FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

I awoke suddenly, my entire body racked with pain. I opened my eyes slowly so they could adjust to the light. It was morning, just after dawn, but I had no idea how long it had been since the festival. The festival... I thought suddenly. Everything flooded back to me in that moment: the attack, Silus, his terrifyingly strong pokémon, and Vix being dragged away. I stood up slowly and took a few steps, and then collapsed suddenly, for I had not regained enough strength to properly move. As I got to my knees, I felt a stinging on my chest, and when I looked down, I saw my shirt was torn in half, and I had a giant scar where the creature's attack had struck me. I looked around at the destruction Team Blaze had left behind. Every window in every building was smashed, any wooden structures lay in smoldering piles, and stone buildings had simply been knocked over. The fountain I had almost kissed Vix on had been leveled, and the Gyarados centerpiece was unrecognizable. I looked around in despair at the destruction around me, and held my head in my hands. This can't be happening; I tried convincing myself, this is all just a dream. I kept going on like this for a few minutes, and after that I knew there was no going back. She was gone, and I had failed to protect her. I got up slowly, this time maintaining my balance, and began to walk to the edge of the village, hoping to find my death in the woods beyond.

I had grabbed a blanket that was reasonably intact from one of the homes, and was wearing it like a cloak. I walked down the path, staring straight ahead, not blinking. I heard footsteps behind me; they had been following me for nearly half an hour now. I stopped and sighed. "Whoever you are, I can assure you I have nothing for you, so stop following me." I turned and was surprised to see an old man. He looked at me funny and replied, "Dear boy, I wish you no harm. I wish to help you. Come with me to my house at the foot of the mountain." I wasn't convinced. "Why didn't you say something before instead of making me think you wanted to rob me? If I had been in the mood for fighting, I could have destroyed you without thinking." He smiled sadly. "I was unsure if you were indeed who I thought you were." He was a strange one, all right. He wore black robes, and had a beard that hung down to his stomach. He was frail looking, but his eyes had a fiery strength in them. "And who exactly did you think I was that made you follow me for so long?" I asked suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. He looked me directly in the eye, and said flatly, "You are the boy who is searching for me; the one with the Curse of Solitude. Now, come with me, and I can help you." I turned away and continued walking. "There is no helping me. Not anymore." He jogged up to my side. "And why is that? There is always a chance at helping someone." I stopped and glared at him. "Not the help I need. I do not need to be cured of my condition so I can live a normal life. What I need is a way to defeat an impossibly strong enemy in order to protect the girl I love, but now she's gone, and THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO!" I screamed suddenly out of rage. He looked confused. "Aren't you tired of being alone? Isn't that why you sought me out?" I looked at the ground and shook my head sadly. "That was before I lost her. Now..." I continued down the path. "Now I know that getting rid of this curse will only make me feel more alone than ever." He continued to walk with me. "I understand how you feel, and I cannot force you to let me get rid of the curse for you. But what I can do is teach you how to use it, how to control it, and how to get your loved one back." This caught my attention. I stopped, and slowly turned my head towards him. "How?" I asked slowly, not sure what to think of it. It sounded a little too good to be true. I mean, that creature, "Yveltal", Silus had called it, unleashed enough energy to shatter one of my blades and drain all of my strength. How could there possibly be a way to defeat it? The man smiled, obviously glad he had finally convinced me. "Come with me. I will explain everything soon enough."

We reached the man's cabin not too long later. It was at the foot of the mountain, just as I had heard. The inside of his house was decorated with strange and ancient statues, and in the center was a stone table and 2 wooden chairs. He began to cook some stew on a stove as I sat down, and gave me a glass of water. I hadn't realized how thirsty I was, and drank it all in a flash. "Now, where shall I begin?" he asked, deep in thought. I shrugged. "Why not about the basics of the curse?" I suggested. He smiled. "AH, yes, a good place to start. You see, the curse is an ancient and complicated one. It was originally a way to create powerful servants, but enchanters found that slaying one who was cursed granted them the powers as well. You see, this curse could not affect those who were already skilled in sorcery, and could only be used on a child younger than 10 years old. They would grow up, alone, until one day, the enchanter would return and kill the child, and gain the powers for himself, but much stronger." I looked at the floor. "So what, the enchanter just lost track of me?" I asked, confused. The old man got up to get the stew, and continued; "I would assume so, and you should be grateful, for now that enchanter has one disadvantage: you have had enough time to get used to and train with your powers." He handed me a bowl and a spoon, then sat back down in his chair. I knew I had a new threat that had most likely been searching for me for 5 years, but I couldn't move my focus from my current goal. "Well, now I know how and why I am the way I am, but it doesn't help me save Vix." The old man looked at me, then got up and quickly rushed to a bookcase. He scanned the shelf for a moment, then pulled down a thick volume and rushed back. He handed me the book, and I saw the cover was emblazoned with "The Power of Shadows" on the front in golden letters. "This book is for those wishing to take darkness and use it as a weapon." He began. "Fortunately, the first few chapters are about gaining this power, but you have that part done, so we can skip right to training. Now, what can you do so far?" I thought about this for a moment. "Materialize weapons, put people to sleep, and excessive use of these powers makes me lose control and become a demon... that's about all that comes to mind." He nodded quickly. "Good, good, then you are already quite a ways on the path. Now, we must help you go further." He stood up and walked to a pillar in the center of the room, and moved a flag hanging from it to reveal a large button. He pushed it, and a moment later, the house began to shake as a large portion of the floor on the far side of the house shifted away, to reveal a tunnel that lead underground. "Let us begin your training." He smiled, beckoning me to the darkness. I followed wordlessly. I do not completely trust this man, I thought to myself, but if he can teach me to use my powers, I can rescue Vix. I will make Silus pay. Even if it's the last thing I do on this Earth.