Story 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.
Chapter 1
"Are you sure this is it?" A single voice echoed in the darkness.
"I'm telling you, maps never lie!" Another, far finer and softer one answered.
"But it sure is cold..." The first one replied.
"Ugh, you sissies!" A third, female voice joined the argument.
"Mira is right," A fourth one commented. "Your complaints are starting to become obnoxious."
"'Obnoxious'? What's that?"
"It's just one of the words this fancy jerk uses instead of talking like a normal guy."
"'Fancy jerk'? Dear miss, I am hurt that you would call me that."
"Oh, are you? Well, that's what you are!"
"She's right, you-"
"-But then you're-!"
The darkness was filled with the bustle of the argument that suddenly started until the first voice quieted all the others down.
"Shut up!" The yell was heard louder than the rest of the voices, attracting everyone's attention. "There's light ahead!"
A single brown paw emerged from the darkness and stepped on the icy floor, making its owner react to the sudden cold with a yelp and jump back into the darkness. "Yikes, too cold!"
"Hmmm..." A dainty, lavender-colored paw emerged and stepped on the ice as well. After a while of feeling it, the lithe, stylish Espeon stepped out further, swaying his thin, slender body with every step he took with his twin-tipped tail swaying in the opposite direction. A few more steps and he looked back into the darkness with his dark purple eyes. "It is cold, indeed, but we have to advance. After all, that treasure is not too distant now! And it will not find itself."
"But it's cold!" The answer came from the shadows.
"Nash is right," Said a Ninetales as she walked out and joined the Espeon, sitting next to him in the ice. The light that filtered from above the large, icy chamber they were in shone down on her and made her elegant, golden fur glow with an unnatural radiance and her voice was soft and fine, fitting for a singer, really."You agreed to come here with us and you accepted the fact that it would not be a walk in the park." Her nine tails began to wave impatiently. "If the cold bothers you so much, stay close to me."
"But, Lucida, we-"
"-Walk it off, pussy!" The words came, accompanied by a red gleam in the shadows before a Luxray emerged from them and stepped into the ice. She sat in stark contrast to the other two. While the Ninetales and Espeon seemed well cared-for and chic, the Luxray had a more muscular and athletic build, more fitting for a huntress like her than for mystics like the cat and vixen, with her muscles hidden under her blue-and-black fur, yet still vaguely noticeable."Move it out! If this fancy, girly wuss," She gestured towards Nash, speaking with her deep, bluesy voice. "Can stand the cold, then so can you!"
"'Girly wuss'?!" The Espeon replied in an offended tone. "I can assure you, Miss Mira: I am all man."
"Yeah, whatever you say, pansy," Mira growled, then roared at the darkness. "Sirius, you coming or what?"
"Fine..." An Eevee came out from the darkness and joined them. He was young, maybe a little too young to be in company of the others, who were certainly older and far more skilled on the field of exploration than he was. "I-It's just s-so... Cold!" He whimpered, shivering.
"Now, now, Sirius," Lucida told the smaller kit. "Remember why you joined us in the first place."
"So I could be different from the rest of my pack in the badlands and evolve into anything that's not a Jolteon," Sirius replied. "I want to be a Flareon, but all this cold's not worth it!"
"Jack Finnegan was an avid admirer of Evolutionary Stones," Nash explained as they began to walk, venturing further into the icy cavern. "Just imagine it, young Eevee: Anything you might need to evolve into whatever you desire! Water Stones? Fire Stones? Thunder-"
"-He said he didn't want to become a Jolteon, dumbass!" Mira interrupted.
"True..." Nash continued. "Moon Ribbons, Frozen Rocks, Mossy Rocks, and the finest of all..." He smiled, bringing a dreamy sigh from Lucida, who was walking next to him. "Sun Ribbons."
"I know, I know..." Sirius whimpered again. "But getting here's been so hard... And I don't even want to think about what awaits ahead!" He couldn't stop shivering.
"Oh, you poor little dear!" Lucida said in a concerned tone, walking closer to Sirius and covering him with one of her tails, bringing him closer to her warm, golden fur. "Better? And, if we find a place to rest, I'll cook some berries for you! Would you like that?"
"Thanks, Lucida," Sirius murmured, feeling the warmth of the Ninetales' body relieving him of the bone-chilling cold. "You're so warm..."
"Sure, Lucida!" Mira grumbled, watching the Ninetales pamper the little Eevee. "Spoil him some more! Make this whiny sissy even more so!"
"He is just a kit, Mira," Lucida answered with a sharp, aggressive gaze from her crimson eyes. "He is not used to facing ordeals like this; It's only natural he can't stand them."
"Oh, please!" Mira retorted. "When I was just a cub I had to stand cold worse than this with nothing but the hide of the Houndoom I killed to keep me warm!" She grinned, showing her large fangs in a mixture of fondness and exasperation. "'Coz that's life in the badlands! And if he hasn't gotten used to it, that's really his problem!"
"Of course..." Nash whispered, but was still heard by the Luxray. "That's why you are like that... The filthy bush the badlands are can turn anyone into a savage."
"Got a problem with the badlands, sissy?" Mira snarled at the Espeon clearly displeased with her eyes beginning to glow an unnatural red with anger.
"Not at all, Miss Mira," Nash quickly replied, hoping his apologies would be enough to avoid any conflict. "I apologize if I gave you that impression."
"Yeah, you'd better be sorry." The Luxray calmed down with a low rumble still coming from her chest. "I don't know what I'm doing here, hunting the treasure of some Floatzel pirate with you when I could be doing it on my own."
"We are all together in search of that treasure, Miss Mira," Nash commented. "We all believe ourselves capable enough to find it on our own, but we all agreed we are far more efficient when searching in a group."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..."
Those were the Shooting Stars: A rather dysfunctional team of exploration enthusiasts grouped together in hopes of finding the treasure of Jack Finnegan, a Floatzel pirate from many years ago that had concealed his treasure in the depths of a glacier in the northernmost regions of the world. It was formed by Nash and Lucida, an Espeon and Ninetales that had met each other working as spies on the war, and Mira, a strong, scrappy and rather hostile Luxray from the eastern badlands. Their newest member on this adventure was Sirius, a young Eevee from a pack of Jolteon -also from the badlands, who wanted to make a difference and evolve into anything else, preferably a Flareon. This Eevee, however, had problems standing up to all the challenges the team was regularly put up to and ended up, more often than not, rescued by Lucida or Nash.
They reached the end of the icy chamber and found themselves at the entrance of another tunnel. This one, however, was not as dark as the one before as it was lit by pulsing, glowing crystals of some sort that, combined with the ice's reflection, illuminated the passage.
"Want to call it a day here?" Lucida asked.
"What?!" Mira roared. "We haven't been walking for an hour! Don't tell me you're tired already!"
"I'm asking Sirius," Lucida answered, looking at the Eevee she had wrapped in her tails. "What do you think?"
"Wha- Hey, Fancy!" Mira gave the Espeon an 'I'm gonna kill you' look. "Are you really gonna let her do that?!"
"A true gentleman allows ladies to choose," Nash carelessly replied, looking into the tunnel ahead before lying down on the cold floor, pulling a map out of a small bag he was carrying and looking at it. "The choice is entirely yours, Lucida... Or, in this case, Sirius." He immediately busied himself looking at the map, trying to identify what part they were on. "So... This large chamber... Then we took a left... Wall... Here..."
"Ah, what a wank," Mira grunted, lying down to rest herself. "So, choose, little pussy!"
"I... Yes, please," Sirius muttered. "If we could rest right now..."
"You heard him," Lucida lied down, placing her tails in a position that set the Eevee on top of her chest. "Rest, little one; you're safe with me."
"Thanks, Lucida..." Sirius leaned his head against the Ninetales' body, enjoying how warm she was. In a way, he felt, she was like the mother he had lost such a long time ago, but different. There ws something else about her he liked, but he just couldn't identify what it was.
The group's rest was disturbed by a loud thud, following by the sound of a Piloswine rushing out of nowhere, charging at them with a furious roar.
"Wha- I've got this one!" Mira roared, getting up and jumping at the charging foe with her red eyes gaining a glow that they only took with the thrill of the hunt. "Not so tough now, are ya?!"
Sirius, Nash and Lucida stared, the Eevee shocked in awe of the sight of the Luxray rolling around the icy floor with her target and digging her fangs on its flesh with deadly strength and precision. Not long after, Mira was lying next to a deceased Piloswine, sinking her teeth into its body with a satisfied look.
"Makes sense you'd lose," She grumbled at her dead enemy. "I was sleeping in the corpse of wild Tauros when you were just hatching from your mother's egg..."
"Wait," Sirius asked, still amazed at the sight. "How did you fit in a Tauros' corpse when you're so... Well, big?"
"I was a Shinx back then," Mira answered, not giving much importance to the Eevee's question as she continued feasting on her recent prey.
"Wow..."
***
The light was gone from the icy chamber as night fell on the skies above the surface, depriving the team of the sunlight that filtered from above and illuminated them.
Sirius opened his eyes, feeling his stomach give a sudden rumble. It only made sense as the berries Lucida had cooked for him earlier that night weren't much of a filler... He couldn't help thinking of her as he felt her soft, warm fur around him... 'Ah, Lucida... She's just so, so... If I was a little older, maybe I'd ask her out,' He thought, brushing his cheek against one of her tails. It was still warm.. In fact, it was so warm it made him sweat. Now, that was something that had never happened before... 'And soon, we'll find that treasure and I'll become a Flareon. Maybe I can ask her then...'
He slowly walked towards the bag Nash carried. The cold didn't seem to bother him so much anymore. In fact, he was even enjoying it a little. He sidestepped Mira, who was asleep, holding the remains of the Piloswine's carcass between her paws, purring softly. Grotesquely endearing ,indeed.
Slowly, Sirius took an apple in his paw and dragged it closer to his mouth. 'Almost there... Wait... My paws are... Blue?' He let out a surprised gasp, dropping the apple and quickly proceeding to look at his reflection in the ice. "No way! I'm a...
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
"I'm telling you, maps never lie!" Another, far finer and softer one answered.
"But it sure is cold..." The first one replied.
"Ugh, you sissies!" A third, female voice joined the argument.
"Mira is right," A fourth one commented. "Your complaints are starting to become obnoxious."
"'Obnoxious'? What's that?"
"It's just one of the words this fancy jerk uses instead of talking like a normal guy."
"'Fancy jerk'? Dear miss, I am hurt that you would call me that."
"Oh, are you? Well, that's what you are!"
"She's right, you-"
"-But then you're-!"
The darkness was filled with the bustle of the argument that suddenly started until the first voice quieted all the others down.
"Shut up!" The yell was heard louder than the rest of the voices, attracting everyone's attention. "There's light ahead!"
A single brown paw emerged from the darkness and stepped on the icy floor, making its owner react to the sudden cold with a yelp and jump back into the darkness. "Yikes, too cold!"
"Hmmm..." A dainty, lavender-colored paw emerged and stepped on the ice as well. After a while of feeling it, the lithe, stylish Espeon stepped out further, swaying his thin, slender body with every step he took with his twin-tipped tail swaying in the opposite direction. A few more steps and he looked back into the darkness with his dark purple eyes. "It is cold, indeed, but we have to advance. After all, that treasure is not too distant now! And it will not find itself."
"But it's cold!" The answer came from the shadows.
"Nash is right," Said a Ninetales as she walked out and joined the Espeon, sitting next to him in the ice. The light that filtered from above the large, icy chamber they were in shone down on her and made her elegant, golden fur glow with an unnatural radiance and her voice was soft and fine, fitting for a singer, really."You agreed to come here with us and you accepted the fact that it would not be a walk in the park." Her nine tails began to wave impatiently. "If the cold bothers you so much, stay close to me."
"But, Lucida, we-"
"-Walk it off, pussy!" The words came, accompanied by a red gleam in the shadows before a Luxray emerged from them and stepped into the ice. She sat in stark contrast to the other two. While the Ninetales and Espeon seemed well cared-for and chic, the Luxray had a more muscular and athletic build, more fitting for a huntress like her than for mystics like the cat and vixen, with her muscles hidden under her blue-and-black fur, yet still vaguely noticeable."Move it out! If this fancy, girly wuss," She gestured towards Nash, speaking with her deep, bluesy voice. "Can stand the cold, then so can you!"
"'Girly wuss'?!" The Espeon replied in an offended tone. "I can assure you, Miss Mira: I am all man."
"Yeah, whatever you say, pansy," Mira growled, then roared at the darkness. "Sirius, you coming or what?"
"Fine..." An Eevee came out from the darkness and joined them. He was young, maybe a little too young to be in company of the others, who were certainly older and far more skilled on the field of exploration than he was. "I-It's just s-so... Cold!" He whimpered, shivering.
"Now, now, Sirius," Lucida told the smaller kit. "Remember why you joined us in the first place."
"So I could be different from the rest of my pack in the badlands and evolve into anything that's not a Jolteon," Sirius replied. "I want to be a Flareon, but all this cold's not worth it!"
"Jack Finnegan was an avid admirer of Evolutionary Stones," Nash explained as they began to walk, venturing further into the icy cavern. "Just imagine it, young Eevee: Anything you might need to evolve into whatever you desire! Water Stones? Fire Stones? Thunder-"
"-He said he didn't want to become a Jolteon, dumbass!" Mira interrupted.
"True..." Nash continued. "Moon Ribbons, Frozen Rocks, Mossy Rocks, and the finest of all..." He smiled, bringing a dreamy sigh from Lucida, who was walking next to him. "Sun Ribbons."
"I know, I know..." Sirius whimpered again. "But getting here's been so hard... And I don't even want to think about what awaits ahead!" He couldn't stop shivering.
"Oh, you poor little dear!" Lucida said in a concerned tone, walking closer to Sirius and covering him with one of her tails, bringing him closer to her warm, golden fur. "Better? And, if we find a place to rest, I'll cook some berries for you! Would you like that?"
"Thanks, Lucida," Sirius murmured, feeling the warmth of the Ninetales' body relieving him of the bone-chilling cold. "You're so warm..."
"Sure, Lucida!" Mira grumbled, watching the Ninetales pamper the little Eevee. "Spoil him some more! Make this whiny sissy even more so!"
"He is just a kit, Mira," Lucida answered with a sharp, aggressive gaze from her crimson eyes. "He is not used to facing ordeals like this; It's only natural he can't stand them."
"Oh, please!" Mira retorted. "When I was just a cub I had to stand cold worse than this with nothing but the hide of the Houndoom I killed to keep me warm!" She grinned, showing her large fangs in a mixture of fondness and exasperation. "'Coz that's life in the badlands! And if he hasn't gotten used to it, that's really his problem!"
"Of course..." Nash whispered, but was still heard by the Luxray. "That's why you are like that... The filthy bush the badlands are can turn anyone into a savage."
"Got a problem with the badlands, sissy?" Mira snarled at the Espeon clearly displeased with her eyes beginning to glow an unnatural red with anger.
"Not at all, Miss Mira," Nash quickly replied, hoping his apologies would be enough to avoid any conflict. "I apologize if I gave you that impression."
"Yeah, you'd better be sorry." The Luxray calmed down with a low rumble still coming from her chest. "I don't know what I'm doing here, hunting the treasure of some Floatzel pirate with you when I could be doing it on my own."
"We are all together in search of that treasure, Miss Mira," Nash commented. "We all believe ourselves capable enough to find it on our own, but we all agreed we are far more efficient when searching in a group."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah..."
Those were the Shooting Stars: A rather dysfunctional team of exploration enthusiasts grouped together in hopes of finding the treasure of Jack Finnegan, a Floatzel pirate from many years ago that had concealed his treasure in the depths of a glacier in the northernmost regions of the world. It was formed by Nash and Lucida, an Espeon and Ninetales that had met each other working as spies on the war, and Mira, a strong, scrappy and rather hostile Luxray from the eastern badlands. Their newest member on this adventure was Sirius, a young Eevee from a pack of Jolteon -also from the badlands, who wanted to make a difference and evolve into anything else, preferably a Flareon. This Eevee, however, had problems standing up to all the challenges the team was regularly put up to and ended up, more often than not, rescued by Lucida or Nash.
They reached the end of the icy chamber and found themselves at the entrance of another tunnel. This one, however, was not as dark as the one before as it was lit by pulsing, glowing crystals of some sort that, combined with the ice's reflection, illuminated the passage.
"Want to call it a day here?" Lucida asked.
"What?!" Mira roared. "We haven't been walking for an hour! Don't tell me you're tired already!"
"I'm asking Sirius," Lucida answered, looking at the Eevee she had wrapped in her tails. "What do you think?"
"Wha- Hey, Fancy!" Mira gave the Espeon an 'I'm gonna kill you' look. "Are you really gonna let her do that?!"
"A true gentleman allows ladies to choose," Nash carelessly replied, looking into the tunnel ahead before lying down on the cold floor, pulling a map out of a small bag he was carrying and looking at it. "The choice is entirely yours, Lucida... Or, in this case, Sirius." He immediately busied himself looking at the map, trying to identify what part they were on. "So... This large chamber... Then we took a left... Wall... Here..."
"Ah, what a wank," Mira grunted, lying down to rest herself. "So, choose, little pussy!"
"I... Yes, please," Sirius muttered. "If we could rest right now..."
"You heard him," Lucida lied down, placing her tails in a position that set the Eevee on top of her chest. "Rest, little one; you're safe with me."
"Thanks, Lucida..." Sirius leaned his head against the Ninetales' body, enjoying how warm she was. In a way, he felt, she was like the mother he had lost such a long time ago, but different. There ws something else about her he liked, but he just couldn't identify what it was.
The group's rest was disturbed by a loud thud, following by the sound of a Piloswine rushing out of nowhere, charging at them with a furious roar.
"Wha- I've got this one!" Mira roared, getting up and jumping at the charging foe with her red eyes gaining a glow that they only took with the thrill of the hunt. "Not so tough now, are ya?!"
Sirius, Nash and Lucida stared, the Eevee shocked in awe of the sight of the Luxray rolling around the icy floor with her target and digging her fangs on its flesh with deadly strength and precision. Not long after, Mira was lying next to a deceased Piloswine, sinking her teeth into its body with a satisfied look.
"Makes sense you'd lose," She grumbled at her dead enemy. "I was sleeping in the corpse of wild Tauros when you were just hatching from your mother's egg..."
"Wait," Sirius asked, still amazed at the sight. "How did you fit in a Tauros' corpse when you're so... Well, big?"
"I was a Shinx back then," Mira answered, not giving much importance to the Eevee's question as she continued feasting on her recent prey.
"Wow..."
***
The light was gone from the icy chamber as night fell on the skies above the surface, depriving the team of the sunlight that filtered from above and illuminated them.
Sirius opened his eyes, feeling his stomach give a sudden rumble. It only made sense as the berries Lucida had cooked for him earlier that night weren't much of a filler... He couldn't help thinking of her as he felt her soft, warm fur around him... 'Ah, Lucida... She's just so, so... If I was a little older, maybe I'd ask her out,' He thought, brushing his cheek against one of her tails. It was still warm.. In fact, it was so warm it made him sweat. Now, that was something that had never happened before... 'And soon, we'll find that treasure and I'll become a Flareon. Maybe I can ask her then...'
He slowly walked towards the bag Nash carried. The cold didn't seem to bother him so much anymore. In fact, he was even enjoying it a little. He sidestepped Mira, who was asleep, holding the remains of the Piloswine's carcass between her paws, purring softly. Grotesquely endearing ,indeed.
Slowly, Sirius took an apple in his paw and dragged it closer to his mouth. 'Almost there... Wait... My paws are... Blue?' He let out a surprised gasp, dropping the apple and quickly proceeding to look at his reflection in the ice. "No way! I'm a...
AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"