Story Notes:
Ok, before I get the ball rolling, I thought I would make this clear: This is not, and will never be, a "lemon". Don't even go there. So, following that, I give two warnings:1. The darkness comes.... I am a firm believer that it must get dark before things can get light. This comes through an awful lot in my fics.2. If you are looking for the cheesy plots and characters from the Anime, we shot those first. And then shot them again just to be safe.
Chapter 1
A fan-fiction by Shattered Silence
Fate - Noun (plural fates)
1. The cause, force, principle, or divine will that predetermines events.
2. The effect, consequence, outcome, or inevitable events predetermined by this cause.
3. Destiny (perhaps connotes death, ruin, misfortune, etc.).
Dawn - Noun (plural dawns)
1. The morning twilight period immediately before sunrise.
2. The rising of the sun.
3. The beginning.
Chapter One:
The force of the blow sent me to my knees, shattering my concentration while I gasped for breath as the air went whooshing out of my lungs. All thoughts of teleportation gone, I struggled to push myself back onto my feet, as my assailant came back for another blow, this one catching me on my chest and throwing me onto my back. I couldn't suppress a cry of pain as my body slammed into the hard packed earth. I fought back a wave of nausea as my tail bent back at an impossible angle, before a sickening crack filled the air; pain beyond anything I had ever felt before flooding through me. Blinking through the tears and dust, I tried to discern the location of my attacker, but with the sun high in the sky, I was blinded.
Then, a shadow covered me, and I tried to curl up, desperately trying to shield my body in some way from the merciless assault. I felt blows rain down, cruelly pummelling my battered body, and all I could do was endure and somehow survive. I couldn't stop myself crying out with each hit as I felt his fists slam into me, a scream being torn loose as a foot slammed down, snapping my fractured tail. I felt my grip on reality slipping, the pain in my body fading to a dull ache as fog covered my mind, darkness eating away at the edges of my vision. As my mind slipped into the comfortable warmth of unconsciousness, I heard a noise from behind me.
"Enough. This one is useless" A voice cried out, bringing my torture to an end.
A rush of cold water shook me from my daze, as a bucket was emptied over me. Spluttering, I tried to push myself up, my hands scrabbling for purchase in the soil. I opened my eyes to gaze blearily around, finding to my dismay that one eye was swollen shut.
I was lying in the dirt, in the centre of a crudely constructed ring. The Machop, my assailant, was brushing the dirt of his arms, fixing me with a look of utter contempt. I didn't even need to read his mind to know what he was thinking, the way he was cracking his hands while glaring at me spoke volumes. Then, he eagerly glanced back at the human, as if asking for another round with me. However, the human was already leaving, so he just growled and walked off, giving me a final kick as he passed.
Somehow, I managed to push myself back up onto my feet, where I stood groggily, waiting for the world to stop spinning. The level of savagery shown by the Machop didn't surprise me in the least. In this Celebi forsaken hell-hole, you do what you have to to survive. You have to be the strongest, the fastest, the meanest to somehow make yourself useful to them. So what if you leave a trail of battered and broken Pokemon in your wake? It's ether you or them. Still... it was that look in his eyes, the way they lit up with the prospect of new blood, the way he grunted in ecstasy with each hit, the way that he enjoyed every inch of pain he caused which made me shiver. He actually liked what he was doing here, being the currently favoured torturer of that human. Which makes him just as bad, if not something worse.
Still, it was humiliating to have been so thoroughly beaten by a mere fighting type. Not that I had much of an image left by now. I'm sure the news that they had found one of the elusive Abras would have given most of the fighters pause for thought, but one look at me and they knew I was useless.
Useless: how I hate that word! And yet, it fits me all too well.
My name is Skæbne, a rather grandiose name, but not unusual for my race. In my people's ancient tongue, it means "fate", yet nothing could be further from the truth. See, my people believe that you name someone for what you believe they will become. Therein lies the problem: there is nothing special about me at all. I'm just an Abra. Fate is the name you give to the future leader, not to the 5th son of a family with no particular standing in the clan. And especially not to one who then runs away.
So far, I've managed to survive with quick wits and even quicker feet, but since I've never been particularly good at controlling my inherent psychic abilities, that was only going to work so many times.
It certainly didn't work when they found me.
I can't remember exactly what happened; only, it was night, and I was in a forest... somewhere. I had just woken up from the old nightmare, and as I lay there covered in sweat, I heard noises in the forest, noises all around me. Voices, shouting, howls... and then growls all around me.
Fear gripped me when I realised what those growls meant: Mightyena. Three of them, surrounding me on all sides, and there I was, pressed up against the base of the tree in terror. No, not now, I thought, not when I'm so weak. Not like this, alone in a darkened forest. There's no way I could even take on one of them, three would just slaughter me. And from the sounds in the night, they aren't alone.
They attacked as one, which was the only reason I survived. As they closed in, they ran into each other, obviously unaccustomed to fighting as a team. And, when they had reached me, I was gone, almost flying up the tree trunk in my haste.
I reached the top branch and flung myself for the closest tree, hoping against hope that they didn't pick where I was going. I only got about 10 meters before something hit me hard in the back, and I lost my footing, plummeting to the ground, to crash into the ground. Pain flared up in my body, but I ignored it: pain would only get me killed. The Mightyena were approaching, and by the snarling, they were really angry now.
Somehow, I managed to force myself to get to my feet, and I ran as fast as I could. I could hear them right behind me, literally biting at my ankles. But fear is a great motivator, and I found strength that I never knew I had. Slowly, I pulled away from them, heart pounding from the effort, lungs burning as I drew in air. I was in full panic mode by this stage, my thoughts only on getting as far away from this place as possible.
I didn't count on there being a fourth Mightyena.
I caught a glimpse of blurred purple in the corner of my vision, before something slammed hard into me, crash tackling me into the ground. The force of the collision sent me flying backwards, were I lay sprawled on the ground in a crumpled heap. Luckily, the impact hadn't broken anything, so I managed to push myself unsteadily back to my feet.
The Mightyena were all around me, snarling as they circled. This really isn't good: four of them. What did I do to deserve this? I brought my arms up into a defensive guard, fat lot of good that will do me, as I gazed wearily around, looking for a sign of who was going to attack.
A sudden weight on my back, as the one behind me leapt onto me, and I was dragged screaming down to the ground. Suddenly, the Mightyena were all over me: pain flaring in my shoulder as I felt razor sharp teeth tear into me. Another pair seized my tail, and I involuntary arched my back in pain as they yanked hard, bearing my throat in the process.
I felt hot breath, and knew that it was all over. Being torn apart by a pack of Mightyena... what a way to go. A fitting end for my life really.
Eyes squeezed shut, I waited for the momentary burst of pain, but it never came. Instead, a harsh cry rang out, and the Mightyena ceased there savaging of my body. A Sneasel stepped into view from the shadows of the trees, and the hounds gave ground grudgingly before him.
His eyes travelled over me, as if he was gauging my potential, and I had to fight a shiver as I felt his gaze. It was as if he was radiating evil, and this was more than just him being a dark type. The glint in his eyes, the way he held his mouth slightly open, baring his teeth in a grimace, the way his paws clenched and unclenched as he gazed at me... This was a merciless killer.
"Stand" he snarled at me, his voice as icy as his glare.
Suppressing another shudder, I forced myself up, wincing as my legs protested the action, blood streaming down my side from the wound in my shoulder. I couldn't stop myself from shaking as I stood before his gaze, though if that was from fear, or from exhaustion, I couldn't tell.
The Sneasel moved until he was standing right in front of me, close enough for me to smell his breath; his large eyes narrowing until only the blood red pupils were visible. By Celebi, it was terrifying. It was all I could do to stop myself from quivering as I felt his gaze travel over my body once more.
"You are now the property of Master Valcarus, and are his to do with what he sees fit. You try and resist at all, and I will personally break every bone in both your legs and drag you to him. Try and escape, and I will let the Mightyena continue what they started" he said with a snarl. The Mightyena began growling with his last words, their eyes coming alive with the promise of slaughter. Gulping, I managed a quick nod, visibly shaking at his words.
With a hollow laugh, he spun around and walked away,
leaving me surrounded by the wild dogs.
"Umm..." I glanced nervously around, as the Mightyena turned to face me again, the growling growing louder and deeper.
"If you want to live, I suggest you get your yellow ass over here, right now." The Sneasel was looking at me again, this time with in dark amusement.
It took all of my courage to walk past those dogs, coming within mere centimetres of the jaws of one of them as I stepped between them. My heart was pounding in my chest, as if it were about to break free in any moment. I held my head up rigidly, forcing myself to look at nothing but the place where the Sneasel stood. I felt my breath catch, as the one closet to me turned as I walked past, but he just glared at me.
Then, I was through, with relief flooding through me as I released the breath I didn't even realise I was holding. The Sneasel just snorted, looking slightly disappointed at my coming through unscarred. He began walking, and I hurried to catch up with him, the Mightyena fanning out to surround us, but thankfully, at a reasonable distance.
"So, who are you, and who is this Master Valcarus?" I asked, once I had caught up with him.
His only response was to punch me in the face, the force of the blow sending me to the ground. Celebi, I didn't need any more of that. My body is already in a bad shape; I'm gonna be sore for a week.
"Don't you ever try and talk to me slave," he said, spitting in my direction. Pushing myself back to my feet, I glared at him, clutching the side of my face where the blow had landed. However, I was smart enough to know to not respond, so I bit back my retort. If I ever get out of this, as Celebi is my witness, I will make you pay for that. But... that was one hell of a blow. He's defiantly a strong fighter.
The rest of the trek was made in silence, except for the occasional growl from the Mightyena around us. It gave me a lot of time to think about my current predicament, though no solutions to it came to mind. I was surrounded by dark types, so that put teleportation off the menu, though as tired as I was now, I probably couldn't have managed it anyway. Running was impossible when they were all faster than me. That damned Sneasel would nail me if I tried, and I don't practically relish the thought of becoming some new chew toy for a bunch of mindless dogs.
We walked on through the night, on and on and on... My legs were shaking, mostly from exhaustion, but I won't deny that it was from fear as well. The punishment that I had put them through before was beginning to show, as I felt what strength I had left slowly leach away. The wound on my shoulder had stopped bleeding a while ago, but it still ached just as much. Soon, I was staggering on my feet. I don't think I'm gonna make it much further I thought to myself.
Just when I was going to plead with the Sneasel for a rest, I caught a glimpse of a light up ahead in the forest. Please let that be the place we are going to. I don't care how bad it is, I need to rest.
I managed to lurch my way towards the light, pushing through the last of the trees, where I stopped, gaping at the sight ahead of me.
In the flickering light of the fire, it looked like a scene from a nightmare. The humans (as it was obviously the case) had hacked a rough clearing from the forest, fallen tree trunks pilled haphazardly along one side, forming a wall. Beside this, a long row of cages stretched off into the night, about 30 from what I could see. Some were empty, but most were full; the occupants hazy shadows in the dim light.
A dirt ring had been stamped out near the fire: dark stains marring the bare earth. A few humans sat lounging around in cheap camp chairs, warming themselves by the fire. A pair of Mightyena grappled in the dirt at their feet, fighting over a long bone. A Houndour watched on, seemingly indifferent to the squabbles beside him, his head perked, eyes glinting in the fire light, as he surveyed the camp.
A kick to the back sent me to my knees, shaking me from my stupor. The Sneasel growled at me to get up, and I followed him as he led me towards the cages. The Mightyena left, giving me one last snarl, to return to their masters over by the fire.
We trudged past the cages in silence, the faint brushing of our feet over the ground almost masking the soft whimpering of the cage's occupants. Then, we stopped, and my captor produced a large rusty metal key. Thrusting it into the lock, he opened it with a dull click, pulling open the door, and pushing me inside. I landed in a heap on the cage floor, the ground feeling surprisingly soft. With a clang, the door swung shut, as he locked it once more.
And then he just stood there, almost as if he was going to say something. His eyes narrowed, his mouth opening, but he said nothing, instead just turning and stalking away. What was that about?
I curled up on the cage floor, shivering in sudden cold, and smothering fear. I was tired.... soo tired. The exertion of night so far leaving me feeling completely exhausted. As my eyes started to get used to the oppressive gloom, I looked around my cage. It looked like a simple wooden frame, yet something else was in woven in amongst the walls.
It was then that I noticed the sweet stench of decay, and realised what I was looking at.
With a wave of revulsion, I realised that the walls were partly made of bone: random pieces thrown together between the slats to make an intricate lattice. Dried blood covered half of them, some with small chunks of meat still attached. I felt like throwing up.
I realised why the floor felt so soft... the bare dirt was covered in filthy pelts of fur, stained with Celebi knows what. With another shiver, I saw that I recognised the markings on the fur; the black and white: they were Mightyena.
I knew what I was in, though what sort of sadistic mind had constructed it, even dreamt it up was beyond imagining. This was a cage designed for one purpose, and one purpose alone: housing a psychic type. The walls and floor had been covered in the very blood and flesh of dark types, relying on the deadening effect dark types have oven psychic abilities. It was... evil...
I felt a wave of nausea at the thought, and collapsed onto my knees, vomiting what was left in my stomach onto the cage floor, gagging at the acidic taste of bile in my mouth.
By Celebi, who are these people?
That long night felt like it would last forever, but finally the dawn came: the faint glimmers of light stabbing through the trees rousing me from my misery. I hadn't slept a wink, but that wasn't surprising. I barely sleep at all in the best of times, add in being thrown into a cage in Celebi-only-knows where, and it was completely out of the question.
In the building twilight I got my first proper look at my surroundings, ignoring the grisly details of my own cage. The cages around me were all crudely made: rough slats of wood thrust together, bound with rope and nails; obviously they weren't designed to last. Only mine had been 'modified' in such a sickening way.
I then noticed the deep claw marks scratched deeply into the walls of mine. Some poor creature had frantically fought to free himself from this hellish prison, gouging into the wood and bone in a desperate attempt to escape. I could see it: being thrown into a cage that was literally made out of darkness, the panic overtaking him as his psychic abilities were smothered in that chilling aura; the fear setting in as he realised that he was going to be left in there as the long night began. Sometime through the night it had become too much, his mind snapping as he desperately tried to get out.
I knew all this, because in his final moments he had let out a despairing cry, one final burst of psychic energy that overcome the darkness and embedded itself into the wood of the cage. That someone could do that to anyone... My mind recoiled at the thought of how evil the individual who had caused that was.
"Get up", a voice behind me said with a growl, causing me to jump in fright, my body protesting the sudden movement. I still ached from the punishment of the day before, and the night hadn't done anything to change that
I turned to see the same Sneasel from the night before once more glaring at me, now with a look of dark amusement glittering in his eyes. Without another word, he produced the key for the cage and unlocked it. I briefly contemplated trying to escape as the door swung open, but I realised how futile the gesture would be. I doubt I would get further than a few meters before he got me, and I can't see him passing up an opportunity to maim me.
"Now we get to see what you are made of" he said. Huh? What I'm made of? Keeping true to what he told me the night before, I didn't reply. With a grunt, he nodded at my silence, and continued.
"This camp won't be here tonight: you ether prove yourself as being valuable to us, or you won't live to see the sunset. Now follow me". With that, he turned around a walked briskly towards the centre of the camp.
I could feel the stares of the cage's occupants as I walked. Some looked at me with hatred in their eyes, others regarding me as if gauging my potential. Then there were those who didn't even bother to look up, pure misery and dejection written on their faces. All had one common element though: they were dirty, and looked starved.
As we approached the fire, I realised where they were leading me: the ring. Then.... they must want me to fight someone. Celebi, I'm in no condition for that: I can barely stand, much less fight anyone. I haven't slept for days, so I can't count on using any of my psychic abilities ether.
Before I even knew what was happening I was pushed into the circle. Looking wildly around, I got a chance to spot my opponent. I was up against a Machop, in what should be an easy fight for me, given my type advantage. Of course, there was the slight problem of me not being able to use any psychic attacks. That leaves me with just my physical abilities, up against a Machop of all things...
The Machop looked pumped, his eyes glittering with anticipation as he looked me up and down, seizing me up in one motion. Uh oh, this guy knows what he's doing. Wait, how do I even know if this is a guy?
I waited for him to charge in, arms swinging, for the attack, but none came. What is he waiting for?
The reason became obvious, when I saw a human walk up to the side of the ring. I could tell instantly that he was this master Valcarus that I'd become the property of. It was in the way he self assuredly walked towards us, his weather beaten face bearing a hardened expression. And his eyes: stained the darkest brown imaginable, showing no flicker of emotion or recognition at the hardship around him. This man was cold, to a point where the Sneasel behind me seemed positively warm.
The man was dressed for hunting: camouflaged trousers tucked into thick boots, dark green tee-shirt, over which he was wearing a long coat. It all looked well looked after, but also well used. He was obviously at home in this environment. He was also armed: a large knife sheaved in one boot, and more telling, a slight bulge at his side. Great, he's got a gun.
He looked at us once, and then simply said "Begin".
The Machop didn't need a second word.
As soon as the word had left Valcarus's lips, he leapt at me with a growl. Jeez, this guy isn't playing around. Then again, if I was up against a type advantage, I'd want to get the first hit in too.
I crouched down, into a defensive stance, watching as the biped lunged at me. He went straight for a tackle, which I just managed to leap aside from, wincing at the pain from my abused legs.
The Machop went skidding past, close enough for me to feel the breeze of his passage, as he tried to react to my movement. He kicked up a large cloud of dust as he slid across the ground, his toes searching for purchase in the soil.
As soon as he had stopped he charged at me again. Again, I leapt aside, but this time he followed the movement, stepping across towards me as he let loose with a wild swing, which I barely managed duck. Then, he slid past me once more. I'm not gonna be able to keep this up forever, and I will tire much more quickly than he will.
As he once again came to a stop, he glared at me with a look of frustration on his face. "You are fast, but me fists are faster". He said, cracking his knuckles to emphasise the point. Celebi, he really is thick. And he won't tire till either he's beaten me to a bloody pulp, or he's been knocked out. Just my luck.
My only response to his gesture was to bare my teeth in defiance, a move that didn't impress him one bit at all. "Ha, you are scared, me can smell it," he said, "let me fix that for you". The sentence was completed with a fierce grin, a look of anticipation burning in his otherwise dull eyes.
He came at me once more, but this time at a much more measured pace, his eyes never leaving mine as he strode towards me. Ok, this really isn't good at all.
I started backing up, running through options in my mind as I fought my natural flight instincts. If I run Valcarus will probably shoot me, or set that blood-thirsty Sneasel on me. He's already proved that he's faster than me, so that wouldn't end well. So, I've gotta fight this brute, and somehow survive. More than that, I've gotta win. Now, how the hell am I supposed to do that?
My foot caught on a rock, sprawling me backwards onto my tail with a yell. The Machop, seeing my mistake, leapt at me, the distance between us suddenly closing to nothing. He was close, close enough to see the sweat glittering on his brow.
His foot came swinging down to connect with my head. Or, at least where my head had been a second later.
I desperately threw myself to the side, rolling through the earth in an attempt to evade the attacks, almost blinding myself in the process. The Machop had stumbled when his blow had only managed to connect with thin air, so I had a moment to regain my footing. All I'm doing is running, but what else can I do? Unless...
The Machops fist broke that thought, as I ducked under the blow; his arm passing close enough for me to hear the whistle of the wind as it barely missed my head. He went for an upper cut, which I sidestepped, letting loose a punch of my own at his stomach in the process. It was like punching solid rock, the muscles in his abdomen developed to the point where they were like armour. All that achieved was almost breaking my paw: physical blows are gonna be useless.
It was when he went for a sweeping kick at my feet that I saw my opening. Leaping up, I desperately tried to throw myself onto his back, hoping that I could somehow get him in a choke hold.
For I second, it looked like I was gonna make it, as my body, then feet cleared his head. Then, I felt a rough hand grab my tail, and pain rippled through me as he locked it into a vice-like grip. I felt my body's momentum reverse, as he threw me into the ground, almost wrenching my tail from my spine in the movement.
The collision with the ground forced the breath from my lungs, as I gasped in both pain and need of air, the world spinning around me. My confused mind tried to figure out why the world was suddenly dark around me, until the reason hit me with the force of a tonne of bricks.
The Machops body hammered into mine, as he slammed himself into me, elbow first. I felt ribs crack as the force of the blow pummelled my body, as yet more pain flooded through me. Celebi, how much of a pounding in one day can I take?
Then, I felt myself get lifted off the ground, my body limp in the hands of my assailant, all thoughts of resistance gone for the moment. What.... what is he doing, I thought weakly, unable to comprehend his actions.
I felt a moment of weightlessness, as my body became airborne. For a second it was almost like I was flying, not stuck in some Celebi-forsaken-hell-hole fighting for my very survival. Then, I felt a sickening sensation in my gut as gravity reasserted its control over me. I felt like I would throw up, if I had had anything left in my stomach that is, as I hurtled back towards the ground.
My body came to a rest just beside the edge of the ring, where I lay, too shattered to do more than groan and weakly struggle on the ground. I could feel him approaching, but couldn't make myself move.
His shadow once again covered me, as he reached me once more. I felt a hand clasp around my skull, and then I was boldly pulled off the ground, dangling limply from his hand. The pressure on my skull increased, as he began to squeeze. Shit, he's trying to crush my skull, I thought in panic, as the pain increased.
As the intolerable pressure grew, I frantically began striking out with all of my limbs, desperately trying to make him release me. The Machop barely even noticed my futile attempts at escape, his face lit up in glee as he watched me struggle.
I grabbed at his fingers with my hands, trying to break his grip, but they might as well have been made of stone. Celebi.... The pressure and pain was driving me mad, as my mind began to slip away: darkness claiming my vision. No! I can't faint!
In a final desperate move, I threw out my foot in a frantic kick, which connected with soft flesh.
Suddenly, the pressure vanished, as the Machop threw me aside, howling in pain. I managed to roll as I landed, and so came to my feet, to see the Machop clutching at his groin in pain. Guess he is a male after all.
"Umfgh... I make you pay for that one shorty" he said, breathing deeply. Ha, he's not unstoppable after al... The thought trailed away as, inexplicably, he straightened; seeming to just shrug off the pain.
I began to shake, not just from the gruelling punishment I had been through in the last few days, but in fear. Fear. The sight of him shrugging off a blow that would have had me lying in the dust terrified me.
He must have sensed this, because he paused to stretch, sending ripples of motion across his body as muscles flexed.
Only one option remand for me: I couldn't fight this guy physically, I have to use my psychic abilities.
Shutting my eyes, I tried to force my mind into the once familiar thought processes I had been trained in, letting go any link to the outside world, even as my body screamed at me for attention. I thought a single word: focus, and felt my bedraggled mind respond. Like a drop of water hitting a disturbed pool of water, my mind became clear as that single thought echoed throughout my brain, aligning my thoughts, channelling them into the singleness of mind I required.
I could almost hear my old teacher chanting "I am clear, I am of one mind. Mind is the master; with the mind all things can be done." and my body responded, as I felt energy build.
I'm soo tired... and it has been far too long. Can I even generate enough psychic potential having been this long since I last meditated or rested? I felt theses traitorous thoughts at the edge of my mind, trying to steal my concentration away from- "Show me what you have learnt". I complied, falling into a fighting stance, before beginning the series of moves the Shifu had taught me. As I flowed from stance to stance I felt my mind calm, as I slipped into a state of inner peace. My movements became fluid, my body water, as I began a series of punches and kicks, each blow accompanied by a sharp detonation psychic energy -
That was when his fist slammed into my chest sending me sprawling, and shattering what I was attempting to do.
"Get on your feet"
The Sneasels rough words shook me from my reverie, and back to cold reality.
I meekly complied, standing, all fight gone from me. Truth be told, I no longer had any energy left to do anything but stand. I guess this is how it ends then... But what was that? For a moment, I felt something... a snapshot, a vision perhaps?
I followed the Sneasel, as he led me towards the edge of the camp, where I knew he was going to kill me. What other use do you have for a Abra that can't fight? Each step was a step closer to my doom, but there was nothing I could do about it.
Then he was roughly shoving me to the ground, as he stood over me, arm raised and claws extended.
"I'm sorry" He said, with a look of regret. What? His arm dropped bringing my death-
An explosion from behind sent us flying, my body cart wheeling in the shockwave, until I felt myself hit something solid. It was the final push that sent my mind into oblivion as I sank into unconsciousness, my body hurtling towards the ground.