(ACE) The SHIPWRECK Team

"The past, most likely. Not much else to talk about these days." Saferi snorted. For once, he hit the nail on the head without being a total ass or a lustful fool. In truth, they had done they same, though it was the more recent past. "That's a shame." The eel sighed, and though the statement was somber she felt peaceful. "Creatures can't survive if they live in the past." But wasn't that what everyone was trying to do? Fix the world or adjust to it enough that it had some resemblance to what it was before? You do what you have to to stay sane. Yeah, sure.

Beside her, the Dragalge with settling down. His interest must have been waning but his visage still held that of peacefulness instead of any surly emotions. "Gotta make up for it with the future I guess." Was the last thing he muttered before completing bedding down, and with that Saferi did much of the same. Her coils were already cozy and relaxed, her tail tip lazily flicking back and forth. Laying her massive jaw down among her own scales the eel suddenly realized where she was. Once again she had chosen to sleep in open water, with other Pokemon surrounding her instant of a quiet stillness. However, this time she did not find it disturbing, and while she would have preferred a quiet hole this was a decent alternative. An odd one, but a decent one nonetheless. Reaching her neck out to give it one last stretch Saferi settled her head back down and murmured, "Then it's up to us to make sure there still is a future."


"All we'd need is a few stars we recognize, then we'd at least have some anchors." Bell's brown eyes glittered with the reflection of the stars above as she stared in wonder. "The stars.. as anchors?" She thought aloud, not really knowing what an anchor was or the meaning to it. Did the stars point out directions? Weren't they just random pretty dots in the sky? How did they know which way to go during the day when the stars were hiding? The Poliwag tilted her head so much her entire body fell to the side and she flipped belly-up.

"I can recognize a few of the constellations, but... yeah, I don't know how to figure out directions based on them. I've just been running on what I can remember of what the beaches looked like." Did the constellations stay in place? Paddling upward Bell squinted, as though testing the sparkling dots, but she quickly sank back down from the small exertion. "Beaches," she repeated Thorn's word softly as a yawn interrupted her. "We could follow the shoreline.." Her eyes blurred out and she had to blink them hard to refocus.

If she had noticed or not, Aqua was quick to follow with notions of her own fatigue. "I'm as tired as a worn-out shoe. I don't think I'll be able to make heads or tails of them before getting a little shut eye. We should probably all get some sleep, we'll need it for the ship tomorrow." With another hard press of her eyes the child made sure she could see straight as she whine, "But the stars will be sleeping in the morning!" How would she know which way to go? Well, it wasn't like they were following them now, but it'd be cool to see how. "Yeah, you're right," Thorn agreed, shaking the sleep from his own eyes. "We're about ready to hit the sack, what about you?"

Bell wanted desperately to argue, to keep talking and learning, looking at the stars and just being with her friends, but even she could not deny how exhausted she was. A massive yawn rippled across her face and her flat tail shook until her maw fell closed. "We are exploring the ship tomorrow, right?" She asked sleepily as she settled herself atop of Thorn. The instant she did so the urge to sleep was overwhelming. How had she gone so long without a nap? Why was she keeping herself awake? Another yawn spread across her face. "I cant wait..." came out as she exhaled, the anticipation not enough to keep her going any longer.

"I can recognize a few of the constellations, but... yeah, I don't know how to figure out directions based on them. I've just been running on what I can remember of what the beaches looked like." Maybe this would be possible...between all of them to find the right direction to head. "I reckon you'll have to show me them sometime." Aqua yawns. "Mh-hm, the stars look like a big jumble up there, but they always rise in the same pattern. You figure it out, you know where you are heading." She is able to sleepily get out to answer Bell's barrage of questions and settling down and laying on her back as she does. "We could follow the shoreline.." The sea weasel nods. "That too...heck, if only we could find a map." Another yawn. "Only human stuff would have one of those laying around.." The thought of going back up to the city again where that undead fox was definitely wasn't high on her to-do list.

"But the stars will be sleeping in the morning!" Bell protests as everyone around her begins to settle in for the night. However, Aqua can see even she is having a hard time keeping both eyes open. A huge yawn splits the child's face as she begins to lose the battle to stay awake. "Don't worry none about that now sweet pea. They're sure to come back every night like clockwork. There's always tomorrow." She soothes, though she wonders how much of it Bell heard as she falls asleep. Poor kid is exhausted. "Good night everyone." She says, tipping her hat down to cover her closing eyes. "See you in the morn'"

Bell was fighting a losing battle with her exhaustion, and Aqua helped gently convince her that tomorrow was another day. After a big yawn, the tiny Poliwag settled atop Thorn's head again. A fond smile drifted across his tired face; he was glad that she felt safe with him. Still barely awake, she asked, "We are exploring the ship tomorrow, right? I cant wait..." It sounded like she had finally lost her fight with exhaustion since her voice was trailing off at the end.

"That's the plan," He muttered. If she was still awake enough to get the answer, maybe that would soothe her. And if she wasn't, then hopefully he was quiet enough to  where he wouldn't wake her again. They all needed to rest, but the small child needed it even more.

Aqua wasn't too far behind in also deciding to pass out. She pulled down the brim of her hat to cover her eyes and face before saying, "Good night everyone. See you in the morn'"

Thorn glanced towards the rest of their party, and it looked like Saferi and Sanngetall were also preparing to sleep. The sight gave him some relief, the two of them had been just as active today with everything that had gone wrong and even with the things that had gone right. He briefly wondered if he could keep his eyes open for much longer before the weight of his eyelids already pulled them closed when he stared just a little too long without movement in their direction. Deciding he couldn't fight it either, he let them fall shut. "Night..."

"Creatures can't survive if they live in the past." Yeah. Was that what he was doing? What he had always done? As long as he could remember the only thing he cared about was having the power to protect his home. Even now his end goal was to reign over that land with an iron fist, or fin in his case. Was that living in the past? I'd be living in an actual place of my past. Sanngetall grunted, the closest to laughter he could muster. Funny joke. No, he told himself, even now he was off doing gods know what with else Pokemon. He wasn't the same sniveling heap he was in youth. No creature would dare mess with him now, and if for some reason they did they would not come out unscathed or prideful.

Still.. Was this right? Should he still care like he did? The thought had never really occurred to him. "Then it's up to us to make sure there still is a future." Saferi said what felt like her final words of the night, and they held an air hope that was too whimsical for her. Was she talking about the next generation? The kid? Was that why it was tagging along with the others? Since when did she start caring about things that far ahead..? He glanced at her, as though prying for answers, but the eel was still and no longer looking to converse.

Resettling himself, Sanngetall wondered, did she have any children? I probably do, somewhere. Everywhere. Were they alive, undead? Did he care? Should he? When restlessness started to tingle in his fins he pushed the thought away knowing it would keep him up. Those kids didn't matter. If Saferi had any, or used to, they did not matter. That brat is the future. And if Saferi thought that was important, who was he to deny her? With a lasting sigh the seahorse let his maroon eyes fall closed. Whether he liked it or not, he was part of this thing, and Bell would have to be part of it too.

"That's the plan," Thorn's voice was gentle, and the few words comforting. She had wanted to explore the ship for soooo long now, but when things trailed on adults usually forgot. "Don't worry none about that now sweet pea. They're sure to come back every night like clockwork. There's always tomorrow." Aqua also soothed, and forcing her heavy eyelids open just a crack the child was able to glance at the sky once more. Without the lights of the human cities to pollute the sky the stars shined brighter than anything (except the sun). The flickering, glowing, beautiful little dots filled the sky in so many patterns. They were beautiful, magical even, and no one had to tell her so.  

But her eyes couldn't look at them any longer. Already comfortable, exhausted, and bedded down, the brown spheres closed again as one last yawn spread her maw. It was smaller than the others, but still enough to close her eyes for good that night. "Good night everyone." "Night..." She heard her friends say, and though Bell couldn't tell if she really said it out loud or not, she tried her best to mumble a sweet, "Night night."


Sanngetall didn't say anything else. Usually he had some snappy remark for every little thing, especially when he disagreed, but not this time. Does that mean you concur? For a creature who has only ever cared for himself, that was pretty big. But then, which part was he pondering on? Surely not the first remark, as his own actions were always meaningless to himself. No matter how vile, cruel, or misplaced. Do you care for this world's future? The outbreak itself didn't seem to of bothered him much. The way he fought, the degree to which he went, even having the free rein to kill without a trace of remorse was all pretty much normal. If anything, the disease seemed to heighten his bloodlust without altering his morals.

So then what? Was he finally feeling that sense of responsibility weigh on him, or that his actions now would hopefully have long standing consequences? You killed off that swarm. An entire branch of the disease is now gone. She would personally feel that effect; her prey would hopefully increase in volume again with less sickly individuals now that they wouldn't be picked off. The ecosystem would return to balance, and the undead would decrease in number in this area. Lastability. As a drifter, he wouldn't care about that, but it was still thanks to his doing. And, for those to come, their would be food and safety. You should be proud of yourself. For a scumbag, you're finally doing right for the world.

Shifting ever so slightly the eel blinked her eyes open one last time to look at the emerging stars. The sky had gone dark now, with the last veins of deep red finally fading away and the sprinkling of stars truly standing out. For a second night in a row, she was out in this river with a spectacular view. Would their be a third? Would these Pokemon remain with her for another moonrise? Refusing to let such a thought plague her Saferi shut her eyes and let her mind empty. They had work to do tomorrow, and keeping herself awake would help no one.

((ooc: skip please.))

While Thorn's eyes were shut, his mind wasn't quite in the realm of sleep yet. The eventful day had caught up with him in terms of exhaustion, but he hadn't had a lot of time to really process some of it. Considering the harrowing adventures, he didn't really want to either. He didn't want to think about potentially getting beached on land, nor did he want to think about how they had almost gotten crushed in an underground cavern thanks to zealous undead who didn't care who they were endangering by using ground moves. He quickly had to shut that line of thought before he made himself too afraid or anxious to sleep. Instead he tried to focus on the relative quiet. The peace of being underwater kept the noise level down, and with the others having mostly settled, there wasn't much to listen to. It didn't take much longer before his brain caught up with his eyes and finally shut off for the night.

The eel woke slowly. She had grown accustomed to the gentle pull of the river's water, and any slight shift of her body would change that tug and make it unpleasant. The water was cold, chilled by the morning air, and it aided the dark abyss of sleep that kept calling her mind back. Letting her fangs part the eel sucked in a mouthful of water to remove any stagnant tastes and felt tingles across her numb tongue at the flavor of the wilds. Peeling her eyes open Saferi took in the pale morning light. She had missed dawn, as yesterday's exertions were just too much to get up early, but while the sun had risen its warmth had not yet breached their wet world.

Unfurling her coils Saferi breathed in stiffly. Her sore body wasn't ready for a new day but she'd be damned if she was to sleep any longer. Twisting and stretching to loosen up the haze in her vision faded and revealed to her, well, a whole lot of nothing. Hm? The space beside her was empty, but the sunken hole in the riverbed told her her sleeping companion had not been a dream. But as she glanced around it was very clear the seahorse had gone. His scent of stale, and neither hide or scale could be seen of him. Clearly, he hadn't missed dawn's first light. A burning feeling sizzled in her stomach (and not from her fading burn). Had he really deserted them?

There was no reason to her question. Sanngetall was not here to explain himself, and it seemed the others were just as exhausted as she was. Swimming slowly as not to stir the water too much or cause any unnecessary noise Saferi made her way past her other companions. Casting an oblong stare toward them she could see Bell nestled and sleeping upon Thorn. Her tail was slung over her feet, the end of it resting lighting where her nose would be. A soft smile made its way across half of the Huntail's massive jaw. You faced a bag trauma yesterday but can still be at ease. To come out of that with only minimal psychological damage.. children were truly resilient.

As she kept moving she could see the Poliwag stretch. Her feet popped out from under her tail and a yawn spread across her pink lips. The locket resting beside her slid, falling taut as it caught on her neck. After a second, the motion was over, and she curled into a tighter ball while biting the end of her tail. Snorting, Saferi thought it best to leave her be along with the overs as she made her way to the end of the river to get a fresh breathe of salt water.

Aqua slowly stretched back into consciousness from a dreamless sleep. It had seemed like only minutes ago she had laid down for the night, but now the morning light was streaming down. As she reaches the height of the stretch she cringes. Pains from yesterday's battles making themselves known once again. Why couldn't the night have been longer? She internally sighs and considers going back to sleep, but catches sight of Saferi slipping away from their makeshift camp.

Paddling up to the surface of the water, Aqua raises only her head above the level of the water. Sucking in a huge breath quickly she dives again and follows after the huntail. She follows in silence until they come to a stop at the edge of the river. "Good mornin' Ms. Saferi." She tries to greet cheerfully. "How'd you sleep? I got through the night alright, but it definitely didn't feel like nearly enough time pasted between sunrise to sunset I tell you." She adds, staring off into the deeper waters and reminiscing on everything that happened. Certainly the worst of it had passed them right? The swarm was gone, the infested cave collapsed and the undead fox, well he was land-bound.

If left to his own devices, the red Gyarados might not have woken up until the sun's rays were stronger and shining directly into his eyes, but there was movement in the water, and he could faintly hear the quiet voices of others talking. Slowly, Thorn's eyes opened to the mostly empty riverbed. Once it hit that the others weren't around, his eyes snapped open quickly. Thankfully, before he moved, it occurred to him that the voice was Aqua's. That allowed him to relax his coils and suddenly, he realized the small weight on his head was probably Bell still sleeping. While he wouldn't have minded talking to others, he didn't want to wake the young child after yesterday's events. She needed as much rest as she could get. Instead, he settled for letting the chilly water wake his senses more and slightly shift his body around.

If a sea creature could be covered in a cold sweat, Sanngetall awoke as such. His body felt unbelievably warm, yet a stroke of a fin across his scales reveled a deep chill and a gross clamminess. Blinking apart his eyes he found them to be oozy and sticky, as though they had been held wide for far too long. Heat pulsed in his head; hit was heavy with fever and there was a headache was coming. With a grumble the seahorse threw a fin over his eyes and dragged it down. Fuck. Boy did he ache. The hell was he doing last night? With another groan he tried to make his pain-riddled joints move, but instead of the scratchy feeling of his den his expanding body touched something much softer and smoother. His bleary eyes shot in its direction, and spread to the size of moons as they saw the dappled black and blue shape. Is that.. Saferi?

??? Saferi, here, beside him? Was this a dream? Burning in his eyes forced them to close and ooze as the eel backed away from the sleeping eel, but when they opened again she had not disappeared. This wasn't a dream..? Memory of the previous day returned to him like a strike from a Sharpedo, strong, hard, and choking. This was very real, and the warmth from Saferi's scales still lingered on his side. All the fighting, battling, promises, and misinformation slammed his hardly awake mind like a bait-ball of dumbass Remoraid. And today that would all continue. Nope.

Carefully, he picked his way back from the eel as not to disturb her. How he had not woken her already, he had no idea, but it was a stroke of luck he was not about to miss. Keeping his motions calm and quiet the seahorse swam swiftly out of the estuary and into the sea. This wasn't the way to his makeshift den, no, but it'd be easier to allude the others. He kept going, swimming this way and that, but something was wrong. His aching body did not want to go, and his pounding head would tell him to randomly change directions without a real reason.

Sanngetall swam until sunlight brightened the water enough for him to realize he had gone in circles and was back near the rivers entrance. He slowed to a halt, tired out and confused as to his lack of direction. His head still felt heavy, but now it was with weakness and not sleep. With a sigh he slouched against a boulder and allowed himself a rest. Gross grunts and groans came with each labored breathe, but the seahorse reeled it back as he saw a familiar figure approaching from the rivers mouth. "Oh no, you found me." He sneered, suddenly wishing he had rested somewhere else. "What you want?"

"Good mornin' Ms. Saferi." Aqua's voice was a bit unexpected, she thought the weasel was asleep after all, but instead of ignoring her Saferi stopped and politely turned her head back. "Morning," she said, finding the greeting odd but chalking it up to no more than her still sleep heavy lips. "How'd you sleep? I got through the night alright, but it definitely didn't feel like nearly enough time passed between sunrise to sunset I tell you." A faint smile etched her face. Wasn't that the truth. "I hardly remember shutting my eyes, let alone sleeping." The entire night sort of felt like a blur now. They came back from the ship but after that.. she couldn't directly say.

Glancing at the other Pokemon she could see they were beginning to stir as well. Bell gave another massive yawn, though this time there was more noise to it. Giving a courteous nod to Aqua the eel continued on her way, calling back softly, "I'm going to check on something." That vague statement was all she said on where she was going, and just as Saferi's tail disappeared out of view Bell gave one last yawn and slowly blinked open her eyes. "Muh.. mu-ming.." she spluttered, the greeting coming out completely garbled. Rolling onto her belly the Poliwag blinked until she could see a simi-clear image of Aqua.

In her sleepiness the image wasn't quite right. Namely, the morning light silhouetted her colors until she was just a dark blob that almost looked blue with all the surrounding water. "what're we dowen today muama?" She mumbled as yet another yawn interrupted her. Lifting her head the child realized just how comfy she was, and with a smile she held it there for a only a few heartbeats before setting it back down. "Ngh," She mumbled, squeezing her eyes closed in a vain attempt to return to sleep. "Five mur.. memmups.."

As the saltwater brushed her lungs Saferi felt refreshed and finally like she could breathe easy. The morning light gave the water a soft silvery color and particles of plankton, plants, and who knows what dotted it like falling snow. It was a truly calming sight, beautiful and undisturbed, but something was wrong. She scales itched as though she was being watched, and though she did not want to go far beyond the mouth of the river the eel was not about to let an intruder go unchallenged. However, as soon as she spotted said intruder all those worries vaporized. "Oh no, you found me." Sanngetall's voice was gruff, as though he hadn't slept at all. Moving closer she could his eyes were puffy and scales were covered with an excessive amount of slime. "What you want?"

"Nothing. Just surprised your still here." She chided, shocked by how poor the guy looked. "Did you sleep at all?" It almost looked like he had been swimming all night, but she did recall talking to him the night before. Maybe he's sick. ..Infected? No, her golden gaze darted wearily over his scales, but none of his wounds had purple festering, and his eyes were still the same dark shade of red. He's worn out. Taught to push themselves past the limit Saferi knew that overexertion all too well. I can't ask much of him today or itll cause permanent damage. Sighing, she turned as though heading back, but did not move as she said. "Come on, the others are awake now."

Ohhhh how she hated the sea air. The salt hanging in the wind like scaley mites waiting to burrow into her feathers irritated her already molting plumage, the constant moisture feeling like flying through fog even when there was none. What she wouldn't give to dry off in the desert somewhere again-

Even as she mourned her current predicament Mandibuzz's keen eyes caught sight of movement in the water down below her, shadows dancing to and fro beneath the waves as she came closer to the shoreline. Where the sea melted into river seemed to be alive with activity so early in the morning and it halted all thought. Hunger awakened at the thought of fresh blood she circled overhead and watched as the shadows moved about, going back and forth from the mouth of the river to the sea where their shadows began to fade into the dark blue void. One shape in particular caught her attention with its constant zipping around and she began to follow it.

A small head popped up out of the water for a gulp of air and within a flash Mandibuzz dived, her beak parted in a terrible shriek as he talon extended below her. Her weight dropped her like a stone into the water and her talons closed like vice grips the moment they felt flesh beneath them, warmth flowing between her toes signaling the draw of blood as she dug into the pliant body of her victim. Pumping her wings she dragged the flailing otter, or at least that's what it appeared to be, out of the water and into the sky, it's voice carrying on the wind like nails in her brain as it pleaded for its life. "Silence-!" she hissed mercilessly, reaching down with her long neck to clamp down on the screeching menace's throat to silence it once and for all.

The taste of blood, irony and hot flooding her mouth, fueled her with an almost primal lust. She clamped down harder and flew to a large tree, resting atop on of the branches and ripping into the orange fur of her victim mercilessly. Nearly all active thought was gone beyond the instinct to feed as she greedily tore innards from their fleshy prisons and swallowed them whole. It wasn't until the body began to grow cold that her fevered feeding frenzy ceased and Mandibuzz looked at her work with indifference. Huffing slightly she looked around for any more of the shadows from her perch but nothing else surfaced, much to her dismay.

With her snack finish beyond a few meager scraps she bent down to rip one of the twinned tails from its host and attached it to her skirt with predatory glee, admiring the way it swished. Taking to the air once more she did one last circle over her recent hunting ground before finally departing, leaving nothing but a small cloud of red dispersing into the flowing river and a torn hat sinking to the bottom, never to meet its owner again.

He had laughed a little at Bell's sleepy words, and he was content to let her sleep until Sanngetall and Saferi rejoined them. The morning was quiet, and he enjoyed the peace. After yesterday, they really needed the break. The water peacefully flowed around them as it went towards the sea, and even underwater, he could see the clear sky overhead.

There was a massive crack in his calm when he thought he saw something black overhead. He wasn't sure if it was his life as a Magikarp surging to the front of his memories, but something about that circling dot that deeply unnerved him. The Gyarados started to readjust his coils from relaxed to getting ready to lunge. "Bell, be very still, and get ready to jump off me when I say to."

He didn't notice Aqua going to the surface until it was too late. Something plunged into the water and yanked the Floatzel into the air. He could hear her screams, and he wanted to do something so badly. But the terror he was feeling only allowed him to jerk backwards in an attempt to keep Bell and himself safe. The water softened the screaming, but he could still hear them. For the first time in years, he felt utterly helpless. Whatever that bird was scared him more than almost getting crushed in the collapsing cave yesterday. All he could do now was make sure he nor Bell were the next victims.

With a heaving groan the seahorse turned his entire body to look away from Saferi. "Nothing. Just surprised your still here." Had she come all this way to mock him? No, but that must have been a plus for her. "Did you sleep at all?" Giving a rough blink where each eye closed individually he sat with the more shit-eating stare he could muster. "Hardly," he rasped, "but I have you to thank for that." If only he had left when he had the chance.

His response hadn't been that insulting but the eel still turned her back to him. Hit a nerve did I? Ashamed of yourself too? There was a sigh, like she had so much more to say to him, so much she wanted to grill him about but was choosing not to. Sanngetall could almost left at that. "Come on, the others are awake now." Giving his own sigh and another massive heave the seahorse pushed up from his resting position to head back without protest. "Whatever you say, my queen." He sneered while swimming after her.

Bell was so tired, or at least so prepared to continue sleeping that it was hard to even think of keeping her eyes open. Yet, even with them closed she could feel that the water was so very alive. It was morning, the sun was warming up the riverbed and there was movement around them. Deciding that sleep could wait for another day the child blinked her eyes open lazily and tossed herself into an upright sit. Her vision was still blurry, that hadn't changed, but through it she swore she could see white particles floating about in the water. Were they food, fairies, or fun? For all she knew they weren't even there.

Reaching a foot up the child rubbed one eye to help clear it when Thorn spoke very softly. "Bell, be very still, and get ready to jump off me when I say to." Her mouth hung open, face very dull with confusion and sleepiness as her foot fell slowly back down. What was he talking about? Were they playing a game? She wasn't ready for games yet, but without protest the child was still and tried to follow where Thorn's head was pointing.

Beams of light that entered the water and illuminated the particles were interrupted by some sort of moving shadow. Thorn's head was pointing that way, presumably following whatever was casting said shadow. That was odd. Last time she checked none of them could fly. By the next heartbeat the Poliwag was a bit more awake. Something about the spiraling circle reminded her of something. Something.. instinctual? Unnatural? She knew this feeling, and it drew up memories of her parents in a way she couldn't place. Cocking her head Bell followed the shadow as it tightened its coil and centered in on Aqua.

The child didn't have time to registrar what was happening before it was too late. The water erupted with violence as something plunged into it. There was trashing and blood started to stain the water, but the worst thing was the screaming. For a second it was the most intense thing she had ever heard, then it was shrouded thanks to the water. Even with that damping nothing could stop those bloodcurdling wails from penetrating the liquid surface and reaching her ears until, suddenly, they came to an abrupt end.

There were still vague sounds outside, whatever it was was still close, and though Bell's mind raced with what those sounds could be she tried not to think about it. There was a silence, as though she didn't dare speak and bring the thing back. Breath refused to enter her lungs as she stared, wide-eyed at the spot Aqua had been moments ago. It was now brilliant red, strands of hair and flesh suspended where her fairies used to be, and a hat was falling somberly down to the murky, muddy riverbed. Her heart sank alongside it.

A tiny, whimpering gasp was all she was able to manage for a breath, and her eyes burned as they look on, wide, helpless, and teary if not for the water surrounding them. "Au.." she wheezed, not a word but a sound as her voice trembled. This couldn't be real, but as the taste of iron-heavy blood reached her it was hard to deny. "She..?" Where was Aqua? That couldn't of happened, not to her, not like that. Heavier, faster gasps came in fast as Bell started to sob and hyperventilate. This couldn't be happening.


Saferi could hear it. Her cold blood completely froze, knowing all too well what that sound meant. From her distance it was faint but curdling screams can not be mistaken. She gave Sanngetall but one glance and knew the thought was mutual. Without further word the pair raced forward, pumping their tail-fins in a mad dash to an event they were already too late to stop. But even when you know something like that your body just wont let up, and Saferi's was no different. Like a dark bolt she tore through the water, not even feeling the resistance of the currant as she made it back to the estuary in record time. The screams had stopped long before she made it and were replaced with the wailing and sobbing of a child.

Her heart was racing, pumping blood at an alarming rate at the eel tasted and listened for anything. What was it, where was it? The water was clouded with red but she saw no unusual figures. Thrusting her head toward Thorn she bore her golden gaze down on him. Fury blazed in the spheres, asking the unmistakable question of where is it. She didn't need an answer for their companions fate, that was clear enough, but if retribution was possible she needed to know now.

Thorn's eyes were still locked onto the spot where Aqua had been. Blood, fur, and a torn hat floated down. The screaming didn't stop for what felt like ages. He tried to curl his tail around Bell for protection, but the poor child was struggling to breathe. He was frozen. Even as the child's sobbing and wailing gained volume, the Gyarados couldn't fathom what just happened. Something in chest felt like it was breaking as he tasted the blood in the water. Aqua's blood. Another friend had been taken from him, and he had done nothing to stop it.

He felt more than saw Saferi bolting towards him. When he finally met her fiery golden gaze, the sensation in his heart started to burn. "Bird," he quietly informed Saferi. Magenta eyes looked back up towards the surface. "Watch her," he ordered with a near uncharacteristic coldness. With a speed one might not expect from a being his size, he lunged out of the bloody water and pulled his long, crimson body out of the river. He wasn't sure what he thought he was going to do. The bird had inspired a primal fear that had rendered him useless, and he wasn't sure what made him think he could handle it now. But he had to try. Aqua didn't deserve this!

While he didn't see anything at first, he could smell it. More blood. He followed the smell to a nearby large tree, and what he found nearly made him throw up. There wasn't much left of her, but he could guess it was her based on the fur and tail left. Thorn was so morbidly entranced with the sight, it took him a moment to notice some smaller undead pawing and growling at the base of the tree. With the bird apparently long gone and something trying to deface the remains of his friend, Thorn roared in anger. This caused the undead to look back towards him and shamble towards the promise of fresh meat instead of the inaccessible scraps. Unable to confront the monster who did this, he took the next best thing. Slamming his tail down, the vibrations of the Earthquake knocked the undead to their feet, and he lunged towards the closest with iced over fangs. Latching onto it and shaking it hard enough for two legs to fall off, he threw it on top of the much smaller one. The Gogoat easily crushed the Venipede, and to finish them off, he crushed them with his tail. This time without using Earthquake.

With the deed finished, Thorn's rage faded enough for him to fully realize what he was doing. He had lost himself again. Ice grabbed his heart with the thought, What if those hadn't been undead? Rage utterly doused with horror at himself, he pulled away from the fully killed undead. Instead, he tried to look back at Aqua's remains. She deserves better than being left to rot in the sun or picked at by birds... But he had been away long enough. Maybe the others would have a better idea of what to do? And he probably shouldn't have left Bell with just Saferi and Sanngetall...

When he slithered back into the water, his movements were sluggish. The light in his eyes had been dulled, and he couldn't really bring himself to look at the others at first. "It got away... Found... What was left..."

The water tasted familiar but by no means was that comforting. The seahorse came to a rough stop, shocked by how different the estuary looked from when he left it. Not only was the sun up and shining in the water it was now the site of a successful hunter. Tatters of fur and small bits of flesh left a scene that he often did after a meal, and while he had wandered by many this was the first since childhood that caused him any sort of distress.

"Bird," the massive Pokemon said, the single word igniting some sort of primordial or instinctual fear that threw his head toward the sky before he could truly register what he was looking for. From what he could see through the water's surface the sky was clear aside from the occasional thin cloud that drifted along. There was nothing particularly noticeable, and whatever had taken Aqua would have left a shadow that could not be missed.

"Watch her," Thorn said callously, leaving the stunned child behind to traverse the land. What he planned to do, Sanngetall didn't care. "How big was this thing?" He growled his thought aloud, not caring about a certain someone's feelings. Aqua was not a small Pokemon. Sure, he was bigger than her, but for a bird to lift a Pokemon of her size it had to be very powerful and large. If it was still around and looking he would have been able to see it from the water, but there was nothing that even alluded to the beast.

"You'd think she'd put up more of a fight." He mumbled with a shrug. He had watched the lass fight against the Phione and while not to his degree of ferocity she was a capable fighter. "Must have been alive for her to hold back." The water current shifted harshly as their other companion returned, but any fire he had before leaving had been snuffed out. "It got away... Found... What was left..." What was left? She was nothing but remains that fast? Wrinkling his snout in disgust the seahorse knew his assumption was wrong. "Damn, an undead was that sly?" No living Pokemon would be foolish enough to leave the remains of its kill out to attract undead.

Bell did not understand. Saferi and Sanngetall raced in but Aqua wasn't with them. She hadn't even noticed the two were gone but they should have brought Aqua back from wherever that place was. "Bird," Thorn said, either answering some question she didn't hear or trying to find some himself. Was that what happened, why she didn't see...? Her body felt numb and stiff with some unknown weight, but by some deep seeded force the Poliwag was able to move a few feet off of her red perch. If it was a bird, she thought, then certainly she would find Aqua outside. Struggling to move she didn't even make it to the surface before Thorn finished with a stern, "Watch her." But she was coming. Why wouldn't she..?

Bell kept struggling, her round form coming eerily close to the disturbed surface as the Gyarados left them. Why wasn't he waiting for her? "Kid, don't." Saferi spoke while she was still several feet away. It was like she wasn't moving or trying at all, that the surface was some intangible distance that she would never make. Succumbing to her numbness the child started to sink back down so much quicker than she had managed to rise, a sadness overtaking her as the sobbing grew. Something was incredibly wrong and no one would say it.

Saferi could see shadows Bell's eyes, that she didn't quite know what happened. Her own fury was still blazing, and while she had her own 'experiences' with land assault she knew if she went it would simply be a waste of effort. "You'd think she'd put up more of a fight." Sanngetall suddenly muttered as though talking to himself. "Must have been alive for her to hold back." The eel's eyes flicked furiously between the seahorse and tadpole, and she could physically see the heartbreak building in Bell's large brown eyes. "Shut it." Saferi barked a very real threat with each of her fangs showing. Did he not have a single sympathetic bone in his body, or at the very least one that could read a situation? "A fight, what fight?" Bell whimpered, but neither Pokemon answered her as they simply looked away.

Watching the surface like an underwater hawk Saferi was dumbfounded that a bird could have done this. In all the time she had lived here bird strikes were rather uncommon. They happened, but only on the small fish by medium birds. For this, it'd have to be a pretty Pidgeot, but even that felt very unlikely. Her rage started to fade and fizzle into frustration. Was this her fault? Should she have picked a different place for them to rest, one farther away from the waters surface?

The estuary shuddered as Thorn return to their world but Saferi could tell from the first moment the news was grim. "Aqua?" Bell whimpered, finally able to speak the word as she paddled a bit closer to Thorn. Even with him their, with all her friends around, she suddenly felt very, very cold and alone. "It got away... Found... What was left..." Water pushed out of Saferi's gills in a deep sigh, confirming what she already knew. "Damn, an undead was that sly?" The seahorse spoke again, and within one heartbeat she was on him, snapped her fangs mere centimeters from his already damaged scales. "I told you to shut it."

But it was not his words that bothered her. Or, she was not the one bothered by his words. Bell floated very still in the water, her eyes wide but blank as they went over everything. "A wha?" she spluttered between quick, short breaths. Thorn looked so lost, what did that mean? What was there? Left of what?! "What undead?" She wheezed, eyes growing wild. "What happened??" She persisted, voice cracking as she shook. "Wheres Aqua?!" She demanded within uncontrollable sobs. This wasn't real. Paddling toward the surface the child looked as though she had forgotten how to swim. Her upward motion yielded her little height but if no one would answer her, if Aqua was still missing than she would have to be the hero. "Kid, don't." Saferi said but Bell was no longer listening. Her energy was waning but she had to make it, she had to go find her.

Snaking forward a few feet the eel would stop her if she had to, but she did not feel it would be necessary. She had never been the sympathetic type, caring, comforting.. or nice, but even she knew this was not the way for one to go. By Thorn's description she could only imagine some sort of hurried feeding that left little intact. It was a grim thought, but it offered her, and more importantly [hopefully] Thorn, some sort of relief. "At least she won't become one of them." If that was the only good thing to come from this, then so be it.

"Damn, an undead was that sly?" Was all Sanngetall had to say.

Thorn was a little too spent to feel properly angry at Sanngetall's callous way of handling the death, but Saferi definitely wasn't. She snapped, literally and figuratively, "I told you to shut it."

His attention immediately returned to the poor child who was struggling to even swim. "A wha? What undead? Wheres Aqua? What happened??" The questions came out between sobs, and her voice cracked. She kept trying to swim upwards, but the attempts were futile. It cut into Thorn just how much this poor child was trying to get to the surface.

Saferi snaked forward a little and muttered, "Kid, don't." Unfortunately, it looked like Bell wasn't even listening. "At least she won't become one of them," She added. The words felt hollow. Part of him wanted to be angry at her for the comment on the shallow victory, but the other part acknowledged that she wasn't the friendliest of people normally. She was actually making an effort to be nice, and he didn't want to utterly ignore it.

She was also right. He couldn't imagine anything more hellish for him than becoming a mindless beast, and if anything... at least Aqua wouldn't come back and attack them. She didn't have to suffer anymore... He had to keep telling himself that. He looked towards the sobbing child, and knew he needed to ensure she didn't get on land. She wasn't making progress, but if that changed in the next few minutes, he did not want her to see the remains. He snaked his head closer to Bell to gently say, "Bell, I'm-I'm sorry. She's gone. It's not-not safe to be out there right now. She wouldn't want you to get hurt..." Shifting around, he brought his tail up under her in case she suddenly stopped trying to swim. Whether it was out of hopelessness or exhaustion, he would have to see.

He was loose, fins full of intention yet nimble enough for a dodge as Saferi's teeth glinted just shy of his throat. That was no bluff; it was a threat. "I told you to shut it." What did she care? This was a perfect opportunity to kill something that wasn't just a pest and she was getting distracted with grief? Snorting a stream of bubbles the seahorse glared with bitter eyes. Just because she was going to be sensitive didn't mean that he had to be. Worse yet was the brat. ""What undead? What happened?? Wheres Aqua?!"" The kid kept whining, crying, and making noises that were just so grating on his eardrums. How was Saferi staying quiet about that? Hell, she even made a gesture of sympathy with some bullshit comment.  

"She's gone, ya twit." He barked, thrusting his fins around in a makeshift fist-shake. "Your sniveling ain't gonna change that." Surely she had seen death before. A child that inept didn't travel alone unless its parents had died or abandoned it. Even if her parents weren't murdered it wasn't possible for her not to have seen some carnage up on the surface. So why was this such a big deal? "Bell, I'm-I'm sorry. She's gone. It's not-not safe to be out there right now. She wouldn't want you to get hurt..." Thorn said in the same act as though Bell needed to be protected from the truth. What good would that do? Delaying the tear-fest for later in an even worse situation?

"Nah man, let her go! Let her see what this world is all about." He chided, voice huffy and loud. He shot daggers at both adults, daring them reprimand him. "She'd learn what'll happen if she doesn't wise up." He continued, just waiting until one of the 'trustworthy' Pokemon said something insensitive in front of the porcelain child. Sizing up the eel he spread his fins and crest as he spoke, goading her to fight him again. Do it. She wouldn't, not now. Not when precious Bell was so delicate. And Thorn? He'd piss him off, maybe get some words, but he could see the fire had died from his eyes. He was safe from a beating for now, and that's all the assurance he needed.

The surface was dappled with little splotches of sunlight. It was beautiful, peaceful, and tainted. Everywhere she looked Bell could only see the redness of blood in the water, which was slowly thinning out and fading as the current spread the hemoglobin too thin to see. Did no one care? Did no one see they were wasting time, leaving Aqua all on her own when she had to be hurt?? Struggling toward the surface the Poliwag just couldn't seem to get there, and her futile efforts were only mocked as Sanngetall bellowed, "She's gone, ya twit. Your sniveling ain't gonna change that." With a hard sniff the child tried to stop crying, but his loud, cruel voice only made the tears flow more freely. At least she was doing something.

And only she was, as even Thorn made no motion to break the surface once more. His head moved forward, a hopeful sign brought down by a heartbreaking set of words. "Bell, I'm-I'm sorry. She's gone. It's not-not safe to be out there right now. She wouldn't want you to get hurt..." A stiffness came over her worse than before. Her tail was ridged and wouldn't flick, her feet drooped under her like sinkers on a fishing line. "She needs us," the child begged, "I know the way b-back to town. I-I'll get medicines." She just had to get to the surface first. But even as she spoke words full of desperation, there was a hollowness to them. Something about the way the others were acting, how stiff and refusing they were, it told her things that were better left unspoken, things that should have never occurred.

Regardless, she struggled, fighting the terrible drowning feelings until the seahorse decided to continue. "Nah man, let her go! Let her see what this world is all about." "Sanngetall-" Saferi's voice interrupted but did not stop him. "She'd learn what'll happen if she doesn't wise up." If she doesn't... wise up.. The Poliwag went limp, her eyes wide as she recalled the previous day. "Do you think she has forogetten yesterday already?" Saferi hissed, spiraling on the spot to slap his face with her tail. No, Bell thought, not anymore. How could I? Today had barely started, she hadn't had a chance to think of her mistake, but if she had been given the time she surely would have.

With all fight drained from her Bell sunk downward like all pebbles cast out to skip inevitability did. Yesterday she had almost died. She was alone with those monster Pokemon and felt a fear like none before. In that dark cave she felt like an animal in a trap, and watched as good and confused Pokemon were hurt and even killed. And it was all her fault. Was that what Sanngetall meant, and what Thorn was warning her about? That those monster Pokemon were waiting for someone as foolish as her to come blundering out alone. Alone.. No one could go with her now. Her companions were all water-bound without Aqua, and if she was ambushed by the evil ones again, by Cheshire again she would have little chance to protect herself.
She couldn't do.. anything....
Falling until she came to rest upon Thorn's scales Bell could fight no longer. She couldn't even get the strength to draw herself into a makeshift fetal position as she sobbed pathetically to herself.

Saferi spread her massive jaw before the seahorse, contemplating if a death bite to the throat was reasonable and justified. His dark colored eyes rolled toward her, daring her, egging her into an action he knew she wanted to take. Did he think this was a game? He had laid it on much thicker than she would have liked, though he was still cautious enough not to say 'murdered corpse' or anything of the like. The kid was getting it to that, she had seen it in her eyes, but now she was limp, and by no means more cooperative than before. If anything, this was worse, as there was no way they would be able to get her moving in this state.

With death glares locked on the Dragalge, Saferi pried herself away from him and took in a deep breath. She was pissed, frustrated and annoyed at everything that had just happened, but she was not about to stoop to his level. Legends did she want to scream, to draw his blood and let the world see her anger, but that would avail to nothing. She was a battle Pokemon, taught to only express those pent up feelings through combat, and as much as it pained her to admit it now was not the time to let them go. Gritting her teeth Saferi smacked the seahorse one more time before she swam to the Poliwag.

Her motions were slow, calm despite the fury boiling in her cold blood. It was strange to be so close to Thorn, she realized, and that the dwarfed tadpole looked deceased herself as she lay upon his tail fin. was she really about to do this, to be that Pokemon? "Bell," she started with using the kid's first name. In truth, she was no better with words than Sanngetall was, and she would dare bet her words were harder to swallow despite the much more tender tone. "Sometimes, good people die." Letting her golden gaze rest on the child she waited until eye contact was made, then held it for several moments before looking down at her necklace's. The waved slightly in the water, their gentle touch a normality practically forgotten by their wearer as she watched them move. "And there's not a damn thing you can do about it."

Bell looked at the eel with wide, blank eyes. Her heart felt like a hole in her chest. Saferi had dared to say the word; Aqua had died. Was that supposed to make things better? To know she could do, and could have done nothing? Her lip quivered, unable to hold back those feelings before harsh sniffling squeezed at her face again. Saferi turned away, diving to the bottom of the river as Bell smooshed her face against Thorn's fin. How could they all act so callously? There was a small sound, a tink sort of noise of teeth gripping something before the eel swam back up in front of her. She was close, much closer than before, but Bell's eyes were not looking at the scars upon her scales but the tinge of silver sticking out of her jaw.

Saferi inched her way forward, so close the tadpole should have felt like prey as she worked her massive fangs beneath the silver of the kid's own necklace. "What I wear is not some silly set of mementos. They are reminders of a burden I carry. Of something I should have stopped." With the utmost care Saferi fiddled the silvery feather between the loops of the chain. When it was settled, she backed away and saw something of life back in the kid's eyes. "There is loss we can not prevent. That's life." Moving further away Saferi turned as that scene played in her head for the millionth time. " You can carry those ghosts with you, but mustn't let them haunt you."

Bell's tears were flowing freely, and then ther tail stopped flicking. She started to sink as she whimpered, "She needs us. I know the way b-back to town. I-I'll get medicines."

Then that damn seahorse had to keep talking. "Nah man, let her go! Let her see what this world is all about. She'd learn what'll happen if she doesn't wise up." Sanngetall's cruel words were emphasized by him spreading his crest as if he was daring them to attack him for his words. What was wrong with him? What did he think he was doing by being a total asshole to a little kid?

Thorn didn't even get a chance to snap at him before Saferi tail slapped the Dragalge and hissed, "Do you think she has forogetten yesterday already?" His own attention was drawn back to Bell as she floated downwards, landed on his scales, and started to sob.

After Saferi had given Sanngetall another slap for good measure, Saferi got close to the child and said, "Bell, sometimes, good people die." There was a pause as she looked down at her necklaces. He had wondered what she wore those for since he was pretty sure they held no practical use for her. He remained quiet as he let her continue her speech, "And there's not a damn thing you can do about it." Despite the word choice, it wasn't said harshly. And gods knew he knew she was right.

There was another pause as Saferi swam downwards towards the torn hat, and when she came back up, she had something silvery in her mouth. The feather that had always adorned Aqua's hat. He couldn't quite see what she was doing with the feather since she got so close to Bell with it until she pulled away. She had put the feather on Bell's necklace. "What I wear is not some silly set of mementos. They are reminders of a burden I carry. Of something I should have stopped." That... answered his earlier question, and he very deeply understood why she was doing this. "There is loss we can not prevent. That's life. You can carry those ghosts with you, but mustn't let them haunt you."

His own memories of lost loved ones were coming to mind. "You can remember the good times from when they were here, and in time, it'll hurt less. It's not like you're forgetting them, but you have to keep going. Especially when you know that's what they would have wanted."