Disaster Strikes... Again (Part 3)

I took stock of our situation, organizing a list of priorities.  There were three things that helped me calm down:  Surf, basking in the sun, and organizing things.  I shook my head, trying to clear it of fears about losing my mate.  First things first.  I should probably wake One up.

I took a step towards where Three was snuggling his older sister.  "Watch out, Three.  I'm going to help One get up, ok?"  He nodded without saying anything, still very upset.  I laid down next to the two of them, then began gently spraying cold water over One's forehead, being careful to avoid Three.

Finally, she came to, shaking her head and scattering the water droplets.  "Wha...?  Where am I...?" she said drowsily.

I moved a bit closer to her and Three.  "It's ok, One.  Your brother and I are here.  It's ok," I muttered soothingly, hoping my voice was as steady as it needed to be.

One seemed to regain her bearing and looked around.  "Where are we?" she questioned.  "Where's Mommy?  And Daddy?  And Uncle Bolt?"  Each question was slightly more desperate than the last.

I pulled her closer to myself with one paw.  "One, calm down.  We're in my den in the pond."

The inquisitive female kit looked up at me in confusion.  "But there's air in here!"

Three muttered to himself, "Thank Arceus..."

I gave him a stern look, then went back to One.  "I'll explain later.  What matters now is that the Clan is in danger.  Humans blew up our camp.  I found you two and hid here.  I'm trying to find other clan members, but there are two humans watching the pond."  I hesitated, trying to decide whether or not to tell One everything I had suspected.  Finally, the look in her eyes convinced me to finish.  "I... don't know where everyone else is, or if they're ok.  We can only sit in here, while I check the pond as a puddle every so often."
One looked down.  Three put his head on his paws.  I looked back at the ice sculpture.  Suicune...  Where are you... I need you...

A sharp instinct suddenly told me that I had to figure this one out on my own.  Was that the great Aurora Pokémon?  I shook my head.  Even if it was, that instinct was right.  I couldn't depend on Legendaries for every difficult problem.  Even though this one was probably the toughest, I would deal with this on my own.  I was Clan Leader, I could stand on my own four paws, and I would save my clan.

Just then, One spoke up.  "Go out and look now.  I think someone else is out there..." she trailed off, scrunching her eyes shut.

Three looked at his sister quizzically, but then looked back up at me.  "I believe One.  Go check.  I'll protect us if anything comes in!" he said, standing up and squaring his posture and mocking an attack stance.

I looked back and forth between Espeon's two kits, secretly wondering if One had inherited any of her Psychic powers.  Shaking my head, I moved towards the water.  "Ok...  I'll be back soon."

Diving into the water and melting into a puddle, I floated about halfway between the surface and the bottom, scanning the pond edge.  The two humans were walking away, moving through the bushes.  They were leaving.  Why?  Were the other humans leaving, too?  Did they capture any of my clan?

Either way, this gave me the chance to search the camp for other Eevees.  I started to move upwards, towards the surface, but stopped.  Something was moving on the edge of the pond, the one facing towards the inside of camp.  It was giving off a soft glow.  It looked a bit like Bolt when he was excited, but it was different.  Suddenly, it swung very quickly in another direction.  A light that a human was carrying, I'll bet, I thought as it moved out of sight.  That meant that they were still there.

As I drifted back towards my den, I thought about One.  She had somehow known that someone new had entered the vicinity.  That meant that she must have at least a tiny trace of Espeon's powers.

I reformed as I entered my den, making Three jump again.  "Sorry, Three."

One peeked around her brother's tail.  "Was anyone there?  Was it Daddy?"

I shook my head, but I still had a bit of a smile.  "No, it was another human."  Espeon had once told me that the most basic form of her power was recognizing another presence in the area.  You could then build on that with telepathy, mind reading, emotion control, etc.  I tilted my head at my friend's eldest daughter.  "One?  How did you know that someone had come near?"

She stepped around her shiny brother and sat down.  "I don't know," she shrugged.  "I just knew."

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Espeon opened her eyes again.  She could almost feel the jewel on her forehead pulsating with Psychic power.  The meditation had worked.  She sent only two words over the telepathic network.  I'm ready.

Surf and Snow tensed in preparation for the escape plan.  If things went well, this was going to get rough.  Go for it, Espeon.

Breaking the network, Espeon focused all of her powers on the Rapidashes, pressing on the nerve that simulated fear and panic.  Sharp whinnies told her that she was doing something right.  She attacked again, harder, this time.  She was suddenly thrown against the wall of her crate as the Rapidash reared high, but she didn't relent.  Focusing on the other Rapidashes as well, she dimly heard human shouts and loud neighing.  Her crate wasn't falling.  Why wasn't it falling?  Espeon changed tactics, keeping the Rapidashes in a full panic, but also listening the humans' mind activity to try and see what was going on. 

Secure the Rapidashes!

What's happening!?

Come on, don't you dare fall off...

What on earth is scaring them!?

No one was thinking about the crates.  That was either a very good thing, or a very bad thing.  She switched from listening to humans to listening to Snow.  Espeon!  My crate's not falling!  I think it's stuck!

Demonstrating her prowess with her mind, Espeon switched to telepathically listening to Surf while using telekinesis to try and yank her own crate loose and continuing to stimulate fear in the fire horses, using three different types of Psychic power at once.  Surf was trying to throw himself into the walls of his crate.  Espeon!  I think the boxes are secured to the Rapidashes!

That made sense.  Espeon let up on the poor Rapidashes, letting them calm down themselves after running a bit more off of their own fear.  Espeon checked her options. She couldn't release whatever was holding her crate down, not without seeing it.  Nor could she teleport out; that was far too risky.  She could end up in the middle of a tree trunk if she didn't know where everything was. 

Espeon contacted Surf and Snow mentally.  I'm sorry, you two.

Surf responded the same way that he would with any minor problem: distance and determination.  Not your fault, Espeon.  We had no way of knowing that the boxes were tied.  We'll get out of here, I know it.

Snow agreed.  You did your best, Espeon.  It's not your fault at all.  You were amazing.

Espeon settled back down on the floor of her crate as her Rapidash was finally holding still again.  She could get all three of them out in a heartbeat if she could use telekinesis.  If only she could see!

 

Umbreon walked alongside Four, keeping his ears up and alert for danger, but keeping his eyes on his son.  Clover padded quietly on the other side of Four.  Umbreon was in turmoil, but at the same time, at peace.  His eyes were on his son, but his mind was on his mate.  Where was Espeon?  The love of his life had vanished without a trace.  Even worse, his other four kits were still in the wind.  His eyes stayed on Four as the glowing Eevee walked quickly to keep up with Clover.  

 

The Leafeon seemed to want to get away from the unconscious human as quickly as possible.  Umbreon didn't blame her.  He hated humans.  Any time that he had encountered them, they had only caused more strife.  They were like Grimers, ruining everything they touched or went near.  The fact that they attacked his clan and tried to take his kit made his blood boil.  If any of them had so much as touched Espeon or any of his other kits...

 

The thoughts were pushed out of his head as he stepped on a rock.  It put pressure on his shoulder.  He said nothing to Clover or Four, but he was fairly sure that his front left shoulder was a bit hurt in the explosion.  It didn't matter.  He could endure it until his family and clan were safe.  Then he'd look at it.  It was no big deal.

 

Footsteps reached his ears.  Human footsteps.  Umbreon tensed, dimming his glow and signaling for the others to stop.  Four retreated underneath Umbreon, hiding behind his legs.  Clover slid into a nearby bush as a male human's voice reached their ears.  It came from the spot where Umbreon had attacked the other human.  "Jeff!  Jeff, why aren't you reporting?  Where are-  Oh dear Arceus."  Umbreon narrowed his eyes.  It didn't take much to figure out what had happened.

 

The human spoke again.  "Guys, we got a problem.  Jeff is down.  Something attacked him.  Something big.  I'm getting Alakazam to move him back to base.  We have to leave, now."  Umbreon sat down in satisfaction, still letting Four hide under him.  Good.  They understand what happens when they mess with this Dark Type and his family.

 

After a few seconds of silence, Four and Clover crept out of hiding.  The radioactive Eevee looked up at his father.  "They thought you were a big, scary monster, Daddy."

 

Umbreon nodded, a smile easing onto his face and his yellow rings going back up to normal brightness.  "I know.  That's what happens when someone tries to hurt my family."

 

Four smiled as well.  "I love you, Daddy.  Thank you for protecting me."

 

Umbreon bent down and nuzzled his son.  The fuzzy feeling was getting less noticeable.  "Always, Four."

 

Clover looked towards the camp, which was now visible.  "We should go back and see if anyone else is there."

 

Umbreon nodded, standing up.  "Good thought.  Just be careful."  The three of them crept cautiously into camp, checking corners and crevices for clanmates that had evaded the humans' notice. 

 

Four wandered over near the pond.  "Look at the ice, Daddy."

Umbreon nodded, but smelled humans.  The scent was fresh, but they were gone.  Nevertheless, he decided not to take any chances.  "I see.  But Four, stay away from there," he said, grabbing Four's scruff and moving him away from the water's edge.  "I don't want you falling in.  You can't swim.  Go stay near Clover."  Umbreon placed his son down, and Four obliged, walking over to where the Leafeon was trying to gather all of the herbs from her bush den that she could.  Umbreon glanced back towards the pond.  He could have sworn he saw something move.  After a bit, nothing changed in the water.  It must have been his nerves.

 

Eventually, Umbreon wandered over to the spot where his and Espeon's log den was.  It had been shattered into splinters.  That was the place that he had slept with Espeon since he entered the Clan.  Now, it was gone.  That log had endured so much over the seasons, always giving Umbreon and his family a place that was theirs.  The moss was completely torn.  The wood was now chips of bark.  The vine that once held up the false end of the log was the only thing that was completely intact.  Stepping closer, Umbreon found a smooth, red rock that Five had found and brought back a few days ago.  There was a patch of moss that Four had once slept in.  It was glowing ever so slightly.  A glint caught Umbreon's eye.  It was a tiny shard of something that looked like ice, but wasn't.  There was more near a pile of shredded moss. 

 

Lifting the moss with one paw, Umbreon saw the telescope that Espeon had given him on Snow Day to look at the moon.

 

It was smashed almost beyond recognition.

 

Shattered glass.

 

Melted metal.

 

Bent in a V shape.

 

Umbreon dropped the moss and turned away, blinking tears out of his eyes.

 

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Bolt paced fervently back and forth.  Running in circles had helped clear his head, but he needed to be running somewhere.  "Inferno!  We have to do something!"

 

The annoyed Flareon let his ears lie flat with his eyes closed.  "Bolt, stop fidgeting!  We can't go anywhere until the humans have gone!"

 

Two and Five were awake by now, exploring the top of the Emergency Tree.  Bolt broke out of his pacing to nab Five by the ruff and pull her away from the thinner branches.  "I can!  I can go anywhere in the forest from up here!"

 

Inferno stood up, puffing his fur.  "You can, but I can't!  I hate heights, you know that!"  There was a bit of silence in which both best friends, nerves frayed and sparking were still and silent.  "...Sorry," Inferno murmured, patching the silence.  "Didn't mean to yell at you..."

 

Bolt let out a sigh.  "No, I get it.  I'm sorry.  I pushed too hard.  It's just...  If only we could go somewhere to wait this out..."

 

Two and Five walked over to Bolt, sitting down on either side of him.  Five had a leaf caught in her tail.  Bolt bent down to groom it out as Inferno answered.  "We can't go to the river now.  We have to wait at least a day to recover.  Plus, it's kind of close to camp.  There might be humans there, too."

 

Ever practical, Two spoke up.  "We need four things.  Food, water, somewhere to sleep or hide, and room for Uncle Bolt to run around."  Bolt gave Inferno a look as the Flareon tried not to laugh.

 

Five piped up cheerfully.  "There's water in the pond!"

 

Bolt sat down next to his nieces.  "There is, but it's not safe there right now, so we need somewhere else to stay for a day, and this won't cut it."

 

Inferno shrugged, walking closer to the trio.  "You and I can hunt food."

 

Bolt shook his head.  "Five doesn't like meat."

 

Inferno spun around, muttering in mock horror.  "Five doesn't like meat..."

 

The possibilities volleyed back and forth, each getting shot down for some reason or another.  Bolt might explode if he stayed in the Emergency Tree, the river was too close to camp, Streak and Night's tree was only sheltered for tree climbers, the almost-camp was way too close to the human town, and a secret clearing that Inferno knew about was too far away for the kits.

 

Just as Bolt was getting ready to call it quits and stay where they were, Two, who had been silent the whole time, spoke up.  "What if we visit Soursap?"

 

Both Bolt and Inferno were silent for a moment, trying to find a flaw.  Bolt couldn't think of anything.  There would certainly be food and water there, Soursap knew them well, his trainer was nice and wouldn't try to catch them (he still didn't have Soursap in a Poke Ball, just because the blind Leafeon didn't want one!), and it was the last place that the humans hunting for them would think to look.  Bolt nodded slowly.  "That could work..."

 

Inferno, too, nodded consent.  "It would only be for a day.  It's worth a shot."

 

Two smiled, proud of herself, as Bolt continued.  "We'd have to be careful getting there, but it shouldn't be so bad.  Good thinking, Two!"

 

Walking up to the hole in the trunk of the tree, Inferno glanced back.  "Should we go now?"

 

Bolt trotted to the edge of the branches with a spring in his step.  "Yes, but we can't go through camp.  We use the trees just to get outside of view of camp, then we can go to the ground.  I know a tree that's just like the lookout post near there.  Easy up, easy down, no jumping required." 

 

One look at his best friend's face told Bolt that it wasn't a great idea.  To his surprise, however, Inferno nodded with determination.  "I can do that.  I think," he finished, his voice shaking slightly.  "I mean... I saved the Great Entei.  I can jump between a few trees."  Bolt grinned, once again remembering one of the many reasons why they were friends.  Neither of them could stand being a sissytail.