FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

---

And this is the last update for now. I haven't gotten to work on the next chapter yet, and as I've mentioned before, I'm busy with other projects. I'll get to it as soon as I can. I'm sorry if my author's notes aren't characteristic enough, I'm being rushed. In another chapter or two, things kick off and the fun parts of the story can begin. Hooray! But, for now, waiting seems to be the only course of action. Enjoy the read!

Chapter 4: Hero

Another uneventful day at school. Somehow, I managed to stay awake and the teacher was impressed, if not a little suspicious.

After class was over, Jace and Ruby had left, saying that they had to help their parents out with... something. I can't remember right now.

Celia had left a little while ago, claiming that she needed to take an herbs lesson with Kris. She had offered me to join her,but I knew enough about potions and cures to keep me alive, so I politely declined.

Christian went off not long after, saying that his mother would be worried or something of the like. I told him that I understood and he walked off without another word.

The only ones left in the field now were me and a few of my... admirers.

It was hard to rest with the girls watching me, and I knew they were watching me because every time I would crack an eye open and look their way, they would immediately advert their gazes and pretend that they weren't staring at me intently only a few seconds ago. The moment my eye closed and I settled myself, the hushed giggles and whispers started up.

I sighed and somehow managed to tune out the girls. I needed to sleep, now.

---

It's quiet. The trees around me are eerie and foreboding. There's a path. I don't know where it leads, but it feels... important. As I started to walk, something inside of me stirred. Whether it did in anticipation or fear, I didn't know.

The shadows are still. Silent, and unmoving, but it feels as if they want me. It feels as if they want to grab me and hold me in the darkness. Hold me down until I stop thrashing and can no longer see. Until I choke on the ever surrounding mass that is the dark of this even darker forest. Until I become theirs.

I ignore the feelings that tell me to run away from this place. Because I have to follow the path that leads to... somewhere. Somewhere important. If I turn back now, then the shadows will have me. I will become their slave and they will use me for whatever they want. I won't let it happen. It's bad and frightening to think about what they have in store for me.

I continue to walk, the shadows reaching out to me, trying to grab any part of me and drag me down. They can't reach beyond the path, though. It is safe on the path. The path that leads to somewhere important.

I see a faint, blue light shining ahead of me. I start to run, eager to get into the light. The shadows notice my increase in speed and they seem to panic. They try even harder to grab me, and the path that I've been walking on slowly becomes more narrow by the second. Then I start to panic, running even faster as the shadows lick the edge of my path of safety, their smokey tendrils slowly start to pour in.

The light grows ever closer and the path is barley as wide as my tail. One of the shadows brushes against me and at that moment I feel every negative feeling in the world. Pain, misery, want, anger, torment, agony, depression, loss, despair, grief, spite, loneliness, regret ... I recoil in fear.

The light is close. I jump into it just as the shadows crash into the path, swallowing it up in the darkness like they wanted to do with me. The trees disappeared, the path is gone. Everything beyond the light is dark. A complete pitch black that I'm sure has no end. I turn away from the darkness, frightened by what I can't see.

I'm in a clearing. A moon shines overhead, bathing the surrounding area in a smooth, bright, blue light that gives off a mystical feeling. There are stars too. Millions of them shine down on me, making me feel insignificant.

There's a body of water that shines with a silver glow. I feel compelled to walk over to it. Looking into the crystalline liquid, I see another figure. His fur is as black as the midnight sky. His eyes are a deep, smooth, blood-red color. Several rings adorn his body, the one on his forehead glowing deeply with a pale, luminescent yellow.

I sat there, watching, waiting for the Umbreon to do anything, say anything. He stayed there, staring at me confusedly.

I guess I have to do something. I waved a paw over the water right over his face. He mirrored my movement.

"Hello?" The Umbreon spoke at the same time as me.

And then I realized the answer. It was a reflection. My reflection. The Umbreon in the water was... was me.

I slowly reached down into the lake to touch the smooth, clear liquid. Maybe something would happen if I was to disturb the image. As my paw neared the surface, I expected to feel the cool, wetness that was known as water. But when I touched the reflection, I felt another paw... his paw... my paw.

I gasped and sharply drew back. He copied me. I blinked at the Umbreon in the water... blinked at myself. His face expression changed from one of confusion to one of amusement. "Ren."

My heart almost stopped beating.

The Umbreon laughed. "Do not be afraid, Ren. I am you, after all."

"B-but you... I haven't evolved yet. I-I don't understand-"

" Don't understand, then. Just accept it. All I want is to help you. But in order for that to happen, I need your trust and cooperation. Can I have your trust? Will you accept me?" His voice was smooth, like ice. But it carried a hint of danger in it. Every one of my common senses was screaming at me to get away from the Umbreon. Because he was dangerous. Because he was worse than the shadows. But he sounded so nice, he offered me help. I don't know what for, but everybody needs a little help now and again.

I nodded slowly, staring at the Umbreon's eyes in a sort of daze. They seemed to shine with a hidden knowledge. He smiled. "Good, very good. But now I need you to do one thing for me."

"What's that?" I ask, transfixed by the Umbreon's gaze.

" Wake up."

"What?"

" Wake up, Ren. Please, for the love of the gods, WAKE UP!

---

"Hmm?"

"Ren, Ren! Get the hell up!"

I opened my eyes and blinked away the drowsiness. Jace was standing over me, a worried look plastered on his face. "Oh, hey Jace," I yawned. "What's up?"

"Dude, Ruby's in danger! She needs your help!" Without bothering to explain anything else, he turned and made a mad dash for the woods.

"Jace?"

"Come on, Man. Hurry the hell up!" He called over his shoulder

I got up and rushed after him. "Jace, this had better not be a joke! Because I swear, if it is, then you're coming out of this without a throat!"

He didn't seem to be bothered by my threat, but instead kept running as if he hadn't heard me in the first place. The forest flew by us in flashes of greens and browns. Everything seemed to blend in with itself to make one big blur that was supposed to be grass and trees and shrubs and dirt.

We had been running for what seemed like hours, but the hours were just minutes. I had trouble keeping up with Jace, he seemed make turns at every possible second. Not to mention that he was fast. And I mean FAST. Considering he was in training to be a Jolteon, it made sense that his speed would be exceptional.

I was beginning to question whether or not Jace actually knew where he was going before an earsplitting cry penetrated the blur that was the forest around us. I've never heard Ruby scream before, but there was no mistaking it. That was her.

"Ruby!"

"Jace, over here!" She sounded close. I started to run in the direction I thought I heard her voice come from. In my haste, I somehow managed to dash past Jace.

"Ren, stop!" Stop? But I had to help Ruby. Isn't that what he called me for? And now he wants me to stop? Ignoring Jace, I sped up, trying to get to Ruby as fast as I could.

Noticing I wasn't going to pay him any attention, Jace jumped on my back, sending us tumbling to the ground. I felt my fur drag along the dirt, collecting any amount of dust and grime the forest floor had to offer. We came to a stop and I turned to look over my shoulder at Jace, who was sitting on my back, catching his breath after sprinting for so long.

"Jace, what the hell!?"

"Look." He pointed directly in front of me, seemingly breathless while doing so.

I turned to look where he was pointing and saw that the ground just fell away. Had I kept running for a few more seconds, I would have fallen off the edge and probably killed myself. I stared in shock, wondering how I hadn't noticed it before.

Another scream resounded throughout the area. It seemed to be coming from just over the ledge. "Ruby!"

"Ren?" her voice sounded surprised, yet hopeful, carrying an undertone of fear within in.

I pushed Jace off of me and looked over the ledge. The fall wasn't as bad as thought. It wouldn't kill you, but it would definitely hurt if you weren't careful.

Ruby was at the bottom in a wide, circular area. She was backed up against the curved wall with her paw held close to her chest. She had probably hurt it in the fall. She was looking up at me. I saw the fear in her eyes and was instantly frightened for the both of us. But I also saw a relief. I saw a hope.

I took the chance to scan the area around her, looking for any signs of a potential threat. I saw nothing apart from some rocks, a tree, a couple of boulders, and a lot of dirt. I then thought that it all was a joke, that they would plant this false sense of fear within me just to get a laugh. It hurt me even more to know that Ruby was in on it. I prepared to turn around and rip out Jace's throat when one of the rocks moved.

The rocks in the area shifted and I realized that they were connected to each other to form a snake-like body. Looking closer, I saw that there were a pair of eyes on the biggest boulder. It was a pokémon, that was for sure, but I've never seen any one like it before.

The pokémon raised its head and roared. The ground around me shook from the sheer force its voice had. It picked up its tail and slammed it down at Ruby. She screamed and barely avoided being crushed.

Without thinking, I jumped down into the little area to join Ruby. My plan? I didn't have a plan. Did I need one? Hell no! That thing was going down! Because I didn't have a single rational thought floating around in my head, I let pure instinct take control of my actions.

"Hey, you! Leave her alone!"

The Pokémon turned and glared at me. I caught the feeling of anger resonating outwards from it before it roared and charged at me. Obviously, it wasn't a fan of others coming into its territory. Apparently, pure instinct is something that wants to kill me.

As it neared, I jumped and grabbed onto a wedge of rock that jutted out from the top of its head. The rock snake stopped and shook its head back and forth wildly. As much as I tried, it was impossible to maintain a strong grip and I was sent flying into the wall.

I felt the earth behind my back crack as I came into contact with it and fell onto the ground with a pained moan. Getting up slowly I ignored the aching feeling along the base of my spine. "Agh... damn that hurt." I shook it off as I saw the rock snake was barreling towards me. I jumped out of the way as it charged headfirst into the wall where I would have been. I took note of its rock-hard body and started to think of an effective move that might work against it. I went over the moves I knew.

Takedown. Nah, I'd only end up hurting myself, probably might come out of the ordeal with a concussion, too.

Quick attack. Same problem there. Although, I could use the speed to my advantage...

Iron tail. Ugh, I hate that move. It brings back painful memories...

I watched as Mother flew into the tree. I heard a sickening crunch as she smashed into the trunk and fell to the floor. She didn't move afterwards. "Mommy!"

but... it might work.

The rock snake pokémon pulled its head out of the earth, seemingly unfazed after smashing its head into a rock wall. It leaned down to glare at me and the hostility in its eyes was plain as day. It wanted me dead.

I had readied my Iron Tail the moment it pulled its head out of the wall and it was prepared now. I moved to strike it between the eyes. My tail came in contact with another iron-like substance, which happened to be a tail as well.

This thing knew Iron tail, too? Arceus, what are the chances?

I swung again... and again... and again and again and again. Each time my attack was blocked by the other pokémon's Iron tail, the two moves effectively canceling each other out. Who knew this thing was so smart?

I jumped back as its tail smashed into the ground where I had just been standing, Effectively avoiding being crushed.

That's it. I inwardly sighed to myself. I told myself only to use it as a last resort or when in a dire situation. This scene seems to fit both. I... I have to use my trump card.

FLASH

"Oof!" I walked over and placed a paw on the fallen Eevee, surprised by how easily I beat him. Or maybe he let me win. I started to count off in my head.

1...2...3.

"Christian is unable to battle, therefore, Ren is the victor." The groups of students burst out in cheers and praises, some of the girls calling out my name in an excited passion.

I moved my paw off the Eevee as he stood up. "No hard feelings, right buddy?"

Christian brushed himself off. "Sure, sure, I just don't know why the teach had to pair me up with you.

I laughed as we walked back towards the group. "Maybe next time."

As we were walking, something seemed to go off in my mind. I stopped to gather myself. Trump card... why does that sound familiar?

"Yo, Ren, is everything okay?" I looked up to see that Christian had met up with Jace and they were talking about our battle.

"Yeah, everything's good. Just hold on, I'll be there in a while."

Instead of waiting for me to go over there, Jace walked over to me with Christian following close behind. "Man, that was an awesome battle. I think Christian almost had you that time."

"I did," Christian sulked, "Until he pulled off that Quick attack at the last second. One moment he's there, and the next, he's right behind me- ready to kick my ass in."

"Yeah, yeah, Guys that's real interesting, but could you please be quiet?"

"Why?" They both asked at the same time. "Jinks!" again, same time. "Double jinks! Triple jinks! Quadruple jin-"

"Guys!"

They laughed and bumped paws. "So, what's up?"

I sighed and closed my eyes in concentration, placing a paw on the side of my head. "I'm trying to learn a new move."

"Woah, what's it called?" Jace asked, a bit too eagerly.

I focused on the images floating around in my head. "Trump card."

Christian scoffed. "Sounds cheapy."

"Who knows," Jace grunted, "It could be cool."

"Yeah, right. You mean even more cool than watching a Magikarp flop around on land, trying to jump into a lake that isn't even a few feet away."

"Dude... that's not cool... it's sad."

"Exactly my point! This move could be just some sad excuse for an attack. It's probably as worthless as you are, amigo."

"You could be right... Hey!" Christian laughed at having been able to make Jace admit that he was worthless. My opinion on the subject?

"Both of you are idiots. You two know that Magikarp have an IQ challenging that of a rock's, so Christian, your statement just falls flat."

"This coming from the guy who apparently knows it all," Christian muttered under his breath.

"I'm sure it's not as lame as you make it sound. So what does the move do, Ren?" Jace asked.

I scowled at the both of them before closing my eyes again. The move known to me now as Trump Card floated around my mind, just barely reachable. "Apparently it gets stronger every time I use it."

A silent "Woah" from Christian and a "Ha" from Jace and I had enough. "Could you two please be quiet!?"

"Okay." Oh, no. "Jinks! Double jinks! Trip-"

They both stopped, quickly realizing where they were headed. A quick "Sorry" from both of them and I could finally think straight.

Okay. Trump card. It's a special attack. How do those work? I've only ever knew Physical attacks. Whatever, I guess I'll learn on the job. Now, I need to forget a move, but which one? Let's see, I know Quick attack, Takedown, Iron tail, and last resort.

Last resort... I can only use that one if I've used all my other moves first. Considering I could take out everybody here in just one, it won't do me any good.

Okay, trash it. Forget the name. Forget the form. Forget the thought. And... I blinked open my eyes and slowly moved my paw away from my head. "It's done."

Jace was up in my face instantly. "Use it, use it, use it!"

I pushed him away. "No, it could be dangerous. I could probably hurt someone!"

He harrumphed and sat down in the grass. "You're no fun."

"I'll show you after battle class is over. Maybe on a rock or something," I promised, if anything to get him off my back.

"That sounds reasonable," Christian mused. "Better safe than sorry."

Just then, the teacher's voice boomed out, cutting off our conversation. "Could I please have Christian and Mido come up next?"

"Again?" Christian walked over to the front of the class and took up his position across from his opponent.

Class seemed to stretch on forever. During one of my fights, Jace had shouted out "Use it!" and I was almost tempted to try out my new move. But, of course, I had more common sense than others and decided against it.

As the day drew closer to its end, the teacher finally dismissed the class. "Okay everybody, that'll be it for the day. I hope you all studied your opponent's moves very carefully and devised a strategy of your own. Remember, mix it up! Don't be afraid to get a little creative. I'll see you all next time." and with that the Eevee dispersed.

Jace walked over to me wearing a stupid look on his face. Christian followed closely behind. "What?" I asked.

Jace narrowed his eyes. "You piss me off, that's what. When are we going to see this new move?"

"In a little. Just hold on, seriously."

I walked over to the teacher of our battle classes, a Machoke, with the other two following in my wake.

"Yo, Bruce, I need to talk to you about something."

The muscular blue reptilian, Bruce, as he prefer his students call him, was sitting crossed-legged as if he was meditating. He opened his eyes as we approached. "Yes, of course, anything for my star pupil. What do you need?"

"Well, I learned a new move after a battle with Christian, and I was wondering if you could tell me more about it."

He smiled. "And what may this move be called?"

"Trump Card."

The smile dropped from his face. "What did you say?"

I blinked and shuffled my paws uneasily. "Trump card. Is there something bad about that?"

"No, no, not at all. It's just that Eevee rarely learn that move. On top of that, it's very dangerous. I trust you not to use it during class.

I tossed an annoyed glance over my shoulder at Jace. "Don't worry sir, I won't. You have my word." Bruce fixed Jace with a knowing gaze, apparently I wasn't the only one who heard Jace's outburst.

"Now then, I'm sure you are curious as to what happens when you use this move, aren't you?"

"YES!" Jace called out. "We've been waiting all day."

Bruce laughed. "Of course, of course, follow me."

He stood up and walked towards the forest. Stopping near the edge of the woods, he picked a tree and banged his fist on the wood, looking up into the leaves, trying to see if any pokémon had made its home up there. He gave a satisfied grunt and stepped back.

Turning towards the field, he cupped his hands over his mouth and shouted out, "OKAY EVERYBODY! GATHER 'ROUND!"

Any Eevee that were still present stopped their conversations and rushed over in a matter of seconds.

You see, Bruce is the kind of teacher who believes in discipline. If he catches you not paying attention during class or you don't do what he asks of you, then you got yourself a couple of extra hours of hard work after class is over. It varies from carrying logs back and forth from one location to another, to running laps on a set course with him yelling at you all the way to "Push yourself harder!". Never fall asleep in his class- That's one thing I learned the hard way.

"Okay everyone, Ren here is going to show you what an Eevee can accomplish when you work hard enough. You two," he gestured to Christian and Jace. " Step back."

They moved to join the others in the crowd. Bruce then turned to me. "Now, Ren. Concentrate. Focus all of your energy to a center point in your mind, then release it in a controlled burst."

I was thinking of saying something sharp, like "How can a burst of something be controlled?" but decided against it and just did what he said.

I closed my eyes and called up the move. Trump card. Instantly, a flash of warmth enveloped my body. It felt... amazing, like... like I could do anything I wanted. It felt like I could level mountains and raise valleys. It felt like power. I directed the flow of energy into my mind and moved it to the center of my eyes. And then I let it go. The energy rushed out of me and left me feeling a little tired and weak, but the feeling past as soon as it had appeared.

I heard several "Ooh's" and "Aah's" slowly opening my eyes, I saw that there were very thin rectangular shapes circling around my body. I counted a total of eight. They varied in color from red, blue, green, yellow, orange, and so many others I couldn't describe. The cards shifted colors, also. What was once Red was now blue. Green was soon transformed into a darker shade of pink. It was as if I summoned a small rainbow.

I watched the cards circle around me, not sure what to do until Bruce called out, "You can control them." I can? I willed the cards to move in front of me. They lined themselves up in a single line. I can!

I made the cards shuffle themselves around, they were moving so fast and with the changing colors, it was hard to keep track of which card was which. I had the strange urge to yell out "Pick a card, any card!" but then realized how stupid it would make me look and quickly dismissed the idea.

After a few more seconds of playing around with the flying cards, Bruce cleared his throat. "Now then, Ren. You can control each one of them individually, all of them at once, or a certain number of cards in a set group. There are many ways to approach this situation, but here's one for example. Try imagining a spinning circular blade."

I did as he said and the cards lined themselves up horizontally and formed a circle over my head. Each one of the cards started to spin and, in turn, the circle they had made started to spin as well. In a matter of seconds, a spinning disk was over my head, the colors dancing wildly and flashing brightly.

"Ren, if you wouldn't mind, I could use some more firewood for my place," Bruce said, pointing to the tree.

I nodded and launched the disk of cards forward. They slashed through the wind and sliced the trunk near the base. The flow of energy I felt from the cards suddenly disappeared and I was left wondering what exactly happened to it.

All of a sudden, the tree started emitting noises that sounded like a million twigs breaking at once. It came crashing to the floor and I felt the earth shake as a dull 'Thud' resounded throughout the area. Not only that, but the tree behind the one I was aiming for also fell down, landing atop the first. I couldn't believe what had just happened. I had cut down two trees with one move!

Bruce laughed and walked over to pick up the fallen trees, one in each hand. As the Machoke walked away, he called over his shoulder "End of lesson!" and left us to our own devices.

I slowly turned to face all of the other Eevee behind me, only to see that the look of shock and awe on my face was reflected back at me on theirs.

Then Jace yelled out from the crowd. "THAT WAS AWESOME!"

END FLASHBACK

It was strong enough to cut through wood the first time, but would it be able to cut through rock the second time around? Only one way to find out.

I started to concentrate and form the cards as the rock pokémon lashed out at me again. I launched a card at its face, but it blocked my card with its tail. The energy from the card disappeared and I noticed that there was at least a three inch cut on the tail where it had been.

The rock snake roared and slammed its tail down at me. I jumped out of the way of the attack and climbed onto the rocky appendage.

Using Quick attack, I ran up the full length of its body, making my way to its head while firing off five more of my cards along the rock body. It writhed and tried to shake me off, but I wouldn't be thrown so easily again.

Getting closer to my goal, I jumped onto its head and launched my last two cards downwards in a crossing motion, gouging out an 'X' mark on its forehead. It roared and, instead of shaking me off to the side, lowered its head and jerked upwards in a sharp, quick, flinging motion.

I flew up in the air for a few good seconds before I started to fall. I couldn't tell how high I was, but I knew for sure that the fall would kill me. The rock pokémon seemed to think so as well, because Ruby's cries of distress reached me at even this height.

I felt myself fill with rage. If that thing thinks that we're done, then its got a little surprise in store. I'm not dead... yet.

I could barely tell which way was up or down, but judging by a lucky guess, I'd say that I was positioned just above the rock snake. I've only got one shot at this...

I began to form an Iron tail and used its added weight to start spinning wildly in my descent. As I neared the ground, I let out a battle cry, spinning so fast I didn't even know which direction was up.

My tail connected with a rock-like substance. Using a split second, I looked to where my attack landed. By sheer luck I had scored a direct hit on the rock snake. You won't believe this, but my tail landed directly in-between the eyes of the pokémon, right on the spot where I made the 'X' mark with my cards earlier.

I pushed myself off and landed on all fours on the ground. The sweet, safe ground that I wouldn't be spattering onto any time soon. The hysteria hit me not long after. I shouldn't even be alive right now! I almost died today. My life could have ended, but here I am! Safe and sound and laughing about it. I can only thank whatever unseen forces had helped me through that one!

Before I could celebrate, though, the rock snake roared as jagged cracks formed along its body. Then it started to fall. Right in Ruby's direction.

"Ruby!"

It may sound a little cliche, but everything seemed to slow down as I started to run after her. The pokémon was falling, growing ever closer to Ruby. I was running faster than I ever had before, pushing myself harder than Bruce would. And Ruby? She was just standing there, paralyzed by fear, with her ears laid flat against her head. Her eyes wide and mouth agape, crouching low to the ground as if she wanted to run, but couldn't.

I used quick attack to boost my speed. Nearing closer, I tackled her out of the way just as a thundering crash echoed throughout the area. We went rolling for a few seconds before coming to a stop, her laying on top of me with me underneath her, panting heavily, my forelegs wrapped around her protectively.

"Are you okay?" She didn't respond, but just kept staring at me with wide eyes, her mouth formed into a little 'O'. "Ruby?"

She blinked. "Oh, yeah I'm fine. Just... fine..." She trailed off and stared back into my eyes.

There wasn't really anything to say, was there? The girl of my dreams lay on top of me, staring deeply into my eyes, and I hers. The silence between us was maddening and the rise and fall of her chest against mine ensured me that she was safe in my arms.

I felt like I could do anything at that moment. I could lean up and press my lips against hers. She would moan and press back into mine. Lips locked in a fiery passion, I could tell her that I loved her. She would say that she loved me. And we could be together and nothing would ever- STOP! No, bad thoughts! Snap out of it! Get a hold of yourself.

I shook the pictures in my head away before they could get a grasp on reality. As much as I hated to ruin the moment, I couldn't allow myself to do something that would destroy any connection I had with Ruby. "You can get off me now."

She blinked again. "Oh, right. S-sorry."

I felt a little empty inside as she clambered off me, but I didn't have the time or the patience to battle with myself and my feelings. Standing up and brushing myself off, I studied the knocked out pokémon and the area around us.

The pokémon had cracks all over its body, probably the results of the major attack I had pulled off. It lay still and I almost felt as if it would rise again to attack us without mercy. It had to be unconscious, there was no way I could possibly kill something like that.

Looking at the walls around us, I noticed that they were too tall and steep to climb, but there had to be a way out... somehow.

"This place is pretty big. That thing that attacked us is huge too, don't ya think?" I didn't receive a response. "Ruby?"

I turned only to see that she was giving me another thousand-yard stare. I was starting to get a little worried. Maybe she suffered a blow to the head and now had lost her memory or something along the lines. With the reactions I was getting from her, it was only one of the many possibilities. "Ruby!"

She looked at me as if I had just came out of nowhere, even though she was staring at me the whole while. "Huh? Oh, right, pretty big..." Something seemed... off about Ruby. This isn't like her. She was acting differently. I was about to question her behavior when I noticed the way she held her paw off the ground, close to her chest. I remembered seeing her in that position earlier.

"Is your paw okay?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. I just sprained from the fall, that's all," She said, studying her paw.

I grunted and walked over to her. "Here," I said, laying down in front of her. "Climb on my back."

She seemed to get a little flustered. "Ren, I-I don't think-"

"Just do it," I cut her off. "It's okay, I can hold up to twice my own weight.

"Um... o-okay." she climbed onto my back and lay down on top of me. I stood up slowly as she wrapped her forelegs around my neck. I felt happy.

"How did you end up down here, Ruby?"

"Oh, you see, Jace and I were-"

"Hey!" I looked up to see Jace standing on the ledge, looking down at us. "You okay?"

"Yeah, were all good!" I shouted back. "But how are we going to get out of here?"

He studied the area. "You see that tree over there?"

I looked to where he was pointing. A tree was sticking out of the ground near the wall. It looked sturdy and its branches were high enough to reach out over the ledge. I walked over and inspected the bark. "I think I can climb it..."

I walked back a good distance from the tree before turning to face it. "Hang on tight, Ruby." Her grip on me tightened as I started to run. Using Quick attack to boost my speed as we neared the tree, I started to run up the trunk. About halfway up, the weight on my back had suddenly disappeared. Ruby had lost her grip and was now plummeting straight towards the ground.

"Shit." I instantly turned around and dashed along the tree, going downwards. I made it to the ground before she did and barely had enough time to position myself underneath her. She came crashing down onto me and I fell to the floor. My jaw connected with the rough ground and I tasted blood.

Of course. The big scary rock monster couldn't land a single hit on me, yet this girl could draw blood without even trying. Story of my life.

"Oh my gosh," She shrieked. "Are you okay?"

"Ugh, yeah... I'm fine. Did... did you get hurt?"

"No. You broke my fall."

"That's good. But... you know what?"

"What?"

I chuckled, "I'm staring to think that those accusations of you being a 'Snorlax butt' aren't far off."

She laughed and pushed me playfully. "Stop it. This isn't a time for jokes," She said with a giggle in her voice. I'm just glad I got a laugh out of her.

I stood up slowly, with her clinging onto my back. "You're right. I'm sorry. But when I say hold on- I mean hold on."

Her response was to wrap her paws around my neck, dig her claws into my shoulders, and bite down on my ear. "Better?" She asked, muffled though because she was practically eating my ear.

I laughed because it kinda tickled when she spoke. "Not what I had in mind, but it'll do. Hang on tight." I walked away from the trunk and took up a position to start running at it again.

She dug her claws deeper into my shoulder and bit down on my ear harder. It hurt, but I didn't say anything about it. Although, I do think I may have some cuts on my shoulders...

I made another attempt at a run up the tree. I just realized that running upwards with ruby on my back basically quadrupled the amount of weight I was used to carrying, ya know, what with gravity and all. I'll admit, the tree was tall, but not as tall as the two great oaks back at home. So reaching the branches as no problem for me, even given my current position.

I slowly walked out on one of the limbs, making sure Ruby was balanced properly because if I dropped her from here, then there was no way I'd be able to catch her. As we neared the edge of the branch, her claws dug deeper into me and I cringed, the small cuts on my shoulders opened up and soon became small gashes. I felt a warm liquid start to slowly soak my chest fur. She must have noticed the blood as well, because she quickly loosened her grip on me and cried out, "Sorry!"

"Don't let go!" I snapped at her. "You might fall!"

"But-"

"A little cut isn't going to kill me, but this fall might kill you. Your safety is more important to me than my own well being." Although we weren't high enough for the fall to kill her, I didn't want her to get hurt if she actually slipped. I knew at that moment how much I really meant those words. Yes, I would happily give up my life if it meant that this girl could see the light of the next day and every other one after that. "Now hang on and don't let go!"

with a little hesitation on her end, she finally gave in and re-established a firm grip on my shoulders, opening up the wounds a bit more. I walked closer to the edge of the limb. Jace was standing on firm ground not far away, making sure Ruby got over safely.

I steeled myself and jumped, landing next to Jace. He proceeded to help Ruby off my back.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Yeah, but Ren's the one with the cuts. I really am sorry about that," She said to me.

I shook my head, trying to ignore the stinging pain in my shoulders. "It's nothing really."

Jace turned on me, anger flaring in his eyes. "You should have been more careful with her!" he yelled, probably referring to when Ruby had fallen off of my back.

I was taken aback. Did he not see what just happened? Can he not see that his sister was standing right behind him, safe as she could possibly be. I sneered at him. "In case you haven't noticed, I just risked my life to save hers! Look at her! Aside from a sprained paw, does she look like she's hurt? I thought you would at least be a little grateful, but apparently not! And what did you do, huh? Did you almost die today? I can not believe-" I stopped before I said anything that I might regret.

I sighed. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get these cuts checked up on. And maybe even catch up on a nap that I didn't get to finish." And with that, I brushed past Jace, on my way home.

---

Three Eevee lay in the field. One was sleeping. The other two were talking.

"So, what happened?" The first Eevee asked.

The second Eevee looked at the ground, lost in her thoughts. "Me and Jace were helping Mom and Dad pick berries, because our supply was pretty low. I saw a really plump Pecha berry and thought it would be nice to get it. The stem was really tough, so I had to pull extra hard. It took me several times to get the berry free, but when the stem finally snapped, I was sent stumbling backwards."

She blinked. "I fell over the edge of some kind of pit, but I wouldn't call it a pit because it was too big to be called that. I sprained my paw from the fall..." She looked at her paw. It was already healing and it didn't hurt too much when she put some weight on it.

"There was an Onix in the pit I fell in, well... again, not a pit, but I don't know what else to call it, so..."

"Onix?" The first asked curiously.

"Yes, it looks like a snake, but its body is made up of rocks and boulders," Ruby explained to her friend. "I remember my dad talking about how hard it is to find them, because they usually live in caves underground."

"Oh."

Ruby nodded. "Jace saw the Onix and ran to go get help... imagine how surprised I was when he brought back Ren."

"Why Ren?"

"That's what I asked him. He said that Ren was the first to pop into his mind when he left for help."

"Strange... do you at least know what made him think of Ren?"

She shook her head and smiled. "No, but you should have seen him, Celia. He jumped down and stood up to that thing without fear. He didn't even flinch when it roared. He was amazing. He even used that card trick of his."

"The one where he cut down the trees?"

"Yes, he climbed onto its head and slashed at its face... then it got mad and threw him up in the air. He flew so high that he could have died if he hit the ground. The Onix had thought so too, because it turned to me. Then I heard Ren scream. But it took me a little while to realize that he was screaming in rage and not fear. He was falling, spinning around like crazy and using Iron tail at the same time. It's hard to describe, but you get the picture. He hit the Onix on the head and knocked it out. I felt like cheering for him, but the Onix started falling towards me. I couldn't move. I wanted to run, buy my legs locked and my breathing stopped. I wasn't aware of anything until he Ren came and knocked me out of the way before I could get crushed."

She stopped, not intending to tell Celia about the awkward moments- for her at least- after Ren had knocked her out of harm's way. It would only lead to more teasing and a lot of questions that she didn't really want to answer.

"After that he told me to climb on his back. Because of my paw! Don't you dare take that anywhere else, because I swear, if you do-" Celia just smiled as Ruby recomposed herself. "Anyways, there was this tree that we had used to get out. He had told me to hold on tight before running up the tree. He climbed the tree and then we were out. I didn't even know that was possible. I... kinda had to dig my claws into his shoulders and, uh... even cut him... a little."

"So you were the one responsible for those gashes on his shoulders. Ha! That explains why he didn't want to talk about how he got them." Celia said, a playful smile forming.

"Gashes!?" Ruby cried. "I thought they were only little cuts."

"Nope. There was a lot of blood. Mom was freaking out at the amount coming out of him. Maybe you cut a vein? Eh, I wouldn't know."

Ruby felt a sense of dread overtake her. "I am so sorry. Please, I didn't mean to-"

"That's something you should tell him," Celia said, gesturing at the sleeping form not so far away. "Funny thing, Ren isn't one to get hurt easily. Well, unless he allows himself to get hit. Other wise, it's a whole different story."

"Oh, that reminds me, do you know where he got those scratch marks on his cheek?" Ruby asked, remembering the cuts she saw the day before.

"Hm? Oh, yeah, that was me."

"What? You hit him? Why?"

"He scared me, so I taught him a lesson," She said matter of factly. "Besides, it makes him look cool. No harm done, right?"

Ruby sighed. "Remind me why we're friends again."

Celia smiled and nudged her friend suggestively. "Because you like Ren and you think that if you get close to me, then you could get close to him?"

Ruby frowned. "First off, I knew you way before Ren came into our lives, and for what is probably the thousandth time, I do not like your brother." Although, there was a nagging voice in the back of her mind that was telling her otherwise. It wasn't there before, though. So why now, of all times, did it choose to show up? "What do you see between us, anyways?"

Celia stopped smiling, a serious look creeping into her eyes. "It's not what I see between you two. It's what I see in him. Whenever I talk about you, he gets this far away look in his eyes and he smiles. Haven't you noticed that he's been a little down on himself lately? Even on that first day I met him, he seemed so sad. Then I thought of you. I remembered how you would always make me feel better when something bad happened. His parents died, Ruby! Do you know how much that hurts? But, you're so bright and cheery that I thought if anyone could lift his spirits, then it would be you. All I want is to see him happy. All I want is to see him smile again, and you're the only person I know who can bring out that side of him. I know you don't like Ren, really, I do. But I still like to tease him. Besides, you can't say he doesn't look a little cute."

Celia gestured to Ren, who was sleeping not so far away. Ruby looked at him. She noticed the gentle rise and fall of his chest. His face was worry free and the occasional twitch of his ear kind of did make him look a little... cute.

He smiled a little and pressed himself into the grass as if he was snuggling into something or someone. He whispered just loud enough for Ruby to hear. "I love you."

Ruby blinked and thought to herself. Does Ren really... like me? If what Celia said is true, then he must! But... Celia says a lot of things. What did he say to me earlier? "Your safety is more important to me than my own well being." What did he mean by that? Even at the cost of being killed, he risked his life... for me. Why? Is it possible that he... loves me? Is he dreaming about me right now? But, why should I care? Why DO I care? Even so, what do I mean to him and... what does he mean to me? Why am I thinking like this!?

"He looks peaceful," Ruby said. "I wonder what he's dreaming about."

Celia frowned and turned away. "He's dreaming about his parents."

"How do you know?"

"He's happy, that's how. But he won't be for long..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ruby asked, a tinge of worry creeping into her voice.

"Just... watch him for a little while."

"Celia, I don- "

"Shush," She pointed at Ren. "Watch."

Ruby sighed, but did as she was told. Nothing had changed. He lay there, same as before. Nothing seemed to be different about him except how he had shifted slightly, causing one of his ears to curl backwards. Ruby was overcome with a feeling of adoration, wanting to walk over and unfurl his ear. Until he muttered a single syllable.

"No..." His face took on a pained expression. He grimaced, sinking his claws into the ground and tearing up the grass. "No... I'm sorry. Please..." His breathing quickened and he shook his head, trying to get rid of the images in his mind.

"Oh my gosh, is he going to be okay?" Ruby asked, the worry in her voice now became apparent.

"Yeah, it's just another one of his nightmares."

"Nightmares? But I thought you said he was dreaming about his parents!"

"Yeah, but he usually dreams about... about the day they died. He might wake up screaming in a little bit. It happens often."

Ruby looked over to Ren writhing on the ground. She couldn't stand to see him like this any longer and immediately rushed over to gently shake him awake. "Ren? Ren, wake up. Come on, please wake up. It's just a dream, Ren. Nothing's real!" At her touch, his movements seemed to grow more frantic, as if he were trying to get away. "REN, WAKE UP!"

He awoke with a loud gasp and looked around wildly. His breathing slowed as his gaze settled on Ruby. "R-Ruby?" He buried his face in the grass and clawed at his scalp. "It was all just a dream... just a dream, nothing more," He reassured himself. He straightened himself up and Ruby couldn't help but notice...

"Are you... are you crying?"

He gave her a confused look. "No, I-" Stopping himself, he raised a paw to touch the wet fur on his cheek. He sighed and slowly pulled away. "Yes. I'm... sorry you had to see me like this.

"Ren, is everything all right?"

He nodded slowly. "Yes, for now."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He smiled softly at her. The smile was there, yes, but there was also a sadness in his eyes. And something else. What it was though, Ruby couldn't tell. "Don't worry about it. I wouldn't want you to get caught up in my problems."

Celia walked over and glared at Ren. "Please don't launch into another story about how you should just run away and leave everyone here behind to wonder why." she flexed her claws and pointed them at him. "Or else."

He flinched. "Celia, you didn't have to say that."

"Run away? Why would you want to run away?"

"Ruby, please, don't worry about it."

They sat in silence for a while until Celia spoke up. "Ya know, Ruby, Ren here can't lie. He won't allow himself to. Ask him any 'yes' or 'no' question and he will answer truthfully and honestly. Isn't that right Mister Runaway?" She teased, a playful smile forming on her face.

He sighed. "Yes, and don't call me that."

She just nodded. "Well, I see the sun is about to go down. I'll leave you two to do your thing." As she walked away, she called over her shoulder, "Have fun, lover boy!"

"Don't call me that either," He shouted after her. Ruby couldn't help but notice the trace of a faint smile that played on his lips.

"Ren, are you sure everything is fine?"

He looked at her, then at the ground. "I can't be sure of anything right now. Please, Ruby. Just don't worry about it."

She still was concerned, but decided that she wasn't going to get anywhere on the subject. So she decided to ask a question. A question that had come so easily to her before, but now made her heart jump that very second. She took a moment to catch her breath. "Would you... maybe, want to watch the sunset with me... at least?"

At lest a million thoughts raced through her mind. What will he say? Is he going to say no? Why would he say no? He's always said yes. It's his decision, why do I care? Even if he says no, I can watch the sunset by myself. But... I'd still like to spend that part of the day with him. What difference would it make If I didn't? What if he says yes? Would it mean that he- NO! Stop it, Ruby! What is wrong with you? It's just Ren! If he says no, then no! If he says yes, then yes! It doesn't matter. Since when did you start caring? Why is it so important? So what if he says-

"I'd love to." Her heart skipped a beat. He said love.

Watching the sun set was part of Ruby's Evolution Training. If she wanted to be an Espeon like her parents, she would have to watch the sunset or sunrise, wake up early, and go to bed earlier. Ren hadn't told anyone what he wanted to evolve into yet, but she had a feeling that he wanted to be an Espeon like her, considering he also watches the sunsets. It was just a hunch, though.

Ruby liked the way the sunsets look. The plethora of warm colors never ceased to make her feel warm inside.. but... something drew her gaze away from the horizon.

Every now and again, she'd throw a sideways glance at Ren. Every time she'd notice a small detail that would usually be missed. A small strand of fur that stuck out just behind his ear, which was still folded back. The way his tail swished back and forth in a slow, almost hypnotic-like motion. How he'd blink every five seconds. The golden color of his fur in the sun's dying rays. The outline of the muscles underneath his pelt.

Her heart fluttered in her chest and a shiver went up her spine. Why am I feeling like this? What's wrong with me? I've never once looked at Ren this way before... before he saved my life. But, no, that can't be why I'm thinking this way. Yes, Ren is strong, I've known that. Sure, he's... adorable. I've been told that. None of those things made a mattered before. Why is it different now? What changed?

Her eyes widened just a fraction. I started feeling this way for him after he tackled me out of the way of the falling Onix. I looked into his eyes, and they were so... deep. It seemed as if they held more questions than answers. There was also something... else. He looked at me with such concern. He cared, and it showed in the way he held me; delicately and gently, as if he were handling a precious, fragile gem instead of a frightened Eevee. I felt safe in his embrace. I felt... loved.

The sun had set now, and Ruby saw for the first time how natural Ren looked in the moonlight. His fur looked almost silver and his eyes shone under the starlit sky. Ruby caught herself admiring him once again.

"Ruby? Hello?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry, Ren. I was thinking..."

"About..."

About us. "Not much, really. Just... things."

He shook his head slowly and smiled. "You're starting to worry me, Ruby. We should probably be getting you home. Here, climb on," He said, lying down in front of her.

She took a step back. "Ren, its okay, you don't have to-"

"Why?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at her. "I'm just trying to make sure that you don't put too much strain on your paw. It could get worse. Or has it already gotten better?"

She looked down at her paw, realizing that's why he offered her to ride his back. He thought that it was still sprained, but it was actually coming along quite nicely. She wanted to tell him that her paw was almost healed. She was going to tell him that she could walk on her own just fine. She was about to, but something stopped her. "Oh, yeah, umm... it still hurts."

"Then climb on, you wouldn't want to overexert yourself."

As she climbed onto his back, she wondered what it was that made her say what she did. Did she really not want to hurt her paw any more than it already was? Or was there something else? Something deeper?

He carried her into the woods as she wrapped her paws around his neck. Her eyes moved up to the top of his head where his ear was still bent back. She smiled to herself and reached upwards to straighten it out. When she was done, Ren spoke up and Ruby could swear she heard the blush in his voice. "H-how long was my ear like that?"

She giggled playfully. "A while." He seemed to accept the answer as he kept on walking without another word. Ruby's eyes then moved down to his shoulders to see several cuts near the base of his neck. She had known his "mother" to be a healer and wasn't surprised to see that an ointment of some kind of herbs was applied to the wound. It had long since stopped bleeding, but the flesh was still raw and had a reddish color to it.

"I really am sorry about this," Ruby said, softly licking at the wound in an attempt to make it feel better, tasting the strong spice of mint and a little bit of blood. She didn't mind.

He stiffened at the feel of her tongue, but eventually relaxed. "Don't worry about it. It's just a small price to pay."

She stopped her treatment of the wound. "For what?"

It took a while for him to answer, and when he finally did, her heart jumped. "Your safety." he didn't say anything more. Nothing more need be said. She smiled and went to work on his other shoulder.

The walk to Ruby's home was long and slow. Maybe Ren was walking slowly on purpose. Maybe he wanted to spend more time with her. Ruby dismissed the thoughts and decided that he was walking slowly because he was exhausted. It was the only reasonable explanation, right? Nevertheless, Ruby enjoyed every second with him that night.

After a while, they arrived at Ruby's clearing. Ren walked through the bushes with her on his back.

The two Espeon inside were talking to each other, as usual. They stopped when they noticed Ren carrying their daughter in on his back. The very second after he set her down, he disappeared in a flash of pink fur.

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you. You saved my baby girl's life. There's nothing more precious to me than my family. Please if there's anything I can do to repay you, then just let me know. And don't try to decline my offer because I have to thank you somehow. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there. And I... we... Ruby could have... but you... so she didn't... and I can't... but I need to..." Ruby's mother broke down into a fit of tears while nuzzling Ren into the ground.

Ruby's father rushed forward. "Come now, Elen. Let the boy breath." He picked up the crying Espeon and led her away.

"B-but, Noah I need to-"

He shushed her by placing a paw on her muzzle. "You don't have to do anything. I'm sure he knows how grateful we are for what he's done. Why don't you lie down? I'll go talk to the boy."

She bit her lip and nodded slowly. Ruby watched as her mother lay down on the grassy floor, closed her eyes and took in deep, slow, steady breaths; starting a process that was meant to calm one down. in... out... in... out... in... out...

Ruby looked over at Ren and saw that he was watching the entire scene with a kind of sadness in his eyes- a longing. Ruby wondered to herself what it was about her parents that brought out this side of Ren. She had never seen it before. He looked so sad and lost. She had wanted to walk over to him and soothe him; to tell him everything was all right, to hug him, to... to kiss him. And then it hit her. Parents! She remembered then, that his mom and dad were dead. Her sudden urge to make him feel better became greater.

Ren and Ruby's father were talking now. She had heard her name a couple of times and saw Ren glance her way every now and again. The conversation seemed to be short and to the point. It was over in the span of about a couple of minutes.

Afterwards, Jace, who had been lying down not so far from Ruby, walked over to Ren and apologized for his behavior earlier that day. He said that he was just very concerned for Ruby's safety. Ren shrugged if off, saying that there was nothing to be sorry for. Saying that he understood.

As Ren was about to leave, he called out his goodbyes. "Bye, Ruby. See ya tomorrow. You too, Miss Vester. Later, Jace. Goodbye, Mister Vester,.. I hope you can take what I said into consideration."

A chorus of replies sounded.

"Oh, umm... bye."

"Bye, Ren, see you in class tomorrow."

"Later, man."

"Yes, don't worry, son, I will."

He left without saying another word.

Ruby's mother rushed up to her mate instantly. "Noah, what did he say? Take what into consideration? Was it something important?"

"Elen, calm down. He says that all he wants is for us to forgive him."

"Forgive him? For what?"

"He said we would know soon enough."

"Well, I don't know what that means, but he saved my Ruby's life, so he has my forgiveness."

"An Onix, though. Can you believe he took down one of those by himself?" Ruby's father asked in awe.

"Yes, I can," Ruby's mother responded. "He's such a strong young man. And handsome, too," She added. "It's no wonder why he's so popular with all the girls in class," She spoke up, making sure Ruby could hear. "I don't think he will have any trouble finding a mate for himself. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he already has someone special. She may even be someone we know."

Ruby sighed. "Mom, he's not my boyfriend." She spoke quietly, as if she didn't want to believe the words coming out of her own mouth.

"Oh, that's such a shame. He's such a wonderful boy. Although, I do wonder if you'll be saying that after tomorrow..."

Ruby's eyes widened. "Mom, what are you planning?"

Her mother smiled mischievously. "You'll find out soon enough."

"Mom, please don't assign us anything embarrassing," Ruby pleaded, knowing it was useless.

"Oh, hush now, Ruby. As your mother and your teacher, I advise you to go to bed. You have classes tomorrow, and you know how early I wake."

Ruby sighed. "Yes, ma'am." She walked over and plopped down next to her brother, who was lying on his back and staring up at the stars.

Jace stopped stargazing to look at his sister. "Would you like to tell me why you were carried in on his back?"

Ruby blinked. "Oh, um. M-my paw still hurts from the fall. So he carried me on his back so I didn't put any stress on it and maybe make it worse."

"Really?" He smiled. "Because your paw seemed to be just fine a couple of seconds ago."

She blushed. "Oh, umm, well you see, it's getting better but... H-he offered to... I didn't really want... he just... It still hurts." She stopped before any other stupid things came out of her mouth. "Do you think Ren... likes me?" Too late.

"Oh, no sis, I don't think he likes you. I know he likes you."

"Really?" She couldn't stop her tail from wagging back and forth in her excitement. She cursed her body and hoped Jace didn't notice.

"Yeah. The same way he likes Me and Celia and Christian and-"

"You know what I meant." She snapped, frustrated at Jace for having gotten her hopes up.

He sat up and scratched his ear with a hind paw. "Oh, gee sis, I don't think I have a say in that."

"But you have to know something," She pleaded, sounding a little urgent in doing so. "Is he seeing anyone?"

"Umm, no, I don't think so. Why you so interested all of a sudden?" He smiled and looked at her with knowing eyes.

"Oh, no, it's not what you think!" She blushed harder. "I-it's just, the way mom talks about him makes me think that maybe he has found someone. But he doesn't act like he does, and I was thinking that maybe he likes... me."

"Oh, well, when you put it that way, it almost doesn't sound like you have a crush on my best friend."

"I don't!"

He laughed. "Well, either way, just because I'm his friend doesn't mean I keep tabs on his love life. So if he already has a girl, I wouldn't know. I better get to sleep so I can be fully rested when Mom shouts in my face tomorrow morning in an attempt to wake me up. Night, Ruby."

He settled himself down in the grass and laid his head down to rest. Ruby followed suit.

As she closed her eyes, she thought about her mother's words. She thought about Ren, about how kind he was and how she hadn't noticed until now. And why. Why now of all times did she realize that Ren was everything she could ever want in a mate? Why did it take nearly being killed for her to see it?

She relaxed her mind and slowly drifted off to sleep with a tiny smile, knowing, for the first time, what it felt like to be in love.

I'm sorry if the beginning seemed a bit rushed. I honestly don't know what happened there. If anything, I blame my horribly stressed out lifestyle. The next upload will have to wait, as I've said before. Until then, go read some other stories or do whatever it is you do in your daily in and out lives. Until next time, See ya!

~Dusk