Welcome to the home of Moonlit Tribal Tales! Where you can interact with the three known tribes of this blog! From Sharp Fang Forest to the neighboring Sharp Claw Village & Eclipse Creek, RP with the NPCs of the tribes! RP/Asks: OPEN! This blog is under the ownership of LunaStar52/MoonlightCascades & Ciniminimon
Luna: Been holding this one off for a while. Hey guys it’s Luna. And...like the title says, it’s time to close down the blog.
After years of really doing not that much on this blog, and school getting in the way for both me and Cini, we talked about the blog and came down to the conclusion that, while it was an amazing and fun ride, we want to put our stories on our own separate blogs. Still have ties to one another, but this blog specifically just constrains and holds down our art to be posted too much. Hell, the years that we’ve not posted a lick to this blog, we’ve been drawing and thinking of our characters in pokemon AND human forms now. Not only that, but now Flames of a Chief is heavily out of context to the changes we’ve done to our characters. So everything feels and is technically out of place in our headcanons for our characters.
This was originally a blog for PMDUnity, which I will admit I will never regret joining, for without doing so, I would’ve never found Cini in the first place. But changing this blog up another time is just tedious and feels not all that worth it in the end.
So, long story short for everyone, this blog will be turning into an archive blog, where no activity will be on it, but I’m not deactivating it. Too many memories, too many things I’ve spent hours working on with Cini or on my own to be just erased forever. Don’t expect things to be posted to here. This blog is just here for people to see the growth that Cini and me have gone through.
Thanks to all that followed this blog and stuck around for so long, but it’s time to say goodbye on this blog. If you want to see more art, please go follow lunarstarmoonlight and cinimonsketch. It’s over there that we’ll be posting art on our characters and our stories :) We’ve got so many aus and headcanons that we wanna show so while the blog is closing down, our characters are definitely not. ^_^
(( Luna: Tried out pixelating two headshots. One of Nootau, one of Gwen ;u; I’m actually reaaaaally proud of how these came out. I’VE NEVER DONE PIXELS BEFORE AND IM PROUD OF THESE!
Please read! We’ve put our heart and soul into this story to make it great! This chapter DOES NOT have art inside, but you can create pictures with your minds. Please click the “Keep Reading” in order to see our writing! Thank you.
Nootau tilted his head up as he sat on the porch by himself, savoring the cool night wind brush over his pelt, while the others were having a massive campfire a few yards from the house. The night was clear of any clouds, the sky painted with millions of speckles that were stars, and the moon was at its fullest.
As the others had their campfire, he enjoyed the distant quietness for the moment. Zephyr, Varrick, and Qaletaqa all munched on cooked berries, while Aiyanna, Molimo, Nathan, and Taquí — who had come over around dinner time to have family time with them all — were telling stories to Muraco, Alun, and Magnea, leaving Hania to tell tales and stories of the stars to Athena, Wenda, and Wayra.
“You okay, dear?” Gwen’s voice caused him to look away from the fire. She had retrieved them some mugs of honey tea onto a platter, and seated herself beside her fiancé, nudging his mug over to her. He thanked her and took a sip.
“Yeah, just wanted some quality time with the kits and the eggs,” He mumbled.
In front of him, the blanket covered basket guarded the five little Absol kits from the cold as they quietly slept. He would occasionally give them a small lick on the back, causing them to mewl and snuggle deeper into the sheets.
“I talked to Aiyanna about them while you had been making dinner before,” She started, giving a small snort of a laugh. “She says they are probably almost 3 months old, but haven’t grown so much as an inch in length. They really are small.”
“Doesn’t matter to me,” He countered calmly. “I was small and weak and helpless just like them. I had no one for a time. I was forced to have no one at an early age. Mother never had the chance to hold me for very long until Yiska foreboded her to be near me for good. I don’t want these two — no, four — to ever feel that.”
She nuzzled his neck fur gently. “You’ll do good. Far more than him. I’m sure you will rival Varrick in being a father,” She teased.
Nootau smiled and tipped her head up to kiss her gently. Gwen blushed and purred, kissing back affectionately. When she pulled away, she pressed her forehead against his. “We still have to name them, sweetie.”
“I know…” He pulled the basket a little closer, careful as to not wake the kits. He looked at them and pointed to the normal colored one. “How about Zyanya? It means “forever” or “always”.”
“Aww that’s so sweet!” She whispered happily. Gwen then looked to the shiny Absol and smiled. “And we’ll call her Talulla. It’s “princess” from what I remember.”
“Impressive. As for the others…” He smiled at the other three sleeping. “How about…Moana,” he poked his nose to the fluffiest one who had a more bluer tint to her coat. “Luyu,” He moved to the albino kit. “Greta…and Micah.” He smiled to the last one, the only male, who blinked his little eyes open a little bit, before falling right back to sleep.
“I love them all, Nootau…” She smiled happily.
Nootau smiled widely and looked down at the little kits that had become their children. “I love it too… I love them; and you.” He purred, nuzzling her again.
Gwen giggled and leaned against them as the two watched the campfire, their kits, and the moon in peace.
Please read! We’ve put our heart and soul into this story to make it great! This chapter DOES NOT have art inside, but you can create pictures with your minds. Please click the “Keep Reading” in order to see our writing! Thank you.
The next time Nootau woke up, it was high noon. He could feel the warmth of the sun rays seeping into his fur. He slowly blinked, giving a mighty yawn as he stretched out his limbs. He wasn’t as stiff like before, however he did feel hungry. Very hungry.
He jumped onto the ground and sat down, slowly taking off the bandages, to reveal that they had, in fact, been reapplied yet again while he had been sleeping. Nootau pondered how long he truly had slept if he hadn’t even woken up from someone putting new wrappings on him.
The wounds on his side and stomach were all healed up, minus some apparent scarring. He gathered that he would have those visible belly scars under his fur until the day he passed on into the life of spirits. He took off his neck bandages. He guessed before that Gwen’s necklace had been taken off of him in order to get to his neck wounds. He rubbed the skin under the fur and felt the stickiness coat his claws. But other than that, the wound had closed up as well.
Nothing but a scar under his fur would remain from such a brutal fight.
After taking off and tossing his other bandages off, Nootau walked to the bathroom and washed himself on his own. It wasn’t hard thanks to him being almost completely healed now, however drying himself off was a bit amusing. He tried to dry himself off with the towel, but it was twice as difficult as he initially thought. Nonetheless, he managed to get himself into a poofy state of dryness. From then, he brushed himself slowly, just like his mother did.
Nootau sighed when he finished, placing the brush down and looking at himself in the mirror. He was glad he was looking more like his normal self. But the male could tell something was different in him; particularly in his horn. He tilted his head and realized that his horn was a bit bigger. The Mega Evolution must have triggered a further growth.
‘I need to see the others,’ He thought. Walking out of the guest bathroom, he opened the door and looked around. There was no one upstairs, from what he could hear. But rather, they were all downstairs. He could hear distant chatter farther out. ‘They must be outside on the porch with the door open.’
He walked down the stairs slowly, hoping not to startle anyone that could be inside. Nootau heard laughter outside and pondered who was here still. He peeked from the corner out onto the large porch, seeing Aiyanna gently teetering back and forth on the rocking chair while sipping down some chamomile tea with a pinch of honey to it.
To her right was a woven basket on a stand. The basket had blankets spilling from the sides, and little bodies formed lumps inside of it as they slept. The kits he had saved were still alive, to his immense relief. To her left on the porch swing was Qaletaqa, who was munching on tea cakes and drinking a mug of coffee, his eyes staring straight ahead at Zephyr’s form, seemingly indifferent. However, the old Ursaring always did that, and Nootau could tell, judging from the talk Qale made, he was listening and enjoying his time with the ladies.
Zephyr herself was seated in the comfortable self made “chair” that Varrick created from himself, after winding himself around several times. The large Seviper himself was leaning against the edge of the porch fence. She held an egg in her arms, and her pregnant belly was significantly smaller. clearly the markings of a Seviper on it, while the two eggs Nootau had pulled out of Nara lied in her lap. Nootau felt relief course through his heart. She had gone into labor while he and Gwen were fighting in the tribe, and came out it alive. He knew that Zephyr’s survival chances after or during labor were severely cut. But she had always walked out with a happy smile, despite there being several times she nearly died on Varrick because of it.
‘Gwen,’ He paused, looking out further to see that Gwen, Nathan, and Athena were all racing around with the children. He smiled happily when he saw Wayra was bouncing along, dodging Nathan’s form at the last second to sprint back over to Magnea, Muraco, and Wenda. Sumaq gave Gwen a peck on the cheek and laughed as she floated them, running with the other children. Alun trailed behind them, giggling all the while.
The entire scene made his heart throb. Everything had practically turned back to normal.
Just as he was going to step out and show himself, he heard footfall behind him, causing the floorboards to creak gently. “Hey, guys. He’s awake.”
Nootau laughed and shook his head as the adults whipped their heads around and looked in his direction. “Thanks Molimo. I was gonna surprise them all by making a big showcase,” The male Absol chuckled, walking out with his older brother behind him, grinning from ear to ear. Hania walked out too, having more refilled mugs and tea cakes on a platter.
Aiyanna smiled happily with Zephyr, while Varrick spoke up, “Welcome back to the living, Nootau.”
“Am I allowed to join?” Though it was probably a stupid question, mannerism came forth and pushed its role into the open.
Zephyr smiled in understanding and nodded. “Absolutely. We were going to talk about what is going to happen now,” She said, giving her egg a small rub as Nootau took a seat on a large set of porch pillows.
“Dare I ask how long I was out for?”
“Far longer than your fiancée.” Qale said bluntly. “She was in and out of consciousness for a week. You’ve been out for three.”
He was shocked speechless. Three weeks? That was ungodly long. His stomach churned, however Varrick could see his uneasiness, thus shook his head.
“No worries, Noot. Nothing extremely bad has happened since then. We kept you alive by carefully giving you water and berry juice while you were still unconscious,” He explained. Nootau sagged slightly with a sigh as Hania and Molimo sat on either side of him. However, that quickly shifted when Gwen trundled up the porch steps and saw him. Gasping happily, she dove over to him and nuzzled his cheek happily. Nootau chuckled and pushed back, butting heads with her and purring contently.
“So…where do we start?” Nootau asked after Gwen settled down with him.
“I would say the beginning. And all of it, too,” Aiyanna sighed, thumbing her tea cup. Taking in a slow breath, she started off. “I’m sure you know by now that your fa…Yiska…cursed you, dear. Forced Corm to set the curse on you to kill you. I never knew why he had become so evil in the first place so fast, until I was explained by other Absol that were taken hostage that were older then me; Yiska has been seeking out our tribal lands for control for a while.
“He came from a band of Absol that were known as the Antinanco. Though my mother never knew it before she passed, the band of Absol were in fact a band of rogues that had been exiled from a mountain tribe far from the Sharp Claws Tribe forest. That tribe was known as the Hok’ee Tribe. They are a tribe that my mother would visit often for national tribe meetings and powwows until she grew to the age where she respectfully couldn’t go by herself. Yiska was born and raised there, becoming one of their best warriors. However, he was also their most reckless and brash, and that didn’t settle well with their Alpha Male at the time. To the point where Yiska challenged the Alpha and ended up exiled, along with several other warriors that sided with him, to the unknown.
“My mother presented me as a treaty between Yiska and our tribe, considering they proclaimed to want to eradicate the Sharp Fangs Clan just as badly. When in fact, it was the tribe and our beliefs he wanted to destroy. I was young then, and I didn’t know any better. Tamaya didn’t want to do it, but Yiska pointed out several good points to him joining the tribe and his band of ‘mons’ powers together.
“I will admit, Yiska was smart and very patient; for a time. He treated others well and made a decent Chief in the first several years of his rule. He never showed signs of what he later was…until Zephyr left the tribe upon her surprising return to us,” She paused, looking at her oldest daughter, who nodded in agreement. Nootau didn’t dare himself to interrupt, merely listen and take in what she was telling him.
“I married Yiska out of the hopes that peace would come to our tribe and the clan. Your sister and brothers accepted your father in just as equally as I did.”
“Wait…you mean we were born prior to Yiska, Ma?” Molimo chirped, tilting his head. Hania frowned deeply in confusion, much like Nootau as Aiyanna nodded slowly.
“Our father by blood was not Yiska, was it Ina…” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement. Zephyr had a mellow expression compared to the boys.
“No. He is…was…your step-father. But he didn’t now this — no one knew — because I became pregnant after we married. Everyone thought I had birthed early because I had three eggs. However, I birthed right on time.” She sipped her tea for a moment. “Your father is not part of the tribe either. He hasn’t been ever. He is, however, my true mate. I didn’t realize this until after I had mated to Yiska.” She looked at them firmly, her eyes warm. “Your father, Molimo, Hania, and Zephyr, is a Seviper by the name of Kenway.”
She waited for them to jump up and yell at her. But, none did. The males blinked and took in several breaths, their scents shifting from confusion, fear, then understanding and…happiness.
Molimo finally gave a breathy laugh. “Wow! I…I’m so glad I wasn’t the blood son of Yiska.”
“The same goes for us two, young brother,” Zephyr smiled. “No offense Nootau.” Her smile went a little sad when he shrugged half-heartedly. Aiyanna continued.
“Kenway met me right before Yiska. I had…well, in books they would’ve stated that I had fallen head over heels in love with him. I don’t discourage it, but it is what it is. I mated with him and had you three. A part of me is forever grateful that you three were Zangoose and not Seviper. For if so, I don’t even know what would’ve unfolded back then. What you guys did inherit from him was your ability to have his venom. His blood. That in itself makes you all very strong.
“Anyways, you three grew and became what you are now. I’m so proud of you all, and never once had an ounce of regret or shame in me in what you three have done or do now.
“Kenway disappeared soon when Yiska told me he had seen and smelt a Seviper in the tribal grounds. If you ponder where your father could be right now, I do not know myself. I wish I did, but he could be anywhere. All I do know, however, is that he’s well. Otherwise, he would be in my dreams and his soul around us.
“After he did leave, though, adding onto five years without Zephyr home, Yiska started to act a bit…more forceful. I gathered it was the years waning on him, as well as the elders. That is…until I felt his soul start to really expose who he was. When I met him, his soul was determined and strong. A warrior’s soul. A warrior’s heart.”
“I knew the bastard was different from the moment he stepped foot into our tribe, young Aya.” Qale’s raspy but deep voice spoke up. “You were too young and inexperienced to know then. However, I myself thought he would change for the better. He didn’t. You always wondered why I was wary of him being around you or myself or even the other elders of the tribe. That is why. His soul was tainted by a speck of evil that eventually grew and infected him as a whole quickly. That evil, that darkness, was lusting for control and complete domination over everything of the tribe.
“Why did you tell no one?” Nootau asked.
“I can only do so much in my strength, Nootau, with him as the Chief at the time. He had a good hold the tribe by the time things really turned. I didn’t know how bad it was gonna get. When you don’t know at my age, the best thing you can absolutely do is pray something good will come out in the end. I prayed for a long time. Aiyanna eventually birthed you and your sister. Whereas Yiska and many others thought you were nothing but a bad omen, I believed you were good luck. It just took far longer than I anticipated for the bastard to be killed,” He shook his head. Aiyanna touched his paw, gently encouraging him to continue. Thus, he did.
“I feel bad for Corm, because I know the Banette was in-between a rock and a tight place. Yiska’s fears on you were true; he dreamed and was told by Corm that a shiny was to be his end of reign. That was where he lost it and the darkness unleashed in him. Deaths were happening left and right of weak children and Shiny Pokemon that were hatched. I was sickened by what he did. And what he did to you was the final straw to your mother and I, as well as Zephyr. I’m glad she took you away while she could.
“Nara was soon his prized gem. She became a monster just like him. Soon, then, it was a few more. Then more. Until nearly the entire tribe was under his control and rule. It only proved even more so when he revealed that he had an Absolite from Corm. He used his powers to kill and place fear on those who dared to defy him. Including your mother. He…beat her up several times until I had to finally have her sleep near me at all costs. He tried to attack me, but he quickly got the picture that I was far stronger than what I appear. He didn’t kill me, because he knew also that I would never leave my tribe and those injured. I was compelled to heal and help those who were still innocent.
“When he started stealing kits that he deemed himself too weak for the clan and started to dispose of them, Aiyanna tried to stop him. Or, at least, tried to get the children out safely. But…then she discovered Nara was trying to kill her only hatched son, Wayra, at the time. She did what was right in protecting her grandson, but Nara was already far too gone. We took the other four eggs she had birthed — after telling her they were stillborns — and hid them away, hoping to have them hatch in the future by the blessings of the gods and spirits. However, they did not make it.”
They paused, the air suddenly heavy. Athena was still playing with the kids, but she did look back at them, receiving a wave of Nootau’s tail. She gave a cocky smirk and went back to chasing after Muraco and Wenda, causing the Seviper to hiss and run off towards Nathan in the shallow part of the lake.
Nootau lowered his tail and looked to the porch’s wooden ground. He took a deep breath. “When did you discover she was…or started to…conceive with Yiska, Aiyanna?” He asked.
“Around the time Wayra disappeared,” Aiyanna answered. “He was 7 when it started. Literally, it occurred right after he was gone. I was…disgusted and hurt for the most part. I couldn’t understand what was going on. I tried to confront Yiska, but when he full on attacked me, leaving me wounded, I knew….I knew he had no love or trust or even significant honor for me anymore. He beat me up until I was knocked unconscious. When I awoke, I was with Wayra and the others that were still living in that cave.”
“Cave?” Nootau tilted his head.
Aiyanna smiled slightly. “The cave in which Gwen saved me, all of us, from. It was the cave that Zephyr had used to shelter her eggs from the tribe and Honovi while he was alive. Gwen followed the scent of me apparently, and managed to get all those who were alive out. While you had been unconscious, Nootau, Qale and Zephyr went back to the cave and burned the bodies up as best as they could before properly burying them all. Had Gwendolyn not arrived, there would’ve been far more bodies to bury and burn.”
Gwen blushed and ducked her head when Nootau smiled at her proudly. “S-Stop. I just was doing what was right…that’s all,” She squeaked, giving a small chuckle.
“You saved my mother, my mentors, and my nephew. As well as dozens of other lives…You are a hero, Gwen. Thank you,” He said, kissing her cheek softly. She blushed and purred gently.
Varrick cleared his throat, chuckling when the couple blushed together and stopped their little love moment. He smiled before his face got serious again. “What about the bodies? You guys stated before that left and right bodies had been killed.”
“I burned them,” Nootau spoke up. “Gwen, you wonder where I found the little ones at? It was right near a graveyard that was not exactly hidden well. The bodies were all under a layer of dirt below the main ground level, and I don’t even know how many there had been there, just rotting away and not even getting a rightful burial. Even the souls were sickened by the amount of corpses.”
“Merciful Arceus…” Zephyr said in horror. She gritted her teeth. “Our brethren and sisters, left to lie and rot under the ground without a proper native burial? Fucking disgusting,” She spat. Varrick nodded, pressing his head to his true mate’s neck to calm her down. It worked.
“I set them all aflame under the ground, t’anke.” Nootau reassured her. “I am, however, confused as to why the kits never died…How could they have possibly survived in such an infested little confined area is a miracle.”
“They are stronger than what Nara gave them credit for, despite being so much smaller. Look.”
Nootau stood up, moving over to Aiyanna and the woven basket with blankets beside her on the smaller table. He looked down and saw the little Absol squirming against one another, the blanket half covering their backside. He smiled softly and dipped down, licking their little heads. They were so small. Smaller than even his paw. He was sure that they would all fit into Zephyr’s paws if she even wanted to hold them. The little boy nuzzled against Nootau’s nose, before falling back asleep, not noticing the shiny Absol pulling away.
“What are you going to do about them, Nootau?” Qaletaqa asked slowly. “They are the result of Nara and Yiska. They’ve survived so far, but…it will be harder for their bodies in the future. They might not even survive till adulthood—”
“I will be their father,” Nootau interrupted him. Qale’s blind eyes widened, as did Gwen’s behind him.
“F-Father?! But Nootau, what…what about me? I don’t know if I could be a good mother.” She yelped.
Nootau looked to her. “Do you think you could be if you tried, my Moon?” He asked gently. Gwen felt her heart clench. She could see the turmoil that was building in his eyes. She felt his soul churn with worry and fear of objection.
All of them knew Nootau would not kill the kits, much less abandon them. Why would he? They had done no wrong themselves, and haven’t been given a chance to live; until he came and saved them.
Gwen slowly got up and walked over to the basket. She looked at their tiny forms, her heart twisting. She blushed and ducked her head abruptly into his neck fur.
“….I will try my best, Nootau. I don’t want them to die,” She muttered out.
Nootau’s heart clenched so tightly he was at lost for breath. He felt it sing with joy. He smiled and curled his head around to her own neck fur, purring deeply. He gave a slow sigh of relief. “I don't either. We will do this together,” He whispered. He opened his eyes to look at Zephyr.
Zephyr smiled proudly at him and pointed down to the two eggs in her lap. He smile and nodded. “We will raise them too, t’anke.”
“What about Wayra?” Gwen asked curiously.
“Wayra will be living with me and Varrick for the time being. We’ve decided it would be best if he was around other children. Our kits have a fondness for him.” Zephyr explained. “But…he seems to have an even bigger fondness for Gwen while you were unconscious, Nootau. I think he’s imprinting on her and slowly starting to see her as a mother-figure. Who knows…he may likely wish to live with you guys in the future.” She smiled.
“Five kits to tend to? With another one on the way, Zeph?” Nootau chuckled in amazement.
“It’s not just me who’s tending to them,” She purred, rubbing her husband’s cheek with a free paw. He laughed, causing the others to follow in pursuit.
“What about the tribe itself? Is it…gone now?” Hania finally asked the question all of them have been fearing the most.
“No,” Aiyanna said fast. “I am still the Chief of Sharp Claws. But, I fear the other Tribal Chiefs will want a full on meeting again on who becomes the next Alpha Male and Chief of Sharp Claws…as well as what is to happen to us.”
“For now, as Chiefs ourselves,” Varrick continued. “We have given permission for the Sharp Claws Tribe members to reside in Eclipse Creek’s main townspot, until this predicament is resolved. We have taken several massive steps in the past few weeks, having the tribe come in with sick and injured, Yiska dead and gone, Nootau and Gwen the saviors, but also several homeless and orphaned children and adults. We need to solve those first now. I have reached out to Sharp Fangs Clan recently. Though they aren’t particularly happy with the news, they have promised to keep off the official territory of Sharp Claws Tribe until everything had blown over and adjustments are officially made,” Varrick looked at Nootau and smiled, his fork like tongue sliding out. “Don’t worry, one step at a time, and this will get fixed for good.”
They all nodded in agreement, letting the silence settle on them all. Soon, the conversation shifted over to that of light and happiness, laughter and jolly jokes eventually filtrating like a veil over the awkwardness.
The family was getting back in shape slowly but surely.
Please read! We’ve put our heart and soul into this story to make it great! This chapter DOES NOT have art inside, but you can create pictures with your minds. Please click the “Keep Reading” in order to see our writing! Thank you.
Gwen heard the gentle approach of feathered wings, causing her to turn around. She, however, was not expecting to see her true mate holding several little forms in his paw and mouth simultaneously. Nonetheless, the female Absol bounded over to him, both to relish in his return, and to get away from the scent of burning flesh. Corm had insisted in them starting to clean up at least a little bit for now by disposing the bodies. He stated that the souls were in distress and trying to recuperate back into their tribal forest. She heard them, so she didn’t argue back. By the time Nootau had arrived back, Corm and Qale had made a heavy enough fire that the bodies were burning away at a steady pace.
“Nootau…what is this?” She asked in awe as the kits mewled and hiccuped sickly.
“Later.” He said, brushing his cheek against hers quickly. She blushed and nuzzled back and followed Nootau back over to Qale and Corm.
“We need to leave.” He said carefully, not trying to drop the kits. Corm’s eyes widened a brief moment before narrowing and nodding. His eyes glowed and he held out his hands, pulling grass and small amounts of debris from the broken huts. A short while later, a makeshift basket had been formed, big enough to hold the kits.
“Aye. My eyes and nose are overwhelmed for the day. Sumaq,” He gestured for the little light Yamask, who floated over to him. “Carry the kits back to Eclipse Creek with us—”
“No.” Nootau growled sternly, catching them off guard. He shook his head slowly. “I’ll carry them. In the makeshift holder. They…they need me.”
“…Okay. Then we’ll carry the eggs.” Corm said, giving a small smile to Nootau before scooping down and grabbing the eggs, carefully holding them to his chest. He started to levitate above the ground, much like that of Sumaq. “Okay everyone! We must leave now. Our home awaits us.”
Many looked at one another in disbelief, while others in exhausted eagerness. Nootau lowered the kits carefully into the basket and licked thir necks. They were tired. And he needed to get them medical help as fast as possible. Nootau spread his wings out gently, causing them to all stiffen instinctively.
“Please, follow me and Gwen. Anyone who falls back, please give a cry and we’ll come to your aid. Onward please.” He instructed calmly. They looked at one another and before followings orders with a haste in their steps. He didn’t take flight when he noticed their souls were lacing over in fear again.
“Hey,” Corm nudged him out of his stupor. He nodded in reassurance. “In time, young one, they’ll come to. You’re not him. Remember that.”
“Okay…” He sighed, giving another purr to calm the little kits shivering in his grasp. He had to get them home soon.
As one, both he and Gwen took flight into the air and out of Sharp Claws Tribe’s camp.
* * * * * *
“There they are!” Came Alun’s overly excited scream.
Varrick quickly made his way out from the porch and to the yard as he saw two approaching Mega Absol in the air. He couldn’t believe his eyes. Nootau and Gwen had actually Mega Evolved and were alive.
“GWEN!” Athena screamed, racing out to envelop her sister in a tight neck hug. Gwen exclaimed in happiness, her wings coming around to hug her sobbing sister back. “Y-You idiot!” She yelled, pulling away with happy yet irritated tears streaming down her face. “W-We thought you were dead! Oh my Arceus! You’re covered in wounds! And you were flying! You have a lot of explaining to do damnit!”
“I’m okay…hurt, yes, but not dead.”
“Gwen?! Gwendolyn!!” Nathan yelled. Gwen gasped and squeaked happily.
“Daddy!” She raced over to him, meeting his form halfway in a frenzy of head nuzzling and his foreleg pulling her into a hug.
He pulled away to observe her, his eyes widening when he saw the Mega Stone around her bloodied neck. “W-Where did you…what happened…where’s your mother’s….” he babbled. Gwen laughed a little, before coughing up a spot of blood, instantly alerting him.
“Dad, calm down! Nootau…” She looked over to her fiancé, seeing him limping far more heavily then from. Nathan saw it too; on his soon-to-be son-in-law’s neck was his wife’s family heirloom necklace. It was battered up slightly and caked in blood, just like the rest of his form. He looked exhausted.
Then he saw the kits squirming in the basket.
“What the?! What…Gwen! What the hell are those?!” He started to advance towards Nootau, his overprotectiveness suddenly making him a bit irrational. Nootau saw his approach and snarled abruptly, startling them all. Nathan froze and even took a step back, before blinking several times. “Oi, Nootau. What are those?”
Nootau paused and looked down to his…kits. He sighed tiredly. “Too tired…hurt…need rest and medicine…” He said. In fact, his body started to sway. Everything was coming on him suddenly. It was too much for him to take in now.
Before he knew it, the world fell black.
* * * * * *
Nootau opened his eyes slowly, his head throbbing, and his eyelids felt heavy prying awake. He blinked slowly as the gentle breeze of late afternoon causing his fur to sway like the tall grass around him.
He groaned, pushing himself upright more, to see that his form was clean of any wounds and scars. Confused, he tipped his head up and saw that he was, indeed, in a meadowy field that stretched for miles before touching the base of mountains in the distance, the sun almost ready to go behind the tops of them.
‘A dream…’ He thought.
“To you, it is nothing more than a figment of your imagination.”
He stiffened. The voice was gentle like the breeze. In fact, it was part of the breeze, soft and very much a whisper to his ear holes.
“Who are you?” he asked slowly, tilting his head as he stood up. A wave of dizziness overcame his senses and he sat down awkwardly. A laugh he hadn’t heard in a long time filled into the air.
He closed his eyes and breathed rhythmically for several seconds. Upon opening them, he gasped at the sight in front of him.
“J…Jade…”
Though she was hard to see to even his sharp eyes, she was there. Her form was outlined by the descending sunset. Her eyes were like faded emeralds. She smiled at him gently as the tears filled his eyes. He tried to reach out for her form, wishing he could touch her, however he thought better of it and put his paw down.
“How…I thought…”
She shrugged briefly. “You spoke the truth to everyone before, brother. I am here, but I am not. But I’m not dead. Not in that way.” She said, shaking her head. “I wish I could explain so much more, but our time together is short.”
“It always is isn’t it?” He gave a thick chuckle. She smiled sadly and nodded. He cleared his throat. “Are the others okay?”
She paused, her eyes growing distant for a moment before she smiled. “Yes. When you wake up, Nootau, do not fret about what lies ahead too much. Times now are going to be different. And it’s all thanks to you and Gwen.”
“No…you helped us…” She blinked in surprise. He smiled and closed his eyes. “I felt your presence with me…back when we were fighting together. Those stones…when I passed them, they had your presence on them…you had used Stone Edge. You not only helped me, but you helped Gwen. How?”
She rolled her eyes momentarily and chuckled. “I told you long before my…departure.” She winced at the term but then shrugged about it. “I am one with Mother Earth Herself when it comes to my powers. In the…sleep stage I am in now…my Metamorphosis, my range is stretched out farther. That, and being a Pupitar helped with it. I did nothing before because it was not the right time.”
“You must be exhausted from it then.”
“Unfortunately. More than I would like to admit. But I have just enough power to see you through our soul bond, my dear brother. I am…so proud of you. Of how far you have come from where you were before. I can’t even begin to tell you how much it means to me to know that…” She paused smiling and sticking out her tongue. “No surprises for you brother. But I do want you to know that I am always here for you.”
“You really are still a pain sometimes. But I love you Jade. Please…tell me, how long until we will see each other again? In the living world I mean.”
She smiled sadly. “I have a long ways to go still Nootau. But please, have the patience Mama and I taught you to relish. Cherish what you have now, and do not fret of me so much. I am fine. And that is the truth.” Suddenly, her voice was getting fainter.
“Wait! Jade please! What do I tell the others?”
“They will know in due time. Let this be our secret, Nootau. I love you, and will always be watching over you. We shall meet again soon…”
He tried to get up, but Nootau felt his mind start to grow heavy again. Just before he completely blacked out, he heard one more request from his beloved adopted Larvitar sister:
“Cherish them as if they are your own blood children, Nootau and give them the chance you never got in the tribe.”
* * * * * *
Nootau gave a sharp gasp as he awoke, seeing that he was in the circular bed of the guest room. He breathed heavily for a moment, closing his eyes. The room’s scent was of aged maplewood and oak, as well as time. He was in his older sister’s cottage house again. The shiny tried his best to not cry in relief.
Jade was okay.
He was okay.
Everything was going to be okay.
Nootau didn’t move for almost an hour, savoring the calming scents of the room. If he deviled his nose further into the bed’s sheets and pillow, he could smell the day old scent of his Gwendolyn still. It soothed his heart and bandaged wounds, which he discovered when he tried to sit up the first time. His body had been washed of any blood that had been caked onto him from the battle, the wounds clearly stitched up when he shifted and felt the skin try not to reopen against the hold of the stitching. His Mage Eye had been touched with something slimy, making it twitch and try to get accustom to the feeling for the time being.
Soon, however, he finally became restless enough that he wanted to leave the room and investigate what was going on elsewhere in the house. He groaned, his muscles sore and stiff from the intense fight with Yiska and the the others. When he stood up, he took note that his wings were no longer there. Nootau frowned. ‘How was able to Mega Evolve anyways…’ He thought, sliding his way down the bed carefully. Despite being cleaned up, he felt dirty and felt the need of another bath—
The door of the guest bedroom opened up slowly. Nootau looked up and felt his heart thrummed faster. His mouth slowly opened up to agape as Aiyanna stepped in, towels and new bandages in her arm’s hold.
Her own red hues widened and she smiled, her slightly aged features filtering into that of a mother’s overwhelmed love.
“Nootau.”
If he hadn’t been lame from his injuries, the young Shiny would’ve raced into his mother’s hold. However, he couldn’t even move, his mind trying to play catch up, wondering how she was even alive. Her form was slightly thinner than what he remembered, but she still had her Herbal Shaman bicep bead band on, the four colors — red, yellow, white, and black — being the symbol of their belief and following of the ways in Shamanism. Her necklace, the same one he had seen before on the coffee table as his older sister told him that their mother was gone, was now cleaned, beautiful once again, and tied back around her neck.
Seeing her son frozen, she smiled and walked over to him. Gently placing the wrappings and towels over one arm and pulling him in close. She smelt of rosemary, thyme, and pine needles. Just like what he remembered from his childhood.
The tears fell over the rims of his eyes uncontrollably. Nootau hunkered forward and sobbed into her, bringing a foreleg forth and hugging her tighter. He felt a warm wetness on his head. His mother was crying too.
No words were spoken as the two reunited with one another, her fingers gently raking and grooming his fur as he sobbed into her own, his body giving racks of shudders. Nootau couldn’t even begin to control the relief and happiness of his mother being with him once more. His actual blood mother was in his grasp, alive, and safe.
After several minutes, she finally pulled him away, touching his cheek. He purred raggedly through his own dwindling sobs and sniffs as she smiled. “Come…” She finally spoke, her voice holding a gentle smoothness that made his heart relax. Just like how it did when she would calm him as a kit.
She helped him towards the bathroom and shut the door behind them. She petted his head slowly before turning on the water. When the tub was filled, Nootau silently got in after Aiyanna took off his bandages. He hissed when the water touched his tender skin, but after a moment of adjustment, he slid in completely and sighed. Knowing he was still tired, she sat on the tub’s edge, and Aiyanna started to wash her son herself. The washcloth in her hold gently dug in past all of his fur to scrub the grim and sweat from his skin slowly, though she took caution of his wounds still.
Again, neither one spoke, minus the content purring Nootau gave, nuzzling his mother’s hand playfully. She laughed when he lifted a claw and blew the soap suds into her face. Aiyanna squeaked and chuckled, wiping them off to scrub his head. The mutual silence was so welcomed. Mother and son need not to speak their emotions, when their souls were doing it for them.
After she had drained away the sud-filled tub and refilled it with water, Aiyanna dried her paws off. His eyes were struggling to stay open while the tub refilled, but she could see he was still recovering. She leaned back over, careful not to wake him as he soaked, running a hand over his horn slowly, her thumb making circles over his tattoos, running over his body for a few long minutes to warm him back up. Interestingly enough, when she had seen him go back to his normal form, the tattoos did the same.
“All will be explained when you wake up next time dear,” Aiyanna whispered. “I have missed you so much…” She said.
Nootau nudged her fingers with his nose. “I’m sorry, Mother…I have missed you too. I am just glad you are alive,” He said softly.
“As am I for you, my son. But for now, you need to get more rest. Come.” Nootau gave a sigh at his mother’s command, slowly getting out of the tub. She helped him dry off, even blow drying his fur out. Zephyr had to do the same to her own fur to get all the wetness. Aiyanna laughed when, after she turned off the dryer, Nootau was like a giant fluffball. He growled and shook out his pelt slowly and began to lick it down, but he was saved from hours of grooming by Aiyanna retrieving a small brush and helping him out. Soon, his fur was tamed and back to its pale pink, silky soft feel.
Aiyanna checked his wounds again, happy to see the stitching was holding together. After lathering some Sitrus Berry juice onto the new wrappings for faster heal, the Zangoose mother reapplied them to his wounds.
Nootau smiled and nuzzled Aiyanna one more time. “I love you, Mother.”
“I love you too, my son. Now rest.” She said, giving his Mage Eye a careful kiss, making his heart soar, before leaving.
The Shiny Absol trundled back to bed, now eager to get more rest after seeing his mother alive and well.
Warning: Various acts of violence, swearing, and graphic imagery lie ahead
Please read! We’ve put our heart and soul into this story to make it great! This chapter DOES NOT have art inside, but you can create pictures with your minds. Please click the “Keep Reading” in order to see our writing! Thank you.
WARNING WARNING! This specific chapter is gonna emphasize on a certain taboo that occurred. If you are sensitive to the material, either do not read or skip past it. We do not support this taboo, nor will we EVER. However, we are portraying on the actions that the CHARACTERS do. They have a mindset of their own.
Nootau felt hollow.
Staring into the apparent hole that now served as Yiska’s face, he felt like he lost his stomach from his body, his blood running cold. Why? Why did he feel this way? Was it because of everything that now came crashing down on his mind and heart at the same time? Was it because the tribe was not as it was?
Or was it because that same revenge he had built up over the torturous years…now had been successfully taken care of? That…Yiska was no longer alive, and no longer a threat?
He continued to stare into his father’s pierced face, before trailing down to his neck, where the gem, identical to that of his mate’s, dangled from a string that had fangs of Seviper on it. He felt disgust churn in his body, causing the Shiny to reach out and rip the marble-shape jewel away.
The result was the dead Absol’s body to start glowing weakly. A moment of panic rushed through Nootau, a moment in which he feared that Yiska was fully not done with him yet. But, fortunately, he heard no soulbeat or heartbeat as Yiska’s body slowly shrunk back to its normal size, albeit now bloody and no longer living.
Nootau stared at the body as his own eyes glowed. Every body that passed on Mother Earth’s soil — be it evil, neutral, or good — always had a moment to determine if a second chance as an Undead would be taken by them. It is how Corm himself had chosen. He was once a living ‘mon, now an Undead that roamed freely to a new life. Nootau wished to make sure that, even if Undead, Yiska’s soul would never have a second chance to destroy any ‘mon’s lives again. But, thankfully, Yiska’s soul didn’t pull out and form into an Undead ‘mon. He was truly gone now from this world.
“I was forced to give it to him, ya know…” Corm himself walked slowly over to Nootau, his body marred with a few wounds, but nothing serious. His puppet like face was masked over with graveness as he stopped beside the young Absol. “The Absolite should’ve never been given to him. In his hold, he created the darkness that is thwart upon the tribe now. I am sorry for the deeds that I had done to cause this, young Nootau.”
Nootau could’ve been mad at Corm. Corm was right. In his truth, of giving Yiska the orb of great power, he in addition gave Yiska the way of destruction with the demented mindset he had. Had Corm not given him the orb, many would perhaps be alive still. Things would’ve been different. Perhaps for good. Zephyr surely would’ve been able to assist far sooner then now. However…
“You were forced to do many things other Herbal Shaman, including Qale in some cases, would never even fathom doing in their entire existence, Corm. While it is sick and twisted of what came from your actions…what’s done is done. We cannot change it,” He explained slowly. “And yet, with the…long time achievement we’ve wished for in me killing Yiska, I do not understand why I feel so hollow. As if…I killed a part of me as well without realizing it…” Nootau said, his voice growing thick with doubt.
“Heed your worries, Nootau,” Corm said with a sigh. “I do not think a different way of this going would’ve stopped you from feeling that. Yiska had been the threat of your life. Of your entire family’s life. Nara and him both caused so much darkness in your life, that it is what you see and feel every time you thought of them alive. Dead as well, I bet. But, with their death, your sub-consciousness is finally, after nearly your entire life of waiting for this moment, letting go. Accepting that your journey to this has ended. You fought so hard and so fiercely, that with you killing Yiska, the greatest adversary in your life has now been defeated. There is no more danger that can been dealt from him.”
“Hmm…I fear that potentially there could be others like him…” Nootau said with a low growl. Corm gave a tired smile.
“Best not put your entire energy on it, son. The souls of the dead have dragged his into the depths of Giratina’s home. You may’ve not seen it, but the air is lighter of the negativity that loomed over the tribe since you were born.”
Corm was right. Nootau closed his eyes and realized that, indeed, the air seemed clearer already, that it wasn’t so filled with malice and lust for greedy power.
In spite of that, Nootau still frowned in worry. “What now? What is there that I can possibly do? Yiska stated…that I would never be seen as the Chief of this tribe. Ever. Because I am a shiny. My mother should be the one to lead them.”
“Aiyanna’s time as a Chief, sadly, ended long before you were born, Nootau. The tribe has no more Chief. With no Chief, the rules may as well be written in mud for those who still want to try rebuilding Sharp Claws again,” Corm stated dryly. But, his face slowly turned hopeful. “In light of it, you can still make it where you have a chance, Nootau. You are most certainly not weak. Not in the eyes of me, of your family, and those who have bear witness to what unfolded in this final battle with Yiska. You have done what no one else could even remotely dream of doing. Thus, don’t let your hopes up. A new chapter shall unfold for you and your love when the time comes.”
“It will take time, though…right? For me to even be accepted as a Chief?”
“By the tribe itself and by the other official Chiefs? Yes. But, with that time, it becomes time for us to heal and grow close again. It’s a time for you to settle with your love,” Corm smiled softly. Without another word spoke, the Banette bent down and retrieved the Absolite. Holding it securely, he turned and headed towards a group of ‘mon helping one another.
Nootau looked at his blood-father’s corpse one more time, before following instep.
They walked over to the group of helping ‘mon, who had collected the still remaining living warriors that fought with Yiska. Nootau’s heart soared when he saw Gwen turn around. He blushed unconsciously. She was breathtaking as a Mega Absol, her hair — already being as long and neat as it was — flowing smoothly over her features. She gasped and raced towards him.
A skip jumped into his footsteps as he met her halfway, pressing his face against hers, their muzzles rubbing and gentle purrs of happiness spilling from both of their throats. However, soon it became sobs of relief from Gwen, as she pressed more into his neck fur, careful as to not reopen his chest wound.
“I love you…” He growled softly.
“And I you,” She sighed, pulling away. Her rich eyes had been enhanced from their usual light red color to a sultry copper red, glazed over with tears and happiness. “What now?” She frowned after a moment.
He did the same, but slowly nodded in silent reassurance to her as he shifted around her form. He moved closer to the cuffed and bending Absol, Zangoose, and Ursaring. All were beaten up badly, one Zangoose even having lost his left paw, while an Absol lost his eye and half of his horn. There were well over twenty-five of them.
“You ‘mon have done what no other rightful member of any tribe would even dare to do,” Corm started deeply. “You have broken from the ways of our Ancestors and our Spirit Guiders in order to trick others into the claws of Evil and Fear that you yourselves have unconditionally done relentlessly. You all have tainted Mother Earth with the blood of the innocent countless times, willingly followed a mad’mon that turned our lands into his playground. The dictatorship of Chief Yiska has come to an end, and so will your infected souls. To cleanse these grounds, as well as your souls, the punishment is treason, the penalty is death.”
Many of the warriors stiffened and glared at both Corm and Nootau with hatred. Nootau narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed them through their bodies. He could see their souls, a deep, disgustingly filled mahogany that signified evil. Their beats were sharp, swift and trying to chomp at his presence with intimidation. He curled his lip, but stopped when the last four caught his sight. They shook with fear, and were not laced with the same redness that the others held. It dawned on him then.
Yiska had forced the innocent to be his toys and his warriors too. It was just their choice to turn…or try to fight back.
He frowned and walked closer to them, causing the other helping ‘mon to step back. The four —3 Absol and one Zangoose — widened their eyes when he moved towards them, their bodies shrinking, shaking even more. He peered closer, noticing older, scars. They appeared to be older than a week, smaller ones that were fainter on their bodies well over six months.
“Please, look at me,” He asked in a firm voice.
They listened without hesitation, gazing up into his orange-green eyes. “Were you or were you not forced to kill your brethren, when you yourselves were innocent the whole time?”
They blinked, looking at one another before slowly nodding. One of the Absol spoke up. A female. “H-He wanted to make sure we would never try to save our kind. He was trying to change us…like them.” She shook as she peered over to the other evil warriors, who all glared menacingly at her, as if silently warning her that they would come back as Undead Pokemon to kill her. She started to sob and bowed her head. “We didn’t want to! Forgive us, N-Nootau…W-We are w-willing to die for our sinful actions a-against our homeland and the tribe ancestors, b-but please forgive us…”
She had to have been an older Absol to have known his name and have said it without calling him the Cursed One. He blinked before using a bloodied claw to lift her chin up. She was still crying.
“Calm your soul and heart, tribe sister,” He growled gently. It wasn’t to bring fright on her, but comfort. An Alpha could woo his tribe members into a calm state with a growl if he wanted to. She winced, but slowly relaxed, her tears coming to a pause as she looked at him. He pulled away slowly and looked at Corm.
“These four have no pure evil in their souls, Corm,” He said sternly. “These four were undone against their wills, and were forced to do the actions the other ungrateful and evil warriors did up till today. I request that these fellow brethren be released and be taken under my care.”
* * * * *
He hated doing it. He hated it even more when he looked up and saw the others gazing at him giving the killing bite to those who had been convicted, fear but relief floating in their eyes. Gwen even silently did the deed as well. Though her posture and actions were strong and to the point, he saw disgust in her eyes with every ‘mon she executed.
His soul held the same emotions as they moved onto the next ‘mon, and then the next, then the next until he finished off the last traitor.
He panted to himself, spitting out a wad of blood that had collected in his mouth. The heaviness in his heart lifted a little, but his gut told him that there was still much to do.
He rubbed the blood off his face with a paw and turned towards the corpse of his sister. He took a deep breath and walked over to it, knowing that this was going to be the hardest and most painful process he would ever do to anything; to anyone.
Nootau stopped when he reached her form, her eyes half lidded in clouded over death. He couldn’t hear her soul beat. It broke his heart, ironically. Memories of them trying to play and shuffle out of the den as little kits filled his mind. She always wondered why he was differently colored. Or why their father was never around him and only her. Then, with the flip of a switch, their lives were changed; forever.
He closed his eyes and started to lean in to grab her, but he froze.
Something…was beating. It wasn’t a heartbeat exactly. No…it was a soulbeat. Faint, almost…childish.
Nootau jumped when he felt Gwen brush up next to him. “What’s wrong, Nootau? Is…is she still—Nootau!” She gasped when the shiny Absol suddenly pushed Nara’s legs out of the way from her stomach. He pressed his ear to it.
His eyes widened in both shock…and in horror.
Should he just leave them to die? If he didn’t do anything, he would have the world free of possibly tainted souls…
But he knew he could and would never do such a careless act. Only his father would do such a heartless deed. Heaving in a breath, he brought his paw up, claws sharpened, before bringing it down to gash open her stomach.
“Nootau! What are you d—doing…” Gwen gasped as, through the thickness of blood and organs, two eggs rolled out of her stomach. Her own lurched in disgust. “But…I thought…oh my Arceus did they really…?”
“Yes…they did…” Was all he could breathe coherently.
Gwen gulped, her wings folded in tightly. “Are…are they dead?” Despite the disgust of such a forbidden act happened between two evil beings, she felt a part of her worry for the eggs nonetheless.
“No. They’re alive. Somehow…” Nootau swallowed, leaning in and carefully pulling the eggs out. They were still slightly soft, but that was likely a protective shell layer that only came off after being birthed into the living world. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly, his own soul going out spiritually to touch theirs.
Indeed, some of the darkness from his sister’s soul and his father’s were laced into the eggs. That same darkness, however, was naive, gentle, quiet. By no means evil and lashing out to his. Sure, it snapped and sparked up in wariness, but after his soul beat calmed them both, they fell into a peaceful lull.
Opening his eyes, he stood upright and looked beyond the debris. He could feel something else was missing. One last thing. And it was beyond the war zone.
“I’ll stay here, Noot,” Gwen spoke up, causing him to look at his beloved fiancé. She smiled at him and nodded him in encouragement. “Go. I’ll get her body with the others.”
He nodded quickly and mad fast with his wings, hovering over the ground but moving at a faster pace then a jog. Nootau looked around, tilting his head from side to side, much like a Noctowl, trying to scope out any soul beats nearby.
He came to a sudden halt when his nose was overcome by the scent of rotting flesh and death. He curled his mouth up in utter disgust and landed, looking around as to what could have caused such an abrupt scent.
He didn’t have to look long.
The soil below him felt moist and very movable. Frowning, he used his claws to dig down. Down and down he dug, until after a foot, he yelped and sprung backwards at the sight of a half rotted down Absol face looking back at him, the face of terror fixated on his lips and eyes.
He panted heavily, looking up slightly, only to feel his stomach go numb at the sight of several bumps and apparent horns coming out of the ground.
Merciful Arceus…
It was a graveyard.
He felt his stomach rise up into his throat and he fought the urge to throw up. He stumbled away, his body feeling constricted and the forest around him closing in on his form. He heaved in heavy breaths when he got far away enough.
“How could they…” Nootau gasped, looking back at the slightly uprooted graveyard. There had to be dozens of corpses below the dirt. No grass had grown in the area where, he gathered, it spread out to due to the dead forms below. The souls around him felt sick, nauseated and ill minded, making ugly, gut wrenching shrills.
Shaking his head, Nootau slowly stood up and forced himself to go back over to the dirt. He knew the dirt itself was far too moist in the first place to set afire, thus he bent down to where the head of the dead Absol was and breathed in deeply, before unleashing a straight but fast line of flames at it and into the empty space he gathered where the bodies were all at.
He waited for several minutes, watching as with each new hidden dead corpse setting afire below, smoke and flecks of embers billowed up into the air. It was even worse with the stench of burning, rotting flesh scarring its way into his mind. He shuddered and started to walk away.
Until he heard a squeak.
He paused, tilting his head, believing it was just his imagination…but then he heard it again. He whipped around and gave a chirp, which resulted in the squeak to come back out, this time being more frantic. Thinking quick, he dodged around the dirt graveyard and continued chirping, the squeaks becoming fainter to his ears, but the soulbeats weren’t. He again came to a halt when he reached an angled boulder that had a decent hole between it and the grass covered log. He looked in and chirped, the squeak suddenly loud and clear to him.
There was something underneath the boulder.
He gave a gentle growl and, with a heave of his Superpower, he gave a grunt and pushed the boulder enough that there was light to look in. He gasped.
Nootau was looking down at a single Absol kit surrounded by smaller, deformed and dead Absol kits. Except for one other that he could see, which squeaked and its head lolled to the side, its eyes opening to show half blinded sickness as it laid near the one that stood up from them all.
“Arceus….okay, okay. I’m gonna get you guys out. Easy now…” He reassured, dipping down and shuffling their extremely tiny forms and pulled them out. He couldn’t believe his eyes when they were exposed fully to the light.
One was a shiny, the other being normal colored technically, however its skin and fur were both a darker shade, the fur being almost a tint of blue grey. When he took in a whiff, inside of all that disgusting rotting and illness that filtered into their furs…he could detect they were both little girls.
Just as he got them out, he heard a sick cough. Looking into the hole deeper, he saw three more, two smelling female and the other male. All of them were covered under the other corpses. They looked so sick, so ill, he wondered if it was best to leave them to give their final breaths—
No. He wouldn’t let that happen.
He didn’t even know how to fathom this being reality. He had…well, sister-nieces and a brother-nephew. The thought gave him a disgusted shudder. They had gone so far into their evilness and quest to perfect the darkness in others, that both of them…No. he didn’t want to think about it right now.
All of them whined and tried to move out of his jaw grasp, but he gave a deep purr growl. Someone was going to have to look after these children. But if he tried to give them away, they would be seen as nothing more then the failed children…the bastard and taboo result of something so foul. Where could he even begin to find them a home—
Then he realized…he didn’t have to go anywhere. He knew his heart wouldn’t let it. “It’s okay…it’s okay…Daddy has you now.” He mumbled softly. He knew he had some serious explaining to do when all of this was done.
But, even as he pulled them out and into his mouth, all squirming in confusion, Nootau felt himself being filled again. Only this time, instead of the bitter revenge he had for so long against Yiska, he felt protection and the need to guide build in him.
After quickly burying the other non-surviving kits respectfully, Nootau opened his wings, forcing himself not to look back, and took flight.
Warning: Various acts of violence, swearing, and graphic imagery lie ahead
Please read! We’ve put our heart and soul into this story to make it great! This chapter has art inside so please click the “Keep Reading” in order to see them and our writing that goes with them! Thank you.
Yiska sneered at at Nootau, who held an equal disposition of disgust and hatred for him. He grinned menacingly, his claws raking the ground.
“So, it comes down to this. I am to fight against a runt,” He snorted in disinterest. “You’ve caused enough annoyance to my plans years back. And now you are at it again.”
“Funny. It seems to be the other way around, for everyone else with sense in their hearts that hates you,” Nootau said as they rose their hackles, neither one breaking their intense glaring.
“Those failures will be put out of their miseries and out of my way soon enough. Right after I finish business I forgot to do years ago.”
“Trust me, your “business” will not go down so easily,” Nootau snarled.
“Likewise,” Yiska’s eyes glowed with a dark flame that match the intensity of Nootau’s own orange flame.
Then, they danced.
Yiska charged first, slamming his head-razor into Nootau’s. Nootau skidded back but then curled his head down and forward, hooking under Yiska’s head-razor to lift him in the air. However, Yiska twisted and stabbed the sharp, serrated part of his head-razor into Nootau’s cheek. The young Absol snarled in pain, shaking and pressing into Yiska more, their foreheads, minding both Yiska’s gem and Nootau’s Mage Eye, pressed against one another. Yiska snarled loudly, biting Nootau’s muzzle. Nootau didn’t pull back, but instead grabbed his blood father’s front right leg and twisted it.
Yiska yelped and was thrown onto his backside, chipping a bigger indent into the middle of Nootau’s head-razor. Nootau pounced and the two males ravage one another with claws and bite, blood spraying into the air as Yiska’s teeth ripped over Nootau’s shoulder, while Nootau raked his own over Yiska’s already heavily scarred face.
Yiska tucked his hind legs under Nootau’s stomach, digging fiercely into the bare skin. Nootau howled in agony, pushing himself off of the older Absol and limping up to all four. He looked quickly to see that the bastard had sliced open a large wound on his belly.
A whirling noise caused him to look up. Yiska pounced up onto his own four and sprinted, his eyes glowing dark red as he raked both of his paws in an X format at Nootau. Nootau cried out as the X-Scissor sliced over his chest and sent him flying backwards.
The pain was indescribable, blood spewing out and coating his pale pink white fur. He gagged and staggered up, eyes flaring as he unleashed a blast of Flamethrower. Yiska went to jump to the side, but his back left leg got caught in the line of fire. Literally.
He himself unleashed a roaring bellow, tripping and glaring back at his overly singed foot. Yiska, however, was knocked back by Nootau, slamming him right into a boulder. The wind was forced out of his lungs and Nootau ducked, ready to pierce his father’s head with his horn. Yiska saw this and moved to the side just enough for only his shoulder to be stabbed through. He yelled out and fought back, raking his claws over Nootau’s head.
“You… insignificant little SHIT!” He snarled, lifting his paw up and bringing it down to rake over Nootau’s Mage Eye.
The world suddenly split into two. Nootau’s scream resonated in the air and he recoiled back, his eyes struggling not to roll up into his head as he dropped to his side, his body twitching uncontrollably in a seizure.
Gwen screamed in horror as her lover dropped like a rock to the ground. The distraction caused her own neck to get pierced with Nara’s fangs. She gasped hoarsely, her body briefly going limp before she struggled in fear, pushing Nara’s face away and causing a deep wound to spill blood out into her neck fur. Gwen somehow managed to not get her artery nicked or worse, but the amount of blood spilling out was still dangerous.
Yiska panted as he gazed at his foaming son, grinning psychotically when he saw that the jewel on Nootau’s head was in fact a Mage Eye. But now, that same Eye bled like a muscle that had been torn, a small scar opening cracked down.
It only took so much as a right nick and Nootau could die right in front of him in the most excruciating way.
Yiska laughed loudly, turning around and kicking his son’s form away, watching the boy roll seemingly lifeless. “Is that all you have?” He taunted, going over and throwing Nootau into the air after stabbing him with his sharp head-razor. He used another X-Scissor, cutting open a gruesome hole into Nootau’s side.
The shiny opened his mouth to scream but it came out as a gag as he felt blood pooling into his mouth. He forced himself to swallow it, his body still shaking violently as she struggled to even get himself to command his body to stand up through his seizure. His eyes were unfocused, saliva and blood drooling from his jaws as he struggled to breathe, the spasms only getting worse. Yiska, who was charging at him, was suddenly split into several hallucinated forms. Yiska himself grinned as he felt his body slowly erupt into a blast of dark matter, the gem on his necklace glowing as he grew and slammed a Night Slash into his son.
Nootau heaved in a hoarse gasp and managed to conjure up a weak Endure, holding onto consciousness by a hair as he was sent flying backwards and through several small houses. He wheezed, his fur in disarray, life hanging on by a needle as he looked up.
Yiska grinned, feral and evil, down at his son as his wings flapped in the air, his form over the ground as the dust settled away. He touched down as his body hissed and burned with dark energy, his eyes slowly succumbing to a deadly dark red hue.
He had Mega Evolved.
But Nootau wouldn’t give up. He coughed as he pushed his body up onto all fours, glaring at his father. He could see Gwen was swaying and trying to fight back against Nara, who was successfully hitting her over and over. Gwen herself was trying to protect the neck wound from getting hit again, when Nara turned around and kicked her in the chest. Gwen gasped and tumbled several feet.
And didn’t get up.
“You see, Nootau?” Yiska’s earth rumbling growl brought Nootau back to the danger at hand. “You had no chance before. And you have no chance now. Admit defeat, and perhaps I’ll let you live to be my slave.”
“Giratina will enjoy feasting off your being before I ever admit defeat to you…” Nootau managed to speak in one breath, his lips curling back.
“So be it,” Yiska cackled, his claws elongating as he used Hone Claws, each digit becoming enveloped in a dark aura. The Mega Absol then used his wings to give him a super charge to his sprint as he raised both forepaws up and used one more X-Scissor, this time causing even more damage than before.
Landing his attack right at the center of Nootau’s neck and chest.
The Shiny Absol went down with a hoarse scream.
Yiska smirked at his work, and spat on Nootau’s form before slowly turning away, enjoying the view of the one thing that had been foretold to destroy him if he did not destroy it first.
And now, he was the Dark Chief of this tribe and nothing would dare to stop him.
He looked over to the female Absol, who was still heaving in ragged breaths, hanging on for dear life. He snorted, catching Nara’s attention. Her eyes filled with mad love and eagerness.
“Take the bodies into the hole, dear. We’ll burn them as soon as I’m done dealing with a pesky old bear.”
“Of course, Alpha.” She bowed her head and watched Yiska’s larger form walk away. She glared at Gwen and smirked cruelly. “I’ll enjoy hearing your screams as you burn, pest.” She hissed, before snapping her jaws around Gwen’s bleeding neck and pulling her several feet away.
She only stopped when she reached the once Herbal Shaman cave. Inside, was a large hole that was empty of any corpses, however ashes and dust littered the bottom. With the occasional skull bone from previous victims.
Nara heaved a pained grunt as she tossed Gwen into the pit, watching her gasp and roll, coughing up clouds of the black soot.
“I could’ve killed you swiftly, ya know…” She smirked. “But I have learned that watching those die slowly is far greater than any immediate death.”
“Go….to hell…” Gwen gave a raspy snarl, her unfocused eyes looking up at the female Absol. The gem that had been around Gwen’s neck was ripped off when Nara jumped down to retrieve it. Nara merely laughed.
“My family shall be far more important than just hell.”
She placed it at the ledge and walked off, only to come back several seconds later with the bloodied, limp form of Nootau. Gwen’s heart clenched and throbbed painfully, pushing the will the live back up to try saving her mate.
But she couldn’t do anything as he was thrown over. The gem that Nara had wanted accidentally was pulled with. She cursed in annoyance as she watched Nootau roll, coming to a stop facing Gwen while his body was twisted in an uncomfortable position. The gem laid right of the Shiny Absol’s form, in front of Gwen’s.
Nara pounced down and went to retrieve it, slowly skidding down in case the male ‘mon woke up — if he was still even alive. Gwen snarled weakly and tried to move closer, but her legs felt like lead.
Just when Nara got within grabbing distance, a hand shot out from the shadows of the ash. She screamed and jumped back up, gazing in horror as Corm’s body slowly rose from the darkness, a pale form quickly following him. An extremely pale Yamask glaring at her with bright, baby blue hues.
Nara started to use an Ice Beam, however the young Yamask unleashed a Haze, shrouding them all in a pit of black smoke. Nara coughed and snarled as she tried to search for them.
“Act quick, young Sumaq!” Corm whispered.
“Right!” She said, closing her eyes and placing her hands onto both Absol’s cheeks. Her both began to glow a greenish essence, her own expression turning to that of slight pain as she transferred their weakened state to herself; while at the same time, transferring her health and strength to them.
The most critical of their wounds began to stitch up as the Pain Split was pushed further. When Sumaq finally pushed herself away, a layer of skin and muscle and sewn themselves over Gwen’s neck wound, as well as Nootau’s chest wound. His Mage Eye was healed to a moderate scar simply sliding down the lower half of it. It blinked several times before looking at Sumaq, scaring the Yamask briefly.
As the Pain Split stopped healing up the two Absol, Sumaq noticed shards of something beside Nootau’s stomach wound. Shards that matched the chipped out parts of the Absolite Gwen had in front of her snout. She gasped in realization.
“Oh no! W-Wait—!”
Too late.
Nootau groaned, rolling over onto the shards. Corm saw it too. The shards were imbedded into his body as the skin was stitched slowly together. Like a switch, Nootau’s form suddenly glowed brightly, breaking through the dissipating thick cloud of Haze and even blinding Nara. The Absol screamed in shock and instinctually thought she was being attack, thus unleashing an Ice Beam.
The Ice Beam missed its targets as the glowing slowly circled around both injured mates, their forms being enveloped.
“Get back!” Corm yelled, grabbing Sumaq and jumping back into the ashes, covering his face.
An explosion rocked through the cave.
* * * * *
Yiska glared down at Qaletaqa, as he was bent down in front of him, his followers surrounded by his remaining warriors, who would attack if so much the wrong twitch was shown.
“All these years, Ursaring…” Yiska shook his head. “You hold knowledge unlike any other because you’ve lived so long. Knowledge that threatens my hold on this tribe. My tribe.” He hissed coldly. “And you dare to fight me? I thought you would’ve known not to do so.”
“You won’t live long, Yiska,” Qale rumbled, his face showing indifference. “I fight for those who lost their lives to you. Lives that were as innocent as Nootau as a kit—”
“Don’t fucking mention that runt!” Yiska snarled, his form bristling with irritation. “He was to be the end of my rule. Corm was just as much of a threat as the runt was as soon as he knew of my plans.”
“You tried to kill both of them. And yet they still survived,” A snort echoed the air. “Some leader you must be, not just being done with it.”
Yiska slashed as his face. But Qale merely inhaled sharply at the new, deep wound on his cheek. “They are both dead now. And now, you shall be too.”
“You fear me more than yourself, Yiska,” Qale glared coldly at the Absol. Yiska felt his fur rise further as Qale’s milky cloud hues held a fire in them that made his insides churn. “You use fear to control others. You use it to kill. Yet you fear me and Nootau and your family more than anything else in this world. Because you know that we will stop at nothing to kill you and make sure you never come back, Undead or in evil spirit form. So go ahead,” Qale shifted, his bounded claws behind his back causing it hard to easily get into a straighter position. “Kill me. And see if your fears fade away like you so dearly want them to.”
Yiska snarled viciously and raised his claws, cloaked in a dark aura, and started to come down on the Ursaring—
The explosion caught everyone off guard, and cut Yiska’s executing move to a halt. Several warriors screamed in their native tongue with confusion. Yiska looked around, expecting an ambush from the forest, but whirled around when he heard a scream resonate from cave. Qale’s face fell blank as he listen to everyone turn in the direction of his beloved cave, gray smoke spilling out.
Snarls rippled off the rocks, followed quickly by more shrills and pained screamed. Abruptly, Nara’s form burst from the smoke, slamming into a shard of upheaved stones from before. Her body spread out from the intense impact, blood forced out of her mouth. She dropped, pulling away a large chunk of rock shards with her as she hit the ground.
A heartbeat of silence felt like minutes to Yiska.
A collective, voluminous set of roars ripped through the air, only to be furthered enhanced by the cave’s interior echo. Yiska and many others ducked their heads from the noise, his insides turning to ice when he saw two forms stomp their way out of the smoke towards him.
His eyes widened. “No…NO!”
Wings sprawled out, as if ready to pull one into a protective hug, the feathers turning into fur upon the shoulder blades. Horns twice as large as they once were before, one of which was glowing in newly etched tribal markings that flickered with trails of baby flames.
Two pairs of eyes— one set of rich sun orange and forest green, the other of beautifully terrifying copper — glared at Yiska with domination and strength.
“Die!” Yiska yelled, throwing a Night Slash at them. He paled when he saw them sprint in opposite directions, avoiding the explosion that was created from the Night Slash.
Gwen turned on her heel and charged at the warriors that started to attack again, her own elongated horn turning dark in black sparks. She whipped her head and delivered her own enhanced Night Slash to the oncoming Zangoose, Ursaring, and Absol, causing a chorus of screams to fill the air.
Yiska spun on his heels and jumped into the air as Nootau charged. The young Shiny Pokemon brought his fore limbs out in front of him and pushed himself off the ground, his own wings allowing him to take flight. The males snarled and danced yet again, Yiska going to bite Nootau’s wings and slash open his wounds again. However, Nootau dodged many with ease, even using his new wings to knock the wind out of his blood father’s chest. The Chief Absol rolled back several feet, shaking and wheezing as he felt that one of his ribs had been shattered by the force. He looked up to see Nootau flapping higher into the air.
“I told you your business wouldn’t go away so easily,” Yiska was shocked at how deeper, colder and powerful Nootau’s voice was compared to his own now. It was like listening to the Earth bellow to him. Which all the more made his heart race in horror.
Nootau himself breathed in deeply, his cheeks inflating out as flames built up from his stomach and into his mouth. He let out a snarl before blasting hot flames at Yiska.
Yiska dodged the first torrent of flames, but Nootau didn’t give him a second chance, unleashing a new flash of enormous flames at the Mega Absol. This attack was better, bigger, and stronger than his normal Flamethrower.
Fire Blast.
The Chief Absol was quickly engulfed by the sea of fire, his screams only causing him to inhale the skin melting flames as he was sent back into the ground. The force caused a large crater to blossom in the earth. Yiska rolled around in agony, his bellows resonating into the air. He snapped his ash burned face up just in time to watch Nootau slam into him. The impact pressed them more into the earth hole, dust and soil sprouting up into the air.
Despite having 3rd degree burns, Yiska continued to fight, biting into Nootau’s shoulder. Nootau cried out, but then his eyes flashed as his head-razor glowed a deep pink and grew to a beautifully sharpened point. His claws all became cloaked too in the color as he struggled.
Hone Claws.
He stabbed his head-razor into Yiska’s backside, causing hot white pain to explode through the older Absol’s body. He screamed, trying to pull away, but Nootau dug deeper, until he was in far enough to easily throw Yiska out of the crater.
Yiska tumbled, hoarsely coughing up lungfuls of air as he tried to stand up. When he couldn’t feel his back legs, he looked to see the grotesque appearance of his muscles and nerves being burnt away to expose bone, blood sizzling out of the wounds. He panted, pushing up with his singed wings as Nootau jumped out, his eyes burning like the flames he was engulfed in mere seconds ago.
“F-Fuck you...” Yiska snarled, springing forth and using his heavy weight to topple Nootau. However, Nootau stood on his hind legs and took the weight well, effectively not falling back into the crater, but trying to avoid the sharp fangs of Yiska.
His body bulked slightly, shrouded in a red glow that only deepened as he pushed back against Yiska’s remaining strength. He gave a roar and pushed Yiska away, only to duck, stabbing straight through Yiska’s stomach and heaving upwards. Yiska wasn’t given enough time to react, much less scream as he felt the force of one of his type weaknesses send him flying into a boulder.
Superpower.
Nootau panted briefly, wincing at the scorching pain in his body that throbbed to the beat of his heart. He walked over to the debris where his blood father gagged and coughed more blood from.
Yiska glared weakly up at Nootau. The irony of how the tables had turn against him made the Chief sick as he bleed internally.
“It’s over Yiska,” Nootau said bluntly. “Your reign of darkness and terror have come to a close, and now you are to suffer because of it.”
Yiska’s eyes widened. No. He refused to believe he was to die this way. He tried to get up, but once again his back legs failed to respond with his brain. “You…You will never be welcomed back so easily into the tribe, runt.” He laughed thickly. “No one trusts you. How can you even think you’ll be better than myself? Huh? Killing me will only show others you’re just like me!”
Nootau didn’t waver from his emotionless expression. He closed his eyes and sighed. “I am not like you in the least, Yiska. I always wished to be different; better. I have become just that. And now I am giving you an option.” He turned away slowly. “Admit your defeat, submission, and removal to the tribe and its title of Chief. Or, suffer rightfully for your sinful deeds.”
“My deeds to your sister and my tribe were for the greater good. And my blood and darkness will continue to run through you and her kits! OUR KITS!” He yelled, snapping forth with the adrenaline and last of strength.
Nootau heard it coming.
Nootau spun and ducked out of the way, his destroyed father looking at him wildly as he turned towards Nootau’s face again. Nootau didn’t think. He acted instinctually.
His horn turned greenish-white and he swerved his head down and to the side, only to snap it back up in the same direction, his horn piercing through muscle, skin, and bone of his father’s face fatally.
Megahorn.
Nootau felt Yiska twitch several times, his body spazzing out for only three seconds before falling heavily limp on his horn. Nootau panted as he pulled his horn down and out of the discombobulated face of Yiska. The dead Absol’s body slumped to the ground with a heavy thud.
He took several steps back from the body, unable to look away. He finally did it…
Warning: Various acts of violence, swearing, and graphic imagery lie ahead
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“You seem surprised, brother,” She spat out, not breaking gaze as the two Absol continued to slowly stalk in a circle at one another. “I am more surprised at the fact that that pathetic Larvitar kept you alive all those years.” She sneered.
“Don’t fucking talk about Jade that way. She tried to protect you too!”
“She was stupid just like you! Both of you, all of you, disobeyed Father and now you will rightfully be executed for coming back and messing up our plans.” She snarled.
“How can you say such foul acidic lies, Nara, when Mother was here all this time—”
“She is no mother of mine!” She yowled, striking Nootau, however the shiny Absol blocked it and snapped at her foot. She jumped back. “She tried to diminish any plots Father was making to make this tribe better.”
“This is no damn tribe anymore because of him, Nara, and you know it!” He yelled angrily. “The tribe I once knew was with nature, and made fair plays, not lie and turn executions of our own brethren into a playful game! Yiska is the reason for what has all come wrong to the tribe!”
“LIES!” She hissed and pounced on him, knocking him onto his backside. Nootau snarled and bit her muzzle as she bit his, blood gushing onto the ground. “Father showed me the true path for us all! We are lead rightfully underneath him. The strong grow, the weak are put out of their worthless misery, and loyalty shall only be for Chief Yiska!” She howled, unleashing an Ice Beam at him.
Nootau turned his body and kicked her away, causing the Ice Beam to veer and hit a tepee, causing the home to freeze solid in three inches of ice.
“I thought you would understand, Nootau,” She laughed menacingly. “How you shiny are nothing but trouble, and that you will never coming near MY father. Ever. Because I love him and he shall bring great heirs to this tribe!”
‘How far gone is she?!’ He growled to himself.
Then, a sick feeling dropped into his throat. ‘No…’
His eyes widened and he shook his head in horror as the grin on her face grew. She knew.
“Nara…why…”
“He showed me. He showed me and I understand. And I will help him in any way I can,” She snickered sickly. “And if I have to kill you to prove how devoted I am to him and my lovely mate Ake, I will!” Her expression quickly changed into a vicious snarl, and her body started to glow brighter and brighter. Her mouth opened up as energy was absorbed into a ball that swelled up bigger and bigger.
And just like that, she blasted a Hyper Beam at him.
Nootau gasped and jumped out of the way, his weight on his injured leg causing him to falter. He watched as the beam not only break through a brick house as if it was paper, but it dissipated several soldiers and tribe members too. He watched in horror as their bodies became nothing but bones and dust as their lives were abruptly taken away.
Despite just using the incredibly powerful move, she was already charging a second Hyper Beam up. He charged and tried to land an attack, however, she pivoted and slashed his face, causing him to roll. She stabbed his neck and his mate’s collar and he screamed, clawing and ripping at her stomach as she loomed over him.
“This ends it!” She grinned wickedly as the Hyper Beam slowly finished up—
“Get off my mate, you bitch!!”
Nootau grunted and coughed in gulps of air when the weight on throat was lifted away. He looked to Nara, only to see her roll away and blast the Hyper Beam up into the air in another misfire. She screeched in rage and turned to the silhouette in the dust.
His heart swelled.
“Gwen!”
Gwen watched as Nara charged again, her teeth coating in sharp shards of an Ice Beam. She dug her own claws into the dirt and when Nara was mere inches from her face, time slowed as the young Absol swerved to the side and kicked up dirt into Nara’s right eye. Nara screamed and rubbed her face, but sharp claws grabbed her neck and raked open the skin as she was sent rolling, eventually ramming into a tepee and causing it to fall.
“Nootau, go!” Gwen yelled in urgent, jumping away as a Razor Wind from another, different Absol soared over her head. “I can fight!” She snarled, however it only caused his heart to flutter in surprise.
Gwen was…different. Her voice was deeper, sultry, but held a position of power in it that equally matched Zephyr’s or even Aiyanna’s. Her form had somehow filled out, muscles flexing and rippling with every movement and attack she delivered to her foes. Her eyes burned with a dark flame that only held beauty and protection in it, not death and destruction.
What she had experience in the cave two years ago must’ve been her first natural maturing phase. Into what he gathered was a pre-stage to what he went through. But now…
She had gone through full Metamorphosis.
He didn’t think further on the subject as more warriors pounced on him in attack.
Gwen herself, winced when Nara collided with her head, black dots spotting in her vision from the pain of their head-razors sharply pressing against one another. But she didn’t back down despite the force causing her to skid back several feet. She glared into Nara’s eyes and saw out of the corner that Nara’s head-razor began to glow in a green hue.
‘Megahorn!’ She screamed internally, kicking Nara’s feet from under her. Gasping, Nara fumbled and simply sliced a good wound open on Gwen’s cheek. She yelped and shook her head and ducked when the female Absol went after her neck.
Nara’s eyes widened in disbelief when the orb on Gwen’s neck floated in the air when she jumped back. “Where did you get that?!” She screeched, her fangs elongating. “ANSWER ME!”
Ironically, Nara didn’t give her the choice as she sprung at her and tried to rip at her throat. The raw emotion of anger and pained confusion that floated through the distorted Absol’s soul and eyes took Gwen aback. Why was she so enraged at the gem on her? Was it hers?
Gwen felt a shudder crawl over her spine, and she screamed when a fist collided with her backside while, at the same time, Nara’s head razor pierced through her shoulder. She cried out in agony as she was thrown to the side, grunting as she rolled.
She slowly got up and felt her body scream in protest, blood pooling out of her wound and painting her white pelt more with it’s erie red hue. Ake and Nara panted as they swayed, their own bodies marred with gashes and their own set of open wounds.
Ake spat out a wad of salivated blood and grinned menacingly before taking the first steps into a run at her. Gwen took a deep breath and dropped into a crouch. The ground roared and shook with his footfalls getting closer. She vaguely heard Nara scream, “Kill her!” to him.
Then…it was like someone had enveloped her being in a hug of confidence.
‘Now’ A voice echoed in her head. A voice…that sounded all too familiar.
Without a second thought, Gwen pounced, her jaw opening wide and her fangs piercing into Ake’s face.
He screamed loudly, his voice rising into a pitch that was far beyond anger; it was pure pain and pure fear as she latched onto him. She felt herself gag when her teeth pierced and dug into his eyes, causing them to bleed out sick runny liquid that made her want to throw up. But she held on, despite him punch and thrashing psychotically at her. She winced, however no matter how much he punched and ripped wounds open on her chest and back, Gwen still held on.
The ground rumbled, which grew into a roar as the soil cracked and fissured open. It grew into a bellow when stones pillared up out of the hole.
Gwen thought fast and ripped her jaw away from Ake’s face, taking skin, bone, and muscle with. She gasped when she rolled and managed to dodge what came next with her quick reflexes.
A thick, serrated-sharp stone rushed out and set itself through Ake’s chest, the circle that was on his body seemingly a bullseye for it to shoot into.
Gwen felt sicker when she heard bones get crushed, pierced, broken, and ripped away, muscles no better. She knew that the stone had gone through his lungs and heart, for blood explode out the back of him.
Time seemed to slow for them all. Gwen hung onto another stone pillar that had shot out from the ground too, her mouth agape when the remains of Ake’s eyes registered horror when he tried to breathe, and only threw up blood, his chin like a waterfall of the thick liquid to drip off of.
Nara wailed and rushed over to him, scrapping at the thick stone, but her claws only chipped and bled in turn, for the stone was that thick. She stopped after a minute and stared up at her mate, tears mingling with her blood. “No…Ake…”
He tried to speak, but it came out as a weak wheeze, his body firmly in place with the stone through his chest. He finally gave a smile filled with shame, before his eyes clouded over, and he fell heavily limp, his head bobbing down lifelessly.
Gwen stepped off the stone without looking away from Ake and Nara. For a split moment, she saw genuine love. Nara yowled so loud, she winced and flinched back, the pain almost making her own seize up in sorrow.
Almost.
Nara panted and turned to Gwen, her eyes wild and uncontrolled. Her pupils were so constricted Gwen couldn’t see them at the distance she was at.
However, before Nara went to maul the hell out of Gwen, she paused, her smirk curling into a wicked grin. Gwen didn’t have to wonder for a moment why she did it, because a body bounced over the ground and slammed into a pile of wood as if he had been rock skipped across water. Gwen gasped, seeing that it was Nootau.
Nootau heaved, his head snapping up to see an approaching form in the dust as it fell away. He snarled and stood upright, his entire neck fur standing up on end in anger. The soul was rippling with sadistic evil that made his skin crawl, his own soul shudder with rage.
The form slowly came into view as an Absol too, but his face was marred into ugly scars, his eyes had been tattooed with red spider cracks permanently, the same red was tattooed onto his head-razor, which was chipped off from a fierce fight.
A fierce fight…with Varrick from long ago.
His neck was laced with a necklace that had the tribe’s Chief symbolism on it. No other ‘mon held or wore a necklace like it. And in the middle of it, was a marble gem, just like Gwen’s.
“Hello, runt.” Chief Yiska growled deeply.
* * * * *
Zephyr bit her lip as she paced the living room anxiously. Varrick wasn’t back yet and she hadn’t heard anything from their scouts. This was so bad, she told herself.
Waking up to no Nootau or Gwen nearly sent her into labor. She had panicked and started looking all over the forest, till finally Varrick pulled her into the house and demanded she stay put and protect the children until he was back with any news. It was already frightening enough that no word had spread of the ambush already starting in the farthest reach of Eclipse creek, which was several miles away from where she resided with her family.
All four of her kits watched her pace, their heads humorously swiveling when she turned on her heels and walked back the way she came, repeating the actions over and over without seemingly getting dizzy.
Athena and Nathan had left with Varrick in hopes of finding Gwen, Athena being enraged that she had just disappeared without telling her. Nathan, being a father to the only living blood daughter he had, was in just as much panic for Gwen as Zephyr was for Nootau.
Alun’s ears perked and he stood up abruptly. “I hear wings, Mama!” He chirped. He started to the door, however, Zephyr was instantly in front of him. The young shiny skidded to a halt and looked up at his mother.
“Stay here children,” She ordered firmly. None of them objected.
Zephyr wobbled out of the house as fast as she could go. She looked up to see Varrick in the air, being held by two Pidgeot, Ruffian and Evan, followed by a Swellow. She raced over when he was placed down and rubbed her nose in gretting with his. “Any news?”
“We didn’t find them anywhere, dear. At least not in Eclipse Creek.” He said gravely. “But we did find his scent led to the forest beyond…into Sharp Claws Tribe.”
“Damnit!” She gasped, covering her mouth. “That buffoon is gonna get himself killed! Yiska probably has his warriors ready—”
“Actually Chief Zephyr, he doesn’t.”
All four of them look at the Swellow. “What do you mean Quinn?”
“I went on ahead after you three turned and started back. I was faster of us all and I managed to fly over the tribe’s camp,” He explained, looking at them all. He took a slow breath and confessed, “Nootau is alive, and fighting in the tribe as we speak. I saw him kill several warriors on his own. He was with a Zangoose that appeared to be helping him. Deep mahogany red markings—”
“Hania?” Zephyr squeaked in shock. “Is he okay?”
“From what I could see, both were fighting like they were bred for battle, Chief,” He said quickly.
“You guys!”
They turned to see Nathan and Athena running down the path leading into the leaders’ home. Both panted as they stopped in front of the ‘mon. “We couldn’t find Gwen. She must’ve gone after Nootau,” Athena wheezed.
“That’s another thing,” Quinn spoke up. “I did see a female Absol fighting with another female Absol. They were so into it, and the damn enemy near blasted away my feathers with a Hyper Beam, I could only watch that and then flee back here to tell you.”
“What?!” Nathan roared in shocked fear. “My baby girl is fighting?! In the tribe of all places?”
“It appeared that way, sir. But what struck me odd was I remember hearing Mother Earth quake for what seemed like minutes after I flew up to meet with you two,” He looked at Ruffian and Evan.
“I felt it too…” Zephyr said, recalling how it caused the children to wake up and scream into hiding. She had to comfort them out into the living room where she had been pacing. “She must feel the anger and terror that sheds from Sharp Claws and Eclipse Creek…”
“Mama!” Magnea jumped from the porch. Zephyr cocked her ear and started to scold her daughter when she smelt fear and confusion from her.
“What’s wrong Maggie?”
“It’s Alun! He’s in the room where t’anke Jade is in!”
Zephyr frowned, as did the other adults. They all followed Magnea into the room in which she had place Jade’s form in a nest to reside in until anything happened.
Alun was on his tip toes looking into the hay and moss-filled nest that held Jade. “Sweetie, what’s wrong?” Zephyr asked.
“Mama, I see sparkly things in her shell,” Alun said innocently. “I felt her calling out to someone when you went outside. I’m sorry that I came in here I didn’t mean to—”
“It is all well Alun, son,” Varrick said, reassuringly brushing his tongue over his son’s cheek, instantly feeling the shiny Zangoose calming down.
Zephyr walked over to the Pupitar cocoon and frowned, peering closer. Her eyes widened when she noticed that Alun was right; indeed, a spark of aqua teal flashed in her eye holes. Reaching out, she touched the shell, noticing it had warmed up slightly. However, before she could even consider it as her daughter coming to, the heat vanished, as did the soul spark inside of her.
“What do you think it was?” Athena asked in nervousness. She had seen it too.
“I do not know…But…I think Jade…was reacting to something—”
Zephyr screamed suddenly, clutching her swelled stomach abruptly as she dropped forward. Athena caught her, with Varrick’s tail quickly wrapping just until his mate’s chest to help.
“Zeph! What’s wrong?!” Athena yelled in fear.
Zephyr sobbed and grunted in pain, her breath becoming shallow and quick.
“The…the baby…it’s coming.”
Before Athena could exclaim in shock, the door opened up. All of them looked to see another Zangoose standing there, holding her shoulder gently.
Warning: Various acts of violence, swearing, and graphic imagery lie ahead
Please read! We’ve put our heart and soul into this story to make it great! This chapter has art inside so please click the “Keep Reading” in order to see them and our writing that goes with them! Thank you.
Shouts and snarls echoed in his ears as he saw Hania quickly rid the tribe of three more warriors. He narrowed his eyes when an Ursaring went to bite down on him, his back leg coming up to kick him cleaning in the chin, bones jarring together hard enough that even Nootau winced at the force.
He saw several Absol rush forth, their head-razors starting to glow in either pink, black, or white aura. Nootau gave a growl before jumping out, unleashing another Flamethrower ball at them. It landed square into one Absol’s chest, and upon doing so, exploded and sent the other three tumbling, one crashing into a shed and the other into a boulder.
Heads turn and for a split second, the world went quiet. Their gazes registered all from confusion, shock, startled, and horror upon seeing the shiny Absol standing alive and eyes glowering like the fire that now burned away at the leaves on the ground. But, as if someone snapped their fingers, most turned into rage and disgust.
Then, they charged.
He glared menacingly at them, his eyes turning richer in orange that soon almost looked red. He bared his fangs and unleashed a blast of hot flames at the approaching warriors.
While they were briefly distracted, he used his lithe speed to sprint at a Zangoose to fought tooth and claw against Hania. He snapped his fangs over her neck, hearing her start to scream in pain. However, he quickly cut it off with a sharp turn of his jaw, a muffled break filling the air. Dead weight quickly limped in his mouth and he threw her to the side, spitting out a wad of blood.
“Impressive, Nootau.” Hania yelled, stabbing an Ursaring in the throat and then the chest. “I see t’anke has taught you well.”
“Yes. Both of them.”
Hania gave a short laugh. Nootau arched his back and snarled as he charged, ramming into an Absol. Their head-razors collided together and he angled his head immediately to make sure the weight would not easily break the thick boned rod that sprung from his upper head. He swept under and twisted sharply, causing the Absol to lose balance and allowing the shiny to grip onto his foot, crushing bone with his fangs and making the appendage useless to put any weight on.
The Absol tried to pull away, but Nootau moved away first and then headbutted again. Hot flashes of pain rippled through his Mage Eye as he rammed into the jewel of his opponent. However, he rammed with enough strength that it caused so much pain within the Absol he dropped down unconscious to the ground, his body starting to go into a seizure.
Before he could move, Nootau felt the world lift away and the air in his lungs be forced out. His mouth opened to scream, but nothing came out as he was sent flying. He barrel-rolled several times before coming to his senses and gripping the ground. The Disaster Pokemon skidded to a halt just in time to look up and see a massive Ursaring over him.
He had no other time to react otherwise. Nootau opened his mouth and, using the Flamethrower against the mass of the Ursaring, sent himself backwards just in time to avoid a lethal Hammer Arm.
He heaved several breaths as he saw the Ursaring snarl and wipe away the flames like they were drops of water from his burnt pelt. The incredibly well muscled Bear Pokemon rippled with power, a yellow tattoo bore on his right left shoulder. One eye was cloud over with greyness, yet it — much like his normal red eye — burned with a hatred that equally matched the acidic burn that was inside of his soul.
He grinned sickly. “Nootau. So good to see that you aren’t dead.”
“A damn shame you aren’t, Akecheta,” Nootau bit back coldly.
“Such a rude Absol to be talking that way to your brother-in-law,” Ake snarled, circling with Nootau.
“You are no family to me or to the others. We’d rather see you rot on the ground than be living either alive or undead.”
“You fail to realize that shall never come forth.”
“Not so easily anyways,” Nootau said before Ake charged. He dropped back and, using his deformed tail, pushed off the ground and over the Ursaring. “Nara would never allow this to be.”
“Oh, how you fail to understand how little you know your own kin, kit.”
Before Nootau could object, he felt something slice through his left hind leg. He screamed, but was cut off when Ake punched him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him again and sending him skittering in rolls once more.
Shaking, Nootau tried to rise up on his feet, however a fast approaching presence caused him to duck. A head razor cloaked in a greenish hue sliced off mere strands off of his head where he was going to be. He dodge again when it snapped down to the ground, breaking the cracked ground and sending pellets of rock flying.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t move fast enough to avoid a set of claws from raking across his cheek. His head snapped to the side and he dropped to the ground with a pained grunt.
Blood hotly dribbled out from the deep wounds on his face as he stood up. Groaning, he turned and saw the one Absol he wished, he had truly absolutely wished, he would’ve never seen side with his father.
She snarled viciously and started forth, her head-razor cloaked again in the same green hue, when Hania got in the way, punching her in the face.
“Don’t do this!” He yelled, jumping out of the way of Ake and delivering a Low Kick to him in the face, sending the Ursaring rolling. Hania sped after the Ursaring as he quickly got up, both males going all out with their fists, snarls and growls breaking the air that sent chills down Nootau’s own back.
The female Absol shook off the dust that pelted herself and glared at the two of them. Her eyes burned a red just like the one on her head-razor and like her mate’s. Even in battle, she was a pretty sight by many. But that only made her even colder to fight.
Nootau couldn’t stop himself from striking when she launched herself at him, his head razor slicing empty air as she ducked and headbutted his legs up. He used the momentum to toss his body over hers, both Absol clashing together at the head-razor. Both snarled and she tried to bite his neck, but he swerved, jumping away. The suddenly lose of pushing against him caused her to fumble, but he whirled around and whipped his deformed tail against her face. She yelped and rolled, but her eyes snapped opened.
Blue crystals swirled like a blizzard in her hues, and her mouth opened up in order for an Ice Beam to blast at Nootau. He yelped as the coldness sent him crashing through a wooden house, shards piercing his skin and making blood fly into the air.
He wheezed in pain, his eyes burning uncontrollably as she jumped through the rubble and used another Ice Beam. He countered with his own Flamethrower. It easily melted her attack and she screamed as the flames engulfed her form. Nootau quickly got up and slammed his body weight into hers, the force rocking them out and onto solid ground. He rolled three times before getting up, only to drop half-way onto the ground at the seething pain that emitted from his leg. He looked back quickly to see the blood was still spilling out, and he was starting to feel a numbness in his ligament.
“Fuck…” He cursed, looking back to see the female Absol stagger up. She panted, her own pelt now caked in both of their blood, dirt, and burned fur. His was no better, only shards of his frozen skin and fur stood out.
Before either one of them could charge forth, Ake was suddenly over Nootau. His eyes widened in horror and he had enough time to Quick Attack out of the way when another Hammer Arm came down on him. Ake turned to look at Nootau, who skidded dust up as he stopped.
Nootau braced himself for another attack…but then he felt a surge of souls coming up from behind him. Souls that screamed and throbbed for vengeance far greater than the hatred burning for him only by the soldiers in the camp currently.
He stood frozen in shock as Zangoose, Ursaring, Absol, and even his enemies ran from around him and attacked Ake and the female Absol. He looked to see that others from the tribe, those who had disappeared from what Hania had explained, rushing forward and attack the warriors in teams, their screams merging with their once fellow tribe brethren until the air was saturated with them.
He turned to the female Absol, yelping when she was right in his face. His winced when he jumped away in time to save his muzzle from being ripped off. She tried to use another Ice Beam, but he used his Flamethrower again. However, unlike before, she built up her strength and it matched his flames, the cold and hot causing steam to hiss loudly into the air. It became too much energy at once, in which caused a shockwave to explode and smoke to burst out from the energy. The blast mixed the steam and smoke together, lifting away for both of them to glare at one another.
‘How could she…’ Was all he thought, his eyes growing pained as he stared at the one kin he was born with. The kin in which had been left behind when he had been rescued by Zephyr. That same kin never broke her eyes from his, her soul hissing and snarling with tortured hatred and disgust.
“Nara…”
* * * * *
“That’s it, let’s keep going,” Gwen urged, watching the line of worried tribe members make their way quickly between the borders. She kept looking back and around them in case of any scouts.
The little Absol, who had been with Aiyanna back in the cave yelped as he fell back, his little form rolling several times. Others looked at him gravely, hesitating in helping him. She glared at them, causing them to bow their heads in shame as she jump down and helped the Absol up.
“Come on, Wayra, we have to keep going,” She whispered softly.
“I…I don’t want to go,” He sobbed, his eyes filled with tears and fear. She could sense the innocent part of him weeping, his soul practically shaking. “M-Mama…Mama will find us…and hurt you…”
His statement caught her off guard. His mother was part of the evil warriors led by Yiska?
A white form brushed up against her and touched his cheek gently. The young Absol looked up to Aiyanna as she smiled wearily.
“Come, my grandchild. We must leave with haste. She shall not find us here if we keep moving,” She whispered.
He stared at her for a few seconds before scrambling up the ledge and after the group of fugitives.
“I’m sorry you had to intervene—”
“It bears no burden on me, Gwen,” Aiyanna said. “My grandchild always listens to me. He never had a mother to listen to.”
“You had another daughter?”
“Aye…she’s the kin of Nootau.”
Gwen halted in her steps. “W-What? N-Nootau never mentioned a sister!” She fumbled.
“Not a sister worth mentioning if all her actions were brought upon by her father,” Aiyanna sighed. “Nara was believed to have been the oldest of the litter I bore. However…when she and her father realized early on it was Nootau, she grew to hate him.”
“All because he was the oldest?”
“Partly, but her main hatred came from all the lies and false accusations Yiska put in her mind. Her being was tainted with his ways of learning, his ways of life. I couldn’t do anything to stop him, for he would attack me and state I was no position to do so. Lives would be lost if I dared to step up against him.”
“How could he…” Gwen said in horror.
“Yiska’s mind was destroyed the minute he was given the title Chief. I sometimes believe he was not sane prior to coming into the tribe at all. This is all my fault…if I had not agreed to marry him and just…” Aiyanna stopped herself, a choked sob clogging her throat. Gwen sadly frowned and touched her nose to the Zangoose’s chest.
“You didn’t know then Aiyanna. You can’t blame yourself for something you never anticipated or knew about ahead of time.”
Aiyanna looked at Gwen for a moment and nodded. “Thank you, dear,” She took a breath and continued. “Nara grew up to being the picture perfect daughter that could kill without hesitation in Yiska’s eyes. She wished for a strong heir, and thus mated with Ake, an Ursaring that was Yiska’s best warrior. However, when she bore her first litter a season ago, the one Wayra was part of…she went ballistic. He was the first to hatch, however was not strong enough in her eyes. She had four other eggs…and she tried to attack them, believing all of them would be nothing but weak children.
“I intervened and attacked her in the end. We fought for what seemed like hours, but was mere minutes. I inflicted wounds I never thought I would ever again inflict on another tribe member, let alone my daughter. I hadn’t attacked another soul prior to Nara since I myself was an apprentice going through basic training seasons ago. I quickly told her that the eggs were dead already and that attacking them would only bring shame and bad luck on her and the tribe. It was enough to push her away long enough for me to hide the eggs.”
“Wait…they weren’t dead or stillborns...were they?” Gwen gasped.
Aiyanna frowned softly and looked ahead. Gwen followed her gaze as they continued walking. A female Ursaring was holding a pouch with four distinct bumps in it. Gwen’s heart squeezed.
“I had originally begged the spirits to keep them safe, but…sadly, it had been winter when Wayra and his kin had been born, and a deadly winter blizzard had swept the tribe upon his birth. I tried to protect and nurture them in hiding, but…sadly, they all perished. They’re gone, but…I requested that we keep them and bury them in a safe, peaceful location. Far from the tribe and the dead horror that now overcasts it,” She explained. “I had hoped they would hatch the day we are all free from this evil, but they will never have that. In a sense…it’s probably a good thing. They will never have to fear and hold the guilt that Wayra now has to thanks to whom his blood mother is. My goal now is to protect my grandchild until he’s ready. I hope that Qale will be alive to see the young boy through too.”
“I see…I hope Qaletaqa is gonna be okay too,” Gwen said, helping Aiyanna over a rocky ledge as they trundled at the tail of the line.
“You’d be surprised how strong he is despite his age. The souls that he healed and tended to through their final living breathing moments follow him about, seemingly giving him the energy to keep going. He doesn’t seem to want to die anytime soon though. Even if he’s almost 160 years old,” Aiyanna smirked, giving a sick cough. Although Gwen insisted before that the female let her carry her in case she gets any sicker, the Zangoose Holy Woman shrugged her away and countered that she could carry herself and that she was only sick with a small infection that can easily be tended to in Eclipse Creek.
“That old?!”
“He was almost in his 40s when he married my aunt Isí many seasons ago. After she and their eggs died, he lost his bond to the family tree technically, however he never lost his bond with me and my children. Zephyr was practically the daughter he never saw hatch. The same goes for Nootau. After Nootau was taken from the tribe…more like rescued,” She paused, giving a chuckle. “Qale promised me that my son would be okay and that he would visit the Creek often. Oh, how I miss those days…”
“Things will get better Aiyanna. You do understand that?” Gwen asked her.
“I do…but I fear that this growing pit in my stomach is an omen to them fighting. They need their leader. And right now, I am here trying to help you lead the sick and weakened away from the fight. I fear…” She closed her eyes. “That my beloved Nootau will truly never see me again if he is killed…”
Gwen felt her own stomach twist and knot up in fear. Even worse, her heart, her very own soul, clenched so painfully that she winced visibly. She didn’t want to lose her true mate, she hated thinking it. But Aiyanna could be right. As a Holy Woman, and basically Alpha Female of the Sharp Claws Tribe, she had a sixth—or even seventh—sense that warned her of bad fortune or possible outcomes. And if she did nothing, terrible things were more than certain to happen.
If she had this pit in her stomach, and this gut feeling of Nootau—
Gwen stopped and turned around, looking in the direction she could feel her true mate’s soul fighting for survival, fighting to save his own tribe. She had to do something.
“Gwendolyn?”
“Aiyanna, listen to me,” Gwen turned to the hardly aged Zangoose. “I want you to continue without me. I’m going to help them.”
“No! It’s too dangerous—“
“Didn’t you say so yourself? That the chance of Nootau not making it was there and it was growing inside of you?” Gwen objected. She curtly shook her head. “No. Nootau protected me many a time and I love him for all he has sacrificed to be there for others. To be there for me. And for Jade…” She bowed her head, fighting back the tears momentarily. “He is my mate. My true mate. If you could fight for the one you absolutely loved, would you do it?” She asked her eyes wide with curiosity.
Aiyanna watched Gwen, hoping she was joking. But she wasn’t. However, instead of angrily yelling at her, she gave a proud smile and shook her head.
“I would without a moment’s waste, my darling,” She said firmly. “Very well.” Her paw touched Gwen’s shoulder for a moment before she reached into the little pouch that she carried on her side; the same pouch that Qale had bestowed with her before he left to fight.
She slowly pulled out a small marble orb that rolled in her palm gently as she held it out. A string had been pierced through the upper part of it and could be worn. She tied it around Gwen’s neck carefully.
“What’s this?” Gwen asked, looking down at the orb.
“A gift from Mother Earth Herself centuries ago. And now, you are ready to have it,” Aiyanna smiled warmly. “Go. It will become of use when the time is right in battle.”
Still slightly confused, Gwen nonetheless gave her a gentle lick on the cheek before turning tail and sprinting fast through the forest.
‘I’m coming to fight with you Nootau,’ She thought to herself, causing a surge of adrenaline and power to rush through her, making her steps speed up.
Warning: Various acts of violence, swearing, and graphic imagery lie ahead
Please read! We’ve put our heart and soul into this story to make it great! This chapter has art inside so please click the “Keep Reading” in order to see them and our writing that goes with them! Thank you.
Warning: Various acts of violence, swearing, and graphic imagery lie ahead
Please read! We’ve put our heart and soul into this story to make it great! This chapter has art inside so please click the “Keep Reading” in order to see them and our writing that goes with them! Thank you.
Warning: Various acts of violence, swearing, and graphic imagery lie ahead
Please read! We’ve put our heart and soul into this story to make it great! This chapter has art inside so please click the “Keep Reading” in order to see them and our writing that goes with them! Thank you.
Warning: Various acts of violence, swearing, and graphic imagery lie ahead
Please read! We’ve put our heart and soul into this story to make it great! This chapter has art inside so please click the “Keep Reading” in order to see them and our writing that goes with them! Thank you.
Please read! We’ve put our heart and soul into this story to make it great! This chapter has art inside so please click the “Keep Reading” in order to see them and our writing that goes with them! Thank you.
Please read! We’ve put our heart and soul into this story to make it great! This chapter has art inside so please click the “Keep Reading” in order to see them and our writing that goes with them! Thank you.
Warning: Various acts of violence, and swearing lie ahead.
Please read! We’ve put our heart and soul into this story to make it great! This chapter has art inside so please click the “Keep Reading” in order to see them and our writing that goes with them! Thank you.
Yes the blog went on a hiatus AGAIN. But our reasons were practically the same as the previous times. That, and art block hit us. Hard. I managed to recover somewhat, but it too a little bit longer for Cini to. Because we are in this together, I waited for the art block to go away. Holy shit, I did not expect school to hit us both in an awkward position in life, but it did and that was even worse. But it’s done now. We had some issues and discussions on what we should do for Flames of a Chief.
To be short, the last couple of chapters of the story arc will not be hosting any art pictures. But, that doesn’t mean we didn’t put any effort into our works. We really really encourage people to stop and take a moment to read this story we’ve put SOOOO much fucking effort in for almost 3 years now.
Even now! Even now, when I had the final draft done and I was like “okay! We are not gonna touch this it looks great!” I STILL went back to edit it up and make it better. That’s how much I love this story and how much I believe in it. I sure as hell know that Cini loves it just as much.
We have over 260 followers -- thank you so much for staying with us so long btw! -- but practically no one reads these. I’m sorry it’s not art. But it’s killing us to throw in a whole ton of art into each chapter. That’s the main reason there are no pictures in the last couple of chapters that will be coming up. And if we did do that now, we would be delaying the final chapters even LONGER by god knows how many months or even a year or two. It hurts and annoys us and I bet anyone else that was in our position to see all these people following us, but no one even takes the small moment to notice the work we threw into this sight. We aren’t glorious, but we certainly know how to make good pieces of artwork or writing. In this story arc, it’s basically showing both.
Think of it this way; you don’t read, you may not see pictures that are hidden inside of the chapters either. :\
So we are really encouraging everyone, please read the story. And if you still refuse, THEN REBLOG. Reblogging gets us around here, and can get around our story to others that potentially might be CURIOUS about this story.
Aside from that, I’ve gone back and reedited the previous chapters that have so far been posted on this lovely blog. I made them appear just like the ones that are in my drafts and are finished. They’re a little more professional, and don’t really leak anything and try to pull people in more. Warnings are put up on most of them, but that’s for anyone who’s squeamish to blood, gore, and violence. I even went as far as entitling what chapter has art in it and which don’t.
That’s all for now! An update will be thrown out at the end of the story arc, which will be soon because I’m gonna throw out chapters today~ :)
