Days passed, and Phantom hadn't left her side. The rain eased, and for a few hours one day, the sun was actually visible through the clouds. His hopes began to soar, when he noted how less frequent her coughing was. The couple who'd taken them in checked and spooned her food every few hours.
It was late one day, when Phantom felt good enough to go and find himself some food. The knot inside eased some, having felt his human stir enough to mutter his name, her hand resting on his head for a few seconds.
A few hours passed, and Phantom had returned to the house with a pear in his mouth; he had discovered a tree bearing the fruit while he hunted, and thought it would make a nice surprise for his friend.
But when he got back, he found her gone. Why had she left? Why would she leave him?! The two people said she'd slipped out when they weren't looking, and they thought she was looking for him.
His heart jumped; she was walking. His human was okay!
He entered the woods, the pear still clamped between his jaws, as he tracked the girl down, looking for her scent on the wind. But he caught the scent of another human, as well.
An alarm rose in his mind-something told him, nagging at the back of his mind. Something wasn't right. But he was too young to figure out what. He was too happy his friend was awake.
Felicia?! He ran into a nearby field, where he heard the commotion. A tall man had a strong grip on her arm; she was struggling and hitting him, shouting "you're hurting me!"
Between her struggles, her body was wracked with spasms, coughing and choking on her own cries. A veil of desperation befell the dragon, as he dropped the pear, lunging at the man in a flurry of claws and wings.
"what the hell?!" He attempted to fend off the pokemon, in the commotion smacking the girl across the face, sending her sprawling into the dirt. Phantom didn't see the stone she landed on.
....
He didn't hear the crack as her head met the hard rock.
....
He only saw the man, hurting her, and he only knew to protect his human.
....
He didn't notice how still she was, when the man ran off, nor how she didn't respond when he picked up the pear, placing it by her hand, a happy chirrup at the prize he got his friend.
A few moments passed, and she didn't touch the pear. Why didn't she pick it up? He got it just for her. She needed to eat, she was too skinny. He shuffled closer, head tilting as her chest rose in tiny spasms, her eyes staring at the sky.
Felicia, I got this for you! he thought, picking the pear up and dropping it closer to her head. Worry reared its ugly head once more, and he whined, nudging her face slightly. Her eyes flicked to look at him, but it seemed as though she looked through the dragon.
"...mis...dr..gon...." her lips barely moved, and her eyes seemed to lose focus. Phantom hadn't ever seen death; not like this.
Humans didn't die. Little pokemon died, bloody. They kicked and they squeaked, and blood went everywhere. He nudged the pear gently, its yellowish surface bumping against her cheek.
......
Tense moments passed, and he noticed how pale she became. His eyes widened. His pulse quickened.
He began to whine, nudging the girl, licking her face. Trying to rouse her. He was desperate, giving soft cries as he nudged her arm, her hand, her head.
He noticed the blood. It pooled under her hair, the heavy scent of metal filling the air.
No.
His vision grew blurry, and he screeched, jumping up and down.
No no no no...no...
His chest tightened, and his eyes watered, tears beading them as he fought against the thought that loomed so viciously above his head. His jaw worked, and he gave a pitiful warble, placing his head on her still chest, feeling how cool her body was.
No, humans don't die. You can't....because you're my friend...!
You can't leave...!
The bad man is gone! You can't!
But she was gone. She was gone the moment she tried to speak.
His cries died in his mouth, as pained vice gripped his chest, a strangled sob ripping open his throat. How could she leave him? She said they'd be together forever. She promised.
...you promised....
....
Days passed. He couldn't leave her side. She'll come back, you'll see, he spoke to himself. She's sleeping, like before.
But she didn't. Her lips were blue. Her eyes fogged over. She didn't touch the pear.
A strangled sob left his throat, rising in pitch. His sorrow and despair infused into the cry until it rose and rose higher and higher, becoming a scream, a monument to the suffering raging inside, a Banshee's wail. His mind broke.
There was a small house, nestled in a glade in the woods. Lights shone through the haze of rain, and hope battled the panic in his breast as Phantom wobbled toward the dwelling.
Felicia was clinging loosely to his neck, half on and half off his side, one foot dragging against the ground, leaving a line of disturbed mud behind her. She kept slipping in and out of consciousness, every now and then giving a shuddering cough, muttering weakly under her breath. It was paining him to listen to it, the sickness rising quickly in her veins.
His head banged against the door, before he squawked in fright as the girl collapsed, falling down into the mud. No Felicia, you hafta get up!
His feet shuffled as he snuffled and whined, mud splattering his face as he burrowed his head under her arms, attempting to get her up again. She didn't respond, her arm just sliding off his head.
Light suddenly bathed the two of them, as Phantom shivered in the cold, curled around the girl. His ears plastered against the matted, soaked fur of his neck, Phantom didn't move from the spot as a middle-aged man stepped outside, eyes widening at the sight of the girl.
"Sharon!" He hollered, taking a few steps forward. "Sharon, get out here!"
-------------------------------------------
It had taken much coaxing from the older couple to convince Phantom to let them near the girl, but eventually they'd managed to get her inside, near the fireplace, wrapped in blankets and changed into new clothes. He heard them talking, in the other room, but didn't care what they spoke of; he stayed by her side, his head resting on the couch by her as his eyes stayed trained on her face.
Her expression of pain seemed to pass, thankfully, as she managed to warm up and become dry. But her coughing was still evident, and it sounded wet and painful.
"...emonia?" He heard the man whisper, his eyes flicking to gaze upon the shadows he saw in the other room of the two.
"I think so," the woman replied, her voice worried. "It's a good thing she had her Noivern with her..."
"What's a girl like that doing all alone in the woods?"
"Homeless, maybe...she didn't have any shoes...she didn't even have any underwear, just that raggedy shirt..."
Phantom grew bored of their words, turning his attention back to his friend. He spent his time silently waiting, wishing for her eyes to open, wanting to leave this place and return to the road.
It would be days before the girl would open her eyes again. The little dragon hadn't a clue just how bad the sickness that began to take root inside her was.
Outside, the rain began to pour again. Phantom let exhaustion slip over him as he closed his eyes to the sounds of Felicia's shallow breathing.
It was nearing dusk when the clouds overhead finally relented, giving birth to a downpour that soaked the ground within minutes and drowned out all noise with the repetitive sound of rain. Pokemon scurried to their dens and nests, huddling together against the cold.
Phantom and Felicia had been caught in a field, when the water fell. Squeaking in good-humored shock, Felicia ran for the cover of the trees, but the late fall had stripped most of leaves, and so the bare branches offered little protection.
Her eyes clenched shut as she burrowed her head against her chest, mouth twisted in a frown. Suddenly, the stinging rain stopped it's assault on her skin, and she peaked open one eye in confusion to see a teal membrane stretched around her.
"Huh?"
Looking up, she realized Phantom was standing above her, his wings stretched to form a makeshift tent, the rain pelting his scales instead. She gave a soft giggle, thanking her friend as her wet head moved to rest against his chest.
But Phantom only felt the dread working its way through his nerves once more, as the pink fabric of her shirt clung to her skin, chilling her flesh and causing the girl to shiver. In an attempt to warm her, he huddled closer, curling his tail around them to try and cut off the chill that grew in the air outside his wings.
It didn't work; the beads of rain that dotted her skin failed to dissipate in the dampness of the late fall shower, and her hair clung to her naked flesh, unable to dry. Soon, she was curled in a ball at his feet, shuddering visibly, and the dragon let out a pitiful whine, nuzzling her gently with his snout.
Felicia, wake up, he begged silently, noting how tightly her eyes clenched shut to try and keep out the chill. An atmosphere of desperation descended on the pair, as the dragon nudged and whined, even licking the girl's face to try and rouse her.
It was midnight, when Phantom was awoken by the violent coughing that met his ears. He had fallen into a fitful sleep, one wing extended above the girl to protect her from the rain, but he himself was not large enough to provide her ample heat; even his body felt numb at the temperature drop.
Panic rose like a fire within his breast, as he whined and chirped and attempting to wake the girl. She moaned, coughing again, and he rested his snout against her, realizing with a shock just how cold she had become. The rains had become a soft drizzle now, a light fog adding to the atmosphere. Above the trees, now that he could see through the rainfall, was a plume of smoke that rose, and hope stirred in his breast.
Hold on Felicia, we'll be okay! his voice squeaked in his head, as he tried to get her to stand.
There was a nip in the air, the dragon noted, pausing along the trail to eye the sky. Clouds were gathering, bellies thick and pregnant with rain, a dampness filling the air. He warbled with worry as a little hand rested on his shoulder, patting him affectionately.
"It's alright, Mr. Dragon," she spoke soothingly, her bright green eyes staring up at his. "We'll find somewhere to stay before it rains!"
He still had doubts, but he quelled them and put his trust in Felicia, who skipped ahead of him on the game trail, her dirty brown hair bouncing against her back.
It always amused him, to see the twigs and bits of leaves that clung to the strands, despite his constant attempts to groom them out of her. His nostrils flared, the scent of rain growing heavier, as the little girl hummed happily.
But despite her joy, the dragon's eyes lingered with concern on her thin limbs, how her elbows and knees were a bit too pronounced, how fine her cheeks were compared to the girls they saw in the city, the constant bags that dwelled under those bright eyes.
The mud that caked her feet up to her ankles and the constant dirt on her hands was worrisome, too. She didn't notice, but he always saw how she scratched and itched at the skin, picking at the clothes she had worn since they first met. A raggedy, faded pink shirt, that hung down to her knees.
He didn't know much about humans, but he knew that they shouldn't live in such conditions. Not as young as she was. It was a growing pit that lingered just behind his ribs, dreading fingers kneading at his insides every time he saw her cough, or slow to catch her breath.
Her skipping came to an end, as she began walking silently once more, beside the dragon. His ears were on alert, listening to every tiny movement and noise in the woods around them; hunger gnawed at his own stomach, but he didn't dare leave his human; not after the incident with the Ursaring.
They continued walking in silence, hoping to find shelter before the rains began. It was too late in the evening, the sun barely penetrating the water-laden clouds, and their pace was slow as Felicia tried to avoid the dark roots and stones in the path. If only he was stronger, Phantom thought, he could just carry her to safety....
She was a bright child, and Phantom was glad he'd found her. Felicia, she told him her name, when they first met. She was such a frail little thing, and Phantom had followed the girl everywhere she went; she had no family, and nor did he, anymore.
This of course, was decades before the dragon had yet to become a hardened, world weary killer, back when he was still somewhat afraid, still recovering from the shock of betrayal at his own kind.
Quickly, they became inseparable-phantom was still small enough, at five feet tall, to enter cities and towns without much surprise from humans, as he trailed his human to and fro. She was his, his human; as he was her protector.
The one time some boys had tried to push her in the street, taunting her for her torn dress and muddy feet, he had been quick to scare them off; when a wild Ursaring had come across the girl picking berries, it was he who leaped fearlessly onto the much larger pokemon's back, harassing it until it left.
Every night, when she couldn't count on the charity of kinder people, she slept against him, his wings creating a makeshift blanket as they rested beneath a blanket of stars.
There were many bad days, as well; Felicia was only eight, after all. She was susceptible to illness, and she sometimes went days without food. Phantom always left her small bunnelbies and fletchlings, trying to get her to eat, but she turned them away with a smile, knowing she couldn't eat what he did, much to his confusion.
But they always pulled through, always. Whether it was the small dragon carrying her on his back to a human shelter, or her bandaging up the wounds he got fending off larger pokemon, they were always there for each other.
Unfortunately, the life of an orphan, a homeless one at that, could never be one of happiness. Tragedy would befall frequently, and it was a cold fall day when it came one last time, to scar the young dragon for life.
