen leaves blowing up around him as he went skidding back. Pulling his paw away, he stared at the puddle of crimson life that had seeped from his waist to his palm and exclaimed, Hey, what gives? You cut me!
Fawna glared back emotionlessly and said, This is a sword, idiot... If I hit you, you're bound to get hurt.
Anuvi glared back as best as he could, but fear, terror and shock clouded his mind. Fawna, his sister... no, his only family in the world, had attacked him. Without hesitation... without remorse...
He'd always known that he was fast. During the last three months or so he had spent as Sapph's first Pokémon, he had hardly ever been beaten in terms of speed. Not to mention the fact that most Pokémon didn't get up from getting hit by Yaiba no Hayashi.
Now he came face to face with another Squirrage... an equal in speed and power, especially with the Yaiba no Hayashi in her hand, and no friendly intentions in her mind.
Fawna lunged again and thrust the Acciaio del Selva straight at Anuvi's head, right between his widening eyes. Anuvi leapt out the way and up another tree, Fawna hot on his heels. Looking back, Anuvi kicked off the tree and flew backwards, flinging a salvo of Razor Leaf right back at the pursuing Warrior Pokémon, who swung her sword arm twice rapidly, slicing through the attack almost as easily as slicing through cheesecake with a hot carving knife. Thrusting her other palm forwards, a violent blast of wind roared through the trees straight for the unguarded Anuvi and caught him in the chest hard.
With a surprised grunt of pain, Anuvi was sent soaring back, crashing into and through boughs and pine needles as he hit the ground hard and rebounded for several feet, landing a short distance away from the edge of the woods and face first into a snow drift.
Pushing himself onto all fours, Anuvi peered blearily into the wide blue-visored face of a large red insect whose scarred yellow belly heaved with the pain the injury the Squirrage inflicted on him, which was partially masked by two of the Ledian's four white hands, his mouth gasping for air.
Anuvi felt his knees tremble. He felt nausea build up within his gut. This couldn't be Fawna... there was no way.
Struggling to his feet, Anuvi saw a dirty grey humanoid Pokémon a short distance off, the alabaster snow surrounding his limp body steadily getting stained with blood.
No way, Anuvi thought in horror. Not Zen, too...
The attacking Squirrage landed with a muffled thump in the now right behind him. Anuvi trembled as he turned around, his violet eyes looking deranged.
Did you do this? He asked softly, his conflicting anger and disbelief making his voice raspy.
The other Squirrage looked perfectly calm as she replied, I did.
How... why? Anuvi gasped, his mind buzzing with horror. The real Fawna would never... it must be Zula, he said, with the air of a man desperate for reasons, for excuse. You can't be Fawna... you can't be...
Sorry, the Squirrage said calmly, raising the rapier to shoulder height and smiling faintly, But my Lady Zula has never controlled my actions. The gratitude I feel for the gift of companionship and power I now experience is all that moves me forward. My Lady wants your power, Laef. All of it. And for that goal, she whispered, the hum of the Acciaio del Selva increasing in volume as she hissed. No sacrifice is too great. Not even you.
Whoa! Arcana yelled as she leapt out of the way of a large thorny vine that came slamming down on the ground where she had been a moment before.
Tora let loose a loud roar as two of the lumbering Kurbaza let loose an underhanded Thundershock attack. Returning fire (literally), Tora leapt away from a follow-up Vine Whip and touched down besides her trainer, kicking up a trail of dust in her wake.
"Sapph! There are too many of them!" Carla said hysterically as the Polyporph shrank away from the wall of fire that Tora the Therline had created. "I think we're in trouble, don't you?"
"Really? What was your first clue?" Sapph replied sarcastically, jumping out of the way of a thick, brambled root with no good intentions.
"Come on, squirt!" Zula cackled, a mass of grotesque thorns and branches growing from her scalp and fingertips. Her dirty toes had elongated into thick roots and anchored her firmly in place. This apparently didn't matter to her, seeing as the endless onslaught of living branches made any counterattack impossible. "Just give me the Squirrage and I just might let you live!"
"Go catch your own!" Sapph retorted angrily. "Arcana, Flame Wheel!"
Time ta crash and burn, hoe! The Arcanine growled, flames licking at her blood red and sable striped tiger pelt as she rushed their most bizarre foe, circular patches of fire rising from every place she placed her heavy paws. Zula laughed and wrapped three tendrils from her head into a powerful, trunk sized club spiked with thorns and swung at the fleet-footed firebrand.
Flame met thorn and neither did so well, Arcana being blown back by recoil and Zula's thorny tendrils by the sheer heat of the Flame Wheel. The Legendary Pokémon skidded back again and released another feral growl as blood began to trickle from under her creamy yellow mane and drip off the tip of her lower jaw.
Zula peered curiously at the burnt portions of her tendrils as though she had been offered an intriguing artefact to study. Then she smirked and said, "I already have, Squirt. She's hunting yours down for me. So rest assured," she added with a leer as Sapph ground his teeth in fury. "By the end of the day, your rat will be mine!"
She let out a loud cackle and Carla stared at Sapph with a mixture of horror and what looked like pity. She hardly had what anyone could call a friendly relation with the dark haired youth, but he had been willing to help her when she was in trouble, and he genuinely cared for his Pokémon.
"What kind of monster are you?" she screamed at Zula.
"Monster? Me?" Zula replied innocently. "The people who live here, sullied this beautiful face of nature with their habits and hovels, are the monsters, little girls. They drove the Pokémon who lived here into hiding in the forest whereas the whole value is for them. And for what reason?" she asked, a manic glint in her eye as she sent a sharp strafe of projectile thorns exploding from her 'hair' straight for Carla.
Sapph, without pausing to think, moved to intercept the incoming attack aimed at Carla's head and getting clipped in the shoulder in the process of pushing her to safety. "For the stupid ore they mine and sell for wealth!"
Sapph screamed and hit the dirt, clutching his shoulder in agony. Arcana swore and leapt for the oddity with all fangs and claws blazing furiously, only to be struck in the maw by the powerful limb. The large Fire type hit the ground and rolled back onto her feet quickly, sidestepping a follow-up pound by the incessant brute of a human, briefly vanishing from sight and reappearing before Sapph and Carla as Tora watched their backs, keeping the assaulting Kurbaza and Polyporph at bay.
Why you... Arcana spat out viciously, her violet eyes adopting a golden yellow hue as she charged up and fired a brilliantly bluish white stream of flame right at Zula, who waved her arms and at her unspoken command, raised a wall of thorns that served as an effective barrier against the fire due to their sheer thickness.
"That... that was a Frenzy Plant attack!" Carla gasped from Sapph's shoulder, which she was now binding with the navy blue silk scarf she wore in her golden, wavy hair to stem the flow of blood.
"Arcana, you OK?" Sapph asked frantically, barely feeling the stinging pain in his shoulder as it throbbed out of worry and adrenaline overdrive.
Arcana turned her head to the side to spit out a mass of blood and a tooth and said, Nuthin' to it, bro!
Sapph let loose a sigh of relief and said, "That's good." Glancing at his injury, he muttered, "Crud. I just got this fixed..."
"Why d'you keep helping me?" Carla muttered angrily, binding the injury as roughly as possible in her irritation. "You have no obligation to, you know!"
Glancing back at her grumpy face, he smirked slightly and said, "No reason. I guess I have a bit of a hero thing going..."
"Well, guess what, 'hero'," Zula cackled, bringing the youngsters' attention back to herself. "A squad of my Onielly are heading towards the mines on the other side of Legend Lake now. I'd give them ten minutes before they use Self Destruct and collapse the mines, trapping those greedy *******s down there for all time!"
Sapph glared at the laughing evil before them and stood up gingerly shrugging the pain off. Turning to Carla, he said, "We have to stop those Onielly. Leave Zula to Arcana and me... you handle the Kurbaza."
"Just so you know, Sapph," Carla said offhandedly, rising to her feet as well and standing back to back with the Johton trainer. "This really changes nothing. Kamren's still better than you."
"Whatever. Arcana, you ready to go?"
Homey, I was born ready to go! Arcana barked determinedly. We have ten minutes to beat this hoe, right?
"Right," Sapph agreed.
Well, then, Arcana said fiercely, feeling the spot in her mouth where she lost her tooth. Five is all ah need.
Acciaio del Selva! A loud voice called out and the bright white snow was cleaved by another arc of neon green light that narrowly missed taking Anuvi's head with it as it flashed down the mountainside, leaving a deep groove in its wake.
Anuvi, reacting on instinct, sent what felt like the fiftieth Razor Leaf at his opponent, hoping desperately to put some distance between himself and his powerful foe. Fawna retaliated by swinging the Acciaio del Selva through the air rapidly, reducing the razor edged projectiles to confetti in the blink of an eye.
Oh, come on, Laef! the female Squirrage berated in a coy voice. You'll have to do better than that! Fawna thrust her free paw out at the younger Warrior Pokémon's chest and despite the five feet of space between the two, managed to hit him with another focused blast of wind.
Forced to hock up a glob of blood, Anuvi was sent into a limp barrel roll, hitting the snowy mountainside hard and sliding back a few feet, face down.
Anuvi gasped and wheezed as the most recent injury he had sustained begun to take its toll on his already battered body.
This isn't working, he thought angrily, glaring at the silently approaching Squirrage, rapier held high. He rolled aside and to his feet at the last second to avoid getting skewered to the ground by the Essence-based attack. Leaping away, he fired off another strafe attack, but for all the good it did he might as well have screamed at her, this attack did as much as the last and was quelled the same way.
Doesn't anything stop that attack?! He grunted, back flipping away to cover behind a large, frosted boulder. I knew Yaiba no Hayashi was powerful, but...
No. Not much, Fawna replied calmly, throwing yet another straight palm at the rock and shattering it into rubble, leaving Anuvi out in the open.
Why struggle, Laef? Fawna asked curiously. It's not like you're any use to Miss Zula dead...
Then what the hell have you been trying to do all this time?
Merely incapacitate you, Fawna replied, almost as though they were having the discussion over cinnamon tea. An arm here, a leg there... you'll live.
Thanks, but I'll pass, Anuvi growled, bringing his elbows to his side and then assuming a battle ready stance by placing his right fist in his left palm, the foliage on his back beginning to whip about madly.
-Flashback-
EverWood Forest, seven months ago
Light, the latent source of life, streamed through the technicoloured canopy of autumn as a couple of Mongle leapt through the trees, one a few feet ahead of the other.
Ha! You can't catch me, sis! the leader laughed proudly, glancing back into the widening saffron eyes of his pursuer.
Laef! Watch where you're... she screamed, two syllables too late as the young Anuvi leapt headlong into an upcoming tree branch in a nearly comical fashion, his cerise eyes bugging slightly in his green face.
Urrrgh... the younger Mongle groaned before falling off the trees into a helpless thirty foot drop. While he still had a way to fall, the other Mongle grabbed him and pulled him to the safety of a lower branch, exhaling heavily with the effort of doing so after a heavy chase.
Owowowowww... that'll smart later, the male groaned, feeling the lump that had begun to blossom on his crown.
Just a bit, his sister grinned in reply. Come on, it's getting late. We'd better get going.
Aw, come on, Fawna! Laef pleaded loudly. One more game? Please?!
After a heavy exhale, Fawna smiled. Alright, Laef. But just the one...
Yay! Laef yelled. Stealth, and you're It!
With that, Laef turned tail and leapt into the whirling shades of gold and red as he ran off to find a good place to hide.
A few minutes later found the fledgling Mongle wandering into a progressively darkening part of the forest, cold and forbidding. Despite this, and the warnings the elder Squirrage of the colony about how dangerous this part of the woods were, the Mongle was cheerful that his sister wouldn't find him there.
This is the best hiding place ever! Laef exclaimed proudly, landing upon the dry ground nimbly and taking in the frightening surroundings. Fawna will never find me here!
The bad news is, kid, a deep, cackling snarl said smoothly from behind him. She never will.
Terror filled the two week young Mongle as three hulking, slobbering lupine creatures prowled out of the shadows almost as though they had been spawned from darkness itself. Their mad yellow eyes and evil, yellowing fangs bore no good will as Laef became fixated under the glare of three pairs of blood red irises.
Shaggy grey and sable fur clung to their bony forms and their dagger-like claws were ripping out of their coarsely-covered paws as they padded ever closer, one of the three laughing maniacally to himself as they closed in.
Laef's blood red eyes widened in terror as he glanced around quickly, from face to cackling, slobbering, evil face and found out why the elders said none should enter this part of the woods. Spotting an opening to the right of the leftmost Mightyena, Laef took off running like the wind, barely avoiding being the Bite Pokémon's meal by stunning it into inaction by his bold move.
But the wolves were over that quickly, and by the sound of their heavy footfalls, were gaining on the fleeing Leaf Squirrel Pokémon fast.
Laef leapt through thorn bushes, shot under roots and blazed around tree trunks, panic and exertion forcing him nearer to hyperventilation point. It was almost as though he were in a bad dream: no matter how far or how fast he ran, the Mightyena didn't let up. The colony didn't get any nearer. And he was getting more and more lost by the second.
Desperate, Laef saw an odd copse of trees whose roots had grown close together, forming a cage of sorts and leapt for it, wriggling his way in between the bars and staying as still as possible, his heart beating violently against his ribs.
The shifting sun caused the ground around him to brighten as he crouched there, shivering with fright in the dark, oddly silent clearing. Glancing to his right as light began to fill the gloomy area, Laef let loose a squeak of terror as the skull of a small forest Pokémon reminiscent to a Sentret fell into the sun beams' path. Shuffling away as quickly as possible, he pressed his back to the 'bars' of the cage, his chest rising and falling quickly.
Barely a second later, a large, black paw tore through the roots just to his left, causing to truly shriek in horror as the Mightyena found his hiding place and began to tear at the roots, eager to get to their first real meal in what seemed to be months.
Aaaah! AAAAH! Fawna, HEEELP! Laef cried as more and more of the flimsy root was ripped apart, their foul-smelling, hot breath swirling through the confined space now, making his mind reel helplessly, the thought of never seeing anyone of his colony again filling his petrified mind.
A sudden loud yelp filled the air as the trio of Bite Pokémon were sent flying sideways by something smaller and green. The figure barely stood still as it laid into the nearest Mightyena with what seemed to be a Quick Attack, sending it flying back heavily.
Snarls, howls and yells filled the air as Laef closed his eyes in fright, too scared to move as claws flashed and blood splattered on the ground within his field of vision.
Soon, the sounds of the violent melee died away and only the sound of heavy panting filled the air. Light yet purposeful steps filled the air as something came closer to the roots which Laef was counting on to protect him.
Geez, Laef. Didn't you hear the elders forbid anyone from coming here?
Laef's eyes flew open and stared into his sister's yellow ones. She looked a little ruffled, and her tail would need to regrow in a place or two, but other than that, she was purely unscathed.
Laef stared, his eyes brimming with tears of joy at the sight of his sister. Unbelief and relief were etched onto his heart as he collapsed sobbing in his sister's paws.
Fawna became a legend due to her exploits that day, and all of the colony held her in high regard, from the most venerable elder to the youngest newborn Leaf Squirrel. Since that day, Laef had struggled to be as brave, bold and carefree as his sister and looked forward to her witty remarks, caring smile and outstanding courage and compassion.
-End flashback-
Your loss, Fawna replied vaguely, studying the point of her rapier and breaking out into a full sprint, her eyes fixed on and determined to run Anuvi through.
She thrust... and met a powerful barricade of swirling leaves that forced the blade away, despite taking in about an inch of the blade first. Hurled skyward, Fawna flared out her leafy aerofoils and caught an arctic breeze as she looked down at the ball of leaves and wind.
A sliver opened up in the impenetrable sphere to reveal Anuvi's violet eye, narrowed in rage, his furry mouth a thin line.
Eat this, Anuvi whispered, raising an open palm. At once, a stream of powerful, sharpened leaves burst out of the ball and thundered towards his opponent with a mighty rustling. Fawna gasped and raised the Acciaio del Selva to chest height and barely parried the blow. Anuvi didn't even blink; he merely brought his palm down slightly, bringing the river of leaves with it.
Fawna twisted in midair and barely managed to parry the forceful leaves' second strike, the rapier in her hand, thrumming with the effort of keeping the assault at bay. Hitting the ground in a squat, she took off running to Anuvi's right, barely visible as a viridian blur despite the stark whiteness of the surrounding cliff side.
You're not escaping, Anuvi whispered, his eyes sweeping the clearing, his ears twitching, waiting for the first sign of the other Squirrage's counterattack, which was quick in coming.
Impressive Leaf Storm, Laef, Fawna said coldly, levelling her blade with the back of Anuvi's head as she crouched behind him. But you use it in too unwieldy a fashion. You need more work with that attack, little brother.
Lunging forward again, she attempted to drive the sword through the back of Anuvi's skull, but got slammed by a deluge of leaves that rained heavily from the roof of the sphere without Anuvi taking so much as a backwards glance. Fawna shrieked in pain and faded out of sight a second later, reappearing on his left; her palm ready to unleash another powerful Wind Attack at point blank range.
Anuvi closed his eyes and sighed. Fawna thrust. Anuvi moved his head backwards, allowing the forceful gale to rush past less than an inch away from his nose. Hopping out of range of an upcoming Acciaio del Selva, Anuvi landed a few feet away and opened his eyes lazily, replacing his bored look with one of anger.
Oh, Fawna said, her languid voice laced with a trace of interest. You managed to dodge it this time. You've grown.
I've faced a Pokémon with a similar attack before, Anuvi said calmly. It gets easier the more I see it.
Well, either way, Fawna said calmly. I still outclass you. I have one long range and one close combat attack. You barely have one decent long range attack now and no close range attack you can come up with can get past the Acciaio del...
She stopped abruptly as Anuvi closed the gap between them in less than a second, his shoulder first in a rushing Quick Attack.
You talk too much, Anuvi growled, ploughing into his sister's gut region as heavily as possible... only to have her fade out of sight again.
Yet another slash flashed through the air, sending Anuvi's world spinning madly out of control as he landed with a muffled crash in the snow a few feet off, courtesy of another Acciaio del Selva attack from the right.
You always were a bad listener, Laef, the real Fawna said in her drawling voice, examining the blood-laced blade. I can use Double Team too, you know. Now just stay there. The extraction doesn't hurt... much.
Staggering to his feet, Anuvi turned and decided on balance, to retreat and regroup. Half running, half stumbling, Anuvi pelted off down the mountainside as fast as he could go.
Tch, Fawna sighed, watching him go unamused. I grow weary of this, Laef.
A little girl no older than six huddled halfway down an alley in the overrun town was crying noisily. She had been separated from her mother in the mad rush to get away and had sought refuge in the darkened shadows cast by the grimy bins and overflowing skips from the angry living tomatoes.
A small purple creature lay huddled in her arms with black bruises dotting its small, polka dotted skin. Its large ears quivered as it strained to catch any sign of the attacking Pokémon that may wander down the alley towards her mistress and friend.
Don't cry, Milly, the Nidoran said wearily, looking up at the frightened girl's eyes. I won't let anything getcha, I promise!
"Oh, Nidda," Milly whimpered. "I'm scared..."
Sssh! the Nidoran hissed urgently, hopping out of the little girl's arms. Something's coming...
A rhythmic hissing did seem to be getting nearer as Nidda's barbed ears twitched, her red eyes narrowing as the sound got louder and louder. A greenish purple gas began to creep along the dirty floor towards them, an ominous sound similar to breathing now being borne on the air towards them.
Milly shivered and shuddered with every malevolent breath the unknown entity breathed, her own breathe stuck in her throat as she looked around frantically, her long light blue hair whipping around her in her panic.
Around the corner came not the angry red tomatoes, but a vegetable of a more sinister nature: what looked like large, rotting onions, pale purplish tinges underlying their paper thin folds of skin seemed to levitate through the air towards them. The gas seemed to seep from every fold in their sides and their stalks which kept them airborne and balanced. Their mean, pinpricks for eyes shone down the alley as they caught sight of possible victims and began to make their eerie way down the back street towards them.
Nidda barred her buck teeth as Milly's legs turned to jelly. She would never touch another vegetable as long as she lived if she survived this... there would be no way... no way...
Nidda released a barrage of purple needles from her back at the advancing Onielly which did little to stop the enraged, more experienced Grass types.
"Nidda, stop! Please! You'll just hurt yourself!" Milly pleaded with her faithful Pokémon frantically.
No way! Nidda said angrily. I won't let them hurt you no matter what!
They kept up their relentless march when suddenly a bluish light surrounded them, stopping them in their tracks. Nidda gaped as they were lifted bodily in the air, their rescuer appearing as a slender white Pokémon that stood a couple of feet taller than Nidda, its slender hands raised above its red horns and mop of emerald green hair.
The Kirlia lifted her prey up into the air above the rooftops of the surrounding buildings and said loudly in a misty voice, Do it now, Master Pyrrhus!
A golden white Pokémon vaulted over the stunned girl and Nidoran and landing on its four slender paws, raised its crested head and said in a low voice that sounded fairly laconic, Be consumed by the holy flames of my Fire Blast, you brainwashed denizens of the gloomy wood!
Releasing an enormous burst of brilliant red and gold flames from his slender snout and split into a five pronged kanji which points wrapped themselves around the offensive smelling Pokémon almost as though they had life of their own.
The Onielly bellowed in pain as the flames came into contact with their internal gases and caused a chain reaction which exploded into a violent show of fireworks. Soon the alley was treated to a shower of burnt and exhausted larger than life onions as two people ran up the dingy corridor towards the girl and her saviours.
"Good job, Pyrrhus," the shorter one said, placing a congratulatory palm upon the head of the nine-tailed fox Pokémon, her reddish blonde hair streaming out from under a wide brimmed hat down her back. "You're improving in leaps and bounds!"
The dark tragedy that has befallen my victims is nothing to be deemed worthy of laurel, Haley, the Ninetails called Pyrrhus responded in a voice draped in melancholy.
Do not sound so depressed, Master Pyrrhus, the Kirlia said in her misty, faraway voice. Victory was yours, you know...
"You shared the victory, Gardé," the other boy said quietly, his light brown hair ruffled by the force of the explosion. Straightening his forest green fleece, he turned to the frightened Milly and asked curtly, "Are you alright? Can you move?"
Milly nodded mutely as Haley turned towards the little girl, kindness etched in her goose grey eyes. "That was rather scary, wasn't it? Come on," she said, proffering a slender hand which Milly took gingerly after scooping up her exhausted Pokémon. "Your mom's probably worried sick."
Pulling Milly behind her, Haley turned to Rubin, who returned his newly evolved Kirlia to her pokéball, and said wearily, "Looks like that's the last of them..."
"I wouldn't breathe easily yet," Rubin said calmly, turning to run alongside Haley and Milly who rode atop Pyrrhus's back. "We're surrounded by forest and we still need to check on the miners down at the mine... there could be more of those hovering land mines around."
Haley nodded wearily and said with a bitter laugh, "Heck of a first date," loudly enough for Rubin to hear, causing a tinge of palest pink to blossom on his cheeks.
Milly gripped the smooth fur between her fingers tightly and prayed, Please, Lord of the Winds... keep my daddy and the other miners safe... Please...
True to Rubin's fears and Zula's threats, a contingent of brainwashed Onielly made their creepy way around the lake towards a rectangular shaft set low in the face of one of the numerous mountains that surrounded the valley. Their purpose was simple: reach the mine and detonate once they infiltrate it deep enough, causing a cave in and ending the lives of the hundred or so miners hard at work done the labyrinthine tunnels, oblivious to the pain and damage their village and families were suffering.
Several miles higher up the cliff face was a lowlier hole in the wall which despite its weathered and unkempt look, was held in even higher regard than the neat mine shaft so much lower below. Two weathered lianas had grown thick and strong over the myriads of years into vegetation as thick as the trees that filled the forest below. Runes were carved into the lip of the cave and a series of torches burned brightly down the wide hole for several yards, diminishing in size and brightness until they were swallowed up by the darkness within.
Deep in that shrine on the far side of the lake, a beast of tremendous power and renown had lain in its peaceful slumber, keeping silent yet watchful vigil over the inhabitants of its valley, both human and Pokémon alike.
It slept no longer.
The evil that had stolen over the Grass Pokémon of the valley had roused it...
... the darkness that had awoken their evil sides angered it...
...the reason for the creation of the oncoming army of murderous Pokémon enraged it...
...but it took the silent plea of a little girl to spur it into action.
Its white eyes opened sharply, creating pools of light that caused a blast of air to escape the cave. The advancing Onielly looked up in shock as the roaring winds sent a light shower or foot wide boulders and light snow to come tumbling down upon them.
The first wave of Onielly had barely fallen to the powerful assault of snow and stone, and another seemed to take its place instantly, their doctored purpose outweighing their will to survive.
The guardian of the valley decided to take flight and handle the situation personally. Rumbling came over the entire mountain as the previously slumbering entity burst free of its home so fast, it wasn't visible.
The only sign that anything had come out was the sudden rush of winds that seemed to carry its life within it as it swooped around the edge of the lake, creating a tremendous wave of water as it cut the surface of the water, freezing the lake over and trapping scores of Polyporph within, immobilizing them as it sped towards the Onielly, who were mere feet from the main mine shaft.
The wind scattered the Oneilly far and wide as it hit them, forcing them into unconsciousness as the crashed senselessly in the forest over a wide area. Satisfied, the being turned towards the other bank of the lake and saw the source of the Onielly's agitation, which was locked in combat with a large, tiger like Pokémon that periodically spewed fire at it. With an otherworldly cry, it sent one last furious blast of wind across the lake towards them, swooping back towards its cavernous temple to return to its slumber, the city's fate in its occupant's hands.
Ugh! Arcana yelped as it was slammed into the floor by a wildly flailing vine that had latched itself to her back ankle and hoisted her skywards a second earlier. Retaliating with fire, she was able to force off the powerful vine and roll back to her paws, panting heavily from all the scratches she had received so far.
"Sapph! We're seriously not winning here!" Carla exclaimed as the Kurbaza began closing in on the two trainers and their Pokémon.
"I know!" Sapph retorted impatiently as he dived out of the way of another wildly swinging tendril, rolling back to his feet as well. "Arcana, how's it going?"
Well... you know, Arcana said helplessly, using its outrageous speed to duck out of harm's way and getting slapped across the face by a quick follow up attack. Staggering back drunkenly, she spat out a second tooth and growled deeply. You damn lucky that was a molar, trick.
"Well, 'hero'?" Zula crowed, looking triumphant. "You give up yet?"
"No way!" Sapph retorted angrily.
"Shame," Zula replied, yet not looking sorry at all for the excuse to destroy the figurative thorn in her flesh since the Javelin incident. Raising all her thorny whips high, she said with a sense of indecent pleasure in her voice, "You're someone the world's not gonna miss mu... what the?"
Carla and Sapph turned and instantly shielded their eyes against the blast of frigid wind that swept the lake and froze the swarming Polyporh and Kurbaza solid. Even Tora, a Fire type, was reduced to shivering.
Arcana instinctively threw up a Flame Wheel to protect herself from the cold and surprisingly felt her flames double in strength and size. After getting over the initial shock of the sudden increase in her firepower, Arcana smiled a wicked smile.
Ready to end this, shorty? Arcana howled, getting juiced up, as a ball of white and blue fire welled up within her maw.
"What did you call me, you mutt?!" Zula screeched in a deranged voice. "Die!"
"Arcana, no!" Sapph bellowed in worry, rushing in to shield his Pokémon, though he was rather lacking in size to do this anymore. "Move!"
Arcana unleashed a tremendous stream of fire as Zula brought all her projections into a final, fatal strike. A second freak blast of wind came rushing in from behind Sapph and Arcana a second later and something incredible happened: Arcana's fire attack increased in range a power dramatically, swallowing up all the evil branches Zula had summoned up to attack.
The flames didn't stop there, however. Zula's eyes opened wide as she unleashed an unearthly shriek, the fire overcoming her explosively, hiding her writhing form from Sapph and Carla's sight, the latter of whom Tora had shoved aside in a last ditch attempt to protect her trainer.
"Gold, use Sandstorm!" Carla commanded, releasing a golden yellow shrew with a dry, brick-patterned hide, which whipped up a tornado of sand and rock to shield the humans from danger as the fire spread rapidly, taking out the remainder of the brainwashed Pokémon.
It took what seemed like half a minute for the flame to finally fall, revealing a sight only someone like the morbid Pyrrhus would consider vaguely beautiful: jet black roots littered the scene as flames continued to lick at the scorched earth under foot, which spread out six feet in all directions from the upturned earth that marked where Zula stood mere minutes ago.
Damn! She got away! Arcana said angrily, her purple eyes sweeping the clearing for any sign of their assailant.
As the sands dissipated, Sapph, Carla and Tora stared at the massive damage that the Arcanine had created.
"Wow," was all Carla could say.
How do I say this? Tora said faintly.
Amazing? Gold said in an awestruck voice.
Thanks, Gold, Tora replied weakly.
Sapph wordlessly surveyed the damaged surroundings, thinking as he walked towards his triumphant Pokémon: amazing what a bit of wind can do to a Fire attack. I wonder where it came from though?
"Where's Zula, Arcana?" Sapph said softly as he drew level with his large Pokémon.
Gone, Arcana replied bitterly.
Sapph sighed and said, "Hopefully, that'll be the last we see of her."
It never has been that pleasant for us has it, homey? Arcana said in her bitter voice.
Sapph sighed again and walked towards Carla, who was dusting herself off and returning Tora and Gold to their pokéballs as quickly as possible.
The male trainer stopped about three feet away from the coordinator and the tow stared at each other silently for a few minutes, each sizing the other up, wondering what to say without making the situation any more awkward.
After overcoming what seemed like a mountain of effort, Carla finally unstuck her mouth and asked, "Does this sort of thing happen often to you?"
"Yep," Sapph replied wearily.
More silence.
"Thanks," Sapph said finally.
"Don't mention it. Ever," Carla sighed, rearranging her long, wavy hair. "For the first time in my life, I can actually sympathise with Haley..."
"Not as much as I sympathise with you," Sapph shot back acidly.
The two former allies glared at each other for a few more minutes as Arcana watched nervously.
"This changes nothing between us, you know..."
"Yeah. I know," Sapph said calmly.
"Kamren is still a better trainer than you'll ever be."
Sapph smirked and turning to leave, replied, "Whatever lets you sleep at night, Princess."
"I mean it... he'll beat you into the dirt!"
"Yeah, yeah... let's go, Arcana. I want to see if Anuvi and the others are safe."
A green form leapt as nimbly as it could down the sheer cliff face, his breathing ragged and as raspy as the cold wind around him.
Anuvi finally stopped his downhill jumps behind a large boulder and leaned against the cliff face, panting heavily as blood trickled in between the fingers of his left palm that clutched his right side.
I've gotta get Zen and Crimson to the Pokémon Center, he thought desperately, staring up towards the falling sun. They won't last much longer...
Neither will you, a calm voice said on his right. Eyes widening, his head spun around only to see a flash of green light that sent him flying sideways, parallel to the mountain side, dark blood pouring from a new injury from the side of his head. He hadn't gotten far, when a dull blow seemingly wrenched his already sliced torso apart as Fawna blitzed past him and sent him skywards up and over the edge of the cliff and back onto the snowy ledge with a wide, sweeping rising kick.
Anuvi grunted with pain for what seemed to be the umpteenth time that day as he landed and skidded through the snowy ground towards the edge of a gorge through which the arctic wind howled and whistled. Lacerations that glowed neon green covered his entire body and purple bruises dotted his chest and head where he had been hit by Fawna's bizarre wind attack.
The offending Squirrage in question was marching down the slope slowly, with heady purpose. She had her target cornered. He wasn't going anywhere.
Be at rest, Laef, Fawna said calmly. Lady Zula will purge you of the darkness within you. She will take the evil power left in you into herself, she said, glancing down at the sword that hummed and glowed within her hand, granting you freedom from its curse.
Anuvi dragged himself to his feet, his whole body shivering with a combination of pain and cold, rage at the injustice of the situation made him think of nothing but beating the senselessness that this faker of a sister kept uttering.
Shut up, you fake, Anuvi whispered. Charging the other Warrior Pokémon blindly he screamed above the roar of the wind, Stop talking with her voice!
Anuvi pulled back his fist and roared with rage as he thrust it at his opponent's face. His opponent didn't even flinch; she simply turned on the spot and let the angered Squirrage pass her harmlessly. She then raised her knee sharply and caught the Squirrage hard in the ribs, causing him to cry out with pain and his feet to part company with the ground.
Her left forepaw opened up and shot another blast of air into the back of Anuvi's head, sending him slamming into the ground and sliding back down to the edge of the gorge.
Anuvi forced his forelegs to push him up on his stomach, glaring at the Squirrage he refused to believe was his sister. She looked back impassively and without emotion sent the Acciaio del Selva flashing across his face, adding a fresh thin scar under his left eye to join the rest of his injuries and sending him into a lifeless sprawl across the snowy ridge.
The female Squirrage beheld her prey with her golden eyes and covered the distance between them as slowly and deliberately as possible. Anuvi heard her every step, curled up in the snow and breathing irregularly. He struggled, sought furiously the strength to get up and keep fighting. But none came.
None came.
Fawna brought the energy rapier to her hip and placing her other paw at her waist, looked up a little mournfully and began to seemingly speak to herself, If it were any other... any other Squirrage... this would not be up for debate. I'm truly sorry, Oh-nii...
She looked down and kicked her brother onto his back remorselessly, sending his head hanging limply over the edge. Sighing again, she brought the Acciaio del Selva to her little brother's chest, where his heart lay, pumping furiously, determined to drum out its allotted beats in the seconds left, and said, but this is... the end.
She reared up a little, the sword humming loudly as Anuvi opened one eye blearily, pleading and disbelief etched deep into his eye. Just as she was about to pin Anuvi to the arctic ground, she froze; an expression of pain and disbelief on her face as she clutched at her chest with her free hand. The Acciaio del Selva disappeared with a bright burst of green energy into a thousand pinpricks of light which seemed to dance around her as her eyes flashed once and the irises changed from yellow to purest purple.
She fell backwards and landed on her back painfully, her breath coming out in gasps as she lay beside her brother.
Coughing heavily, Anuvi forced himself to his knees and glanced back at the fallen Squirrage and saw not the monster that had cut down his friends, assaulted him ruthlessly, nor the being that had pledged loyalty to the Team Shadow captain. He saw the gentility in the widening, tearing eyes as their owner recognized him.
L-Laef...? she croaked, her heart going into spasms. Is... is that you?
Anuvi crawled slowly towards the dying Squirrage and nodded silently.
Oh, Laef, Fawna gasped. What is this place? What are we doing here? And what happened to you? she gasped, her eyes widening slightly as they saw Anuvi's scars.
You don't remember? Anuvi whispered, his eyes wide as he realised who he was talking to.
It was me, wasn't it?
Anuvi shook his head furiously, but Fawna smiled and said, It's OK. I figured I did you those injuries. No one else is here, after all...
As Fawna shook her head, Anuvi scooped her up in his arms and said, It's OK. It doesn't matter. Let's get you to some... he faltered as Fawna gripped his upper arm apprehensively.
No, Lae... I'm sorry, Fawna said gently. That can't be your name now, can it?
It's Anuvi, the younger Squirrage said softly, knowing why his sister stopped him, and deciding, as all Squirrage did, to respect her wishes.
'Anuvi', hunh? his sister said with a small smile. That sounds like a nice name. Is your trainer good to you?
Uh, huh... was all Anuvi could mutter without breaking down.
Good, Fawna mumbled, her heart skipping beats erratically. Other... wise... I'd have... to... kick his... butt... for bullying... my... little brother...
The last of his resistance to refrain from crying crumbling away, he croaked, Fawna, I really wish we had more time to catch up... to remember...
Ssh, Fawna silenced him gently. This... this is... O... K. After all, you... do know... what Ma... and Pa... t-told us... when we were... young...
Yeah... 'It's never goodbye', Anuvi stuttered as rivers of sorrow cascaded down his green cheeks.
Ex... actly, Fawna slurred, the light fading from her eyes. I'll... always... be with... you. Anytime... any... where...
And with a last tender smile, Fawna bowed her pointed face and moved on to a place where Anuvi's anguished screams could not follow.
Zula crawled along the moss strewn forest path, desperate for power.
"Where is that damned Squirrage with the last of Eowmad?" she hissed, dragging herself past tree trunk after gnarled tree trunk. "Even a little's all I need. I'll just cycle it and live on... forever!"
She paused in her movements when a rustling came from behind her. Turning slowly, she saw two pairs of eyes bloom out of the darkness towards her, one a sunset yellow, the other a burning red.
"Who's there?" Zula hissed vehemently. "Show yourselves!"
In answer to her demands, the tall, slim woman and her lanky canine Pokémon stepped out from the shadows and onto the path.
Upon recognizing them, Zula's face relaxed into a sort of pained grimace as she grinned, "Vulca? Long time no see, my friend..."
"Lord Theologos wishes to know the reason for your absence, Zula," Vulca said with no emotion at all as her devil hound snarled, almost as though impatient to receive its orders. "And depending on your answer, what happens next could be... severe."
"Listen, girlfriend," Zula said calmly, yet weakly. "I'm weakened here, and need to rest. Give me a hand, and I'll let you rule with me once I have Eowmad's power in my grasp..."
"I'm sorry, Zula," Vulca said impassively, a sudden breeze sweeping the path and ruffling the hem of her crimson flamenco dress. "I have already pledged my allegiance to the one who is truly destined to be ruler of this world. And now that I have your answer, I'm sorry to say this is where our paths must diverge."
"Vulca, wait!" Zula said frantically. "Just hear me out! We can rule together!"
"My apologies, my friend," Vulca said laconically. "I'm a follower, not a leader. Houndoom, Rescind."
The Houndoom stepped forwards, black fire welling up within its blood red maw. As Zula struggled in vain to run, she let loose her last, unearthly scream as the flames were released upon her and engulfed her, causing her to burst into unquenchable flame.
As the last of Zula's piteous screams reduced to silent nothingness, her former partner turned away from the smouldering cadaver and lifted her wrist upon which what seemed to be a single golden hoop was placed. Speaking into it, she said, "Mission accomplished, my Lord..."
Night had fallen on the snowy mountainside where Fawna had passed away. After bringing back his allies barely alive, Anuvi had slipped away back to the secluded ledge to retrieve her body.
Sapph had asked no questions; no one did. They figured he'd tell them if he was ready. When he was ready to tell them.
They told him, as his family, he could tell them anything.
Anuvi, you can tell us anything. You know that right?
Crimson...
Yeah, homey. Lay ya troubles on us...
Arcana...
Affirmative, Lieutenant. You have our counsel should you need it...
Ace...
Look, what happened there happened. Dealing with crap on your own doesn't make you strong, Anuvi. You're going to spill, because I know better than to leave it 'til later. Numbing pain only makes it worse when you do feel it. Just let it out soon, OK? You don't want to be like I was. It sucks...
Zen...
You don't have to do it alone,
Anii. Please let us help...
Lavender...
"We may not be Mongle, Squirrage, or Warrel, Anuvi. But when we're together, we're your family. We share our problems. Don't forget that we're here for you... you're never alone, OK?"
Don't forget...
...family...
...never alone...
Anuvi was touched by their words of comfort, of support. But no words would bring her back... bring him back.
...never alone...
...it's never goodbye...
As these words came to mind, the last ones uttered by his sister swam to the surface...
Ex... actly, Fawna slurred, the light fading from her eyes. I'll... always... be with... you. Anytime... any... where...
His body heaved with silent sobs as he carried her into the forest where their 'reunion' had occurred, and in the solitude of the trees set about burying her.
Covering the grave with the final handful of dirt, Anuvi knelt before the grave and trembled fiercely, tears spilling freely down his scarred snout and onto the ground below, memories of their lives together, of her lilting, happy voice, of the last loved one he'd lost...
For as the darkness consumed his and the grave he'd dug, he swore on the graves of his family - his mother... his father... his sister – to never hold another close again.
To never love again...
For if love caused him such grief again...
... he didn't think he'd be able to find the strength to live.