Sunrise (Xipil)

[Game Junkie 404]

Owyn the Felissi sat at the very top of the waterfall. It was almost dawn now, and normally he'd be asleep still, and yet, he was not. Something had woken him from his sleep. To see the sunrise, perhaps? His mother had told him that, long before her death, that to watch the sun rise was a beautiful thing.

A marvel for the ages, if his memory served him right.

However, he was not anticipating the sun's rising with hopefulness, as an uneasy wind ruffled the feathers of his wings.

His eyes shifted in a similar manner, from place to place, unable to stay still.

He gave a glance into the dense thicket behind him, hoping to see anything that might be causing him to feel what he was feeling. To his dismay, he found none. A growl escaped his lips. His paws kneaded the soil and grass he sat upon, and as the very first rays of the sun began to form, he waited for something, anything.


(OOC: If you want to see what a Felissi's like, it's in the Original Pokemon section. I finally got it approved! ^_^)

[Jespeon]

(Just thought I'd mention that two giant Rayquazas are on the verge of a fight right next to you. One of them is Zilla, an evil 'Quaza with a hell of an attitude problem so it's likely Owyn will notice them)

[Game Junkie 404]

(OOC: No problem. It's just Rayquazas, right? lol)

Owyn wished he could knew what was wrong. Perhaps something in the air? No, humans were far, far from here. No human dared to climb the waterfall anyway.

Suddenly there was a rustle in the thicket, and Owyn jumped, his throat locking, resisting the urge to cry out, lest he draw any unwanted attention to himself. He knew better. Shaking himself, he looked to his right, in the direction of the sound, worried. "I wonder what's making such a racket," he breathed, but knowing that it could be a predator he stayed where he was.

[Jespeon]

(Not joining coz it's a provate one but thought I should probably post this)

"How dare you!"

The words rang around the canyon, a female, very angry voice, closely followed by something similar to an Earthquake! Zilla had slammed her tail to the ground with such force the ground rattled all around her.

"You doubt me thenI'll prove you wrong!" he voice erupted again. Suddenly, a torrent of vicious black flames engulfed part of the canyon, sweeping Zilla away with it.

"Zilla no!" the familiar voice of Rayzor, Guardian of Erymire shouted. A dazzling white light obscured everything from view as he too disappeared. Seconds later, the sounds of pawprints started and died away, as Kiyoshi, a Suicune who was often with Rayzor, ran from the canyon too.

So not a good day to be in the Cascade Canyon then?

[Game Junkie 404]

(You can, if you like. Xipil hasn't noticed the thread yet , and after this post, Owyn will need saving... *evil laugh*)

The Earthquake that rattled the ground shot Owyn into the air and a gust of wind caught the feathers of his wings. He hung in limbo as the wind began to die out. He was going to get in a very bad situation if he didn't act soon. Quickly, he scrambled to get to land, but the wind died out and he began to fall, two paws holding onto the edge of the cliff for dear life. But his relief was short-lived, for his paws began to slip, and his claws could not lodge themselves well in the stone. Little by little he began to fall, and at last he said, "Why did I even ask that question?"

And then, he fell, and he fell far. Spray-off water from the falls weighed down the feathers of his wings, making it hard to catch air and float. Finally, the water pressure was just too much, and he held his wings close so that he'd fall fast, and he curled in on himself so injury would be as little as possible. From landing, at least.

He didn't even want to think about the sharp rocks that were most certainly at the bottom.

[Xipil]

Suddenly, a black riolu came to his aide, leaping from a small cliff on one side. "You should be more careful. I can't always be around to save you." he landed on the same cliff after using his hind legs to shove the Felissi to a cliff opposite. Then he lept across. "What were you doing, anyway?" He looked coldly at the Felissi, it's age or strength meaning nothing to him. "It's common sense not to get too close to the edge of a cliff. And besides, even if your wings had been able to catch the wind, i doubt you'd have been able to control your flight. The winds here are relentless."

[Game Junkie 404]

Owyn blinked, somewhat disturbed. Hadn't he just been falling? He started to say something, but realized quickly he had to gather his bearing before even attempting to speak. He stood on all four legs, keeping his wings tight to his body. He knew the wind was something fromthe direction above the falls, but he didn't trust the wind to be kind to him. Steadying himself, he shook his fur, droplets flying. Once he was properly dry, and felt well enough, he spoke.

"I was watching the sunrise," Owyn said softly, and methodically, his light voice betraying his youth of his rather weary-worn appearance. "I was close to the cliff, yes, but I was only two leaplengths away from the falls. The spray was nowhere close to me." He looked off the the side, his right.

"And I wasn't expecting the ground to shake me loose from my perch, either."

He turned his piercing gaze back to the Riolu. "But, I digress. Thank you for saving me, ah..." He trailed off, implying that he was asking for a name.

[Xipil]

"Shade." The riolu said shortly. "There's a trail here which will lead you back to your.. 'perch'." He looked away, sitting down. Geez, you try to train and some weird pokemon has to start falling. If i keep getting interrupted, i'm never going to be strong enough to take on the Horde.

[Game Junkie 404]

Owyn's ears twitched. The way that the Riolu, now known as Shade, had said the word perch...sparked small fire within him. He sniffed the air, and found that he could smell a gentle scent of battle on Shade.

He bowed his head gently. "Owyn's my name." Looking back up, he said with a smirk, "Were you training? I seem to smell the scent of excitement around you...and nor do I wish to go back up there....not now that I've met you, of course." He lifted his head a little higher, his two tails twitching.

"Why, now that the wind is dying down, you wouldn't mind a friendly fight?"


(OOC: 50 posts! Yes! Took me long enough, lol)

[Xipil]

"Heh, if you're looking for a friendly fight, you're mistaken. I'm kind enough to save you, but if we fight it'll be the real thing. I have to fight with all my strength to get stronger, until i can reach my goal."

[Game Junkie 404]

Owyn nodded. He could see that Shade was adament about fighting and would not pursue it further. He was curious about the Riolu's motives, however. He'd never seen a Pokemon around his age so driven by anger, and hatred.

"If I might ask, why do you want to be stronger?" Owyn knew how to choose his words carefully, and he knew now to tread lightly with what he said. "My life has not been easy, but you..." The Felissi shook his head gently. "I have never seen the likes of you, if you pardon my observations."

[Xipil]

"You're better off keeping to yourself." Shade commented, then added, "But i'll tell you." He sat down, looking the Felissi in the eye. "I want to become stronger so i can destroy the Horde." He looked at the ground for a second before giving the reason for that. "They killed my mother, my only family." His gaze snapped back to the Felissi's eyes, determination blazing within them. "So I will repay them with their own medicine. For every pokemon they kill, i'll kill thirty of them."

[Game Junkie 404]

The Felissi neither smiled nor scowled. He kept his expression blank as he sat down when Shade did, and listened to Shade's story, and why he wanted to destroy the Horde.

It was a very long time before Owyn spoke. "My...history is quite similar," he began, "when Zilla's minions came to the High Reaches Glaciers about ten moons ago. My clan was split in two. One of the minions, a Mightyena/Houndoom mix if I remember correctly, cornered my mother and I in a cave, and she died protecting me." Owyn looked off into the sunset, his mouth a thin, taut line of indifference.

"I was later the cause of his death by crushing him in an avalanche that...was my fault. I hadn't meant to do it, but I figured that since my mother's killer was dead, I could only find out why her minions had come there in the first place. After a few close calls, I found they'd only been passing through. And, unlike you, it's not like I can eventually just walk up to Zilla and say, 'Your minions killed my mother. Prepare to die.'" He closed his eyes and shook his head. Then he looked up back to Shade.

"Someday, Shade, you may have need of me. When that day comes, find me, and I will follow you. I do have a debt to repay after all." He gave a small, knowing smirk.

(OOC: Did you catch the Princess Bride reference?)

[Xipil]

(Um, no. I didn't.)

"Anything is possible with training." Shade said, not really caring about the other pokemon, or what it was saying. Something about him going to be needing it?

(i'm guessing you're applying Owyn as an Elite for my upcoming plot. If you were not applying, or just didn't know, and you would like to get more info, just message me and i'll send you the timeline.)

[Game Junkie 404]

(I've already got Mahari up for your plot...unless I can have more than one, Owyn will just be a loner, for now.)

Owyn heard what Shade had said and shrugged. "All I want to do is make peace with myself, and if possible, the world." He curled his two tails around the left side of his body, sitting a little straighter up on his haunches.

"I fight well enough already, and I suppose that perhaps we could take Zilla down. Erymire knows that it needs to be done. Your war against the Horde would attract her attention, and then, if you succeed in destorying them, you may become a threat." Owyn's ears and nose twitched simulataniously.

"If that happens, then I might aid you, unless events prove otherwise."

[Xipil]

"If that happens, it'll happen like everything else in my life - that is to say, i'll do it alone." Shade said, standing up and starting to walk away.

[Game Junkie 404]

"You can't do everything alone," Owyn said suddenly.

He started after the Riolu, that spark within him resurfacing. He realized what Shade's words had lit. A challenge. "While there are cases where that is possible, unless you are a Seeker, it is not always." Owyn hadn't felt his blood boil like this in a long time, and it excited him in the same way hunting did. It was in a male Felissi's nature to seek dominance, of course, skittish as his breed was.

"So," he said softly, "are you the Knower or the Seeker?"

(Pardon my bad metaphors... XD)

[Xipil]

Shade smiled, "Those are just myths. I am neither. The only thing i need is my determination to win, and the bravery to do so, both of which i have." He suddenly spun around to face Owyn. "I'm sensing you are looking for a fight."

[Game Junkie 404]

Owyn grined, chuckling, his charisma getting the better of him. "Perhaps, perhaps not." And here came the riddles. He rarely used them, but this opponent was different than the others he'd 'sparred' against. The others had been older, and he'd had to beg them to fight him. And, of course, they'd let him win. Not much of a challenge, but good for experience and wisdom.

Hadn't been much for humor, either, which Shade seemed to get, to a certain extent.

"And why not? You've been shifting your feet almost the whole time we were talking. I seek a challenge, and you, experience. Strength. Unless you want to spend the rest of the day torturing yourself with the notion that you could have possibly had a willing opponent that didn't thirst for your blood."

He flashed another grin, this time his voice light and humorous.

[Xipil]

"If we fight, you'd better start. Because if we fight, it wouldn't end until one of us died." Shade started walking away again.

[Game Junkie 404]

Owyn, exhaling, was at a loss for words. "I-I'm sorry, but I don't follow. Do you mean that if I started it then we wouldn't have to fight to the death, or would it end the same either way?"

Owyn leaned on his left side, staring out at the rising sun for a moment and then looking back. He wasn't completely sure he wanted to risk his life willingly if it meant killing Shade. Perhaps the feelings he was placing towards Shade were the wrong feelings. Was Shade his friend, or his enemy?

"Because if you mean the latter, then I haven't the courage to kill you. I was taught differently, I suppose, in the rules of engagement than you were. I could not do that, even if to gain experience."

[Xipil]

"Now you know the kind of fighting which the Horde uses, and which i must then use to defeat them in combat." Shade said, then turned around to face Owyn. "But, since you cannot or will not use such fighting techniques, and I have vowed to leave neutral Pokemon out of this, we are friends."

[Game Junkie 404]

Owyn nodded his thanks.

"I'm thankful for your understanding. Someday, I might have to do that, yes, kill someone to live, but to a friend? Never. At least, a true friend. Betrayers have no place in such a catagory."

If he had arms to fold, he would have done it, but as he couldn't do so, he settled for a collected, calm expression. The wind was blowing again, at the waterfall this time, but it was gentle, and carried the faintest scent of the spicy cinnamon desert.

"Enough declarations, though. I wonder, Shade, have you ever just sat and observed nature? It is a strange thing, indeed. Even when things appear to be still, they are always changing in some way. Like the sun, rising slowly across the sky. It seems stationary at times, but when you look up later, you realize it's moved."

He gave a little chuckle as he stared out gently over the streams of red-yellow-orange rippling across the canyon like water waves.

[Xipil]

"I have noticed that kind of thing. But to me, it's only a tool to tell the passage of time."

[Game Junkie 404]

"I'm sort of a philosiphical sort of creature. I watch, observe, and ponder. If those actions get me into a questionable situation or two, so be it. I'm well aware that life has it's dangers."

The Felissi was still looking over the canyon, now watching the sky with his angular red-yellow eyes. The colors danced like the sun's rays, purples, red, blue, and yellows, with every color in between to complete the ensemble. Owyn remembered a time when his mother had pointed out a rainbow to him and they had sat on a canyons edge like this one and watched the colors sparkle and then fade away into the blue, blue sky.

"Why is the sky blue?" he whispered, the memory still fresh on his lips.

"Why does the sun set and rise? How do we know that is what it's called?" He chuckled gently. "I asked those questions to my mother once, and she gave the same answer to each one. Do you know what that answe was, Shade?"

[Xipil]

"What do i look like? An Xatu? I don't sit around looking at the sun for answers!" Shade said semi-playfully.

[Game Junkie 404]

Owyn smiled gently. So the Riolu did have a sense of humor.

"So... you aren't completely without a funny bone, I think." He gave a sort barking laugh, and then chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, her answer was that things are what they are, and the same goes for our actions. You know, Shade, perhaps this friendship is a good thing. Or...perhaps not." He 'hmmphed' and sat on his back legs, entwining his forelegs together, his lips still pulled into their gentle grin.

[Xipil]

"It could be. You know, in order to evolve, a Riolu has to have a friend." Shade said, "If i were to evolve, i could be more powerful when it came to fighting the Horde!"

[Game Junkie 404]

Owyn tilted his head a little to the right as he watched the strangely colored Riolu. Shade's life didn't sound easy, and it was truly similar to his own, but it was their base personalities, he realized, that made all the difference in the end. His mother had taught him to be calm about things, and to take a closer look at the world before saying something about it. His father, who was still alive, had taught him respect for life. The Riolu seemed to have none of that teaching. There were traces of it, but Shade was hell-bent on his goal and that was that.

"Yes, you could be stronger."

He muttered this after Shade had finished speaking. He tilted his head back to its normal position and then scratched his right ear with his back leg, the other one thumping softly. He set the leg down and then spoke again.

"And perhaps a friend might help you to be a little less...brash."

Owyn hoped he'd chosen his word carefully for Shade. He didn't want to seem too critical of the other Pokemon.

[Xipil]

"Now, why would we want that?" Shade said, "That's exactly why i'm able to defy the horde. Everyone else, the spineless cowards, just run and hide. It takes a brash kind of pokemon to change the world."