LOVE AND SACRIFICE
Love and Sacrifice: The cream of the crop
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One week ago
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Tevix watched Merideth hack into the Y-Faction's database, noting how
she did everything slowly and precisely, as if trying to think out
every detail and keep her mind off of something. And she was
keeping her mind off something, or rather, someone.
Sighing, he watched as she paused, her fingers suspended above the
keys on the keyboard. She blinked her navy eyes several times, then
raised a hand to rub them, holding back tears. Taking a deep breath
then releasing it, she continued.
Five minutes later, she stopped again, this time reaching over to her
CD player and putting on some music. An upbeat teen group, Tevix
supposed, though he was not sure who. As she worked, she hummed
along, and Tevix smiled slightly, noting how beautiful her voice was.
"Done," she finally spoke, looking over her shoulder at
Tevix. "Have you been standing there the whole time?"
He nodded, walking, or rather, floating closer to her, then taking a
better look at the screen. "Good work. I suppose it's almost
time to make our trip to Eurel, isn't it?"
Merideth nodded, swallowing deeply and sniffing slightly.
Fed up with watching the dragon hybrid deal with her sorrow by
herself, for there had been many times when she had taken care of the
other hybrids, Tevix materialized fully and pulled her into a tight
hug.
"Everything will be okay Mer... everything will be okay,"
he said soothingly. Everything might not be okay, and that he knew,
but the gesture was what counted.
Merideth pulled out of the hug, then nodded. "Thanks Tev,"
she said, tucking a lock of her dark blue hair behind an ear.
"I'll go get the soldiers I'm taking along, and I think you
should get your group."
He nodded, his pale eyes checking hers to make sure she was alright,
or at least, as alright as she could be. "'kay," he
replied, going back to his half ghost form and drifting away.
Merideth watched him leave, then transformed, flying out of the
computer room, a dragon tear slowly forming in her left eye.
---------------------------------------------
Corvet looked at the group she had selected, and was glad that there
were at least seventeen worthy human soldiers for her to take with
her. She knew that altogether, the hybrids might not have more than a
hundred, but so long as they were a hundred well trained, top quality
individuals, they were fine. She turned to look at the pokemon and
smiled. At least they had a good pokemon force. She had picked out
four of her best vaporeons, along with several of their best psychic
and other water pokemon. Plus there were some other pokemon that had
been trained personally by her troops, like Blast the dragonite.
Corvet's eyes fell on Elliot, one of the humans she had chosen, and
she noticed that he was looking back at her. She almost looked away,
but decided not to. Instead, a puzzled frown materialized on her face
and she cocked her head to one side. Elliot, on the other hand, just
smiled at her before turning his attention to his pokemon.
Still very confused, Corvet realized she would have to forget about
it; their planes were ready. She could only hope that their ride
would be safe and uneventful, and they would reach the base on time.
---------------------------------------------
Vair sat uncomfortably in the plane, curled up in a corner, watching
her troops. She knew that if Aita were there, she would be voicing
her complaints to the grass hybrid, but Aita was not there... Aita
was where they were going, and if things went well, Aita would be
with Vair when they retreated, with few casualties.
But then, Vair remembered the conversations they had had when they
first met the other hybrids, and again when all the hybrids got
together for the first, and really, only time. Most of the hybrids
spoke of wanting to die in the war, of not wanting to survive, for
there was no place for them. They were outcasts; they were not
normal. They could never be truly accepted by humans or pokemon, for
they were creatures of war. They lived to fight... And what would
people think of that?
There was no hiding the fact that each hybrid had single handedly
killed hundreds of humans and pokemon, that they were cold blooded
killers who lived to carry out deadly missions that normal humans or
pokemon could not do. People would argue that it would be dangerous
to let them live, for what if someone new controlled them? And Vair
knew the hybrids could be controlled... They were human and pokemon,
two species that could easily be manipulated if you knew the right
tricks and had the right technology.
But no, now was not the time to think about that. Maybe after the
war, after she freed Aita, and saw that the ice hybrid was safe.
Shifting in her little corner, Vair sighed, peering out the window by
her side sadly, watching the sky, seeing a bird pokemon fly freely in
the distance. That was what they fought for. Freedom...
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Love and Sacrifice: This is a tale of war, love and sacrifice. And
all tales have an end.
Devin entered the communications room as a venomoth, putting the
soldiers to sleep before they knew what was going on. He ran up to a
vidcom and immediately contacted Indenki, informing him that Yiana
seemed to be expecting an attack, and had already killed all the
professors. In the midst of giving Indenki the layout of the base, he
got cut off by Colonel Haris, who used an Alakazam to Disable his
Transform. Taken by complete surprise, Devin could only lunge at the
older man and hope that he could hold him off in his human form. But
Haris was no weak, desk soldier. Haris was a top Zentai soldier.
Devin shut his eyes tightly, waiting for Haris to finish him off. The
colonel was obviously stronger, and had Devin pinned down. The normal
hybrid had done his best to hold off the human, but he was too tired
now. He was just... he did not want to outlast this war.
But then he realized his transform attack was re-enabled, and before
the colonel could blink, Devin was an arbok, and had bitten the
blonde haired man. Slithering away, Devin watched as the man gasped ,
then started trying to scream without anything coming out, as his
throat was gradually closing in. Backing up against a wall, Haris
slowly suffocated, dying with his face contorted into an expression
of pure suffering. Without even pausing to close the man's eyes,
Devin limped out, hoping to find another hybrid or a way out.
-----------------
A thunderbolt, courtesy of Indenki, shot up into the air,
illuminating the sky for a brief moment. All at once, the hand-picked
army of the hybrids shot into action, first working toward making it
into the base. They broke down walls, they short circuited systems,
and they killed. They did not have the complete layout of the base,
but they hoped they knew enough to make this a successful attack.
Reix gave quick orders to his group, then, hoping that they could
either take care of themselves, or that Vaela would take over, he got
back onto his Zapdos and flew up to the base. He had personal
business to take care of.
-----------------
Donari wondered what the hell she was doing. She was just barely
fifteen, and here she was, making an international broadcast. She had
wanted Leah to make the broadcast. The woman, though still young, was
nowhere near as young as Donari. People might believe Leah more, but
Leah felt that Donari's bloodline gave her the right to make this
announcement.
"We're about to go on!" One of the people setting the whole
thing up hissed to her. Donari snapped to attention, tucking a lock
of hair behind her ear. She stared straight into the camera, and for
a moment, was incredibly thankful of the wide variety of people that
lived on their island. Who would have thought they would be able to
pull this off on such an impromptu settlement?
Something counted down silently, and she took a deep breath. Three,
two, one. Go!
"My name is Donari Tavis. Maybe you know my last name, and maybe
you don't. In the year 2051 Ferina and Nerina Tavis started the
project that resulted in the hybrids as a sort of last resort defense
in case the Kaitan Alliance truly took over the world.
"As we all know, that did happen. And then Zentai broke away
from the Kaitan Alliance, and suddenly we had so many factions few of
us truly knew what was going on." Donari paused, her expression
now dead serious, and she frowned slightly. "This war has got to
stop! Does anyone even know what they're fighting for anymore? Why
must people keep dying? My parents are dead. Murdered by one
of these factions because of their connections with rebel
groups."
The screen now cut to a live feedback of the battle at Yiana's main
base, but Donari's voice could still be heard.
"By destroying the threat of Yiana, we take our first step
toward peace, but even with the Y-Faction gone, other factions still
exist. See the hybrids fighting? They are not terrorists! They are
young half human, half pokemon, barely older than I am, and they have
done more for your freedom than you have. One of them has
died, and all of them have lost people and pokemon close to them. So
have you."
The screen cut back to Donari, and now she looked furious.
"Let's stop this! Let's stop the fighting, the death, and the
destruction! We must join together and work toward the end of this
senseless carnage that does not even deserved to call war!" Her
expression softened, and she smiled slightly. "We can
come together. I know we can."
The broadcast ended, and Donari leaned back in her chair. Leah gave
her a thumbs up sign, and she smiled a little, hoping that her speech
had helped out somehow.
-------------------------
Yiana ducked under her desk, barely avoiding the shards of glass that
scattered everywhere as a zapdos and its rider flew through the new
hole. In a blur of motion, the rider recalled his pokemon and drew
out a sword, right as Yiana emerged from her desk and grabbed a sword
from her wall. The two pairs of green eyes met, and without a word,
their owners fought.
Reix looked at Yiana, knowing that this was a fight to the end; it
was not a game anymore. One of them would win, and the other would
die. How had they come to this? How had this war gotten so out of
hand that they, once best friends, almost lovers, were ready to kill
each other?
"You've improved," Yiana said, parrying one of his attacks.
Her voice sounded almost as though this battle was effortless, but
Reix saw through the facade. She was getting tired, just like he was.
"So have you." He made a reckless stab, and as she moved to
block it, he withdrew and was able to cut her shoulder. She winced in
pain, but regained her focus and got him in the side. Shoving her
away from him, he placed his left hand over the wound, hoping that it
had not gone too deep. Quickly, he blocked one of Yiana's attacks and
then went for her open spot, not realizing what he was doing until
the sword pierced through her skin, right to her heart. Immediately
after, it dawned on him that she had left that spot open on purpose,
and he withdrew his sword.
The damage was done. He caught her as she fell and gently laid her
head down. Unable to process what he had just done, he stared at her,
half-expecting her to jump up and kill him. She looked up at him,
that irritatingly composed expression on her face, as if she were not
dying."I wanted you to be the one. I couldn't bear being
executed, like a common criminal."
He shook his head. "They wouldn't have executed you."
"Yes they would have." She smiled a little, amused as she
often was around him. "Are you going to kiss me or should I
assume that our hatred has grown too great?"
"I never hated you." Reix leaned over her, looking directly
into her eyes, searching for an answer to his questions but not
finding one. He kissed her, and looked at her again, watching her
eyes twinkle one last time before closing forever.
----------------------------
Merideth, Vair, and Tevix ran through corridors of the headquarters,
trying to figure out where the prison cells would be. They could hear
the battle outside, despite the fact that they were far into the
building, and they knew they had to get out soon. An explosion boomed
through the hallways, and for a moment, Vair debated leaving; but she
looked at Merideth and Tevix, and she knew that there was no way
those two were leaving the other hybrids behind.
"Tev?" A voice called out from behind them. "Tev! It's you!"
"Xeth!" Tevix ran up to the redhead and hugged him, appalled he could
feel the fire hybrid's ribs so easily. "Where are the others?"
"Follow me." Xeth looked at Merideth and Vair, then turned and
started to run. "We need to hurry and get them out of here. They're
barely alive." It was a miracle that Xeth was able to move. The other
three hybrids watched him as they followed, and they realised how
hard each step was for him. By the time they reached the holding
cells, Xeth had to lean on Tevix.
Shocked, they stared at the half-dead hybrids, tending to each other
outside of a cell. They noted the bleak expressions on their faces,
the loss of hope that they all projected. But when they saw their
rescuers, sparks of light returned to their blank eyes, and Erian all
but jumped for joy, but settled with letting out a happy squeal.
"Is Devin alright?" Xeth asked Tevix.
Tevix shrugged. "Sorry Xeth, but I've no clue. He got cut off
while he was contacting us earlier..."
Xeth sighed, but managed to brighten up. "Well, we're still
alive, so let's get out of here." He managed to shift his weight
off of Tevix and limped over to Siana to help her up.
"What about Shadow?" Blade asked, cradling his broken arm
with the other. His hands were bandaged, and there was something...
different about him.
"Do you know where he is?" Vair asked. She seemed a bit
edgy, eager to get out.
"No..." Blade looked around. "He was never with us.
But I can find him!"
Merideth looked at Blade, torn between ordering him to come with
them, and letting him go find Shadow. She did not want to lose Blade.
She could not survive losing someone else, but... "Go ahead. Can
you find your way out?"
Blade nodded.
"Then go!" Merideth smiled slightly and watched as Blade
ran off. As soon as he went around the corner, she turned her
attention to the hybrids they had just rescued, seeing who need help
walking, and who could manage on their own.
----------------------
Blade found the labs completely empty. How on earth had everyone
evacuated so quickly? He looked around, opening his mind completely
but unable to sense Shadow. He never had been able to, really.Dark
types had this ability to be non-existent to psychic minds. A door
labeled "Observation Room" caught his eye, and he walked in
cautiously, faced with a one-way mirror.
/What the hell were they doing...?/ Blade walked up the mirror. The
room on the other side was very plain; pure white, except there
seemed to be dark stains on the floor and walls... Blood stains?
/Again, what the hell were they doing? And... is that Shadow?/ In the
very corner of the room, a dark figure lay curled up in a sort of
defensive position. Should anyone approach him, he would be able to
rise quickly and protect himself.
Blade entered the second room and held his guard, not letting the
fear he felt show as the dark hybrid leapt to his feet, looking at
Blade with dim recognition in his dead eyes. They stared at each
other, each unsure what to. Tentatively, Shadow took a step toward
Blade and then stopped. He seemed torn between attacking or trying to
make contact.
"Shadow, it's me, Blade. Remember?" Blade took a step toward Shadow.
"We have to escape."
The dark hybrid frowned slightly, his head tilted to one side. For a
moment, it seemed that he had completely lost his memory, but then he
shook his head and cleared the drug induced haze from his head. His
ears raised and twitched a little. "You're not insane anymore."
Blade blinked, then smiled. "You might say that. Others might say
differently."
Shadow snorted softly. "We're soldiers. We're all insane to someone
else." The dark hybrid looked around the room he had been kept in,
recent events slowly coming back to him. Turning back to look at
Blade, a genuine expression of gratitude crossed over his face, but
before either could speak, they heard a loud explosion and realised
that it was time to leave.
As they ran, Blade started to lag behind, unable to keep up with the
dark hybrid. Shadow's original training told him to leave Blade
behind; the battle that was apparently going on outside would soon
end up bringing down the headquarters, or at least part of it. Yet
Shadow's training also meant that he was considerably strong, so he
turned and picked up Blade, ignoring the fact that the smaller hybrid
weighed a lot more than he seemed to. Blade protested at first, but a
glare from Shadow effectively silenced him.
--------------------------
No one would ever know who really won that day. The history books
would say the hybrids won, but the people would know in their hearts
that the hybrids had not won. The battle had been a wild clash of the
best soldiers alive, everyone fighting for their beliefs, yet not
knowing what those beliefs really were. The Y-Faction fought for a
dead leader; the hybrids fought for people that had forsaken them.
Maybe the battle would have gone on until only a few souls were left,
too tired to go on. Instead, it ended with both sides willing to
continue if they had to. Blood soaked the concrete ground. Dead
bodies, human and pokemon, littered the floor; soldiers found
themselves using fallen comrades as shields against incoming attacks.
Valiantly, the Y-Faction tried to protect their headquarters, but the
hybrid troops snuck attacks by them, pokemon ramming into the
buildings, hitting it with their best attacks. The wounded either
fled or fought till their death, and by that stage, nearly everyone
was wounded in some way.
Those that witnessed the end would find it burned into their memory.
They would remember the exact weapon they had just used, the attack
they had just performed, the gash they had just received. They would
remember the faces and bodies around them, the smell and taste of
war, and the acute pain that traveled through their bodies.
And they would remember the sight of Reix flying out of a window,
holding the body of a young woman who could have been the savior of
the world through life, but instead saved it through her death. All
fighting stopped, all eyes on the young man on his zapdos landing
amidst the wreckage.
The words that he spoke would echo in their minds, would wake them up
after nightmares and lull them into a more peaceful sleep. The words,
delivered in a firm, confident voice that somehow reached the ears of
all the living soldiers, were simple, almost too simple to be so
powerful. Three short words contracted into three short syllables.
"It's over."
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