I was all caught up in a little piece of Heaven..
As the sickening black aura finally dissipated from within the tiny Eevee's mind, she seperated instantly from Toby and Tiffany, the remainders of her dream shattering, the Viridian Forest she had originally been searching dispersing in a series of broken fragments.. Her home, that bitter-sweet place, the lush woodland filled with so many memories, but also countless secrets and treacheries performed within it, masked by the shield of mystery emanating from the innocent Forest, never to be spoken aloud.. That quiet place.. Radian knew firsthand if one would only silence oneself and listen, it would reveal so much. It was breaking, and with it, so were the images of her companions. Radian's face twisted in the real world, and painfully she turned, a sweat breaking out across her entire petite body as she began to awaken, for the first time feeling the rushing cold sensation of the chilly air nipping at her fur.
Don't go.. She pleaded again, her lips moving wordlessly, golden eyes shininh wistfully down at Tiffany as she was tugged away, not slowly as Marc had been, but rapidly, far too fast for her to even cast a lingering stare at the broken pair. She watched the fleeting shards vanish from her sight, the Viridian Forest, Tiffany, Toby..
Thanks guys.. She murmured, knowing that though the dream was disintigrating, somewhere, somehow the words might reach their subconscious minds.
I really do.. owe you guys one.. Especially you, Tiffany.
Radian turned her head away then, a sigh escaping her parted lips as she tensed her frail little body, preparing for the waking impact she knew would next occur, in which she would be slammed mercilessly back into her physical form.. and a massive migraine from hell would next occur.
My home.. She recalled dreamily, still not completely back to her senses, as the dreamland completely vanished into grey oblivion before her eyes.
I don't know why, but for some reason.. i'm happy to see it go. The flames briefly flickered within her round golden eyes, her features remaining expressionless as she simply just stared forth, down at the memory her subconscious mind projected before her. Her home.. the quaint little Cottage, lit ablaze, catching fire to everything surrounding it, completely consumed.. and hopeless.. so desolate and hopeless, alone in its demise. Her parents.. and Alfonse, had both perished there. Radian shuddered, and as she did so, her large eyes fluttered open to behold the sight of Marc staring down at her. A self-conscious blush crept across the little Eevee's face, and turning away from him, slightly shamed, she just laughed inwardly, mostly at herself, as her entire being grew hot from the inside out.
"So I realize that this must sound really weird to you, Marc, but thank you.. so much.. for reading my thoughts and busting up in my dream like that. You really gave Darkrai a run for his money, as well as destroying that stupid clone." The Eevee paused momentarily as an enthused little grin etched itself across her eager young face, and her large bushy tail began wagging excitedly, escaping her notice as her delightful golden eyes rested upon his muscled form. A tingling sensation rushed throughout her, touching her at the core, and as it flooded her, her mouth popped open, grinning wildly at Marc now.
"And did you see the look on his face when you jumped in front of me? It was like.. just the sight of us together again.. made him sick to his stomach.. and before he tore you away from me.. he was weaker.." For a moment, Radian grew serious, a thoughtful expression popping up across her face as she seemed to ponder this momentarily. But after brief consideration, she laughed the thought off, waving it away as she discarded it.
That's the most ridiculous thing you've ever suggested.. Radian scolded herself inwardly. Why would the oh-so-almighty Darkrai, who is apparently strong enough to sway someone as fiery and independant as Leon to the darkside weaken just at the sight of me and Marc together? ..Unless we're like gruesomely ugly or something, and he just can't take the sight of two uglies mingling.. I don't see why it would.
At this thought, Radian appeared slightly irritated, and huffed a bit, her thin chest puffing out as slightly offended, she ran her paws over her perked ears, smoothing then down at the sides of her tiny head, then moving them throughout the ring of creamy fur that fluffed beautifully around her delicate little neck, straightening it out as it had been mussed through all of her misadventures.
"Or maybe we just got stronger!" Radian continued on with the playful conversation she was having with Marc, trying to avert his attention away from her self-primping, and onto the words that were escaping her mouth.
"We should form like a crime-fighting squad or something, and just go around intimidating baddies like Darkrai.." Radian laughed, her eyes falling shut as she instantly cringed at the sound, realizing that it sounded especially loud and out of place. Radian's eyes almost immediately popped open as her nose twitched, and blanching instinctively, her eyes began quivering with tears, extracted by the thick black smoke that had begun pouring within their small little tent.
Smoke.. Radian thought, her gaze hardening as she immediately leapt to her feet, running to Marc's side as the smoke continued to billow inside the confined little area. The smoke was flooding into her open mouth and her nostrils, surrounding and trapping her tiny little form in a suffocating arena, allowing no means of escape, just like in her dream.. Just like the fire Darkrai had summoned gave off.
Marc.. Radian thought as Radian began to feel just a tad light-headed, and swayed dangerously, nearly collapsing against her friend.
"LET'S GO! WE HAVE TO GO NOW!!! THERE'S NO TIME TO LOSE!! THIS AREA IS IN GREAT DANGER OF..."
The voice was loud, and penetrated Radian's entire conscious so that she was forced to peel her eyes open against the heavy smoke and force her way through the suffocating veil of it, back to Marc's side, who was running in the direction of.. running so fearfully in the direction of.. What was he running in the direction of exactly? Marc's expression was obviously grim as he and Radian exchanged expressions of worry with one another. The little Eevee looked to the ground fearfully before she snapped back to attention, struggling to keep up with Marc amid the all the chaos and confusion of racing, screaming Pokemon. It was just like in her dream.. Only real. Real fire, real flames.. that consumed everything in sight in a fiery red inferno, all the same.. all repeating. Thick, black smoke spiraling toward the Heavens, polluting the air, as the ground burned, the tents, the hay.. everything burned. Tears welled up within Radian's large eyes as she caught a few glimpses of several burning Pokemon as well. All this had distracted her, and by the time she drug her attention back on Marc, he was gone. Gone.. but where? Where could he go at a time like this? The group of Guild Pokemon seemingly had no designated direction to go in, everyone was just running about randomly, letting loose those heartwrenching blood-curdling screams, and running senselessly, unknowingly leading themselves to their own doom. Radian shook her head, despair clouding her golden eyes as overwhelmed, she stepped back toward her and Marc's tent. To her bewilderment, her backside was met with an excruciating wave of heat. Flinching away from it, Radian whipped around to catch sight of the tent, burning to the ground where she, Marc, and Toby had stood only seconds before.
The cottage.. The tent.. We all.. would have ended up like them..
Radian thought, flashing back to that night, that night when Team Rocket had heartlessly burned her house, stealing away into the night after the dirty crime had been committed, without giving it a second though, apparently. Though this was different.. It wasn't just a lone act of massacre. Every Pokemon was being targeted. Inluding her.
"MARC! TIFFANY! TOBY!!" Radian roared, tears streaming down her cheeks as she whirled around, and began dashing about, joining all the other Pokemon in their hopeless race to nowhere, becoming one of them, scared, and confused witless. The little Eevee smacked to the charred ground with a thump as she bounced off someone, and after shaking her head a bit painfully, glanced warily up, all the way up into the eyes, the flaring eyes of a towering beast her looked dow at her in disdain, tossing his massive head nto the air as he heaved his whole body upward, rearing to full height, looming a full eleven feet high into the air. An ear-shattering scream erupted Radian's own lips as his mouth fell open, an a deafening roar escaped the creature as he stared hatefully at her, his gaze locked maliciously upon her tiny form. Radian shuddered, her entire body tensing up as she seemingly froze, her head ducking protectively so that only the back of her neck was visable, as she began to muster up a rather quick "Protect" attack. A massive ball of fire had formed within the monstrous Pokemon's mouth, and falling back to his four feet, he lowered it level to the ball of brown fur Radian had become, and released it, blasting through her meager little "Protect", and sending her spiraling across the Guild campground. Radian bit her lips and squinched her eyes shut as the burning force tore her across the charred ground, but soon it was all over, and thankfully only minorly burned, she leapt immediately to her feet, rushing about still, eyes scanning hopefully for her lost companion, hoping to God that he was safe, and likewise wasn't being targeted.
Please... be okay.. She whispered to herself as she winced at the burn, feeling it tear at her flesh as she refused to acknowledge it, instead pressing onward, salvaging what energy she had stored from last night's so-called rest, just in case Marc had been brutally attacked by the Beast as well.. If this was the case, she would need all the energy she could muster.
"Marc!" She called desperately again, this time eyes flooding with tears as her breath seemed to catch in her throat, and doubling over, her body spasmed, protesting violently to the amount of running she was forcing upon it. But Radian didn't care, she knew that if she stopped, and gave up now, she could be crushed, perhaps killed.. Even worse, if she died, Marc could be hurt, he could be hurt beyond repair.. Beyond everyone else's repair besides her own, and in his time of need, when he demanded her tender care above all else, she wouldn't be able to save him.. She'd be too far gone.
The world would be a horrible place without someone like you in it, Marc.. Radian remembered from just last night, and forcing herself to her feet, she continued in her frenzied search for him, vowing not to rest until she had found him along with the others.
Radian crouched low to the ground, and swiftly dodged as a small, but powerful Flame-wheel blazed along her left side, skirmishing across the area that had been singed by Groudon's Fireblast. Radian had to dig her teeth into her lower lip to keep from crying out again, but when the pain from the initial contact had passed, she saw Leon, in person.. standing right before her.. Radian felt nothing but sweet bliss at her first glimpse of him, upon seeing that he was seemingly healthy, and untouched, but her instant joy soon faded, as she caught sight of another familiar presence.. Hydro fiercely guarding a limp little form, much smaller than his own, a Mudkip, wrapped gently within his arms. Leon was angrily casting attack after attack at the Swampert, and each time he did so, Hydro just flinched lightly, obvious pain showing on his face as sweat poured down his burning body. He was obviously trying to protect Tiffany from the flame, as she appeared to Radian in critical condition, and to Radian's horror, this seemed not to faze Leon in the slightest, as he again charged for another attack.
"Don't!" Radian cried out, racing to the side of the Chimchar, tears stinging at her large eyes.
"Don't do it, Leon! Tiffany is your friend.. don't you remember? Darkrai, the one who gave you this power.. and is the one who did this to her. I would've thought that someone like you.. wouldn't fall for his treachery.. and would instead protect his friends! And you're only helping him destroy her! How could you even dare to try it?! Along with Marc?"
No sooner had his name left her lips, than the Totodile appeared before Hydro and Tiffany, surging bravely in front of them so that they were shielded from an oncoming wave of fire courtesy of Leon, and he instead was struck violently in the back. Radian's heart seemed to tear in two as his eyes, and his body seemed to twist up in pain, withdrawing violently, like a crushed insect, into himself as he writhed in the ash of the charred ground. Mouth falling agape, Radian rushed to his side, all her features marring in despair as she sank at his side in a panic, heart once again beginning to pound loudly against her frail little chest as the flames leapt menacingly across the broad expanse of his back. Whipping fiercely around, Radian lowered her head, crouching protectively in front of the Reptillian Pokemon, and Hydro and Tiffany as well, the fur lining her spine standing up on ends, and bristling with rage. She stared Leon down, her eyes locking upon his own, and as she scowled bravely up at him, the corners of her lips turned upward into a tiny little grin. He hadn't attacked her, hadn't even made a motion to attack.. so had she somehow managed to unnerve him? Either way, Radian let the Ape Pokemon alone, turning quickly from him in order to restrain herself from attacking.. Her fears had come true.. Marc had been burned.. He was hurt. But as she turned to heal him, she noticed that he was up, and carrying Tiffany over to Hydro. There was a playful exchange between the two, before he again headed off away from her, in a seemingly set direction. The grim expression was still upon his face, but along with this, a mixture of cool calmness, and bold determination. For a moment, Radian didn't follow along behind him, savoring the sight of him in such heroic stance, disregarding himself in order to protect everyone else. After casting a glance behind her to make sure Tiffany and Hydro were momentarily okay, Radian darted off in his direction, falling in alongside him, jogging to keep up with his exceptionally fast pace, and shooting up a half-hearted little smile, appearing much less brave and heroic as he, her thin little shoulders sagging tiredly already, and her head drooping, face tugging against it as she tried to keep her eyes locked upon Marc's. He was so brave.. so sure of himself.. And when he walked, even the panicked Pokemon quelled their wild chaos to move from his way. And Radian.. Radian was just scared. Scared for herself, but even more terrified for him.
People who fear their lives run in a panic, flailing about like idiots in their sheer desperation to live.. People who don't care, they're just calm.. as they stare straight into the jaws of death.
This thought ripped through her mind as she stared up at Marc, and noticing the calm, assured look written out across his face, a pang of sadness ruptured her heart. The duo reached the side of a Wartortle Radian recognized as Torrent, and relaxing a bit in the company of someone she knew, Radian just smiled tiredly up at him.
"Torrent! Hold Groudon for a minute!" The Wartortle protested at first, but after a strict order from Marc again, he simply just complied, withdrawing into his shell as the great Beast momentarily averted his attention to him. At this, Marc turned to face the disarray the Guild had become, standing before them, emanating an eerily calm aura. He seemed not to see the shivering Eevee at his side as he began to speak.
"I'll be a decoy for these two fire Pokemon. You have to make it to Steam Cave, or another safe place! No one turn back, i'll be fine. Just, move as quick as you can. Hurry!"
Radian couldn't believe what Marc was suggesting, and simply just stood beside him in disbelief, doubt pouring throughout her as she shook her head in denial, hoping, praying that she had heard wrong. But when her friend turned to her, gazing down at her with a heartbreaking stare, it became all too real to her, as he threw his short arms around her frail little body, and tears falling silently from beneath closed lids, and drizzling down his pale face and into Radian's plush fur. For several seconds, Radian just allowed herself to be helf by her friend, before she completely lost it, her petite face burrowing desperately against his chest, tucking beneath his chin as she found her place inside his arms, and quietly began to sob there.
Heaven's not a place you go when you die.. She thought, seeking the warmth of his embrace, refusing to look up, refusing to stare into his eyes pooled with sorrow, as she just nestled against him, willing time to cease in its flow and allow the two to remain pressed against each other for eternity. But alas, the thunderous stomps of Groudon resounded nearer to them, and as Radian glanced up, the moment was lost, and Marc pulled quickly away from her, motioning her to follow the rest of the Guild, and leave him alone. Radian lingered at his side for a moment, but the roar signaling the approach of the massive Fire Pokemon was more than enough to sway her away from him, yet she found that she couldn't move from his side, and refused to do so, staring pleadingly up at him as the tears continued to fall from her face. In the end, Torrent rushed back from the group, picking the Eevee up in his arms, and carrying her away with them.
Marc! She called out within her thoughts, the tears refusing to cease in their flow as they were caught, and then carried from her face by a particularly strong gust of wind.
I've never felt so dirty.. and wrong.. in my entire life. Radian thought, as Torrent threw her over his shoulder, knowing full and well that if he set her down, she wouldn't follow despite anything he said to her, no matter how many times Groudon roared and fired attacks, nor how many times she was burned in the process. She would keep fighting until they were both safe, or else dead. Radian took in the sight of the little Totodile standing bravely up against both Leon and Groudon, for as long as she could, heart wrenching with obvious despair as a tiny spirnkle began falling over her friend and his two nemises, the sky clouding over and turning utterly grey, the grey hue matching the color of her mood, and her sould completely. Soon, she was unable even to see the three Pokemon, and this made her feel even worse, because now, if Marc fell, he would fall alone, and not anywhere near her.. He really would be in grave danger.
Why did I agree to ever leave him? She wondered, before the thought struck her.
That's right.. I didn't agree. That's probably why he didn't bother to ask me.. He knew that if he did, I would refuse.. I would stay and fight.. Like a true friend.. I would never do this to him.. I would never abandon him like this.. not if it were up to me.. The tears only fell harder now, as Radian flashed briefly back to the night before.
I'm not letting go of you, Radian. No matter what comes our way..
Radian stared back in the direction she was being carried, tears dripping from her chin and rolling in a steady stream down Torrent's shell. She saw his shy little smile, and his soft words penetrating her fatigued mind..
If we're together.. everything is going to be okay..
"You're right.." Radian murmured aloud, shifting suddenly in Torrent's arms. His grip tightened on her tiny form, yet wasn't enough to keep the little Eevee bound, as she struggled but for a brief second, and instantly broke free from his grip. A mischevious little grin popped up across her furry little face, and darting quickly away from the Turtle, Radian began to head quickly back in the direction she had been drug from.
"Wait!" Torrent called out, attempting to call her back over. But as expected, his words had no effect on the tiny Eevee who by now was deaf to any words besides those of Marc's, and had her whole heart and body set on getting to him. Torrent sighed, simply just shaking his head, as he turned from Radian, who by now was just flash of blazing brown fur glinting in the distance, and moved toward Steam Cave along with all the others. As Radian raced back towards Marc, the tears continued to fall from her golden eyes, but no longer did she feel scared, and unsure. She ran over countless twigs and sharp stones, but not even the intense penetration of these insignificant objects was enough to distract her from achieving her goal.
"You said, if we're together.. everything is okay." Radian stated aloud, her shoulders stiffening as her lungs began to grow raw from the running, her heart pumping furiously to keep her going. Radian ignored all this though, willing herself on, able to think only of Marc, and what he might be going through at this exact moment.
"So you meant, of course, the inverse as well! If we're apart, then nothing's okay, right? Which is why.." Radian paused in her self-coversation to pant, and then catch her breath. "Which is why.. i'm coming back. We will.. be together soon enough!" As Radian finished saying this, Marc and Leon came back into her view, but for some reason Groudon was absent from the picture. Radian had no time to ponder this though, as in no time at all, she was approaching Marc, and fast. Maybe.. Yes definitely, too fast. As she attempted to skid to a halt right before him, Radian found her forelegs becoming entangled within her hindlegs, and clumsily, she founding herself rolling into a little brown ball of fur, tumbling about before colliding into Marc's stout little body. Toppling over onto him, Radian could just grin ecstatically from atop him, panting wildly as she smiled from ear to ear, her head falling blissfully atop his own. Trying to catch her breath as it escaped her in ragged little gasps, Radian inched her body forward, pressing her lips to Marc's ear as she whispered into it.
"You thought you'd try to be the hero while we all ran away like pansies, huh Marc? Well think again.. i'm a heroine at heart, and I'm not going to let you get away with all the attention.. and glory that comes with it. So from now on, we'll fight together, okay? No more trying to be all big and macho and sacrifice yourself to protect me.. and the others..We're all a team, remember?" As she said this, Radian found herself unable to go on, her heart pounding too wildly within her frail chest, and simply just lay against her friend, savoring the contact, no matter how brief it might be.
