~¤*¤~¤*¤~¤*¤~¤*¤~¤*¤~¤*¤~ Part VII ~¤*¤~¤*¤~¤*¤~¤*¤~¤*¤~¤*¤~ 1. Midnight ~¤*¤~¤*¤~¤*¤~¤*¤~¤*¤~¤*¤~ Part VIII As the pack is hit by confusion
I think i've already lost you
i think your already gone
i think im finally scared now
you think im weak, but i think your wrong
i think you're already leaving
feels like your hand is on the door
i thought this place was an empire
now im relaxed
i can't be sure
if you're gone- maybe it's time to come home
there's an awful lot of breathing room
but i can hardly move
if you're gone- baby you need to come home
there's a little bit of something me
in everything in you ~ Matchbox Twenty, When Your Gone
Pokémon all around honored Nero's death, the death of a kind, golden hearted Umbreon. The Vaporeon especially, remembering his kind acts of help when the first merge was on, and how him and some of the well known Umbreon had sacrificed themselves for their Eeveeloution brothers. Aqua, the Vaporeon leader, even traveled down to Moonlight Meadow, accompanied by a few of the Vaporeon to help Brass sort out some details.
Ebony was in recoil. Nothing Viola, Midnight or Ray said could get Ebony out of her little shell. She just sat there, concealed in her own wistful world, not shedding a tear, not eating, not talking, not even playing chasing through out the Earth Forest anymore. She was loosing weight.
"Midnight, now what do we do?" Ray whined his impatient self taking control. He had given up on flirting with Viola, seeing Viola was becoming a good friend, not somebody who he'd want for a mate.
Midnight pawed at the ground. "I don't know. We've tried [I]everything![/I]"
Viola sighed. "We can't just give up now. We've got to try and get Ebony well again. How are we going to keep off the Houndoom otherwise?"
Ray sighed and lay down, resting his head on his paws. Viola moved some of the dirt with her paw, not in the mood to talk. Midnight frowned in thought. Looking up, Viola saw Midnight thinking hard.
"What's up Midnight?" Viola asked.
"Before he died…" Midnight began, thinking hard. "Nero said something, in Umbreon. I don't know much of Umbreon myself, its better to ask the seniors about Umbreon, but I could understand these words; Alliance connecting Eefi with Heruga's colony… after that he spoke he kinda gave a long howl in Umbreon that basically said, This is not the end of just me."
"What does he mean?" Viola questioned, tilting her head.
"Eefi and Heruga are both Japanese," Ray informed them. "I'm starved. Up for a bit of hunting? You know its HootHoot season now."
"Midnight?" Viola asked. Midnight shook his head.
"I'm not that hungry, you two go ahead," Midnight replied. Viola looked at him, as if to ask if he was okay, but Midnight wouldn't look her in the eye. She rubbed her head against his shoulder as a little way of saying goodbye and left with Ray.
Midnight sighed and decided to take a walk. The Espeon and Umbreon merge couldn't be good could it? And how would Midnight learn to translate Japanese into English? The silent Umbreon didn't know, he just knew that he would have to find out, before the colony was in danger.
***
Ebony was still alone.
What can I do? I cant go on without Gramps.. That message! "Umbaroo Umb Reon!" What was it? It must have meant something.. Ebony thought. I've got to do something…but what?
Ebony racked her brains to think of something to keep her busy. That wouldn't really involve seeing Midnight, Viola and Ray.
". Uuumm Bree Umb On OnUmbree." Those were Gramps last words. What did they mean? Ebony questioned herself. They mean something… Eefi is in there, Eefi meaning Espeon… Heruga was there too, I heard it. Heruga meaning Hound-something. Most probably Houndoom. Alliance and connection was there too. Alliance Espeon connection Houndoom? The Espeon have an alliance, connecting them and the Houndoom?
"I've got to warn Midnight!" Ebony cried. She dashed away from her little spot, going as fast as her legs would run. Dashing through the long silvery blades of grass, which came up to her shoulders, the moonlight guiding her path around Moonlight Meadow.
Turning her head from left to right, Ebony ran, the moonbeams shining down. Sprinting, dashing, fleeing, no matter how you describe it, Ebony was basically running to get help and advice and to warn her best friend of the terrible danger they were all in.
Ebony suddenly smashed headlong into another Umbreon, both falling over and rolling a bit through the grass. Sitting up and shaking her head from the fall to rid herself of the slight dizziness, Ebony looked over at the other Umbreon.
Brass stood up; trying to look as dignified as an Umbreon can with bits of grass and dirt through its fur, and looked coldly down his nose at Ebony, who was still half tangled. Ebony let her gaze match Brass' dark eyes, and felt a bit intimidated.
"What a surprise. Ebony," Brass commented.
"I wasn't expecting to run into you either Brass," Ebony replied coolly, matching Brass' comment.
"It's such a surprise to see you out again, this time not depressed," Brass stated.
"It's such a surprise," Ebony mimicked in a high voice. She returned her voice to normal. "Such a surprise," she scoffed. "And it's such a surprise to see the moon rise."
"Ooh, sarcasm," Brass taunted. "I'm so scared."
"What do you want Brass?" Ebony demanded, narrowing her eyes and glaring.
"The same thing every Umbreon wants," Brass answered.
Ebony lifted herself off the ground, angered. "Yeah, right. All you want is power. You're a greedy power hungry good for nothing Umbreon that can't even respect people with hearts!" Ebony began to raise her voice.
"Come now Ebony," Brass told Ebony, softness in his voice. "Why are you blaming it on me? Think about it. All Nero wished for you was that you would be safe and not fall into the paws of the Houndoom. That is what he wished for all of us, but you especially. He got worried when you rescued Ray from the Houndoom, but wished to keep his mouth shut. He loved you Ebony, and what did you do? Just keep on worrying him by 'living life on the edge'. He died from stress, worrying. Now, what worried him?"
Ebony froze. Such talk about Nero, her respected and loved Grandfather was horrible, unacceptable. Yet Ebony being the smart pokémon she was, knew what Brass was leading at. She widened her eyes in fear, praying for Brass to quit the tormenting talking, her pupils shrinking. Brass saw the pleads of mercy in her eyes and smiled, a dark smile that totally washed away all kindness that Ebony once upon a time saw in him.
"Yes Ebony. It's true."
Ebony took a step back, the older and larger Umbreon taking a step forward, towering over her menacingly. Ebony cowered down as Brass paced past Ebony, watching with pleasure, with enjoyment showing up in the back of his eyes. Watching how scared he could make Ebony become by saying those three words.
"It's your fault. Ebony, it's all your fault."
Ebony held the gaze of Brass, trying to swallow her fear, trying desperately to make the tears brewing in her eyes go away. Trying not to face what she saw as the truth.
It can't be my fault.
"Oh yes Ebony, if you hadn't have run off so much, maybe there wouldn't have been so much stress."
I won't accept it! It can't be my fault!
"Face the truth Ebony." Brass had begun to pace again. "Where would we be now if Nero were still here? What do you think would be happening if you hadn't killed him?"
It's not true! It's not true!
"You can run from it. Or you can face it. The facts remain the same. It's YOUR fault he's dead! If it wasn't for you then he'd still be alive! Do you deny it?"
[I]It's not true! It's not true… It must be true… What have I done?[/I]
"Then your guilty!" Brass declared. It was too much for Ebony. She ran, around Brass and into the Earth Forest, not in search of Midnight any more, but just in search of reconciliation.
She wanted to know it wasn't her fault. She [I]believed[/I] it to be her fault, but she needed to somebody, just one somebody, to tell her she was free of guilt. That it wasn't her fault. That she was innocent.
She finally came to a stop, by a calm lake in a small clearing of Earth Forest. Staring down into her reflection, a tear plonked into the water, sending ripples that broke the mirrored view of land. Lying down, Ebony sobbed herself to sleep.
2. MistyDeeDee
3. Part 8
4. MistyDeeDee@aol.com
5. Gen
You had your man your fan but not forever
You should have let him
You should have let him getaway
But your pride made you ride on this slide by his side to his lies
Seemed like forever
What would you give to getaway ~ Getaway, Train
Midnight paced around, trying to think up of a solution. Ebony wouldn't really help him, she was still upset, Viola and Ray were out hunting, Nero was dead now, what could he do?
Suddenly, Midnight stopped. He remembered once when he was a pup he ran into the human city, Boulder, and went walk about and crept into a building with lots of books. Seeing that he was older now, and could read human writing, Midnight figured that Boulder wasn't far from here and started to jog there.
***
Violetta strided from side to side, watching over the young Houndour, who so desperately wanted to become like Chain, fight, and conquer.
"What do you think Chain?" Violetta asked. "They seem like tough fighters."
"We have little time left," Chain responded. "The Umbreon will soon figure out the secret alliance connecting Houndoom with Espeon. That may not happen. Tomorrow night, we attack. So tonight all preparations must be made."
"Chain sir, what would happen if the Umbreon beat us?" Inferno suddenly questioned, his mouth getting in the way with stupid questions.
Chain lifted a paw and slashed at Inferno's head, leaving a small gash in his cheek, which began to drip with crimson blood. "Fool," Chain growled. "You see, the Umbreon have merged with the Espeon. The Espeon will be fighting on our side. Violetta will see to that."
"All Espeon aside from my useless daughter," Violetta nodded.
"So with that, the Umbreon have no chance," Chain finished.
"Sire, what if the Umbreon find out?" Kala questioned. "There are possible ways that some connections could prove that they may actually know."
"Even if they did prepare they would not be able to beat us," Violetta answered. "We always have the upper hand."
***
"You can defiantly not hunt," Viola laughed, as Ray leapt for the HootHoot chick, and landed in the dirt, sliding on his nose.
"And you can?" Ray retorted, embarrassed that he was a failure at hunting.
"Watch me," Viola gloated. She crept down low, almost hidden in the grass, her indigo eyes alert and watching. Hearing a HootHoot cry, Viola waited, and in the blink of an eye pounced, taking down the HootHoot. It turned out to be a full grown, a tough fighter, and the HootHoot began struggling to get free.
Viola surrounded herself with a purple aura and the HootHoot winced in pain. Viola suddenly ripped her teeth into the HootHoot, and began feasting. Ray looked on in awe.
'That is how you hunt" Viola grinned, licking her lips.
"You shouldn't have done that," a voice said.
Viola and Ray looked up into the leafy canvas ahead, trying to see where the voice came from.
"I have information, so you won't kill me now will you?" the voice asked.
"We won't kill you if you show yourself," Viola finally answered. Ray too scared to even move his mouth.
"Fine then," the voice agreed. Out of the roof of leaves flew a large silvery bird, with a bit of red on its wings. It landed, and was big standing perched next to Ray and Viola. Getting site of the grayish silver bird, Ray gasped and backed up so fast he tripped over his own legs and did a small tangled roly-poly. The bird smiled, laughing inside, as it watched the two Eeveeloutions.
"You're a… a…" Viola stuttered.
"Yes I am a Skarmory," the Skarmory finished for her. "But I have not come to eat you two. I have something that might come in handy. You know that the Espeon and Umbreon have merged. Yes you would actually, seeing you are with the Umbreon pack after all. Hmm, oh yes, you see, I've got this riddle, I was sworn to secrecy by the Council of Flight not to tell you the exact details Lugia was picking up but I am allowed to give you some type of riddle to help you along, because the Houndoom are coming and all."
"They ARE?!" Ray panicked.
"I shouldn't have said that," Skarmory sighed. "Anyway, solve this.
There will always be the illusion
That help is on the way
When you realise that the help is there
Then you can fight even and fair
And win the war your way"
"Well that's real simple," Viola scoffed. "How on earth will we solve that?"
"When the time comes I guess you will be able to do that," Skarmory shrugged. "Anyway, I got to be off, my flock needs me. Toodles." Lifting his great steel wings, Skarmory flapped a few times then flew with style up and out of the forest and out of sight.
***
Staring down into the crystal reflection, Ebony sobbed, tears rolling down her shadowy cheeks and landing into the water, shattering the mirror image. Ebony sighed, and rest her head on her paws. Why did it have to be like this?
She so badly wanted Nero alive again, it was all her fault and she just wanted to say sorry for the death she had caused.
Staring into her reflection, another tear landed this one pure and full of heart and soul, not just the regular saltiness. As it landed the ripple lines wavered Ebony's reflection, and Ebony suddenly stared hard into the water. The ripples were changing Ebony's image into the image of Nero, her grandfather.
Ebony gasped. She had longed to see his face one last time and now she was seeing it, instead of her own reflection. Did she really look that much like Nero?
"Ebony," a familiar voice called. Looking up from the lake, Ebony came face to face with a blinding light, surrounding Nero.
"Gramps!" Ebony cried with delight.
"Ebony, believe in yourself, it is not your fault," Nero spoke, his voice distant. Ebony took a step forward. "You must go back and face the Houndoom. You know you can do it. Assemble your friends and fight, for freedom. Otherwise you will be enslaved."
"Gramps, how can I do this? It was all my fault!" Ebony sobbed. She stepped into the pond, and took another step towards him. Slipping on some mossy rocks, Ebony fell down into the water, soaking her fur to the bone. She got up, her fur dripping, and stared up at Nero.
"It was not your fault, you must fight for your freedom," Nero responded, suddenly distorting, the light fading him. Seeing that, Ebony started to run through the pond as best as she could, leaping from rocks to go after Nero. "Fight for freedom," Nero repeated, and then the light shone once more, wiping Nero's image.
Ebony stood up. She knew what to do. Gather friends and family to fight by her side against the Houndoom and Violetta. Brass may not be on her side but as long as he was against the Houndoom then he would fight with them, to regain power. Brass was just like Chain and Violetta, a power hungry beast that needed to be removed from the rest of them.