{Picks up after 'Selden Upset'} Selden had quieted down and stopped struggling as Chirin urged him on towards the lakeshore. Chirin hoped his friend understood now, but knew better, to judge by the drag of Selden's dimly flickering tail. If only Chirin could make him understand. If only Chirin himself understood more! Did Selden have a point? Was it right to risk his life and fling himself into the front of the fray? Was he really doing all of this to stop Bangaa, or just to make himself feel stronger? No, he decided, there was nothing more he wanted to do, in his instincts, than race away south, easily escaping the horror and the blaze. Greener fields lay not far away. It was with dread and uncertainty that he had cast his spell and he waited in a still pool full of that dread gathered a hundred times over...waiting while his standing fears started to smell foul. A fouler smell halted him at the forest's edge. Only smoke and tears had prevented him from smelling this stench until he was actually looking down the beach at its maker, the demon. ~ The confusion... the agony... the sorrow... the static in the antmosphere, the smell of sheep... Kuroirihi blinked. The smell of sheep!?!? Kuroirihi quickly turned around. "It's you...." Kuroirihi barely managed to snarl lowly. Kuroirihi grinned "So... you decided to join me for lunch?" The firedog licked his lips and braced himself, this time they wouldn't get away... Chirin's flippers gripped Selden's shoulders, motioning to steer him back into the woods, but then he stopped and just stood there. Running was suicide against the dark dog's long strong legs. Chirin moved along the fringe of the woods, thinking of a way to get around him and down to the water. But the demon's snarling bristling form stood squarely between him and the lake. He felt himself charging up on instinct and Selden's body was too, he could feel it, through the small ram's hide. Chirin let Selden go and stepped aside of him, his flippers out and his wool rising on his chest and his head. He lashed his tail. He knew his growl was pitiful and his electricity would not deter the dog on land, but he stared on, though he knew his look was the white-eyed terror of prey set upon by a hunter. Kuroirihi grinned. "That's not gonna work this time! We're far of the water!" Kuroirihi used his hindlegs to propell himself right to Chirin's chest aiming to bite his neck, this time, things would have to get finished quick, no games. The demon's from paws pinned Chirin on his back and pushed the wind out of him. He swerved his neck to the side and felt half his coat ripped out. Kuroirihi drew back, mouth full of bloodstained fur. "What's keeping you back? where are your spirits now?" The Eclipseon growled as he concentrated enough heat for his next attack.. *Burakuru...Burakuru...Phos save me from your dark...* Chirin was staring right at the ring upon the eclipseon's head. He was indeed Burakuru and he was about to get it on his head...he had aimed not for his neck, but his head... In a scream and a clench of *denki* screeching side by side Chirin's tail flung up towards Kuro's body and burst in electricity. It was the curse, oh Phos it was the curse, already shards of the darkness he had damned were flying at him like a volley of razor leaves. Selden circled, screaming, everything happening too fast. Kuroirihi growled and leapt back. "It's going to take more than just pretty sparks to keep me back this time!" Kuroirihi threw back his head and with the same fire from hell, he blew forth a flamethrower, in hope of having a nice roast dinner for tonight.... Chirin's tail spit another spark as he rolled out of the way of the flamethrower, too late to avoid its heat. Fire slapped him on his right side and shouted over his back. He smelled burned hair over the mind-numbing pain. It hurt to move. Still a-spark, Chirin-chirin scrambled in a pink zapping blur to fling himself into the water. "No! No!" Selden dropped to all fours with his tail arching over his head. He aimed a long blue line at the demon. "The water! Selden get in the water!" Kuroirihi drew back hit by the discharge, the Eclipseon struggled to gain control again, Selden's discharge was far too weak compared to Chirin's, it was merely a small shock in his skin. Kuroirihi freed up himself of the discharge, and glared at Chirin, tensing his muscles to pounce over Him, Kuroirihi leapt... The eclipseon didnt got any far, his legs suddently got numb and he fell face first into the dirt slowly the paralizis took over his body, Selden's attack had been effective after all. Trembling Kuroirihi tried to get up, growling in heated rage to regain control of his body. Chirin shot up onto his two feet and ran through a haze of terror towards the water. His stomach was a burning shambles and pain had latched onto him. Selden, obeying Chirin without question, had already entered the water. Chirin's legs felt slowed down by the overwhelming fear freezing him. He stumbled down and struggled forward, dragging scars through the sand. Burakuru, the darkness, the shadows, Burakuru. Her jealousy was a weight on his spine. Chirin scrambled back onto his feet, trying to dance his way round the demon before the dark incarnate got back up. Dizzily Kuroirihi stumbled back and managed to stand again, baring his teeth he realized he woudnt get to the water in time, the Eon blew a flamethrower just at the border of the water, in the hope that the fire would block Chirin from getting to the water, the Elcipseon struggled to regain his movility again. "not this time!" Kuroirihi mocked as he slowly recovered from the paralizis. The hooves of Chirin's feet dug into the sand as he tried to stop. The flame was too sudden; he dropped to the side, and tried to throw himself flat so the flames would pass overhead. Again he was too slow and too clumsy. He fell into the edge of the flames whose steaming hiss drowned out the bleats of pain. Squinting his eyes shut to prevent their getting burned, he rolled away fighting towards cooler, fire-free air, coughing in the smoke of his smouldering fur. In his veins Watakko burned. Sky curled brown and clouds caught fire. Chirin rolled on the sand to smother his coat, still precious armfuls short of the shoreline's soothing cold. His pain drew his *denki* out by its own will. "Chirin!" Selden screamed from the water, terrified to leave and terrified to stay. "Chirin!" On the sand Chirin thrashed, a weed of smoke and sparks, finally shoving his feet under him and springing into the water with a hiss and splash. And the lake's cool lick kissed him over. Through the pain and bliss he began charging up, facing the demon once more. Should he cry for help? Was it really right of him to run his newfound friends on Burakuru? Especially when he had brought this on himself? Artemis saw what happened, but just the end and arrived to late...to help either of them too much. But Artemis was determined to get this devil dog out of the real Kuroirihi that she had seen peek through at times. Artemis darted, her blackened paws steamed slightly as the houndour entered the shallow water at the shoreline, between Kuroirihi and the one that Artemis believed was able to help her. Artemis yelled at the top of her lungs, or at least the best Artemis could do despite the pain the surged through the dark dog's legs and up her body. "STOP IT! STOP IT NOW! Why do you battle so much? Thy is not hungry hungry, Kuroirihi...you had bitten off the Raticate that for some reason you left in my face! Why battle the one you know may only be able to help MY problems, what if I were to try to kill Sharra, the one you love. Thy would not like it! Now would you Kuroirihi. I could care less who had possessed you! For I am possessed as well, but mine is much worse. You may have no control over your mind and body...but I, I...." Artemis stopped, unable to continue further as she spoke. Nearly collapsing in the water. The smoke had gotten to her lungs, the water's pain seeped throughtout Artemis's body, and Artemis was tired from running for such a way. Chirin hardly heard the words from the smaller dog's mouth at first, he only splashed deeper into the icy water, feeling it soothe his pain and protect him from the advancing beasts. Two of them now; Burakuru's pack was coming... But this voice he remembered as the one who had howled to him from forest as dark as her coat in the night. His burned skin hurt when he moved his flippers and body to stand himself neck-deep in the water. Selden was paddling out to him, and when he grabbed hold of Chirin's shoulders Chirin let out a bleat of pain. He clenched his teeth and stared out at the dogs. He didn't need to tell the one who spoke of wonder and quests that he needed help. She claimed to be possessed. Was it all a trick? Too pained to move for a moment, he struggled to gather up his senses and his electricity. His *denki* charged patiently up, and he knew he could not afford to blast away; he would have to meter it out should the dogs brave the water after them. And when Chirin looked across the short bit of water at the demon's eyes, he realized the hatred of Burakuru--desire charred to jealousy when her path denied her all but dark. Jealousy that lashed at light- folk through this attack in this male form. She flamed at a wall of futility--and would she ever learn that all the attacks she hurled at them could not change what he had and she did not? Was it too late for her to ever be happy for the world under Clef she'd been granted? The burn pain was making his head spin and his eyes tear. For a moment he clenched them shut, weeping out loud. And in the waving plumes of stardust that appeared, for the briefest moment came two pulses of light, side by side, like two ears. *Crazy Lights?* Other amorphous shapes overtook them and he opened his eyes again, blinking and trying to ride above the pain...here he was all over again, in the end and beginning, the fight in the lake with the demon. And this time their friends were not here. Chirin scrapped together his remaining thunderpower and prepared to release it, praying that perhaps the pup would distract the demon, or even persuade the hunter to give up his prey. Kuroirihi stepped back and looked at the ground "SHUT UP!!!!!!" Kuroirihi glared at artemis "If you tried anything I'd kill you, you have no right to say that, it is not the same, Sharra is my mate, these are just preys, they are worthless to me, and they should be to you, so quit your nonsense and help me at once to kill them off already!" Kuroirihi's eyes teared, he looked away, and then at the sheeps in the lake "I'm not a weakling, I'm not possessed, neither you are, open your eyes and see the truth, this is our destiny. Get out of the water already, help me kill these two." Kuroirihi glared at Artemis. "Or I'll have to kill you myself, i have no need for a lame pathetic weakling as you, I can do things on my own." "They're not food, I'm not hungry, I want to prove to the world that I'm stronger!" Kuroirihi waited for no response, he jumped trough the wall of fire and landed in the water, splashing all around, curled in a ball... -i... can't, I can't move!- Chirin watched the black silhouette emerge from the flames as he struggled to swim away. While the demon screamed Chirin had attempted to swim further away, crippled by his burns. The hound's snarling speech had bit into him, igniting all the terror of being prey. As for the pup, he had no trouble believing she was possessed...but was it the possessed or the possessor speaking? He was too terrified to try to find out. They were of Bangaa's flock all right and that was all he needed to worry about for now. He floundered in the water, chilled and hot at the same time. *Crazy Lights...Crazy Lights...come to me...help me fight...* Seeing the lakewater welcoming the demon's body Chirin loosed the electricity that brimmed in him. He felt its buzz and heard its boom as it was, at once, alive in the water. The demon was out for his soul and Chirin could not let him follow any more. The Eclipseon managed to uncurl and he quickly darted to the surface of the lake, his head broke thesurface just in time to see Chirin releasing the electric attack, kuroirihi's thoughts focused in going to the land. Kuroirihi yelped as the electricity reached him a loud howl of pain was released as hundreds of tougths raced his mind, memories, everything... The firedog fell to the lake, unconscious, sparks running around his body, as his mind drifted away in memories... Chirin had been about to swim away...and then he watched his attack connect. He winced as the dog's body curled and convulsed as the little light-spirits danced over him, singing their buzz-zaps. He hugged Selden against him...he had won, but still, he hated to see it. Maybe he would never get used to hurting anyone. He knew he still couldn't stand to see two creatures rip and tear at each other, hurting, inflicting pain. Was the demon dead? Should he amp up again, and make sure? What about the fish in the lake--how many had he just killed, innocent victims whose spirits could drag him under for what he had done? It wouldn't surprise him if the demons came back tomorrow...and the next day or night, and the next. Who was he to think he had killed Burakuru? "Come on." Chirin sloshed up into the shallows, giving the area where the dark being had gone under a wide berth. He turned to head up the beach, taking the same path he had taken in the first fight. Gone full circle, and still he felt nothing had really been solved. They were alive though, Selden and him, and now he had get back to Tachi. Before starting up the shoreline he stood hip deep in the water, and scanned his wary eyes out for either of the smaller dogs and for the resurfacing of Burakuru. Kuroirih's face floated out of the water, he coughed spitting out the water, he looked at the fleeing sheeps, Kuroirihi wailed, almost asking for help, but the tought of asking for help got washed away by the rage, slowly his body got surrounded in a dark orb wich rose him out of the surface of the water Kuroirihi focused his sigth on the sheeps, and grinned -i may not get you, but this will do!- Kuroirihi tensed his muscles, and the whole orb that surrounded him, abandoned his body, and it darted straight to them The Eclipseon fell to the water heavily, hoping that his shadowball attack would be effective.. Chirin, no longer looking behind them, staggered hand in hand with Selden. The littler flaaffy kept giving him worried looks, "are you okay?" Chirin squeezed his flipper. "I'm okay, just burned...when we get back to the others maybe someone'll know where some heal-berries are...that's all I need, then we'll be fine..." The world turned black. Chirin managed to shove Selden to the side and saw him stumble away with his arms flailing. Then he didn't see anything anymore. No light. He could not see his tail. For a moment he thought himself blind but for that he saw one thing...the seething roil of the dark sphere that had enveloped him. It lived and it had swallowed him whole. He felt himself falling down into dark water as the ball of darkness seized him with a thousand claws. He heard splashing but couldn't see anything... He turned, twisted, trying to free himself from something that had no physical form and yet spiked him with nails of pain and hurt. It was tapping into his energy, robbing him of what grip he still had on his body. Chirin went down with a splash into icy water bloodied with his terror and pain. "Selden--Mecha--Calima...Hampty--...Azalea..." The pain choked off his voice. Chirin's flippers and feet rested on the silty bottom of the shallows but he was still sinking, falling as if in midair. He was falling into a hole of pain. He screamed. The darkness was alive, digesting him, pressing its muscles on him from the inside and out. And out of the pure black, came stars. It was the curse. Bangaa's flock come to take back what they had claimed as theirs...the life of the world, the life in every denryuu, the life in him. *You can't...you can't...* He had prayed to Watakko. He had prayed to his flock. He had prayed to his mah-mah and the dead who rustled in the grass and rippled on the lake. He had prayed to Azalea. And just as he thought of those two pinpoints of light...something to focus on...he thought he saw it again, maybe, only a moment, that hint of two blinking ears of light, or at least two flashes of stars that seemed special to him. Was he just pretending...searching so hard that anything could become it? *Crazy Lights, if you're real...if you're real I know you're here...* He had gritted his teeth so hard it hurt him to unclench them. He was floating above the pain, he had his noise pointed to a star, the sun, the light of a tail, any tail, he imagined that light ahead and towed himself towards it, lifting above the pain. Pain could not cloud him, this pain was born of Burakuru and all at once-- He knew what this was...a ring of Burakuru! The terror of existing on as nothing more than a lightless soul sparked a wriggle, a twitch, a struggle. He would see light. "I will see light!" Crazy Lights oh Crazy Lights, dazzling swooping sparkling sprites... Chirin forced his body to buck upwards, and he channeled the last of hid *denki* out into his shadowy prison. He didn't hear Selden screaming, he didn't see the demon had resurfaced. He did not feel anything but electricity floating over fire-pain. He imagined that light and then it became real, breaking down the barrier. Pinpoints of light were born from the dark clouds of stars, and they grew as he concentrated, nourished by the calling of spirits...both in him and out. Was he breaking the curse that had backfired on him? Was he only holding out with his beacon-soul's last stand? "Phaaaa!" Chirin embraced the dark-turned-light with his arms flung out, to wrestle and caress, he transformed it with his mind. He was still blinded...but in radiance now. His pain had faded, his legs gone numb from the autumn lakewater. And even in his crisis his eyes cried tears. Someone had been with him there in Burakuru's ring and passed him the strength to defeat it and make it good. and that someone was still here, he knew it. He didn't have to see. And as the light began to weaken he wept into the water and saw the drops fall over a surface rocking itself to rest, that reflected curious shards of shining red. "Oh, thank you, thank you..." Crazy-Lights was real. ~ Kuroirihi's lip trembled, his eyes where wide open "noo... nooo, IT CAN't be!! you should be dead! dead!!!" Kuroirihi blew a flamethrower, the flames sisnt reached a thing, the cold waters didnt allowed him to fully concnetrate and his desperation grew more and more. The broken demon's flame did not scare him; his voice did. Chirin slipped deeper into the water, realizing he had to get further out to cover himself. He could see the bridge of his nose was yellow. His burn pain had faded to very little, although he would still want berries or something...assuming he ever made it out of the water. "Selden?" His voice was deeper. Selden, up to his neck in the water a little further up, was staring at Chirin like he'd grown another head. And in a way, he had. He watched the demon's look of disbelief, like something he'd been about to grab had been placed out of reach. This could not be... Kuroirihi quickly turned back "ARTEMIS! COME HERE! KILL THESE TWO!!!" Kuroirihi's tears got mixed with the water, his desperation was clouding his mind. -this electric monster, it will hurt Shaarra, MY Sharra, I have to kill this thing before it hurts MY Sharra!!!!!- Kuroirihi's gaze was lost, he laughed and looked at the ampharos standing in front of him. "I won't let you hurt her, I wont!" He was protective of the houndour...there was something to be said even for demons. Chirin paddled backwards from the demon, pulsing little flicks of electricity in warning over towards him. It was such an easy thing to do now; his body had regained some of its electricity during his evolution and it was rapidly recharging, filling itself up in a way he had never known. He kept looking at his flippers in the water, which were now the color of daffodils, and realized the soft red light playing off the surface in front of him came from his forehead. It, like his tail, was flashing in warning. He reached up just so he could feel the smooth rounded jewel there, and had to duck his head so he could reach it. No hair now. Beneath the water his legs felt different. "Selden, it's fine, it's me, here, get behind me." Recognition slowly crept over Selden's face and the flaaffy, much more ready to trust him than the demons, paddled over and wrapped his arms round his shoulders, much easier to do now. Chirin felt the wind blow over his wet, bald head, and Selden's rubbery flippers gripped him just below the neck...all his coat was gone; it felt weird but good. He could not leave till he knew these creatures were not going to attack the new flock of Phos. Crazy Lights had helped him evolve, Crazy Lights the genie who had been protecting him from the very very first. He watched, and waited. ~ Sharra's laughter cut off abruptly as she heard a loud splash from far off down the beach, followed by the distant loud bleatings of a Mareep or something similar. Probably some large predator picking off a midday meal... The noises continued, and she tried to ignore them as she slit the opened Shellder neatly in half with a claw. Her ears perked up slightly, unconsciously, as she heard a very loud shouting noise. Someone was bellowing their lungs out, and for some reason it sounded quite familiar... She got up slowly, leaving her meal behind. "I'll be back," the Vaporeon told Indy, and took off running down the beach... Indy blinked "Uhh...sure Sharra." He watched the Vaporeon take off down the beach, then looked back at the Shellder. Well...it was cut in half... "She wouldn't mind iffen I took my half now I dun think." he said as he took his half. ~ After a few minutes of running, Sharra slowed down a bit. It was wonderful to be back on the Surface World again, running along the beach in the sunlight! She looked up ahead, and sure enough, there were a few shapes out in the water. As she drew closer, she could see the shape of a large predator on the beach as well. She approached it cautiously, and recognized it as a Houndour. She thought for a moment that she might have seen this one before, but then again she hadn't seen many Houndours in her life and they probably looked all the same to her. She kept a good distance from it, not wanting to interrupt its hunting, if that was what it was doing. She looked out over the water, trying to see what creatures were in the water. She stepped into the water, noticing a much more gradual slope of the beach at this part of the lake, and waded in until it was deep enough to swim. She felt an odd, slightly unpleasant sensation running through her, almost like electricity. Maybe some Chinchou or Lanturns in the deeper parts of the lake were getting excited or something... She swam on, approaching the shapes. She wondered briefly why she was doing this as she surfaced for air... ~ Chirin heard the splashing and looked up the beach. Something else was swimming in towards them, it was that vaporeon from the group. Was she coming to help or hurt? Chirin had barely met her...and they were not by the tree right now. Did instincts take over for some when they left? After all, sacred grounds or not, hunters too must eat. "Oh, Chirin...who's that...who's that?" "The vaporeon." He swam further out from the path of beach the demon guarded, easing up but still continuing the pulsing current that served as a warning, both to enemies seen, and unseen, in the water. To see if he could--he should be able to--he squeezed a drop of his *denki* gently out through his arms...and felt it come up around him from there as well as his tail. He had received the gift all denryuu got on evolution: the Hand of Lightning. He kept his eyes both on the dark dogs and on the vaporeon, while she was above water anyway. Every inch of him was on alert and asking that the stranger show her intentions. Kuroirihi was interrupted of his tougths when he saw Sharra comming closer He looked at Chirin, fear grasped him "SHARRA!!! GET AWAY! THEY'LL HURT YOU!!!!" Kuroirihi swam to Sharra, almost by insctint he turned his gaze to Sharra and back to Chirin with fear "If you hurt her I promes i will get you!" the eclipseon shouted, more in fear than in anger Chirin felt his safety invaded as the demon took to the water. Without any thinking on his part, a kind of bubble of electricity squirted out of his tail, briefly heightening the current around him but not so much...or at least he hoped not... Selden squeezed his necka little too hard as the demon swam a little closer, but not heading towards them. Chirin bleated out. "I won't hurt anyone! I promise! Unless...you hurt me or my friends! Then I'll have to attack you...but please, don't...Just go away and I won't hurt you! I don't want to hurt anyone!" He watched the dark dog swim out to Sharra and the memory hit his brain. Sharra had spoken to Swarber about her mate being trapped in evil...was this demon, in fact, just another innocent ringed by Burakuru? "Kuro?!" Sharra exclaimed in surprise. "What on earth are you doing in the water?" she asked, suddenly scared for his safety. She had so many questions to ask him, mainly why he was taking a dip in the lake with an Ampharos, but decided to save them for later. She swam towards him at full speed, disregarding his command, and almost knocked him underwater with her nuzzle. "I've missed you!" Erik watched as the two argued. This really had nothing to do with him... but... "Can I help you, Kuroirihi?" he called. Chirin, paddling backwards and dragging Selden with him, felt a strange welling up in him as the two hunters apparently reunited. He was suddenly more aware of Selden holding his shoulders and clinging against his back. Out the side of his wide vision he spotted the third dog loping into view. All thoughts of getting out of the water now were erased. He gave the dog a brief look and flashed his light once--saying to the houndour that Chirin clearly saw him. Kuroirihi looekd at Erik confused, then at Sharra, and at Chirin, Kuroirihi felt his mind go numb. Kuroirihi swam away from sharra, in silence, and he headed to the shore. "Get away, please, all of you, go away." Sharra stared ofter Kuroirihi, silent. She turned her head away and dove underwater, eyes bright with tears. Was something wrong with him? She swam back to shore and walked out, shaking her fur dry, and waited hesitantly for Kuro to arrive... She wasn't sure whether she should stay or not. Thoughts of telling Swarber all this were floating in Chirin's mind. Whose side were these two on? He had no doubts where the demon's intentions lay...or did he, now? It had rarely been more obvious than now that the spirits were at play in a strange and dangerous game here. If he spoke up he was likely to get lies or worse. Chirin paddled out further, "come on Selden, I'm going to get us around them and we're getting back to the others." But not so fast that he would not witness the outcome of this. Backpaddling slowly, he kept his eyes on the big demon dog who had caused him so much pain..and yet was clearly in worse pain himself now. Was this the beginning of the havoc Bangaa's army would wreak? Or just one possessed creature at battle with himself? Kuroirihi looked at Sharra with tears. "I told you to leave...." Those where his last words, the fire on his marks began to expand, soon his whole body got surrounded in fire, he soon became a orb of fire, and from within the crackling of the fire came a soft "I love you, I'm sorry" After that, a bright light took over the place, Kuroirihi saw all his memories from the day of his evolution until now, Kuroirihi felt his body weaken, he sighed. "THis is it for me, goodbye, all..." The light dissipated slowly, the fire had consumed everything. Everything but an umbreon, who stood almost floating in mid air, the Umbreon suddently fell heavily to the ground with a loud -thud- and gave no signs of existance.. but a faint breathing.... and a soft heartbeat. Chirin witnessed the flight of fire with his *denki* brimming into the lake and his breath held tight. A spirit had given up, and fled the ruined refuge of its body. Selden buried his face against Chirin's neck and closed his eyes. A convulsion overtook Chirin-chirin. "Ahhh...Amphaaa..." There on the beach lay Burakuru. Dead. From the conflict of two spirits that neither had won, perhaps... His shuddering voice formed whispers, petals of prayer floating to him from the sky, the lake, and some unknown place in him. "Watakko blue, Phos bright..." The curse... "shine here, fill my sight..." Offending the dead... "Break from the shadow-ball, break its hold..." But Chirin had broken Burakuru's ring once. He knew he could again. As the spasm of--fear? shock? subsided, he stared at Burakuru, waiting for a sign that her spirit had returned to her body. Or...his, the Dark Ewe seemed still in male form. Perhaps this was a son of Burakuru...? "Kuro?" Sharra's eyes widened, and she ran towards him. The water had weakened him more than she had seen outwardly... And now he was gone! "No, don't leave!" she yelled at him as she reached him, eyes too filled with tears to notice that his fire-markings had disappeared. "Stop! You can't go... I love you," she choked out, lying down next to him and sobbing silently... The figure walked rigth behind Sharra. "He told you to leave, how fool, he knew you would never leave." without even waiting for Sharra tor turn around, a turret of flames was directed at her. "Now I'll get rid of you, you caused his weakness!" The figure revealed itself...it was merely made of flames.... resembling... a flareon? The spirit was back. And it carried within the rushing wind of it flames, the demon voice. "Sharra look out!" Sharra looked up in alarm as the flames came rushing around her. "Who are you?" she shouted despite the pain, her eyes clenched tightly shut and her paws covering her face. If she was going to die, she couldn't think of a better time or place... Right next to Kuro... "No!" Chirin splashed forward, paddling closer to the shore. "Selden stay back here." He pried the flaaffy's arms off him and set Selden down in water up to his neck. He wanted to tell him to swim to get help, but who knew what those houndours would do or anyone, if they caught him alone... Chirin paddled into shallower water. Hunkering down to stay within the protection of water, he used his flippers to fling flaps of water through the air towards the evil fire demon. His aim and his range were poor...he could only hope to buy Sharra enough time to use her own attacks. Kuroirihi barked at Artemis. "D... do something... Artemis, do something, kill them!" The Eclipseon quickly turned to face the sheeps, he tried pathetically to paddle in their way, his paralized extremities whernet helping much, but this time they woouldn't get away, no way in hell he would leave them go away this time, they would hurt her for sure... Shakily, Kuroirihi swam at Chirin's side, fear numbing his alreayd dead mind, yet, he only had one thing in mind, to end up with him, Kuroirihi tried to bite Chirin, but only managed to get a mouthfull of water, choking , the eclipseon struggled to get control back.... I'm Kurotaiyo. More than a voice it was a mere crackling of fire, twisted language, barely able to be heard, but yet easy to understand. "I'm Kuroirihi's ambition for power, I am his true power, but he is useless to me now, and i shall kill him along with you, those houndours and sheeps! I will fulfill Keel alla's orders to destroy and serve at his side, so now you die!" The flame eon warmed the ground and it all became to turn unbrearably hot, the ground around him almost turning to Magma. Kuroirihi merely twitched, he was still too weak to react, but he felt the pain of the fire. "Kill him?" Sharra repeated, glancing back at the still Umbreon... Umbreon?! "Kuro?!" she shouted, hoping desparately that he wasn't dead. All of the sudden, Sharra's paws felt unbearably hot. She jumped to her feet, growling in her fury. "You're not killing anyone!" she screamed, releasing a torrent of water at the Flareon... Erik stared at the still form of the Umbreon on the beach. What... wasn't Kuroirihi an Eclipseon? What had happened to him? The Houndour pup padded over to him and nosed him softly. "Kuroirihi..." he whispered softly. "Oh, wake up, won't you? Won't Mur'ada be disappointed in you?" Artemis's rage burned, but was it truly Artemis that held the anger within? She shook her head, on the beach, everything happened. And despite the voice heard of the raging battle between the others, inside Artemis there was a battle, not between unknown things, but between 2 known beings....Artemis, and her twin, Din. Voices were heard, they came from the female houndour, but one was of Artemis's voice but the other deeper, demanding, and powerful. "You pathtic dog! You promised! And you let your brother down!" Tears ran down the Artemis's face. And Artemis's voice spoke. "No! I didn't I didn't! I swear, please stop yelling at me! Please." Din's voice was heard, and Artemis felt the burning rage of the fire that the other Kuro gave off, but Din's voice and her pain were to much. "You did to, your pathtic thing for love, friendship and loyality has turned you from taking the form of what I asked you!" Still trying to splash water on the fire-being, Chirin had only managed to reach it with splayed arcs of droplets. And now he sank back in the water, feeling safer in its chilly hug; he stared at the dog who had told him she was possessed...all at once the spirits were at war within themselves, crackling to life, shredding at the bodies that held them. The blight had bounced from the demon to the pup, just as Chirin's own genie had shone power to help him. The offended dead grew stronger by the hour. "We're getting away from here." Chirin kicked in the water, stroking slowly but surely towards Selden. He hugged the flaaffy, nuzzled him, seeing his own red light cast on Selden's face. He parted the flaaffy's overgrown wool away from his eyes. He prayed, prayed that the spirits residing within bodies not given to them at conception, would cease to rear up and make people fight themselves. Artemis cried, unable to move her body, thought raged within the young houndour's mind, she shook her head. Artemis tried to rid herself of Din, but with the hightened sense of evil Din could control Artemis's body. Artemis heard everything that came around her, but could react to none. Din spoke again. "You failed Mur'ada! The one you took to side with. Go on, cry you wimp. Kurotokya(sp?) kill them now, and destroy them, they are all usless." Artemis continued to cry, trying to stand while Din was destracted. Standing upon wobbly legs, Artemis opened her teary eyes, snarling. Picking up Kurohi and setting him in the nearby forest. Glancing up at the newly evolved Ampheros(sp?) and yelled to them as best as Artemis could, wincing in pain. Regaining control of her body. "Go, into the forest! Now! Please!?!" Artemis darted into the shallow water, wincing at the pain of the water and burning heat. Artemis's paws burned, feeling like they were melting on the ground. Artemis tried to help Sharra up, but falling weak, Artemis collapsed into the water. Chirin was going anywhere but the woods. "I'm staying in the water! The lake protects. Oh, ancestors of mine, be calm, spirits by my side and in my skin, be calm...Soul of my light...be calm." Was his own spell causing this? Who were these demons who possessed others of the dark? Who was the fire from Kuro, who was the other voice in Artemis? Chirin had to get away from this mess and back to the tree. He turned and started paddling away, holding on to Selden's arm with one of his own flippers since the flaffy's grip seemed to be weakening a little. He pointed his yellow nose northward, still able to see the dogs with Sharra up the beach. He had Evin, Celesteon, Hampty, Skip, Mecha...so many friends of light he must see again and make sure they were okay. He should tell them what he and Selden had witnessed here. Selden took comfort in the feel and smell of his friend. It was still Chirin, changed in body but unchanged every other way. He took comfort in his arms round chirin's new long neck and a rush in his belly against his back. His heels found a grip around Chirin's ribs and he rode along as Chirin slowly swam, half wading at times, away from the horror scarring the beach. Chirin was bigger, mightier and more beautiful than ever. No matter what, Chirin would protect him. Kurotaiyo yelped in surprise as the water rushed towards him. The water made impact on his 'body' Kurotaiyo had not even time to scream a last time when the Water washed away his core, he imploded, having absolutely no resistance to the cold raging water, the remaining mass of spiritual fire that didnt went out with the water gave its last sign of life... The pulsing power of the firestone that held it together abbandoned it in a violent explosion, just as the water torrent went by, a loud explosion was the last word from the fire being, the limp body of Kurohi got dragged away by its force, and settled, breathing slowly, still not willing to move. the spirit of the firestone abbandoned the being of fire, and returned to nature.... Chirin stopped swimming, his *denki* brimming over in a pulse of fear and suspense. He watched, sensing some sort of clash reaching its resolution. He must see how this reached a balance again. "The fire went away," said Selden. "I think the demon's dead." The dead were never dead. But Chirin had thrown Burakuru's ring off-- with Crazy Lights' help. The best thing for him to do was to get back now and do that stone-casting and reading...if the fire had not crept too close. The spell among the stones seemed long ago and far away now. The curse was laid, and time laid upon it, burying and cementing it. "I think we need to get away while the other two dogs are distracted," said Chirin, taking up his northward swim again. Sharra and Crazy Lights had bought them time to return. Tachi...Celesteon...Evin...Mecha. He swam on, reluctant to leave the water still. Though his entire coat had been lost, fat had replaced it and it helped to insulate him against the lake's chill. Despite that, though, he was too cold for comfort. He could tell just by the feel of his new body--his flippers brushing his sides, his legs and tail bumping gently against each other as he swam--that he wasn't the best insulated ampharos out there, at least not for now. He was a young and gawky pharamp, and his father had been a little gangly even at the mature age Chirin had known him in. The glossy black heap of Burakuru grew smaller as he swam away with Selden in tow. He turned his head partway to the left so he could watch those dogs while watching the beach ahead. He, and hopefully Selden too, had learned a lesson about venturing out alone around the lake while the spirits marched on their rampage. Never ever would he come out here again at all without equipping himself with the protection of charms. They all must be warned. Chirin came ashore among frost-crippled reeds that had found a final reprieve in the last couple of nights. Selden waded up alongside him, seeming much shorter and smaller now. The apricorn shell still hung on chirin's neck, the ariados thread stringing it there had proved tough enough to stick out the snag of a Dark Ewe's ring, not to mention several flame attacks. Chirin held it out, ducked and licked it, tasting the lakewater. "I send this to you with the speed of jumpluffs." He kissed it, hoping that the sweet little twitch that flickered up in him, traveled to her through their spirit connection. And in his suddenly glowing head jewel the apricorn blushed. How he longed to talk to her, hold her now...but what if she was still a mareep, even? He couldn't help but feel that things would not be the same between them. Well, when--not if, *when*- -he found her again he would help her trrain to evolve! If she wanted to. A part of him had plans. If he had any say she would evolve through pleasure and not pain. "Where are we going now?" said Selden as he followed Chirin through the lakeweeds. "I want to make sure everyone's okay, and tell them--they should know that Sharra--that seems to be the vaporeon's name--is with that demon, but whether he is dead, or if the evil has gone out of him or-- or I don't have any idea, really--but that she's with him." He didn't know what to make of it. Only that that demon was in league with Mur'ada, to judge by what the Houndour had said. It fit in perfectly with what she and Swarber had...discussed. "Oh, I hate to think she's really on the dark side...she seemed so nice..." Stepping out onto the sand, he stood there in the twilight, hearing more than seeing the pokemon up by the tree among bushes and things. He stood on a different level now, further away from the ground, feeling a little out of touch with it--but a quick nibble on some of the sedge helped to restore his connection. ^_^ He caught glimpses of a blue light--Mimishi's? as the ends of the sedge blades were pulled into his mouth chew by chew. Artemis's face grew shaded, like something blanketed her from the outside world. And a deep, voice was heard through Artemis, yet it was not her usually voice. The voice came deep from within the spirit realm, and it called out, it's voice ringing for miles ahead. Artemis had no control over her body now, and her eyes glazed over, the young houndour was mere standing at the moment, waiting it's command. "WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU ARE GOING?" The voice echoed out to Chirin and Selden, who seemed to be at the other side. "DID I DISMISS US HERE? NO I THINK NOT!" The head slightly shook, as if someone were shaking it instead. "I BELIEVE YOU DON'T REALIZE WHO I AM DO YOU? I AM DIN! HOUNDOOM OF DEATH, AND EVERYTHING THAT SHARDS IT. GET BACK HERE NOW!" Artemis began to run for the water, entering it. A death look lay upon Artemis's worn face, the little pup seem to gain slight control over her face, a face that if seen said 'Go away, get away...why you can...please? I mean no harm...but...but..' Even though the houndour's body steamed from the cold water, it did not react. Just swam on, at a steady speed. Gaining itself onto Chirin and Selden. Sharra looked away and squeezed her eyes shut as Kurotaiyo's flames burst into a bright explosion. She looked up slowly, cautiously, wondering if he had really gone. She took a few deep, slow breaths, all her muscles tensed and still ready to fight. After a few moments of calm, she deemed it safe to let her guard down a bit. She turned and ran back over to the Umbreon's still form, tears streaming from her face. "Kuro... Kuro..." she repeated, bending down over him. "Please... Please be all right!" she begged... Kurohi's eyebrows twitched, and his paws responded, he moved his forepaw around, until fe finaly felt Sharra's leg, Kurohi just smiled, and slowly rose a eyebrow. "h... hey... hey dear..." Kurohi smiled and closed his eyes "Wake... wake me up.... when the nidos are gone." the Umbreon snored and peacefully fell asleep. "Kuro...!" Sharra shouted with relief. He wasn't dead! "There are no Nidos here, I promise..." she said soothingly. His voice... sounded very strange... She put a paw over his, hoping he would wake up, but decided to let him rest for now. She curled up next to him, keeping a watchful eye over his sleeping form... ~ Chirin pushed Selden through the grass ahead of him. He leaped into the water again, pulling the flaaffy in. Selden gave a startled cry but followed willingly. The two sheep tumbled down, half embracing, half swimming. He could handle this if they were in the water. Even though they were joining the houndour here, being in the water freed him from the risk of being burned again and increased his *denki*'s power. The places where he'd been burned before still felt a little sensitive. Chirin paddled out and away from the houndour swimming in the steam of her own pain. He had been given his final evolution tonight for a reason. Swallowing the last of the grass he had been so peacefully nibbling, he breathed in deep and released from his tail the charge that had already been overflowing onto his skin from the earlier threats, oozing out like too much secretion in response to his tension and fear. Sparks ran up from around his jewel, dancing over his still-long ears. He felt the deep buzz of the water as his attack raced out towards the houndour. This was a smaller shock, though powerful compared to his former *denki*. The next one he would thrust out in full force. He could only hope no friends of his were in the lake...the last thing he wanted to do was hurt them. "Please...don't make us hurt you!" Artemis took the shock, she couldn't refuse...nor could Artemis control her own body. The possessed Artemis continued to swim towards the 2 electric sheep, but slowly the paralisis took place, slowly pulling the young houndour under to her death. Din's voice rang out again. "You foolish, foolish Ampharos! All you're doing is killing your friend, the stupid houndour, my sister. Soon, she will drown due to the paralyzation that you caused. You didn't believe her, tisk tisk...you should have. Too bad, I feel no pain that you cause Artemis, and she can't react to it!" Din laughed, and Artemis's face turned to a deathly grin. Snickering. Gaining more and more on Chirin and Selden, yet sinking as well. Chirin hated to see the dog slowly sinking, still carried toward him by bloodlust. One of Burakuru's followers also meeting an end. He sensed Crazy Lights in the air and imagined him walking on water and pushing Artemis's head down like a stone. "She isn't my friend," he said. He felt sad to realize that the houndour was overcome by warring dark ones and that this would drag her down. What should he do? The darker of the two of them spoke to him now...he had to resist it. It was trying to make him help the dog survive to attack him and Selden again. Standing at the end of one's light-path, creatures turned desperate. Weeping, he turned tail and feet, kicking off to paddle away and towards the beach where the great tree stood like a guardian of the lake. It spoke with the lake's voice and he must return to it. Just as he left, his foot nudged up against the sinking dog's body under the water, and he gave a backwards, upwards thrust...just enough to nudge it towards the surface. "Find the light, *burakos*, no one must be *burakos* forever." Shaking out a sharp spark that might revive the beast, he turned away again towards the tree. Selden had separated from him and swam just ahead of him. Chirin kept behind him, blocking him from the dog. Chirin waded the rest of the way there. He had not stopped to see if Artemis had lived. She had probably drowned, but there was no more that he could do for a predator who wanted his flesh. He paused at the lake's edge, staring at the tree just up the way beyond the edge plants, while Selden ran up onto the sand. He shied back into the water's edge, seeing the denryuu hesitate. Chirin took the pebble from his apricorn shell and placed it on the sand. He ran his flipper over it, caressing it...it was like a tiny child to him now, he had had it so long. He murmured a prayer to calm the spirit of the dog who had drowned in pursuit of him. Lest her soul snarl out after his when he passed into the dream world. Hunters never stopped hunting. He held the pebble in the palm of his flipper and licked it for luck. He pressed his nose to it, forging the connection to the lake, where he sent his prayer. Always this little trick had worked to communicate with water. He put the pebble back away and waded ashore. Everything seemed a little smaller now. Coming u to the tree he pressed himself to it briefly and closed his eyes, letting warm teardrops slide down his cheeks. He was back safe, he had been brought to safety with the help of the loving genie whose existence he had doubted for so long. Wandering around the side of the tree while Selden kept close against him, he saw some pokemon about and his lights both blinked--his tail more brightly than his head--but did not call out to them. He didn't know where to go, what to do...how to reconnect after what he had experienced. The casting. The pebbles. He had left them there to soak up the powers of this sacred place...but first he had to see how Mecha, Calima and the others were... He stopped a moment, ducking to feel his face and ears again...remembering all over that he no longer looked like he had when he'd left. Curious, he stepped back into the water where it was somewhat more calm. Standing in up to the knees of his still stubby, but longer, legs, he waited for the water to smooth and show him his soul. The ripples eased enough for him to make out his longish (by denryuu standards anyway) wedge-shaped face, with eyes set widely, and a pointy chin. Lighting his head jewel he saw it was large, and so were his ears...they had gotten a bit longer still but no wider. They looked kind of long and skinny. Looking there he sort of remembered what his father looked like, he saw a glint of him there in the ears and the angular face. He had a long and gawky look to him...and seeing his feet through the water he could tell they were kind of big. He smiled. Something his uncle had once said, about rams' feet: "Big feet...big footprints." The joke that should have made him laugh now, made him cry a little. He faced the tree again and waded back out, retracing. Selden was waiting for him. Why did he feel afraid here? The camp was emptier than it had been. Chirin stepped past the tree and looked around. He had the feeling he had missed something...but hadn't exactly known he would be away so long, either. Of course, the idea that the spirits had removed him and Selden on purpose, to test him prove his strength to himself, occurred to him and it was entirely likely. But he was back now and had to figure out what to do next.