Chapter 2:

Icy Heart

The Fire Sage entered a very thick grove on Mount Moon.

"Hello, old friend," a shiny Umbreon approached the Ninetales.

"Hello, Nyx," Ninetales muttered. "I must speak to the Night Sage. Where is she?"

"I can't say that I know."

"What do you mean?"

"She has announced that she is stepping down today, and hasn't told us who is taking her place. I just hope she doesn't choose that Murkrow…stupid thing can't do anything but suck up…"

"Nyx…" the Ninetales started.

"I know, Azar, I just want to make sure that she doesn't make a mistake. I'm very attached to my job as the Night Sage's apprentice, and I want the new one to know what he or she is doing."

"Nila is not a young Absol anymore," Azar muttered. "She deserves to retire and accept the title of Elder Sage."

"I'll take you to her."

The Night Sage, an Absol known as Nila, resided in a small cave in the side of Mount Moon. She was almost asleep when Azar approached, but she slowly stood up, and approached her old friend.

"Azar, it's been too long," she greeted kindly.

"Nila," he said simply. "I'm not going to waste your time."

"What is it?"

"It's about Aura."

"Thank you, Nyx," Nila nodded towards the Umbreon.

"I'll go and get you some herbs, then," he politely nodded back, and ran off.

Alone, Nila turned back to Azar.

"Aura? That Lucario in our area? The crazy one?"

Azar simply nodded.

"What about her?"

"I cast the spell we discussed the last time, and followed it."

"And?"

"It worked. I found him."

"Who was it?"

"The Chosen One."

"Lugia's?"

"Yes."

"Well," Nila sighed. "It appears I chose a very bad time to retire…"

Azar sighed.

"Aura," Nila went on, "is still feral, isn't she?"

"She will rarely approach another. She'll be kind towards injured Pokémon, and towards me. Other Pokémon, she still avoids, or views as prey. She hasn't seen a human since at least the day I met her, as far as I know."

"In other words, yes," Nila thought out loud.

"We know that the Chosen One must travel to every Sage's territory, and collect the Orbs of the Elements that we guard, in order to bring about the Age of Hope, according to prophecy. What if, when he comes towards the Fire Orb or the Night Orb, Aura spots him? We both know she's sworn to kill any and every human she sees. If she kills him, it will be disaster for all of us…the entire world could suffer."

"Then, if he must come, you could disguise him."

"How?"

Nila was silent. A plan was already forming in her mind, one better than disguise….

"What are you going to do?"

"What the Night Sage should do: I'm going to await the Chosen One…and I won't step down until the Orb of the Dark Element is safely in his grasp."

"That's very comforting," Azar said sincerely.

"What do you think of Nyx? Think he's Sage material?"

"He's hard-working, loyal, intelligent, wiser than any of us know, and determined. I have no doubts. If only I could pick an heir so easily…."

"Be safe, for Mew's sake," Nila called after Azar, as he started to walk away.

"You too, Nila," he called back.

Ho-oh watch over us all, Nila thought. And, give Aura the strength of heart to give love one last chance. Protect the Chosen One, yes. But, help Aura, too.

…

Aura had no desire to be helped in any way. She only wanted to be left alone; to live out the rest of her shattered life in peace.

She held the limp, lifeless body of a Magikarp in her paws, eating it in large bites, without chewing.

"Puh," she spat out a bone. "Freakin' bastard," she growled at the Water Pokémon she was eating. "Trying to kill me…after all the respect I showed you, thanking you for your life and all that jazz. And then you put me through hell? Arceus-damn!"

"You shouldn't talk like that," Azar walked up to her from behind.

"Arceus-damn!" Aura repeated. "You scared me!"

"We need to talk," the Fire Sage muttered. "You've lived out here for three years now. I never pressed this matter, because I thought it was too…hard for you to talk about. But, something has come up, and I can wait no longer. Why are you here?"

"Well, you see," the Lucario spat, "what happens is when a male senses that-"

"You know what I mean!" Azar snapped. "Why did you come to this place to live? Why were you so injured? How? And, what is the reason you hate humans so much?"

"I just did," she growled. "I just was. I just do!"

"Aura…" Azar said calmly. "How did you get that name?"

"Lucario are Aura Pokémon. End of story."

"Why won't you talk to me?"

"I simply don't want to, damn it! Leave me the hell alone!"

"Aura…I want to be your friend."

"Maybe I don't want friends…"

The Lucario tossed the remainder of the Magikarp aside, and stormed off. Azar sniffed at it, looked around, and swallowed what was left in one bite.

"Oh, Legends help her…" Azar muttered. "God and Arceus both give her the strength to give the Chosen One a chance…or at least protect him from her."

Aura lived in a small abandoned shed in the woods, deep in the mountains to the north of Pewter City. She slept in a nest made of the pelts of certain kinds of Pokémon she hunted for food. With few exceptions-like the Magikarp earlier-Aura rarely ever wasted even a bone of her prey, treating each life she took with the deepest respect of any hunter. Bones lay in a pile in one corner. She used them to make darts and arrowheads and spearheads. On one wall, there was a fireplace-unused since the last frost-with a blood-stained pearl necklace hanging from it's mantle. In another corner, she had piles of various things, from Elemental Stones to crystals to books to herbs to junk. In the middle of the floor lay an old, torn and ripped gray blanket and some of the bone arrowheads and spearheads, thread, and wood shafts. She sat down there, and pulled the blanket around herself, but didn't feel like working on her weapons, which were not for hunting. No, she would not hunt Pokémon with weapons. That kind of death was reserved for humans, which she hated beyond anything else in existence.

Tonight, however, she simply sat under her blanket, still stained with her own blood after three years, and sat staring at the blood-stained pearl necklace. She reached out and touched it.

"How could you…betray me…like that?"

That night, Aura cried herself to sleep.