The Psychiatric Ward

*Derek, who's sitting in a chair situated within his house's living room, sighs heavily as he relaxes, letting the wind blow through the open window near him and over his feathers. Outside, the sun is beating down hard on everything, drying it out as the temperature slowly rises to just slightly above 100 degrees. The wind blowing through the window, however is cool and relaxing. He's reading a book in the dim light in the room, trying to ignore the chattering outside. Sam is out with some friends she made in town, playing in the small garden right outside the window. Loud giggling is beginning to break Derek's concentration, making him skip over lines in the book. Eventually, he just tosses the book over his shoulder and lets out another sigh. The book hits Alex in the head, who was busy trying to fix a small plasma generator while Derek wasn't looking. Alex rubs his head and looks down at the book and tilts his head. The title of the book says "101 ways to rekindle your relationship". Alex begins flipping through the pages of it and frowns, thinking it can only mean one thing. Sliding the small generator under a table, he walks over to Derek with the book and tugs on his feathers, trying to get his attention. Derek just keeps looking forward, resting his head in his hand while staring at the wall.*
Alex-" Dad, why were you reading this? Is there something wrong? ....Is something happening between you and mom?"
*Derek finally looks down at Alex and gives him a weak smile. He rubs the top of Alex's head and takes the book out of his hands, pushing it into the side of the chair to hide it*
Derek-" No Alex, everything between your mother and I are fine. I'm just... trying to get things to looking better. We're not as joyful as we used to be, and I don't want her to think bad of me for not trying to please her... nothing to worry about, I just need to take her out somewhere nice"
*Alex slowly nods and climbs up Derek's leg, sitting on his lap and looking up at him*
Alex-" Okay... I was just wondering. You've been kinda sad these past few days. I thought something was the matter"
*Alex's voice slowly starts to die down as he notices that it's gone silent outside. Sam's giggling that was once loud and overpowering is there no more. She pops her head up over the windowsill and smiles at Derek*
Sam-" Hey Derek, there's someone here that's asking for you. Says it's really important. What should I tell him, you're here or to go away and stop acting like a perv?"
*Derek simply shakes his head at Sam's comment and rubs Alex's back, slowly slipping out from under him so that Alex can have the warm, soft seat he was sitting in. Derek walks over to the door and opens it, letting the bright rays of the sun in. He holds his hand in front of his face, momentarily blinded before looking around. Seeing no one around, he looks over to Sam and gets ready to say something before feeling a tug on his leg. He looks down to see Chatot standing there at his feet, trying to get his attention. Derek looks at him strangely, not expecting to see Chatot there at his house*
Derek-" Oh great, what is it this time? Did something blow up at the guild again? ...Or is this another one of your social visits? If so, you can just turn around and walk the other way. I already told you I wasn't interested in you"
-_- Chatot-" Oh how you've always been able to give me a warm welcome. No, I'm here because the guild master has requested your presence at an upcoming meeting. Something has come to the guild's attention that needs to be settled. Seeing as you're one of our strongest members, we wanted you to be in on it"
Derek-" I don't know... is this just going to be another one of those meetings that are just a bunch of sweaty old guys in a small room for hours on end? If so, I'm not too happy about the idea"
Chatot-" No, we're having a meeting of all the guild masters in the land. Something has been happening to a lot of the regions, so they decided to gather together and try to settle the problem"
*Derek groans and rubs the feathers on the back of his head downwards, thinking about what to say to Chatot. He looks over to Sam, seeing her smiling at him and then finally back down to Chatot*
Derek-" I guess I can't say no. The guild has done enough for me and my family... one small meeting to return the favors couldn't hurt"
*With this, Chatot smiles at Derek and flaps his wings, taking off from the ground and hovering inches away from Derek's face*
Chatot-" I'll alert the guild master and tell him you'll be joining us later tonight. Until then"
*Chatot takes off, leaving Derek alone in the blazing sun with only Sam and her friends outside with him. Sam starts giggling again and running around the yard with her new friends, playing. Derek walks back into the house and pushes on the door behind him so that it's only cracked. While sorting through a closet near him, Alex looks over the top of the chair at Derek's back*
Alex-" Dad, I've never seen them come to the house before. What did they want with you?"
Derek-" Just some crap with the guild. I need to head out soon. Tell your mother I'll be back later tonight and fix her a nice meal. Oh, and one last thing.... keep Poofs out of the kitchen. She's been eating far too much lately for snacks. She's beginning to turn from cute and chubby to just plain fat"
*Alex nods at him as Derek disappears down the hallway, heading to his room to gather up a few things before the onset of nighttime*

*Several hours later, Derek finds himself walking down an old dirt path, carrying a sack under his arm while staring at the horizon. The sun is setting to his back, casting a long shadow in front of him. The guild and town are far up ahead, situated upon a cliff side. As the ground turns from beaten path to rocky terrain, Derek climbs the slope leading up to the guild's front entrance and looks down at the grate on the ground*
Derek-" I know you're down there you little loudmouth prick'. You make me stand on that thing one more time and yell who I am, I'm coming down there and cramming a Diglett so far up your @ss, you'll have a sore throat for days"
*There's a hesitation for a few moment, then the gate in front of the main door slams open. Derek smirks a little and walks around the grate, heading into the guild and down the ladder. Down at the bottom of the guild, Diglett and Loudred are staring at each other, wondering what would have become of them if they hadn't have opened the gate when told to. They look away from each other immediately, trying to put the thought off their minds. Within the guild master's chamber, eight torches flicker on the walls, letting off light within the large room. A large table as been situated in the middle of the room, with chairs lining the sides. The guild master Wigglytuff sits at the back, seemingly wide awake but swaying back and forth like someone would in their sleep. Around the table sit several other Pokemon, all wearing fine robes made of silk. An older looking Alakazam, a young and beautiful Latias, and a middle aged, very grumpy looking Glaceon. The torches on the walls flicker as the doors open to the room, allowing Derek to walk in. He looks around at the group of people gathered in the room, then takes a seat at the front of the table. He smirks again and puts his feet up on the table, leaning back in the chair to relax*
Derek-" Didn't think I'd ever see you lot again. Sh*t must have really hit the fan if they got Mr.Jolly out of his hole"
*He nods over to the Glaceon sitting near him, making the Glaceon glare at Derek and growl. Chatot frowns and backs up at this sign of aggression towards Derek. The Glaceon slams his front paws down on the table and speaks to Derek in a very harsh tone*
Glaceon-" Watch who you're talking about kid. Little punks like you are the reason I never want to come out of that so called hole!"
Derek-" Can it. We both know I'm older than you and you just stay there because your wife has you by the balls. All pleasantries aside, I would really like to know why I was pulled away from my family on such short notice"
*The Latias opens her eyes and smiles at Derek, speaking in a soft and gentle tone*
Latias-" It's a problem that I think be best explained by Wigglytuff over here. Wigglytuff, if you would be so kind?"
*She looks over at Wigglytuff, expecting an answer. She gets nothing from it, as Wigglytuff keeps staring ahead blankly. Chatot, who's still standing beside him, facepalms, knowing that Wigglytuff has once again fallen asleep during important events. Chatot nudges the chair, making Wigglytuff stir and look around*
Wigglytuff-" WELCOME! We've all bee waiting for you to get here! Is it morning yet?"
*The elder Alakazam raises a hand to get the groups attention, deciding it's his turn to put something into the conversation*
Alakazam-" Allow me, master Wigglytuff. As you all know, we've had several letters come in from all regions of the land. They seem to all be from the same person. The letters sent in detail a person that is set for assassination. Whoever is sending these letters out to the guilds list the person who is going to die, when they're going to die, and how they're going to die. So far, we've had these letters sent in on 20 different very wealthy people from all over the land. Each has met the fate predicted exactly as the letters have said. We've not had any luck in stopping this person, no matter who we send to protect the people. We also have no motive for the assassinations. We're at a complete loss here, and we've just received not of yet another assassination to be carried out tomorrow night"
Glaceon-" Pathetic. I would gladly go after this guy, whoever he is, and stop him with my own bare paws"
Derek-" The only thing you'd be able to do is trip over your own paws again and fall face first on the floor. Then I would have to come and save your blue butt. Tell me master Alakazam, who is the assassination attempt set for this time? Another wealthy individual in power?"
Alakazam-" Yes, that's correct. The subject's name is Moro, a very wealthy Persian."
Derek-" I'm getting the picture now. I see what's going on here. You all have called me in here because of what I can do. You think that my immortality will keep me alive, no matter what this guy does. You want me to bring him in for you, isn't that right?"
Alakazam-" We know it's a lot to ask of you, but we're out of options. We MUST stop this person before another innocent life is wasted. Please, we need your help"
Derek-" Well, you've got me in a difficult spot here, once again. I can't exactly say no and let someone's death be on my hands... I've got enough of that. Just give me the letter and I'll get going"
*The Alakazam nods and pushes a letter across the table towards Derek. He grabs it and tucks it away in his feathers. Right before he gets up, he picks up the bag he was carrying with him to the guild and tosses it to Wigglytuff, allowing him to catch it. The top of the bag falls apart, revealing a stack of large apples inside. Wigglytuff's eyes light up as he sees it*
Derek-" I didn't forget about you ya crazy old poof ball. Just try not to eat them all at once again. Last thing we need is Chatot losing his mind again over one of your belly aches"
*With this, Derek gets out of the chair and walks towards the exit, rubbing the top of the Glaceon's head on the way just to make him mad. The Glaceon lets out a growl and snaps at Derek. Derek chuckles a little and walks out the door of the room, soon exiting the guild itself. By now, the moon has taken its place high in the sky, casting a cool blue light over everything. As Derek walks down the road towards his house, he pulls the letter out of his feathers and begins reading over it. The soft crunch of the gravel under his feet make smaller Pokemon in the woods scatter and flee towards the safety of the trees. The letter Derek's holding seems to be written in blood, and having the pen style of an old artisan.*
Derek-" Must just be another loony out for a little fun. Freak come out of everywhere these day..."
*After reading all of the information he could gather from the letter, he holds it out in his hand. A burst of intense blue flame emanates from his hand, turning the letter to smoldering ashes that drift softly down to the ground. Putting his hands behind his back, he keeps walking along the old dirt path leading to his home, keeping his eyes on the moon far above him. After a short time, he finally gets back home and stands at the doorstep, looking down at his feet. He can hear laughing inside, but a frown remains on his face. Slowly, he rests his forehead on the door and leans on it, lost in thought*
Derek-" Why do I keep getting this feeling...? I remember the last time I felt it. It was right before Blaziken managed to get out and create havoc everywhere.... I hope my scar isn't telling me something..."
*The door suddenly opens, making Derek stumble forward into the house. He finally loses his balance and falls face first on the floor. Chris is standing there near the door, his tail wrapped around the door knob to open it. He smiles at Derek, closing the door and walking over to lick the feathers on top of Derek's head. His tail is now wagging happily, beating against the wall and making the pictures shift*
Chris-" I thought I heard someone at the door just a second ago. Glad to see you're back, we've been waiting for a while"
*Derek lifts his head up off of the floor and looks ahead, finding both Sam and Alex sitting at the dinner table, forks in both hands and empty plates in front of them. They're smiling at Derek, expecting him to get up at any moment and fix them a meal before bed. Patting Chris on the head, he heads into the kitchen and begins fixing each of them something. As he does, Sam starts to poke Alex in the side with her fork*
Sam-" Hey Derek, why did ya have to go to that thing at the guild with the dirty bird? He have to yell at you?"
Derek-" Stop calling me by my name, Sam, and call me dad. You know that's what I am to you, to both of you"
Sam-" ...I'm still not seeing it. You just don't seem like you could be my father. Sorry if I'm sounding a bit mean... but it just doesn't seem right for me to say that to you. Anyway, you seem a bit depressed tonight. Everything okay?"
*He puts the food down in both of them. Several sandwiches for Sam and a pile of fine rock ore for Alex. Alex smiles and starts stuffing his face as Derek turns away from Sam, headed back into the living room to rest*
Derek-" I'm fine Sam, just tired is all. You two finish up and head on up to bed. I have to get some sleep now.... I'll see you in the morning"
*Sam slowly nods and finishes her meal quickly. Once she's done, she grabs Alex's hand and starts dragging him upstairs against his will. She hops in the bed with him, and blows out the candle beside the bed. The window is left open, letting the cool night air blow in through it along with the sounds of the forest just outside. Sam lays down under the covers and wraps her arms around Alex, holding him close to her and nuzzling his chest as she slowly starts to fall asleep. Alex frowns but puts an arm around her, soon falling asleep himself while feeling the warmth of her body to his*

*The following afternoon, Derek is standing near the kitchen table, busy packing up several things into a cloth bag he has laid out. He looks outside the kitchen window while doing so, seeing the dimming red light outside as the sun begins to set over the ocean not far from his house. He ties the cloth bag up tight and slings it over his back, turning around to see Chris standing in the doorway with his own bag on his back*
Derek-" You just about ready to get this thing over with? It's going to be a long night, you better make sure you're ready for anything this guy throws at you"
*Chris smiles and trots over to Derek, looking up at him while standing by his side, signaling that he's ready to follow*
Chris-" I've got everything I need, let's just get this thing over with. I have several things I need to take care of when I get back... involving Aline and what's happened.... I need to set things right and give her a good life, so lets do this fast"
*Derek slowly nods and sets out of the house, heading south towards the valleys hidden in a small mountain range. While traveling through the now very dim light, he looks down at Chris, smiling as he still sees the child in him. The smile soon disappears as a feeling of nostalgia passes over Derek. He finds himself thinking about all the times he was with Maria 100 years ago; when he was carefree and happy all of the time. This feeling soon passes over him as the lights of a well guarded mansion built into the side of the valley begins to come into view. Outside of the main gates, stand guards of all kinds, along with many Pokemon hired for the night to offer the person within their protection. Derek slowly nods to the guards in front of the house holding rifles as he passes them, going into the gates and pushing open the doors of the mansion. He's bathed in the bright lights of the hallways, making him wince a little. There's a young female Lopunny standing there, wearing a maid's outfit and waiting for him to follow her. As he does, walking up towards the second floor of the mansion, he has to keep a hand on Chris' ear to keep him from running off deeper into the mansion. Chris is struggling against Derek slightly, curiosity of the area overwhelming him. Derek finally follows the Lopunny into a room full of rescue teams. They're all holding weapons of some sort as they gather around one, very wealthy looking Persian in the middle of the room. Derek approaches the Persian and puts down his bag*
Derek-" So, I take it you're Moro, the one who's had a threat against his life by this so called assassin? Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong"
Moro-" No no, you're right.... it's nearing the time of the set assassination attempt. Ready yourself"
*Moro points over to a very old looking clock on the wall. The hands of the clock are nearing midnight, the set time for the attempt on Moro's life. Moro is looking down at the ground, seemingly deeply troubled by the fate he expects to meet tonight. He doesn't appear to have much confidence in the abilities of the teams gathered around him after hearing the stories of how all of the other assassination attempts were carried out without flaw. Derek sits down in front of the Persian and smiles, taking a small vial out of his bag and giving it to him. The liquid contained within the vial is thick and black. Moro looks down at it, confused as to what it is and then up towards Derek's face*
Derek-" Look, I can tell you're worried and don't seem to think we can win... and to be honest, I can't assure you that we will either. The only thing I can do is offer you this small gift. Keep it close to you at all costs, no matter what happens. I'm not familiar with how this person operates. I don't know whether he'll kill you on the spot or drag you away to do God knows what. If we don't win this little fight and he does take you, just ingest that. It's a quick and painless way to go... and I'm sure a lot better than anything he would do to you. Just based off of the random killings, I would say this person is only out for the sight of blood and pain. Don't give him what he wants. Go on your own terms"
*The Persian holds the vial tightly and covers his eyes with his paws, breaking down in the middle of everyone in tears as the clock on the wall chimes midnight. Derek stands up and looks around, not hearing anything or anyone other than the breathing of the Pokemon in the room and Moro's sobbing.*
Derek-" What do you think Chris, is he here or is he not coming? I don't hear any-"
*A dead guard's body flies through the window, shattering the glass and sending it everywhere. The body flies into the opposite wall, embedding the head in the wall and snapping the neck as the body falls downward, limp. Derek quickly runs over to the window and looks out seeing only a Luxray standing in the middle of every guard's bodies. He looks up at Derek with cold, deep blue eyes before disappearing in the blink of an eye. A loud crashing noise can be heard downstairs as the front door gets kicked in. Every single person in the room gathers around the sobbing Moro and takes a fighting stance, staring at the door to the room, expecting the assassin to come crashing through at any moment. A few moments pass before one of the people standing around Moro falls over, decapitated without any signs of how it had happened. Derek looks down at the body in shock, then notices the Luxray standing in the window. It's staring down the crowd of Pokemon with its cold lifeless eyes.*
Derek-" Who the hell are you, and what do you want with the life of this innocent Persian?!"
*Several of the Pokemon standing around Moro break the circle, dashing at the assassin at full speed, claws pointed outward, ready to dig into the assassin. Derek growls a little and yells at the Pokemon rushing into a fight*
Derek-" No you idiots, stop! You're rushing straight into your death!"
*His words reach the Pokemon too late. Just before they reach the assassin, they're bodies explode into a shower of blood. Having multiple deep gashes all over their bodies, their bowels fly all over the room, along with anything else hit by the sightless attack. An eyeball rolls across the floor, landing at Derek's feet and staring up at him. The Luxray keeps a cold, straight face as he slowly speaks up*
Altair-" My name is Altair, but that won't matter, for you shall meet the same fate as all the others that have crossed my path"
*His eyes widen as a wave of energy comes from them. Every single Pokemon in the room that was looking him in the eyes grunts a little, struggling to move. Several state in confusion that they can't move a single muscle as Altair walks closer to them, holding out a claw. As he passes one Pokemon, he lets the claw run along its side, slitting it open and letting its innards spill onto the ground below*
Altair-" I wouldn't bother trying to escape. Once you enter a fight, you're going to stay in it until the end. My Muygeko technique will make sure you stay here and watch your end..."
*He stops and grunts as a squeaky toy hits him in the forehead. Derek has somehow avoided the attack and reached into Chris' bag, pulling out one of his squeaky toys and throwing it. Altair frowns and glares at Derek*
Derek-" Yeah, that's not going to really work all too well here. I've been around quite a while, so I'm aware of one or two techniques. Shocking that anyone actually managed to learn that technique... optical illusions that paralyze? You must be the acclaimed Pokeslayer, Altair. I've heard a lot about you before, but never thought I would get a chance to meet you. I figured you had just crawled in a hole and died years ago once the rumors of you stopped spreading... let's just be glad the only thing our little innocent blue buddy carries with him are toys."
;_; Chris-" My squeaky... you threw it, and I can't chase..."
*The Luxray steps on the toy while walking forward, crushing it under his weight and making it pop. He finally smiles a little and chuckles, staring Derek down*
Altair-" Been a while since someone was able to overcome the Muygeko. You must be one strong willed individual... another Pokeslayer, if I'm right. Only ones who had seen the blood of innocent on their hands and liked it could break free of that little illusion. A Blaziken huh.... Kein the Pokeslayer."
*Derek glares at Altair after hearing that name and charges him, appearing behind Altair and throwing a punch at his back. Altair disappears, only to reappear on the windowsill not too far from Derek and Chris. Still chuckling, he stands on his back paws and holds the side of the window, letting the full moon shine at his back*
Altair-" I can see someone's lost their touch over the years. No matter, I can still get what I want from you granted I find the right motivation. I will spare Moro's life under the conditions that you find and defeat me in two days time. I suggest you lose the kind act and return to the Pokeslayer you once were if you have any hopes of beating me"
*He disappears in the blink of an eye, letting everyone that was trapped under his optical illusion fall to the ground, panting. Moro is sitting there in the middle of them all, still in shock at what happened. Finally, he gets up, tears still streaming from his face and hugs Derek's waist tightly, burying his face in Derek's feathers*
Moro-" Oh thank you thank you thank you! You saved my life from that horrible person! How can I ever repay you?!"
*Derek looks down at Moro and frowns, trying to push his head away from his own body*
Derek-" Just get off of me and let us go back home already! Chris, lets get out of here!"
*He shoves Moro to the floor and grabs Chris by the back of the neck, picking him up and running towards the door. Chris keeps his ;_; face as he looks at the crushed squeaky toy on the floor. Once outside of the front gates and away from all of the bodies, Derek drops Chris on the ground and walks over to a crossroad of different paths on the ground. He holds onto a sign near it, panting*
Derek-" Chris, I need you to head back home and check on the kids. I need to go back to the guild and tell them what's happened here tonight"
*Chris is laying on the ground by now, covering his face with his paws and throwing a fit over the squeaky toy*
Chris-" How could you do that to my toy?! I spent so long with that thing, it was a gift from Aline on my birthday!"
*When Chris looks up, he finds himself alone by the crossroads. The only things near him are the dead bodies of the guards who were slaughtered just a short time ago. Letting out a sigh, he turns and starts following the path that leads back to Derek's house. Meanwhile, Derek is running down the other path as fast as he can that leads to the guild. The forest around him is a blur of shapes as he dashes as fast as he can. It doesn't take him long to get over a small hill, allowing him to see the soft glow of light in the sky above the guild's cliff. Running up the front path, he bends open the gates to the front of the guild and leaps down the hole, landing on the bottom floor in an instant, making a loud crashing noise as he does. Lights start to come on in the back hallway as the members of the guild wake up at his loud noises. Some poke their heads out of their doors to look at him as he walks into Wigglytuff's room. Wigglytuff is sitting in the middle of the room, sleeping while sitting up. Derek throws a block of wood at his head to wake him up and walks over to the window, looking out of it while keeping his arms crossed behind his back*
Derek-" I finished the mission and kept Moro alive, but we have a bigger problem now. The assassin's name was Altair, the Pokeslayer, and he wants to fight me in two days time... well, one day now. He says if I don't, he's going to follow through with his attempt on Moro's life..."
Wigglytuff-" You going to fight him?"
Derek-" Not that I have a choice, but yes. I want you to do me a favor. Until Altair leaves, I want you to postpone all rescue jobs and keep the members of the guild in doors. Last thing we need is one of them getting killed..."
*Wigglytuff nods and walks over to a chest, pulling out a large apple for Derek to take. As soon as he turns around, he finds the window open and Derek gone. Wigglytuff frowns and sits back down on the floor, eating it sadly by his self.*



*Derek soon opens the door to his own house, finding Chris curled up on the floor, asleep. The sun is just now beginning to rise behind him, casting his long shadow over the room. Seeing that everyone's still asleep, he quietly walks in and closes the door. With a hand on the back of his head, he starts walking upstairs towards the kid's room. When he gets up there and walks in, he takes a seat next to the bed and looks over at the lot in the bed. Sam and Alex are both curled up under the covers, holding each other and trying to stay warm. Derek smiles a little and reaches over, rubbing both of their heads while trying not to wake them from their sleep. Alex, however, groans a little and looks up at him. Taking a hand off of Sam's back to wipe his own eye, he leans up a little before Derek puts a hand on his side to stop him from getting up*
Derek-" Just go back to sleep Alex.... it's still pretty early in the morning. I just got home and wanted to check on the two of you, that's all..."
*Derek leans back in the chair and crosses his arms, closing his eyes and beginning to drift off to sleep for a little while*

*A sweet scent of frying meat tickles Kate's nose as a sharp sizzling sound makes her ears perk up a little. She rolls over onto her back and yawns before leaning up on the couch to look around. By now, the late morning sun is filtering through the windows, illuminating the room for her. Chris is in the kitchen, fixing her some breakfast. Just as Chris is about to take the food off of the stove, he cringes in pain and looks back to see Kate biting down on his flat tail. She's smiling as she does, wagging her tail happily. Chris shakes her off and dumps her food out on a plate on the table. With a sigh, he takes a seat near her's and holds his head in his paw. Kate leaps up into the chair and starts eating as fast as she can while Chris stares blankly out the window*
Chris-" Kate, you ever think of starting things over again? Going somewhere else and getting a fresh start on life. Not worrying about your past or what you've done... Just making new friends and a new life"
*Kate slowly stops eating and looks up at Chris, obviously worried over what he's thinking*
Kate-" No... well, kinda... why are you asking this big bro? Aren't you happy here with everyone else?"
Chris-" Not really. Everything here has been a mess. I've screwed up so many lives while here... first there was Tera. I guess I was the only thing that led her away from her evil ways and kept her nice all that time. I don't know what happened between us, but we eventually just went our separate ways. I could tell she was really upset over the whole thing... and so was I. Then Aline came along, basically the same story. Someone who wasn't happy met me and wanted to start a small relationship. The one with her was rocky the whole time. We wanted to be close, but we never really connected. Now she's adopted that small Eevee and we just never spend time together. I'm thinking this little part of the world would just be better off without me, and that's why I'm leaving today. I wanted to ask, will you come with me?"
*Kate's ears droop off to the sides and she looks like she's about to cry from having to make the tough decision*
Kate-" But what about Rath? He's the best friend I've ever had, the only friend I've ever had. I can't just leave him behind without even so much as a word, can I? That would just be mean... and I don't want to see him upset again"
Chris-" Kate, the chances of you finding him are slim to none. Just come with me and we'll make a new life, with new friends just as good as Rath. Please Kate, I don't want to be without a sister. We've always went everywhere with each other, no matter what"
*Chris looks over her head to see Derek walking out the front door with Sam on his head. Derek nods at Chris and disappears, walking down a dirt path heading towards the river. Chris turns his attention back to Kate, seeing her fiddle with er paws in her lap*
Kate-" I guess I'll come with you, not like I can leave my only family hanging. I'll go anywhere you want to go, Chris. But what are you going to say to Aline? Are you just going to leave without a word like I am?"
Chris-" No, I've already got that planned. I'll slip something under her door on our way out of town"
*He holds up a letter in his paw and jumps out of the chair, heading for the door. Kate scarfs down the rest of her breakfast and runs to Chris, jumping onto his back just as he sets out down an old rocky path heading towards Aline's house. Kate looks around at the forest, knowing its the last time she'll ever see these trees in her life. Her ears are still dropped off to her sides, and even more so when she looks ahead to see Aline's house in the closing distance. It doesn't take long for Chris to get there and walk up to the front door. With slight hesitation, he slips the letter under the door and walks away without a second thought, heading towards the river and the path leading east. The letter he left under the door reads the following*

Deer Alin,

First off all I want too say that I luv yew. I reely hait that wi cooldnt work things out. Im going awai with mi sistr too lok for a nu live. Wi probubly wont meat again, but I knou yewll be fine. Hope yew hav a gud live, luv Chrs.
XOXOXO

*Chris keeps following the path until he gets to a low point where the river is next to the path. He looks over to see Derek and Sam sitting by the water's edge and smiles. He turns away, keeping his eyes forward. He keeps walking, heading towards his new life, not looking back at his old one for a second*

*Derek sits by the riverside with Sam, tossing rocks into the water as it rushes by. Sam slowly glances over at Derek, wondering why he dragged her out here at such an early hour in the day but doesn't say anything. She just keeps throwing rocks at the river with him before finally letting out a sigh. Before she can say anything, Derek speaks up with a slightly monotone voice*
Derek-" Sam, I have a question for you. What do you see me as in your life? A friend, a father, what?"
Sam-" Well... I was told you're my dad, so I'm trying to see you as that... sorry if it's not working all that well yet. I just feel kinda uncomfortable around you still. You're big and kinda scary."
Derek-" I understand, it explains why you call me by my name all the time instead of dad or father. Sam, what do you see Alex as? I've seen you for several nights straight curled up in the bed with him. You act like he really is your family, as if you believe that"
Sam-" Well, I kinda do see the Sableye guy as a big brother. He's always nice and there to protect me if I'm in trouble. I trust him with my life, and I like being around him. Is there something wrong with this? If there is, I'll stop"
Derek-" No no, there's nothing wrong with it. I'm actually glad you're warming up to at least one of us. Sam, I want you to do me a favor and stick close to Alex for a while. There's a very bad Luxray hanging around here, and he's out to get me. He would probably kill you if you got in his way. I want you to tell your friends from town to do the same. Stay in doors and avoid any Luxray they see"
Sam-" Why would he be af-"
*Sam gets cut off as someone yanks her up off of the log by grabbing her upper arm. It puts a hand over her mouth to muffle her noises. Altair is holding her as he stands on a boat, quickly floating away down the raging river. Derek leaps up, screaming out Sam's name at the top of his lungs while trying to chase after the quickly fading sight of the boat. At the same time, Sam is screaming out the word "Daddy!" as loudly as she can through Altair's paw*
Altair-" I take it this rat is your little girl Kein. I can only imagine how angry you would be if something happened to her. Show me your anger Pokeslayer, show me what you're really capable of"
*Derek falls to his knees, fuming with anger as the sight of Altair finally fades into the distance. Letting out a loud yell, he pounds his fists into the dirt. Alex sits up in his bed, back at the house which is miles away after hearing Derek's yell echo. By the time he actually gets out of bed and starts heading down the stairs, the front door slams open from Derek's fist hitting it. He immediately heads for the basement to gather up several things before setting out to find Altair. Alex just stands there in shock, looking from the basement door to the front door which is hanging off of its hinges. The sun outside is just now starting to fall into the horizon, signaling that it's getting later in the day. Derek comes out of the basement a few minutes later, carrying a small metal rod wrapped in leather in his left hand. Without saying a word to Alex, he walks out the front door and off towards the forest where Altair awaits him. With a saddened look on his face, Alex stumbles over to the couch and hops up onto it, curling up and staring out the window at the sky*

*Out at a small shrine in the middle of the forest, Sam sits on a wooden plank, tied up at the feet and arms so she has to remain in a sitting position. Altair is sitting on a rock near her, smoking a cigarette while staring off at the edge of the forest. Out of the corner of his eye, he can see Sam shooting him an evil look as she thinks of beating his face in with her tail*
Altair-" Stop glaring at me, it's not like I'm going to kill you and eat you. I'm much to civilized for such cruel acts as that"
Sam-" Coward, you kidnapped me because you couldn't win against my father otherwise! You should be ashamed of what you're doing here!"
*Altair blows out a puff of smoke and looks over at her, grinning. He tosses the half burned cigarette down at Sam's feet*
Altair-" You don't get it, do you? I could finish Kein the Pokeslayer off in less time that it takes to finish a cigarette. That's no fun little girl. If I kidnap you, Kein will be angry, and the legendary Pokeslayer he was will return because of that anger."
Sam-" No, no way. You have no idea how strong my father really is. He could stop you easily"
Altair-" I think you're the one who has no idea who he really WAS. During the revolution, the power of Kein the Pokeslayer made even the strongest of men cower in fear. I was in the mid west as well, as a member of the archists. We were a clan of fighters set out to put down the corrupt government, but some out of the group didn't like my cold ways of getting rid of everything that stood in our path. They spoke up, but didn't get the exact response they wanted. They drowned in their own blood and left me to take down the government branch in the Solstice Town alone. Turns out that Kein was fighting in the mid west too. A death match between him and I with both of us on the edge, now that's what I want. I don't think anything else in the world could be more enjoyable than that"
Sam-" Daddy's not like that. He's not like you; a man who's just out to shed blood. He will never return to the ways of the Pokeslayer, never."
*Altair once again laughs as a flock of Murkrow take flight, casting shadows over the both of them in the last fading glimpse of light the setting sun gives. The moon is just now starting to rise in the sky as Altair looks down at a rather old and rusted pocketwatch. The minute hand strikes 12 and Altair closes it, looking up and out at the forest*
Altair-" It's just about that time. So where's the Kein that's suppose to come and save his daughter?!"
*He smiles at he sees Derek walk out of the forest, still carrying the leather rod in his left hand. Sam smiles a little bit, overjoyed to see Derek. Her smile is immediately turned into a look of shock as she sees the look in Derek's eyes. It's one of hate towards everyone and everything. Altair chuckles and puts a hand on a sword he has near him*
Altair-" Huh, I like those eyes of yours. It means you're angry, it means you're wanting to get my blood on your hands"
Derek-" Yeah, I'm angry at you for putting my daughter in harm's way, and angry at myself for not being able to stop you"
*Derek says this in a colt tone of voice that makes Sam cringe. Just as Altair pulls out his sword from its sheath, Derek holds out the leather rod and forms a blade of fire out of it, illuminating the area around him and casting a foul shadow on his own face. The blade is different though, the sharp edge of it is on the wrong side, leaving only a blunt line of fire on the side that's used for contact with something else.*
Altair-" I sense a pleasing desire to kill in you. Now all you have to do is flip the blade on that silly sword of yours and the legendary Pokeslayer can return once more to this world"
Derek-" Shut up"
*They run at each other, both swords pointed outwards and towards the opponent. As they meet, they block each other several times in a seemingly even match of skill. Altair leaps away, landing in a tree and grins at Derek before letting out another burst of his Muygeko in an attempt to paralyze Derek. Derek takes a shielded stance and immediately breaks any control Altair has over him. As Sam looks at the fight, she can't help but think to herself out of the shock of seeing Derek as he is right now*
Sam-" Is this Kein, Kein the Pokeslayer...? How can daddy act like this; so hateful towards someone else. He seemed so nice..."
*Altair runs at Derek, once again pressing his sword outward to strike Derek in the chest*
Altair-" Angry, angrier Kein. I want to see the legendary Pokeslayer fight me here, not your pathetic moral filled form!"
Derek-" One handed thrust, next, form one side slash. Finally, a straight cut downwards to kill the opponent. Then from there, break his stance and end it!"
*The attacks come just as Derek had predicted in his head. Altair makes a thrust at Derek's chest, easily dodged by twisting out of the way. Next is a slash from the side, easily avoided by Derek ducking under the blade. While Derek is still down, Altair tries to make a slash downward onto Derek's head. Derek digs his blade into the ground and angles it so that Altair's blade hits the handle of Derek's stopping the attack. Derek thrusts upward with the handle, knocking Altair off balance and going in for an attack. Altair grins and pulls his sword behind his back, switching the hands its in and stabbing Derek through the shoulder. Derek falls over to the side, holding his shoulder in pain as Altair pulls the blade out. Derek grunts as his own blood begins to pool on the ground around him. Sam can only sit there in shock and yell out to see if her father is okay*
Sam-" Daddy, no! Get up, you can't just lay there like that! HE'LL KILL YOU!"
Altair-" You're not there yet. You're still far from being the Pokeslayer you once were. It's because as angry as you are now, you still don't want to kill me yet. As long as you keep thinking you can defeat me without killing me, I'll be able to rid you of this world without even trying. You're beginning to bore me."
*Altair looks over at Sam as he hears her calling out Derek's name over and over again. Sam keeps yelling about how Derek is turning into a heartless killer and how he should stop before someone gets hurt. Altair laughs a little to himself and looks down at Derek, wiping his blood off of the sword on his feathers.*
Altair-" Go ahead, let the anger keep building inside of you. This won't take long at all"
*He turns away from Derek and stares at Sam. Derek lays there, holding his shoulder and trying to get the bleeding to stop. Derek suddenly goes cold as he realizes that Sam isn't screaming anymore, or even making any noise at all. He quickly looks up at Sam to see her sitting there, wide eyed and struggling to breathe*
Altair-" A stronger form of the Muygeko. One that's so strong, it enters the victim's body and paralyzes the lungs. She will last five minutes at most before she suffocates. There are only two ways to overcome this paralyzing. The first is for the target to overcome it by themselves, but both of us know that this little girl is far too weak to do that by herself. She might as well prepare to die if she's relying on that and that alone. The second is for the one who casts the Muygeko to die. In other words, unless you kill me, the girl dies. So what's wrong, are you going to let her die like this without lifting a finger? Death by suffocation isn't pretty"
*Derek keeps looking down at the ground and grasps his fire blade even tighter, grumbling Altair's name under his breath*
Altair-" There's no time for small talk. If you have something to say, say it with a sword; with that silly sword of yours"
*Altair stands there, staring at Derek before being overcome with a look of shock. He sees that Derek has somehow disappeared into thin air, leaving only a few rustling leaves behind. Suddenly, Altair gets thrown backwards a few feet by the blunt end of Derek's sword coming into contact with the bridge of his nose, crushing it inwards. Blood spews all over Altair's face from his broken nose as Derek lands on the ground behind him, standing up straight with his sword to his side. Altair grunts and starts laughing as his blood spills out onto his hands*
Altair-" That attack just now. Not only could I not see the sword's path, but I couldn't even see your body follow through with the attack. This is the Hiten style; this is KEIN THE POKESLAYER! This feels good, the fear and anxiousness of it all."
*Derek keeps shooting Altair a cold glare as he watches Altair put a paw to his nose to push it back in place*
Derek-" As you said, there's no time for small talk. If you wish for me to kill you then please, hurry up and prepare for death."
Altair-" If I want you to kill me huh? Very good, a threat worthy of the legendary Pokeslayer of the mid continent! So, you're finally back. Welcome back to the revolution, welcome back Kein! And so the true battle finally begins. HERE I COME KEIN!"
*Altair rushes at Derek, eager to fight with him only to stop short and jump out of the way as he sees something in Derek. Derek is standing there, motionless with his blade to his side, still shooting Altair a cold glare that's filled with thoughts of death; one only known to those who truly intend to kill without second thoughts.*
Derek-" What's wrong, why do you hold your blade and avoid me?"
Altair-" As expected from the legendary Pokeslayer, you're truly a different person when you're ready to kill. I guess it's time for me to take this little battle seriously. No more fooling around and waiting on you. I will finally be able to defeat the revolution's strongest man. Muygeko induces an illusion that paralyzes the victim. I'll finally be able to induce an illusion upon myself to draw out my full potential."
*Holding his sword out in front of him, Altair looks at his own reflection in the blade and lets loose a Muygeko attack that bounces back into his own eyes. Growling a little, he seems to become larger in mass as his muscles tighten.*
Altair-" I am unstoppable, I am unbeatable, I will be the winner of this fight. The hidden usage for Muygeko, the sin spell. I haven't had need to use this attack in over 45 years."
*With one swipe of his blade, he cuts a massive boulder near him in half, making his blade resonate with the sound of metal striking something just as hard. Derek keeps glaring, and holds his fire blade down by his side, as if he's just getting ready to unsheathe it from an invisible sheathe.*
Derek-" You can use any fancy trick you wish, but one thing will never change. I have promised to kill you tonight, so your death is assured."
*Altair looks at Derek's stance in horror, imagining what is about to happen to him*
Altair-" I can't believe it, he's about to use the air slash attack. An attack meant by drawing a blade from its sheathe at lightning speed and slaying the opponent in one slash. The speed at which he can pull out his weapon is one that matches the gods...."
Derek-" Come, I'll give you a small sample of why they call me the Pokeslayer"
Altair-" But the air slash attacks are all one shot, leaving the user completely defenseless after it. If I can avoid that one moment when he pulls out his sword... but can I do it? Yes, its a reverse blade sword, meaning the attack will be slowed by a fraction of a second. That's all the time I need to dodge and cut his head from his body.
*He rushes at Derek, sword held high in the air. Just as he gets near enough, Derek pulls out his sword with his right hand and slashes at Altair's head, missing by only a fraction of an inch. Altair laughs as he goes in for the attack*
Altair-" I've won this match Poke-"
*He grunts in pain as Derek's left hand comes around, striking Altair's right arm joint and breaking it, making his sword fly into the woods. Altair falls over, in shock from having his arm broken. Derek only stands there over Altair, throwing the blade from his right hand to left*
Derek-" Air slash, form 2. I'm fully aware of the reverse blade sword being ill fitted for this style of swordsmanship. My Pokeslayer title comes form the fact that I've perfected every style of swordsmanship there is. I've crushed your arm joints and tore the ligaments. Your life as a Pokeslayer is done, and so is your life in general!"
*Derek lifts his sword into the air, flipping the blade so the sharp edge is on the cutting side and getting ready to strike down Altair.*
Altair-" What's wrong, why are you hesitating? In order to free the girl from the Muygeko, you have to slay me here and now."
*Sam only looks on in shock as Derek gets ready to end Altair's life with his fire blade*
Derek-" To protect my daughter, I will become a Pokeslayer once more!"
*Just as Derek comes down with his blade to kill Altair, Sam breaks the spell cast on her and yells out the word "Daddy" at the top of her lungs. Derek stops just mere inches away from Altair's skull and looks over at Sam, shocked that she was able to break the spell*
Sam-" Daddy, you can't do this! You're better than that, you can't kill just for fun anymore! Please, just be my father again, the one I love and trust with my life!"
*Derek rushes over to Sam, catching her just as she's about to fall and holding her in his arms. He looks down at her, gently rubbing the fur back on her head and smiling*
Derek-" It's okay Sam, I'm here for you. I won't do anything if there is no need to... I promise"
*Sam looks up at him with a slight smile on her face, holding her paw out to rub hid beak*
Sam-" Thank you daddy... thank you so much for all you've done...."
Altair-" No, this fight isn't over just yet. There's still one thing left to be done here..."
*Altair pulls a small, short blade from his side and stands up behind Derek, holding it out straight. Derek grunts and forms another fire blade in his right hand, ready to protect his daughter from whatever Altair has planned*
Derek-" Forget this Altair, it's over. You have no hope of beating me with only a short sword and your left arm. Just admit defeat and leave us"
*Altair plunges the blade through his own chest, grunting as it exits through his back and falls over onto the ground, splattering his blood all over the grass. He looks up at the sky and Derek, grinning a little as he feels the life of his own slipping away from him due to the wound*
Altair-" I said this was a fight to the death, so it stays that way. You can never turn away from your ways as a Pokeslayer, Kein. No matter how much you hate it, that is you from now and ever more. I'll be watching you... from the edge of hell"
*His eyes go blank as all life slips from his body. It doesn't take long for Sam to get weary from lack of oxygen and slip into a deep sleep herself. Derek can only smile, knowing that everything is okay and slip into the forest to get away from the sight and smell of blood.*

*Sam soon starts to wake from her slumber at the sounds of a crackling fire. As she slowly opens her eyes, she sees a small campfire in front of her, made to keep her warm through the night. It's still dark out as it just nears three in the morning. Derek is sitting beside her on the log, poking the fire with a stick to keep it going. Sam shakes off her fur and looks up at Derek's face, seeing him smiling a little. Smiling a back, she crawls over and curls up next to him, feeling his soft feathers against her fur. As she stares at the fire, she starts to speak to Derek in a slightly groggy voice*
Sam-" Daddy, what happened to that Luxray that killed himself? Did you bury him or just leave him there?"
Derek-" I left him where he was. He seemed at peace with himself... no sense in ruining it for him"
Sam-" ...Daddy, what about the Pokeslayer part.... what really happened?"
Derek-" I wish I could tell you that it was all a lie, that your father was really a nice person all his life, but then I would be lying to you. Truth be told, I've had a bad past, and I've lost my mind before because of it. You probably don't remember anything... but that's going to change here soon..."
*When putting a hand on the back of her head, he pushes a burst of energy into her head. Sam goes wide eyed as all the memories she had lost come rushing back to her. Memories of her real childhood, of her family, of Garret, of Angel, of herself. Sam sways back and forth, still in shock from having to absorb all of the information in such a short amount of time. Derek rests his head in his hand and keeps staring into the fire*
Derek-" About 80 years ago, a central government took place over the land in an attempt to set things straight and rid the world of a need for rescue teams. It actually worked at first. With a central power governing everyone in the land, things were good and accidents, thefts, and wrong doings almost completely disappeared. But, as with all good things, it didn't last for long. Someone in the government got greedy and rose to a high position of power. It quickly turned into a dictatorship, leaving everyone in misery. No one in the land could do anything without being punished for it. Those who spoke out against it were quickly put down by the edge of a blade. There were small groups that tried to resist, but almost all were killed. About 8 years after the government was put in place, a revolution started in an attempt to end it and return the land to a governmentless area of the world. Those heading most of the revolution were Pokeslayers, people who would kill anyone and anything to get what they wanted. These people were fighting for a good cause, but so mentally unstable, that they went about it in the cruelest of ways. Altair was one of them, and so was I... I was the strongest of the Pokeslayers, and the best known. I killed men, women, children, anyone who stood in between me and the dictator of the land. This went on for 2 more years before I finally struck down the dictator in cold blood. When I did, the revolution was over and the land was back to the way it should have been... but for people like us, the Pokeslayers... it could never end. Most of us were killed off since we weren't needed anymore. Ones who didn't die kept killing subtly enough to not get caught. Took me a long time to come back to my right state of mind and put away my killing mentalities... I just can't believe I let things even get to that. I know what caused it all, it was my past. I had such a strange life with Maria. Before her, it was all bad, but when I met her, things began to look up. I lost her, thinking she was dead. This set me off into a blind rage and mental instability. I know you probably won't ever see me as the same person again Sam, but I want to show you what led up to it. I feel things would be better if you saw my childhood with Maria, 100 years ago"
*He puts a hand in front of her face, blocking her view of everything else. Sam once again goes wide eyed as all she can see is a mix of blue and pink light. With a slight haze in her mind, she slowly blacks out and falls once again into a deep slumber*



*A small light appears in the middle of a vast field right next to a small town. The light quickly forms into the shape of a small Pichu and solidifies roughly 10 feet off the ground. Sam shakes her head and looks around, seeing the grassy field below her as she floats in the air. She gets ready to scream in fear as she looks down through her ghostly paws at the ground. When she lets out her scream of fear, she notices that not even the small bird Pokemon near her react. She frantically flies around, trying to figure out what's happened to her before realizing the town that's near her. Immediately, she recognizes the town near the field as the one her parents grew up near. A Peliper flies over her head and towards the Peliper Post Office sitting atop a cliff overlooking the ocean. A tall cliff with a waterfall coming off the side of it sits to the north of the town. Off to her left, she sees a small hut. As she approaches the hut, she can hear yelling coming from inside. Quickly and making as little noise as possible, she hides in a pile of logs that are laying on the side of the hut and listens to what's going on inside. Loud, strained grunts can be heard*
PDerek-" MARIA! Get your DRUNKEN BUTT UP! Its time to go you lazy mouse!"
*The only response Sam can hear is loud snoring. Within a minute, She sees a Torchic come outside the door of the small house, dragging a small bed made of hay with a sleeping Pikachu on it outside with his beak. There's a large lake not far from the house, shimmering in the early morning sunlight. He's dragging her towards it while grunting from the strain of pulling her weight. Eventually, he gets her to the lake and lets the bed float on the water. With a kick of his foot, Maria and the bed she's floating on drift off towards the center of the lake. While chuckling to himself under his breath, he spits a red hot ember into the air, making it land on the bed and set it on fire. Maria keeps snoring loudly until there isn't enough of the bed left to keep her afloat anymore. With a sudden scream, she plunges into the frigid water of the lake. By now, Derek is rolling on the ground beside the lake, laughing his butt off. It doesn't take long for Maria to make her way back to shore and get out of the water. Bits of grass and dried leaves that were floating on top of the water cover her fur, making her look dirty. She smacks Derek in the back of the head while heading back towards the hut, picking bits of the derbies off of her fur*
Maria-" That is NOT the best way to wake me up in the mornings after a long night... now I have a hangover and everything. Thanks a lot chicken man..."
*Derek shakes his head and smiles at her, quickly scurrying back towards the house after Maria*
Derek-" I told you to wake up the nice way. Besides, you shouldn't have gotten drunk last night. You made an idiot of yourself in front of every one of our friends... again. If it wasn't for me being there, you would have ended up in jail again with all those other girls. Do you have any idea how hard it is dragging you home on my back when I don't even have any arms?"
*Maria walks into the house and dries off her fur in front of a small fire while packing up small items into a bag of her's*
Maria-" Can't help it, alcohol is my best friend. No one asked you to drag me home last night. I don't mind going to jail, me and the girls there have become REALLY good friends before. I know what they like"
*She winks at Derek and pulls the bag up onto her shoulder. While heading out the door, she kisses Derek on top of the beak and smiles. Derek stands there for a moment before picking up their rescue team badge and catching up to her*
Derek-" Have I ever told you that you're the world's worst girlfriend? I don't know why I stay with you...."
Maria-" Every day feather butt, now stick a sock in it and lets get this stuff over with. The job board at the Post Office was full yesterday, I'm sure it's not gotten any shorter since. You pick this time? I'm tired of doing it, I always seem to pick the wost jobs"
Derek-" It's not the jobs that are bad... it's you that makes them bad... Sure, I'll do-"
*As Derek walks down the road, he gets cut off when a small child from town tackles him. All of the child's friends soon catch up and start jumping around Maria, wanting to talk to her. Derek just stares up at the kid for a moment before pushing it off and crawling over to Maria's side. Maria smiles at them and puts her paws on two of their heads*
Maria-" All right, all right, one at a time. What is it you little lot want today? Is it money or booze? I got both back at the house"
Kid 1-" No! We want you to tell us how to be as good at rescuing people as you are!"
Derek-" I wouldn't take any advice from this girl kid. The only thing she'll do is manage to get you thrown in jail for a few days or drunk out of your mind with her freaky tricks and games. You want some real advice, go home and wait till you're older before worrying about all this stuff. We've got it from here"
*By now, Maria is already handing them some money she had in her bag and patting them on the backs as a signal to get going. As she waves, she looks back at Derek over her shoulder and helps him up with her tail*
Maria-" You rally shouldn't take so long with the little speeches you give. You miss out on the fun in life when you do. Now come on Mr.Grumpy, lets get going before it gets hot out here"
*She races off to the cliff overlooking the ocean while dragging Derek behind her with her tail. He looks annoyed, but still sticks close to her as the sight of the Peliper Post Office slowly comes into view. The job board is overloaded with rescue job letters, bending at the weight. A few of the letters have fallen off onto the ground after being stacked on top of each other on the board. As Maria gets closer, she slows down and looks at the letters at her feet, wondering how there could be so many. She slowly starts filtering through the jobs, looking for a good one*
Maria-" I just don't get it, are we like the only team out here doing this crap? It would be a lot better if at least one of the other teams helped out once in a while. I mean, look at all these jobs. Go get me a berry, I got lost in the woods, help me find my lost teddy bear... Where's all the good jobs?! For crying out loud, we're a Lucario rank rescue team! We need jobs that take down legendary Pokemon or something that saves the world, not wiping some kid's butt for a few more Poke in our wallets... You know, we could just stay home today... you and me. Have one of our special little-"
*As she turns around to give Derek some googly eyes, she finds that he isn't there anymore. He's sitting on the cliff, watching the ocean below him roll by and crash onto the rocks. Maria growls and throws down the letters at the sight of him ignoring her. Marching over, she tugs on the tall feathers on his head and pulls him backwards sot hat he's laying on his back*
Maria-" Would you listen to me for five minutes?! I was trying to go on a little rant back there!"
*Derek just smiles at her and rolls over so that he's sitting up straight*
Derek-" Sorry, just not a real fan of the rat rant stuff. I would rather enjoy a bit of life than listen to you complain all day"
*As they talk to each other, Sam's ghostly form floats overhead, apparently invisible to everyone and everything. She frowns at them as she puts her paws behind her head, relaxing in the sunlight. Out of the corner of her eye, she notices a Lombre running towards her parents, calling out their names at the top of his lungs. Both Maria and Derek look over at Lombre, worried at his need for them*
Lombre-" Maria, Derek! You have to get to Wiscash! He says he has a special job that only you two can handle! HURRY!"
*Both Maria and Derek look at each other to nod before running off towards Wiscash's pond. Sam flips over to look at the sun for a moment before slowly floating after them*
Sam-" Why in the world am I back here, and why am I in this form...? This is creepy... and I have a feeling Daddy's involved in it..."
*It doesn't take long for both Derek and Maria to reach Wiscash's pond, panting heavily and holding their knees as they look up at him. Wiscash swims over to them and nods to a letter lying on the round rock stone they're standing on. Maria picks it up and begins to read as Wiscash turns to speak to Derek*
Wiscash-" There's been a bit of a problem lately and I fear you're the only active teams that could handle it... as the letter young Sparks is reading says, there have been a disappearance of teams lately who have taken up a certain line of missions that take them to the far north. Around 15 or so young teams have gone on these missions that claim for assistance in the frozen northern woods, and all who have gone there haven't come back. You two have been there before, in one of the darker times in the past..."
Derek-" You mean the time when everyone was hunting me down so that they could take my life and only my girlfriend would stick by my side?"
Wiscash-" Yes... anyway, we need you two to go up to that region of the continent and see what has been happening to all of these teams. If any are still alive, we need you to escort them back to the safety of town. I normally don't ask for missions myself... but these were just children going out to do the jobs. I worry about them so...."
Maria-" It's fine pappa Palpatine, we'll get your little butt hurts back faster than you can say toilet water welcome party"
*Maria shoves the letter in her bag and starts walking away as both Wiscash and Derek stare at her blankly, wondering what on earth is going through her mind half the time. Derek just shrugs and looks over at Wishcash while running after Maria*
Derek-" That's my baby, what can I say? She's freaky as can be but a one and only pick"
*As Maria makes her own path through a lush field of corn stalks, she looks over at Derek and smiles*
Maria-" Your baby huh? Haven't heard something that nice come out of your mouth in a long time. Mind telling me why you're in such a good mood?"
Derek-" Eh, just the chance to go up north and visit you know who"
*Maria suddenly stops, staring blankly at the horizon as she just exists the field of corn and into one of tall grass. Derek stops shortly after her and looks back, wondering what's wrong with her this time*
Maria-" Derek, we're going all the way up north... there's hardly anyone up there that could do something wrong. If this isn't a case of just the kids getting lost... you don't think she'd...."
Derek-" Knowing that nine tailed can of crazy, she probably would pull something like this just to get people up there with her. We'll find out soon enough Maria, just relax and try to enjoy the walk. At least we're alone now and don't have any kids dragging along with us"
*Maria puts her hands together, letting them hang over her belly as she walks again, this time beside Derek and not wanting to take the lead. Her ears are slumped back a little, telling she's still worried as she listens to Derek talk*
Derek-" Just do me a favor, go on up ahead and tell us if there's any trouble. You can do it a lot faster than we can... no, I don't care if it's a long flight... you're not hungry because you don't need to eat, you have no body"
*Maria looks over at Derek to see him talking to himself. He's looking off to the side, having a small conversation with nothing but thin air. She gently pushes on his side, breaking his conversation up and getting his attention*
Maria-" What is wrong with you today? There's nothing there, or are you talking to someone in the woods?"
Derek-" Maria, Gardevoir. You remember, the ghost lady that only I can see? The one that helped us get through that frigid place last time?"
*Facepalming, she shakes her head and keeps walking down the field side, only to stop about ten feet later and start jumping up and down. She looks over at a forest before running towards it as fast as she can on two feet, holding her belly with her paws. Derek chases after her, trying to figure out what's wrong. Just as she gets to the forest, she stops and turns around to face Derek. Still jumping up and down a little, she holds out one paw to stop him from going any further*
Maria-" Stay out here and keep watch for anyone coming. I gotta go in there for a few seconds"
Derek-" Why Maria, is there something wrong? I have a few Oran berries if you're hurt..."
Maria-" Listen chicken man, I drank a crapload of booze last night and it's still pretty early in the morning. There are only a few things I would want to go in a bush alone for. No unless you want to become my personal toilet again, I suggest you sit down, shut up, and do as you're told while I go somewhere else"
*Derek shudders at the thought of it, remembering the last time Maria turned him into her own personal toilet. He immediately sits down and turns his back to the forest, keeping an eye on the hills that lie ahead of him while listening to Maria rummage around in the bushes. Something catches his attention though. Atop one of the hills in the distance lies a small figure. Squinting, he makes out five smaller ones near it, but can't quite seem to recognize what they are. A few seconds later, Maria walks out of the bush, wiping her feet off with a leaf. While letting out a grumble, she stands beside Derek and looks from him to the objects he's staring at*
Maria-" They need to get better cloths out here in the forest, and what in the world have you gotten yourself fascinated over this time?"
Derek-" I don't know, I'm just getting one of those bad feelings again.... stay here, I'll be right back."
*He takes off running across the field and up the tall hill, towards the figures on top of it that he saw before. Maria simply lets out a sigh and quickly follows after him, not wanting to be left there alone. As soon as Derek gets close enough, he stops, shocked by what he sees. A Typhlosion sits upon a cross, its body stretched out upon a cross, baking in the hot sun. The stench of putrid death and rancid rotten meat fills the air as it becomes evidential that the bloodied carcass has been standing out in the rain, sun, and wind for a long period of time. Maggots eat away at whatever they can get to, even attempting to gnaw through the bones. They appear to be everywhere. On what few bones are left of the body, on the cross, on the ground due to falling off. Deep cuts are seen on the bones and face, indicating that the victim must have been cut upon by something with a very sharp object. Most of the body is but mere bones; all meat and fur stripped from the body. Only the hands, legs, and head remain mostly intact, as they have the ropes around them binding the victim to the cross. In a small pile laying directly under it on the ground are what little organs weren't taken by the attacker. The pile is rotting and squirming with the life of decomposers. The ground around the body is unsteady, causing even Derek's small weight to shift the ground. As it shifts, the cross tilts off to the side, allowing a pile full of maggots to pour from the Typhlosion's eye socket and onto the ground. Maria soon runs up behind Derek and looks upon the body in the same horror that he is. Slowly, she tries to approach it but stops as soon as she feels herself step on a pile of maggots*
Maria-" Derek... what happened here...?"
Derek-" I don't know, but look at the ropes on the hands... they're frayed out and loose around the arms. It was struggling to get free, it was still alive whenever this happened... who could do something like this, not even having the decency to kill it first?"
Maria-" Something that could take down a Typhlosion and put it up there, whatever did this must be really big and really strong. Derek, I'm getting out of here. Whatever it was, it's probably going to be back soon. I'm a lot smaller than that thing and I would rather not end up being killed any time soon"
*She takes his small wing in her paw and starts running away from the hill as fast as she can, towards the forest. What she doesn't know is that something was watching her the whole time, flipping the knife it used to kill the Typhlosion with in its hand. Sam floats above the cross, still staring at the Typhlosion with horror as her parents get away from her*
Sam-" Even I wouldn't do something this cruel... I think I'm going to be sick"
*Holding her stomach, she floats down the hillside and towards the field. Maria enters the darkness of the forest, still dragging Derek along behind her. As she darts through the trees, Derek can only stumble along behind her and grunt every time she drags him over a log. Soon enough, he gets his foot caught on a log and falls face first onto the ground. Maria yanks the feathers out of his small wing and keeps running, thinking he's behind her. By the time Derek finally leans up and shakes the mud off of his face to look around, he finds that Maria is long gone, leaving him alone in the dark forest. Maria finally comes to a stop deep int he forest and looks back, finally realizing that only Derek's feathers are left in her paw. Wanting to yell but knowing it would be a bad idea after seeing the Typhlosion, she simply grunts and sits down on a rock. Tossing the feathers to the still wind, she crosses her arms and looks down at her feet, worried about Derek*
Maria-" What have I done, how could I just run off and leave him there... he could be in tr-"
*The world around her blurs into an array of soft colors as a loud, dull ringing echoes through her ears. A feeling of exhaustion overwhelms her as she falls forward, face first into the dirt. Blood is dripping from the back of her head as the thing that was watching her earlier drops the long stick it used to hit her in the back of the head with. The forest goes quiet, allowing Maria to slumber in peace.*

*Maria's ears flicker up and down as she hears the sharp clinging noise of metal scraping against a rock. As she slowly comes to, a shiver runs up her spine as the snow falls on her fur. A Weavile is sitting in front of her on a rock, sharpening a knife on a stone. Maria is tied to a cross, situated in the middle of a cold and frozen forest far to the north. The only one with her and the Weavile is another Pikachu tied to a cross beside of her. Maria notices that the Pikachu is still out cold as she glances over at it with her still slightly blurred vision. She tries to move but quickly realizes that the ropes binding her are tied tightly enough to cut off her circulation and partially her breathing. The ropes around her feet and paws have made them go numb. The rope around her neck is cutting off her air, making her wheeze. The Weavile sitting in front of her gets to his feet and walks over to the Pikachu tied to the cross beside her. It takes a deep breath and reaches up, sticking the blade into the Pikachu's right paw and cutting around the wrist, being careful not to go too deep as to cut into the meat and blood vessels. Her ears go back as she hears the Pikachu scream in pain and start trying to flail around on the cross in an attempt to get free and away from the pain. The Weavile does the same to the other paw before cutting a line along the Pikachu's right side and crotch, circling around the ankles and tail area. It digs its claws into the cut on the right side of the Pikachu and begins jerking on the abdominal skin, pulling it away from the body as the Pikachu begs for mercy, feeling every inch of the searing pain course through its body, feeling the skin that covers its body being torn away from the muscle tissue on its belly. After a while of tugging and ignoring the Pikachu's screams, the Weavile finally pulls all the fur off of the belly and back, dropping it on the ground in a long flat slab of yellow fur with bits of blood speckling it. The Pikachu lies there on the cross, shivering in pain as its bare organs and muscle meet the cold air outside. Its arching away from the cross, as the contact of its back to the splintered wood is unbearable. Tears are flowing down the Pikachu's cheeks, burning its wounded body as the salty tears meet the bare meat. Both the Pikachu and Maria can only look on in horror as the Weavile picks up the knife again and beings to carve away meat from the Pikachu's body, caring not what its putting the Pikachu through. After pulling most of the meat off of the arms and chests, the Pikachu's screams die down as it slips into an eternal slumber. It seems as if an hour or more pass by before the Weavile finally gets all of the meat off of the Pikachu's body, leaving behind only a head, bones, and a few organs on the ground. The Weavile turns its back to Maria, folding up the fur and wrapping the meat in wax paper to be carried back to its cave. Maria beings to hyperventilate not knowing whether she's going to be the next victim to suffer through the agony of being skinned alive or to be left out there in the cold until the Weavile returns. Her answer comes to her all to quickly as the Weavile turns around, ready to pull her flesh from her body. It reaches up, sinking the blade into her right paw and beginning to cut around her wrist. She lets out a blood curling sound of agony before the blade gets jerked away from her. Derek is standing in front of Maria after tackling the Weavile, pushing it away and knocking it onto the pile of meat. Maria looks down at Derek while still screaming in pain, jerking around on the cross. Derek exhales five embers, directly striking the ropes binding her to the wood and releasing her from its grip. Maria falls to the ground, holding her wounded paw with her other, letting her tears drip from her cheeks onto the snow. Seeing her in so much pain sends Derek into a blind rage. Turning towards the Weavile, he inhales deeply before letting out a massive flamethrower, scorching everything in front of him to engulf the Weavile in it. The forest lights up as the fire burns through the trees and snowy ground, sending the Weavile flying backwards in a cloud of smoke. It hits a tree, body burned beyond recognition; dead. As Derek sees the Weavile's body slump to the ground, he looks up at the Pikachu that's already suffered a painful death before sitting down by Maria, trying to comfort her. Maria's blood is pouring down her arm from the open wound, as Derek looks on at it*
Derek-" Maria... I'm so sorry I didn't get here sooner. Whoever that Weavile was, he was good at hiding his trail. It took me hours to pick up any trace of you... if I had gotten here earlier, maybe the Pikachu he killed would have escaped without a scratch..."
*Maria grabs her bad, rummaging around inside before pulling out a thin white cloth. Tearing it with her teeth, she wraps it around her wounded paw to cut off the bleeding, hugging Derek tightly afterward*
Maria-" it's fine, I'm just happy you did come... I would have died without you"
Derek-" Hey, there's some good news. That Weavile dragged you into the northern frozen forests. We can't be more than a few miles from Frosty Forest. That's where all the rescue jobs were sent from, and where all the kids went."
*Maria slowly pushes off her knee with her good hand, getting to her feet and looking around at the forest surrounding her. The trees seem to be frozen solid, half covered in snow in this eternal winter land. The pine leaves glimmer in the faint sunlight filtering through the dark clouds overhead that seem to send and endless wave of light snow towards the forest. Maria holds her injured hand to her chest and starts walking, signaling for Derek to follow by her*
Maria-" Come on then, I want to get this over with as quickly as we can. I don't like this place at all, bad memories"
*Derek notices that her tone of voice is cold and lifeless, much to the contrast of the normally vivid and lively Maria he's grown so used to being around. Doing as he's told, he follows her as they walk through the forest, trudging through the snow. It crunches under their feet, bringing noise to the silent forest around them. Out of the corner of his eye, Derek notices that Maria's shivering from the cold. To him, it seems completely fine out. Being a fire type, he doesn't notice hot or cold as much as other Pokemon do. With a grin, he leans his head on her side and heats up his body to keep her warm while they walk. Maria's ears once again flicker up and down as the faint sound of something else running through the forest catches her attention. Immediately, she holds her arm out to stop Derek silently and looks around. Derek tries to ask her what's wrong but she immediately holds his beak shut to silence him, feeling that danger is near them. She does this for at least a minute, looking all around them, making sure they're safe before continuing deeper into the frozen forest. She finally lets go of Derek's beak, allowing him to speak once more. He however remains silent, only staring blankly at her*
Maria-" Sorry, just thought I heard something in the forest. Probably just some small Pokemon trying to gather a nut or something. Lets go"
*Just as she turns around to start walking, she comes face to face with Ninetales. Her large black nose is all that Maria can see as she's so close to her. Maria screams and falls backwards into the snow, making it poof out around her. She's in a small state of shock, barely hearing Ninetales; not expecting anything to be that close to her without her knowing it far ahead of time. Ninetales only wags her tails behind her and stares at Maria with a grin on her face*
Ninetales-" Hey, you're that freaky little Pikachu who kept trying to grab my hindside last time you were here. Wassup lil dood?"
*Maria lets out a small shriek of frustration and hurls a snowball at Ninetales' face. It hits her dead on, sticking to her fur though most of it just slumps off to the side*
Ninetales-" If you're trying to make a snow cone, you'll need to keep a better grip on it and get a few more materials. A cone, some sugar, a tire iron, an ice cream truck, some boogers, and a pickle without the skin, sunny side up if at all pissible.... I mean possible..."
Derek-" Glad to see you're as crazy as ever..."
Ninetales-" Chicken dinner goes to the seal market and gets me banana pie now, GIT YOU LIL BONKEY!"
*She starts jumping up and down, hissing at Derek as if she were a cat. Derek just shakes his head and picks up a stick with his foot, sticking it in Ninetales' mouth to quiet her down. Just as Maria gets to her feet, Ninetales turns to spit the stick out, hitting Maria directly in the forehead with it and knocking her over onto her bum again.*
Ninetales-" So what's with the visit, just couldn't stay away from my beauty or ya here to play hopscotch with the foxy fox?"
Derek-" We were sent here on a special mission by Wiscash. Apparently a lot of kids have been disappearing after being sent up... Screw it, I'm not going to get anywhere unless I'm direct with you. Did you drag kids up here and eat them"
Ninetales-" Yes?"
*Derek finally helps Maria to her feet before he facepalms with his wing. Maria walks over and slaps the crap out of Ninetales to relieve some stress she had built up*
Maria-" What the heck is wrong with you you dumb mutt?! Why would you eat an innocent little kid that's just trying to help someone"
*Ninetales shakes her head and flicks Maria's noes with her paw before turning back to Derek*
Ninetales-" I mean no?"
Derek-" ....I think we need to discuss this a little more with you. Where's your cave, it's getting late, we need a place to stay. I would rather not sit out here all night with my back not up against a wall of some sort"
*Ninetales starts bouncing up and down again, grinning widely at both Derek and Maria, spinning around in circles after a few seconds. While yipping loudly, she turns and runs off into the forest, yelling back at the both of them*
Ninetales-" It's this way! I'll go tell Eddy you're coming, he loves company!"
*Derek and Maria both turn towards each other, shooting a look of confusement between themselves. They wonder quietly to themselves who Eddy could be before taking off after Ninetales, not wanting to lose her after it took so long for them to find her in the frozen forest*
Maria-" Hold up you old confusing dog, don't leave us behind in this freaky place! It makes my tail feel all strange!"
*The words expelled from Maria's lips echo through the empty forest as the footsteps of Ninetales have long faded away, making the young couple once again feel alone. As the minutes pass by, their pace slowly comes to a stop as they find themselves near the rim of a frozen lake. Maria, feeling that she's lost track of Ninetales, lets out a sigh and sits down in the snow, jabbing the icy pond with her paw; The one that isn't hurt. Just as she feels that she's never going to find Ninetales again, she looks around at the noise of grunting. It doesn't take her long to see Ninetales by a tree, stuck after licking a frozen tree and getting her tongue to attach to it. Ninetales jerks backwards, trying to rip her tongue off of the tree, sending a wave of pain through her mind every time she does. While letting out a long whine, she starts to tear up, feeling the pain course through her. While letting out a slight growl, Maria marches over to Ninetales, fists cupped angrily and yanks her tongue off of the tree. The only reaction Ninetales gives is a loud yelp as she curls up in a ball in the snow, holding her bleeding tongue. Maria grabs one of her tails, not caring what happens, and pulls Ninetales out of her ball*
Maria-" Listen you old flea ridden mutt, you're going to take me back to your cave and you're going to do it now! I'm freezing my balls off out here!"
*At this, Derek stares blankly at Maria, wondering what on earth she's talking about. Maria looks over at Derek, seeing him staring at her and flips him off*
Maria-" Don't you get any thoughts you perverted chicken, it's just an expression. I wear mine on the inside like a good girl"
*Ninetales looks back at her, whimpering and starts crawling towards a cave not too far away from them, staying low to the ground as to avoid any more attacks from Maria, dragging her tails through the snow. She leaves a trail behind her from staying so low to the ground. Seeing the cave with her own eyes, Maria finally smiles, wanting the dim light coming from inside to be a fire she could warm her paws by. A kick in her step, Maria darts past Ninetales, heading right for the warmth of the small cave. Derek slowly follows Maria, sticking close to Ninetales' side, only flinching when Maria runs into the cave and screams loudly. To her shock, it's colder inside the cave than it is out. The dim light she saw earlier was the glow of a toaster in the middle of the cave, turned on and beaming from the red hot inner coils of it. With a look of sadness on her face, she crawls over and huddles up by the toaster, holding her paws out to try to warm them by what little heat she can get. Derek walks into the cave with Ninetales, seeing Maria and leaning against the wall of the cave*
Derek-" You mentioned someone named Eddy? Who's the guy living with you?"
Ninetales-" Oh, Eddy is my husband. He's the best friend I've ever had. He's hawt too."
*She runs over to the toaster and tackle/hugs it, letting out a shrill scream of joy while tumbling on the ground with the toaster*
Maria-" Derek.... I think she married a toaster... Someone just kill me already and end this nightmare, PLEASE?!"
Derek-" Just chill out for a second Maria. We won't be here all that long, all we have to do is ask her a few questions and we'll be out"
*Derek takes a seat by Maria, leaning on her shoulder while looking at Ninetales, watching her roll around on the cave floor with Eddy, knocking up the thin layer of fresh snow into the air. The frown still on her face, Maria puts her arm around Derek to hold him close and stay warm, as she's still shivering in the frigid air*
Derek-" Ninetales, would you mind answering us a few questions. If you do, we'll take you to the ice cream shop at the edge of the forest and buy you anything you want"
*Ninetales' ears immediately perk up and she leaps at the ground in front of Derek, landing there and staring up at him. She's got her chin and chest on the ground while her hind end is high in the air, allowing her tails to stick straight up in the air and wag ferociously.*
Derek-" So, as you know, we've gotten a few letters from this place. Is there anyone else living in this forest that you know of"
Ninetales-" Nope, everyone got eaten or left. They were tasty. We go to ice cream shop now please?"
Derek-" Not yet. Over the past few weeks, tell me what you've been doing out here. You must get pretty lonely"
Ninetales-" Why would I get lonely? I've got so many friends out here to play with. The tree men of balba 5 tickle my back if I promise to lay on the stump and not move. There's some freaky fox living in the water outside. She likes to do the same things I do, even move and say the same things as me. But, I do get hungry out here. Since everyone left, I had to come up with a new way of getting snacks here. Wanna here it. Huh, huh, huh?!"
*She's now face to face with Derek, grinning widely and wagging her tails, knocking snow all over the place. Derek pushes her face away with his foot slowly and keeps staring at her blankly*
Derek-" Sure, I could go for a good story. Tell me what you did get get snacks up here for you"
Ninetales-" I just wrote some letters to town, saying I was a poor little girl that got lost up here. Oh, you should have seen the people that came, nice plump little snacks. They were real easy too. All I had to do is whimper a little with my tails under a log. After they got me free, I just told them that I had a cave out here with candy in it. Most of them came... though, that one team of the bigger guys was hard. I had to put some moves on them and act like they were hawt. not as hawt as mah lil Eddy though"
*Just as her eyes turn into hearts, Maria pulls back her arm and hits Ninetales dead in the nose with a Thunder Punch, knocking her back into the opposite wall and head first into a wall. Ninetales slumps down to the ground, out cold from the impact. Panting a little, Maria shakes her paw off and looks down at Derek. Distant whistling of the wind can be heard outside as the snow storm picks up, creating a vicious blizzard in the dead of night.*
Maria-" There, we managed to get her to confess to eating little kids. What do you say, kill her now or drag her back to town?"
Derek-" If you don't mind, I've seen enough death for one day. We'll just drag her back to town so that she can be locked up... in the morning. It's too dark out, I'm too tired, and I'm not walking through a blizzard while dragging some heavy old lunatic"
*Derek falls over, laying his head in Maria's lap so that his beak is buried in the soft fur on her belly. With the sound of the wind whistling outside, he slowly nods off into a state of deep slumber. Maria shakes her head, gently rubbing his with her paw before laying back and drifting off herself, leaving Ninetales on the floor in a very uncomfortable position. Sam, who's been sticking as closely to her parents as possible the whole time, drifts down to the cold stone floor and curls up by Maria, trying to imagine that this is the first time she's actually been close to her mother since she was born. Though, the cold truth does creep up in the back of her mind and remain there; she's not really close to her mother right now seeing as this is just the past and not real. This isn't the first time she's been close to her mother, and the first time is most likely never to come.**

*A dim beam of light manages to filter through the clouds high in the sky, illuminating the entrance of the cave and shining inside, giving a rich golden light to the frozen rocks inside. The shrill squeal of Maria screaming at the top of her lungs causes Derek to jolt up and out of his slumber. Looking forward, he sees Maria standing there in front of him, obviously annoyed at something. At first, he wonders how she got out from underneath him without disturbing him in any way, but he drops the thought and ponders over what could be making Maria so upset. It doesn't take him long to realize what the problem is, as he sees a pair of tails behind Maria. After Maria turns off to the side to show him what's wrong, Derek facepalms as best he can with his small wing. Ninetales, who had seemingly just woken up not more than a few minutes ago, is biting down onto Maria's bottom, making a ill thought out attempt to make Maria into her breakfast. She simply wags her tails and grins at Derek while keeping a hold onto Maria's butt with her teeth. Finally having enough of the antics, Maria lets out a thunder attack, making Ninetales yelp loudly and let go. The fur on Ninetales' body is standing straight up and smoking a little after having the electricity run through it. Taking advantage of this, Maria pulls out a long coil of rope from her bag and ties up Ninetales, binding all four of her paws together tightly. There's a small rubber ball in Maria's bag, which she uses to gag Ninetales, preventing her from talking. While smiling at Derek, Maria wraps the end of the rope around her paw and starts to walk out of the cave, into the cold morning air of the frozen forest*
Maria-" Come on chicken man, it's time to go home. I'm sick of this place... I want a good bed again"
Derek-" Maria, hold up... I'm getting a bad feeling about this. Something's itching at the back of my head, I just can't put my wing on what it is"
*Maria keeps walking, ignoring the part about him telling her to stop. Derek follows in the path on the ground made by Ninetales being dragged through the deep snow. The old fox is wiggling around, trying to get free and giving Maria a hard time. She seems as if she's actually afraid of what's going on, or what's about to happen. A short blade of grass is sticking up from the snow in front of Maria. Seeing it as she walks, she yanks it from the ground and sticks it in the corner of her mouth, giving her something to suck on and preoccupy her while dragging Ninetales.*
Maria-" I'm sure it's nothing. I have to wonder though, what do you think is going to happen to her once we get back to town? Will they lock her up for the rest of her life, or something else? I would personally give her the same thing she gave those kids. Throw her in a pit with something bigger than her and watch her get eaten"
*Ninetales spits the ball out of her mouth and looks up at Maria*
Ninetales-" At least it didn't take long for them to die! I'm a fast eater, no need to mess around and drag things out. Besides, do you know how hard it is to eat a snack when they kick you in the face the whole time?"
Maria-" Oh, well what do you know, not only did she eat them, but she ate them alive. Just shut up, you're going to jail for the rest of your life. I'm not backing down on this one."
*Derek soon helps Maria drag Ninetales through the snow. Time passes on and the snow slowly turns into grass as they walk further south, getting into the warmer areas. With every step they take, Ninetales physical condition seems to get worse and worse. She whimpers loudly, as if in pain. Once they finally get to an area devoid of snow, Derek finally stops, staring blankly ahead of them*
Derek-" I finally remembered.... Maria, we can't take her back to town. She'll die before we even get there"
*A hand on her hip, Maria drops the rope and looks at Derek, frowning*
Maria-" Look bird man, we're not taking her back just because you care for her. You better learn to put those ideas away and keep it in your head that I'm the only girl you care about, got it?"
Derek-" I'm not talking about liking someone else, I just remembered why she lives up there. She can't stand the heat. Temperatures like this... anything above freezing point is deadly to her. She's going to die soon if we don't do something."
Maria-" Well I say good riddance to her. She's been a pain in my butt for a while... literally."
*Maria rubs the teeth holes in her butt while looking at Derek, seeing him glare at her. It seems impossible for her to keep up her mean act when seeing Derek like this. Eventually, she just sighs and looks over at Ninetales, seeing her finally go silent as she blacks out*
Maria-" Well, it's a little late for this. We've already gone too far. There's no way we could get her back to the north fast enough, and I don't know any ice type moves. She's as good as dead. Should we leave her here or kill her now?"
Derek-" She's staying alive..."
*A distant echo catches Derek's attention, making him look over at the field beside them, seeing a female Weavile and young Sneasel. Smiling at Maria, he points over to them with his foot*
Derek-" See, ice type Pokemon. They could probably help us out"
*As Derek takes off running towards the two Pokemon, Maria sits down by Ninetales, realizing what Derek doesn't. Both of the ice type Pokemon are calling out the word "Daddy" over and over again, searching for someone they lost*
Maria-" Mousy got a bad feeling here. Mousy dun like the bad feeling, that she doesn't"
*Just as Derek gets to the two Pokemon, the Sneasel falls to its knees, breaking down in tears. Derek looks from the Sneasel to the Weavile, obviously concerned about what's wrong with the small child*
Derek-" Is she alright? Why is she crying so much"
Weavile-" It's her father... he didn't come home last night. We've been out all day, looking for him, but we've got nothing so far. I'm really worried about him, but my daughter is even more so. Alice, it's time to go home..."
*As the Weavile turns away from Derek to pick up the Sneasel, Derek grabs her shoulder so that she'll look back at him*
Derek-" Hold on, you mind helping me with something first? It's my friend, she's dying... she needs ice or else she'll pass away before we can get her back to the north"
*The Weavile just gives Derek a small node and looks over at Maria, realizing that's where Derek's so called friend is. After picking up her daughter, the Weavile walks towards Maria and Ninetales, forming a bit of ice in her hand as she does. Maria simply sits there, scooting away from Ninetales a bit so that she's bee facing the Weavile no matter what it does. One paw behind her back, she clutches a sharpened rock tightly, ready to attack the Weavile if what she thinks is true. With the Sneasel on her back, the Weavile puts a hand on Ninetales' side and begins to send out a wave of low pressure, stiffening Ninetales' fur as she slowly freezes over. Derek stands beside the Weavile, smiling at the Sneasel and trying to cheer her up as he observes what the Weavile is doing*
Derek-" You know, me and my girlfriend-"
Maria-" Wife."
Derek-" ...GIRLFRIEND, are a rescue team. If your husband is lost, we could always go out and look for him. Where was he, and what was he doing last time you saw him? Any information you give us could be helpful and get us closer to finding him"
*Maria tucks the sharpened rock under her tail, holding it there while walking towards Derek, waving her paws in the air, as if signaling him to stop where he is right now. To Derek, she seems as if she either doesn't want to go on another job or has something against the Weavile for saving Ninetales. What he doesn't know is that she believes the Weavile is related to the one that tried to kill her. She's proved correct all too soon as the Weavile starts talking to Derek, explaining things to him as best she can*
Weavile-" He was out hunting for myself and my daughter. We had been without food for a few days, so he said he would go get some and be back in a few hours. He never did come back with any meat, though..."
*As the Weavile continues explaining things to Derek, he soon realizes the same thing Maria has already. Though he's shocked the Weavile is related to the one he killed, he keeps a straight face, not wanting to let on that he knows what happened to her husband. As subtly as he can, he shakes his head "No" to Maria as he sees her behind the Weavile, pulling the sharpened rock out and going in to stab both her and the child in the backs when they aren't looking. When the Weavile finishes explaining everything she can, Derek calmly talks to her, trying to bring up a sense of reassurance to the wife and daughter in need*
Derek-" Don't worry, we'll do all we can to find your husband. You have our word as a rescue team. But first, we have to deal with something... our friend still needs to get back to the north. Just go home, we'll be back there in no time"
*With the Sneasel in her arms, the Weavile nods at Derek and turns around, walking past Maria and back towards the frozen forest to the north. Maria is still smiling, hiding the sharpened rock behind her back until the Weavile leaves. At this time, she pulls it out and walks over to Ninetales, putting it to her throat*
Maria-" Look you little crap stick, you better straighten up or so help me God, I will put you out of your misery now! We're going to let you go back to your home and tell everyone in town that we couldn't find the kids, if you promise not to ever eat anyone again. Stick to berries, got it?!"
*Ninetales simply nods at Maria, afraid of her due to her yelling before running back north, her tails in between her legs. Once Ninetales leaves Maria's line of sight, she tosses the rock over her shoulder and looks at Derek*
Maria-" Well, you've boned us both. What are we suppose to do about the Weavile, you killed him. Can we just run home and say we never saw the girls?"
Derek-" No... we'll do the right thing. We'll find the body and bring it back to the family. Go out and find something large enough to wrap the Weavile in, then meet me by the spot I killed him... this is going to be a long day, I just know it."
*The lush fields of grass to his back, Derek begins to walk back towards the frozen forests to the north, leaving Maria behind to gather up something to wrap the body in. With the powerful sense of smell and direction he's gathered over the years of being in a rescue team, he quickly finds the Weavile's body leaned up against a tree, still scorched but frozen over and slightly buried in the snow on the ground. Derek glares at the body and puts his foot on its head to push it back, giving him a good look at the Weavile's mangled face*
Derek-" Still wish I had known what was wrong with this guy. He seemed crazy out of his mind... killing others without even flinching"
*For what seems like only a few minutes, he stands there, looking into the eyes of the Weavile; into the eyes of a cold blooded killer, wondering to himself how someone could be so cold, so heartless, so distanced from anything morally right. When looking into the eyes of the Weavile, he can't help but feel a bit of himself in the Weavile, despite never killing without a reason. He jumps, startled as Maria walks up behind him with a woven grass net and puts her paw on Derek's shoulder*
Maria-" Alright, I got something to wrap him in, lets just get him into this thing and give him to the family."
*As they wrap up the Weavile and begin to drag him away, Sam stops following them for a moment and hovers closer to the ground, thinking*
Sam-" If what daddy did become is true, a Pokeslayer, then he couldn't have been any different than the Weavile... what was he thinking just a moment ago? I wish I could see into his head, he seemed so startled by the thoughts..."
*Sitting on the ground, Sam rubs her head with her ghostly paws, trying to figure things out*
Sam-" I just want this bad trip to end, I just want to go home and be with daddy, the real one that cares about me..."
*Lost deep in a stream of thoughts, Sam sits there, not paying attention to anything around her. Time slips by her as she thinks of all the wrong she's done in her life, how many lives she's ruined, what she once had but now lost; Her old family. She's only awoken from the train of thought by the distant and sudden wails of someone in pain, emotional pain. Derek and Maria have finally gotten back to the wife and daughter, showing them the body of the Weavile Derek had killed the previous day. Both Maria and Derek look down at the ground, putting on an act as if they're sad over the death of the murderous Weavile. The female Weavile is on her knees, crying loudly over her husband's body. The Sneasel is inside, out of sight of her father's body, wondering what's going on. Just as she tries to approach her mother, the mother screams at her to go to her room. Frightened, the child flees back further into the cave, leaving the mother to grieve over her lover's death*
Maria-" We're sorry, we just found him by a tree, burned like this. There were no clues as to what happened other than a bloody knife by his hand... we did all we could. We would stay longer to help in any way we can, but we have to report back to the rescue board in our town. I'm sorry..."
*Maria puts a reassuring paw on the Weavile's shoulder and turns to walk, dragging Derek with her. The distant wails of the Weavile begin to face as they walk further south. Maria looks down at her wounded paw and takes the bandage off, revealing a scabbed over sliver. Derek cringes at the sight of it, but keeps from losing what little's in his stomach by turning away and keeping his eyes on the road ahead*
Derek-" Well, that was a giant waste of time. We let Ninetales go, and ended up killing someone with a family. Hell of a start to the week"
Maria-" Cheer up a little, at least we have something to go back to. I overheard some people in town talking about a party tonight. As soon as we get back, we can go relax in town and have a little fun. It'll be a good start to the week, I promise"
Derek-" Great... I get to deal with a drunk for a night. Do me a favor, try not to get thrown in jail again"
*Maria laughs a little and wraps her arm around Derek's shoulders, squeezing him in a one armed hug as she continues down the beaten path leading back south, back to their home. Sam, who's floating behind them, smiles at the sight of her parents loving on each other. A sight she hasn't seen at any time in her entire life*



*Loud clattering fills the house that Maria and Derek live in as Maria scrambles to get ready for the party in town. They had each gotten back from their previous mission not half an hour ago before Maria had already started screaming about being late. The bathroom door is wide open as Maria sits on the toilet lid, trying to put a bit of perfume on while staring at the mirror in front of her. She jumps as she sees Derek staring at her from the doorway*
Maria-" What, am I putting on too much?"
Derek-" ......Maria, I know why you're doing this. You're out to impress some other guy. You always do this, get all pretty, go to a party, get drunk, and cheat on me with some other guy by getting nailed behind a house. You know, I'm done. If you can't be faithful to me for once, I'm out. Have a nice life you cheating whore"
*With that, he walks out of the house, slamming the door shut behind him. Maria can only sit there with a look of confusion on her face. When Derek is long gone, she finally yells out to herself inside the house*
Maria-" I don't cheat on you every time you little side dish!"
*Sam is floating beside the fireplace, trying to imagine heat coming off of it to hit her ghostly form while listening to Maria rummage around the the bathroom, putting more makeup on and fluffing out her fur so that she looks as cute as possible*
Sam-" Glad I grew up with a bit more decency than her. Can't imagine how many diseases she has... hope none of them were passed down when I was born, that would be horrible."
*Shuddering at the thought of her whole family having some form of disease due to Maria's indecent ways, Sam turns around to see her mother running out of the house with her bag around her shoulder. Just before the door closes, Sam slips out and floats above Maria, looking down at her as she runs down the hill on two feet. Maria has a large grin on her face as she thinks of the fun that awaits her; a good change from the previous two days events that she was forced to undergo by Wiscash. The town is lit with a slight flame of the tiki torches that line the middle of town. A rich scent of well cooked food lofts through the air from the array of it on a table near the local bank. A band of Ludicolo are putting on a show, singing as best they can in the direct center of town for all to enjoy. As if meaning to make the biggest noise there, Maria runs into the town, screaming at the top of her lungs while waving at everyone with one arm. Derek, who's standing by Alakazam, enjoying a nice talk, looks over at Maria and breaks his speech*
Derek-" Oh God... I was hoping she wouldn't show up tonight. So much for a fun party..."
Alakazam-" Don't be so pessimistic, how can one girl ruin your entire night?"
*Derek simply looks up at Alakazam, giving him a "Are you serious?" look before going off in the opposite direction of Maria, hoping to avoid her for the entire night. Within but a few moments, Derek finds himself standing on a large flat rock at the edge of Wiscash's lake, staring down at his reflection in the water. Seeing as Wiscash is always there, he pokes his head out of the water, looking up at Derek, realizing that he's troubled*
Wiscash-" Something on your mind?"
Derek-" A lot of things, yeah. Most of which I would like to keep to myself. Hate to say it, but our mission was a complete failure. We couldn't find any trace of the kids, or find clues as to what happened to them"
Wiscash-" A loss, but not the end of the world. We can just hope for their safe return someday. If that's all, I'll be on my way"
*Wiscash turns to swim away from Derek, creating waves in the water that distort Derek's reflection, interrupting his train of thought*
Derek-" There is... something on my mind. I don't know what to do anymore. I need a little advice, from someone who will listen"
*Wiscash stops and turns to face Derek, smiling at him as if he were expecting Derek to say something like this*
Wiscash-" You know I'm always here to lend a hand when needed. Go on, tell me what's been troubling you"
Derek-" My girlfriend, Maria. You know how she is, loud, annoying, but really a great person on the inside. I don't know what to do anymore. She drinks too much, she starts fights, she cheats on me without even so much as a second thought... she's honestly the worst girlfriend that's ever lived, and I can't decide whether to break it off and just be around her for the team's sake or keep loving her, hoping things will turn out better in the end"
Wiscash-" I'm sorry to tell you this, but you're the only one that can decide this. Not everything in life comes easy. Just the journey has more bumps in the road than you can imagine"
Derek-" Yeah, well going through life with her is like walking down a road covered in broken glass. It sucks and if you fall, it's a pain in the ***'"
Wiscash-" ...Never quite heard it put that way, but if that's what you imagine it as, then that's what it is. You've gone through so much with her, why end it now? This may just be a bad time in her life, and this is her way of expressing herself."
*Derek turns back as he hears a joyed yelling, seeing Maria standing on top of a table, holding a beer in one hand and a slab of steak in the other. She's dancing and screaming at the music while stuffing her face. There are bead rings hanging off of her ears as some people throw them at her, trying to latch them on*
Derek-" She's doing a really great job of expressing herself to everyone. I'll hold out for a little longer, but if she does anything wrong tonight, I know what I'll have to do. Thank you Wiscash. As always, you've been an immense help to me"
*With his head hung, Derek begins to walk back towards the party, lost deep in thought of what life would be like without Maria by his side. A shivering chill runs up his spine as he realizes that Maria's loud yelling isn't apparent anymore, meaning she's either passed out or found something of interest in town to quiet her down. A quick glance around confirms his presumptions, as he sees Maria trying to drag a Magnezone behind a building, without a doubt already drunk beyond reason. Seeing this, Derek's heart sinks into his stomach as a knot forms in his throat, knowing that she's about to break their bond again with a complete stranger. While the party continues, he falls back onto his bottom and cries silently, unnoticed by everyone else who seems to be having a good time. The loud music and flickering lights seem to become distant things as Derek's mind blocks them out, concentrating more on what he's going to do next*
Derek-" I actually have to do it... after all this time, I have to break up with her... her, the one that's always been there for me."
*A loud shrieking noise echos through the town, breaking not only Derek's concentration, but the entire party apart. Everyone stops what they're doing and all look in the same direction to see Maria, screaming at the top of her lungs in a slurred manner at the Magnezone that's dragging her off towards the jail house. Maria is making a complete idiot of herself, though she doesn't seem to care as her cheeks spark wildly and her feet fly through the air, trying to twist free of the Magnezone's grasp*
Maria-" You said you would treat me right, not put hands on me like this! LET ME GO! I'll kill you and everyone you know you stinking pile of metal!"
*Derek can only stare on at what's happening, still resistant to help Maria at all after what she was attempting to do. When he turns to walk away, his steps are slowed by his conscious, edging on and tugging at him, telling him to help her before she hurts herself. With a shake of the head, he keeps repeating to himself over and over again that he'll not help her in the least of ways*
Derek-" No Derek, you're better than that. Let her stay in jail alone, get your stuff out of the house, and leave before she gets home in the morning. She'll really know that she's messed up if I'm gon-"
Maria-" DEREK! HELP ME!"
Derek-" Oh, for crying out-"
*He turns and runs at the Magnezone, tackling them and knocking them away from Maria, freeing her from their grasps. Maria plops on the ground and grabs Derek's foot, yanking him upwards and onto his back, beginning to drag him down the path*
Maria-" Cheese it chicken dinner, the popo be after us and they be mad mang!"
*Within moments, one of the Magnezone blindside them, knocking them over onto the ground and stunning them so they can't do much to resist anymore. Derek soon finds himself sitting in a jail cell beside Maria, staring down at the ground*
Derek-" I... *******'.... hate you Maria..."
*Maria smacks him in the back of the head with an empty cup and starts rattling it against the jail bars, making as much noise as she possibly can, still slightly drunk. She grins back at Derek, trying to lessen the mood and cheer him up*
Maria-" Oh, you say that after every party I bring life to. Now come on, I haz a plan to get out of here. All we need is some-"
Derek-" No, Maria. You're going to shut your mouth for once and listen to me. I can't express to you how sick I am of the way you act. You used to be such a sweet, innocent girl back when we met. We used to spend time together just to be close, actually showing each other love. You said to me back in the forest that you would never want to be with another guy, yet look at you now. Giving hand jobs behind a barn to every single guy you come across. I don't know what's happened to you, but you're royally effed in the head you little whore. For this, I'm done, and I'm serious this time. When we get home, I'm packing up my stuff and I'm leaving. If you want to be with all these other guys, then go right ahead. You won't have me to be in your way anymore. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to sleep. Don't wake me until they let us out in the morning"
*Derek turns over, laying down on his side so that he's facing the cell wall. Maria stands there, slightly shocked at what she had just been told. There's a slight plopping noise as she falls back onto the ground, sitting there with her ears drooped off to the side. A tear slides down her cheek as she realizes what Derek had told her is true. A paw rubbing her belly, she just lets the tear fall to the ground and make a small splashing noise*
Maria-" Derek, I'm pregnant"
Derek-" Cut the crap Maria. You've said that too many times for it to count. Just take your BS and go somewhere else"
Maria-" I'm serious... Derek. I'm two weeks late... I know I'm pregnant"
*Derek doesn't make a single move, just remains there on the ground, silent and refusing to listen to a single one of what he believes to be lies*
Maria-" I just want to go home... I don't need this kind of stress right now. I just want you to be nice again. I didn't mean to make you mad..."
*Reaching up to her head, she pulls a small metal tube out from behind her ear and grasps it tightly in her small paws*
Maria-" Look, just cover your ears. I'm getting out of here, I need to. Baby on board..."
*With her small teeth, she bites the end of the tube and throws it at the bars of the jail cell, causing a massive explosion that blows the bars right out of place. Just as Maria slips out of the bars, the alarms in the jail start to go off, causing all of the people locked up in it to start screaming at the top of their lungs, chanting for a riot. A Magnezone gets there before Maria even knows what's happening and swings at her, trying to knock her out. Maria ducks under it and crawls up onto the Magnezone, taking a small device off of its side and running off down the hallways*
Maria-" Okay, the people want a riot, I'll give em one. Help me get out of here anyway"
*Maria pushes the few buttons on the device and smashes it under her paw, causing all the doors to the jail to suddenly open up, freeing the inmates and letting them spill into the hallways with her. The ones that have been there the longest start heading in one direction, knowing that the exit is just up ahead. Sam is still back in the cell with Derek, sitting by his side and listening to him cry lightly to himself*
Sam-" I knew mommy left Daddy right before I was born, but I didn't think it was like this... she just outright left him here without a second word. Huh... kinda reminds me of myself and Garret. Didn't even take much for us to separate... I wonder, if mommy was pregnant back here, why did I never hear of a sister? Why did I never see anyone else in the family...?"
*Sam cuts off as she hears Derek begin to mumble to himself, still upset beyond description. He's cussing violently but quietly*
Derek-" I hate her, I hate her so much. So many years of my life wasted on someone that doesn't even care if I live or die..."
*Meanwhile, Maria is cheering loudly as she slides down a set of stairs, surfing on top of a trashcan lid. The exit to the jail is just up ahead, but closing quickly as the Magnezone try to lock it up. Biting down on her tail, she curls up so that she slides right underneath the doors right before they close. The trashcan lid skids to a stop in the dirt, allowing Maria to get to her feet and kick the lid at the door. As the alarms inside continue to blare loudly, she pumps her fist and runs off, away from town as to avoid detection from the guards now spilling out of the side doors to the jail. There's a creek off to the side of the forest, one that she jumps in and follows downstream, hoping it leads to another town. The lights of the Magnezone following her begin to fade as she distances herself more and more. A strong salty smell begins to fill the air, burning at Maria's nose as she gets closer to the end of the creek she's running again. It doesn't take her long to realize where she is; near the ocean, more specifically at a docking yard where a cruise ship is loading up several crates, getting ready to set sail. Seeing this as a chance to get as far away as possible from the guards, she scurries towards the ship, grinning widely at all the thoughts of going on a cruise for free. After slipping into one of the crates on the ground, she peeks out of a hole in it, seeing the ground below her move away as a crane picks up the crate and moves it into a loading bay on the ship. With a relaxed sigh, she turns around and leans against the side of the crate, looking at the contents inside of it*
Maria-" Oh hello, muffins. I can work with that"
*Loud smacking sounds come from the crate as Maria eats her way into the muffins, losing track of time and eventually drifting off into a deep slumber, rubbing her full belly and the small lump caused from her early pregnancy*

*The early morning sun begins to rise over the ocean, brightening the golden waves and causing the large cruise ship to cast a vast shadow over the small dock it's anchored to. Thin slivers of the sunlight filter through the holes in the crate, landing right on Maria's closed eyes and causing her to turn, not wanting to wake up quite yet. The crate she's found herself in eventually tips over, causing her to tumble out onto the deck of the ship. Groggily, she rubs the side of her head and looks around at the cluttered storage area of the ship. With the rise of the sun, the ship finally signals that it's finishing its final loading stages, getting ready to set sail out to the sea for who knows how long. Maria ducks under a nearby tarp as she hears voices behind her. The passengers on the ship all clatter as they walk down the rooms, heading towards their rooms to set them up before the trip starts*
Maria-" Crap, this is going to be hard... I need to pass myself off as a passenger here if I'm ever going to stay out of jail"
*Reaching up, Maria yanks the tarp down and wraps it around herself, making it look like a small dress that covers her from head to toe. The ridiculous looking mouse begins to walk out of the room and down the hallway, blending into the crowd before finding a room that's not already filled and slipping inside, locking the door behind her. The room is decorated with every bit of fine cloth affordable. The large table in the middle of the room has a large pot of cinnamon on it, allowing the aroma to fill the air and brighten up the mood of the luxurious room. With a gleam in her eye, Maria drops the tarp she has around her and leaps at the bed, tackling a pillow and curling up. The softness of the mattress under her feels unlike anything she's felt before. There's only one possible thing that could ruin her moment of comfort, and it quickly happens. The sounds of a key in the door turning shocks her. Not wanting to be seen and thrown back into jail, she tumbles off the side of the bed and hides under it. The true owner of the room walks in and puts down a small bag before shutting the door behind them. The lights begin to come on in the room as the person walks towards the decorated chairs and sits down, letting out a relaxed sigh*
???-" Finally, some time to relax away from everyone. No worries, no jobs, and no rats... just me, myself, and I"
*From her spot below the bed, she can clearly see who it is sitting in the chair. Somehow, Derek has bought a ticket for the ship without maria knowing it and taken a seat in his chair, closing his eyes and leaning back. Seeing that he really doesn't want her around, she silently crawls out from under the bed and starts walking towards the door. Her footsteps, however, catch Derek's attention, causing him to look down at her and glare*
Derek-" Of for crying out loud, can I not get one week alone without you following me around?! What is it now, you just couldn't stand staying away, you had to follow me here to the ship and sneak into my room?!"