Twisted Paths, Forgotten Pasts
Chapter 8
Her beautiful sapphire blue eyes focused lovingly on him as he came into view. Her long, wavy hair, the same color of her eyes, tumbled down her shoulders, reaching her back. He couldnt wait to hold her again, to feel that silky sea of hair. With a happy cry she ran towards him and threw her arms around him, burying her head in his shoulders, then looking up at him, she said-
/Father? Wake up! We have to leave now!/
Cailisin woke up with a start, he must have been dreaming about Akira again, but could he help it? "What is it Silac?" He snapped.
/No need to be so grumpy. / The dratini slithered on the bed closer to his father. /But Chiata and Chisa are getting ready to leave. It might be a good idea if you too got ready, don't you think so? /
Calisin snorted. Those two females were as annoying as hell . He sympathized with them, knowing they had probably had harsh lives, accounting for their short tempers and cold natures, but he disliked the way they behaved around him. Not like he was inferior as such, they knew that he was more powerful and more experienced than they were, but they treated him as a nuisance, as if they were only working together because they had to. That was true, of course, but they didn't have to keep giving him the cold shoulder. Damn bitches... Sighing, he got up to go take a shower.
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Half an hour later, he was dressed and packed. He slung his bag over one shoulder and picked his dratini up with his free hand, placing the baby dragon pokemon on his shoulders, where it curled up around his neck. He walked out of the room he had been staying in when he remembered that he had had a roommate...
"Where's Sian?" He asked the dratini on his shoulder.
/He left before you woke up to go for a walk with Sazet./ The dratini yawned. /He seemed...upset./
Calisin groaned. The last thing they needed was an upset Sian on their hands. His brother was not prone to being temperamental, as he was half water type, which meant he generally had a calm flowing personality. However, if given the right conditions, his mood could swing, almost suddenly if you didn't know him well and had not noticed the signs... But for now, there should not be a problem. Nothing had happened to drive Sian over the edge; he was probably just brooding over something.
Calisin returned his bag to his room and ran out of the hotel. /Now if I were Sian, where would I go?/ He asked himself, looking around the town from where he stood.
/I can feel Sazet's mind that way./ The dratini said, pointing with his head.
Calisin had nearly forgotten about the dratini's ability to sense its cousins... He followed Silac's directions through the town, finally ending up by the local pool. Sian was standing outside the fence, just staring into the empty pool, with his Seel, Sazet, lying by his feet.
"Sian?"
The other man turned, focusing his icy eyes on Calisin. "What do you want, brother?"
Calisin walked tentatively towards Sian. "What are you doing out here? We need to get ready to leave."
Sian replied with a snort, turning back to look at the pool. "Why are we going along with this, Calis? Why are we working under those two females? We work so much better alone! I work better alone..." He looked up at the sky for a moment. "I'm tired of them ordering me around Calis. We've been with them for a while, you for much longer than I have. How can you stand them?"
So that was what was bothering him... Chiata and Chisa. "I admit, I don't like them very much either, but they have their good points."
"Like what?" Sian snapped, frustrated.
Calis grimaced. "They know where we have to go. They found you for one, and they can help us track down the other groups, maybe convert the others to our cause. I know that if I could just get Akira to remember the past..." His eyes went soft for a moment, but then hardened to their usual cold glare. "For now, we must work with them... I know you are not used to them, Sian, but it is necessary."
Sian picked up Sazet, who seemed glad that his father had changed his mind. "Fine, I'll come with you." He started to walk back towards the hotel. "But on one condition."
"What is it?"
Sian smiled, a cold, almost emotionless smile, but a smile nonetheless. "We make this journey hell for those two."
Calis grinned. "You didn't need to tell me that one." He winked, and followed Sian back to the hotel.
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Chiata watched the two men suspiciously as they entered the hotel. She was older than them in this life, but not by very much, and she knew they didn't like her or Chisa very much. The last thing she needed was for them to 'betray' her. And that look in their eyes... They were up to something, she could feel it. At her feet, Chisa's fur started to rise around her neck, and she growled softly. It seemed that the Vulpix too felt that something was going on.
"Good Morning ladies. Are you ready? We really must hurry. There are supposed to be at least ten people in our group including you two, yet we're only four. Are you sure you're taking us in the right direction?" Calisin spoke with a seemingly friendly voice, but if one listened carefully, they could tell it was fake.
Chiata glared at Calisin. "Of course I'm taking you in the right direction!" She snapped. "You doubt my abilities?"
"Yes." Sian said, ignoring the cold look she shot at him as he left to go get his bags from his room.
"You are, after all, very inexperienced compared to us." Calisin added. "I'm going to go get my bags, we'll meet you down here in a moment." And he pivoted on one heel and went in the direction Sian had gone.
Chiata watched them go, and had she been a Vulpix like Chisa, she probably would have been growling. "Damn them!" She hissed, sitting down on a couch in the hotel lobby. "I just want this whole blasted thing to be over!"
"Vulpix..." Chisa agreed.
"If we win this thing, what will our reward be?"
"Reward? You're wishing for too much Chiata..." Chisa whispered. "Our whole life purpose is to guide them to the final battle. We're probably going to die then, but at least we will have fulfilled our purpose."
Chiata looked grim. Why did her partner have to be so pessimistic?
"I know what you're thinking." The Vulpix added in hushed tones. "And I'm always looking at the negative side of things because you need to be realistic. Dreamers never accomplish anything. We are what we are, and we are what we need to be. Guardians, guides, assassins, spies, whatever our creator wishes us to do. You know that. We were not created to dream, we were created to serve." Chisa paused staring into her partner's eyes. "Do *not* go soft on me Chiata! We dont need any weak people on our team!"
"I'm sorry..."
"Dont apologize!" Chisa cut in. "You don't need to apologize to me, Chia. We grew up together, and we are friends, remember that. But while we are friends, our duty comes before our friendship. If getting the job done right means that you must kill me, or abandon me, you must do it. If it means I must abandon you, I will do it."
Chiata scratched behind Chisa's ear. "I know, I know..." She stopped as she saw the two men entering with their bags. "So how will we travel this time? The Rapidashes we rented have been returned."
"We shall take a boat."
"A Boat? You mean we're leaving this country?"
"This continent." The Vulpix closed her eyes as if trying to remember something. "We're going to 'Island Fera'."
"And after that?"
"We shall see." The Vulpix jumped off the couch, and waited for Chiata to follow her before going up to the two young men. "I hope you do not get seasick." She said before walking out the hotel, not waiting for them.
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Thankfully, none of them were the type to get motion sick on a boat, and the ride was relatively uneventful. As a matter of fact, Sian thoroughly enjoyed the ride, for where he had grown up, there were not many large bodies of water around.
However, Sian did not like their destination, 'Island Fera', for in the old language, 'Fera' meant 'Fire'. Island Fera was an island of fire pokemon, with many active volcanoes, and a very tropical climate. It would take some time to get there though, maybe a few days, so he wanted to enjoy the ride while he could. Their first stop was a small island, a very sparsely populated place that was more of a place for tourists than to live.
"Planning on hitting the beach, Sian?" Calisin asked they got off the boat.
Sian shook his head. "Not till after dark. Its too hot right now." He looked up disdainfully at the sun. "I may like water, but I still am half Ice."
Calisin nodded. "So, what are you going to do? We're stuck here till tomorrow."
"I think I'll sleep, maybe read. I just want to spend some quiet time alone."
"Seel?" Sazet asked, looking up at his father.
"With you, of course." He added, picking up the Seel and heading to the nearest beach resort to check in.
/That leaves us on our own... The two females have gone off somewhere on their own again. / Silac looked around, his black eyes shining brightly with excitement. /Sian may not like the sun, but I don't mind it. May we 'hit the beach', father?/ he asked hopefully.
"Fine, we'll go to the beach... But I need to buy some swimming trunks."
/Okay, but hurry up./
Calisin looked around, finally spotting a gift shop. He bought a beach towel, some sunscreen, a pair of sunglasses and a pair of swimming trunks, then went to change. When Chiata and Chisa stopped by the beach an hour later, they found him lying on his towel, his eyes on Silac, who was enjoying himself in the water, like any normal father watching his son. Normally, Chiata would have decided to keep an eye on him, as she still did not trust him or Sian, for no matter how caring they could be around their pokemon children, they were still dangerous. But he was only relaxing on a beach, what trouble could he get in to? So they left him on his own, scouting around the island for anything, anyone that they need to find.
Unknown to the two women, Calisin had known they had watched him for some time. He didn't have to turn around to feel their eyes on him as he watched Silac. He was just thankful that they left him alone.
"So we're reunited, Calisin. Interesting that we should both pick the same spot to relax." Calisin took his eyes off Silac briefly to look at the speaker. Tall for a woman, piercing amber eyes, pure black hair with two grey streaks... He returned his eyes to Silac. "Nice to see you again Ivena." He carefully began to shield his thoughts. "Where's Ivan? You two were never far apart."
She sat down on his blanket next to him. "Stop trying to hide what you're thinking from me Calisin. I can pierce through any shield you attempt to rise." She brushed some sand off her hands. "Ivan's back in the hotel room... He refused to come out today."
"Did he predict something?" Calisin asked, a slight mischievous smile on his lips. Ivan's false predictions had been the butt of many jokes back in the old days.
"Stop teasing him!" Ivena said sharply. "And no, he did not predict anything. He's busy watching some documentaries." Her eyes glazed over briefly. "We have reason to believe that some organization in these days tampered with one of our children's descendants."
"Which one?" Calisin sat up, taking off his sunglasses.
"Our first, Mew."
"Mew? Well, that's news..."
"Bad news... I really don't like the idea that some humans may have altered a mew's DNA. Mews are dangerous enough as it is." She smiled fondly. "But thankfully, they're very kinda hearted."
"So, do you have any of-"
"Our children? Not yet, which is why we're not joining up with you guys yet. I just wanted to warn you about the altered Mew. It could prove to be a problem." She got up. "I'm going now, and I'm going to erase your memory of our meeting. However, if you should find any signs of the altered Mew, you shall remember."
"Now wait just a minute! I will not have you tampering with my-"
"Sorry Calisin, but I must." She interrupted as she immediately erased the memory and teleported away.
Calisin blinked. "What just happened?" He asked himself, looking around in confusion. "That's weird. I could have sworn-"
/Father, lets go eat./ Silac interrupted as he slithered out of the water and up to his father. /I heard from some of the other pokemon that the food here is good.../ He looked back at the water. /It's interesting to interact with normal pokemon... They have such a different view of the world. One might call them ignorant, but they're amusing, in the same way little toddlers are amusing to human adults./
"You eat too much..." Calisin muttered as he wiped sand off the dratini, and decided to hold him in his arms instead of let Silac wrap his wet and sandy body around his neck.
********
"Are you two on the verge of finding another member yet?"
Chiata and Chisa both nodded.
"Good." The 'young' girl sat cross-legged in the air, looking down at her two creations with her deep blue eyes, her sad eyes... She always seemed depressed for one reason or the other when she appeared to the two. "Have you found the book yet? We must find it before my sister does!"
"What about your brother?" Chiata asked.
"He does not need the book... He has the girl already." Their creator replied.
"He does?" The vulpix squeaked. "But... so early?"
"He has always known where she was."
"But... then maybe we could have found her and killed her?" Chiata was confused now. If they already had the girl, then they could easily ruin this whole thing!
"No!" The girl snapped, one of the rare instances when she raised her voice. "The girl needs to be kept alive." She paused thoughtfully. "However, if we were to somehow capture her and get her to side with us... She is young, and easily brainwashed. Or, if we were to find some way to get her out of our way..." She sighed. "So many paths... But you must find the book, and fast!" She hissed, before disappearing with a flash of dark blue light.
Chisa stretched, yawning. "Its getting late, isn't it?" She asked Chiata.
"Yes, it is..." Chiata too yawned as she looked at her watch. "Maybe we should head for our beds?"
"Good idea. Then tomorrow morning, we can do some thinking over what our creator has told us. I'm too sleepy to-" The Vulpix suddenly collapsed where she stood, fast asleep.
"Chisa?" Chiata knelt down by the vulpix. "Chisa!" She shook the little fox pokemon, but she would not wake up. "Chisa, what's wrong with-" But she did not finish her sentence, as she too fell asleep.
****
"You got them?"
"Yes."
"Are they asleep?"
"Yes."
"Sound asleep? I mean, it wouldn't be very good if they-"
"They are."
"Okay. Well, are you sure you got the right ones? I mean, it would really-"
"Yes they are the right ones! Are you doubting me, dear?"
"Sorry. It's just that we can't afford many, if any mistakes at this point... So, what do we do now?"
"Leave it to me, okay dear?" Ivena kissed her husband on the cheek, then smiled sweetly at him. He sighed, then returned back to doing his research on genetic engineering.
Ivena looked at the two females she had captured. They had been taken down so easily by the hypnosis attack that Ivena seriously doubted their abilities, but they were still in training, and had much to learn.
She placed her right hand carefully on the girl's forehead. Now what was her name? Chiata? Yes, Chiata. Carefully, she probed into her mind, searching for anything that might be useful. They were heading for Island Fera... They should find the Mother of All Fire Types there. Hmm... She didn't seem to be getting along very well with Calisin and Sian, and that was not good, they needed to work together. Maybe the addition of a few more of the team members would help.
When she was done with the girl, she put her hand on the Vulpix's forehead. Nothing much different from Chiata. Basically the same information, but there was a little something interesting about Team Rocket.
"Ivan dear, have your tapes shown anything about Team Rocket?"
"A lot actually." He replied, turning to look at her and pausing the tape. "They seem to be very advanced in that sort of technology. Why, you think they might be the one who altered one of our precious Mews?" He paused thoughtfully. "Actually, that would make a lot of sense... They seem bent on world domination, and a powerful pokemon like an altered mew would be very helpful."
Ivena nodded. "They shall pay when we have the time, but right now, we'll have to stick with just getting information. We need to find the altered Mew! And destroy it if necessary. As much as I hate destroying one of my own descendants, altered or not, there's too much at stake."
"Precisely." he looked at Chiata and Chisa. "Are you done with them? It might be a good idea to teleport them to their rooms now."
"True." she lifted them off the floor with her mind, then turned back to Ivan. "Do you think I should plant the location of the book in their mind while the other group has still forgotten? The block I put in their minds is not very powerful, and fades once the book is mentioned."
"No. It's not time yet."
She shrugged, then teleported the two she had abducted to their hotel room. "I'm exhausted Ivan. I'm going to sleep." And she retreated to their bedroom. No goodnight, no I love you.
Ivan watched his wife leave, then smiled fondly. They were an odd, but perfect couple. Unlike most of the others, they had never cheated on each other. Maybe because they knew their partner could easily pick up any thoughts of an affair from their mind, or maybe because they loved each other. But whichever it was, they were still loyal. Like the other couples, however, it was easily to tell who they were. Both tall and slim, with black hair and two grey streaks, piercing amber eyes, and a powerful aura... Along with Akira and Calisin, they were two of the most powerful of the group. If not *the* most powerful. The Dragons and Psychics had never resolved that debate.
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