Story Notes:
This is my entry into the AGNPH Songfic contest. This was great, as I've been meaning to write a story based on this song for a while: Avenged Sevenfold - "Strength of the World", found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx17hFfU4OM ... Please ignore some of the whinyness the singer, it's actually a really good song.
A Family's Pride
A FAMILY'S PRIDE
Pokemon Fan Fiction
By: Scy Storm
ssbs.furrynet.com
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is my entry into the AGNPH Arbor Day theme, which is writing a story inspired by a song. This ended up being a great theme, since I have a song I actually like a whole lot that I've been meaning to make into a story of some sort. It's a song by Avenged Sevenfold (who I'm not a HUGE fan of, but this song is great), called "Strength of the World", which can be found at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx17hFfU4OM ... Please ignore some of the whinyness the singer does and I'm sure you'll love it. And hopefully you'll love this story too! It's wild west themed. :3 I think I'm okay with it for now.
INEVITABLE DISCLAIMER: There's no SEXINGS in this story or anything, but being a wild west type of story, there's a lot of violence and some heavy emotional tones, due to the subject matter I got from the song. So tread lightly, I guess.
"Children! Come inside at this instant!"
An annoyed Flareon mother stands at the porch of her home, her three little Eevee boys frolicking in the sandy roadway in front of the modest yard. In their hands they hold bent sticks taken from fallen branches, fake sounds of gunfire belting out to the air as they actively ignore their parent. "Take that, ya scoundrels! Your outlaw days are through!" One of them yells.
"I don't think so, sheriff! You couldn't hit us if we were in front of you on our knees!" Yells out a second.
The mother growls in annoyance, starting to march out toward the boys. "Does your father need to hear about this!?"
That exclamation gets the attention of the boys, as they look at her walking over. "But mama, it's not dark yet." Says one of the boys, referring to the orange glow of the unfinished sunset.
"It's close enough! These roads are getting worse and if I'm seein' orange, I'm seein' three boys in the house, you understand?"
The boys continue to complain as the exasperated mother gets ever closer to dragging them by their collars into the house. She suddenly stops yelling however, as a presence appears behind the boys. The boys silence suddenly as well, turning around to see an aged Mightyena lady standing before them in somewhat elegant dress. "Boys, boys, it's nearly sunset. I think you should listen to your dear mother now." She says, in a soft, caring voice.
The young Eevees smile widely. "Of course, Gramma Scuro!" Says the youngest.
The boys drop their sticks and run back toward the house with tails swishing. The mother breathes a sigh of relief. "You're a lifesaver, Lady Scuro."
"Think nothing of it. I hope they can grow a bit more complacent in time."
"That may require the father's help..." The Flareon states, before turning around and going back to her home.
The elder 'yena watches with a smile, before resuming her stroll through the final stretch of this sandy township. Around her she sees more families packing it in for the sunset, a few of the men passing by her, returning from work in the town proper. Everyone who spots her walking sends her a greeting, which she responds to in kind with a simple wave. The sun begins to finally fully set as she comes upon her home, the family mansion located at the end of the town's one road. The creek of the doorway echoes through the empty home as she enters, closing up & making her way toward the study. A soft sigh sounds out her lips as she walks, also seeming to bounce off the walls of the home. Once in the study, she uses a match to light the glass-covered candle she left near her large chair, casting some gentle light across the immediate area. As she picks up a book that rested nearby it, her ears pick up a foreign noise, like a step on the wooden floor of the room. It's soon followed by another few, in different spots just behind her, hidden in the darkness. Her eyes close as she exhales a large breath, her hands gripping the book firmly. "So it's come to this, has it?" She speaks aloud.
Louder footsteps immediately sound out from directly behind her, walking into the study from the hallway, stopping short in the darkness just outside the candle's radius. "Perceptive." Says the calm, menacing voice.
Her eyes open again, staring forward at the bookshelf in front of her. "Do you really think it's worth it? You've managed to wait this long already. What could have changed?" She begins to ask the dark figure standing somewhere behind her.
A deep chuckle sounds out of him, which immediately bounces all over the halls of the mansion. "I've waited a long time. Too long. Too many years of chasing that ghost across these barren lands and coming up with nothing. And it seems to me that ghost is starting to get smarter." He explains.
"Starting to figure things out after all this time, hm? So coming to me is the last ace up your sleeve, is it? I wonder why you've lasted this long."
A gentle shuffling can be heard amongst the other figures in the room. She must have annoyed them with that comment. A low growl is heard emanating from the figurehead. "Amazingly, even I have my limits. But I need something to kill that last bit of morale... That last shred of sanity that's keeping the ghost just out of my reach. So I'm afraid that means your ticket is punched."
The elder 'yena takes one step forward toward her bookshelf, reaching up and sliding her finger across the bottoms of the spines, as if checking their order. "You really think this will work? You think you can get the permanent mental edge... That is what will solve all your problems? I think you underestimate what the need for vengeance can instill in people."
"Underestimate? No, my dear. For many years now I have been the personification of vengeance, and it's only gotten worse the longer it takes for me to be satisfied. You're the last chance I've got, and I'm well prepared for the risk."
She listens closely as her finger stops, pressing between a space between the books & sliding the book she's holding into the open space. Her hand drifts down to the shelf below, sliding across the spines of the books there before settling on one, taking it off the shelf and ruffling through a few pages. "You believe that you are. But I have a lot more faith not only in the people of this town, but also that... ghost of yours. If you go through with this, I promise it will be the beginning of your downfall. All of you." She states, a tone of coldness evident in her lovely voice.
The figures in the room take another few steps back, their spurred boots appearing in the radius of the candlelight. She can sense the very hatred in the air. "Not going to happen, granny. This whole place is gonna crack, and soon I'm going to be in charge, with no more little haunting hanging over my head."
Her hands open the book as she throws back a few pages, another long exhale sounding out of her as her body loosens up. "Then so it shall be..."
Her hand grasps a ready revolver sitting in the hollowed-out middle of the book, the 'yena spinning around in a quick movement, her weapon pointing straight toward the direction of the hallway where the ringleader stands, still in the darkness. Just as quick as she turned, she fires off a shot, the loud howling cry of the menacing one serving as confirmation of a hit. She's able to get off another shot - a missed one - before the guns of the goons standing elsewhere in the room begin to sound off. Her voice sounds out in gasp as the hot chunks of lead rend her, her revolver dropping out of her hand as she takes her final seat into the large comforter chair behind her. The guns stop firing as the goons turn to the direction of their seething leader. A large blast of flame blows over the side of the hallway, accompanied by a roar. "You okay boss?" Speaks one of the goons.
His voice settles back down to a rumbling series of growls. "I'll... I'll live. Clean up here. Do it now..." He manages to stammer out, holding back some serious rage.
The goons comply, stepping forward and extinguishing the candle still emanating light from its place on the table. Within a few minutes, they're out the back door to the house, the night now fully set in, as a few concerned citizens of the township are outside, looking at the mansion sitting at the end of their road many yards away.
A state of panic dwells over the desert town from those who have heard the rumor. Most are troubled by the fact that Lady Scuro has not appeared in the town square like she does every morning. However, those closest to the edge of town who heard the gunshots... They spread the rumor. A rumor of something terrible. Frightened conversations carry across the tongues of the people, as a feral Rapidash rider makes his way down the middle of the road, heading straight for the Scuro Mansion. The horse stops off just outside of it, and off it comes a yellow-furred Arcanine, straightening his wide-brimmed hat after landing. He walks to the front porch of the large building, where a Flygon is waiting for him, the dragon removing his hand and bending his head forward slightly, a grim look on his face. "Morning, sheriff." He says solemnly.
The Arcanine takes a breath, a very empty feeling in his chest. "Did it finally happen, Quarr?" He asks the dragon.
"It certainly looks that way..."
The two walk into the mansion, drawn immediately down the hallway to the study, where a Sandslash is surveying the scene. He notes Quarr come in with the sheriff in tow, quickly standing up and nodding his head forward. "Sir."
"What can you tell me, Caleb?" The Arc asks him.
"Looking here, it's... easy to see what happened, sir." He says, motioning to the chair.
The comforter before them is empty, but its soft blue fabric is stained with blood and dotted with holes left by revolver bullets. Some holes are also seen in the books just behind it on the shelves. The Arc guides his gaze downward to see blood on the ground in front of the chair, alongside a revolver and a hollowed-out book. A mock-up of what happened immediately plays in his head. A futile attack against several enemies. "There's no one in the building, as well." The dragon nearby suddenly says, interrupting the thought.
"Come check this out as well, sheriff." Caleb says, motioning to the hallway leading into the room.
The Arc turns and looks, seeing a large scorch mark on the wall of the hall. The 'slash also motions downward to some blood on the ground nearby, though not a very large amount of it, unlike what came out on the chair. "So she hit one, you think?" The Arc asks.
"Not completely. Had to have grazed him, given the small amount of blood here. She also missed a shot... there's a hole in the wall back near the front door." Quarr elaborates.
"We had some of the guys comb the area a few yards around this place... There's absolutely nothing, sheriff." Caleb states solemnly.
The Arc's head dips downward a little, a heavy sigh sounding out. "Just... call me Salvo. I'm not feeling very professional right now."
The sheriff's two best men go silent for a moment, not sure of what to do or say. They know what happened here. It's happened before... but never to someone more important. They begin to walk back outside, noting a bit of a crowd that's gathered several feet away from the front of the mansion. The grim look on the face of the three is enough to confirm the worst fears of the townspeople. A wave of silence & dread spread over the people, before the Arc can even say anything. In fact, he can't bring himself to speak. Just then, several gasps begin to sound out of the crowd, causing the three to come alert again. The crowd slowly dissipates, allowing someone to walk through them. A figure in a billowing trenchcoat & a wide hat walks through the stunned crowd, coming right toward the sheriff and his men, stopping just short of the porch. The three look at the person, before their head raises up, revealing the striking face of a golden-furred Mightyena, her steel cold blue eyes piercing right into the sheriff's. Caleb & Quarr are taken aback, as Salvo stares back at her with sadness in his eyes. Another moment of silence passes before the sheriff finally speaks. "There's evidence of gunfire. There's no trace of her anywhere... I'm sorry."
The 'yena girl says nothing to him, instead lowering her head once more. She immediately begins walking forward again, the Arc stepping aside to let her walk into the mansion. Caleb watches her go, and is about to follow, before Quarr grabs his vest. "Let her be. This is the nightmare we were hoping wouldn't happen." The dragon says.
Caleb nods and lowers his head in sadness. The three begin to walk off the porch toward the crowd, Salvo stopping and looking back at the mansion in thought. "Return to your homes and jobs, everyone. There's nothing you need to see here." Caleb says to the crowd.
The townspeople begin to walk back down the road as Caleb follows, Quarr stopping and turning to see the sheriff. "Sir?"
The Arc snaps out of it, turning back toward the dragon and nodding absentmindedly. "Yes, yes. We have work to do." He says as he begins walking once more.
Inside the mansion, the 'yena girl follows the trail of evidence to the study, where her eyes fall upon the bloody, bullet-ridden chair. She stands and stares, as images begin to fly in front of her vision. Her father sent down in a hail of fire from unknown assailants. Her only sister disappearing, found later at the town square in similar condition. She imagines what might have happened to her mother, right here at the chair in front of her. Her body seems to feel weighted as she drops down to her knees, tears beginning to slide down her golden cheeks, dropping to the stained floorboards below, her mother's revolver lying where it fell. I took too long... I never thought they'd actually do it... Mother, I'm so sorry...
Her sniffs echo across the quiet room, her head lowering down to stare at the floor, her fists slowly clenching hard at her sides. Ignitus... You want me? You've got me.
The sky begins to fill with the orange glow of the setting sun. Children & adults alike file back into their homes for the evening rituals. However, on the lone path coming off the main road from the town square, lies the cemetery, where a lone figure stands amongst the many meticulously carved chunks of rock. She stands quietly above the grave of her mother, set right next to her other fallen family members. She dared not see her mother's body once they found it. She's suffered enough already without another horrible sight to plague her thoughts. Her thoughts now lie only on finishing the job she's been trying to finish for years. And now her thoughts are disrupted, by the sound of a footstep somewhere behind her. Deftly she spins, unholstering a revolver and pointing it in the direction of the step. There stands Salvo, the sheriff, who doesn't so much as twitch as her gun points in his direction. "I had a feeling I'd find you here."
She stares at him for a moment, before flicking her gun, grasping the handle and bringing it back to the holster. "I want to be alone." She says, the first time he's heard her speak in longer than he can remember.
"You were there for the actual funeral, just not close. I knew you'd want to have time to yourself."
"What do you want?" She states sternly, turning back toward the grave plots.
He walks up closer to her, standing at her side and looking down at the stones as well. "It's been a few weeks since this happened. I know you're more clear of mind now. I want to know what you're thinking of doing."
"That's none of your concern."
"Glory... There's nothing that concerns me more."
She shuts her eyes tightly for a moment. She's not used to hearing someone say her name. "How are you fairing in finding the base of operations?"
"Not as good. These ones are great at hiding. We've taken out every one brazen enough to come into the town, and found some encampments spread out in caravans on the dunes... I feel we're getting closer."
"I know where they are."
The Arc perks up slightly and looks at her. "Impossible."
She turns to look at him, piercing his gaze with hers, to let her know she's serious. "I'm going to end him."
"That's what he wants. You can't take out the entire gang by yourself, or you'd have done it by now, if you know where he is."
"I took out his gang once."
He narrows his eyes at her, which prompts her to look away from him. "They were smaller then. He's gotten too good throughout these years. Even too much for my men. That's why you've been hesitating."
"You assume too much." She says, as she turns away from the graves and begins walking.
Salvo quickly gets in step to follow her. "You've been a drifter for years now, Glory. You don't come back here often. If you'd have taken those bastards out, it wouldn't be this way. Why have you been taking all this time?"
"I have my reasons."
"And now you're just going to throw that all in the dirt because of what happened to your mother?"
Glory stops in her tracks, the Arc stopping behind her. There's a moment of quiet. "They weren't supposed to do that, Sal. They know how important she was to this community."
"They did it to kill morale, and to get you to come to them."
"Well they got me. And they're going to be sorry." She says as she starts walking again.
Salvo follows. "If you're that dedicated, then let us help you take them out."
"This is my fight, not yours."
The Arc grabs one of her arms to stop her from walking, Glory actually gasping in surprise. "Do you not care about your own life anymore?" He asks, staring right to her eyes.
She looks back at him, a look of deep sadness actually beginning to well up in her blue pools. "I care about yours."
Salvo blinks a little in surprise, partially from the comment, and partially from the 'yena's emotions changing. "What...?"
Glory looks away, before jerking her arm out of his grip, though not continuing her stride yet. "Do you think this town needs to lose another sheriff, and all of his best men? Perhaps THAT is what Ignitus wants."
She turns away from him and looks to the horizon, the orange of the sunset beginning to get darker. Salvo is unsure of what to say. Glory begins to speak again after a moment. "I've lost my entire family... and many other friends that he and his minions have killed. Every death has killed me more inside... I've killed many of them through these years, trying to bide my time, but mother's death was too much. I have to stop them myself, even if it means my life..."
"I don't want to lose you, Glory." Salvo finally says.
The 'yena looks over her shoulder once, before back to the horizon. "Are you still that attached to me, Sal? Even after I broke your heart?"
"You never broke anything... I've just been confused. Confused, and with a lot of questions."
Glory raises one of her hands and snaps her fingers. "Perhaps someday you'll have those questions answered."
A Rapidash comes running up to the 'yena, called by the fingersnap, as Salvo watches her mount the saddle. "I just want you to reconsider."
She looks down at him as she saddles up. "I'm a broken woman. This is what I need to do."
With a whip of the reigns, the horse starts galloping away into the covering darkness. Salvo stands and watches her gradually disappear into the darkness.
A sharp scream sounds out from the waitress girl as the young Sandshrew barman lands on one of the tables, breaking it clean in half and groaning loudly. Three outlaws stand above him, the scared tavern patrons hiding behind tables or leaving the establishment entirely. The hand of the Bagon outlaw pulls the 'shrew back up. "We know she's been here in the city, bar man. Tell us what we need to know." He says evilly.
"I... I told you! I don't know anything! P-Please..."
The Electrike at his side growls. "Wrong answer."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" A loud voice booms from the bar doors.
The outlaws turn to the entrance, where the sheriff and his right-hand men stand with guns drawn. The third outlaw, a Houndour, presses his own gun to the head of the trembling bar man. "Don't push us, sheriff. We just want some information. Now that you're here, perhaps you can help." He says.
Quarr & Caleb look over at the Arc, who stays quiet for a beat before putting his gun away. "Then let's take this outside like men." He says, backing out through the saloon doors.
His two men raise their guns upward away from the outlaws, but don't holster them yet. The Sandshrew gets dropped back to the floor as the outlaws follow after the sheriff, giving his men some dirty looks in the process. The Arc stands out in the sandy road, watching as they step out of the saloon. "That chick the boss is lookin' for. She's been here. We'd like to speak with her." The Bagon states.
"That'd be me, right?"
The sheriff and the outlaws all look to the side in surprise, as a few yards away, Glory stands in the middle of the sandy road, her trenchcoat billowed by a slight breeze. She looks upward, her eyes zeroing in on the scum stepping away from the doors. "Well whatta ya know. Guess offing the old lady worked, didn't it?" The Electrike says.
Glory's eye twitches, but she keeps herself from doing any other motion. "Now then, we know you want to see the big man. And he's eager to see you. If you'd like, we can show you the way. How does that sound?" The Bagon offers.
"No need for that." Glory quips.
With a swift motion, the front of her coat opens, her hand raising her revolver and firing off a quick shot. The shot finds its way square in the forehead of the Bagon, sending him to the ground. The other two outlaws panic and pull out their guns, only to have them quickly shot out of their hands as Glory brandishes a second revolver. Quarr and Caleb appear behind the outlaws and grab them tightly. Glory hesitates on shooting them again now that the two sheriff's men are behind them, instead holstering one of her revolvers and walking back to her horse. Salvo immediately starts walking toward her. "Glory..." He says.
Another shot rings off, bouncing off the ground in front of the Arc, making him stop immediately. The shot came from Glory's gun. She stares him down. "Don't try to stop me. Please..."
Salvo looks to her with a look of sadness. Glory looks away from that look, holstering her revolver and leaping on her horse, quickly whipping the reigns and riding off. Salvo watches her get fairly far away, before turning back to his men. "Nice thinking, you two."
The sheriff walks up to the two outlaws as they struggle futilely, his eyes narrowing. "Now then... Your compadre there said something about showing the way. How about you just tell us the way? That, or you could end up like him. What do you say?" He says, grinning a little.
Glory sees her target coming on the horizon... the ghost town. What this place was called, no one remembers. It's supposedly been stripped and abandoned for decades now. At least, that's what everyone thinks. This is why not even someone as cunning as Salvo & his men were able to figure this one out. She stops her horse next to the town entrance, giving it a pat before walking inside the borders. A breeze billows her coat, blowing some waves of sand across what was once a bustling road. She knows they're out here. The main force of the Ignitus Gang. She looks at the first few buildings she passes by. All of their front walls are gone, showing the stripped rooms inside. No place to hide there. No, not in the beginning of town. She begins to reach the more intact buildings, her fists clenching a little as she can practically smell them on the wind. "Well?! Are you going to come out, you cowards?!" She yells.
There's no answer at first. But soon enough, faces begin to pop out of the intact houses. They look confused. Slowly but surely, a small group of outlaws of all species show themselves, revolvers still holstered, staring at the object of their hatred. Glory stops dead in the center of the road, watching them stroll out into the street a few yards ahead of her. None behind her. Not the smartest group they are. "You got here alone? Where are the boys?" One of them yells, referring to the ones sent out to retrieve her.
"They're not coming back, let's put it that way. I didn't need them to come here. Now, is your leader going to come out, or do I have to kill every one of you first?"
A heavy round of laughs come from the group. "You're a little over your head there, girly. You're outnumbered. We could kill you twice over right now if we had the word."
"But you don't. He wants to kill me, doesn't he? That just makes this even easier."
A wave of confusion hits them, as the 'yena smiles, before unholstering and pointing her revolvers with unseen speed, two muzzle explosions breaking the air and felling two of the outlaws straight away. The others are frozen momentarily in surprise, as Glory begins running to the right, firing two more shots, felling two more who were too dumb to move. "Your guns! Cripple her! Get the legs!" One of them yells.
The goons grab their guns, two of them shot in the hearts before they can unholster. The others get their guns out and fire for her running legs, hitting nothing but dirt, as she dives into one of the dilapidated buildings, firing three more shots out the window and getting three more direct hits. She ducks to the opposite wall, bullets beginning to fly through the window, as she shakes the casings out of her revolvers, getting them reloaded quickly. The shots stop, as the remaining two outlaws think they may have got her. They stare at the window quietly, seeing and hearing nothing, before beginning to slowly approach. The last thing they see is her popping up again, before two bullets hit them square in the foreheads. "You missed me."
She steps out of the building and gets back to the sandy road, her guns held at the ready as she marches down the town road. Panicked outlaws begin to file out of the buildings, only to be quickly felled by shots from her guns. A few bullets whiz right by her from the quicker shots, her eyes shining with hatred as her shots ring true. Her revolvers run out of bullets again, and she tosses them to the side, reaching into the inner pockets of her coat and pulling two more out, as a bullet rips across the edge of her thigh. She cries out a little, but quickly nails the one who did it between the eyes. Fighting off the pain, she battles forward, gunning down whomever she sees, and shrugging off another bullet grazing her shoulder.
She finally reaches the main square of the old town, a giant pile of debris sitting square in the middle, remnants of the market that was once here. She looks at the pile, as two shivering outlaws peek out from either side of it. Her eyes dart back and forth at both of them, before she spins the guns on her fingers, grabbing their handles again and getting them both between the eyes as they lean out to try shooting her. She releases the spent casings from the gun chambers again, pulling her next set of reloads from her pockets. Just as she gets them in the guns, a shot rings out, hitting her square in the shoulder and causing her to cry out. She grips her guns tightly and growls, exhaling and fighting the pain off before looking forward at the large mansion at the end of the square. A figure stands in front of the door, under the shade of the wooden awning, a smoking barrel held out in the light. "Your fight is done, princess." Says a sinister voice.
Glory looks up at the figure, keeping her guns downward for the moment as she walks around the pile of debris, eyes focused on him the entire time. "Ignitus... Some new group you put together."
The figure clenches his hand tighter on his gun grip in angle, but holds back on shooting, as he steps out down the front stairs of the porch. She sees him... a menacing Houndoom, his clothing all in black thread, his eyes burning with pure rage at how she just wiped out his gang again. But now there's something new... a large scar driven through his fur, stretching across the right side of his muzzle & head. "You've got some nerve, child... This could have been peaceful, you know..."
Glory stares at his face, seeing the scar, a recreation of events flashing before her eyes. "She gave that to you, didn't she? The closest brush with death you've ever had."
"Silence! I have you dead to rights, my little ghost. I've waited so long for this... and I wasn't even intending on killing you. But now you have me intending something fierce."
"So what's stopping you? I'm your last obstacle, save for the sheriff. And you'll never beat him now. Not without all your men."
Ignitus' hand shakes as he grips the revolver. "I want to savor the moment, and say everything I've wanted to say to you all these years you've been narrowly avoiding me. Then I promise you'll be joining your wretched family soon enough."
Glory sees his hand shaking, his anger building. That's what she wanted. "You know? I don't even want to hear it."
Her hands raise with surprising speed again, Ignitus seeing it and turning slightly. Both of them fire shots, Glory crying out as his shot hits her lower chest, her shots only managing to hit his side & his arm. The two stumble back a little, an almost roar of rage sounding out of the Houndoom as the two fire again, all shots again hitting true, as Ignitus is stunned to feel his midsection hit twice. Glory gasps out a little bit as her hands shake, blood starting to leak from her stomach area. Ignitus is almost paralyzed, never having actually been shot this cleanly in his entire outlaw career. "How... How did you improve so much..."
He raises his revolver again, only to have it shot right out of his hand. She's ignoring her wounds, an intense fire burning in her eyes. Ignitus starts to stumble backward, before he's shot again in one of his shoulders. "That one is for my father..."
Another shot blasts his right shoulder as he yelps out. "That's for my sister..."
Shot after shot then hit each of his arms and legs, as the yena stands tall despite her injuries. "This is for all those innocents you've butchered for no good reason!!"
Ignitus slumps forward to his knees, his vision starting to blur as his whole body is racked with pain, his eyes focusing on the golden angel of death standing before him, as she holds one of her guns high, the other dropping to the ground. "And this is for my mother..."
One final shot exits her gun, finding the Houndoom's forehead. His eyes go white as he falls forward to the ground, his life finally extinguished. Glory stands still for a moment with her gun outstretched in front of her, staring at his body, before dropping the gun and slumping forward slightly. Her arms drift down to the wounds on her body, her breath beginning to get heavy. "I... I did it... He's dead... Mother, I did it..."
She manages a smile, quickly reverting to a wince, taking one last look at the fallen Houndoom before turning around, beginning to walk herself back down the road, out of the main square.
"This is it? This ghost town? This is where they've been hiding?" Quarr states as the sheriff & his men ride to the entrance.
"It must be. That horse belongs to her." Salvo notes, as they see it waiting by the gates.
The three dismount their own rides, and begin walking through the abandoned town. It's not long before they begin to see the body count scattered near the more intact buildings. "It's... really the Ignitus Gang. She really killed them all, sheriff. At least the ones that are here." Caleb says in astonishment.
Salvo is quiet, a bad feeling starting to rise up in his gut the closer they get to the main square. And then, just past some bodies of the outlaws, he sees one body he didn't want to see lying on the ground. "No, damnit... Glory!"
He begins running, Quarr and Caleb quick to join him, as Glory lies on the ground a few yards away from the debris pile, the front of her body covered in her blood. Her eyes open a little as the Arc comes above her, lifting her slightly in his arms. "I knew you'd find a way, Sal..." She says, weakly.
"Glory, god damnit... I wanted you to reconsider, I told you not to throw your life away..."
She looks up to his eyes, her own blue ones looking a little empty. "My life ended a long time ago, Sal... The day it all came crashing down, and the day I threw you away... And then, I knew there was nothing left when my mother was killed."
He feels tears start to form in his eyes as he shakes his head. "Don't talk like that, Glory. I'm getting you back to town and we're getting this patched up, you hear me?"
The golden 'yena manages to put on a sweet smile, as one of her hands rises up and slides across his cheek. "Be strong, sheriff. You don't need to worry about the big man anymore, and you don't need to worry yourself sick about me anymore either. I know that's what's been bothering you all these years..."
"G-Glory..."
"I got the answers you want... coming in due time, sheriff... Take care of yourself... I have a lot of things I need to say to my family now..."
"Stay with me, Glory!"
She shred a few tears out of her eyes as she just smiles on at him. "I'm just a ghost, Sal. Always have been..."
Her hand falls away from his face as she goes limp his arms. The Arc begins to shake, before his face falls into the fur of her neck, his arms gripping around her tightly. Caleb & Quarr step away from the sheriff, looking to each other, before lowering their heads solemnly.
Several days have passed since that fateful day. The township lives without all the fear they once had, now that the man known as Ignitus has been confirmed as slain. It's not without its fair bit of sadness, however, knowing the last remaining of the Scuro family gave up her life to gain her revenge and end the threat once and for all. The door to the sheriff's building opens, as Quarr walks in, seeing Salvo at his desk looking some things over. "How are you doing, sheriff? You've been cooped up in here for a while now." The dragon says with some concern.
The Arc looks up at the dragon, smiling a little bit as he ruffles his papers. "I'm doing alright, Quarr, really. I was a wreck, I know... Still kinda am... But I think I might be better off than before."
"What do you mean by that, sir?"
"The way she spoke, about not needing to worry about her anymore. I feel as though her words made me... I don't know, stronger, my friend. I really was worrying about her all these years. It held me back, kept me from being the best sheriff I could be for this people."
"She always did have a way with words." Says an unknown young voice.
The Arc blinks and looks behind the dragon, who steps aside, as a somewhat small figure steps into the home, dressed in full trenchcoat & hat. "A child? What are you doing here?" Quarr asks.
Salvo is not sure what to make of this, as the young figure walks through the room with head bowed, face hidden, before reaching forward and placing a worn book on his desk. "Is this... a diary?" The Arc asks, looking at it quizzically.
"All the answers you seek are in there. For the questions you wanted to ask her." Says the young, feminine voice.
Salvo takes the book up, staring at it for a moment, a weird feeling going through him as he looks back at the figure. "Where did you get this?"
"I know how you feel, you know. She told me she probably wouldn't make it. But I was mentally prepared for that. And I know despite what you say, you were not, and you still need some help healing. Maybe that book will do it, but I don't think it will do the whole job."
The Arc's hands shake a little as he looks on at the child, the weird feeling getting stronger. "Who are you?"
"I'm the reason she stayed away for so long..." The young one's head finally raises up and looks at him, revealing a golden-furred Mightyena with striking blue eyes, meeting her kind gaze to his stunned eyes. She smiles a little bit. "Will you let me help you... Father?"
THE END
Pokemon and Cities/Locations all © Nintendo & Game Freak
Inspired by the song "Strength of the World" by Avenged Sevenfold
~ Scy
Pokemon Fan Fiction
By: Scy Storm
ssbs.furrynet.com
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This is my entry into the AGNPH Arbor Day theme, which is writing a story inspired by a song. This ended up being a great theme, since I have a song I actually like a whole lot that I've been meaning to make into a story of some sort. It's a song by Avenged Sevenfold (who I'm not a HUGE fan of, but this song is great), called "Strength of the World", which can be found at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kx17hFfU4OM ... Please ignore some of the whinyness the singer does and I'm sure you'll love it. And hopefully you'll love this story too! It's wild west themed. :3 I think I'm okay with it for now.
INEVITABLE DISCLAIMER: There's no SEXINGS in this story or anything, but being a wild west type of story, there's a lot of violence and some heavy emotional tones, due to the subject matter I got from the song. So tread lightly, I guess.
"Children! Come inside at this instant!"
An annoyed Flareon mother stands at the porch of her home, her three little Eevee boys frolicking in the sandy roadway in front of the modest yard. In their hands they hold bent sticks taken from fallen branches, fake sounds of gunfire belting out to the air as they actively ignore their parent. "Take that, ya scoundrels! Your outlaw days are through!" One of them yells.
"I don't think so, sheriff! You couldn't hit us if we were in front of you on our knees!" Yells out a second.
The mother growls in annoyance, starting to march out toward the boys. "Does your father need to hear about this!?"
That exclamation gets the attention of the boys, as they look at her walking over. "But mama, it's not dark yet." Says one of the boys, referring to the orange glow of the unfinished sunset.
"It's close enough! These roads are getting worse and if I'm seein' orange, I'm seein' three boys in the house, you understand?"
The boys continue to complain as the exasperated mother gets ever closer to dragging them by their collars into the house. She suddenly stops yelling however, as a presence appears behind the boys. The boys silence suddenly as well, turning around to see an aged Mightyena lady standing before them in somewhat elegant dress. "Boys, boys, it's nearly sunset. I think you should listen to your dear mother now." She says, in a soft, caring voice.
The young Eevees smile widely. "Of course, Gramma Scuro!" Says the youngest.
The boys drop their sticks and run back toward the house with tails swishing. The mother breathes a sigh of relief. "You're a lifesaver, Lady Scuro."
"Think nothing of it. I hope they can grow a bit more complacent in time."
"That may require the father's help..." The Flareon states, before turning around and going back to her home.
The elder 'yena watches with a smile, before resuming her stroll through the final stretch of this sandy township. Around her she sees more families packing it in for the sunset, a few of the men passing by her, returning from work in the town proper. Everyone who spots her walking sends her a greeting, which she responds to in kind with a simple wave. The sun begins to finally fully set as she comes upon her home, the family mansion located at the end of the town's one road. The creek of the doorway echoes through the empty home as she enters, closing up & making her way toward the study. A soft sigh sounds out her lips as she walks, also seeming to bounce off the walls of the home. Once in the study, she uses a match to light the glass-covered candle she left near her large chair, casting some gentle light across the immediate area. As she picks up a book that rested nearby it, her ears pick up a foreign noise, like a step on the wooden floor of the room. It's soon followed by another few, in different spots just behind her, hidden in the darkness. Her eyes close as she exhales a large breath, her hands gripping the book firmly. "So it's come to this, has it?" She speaks aloud.
Louder footsteps immediately sound out from directly behind her, walking into the study from the hallway, stopping short in the darkness just outside the candle's radius. "Perceptive." Says the calm, menacing voice.
Her eyes open again, staring forward at the bookshelf in front of her. "Do you really think it's worth it? You've managed to wait this long already. What could have changed?" She begins to ask the dark figure standing somewhere behind her.
A deep chuckle sounds out of him, which immediately bounces all over the halls of the mansion. "I've waited a long time. Too long. Too many years of chasing that ghost across these barren lands and coming up with nothing. And it seems to me that ghost is starting to get smarter." He explains.
"Starting to figure things out after all this time, hm? So coming to me is the last ace up your sleeve, is it? I wonder why you've lasted this long."
A gentle shuffling can be heard amongst the other figures in the room. She must have annoyed them with that comment. A low growl is heard emanating from the figurehead. "Amazingly, even I have my limits. But I need something to kill that last bit of morale... That last shred of sanity that's keeping the ghost just out of my reach. So I'm afraid that means your ticket is punched."
The elder 'yena takes one step forward toward her bookshelf, reaching up and sliding her finger across the bottoms of the spines, as if checking their order. "You really think this will work? You think you can get the permanent mental edge... That is what will solve all your problems? I think you underestimate what the need for vengeance can instill in people."
"Underestimate? No, my dear. For many years now I have been the personification of vengeance, and it's only gotten worse the longer it takes for me to be satisfied. You're the last chance I've got, and I'm well prepared for the risk."
She listens closely as her finger stops, pressing between a space between the books & sliding the book she's holding into the open space. Her hand drifts down to the shelf below, sliding across the spines of the books there before settling on one, taking it off the shelf and ruffling through a few pages. "You believe that you are. But I have a lot more faith not only in the people of this town, but also that... ghost of yours. If you go through with this, I promise it will be the beginning of your downfall. All of you." She states, a tone of coldness evident in her lovely voice.
The figures in the room take another few steps back, their spurred boots appearing in the radius of the candlelight. She can sense the very hatred in the air. "Not going to happen, granny. This whole place is gonna crack, and soon I'm going to be in charge, with no more little haunting hanging over my head."
Her hands open the book as she throws back a few pages, another long exhale sounding out of her as her body loosens up. "Then so it shall be..."
Her hand grasps a ready revolver sitting in the hollowed-out middle of the book, the 'yena spinning around in a quick movement, her weapon pointing straight toward the direction of the hallway where the ringleader stands, still in the darkness. Just as quick as she turned, she fires off a shot, the loud howling cry of the menacing one serving as confirmation of a hit. She's able to get off another shot - a missed one - before the guns of the goons standing elsewhere in the room begin to sound off. Her voice sounds out in gasp as the hot chunks of lead rend her, her revolver dropping out of her hand as she takes her final seat into the large comforter chair behind her. The guns stop firing as the goons turn to the direction of their seething leader. A large blast of flame blows over the side of the hallway, accompanied by a roar. "You okay boss?" Speaks one of the goons.
His voice settles back down to a rumbling series of growls. "I'll... I'll live. Clean up here. Do it now..." He manages to stammer out, holding back some serious rage.
The goons comply, stepping forward and extinguishing the candle still emanating light from its place on the table. Within a few minutes, they're out the back door to the house, the night now fully set in, as a few concerned citizens of the township are outside, looking at the mansion sitting at the end of their road many yards away.
A state of panic dwells over the desert town from those who have heard the rumor. Most are troubled by the fact that Lady Scuro has not appeared in the town square like she does every morning. However, those closest to the edge of town who heard the gunshots... They spread the rumor. A rumor of something terrible. Frightened conversations carry across the tongues of the people, as a feral Rapidash rider makes his way down the middle of the road, heading straight for the Scuro Mansion. The horse stops off just outside of it, and off it comes a yellow-furred Arcanine, straightening his wide-brimmed hat after landing. He walks to the front porch of the large building, where a Flygon is waiting for him, the dragon removing his hand and bending his head forward slightly, a grim look on his face. "Morning, sheriff." He says solemnly.
The Arcanine takes a breath, a very empty feeling in his chest. "Did it finally happen, Quarr?" He asks the dragon.
"It certainly looks that way..."
The two walk into the mansion, drawn immediately down the hallway to the study, where a Sandslash is surveying the scene. He notes Quarr come in with the sheriff in tow, quickly standing up and nodding his head forward. "Sir."
"What can you tell me, Caleb?" The Arc asks him.
"Looking here, it's... easy to see what happened, sir." He says, motioning to the chair.
The comforter before them is empty, but its soft blue fabric is stained with blood and dotted with holes left by revolver bullets. Some holes are also seen in the books just behind it on the shelves. The Arc guides his gaze downward to see blood on the ground in front of the chair, alongside a revolver and a hollowed-out book. A mock-up of what happened immediately plays in his head. A futile attack against several enemies. "There's no one in the building, as well." The dragon nearby suddenly says, interrupting the thought.
"Come check this out as well, sheriff." Caleb says, motioning to the hallway leading into the room.
The Arc turns and looks, seeing a large scorch mark on the wall of the hall. The 'slash also motions downward to some blood on the ground nearby, though not a very large amount of it, unlike what came out on the chair. "So she hit one, you think?" The Arc asks.
"Not completely. Had to have grazed him, given the small amount of blood here. She also missed a shot... there's a hole in the wall back near the front door." Quarr elaborates.
"We had some of the guys comb the area a few yards around this place... There's absolutely nothing, sheriff." Caleb states solemnly.
The Arc's head dips downward a little, a heavy sigh sounding out. "Just... call me Salvo. I'm not feeling very professional right now."
The sheriff's two best men go silent for a moment, not sure of what to do or say. They know what happened here. It's happened before... but never to someone more important. They begin to walk back outside, noting a bit of a crowd that's gathered several feet away from the front of the mansion. The grim look on the face of the three is enough to confirm the worst fears of the townspeople. A wave of silence & dread spread over the people, before the Arc can even say anything. In fact, he can't bring himself to speak. Just then, several gasps begin to sound out of the crowd, causing the three to come alert again. The crowd slowly dissipates, allowing someone to walk through them. A figure in a billowing trenchcoat & a wide hat walks through the stunned crowd, coming right toward the sheriff and his men, stopping just short of the porch. The three look at the person, before their head raises up, revealing the striking face of a golden-furred Mightyena, her steel cold blue eyes piercing right into the sheriff's. Caleb & Quarr are taken aback, as Salvo stares back at her with sadness in his eyes. Another moment of silence passes before the sheriff finally speaks. "There's evidence of gunfire. There's no trace of her anywhere... I'm sorry."
The 'yena girl says nothing to him, instead lowering her head once more. She immediately begins walking forward again, the Arc stepping aside to let her walk into the mansion. Caleb watches her go, and is about to follow, before Quarr grabs his vest. "Let her be. This is the nightmare we were hoping wouldn't happen." The dragon says.
Caleb nods and lowers his head in sadness. The three begin to walk off the porch toward the crowd, Salvo stopping and looking back at the mansion in thought. "Return to your homes and jobs, everyone. There's nothing you need to see here." Caleb says to the crowd.
The townspeople begin to walk back down the road as Caleb follows, Quarr stopping and turning to see the sheriff. "Sir?"
The Arc snaps out of it, turning back toward the dragon and nodding absentmindedly. "Yes, yes. We have work to do." He says as he begins walking once more.
Inside the mansion, the 'yena girl follows the trail of evidence to the study, where her eyes fall upon the bloody, bullet-ridden chair. She stands and stares, as images begin to fly in front of her vision. Her father sent down in a hail of fire from unknown assailants. Her only sister disappearing, found later at the town square in similar condition. She imagines what might have happened to her mother, right here at the chair in front of her. Her body seems to feel weighted as she drops down to her knees, tears beginning to slide down her golden cheeks, dropping to the stained floorboards below, her mother's revolver lying where it fell. I took too long... I never thought they'd actually do it... Mother, I'm so sorry...
Her sniffs echo across the quiet room, her head lowering down to stare at the floor, her fists slowly clenching hard at her sides. Ignitus... You want me? You've got me.
The sky begins to fill with the orange glow of the setting sun. Children & adults alike file back into their homes for the evening rituals. However, on the lone path coming off the main road from the town square, lies the cemetery, where a lone figure stands amongst the many meticulously carved chunks of rock. She stands quietly above the grave of her mother, set right next to her other fallen family members. She dared not see her mother's body once they found it. She's suffered enough already without another horrible sight to plague her thoughts. Her thoughts now lie only on finishing the job she's been trying to finish for years. And now her thoughts are disrupted, by the sound of a footstep somewhere behind her. Deftly she spins, unholstering a revolver and pointing it in the direction of the step. There stands Salvo, the sheriff, who doesn't so much as twitch as her gun points in his direction. "I had a feeling I'd find you here."
She stares at him for a moment, before flicking her gun, grasping the handle and bringing it back to the holster. "I want to be alone." She says, the first time he's heard her speak in longer than he can remember.
"You were there for the actual funeral, just not close. I knew you'd want to have time to yourself."
"What do you want?" She states sternly, turning back toward the grave plots.
He walks up closer to her, standing at her side and looking down at the stones as well. "It's been a few weeks since this happened. I know you're more clear of mind now. I want to know what you're thinking of doing."
"That's none of your concern."
"Glory... There's nothing that concerns me more."
She shuts her eyes tightly for a moment. She's not used to hearing someone say her name. "How are you fairing in finding the base of operations?"
"Not as good. These ones are great at hiding. We've taken out every one brazen enough to come into the town, and found some encampments spread out in caravans on the dunes... I feel we're getting closer."
"I know where they are."
The Arc perks up slightly and looks at her. "Impossible."
She turns to look at him, piercing his gaze with hers, to let her know she's serious. "I'm going to end him."
"That's what he wants. You can't take out the entire gang by yourself, or you'd have done it by now, if you know where he is."
"I took out his gang once."
He narrows his eyes at her, which prompts her to look away from him. "They were smaller then. He's gotten too good throughout these years. Even too much for my men. That's why you've been hesitating."
"You assume too much." She says, as she turns away from the graves and begins walking.
Salvo quickly gets in step to follow her. "You've been a drifter for years now, Glory. You don't come back here often. If you'd have taken those bastards out, it wouldn't be this way. Why have you been taking all this time?"
"I have my reasons."
"And now you're just going to throw that all in the dirt because of what happened to your mother?"
Glory stops in her tracks, the Arc stopping behind her. There's a moment of quiet. "They weren't supposed to do that, Sal. They know how important she was to this community."
"They did it to kill morale, and to get you to come to them."
"Well they got me. And they're going to be sorry." She says as she starts walking again.
Salvo follows. "If you're that dedicated, then let us help you take them out."
"This is my fight, not yours."
The Arc grabs one of her arms to stop her from walking, Glory actually gasping in surprise. "Do you not care about your own life anymore?" He asks, staring right to her eyes.
She looks back at him, a look of deep sadness actually beginning to well up in her blue pools. "I care about yours."
Salvo blinks a little in surprise, partially from the comment, and partially from the 'yena's emotions changing. "What...?"
Glory looks away, before jerking her arm out of his grip, though not continuing her stride yet. "Do you think this town needs to lose another sheriff, and all of his best men? Perhaps THAT is what Ignitus wants."
She turns away from him and looks to the horizon, the orange of the sunset beginning to get darker. Salvo is unsure of what to say. Glory begins to speak again after a moment. "I've lost my entire family... and many other friends that he and his minions have killed. Every death has killed me more inside... I've killed many of them through these years, trying to bide my time, but mother's death was too much. I have to stop them myself, even if it means my life..."
"I don't want to lose you, Glory." Salvo finally says.
The 'yena looks over her shoulder once, before back to the horizon. "Are you still that attached to me, Sal? Even after I broke your heart?"
"You never broke anything... I've just been confused. Confused, and with a lot of questions."
Glory raises one of her hands and snaps her fingers. "Perhaps someday you'll have those questions answered."
A Rapidash comes running up to the 'yena, called by the fingersnap, as Salvo watches her mount the saddle. "I just want you to reconsider."
She looks down at him as she saddles up. "I'm a broken woman. This is what I need to do."
With a whip of the reigns, the horse starts galloping away into the covering darkness. Salvo stands and watches her gradually disappear into the darkness.
A sharp scream sounds out from the waitress girl as the young Sandshrew barman lands on one of the tables, breaking it clean in half and groaning loudly. Three outlaws stand above him, the scared tavern patrons hiding behind tables or leaving the establishment entirely. The hand of the Bagon outlaw pulls the 'shrew back up. "We know she's been here in the city, bar man. Tell us what we need to know." He says evilly.
"I... I told you! I don't know anything! P-Please..."
The Electrike at his side growls. "Wrong answer."
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" A loud voice booms from the bar doors.
The outlaws turn to the entrance, where the sheriff and his right-hand men stand with guns drawn. The third outlaw, a Houndour, presses his own gun to the head of the trembling bar man. "Don't push us, sheriff. We just want some information. Now that you're here, perhaps you can help." He says.
Quarr & Caleb look over at the Arc, who stays quiet for a beat before putting his gun away. "Then let's take this outside like men." He says, backing out through the saloon doors.
His two men raise their guns upward away from the outlaws, but don't holster them yet. The Sandshrew gets dropped back to the floor as the outlaws follow after the sheriff, giving his men some dirty looks in the process. The Arc stands out in the sandy road, watching as they step out of the saloon. "That chick the boss is lookin' for. She's been here. We'd like to speak with her." The Bagon states.
"That'd be me, right?"
The sheriff and the outlaws all look to the side in surprise, as a few yards away, Glory stands in the middle of the sandy road, her trenchcoat billowed by a slight breeze. She looks upward, her eyes zeroing in on the scum stepping away from the doors. "Well whatta ya know. Guess offing the old lady worked, didn't it?" The Electrike says.
Glory's eye twitches, but she keeps herself from doing any other motion. "Now then, we know you want to see the big man. And he's eager to see you. If you'd like, we can show you the way. How does that sound?" The Bagon offers.
"No need for that." Glory quips.
With a swift motion, the front of her coat opens, her hand raising her revolver and firing off a quick shot. The shot finds its way square in the forehead of the Bagon, sending him to the ground. The other two outlaws panic and pull out their guns, only to have them quickly shot out of their hands as Glory brandishes a second revolver. Quarr and Caleb appear behind the outlaws and grab them tightly. Glory hesitates on shooting them again now that the two sheriff's men are behind them, instead holstering one of her revolvers and walking back to her horse. Salvo immediately starts walking toward her. "Glory..." He says.
Another shot rings off, bouncing off the ground in front of the Arc, making him stop immediately. The shot came from Glory's gun. She stares him down. "Don't try to stop me. Please..."
Salvo looks to her with a look of sadness. Glory looks away from that look, holstering her revolver and leaping on her horse, quickly whipping the reigns and riding off. Salvo watches her get fairly far away, before turning back to his men. "Nice thinking, you two."
The sheriff walks up to the two outlaws as they struggle futilely, his eyes narrowing. "Now then... Your compadre there said something about showing the way. How about you just tell us the way? That, or you could end up like him. What do you say?" He says, grinning a little.
Glory sees her target coming on the horizon... the ghost town. What this place was called, no one remembers. It's supposedly been stripped and abandoned for decades now. At least, that's what everyone thinks. This is why not even someone as cunning as Salvo & his men were able to figure this one out. She stops her horse next to the town entrance, giving it a pat before walking inside the borders. A breeze billows her coat, blowing some waves of sand across what was once a bustling road. She knows they're out here. The main force of the Ignitus Gang. She looks at the first few buildings she passes by. All of their front walls are gone, showing the stripped rooms inside. No place to hide there. No, not in the beginning of town. She begins to reach the more intact buildings, her fists clenching a little as she can practically smell them on the wind. "Well?! Are you going to come out, you cowards?!" She yells.
There's no answer at first. But soon enough, faces begin to pop out of the intact houses. They look confused. Slowly but surely, a small group of outlaws of all species show themselves, revolvers still holstered, staring at the object of their hatred. Glory stops dead in the center of the road, watching them stroll out into the street a few yards ahead of her. None behind her. Not the smartest group they are. "You got here alone? Where are the boys?" One of them yells, referring to the ones sent out to retrieve her.
"They're not coming back, let's put it that way. I didn't need them to come here. Now, is your leader going to come out, or do I have to kill every one of you first?"
A heavy round of laughs come from the group. "You're a little over your head there, girly. You're outnumbered. We could kill you twice over right now if we had the word."
"But you don't. He wants to kill me, doesn't he? That just makes this even easier."
A wave of confusion hits them, as the 'yena smiles, before unholstering and pointing her revolvers with unseen speed, two muzzle explosions breaking the air and felling two of the outlaws straight away. The others are frozen momentarily in surprise, as Glory begins running to the right, firing two more shots, felling two more who were too dumb to move. "Your guns! Cripple her! Get the legs!" One of them yells.
The goons grab their guns, two of them shot in the hearts before they can unholster. The others get their guns out and fire for her running legs, hitting nothing but dirt, as she dives into one of the dilapidated buildings, firing three more shots out the window and getting three more direct hits. She ducks to the opposite wall, bullets beginning to fly through the window, as she shakes the casings out of her revolvers, getting them reloaded quickly. The shots stop, as the remaining two outlaws think they may have got her. They stare at the window quietly, seeing and hearing nothing, before beginning to slowly approach. The last thing they see is her popping up again, before two bullets hit them square in the foreheads. "You missed me."
She steps out of the building and gets back to the sandy road, her guns held at the ready as she marches down the town road. Panicked outlaws begin to file out of the buildings, only to be quickly felled by shots from her guns. A few bullets whiz right by her from the quicker shots, her eyes shining with hatred as her shots ring true. Her revolvers run out of bullets again, and she tosses them to the side, reaching into the inner pockets of her coat and pulling two more out, as a bullet rips across the edge of her thigh. She cries out a little, but quickly nails the one who did it between the eyes. Fighting off the pain, she battles forward, gunning down whomever she sees, and shrugging off another bullet grazing her shoulder.
She finally reaches the main square of the old town, a giant pile of debris sitting square in the middle, remnants of the market that was once here. She looks at the pile, as two shivering outlaws peek out from either side of it. Her eyes dart back and forth at both of them, before she spins the guns on her fingers, grabbing their handles again and getting them both between the eyes as they lean out to try shooting her. She releases the spent casings from the gun chambers again, pulling her next set of reloads from her pockets. Just as she gets them in the guns, a shot rings out, hitting her square in the shoulder and causing her to cry out. She grips her guns tightly and growls, exhaling and fighting the pain off before looking forward at the large mansion at the end of the square. A figure stands in front of the door, under the shade of the wooden awning, a smoking barrel held out in the light. "Your fight is done, princess." Says a sinister voice.
Glory looks up at the figure, keeping her guns downward for the moment as she walks around the pile of debris, eyes focused on him the entire time. "Ignitus... Some new group you put together."
The figure clenches his hand tighter on his gun grip in angle, but holds back on shooting, as he steps out down the front stairs of the porch. She sees him... a menacing Houndoom, his clothing all in black thread, his eyes burning with pure rage at how she just wiped out his gang again. But now there's something new... a large scar driven through his fur, stretching across the right side of his muzzle & head. "You've got some nerve, child... This could have been peaceful, you know..."
Glory stares at his face, seeing the scar, a recreation of events flashing before her eyes. "She gave that to you, didn't she? The closest brush with death you've ever had."
"Silence! I have you dead to rights, my little ghost. I've waited so long for this... and I wasn't even intending on killing you. But now you have me intending something fierce."
"So what's stopping you? I'm your last obstacle, save for the sheriff. And you'll never beat him now. Not without all your men."
Ignitus' hand shakes as he grips the revolver. "I want to savor the moment, and say everything I've wanted to say to you all these years you've been narrowly avoiding me. Then I promise you'll be joining your wretched family soon enough."
Glory sees his hand shaking, his anger building. That's what she wanted. "You know? I don't even want to hear it."
Her hands raise with surprising speed again, Ignitus seeing it and turning slightly. Both of them fire shots, Glory crying out as his shot hits her lower chest, her shots only managing to hit his side & his arm. The two stumble back a little, an almost roar of rage sounding out of the Houndoom as the two fire again, all shots again hitting true, as Ignitus is stunned to feel his midsection hit twice. Glory gasps out a little bit as her hands shake, blood starting to leak from her stomach area. Ignitus is almost paralyzed, never having actually been shot this cleanly in his entire outlaw career. "How... How did you improve so much..."
He raises his revolver again, only to have it shot right out of his hand. She's ignoring her wounds, an intense fire burning in her eyes. Ignitus starts to stumble backward, before he's shot again in one of his shoulders. "That one is for my father..."
Another shot blasts his right shoulder as he yelps out. "That's for my sister..."
Shot after shot then hit each of his arms and legs, as the yena stands tall despite her injuries. "This is for all those innocents you've butchered for no good reason!!"
Ignitus slumps forward to his knees, his vision starting to blur as his whole body is racked with pain, his eyes focusing on the golden angel of death standing before him, as she holds one of her guns high, the other dropping to the ground. "And this is for my mother..."
One final shot exits her gun, finding the Houndoom's forehead. His eyes go white as he falls forward to the ground, his life finally extinguished. Glory stands still for a moment with her gun outstretched in front of her, staring at his body, before dropping the gun and slumping forward slightly. Her arms drift down to the wounds on her body, her breath beginning to get heavy. "I... I did it... He's dead... Mother, I did it..."
She manages a smile, quickly reverting to a wince, taking one last look at the fallen Houndoom before turning around, beginning to walk herself back down the road, out of the main square.
"This is it? This ghost town? This is where they've been hiding?" Quarr states as the sheriff & his men ride to the entrance.
"It must be. That horse belongs to her." Salvo notes, as they see it waiting by the gates.
The three dismount their own rides, and begin walking through the abandoned town. It's not long before they begin to see the body count scattered near the more intact buildings. "It's... really the Ignitus Gang. She really killed them all, sheriff. At least the ones that are here." Caleb says in astonishment.
Salvo is quiet, a bad feeling starting to rise up in his gut the closer they get to the main square. And then, just past some bodies of the outlaws, he sees one body he didn't want to see lying on the ground. "No, damnit... Glory!"
He begins running, Quarr and Caleb quick to join him, as Glory lies on the ground a few yards away from the debris pile, the front of her body covered in her blood. Her eyes open a little as the Arc comes above her, lifting her slightly in his arms. "I knew you'd find a way, Sal..." She says, weakly.
"Glory, god damnit... I wanted you to reconsider, I told you not to throw your life away..."
She looks up to his eyes, her own blue ones looking a little empty. "My life ended a long time ago, Sal... The day it all came crashing down, and the day I threw you away... And then, I knew there was nothing left when my mother was killed."
He feels tears start to form in his eyes as he shakes his head. "Don't talk like that, Glory. I'm getting you back to town and we're getting this patched up, you hear me?"
The golden 'yena manages to put on a sweet smile, as one of her hands rises up and slides across his cheek. "Be strong, sheriff. You don't need to worry about the big man anymore, and you don't need to worry yourself sick about me anymore either. I know that's what's been bothering you all these years..."
"G-Glory..."
"I got the answers you want... coming in due time, sheriff... Take care of yourself... I have a lot of things I need to say to my family now..."
"Stay with me, Glory!"
She shred a few tears out of her eyes as she just smiles on at him. "I'm just a ghost, Sal. Always have been..."
Her hand falls away from his face as she goes limp his arms. The Arc begins to shake, before his face falls into the fur of her neck, his arms gripping around her tightly. Caleb & Quarr step away from the sheriff, looking to each other, before lowering their heads solemnly.
Several days have passed since that fateful day. The township lives without all the fear they once had, now that the man known as Ignitus has been confirmed as slain. It's not without its fair bit of sadness, however, knowing the last remaining of the Scuro family gave up her life to gain her revenge and end the threat once and for all. The door to the sheriff's building opens, as Quarr walks in, seeing Salvo at his desk looking some things over. "How are you doing, sheriff? You've been cooped up in here for a while now." The dragon says with some concern.
The Arc looks up at the dragon, smiling a little bit as he ruffles his papers. "I'm doing alright, Quarr, really. I was a wreck, I know... Still kinda am... But I think I might be better off than before."
"What do you mean by that, sir?"
"The way she spoke, about not needing to worry about her anymore. I feel as though her words made me... I don't know, stronger, my friend. I really was worrying about her all these years. It held me back, kept me from being the best sheriff I could be for this people."
"She always did have a way with words." Says an unknown young voice.
The Arc blinks and looks behind the dragon, who steps aside, as a somewhat small figure steps into the home, dressed in full trenchcoat & hat. "A child? What are you doing here?" Quarr asks.
Salvo is not sure what to make of this, as the young figure walks through the room with head bowed, face hidden, before reaching forward and placing a worn book on his desk. "Is this... a diary?" The Arc asks, looking at it quizzically.
"All the answers you seek are in there. For the questions you wanted to ask her." Says the young, feminine voice.
Salvo takes the book up, staring at it for a moment, a weird feeling going through him as he looks back at the figure. "Where did you get this?"
"I know how you feel, you know. She told me she probably wouldn't make it. But I was mentally prepared for that. And I know despite what you say, you were not, and you still need some help healing. Maybe that book will do it, but I don't think it will do the whole job."
The Arc's hands shake a little as he looks on at the child, the weird feeling getting stronger. "Who are you?"
"I'm the reason she stayed away for so long..." The young one's head finally raises up and looks at him, revealing a golden-furred Mightyena with striking blue eyes, meeting her kind gaze to his stunned eyes. She smiles a little bit. "Will you let me help you... Father?"
THE END
Pokemon and Cities/Locations all © Nintendo & Game Freak
Inspired by the song "Strength of the World" by Avenged Sevenfold
~ Scy