The bonds we make, the life we share - Chapter two, Together.

By the time Cloud had woken up, it was to find that Thought was still sleeping peacefully behind her, laying curled up as he had remembered the previous night, laying perfectly still except for her small chest that rose and lowered itself with every in and exhalation of oxygen that filled her lungs.

Taking his time to yawn quite widely, closing his muzzle after wards to look weary out of his eyes. His short furry brown ears perking his ears to let the morning chant of the forest inhabitants among them reach his ears, listening to the soothing sounds that made him enjoy yet another morning in this earthly paradise.

Judging by the progression of the sun, it was quite early in the day still. Judging from the remains of the fire, it had only expired a few hours ago. Blinking to let his eyes adjust to the bright light around him while moving the furthest extensions of his appendages to see if the blood was still flowing inside them, heading their masters' wishes.

With Thought beginning to dig her paws at the soft soil below, she wasn't far from waking up, entering once more in the realm of the conscious, where she too would continue her journey. Cloud, took this moment to stand up, looking at the companion he had stumbled upon only yesterday, reckoning she might be hungry and could use a berry or two and decided to work on getting their breakfast, knowing their where a couple of berry bushes nearby.

Humming cheerfully to himself while he strode over toward a berry bush, filled with Oran berries hanging on the many small twigs the were visible through the many leaves the bush had, luckily for him the Oran bush did not have any thorns, which meant that he could stick his head inside to choose from a wider variety of ripe Oran berries, leaving the ones that weren't ripe just yet some more time to develop, before another Pokemon could nourish from them when their time came.

Moaning slightly as she woke, her tiny muscles still being a little soar from yesterdays' ordeal, when she remembered where she was again by just seeing the tarnished remains of the wood that once had fueled the fire last night. "Cloud!", she whimpered, not seeing him anywhere in her line of sight, looking concerned around in the environment. "Cloud!! You promised." When the reply she half-expectantly desired to hear did not appear a second time, allowing her mind to go frantic, creating all scenes why exactly he wouldn't be there when she'd wake up. "Cloud? Where are you?"

Getting to her paws, yawning, walking around in a full circle hoping to catch him in her sight this time around but was once again welcomed by disappointment. Feeling deserted, she felt a large rock move her way down her digestive tracks, sobbing his name once more. "C- .. Cloud, you .. you promised.", when she heard a faint noises coming from a general direction from behind. Someone was rummaging in a set of bushes?

When her own curiosity got the better of her, walking towards the noise, looking left and right after every tree or anything that might have obstructed her view, being so low to the ground, this was anything from tall rocks to trees. She even had to walk around a nearby group ofMetapod who followed her with their big beady white eyes as she passed by, looking once more in all directions once she could see past them.

Much to her delight, she found a brown tail with a white tip swaying cheerfully as it appeared that a bush had eaten the most of theEevee whom just could as easily have put a notice on the end of tail saying 'Doomed'. Now that she gave it a second glance, she found it rather amusing, listening to the soft humming she could distinct over the overall noise he made browsing from one young twig to twig, searching ripe berries which was proving to be rather challenging with out many ripe berries to be plucked.

'Hmmmm, looks like there is only one I could get from here.', Cloud thought holding a couple of twigs that did contain a ripe Oran berry on the short end of the twig in his mouth, one of which he had gotten from this particular bush. Beginning to walk backwards, making sure he wouldn't trip over a low root of a nearby tree, cautiously continue looking to the ground for anymore obstacles when he felts his tail hurt like it never had done. Yelping out madly, the short twigs that had been in his mouth just moments earlier flew upwards as Cloud drew his head back, eager to let the air flow out of his lungs in that ear deafening howl.

Scurrying with no safety for where he was putting his paws down on the forests' soil out of the Oran berry bush, looking towards his tail and found Thought sitting looking angry at him. Catching his own tail, pinning it next to his body, gently stroking his paw over the soar area where she had bitten him, marked by a few fur spikes that bounded themselves together with the usage of her saliva.

Looking up from his tail to her face, looking her in her light cyan colored eyes, questioning her motives as to why she bit him. "What was that about?", he asked her bluntly, still continuously stroking his own tail with one of his front paws. "Ya'know, that actually hurts!"

"Serves you right.", Thought spoke with absolute authority with a mind puzzling what gave him the right to questioning her why he had that coming. "You promised me you'd be there when I'd woke up and when I did, you weren't anywhere to be found. No quick note in the sand for me, no nothing. You where just gone, disappeared. For all I knew you had been kidnapped, or worse! A promise is a promise. You don't go round making them if you're don't intend to come through with them. Remember that buddy."

By now, the two Oran berries with their accompanying twigs had landed in between them, one berry having been separated from its' twig, coming to lay still after a few rolls, which caught both of their attention, both giving an 'Eh?' when they fell in between them from the skies, over which Thought looked up first to the skies and nearby trees for any Pokemon that might have thrown them but found only one conclusion since she didn't see anyone in the area above them.

Recognizing what they were and where they both came from, Cloud, hoping to change the subject, picked up the berry which still had the twig attached to it and held it in front of her eyes, dangling left to right due the unstable connection. "Why, look at this. Breakfast, jolly.".

Thought not really amused, but found his dorkyness rather adorable, considering he hadn't left her, but instead collected a few berries for the both of them, which was struck an appeal to her heart. Not really intending to lose her composure, for she'd feel bad about biting him, convincing herself that he technically did his promise.

"Cloud picked up his Oran berry, throwing it upwards, letting it land eventually in his awaiting muzzle where the nutrients would last him for a while. "So ..", Cloud asked questioningly to break the silence after she too had consumed her berry. "Before you had thatBeedrill chasing after you, on which I shall get to in moment, where were you heading off to?"

Shrugging the question off, not really having a purpose for being where she was until that Beedrill chased her half across the forest. "I didn't really had a purpose in life to begin with. I usually go from place to place, looking for whatever entertainment I can find before heading to the next place." She looked down to the black earth, only a few feet in front of her, her tail idly hanging still against her haunches. "The last place I came from was at theBibarel dam, where one of the younger Bidoof had accidentally caused a small breakthrough in the dam by gnawing at one of the main supportive logs. That was about five days ago. Since then I've just been traveling, I think it's a general south-west-general direction when I encounter a lovely grass patch and thought it'd be an ideal place to just snooze for a while in the sun."

Taking a moment to pause, coming to a halt, looking up to the clouds above, chuckling realizing why he had looked so much to the skies on the night they met. "Heh, indeed, they are lovely.", commenting them on their freedom and shape, seeing several white clouds shift their layers over each other. "Carefree and absolute freedom."

"Mmmh, true to that.", cloud whispered to himself, repeating the words again for himself under his breath. "Carefree and freedom." Tilting his head to look at her, wondering if something was wrong, but found no apparent reason for concern. "Then what happened?"

Starting to walk again, trailing a particular cloud with her eyes before regaining her composure and her visions back on the creative road they followed, seeing to go nowhere anywhere anytime soon.

"Well.", she began continuing her story, including details that didn't really mattered to the main story line of her ordeal, such as one of her dreams she experienced where she was looking to find a pretty flower for her fur or how the Pokemon she encountered at certain places were kind to her and listened to her stories wherever she went, though she finally got to the point where theBeedrill came in to the picture. "And that's basically, or I think why at least it followed me."

"Hmmm. You tripped over a tree root and bumped in to a Weedle. What a rotten luck that one is. I've dealt with Beedrill in the past before and from my experience with them, they are quick to hold a grudge and will go to extreme lengths to collect upon that grudge.Heh . I had one attacking me for walking just past him. Granted of course that he was rather territorial, but still, I needed to pass through that certain area. Speaking of which, if I may, I've been in this forest long enough to know my way around, guiding you out of here isn't going to pose a problem to me, but do you have any idea where you going to be heading next to?"

Shaking her small brown head back and forth, having no clue what lay beyond the borders of these trees. "I am afraid not, Cloud. I usually go where my paws carry me, seeking my happiness where-ever I can, although I could use a companion for my travels. I don't mean to intrude upon your life like that or seek to wreck havoc in to it, but some company is always very much appreciated."

Considering the thought of leaving the forest behind and all the Pokemon that had grown dependent upon him for maintaining some peace and order in the area, never really thinking about moving own, to leave the Pokemon to their own fate, give them a chance to develop rather then providing a peaceful environment for them, a goal in itself noble, but he just couldn't leave like that. At least not for a few days, giving notice that he would be leaving if at that at all, before actually leaving the forest once again to the natural order of evolution.

"I- .. I don't know Thought. I've called this place my home for so long, the Caterpie need protecting as do the newly hatched Pichu. I just can't leave them behind Thought. Give me some time to think upon that. I'm not saying I don't love to come with you, explore the world and all, but .. I just need to be sure the Pokemon here will be alright with out me?"

Neither of them spoke for some while as they reached a point where the bright sunlight broke the rows of tree's in the horizon, nothing but grass behind the last row of trees and a few single ones standing outside the forest's edge.

"I'll tell you what." Cloud looked her in the eyes. "If you can bare with me for a couple of days, I'll have my answer ready for you." Noticing that she had been somewhat disappointed from the news, seeing her eyes divert back to the horizon.

"I'm sorry Cloud, but that isn't something I can do. Don't get me wrong. You'd make a great friend, well, except a few quirks and I have nothing but respect for you, but I don't really like this forest, with theBeedrill chasing me and mad howls, earthquakes and stuff like that during the night. Not exactly my thing. I hope you understand. I'd be better off going onwards."

Taken rather by surprise at her words. "Earthquakes, mad howls?" None of either those things had he encountered during the night. If anything he would describe the forest quite peaceful. "During the night?Oooh." He remembered the Onix that had been bothering them from time to time, trashing the trees to expand their already massive network of tunnels that ran in to the forest from the mountain that was located on the east side of the forest. Being nearly always at a the right place whenever a confrontation did occur, made him experience it in a different way, but could imagine, it'd be rather terrifying to someone who wasn't accustomed to it. Taking a deep breath, letting his thoughts pass out of him along with the air as he exhaled. "Yes, I guess it can be kind of scary at first,hehe."

"Well, I guess you will be wanting to go to that small settlement just a days walking if you follow the path towards the right behind that lake over there." Pointing out towards a lake in the distance, maybe a quarter of an hours' walking. "And you did promise me to get this blood from me. It's become a total nightmare for my fur, all dried up, forming spikes of fur, I look like a spikyGeodude, except for the whole being a floating head with a pair of arms that is, hahaha."

She too laughed at that one, sarcastically snorting "Yeah, you look almost exactly like one, except of course that a real Geodude would be able to catch me. Tag, you're it!" With that she hopped away from him, laughing cheerfully, not a single thread of worry on her face, only to start running properly towards the lake in the distance, which could have been a lake seeing how reflecting the area was, not to note all the fauna had grown around it.

"Oh why you. That's not fair! You got a, hehe .. head start." He knew that he could catch up with her if that was her top speed, which it probably wasn't, but decided to run after her once she had gotten a fair distance between the two of them, also laughing while this new challenge arose to meet him.

Two brown, white tail tipped Eevee skidded together over the vast plain, the only thing binding keeping them apart was the distance that she had managed to get on him before he too came running after her, minus the length he had won back by simply outrunning her. The closer he got to her, the more frequent her giggles became, until eventually she lost a significant amount of speed, coming nearly to a-halt now that Cloud had almost but caught up with her, smiling widely, his movements much like a predator, fast and skilled cutting away at the distance between them.

It came as to no surprise that because Thought had lowered her pace to walking speed, Cloud bumped in to her, taking her along with him in a spinning roll, leaving him eventually on the top of the two, smiling, tilting his head slightly in alignment with the sun, catching its' warm rays upon his fur coat, smiling. "Ha!", Cloud spoke turning his head back, leaning in, whispering softly in her ear..

"Pinned Ya!"

Struggling beneath him, finding him to be rather annoying, now that she had been stripped away of her freedom and the game coming to an end. "Get of me you dork." She didn't meant to be cruel, but from her point of view she couldn't see anything to gloat about.

"Come again Thought? Why of course I'll remain here for next day or so.", Cloud spoke, laughing to himself, finding the events of just moments ago rather amusing, making her desperate struggle for freedom even more eager than it would have normally done.

"I think not mister.", Thought spoke again with almost the same laughter in her voice, having devised a means to get even at him. Taking one last good look at him gloating in his pride, swaying her tail over the grass in a mixture of annoyance, pride and satisfaction before shifting one of her hind paws, using her haunch to deliver a devastating blow to hisnards , causing his eyes to open widely, losing his equilibrium and eventually to fall off her in the grass besides her. Being quick to get to her paws, leaning slightly over him, leaning in in a similar manner he had done for her, whispering, "Super Effective."

Unsure what hit him, squirming and groaning with the ripping sensation as if two nerve-coated rocks in his abdomen where both grinding against each other. "God! That hurts Thought! Please don't do that ever again. EVER!" Two bulbs of tears formed in the corner of his eyes, not enough volume having reached to flow over and form an actual tear, which was quick to disappear with a wipe of his paw.

Taking a moment to gain his balance and his vision to be restored to what it once was, before that critical hit brought him to a paralyzing numbness for a brief moment. A dangerous exploit indeed.

"Serves you right, meanie. I mean, you didn't have to gloat like that.", Thought snapped at him noticing him being nearly recovered, shaking his head, blinking dumb out of his eyes and once again bearing that undeniable smile.

"Ha! You're just soar because you lost, twice", he was sure to add that. When his vision had returned to an almost perfect state, noting that they had come all but a few yards away from the lake entrance. A golden-colored sand path that looked just right, leading in to the grass fields they found themselves in after leaving the boundaries of the forest while pretty much everything else of the coastal line of the lake had been covered by some growth of fauna, be it a few lost trees or some beautiful flowers that were sure to grow under these conditions.

"About that help grooming you promised me?", Cloud asked questioningly, noting to Thought, whom couldn't have not noticed there was an enormous lake only a few dozen yards away from them.

"Oh yes. I did promise that bit, didn't I? I guess I can't brake my promise now, not after this morning, not at all actually, but you get my point.", Thought was sure to add, having bitten his tail earlier that very same day because he had walked a short distance, seeking some eatable berries, but not actually being there at the moment she had woken up.

"I'll race you to it?", Cloud asked friendly, noting he wasn't upset anymore if he ever was, that they where still indeed friends despite that mishap. "But no cheating again, If anything, I want a handicap! At least five steps ahead." Cloud began bargaining. By the end of that discussion, he had been allowed three steps in advance, but only she felt slightly guilty about injuring him so badly even though none of that guilt was used as either an aggressive nor defensive argument by either party.

"Ready?, Set. Go!", Thought counted down, signaling the start signal and true to her word she did not start until he had taken three steps from their starting position. While Cloud this time around was considerately slower at the start, it was only at the end when a glimpse of his true speed came to light as she threatened to rob the leading position from him. The last thing she remembered was seeing him smiling before he dashes off, jumping off the edge of the water where it reached the sand, turning around his axle, looking at her while his trajectory landed him back first in the water.

Not far behind him, Thought also found herself jumping in the water after him, not quite in similar fashion. Landing front paws-first in the water, making way for the rest of her body to follow moments after. The cold water felt refreshing upon her skin as it soaked her fur with ease, slicing through the layer with utmost ease.

Heading back up to the waters' surface, catching her breath once she did, looking around for a glimpse of Cloud, who seemed to be sitting on his haunches, peering over the water directly at her. His fur looked terrible, fur strangled together, water dripping down. Even his mane looked a mess. His front paw was no longer stained however, as if it never had been there to begin with, maybe some blood remained, but it was impossible to tell due to the fact that his pelt had become a too dark of brown to be able to really tell the difference.

Laughing to herself at the sheer sight of it, knowing that she would most likely face a similar nightmare, but that didn't matter to her for now. Paddling her paws in the water, walking her way back to the shallow end, eventually going out of the water, ignoring him by walking proudly by, going about to let herself fall on back in a nearby patch of grass, paws on her tummy allowing the warmth of the sun above them to dry her up. Cloud soon followed after her, laying down on his sides opposites her, looking at her.

"You never did tell me much about yourself did you?", Thought asked him after a brief moment, puzzled what drove him to be with her whilst looking in his eyes, as if reading a book she could not understand.

"Well, I am much like you really." Cloud replied, giving it some thought. "I go there where I can, seeking. OK, not as much seeking, more like encountering entertainment as the Pokemon inhabiting the forest are more often then not in some state of turmoil, always some dispute and I try to help out a little."

"That doesn't make much sense. You're a guardian of sorts? You're an Eevee, like me. What could you do against a swarm of Beedrill if they ever rampaged? Or .. I don't know. I only saw a few Pokemon in there. I don't know who live in the forest. But, that doesn't make much sense. If I learned anything from wandering around and the stories of other Pokemon, it is that things will happen the way they happen."

"I suppose. But right now I am more or less a guardian of sorts, aiding to those who need my help, much like yourself mind you." Cloud replied, shifting his body a little to lay in a slightly different pose, exposing his back to radiant sun above. "And what about yourself? You said you were going where the winds take you, but .. what then? Are you going to keep on traveling until you no longer are able to or otherwise incapable of doing so? What about evolution?

"Oh my." Feeling her cheeks flow with blood, feeling a sensation of heat that she knew had little to do with the sun. "You sure have thought this one over haven't you?" Seeing the clouds go by once again, noticing them for the first time she had lay down on her back, but it'd made talking a little awkward if she remained like that. Shifting to lay on her side, facing him with her head, establishing eye contact once more.

"Yes. To answer your questions, I am probably going to travel until I am no longer able to do so or find some place to settle down, enjoying my life until it ends, which I hope it wont for a long, long time to come. And what I'll become. I don't really have much of a pick in the matter, whatever will come to be will be."

"What will come to be, will be?" Cloud found himself repeating."Yes, I guess that is true. What has occurred can no longer be made undone." Taking an audible intake of air to himself, rising slightly up because of what he remembered. "There is a rock nearby, with it you couldevol .."

"Don't!", Thought snapped him off. "I don't want to hear it!" Fact to the matter was that she least of all would wanted to become aLeafeon , not after that. The whole purpose of leaving her home was to get as far away as she could from it. Now she had found out it was still close by, after all which she had endured to escape it. "I am sorry Cloud. I didn't mean to do that. It's just that I don't want to evolve using that stone."

"OK. Fair enough. I just knew where it is, is all." Dropping the current subject for now, going to the next one at his mind, which come to think of it, maybe the most appropriate of all subject, not to mention that he'd feel slightly uncomfortable, no that wasn't it. He knew his own fate, no denying that. Maybe a little bit jealous of her fate as to opposed his own, he thought it would be best if that subject didn't come to be for a long, very long time.

"Thought to Cloud. Hello!?" Snapping out of his daydream, finding her face practically on his own, realizing what must have happened. "What were you thinking about? You seemed out of it." Seeming genuinely interested for his thoughts, if not concerned, drawing her head back now that he seemed more responsive then a few moment ago.

"It's nothing, I was thinking about .. No never mind it. It's all good.", Cloud said hesitantly, wavering the motion off with his paw. "Really, I'm alright."

Thought's face bore an expression that showed that she had a hard time believing what he just said, but seemed to be accepting it none the less, lacking evidence to prove her otherwise.

"So erm. What about where you were hatched. I mean, don't you have a set of parents?", Cloud asked quickly to divert her peering eyes in to his thoughts that made him appear to time and space itself.

When it ever came to her family, Thought had learned to be cautious, it would almost always create more uproar then it was worth, at least that was how she experienced it when other Pokemon stared at her after hearing about her life story. This was pretty much all the same where ever she went.

"I don't really want to talk about that. It's complicated. How about you, Cloud? What about your family and friends?"

"All the friends that I have, live in the forest behind us, or at least before they choose to go their own ways, seeking the thrill of life somewhere else. As for family. I don't remember having any to begin with. I remember fleeing the place where I was born, yes, I do remember that, but that's just it. I ran for several days and came to live in the forest, hoping they would leave me alone."

"Are you sure you don't mind talking about it Cloud? Even I can tell that that isn't something light hearted conversation material.

"Actually, I'd prefer not talking about it, for one, it wouldn't do much good and I would only bother you with it.", Cloud was quick to answer her,thank full for any opening that wouldn't have him to tell his story to someone he'd just met and most likely was never to see again after that day."

Surprised by the sudden change of heart, not making objections to his choice, giving a small nod before getting to her paws, shaking her body, cleaning all the sand and loose grass out of it as nearly all of it looked smooth and proper again, except for her neck mane, which required but a few corrections here and there before it was generally acceptable again in her opinion.

Much was the same for Cloud as he too got to his paws, shaking some sand and grass out of his pelt, enjoying the cool breeze through his fur that just had gone by.

"Aaah. Much better I say.", he said cheery after making some finishing touches to his own white mane to his neck.

Giggling innocently, realising they had little else to do together since he wasn't accompanying him onwards. Thought asked him if he knew where the next settlement was, to which he pointed out that she should take the mountain road further south of them until she reached the snow village where several Pokemon had found their home, co-exisiting with each other.

"If anything is happening any time soon, I am sure you'll find some information there. As for me, I'll head back to the forest and I'll see where life takes me then. Are you sure I can't convince you to stay with me? The forest is a really nice place once you know your way around it and get to meet the Pokemon in it."

Shaking her head no, Thought wished she could do that. "I am sorry Cloud, but I really don't like forests at all, I only really came through it because it seemed to go on endlessly and hoped to make a quick passage through it. I never had much desire to stay in such a place, I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

Closing his eyes, lowering his head to look at the ground, moving his slightly damp paw through it. "I understand. I wish you the best of luck on your journey then, may you be safe for many, many years to come." Chuckling to himself about something he thought wasn't going to apply but just couldn't dismiss it as well. "Well, should you ever be near theEvershade forest, be sure to drop by."

Smiling again as he brought his head back up, just about to open his eyes, was when he felt a force so strong he couldn't help but keeping them closed. Feeling her soft tender lips pressed against his own muzzle. He wasn't expecting that out of everything that could be said or done between the two of them, which at that moment broke, only to be replaced by the caring and loving sensation he felt when she brushed her snout against his neck, rubbing it along his mane while he unconsciously did repeated the process for her.

Neither of them knew how long they stood there, affectionately saying their goodbye's with not either of them saying a word, but when the right moment came, making her turn around, walking away to the south, to new places, new Pokemon and new adventures, while he turned around, facing north, towards Evershade forest, the same Pokemon, the same quarrels.

Two Eevee, brought to the same path, dividing, each going their own way, both crying in their hearts, knowing they would never see each other again.

By the time either of their hearts had come to rest, giving a glance backwards, but neither would see the other.

"Goodbye Thought."

"Goodbye Cloud."Chapter End Notes:Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended