BLIZZARD OF SOLITUDE


"Move back, move back!" The loud, roaring voice echoed across the spring in the large cave.

"Chris!" Another one came. "You cover that entrance over there!"

"On it!"

Five Abomasnow and three Snover were gathered in a spring located in the middle of a cave. Light filtered down from above on their stout, trunk-like bodies and was reflected in the clear, cold water like in the surface of a mirror. Rising from the water in the middle of the spring was a large, verdant tree; a rather rare sight, seeing how they were in one of the coldest spots on the world. Growing all over it were several small, red berries. A real delight to taste, surprisingly filling, and very useful when applied to medicinal purposes. It was because of this that the Abomasnow were so jealously protective of it.

"Get the south entrance and make sure the tree stays safe!" The largest Abomasnow roared at one of the Snover. "We're making our stand here!" He imposingly stomped the snowy ground beneath him, making the entire cave shake. "They're not getting the berries again; we need them!"

"Got it!" The much smaller Snover walked towards a whole on the rocky wall and stood guard right in front of it. They were definitely hiding from a foe so strong that it had forced even the strong giants of a Pokémon the Abomasnow were to retreat to the spring. "It's hard to believe a bunch of Glaceon are so tough, eh?"

"Tough as they may be," The first Abomasnow answered proudly, making an arm pump; His muscles rippled as his arm swelled to twice its normal size. "They can't take THIS on!" He continued his actions before laughing loudly, with his voice echoing through the spring. "It would take an army of them to get in now that we're fortified here! And there's just three out there!"

Yeah... There were three Glaceon out there alright. The tree and all that delicious fruit were safe... Or so HE would have liked them to think... HE was already in there... HE was already in front of the tree, and, before they would notice, HE would have taken the berries... Because there weren't just three Glaceon attacking them... There were four.

"Yeah!" The Abomasnow laughed, not noticing the light blue blur that swept up and down the tree, quickly and dexterously picking the red produce, landing at the water's edge with a squelch. That one noise would be the only mistake made in the mission, as he alerted the Abomasnow and Snover to his presence. "What?!" The Abomasnow looked in surprise to notice that the berries were gone, and there, at the water's edge, was a Glaceon. "How did he-"

"-Looking for these?" The Glaceon asked tauntingly, though his words weren't easy to understand because of all the berries that were hanging from his muzzle. He turned his back to the Abomasnow and wagged his diamond of a tail with the pure purpose of annoying him. "Wave goodbye to your berries!" And with these last words he took off, running into a tunnel that was not being guarded.

"What... Get him!" The Abomasnow roared as he took off after the Glaceon with two other Abomasnow and one Snover following after him while the others stayed behind. The chase took place through several dark, snow-covered tunnels dug inside the mountain in which they were.

The Glaceon knew what his goal was: He'd get out of there and bring the berries back to his tribe's settlement. That was all he needed to do, and it would have gone perfectly well if it wasn't for that one, quiet squelch... Well, no time to think of that. He kept dashing through the snow with his pursuers following behind him. A vain effort, really: This Glaceon was fast, very fast. As he continued his blind run through the darkness of the icy tunnels, he saw something bright coming closer: Light! He had made it out of the tunnels!

"He's getting away!" The Abomasnow roared furiously with his face contorted in frustration (though his moustache prevented that from being so noticeable). "Go! As fast as we can!" They were definitely focused on catching him... Yeah, 'coz they could do that.

Increasing his own speed when he noticed the Abomasnow and Snover pick up the pace, the Glaceon jumped out the exit into the light of the outside, soaring above a battle that was taking place on the side of the mountain before landing on a small ledge. He kept jumping down on each ledge he noticed until he was on the ground, and then took off running again with a satisfied, proud smile. "Hey guys!" He called out to two others of his kind as he jumped right over the small chasm in which they were. "I've got 'em!" Immediately shutting his mouth when he felt one of the berries was close to falling, he kept running, knowing the ones chasing him would not have been able to jump down the mountain like he had.

"And there he goes," One of the Glaceon in the chasm commented as he saw him rocket past their position. "I guess we've got nothing to be doing here, then."

"Are you crazy?!" A muscular and rather large Glaceon -as odd as that might have been on his kind, seeing how they were better known for their devotion towards indirect attacks- answered in his raspy voice , grinning as he kept walking forward into a tunnel in front of them. "Wiping these cowards out means more territory for our tribe! And more territory for our tribe, caught by us..."

"Means more points with the chief!" The other one completed the sentence, now grinning as well. "Let's waste these overgrown trees!"

In the meantime, the berry holder kept his dash through the snowy wastes of the northern tundra with some more snow falling around him, not stopping and not looking back. Though he was running at a speed that would have been thought impossible for his species, he wasn't breaking a sweat. In fact, he felt like he needed to pick up the pace, and so he did.

That was Evan. was he a run-of-the-mill Glaceon? No. He was below even that. As far as his tribe's social positioning went, he was tied at the bottom with the young Eevee still in learning and with one other Glaceon that he was forced to share his den with. Evan was small, even for a Glaceon (which are not precisely the biggest of Eevee's evolutions), being about two thirds the size of an average one and was actually quite weak: His handling of Ice-type attacks was mediocre at best, as he was only able to create small ice shards to scatter at his foes in order to distract them while he escaped and did not really excel in direct combat either. Since the day of his evolution, he had tried his paws at any role available for him:

His training for combat in order to become a hunter or warrior resulted in him passing out after half a minute.

His training in order to become a healer seemed to go quite well, but the one time he tried to tend to an injured ally, the other Glaceon passed out from the pain, and Evan somehow cut himself (he'd never be able to explain how he cut himself with crushed berries ).

Finally, seeing how he really didn't seem to be fit for anything else, he was assigned to be a sentry, keeping watch over his tribe's settlement and warning of any approaching Pokémon, friend or foe. He did good the first day, but an incident on the second day involving the chief's mate, two high-class warriors, five of the berries he was now carrying and Anima the Espeon resulted in him almost getting killed. Finally declared an official good-for-nothing, Evan was thrown into the field during a fight to get killed and let that be that. It was precisely during that fight that he discovered what he was good for when he beat everyone else in pulling back from the fray: Running. He was unnaturally fast, and that was the only thing he was really good at.

And speaking of his tribe, he could vaguely make out the shape of his home in the distance. At the speed in which he was running, he should be there in about two minutes. The wind was starting to become harsher, howling as it changed the angle in which the white snow fell around him. Oh, great... A snowstorm was coming. 'Is it a snowstorm? Maybe it's a blizzard?' Evan thought as he continued his run. 'Oh, sure. Why don't you stop to think about that? Maybe you'll find out once you're buried in the snow!' Snapping back to reality after the hostile answer he gave himself, he sped up again, this time running so fast the snowy fields were practically swooping past him with every step he took.

Finally, he arrived at the tall pike fence that marked the start of his tribe's territory. Now, he knew he could just sit in front of the gate and wait for a sentry to spot him in the blizzard that was now blowing (not an easy thing, given the natural camouflage snowstorms and blizzards give his species), or he could just find his own way in. Needless to be said, his choice was the latter. He ran around the perimeter until he spotted a small, snowy hill; the same one he always used for these kinds of situations. He took a few steps back, then ran up to the top of the hill at full speed and, the moment he reached the summit, he jumped, boosting himself upwards and past the fence. He laughed a little as he landed on the other side, remembering how he used to be afraid he'd get impaled by it the first day he jumped. Nowadays, however, he'd just laugh at it.

Once inside, he kept running: He had a special delivery to make. He moved around the snow-coated mess that his tribe's settlement was because of the blizzard until he saw a large hole in the ground. Not thinking twice, he stepped into the hole and kept going down. After a brief descent, he arrived at a large chamber that had been dug under the snow. Many wood boards put together at the center made a rudimentary table and several more tunnels like the one he had arrived from were present in the walls. The whole place was lit by a small and bright, clear blue light that illuminated everything quite well as it was reflected in the ice that covered some of the tunnels. Five Eevee were currently present there, probably seeking shelter from the blizzard outside. The moment they saw him coming, they ran up to him, playfully wagging their tails.

"Hi, Evan!" One of the Eevee said. "Did you run away from the fight again?"

"I did NOT run away!" Evan answered in an offended tone. "I brought back some berries so YOU have something to eat, runt!" He kept walking into another tunnel, knowing he'd drop the berries if he got caught in a conversation and the Eevee would eat them. He walked down the tunnel until he reached yet another small chamber.

"I don't care," Said another Glaceon, leaving at the same time Evan walked in. He was well-toned and fit. Not incredibly so like the one from earlier, but it was still easy to tell he was a fighter. instead of the usual lightblue, his fur was more of a dull cyan, dull like his dark blue eyes, which were devoid of any glow, yet still managed to show experience. His presence alone was overwhelmingly imposing and there was something in his stern expression that simply screamed 'Undefeatable'. That was the leader. The tribe's chief. "Anima can say what he pleases; in the end, I'm still the one who gives out the orders."

"Of course," Another Glaceon answered, following behind the chief.

"Hey, look what I got, chief!" Evan said proudly, dropping the berries in font of his leader.

"Put them in there," The chief gestured at the room he was leaving, then kept walking, giving Evan's arrival the same importance he would have given a snowflake in the current blizzard.

"Whoa..." Evan murmured, a little let down as he picked the berries up. "A little praising would have been nice..."

"Praising?" The chief, who overheard his words turned around, clearly disturbed. "Yes, Evan; Congratulations on running away from the fight with the Abomasnow and bringing back the berries that would have been brought back eventually by anyone else." He turned and kept walking away. "What an embarrassment you are..."

"Yeah..." Evan said weakly, disappointed at the answer the chief had given him. "You're welcome..." He put the berries down in the chamber as he was told, then walked outside to see that the blizzard had subsided. Whenever he felt down he liked to go for a run on the outside, but that was a chance he rarely got nowadays, as the chief, for some reason, had become suddenly focused on wiping off any other denizens of the tundra that were not of the Eevee line. This resulted in constant battles and Evan being thrown out into the field to see how he could be useful. He knew they were just expecting him to die, but he would still obey the orders he was given and go. His job usually involved scouting ahead of a fight and message delivery, but in occasions in which they were after something like those berries, he enjoyed sneaking in and taking them. Not that anyone would ever understand how hard that actually was, though.

"Hey, Evan!" He heard someone to his right greet him and immediately turned around to see his friend Azul. They had known each other for a very long time ever since her family arrived seeking shelter after her home was attacked by a band of Weavile (and right after that, the chief declared war on the Weavile). Since she was a complete stranger, most of the little ones would stay away from her and leave her to her loneliness, but there was one other loner who, curiously enough, made quick friends with her: Evan. They went everywhere together and played all the time, they even evolved at the exact same time. Although she was usually left out of everything, evolution, and the rumor that she actually killed her attackers one time she was ambushed out in the tundra, ended up making her very popular.

She was fine-looking, yes, but she certainly wouldn't place first in a beauty contest, as she really wasn't the best in terms of physical looks. She was a little stocky (Not fat, just stocky in an actually cute way.) and was missing a piece of her right ear's tip from that time she had been attacked. While the experience must have been surely traumatizing, she really didn't seem to care. That was exactly what made Evan, and many more, be so smitten with her: She wouldn't be the finest-looking, but she certainly had a great personality. Over the years, they had grown to become very close and spent a lot of their time together, and, after evolving, their own curiosity for their new bodies combined with how close they were had resulted in them almost mating many times in the past. However, one of them would usually come to his senses and prevent it from happening.

"Hi, Azul..." Evan answered, still feeling a tad down from the chief's words.

"Uh-oh, what did they tell you this time?"

"Nothing new, I guess," Evan replied, moving closer to her. "I just wish he'd realize, just once, how hard I work to get those berries he and Kija snack on all the time."

"The fact you don't get praised for it doesn't mean it's not important," Azul answered, trying to cheer him up. "You're still a hero to the tribe, in a way."

"Oh, sure!" Evan answered in sarcasm as he rolled his eyes upward. "I'm a real-deal hero, like Kija!"

"You're my hero," She added. "I don't know if it makes you feel better, but you are... You nimble little sneak!"

"Heh..." That was another thing Evan liked a lot about her: She always found a way to make anyone feel better when he was sad, and the way in which she referred to Evan, while not dignifying, was certainly not as degrading as the way others did. To everyone else, he was:

Runt of the litter
Quick-pawed coward
Rapid reject
Swift simpleton
Beneath-the-bottom-ringer

And, courtesy of the Eevee:

Dodgy Dummy

And the list could go on forever, as almost every last member of his tribe had thought up at least one name to call him by. It annoyed him at first, but time taught him how to deal with it. And of all of them, Azul's was the only one he actually liked. To her, he was just a 'Nimble little sneak'. While the name certainly failed to exalt him in any way, it made him feel oddly good.

"Well, I guess I am a hero... Sort of," Evan said, staring dreamily at Azul. "After all, I-"

He had no time to finish his sentence as he was suddenly thrown aside with huge strength and crashed against the fence. The blow left his vision blurry for a moment before he noticed the same gigantic Glaceon from earlier walking over the spot he was standing on a few seconds ago.

"Move aside, runt!" The giant said. "Make way for a REAL hero! Ha!" Saying this, he headed into the hole on the snow and disappeared from sight.

"He's half your size, yet he's twice the man you are, Kija!" Azul barked at the hole after the mastodon of a Glaceon vanished, then rushed to the side of the still-dazed Evan with a worried look. "Are you okay?"

"I've had worse," Evan answered as he weakly got up, with his legs quaking. "Remember when he jumped on me?"

"Yeah, that was a bad day..." Azul sulked a little, remembering the time she thought her friend was lost because a giant landed on him. Trying to avoid the memory, she looked at another hole in the snow by the fence that would lead to her home. "Wanna come in for a while?"

"Sure," Evan answered and followed her into the smaller hole. The two walked inside together for only a short while before they found themselves in a small, yet neatly-organized space. Some snow was piled up in the middle, standing taller than the rest that covered the floor, probably what she used for a bed. Two small plants were placed by the right wall (it was a marvel to see plants grow under the snow), and a small 'rug' of sorts was spread on the center along with a smaller 'mat' by the entrance.

Azul stopped to use the mat and get some snow off her paws before walking inside. Evan followed her, not stopping at all. Azul noticed him and turned around with an upset look.

"Don't be dirty!" She told him in a strict tone. "Get the snow off your paws!"

"But the whole place is covered in snow!" Evan answered, much like he did every time he forgot to use the mat. After all this time, he had grown to see it as a 'tradition', so to speak.

"Yeah, but the one in here is nice snow! It shouldn't be mixed with the one from the outside!"

This was one detail about her that Evan found to be both amusing and irritating: Azul was very organized; obsessively so, in fact. There was a time in which she had thrown him out of her den because he got a single snowflake on one of her plants; another in which she had tied his legs together and left him outside of the settlement because he moved the mat an inch; and a third time in which -according to the others, as Evan has no recollection of the event whatsoever, she had slammed his head with Iron Tail because he left her bed a bit shorter than usual when he fell asleep on it. This was probably the one flaw she had, however, and, with time, Evan had learned to accept her as well.

"There!" Evan said as he brushed his paws on the brown fur of the mat, getting the snow off them before continuing inside. "Nice mat, by the way. I've always wondered: Is that genuine Piloswine?"

"Yup," Azul answered as she dug into the snow and pulled two berries out. "Kija got it for me."

"Oh, that guy!" Evan grunted.

"Relax, it was just a gift!"

"Yeah, but still... Who does he think he is?" Now, gifts weren't something bad. But Evan knew that this went beyond a simple present between friends. In a year, Azul would be of age enough to pick a mate, and because of that it was likely everyone interested in her would try to win her over. And, unfortunately, Kija was VERY interested in her. This wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the fact Evan himself was smitten with Azul as well.

"If it's that big a deal to you," Azul said teasingly as she rolled one of the berries at Evan. "Why don't you get me one too? That way you'd have something to brag about."

"Well, I could..." Evan looked down thoughtfully. "But, what difference would it make? If I got you another Piloswine Kija would go and get you three Mamoswine." He was definitely backing down, but that didn't mean that enormous lug of a Glaceon that Kija was had won. Azul had just given Evan a great idea: He'd join the competition with a present; a great one, too! Now he just had to think of what the present would be...

No idea. But he didn't panic. He'd ask someone else later... Someone wise, very wise...


***


The sun had set over the vast expanse of snowy ground, bringing forth the fall of night. If the tundra was cold by day, there were no words to describe the bone-freezing sensation that anyone unused to it would get at this time. Fortunately, this didn't come as a problem for the Glaceon and Eevee from Evan's tribe, who were gathered in the underground chamber around the makeshift table. The chief was speaking up with a satisfied yet serious smile, and everyone, save Evan and the Eevee, were listening to him.

Evan was just lying with his paws on the table and his head tucked in between them. Regardless of how much he enjoyed taunting his enemies when he knew they were not quick enough to catch him, Evan was actually the calm and serious type. Sure, he enjoyed the occasional prank every now and then, but he was not really obsessed with them. That was something else to place him even another step down the social ladder: He was small, he was scrawny and, worst of all, he was a loner. Azul and the other one he was forced to live with were the only ones he frequently talked to, not counting the times in which he spoke with Anima or the chief.

"So I'm proud to announce that Regis mountain is ours!" The chief said, and immediately the cheering came. So loud... It made Evan's head ache. Everyone was clearly excited about it, however; the time to celebrate was now, not just because of their victory against the Abomasnow, but because of bigger news...

"And that's the way!" One of the Glaceon by the corner of the table howled in excitement.
"Bye-bye Abomasnow, hello us!"
"Not a single tribe left in the tundra but our own!"
"We RULE!"

The noise continued until a quiet, low "Silence," from the chief brought silence upon everyone, and all eyes focused on the chief at once.

"Today, thanks to Kija's brave exploits, the Abomasnow are no more, and those delicious berries are ours," The chief continued. "But, as a tribe, we are all family, and every effort made by anyone towards our good counts, so I would like to mention someone who deserves credit as well..."

Evan perked his ears and looked at the chief from the corner of his eye, not believing what he had just heard. Was he really about to earn recognition and praising for his actions? It had to be him. Who else?

"An anonymous hero that proved his worth today, daring his fearsome enemies and braving all kinds of peril for our well-being..."

'Just say who!' Evan yelled in his mind. 'Come on!'

"...Our up and coming healer, Lina!" The chief gestured at another Glaceon on the table's other end, who stood proudly, listening as more cheers came. "Who, today, helped Kija and Diamond by tending to their injuries...In the middle of the fight!"

"Aye, thanks, Lina!" Diamond praised the one that had become the center of attention. "Wouldn't have made it without you!"

Evan's spirit shattered upon hearing this. Of course he wasn't the one to be praised. He never was, and for all he knew he'd never be. With a soft sigh, he slumped off the table into the snowy floor and stayed there for a moment before getting up and eating the one berry he had been given. That sucked... He had brought back about forty of them, yet he only got one while the chief or the higher fighters got up to three. But that was life for him, in the end.

"And now," The chief said. "For the bigger news... Mistress Rosalie, leader of our Leafeon brothers in the marshlands, called all seven leaders to meet about a week ago, and, since we are now in full control of the tundra, I can't think of a better time to announce this... Anima!" He called, and an Espeon stepped out from behind him.

"Yes, sire," The Espeon muttered, standing next to the chief so everyone would look at him. "Mistress Rosalie has called the other leaders... Chief Hammer of the badlands Jolteon, Chief Delmar of the Vaporeon in the southern topics, Chief Solus of the desert Flareon, Mistress Night of the dark forest's Umbreon, Mistress Soul of my own kind in the miracle spring, and our own chief here in the northern tundra, and it has been decided that we will soon retake the meadow!"

Suddenly, everyone fell quiet with all eyes focused on Anima. The silence that reigned was one of awe and disbelief, and time itself seemed to slow down right after the announcement was made. After what felt like hours, one of the Glaceon chose to speak.

"The meadow?" The Glaceon asked. "The 300 year-lost meadow?" He was immediately swatted in the back of the head by another one next to him.

"Of course the 300 year-lost meadow! What other meadow do you know?"

"Well, I happen to know a 10 year-found meadow!"

"As I was saying," Anima continued. "It has been decided that, in a month from today, once our older Eevee have evolved, we shall make our strike against those wretched creatures and take back what's ours!" Immediately the mood and cheering returned once everyone understood the plan. "Ah, I remember when I was a young Espeon, out there in the battlefield, throwing my opponents away with just my mind..."

"No one cares, Anima!" Kija barked, amused at the older one.

"Yeah!" Diamond added. "You're so old!"

"You know those Keystone things that Spiritomb are sealed in?" Kija laughed. "They were the keys to your first mate's den!"

"Young fools..."

"And that is all," The chief said. "Back to your homes, or whatever you want to do now that this whole region is ours!" Cheering and yelling, everyone left off to their homes. Just as Anima was leaving, however, he was approached by Evan.

"Anima..." Evan spoke nervously. Anima was easily the wisest and smartest Pokémon he knew, and he couldn't think of anyone better to ask.

"What is it, Evan?" Anima turned around, annoyed.

"You're obscenely old..."

"I hope you're going somewhere with this!" Anima said, clearly offended.

Evan and the others weren't wrong to say that, however. Anima was, indeed, obscenely old. To be precise, he was 316 (and a half) years old, and that, before anyone goes asking, is a long life for an Espeon. It's about three times the lifespan of the average Absol, in fact. Anima was the only one left alive from the time in which Evan's tribe was forced to retreat from the meadow about 300 years ago.

Evan's tribe was once part of a proud and powerful reign that existed in the meadow and was formed by all seven of Eevee's possible evolutions. With their diverse powers and abilities, they had easily taken over everyone else who lived in the area... But everything comes to an end, and they were no different. One night, they were attacked and scattered by enemies who wished their territory, with each evolution going in a different direction.

Evan's tribe (and Anima) fled to the northern tundra, where their choice of evolving was limited to the only one they could aspire to if they wished to survive the fatal cold: Glaceon. For all those years, all seven tribes had been looking to retake the area and rise back to power, but none had succeeded so far. Last attempt, however, had been about fifty years ago, and everyone had surely grown stronger in that time.

"I'm sorry, I meant wise....I want to know... What can I get a girl I really like if I want her to pick me as her mate?"

"Ah..." Anima smiled guilefully, looking at Evan in an amused way. "Is young Evan trying to woo himself a lover?"

"Er... What does 'woo' mean?"

"Ah... Let's just say you want her to choose you," Anima answered, disappointed at Evan's lacking knowledge of finer words.

"Yes, please." Evan replied, a little embarrassed when he realized even old Anima was bigger than he was. "I want to get her a present. Something great. Can you tell me what to get her?"

"Before I go telling you anything... Who is the (un)fortunate one?"

"Azul." Evan answered. Just thinking about letting anyone know he wanted her was shaming to him.

"Uh-huh... The fairer sex's choices will always be a mystery to me... Well, you could get her something glittering and luxurious... But that is beyond you." Anima looked down, thinking. "Just get her something within your own capabilities. Being the sweetheart she is, she is sure to appreciate it."

"Well, thanks, Anima," Evan answered, let down again. Anima hadn't helped him that much. Now he knew he should get Azul something he was able to get. But what?

"But I have one more thing to tell you, Evan,"

"Yeah?"

"You shouldn't bother trying. You are weak as a newborn Snorunt and ugly as a naked Jynx. She will obviously go for someone else!"

"Well, I don't care!" Evan said, determined as he realized what he could get her. It wouldn't be much, but it was the best he was able to obtain. "Azul and I are perfect for each other! We'll get hitched, and you're not invited!" Saying this, he took off running.

Anima just sighed, amused at the sight of the young, small Glaceon running off from sight. "Ah, to be young again!" He murmured gladly. He had just given Evan that last push he needed, and he was sure Azul would pick him over Kija or anyone else. "And, to think, I will be 317 in just a few months... 317... That's 316 more years than the number of brain cells Kija has!"


***


It was probably around midnight on the tribe's settlement. The pitch-black darkness would have made vision impossible if it wasn't for the white of the snow, turned more into a low grey. Everyone had probably gone to sleep now, and silence reigned all over the home of Evan's tribe. In the sinister darkness and silence of the night, a single small shape was making way through the snow.

It was Evan, but something was different about him. He was limping and dragging his right leg on the snow as he struggled to keep moving, carrying a huge bunch of berries hanging from his muzzle. His body was full of bruises and there was some blood on his mouth. A few hours ago, he had left to find Azul a present, and he thought of nothing better to get her than a bunch of berries. And not just a common bunch; the biggest bunch he had ever gathered, with sixty of them!

However, when he arrived at the spring that, in theory, belonged to his tribe now, he was attacked by an enraged Abomasnow, the same one he had mocked and teased earlier that day. Evan was not a fighter, and that fight was probably the harshest ordeal he had faced in his entire life. He was victorious, however, and he was going back home to Azul with what he hoped would be a good present.

"Hey..." He called weakly into Azul's home, stopping in front of it. "Hey, Azul... Azul...!" He was running out of strength, and, unable to stand no more, he collapsed on the snow.

"What?" Azul walked out of her den drowsily, looking for the one that was calling her before noticing the injured and battered Evan on the ground. "Oh!" She jumped in anguish at the sight of her friend, coming to her senses. "Evan!" She approached him and dragged him into her home, noticing the berries he was holding. She took them from him and crushed one, then mixed the powder with a leaf from one of the plants she had growing. Finally, she rubbed some of it on Evan's nose. The remedy worked as the Glaceon woke up with a sneeze. While he was still waking up, she fed him another berry, helping him regain strength.

"Azul..." Evan said weakly, getting up and looking at her. "I got you these... These... Oh, don't tell me I lost them!" He looked around for the berries he had brought along for her. Had he really blown this?

"You didn't," Azul answered sweetly. "I took them and used some of them to heal you. What happened?"

"Well," Evan began. "I left to get you a present so I could compete with Kija, but I couldn't think of what, then I remembered you like these, so I went to get them, but there was still an Abomasnow, and-"

"-Oh, Evan!" She threw herself at him before he could finish with a single worried tear in her eyes. Had he just taken the worst beating of his life just to get her those berries? What was he thinking?! "You didn't have to!" She brushed her cheek on his a little before looking at him. "It's not about Kija or presents, it's-"

"-Evan," The strict, stern and commanding voice came and Evan turned around to see the chief standing on the entrance mat with his dull eyes focused on the smaller one.

"Y-yes, chief?" Evan asked, trembling a little. The chief never called him unless it involved grilling him for something he had done. That couldn't be good...

"Come."

They both stepped out into the night, followed by Azul. The chief didn't seem to mind her following at first, but he turned around when they reached the entrance to his den and looked at her. "Go back to your home, Azul. Evan can tell you later if he wants."

"Yes, sir..."

"Follow me," The chief told Evan, who followed him inside, bending a little. They arrived into what was easily the biggest, most luxurious den Evan had ever seen. It was about ten times Azul's (about twenty times his own, for that matter). A large blue cushion was at the very end of the space, and another Glaceon- The chief's mate, was asleep on it. The same blue light from the tunnels, made by Anima, was shining above the center with many more plants growing on each side and a small model of the tundra on one corner.

"What is it, sir?" Evan asked nervously.

"Your time has come."

"W-What?!" Evan jumped back, frightened. What did he mean? Was he going to kill him? But why? He had done nothing wrong! Not this week, anyways... "I-I didn't do anything wrong! I-I just..."

"Shut," The chief growled in a deep and hollow way that made Evan freeze. "Up."

"Yes..."

"In a month, we shall strike our enemies and retake our long-lost meadow. Their leader is surely to stay in hiding, and we need someone who can reach him and end his life... Be prepared, Evan; your target in that fight will not be something as simple as a bunch of berries..."

"What?" Evan didn't understand. Was the chief really asking him to kill the leader of the ones that had taken over his tribe's old territory? "You mean, you want me to..."

"Bury his memory, Evan," The chief said calmly before digging under the cushion with extreme care not to wake his mate up and pulled out a strange blue disk. "Use this to learn Blizzard," He said as he put it down in front of Evan. "Make him feel the unforgiving cold his ancestors put ours through here in the tundra... You are the only one quick and sneaky enough to get there unnoticed. It all depends on you, so use this month carefully and prepare yourself."

"So, I'm the one who's gonna finish off their leader?!" Evan asked excitedly. "I'm actually being tasked with something so important?!"

"We all deserve a moment in the spotlight, Evan," The chief said with a faint smile, trying to hide the odd happiness Evan's own brought upon him. "And I'm well-aware you've never had one."

"Well, I... I don't know what to say!"

"Go now. And tell Azul about it if you please... I assume, from how close you two are, that she plans to pick you as her mate?"

"Well, I don't know..." Evan looked down, embarrassed. "Kija and some others want that as well..."

"Best of luck, then," The chief answered, looking back at his own, sleeping mate. "But I should warn you, the phrase 'old ball and chain' is a great truth. Waking up to that same face every morning..."

"I heard that," His mate grumbled from the cushion she was lying on.

"Oh, great... Now I'll never hear the end of this... Off you go, Evan. Before she starts nagging you as well."

"Yes!" Evan cheerfully rushed out of the leader's den and headed for Azul's. This had to be great news! He had actually been chosen to do something important! He ran into Azul's home, stopping to clean his paws on the mat before heading in and jumping on her from behind, making her let out a short yelp before looking at him.

"Well, you're still alive!" Azul commented, noticing how happy he was. "And in a very good mood!"

"I just got picked to finish off the leader of the meadow's occupants!" Evan answered. He felt like he was about to burst with excitement. He wanted to run, to jump higher than before... To scream out his important new mission for everyone to hear!

"Really?!" Azul seemed as positively surprised as he was. "Congratulations!" She was very happy for her friend, but that faded as she came across a new worry. "But what if you don't make it? You're not a fighter, Evan."

"The chief taught me Blizzard!" Evan answered, not showing the least concern. "And I have a whole month to practice before my big day comes!" He laughed a little. "Chew on this, Kija!"

"Somehow, I figured you'd be saying something about Kija... Which does take me back to what I wanted to tell you before the chief came."

"Yeah?"

"It's not about Kija or what presents anyone interested would get me. It's you, Evan." She answered softly, looking at him in a loving way. "Now that you got picked for this, you'll be very important, but I'll still say what I was going to before: You're great, Evan. And in a year," She said gently as she brushed her tail against his nose. "I'll let everyone know just how great you are." She went back to him and nuzzled his cheek for a while before sitting in front of him, waiting for his reaction.

"Wait..." Evan closed his eyes, smiling. She had just picked him. Him! The tiny, weaker one! "You mean you want me to..." He stopped as he opened his eyes and saw her nod. "So, you're picking me over Kija?"

"Kija only cares about three things," Azul answered, a little disgusted at the thought of the giant. "His food, his muscles, and what it might feel like to have me under him. But that's not gonna happen."

"So, I... I..." Evan was probably having the best day (or night?) ever. He felt himself slowly floating up into the heavens above... He wanted to run around, yelling out the great news. No, he didn't even have to run around... To just say it out loud was enough! But that wasn't too proper, so he simply sat there with a calm smile before saying "I'm glad you chose me."

Azul looked at him, probably expecting a bigger reaction from her future mate. Finally realizing what was going on, she told him "You can get all hyper and skippy about it if you want to."

"YES!" Evan yelled out in excitement as he began skipping about, knocking one of the plants over. Azul didn't mind, however. After all, the news would have gotten anyone like that. "THIS IS THE BEST DAY EVER! AZUL AND EVAN FOREVER!" He ran outside, stopping to look at her. "So, er... Thanks for having me over, and for, you know... Picking me..." Once this was said, Evan ran outside, jumping up and down the settlement, letting everyone know how he was feeling. "AZUL PICKED ME! ME! EVAN! YEAH!" He stopped in front of a large hole in the snow and barked at it. "YO, KIJA! AZUL PICKED ME! ME, NOT YOU! THAT'S RIGHT! I GOT A MATE BEFORE YOU! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, BIG GUY?!"

Not waiting for what the mastodon's answer would be, Evan kept running around before finally calming down and heading into his den. The space was very reduced. It was basically just a bigger version of a burrow dug in the snow with space for only two: He and the one he lived with, who wasn't there at the moment. But, after all, he didn't deserve anything better, being as low as he was on his society... 'That'll change soon,' He thought. Piled up almost together were two mounds of snow that Evan and the other one used as beds.

He walked inside, still shaking a little and looked at his bed. The bed where, one time, he and Azul had been so close to feeling each other... The bed where he used to relieve his own stress thinking of how she'd probably go for someone else... The bed in which, in a year, he'd finally be able to embrace his love... The sole thought of it began to arouse him a little as he lied down on his back, looking at his light blue sheath with the pink tip of his member poking out.

"Well, so that's I want right now..." He said, looking at the entrance to the den. The guy he lived with wasn't around, and he probably wouldn't be coming back for a while, seeing how he was a sleep-walker. Well, he had done this thinking of Azul many times, but it was usually to comfort himself at the thought he'd never have her. But tonight was different; tonight, he knew he'd actually be able to make his fantasies come true... Maybe there was nothing wrong with just getting himself off at the thought one last time...

He closed his eyes and began to picture her, slowly moving towards his sheath and giving it a soft lick, moving her tongue around the emerging tip... Maybe even licking his sac a little, massaging it with that soft, silky tongue... And slowly, more of his meat began to come out, coaxed by her gentle ministrations... It was all in his mind, but it still felt SO good, and soon... Yeah. He opened his eyes, panting a little to see his five inch-long rod, standing erect. He slowly brought his paw down to his member and began to slowly stroke it, closing his eyes again and imagining it was Azul who was doing it.

Her soft, dainty paw, slowly stroking his penis, giving him that odd, tingling sensation he enjoyed so much... Maybe she'd back off a little and nose his rod all the way from the base to the tip, stopping and giving the tip a quick, soft lick, massaging it in a circling motion with her taste muscle before taking him in her mouth. Now, Evan didn't really know how that would feel, but he always thought it'd be something silky... Very soft and pleasant to feel, but with that cold that was so natural to their species... He was just dying to feel that in real life, but, until then, this was the best he could do while waiting. He began to pant more, imagining Azul bobbing her head up and down on his member, massaging his knot with her tongue as she sucked on it.

He began to move his paw faster, still trapped in his fantasy, using his other paw to rub his knot a little... She'd just stop sucking and turn around, bending forward and raising her rear for him, looking back at him with a naughty, teasing expression. Slowly, he'd mount her, wrapping his paws around her and getting ready to take her at last... She'd faintly nod, and he would penetrate her... The thought drove him wild; he stroked even faster, letting his tongue hang out in the pleasure he was giving himself. He'd start thrusting into her, listening to her sweet, musical moans, bucking forward against her while she begged him for more... He'd move his hips quickly and she would move hers back against his, driving them even closer to each other, he'd bite on the scruff of her neck to use as leverage...

Evan couldn't hold himself anymore: He began humping and bucking against his own paw, stopping at his growing knot, sweating wildly. And finally, that great feeling came: That sensation of something coming out of his member... And there, in his mind, he'd give one last, strong thrust as he tied into his love and let his seed flow into her. And finally, he came. His knot swelled as his seed shot into the air, landing on the snowy ground and covering some of his stomach and his paw as his back arched.

He remained like this for a while before collapsing on his bed and lying on his side, looking at his seed-covered paw. To think, soon, he wouldn't have to do this anymore... He slowly drifted of into deep sleep, imagining that, right now, Azul was lying next to him, holding him close in her loving embrace...

To think, that morning, he woke up being a weak, pathetic loveless scout with nothing to aspire to in life... But that night... He had been given a chance to be important... If he succeeded in his mission on the meadow, he would no longer be Evan the weak, the runt of the litter... He would be Evan, the legendary hero to his tribe that finished off his enemies and retook the meadow... He'd be Evan, Azul's mate...

Azul... The one for him...

At last, every piece of his life was falling right into place, and he wouldn't have it any other way.


But fate would never be so kind.

"Proud warriors of the snow, dominating every other living creature in this place they call their territory... They failed to learn the lesson 300 years ago... Let us see if they learn it this time... All but two, who have no real blame, who have a clean conscience... Those two shall wish to share the same fate as the others...


***


Evan woke up feeling a cold breeze blow against him. He squirmed a little, still half-asleep, calling to the other one he lived with.

"Nix... Nix!" He said drowsily. "How many times have I told you to cover the den's entrance when you come back...? Nix? Nix?!" He slowly and shakily got up, feeling strangely lightheaded. "Yo, Nix?" He looked around the den to realize there was no one else there. "Ugh... Must've gotten lost again." He stepped out of his den into his tribe's settlement, looking for the chief. He figured there was no one better to train him; after all, the chief was the chief for a reason.

But something was wrong there: The place was unnaturally quiet save for the howl of the blizzard that was blowing at the moment. Even the blizzard seemed to have something odd to it... It's howl was a vacant one; it didn't have the same feeling most blizzards gave him. This one simply said 'unforgiving, cruel, hollow' and he couldn't explain why... He went into the hole leading to the underground tunnels , looking for the chief, as he usually hung out there.

"Chief?" He quietly called as he entered the room with the table, looking for a teacher. "Chief?" It did strike him as odd that there was no one there, but maybe that was just because it was too cold outside for anyone to get there in the first place. He did start to feel a little concerned when he went through every room and found no one. No chief, no Anima, no Kija, no Nix, no Diamond or Lina... That's when he really worried. He stepped out into the snow of the settlement and headed for Azul's den.

"Please be home, please be home..." He whispered as he walked inside, cleaning his paws on the mat in case she was around, then stepped inside looking for her:

There was no one.

"Azul?" He called, hoping she would answer. "Azul?!"

But no response came. Now more worried than he had ever felt, Evan stepped back out and headed into the chief's den, even Anima's (and he hated the smell that place had). But there wasn't a single soul in sight.

"Just... Where IS everyone?!"