FSE

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This child suffers. All the ones he loved were taken from him, and none came to help him. Yet I hate him and he hates me. Why am I the only one to return then? Why do the ones who love him abandon him? It is because hatred all to often grows from love. I am the same way. I prefer it this way. The gods themselves cannot change it. The souls have always been conflicted things, but there is nothing to be done about it. The conflict intrigues them.

Moss awoke to the sound of sirens. The sirens that promised a military strike. His heart nearly froze with fear as they howled in the darkness. It simply wasn't possible. Isis nearly fell out of the bed from surprise.

"What's going on?" She asked sleepily.

Moss hopped from the bed and quickly threw on his clothes, seeming rather frantic.

"It's not possible..." He muttered. "This can't happen."

"Moss, are you alright?" Isis asked with concern. "What's happening?"

She stood behind him and put a paw on his back.

He looked to her with fear. "Those are the evacuation alarms. War has been declared."

Shock was visible in her eyes. "You mean... We have to evacuate?"

He nodded as he finished tightening his belt. "Would you go to my room and get Qagan and Teya? They won't know where to go, get on the fourth convoy, second bus. I'll meet you there once I get my debriefing." He put on his glasses.

She nodded, still looking a bit unnerved. "Okay. I'll wait for you, but try to be quick." She pleaded.

He buttoned up his shirt and grabbed her paws. "It won't be long. I'm not considered essential to military operations. Just be ready when I get there." He pulled her in and gave her a deep kiss. Once it broke he smiled a grim smile. "Now hurry, we don't have much time."

Chapter 1

A Swift Debriefing

He made his way into the hallway with Isis in toe. They split up at the front of the building, taking their separate paths. The alarms still rang out through the darkness. The intercoms shot on and started to give orders.

"All military personnel please report to active duty stations, further orders will be given by a field commander. Prepare anti-aircraft defenses and prepare for combat."

Pretty standard stuff for war. Most people had probably forgotten by now that this instillation was primarily for military projects. It had been so quiet since the last war ended, it was comparable to a civilian area. Up until now anyway.

People were walking out on the streets in a daze as he made his way to the head office. Some people began to make a fuss as military personnel made their way through the streets.

"All non-essential personnel: please pack important belongings and make your way to your assigned convoy. Any resistance will be met with arrest and seizure of property." The intercoms ordered.

Keldan would know what's going on, hopefully this wasn't what that women had talked about. Whoever she was, she knew this was going to happen.

The office door was just up ahead. Two men were standing at the entrance. Neither of them attempted to stop him as he entered. The office was empty as he made his way to the desk and sat down. Keldan was on his way. He wouldn't have to wait very long to discuss his duties from here on out. The professor made his way in after a couple minutes. He looked sleepy and frantic, an odd combination.

His eyes fell on Moss. "Oh, right..." He said as if suddenly remembering why he would be here. "C'mon then. We don't have much time!" Moss got up and stood before his desk.

"I thought there wouldn't be such a rush. War has just been declared. Have they prepared already?" Moss asked.

The professor cocked an eyebrow and laughed grimly. "Well it appears our Assembled counterparts have been preparing for months. We've been watching them and hoped the cross-hairs wouldn't be placed on us. I guess the corpses on our border didn't help."

Moss pondered that for a moment. "You mean they've already started the attack?"

"Yes. It appears we're the only ones on the border who weren't bombed. They will try and take this facility whole. Reinforcements are on the way, but the Assembled will be here first."

It... had already claimed lives. This was going to get bad.

"So what do you need me to do?" Moss queried.

Keldan was frantically filling out paperwork. "I need you to take the Pokemon out of here and continue your work in Alpha. It's their only hope for now."

"What? You can't be serious! You need all the able bodies you can get, give me a gun and a post. I'll help defend us!" Moss fumed.

The Professor gave him a pleading look. "I need you to do this, Ryan. You are their leader. I need you to look after them because no one else will!" Moss was taken aback for a moment. Keldan's eyes showed a great guilt. "I couldn't do it... I do not trust anyone else. Please don't let them down for my sake."

Moss was taken aback for a moment. "Okay... I will take them. But what about Alex?"

"He'll be fine. I'll make sure of it. Now get going, we have no time to discuss this any further."

He stood grimly and snapped a casual salute. "Yes sir!" He said confidently before walking out of the room hurriedly.

Keldan watched him leave with a troubled look in his eye. "This is it..." He whispered. "This is what my work gets me..." He continued writing in his notes. Feeling what would ultimately happen, but refusing to let himself stop.

Chapter 2

One of Two

Isis made her way to Moss' room. She had been there a number of times for a formal dinner and to talk with him. She had always been friends with him after Qagan went to live on his own. She had once thought she was nothing more than a replacement to Moss, to fill a hole that Qagan had left empty. She knew better than that now, she was never a replacement.

The hallways were scrambling with activity, a big difference from the usual silence that usually haunted them. People ran in circles carrying suitcases and bags. All of them seemed panicked as they brushed by her hurriedly. She found his door and was surprised to see it was already cracked open. No one else seemed to notice in their haste. She walked into the room and looked around seeing only a Charmeleon sitting on the couch, looking confused and frightened.

"Teya? Is Qagan here?" Isis asked rushing over to her.

Teya shook her head. Looking a bit confused at her sudden entrance. "He said he had to go get something..."

She sounded unsure. Isis looked through the small apartment, nothing hinting to where he went. She returned to where Teya waited. "Look... he'll probably meet us at the Evac station, we need to get going."

The racket in the hallway prevented a long silence, but Teya was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "No... He said he would be back. I'm going to wait."

Isis thought for a moment. Qagan didn't seem one to lie, especially to one he obviously cared for. "Alright, I'll wait with you. But once the guards sweep through here we need to leave. Whether or not he's here."

Isis sat on the couch and stared at the door along with Teya for a long while.

"Um... Have we met?" Teya asked, looking at Isis curiously.

Isis nearly forgot that she hadn't actually met Teya yet. The reports made it so Isis had an extensive knowledge of this little Char. Yet she barged right in and started speaking to her like they had met before.

"Oh... No. Excuse me. My name is Isis and I'm a friend of Moss." She said with a friendly smile. "He asked me to come here and direct you two to our bus."

Teya returned a nervous smile. "A bus?"

Isis laughed. "Yes, it will take us from here to a more stable location. It's a human vehicle."

"Is something bad happening? Why do we need to leave?"

Isis thought for a moment, trying to think of a way to put it simply. "The humans are having trouble understanding each other... So they're resorting to infighting to solve their problems." All that was putting it lightly.

Teya sighed. "So they're going to kill each other... My parents always told me of the fighting that Humans do."

Isis had nearly forgotten about the blunt nature of the Char. They never were ones to hide behind pretty words. "Yes. So any of us who are considered non-essential to fighting are being removed from the border."

"Is Qagan going to be made to fight?" Teya asked.

"No." Isis replied simply. "He's not technically considered part of our operations, as such he cannot be forced to fight."

"What about Moss? Can he be forced to fight?"

Isis paused for a second. Indeed he could be forced to, but with his new position it was unlikely. "Yes, they could get him to be a soldier."

Teya's eyes were sorrowful as they both sat in silence. Alarms still blared outside and many people were yelling in the hallway.

The phone on the kitchen wall began to ring. Isis stood up and went to answer it. The caller ID just said: Cell. She picked it up. "Hello?"

"Isis!" It was Moss. "Is Qagan and Teya there?"

"Um... Just Teya. She said Qagan had to go get something."

Moss was silent for several moments. "Damnit! Alright, bring Teya to the Evacuation area. I'll be waiting for you both there."

"But what about Qagan?" Isis asked. Teya looked to her with a worried expression.

"Don't worry about it... Just get Teya and come here would you? We need to leave! Qagan will know where we are." He sounded unsure but his tone was demanding.

"Alright. We'll be there in a couple minutes." Isis put the phone on the hook and looked to Teya. "Time to go."

Chapter 3

Submission

Moss pressed the end button on his phone and slipped it into his pocket. He was walking out of the building in haste. Only one thing was bothering him.

You can't afford to wait. The voice in his head was feminine and familiar. He left long ago. You must protect her... They are coming.

Moss pondered her words for a moment. I will not leave him. I don't care who's coming. He thought back, wondering if he was going mad.

The crowd around him seemed frantic to get to their buses. People pushed, shoved and screamed. Making a bigger scene than necessary. Pokemon kept quiet and moved to their positions respectively. He admired such diligence that Humans seemed to lack. It sickened him to think that they had the nerve to look down on Pokemon, but such was the world.

He's not coming back. The voice stated simply.

He dismissed it. Continuing his hurried pace in silence as the rabble made it's way past him. He'll be back. Teya's still here and his brothers. Nothing could stop him. He thought with a grin.

There is one thing. Moss stopped walking in shock. People brushed passed him as a sudden realization hit him. Death...

Isis was holding Teya's hand as they made their way to the fourth convoy's second bus. Some people were being loaded into it, so far there were no Pokemon aboard it. Moss wasn't there yet either.

Isis sighed. "Oh, dear."

Teya watched the crowd of humans shuffle about. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

Isis gave her a wary grin. "They're going to have a fit if we try to get on..."

Teya tilted her head curiously. "Why?"

"These people are ones who don't look favorably on our objective." Isis explained. "We are not their equals."

"Qagan said that the Humans here treated Pokemon fairly."

Isis chuckled at her naivety. "Not all of them. But most of the worst ones seem to be here... Bad luck."

"So now what?" Teya queried.

"We'll wait for Moss. No reason to make them uncomfortable." Isis said with disdain. Teya released her grip on Isis' paw and walked forward. "Wait, what are you doing?" Isis started after her.

She walked up to one of the guards directing the people to their designated buses. "Excuse me?" She asked. Isis stood nervously behind her.

The guard turned and looked down at the Charmeleon that spoke to him. "Oh, um, yes. The Pokemon buses are over there." He gestured over to a crowd of Pokemon being loaded on to buses.

"Our friend is expecting us on this one." Teya stated. The guard looked confused, he likely didn't understand what she was staying.

"Just over there." He gestured again to the same area. Some people stopped to stare at the two conversing to each other. Isis stood nervously behind Teya, this looked like it was going to become a scene.

"We need to get on." Teya replied.

"Ugh..." The man shrugged and turned from them. "Colonel! I need you over here."

Isis recognized the one he was calling to immediately. It was hard to mistake him for someone else. He was a tall and somewhat older man with a large mustache that curled upwards at the end. His hair was black with a growing number of gray strands and a near permanent grin just under his facial hair. His body was thin and covered in modern armor. His face was square and cut with a modest chin. His name is Jim Lossinger

"Isis?" He came to a halt next to his subordinate. His voice was always light and cheery, along with sounding a bit seasoned. "Why aren't you with the others?"

"Moss wanted me on this one." She replied swiftly. "I don't want to cause any trouble for you."

The colonel patted the guard on the shoulder and waved him off. "No trouble. It's just, these aren't the kind of people to... tolerate." He explained, twisting the end of his mustache with a friendly grin. "However, as long as..."

"You can't seriously be considering letting them on!" One man said. Isis recognized him too. A man named Les Iqeren. He was a large man with regular civilian clothes. He eyed the two Pokemon with disgust. His cheeks were fat along with the rest of him. His thin glasses covering his squinted eyes.

"They're with Moss. So they are entitled to ride with us should they so wish." Jim remarked, looking to the man. "You are entitled to your opinion, that is all."

"Well, I refuse to ride with them! So make them go with their other friends!" Les demanded, growing red in the face.

Jim sighed and stepped to the side. "You two may board. Just don't antagonize anyone." He suggested as he waved them on.

"No! I refuse!" Les yelled as he stood in front of the door. Determinedly blocking the Pokemon from entering. Some cheers could be heard from inside the bus and the line of Humans waiting. Isis frowned and Teya looked confused.

"Les! Stop this at once!" Jim exclaimed. Trying to push him to the side.

"Bah! I'm no military dog Colonel! I will not bow to the will of one Pokemon sympathizer! Make him ride with the Pokemon!" He resisted Jim's attempts to move him.. "I will not endure the smell of animals all the way to Sedra!" Cultivating more cheers from the people around him.

"Les... Just be reasonable. They are here on the orders of..."

"Myself!" Everyone turned to see Moss approaching with an angry expression. Wearing his usual business clothes.

Les swallowed audibly but stood his ground. "You cannot force us to suffer your will, Moss!" Les spat. "We do not want to ride with them!"

Moss Stopped in front of Les and looked down onto him in fury. "Do not forget why you are here Les!" He yelled. "I am sick and tired of your damned bitching! You will show respect to them or you will be terminated from your position!"

Les' face twisted in anger. "Fuck you! I am not..." He was cut off by a backhand across his cheek. He stumbled but was caught by the collar of his shirt. The next blow was a fist, knocking loose one of his teeth as he fell to the ground. Isis gasped in surprise along with Teya. Everyone else fell dead silent as blood drooled from Les' mouth.

"Get him out of my sight, Colonel." Moss ordered. "Anyone else have concerns about integration?" He asked, eyeing the crowd carefully. "I thought you were all better than to cheer this fool on. The Pokemon will be joining us, so get used to it." He turned to Teya and Isis and gestured to the door as Les was dragged away. "Get in." He said.

The Pokemon walked in and moved to find an empty seat.

"That was... Interesting." Jim said with a smile. "You didn't have to be so brutal, you know."

Moss shook his head. "Yes, I did. They are getting more bold in their defiance of the new way. They need to know that they cannot keep their delusions of superiority. Make Les take one of the Pokemon buses. Maybe that will lighten his mood." Moss turned and walked onto the bus. "Sorry about the trouble, Jim."

Jim chuckled and twisted his mustache playfully. "No trouble at all. See you in Sedra!"

Moss sat next to Isis and Teya. The others tried their best to ignore the fact that Pokemon were on board. Soon the evacuation would begin, then war would be dominating the thoughts of all. As always, war would be accompanied by death.