FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Star huffed as he tripped over some loose footing on the way up the Cheater's Lift, some bluffs filled with caves and tunnel systems. It had been six months since Scarlet disappeared, and the damage has been done, and fixed. Star was on another mission, a hit actually. He hadn't had one of these since that incident with Kross. The only different thing with this one was he was only told that he was dealing with a thief, and a good one at that. Their bounty was nothing to be modest about either, around 60,000. Nero told him that working would only do him good, but he felt that after this mission, he would need another break. 'The idiot who told me to climb up the bluffs instead of taking the path is losing their dinner privileges for a week,' he thought as he slipped again, sliding a bit. He really needs to learn to stop taking advice from his recruits.

He hoped from a ledge and kept climbing up, his treasure bag hitting him on his side as he swayed in the darkness. 'Wonder what this guy did to get a bounty of 60,000...' he thought as he closed his eyes, a stray wind blowing dust in his face. In hindsight, being a four legged creature with paws, he should have known that climbing a cliff would be extremely difficult. If only Nero didn't need all the money to pay off the new renovations he had done to the training pad outside. Star growled and cursed to himself as he slowly ascended. After a few minutes, he slung his bag over the top (or what seemed to be the top) of the cliff and pulled himself up. He laid on his back and rested his head on his bag. It was a clear sky tonight, and the moon was new. Stars dotted the purple skyline as the wind's blew through the Houndoom's shaggy fur. He stared at the sight motionless, maybe the climb was worth it after all. He smiled and rolled over and onto his feet. As much as star gazing was relevant to his interests, he had a job to do. He was on a plateau, with a few trees on the edges and a large jagged boulder to one side. There didn't seem to be much else, the tired hellhound hoped that he didn't climb a mountain for nothing. He scouted around for a bit but sighed, the trouble was getting down.

"Going somewhere?" Star's ears perked up as he turned around to the voice. It was assertive and yet, somehow friendly in a way. It was feminine and was close, but it was too dark to see. "Come on now, you just got here, and we have some catching up to do," teased the voice. It was getting closer, and more familiar as it did. Star stepped back, holding some flames in his muzzle ready for any attack that comes through the shadows. He looked around first though, there were trees around, and below was mostly beach and ocean, so it was probably fine to burn them for some light. He threw tiny fireballs at each of the five or so trees that lingered around the platform. They ignited quickly and lit up the area, but Star wished that he hadn't done that. Standing in the center of the plateau was a slender figure on two legs. She was taller than Star, unless Star were to stand on his hindlegs. She had three razor sharp claws on each of her arms, and pointy red ears. She had grey fur with a large black, fluffy collar. She had a long red and black mane that reached to her legs. And she had piercing, pale pink eyes with a scar above her right one. "Burning down the wildlife, how typical of you, you murderer," she said, not forcefully but more of an insult.

"Scarlet...you...what happened to you?" Star said, loosening his muscles and moving forward. She growled and stepped back.

"I got stronger, what does it look like?" she said. Star looked over the Zoroark, she had definitely grown.

"You even-"

"Evolved?" she finished. "Yeah, without you holding me back, I was free to train to my heart's content, and what better way to use my training, than to become the most wanted thief in the country!"

Star frowned. This was all his fault, he should have never taken her in to begin with.

"This isn't like you Scarlet...what happened to the innocent little girl that everyone loved?" he said, trying to get his point through to her. She growled and stepped forward.

"She's long gone and dead just like my family!" She screamed, growing angry. "Those pokemon never loved me, they were with you, only playing along with your game, spiting me..." Star's frown only grew larger as he tried to approach her. She extended her claws. "You stay away from me! Why can't you leave me alone!" Scarlet launched forward and slashed across the Houndoom's face, causing him to wince and yelp, jumping back. He slid across the loose gravel to the edge, looking down at the plummet. He covered his wounded face as she charged at him again. He didn't want to fight her, not after all that he's done. It's true that she will never forgive him, and he can't change that, but he is going to damn well try. She grabbed his sash and tugged him towards her, throwing him onto the rock, another yelp. He got up quickly, he couldn't stay down too long. She opened her mouth and used a Flamethrower attack. Star let out a surprised yip and dodged it, barely. She pounced him and held him against the rock, hitting him with a Night Slash to the side of his chest. He let out a pained cry as she tossed him across the platform near a ledge. He laid there limp as he looked at her slowly moving towards him.

"You cant beat me Star! I've become better than the master!" Star closed his eyes and got up, dusting himself off with his tail, ignoring the pain in his ribs. Star sighed. He knew what he had to do. He could see the suffering she has been through, her pale pink eyes told it all. This wasn't the same vixen he had saved before, it was someone more...lost. She looked like she had lost it all alone in the unforgiving dungeons. She had to learn to fight for herself, with no one to cheer her on or give her the support she so desperately needed. It was all his fault, and he knew exactly how to fix it. She laughed as she held her hands close, charging a ball of light in between them. "This should finish you off you good-for-nothing mutt!" Star gave her a quiet glare and ran towards her, at a speed that she hadn't seen before, disappearing into a blur. She let out a gasp and scowled in frustration. "Gah...hold still!" Scarlet threw the ball of energy into the air and smacked it down toward where Star might be into a Focus Blast. The ball smashed into the ground, cracking it as a cloud of rock and dirt splashed into the air. "Haha! Come on out Star! I know you are out there!" she teased, motioning with her claws to come at her. Her smug look soon turned to one of fear as the hellhound reappeared in front of her, not moving and giving a blank stare. Scarlet fidgeted in place. "Is this a joke to you?" she said quietly. "After all you've done to me, and you have the audacity to stare at me like that?" Star didn't move, or change his demeanor. "You really are a monster, you know that?"

The two kept to their positions, seeing which one would make the first move. The stand-off was longer than it had to be, seconds, minutes passing. Scarlet had enough. "Stop it! Stop staring at me like that!" she yelled, swinging her arm down at the expressionless fire-type. Star waited, everything seemed to be moving slower. The fire dancing on the trees, the rocks still falling from the blast not too long ago. Everything. He had to do it now. Star grabbed Scarlet's arm and tugged her to the ground by his teeth. She let out a scream as his fangs dug into her fur, and a cough as she hit the ground. She turned over, pain pulsating through her arm as she opened her eyes only to see Star move his head next to her's, his fangs showing. She kept stiff, her eyes wide with fear. He didn't attack, but he had to. He just wanted to close his eyes and finish her off with a well placed bite to her neck, but he couldn't. Despite the short time they have been together, Scarlet was everything to Star. It might have been his desperation for any sort of family that pushed him this far into his ruse. After being alone for years, decades without any sort of relationship, romantic or family related, he could only blame himself for what Scarlet has become. He let out a sigh, and began to whisper.

"Scarlet. You have every right to hate me, and I don't blame you. I wish I could change everything, I should have told you from the beginning and maybe...you could have been something. I know you won't forgive me, and never will, but I just want you to know, that...no matter what happens, no matter what you do...I will always love you. Because to me, you are still my little scarlet explorer." Scarlet let out a shudder, still not moving. She slowly turned to the hellhound's face. He had a sincere look, maybe his words got through to her. Her head was buzzing with thoughts, she didn't know what to believe anymore. She smiled back at him. Star's face lit up, as he released her and stepped back. "So Scarlet? What do you say?" He really hoped that his word's pushed through to her, everyone would be excited to see her back at the guild. His smile slowly disappeared as she gave a menacing smirk as she kicked him away and ran towards the ledge.

"What I say, is that you are still as gullible as when I first met you!" She held onto the trunk of one of the burning trees, seemingly uncaring for the fact that it is on fire. She winked and let go, falling back into the abyss. Star gasped and ran as fast as he could, he used all his energy on that last Crunch. He was too late, he was just a hair's width away from her as she fell with a smile on her face. He stared at her fall, screaming the entire way hoping that it would help in some way. Her face remained calm, and serene as she slowly closed her eyes. Star cringed and had to step back as a loud snapping sound echoed throughout the area, causing some Pidgeys to scatter away. Star sat down, he felt sick. There was no doubting it now. Scarlet the Zoroark, the thief, the ex-explorer, was dead. Star's Focus Sash was laying half undone on the ground as droplets fell on its complex fabric. For the first time since the fire. Star began to cry. He was certainly not looking forward to giving his report.