Two Halves of One Clan (Part 3)

I stared at One with a huge smile on my face.  "Everyone else is ok?"  One nodded ecstatically.  "Thank Arceus!"  I was still marveling over the fact that One had managed to find her mother using her weak telepathy.  Then again, Espeon had probably done most of the work for her...

One had a smile that was, if anything, bigger than mine.  "And they said that they have Streak, too!"

I tilted my head.  "Streak?"

The psychic Eevee nodded.  "Yeah!  Mama said that the humans too him, too, but they hurt him really badly."

I sat down again, curling my tail over my paws.  "But if they have Streak, then where's Night?"  One shrugged and looked at her three other siblings, who were happily play-wrestling each other.  It didn't take a Psychic Type to figure it out.  "Go ahead, go play."

"Thank you, Splash!" One chirped before making a flying tackle into the pile of brown and grey-blue fur.  I smiled and went back to thinking about Night.  I had automatically assumed that the humans had captured both of them when I didn't find either of them.  But if Streak was the only one there...

I flicked a fin worriedly, glancing at Inferno's tail sticking out of his den and occasionally bursting with electricity.  "How's it going?" I called, trying to focus on less worrying things.  My Clan was all right and coming back here right now.

Inferno grunted and backed out of his den.  "Man...  Using that move is a lot harder for a non-Electric Type, apparently..."

I stood up and walked over.  "Tired?"

"Tell me about it.  But he's doing better.  He should wake up in a little bit.  I hit him pretty hard with it..."  I smiled.  Trust Inferno to subtly show off his strength.  I knew that he was powerful, but I found it kind of funny that he made a point of showing it.  Especially when he was downright terrified of water and heights.

I looked at the snoozing (and recharging) Jolteon.  He did look a lot better.  Inferno was right; he'd wake up in a bit.  I looked back at the proud Flareon.  "Hey, if we're going to get the other half of this clan back, we should probably work on putting the camp back together."

Inferno's ears drooped.  "Come on, Splash... I'm tired."

I smiled wryly at him.  "What, a big, strong, Flareon like you is too tired to help his clan after using Discharge a few times?"

Inferno gave me an irritated look, knowing that I had said the right things.  "Well, if you put it that way...  Fine, what should I do?"

I led him towards the camp entrance, where the piles of debris that One and Three had cleaned up were still standing.  "I was hoping that you could get rid of these piles for us, then help find a new log for Espeon, Umbreon, and the kits.  I'll help you find the log.  Sound good?"

Inferno nodded.  "They'd have probably needed something bigger soon, anyway." 

I nodded in agreement before turning away and walking back towards the kits as Inferno started torching the piles with Flamethrower.  "Ok, kits!  One and Three already started helping me clean up the camp, and Inferno and I can't do this on our own!  Ready to help?"

The four of them seemed disappointed that I had interrupted their game, but all stood up regardless.  One began giving instructions.  "Ok!  Three and I already started fixing the camp wall.  We should finish that first!"

I nodded at her.  "Good thinking.  I'll help you with that from the outside until Inferno finishes getting rid of the debris piles, then I'm going to help him find you a new den to sleep in, ok?"

All of them yelled at once.  "Yaaaay!"  Before I could say another word, all four of them raced over to the barrier, One and Three in the lead, and started working again.  I really had to give them credit.  Espeon and Umbreon raised them well.  I didn't know anyone else who, in their pre-evolution phase, would take on such a Wailord of a task on their own with such determination.  And without complaining.

I smiled at the busy Eevees, then trotted outside to begin patching up the camp wall from the outside.

 

Umbreon's eyes went wide.  "One has Psychic abilities?"

Espeon nodded happily.  "Apparently!  She said that Splash told her that some of my powers had rubbed off on her.  Splash also helped her develop them.  Quite frankly, I'm impressed!"

Her mate smiled in amazement.  "So am I!  Wow!"

"One has Psychic abilities?" asked Streak from behind them.

Clover smiled.  "Wow!  Neat!"

Surf smiled as Snow nodded in agreement.  "Congratulation, Espy!  She takes after her mother!"

Espeon smile again.  "Thank you."

Surf walked closer.  "We should really keep going," he said as Clover gave Streak more Sitrus berries.  "We're about halfway there already.  We can make it before nightfall if we hurry."

Clover scanned Streak's haling injuries.  "Do you feel like you can fly again?"

The Staraptor opened his wings and gave them and experimental beat.  "I think so.  I may have to land every so often, but I think I can make it."

"Good," Clover smiled, watching him eat the last of the Sitrus berries that she had given him.  Surf turned back around and lead the way back towards camp as Streak took off, a bit unbalanced, but in the air.

Espeon turned to her mate as they, too, continued walking back home, Four now hovering by Espeon's side.  "When did you hurt your shoulder?"

Umbreon looked at her in surprise.  "When did I- What?"

"Your shoulder," Espeon stated factually.  "It's hurting you.  When did you injure it?"

Umbreon gave her a look.  "...During the explosion.  It got worse after I saved Four from a human, but it hasn't slowed me down too much."

"Because you used Moonlight a whole bunch of times.  And that moon dust, I'm guessing," Espeon concluded, judging by Umbreon's reactions and expressions.

Her mate shook his head.  "You know, Espy, sometimes I swear you can read my mind just as well as everyone else's."

"Nope.  Just intuition," Espeon smiled, rubbing up against his cheek.  "So I want you to tell Clover and have her fix it, ok?"

"Come on!  I can wait until we get home, Espy."

"Nonsense.  I don't want my Escavalier in shining armor to falter at the last minute.  Go talk to Clover."

"But I can-"

"Umbry..." Espeon said, using her pet name for him.  Umbreon couldn't say no to her now.

And he didn't.  "Fine...  But only because you asked me."  He sullenly trotted faster to catch up to Clover.

The Leafeon apparently had overheard the conversation.  She drifted away from Snow a bit to make room for the Dark Type.  "Here to finally get your shoulder fixed?"

"I can make it until we get back to camp...  Shut up..." Umbreon grunted.

Snow looked at him with a sly smile.  "Umbry?"

He snapped his head in the Glaceon's direction.  "Espeon is the only one who is allowed to call me that.  You call me by that name and I will blind you with acid," he stated firmly.  Espeon didn't doubt that he would carry through with his threat.

Snow took a step back.  "All right," she said defensively, but still with a smile.

Espeon looked up and the dimming sky as Clover grew some vines around Umbreon's leg while they were walking.  "That should hold you until we get back to camp.  My cotton seeds are there."

Umbreon thanked her and fell back to Espeon, matching her step for step without even trying.  For a while, they walked in silence.  Finally, Umbreon spoke.  "Do you think that she'll ever be able to actually fly?"

Espeon shrugged.  "I don't see why not.  She has the tools and she's smart.  She'll pick it up." 

Silence fell for a bit longer.  This time, it was Four that broke the silence.  "Mommy?  If One is psychic, Three is lucky, and I can control my energy, does that mean that Two and Five have powers, too?"

Espeon leaned down and nuzzled her son.  "I would expect so.  Maybe you could ask them."

Before he could ask when, Surf called out from the front of the group.  "SPLASH!!"

Espeon heard the familiar voice of the Clan leader as she raced towards her own mate.  "SURF!  You're back!!"