(ACE) The FARAWAY Team

"There is nothing to apologize for, sir.”

They just stood there, cautious but disobedient to Crane’s plea for solitude. Selfishly, part of him was glad at their rebellion. He had missed company so bitterly that sometimes it seemed worth the risk of hurting them just for a few moments of bliss, a reminder that he truly wasn’t alone in this world.

His single eye followed their movements, trying to read their thoughts as the bird’s quivering form gradually stilled. Crane had nothing to say. He knew he shouldn’t encourage their civility – they should be running from such a monster, but at the same time, he hadn’t the heart to ward them off. He was hopelessly stuck anyway, in fact quite the pathetic excuse for a monster. Instead, Crane focused his effort on quelling his earlier panic. He tried to push images of blood out of his mind, skimming over the recent bout of dissociation to focus on what was happening now; a reality staring him hard in the face with unusual optimism.

"M-My name is Lotta. I do not intend to harm you in any way, sir...it's a pleasure to meet you."

It’s not you I’m worried about. Her concern evoked a pang of guilt, her companion’s body language also heightening Crane’s discomfort. They were torn on what to do. It was no surprise really. Crane was a walking contradiction. And these creatures had endearingly latched onto the good immediately, seeing past the macabre appearance and straight to the kindly soul trapped within.

“It...won't be a good idea to stay out in this rain any longer. If you'd like, you can come with me to shelter--it'd be easier to converse there, as well. Do you, um, require any assistance? You seem to be a little...tangled."

Crane, already taken aback at the invite to join the duo, was only more touched at the little dragon’s desire to help him. It provoked a shy smile as the Fearow craned his neck to see how desperately tangled he truly was. It might’ve be humorous were he not so repulsive.
“I- Well… I am a little… stuck,” A short, eloquent chuckle escaped him as he experimentally flexed his wings, thorns biting at the charred skin in bloody pin-pricks. Crane felt nothing however, his body so damaged that it was rare for pain to bother him these days.

"I, I can.. help?"

Seeing the Eevee banish away his earlier fear had more effect on Crane than he’d expected. The avian visibly relaxed, previously rigid body turning soft as his red eye sparked with a newfound sense of contentment. They weren’t scared. At least, not scared enough to turn tail and run.
“Thank you,” Crane dipped his head lightly in thanks, cautious of his movements in the fear of revealing the damage the sack concealed. Clearing his throat, he spoke calmly, betraying the charm of a past life. “My name’s Crane, by the way. And honestly – I’m not infected,” He wasn’t even sure if there was a word to describe his state, though he felt obliged to put their initial fears at ease. “It’s a long story bu-“

“Greetings,”

He silenced his explanation at the call and nearby sound of movement.

“You said you have a shelter? My partner and I need a safe place from the infected, and we'd be willing to assist as protection."

The Fearow, from his current predicament, struggled to see the approaching duo but was immediately curious at the presence of a human. The man was somewhat brusque in his speech, intentions made perfectly clear; but Crane skimmed over the rudeness, instead straining to get a better look at them. They were a curious couple, but the bird quickly noticed that the canine stood shackled in chains. Crane’s body shuddered involuntarily at the sight. He generally perceived humans as a gentle and mainly harmless species, but he knew there would always be bad amidst the good. What reason could there be to imprison the fox so callously? Isn’t the epidemic enough of a prison as it is?

Crane’s attention shifted to the fox and dragon duo, the question of sharing shelter falling to their little shoulders.

    “I- Well… I am a little… stuck,” The Gible found herself smiling, glad that the mood had at least lightened a little. She gazed carefully at the thorns that tangled the large avian. "I, I can.. help?" Lotta nodded, taking a few steps towards the bush before grasping a vine, experimentally tugging the flora. It wasn't long before she managed to get a few thorns away from the Fearow, hands carefully grasping at the branches to prevent harm to herself.
    “My name’s Crane, by the way. And honestly – I’m not infected," she gave a short laugh, grinning. "It's good to hear it, Mister Crane!" she mused, working with another length of thorn. “It’s a long story bu-“
    "Greetings," Lotta almost jumped at the new voice, perking up and turning around to meet the source. She noted that voice sounded foreign, the tongue not belonging to any Pokemon that she knew of. Catching site of the human, the Gible froze, blinking in disbelief at the sight. "You said you have a shelter? My partner and I need a safe place from the infected, and we'd be willing to assist as protection." What's more, the dragon-type could understand what the man was saying. She brought a tiny hand to her temple, furrowing her brow in confusion.
    "Erm..." she hesitated, looking at the Zoroark companion the human had. The vulpine didn't seem aggressive, although the chains around his wrists immediately provoked curiosity in her. "I'm sure we've enough space for two more survivors." she took a short, polite bow. "My name is Lotta, and it is a pleasure to meet you, sir." she turned back to the Fearow, resuming to releasing him from his organic prison. "As soon as we get Mister Crane out of this mess, I'll gladly lead everyone to the cavern."

Feebly the small fox crept up to the shrubbery and peered vainly at its tendrils. Lotta seemed to have no trouble at least attempting to free the massive bird that loomed over them but he simply gave a blank stare at the leaves. What could I even do.. Gingerly lifting one brown paw the Eevee pawed at the nearest stiff stem and tugged it softly with curled claws. The weak amounts of strength he put into the action did little in shifting its position and merely made the leaves rustle. One ear quivered ever so slightly as he placed the paw back down. In a slow but fluid motion he leaned in until his small, pointed teeth could grasp the spiky branch. Again he tugged on it but this time it gave into the weight of his body as he pulled.

The Eevee moved and pulled the branch back against its will, his mind drifting away from the action and any effort he was putting toward it. Helping this Fearow was not going to make him keep Lotta on his side. Maybe for a little while it would be fine, but with its presence she would inevitably link him to the disappearances and death before turning on him. Greetings," A new and unpleasant voice breached his ear fur and the young Pokemon recoiled instantly, releasing the branch in the process. It fought back, however, and smacked him in the face with a shape spine before settling back to its normal position. Pain flooded through his face along with a thin trickle of blood down the side of his muzzle. Letting out the faintest of whines the Eevee forced his glazed gaze to look at what had discomforted him so; a human.

Those creatures meant nothing but pain. He hadn't seen one in so long but a human just happened to show up in the middle of some forest along with a sickly, if not diseased (though it said other wise), Fearow. He could see no other explanation for these things but the curse he believed to hang over him. I guess I wont be with the group long.. He words whiskered through his mind with a droop of his already fallen ears. Slowly his red-brown eyes traveled up the mans lanky form, taking in what he determined to be a dangerous force. No doubt at one point he would of looked for rare Pokemon.. Maybe he would of wanted me, before things went wrong. A shiver ran down his cold spine.

Drifting his view to another new Pokemon that stood near the human the Eevee felt an odd feeling of shock. It was a species he didn't know too well, only the name of Zoroark, but its almost plighted look to him and accompaniment with the human clicked in the young ones mind. Chain bound.. human entrapment.. unwanted.. abused.. Words cycled through his head and only lead to unpleasant feelings toward the human as it probed about their shelter plans. "Caves are.. roomy. " He finally commented, though he doubted the human would care. They never cared.. Maybe he's a good one.. but his Pokemon seems so.. Disheartened by the fact that even more living were going to stay were he had originally been invited the Eevee looked away from the newcomers. With a deep breath in the fox suddenly felt a burst of energy, and began pawing the bush once more, this time successfully loosening its hold on the bird. Humans mean trouble.. trouble.. trouble.. his Pokemons so.. l-lonely..

(OoC: Skip. I am so sorry, I just can't get into the mood. Let's just say Alex nodded at Lotta and Eztli just kinda stood there, absently.)

"Erm..."

Despite the dragon’s initial hesitance, her thus-far charming and quite welcoming demeanour faltering, she quickly regained composure to welcome the peculiar newcomers. Crane watched them cautiously out of his periphery, head titled away to spare the innocents of glimpse beneath the mangled sack he wore. The human and fox seemed no true danger, but the shift in atmosphere was blindingly obvious. Whilst his body was numb and charred, Crane’s senses were on high alert.

His attention lingered on the Zoroark whilst his new companions worked to free his gangly form, the constraints quickly loosening until a final snap gave him reason to believe he was free. Looking down to the Eevee feverishly pawing at the vines, the Fearow offered him a warm chuckle.
“You know, I think you’ve got it,” He gently flexed the wing that the canine had successfully freed, taking extra care to avoid accidentally knocking the fragile creature over. Straightening up, confident he now had the capacity to do so, he carefully clambered out of his leafy prison – movements gentle and eye constantly checking to avoid grazing his two small rescuers. He was successful and hovered, his stance awkward as ever, away from any ensnaring vines.

“Thank you,” He grinned, offering Lotta and the Eevee a smart incline of the head. “…So, where might this cave of yours be, dear? O-Of course, I don’t mean to be intrusive…. But perhaps it would be a better place to talk, hm?”

    The soft whines of the Eevee alerted the Gible, the sharp scent of blood immediately infiltrated her nose. She nearly choked, stumbling to cover the lower half of her face in the dirtied cloth of her scarf. The fox started bleeding, she noticed, and a concerned look washed over her. "Are you alright?" she mumbled through the wool, taking a few steps back to allow room for the Fearow as he emerged from the foliage. "I will keep an eye out for any healing berries on our way to the shelter, if you need any."
    “Thank you,” she returned his grin with the best smile she could muster through the layers of filthy fabric. “…So, where might this cave of yours be, dear? O-Of course, I don’t mean to be intrusive…. But perhaps it would be a better place to talk, hm?”
    "Not a problem, sir! The shelter is only a few minutes walk across," she motioned to her right and towards patches of dense forest. "That way. Shouldn't be too hard of a hike, although I assume the ground would be a bit turbulent due to the rain." awkwardly she tied her scarf into a fixed position covering her snout, before beginning to walk towards the bushes. "Just follow me and we should be there in no time." she gave a nod to the survivors, before parting the flora and stepping through.
    The beginning of the trail wasn't as thick as expected, sparse bushes scattered around gravel and patches of long grass weighed down by droplets of rain. The trees rustled as the weather thinned, warmer winds rushing past the group. Lotta kept her eyes set on her path, carefully recounting her steps back to the cavern she had discovered before.

"Not a problem, sir! The shelter is only a few minutes walk across, that way. Shouldn't be too hard of a hike, although I assume the ground would be a bit turbulent due to the rain."

Crane listened with a charming attentiveness, amused by the dragon’s seemingly subconscious formality. How long had it been since he’d heard the word Sir? It was a most-welcome change and a little pang of nostalgia from a life he could barely recall. Whilst mention of difficult terrain did stir a quiet feeling of unease in the gangly avian, the Fearow’s optimism overpowered such negativity. He had already humiliated himself enough in the shrubbery; they would only expect an equally as awkward gait.
“Excellent,” He smiled shyly, head still tilted away from his new company in consideration of what they were addressing. Crane knew he was a walking monstrosity, he thought it only right to spare the sparse onlookers the details. “This is really most kind of you,”

"Just follow me and we should be there in no time."

Flexing his bony frame in preparation of the hike to follow, the Fearow watched as Lotta marched on ahead and gestured for the rest of the group to follow. He was most happy to tail. Not only would it spare him the embarrassment of slipping in the mud, but it was also an extra safety precaution. Crane, despite his conflicting personality, looked for all the world an undead. Since his revival, he had discovered that it wasn’t always a disadvantage. Smaller infected scampered at the sight of him, or more annoyingly followed him in the hopes of salvaging scraps from a kill. Either way, Crane would be the first to know of any unwanted company.

Gesturing to the quiet Eevee and the peculiar, new-coming twosome with a gentle swing of his neck, Crane treaded carefully to follow obediently after.

    “This is really most kind of you,” Lotta only gave a smile, shaking her head slightly in response. She parted a few bushes, stepping carefully through the wet terrain. "It's nothing, really. I'm sure any other survivor would have done the same." she hopped over a boulder, only pausing for a moment to catch her balance before scrambling on top of a larger rock, squinting through the fine mist.
    "The cave is only a few minutes away, not too far!" she grinned, sliding down before coming to an abrupt halt. Her green eyes were wide as she looked to her right, a loud rustling coming from the bushes followed by low growls and hisses. Before the Gible could even shout, a trio of rotting Linoones burst from the foliage, sprinting towards the group with fast leaps through the marsh-like earth.
    Lotta wasted no time in preparing an attack, flicking a wrist towards the sky to flick up sand and dirt from beneath her, the gale swirling around one of the approaching ferrets in a Sand Tomb. The harsh gusts whipped at it's already mangled pelt, tearing it further off the infested body. She spared a glance to the others to make sure they were alright, before turning back to their opponents.

With slow, careful movements the Eevee followed his companions with a heavy solemness. It seemed each comment the Fearow made a growing unease wormed through his pelt. Lotta's almost exaggerated concern for his scratch only making the nausea grow worse. Again with the futile effort and constant mistakes but this time it seemed the others were making very sure he knew they didn't go unnoticed. He was messing up. The attention, something he so very craved, was now the current source of his discomfort. As the group began to move he couldn't help but feel pressured and even herded as his little body gently pressed into a huddled form. What he wouldn't give at that moment to become so small the pressure from their eyes would not meet him.

As he hurried along with an almost labored steadiness to his weak steps the fox couldn't help but feel the other two newcomers eyes watching him as well. With so much unneeded pressure on his performance the Eevee could feel a tenseness to his heart that was unlike the usual pain he felt. Im going to disappoint you.. The thought buzzed through his head as a matter of when, not if. Even the patter of the rain was starting to get to him. Everythings watching me. Swallowing dryly, despite the moist atmosphere he had created, he kept his stinging eyes locked on the path ahead, refusing to let them make contact with anyothers gaze. With a hard blink of his eyes and minute twitch of his tail the Eevee willed the rain to stop, listening as the dripping slowly calmed down until only old drops were still falling from the leaves above.

As if the action had distracted him the arrival of the undead shocked the brown furred Pokemon. He did not shriek and he did not cry, but the creature did find himself shrinking close to the sodden ground in a quick moment of intense fear. My fault, my fault.. they want me.. The idea that Crane could of been their ring leader didn't even cross his mind. Heart beat going rampant he feared this would be the end of the other Pokemon, his curse striking down yet more innocent beings.

Feeling the limits of his capabilities pestering him once more the Eevee desperately tried to think of what he could do. Even if these Pokemon were destined to be taken from him he didn't have to let it happen willingly. Being almost rooted to the spot his options were slim at best, only two things coming to mind through huddling in fear was not a decent plan. An ill-feeling of shame gnawed at him due to his own actions: staring down the Linoones the young one found his body rigid, an energy coursing through him while red eyes glowed a ghastly red. Me, first.. He thought grimly as his gaze returned to normal, the Curse attack coursing through his veins in preparation for a fight he did not want to partake in. The weight of his burden felt heavy on his weak legs, making it a vastly greater effort to stand then usual, but it was one he would have to bear. At least for now..

"It's nothing, really. I'm sure any other survivor would have done the same."

Crane wasn’t so sure. The epidemic world was a place full of distrust and treachery. This young dragon, though unmistakably kind would be wise to rethink the nature of the survivor species. Of course it was a pleasant change to meet compassion and the possibility of friendship as opposed to an angry mob, but Crane couldn’t help but feel a nagging guilt as Lotta led his freakish form to her home. He wasn’t safe. He wasn’t… stable. Thoughts swimming with ‘what if’s’, Crane swallowed his concerns and instead, selfishly, thought of his own condition. He was lonely, exhausted from days of travel; if he snapped, surely he’d lack the energy to prove any real danger to these creatures?

A subtle, barely distinguishable aroma tinged the moist air as Crane was left embroiled within his own conflicting thoughts; drawing him to reality as he came to realize what it was. Blood. The scent of rain had done well in muffling the intoxicating smell; paired with the excitement of finding company had kept the bird’s mind occupied enough to avoid the reawakening of instinct that the liquid often evoked. But now he had noticed it, it wouldn’t leave him.

No…

He growled internally, making a valiant effort to disguise the shift in his demeanour. His remaining eye stared dead ahead, the bird stumbling over bumpy terrain as he sacrificed his vision – he did not want to look upon the source.  But as a foreign sound interrupted his lust, Crane was forced to investigate. Whilst the trio of Linoone barrelled towards the small group he found himself a part of, the Fearow’s attention fell first to the Eevee. He was hurt.

The bird’s eye seemed to fall a shade darker, something primal stirring inside as battle soon erupted around him. Lotta attacked one of the undead in a flurry of wind, whilst the small fox shuddered on the spot. Crane could not distinguish what had caused the sudden exhaustion that seemed to wash over the young vulpine, but found himself distracted by a fast-approaching Linoone. The giant Fearow caught the leaping undead mid-air, crooked beak snapping hard around his victim’s throat with a practiced callousness. It squirmed and squealed in his grasp, the sounds growing more desperate as Crane’s Toxic intermingled with the oozing blood. He let the nearly-decapitated creature drop to the ground with a dull thud, as Crane’s misted eyes searched blindly for a next victim.

Friend and foe were proving increasingly hard to distinguish.

A sickly heat pulsed through the Eevee's pelt that was drastically different from what he usually felt. Slowly he pulled back his lips to reveal sharp white teeth. His solemn disposition was drastically changing as a quiet rage flowed through him. The Curse agitated his nerves and angered his body in a way that begged to strike. Growling softly he faced the Linoone that wasn't being attack and bunched his muscles. It hissed, revealing its long front teeth to him before launching forward. A moment later the Eevee mirrored the action, minus the hiss. The two met shoulder to shoulder, the vulpine barely managing to miss the sharp claws of his attacker. A split second passed and he knew his Tackle hadn't done much as a large claw met his side.

His body still itched to strike the Linoone and the Eevee could not refuse. A painful heat radiated from his muscles, angering him further as he bucked the slashing Rushing Pokemon away from his small frame. Arching his spine he gave a loud feral hiss which was returned back to him. The Linoone took one step back before rushing toward him, ears flat against its skull in preparation of a Headbutt. Narrowly missing the blow by moving to the side, knowing that these ferrets usually dash in straight lines, the Eevee was still smacked by its flat tail. Agitated further and turning on the spot it was his turn to dash and strike.

Eyes blazing red with a building fury the Eevee rushed the Linoone before it could turn on him. Am I the only one who must suffer?! A bright rage filled his mind, thoughts of his past without the blanket of sadness, anger at himself for the deaths he had already caused today, and bitter hate that these Linoones were trying to cause more. The vulpine sank his jaws deep into the shoulder of his fellow normal type, feeling the thick blood ooze from the sides of his gums. Feel my pain. His claws worked at the sides of its ribs and throat as though his limbs simply could stay still. His Frustration worked its way into his jaw, making it close tighter and tighter as he rocked it side to side.

Giving in to the Frustration the Evolution Pokemon shredded his enemies side. It flailed and clawed at him futilely, only scoring a few minor hits on his flanks, before bucking the Eevee away. "YOU." He yowled, the word having little meaning, and dropped a chunk of flesh on the ground. Dark blood rushing from its shoulder the Linoone came at him once more, this time scoring a direct Headbutt to the Eevee. Thrown back, he hit the ground harder then he would of liked and could not recover immediately. Turning his head he gave the aggressor a dark, evil glare.

---

The Vaporeon walked quickly, paws moving a bit faster then she would of liked against the plush, moist ground. The humid air felt good on her scales, the rain had replenished her bodies natural fluids and even though it was now over she was thankful for it. But as much as she tried to distract herself with thoughts of the weather one thing probed TD's mind more then anything: She was lost.
This forest was unfamiliar and the strange rain cycle had aroused the Vaporeon. It felt so out of place with no clouds in the sky. Not that I could really see them anyway. A need to find the source put her paws in motion, bringing the Vaporeon deep into the trees on an aimless search. If she ran into other Pokemon would they be friendly? This land was unfamiliar and locals could be less then welcoming. Skittering around a slanted tree TinyDragon kept her aqua eyes peeled for the signs of other Pokemon. If she did find companions she didn't want to be surprised.

Despite the gentle fear and unsureness within her TD did find this forest to be oddly pleasant. So many healthy plants were around and what seemed to be clear streams. It was the first 'clean' place she had found in a long time. Though she knew that danger would lurk even here the water type found peace in knowing there was still some areas of the world that had survived.

Suddenly she stopped. There was buzz feeling in the air that caused her tattered fins to quiver. Underpaw she could feel the tiniest of vibrations: other Pokemon were nearby. Staying low to the ground the Vaporeon dove for cover, moving toward the closest bundle of ferns she could see. TD's breath was coming in a bit fast as she tried to calm herself. Ether a lot of Pokemon or a lot of action.. maybe both? It was impossible to tell what she would run into. Unable to hear she wouldn't even know if they were simply running or brawling. Bringing her body in tighter, wrapping her thick tail around her paws and squeezing her aqua eyes shut the Vaporeon didn't know what to do next.

[OOC: super rushed post from on a box--will edit asap when I get home!! sorry, just really busy with christmas and boxing day ;A;]


    Lotta snarled, narrowly dodging an incoming Linoone by only a few centimeters. Her gaze darted nervously around her surroundings, faintly pausing on their new Fearow companion. A small pit of fear stirred in her stomach, watching his massive beak snap onto their enemies with deadly precision. The smell of blood was bringing a slow haze to her mind, breaths ragged and wheezing as she grit her teeth. The Gible gripped her scarf, squeezing her eyes shut. She couldn't stop it this time, she knew--she couldn't keep herself at bay any longer. She counted, slowly, a soft mumble beneath her breath as the quick beating of paws drew near. "Three...two...one."
         She let go.
    Her eye wide and wild, she spun, lunging upwards and tackling the ferret mid-air with no hesitation. Her jaws clamped down, the rotting flesh tasteless on her tongue as she mercilessly ripped away. Her claws hooked onto it's loose pelt, flinging the undead away with relative ease. Rasping, the little dragon roared, a small orb of light crated between her dirtied teeth. She angled herself upwards, launching her attack into the air, where it exploded and came raining down, a Draco Meteor.

The Eevee growled, practically barking his anger at the Linoone as it clawed his pelt. With animalistic cries he returned the favor, slashing his small clawed paws at the ferrets face. He scored one good slash across its cheek, narrowing missing having his paw bit, and took the chance to jump away. The growl rumbled in his throat and the Eevee lunged back at the enemy, striking it hard with his Tackle, but the Linoone was not fooled. Twisting its long body the ferret sank its fangs into his arm, biting hard on the delicate limb. Squealing in pain the Evolution Pokemon felt the weight of the Rushing Pokemon as it pressed him to the ground with its paws. His rage grew ever greater as it was now fueled by fresh agony. "Hate," He spat, Curse eyes glowing fiercely.

Seething with rage the kit shot his neck forward, sinking his fangs into the creatures foul tasting throat. The fur practically fell away from the skin as he crunched harder, feeling the rotten flesh squelch between and out of his teeth. Pain.. torture.. He pulled his neck back, slowly ripping the flesh away from the Linoone that writhed in his grasp. Suddenly something caught his eye, something bright and unnatural. Freezing on the spot his eyes went wide in shock as the large meteors that came raining down. The ferret hissed at him before battering the normal type away with its long claws.
Recovering as fast as his slow feeling paws would allow the Eevee scurried away from it in a flurry of fur and paws, trying desperately not to get hit by this new 'rain'. Glancing back he saw the Linoone that pursued him be struck by one of the boulders. Thick blood poured from its orifices, drowning its pain-filled cry as another struck its skull. Distracted by the other normal type the Eevee too was struck by a meteor.

Immediately he stumbled and fell, the pain in his ribs a burning sensation that was different then anything he had felt before. All feelings of empowerment washed away from his body and was replaced with aching and pain. A spasm raced through him, a cough forcing its way out of his bloody mouth. What is this..? The pain radiated from his side and kept him locked in place. He searched his memories but nothing of this pain could be linked to Linoones. Another thought came to mind, something much worse. One of the others.. hurt me.. 

---

TD pressed herself further into the ferns. An odd feeling of dread was creeping over her, making her fins quiver as if rain was coming. Her scales pricked all the way down her spine, making her itch to flee from her hiding place. Something was wrong. At this point she was positive that their were other Pokemon nearby but highly doubted that they were friendly. There were just too many vibrations for anything good to be happening. What could possibly be going on? The rumbling that her paws could pick up was growing more intense with each passing moment. Closer..? She could only imagine.

A tiny sparkle flashed above the trees in the distance, a sudden splash of colors in the sky. The Vaporeon blinked her eyes in confusion, guessing that was where the Pokemon was but had no idea what she had just seen. A flying type maybe. It was definitely above the trees Her forepaws nudged their way forward, timidly asking to investigate the scene despite her ill feelings. Taking a careful step forward a bird suddenly shot out of a nearby bush nearly causing her to jump out of her skin. Frightened, TinyDragon found herself dashing off, expectantly heading toward the shimmer she had just saw.

I wonder where I am... I've been traveling for a few days now. Rokai looked through the ferns, his ashen pelt blending into the shadows. The Dark Pokemon was overly cautious. The thorns snagged at his fur, and his limbs ached from walking. The duel type perked up when he heard noises nearby. A few moments later a large bright orb of sorts rained down on everything nearby. Screeches accompanied it, which made Rokai flinch. He couldn't just stand and watch! Forcing his aching limbs to comply, Rokai raced to where the noises were coming from.

It was happening again.

Ugly voices, morbid images were creeping into the forefront of Crane’s fractured mind – tainting reality as the enormous bird stared, unmoving out of a glazed eye. The scent of blood, growing stronger with each dying ferret, wrapped these hallucinations in neat bow to complete the virus’ gift. No. Crane knew he was stronger than that. He could fight it. He wasn’t infected, he had beat it once and he would never fall to it again. He could not disappoint Ho-Oh like that.

“It’s not real,” He growled to himself, glowing orb resting on a rotting Charizard of his twisted imagination. Lotta was gone, the Eevee was gone – even the Linoone, dead or alive, were gone. Crane was plunged into a sickening world of his own creation, filled to the brim with demons dragged from hell itself. “It’s not real,”

But suddenly, it all disappeared in one glorious flash of white.

Crane was blinded, emitting a painful screech as a meteor slammed into his side. The world returned to its normal state, the threat of the weasels now replaced by a shower of rocks courtesy of the little dragon. The avian was too disorientated to work out a reason for the shift in the female’s behaviour, pain momentarily immobilizing his skinny frame as his eye attempted to take in the reality around him. No demons, no monsters. But the pain. It was tempting the darkness once more, leaving the bird swinging between two extremes.

Fight it!

Consumed with his own instability, the predicament of whether to trust his own senses, Crane was left vulnerable to the real chaos around him. He couldn’t help Lotta, couldn’t calm her. Hell, the young dragon’s face was melting through the Fearow’s red eye. The bird lay half sprawled on the ground, damaged wing hanging limp as he fought his own personal battle – unwilling to accept defeat.

As the hound got closer he was starting to hear voices. They were inaudible at first, nothing but a slur of sounds, which soon formed into words as he closed the gap. “It’s not real.” The voice was strained, preoccupied and hurt. Emotions swelled within the dual type as Rokai slowed to a walk, his emerald green eyes widening as he took in the sight before him.

A monstrosity of a bird, huge and towering. A sack of sorts covered it's head, and scars littered it's body, feathers missing and purpling skin. Despite this - and against his better judgement - Rokai crept forwards, but was halted as a meteor came crashing down. A terrible screech from the bird filled the air and Rokai could now make out other cries of them that were hit. Who in their right mind would use a move like that?! Unless it's the undead attacking... Rokai shuddered at the thought. An undead that powerful was bound to be dangerous.

Unable to stand on the sidelines any longer, Rokai circled the clearing, looking for a good attack point. He was about to attack the source of the meteors when he spotted something. A gible, with a scarf and hat or sorts. It was the one attacking yes, but it was not infected that Rokai could see. The thing that was infected however, were the Linoone. But should I attack? They look like they have it under control. Or at least, some sort control. Rokai thought, backing up a little. He'd sit this one out, for now. If he had to interfere he would. Flaring up a Protect, Rokai backed away, circling back around so he could watch the Fearow.

    She moved like a storm, vicious and unrelenting as her whole body became her weapon. A guttural snarl seeping from her mouth, her lips bared to reveal rows of teeth. Uncaring of the meteors that still rained down, Lotta flung herself forward carelessly, crashing into the soft, maggot-ridden flesh of a nearby Linoone. Twisting and screeching, the duo locked each other into a ball of claws and fangs, taking turns swinging their limbs at the other. Grappling the undead's shoulders, her grip strong enough to squish into the rotted flesh underneath. She slammed it's back into a tree, her back feet raking it's hairless stomach repeatedly until it's organs were but a heap of bloody shreds beside them. Her jaws clicked, tempted to feast on her victim but opted not to--such a meager meal wouldn't give her much, most of it's body had been destroyed in the process. Unsatisfied, the Gible slowly brought herself back onto her feet, flexing her hands.
    "...more." the word was barely comprehensible, a deep growl surfacing as she narrowed her green eyes. Her gaze drifted, lingering on the deep craters she made. The smell of blood encouraged her, stare locked on the nearby Eevee, and soon the dragon found her legs moving almost mechanically towards the fox. Subconsciously, she fought, trying to regain power over her own body, not wanting to kill her own companion. Oh no, oh no no no no...oh Arceus no I can't hurt him, I can't hurt him! Her efforts were futile, her thoughts lost in a sea of bloodlust. She couldn't control herself anymore, her body not her's, the smell of blood was too tantalizing, too tempting. Her jaws instinctively ground together, but her body went rigid and stopped only a few centimetres away from Lone.
    A rustle, faint but still there, coming from the foliage that surrounded the clearing. Her head turned, glaring at the bushes that surrounded the area. Inhaling, she could smell someone, someone foreign, it's scent faint and nearly lost in the mud and blood. Without even more than a second thought the Gible raced towards the edge of the clearing lunging towards a black pelt.

[OOC: sorry for the lateness!! tell me if i need to change anything]

The Eevee lay on the ground, his limbs twitching with the agony that was radiating through his body. Some fur was missing from the spot that had been hit revealing angry red skin and blobs of thick, red blood. Moaning a sickening whine the fox's eyes flicked rapidly in many directions, panic accompanying his pain. Why.. WHY.. who.. A spasm raced through his small form, a hard cough filled with blood coming from deep in his throat sprayed across the ground. With trembling paws he desperately tried to flip himself onto his feet but instead flopped back over with another high-pitched moan. Eyes squeezing shut he slowly opened them again to reveal blurry vision. Horror kept all sounds trapped deep in his throat as the fuzzy shape of the Gible came racing toward him uttering a gut wrenching sound.

His eyes went wide, pupils shrinking to show off his red-brown irises, as pure terror coursed through his brown pelt. Though his vision remained askew the sharp points of Lotta's fangs quickly came into focus and they closed in on his fallen form. His breath came in short, rapid bursts, heart going mad to the point of physical pain. Lotta.. why.. He couldn't even close his eyes as the Dragon stopped mere centimeters from his furry pelt, her hot breath blowing against his face. I though you were different..
By some stroke of luck she turned away from him, the mad look in her eyes changing direction at the faintest of sounds compared to booming of blood in his long ears. His breathing began to croak as the Eevee wheezed for air. Forcing his neck to stretch upward the Eevee tried to lift his head but was struck by another small fragment of the meteors. By the size of it it was probably a ricocheted piece that had already hit the ground but it hurt nonetheless as it struck his hunch. Wailing in pain Lone's body curled into a tight ball as it tired to squeeze the pain away. Why....

______


TD found herself panting lightly before her paws slowed to a stop. The bird had spooked her closer to the unknown Pokemon, how could she be so careless! It was just a little bird.. The Vaporeons sensitive ear fins quivered at the active vibrations in the air though she could hear no sound. Big things were happening nearby, big things indeed. Suddenly feeling very exposed TinyDragon rounded a nearby oak were she found a large thicket blocking her path. Staying low to the ground the young water type wondered if she should hide inside its protective branches and wait out the events in safety, or if she should find those other Pokemon. What if something bad is happening and someone needs help? Conscious nagging at her to investigate the Vaporeon shook her head. But I am not very strong, there isnt much I could do anyway. Fins drooping with discontent the Vaporeon turned away from the thicket and began to walk in a random direction.

Her scales itched from the buzz in the air. It felt so unnatural that it overwhelmed her small body. Whats going on around here? Gazing nervously into the canopy of the trees TD felt her heart clench at the sight of meteors that were much, much closer then before. Cold shivers running down her spine TinyDragon took in a slow, deep breath to steady herself. Whatever was out there.. it couldn't be friendly. Not with an attack like that. I could run far away.. or see what it is so it doesn't surprise me later.. Her mind said to run to the other side of the forest but her paws tugged her forward. Why were they so darn curious today! Unable to fight her curiosity any longer the Vaporeon crept toward the scary attack slowly, stay low to the ground with each cautious step.

Rokai was glad he had a Protect up. Even so, when the Gible came right for him, Rokai yelped and scrambled backwards, the blue bubble surrounding him flickering as it took the hit. When his Protect faded, Rokai's fangs sparked, and he felt the warmth of a Fire Fang building up. Flames flickered from either side of the hound's mouth, and his emerald green eyes looked into his attacker's eyes. "D-don't do this.... Please.... I don't want t-to hurt you..." Rokai whispered, whining as he backed away from his foe. Rokai's tail lay low in an act of submission, but his emerald green eyes pleaded with the Gible. He figured that the pokemon was too far gone to tell, but it was always a shot. He turned his head when he heard a strange sound nearby, but it was so quiet, that he barely noticed it. Oh Arceus, please say there isn't another attacker. I can't deal with two. I don't want to hurt them! Rokai thought, another whine escaping the dual type as he started to turn. Maybe this group wasn't good to stay with.

No! I can't go! The Fearow... I have to help them! Rokai said, gathering that this dragon wouldn't attack if it was near teammates... Right? Rokai's mind was decided, so he built up his courage and jumped, his size difference from the gible allowed him to jump over the sand dragon, and into the clearing.

Now that he was there, Rokai was beginning to double cross his decision. Meteors were still raining down, but they were much less. There was a small eevee in the clearing, along with the fearow. Both let off waves of hurt, which crushed Rokai's spirit. I have to help them! But.... How? Rokai let go of his Fire Fang attack, glancing back at the eevee. It was so small and frail. How cruel a world was this to let a small kit like that out on it's own? Rokai set the thought aside for now. For right now he needed to concentrate on the Gible. At least now he had some space to move. "Don't attack... Please..." He whispered, emerald eyes beginning to tear up as he spoke. He didn't want to leave them on their own out here, even if he was going to be attacked.

    The Gible snarled in annoyance as she bounced like a ball off the Protect, tumbling backwards before slowly regaining her footing. She could barely hear the Houndoom's soft whimpers for mercy, heavy breathing and growling obscuring her hearing.
    "D-don't do this.... Please.... I don't want t-to hurt you..." a small flash of sympathy shone in the child's eyes, but regardless she stepped forward, flexing her claws dangerously. She bared her teeth, eyes narrowed and glaring into the dark pelt, until a rustle beside her caught her attention. Lotta turned for a moment, distracted long enough as the Houndoom leapt over her, the dragon missing an opening for an attack.
    However, turning to confront her foe, her original savagery transformed at the sight of the dark figure looming near her wounded companions. She tensed, shaking slightly before she screeched.
    "GET AWAY FROM THEM!" she roared, threateningly lunging forward into the clearing. "DON'T YOU DARE LAY A SINGLE PAW--!!" still driven by a lust for violence she sprinted forward, kicking up a storm of sand that blasted toward the Houndoom, hoping to trap the fire-type in a Sand Tomb.

[OOC: sui said I could post. ;v; (thank you sui!!) message me if anything needs to be changed \ o / ]

TD walked lightly, her eyes locked on the sky as her target began to fizzle away. Blinking her aqua eyes in dismay she quickened her pace until she was racing through the undergrowth. I cant lose sight of it now, I finally decided to see whats going on! Rounding all the undergrowth before her the Vaporen tried her hardest not to crash and tromp through all the vegetation. However, she could not hear when she did make a sound, and the unexpected touch of each plant sent chills down her spine. Eyes still staring at every hole in the canopy TD failed to see a tree in her way before crashing straight into it. Ow.. Toppling backwards the Vaporeon placed a paw on her cheek where pain radiated. Pulling it away she noticed a few bright drops on blood on her pad and a frown crossed her muzzle. Recovering her footing, shaking out her body, and continuing her way the young Pokemon decided to just walk like a normal Pokemon.

A flash of nearby movement caught her eye and instinctively TinyDragon ducked down low attempting to shield herself from view. A couple meters away at most stood a couple of brawling Pokemon, the attack she had been chasing raining down in a clearing ahead. I almost ran straight into a battle! Staying low to the ground, the shrubbery obscuring her view, TD tried to watch the battle. A Houdoom and Gible.. Their pelts gave no sign of the disease, confusing the Vaporeon as to why they were fighting. With slow movements she crept around the edge of the clearing, taking as much care as she could not to rustle the shrubbery. Moving to side TD peered through one of the bushes for an another angle of the fight. The Houndooms mannerisms told her it was not dominating the fight but it didn't seem injured either, furthering her confusion.

Gaze falling downward the Vaporeon silently gasped as she noticed the other Pokemon in the clearing. Bodies of the undead lay scattered about, blood littering the ground in both dark and bright shades. Some Pokemon that seemed to be living were in a horrible state, wounds littering their beaten bodies. They aren't safe next to the other Pokemon! She screamed in her mind. The Eevee could be stepped on and the Fearow seemed so fragile. I.. I need to do something! With a deep breathe the water type steeled her courage. She could do this.
The Eevee wheezed with each breathe. What attack was that.. what could of caused him such agony? It held onto his body in a way he had never felt before, pain dropping to his very core. What did I do.. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to see, it hurt to move. Moaning pathetically the Eevee begged for peace and questioned how long his body could handle this stress. If someone wants me to leave Ill leave.. just make it stop.. His vision had gone red with pain and barely noticed as another small fragment of stone whizzed pace him. I can't.. He could hear the other Pokemon beside him, squabbling over something or another, but the words were lost. Why are you ignoring me...

Shifting his paws desperately the Eevee tried to move away but could not- his legs refused to support him. Blackness crept around the edge of his vision, threatening to drag the fox into unconsciousness that he feared he would not come out of. The dark shadow grew and shrunk as the Eevee fought until a new sensation caused his eyes to flash open in surprise. ! Something had grabbed him by the scruff and was pulling the normal type into the plants. He watched as the images of his acquaintances vanished in a cloud of leaves. No, please.. help me.. don't leave.. He cried out in his mind, words failing to come to his bloodied lips. Forcing his vision to stay focused the Eevee blankly stared at the face of a Vaporeon as she drug him further into the undergrowth. Who are you? Try as he might his dull thoughts could not think of why she had moved him. Eat, me? Your easy meal?

TD continued to move the Eevee, keeping her body low to the ground to hide herself from the battling Pokemon nearby. The gross metal taste of blood on her tongue was enough to gag her but the Vaporeon kept hold of the fox's dirty mane. Regret starts to work its way into her, aqua eyes looking to see if she was being pursued. Was this the right thing? The Eevee moans weakly, only reinforcing her fears. She does not know.

Everything fell to pieces after the hound had jumped into the clearing it seemed. The Gible blasted a heap of sand towards him - Sand Tomb. In his desperate attempt to get away from the attack, Rokai failed to notice the eevee was now gone from the clearing. Rokai went to use Protect, but to the houndoom's horror the blue bubble fizzled out when he used the move, leaving him to be hit with the sand. Tiny particles whizzed past his face, circling around him and trapping him in a vortex of sand. With nothing else to do, nowhere else to go, Rokai collapsed on the ground, covering his face with his paws. Tears welled up in the hound's emerald eyes, spilling down his dark fur and following the stained path of fur as it dripped down his muzzle.

Rokai stood up, tears still falling from his muzzle, spotting the dry ground with wet drops. "Please! I'm not the one who wants to hurt you.... I-I'm not...." Rokai called out, shaking his head. Sand clung to his dark fur, which gave the hound a feeling of helplessness. He was completely useless to attack - no, not useless. He had no real other options - attack or be killed really. With a defeated whine, Rokai's teeth sparked, before flaring up as a Fire Fang. "You... You gotta get a hold of yourself and find someone else! I don't want to hurt you... I've seen too much death already..." Rokai called, attempting to jump through the sand vortex, his jaws flickering with orange flames.

    "Please! I'm not the one who wants to hurt you.... I-I'm not...." the Gible roared in protest, taking a single, threatening step towards the canine. She tensed as flames licked the Houndoom's jaws, a hell spawning between the dark-type's teeth. "You... You gotta get a hold of yourself and find someone else! I don't want to hurt you... I've seen too much death already..." her eyes widened as he leaped, shouldering past the whirling sand.
    Lotta motioned to dodge but was far too slow, fire engulfing her blue scales and her hide charring as she tried to escape the maw of the hellhound. She writhed, barely able to fling herself away as she overlooked herself, a silent, agonizing screech motioned on her lips as she gazed as her lower body, bloody and burnt. Slowly she looked back up to face the Houndoom, only to notice that Crane and Lone were gone.
         She screamed.
    "Wh-What--WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THEM?!" she howled, frantically looking around for the others. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! WHERE ARE THEY--WHERE HAVE YOU TAKEN THEM?!" she screeched, body frozen as she stared, with eyes full of horror, straight at the dark-type. Her body was charred and bloody, pieces of rotted flesh from her earlier victims still hanging from her teeth. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

[ooc: tell me if anything needs to be changed \ o / ]

Avoiding several small bramble bushes TD ran with the Eeeve dangling from her jaws to find a shelter. An odd feeling of dread passes through her smooth body, forcing the Vaporeon to stop next to the nearest hawthorn. Looking around can see no other Pokemon but flickers from the battle in the distance still come to her aqua eyes. "But wry?" she mutters softly, lying the kit down as gently as possible. He moans in agony, coughing up a few speckles of blood before turning his glazed eyes to the water type. Giving it a soft smile TD began to approve of her rash decision. He needed my help! Maybe she had done the right thing after all. Self-esteem rising the water type flicked her tail upward. Now.. he needed aid and it was her job to help!

Feeling light on her toes the Vaporeon quickly turned and quickly padded back into the trees, looking for anything that could help the Eevee. He stared after her with wide eyes, panting even harder. Pain ripples through his body more intensely thanks to it being disturbed. The inflamed skin oozes more blood but less then his wounds from the Linoone. Was the Vaporeon trying to prolong his agony? Or was she granting his promise to leave the others? He didn't know.. all he could think about was the pain of each heartbeat and the blood that dribbled from the back of his throat.
Again the fox tried to get to his paws. Even if he wasn't supposed to be with the others he didn't want to end up as a meal for his kin. Forcing his trembling form to rock onto his belly Lone gasped for breath. Something was wrong. Pain shot through his chest like a fiery arrow. All the air was pushed from his lungs in an outward gasp yet he still tried to keep himself upright. Shaking even harder the Eevee pushed all the way up onto his legs before feeling the world spiral around him.

Everything in his mind was white hot, sound blurring together even more then before. The Vaporeon reappeared, a small branch dangling from her teeth. The Eevee tried to take one step away from the water type before he toppled over in a flurry of trembling limbs. Eyes wide with a gaze locked on the water type the fox tired to speak but found it near impossible by the blood in his mouth. "Wha.. are do.. me.." His body spasmed uncontrollably as he whined in pain. What was happening to him? The darkness took over more and more of his vision until only the blue, horror-stricken face before him was visible. "heee..." He breathed, unable to make an actual word.

TD felt her pulse race. What had she done! What was happening to the Eevee?! His body shook in an unnatural way, the look in its dark eyes scaring her more then even the undead. If he was talking, she didn't have the slightest idea what he was saying. "Hang on!" She pleaded, ripping into one of the berries and starting to chew it. But as she did the Eevee gave her one more hard, soul piercing stare before the shaking stopped.
Her cries filled the air.

Oh Darkrai, what had he done? The poor Gible as scarred from his attack, it's hide charred and bloody. Rokai yelped, scrambling away, horror in his eyes. "Oh Darkrai.... I-I'm so sorry... I d-didn't..." Rokai choked out, before the Gible's screams pierced the air, making the hound fall to the ground, fresh tears pooling from his eyes and falling to the ground.

"Wh-What--WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO THEM?!" Rokai shuddered at the hatred in the sand dragon's words. "I didn't do anything.. I'd never hurt them. I-I didn't mean to hurt you... I never meant to hurt anyone." "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?! WHERE ARE THEY--WHERE HAVE YOU TAKEN THEM?!" Rokai's tear stained face watched in fear at the Gible's rage, his emerald green eyes shimmering with tears and though he didn't know it, the Dark Type was shaking.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Rokai let out a small, quiet sob. "N-Nothing... I didn't do anything I-" His sobs were cut short when a sharp cry filled the air. Immediately the hound looked up at the Gible, but no, the screams weren't from her. They were a different Pokemon's. The hound shuffled back from the Land Shark Pokemon, before getting to his feet and running, towards the sound of the cries.

((OOC: Tell me if anything needs to be changed~))