Story:72 hours in the future...Vera raced ahead, her small paws pounding the ground as she ran, panting. Her eyes narrowed as her breaths came out in gasps.
I'm not leaving yet, she thought.
The ground beneath her cracked as another explosion rocked the air she breathed.
A closer explosion shook the very lungs within her chest.
She didn't dare look behind her.
The ground suddenly disappeared beneath her paws.
She grunted with exertion as she flew through the air, pushing off the chunk of asphalt with her back legs and landing hard on her front two back on solid ground, the blades of grass crushed underneath her weight.
She continued to race forward, adrenaline pumping through her system. Exhilaration mixed with fear. Euphoria with horror. She couldn't tell what she was feeling - danger or intrigue? Ecstasy or foreboding? Was she enjoying this, or was she terrified?
The blood roared in her ears.
Without any warning, something tripped her. She stumbled and skidded along the harsh ground, dirt clogging her nostrils and obstructing her vision. She shook her head, sniffling a bit until she could smell. She wiped the grainy substance from her eyes and blinked, the raw, painful feeling burning into her memory. Her orb necklace was threatening to tangle itself around her neck. She knew it wouldn't, but that wasn't what worried Vera most - no, what worried her was that it could fall into the wrong paws. And she wouldn't let that happen.
She was flying through the air again, but not of her own choice. Pain erupted in four of her ribs as she felt the air whoosh past her. She tumbled, head over paws, through the open expanse of nothingness. When she hit the ground, saying that she was winded would be the understatement of the year. She choked, trying to get air into her tired little lungs.
Her necklace was still around her neck. She looked up at the monster. "You don't scare me," she taunted.
The shadow became larger. The RPW looked puny compared to the massive shadow that seemed to swallow her whole.
Vera refused to lose. "You're nothing. I can still beat you." She shakily got to her paws, her lungs heaving as they tried to inhale properly once again.
She looked like something out of a movie - her hair, so normally and neatly pulled back into a ponytail now whipping around her face from the high winds that threatened to tear her claws from the turf; her eyes, burning and angry from dirt and grit that still hadn't gotten out; the glowing necklace, faintly emitting a pale turquoise light in the growing darkness; her fur, scuffed and messy-looking, chunks of it completely missing; and her gaze, hard and determined. She wouldn't break. She refused to.
With a snarl, she leapt forward, facing the beast head-on.
Presently..."Freak," whispered someone into her ear.
Vera just kept walking, and rolled her eyes, blowing the hair out of them in an upset manner.
Someone tripped her, and she fell directly into a mud puddle. Growling in anger and annoyance, she stood, looked behind her, and honed in on who was to blame for making her fur get dirty. She snarled, leaping forward and snapping at the wolf.
The young RPW had a look of horror in his eyes as he leapt back in fear.
"Don't do that to me ever again," Vera warned, kicking a dirt clod into his face, smiling as it exploded on impact. "Do it again, and you'll not be coming to school for a very, very long time."
The RPW whimpered and then jetted off, tail between his legs.
Vera smiled with pleasure, and then turned, trotting down the dirt hill that led to the waiting area, where all pups her age were stuck at the end of every day, waiting for their parents to pick them up and take them home. At the bottom of the hill was a secluded, grassy area with small benches dotting the landscape every so often. Most RPWs didn't even use the benches, and preferred to run around and play in groups, as they were doing when Vera reached the bottom of the sandy hill. She paused, glanced around, and realized that what had happened every day of her life had happened once again: the other RPW pups were too frightened to mess with her, and they feared trying to spark a friendship with her, so whenever she'd walk in their direction, they'd swiftly go in a different one, leaving Vera all alone. She growled in annoyance, rolling her eyes once again. "All the
children here are just too
namby-pamby to hang around
me. Pshaw. What wimps."
Nuria showed up right on time, punctual as usual. She walked up the dusty road to the school, and soon saw the grassy area the children were playing in. Spotting her child, she smiled sweetly, trotting over to pick her up.
She didn't quite make it.
Another parent pulled her aside, and said in a rather rude tone, "Your child is an outrage!"
"Excuse me?" Nuria said, a puzzled look on her face.
"She kicked a dirt clod at my baby's face!"
Nuria narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "And how old is this baby of yours? Vera's age?"
The other mother frowned, anger clearly creeping into her voice. "What's it to you? Who cares how old my child is? Yours should not be throwing dirt clods! Someone could get hurt!"
Nuria was exasperated with the overprotective parent. "Look, he probably just ticked her off. He deserved whatever he got. She doesn't usually lash out like that, and will only do so when really provoked,okay?"
"Why don't you just buzz off, lady? You know nothing about parenting!"
Nuria took a deep breath, trying her hardest to not lash out in anger. "Might I remind you, ma'am, she gets her easily-irritable nature from me." She paused, figuring out how to say the next sentence. When she'd thought it through, she continued, annoyance making her voice lilt. "And, unlike my daughter, I won't show any mercy to brats who treat us with contempt."
The other mother paled. "You stay away from my little boy!"
"Then you tell him not to mess with my daughter," she threatened. She could feel her blood starting to boil, and knew that if this lady didn't back down, she'd leap forward and attack.
The parent raced off, snatched up her kid, and ran away, yanking him after her.
After a few moments to cool down, Nuria continued to trot forward, once again spotting her child. She smiled in her direction, pleased to see that Vera had made it through another school day successfully.
Matilda popped her head out of the thick fur at the base of Nuria's neck. She leapt atop Nuria's head and looked down into her eyes. "Maaatilda?"
Nuria smiled at the little one's question. "Matilda, I'm not very happy you stowed away - again, I might add - but since you're here, you may go and play with Vera, yes."
The Eevee's eyes lit up, and she leapt down and raced off towards Nuria's daughter. Seeing the young one so full of energy and happiness made Nuria smile. She sighed, getting lost in her memories.
I remember holding her for the first time...Ten years previously....Nuria raced into the school. "Professor! Professor!"
"Yes?" she asked, turning and looking down at the eager pup.
"My dad told me you called and wanted me to come here! He said you have something for me?"
She smiled, setting the clipboard down and flipping a switch. The room went dark, and four lights shone brightly, illuminating four different Poke Balls sitting on the table. "You have your choice of what I'll be giving you, Nuria. You've shown great promise, and I wish to reward you for your hard work and tireless energy. Choose wisely, for you only get one."
Nuria held her breath in anticipation.
"You have your choice - Charmander, the fire Pokemon; Squirtle, the water Pokemon; Bulbasaur, the grass Pokemon; or Eevee, the normal Pokemon."
Nuria's eyes lit up when she heard the word
fire. "I want Charmander!"
"Now, now, think about this carefully, young one," the professor warned. "You need to remember - you can only have one of these four."
Nuria took a deep breath, and walked up to the table. "Could I see what they look like? Can they come out of the balls so I can play with them?"
The professor smiled. "Not unless you plan on keeping all of them."
"Oh," Nuria said dejectedly.
"But I can show you what they look like using this," the professor said, handing Nuria a small orange box with black buttons and a screen. She flipped open the cover and clicked through a few of the buttons, showing the pictures of Charmander, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Eevee. "This is a Pokedex. It contains information about Pokemon we know of currently. What you need to do with your Pokemon is find others and store any additional information you find about these Pokemon in here, okay?"
Nuria nodded, glancing eagerly at the screen. Right away she knew she wouldn't want to take Squirtle or Bulbasaur - they just didn't look like fun Pokemon to be around. Looking at Charmander, she felt a connection immediately - but not one that really made her heart soar. She frowned in confusion. "But...but...but...Professor, I don't want Charmander. Why don't I want him?"
The professor laughed. "Your destiny is to choose someone different, young one. While you may have fire within you, perhaps that fire isn't best translated in a companion, hm?"
Nuria nodded wordlessly, looking at the screen as the Pokemon flashed before her eyes. Finally, Eevee's picture came up. Nuria knew the moment she looked at the fluffy little Pokemon that while she was not special and was merely a normal Pokemon, she was the one Nuria desired. "I want that one," she said, pointing a paw at the screen.
"Then you want the last one on the right."
Nuria walked over to the table and picked up the Poke Ball. She studied it for half a second, and then felt the urge to throw it. Without even thinking about what she was doing, she threw the ball as hard as she could. It soared through the air, and upon impact with the ceiling, it exploded. Out of the smoke fell an Eevee. She yelped as she fell, and whimpered when Nuria caught her. Nuria smiled down into the Pokemon's face. "Don't worry," she whispered, "you're going to be fine now, okay?"
The Eevee looked up with watery eyes, sniffled, and curled into a ball in Nuria's paws.
The professor smiled, clipping a belt around Nuria's waist. "Those are more Poke Balls for you, all right? The one towards your front paw is for this Eevee to stay in. The rest are for you to catch other Pokemon. Got it?"
"Got it."
"You will not only use this Eevee to battle other Pokemon, but you're also expected to care for it as you would any member of your family. Understood?"
"Yes, Professor Rivers."
"Good. Now, one final thing before you leave. Your Pokemon might just be called an Eevee, but you have the choice to give her a nickname. Would you like to do so?"
Nuria smiled as she looked down at the Pokemon, fast asleep in her arms. "Matilda. I'm going to call her Matilda."
After putting Matilda back into her Poke Ball, Nuria went to the place she was instructed to go to next: the Gym. She stayed for many hours every single day for about a month, training with other Pokemon Trainers there, and getting two badges within the next four months. She obtained her second Pokemon, a Quilava she called Sprig, during this time as well.
One day, as she traveled from city to city looking for more Pokemon in her Pokedex, Nuria stumbled upon a lovely, quaint little house. Called the Pokemon House, this place housed Pokemon that had been abandoned by their previous owners. Nuria looked through the stalls and stayed there a week, helping the Pokemon who had been given a hard hand in life. While volunteering there, she found out about a Pokemon called Kainda. A Klefki Pokemon, this little one had been abandoned by her previous owner because of her being "too weak and useless to battle." Nuria felt compassion for the young one, and took her in as her third Pokemon.
Nuria became very good at battling, and while she lost quite a few battles in her time, she'd earned up 16 badges in no time. She was working towards getting her 17th...when she met Myrrddin.
Present-Day...Nuria smiled as she watched Matilda and Vera play. Matilda leapt atop Vera's head, snuggling into her hair. With a contented sigh, the eevee fell asleep. Vera shook her head, dislodging the poor creature, who tumbled to the ground, snarling playfully at the RPW.
Avarice trotted over to Nuria. "Hello, Mrs....um....uh...." Forgetting her name, he cleared his throat and tried again. "Hi there, Vera's mom. How're you today?"
Nuria smiled. "My name's Nuria. I'm doing fine, Avarice. How're you?"
"Good, thanks." He dipped his head, quickly turning his attention to Vera. "Vera wanted me to ask you if I could sleep over at your house in a few days."
Nuria's mind was active. She narrowed her eyes in thought.
Does this boy have pure intentions? She glanced over at Avarice, who was meekly looking up at her. Nuria nodded, her decision made. "What are your intentions, Avarice?"
"Um...sorry, but I don't know what you mean, ma'am."
"You're coming over. What do you plan to do while at my house?"
"Oh, that's easy," he said with a smile. "Watch movies with Vera and stay up all night long talking about rock music!"
"And you won't mind my Pokemon?"
His smile increased. "I love Pokemon. No problems there."
"They may keep you up."
"I hadn't planned on sleeping anyway, ma'am, what with the talking about music and watching movies."
"What movies will you watch?"
"Whatever you allow us to, of course."
She smiled. "Fine then, you may come over in four days."
"Saturday - cool! Thanks so much, Nuria! I mean, uh, thank you, ma'am."
She ruffled his hair. "No need for professional labels. I'm Nuria - call me as such."
"Of course, ma'am -" He coughed, and then corrected himself. "Yes, Nuria."
"Good boy," she praised, patting him on the shoulder. "Now, why don't you run off and spend a bit of time with Vera? I think Matilda is getting worn out playing with her. She can be a bit rough on the Eevee."
"Of course, Nuria," Avarice said with a smile and a flick of his candy cane-shaped tail. He trotted over, trading places with Matilda, who came racing back to Nuria, leaping into the thick fur on her chest.
Nuria laughed. "Now you'll remember not to stow away, Matilda!"
Matilda purred, feeling afraid and tired at first, but soon relaxing, enjoying the feeling of the heartbeat from underneath her master's fur.
Eight years previously....Myrrddin was trying his hardest to get the spell correct. "Shadows," he murmured, focusing all of his loneliness into one place a few feet from where he stood. Suddenly, he collapsed, a solid black beam of energy shooting from his paws. This energy almost manifested into a creature, but dissipated in the cool air before it could form properly. Myrrddin cursed. "Are you kidding?" he weakly cried out, trying to stand but continuously falling to the ground, his legs feeling like jelly. He growled in frustration, using all of his remaining energy to hoist himself up to his paws. "I will not be bested by some stupid spell," he murmured, closing his eyes and focusing again on trying to summon the creature.
Something pushed him.
He fell backward, hitting his head on the hard bricks behind him. The last thing he remembered was a blinding white light. He was unconscious in seconds.
When his eyes opened, he blinked against the harsh white light filtering in through his tired eyelids. When his slitted pupils finally were able to focus, he found himself looking at an orange RPW with unruly yellow hair. Her white-less red eyes stared at him in concern. "You okay?" she asked.
He blinked again, and shook his head, which only resulted in him feeling dizzy. "Bit dizzy and weak, but fine, thanks. Why am I here? And...where am I?"
"Hospital," the orange RPW said, flicking her thick, bushy tail. "I found you laying on the street unconscious. My Pokemon helped me bring you here."
"Your...your what?"
The RPW smiled, reaching for her belt. She pulled out a small white and red ball and tossed it gently to the ground. It opened, and out popped a green and white creature, about half of the RPW's height. "This is Sprig. He's a Quilava," she said, smiling. "He isn't strong enough to carry others, so he wasn't a large help, but he does love snuggling."
He leapt up onto the bed, sniffed Myrrddin's face, and curled up next to him.
Myrrddin felt very awkward. "Um....uh...I don't do well with pets."
"He's not a pet," the RPW snapped harshly. "He's a Pokemon. If you think he's nothing more than a mere animal, I'll just leave you alone in here," she threatened, lashing her tail.
Sprig stood up, recognizing the threatening tone his master's voice had taken. He leapt off the bed, snarled in Myrrddin's direction, and spikes of fire sprouted from his back.
Myrrddin freaked out. "I DIDN'T MEAN IT!" he shrieked in fear.
Sprig believed him, and calmed down.
The orange RPW glared in his direction. "Who do you think you are, insulting my Pokemon like that? They saved your life, you idiot!"
"I'm...I'm...I'm..."
"You're WHAT, bozo?"
"I'm sorry," he said meekly. "I didn't mean to hurt its feelings."
"Sprig is a he," she spat.
"I didn't mean to hurt his feelings, honestly. I'm just really tired right now. What...what happened to me? I was trying to cast a spell, but something must've gone wrong, and-"
"You passed out," the orange RPW snapped. "And you're pretty lucky I took pity on you. I won't do that again anytime soon," she snarled, turning her back on him and trotting towards the door. "Come along, Sprig. We're leaving this moron to himself."
"Please, don't leave!" he called. "I don't have anyone else!"
She froze. "What did you say?" she said quietly.
"I...I don't have anyone else. My family's all dead."
"What?"
"I...um..." He sighed, trying not to burst into tears, the memory looping in his mind. "My mother was killed a few years ago in an accident with my mentor, who was teaching me how to shadow travel. When he showed me how to do it, something went wrong in his calculations, and...my mother was caught in the crossfire." He stopped, breathing heavily, doing his best to not allow the tears forming in his eyes to spill onto his cheeks. "My father died many years ago in a freak forest fire. I have no siblings, so...I'm alone. I mean, I sort of took in this younger RPW, but...I have no one else to be around. He can't really care for me, what with him being so young."
Her eyes narrowed. She refused to turn around. "What about your mentor, huh?"
Myrrddin's tears started leaking from his eyes. "He...he left me. Five years ago, he left me. Blamed me for my mother's death and refused to take responsibility. I'm sorry. I'm...I'm so sorry about this. I didn't...I didn't mean t-t-t-to..." His words were no longer understandable as tears streamed down his cheeks and sobs wracked his small frame.
The orange RPW turned around, took one look at Myrrddin, and realized he was being truthful. In her shock, she dropped her entire belt of Pokemon, who then all came out of their balls. They stared at Myrrddin in confusion. One stepped forward: Matilda. She leapt across the floor gracefully, eventually jumping onto his bed. She sat at the foot and stared up at him. "Eeeeeeveeeee?" she asked, tilting her head.
Myrrddin jerked forward, grabbed the fuzzy brown ball of fur, and hugged her tightly. She squealed in fright, but soon relaxed with his grip. "I'm sorry," he whispered between his sobs and gasps for air. "I just need someone. Please don't bite me."
Matilda smiled and licked him on the nose.
Sprig jumped onto the bed next, and leaned his head against Myrrddin's body.
Kainda silently floated over. She rested the tips of her keys against the crown of Myrrddin's head.
Jerry was next. Being a massive Arcanine, he could barely fit next to Mrrddin on the bed, but he managed to squeeze in next to him, laying his head on top of the RPW's head.
Spokane floated over next, and rested his tiny arms on Myrrddin's left shoulder.
The last Pokemon trotted over. A Shiny Rapidash, silver fire flowed freely from the pony's mane. Her dark grey hooves clacked against the floor as she walked towards Myrrddin. Out of the norm for her, Phoenix rested her large head on Myrrddin's leg, whinnying softly to calm him.
The orange RPW's eyes were filled with tears. "You...you...you..." she managed to breathe out, suddenly stopping her talking all together as she looked at the scene before her. Each and every Pokemon, who had sworn their lives to her and her alone, were now accepting another RPW as their friend. No, he would never be higher than she in their eyes - but the fact that they weren't all shooting balls of power at him was amazing. She took a deep breath and walked forward, towards the bed. She gently placed a paw on Myrrddin's head.
He looked up at her, tears still streaming down his cheeks.
She suddenly knew why her Pokemon were acting this way. Everything came together in her head, as if she had been playing a giant jigsaw puzzle and the final piece had been plaid at long last. "My name is Nuria," she said, smiling, tears making her eyes glitter in the harsh hospital lighting.
"I'm Myrrddin. Call me Myrr."
She smiled, and leaned down to kiss his forehead. "You'll never be alone again, Myrr. I promise."
Present-Day...Myrr was in
his study, working on potions. He'd just finished batch #342, and was taking a break. Staring at the crusted-over pages of his old spellbook, he was lost in thought, remembering the first day his life fell apart.
Two years previously..."You've got to be kidding me. Acid, why are you leaving?"
"Because you invited HER into your life."
"I'm not replacing you," Myrr said. "I love you, Acid. You'll always be my son. Nothing will ever change that."
"You ignore me!"
"I'm not ignoring you - I'm just having to split my time up between you and Nuria. You can't blame me for falling in love, Acid."
"I do."
Myrr sighed, rubbing his forehead. "All this started when I brought Nuria into my life. You remember, don't you? It was six years ago."
"Don't remind me. For a whole five years we hung out and had fun, and now you've ruined everything. No, no, no - SHE has ruined everything, because YOU invited her in. And now you've got a kid! There's no getting rid of her now..."
"So you hate me."
"You and that fool you call your wife."
He growled. "You might be my son, but you will NOT talk about Nuria that way."
"Yeah, well, at least something good came out of your marriage."
"What's that?"
"Your daughter. Your REAL daughter, I mean. The one who replaced me as well. Oh, I like her, so don't worry 'bout me coming back for her. But you? And that foolish RPW who loves fire so much? No. NO. I hate you both. I don't ever want to see you again."
Myrr's eyes filled with tears. He was losing the only RPW that he had cared for after his parents' deaths so many years ago. "I love you, Acid. Please, don't leave."
"Begging will do nothing."
Myrrddin nodded. "Fine. You make your own choices in life."
"I'm leaving."
"So be it."
That night, Acid left without a goodbye. Myrrddin went to check on the boy, as he always did, and found his room completely empty. He broke down sobbing in the doorway, completely unable to process what was happening. He'd lost the only friend he'd had before he met Nuria. He had lost the only thing that, for five years of his life, had brought him happiness and joy. He sobbed so loudly, he was afraid he'd wake Vera. He stood and managed to creep out the door into the backyard, where he broke down and sobbed loudly, tears rolling down his face in torrents. His heart felt as if it had been ripped to shreds.
He felt a paw on his shoulder.
He turned around.
Nuria was there. "What's wrong?"
"A-A-Acid, he...he....he's..."
Nuria gently placed a paw on his cheek. "He's gone?"
He nodded, no words escaping his lips.
She hugged him. "It's for the best, dear. He'll be better off on his own. You've taught him well enough so that he can fend for himself."
He continued to cry.
"It's okay, Myrr. Everything will be all right."
He managed to choke out a few words. "At least you're still here."
Nuria hugged him tighter. "You remember what I told you before, don't you? I made a promise to you."
He nodded wordlessly.
"And I'll keep that promise, Myrr. As long as I'm here, you'll never be alone."
Present-Day...Myrr shook his head, clearing the memory from it. He smiled then, remembering how Avarice had gotten involved in Vera's life after Acid left. His pup was distraught with worry and concern - Avarice was able to take that from her. "You know, that boy might just fall for her," he murmured, chuckling as he stirred in another ingredient into the vial. "No matter. Her destiny is her own, and not one for me to meddle in."
He turned around, and gasped in shock, nearly dropping his potion.
Kainda was floating right before his eyes. She smiled, chimed a happy little tune, and floated about the room.
"I thought Nuria put you back in your Pokeball, Kainda," he reprimanded the Klefki. He sighed, putting the potion down in a silver and glass container, stopping it off with a cork. "Kainda, really, I'm afraid you'll break something. Please leave."
Kainda chirped unhappily, and floated out of the open doorway.
Myrrddin frowned, slipping off his protective goggles. "I thought I closed that door," he murmured, trotting over and latching it shut, locking it twice. He slipped the key, which was always on a chain so as to make it easier to find, over his head. When he was sure it was snugly around his neck, he then rattled the nob, and found the door to be fully closed. "How odd," he muttered. Shrugging, he pushed the incident out of his mind, focusing on what needed to be done next with the potions.
What he didn't notice was a shadow lurking just outside the window. Its yellow, glowing eyes stared at him. It chuckled softly.
Nuria trotted forward, knowing that she'd need to get home soon to make dinner for Myrr. "Vera! We need to go now! Say goodbye to your friend, all right?"
Vera nodded, hugged Avarice goodbye, and raced off in Nuria's direction. "Ready to go, Mom!"
Vera trotted alongside her mother.
"So, what did you do in school today?"
"Uh..." Vera trailed off, thinking about what had happened earlier, and wondering if she should mention anything to her mother. She decided that she would, as Nuria couldn't do much in regards to the situation, but if the parent of the child came forth and started getting after her, Vera knew Nuria would need to know about what had happened. "Well, this kid tripped me today, and made me fall into a mud puddle."
"So that's why your hair is brown," Nuria commented, a slightly amused lilt to her voice clearly present.
Vera nodded. "I warned him with a growl, and snapped a bit - but I didn't bite him, I promise. Anyways, he was a wimp - looked pretty scared at my warning. He still didn't back down, though, so I kicked a dirt clod in his face."
"A small one, I presume?"
"Meh, it wasn't small but it wasn't large, either. Anyways, after it exploded in his face, I threatened to hurt him if he did that to me again. Then he backed down." Vera paused, and looked up at her mother. "You're displeased with me?"
"No, I'm displeased with the boy who did this to you. His mother should have taught him better."
"Or his father," Vera said with a slight smile. "You never know who his parents are."
"His mother," Nuria said with a determined look on her face. "I know she is overprotective and overbearing. Now, she obviously loves the kid - but she's not strict enough with him, even though she is overprotective. This combination has resulted in a bratty, spoiled child who decided to take out his annoyance with life on you." She steamed. "RPWs like that confuse me, honestly. Why they even decide to have children is beyond me. If you know you won't be a good parent, don't become one."
Vera nodded, lost in thought. "But, Mom, what if an accident happens? What if you love an RPW so much that the love manifests itself as a baby, but you know you won't be a good parent?"
"Well, yes, that does happen. That's how it happened with you," Nuria said, smiling down at her child. "I loved Myrrddin so much, and he loved me with the same intensity, that you were formed."
Vera smiled, beaming at the knowledge that she had been formed by love.
"As for a real answer to your question, though, you could always give the kid up for adoption. After all, before I had you, I looked into adopting. I even adopted Myrr's adopted child - you remember that?"
Vera nodded once again, the happy feelings gone from her features. A hardened look was plainly seen on her face. "Yeah, I remember the jerk all right. He deceived me into thinking he was my friend. Guess I learned early that the world isn't what it appears to be, huh?"
Nuria frowned at her child's foreboding language. "Vera, dear, do try to look at the bright side. Can you think of something good that came of it?"
Vera then smiled, remembering her friend. "I would never have met Avarice if that didn't happen. You pulled me out of the school I used to go to and put me here, where I met him."
"That's right. And I would have never pulled you out if Acid hadn't left us but continued attending there."
"Mmmhmmm."
Nuria suddenly got a wild hair. "Matilda, please crawl onto my back," she instructed, shaking the fur around her neck to wake the sleeping Eevee.
Matilda yawned, stretched, and crawled onto Nuria's back.
"Hold on tight," she whispered. Turning to Vera, she smiled, a confident look on her face. "So, Vera, you wanna race?"
"You know I love to race. Why even ask?" Vera said, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Where to?"
Nuria chuckled, her claws coming out for better traction on the dirt and grass. "Home."
"That has to be at least two miles away!"
"Then we'll get our workout in for the day," Nuria responded, a determined glint in her eyes. "If I win, you have to fold the laundry for the next two days."
"And if I win, you have to make me enough carrot cake for me to eat as much as I want for the next two whole days. Deal?"
"Deal."
Matilda counted down the seconds as she gripped Nuria's fur tightly, a slightly frightened expression on her small face. "Eevee. Eeeeeveeee. Eeeeeeeveeeeeeeee. MAAAAATILDAAAAAAA!"
They were off, racing towards their humble home.
Nuria won, of course, having longer legs than short, little Vera. But Vera was very close...just not close enough. They tumbled into the house through the open door, and Matilda went flying off of Nuria's back. Thankfully Phoenix had just trotted out through another doorway in the house, and Matilda landed squarely on her back.
Nuria and Vera squeezed their way through the doors, laughing and trying to one-up each other. Nuria wasn't quite paying attention to where she was going, as she was so focused on her child's pleased laugh. She then ran straight into the locked door of Myrr's study.
Vera ran straight into her, even though she tried her best to dig her paws into the ground and skid to a halt.
BANG!
Myrrddin jumped in fright, the vial he'd been holding flying into the air. He leapt up and caught it, putting it securely into the case and stopping it up with a cork.
He glared at the door, pulled off his goggles, and started walking towards it.
BANG!
He merely flinched this time. He pulled off the gloves he'd been working with, tossing them in the trashcan. His narrowed, angry eyes were glowing as he unlocked the door and yanked it open.
Nuria fell right on top of him and pinned him to the ground.
Vera fell on top of her.
Both were laughing so hard, tears were streaming down their cheeks.
Myrrddin, once angry at the noise, now smiled and hugged his wife. "Dearest! You're home!"
Nuria was still laughing and was unable to respond to Myrrddin's statement for a good few minutes. When she finally caught her breath, she looked down into his eyes lovingly. "Myrr, my darling! What've you been doing in here all day?"
"Making potions."
"Teach me how to make them, Dad!" Vera said, her voice muffled as she dug her way out of her mother's thick back-fur.
Myrrddin chuckled. "Once I finish them, I promise I will, sweetie."
Nuria stirred, trying to sit up and get off of Myrrddin, but realized too late that her claws had lodged in his thick hair. She pulled and tugged, but this only resulted in her falling forward once again, laughter escaping her mouth. "I'm stuck!"
Vera managed to get herself untangled, and looked over at her parents with a slightly perplexed look on her face. "I can help, if you want me to."
"No, no," Myrrddin said, struggling to stand up. "It's fine, sweetie - we'll get ourselves out of this somehow."
Vera caught the hint. "May I go and play with Phoenix and Matilda?"
"Yes, but please include the other Pokemon as well, all right, Vera?" Nuria said, her lips still smiling.
"Yes, Mom," Vera said with a smile and a happy tilt of her head. With a flick of her tail, she raced off through the open doorway, trying to find the Pokemon throughout the house.
Nuria looked down with a smile. "Did you plan this, you idiot?"
Myrrdin looked up at her lovingly. "Nope, but I'm glad it happened."
"You're glad we're stuck?"
Myrr shook his head, a slight smirk on his face. "I'm glad I can do this." He suddenly shifted his weight, causing the two to spin in a circle, rolling all the other way to the side of the room.
Nuria laughed. "Myrr! I'm dizzy now!"
"That was the point."
"Jerk!"
"Fluffy-fur!"
"Idiot!"
"Bell-head!"
"Stupid-head!"
The two erupted in joyous laughter, which wasn't a common sound to be heard from both of them at once.
Nuria finally managed to dislodge her claws from Myrr's thick mane of fur. She stood to the side and lent him a paw to stand up.
He did so, sat beside her, and leaned his head on her shoulder. "I've missed you."
"I've only been gone for a few days, Myrr," Nuria said, leaning her head against his. "You know that I have to keep my Pokemon Trainer status renewed, and to do that I have to travel to the nearest Pokemon gym and battle someone."
"Did you get the badge?"
"Of course I did," she said proudly.
"I'm happy for you," said Myrr, "but I'm happier for me."
"Why's that?"
"I get you back."
Nuria smiled and kissed his forehead. "I never left, darling...and I never will."
Myrr looked into her eyes, a smile on his lips. "You promise?"
She stared at him, smiling. "Promise."
"Uh...Nuri?"
"Yes, Myrr?"
"May I, uh..."
"May you what?"
"Can I kiss you?"
Nuria burst out laughing. "My stars, Myrr."
"Wh-Wh-What?"
"You haven't learned yet?"
Myrrddin looked down at the ground. "I didn't mean to insult you, Nuria. I just - "
"Hush," she scolded him. "You've never hurt my feelings, Myrr, and I don't think it's possible for you to even do that."
"Then...why did you - "
"You can be as thick as mud sometimes," Nuria said with a smile. "You never have to ask my permission to kiss me, Myrr. I love you. You love me. Now, for other things, yes, permission is needed - but a simple little kiss, or a hug? There's no need to fear rejection, Myrr. I'll never tell you 'no' in regards to those things."
He smiled. "I love you, Nuria. You're the light of my life."
"And I love you, Myrr. Without you, I would never have found my place in this world."
He leaned his forehead against hers, a completely content look on his face.
She entwined her thick tail with his. She smiled, completely serene.
The shadow outside the window glared. It would have roared if it didn't know that doing so would create too much attention. The yellow eyes slitted, barely even visible. Anger rolled off of the being in waves as it stared in through the window at the two RPWs.
The next few days went by without the slightest problem. Vera did well in school, and was looking forward to Avarice coming over to spend the night watching Disney films with her. Nuria cared for her Pokemon, and trained them all the new moves she'd learned at the gym. Myrrddin finished up 400 of his 600 potions that needed to be completed, and was planning ahead for next week when he'd go and teach at the school.
Everything was perfect.
Except for the shadow.
The shadow followed Myrr everywhere he went. The shadow followed Nuria when she dropped off Vera at school, and then followed the young RPW around throughout the day. It spied on them, and they didn't even notice...until it was too late.
Vera came home from school one day feeling good.
Tomorrow is the sleepover! she thought happily. She dropped off her book bag, patted each Pokemon once on the head, and went off to find her father. "It's potion-making-day," she said, ready to face the challenge head-on. She got to his door, knocked, and entered. "Hello, Dad!"
"Sweetie," he said, turning. He held a box. "I know we'd planned on doing potions today, but...well, I have a surprise instead."
"What is it?" she asked, looking at the box.
He opened it. "I want you to have this. It will protect you from anything that tries to harm you."
She stared at the orb-necklace. "It's very pretty, Dad, but...why give this to me now?"
"This has been in my family for generations. Each child breaks off a piece of the necklace and forges something of value to them. Because I was an only child, my parents allowed me to break off two pieces, which I formed into the beads in my hair and tail."
Vera looked at them, and nodded, noticing the resemblance.
Myrrddin smiled. "And now it's your turn."
"Do I break off a piece now?"
"No. For now, just keep the whole necklace. When you've decided what you'll make out of the bead, you may break off a bead and form anything from it, thanks to its magical properties. And, when you're old enough to have kids, one bead will go to yours, and so on and so forth."
"Why not give me two beads? I'm an only child."
Myrr coughed. "Well, that was the, um, other surprise. You're going to have a new baby brother or sister soon, Vera. Your mother just found out yesterday."
"You...you're serious?!" Vera jumped up and down with glee. "That's great!"
Myrrddin smiled. "I'm glad to hear you're not jealous."
"Why would I be jealous of a little sibling who will love and adore me?"
Myrr laughed. After he caught his breath, he spoke once again. "Now, don't tell your mother that I told you - she wants to tell you herself. I mean, she probably won't mind that I told you, but just to be on the safe side, keep quiet until she tells you about it, okay?"
Vera nodded, calming down and going back to her normally-serious self.
Myrrddin then got back to the main topic. "So, take this necklace, Vera, and decide for yourself what you wish to make with it. This will help you in all walks of life. But, Vera, I must warn you, sweetie - you can't lose this. If this falls into the wrong paws, catastrophic things will happen."
"Why?" she asked, reaching forward and taking the necklace in her paws.
"This necklace is magic. In good paws, it will protect and help whomever wears it. In evil paws, it will allow the user to take advantage of all others who have a piece of this necklace."
"Is that why you've kept it a secret all these years?"
"Yes. And now, Vera, it is up to you to keep the necklace safe. Can I trust you to do this for me, sweetie?"
"Of course," she said, smiling as she held the glowing turquoise balls, held together by thin pieces of chain.
"Good. I know you'll decide what's right for you, Vera, and that's all I've ever wanted."
"I love you, Dad."
"Love you too, sweetie."
Vera slipped the necklace over her head, and felt it automatically adjust, so that it was snugly 'round her neck. "I won't let you down, Dad. I promise."
The shadow smiled as it glared in through the window. "We'll see about that," it said, cackling as quietly as it could.
The next day, Nuria dropped Vera off at school as usual, and was on her way home. She was humming a happy tune, thinking about what she had to do for the day before she'd go back to pick Vera up at school. She found herself thinking of Myrrddin, and if they'd have time to go out to eat for lunch.
Vera was on her way up the dirt slope to the school at the top of the hill, her Star Trek badge pinned tightly onto her backpack. The necklace was still tightly gripping the fur at her neck.
Myrrddin had been experimenting with potions long before Nuria and Vera were awake, and had all six Pokemon keeping him company. He'd kissed Nuria on the cheek, ruffled his daughter's hair, and watched as they both trotted off to school. Then, it was back to making potions. He'd just finished his 50th for the day when he felt the ground rumble. He frowned, making sure everything was sealed tightly and put away properly. He gathered the Pokemon in the safest room of the house - the bathroom - and waited for the ground to stop shaking. Some Pokemon were fine - Kainda and Spokane were a-okay, floating in the air towards the ceiling; Phoenix and Jerry were all right as well, their hooves and paws planted firmly on the tile. But Matilda and Sprig were freaking out, racing all over the floor and squealing. Myrrddin did his best to calm them down, and looked at Matilda intently. "You are the calmest Pokemon I've ever known," he murmured. "Why are you freaking out all of a sudden? What's wrong?"
"MAAAATILLLLLLDAAAAA!" she shrieked, cowering to the ground and shaking in fear.
Myrrddin sighed. "If only I'd finished that potion that would've allowed me to understand you," he muttered angrily. "Can ANY of you tell me what's wrong?"
Phoenix whinnied. Jerry growled and glared at the door. Kainda and Spokane both floated farther away from the door to the bathroom. Sprig gripped Myrrddin's leg and whimpered. Matilda crawled over to where Myrrddin was and plunged her claws into his other leg. She refused to let go.
Myrrddin sighed. "All right, gang. Let's go find Nuria. I'm sure she can tell me what's up with you all. She's probably on her way back from dropping Vera off at school."
Every Pokemon suddenly freaked out. Phoenix stood and raced over to the door, bucking it down. Matilda shrieked and leapt off of Myrr's leg, landing on Pheonix's back, followed by Sprig. Jerry was hot on their tails, with Kainda and Spokane floating after him. All six Pokemon raced out of the house and towards the school.
Myrrddin followed as fast as he possibly could, wondering what the heck was wrong with all of the Pokemon.
Nuria was making a list of restaurants she wanted to go to when the ground started shaking. She quickly thought it was an earthquake and looked for shelter. Finding none, she raced as fast as she could towards her home, knowing she'd at least make it to the doorway for shelter, or that she'd find someplace else along the way. Standing out in the open, however, was not an option. While she was racing off, she could have sworn she heard Matilda crying. She continued to run, but as she got closer to her house, she knew she wasn't imagining it - she saw with her own eyes the group of Pokemon racing towards her. They surrounded her in seconds, leaping upon her and licking, nuzzling, and hugging her. "Woah, you guys!" she said, chuckling. "We need to find shelter! C'mon - let's get back in the house now, okay?"
They refused to let her get up, and the shaking was only becoming more violent.
Myrrddin raced over a few seconds later. "Nuria! Are you all right?"
"Fine! But we need to get inside, Myrr! We're not safe out in the open!"
"Call them back to their Poke Balls so we can move!"
"I don't have the belt!"
Myrrddin narrowed his eyes and raced back into the shaking house. He looked and looked, but couldn't find the belt anywhere. He managed to find three spare Poke Balls under the couch, grabbed them, and raced back to Nuria, tossing them her way. The balls caught Jerry, Phoenix, and Spokane. Matilda, Kainda, and Sprig were still left, but they were less of a threat to Nuria than Phoenix and Jerry had been. She gathered the balls and ordered the other Pokemon to stop surrounding her. They all trotted back to the house, and stayed in the open doorway after they made sure the door wouldn't swing shut on them.
Matilda refused to let go of Nuria's fur, and she was trembling horribly.
The shaking was so loud that it was hard to hear anything.
Myrrddin looked over at Nuria, and yelled, "Why is she so afraid? It's just an earthquake!"
"I don't know!" Nuria yelled back. "She keeps muttering about an evil shadow. I really don't understand what she keeps going on and on about!"
Myrrddin frowned. "An evil shadow?"
Suddenly, the ground erupted. Dirt flew everywhere, raining down on Nuria, Myrr, and the Pokemon. The RPWs shook their fur, and when they looked up, they paled.
Nuria did her best not to scream. "What is that?!"
The shadow was massive. It glared down at the two RPWs with yellow glowing eyes. Its voice was like a rock slide, loud and unpleasant to listen to. "You are the magician's nephew, are you not?"
Myrr nearly fainted from fright. "Um...what? You're...you're talking to me?"
"YOU!" it roared, reaching a shadowy hand down and grabbing him. It threw Myrrddin into the air.
Nuria screamed. "MYRR!"
Her shrieks did no good. The shadow creature continued to fling Myrr into the air, higher and higher with every throw. Finally, he wound up and threw Myrr out of sight.
Nuria's eyes filled with tears. "NO!" She dropped the Poke Balls, and they exploded when they hit the shaking ground. All six formed a circle around Nuria, protecting her from the shadow creature. She sobbed, crumbling to the ground. "No...no...Myrr...Myrr...please..."
Vera's whole school was in chaos. Children were screaming, crying, and throwing hissy fits.
She rolled her eyes. "What a bunch of wimps. It's just an earthquake."
Avarice raced over and hugged her tightly. "Vera! Oh, I'm so glad you're okay."
She frowned as she patted his back. "What? Um...why wouldn't I be okay?"
Avarice pulled back. "You haven't seen the news reports, have you?"
Her frown deepened. "What's going on, Avri?"
He took a deep breath, brushed his hair out of his eyes, and looked at her.
Vera had never seen his eyes before. "Your eyes, Avri...they're beautiful."
He bit his lip as he blushed. "Well, uh, thanks. I think you're rather pretty yourself."
Vera couldn't believe her ears. "You...you think I'm pretty?"
"Well, sure. I've always thought that."
The ground suddenly shook again, this time much harsher. The thin ceiling cracked above them, and plaster rained down.
"You have to listen to me, Vera. Get out of the school. Get out NOW. You can't be here for much longer - it will find you. You need to run. NOW!" He stepped back, and his hair once again covered his eyes.
"Wait!" Vera yelled over the noise from the shaking. "Why are you telling me all this? I mean, yeah, you're my friend, but...why do you care so much? Don't you want to be safe, too? Why risk coming back to tell me all this when you could've just run off?"
Avarice hugged her tightly. "If you're safe, I'm safe," he murmured into her ear.
Her eyes suddenly sparked turquoise. They quickly returned to their normal pink color, and she pulled back from him slightly. "Then you run. Get to safety. I'll see you again once this is all over, right?"
"I promise," Avarice said, nodding. "You have my word."
She nodded, stepping back. "I'll see you later, Avri. Stay safe."
Avarice suddenly darted forward and kissed Vera on the cheek. "I can't lose you," he said. "You're the only fried I've ever had."
"You won't lose me," Vera said with a smile. "You won't ever lose me."
And with that, she raced off down the hill, bolting back towards her home.
This would be a heck of a lot easier to deal with for me in terms of coding and other stuff, but even with copying a portion of the website I currently have, it would take a LOT of work. I mean, just, TONS of time to deal with. Now, I'm not one to back down from a challenge, and this idea has been bouncing around in my head for awhile. So, if I ever decide to do this, she'd no longer have a spot on my Weebly character website, but she WOULD have her own place on the new website! 
More on this will come later, though, once I decide what I'm doing. For now, let's say that whatever I decide to do, I will make absolutely certain that she will have her own page where she can stay, and where I can keep art of her and the information I will write up regarding her. She will always have a spot in my heart, of course, and because of this, I want to do my absolute best to provide for her a place where she can reside comfortably, and where I can access her information easily. Be that on my current Weebly site or another one, only time will tell. For now, she'll get a spot on my Weebly site, of course - in the future, she might be moved from there to my new, better site.
