The UNDERGROUND Team

(Ooc: Tried to make a decent post out of Felix screaming and crying and in general terror. But sadly, just nothing worth posting. ^^; So skip me. He's basically hiding in the trees like Rodolfo told him to and is now screaming Rodolfo's name.)

A hollow victory. One of the beasts down, but an ally down as well.

Aushan watched as the newly evolved dinosaur rushed to his friend's side, and sincerely hoped there was no lasting damage, and that he would recover soon. Losing a friend was hard for anyone, and he did not wish that open his new companions.

The other hydra was still being alight with flames, slowly being eaten away by the powerful Flamethrower of the other Charizard. It wouldn't be long until that beast fell as well, all ready having troubles staying up.
Aushan kept his distance. He would help out if needed, but it looked like the fire type had everything under control.

((OOC: Not much to say? ^^' Aushan's sure as hell not gonna get close to a flaming Hydreigon.))

"No! Rodolfo!"

Rodolfo could hear Bryant’s voice, close and full of concern, but the words didn’t process. Head ringing, vision spinning, the young Charizard lay slumped awkwardly against a tree trunk as he struggled with a crippling disorientation. The attack, although painful, hadn’t done any particularly serious damage. It was his collision with the tree that was responsible for his delicate state – the harsh blow to his head throwing his balance, hearing and now rationality. The pain, it triggered something in the recesses of his mind. Anger, a bitter hatred was slowly rising to mar an innocent surface.

When Rodolfo opened his eyes, a thin, but obvious injection of crimson had looped about particularly dark pupils.

Rising to his feet, eyes narrowed into slits as he looked through Bryant to the burning Hydreigon batting away his sibling like a pesky housefly, a growl rose from his throat. Somewhere, he could hear Felix screaming, the usually heartbreaking sound only fuelling his newfound annoyance.
“Shut up,” He growled quietly to himself, a pounding in his head leaving the chaos around him becoming too unbearable for his recent ailment. Wings flexing, his glare landed on the newly evolved Rampardos a moment before, a rare fury meeting his expression as he suddenly darted past. Sprinting towards the flailing undead, the Charizard pushed himself off the gory corpse of its companion and into the sky; his agape jaw full of flames as he neared the monster’s throat.

The Fire Fang hit its target squarely. Fangs slicing through the charred flesh of the throat’s exposed neck; Rodolfo clung to the beast’s body with a ruthless ferocity the world had thought him incapable of. Each clamping of his jaws ensuring a spurt of thick blood to decorate his small figure, the flames of his target only illuminating the dangerous creature he was slowly becoming. His claws tore at the flesh, widening the gash as the beast cried out in agony, forced stumbling backwards as Rodolfo slashed open its windpipe.

The Charizard stood atop the gasping undead, coated in blood and flames. The pain fuelled him onwards, the dragon in search of gory release as he mindlessly tore at the corpses’ rotting body. He couldn’t stop. Something had clicked, his face contorted into a ferocious snarl as he mercilessly tore chunks from the blackened undead, throwing them carelessly about him in a blind, pain-induced episode of pure psychopathy.

Marco, having been knocked from the sky by a well aimed attack from the Hydreigon, had stared dumbfounded at Rodolfo’s brutal retaliation. He didn’t know his brother possessed such fury, such incredible bloodlust as the beast was finally felled, its throat slit to produce a generous pool of blood about its limp body. But Rodolfo wasn’t done. Congratulations seemed in order, but the feral look on his sibling’s face unnerved him. That wasn’t the Roddy he knew. Frowning, his injured wing laying slack on his back, Marco quickly trotted towards his infuriated brother.
“Roddy,” He called, voice cheery despite the obvious concern lacing his words. He glanced over to the others, pleased to see they were all mainly safe before reaching the youth’s side. [color=#B13E0F “Roddy, it’s over. You did good,”[/color] As he placed a clawed hand affectionately on his sibling’s shoulder, the smaller Charizard did something he had never expected.

Rodolfo moved like lightning, spinning around on contact as an outstretched claw sank deep into his brother’s face. Marco, gave a surprised cry, stumbling backwards as he clutched the deep gashes marring his handsome features.
“Roddy!” He snapped, alarmed and insulted. But as he caught the dragon’s furious glare, his expression terrifying from the humble, awkward fire-type he’d always be known as, Marco silenced. What’s happening to you? Holding up his free claw, the other clamped his face to stem the blood flow, Marco kept his distance. “Roddy? It’s me… Marco…” The glazed look in Rodolfo’s eyes worried him, but slowly, the lights seemed to switch on in the fire-type’s mind. “A-And the others… Marilyn, Felix, Bryant…” He gestured over his shoulder, trying to reawaken his sibling’s memories. Maybe he’d suffered a concussion from that hit to the head.
“Ye-Yeah,” Rodolfo finally replied, the word coming out in a shaky breath as his body fell limp. Blinking hard, a most horrendous headache intent on distracting him, it took the Charizard a moment to realize where he was. He was stood atop a dead Hydreigon, covered in blood with scales charred from the flames. Marco stood before him, submissive and bloody. Utterly lost, he frowned, eyes roaming the state of his company as he brushed off the surrealism of the situation. “Is everyone okay?”

(( Yeah, so Rodolfo’s starting to turn. Look out guys. ^^; ))

Marilyn's eyes were slowly opening up once again as she let out a moan of pain. That impact was not comfortable at all for her.She needed to get a quick look at her surroundings again, to make sure they hadn't moved on without her. Nope, she was still in the same place. 'Thank Arceus...' She was soon greeted by her adoptive mother's presence. "Hey there, Marilyn. You alright?" The Mismagius asked. "Yeah, I think. Can you help me up, please?"

Florence nodded and slowly helped Marilyn to her feet once again. When she was up, the Gothitelle used the tree she was slammed against as support. She got a better view of what happened. The Hydreigon was taken down, surprisingly by Rodolfo. She also saw that Bryant must've evolved, and that Aushan and Marco were alright too. There seemed to be someone missing, though. "Flo, where's Felix?"

Florence immediately went searching for the Riolu. She looked up in the trees and saw him, scared, but safe from harm. She floated up to him with a gentle face and tone of voice. "Felix, you alright? We killed the undead, it's safe to come down now." She said to him. Her kindness was radiating to him since she was happy that everyone is safe.

Marilyn gasped when she saw Rodolfo cut his brother. She stayed back from the group a little bit, just to make sure she wouldn't get hurt either. Siblings aren't supposed to hurt each other. They were family. And in times like these, family meant everything...

As Bryant approached Rodolfo, he stopped short when the larger dragon's eyes shot open. At this distance, he couldn't tell what, but something about his eyes seemed different. Where they that dark before? His eyes shifted, and suddenly he was glaring at Bryant. That look... It sent a shiver down his spine. He barely had time to jump to the side as the Charizard lunged at him- no, not at him, through him. Had he not moved, Bryant had the startling idea that Rodolfo would have pierced through him to get to his target. Target? Whipping around, Bryant's eyes followed the dragon's flight.

His eyes widened even more at what he saw. Rodolfo was utterly destroying the last Hyrdreigon. The ferocity that he was displaying... How... Why? It was so unlike him! When the beast finally fell, Bryant let out a sigh of relief he hadn't realized he was holding. Perhaps things would go back to normal now- but no. In an instant, Rodolfo had shifted his target to Marco, slashing him across the face. Stunned, Bryant watched as the blood gushed from the larger dragon. Marco managed to talk him down, but... What was happening to Rodolfo? The possible answer left Bryant even more frightened than the question.

Small paws clamped themselves over small ears, eyes squeezed shut as tightly as they could, but it was all for nothing.

The sounds of battle were still audible, and though he couldn't see the fighting he could smell it. The scent of rust tainted the air, and he knew what the rusty scent really was.

Nononononono... He sobbed and tried to bury his face in the tree, but succeeded only in scratching his nose against the rough bark.

Auras flooded into him from every direction; some he was now familiar with enough to identify when he felt them, others barely, and one or two not at all.

He sat there and shivered, crying quietly, and did not move until a soft voice spoke to him.

"Felix, you alright? We killed the undead, it's safe to come down now."

Felix lifted his head with a gulping swallow, staring tearfully into the face of the ghost he had deemed his aunt.

But her face faded out of focus as he caught sight of what was going on behind her.

And screamed as Dolfy whipped his claws across Markie's face.

At the same time, a surge of the younger Charizard's aura found its way to Felix. And what he felt terrified him.

The little canine leapt out of the tree with a shriek, yelling something about monsters as he disappeared into the foliage.

(Let Felix run away. What I mean by that is, you don't have to have your character just stand there, but maybe Felix moved too fast or something. There's a point to this, I swear. ^^ But he has to be able to run off. Chasing after is allowed as long as you don't catch him.)

((OCC: I'm not feeling well, and would like if you guys skipped me this turn. I just can't make anything work. Sorry.))

Marco’s dark orbs never left his sibling, noticing a visible change in the younger dragon’s demeanour as reality seemed to dawn on him. He frowned, confused to see the group staring gobsmacked at him for an action he couldn’t remember. As he looked over himself, finding a fresh layer of blood coating a slender form, Rodolfo’s eyes eventually met his brother’s, teary.
“…Did I –“
“No,” Was Marco’s curt response, knowing his sibling was piecing together the gash on his face and the blood on his claws. It was an accident, surely. Rodolfo hadn’t an aggressive bone in his body and Marco simply refused to believe the pain emanating from a fresh, facial wound. Still, Rodolfo seemed unconvinced. He looked down, almost ashamedly when Felix’s heart-wrenching scream broke the tension.

Rodolfo turned to the young Riolu in an instant, catching the terrible expression as the screaming canine ran away. From who, he wasn’t sure – but gut instinct told him he’d made a very severe mistake. Still, he couldn’t help but react.
“Fe-Felix?” He called after the youngster helplessly, voice breaking with emotion as he uttered the word. Taking steps after the canine, he soon found his path intercepted by his larger sibling, Marco’s face like stone.
“Not you,” He spoke with his usual bluntness, tone serious as he regarded his sibling warily. Blood continued to ooze down the side of his face, irritating his eye, yet he kept his focus on his unstable brother. As much as he wanted to deny it, Marco knew Rodolfo wasn’t as innocent as he’d thought. He needed time to calm down and pursuing the terrified Riolu would only make matters worse.

Rodolfo’s face dropped as he was left standing quietly before his sibling, unwilling to challenge his blatantly stronger brother as that intense glare left him frozen. Confused, lost and ultimately scared, the youth took a step back, falling to his haunches in defeat. Straining to see past his brother to catch glimpse of the canine’s disappearing form, the guilt that attacked his chest was virtually unbearable. I’m sorry…
“One of you go after him,” Marco called back to the others, tail lashing as he kept his attention firmly on Rodolfo – as if protecting the group from a familial threat. It was painful realizing exactly what he was doing, but he was unwilling to take chances. It was just an accident; Roddy was fine. Looking over his shoulder briefly, he gestured with a shake of his head to the direction the canine had disappeared. He didn’t care who, but someone needed to follow the pup. He was in a delicate state, his wailing apt to attract further undead attention.

(( I can't thank the admins enough for sparing my boys! <33 Sorry to have kept the team waiting so long, guys. ))

Florence had no time to react to Felix screaming and running away. Though her first instinct was to run after him, the ghost turned around to see what caused the Riolu to run away. Her mouth was agape at what she saw. Rodolfo was attacked his own brother and didn't even realize it. Marilyn just looked horrified. This was the same Charizard she had met earlier today? She just couldn't believe it. "Rodolfo, what happened to you?!" She said. She would've continued, but her mother butted in and scolded the Charizard.

"What has gotten into you, Rodolfo? Why would you attack your brother like that? Have you lost your mind? I've already had a family bond threatened today, and there's no way in hell I'm going to let you threaten another one!"

Florence sighed and calmed down. "I'm sorry, I just can't believe that we just got Marilyn back after she ran away, and shortly after, we lose Felix." The younger Charizard tried to move forward to look for Felix, but the older Charizard stopped him. The Mismagius glared at Rodolfo. "No, you're not going anywhere." She said. "You scared Felix away. You looking for him would only make him run further away."

Florence floated away and briefly turned around. "Let me look for him. He's able to trust me more than you." She went into the woods to look for Felix. Marilyn was still standing with the group. She looked at Rodolfo and then looked in the woods. "I'm going to go look for him too," was all she said before catching up to the Mismagius.

Bryant rocked on his ankles, trying not to get between Rodolfo and the others. Bryant himself felt tears threatening to fall when he watched the aftermath. Poor Rodolfo... He didn't even seem to remember. Maybe... Maybe that was just how he reacted to being attacked. Bryant hoped that was it. He sincerely hoped. He flinched slightly at Florence's rough accusations. She was trying to carve porcelain with a chainsaw, so to speak. Eyes drifting sadly to Marco, he tried to figure out what he was thinking. Was he angry? Sad? He couldn't tell. He could never tell.

Bryant made no move to follow Felix. The other two would be able to find him easily, and if Rodolfo started to cause problems... Bryant doubted Marco could handle him on his own, despite his obvious strength. Looking to Aushan, he tried to catch the hound's eye. They needed to keep the group protected whatever the cost. Bryant just hoped that cost wouldn't be too high.

The pup tore through the forest, his sobs subsiding quickly so that all energy could be put into running.

Dolfy, Dolfy, Dolfy. He hurt Markie. He slapped him with his claws. He made him bleed.

His aura felt sort of like...

No, he's not, he's not... Felix choked on another quiet whimper and nearly tripped, the nasty little voice in the back of his head that everyone possessed speaking up to ask him why, then, he was running.

The canine slowed down somewhat; where was he? He hadn't been paying attention to where he was running...

A nearby snarl made his fur stand on end.

Running away from everyone had not been one of his better ideas...

---

He really ought to leave this area...

The big dragon slowed in his flight, hovering in place as he quietly looked down on the world from his place in the sky. The forest floor was difficult to see, obscured by trees, but the Charizard could not help feeling as if he needed to stop for a minute...

Something struck him just as he was about to fly forward again, and he gasped. What was...?

An overpowering feeling that something was wrong, that he needed to go help; a creature was scared and lonely and...

A Riolu was in the vicinity.

Roderick's breath caught in his throat, and he quickly landed.

Felix. It had to be. Right?

The violent spark in the younger Charizard's aura was gone at the moment, leaving the poor fire type more confused and upset than before the surge of his being. The look on his face as he tried to piece together something he didn't seem to remember...

Aushan had only met this group recently, but he couldn't help but feel sympathetic pain for the pair of dragons as they exchanged their small, broken conversation. Denial came off the older one in waves, almost drowning out the other's despair.

The surge of emotion coming the young riolu was the only warning before the scream as he ran away. He stopped himself from following, as the females chased after him first.
'Catch him quickly...' He willed for nothing bad to happen while they were gone. They couldn't handle much more of this in one sitting. Not with what has just happened.

He glanced back around the group, and noticed Bryant look to him. The look in his eyes, and the feel of his aura was enough communication for him to understand the unspoken message. He nodded in response, forcing himself not to look back over to the troubled Charizard.
They would need to make sure the group was safe. This was more than just a temporary group to travel with. They needed his help. And he would be sure to aid them in any way that he could.

Inhale. Exhale. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest slowed as the Absol relished the fresh air for the twenty-seventh time this day, her eyes closed as she lay hidden among the tall grass. No matter how long it had been since she had escaped that, humid, stuffy tunnel, Penelope simply couldn't get enough of the winds. No longer had the confines of those rough, craggy walls trap her in. She was free now, and made note to never wander into a cave again. But in an instant, her eyes flew open, her horn tingling as she peaked out from her nest, spotting figures in the distance. "Survivors."

Shifting into a crouching position, she took a tentative step towards the group, the faint rustling of the grass following her as she spied on them. A curiosity bloomed in her mind, eyes bright as she watched them from afar. 'But remember Penn, don't get too close. You'll bring them nothing but burdens and pain.' She grit her teeth gently with a hint of sorrow. Analyzing their faces, the Absol felt even more curiosity overtake her. They all had such... Such negative expressions, ranging from some type of frustration to sadness.

...She couldn't take it anymore.

Taking closer steps towards the group, she rose to her full height, revealing herself from the grass. "Is something the matter?" she mumbled, her gaze stopping as she saw the bleeding face of a Charizard. She paused, registering the image before her before she looked away, directing her attention towards the majority of the group. "My name is Penelope. Is there something I can assist you with?"

[OOC: Good to be back on the team. ;w;]

"Let me look for him. He's able to trust me more than you."
"I'm going to go look for him too,"

Florence’s words had felt like a knife being twisted in his chest. The younger dragon recoiled as if hit, a look of purest shame overcoming his blood-splattered features. Looking down to the bloodied claw that was responsible for his brother’s disfigurement, Rodolfo registered the ghost’s words. He truly had hurt Marco – but why? He couldn’t remember lashing out nor could he imagine any reason why. Of course, he still felt an extent of betrayal for Marco’s absence at his banishment, but Rodolfo had put that behind him. He wasn’t the sort to hold grudges and most definitely not the sort to attack without reason.

Marco’s expression grew dangerous at the ghost's scolding, annoyed that she continued to question his sibling when he had dismissed the matter minutes before. It was an accident. The Charizard’s glare followed them as they made their leave, a quieted growl rumbling from his throat at the unnecessary spite. Turning back to his unhinged brother, Marco’s anger was quickly replaced by sorrow. He had never seen such painful realization etched across the youngster’s face and it hurt him knowing he was helpless to prevent it.
“Ma-Marco, I’m so sorry,” Rodolfo choked out feebly, his voice hitching with emotion. Marco shook his head firmly, adamant that the youth had simply been caught in the moment of battle. It was just a scratch; fairly deep, but not life-threatening. “I-I-I… I didn’t –“ He was sobbing now, unable to comprehend the situation. Marco, dismissing earlier concerns, embraced him. Holding him tight in a hug, the younger dragon resting his head pathetically on his sibling’s shoulder, Marco hushed him, guilty he himself had thought Roddy any different.
“It was an accident,” He soothed quietly. “I’m not angry, honestly,”
“B-But your face, it-“
“It doesn’t matter,” Marco released him, holding at arm’s length to meet his watery gaze. The elder smiled, trying to evoke one of Rodolfo’s own grins past the tears cascading down his face – it soon did. “They’ll bring Felix back and we’ll get moving, okay?” Rodolfo nodded his head in understanding, wiping away his tears as Marco turned to address the group.

As the oldest sibling registered the tension that hung over the gathering, the shady glances between Bryant and Aushan, he struggled to disguise his disgust. Lip curling back, almost angry at their silent conspiracy, Marco trudged towards them. Whilst Rodolfo was wiping the blood from his claws on a nearby tree, the larger Charizard stood before the remainder of the group, his expression coupled with the blood flowing down his face creating a particularly frightening image.
“He’s fine,” He growled in warning, practically reading their minds. “It was an accident,” Looking over his shoulder, pleased that Rodolfo was firmly out of earshot, he continued, unveiling a previously unseen dangerousness. “You lay a single claw on him and I’ll kill you,”

"Is something the matter?"

The foreign voice was enough to distract Marco as he looked up to see the approaching Absol. Eyes narrowing, he stepped away from Aushan and Bryant to get a closer look of the female. She offered her assistance and the name of Penelope.
“No, everything’s okay,” He replied with unusual bluntness. As soon as he’d uttered it however, he came to realize his mistake. Brushing away the hostility that had momentarily overcome him at the thought of losing his last relation to creatures he deemed friends, Marco relaxed. Managing a smile, he nodded his head in greeting to the dark-type. “Sorry - it's just the blood loss making me cranky. You wouldn't know any source of water, would you?"

Everyone stayed behind, trusting the two females to find Felix. To Florence, she wouldn't rest until he found. For Marilyn, she was just helping out her mother. The two of them looked high and low for the Riolu, every now and then calling out for him.

"Felix! Where are you?"
"Felix! It's Mary and Flo! You can come out!"

The Mismagius wasn't sure how much longer the daylight would last. She began to worry about Felix. What if they don't find him? Or worse, what if they do find him, but he's dead? The idea of someone dying so young, especially someone who's as close to Florence as Marilyn is, brought a tear to her eye. She soon felt the Gothitelle's hand grip her tendril. "We're going to find him." She said. "Don't worry," Florence wiped her own tear and smiled. Nodding to her daughter, they resumed their search for him.

(OoC: Sorry for the short post. in all honesty, this was just more of a filler post. Star, let me know when you want them to find Felix.)

(Ooc: I need to skip; not this post Radio, but the next one unless something I didn't plan for happens.

No sooner than the small agreement had passed, there was a flare of the larger Charazard's aura, and he marched his way over. The look on his face was almost enough to make him cringe.

"He's fine. It was an accident." The dragon growled, and looked over his shoulder at his sibling.

Aushan kept his mouth shut. There was no room to argue. Not without upsetting the dragon further, regardless of how 'fine' his brother was. There was no need to start a fight-

“You lay a single claw on him and I’ll kill you."

'Well that's just uncalled for..' Aushan thought to himself and barely kept himself from bristling at the threat, feeling in the fire-type's aura that it was no bluff.

"Is something the matter?"

The canine turned to the new voice, slightly shocked at the sight of an Absol. He had not seen one for himself before, but he had heard of how rare they were, possibly even more rare than his species.
He also remembered something being said about seeing one meant there was a disaster on the way. Like some sort of warning.
Were things going to get even worse?

“No, everything’s okay,” Marco snapped at her before regaining composure. “Sorry - it's just the blood loss making me cranky. You wouldn't know any source of water, would you?"

Aushan dipped his head in greeting to the new female. For whatever reason of her appearance, it was still best to be polite.

Heartbeats.

The land shark was weary, hunger sculpting her thin and voice raspy--wishing so dearly for blood. Melinda's eyes were sharp and wary, bright, threatening gaze searching for the owners of the hearts. "Felix! Where are you?" she whirled her head to the left, listening as another voice shortly followed the former. "Felix! It's Mary and Flo! You can come out!" A grin teased her lips, smiling to reveal the rows of jagged, dagger-like teeth. "Food..." Bending her legs, she sprang forward in a sudden burst of power, soaring above the undergrowth.

"We're going to find him. Don't worry," Melinda almost wanted to laugh as she heard those words, a slight giggle emitting from her throat. She had said that exact same thing to her beloved Paladin once--on the day that Prince had vanished. "Y-You're not gonna find 'em!" she screeched, her voice a mixture of distress and insanity as she caught the Mismagius with her jaws. She landed messily, toppling over trees as she shook her maw, ripping the ghost-type apart. "You'll die before you do!"

Looking up at the horrified Gothitelle, the Garchomp erupted into an uncontrollable fit of giggles, small embers falling from her mouth, before her whole jaw erupted with flames. A Fire Blast formed from her throat, scorching the trees and foliage in it's way, setting the surrounding woodlands on fire--along with the dark-type. Marilyn was set a lit with a blaze, flailing in panic. "Don't worry... You'll find him in heaven..." The dragon-type purred, approaching swiftly before snatching up her head with her teeth, a sickening crack echoing as she crunched her skull, gnawing at the flesh before flinging the corpse aside. Smiling, the undead leaves the scene, burrowing into the Earth.

---

“No, everything’s okay,” Welp, nothing to do here. With a nod she motioned to leave, before stopping when the Charizard nodded a greeting. “Sorry - it's just the blood loss making me cranky. You wouldn't know any source of water, would you?" She smiled. "Water? There's a small pond only a few ways away-" her horn tingled suddenly and her fur pricked, head swiveling towards the foliage. "Is someone the-" The Absol's eyes widened as a distorted screech rang through the park. "Y-You're not gonna find 'em!"

With the sounds of snarling and a fight, the foliage beside her was set ablaze, the flames spreading vigorously across the park. "Shit!" she cursed, stumbling away from the fire. She looked towards the Charizard, expression showing distress and confusion. "Is any other survivor you know of in there?!" she asks, coughing as smoke infiltrated her lungs.

[OOC: Harb post. Melinda will not be floating here, however.]

"Water? There's a small pond only a few ways away-"

Marco smiled appreciatively; pleased he hadn’t succeeded scaring the female off with a rare hostility. But she soon stopped, abruptly, as her head snapped to the direction in which the others had disappeared to. The Absol’s entire being seemed to change, detecting something beyond the dragon’s own senses but quick to infect them. Marco turned rigid as he followed her stare, holding his breath as he strained to listen. After a moment of silence, he spoke.

“Wha-“
"Y-You're not gonna find 'em!"

A terrible screech interrupted his query, the dragon subconsciously flinching away from the painful cry. That sound was far too close for comfort. Fear slowly seeping across his features, the Charizard glare after the noise – straining to see through the foliage as smoke began to drift from above the trees.
“M-Marco?” Rodolfo had stumbled to his sibling’s side, the terror etched across his young face as he followed his brother’s gaze. He could tell Marco was trying to hide his concern, his expression cemented in a glare as a natural response to tragedy. Rodolfo was another matter. Tears were pricking his eyes, watching the flames spread across the area as he thought of the victims. I’m so sorry…

"Is any other survivor you know of in there?!"

Rodolfo hadn’t, for a second, thought that he might have known the victims. His blood ran cold as images of his friends flashed before his eyes, the hatred and fear blatant on their faces. Is that how they would remember him – as a monster? Overcome with guilt, his body beginning to shake in sickening terror, the youngster suddenly darted towards the forest.
“Felix! Marilyn!” He shouted, desperate to put his mind at ease. But his heroic attempts were futile. Marco had intercepted him yards before the burning tree line, holding his sibling back with an effortless strength.
“Stop,” He ordered bluntly, Rodolfo’s struggling only proving a slight hindrance. He seemed stronger than he remembered. But the younger dragon was death, tail lashing and wings flaring in a vain attempt to escape his elder’s vice-like grasp.
“We have to help them!” It pained Marco to see his brother in such a way, the agony intensifying in the knowledge he was responsible for his growing distress. But there was no way in hell he would let go. They could all be dead for all they knew, the monster still lurking within the forest fire and awaiting another easy meal – it’d be like walking into a trap. Rodolfo was both physically and mentally vulnerable, a perfect candidate for such a cunning beast. “Let me go!”
“There’s nothing we can do,” Marco insisted, firm and almost akin to a parent. The flames were out of control, totally butchering the surrounding forest to leave the remaining group illuminated by a wall of fire. Rodolfo eventually fell limp, tears streaming down his face as he regretfully accepted defeat, clinging to Marco for support.

“It… It’s all my fault…”

"Y-You're not gonna find 'em!"

Felix almost screamed, but the sound died in his throat. The horrible screeching came from behind him, and not very far behind him at that. "You'll die before you do!"

A woman was screaming, and the little Riolu could only barely hear it over the crazed shrieking of the dragon he could not see; if there were any words to the scream they were lost, and the identity of the owner was hidden beneath the sounds of the brutal attack. He wanted to run; whether it was to the danger--and towards those he was quite certain may be his friends--or away he did not know. His brain was blank, wiped clean of thought, and his legs refused to move. He barely had the capacity at the moment to tell them to.

Mama...

Fire. The world was suddenly orange and yellow and gold and red, erupting from the trees in the direction the horrible sounds of death had come from, and spiraling madly out of control. Dancing, taking the trees for a tango, and their lives one by one as they hungrily sought more.

His own tiny body would stand no chance. Even as a child, he knew that.

...Mama... remember you told me I'd grow up big and strong like Daddy?

The flames danced closer. "Come play with us." They said. "Come dance." Still, his legs would not move.

I'm sorry Mama. I won't.

---

Roderick drew back in horror at the faint sound of an attack. Screaming, and lots of it; twisting his head around towards the direction, he was slammed with a second surprise as fire suddenly roared to life. His shoulders fell and his heart raced; anything caught up in that was dead.

His body flashed hot and then cold. What if...

No. No please. Please don't let that have been him. Anything but that. The dragon hardly noticed he was on the move, becoming aware that he had dropped to all fours and was running towards the general area of the fire only when he felt its heat beginning to truly bother him. Forced to stop because of the wall of flames in front of him, the unusually slender Charizard darted his eyes around the small clearing, every sense on high alert-

There! That feeling again! His heart soared; be it his nephew or not, at least some creature had survived this destruction.

He took another step, and that was when he screamed.

It was a choked, strangled noise, and one most undignified for his kind. But what else would any empathetic creature do, having stepped on something wet and squishy, only to look down and see the corpse of what was clearly a living being not long ago?

Her head was pulp, blood was everywhere. Her body was beginning to catch fire.

Roderick turned his head and emptied his stomach, scrambling away from the remains immediately afterwards.

The Riolu, he must find the Riolu, before the creature wound up like this person...

He took to the sky, flying over the flames, coughing and choking on its smoke. The Riolu was over this way, the aura getting stronger...

Almost there. Almost there.

Fire. The forest was on fire.
Of all the ways things could have gotten worse...

"Is any other survivor you know of in there?!"
“Felix! Marilyn!”
"Stop."
“We have to help them! Let me go!"
“There’s nothing we can do."

Never before had such a simple sentence struck up such a feeling of anger with him before.

"Nothing we can do? So you're condemning them to die?" The canine bristled. "There are three people out there. One of them a child. And you're going to leave them out there on their own? What happened to Charaziards being noble dragons?" A low blow, but the words flew from his mouth.

He shook his head in frustration. There was no need for that, even if it was called for. Making them angry probably wasn't the best idea.

"If there is even a chance they're alive, we should be looking for them. Before something bad happens to them." He turned his attention back to the burning forest. Considering he had a weakness to fire, running into a wildfire isn't among the safest things he's done. Nor will it be the easiest.

"You can leave them to die. Fine. But I won't." He steeled his resolve, and took off toward the blaze.

"Nothing we can do? So you're condemning them to die? There are three people out there. One of them a child. And you're going to leave them out there on their own? What happened to Charaziards being noble dragons?"

Marco gave nothing but a guttural growl in response, unwilling to admit that the Lucario was indeed correct in his accusation. Rodolfo merely cowered, the guilt already weighing on his heart threatening to crush him. He knew he’d never be considered noble, eternally a failure to his species – but the realization of his pitiful submission was horrifying. One word from Marco and he gave up.
“It’d be suicide,” Marco snapped back, barely containing his anger. He clutched his bleeding face with a hand as Aushan continued, speaking of playing the hero. The older dragon huffed, tail lashing irritably as the lecture came to an end.

"You can leave them to die. Fine. But I won't."

As the canine darted off towards the blaze, Rodolfo made the movement to follow him – persuaded of exactly how cowardly he was.
“No,” Marco held out his free arm, grabbing his sibling’s shoulder. He wore an expression of muted fury, the canine’s words having effectively threatened to break the dragon’s composure altogether. They would all get themselves killed and Roddy was willing to do so too. That wasn’t going to happen. He turned to his confused brother, noticing the pain in his emotive eyes. “We need to go,”
“Wh… What?”
“There’s no place for us here,” Marco insisted, his words becoming softer now that the Lucario words been evacuated from his rational mind. Rodolfo’s face fell at the dragon’s reasoning, looking sadly to the forest fire. “Don’t you understand? They’re gone. You heard the screams…” Marco paused, gentle but firm. “There’s no point in getting ourselves killed as well…”

Rodolfo, shaken by the news that his friends were dead, found himself quick to believe Marco’s words – he was usually right. He’d heard more than one set of screams in the duration of the group’s separation and there were no signs of life likely to emerge from the growing blaze – Marco was right, they were dead. Silencing a sob, the epitome of distraught, Rodolfo struggled to hold back the tears.
“I’m… I’m so sorry,” He whispered quietly, thinking of the friends he had failed. At least they’d found peace in this terrifying world – resting with a memory of the person Rodolfo wasn’t. He prayed they were happy, that they would forgive him. With a deep breath, the Charizard gave a nod of his head, ready for departure.

With a final pat on the shoulder, pleased that his sibling wasn’t tempted by a heroic death, Marco smiled before falling to all fours. A short run and he’d launched himself into the sky, wings beating heavily as he gained altitude. Rodolfo wasn’t far behind, tears streaming down his face as he rejoined his brother in the skies - the duo headed for a new beginning.

I’m sorry…

(( Leaving post. I’m drastically cutting down on characters and although it breaks my heart, Roddy and Marco need to go. It’s been an absolute pleasure RPing with you all. <3 ))

Mama... Mommy... Mama...

The shivering pup took a few steps back as the wall of fire advanced on him, sobbing quietly, unable to draw enough breath to scream.

And then suddenly there was orange, and the orange shockingly didn't burn his skin off.

Something grabbed him, scooping him into its arms before spreading its wings and kicking off the ground. The coughing and choking child clung to the smooth, reptile skin. Dizzy and disoriented, it took a few minutes to realize this aura was highly familiar...

"Uncle Roddy...?"

The Charizard was too busy navigating through the smoke to hear him, but his arms around the child tightened at the feeling of the little one squirming slightly.

Got to get out of here. Need to find fresh air.

The blaze was hot.
He shied away from the flames and kept running, opening his mind and searching for auras as he avoided the quick spreading blaze.

There. Two auras, together.
And moving fast.

He turned direction and ran toward them, speeding up. He had to hurry. Before the forest got worse.
The fire was everywhere. The heat itself seemed to singe his fur.

He just had to keep moving. Don't panic and keep moving. Find his friends and guide them out.

One of the auras was was nearly screaming, panic spilling from it every second. From the fire, no doubt. That had to be the Riolu. There was no mistaking the amplified aura. The other one he didn't recognize, but it was with Felix and needed out of the fire as well.

He kept running toward the auras, gaining on them. Just a little farther...

One of the Charizards had attempted to go save survivors that they knew in the blaze, only stopped by the other. “There’s nothing we can do,” the Absol opened her mouth to object, only to find that the Lucario beat her to it. "There are three people out there. One of them a child. And you're going to leave them out there on their own? What happened to Charaziards being noble dragons?" the dark-type fell completely silent. A child. Someone innocent and young, someone who shouldn't have to go through a world like this. "You can leave them to die. Fine. But I won't." the steel-type had rushed into the wildfire. “There’s no place for us here,” Penn was unsure of what to do or say. Perhaps it was a bad idea to approach this group of survivors.

Making up her mind, the disaster Pokemon suddenly leaped into the flames, pelt growing hot as she raced through the forest. The smell of smoke and ashes was suffocating her, ungs strained as she tried to sniff out the path the Lucario went. "Are you okay?!" she shouts, hoping a survivor or the aura-reader could hear her. "Tell me what I can do to help!" she narrowly evaded a falling branch, swerving away and deaper into the woods. Penn was scared, why in the world was she risking her life for these strangers? But... But there was a kid in this chaos. She hadn't seen a child since she had left the tunnels in Kanto, and she couldn't live with herself if she just let one... die.