The sun was high in the sky when we finally reached Nokto's village. It was hot and I loved it. The sun's warmth was soothing to me and I had always been self conscious about my fur being too pale. Walking around in the sun all day might finally give my fur the shade of red I'd been hoping for. Even though the sun's comforting presence was there, I was still uneasy about going to see Nokto and I was unsure if he would be willing to help us. We were all standing before his village, debating if we should just walk in or not.

"Do we have a plan," Theresa asked, turning to me.

"Uhm... well, no," I admitted. "I don't think we should just walk right in, it might be construed as disrespectful, you know? But, at the same time, I don't know what else to do.."

"You've been here before, right?"

"Well, yeah, but I wasn't really invited. I was brought here because I had injuries, like Chance was. Just because I've been here, doesn't mean I have the right to come and go as I please," I told her.

Jack interrupted by saying," But you were close with this Mightyena, yes? Nooko?"

"Nokto," I corrected him,"...yes, I suppose we were friends," I glanced over at Chance who was sitting there silently.

"Then, you must go in and find him. You know him and if you've been here before, then you have more of a right then all of us," he stated.

"That still doesn't mean that I-.."

"Shh," Chance said, his face serious and his ears perked and alert. "Someone is coming," he turned behind us and sure enough, a figure was approaching from the distance. As far as I could tell, the figure wasn't human, but pokemon. It was approaching quickly, like it was running straight for us. Chance and Jack took charge and stood in front of Teresa and I, blocking us from the charging beast.

"It's a Mightyena," I tell them. What had Nokto said? They were seriously territorial or something. And here we all were just standing right in front of there village in the middle of the day. Shit. "Guys, we have to play this right. I mean, Mightyena are really serious about their territory, maybe we shouldn't be taking up battle stances since there is literally a whole tribe right behind us."

"We can't be sure yet, Violet," Chance spoke with a growl, ready to fight," We need to be ready for anything."

"You can't exactly fight with a neck injury," I retorted," Especially since it happened from fighting a Mightyena!"

When the Mightyena was about 100 meters away, it stopped running and walked toward us with it's head held high. It didn't rush toward us, but sauntered casually, when it was close enough it barked. It's a warning. Chance returned the bark, it wasn't threatening or intimidating, just a bark.

Once I could see the Mightyena's face I could tell it was a female with her long eyelashes and trimmed claws. She walked closer and spoke out but not in pokemon, in the native language that Nokto's mother had spoken. Chance glanced over to Jack, who had a puzzled expression on his face. I rolled my eyes and walked out from behind Chance, slowly so I wouldn't seem like a threat. Chance growled at me, telling me to stay behind him but I walked out farther.

"Hello," I spoke loudly but calmly. "We don't speak your native language. Do you know basic pokemon?"

She remained silent, her eyes were glowing intently at me, but I wasn't sure if I was threatening or not. She made no indication that she knew what I was saying, but I continued anyway," We mean no harm to you or your tribe. I know that you do not like outsiders, but I have been here before."

Her ears perked up slightly when she heard that, then she turned her gaze to my cast. "Yes," I said," Yes, I was given a cast for my leg and my friend here was given a bandage for his neck," and with that she turned to look behind me at Chance's brace. She understands.

"I am here as a friend," I emphasized 'friend'. " I know Nokto, and I-" when I said his name her gaze snapped back to me and her eyes were flaring with ferocity.

"Violet...," Chance spoke softly," Get behind me."

"No.. no I can do this. Nokto? Do you know him?," I asked addressing her again.

She lifted her lips, showing me her fangs, growling. She crotched down and her fur flattened against her body. Her eyes were so bright I could barely look at her, she looked like she was about to pounce on me when she spoke," It's you." Her voice was surprising pleasant, like a happy song, but her tone was off putting.

"Excuse me," I squeaked, slightly terrified of her now that she had finally spoken.

"You. You are that Vulpix. The one Nokto rescued," She growled through her bared teeth.

"Yes! Yes, that's me!" I said excitedly smiling. She knows me. Good. She will know I mean no harm.

"Why did you come here? You are not welcome. Leave!," She demanded loudly.

I drew back slightly," But, wait. Wait, I just have to see Nokto and ask-"

"No! You may not see him," She barked, " He does not wish to see you! Leave, Now!"

"Violet, maybe we should just go," Jack suggested in a quiet voice. "We obviously aren't wanted here," he came up behind me pulling him backward.

"Wait, no! No! Not yet! No!," I broke free and turned back to face the Mightyena," How do you know he doesn't want to see me?"

She sneered," Why would he wish to see you! You think you're that special, Vulpix. So high and mighty! So arrogant! Leave now, before I call my pack!"

Wow, that's harsh, You don't even know me! Who does she think she is?! Maybe Nokto does want to see me! Nokto was right, his pack really hates outsiders. WAIT! "Tusma?," I ask suspiciously looking at her closely. Nokto and her did look very similar, but on the other hand, all the Mightyena had the same features.

She shot straight up, her eyes were blazing with anger. I thought she was going to charge at me and claw my eyes out, but instead she tilted her head back and let out a long slow howl that rang through the air.

"VIOLET! NOW!," Chance called desperately and I turn and ran toward them as best I could with the cast. Together we all were running through the trees away from the path and away from the consistent howling. The sound was growing, more and more Mightyena were howling in harmony, the noise was now in front of us and behind us, there was no escape.

I heard a growl and the snap of jaws to my right, I turned to see a Mightyena running along side us, snapping at me through the trees. There is no way out of this. We are going to die! I couldn't run anymore, my ankle was sending shooting pains up my leg and slowly I started to fall behind the others as they ran through the trees. I tripped over the root of a tree and fell to the ground, knowing that I was going to die, I hoped that the others would escape safely. Run! Run, get away. Save yourselves! Save yourself, Chance.

My face was still in the dirt when I heard Theresa yell my name. My leg was agonizing and the sound of running was overwhelming, I felt like I was being suffocated by everything that was happening. When I looked up, surprised I hadn't been ripped apart,I saw that Chance, Jack, and Theresa were surrounding me, but weren't facing me. I struggled to get up, the pain was excruciating. All this running and falling can not be good for my ankle, I thought.

When I finally stood up, my legs quivered, but I locked my knees to prevent myself from falling again. I looked around and a gasp escaped me, because we were surrounded by Mightyena. It looked like they went on forever in every direction, all there eyes were fixed on us. They stared unblinkingly, with their fangs bared, some growling loudly. Saliva was dripping from one's mouth and his eyes were crazy, he seemed very hungry to me.

"Chance..." my voice was shaky and scared. He didn't respond, but he was snarling loudly at the pokemon around us.

This is how we die. Mightyena!? I never would have guessed that this would be the way it happened. This is all my fault. I did this. We should have just left when Tusma told us to. I should have listened. To her, to Jack... and to Chance.

"Chance, I love you."