The Aftermath
"Ugh, what the- huh?!" Aven awoke, lying on a stone table in the center of a rocky terrain, the mountains were high, everything a very strange dark shade, as if everything were ignoring the light. As he attempted to move, he found himself bound by shadowy figures, no matter how much he struggled, he could not break loose of their grasp, then, a voice. "You've endured much pain, almost to the point of death, we could not let you take your life, for you have a purpose still, though after tonight, you shall never again return to who you once were, like all the others, we're sure you'll be very happy with the results. All your memories, your fur color, everything from your past self shall dissapear, and you shall be like every other of your kind." Aven was quick to respond, despite being a little groggy after his rude awakening. "And what if i don't want to be like the rest of them?!" There was a pause, a moment of silence, and finally, a reply. "We're not really giving you a choice.." Aven looked again at the figures holding him down. "So i've noticed..." He only sighed, and lay there in the silence, waiting for the inevitable, a tear slightly rolling down his cheek.
In the distance...
"Since we have time, how about you let me know who you are, and how you know my name?" Asked Laura. "I'm Ben, and i know your name since Aven told me to find you." Laura glanced left and right at the passing land and dropped her head in worry. "What exactly is your relation to Aven anyways?" Ben replyed hesitantly. "I.. havn't known him longer than a day even, i found him on the shore, not in the best of shape, took him in to my home and let him rest.." Laura glanced up for a moment. "Wait.. i think i missed something. You say you hardly know him, yet.. you were crying.." Ben was very focused on swimming his fastest, his tails working furiously, propelling them through the water. Her words caught him off guard, breaking his concentration as he stumbled in the water for a second before grasping his concentration again. Laura clenched the fur on his back and held tight as he stumbled about the water for a moment. "S-sorry about that.." Apologized Ben softly, a silence filling the air. "Well.. it's as simple as, in that very short time.. i think i fell for him.." The time before either of the two said another word seemed endless, Laura only stared blankly at the back of his head. Ben kept to his swimming, the thought running slowly across his mind of what he had just admited to. On top of that, to someone who he didn't really know in the least, then again, that wasn't his concern at the moment. Laura stared blankly downward, feeling some strange need to ask. "Did...did he catch you when you fell?" Ben was a little confused at first, not entirely understanding what she had meant by that, but answered a moment later. "I'm...not sure.." Before either of them had a chance to make the moment worse then it already was, a small island came in to view.
...
"We're almost ready.." The voice seemed haunting in Aven's ears. Silently he lay there, waiting and waiting, the quiet almost driving him mad. Minutes later he burst in to a fit of rage, writhing about, trying desperately to escape the grasp of the figures holding him down. He felt a quick jolt, a surge of pain throughout his body, numbing him and keeping him still. With this jolt, he let out a vicious scream, as loud as he could. "There's something approaching the island, some sort of small vessel it seems." He heard the voices talking back and forth, a dim light of hope in his mind, immediately flickered out by the reply. "Intercept it, nothing gets in or on this island during the ceremony."
"Yes sir."
...
As the island came more in to view Ben and Laura saw a strange dark mist around it. "You think this is where they took him?" Asked Laura. "I hope so.." Replyed Ben hopefully. Getting closer, they heard a wild scream. "Aven!" They both found themselves calling. Swimming faster, Ben shouted, "Hang on tight!" His eyes darting and catching glimpse of a shadow ball just in time to veer left of it. "No doubt this is the place now!" Exclaimed Laura. Ben darted right, scraping out of the way of another shadow ball, keeping steady as in erupted in the water. The sound of shadow ball could be heard coming at them. "Where's it coming from?" Ben shouted in panic. As he did, Laura flung out a claw, deflecting the shadow ball in to the distance. The shore was coming in to view. "Hang on Aven!" They called loudly to the island.
...
Eyes shut and still, his ears twitched in disbelief, as voices echoed through the island. "Ben! Laura!" He called out in reply, before being muted by the palm of the Haunter.
"Unfortunately I must inform you that your friends won't be leaving this island, now that they have come here. It was foolish to think they could do anything to stop this, and now they're going to die because of it. Are you quite pleased? Having your friends killed to try and save you? Seems rather selfish to me.."
...
Combing the beaches now, the things that had been attempting to pelt Ben and Laura with shadow balls revealed themselves. A Gengar and Ghastly cloaked in white robes. "Tell us where Aven is!" Demanded Ben. "Oh he's right behind this wall." Replyed the Gengar, waving his hand to the top of the large mountain behind him. "But, unfortunately that information won't be of any use to either of you." Added the Ghastly, before rushing infront of Laura and Ben and emitting a sleep powder. Laura quickly brought her paw to cover her mouth, and Ben spun his tails like a fan, blowing the powder away quickly. "Oh this will be fun." Spoke the now approaching Gengar. Ben threw a punch at the Gengar, but the Gengar held up his palm to intercept, causing Ben to throw his fist right in to a shadow ball. The Gengar laughed as Ben retreated his arm in pain. The Ghastly circled around Laura, waiting, and finally rushing to charge her head on, but only to get knocked by by a swift stinging claw across his face. "What the fuck?...Oh shi-...Gengar...Gengar!" Ghastly shouted. "What?!" He screamed, looking at Laura and then back at Ben. Laura's eyes were pure glowing purple, and Ben's were glowing a bright blue. "...Oh fuck..." Gengar took two steps back, shocked and fully aware of what this was. Ben felt a coldness running through his blood, and a weightless feeling, a blue aura outlining his body. "We're not leaving here until we have Aven with us.." Spoke Ben through gritted teeth. He let out a vicious roar and blast a watergun at Gengar, pinning him to the walls of the mountain. Stopping the watergun, he rushed swiftly forward and began a barrage of blows on the Gengar, each time his fists emitting a white light, until finally the Gengar lay motionless and bloodied beside the canyons. Laura and the Ghastly watched, and when it was over, Laura turned back to the Ghastly and felt a warmth rushing through her veins, and a sudden burst of strength, a purple aura outlining her body. "Your turn." She spoke menacingly, being as ruthless as possible. Laura was upon the Ghastly within seconds, clawing violently, and finally, grasping and hurling the distorted ball in to the ocean.
...
The canyon walls shook vigorously from the pounding on the outsides, the echoes of screams and cries were worrying to Aven. The Haunter moved away from the table and the shadowy figures holding Aven down dissapeared, although he could not move from the previous numbing. "Impossible.." The Haunter murmured under his breath, drifting up to the top of the cliffs, only to see Ben shooting up with his watergun, and Laura on his back. The Haunter stared for a moment as they landed near the table, but made sure to not let them approach Aven by raising a barrier around him. "You've gone far enough, I'm afraid this is where you die." The Haunter began to laugh maniacally. "Get it? Afraid?!" He cackled and the canyons immediately were encased by a shroud of shadows. Ben's tails spun and his eyes lit up, moving in a serpentine manner as to avoid the large dark beam being blasted at him, only to crash through the canyon walls. "He's at the top!" Shouted Ben, still frantically avoiding the beam. Laura's eyes flashed and she immediately began to scale the walls, from jagged edge, to small cliff hanging, constantly upwards. Ben stood for a moment, the beam had stopped, as he searched for Laura, only to see the Haunter's new aim, as the beam cut through an overhanging cliff, causing it to come plumetting down on top of Laura. "Laura!" Ben shouted, followed by the sounds of the Haunter twisted laugh. The Haunter looked down through the shadows at Ben, pointing. "It's over!" Haunter screamed. "Your right-" Haunter froze, a whispering in his ear. "-It is over.." Laura dashed a claw across the Haunters back, then kicked him off the cliff top. The shadows slowly faded, the barrier around Aven had dropped, and the Haunter's body fell with a heavy thud on the canyon floor. Ben grabbed Aven and watergunned to the top where Laura was waiting. "You...You two actually did it..." Spoke Aven weakly, coughing. "Of course...We weren't going to let them take you away.." Spoke Ben softly. "Thank you Ben...Thank you Laura..." Aven's voice was getting more quiet with every word. "Aven..." Laura was tearing up and simply hugged him tightly. "Come on...We've got to go home now Aven.." Said Laura, taking Aven's paws in hers. Just as all seemed well, the canyons began to rumble, cracking and breaking everywhere. "Hurry get on!" Yelled Ben, signaling for them to jump on his back, as they did, he watergunned them down safely to the beaches of the island, moving quickly away from the crumbling canyon.
Outside the canyon rubble...
Aven sat up on the beaches, slouched over, a sharp pain in his chest, and coughing occasionally. Laura and Ben looked at him with concern. "Are you alright Aven?" In all the panic, Laura had only gotten to ask now. Aven turned his head weakly and shook his head. "I can't leave here.." He whispered. "But, you have to." Replyed Laura, not sure what he meant by what he said. "I can't...Please understand this...I-" He stuttered and stumbled over his words, coughing through them. "-I'm not going to make it.." Laura stared at him, not wanting to hear what she had heard. Aven fell back on the beach, half squinting his eyes, and clasping Laura's paw in his. "Laura..." She hung her head, fighting back tears. "I-...I Love You....." With those words said, Aven's fur color slowly changed from the gray shades, to red, as his eyelids shut, and his heart simply stopped. Laura spoke through the tears, and at the same time, under his breath, Ben spoke the same thing as her. "I love you too, Aven..."Chapter End Notes:And...Scene
In the distance...
"Since we have time, how about you let me know who you are, and how you know my name?" Asked Laura. "I'm Ben, and i know your name since Aven told me to find you." Laura glanced left and right at the passing land and dropped her head in worry. "What exactly is your relation to Aven anyways?" Ben replyed hesitantly. "I.. havn't known him longer than a day even, i found him on the shore, not in the best of shape, took him in to my home and let him rest.." Laura glanced up for a moment. "Wait.. i think i missed something. You say you hardly know him, yet.. you were crying.." Ben was very focused on swimming his fastest, his tails working furiously, propelling them through the water. Her words caught him off guard, breaking his concentration as he stumbled in the water for a second before grasping his concentration again. Laura clenched the fur on his back and held tight as he stumbled about the water for a moment. "S-sorry about that.." Apologized Ben softly, a silence filling the air. "Well.. it's as simple as, in that very short time.. i think i fell for him.." The time before either of the two said another word seemed endless, Laura only stared blankly at the back of his head. Ben kept to his swimming, the thought running slowly across his mind of what he had just admited to. On top of that, to someone who he didn't really know in the least, then again, that wasn't his concern at the moment. Laura stared blankly downward, feeling some strange need to ask. "Did...did he catch you when you fell?" Ben was a little confused at first, not entirely understanding what she had meant by that, but answered a moment later. "I'm...not sure.." Before either of them had a chance to make the moment worse then it already was, a small island came in to view.
...
"We're almost ready.." The voice seemed haunting in Aven's ears. Silently he lay there, waiting and waiting, the quiet almost driving him mad. Minutes later he burst in to a fit of rage, writhing about, trying desperately to escape the grasp of the figures holding him down. He felt a quick jolt, a surge of pain throughout his body, numbing him and keeping him still. With this jolt, he let out a vicious scream, as loud as he could. "There's something approaching the island, some sort of small vessel it seems." He heard the voices talking back and forth, a dim light of hope in his mind, immediately flickered out by the reply. "Intercept it, nothing gets in or on this island during the ceremony."
"Yes sir."
...
As the island came more in to view Ben and Laura saw a strange dark mist around it. "You think this is where they took him?" Asked Laura. "I hope so.." Replyed Ben hopefully. Getting closer, they heard a wild scream. "Aven!" They both found themselves calling. Swimming faster, Ben shouted, "Hang on tight!" His eyes darting and catching glimpse of a shadow ball just in time to veer left of it. "No doubt this is the place now!" Exclaimed Laura. Ben darted right, scraping out of the way of another shadow ball, keeping steady as in erupted in the water. The sound of shadow ball could be heard coming at them. "Where's it coming from?" Ben shouted in panic. As he did, Laura flung out a claw, deflecting the shadow ball in to the distance. The shore was coming in to view. "Hang on Aven!" They called loudly to the island.
...
Eyes shut and still, his ears twitched in disbelief, as voices echoed through the island. "Ben! Laura!" He called out in reply, before being muted by the palm of the Haunter.
"Unfortunately I must inform you that your friends won't be leaving this island, now that they have come here. It was foolish to think they could do anything to stop this, and now they're going to die because of it. Are you quite pleased? Having your friends killed to try and save you? Seems rather selfish to me.."
...
Combing the beaches now, the things that had been attempting to pelt Ben and Laura with shadow balls revealed themselves. A Gengar and Ghastly cloaked in white robes. "Tell us where Aven is!" Demanded Ben. "Oh he's right behind this wall." Replyed the Gengar, waving his hand to the top of the large mountain behind him. "But, unfortunately that information won't be of any use to either of you." Added the Ghastly, before rushing infront of Laura and Ben and emitting a sleep powder. Laura quickly brought her paw to cover her mouth, and Ben spun his tails like a fan, blowing the powder away quickly. "Oh this will be fun." Spoke the now approaching Gengar. Ben threw a punch at the Gengar, but the Gengar held up his palm to intercept, causing Ben to throw his fist right in to a shadow ball. The Gengar laughed as Ben retreated his arm in pain. The Ghastly circled around Laura, waiting, and finally rushing to charge her head on, but only to get knocked by by a swift stinging claw across his face. "What the fuck?...Oh shi-...Gengar...Gengar!" Ghastly shouted. "What?!" He screamed, looking at Laura and then back at Ben. Laura's eyes were pure glowing purple, and Ben's were glowing a bright blue. "...Oh fuck..." Gengar took two steps back, shocked and fully aware of what this was. Ben felt a coldness running through his blood, and a weightless feeling, a blue aura outlining his body. "We're not leaving here until we have Aven with us.." Spoke Ben through gritted teeth. He let out a vicious roar and blast a watergun at Gengar, pinning him to the walls of the mountain. Stopping the watergun, he rushed swiftly forward and began a barrage of blows on the Gengar, each time his fists emitting a white light, until finally the Gengar lay motionless and bloodied beside the canyons. Laura and the Ghastly watched, and when it was over, Laura turned back to the Ghastly and felt a warmth rushing through her veins, and a sudden burst of strength, a purple aura outlining her body. "Your turn." She spoke menacingly, being as ruthless as possible. Laura was upon the Ghastly within seconds, clawing violently, and finally, grasping and hurling the distorted ball in to the ocean.
...
The canyon walls shook vigorously from the pounding on the outsides, the echoes of screams and cries were worrying to Aven. The Haunter moved away from the table and the shadowy figures holding Aven down dissapeared, although he could not move from the previous numbing. "Impossible.." The Haunter murmured under his breath, drifting up to the top of the cliffs, only to see Ben shooting up with his watergun, and Laura on his back. The Haunter stared for a moment as they landed near the table, but made sure to not let them approach Aven by raising a barrier around him. "You've gone far enough, I'm afraid this is where you die." The Haunter began to laugh maniacally. "Get it? Afraid?!" He cackled and the canyons immediately were encased by a shroud of shadows. Ben's tails spun and his eyes lit up, moving in a serpentine manner as to avoid the large dark beam being blasted at him, only to crash through the canyon walls. "He's at the top!" Shouted Ben, still frantically avoiding the beam. Laura's eyes flashed and she immediately began to scale the walls, from jagged edge, to small cliff hanging, constantly upwards. Ben stood for a moment, the beam had stopped, as he searched for Laura, only to see the Haunter's new aim, as the beam cut through an overhanging cliff, causing it to come plumetting down on top of Laura. "Laura!" Ben shouted, followed by the sounds of the Haunter twisted laugh. The Haunter looked down through the shadows at Ben, pointing. "It's over!" Haunter screamed. "Your right-" Haunter froze, a whispering in his ear. "-It is over.." Laura dashed a claw across the Haunters back, then kicked him off the cliff top. The shadows slowly faded, the barrier around Aven had dropped, and the Haunter's body fell with a heavy thud on the canyon floor. Ben grabbed Aven and watergunned to the top where Laura was waiting. "You...You two actually did it..." Spoke Aven weakly, coughing. "Of course...We weren't going to let them take you away.." Spoke Ben softly. "Thank you Ben...Thank you Laura..." Aven's voice was getting more quiet with every word. "Aven..." Laura was tearing up and simply hugged him tightly. "Come on...We've got to go home now Aven.." Said Laura, taking Aven's paws in hers. Just as all seemed well, the canyons began to rumble, cracking and breaking everywhere. "Hurry get on!" Yelled Ben, signaling for them to jump on his back, as they did, he watergunned them down safely to the beaches of the island, moving quickly away from the crumbling canyon.
Outside the canyon rubble...
Aven sat up on the beaches, slouched over, a sharp pain in his chest, and coughing occasionally. Laura and Ben looked at him with concern. "Are you alright Aven?" In all the panic, Laura had only gotten to ask now. Aven turned his head weakly and shook his head. "I can't leave here.." He whispered. "But, you have to." Replyed Laura, not sure what he meant by what he said. "I can't...Please understand this...I-" He stuttered and stumbled over his words, coughing through them. "-I'm not going to make it.." Laura stared at him, not wanting to hear what she had heard. Aven fell back on the beach, half squinting his eyes, and clasping Laura's paw in his. "Laura..." She hung her head, fighting back tears. "I-...I Love You....." With those words said, Aven's fur color slowly changed from the gray shades, to red, as his eyelids shut, and his heart simply stopped. Laura spoke through the tears, and at the same time, under his breath, Ben spoke the same thing as her. "I love you too, Aven..."Chapter End Notes:And...Scene