On Pain of Difference
Dimitri growled, he could sense through the wind and earth that something was amiss. With a determined glare, he stood and began to walk out of the glen. The others looked at him with disgust, sneering in their arrogance. The council leader rose, and bounded across the clearing to block the way.
"What do you thing you're doing, underling?" snorted the leader.
"I must leave," growled Dimitri. He was calm and poised in appearance, but inside he was a boiling cauldron of rage and fear, "Calla needs me!"
"Many here have had to stay when their mates needed them," said the leader, snarling and gesturing to many of the others, "and you will be no exception."
Dimitri looked around, suddenly unsure of himself. The council of Absol was powerful influence in everyday life, and to be in it was a great honor. If he left now, he would surely be disgraced... or even killed. With a reluctant sigh, he walked dejectedly back to his place in the row of others.
"Now that our... interruption... is out of the way, let us begin..." began the council leader, glaring at Dimitri in a way that suggested the older Absol to be very much annoyed.
Dimitri looked away. It was certain now that he would not be on the council much longer; they only granted so many mistakes before killing their troublesome members. He instead looked forward to his homecoming, and to the one who awaited him there... She was the reason so many on the council hated him, but he wouldn't have given her up for the world.
'Just hang on, Calla,' he thought, 'I'll be there soon...'
Dimitri walked in to the softly lit burrow, hesitant lest he find his mate in some mortal danger. He rounded a corner, and began to become nervous as he heard rapid breathing. He bounded into the main burrow, ready for anything.
Except what he saw... Calla lay on her side, her red and yellow fur slick with sweat. Next to her, four small creatures squeaked and tumbled over each other. With a cry of joy, Dimitri loped to the Flareon's side.
"Calla? Calla, it's me!" he said with a smile.
The Flareon opened her eyes, still hazy from her nap, and smiled back at him. She lifted her head, and Dimitri nuzzled her soft fur.
"I see you're back," she said softly, "I had hoped to surprise you, but I'm afraid I fell asleep..."
"I'm more than surprised," said the Absol lovingly, "I'm delighted!
"I wanted to name them together," said Calla.
"Well, let's get a look at them, then!" laughed Dimitri.
The pups were still playing with each other, unaffected by the arrival of their other parent. As Dimitri looked at them, he was happy to see that all were very healthy and active. The only one that did not play with the others was obviously very shy.
The first pup was very much an Eevee, and had dark brown fur that bordered on black. Her ruff was creamy tan, and her tail bushed out magnificently behind her. She was already bullying her siblings, taking the best spots in their games and such. She would be called Aliana, meaning Great One.
The second pup was also an Eevee, and had a curious white oval on his head, much like the marking of an Absol. He was more traditionally brown on his main fur, but the ruffs around his neck were a deep black/brown. He contested his bigger sister often, challenging her for the best roles in games and making her behave when things got rough. Dimitri smiled; this pup would be named Lee, meaning Shadow.
The next pup was the shy one. She was different, because she was obviously an Absol. There was nothing strange about her, except the fact that she was dusky gray where a normal Absol would be blue-black, but she would not be out of place amongst them. Dimitri silently sighed in relief at this, to be a strange Absol would be a very difficult position. She would be named Corona, for the shining Sun.
His hopes vanished as he saw the last pup. This one was bigger than even Aliana, but did not contest the bossy Eevee for anything. He instead tried to get his shy sister to join the games. At first glance, he looked almost like an Eevee; at least his head was shaped as one, but that was the only resemblance. The pup had a strange mix between the ruff of an Eevee and the mane of an Absol on his neck, and his delicate legs ended in formidable Absol claws. His fur was shaggy and white, and his tail was the stiff, blue scythe that Dimitri himself possessed. The Absol sighed; this one would be named Cartanian, meaning White Nightmare.
"Eev, eevesol!" squeaked the little hybrid.
Cartanian gave up on getting his sister to join the games, and looked up a Dimitri with wide, intelligent eyes. He bounded forward, claws skittering, and bumped into the Absol's leg.
Dimitri laughed as the young creature staggered upright with a confused look. He bent down to get a better look at the pup, his eyes bright with lingering amusement. The Eevesol stretched his neck forward, and the two cautiously touched noses.
Cartanian pulled back and sneezed, the force shaking his whole body. With another curious look at the Absol, he went back to his sister. The two gave up on the previous games and made one of their own, consisting of jumping into the air whenever they were 'spotted' by their siblings. They soon tired themselves out, though, and fell asleep at their mother's side.
"I couldn't have asked for a better bunch," said Dimitri, nuzzling Calla.
"Nor could I," smiled the Flareon.
The Absol settled down beside his mate, and soon all the occupants of the burrow were asleep. Soon, though, with a tired snort, Cartanian woke. The Eevesol looked around the burrow with confusion, and finally stood. He walked over to the still form of Dimitri, snuggling into the thick fur. With a contented sigh, the hybrid closed his eyes and fell asleep.
'Abomination!' thought the Council leader with a snarl, 'Such a thing has no right to live! It can never belong to our world...'
The old Absol left the burrow of his newest underling quietly, careful not to make a sound. The last thing he needed now was the two to wake and discover him trespassing. Fortunately, he had learned a fair bit of stealth in his long life, and had no difficulty leaving.
'I must get word to the council!' thought the leader, 'They must know, even if the next meeting isn't for another six months. We must prepare, and hopefully it will not be difficult...'
The leader set off at a dead run, bounding towards his own home. It did not take long to travel to the secluded glen that was both the meeting place and his dwelling. When he arrived there, he immediately brought out the large rock he used for the preparation.
As he sharpened his long claws on the rock, he thought of the hybrid. How good it would feel when he could impale the beast on these claws! He could imagine the last breath of the creature as he tore the life from its body, already. With a maniacal snarl, he ripped his claws across the rock, creating sparks that lit up his crazed features in the evening darkness.
With a final grin, the Council Leader turned to the cage he kept in the clearing for emergencies. He released the clasp, and the Pidgey's that would give the message to his other underlings set out in a flurry of wings. Suddenly, he leaped and brought down the last one, tearing into it with his newly sharpened claws.
Blood spurted from the bird, and it screeched in pain. The Leader reveled in the power he had over the other Pokemon, slowly increasing the pressure until the Pidgey could no longer cry out.
"Not you, my friend," he whispered, "Not you..."
Five months, twenty-nine days later...
"Come on, Dimitri, let me go with you!" squeaked the little Eevesol with a whine.
"Are you a council member?" asked the Absol with a grin.
"Well..." sighed Cartanian, his face falling. Suddenly, he brightened, "I will be, though! One day..."
"Almost grown, and you still want to be like me, huh?" asked Dimitri with a laugh.
"Of course I do," said Cartanian with pride, "Who wouldn't?"
"People with a life, maybe?" came the silky reply of Aliana.
Cartanian glared, and the female Eevee glared right back. The two stood at a standstill, neither one willing to back down.
"Come on, Aliana, leave off him," commanded Lee, who had just come out of the burrow, "We don't need any fights today."
Aliana blinked, and finally looked away. Cartanian sighed in relief; the fights he and his sister often had were no little things. He looked towards the burrow, and was surprised to see the pale form of Corona stride out. He bounded over to his favorite sister, bowling her over with his enthusiasm.
"Corona! You came out!"
"Geroff me, you twit!" yelled Corona good-naturedly. She pushed her brother to the side, "I'm not deaf, you know!"
"But you finally came out of the burrow!" screamed Cartanian with joy.
"Yeah, what of it?"
"You've never done that before..." said the Eevesol, beginning to calm down.
"Well, I can't stay in the dark forever, can I? I decided that I ought to see the world outside for myself, instead of having you describe it to me whether I like it or not!"
"Finally decided to join the living, huh?" said Aliana as she strode towards her two siblings, "I never would have thought someone like you would get the nerve, really."
Corona's manner instantly changed, and she was once again the shy pup that had once sat in the burrow alone. She began to back into the den again, white coat becoming shadowed as she entered the darkness.
"Yes, that's right," sneered Aliana, "Go back to your shadows, that's all you'll ever be..."
"NO!" yelled Cartanian, truly angry now.
He leapt at his Eevee sister, teeth bared and fur standing on end. She was ready for his charge, though, and stood her ground with feet planted. Cartanian's attack barely knocked her back, and she responded with a vicious bite on his ear.
Cartanian snarled and brought his claws to bear. He raked across the Eevee's face, creating jagged cuts. Aliana howled, trying to cover her head with her legs. She turned to run, but the Eevesol wasn't finished. His anger had barely begun, and he was crazed with a desire to hurt. He chased his sibling, and brought her down with a swipe to the back legs.
Cartanian raised his claws for a final blow, and was suddenly shot back by huge gust of wind. He looked up to see Dimitri standing before him, scythe-like horn glowing as he powered up another Razor Wind. Aliana had struggled upright, and was now watching the proceedings with a frightened gaze.
"You've made your point," said the Absol, "Stand down, Cartanian."
Cartanian suddenly came back to himself, and he flopped down onto the ground where he was with a surprised gasp. At that moment, Calla emerged from the den. The Flareon looked at the scene curiously, beginning to become slightly worried as she gathered in the information.
"What's going on, here?" she asked.
"A fight," growled Dimitri, he stopped powering up the attack and looked towards his mate, "Don't worry, I didn't let it get too far."
"It looks like it was serious," said Calla worriedly.
"I'm afraid it was," sighed Dimitri, "It may not be wise for the pups to stay in the den any longer..."
"But-"
"They're old enough, Calla. It's time they learned to live in the wild."
Cartanian was aware of vibrations coming towards them, but he didn't think this would be a good time to interrupt. Finally, when he was sure that the vibrations weren't going away, he stood up. The others looked at him, puzzled.
Suddenly, something came out of the brush. It was tall, taller than anything Cartanian had ever before seen. His parents froze, and the pups looked on in astonishment. The creature stood on two legs, and had a long, brown mane of hair that hung to its back. When it spotted them, it yelled and threw a round, red and white object into the field.
"RUN!" yelled Dimitri.
Cartanian wasted no time obeying this command. He sprinted from the clearing, only pausing so that his sister Corona could catch up. They followed the forms of their parents, the strange creature's cries echoing in their ears. Suddenly, the high-pitched scream of Aliana sliced through the woods.
The pups and their parents screeched to a halt, looking back with puzzlement and, in the case of their parents, understanding. The clearing was only a small dot of light behind them, but Cartanian could still see the form of his sister battling with what looked to be a small, red, fox-like creature.
"Why aren't we going back to help her?" asked Corona, "Aliana is in danger!"
"Nothing can help her now..." sighed Dimitri.
"Why?" asked Cartanian as he looked at the scene.
Suddenly, he saw Aliana struck with one of those strange, red and white balls. He shivered as he saw her turned into red energy, and almost screamed as she was sucked into it. The ball rocked a few times, and then went still.
"Come on, let's get out of here," said Dimitri, looking with sadness at the clearing.
"Where are we going?" asked Lee.
"I have to leave for the meeting, so Calla will lead you to a new burrow. I'll be back by tonight to make sure you're alright and to tell you about what just happened."
The pups nodded, too frightened to ask any more questions. Dimitri nuzzled Calla, and bounded off into the deep brush. The Flareon stared after him for a few seconds, and then silently led off. The young pups followed, and only Cartanian looked back as he heard the faint yell of victory from the strange creature.
"Ah, Dimitri, so nice of you to arrive..." said the Council leader with a sneer.
"I had some difficulty with a trainer," said the young Absol.
"Oh, did you?"
"Yes, it captured one of my pups," sighed Dimitri.
The hard eyes of the older Absol lit up, and he laughed. Dimitri looked up at him with a growl. The Council leader calmly rose and stalked towards him, followed by the rest of the senior members.
Dimitri gulped as he saw that their claws had been sharpened...
"Which abomination did it catch? Perhaps that strange, black-ruffed Eevee? Or maybe even that damned disgrace... you know the one... the Eevesol?"
"How do you know about my pups?" demanded Dimitri, whipping around in fear as the other Absol circled him.
"It doesn't matter," said the Council leader with a sigh, "What matters is that they exist, and I'm afraid we can't allow that..."
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean!" screamed the Council leader.
He leapt towards Dimitri; claws outstretched and face a picture of madness. Dimitri turned to escape, but the newly sharpened claws raked him across the flanks. He went down hard, and the rest of the Absol began to close in...
With a howl of defiance, Dimitri sent out a huge Razor Wind that knocked all of the council members back. He took his chance, and as the rest of the Absol struggled to rise, Dimitri shot out of the clearing and disappeared in the shadows.
"NO!" screamed the Council leader, running after the other Absol.
The other council members followed, forming a pack. Their sharpened claws created sparks as they struck the small stones and rocks on the forest floor, and one of these sparks ignited a stray leaf. The flying ball of flame landed near a dry patch of grass, and soon the forest behind the Absol was an inferno of blazing fire.
Dimitri looked back as the flames rose above the sky, dark eyes reflecting the fire. He growled and continued, knowing that it would not be long before the others were upon him. He only hoped that he could warn Calla and the pups before they came...
The young Absol suddenly found himself in the clearing that had once been he and Calla's home. The burrow was empty now, and the soil torn and moved as if a great struggled had occurred. He sighed, and continued on with ragged steps. The emergency burrow was only a few miles from this spot, and he knew that he had very little time before the fiery wrath of the Council leader was upon him.
A twig snapped behind him, and Dimitri looked back to see the crazed face of the older Absol. It was eerily lit by the flames light, and the eyes were hollow sockets of fury and spite. Dimitri yelped and sped off into the thicket before the Council leader could struggle from the brush.
Smoke filled the air, choking much of the life in its path. Dimitri coughed, and looked around to get his bearings. He hadn't overshot his goal yet, but he still had at least a half a mile to go. The fire was gaining fast... almost faster than the council. If he didn't get there soon... Dimitri shuddered to think of it.
Suddenly, the entrance to the den was right before him. He shot into it, not caring about what may be in his way. He rounded the corner to find his mate and pups huddled together, unawares of any danger.
"Dimitri, what's wrong?" asked Calla as she looked up.
"We have to get out of here! There's a fire, and the council is after me!"
"Why?"
"I'll explain on the way, just grab a pup and run!"
Calla wasted no more time talking. She gripped Corona in her teeth and shot out of the burrow. Dimitri took Lee, and nodded to Cartanian. The Eevesol nodded back, aware that he would have to run on his own. Suddenly, Calla screamed.
Dimitri dropped Lee and ran to the entrance, closely followed by the pups. He roared in anger as he saw the council members standing over his mate, about to deal the final blow to the bleeding Flareon.
With a wicked grin, the Council leader brought his claws down. The force of the blow sent a spurt of blood across the clearing, and the pained cry of Calla was abruptly cut short. Dimitri howled in anguish, tears coursing down his face as he sent a powerful Razor Wind across the clearing. The attack hit the leader head on, and the force knocked him back against a tree.
Dimitri stood, panting, as the other council members began to close in. They circled, the wicked light gleaming in their eyes intensified by the flames that now burned around them. They all leapt at once, crying out in vicious screams.
Cartanian covered his face, but his mind was still punctured by the pained cries of Dimitri. Suddenly, someone nudged him, and he looked up to see Corona standing above him.
"Come on, you twit! We have to get down in the burrow! Now!"
Cartanian followed without question, and Lee joined them. They entered the darkness of the burrow, and followed their sister with slight curiosity and overwhelming sadness.
"Why?" asked Lee quietly, not talking to anyone in particular.
"We're half-breeds, Lee... What did you think would happen?" answered Corona somewhat angrily, "Now come on, we need to get down far enough to escape the flames..."
She led off into the shadows, and Cartanian followed. With one last look towards the entrance, Lee also followed. They were silent, knowing now that they would never belong...
Cartanian poked his head out of the burrow's entrance, and tears began to course down his face. Everything was destroyed; the fire charred all. In a way, the fire had cleansed the earth, for the Eevesol could see the blackened forms of the council on the ground. Their anger had finally overtaken them, and they had been consumed by it.
There were also the still forms of Dimitri and Calla, lying next to each other on the ash-covered ground. They were not as burned as the council, but they were just as lifeless. Cartanian sighed, and signaled to the others that it was safe.
His siblings came out of the den with the same reaction, and they all wept together for the beings that had been destroyed. Finally, Cartanian and Corona led off. Lee hesitated, but soon bounded to catch up.
"What do we do now?" he asked with a tremor.
"We live," said Corona, "That's all we can do..."
As they walked out of the ash fields, a gentle, cleansing rain began to wash away the scars on the land. As the blackness was carried off, a single, small flower was revealed in the mud between the bodies of Dimitri and Calla.
"We live..." agreed Cartanian.
The End... or is it?
By: AzureF
Started: June 8th
Ended: June 9th