The SEAFOAM Team

"I was only trying to protect..."

Vincent’s heart sank at Reine’s quiet utterance, his expression a picture of concern. His usual smile - faked or otherwise, stood no chance of reappearance at the sight of the distraught water-type. Ears drooping sadly, he moved forward, rolling the egg gently along with him to stand beside Maro as both she and Kegan spoke words of comfort. Nodding his head lightly in agreement as they spoke, the feline jumped slightly as the larvesta scuttled past, motioning to Reine as he did so. Watching him leave, the luxray’s thoughts grew panicked at the pressure to help. Whilst he only wanted to the best for the vaporeon, to see her dazzling smile again, he simply struggled to see how he could influence such a shift. No, he couldn’t think like that. Lily had always scolded him from his lack of confidence, his inability to act when it was so needed.

Turning back to regard the female’s sorrowful expression, the lion buried his doubt to act entirely on instinct. Moving forward, he lightly rested his large head on the vaporeon’s shoulder in a gentle embrace. Eyes closed as he gently nuzzled the saddened creature, he emitted a soothing shush, trying to find words to say.
“It’s okay,” Vince spoke quietly, a tenderness engulfing a usually youthful, stuttering voice. “You have protected us,” Smiling lightly to himself, eyelids opening to reveal gentle, golden orbs, he took a step back from the female, praying to god that he hadn’t worsened her current situation. As doubt reared its ugly head, the lion’s demeanour faltered. A blush surfaced on his face, his grin wavering slightly as he found himself chuckling, embarrassed. “I-I’m so sorry,” He spluttered out, his expression bright despite the gradual seeping of humiliation. “I… I-I thought it might – It seemed like –“ He gave a defeated huff, unable to explain himself as his face took on a startling tint of red. He didn’t even want to think how Maro had reacted. Although part of him regretted hugging the water-type, embarrassed for both himself and the girl, he suddenly found the whole event hilarious. Desperately trying to hide his chuckling, a goofy grin plastered on his face instead, he looked down in defeat. “C-Can you forgive me?”


(( I was given permission for Vince to awkwardly hug Reine, lol. xD ))

Reine slowly uncurled herself from her ball of sadness and listened to the kind words Maro and Kegan spoke to her. They were right, it was completely gone but her fear still clung thickly to her pelt as she watched them talk about bringing the others into the cave. Zoning out and into her own thoughts, Reine blinked in surprise when Vincent nuzzled against her and offered some of the kindest words to Reine which struck cords in her heart. Watching as he stepped back and blushed, Reine tilted her head to the side in confusion.

She couldn't believe that he had begun apologizing to her. What he had done was one of the sweetest things anyone had done for her and he thought it was wrong. Ignoring his words to forgive him, Reine got up and leisurely stretched from her curled up position before padding towards Vincent, a bright smile lighting up her face. As she grew closer to him, her head tilted to the side before she nuzzled him back softly while placing her head delicately on his shoulder. "Vincent," Her voice was soft and gentle against his ear. "You don't need to apologize. What you did was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me and for that I thank you." Stepping back, Reine looked deep into his eyes with her stormy blue ones and smiled brightly.

Maro smiled at the sight of Vince attempting -and succeeding- in cheering Reine up. The young male may have had the aura of awkwardness about him, but his earnesty certainly shone through, earning a small chuckle from the Phanteon. With the children seemingly getting along, as well as everyone else, and the newly discovered power Keagan wielded, Maro felt undeniably more secure within the count of the group. Months of lonliness and fear would finally come to an end, and not a moment too soon.

She looked about her once more, taking in the scenery with fresh eyes. The outcropping was certainly large enough for the entirety of the group, but food was scarce. She frowned slightly as the logistics of feeding everyone -including three growing boys- added up in her mind. They needed some sort of food source... one that was easy to obtain and would replenish quickly. Being on a barren island... that was not going to be easy to come by... "...I think we should start trying to figure out food," she stated, looking to everyone present. "There's quite a few of us... and seeing as how we're all a unit now, we need to figure out where to get enough food for everyone. As generous as Keagan is with his berries, in a group this size, they won't last long... Does anyone know any good fishing spots?"

((Skip please, needed Fear to get the kids and Kegan has no idea about fishing. Fire bug and water...not so much. lol))

Maudie looked up at the brightening sky, his gaze far-off as his thoughts wandered.
How long will we stay with this group? When we go searching the caverns? This has to be the island! The others were too small!
The otter sighed, concern furrowing his brow.
And what happens when we do find her?...Will she even help?...

"Aa-aaah!"
A sudden strangled cry rang out over the water, disturbing the blue-scarved otter from his thoughts. Maudie spun around in the water, his eyes wide with horror. Just as he turned, he saw the red scarf disappear into the dark waters.
"Nooo!" Maudie shouted, diving after him and speeding through the darkness.

_____________

Tentacles were pulling him down.
Stinging, burning, paralyzing tentacles.
The more he clawed at the appendage wrapped around his leg, the tighter it grasped, and the more painful it became.
Urgh! It burns so much!
He could feel the poison spreading from his leg to the rest of his body, his heart pounding harder as he came to a realization.
Oh fuck! I'm going to die! It's going to eat me!

Growling, he strained his arm against the great shelled beast underneath him, still dragging him through the dark depths. Suddenly, a razor shell flew past him severing the tentacle that held him. A roar reverberated through the waters and ink made everything pitch black. With a final effort, he used an Aqua Jet to propel him away from the hundreds of tentacles surrounding him, searching for its prey. As his vision darkened and his attack dissipated, he felt furred arms close around his torso and the edge of a red cloth floating in the water near him.

(Tentacruel. Because I just had to. B3)

"Vincent. You don't need to apologize. What you did was one of the sweetest things anyone has ever done for me and for that I thank you."

The luxray tensed when he felt Reine’s slim head gently nuzzling him, his body freezing whilst he gradually processed what was happening. Immediately relaxing, a stunning smile blossomed across his face as he relished in the embrace. Unfortunately, it was over all too quickly for his liking as the warmth from her petite body was lost. Instead, kindly words soon filled his ears. Glancing down shy, he grinned softly before meeting her eyes.
“Well, you’re welcome then,” A joyous spark in his eyes, his gave a light chuckle. Unable to remove his attention from the young water-type for a moment, the lion was only snapped out of his trance as Maro spoke.

"There's quite a few of us... and seeing as how we're all a unit now, we need to figure out where to get enough food for everyone. As generous as Keagan is with his berries, in a group this size, they won't last long... Does anyone know any good fishing spots?”

His lip curling, disappointed that he had nothing to offer the ghost-type, Vincent glanced to Kegan to find he was in a similar situation.
“Sorry. I’ve tried to avoid the water, what with the…” He gestured to the egg sat patiently beside him, suddenly finding it difficult to say the word. Managing a weak smile at Maro, a certain inkling told him that Reine would possesses the most knowledge of fishing thus his eyes soon fell to her form once more. His gentle expression slowly transformed into one of confusion as a screaming sound engulfed the peace. Eyes widening in shock, he whipped his head around, his heart racing at to what could have caused such a cry – and more importantly, whose cry it was. Panic had seeped into his tone as he stared out to the beach. “D-Did you hear that?”

Smiling happily as Vincent's expression grew shy, Reine felt her own blue cheeks light up brightly with a blush of warmth. Almost purring, the water fox gazed into his eyes lost from the world until Maro asked about fishing and snapped Reine from her daydream. Turning to her whispy friend, Reine swished her tail behind her with a beautiful grace only common to Vaporeon's as she thought for a few seconds. "I could scout out some fish for us once we leave this cave. It shouldn't be too hard with me being able to practically become invisible under water." Her voice was light and comical as she began to softly laugh like the tinkling on a breeze but was cut short as she too heard the scream and jumped up, her tail instinctively, as a female, touching Vincent's egg lightly. "I heard it too. Let's go see what happened." Racing to the edge of the cave mouth, Reine gazed down and saw the panic on the beach, immediately freezing up at the sight of the undead.

Maro breathed a sigh of relief as the air lifted, the tenseness around the members of their group dissapating with their now growing friendships. It was good to see them all getting along, and the phanteon couldn't be more content. Delightful. She even noticed eyes between Vince and Reine. Supressing the urge to tease them, her cheerful demeanor melted as screams sounded from the beach.

The boys...

Without waiting to answer Vince's querie, nor hear Reine's response, Maro shot out of the cave, her maternal instincts still quite intact. Her delicate, ethereal feet carried her quickly, and she was the first to arrive on the scene. Spotting Nikki, she paused, trying to nudge him away from the water. "Go find your uncle, Nikki," she stated, panting lightly from the dash. "He'll keep you safe." She then turned to the surf, where she saw bits of the struggle beneath the waves. Cursing her non-aquatic form, she settled for sooting from the sand.

She built up a Shadow ball, watching the darkened silhouettes carefully. She had to be careful not to hit one of the otters... She finally made out the large, circular silhouette of a tentacruel, then shot it, landing a blow on the top of the rubbery hood. She then built another, waiting for her moment to strike.

Nikki screamed as he watched his friend getting dragged away into the water. It took him a moment to recover before he tried diving into the surf to go after the otter but the salty water began to sizzle on his skin and the young kit yelped in pain. What was that? Normal water didn't do that...did it? It was then he noticed the black tinge floating on the surface of the water and quickly he ran back onto the dry beach, shaking the offensive gunk off of him as best he could. It was then that Miss Maro showed up beside him and Nikki prayed she would know what to do.

"Go find your uncle, Nikki. He'll keep you safe." Her tone was commanding, firm, yet caring. Like she was talking to her own kit for getting into trouble he couldn't handle. Her serious focus on the pair of twins trapped in the horror that was beneath those waves gave Nikki hope. She was going to save them, she had too..."Yes Ma'am," he whispered, turning to run towards the cliffs he'd seen his Uncle go up.

Kegan wasted no time, even as Maro said she was going, to leap to the trees and slide back down the cliff. Sliding down the beach almost faster than the little bug had ever gone before he looked for Nikkolai. Seeing the young kit come running up to him gave the Larvesta a breath of relief, but something was still wrong. "Nikkolai," he he started, voice deep and serious, "Where's Miss Maro?" The small fox almost began to cry as he recounted what happened to his two otter friends and Kegan cursed. Water types, of course it had to be water types. "Miss Maro went to go help them..."

Before Nikkolai could even finish Kegan went after the ghostly female, turning back to offer a warning for Nikkolai to get to FearSpirit. The youngling obeyed and Kegan was free to go after Maro. He reached her just as she launched a Shadow Ball at a massive Tentacruel. It wouldn't hurt it much, but it would help the twins get away. From the sands it looked as though the twins were struggling, one carrying the other. They needed a plan.

"Something that large we need a type advantage!" Kegan cried, a pink aura suddenly began glowing fiercely around the bug. He charged a powerful Psychic and sent it blasting at the jellyfish. He could only be somewhat thankful that the water type was also part poison, because his Psychic would work extremely well on it. It appeared to have hit so he wasted no time in charging another. "Get the boys Maro!" he cried, his gaze turning to look at her. He didn't want to have to blast it again, for fear of hitting the twins, so hopefully that thing would just die already. He hated fighting water undead.

((OOC:Since the infection is spread by body fluids I counted the ink, so I kind of went with it being almost corrosive. The water weakened poor Nikki's defenses and the ink started to hurt him. ^_^))

The two otters surfaced, water spraying every direction as they came up. Maudie gasped for air and paddled as hard as he could, his unconscious brother heavy in his arms. The Tentacruel had broken through the water, its' enormous armored head shielding two vivid red eyes. Maudie looked back with wide eyes, the tentacles rushing towards him when...

BLAM!
With a roar, the infected jellyfish redirected his tentacles towards the source of the Shadow Ball. Maudie didn't hesitate. In a last ditch effort, he held his brother close to him and struggled onto shore, collapsing in the shallow waters just as a psychic attack hit the monster.

The blue-scarved otter gasped and looked frantically at the others about him before turning to his brother, trying to haul him out of the water.
"Come on! Come on! Get up!" He cried, his voice shaking and frightened. His skin felt like he had swam in acid, and his lungs were on fire. But his heart sank as he saw his brothers' wounds.

No...Attie...!
Deep and thick crimson lines streaked across his left leg and foot, the fur singed off and the bare skin underneath seared, as if he had been burned by fire. His breathing was shallow and labored, but his eyes remained shut. With a gasp and a pained cry, he pulled his brother to the sands and held him tight, shivering in pain. Ragged whimpers and gasps came from the blue otter as he held his unconscious twin to his chest. The twins' red and blue scarves' intermingled together, drenched and clumped with sand.

"The bastards' not going to touch him again!" he growled to nobody, staring at the infected in a seething hatred as he shook uncontrollably.

(The ink is corrosive, as Phoe suggested. They're both suffering from an acid attack, and Attie(red-scarved) has a bad jellyfish sting.)

"I heard it too. Let's go see what happened."

Vincent, leaving the egg within the cave, stumbled after Reine whilst Maro rocketed past, her courage and determination to protect putting him to shame. Panicked, he followed the Vaporeon’s gaze down to the beach where a most horrendous spectacle met the lion’s fearful eyes. It was the otters, struggling in the waves alongside an infected Tentacruel, cries of more than one being ringing out across the deserted island. Vince wanted to help, run into the fray and be the hero, the one to save the day. But he body remained motionless, trembling as his eyes were fixated on the scene. He was waiting too long – Kegan and Maro were already attacking the thing, the otters struggling to escape the danger zone. He couldn’t watch any more.
“R-Reine,” He spoke hesitantly as he turned to her, hesitant expression soon taking the shift into one of determination. He was an electric-type, he had an advantage. “I… I think I can help,” The feline sounded almost surprised. With a flickering, weak smile, he suddenly scrambled down the cliff to hurtle towards the beach.

Impulse had overcome his hesitance and were it not for the Luxray’s tendency to occasionally trip over his large paws, he would seem unrecognisable. Fuelled with new meaning, a rare confidence emerging, Vince arrived on the scene alert and ready. As he stood on the sands, staring across as the monstrous water-beast whilst the otter twins trudged, bloody, out of the angry waves, the lion’s expression dropped. What the hell was he thinking. He couldn’t do this. He wasn’t a battler. Since Rowan had joined the team, courting Lily with his incredible strength, he’d been made redundant from his position as head of the team. In comparison to that pompous Arcanine, he was weak – unworthy to look in his general direction.
“Mar-“ The lion stopped himself. She was busy; busy trying to save the day. The ghost-type had no time to babysit him, instruct him on how to help in the situation. He was useless. Catching glimpse of Reine, however, Vincent was reminded he came here for a reason. She had single-handedly killed that Charizard and in doing so protected them all. Deep down, he knew he could help. Now she was watching him, waiting to see if he was just all talk.

Filled with new purpose, Vincent turned back to the Tentacruel, taking a deep breath as he strode across the beach. His body began to spark, electricity beginning to dance about his large form as he set his sights on the hood.
“Get away from the water!” It was perhaps the loudest his voice had reached in years, a authoritative tinge to his words. He didn’t want them to get hurt, knowing the sheer danger when electricity and water mixed. Unable to control the power practically pulsating beneath his skin any longer, he released a well-charged Thunderbolt directly at the undead. Despite the odds, the attack hit - a flash of gold engulfing the jellyfish-creature as countless sparks spiralled across the water’s surface accompanied by a frenzied hissing sound. Vincent, surprised at his own abilities, backed up on impact, eyes wide as he took in the sight.


(( I left the attack’s damage open so you can decide if you fancy fighting the undead a bit more. :3 ))

Watching all of her friends begin attacking the monster, Reine was overcome with fear and began to tremble even as Vincent was seemingly trying to show off for her as he ricocheted like a bullet down the cliff. Curling up, Reine took to taking care of the egg Vincent left her in charge of. The water fox wrapped her tail around it softly and nuzzled the hard casing with her muzzle while she was deep in thought. A loud sound knocked her from her thoughts and she gazed up in shock as an Undead Murkrow came barreling towards where she was on the cliff. Taking a protective stance in front of the egg, Reine hissed a strange maternal sound that came from no where as she charged up a powerful Aurora Beam that when ready, ripped the Fearow to shreds and left the stunned female in its wake, wrapped around the egg and shivering slightly.

(OOC: If that's not alright Snitch I will fix it(: )

[ooc: No clue it was my turn and I have not read up to the present anyway. >.< Sorry guys. Skip me.]

"Get the boys, Maro!"

Keagan's command caught her ear as she saw the twins emerge wounded from the inky water, and instantly fled to their side. She created a barrier between them and the water as the blue-scarved one -she couldn't remember which was which- dragged his brother up the beach away from the danger. While Keagan worked a psychic, Maro spotted Vincent nearby, charging some electricity. Somewhat relieved that the two were able to take care of it, she turned her attention back to the twin brothers.

Her eyes looked down over the red-scarved youth, his precarious state unfazing her. As a mother of a wandering child and mate to an avid battler, she was more or less accustomed to looking at a beaten body. She sniffed, then frowned. There was a chance of infection with the wound, if it wasn't cleaned properly. She looked up, her eyes boring into the other twin's eyes. "Your brother needs a lot of help, Sweetie," she began, her voice low, even and calm. "He needs a Rawst Berry, for the burn on his leg, and maybe a Pecha and Cheri as well. He needs clean water to wash the wound with. Do you know where we can get any of that?"

((Lame post is lame D|))

“Get away from the water!” Kegan looked through his peripheral to see Vincent crackling in electricity and decided to give him a hand. Since his Psyhcic was still crushing the Tentacruel he decided to hold the creature still so that it wouldn't be able to dodge the incoming attack. Between the two of them they had a double type advantage so in all essence the creature should not be able to survive. But these Undead were capable of many things beyond what logic could explain, so there was always that chance.

As Vincent's attack faded his Psychic dropped and suddenly a bright white light surrounded the small bug. Kegan was surprised that it was coming this soon but allowed his evolution to take hold and felt his body shifting and growing. The light stretched out to reveal six stunning wings and his body expanded to form that of a moth rather than a larva. When the white light receded there, hovering just over the sands of the beach, was brand new Volcarona. Kegan's brilliant blue eyes gave the Undead in the water a level glare, for if by some miracle it had survived the joint attack between Vincent and himself it would stand no chance now. "Let it come."
_________________________

Nikki couldn't stand it, just sitting back and watching while everyone else did all the fighting while his friends were trapped. He knew he was just a child and shouldn't get in the way but those were his friends! Ignoring all common sense Nikkolai charged back down the beach as Maro was blocking the two otters from the water. He ignored the searing pain in his legs and ran over to them and heard Maro mention something about berries. "Didn't you say Uncle Kegan had berries?" he quipped, to paniced and driven by adrenaline to actually be patient enough for anyone else to answer.

He whimpered worriedly and sniffed at the twins, trying to suss out any information that would make sense to his young mind. He could smell the blood and the poison, the scent making his stomach turn, but he would not turn away. His friends were hurt and they needed him with them. Laying down in all but a flop next to them he huffed and tried to catch his breath, his legs twitching as the burns from the water still felt hot to the touch. He tried ignoring his own pain, so focused on the twins he didn't even notice Kegan's evolution, and instead pressed up against Maudie's leg offering a small nuzzle. "Please..." he struggled out between breaths. "Please be okay guys..."

((OOC: Yay evolution! I am going to update Kegan's profile and pic this afternoon but right now I gotta fly!))

"Your brother needs a lot of help, Sweetie," she began, her voice low, even and calm. "He needs a Rawst Berry, for the burn on his leg, and maybe a Pecha and Cheri as well. He needs clean water to wash the wound with. Do you know where we can get any of that?" The ghost fox asked the blue-scarved otter, looking to him for an answer. He clutched at his brother tightly, shivering.

"B-b-berries...?" He said breathlessly, looking back at the fox before gazing back to the bushes painfully. "Th-there's alot of th-them over-r there!" His gaze fell on the silver Vulpix who had snuggled up against his brothers' leg, the childs' paws twitching. Maudie cringed as the little fox whimpered and nuzzled his brother.
He's hurt too....!
The blue-scarved otter placed a paw on the childs' silver back for comfort. He managed a strained smile, his eyes warm, despite the pain.
"It'll be okay!"

(OTL- odd post, I know)

Vincent was pleasantly surprised at the damage he’d cause, part of him giddy at the idea of actually proving useful in the situation. Trotting forward with newfound confidence, he caught glimpse of Maro assisting the otters and soon took up position next to Kegan. It took him a good few seconds to realize that the familiar bug he’d first met was now a giant, fire-moth. Eyes widening in shock, the Luxray leapt in shock, reality dawning as his eyes frantically scanned the Volcarona’s face.
“Wow,” He muttered, impressed by the powerful new form the creature had taken. Smiling, he nodded his head, ready to finish this once and for all. In fact, the three words that left the insect had sent a rush of adrenaline to the lion’s youthful mind. Damn, that was cool. Unable to disguise an excited grin, Vincent turned his attention back to the Tentacruel.

Charging up another thunderbolt, electricity sparking excitedly off the feline’s form, Vince stuck to his past technique. Targeting the creature’s hood like before, albeit now particularly damaged from the retaliation of the survivors, Vincent launched his move with a surprising ferocity. The creature was weakening, clearly wounded as the Luxray put everything into ensuring that it would not harm any else. He was already disappointed that it had hurt the twins so, but now it was certainly paying. His attack having a similar affect as before, Vince hoped that the creature was still alive. Eager to see Kegan’s newfound power in action, the feline watched on with hungry eyes.

From her perch atop the cliff, Reine looked down on the raging battle with her tail still wrapped around the precious egg. Sensing no more threats, she looked down on the precious thing and smiled softly, remembering how her dad use to stroke her brothers egg before it was deemed dead. Shaking her head from the thoughts, Reine wondered what she could do to help the battle but quickly decided there was nothing else to do but take care of the egg. Thinking with a mother's instinct even though the egg was far from hers, Reine cloaked herself in Aqua Ring and waited out the battle from her vantage point on the cliff.

Maro's head turned when both little Nikki and one of the otter boys -she honestly couldn't tell them apart at the moment, much to her own guilt- spotting the bushes immediately. She was reluctant to just leave them on the beach, but a flash of light and the emergence of a giant fire moth made her stare in awe. Was that... Keagan? His magnificent form easily hovered over the sands, his six wings flapping effortlessly. She wasn't even sure if they were actually needed, but nonetheless, his evolution gave her the reassurrance she needed that her leaving the boys was all right. She nodded to them, pausing over Nikki when she spotted his wincing. "I'll get some for you, too, Nikki." She nuzzled him lightly, then dashed over the sands toward the bushes.

They were a little further than she thought, the clock ticking in her mind. Even with Keagan now looking like some sort of ancient sun god, even one of those tentacles could spell death for all three of the injured boys. When she found herself almost immersed in berry bushes, her heart sank at how little she actually found that she needed. Grabbing a large leaf to store them all in, she plucked a few of each berry she needed, as well as some sitris and oran. She took care in wrapping the remaining leaf around her cargo, hoping that it would make it to the ones who really needed them in one piece.

When her bundle was satisfactory, she grabbed the top and rushed back, skidding to a halt in front of the boys. Placing her bundle down, she allowed it to unfurl to reveal her finds. "Take what you need, boys. There's plenty of Cheri and Pecha. Give this to your brother first, hon," she commented, pawing a sitrus toward the otter. She just hoped she had moved fast enough...

Kegan wings flapped slowly behind him, the sands beneath the large bug shifting and forming a small crater underneath the Volcarona. His eyes penetrated the water, looking for any trace of the foe they had been engaging, but found none. It seemed to be over. His gaze turned slowly towards Vincent and he offered the lion a nod, grateful for the part he had played in saving the children. "Head back to Reine, Vince," he told him. "Let her know we are all alright. I will gather the others." He was sure the lion would be missing his egg, seeing as it was nowhere to be seen, and personally the bug wanted to check on the kids.

Flying over to where his charges lay he saw Maro providing berries for the young ones. "Thank you for your quick thinking, Miss Maro," he offered, a small sound almost like chittering following the compliment as his only way to express happiness. It wasn't like he had an actual mouth to offer a smile so it was the best he had. Kegan turned to his small companion and was disquieted to see Nikkolai trying to hide his pain. Settling down in the sands he placed his wings over the small fox and his hard gaze softened. "Maro...what happened to Nikkolai?"

______________________________

"It'll be okay!" Nikki managed a weak smile to his friends, cuddling up to them even closer despite the pain. He was glad they were okay. Miss Maro had her gaze towards something on the beach and it was then he finally noticed the large fire bug hovering over the sands like the sun come to earth. In his head he knew that it was Uncle Kegan, but the bug looked so uncannily like his sire that it was almost frightening. Kegan was a very large Volcarona. "I'll get some for you, too, Nikki." His soft amber eyes turned to gaze at Maro and he nodded softly as she turned to head towards the treeline once more.

It took her some time but eventually the whispy fox came back once more this time with a small makeshift sack of berries. "Take what you need, boys. There's plenty of Cheri and Pecha. Give this to your brother first, hon." Nikki didn't dare touch anything until he was sure that his friends were okay first. "You need them more than I do," he whispered, nudging a supple pink Pecha towards Maudie. "This will help too, I think." He felt his Uncle's new wings settling over him and the warmth the ember scales gave off was very soothing to the small fire fox. He cuddled into a small ball and allowed himself to forget his pain, if only for a moment.

"Take what you need, boys. There's plenty of Cheri and Pecha. Give this to your brother first, hon." Maudie nodded sullenly, his teeth clenched together in pain as he took the berry. He pulled his brother closer to him, leaning over his shoulder and gently shaking him.

"Attie...come on...! You need to eat this...!" He urged with a ragged voice as he bit off a chunk of the large fruit, took it from his mouth and put the piece next to his twins' maw.
"You need them more than I do," The little Vulpix whispered timidly. "This will help too, I think." The otter nodded anxiously before turning his attention back to the red-scarved twin.
After moments of intense waiting, his brother stirred and groaned quietly. Maudie gently pushed the small piece of fruit into his mouth, still holding him tightly.
"Come on...chew." He whimpered under his breath, shivering.

_________________________

A dark haze clouded his mind as he slowly came out of unconsciousness, accompanied by a terrible searing pain, but he was too weak to cry out.
But in the darkness, the otter heard his brothers' voice.
"Come on...chew."
Ignoring the pain, he forced his jaws to work, slowly breaking down the fruit. He swallowed weakly, and proceeded to chew the next piece given to him.
"I think...I think he's...okay..."
Atticus' eyes flickered open as he felt some of his strength coming back, but a sudden jolting pain caused him to start and cry out.
"Arrrgh!" He hissed as he tried to bolt up, his claws going for the open wound on his leg. But blue, furred arms held him in place.
Oh legends! Fuck, it hurts!
"Urrrrgh! It hurts!" He cried through his teeth, clutching his brothers' arm tightly, his struggling subsiding.

"Maro, please! Help him!" His brother pleaded, his furred arms still holding Atticus tightly against him.
The otter opened his eyes as he turned his head to look at his brother fearfully, his eyes large and full of pain.
"M-Maudie...?" He half-whimpered, his ears low against his head.
"It's going to be okay!" he replied softly, tears brimming in his soft eyes and his claw closing around Atticus.'

"Head back to Reine, Vince. Let her know we are all alright. I will gather the others.”

Attentive to the newly evolved Kegan’s words, Vincent gave a firm nod of his head in understanding. Flexing his limbs, a certain buzz about his demeanour at his part in defeating the water beast, the lion took off into a jog, obedient to the moth’s commands. Shooting the Dewott twins a sympathetic look as he passed, the Luxray was quick to remind himself that he had a task to do. Everyone was okay – battered and bloody, but alive. He needed to check that both Reine and his precious egg were in a similar situation.

Sprinting back towards the cave, out of breath whilst a proud grin was plastered across his young face, Vince’s joy soon vanished. The earth at the opening was splattered with blood – fresh – whilst feathers littered the surrounding area. Heart leaping into his throat, the youth’s entire body grew rigid with fear. Unnerved by the silence, he charged recklessly into the cave, expecting to find the worst – but instead, he was met with more silence. It was empty. Eyes frantically scanning the area, his mouth grew dry, a lump in his throat.
“R-Reine?” His voice emerged in a whisper, coarse and laced with fear. The silence was mocking him. His hesitance turning into panic, he raced about the cave, tripping over his own paws in the hope the female and his egg were hidden. But there was nothing, his heart racing erratically as tears brimmed about his eyes. “No…” He whined, realizing the worse. Reine was gone. Lily’s egg was gone. He’d abandoned them to show off. Physically sick, his body violent trembled as he struggled to contain the emotional breakdown bubbling beneath a fractured surface. He’d let Lily down. He’d let his Lily down...

Unable to stand the cruel stillness, the Luxray needed to get out of there. Racing back towards the others, tears streaming furiously down his face, the male was only just suppressing the emotion. He looked a state, falling over in the sandy dunes a number of times, clumsy in his movements as he skidded to a halt before Kegan – his fur clogged with sand and tears.
“Ke-“ The combination of the breathless, the panic, the sobbing, left him struggling to form the words. Taking a deep inhale, his body shaking as he met the moth’s eyes, Vincent found a moment’s inner peace to allow him to continue. “It’s Reine – s-she’s gone!” He whined, his voice growing high in his alarm. “And – and, the egg…” It destroyed him. The emotional barrier breaking back, he lowered his head in shame, uncontrollable sobs wracking his very being. “The egg’s gone… I-it’s my fault. I-I-I,” Vincent could say no more. He was left choking on his own incredible guilt.

As the undead were finally being taken care of, I allowed my wings to slowly bring me down to the ground beside the group. I had been nearly helpless during the fight and it made my skin itch thinking about it. With the electric attacks of Vincent... I would have been fried. Letting a low growl escape me and letting the frustrations of not being any help at all, I settled down to the ground outside of the group. A flurry of movement and voices, I was just another outsider. Maro was clearly shining and even the boys were keeping eachother strong. My feathers ruffled with my unease and I averted my gaze with supresed guilt. Helpless... Definately helpless... Just like when my trainer was- Cutting off the painful thoughts with a soft growl, I forced myself to calm down. Last time I got worked up, I was ready to massacre the twins.

I was still a monster, but at least I could control myself.

As everyone worked hard to help the injured otter, I could not help but perk up at the small voice of innocent Nicholai. "You need them more than I do," The little kid told the one twin, his voice soft and clearly strained as he continued. "This will help too, I think." My heart broke for the little silver fox. I watched with growing sarrow as he pulled away from the group to curl up on his own. The worst warp was that only Kegan seemed to notice, but even his attention was mostly averted. I could not blame anyone in that situation to be distracted, but I suddenly knew how to not be so helpless. Snapping out my wings, I whipped into the air effortlessly.

Shooting to the bush Maro had gathered the berries from, I could easily recognize the Sitrus by their color. Snapping off a branch of them with one massive foot, I glided back to the group. Landing gently next to the evolved moth and the yound fox, I set the branch down next to the Vulpix. Sparing a glance at Kegan, I nodded my congradulations before ducking my head. Delicately plucking one berry from the branch with my long beak, I set it right before the kid's nose. "...Nikki. Nicholai, you have to eat this. You're injured." Voice as gruff as ever, I alloed concern to color my tone. I liked the little kid. Last thing I wanted was for him to hurt. But at the sudden reappearance of Vincent, I turned to narrow my eyes at him. Something was wrong. As soon as the lion began stuttering over Reine and his egg being gone, my gut clentched. Leavig Nikki with the Sitrus, I quickly offered. "Are you sure? I can take to the air and look for them from the sky." But something felt off. I had an odd feeling about this situation. Would the Vaporeon just take the egg and flee, covetting the child inside for herself? It made no sense.

[ooc: Hope I got everything right @-@ Had to speed read three pages so I could post. Thank Arceus I had enough time. Lol]

"Miss Maro, help him!" The child's plea was so stark in contrast to not ten minutes prior, where the twins were nearly threatening her. The phanteon frowned, pushing the thought out of her mind. These boys needed help, even if they were little pricks beforehand. Maybe now they'd be a little less hostile... She nodded, handing another Sitrus and a Pecha to the more able-bodied otter. "Keep him eating, hon. These will help." Her voice remained smooth and calm, her motherly instincts keeping her so.

It seemed she would not be alone in caring for the boys, as Fear finally swooped down next to her, trying to get little Nikki to eat as well. "Good to see you back," Maro commented with a small smile, glad that her suspicions of him abandoning them were completely false. It seemed that the situation was beginning to get better...

Unfortunately, Fate would not have that. Vince had returned from the outcropping to check on Reine, bursting with tears. “It’s Reine – s-she’s gone!” he wailed, stuttering as he went. “And – and, the egg…” Maro's eyes widened more, realization quickly coming to her before Vince could finish. “The egg’s gone… I-it’s my fault. I-I-I...” It was all she could do to stand her ground, pushing berries to the otters. Fear was first to reply, unfolding his wings. "Are you sure? I can take to the air and look for them from the sky."

"It doesn't make sense for her to just run with your egg, Vince," she replied, her voice retaining the same calm demeanor it held for the boys. "Maybe something happened and she took it so it wouldn't get hurt... Either way, it's not your fault, dear. You couldn't have taken it to battle..." However, she knew her words would probably do little for his state of mind. Similar words wouldn't have helped when her mate and kit were slaughtered... Distracting herself with much more pressing matters, she continued to give the otters berries, wanting a quick heal.

“It’s Reine – s-she’s gone! And – and, the egg…The egg’s gone… I-it’s my fault. I-I-I.” Kegan was at a total loss as to what to say, the very idea of Reine running off with Vincent's egg was almost laughable in its insanity. That certainly didn't sound like the frail young female they had all grown to know. "It doesn't make sense for her to just run with your egg, Vince. Maybe something happened and she took it so it wouldn't get hurt... Either way, it's not your fault, dear. You couldn't have taken it to battle..." Now that made much more sense.

Kegan chittered softly at the lion's distress, trying to soothe his fears. "I'm sure Miss Maro is right, Reine wouldn't just run off with your egg. I'm sure the pair is around here somewhere." Fear offered to take to the skies to search for them and Kegan had to agree. "If you are careful then having a set of eyes above ground could prove useful." He looked over to see Nikkolai still resting next to the twins and decided that it would be best to help expand the search. "Miss Maro, please watch the boys. I am going to join FearSpirit."

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"...Nikki. Nicholai, you have to eat this. You're injured." Nikki looked up to see Fear's worried eyes gazing down at him and felt a pang of guilt for forcing away his own pain. "But..." he couldn't finish. He knew nothing he said would make it seem any better, but he had been really worried about his friends and wanted to make sure that they were okay first. "I'm sorry..." The small fox finally took a couple of berries for himself and began feeling a little better as their healing properties began to course through him.

Everyone soon became worried about Miss Reine and where she had gotten off to. The little Vulpix was wondering why she would have run off on them like that, it didn't seem like her. She was such a sweet lady even in the brief time that he had known her...it didn't make sense. Uncle Kegan took with Fear to go check around the island for them and Nikki looked to his two friends. "What do we do?"

((OOC: Tired and trying to post, I will edit in colors later. Sorry for the wait guys.))