Norra's call snapped chirin's eyes open. So she had already left the 
hollow. He took off, full of energy, as opposed to yesterday. The 
drean-realm had been full of healing powers, as it always seemed to 
be.

"Norra! *Pharaa!*" he bleated, flinging his flippers wide as he saw 
the marowak up the path. He caught a whiff of blood about her, as 
always, and saw it smeared on her mask, at least a little bit. On 
bone, even a little blood showed up. She had obviouisly tried to wipe 
it clean, but rather hastily so. He stopped short of hugging her. 

"So wonderful to see you up and well! Let's not go fight any hugr 
pokemon today, though--i ought to make a charm and weave a spell to 
hold them away in a forest like this, after two of them yesterday! 
How do you feel? From the ringuma yesterday?"

He gestured with his flipper to his own snout. "You've got a little 
bit of--blood--on...right there."

He blinked his lights shyly, swallowing disgust and hiding it with a 
steady smile.  His eyes were mostly averted.

"Amma' okay'a." Norra said, even though it wasn't entirely so. She wiped a 
paw on her helmet in the same place where Chirin's flipper would be if she 
was him. "Sorra', founna' lil'a Pikachu-thing'a thatta' was'a almost'a 
dead'a." she added.

"Ah...well...I see..." Chirin felt along the side of his neck, 
towards the back of one shoulder, feeling a slight crawling feeling. 
He paused for a moment, a moment of light and thought for the pichu 
who had lost its life. Norra may have been merciful to kill it if the 
winter spirits were taking it away already. If not, she was just 
keeping herself alive. "It's okay...you don't have to feel bad about 
eating.  Don't mind me...I'm a sheep." He managed a small 
laugh. "You're sure you're all better from yesterday? Cause...well, 
it's a new day today and I'm going to start heading north, towards 
teh flock and then for the forest of shadows. I hear it's straight 
north, while I think the flock went northeast, but i'm not even sure. 
If you want to come, you know you can. If not, then...I'll be leaving 
soon."

He felt a bubble of quiet and the sounds of wind growing around them.

An itch cropped in Norra's nose that told her 'nyoo, nyoo, don't go!' but she 
did want to go and see the Celebi-thing. "Will'a come'a to flock'a anna' 
forest'a." she announced to Chirin, straightening and trying to make herself 
look like there was absolutely nothing wrong with her snout. Not that it was 
entirely obvious, but still..

Chirin's head cocked slightly, his ears giving something between a 
wiggle and a twitch. "Are you sure?" 

He studied her face and its subtle but strange mannerisms... only 
someone looking for anything amiss would have seen it. Like she was 
bothered or distrated by something--like her face was itching under 
her helmet but there was no way she was going to take it off and 
scratch it with him there. 

"You sound a little nasal, if I do say so myself. You're sure your 
nose is all right from yesterday? I might be able to help, but only 
if it's really bad."

He licked fragments of tree bark that had never been dissolved in his 
cud, from between his back teeth, glancing back at where Petunia and 
the ewe had been lying there still resting. "It's all right if you 
don't want to come...I'm going to a dangerous place and after all my 
efforts I might not even find any Celebi at all. But I'll never know 
until I try and I plan to try everything I can to stop this evil--
Bua. He's been threatening me for so long.... My flock won't be safe, 
Gunya won't get free...Thyme won't get free, unless I do. I know they 
took Gunya away...they beat him up and hauled him off while I was 
trapped beneath the mountain."

He bit his quivering lip and turned slightly away from Norra. The 
tears froze on his cheeks.

Great, he was crying again.. "Yeah, amma' okay, norra' need'a fix'a." Norra 
assured him. If it hurt several days after that, well, she'd know she was 
wrong. "Wanna' come'a!" she added. The Marrowak didn't know whether she 
should try to get him to stop crying or not.

"Thanks," he said, just trying to find a word through his tears. He 
hadn't meant to lose all control right here and now. "I know I can't 
let my uncle and my friend's danger stop me from trying. They're why 
I'm doing this. Bua na kuros--he is the evil dark ampharos--he 
attacked us all once, and he'll keep doing it. I feel like there's 
nowhere safe that my friends and me can go. That's why i'm going to 
the black forest--" he hiccupped, then more tears flowed, "lest the 
evil...come striking again before i can do anything else. I've got 
the same power he does--I feel like I can maybe learn to understand 
why he is evil and find his weakness, maybe."

He hugged himself, nuzzling against his own shoulder. He hoped that 
norra was sure she wanted to come. If she changed her mind when they 
were in the thick of a dark forest--changed her mind vehemently and 
wanted out--there could be trouble. He knew it was because she was a 
marowak--so dangerous to him and much more likely to turn on him than 
another denryuu--that he felt so unsure. The friendship she had so 
far shown him seemed too good to last forever.

He'd never thought he could be so jaded.

Hichou flew into the area.. and boy, was she one pissed off little 
spearow. 
"WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME BEHIND?!" She yelled, landing in front of the 
two.
She had cleaned her wound, so blood was no longer matting her 
feathers, and the wound was slowly healing, though it still made an 
ugly gash across the side of her head.
The black mask of feathers around her eyes was a bit ruffled, her 
eyes drooping slightly; she had been sleeping.

"Good morning, Hichou," said Chirin, coming out of his spell of 
crying for the moment. He had one part of his soul with Gunya and 
Thyme. "And...I'm sorry that you feel you were left behind. surely 
you don't mean that we let you behind by coming out of our sleeping 
places to get some sunlight and sustenance?" He smiled. "You're a 
good deal faster than either of us. I sometimes wonder what it would 
be like to have wings. And to fly--although i have flown before, just 
in the spirit plaes that I go to when I dream--never here. And I've 
never had the grave of a spearow when i've done it."

His smile left his face a bit. "it would be nice if you didn't come 
at us all shouting and angry," he said. "I'm afraid i don't 
understand what it is you mean. Why don't you tell me what you feel 
happened and I'll see how I can help."

Chirin was getting a bit concerned for this spearow now. She had 
gotten a bit older since he'd first met her. If she kept insulting 
everyone she came across, she might meet someone someday who didn't 
take it very nicely. He knew he couldn't changer her, and he didn't 
want to. He wanted to see if he could help her be a happier little 
bird. Then she could change all on her own. There was a kind sould 
under that nasty glare, he knew, a soul that was hurting.

~

Fire lay curled up beside Izzy, snoring slightly in a nice deep 
            sleep. A nice well earned rest for him. ^_^ 

~

"I wonder where Fire is," said Chirin, looking in the direction of 
the hollow. He asumed Fire was still sleeping. "I hope he's all right 
to come out and enjoy the day." Chirin stood back and did a twirl, 
sparks flying out from him (he jumped away, cracking the hard snow, 
to get clear of Hichou). 

"I do hope he comes out soon. The winter wind is cold but among the 
bitter winds are softer spirits, the ones that love to rush around us 
when we run...They are the ones who play with my ears when a gust 
blows."

Smiling and wiggling said ears, he took a few steps back and started 
to dig at the snow, scraping at the crumbly ice with his hooves to 
try and reach the grass below.  The ice got tougher the deeper he dug.

* * *

Loki woke with her in his face. Her three clawed hand smashing 
toward him. Panicked the young gastly phased out of her grasp. He 
appeared behind Ebony. 

"You have caused me all these nightmares!" The Black Gengar roared 
at Loki. 

"Ebony! What are you talking about?" The gastly watched with his 
blazing red eyes. "I have done nothing wrong!"

"You freakish runt!" She leered at him. "I saw into your mind! Your 
dreams are the same nightmare keeping me unnerved! It was you all 
along! You will suffer as I have suffered!"

"Please! I have done nothing wrong!" Loki searched for shelter from 
the enraged Gengar.

"You are banished from the Ebony Clan! Leave now Loki before I am 
forced to slay you! Leave now runt!"

Suddenly his clan appeared. They shouted "outcast". How could they 
do this to him? His parents had died protecting the very clan that 
now shunned him. Loki felt tears and his lips curled.

"This isn't fair!" Loki exposed his fangs.

"Fine! I'll kill you!" The demon charged raising her clawed hands.

The clan of gastly, haunters and gengars shouted for his death. 
Panic crept again and Loki phased out of her path. His eyes opened. 
Where was he? Snow drifted about him. It was cold. He knew he was 
scared and he phased out into another part of the world. This wasn't 
the tropic home of Oceaciana. 

He felt despair here, many battles had been fought in this strange 
land. The lake was in the distance. Loki could feel the emotions 
surrounding the lake. His face twisted into a wicked grin. He would 
stay here and grow strong. 

He would stay till he was a gengar and would travel back to 
Oceaciana when that time came. The Ebony Clan would suffer for his 
exile. He would travel about searching for a group to follow, if 
battle was truly constant here he would follow any group to feed of 
their fear. He laughed, yes he would grow strong here and have his 
revenge! 

* * *

Chirin was gentle but persistent as he dug through the ice. A few 
well-placed sparks from his head jewel helped to soften and scrape it 
away. He hoped Petunia and the ewe didn't have too much trouble, if 
they did he would help them. Maybe when the ewe saw him in daylight, 
he wouldn't seem so scary. He had to do something about the stench on 
him, though... battled seemed to leave their mark in so many ways. 
They had washed his body in their violence as well as his inner 
being. 

He had so much to do this day! Just like he always seemed to. Chirin 
didn't know the meaning of a 'plain, normal' day. There was no such 
thing. 

Hm...maybe he could have himself a wash in snow. The idea didn't 
stick well, though... not when he was already burning so much of his 
*denki* to not only keep himself warm, but reach some grass he could 
eat. The hole he finally struck through to the mostly dead grass 
below, was small but hard-won. Chirin put his mouth to the blades, 
eating more snow than grass. Nevertheless, he offered a little thanks 
to the plants that he was able to graze. It could have been worse, 
and they were still giving themselves up to him for food. 

Feeling the wind shift, the ampharos ram picked his head up, checking 
for any enemies. He felt rosy and good about the day and his mission 
ahead, but also a little more alone than he thought a denryuu should 
feel. He was caught up in doing things that he knew the Beacon Flock 
would have never approved of--that they very well might have even 
banished him for--yet he had no intention of stopping. They had 
receded from his life a long time ago. Maybe he wasn't their idea of 
a denryuu anymore, but he was his own idea of Chirin.

*I don't care what you say,* he thought against the tide of ancestors 
who still lived in him. and always would. *I will always love you, 
but if you know what I'm doing and did, then you must have been there 
too. You must understand why. You have to know I'm not evil.*

It was more than what he thought, Chirin knew. When the worry boiled 
in the back of his thoughts and threatened to spill onto the surface, 
he knew his ancestors seethed about his mis-adventures in the 
dreamlands. 

Well, Chirin had no plans to stop dreaming freely. He just felt the 
need to placate the ancestors, offer them things that, he thought 
bitterly, would do nothing. Only his changing back would do something 
and he wasn't changing back.

Sparks buzzed, ice chips flew as he struck his *denki* like a 
carefully placed chisel at the sides of the hole, clearing ice away 
to eat more grass.

Loki traveled searching for something to catch his interest. So far 
the land had haunting beauty with the intense emotions from past 
battles fueling him. He laughed, perhaps coming to this strange 
place was for the best. He wondered what this place was, he 
consulted the lost souls of the land.

"Lake Eerie? This place suits me then!" Loki laughed. "Time to find 
a power source!"

He came upon a strange animal. One he had never seen before. Life in 
the ruins made him ignorant to the outside world. This yellow thing 
was pawing at the ground. Loki could sensed this thing had fought 
recently. The scent of war still clung to it. 

There were others near. This was something he could use to his 
advantage. Staying out of sight he circled about finding a ewe. Loki 
smiled, this would work! There was fear of the big yellow thing 
wafting from the ewe. Loki found a power source to thrive on. He sat 
enjoying the fear. He felt his strength slowly return.

If he could just read their minds he could use that to cause terror 
among them giving him more power. He decided it was worth the risk. 
He decided to start with that yellow thing. He floated away at a 
distance. 

Something went wrong! That yellow thing sensed him. It's head turned 
to Loki, the gastly grew panicked as the yellow thing looked right 
at him.

Chirin swallowed a sour taste in his throat; he suddenly broke a 
sweat in teh cihlly weather. Somethins was there--besides Norra or 
hichou.

He turned to see a strange apparition..

Chirin bleated and stepped way back, stumbling on the icy snow. There 
was a thing that went beyond air--barely visible in the sunny 
weather, but there...he felt it with his soul. Chirin gave his 
sparking head a shake as if to dislodge a part of it that had invaded 
him. He looked at it in fear...and knew what it was. It was one of 
his ancestors and it had come to punish him.

He tried to face it calmly...because he wasn't going to give in that 
easily. 

"Hi," he said...

Hi? Loki stared at the strange beast. A simple greeting yet Loki 
sensed the fear within the mammal. He tried to invade it's thoughts 
yet something had stopped him from doing so. He circled about it 
soaking in the fear. 

His ancestors--who could it be? The apparition was impossible to even 
focus on. Chirin kept trying to look *at* it--although he avoided a 
direct stare at its voluminous eyes--and his eyes couldn't place 
where it was, even though his eyes didn't struggle any and it was 
smack in his narrow field of depth perception. The sheep stood warily 
back, not wanting to give gound but feeling like if he got too close, 
a part of--it--would get stuck on him and he'd never get it off. 

He wouldn't have been so scared if it hadn't been for the push inside 
his mind. The feeling that something else--like the unouns--was 
there. Was this thing of the unowns? He got the strange feeling it 
wasn't--they had been without emotion and this thing seemed very 
close to his own, somehow. Like he could feel his fear making it 
bigger. Fear--always fear. He trid not to be afraid. He took deep 
breaths, he thought of sun and flowers, Azalea, Denrai--throwing up 
every shield that a mortal, flesh being could. 

He wanted to step closer to Norra, but he wouldn't put his friends in 
danger. If this was one of his ancestors or more than one, then it 
was a confrontation he had to face.

Confrontation. How sad, he felt as he looked at the thing--sensing it 
more than seeing it--how sad that he had to take everything new as a 
threat. Did he really have to? If this was one of his ancestors, 
perhaps they could talk it through, feel their way. Chirin had sensed 
the stamp of vicious thoughts when it had touched on him--or emerged 
from him, since he had been thinking of his elders at that moment--
but even evil feelings didn't mean things could not be worked out.

"What beast are you? You are able to block my powers! Yet you fear 
me?"

Chirin stood there taking in what the thing was saying. It had been 
startled by his pushing it out. Chirin had not expected to fend it 
off at all. He remembered Din, he remembered Spook-- but where this 
thing seemed more like Spook, it was tense and irritable--full of 
anger--like din had been. But it lacked Din'a confidence. chiirn 
stood tall. 

"I'm what you see," said Chirin, "a denryuu," shining his lights even 
in the morning sun and the sparks already cascading over him. The 
screams of voices in teh burning forest, the smell of smoke--the 
memories slid over him where the fringes of the ghost touched towards 
him. The wailing caverns, his wailing flock...

Tis was not one of his ancestors at all. It was a thing like Din, 
only less powerful. 

Loki stopped straight ahead facing it eye to eye. He appeared into 
full sight suddenly hoping to terrify this thing, Loki wanted to 
taste more terror. He laughed confidently hoping to hide the fact he 
was a low level ghost.

Chirin decided to go along with what it did. Like Din, this thing was 
troubled--but maybe it wasn't too late to reach it. He wanted to 
help , despite himself. As the cloud of dark gas furled around the 
black umbra of a body, Chirin stood where he felt safe.

"I know you're a ghost," he said, "I've met others before. As for 
blocking your powers, my mind is simply my own private place--I don't 
let just anyone in. where do you come from? What brings you skipping 
over the snow to this place, on this morning?"

Hichou dug her talons into the soft dirt, steaming, because the 
denryuu had once again made her look stupid.
Her glassy bird eyes a slight shade of red, she stood there taking a 
deep breath and claming down for a moment, trying to remind herself 
he was electric and she was a spearow (she wouldn't admit he was over 
ten times stronger, anyways.)
As she rested and calmed down, watching the morning sun's warm rays 
start to shine across the snow, she suddenly heard Chirin's bleat. 
After a second, she heard "Hi".. ANOTHER one? Good lord..
She shook her head and flew towards the sound of his voice.

Chirin watched hichou in his peripheral vision, ready to defend her 
should this ghost cause her trouble in any way. All of his fear at 
this being an ancestor had drained away--it had called its own bluff 
when he had startled it by drawing the veil over his own thoughts. He 
got the feeling it was young--or had been, when it had died.

Chiri wiggled his ears and smiled, hoping to turn a menacing little 
ghost into one that would find a more permanent peace.

Norra' Flecka turned her skull-helmeted head to see some purple thing just 
floating there. The Marrowak jumped slightly and clutched her bone in both 
hands. When she saw that the floating purple thing didn't attack, she pointed 
her bone club at it in challenge. "Whatta' arra' yorra'?" she demanded, 
straightening to her full height and hoping that her Houndoom helmet and the 
Ootachi cloak frightened the ghost at least somewhat.
    She also hoped it concealed the slight fear of it she kept inside.

Chirin stood quietly and let the ghost answer for himself. It didn't 
seem eager to talk about itself, but that was only to be 
expected...Chirin felt sorry for the thing. He had faced deadly 
dangers as a lamb, himself--it could have been him here in the 
ghost's place.

Dead things in tunnels, lost in the dark, the machine's scream as his 
gift grabbed it by the neck and shook it. Chirin felt flood after 
flood of bad memories whenever he concentrated too hard on the ghost.

"Mother Megga..." He ducked his head and rubbed it for a moment, then 
straightened back up. He could not let his guard down on this thing. 
He glanced over at Norra, she was reacting upfront to it--good for 
her. They were quite a solid group here. He looked at the cloud of 
darkness, hovering like a hole in the air, and hoped they didn't 
scare it away. 

How much did it know about him--them? The dead knew things...they 
worked from both sides of your skin.  Where they did not know they 
worked to discover.

Hichou, now at the source of the sound, blinked twice and cocked her 
head to the side. "What the hell are YOU?" She questioned rudely, 
flipping her right wing once as if the thing were an annoyance.

Well now--three approaches to this stranger. He hoped the ghost 
wouldn't take the Spearow's, er, direct approach!

His feet dug absently at the ground, scuffing ice away and kicking it 
behind him. Snapping to, he ventured forward, trying to get a sniff 
at the ghost. There was no scent. He felt through the air with his 
invisible, electric gift-sense--there was no trace of the apparition. 

He took a step back again--suddenly getting the sparks at the reality 
of this thing--that he could not feel or smell. That both ihs 
ordinary and extraordinary senses couldn't touch. As a lamb he'd have 
bolted from this thing. Now--it was simply one more oddity. Or--a 
friend in need. He would try.

Lightning screams, then a forlorn field, Boulder's vice-grip, 
Chenja's jeer. The memories spun inside him, his feat a beast on his 
back. He shook his head again, trying to whip them off, make the 
apparitions all leave him alone.

~

When she awoke, the strange pokemon Petunia clung to was gone. She 
looked for the ewe, wanting to ask her about Chirin. Was he really 
her ram, or was this ewe one of those who fancied other pokemon 
species? She'd once heard about a ewe who was sold because she 
refused the flock ram over her feelings for the farm's tauros. 

Petunia, who had been sitting up chewing cud, smiled over at her 
little charge, whom she heard stirring right next to her. "Good 
morning," she said, "Did you get a good night's rest? I know it's a 
little cold...there's not much we can do about that. I came from a 
farm too, so I know how nice a barn can be in the winter." She 
srtetched and stuck her nose out of the bushes, sniffing the morning. 

"*Amp,*" she pulled it back in. "It's very cold out there." She 
started amping up her electricity to guard against the brutal chill.

~

Hichou turned to Chirin. "Denryuu!" She snapped. "What IS this thing, 
and WHY are you talking to it?"
She glared at the ghost as if it had done something.

Chiirn looked at the little bird with his eyes gentle. "It's a ghost, 
or it appears to be so, and...Why not talk to it?" he said, flicking 
his lights. "It's all right if you're--uncomfortable," he said, 
quickly substituting a word in place of 'scared.' She was a lot less 
powerful than he was--this ghost could possibly harm her. "You can 
wait in the hollow if you'd like to, or the forest--I know it's 
awfully chilly right here."

Chirin wanted to say it hadn't done anything wrong yet, but it had 
come to him with aggression in mind. If he had been small and weak 
himself, he would have become a victim of its spirit powers. Should 
they drive it off, fil it with hatred, it might only feed off them 
and grow stronger--in the way of evil spirits. And it would come 
back. Like Din had. 

He faced the ghost again, clearing the bad from his mind and 
replacing it with good. After all, why not do that regardless?

"Insects! You think you are stronger! I am no ordinary ghost! I was 
born a ghost! A dark gastly is what I Loki am! If any of you are 
brave enough to assist me speak now! I seek revenge upon my former 
clan! Who will help me grow into a Gengar?" 

"What--"

Chirin jumped back sparking. Daggers of hell and wailing shot out of 
him. The skull in the mud, the cubone and the ewe struggling as te 
vines strangled them...

"A gengar?" Chirin had heard of these--powerful dark spirits. But he 
hadn't heard much, and he'd never seen one. He was pretty sure Spook 
wasn't one. 

"I'm afraid I'm not an insect...none of us are," he said, trying to 
put a light note into what had turned serious. So he had no memories 
of a former life--or he was a spirit never given a body. something 
that the light had missed.

"Assist you--to--do what? Revenge? For what? and why? What would that 
do?" Chirin's foot scuffed the ice. His tail lashed and his face was 
pained. "You former clan--oh...so they did something to you?"

Chirin instantly felt for the ghost. How it hurt when you lost your 
family...when they turned on you. Like they took away a big part of 
who and what you were. 

"I'll help you, but not for revenge," said Chirin. "That--that's only 
more darkness. More dark doesn't make dark go away--only light does! 
Oh, light--" he flung his arms wide, "light is the only way!"

His two red lights blinked brightly. "Now...why don't you tell us 
what's happened and why you're so angry. I want to help you."

Norra blinked. What a horrendous Upperworld accent (OOC note to the newbie: 
not that he really does have any accent, it just seems like it to her, 
Marrowaks from the Underground have odd accents, if you haven't noticed 
^^;;)! What was an "insect"? Or a "ghost"? Or a "Gengar", for that manner!
    She had understood the revenge part, and that whatever Loki was, he was a 
Gastly. "Whatta' clanna' kin do wrong'a thatta' need'a revenge'a?" she 
wondered, letting her bone club relax slightly. This Gastly couldn't be so 
bad.

Chirin looked at Norra with sadness and shock. He then looked away, 
trying to hide his hurt, which threatened to spill tears...then did. 
So she was more wiling to join another's crusade of darkness, just 
like Keel'alla had. 

"Why don't we hear what he has to say before we say yes?" said 
Chiirn. He knew he was committing to nothing. 

His ears were drooping and on the heels of his sadness, sometihng 
else followed...the glare of Chenja's eyes into his own as he fell 
over and over under the ringuma. He had tried, maybe he had failed.

Hichou rolled her eyes. "Light is the only way!" She said, mock-
imitating the denryuu's kindness.
She turned to the ghost. "Help you? Depends. What do I do to help, 
and why SHOULD I help you?"
The black-masked spearow smirked.

Chirin couldn't believe his two friends were so willing to just jump 
into this ghost's cause. Without knowing anyting other than he was 
out for revenge! Revenge against what? Didn't they know how to think 
for themselves? 

His ears went from drooping to standing out backwards, pressing 
against his head. his lights flashed. 

"Try it...fighting dark with dark," he said to Hichou. "Try finding a 
way out like that. You'll get nowhere... you won't bve able to see a 
thing."

Hichou had had enough. "Oh, come off it!" She snapped. "You know, 
light is always what CAUSES dark! The only emotion that can truly 
hurt you is love, and hurt is always what draws people into dark!"
She fluffed her wings up, trying to make herself look bigger.
"Haven't you noticed the only times you ever start whipering like a 
CHILD always involve your friends?!"

"No friends ever, then, that's what you want?" Chirin was shaking, 
all over. "If you never love, you never come out of the dark to begin 
with. But my telling you that can't make you see it. you have to want 
to see it--and right now, you don't. I cry from happiness, from 
sadness, despair...a million reasons why I cry, and I would never 
give it up for a life with no love. You can look at the dark and 
think it's light--if you've never seen real light before."

He turned away to cry with his face out of the wind. He'd rarely felt 
so fooled...he had been on his way to thinking that these two were 
better than this. Especially Norra...

He looked at his shadow on teh snow flushing pink.

Despite the fact that Norra had lowered her bone slightly, it hadn't meant 
that she had entirely trusted the gastly. She saw Chirin's ears change 
position. That face made him look like he was sad or something...
    "Whassa' wrong'a?" she asked him. Norra didn't understand why he was 
upset, all she had did was asked why the Gastly wanted to wreak revenge on 
his clan.

"I'm all right," he said, seeing her concern--or confusion. That;'s 
it-- he was too wuick to jump to conclusion. "I'm just--I feel that 
revenge isn't right--for its own sake, not for defense or whatnot. 
I'm thinking we should find out first why this ghost wants revenge 
and then see if we can't help him find a better solution--if there is 
one. I just don't like to see fighting or hurting, that's all."

It was the truth.

He sighed. "I'm sorry--I guess I overreacted. I'm just--I don't know."

Why was he so nervous? His face was flushing hot and he knew that his 
lights were redder than they normally were. He looked away from her 
again, downward.

Norra shut her mouth and was about to think about that but then she realized 
she was about to have a long and confusing moment thinking about revenge and 
stuff and decided just not to for the moment.
    She thought about it despite her decision. But, wasn't revenge what you 
did when someone wronged you? A kick for a kick? A meal for a meal? What else 
were you supposed to do? Norra got that weird thinking-about-what-Chirin-said 
look on her face. Why did she hang out with this Denryuu anyway? He 
constantly made her think about what she always took for granted.
    Norra sighed quietly to herself. All this thinking was giving her a 
headache, and her nose itched, but she didn't dare scratch it in case it 
would bleed again.

Chirin could see her eye out the side of his. So he had not jumped to 
an unfounded conclusion--she really had been looking forward--or 
nearly so--to helping this ghost get revenge. He wondered about what 
he had said, too. He knew that there had been times when he'd wanted 
revenge--burning him so badly that his brain had been a fire, 
thinking of nothing but hot violent thoughts. Up there fighting Boro, 
down in the caverns. He had not just wanted his flock back safe. He 
had wanted those minions of Bua to all pay for what they'd done--to 
suffer. He had wanted them to suffer.

If it could happen to him, couldn't anyone feel that? He didn't blame 
this gastly for wanting revenge--it was the thought of the other two--
especially of Norra--just jumping to his cause for the pure joy of 
fighting. Maybe deep down inside her she longed to be back in the 
same sort of place and routine that she had grown up on with 
Keel'alla. It was something familiar, after all.

How strange that something so horrid might actually give someone 
comfort. 

"I've felt the urge for revenge myself," said Chirin, mostly to the 
ghost. "I know what it's like--to burn that way." He said it so 
softly. "All the same, maybe we can help you find a better way. Know 
that I've been through some hard times... I want to help spare others 
from feeling that way if I can."

Maybe some questions could not be answered with an absolute. But when 
he heard the ghost's story he was pretty sure he would know how he 
felt on it.

~

Izzy slept peacefully, curled up close next to Fire. He was totally 
unaware of a Gastly meeting right outside the hollow...

~

Hichou lowered her head and looked towards the ground.
"What if I told you," she muttered, "I WOULD rather be alone than be 
hurt aga-" She blinked and shook her head.
The red tint in the spearow's eyes had faded, they now looked more 
exausted than angry, though anger was still there, like always.
She didn't get it. She could tell Chirin had been hurt before..
"Maybe," She said, "You're just stronger than me." The anger in her 
voice was returning, though one couldn't see her eyes because she was 
looking completely down. "Is that what you wanted to hear?? Maybe 
you're just better than me, and you know what? I don't care! I REALLY 
DON'T!"

"Oh, Hichou," he squatted down and turned to look at her with tear-
brimming eyes. Only his sparks kept them from freezing in their 
tracks on his face. Through the buzzing and blinks of light that 
partly cloaked him, he spoke. "We're all strong. The grass blade in 
the ground--it's strong. After all, doesn't it come back no matter 
how harsh the winter is? And every one of them is special--like every 
creature. I don't think of myself as any stronger than anyone else. I-
-I never really thought of myself as strrong or not strong. I know I'm 
bigger than you, and I have a type advantage. I'm older than you, tho 
i'm still young--I've been through a lot. but look up--and smile. I 
hear you say you don't care--but you do," he paused to wipe his face. 
she was hurting and wanted to let it all out but fear just held her 
back. "I was saying before, about light--that, well, you never know 
until you try, or try again. I know it's hard to give things a second 
chance sometimes. But you can--we all can."

He glanced over at the ghost, just to show that he hadn't forgotten 
about him.

"Who said it'd be the SECOND?" Hichou muttered.
The spearow slowly looked up, and saw Chirin looking to the side.. 
huh? She followed his gaze to the ghost standing next to them. Oh, 
yeah.. she had forgotten about him.
"I still say," she said, her voice still at a mutter, "if there's a 
good reason for me to help him, I'll do it. I know a thing or two 
about revenge.." She smiles a grim, almost sick smile, her eyes blank.

Norra was quiet. She didn't know what to do, now. She wasn't hungry, and 
didn't have any plan of sorts. She wasn't tired or sleepy, either. The calls 
and other sounds of day seemed to echo, as she kept her eyes on Loki, not 
sure what to say.

~

Fire snorted, lifting his head groggily, dark blue eyes half open. 
            Bearing his fangs briefly in a yawn, he looked down at the curled up 
            shape of Izzy nearby. Grinning a bit, he stood up to poke his furry 
            face outside. 

~

Chirin just stepped back. "You're free to do whatever you want," he 
said. "I just feel that there are bettrr solutions than revenge."

He paced in a circle, shaking his head. He tried to keep his calm--

" I know how easy it is to feel like getting revenge--but in the end 
i feel it wouldn't get me anywhere to return more evil in exchange 
for evil."

He came to a halt, sniffling. He faced the group again. "It's how I 
feel--and it's why I want to help, help this person--just--find a 
better way."

He looked away and pawed the ice with his hooves again, grunting as 
he did so.

Chirin was washed in a mix of the desire to help Loki and the desire 
to protect himself, and his friends if necessary, from Loki. Both 
were possible at the same time. It was just a mess of dark that he 
had to cut through. Anyone had the light to do it with if they just 
chose to. Whatever his clan had done to him, it must have been awful. 
Even now he had a hard time understanding why someone would just 
inflict harm on someone else for no reason. He didn't know it was for 
no reason, though...

At last he saw something, he grinned viciously but, only for a 
second. They were all little peace makers! He floated restlessly 
trying to select his words with caution. It was Ebony that banished 
him from the ruins on Oceaciana and it was Ebony his parents 
defended giving up their lives for he clan that later outcasted 
their child. Loki remembered being born from a black egg and his 
haunter parents floating about him. 

"I have a gift." He stared about them, he had a gift aliright! He 
could infest his nightmares into others minds as he slept. He gave a 
sheepish grin, if they didn't know he could just stay with them and 
their fear from his nightmares would feed him. Ebony banished him 
for this gift. "My former clan, Clan Ebony forced me from the ruins 
we all lived in. So many horrid things happened there and we all 
lived peacefully feeding off those emotions trapped in the ruins." 
That part was sort true though fights did break out occasionaly.

"I was able to... change bad feelings into good ones so they turned 
me away! And my very parents had defended the clan from a human 
invasion!" Loki hated humans! They came one night with odd round 
creatures that devoured his parents in a strange red beam. Those 
vile humans used those red and white monsters to eat up his 
parents. "And our elder, Ebony like all of us on Oceaciana a pure 
black colored ghost had the utter stupidity to banish me! Stupid 
Gengar! I want my revenge on her! She should pay for this! Just 
because I'm.... gifted!"

Whoa! he couldn't believe he said all of that with a straight face! 
He gave a frown and forced a tear out hoping they would buy that 
load of garbage! 

Tears were flowing down chirin's face, amid thoughts...of dark eggs, 
dark spheres, dark shapes and dark screams. The night writhing 
against itself. Loki had been banished--because he had a gift...and 
he had had problemd with humans too, just like chirin's flock...

"I feel your pain," he whispered. He was shivering and 
shaking. "You...were outcast because you're different..."

Was what why they had turned him away in Chirin's dream? Not because 
he was evil or anything--but because he was just different? Chirin 
knew that what he felt and thought had not seemed to hurt anything. 
Maybe it didn't...maybe it was just different and they were afraid of 
it.

He gave a pause. There was suspicion floating in the back of his 
mind. Loki had changed when he had told this story, he seemed subtly 
different now. Chirin chided himself for feeling that way, but Dosha 
had done something a lot like this. This gastly couldn't really hurt 
him anyway, though...what was the harm in believing him?

"What would be the point in getting revenge, though? I know you must 
feel so...sad and angry at being turned away from teh only place you 
could call home. but... You're good, instead of them, you could never 
fit in there now...you wouldn't want to. What would you get from 
having revenge? It wouldn't make them see the light--it would only 
hurt them. Hurt, in exchange for more hurt. I don't see how it would 
change or benefit anyone."

He sighed a long plums of frost at the ground, moving around to keep 
from freezing up. He was hungry--not that he wasn't usually, these 
days. 

"I'll tell you a little story myself--I've grown apart from my own 
flock. I don't do all tht things they do anymore, I don't believe all 
that they believe. They came to me in a dream and banished me, too. 
The ones I love--they cursed me, spat at me and left me to the 
enemies. And it hurt, so much. I still remember it--I'm still 
learning how to cope. I don't know if I ever will." Chirin was crying 
so hard that the cry was shaking his body. 

"But to seek revenge on them--that wouldn't do anything. It wouldn't 
make them love me again. It wouldn't make me one with my flockagain. 
You're different, I'm different, I know how you feel--if what you say 
is true." He said it bluntly; let Loki know that he was suspicious. 
chirin was stocked with plenty of stories of betrayal. "Revenge--
you'd just be going out to hurt people. I know how anger can make you 
want to do that--but what you need more are friends who know how you 
feel and can help you find your new light-path."

He watched the dark ghost hover, shifting, sometimes barely 
visible,other times looking at him almost solid. chirin wasn't sure 
if he would ever get truly used to looking at ghosts, but it was an 
interesting experience.

"I'm sure that out there there are others, other ghost pokemon--I've 
got a kind ghost friend, myself--who would love to have you as a 
friend and companion. I would put my energy into finding those 
friends. Find friends--don't lash out at those who had turned you 
away. You should show them--show them that no matter what they do to 
you they won't turn you away from your gift of doing good. You will 
show them that shunning and hating you--won't change you to their own 
ways."

Chirin was startled at how his little speech made him think, himself. 
It sounded so easy the way that he had put it. He had given himself 
as much or more advice as hehad given Loki. "Until you do find 
friends of your own... type, feel free to stay with us. I could never 
turn you away."

He ducked his head and sniffled loudly, gathering more breath to just 
cry.

Loki looked at Chirin. Why was this thing being nice to him? Back 
among his tribe he was an outcast long before his exile. His parents 
had been different. Instead of being black demons like the rest they 
had purple bodies. Ebony had always insulted all three. In a way now 
he could see why they turned him out. 

"Uh...revenge doesn't sound as enticing anymore." He wanted to puke! 
Revenge was all he had left! But, this thing was being nice. Maybe 
he could block his powers when he was among them. Besides there 
would be others he could attack later. "Maybe you have a point 
about...what was it? Oh yeah light and dark."

"It's easy to talk about it," said chirin, "harder to follow it when 
you hurt so much. i know because, well, what I just said, made it 
sound so easy, but I realized that it's good advice for me." He 
sighed. "It's only words. They help me focus my direction. Words have 
power. But...I admit I haven't always followed everything I say. I 
try, though...I used to feel like the world had so much more--simple 
meanings. What I've seen, caused what I used to believe in to seem 
false, too simplistic. But, after all, even if there is no real 
meaning to things... then, why *not* try, why not be nice? Why not 
try for the light? Why not make one little part of things better? i 
know I wouldn't be alive, if not for trying. How good it feels to 
love, to have friends and play and--be alive--is enough meaning to 
me. And it's something I'm still learning."

Loki turned about that bird was willing to help so was the marowak, 
he wondered if the others would treat him like this yellow thing 
named Chirin. Revenge! Ebony betrayed him, she forced him away when 
they should be glad that he was drawing the misery from the ruins 
and intensifing it! Loki had time to consider what his odd power 
was. So what if that power spilled over into Ebony's sleep! That 
power would have fed the entire clan and he would have grown faster 
among the ruins. 

"Can you teach me to end this hate?" He suddenly realized that 
slipped out! Did he want to stop hating? Loki was confused now. He 
shook it off! Revenge was all he had left. 

Then he wondered if they had realized he was just a young ghost. If 
they did he wouldn't be threatening anymore, he wouldn't be able to 
inspire fear. No! They hadn't! He told himself, his acting skills 
were perfection! Then why was he worried? 

"Teach you..." Chirin gave a curious smile, sniffling away the last 
of his tears. He looked at the ghost. If it was acting, it was doing 
a very good job. He saw only desperation, hope that he would just say 
yes. Chirin's lights flickered with indecision as he figured out what 
to say, how to express it.

"i'm not a teacher," he said. "I'll be your friend, I'm going on a 
journey to a land far away. I can't teach anyone to end hate--they 
have to learn for themselves. Why--i myself still feel hate 
sometimes. It's a violent thing that--I feel, eats at me." He looked 
down, ducked his head into the ice-snow hole he'd made and ate a fre 
precious grass blades. The morning was rising. Through the sparks and 
cold wind he felt Phos touching his back with a warm hand. 

"But I think what you need most right now, is a friend who can at 
least know a little of what you've been through. I can be that if you 
want."

His ears wiggled as he poked around in the hole, then looked back up 
at Loki.

A friend? He had friends among the ruins, till they all betrayed 
him! They all smiled in his face all said his power was amazing. 
They only cared for the free meal they were getting! Friends! Hah! 
If something like that truly existed! Loki needed a clan! Not 
friends! He grunted to himself as he tried to decide to follow them 
any further or go his own way.

"Does friendship bring power?" He at last asked. 

Chirin gave him a harsh look. 

"You give of yourself, to be a friend. you open yourself, to have a 
friend. I can't answer your question--there can't be just one answer. 
I know I don't make friends to have power. Well," he flicked an ear 
and rubed the side of his neck, "i know I do. But ask  yourself this--
does power bring you friends?"

He sniffed at the snow hole a little more and stood up. He looked 
around; it was time to eat a little more then get going. If he didn't 
leave soon, he'd lose the chance to travel today--by daylight. Who 
knew what winter would being tomrrow--maybe another snowstorm. He 
could only speak to teh wind, listen to its answers, and go ahead as 
best he could.

"I guess power doesn't gain friends." He thought of his 
former "friends" they marveled at his power but, betrayed him when 
it was in their best interest. In a way he sort of couldn't blame 
them. Who would want Ebony to turn them inside out? "So why do you 
follow this den..ruy... this yellow thing? Why do you follow 
Chirin?" 

He decided this group was far too interesting to just leave now! He 
would follow them. He wanted to know about the others though. He 
awaited a reply. If he could just figure out Chirin's secret he 
could quickly build a clan to defeat Ebony. Yes, he would learn this 
Chirin's secrets and use them to build an army to fight that bloated 
gengar! 

"They don't follow me," said Chirin. "I hope that no one does. 
They're my friends, and I'm theirs...i guess we follow each other."

He didn't like this ghost's questions and he couldn't pin down why, 
he just got a feeling. And you never ignored a feeling, big or small. 
Never.

Loki felt the yellow thing slip! Chirin was suspcious after all. He 
wouold have to tread a little more carefully. He watched the others 
stare, he knew he had to come up with something.

"I'm sorry. I should ask why are you his friend?" Being part of the 
tribe he would insticntively ask why someone followed someone. It 
was just part of what he as. They all followed Ebony because she 
knew how to horrify the humans and that feed them. It was natural 
for Loki to ask why someone followed anyone.

Chirin let them answer that. He realized he should have also let them 
answer the first one. He stood back and let them do so. The last 
thing he wanted to do was speak for anyone. The ghost's question had 
just felt like he was trying to make Chirin seem like some kind of 
leader or something--someone who coerced. He knew that those 
who "followed" him simply did so because they liked him and enjoyed 
his company, or wanted to help him. And, of course, there were 
probably those who might follow him to betray him--like Boulder had. 
Chirin didn't know ho w long that had gone on--how long Boulder had 
prepared to betray him...changing over from being his friend to a spy 
and enemy. Such were the risks. 

As for Loki, he didn't trust him yet, but from what he could gather 
the ghost was young and misguided, and mistreated, and therefore full 
of anger. Chirin would be his friend.

"We ghosts just have a habit of crowning someone leader and 
following them devotely... even if they are not the best leader for 
us." He almost said the truth, they followed the leader only while 
it served their best interests. 

"My kind sometimes does that too," said chirin. "My flock tended to 
follow where the oldest ewe went--my great grandmother. They took her 
advice and looked to her when they had questions or were afraid. But 
now, I'm not one of them anymore...my flock is gone. and if there 
ever was a mean sheep, I know I wouldn't follow them. but I've seen 
many others who I know would--who have followed evil ones. It's a 
shame that they don't know how to think forr themselves--or are evil 
themselves. I do what I can to stop it and help people see light. 
It's all I can do. While enjoying myself on the side, of course. 
Can't forget that." He wiggled his ears and flashed his lights and 
licke d his lips.

"But now that you're away from them--why do you need to follow 
anyone? If you like, stay with us, you'll find you don't really need 
to follow anyone. Well...I know that doesn't really make sense...but 
try it anyway. Just enjoy yourself, have fun...you're free now." 

Not follow! Not follow? It was part of his nature. But, wait Chirin 
said his kind had the same insticnts. Yet, here he was not following 
a leader. Loki wondered if he could be like that? Could he go off on 
his own and not need a clan? 

No! He shook it off, he would be a leader! Yes! When the time came 
he would leave this group on peaceful terms and go to vanquish 
Ebony! Yes, he would be leader! Then he would sit on Ebony's throne 
just enjoying the power wafting from the ruins. Then and only then 
he would be at peace, when he was a powerful Gengar. 

Chirin fed on all the grass he could through the holes, and got up, 
his appetite sated enough to travel for now. He thought about what he 
had said--his flock had sort of loosely followed Chenja and Lararu, 
most of the time, there hadn't really been any leadership issues. You 
ate all the grass and leaves you could, you played, told stories, 
avoided enemies and fought them when you had to. You looked after 
your lambs and held the vigil in the night. You listened to the world 
around you, and you generally stayed close to the others. Chirin 
liked to be alone sometimes, but certainly not all the time. That's 
why he loved his friends!

"Well, I'm going to go now," he said. "I've got to go find Petunia 
and that ewe, i want to help them back to the rest of the flock. It 
isn't safe for them to go on their own." It wasn't safe for him 
either, but he knew he was stronger and more used to defending 
himself on his own. also Petunia was pregnant, now with this other 
ewe. She was quite capable on her own, but why chance it?

Loki turned to the others. He wondered why they had become silent. 
Was he frightening them. He smiled for if he was he would feed now. 

"And you? What will you do now that..." He almost said leader again! 
He had to remind himself he had to pick his words. "Now that Chirin 
is leaving whay will you do?" Loki floated about trying to sense any 
fear in the air.

Chirin felt his tail lash and his *denki* boil towards the surface of 
his skin. It sputtered out of him, hiding his face like leaves 
flapping in front of it. He growled to himself and stepped away from 
the ghost, starting in on digging another hole in the ice. He used 
sparks to break through it, as well as to vent a little anger. He 
didn't like the way this ghost kept asking these questions. But he 
didn't say anything. Norra and Hichou didn't like him to defend them 
all the time and he didn't blame them. It was up to them to interpret 
what the ghost said and do what they would. He knew where he was 
going, and what he was doing. They must know what they wanted, too.

He kept them all in his perpheral vision. If Loki ever tried to hurt 
his friends he would find that light could also burn.

Anger! Loki felt anger, just a slight sensation of it. It was mere 
crumb to him. He would have to resort to hunting if nothing stronger 
came to him. He thought of it. Eating flesh like some... some 
animal! He heard of gastlies forced to feed on other pokemon. He 
shuddered at the thought. He had a mean streak but, to actually have 
to kill something for food. Loki baulked at the idea.

"Well when you decide to use your tongues I will listen." Loki flew 
to tree nearby. He slowly shut his eyes, just a quick nap wouldn't 
hurt. Then his gift came to mind. He groaned. He would try to keep 
his dreams from leeching out of his mind. But wait the others were 
awake! So if he slept as they were awake his power should have no 
effect over them. He felt sorry for any living thing near here that 
might by chance be sleeping. "Wake me when you decide."

Chirin couldn't stop growling. He growled as he munched on what grass 
he managed to uncover. The ghost was showing a very manipulative 
streak. Chirin didn't know what it was that had tipped off his soul, 
but the soul often knew things before the mind did. His soul didn't 
pick up everything--as Boulder and Dosha had demonstrated--but when 
it did, he knew it. Loki didn't seem to be strong, but he was a 
ghost. Even though he said he had been born, Spook hadn't remembered 
his former life either, and who was to say what Loki had been before 
his... rebirth. Being of the dead gave him powers that pokemon like 
chirin didn't have. It made them more unpredictable, harder to 
decipher. Loki had a streak that Spook had definitely not had--a 
dangerous one.

Hichou was glaring daggers at the ghost. He talked as if she were a 
devoted servant to this annoying Denryuu who she always seemed to 
bump into! HE joined HER group, not the other way around!
But..
The story Loki had told.. she definitely could relate. When she had 
been kicked out of her flock, even her own PARENTS leaving her..
She turned her beak up and watched the ghost sleep.
If he got it though his head she wasn't FOLLOWING Chirin.. she would 
help.
"Now what?" She asked in a bored tone.

"Now, i'm heading off north," said chirin. "i don't want to wait 
anymore. If you want to come, you're more than welcome to."

He stood up from teh hole he had been eating grass out of and looked 
to the north. about to set off.

"Ebony! Don't hurt me!" He saw the blazing white eyes chase him. "I 
didn't do anything wrong!" 

Loki woke panting. He had forgotten where he was truly. That spearow 
was looking at him in fury. He tried to read it's mind. So that was 
her story! Banished like himself. He took a second. He was able to 
read the bird's mind yet he still couldn't reach into Chirin's. He 
shrugged it off, what use was it? He knew he was losing already, 
they must by now saw past his facade and seen he was just a young 
ghost.

"What did you do get thrown out?" Loki grinned, he knew some 
emotions would leak out feeding him more. 

Chirin turned around. He thought that the ghost was spaking to him. 
He didn't really want to delve into his personal history with someone 
that he knew he could not trust--not yet. But no, the ghost was 
talking to Hichou. 

Hichou had been kicked out--of something? "Kicked out?" he said, 
witout really thinking. Ha he missed something? Filling with a fear 
that something strange was going on, chirin didn't go anywhere yet. 
He didn't want to leave Hichou alone with Loki just yet. something 
was going on that he didn't like at all. 

He started back towards them, but stopped again. He wanted to 
observe, but not police.

Hichou blinked. "What.."
Her eyes suddenly looked glassy, her tone distant. "I.. don't know 
what you're talking about."
He KNEW! HE KNEW! BUT HOW?!
NOBODY knew!
Except.. 
She had spilled a lot.. to Chirin.. when she was new to Lake Eerie. 
Did she tell him..?
No. NO, she couldn't have.

Chirin looked at both Loki and Hichou--not hard to do with his wide 
vision. He could hear the fear in her voice and suddenly he just 
wanted this ghost gone, *very* gone. 

"What are you doing?" he said, looking straight at Loki. Sparks 
popped off like animated grass, off his head jewel. He was growling 
deeply from under his throat.

Norra took a long time to think up her answer to why she was friends with 
Chirin. To be honest, the main reason was because he had been nice to her 
just after Keel'alla's reign had ended and also, she thought with a slight 
wince, this 'be nice and have friends' Upperworld attitude was really rubbing 
off on her.
    She saw the Gastly retreat to the tree and decided to keep her reasons to 
herself. "Good'a luck'a find'a 'Tunia anna' otherra' sheep'a." she called 
after Chirin.
    The Marrowak turned to Hichou. "We just'a wait'a 'till'a we canna' go to 
the black'a forest'a." she said. 


Chirin's ears fell to either side as he heard Norra's 
words. "So...you're saying you'll go to the black forest another 
time?" He just wasn't sure what she meant when she said she 
would "wait." "I'm heading to the flock first, and then from there 
I'll be going northwest, which will take me to the area. I don't know 
where it actually is. You would rather stay here or are you just not 
sure? I'm sorry, I'm just trying to make sure what you want."

He gave her a neutral enough look, not wanting to push her into a 
decision. The last thing he wanted with him was a reluctant marowak, 
however friendly. He wiped his flippers on his sides. They felt slimy 
all of a sudden. He swallowed a breath, because his heart suddenly 
felt like it was climbing up into his neck.

"Oh.." Norra said, standing up. "Thought'a yorra' was'a only gonna' finna' 
'Tunia anna' otherra' sheep'a. Amma' coming'a with'a yorra!" she added.

"Oh I see, oh okay!" said Chirin. "My plan is to do that firt, but 
Petunia and a new mareep are right up there, I'm going to escort them 
up to the flock. You can follow us there if you like or take your own 
way north and wait for me...whatever works for you. I'm not sure 
where the flock's gone to and even less where the forest is!" He 
giggled. "There's a lot of world out there for one little amp--but 
i'm working on getting it all covered!"

He realized then that part of why he wanted to go was, well, just 
because it would be so exciting to see new places. Not like that 
should come as a surprise, by now!


"North? I think I will follow." He didn't really want to but, he was 
rejected by his own so what did he have to lose by following the 
Chirin? Then again he liked the spearow a bit more! She seemed 
easily enraged. That would be to his advantage! Anger often helped 
gastlies grow faster. "Then again I think I would be a bother. Who 
wants a poor outcast with them?"

He didn't know if he was getting good at the pity game or not. He 
figured it would be productive for him to work on it. After all he 
would have to fool his own kind upon his return. For showing him 
kindness Loki not use of his "gift" on them. He thought to himself. 
Night was so much more fun to be awake at anyway! The daylight hurt 
his eyes and he would just stick out horribly in the daylight.


"My goodness,' said Chirin, "you're jont an outcast anymore! Only so 
much as you see yourself as one. I'm learning along with you, you 
know. We're two outcasts together." Or three, if Hichou was one too. 
He didn't know about her. 

His look turned more serious, his lights lowering. "but I don't like 
what just happened before. Loki, just so you know, I've been betrayed 
andhurt before. I understand that you are full of anger for what has 
happened to you--but if my friends are coming with me, I'll naturally 
look out for them--just like they've done and would do, for me. Just 
know that I welcome you to come, but..." He tried to find a way to 
phrase it nicely. 

He tried very hard.

"Don't do things to anyone that would hurt them. And I mean getting 
into people's minds. I felt you in mine. I don't take anyone invading 
my thoughts--*anyone.* And yes, I've had that happen to me too in the 
past. it's something I am still fighting."

Hichou sighed in relief at the change of subject, and ruffled her 
feathers. "I, for one, am going north, too."
The egotistical little bird smirked, watching Chirin's nervousness.
"You wouldn't last a day without someone strong around."
This was BS, she knew, he was PLENTY strong.. she really just had the 
need for adventure.

Chirin managed a grin. He was wondering whether Hichou would turn 
around and be a true friend, or turn on him, one day. It was 
something to think about, but not right now. 

"Just remember I don't know what I'm heading into or what I'll find. 
and also, that Petunia knows you guys, but that new ewe doesn't. she 
might get awfully scared of you," he said to Norra. "Just because our 
kind has an ancient fear of yours and because you're a lot bigger and 
stronger, you know. Well," he said, looking around at his company, 
then he turned to the north and looked up at the blue bowl of the 
sky. 

"We journey to the light-in-dark--we step up and won't fall, we seek 
the wide wide sky, not the shadows. Phos-ward, I go!"

Chirin started walking up the way, his feet crunching in snow that no 
one had stepped in yet.

"You living pokemon are strange to me! We ghosts read minds all the 
time! It is in our blood... err...if we had blood it would be in 
it!" He felt ashamed of what he did slightly. But, it was the way of 
his kind. "I know that's not an apology...I'm..."He had to force 
that out of his mouth! He bit down and tried to push it up at last 
it did. "I'm sorry. So when do we leave!"

He wasn't going to say much for the moment. Every time he opened his 
big mouth they all seemed to distrust him more.

"It's all right," said Chirin. "I hold my mind and thoughts sacred 
and private, that's all. I'm leaving now."

He was already walking, towards where he had last seen Petunia. Out 
over the white shining field, anothr ampharos--a smaller one, a ewe--
was grazing by the edge of the wood with a mareep beside her. Chrin 
bleated a greeting to her and both sheep picked up their heads.

"Norra' issa' out'a cast'a, compared'a to me. Amma' Unnerground'a 
Marra'wack'a with'a Uppa' World'a phara, anna' alla' these'a otherra' Uppa' 
World'a pokémonna'! Probably'a norra' Marra'wack'a think'a I amma' sane'na. 
Anna, I norra getta' upsetta' 'bout'a itta'." Norra said simply to Loki, as 
if that would easily explain how she was a bigger outcast then he was, and 
she wasn't complaining about it either.
    She paused for a moment. "Arra' yorra' Uppa' world'a Gast'a'ly orra' 
Unnerground'a Gast'a'ly?" Norra wondered. It would be good if he was a Gastly from 
the vast complex of underground caverns. Someone else like her.

Norra followed Chirin into the forest, her feet not making as big of an 
imprint (or as big of a noise, since her feet were shaped different), head 
still turned to Loki.

Chirin put his flipper briefly around Norra's shoulders. "She's given 
up a lot to put up with us "upperworlder" pokemon as she likes to 
call us. I personally, wouldn't want to be anything else." He started 
walking ahead again. "Ah, sun and flowers--well there WILL be 
flowers, come spring! And lush grass to roll in, play in, hills to 
jump on!Ohhh..."

Hichou, who had been fluttering close behind him and Norra, raised a 
brow. "That's her?"
She wondered if all denryuu were like Chirin.. not being a 'people 
person,' she really wouldn't be one to know.

Chirin stopped well short ofthe forest. He dropped his head to graze, 
remembering Fire and Izzy. He didn't want to delay any more, but if 
they were still sleeping, even though it was getting into later 
morning, Chirin wanted to say goodbye to themif they were not 
coming. "Do you know what Fire and Izzy are going to do? Did you want 
to say goodbye to them if you're leaving? Just so they know?"

"So you ask if I'm upperworld or underground ghost." He looked at 
the marrowak. "Not sure if I apply as either one? The ruins once sat 
on Oceaciana's surface but, a war was fought and great rydhons 
fought and they created massive earthquakes and the city was 
swallowed beneath the surface. That's what my mother told me. We 
sleep deep in the ruins and come out to scare humans! That I was 
very good at! I loved it!" Loki grinned wickedly.

Chirin didn't comment. To stay quiet and let Loki reveal these 
details was probably best. He blinked his lights in affirmation, 
though a slight strobe betrayed his real feelings. Chirin wondered 
about these ruins, though, despite himself. "Earthquakes?" he 
asked. "I'm not sure i know what that is. Is it when Mother Megga--
ah, the world--stirs in her sleep?" 

He tried to make pleasant conversation. If worse came to worse later 
on and this ghost tried something nasty, he would have no 
compunctionc about turning him away from teh company. His own mission 
to get Gunya and Thyme free, his other friends too and stop Bua from 
hurting him, his friends, and everything else probably, too, was far 
more important. Maybe even his family's disappearance would be 
revealed...maybe they were being hidden somewhere. Somehow there had 
to be a connection.

"Mother Megga? Huh?" Loki cocked his head, well since his whole body 
was his head he cocked himself a little to the side. "An earthquake 
is when two of these huge plates under ground rub against one 
another or when a ryhdon or one of those grond types cause them to 
rub together it starts shaking everything! Houses fall! Trees fall, 
makes pokemon fall on their butts! It's rather an interesting thing 
to see!"

Loki had wondered what those plates looked like. His father 
explained the whole thing out. Except one thing! Where those plates 
like dinner plates or plates of glass or metal. He sometimes 
imagined the huge plates crashing and chipping. He laughed not 
realizing he was laughing out loud. 

"Interesting if you're not the one geting hurt," said Chirin. Loki's 
evil laughter bothered him, very much. It was plain tosee he wasn't 
just a maker of mischief, or if he was he was rather on the malicious 
side of mischief. Still, if he'd been raised that way...

"I guess being what you are you aren't really in danger of getting 
hurt by that. i know i would be. Still...plates under the ground? I 
never knew there were plates under the ground. Plates of what?"

He imagined pieces of armor or shells rubbing against each other 
under the dirt, in burrows or caverns. He knew that the spirits 
within the ground could be restless, and that they sometimes got 
bored and decided to cause mischief--like thetime boulder's burrow 
had collapsed. Chirin wondered if boulder's actions had caused it to 
do so, but probably not. Boulder had been saving them for something 
else.

"Uh... plates of stuff! You know... stuff." Great he tried to sound 
smart and it back fired! "Stuff like... stuff. Rock I would guess."

He frowned as he lost another advatage! They would know he wasn't as 
smart as he was pretending to be before. He started like that 
marowak better now too. Okay so what if he lived underground and 
above the surface, they had something in common. 

"Hey Norra what do you think the plates are?" He floated over to her.

Chirin allowed himself a smile. Loki sounded rather like he was 
trying to sound like he new something that he didn't know. It was all 
right not to know...Chirin just pondered the question himself.

"Rocks, they're probably made of rocks," he said, "rocks sliding 
against shadow. That's what there is underground...but Norra might 
know more. I went down there but I never lived underground like she 
did."

Loki inhabited a gray area of chirin's feelings. Chirin didn't know 
if he was really willing to change, or if he was scheming something--
or trying to. Chirin wouldn't have someone scheming behind their 
backs while accompanying them, that much was for sure. 

He just needed to give this a bit more of a chance, to learn a little 
more. He hoped that Loki really was willing to change...



"Why, hi," said Petunia, standing up and stepping over to let Chirin 
hug her. The two ampharos embraced, squeezing close together in the 
cold, a yellow statically charged bundle. 

"hope the morning finds you well and that the snow is softer on your 
feet than it has beenon mine," said chirin with a grin. He nodded to 
the ewe, who had backed cautiously away from him. "Good morning to 
you too."

Petunia, sensing the ewe's fear, tooka look at Norra and now the 
gastly. "Who...what..."

Chiirn looked behind him. "That's a...ghost...I met," said 
Chirin. "He seems to have some mission of his own, so I'm letting him 
come with me to the black forest." For now. Chirin could not fight 
the bad feelings he got around the ghost. But he didn't have the 
heart to turn him away. The gastly was an outcast, no longer like one 
of his kind, just like Chirin.

Hichou grunted something that might have been a greeting, and watched 
another sugar-sweet scene. Good lord.
She shook her head and waited to see what happens.

The mareep ewe, too scared to talk right now and without much to say 
to this strange and partly horrifying company anyway, just shrank 
away to the other side of Petunia. This ram was not only frightening 
himself, he had some very frightening...friends. If that was what 
they were. If he was bringing in those things to their flock, she had 
second thoughts about wanting to be a part of it!

Chirin saw her pull away shyly. He sighed. He couldn't help that his 
friends were scary to stranger sheep. He couldn't make this situation 
a comfortable one, but Phos knew he was trying to accomplish a 
mission that was for the best of the ones he loved. If he didn't stop 
Bua, Bua would surely come for not only him but Petunia too and 
Selden and the others. He just hoped that this mareep would get used 
to things in time, or maybe thre was another flock they would find on 
their way north. At ny rate, he wouldn't be staying with her anyway--
for now.

"I'm sorry if--if me and--some of my friends are--a bit different 
than what you're used to," he said. "Just know that I mean no harm 
and that i'll walk a ways behind you if you like."

Petunia gave him an apologetic glance.

 "Okay'a." Norra grinned under her mask at imagining the little ball of floaty 
purple-and-black stuff scaring humans. So he was neither. She'd have to think 
up a new term for him. Norra had once thought there were Upperworlder and 
Underground pokémon, and that was it. But perhaps there are terms for other 
pokémon like Loki, too?
    Chirin had called Loki a 'ghost'. So, there were Upperworlder, 
Underground, and Ghost pokémon. Norra hoped there weren't any other kinds of 
pokémon, it was getting confuzzling enough as it was!
    Besides, Loki had a bit of smarts to him and wasn't the general blatantly 
goody-good Upperworlder that Norra had stereotyped, but he could read minds 
and stuff, and hadn't openly complained of the sun or the weather (yet), so 
he must be a whole new type.
    Her grin turned a little sheepish as Chirin put his flippers around her 
shoulders. "Norra' have'a anything'a inna' Unnerground'a to go back'a to." 
she shrugged.

That struck Chirin as sad. But, knowing what he knew of her now, it 
was true. "Maybe someday you could go down there again if you feel 
lonesome for your kind, just to visit," he said. He knew he would 
feel odd up here if he were the only sheep around. 

He gave her a last pat on the shoulder. "It's a big place, the world 
above...best to have buddies to share it with. Long as you stick 
around topside, I'm around...somewhere on Mother Megga's back."

He smiled and then stepped over to brush his flippers over a bush, 
trying to knock the crusted snow off it. It was lousy fare under the 
ice, but twigs and hard little buds were about the only thing around 
here anyway. Food was another very good rason to head north. 

~

Petunia led the ewe on towards Mount Celeste, just ahead of Chirin 
and company. Chirin felt a little sad as he followed the ampharos 
ewe's tracks. they walked along on the icy snow leavong one pair of 
prints not two, because the mareep was too light to fall through.

Chirin watched his feet step in over and around Petunia's. Around him 
he smelled marowak and saw ghost.

Loki was smiling rather pleasantly, that changed. This little 
conversation about the underground distracted him. He had forgotten 
for the first time since his exile about revenge. The clan did what 
Ebony had wanted. It wasn't their fault she was so stupid! Loki felt 
fear again. 

His eyes settled on the mareep ewe. The thing was scared! He didn't 
even have to try anything! He turned away from it and it kept being 
afraid. Loki felt bad for a second. He was scaring it without even 
intending to. After a second he went back to his conversation about 
the underworld just snacking on that fear as he spoke. 

"Now I remember! My dad said rocks! They are huge rocks floating on 
lava!" He knew about lava but, he was guessing about the plates 
being made of rocks.

Chirin noticed some sense of an exhange between him and the poor ewe--
a look, the ewe backing away with her ragged wool growing voluminous 
with static. If Loki did anything to hurt her, that would be the end 
of his coming with Chirin on any kind of trip. Or coming anywhere 
near any mareep who was his friend. He dropped a little further back 
as they walked to give the poor thing a larger distance. He could 
still watch for enemies should they come their way, though.

"Lava..."

Chirin remembered something that Karama had said about lava, a 
subject he knew very little about. Lava--hot molten rock, that was 
under something, he didn't remember what. But their talk now brought 
the vague memory to mind.

Loki noticed that change in Chirin again, that disapproving look 
whenever Loki said something that didn't settle down to well with 
him. Loki wonder what he did this time. He was always in trouble. 
Maybe Chirin would turn him out like Ebony had. Was the world filled 
with Ebonies?

The ewe! That was it! The ewe was scared and Chirin sensed it too! 
Loki suddenly shouted.

"Quit it! You keep acting like I'm going to do something wrong! That 
was Ebony's fault with me! If you are so worried about me hurting 
someone you should worry about that fat Gengar! It's not my fault 
that ewe is afraid of me!" Loki glared and he realized maybe he 
should have kept his mouth shut again.

Chirin stepped between Petunia and the ewe, even though they were 
many paces away, and Loki.

"I will quit nothing." Sparks zapped around him, leaping onto the 
snow where they sizzled. "i act suspicious for a reason. I have my 
reasons. My friends are precious to me. i want to hel pyou too, but 
I've been hurt before--me and my friends have suffered--and i'm not 
going ot have it happen again. 

"I didn't want to have to say this out loud, but...You seem to take--
enjoyment in scaring people, you seem amused by things that hurt 
people, you've tried to read my mind and I think you at least tried 
to read Hichou's. I'm willing to forgive you if you'll try to change 
your ways--we can all change if we want, and I've seen it. I 
understand that you've been through a lot. i don't want this to end 
with us mad at each othr if we could have worked through to a better 
way. But--what is this? I'm sorry, but I just looked at you and the 
ewe and you lose your temper! Understand that I'm a sheep and--well, 
we're prey! Please--I'm trying to help, but there must be a better 
way than exploding! I have a right to worry--and as for some Gengar, 
well, I don't even know anything about it. Are you saying that 
they're after you?"

He wasn't even sure he could trust his answer. Loki ws very, very 
sharp to pick up on emotions and inflections, the subtlest of 
glances. Chirin knew, also, that the things he did and showed were 
often not so subtle.

"This is what you call friendship? Puh! You eat grass don't you? 
Well do you take enjoyment in it? We ghosts feed off emotions! The 
darker the better! If it seems I enjoy fear in others and pain it's 
because I'm enjoying a good meal." Loki phased out of sight. He 
would go hunt to clear his mind. "Some wild animal will die tonight 
Chirin! It's your fault remember that! You forced me to feed off 
something other than emotions. As far as Ebony, she was a big fat 
jerky Gengar. Far as I know she ain't after me." If anyone was after 
anyone it was Loki! He would get Ebony one day.

He left before Chirin had a chance to really say anything. Chirin 
already felt bad, now he felt worse. Chirin hadn't known! The ghost 
had laughed at scaring humans, and had called an 
earthquake "amusing." Chirin hadn't known that the ghost needed those 
emotions to live...if living was what it could be called. ther was 
too much he didn't understand.

"It's not my fault he chose to do it," he said aloud, "not my fault 
he let me tell him what to do." 

Chirin shook his head, tears coming to his eyes, He crouched down in 
the hole he had dug and let the tears fizz away in the sparks on his 
face.

Loki drifted to the woods. It was all a ploy to make that big sheep 
feel bad. He was still disgusted with the thought of having to eat 
flesh! Loki found a few bugs and didn't have the will to devour 
them. He groaned, he was so hungry! 

That big yellow thing ate grass, it was a living thing. He saw Ebony 
eat rats but, Loki couldn't force himself to eat flesh! His stomach 
churned at the thought. He decided to go back to the others. He 
would "chew" slowly on the fear hoping that Chirin thing wouldn't 
notice he was eating. 

"I'm back! The hunt was good and the animal was good!" He curtly 
barked as he settled on a rock.


Chirin smelled no blood on Loki, he saw none either, but that meant 
nothing. The ghost was undetectable by his nose. He watched Loki 
gloat and knew he was up to something. He was trying to make Chirin 
feel guilty. 

"So," said Chirin, "rather than calmly explain to me your needs, you 
chose to just go off, kill someone and--make me feel like I did it?"

Chirin was crying, but he didn't let it mar his argument. "Loki, I'm 
sorry if I yelled at you. But i'm not going to take this--childish--
fit--the way you want me to. Yes, i have to eat grass. Yes, we all 
have to eat something. You could have told me before...some must kill 
to eat, others must scare--well, now I understand. We shep are 
fearful creatures. You must have a lot of nourishment around me."

He paced around, picking further at the hole and scraping at the side 
with his hoof. "What i reacted to was your amusement at scaring 
people, I didn't realize you had to do it to eat. I'm not familiar 
with your kind--I simply didn't know. I'm sorry if I upset you. But 
don't think that you can go--kill something and blame it on me. 
Surely you're not letting me coerce you into doing something? Because 
I certainly never told you wht to do other than not hurting us. I 
won't ask into what you ate, or anything--what's done is done. Do you 
feel better now? Trying to not only kill something, but hurt me in 
the process? When what I want to do is help you?"

The bitterness of his own words hurt Chirin. The ampharos sighed 
raggedly and tried to think of something to say, something to sum up 
what he felt--but it was too much for words. He closed his eyes and 
said a little prayer, shining his lights, for whatever had died as a 
result of this argument.

Chirin turned and started walking again. He couldn't let Loki waste 
his time like this--he, for one, had a mission and he wasn't going to 
stray from it now.

The Marrowak shook her head and shrugged. "Norra' have'a seen'a any plates'a 
inna Unnerground'a beforra'. But'a I guess'a would'a be made'a offa' redda' 
volcano stuff'a anna rock'a." she said.
    She heard him say they were pieces of rock floating on lava. "But'a, 
rock'a norra' float'a onna' redda' volcano stuff'a..." Norra said, slightly 
confused.
    As the Gastly went off and came back, Norra O_Oed. "Yorra' catch'a prey'a 
thatta' fast'a?" she said, awed. The whole reason her snout had been injured 
a little while ago was because she had been trying to eat the cub of an angry 
Ringuma mother. She had never been clouted so hard before. Her nose was still 
uncomfortable but she didn't dare itch it, not knowing whether it was 
decently healed or not.

"I'm not sure if he did, actually," said Chirin. This ghost was less 
like a threatening schemer and more like a child misbehaving--a 
child. Lambs did these things because they were hurting, because they 
wanted to manipulate adults. Because they wanted attention. Loki 
would have simply left them by now if he truly didn't want to be with 
them or felt that he didn't need them. He felt rejected and angry. 

chirin stepped over towards Loki. 

"Let's try this again," said Chirin. "i want to be your friend and 
help you. I understand now that ghost types need dark emotions to 
feed on. Now since we can't all live in fear just to feed you, fear 
is a dangerous thing--feel free to feed on the fear that is always 
present in me to some degree--usually--it's what makes me feel more 
alive and alert--it's what keeps me looking around for enemies. Just 
don't try to create more." He smiled. "Okay?"

"Then I apologize too." He was disgusted with himself! Why was he 
able to spit out apologizes now? It wasn't in his kinds nature to 
say sorry about anything. He floated along side of Chirin. "I guess 
I was a bit hot tempered. And I guess my little trick wasn't very 
nice either." He  sighed. "I didn't kill anything."

Chirin put his hand towards Loki, only to find it passed right 
through. Just like it had to Spook. In daylight ghost types couldn't 
be touched. 

He smiled. "It's okay...From now on things will be better. Sometimes 
we say and do things when we're mad that we regret. i have. It's also 
that we're very diffrent pokemon--and I guess I've become quick to 
get defensive when I see anything that seems even a bit--dark to me. 
It's because I've been hurt very badly by darkness, more than once. I 
need to be on my guard. I just hope you'll understand."

He was silent for awhile. He must have been a big jerk back home 
too. Maybe that was the real reason his clan tossed him away? No, it 
was his nightmares seeping into the others dreams. 

He looked at the others. How long would it be till they got 
disgusted with his "table manners" again. Chirin seemed easily 
offended by them. Was being a gastly but, not only that a Dark 
Gastly on top of that making him an unwanted pest among them? He 
took a sip at the fear hoping they wouldn't notice. A slight smirk 
crept on his face. He quickly wiped it off. He kept following them 
stone faced.

Chirin didn't really feel the emotional sip, the fear was emitted 
freely from him for the gastly to eat. What he noticed was the smirk, 
but it was gone so fast he wondered if he had just been imagining 
things, twisting that evil looking face in his mind into expressions 
it hadn't even made. Sometimes expectations became themselves, that 
way.

He started walking again, falling into step by Norra and keeping the 
gastly stashed somewhere in the back of his nearly 360 vision. 

"A light-walk," said Chirin, blinking his lights as he went. "I sing 
a light song and do a light dance, to help brighten our spirits as we 
travel."

He began to bleat out a song of random lyrics, singing of wind on his 
skin and the fresh clean air.

"Yorra' didn't'a?" Norra looked disappointed. Then they didn't have a good 
hunter with them, after all. Oh well, she'd have to get her meals the old 
fashioned way. At least she wasn't hungry right now.

Loki groaned as that Chirin sang about the light! His eyes stung in 
the daylight and he was bitter about it. He was hungry yet he was 
afraid to eat and go into one of his laughs or huge smiles. he had 
scared the others enough to the point of shunning him. That was the 
last thing Loki needed! Another exile! Loki turned to Norra, he 
sensed something. Then he saw the wound. He gave it a look over. 

"What happened to you?" He was a bit curious about this.

~

Fire looked back at Izzy again, then procceded to walk out of the 
            hollow with a slight snort. At least it had been warmer in there... 

            He looked from side to side, scenting the air quickly "Where'd they 
            all get to...?" He snarled, shaking his head "They could have woken 
            us up at least." Wasn't his fault he slept in. 

            Well, at least he could come and get Izzy once he'd found the 
            others. Besides, the young Pokemon needed his sleep. 

            Doing his best to follow what scent he could, hoping it was the 
            right way, the scarred Growlithe tailed after them. 

~

Chirin noticed Norra's disappointment--he had no real idea why. Maybe 
because she'd been rooting for the gastly to have done something 
amazing. Chirin was immensely glad that no one had died. 

As for the fear factor, Loki would have to find fear elsewhere. 
Hunting with Norra might help him there. Because Chirin wasn't going 
to have Loki scaring all of them. The black forest, though, would 
probably be more than scary enough to keep Loki well fed.

No matter if Loki was a child or not--and it seemed that he was--he 
would have to be watched. He seemed interested in all of the things--
revenge, power--that Chirin felt hurt too many people, that were 
wrong. For now, though, they seemed to be at peace, and chirin would 
let him tag on, as Loki seemed dependent on him. He would have to 
grow up, though, sooner or later. Chirin got an edge of fear thinking 
about what Loki would be like as a gengar--something far more 
powerful than he was now. Dark spirits--was chirin simply harboring a 
dark spirit in his own little party--while he was on a mission of 
light? He couldn't shake the feeling that ever since the gastly had 
shown up, things had taken on a more shadowy twist.