FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"Sarah! Spit that out!" A sharp whisper broke the void, the Jolteon's stern but caring features stemming as she watched her young catch a falling flake of ash in her maw. The male Eevee between them flinched from the sudden outburst as their train came to a halt.

The young female needn't be told again. The acidic flake crumbled on her tongue, causing her to flail to the side, spitting at the ground to rid her mouth of the foul substance. Her brother simply laughed, looking up to the darkened sky to see many more ashes raining down. Amidst the eruption of one of the region's largest volcanoes, the group had been on the move for days. Having strayed from their den before the disaster, they had escaped certain death. The very cave they'd lived in was surely collapsed and laden with ash. The sky had been greyed out since it happened. Birds no longer flew by, trees stood blanketed in layers upon layers of the somber powder. The forest they once knew was now foreign. Everything looked the same covered in dust. Any scent, no matter how potent, was masked by the ash, leaving almost no trace of their former lives.

Nudging Riley's hind, she beckoned them onwards, keeping as close to them as she could. Motherly instincts were drawn out in this seamless wasteland, constantly looking behind her and around as she led them away from the source. They hadn't seen sunlight in days; the thick clouds above them, never letting up. Plants were shrivelling, flowers ceased to open - why would they?

Throwing her paw to the side, she stopped them; her ears upright, her body tensing. The snap of a twig, to the right. Huddling over her young, she lowered herself, eyes darting around in the darkness. The distinct sound of something dragging across earth was heard. Pinpointing the noise, she was able to make out a large, quadrupedal figure heading the same way they were. Her hold on the two Eevee below her tightened as she quietly hushed them. The dark form crossed their path, the Jolteon now able to distinguish Luxray by the starred tail. By the length of what it was carrying, she surmised: Furret. The lion pokemon disappeared into a small cave; the lifeless and limp form of the fallen rodent, vanishing from view. She was far from being prey herself but she was certain she couldn't protect both of her cubs from a Luxray, the Furret was proof enough. Veering off to the left, she took them away from the danger, through the foliage of the dying bushes and trees.

Pushing onwards, trying to find somewhere to rest, they encountered Pokemon of all kinds. They all seemed to have the same idea - get as far away from the volcano as they could. There was nothing left for them here. The odd berry here and there would dispel their hunger for a little while, though everything they ate seemed to have lost its flavour. As it began to grow darker, the Jolteon's standards for shelter were dimming. They'd tried many caves and dens, each one seeming to harbour the rodent Pokemon of the forest, fortunately nothing more lethal. Packed tightly with groups, most of the dens wouldn't hold any more, either that or the rodents appeared hostile, which mightn't bode well for the Eevee if caught off-guard. Almost ready to submit, Selene's ears perk to Sarah's voice.

"Mom, over there, look!" she cries, lifting her paw in the direction of a worn-looking burrow under a tree. Her enthusiasm died with the strict hush from her mother.

Leaving paw prints in the ash behind them, they slowly approached the entrance. Loose roots and fallen branches told not of a strong tree above this den. Though, if it was empty, she could finally rest, having been out in the open, alert and exhausted for days. Sniffing at the inlet, she garnered no obvious scent of another. That same lingering stench since the eruption hindered her sense of smell. Looking around them once more, she nods to her young - instructed to wait outside each time they tried for shelter - before cautiously stepping into the burrow. The further she ventured, the less she could see. Padding lightly and slowly, her ears, eyes and nose were on edge until she saw it. A Flareon, sprawled out in the corner. It seemed to see her at the same time. The fur on its back stood on end, eyes piercing her very soul as its whole body tensed up. "I..I'm sorry. I'll go." She manages, backpedalling slowly; her own body: riddled with fear and unease.

"Mom!"

Her heart sank as she heard Sarah's cry; Adrenaline, coursing through her form. Turning on the spot, she bolted up the passage and out the other side. Riley!

Coming almost face to face with a Luxray upon exit, she sees her son locked in the powerful maw of the lion. They'd been followed. Held by his neck and shoulders, the rest of his body flailed out against his attacker, who quickly turned to flee with his catch upon seeing her. "Mom!"

Launching from her position, she sped after him without second thought.

Sarah scurried behind her, struggling to keep up with her rapid Jolteon mother. The concept of losing her, making her little legs scamper.

With her species being known for their speed, it wasn't long before Selene was gaining on him. Leaping over fallen trees and branches, barrelling under and through gaps, this Luxray was taking her through every obstacle he could find and she was powering past every one of them. The sound of paws smacking the floor echoed around them, ash flittering around their faces as the space between them closed.

With one last quick burst of energy, she neared the mighty feline, launching with her hinds. Her claws extend as she leapt onto her target, grabbing his sides to pull him down. His paws give way from the force behind him and their bodies crash to the ground before sliding to a stop in the ash.

Riley had managed to wriggle free just before they'd fell; the lion's maw had loosened with the shock. He could only watch the scene unfold next, picking himself up meekly.

Before Selene could react, the Luxray had moved atop her, immobilizing her with his sheer size. Pure fear pervaded her features as she glanced up at him, those blood-red eyes, merciless. Silence followed his penetrating lunge. Going for her neck, he sunk his teeth in; his bite, feral and ending. Her eyes close as if trying to block the pain. Unable to move, unable to breathe, her body sparks helplessly with no effect. Her sizzling volts grew weaker and shorter as focus blurred. "Mom!" she heard the mumbled cry of her own, she'd failed them. Time slowed, and darkness fell; her last sensation, that of a weight being lifted.