Boy, were these two anxious to get back to them, or what?  Thyme backed 
away a step, then two.  Something seemed to have possessed both Chirin 
and Petunia.  Something that was maybe more than a little frightening... 

~

the Eon dragged himself close to the sounds,  panting,  his body 
showed spots of charred fur everywhere,    and his saddened expresion 
seemed to relax for a moment when he tougth he had heard voices



"WHo's there?"

was the last yelp of the Eon before he decided to lay down and rest...

~

In a flash Chirin remembered who this little mareep was--it was Green-
eyes! How much smaller and younger she looked to him now! Still 
rebounding from the shock, trying to help Petunia get the sheep 
huddled together as a flock, "Green-eyes," he said, full of chaos, so 
many things bounding at him all at once.

"Thyme, get behind me and Chirin!" said Petunia, amazed at the total 
lack of fear in the lamb. Even Petunia, who had never seen any of 
these enemy creatures before, was dead terrified.

Thyme didn't know why Chirin was so frightened of these two Pokemon.  Why 
would they have remained so close and not harmed them -- either one of the 
strangers could have attacked by now, if thety were going to, wouldn't they?


Seeing Artemis arrive brought Chirin a wave of relief--and more 
confusion. "Artemis--what's going on? We're just trying to get all 
together and safe..."

He tried to herd all the sheep backwards, desperately needing 
distance between him and the two enemies. He didn't know whose side 
Sharra really was and he would take no chances. Not now that all his 
friends were here and alive. He would not lose them to the evil.

And they were a flock now. "Away, Burakuru, away," Chirin chanted, 
brightening his tail and waving it. "We are Light!"

Selden stood right behind Chirin, uncomfortably close to Mimishi, but 
just glad that Chirin had turned out to be okay. And Petunia was 
here, and Fluffy too! With everyone returned they were strong enough 
to take on anything.

"Karama," Chirin bleated a quick greeting to the mareep. Sharra and 
the wounded Burakuru-male didn't seem about to attack, and Artemis, 
he was sure, had not turned back away from her light-path. Why she 
was here he didn't know...she might have even felt sorry for her 
former allies in shadow and was trying to help them see the light. 
For she didn't seem aggressive towards any of the sheep either.

His ears wiggled. His lights flickered. Uncertainty quivered in the 
air but even he was able to observe the greeting between Fluffy and 
Karama. Even now in the tautness of enemy confrontation, wonder was 
blooming. Two silvery sheep, what did it mean? Had they both been 
touched by Denrai--did they both descend from the Pharos flock too?

"A-a-a-amp," Chirin bleated a warning towards Sharra and especially 
Burakuru, as he motioned the whole flock further backwards, edging 
them all up the beach in the direction of the tree. His tail light, 
curled round his side, was directed at the vanquished demon, catching 
his black fur and gold rings in its beam.


Thyme wasn't backing away.  Even ewith Chirin and the others, she still had 
her own path to follow.  She wasn't quite sure she really wanted to go back 
to the one herd that that other one -- was her name Cleomie? -- was in.  That 
Cleomie scared her, more than a little.

Shelearned some things from following this flock around and observing them.  
The first was, fear itself could paralyze and keep you from doing whatever 
you were meant to do in life.  Look at Fluffy -- whatever she had done, it 
clearly frightened her to where she was afraid she might do it again.  
Cleomie and the others claimed to be afraid of her -- but clearly not to the 
point where they plotted to hurt her, or so she had understood from listening 
to them, back with the others.

In life, you had t otake chances.  That's what kept you from being bored, 
like Petunia and the others were back in that strange place called a farm.  
Life, without taking chances, was just plain boring -- and life without being 
able to trust was worthless.

She repeated to the others, "Hello?"

~

Fluffy smiled at Chirin. 

"You-you grew Chirin," she said shyly. She got behind him and jumped back. 

"Do not be scared of me," said a dark blue, silver-wooled Mareep. "I'm Karama." 

"I'm Fluffy," Fluffy said, feeling foolish for getting all scared. 

Karama looked Fluffy up and down, and Fluffy looked Karama up and down. 

"Y-your silver," Karama said. 

"And you are a bit different too...Darker blue color and very dark 
blue eyes...They look almost black...And that silver wool...," Fluffy 
murmured. 

"..." 

"..." 

The both appeared to be too astounded to speak. They were too busy 
staring at eachother to notice hardly anything happening.  

~

"Do you think he found him?" Scrik asked Mel. 

The Pikachu shrugged. "I don't know... hopefully. One way to find 
out..." With a flick of her lightning bolt tail, Mel sped towards the 
direction Selden had went. ~Oh dang! I really gotta hurry back to get 
Kaji...~ An image of the Growlithe floated into her mind and Mel 
sighed. "Don't worry Kaji! I'll be back soon." She whispered to 
herself. 

Scrik about ran, but then stared back at ChiChi. "You coming, too?" 
She asked.

~

Thyme went instead towards the newcomers and sniffed the air 
curiously.  To her, this was less frightening than the abrupt changes 
in  Petunia and the storyteller.  She repeated a third time, "Hello?"

Chirin started. A spark blinked off his head jewel. "Thyme, please, 
be careful, the houndour's my friend, but the--"

"Thyme! Get behind me now!" Petunia reached out to grab the lamb and 
stuff her back towards safety. What was wrong with her? She really 
did have no instincts! It was frightening!

Chirin, too busy keeping every sense attuned to what the demons did 
and trying to back everyone into safety, wondered at the change in 
Thyme--Green-eyes. Hadn't she been the silent and shy one, too afraid 
even to speak to him--to Selden even?

Night loomed over them, Burakuru's time of power. No wonder this son 
of the Dark Ewe had come back alive now, on the night when even Clef 
was away. He should have known, it should have occurred to him.

Flippers extended he took another step back, still keeping alongside 
Petunia, in the forefront, nothing but naked air between him and the 
enemy.

Off by the tree, far behind them, he heard a few of the others coming 
this way. "No, no..." he called back behind them. "Enemies here!"

His eyes pleaded Artemis to take his side, stay by him, help drive 
the demon away one more time.


Kurohi squinted    he  shook his head  closing his eyes

"WHo are you!?   turn off the ligths already!"

the umbreon barked,   he had not recovered his sterength yet, but he 
sure had his same old mood

"Leave us alone already whoever you are!"


Suddenly, Kurohi sensed something familiar...
this scent?  could it be?


Thyme's tail light hadn't brightened, but those of Chirin and the 
others had.  Still the strange Pokemon hadn't attacked.  "Hello," she 
repeated patiently, one last time. 

Satisfied at last that these pokemon would not harm them, she moved 
to the side ot let the storyteller and the others talk to them. 


"You must leave us alone!" Tears burst down chirin's face. "You've 
attacked me and my friends enough times. "Leave, oh darkness, leave, 
Burakuru's child! Run away far from here and never hurt me or my 
friends again!"

He took a breath, screwed his courage up. "Our lights are our souls 
and we will never, ever turn them off. Never." Just as he had 
thought, this was indeed a dark one, weak to the light. "But I won't 
pursue you if you leave here. I'm an ampharos of the flock of 
Pharos," he said answering the question of who he was. If this demon 
hadn't learned his name he would not risk giving it to him now.

The others huddled near him and he smelled their fear as surely as he 
could feel their collective *denki*, as the flock stood close 
together with static piling off them, snapping in the air.



"I should had knew! it's you!"

Kurohi bared his teeth,   this time he was really afaid of Chirin,    
beaten so many times by the sheep,   Kurohi had no intention to get 
in its way

"Go away before i eat all of you! after our last battle you only made 
me stronger!  so now leave me and my mate alone before i Kill you off 
already!  All of you!"



Kurohi sighed and tried to catch up some air,   he slowly walked 
without looking at Sharra's direction... everything was becoming odd, 
and he felt like he was about to faint, yet, he did his best to hide 
it

Thyme rolled her eyes, still standing off to the side.  They were all 
acting very odd.  Who talks first and attacks later? Maybe big 
brothers (which she didn't have, but she'd seen examples) and 
bullies -- but not this one.  He just seemed -- the newcomer had 
asked a reasonable enough question. 

There seemed to be a thread of silk connecting his eyes with the son-
of-Burakuru's. He knew it was there. A soul link, two enemies, dark 
against light, reaching out to touch each other, each soul feeling 
for a motive, a balance. Chirin regretted that couldn't all be 
friends, he wished that the magic of the spirit tree would just sweep 
them all over. It was a shame.

Perhaps...in the wake of their souls making contact this way...Chirin 
felt outwards with his thoughts, concentrating, maybe even those of 
the light-eating golden rings could be changed over, maybe even they, 
had light inside.

Thyme nodded.  Okay.  She moved back farther -- away from both the 
flock and from these strange dogs.  Not too far, but far enough.  She 
did ask one question, though.

"Hadn't you seen the lights before you arrived here?  Why were you 
following them?"  Not to mention that Chirin and the other were here 
first... 

Petunia was desperately trying to shush her. Chirin prayed the 
spirits that the demon would not hurt Thyme, the littlest one here. 
How could such a night of pleasure and soul-sharing, and then a flufh 
of meeting with old friends--could turn so dark and dangerous, so 
fast?

"Back, everybody get back!" Dancing back but refusing to turn tail 
yet, Chirin fell to all fours and lifted his tail over his head. He 
sparked it in warning. Loud curls of electricity slapped the air 
between them. He saw Selden standing to the side, half behind him, 
taking up the same pose. Petunia was doing the same.

He stepped back slowly, foot by foot, keeping his gaze on the 
demon's. "We will not hurt you," said Chirin, "if you leave now. Good 
Phos--we eat grass. We have no desire to hurt you except to keep 
ourselves safe."

"I didnt followed any darn ligth!     this walking headligth here is 
always getting in my way!"


Kurohi's pathetic rage reached a limit,  and he leaped without 
thinking it twice   aiming straigth for Thyme's troath


"NO! NO!" Petunia ran forward just as Chirin fired his building bolt. 
It raced over Petunia's head, aimed at the black demon. The flaaffy 
ducked screaming, but gathered her control and sent her own bolt 
towards the demon. Two booms shook the sand.

Off behind him Chirin heard Mimishi scream and saw Selden scrambling.

Kurohi pounced over Thyme,  without loosing any time he dug his teeth 
as well as he could in her neck,  with a sickening ripping sound, he 
drew back his head taking off a big patch of wool and even damaging 
her muscle

Kurohi grinned..

his happiness didnt lasted long,    the crossed bolts reached him, 
Kurohi was thrown back far from Sharra and from the sheeps, his blood 
stained muzzle coughed more blood, but this time it was not of the 
sheep, but his own,   Kurohi panted, his eyes wide open with a blank 
stare

painfully he managed to roll over
 and fixed his idle stare at Chirin

Full of blood and *denki* and madness Chirin bolted forward. He 
placed himself in front of Thyme. The blood scent might provoke 
another attack on the poor mareep. He must get this demon dead or 
running. 

He flung his flippers out, balling his *denki* up into one and 
releasing the Hand of Lightning at the struggling enemy. Sobbing 
peeled back his lips.

"THYME!" Petunia, struggling to regain her footing, dove over the 
bleeding lamb, "Ohh...." This was all her fault, all her 
fault. "Thyme, Thyme..." Petunia tried to scoop her up, she would get 
her away from here...

Thyme bleated in pain and fright when the strange pokemon attacked 
and injured her.  Her green eye filled with tears.  -Why?- she 
thought, staring at the blurred figure of the srange Pokemon.  What 
had she ever done to him?  

Then, her sigt dimmed and she fainted, dead away.

"Thyme, Thyme..." Petunia picked the lamb up and ran back with her, 
away from Chirin and the horrible battle. "No." She placed her down 
on the sand not far away, she had to stop the bleeding...

"SOMEBODY HELP US!"

Kurohi had no strength to yelp again,   the thunderpunch caugth him 
in the side and he rolled away, he spat blood again and managed to 
turn his head again so that he could face Chirin again,        


fear

Kurohi was full of fear ,  he closed a eye as the paralizis made its 
job,  a small arch of residual electricity ran across his body as he 
gave another twitch

Kurohi tried to speak.. but no words came forth, he relaxed his head 
and slowly began to close his eyes

The last lash of electricity had left Chirin's *denki* drained, he 
realized, feeling his tail buzz but barely respond. He would need a 
few moments to recharge now. And the putrid thing lying here before 
him, near death, must have been the one to intervene, to squeeze its 
claws around his own *denki* and drain it out. Dark snatching at 
light to save itself. 

Chirin backed away, hearing Petunia's scream...he could stand it no 
longer. Seing that Selden and Mimishi and the others were well back 
from harm's way now, he raced back among them, to see what had become 
of Thyme. He joined the other sheep clustered around the sobbing 
Petunia...and the inert lamb. Her green eyes shut to the world.

"She's breathing, she's alive..." The bleeding, he had to stop the 
bleeding. He tried to press the edges of Thyme's own wool against the 
wound. His own flippers might do a better job, but the wound was on 
her neck...he couldn't squeeze too tightly.

"Everyone...Shine your light! Shine it!" he said with a high crying 
bleat that cracked his voice. "We are beacons, we are beacons..."

He kept his eye on the demon and his soul on Thyme. He felt a part of 
him reaching out...

His gift. Antipation swarmed in his stomach--Could he--possibly use 
it to--

~Please......   don't hurt her~



Kurohi used the last remains of his energy to comunicate 
telepathically with Chirin,     it was his own voice, completely free 
of stress, free of anger, clearly in Chirin's head


~I had my reasons, you had yours, i don't care,   just leave the 
Vaporeon alone,    I want to be with her for a last moment"



the charred umbreon lay there, the smoke was just stopping to come 
out of his roasted fur, his rings barely shining now,   he kept a eye 
semi open, the other one had been seriously damaged and it was too 
painful to keep it open

he tried to talk to Sharra,   but any voice came,   just the coppery 
taste of his own blood

A soul stranded out of a ravaged body, life's blood seeping into wool 
and sand. Chirin closed his eyes and laid his head against Thyme as 
he kept her wool pressed to the wound. If he wanted to be a healer, 
if he wanted to use his gift to *do something*, now was the time to 
try with all he had. He had foolishly discharged every last volt at 
the demon in a rush of overkill, but he needed nothing in storage to 
let his little electric fingers in the air, take flight.

He let that part of his mind detach on the electricity in the air, 
and it crawled, hiking, through into Thyme's wool. He began to make 
his way towards the wound. How would he fix it? He began to think 
back on how he could use it...he had traveled through the tree's 
walls and picked apricorns, he had used it to grab hold and re-enter 
his own body, he had dug holes in the sand. But never had he repaired 
something, especially not something so delicate and complex as a 
pokemon. 

The electric waves, too small to see, led him to the site of the 
gashes, the tearing of flesh, that the demon had savaged her with in 
his jaws. And Chirin felt and saw with his sense, he sent out two, 
four, six runners of repair. He didn't know what he was doing, he was 
splashing around... 

*Chenja...you had this gift too...please, help me, guide me. Thyme 
needs me...I have to fix this or her soul may not come back.*

Chirin's delicate manipulations, or at least his clumsy, novice 
attempts, were nearly scattered apart by the intrusion of the 
telepathy. 

--burakuru in my head--

No! Chirin could not lose concentration now. He breathed 
steadily...and talked to the voice, it was like one more runner of 
his gift, only outside of it, in his own mind. He spoke to the spirit 
who had somehow jumped into his head. He steeled himself against his 
fear. *I will hurt no one...not Sharra, no one...no one...I come in 
peace...please leave my head...please...* 

And Chirin strode on within his electric sense, picking over the 
movement of Thyme's flowing blood. His flippers and his feet, his 
whole body, shook and sweated and as his *denki* began to 
recover...it sparked.

Dash and weave, his electric sense darted in with grabbing fingers. 
Dash and weave, for every thread of Thyme's body snapped in two. 
Chirin's gift laced out from his mind, stumbling, scrambling over the 
obstacles before him, all around him in the vast land of Thyme's own 
body, around the wound.

If he failed, it would be a life cut short--all the pleasures he had 
swooned in tonight would never be hers to know. Not as a living, 
breathing soul in a body...she might appear again, in the future, in 
another--but it would not be her here.

Artemis looked at all that happened before her. The houndour pup was frozen, 
she couldn't move. Seeing the little lamb hurt by the attack Kurohi, then 
Kurohi...dieing....it was all too much, like when, her brother died. Artemis 
couldn't let it happen again. She just couldn't! Artemis looked over at 
Chirin and yelled over the roar of electricity.

"Why? Again, did you have to harm him so much? But I'm on your side...don't 
worry."

Artemis was fustrated, angry, sad, hungry, hurt, and much more...and it was 
soo much to handle at the time. The houndour dodged the electricity that 
still hit the ground as best she could, but Artemis missed steps at times 
and was hit, her fur sizzled. Artemis reached the dieing Kurohi and nudged 
his nose, her little necklace gleamed and suddenly, Artemis and Kurohi were 
surrounded in a bubble of burning, red, heat. Heat from the fire that 
Artemis was made of...but it didn't harm the ones within it, it did ford off 
the other remaining electricity sparks that flew around the air and anyone 
that were trying to enter the little bubble. The heat was soothing, and 
relaxing. The kind of heat Chirin had felt, and Erik had felt. Artey said 
softly to him.

"You must get up, you can't die...you can't die...think about Sharra."

Artemis knew that Kurohi could careless about her, but that doesn't matter, 
whether Kurohi thought otherwise, or Sharra. Artemis glew a hazy yellow 
like, the color of Chirin's tail light. And the little houndour started to 
grow.....and grow to stand at....4 feet 6 inchs from a 2' 1". Artemis didn't 
think of anything, the houndour didn't notice that she had evolved...Artemis 
kept her concintration on the dYing Kurohi.

Mimishi gasped at the sight of the houndour evolving and huddled 
closer to Chirin. She hated all of this--how helpless she felt. she 
couldn't talk to Chirin, who by the look of him was too deep in 
concentration--and she couldn't do anything else. Chirin had said 
that this one was his friend...but she appeared to be trying to 
revive Kuroirihi! Mimishi recognized Kuro even in his different 
evolution. And she knew how evil he was. How could she be Chirin's 
friend and Kuro's at the same time??

Strange how she had been so intimate with Chirin and still wasn't 
sure where his loyalties really lay.


Chirin kept diving for loose ends, kept trying to catch blood before 
it flowed out. All with his so-called gift. If it was so powerful why 
couldn't he even heal a rip with it? What was he doing wrong? Why 
couldn't he grab with it like he should...He thought as he worked; it 
must be something missing that he hadn't figured out yet.

Of course! He was not channeling his *denki* through, to shape the 
currents on his own, build on what was already flowing around him and 
change them to what he could use to move the flesh towards healing, 
to form a blockage, stop the bleeding. 

His electric gift leaped round like a hundred hoppips, trying to 
forge through and stop the gushing out of her life. Only this little 
lamb mattered right now. Like anyone she must have dreams...a quest 
for happiness and knowing who she really was. Her light-path was as 
important as his or Azalea's or anyone's. 

And he had brought her here, he knew; his ram scent had attracted 
Petunia, who had brought them too. He didn't know what he'd do if he 
lost Thyme here to Burakuru. He held back his fear that her soul 
would swirl away into some kind of abyss.

*Thyme...do you hear me...Thyme, come back.*

Sharra ran over to where Kurohi had fallen - and it was Kurohi, she 
was sure of it now... His voice was unmistakable, pained though he 
was.

"Kurohi... Kurohi..." she repeated, her voice rising in panic. Why 
had he lashed out in an attack before he had recovered? "Please be 
all right," she fought back tears as she noticed the blood he was 
coughing out. She held a paw in front of a light Water Gun, then 
pressed the cool, damp fur against his forehead.

The indigo Vaporeon knelt down beside the Umbreon and nuzzled him 
gently, shaking with fear. She looked up at the Ampharos, wondering 
how he had spurred Kurohi to such a rage. He certainly seemed nice 
enough, as did his friends...

She was barely aware of Artemis as she nosed Kurohi, but looked up in 
alarm as she began to glow. The Houndour had... evolved? She heard 
her saying something about dying... She battled another wave of tears 
but ultimately lost, watching Kurohi's labored breathing. He couldn't 
die... Not now...

Mimishi kept glancing at Petunia, who leaned over Thyme pouring her 
tears out over her. "Oh, Thyme, ohh," she was bleating. Mimishi held 
it in; Petunia must assume her name was Mimi (which Chirin had, er, 
repeatedly called her, before in the woods) a sheep she'd never met, 
which Mimishi was momentarily grateful for. Petunia did not remember 
her. She didn't know that Mimishi had been the quiet, antisocial 
sheep who had always hung out in the corner of the barn or the 
outskirts of the pasture. So many times Petunia had tried to reach 
out and be friendly, until Mimishi's fears had finally made her, too, 
give up.

"Chirin, please save her, please, oh, please," the ewe was sobbing 
alongside Mimishi. The entire flock, 6 sheep strong, clustered round 
Thyme, caught up in the plight of their youngest member. Would Chirin 
succeed, or would enemies claim another one of their numbers?

Chirin sensed his time was running out, he wasn't sure how he knew 
but tuned as he was to the life-pulses of Thyme's body, he believed 
all that his gut instinct told him. The spirits spoke. 

*Chenja, Lararu, please lend me your powers, lend me the skill to 
heal that you saved so many pokemon with. I need you, I need your 
help.* 

Tearfully, he continued on with his electric sense, trying to forge a 
border over the wound and stop the bleeding. All the sheep huddled 
together around the lamb who hung in the balance.

Kurohi slowly -and painfully-  managed to move his
head and he faced Sharra,    he gave her a rerasuring
look, just before wincing

"....."

Kurohi tried to talk, but yet no words came,  all
Kurohi could manage to was to stretch his paw and put
it on Sharra's side,   with his eye he gave her a
peaceful look, 

after that Kurohi got too tired of holding his paw, 
he fell limp to the floor,   but his gaze still fixed
on sharra,   and he kept struggling to breathe...

Artemis gave a slight smile at Sharra, and looked back down at Kurohi.

"Kurohi, stay awake...that maybe your only hope...you can't die...you 
can't."

Artemis couldn't think of anything to do...what was there to do? 2 lives 
were slipping away from her paws tonight, she couldn't allow that to happen. 
Artemis noticed something, she was different, different from Erik now. Could 
it be? Artemis had evolved. Artemis howled out and looked over at Chirin who 
was deep in concentration.

"By the Moons!"

Artemis called out, the little sheep taught her much. And nothing was going 
to stop Artey from believing in the spirits now, from believing in the 
spirits that her father hated much. But something kept Artemis back from 
helping Kurohi...

~Why hadn't the spirits helped Kurohi now? He's changed hasn't he?~

~

Kurohi closed his good eye, and for a moment he stopped 
breathing                        everything seemed to 
stop for a moment.... and there,    he saw a brigth shiny 
forest.....   Kurohi looked all around,     it looked so 
peaceful...   so lonley
 Thyme stepped out of the forest.  "Hello,"she said, stepping 
closer.  The young ewe/lamb bounded up to Kurohi and 
stopped. She looked him in the eyes.  "Why did you attack me?  I did 
nothing to you."
 Kurohi sat down and looked at 
Thyme,     "I....."                                                   
                                                                      
     
Kurohi sighed "I dont know...   I was so angered at Chirin...   and 
you got on my nerves.... I guess i wanted to do 
something that really hurted him.... for once...."
 Kurohi rose his face,  he wanted... but he woudnt apologize,  his 
pride would never allow it
"It looked more like you wanted to hurt me, and I didn't really 
understand why.  What did the storyteller do to you?"  Thyme studied 
Kurohi with 
wide green eyes.  "You have others who care about you back there -- 
close to a family.  I have none, and that's what I searched for, in 
life.  That is, if I'm dead.  I 
don't know yet," she said, laughing.
 "Are you?"
 Kurohi sighed and looked away  "You know... me either... i dont know 
where the heck i am..."    Kurohi eyed Thyme  "but 
We're both here....      and ya... it was my fault"  Kurohi spat... 
groaning
 "We all have bad days," Thyme told him.  "Anyway, I know I'm 
supposed to be in pain, but at least here it doesn't hurt.  You?"
 "CHirin...  I once was powerful, i had everything that i wanted... 
yet that kodak flash spoiled everythign, he beat me 3 times in 
a row, he made me weak, he humiliated me in front of my loved one..."
 Kurohi  blinked  "Well... I'm talking.....  and i can see with both 
eyes... i think that's a plus....      i don't feel pain.. and my 
skin 
is not burnt...."    the umbreon sighed  "I guess this may be it..."
 "Did she see it as a humiliation, or did she see it as your hurting 
inside and try to help you felel better?" asked Thyme.  "Sometimes, 
we don't 
always see things the way that others do, and that gets us hurt -- 
outside, or inside, or both."  Thyme regarded him with her wide green 
eyes again -- she knew she 
should be stern with him, but he was as lost as she was.  "You know, 
Chirin would find this very silly, our talking to each other like 
this - or it would scare him half to 
death.  But we each have to find our own way through life -- no one 
can do it for us."
 "pain or jhoy..."
 Kurohi snarled and stood,   he walked a step away from Thyme
 "I hate when people are more rigth than me........      Kurohi 
turned back and glared at Thyme     "but You're rigth....   and 
there's nothing we can do now about it,  is it?"
 Thyme sat.  "At least you know where you come from, and you have 
others that care about you for who you are, inside.  My family are 
all 
sprouts and bells."
 Kurohi lowered his head    "I..."     turning around Kurohi walked 
over to Thyme and nuzzled her  "I'm sorry"
 "Maybe ther is something, but maybe we should have to work together 
to find the way."  Thyme stod and walked over to him.  "That is, if 
you're 
ready.  And if I don't make it back, remember that I forgive you."  
She nuzzled him back.
 "We should lsiten, I think -- they may be calling to us."
"Ready"   Kurohi howled  "I' can't wait to get out of this damned 
place! i miss the nigth!"              Kurohi blinked and looked at 
Thyme  "oh... and if you get back.... tell the flashligth storyteller 
that...... that I... for..."    Kurohi shook his head   "bah, never 
mind"
 Thyme laughed.  Okay I will.  Buy"  her green eyes grew even 
wider "What's a flashlight?"
 Kurohi fell to the ground and twitched,   quickly he stood 
up  "Er....    well, you have never been with humans.......   Ok,  a 
flashligth it's a stick the humans use to ligth their path in 
darkness...  it's as annoying as the tail of that Chirin"
 Thyme laughed again.  Her own taillight flashed once (not too 
brightly, but bright enough), then dimmed again.  "Since you're a 
dark pokemon 
you would prefer the night, I think -- also, light that's too bright 
can hurt anyone's eyes/"
 THyme thought she heard someone crying out her name.  "I hear -- I 
think it's Petunia calling to me.  Do you hear anyone yet?"
 "that Chirin aimed his ligth to my eyes in the first place... that 
was what got me so angered in the first place...... but it's none of 
your buisness,       I say we both move on....  they may be waiting 
for us..."
 Kurohi shook his head  "none......      you go...... I think its 
fate that i stay here...:
 "Well, I can't blame you for being mad.  If someone put something 
thwat hurts in my eyes I wouldn't be happy, either."
 "I'm not going back if you'rte not," Thyme said, smiling at 
him.  "Who else would you have to talk to?"
 "...Or are you feeling a little sheepish about the attack?"
 Kurohi gulped "I...   "     "thanks"    a tear rolled 
down    "Thanks,  but you better go,     you're too good as to stay 
with me"
 "It doesn't matter, you know -- I forgive you."  She nuzzled 
Kurohi's muzzle.  "We all share the lake, after all."
 "No, come on," she told him.  "What about your friend?"
M "She'd miss you ttoo much, Ithink."
 "Who knows -- maybe I could even meet my parents here, if I stay..."
Kurohi's ears twitched   ~sharra?     is it you?~      Kurohi looked 
up at the emptiness
 Thyme smiled.  "See?  Thre's reasons to go back."
 Kurohi smiled at Thyme,     "then come with me!   let's go!"
 "Okay!"  Thyme smiled at him.  Then, her eyes gleamed.  "I'll race 
you!" she said.
 Kurohi grinned,    he turned around "OK!"   as he began to run,  his 
golden rings expanded their ligth all over his body.. and 
he began to fade from that meadow....
Thyme also faded from the meadow as her tail-light glowed in much the 
same fashion as his rings.
*See you on the other side!" she called to Kurohi.



Chirin focused through it all, hechanneled his sense onward through 
his mind and let his *dekni* buzz in his flippers. A part of him 
ached with the effort, bending and swaying as it held back the life 
blood from bursting out of Thyme. He knew that there were other ways 
to use ihs gift to heal her, but creating this electric sort of 
block, poking back the blood as it tried to gush out, was all his 
crude skills could manage. If it succeeded, it would not matter; if 
it failed he would never forgive himself. Himself and his Haru-cursed 
urges! If he had not called upon the soul of that antler, if he had 
not sought out ewes every time he danced in the dream-fields...

The dam he had created almost burst, splintering under his self-
doubt. Now was not the time. Never was the time--to sit there 
broiling as he blamed himself. Hampty had been right--there was 
never any point. To look back on the light-path never moved you 
forward.

He called forth the limits of his gift--his mind held sway over a 
hundred digits of his *denki*. All invisible to the eye, but molding 
air into something that could touch and hold, hold Thyme's life 
inside her.

Petunia was huddled against chirin, sobbing as she shone her light on 
Thyme. The lamb was smothered in the lights of her flock. "I even got 
annoyed with her," she sobbed. "This is my fault, all I could think 
of was running off with some ram--all i thought of was myself."

She wet Thyme's woolly flank with her tears.

Chirin heard her, and he picked a strand of his consciousness out 
from the rest, he realized he was settling into his senses while at 
the same time doing the life-catching dance that holding back Thyme's 
bloodflow demanded. He had to keep it up until her body found the 
resources to begin closing up the wound on its own. 

"Petunia..." He hesitated to speak too much at first, he could not 
break his concentration. "Petunia you can't blame yourself. You did 
the best you could do and the demon was Burakuru. He was watching all 
this time. One might say it's my fault for not killing him the first 
time I fought him. Because I could but I didn't."

"You don't understand," and Petunia sobbed on. Chirin said nothing; 
his own energy taxed too much. He feared that if he moved too much he 
would snap the connections. So much of what he was doing right now 
was new to him. He dared to look, with his own eyes, bit by bit 
opening them to the sight of Thyme. Red was splashed over her neck 
but he could see that the wound indeed had stopped bleeding.

Seeing the wound with his eyes, in tandem with experiencing it up 
close with the feelers of his gift, threatened to rip away the 
thought processes that held the block in place. He closed his eyes 
and rushed a flood of reinforcement into the threads and points, 
making the rounds swiftly on each one. It momentarily leaked blood 
out but quickly righted itself. Best to try not to do anything more 
than hold onto Thyme, hold on until her body took up the slack...

She would not die. His speculating whether she would die, might in 
fact kill her right now. He was light, a beacon, a strange freak of 
*denki*, and this freakiness just might save her life.



Thyme twitched. She forgot how much it hurt! She winced. Still, the 
race had been fun. Now, she felt as if the weight of the world rested 
upon her. It was almost too difficult to breather, with all the weight 
piled upon her. But... 

"Kurohi?" she called -- a bit weak, but she hoped he'd hear it. "You 
made it back too, right?" she asked. 

Her throat was dry. She tried to stand, but -- then she realized that 
the storyteller and the others were the weight piled on top of 
her. "What...?" 

"THYME!" Petunia screamed and her tail screamed too, flinging a spark 
backwards--right into chirin's flank. The loud buzz snapped his eyes 
open. Feeling that the danger of bleeding had ebbed away--he had been 
pushing so hard and for so long that he'd forgotten to loosen it up--
he let go off the gift and the chaotis air spirits reabsorbed it. He 
readjusted to the world out here,. Chirin only saw Petunia's pink 
back at first, bent over the lamb. He swerved his neck to see Thyme.

"She's awake, she's awake," Selden jumped up from where he'd been 
leaning on chirin's back, and he hugged the ampharos round the 
stomach. Chirin nearly knocked him backwards as he scrambled round to 
reach her, see it for himself. "Chirin, you saved her."

Chiirn didn't answer, he only slid in on Thyme's other side and 
licked her cheek. He hadn't save her, he could not have healed her. 
He could not have done something so precious and grand as having 
healed someone and saved them from death. If anyone had saved her it 
had been chenja herself--she was here right now, he knew it--or her 
own soul, brushing aside darkness to re-take her body and heal it 
herself. 

"Oh Thyme," Petunia wept. Her body heaved with her crying and she 
could not even open her eyes her face was so screwed with 
weeping. "How are you? Oh I'm so glad."




The dark sky softly glew in white tiny spheres of pure ligth like snow 
concentrated and started to whirl around the body of the fallen Umbreon 

Kurohi gave a long sigh, he opened his eye, and saw the sparks of 
moonligth slowly closing in, he closed his eyes and slowly felt the 
energy rushing in softly soon the white light disipated, and darkness took 
in again, at least for Kurohi and SHarra Kurohi turned his head fully 
to Sharra and smiled at her, he stood up slowly and nuzzled her.. for 
a long time" 

Chirin let Petunia take over with Thyme--she was the one who had grown 
closest to the lamb. He just needed to hug someone, though...His head 
darted around--He snatched Selden in his arms and squeezed him tight. 
Under the moonless night the lights of the flock shone...they could do 
anything. He squeezed Selden tighter than he ever had and bawled openly. 
He could meet Thyme, he could get to know her, he could play and laugh 
and sing with her and the others--she would be okay. There was time. 

His head resting on Selden's woolly crown, he couldn't help but see 
Kurohi and Sharra over a ways. They would not harm the flock--the 
flock was strong as roots. 

~CHirin, is it?~ Kurohi nuzzled SHarra softly, as he gazed at CHirin, noticign that he was watching them ~Take good care of Thyme...~ Kurohi kept using his telepathy over to the ampharos, hiding his face from him 

Hearing Burakuru in his head, the voice echoing as if down a long 
tunnel, Chirin's throat constricted. Selden gasped as he hugged the 
flaaffy tighter. The knowledge that the dark one had penetrated his 
mind eclipsed, at first, what the demon actually said.

"Take care...of Thyme? Of course I will. She's a precious light who's 
part of our flock." Chirin's flippers felt Selden's wool and back, 
the tips rubbing massaging the warm fluff. 

He stared the demon down, waiting till he looked back, but he wasn't--
he was hiding. As if afraid. 

Chirin let go of Selden but held his flipper, he stood up and stepped 
around his friend and placed himself once more between the flock and 
the dark creature. Even now, the sight of him--those rings, so many 
tales told of their stealing the light right off your tail. But for 
all that, the demon had never managed to steal even one of their 
lights. A son of Burakuru--but the real Burakuru was still out there 
somewhere.

Mimishi, on the other side of Thyme from Petunia, Chirin and Selden, 
sat and watched Chirin lock his sights on Kuroirihi. There was 
something strange about how he was just talking all of a sudden to 
him. And there was no mistaking the static springing off his tail, a 
sign of alarm in conjunction with the flashing of his lights. If 
Kuroirihi did not say his name she would tell him...but for now she 
watched, wanting to hear him give him an answer. How far he had 
fallen from the proud Eclipseon underground. He deserved every volt 
that had coursed through his body. But as much as Mimishi felt like 
running at him and giving him her own attacks, she sat back, half 
hiding behind Petunia, and let Chirin take care of it.

"We're going to get you to a safe safe place as soon as you're 
better, okay?" Petunia was cooing to Thyme as she licked her face and 
neck, cleaning off some of the dried blood. She would make a good 
mother come spring, thought Mimishi. 

"What's your name?" he asked and his voice was unsteady. He realized 
how tired he was, how his *denki* had only halfway rebounded from its 
expenditure.

Chirin felt Selden hugging him from behind again. 

"Who are you talkinh to?" said the flaaffy. 

"The demon." Chirin almost said that the creature had entered his 
head but chose not to. 

*Get out of my head.* Unlike the dead who had bound him to their 
promises and needs, this demon had earned no place inside him.



~what's it to you? I only asked you to take care of Thyme, as for you, 
please leave my mate and me alone~ 

Chirin stepped forward, lashing his tail. "Never will a dark one 
command me!" Sparks flung themselves in suicidal leaps off both head 
and tail lights. "How dare you ask me to do what you've seen me 
trying to do all this time! How many times do I need to tell you that 
I never wished to hurt you! You know my name...I ask for yours! I ask 
that we part as equals! I'm even willing to spare you while you're 
invading my own mind! If you want us to leave you alone--then leave!"

A bulb of blue crackles congregated on his tail and firecracked up 
his spine, darting into chaos over neck and shoulders. This demon was 
a threat as long as he was alive. He had to get a hold of himself. He 
couldn't bring on another attack.


Kurohi trembled visibly at Sharra's side "You have humiliated me 
three times, i cannot stand that, I dont want to see you ever again....~

"Humiliated?" Tears glistened in the flashes popping on his 
head. "You attacked my friends three times! I wish humiliation was 
all we had to endure from you!"

His head spun, feeling littered with the demon's touch. He didn't 
know if he had ever been this angry. "How...How...What words can I 
use, what soul vibrations..." he clenched his fists and looked up at 
the sky, "what is it that I'm failing to do...to tell you I never 
wanted to hurt you?" He dragged in a loud breath. "We're denryuu! We 
eat of plants! But we defend outselves! I never wanted more from you 
than for you to take your dark self away from me and my friends and 
leave us alone!"


 The Umbreon stopped shaking and sighed in SHarra's side "farewell.... tell 
my mate to take me away from here.. to the lake... and i promes not to 
bother any of your flock....~ 

"Tell your mate?" Sharra? If he was thrusting these infuriating words 
into Chirin's own mind, was it really beyond him to enter Sharra's? 
It did not matter. Who was he to really understand the workings of 
dark--when it constantly threw new twists at him? He breathed deep 
and forced himself calm, made himself look at the loathesome shadow 
creature with a gaze halfway civil. "Sharra...He just told me to tell 
you...to take him away from here. I won't hurt either of you as long 
as neither of you threaten my flock. I wish...I wish we could have 
met in light and not in dark...but we chose conflicting life journies 
that led us to each other." Focusing on Sharra, he felt calmness 
cooling him down. "Just please, leave now..." His laid-back ears and 
sparking jewels made it obvious that he was taking lengths to spare 
her mate.





Artemis's eyes shone brightly, and her arms flung around the Umbreon. 
Artemis cryed, but they were tears of joy. The houndoom's blue eyes 
closed...her wet nose pressed against the umbreon's soft, black fur. 
"Your alive" Artemis whispered. The houndoom couldn't believe that he 
lived, was it the spirits? Had they forgiven him about his forced path? Like 
herself... 

"I'm fine. I think..." Thyme  couldn't quite get upright nowm but... "Did 
Kurohi make it?"

Kurohi winced over Artemis's weigth, his burnt skin resented her pressure, 
Kurohi tried to yelp out in pain, but only drops of blood ran down of 
his muzzle as air came out of his troath.. air that hurted a lot. 



"Oh, Kurohi!" Sharra exclaimed, overjoyed to have him back at 
last. "Please, tell me that you're okay?" she whispered, knowing 
that he wouldn't openly admit to being wounded. "I was so worried... I 
thought... I thought you were gone forever," she trembled, overcome 
with both happiness and fear for his safety. She winced as he yelped 
out in pain and looked over at Artemis. 

Erik placed a paw on Artemis's. "I think you're hurting him..." he 
said softly. "It might be better if we left them alone." 

Artemis jumped at his yelp, which happen to be right in her ear. She 
quickly let go of the umbreon... "Sorry..." Artemis said softly. She 
looked at Erik, and nuzzled his nose, agreeing. The new houndoom didn't 
want to leave Kurohi's side, but she was sure he wanted time alone with 
the one that stole his heart many many moons ago...Sharra. 

Artemis gave Kurohi one quick lick on the cheek then took to Erik's 
side and padded off with him to go see Thyme and Chirin. 

Chirin started, realizing Artemis was coming his way. Feeling fear wash 
into him as well as a reminder that she was his friend, he stepped 
backwards, back by Thyme and the others, and realizing he might have 
frightened them all...he broke down. "I'm so sorry." 

He knew there were other reasons why he was crying but it all rushed 
past like a raging river around him, pounding in his head and body till 
he felt like just a pulp inside. Thoughts poked out of the haze-- the 
need to make a spell, plead the spirits--but he didn't know what spirits, what 
spell

Thyme sighed with exasperation. "It's so nice to be ignored," she 
lamented, "when all I want to find out is if Kurohi's okay. Will someone 
please tell me? I can't manage t osee." Not that she could get up. 
There still seemed to be a great weight upon her. Her neck still hurt, 
but she ignored it for now -- first things first. She wanted to make 
sure that her life-friend (wasn't that what you called it, after urging 
each other back to the living world) was all right. 

Besides which, she wanted to know who had won the race. She had 
challenged him, after all, so it was only fair... 

Kurohi...That must be the demon's name! Thyme was asking if the DEMON 
was okay?

"He's alive," said Chirin, looking wild as circuits of voltage 
sizzled over his tail and head bulbs. "I'm sorry I exploded..." He 
glanced back at Kurohi. "He's in my head...he's telling me to take 
care of you..."

It was as if Kurohi'd been possessed, almost, by another spirit. "And 
of course I will." He smiled at Thyme. "You don't know how I worried 
for you, how I prayed...Thyme I'm sorry I wasn't watching you more 
closely...but you're here..." He stooped down and hugged her. "That's 
what matters."

"Be careful!"

Petunia dashed in front of Thyme to block Kurohi from getting near 
her. "We all have to get out of here. Us--or him." She pointed to 
Kurohi. 


Artemis growled slightly at Chirin, the words he spoke angered her 
slightly. The houndoom didn't know what Kurohi said, but she did 
know that if Chirin were to attack the Umbreon once more, he would 
have a patch of burning skin forever for regret. The houndoom kept 
her cool...and her blue eyes looked at the Amp. "Watch yourself...I 
know your protectin' the flock and all, but your little electric light 
bulb there nearly killed Kurohi...I mean no harm, but if it's in 
protection of a friend that you nearly killed before, I'll do what 
I must." Artemis looked down at Thyme, and something caught her...a 
lifting, the houndoom smiled down at the lamb. Then back up to face 
her friend, Chirin. "Is the little lamb here alright?" 

"Yes," said Chirin, "she's hurt, but she's alive...I'm thanking the 
spirits she's here, as I speak to you." The whites showed round his 
eyes as he looked at her--she spoke in defense of Kurohi. The dark his 
light-run had supressed...the dance her soul had awakened into...he 
sensed the darkness of Din and Burakuru was crawling back out of its 
hole to gnaw at her light. "I won't hurt Kurohi as long as he leaves 
us alone. But Artemis..." he stepped back, catching Selden against his 
flipper as he did so. "Artemis..." The instinct that she was an enemy 
was fast asserting itself inside him. He felt his *denki* recovering--slowly, 
but steadily...picking up speed as the electric stores filled themselves 
up. "Artemis, please...All I ever wanted was for us to all live in light, 
be friends. What's going on here? I'm just confused, and afraid." 

He stood in front of the other sheep. Petunia grabbed at Thyme, trying 
to scoop her up and drag her back from the houndoom. 

~

Snake tried the attack again, and it only went about half and inch deeper. She sighed. 
Her attack was strong enough, so she stopped. She looked around and saw the light 
of many sheep Pokemon. She slithered over and saw three things: 

1. Kuroirihi was dying (not that she cared much, he had tried to kill them before!) 

2. Artemis had evolved into Houndoom. 

3. A Mareep had been hurt, and there were a few new sheep faces to be seen. 
"Ch-Chirin-Chirin?" Snake said, shakily, "What the...What is going on here?" 

Chirin glanced sideways at Snake, then kept her in his peripheral 
vision as he stood mostly in front of her. He would definitely take 
the flock away from the lake...they were attracting enemies...no, 
Snake was a friend, she was a friend...But so was Artemis...

To him it all was coming down to one thing: too many enemies 
surrounding them. He stepped back, yanking Selden back with him. He 
clustered ever closer to Petunia and Mimishi and the others.

"I'm not sure myself Snake. I'm just trying to get us all out of this 
situation without anything atacking us again." Enemy scents drenched 
his sinuses. His tail lashed, flashing again. He ducked to all fours 
with his tail in the air, the tallest part of 
him. "Artemis...Kurohi...everybody!" He started sobbing again. "I'm 
frightened! Take your claws away, take your threats away, I want my 
friends to be left in peace and love and I want it more than 
anything. Please, oh, please."

Wondering whether Artemis was still on his side, wondering just what 
force controlled Kurohi...worse even than knowing they were closing 
in for the kill, was this wondering, because it made he himself 
wonder what on Mother Megga he should do.


ChiChi walked in between Mel and Scrik. He kept casting nervous glances at the 
Charmeleon. She still made him a bit edgy.

The young Otachi kept things to himself most of the time, and this was one of those 
times. He kept silent.

Snake slithered into view, still scared at what she was seeing. 
"What is...the...what happened Chirin?" she asked shakily. 

*** 

Karama walked slowly over to the pink Ekans and led her over back behind 
Chirin, and began to explain everything. Snake's eyes widened more in shock with every word. 

*** 
Fluffy kept to herself the whole time. She looked around at everything


~

"Petunia, let me see Kurohi. He's my friend!" Thyme protested. Of course, would she
 listen to reason? "Kurohi and I raced each other back from the shadows. He wasn't angry 
with me, but he was blinded by his pain."

Not that she didn't have any by now. Yowch. But she knew Kurohi wouldn't hurt her, any more.

You don't hurt people you just raced back from the Shadows with. 

"What in the world--? Thyme, no!" But Petunia didn't have a very firm hold on her and 
she at least realized that she must partly oblige if Thyme was to put this behind her. Kurohi 
seemed weak--surely if she let Thyme look at him from back here, safely surrounded by 
sheep. "But...Well...Okay," she said, still placing a flipper over her back, ready to hold her
 here should Thyme decide to dart out. 

"Raced from the shadows?" Chirin looked over his shoulder with twinkling eyes. Something
 about what Thyme said seemed to ground Chirin from where he'd been drifting, clogged by
 terror. "Your soul saw Kurohi's? You...met souls?" What of the attack? Was this just 
a false light left by one of Burakuru's flock? To lure the lamb in? She spoke with such feeling 
that he deeply wanted to trust it. Kurohi had told him to take care of Thyme, reflecting such a 
change within his own soul. Chirin *had* thought he'd been taken over by a lighter being...or 
something... 

Caution was still best--necessary, after all they'd been through. Now with Artemis triple her 
size and threatening him subtly, he edged back from her further, trying to herd the flock 
backwards behind him. He had placed a safer distance between Kurohi and them by now. 


No, Petunia. Stop." Thyme knew she was safe here. She didn't see what all the fuss 
was -- wouldn't anyone who had been hurt lash out because of their own pain? She 
had seen injured rattatas do the same.

"Artemis I plead for you to stay with the light." Chirin turned back to the houndoom 
that he had backed away from. "Please reach it in yourself--I understand you've been
 friends with--Kurohi...I feel that he has led a painful life...and I regret all I ever did to
 hurt him. But please understand that these sheep here are my soul friends. They've helped
 me over hills and through forests...some of them have risked their lives for me...Some 
of them have mustered all the courage inside them so they could trust me. And some 
of them blessed me, by choosing to carry my young." Just saying these words made him 
choke up. "I plead you, Artemis, and Kurohi, Sharra...I don't want to hurt you or anyone.
 It hurts me to have to use my *denki* to make others feel pain. You must believe me." 


Thyme finally managed to maneuver around and get a look at Kurohi. "Finally," she 
said. "I'm glad t osee you made it back too. Didn't I tell you?" Then, her heavy eyelids 
drooped, and she dropped back off to sleep. She knew her friend was all right, so 
sheep -- err, sleep -- came easier to her. 

She was too tired, anyway. A little rest never hurt anyone.

Chirin stepped further in front of Thyme, aligning himself between Kurohi 
and her. To his relief Petunia went in and scooped her up, moving her back 
into the center of the flock. "Everyone stick close around me and Mimi 
here," he heard Petunia say. He didn't know what he'd do without her here. 
She'd thought of the very words he should have said long ago. 


"Please, I mean you no harm," Sharra spoke up from Kurohi's side. "We 
will leave, if that will avoid a conflict," she shivered, not feeling 
quite up to being zapped by a trillion volts at the moment. "I 
apologize for any harm that has come from Kuro, he... He's quite changed 
now, I should think," she smiled slowly. 

Chirin nodded slowly at her, trying to relax the features of his face 
and body, and display to her what she was showing him--non-aggressive 
body language. He tried to force his flashing flickers into mere 
blinks of acknowledgement. It might take a hundred years for him to 
sort out all the spiritual forces at play here with Kurohi, Thyme, 
Sharra...clearly a struggle of light, dark, and many, many other colors. 

"I understand, Sharra," he said feeling guilty at her fearful face. "I 
never want to have to hurt you or anyone ever again. I'm sorry if what 
I did made you hurt. And I hope that Kurohi has changed- -for his own 
soul's sake." People died and came back quite often and yes, it always 
changed one. It had changed Chirin himself. "The reason I'm asking 
you--or Kurohi, more--to leave, is that I'm just afraid. We--" It 
dawned on him that perhaps she didn't understand why they hadn't just 
fled. "We are slow creatures. I've stood here because if I turned to 
run, I would have been killed, or badly hurt. Denryuu don't run very 
fast. Our defense is our *denki*--collectively at best. And not far 
from here there are others--some young ones-- that I've sworn to defend 
too. I have more friends further away and I can't let enemies through 
to them. I--I hope you understand that that's all I've been trying to 
prevent--people getting hurt. But yes...there are many lands beyond 
here, many less dangrous places." He took a shivering step forward. 
"Maybe sometime we could meet again in light rather than dark. Maybe..." 
He cocked his head and managed a small smile. "Like my grandmother always 
said, anything's possible." 


Artemis looked at Chirin...

"Why are you pleading? Theres nothing to plead about. I've never left the 
light path that you showed me. You get angered when something happens right? 
Well, same here. Kurohi, Erik, and you are all I got..."

Artemis looked down at Thyme, and smiled.

"Thyme here understands us...why can't you? It might be hard, but just look 
farther then what your instincts show. That's what the spirits try to do, 
but Chirin you don't want to see it. You look at all the negativity...and 
not the light. Little Thyme here does, she doesn't look at the bad things 
that happen, but the good. That you choose not to see Chirin. We are not 
Devils, Demons, or anything you stat we are. We are born this way, I have a 
howl that cringes all that hear it...but does that make me a demon? No the 
real demon's are the ones that care nothing about anyone, that will destroy 
something or someone that gets in his or her way...Keel'alla would be the 
name of one."


Chirin felt even sadder, like something was slipping away. Why did he 
feel like the bad one here? "I'm sorry... I'm just very afraid," he 
said. "Kurohi has attacked me many times to kill me...he's cursed my 
ancestors, he's spit on the spirits, and now, he attacked Thyme...a 
lamb of this flock, and my dear friend. I'm trying to do my best to 
understand. But there are many things I still don't. I'm just trying 
to help this get solved without anyone getting hurt."

He wiped his eye angrily. "You don't know how frightened I was for 
Thyme. I amost lost her. I don't know what's going on inside 
Kurohi...I wish I did. My instincts tell me that Kurohi's dangerous. 
He's attacked me twice, and he attacked Thyme...almost killing her. 
What can I do but defend her? And what can I think... when I see you 
speaking up to defend him--against me? Please, Atrtemis, please!"

He thought quick, trying to slap all the pieces of this into place.

"You and I...two souls trying to lighten all sides of Mother Megga. 
Trying to befriend people on different sides of the threads of 
life...you and I stand on different parts of that thread. I guess...I 
can't blame you for being Kurohi's friend too, I don't know. And if 
you found the light in yourself after attacking me...perhaps, Thyme 
has shone her own light into his eyes." It was beginning to dawn on 
him, but he was still far from stepping aside and letting the sheep 
behind him dart out to play...not that many seemed to be trying. "I'm 
not perfect. I'm just trying to do my best."

His long ears drooped. And he looked his four-legged friend over. "I 
never told you...Congratulations on evolving." He blinked moisture 
from his eyes. "You look really amazing."


His light had dimmed; he brightened it back up. He knew that Thyme
 had traveled the spirit world and had met Kurohi. He believed everything 
he had heard her say. But spirits--especially ones like Kurohi--could often 
shine a false light. He wished he had not grown to be so untrusting.

~

Mel looked behind her, and saw ChiChi was behind her. She smiled at the 
Otachi and then looked forward again. "We gotta find Chirin. And when he's safe, 
I'm going back for Kaji." Kaji... the name made Mel grin and smile. It also made 
her walk right into a tree. "Ow!" She shook her head, then sweatdropped at ChiChi 
and Scrik. "Woops... yup I'm a clutz, you guessed it." 

Scrik rolled her eyes at the Pikachu. She had guessed that a long time ago. "Yeah... 
whatever," She said and kept walking; passing the Otachi and Pikachu. 


"Okay Mel," ChiChi said, then he sweatdropped, looking from Scrik to Mel. Who should he go 
with? He sweatdropped again


Chirin stood on the sand watching Artemis, reading her face for 
feeling. Some of the things she had said hurt him--she thought he 
only saw negativity and that he thought her kind was all evil. He 
felt sad that she had forgotten that he considered her a friend, so 
fast. He had shown fear at her defense of Kurohi. But what could he 
do? She could hurt him badly now; and he had not known if Kurohi 
would attack again, forcing him against Artemis too. That he had 
flung himself on Thyme, bordered on possession, in Chirin's eyes; he 
had been in no shape to hunt and he had to have known that she was 
part of a flock that would defend her. He had reacted in fear, and he 
knew that fear was forgiveable here. What Artemis should be doing was 
herding Kurohi away from the sheep, although Sharra seemed willing to 
do that herself. 

"Chirin," a shy voice piped up. Mimishi. 

"Are you okay?" He turned his head sideways to see both her and 
Artemis/Kuro. 

"Yes--I'm fine--Mel and Scrik and Chichi--they're heading down the 
beach! They're looking for you. Should--what--"

"Thank you Mimishi--spirits bless you...Mel! Scrik! Chichi!" Chirin 
bleated. "I'm fine, I'll be back to the tree soon, there's just a 
little situation here...please go back, there's..." He sought a word 
that would offend no one. "Hunters here! But we're fine." He blinked 
his light at Mimishi. "Mimi, if they still come up here could you get 
them back please?"

"Yes." A part of her would be only too happy to head away herself...


Artemis nudged his nose and smiled at him.

"Chirin, you always try to understand things too quickly...and you don't 
think of anything other. Lighten up, be free...I know at the moment there is 
a war coming up...but you should relax. The weight of the world shouldn't be 
place upon your shoulders, many others will help...as I do. Relieve yourself 
of the dreadful thoughts, and relax."

This was the Artemis who was his friend. He wondered why he'd ever 
worried as he felt an emotional swell. "How I wish I could just let 
it all go. So much is happening so quickly...But there's a lot that 
goes on inside me that I don't tell." He wished she wouldn't jump to 
conclusions and tell him facts about himself, but understood--she was 
just one more pokemon bombarded with so much to grasp in so little 
time. "I'm the strongest denryuu who's here. I'm doing everything I 
can to defend them and keep them safe. I love each one."

Chirin blinked. "There are things I need to understand...namely, 
who's my enemy and who's my friend. Thyme has a trust inside her born 
of pure light, but when she extended that trust and love to a hunter 
it almost cost her her life. Not everything is light...in fact 
there's dark in everyone, even me, even Phos himself has a speck of 
dark here and there. It makes me sad to think of it too..."

He sighed. Maybe when Artemis had young of her own, or younger 
friends who depended on her to defend them...she would begin to 
understand the paranoid being that he had become tonight. Mother 
Megga might not rest upon his lights, but many in this flock did. 


Artemis looked at herself, and smiled again. She hadn't really noticed she 
evolved, and just realized how much taller she felt. It was like Artemis was 
a giant now.

"Let the thought of the spirits leave your mind, you depend to much upon 
them...they can't do everything. You've got to believe in yourself. And 
Kurohi has problems, that he wishes to sort out, but pride, loyality, and 
many other things can't allow some to do such things. And it takes time, no 
one expects you to BE perfect nor act, and maybe you try a little too hard 
at things. Others need to learn how to defend themselves too, or they will 
get no where. You can't be everywhere at once, to protect everyone. Let them 
learn by their own mistakes, but always keep that watchful eye."

Those last few words the Amp said brightened Artemis's eyes more, and the 
little gem twinkled in the starlight.

"Thanks Chirin...that means a lot."

"You're welcome." He realized he didn't have to try to smile. "I know 
no one expects me to be perfect...but the thing is, when I'm 
defending these sheep--" he glanced around, Petunia and Mimi seemed 
to have things under control well behind him, they were all keeping 
close together--"I can't try 'too hard.' I may not be everywhere but 
by my mother's tail light," he gave a quick bow of his head, "I'm 
sure going to try when my friend are right by me and in danger."

He smiled. "Yes, if mistakes make people learn a lot then I should be 
the wisest denryuu in the land." He gave a little laugh. "But 
mistakes on the part of a little lamb wandering into the clutches of 
a much stronger hunter--well, I think that mistakes should be limited 
to those that one can surive. A sheep can't be too cautious when 
enemies come around." He gave a sad cock of his head, his ear 
twitched. He stroked Artemis's back. She saw things from a much less 
fearful stance--a hunter's stance. He would not dwell on trying to 
make her see everything like a sheep would. There would always be 
some barriers between them. 

"As for the spirits...my mind is always on them because they are me, 
they flow in me...they flow through you and Kurohi and Thyme and the 
air and ground all around us. They swish, swish in the grasses and 
ripple in the water." He swallowed. "The spirits have made me strong 
and saved me more times than I can count. I've felt such joy and 
pleasure at letting their touch channel through me. I wish I could go 
on righ now...let's just say, that I'll never turn on them...I turn 
on them...and..." He didn't know how to end the sentence. "I don't 
know how to end the sentence so I'm starting a new one. "There's a 
soul in everything and my senses are always...taking it in. I can no 
more shut them out than I can Bloc off my senses..." he smiled, 
running his flipper lightly over Artemis's back, "and who would want 
to do that?" His ears wiggled. "I know I doubt myself when I'm 
afraid. Slowly, bit by bit, I'm learning how to believe in myself, 
it's called...my light-path."

He started crying again. It was just so beautiful...


"We won't hurt you," Sharra relaxed a little, searching Kurohi's face 
for any sign of disagreement. He would have to be really sick of the 
mind to go up against this band of creatures. "And he has changed..." 
she said with bright conviction, nuzzling the Umbreon gently. "I hope 
we do meet again in happier times," she involuntarily glanced around 
uneasily, for the first time in a while remembering the impending 
conflict with Keel'alla. "You have to understand, please, it wasn't 
him who attacked you... When he almost... almost died, he... 
changed," she added in a lower tone, looking nervously up into the 
Ampharos's teary eyes, "into the one I knew before, him that I love."

"The one you knew before?" Chirin looked at the burakki. Did she mean now, or before, 
when spirits of flame and fire had danced in deadly battle all around and had fled leaving this
 shadow in their wake? "Kurohi seems...well, confused...even possessed...he seems like a 
victim of beings at war within and around him. I never knew him before...before he and...before 
the night I came ashore from the island." He pointed out towards the island in the lake, where
 its spire probably was. It was too dark and far to see. "When Mother Megga no longer hangs 
in the balance of his illness threatening to come over her--led by Keel'alla--I'm sure that we
 can work towards healing. Such unrest of both the living and the dead here, like I've never 
seen. The dead are angered and their negative energy is coursing all around and in us. I'm sur
 that's what's causing all this crazy stuff." He gestured with open arms to the scene around him.
 Frightened sheep huddled off behind him and hunters strewn before him. 

"You're my friend, Sharra. I like you. I'm sorry I misjudged you. I...I do that sometimes, 
when I get all caught up--But ahhh...you're my friend." He blinked his lights to her. "Phos's 
light to you on your journey and may the spirits speak to you." 


Artemis looked, understanding what the amp had to say.

"Ah, but I didn't say to forget about them? But others out there in the 
world depend on them too, and just like us. We can't be everywhere!"

Artemis smiled as Chirin pet her back, and stamped her left hind foot 
rapidly then died as the Amp stopped petting. Artemis didn't notice that her 
foot moved rapidly, she seemed to not even care.

"I don't quite understand the fear you get, perhaps b/c I'm the one hunting 
instead of being hunted. But I've devoted my life to helpin' you protect the 
flock and you. Every flock needs it's guard dog."

Artemis laughed.

"And I'd hope to lift some of the worries off of your shoulders, 2 
protectors are better than one. And you cannot doubt that. You'll always be 
my friend Chirin, but there's one thing."

Artemis looked over at Sharra, and yelled to the vaporion(sp?).

"Sharra, have you heard from my dear friend Hechicera?"

Chirin gave her a cocked-head smile, brows furrowing...where did she 
get the idea that denryuu needed hounds to help them defend 
themselves? The idea was like stringing together two unrelated 
things. Would that things could be that way! If dogs were devoted to 
defending denryuu against other enemies... But then, the spirits 
might cease handing down the giant sky-given lightning that they had 
been gifted with at time's beginning, to defend themselves. 

He remembered Striper on the farm...and also how helpless those 
mareep had been, tucked away in the care of humans and othre pokemon 
all their lives. That must be what Artemis had been thinking of when 
she'd warned about sheltering people too much--never letting them 
experiment, make mistakes, learn. As much as he longed for days of 
peace and easiness, he would never trade his own light-path for any 
life stuck in some human-guarded, fenced-in field, growing up afraid 
of his own lightning.

"Our light-brothers and sisters are strong," he said, "but I'm 
honored that you--a hunter--choose to help me. You could lend your 
fire powers to help us in ways that are out of our reach. Just be 
careful not to devote everything to us." He grinned. "Even I take a 
break now and then." He smiled at Petunia, who had come up beside 
him, and stooped down slightly to put his arm around her. "As for the 
spirits...the dead, can do things we cannot." His face turned 
serious. "They can be everywhere...they're more than any of us can 
really imagine. Every moment they take on new faces for me. We are 
just little lambs...while the dead wield the real lightning."

He had to smile a little when Artemis stomped her leg. She must like 
being petted! Seeing Kurohi hadn't quite left, he sobered up--he 
still did not know what that one would do next, regardless of how he 
had changed. Artemis had to be on her guard too.

Mimishi had come forward, or at least, she was standing behind Chirin.

"Hechicera?" she said. "Artemis...well...you and I met in worse 
situations than this...I'm glad to see you've changed for the better, 
it seems." That was as far as she was venturing to talk on the 
matter. She didn't have the nerve to say any more, not with that 
houndoom there who seemed ten times her size breathing terror down 
her nerves. "My...my dear friend Rocky the Kangaskhan...he's looking 
for Hechicera too."


Erik stared at Artemis. "You mean, you're going to
stay with the flock from now on? "

Chirin glanced from hound to hound. This could get uncomfortable again, if it 
had stopped being so. He looked at Petunia and Mimishi, Petunia standing almost
 coolly next to him, and with half the height to back it up than he had. Mimishi 
cowering behind him...so sensitive...so valuable had every drop of affection from 
her felt to him. These two ewes, like the rest of them, were in great danger if they
 stayed here. What needed to be done was get the young ones in particular down
 south, away from the lake quickly, before these ground enemies attacked. He knew
 Mimishi might not want to venture to strange lands with near strangers, but at the 
very least Petunia could take Thyme and Karama and Fluffy with her, get herself 
safe. There was, or almost certainly was, a lamb inside her now whose thunderbolt
 soul had come from both him and her. They owed it to that new life to keep it safe...
away from Bangaa's ravages. 

He wondered if Erik too would join them and imagined what it would be 
like...awkward instances kept cropping up in his imagination. 


Scrik cocked her head to a side. "Why should I be scared of hunters? 
I am one myself... infact, what DOES eat Charmeleons like me?" She 
said more to herself, then to the others around her.

Her walk turned into a run. She began to run towards where she heard 
Chirin's voice. ~I'm a hunter myself... what could scare me up there?~
She thought about it carefully.

Mel was going to stop the Charmeleon, but decided against it. "Scrik-"
Mel said, but got cut off because Scrik had darted away. She drooped 
her ears and turned to ChiChi. "Well, if Chirin says we shouldn't go, 
I'll take his advice. Especially because he said there's *hunters* 
there." The Pikachu looked back at the running Scrik, then headed 
back toward where Kaji was. "Kaji! KAJI!!" She called, hoping to see 
the Growlithe running up to her at any moment.

ChiChi followed Mel, keeping to himself. 


Chirin saw Scrik running up, he heard several sheep bleat in fear and huddle
 away from her. "Scrik, hi." He wasn't much afraid for her--she looked capable
 of standing up to the potential enemies here...although now the conflict was 
clearly mending. He felt the change in the air itself. 

He glanced back to make sure the other sheep were safe and this seemed to 
make Petunia think of something. Petunia knelt back down by Thyme, stroking 
the sleeping mareep like the precious thing that she was. She reached over and 
nuzzled Fluffy briefly. The troubled silver flaaffy had stayed with the flock, helped 
out, been wonderful. "You've been brave," she said, touching fluffy's shoulder. 

Snake peered around nervously. 
"This...," she started but shook her head and remained silent. 
*** 
Karama huddled close to Chirin and bleated softly. 
*** 
Fluffy was now in a panic. She ran to Chirin and bleated, "An Ekans!" She 
pointed at Snake. 


Snake finally plucked up her couage and slithered over next to Artemis. 
She smiled at the Houndoom. 

"We, or at least I know and believe that you are not demons," she began 
softly, "I have heared Pokemon speaking of this 'Keel-alla', and from 
what I have heared, he is the one who ordered 
this fire to start, and he is the real demon. 

Snake then turned to look at Chirin. She was slightly angry at him, 
and her anger shown in her eyes, which were flashing like balls of fire. 

"Artemis is no demon, and from what Sharra says, neither she nor 
Kuroirihi is. Chirin, if you wish to call anyone a demon, you should 
call Keel-alla and his minions demons...And Cinder as well," she said 
in an angry voice. 

The burning eyes more than startled him, but they no longer sent him 
into bolts of terror like they might once have. Chirin had seen worse 
than burning eyes, he had seen evil unveiled, stepping out of hiding 
behind holes in a skull. Whatever possessed Snake... he was up to 
cooling down its rage with soothing words. Soothing words were 
stronger than they seemed.

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have used the word demon when I talked about 
Kurohi. I'm--sorry." Cinder was about as far from his thoughts as an 
enemy could get. He couldn't remember if he'd called Artemis a demon, 
but for a few tense moments he'd looked at her like one, when she'd 
spoken up for Kurohi. "Please, I've made mistakes, I've said wrong 
things, I'm just trying to defend this flock and--" He would not 
bring up yet again that Kurohi had attacked him/them on three 
separate occasions and was aligned, or had been aligned, *with* 
Keel'alla. It would only cause more fighting. So would asking why 
Snake so firmly believed what Sharra said that she was willing to 
fight Chirin over it. Snake must be a friend to this vaporeon. 

He took deep breaths...the situation was calming down, smoothing 
over, and so was he, now that threats were ebbing. The fact that he 
had almost lost Thyme tonight still pulsed inside him; he recalled so 
sharply the struggle to fend off her loss of blood. His prayers, his 
callings. 


*** 

Karama listened to Snake with rapt attention. She huddled up close to 
Chirin, gave a small, soft bleat of fear, and shook. She looked up at Chirin. 
"Her eyes burn like balls of fire," she whispered, "...And it scares 
me." She looked around at the other Pokemon for a shred of comfort, and 
she found it only by huddling up close to Chirin. 

Chirin stroked Karama, "it's going to be okay. Snake's just nervous, 
she doesn't want anyone getting hurt either." He blocked out fears 
that there was indeed something significant carving out a fortress 
within Snake's body--but he had no time for such thoughts.


*** 

Fluffy was now more frightened of Snake then ever. She bleated and looked up at Chirin. 
"Tell the snake to go away!" she bleated. The silver Flaaffy had forgotten everything...Except her fear of snakes, and this pink Ekans took the cake with her glowing red eyes, and the angry rattle of her tail. 

While Artemis and Kurohi had failed to dent her bravery, Snake seemed 
to be inspiring such powerful fear that now he did heed the little 
fears frisking along the outskirts of his thoughts: Snake's rage was 
serious. 

"Fluffy, it'll be fine..." He knelt and hugged both Karama and 
Fluffy. "We're all a strong flock and Snake's my friend. She's been 
helping me out from almost the moment I arrived at this side of the 
lake! Snake's been with me through the darkest shadows, and you know, 
Snake..I never got to thank you." He had started out saying all this 
to help her come round and calm down, but he found that it really was 
true. Snake like everyone was fighting at the root of a great evil 
and feelings ran high. Phos knew that out in those woods...she'd 
probably done more good than him.

Chirin stepped forward and held his flipper out to her. "Thank you, 
Snake, spirits bless."

Just to be sure, he rubbed one foot against the other and murmured a low chant under
 his breath, his lips barely moving. He had shaped his words to strengthen Snake's real
 soul, but even she might not know what she was up against with those fireball eyes there. 


Sharra's throat constricted in fear as she heard Artemis and Chirin mention the 
name "Hechicera". She did know where the Kangaskhan leader was... And she was 
most likely dead. She almost spoke up and told the Houndoom where she was, but 
fear for her own safety won out. She couldn't let them know that she had betrayed 
Hechicera... and that because of her, the Kangaskhan was probably lying dead in the 
horrible, rank pit of decaying bodies. She had just gotten done convincing them that 
she and Kurohi weren't demons... 

Mimishi sort of sagged. "You don't know, I suppose. Well, that can't be helped. Sharra, 
I always knew you were on my side. I just wish I had some way..." She decided to spill 
the beans. "Rocky, my best friend, is her son. He's desperate to go underground looking
 for her. He could any minute! Chirin and I stopped him once but--oh, dear, I have to go
and check on him soon..." She looked back at the treehouse, putting a flipper to her mouth. 

Kurohi sank his face to the ground, hurt by every one of CHirin's 
words... this was not the glory he once had as a Eclipseon


Slowly Kurohi stood up to Sharra's words... just before breaking 
the link with Chirin, Kurohi closed his eyes

~Chirin.... you dont need to know my name, you will never meet me 
again, I will make sure of that, my darkness it's not evil, it's 
just darkness, it's my element, i dont want to steal your light, i 
only wanted to held my pride, and i was wrong... thanks for sparing 
my life.. i know i don't diserve it..

if we ever meet again.... don't doubt in killing me... i diserve it
Kuroirihi, the demon in me, diserved it, and me , Kurohi, i diserve 
it for what i have done.... let us not meet again...~


Kurohi cut his telepathic contact with Chirin and looked at the whole 
flock, and Kurohi quickly turned to SHarra

THe Umbreon stood there, beaten, with patches of burnt fur, he could 
only see the flock with a eye.. his other eye, even that it looked 
intact, had been damaged seriously and was completly useless
preety much as his voice, what he diserved from being so loud all 
the time...

Kurohi nuzzled Sharra, and signaled for her to move on.... they had a 
long time to recover...

Chirin's flippers flew to his head--every time Kurohi spoke to him in 
there he felt violated. How was he getting in? It was the same sort 
of voice-in-the-head that Spirit used--well, they were both powerful 
souls, and this only attested to Kurohi's descent from Burakuru. 

Was Kurohi saying he'd been possessed? Looking at the beaten, wounded 
creature, Chirin felt only a vestige of the fear he'd had before. The 
words Kurohi had thrust into his head were those of a beaten pokemon. 
Chirin wasn't sure why but he felt almost ashamed. He had let a few 
words from this creature spark him into flaming. But how could he 
feel sorry for someone who had tried with everything he'd had to 
destroy him?

*That's right, just go away.* This third time felt different from the 
last two. But part of him still worried that he'd be back tomorrow. 

*No, wait...* Chirin didn't say it, "I'm sorry," was all he 
whispered. He just let him go. The weight of the night bore down on 
him hard now. Chirin, once again, was exhausted. Why couldn't 
everyone just be friends? Why all this tugging and balancing? Why did 
everyone have to pay for Bangaa's primordial crimes?

He turned to face the sheep. This was the flock he'd thrown his soul 
out to defend. He had to stop worrying that Kurohi wasn't his friend 
and start doing something here. Petunia was already starting to speak.

"We're all tired," she was saying, "now that the danger's past, we 
should all find a close, safe place to sleep for the night."

Chirin shot her a look of thanks. Should he get them all in by the 
tree? Well...Celesteon...Oh, Phos on a pebble, how that burial loomed 
down on him. But these living breathing sheep needed him. He opened 
his mouth to offer to tell a story while they all settled down in a 
fuzzy warm heap...

"Petunia...I never told you before, but you come to the lake in a 
time of trouble. Bangaa--the one from earliest times, who stole the 
Light from the first mother, I believe that he has returned to try it 
again--and this time he wants to destroy all things and creatures. I 
believe it's him who's possessed a marowak and is already sending 
hordes of enemies swarming through the forests. I have friends in 
that forest, risking their lives to stop them. And any time now the 
enemies could burst out onto this beach."

Chirin paused, seeing the sparks fly up from Petunia's wool. Selden 
hugged Chirin's middle; Chirin's flipper found his head and stroked 
it. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

"How long were you going to wait?" Then, seeing his hurt look, "i'm 
sorry, I--this is my fault as much as yours." She didn't know how 
much of the tale was true, but it was true enough to be dangerous to 
them. "This--I just didn't know, and to think I started up here to 
find a safe haven." She shook her head.

"I'm the sorry one--I should have told you before." Rather than toss 
away just about every thought in those woods. "My idea is that you 
could take as many sheep--as many pokemon--who'll go with you and 
head back south. The lake's too dangerous right now and...you might 
be carrying a lamb." He knew the chance was good that she did. 
Stepping over to nuzzle her he also sniffed her and her heat was 
fading fast. "I wish, I wish I could go with you. But I've cast a 
curse on Bangaa, I have friends here who're relying on my helping 
them--I'm also not sure if Azalea might be connected to this." It 
felt like ages since he'd seen her. Memories of her were locked in 
with those comparatively carefree days on the meadows. Crouching to 
watch a Spinarak weave, playing Denrai in the pre-dawn mist. 

When he found her they would watch more Spinaraks, they would play 
more Denrai. He promised to her inside his mind. 

"Ah, Azalea, yes, I remember how you loved her," said Petunia. "I'm 
sorry you didn't find her...yet."

"I will," said Chirin, feeling a twinge of misgiving. "By the 
spirits...I..."

"So, about heading down south, or east," said Petunia and Chirin let 
his arms fall back at his side. Now was not the time for 
singing. "Who wants to go with me? We'll depart immediately."

Sharra nodded and turned to walk with Kurohi. Injured and downcast 
as he was at the moment, he was all the more beautiful to her. She knew
 it took a lot of humbleness to back down like he did, and for such a proud 
person it was a very difficult task. She returned his nuzzle and licked his 
cheek, then paused for a brief moment. She realized that if this Ampharos 
hadn't acted as he did, she would never have seen Kurohi again... 

The indigo Vaporeon turned her head slightly and mouthed, "Thank you," to Chirin, giving 
him a quick smile, and then hastily looked away and walked side by side
 with Kurohi... 

Kurohi sighed and did his best to smile at Sharra, Kurohi nuzzled 
her softly and then he signaled to the lake, almost like a eager pup 

Chirin gave a rosy blink of his light. "You're welcome." At first he 
thought that she was thanking him for not killing Kurohi--but perhaps 
there was more. She had said that Kurohi had fought off an evil 
spirit. Dark could possess dark. Chirin had vanquished that evil 
spirit, he knew; had he driven it off, leaving behind the soul it had 
suppressed? More things to wonder about when his mind was more at 
ease, less full of fangs and claws in water, less full of bloodshed. 
He had seen Thyme's throat ripped out (or something close to it).

His guilt at having hurt Kurohi drained away as the beaten burakki 
limped off down the beach, Sharra next to him. Such a mismatched pair 
they seemed. He couldn't help but feel Kurohi was an incarnation of 
evil--something to be feared and avoided. 

Sharra nodded and smiled, feeling a sudden pang of sadness at Kurohi's 
inability to speak. She hoped it would pass once he got some rest and his 
body got a chance to heal itself, but for now she avoided the mention of 
it... "You think you're up for a swim?" she grinned, noticing the slow but steady 
darkening of the lake area. After all, he was an Umbreon, and they drew 
strength from the shadows! 

Kurohi nooded energetically

 ~I'm sorry my dear... I can't talk, and everytime i use 
my telepathy it drains a lot of my energy~ 

THe umbreon reached the lakeshore and turned at Sharra, his
 left eye shining in red, a brigth rubi color, full of life, his other eye 
just remained closed ~let's go... there are so many things i want to 
tell you, so much we have to share... we need to recover the time that 
we lost in the past...~ 

Kurohi stepepd inside the water ~becouse of me...~ 

Kurohi looked away and suddently saddened, ashamed he walked 
in the cold crystal waters, once he was neck high covered by the 
water he stopped, and staredu p at the sky. 

Sharra looked up in alarm, not expecting him to speak through
 telepathy. "That's okay..." she reassured him with a smile. "And what 
time we lost isn't your fault... I know you, and you wouldn't have wanted 
things to happen like they did..." she followed him into the water and 
stood next to him. 

"Now, I don't care to talk about whose fault things are, because it 
doesn't matter... In fact, we don't need words at all right now, or 
ever," she looked up into his eyes, watching the moonlight reflect from 
his uninjured one. She licked his cheek and just let the waves rise and 
fall over her finned collar... 

Kurohi beamed and licked Sharra's cheek ~Now let's go! remeber 
our promess? to swim together?" Kurohi padded in ~My dear..I can;t keep 
comunciating this way, or else it's going to drain me off... but let us 
be happy as we are... no words are needed!~ Kurohi sighed and regained 
some of his energy, and he swam ahead.. waiting for Sharra to catch up.

"Right you are," Sharra laughed as she followed him in deeper, 
diving under for a brief moment to wet herself thoroughly. She was 
glad that Kuro could once again swim with her... That was probably 
the only small advantage of him becoming an Umbreon instead of 
fulfilling his dream of evolving into a Flareon, though. She 
surfaced a few feet in front of Kurohi, happy that he was gaining 
energy now...

Kurohi smiled, the caress of the cold water calmed down the pain from 
his burnt skin and fur,   but even more, being back with Sharra,

the Umbreon allowed himself to float and be dragged deeper inside the 
lake

he had no fear of the water now, he knew he could go far as he 
wanted, as long as Sharra was at his side

Kurohi padded ahead,   and he grinned at Sharra,   he pointed his 
nose forward,    into the deep middle of the lake,   inviting her to 
go way into the center of the lake, far, from everyone else... back 
at the place where they had started this all
 
Sharra laughed and dove after him, grinning in delight as the 
various small fishies ran for cover. She lashed her tail up and down 
behind her, creating a momentary current in her wake as she dove 
further down. It was great to be back in the water... It felt like 
only a couple days ago that they had swam together here as Eevees!

21132

~

Chirin turned to Artemis, and Petunia and the other sheep. "I'm sure 
we're all very tired...I know I am, and if everybody wants to get a 
night of sleep before setting off for safer lands, I'm right with 
you." He thought of something to say to try to cheer everyone up--get 
their minds off all they'd seen. this was no time or place to go 
tharn.

"If everyone wants to get some sleep we could all sleep together, if 
we can find a place where we feel safe to." He let his tail brighten 
the place a little more. They were 7 strong Denryuu-kind, with enough 
light here to stave off any remaining spirits that would plague 
them. "Maybe we could come nearer the treehouse...I need to go over 
there and check things anyway. It's just up the beach." He huddled in 
among the smaller sheep. "The night blows cool and a lone sheep's a 
fool. To keep my tail shining is my light-path's rule. What would 
everyone like to do?" 

"Well, sleeping the night here seems best to me," said Petunia, 
looking mostly at Artemis. She'd already said she was a guard dog, 
like Striper, albeit a bit bigger and blacker. Petunia felt safer 
knowing they'd be protected like that again, although chirin was more 
than capable too. She felt better on many accounts to have chosen him 
to father her lamb. "We're all so tired that I don't see how we can 
possibly go on. It wouldn't be safe. And as long as we've driven away 
the enemies for now...I'll stay here tonight."

"My thoughts entirely. We'll all be able to think more clearly and 
decide better what to do after our dream journeys." He looked back at 
Artemis. "Artemis? Do you know of any other dangers right around here-
-I mean, the forest? I'd heard tell thaat enemies were coming through 
but there's been no sign of them. I'd tell this flock to get away 
from here but we're all so tired, that unless the danger is very 
great I think we'd be better here."

How impassively she'd seemed to be all though Thyme's plight--but he 
realized with a squirmy little inner chill that it must be normal for 
her--that she must slit throats to survive. However they shared 
Mother Megga, parts of their souls were made of very different things.

Thyme didn't respond. If she did hear the storyteller it was at a 
distant level. Her body needed the respite of sleep to heal itself. 

"I'll follow Artemis," said Erik. What harm could that
do?

Artemis smiled, and lifted her nose into the air. A eerie howl was given, to 
the moon.

"I didn't hear anything or smell...and my howl should keep off anyone who 
dare to enter the area. I'd feel safer if we were here. I still feel uneasy 
at the Treehouse...more or less b/c of the smoke and small fire bits. I can 
smell it from here."

Artemis looked over at the leaving Kurohi and Sharra, yelling out.

"Sharra, do you know? You were the last pokey I saw her with. Please, you 
can put others in danger. And Kurohi, I'm going with Chirin...but give me a 
sign of anything, I don't care. Just I must know your safe..."

Artemis ran out closer to the lake shore, her ankles in the water...as 
before the water didn't bother her as much as long as she wasn't in all the 
way. 

The houndoom walked over to the water, her new legs seemed different. 
She was taller, and it took fewer steps for Artemis to get to a certain 
destination. Artemis looked out into the vast, cold, dark water, shivers 
ran up the houndoom's spine. But with light steps, Artemis stepped into
 the water, about ankle high. Artemis closed her weary eyes and a the houndoom 
glew black, and a wave of darkness was sent to the umbreon. 

"A gift, from a friend...A friend I will never forget. Your always in my 
mind, and I'll always be there for you Kurohi."

Artemis smiled, then turned around...up on the beach she shook each paw dry 
and ran back up to Chirin, her new longer legs were amazing and the felt 
rather weird. It's a feeling hard to explain. Artemis lost her footing once, 
and tripped over her own feet, but regained balance and trotted over instead 
of ran. Artemis nuzzled the houndour, which seemed rather small.

"We don't have to stay if you don't want to."

Looking over at Mimishi, she smiled.

"This is true, we've met in the worst of places. But things have changed 
slightly. And were all discovering new things."

Artemis sighed, stretching her long legs, and her tail out stretched itself. 
Artemis didn't care for the demon like tip but the houndoom would get used 
to it.

Chirin hoped the houndours' presence would not create problems...now, 
with the passing of immediate danger, he had more than his share of 
concerns. What if Din possessed her in front of these lambs? It was 
true, though, that ever since he'd done his light-run she'd been free 
of Din. And Din, last he has seen, was elsewhere...

"How's Thyme?" Chirin went over to where Petunia had resumed staying 
by her side. Chirin nestled his head against Thyme's chest, he held 
his nose right outside her own nose. She was somewhat alert and the 
bleeding had stopped, but her condition decided things--she could not 
travel. "We'll stay right here for the night. We'll stay here as long 
as she needs to. I can make a cotton bed for her too. Thyme?" he 
smiled gently at her, not wanting to disturb the tired lamb with so 
much as a lick on the cheek. "You can sleep now if you want...we'll 
be all right here, the danger's past...and you were so brave."

He couldn't help but run his flipper lightly down her back, 
exchanging the magic that a touch could bring. Later, tomorrow, 
whenever she was feeling stronger again, he wanted to speak with her. 
He was immensely curious about what had happened between Kurohi and 
her on the other side. If, of course, she was willing to divulge such 
a personal experience with anyone. 

Chirin sighed and looked at everyone, he heard Artemis running off to 
say something to Kurohi and that distracted him back to watching, 
waiting. Kurohi was far off with Sharra now, and Artemis was only 
trying to give him a good farewell...Kurohi was not a threat to them 
anymore. He turned back to the sheep. All at once, a big lump of 
relief swept over him, and it triggered sobs. 

"I...I want to say...that every one of you has been so brave 
tonight...You're amazing, all of you, I love all of you right here. 
I'm blessed to have met you and that you're okay tonight, all here. 
The spirits are on our sides here. We are light...we fought evil off 
tonight and we're lucky to have each other." He opened his flippers 
and scooped in all the sheep he could reach, for a teary hug. And he 
let go, crying his eyes out, letting the strain of the night rain out 
of him. 


(21129)