Flare & Ember: Installment 2
#2 of Flare & Ember
Okay. The previous (first) installment was left at a sort of cliffhanger, so I am releasing this next installment even though it's much shorter than before. It has no yiff in it, but I feel this short piece will soothe the soul of those who were worrying about Lei's fate. It does contain a wee bit of death in it, but the creatures in this world, The Weald, handle death differently, as hunting and eating meat are an everyday occurrence. As such death is not seen by them nearly as awful as it seems to us. Therefore, I do not feel that any death is the focus of this installment. And, no- no one you know already will die here XD For those that were looking forward to more yiff, worry not! Yiff is on it's way. Because remember, people: If you yiff it, they will come. I'm slow at writing, yes. Writing is not my life, just a hobby XD * * * # Flare & Ember ### Installment 2 * * * ## 6 -- Parting and... ...? On his tedious walk home, Lei had plenty of time to think about his actions. In the end, it really wasn't worth it. He was now more or less doomed. Those two might not tell on him, but even if they didn't, the fact that they had mated was obvious. They hadn't had time to properly wash, and besides that, Ember had lost her hymen. Very apparent. Doom. * * * 'Say Thanks_,' Lei thought, backing a step. 'Okay, then. Say_ Sorry.' He turned as the two were fixated on their parents, now visible, lounging in the center of the clearing. The two were shocked. Their parents were lying on the middle of the clover patch, motionless. Dead. Flare shot his head back to get Lei's attention, but he was gone. He was there but a moment ago. He could have sworn he just said something, in fact, but, now... not there. Nada. There was a shocked silence. It was a feeling in the chest like a stone was stuck in the windpipe. Then, ringing in the ears. For a long while, nothing could be heard, or seen. It was a strange feeling- a combination of nothing is wrong, and this isn't real, mixing with this can't be happening and why? After they had both processed the facts, the two collapsed onto each other, and wept for a good long time. * * * After their tears had dried, they just sat there for a long while. Neither knew what to do. In the harsh life they lived, this wasn't particularly out of the ordinary. People were hunted all the time; Vulpix and Growlithe both had to eat some meat to stay healthy, and their parents had definitely taken their share of lives for their family. It was a little strange for the bodies not to be carried off, but neither of them had time to think of something like that now. Maybe if they had been concentrating a little harder on their own safety, what happened next would not have come as such a surprise. Out of a corner of his eye, Flare caught a glimpse of Raichu. "Lei!" he called turning his head. But it was not Lei. * * * The unknown Rai took one look at the two cubs he had just orphaned, then quickly looked away. Had he known those two were raising kits, he would have let the mother live. He simply walked toward his now fallen prey, and ignored the two. The twins were already grievous, but now they were terrified too. Here was another Raichu, who could basically kill them on a whim. Ember had to ask, though. Apprehensive as she was, they wouldn't make it anywhere after dark. Growlithes were nocturnal. And Growlithe clans hated Vulpix. She mustered her courage, and spoke up: "Can you help us get somewhere safe before dark? Please?" The Rai shouldered his spoils, pretending not to hear. Flare got the idea. Here was just a Rai who needed food. He was one of those people who ignored their problems. "Please? we won't live through the night if we don't get back there." Rai grunted. "And who's going to take care of you? They're gone, you know." "...yeah. We, um... have an... 'adult friend' who would probably kill to take care of us." * * * ## 7 -- Travels "I have no time for this. None. I feel bad for you, but I have to get back to my mate and kids... How far is it? ... Four hours?" He struggled, then faltered. "I can get you halfway there. That's two hours there, and two hours back for me. And then my mate'll be angry." Without further utterance, he placed the bodies in an out of sight spot just outside the clearing and beckoned for them to lead the way. Saying the twins were grateful was completely unnecessary. Still, two hours alone in the dark was going to be scary. * * * They trudged along, for what seemed like ages. Flare couldn't count the minutes that passed, and neither could Ember measure the distance travelled. The Rai must have been keeping time, though, for he halted and cleared his throat for attention. Ember had almost forgotten his existence. She snapped out of sleep in a heartbeat, though. The instant he left them, they would be seen as easy prey, and she had to be alert. "Thank you. We might have a chance now. You really can't keep us safe any longer?" "You'll be fine. It's probably a lot closer than you remember." He gave a subtle wink. "You two seem to know what you're getting into, with this little... big friend of yours. I take pictures of cubs like you, and sell them. If he wants a little extra coin, tell him to knock three times, two seconds apart, on the abandoned shack just outside Oaktown, and ask to buy a 'bottle of ink." And with that oddball tale right out of a mystery thriller, he dashed back and was swallowed up by the night. Neither knew quite what to say. Eventually, Flare took the initiative. "Let's get going. The longer we wait, the more dangerous it gets." * * * The first half of the walk was silent, but at least the two felt safe. With the Raichu there, just looking big and difficult, they didn't have to think about attackers. With him gone, every rustle of a bush or snap of a twig sent their heart racing. A sigh of wind came though the air, and a cool breeze struck them, carrying sweet summer scents, and the scent, too, of a toothsome bonfire roast. This had the effect of lightening the atmosphere around them. Something else lit the atmosphere more literally: Lei's den. Two hours before they were expecting it. * * * ## 8 -- Parting and... ...Reunion Lei tossed fitfully on his mattress, trying not to enjoy the scent it was now imbued with. No matter how long he tried, he couldn't get himself to fall asleep. Those two were torturing him in his head. "We came to love you, Lei!" a disembodied Ember proclaimed. "Let's sleep together! I won't tell anyone~" lilted imaginary Flare. He sprang to his feet with all the agility he possessed, grabbed his head with his paws, and violently shook it. If getting to sleep led to this sort of thinking, he wanted none of it. He also dreaded whatever sort of perverted dreams he might have. He stood tall on a nearby chair to prevent himself from dropping off. Now, it seemed like suicide might be his best option. He put together a little pros and cons list: - Suicide : - I deserve to kill myself. - I never want to see those two again. - I did something wrong. - I followed the the wrong path.
- Go on living : - I deserve to be killed. - I want to see those two again. - I don't think what I did was wrong. - I followed my heart. "We came back to you, Lei!" Ember proclaimed. "Can we live together?~ I won't be a bother... What are you doing standing on a chair!? Don't do it! You're life is going to well to just end it!" To tell the truth, he wasn't standing on a chair by the time Flare spoke. He had capsized the instant he heard Ember. The real Ember. Not some apparition his mind invented to keep him in his happy place.