FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Tokam trudged through the empty field. A light breeze swept through the grass, carrying a few leaves with it. Birds chirped in the distance, and the kricketunes sang from the forest depths. The sun was warm and pleasant on Tokam's back. Everything seemed right with the world. But it wasn't.

* * * * *

Aisha groaned and raised her head, blinking rapidly as her eyes adjusted to the light. She was swaying from side to side, almost as if...

Aisha's eyes widened in horror as she realized what she was seeing. She was in a cage. She rose to her feet, her legs trembling and her side aching. She turned to look at her left flank. The small metal bars underneath Aisha had left shallow gashes in her side. Tears began to form in her eyes, but she blinked them away, refusing to give in. Aisha forced herself to relax and took in her surroundings.

She was in a forest. Tall pines towered above and the forest was darkened by shadows. As she looked around, she saw several other cages, each with a pokemon inside. Each cage was being carried by another pokemon, and with a closer look Aisha saw that all of the pokemon in the crowd were dark, ghost, and poison types. She looked down at the floor of her own cage. A zoroak walked underneath it, carrying her over its head.

"What are you doing with us?" Aisha whispered. The zoroak glanced up at her. "You have been chosen as a sacrifice for-" "Shut up Sakkak," a haunter interrupted him as it floated by. The ghost sneered at Aisha, then turned back to the zoroak. "You should know better than to talk to the...sacrifices," it said, clearly threatening the zoroak. "Yes, sir," he growled. The haunter nodded and floated ahead. When he was far enough away, the zoroak again looked up at Aisha. "You should be honored," he said, then turned back to the trail ahead. Aisha noticed sympathy in his eyes, along with something else...sadness. She sighed and sat down, laying her head between her paws. Aisha closed her eyes...

* * * * *

Tokam reached the base of his tree. Immediately he was surrounded by a flurry of feathers as Buson's parents fussed over him. "Where did you go?!" Fikusa cried. "Buson told us that you chased after that arbok, we thought he had taken you!" Tokam felt his eyes begin to water. He looked up at Fikusa. "They took her," he whimpered.

She drew him into a hug, wrapping her wings around him tightly. "I know...I know..." Tokam backed away. "I need to be alone for awhile," he mumbled, and ran off. He ran blindly, not caring where he went, just wanting to be away. Low branches smacked against him as he ran, leaving small cuts on his arms and face. Tokam wasn't sure how long he kept running, but when he stopped, it was nightfall. Not wanting to return to his family yet, Tokam curled up under a small tree and closed his eyes...

* * * * *

Aisha gasped as something cold splashed into the cage and onto her fur. She raised her head. The first thing she noticed was the water. Aisha was in the middle of a river. As she looked around, she saw the other cages were also just above the surface of the water, and underneath the cages swam the pokemon who carried them.

Aisha glanced down and saw the zoroak carrying her cage swimming below her. She also saw all of the pokemon not carrying cages swimming alongside the others. The cage closest to hers contained a small starly, who was frantically flapping her wings, trying to keep her feet above the small waves that splashed into the cages. Aisha's cage was about six feet away from the starly's.

As they drew closer to the shore, the gap between their cages shrank, until Aisha could've reached out and poked the starly. "Hey, you shouldn't waste your strength like that," she whispered. The pokemon glanced over at her and slowly nodded. It stopped flapping it's wings and its claws grasped the bars beneath it. "I'm Aisha," she whispered. "I'm Tori," the small pokemon replied. "Do you know where they're taking us?" Aisha asked. Tori shook her head. "No, they won't tell us where we are going, all they say is that we're sacrifices. That it's a great honor."

"Sacrifices for what?" Aisha whispered. Before Tori could reply, Aisha's cage suddenly jolted as the zoroak beneath hit dry land. They were on a thin strip of beach that lay along a forest. As the group started through the trees, Tori's cage grew more and more distant, until Aisha lost sight of her.

The short grass crunched underneath the zoroak's feet, and the sun shone through the gaps in the leaves overhead. Aisha attempted to focus on her surroundings to avoid thinking of home. Of her parents, of her friends, of Tokam... She often thought back to the day she had first met him. She had immediately liked the small treecko, but over the years, it had developed into something more.

But as time passed, Tokam had never said anything about feeling something for her, and Aisha had given up. She still hoped, but that hope grew slimmer every day. And now...she wasn't sure if she would ever see him again. Aisha shook her head. She couldn't afford to think like that. She had to remain confident that everything would be fine.

Aisha again brought her focus to her surroundings. The trees which were once thick and dense were now sparse. She turned to look ahead and gasped. About fifty feet in front of her the trees disappeared altogether, and they were replaced by a massive space occupied by one thing. Sand.

Before Aisha was a desert larger than anything she could have imagined. Dunes rose high above and a harsh wind blew sand into her eyes as they drew closer. The setting sun shone to the left and the faintest of stars glimmered on the right. Aisha shut her eyes as the despaired wails of the other captive pokemon reached her ears.

* * * * *

Tokam was woken by the soft gurgle of rushing water. He lifted his head and looked around. He was lying under a tree looking down at a very familiar stream. The stream where he had first met Aisha. Tokam stood and began to wade into the shallow water, allowing the cool flow to wash over him. When the water was level with his shoulders, he took a deep breath and sat down.

The water rushed over his head, and the sounds of the afternoon were replaced by a peaceful quiet. As he came to rest at the bottom of the stream, something floated up to his face and glimmered in the sunlight. His mother's locket. Tokam reached out and grasped the object.

He kicked up and burst out of the water, gasping for breath. The sounds of the forest came flooding back. He clenched his fist around the locket as he swam to the side of the stream and pulled himself out. Tokam lay panting on the grass. He gazed up at the sky as the last rays of sunlight vanished and were replaced by thousands of tiny lights. Tokam slowly stood and stared at his locket, then released it and let it hang at his chest. Glancing back at the stream one last time, Tokam turned away.

* * * * *

Tokam trudged through the empty field. A light breeze swept through the grass, carrying a few leaves with it. Birds chirped in the distance, and the kricketunes sang from the forest depths. The moon was cool and pleasant on Tokam's back. Everything seemed right with the world. But it wasn't.

"You weren't even going to say goodbye?" Tokam spun around as a familiar voice rang through the clearing. His best friend stood perched on the hill where Aisha had slept less than a day ago. "I'm sorry Buson, but I have to do this. I have to go," Tokam said. Buson spread his wings and glided down to land in front of Tokam. "I know that, but I'm going with you," he replied. Tokam started to shake his head, but Buson quickly cut him off. "I'll just follow you anyways." Tokam sighed. "Fine, we need to get going," he said. With that, the two friends turned and ran off into the forest.

* * * * *

Deep in perdition, the great pokemon opened its eyes. Its anger, its rage, its pure unyielding hatred of its world radiated from its very core. Calling forth its vision from memory, the pokemon summoned its servant. "There is a new threat," it rumbled. "What, my master?" the servant asked. "A small treecko's search will interfere in my design. Stop him," it commanded. The servant sneered. "A treecko? It could not possibly stop us." The great pokemon let its servant sense the rage, the fury built up inside it. The servant shuddered. "It will be done, Master." The servant withdrew.